Crime thrillers that blend action and crime are nothing new, but few offer the sci-fi twist that BenDavid Grabinski’s new movie can boast.
It sometimes comes off as a throwback 1990s thriller comedy, full of pop culture references (a ‘Gilmore Girls’ discussion might be the funniest) and needle drops from the era and beyond.
Written and directed by Grabinski, this has a script that moves at a fair clip, throwing a variety of different characters at us, who all provide various levels of entertainment value. Sometimes it all feels a little Tarantino-lite, but it has its own appeal.
Cinematographer Larry Fong helps give this one some visual panache, and if it occasionally leans too hard on certain styles, the movie certainly delivers in a way that fans of directors such as Edgar Wright will appreciate.
It’s the casting that really helps this one –– Vaughn delivers his trademark witty attitude (with an extra version of his character for good measure thanks to the movie’s time travel twist). Marsden is appealing nervy and if González doesn’t always get as much to do, her Alice is still a solid character.
Around them, there is a deep bench of comedy acting talent, including Stephen Root, Ben Schwartz and Jimmy Tatro, who all steal scenes.
Two gangsters and the woman they love try to survive the most dangerous night of their lives. As if that wasn’t enough, there’s one wild ingredient added to the mix: a time machine.
Who is in the cast of ‘Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice’?
(Left) Daisy Head stars in ‘The Gray House’. Photo: Bogdan Merlusca. (Right) Amethyst Davis stars in ‘The Gray House’. Photo: Bogdan Merlusca.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Daisy Head and Amethyst Davis about their work on ‘The Gray House’, the true story it is based on, their characters’ relationship, working with Mary-Louise Parker, and collaborating on set with director Roland Joffé.
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Head, Davis, and Keith David.
Daisy Head stars in ‘The Gray House’. Photo: Bogdan Merlusca.
Moviefone: To begin with, Daisy, can you talk about the alliance that Elizabeth and her mother make with Mary Jane and the incredible work they do together against all odds?
Daisy Head: It was a remarkable trio, a very tenacious group of women. Obviously, Mary Jane had suffered so much adversity and just had such an extraordinarily harrowing experience for any human to have endured. To be able to unite and rely on each other’s bravery, courage, and strength in their quest for freedom and to preserve American democracy was really humbling to experience as a human being and portraying that character in that role within that story. I was in awe of these three women and everything that they sacrificed. Being able to play against Mary-Louise and Amethyst in the scenes was just an absolute privilege, and I’m very grateful for the opportunity.
MF: Amethyst, in the series your character explains that she has lost her faith in God and that it is rage that keeps her going. Can you talk about that and how her rage gave her an advantage against the Confederates?
Amethyst Davis: I think that’s a turning point of the whole series. I think a lot of people will be able to relate to when something traumatic and devastating happens, and you start to lose your faith a little bit and you get reunited with something else. But it’s something that the journey of feeling trauma and dealing with it and seeing it with your own eyes, with your own family can really give you ammo to get ready to do things that you never thought you would do.
Amethyst Davis stars in ‘The Gray House’. Photo: Bogdan Merlusca.
MF: Amethyst, as an actor and as a human being, what was it like to act out some of the horrible situations in this series? Did it feel real at times, and how did that help inform your performance?
AD: I think sometimes, but no, it didn’t feel real. The more prepared I was, the more removed from it I could be. There was one scene that was a real small scene, no lines, and I really didn’t prepare that much because I just thought, “Oh, it was going to be a quick scene.” It was not a quick scene. I was not prepared, so then therefore, I’m in it. It’s me in this scene, and now we’re traumatized. No, we weren’t traumatized. We shook it off and we were all a close cast, so we were able to help each other out and hang out with each other. So, we were able to shake that off.
MF: Daisy, can you talk about the relationship between Elizabeth and her mother and what it was like working with Mary-Louise Parker?
DH: I mean, Mary-Louise, testament to her, she is such a remarkably talented actor. To be able to have a relationship on screen, but develop it off-screen as well was a true joy because it I felt like we had our own chemistry and our own bond off-screen. I was able to, in scenes just feel very comfortable and safe in her company. She is an extraordinary talent, and I’m so fond of her as a human being. So, it really helped strengthen the narrative of the story, because there was an incredibly tight bond between us as people. Which just made it easier, and I was able to generate that kind of strength of relationship much faster than if it was someone else. So, it was a great privilege.
Mary-Louise Parker stars in ‘The Gray House’. Photo: Bogdan Merlusca.
MF: Daisy, what was it like working with director Roland Joffé and watching him execute his vision for this project?
DH: I mean, he’s just remarkable. He is so talented, and his eye and attention to detail is literally unparalleled. I just felt so honored to have the opportunity to work alongside him for such a long project and fully trust in his vision and concept. Because even in some scenes, I would be concerned about how something was being portrayed and about whether I needed to do it. He was just like, “No, trust me, in the bigger scheme of things, don’t worry too much about this little thing.” I put my full faith in him. I mean, the finished product, the work speaks for itself. He is an incredibly, extraordinarily talented human.
MF: Finally, Amethyst, what was your experience like working with Roland?
AD: I was just so surprised at how much he respected my voice and my opinion as being a newer actor. Anytime I had a suggestion or sometimes they would even ask me things. They never made me feel like, “Oh, you’re just an actor,” or “Oh, you’re just a new actor,” or anything like that. They were very respectful and open, and I know that doesn’t always happen.
Mary-Louise Parker stars in ‘The Gray House’. Photo: Bogdan Merlusca.
What is the plot of ‘The Gray House’?
Based on a true story, the series is about the secret work carried out by Union spies during the American Civil War.
