Sony Pictures had the honor of opening the 2021 CinemaCon with a presentation featuring an A-list star-filled sizzle reel and the official premiere of the Spider-Man: No Way Home trailer. The studio followed that up with a surprise screening of the much-anticipated new entry in the Ghostbusters franchise, Ghostbusters: Afterlife.
Prior to the juicy goodness of the sizzle reel, Sony Pictures Entertainment Motion Picture Group President Josh Greenstein and Chairman and CEO Tom Rothman reiterated the core of Sony’s strategy is preserving and protecting the theatrical window. “Debuting movies simultaneously in theaters and in the home is devastating to our collective business,” stated Greenstein to enthusiastic applause from the National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO) audience gathered at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas.
Sony’s presentation kept its most of its talent at home and let the sizzle reel speak for their slate of 2021-2022 films. The packed teaser reel featured Ghostbusters: Afterlife, Uncharted with Tom Holland, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse 2, and A Journal for Jordan directed by Denzel Washington and starring Michael B. Jordan. The footage from Where the Crawdads Sing was stunning and Brad Pitt kicking butt was showcased in the Bullet Train footage. Morbius, Devotion and Venom: Let There Be Carnage also showed off previously unseen footage as part of the promotional reel.
Tom Holland and Benedict Cumberbatch didn’t appear in person but did team up for a video message in which they joked about the fact Spider-Man: No Way Home was noticeably missing from the sizzle reel. And after Sony hustled to take down a bootleg trailer over the weekend, the impressive official trailer arrived to solid applause from the NATO attendees. Wisely, Sony dropped the real trailer immediately after premiering it at CinemaCon.
Paul Rudd and Carrie Coon in Sony’s ‘Ghostbusters: Afterlife’
Father and son filmmakers Ivan Reitman and Jason Reitman took the stage in support of Ghostbusters: Afterlife. Ivan recalled the first time he screened Ghostbusters for a preview audience back in 1984. They’d just finished shooting and the audience saw a rough cut without a finished score or special effects. “Can you imagine showing Ghostbusters with no special effects?” asked Ivan, laughing. Nothing came out of the proton packs, the frig was empty, Slimer was just a light, and only a bobbing head was seen in place of the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man. “The audience groaned but they were having a good time!” recalled Ivan Reitman.
Ivan said Jason did a spectacular job on Ghostbusters: Afterlife, and Jason revealed he wanted this to be a film for the whole family. “Ghostbusters is a rare franchise. It doesn’t belong to the filmmakers…it doesn’t belong to me..it doesn’t belong to my father — technically, it belongs to Sony — but it belongs to you,” said Jason Reitman.
“You are about to go on the biggest Easter egg hunt of all time,” teased Jason Reitman immediately before the film began. Although those in attendance are restricted from revealing anything about Ghostbusters: Afterlife, it’s okay to pass along Reitman’s warning: Stick around for something special in the credits.
Audiences everywhere will be able to catch Ghostbusters: Afterlife exclusively in theaters on November 11, 2021.
2020’s CinemaCon was canceled because of the pandemic and 2021’s CinemaCon is taking place with strict Covid-19 protocols in place. All attendees must be vaccinated or present a negative test, and masks are required indoors. During a normal year, the major studios would be flying in talent from their upcoming releases to woo the National Association of Theatre Owners attendees. This year’s presentations are expected to be less flashy, with more video presentations than in-person introductions.
The CW’s Roswell, New Mexico season three episode five picks up seconds after the events of episode four. Episode four ended with Max in the process of helping a critically injured Kyle while hundreds of miles away Liz was simultaneously collapsing in pain. As episode five opens, Liz (Jeanine Mason) is being treated by a paramedic who believes she went into cardiac arrest.
Liz convinces the paramedic it wasn’t her heart as nearby electronics react to her energy. Heath (Steven Krueger) is concerned and wants to know what’s happening. Liz asks him to take her to Max in Roswell.
Max (Nathan Dean) frees Kyle from the railing he’s been impaled on and it’s obvious Kyle’s about to die. Max isn’t ready to let Kyle go and attempts to use his powers to save him, despite the fact his heart can’t take much more abuse.
The next scene finds a very much alive but drained Kyle waking up on Max’s couch cuddling a stuffed alien. Max is also still alive; his heart held up under the strain of healing Kyle. Max has no idea how he survived but confesses he actually feels better than he has in weeks.
Maria (Heather Hemmens) barges into Max’s place and demands to know what Kyle thought he was doing by pissing off his murderer. She benches Kyle until Max’s handprint disappears, reminding them in the vision Alex said they were covering up a murder which must mean it involves aliens.
Kyle reminds them he had no idea he was the occupant of the casket in her vision.
Maria’s suggestion they act like it’s quarantine again and binge Buffy doesn’t go over well.
