New DVD release

23 Mar

John Wick: Chapter 4 Review: Better Than Ever with Keanu Reeves vs. Donnie Yen

New DVD release

I’ve had a sort of Star Trek thing going on with the John Wick franchise: the odd-numbered films have never fully impressed us, while the even-numbered John Wick: Chapter 2 was a dazzling tour de force that elevated the series to a whole new level of action filmmaking. So I’m happy to report that the odd-even rule continues to be in effect. John Wick: Chapter 4 is a frequently astonishing epic that moves the story forward from the relative wheel-spinning of Chapter 3, using its whopping two-hour-and-49-minute runtime to deliver more stunning action, a heavier dose of humor, and even…

Read More

22 Mar

The Rock’s DC Movie Meddling Seemingly Confirmed by Shazam Star

New DVD release

This post contains spoilers for Shazam: The Fury of the Gods Shazam and Black Adam have finally begun to fight. Just not in the way you expected. Or maybe even wanted. Hot off the disappointing opening weekend box office sales of Shazam: The Fury of the Gods, The Wrap released an insider report that blamed Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson for undermining the Big Red Cheese’s cinematic future. In it, unnamed sources describe Johnson as a person who “thinks he’s bigger than the movie,” who wants only “to extend his brand and make a brand centered on himself.” That includes demanding…

Read More

22 Mar

Sophia Lillis Talks Playing a Druid in Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

New DVD release

This article is presented by Paramount Pictures. Sophia Lillis is no stranger to fantasy, having played the lead in the 2020 film Gretel & Hansel. But while that film had her primarily in a realistic world where fantasy rudely intruded, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves has Lillis completely surrounded by the fantastic, both in special effects and immersive sets—and her very own set of horns. Lillis spoke with Den of Geek about playing Doric and what it’s like to see herself turn into an owlbear. Den of Geek: You play Doric, a tiefling druid. What can you tell us…

Read More

22 Mar

The Shining Myth Debunked in New Book

New DVD release

“I’m not gonna hurt you.” When the increasingly unhinged Jack Torrence says those words to his wife Wendy midway through The Shining, we don’t believe him. We might believe that Jack’s actor Jack Nicholson has no intention of hurting Wendy’s actor Shelley Duvall, but we’re not sure that the man behind the scenes has her best interests in mind. No, not author Stephen King, who published The Shining in 1977. Rather, the man directing: Stanley Kubrick. Even before his death in 1999, Kubrick achieved mythological status, helming some of the most influential and popular movies of all time, including 2001:…

Read More

22 Mar

Netflix’s Noise Ending Explained: Michelle, the Factory and What’s Wrong With Matthias

New DVD release

In Netflix Belgian thriller Noise Mattias (Ward Kerremans), a social influencer with a baby son, uncovers secrets from the past when he and his wife, Liv (Sallie Harmsen), move back to his childhood home. It’s twisty and tinged with horror, but it also requires attention to follow what’s going on, and indeed, what’s real and what is not.  Co-written and directed by Steffen Geypens, it’s a small-town chiller that’s high on atmosphere, in particular (as you might expect) the audio elements as the increasingly unsettled Mattias dives down a rabbit hole of his family history, while becoming more and more…

Read More

21 Mar

Everything Everywhere Directors Defend Star Wars Jump

New DVD release

Going to Disneyland may be a perfectly acceptable way for football players to celebrate a big win, but eyebrows raise when film directors say the same thing. At least that’s a takeaway from the internet’s response to the news that Everything Everywhere All at Once directors Daniels are following their Oscar triumph by working for Disney. The filmmaking duo, consisting of Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, this week announced that they would be directing an episode of Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, the upcoming series starring Jude Law and created by Spider-Man: No Way Home director John Watts. The internet responded…

Read More

21 Mar

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves – How Michelle Rodriguez Brings Holga the Barbarian to Life

New DVD release

This article is presented by Paramount Pictures. There may not be car chases in Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, but Michelle Rodriguez—best known for her work in The Fast & the Furious series—doesn’t let that stop her from being at the center of the action. As Holga the barbarian, Rodriguez has some of the best action sequences in the film. She spoke with Den of Geek about her training, filming, and her history as a gamer. Den of Geek: What can you tell us about Holga, the barbarian you play in the film? Michelle Rodriguez: She’s a woman of…

Read More

20 Mar

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves – Who is Chris Pine’s Edgin the Bard?

