Pixar’s just released a new action-packed trailer for the animated film, Cars 3. The new one-minute trailer for the third film of the Cars franchise features the Eagles’ song “Take It to the Limit” and Owen Wilson as Lightning McQueen psyching himself up for one final big race. Cars 3 also features the voices of Cristela Alonzo, Chris Cooper, Nathan Fillion, Larry the Cable Guy, Armie Hammer, Ray Magliozzi, Tony Shalhoub, Bonnie Hunt, Lea DeLaria, Kerry Washington, Bob Costas, Margo Martindale, Darrell Waltrip, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Bob Peterson, Guido Quaroni, the late Tom Magliozzi, John Ratzenberger, Kyle Petty, Lewis Hamilton, Lloyd Sherr, Robert Glenn “Junior” Johnson, Ray Everhnam, Cheech Marin, Howard Augustine “Humpy” Wheeler Jr., Katherine Helmond, Paul Dooley, Jenifer Lewis, Shannon Spake, Maddy McGraw, Michael Wallis, Mike Joy, Jeff Gordon, Daniel Suárez, Ryan Blaney, Bubba Wallace, Chase Elliott, Richard Petty, and Andra Day.
Storyboard artist Brian Fee directed and Kevin Reher (A Bug’s Life) produced. Cars 3 is set to open in theaters on June 16, 2017.
The Plot: Blindsided by a new generation of blazing-fast racers, the legendary Lightning McQueen (voice of Owen Wilson) is suddenly pushed out of the sport he loves. To get back in the game, he will need the help of an eager young race technician, Cruz Ramirez (voice of Cristela Alonzo), with her own plan to win, plus inspiration from the late Fabulous Hudson Hornet and a few unexpected turns. Proving that #95 isn’t through yet will test the heart of a champion on Piston Cup Racing’s biggest stage!
Peter Cockett as John Richardson and Emily Browning as Essie Macgowan in ‘American Gods’ season 1 episode 7 (Photo Credit: Starz)
Starz’ American Gods season one episode seven shifts the focus from Shadow Moon and Mr. Wednesday’s road trip to the backstory of Mad Sweeney (Pablo Schreiber). The June 11, 2017 episode begins with an old Decca record playing at a funeral home as Mr. Jacquel aka Anubis (Christopher Obi) prepares a body. The funeral home’s co-owner Mr. Ibis aka Thoth (Demore Barnes) suggests they relax and finish the body tomorrow, but Mr. Jacquel warns him two dead women will be coming in in the morning and will need the table. They’re not dead yet, but will be soon.
Mr. Ibis opens a large book, dips his pen in the well, and begins to write. We discover he’s the narrator who has been telling the stories which begin each of the season one episodes. In this episode, his story unfolds in 1721 and reveals the Americas were a dumping ground, a “forgetting place.” The Americas were a symbol of clemency for those in trouble with the law, with crowded ships bringing criminals to America where they were sold as indentured servants. It was better than being in an English prison, and it was possible to be set free once your debt was paid.
Mr. Ibis writes about the life of Essie Macgowan (Emily Browning) who loved tales of leprechauns as a young girl. A flashback shows the young Essie waiting for her father’s ship to arrive, listening to stories of fairies and leprechauns. She’s told the merry folk live on a nearby hill, and that leprechauns have no time for anything but guarding their gold.
As she grows up, Essie continues the job of leaving gifts for the fairy folk so that her family will be blessed. She passes the stories on to young children from the village, including a particularly disturbing story about being lost in the fog and hearing a banging noise. She recalls not knowing how to get home but remembered to give an offering to a leprechaun and in the morning, the bread was gone and she was once again back in familiar territory.
Essie, an intelligent and beautiful young woman, is ambitious and saves her money to use to ask a favor of a leprechaun. She leaves a coin for the leprechaun and then back in town, she makes love to a handsome boy named Bartholomew (Jake Manley). He gives her a necklace, promising to marry her when he returns at Christmas. Unfortunately, one of her fellow servants is jealous of Essie and Bartholomew’s relationship and tells their mistress. The mistress believes Essie stole the necklace from her son and when she asks Bartholomew if he gave it freely to Essie, he denies ever doing so.
