CINEMECON 2025 Starts Early for a Day of Surprises

 

Jeri Jacquin

Welcome to day two of CinemaCon with a day full of presentations from the studios of Lionsgate, Warner Bros., and a Fandango Anniversary. Keeping the tennis shoe laces tied tight, there is so much to see and do so taking care of the feet is important so let’s get started.

The start of the day A Look Back at the Year 2024 in Film and also includes the State of the Industry with keynote speaks from President and CEO of Cinema United Michael O’Leary, Charles Rivkin (Chairman and CEO, MPA), Bob Bagby (CEO, B&B Theatres and Chairman, Cinema United) and Cinemark’s Sean Gamble received the distinguished Cinema United Marquee Award.

Following that is Lionsgate and their offerings in the world of one of the most amazing franchises in The World of John Wick. Expanding the John Wick universe will be a new dimension and an animated action film featuring the renowned assassin. Also, the look at director Len Wisemen's BALLERINE movie starring Ana de Armas in that franchise. The chair of Lionsgate, Adam Fogleson brought to the stage director Frances Lawrence, David Jonsson and Mark Hamill (Cinema Icon Award Honoree) talking about the film THE LONG WALK.  Lawrence wasn’t done when he announced THE HUNGER GAMES: Sunrise on the Reaping is in development. NOW YOU SEE ME: Now You Don’t bring director Ruben Fleischer to show a bit of a peek. The stars of the upcoming THE HOUSEMAID let us all see Amanda Seyfried, Brendan Sklenar and Sydney Sweeney in action with producer/director Kevin Feig.

Feig says, “The reason I wanted to call Lionsgate my home is because working with Adam, Nathan, Erin, and the team is always an incredibly positive experience. Their commitment to theatrical is incredibly important to me, and their support and encouragement to make the movies I’ve wanted to bring to audiences has been tremendously empowering. My films are better for their involvement, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to be in business with them". HURRY UP TOMORROW stars Jenna Ortega with director Trey Shults and then - a performance from The Weeknd.

Trade Shows and Suites is one of my favorite parts of CinemaCon. It is a chance to come up close and personal to all the amazing bits and bobs that make movies fantastic in theatres. From the seats, to the sound and those that provide that technology include such companies as Barco, Christie, D-Box Technologies, Samsung, Sharp and RealD (and their glasses are pretty cool as well). Walking around all of their presentations, it is also a chance to ask questions which they are more than happy to answer. The Trade Show floor is where attendees can see what products and new innovations will be coming to theatres. I remember learning about self-serve drink machines a year before they were in theatres and I loved the idea then and now. It is also a chance to see all the fun items that come with the newest films from cup lids to popcorn buckets. It is also a chance to see the newest taste sensations from candy to hot food items and trust when I say I’m all for visiting those booths with all the walking around, makes a girl hungry!

Warner Bros. takes the stage for their slate of upcoming films with Jeff Goldstein with logos of Warner Bros., New Line Cinema, Warner Bros. Animation and DC Studios and a reel of what is to come. Leonardo DiCaprio, Regina Hall and Teyana Taylor have the chance to talk about their film ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. DiCaprio says about Anderson, “He tapped into something politically and culturally that is right beneath our psyche. It’s an incredible epic movie that has such scope and scale.” The audience is treated to extended footage of the film. Maggie Gyllenhaal and Jessie Buckley tell the monstrous story of THE BRIDE! Gyllenhaal says of the film that she wanted “a punk, monstrous love story in a classic cinematic way that respected these characters then offers up a sneak peek. New Line offers up FINAL DESTINATION: Bloodlines that show a mix of death and laughs – my personal favorites together in one film.

Writer/director Zach Cregger has an upcoming film entitled WEAPONS with Josh Brolin (those two words already have me all in!) and Julia Garner and the trailer had my eyes wide open. Jerry Bruckheimer has well deserved bragging rights about last years TOP GUN: Maverick and now he’s back with Brad Pitt (there is that two-word thing again that has me already signed up) in the race film F1. Moving to the more comical, Bill Hader takes on THE CAT IN THE HAT – as the cat of course. James Gunn and Peter Safran are up thanking exhibitors for the success of GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 3 and wants to keep theatre-going “strong and vital for future generations”.  That being said, Rachel Brosnhan, Nicholas Hoult and David Corenswet talks SUPERMAN and offers a bit of a peek. 

