Happy Rogue One week everyone! This week is very exciting as we’ll be getting the first official Star Wars movie outside the main saga. Rogue One, not only expands the canon of this Universe, but it tells a story that most Star Wars fans have been speculating on for a very long time. Since 1977 to be exact. We’ve all wondered what it took for the Rebels to steal the Death Star plans, an action that clearly infuriated the most powerful Force user in the galaxy, and we’re finally going to get to see that in this film. As far as spin-off’s go, this is one of the better ideas for Disney / Lucasfilm to explore. Additionally to that, Gareth Edwards (the director of Rogue One) has said many times that this film is first and foremost a “war film.” Meaning, we are going to get war action from the ground but within the lore of Star Wars. Are you freaking kidding me? Maybe that doesn’t appeal to you, but I find that endlessly fascinating.

On top of the war aesthetics, we are also going to meet some familiar faces while being introduced to new ones. I don’t expect him to have a big role, but holy crap, Darth Vader is going to be in this movie. Let’s just stop to reflect on that for a second. One of the most iconic characters of all-time, a character we haven’t seen since 1983, is coming back onto the big screen in 2016. Even in a limited role, that gives me chills just thinking about it. However, I like that his role will be limited and that this particular narrative will feature new characters. Jyn Erso looks to be a strong female presence (doesn’t hurt that you cast Felicity Jones either), and if you read Catalyst, you’ll know that her interactions with Orson Krennic will surly be motivated. Both of those characters look great in the trailers and should lend themselves to great drama. One character that is also worth noting here is Saw Gerrera. The thing that’s interesting about Saw, is that he’s the first character to appear in a live-action movie even though he originated from the expanded Star Wars Universe. Saw originally appeared in the Star Wars: Clone Wars TV show, where Obi-Wan and Anakin helped him gain control over his home world during the Clone Wars. So, to see him in this movie is both exciting and hopeful that we’ll see more of that. (Hint: I want an Ahsoka Tano movie!!!)

Let’s talk about this cast. I briefly mentioned Felicity Jones above and while we don’t know much about Jyn herself, Jones is a great actress and will surly bring conviction to this character. Jyn isn’t just handed this significant of a role by accident, there is a reason she is tasked with stealing these plans and I’m curious to see what Jones brings to that. Diego Luna isn’t a name that a ton of people will know, but they will after this weekend. And it’s not just because he’s in this movie, but because his passion for being in this film is palpable. If you’ve paid attention to the marketing campaign for Rogue One, his and Riz Ahmed’s excitement to be a part of this project has been fun to watch. On top of those two, Rogue One features Ben Mendelsohn, Mads Mikkelsen, Donnie Yen, Alan Tudyk, Forest Whitaker and JAMES EARL JONES (::loses breath::). For all the problems, this film may have, acting will surly not be one of them. And again, let’s not lose sight of that. This franchise, for as much love as we all have for it, has been known to have average to less than average acting at times. So, getting talent of this caliber is refreshing.

If you’re familiar with Rogue One at all, the reasons I mentioned above are probably nothing new to you. So, the last thing I’ll just note here real fast is that this is the first Star Wars film to feature a score from someone other than the great John Williams. However, if you’re going to replace him, you don’t get better than Michael Giacchino, who is arguably the best composer working today in Hollywood. I’m very amped to hear what Giachhino brings to this world. I have no doubt that he will be one of the highlights here.

All of that said, how excited are you for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story?

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Here are other films coming out this weekend:

Collateral Beauty

La La Land (expanding)
A Kind of Murder (limited)
Solace (limited)
Neruda (limited)

ICYMI, on Episode 199, we featured edition of Trailer Talk where we discuss some of the latest movie trailers to hit the web. Specifically, we talked about the new trailers for Spider-Man: Homecoming, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 and War of the Planet of the Apes. As you can hear in the audio above, we were pretty high on all three of these trailers to various degrees. If these trailers are indicitive of the quality of these movies, next year could be promising. That said, we all loved the trailers for Suicide Squad and look how that turned out. Vice versa, the marketing for Star Trek Beyond was awful and while I personally didn’t care for the movie, most did. So you can never fully tell based off of the marking for these movies. Still, it’s exciting knowing that there is big potential for all three of these movies.

