(L to R) Michael Caine and Vin DIesel in ‘The Last Witch Hunter’. Photo: Lionsgate.
Preview:
Michael Caine is making a deal to appear in ‘The Last Witch Hunter 2’.
He’d reprise his role as a priest named Dolan.
Vin Diesel is back to star.
If you had asked us what would tempt Michael Caine –– who at the age of 90 in 2023 announced his official retirement from acting –– back into the game, we’d probably had guessed a call from Christopher Nolan, with whom Caine has worked several times.
But no… Turns out what really made him want to come back to screens is a sequel to a 2015 Vin Diesel vehicle called ‘The Last Witch Hunter’. Or perhaps just his close friendship with Vin (no, really, Caine thinks the world of Diesel).
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Either way, Caine is making a deal to return for the sequel, which will once more see Diesel as a warrior committed to ending the evil schemes of (checks notes) oh yes, witches.
Vin DIesel in ‘The Last Witch Hunter’. Photo: Lionsgate.
The 2015 original, directed by Breck Eisner, saw Diesel as Kaulder, a valiant warrior who back in the past managed to slay the all-powerful Queen Witch, decimating her followers in the process.
In the moments right before her death, the Queen curses Kaulder with her own immortality, forever separating him from his beloved wife and daughter in the afterlife. Today Kaulder is the only one of his kind remaining, and has spent centuries hunting down rogue witches, all the while yearning for his long-lost loved ones.
However, unbeknownst to Kaulder, the Queen Witch is resurrected and seeks revenge on her killer causing an epic battle that will determine the survival of the human race…
Caine in the movie played Dolan, a priest who helps Kaulder on his mission. As for what the sequel will be about, we can guess there will be a fresh witchy threat.
Michael Caine and ‘The Last Witch Hunter 2’: the studio talks
(L to R) Elijah Wood and Vin Diesel in ‘The Last Witch Hunter’. Photo: Lionsgate.
The idea of a sequel is somewhat surprising since the original made $27 million in the States against a $90 million budget. But a healthier take globally and a real second life across the likes of Netflix have spurred Lionsgate to develop a follow-up.
Here’s studio Motion Picture Group chair Adam Fogelson had to say:
“ ‘The Last Witch Hunter’ has grown since its theatrical release into a global fan favorite, with audiences continuing to discover and rewatch it across every platform over the past decade. That enduring enthusiasm made clear there is an appetite for more stories set in this world. Vin and I have partnered many times over the years, and he is a true force in our industry. I’m thrilled to be reuniting with him as he returns to this iconic role, and excited by how advancements in filmmaking technology now allow us to economically deliver a sequel on an even more ambitious scale.”
It’s a bold strategy, Cotton. Let’s see if it pays off.
Vin DIesel in ‘The Last Witch Hunter’. Photo: Lionsgate.
Christmas is a time for gifts and also for watching ‘The Muppet Christmas Carol’, which originally hit theaters in 1992 and starred Michael Caine as Ebeneezer Scrooge, alongside a smattering of other human actors and most of the key roles played by Kermit and the gang.
It has long since become an annual holiday favorite for many people, as much a part of Christmas tradition as turkey, trees and traumatic shopping experiences.
But for almost as many years, Muppet fans have been wondering when they might see missing song ‘When Love is Gone’ re-integrated back into the movie itself after so much time spent as a poor-quality deleted scene on home entertainment releases and as an extra on the Disney+ version.
It’s always seemed a surprising decision, since the song is a key emotional moment from Scrooge’s past and his heartbreaking decision to eschew true love Belle (Meredith Braun) for his pursuit of financial gain. The melody of the Paul Williams-penned song plays into Miles Goodman’s score and the final song ‘When Love is Found’ directly references it.
There is good news, then, for those that have loved the take on Charles Dickens’ Christmas classic tale of ghosts and redemption. As revealed during a 30-year retrospective panel for the movie at this year’s D23 Expo, the full movie will finally be available to watch for the first time.
Director Brian Henson told the D23 panel audience the story of how then-Disney boss Jeff Katzenberg demanded that the song be edited out of the movie after a test screening where he noticed that kids were getting restless through the mournful (yet also quite lovely) ballad.