Max is called out to the Lopez farm to investigate the murder of Zeke Murphy. After a tense exchange of words with another deputy – Max calls him Deputy Deport ‘Em, he responds by calling Max Lieutenant Liberal – Sheriff Taylor gets down to business. The barn with Zeke’s burned body has multiple signs supporting immigrants and refugees, and Deputy Deport ‘Em (let’s just stick with that as his racist opinions confirm Max’s nickname fits) immediately jumps to the conclusion Manny Lopez (Santiago Segura) and his husband Vinnie (A.J. Voliton) are guilty.
Sheriff Taylor points out Zeke and the Lopez family disliked each other and argued over fence lines, among other things. She orders Max to arrest Manny and Vinnie and he reluctantly does so while Anatsa (Sibongile Mlambo) watches and takes notes.
Meanwhile, Isobel (Lily Cowles) questions Michael (Michael Vlamis) about his sudden change of heart. Michael’s decided Jones does want to help Max but Isobel is unsure of Jones’ motives. They both know Jones is hiding something from them. Michael believes they don’t really have any viable option other than to let Jones heal Max, especially given Max’s expenditure of energy healing Kyle.
“I made myself a promise this morning. I’m going to drink less Tequila and I’m going to take care of the people who matter,” says Michael. Isobel’s pleasantly surprised but asks for a day to uncover more answers.
The Crashdown Café’s closed for the day as Arturo and a group of concerned citizens prepare for a peaceful march over the Lopezes’ arrest. They paint signs with “Alien and Proud” and “Immigrants Make America Great,” and Arturo asks for Rosa’s artistic skills to make the signs stand out.
Rosa (Amber Midthunder) smiles and jokes Liz won’t be happy she missed this. Arturo explains that now that he has his visa, he needs to speak out – just the way others did while supporting him. Rosa wants to help but can’t because “Rosalinda” can’t draw attention to herself.
Gregory (Tanner Novlan) is instantly jealous when Maria and Kyle show up together at the café. Maria says she’s just babysitting Kyle and Gregory doesn’t question why. Kyle looks around the café as Gregory says they’re all there to support the Lopezes and make Sheriff Taylor aware they’re not going to sit quietly by as the family’s framed.
Maria wants Kyle to sit out this battle, but he’s determined to go down swinging if that’s what it comes to.
Protesters gather in the park across from the café, and Maria’s apparently given in to Kyle’s wish to make his voice heard as they man a table together outside the restaurant. (Kyle’s wearing a Kevlar vest to make Maria happy.)
A chant of “Sheriff Taylor has got to go” breaks out as white supremacist/the mayor’s son Jordan Bernhardt wanders up. He’s shocked to see Kyle alive after leaving him to die the prior evening. Jordan threatens war if the marchers don’t quit.
The LA to Roswell road trip is underway and Liz finally wakes up after being passed out for hours. Heath’s completely confused and frustrated that she won’t explain what’s going on. Something is sucking the life out of her and he has no idea why she thinks there’s a cure in Roswell.
As Heath continues to question Liz, the car radio gets staticky and engine problems force them to stop. The radiator hose is burned to a crisp and Heath admits he has no idea how to repair a car or why he’s driving her to her ex-boyfriend. Liz claims Heath has nothing to worry about; she and Max are done. Liz asks for his trust for now and promises she’ll eventually answer his questions.
Liz figures out how to MacGyver the engine to get them back on the road.
Max meets separately with Manny and Vinnie in jail, and Vinnie reveals The Roswell Regiment (the white supremacists group led by Jordan) has been attacking employees and messing with the livestock. Both Manny and Vinnie like Max but point out when he’s in uniform, he’s not their friend. They didn’t report The Regiment because they knew nothing would be done. However, Vinnie did speak with the reporter.
Maria’s furious Kyle slipped away and bailed out Manny and Vinnie. She believes Kyle just painted a larger target on his back and is further endangering his life.
Maria would love to be with the protesters and Kyle apologizes she needs to watch him. Michael overhears and steps up, volunteering to take over babysitting duties. “I bet I’d make a pretty good bodyguard…alien and all,” says a sober Michael who needs to fill a few hours while Isobel continues investigating Jones.
And speaking of Isobel, she’s over at the cave confronting Jones. She turns off the cage and he agrees to answer her questions. He brings up their mutual acquaintance, Noah, but she shuts down that topic.
As they’re talking an aura encircles Jones, with a halo over his head turning yellow. Jones runs through what he did yesterday – his one day on the loose in Roswell. Isobel reveals yellow means deceit and asks what he left out from his description of his day outside the cave.
Jones brings up Noah again and claims the yellow in his halo is a projection. It’s hers, not his.
Angered, Isobel sends Jones back into his cage. However, she did receive a key piece of information – Jones visited a dried-up fishing hole he used to love decades ago.
Isobel attempts to find the specific location and finally lands on the right fishing hole. She discovers Jones burned something and finds Zeke’s partially destroyed wallet.
