In this episode of The Popcorn Conspiracy Dave Griffiths and Kyle McGrath take a look at Queen And Slim.
Category: Crime
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.
Acclaimed actor Dylan Baker (“Hunters”, “The Good Wife”, Sam Raimi’s “Spider-Man” films) stars in 2020’s most thrilling short film Nightfire – premiering in your lounge room May 1st!
Two American agents (Lorenzo Pisoni and Greg Hadley) are hired to retrieve military chips containing a large sum of government money. Their plan goes awry when an unexpected political prisoner (Dylan Baker) enters the picture.
Bradley Stryker (“iZombie”, “Cold Pursuit”), Francesco Pannofino and Becky Ann Baker (“Hunters”, “Freaks and Geeks”) co-star in the short film, directed by Brando Benetton and co-written by Brando Benetton and Los Silva.
The white-knuckle thriller, produced by a group of friends from Ithaca college, debuts on streaming platforms, including Hulu and Amazon, May 1 via Hewes Pictures.
In this episode of The Popcorn Conspiracy David Griffiths and Kyle McGrath take a look at the brand new thriller Motherless Brooklyn.
Summary: A couple’s first date takes an unexpected turn when a police officer pulls them over.
Year: 2020
Australian Cinema Release Date: 12th March 2020
Thailand Cinema Release Date: TBA
Australian DVD Release Date: TBA
Country: United States, Canada
Director: Melina Matsoukas
Screenwriter: Lena Waithe
Cast: Flea (Mr Shepherd), Melina Halfkenny (Naomi), Daniel Kaluuya (Slim), Benito Martinez (Sheriff Edgar), Indya Moore (Goddess), Chloe Sevigny (Mrs. Shepherd), Sturgill Simpson (Police Officer Reed), Bryant Tardy (Chubby), Jodie Turner-Smith (Queen), Jahi Di’Allo Winston (Junior), Bokeem Woodbine (Uncle Earl)
Running Time: 132 mins
Classification: MA15+ (Australia)
OUR QUEEN & SLIM REVIEWS & RATINGS:
Dave Griffiths’ Queen & Slim Review
There have been a number of films over the years that have dealt with the topic of white Police violence against black citizens. Films like Fruitville Station and The Hate U Give have shown a spotlight on the issue with some sheer cinematic brilliance. Now comes Queen & Slim a film that explores the topic while bordering on being a genre flick.
Directed by Melina Matsoukas (Insecure) Queen & Slim possibly depicts one of the worst Tinder dates of all time. Bored and frustrated are having one of her clients put to death lawyer Queen (Jodie Turner-Smith – Jett) responds to a Tinder request from the quiet and law-abiding Slim (Daniel Kaluuya – Black Panther). However, the date ends disastrously when on their way home they are pulled over by a white Police Officer. When he pulls his gun and shoots Queen Slim is forced to kill him in self defence.
Convinced that nobody will believe their story the pair begin a journey across America aided by Slim’s ex-military turned criminal Uncle Earl (Bokeem Woodbine – Spider-Man: Homecoming) as they try to evade the manhunt that is now coming their way. Meanwhile the rest of America takes sides – some say they should be brought in as criminals while others want to help them escape Police.
The first thing that I should say about Queen & Slim is that this is not a multiplex film. I’ve read comments that the film is over-long etc. That simply is not true, but as you view the film your realise that Matsoukas has shot this is a way that is reminiscent of the arthouse films that Larry Clarke made in his heyday – films like Bully and Kids that made a point and stuck with you long after the credits had rolled.
The style in which Matsoukas has shot this film is hard-hitting and gritty. She is a filmmaker who is obviously not afraid to take risks – how many other filmmakers these days would have the courage to have an entire scene shot from a camera mounted and locked off on a car. Her style also allows the audience to feel like they are part of the action which in turn makes you feel a lot closer to the two main characters – Queen and Slim. The result is an understanding and closeness to them that most other filmmakers could only dream about capturing.
