Author: Alex Billington

"He said, if we were the toughest, the strong, nothing would ever hurt us. I believed him. We all did..." A24 has revealed the official trailer for the film The Iron Claw, directed by Sean Durkin (of Martha Marcy May Marlene, The Nest, "Dead Ringers"). This is about the family of wrestlers, the Von Erich family, and their legacy as they popularized wrestling helping make it a big success. Strangely it has skipped all the fall film festivals, but will still be opening in theaters in late December at the end of 2023. The film is centered around the Von Erich family, a dynasty of wrestlers from the 1960s onwards that had enormous success, and popularized the iron claw professional wrestling hold. However, they not only had to battle inside the ring, but also fight the "Von Erich curse" outside of it. This stars Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White, Harris Dickinson as Kevin, Kerry and David Von Erich, respectively. With Maura Tierney, Holt McCallany, Stanley Simons, Brady Pierce, and Lily James, plus real wrestlers including Ryan Nemeth. It looks quite ...

"You ready to ride?" "I thought you'd never ask..." Paramount+ has finally launched the main official trailer for Lawmen: Bass Reeves, the next new Taylor Sheridan gritty western series. This follows up two other teaser trailers released before - with a debut date set for November. Bass Reeves is a former slave turned American law enforcement official; historically the first Black deputy U.S. Marshal west of the Mississippi River. David Oyelowo stars as Bass Reeves – known as the greatest frontier hero in American history, who worked in the Post-Reconstruction era as a federal peace officer in the Indian Territory, capturing some of the most dangerous criminals without ever being wounded. Despite arresting over 3,000 outlaws during the course of his career, the weight of the badge was heavy, and he wrestled with its moral and spiritual cost to his beloved family. The cast includes Dennis Quaid, Forrest Goodluck, Lauren E. Banks as Jennie Reeves, Bass' wife, Barry Pepper, Grantham Coleman, with Demi Singleton as his daughter, Donald Sutherland, Shea Whigham, and Garrett Hedlund. Looks damn good! Fire up the ...

"He had all the girls, and he had all the fan mail." Magnolia Pictures has revealed the official trailer for a documentary film called The Stones and Brian Jones, another fascinating music history doc joining the many others in the past few years. From acclaimed doc filmmaker Nick Broomfield, who last directed My Father and Me and Last Man Standing. The film focuses on music mastermind Brian Jones - the founder, rhythm/lead guitarist, and original leader of the Rolling Stones when it was founded in 1962. Featuring revealing interviews with all the main players and unseen archival footage being released for the first time, The Stones and Brian Jones explores the creative musical genius of Brian Jones, and it also uncovers how the founder of what became the greatest rock 'n' roll band in the world was left behind in the shadows of history. This looks like it might be for die-hard fans more than others, but should still be engaging to watch. Here's the first official trailer for Nick Broomfield's doc The Stones & Brian Jones, from YouTube: Examines the creativity ...

"Feeding time!" Lionsgate has unveiled an official trailer for a horror thriller called Squealer, marking the feature directorial debut of a filmmaker named Andy Armstrong - who has been doing stunts and working as a second unit director for years previously. When a local cop and an overzealous social-worker follow clues on missing persons cases around town, stomach-turning discoveries are unearthed on a pig farm, where the town butcher has been slaughtering more than livestock. Surprise! Yeah that synopsis pretty much explains everything in this, though there might be a few more twists in it... Or not. Squealer stars Wes Chatham, Ronnie Gene Blevins, Kate Moennig, Danielle Burgio, Graham Greene, Theo Rossi, and Tyrese Gibson. Lionsgate is opening this directly on VOD right away in early November, skipping all of the horror month of October, which is a bad sign. It doesn't look interesting or innovative or anything, just disgusting. Here's the first official trailer (+ promo poster) for Andy Armstrong's Squealer, direct from YouTube: Tyrese Gibson and Theo Rossi star in this terrifying thriller inspired by real events. When young ...

"He would not sell his soul, just to get a film done." Key 13 Films has revealed an official trailer for a horror documentary film called George A. Romero's Resident Evil, arriving sometime in early 2024. Made by filmmaker Brandon Salisbury, this doc is in the same vein as Jodorowsky's Dune (one of my favorites), examining a long lost movie project that was never made. A documentary that brings to light the vision that iconic zombie director George A. Romero had for an adaptation of Resident Evil, using newly filmed interviews with those who were there, and unravels the secrets behind why it was never produced. At the end of the 1990s, they tried to make a RE movie, with Romero considered to direct it – but as we all know, eventually Paul W.S. Anderson made the first RE movie in 2002. Now, audiences everywhere will experience the "darkest day of horror the world will never know", as they uncover the unrequited vision of... George A. Romero's Resident Evil. As a movie geek, I have to watch this just to ...