Max suggests Sheriff Taylor make a statement since the protest isn’t subsiding. A brick with “die pigs!” on it crashes through her office window and Deputy Deport ‘Em claims the rioters want them defunded and dead. Max believes it was Jordan and his group that tossed the brick but the deputy thinks they should call in The Regiment as support since they’re understaffed.
Sheriff Taylor orders Max to turn over the names of protesters with violent records. She also orders the other deputy to call in The Regiment.
The Regiment hits the streets in masks and military attire while carrying assault rifles. Two harass Arturo as he’s loading food in his car, and one pushes him to the ground. Rosa rushes out of the café and threatens to call the cops which only antagonizes the trashy twosome. The situation escalates when one of the slimeballs places his rifle under Rosa’s chin. Arturo gets up, fire extinguisher in hand, and sprays the two men, forcing them to run away with their tails between their legs.
One of the men drops his phone and Rosa retrieves it.
Max meets up with Anatsa at the Lopez ranch and she’s surprised he’s so compassionate. He explains the Valentis always listened to both sides and he’s following suit. He wants to keep that spirit alive in Roswell. Max believes there’s more good cops than people realize, but Anatsa points out white supremacists robbed the Wild Pony and are openly harassing minorities on Roswell streets. This racism in police departments isn’t confined to Roswell. “I could run a stop sign and my story could turn sad at any moment. That’s the system we live in,” says Anatsa.
Max’s attention is drawn to nearby fresh tire tracks that don’t match the Lopezes’ truck. He thinks they indicate Zeke’s body was dumped here to frame Vinnie and Manny.
Max rushes to the café after receiving a text Liz needs him there immediately. Heath refuses to leave Liz’s side until she sends him off to look for Dr. Jane Golden. Once he leaves, Liz fills Max in on what’s happening. She thinks the connection between them has made it so she’s experiencing his heart failure. If the connection isn’t broken, she’ll die.
Maria, Kyle, Michael, and Gregory discuss the state of unrest in Roswell, and Maria again points out The Regiment will be coming after Kyle since he bailed out the Lopezes. Maria suggests they take out Jordan since he’s their leader. Rosa joins them and wants to be in on this battle, tired of staying on the sidelines.
Rosa hands over the phone and reveals she saw him type in his passcode.
Kyle’s summoned to help Liz while Max and Michael watch as she struggles to hold on. Nothing works so Max steps in to use his power again. Unfortunately, that drains Kyle and Max is forced to stop. Michael figures out their life forces are tied together and if Liz is healed, Kyle dies.
Maria and Rosa sneak over to the Lopez ranch and eavesdrop on Jordan and his goons meeting with the racist deputy. Jordan reveals he’s called in Regiments from other counties.
One of Jordan’s henchmen discovers Maria and Rosa lurking in the dark. They’re still being held at gunpoint when reinforcements wearing alien masks pull up. Jordan confirms he moved Zeke’s body and is ready to burn down the Lopez ranch, certain they killed his friend. Jordan, completely lacking self-awareness, angrily declares the system’s rigged against guys like him – you know, white men.
It turns out Anatsa and Vinnie are the “reinforcements” under the alien masks and have been live-streaming Jordan’s rant since they pulled up.
Michael and Max take Liz and Kyle to the cave, and Max demands Jones heal them. Jones says Max is the problem and his friends will die unless he allows him to heal his heart. Isobel arrives and stops Jones, revealing Jones murdered Zeke by burning him alive. Jones admits he did it so he’d have enough strength to heal Max. He chose a truly evil, wicked person and then sacrificed him. (Zeke was beating a farmer when Jones grabbed him.)
Left with no other option and with Liz on death’s door, Isobel and Michael allow Jones to heal Max.
Max comes to on the cave’s floor and is completely healed. Liz and Kyle are gone, but Isobel happily shares they’re both fine as well. Isobel demands a hug from her bros now that everything’s all good.
Jones is returned to the pod.
Kyle and Liz have a heart-to-heart chat and she reveals she quit her job and is moving home to Roswell. Kyle knew that would happen and isn’t surprised. Heath shows up and is introduced as Liz’s colleague, and Kyle takes off to let them talk. Heath’s disappointed she sent him on a wild goose chase for a doctor who doesn’t exist. He felt like he was failing her as he raced around town looking for Dr. Golden without any luck. He’s also disappointed she didn’t feel she could trust him enough to tell him the truth. Heath’s deeply hurt and has realized they won’t be saving the world together.
Outside the café, Michael apologizes to Rosa for putting her in the driver’s seat that fateful night. “I wish I could give you some kind of justice, but this is sadly the best that I can do,” says Michael while scrubbing graffiti off the wall.
Michael believes that since Rosa got a second chance, there’s hope for him as well.
Liz joins Max in the cave and thanks him for saving her life. They acknowledge they can’t stop hurting each other and that’s why they don’t work. She confesses she sent Heath away because it’s for the best and because she can’t stop thinking of Max. (It doesn’t appear as though they’re getting back together anytime soon.)
