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Dr Strange, Colin Farell

Dr Strange, Colin Farell

As I look back through the year — sourcing the films released and those I saw—  I’ve focused on one thread that ran through several films which reflected a “vibe” that attracted me to them. So rather than do a sweeping overview, I thought this focus would address the qualities that drew me to write about them.

Ruling the screens over the last month were two films clearly inspired by pre-Christian wizardry giving hope to pagans and film producers everywhere that possessing magical powers can pay off. Two other far-smaller production also draws their inspiration from mystical thinking as well as magical behavior.

 

Fantastic Beasts, Eddie Redmayne

“Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” and “Doctor Strange” revel in cinematic magic as well. Both are amply endowed with lavish CGI displays and digital dramatics. But these films also have something more going on than just elaborate special effects that show raging battles which destroy buildings and cars. They’re also filled with credible people who, in being possessed of amazing powers, offer mind-bending leaps in the suspension of disbelief.

In each case, the lead characters are motivated by more than mere power grabs (unlike our current President-elect). In this sort-of Harry Potter prequel, magical creature collector/savior Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) lands in 1926 America — 70 years before the “Harry Potter” series begins — navigating New York’s world of wizards and witches while trying to recover various rare alien animals lost in the States. In the course of his efforts, he joins forces with renegade investigator “Tina” Goldstein (Katherine Waterston), her younger sister Queenie (Alison Sudol), and human No-Maj Jacob Kowalski (Dan Fogler) who inadvertently mixes with them and ends up aiding all in their various quests.

Actor Colin Farrell plays Percival Graves, a high-ranking official in charge of security and protection of wizards. Directed to tracking down Scamander, he seems to be Newt’s adversary. As the seeming antagonist, he appears powerfully skeezy but there more to the story than meets the eye.

In Marvel’s “Doctor Strange,” similar twists and turns leads audiences viewing the power struggle between the sorcerer supreme and his challengers to realize there’s more here than meets the eye.

After a tragic car accident nearly destroys the hands of incredibly talented yet egotistical neurosurgeon Doctor Stephen Strange (played by Benedict Cumberbatch), he searches for an alternative to conventional medicine to repair them. Eventually he learns of an ancient cult in the far East where he hopes to acquire their secrets of mind-over-matter, mystical powers and alternate dimensions. Once he finds the Ancient One (Tilda Swinton), she introduces him to the hidden realms where he sheds his ego and becomes a master sorcerer.

Returning to New York’s Greenwich Village, Strange becomes an intermediary between the real world and the world beyond, employing incredible metaphysical abilities to protect the known world from threats from beyond.

Each of these films draw on their particular fantastical universe as a touchpoint — but it is more tangential to the essence of each of these films than some of the other superhero films or even to the core Potter series. In their predecessors, key mythologies had to be established, illuminating the essential powers and costumes. But both films offer something more than usual CGI generated fare while still offering fantastical universes.

It’s a testament to these casts that, despite moments of occasional silliness, they lend each film both gravitas and a sense of fun. In the capable hands of “Fantastic Beasts” director David Yates and “Dr. Strange” director Scott Derrickson, each movie’s set of characters develop an emotional arc that’s well developed and sometimes reveal a subtlety not often found in such material.

 

Tilda Swinton

Tilda Swinton

On an entirely different plane, “The Witch” addresses ancient notions of witchery, black magic and possession through a less judgmental mind than does traditional horror film while still employing the fantastic tropes rife in more conventional movies. A uniquely designed and sometimes hallucinatory new film, writer/director Robert Eggers’ feature debut premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival winning its Best Director Prize in the U.S. Narrative Competition and was awarded with a release earlier this year.

“The Witch” tells of a family’s frightful unraveling in the isolated countryside of 1630 New England. It grittily envisions what this a God-fearing world was like decades before the tragic 1692 Salem witch trials, in which religious convictions were transform into criminal mass hysteria.

In this story, a rebellious English farmer is forced out of his colonial community, relocating his family to a remote plot on the edge of a dark and threatening forest. As the story unfolds, they begin to feel the impact and influence of a creepy presence which they come to believe is a hideous witch. As tortuous events ensure — crops fail, animal become seemingly rabid — one of their five children disappears and another seems possessed by evil. As suspicion and paranoia mount, the family ultimately accuse teenage daughter Thomasin (newcomer Anya Taylor-Joy) of becoming possessed by the witch — a charge she adamantly denies. Once things move on to the film’s horrendous conclusion — it forces viewers to questions their assumptions of the line between sanity and the supernatural.