Essie’s hauled into court and sentenced to hanging, but then the judge changes his mind and offers her a trip to America and seven years as an indentured servant instead.
Despite the lack of food, Essie always remembers to leave the leprechauns what she can while onboard the ship. A twist of fate means Essie doesn’t wind up in America. She makes her way into the captain’s bed and returns with him to London.
They’re married and happy for eight weeks until he has to set sail for America once more. He promises to return quickly, regretting being called away. Essie, however, packs up his valuables once he’s gone and leaves. If people think she’s a thief, she’ll become one.
The episode transitions to contemporary times as Salim (Omid Abtahi), Laura, and Mad Sweeney cruise down the road in Salim’s taxi. They stop to stretch their legs at a ranch where Tatanka Ska, the sacred White Buffalo, was born in June 2008. A massive statue was erected in its honor and it’s now a tourist attraction. The buffalo and the ranch’s owner were killed by a lightning strike exactly one year after Tatanka Ska’s, and Mad Sweeney thinks they got what they deserved for putting a god in a petting zoo.
Salim needs time to pray and invites Laura to join him. Flies swirl around Laura’s head as Salim says he loves his god.
Laura suggests to Mad Sweeney that they let Salim go, but Mad Sweeney refuses. He’s only on this side trip because of the coin he wants that’s currently inside Laura’s body, otherwise he’d be heading to House on the Rock. Unfortunately, Mad Sweeney revealed too much and Laura tells Salim to head to House on the Rock to find his Jinn. Salim takes off after calling Mad Sweeney an unpleasant creature.
Laura and Mad Sweeney need a ride so they steal an ice cream truck and get back on the road.
And we return now to the story of Essie Macgowan who has become quite proficient at stealing. She makes a life for herself, adopts a kitten, and finds a new handsome young man to spend time with. However, she forgets to set out the nightly offering to the leprechauns and her luck runs out. She’s caught in the act of stealing and hauled once more before the judge. The sentence this time is death without the possibility of a trip to the Americas, and she’s taken to Newgate Prison to await hanging.
Locked in her cell, the man in the next cell, Mad Sweeney, warns Essie to only eat the bread. He somehow knows she doesn’t belong there and he’s certain he shouldn’t be in jail, but he got in a bar fight and that’s what landed him in trouble with the law. When she reveals she’s sentenced to be hung, he says to make sure she gives them a messy death to clean up. She explains that she’s not eligible to sail to America because she’s a repeat offender, and he suggests she could try and bribe her way free. Unfortunately, he doesn’t have any gold to share with her to help her out and she’s penniless at this point. They exchange stories and Essie says in the Americas anyone can be anything and be happy. She just wants a home and someone kind.
Even though she was given very little food, Essie leaves an offering out for the leprechauns before going to sleep. She wakes the next morning, freezing cold and with the warden entering her cell. The warden of Newgate walks in with a full tray of tasty-looking food and proclaims she has 12 weeks before the sentence is delivered. He confesses he thinks she’s pretty and reveals there’s a way she might be able to save herself from the gallows. She smiles and they have sex, apparently repeatedly as 12 weeks later she is pregnant and escapes the gallows. She’s once again shipped off to the Americas, but this time it’s for life.
After a terrifying voyage, Essie and her baby land in Norfolk, Virginia where her indentureship is bought by a tobacco farmer named John Richardson (Peter Cockett). He needs a wet nurse/maid because his wife just died after giving birth to their baby. Essie’s charged with raising her baby and John’s, and she passes her stories along to these little ones as they grow up.
Pablo Schreiber and Emily Browning in ‘American Gods’ season 1 episode 7 (Photo Credit: Starz)
And back to contemporary happenings we go, with Laura driving the ice cream truck while Mad Sweeney shivers from the cold beside her. She calls him a baby as he tries to keep warm while she has the air conditioner cranked up.