Later that evening, Sheriff Taylor holds a press conference and admits mistakes were made. (You think?!) Zeke’s death was ruled an accident and Jordan’s taken the place of Vinnie and Manny in jail. Isobel and Anatsa absorb the news while seated at the bar. Anatsa offers a toast to Deputy Evans and Isobel adds, “And the smart women in his life.”
Gregory and Maria are also drinking at the bar, but Maria isn’t celebrating Jordan’s arrest. She still thinks something’s going to happen to Kyle and when Gregory gets up to grab more beers, she finds Kyle’s correct location on her phone and drives off.
As the episode ends, in a voiceover Maria says she’s willing to do whatever it takes to keep her people safe. She hopes they’d do the same for her.
Kyle uses a hidden key to enter Max’s place. The lights are off and in the shadows we see someone in an alien mask lurking in the hallway.
A brilliant flash of light catches Max’s eye as he’s driving and he pulls a U-turn. Max discovers broken glass and blood on the floor in his home. Nearby, Maria is lying motionless.
It’s all high-drama in Apple TV+’s The Morning Show‘s new official season two trailer. The lengthy trailer introduces a new pivotal player -Julianna Margulies as UBA News Anchor Laura Peterson – and ends with Billy Crudup as Cory Ellison declaring, “This is a battle for the soul of the universe!”
Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon return to lead the cast of the critically acclaimed series’ second season. Steve Carell, Mark Duplass, Nestor Carbonell, Karen Pittman, Bel Powley, Desean Terry, Janina Gavankar, Tom Irwin, and Marcia Gay Harden also return for the new season.
Joining the cast are Greta Lee as ‘Stella Bak,’ a tech world wunderkind who has joined the UBA executive team; Ruairi O’Connor as ‘Ty Fitzgerald,’ a smart and charismatic YouTube star; Hasan Minhaj as ‘Eric Nomani,’ a new member of the Morning Show team; Emmy Award-winner Holland Taylor as ‘Cybil Richards,’ the savvy chairwoman of the UBA board; Tara Karsian as ‘Gayle Berman,’ a news producer; and Valeria Golino as ‘Paola Lambruschini,’ a documentary filmmaker.
Kerry Ehrin developed the series and serves as showrunner. Ehrin also executive produces with Media Res’ Michael Ellenberg and director Mimi Leder. Echo Films’ Jennifer Aniston and Kristin Hahn also executive produce along with Hello Sunshine’s Reese Witherspoon and Lauren Neustadter.
Season one scored Emmy, Screen Actors Guild, and Critics Choice awards. Billy Crudup earned the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Emmy and a Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Critics Choice Award. Jennifer Aniston picked up an Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series Screen Actors Guild win.
Season two will premiere on September 17, 2021 exclusively on Apple TV+.
The Season 2 Plot:
Picking up after the explosive events of season one, season two finds “The Morning Show” team emerging from the wreckage of Alex (Aniston) and Bradley’s (Witherspoon) actions, to a new UBA and a world in flux, where identity is everything and the chasm between who we present as and who we really are comes into play.
Nicholas Galitzine and Camila Cabello star in ‘Cinderella’ (Photo: Christopher Raphael / Amazon Prime Video)
Amazon Prime Video’s September 2021 new films and television series include a modern take on the classic fairy tale Cinderella starring Camila Cabello in the title role along with LulaRich, a gripping four-part investigation into the LuLaRoe clothing empire. September’s lineup will also include the final season of Goliath starring Billy Bob Thornton and the introduction of a new animated series just for preschoolers featuring the voices of Kristen Bell, Jackie Tohn, and Luke Youngblood.
Everybody’s Talking About Jamie based on the critically acclaimed musical premieres on September 17th. The Mad Women’s Ball, a film adaptation of the novel Le bal des folles, also debuts on September 17th.
