Running to KANDAHAR

 

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to theatres this Friday from director Ric Roman Waugh and Open Road Films is the story of two men who are running to KANDAHAR.

Tom Harris (Gerard Butler) is a slick CIA operative in Afghanistan that has just finished a dangerous job destroying a nuclear site. Now the focus is on returning home for his teen daughter Ida’s graduation. Operative Roman Chalmers (Travis Fimmel) brings him in at the last minute for a mission that will not wait. Going into Iran to finish taking down is going to be the most dangerous thing Harris has done.

Meeting up with interpreter Mohammed ‘Mo’ (Navid Negahban) has been brought in to help and that’s all. Also, Mo knows the area having been born and raised in Kabul and can get anything Harris needs. But the Afghani also has his own personal reasons to be in this situation. When a journalist is kidnapped and information on who is responsible for the nuclear plant destruction, all hell breaks loose.

The first on it is an angry Afghan leader Kahil (Ali Fazal) wants one thing, to prove himself a powerful leader. Now he has his mission, to get Harris and bring him to those who will reward him. With informants everywhere, Harris and Mo make a run for it and the only place they can go is an airstrip in Kandahar, the catch – be there in thirty hours before the C-130 takes off.

Never knowing who to trust, Harris and Mo make their way through two-faced friendlies but with guns behind their backs. Everyone knows that Harris is worth a fortune to the highest bidder and everyone plays the game to their advantage.

It’s cat and mouse in a rugged and dangerous country.

Butler as Harris gives a tough guy storyline as a man who is slick and knowledgeable about the dangers of both Afghanistan and Iran. This is a role that is smooth sailing for Butler as he takes on the role of a man who is quite capable as the enemy soon discovers and needs Mo as well.

Negahban as Mo is a man who takes the mission because he has things he needs to do personally. His story is one of family, loyalty and getting out alive from a country that holds nothing but death for him. Negahban is focused on what is to be done and knows he needs Harris to get back to his own family.

Fazal as Kahil is an Afghani who lives in two worlds, one of a fighter and one of a man who soaks up everything from the western culture. There is the added bonus to the thrill of the chase for Fazal and Kahil gives it everything to make us believe it.

Shout out to Fimmel because he has been missed! He will always be Ragnar to those of us with Viking blood (yea so what, he’s an Aussie by birth!) but he has since chosen his roles well and given us more of what he can do in his career. He can currently be seen in the series BLACK SNOW.

Cast also includes Bahador Foladi as Farzad Asadi, Olivia-Mai Barrett as Ida Harris, Hakeem Jomah as Rasoul, Bassilis Koukalani as Bashar, Rebecca Calder as Corrine Harris, Tom Rhys Harries as Oliver Altman, Ray Haratian as Ismail Rabbani, and Farhad Bagheri as Parshand.

Butler and Negahban play well together as both are men with families to get home to but also a healthy fear of the men in the country they are in. No one can be trusted and the ones that can are far away and unreachable. That leaves only one thing – run as fast as a car and their feet will take them.

It is also a story of two men who has no reason to trust one another but do. The cast brings in the destructive, dangerous and tenuous element of action to the film and it is non-stop. There is nothing between Kerat and Kandahar but open space and questionable trust but they must get through all of that where the C-130 is not going to wait forever.

In the end – the only thing more dangerous than the mission is the escape!

A SMALL LIGHT Shines So Bright

 

Jeri Jacquin

Currently available from National Geographic Studios and ABC Signature in a limited series is the story of the Frank family and another part of the story from the view of A SMALL LIGHT.

Miep Gies (Bel Powley) was born in Austria but was adopted by a family in Holland. It is 1940 and she loves her family but they see she is not married and without a job and they are worried about her. That’s when Otto Frank (Liev Schreiber) comes into her life and a job that she wasn’t even qualified for happens.

Miep becomes close to the Frank family and enjoys the company of Edith (Amira Casar), Anne (Billie Boullet) and Margot (Ashley Brooke). She also meets Jan (Joe Cole) and finally makes the second thing her parents are worried about happen – she is married. Everything is going well for Miep even though things are a bit strange with the war begun by Hitler.

One afternoon in 1942, Mr. Frank asks Miep to come into the office to talk. He tells her that leaving Germany was for the protection of his family and now fears that he did not go further enough away. He asks that Miep help him to go into hiding with his family and she does not hesitate to agree. The story is that the Frank family has gone to Switzerland.

The plan is made for the Frank family to move into the upstairs small loft that was not being used and that no one knows about. During the day the family would have to remain silent and quietly move about at night. Miep is all in on the plans to get everyone to the loft before the Nazi’s arrive. Helping from the office as well is typist Tess (Eleanor Tomlinson) and Victor Kugler (Nicholas Burns).

