Author: Alex Billington

"It's good to see you outta the house, Armen!" Paramount has revealed an official trailer for an animated musical comedy movie titled Under the Boardwalk. While this may seem like a DreamWorks Animation production, it's actually not. Produced by Paramount Animation, Nickelodeon Movies, and Big Kid Pictures, and animated by DNEG Animation. This animated musical comedy follows the hermit crabs who live under the boardwalk at the Jersey Shore. When Armen (a land crab townie) falls in love with Ramona (a sea crab tourist) tensions between their friends and families rise. But when a big storm casts the duo far from home, their love will lead them on an epic adventure which might unite the divided community. The impressive voice cast features Keke Palmer as Ramona, Michael Cera as Armen, with Bobby Cannavale, John Magaro, Jonathan Rudnitsky, Steven Van Zandt, Vanessa Bell Calloway, Ron Funches, Mario Cantone. It looks like an amusing tale about learning to literally "come out of your shell" for this little crab, and let loose & live, with a love story between two crabs. How fun. ...

"Everything in my life has been out of my control. Without him, I wouldn't be here right now..." Lionsgate has revealed an official trailer for an emotional veteran movie titled A Place in the Field, marking the feature directorial debut of filmmaker Nikki Mejia. This premiered last year and will be available to watch on VOD this fall. A battle-shocked veteran goes on a road trip to fulfill a promise to a fallen comrade — and realizes he must confront his own demons to reach his destination. Featuring flashbacks to his time on the battlfield, while he's on his journey through the back roads of America. The powerful indie drama arrives in theaters in November briefly before being available at home. Starring Don DiPetta as Scuderi, Khorri Ellis, Kelvin Delgado, Mishel Prada, Ashlee Brian, and Jeremy Luke. This looks a bit better than it sounds, with some heartfelt moments & meaningful encounters that comfort Gio on his path of redemption. Here's the official trailer (+ poster) for Nikki Mejia's A Place in the Field, direct from YouTube: Veteran Gio's (Don DiPetta) lonely ...

"Who is this?" Here's another good horror short to watch this spooky season. A Film by Vera Vaughn is a surreal psychological thriller from a filmmaker named Sorrel Brae, and it first premiered back in 2015. We never posted this short back then, so no better time then now to feature it (thanks to a reminder from Short of the Week). In this ghost story for the digital age, filmmaker Vera Vaughn (played by acclaimed American actress Marin Ireland) works late into the night, editing her suspense/thriller about a woman jeopardized by a mysterious home intruder... But when she's interrupted by a knock at the door, Vera's world takes a frightening turn toward the surreal as life threatens to imitate art — or is it the other way around? This is a solid and compelling film involving only one actor that requires that one actor to pull off two roles to make it all believable. Legit work. Also a good short film opener to watch before any episode of "Loki" - Season 2. Thanks to Short of the Week for the ...

"Are you not ashamed?" Kino Lorber has debuted another trailer for the film titled Four Daughters, a doc hybrid from acclaimed Tunisian filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania (also of Beauty and the Dogs & The Man Who Sold His Skin). It's opening in select US theaters soon - playing at a few art house cinemas. The film initially premiered at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival earlier this year. Many great reviews are quoted in this trailer. Winner of four prizes including the L'Oeil d'Or (Best Documentary) at Cannes, Four Daughters is a compelling portrait of five women and a unique and ambitious work of nonfiction storytelling exploring the nature of memory, the weight of inherited trauma, and the ties that bind mothers and daughters. Between light and darkness stands Olfa – a Tunisian woman who is the mother of four daughters. One day, her two older daughters disappear. To fill in their absence, the director invites professional actresses and invents a unique cinema experience that will lift the veil on Olfa and her daughters' life stories. An intimate journey of hope, ...

"I can't imagine spending the holidays together after what happened." Yeah, no monsters at dinner next time grandma. Let's have some fun today with these new trailers this week – shall we? Netflix + Miracle Media have each debuted official trailers for holiday-themed movies coming out this fall – and they both look terrible. Which one is worse...? Which one seems like it has less originality to offer? One is a Hallmark Channel movie rip off, the other will rip off your face while you're watching some Hallmark Channel movies. Netflix is releasing a romantic comedy called Best. Christmas. Ever! this fall, the latest from filmmaker Mary Lambert (who also made 2021's A Castle for Christmas on Netflix). Starring Heather Graham, Brandy Norwood, Jason Biggs and Matt Cedeño. Miracle Media is releasing this goofy UK horror comedy called Werewolf Santa, which originally premiered at FrightFest 2023 in London a few months ago. Starring Katherine Rodden, Emily Booth, Mark Arnold, and Charlie Preston. Santa Claus is coming to town and he wants more than milk and cookies... Both of these look like ...

