In this episode of The Popcorn Conspiracy Dave Griffiths and Kyle McGrath take a look at the brand new action film Line Of Duty. Check out the episode here.
Category: Crime
The trailer for New Zealand’s newest comedy crime caper Lowdown Dirty Criminals has today been released ahead of its nationwide theatrical release on August 20 by Monster Pictures.
Directed by Paul Murphy (Second Hand Wedding, Love Birds), the film features an all-star cast led by James Rolleston (Boy, The Breaker Upperers) and Toi Whakaari graduate Samuel Austin. The lead duo are joined by Rebecca Gibney (Wanted, Packed to the Rafters), Robbie Magasiva (Sione’s Wedding, Wentworth), and Cohen Holloway (Hunt for the Wilderpeople).
Produced by Lowdown Productions and written by David Brechin-Smith (The Insider’s Guide to Happiness, The Cult), Lowdown Dirty Criminals follows two young men in search of a better life, encountering unsavoury situations and people along the way. When Freddy (James Rolleston) loses his job, he and his best buddy Marvin (Samuel Austin) naively conclude a life of crime may lead them to the wealth and standing they desire.
But when they mess up their first job, a sequence of hilarious and violent events snowball out of control, leading them to their most intimidating enemy yet, The Upholsterer (Rebecca Gibney). The ensuing chaos caused by her two henchmen Semo (Robbie Magasiva) and Roy (Cohen Holloway) on their hunt to find the boys forces them to reconsider their careers as criminals.
Excited to get back onto the big screen as a lead and bringing the same charm and innate sense of humour he brought to BOY, James Rolleston comments on the film: “I could imagine myself playing the character of Freddy as soon as I read the script. It was absolutely awesome working with such a talented cast and crew. There were a lot of laughs on set and I’m really grateful to be a part of such a fun film.”
Robbie Magasiva adds: “I can honestly say I have never had so much fun on set – we were constantly laughing. This cast and crew put a smile on my face every day.”
For Logie award winner Rebecca Gibney, the role of The Upholster, changed from a male to a female with her in mind, was unlike anything audiences have seen her in. In fact, it was the first time in her career she has said the F-word on screen. “The script is so wonderful, it just jumps off the page. I’m relishing every line I have to say!”
Director Paul Murphy is also looking forward to sharing the film with Australian audiences, commenting: “Bringing Lowdown Dirty Criminals to life on the big screen was an absolute joy right from the start. It was a privilege to work with such a stellar cast and crew and I’m confident audiences are going to love this buddy-comedy and its eclectic characters.”
Filmed on location in Wellington, Lowdown Dirty Criminals is financed by the New Zealand Film Commission, with additional support from Avalon Studios, Global Film Solutions and Hell Pizza. It is produced by Robin Murphy and Sadie Wilson for Lowdown Productions, and executive produced by Catherine Fitzgerald (Bellbird, OneThousand Ropes, The Orator). The film is distributed in New Zealand and Australia by Monster Pictures with international sales handled by MPI Media Group.
Summary: A young woman’s life is thrown into turmoil when he husband is murdered and the Police tell her that he lived a secret life as a drug dealer. While her son hasn’t spoken since witnessing the murder the mother decides that enough is enough and she wants answers and revenge.