Josh Holloway as Jim Ellis in ‘Duster.’ Photo: James Van Evers/Max.
‘Duster’ receives 7 out of 10 stars.
Landing on Max with its first episode on May 13th (followed by one weekly through July 3rd), ‘Duster’ represents two returns to TV for veterans of classic mystery box drama ‘Lost’ –– co-creator J.J. Abrams and leading ensemble member Josh Holloway.
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Yet while their new series does come with a couple of mysteries driving the plot, this is really more about the easygoing, rugged charm of its main man, and an appealingly laidback (when not kicking into higher, more violent gear for semi-regular confrontations).
Rachel Hilson as Nina in ‘Duster.’ Photo: James Van Evers/Max.
With Abrams here working alongside LaToya Morgan (a veteran of series such as ‘The Walking Dead,’‘Into the Badlands’ and ‘Parenthood,’ ‘Duster’ gives off the vibe of a 1970s crime series, and not just because of its sunbaked seventies setting.
It’s not exactly aiming to be high art, it just wants to entertain, and for the most part is successful in that endeavor, beyond some caveats we’ll explore below.
Script and Direction
Keith David as Ezra in ‘Duster.’ Photo: James Van Evers/Max.
Abrams and Morgan kick the season off with the first two episodes and are mostly occupied setting things up in the early going, introducing us to Holloway’s Jim Ellis, and content to sometimes coast on the actor’s considerable charm and rugged (if this days a little more weather-beaten and lined) good looks.
Still, the creators don’t just have that on their minds; there is more to this new show. Ellis lives in the shadow of his late brother, a fellow charisma factory who died mysteriously when the van he was driving for a crime syndicate exploded.
These days, Jim mostly occupies himself –– when he isn’t bedding attractive women –– with running errands in his cherry red 1970 Plymouth Duster for Ezra (Keith David), head of the criminal outfit who is struggling to maintain his grip on territory as others encroach, and worried about his family, especially ailing Royce (Benjamin Charles Watson), whose health factors into the first episode’s speedy set piece.
On the other side of the law (not that Jim’s portrayed as a total criminal, just working for one) we have fresh-faced FBI agent Nina (Rachel Hilson), who has an agenda of her own and an axe to grind against Ezra.
Nina also faces the reality of 1970s society –– she’s a black woman who must put up with both racism and sexism even despite making it through Quantico and with serious smarts and gusto to back up her badge.
If there are problems with the series on the scripting side it’s that too many episodes fall back on an annoying in media res format (we’d caution you not to start a drinking game based on how many feature an “hours ago” chyron lest you damage vital organs) and the main mystery, part of what Nina is assigned to, doesn’t always work as well as the rest. But it’s still more satisfying than some of Abrams’ past work.
Visually, the show (set mostly in Phoenix, but shot in New Mexico) is sumptuous, and directors Steph Green and Darren Grant keep the pace and tone on track, pulling off some effectively entertaining vehicular stunts and bone-crunching clashes.
It’s interesting to note that the ever-busy Abrams didn’t choose to direct any episodes, yet does contribute beyond his producer duties by getting back to one his old trademarks and crafting the period-appropriate and hard-charging theme for the show, which plays over a fun animated model car sequence that is like Hot Wheels for grown-ups.
Cast and Performances
Donal Logue as Sergeant Groomes in ‘Duster.’ Photo: James Van Evers/Max.
Holloway might not have been away from TV work as long as Abrams –– he’s been in a few shows here and there in the days since ‘Lost,’ but this feels like the highest-profile project built around him to happen along in a good while.
And he’s certainly up to the task, making Jim an easy character to like, but also giving him some deeper, darker layers as he digs into what happened to his brother. His chemistry with Hilson (non-romantic, which is a nice change) and David in particular is palpable.
For her part, Hilson should hopefully break out for this role, as she brings real energy to Nina, a woman caught between her ambitions and the reality of the world she lives in. She’s excellent in the part, just as comfortable taking down racist idiots as she is working with Navajo FBI partner Awan (Asivak Koostachin).
Keith David can play this sort of crime lord part in his sleep, but here he’s fully engaged as Ezra, who has a connection to Jim’s past and a stranglehold on local trading routes. David is always impressive on screen, and here he commands our attention.
Around the leads is a compelling group including the aforementioned Awan, Jim’s dad Wade (played superbly by Corbin Bernsen) and because no Abrams project would be complete without him, Greg Grunberg, who gets a solid supporting role as Nina’s immediate superior, the officious and occasionally smug agent Abbott. Donal Logue, meanwhile is at first almost unrecognizable as shady Sergeant Groomes, who gives Jim some early hassle.
Final Thoughts
Camille Guaty as Izzy in ‘Duster.’ Photo: James Van Evers/Max.
‘Duster’ won’t rev itself into the TV hall of fame any time soon, but it’s diverting enough, full of fast cast, fun crimes and Holloway on full leading man mode, all drawl and lead foot on the gas.
The central mysteries work to keep the plot idling along, but it’s the people you’ll want to keep spending time with.
What’s the plot of ‘Duster’?
‘Duster’ is set in the 1970s Southwest and explores the life of a gutsy getaway driver for a growing crime syndicate that goes from dangerous to wildly, stupidly dangerous when a tenacious young agent comes into town hellbent on taking his crime family down.
Opening in theaters on December 20th, ‘Mufasa: The Lion King’ represents Disney’s latest trip to the animated canon-to-live-action watering hole. Of course, “live-action” in this case is a slight misnomer as every blade of grass or twist of hair on screen is brought to life with impressive, photorealistic CG.
But even with a filmmaker as talented as Barry Jenkins in charge, what transpires feels like a waste of his time and energy, since the storyline is so generic as to become tiring.