New to Prime Video in September 2021:
September 1
Movies
(500) Days Of Summer (2009)
21 Grams (2003)
American Me (1992)
Apollo 13 (1995)
Arachnophobia (1990)
Armageddon (1998)
As Good As It Gets (1997)
Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son (2011)
Can’t Hardly Wait (2017)
Cirque Du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant (2009)
Closer (2004)
Daddy Day Care (2003)
Daredevil (2003)
Daredevil (Director’s Cut) (2003)
Death At A Funeral (2010)
Do The Right Thing (1989)
Grown Ups (2010)
Heist (2001)
I’ll Always Know What You Did Last Summer (2006)
I Am Bolt (2016)
I Am Duran (2019)]
I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997)
I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (1998)
Jennifer’s Body (2009)
Nacho Libre (2006)
Open Range (2003)
Planet Of The Apes (2001)
Predators (2010)
Romeo + Juliet (1996)
Rudy (1993)
Sicko (2007)
Sleepless In Seattle (1993)
Soul Food (1997)
Stuart Little (1999)
Stuart Little 2 (2002)
The Alamo (2004)
The A-Team (2010)
The A-Team (Extended Cut) (2010)
The Best Man (1999)
The Boy (2016)
The Descent (2006)
The Host (English Subtitled) (2006)
The Karate Kid (2010)
The Kids Are All Right (2010)
The Last Of The Mohicans (1992)
The Omen (2006)
The Social Network (2010)
The Unborn (2009)
The Unborn (Unrated) (2009)
Traffic (2000)
Year One (2009)
Young Frankenstein (1974)
Series
A Feeling Home (2019) (Hallmark Movies Now)
Ancient Civilizations of North America: Season 1 (The Great Courses)
August Creek (2017) (Hallmark Movies Now)
Craig Ross Jr.’s Monogamy: Season 1 (ALLBLK)
Creepshow: Season 1 (Shudder)
Forensic Factor: Season 1 (A&E Crime Central)
Land Girls: Season 1 (PBS Masterpiece)
Latino Americans: Season 1 (PBS Documentaries)
Mail Call: Season 1 (HISTORY Vault)
Native Peoples of North America: Season 1 (The Great Courses)
Republic of Doyle: Season 1 (Acorn TV)
The Bastards of Pizzofalcone: Season 1 (MHz Choice)
The Blood Pact: Season 1 (PBS Masterpiece)
The Flintstones: Season 1 (Boomerang)
The Killing: Season 1 (Topic)
We’ll Meet Again: Season 1 (PBS Living)
September 3
Cinderella – Amazon Original Movie (2021)
September 10
The Voyeurs – Amazon Original Movie (2021)
LuLaRich – Amazon Original Series: Limited Series
September 12
Desperado (1995)
September 17
Everybody’s Talking About Jamie – Amazon Original Movie (2021)
The Mad Women’s Ball – Amazon Original Movie (2021)
American Traitor: The Trial of Axis Sally (2021)
Do, Re & Mi – Amazon Original Series: Season 1
September 24
Goliath – Amazon Original Series: Season 4
IMDb TV New in September – Free to Amazon Prime Members:
TV SERIES
September 1
Banacek S1-2
McCloud S1-7
McMillan & Wife S1-6
New Tricks S1-12
The Return of Sam McCloud
The Rockford Files S1-6
September 10
Pretty Hard Cases- IMDb TV Original Series: Season 1
September 15
Weeds S1-8
MOVIES
September 1
12 Rounds
Alpha and Omega 3: The Great Wolf Games
American Hustle
Begin Again
Biutiful
Bring It on Again
Cedar Rapids
Clue
Die Hard
Die Hard 2
Die Hard: With a Vengeance
Escape Plan
Exodus: Gods and Kings
How to Be a Latin Lover
Interrogation
Killers (2010)
L.A. Confidential
Marley & Me
Monster Family
Mortdecai
Mystery Men
Need for Speed
No Good Deed (2014)
Notorious
People Like Us
Robin Hood
Spy Who Dumped Me
Super Troopers 2
The Artist
The House Bunny
The Hunger Games
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
The Hunger Games: Mocking Jay Part 1
The Hunger Games: Mocking Jay Part 2
The Walk
This Means War
Undercover Brother
Victor Frankenstein
What’s Your Number?
September 14
Searching (2018)
September 16
As Above, So Below
September 25
Despicable Me 2
September 27
Sorry to Bother You
DETAILS ON NEW SEPTEMBER TITLES, COURTESY OF AMAZON:
From Kay Cannon (Pitch Perfect), Cinderella is a modern musical with a bold take on the story you grew up with. Our ambitious heroine (Camilla Cabello) has big dreams and with the help of her Fab G, she perseveres to make them come true. Cinderella has an all-star cast including Idina Menzel, Minnie Driver, James Corden, Nicholas Galitzine, Billy Porter and Pierce Brosnan.
LuLaRich is a four-part docuseries that chronicles the unraveling of LuLaRoe. Known for their buttery-soft leggings, the infamous multilevel-marketing company went viral promising young mothers a work-from-home salvation. Capitalizing on the growing power of social media, LuLaRoe’s eccentric founders recruited an army of independent retailers to peddle their increasingly bizarre and defective clothing products. Through exclusive interviews, this series unveils how it all went wrong in a spectacularly weird—and comedic—fashion.
After moving into a beautiful loft apartment in Downtown Montreal, a young couple (Sydney Sweeney and Justice Smith), find themselves becoming increasingly interested in the sex life of their eccentric neighbors across the street (Ben Hardy and Natasha Liu Bordizzo). What starts out as an innocent curiosity slowly turns into an unhealthy obsession, after they discover that one of these neighbors is cheating on the other. Temptation and desire cause their lives to become tangled together in unexpected ways, leading to deadly consequences. Breathing new life into the forgotten genre of erotic thriller, The Voyeurs (2021) asks the question, “Is it okay to watch?”
Do, Re & Mi is an Amazon Original animated series for preschoolers that centers on the musical adventures of three best birdie buddies voiced by Kristen Bell, Jackie Tohn, and Luke Youngblood. Featuring delightful adventures and toe-tapping original songs spanning multiple genres, the series takes little ones on a journey where they will discover new sounds and melodies, move to the beat, and see how music helps solve every problem!