Also going into hiding is Hermann Van Pels (Andy Nyman), wife Auguste (Caroline Catz) and son Peter (Rudi Goodman) and joined later by Dr. Pfeffer (Noah Taylor). Now the challenge begins on how to keep the family safe, fed and out of the reach of the Nazi’s. Once Miep tells Hans, who is a social worker who sees how wrong people are being treated, decides he also wants to be a part of the Dutch resistance.

As the Frank’s are hiding, Miep learns how to help run Mr. Frank’s pectin business and along with that are a few secrets that make things a little difficult. Jan starts his part by helping people with children get them to a safe place. Relationships are obviously strained as Miep learns who she can trust, who she cannot, how far people are willing to go to betray one-time friends and what will happen to them all?

This is a story of friendship, survival, loyalty and hope for the future!

Powley as Miep is exceptional in this role. She gives Miep a powerful voice, even if it does get her in trouble occasionally, and an equally powerful sense of right and wrong. Once she begins working for the Franks, Miep blossoms even more if that would be possible. She takes the Franks and others under her protection and takes on the role of protector, provider and keeper of secrets that could hurt them all. I just loved every time Powley was on screen as she truly is a force to be reckoned with. Taking on this iconic role, she made it look easy and brought out so many emotions from the first episode to the last.

Schreiber as Otto Frank is a big task for any actor yet Schrieber handle it with such grace and a sense of calm when everything around this character was in chaos. From accepting Miep and her ways to saving his family and a few others, it is clear that Frank was constantly thinking and staying as informed as he could. The relationship on screen with Powley is just breathtaking.

Cole as Jan has a rough beginning with Miep but when he sees how strong she is and the possibilities of doing right by others, he jumps right in. Cole gives his characters strength as a human being but also as a husband (and he needs it!). I thoroughly enjoyed his performance and teared up more than a few times as Cole’s portrayal of Jan is compassionate beyond measure.

There are so many strong performances in this limited series that I could write about them all day. Casar, Boulette and Brooke as the Frank women are trying to do their best but with all mothers and daughters – there are issues as it become a tense situation in the loft. Tomlinson as Tess does what she can and helps when she is able, including a little secret milk run. Burns as Office Manager Kugler also puts his life on the line to help the Franks and the intensity comes every time there is a knock at the door.

Other cast include Liza Sadovy as Mrs. Stoppelman, Ian McElhinney as Johannes Kleinman, Laurie Kynaston as Casmir, Sebastian Armesto as Max Stoppleman, Bill Milner as Tonny Ahlers, Sean Hart as Willem, Preston Nyman as Kuno Van Der Horst, Hanna van Vliet as Frieda, Tom Stourton as Daniel Van Dijk, Daniel Donskoy as Karl Silberbauer, Dylan Edwards as Isaac Schwartz, Sarah T. Cohen as Maya Schwartz, Sinead Phelps as Anka, and Brian Caspe as Laurens.

National Geographic is an American pay television network and flagship channel owned by National Geographic Partners, a joint venture between The Walt Disney Company and the National Geographic Society. They support a diverse, international community of changemakers — National Geographic Explorers — who use the power of science, exploration, education, and storytelling to illuminate and protect the wonder of our world. For more information, please visit www.nationalgeographic.com.

ABC Signature is an American television production studio that is a subsidiary of Disney Television Studios, a division of Disney Entertainment, which is a division of The Walt Disney Company.

The episodes include Pilot, Welcome to Switzerland, Motherland, The Butterfly, Scheilfeld, Boiling Point, What Can Be Saved and Legacy

The cast is absolutely stellar as each of the directors Susanna Fogel, Leslie Hope and Tony Phelan seamlessly bring the story of Miep Gies and what her contribution was to the Frank family and the people of the Netherlands. The intensity is palpable and the heartbreak felt to the soul as Meip and Jan make it perfectly clear that a few can make a large difference.

From the loft, to the office to the streets, there is such a constant fear and yet a hope that the viewer will feel in each episode. Living in a time where being Jewish came with consequences, there was once a time no one could imagine what the war would cost them. It was also a time where good people put their own lives in jeopardy by doing the right thing for the Jewish community and humanity itself.

This series should be a must-see for educators because then it becomes a teaching tool. The Diary of Anne Frank became one of the most memorable books I ever read in school and I have re-read it so many times the cover is tattered. A SMALL LIGHT goes even further in explaining how things happened and what was happening on the other side of the bookcase door.  

A SMALL LIGHT is streaming on the National Geographic channel and available next day on Hulu and Disney+.

In the end – sometimes you have to risk everything!

 

 

Disney’s THE LITTLE MERMAID

 

Jeri Jacquin

Coming this Friday to theatres from director Rob Marshall and Walt Disney Studios is the new version of THE LITTLE MERMAID.