Mad Sweeney offers her an ice cream, but she reminds him her stomach is sewn up. He assures her she’ll be resurrected soon and adds that the guy who’s doing it isn’t going to do it for gold. He then tosses a few gold coins out the window, which prompts Laura to ask how much gold he actually has. Mad Sweeney reveals he was once a king and then a bird, and then Mother Church turned them all into saints, trolls, and fairies. He adds, “Then General Mills did the rest.” Laura wants to know why he is so anxious to get to Mr. Wednesday’s meeting and he says it’s because Wednesday is preparing for war.
Mad Sweeney reveals there was a time when he was meant to go to war. A flashback shows us Mad Sweeney next to a huge fire in a pit as he explains to Laura he looked into the fire and saw his death on the eve of battle. His vision showed him the land was on fire all around him and he knew he was going to die if he stayed. He didn’t and avoided his death, but now he owes a battle.
A white rabbit runs in front of the ice cream truck and Laura loses control when she swerves to avoid it. Ice cream flies all over the truck as it rolls over multiple times before landing on its side. The crash causes Mad Sweeney’s special gold coin to be dislodged from her body, and Laura – autopsy stitches now open – lies twisted on her back in the middle of the road.
Returning to the time of Essie, she continues to keep the stories of fairy folk and leprechauns alive. The children believe because she believes, and even Mr. Richardson is taken with her stories. One night after the children are put to bed, he makes a sexual advance which she rebuffs. She claims he’s taking advantage of a poor widow woman who isn’t free to wed because an indentured servant cannot marry. She claims she has feelings for him, but she’s hurt because he can’t possibly feel the same way. Her story works and Mr. Richardson asks her to marry him.
They wed and it’s only then that she kisses him. They seem happy enough and have a baby boy they name John. Soon all three children head off to school, each with a little something extra to leave out for the leprechaun to make sure they return home safely.
The narrator informs us John Richardson and Essie were married for 10 years when John passed away after suffering from a fever. Essie took care of the farm, always leaving bread out for the leprechaun. She lived a long, happy life, passing her stories on to her grandchildren. However, her old stories were too scary for the young ones and there came a point where she kept them all to herself.
Back to contemporary times, Laura lies dead in the middle of the road while Mad Sweeney is able to walk away from the crash. He spots his magical gold coin and is about to walk away with it when he stops short. He has a vision of the black crow landing nearby at night, and he tells it to tell “him” it’s done, meaning Laura is dead and not coming back. In reality, he pauses on the road and looks back at Laura’s body. He screams at the heavens before placing a few of Laura’s organs back in her chest and reinserting the gold coin. She instantly awakens and hits him right on the nose, knocking him down. She’s not in the least bit thankful as she returns to the crashed truck and with one arm sets it back on its wheels. She yells at Mad Sweeney to get inside, even honking at him when he doesn’t move quickly enough.
The episode’s final flashback reveals Mad Sweeney paying Essie a visit on her last evening on earth, calling her name and startling her awake as she slumbers in a chair on her porch. She’s happy to see an Irishman and he laments the fact no one in the Americas leaves out milk or bread for leprechauns. He confesses she and a few others are the reason he’s in America, a place without magic or fairies. He flips a coin and it disappears, and then he asks if she’ll take his hand. She does, rising to her feet.
The narrator continues the story, saying Essie’s body was still warm when she was found dead. He closes the book as the camera pans to a lighthouse on a hill, waves lapping at the nearby shore.
Warner Bros Pictures’ Wonder Woman had no problem hanging onto the top spot at the box office chart for the second weekend in a row. Wonder Woman starring Gal Gadot passed the $200 million mark domestically after 10 days in release, and kept its hold on the #1 position with a $57 million second weekend take. Following far behind was Universal Pictures’ reboot of The Mummy franchise starring Tom Cruise. The 2017 adaptation failed to live up to its pre-release expectations, delivering $32 million domestically which is less than 1999’s The Mummy starring Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz. The reboot also finished behind 2001’s The Mummy Returns and 2008’s The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor.