Also today, Mark Hamill will receive this year’s Cinema Icon Award, it was announced today by CinemaCon. Sponsor The Coca-Cola Company says, "Mark Hamill’s career is proof that great characters don’t just live on the screen—they live within us, galvanizing generations of audiences worldwide,” noted Mitch Neuhauser, Managing Director, CinemaCon. “This Cinema Icon Award honors not just an actor, but a legacy of incredible work that extends beyond the screen and continues to inspire us all." Hamill has a busy year with three films coming to screens with THE LONG WALK, LIFE WITH CHUCK and The Flying Dutchman in THE SPONGEBOB MOVIE: Search for Squarepants which will have my ENTIRE family in theatres to see our favorite animated sponge.

Receiving the CinemaCon Cinema Verite Award is Oscar and Emmy Award winner James L. Brooks. Brooks will be presented with this special honor as part of The Walt Disney Studios presentation, “If anyone embodies the essence of authentic filmmaking, it’s James L. Brooks,” noted Mitch Neuhauser, Managing Director of CinemaCon, “as his filmography represents a heartfelt cinema of truth. Over the past six decades, he has directed films such as Terms of Endearment, Broadcast News and As Good as It Gets that have made moviegoing audiences around the world laugh, cry and reflect on life in ways that are undeniably honest. As a producer, he brought us passionate films like Big, Say Anything and Jerry Maguire.  We could not be more honored to present the Cinema Vérité Award to a filmmaker who continues to create stories that speak to the very heart of who we are.”

That brings you up to date on day two of CinemaCon 2025. Half way through the convention but far from over with two more days to see what theatres and the studios have to announce to eager attendees. Now it is off to help Fandango celebrate their anniversary. See you tomorrow!

CINEMACON 2025 Has Begun!

 

Jeri Jacquin

We are back for CinemaCon 2025 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas to experience what the studios have to showcase. Cinema United brings theatrical exhibitions from March 31-Spril 3^rd and there is so much to cover. Representing more than 31,000 movie screens in all 50 states, and more than 30,000 screens in 80 countries worldwide, Cinema United is the largest exhibition trade organization in the world.

Their new mantra is “Moviegoing is Our Mission” that statement is a celebration for movie goers worldwide. Executive Board Chairman Bob Bagby believes that, “Cinema United will remind people of the magic of seeing a movie on the big screen. Our industry is fully dedicated to ensuring that the theatrical experience remains the premier entertainment option for millions of fans around the world.” President Michael O’Leary adds, “I want to thank our board for their incredible partnership and leadership throughout this process. We are all extremely excited for this next chapter in bringing focus back to the people who have made this industry the success it is and will continue to do so for generations to come”.

Preparing for the next four days, day one is a mixture of hectic arrivals and relaxing with colleagues to hear keynote speakers address the issues of theatres today. The goal is for future generations to understand the needs of the movie going experience for audiences and offering up views is Eric Blumenthal and Emily Rogers from The Coca-Cola Company and Tracy Oliver, writer/director/producer of the Coco-Cola Refreshing Films Program.

That leaves just enough time to attend the Sony Pictures Entertainment presentation of upcoming releases in the Colosseum. Leaving the audience cheering, CEO of Sony Pictures spoke to the exhibitors with this, “Cost and windows can work for us or against us. Theatrical needs to be smart about them both. I will let you know that Sony will work with you on both.” He also brought up something I have been known to participate in from time to time and that’s discounted tickets on Tuesdays. His question was why just that day? That’s been something I’ve asked myself for many years as well.

How do you follow that? Well, only as Sony can of course! Their slate for upcoming projects includes a remake of the film ANACONDA with Paul Rudd and Jack Black. That will be interesting as Black has already had a bit of time in jungle films. The excitement showed with the next Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse. I enjoy Darren Aronofsky so thrilled to see Austin Butler in his film CAUGHT STEALING.  A film my family is anxious to see since the first in the series in 1984 (and I had broken furniture to prove it back then) is the next chapter with KARATE KID: Legends with Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio.