Finally, another film released earlier this fall also posed a unique eye’s view of cinematic storytelling. Director Anna Biller’s “The Love Witch,” which debuted at the Rotterdam Film Festival and screened at BAMcinemaFest and Fantasia Fest, provoked both cast and audiences when the sexual side of witchcraft and paganism dominates the narrative. Employing an homage to the Hammer and AIP horror dramas of the late ‘50s and ‘60s, the film tells of beautiful young witch Elaine who looks for men to love her. Incessant in her efforts to use potions to draw those men to her, they’re eventually seduced and ultimately betrayed. When she finally meets the man of her dreams, her desire to be worshipped eventually pushes her to express her insanity with deadly results.

Though some might say the director connects burgeoning female sexuality with madness, she both contends and ultimately challenges pre-feminist assumptions of how women’s erotic desires would impact on the female mind. Certainly this is a film to poke at one’s own personal assumptions and societal cliches.

Celebrity

The Glorious Corner

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G.H. Harding

SO LONG, FAREWELL — I’ve been a TV-guy for decades; from Mary Tyler Moore; MASH; The X-Files and Seinfeld on down; I’ve seen great shows fall low with just terribly written finales, but the final-Ted Lasso episode this week was nothing short of brilliant. The acting, the writing, the joie de vivre off the charts.

 Joie de vivre literally translates into the joy of living and the three seasons of Ted Lasso were all just sensational in every way. Sure, there were some standout episodes (Beard After Hours), but Jason Sudeikis and gang were always just wonderful. Some pundits said that this third season ran off the rails a bit, but this last episode neatly tied them all up. And I’d be remiss in not mentioning the brilliant music that accompanied each and every episode; from The Monkees’ “Sometime In The Morning” to the new Ed Sheeran record which debuted in this last episode. Just so neatly done.

Hannah Waddingham

I’ll tell you what I really liked from the get-go was the fact that this episode began after Ted clearly told Rebecca he was going home in the last episode. The fact that they didn’t show it, made it a lot easier to digest. Hannah Waddingham is a star and she had her moment with Ted, in the seats, asking him one more time to stay.

She’s going to be as huge star, so get ready to see a lot more of her.

Brett Goldstein too (Roy Kent) was just tremendous. He’s huge already!

Roy Kent became the new coach of AFC Richmond with Nate as an able assistant. Ted Crimm (James Lance) finished his book originally titled The Lasso Way, but Ted after reading it and loving it, wanted a new title. Hence, The Richmond Way.

Just a great episode; a tad longer at 76-minutes, but richly written and acted. I am going to miss this show tremendously.

Utterly brilliant in every way.

Milli Vanilli

MILLI VANILLI — (Via Deadline) A feature doc about controversial pop group Milli Vanilli has been picked up by Paramount +.

The eponymous doc, which tells the story of the duo who were forced to return their Grammy Award for Best New Artist after it was revealed that they didn’t sing on any of their records, is premiering at the Tribeca Festival.

The streamer will launch the doc in the U.S. as well as in Canada, the U.K., Australia, Latin America, Brazil, Italy, France, Germany, Switzerland and Austria.

Produced by MRC and MTV Entertainment Studios, Milli Vanilli tells the story of Robert Pilatus and Fabrice Morvan, who became fast friends during their youth in Germany. With Rob coming from a broken home and Fabrice having left an abusive household, they shared a similar upbringing, as well as a future goal: to become famous superstars. In a few short years, their dreams came true. Their first album went platinum six times in 1989, and their hit Girl You Know It’s True sold over 30 million singles worldwide. Rob and Fab became the world’s most popular pop duo in 1990. However, their ascension to success came with a devastating price that ultimately led to their infamous undoing.

“For over 30 years, the story of Milli Vanilli – in particular Rob and Fab – has been reduced to sensational headlines,” said director Luke Korem. “With this documentary, we pull back the curtain on pop music. Featuring interviews with the real singers, record executives, the producer mastermind behind the deception and exclusive interviews with Rob and Fab, we unveil the truth of this complex, exciting and dramatic story. I’m thrilled that Paramount+ shares our vision and will bring this film to audiences around the world.”