For Spider-Man: Homecoming, it’s particularly interesting because it’s the first big budget movie that is going to be created and distributed by two huge competitors, in Disney/Marvel and Sony. If Spidey hits big, it could set a precedent going forward that could be great for the fans. Maybe this is a one-hit wonder, but maybe the studios will be open to sharing their properties if it makes sense for their characters and stories. There are rumors that Fox wants to reboot the X-Men franchise, so you never know what could happen if Spider-Man kills the box office next summer. I don’t know if I would count on it, but it’s fun to dream.

Speaking of dreaming, I don’t think anyone in their right mind would say that this new iteration of Planet of the Apes would be as great as it when Rise came out a few years ago. However, War is as good as we hope based off of this trailer, this new trilogy of Apes would go down as one of the best trilogies we’ve seen in the last 20-30 years. Lord of the Rings, The Dark Knight, Captain America and Jason Bourne have all featured wonderful trilogies in the action and blockbuster world. I would never have guessed after Tim Burton ruined this franchise that we would be saying that Planet of the Apes belongs in that conversation. And honestly, outside Lord of the Rings, this Apes trilogy probably has moved me the most of all those properties. It’s crazy how human and emotional these films are and the great irony is, it’s not the humans I’m connecting with when I watch them.

There were a few other trailer we wanted to talk about but didn’t get to, such as Transformers: The Last Night. By now, we all know what we’re getting with that franchise. If you’re going to go all out though, just embrace the absurdity and run with it. Why not feature Nazi’s and medieval knights in a Transformers movie? Just go for it! Additionally, we wanted to talk about The Mummy, The Circle and Baywatch but ran out of time. Perhaps we’ll get to those in the future.

At any rate, we saw a lot of trailers last week. What did you think of any of them?

Oscar season is underway, with plenty of films hoping to make it to Oscar night as nominees and eventual winners. However, there are a few things to remember. First of all, not all Oscar contenders are released at the end of the year. Secondly, films that seemed like surefire winners months ago can lose momentum in a flash (like The Birth of a Nation after controversy and underwhelming reviews sunk its box office), and smaller films can use critical acclaim and passionate campaigns to propel themselves to at least some unexpected nominations. Here are some supposed Oscar longshots that could see Oscar success.

The Lobster for Best Original Screenplay

The Best Original Screenplay category tends to where the more off-kilter critically acclaimed films find success. The Lobster, Yorgos Lanthimos’ film about a futuristic world in which people are required to find romantic partners or be turned into animals, is probably too strange to contend for Best Picture, but its ingenious concept might land it a spot in the Original Screenplay category. The Los Angeles Film Critics Association recently gave it a win for its screenplay.

Love & Friendship for Best Adapted Screenplay

An adaptation of Jane Austen’s “Lady Susan”, Love & Friendship was a period comedy and critical success that became a mild sleep hit over the summer. It might not be the most flashy or cutting-edge film, but a well-constructed adaptation from a beloved author could definitely sway Oscar voters.

Jennifer Lawrence For Best Actress

Last year Matt Damon and The Martian received seven Oscar nominations but came home with no wins, including Best Picture and Best Leading Actor. The Martian was last year’s best Sci-Fi movie, and this year’s best Sci-Fi title may go to Passengers starring Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt. The four-time Oscar nominee and one-time Best Actress winner will have her fair chance at another nomination, as she plays an astronaut sent into space but wakes up 90 years before she’s supposed to. The Oscars may not favor the Sci-Fi genre, but J-Law always kills it in her films and she’s always an Oscar darling. Don’t be surprised to her her on the red carpet trying to win her second Best Actress award.

Sausage Party for Best Animated Feature

While past Best Animated Feature winners such as Frozen and Shrek are family-friendly and generally wholesome, the raunchy Sausage Party is anything but. It’s a coarse, R-rated comedy which just so happens to be animated. It has also received very positive reviews and already has an Oscar campaign underway. If nominated, Sausage Party could start a new trend of studios releasing animated films designed specifically for adults.

Meryl Streep for Best Actress

You might be wondering: how could Meryl Streep possibly be a longshot? After all, doesn’t it just seem like she’s nominated every single year? While Streep has a record 19 nominations along with three wins, she isn’t a frontrunner for Best Actress for her starring role in Florence Foster Jenkins about a woefully bad opera singer. However, Paramount has a limited re-release of the film planned for December 2. If Florence Foster Jenkins re-enters the minds of voters, Streep might be looking at nomination #20.