Critics weren’t kind to Cruise’s The Mummy, with the film’s Rotten Tomatoes rating currently standing at a disastrous 17% fresh. (Wonder Woman is holding fast at 93% fresh.) Audiences were also equally as disappointed in Universal’s new take on The Mummy, awarding it an average score of B-. Universal Pictures had high hopes for the 2017 release of The Mummy which was supposed to kick off the new horror movie franchise, “Dark Universe,” with a bang. It’ll be up to Bill Condon (Beauty and the Beast) and Bride of Frankenstein with Javier Bardem as Frankenstein’s Monster to right the ship, plus a film starring Johnny Depp is also in the works.
Black Panther finally debuted during the NBA Finals followed by its premiere online. The first teaser features Chadwick Boseman in the title role and introduces the world of Wakanda. The cast of the comic book-inspired action film also includes Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Martin Freeman, Daniel Kaluuya, Letitia Wright, Winston Duke, Angela Bassett, Forest Whitaker, and Andy Serkis.
Ryan Coogler directed from a script he co-wrote with Joe Robert Cole. Kevin Feige produced and Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Nate Moore, Jeffrey Chernov and Stan Lee executive produced. Black Panther opens in theaters on February 16, 2018.
The Plot: Marvel Studios’ Black Panther follows T’Challa who, after the death of his father, the King of Wakanda, returns home to the isolated, technologically advanced African nation to succeed to the throne and take his rightful place as king. But when a powerful old enemy reappears, T’Challa’s mettle as king—and Black Panther—is tested when he is drawn into a formidable conflict that puts the fate of Wakanda and the entire world at risk. Faced with treachery and danger, the young king must rally his allies and release the full power of Black Panther to defeat his foes and secure the safety of his people and their way of life.
Melanie Scrofano stars in ‘Wynonna Earp’ (Photo by: Michelle Faye/Wynonna Earp Season 2, Inc./Syfy)
Syfy’s popular genre-blending Wynonna Earp returns for season two on June 9, 2017 with an episode titled ‘Steel Bars and Stone Walls.’ Season two episode one kicks off with Doc Holliday (Tim Rozon) and Waverly (Dominique Provost-Chalkley) running like bats out of hell through the snow. They’re being chased by a faceless creature with huge teeth who steals Doc’s hat and eats it. (Damn, he loved that hat!) Wynonna (Melanie Scrofano) arrives in time to save them, putting a bullet through its head. Wynonna was warned by Juan Carlo that they can expect more than just the usual Revenants in the Ghost River Triangle, and now they’re going to use this creepy creature to rescue Dolls.
So, where’s Dolls? He’s handcuffed in the back of a military vehicle and he’s not exactly in friendly hands. Dolls (Shamier Anderson) is told he’s about to be transferred to Black Rock Prison and tazed, just for good measure, before he’s taken away.
Wynonna, who’s definitely working the strut this season, overhears Sheriff Nedley (Greg Lawson) briefing reporters on what went down in the city, pretty much laying the blame at Wynonna’s feet. He quotes Batman, telling her she’s not the hero Purgatory needs right now. However, he’s also aware of what she sacrificed to save the town.
Wynonna smells something stinky, and Nedley opens a door to show her Black Badge is busy cleaning out all of Doll’s stuff. While they’re busy at the station, Wynonna spends time checking out Dolls’ hotel room. She finds a traveling lab and then is attacked by a scantily clad woman wearing only lingerie who’s a helluva fighter. They tangle before discovering they both know Dolls.
Meanwhile, Waverly’s helping Nicole (Katherine Barrell) with her wounds. They kiss, but Nicole’s a little tender so it ends abruptly. Even a short but passionate kiss however leads Nicole to wonder why Waverly tastes different. That question’s left unanswered as Doc wanders into the kitchen in search of sweet tea. Doc, who was trying to be a gentleman, has the opportunity for a chat with Waverly after Nicole heads out to feed her cat. He wants to know how Waverly’s handling Willow’s death and she claims she’s fine, even adding she feels strong. However, she’s worried Wynonna’s really pushing herself hard and hasn’t rested.