On the more frightening side, 28 YEARS LATER shows survivors still living the pandemic life. Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Ralph Fiennes lead the cast with Danny Boyle directing. Colin Farrell and Margot Robbie take A BIG BOLD BEAUTIFUL JOURNEY, still wanting a big of fright is I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER sequel with the return of a certain handsome character who has not problem letting anyone know that it “isn’t the first time there’s been violence”.

Other announcements include director Sam Mendes and each man has his own story, but together they are legendary. The Beatles – A Four-Film Cinematic Event. In theaters April 2028.

It is easy to see that Sony isn’t sitting back on its laurels presenting the audience with what the game plan is for the future and how they are getting there! That’s a wrap on a quick day one and there is so much more to come in the next three days and we are here to bring it all to you from CinemaCon 2025!

 

 

 

 

 

Saturday at WonderCon 2025

 

Jeri Jacquin

Starting the morning off at WonderCon 2025 on a Saturday is one of my favorite television series but with a twist here, Only Murders in the Building: Solve the Editors’ Murder Mystery brings editors Shelly Westerman and Matthew Barbato to the table. They talked about their process in putting together comedy, drama and murder. This was a fun way to get good ideas if anyone else is thinking about writing a murder mystery. Back again into the galaxy far, far away, The Skeleton Crew Boys brings actors Ravi Cabot-Conyers and Robert Smith for this interactive panel talking about their roles and meeting fans.

When I studied to become a teacher of curriculum and instruction, comics were always frowned upon so I was thrilled to hear from the panel about Engaging Students with Comics in the Classroom. Using comics to engage students, the Comic-Con Educator Book Club is essential for teachers who want to learn how this can be achieved. Teachers from San Diego include Jaimie Chavez, Lorran Garrison, Ella Rogosin, Scott Nielsen, and Mike Cruz share.

Bad Idea brings John Wick’s Robert Venditti and Derek Kolstad take a look into what’s next including art from Planet Death and Ordained. The gentlemen were joined by Dinesh Shamdasani, Peter Stern, Benjamin Simpson and Siena Fallon. The 5^th Annual “It’s Alive!”: Designing Sci-Fi, Horror, and Comic Book Genre Film and TV is one my granddaughter would have loved. The concept of the worlds in these genres come into play and goes deep into how characters are created and how it is more than just a concept. Brett W. Bachman, Christina Wen, Johnny Han, Jon Dudkowski, Leo Birenberg and Zach Robinson share their feelings on the process.

In 1984, the film GREMLINS hit the theatres and blew audiences right out of the water. It has become an iconic film that can be seen and appreciated over and over. The panel Gremlins: The Wild Batch Screening and Q&A brings the Warner Bros. and Max Original series to WonderCon showing a never-before-seen episode. The panel Tze Chun, Brendan Hay, Joe Dante, John Glover, and Sherri Chung talk about what it takes to bring the characters of Gizmo, Sam and Elle to the animated series.

If Middle Earth is more your thing, Lord of the Rings: Previewing Up Coming Projects gives Tolkien-ites a look into what is coming since the success of the animated film THE WAR OF THE ROHIRRIM which I absolutely loved without taking anything away from The Rings of Power on Prime. Josh Rubinstein, Kristi Fojtik, Clifford Broadway, Cathy Udovch and Nicole Roberts join in the conversation which was full of insight of what’s happening and what’s to come for fans of Middle Earth.

Faith based films are a big box office draw and A Faith-Full Dickens Tale: The Kings of Kings Animated Movie is sure to bring in a big draw. The bible story not only brings about an adventure but it does so while taking on the story of Jesus through Charles Dickens. The cast can boast some big names such as Kenneth Branagh, Oscar Isaac, Uma Thurman, Mark Hamill, Sir Ben Kingsley, Pierce Brosnan, and Forest Whitaker. Taking the directors chair is director/producer Seong-ho Jang and screenwriter Rob Edwards and brought by Angel Studios.

Jesse Negron, Tom Moran, Dave Elliott, and Anthony Francisco (senior visual development artist for Marvel Studios) discuss what is on the horizon for Mechanical Cake and Scott Free, starting with their debut graphic novel, Modville, Ridley Scott’s first foray into graphic novels. Modville is a sci-fi Southern Gothic crime drama with AI humans in future New Orleans. Moderated by Chris Northrop (Horrible Future). Book 1 of Modville is written by Jesse Negron and drawn by Hendry Prasetya and Eko Puteh.

