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Review – Meg 2: The Trench

by Isabella Japal
written by Isabella Japal

The Meg franchise has been revived this summer for Meg 2: The Trench. The film follows Jonas Taylor (Jason Statham) as he works with Jiuming Zhang (Wu Jing) at Juiming’s environmental foundation and also helps to raise his niece, Meiying (Sophia Cai). Together, along with a research team, they venture into Mariana’s Trench. Chaos ensues on multiple fronts as they encounter Megs and subterfuge from environmental naysayers, leading viewers on an action-packed ride.

Meg 2 is a nice mix of crowd-pleasing humor and action, lending itself as the perfect movie for a viewer hoping to duck into a movie theater to escape the summer’s heat to the disgruntled babysitter looking for an activity to keep the kids busy for the afternoon. Initially slow to kick off, the second half of The Meg 2  more than compensates for this with a whirlwind series of battles between Statham, Jing, their teammates, and the elements surrounding them that will have the rest of the moviegoer’s time flying by.

Viewers can look to DJ (played by Page Kennedy) to do most of the comedic lifting in the second half of the film. It is also advised to see the first movie in the Meg franchise, as there are several references to key plot points left over from the first film. Ultimately, Meg 2: The Trench is a movie best seen at home with friends and family, free to laugh not only with, but more importantly at the film, to your heart’s content.

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Talking with Filmmaker Dui Jarrod

by Richard Schertzer
written by Richard Schertzer

I, recently, spoke with screenwriter, director and Daytime Emmy Award-nominee Dui Jarrod about his time in the film industry and what he has planned for the future. 

He began his filmmaking career at the age of 26 and he claimed to have gotten fired from a job. Since then, he started writing movies for the sake of it and was self-taught. After going to a film festival for short films, it inspired him to start writing short films and he has been writing ever since. 

Jarrod is from Arkansas and hails from a family of storytellers who never got the opportunity to tell their stories. He has gotten inspiration from Barry Jenkins, Ryan Coogler and Spike Lee. Those directors have developed their own image which helped Jarrod derive his own self-image. 

After shooting his film Lesson Before Love, which can be found on Tubi, it failed to generate any long-lasting success around the film industry. He later signed a distribution deal that didn’t get him that much money. However, when the film was picked up by Red Box, the distributors cleaned up while Jarrod barely got a crumb of the profits. 

Jarrod became burned by the film business and decided to study more from the craft of theater for the next six years and became a flight attendant to pay the bills. 

Jarrod has said that the best and worst thing about working in this industry is collaborating. The job of a director is to focus on a number of différent departments. It’s much more than just the “action” and the “cut”.

When giving advice to other filmmakers, Jarrod wanted others to focus on their voice and not what is happening with the person to the right and left of you. He didn’t work in film for six years because he kept comparing himself to others and was wondering why his film wasn’t getting anywhere at the time. In time, you never know what the industry is going to say about your work, but you, as the filmmaker, can control what the art comes out to be. 

 

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chad l coleman 2023
EntertainmentFeaturedFilm

Exclusive: Chad L. Coleman talks The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster

by Julian Cannon
written by Julian Cannon

Frankenstein, or, The Modern Prometheus, which was first published in 1818, has been adapted for the screen for more than a century. Now you can see Bomani J. Story’s reimagining of The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster.

The film stars Laya DeLeon Hayes (The Equalizer TV series) as Vicaria, an intelligent young woman who is referred to by her peers as “The Mad Scientist.” While Story’s film itself is undeniably entertaining and terrifying, it contributes to a discussion beyond its undeniable enjoyment and horror value as a must-see for fans of Jordan Peele and Candyman.

As part of his role, Chad L. Coleman plays a character named Donald, who appears to be Vicaria’s father. Keith Holliday, Reilly Brooke Stith, Denzel Whitaker, and Reilly Brooke Stith will also be joining them in this film.