When Jon Favreau brought the world the 2019 version of Disney animated classic ‘The Lion King,’ he did so with plenty of verve and the musical stylings of Beyonce added to the power of the original music.
But here’s the question –– did anyone truly, really need to learn how Pride Rock came into being or why everyone calls Scar “Scar,” besides the obvious reason? Like with some other prequels, the movie ultimately rattles off a tiring list of callbacks and nods that can’t paper over the cracks of an entirely predictable story. And not just because you know how it ends, and you’re never particularly worried about anyone involved since we’ve all seen the next chapter.
Even the music, this time provided by ‘Hamilton’ genius Lin-Manuel Miranda (who was so effective on ‘Moana’) is less than thrilling.
Perhaps the biggest issue for the new movie lies in Jeff Nathanson’s script. You can practically fill in a bingo card when it comes to references to the original, and if you’re keeping count of every time someone says “everything the light touches” you’d fill two sides of A4 paper. It’s prequelitis at its worst.
The story of how Mufasa lost his own family but discovered another one (and then largely lost that) all while seeking a promised land where everything will be better is so basic as to be laughable in places.
Still, there are some positives to be found –– the intercut moments featuring Pumbaa, Timon, Rafiki and Kiara (daughter of Simba and Nala) are at least more entertaining and poke fun at the franchise in general.
Jenkins is an accomplished, proven director, but the demands of the technology and fitting his square peg soulfulness into the edges-shaved round hole of Disney at its most rudimentary is rarely a situation that work for either.
Cast and Performances
The adoptive brothers of Taka (soon to be known as Scar) and Mufasa are the focus, but there are other roles to be considered too.
Pierre, so good this year in ‘Rebel Ridge’ and before that in Jenkins’ TV series ‘The Underground Railroad,’ does what he can with the role, and brings the young(er) Mufasa to life with some depth and emotion.
He may not be James Earl Jones (Mufasa’s legendary original voice, who scores a warm tribute at the start of the movie), but he’s a decent substitute.
Harrison Jr. has more to play as Taka, since his character gets to be first enthusiastic and then bitter, forming the basis for what will become Scar.
He certainly wrings some emotion out of the role, even if he’s a little undercut by logic issues –– despite one moment late on, you really can’t believe why Mufasa would keep him around.
Sarabi –– the future Queen of Pride Rock –– serves mostly here as love interest for Mufasa and object of obsession for Taka, and while Boone’s performance is sweet and heroic, the role is rarely satisfying.
Mikkelsen, here back on villain duty, is essentially just a snarling plot device who threatens our heroes. He’s the role model for Scar’s eventual personality, and while Mikkelsen always gives good antagonist, the character’s something of a cipher.
In a world where ‘Wicked’ can serve as an effective and emotionally fulfilling prequel to ‘The Wizard of Oz,’ you really would hope for more from a ‘Lion King’ origin tale.
Yet sadly, this is merely not embarrassing, providing little that is truly unexpected and settling for a Greatest Hits of ‘Lion King’ lore.
‘Mufasa: The Lion King’ receives 5.5 out of 10 stars.
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What’s the story of ‘Mufasa: The Lion King’?
‘Mufasa: The Lion King’ enlists Rafiki (John Kani) to relay the legend of Mufasa (Aaron Pierre) to young lion cub Kiara (Blue Ivy Carter), daughter of Simba (Donald Glover) and Nala (Beyoncé Knowles-Carter), with Timon (Billy Eichner) and Pumbaa (Seth Rogen) lending their signature schtick. Told in flashbacks, the story introduces Mufasa as an orphaned cub, lost and alone until he meets a sympathetic lion named Taka — the heir to a royal bloodline. The chance meeting sets in motion an expansive journey of an extraordinary group of misfits searching for their destiny — their bonds will be tested as they work together to evade a threatening and deadly foe.
Opening in theaters in limited release on December 15th and expanding wide on December 22nd, ‘American Fiction’ is one of the canniest and funniest satires to land in theaters for a long time.
Rooted in an assured, well-observed script adapted itself from a great book, Cord Jefferson’s feature directorial debut has a captivating lead performance from Jeffrey Wright, surrounded by a cadre of actors from which there are no false notes.
The subject of race in America and the wider world can often be a tricky one to tackle; and while that’s certainly the driving force in the movie, it’s one that it handles with such surety and creativity that you come away from the experience impressed and satisfied.
Percival Everett’s novel ‘Erasure’ was fueled by an incisive, angry look at how the Black experience can be commodified and packaged for guilt-ridden white audiences –– the better for it to be accepted into wider, whiter society.
That’s an even trickier narrative to make work in a movie, so Cord Jefferson –– who has form writing on shows such as ‘Watchmen’, ‘The Good Place’ and ‘Master of None’ but hadn’t directed a film before –– is to be lauded for how effectively he does it. ‘American Fiction’ might occasionally fall into the odd indie movie trope, but that doesn’t diminish its power or entertainment value.
Having worked in various writers’ rooms, Jefferson knows his way around an astute screenplay, and here he channels Everett’s book while also finding his own voice. The writing is witty and keenly observed, but it’s not all about the central premise –– the family story running alongside it (and sometimes taking prominence in the life of main character Thelonious “Monk” Ellison, (played by Jeffrey Wright) is given plenty of space and time to becoming just as involving.
As a director, Jefferson mostly lets his characters do the heavy lifting, aside from a couple of worthwhile meta sequences where creations come to life or the end of the film is edited and workshopped by two characters, this has an unassuming visual palette that gives the story prominence.