Sony Pictures brings a new thriller with UNTIL DAWN. One year after her sister Melanie mysteriously disappeared, Clover and her friends head into the remote valley where she vanished in search of answers. Exploring an abandoned visitor center, they find themselves stalked by a masked killer and horrifically murdered one by one…only to wake up and find themselves back at the beginning of the same evening. Trapped in the valley, they’re forced to relive the night again and again - only each time the killer threat is different, each more terrifying than the last. Hope dwindling, the group soon realizes they have a limited number of deaths left, and the only way to escape is to survive until dawn.

More programming that was worthy of WonderCon is Defiant: The Robert Smalls Story in Comics, Graphic Novel and Film, Gunslingers and Ghosts: The Rise of the Weird West, and Young Indy to Young Ani: The Origins of the Star Wars Prequels.

Wrapping up a long and eventful day filled with where we have come to where we are now with so many genres and stories is the The 2025 WonderCon Masquerade. WonderCon brings their annual competition with costumes that are created by serious fans. Judged by costume designers, the masquerade also comes with a few goodies, wins and entertainment. It is a wonderful way to gather together with friends and fellow cosplayers and celebrate everything WonderCon!

Today Begins the Fun of WONDERCON 2025!

 

Jeri Jacquin

Here we are at the Anaheim Convention Center for the beginning of WonderCon 2025 from March 28th-30th. It is always a fantastic time to explore so many events and the people dressed up are equally amazing. The day begins with Spider-Men: Multiversal Storytelling as the talk is navigating the multiverse of this iconic character with James Thompson, Patrick Reed and Peter Coogan and where they see it going in the future.

Signa and Robot Invasion! Features The Rupert Wars as the Pan-Universal Galactic Worldwide brings new comics to the delight of the room. Maryelizabeth Yturralde leads the talk with creators Livio Ramondelli, Yuri Ramondelli and PUG-W founder John Nee talks about the inner workings and ideas that fans have to look forward too. It truly was interesting to hear where the ideas come from and how they make their way onto the page.

Being a happy horror lady from way back in the day, anything titled Monstrous Horror in Comics, Film and Beyond is going to be on my must-attend list. The line up of creators Rebekah and David McKendry, Shannon Denton, Dirk Blackman, David Harman and Kevin Grevioux are just the people I wanted to hear from. I had the opportunity to hear where their love of monsters comes from and was thrilled to discover that it isn’t far off from my own experience. Let’s face it, monsters scare some people out of their skin, and then there is people like me who want to find the scariest thing to read and watch.

That also falls into with Threads of Fantasy, Fright, and High-Stakes Action because you can write about a scary thing, you can do comics of scary things but it is people like Jennifer Bryan, Christine Wada, Marie Schley, Cynthis Summers and Annie Loppert who brings that scary to life, especially Summers who has The Last of Us on her resume! Follow that up with Alexa Donne, Liz Kerin, CJ Leede, Chuck Tingle and Justine Winans who talk scary icons with Terrifying Tropes. So needless to say, I’m having a horror of a good time with all this.

Moving past the horror and into a universe that I have had in my life since first seeing Luke Skywalker stand on the sunset ridge looking longingly out at a world he thinks he’s missing, puppeteers Victor Franco, William Miyamoto and Rob Wight talks about their work on Skeleton Crew and Kenobi. Being that Obi-wan had such an influence on me as a kid, I leaned into listening to the technical aspects that happened on Kenobi.

Raising two boys on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, it was a shock to them when I told them it is the 35th Anniversary of the first TMNT film. Now they now how I felt when they were kids and the reality of a favorite show anniversary came up – makes a few gray hairs pop up. Producer Bobby Herbeck tells the inside stories of trying to get the 1990 version of the film made and the pitfalls as well as reactions to the first film.

To wrap the first day, Adult Swim (and who doesn’t love Adult Swim!!) provides fans with a Sneak Peek from Shinichiro Watanabe and two episodes of the sci-fi thriller Lazaris. Prepared to be thrilled because if you loved Cowboy Bebop, then Lazarus is going to knock your socks off. That isn’t the only screening tonight as AMC is bringing THE WALKING DEAD: Dead City to WonderCon. The walkers are back along with Maggie played by Lauren Cohan and the once most hated and now most beloved Negan. Season one ended with glaring looks from Maggie and Negan realizing that going to Manhattan might not have been such a good idea after all. There is a war for control and these two characters are stuck in-between it all.