New DVD release

This article is presented by Paramount Pictures. Chris Pine has been Captain Kirk. He’s been Wonder Woman’s soulmate. And he’s also one of the biggest stars in the world. But the latest blockbuster adventure he finds himself on is in Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, leading “the Bad News Bears of world-saving” as Edgin, a savvy bard with a knack for planning, and plenty of room for the actor’s signature charm. Pine told us all about bringing Edgin (and the bard’s trademark instrument, the lute) to the big screen. Den of Geek: You joined Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among…

Read More

20 Mar

Bob Odenkirk’s The Room Remake Will Defy Your Expectations

New DVD release

Bob Odenkirk is not making fun of Tommy Wiseau. Yes, he’s doing a reading of the enigmatic filmmaker’s 2003 bad-movie staple The Room, in which he plays main character Johnny, through which Wiseau vented all of his frustrations with the world. But he has no intention of mocking the movie or its writer/director/star/hype-man Wiseau. “We didn’t make fun of it,” he promised Den of Geek while promoting his new series Lucky Hank at SXSW. “Because that’s already been done.” More than a reluctance to cover well-trod ground, Odenkirk’s refusal to mock The Room comes from a place of love and…

Read More

20 Mar

Lord of the Rings: The Many Ways Tolkien Songs Have Shown Up in Movies, TV, and More

New DVD release

Music has always played an important role in Tolkien adaptations. J.A. Bayona, producer and director on Amazon’s Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, told Den of Geek last year that he played music on set for the actors to help them get “the right tone” for their characters, and that “there’s an… obvious sense of musicality when you read the books” which is “all about language and the beauty of language.” The show’s season one finale even featured a new musical setting for Tolkien’s “Rhyme of the Rings,” written by Bear McCreary and performed by Fiona Apple, which…

Read More

20 Mar

Shazam 2 and the Birth of the Lame Duck Superhero Movie

New DVD release

Things appeared pretty dire for Shazam! Fury of the Gods when less than two weeks before release, Warner Bros. Pictures spoiled a major surprise in a TV spot: Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman, aka the star of one of the most popular and best reviewed DCEU films, is appearing in a cameo alongside Shazam star Zachary Levi. Typically, this is the kind of surprise that’s guarded with the utmost secrecy; an “easter egg” that folks’ jobs would be on the line to protect. It’s the cheerworthy moment that’s supposed to tie one beloved DC superhero franchise’s story to another’s, and make…

Read More

19 Mar

SXSW 2023 Film and TV Round Up: Recapping the Best of the Fest

New DVD release

Can a festival have swagger? Because it felt like SXSW was swaggering in 2023. This should not be a total surprise for a weeklong conference that’s an intersection between film, television, music, gaming, technology, and arguably innovation itself. As per one industry insider, SXSW has long been perceived as “the cool kids festival.” Nonetheless, one year and a day after Everything Everywhere All at Once premiered on SXSW’s opening night, that film went on to win a staggering seven Oscars on the same weekend as the 2023 festival. And after last Sunday, excitement and a sense of vindication floated in…

Read More

18 Mar

Shazam: Fury of the Gods – The Story Behind Those Big DC Cameos, Easter Eggs, and More

New DVD release

This article contains nothing but Shazam! Fury of the Gods spoilers. Shazam! Fury of the Gods is a big movie. It’s essentially a team movie, with not only Billy Batson, but his entire foster family bringing a total of six superheroes to the table (not to mention the presence of Djimon Hounsou’s Wizard). And they’re facing off with three villains, in the form of Helen Mirren as Hespera, Lucy Liu as Kalypso, and Rachel Zegler as Anthea. And then there are a menagerie of magical monsters that populate the film’s final act. And if all of that ain’t enough, there’s…

Read More

17 Mar

Shazam! Fury of the Gods: What Those End Credits Scenes Mean for the DCU

New DVD release

This article contains spoilers for the Shazam! Fury of the Gods ending. At the end of Shazam! Fury of the Gods, the title superhero (Zachary Levi) seemingly makes the ultimate sacrifice in one final battle against the evil goddess Kalypso (Lucy Liu). With the help of her sister Hespera (Helen Mirren), Shazam turns his full power and that of the Wizard’s staff against Kalypso, destroying both her and the many monsters she has summoned to lay waste to Earth. But the battle also leaves Billy Batson, Shazam’s alter ego, dead, and the staff itself bereft of all power. That is,…

Read More

17 Mar

World War Z 2: What’s Going On With the Brad Pitt Zombie Sequel?