In addition to comedy (“The Orville,” “Girls5eva,” “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”), Coleman has worked in action (“Copshop”), science fiction (“The Walking Dead,” “The Expanse”), historical and cultural drama (“Roots”), law and order (Law & Order: Special Victims Unit”), as well as drama. With the versatility he has to play in any genre sandbox – along the way, he has accumulated a large following of interesting fans.  

From season 3 until season 5, Coleman appeared in The Walking Dead. In the prison when the prison fell, Tyreese saved baby Judith Grimes. He was also the brother of Sasha (Sonequa Martin-Green). It can only be said that what happened to him and what’s going on in the episode was heartbreaking and meaningful, containing cameos from a few other characters who have died prior to him.

Coleman shared more about his training, character choices, and work on the film in this exclusive interview!

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On The Scene: Tribeca Film Festival Afterparties With Casamigos

by Tony Bowles
written by Tony Bowles

The Tribeca FIlm Festival is in full-swing with big time actors and actresses taking over New York City for exclusive screenings, but let’s be serious here, we’re all here for the after parties! Casamigos has been at the center for several exclusive parties, famously associated celebrity founder George Clooney, Rande Gerber and Mike Meldman.

Photo Credit: Santiago Felipe/Getty Images

On, Thursday June 8th at the Tribeca Film Festival, Casamigos helped celebrate the premiere of Lily Rabe’s directorial debut, Downtown Owl, which by the way was captivating, hilarious and it was great to see Rabe in something quirky and lighthearted. 

To celebrate, the cast of the star-studded film went over to The Chelsea Hotel and the cast including Vanessa Hudgens, David Harbour, Hamish Linklater (who co-directed the film with Rabe), and Finn Witrock all were in attendance looking relieved, relaxed and proud of their film.

Guests enjoyed light bites while sipping Casamigos cocktails throughout the evening. Casamigos served two delicious specialty cocktails curated for the event; Spicy Cucumber Jalapeńo Margaritas and Casa Palomas and we will be sure to try our best to replicate at our home bar. 

Photo Credit: Dominik Bindl

The following day, Friday June 9th Tonight, the Tribeca Film Festival continued and Casamigos kept the party going for the premiere of He Went That Way. The cast of the film was in attendance including Jacob Elordi (who had a flock of young ladies eyeing for his attention), Zachary Quinto and Patrick J Adams, all celebrating the work of the late director, Jeffrey Darling who passed away in March of this year. 

Guests enjoyed great music and mingling while sipping Casamigos cocktails throughout the evening downtown at the new hip downstairs club, Loosies at the Moxy Hotel. 

Imagery Courtesy of Jil Sander:

On, Sunday June 11th, Tracee Ellis Ross, American actress, wore a Jil Sander Pre-Fall 2023 floral shiny viscose dress, designed by Lucie and Luke Meier, while attending the “Cold Copy” premiere during the Tribeca Film Festival at SVA Theatre. The cast and guests then migrated over to the Electric Room at the Dream Downtown Hotel to celebrate and Casamigos kept the party going with delicious cocktails.

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Exclusive: Director of ‘Freedom Path’ Brett Smith talks about his career as a filmmaker

by Richard Schertzer
written by Richard Schertzer

Brett Smith is the writer and director of his latest film “Freedom Path” and I was able to sit down with him and talk about his work on the project. 

Richard:  I’m here with writer and director of Freedom Path Brett Smith. I’ll just dive right into it. How did you get started in the business of filmmaking?

Brett: Great question. It’s not anything I ever consciously told myself I was going to do. I, you know, I kind of grew up, loved sports and just kind of messing around and having fun. I always had a camera with friends just kind of doing some you know, doing funny, goofy videos, and as we got kind of later into high school, I was wanting to do projects that were more serious and dramatic and my friends didn’t want to cry on camera. And so really quickly I realized, OK, I’ve got to start reaching out to real actors now and elevate things, and so I think I just have always had a love of storytelling. So that’s kind of I think where, where it came about for me.

Richard: OK, so you have this new movie called Freedom Pass out right now. Tell it. Tell us more about that movie.