Henson negotiated a deal: the song would be removed for the theatrical release but restored for home entertainment. Yet when the time rolled around for that, a proper negative couldn’t be found.
Despite a years-long search, nothing was turned up, at least until just recently, when a print containing the song was discovered, meaning that the full version could be made ready in 4K format for Disney+.
It’ll premiere on the streaming service on December 11th, though we’re still waiting to lean if it’ll become the main version of the movie or become part of the extras.
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In related Muppets news, there was also an announcement about a new recording of a classic track from band The Electric Mayhem. With the group preparing to hit Disney+ next year with ‘The Muppets Mayhem’, they’ve released an updated version of “Can You Picture That?”, originally performed in 1979’s ‘The Muppet Movie’.
The new series follows The Electric Mayhem on their journey to record their first ever studio album. The old-school band is helped along the way by Lily Singh’s Nora, a young music executive with her finger on the pulse of the current music scene. Also starring in the series are Tajh Mowry, Saara Chaudry, and Anders Holm.
(L to R) Michael Caine, director Lina Roessler, & Aubrey Plaza on the set of ‘Best Seller’
Born in Toronto, Canada, Lina Roessler studied English and creative writing at Concordia University. She also received a degree in acting from American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York, as wella an MFA in film production from York University. After appearing in Canadian and Canadian-based productions like ‘Lost Girl’ and ‘Supernatural,’ Roessler started working behind the camera. Her shorts have played in festivals around the world, and she honed her filmmaking craft at talent labs sponsored by the TIFF and Berlinale festivals. ‘Best Sellers’ is her feature film directorial debut.
As Lucy Stanbridge (a dynamic Aubrey Plaza) attempts to keep the publishing house she inherited from her father afloat she discovers that Harris Shaw (a wonderfully cranky Michael Caine), the reclusive best-selling author who put them on the map in the 1970s, contractually owes her a new book. The two form a hasty alliance as she takes him on a book tour after publishing his first novel in decades. After Harris becomes a viral sensation it looks like things for Lucy are about to turn around, until an old secret is revealed. An incisive look at the publishing world, featuring charming, heartfelt performances from its two leads, ‘Best Sellers’ is a cozy autumnal treat.
Lina Roessler spoke to Moviefone about her directorial debut.
Moviefone: How did you first get involved in this project?
Lina Roessler: It’s kind of a fun story. I’m an actor and a writer, and I did a few shorts. I was invited to this TIFF talent lab. And there, you had to do a little self-portrait, which is probably everybody’s worst nightmare – it was mine. You do a little video, kind of describing yourself, tell a story about yourself. So I did that, and Cassian Elwes, the producer, was one of the mentors. He saw that little short and loved it. After the lab, he sent me the script for ‘Best Sellers’ and asked me to read it. At that time, now when I tell the story it sounds kind of silly, but I didn’t really conceive of this idea that he would actually be looking at me to potentially direct it. I thought it was maybe, you know, we would discuss the script, talk about it. In the end, I really connected with the script. I loved the characters and I loved the story. I could see where I might want to enhance some things. So we had a great discussion about it, and it really kind of took off from there. It was his daughter Arielle Elwes who found the script originally and, and this it’s this fun Cinderella story of me going down to New York and meeting them and us dedicated to do this together. We started working. I started working with Anthony Grieco, the writer, and the sort of dominoes started to fall, and now I’m talking to you.
MF: That’s exciting. You never know what’s going to come from a film festival. I think, though they’ve really, most people don’t think about how much gets developed at festivals, not just released.
Roessler: Exactly, you never know. When things like that do happen, it’s always like a fun little miracle, and you look back, and you think, wow, how did that happen? How did that happen? You know?
MF: How did Aubrey Plaza then become involved?
