ABC will air "Black Panther" tonight uninterrupted from 08:00 a.m. to 10:20 p.m., followed by a special tribute to celebrate Boseman's life and career.
Power, strength, gentleness, grace and regal elegance... May you rest in power and peace, long live in Heaven, King.
“Purpose is the essential element of you. It is the reason you are on the planet at this particular time in history. Your very existence is wrapped up in the things you are here to fulfill... The struggles along the way are only meant to shape you for your purpose.”
DC FanDome delivered big time! Major stars and directors showed up, behind-the-scenes and new trailers dropped in, games played (including stars playing games), select fans popped in from around the world, cool fan arts and cosplay displays made round. The transition from one presentation was seamless, hosts were surrounded by colorful, 360-degree digital background and blaring music. Each panel was quick, 10-30 minutes each, but the experience was as immersive as they could have been for a virtual convention… this is how you hold one! The bar has clearly been raised high.
“Wonder Woman 1984” (October 2, 2020) had Linda Carter sneaking in as a fan and surprised the panel, consisting of director Patty Jenkins, stars Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Kristen Wiig and Pedro Pascal. The new trailer wowed! It shows Pascal’s villain casting a spell of trouble, promising people they could have anything they ever dream of, progression of Kristen Wiig’s character, transforming from a mild-mannered worker into a hardened challenger and apex predator, Cheetah with full fur and tail. Diana Prince also has her moments with Steve Trevor (although how he’s still alive remains a mystery), nighttime romantic stroll against the backdrop of the Washington Monument, Steve’s fish out-of-water scenes arriving in the 1980s (no, Steve, you can’t just fly stealthily like you did 70 years ago, there’s something called radar now), Wonder Woman donning and releasing the golden winged armor, soaring through skies stricken with lightning, and high-flying and acrobatic battle with Cheetah.
“Flash” (June 3, 2022) came with star Ezra Miller (Barry Allen), director Andy Muschietti and screenwriter Christina Hodson. The movie will be based on the “Flash Point” comic story, the Flash traveling through time and the birth of the multiverse. The fastest man alive will have a new suit, shown in a concept art, built by Ben Affleck's Batman ("Justice League").
Zachary Levy and stars (Asher Angel, Faith Herman, Jack Dylan Grazer, Meagan Good, and Adam Brody) introduced the title of the next installment of “Shazam!” through a colored poster. Comedian Sinbad also joined the panel. The sequel will be titled “Fury of the Gods” (November 22, 2022).
Dwayne Johnson beamed into a hallway among ancient walls, answering questions from fans for “Black Adam” (December 22, 2021), an anti-hero and one of the most powerful characters in the DC Universe. He comes from a 5,000-year imprisonment and does not practice restraint like heroes do, which appealed to Johnson in the first place. He showed graphic arts of his costume. The movie confirms the existence of the Justice Society of America, with Atom Smasher (Noah Centineo, who made a surprised appearance), Hawkman, Doctor Fate and Cyclone in the team.
“The Suicide Squad” (August 6, 2021) brought in an enormous squad. Director James Gunn appeared with Margot Robbie, Joel Kinnaman, Viola Davis, Idris Elba, John Cena, Nathan Fillion and a host of others. He brought in an explosive sneak peek with some footage and behind-the-scenes. The movie is described to be a 1970 war movie, Gunn’s style with a twisted fantasy of characters; a massive graphic novel brought to life. Gunn described the movie to be different from any other superhero movie ever made and the making it the most exciting journey of his life.
Director Matt Reeves uncloaked “The Batman” (October 1, 2021) with a surprising teaser trailer, dark and brutal, after Robert Pattinson peaked his head in briefly and gave the floor to Reeves. No one could have known that the movie had only been shot 25-30% before the pandemic shut down production. R. Patz’s Batman will not show an origin story of Bruce Wayne turning into the Dark Knight. It will be his second year as Batman, so he’s got the hang on handling criminals in Gotham City, but still learning and making mistakes along the way. Criminals beware; this is one violent vigilante. The trailer also shows a glimpse of Zoe Kravitz’s Catwoman and possibly Colin Farrell’s the Penguin.
The Hall of Heroes ran an impressive eight hours straight, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and then re-run twice, which is smart, as it would capture all time zones globally. The mega event was originally planned as one day on August 22, 2020, but jammed with content, it’s been split into two days. The second and final day will be held on September 12, 2020. It will cover the WatchVerse, KidsVerse, InsiderVerse, FunVerse and YouVerse, which include the rest of the TV shows (except “Flash” with Grant Gustin and cast, which was held on the first day), such as long-running “Legends of Tomorrow,” breakout show “Star Girl” and upcoming “Superman: Lois and Clark” will be held on this day.
With theaters are playing a roulette against opening dates at the mercy of their cities' regulations in consideration of the fights against COVID-19, ""Mulan" and "Tenet" have finally taken a stand. The two major blockbusters-to-be, originally to be released into theaters on March 27 and July 17, 2020 have been postponed a few times.