Ariel (Halle Bailey) lives under the sea with father King Triton (Javier Bardem) and her sisters. Her friends fish Flounder (Jacob Tremblay) and seagull Scuttle (Awkwafina). Trying to keep up with her on the daily is crab Sebastian (Daveed Diggs). When Ariel doesn’t show up for a family meeting, King Triton is not happy and makes it clear that it’s time for Sebastian to be her full-time babysitter.

That’s a hard job because this mermaid loves going above water and seeing how the world is on land and collecting things that fall to the sea in shipwrecks. Both are on the not-to-do list of her father. Watching in the wings is Ursula (Melissa McCarthy) who isn’t happy about being basically banished by the King so she’s always looking for ways to make him pay.

On land is Eric (Jonah Hauer-King) who loves being on the water and sailing away on new adventures. Not happy about that is his handler Sir Grimsby (Art Malik) and mother Queen Selina (Noma Dumezweni). Especially when a storm sinks Erik’s ship and lands him in Ariel’s arms delivering him to the shores.

Eric gets a peak of the girl who saved him and spends his time trying to convince everyone that there was a girl who saved him. Meantime, Ariel gets herself into trouble with Ursula who tricks her into becoming human so she can experience land. Now Eric and Ariel get to spend time together and he finds himself falling for her.

Ursula isn’t about it and brings about mayhem as the truth comes in on a wave as everyone begins to see the whole world differently.

Bailey as Ariel is fine and she has a nice voice. Trying to decide between two worlds, the character of Ariel is about dreams, hopes and being different. Bardem as Triton is not only a King but a dad of almost every mermaid. Set in his ways, it is hard for him to change and it costs him.

Hauer-King as Eric is not such much. His story is muddled to make it okay that he’s “adopted” and not even called Prince Eric. Not a fan. McCarthy as Ursula is charming but quite honestly the scenes with her in it are so dark it’s hard to get the full evil-comic effect. Her song-take of ‘Poor Unfortunate Souls’ is still as catchy as the original Pat Carroll version.

Trembly as the voice of Flounder is cute but the animated Flounder looks like he needs to be in rehab for something because his eyes are freaky and I can’t get past that. Awkwafina as Scuttle just takes it too far, when she talks, all I hear is Sisu from MAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON. She seems to have only one comedy bit to offer and its starting to bleed all of her comedy together. Diggs as Sebastian gives us Sebastian but looks wise, he needs to join Flounder because he’s freaky as well.

Malik as Sir Grimsby seems to be the only smart person in this film so he can hang with me any day, plus he is a butler so there’s that.

Other cast include Martina Laird as Lashana, Emily Coates as Rosa, Christopher Fairbank as Hawkins, John Dagleish as Mulligan, Jude Akuwudike as Joshua, Lorena Andrea as Perla, Simone Ashley as Indira, Karolina Conchet as Mala, Sienna King as Tamika, Kajsa Mohammar as Karina and Nathalie Sorrell as Caspia.

THE LITTLER MERMAID is once again a film that did not need to be made. Disney seems to have forgotten itself and the thing that made us love Disney through the generations – animated films. They are so busy trying to prove that they are so in the know, they do not bother to ask themselves whether remakes should be done at all – let alone live-action that may thrill some but the dollars say otherwise to their success.

It has nothing to do with the squawking going on regarding the casting of Ariel, it has to do with the tweaking of the story (I mean really? Eric was found in the ocean and adopted? Please.) The animation itself is so all over the place that it feels unfocused, especially the scenes with Ursula. That is an awesome character that deserved better all around.

There are songs that don’t need to be sung (listen up Eric and Scuttle). The animated film runs 83 minutes from start to finish, the new version is two hours and fifteen minutes! There is absolutely no need for it but once again, it feels as if Disney and director Marshall are trying to prove how cool their live-action version is. Had it stuck to the 83 minutes I might have felt a little different.

I have no doubt that there will be those thrilled with the film, good on them and I hope they have an amazing time. There is a part of me that wishes it had gone straight to Disney+ so that perhaps more people could enjoy it but it will get there fairly quick is my guess.

Sometimes films do not resonate with some people and that’s okay. Let everyone enjoy what they like and keep their memories in tact of a special time in their lives. The new THE LITTLE MERMAID will resonate with others and add to their own special memories and that is what matters.

In the end – be part of her world!

It is Survival for 65

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to 4K Ultra HD, Bluray and Digital from directors Scott Beck, Bryan Woods and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is survival for 65.

Mills (Adam Driver) is about to take a space journey for two-years so he can help his daughter with her medical expenses. Wife Alya (Nika King) is not happy about his decision but daughter Nevine (Chloe Coleman) knows he is doing what’s best.