"There is nothing so inspiring as sheer desperation." Netflix has debuted the full official trailer for the film Pain Hustlers, arriving in theaters soon for just a week before it's streaming on Netflix later this month. It first premiered at the 2023 Toronto Film Festival. Liza dreams of a better life for her and her daughter so she gets a job at a bankrupt pharmacy, and Liza's guts catapult the company and her into the high life not knowing that she'll be in the middle of a criminal conspiracy. All the while dealing with her increasingly unhinged boss, the medical condition of her daughter, and her growing awareness of the devastation the company is causing forces Liza to examine her choices. Co-starring Emily Blunt and Chris Evans, with Catherine O'Hara, Chloe Coleman, Amit Shah, Aubrey Dollar, Willie Raysor, and Andy Garcia. The film is directed by BAFTA award winner David Yates, produced by Lawrence Grey, and also includes Jay Duplass & Brian d'Arcy James. It's similar to Netflix's other opioids series Painkillers, both telling quite similar stories. I wish this ...

"I know my sister's somewhere in the world... Someday, we're gonna meet again." WB has unveiled the fabulous second official trailer for The Color Purple, a new adaptation of the beloved, triumphant musical of the same name. Back in 1985, Steven Spielberg directed a non-musical version of this story (also called The Color Purple) which became a Broadway musical that first opened in 2005. He's producing this new version, too. This updated take is also based on the musical, bringing it to theaters once again on Christmas Day at the end of 2023. This should be a fantastic finale for movie lovers at the end of this year. It's a story of the life-long struggles of an African American woman living in the south during the early 1900s - focusing on two sisters torn apart and their separate lives. This new 2023 The Color Purple stars Taraji P. Henson, Danielle Brooks, Colman Domingo, Corey Hawkins, H.E.R., Halle Bailey, with Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, and Fantasia Barrino (in her motion picture debut). This looks absolutely magnificent! So much energy and enthusiasm and passion ...

The film absolutely RULES!! All aboard the next evolution in action cinema. I can do my best to describe the exhilaration of watching this film in the biggest auditorium at the 2023 Sitges Film Festival, but no words can truly express these emotions properly. It's a must-see-for-yourself and be totally blown away cinematic experience. Any and every action lover should be lining up for its opening already. 12 years ago, The Raid changed action movies forever premiering at the 2011 Toronto Film Festival (here's my original review from back then). After the totally killer The Raid 2 and many other rip-offs and imitations, we now have a movie that takes that trapped-in-one-place concept and pushes it further again. Just as I said in my 2011 review, "holy shit I haven't seen an action movie this good in years!" I'll repeat that again for Kill, an Indian action movie from filmmaker Nikhil Bhat. This film completely blew me away, leaving me high on the adrenaline of this extraordinary battle set entirely inside a moving train. It is a whole new landmark ...

"I never start seeing anybody without stalking them first." Well, okay. Virgil Films has revealed an official trailer for an indie musical comedy called Open. A woman in a troubled marriage falls for her former teen heartthrob, who's fallen from industry favor, while having nagging (and empowering) hallucinations about fronting an 80's New Wave Band. Turns out this isn't really about wanting to be in a band, it's a weird story about open relationships and trouble romance. Starring Lindsay Anne Williams as Kristina, Jeremy London, William Forsythe, Amber Reign Smith, Elena Sanchez, and Miles Doleac. For the film's 10 original songs, writers Doleac & Williams partnered with their collaborator and composer, Clifton Hyde, and Oliver Hofer, to create a musical landscape "that's sure to delight fans of synth-driven 80’s post-punk." Or not. Because this looks really bad - the trailer is incoherent, and I don't expect the film to be any better. Here's the official trailer (+ poster) for Miles Doleac's musical comedy Open, direct from YouTube: Open tells the story of Kristina (Lindsay Anne Williams), a woman in a troubled marriage, ...

"You're willing to gamble the future of your entire family farm on whether or not you can scare me?" An official trailer for a wacky indie horror feature called Hayride to Hell, arriving in theaters this month. It's pretty much just a riff on this guy's actual Haunted Hayride, from farmer Bob Lange's pumpkin farm back in the 80s & 90s. In this rural horror spectacle, a small town farmer exacts his bloody revenge on unscrupulous town folk who try to steal his land. Dual horror icons Bill Moseley & Kane Hodder lead the cast. Set on the Coxe Family Farm in rural Willis County, Farmer Sam gets revenge on the unscrupulous local town-folk, including Sheriff Jubel, who menace him and attempt to steal the farm that has been in his family for 200 years. The cast also includes Graham Wolfe, Allyson Malandra, Denise Parella McDonald, Jared Michael Delaney, Shelby Hightower, and Cedric "Budge" Casimiro. Um this looks gnarly! It's super cheap and cheesy, but the creativity is there and the kills look actually messed up. Might be a wicked ...