"Tenet" now has an international release date (or at least in the countries that allow it) on August 26 and U.S. on September 4, 2020. Christopher Nolan, an ardent supporter of theaters, has been steadfast in his refusal to release the movie straight to streaming or video on demand. Which is understandable - "Tenet" is an 'event' movie, meant to be seen on the big screen.
"Mulan," on the same lines with "Tenet," has a more surprising route. With their theme parks business hammered, Disney+ has been thriving. Disney will release "Mulan," also on September 4, 2020 to Disney+ at $29.99. Subscribers, paying $6.99/month subscription will need to fork out this fee. I can't imagine a movie this scale not released into theaters at some point, however.
"The New Mutants" and "Black Widow" remain firmly on their delayed, respective release dates on August 28 and November 6, 2020.
Meanwhile, having been closed for nearly five months, the two largest theater chains have announced reopening plans. Regal Cinemas will be open on August 21, 2020, premiering a new movie, "Unhinged." Safe reopening measures are posted on its website. AMC will be open sometime mid-late August.
On another major announcement, DC Fandome (DC's first and own version of Comic-Con) looks more exciting that Comic-Con @ Home this year. It's stacked with major star power! Dwayne Johnson, Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Kristen Wiig, Margot Robbie, Idris Elba, Robert Pattinson, Ezra Miller, directors Zack Snyder and Patty Jenkins are among those confirmed to attend. The virtual convention is free and will run all day on August 22, 2020.
What could have been the most epic celebration in the 50-year history of Comic-Con has been transformed into Comic-con @ Home due to the pandemic. The good news especially for those who haven't been able to attend or shut out is that there will be no badge (and no lines) to see the pre-recorded segments on YouTube. While major studios are bowing out, such as Marvel (except behind-the-scenes anthology documentary series) and DC (DC has planned to showcase its materials on its own first global event, DC Fandom on August 22-24, 2020), the lineups are still packed... surprisingly with 350 panels and 700 exhibitors!
Comic-Con @ Home will run from July 22-26, 2020 (starting on July 22 at 2 p.m. PST). Sign up for the YouTube channel on https://www.youtube.com/user/ComicCon. Sit back, relax on your couch and enjoy the shows!
Those of you who are looking forward to July to finally start your movie-going habit back, it will be August now..."Mulan" has been re-shifted from July 24 to August 21, "Tenet" from July 31 to August 12 (opening mid-week), and "Wonder Woman: 1984" pushed even further from August 14 to October 2, 2020. "Inception" (2010) is still planned to be re-released to July 17, 2020 (at this time), as major theaters are opening back up in mid-July.
If you're a superheroes fan or DC fan, DC will host a virtual superheroes event online for 24 hours starting on August 22, 2020 at 10 a.m. PDT.
From the press release, this global event will immerse fans into the DC Multiverse, with new announcements from WB Games, Film and TV, and comics, as well as an unprecedented opportunity to hear from the casts and creators behind feature films and TV series such as Aquaman, The Batman, Batwoman, Black Adam, Black Lightning, DC Super Hero Girls, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, DC’s Stargirl, Doom Patrol, The Flash, Harley Quinn, the SnyderCut of Justice League, Lucifer, Pennyworth, SHAZAM!, The Suicide Squad, Supergirl, Superman & Lois, Teen Titans GO!, Titans, Watchmen, Young Justice: Outsiders and, coming this fall to theaters worldwide, Wonder Woman 1984 (note: Wonder Woman 1984 has been moved (again) from August 14 to October 2, 2020).
To help educate the public on systemic racism issues, "Just Mercy" (released on January 10, 2020, starring Michael B. Jordan and Jamie Foxx), is available FREE on demand for the month of June. It tells a true story of a civil-rights attorney who works to defend a man wrongfully convicted of murder. You can watch them on Apple TV, FandangoNow, Google Play, Amazon Prime Video, Redbox, PlayStation Store, Vudu, Microsoft, and YouTube.
If you've been superhero-deprived, check out this out... Marvel and DC Universes for 2020-2022 with release dates and 2023 movies with pending dates. A more than full slate to look forward to!
Hallmark is giving away 2 million cards to help share your appreciation to the heroes in your life... A world of thanks can make a world of difference.
All the 2020 blockbuster movies we're waiting for... we'll just have to wait a little longer. Check this out for the latest dates (some got pushed to 2021!) - Mulan, Black Widow, Jungle Cruise, the Eternals, Wonder Woman 1984, Top Gun: Maverick...and more.
Note: Movie reviews will resume after studios release feature films as planned (hopefully soon) and movie-going takes place again. Wash your hands and be considerate to others. Stay safe and healthy!
P..S. I intended to see and review "The Aeronauts," unfortunately, it's not playing in the area. Will try to squeeze in another review before the end of the year.
In the evening after the celebration of his 85th birthday, a famed crime novelist Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer) died with a slit throat.
While police investigators Liutenant Elliott (Lakeith Stanfield) and Trooper Wagner (Noah Segan) conclude the wealthy patriarch's death as suicide, an acclaimed private investigator, Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig, “James Bond” series) suspects a foul play. Craig's role models the mustache-twirling, notable detective from the “Murder in the Orient Express.” Playing against type, he's so different from James Bond, over-the-top with thick Southern accent and penchant for theatrics.
