Author: Alex Billington

"It's not that deep fam. Take this, it will help." Time for an escape – into the world of animation. ESC is an amusing 3-minute long, 3D animated short film created by the studio FOREAL. It's written and directed by London-based filmmaker Sam Southward, whose distinct shiny objects & rounded-corners style works well for this story of an overworked young woman who needs relief. The film was created for OFFF México (here), "an international festival that celebrates creativity & digital culture in the company of the brightest minds from Mexico and the world." The description for this ESC short says that she "realises that she must refocus on what’s important" while in the midst of her existential crisis. Though I'm wondering if she truly found an "escape" or just another brief distraction from the overworked office hellscape most are stuck in..? Thanks to Vimeo Staff Picks for the tip on this film being available to watch online. Intro from Vimeo: "An overworked woman in the midst of an existential crisis realises that she must refocus on what's important." ESC is both ...

"Their nightmare is us - fighting together to defend something we love." It's a Zack Snyder holiday! Netflix has unveiled the first look teaser trailer for Rebel Moon - Part Two: The Scargiver, the second half of Zack Snyder's epic sci-fi saga. The first half, titled Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Fire, is now playing on Netflix worldwide after a few quick 70mm screenings this month in a few cities. There is also supposedly an R-rated "Director's Cut" arriving next year (if you want more). Rebel Moon is an original Zack Snyder creation, a Star Wars-esque sci-fi thriller about a ragtag team of rebels. In a universe controlled by a corrupt militaristic government, the moon of Veldt is threatened by the forces of the Imperium, the army of the Mother World controlled by "Regent Balisarius". Sofia Boutella stars as Kora, a former member of the Imperium who rallies warriors from across the galaxy to fight back. Part Two features an ensemble cast lead by Djimon Hounsou, Ed Skrein, Michiel Huisman, Doona Bae, Ray Fisher, Anthony Hopkins as ...

Joyeux Noel! Gledelig Jul! Frohe Weihnachten! Mele Kalikimaka! From all of us at FirstShowing.net, we want to wish every one our readers a very Merry Christmas and a Happy Holidays! Whether you're in hanging out at home alone, spending the time with family or friends, or just with your partner; or whether it's snowing or sunny where you are, we hope you have a lovely weekend full of relaxation and warmth and smiles. Despite all the turmoil and troubles throughout this year, movies have still kept us entertained and excited. Thanks for reading and thanks for following FS throughout this year. And the past few years. It has been a tough year for websites, especially independent ones like this. As always, the movies and the movie lovers are what keep us going. Even if this summer's big movies weren't that memorable, end of the year surprises like Godzilla: Minus One, The Iron Claw, and The Holdovers make up for it. Stay safe, stay happy, stay sane movie lovers. News and trailers always slow down during the holidays, but we'll be ...

"You think I'll mess it up, mess it up, mess it up all for you; You think I'm really, really, really gonna really make your dreams come true..." There's a new music video out that is worth a watch. If you haven't heard already, The Rolling Stones have released a brand new album this year called "Hackney Diamonds" - the first album of original material by the Rolling Stones since 2005's "A Bigger Bang." The music video is for the track known as "Mess It Up" and it's directed by the talented filmmaker Calmatic, also known for directing the recent House Party and White Men Can't Jump remakes. It features actor Nicholas Hoult getting angry at his relationship and running out her, thinking she messed it up, only to dance around and realize that he messed it up. It's actually pretty cool - always nice to see a good narrative with some strong cinematography in a music video. Fire it up and watch Hoult grow a beard over the course of a few minutes. Thanks to Twitter/X for the tip on ...

Showtime has slipped out the original pilot episode of Fliplathropy, the TV series within the show The Curse that is streaming now on Showtime / Paramount+. This is hilarious! This A24 / Showtime series is a crazy brilliant satire called The Curse, a strange "genre-bending" creation straight from the mad genius minds of Nathan Fielder and filmmaker Benny Safdie (one half of the Safdie Brothers). Here's the intro to Fliplathropy: Whitney and Asher Siegel are a newlywed couple struggling to bring their vision for eco-conscious housing to the small community of Española, New Mexico. But their efforts are complicated when an eccentrically flawed reality TV producer, Dougie, sees an opportunity in their story. As the series unfolds, the couple find themselves caught in a mysterious web of ethical and moral gray zones – all while trying to keep their relationship afloat. Starring Emma Stone, Nathan Fielder, Benny Safdie. I've already been watching The Curse and it's so awkward and uncomfortable and ingenious in its mockery of the reality TV culture. This is just a fun way for the series to ...

