All of the recent celebratory reviews of “Moonage Dream” are a showcase of sparkling design that is worthy of a grand display.
Don’t Worry Darling, the highly anticipated Olivia Wilde film starring Florence Pugh and Harry Styles, about a housewife living in the idyllic community of Victory, can only be seen one way: at Dolby Cinemas.
Pugh, who plays Alice Chambers, a woman wholly devoted to her husband, Jack (Styles), begins to question her surroundings as she experiences vivid dreams and hallucinations. She also starts to challenge the founder of the Victory Project, Frank (played by Chris Pine), who has a stronghold on the residents of this seemingly utopian community.
The film is visually stunning, featuring vibrant colors of a Palm Springs-like atmosphere contrasted with scenes showcasing a vast desert landscape. With Dolby’s high resolution screen, viewers were truly able to see the beauty of the film so viscerally that at times we almost felt as though we were in the desert with Alice. Dolby’s visual experience is further augmented by the sound quality, wherein viewers can hear and feel the complementary music score composed by John Powell.
The film begins by showing the passion between Alice and Jack, who are newlyweds as well as new residents of Victory. Every day, Jack drives to work through the desert and over to a large, ominous dome that sits atop a hill, miles away from Victory’s city center. Alice begins to experience lucid dreams and visions at varying hours of the day and night, which become unsettling to her as she begins to confront Frank and his wife, Shelley (Gemma Chan), about what is really going on at Jack’s workplace and what the purpose of the Victory Project really is.
Between Alice’s visions of black and white synchronized swimmers, being pressed between a wall and a glass door, and surrounding her own head with saran wrap, Don’t Worry Darling creates a visually stunning and yet incredibly tense experience for the viewer with an mind-blowing twist at the end.
Our suggestion? Put aside the off-screen drama and go see this visual masterpiece at a Dolby Cinema near you.
Last Friday, I had the opportunity to attend a special advanced screening of Sony’s The Woman King hosted by Black Girls Rock!. The Woman King directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood (Love and Basketball) and starring Viola Davis, John Boyega, Lashana Lynch, Sheila Atim, Thuso Mbedu, and Hero Fiennes Tiffin, is “the remarkable story of the Agojie, the all-female unit of warriors who protected the African Kingdom of Dahomey in the 1800s with skills and a fierceness, unlike anything the world has ever seen. Inspired by true events, The Woman King follows the emotionally epic journey of General Nanisca (Oscar®-winner Viola Davis) as she trains the next generation of recruits and readies them for battle against an enemy determined to destroy their way of life.”
When guests arrived at the screening, which took place at the AMC Theatres on 34th Street, they were checked in and given special wristbands brandishing the hashtag #IAmAWomanKing. We were then guided upstairs to a lounge area. The lounge area had a photo booth station, operated by two photographers, that helped guests show off their best warrior poses. Once the cameras flashed, the photos were printed, and we were sent on our way to enjoy the rest of the lounge area. Around the photo booth, were some stills of the screen. One of General Nanisca (Davis) and King Ghezo (Boyega) overlooking their village, one of Izogie (Lynch) staring off into the distance, and another of the Agojie walking into battle, led by General Nanisca.
Guests of the Black Girls Rock! screening were also treated to an array of delicious appetizers, free popcorn and soda, and free drinks. You could enjoy all of these while mingling with the lovely and friendly cater waiters and other guests of the screening. On our way into the theatre, we were treated to a red-carpet experience where photographers were at the ready to take pictures of us posing with the backdrop of the film’s poster. There was a short introduction from Black Girls Rock! Founder Beverly Bond and a guest speaker helped set the tone for what I found to be an enjoyable film.
The Woman King premieres in theatres September 16th.
Ella Dixon stars alongside McKenna Grace in the upcoming film The Bad Seed Returns, which premieres on Lifetime on September 5.
Although Owen Wilson, Jesse Williams, and Michael Peña were among the very few adults in this film, young actors Walker Scobell and Momona Tamada stole the show.
It’s not every day you get to sit in a room full of people talking openly about mental health, but that is exactly what arthur gallery’s new short film, Genesis X, prompted dozens of young adults to do. Hosted at the Hippo Factory Studios in Los Angeles, the 15 minute movie was screened in the large photo studio with an open bar and music featured by William Anthony.
The film follows a down-on-her-luck young woman named Xiomara, played by Jalesa Marks. Xiomara is struggling to turn her life around and impress her esteemed father working for an infamous corporation. As she continues to perform tasks for the company, she struggles to break free from her anxiety feeling as though there is no escape.
As many young professionals have seen, the standards of work ethic and face time set by corporations lead to increased anxiety and a diminished sense of self-worth. gallery explores this notion in Genesis X by outlining the pressures Xiomara faces from the corporation while also outlining the parental pressures that come with said performance. Stylistically, gallery also illustrates these tensions through Xiomara’s body language, a strong cinematic color palette, and action scenes. The film’s musical efforts, led by William Anthony, also create a palpable sense of stress as we see Xiomara struggle to reconcile her work and her emotions.
Q&A moderated by Sadé Unique Grandberry
Q&A moderated by Sadé Unique Grandberry
During the Q&A with gallery and the cast, the discussion centered around the anxieties and pressures of corporate life. The open dialogue was refreshing given mental health is still seen as a taboo subject. Take away from the night? There is a little Xiomara in all of us, but perhaps there is an escape if we continue to de-stigmatize mental health.
Where the Crawdads Sing is a New York Times Best Seller, selling over 12 million, is now a film!
Set in North Carolina in the 1960’s the film depicts the story of “Kya” played by Daisy Eager-Jones, as she stands trial for the murder of a handsome man, Chase, played by Harris Dickerson. The murder mystery film tells the story through Kya’s eyes, which is captured with flashbacks.
The Knockturnal spoke with the stars of the film at the premier of Where the Crawdads Sing, and their perspective of the film. Main character Daisy Eager-Jones says her take away from reading the screener was the resilience of her character, “I think I was so incredibly moved by how incredibly resilient Kya is as a character.” Eager-Jones says “She suffers a lot, but she keeps going and she remains hopeful for something better”.
Logan Macre, who plays Jodie, said that his reaction was “hopeful” when he began reading the screener for the film. “You just want everything great to happen to Kya, you know?” says Macre “You feel for this girl the entire time and you’re like ‘please something amazing happen to you’[..] it takes a very long time, but when it finally does, you’re [Kya] so deserving of it because you’re such a resilient individual”.
Where the Crawdads Sing is in theaters now.
Beba tells the story of Rebeca Huntt through the eyes of Rebeca Huntt.
This past Wednesday, the Tribeca Film Festival hosted the Tribeca X event, co-sponsored by Roku, at the Indeed Theater at Spring Studios.
Have you noticed there’s an “emotional incarceration” epidemic running rampant in our world? On Monday June 13th the sold-out red-carpet world premiere of The Cave of Adullam received a standing ovation for its “emotionally transformative” journey!