Author: Alex Billington

"Any time we do a death, we try to truly make it a classic kill. We take it very seriously." Sony Pictures revealed a new featurette for Eli Roth's Thanksgiving horror movie, arriving in theaters this November in time for the Thanksgiving holiday. After 16 years since the Grindhouse film first hit theaters, they've turned this Thanksgiving fake trailer joke into a real horror. After a Black Friday riot ends in tragedy, a mysterious Thanksgiving-inspired killer terrorizes the town of Plymouth, MA – the birthplace of the infamous autumn holiday. The horror stars Patrick Dempsey, Addison Rae, Jalen Thomas Brooks, Milo Manheim, Nell Verlaque, Gina Gershon, Tim Dillon, and Rick Hoffman. This featurette video includes Eli Roth talking about trying to stuff this full of new classic kills, while also trying to make a fun slasher horror that he's always dreamed of making. There's not much extra footage in here, but it is cool to see Eli Roth talking about how excited he was putting this together. Maybe it actually will turn out really good? With crazy kills? Here's the quick ...

"If we fight, we die. If we run, we die." Hulu has unveiled an official trailer for a crime comedy series titled Culprits, made in England for Disney UK. It's the latest creation from filmmaker J Blakeson, best known for his films The Disappearance of Alice Creed, The 5th Wave, and I Care a Lot previously. After a heist, the crew have gone their separate ways, but now, they are being targeted by a killer one-by-one. Culprits kicks off where most crime stories end: after a high-stakes heist, when the crew of elite criminals have gone their separate ways. Past and present collide when a ruthless assassin starts targeting them. Why are they being stalked, who is behind the mayhem, and will they be able to find one another in time to protect themselves and the people they love? The 8-episode UK dark comedy series stars Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, Gemma Arterton, Kirby, Niamh Algar, Kamel El Basha, Tara Abboud, Kevin Vidal, Ned Dennehy, and Eddie Izzard. This looks entertaining! Tons of style, lots of masks (why so many masks all over ...

"Every year we drive him out, but he stands in the fields and waits..." Magnolia Pictures has unveiled an official trailer for an indie horror film titled Lord of Misrule, the latest film from director William Brent Bell (of The Boy, Brahms: The Boy II, Orphan: First Kill previously). This is set for a release in December, direct to VOD for everyone to watch. When the daughter of the town's new priest goes missing during the harvest festival, a desperate search begins, uncovering the town's dark history and resurfacing tales of a mysterious, malevolent spirit that demands sacrifice. Yet another horror flick with masked mysteries, and unruly townsfolk who don't want to look into the darker sides. Starring Tuppence Middleton as Rebecca, Ralph Ineson, Matt Stokoe, Evie Templeton, Alexa Goodall, Anton Valensi, Rosalind March, and David Langham. All the masks in this film are seriously creepy, just wonder the rest of it is any good. Here's the official trailer (+ poster) for William Brent Bell's Lord of Misrule, direct from YouTube: Lord of Misrule follows Rebecca Holland (Tuppence Middleton), who has recently ...

"What if this awesome thing we have going on gets ruined?" Peacock has debuted the official trailer for an original romantic comedy film titled If You Were the Last, directed by Kristian Mercado from a script by Angela Bourassa. This sci-fi rom-com with a simple twist is about two people stuck on a spaceship out in the solar system questioning their relationship and sex and everything else. This initially premiered at the 2023 SXSW Film Festival earlier this year, but is skipping theaters entirely for the release. Adrift in their broken-down space shuttle with little hope of rescue, two astronauts argue over whether they're better off spending their remaining days as friends or something more. Starring Anthony Mackie as Adam & Zoe Chao as Jane, with a small cast including Natalie Morales, Geoff Stults, Missi Pyle, Sarah Voigt, and Kaleka. This looks super cute and quaint and funky, with some stop-motion papier-mâché planets as the backdrop to their situation. Another film wondering: can best friends also be lovers? Will it work? What do you think? Here's the official trailer (+ poster) ...

"Life is so complex... And overwhelming. And it's so hard to figure out what's real and what isn't... What matters and what doesn't. Whether your feelings betray, or if they are your only compass..." Ahhh yes, the eternally mysterious questions about life and love. There's no easy way to answer these ruminations, which is why we tell stories. This is why we make films, sing songs, read books, to spend time with stories that help us figure out our own ways, help us figure out how (or at least guide us) to make sense of the lives we're all living. That is the best intro I can muster for this charming indie romantic comedy discovery. Molli and Max in the Future is a sci-fi romance film written and directed by filmmaker Michael Lukk Litwak as his feature debut, and I fell head over heels for it. The film first premiered at the 2023 SXSW Film Festival earlier this year, stopping at the London & Sitges Film Festivals this fall. I'm glad I took the chance to catch up with it ...