The ship Zoic finds itself going through an asteroid field and it damages the ship and crew. When the ship hits a planet, Mills takes stock of the ship and discovers how many of the other passengers have died while sending out a distress beacon. He has crashed landed on Earth and it becomes immediately apparent that the ship is in ruins and there is something out there!

Thinking about his options, Mills discovers Koa (Ariana Greenblatt), a young girl that speaks no English and the translator is damaged. Now he realizes that he must find a way off the planet and an escape shuttle is on a mountain a way away. Packing up the best he can, Mills and Koa begin to make their way towards surviving.

Following them are very aggressive and killer dinosaurs! Through hiding and trusting one another, Mills and Koa are chased below ground, into caves and through water and quicksand. That isn’t all, Mills realizes that the asteroid field that took the ship is now aimed at the planet itself and time is running out.

Driver as Mills is a man who realizes that he must sacrifice time with his daughter and it is always on his mind. When the ship crashes, it turns everything in his life upside down. Driver gets a chance to take on prehistoric creatures and become responsible for someone other than himself. That changes everything for this character as Driver takes on not only a survival mode but a protector.

Greenblatt as Koa just wants to know where her parents are and how to get to them. Not initially happy to be around Mills, it become clear that she needs him as much as he needs her. They learn to work together to get to the shuttle craft. Koa is a strong-willed young lady and does not always do what she should but then again, she is a teenager. Greenblatt portrays her character through actions instead of words and she does it very well.

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment encompasses motion picture production for television, digital content and theater releases. The studios include Columbia Pictures, Screen Gems, TriStar Pictures, Sony Pictures Animation, Stage 6 Films and Sony Picture Classics. To see what is coming to theaters and to home entertainment please visit www.sonypictures.com.

MOVIES ANYWHERE gives viewers the ability to download the Movies Anywhere App. With that you can view films by downloading or streaming to your favorite device using a Digital Code. For more information on Movies Anywhere please visit www.MoviesAnywhere.com.

Special Features include Deleted & Extended Scenes, Creating the World of 65, Primordial Planet, Final Showdown: Concepts to Screen and more!

The film 65 comes from the writers of the wildly successful film A QUIET PLACE (one of my favorites). Driver and Greenblatt totally carry the film from crash to escape and they work well together considering there isn’t much dialogue between the two. Fighting creatures and trying to survive without bugs getting in your mouth, these two actors play off well.

If you love films with large, teethy, swift and aggressive dinosaurs then 65 is for you. There isn’t a cuddly creature in sight. Every thing only wants one thing, to put human beings on the dinner menu. Problem is, humans aren’t willing to let that happen so 65 is filled with action and adventure every moment.

Turn the lights down, pump up the sound bar, pop the popcorn and gather the family because it’s time to survive.

In the end – a million years ago prehistoric earth had a visitor!

 

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY Vol. 3

 

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to theatres this Friday from writer/director James Gunn, Marvel Studios and Walt Disney Studios is the final voyage of the GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY Vol. 3.

The gang is almost all together on a ship called Knowhere but Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) is still dealing with the loss of Gamora (Zoe Saldana). Being basically babysat by Nebula (Karen Gillian), Mantis (Pom Kiementieff), Drax (Dave Bautista), Groot (Vin Diesel) and Rocket (Bradley Cooper), things are about to get a shakeup.

Adam Warlock (Will Poulter) is racing across the galaxy on a mission, to capture Rocket. Becoming seriously hurt by the attack, the group tries to save Rocket but only discovers that inside him is a kill switch. The only thing that can save their friend is to find Orgocorp and get the code.

That’s going to require some help, when Quill, Mantis, Drax and Nebula get to the headquarters, they are met by the Ravangers and Gamora. She is not Quill’s love Gamora but the Gamora that doesn’t love Quill, with it so far? While Rocket is unconscious, he is remembering how his life came to be and that it is all because of the High Evolutionary aka Dr. Herbert Wyndham (Chukwudi Iwuji).

Back to Quill and the gang, believing that they have Rocket’s sphere-file, they discover the code is not there. Now they have to go to Counter-Earth and take on the High Evolutionary. Quill orders Gamora, Mantis and Drax to stay with the ship so he, Nebula and Groot take on what ever is head of them.

But when the High Evolutionary gets his fill of incompetents not retrieving what he thinks is his property aka Rocket, his anger starts to boil over. The thing is, he truly has no idea who he is up against, but he will soon enough.

Pratt as Quill is back with a totally broken heart and no seeming will to get his life right. It isn’t until best friend Rocket needs him desperately does he put his big boy Guardian pants on and get back to work. That doesn’t mean he isn’t going to keep talking about his broken heart, even when he comes face to face with the ‘other’ Gamora. Pratt is delightful, charming and funny, but then again, we have come to expect nothing less.