Year: 2019
Australian Cinema Release Date: NA
Thailand Cinema Release Date: NA
Australian DVD Release Date: 13th June 2020
Country: UK, Belgium
Director: Abner Pastoll
Screenwriter: Ronan Blaney
Cast: Susan Ateh (Emily Scott), Shireen Azarmi (Sergeant Jones), Sarah Bolger (Sarah), Josh Bolt (Donal), Jane Brennan (Alice), Caolan Byrne (Terry), Diego Calderon (Drunk Ray), Rafaela Dias (Dr. Reid), Rudy Doherty (Ben), Jo Donnelly (Betty), Edward Hogg (Leo Miller), Siobhan Kelly (Dr. Rosa Brady), Packy Lee (Mackers), Mary Lindsay (Mandy), James McCaffery (Conor), Macie McCauley (Lucy), Daryl McCormack (PC Reeves), Nigel O’Neill (PC Huxley), Andrew Simpson (Tito), Sean Sloan (Jimmy)
Running Time: 97 mins
Classification: MA15+ (Australia)
OUR A GOOD WOMAN IS HARD TO FIND REVIEWS & RATINGS:
Dave Griffiths’ A Good Woman Is Hard To Find Review:
Female led revenge films are nothing new. In fact you could say that several have surfaced every year since director Meir Zarchi delivered the controversial I Spit On Your Grave back in 1978. Yes a lot do exist, but I think I have lost count how many times they have left me leaving the cinema thinking “well I’ve seen that plot a few dozen times now.”
The key to making a film in this genre work is that the filmmaker must be creative enough to come up with something out of the box and never seenbefore. That is certainly the case with under-rated Irish film A Good Woman Is Hard To Find, a film that seemed to be swept under the carpet as all the attention on the genre over the last twelve months have focussed on the epic bomb Peppermint and the brilliant, award-winning The Nightingale.
When it comes to creativity A Good Woman Is Hard To Find is certainly on par with The Nightingale. Directed by Abner Pastoll (Road Games) the film’s revenge seeker is Sarah (Sarah Bolger – The Spiderwick Chronicles), a young widow who wants answers around the murder of her husband.
Her husband was murdered in a park not far from their home and in front of their son who now has not spoken a word since the incident. Much to Sarah’s anger the Police do not want to know about the case and instead insist on telling her that her husband was most likely living a secret life as a drug dealer – a risky move when you live on the patch run by the notorious and unforgiving drug baron Leo Miller (Edward Hogg – Jupiter Ascending).
Adding to Sarah’s woes is the fact that she is now living in fear of opportunistic thief Tito (Andrew Simpson – Notes On A Scandal) who has managed to steal some of Miller’s stash and now keeps it at Sarah’s home. With her family already suffering she now must deal with the constant threats of violence that Tito delivers in order to keep her silence.
What I thought separated this film from the many others in the genre is the great handle that Pastoll has on Oscar nominated Ronan Blaney’s (Don’t Go) screenplay. Blaney has delivered a gem of a script that brings in suspense by the bucket-load and then to top that off Pastoll then brings in his own style of gangster driven film noir that more than kept me on the edge of my seat throughout the film.
I should warn potential viewers of the film though that Pastoll also doesn’t hold back when it comes to the violence on the screen. To his credit though I didn’t think he was violent just to be violent instead I believe that the graphic violence that the director brings to the screen is there to show the brutal situation and events that Sarah has found herself in. In the wrong hands this could have become a virtual schlock thriller but in the hands of Pastoll it becomes a well thought out suspense thriller that comes to an epic conclusion with a blood-soaked finale.
Credit also needs to go to the film’ leading lady – Sarah Bolger. I believe she is nothing short of sensational in this film. A lesser actress may have felt the need to rest her laurels on the action and suspense of the film but here Bolger surprised me by delivering moments of intense drama and she portrays Sarah in such a way that I could not help but feel sorry for her.
I found that there was nothing disappointing about A Good Woman Is Hard To Find and I am glad that it has now landed on DVD and VOD as it made my Top 20 Films Of 2019 list after I was lucky enough to catch it on the festival circuit.
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Trailer:
A brand new trailer has been released for The King’s Man starring Ralph Fiennes, Gemma Arterton, Rhys Ifans, Matthew Goode, Tom Hollander, Harris Dickinson, Daniel Brühl, with Djimon Hounsou, and Charles Dance.
Directed by Matthew Vaughn the film is scheduled for release later this year.