“Finally – the true story of Milli Vanilli has been told,” added Fabrice Morvan. “I’m thankful Luke Korem and his team went to the lengths that they did. The journey I returned to during the filming of this documentary didn’t leave any stone unturned. At last I can close this chapter in peace… Get ready to take a walk in our steel-toe boots.”

Flatiron Building

SHORT TAKES — Nomad’s Flatiron Building looks to be turned into a residential house. Not a bad idea at all. Great address (175 Fifth) and a great location … Brian Lowry, who used to cover TV for Variety, now is at CNN. Great writer and he did a fantastic book on The X-Files years back. Congrats …

Donnie Kehr at Steve Walter’s CuttingRoom Sunday performing his Beautiful Strange album live … As you can well imagine, the reviews for Succession’s finale were just tremendous; both pro and con for certain, The Washington Post ran an interesting piece on the show as well; from a more medical-point of view. I loved it; take a look: https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2023/05/30/succession-wealth-family-life-psychologists/

Slade

Daryl Easlea: a brilliant writer from the U.K. has a book coming out on Slade entitled Whatever Happened To Slade?Remember them?

A Bronx Tale

Here’s the cover … To close this year’s Tribeca Festival, there will be a special 30th anniversary screening of the film, A Bronx Tale, Saturday, June 17. After the film, Robert DeNiro (who directed the movie), Jane Rosenthal, and Chazz Palminteri will participate in a  live conversation with David Remmick, editor of the New Yorker. Definitely one of the major highlights of this year’s fete … (Via Showbiz 411):

Billy Joel

Billy Joel is wrapping it up. The Piano Man will end his record-breaking run at Madison Square Garden in July 2024. It will be his 150th monthly show. The whole run has been an incredible success, allowing Billy to stay mostly close to him and bring all his fans to him. At times, he’s strayed to other cities and countries, but every month like clockwork he’s been at the Garden playing his hits to very happy fans. The sold out residency began back in 2014, believe it or not. Billy has outlasted dozens of Broadway shows, some mayors, governors, presidents, etc. The run has been a phenomenon and a stunning success. Joel will turn 75 next May, so that plus the magic 150 number and it all makes sense … Happy Bday Melani Rogers; Ronnie Wood;  and David Keeps.

NAMES IN THE NEWS — Daryl Easlea; Tony King; David Geffen; Ed Rosenblatt; Glenn Friscia; Jim Burgess; Kent Denmark; Mikael Wood; Lester Bangs; Anne Leighton; Vince Aletti; Fred Goodman; Mark Bego; Mike Greenblatt; Ken Dashow; Jane Rosenthal; Robert DeNiro; Tom & Lisa Cuddy; Markos Papadatos; and ZIGGY!

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The Glorious Corner

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G.H. Harding

FAMILY’S A BITCH-THE END OF SUCCESSION — Sunday’s finale of Succession (HBO) was a mixed bag. I’ll be honest: At first I thought the finale was totally underwhelming, but after some additional thought and reading some other excellent reviews, I’ve come to the point where I now believe it was, pure and simple, how it had to end.

Greg didn’t win the crown; Tom did, but only as a puppet master for the notorious Swede Alec Matsson. One terrific take on the show said that there were never really any heroes; just a family fighting for control and only really fighting with each other.
If you followed this season closely, you knew full well that none of the siblings could really do anything near what Logan Roy did. In the episode where he chastised them all by proclaiming you are not serious people- you – it should have immediately tipped you off that an outsider, yes Tom, would get the crown.
Roman melted down at the funeral; Shiv changed sides so often you never really knew where her loyalties lay and Kendall had him own set of issues. Also, the fact that he killed someone in Season 1 came into play again.
Creator Jesse Armstrong wrote this one (With Open Eyes) and it was as strong, while being a bit confusing, as everything he’s done. Truth be told, he was right to end it now as some of the themes kept repeating. Sure Brian Cox was not in the last few, but his presence still loomed large. Face it, none of the siblings could have done what he did.
Funnily enough, in the next-to-final scene with the three siblings, Kendall said that his father told him years ago, at The Candy Kitchen, that he would inherit the whole shebang. The Candy Kitchen does exits in Bridgehampton, New York and actually is a fine, fine establishment. I bet they’ll be packed this week!
The last scene of he show was a dejected Kendall wandering near the water with Logan’s bodyguard Colin. I wondered, as did many others, whether he’d off himself. He didn’t.
Is there room for a sequel or spin-off? Of course. Tom is the prefect puppet master for Matsson. There definitely is more intrigue to come. Brilliant writing and acting. I can’t see any of the actors ever equaling what they did on this show. Bravo!
SHORT TAKES — Talk about promotion! Q1043’s latest one involves a golden shovel! Sounds like something out of Willy Wonka! … Micky Dolenz jets off to London today for the weekend’s James Burtonevent with Van Morrison; John Oates; Brian May; and more. We’ll have details next column … Eric Clapton’s London-tribute for the recently departed Jeff Beck was just excellent.

