Monday, 1 April 2019

Netflix NEWS 04.02.2019

Netflix NEWS
Updates on Netflix original content releasing this week and the announcements from last week. You can always read more about what's coming out this week and in the future on our Upcoming page.
Netflix Originals Releasing This Week

El sabor de las margaritas [Margarita with a Straw] Season 1 (March 31)
Netflix Distributed Series
An Indian woman with cerebral palsy decides to study in New York, where she becomes involved in a life-changing affair with a blind female activist.

Trailer Park Boys: The Animated Series Season 1 (March 31)


Netflix Distributed Series
Based on the live action mockumentary that followed a group of ex-con trailer park residents.

Ultraman Season 1 (April 1)

Netflix Animated Series
An action drama centered around a man possessing the spirit and DNA of the legendary hero "Ultraman" as he wears a metallic ultra suit and fights against evil.
Announcement 
Watch the trailer

Kevin Hart: Irresponsible (April 2)

Netflix Comedy Special
American actor, comedian, writer, and producer, originally from Philadelphia, Hart has starred in many movies and released numerous comedy specials. This is his third Netflix special.
Watch the trailer 

Suzzanna: Buried Alive (April 3)
Netflix Distributed Movie
After a pregnant woman is murdered, her spirit seeks revenge against her increasingly terrified killers, who are determined to finish her off for good.

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina Season 1 Part 2 (April 5)
Netflix Original Series - 10 episodes
The series re-imagines the origin and adventures of Sabrina the Teenage Witch as a dark coming-of-age story that traffics in horror, the occult, and witchcraft. In the vein of Rosemary’s Baby and The Exorcist, this adaptation finds Sabrina wrestling to reconcile her dual nature of half-witch, half-mortal while standing against the evil forces that threaten her, her family, and the world humans inhabit. The one-hour drama is based on the comic Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.
Announcement 
Kiernan Shipka to Star in Untitled Sabrina Project  
Meet Salem the Cat
Miranda Otto Cast
Surviving Exam Hell video
Opening Credits video
Part 2 teaser video
Watch the trailer

Our Planet (April 5)


Netflix Original Mini-series - 8 episodes
From the creators of Planet Earth, this series explores remote wilderness areas across the globe, from ice caps and the deep ocean to deserts and remote forests, narrated by Sir David Attenborough.
Watch the teaser
His Royal Highness Prince William Interviews David Attenborough video 
Watch the trailer 
Watch trailer #2 
Salma Hayek video
Birds of Paradise video

Persona Season 1 (April 5)




Netflix Distributed Series - 4 episodes
Lee Ji-eun will star in each episode of the anthology as a different persona.
Love Set depicts two ladies’ heated tennis play. In Collector, an utterly attractive young woman makes every man she dates pour their hearts out to her. Kiss Burn follows a girl’s revenge against her friend’s patriarchal father. Walking at Night uncovers a couple’s innermost feelings during their dreamlike rendezvous.
Announcement
Watch the trailer

Quicksand [Störst av Allt] Season 1 (April 5)



Netflix Swedish Language Series
Normal high school student, Maja Norberg, from Stockholm's wealthiest suburb, finds herself on trial for murder. When the events of that tragic day are revealed, so too are the private details about her relationship with Sebastian Fagerman and his dysfunctional family.
Announcement 
Watch the teaser 
Watch the trailer

Roman Empire: Caligula: The Mad King (April 5)
Netflix Distributed Series
This mixes styles of documentary and epic. The focus is the reign of Commodus, which marked the beginning of the end for Rome.

Spirit Riding Free Season 8 (April 5) - Available in the United States, Canada, Latin America, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Nordics, Benelux, France
Netflix Kids Series
Based on the animated film, Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron, Spirit befriends a little girl named Lucky, transplanted from the city.  Lucky navigates this new world with her two new best friends, Pru and Abigail by her side. The trio embark on thrilling adventures, find genuine friendship, and discover what it means to be free!
Watch the Season 1 trailer 

Tijuana Season 1 (April 5)
Netflix Original Spanish Language Series
Set in the Mexican border town, "Tijuana" begins when a presidential front-runner is gunned down in the streets. As reporters of a local newspaper seek answers to the murder, they uncover a web of corruption that puts their lives in danger.
Co-produced by the same company that does El Chapo, production starts April 2018. Reported on June 7, 2018 that Damián Alcázar and Tamara Vallarta were cast as leads.

