The Oscar Project
After two weeks of very limited releases and nothing substantial coming out in terms of wide releases, things are going to pick up for the next three weeks through the end of the year.
This weekend we get a film from the writers of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, Clint Eastwood's second film of 2018, and an animated Marvel feature focusing on everyone's favorite neighborhood boy who was bitten by a mutant spider.
Mortal Engines
This film boasts Peter Jackson's name attached to it and initially I thought it was directed by Jackson which would have been his first non-documentary film since the final installment of The Hobbit back in 2014. Alas, Jackson is listed as a producer and writer (along with long time partners Philippa Boyens and wife Fran Walsh). That said, this trio has been a strong collaborative group when working from established source material in the past, so I have a feeling they will give Mortal Engines a fresh take in bringing it to the screen even if Jackson himself is not directly behind the camera. I just started reading the book that this film is based on and already it's an intriguing concept. The visuals in the film make it feel like a cross between The Hunger Games, The Matrix, and Divergent with London looming throughout the trailer like Jackson's own version of Minis Tirith from Return of the King.
The Mule If you are looking for a tough drama to work through this Christmas season, Clint Eastwood's latest directorial (and acting) entry might be the one for you. In The Mule, the 88 year-old Eastwood portrays a WWII veteran who is caught transporting drugs through rural Michigan. The central conflict in this film seems to be the need to find purpose in ones work while at the same time supporting a family and being there for those you love. Eastwood's lead is clearly trying to prove something by taking on a risky venture such as running drugs, something that his family doesn't understand and ultimately holds against him when he gets caught. There is an obligatory "one last time" line in the trailer that we've heard many times before with characters who are in too deep and can't find their way out of the dark lives they've created for themselves.
The supporting cast around Eastwood looks to be equally strong with appearances by Bradley Cooper, Michael Peña, and Lawrence Fishburn, just to name a few. Expect the writing to be strong here and the acting to be on point as well. Just be ready for a heavy film at the end of the night.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
With the first Marvel related release since June (other than the special version of Deadpool earlier this week) we get an animated version of Spider-Man, with a twist. Now there are many spider-men, or rather, spider-people. This film looks to be a fun departure from the heavy drama that we've seen in many of the Marvel films over the last two years and brings with it an all-star cast voicing the various spider-people from across the various universes. I'm excited to see what folks like Nicholas Cage, Chris Pine, Hailee Steinfeld, and John Mulaney bring to their various versions of the webslinger. If the trailer is any indication, the film is funny and doesn't hesitate to poke fun at the entire idea of a massive universe of comic book figures stretching across multiple films (MCU anyone?)
Limited Releases
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorI'm just a film buff who wants to watch great movies. Where else to find the best, than the list of those nominated by the Academy each year? Archives
May 2023
Categories
All
|