Joss Stone

None more so than Joss Stone on “I Put A Spell On You.” What a voice. I’m amazed she’s not bigger; very Janis Joplin.

Gary Clark

Also, Gary Clark delivered a blistering, amazing performance on Stevie Wonder’s “Cause We’ve Ended As Lovers.” No question that he’s the next guitar-wizard. Here they both are: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvO2_noxaXQ and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QO2BLAXveVo  …

The Flash

I watched all 9 seasons of the CW’s The Flash and the first 5 were pretty terrific. The remaining ones got poorer and poorer as the original cast disappeared one by one. Grant Gustin, The Flash, was there the whole time, but their finale last week was terribly confusing – save for a song by Tony Award winner Jesse L. Martin (for Rent) – a key member of the original cast. The last two seasons had a myriad of costumed villains, some from the comic, some not, but just wildly messed up. The CW was sold to Nexstar last year and big changes are in their future. Sad … and, CNN is reporting that Universal Music is close to snapping up the rights to the Queen-catalog for $1 billion-plus. Good for them.

Queen

Disney had it previously, but Queen’s music is more popular than ever before. It’s a real shame Freddie is not her to share in it. If you wondered the record for the biggest previously was for Bruce Springsteen’s catalog at $500 million.

NAMES IN THE NEWS — William Schill; Crimshaw; Joel Diamond; Katherine Clarke; Terry Jastrow; Anthony Pomes; Barry Fisch; Mark Bego; Dave Sholin; Les Bider; Lush Ice; Steve Walter; Peter Abraham; Jack Cunningham; Randy Alexander; Howard Bloom; Ken Dashow; Norena Barbella; Angela Tarantino; and BELLA!
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Events

Midnight Moment: The Doors: Lizard Kings

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From June 1–30, 2023 | Nightly 11:57pm – 12am metallic crystal-ridged lizards prowl and skitter across the screens of Times Square in The Doors: Lizard Kings by Zach Blas. Featuring five fantastical computer-generated creatures choreographed across 63 distinct channels, June’s Midnight Moment stems from Blas’s 2019 immersive media installation The Doors, a work exploring psychedelia, drug use, artificial intelligence, and Silicon Valley’s connections to California counterculture from the 1960s.

Slimy, glowing, and covered with mineral elements modeled after nickeline and tungsten, each of the five rendered reptiles takes on distinct personalities derived from AI neural networks trained on a constellation of sources, including Aldous Huxley’s 1954 novel The Doors of Perception and the 1960s California psychedelic rock band The Doors. Blas modeled the creatures after the prehistoric Barbaturex morrisoni, a now extinct lizard named after The Doors frontman Jim Morrison, a play on Morrison’s epithet “The Lizard King” and a prominent symbol of psychedelic liberation in the 1960s. As the lizards move through black mirrored passageways, Blas sees them as traveling in time between the psychedelic culture of the past and the present.

The Doors: Lizard Kings also nods to the contemporary psychedelic trends of microdosing LSD and psilocybin mushrooms, as well as taking nootropics. Blas suggests that this new drug culture, popularized in the tech industry, re-engineers psychedelic experience to optimize labor, promising to “unlock” doors of the mind for workers  to labor faster and more efficiently. The Doors: Lizard Kings proposes a new generation of Barbaturex morrisoni, computational symbols for a 21st century psychedelia predicated on worker productivity, smart drugs, and AI hallucinations.

