Author: Alex Billington

"You're family – they're not in the way, they are the way." Lionsgate has revealed the official trailer for a band biopic movie called Unsung Hero, which is essentially just one big chunk of marketing for the band anyway. It actually stars one of the band members as his own father, and is also written and directed and produced by him. David Smallbone, his pregnant wife, and their seven children leave Australia to rebuild their lives in America. David and Helen realize the musical talent of their children, who become two of the most successful acts in "Inspirational Music" history. The movie also follows the family's mother, Helen, as she uses her faith to hold the family of nine together by turning struggles into an adventure for her children. Not just a movie about a band, it's also more religious storytelling! Unsung Hero stars Daisy Betts, Joel Smallbone, Kirrilee Berger, Jonathan Jackson, Lucas Black, with Candace Cameron Bure, and Terry O'Quinn. This looks exactly as cheesy & as totally "faith will guide us" uplifting as it sounds. Enjoy. Here's the official ...

"A luminous and soul-nourishing microcosm." Janus Films + Sideshow have revealed an official US trailer for an acclaimed Mexican drama titled Tótem. It initially premiered at the 2023 Berlin Film Festival earlier this year, one of the few great films at the festival that should've won the top prize. Mexican director Lila Avilés's film Totem is about a family getting ready for a birthday party, told through the eyes of a young girl. Seven-year-old Sol spends the day at her grandfather's home, helping with the preparations for a surprise party for her ailing father. Throughout the day, chaos slowly takes over, fracturing the family's foundations. Sol will embrace the essence of letting go as a release for existence. It's a wonderfully soulful, touching film about family and life on this planet - don't skip over this one. The ensemble cast features Naíma Sentíes, Monserrat Marañon, Marisol Gasé, Saori Gurza, Teresita Sánchez, Mateo García Elizondo, Juan Francisco Maldonado, and Iazua Larios. The film is not an easy sell, it's admittedly hard to get anyone to watch it, but if you love ...

"I'm tired of being a passenger in my own life!" AMC has revealed a teaser trailer for a thriller series called Parish, arriving for streaming in 2024. It's a US update on the British mini-series The Driver from 2014, with a similar premise. AMC's quick synopsis only introduces it as: "Quit being a passenger in your own life and take back control." The series actually follows a taxi driver whose life is turned upside down when he agrees to pick-up a Zimbabwean gangster known for exploiting many undocumented immigrants at the U.S. southern ports. Giancarlo Esposito stars in this series as "the driver" who decides to get revenge. The full cast also includes Arica Himmel, Paula Malcomson, Ivan Mbakop, Bonnie Mbuli, Zackary Momo, Dax Rey, and Skeet Ulrich. There's barely 30 seconds in this teaser, but it's enough to get your attention, setting the intense tone with Esposito looking extremely pissed off. Time for him to take control! Drive on. Here's the first look teaser trailer for AMC+'s series Parish, direct from AMC+'s YouTube: Gray Parish (Giancarlo Esposito) is a good man ...

"The greatest locomotive around! Linus, our hero!" This wonderful animated short film is now available to view online after a successful film festival run earlier this year. Give it a watch! The Brave Locomotive is a delightful 7-minute animated short created by the animation filmmaker Andrew Chesworth, who has worked on Disney & Netflix movies. Produced and developed entirely on his own as a fun little side project, it's now qualified for Academy Awards consideration in 2024 after winning Best Animation at L.A. Shorts Film Festival. It's an animated tale of an old locomotive train in the early days of America's expansion - an "Old West musical tale with 1940s flair." Featuring the singers known as The Dollys performing the songs - Kari Shaw Akers, Andra Suchy, and Morgana Hasil. With Drew Jansen as The Railroad Baron. This short is so playful and authentic and heartfelt and amusing. I love all the little details in the animation and storytelling, especially the engineer Henry who just loves his little locomotive friend. This is a real gem. 🚂 Thanks to Twitter for the ...

"There are special residents we can keep an eye on." Film Movement has unveiled an official US trailer for a documentary film from China called Total Trust, a fascinating and scary inside look at China's surveillance programs. It's set for a US release this December during the awards season. You've probably heard about it in the news already, about China's freaky social currency + monitoring programs, with points-based systems to keep people in line. For two decades, China has implemented cutting-edge security and surveillance to monitor its citizens. Total Trust is a documentary about surveillance technology and censorship that follows the stories of people in China who have been monitored and tracked. A warning for democracies, it sounds an alarm about the increasing worldwide use of surveillance tools. In the film, two families fight for justice from within the digital prison of the Chinese surveillance state. An important cautionary tale & harrowing look at what can happen anywhere in the world if governments, and citizens, don't stop it first. Take a look. Here's the official US trailer (+ poster) for Jialing ...