"Why is there always someone who brings eggs and tomatoes to a speech?" Who remembers this iconic line? One of the most strikingly strange character designs ever to grace the big screen was The Penguin in Tim Burton's 1992 sequel Batman Returns (his successful follow up to 1989's Batman). This 90s comic book movie starred Danny DeVito as the fish eatin', wise crackin' DC villain - one of the most disgusting characters that haunted me when I was growing up. Still gives me the willies. The legendary Stan Winston and his team at Stan Winston Studio were hired to create a number of unique special effects for Batman Returns, having worked with Tim Burton before, with a focus on The Penguin. Winston is one of the best in the business, and his work is still impressive. Now 31 years later, the Stan Winston School of Character Arts website has posted a fascianting making of look back at the process of designing, creating, and perfecting the Oswald Cobblepot character. This is for all the movie geeks who enjoy getting a peek ...

"What if I screw this up? I don't even know if I want kids!" Lionsgate has unveiled the trailer for another new sex comedy called Scrambled, marking the feature directorial debut of filmmaker Leah McKendrick. Thirty-something Nellie Robinson is your quintessential eternal bridesmaid. When a doctor visit reveals her fertility may be in jeopardy, she stares down the barrel of a future without options and decides to freeze her eggs. The arduous (and pricey) process sends her on a journey of self-examination, confronting past lovers, dreams and regrets, and ultimately bringing her face to face with the one she’s meant to be with forever: Herself. Starring Leah McKendrick as Nellie, Ego Nwodim, Andrew Santino, Adam Rodriguez, Laura Cerón, and Clancy Brown. This received mostly positive reviews at the fest, praising the structure: "the film has quick quips, good timing, and tight pacing." Looks like it is honest & fun with plenty of spunk. Here's the official trailer (+ poster) for Leah McKendrick's Scrambled, direct from Lionsgate's YouTube: Quintessential eternal bridesmaid Nellie Robinson (Leah McKendrick) constantly finds herself between weddings, baby showers, and ...

"You're still you. Ad I think you're pretty perfect just the way you are." Blue Fox Ent. has revealed another official US trailer for an indie coming-of-age comedy titled Fitting In, made by Canadian filmmaker Molly McGlynn (view the Canadian trailer here). This first premiered at the 2023 SXSW Film Festival, and it also played at the TIFF, Calgary, and Vancouver Film Fests up in Canada this year. A teen girl is diagnosed with a reproductive condition that upends her plans to have a sex life, propelling her to explore unusual methods. Her relationships are also challenged with everyone in her life, but most importantly, herself. This is a semi-autobiographical feature that's also executive produced / presented by Janelle Monáe. McGlynn's Fitting In stars Maddie Ziegler as Lindy, with Emily Hampshire, Djouliet Amara, D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, and Ki Griffin. This is a toned down version of the other trailer, because they can't put in the dialogue here about why the "fitting in" title is a perfectly clever title for this film. I hope US audiences still give it a look. Here's the ...

"Any song that Willie has written, he's lived it." Paramount+ has debuted their new biopic doc series called Willie Nelson & Family, available for streaming this week on their Paramount+ service. This originally premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival earlier in the year, playing in their new Series section. The first authorized work exploring the extraordinary life of Willie Nelson traverses the personal and career ups, downs, and in-betweens of one of the world's most beloved musicians, by turns spiritual, dramatic, and playful. Willie Nelson is now 90 years old and still going! This seems less of a "reality" series and more of a comprehensive look at his life and family, spanning four episodes and over four hours. "Award-winning filmmakers Thom Zimny & Oren Moverman fuse their own unique styles to construct an intimate, cinematic memoir of the Red Headed Stranger, traversing the highs, lows, and in-betweens of Willie’s personal life and professional career." Sounds good! This is a really stellar trailer, makes me want to watch. Check it out. Here's the official trailer (+ poster) for Paramount+'s series Willie ...

"I can't tell you how good it is... to have all of under the same roof again." Someone over at The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences (AMPAS) really loves mashups. This video plays like one of their montages during the Academy Awards show every year, but this one won't be airing during the broadcast in March. The Academy debuted a short "Happy Holidays from The Academy" mashup video on their YouTube featuring a medley of holiday classics. Aside from all the regulars, they've also got some oddball ones like Christmas with the Kranks, Jingle All the Way, Krampus, and The War With Grandpa. Plus classics like White Christmas, The Apartment, Meet Me in St Louis, and It's a Wonderful Life. It's just a nice celebration of the magic of the movies and how they are connected with the holiday spirit and holiday season. Christmas is just around the corner! My favorite modern Christmas movie from the last few years is Spirited, which debuted on Apple TV+ last year. If you haven't seen it yet, it's worth a watch ...