Saldana as Gamora is still salty and hostile. She doesn’t want to be part of the Guardians and at the same time sees what Quill had been trying to tell her from the get go. Gillian as Nebula has taken the lead flexing the feminine side of the group with less hostility and more forethought.

Cooper as Rocket gets to take off in this storyline. His story is meshed into the big picture and it is cute, heartwarming, sad and thrilling all at the same time. Through all the films Cooper has given Rocket the voice of frustration, anger and unresolved issues wrapped up in a mystery wrapper. This time out Rocket is heard.

Iwuji as the High Evolutionary thinks he is put in the universe to change it and he doesn’t mind doing it with pain, suffering and trauma. There isn’t a moment that is redeeming about this character and Iwuji makes sure of that with his dark portrayal. Poulter as Warlock flies in, wreaks havoc and is the reason Rocket is hurt in the first place. His reason for agreeing to retrieve Rocket causes him to consistently show up at the most unexpected times.

Kiementieff as Mantis is still protecting the group with her gift and this time out she does not hesitate to speak her mind, careful Nebula! Bautista as Drax still cracks me up with his thought process. He has a huge heart and no gift of gab but I wouldn’t have this character any other way or any other actor to portray Drax. Diesel as Groot has become so powerful in his own right. Past the teenage back talking stage, he is strong, quick and truly protective of his guardian-family.

Shout out to Fillion for his contribution to the hilarity. He is so good at being Master Karja and I loved the giggle he brought to the audience.

Other cast include Sean Gunn as Kraglin Obfonteri, Elizabeth Debicki as Ayesha, Maria Bakalova as Cosmo, Michael Rosenbaum as Martinex, Sarah Alami as Gloob, Jerry Beharry as Dark, Linda Cardellini as Lylla, Asim Chaudhry as Teefs, Michelle Civile as Cassowary, Stephen Blackehart as Steemie Blueliver, Mikaela Hoover as Floor, Miriam Shor as Recorder Vim, Judy Greer as War Pig,Daniela Melchior as Ura, Jennifer Holland as Administrator Kwol, Tara Strong as Mainframe, Nico Santos as Theel, Gregg Henry as Quill’s grandfather, Nathan Fillion as Master Karja and Sylvester Stallone as Stakar Ogord.

Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment continues to bring quality programming to kids and kids at heart. Home of the most beloved animated features including SNOW WHITE, PINOCCHIO and SLEEPING BEAUTY to name a few is what keeps families coming back for more. To see what is currently available to add to your own family library please visit. www.movies.disney.com for their At Home titles!

Marvel Studios has released sixteen films since 2008 in what is known as the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Marvel is built on a library of over eight thousand characters featured in a variety of media content for over seventy years. For more of what they have to offer please visit www.marvel.com.

This is an ending to the Guardians story and it is covered in a thick coat of charm and feels. The film is filled with special effects, dark moments, fast talking, lots of explosions, very colorful and familiar faces. Fans will be delighted with the razzle dazzle of it all. Coming in at two hours and 30 minutes, each of the characters make their own decisions in the end.

That being said, I’m just ‘okay’ with the film. Personally, I expected more for a grand finale. The ending seems awkward and thrown together. I’m sure that 30 minutes could have been cut off the time and it would have been fine. Even saying that, I’m sure that the film will bring people into theatre seats. The soundtrack is worth owning but then again that has been something each of the films has in common.

In the end – it is time to face the music!

They are UNWELCOME

 

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to Bluray from writer/director Jon Wright, writer Mark Stay and Well Go USA is a thriller that brings about a mythology when you are UNWELCOME.

Jamie (Douglas Booth) and Maya (Hannah John-Kamen) are a happy couple cooking in their apartment one London evening. As they are about to celebrate some good news, they are viciously attacked in their apartment. The trauma has left them both wary of city life. Unexpectedly, Jamie’s great aunt has passed away leaving them a cottage in lovely Ireland.

Thrilled with starting over in a quiet place, the house does need some work. Jamie hires the Whelan’s led by Daddy (Colm Meaney) and adult kids Aisling (Jamie-Lee O’Donnell), Eoin (Kristian Nairn), and Killiam (Chris Walley).

One of the great-aunts’ friends, Niamh (Niamh Cusack), comes to meet the couple and lets them know that there is something they need to do each day. At the back of the garden is a small opening and that an offering must be left each evening for the Red Caps. Explaining a bit about who they are, Jamie and Maya think its all a bit superstitious.

At first Maya is a bit shocked but later is confronted for not taking it seriously and finally agrees to continue the tradition, especially after hearing the story of a lost child and a promise.

Trying to get the house ready, Jamie and Maya soon learn that the Whelan’s are bullies. When Jaime has had enough, he makes it clear they are no longer welcome at the house. Maya goes walking in the woods and discovers the Red Caps home but leaves it well enough alone. On her way out she experiences terror at the hands of one of the Whelan’s.