Brett: ‘Freedom’s Path’ is a project I’ve been working on for about 13 years now. It’s been a very, very long road. Lot of energy, effort and sacrifice has gone into it. I have a real deep love for, I guess I’ll just say this. The story is about a Union soldier young man who wants to run off and go be a war hero. And he gets to war only to realize that he’s terrified of it. So in his first battle he deserts, he runs away and injures himself to appear dead. He injured himself significantly and he’s in need of help and that rescue comes by way of free African Americans looking to join up with the Union Army. They rescue him. They take him deep into the woods to the safety of their adoptive home. And it’s here that really the story becomes this relationship story about this soldier and this free man overcoming preconceived notions and and about each other, learning to become friends and brothers and ultimately family and so the story for me at an inspirational level was something that, you know, I have a deep love for history and I felt like this period, you have a country brand new predicated on liberty and freedom and yet it denies that freedom to a large subset of people and that there’s so much unexplored in that and what was interesting in my research is that I found that there were over 250,000 free African Americans living in the South, leading up to and during the Civil War, which is actually a larger number than lived in the North, and what was even more surprising, there’s never been a film that centers around free African Americans, especially those that lived in the South. So this is actually the first film that centers around free African African Americans living in the South, but really, I want everyone to know that this is a story that is about humanity. It’s about people learning to see each other’s unique individuals.

Richard: OK, so who are your inspirations?

Brett: Oh, my gosh. Good question. I like, I’ve got to say, I’ve got to say Spielberg. I love like as a kid, you know, Jurassic Park, Indiana Jones, like any of these classics, anything he does. I like Terrence Malick a lot. I like, Oh my gosh, Steve Mcqueen’s great. There’s so, there’s Christopher Nolan. I mean there’s so many just I’m. I’m just a fan of. I just love films. I’m not one of those filmmakers that’s dissects it. I just want to go into a movie and just get totally lost in it and love it. So I mean I like them all.

Richard: So where do you see yourself in like 5 to 10 years?

Brett: Hopefully not working on Project #2. Hopefully, hopefully the next project is a little bit quicker than this one. Five or ten years, what do I see myself? I mean I’d say, hopefully, working on a project hopefully being fulfilled. Hopefully, you know, happy and not stressed and and hopefully still optimistic and enjoying the process.

Richard: What advice do you give to future filmmakers?

Brett: Chase your dream with everything you have. Give it everything. I would say find. Find the project or the story that you can’t not tell. Find the story that you’d be willing to do. You know. Find that, find that story that you know. I guess that when you feel the urge, you know when you’re hungry, you have to eat, and when you’re thirsty you got to drink. Find the story that you have to tell to the point where it feels like that, and then go all in on it. And then I’d say the other one is, is anything in the arts is challenging and hard and you cannot do it yourself. Network with people. Reach out for help with people and above all have a support system. Lean on family or friends or loved ones or you know, people that support you and because you’re going to need them in the process of chasing your dream. And know that you can accomplish your dream, but it may take you much longer than you anticipate. You’re going to go through a lot more hardship than you initially anticipate, but every little step along the way, every little success. Celebrate those and you will succeed. You just, you just. It’s an endurance game. You’ve got to just believe. Believe in yourself and don’t give up.

 

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Why ‘Emancipation’ is a great movie because of Will Smith

by Richard Schertzer
written by Richard Schertzer

Yes, Will Smith is still under some scrutiny for his assault against Chris Rock at the Oscars, but that doesn’t mean that his latest movie should face the same amount of criticism and, in all honesty, Smith does a bang-up job with this particular film that Apple TV+ has released. 

Smith portrays Peter, a slave who is separated from his family, and is forced to work building a railroad and attempts to escape, when the slave masters have their guard down, to Baton Rouge where he gets work as a Union soldier and receives his freedom, eventually, reuniting with his family, in the process. 

Looking closely, it seems that director Antoine Fuqua decided to mute the colors to add to the bleakness of slavery in the 1860s. His stylish and admirable cinematography makes it seem that the camera can go anywhere at any given time like a Robert Zemeckis film. 