Inspired by true events, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie is the film adaptation of the award-winning hit musical from London’s West End, about Jamie New (newcomer Max Harwood), a teenager in a blue collar English town with a dream of life on stage. Jamie contemplates revealing his secret career ambition as a fierce and proud drag queen. His best friend Pritti (Lauren Patel) and his loving mom (Sarah Lancashire) shower him with endless support while local drag legend Miss Loco Chanelle (Richard E. Grant) mentors him toward his debut stage performance. In rousing and colorful musical numbers, Jamie and his community inspire one another to be more accepting, and to see the value in facing adversity stepping out of the darkness into the spotlight.
The Mad Women’s Ball follows Eugénie, a young woman living during the close of the 19th century, who discovers that she has the special power to hear the dead. After her family discovers her secret, she is taken to a neurology clinic in Paris without any way of escaping her fate. The clinic, held by professor Charcot, is where women diagnosed with hysteria, “craziness”, epilepsy and other types of mental or physical diseases are committed. Eugénie’s destiny will soon become entwined with that of Geneviève, a nurse, and their encounter will change both their futures.
In the final season of Goliath, Billy returns to his Big Law roots after Patty (Nina Arianda) takes a job at a prestigious white-shoe law firm in San Francisco. Together, they try to take down one of America’s most insidious Goliaths: the opioid industry. As Billy deals with his own chronic pain and Patty can’t shake the feeling she’s being used, their loyalties will be tested, putting their partnership on the line. In a world where money can buy anything, even justice, they’ll have to risk everything to do what’s right.
Alexander Ludwig in ‘Heels’ season 1 episode 2 (Photo Credit: Starz)
Starz’s Heels season one episode two opens with Jack (Stephen Amell) and Ace (Alexander Ludwig) going through their morning routines. In Ace’s case that means having sex; in Jack’s case it’s all about working on wrestling scripts before heading off to work at Leckie Lawn Care.
As organized as Jack appears, he’s actually constantly late for work. His boss, Tim, chastises him about his late arrival before asking about his black eye, wondering how he obtained it since wrestling’s fake.
Jack and Timmy tag team a potential mower customer, with Jack attempting to make a personal connection by reminiscing about riding around on his dad’s lap while mowing their yard. Jack’s sales pitch doesn’t work and the customer leaves without buying anything. Of course, Tim blames Jack for not closing the deal. Jack impressed his grandfather when he ran the family’s store, but Tim lets it be known he’s not a fan.
At the end of the day, Jack arrives home, kisses Staci (Alison Luff), and grabs a beer. When she asks if Tim’s on the warpath, Jack replies, “Didn’t hit him so there’s that.”
Ace and Crystal (Kelli Berglund) have spent the day in bed playing video games, with Ace repeatedly calling Wild Bill in a desperate attempt to get out of Duffy. Heels episode one ended with his devastating defeat in the ring, but Ace continues to hold out hope bigger leagues are still interested in him.
Ace’s mom, Carol (Alice Barrett Mitchell), has whipped up a casserole that only serves two – or at least that’s the excuse she uses to get Crystal out of her house. (Ace still lives with his mom.) There’s no love lost between Carol and Crystal, but as Crystal’s leaving Carol chases her down to ask how she thinks Ace is really doing. Crystal doesn’t know – she never asked – and Carol warns Crystal everything going on between her and Ace is fake, just like everything else in wrestling.
Elsewhere, Diego (Robby Ramos) and Rooster (Allen Maldonado) check out a new video from Florida Wrestling Dystopia’s Charlie Gully (Mike O’Malley) warning the Duffy Wrestling League that he’s the big dog in this battle over the South’s wrestling fans. Apocalypse is too busy working out to care about videos but does chime in about his love of honeybuns.
Their discussion of the pros and cons of honeybuns is interrupted when Bobby (Trey Tucker) shows up covered in green paint. He spent the night as an extra on a superhero set and the color has given him inspiration for his new character, Turquoise!
Willie (Mary McCormack) barely glances at Bobby before shutting down Turquoise. Sorry, kid, the boss has spoken!
After changing the battery in a smoke alarm – something these men apparently can’t do for themselves – Willie drops the news Jack hasn’t written this week’s script. She leaves but not before infecting the room with her rotten mood. Diego’s done with the drama and thinks just because Ace is leaving doesn’t mean the other wrestlers should suffer. Apocalypse remains supportive of the league, but Rooster comes down on Diego’s side. If Jack can screw over his brother, he could do the same to any of them when they’re up for the title.
Later that evening, Willie meets up with FWD’s Charlie Gully at a diner. Charlie’s brutally honest about the state of the DWL and can’t believe Jack turned Ace – the DWL’s big star – into a joke with the fans. Charlie labels Jack a “jealous douchebag” for humiliating Ace while Wild Bill was there to recruit him. Willie claims she supports Jack’s moves, but Charlie knows she’s full of it and calls her out. He then announces he wants to buy the dome.