Also, Comic-Con: The Cruise, The Ultimate Fan Adventure™, is set to make waves at WonderCon 2025 with an exclusive panel discussion on Friday, March 28, from 2:30 PM to 3:30 p.m. in Room North 200A at the Anaheim Convention Center. Titled “An Immersive Fan Experience,” the discussion will unveil how this dedicated team created an environment that brings the spirit of Comic-Con to life in an entirely new way. Panelists include David Glanzer (Comic-Con International’s Chief Communications and Strategy Officer), Felicia Day (creator, actress, singer and host of Comic-Con: The Cruise), Robb Pearlman (New York Times best-selling author and Comic-Con: The Cruise curator), Yaya Han (costume designer, cosplayer, author, 2025 Comic-Con: The Cruise Artists’ Alley cosplayer and panelist), Sarah Myer (comic artist, writer, colorist and 2025 Comic-Con: The Cruise Artists’ Alley exhibitor and panelist) and JT Watters (Comic-Con: The Cruise programming and production team).

Mondo, known for creating limited-edition posters, vinyl soundtracks, premium collectibles, and games, has announced today their Mondo Toy Talk Live panel at WonderCon 2025!

Go behind the scenes of film and television with Impact24 PR at WonderCon 2025! Attendees will learn how projects like Cobra Kai, The Penguin, Agatha All Along, and more get made in three special panels featuring industry professionals! Hear firsthand from writers, directors, editors, composers, sound designers, makeup artists, costume designers, and more about the filmmaking process and the creative decisions behind your favorite stories. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to gain exclusive entertainment insight!

Tomorrow there will be panels including A Faith-Full Dickens Tale: The King of Kings Animated Movie, Legion M: It’s All Happening II, Defiant: The Robert Smalls Story in Comics, Graphic Novel … and Film!, Watchers: The Next Step in Collectible Card Games, Temple of Geek to Host Panel on Turning Fandom into Community Projects, and so much more to come on Saturday.

This has been a world wind of a first day and tomorrow is going to have so much more. WonderCon brings out the best and brightest in all genres with only three days to get as much of the experience as possible.

Onward to day two!

The One and Only DOG MAN Fights Crime on Bluray

 

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to Bluray and Digital from writer/director Peter Hastings, DreamWorks Animation and Universal Pictures Home Entertainment is the one and only DOG MAN.

Police Officer Knight and sidekick dog Greg are severely injured and in order to save them both, the doctors create Dog Man! Quick healing puts Dog Man back on the streets to try and capture Petey the Cat (Pete Davidson). Dog Man’s boss Chief (Lil Rel Howery) knows that the town’s mayor (Cheri Oteri) is becoming frustrated and makes it clear to get that cat!

Petey (Pete Davidson) is wreaking havoc and with each capture, he realizes that its time to be more creative. Deciding to double himself, what actually happens is the creation of Little Petey (Lucas Hopkins), an adorable child version of big Petey. Not happy with the outcome, in one moment he becomes happy when little Petey goes missing.

Not really missing really, more like left and Dog Man finds him! Taking him home, the two become attached to one another. Keeping up on the news of what Petey is doing is Sarah Hatoff (Isla Fisher), the local news reporter and her trusty cameraman Seamus (Billy Boyd). To add more mischief and mayhem Petey has created a robot and manages to bring Flippy the Fish (Ricky Gervais) into the chaos.

So now Dog Man, must find a way to stop the madness created by Petey while also keeping Chief and the mayor happy and not crushing Little Petey’s spirit. That’s a tall order for a small Dog Man but nothing that he can’t handle without a little surprising help.

Writer/Director Hastings has decided to be the barking voice of Dog Man and there certainly isn’t anything wrong with that. He is able to provide the right emotions for this animated creation and it did look like fun. Davidson as Petey the Cat is a bit psychotic, a bit maniacal and a bit misunderstood. It takes a duplicate to test what he believes about himself but doesn’t stop the creation of more problems.