Running home to explain everything to Jamie, he does not understand what is happening to Maya and her story of the Red Caps. Daddy Whelan is also looking for a missing kid and suspecting the new couple, all hades breaks loose because the Red Caps want it to be known that they have their own plans.

Booth as Jamie just wants life to go back to being happy with his wife. The trauma of the apartment attack is a lot but nothing could prepare him for what Ireland has waiting for them. John-Kamen as Maya also wants peace and to get their home fixed and ready for the next phase of their life. That being said, she also makes a promise to the Redcaps and that is going to turn their world inside out.

Meany as Daddy Whelan is a total bully, not only of the entire Irish town and his own family but now of the new couple. He clearly isn’t afraid of anything or anyone and makes it clear that he starts what he finishes. O’Donnell, Narin and Walley are just as down right disgusting as their parental unit but the they have met their match in the Redcaps.

Speaking of the Redcaps, what a band of misfit creatures who know what they want and have no problem with taking it. When you make a promise to the Redcaps you had better keep it or they will keep it for you!

Other cast include Paul Warren as Redcap Sniff, Rick Warden as Redcap Chief and Ania Marson as Mother Redcap.

Well Go USA Entertainment is a theatrical and home entertainment company specializing in bringing the best Action, Genre and Independent films from around the world to North American markets. As a leader in independent film distribution, Well Go USA Entertainment’s titles can be seen across a variety of platforms including theatrical, digital, subscription and cable VOD, packaged media and broadcast television. Well Go USA Entertainment currently releases three to five films per month. To see more please visit www.wellgousa.com.

The Bluray Special Features include Behind the Scenes, Making the Redcaps and Trailer.

The UNWELCOME is a big thriller with small creepy creatures that won’t hesitate to live up to their reputation. Jamie and Maya just want peace, quiet and safety and thinking they have that in the lovely cottage, they discover that country living can be just as deadly.

It is a look at mythology and the question of who is deadlier – man or superstition. The couple must find out if they are weaker because of past trauma or stronger because of past trauma. Although it’s hard to know when you have creepy little dudes who want something in return for favors.

In the end – break a promise and pay the price!

It is Time to Tell HerStory

 

Jeri Jacquin

Coming from director Min Kyu-dong and Well Go USA is a story of pain, sadness and the memories that are now part of HerStory.

In the 1990’s, a group of women living in Busan are meeting to discuss what else they can do for their community. Business owner Moon Jung-sook (Kim Hee-ae) is dealing with a situation at her travel agency that forces it to pay a fine and lose clients. At home is her rebellious daughter who only seems to listen to the woman they call grannie, Seo Gwi-soon (Moon Sook).

Seo Gwi-soon also has a son at home who is going through mental health issues and when Moon goes to visit Gwi-soon, she sees a woman who is being abused by a family member. Everything is in chaos yet Moon gets involved in trying to find a way to help a group of elderly Korean women who were forced to be comfort women (sexual slavery) by the Japanese soldiers in World War II.

Deciding to get their stories together and find an attorney willing to represent them, a court case is being set up in Shimonoseki. The Japanese government tried everything possible to look for holes in the women’s cases and statements. As each woman testifies as to what happened to them, it isn’t until one woman opens the door wide open providing visual proof of the trauma that still haunts her.

This is their story, their truth and understanding that what they want as a result of the case may not be possible. Now the question becomes, can they live with that?

Kim Hee-ae as Moon Jung-sook is an aggressive and stubborn business woman. Once she sets her sights on something, she will not quit until the issue is resolved. This makes her the perfect person to go after the Japanese government on behalf of the women. Starting out knowing just a bit about their stories, in the courtroom she is stunned the things she hears. Hee-ae is wonderful in this role and her characters motives have may started one way but changes Hee-ae’s character into so much more.

Moon Sook as Seo Gwi-soon is a woman who has lived with her trauma for years. Trying to be a part of the court case, it becomes clear that she is hesitant and untrusting. Then again why would she trust anyone with what she knows. Moon Sook gives us the performance of a woman getting older and still dealing with old trauma mixed with new. Part of that is a haunting secret that will shock everyone she knows. Moon Soon’s performance is stellar and breaks the heart.

Other cast include Kim Hae-sook as Bae Jung-gil, Ye Soo-jung as Park Soon-nyeo, Lee Yong-nyeo as Lee Ok-joo, Kim Sun-young as President Shin, Kim Jun-han as Lee Sang-il, Lee Yong-lee as Yoo So-deuk, Jung In-gi as Choi, Choi Byung-mo as Soon-mo, Lee Seol as Hye-soo, Lee Ji-ha as Director, Kim In-woo as Presiding judge, Yokouchi Hiroki as the Japanese prosecutor, Han Ji-min as Teacher and Kim Lee-woo as Hawyer Hashimoto Shinobu.