Summary: With the backdrop of 1950s Brooklyn a young Private Investigator decides to try and solve the crime that led to his boss’s death.
Year: 2020
Australian Cinema Release Date: 27th February 2020
Thailand Cinema Release Date: TBA
Australian DVD Release Date: 30th May 2020
Country: United States
Director: Edward Norton
Screenwriter: Edward Norton, Jonathan Letham (novel)
Cast: Nelson Avidon (Jacob Gleason), Alec Baldwin (Moses Randolph), Bobby Canavale (Tony Vermonte), Willem Dafoe (Paul Randolph), Cherry Jones (Gabby Horowitz), Leslie Mann (Julia Minna), Gugu Mbartha-Raw (Laura Rose), Edward Norton (Lionel Essrog), Joyce O’Connor (Cindy Fleming), Josh Pais (William Lieberman), Dallas Roberts (Danny Fanti), Fisher Stevens (Lou), Ethan Suplee (Gilbert Coney), DeShawn White (Betty), Bruce Willis (Frank Minna), Robert Wisdom (Billy Rose)
Running Time: 124 mins
Classification: M (Australia), TBC (Thailand), 15 (UK), R (USA)
OUR MOTHERLESS BROOKLYN REVIEWS & RATINGS:
Dave Griffiths’ Motherless Brooklyn Review:
Over the years I have always found myself intrigued by those people in Hollywood whose careers seem to go through weird unexplained ups and downs. Two examples are Keanu Reeves and Ethan Hawke – both actors were at the top their game and then suddenly just seemed to have a string of straight-to-DVD movies, some of which were so good that you couldn’t help but wonder why they never received the cinema release they so deserved.
Another that should be on that list is Edward Norton as a filmmaker. Flashback twenty years ago and on the hunch of a friend I watched a movie with one of the weirdest synopsis of all time. The film was called Keeping The Faith and featured Ben Stiller as a Rabbi and Norton as a Priest, they then both fall in love with the same woman played by then television darling Jenna Elfman. It was an interesting enough film, but was also the only film that Norton had directed right up to this year. That is surprising when you consider that as a filmmaker his debut film was a success and that he has actuallu been linked to a number of other films over the years. Now twenty years later Norton helms Motherless Brooklyn, one of the most criminally under-rated films of 2020.
Based on a novel by Jonathan Lethem (which is now on my must read list) Motherless Brooklyn is set in 1950s New York and follows the story of a lonely Private Detective suffering from Tourettes named Lionel Essrog (Norton – Hulk). When his boss Frank Minna (Bruce Willis – Signs) is killed Lionel decides to take over his case and soon finds himself lost in a world of crime, underground jazz clubs and politics.
For me to give away too much of the plot of Motherless Brooklyn would be criminal. All I will say is that it is a film that contains all the elements that a great noir Detective story should have. Intrigue, suspense, a plot with twists and turns at every point and of course the Femme Fatale that you are never really sure can be trusted or not – here beautifully played by Gugu Mbatha-Raw (Belle).
What won me over with this film though is the brilliant plot and an amazing performance by Norton and the cast around him. I love a film that I can’t predict the twists and turns of and that is certainly the case here. As characters like Paul (Willem Dafoe – Spider-Man) and Moses Randolph (Alec Baldwin – The Departed) come into Lionel’s world it is impossible to tell who is telling the truth and who is lying.
I’ll be honest there were times that Motherless Brooklyn had me on the edge of my seat. It felt like Norton may have grown up on the same dose of Humphrey Bogart movies I did as he is the kind of director that has learnt that you don’t a huge action sequence to raise suspense, he can skilfully achieve that same intensity from tipping the audience off to the fact that a character is being untruthful or is concealing a weapon. For me there were times when this was almost heart-in-mouth kind of stuff and that is one of the reasons why this film will stay with me for a long time.