One or two moments do slip into standard indie movie style –– shots of characters contemplating their situation on a beachfront path as seagulls cry in the distance, waves lap the land and Laura Karpman’s score goes full ‘Charlie Brown Christmas’ jingly jazz don’t help matters, but they are few and far between.
Much more successfully is how Jefferson has brought out the best in his cast, which we suppose isn’t too difficult given a cast this wonderful, but still counts for a lot.
Jeffrey Wright owns ‘American Fiction’, absolutely proving he’s one of the best actors of his generation, albeit one who doesn’t always get the chance to prove that (which just shows you why the conceit of the movie is worth exploring).
Here, Wright feasts on the role of Monk, giving life to Jefferson’s script in nuanced, creative and emotionally satisfying fashion. An intellectual author who teaches privileged, issues-led students at a Los Angeles college to make ends meet between publishing highbrow fiction (he’s shocked when he sees his work filed in the “African American” section and insists it be moved elsewhere, only to be informed by a nervy shop assistant that that’s not how chain stores work).
Monk is a fully realized, superbly rounded character, one who soon learns what he’s always feared; that he’s slowly pushed everyone and everything in his life away and is painfully lonely, even as he covers it with intelligent frustration. This is a funny, flawed, human man with many foibles tarring his intelligence. When he decides to write the ultimate “Black experience” book to poke fun at the sort of material that white publishers lap up, his career becomes much more successful, even as he’s terrified of what it all means, and his life slowly starts to spiral out of control.
But this is no monologue, and Jefferson has cast so very well around Wright that it’s hard to pick out the best of the ensemble. When you have the likes of Sterling K. Brown, Keith David, Tracee Ellis Ross, Leslie Uggams, Issa Rae and John Ortiz in fully fleshed out supporting roles, you know you’re in good hands. Everyone shines, helping to build Jefferson’s world and filling it with watchable moments.
‘American Fiction’ features a book awards ceremony at one point, and the voting process for the tomes that end up making it to the dais could well be read as a dig at the Oscars’ proclivity for movies such as 2004’s ‘Crash’ that claim to have insight on race relations.
Yet as a movie itself, the film is good enough to be in consideration for categories such as Best Actor (for Wright), Best Adapted Screenplay (for Jefferson) and more. It might be dealing with a difficult subject, but it makes the whole endeavor look easy. As film directing debuts go, Cord Jefferson scores a real winner, and I can’t wait to see what he does next.
‘American Fiction’ receives 8.5 out of 10 stars.
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What’s the story of ‘American Fiction’?
In ‘American Fiction’, Jeffrey Wright stars as Monk, a frustrated novelist who is fed up with the establishment profiting from “Black” entertainment that relies on tired and offensive tropes.
To prove his point, Monk uses a pen name to write an outlandish “Black” book of his own, a book that propels him to the heart of hypocrisy and the madness he claims to disdain.
Who else is in ‘American Fiction’?
Around Wright, the cast includes Tracee Ellis Ross, John Ortiz, Erika Alexander, Leslie Uggams, Adam Brody, Keith David, Issa Rae and Sterling K. Brown.
The movie stars Dwayne Johnson as Krypto, Superman’s (John Krasinski) dog. When a group of animals receive super powers, Lex Luthor’s (Marc Maron) guinea pig Lulu (Kate McKinnon) captures the Justice League and attacks Metropolis.
Now, Krypto must learn to work with his new friends, including a dog named Ace (Kevin Hart), a turtle called Merton McSnurtle (Natasha Lyonne), and Chip the squirrel (Diego Luna) in order to defeat Lulu and save Superman, Batman (Keanu Reeves) and the rest of the JLA.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with writer and director Jared Stern about his work on ‘DC’s League of Super-Pets,’ creating new origins and designs for the characters, the DC animal characters they did not use, working with Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart, casting Keanu Reeves and Marc Maron, and why every dog is a superhero.
Moviefone: To begin with, can you talk about creating new origin stories for Krypto and Ace the Bat-Hound in ‘DC League of Super-Pets?’
Jared Stern: We’re fans of the comics. We never wanted to do something that felt wrong. But we also wanted to do something that felt original and fresh for our universe. Krypto has a few different origin stories over the course of comics’ canon. There’s one that’s really cool where he was set up as almost a test subject to make sure that baby Superman’s escape pod worked. Then in a convoluted way, he ends up getting to Earth after Superboy has already grown a bit, which was too confusing, but it’s a very cool story.
So that one was just a little confusing but it’s so much more emotional in our movie, hopefully, and gives you the connection right away that these two are best friends forever. So, when something gets in the way of that for Krypto, it’s going to be a huge deal. So, that’s why we went with the origin story that we did there.
Then for Ace, there’s multiple origin stories for him too, but I liked the notion of telling a story about a shelter pet, a dog who’s been there for a long time. Puppies get adopted more quickly than adult dogs and just the notion of the veteran, the guy that takes care of the other pets at the shelter. They’re idiots, but they’re his idiots, like ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.’ So, that just seemed to work for our Ace, to give him a bit of a grizzled backstory, befitting someone who could become a Bat-Dog.
MF: For the animal characters, you used a combination of classic DC animal heroes, as well as some new ones. Can you talk about that choice, and did you consider any other DC animal characters like Captain Carrot, Gleek, or Detective Chimp that didn’t make it into the final cut?
JS: I mean, there’s so many to choose from. It’s pretty great. You just named a few, I could name a bunch of others that I love. I’ll just think of one that no one would ever think was in the movie. Let’s see who I love. Let’s say Bat-Cow. But there’s just so many. I love Detective Chimp. There’s the original Legion of Super-Pets, which people love. So, Beppo, that’s a good one to go with. Let’s go with that, Beppo (a monkey), Comet (a horse) and Streaky (a cat).