Howery as Chief tries to deal with Dog Man and the mayor giving him more headaches than he knows what to do with. There is a little jealousy about all the attention Dog Man is getting so there’s that issue to deal with. Fisher as Hatoff had me cracking up with her reporter skills and with the help of Boyd as Seamus, these two characters are perfect together and these two actors gave perfect voices to them.

Gervais as Flippy the Fish has us rolling with laughter and the lines delivered had Gervais all over them. The craziness is there and we were loving every moment. Hopkins as Little Petey is charming, adorable and almost made me want an orange cat – almost. His voice gives us reason to believe that a character can be a little bad even if he’s all good.

Other cast include Stephen Root as Grandpa, Poppy Liu as Butler, Luenell as Milly, Melissa Villasenor as the Realtor, Brian Hopkins as Big Jim, Yung Gravy as Mr. Whiskers, and Karen Foster as the Robot.

DreamWorks Animation brings amazing, animated entertainment to films, television specials and series for the young and young at heart audiences around the world. For more of what they have to offer please visit http://www.dreamworksanimation.com.

Universal Pictures has amazing films in their library. There are films of every genre available from scary to drama to family films. For more of what they have to offer please visit www.uphe.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.

Exclusive Bonus Features include Deleted and Extended Scenes with Introductions by Screenwriter/Director Peter Hastings, Meet the Pack, The Making of DOG MAN: A Sarah Hatoff Exclusive, Howl to Draw Flip-o-Rama Style, Howl to Make Doughnuts for Dogs and Feature Commentary with Screenwriter/Director Peter Hastings.

Dav Pilkey is the creator of Dog Man but this isn’t his first works to go from book to screen. He is also responsible for Captain Underpants books that also made it to the screen successfully. Pilkey has written 12 Dog Man books, several in the Dragon series, Dumb Bunnies books, Cat Kid Comic Club, Ricky Ricotta’s Mighty Robot, Big Dog & Little Dog and other books.

First of all, DOG MAN is one of my granddaughters’ all-time favorite books to read and she cannot get enough of them. When I told her that Dog Man had been made into a film, she was thrilled beyond belief and made sure that I took her to see it. Her favorite character is Petey and she was so happy from beginning to end. Now that Dog Man is on Bluray/Digital, she can watch over and over again!

The film is funny with the zany story and it even had references that are meant to make the adults laugh. DOG MAN is so colorful and the animation is well done to the point where I could hold up one of the books next to the film poster and there is hardly any difference. That’s what made it so excitable to watch, keeping the characters as they have come to be loved by kids and probably a few adults.

DOG MAN is the perfect family film to bring the family together so grab popcorn and laugh. It is so well animated, colorful, fun and full of laughter from start to finish.

In the end – part dog, part man and all hero!

A Thriller with DEATH OF A UNICORN

 

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to theatres this Friday from writer/director Alex Scharfman and A24 is a story with a mythical twist when there is a DEATH OF A UNICORN.

Elliot (Paul Rudd) is attempting to work his way up the ladder of a company owned by the Leopold’s. Driving up to their property in the mountains, he brings daughter Ridley (Jenna Ortega) along to spend time since his wife’s death and to show they are a close family. Driving up the winding road, Elliot takes his eyes off the road for one second before hitting something in the road.

Ridley walks up to the creature on the road and touches it causing something weird to happen. Elliot decides that it is up to him to put the creature out of its misery. Arriving at the Leopold house, he is met by Belinda Leopold (Tea Leoni) and son Shepard (Will Poulter) who bring them into the extravagant house that takes Ridley by surprise. Elliot meets with Odell Leopold (Richard E. Grant) who is very ill.

While Ridley takes a look around, Elliot is in the process of signing business papers with the Leopold’s who are happy he is working with them. That is until family assistant Shaw (Jessica Hynes) notices something moving in the back of Elliot’s car! Even butler Griff (Anthony Carrigan) sees the vehicle rocking like crazy. Everyone runs out of the house in time to see the creature Elliot hit earlier!

Odell immediately calls in Dr. Bhatia (Sunita Mani) and Dr. Song (Steve Park), two scientists who try to understand what the creature is. While all the madness is happening, Ridley is doing her research to discover what the creature is and present her findings to the Leopold’s – it is a unicorn! They aren’t as interested in her story as they are in what they discover about the creature. Now, Elliot and Ridley are faced with being the only two who realize that the Leopold’s are determined on destruction.