Moreover, Will Smith probably gives one of the best performances of his career that outmatches even the likes of King Richard. Smith transforms into the role of Peter and he wages a crusade against his evil, malevolent masters and the South. His plight almost reminds me of Leonardo Dicaprio’s work as Hugh Glass in 2015’s The Revenant. 

Smith embraces the first and gruffness of the character and his raw emotion shines through with visceral intent and audacious fervor. The beauty doesn’t lie in just the film’s gorgeous cinematography, but more so in Smith, who commands the screen with every waking minute that he’s on. 

Even as he speaks, you can hear the pain and suffering that this man has endured. Every crack in his voice, every breath that he takes and every tear that descends from his eyelids are a beautiful facsimile of what Smith was trying to capture for the character that the film was inspired by. It’s very clear that this man knew what the assignment was and he knew it well. 

With that being said, Will Smith definitely deserves a second chance in Hollywood and we need to give it to him. 

 

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Black Panther: Wakanda Forever | The Dolby Experience!

by Julie Jones
written by Julie Jones

After four long years, Marvel Studios has finally blessed us with a Black Panther sequel: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Having been released mere days ago, the film is already the highest grossing theatrical debut for the year and 13th highest opening weekend grossing film of all time. How do we suggest you see this top crossing film? On a Dolby screen, of course. And here’s why…

To begin, much of the film is a tribute to Chadwick Boseman, who tragically passed away in 2020 of stage III colon cancer at the age of 43. Dolby’s ultra-vivid colors and sound system make seeing Boseman’s face on the silver screen feel like we never lost the talented actor at all. Beginning with T’Challa’s (Boseman) death, Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett) is now at the helm, running an empire that is rich in vibranium, a metal used to make weapons and armor. Tensions rise when other nations attempt to procure this scarce resource via taking it by force or tracking missions in the Atlantic Ocean led by the US government.

The Atlantic is populated by the Talokan and led by Namor (Tenoch Huerta), who wishes to keep Talokan secluded. However, the tracking mission threatens exposure to his secret empire. Infuriated, Namor goes to Wakanda, claiming them responsible for the mission and asks for help to kill the lead scientist who built the vibranium tracking device, but Wakanda refuses, thus spurring conflict between the two worlds. What ensues is a complex tale of colonialism, struggle, and loss.

Seeing the world building executed by Ryan Coogler on the Dolby screen enriched the experience for the viewers. The Dolby screen unlocked the emotional impact of every scene and enhanced the costume design that defines each character within their respective communities. And thanks to Dolby’s superior sound capabilities, the audience felt like they were part of the action scenes.

In all, if you want to be one of the millions who have seen Black Panther: Wakanda Forever on the silver screen, our suggestion is to experience the beauty and power of this film on a Dolby screen near you.

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Brooklyn Horror Film Festival Makes For a Scary Good Time

by Samantha Bergeson
written by Samantha Bergeson

The sixth annual Brooklyn Horror Film Festival brought the boogeyman to the beloved borough. 

With events at fan favorite venues Williamsburg Cinema, Stuart Cinema, and the newly-reopened Nitehawk Cinema, BHFF offered something for everyone. From the sold-out closing night East Coast premiere of The Sadness to the 35mm screening of Session 9 in honor of its 20th anniversary, BHFF truly outdid itself in its first year back in theaters since the pandemic.

See our favorite festival moments below!

The Last Thing Mary Saw is an outstandingly haunting portrayal of a woman in 1843 New York who faces deadly (and supernatural) consequences for her affair with a maid. Stefanie Scott, who also stars in new Peacock series The Girl in the Woods, portrays Mary, who falls in love with Eleanor, played by Isabelle Fuhrman. Rory Culkin stars as a stranger who threatens to disrupt everything. Writer-director Edoardo Vitaletti was present at Brooklyn Horror Film Festival for the U.S. premiere. The film will be distributed by AMC+ and Shudder.