Film Credits
Zach Blas, The Doors: Lizard Kings 2019 / 2023
Originally commissioned by Edith-Russ-Haus für Medienkunst, Oldenburg, Germany; de Young Museum, San Francisco, US; and Van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven, Netherlands

  • Computer Graphics Supervisor: Harry Sanderson
  • Animation: Mikkel Aabenhuus Sørensen
  • Animation Assistant: Yan Eltovsky
  • Modeling and Visual Effects: Dayne Kolk
  • Simulation Assistant: Aslak Kjølås-Sæverud
  • Compositing: Felix Lee
  • Video Editor: Martin Gajc
  • Project Manager: Talia Golland
  • Project Assistant: Audrey Amman

Sound Credits
The original presentation of The Doors featured an aural accompaniment that oscillates between abstract soundscapes and poetry spoken in AI generated voice resembling Jim Morrison’s.

  • Machine Learning Engineers (video and poetry):  Ashwin D’Cruz and Christopher Tegho
  • Machine Learning Engineers (voice and music): Sam Parke-Wolfe and Cameron Thomas
  • Musicians: xin and Aya Sinclair
  • Supervising Sound Editor: Tom Sedgwick
  • Mix Engineer: Ben Hurd

Zach Blas (b. Point Pleasant, West Virginia) is an artist, filmmaker, and writer whose practice spans moving image, computation, theory, performance, and science fiction. Blas engages the materiality of computational technologies while also drawing out the philosophies and imaginaries lurking in artificial intelligence, biometric recognition, predictive policing, airport security, the Internet. Blas has exhibited, lectured, and held screenings at venues internationally, including the 12th Berlin Biennale, Walker Art Center, Tate Modern, British Art Show 9, 12th Gwangju Biennale, de Young Museum, the 68th Berlin International Film Festival, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, ICA London, Van Abbemuseum, e-flux, ZKM Center for Art and Media, and Australian Centre for Contemporary Art. His practice has been supported by a Creative Capital award in Emerging Fields, the Arts Council England, Edith-Russ-Haus für Medienkunst, and the UK Arts and Humanities Research Council. His work is in the collections of Museo Universitario Arte Contemporáneo, National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul, and Whitney Museum of American Art. Blas’s practice has been written about and featured in Artforum, Frieze, ArtReview, BBC, The Guardian, and The New York Times. His 2021 artist monograph Unknown Ideals is published by Sternberg Press. Blas is an Assistant Professor of Visual Studies in the Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design at the University of Toronto.

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The Glorious Corner

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G.H. Harding

LASSO’S MOM CITY — I believe that the best ever episode of Ted Lasso was dropped this week, entitled Mom City. It started off innocently enough with Ted leaving for work and walking right past his mother! He realized it and turned back to her. Turns out she had been in London for a week and was just now seeing Ted.

Ted introduced her to just about everyone and she immediately bonded with the team as well as Leslie and Rebecca. As Ted watched he realized that good-time feeling she generated (and he did too) with everyone held back a devastating fact: that Ted’s dad committed suicide.
They eventually resolved their issues, but Ted’s mom said she was there for a far more specific reason; that his son Henry was missing him. It immediately set up perhaps the last-ever episode of the show next week.
Elsewhere, Jaime dealt with his own family issues. Re-connecting with his mother and step-father. Keeley and Roy joined him and found themselves at one point alone in Jaime’s childhood room and at one point spied posters of themselves from years back. It was, quite possibly, the funniest moment ever in the series.

Harry Nilsson

Also, Harry Nilsson’s “Puppy Song” was a key musical moment in the EP. Harry, we love you!

All resolved, the show ended abruptly as Ted was going to tell Rebecca some news.
Many have said that in this third season, the show had lost it’s way a bit. In this episode, it was all pulled together quite beautifully. All I can say is, what a great show. It will be missed for sure.

Joel Diamond

SHORT TAKES — The #1 iTunes song currently is Tina Turner’s “What’s Love Got To Do with It.” Much deserved … Producer Joel Diamond used to live at 220 Central Park South in NYC. His building was torn down and re-built. It is now part of what they call Billionaire’s Road. WSJ-reporter Katherine Clarke’s new book is about just that.. Via Random House, Billionaire’s Row is out on June 13 …

Sasha Prendes

We dropped the name of new Latino-artist Sasha Prendes last time; we just saw a teaser clip for her new video “Shake This.” Check it out here: https://www.sashaprendes.com/video … Micky Dolenz headlined at this week’s Abbey Road On The River and delivered his usual high-octane performance.