They’re awesome, but they’re all in the Superman family. We really wanted to do a thing that could perhaps be an origin story for all of the Justice League’s pets, so that was the driving force behind. We knew that they were going to be shelter animals and that they were going to end up hopefully being Justice League pets, so that was what shaped the choices that we made.
Then from there, we picked some of our favorites and molded new origin stories for them as well. So, Chip obviously is a little bit different than what you might have seen in the comics, but still awesome. We also have Merton McSnurtle, who’s a deep cut from “Funny Stuff,” but has appeared in various ways over the years.
Then we created some new characters, like you said. Lulu is our own creation, the villain played by Kate McKinnon, a hairless guinea pig. We wanted a villain that was really actually pretty badass and capable but made sense in a movie where the pets are the ones saving the day. So, that’s where Lulu came from.
Then we have PB the pig. I love Wonder Woman’s pet Jumpa from the comics, but I couldn’t quite fathom there being a kangaroo in a local Metropolis animal shelter. So, that’s why we created PB the pig. But there’s a couple of nods to DC canon and Wonder Woman having a pig. There’s an early issue where she flies on a pig. Then there’s a famous ‘Justice League’ animated series episode where she gets turned into a pig by Circe.
MF: Can you talk about Dwayne Johnson’s involvement in this project, both as a producer and as the voice of Krypto, and what came first, casting Johnson or deciding to bring in his good friend Kevin Hart as the voice of Ace?
JS: It’s a good question. Dwayne’s involvement, I was thinking about from the very beginning. Sometimes you go to the studio and say, “With so-and-so, think this actor.” I swear to you when I pitched this movie I said, “Krypto the super dog. Think Dwayne Johnson.” Amazingly, we made it into reality. He said, yes, and he’s wonderful.
I think that is definitely when we started thinking about Kevin, because those two guys are so good together. But we didn’t want to just put them together just because it’s fun, because they have a good time, and that people love them together. That’s all true. But it only would’ve worked if we felt like Kevin was right as Ace the Bat-Hound.
We tested his voice out and listened to it. We noticed that he’s playing in a deeper register and he’s doing something very different. He’s still very funny in this. He’s still Kevin Hart, but he’s doing something really soulful and emotional. It’s a little bit of a lower voice for him, and I think it’s really fantastic. So, we didn’t want to just do it to do it. We did it because we felt like it would make for a really great story in our movie.
MF: As a DC fan, I thought you perfectly cast Keanu Reeves and Marc Maron as Batman and Lex Luthor, respectively. Can you talk about both of those casting choices?
JS: I’ll start with Maron, who I love. My co-director Sam Levine is an obsessive fan of the WTF Podcast. Sam is an animator and really smart about pairing voices. He just was like, “This is the voice.” He was absolutely right. He’s just such a great Lex Luther because he’s a guy who has everything and yet still can complain and be aggrieved. That’s our Lex. He’s a billionaire, but he’s just so frustrated that he can’t win.
Then for Keanu, our Batman is haunted. He’s a guy who’s seen a lot in his life. He’s still a badass Batman, but he’s a bit messed up. Most importantly, he’s the guy who just needs a pet. Keanu’s voice and what he did with it was really wonderful. I feel like he had a good time doing Batman and I’d love to make more Batman movies with Keanu Reeves any day.
MF: For the look of the Justice League, you went with a 1940’s inspired costume for Superman, Aquaman has his hook, and you chose Jessica Cruz from all the different Green Lanterns available. Can you talk about your design choices for the different Justice League members?
JS: I mean, it was a combination of a lot of stuff. We wanted to have a diverse lineup that looked like the whole world, so that could mean an Aquaman who’s from the South Pacific. That could mean a character like Aquaman who has a disability, a prosthetic limb. That could mean Jessica Cruz, and just trying to have a better gender balance between the characters. So, we just wanted it to look like the whole world without forcing it, without being preachy, just so that everyone could see themselves in the Justice League and the heroes.
Then in terms of the design, our character designers did a wonderful job. Even with the shapes of their body types, we wanted that to feel like the whole world. We just picked and chose from everywhere, all the stuff that we loved from the comics and then things that just felt right that were invented from our character designers.
So, there’s a little Christopher Reeve in our Superman, but there’s also a little bit of Max Fleischer in him as you noted. Our Cyborg is in some ways is a nod to the first Cyborg designs in the comics, but then he’s got his own little modern flare too. They all have a uniting gold element in them, which we felt connected to the golden age of DC and in our Metropolis.
MF: Finally, if you take the DC elements out of this movie, it’s really a film about a man that loves his dog, and vice versa. How did your own love for animals help inform you while developing and making this movie?
JS: Our producer Patty Hicks rescues and adopts German Shepherds. Everyone who worked on this, we’re all animal lovers and I think it comes through in the film. It’s a story about how much we love our pets and how much our pets love us. Every dog is a superhero because they love us unconditionally.
In addition to Kaluuya and Palmer, the cast also includes Oscar-nominee Steven Yeun, Brandon Perea, Michael Wincott, and Keith David. The result is a truly thrilling, original, and at times funny take on the alien invasion genre featuring standout performances from Kaluuya and Palmer.
The film begins with an odd side-story about a 90’s sitcom starring a chimpanzee, who during a taping killed most of the cast and crew. We then meet Otis Haywood (David) and his son OJ (Kaluuya), who own a ranch outside of Los Angeles and also train horses for film and TV. When strange objects begin to fall out of the sky, Otis is killed by the falling debris.