Unicorn Store (April 5)


Netflix Distributed Movie
Centers on a woman who moves back in with her parents, and receives an invitation to a store that will test her ideas of what it really means to grow up. Stars Brie Larson.
Watch the trailer



Netflix News & Announcements
Suzzanna: Buried Alive - April 3
Roman Empire: Caligula: The Mad Emperor - April 5
Spirit Riding Free Season 8 - April 5
Tijuana Season 1 - April 5
Trolls: The Beat Goes On!: Season 6 - April 9
Mighty Little Bheem Season 1 - April 12
The Perfect Date - April 12
The Silence - April 12
Super Monsters Furever Friends - April 16
A Fortunate Man - April 19 
Brené Brown: The Call to Courage - April 19
Cuckoo Season 5 - April 19
Music Teacher - April 19 
Pinky Malinky Season 2 - April 22
Selection Day - April 22
I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson Season 1 - April 23
She-Ra and The Princess of Power Season 2 - April 26
Street Food Season 1 - April 26
Yankee Season 1 - April 26
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MONSTER MARCH MADNESS 2019: Round V

THE CHAMPIONSHIP! Now ONLY 2 of the biggest and baddest monsters from movie history have squared off and are ready fro battle. There can be only 1 winner, and YOU DECIDE! Round V voting will be open; APRIL 1ST to APRIL 7TH.
VOTE HERE
CONTINUE READING
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The Stepford Wives (2004)

I don't know if you've noticed but I've been watching a lot of crappy movies lately because I'm too lazy to pick movies so I watch whatever trash Netflix suggests me. The Stepford Wives is one of those movies and I gave it a chance because of Nicole Kidman. 

Based on Ira Levin's novel of the same name, the story follows Joanna Eberhart (Nicole Kidman), a successful TV executive. When she is fired and has a nervous breakdown, her husband, Walter (Matthew Broderick), decides to move the whole family from Manhattan to a community in Stepford, Connecticut. There's something weird going on though as their female neighbours are a bit too perfect and the men just seem to sit around in the men's club all day. 

The problem with The Stepford Wives is that the writer had no idea what he was doing. As a result, the plot doesn't make a lot of sense —if the chip is implanted in the original, what's the point of a body double?—, the twist is given away almost immediately, and the ending which was changed to please the audience couldn't be any more unsatisfying —that final twist is quite surprising though because of the direction the story was going up to that point. It's also rather confusing as one moment it says men are evil and the next one it says that women are just as evil, if not even worse. That being said, I still found the story enjoyable enough to keep watching. 

Just like the plot, the characters too are flawed. Actually, they are quite the mess as they lack characterization, backstories, and development. They don't even have a reason to act the way the act. And some characters you cannot help but hate, like Joanna's husband —and I'm still trying to figure out whether he's beyond dumb or just a man. Others, you don't know whether to laugh about or feel sorry for. 

ParamountPictures
Surprisingly, considering the lacklustre script, the cast does a pretty good job. Nicole Kidman is very good as Joanna and really makes you root for her. Glenn Close is brilliant as Claire Wellington, the head matron. Bette Midler is fine as Bobbie Markowitz, a writer who befriends Joanna. And Christopher Walken makes up for the horrible performance by Matthew Broderick. 

Ultimately, The Stepford Wives is not a great film as the tone is often too light for the material and the message changes throughout the film. However, it's an enjoyable flick that will make you have a few good laughs. 

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Sunday, 31 March 2019

If Beale Street Could Talk Movie Review

If Beale Street Could Talk (2018)
Rent If Beale Street Could Talk on Amazon Video // Buy the book
Written by: Barry Jenkins (written for the screen by), James Baldwin (based on the book by)
Directed by: Barry Jenkins
Starring: KiKi Layne, Stephan James, Colman Domingo, Teyonah Parris, Michael Beach, Dave Franco, Diego Luna, Pedro Pascal, Ed Skrein, Brian Tyree Henry, Regina King
Rated: R
Watch the trailer

Plot
A woman in Harlem embraces her pregnancy while she and her family struggle to prove her fiancé innocent of a crime.

Verdict
This is an impressive movie. Everything works together to create an intimate and emotional movie. You feel what this movie is saying, you empathize with the characters. The directing and performances are amazing as characters are brought to life. The movie explores discrimination and abuse of power through a couple in love. It's incredibly well crafted, exemplifying what a movie can not just say, but do.
Watch it.