Back in the hotel room, Eliza (Rachel Skarsten) gets dressed and insults Wynonna’s ability to sneak up on people. Wynonna, not one to take an insult, boasts that she’s a big deal in these here parts. Saying she’s the Earp heir doesn’t impress Dolls’ lady friend, but she does stop short when Wynonna reveals Black Badge took him. Eliza grabs a hidden file folder and tells Wynonna Dolls will be on his way to Black Rock where he’ll likely die within two months.
Wynonna’s determined to save Dolls which means these tough-ass women are about to team up!
Wynonna gathers her team and they’re dumbstruck to learn Dolls actually has a friend that they weren’t aware of. After getting over the initial shock, #TeamEarp starts work on figuring out how to break into the secured facility where he’s being held. Eliza warns everyone that guns are not allowed at the site and Doc’s happy that means they’ll be going old-school during this operation.
Waverly pulls Wynonna aside, concerned over her health. Waverly points out Wynonna’s not sleeping and that she has to be affected by the fact she shot Willow. They hug and Wynonna worries she’s dragging Waverly into yet another risky situation. Waverly reminds her Dolls is her friend, too.
Wynonna’s rescue plan begins by knocking out the Black Badge team at the station and grabbing Dolls’ medication. Unfortunately, the case where it’s supposed to be kept is empty. Fortunately, Doc has one vial. But, neither Eliza nor Doc want to explain to Wynonna why Dolls needs medication. Doc draws the short straw and compliments Dolls’ many positive attributes before mentioning Dolls is not a man at all.
After changing into the Black Badge team’s Hazmat suits and grabbing their IDs, Wynonna and Doc make it into the secured facility. Eliza meets them inside after cutting the alarm system wires.
Waverly and Nicole load up with weapons, but Nicole’s still leery of the way Waverly’s acting. Waverly assures her she’s still “her Waverly,” and that she’s acting weird because she promised Wynonna she wouldn’t give away her plan.
Back at the facility, Eliza’s badge doesn’t work and Doc and Wynonna think Eliza’s backstabbed them. She swears she didn’t, but Wynonna’s forced into going with Plan B which involves Waverly (complete with glasses, a bun, and a British accent) delivering the head of the big-mouth demon, the Devourer of Souls, to the facility. She tries to make it past the security guard by claiming she’s with Scotland Yard, and maybe her leather skirt and stilettos help convince the guard she’s legitimate.
Elsewhere in the facility, Agent Lucado (Kate Drummond) is taunting Dolls, enjoying his pain just a little too much. She hates Dolls because he left her husband to die and chose to save Eliza instead. She shows him her phone with a live shot of Wynonna, Doc, and Eliza trapped in the facility.
Waverly makes her way into a lab where creatures are being kept locked up behind bars. She calls Wynonna and Wynonna tells her they have to put Plan C into motion.
While they’re trapped and waiting for rescue, Eliza reveals Black Badge did something to her and Dolls that altered them into something other than human. Her lizard eyes flash as she explains she was trying to help him find out what they are now. Eliza also explains it’s possible Dolls won’t be able to control himself, if they ever make it to his secured location.
In the lab, Waverly’s flirting up a storm but the guy’s not buying what she’s selling. However, he is helpful when it comes to computers and she somehow makes him explain how to open all the doors. Once she knows how to do that, Waverly hits him on the head. Unfortunately, that doesn’t knock him out but it does make his head bleed and blood is super attractive to the Devourer of Souls. It busts out of its cell and they barely manage to escape the room.
Once outside the lab’s door, Waverly drops the accent and confesses what’s really going on. He agrees to help her rescue Dolls, even though she hit him over the head.
The doors open, alarms sound, and lights flash, but Eliza says this isn’t good news. Wynonna declares she’s not leaving without Dolls, and while they’re arguing Doc leaves the hallway and closes the door behind him. He’s going after Dolls on his own. He tells Wynonna he will take care of it because she’s done enough, and then he sends her off to save Waverly.
Waverly and her new friend are still crouched outside the lab door trying not to get eaten by the Devourer of Souls.