"This isn't about migration, it's about adventure!" Illumination debuted yet another trailer for Migration, making this the fourth trailer (including the teaser) though they've officially labeled it as trailer #3. It's set to open in December and it seems they're really hoping it will be a big hit with families this holiday season. A family of ducks convince their overprotective father to go on the vacation of a lifetime. As the Mallard Family makes their way South for the winter, their well-laid plans quickly go awry. The new experience will inspire them to expand their horizons, open up to new friends and accomplish more than they ever thought possible. The voice cast features Kumail Nanjiani, Elizabeth Banks, Awkwafina, Keegan-Michael Key, David Mitchell, Carol Kane, Caspar Jennings, Tresi Gazal, and Danny DeVito. It's written by Mike White, yes of "White Lotus" and School of Rock, and is directed by the acclaimed French animation filmmaker Benjamin Renner, of Ernest & Celestine and The Big Bad Fox and Other Tales. This does look like good fun, and expansive as they journey through New ...

"Let's all go to the lobby!" And get some snacks for the horror show today. Dark Sky Films has unveiled the first teaser trailer for an indie horror film coming to theaters in January called Founders Day, self-labeled a "political slasher". It has already been playing at genre film festivals this fall, starting at Popcorn Frights Film Festival along with FrightFest London and the Toronto After Dark Film Festival. Now it's set to play on the big screen in a few months from now. The newest genre title from the Bloomquist Brothers (Ten Minutes to Midnight, Weekenders) marks the reunion of 13 Reasons Why duo Devin Druid and Amy Hargreaves ("Homeland", Brainscan, Wonderstruck), who join an ensemble cast including Naomi Grace, William Russ, Catherine Curtin, Emilia McCarthy, and Olivia Nikkanen. In the film, a small town is shaken by a series of ominous killings in the days leading up to a heated Mayoral election. Another masked killer thriller with freaky twists and crazy characters, as usual. This actually looks better than expect - check it out. Here's the first teaser trailer ...

"The authority of the bible is at stake." An official trailer is out for an important documentary film titled in full 1946: The Mistranslation That Shifted Culture. After a festival run that captured over 20 awards including the Audience Award at the 2022 DOC NYC Film Festival, this will be out in theaters starting this December. Made by filmmaker Sharon "Rocky" Roggio, 1946 is a feature documentary that follows the story of tireless researchers who trace the origins of the anti-gay movement among Christians to a mistranslation of the Bible in 1946. The film chronicles the discovery of never-before-seen documents found in archives at Yale University which unveil astonishing new revelations, and casts significant doubt on any biblical basis for LGBTQIA+ prejudice. With commentary from prominent scholars as well as opposing pastors, including the personal stories of the film's creators, 1946 is at once challenging, enlightening, and inspiring. While other doc films have been successful in their attempt to treat the symptom of homophobia in the church, 1946 is working to diagnose and treat the disease – Biblical Literalism. Yes, ...

"Christmas Killers strike again." Streaming horror network Shudder has revealed a trailer for indie horror film The Sacrifice Game, made by filmmaker Jenn Wexler. This premiered at the 2023 Fantasia Festival & FrightFest London, along with appearances at Fantastic Fest and the Telluride Horror Show. Available to stream on Shudder this December. Set in the 1970s at the ominously named The Blackvale School for Girls. It's bad enough that boarding school students Samantha and Clara can't go home for the holidays (so The Holdovers as horror?), but things take a deadly turn when a murderous gang arrives on their doorstep - just in time for Christmas. The horror film stars Mena Massoud, Olivia Scott Welch, Gus Kenworthy, Madison Baines, Derek Johns, Laurent Pitre, Chloë Levine, and Georgia Acken. Looks like your standard group of demented killers thriller with all the usual tropes and lots of yelling and everything else. Here's the official trailer (+ poster) for Jenn Wexler's The Sacrifice Game, from Shudder's YouTube: The Blackvale School for Girls, 1971. It's bad enough that students Samantha (Madison Baines) and Clara (Georgia Acken) ...