New DVD release

On the surface, World War Z looked like a big financial success back in 2013 when it scored a whopping $540 million at the global box office. But according to Deadline, the film barely broke even for Paramount at the time. A variety of factors, including extensive reshoots, ballooned the budget up to $270 million per the outlet, plus another estimated $160 million for marketing. The Marc Forster-directed zombie blockbuster starring Brad Pitt didn’t make much of a dent for the studio. The tepid critical reception, on top of all the rumors of a troubled production behind the scenes, seemed…

Read More

17 Mar

Talk to Me Review: A24 Horror Movie Offers Brutal Ghost Story

New DVD release

It is a truth universally acknowledged that those who play stupid games win stupid prizes. Or in the more modern parlance, if you fuck around, you find out. In spite of these colloquialisms, and many just like them, anyone who was ever young has played these games and fucked around much. Whether it’s by way of drinking from a keg at a party, passing around a vice that was of a more illegal vintage, or simply driving over the speed limit, we have a tendency in our youth to do stupid things for the thrill, especially if a pal is…

Read More

17 Mar

Bottoms Review: Rachel Sennott’s High School Fight Club Comedy Is a Winner

New DVD release

The high school experience is more primal than we care to admit: classroom cliques that are barely indistinguishable from warring tribes; social and biological pressures to seek a mate which can be as overbearing as acne; and the occasional, actual hallway beatdown are all part and parcel with being an American teenager. Of course high school movies have been less afraid to speak these truths to their target audiences than parents. Many, in fact, lean into the feeling of it’s you versus the world. Yet few have made it as literal, or punch-drunk giddy, as Emma Seligman’s Bottoms, the first…

Read More

17 Mar

The 10 Best Cannon Films

New DVD release

If you were a movie fan in the 1980s, then you have at least a little soft spot for the Cannon Group. Walk through any video store, and you’d be greeted by covers featuring oiled up men, steely ninjas, and so many guns. If you wanted low-quality, instantly satisfying trash, you looked for the Cannon logo.  Although it had been around since the late 1960s, Cannon became Cannon in 1979, when Israeli cousins Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus took over, ushering in a golden age of low-budget, deeply satisfying shlock. Under the cousins’ reign, the Cannon Group pumped out movie…

Read More

17 Mar

11 Modern Irish Masterpieces to Watch This St. Patrick’s Day

New DVD release

When the Oscar nominations came out earlier this year, we saw the literal luck of the Irish (at least in terms of nods). For starters, British-Irish filmmaker Martin McDonagh’s acclaimed black comedy The Banshees of Inisherin garnered nine nominations including Best Picture, Best Actor for Colin Farrell, and Best Original Screenplay. Additionally, the in-demand heartthrob Paul Mescal earned a Best Actor nomination for Aftersun while The Quiet Girl represents Ireland in Best International Feature, becoming the country’s first film to do so. It was a good day in January for Irish representation, although how things shook out later on Oscar…

Read More

17 Mar

Boston Strangler Review: Killer Thriller Which Puts the Spotlight on Hero Journalists

New DVD release

True crime is all the range. It has been this way for many years now, with Netflix seemingly tripping over its own feet to get the next serial killer mini-series out the door. Dramatizations are big business too with Ryan Murphy’s Monster: Jeffrey Dahmer already planned for two more seasons focusing on “”stories of other monstrous figures who have impacted society” (according to EW. The ethics of this are a discussion of another day, but the fact remains, serial killer tales, involving horrific deaths and incompetent police work are all the rage. Which is perhaps why this movie from director…

Read More