Writer: Chris Fedak
Director: Michael Bay
Cast: Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Jake Gyllenhaal, Eiza Gonzalez, and Garrett Dillahunt
After a poorly planned bank heist goes belly up, brothers Ben and Will Sharp find themselves locked in a high-speed chase with the FBI and the notorious LAPD. Having high jacked an ambulance and taken a wounded officer and EMT hostage, the duo must navigate the treacherous LA traffic to evade the law and escape capture.
New York City is somewhat back to normal after the pandemic shut the city down. The hustle and bustle of the busy city are seeing some normalcy again with the opening of various attractions, including the largest Star Wars exhibition, called The Fans Strike Back.
I recently stopped by a VIP preview of this exciting exhibition. I will willingly admit, I’m not the biggest Star Wars fan but what I discovered is that you don’t have to be in order to enjoy this experience. Though some general knowledge of the franchise would be helpful.
Writer: Garth Jennings
Director: Garth Jennings
Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon, Scarlet Johansson, Tori Kelly, and Bono
After finding success in their hometown, Buster Moon and friends set their sights on bigger stages. Failing to impress a local scout, the crew set out for an ambitious adventure in the big city. Following a disastrous audition, luck shines on the Motley crew as they find themselves presented with the opportunity of a lifetime. Moon strikes a deal with a very rich, very dangerous, hotel owner to perform at his venue. All they have to do is create the biggest show of their lives, overcome lifelong fears and convince a reclusive rock star they have never met to come out of retirement after more than a decade of hiding. What could go wrong?
Sing 2 is the direct sequel to 2016’s Sing in which Buster Moon starts a singing competition in order to save his theater. Since then the world has changed in so many ways. While the first film was about finding your voice and being yourself, this 2nd installment takes a deeper dive into self-confidence, fear, and grief. Though those are much heavier concepts to address the film never strays from its silliness and age-appropriate humor. It’s been five years since the first film and in that time children have been tasked with overcoming so many obstacles and trials some of which are dressed in the film. Fear is a running theme as each of the returning characters has an overwhelming fear they must conquer to get ahead. From fear of failure to a fear of heights, the film is careful in its depiction of fears a how to deal with them. The film also delves into grief and how debilitating it can be. Clay Calloway the recluse rock star suffered a tragic loss that caused him to retreat into the shadows. Though a heavy subject for the children of 2016 it seems eerily appropriate considering the pandemic and the unfortunate losses many have had to bear. Though a great film to start a dialogue about somber subjects, it is NOT all heavy-handed teaching, the music the colors, the pace, and the humor keep even the tense moments light and palatable for children of all ages.
Writer: Jordan Peele and Win Rosenfeld
Director: Nia Dacosta
Cast: Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Teyonah Parris, Colman Domingo, and Carl Clemons Hopkins.
Struggling artist Anthony McCoy stumbles across an urban legend and decides to use it as inspiration for his next show. His research begins with the unfortunate story of Grad student Helen Lyle who tragically died in a bonfire decades ago. McCoy gains access to her research and unearths the legend of Daniel Robitaille also known as the Candyman. Unknowingly, McCoy invites others to “say his name” evoking an incantation that awakens the homicidal spirit to wreak havoc once again.
If you grew up in the 90’s you are probably familiar with the 1992 Clive Barker and Bernard Rose film which introduced audiences to a hooked hand killer whose presence could be invoked by the repetitious saying of his name. Nearly 3 decades later writer Jordan Peele and Director Nia Dacosta have joined forces for a direct sequel and origin story. Since the debut of the original film, there have been two other sequels. Both sequels found the hooked hand killer miles away from the Cabrini Green stomping grounds of the first film. Each sequel provided additional back story details. The First sequel was set in New Orleans where the spirit went in search of a descendant to sacrifice. After that unsuccessful attempt, the spirit moved on to Los Angeles, in the third film, to sacrifice his reincarnated daughter Isabel. In this new adaptation, the vengeful entity has returned to the hallowed grounds of the new Cabrini Greene in search of a familiar soul for some unfinished business. Artist Anthony McCoy is the unfortunate target and we witness his metamorphosis from fledgling artist to urban legend. McCoy’s interest in the legend goes from zero to 100 with lightning speed as he hopes to profit from tragedy using the legend to sell his work. Similarly, several other characters see the same dollar signs in exploiting the legend, a not-so-subtle nod to this era of black trauma for sale. In his haste for notoriety, McCoy ignores all warnings and moves full steam ahead neglecting loved ones, fueling his obsession. Though predictable, his descent into madness is enjoyable and ends in a weirdly satisfying twist.
In addition to the tongue-in-cheek nod to black trauma, there is also a blatant reference to the current climate of gentrification and police brutality. Though presented as just another slasher film, this Candyman has a social conscience, offering a relatable timely tale as well as the blood and gore we have come to expect. Though enjoyable the film is not without its flaws. Much of the violence is hinted at but not fully displayed, for instance just as the killer strikes we cut to another scene instead of witnessing the horrific details. Also, the backstory gets a bit convoluted as we discover additional confusing details about the origin of the murderous entity. Lastly, there is an all too brief appearance by Tony Todd, the OG. Please don’t blink you might miss it, literally.
Candyman hits theaters on Friday, August 27th, 2021.
Several families on vacation at a luxury resort find themselves in a tropical hell when their excursion to an exclusive beach turns deadly. The body of a young woman washes up on shore and everyone soon discovers that the rotting corpse is the least of their worries. Everyone on the beach starts to age at an alarming rate. If they don’t find a way to stop the aging or leave the island no one will make it through dawn.
Writer: James DeMonaco
Director: Everardo Gout
Cast: Ana De La Reguera, Josh Lucas, Will Patton and Tenoch Huerta
After 10 months in America, Mexican immigrants, Adela and Juan find themselves faced with their first Purge. Unfortunately for them, this year’s annual day of chaos takes an even uglier turn as groups of anarchists refuse to stop purging the next day. Though they survived the night the young lovers must work together to survive a deadly new world.
The 2021 Tribeca Festival, presented by AT&T, kicked off its 20th anniversary with the world premiere of Warner Bros. Pictures’ highly anticipated musical celebration In the Heights. The film fittingly premiered at the United Palace Theater in Washington Heights with scenery from the film serving as the backdrop on the carpet. For the first time ever, the festival’s opening night was screened simultaneously across all five boroughs in multiple open-air venues.
The highly anticipated follow-up to megahit Coming to America, COMING 2 AMERICA, will be exclusively released by Amazon Studios globally on Prime Video on March 5th, 2021. In the new film, set in the lush and royal country of Zamunda, newly-crowned King Akeem (Eddie Murphy) and his trusted confidante Semmi(Arsenio Hall) embark on an all-new hilarious adventure that has them traversing the globe from their great African nation to the borough of Queens, New York – where it all began.