"Who do you think you're working with, buddy?" Netflix has revealed an official trailer for a crime thriller from Mexico titled I Don't Expect Anyone to Believe Me, which sounds much more like a film for a sci-fi or supernatural horror than a drama like this. It's the latest film from the acclaimed filmmaker Fernando Frias of the sensational Mexican drama I'm No Longer Here from a few years ago (which is also on Netflix to watch). In this film, Juan Pablo Villalobos travels with his girlfriend to study for a PhD in Literature in Barcelona. But before he leaves Mexico, he gets involved in a criminal network, which inspires him to write the novel of his dreams (called "I Don't Expect Anyone to Believe Me"), while his life takes many absurd & sinister turns. Based on the novel by Juan Pablo Villalobos, this stars Darío Yazbek with Natalia Solián, Alexis Ayala, Juan Minujín, Carmen Beato, Anna Castillo, Ivano Palatucci, & Antonia Robolini. This trailer has a much more upbeat vibe than expected, despite all the heavy undertones of the ...

"I'm not from Hell, I'm from Indiana!" A festival promo trailer crashes in for an indie sci-fi comedy called Invaders From Proxima B, made by actor / filmmaker Ward Roberts. It's premiering in the next week at the 2023 Austin Film Festival in Texas, though has no other release dates set - it'll be touring at more fests. When a cute, wise-cracking alien from Proxima B named Chuck crash lands in their backyard, the Jankins family must work together to save their new fuzzy friend from a dangerous array of weirdos that show up in hot pursuit. The stakes couldn't be higher for Chuck, the Jankins, and maybe even all of planet Earth. It's super wacky – when the puppet alien shows up gets really fun. Reminds me of the kind of mega low budget, kooky and amusing early films the Duplass Bros or Kevin Smith made early on. Ward Roberts also stars with Samantha Sloyan, Bo Roberts, Mike C. Nelson, Richard Riehle, Jeremiah Birkett, & Sarah Lassez. This won't be for everyone, only those who can appreciate clever homemade ...

"There's nothing out there..." "You think you're better than me?" Dark Sky has revealed an official trailer for an indie small town psychological thriller titled Hands that Bind, from up-and-coming filmmaker Kyle Armstrong. Made in Canada, this film first premiered at the 2021 Calgary Film Festival a few years ago, with a stop at the Vancouver Film Festival also that year. It's finally getting a small US release this fall after a few years in limbo. A hired hand plans to eventually take over his boss farm are shattered when the landowners son returns to claim his birthright. He watches as his way of life begins slipping right through his fingers... Described by the festival as a "prairie gothic" film that "elevates rural mundanity into something mythical." The film stars Paul Sparks, Susan Kent, Landon Liboiron, Nicholas Campbell, Will Oldham, with Bruce Dern. This looks pretty good, better than you might be expecting, worth a look if you're intrigued by the premise. I dig the unsettling mysterious vibe of this whole trailer. And it has a couple of great shots ...

"We shot these on 16mm. We wanted our film to seem like it might've been made for British TV in 1980..." Netflix has debuted a magnificent behind-the-scenes featurette for the Wes Anderson film The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, which is streaming now on Netflix to watch worldwide. It's one of his other new films this year (after Asteroid City), one of the four short films adapted from Roald Dahl stories for Netflix. This 37-minute adaptation for the screen tells the story of a rich man who learns about a guru who can see without using his eyes and then sets out to master the skill in order to cheat at gambling. Anderson's take on Henry Sugar stars Benedict Cumberbatch as Mr. Sugar, along with Ralph Fiennes, Dev Patel, Ben Kingsley, Richard Ayoade, Rupert Friend, and Saif Mohsen. There is such a copious amount of great behind-the-scenes shots in here, it's really quite delightful, a true inside look at the process of watching Wes Anderson make a movie. He speaks so enthusiastically about all the craftsmanship and work that goes ...

"For passionate film lovers." Janus Films is re-releasing the French New Wave classic L'Amour Fou (aka just Amour Fou) at the Lincoln Center cinemas in NYC this week. The film is getting a nice 4K restoration re-release in select US theaters, after recently playing at the 2023 New York Film Festival earlier this month (it originally premiered at NYFF in 1972). The 4K restoration was carried out by Les Films du Losange with the support of Les Films du Veilleur and the CNC under the supervision of Caroline Champetier AFC. "One of the great French films of its era. Watching this is a life experience as much as a film experience." During the rehearsals for the production of the tragedy Andromaque, the leading actress and her director, a couple behind the scenes, can't find a way to leave their personal problems at home. Life imitates fiction, creating a real tragedy for this couple when the man finds comfort with other women while the actress prefers to stay focused on her work, as if nothing is happening with her partner. Starring ...