Mel Gibson for Best Director

While Gibson’s film Hacksaw Ridge is considered a contender for Best Picture and his star, Andrew Garfield, is considered a contender for Best Actor, Gibson himself isn’t being discussed as a contender. This is likely due to his controversial status for his remarks and actions, but Gibson is a proven director who has won in the past (for Braveheart). If voters can look past Roman Polanski’s past misdeeds, they might do the same for Gibson.

Earlier this year on Extra Film, our good friend Matt Oakes joined us to talk about this year’s Sundance Film Festival. For those that listened to that episode, you’ll know that Manchester By the Sea was the film that Matt highlighted the most. Not only did Matt, once again, predict its Oscar chances, but he even said that Casey Affleck would have a shot at Best Actor. Well, if you’ve been paying attention to Next Best Picture, you’ll know that is certainly a high possibility. Matt’s words has stuck with me all year and I’ve been excited to see the film ever since. And finally, it’s here this weekend.

Manchester By the Sea is coming to us from director Kenneth Lonergan, who only has a few directing credits to his name. He did Margaret back in 2011 and You Can Count On Me way back in 2000, which garnered a few Oscar nominations. To this point, he’s mostly known for his writing. In fact, one of those nominations for You Can Count On Me was Lonergan’s screenplay in the Best Original Screenplay category. Additionally to that, he also wrote the screenplay for Gangs of New York, in which he was nominated at the Oscars for that as well. So, clearly the dude can write pretty well and that has me very excited for this film.

As mentioned above, Casey Affleck is getting a lot of buzz for his performance here. I’m a fan of Affleck and it’s only a matter of time before he gets an Oscar on his mantle. So, the hype surrounding his work in Manchester By the Sea is fun to hear and I believe that it will live up to the bill. Along those same lines, Michelle Williams stars in this film. I’ve been on record of being a *huge* Williams fan as well, especially her work with Kelly Reichardt. There is no doubt that she will have a significant presence in this film, one way or another, and I look forward to see her banter with Affleck.

The thing that rings the loudest is that emotional prowess this film supposedly has. I’m a sucker for emotional stories, especially when highlighted by great acting and focused craftsmanship, something that seems to be defining Manchester By the Sea. In essence, this film seems to be tailored made just for me. At least on paper. Either way, I can’t wait to see and discuss this on Episode 199 this weekend.

Are you excited for Manchester By the Sea?

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Here’s what else to expect this weekend at the box office:

Miss Sloane

Office Christmas Party
La La Land (limited)
The Salesman (limited)
Frank and Lola (limited)

November 22, 1963 was a devastating day for many, as the world saw the assassination of then U.S. president John F. Kennedy as his motorcade passed Dealey Plaza in Dallas, Texas. Many of us, myself included, have seen the home-movie camera footage of JFK’s dreaded assassination as captured by private citizen Abraham Zapruder, known as the Zapruder film. While many talk of that final headshot the film ultimately captured, what devastated me most was not that, it was watching Jacqueline Kennedy’s reaction as she instantly launches over the back of the motorcade (said to be retrieving a piece of her husband’s own skull) while Secret Service agent Clint Hill climbs aboard. With her at the focus, this is why I am truly excited for Jackie.

Jackie is the latest biopic detailing the life of first lady Jacqueline Kennedy, following the events of her husband’s assassination. Those who know of her history will know that this day was the first time she had ever accompanied her husband on a political trip in the United States, and following his assassination she retreating to a period of mourning, referring to her husband’s presidency as that of King Arthur’s “Camelot”. After this period, she became close to her husband’s brother Robert Kennedy, who became a sort of surrogate father figure for the Kennedy children, only to see him too assassinated in 1968, resorting back to a state of depression.

One could argue no one has suffered more than of Jacqueline Kennedy, and through the devastation she still led a proud existence. All of the marketing for Jackie looks to capture both the devastation and prevalence of this historic figure, making it seem like necessary viewing. And with Natalie Portman at the helm, who while hit-or-miss has been known to hit it out of the park when she truly cares, we could be looking at a new classic among presidential biopics. Oscar contender? We shall see.