Months later, OJ is working on the set of a commercial with his unreliable sister Emerald (Palmer), and a cinematographer named Antlers Holst (Wincott). When the shoot doesn’t go as planned, OJ begins selling some of his horses to a carnival owner named Ricky “Jupe” Park (Yeun), with the intent on eventually buying them back. But Emerald recognizes Park, and it is revealed that he was a child actor and the lone survivor of the doomed sitcom with the chimpanzee.
OJ eventually confides in Emerald that he does not believe that falling debris from an airplane killed their father, and that he believes it was actually a UFO. Wanting to get proof, and thinking that will make them rich and famous, the two enlist Fry’s Electronics salesman Angel Torres (Perea), and Antlers Holst, to help them capture footage of the spaceship. But after a terrible tragedy at Park’s carnival, OJ begins to think that the object in the sky is not an alien spaceship, but rather a giant alien itself.
Actor and comedian Jordan Peele made the jump to directing with his surprise hit movie and Oscar nominated film ‘Get Out’ in 2017. Since then, he has won an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay and directed the acclaimed horror film ‘Us’ in 2019. In a few short years Peele has completely reinvigorated the horror genre and become one of the most original and interesting filmmakers working today. His latest outing is no different, delivering a fresh and original take on the “alien’s attack” theme, which is often quite funny in a very organic way.
Peele has also become a master at deconstructing the expectations of the horror genre, as well as moving the camera in an interesting way. The movie is filled with jump scares, but they never feel forced and in fact enhance the creepiness and mood of the film. Peele’s cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema beautifully captures the vast vistas of the ranch, while contrasting that with the horrors of the movie.
Peele also makes some brilliant choices with the pacing of the movie and the way he shows the terror of the alien moving through the open skies. While it doesn’t really connect till the end of the movie, I really enjoyed the side-story of the 90’s sitcom with the chimpanzee. It helps to illustrate the theme of the movie, which OJ actually says at one point, about how we as humans need to leave apex predators in nature alone.
Special credit should go to Peele and his team for their unique take on what an alien creature can look like. I’m so tired of seeing movies that feature aliens with the creatures often looking like copies of the Xenomorph from the ‘Alien’ franchise. The extra-terrestrials in this movie are completely original, and look like nothing we’ve seen before, adding to the originality of this film.
The acting in the movie is excellent, all the way down to supporting performances from Brandon Perea and Michael Wincott. As Angel, Perea plays the enthusiastic outsider and the eyes of the audience, but also layers in a very funny performance. Wincott, a veteran actor you will recognize from ‘The Crow,’ was perfectly cast as the grizzled Hollywood cinematographer who tries to help the Haywood’s get their photographic evidence.
Keith David also gives a nice performance as Otis Haywood, but I wish he had at least one more scene in the beginning of the movie to make his death resonate more with the audience. It’s also worth noting that motion capture actor Terry Notary (‘Rise of the Planet of the Apes’) plays Gordy, the chimpanzee in flashbacks. Having played King Kong in ‘Kong: Skull Island,’ Notary was maybe the only actor that could play this role, and actually injects vulnerability and a sense of regret to the animal’s actions.
Rounding out the supporting cast is Steven Yeun, who gives a very good performance as Ricky “Jupe” Park. Although the character could have been more fleshed out in the present day, his flashback scenes tell you everything you need to know about why he is still chasing fame, and the overall fear that he has lived with since that traumatic event happened in his past.
The breakout performance award goes to actress Keke Palmer, who is an absolute delight to watch. Palmer plays Emerald as the annoying younger sister to OJ, more concerned with achieving fame and money than continuing her family’s legacy. But the actress is also very funny in the movie, in an organic way, that is in stark contrast to Kaluuya’s quiet and brooding performance. The two actors have fantastic chemistry together on screen and are completely believable as brother and sister.
But it is Daniel Kaluuya’s strong performance that really anchors the film. The actor, who has giving standout performances in ‘Sicario,’ ‘Get Out,’ ‘Black Panther,’ ‘Queen & Slim,’ and ‘Judas and the Black Messiah,’ for which he won his Oscar, demonstrates again in ‘Nope’ that he is one of the finest actors of his generation. Kaluuya is completely believable in the role and makes for an unlikely hero by the film’s end.
In the end, with ‘Nope’ Jordan Peele has delivered a stunningly beautiful movie, that transcends its own genre by telling a fresh take on the “alien invasion” theme with brilliant performances from the entire cast.
So far, in keeping with its creator’s wishes, the promotional campaign for Jordan Peele’s new horror thriller ‘Nope’ has been heavy on the mystery. We’ve been introduced to some basic story elements and the main characters, but the question of what is actually happening in the movie has mostly been left to guesswork. Which is exactly what a teaser or trailer should do: leave you wanting to know and see more.
For the latest trailer, which premiered to CinemaCon audiences this past April, the wrapping has been taken off a little further, so our advice for anyone wishing to stay completely unspoiled would be to skip this one and wait for the movie itself.
Everyone else? Let’s dig in…
‘Nope’ features Daniel Kaluuya (working again with the director after his Oscar-winning debut ‘Get Out’) and Keke Palmer as sibling OJ and Emerald Haywood, who run a horse ranch in a lonely gulch in inland California catering to the film industry.
From the looks of this new trailer, OJ is happy working the ranch with their father (Keith David), while Emerald is more in search of fame. So, when weird things start happening – especially in terms of the sky above, OJ’s worried, but Emerald sees a chance at riches.
When their dad dies after something falls from the clouds, the brother and sister approach a group of others to help them capture footage of what they suspect is an alien incursion. And, of course, things just get weirder and scarier from there.