I can only describe this film as the perfect noir thriller. I was stunned at Norton’s brilliant, but reined in performance in which he manages to juggle Tourettes’ ticks with strong suspenseful scenes alongside some of the Hollywood’s elite. Given that he juggles that with directional duties on a film that explores topics as diverse as interracial relationships during the 1950s and Government corruption and I can only concur that Norton is one of the best filmmakers Hollywood has right now.
Very few films have ever made me feel like I wanted to turn around and walk straight back into the cinema to watch it again – but that is exactly how Motherless Brooklyn made me feel. This is a beautiful suspense film that showcases some of Hollywood’s best acting talents while never losing its unique noir feeling.
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Other Subculture Entertainment Motherless Brooklyn Reviews: N/A
Trailer:
Stan today announced that after smashing viewing records worldwide, the gritty, unapologetic crime drama series Hightown has been officially picked up for a second season.
Hightown is set on idyllic Cape Cod, and follows one woman’s journey to sobriety, intertwined with an unfolding murder investigation. Jackie Quiñones (Monica Raymund, Chicago Fire, The Good Wife), a hard-partying National Marine Fisheries Service agent, has her free-wheeling life thrown into disarray when she discovers a body on the beach – another casualty of Cape Cod’s opioid epidemic.
As a result of this trauma, Jackie takes the first steps toward becoming sober— until she becomes convinced that it’s up to her to solve the murder. Now at odds with Sergeant Ray Abruzzo (James Badge Dale, Only the Brave), an abrasive but effective member of the Cape Cod Interagency Narcotics Unit, Jackie starts to spiral. And she’s not alone. Ray, too, spins out of control; losing himself in the investigation. The lives of everyone connected to this murder crash and converge, reminding us just how complicated – and deadly – our addictions can be. Riley Voelkel (Roswell, New Mexico, The Originals), Shane Harper (Code Black, Happyland), Amaury Nolasco (Prison Break, Deception), Atkins Estimond (The Resident, Lodge 49) and Dohn Norwood (Mindhunter, The Sinner) also star.
Hightown is created and executive produced by Rebecca Cutter (Gotham) with Gary Lennon (Power, Euphoria) executive producing with Jerry Bruckheimer (Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, Top Gun: Maverick, The Amazing Race), Jonathan Littman (Lucifer, The Amazing Race, CSI franchise) and KristieAnne Reed (Lucifer, L.A.’s Finest) from Jerry Bruckheimer TV; Ellen H. Schwartz also serves as executive producer. Oscar®-nominated cinematographer Rachel Morrison (Black Panther, Fruitvale Station) directed the first two episodes of the series.
Hightown was an Official Selection of the 2020 SXSW Film Festival.
Hightown is streaming now only on Stan, same day as the US, with new episodes weekly.
In this episode of The Popcorn Conspiracy Dave Griffiths and Kyle McGrath take a look at Queen And Slim.
Grab your popcorn and cuddle up with a hyena, it’s time to join ACMI in Australia’s first Birds of Prey: The Emancipation Of One Fantabulous Harley Quinn watch party with pop culture critic, ACMI writer and Number 1 BOP fan Maria Lewis.
Starring Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, and brought to life by Robbie’s own production company Lucky Chap Entertainment, BOP is a high octane film of firsts. Not only is it the first big screen all-female superhero team movie, it’s also based on the first all-female superhero comic book team.
BOP’s diverse pool of female talent isn’t just in front of the camera, but behind it as well. Directed by Cathy Yan and written by British-Taiwanese screenwriter Christina Hodson, together they’ve lovingly recreated characters who are dirty, funny and sexy in a way that doesn’t consider the male gaze let alone cater for it.
Join ACMI’s Maria Lewis on Twitter @moviemazz using #ACMIwatches or on Instagram live @maria___lewis
Find where to buy or rent Birds of Prey on Just Watch.
Stan today released the official trailer and new images for the brand new eight-episode crime series Hightown premiering 17 May exclusively on Stan.