Roessler: Well, obviously, everyone knows how talented she is and her work. And, but it was Cassian who saw her hosting the Independent Spirit Awards, which he got to see in person live. His socks were knocked off. He thought, oh, wow, this could be a really interesting choice. We sent her the script, and we spoke over Zoom. I can’t remember who came first, Michael or Aubrey at the time, but together we thought, imagine this combo, it’s totally unexpected. Aubrey was more well known for her comedic kind of sensibilities, and Michael is of course a jack of all trades. A knight of all trades, I should say. So together I think the combo was really interesting, especially for this film where I wanted them to tap into all those sides, to do a really authentic kind of performance about two real people in this kind of silly situation.
MF: They had really great chemistry together in their scenes. What was it like as an actor-director to direct someone like Michael Caine?
Roessler: I think what makes him so great is that he is such a genuine, authentic, humble, generous human being. So that translates into his work as an actor. To be so open. To be ready and available to give and receive. That’s what you’re doing when you’re acting. The first day, I was terrified, to be honest. It was my first feature, and I’m also an actor, so it was strange. But it was a joy, and it was a blessing, and it was amazing to watch him work. To watch him mold things a little bit, to try things in a different way. It was awesome to just sit and watch him every single day do little things like an eye twitch. I got to see how he was controlling things, and sometimes when he went out of control sometimes, I don’t know, it was really an education for me. He’s got such command over his instrument, his voice, how he uses that, how he marked certain things with intention, how he delivered something, how just an eye movement or something like that will translate into so many different kinds of emotions. It was really fun. I learned a lot.
MF: Can you talk about working with the orange cat in the film?
Roessler: The cat was the best cat. That cat deserves awards. We love that cat. Finding the cat was… we don’t have time for this today [laughs]. Maybe another day, if we ever meet for coffee, I’ll tell you all the stories about the cat and how we found the cat and why it was hard to find the right cats and some cats were busy working other engagements. This one in particular is just a superstar. That’s true of the cat, but also to the trainer on set. She knows what she’s doing and what the cat’s doing. That opening shot with the cat took a lot of rehearsal, a lot of tests for camera movement and just to get things the right way to get the cat trained. But the cat was a joy. Michael and the cat really did have a very nice bond, just in real life. Things like that translate on screen. If anyone needs a cat, I highly recommend this cat.
MF: Could you talk about the visual inspirations for the film?
Roessler: When Cassian sent me that script, before we went down to New York, he asked me to make a look book of images. From day one, I had a very specific idea of what Lucy’s place looked like, what it reflects in her character, even its color scheme, versus his bookshelves. I think it says a lot. I wanted the colors to reflect earthy tones from Michael. That goes with the lenses and the lighting and also with my cinematographer, Claudine Sauvé, we decided how we were going to shape the look, and how we’re going to present these two worlds. So Lucy’s was cold and square and very kind of proper. When they go on this trip together, she starts getting more loose and losing it a little bit, getting more into his world with these warmer, messier colors and feelings.
MF: Can you talk about the film’s screwball tone?
Roessler: It was a challenge for me because the script itself was on this line between a really funny screwball comedy on the one half, but then on the other side, there was this emotionally true story that was going on between these two characters. So that was a challenge all along to setting up both worlds, so we can all laugh but keep some of the story’s more serious issues. Aubrey is so great at this kind of comedy, but she’s got this other emotive, deeper side. The challenge was to make sure to not steer the ship too far off course on one end or the other, so that when we finally get to the end of the film, it doesn’t feel like it’s coming out of nowhere. Hopefully, we pulled it off.
MF: I loved when she finds the YouTube video of him giving an interview in the 1970s. Was that a deep fake?
Roessler: No, not to do a spoiler, but that’s really Michael Caine doing an interview back then. It was a true interview that he gave as himself. Those are his words. But at the same time, they’re Harris’s words, how he would speak about his wife in the film.
MF: I had noticed at the end of the film it was dedicated to your dad.
Roessler: My dad actually met Michael Caine once in a department store 1000 years ago. They kind of looked the same. My father passed away right before we started shooting, and the film has a sort of father-daughter relationship very much at its core. My dad gave me his love of books, so all those things were quite personal for a lot of us working on the film. My father passing away right before made it really hard, obviously, to start, but also it was interesting to work in that way, to just jump into this film after that time. But also, Cassian and his daughter Ariel, who found the script, this was their first film that they worked on together as producers. So again, it’s this father-daughter relationship stuff. It was really interesting to have all those connections, feeding into the story. When we screened the film in the Czech Republic a few weeks ago, a couple of people came up to me after in tears, sharing how it reminded them of their father. So I think there’s something in there that resonates with people.