Review
The whole movie is imbued with a lot of emotion, this has the same feel as Moonlight (read my review) which Barry Jenkins also did. This is a well made movie. From the start the composition of each shot is really good. The movie looks great.
This jumps around in time, contrasting Tish and Fonny before and after his wrongful arrest. That helps make the point, but even without the non-linear format this is a relatively small plot that has a big impact. The format helps to emphasize the points being made.

This is a couple in love, and Jenkins does such a great job of bringing that to life through imagery and performances. This couple is the backbone of the movie, but racism and discrimination pull them apart. Set in the 1970's, the couple is in a tight spot after Fonny's arrest. Both families are upset, and in their first interaction early in the movie it's clear they don't like each other. That seems is visceral.
There is plenty of family drama, but the way these emotions are crafted is impressive. Great performances and directing grab you. Conversations are truly engaging, and not many movies manage that.
The movie is a journey, exploring the cost of a police officer's false allegations on one family. It affects every single member of the family. It's not just Fonny who is arrested, or Tish his wife. Fonny and Tish's entire life is thrown off track. While the cop who lied and abused his power is free to continue doing exactly that.
While it's easy to write this off and say the '70s were like that, these types of incidents aren't just relegated to the past. Discrimination exists and persists, but what this movie focuses on is the cost and how wide that impact is. This is an experience.
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Movies I Watched in March


So far this year I've already watched four new-to-me movies from the 1970s! Surprising since last year I didn't watch any, not even the few favorites I have from that decade! I'm not saying it's ever going to be one of my favorite decades but I'm glad to have discovered some new films (they have all had actors I know from the Golden Age of Hollywood so... yeah).
  1. The Power of the Press (1928 - Silent) - Douglas Fairbanks Jr.
  2. King of Jazz (1930) - Paul Whiteman, John Boles, Bing Crosby
  3. Supernatural (1933) - Carole Lombard & Randolph Scott
  4. After Tonight (1933) - Constance Bennett & Gilbert Roland
  5. Dancing Lady (1933) - Joan Crawford & Clark Gable, Franchot Tone, Three Stooges, Fred Astaire, Nelson Eddy, Eve Arden
  6. *The Richest Girl in the World (1934) - Miriam Hopkins & Joel McCrea, Fay Wray
  7. Fashions of 1934 (1934) - William Powell & Bette Davis, Frank McHugh
  8. The Prisoner of Zenda (1937) - Ronald Colman & Madeleine Carroll, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Reginald Owen, David Niven, Raymond Massey, Mary Astor
  9. No Place to Go (1939) - Dennis Morgan & Gloria Dickson
  10. Susan and God (1940) - Joan Crawford & Fredric March, Ruth Hussey, Rita Hayworth, John Carroll
  11. Higher and Higher (1943) - Michele Morgan & Jack Haley, Frank Sinatra, Barbara Hale, Mary Wickes, Victor Borge
  12. Hungry Hill (1947) - Margaret Lockwood, Jean Simmons, Dan O’Hurlihy 
  13. The Naked City (1948) - Barry FitzGerald, Don Taylor
  14. Jour de Fete (1949 - French) - Jacques Tati
  15. The Tattooed Stranger (1950) - Walter Kinsella, John Miles, Patricia Barry
  16. Sudden Fear (1952) - Joan Crawford & Jack Palance, Gloria Graham
  17. Blueprint for Murder (1953) - Joseph Cotten & Jean Peters, Gary Merrill
  18. *Valley of the Kings (1954) - Robert Taylor & Eleanor Parker
  19. *The Bellboy (1960) - Jerry Lewis, Milton Berle 
  20. The Rising of the Moon (1957) - Tyrone Power (narrator)
  21. The Alphabet Murders (1965) - Tony Randall, Anita Ekberg
  22. The Bears and I (1974) - Patrick Wayne, Robert Pine
  23. California Suite (1978) - Alan Alda & Jane Fonda, Maggie Smith & Michael Caine, Bill Cosby, Richard Pryor, Walter Matthau
Mary Wickes had some great outfits in Higher and Higher (1943). Check out the sparkly crescent shaped fasteners in that last screenshot!

Least Favorite Film: Hungry Hill was very tiresome. I watched it for Jean Simmons but she was only in a little bit of the first half. Margaret Lockwood couldn't save the story either. Also No Place to Go. I wouldn't have finished it if I wasn't trying to watch all of Dennis Morgan's films but he was barely in it. The old man was good but I'm picky about child actors, especially when the story is centered on them. The Tattooed Stranger was a too slow, especially after watching The Naked City, which was also a police procedural film but with a much better tempo.