James Burton

He leaves for England this week for the James Burton & Friends/One Night Only event June 4 at London’s Palladium … Terry Jastrow interviewed by Brad Balfour for his podcast this week …

Finally caught A Man Called Otto starring Tom Hanks and enjoyed it immensely. Hanks did a movie, with Steven Spielberg in 2004 called The Terminal, which was fantastic. This movie reminded me of that; a tremendously nuanced performance by Hanks as a peculiar man who found trouble with almost everyone and everything after the death of wife. He describes his life and wife in one great line: My life was in black and white and she was the color. Based on the film A Man Called Ove and with a sensational screenplay by David Magee and directed by Marc Forster, I just loved it …

Whoopi Goldberg

ENDQUOTE: Via Deadline: The View’s Whoopi Goldberg Claims ‘American Idol’ Led To The Downfall of Society. Ouch! Check it out here: https://deadline.com/2023/05/the-view-cohost-whoopi-goldberg-claims-american-idol-led-to-downfall-society-1235380500/ … Happy Bday Buddy Blanch and Bobby Shaw!

NAMES IN THE NEWS — Jodi Ritzen; Rich Dart; Daryl Easlea; Ali Hawthorne; Adrianba Kaegi; Wayne Avers; John Billings; Jane Blunkell; Tom & Lisa Cuddy; Chris Gilman; Zach Martin; Anthony Noto; Anthony Pomes; Rhonda Shore; Howard Bloom; Robert Funaro; Michael Jensen; Bob Merlis; Roy Trakin; Evan Evanston; and CHIP!
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Films In June

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There is the upcoming superhero movies (including upcoming Marvel movies) to look forward to.

6/2: The Boogeyman with Chris Messina, Sophaie Thatcher. A horror-thriller from the mind of best-selling author Stephen King, which opens June 2, 2023, in theaters nationwide. High school student Sadie Harper and her younger sister Sawyer are reeling from the recent death of their mother and aren’t getting much support from their father, Will, a therapist who is dealing with his own pain. When a desperate patient unexpectedly shows up at their home seeking help, he leaves behind a terrifying supernatural entity that preys on families and feeds on the suffering of its victims.

6/2: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse with Shameik Moore, Hailee Steinfeld Miles Morales. Return for the next chapter of the Oscar®-winning Spider-Verse saga, Spider-Man™: Across the Spider-Verse. After reuniting with Gwen Stacy, Brooklyn’s full-time, friendly neighborhood Spider-Man is catapulted across the Multiverse, where he encounters a team of Spider-People charged with protecting its very existence. But when the heroes clash on how to handle a new threat, Miles finds himself pitted against the other Spiders and must redefine what it means to be a hero so he can save the people he loves most.

6/9: Flamin’ Hot (Hulu Release) with Jesse Garcia, Annie Gonzalez. The inspiring true story of Richard Montañez (Jesse Garcia), the Frito Lay janitor who channeled his Mexican American heritage and upbringing to turn the iconic Flamin’ Hot Cheetos into a snack that disrupted the food industry and became a global pop culture phenomenon

6/9: Transformers: Rise of the Beasts with Anthony Ramos, Dominique Fishback. Returning to the action and spectacle that have captured moviegoers around the world, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts will take audiences on a ‘90s globetrotting adventure with the Autobots and introduce a whole new faction of Transformers – the Maximals – to join them as allies in the existing battle for earth. Directed by Steven Caple Jr. and starring Anthony Ramos and Dominique Fishback, the film arrives in theatres June 9, 2023.

6/16: The Blackening with Antoinette Robertson, Dewayne Perkins. The Blackening centers around a group of Black friends who reunite for a Juneteenth weekend getaway only to find themselves trapped in a remote cabin with a twisted killer. Forced to play by his rules, the friends soon realize this ain’t no motherf****** game. Directed by Tim Story (Ride Along, Think Like A Man, Barbershop) and screenplay and screen story by Tracy Oliver (Girls Trip, Harlem) & Dewayne Perkins (The Amber Ruffin Show, Brooklyn Nine-Nine), The Blackening skewers genre tropes and poses the sardonic question: if the entire cast of a horror movie is Black, who dies first?