MF: Could you recommend another film directed by a woman that readers should seek out?
Roessler: I’ll do a shout-out to some of my friends, a lot of whom I’ve met through these labs. There’s a director named Nathalie Álvarez Mesén. She just had a film called ‘Clara Sola’ that played at Cannes. I did another lab at Berlinale with Prano Bailey-Bond, she has a film called ‘Censor’ that’s getting a lot of love. I think it’s fun to seek out films like that, and I also think it’s great to support your colleagues.
Clara Sola – directed by Nathalie Álvarez Mesén
Wendy Chinchilla Araya in ‘Clara Sola,’ directed by directed by Nathalie Álvarez Mesén
Costa Rican-Swedish writer-director Nathalie Álvarez Mesén holds a B.F.A. degree in Mime Acting from the Stockholm University of the Arts in Sweden and an M.F.A. in Film Directing/Screenwriting from Columbia University’s Graduate Film Program in NYC. The short film she co-wrote ‘Entre tú y Milagros’ with director Mariana Saffon debuted at the 2020 Venice Film Festival. Her stirring feature film debut ‘Clara Sola’ debuted at the Director’s Fortnight section of the 2021 Cannes Film Festival. Set in a remote Costa Rican village, Wendy Chinchilla Araya stars Clara, a 40-year-old woman who has a sexual and mystical awakening as she defies the expectations of her oppressively religious community. Picked up out of Cannes by Oscilloscope Laboratories, ‘Clara Sola’ is still playing festivals ahead of a planned theatrical distribution in late-2021 or early-2022.
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Censor – directed by Prano Bailey-Bond
Director Prano Bailey-Bond on the set of ‘Censor’
Welsh writer-director Prano Bailey-Bond studied at London College of Printing before turning to directing short films and music videos. Her debut feature, the horror film ‘Censor,’ premiered as part of the Midnight section of the 2021 Sundance Film Festival. Niamh Algar stars as Enid, a British film censor who finds a disturbing connection between a recent horror film and the horror film and the mysterious disappearance of her sister. ‘Censor’ was released to widespread critical acclaim by Magnolia Pictures earlier this summer.
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Four Kids and It is a charming and whimsical story featuring a star-studded cast including Paula Patton (2 Guns, Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol) and Matthew Goode (TV’s “Downton Abbey” and “The Crown”), with Russell Brand (TV’s “Ballers,” Forgetting Sarah Marshall) and the voice of Academy Award® winner Michael Caine (1999, Best Supporting Actor, The Cider House Rules; The Dark Knight franchise, The Prestige). Based on iconic children’s author Jaqueline Wilson’s Four Children and It, the story is a modern twist based on E. Nesbit’s 1902 classic Five Children and It, and also stars Teddie Malleson-Allen, Ashley Aufderheide, Billy Jenkins, and Ellie-Mae Siame. The film adaptation is directed by Andy De Emmony (TV’s “The Nest” and “Spitting Image”) and written by Simon Lewis.
On a seaside holiday, four kids from a blended family visit the beach, where they discover a floppy-eared creature that grants their wishes. But there’s a catch: the kids’ adventures in rock-climbing, pop stardom, and flying end promptly at sunset — leaving them in danger each time. Can they learn to control the magic before something dreadful happens?
Four Kids and It will be available on Blu-ray, DVD, and digital platforms on June 30, 2020.
This week marks the 30th anniversary of “Jaws: The Revenge,” which has the rare distinction of being the film to effectively kill the “Jaws” franchise (outside of assorted merchandise and that part where you pass by Amity on the Universal Hollywood back lot tour), since it has remained dormant for three whole decades, and also gave us an insightful look into how noted serious actor Michael Caine picks his roles (spoiler: it’s the money). But there’s something to be said for the movie, which spills over into the realm of the absurd almost immediately and splashes around in the waters of goofy insanity for the full runtime, never once pausing to consider things like logic, character motivation, or plot mechanics.