Doc makes it to Dolls’ cell and Agent Lucado can’t believe he came alone. She holds him at gunpoint and he’s surprised since this is a no-guns-allowed facility. He opens his coat to reveal he’s packing sticks of dynamite, and he’s willing to blow them all up if she doesn’t free Dolls. She backs up as he advances and doesn’t realize until too late that Dolls is within striking distance. He grabs her and chokes her enough to knock her out. Doc uses Lucado’s badge to free Dolls, but he’s in bad shape and needs to lean on his rescuer.
Eliza and Wynonna team up to fight their way to Waverly, while Waverly and the lab tech quietly re-enter the lab. The Devourer of Souls is about to attack but Waverly makes him back down simply by smiling, eyes now completely black as she advances toward him. Wynonna shows up, grabs the Colt out of the dead Devourer’s head in Waverly’s bag, and kills the beast.
Doc hands the vial to Dolls and since Dolls doesn’t have a needle, he drips its contents into his eye. He whispers something to Doc and then Doc, who’s feeling naked without his hat, tells him to run as he faces off against two agents.
Waverly, Wynonna, Eliza, and the lab guy are stopped in their tracks by Lucado. She threatens to shoot them all but then is told to stand down by her superior (Kevin Hanchard). Wynonna stands up for #TeamEarp, reminding him she’s the only person capable of taking down Wyatt’s Revenants. The boss doesn’t care about that since Wynonna now has other beasts to deal with, and then he reveals he was going to bomb Purgatory but Dolls stopped it. And then he drops a different sort of bomb, demanding #TeamEarp patrol the Ghost River Triangle on behalf of Black Badge. They’re forced into signing a contract in blood after Eliza is shot dead for refusing to take orders. He promises to help Wynonna break the Earp curse if she deals with the dozen demonic horrors now loose in the Ghost River Triangle.
Back at home, Wynonna finally breaks down and cries while holding a stuffed rabbit. A light flashes in her eyes through the window and she heads outside to hunt down its source. She finds a key hanging from a tree branch and then looks up to find Dolls smiling down at her from a nearby hill.
The next morning Wynonna and Waverly discuss plans over coffee. Wynonna says hunting demons in winter sounds like fun while Waverly thinks it’ll be messy. Wynonna says her only real job now is to keep her baby sister safe. (If only she knew what her kid sister was really capable of…)
Felix (Jordan Gavaris), Sarah (Tatiana Maslany), and Mrs. S (Maria Doyle Kennedy) in ‘Orphan Black’ (Photo Credit: Ken Woroner/BBC AMERICA)
BBC America’s critically acclaimed, award-winning sci-fi series Orphan Black will be kicking off its fifth and final season on Saturday, June 10, 2017 at 10pm ET/PT. With the season five premiere just 24 hours away, BBC America unveiled a one-minute video with clips that answer important questions. The 60-second video sums up the entire final season, but Clone Club members are going to have to watch it multiple times to get any answers. BBC America assures fans the video and the upcoming season will address whether Cosima and Delphine are able to live happily ever after and if Alison and Donnie will suffer for their deeds.
Orphan Black stars Tatiana Maslany in multiple roles, Jordan Gavaris as Felix, Kristian Bruun as Donnie, Kevin Hanchard as Detective Art Bell, Evelyne Brochu as Dr. Delphine Cormier, Josh Vokey as Scott, Ari Millen as Ira, James Frain as Ferdinand, Lauren Hammersley as Adele, and Jenessa Grant as Mud.
The Final Season Details: From the moment, Sarah Manning (Tatiana Maslany) locked eyes with an unknown identical woman, who jumped to her death – her life has never been the same. She’s found out she’s a clone, that there are multiple clones out there, and multiple factions that sought to hunt, control, betray or kill them. Now, the final showdown with Rachel (Maslany), the one clone at the center of it all who’s sought to destroy her and her sestras from day one begins. And as the walls close in on her, Sarah must decide her next move very carefully, for this time, it’s life or death for everyone she loves.