Having said that though there are some weaknesses with the film. At times it feels like as a director Matsoukas has been let down by the screenplay she is working with. There are too many times during the film were events happen that should be treated as major events but are never fully explored. From a man who wants to talk to them but is hit by their car through to a teenager who idolises them despite his father’s beliefs, these events happen way too fast and the audience never really get to feel the full affect of the events that surround these characters.
The film is at its best though when it allows the audience to soak up the locations and the characters that the characters find themselves around as the film goes on. One of the best characters in the film is Queen’s Uncle Earl and because of the extended time you spend with him as character the impact of his involvement in the story weighs more heavily for the audience watching. Likewise when Slim takes Queen to a dingy blues bar – the suspense is through the roof as you are never really sure whether the couple are welcome there or whether someone will turn them in.
One of the highlights of the film though are the acting performances. If nothing else Queen & Slim has introduced the cinematic world to two future stars. Daniel Kaluuya and Jodie Turner Smith put in two stunning performances. No matter whether they are asked to deliver a deep and meaningful dramatic scene moved along only by dialogue or asked to perform graphic sex in the front seat of a car the two deliver in spades. As the film meanders along you get a strong feeling that these two actors are people we are going to be watching on the big screen for many years to come.
As a film Queen & Slim does have its flaws but it also has moments of true cinematic awe as well. Two brilliantly performed roles by the film’s stars makes up for the film’s errors while Bokeem Woodbine makes a welcome return in a truly memorable performance that only he could deliver. Likewise the film introduces us to a filmmaker that can only be described as a director that we all need to become aware of. Melina Matsoukas’ gritty style of filmmaking is a welcome relief in a cinematic world where it feels like every film needs to look ‘clean.’ Hard-hitting and at times experimental Queen & Slim is not a film that is easy to forget.
IMDB Rating:
Other Subculture Entertainment Queen & Slim Reviews: N/A
Trailer:
In this episode of The Popcorn Conspiracy Dave Griffiths and Kyle McGrath take a look at The Invisible Man.
There is no disputing that director/screenwriter Leigh Whannell is one of the kings of modern day horror. The Australian was the writer behind both the Saw and Insidious franchises while in recent years he has also sat in the director’s chair for films like Insidious: Chapter 3 and the under-appreciated Upgrade.
Now Whannell returns as the director/screenwriter/producer of The Invisible Man – a modern day Blumhouse take on one of Universal Pictures most loved horror characters. And as we chat to Whannell in Melbourne we learn that this is not a task that he took lightly.
“I actually wasn’t thinking about doing an Invisible Man movie at all, says Whannell as we begin to talk about the origins of this film. “I had just finished Upgrade and I had been bitten by the action movie bug and I think I was keen to go and shoot the fifty million dollar version of Upgrade. You know we could crash forty cars instead of one car… i was keen to get my Michael Bay on. Then this idea was suggested to me… the idea of doing The Invisible Man and it was not something that I had given any thought to, but then as soon as it was in my mind it was truly an inception.”
“It wouldn’t leave my brain,” says Whannell with a big smile on his face revealing just how excited he was about the product. “It just kept taking up space rent free. And then I just couldn’t stop thinking about it and that is usually the first sign that I am going to make a film – when it just won’t go away. That’s how it came about and then I just went back to Blumhouse and Universal and said that I was interested in doing this and we were off to the races. It was remarkable just how quickly the pieces all came together.”
As we begin to talk craft I ask Whannell whether or not the fact that the idea of the film was planted in his mind rather than him just thinking it up changed the way he went about writing the original screenplay. “It did in the sense that I was aware of this legacy that was behind me,” he says after pausing to think about the question for a moment. “Other people have made Invisible Man movies and I wanted to avoid repeating them. I didn’t want anybody to be able to say ‘well this is just a retread of so and so.’ And so if anything it was more of an awareness to avoid those other movies- that was the biggest thing – trying to take this character and modernise it and make it very new. In other words I wanted to make it feel like no other Invisible Man movie had ever existed and that this was the first. I can’t tell you how many scenes I came up with that I put on the reject pile because I felt that they had been done before.”