In a weird way, it was the fulfillment of an earlier promise by the studio to go in a more intentionally comedic direction and serves as the perfect “oh-hey-look-whats-playing-on-TBS” distraction for any low and doggish summer afternoon.
First, a bit of back story: after Roy Scheider refused to return for any more “Jaws” sequels, having only agreed to “Jaws 2” after quitting “The Deer Hunter” (yes, seriously, he would have played the John Savage part), the producers decided to get inventive. They turned to Matty Simmons, publisher of the National Lampoon, to oversee a new project, conceived as a spoof with the title “Jaws 3, People 0” (John Hughes and Tod Carroll wrote the script, which is completely bizarre and insider baseball-y). They’d even gone so far as to hire Joe Dante, who had made the delightful low budget “Jaws” send-up “Piranha” for Roger Corman. Eventually, cooler heads prevailed and the sequel was shelved, with the studio opting instead for whatever it was “Jaws 3D” ended up being. (“Jaws 3” was so bad that when Universal issued a press release for “The Revenge” they called it the “third film” in the series. Damn.)
When it came time to make “Jaws: The Revenge,” the filmmakers, led by director Joseph Sargent (who made the genuine masterpiece “The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3“) chose to largely ignore the previous sequel (Chief Brody’s son takes an unexpected career detour, amongst other things) and, although the tagline for the film is, “This time it’s personal,” things took a turn towards the fantastical and bizarre. The film follows Lorraine Gary, now playing Chief Brody’s widowed wife Ellen, who, following the death of her son, travels to the Bahamas to live with her other son and her family, eventually becomes convinced that the shark is following her. Now, under the right circumstances (careful direction, artful performances, a deliberate emphasis on nuance and subtlety), this could almost be seen as a phantasmagorical exploration of grief. There is no shark, of course, but the bad luck that has befallen and her family could drive her insane, pushing her to increasingly extreme visions of the shark that, long ago, caused so much grief. It’s not.Sequences, like the infamous “banana boat” attack, when a woman is eaten as the shark targets Mike Brody’s young daughter Thea. (Yes, sharks definitely “target” people in this movie.) The shark literally leaps out of the water, like the Universal theme park version, and chomps on a middle-aged woman. It’s absurd. Also absurd: pretty much anything involving Jake (Caine), an airplane pilot and Quint stand-in, and his stereotypical “island” cohort (played by Mario Van Peebles). In the final sequence (more on that in a minute), the shark again comes out of the water and this time it roars. If that wasn’t insane enough, the roar that they used was supposedly recycled from an old “Tom and Jerry” cartoon. Yes, seriously.
If the movie wasn’t trippy and odd enough, then let us take a closer look at the finale. There were actually two versions of the climax released by Universal. In the initial theatrical release our heroes pilot a boat into the shark (you know, because it spends more time hovering outside of the water than swimming through it). The dying shark shakes around and tears the boat apart, which puts our humans back in mortal danger. It’s stupid as hell, but there are some nice flourishes; I love the blood that fountains out of either side of the shark (conceivably being kicked up by its gills).
Also, it’s so incomprehensible that it takes on a kind of dreamlike feeling; “Jaws: The Revenge” as cubist masterwork. Roger Ebert, for his part, couldn’t believe that the filmmakers “film this final climactic scene so incompetently that there is not even an establishing shot, so we have to figure out what happened on the basis of empirical evidence.” (Occasionally this is the version they’ll show on television.)
Universal, unhappy with the way the film originally ended, ordered a new ending for foreign and home video audiences. Now, when they ram the shark with the boat (which is, by the way, interspersed with flashbacks to the “Smile you son of a bitch” moment from the first movie, a flashback to something that Ellen Brody clearly wasn’t around for), the editing becomes more chaotic and then the shark explodes. Why it explodes is anybody’s guess. But like the rest of the movie, logic doesn’t really matter and for much of the film’s lifespan this has been the canonical ending that everybody has seen.