When we last saw Sarah, she’d been badly beaten in an epic physical battle against Rachel, that left her bruised and broken. Her foster mum, Mrs. S (Maria Doyle Kennedy), and daughter Kira (Skyler Wexler) were taken hostage and her sestra Cosima (Maslany) went missing. Now, Cosima and Alison (Maslany), and their allies have been brought to heel. Even more harrowing is that Kira has joined them in surrender. Rachel, sitting at the head of the Neolution table, has carte blanche access to their clone biology, and with Helena (Maslany) pregnant with twins, her biology is the most coveted of all. Sarah in a desperate attempt to regain control, realizes she must change tactics to pursue a long game. She, and those still able to fight, will uncover the missing pieces of the insidious conspiracy – and finally free themselves from the tyranny that has taken over their lives. Despite the great risk, the fight of her life will either set her and her sestras free, or see them meet their end.
“Welcome to a new world of gods and monsters,” says Dr. Henry Jekyll (Russell Crowe) to Nick Morton (Tom Cruise) as he tries to explain how he’s cursed and has unknowingly unleashed an ancient evil in the reboot of the 1932 classic Universal horror film, The Mummy.
In present day Iraq, soldier of fortune Nick Morton and his buddy, Chris (Jake Johnson), accidentally discover the tomb of ancient Egyptian Princess Ahmanet (Sofia Boutella) while fleeing from hostiles. One thing leads to another and they’re soon joined by archeologist Jennifer Halsey (Annabelle Wallis) who insists they remove the invaluable sarcophagus from its centuries-old resting place. Once the sarcophagus is placed on board a cargo plane bound for London, things begin to spiral out of control. The plane’s engines catch fire and a massive flock of birds crash into the cockpit causing it to plummet out of the sky. As Nick and Jenny are thrown about the plane on its downward descent, he manages to get Jenny into a parachute and push her from the plane, saving her life. Parachute-less, Nick screams as the plane hurtles toward the ground.
The bodies from the plane crash rest in bags in a hospital morgue, however one bag suddenly begins to move. Nick sits up, encased in plastic, and finally frees himself from the bag. He’s somehow miraculously alive – and naked. Jenny and a few of the staff discover Nick alive among the dead and aren’t nearly as shocked as you’d expect them to be when witnessing a plane crash victim alive, unscathed, and walking around in a morgue.
Nick and Jenny head out for a drink, and Nick continues having visions of Ahmanet in the desert of Egypt beckoning to him, visions which began the moment he saw her tomb underground. It’s not long before Nick discovers they’ve freed the mummy of Ahmanet, an evil woman who was imprisoned for murdering her father and her baby half-brother in order to inherit the throne. Now that she’s free, she’ll unleash the curses of Egypt and the evil darkness upon the world unless they can find a way to break the curse and destroy her.
Unoriginal and uneven, The Mummy is a disjointed mishmash of a film trying too hard to incorporate too many genres and lacking any real scares. The film lifts ideas, images, and scenes from such horror classics as An American Werewolf in London, 1999’s The Mummy, and Abbott & Costello Meet the Mummy.
Tom Cruise is solid as Nick the soldier of fortune who’s in way over his head and might be doomed for all time if the mummy gets her way. He’s once again up to the physical challenge of doing some impressive stunt work and action scenes, but his character never really becomes likeable enough for the audience to root for. In fact, he’s mostly just a bumbling jerk who it is hard to believe has survived this long being a soldier of fortune. Annabelle Wallis delivers a flat performance as Jenny, the so-called expert on Egyptian artifacts who both repelled by and is attracted to Nick. She has zero chemistry with Cruise and fails to show fear when her character should be terrified.
Sofia Boutella is extremely effective as the damned Egyptian princess Ahmanet whose lust for power drove her to do unspeakable evil acts and condemned her to a horrific death. Boutella exudes both beauty and sexuality as the princess and a true malevolence as the resurrected mummy stealing the lives of innocent victims to make herself stronger and more powerful. Her performance is without a doubt the highlight of the film.
The only other highlights worth noting are two actions: the cargo plane crash which is impressive and the underwater chase with Nick swimming to save Jenny from Ahmanet while being chased by the mummy’s zombies. Both action scenes are visually thrilling. Sadly, it’s not enough to salvage what could and should have been an exciting and creepy remake of a classic horror film. Trust me and leave The Mummy in its tomb.