Actually, there are more creatures in the woods and they are, well, very angry and looking to hold someone responsible.  

Rudd as Elliot is a twitchy widower who wants to be financially secure to take care of his daughter. He believes the Leopold’s are they key to making that happen and is a bit of a shoe licker about it. When the craziness begins, he is still twitchy but slowly realizes his daughter is on to something! This role is perfect for Rudd as he takes on his usual humor and ability to be that “dad” who thinks wrong to make things right. Ortega as Ridley is a daughter who is irritated with her father for many reasons while trying to deal with the death of her mother. Once they arrive at the Leopold’s, Ridley wants to leave sensing that something isn’t right but there is a reason. Ortega gets a chance to wiggle around the crazies of the house and is the princess of the story.

Grant as Odell is a sickly man who hires Elliot to help with the family business. Once that sickness is put in check, the business side of Odell comes out and so does greed and destruction. Grant is fantastic in this role and I loved watching him do what he does best, take a role and make it his own. Leoni as Belinda does a superb job of being irritating in a hilarious way. Watching her bounce off Grant’s role of Odell is impressive and it is good to see her on the screen again.

Carrigan as Griff is one of the outstanding characters in the film and from now on, I will be yelling “Griiiiiiiffffff” anytime I want something. Carrigan has to be seen to be hilariously believed. Hynes as Shaw has only one goal, be as tough as she can be. As the Leopold’s assistant, Hynes character is protective of the family and is going to take on whatever is in the woods.

Song as Park is the scientist trying to discover what it is about the creature that can be a cure to so many things. Mani as Dr. Bhatia is the other scientist who knows that you don’t mess with the Leopold’s. Both of the scientists are just as twitchy as Elliot!

The outstanding character here is Poulter as Shepard who is a narcissistic, spoiled and entitled man-child. That being said, oh my goodness did he have me laughing myself silly. His antics and line deliveries were sheer perfection. I can’t even explain adequately Poulter’s performance because it truly does need to be experienced but be prepared to jaw drop and giggle like crazy.

Other cast include Denise Delgado as Ridley’s Mom and Kathryn Erbe as the Tapestry Narrator.

A24 is an independent entertainment company that specializes in film and television production based in New York City. Films such as A GLIMPSE INSIDE THE MIND OF CHARLES SWAN III, the amazing EX MACHINA, ROOM and THE WITCH. Many of their films can be found on DirecTV Cinema and Amazon Prime. For more information, please visit www.a24films.com.

DEATH OF A UNICORN is a thriller, comedy and horror film all rolled into one. Normally I’d be a little leery of that combination but writer/director Scharfman must have found some unicorn dust of his own. Putting this cast together was another stroke of genius because they played off one another and made it look so darn easy. I had so many reactions to the film and every single one of them was fun. The CGI gives us total unicorn and, as a childhood unicorn lover, I was thrilled with what they came up with.

Having beloved mythical creatures as the “bad guys” had me at go from the beginning and the way they are brought to the story had me cheering. Does it seem I’m being vague? Absolutely so! There is no way I want to spoil this film for anyone who is headed to the theatre this weekend. It is a weird, strange, twisted story and the biggest thing it has going for it is originality and that’s saying a lot with the films of late.

Get that tub of popcorn and take a mythical, magical ride of terror.

In the end – they’re going to make a killing!

It is all About THE PENGUIN LESSONS

 

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to theatres from director Peter Cattaneo from the true story novel of the same name by Tom Michell and Sony Picture Classics comes a story of a friend and THE PENGUIN LESSONS.

Taking a teaching job at Buenos Aires in 1976, slightly disgruntled-about-life Englishman Tom Michell (Steve Coogan) arrives at the all-boys St. George’s College. He is immediately greeted by the political upheaval in the country. Headmaster Buckle (Jonathan Pryce) makes it clear that the scores for the boys in his class are low and they must be brought up. From day one in the classroom, Michell sees the boys have no desire to listen or learn but his apathetic attitude just goes along to get along.