Still, it’s hard not to get a kick out of “Jaws: The Revenge.” Everything about it is so gloriously absurd, you can tell that everyone involved was just kind of going with it. It’s the kind of movie that maybe you come across every five years and only see 10 minutes of it at a time and can’t believe what you’re watching is the actual movie, but it is. The gorgeous photography, filmed in Martha’s Vineyard and The Bahamas, only adds to the surreal sensation the movie gives off.
It’s so insane, in fact, that it tips into the comically absurd, something that the franchise had toyed with in the previous film. (The entire movie was completed in an astounding nine months.) Michael Caine, for his part, said, “I have never seen it. However, I have seen the house that it built and it’s terrific.”
Alan Arkin, Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine from Going in Style
Sure, they bicker sometimes, but there’s something all three of these Hollywood legends could agree on: why they wanted to work together on “Going in Style.”
“Blimey!” added Michael Caine, pointing to Freeman and Alan Arkin. “They’re too of the finest actors you could find.”
This remake of the 1979 film starring George Burns, Art Carney and Lee Strasberg teams Arkin, Freeman and Caine as three seniors who decide to rob a bank after losing their pensions to corporate restructuring.
And while these actors can — and have — done almost everything on screen over their illustrious careers, they admitted they have their limitations.
“Do you think you could actually rob a bank?” asked Made in Hollywood reporter Patrick Stinson.
“Not a chance in hell,” said Arkin.
“I would be terrified of going to prison,” said Caine.
Summed up Freeman: “So the answer, collectively, is no.”
This weekend’s “Going in Style” is an amiable comedy that’s sure to put a smile on your face. The Zach Braff-directed remake of the 1979 original sees Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, and Alan Arkin screwed out of their corporate pension and thirsty for revenge. Their plan? Well, they’re going to rob a bank of course. It’s light-hearted and deeply entertaining, and when we had the chance to interview the cast of the film (including Ann-Margaret and John Ortiz), we decided to play a little game with them: Steal It or Leave It.
Their answers are pretty hilarious and speak to the kind of kooky fun to be had in “Going in Style.”
The first trailer for “Going in Style” brings together Oscar winners Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, and Alan Arkin as longtime friends who embark on a life of crime in their old age. When their pension funds go bust, the senior citizens plan a heist to steal back their money from the banks.
Of course, becoming a criminal in your 80s is not easy, so they practice on grocery stores and quickie marts. They attempt to figure out how to use smartphones, how to shoot guns, and how to get away from the scene as fast as their aged legs will take them.The movie is an updated remake of the 1979 film starring George Burns, Lee Strasberg, and Art Carney. The three leads here seem delightfully chummy and look like they’re having a ball.
Christopher Nolan is one of the most inventive directors of his generation, pushing the envelope with each movie. He casts brilliant actors and allows them to demonstrate their courage, humanity, and passion, making for powerful and emotional storytelling. Nolan is never locked into one genre — he has tackled period pieces, outer space thrillers, even dramas that feature the ability to shape people’s dreams. He also successfully rebooted the Batman movie franchise, creating a new take on Bruce Wayne along with the best Joker audiences have ever seen. This list doesn’t cover all the movies Nolan has directed, but it highlights some of his — and cinema’s — finest to date.
‘Inception’ (2010)
“Inception,” is creative and cutting edge, with visual effects that showcase dream worlds where the rules of gravity and physics don’t apply. Leonardo DiCaprio leads a cast that explores the exciting and dangerous realm of dreams. Wrapped within this visually mind-bending futuristic film is a deeply personal story of loss. As his team invades the mind of a young businessman, DiCaprio’s character must come to terms with the tragic suicide of his wife. Until he is able to do so, his mind’s projection of her threatens to destroy every dream he is in and every person within the dream. The cast includes Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ellen Page, Tom Hardy, Ken Watanabe, and Marion Cotillard, who all demonstrate fearlessness in the face of achieving the impossible.
