This column will introduce you to the most popular movies that are coming out in theaters this weekend.
What movie will you see?
Annabelle: Creation
This is the prequel to 2014’s Annabelle and the fourth film in The Conjuring franchise. A doll makers daughter passes on, but her ghost asks for permission to enter a doll. Dun Dun Dun. Starring in the August horror movie are Miranda Otto (Lord of the Rings), Lulu Wilson (Ouija: Origin of Evil), Anthony LaPaglia (damn, I haven’t seen this guy in a while), and more. David F. Sandberg directs the doll this time around. Sandberg has directed 2016’s Lights Out. Gary Dauberman, who wrote the screenplay for this, has also written 2017’s It. Dauberman is also signed on to write The Nun, which would then be the fifth Conjuring flick. Want some August horror? Then hit the theater to see this.
The Glass Castle
The Glass Castle is based on a true story and the book, which lasted 261 weeks on The New York Times Best Seller list. This film tells the story of Jeannette Walls’ family and her poverty-stricken upbringing. Brie Larson, Woody Harrelson, and Naomi Watts are the leads of this film. I wonder if Brie and Naomi talked about King Kong. Destin Daniel Cretton directs this biographical drama. Cretton directed Short Term 12 in 2013, which also starred Brie Larson. The vibe I am getting from this trailer is a kinda sequel to Captain Fantastic. Anyway, go check this out.
The Nut Job 2: Nutty by Nature
These fury, friendly animals must stop the mayor from destroying their home only to build an amusement park. Lending their voices for this animated sequel are Will Arnett, Katherine Heigl, Jackie Chan, Peter Stormare, Bobby Cannavale, Sebastian Maniscalco, and more. Co-writing and directing these crazy animals or animators is Cal Brunker. Brunker directed Escape from Planet Earth, as well as directing The Nut Job 3. Don’t be nut job this weekend, go see The Nut Job.
30 For 30, 24, The Station Agent & The Goddamn Batman
Another week, another blogpost from your favorite (admit it) Binge blogger. This week was a particularly productive one, since I jumped back on the workout wagon in full force, automatically raising my weekly movie consumption by at least 70%. You see, I convince myself to stay on the elliptical by bribing my brain with a movie that I can only watch while on said machine, so it’s a win-win. While most of you were out watching the fireworks this past weekend I used my time off to bask in the glorious glow of my TV set. As a result, I was able to catch a pretty solid rash of flicks this week, both documentaries and theatrical flicks, as well as get some new I’ve been waiting on for a long time.
My first flicks were a pair of documentaries from the 30 for 30 series. The first was the Nancy Kerrigan/Tonya Harding (seen above, in all her glory) flick “The Price of Gold,” which was very solid. Sports controversy doesn’t get much juicier than this and the documentary does a good job of giving you the background on what went down as well as the bullet points of the crime and subsequent criminal trial. I’m no figure skating fife but there’s no denying those fuckers have some serious athleticism which comes across pretty well here. 8 on 10 all day.
The second 30 for 30, titled “The Announcement,” was all about Magic Johnson and his journey with HIV. I know this sounds really naive but I had no idea there was a large contingency of people that live with HIV, staying alive through medication and strict care. If anything, this documentary taught me a little bit about the disease, which is great. Documentaries should highlight something you don’t know about the world around you and I’m glad this flick did that for me. I also appreciate the hell out of true sportsmanship, seen here with some of the interviews with MJ and Larry Bird. I’m a moderate Celtics fan, but an even bigger fan of Larry Bird highlights, so I know of the Johnson/Bird rivalry, but the fact that Bird shows up here and gives the man his due is awesome and something I love to see in sports. Except in reference to Eli or Peyton Manning, fuck those douchebags.
24 is about to round out it’s final episode this coming Monday and I couldn’t be more excited. I’ve seen season 1 and this Live Another Day miniseries and that’s it, but I’ll be goddamned if I’m not loving some Jack Bauer ass-kicking. I’m just having a great time with it, despite the logic gaps and plot holes, because they stick to their fucking guns on that show. The showrunners have been doing it so long that the confidence of the writers and Sutherland is all over every moment of this season. Also, is there anything more tense than the ticking clock noise? Fucking genius, still works like a charm.
I think, because of Game of Thrones primarily, from here on out I’m a Peter Dinklage mark. A buddy of mine told me years ago to give The Station Agent a watch and I finally got around to it this week. Was it worth the watch? Absolutely. This is a difficult flick to recommend because the movie lives and dies on the backs of the cast and, literally, nothing else. Simply put, you need to either like or, at least, be intrigued by Dinklage, Patricia Clarkson and the always charismatic Bobby Cannavale. Ever since he played Gyp Rosetti on Boardwalk Empire I’ve liked this dude. He’s shown up on the Rich Eisen podcast a couple times and despite his New York fandom I feel like I could drink with this guy. Anywho, it’s tough to criticize this movie for being anything other than a hidden gem, one that got a lot of fanfare back when it was released but not enough love nowadays. 9 on 10, easily, for this great little flick.
As for video games, I’ve decided to jump back into a replay of Batman Arkham City, this time on my Mac. The game is just as amazing as I remember it the first time round, being somehow more operatic and grandiose than the first play-through. This was, of course, a direct result of the glorious Steam Summer Sale, which I am still reaping the benefits of now. Speaking of which, does anyone out there play Tropico? I grabbed Tropico 4 and can’t figure out how to get past the first level. I’m down with RTS but this game seems like a magnificent clusterfuck, created solely for the purpose of making me lose sleep at night. Not about to give up on it, but anyone with some pointers, give me a shout.
It’s finally happening, Batfans! The original 1966 Bill Dozier Batman series has finally been given a street date for later this year, some time in November, and I couldn’t be more stoked. This is the missing piece of Bat-film that most collectors, myself included, have been dying to get their hands on. For those of you not in the know, the show has been in syndication quite a bit over the past 50 years but never released, officially, on home video due to some issues with the rights to the show. Last year, when all that cleared up, the action figures started getting released, and now we’re finally getting into the real meat and potatoes. I’ve never seen the entire series in all its cheesiness but you bet your ass I’ll have this thing when it hits the street.
Another week down. What does the future hold? Who the fuck knows. Keep reading and I’ll keep writing, until next time!