Well Go USA Entertainment is a theatrical and home entertainment company specializing in bringing the best Action, Genre and Independent films from around the world to North American markets. As a leader in independent film distribution, Well Go USA Entertainment’s titles can be seen across a variety of platforms including theatrical, digital, subscription and cable VOD, packaged media and broadcast television. Well Go USA Entertainment currently releases three to five films per month. To see more please visit www.wellgousa.com.

This sub-titled film is based on the real-life story of these women who were tagged ‘comfort women’ but were truly used as sex slaves and given no way out. From 1932 to 1945, Korean women became part of the human trafficking by the Japanese government. Captured from Japanese-occupied territories and taken away from their families, young women (some as young as early teens) were subjected to sexual violence.

The women dealt with diseases and even pregnancies due to the sexual abuse. It is estimated that ninety percent of these women did not survive the war. Even worse, after the war not only did some of the ‘comfort stations’ continue, but Japan denied that they ever existed.

HerStory is a look at the few remaining women who had the chance to talk about their experience. What they lost, how their lives have been and the shame they have carried for something that was not their fault in any way. Director Min Kyu-dong has brought the story to light with such emotion and shares with the audience their story that needed to be told.

In the end – not history but HerStory!

Disney+ Brings PETER PAN & WENDY

 

Jeri Jacquin

Currently streaming on Disney+ from writer/director David Lowery based on the story by author J.M. Barrie is the classic tale of PETER PAN & WENDY.

In London, Wendy Darling (Ever Anderson) is at home with her brothers John (Joshua Pickering) and Michael (Jacobi Jupe) enjoying her last night at play. Parents George (Alan Tudyk) and Mary (Molly Parker) have decided that it is time for her to grow up and go off to boarding school. Make it clear to her mother that she is unhappy does not change their decision.

Mother may not be listening but Peter Pan (Alexander Molony) and fairy Tinker Bell (Yara Shahidi) are! They decide to take the Darling children back to Neverland. Almost immediately they are introduced to Captain Hook (Jude law) who just can’t get over losing his hand to a crocodile. Helping in the chaos is Mr. Smee (Jim Gaffigan) who stands at Hook’s side even though he might not always agree with what is happening.

Becoming separated, Wendy is on her own and meets Tiger Lily (Alyssa Wapanatahk) and the Lost Boys as they all watch when John and Michael are captured by Hook. Peter sees this all as part of the adventure but Wendy sees it as her brothers are in serious trouble. Following them to Skull Rock, the skirmish begins.

Wendy is furious with Peter Pan but the Lost Boys explain to her the history with Captain Hook and Peter. She also learns the story of James, Peter and Neverland as she begins to understand her friend more. Captain Hook makes another attack and he believes his problems with Peter are over.

Tiger Lily makes sure that Peter Pan has one more chance to rescue the Darling children. Now, it is time to finally settle their differences one last time, or is it one last time?

Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment continues to bring quality programming to kids and kids at heart. Home of the most beloved animated features including SNOW WHITE, PINOCCHIO and SLEEPING BEAUTY to name a few is what keeps families coming back for more. To see what is currently available to add to your own family library please visit. www.movies.disney.com for their At Home titles!

Disney+ is the subscription home streaming entertainment with Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic and more. There are exclusive originals with new feature films, shows, short form content, documentaries, and actions series such as THE MANDALORIAN. For more information, please visit www.disneyplus.com.

Other cast include Forence Bensberg as Curly, Sebastian Rodriguez as Nibs, Jesse Pierce as Skylight, Ian Tracey as Sallyport, Skyler and Kelsey Yates as Twin 1 and 2, Diana Tsoy as Birdie, Noah Matofsky as Slightly, John DeSantis as Jukes, Gargield Wilson as Gurley, and Caelan Edie as Tootles.

PETER PAN & WENDY is a sweet family film that deserves to be on Disney+ along side the animated film and Robin Williams version of the same name. Attempting to expand on the tale is fine but nothing earth shattering. Flying boy - check, fairy - check, Lost Boys – check, Hook and pirates on a ship – check, adventures – check, and crocodile – check. Done.

Basically, it is the Peter Pan story told again when it truly didn’t need to be. Disney has gone well out of its way to rewrite their own story telling and it isn’t really doing much for me. To be honest, my family watches Disney+ more for the original telling because that is what we love. The original animation and characters have continued to delight us again and again.

The re-telling, re-thinking, re-imaging and whatever other label they want to attach to their filmmaking in the past few years isn’t needed. You can tell the story of Peter Pan any way you want but it’s still the story of Peter Pan so instead of rehashing old stories, making our favorite animation into silly live-action – I have a great idea.

