Venom seemed like a crazy idea for a stand-alone superhero film, but it’s doing quite well. It’s a top 10 movie in domestic take for 2018, and it shows that Sony/Columbia doesn’t have to team up with Marvel Studios (as they did for Spider-Man: Homecoming) to make an enjoyable Spider-Verse movie. What surprised me was that it became available for digital rental last week and comes out on Blu-ray and DVD tomorrow, December 18. This is unusual because its theatrical […]

The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part comes out in February, but the promotion has already started. The first film was adorable, so there are high hopes for the second. This teaser trailer shows a post-apocalyptic-style setting, and around a minute and a half in, it even addresses my biggest concern with the first, that Wyldstyle (Elizabeth Banks) did all the cool stuff but Emmet (Chris Pratt) got all the credit. Anyway, we’ll have to wait and see how that […]

I’m always fascinated when movies become so important in some way that they recut them for a wider audience. I remember, way back when, they put out a PG version of Saturday Night Fever (which I saw at the drive-in on a double bill with Grease). The latest example is Deadpool 2. Deadpool was the biggest R-rated opening weekend ever, a record broken by It and then again by Deadpool 2. But just in time for Christmas, on Wednesday in […]

Sequart Organization, a publisher of books and films “devoted to the study of popular culture and the promotion of comic books as a legitimate art form”, has released two of their documentaries about cult comic creators on YouTube for free viewing. Grant Morrison: Talking With Gods was produced in close collaboration with Morrison and features extensive interviews with him, as well as never-before-seen photos and documents spanning his childhood to the present day. Complimenting Morrison’s own words are interviews with […]

Continuing the pattern of Warner streaming services being shut down, the latest announcement is that FilmStruck will end next month. The move appeared to be the latest by WarnerMedia, under AT&T’s ownership, to streamline operations by cutting niche-oriented business ventures. Two sources familiar with the decision said the plan to kill FilmStruck was made prior to AT&T’s closing the Time Warner deal; in any case, the strategy aligns with the new WarnerMedia blueprint to shift resources to mass-market entertainment services. […]

There was a small trend a few years ago of star-studded ensemble films directed by Garry Marshall themed around holidays — Valentine’s Day was followed by New Year’s Eve and then Mother’s Day. Now comes a new twist on seasonal cinema — this time with added cute animal appeal! Out August 10, during the dog days of summer, is Dog Days, directed by Ken Marino from a screenplay by Elissa Matsueda and Erica Oyama (Marino’s wife). [This] ensemble comedy follows […]

Twentieth Century Fox has a Choose Your Own Adventure movie in development. That’s not surprising — in a world that’s seen a Battleship licensed movie, every fond memory of our childhood is suitable for brand extension, and this one is better-known than many. What did surprise me is the announcement that they will be using CtrlMovie technology to allow the audience to decide how the movie will go using an app. Viewers vote to decide what characters will do at […]

To draw attention to the imminent release of Black Panther on home video — you can rent the digital version starting tomorrow, with the Blu-ray release a week after, on May 15 — Marvel is promoting one of the special features, “The Warriors Within”, which focuses on the importance of the women of Wakanda (and how the actresses learned to fight). Here are two clips: A photo gallery: As well as these interview statements: Lupita Nyong’o: “I love the way […]