Family drama When I Consume You returned home to Brooklyn, where the film was shot, after premiering at Fantasia Film Festival earlier this year. Siblings Daphne (Libby Ewing) and Wilson Shaw (Evan Dumouchel) tackle their shared childhood traumas while warding off a demon stalker. Director Perry Blackshear told Variety that horror films are specifically designed to be watched in a dark theater: “It feels like when I watch a scary movie in the theater, it’s like going through a kind of timeless ritual where you die, you feel death,” Blackshear stated. “You get to undergo this intense pain and suffering and yet you survive, maybe stronger than when you began. This catharsis is my favorite part of the genre.”

Netflix’s Night Teeth was a crowd-pleaser with a sultry take on sexy vampires who secretly run L.A. We believe it! Debby Ryan and Lucy Fry play two BFFs who take driver Jorge Lendeborg Jr. on a very different type of ride. Megan Fox and Sydney Sweeney have memorable cameos as queen vampires, while Alfie Allen and Alexander Ludwig round out the urban undead underworld. BHFF hosted the world premiere of Night Teeth, now streaming.

The Home Invasion shorts programs featured a slew of standout films, but two especially caught the attention of BFHH audiences: Still Together and Hazel. Christopher Piazza’s Still Together is at once horrifyingly claustrophobic as well as hilarious. A department store window designer falls in love with a Nordic warrior trapped inside a mannequin. The couple try to plan their escape, but will the other employees thwart their happily ever after? A funky score and a bloody kicker prove we are Still thinking about this off-beat take on horror.

Hazel, directed by Jordan Doig, is a memorable portrayal of postpartum depression. New mom Libby struggles to take care of her daughter, Hazel, especially when her husband Pat isn’t supportive. Libby’s downfall into psychosis has a sinister turn, and you have to watch to see how this short film ends. The horror genre is best when its uncovering the real horrific moments of reality, and Hazel does just that.

See the full list of films at Brooklyn Horror Film Festival here!

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EntertainmentFilm

Travel Abroad With Wes Anderson’s French Connection at FI:AF

by Samantha Bergeson
written by Samantha Bergeson

Oui, j’adore la cinema française! 

Merci pour Wes Anderson, because the auteur’s partnership with the French Institute Alliance Française (FI:AF) has brought some of the greatest French films stateside for a very special curated event. Is there a greater double feature–no, triple feature–than Anderson’s ode to a fictional French town with a François Truffaut classic, followed by a Jacques Becker comedy?

While Anderson could not be in-person for the U.S. premiere of his gorgeously whimsical anthology film “The French Dispatch” at the stunning 59th New York Film Festival, he certainly achieved the goal of placing a beret atop the Big Apple thanks to his “French Connection” collaboration with FI:AF.

From Sept. 14 through Oct. 26, running every Tuesday, FI:AF screens selected films through its CinéSalon, beginning with “Peppermint Soda” and concluding with “Antoine and Antoinette.”

Highlights from the program include Truffaut’s “The Man Who Loved Women,” telling the story of a philandering writer whose final lovers reunite at his funeral, while his female editor retraces the missteps of his heart. “Max and the Junkmen” offers a unique twist on a dark comedy about an aloof Parisian detective who tries to deceive a gang of bank robbers, all while falling for one of the criminal’s girlfriends. Lastly, Becker’s “Antoine and Antoinette” is a magnificent romp of a romantic comedy as a young couple seeks out a misplaced winning lottery ticket.

“French cinema has always been part of Anderson’s artistic heritage and the acclaimed auteur has picked some of his favorite French films to be screened for FI:AF audiences,” the site reads. “The series coincides with the highly anticipated release of Anderson’s star-studded film, ‘The French Dispatch.'”

Calling all cinephiles and francophiles, Anderson’s FI:AF curation certainly should not be missed. And, “The French Dispatch” is a must-see, perfect for a hazy fall Sunday where we can all escape into a European fantasy world of art, passion, and promise.

For more information, visit here.

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