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Peele has filled the movie – and therefore this trailer – with all manner of striking imagery, including a ranch house bathed in blood from above, the audience of a rodeo (to say nothing of some of the main cast) swept up in the sky and that final money/“Oprah”, to use Emerald’s parlance, moment of OJ riding a horse as what appears to be a flying saucer swoops down towards him.
Of course, this being Jordan Peele, you know the movie will have more layers than just a basic story of terror from the sky. If ‘Get Out’ and ‘Us’ have taught us anything, ‘Nope’ will be filled with thematic material and meditations on modern life, all told through the medium of gut-wrenching horror.
“I’m always attracted by my favorite movie I haven’t seen before,” Peele, said at CinemaCon. “My plan is to bring these new ideas and nightmares to the big screen.” He’s reportedly worked with IMAX to develop new camera gear to capture shots we’ve not seen before. And while he’s never been about imagery over story, we’re still intrigued to see what he’s come up with.
Maritte Lee Go (center) talks to Asjha Cooper (right) on the set of ‘Black As Night’
Filipino-American filmmaker Maritte Lee Go received her MFA in Film and Television from USC. She has either directed or produced dozens of film projects. She has been a Project Involve Directing Fellow, won the HBO Visionary Award in 2018 for her short film ‘Remittance’ and participated in Women In Media’s CAMERAderie Initiative. Earlier this year, she directed part of the anthology film ‘Phobias’.
Her latest film ‘Black As Night’ is part of the Prime Video anthology series ‘Welcome To The Blumhouse’. Each year, Blumhouse partners with Prime Video on a four film horror-thriller anthology with a shared thematic vision. This year’s theme is “institutional horrors and personal phobias.” Directing a script written by Sherman Payne, Go’s film ‘Black As Night’ follows Shawna (Asjha Cooper) as she navigates both the horror of being a teenage girl while also defending her neighborhood from a horde of bloodthirsty vampiresv.
‘Black As Night’ is streaming now as part of this year’s ‘Welcome To The Blumhouse’ anthology on Prime Video.
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Maritte Lee Go spoke to Moviefone about her new horror movie.
Movifone: How did you get involved with ‘Welcome To The Blumhouse’ anthology?
Maritte Lee Go: Well, it’s always been my dream to make a Blumhouse movie. I watch every single one of the films that come out and just always dreamt of making my own movie. I was actually pitching a movie with Amazon, I was pitching another horror film that I had been developing. And although that one’s not yet been picked up, they were looking for directors for this slate of films and sent me the script I absolutely loved. It felt like it was something groundbreaking that I’ve never seen before. And I knew I had to be a part of it. So I pitched it and luckily I got it.
Go: No, actually, Sherman Kane, the writer, he wrote this over 10 years ago, it was one of his first scripts he had ever written out of film school. It took place in New York. The script had been bounced around to like every studio in town. Although they loved the writing, it just wasn’t the perfect time for it to come out. So much has been happening in our country that this subject matter was on the top of everybody’s brain. So they picked it up. This slate of films was being shot in New Orleans, so he reformatted it that location. Honestly I think it made the movie even better because there’s so much history embedded in New Orleans. To be able to pivot and add that extra layer of New Orleans really strengthened it.
MF: Can you talk a little bit about the location scouting in New Orleans?
Go: When I put together the pitch and was thinking about the locations I wanted, I Googled what I thought was a New Orleans mansion, and that image I used in the pitch packet became the real location in the film. That was a cool manifestation. But there’s so much amazing history in New Orleans. Everywhere you look, the trees are weeping. They’re so beautiful. The architecture of every building. Many of them are centuries old. When you’re able to use the real locations that are written within the script, and not build it on a stage or a set, it adds so much authenticity.
MF: Were there any challenges in making this with COVID restrictions?
Go: We shot half the movie before COVID and then shot the other half after four months into the pandemic. There were already so many challenges to begin with. It’s not a huge budget film, and we’ve got stunts and effects and VFX. We really, really pushed it to its limit, and then you add a pandemic in there, and it becomes nearly impossible. The second half of the movie we were on such time crunches, we only shot this movie in 17 or 18 days. It was a really short turnaround, but by the time COVID was here, we could only do I think a maximum of 10-hour days, and then only with a quarter of our crew. We also shot through lightning storms. With the COVID protocols, you’re wearing face masks, and you can’t even be close to each other. There were scenes where they had to kiss or bite, and we had to do countdowns, like 3… 2… 1… now don’t breathe! Angle your head! And then pretend. There were so many challenges, but all in all, I think we got everything we needed.
MF: How did you find Asjha Cooper for the lead character of Shawna?
Go: When I saw her perform, I couldn’t tell the difference between her as Asjha and as Shawna. She just is her. I couldn’t see the difference. When an actor embodies a character, and I can’t tell the difference, I know that’s them. She’s such a talented actress. She doesn’t have formal acting training in it, but she has so much talent and skill inside of her. She can go from comedy to crying to screaming within moments. She’s an amazing actress and I just know that she’s gonna explode and do so many bigger and bigger projects.
Go: For his role, we needed somebody who has a name. So I created a list, and he was number one on it. One of the first movies I remember seeing him in was ‘Requiem for a Dream’. His voice terrified me. He just has this presence. He’s so powerful. What I see on screen and what he has been able to accomplish is so iconic, that only an actor like him would be able to play this character and give it so much life. I’ve just been a huge fan of his forever, so to be able to work with him was incredible.
MF: What do you think this film adds to the tradition of films about vampires?
Go: Vampires are a staple of horror. Sherman Payne, the writer, did such a great job in creating something new out of something that we all have seen done a million times. To be able to tell a story with a deeper conversation around all the issues that are happening within this country, through the vampire lenses I feel is so exciting and new. I hope audiences will watch and feel like there’s something familiar, but something was so fresh about it.