"That ain't got nothing to do with me, bro, I'm just trying to get my son." Skyflix has revealed an official trailer for an indie thriller titled Run Nixon, marking the feature directorial debut of upstart filmmaker "Sky Directs" aka Sky Palmer. The social media sensation is finally making his first real film, set to open at AMC theaters this November. A riveting urban thriller that follows devoted parents in a heart-stopping race against time trying to save their child's life. A desperate mother robs a strip club to pay for her child's heart surgery. Run Nixon captivates with a gripping narrative & adrenaline-pumping action, seamlessly blending a tale of sacrifice, unbreakable family bonds, and the extraordinary lengths a parent will go to protect their child. The film stars Lil' Fizz, Jordan Lee Brown, Sicily Cameron, and Emperor Kaioyus as the kid. This isn't the best trailer, the editing is a bit choppy, and it's not a very unique story, but still worth a look. Here's the official trailer (+ poster) for Sky Directs' film Run Nixon, direct from YouTube: Run Nixon ...

"Haven't you been picking up on what's going on out there?" Netflix has unveiled the main official trailer for Leave the World Behind, an apocalyptic thriller from the mind of "Mr. Robot's" Sam Esmail. So what is going on in here? A family's vacation to a remote corner of Long Island is upended when two strangers arrive at night, seeking refuge from a cyberattack that grows more terrifying by the minute, forcing everyone to come to terms with their places in a collapsing world. They claim there is a blackout causing chaos in the city – but without TV or internet, they can't verify them. Do they trust them? What is really going on? Leave the World Behind stars Julia Roberts, Mahershala Ali, Ethan Hawke, Myha'la, Farrah Mackenzie, Charlie Evans, and Kevin Bacon. The film also features a score by Mac Quayle. This is set to open in theaters and on Netflix this fall after premiering at AFI Fest first this month. This still looks a lot like the M. Night Shyamalan film Knock at the Cabin from earlier this year, ...

"No one will survive the bloodythirst beast!" Iqiyi in China has released on streaming a fun creature feature called Sharktopus, another of these dumb shark concepts. This Chinese remake is riffing on the 2010 SyFy channel movie also called Sharktopus, produced by Julie and Roger Corman as one of the first low budget shark-mania movies. This new version is already out for streaming in China, though no info yet on when it will show up in other countries. This film tells the story of Fan Jingya (starring Michelle Ye), who devoted herself to researching a cure for Motor Neuron Disease to save her son. However, her boss, Mr. Chen, used her research to create an Octoshark, a highly intelligent hybrid of octopuses and sharks. And this caused a disaster (of course, it always does). Trapped on a cruise, Fan Jingya and her old flame, Lu Fei, have a battle of wits against the Octoshark. Also starring Luo Li-Qun, Chen Wen-Jun, and Lemon Li. This seems to have slightly better VFX, along with a bigger budget overall allowing them to get ...

This entrancing animated art is currently available to watch online for only a limited time - don't miss your chance to view it. Iizuna Fair is a magnificent art piece created by Japanese artist Sumito Sakakibara, commissioned by the Nagano Prefectural Art Museum in Japan. After premiering in 2021 & winning awards at festival it's now being project onto their massive 26m screen, which you can visit for yourself in Nagano, but for everyone else who can't make it they've published it online. It's only available for 3 months only - from September 15th until December 15th this fall. "In the midst of the frenzied night, a man finds himself lost in the crevasse of time." It's a rumination on time and memory and regret and grief, set mostly around a fair in the town of Iizuna (see Google Maps). While the artwork can play as a short, it's designed to run in a continuous loop, which adds an extra meta layer of meaning about our experience with life on this planet. I like the fight with the dragon right ...

"We're gonna build our way out!" Marvel has revealed an official trailer for their next LEGO special called LEGO Marvel Avengers: Code Red. It's arriving for streaming on Disney+ starting this weekend - on October 27th. A late October surprise! The Avengers gather to celebrate their latest victory in New York City, but their celebration is quickly interrupted by the mysterious disappearance of Black Widow's father, Red Guardian. As the team investigates, they discover that the villainous Collector is kidnapping every character who has "red" in their name. But despite their best efforts, the Avengers are unable to stop the Collector from kidnapping his next victim, their friend Red She-Hulk. Down but not out, the Avengers now seek out the one person who has the skills to help them — Wolverine. Code Red voice cast includes Laura Bailey, Trevor Devall, Steve Blum, Will Friedle, James Mathis III, Liam O'Brien, Laura Post, Bumper Robinson, Roger Craig Smith, Fred Tatasciore, and Mick Wingert. This looks super cheesy, and it's rated G – much more about goofy LEGO fun than telling a worthwhile ...