‘Interstellar’ (2014)
A remarkable family drama, “Interstellar” also explores the realms of physics, faith, space exploration, and time travel. Matthew McConaughey leads a team of astronauts through a wormhole to investigate three possibly inhabitable planets. At the time of his departure, his daughter (played by Jessica Chastain) is a young and curious girl who has a knack for science and the ability to see what others cannot. As her father is away in space, time passes very slowly for him (because, science) and very quickly for her, so when his crew is stuck outside a black hole with no way home, she becomes an adult back on earth. Through a series of incredible events, McConaughey must find a way to communicate with his daughter, find his way home, and ultimately save Earth. The profoundness of “Interstellar” will have you wanting to call the people you love, and the ending will leave you breathless.
‘Memento’ (2001)
One of Nolan’s first movies, “Memento” has a creatively mind-blowing plot, essentially telling the story in reverse order. The protagonist, played by Guy Pearce, suffers from a type of amnesia that stops him from creating any new memories. As Pearce’s character attempts to investigate the murder of his wife, he must write down clues using a series of hand-written notes and tattoos. Eventually, his body is covered in tattoos and his clues help him build his case, but the memory loss allows him to be manipulated by some very dangerous people, including Carrie-Anne Moss and Joe Pantoliano. The jaw-dropping ending reveals the frightening truth of what Pearce learns. “Memento” is a masterclass in reverse storytelling that will leave you equally disturbed and intrigued.
‘Batman Begins’ (2005)
Through his work on “Batman Begins,” Christopher Nolan officially “grounded” superhero movies and set them in a reality more plausible than spandex and capes. His versions of Batman and Gotham City were darker, more rooted in the comic books, and more realistic than in previous “Batman” movies. In “Batman Begins,” Nolan explores Bruce Wayne’s League of Assassins martial arts training, his inspiration for wanting to rebuild Gotham, and his transformation into Batman. Christian Bale is a pensive Bruce Wayne; Michael Caine is a delightful and meddling Alfred; Liam Neeson is a quick-witted and deadly Ra’s al Ghul. After being haunted by his parents’ deaths for years and going on a quest of self-discovery, Bruce Wayne decides to use his skills to save his city from impending destruction. “Batman Begins” revived a dying franchise, which Nolan then turned into a successful trilogy.
‘The Dark Knight’ (2008)
“The Dark Knight” is the second of Nolan’s Batman trilogy. The story starts by featuring a corrupt city when the District Attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) and Police Commissioner Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman) decide to clean it of organized crime. An optimistic Bruce Wayne believes he can give up his alter ego to live with Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal) — until the Joker (Heath Ledger) throws a large, murder-filled wrench in his plans. The movie follows the Joker and Wayne as the Joker threatens to cause more and more mayhem, and Wayne must make some tough decisions on who he can save. Combined with Ledger’s haunting performance — and tragic death — it’s easy to see why “The Dark Knight” grossed over $158 million opening weekend.
Who do you call when a horde of powerful, evil witches wants to destroy the world? “The Last Witch Hunter.”
In the first full trailer for the action-fantasy movie, Vin Diesel plays Kaulder, the titular character tasked with saving the world. There’s nothing he’s afraid of, because he’s immortal. That’s been a blessing and a curse, which we can see from sad flashbacks to Kaulder’s wife and child some 800 years ago.
“He is the most hardened and deadliest soldier due to his immortality,” Diesel told Entertainment Weekly. “We assume the immortality is a gift, but we learn from understanding his world that there is a certain pain that he has been harboring for so long and there’s a certain isolation that the character’s had to live with.”
That isolation doesn’t persist for long. Helping Kaulder in his quest are the wise Father Dolan (Michael Caine); his young protege priest (Elijah Wood); and good witch Chloe (Rose Leslie), whose dreamwalking abilities might be the key to victory.
This week marks the 30th anniversary of “
Sequences, like the infamous “banana boat” attack, when a woman is eaten as the shark targets Mike Brody’s young daughter Thea. (Yes, sharks definitely “target” people in this movie.) The shark literally leaps out of the water, like the Universal theme park version, and chomps on a middle-aged woman. It’s absurd. Also absurd: pretty much anything involving Jake (Caine), an airplane pilot and Quint stand-in, and his stereotypical “island” cohort (played by 
Grandpa’s got a gun!
Who do you call when a horde of powerful, evil witches wants to destroy the world?