Willie’s shocked but Charlie’s done his research and knows Jack’s behind on bills. The sale would stop foreclosure, which is sure to happen soon, and the purchase helps expand Charlie’s empire. Charlie sweetens the deal by offering to keep Willie on his payroll.
Willie suggests a partnership with Jack, but Charlie has no interest in going into business with Jack. Charlie believes Jack screwed with his livelihood by denigrating him on two wrestling podcasts. Charlie adds “conceited little f*ck” to his description of Jack, but concedes Jack did help spur him into making FWD into a major player by publicly mocking him.
Willie doesn’t back down and claims the DWL will remain relevant because fans come for a good story. That’s why DWL can compete in bigger leagues despite the fact they have a small budget.
Charlie warns Willie to get out of the DWL before it’s too late. “Jack’s ego is going to be the downfall of the DWL,” says Charlie.
Willie rings up Jack to fill him in on Charlie’s offer. Jack’s reaction is immediate – “F*ck him” – but then he reconsiders and asks how much. Willie doesn’t say and instead asks for the script for the upcoming show.
Jack’s sure the DWL is about to blow up big and that’s why Charlie wants to buy them out.
Jack and Staci have a heart-to-heart in bed, and Staci asks him to pay more attention to their son, Thomas. Jack explains what’s going on with Charlie and confesses right now he needs to focus his attention on keeping the DWL afloat.
Staci needs to know why Jack humiliated Ace, and Jack tries to cut off the discussion by saying he did it for Ace’s own good. Staci advises Jack to cancel the next show and apologize to Ace – not as a wrestler, but as a brother.
Wild Bill (Chris Bauer) finally returns Ace’s many calls and explains there’s no contract in the works. Ace breaking down in tears in the ring made the Northern bigwigs decide to back off. Will Bill suggests Ace try and get on with the FWD if he wants out of Duffy.
Ace takes the news about how you’d expect him to.
Later that night Carol calls Jack in a panic. Ace is missing and Big Jim’s wife, Melanie, has gone into labor. Big Jim tried to call Ace, but Ace left his phone in his room and took off. Carol’s legitimately scared and knows Ace is in a bad place.
Jack heads over to his mom’s and Crystal…or, as Carol calls her, the “opportunistic parasitic tart”…is already there. Jack looks around Ace’s room, guesses he’s gone to the “lucky stand” to drown his sorrows, and takes off with Crystal. Jack’s not happy about having this particular passenger, but Crystal’s worried Ace may harm himself. Jack’s not because Ace is far too narcissistic for that.
He reluctantly explains the lucky stand is a place they used to hunt when they were kids. Whenever things got rough at home, Jack would take Ace there to hide out.
Jack’s right and Ace is drinking. Ace tosses a glass bottle at the Welcome to Duffy sign and takes off running while screaming like a banshee.
Jack and Crystal check out the lucky stand, but Ace isn’t there. Instead, he’s made his way to a bar where Rooster works when he’s not wrestling. Ace is clearly inebriated and continues to pound down shots.
Rooster takes the stage to introduce the next karaoke singer and Ace heckles him, demanding a spot. Rooster, reluctantly and against his better judgment, gives in. Guys playing pool loudly joke about Ace singing a sad song, and Ace recognizes one – Travis – after grabbing the mic.
Ace starts singing and sounds like a drunk Bob Dylan. Needless to say, he’s not winning over the crowd.
Rooster alerts Jack and Crystal and they arrive as Ace is singing to a chorus of boos. Ace becomes belligerent as the crowd turns mean. He tells everyone, including the town of Duffy, to f*ck off which does nothing to calm things down.
Ace challenges Travis but Rooster manages to hold them apart. Unfortunately, Travis continues to shoot off his mouth and says wrestlers can’t actually fight. Ace launches himself at Travis, but Travis sends him sprawling. Jack steps in for this brother and demonstrates wrestlers can indeed fight outside the ring.
A brawl breaks out and Crystal throws a few punches before Rooster pulls her from the action. Ace, Jack, and Crystal are tossed out, and Rooster’s livid they’d pull this stunt where he works. Jack volunteers to pay for everything and is about to leave when Travis, accompanied by a couple of his pool-playing buddies, calls Jack and Ace’s dad a loser.
Crystal leaps into action, pulls off a sweet wrestling move, and takes down Travis before Jack and Ace can react. The fight’s over in the parking lot before it can even begin.
As they drive home Ace is pumped up his big bro had his back. Crystal’s equally excited after slamming Travis to the ground. Jack tries to tamp down their enthusiasm but gives in and takes them out for burgers.
Burgers munched, Ace waxes philosophical. He wonders about black holes and the possibility humanity will be swallowed up. Jack thinks they’ll all immediately die, but Ace believes there could be a moment when everyone screams simultaneously. Or maybe the end will be greeted with silence.