How about the money go for new and smart storytelling? Create new characters that are fair and balanced, spend the funds on all those great writers and directors and actors just waiting to be a part of something special, something Disney.

That’s my opinion for what it’s for, PETER PAN & WENDY is a nice, charming family fun film but it doesn’t offer anything new and exciting and I miss that about an icon that is generational. Oh well, it was the wonderful world of Disney.

In the end – it is the next adventure!

ANT-MAN AND THE WASP: Quantumania

 

Jeri Jacquin

Currently on Digital and coming to 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD May 16 from director Peyton Reed, Marvel Studios and Walt Disney Studios is the return of ANT-MAN AND THE WASP: Quantumania.

Scott Lang/Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) is enjoying his life post-Thanos catching up with daughter Cassie (Kathryn Newton) and visiting with Hope’s/Wasp (Evangeline Lilly) parents Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) and Janet (Michelle Pheiffer). Cassie talks about a device that she is working on that will allow them to get back to the Quantum Realm.

Janet freaks out to everyone’s surprise and tries to stop is from working. What they didn’t expect was to be pulled into and back to the Quantum Realm. Separated, Scott and Cassie are in the middle of nowhere while Hope, Janet and Pym are in a strange city that Janet seems to know a lot about.

Now she explains that when she was missing, her time spent in the Quantum Realm had her dealing with Lord Krylar (Bill Murray) and her time with Kang (Jonathan Majors). Kang was helping Janet to try and escape the Quantum Realm by rebuilding his multiversal power core. When Janet discovers who Kang truly is, she stops his plan.

When Scott and Cassie are captured, they are taken to Kang the Conqueror and he makes it clear that he will get to their world one way or another. With the help of Jentorra (Katy O’Brian), an uprising begins as the people want to be free of Kang’s rule.

Rudd as Lang reprises the role and makes it look not only effortless but a lot of fun. I just love how he is still that sort of innocent guy who just knows what’s right and feels the fatherly-guilt of his time dealing with Thanos. He is still a bit bumbly but when is called upon to be heroic, he sees it as just doing what is right for the good of everybody. Let’s face it, Rudd is not only the man for this particular job but is our Ant-man now and forever.

Pheiffer as Janet has a big role here as she knows how the Quantum Realm was and walks through its streets like a pro. Her time with Kang gives her the advantage in the crucial fight that is to come. Pheiffer is tough as nails and pretty darn awesome to watch. Douglas as Hank just goes along to get along trying to keep tabs on what is happening, good thing he has a good thing going with the ants!

Lilly as Hope is also surprised that Janet knows so much and has a history with Kang. Now she just wants to get her family home safely. Newton as Cassie has come into her own and dad Scott has missed it. Once in the Quantum Realm, she works with her dad to bring their situation to its right end.

Shout out to Bill Murray as Lord Kylar because what film doesn’t need a bit of Murray added to it?

Other cast include David Dastmalchian as Veb, William Harper as Quaz, and Corey Stoll as Darren Cross/M.O.D.O.K.

Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment continues to bring quality programming to kids and kids at heart. Home of the most beloved animated features including SNOW WHITE, PINOCCHIO and SLEEPING BEAUTY to name a few is what keeps families coming back for more. To see what is currently available to add to your own family library please visit. www.movies.disney.com for their At Home titles!

Marvel Studios has released sixteen films since 2008 in what is known as the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Marvel is built on a library of over eight thousand characters featured in a variety of media content for over seventy years. For more of what they have to offer please visit www.marvel.com 

Bonus Features include Gag Reel - Take a look at some of the fun outtakes on set with the cast and crew of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Audio Commentary - Watch the film with audio commentary by director Peyton Reed and writer Jeff Loveness, Featurettes - All in the Family – Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly and Michelle Pfeiffer discuss the complex layers and secrets – yet incredibly strong bond of this heroic family.

Also, Formidable Foes – Discover how Jonathan Majors, Bill Murray and Corey Stoll bring gravitas to the villains of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Learn more about how Kang brings a Thanos-level threat to this adventure and the larger MCU, Deleted Scenes, Drink The Ooze – Upon entering the Quantum Realm, Scott Lang nervously drinks the ooze, and I Have Holes – Veb expresses great excitement when he discovers he finally has holes.

ANT-MAN AND THE WASP: Quantumania brings non-stop action and a fight to the finish for Lang and his family. There are some very interesting characters and, as always Rudd starts the comedy with his one-liners and joking nature. One minute it is serious and then a joke or two will slip in to break the tension.

The film is colorful, and the CGI is, as one would expect from Marvel, full of eye-catching things. The characters are a great mix of intensity and humor at the same time. This is definetly the kind of film that brings families together for an evening in front of the big screen and if you have a soundbar, this is going to be an epic movie night at home.

In the end – get ready to enter the Quantum Realm!