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Here’s what else you can expect at the box office this weekend:

Incarnate

The Eyes of My Mother (limited)
Things to Come (limited)

Hello one and all, and welcome to the first in (what I hope) will be a long line of reviews I post on this site. But before I get ahead of myself, let me explain:

My plan is to write two different types of reviews. The first (which follows below) will be a look back at the films of my childhood, in a vain attempt to point out how my viewing habits growing up were better than yours. The second (to come at some point in the next few weeks) will be myself reviewing a “classic” film that I’ve watched for the first time. It will be a lame attempt to get myself to finally watch those films that cause people to say “You’ve NEVER seen…” over and over. How well this works, we shall see. But for now it’s on with the show!

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With a continuation of this 1995 film in the works (not to mention the “meh” spiritual sequel “Zathura”), it seems only natural that my first entry in this nostalgic look back should be a film that holds a special place in my heart. Those who know me already know how big a fan of Robin Williams I am. The fact that my infant daughter will grow up in a world where there are no new RW films being made is a sad one for me. However, when I start to introduce her to the films of this late great man, I will probably start with this one (OK, Aladdin first, then this. No need to write in!). This film starts off with a simple premise. A child called Alan Parish, who I must admit bears a striking resemblance to myself as a child, has a fractured relationship with his father and wishes to run away before being shipped off to boarding school. A classic trope, but this was before all these tropes had become waaaay overused. And not long into the film, we’re introduced to the titular game. The idea of this game basically is (for those who haven’t seen the film, and if you haven’t then I ask “Why not?!?”) that you start playing, roll the dice, have your piece move and try to make it to the end if you can. It’s the “if you can” that’s the fun part. For 8 year old me, “A game for those who seek to find a way to leave your world behind” was a fantastic premise. I’d never seen anything like what occurred on screen before, and to be honest I’ve not really seen anything that similar since.

Alan gets sucked into the board game in a sequence which looks dated now, but was really state-of-the-art back then, and the girl he was playing with gets chased away by bats. So, in the first 20 minutes we’re introduced to these characters and then it’s all “Bye now, let’s bring in some new ones!”. And,of course, we know they’ll be back. But that’s not the point. It’s something that’s not done much now, where a film can throw something at you like that and then move on for another 10-15 minutes before giving you a proper continuation of that thread. In a time of instant gratification in film, I always look back on this one as an example of what I want to see when it comes to pacing and structure. And yes, I admit I just said that about a “kids movie”. So sue me!

The strangest thing about this film is that Robin Williams is not the star. Yes, he’s bigger than life, he’s the main character for 85% of the time Alan is on screen and he’s VERY funny with a dry wit that you don’t see much in kids films. But the star of this film is Jumanji itself, or rather what Jumanji does to the town. Every time the dice is rolled, you’re waiting for the next thing to derail their game. Whether it’s a stampede that arrives through a bookcase, a hunter who is an eerie doppelgänger for Alan’s father or even just a policeman riding a door on a torrent of water (trust me, it’s better if I don’t try to explain), everything that Jumanji throws out opens up a new thread that is a joy to follow. Even small things like spiders become an obstacle to be dealt with, though I’ll admit that the spiders were the least interesting ones.

I’ve heard people coming down on both sides of this film, and my wife has stated that she has no feelings one way or the other. However, I cannot look at this film without having those twangs of nostalgia. Every lion roar, every Van Pelt interaction and every time the writing on the board squirms into view I get excited. It’s almost as if the director and cast managed to take a child’s imagination and put it directly on the screen. It’s D&D for the little ‘uns. It’s something unique. And it’s always going to be one of my favorite Robin Williams films. And I’m not just saying that because I want to look like him when I grow up, like this film seemed to show I would!

Now, I’ve been trying to think of a rating system for these films. And, to be honest, I don’t think I can have one. These films that I’ll be talking about (at least in the nostalgic look- backs) will be ones that I obviously enjoy immensely. Every entry would get 4-5 stars or 9-10/10. However, I think I know what to do. So, from now on, these films will not be rated by content. These films will be rated by how young they make me feel. And so, for the inaugural review, I give Jumanji a rating of…

5 year-old me in my Thunderbird pajamas*.

Thank you for letting me ramble, and I hope I’ve given you the nagging thought that “Maybe I should watch Jumanji again”. I honestly think your inner child will thank you.

Until next time, and remember…. If a box starts drumming, RUN!!!

*Yes, I owned Thunderbird pajamas. You may now all have a good laugh.