MF: Were there any visual references for the look of the film?
Go: Specifically, I had been looking at ‘30 Days of Night’ and ‘Interview with the Vampire’. Those are my favorite vampire movies, so I looked at the way they structured tension and their use of shadows and light. This helped me figure out how to make sure the audience is also experiencing these vampires when their victims are experiencing it. I also looked at ‘Kill Bill’ for the animation sequences. Our villain has a very complicated past that got him to where he is now, so I wanted the audience to experience the pain and the anguish that got him to this place of rage and anger. I wanted them to really feel for him so that you could almost understand why a person could go this dark.
MF: Could you talk a bit about collaborating with cinematographer Cybel Martin?
Go: Cybel is amazing. She is also obsessed with gore. We were always talking about what we were watching, and what’s the next new scary thing. She was very much in line with what I wanted. It was really fun to create the shotlist and storyboards with her. She’s really great at communicating with her crew how to accomplish her vision while also translating my vision. Now she’s shooting ‘American Horror Story’, which is so exciting. Her career continues to grow, which makes me super happy because she’s very deserving of it.
MF: How do you hope people feel after the film is over?
Go: I want people to have a great time. It’s a roller coaster of emotions. You will hopefully understand and empathize with the character of Shawna, and feel what it feels like to be a young woman of color, who is experiencing all of these things. The beauty of filmmaking is that you can empathize through these characters that you would never otherwise experience their life. I want people to walk away with the experience of what it would be like for somebody who comes from an oppressed community, but also feel the excitement of slaying vampires. I want people to have a really good time, but also think deeper about the issues that are happening in this country.
MF: You went through Women In Media’s CAMERAderie Initiative. What was that process like?
Go: Oh, it was amazing. I had written the script I submitted to the contest – ‘Illipino’ – about two weeks before. I loved the script that I had written, but I wasn’t sure if anyone ever wanted to see this movie. It was very close to me, based on my own experiences growing up. When they chose me as one of the finalists, it validated my voice and my life experience in this world. They really supported my vision. They’re trying to change the industry in a very positive way and get women’s voices out there. They’ve really uplifted me as a director. Being able to make that short film has actually helped me get my next movie, which is a musical. So I owe them so much gratitude. I love seeing organizations that truly understand that there is this glaring issue of inequality in the industry, and are really pushing for more women directors. I’m thankful for them.
MF: Is there a film directed by a woman that you think people should seek out?
Go: I love Kathryn Bigelow’s ‘Strange Days’. It feels so advanced for its time. It’s such an epic film. She did it so beautifully. It’s scary, and it deals with the same kind of social issues that we deal with today. It’s about escaping your own personality to live another person’s life. I think she’s incredibly talented and so smart. She’s really been this kind of shining beacon of what women can do and how they can push the limits of this industry. I strive to be a director as talented as she is.
Strange Days – directed by Kathryn Bigelow
Ralph Fiennes and Angela Bassett in ‘Strange Days,’ directed by Kathryn Bigelow.
From a screenplay by James Cameron and Jay Cocks, Kathryn Bigelow’s now iconic sci-fi-thriller ‘Strange Days’ was a box office bomb. Hot off the financial and critical success of the surfer-set actioner ‘Point Break’, this genre-defying science fiction noir received praise from critics like Roger Ebert, who gave it a coveted 4-star review, but only made $8m off of its $42m budget. Set on the last two days of 1999, the movie features Ralph Fiennes as a black marketeer who sells recordings that allows people to experience the memories and physical sensations of others. One of those recordings shows a sex worker he knows being murdered, leading him try and discover the indentity of the killer. Despite its lackluster reception at the box office, the film garnered the Best Actress award for Angela Bassett at the 22nd Saturn Awards, and Bigelow became the first woman to win the ceremony’s Best Director award. Of course, Bigelow would break that glass ceiling again when she became the first woman to win the Best Director award at the Oscars for her 2009 war film ‘The Hurt Locker,’ which also became the first film directed by a woman to win Best Picture.
Did a month go by already? Geez … sorry about that. On with the podcast!
Are we being manipulated by an alien race profiteering from our consumerist ways? Are hideous humanoid creatures walking (and copulating) among us undetected? Will an audience believe that Roddy Piper and Keith David would beat each other to bloody pulp in a random alley for 10 minutes over a pair of sunglasses? The answer to all these questions is “YES,” according to John Carpenter‘s 1988 conspiracy theory classic “They Live.”
In addition to the previously mentioned questions, the “CAN’T WAIT!” crew and special guest Drew Taylor uncover the truth behind one of the world’s most unanswered questions: Can wrestling superstar Rowdy Roddy Piper act? (The answer: Kind of!) Other “They Live” topics include: the importance of a good fight choreographer, the mysteriously clean garbage of downtown Los Angeles, and unwanted alien copulation.
Tune in next time, when we talk about Drew’s pick: the 1990 primary color-fueled detective story “Dick Tracy.”
Have thoughts/feelings/feedback about the podcast? Have a movie you really, really want us to watch and talk about? Hit us up on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram with the hashtag #CANTWAIT.
CAN’T WAIT! A Movie Lover’s Podcast by Moviefone celebrates Hollywood’s guiltiest pleasures by taking a fresh look at critically ignored movies and giving them a second chance at life. Join Moviefone editors Tim Hayne, Rachel Horner, Phil Pirrello, and Tony Maccio as they extol the virtues and expose the failings (with love!) of nostalgic movies.
Did a month go by already? Geez … sorry about that. On with the podcast!