Hightown is set on iconic Cape Cod, and follows one woman’s journey to sobriety, intertwined with an unfolding murder investigation. Jackie Quiñones (Monica Raymund, Chicago Fire, The Good Wife), a hard-partying National Marine Fisheries Service agent, has her free-wheeling life thrown into disarray when she discovers a body on the beach – another casualty of Cape Cod’s opioid epidemic. As a result of this trauma, Jackie takes the first steps toward becoming sober— until she becomes convinced that it’s up to her to solve the murder.
Now at odds with Sergeant Ray Abruzzo (James Badge Dale, Only the Brave), an abrasive but effective member of the Cape Cod Interagency Narcotics Unit, Jackie starts to spiral. And she’s not alone. Ray, too, spins out of control; losing himself in the investigation. The lives of everyone connected to this murder crash and converge, reminding us just how complicated – and deadly – our addictions can be.
Riley Voelkel (Roswell, New Mexico, The Originals), Shane Harper (Code Black, Happyland), Amaury Nolasco (Prison Break, Deception), Atkins Estimond (The Resident, Lodge 49) and Dohn Norwood (Mindhunter, The Sinner) also star.
Hightown is created and executive produced by Rebecca Cutter (Gotham) with Gary Lennon (Power, Euphoria) executive producing with Jerry Bruckheimer (Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, Top Gun: Maverick, The Amazing Race), Jonathan Littman (Lucifer, The Amazing Race, CSI franchise) and KristieAnne Reed (Lucifer, L.A.’s Finest) from Jerry Bruckheimer TV; Ellen H. Schwartz also serves as executive producer. Oscar®-nominated cinematographer Rachel Morrison (Black Panther, Fruitvale Station) directed the first two episodes of the series.
Hightown was an Official Selection of the 2020 SXSW Film Festival.
Hightown premieres 17 May only on Stan, same day as the US, with new episodes weekly.
Stan today released the teaser and confirmed a date for the new eight-episode crime series Hightown premiering 17 May exclusively on Stan.
Hightown is set on iconic Cape Cod, and follows one woman’s journey to sobriety, intertwined with an unfolding murder investigation. Jackie Quiñones (Monica Raymund, Chicago Fire, The Good Wife), a hard-partying National Marine Fisheries Service agent, has her free-wheeling life thrown into disarray when she discovers a body on the beach – another casualty of Cape Cod’s opioid epidemic. As a result of this trauma, Jackie takes the first steps toward becoming sober— until she becomes convinced that it’s up to her to solve the murder.
Now at odds with Sergeant Ray Abruzzo (James Badge Dale, Only the Brave), an abrasive but effective member of the Cape Cod Interagency Narcotics Unit, Jackie starts to spiral. And she’s not alone. Ray, too, spins out of control; losing himself in the investigation. The lives of everyone connected to this murder crash and converge, reminding us just how complicated – and deadly – our addictions can be.
Riley Voelkel (Roswell, New Mexico, The Originals), Shane Harper (Code Black, Happyland), Amaury Nolasco (Prison Break, Deception), Atkins Estimond (The Resident, Lodge 49) and Dohn Norwood (Mindhunter, The Sinner) also star.
Hightown is created and executive produced by Rebecca Cutter (Gotham) with Gary Lennon (Power, Euphoria) executive producing with Jerry Bruckheimer (Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, Top Gun: Maverick, The Amazing Race), Jonathan Littman (Lucifer, The Amazing Race, CSI franchise) and KristieAnne Reed (Lucifer, L.A.’s Finest) from Jerry Bruckheimer TV; Ellen H. Schwartz also serves as executive producer. Oscar®-nominated cinematographer Rachel Morrison (Black Panther, Fruitvale Station) directed the first two episodes of the series.
Hightown was an Official Selection of the 2020 SXSW Film Festival.
Hightown premieres 17 May only on Stan – same day as the US – with new episodes weekly.