GRADE: C-
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for violence, action and scary images, and for some suggestive content and partial nudity
The Late Late Show host James Corden battled it out against soccer superstar David Beckham for the role of James Bond in a video airing on June 8, 2017 during Corden’s week in London. Corden and Beckham began the audition process taking jabs at each other as they waited to be called in.”You know this is an audition for James Bond, right?” asked Corden. “It’s not like an underwear commercial or something like that.”
Glancing down at Corden’s stomach, Beckham replied, “I’d say that’s pretty obvious.”
When the casting director finally called them in, she explained they were looking at all types for the role including handsome and charming types like David Beckham. She didn’t offer any such compliment to Corden, with Beckham admitting it was a little bit weird Corden was auditioning for Bond.
Corden and Beckham then competed to see who did the best Bond walk and Corden was at a distinct disadvantage after Beckham switched out his black velvet tuxedo for a baby blue ruffled one with a unicorn embroidered on the back. Next up was a scene with a Bond love interest, Miss Hemlock, which Beckham sabotaged by entering early prompting the actress to chose the sexy Beckham over Corden without hesitation. When it was Beckham’s turn to deliver that scene, Corden substituted in for the gorgeous love interest which threw off his rival. “Oh my god, that’s disgusting! What is this? I’m not dealing with that. No way. I can’t do this. I can’t do that,” said Beckham, pointing at Corden. “Bond would,” said Corden.
Their bickering over how to deliver the iconic line, “Bond, James Bond,” ultimately got both tossed from the audition. They finally realized they’re better as a team and hugged it out. And instead of competing for a Bond role, they opted to play a famous comic book duo.
Marvel Studios’ Black Panther just unveiled a new teaser poster featuring Chadwick Boseman. The studio also revealed the new teaser trailer will debut during Game 4 of the NBA finals airing on ABC on June 9, 2017. In addition to Boseman, the Black Panther cast includes Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Martin Freeman, Daniel Kaluuya, Letitia Wright, Winston Duke, Angela Bassett, Forest Whitaker, and Andy Serkis.
Ryan Cogler directed and co-wrote the script with Joe Robert Cole. Marvel’s Kevin Feige produced the comic book-inspired film, with Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Nate Moore, Jeffrey Chernov, and Stan Lee executive producing. Marvel and Disney have set a February 16, 2018 theatrical release date.
The Plot: Marvel Studios’ Black Panther follows T’Challa who, after the death of his father, the King of Wakanda, returns home to the isolated, technologically advanced African nation to succeed to the throne and take his rightful place as king. But when a powerful old enemy reappears, T’Challa’s mettle as king—and Black Panther—is tested when he is drawn into a formidable conflict that puts the fate of Wakanda and the entire world at risk. Faced with treachery and danger, the young king must rally his allies and release the full power of Black Panther to defeat his foes and secure the safety of his people and their way of life.
Okezie Morro, Morgan Spector, Russell Posner, and Danica Curcic star in Spike’s ‘The Mist.’
Spike’s released a two and a half minute video that provides a sneak peek behind the scenes of The Mist, an upcoming series based on Stephen King’s novella. The short video features interviews with the cast as well as executive producer/writer Christian Torpe who discusses adapting King’s story into a series and expanding the world of the novella into a 10 episode season. The Mist will premiere on Spike on Thursday, June 22, 2017 at 10pm ET/PT.
The horror/thriller stars Morgan Spector, Alyssa Sutherland, Gus Birney, Danica Curcic, Okezie Morro, Dan Butler, Darren Pettie, Isiah Whitlock, Jr., Russell Posner, Luke Cosgrove, and Frances Conroy.
The Plot: When the residents of Bridgeville, Maine find themselves engulfed by a foreboding mist containing a myriad of inexplicable and bizarre threats, their humanity is put to the test in The Mist. The story centers around a small town family that is torn apart by a brutal crime. As they deal with the fallout an eerie mist rolls in, suddenly cutting them off from the rest of the world, and in some cases, each other. Family, friends and adversaries become strange bedfellows, battling the mysterious mist and its threats, fighting to maintain morality and sanity as the rules of society break down.