Everyone in the dysfunctional family, privileged and entitled, is a suspect. Brooding youngest son and Harlan's head of publishing empire Walt (Michael Shannon, “Man of Steel”), his wife Donna (Riki Lindhome) and their teenage son (Jaeden Lieberher); gold-digging lifestyle influencer and widow daughter-in-law Joni (Toni Collette) and her teenage daughter Meg (Katherine Langford); eldest daughter and hard-edged businesswoman Linda (Jamie Lee Curtis), her secret-hiding husband Richard Drysadale (Don Johson) and their smarmy brat of a son Ransom (Chris Evans, “Avengers” series). Evans seems to relish playing against his Captain America, do-gooder type. Lurking in the background is great nana Wanetta (K Callan).
Other people outside of the family who work in the manor are Harlan's good-hearted nurse and immigrant Marta Cabrera (Ana de Armas, “Blade Runner 2049”) and invisible housekeeper Fran (Edi Patterson). Since the last two have nothing to gain, the investigation primarily centers around the family's surviving offsprings. Make no mistake, however, “the help” shouldn't be cast aside. As a matter of fact, Marta, well-regarded by the family and detective Blanc, plays a key part in the investigation. Her complete inability to lie is both an asset and a liability. Armas is a standout among the star-studded cast.
The story runs sharp and witty with a comedic undertone, making it wickedly entertaining. It's a treat to see the scenes that are first shown in pieces live or at surface level, flash back with details, pulling curtain after curtain behind the scenes.
Rolling back to the night of the incident, bits of conversations and noises were heard and suspicious sightings were reported. Possible motives emerge. But if the shoe fits, it may be the wrong shoe. The will-reading is a chaotic affair. What's unique about director Rian Johnson's storytelling is the cause of death and culprit are already revealed about a third into the story. It leaves the next stretch with cover-ups and flashbacks, then a home stretch of twists, layering the mystery with another mystery before blowing it open with a mind-blowing who(really)dunnit.
A great murder mystery is tightly plotted, drops clues, conceals secrets, misdirects with red herrings, teases resolution, springs surprises, reveals lies, ties up loose ends, and cleverly wraps up with a satisfying conclusion. “Knives Out” does exactly that. The knives are out and they hit the bullseye.
Angelina Jolie (“The Tourist,” “Wanted”) makes a magnificent return as the not-really-evil Maleficent. Maleficent's malevolence is more of a perception among humans. True, she did curse Princess Aurora (Elle Fanning;, "Trumbo," “Super 8”) into an eternal sleep, but in the 2014 reimagined version, she was also brought to light through the bond she forged with the girl.
Maleficent raised Aurora in the woods like her own child. The carefree princess, now grown up, is the Queen of the Moors. The storybook moor is as enchanting as ever, verdant and vibrant, filled with fairies and fantastical creatures. One day Prince Phillip (Harris Dickinson) proposes marriage, which Aurora enthusiastically accepts. This will not only be a union of two young people, but also two kingdoms, fairies and humans.
The time has come that the future in-laws meet. Phillip's parents, King John (Robert Lindsay) and Queen Ingrith (Michelle Pfeiffer; “Ant-Man and the Wasp,” “Murder at the Orient Express") greet Maleficent with wariness at dinner. The queen certainly has an agenda of her own, trading barbs and provoking Maleficent, driving her out in rage. The night ends in tragedy, with the king cursed, the royals devastated, Maleficent wounded, and Aurora heartbroken.
Jolie and Pfeiffer stand out in star power and regal look, pointedly go toe-to-toe. Maleficent's icy wickedness of sense of humor is matched with Ingrith's cut-through-the-heart sneer and cool evilness. Ingrith is the 'Mistress of Evil' in the title.
Maleficent is saved by a handsomely horned and winged creature (Chiwetel Ejiofor; “Doctor Strange”) and flown into an enormous nest. He turns out to be one of the many faes occupying a cavernous cave with its own various ecosystems; forest, tundra and desert. Maleficent is astonished to find that her own kind, albeit without the sorcery power she has. The story goes that as human population expands, the faes are forced into exile, living in the far corner of the world. There's in-fighting among the faes themselves, choosing between a peaceful status quo versus going into war with humans to take back their lands.
The royal wedding is happening as planned and all the fairies are invited. At least that's what they think, and Phillip and Aurora have no reason to think otherwise either. Little do they know what Ingrith is up to. The power-hungry queen manipulatively pulls all the strings and wages an all-out war. Fairy dust and iron-filled weapons prove to be lethal to fairies and faes.
Maleficent soars back into the kingdom and uses her prowess to even out the epic fight. An aerial view impressively shows an Avengers' Endgame-like scale of a battle. Aurora and Phillip are clued in and each also plays a role in preventing any more bloodshed. Amid the themes of tolerance, peace and harmony, the most consistent is Maleficent's maternal love for Aurora. Their penultimate scenes in the battlefield are surprisingly touching and heartwarming.