An unexpected creature comes into his life in the form of an oil-soaked penguin. Getting him cleaned up, Michell soon discovers that finding a penguin is one thing, trying to get it to leave is another. Sneaking it back to his teacher’s dorm, Michell immediately tries to find someone else to take him but sets up house with his new roommate. Trying to hide a penguin proves to also be interesting but housekeepers Sofia (Alfonsina Carrocio) and her grandmother Maria (Vivian El Jaber) are let in on the secret and Juan Salvador (Juan Salvador Gaviota is Spanish for Jonathan Livingston Seagull) is named and instantly loved.

Inviting the women to lunch, Michell learns more about the struggle the people of Buenos Aires are facing and it is Sofia who is vocal about it all much to his delight. The authorities taking people off the streets never to be seen again makes Michell uncomfortable. Back in class, he is once again met by students who seem to have no use for education with the exception of the young bullied boy Diego (David Herrero). Michell decides that Juan Salvador might help in this regard and – it works. The students begin to finally hear their teacher but also, a change happens in Michell.

Juan Salvador becomes a quiet fixture to students and staff and enjoys their company and feeding time as Michell realizes that being with the school is everything. When frightening events happen with Sofia, as well as Michell, he discovers that he truly had become someone that needed to stand up for his students, people he cares about and even a black and white penguin that has become the biggest teacher of all.

Coogan as Michell gives us the character of a man who just seems to have given up being anything other than a being in survival mode. Seeing this teaching position as a way of earning a paycheck and little else, the universe has a big surprise for him. Oh sure, he fights it and he tries to make it go away, but a little penguin has other plans. Coogan is so good at being indifferent that when his frailties come forward and his story is told, it begins to make sense. What a wonderful role and beautifully done.

Carrocio as Sophia is a young woman who believes in her country and shares her feelings with Michelle. He instantly knows that she is someone special and besides, Juan Salvador kind of likes her. Carrocio gives us a peek into her character and my only wish is that she shared the screen more. El Jaber as Maria is a loving grandmother who wants what’s best for her generational family. She instantly takes to Juan Salvador and wants what is best for him and that’s not a cage. When her family struggles, El Jaber shows us a woman who came from strong people and will do whatever is necessary to keep her family intact. Absolutely amazing!

Pryce as Headmaster Buckle is firm in what he expects from Michell and keeps an eye on him. When he discovers Juan Salvador, his barking orders are quickly turned with a single conversation. I have to say, I absolutely adore Pryce and everything he has done so even this small role I am here for. Herrero as Diego is a young man who feels out of place among his classmates and, oddly enough, it is Michell who understands the young man. Herrero is just a dear and there is a moment that he gave his character a grace that just made me tear up, you will see.

Shout out to Bjorn Gustafsson as Tapio, another teacher in the school who also has a chance to be won over by Juan Salvador’s fishy charms!

Other cast include Julia Fossi as Anna, Hugo Fuertes as Ramiro, Miguel Serrano as Walter, Aimar Miranda as Ernesto, Nicanor Montechiarini as Igor and Florencia Nocetti as Nora.

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THE PENGUIN LESSONS is an absolutely lovely film that is a mixture of a schoolteachers awakening, a country’s madness, a school’s bit of apathy and a penguin that finds more to his own life. That would seem like a lot but, in this case, it works brilliantly. You cannot remove one of these scenarios without the story caving in on itself and the fact that it is a true story is even more emotionally intense.

To be honest, I do enjoy films where animals take the front stage to show humans that we are more capable than we realize. Yes, this is a penguin who doesn’t have a lot to say but in that lies the truth that we hold the keys to our own jails. Recognizing his own frailties, Coogan’s Michelle is sarcastic, confrontational, avoids almost everything having to do with his emotions and has a history he refuses to acknowledge. We should all be so graced with an unexpected penguin to snap us back into the real world.

Working with a beautiful creature, director Cattaneo says, “Juan Salvador is a small Magellanic penguin. Like all our favorite pets, his charm comes partly from his imperfections. He can be stubborn, he’s quite scruffy and stinks of fish. Working to capture him on camera called for an unorthodox, naturalistic approach.  I encouraged the cast and crew to stay patient and reactive, embracing the unexpected from the penguin. This way, I found the door was opened to unscripted magic. His little moments of spontaneity brought joy to the case and crew alike and resulted in some of my favorite scenes in the film”.

In the end – life can change when an enlightened being arrives!