I desperately want this hat ♥ Susan and God (1940).

Favorite Film: Lots of great movies this month! I was so happy that TCM FINALLY showed Fashions of 1934 with William Powell. I've only been waiting like 5 YEARS! It did not disappoint. Bette Davis was kind of wasted in her role but Powell was in top form as always :) Also really enjoyed Dancing Lady and The Prisoner of Zenda.

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The Change-Up (2011)

I added The Change-Up on my watchlist a long time ago because of Jason Bateman but never cared to watch it because I knew it'd be some idiotic comedy. There are those days though when I feel like watching these movies, like today. 

The story follows two friends —Dave (Jason Bateman) who is a hard-working lawyer married with the beautiful Jamie (Leslie Mann) and father of three, and Mitch (Ryan Reynolds), a single, reckless and unemployed stoner who never concludes anything. One night, after getting drunk, they urinate in a park's fountain and at the same time they wish they had each other's lives. The next morning, they wake up and discover that they have switched bodies. 

It certainly isn't the most original premise as there's plenty of body switch movies out there whose execution is why less juvenile than The Change-Up's. That being said, the plot as predictable and clichéd as it gets —I mean, that epiphany you could see it coming a mile away— isn't terrible as watching Dave and Mitch switch bodies and try to adapt to the other's life is enjoyable, entertaining almost. 

As for the characters, they are tremendously superficial as well as the typical characters played by these actors as Jason Bateman plays the serious and kind of awkward workaholic, with a family this time around, he always plays, and Ryan Reynolds plays the idiotic, carefree, irresponsible ladies' man he plays most of the time. However, Dave and Mitch switching bodies means Bateman and Reynolds switching roles and, despite the fact that cheap laughs are all they get, it's quite refreshing to see them play atypical roles. Leslie Mann is a bit of a show-stealer though as she manages to give her shallow, non-existent character a little depth. Olivia Wilde is here only for eye-candy purposes. And Alan Arkin is terribly underused as Mitch's father. 

Universal Pictures
Despite the enjoyable plot and the actors, The Change-Up still is a mediocre film, nothing more than an idiotic bro movie for the most part —at some point, it gives up its bro tone to become an overly sentimental mess—, with plenty of gross moments, vulgarity and gratuitous nudity. Sure, it's entertaining and fun-ish but at the same time it's offensive and most of the jokes fall flat.

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Saturday, 30 March 2019

This Means War (2012)

As you know, I'm not a fan romantic comedies but I like Reese Witherspoon, I have a crush on Chris Pine since I was twelve and Tom Hardy, well, he's hot, so, after putting it off literally for years, I finally gave This Means War a chance. 

The story follows two CIA agents who are also best friends, Tuck (Tom Hardy) and FDR (Chris Pine), as they hit the dating scene after being benched because an international criminal, Karl Heinrich (Til Schweiger) is after them. While the first tries online dating, the latter goes for the old "picking up a lonely woman at video store" approach, and they both meet Lauren (Reese Witherspoon), a product-testing executive with no luck in love. When the two friends find out they are dating the same woman, they begin to compete with one another to win her.

The storyline alone should be enough to keep people away from this but if you are weak like me and watch anything, any sort of crap for actors you like, then you'll find yourself barely entertained by This Means War's predictable and unexciting plot filled with holes, clichés, non-clever twists and a subplot involving a German terrorist —because Germans still are the bad guys, no matter if the story is not set during WWII— that is completely wasted and adds absolutely nothing to the whole thing.

The writers didn't put a lot of thought into the characters either so all the film has to offer is shallow, clichéd characters who, if it wasn't for the actors playing them, wouldn't even be that likeable. Not to mention the number of dumb things the three main characters, especially Tuck and FDR, do throughout the film considering that they are supposed to be smart, brilliant people. It's like watching a group of retarded morons.

20th Century Fox

As I said above though, the cast does a fairly good job. Chris Pine is charming as usual as the ladies' man, and Tom Hardy also shines charisma as the desperate, divorced single father. Reese Witherspoon, on the other hand, gives a pretty flat performance as the woman craving for love and eventually getting the attention of two hot men. Chelsea Handler provides good support as Lauren's constantly horny best friend. Yes, that's all the characterization these people have.

Unfortunately, the cast is pretty much the only good thing about This Means War as the dialogue is pretty awful, the banter feels forced, the jokes are predictable and fall flat most of the time, and the action scenes lack suspense and excitement —there are fights, chases and explosions, but it's all so bland, uninspired.

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