6/16: Elemental with Mamoudou Athie, Leah Lewis. Transport to an extraordinary place called Element City, where a host of elements live and work. The trailer showcases each element—air, earth, water and fire—and what sets them apart according to Ember, a quick-witted and fiery woman who’s always stayed close to home in Firetown. In “Elemental,” which opens in theaters on June 16, she finally ventures out of her comfort zone to explore this spectacular world born from the imaginations of Pixar’s filmmakers and specifically crafted for the big-screen experience. Element City is inspired by big cities around the globe and embraces theorized contributions from each elemental community—from giant pine-tree-like buildings and waterfall skyscrapers to a tornado-shaped arena called Cyclone Stadium.

6/16: Extraction 2 (Netflix Release) with Chris Hemsworth, Tinatin Dalakishvili. This is a sequel to the first film that was based on the graphic novel ‘Ciudad’ by Ande Parks, from a story by Ande Parks, Joe Russo & Anthony Russo, with illustrations by Fernando León González. EXTRACTION 2 is produced by Anthony Russo, Joe Russo, Mike Larocca, Chris Hemsworth, Patrick Newall and Sam Hargrave, with Angela Russo-Otstot, Jake Aust, Benjamin Grayson, Steven Scavelli, Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely as executive producers.

6/16: The Flash with Ezra Miller, Michael Keaton. Worlds collide in “The Flash” when Barry uses his superpowers to travel back in time in order to change the events of the past. But when his attempt to save his family inadvertently alters the future, Barry becomes trapped in a reality in which General Zod has returned, threatening annihilation, and there are no Super Heroes to turn to. That is, unless Barry can coax a very different Batman out of retirement and rescue an imprisoned Kryptonian… albeit not the one he’s looking for. Ultimately, to save the world that he is in and return to the future that he knows, Barry’s only hope is to race for his life. But will making the ultimate sacrifice be enough to reset the universe? “The Flash” ensemble also includes rising star Sasha Calle, Michael Shannon (“Bullet Train,” “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice”), Ron Livingston (“Loudermilk,” “The Conjuring”), Maribel Verdú (“Elite,” “Y tu mamá también”), Kiersey Clemons (“Zack Snyder’s Justice League,” “Sweetheart”), Antje Traue (“King of Ravens,” “Man of Steel”) and Michael Keaton (“Spider-Man: Homecoming,” “Batman”).

6/23: Asteroid City with Tom Hanks, Margot Robbie. Taking place in a fictional American desert town circa 1955. Synopsis: The itinerary of a Junior Stargazer/Space Cadet convention (organized to bring together students and parents from across the country for fellowship and scholarly competition) is spectacularly disrupted by world-changing events.

6/23: No Hard Feelings with Jennifer Lawrence, Andrew Feldman, Laura Benanti, Natalie Morales and Matthew Broderick. Maddie (Lawrence) thinks she’s found the answer to her financial troubles when she discovers an intriguing job listing: wealthy helicopter parents looking for someone to “date” their introverted 19-year-old son, Percy, and bring him out of his shell before he leaves for college. But awkward Percy proves to be more of a challenge than she expected, and time is running out. She has one summer to make him a man or lose it all.

6/30: Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny with Harrison Ford, Phoebe Waller-Bridge. Harrison Ford returns as the legendary hero archaeologist in the highly anticipated fifth installment of the iconic “Indiana Jones” franchise, which is directed by James Mangold (“Ford v Ferrari,” “Logan”). Starring along with Ford are Phoebe Waller-Bridge (“Fleabag”), Antonio Banderas (“Pain and Glory”), John Rhys-Davies (“Raiders of the Lost Ark”), Shaunette Renee Wilson (“Black Panther”), Thomas Kretschmann (“Das Boot”), Toby Jones (“Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom”), Boyd Holbrook (“Logan”), Oliver Richters (“Black Widow”), Ethann Isidore (“Mortel”) and Mads Mikkelsen (“Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore”). Directed by James Mangold, the film is produced by Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall and Simon Emanuel, with Steven Spielberg and George Lucas serving as executive producers. John Williams, who has scored each Indy adventure since the original “Raiders of the Lost Ark” in 1981, is once again composing the score.

6/30: Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken with Lana Candor, Toni Collette. DreamWorks Animation dives into the turbulent waters of high school with a hilarious, heartfelt action comedy about a shy teenager who discovers that she’s part of a legendary royal lineage of mythical sea krakens and that her destiny, in the depths of the oceans, is bigger than she ever dreamed.

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