Whannell’s version of The Invisible Man takes on a very different voice to any of the Invisible Man films of the past have. Here Whannell explores the dark topic of domestic violence and depicts in a very dark way that few filmmakers have been brave enough to do in the past. “Really early on I knew that I wanted it to be dark,” he explains. “I knew that I wanted to make something that was really tense and suffocating – not light-hearted at all. I didn’t want anything that was frolicking or fun I wanted to make something that was really relentlessly tense and suffocating to the audience.”
“That was a decision that I made very early on and then I began building out the story,” he explains. “The thematic elements of the movie about a woman being in an abusive relationship that just came out organically. As you start to put the pieces out on the table those things just kind of emerge on their own without you forcing them. It was all really organic and that is how it all fell together.”
With the legacy of the Invisible Man being so entrenched in Hollywood history and certain amount of fandom is also there, and that is something that Whannell is more than aware of. “Any movie whether it has a legacy like The Invisible Man or if it is stand-alone like Upgrade makes me nervous,” he says laughing out loud. “Even just thinking about it now is making me nervous. I think it is because you put so much of yourself into a movie an then you release it to the world and they get to judge it and it is just a scary moment. Eventually the nerves ease off once the movie is out there and you can’t do anything about it. Then you a start to relax but right now I am right in the middle of the white hot centre of nerves because it is just starting to get out there.”
The Invisible Man opens in cinemas today.
Summary: American security guard Richard Jewell saves thousands of lives from an exploding bomb at the 1996 Olympics, but is vilified by journalists and the press who falsely reported that he was a terrorist.
Year: 2019
Australian Cinema Release Date: 13th February 2020
Thailand Cinema Release Date: TBA
Australian DVD Release Date: TBA
Country: United States
Director: Clint Eastwood
Screenwriter: Billy Ray, Marie Brenner (article), Kent Alexander (book), Kevin Salwen (book)
Cast: Muhammed Ali (himself – archive footage), Ronnie Allen (Kenny Rogers), David An (Ken), Nina Arianda (Nadya Light), Matthew Atchley (FBI Agent Doug Wall), John Atwood (Mr Brenner), Kathy Bates (Bobi Jewell), Jonathan Bergman (Jerrod Braden), Kellan Boyle (Lonny), Brian Brightman (Zoeller), Tom Brokaw (himself – archive footage), Bill Clinton (himself – archive footage), Alex Collins (Max Green – APD), David de Vries (John Walter), Wayne Duvall (Richard Rackleff), Luke Georgecink (Rob), Ian Gomez (Dan Bennet), Will Gonzalez (Agent Rosario), Charles Green (Dr. W. Ray Cleere), Garon Grigsby (Bryant Gumbel), Jon Hamm (Tom Shaw), Paul Walter Hauser (Richard Jewell), Alan Heckner (Bill Miller – GBI), Izzy Herbert (Mariah Braden), Dylan Kussman (Bruce Hughes), Kelly Collins Lintz (Mrs. Braden), Eric Mendenhall (Eric Rudolph), Niko Nicotera (Dave Dutchess), Michael Otis (Mr. Braden), Desmond Phillips (Mike Silver – APD), Mike Pniewski (Brandon Walker), Grant Roberts (Will Jones – APD), Sam Rockwell (Watson Bryant), David Shae (Ron Martz), Billy Slaughter (Tim Barker),Aaron Strand (Joe Nobody), Robert Treveiler (Patrick Williams), Olivia Wilde (Kathy Scruggs), Mike Wilson (Forsythe), Olaolu Winfunke (Eli Gradestone)
Running Time: 131 mins
Classification: M (Australia)
OUR RICHARD JEWELL REVIEWS & RATINGS:
Dave Griffiths Review
Kyle McGrath’s Review
Average Subculture Rating:
IMDB Rating:
Other Subculture Entertainment Richard Jewell Reviews: N/A
Trailer: