Review: ‘Bodies Bodies Bodies’ is Bloody Bloody Bloody Brilliant

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August 11, 2022

Bodies Bodies Bodies Review — Amandla Stenberg, Maria Bakalova, Chase Sui Wonders, and Rachel Sennott in A24’s ‘Bodies Bodies Bodies’ (Photo Credit: Erik Chakeen)

A24’s Bodies Bodies Bodies is Scream for Gen Z. It’s also one of the most enjoyable, smartly written, and just plain fun films of 2022.

Full of buzzwords delivered by an incredibly talented cast, Bodies Bodies Bodies is the slasher film equivalent of The Breakfast Club. Or maybe an edgier, snarkier, horror version of Clueless. It’s Agatha Christie gone wild. Actually, comparisons don’t do it justice and I’ll call myself out and say they’re even a bit lazy. Bodies Bodies Bodies is its own beast, and that beast chews up its victims with biting social commentary delivered in the most entertaining manner imaginable.

The Setup: An epic hurricane party at a sprawling mansion.

The Players: Mostly rich twenty-somethings ready to use the impending storm as a reason to drink, snort some coke, maybe take a few Xanax, and unleash their pent-up passive-aggressive feelings about their friends.

Who’s Who: Five friends and two, basically, strangers convene to pass the time during a summer storm far from the city. The place belongs to David’s family, and he’s a complicated, sort of sympathetic figure. Fueled by alcohol and cocaine, David (played by SNL/former Kim Kardashian boyfriend Pete Davidson) uses this gathering to lash out over both real and imagined slights.

David rules over the group, which includes his BFF Sophie (Amandla Stenberg, The Hate U Give) and her new girlfriend, Bee (Maria Bakalova, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm). Bee’s obviously not on the same social or economic level as Sophie’s friends; she’s the very definition of a fish out of water. Sophie’s got her own issues with this group and didn’t even bother responding to the group chats or informing her friends she was going to turn up with a +1.

By the time Sophie and Bee show up, the party’s well underway. David’s actress girlfriend, Emma (Chase Sui Wonders, Generation); podcaster and sensitive soul Alice (Rachel Sennott, Shiva Baby); Alice’s out-of-place older boyfriend, Greg (Lee Pace, Foundation); and the group’s straight shooter, Jordan (Myha’la Herrold, Industry), who is second only to David in giving off serial killer vibes, are hanging out in the pool just as the first wave of weather arrives.

The hurricane hits, the party moves inside, and suggestions are made to play Bodies Bodies Bodies. What’s that, you ask? A game in which one person is secretly designated as the killer, the lights are extinguished, and the killer knocks off his victims one at a time by tapping them on the back. There are also tequila shots and some truly brutal slapping involved.

Given that this is a slasher film, the game transforms into a legitimate hunt for a killer.

Amandla Stenberg and Maria Bakalova shine as a new couple who might be falling in love but who obviously approach life from their places in different economic classes. Stenberg’s Sophie is nearly as rich as David, while Maria’s Bee is the working-class heroine of the group. Sophie and Bee are polar opposites, with Sophie’s confidence only making Bee’s self-consciousness all the more apparent. Sophie’s viewed as the outsider, and that odd-man-out vibe puts her in the crosshairs as the hunt for the murderer heats up.

The gang exchange side-eyes over Greg’s age—he’s an ancient 40-ish dude, at least twice the age of everyone else in attendance—but he still attempts to fit in. As Greg, Lee Pace cashes in on the sexy off-screen persona he’s built up for himself on social media. (Those of us who fell for him in Pushing Daisies aren’t shocked to see he’s been labeled the king of the thirst traps by multiple outlets). Pace is perfect at playing sensitive yet edgy, and he nails that as a low-key Svengali figure to the self-obsessed Alice.

And speaking of Alice, I’m laying odds that 9 out of 10 viewers will wind up rooting for Rachel Sennott’s Alice above all the others to survive the slaughter. Alice is incredibly ditzy yet endearing, and when she announces her mom “has borderline” or whines about the difficulties of putting together a podcast, you just know she doesn’t understand why her friends smirk in reply. Sennott has incredible comic timing, and the audience embraces Alice as the one in need of protecting at all costs.

The house is massive, but there’s still a claustrophobic vibe thanks to the use of glow sticks (courtesy of Alice), phone flashlights, and handheld cameras. The eerie lighting adds juice to the jump scares, which are both plentiful and highly effective in drawing us in as the body count rises.

The dialogue’s riddled with references to gaslighting, triggering, body dysmorphia, ableism, and toxic behavior. And when a character declares “feelings are facts,” the laughter from the other characters is likely to be drowned out by the audience’s response.

A few horror tropes are included for good measure—including the potential victims splitting up when they should be sticking together—but for the most part, Bodies Bodies Bodies is a fresh, fiercely wicked, and incredibly imaginative take on the slasher genre. It’s targeting Gen Z but welcomes all to embrace the grisly slaughter and killer dialogue.

GRADE: A

Directed By: Halina Reijn (Instinct)
Written By: Sarah DeLappe and Kristen Roupenian (Cat Person)
MPAA Rating: R for pervasive language, drug use, bloody images, sexual references, and violence
Release Date: August 12, 2022
Running Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
Studio: A24

Top 10s of 2022: Outstanding Films and Performances

‘Vampire Academy’ Interview: Kieron Moore and Sisi Stringer on Playing Dimitri and Rose

By

Rebecca Murray

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August 11, 2022

In 2014, a film adaptation of Richelle Mead’s Vampire Academy bestselling books hit theaters. Now fans of Mead’s tales of vampires, dhampirs, Moroi, and Strigoi are about to be treated to a series featuring all the key players when Vampire Academy premieres on Peacock on September 15, 2022.

For those who aren’t familiar with the world Mead created, here’s the official synopsis courtesy of Peacock: “In a world of privilege and glamour, two young women’s friendship transcends their strikingly different classes as they prepare to complete their education and enter royal vampire society. This serialized and sexy drama combines the elegance of aristocratic romance and the supernatural thrills of the vampire genre.”

I would add a little something to that description: Come for the vampires and stay for the sizzling chemistry between Kieron Moore as Dimitri Belikov and Sisi Stringer as Rose Hathaway.

Moore and Stringer teamed up for roundtable interviews at the 2022 San Diego Comic-Con, chatting about their characters, the mythology, and what fans can expect from the first season.

Vampire Academy Dimitri and Rose — Kieron Moore as Dimitri Belikov and Sisi Stringer as Rose Hathaway in ‘Vampire Academy’ (Photo by: Peacock)

Kieron Moore and Sisi Stringer Interview:

How familiar were you with the Vampire Academy books before booking the show?

Sisi Stringer: “Super familiar, I’m actually a big fan of the series. I read them when I was a teenager and loved them and loved the movie when it came out. I was really sad that more movies didn’t come out, but you know now we’re doing it and we get to tell the full story.

So yeah, huge fan and as soon as I got the audition I was like, ‘No way! I know this character; I love this character.’ And, yeah, I booked the job and was just ecstatic.”

Kieron Moore: “For me, I remember seeing the title come through, a random core memory, but I was like, ‘This looks so cool.’ I did some research and was like, ‘Oh my god I went and saw this film in the cinemas. I remember this.’ This was when I was in high school. I went and saw the movie.

Once I booked the job, I took the time to read the first few books. It felt like a reasonability to do that and I’m so glad I did that because the blueprint that it laid out is great. We kept that to achieve the essence of this character, I hope, the essences. So, yeah, I am now a huge fan of the Vampire Academy and I understand why this is so loved and I hope that new audiences come out to our show and fall in love with the books just as much as we have.”

Sisi Stringer: “Yeah. Great answer.”

What was it in the books about your characters that you loved so much that you had to make sure you captured when you were playing them?

Kieron Moore: “I kind of liked the cowboy duster.”

Sisi Stringer: “He’s obsessed. He’s obsessed with the duster. (Laughing) Let go of it!”

Kieron Moore: “I loved it! I think for me just Dimitri’s devotion to what he does, be it protecting the Moroi or be it his love for Rose which flourishes as the book goes on. Yeah, he’s a man that goes all the way.”

Sisi Stringer: “Sorry, what was the question? I forgot – I was just looking at him. Oh, right the character of Rose. The scary thing about us is that we are too similar and sometimes I don’t know where Rose finishes and where I begin. (Laughing) You know – fiery, passionate, sometimes inappropriate. She’s a fighter and she fights for what she loves and what she believes in. And sometimes it doesn’t always land, and I definitely identify with that myself.”

Kieron Moore: “Undeniably yourself.”

Sisi Stringer: “Undeniably myself – I’ll take that.”

Kieron Moore: “Unapologetically, in the best way. In the very best way.”

Sisi Stringer: “Thank you.”

How would you describe Rose’s history with Lissa?

Sisi Stringer: “So Rose and Lissa, basically they’ve been best friends since they were very, very small children. Rose never really had a family that was around, being a dhampir and training to be a guardian. Her parents are…well, her mother is a dhampir as well so she is a guardian – an acting guardian – and is off doing her duty protecting her Moroi. So Rose never really had a mother around. And her father – who even knows where he is at any given point. So Lissa’s family became Rose’s family. They really adopted her. They took her in and Lissa was not just her best friend but her sister and the closest person that she had – and her safety net, really. So that’s where we meet the girls in the story.

We meet them and they already have this amazing, beautiful love between them and this beautiful bond. And over the series, it just gets stronger and stronger. You see the girls develop and they find a lot of strength in their relationship. Apart and together, I think they are very strong women in their own ways.”

Can you talk about Rose and Dimitri’s powers?

Sisi Stringer: “Powers? What are your powers?”

Kieron Moore: “Sheer endearingness, that’s what it is.”

Sisi Stringer: (Laughing) “Okay Mr. Darcy!”

Kieron Moore: “Well, they’re obviously blessed – I always say the blessed part of their curse is the physical attributes. Their strength, their speed – all the cool stuff of a vampire minus the fangs. I kind of like the fangs.”

Sisi Stringer: “Yeah, I really wanted the fangs as well!”

Kieron Moore: “Yeah, a lot of their potential lies in their fighting abilities. Hence their job and their commitment to defending the Moroi.”

Sisi Stringer: “That’s why we make such good protectors and guardians because we have the heightened senses and the strength and the agility. Those are all the things you need to be a warrior, basically.”

Kieron Moore: “I think Dimitri, as the series goes on, finds that Rose will have different kinds of superpowers that are quite human which he falls in love with in different ways.”

Sisi Stringer: “Yeah. Dimitri can be…I don’t want to say unhuman.”

Kieron Moore: “He’s very stoic.”

Sisi Stringer: “Stoic, exactly. And he really finds his humanity and I think Rose is a big part of that for him.”

Kieron Moore: “And for me. Be a person, Kieron!”

Sisi Stringer: “Shut up, Kieron.”

What is it about this series that stands out from other vampire material?

Kieron Moore: “It’s its own world in its own right.”

Sisi Stringer: “Yeah, exactly. Richelle Mead in the books creates this amazing world that’s so different to other vampire stuff, because there are different kinds of vampires and there are ancient races. There’s an ancient race of good vampires and they’re proper and they live in a structured society. They’re called Moroi and some of them are royal and some of them are not. And then there’s a class divide even within that kind of faction.

But then there are the dhampirs like us who are the warriors and the protectors and the guardians. We are half-human half-vampire hybrids and so we can go out into the sun. We don’t have to live by drinking blood or anything like that, but then we do have the heightened senses.”

Kieron Moore: “I think in the world’s complexity we’re able to use the vampire fantasy world as like a metaphor, really, for a bit of our own society. There’s a real allegory that’s happening. People that are familiar with and watch the show and will expect all the funky fantasy vampire stuff could be challenged in a cool way. Like, ‘Oh, this feels a bit close to home.’

That’s what this world does in such a striking way.”

Sisi Stringer: “Yes, absolutely. Like you said you get all the sexy stuff and you get all the fangs and the blood and all that kind of stuff. But also you definitely get something that reflects our society in the sense of like a class structure and revolutionary kind of ideas and things being disrupted in a way that makes you question is this society fair the way they run it.”

Kieron Moore: “Even your own beliefs. It’s quite exciting, really. It makes you forge on and then get lost in this idea. It makes you challenge your own beliefs and question different things.”

Sisi Stringer: “And the bad vampires are very scary. They’re called Strigoi and they’ve got the full bad vampire get-up and the red eyes. I can’t say too much, obviously.”

Kieron Moore: “I can promise this. If the audience is 30% as scared as I was the first time I had to fight one on set, we are on to a good show because [I was] heart in my mouth terrified.”

Sisi Stringer: “I was the same. The first time I ever fought someone in the full Strigoi bad vampire get-up and they just run at you, and they are just ferocious. You just forget your fight choreography and [try and get away]. That was your first instinct.”

Kieron Moore: “Hey, what was that?!”

Sisi Stringer: “He literally just ducked. And on my first day I was like, ‘Can we cut?’”

Kieron Moore: “He swings at me and my brain just goes [blank]. I just blocked the punch and I was like, ‘That was close, right? Can we just use that?’”

Vampire Academy Kieron Moore — Kieron Moore as Dimitri Belikov in ‘Vampire Academy’ (Photo by: Jose Haro/Peacock)

How difficult was the training? They show you doing training so how was it to train for training?

Kieron Moore: “That was a massive part for me because you obviously have a lot of stuff around Lissa but a lot of Dimitri’s scenes… A lot of that relationship with Rose in the books is the training. For me, the training for the training actually helped me find Dimitri. It helped me find the connection with Rose because that was an experience we had to share.”

Sisi Stringer: “Physically getting into a character is something important to me in terms of the process of making a character. It’s like putting on the clothes, you know? You step into the clothes and you step into the role. I think training and figuring out our own fighting styles within the training and the martial arts they were teaching us and stuff like that was really cool character-building.

A lot of scenes in the beginning are training together so we would train in the gym to bring that together. It was lots of different martial arts styles.”

Kieron Moore: “And an incorporation of our own histories as well. Sisi has been in films that are quite action-packed, and she obviously comes from a dance background. I’m from a boxing background. We’ve introduced these to each of our characters. I think that’s what’s so beautiful about our fight styles, specifically is that, yes, it’s a whole and you can see that it’s very similar when everyone fights. But each individual’s personality comes through in their fighting style.

Sisi Stringer: “Different characters, the way they fight is very, very interesting to watch.”

Kieron Moore: “And Rose and Dimitri complement each other on a whole new level.”

Sisi Stringer: “They find a flow.”

AMC and AMC+ Announce Fall 2022 Lineup: Vampires, Zombies, and ‘Gangs’ Season 2

By

Rebecca Murray

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August 10, 2022

The Walking Dead Final Season — Norman Reedus and Seth Gilliam in ‘The Walking Dead’ season 11 (Photo Credit: Jace Downs / AMC)

AMC and AMC+ have set their fall 2022 lineup which will include the premieres of the animated series Pantheon and Anne Rice’s Interview with The Vampire. The last new episodes of the final season of The Walking Dead will debut in October and Gangs of London returns for its second season in November.

The fall lineup will also include a batch of original films. The sci-fi thriller Rubikon premieres on September 2 and the crime drama There Are No Saints debuts on September 9. Additional films arriving in September include Official Competition, Section 8, and You Don’t Nomi.

Pantheon season 1 — William Hurt is the voice of Stephen Holstrom in ‘Pantheon’ (Photo Credit: Titmouse Inc / AMC)

Pantheon – Two-Episode New Series Premieres Thursday, September 1 on AMC+ and HIDIVE

Based on a collection of short stories by award-winning author Ken Liu, this animated, sci-fi series focuses on a bullied teen (Katie Chang) who receives mysterious help from someone online. The stranger is soon revealed to be her recently deceased father, David (Daniel Dae Kim), whose consciousness has been uploaded to the Cloud following an experimental destructive brain scan. David is the first of a new kind of being: an “Uploaded Intelligence” or “UI,” but he will not be the last, as a global conspiracy unfolds that threatens to trigger a new kind of world war.

The voice cast of this speculative sci-fi series includes Chang, Kim, Paul Dano, Aaron Eckhart, Rosemarie DeWitt, Chris Diamantopoulos, Raza Jeffrey, Ron Livingston, Taylor Schilling, Scoot McNairy, Maude Apatow, William Hurt (in his last role), Corey Stoll, Anika Noni Rose, Michael Kelly, and more.

The Walking Dead Season 11C – New Season Premieres Sunday, October 2 at 9 pm ET/PT on AMC; First Two Episodes Available on AMC+ with Subsequent Episodes Available One Week Early on AMC+

The television legacy that is The Walking Dead begins its highly anticipated last eight episodes this October. On the heels of the oppressive presence of locusts, an even greater force is bearing down on every single member of each community. With Commonwealth flags raised at Hilltop, Alexandria, and Oceanside, there’s no time to strategize for those on the road. It’s a race against the clock to stay alive and extract those still living in the Commonwealth before Hornsby (Josh Hamilton) can execute his revenge. Inside the Commonwealth, Connie’s (Lauren Ridloff) article has created more chaos than planned.

By exposing the Milton’s (Laila Robbins) corruption, their hope to create a better, more equal, life for all may instead put everyone at risk. With the vast debt our group owes and no other viable place to live, simply leaving has never been an option. But if their next move fails, staying won’t be an option either. What they’re about to embark on will only invite more danger with massive consequences. The clock is ticking for our heroes inside the Commonwealth as well.

As each group continues to get caught in uncontrollable situations, threats lurk around every corner, dead and alive. The looming pressure is cresting towards a day of reckoning for all. Will the sum of their individual journeys cumulate into one, or divide them forever? The fight for a future continues to be exasperated by the ominous population of walkers. Not all will survive, but for some, the walking dead lives on.

Interview with the Vampire Season 1 — Sam Reid as Lestat Du Lioncourt and Jacob Anderson as Louis De Pointe Du Lac in ‘Interview with the Vampire’ (Photo Credit: Michele K. Short / Sony Pictures Television / AMC)

Anne Rice’s Interview with The Vampire – New Series Premieres Sunday, October 2 at 10 pm ET/PT on AMC; First Two Episodes Available on AMC+ with Subsequent Episodes Available One Week Early on AMC+

A sensuous, contemporary reinvention of Anne Rice’s revolutionary gothic novel, Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire follows Louis de Pointe du Lac (Jacob Anderson), Lestat de Lioncourt (Sam Reid) and Claudia’s (Bailey Bass) epic story of love, blood, and the perils of immortality, as told to journalist Daniel Molloy (Eric Bogosian). Chafing at the limitations of life as a black man in 1900s New Orleans, Louis finds it impossible to resist the rakish Lestat De Lioncourt’s offer of the ultimate escape: joining him as his vampire companion. But Louis’s intoxicating new powers come with a violent price, and the introduction of Lestat’s newest fledgling, the child vampire Claudia, soon sets them on a decades-long path of revenge and atonement.

Gangs of London Season 2 – New Season Premieres November 2022

A new, darker era of chaos and turbulent power struggles comes to London in this critically acclaimed, award-winning original series. One year after the death of Sean Wallace and the violent reckonings of season one, the map and soul of the city has been redrawn – the surviving Wallaces are scattered, the Dumanis broken and estranged, and ex-undercover cop Elliot Finch (Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù, Humans) is now being forced to work for the Investors.

As the Investors look down on a city sliding into chaos, they decide enough is enough and bring in reinforcements to restore control. Old favorites and new players fight back against the new order, forcing sworn enemies to work together and family members to betray each other.

Returning cast includes Dìrísù, Paapa Essiedu, Lucian Msamati, Michelle Fairley, Orli Shuka, Pippa Bennett-Warner, Brian Vernel, Narges Rashidi, Asif Raza Mir, and Valene Kane. Joining the ensemble cast for season 2 include Waleed Zuaiter, Jasmine Armando, Fady El-Sayed, Salem Kali, and Aymen Hamdouchi.

Rubikon – New AMC+ Exclusive Film Premieres Friday, September 2

2056. A toxic cloud of pollution has swallowed the earth, killing untold numbers. The world’s nations have dissolved, with all power now in the hands of giant corporations. The rich retreat to sealed biodomes while the poor choke and starve. On the space station Rubikon, Hannah (Julia Franz Richter), Gavin (George Blagden) and Dimitri (Mark Ivanir) weigh the fate of the planet’s survivors. Should these crewmembers risk their own lives on a rescue mission to the surface or ignore the old world to build a new one of safety and solitude, living off the station’s sophisticated “algae symbiosis system”?

Against the vast canvas of the cosmos, three people with different worldviews debate their moral responsibility to the species, all while grappling with the timely agony of isolation in this gripping feature from the 2021 Cannes Film Festival.

There Are No Saints – New AMC+ Exclusive Film Premieres Friday, September 9

A man nicknamed “the Jesuit” is imprisoned for a crime he didn’t commit. When his wife is murdered and his son kidnapped and taken to Mexico, he devises an elaborate and dangerous plan to rescue his son and avenge the murder. José Maria Yazpik, Ron Perlman, Paz Vega, Tim Roth, and Neal McDonough star in this gritty Mexican-American action-thriller from the writer of Taxi Driver.

Official Competition – New AMC+ Exclusive Film Premieres Friday, September 16

When a billionaire entrepreneur impulsively decides to create an iconic movie, he demands the best. Renowned filmmaker Lola Cuevas (Penélope Cruz) is recruited to mastermind this ambitious endeavor. Completing the all-star team are two actors with enormous talent but even bigger egos: Hollywood heartthrob Félix Rivero (Antonio Banderas) and radical theatre actor Iván Torres (Oscar Martínez). Both are legends, but not exactly best friends.

Through a series of increasingly eccentric trials set by Lola, Félix and Iván must confront not only each other, but also their own legacies. Who will be left when the cameras finally start rolling?

You Don’t Nomi – New AMC+ Exclusive Documentary Premieres Thursday, September 22

Paul Verhoeven’s Showgirls (1995) was met by critics and audiences with near universal derision when it premiered on this day 27 years ago. You Don’t Nomi traces the film’s redemptive journey from notorious flop to cult classic, and maybe even masterpiece.

Section 8 – New AMC+ Exclusive Film Premieres Friday, September 23 *In Theaters and on AMC+

After avenging the murder of his wife and child, a former soldier is sent to prison with a life sentence. He’s given a shot at freedom when a shadow government agency recruits him for an off-the-books assignment, and he soon realizes Section 8 isn’t what it seems.

Starring Ryan Kwanten, Dolph Lundgren, Dermot Mulroney, Scott Adkins, and Mickey Rourke.

‘Pennyworth’ Season 3 Debuts a Teaser Trailer and Sets an October Premiere

By

Rebecca Murray

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August 10, 2022

HBO Max has confirmed it’s targeting an October 2022 premiere for Pennyworth: The Origin of Batman’s Butler season three. The announcement arrived along with a 45-second teaser trailer for the DC Comics-inspired series starring Jack Bannon in the title role.

The first two seasons of Pennyworth aired on EPIX. In October 2021, HBO Max announced during DC FanDome that the third season had moved to their streaming service. Seasons one and two are now available on HBO Max.

Season three stars include Ben Aldridge as Thomas Wayne, Emma Paetz, Paloma Faith, Ryan Fletcher, Dorothy Atkinson, Ramon Tikaram, Harriet Slater, and Simon Manyonda. The Warner Bros. Television production is executive produced by Bruno Heller, Matthew Patnick, Danny Cannon, and John Stephens.

The third season will consist of 10 episodes.

Pennyworth Season 3 Star Jack Bannon — Jack Bannon stars in ‘Pennyworth’ season 3 (Photo Courtesy of HBO Max)

HBO Max released the following updated description of the new season:

“The DC origin series Pennyworth: The Origin of Batman’s Butler follows Alfred Pennyworth (Bannon), a former British SAS soldier, who forms a security company in 1960s London and goes to work with young billionaire Thomas Wayne (Aldridge) and his wife Martha (Paetz), before they become Bruce Wayne’s parents. Season three of the psychological thriller begins after a five-year time jump: the civil war is over, and a cultural revolution has changed the world for better or worse – ushering in a new age of Super Heroes and Supervillains.”

‘The Menu’ Trailer and New Posters: Ralph Fiennes Dishes Up a Killer Meal

By

Rebecca Murray

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August 10, 2022

Death appears to be one of the selections available on the menu in Searchlight Pictures’ thriller, The Menu. The new trailer finds the guests dining on sumptuous meals before realizing it’s quite possible they won’t live long enough to leave any reviews of their experiences.

Two-time Oscar nominee Ralph Fiennes (Schindler’s List, The English Patient) stars as the chef who creates the lavish meal. Nicholas Hoult (The Great) and Anya Taylor-Joy (Last Night in Soho) play a young couple who, unfortunately, are among the invited guests.

The cast also includes Hong Chau, Janet McTeer, Judith Light, Reed Birney, and Paul Adelstein. Aimee Carrero, Arturo Castro, Mark St. Cyr, Rob Yang, and John Leguizamo also star.

Emmy Award-winner Mark Mylod (Succession) directed from a screenplay by Seth Reiss and Will Tracy. Adam McKay and Betsy Koch serve as producers.

Searchlight Pictures has set a November 18, 2022 theatrical release.

The Plot: “A couple (Taylor-Joy and Hoult) travels to a coastal island to eat at an exclusive restaurant where the chef (Fiennes) has prepared a lavish menu, with some shocking surprises.”

The Menu Anya Taylor Joy Poster — Poster of Anya Taylor-Joy in Searchlight Pictures’ The Menu’

The Menu Ralph Fiennes Poster — Poster of Ralph Fiennes in Searchlight Pictures’ The Menu’

Teaser Trailer: Ralph Fiennes Dishes Up Extraordinary Meals

‘Fakes’ Series Trailer: A Fake ID Empire Gets Teens Into Big Trouble

By

Rebecca Murray

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August 10, 2022

Netflix’s new comedy series Fakes follows two teenagers who earn big money creating fake IDs. The just-released trailer shows they also lose lots of money and get in trouble with the Feds over their illegal activities.

The 10 episode season stars Emilija Baranac (To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before), Richard Harmon (The 100), and Jennifer Tong (DC’s Legends of Tomorrow). David Turko guides the series as showrunner and also writes and executive produces. Additional executive producers include Simon Barry, Stephen Hegyes, Lilly Burns, and Tony Hernandez.

In an interview with Bustle, Emilija Baranac described the series as a fresh and fun take on a high school friendship. “Hopefully, audiences will resonate with the characters in some capacity, whether they see their experiences represented or being reminded of that one friend they haven’t heard from in a while and feeling inspired to reach out,” said Baranac.

Fakes premieres on September 2, 2022.

Fakes Series Cast — A scene from Netflix’s comedy series ‘Fakes’

Fakes Plot, Courtesy of Netflix:

Fakes is the story of two best friends who accidentally build one of the largest fake ID empires in North America. They move into a downtown penthouse, have more cash than they know what to do with, and then get raided by the feds. One of them goes to jail, the other doesn’t. This is the story of their ultimate betrayal, told through each of their POVs with regular fourth wall breaks. This is a comedy drama with two unreliable narrators who are both competing for the last word.

‘Hard Knocks In Season: The Arizona Cardinals’ Sets November Premiere

By

Rebecca Murray

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August 10, 2022

The second season of HBO Sports and NFL Films’ Hard Knocks In Season spotlighting the Arizona Cardinals will premiere on November 9, 2022. New episodes will air on Wednesdays on HBO and will stream on HBO Max.

Season one of the special in-season edition of Hard Knocks followed the Indianapolis Colts, marking the first time the Colts had ever appeared on the HBO series. The Cardinals are also newcomers to the world of Hard Knocks, with Hard Knocks in Season marking their debut.

“Last season Hard Knocks made an unprecedented leap, documenting an NFL regular season in real time for the first time ever with the Indianapolis Colts,” stated Keith Cossrow, NFL Films Vice President and Senior Coordinating Producer. “It was a vivid and illuminating look at the life of an NFL team. This season, we are eager to build on that success and go even further with one of the most exciting teams in the NFL. We can’t wait to get to work in Arizona, and we thank Michael Bidwill, Steve Keim, Coach Kingsbury, and the entire Cardinals organization for this opportunity.”

“We’re excited to feature the Arizona Cardinals on Hard Knocks during the NFL regular season in the upcoming installment of Hard Knocks In Season,” said Nancy Abraham and Lisa Heller, Co-Heads Of HBO Documentary & Family Programming. “We couldn’t be happier to continue to expand our tremendously successful partnership with the NFL and grow the Hard Knocks experience for our viewers. We’re thrilled that the Cardinals will be joining the roster of teams that have graciously invited our audiences into their world.”

The 18-time Emmy Award-winning series premiered in 2001, with the first season featuring the Baltimore Ravens. The 2022 season features the Detroit Lions.

HBO released the following description of the upcoming season:

“This in-season edition of Hard Knocks will join the Cardinals after the completion of their ninth regular season game (vs. Seattle) with new episodes airing each Wednesday with the exception of December 7, after the team’s week 13 bye. NFL FILMS cameras will be embedded with the franchise through the end of the regular season and hopeful playoff run all the way to the Super Bowl.”

In Season 2023 to Focus on the Miami Dolphins

‘A Friend of the Family’ Photos: Anna Paquin Stars in the True Crime Series

By

Rebecca Murray

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August 9, 2022

A Friend of the Family Anna Paquin — Anna Paquin in ‘A Friend of the Family’ (Photo by: Peacock)

Peacock’s released a batch of photos from the upcoming true crime limited series A Friend of the Family starring Anna Paquin, Colin Hanks, and Jake Lacy. The nine-episode drama debuts on October 6, 2022 and tells the true story of Jan Broberg, a young woman who was kidnapped multiple times by the same family friend.

Mckenna Grace, Lio Tipton, and Hendrix Yancey also star in the limited series.

Nick Antosca is the writer, executive producer, and showrunner, with Alex Hedlund also executive producing. The real Jan Broberg and Mary Ann Broberg are involved as producers, and executive producer Eliza Hittman directs multiple episodes.

Peacock’s release of the new photos was accompanied by character descriptions as well as statements by showrunner Nick Antosca and and Jan Broberg. Peacock also released the following synopsis of the limited series:

“A Friend of the Family is based on the harrowing true story of the Broberg family, whose daughter Jan was kidnapped multiple times over a period of years by a charismatic, obsessed family ‘friend.’ The Brobergs — devoted to their faith, family, and community — were utterly unprepared for the sophisticated tactics their neighbor used to exploit their vulnerabilities, drive them apart, and turn their daughter against them. This is the story of how their lives were permanently altered — and how they survived.”

Nick Antosca was able to hear firsthand accounts about the events from Jan Broberg, and Antosca states he wouldn’t have attempted to tell this story without Jan and her family’s blessing.

“It’s easy to judge the Broberg family’s story from the outside. Sometimes when people first hear it, they get defensive: How could these parents have let this happen? I’m not like them,” stated Antosca. “It is understandable. It’s a surreal story. When I first heard it, I empathized with the family’s vulnerability, and I felt like I understood their story from the outside. But it stayed with me, and I wanted to understand from the inside — to know what their lives felt like, to live in each family member’s experience, to see how they were caught in such a bizarre web, and to help audiences empathize with them too.”

Antosca hopes viewers will have a better understanding of the family by watching the series. “In the course of working on this story and talking with others who have worked on it, one thing has become clear: It’s more relatable than it first seems. The Brobergs’ story is an extreme point on a continuum that more of us are on than we realize,” said Antosca.

Jan Broberg describes her family as loving, trusting, and educated, and she hopes that this series will spark conversations.

“We were not stupid or careless. So how could this happen in our neighborhood, where we knew everyone, and everyone was a friend? The truth is that most predators are not strangers but people we know — people who can build trust, create special friendships, and separate family members psychologically,” explained Broberg.

She continued: “As little girls, we talked and we listened around the dinner table every night. Mom and Dad were always there. We were so safe, so loved, so carefree. Then, in 1972, we met the nicest new family at church, with children who matched us in age. A deep friendship ensued. Over several years, our families did hundreds of activities together: church parties, family dinners, boating and snowmobile trips, sleepovers, game nights, movies and barbecues. Then on a normal afternoon, the father kidnapped me — and from age 12 to 16 I was sexually assaulted and severely brainwashed by this man who I trusted.

This story will make you talk, shout, cry — and it will make you angry. Good. The team of writers, actors, designers, directors and producers led by Alex Hedlund, Eliza Hittman, and Nick Antosca have captured the heart of how good people can be manipulated and their children victimized. Our story is relatable because so many families have direct experience with this sort of abuse.”

A Friend of the Family Mckenna Grace — Mckenna Grace as Jan Broberg (Photo by: Peacock)

A Friend of the Family Cast and Characters:

ANNA PAQUIN plays the role of Mary Ann Broberg. Mary Ann is the mother of three daughters, and her life has felt safe, happy and rewarding until recently. She has realized too late that she may have missed warning signs and made a terrible mistake by becoming close to her charismatic neighbor Robert Berchtold — and trusting him around her oldest daughter, Jan.

JAKE LACY plays the role of Robert “B” Berchtold, a charming local businessman who appears to be a genial Mormon father and husband. An expert in manipulation, he puts everyone around him at ease as he carefully plots the abduction of Mary Ann’s daughter.

COLIN HANKS plays the role of Bob Broberg, Mary Ann’s husband and Jan’s father, Bob is big-hearted, kind, and everyone’s best friend, the very model of a suburban patriarch. As his family gets closer to neighbor Robert Berchtold, Bob begins to fear that something is amiss.

LIO TIPTON plays the role of Gail Berchtold. Gail is Robert Berchtold’s wife and the mother of a large family. Her husband suffers from mood swings and this has led him to act erratically. Gail’s concerns about her husband may keep her on edge, but she never could have expected what her husband would eventually do.

MCKENNA GRACE plays the role of Jan Broberg in the later years. Jan is the oldest daughter of Bob and Mary Ann Broberg and leads a happy, traditional life in an idyllic American city. Jan trusts family friend and neighbor Robert Berchtold, though he has plans for her abduction that she doesn’t suspect.

HENDRIX YANCEY plays the role of Jan Broberg in the early years. Jan is the oldest daughter of Bob and Mary Ann Broberg and leads a happy, traditional life in an idyllic American city. Jan trusts family friend and neighbor Robert Berchtold, though he has plans for her abduction that she doesn’t suspect.

A Friend of the Family Jake Lacy — Jake Lacy as Robert “B” Berchtold (Photo by: Peacock)

A Friend of the Family Lio Tipton — Lio Tipton as Gail Berchtold (Photo by: Peacock)

A Friend of the Family Colin Hanks — Colin Hanks as Bob Broberg (Photo by: Peacock)

A Friend of the Family — Jake Lacy as Robert “B” Berchtold and Anna Paquin as Mary Ann Broberg (Photo by: Peacock)

‘Hamster & Gretel’ Interview: Alyson Stoner and Brock Powell on Playing Villains in the Disney Animated Series

By

Rebecca Murray

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August 9, 2022

Disney Channel’s set to debut the new family-friendly animated series Hamster & Gretel on Friday, August 12, 2022. The new series comes from Phineas and Ferb and Milo Murphy’s Law co-creator Dan Povenmire and takes place in the same universe as those popular shows, with voice cast members from those series taking on new roles in Hamster & Gretel.

Alyson Stoner, the voice of Lydia in Milo Murphy’s Law and Isabella Garcia-Shapiro in Phineas and Ferb, provides the voice of Lauren The Destructress in Hamster & Gretel. During our roundtable interview at the 2022 San Diego Comic-Con, Stoner described The Destructress as having quite an attitude.

“She’s got quite a sharpness on how she communicates, and I would say she’s very self-justified. So, if you ever need to find a person who knows how to wiggle their way out of something or convince you of anything, she might be it,” explained Stoner.

Brock Powell also returns to the Phineas and Ferb/Milo Murphy’s Law universe, voicing Lyle aka FistPuncher in Hamster & Gretel. According to Powell, FistPuncher’s a dynamic villain who works as part of a team with his sister, The Destructress. “If you just need someone who generally just smashes things with intent and malintent, FistPuncher is your dude,” said Powell.

Teamed up for the roundtable interview, Stoner and Powell also talked about what viewers can expect from the series, working with Dan Povenmire, and if they see anything of themselves in these particular characters.

Hamster and Gretel FistPuncher and The Destructress — Lyle FistPuncher (voiced by Brock Powell and Lauren The Destructress (voiced by Alyson Stoner) in ‘Hamster & Gretel’ (Photo Credit: Disney)

Brock Powell and Alyson Stoner Interview

What did you think when you first heard about this series?

Alyson Stoner: [In a high-pitched voice] “I spoke like this for 14 years of my life, so I was just glad to use my lower register. And I’ve always played the moral compass on shows and so when Dan said, ‘Hey, I need someone to do this temp voice for this pilot. Just come on in.’ I thought I could just have fun with this because I’ll never be the villain for real – and then here we are.

This is a blast because I get to touch into completely different aspects of who I am as a human, and things that you would never get away with in real life are totally on the table as a Disney villain.”

Brock Powell: “I think for me when Dan was talking about the pilot… I think he’s been talking about Hamster & Gretel [a while]. The idea was born while he was working on Phineas and Ferb The Movie: Candace Against the Universe which we both have worked on. I just fell in love with the idea of the sibling story and to be the counterpart to that these other siblings that…I don’t know if people know that not all siblings get along apparently. I would have never known. But it’s a really cool thing to represent that and to be on a show that is so family-centric and also to be representative of all kinds of family relationships.

I think it’s super, super fun. If I wasn’t on the show, I would be watching the show so that’s kind of my relationship to it.”

Alyson Stoner: “And what I will add to that is I think it’s easy with the comparable titles like Phineas and Ferb and Hamster & Gretel to assume it’s copy and paste. And while the universes co-exist, the sentimentality and the character stories and even the traditions of having a multi-culture leading family, there are a lot of different flavors that really give it its own distinctive place.

So, if you love Phineas, you’ll watch Hamster & Gretel knowing you’ll fall in love with the characters because Dan and all of the creative team are genius and it’s going to have its own payoff.”

Would you say you two are the main villains? Are you the most recurring?

Brock Powell: “I mean, if you asked us, yeah.”

Alyson Stoner: “I think that The Destructress would totally, hardily agree that we are the main villains. And if you want a photo, we are charging.”

Brock Powell: “I think we definitely are an integral part. I’m excited for fans to meet our characters and fall in love with our characters and how often we appear – if often.”

Alyson Stoner: “I mean, also there may be other villains and sometimes people play multiple villains in the same show.”

Brock Powell: “Yeah. I will say that’s one of the things that Dan, Sara Sherman, Kristin Paiva, and the entire team behind deciding who voices what characters… Because you have the writers and the writers will write with a very specific character voice in mind and it will be on paper. And then they go to the casting team and the casting team will be like, ‘We are looking for…’ and they have to take a picture of the character. And what happens is when we are in the studio together, Dan will just be like, ‘Why don’t just try it? Just try it.’

And we’ll come up with usually a touchstone of this celebrity or it’s kind of this character but make it your own. So, on Milo Murphy’s Law I voiced a villain named Dr. Not Sorry who was kind of a Rick Moranis kind of thing. And it was super, super fun to be able to do that. On this show, I voice Lyle and I think right now maybe four other villains throughout the series. But I don’t want to give away anything because it’s a really super surprise.”

But you do voice Big Baby?

Brock Powell: “Yes, I do voice Big Baby. Big Baby is my baby. I love this character so much. He is a politician who’s got an attitude problem. Again, I can’t compare that to anything that’s happening. But he kind of talks like this [said in a low, slow voice] and he sort of kind of gets angry. He’s kind of like The Hulk but he also at times can sound like a baby. You know, a Jerry Lewis kind of thing.

The team is so encouraging, so fun. I never feel rushed. We get to adlib so, so much and so much of the comedic timing comes from the team asking ‘Can we do it funnier? Can we write it funnier? Can we say it funnier?’”

Can you talk about your long-term relationships working with Dan Povenmire? What is about Dan or the environment he creates or the content itself that makes you want to keep working with him?

Alyson Stoner: “Well, first I may have to clarify some things. As an actor we don’t always have all the power in terms of who’s making the decisions of who’s on the show. So, really, credit goes to Dan for allowing us to be a part of it.”

Brock Powell: “Credit and gratitude, for sure.”

Alyson Stoner: “And I think what’s beautiful is that for me Dan does feel like family, and there’s a sense of safety. You know, out in the real world I often feel very self-conscious about being super expressive. And so, Dan is such an anchor for me that I know there’s nothing I could possibly express or explore tonally or in character that would be too outlandish. That kind of safety and trust, I think, really allows someone with my personality to feel like, ‘Okay, all right, I can really go for it.’

I truly thought I was just helping a bud with a pilot and I’m like, ‘Sure, I’ll throw my voice on it.’ How cool these people are doing these cool projects and there’s no expectations. And here we are.”

Brock Powell: “Yeah, so we call that scratch and that happens quite a bit in amination where so-and-so will call and be like, ‘Hey, can you come and do this voice?’ And you never ever think in a million years… Because you skip the casting process essentially because you came in and worked on this pilot.”

Alyson Stoner: “And it’s better to not believe you will get the job because most of the time you won’t.”

Hamster & Gretel Poster — Poster for ‘Hamster & Gretel’ (DISNEY)

Do you see any of your own personality or physicality in your character?

Alyson Stoner: “I haven’t noticed yet. [Laughing] Actually, maybe I should say this is an opportunity for self-examination because if I have any similarities with Lauren, I might need to rethink some habits.

But I think maybe I have a movement background and so some of the action-packed sequences are probably close to me. For example, when I’m recording, I’m definitely mimicking and creating those gestures. However, the animation team is genius, so they don’t need poor footage of me in the studio going (displaying action moves) you know.”

Brock Powell: “It’s definitely a game of telephone. You’re taking the words off the page, usually without picture reference. Sometimes for an audition, you’ll get lucky and they’ll show you what your character looks like. In this case…”

Alyson Stoner: “I didn’t know what she would look like. You did?”

Brock Powell: “No, I had no idea. But in this case, it was like that’s pretty spot on because I kind of based him… We have this valley girl/valley boy/valley person accent that we kind of worked through. I was in my head sort of doing Biff Tannen from Back to the Future in a higher pitched voice. I was like, ‘Hey butthead, McFly.’ Like you take it up here a little bit [making his voice go high] and a little raspier so it was a little Pauly Shore from Encino Man mixed with Tom Wilson’s Biff Tannen.

And then the picture when you see the character, you’re like, ‘No, that’s exactly what that is. That’s literally this.’ [Laughing] I didn’t sit with the animators and write out an essay so it’s amazing how the sonic performance can resonate with that.”

Alyson Stoner: “I think it will continue to improve, or not improve but we will get to embellish and explore more dimensions as we get to meet each other in real life and meet the animation team. It’s like watching the first season of something versus the second, third, and fourth. It’s just like, ‘Oh yeah, ya’ll are just glue,’ and it’s already incredible.”

Brock Powell: “I think I’m just, as an actor, so excited for the fans to see the show. This show is ready for an audience, and you don’t always feel that way. I won’t show that is, but sometimes you don’t feel like that. You’re like, ‘Oh god.’ This is the opposite. This is like the premiere is August 12th – maybe let’s do it now. Let’s drop the pilot.“

Alyson Stoner: “It’s really heartfelt. I watched three episodes last night just to see how it felt compared to Dan’s other series and because the sibling dynamic is a little bit more explored, there’s just like this good-natured love at the core between Kevin and Gretel. They’re really growing and developing and becoming their own human selves through it, so there’s a little bit more depth and substance to the lessons in each episode.

I’m excited for young people, and people of all ages, to really connect on a heartfelt, human level.”

(Additional reporting by Kevin Finnerty.)

‘Cobra Kai’ Season 5 Preview with New Photos and Plot Details

By

Rebecca Murray

-

August 9, 2022

Cobra Kai Season 5 — Tanner Buchanan as Robby Keene and Xolo Maridueña as Miguel Diaz in ‘Cobra Kai’ season 5 (Photo Credit: Curtis Bonds Baker / Netflix © 2022)

Netflix just released a batch of photos from the new season one month out from the premiere of Cobra Kai season five. The photos don’t give away much about what’s in store but do show the Cobra Kai dojo has become incredibly popular.

“As Terry Silver calls upon some old friends to put the Valley in a stranglehold, Daniel and Johnny are going to need all the help they can get to stop Cobra Kai in its tracks,” revealed showrunners Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, and Hayden Schlossberg in an interview posted on Netflix’s TUDUM.

Season five, which promises a “showdown decades in the making,” stars Ralph Macchio as Daniel LaRusso and William Zabka as Johnny Lawrence. The season five cast also includes Courtney Henggeler as Amanda LaRusso, Xolo Maridueña as Miguel Diaz, Tanner Buchanan as Robby Keene, Mary Mouser as Samantha LaRusso, and Jacob Bertrand as Hawk.

Gianni Decenzo plays Demetri, Vanessa Rubio is Carmen, Peyton List is Tory, Martin Kove is John Kreese, Dallas Dupree Young is Kenny, Oona O’Brien is Devon, Griffin Santopietro is Anthony, and Thomas Ian Griffith plays Terry Silver.

Counterbalance Entertainment’s Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, and Hayden Schlossberg write and executive produce. Additional executive producers include Ralph Macchio, William Zabka, Susan Ekins, and Westbrook Entertainment’s Will Smith, James Lassiter, and Caleeb Pinkett.

Cobra Kai season five arrives on September 9, 2022.

The Season 5 Plot: Following the shocking results of the All Valley Tournament, Season 5 finds Terry Silver expanding the Cobra Kai empire and trying to make his “No Mercy” style of karate the only game in town. With Kreese behind bars and Johnny Lawrence setting karate aside to focus on repairing the damage he’s caused, Daniel LaRusso must call on an old friend for help.