Jack appears concerned about Ace’s state of mind as Ace drifts off to sleep.
They arrive back at their mom’s place and Jack dumps Ace in his bed. Ace is lucid enough to tell his brother he hates him. “You act like you’re some kind of genius but you’re not. You’re just a lawnmower salesman,” says Ace, adding, “You ruined my f*cking life.”
Jack and Crystal chat before he takes her home, and Jack confesses Ace never wanted to wrestle. Jack pushed him into it following their dad’s death. Crystal has her own confession to make; she admits the Main Event script was perfect for the story and Ace’s character. She also believes Ace would make a great heel.
Jack finally makes it home and discusses Charlie’s offer to buy the dome with Staci. He admits it might be time to sell and she responds with a kiss that leads to quiet lovemaking in the kitchen.
The following morning Staci, Thomas, and Jack arrive at the hospital to meet Big Jim’s new family member. Jack’s still unsure what to do about Charlie’s offer, and Staci says she just wants him to spend more time at home but that doesn’t mean he has to completely leave wrestling behind.
Allen Maldonado, Erica Pappas, James Harrison, Duke Davis Roberts, Robby Ramos, and Alice Barrett Mitchell in ‘Heels’ season 1 episode 2 (Photo Credit: Starz)
Apocalypse, Rooster, and Diego help Bobby decide which stuffed animal to buy in the hospital gift shop. Diego suggests a panda’s the perfect gift because they signal hope. Rooster’s still stuck on getting a shot at the title and puts together a string of “sh*ts” that causes another customer to see herself out of the shop. Apocalypse thinks Rooster’s taking the wrong approach; he needs to stop being negative and think about how he can win over Jack.
Their discussion reveals Apocalypse won the belt years ago but lost it when he went to rehab. He’s grateful the DWL took him back after he got clean. Apocalypse, again, tells Rooster to just talk to Jack and Rooster finally agrees to do that out of respect for Apocalypse.
Bobby opts for a stuffed elephant as the group gathers in the waiting room. Diego announces mom and baby are doing great and are currently sleeping. Bobby lets slip Charlie Gulley sent Big Jim flowers with lures in it. The card reads: “Congratulations from your wrestling family in Jacksonville.”
Carol shows up and confronts Jack, blaming him for the fact Ace refuses to come inside the hospital. Jack doesn’t react to his mom, but just an exchange of looks with Staci sends Jack outside to retrieve his brother.
Jack admits Ace was right when he called him just a lawnmower salesman but adds that Ace is an unemployed, washed-up high school quarterback. That’s just who they are, however, Jack never thinks of any of that in the ring.
Their family by blood might be messed up, but their wrestling family needs them. Ace confesses he wants to be scouted again but needs more input into his storylines. He never wants to get booed again. Jack promises he won’t.
By the time they step back inside, everyone’s made their way into Melanie’s hospital room. Ace watches from the doorway as Jack cradles the new baby. Crystal’s the last to arrive and Jack asks her to join them. He gently hands her the baby as everyone chuckles. (Crystal’s clearly not used to handling babies.)
It may just be a fleeting moment in time but for now the wrestling family is happy to be gathered together in celebration of Jim and Melanie’s new arrival.
Later that day Jack tells Staci he’s not going to sell. He believes everything will work out now that Ace is back in the fold.
Staci realizes this means he won’t be spending quality time with the family after all.
FX’s new trailer for Ryan Murphy’s Impeachment: American Crime Story finds Linda Tripp (Sarah Paulson) turning over the secret tapes that were key evidence in Clinton’s impeachment. The latest trailer for the third season of the limited series ends with Monica Lewinsky (Beanie Feldstein) answering a phone call with a “Hi, handsome” greeting and Bill Clinton (Clive Owen) responding with “Hey.”
The cast also includes Annaleigh Ashford as Paula Jones, Edie Falco as Hillary Clinton, Cobie Smulders as Ann Coulter, and Billy Eichner as Matt Drudge.
The series was created by Ryan Murphy and is executive produced by Nina Jacobson, Brad Simpson, Alexis Martin Woodall, Sarah Burgess, Sarah Paulson, Brad Falchuk, Scott Alexander, Larry Karaszewski, and Michael Uppendahl. Monica Lewinsky was involved as a producer.
Sarah Burgess adapted Jeffrey Toobin’s bestselling book, A Vast Conspiracy: The Real Story of the Sex Scandal That Nearly Brought Down a President, for the series. Toobin created a scandal of his own when he was caught masturbating during a Zoom meeting. CNN removed him from the air in October 2020. He was reinstated eight months later.
FX’s Impeachment: American Crime Story will premiere on Tuesday, September 7, 2021 at 10p ET/PT.
Season one of the critically acclaimed, award-winning American Crime Story franchise debuted in February 2016 and explored the behind the scene maneuverings of the OJ Simpson murder trial. Season two followed in January 2018 and focused on the murder spree of serial killer Andrew Cunanan, the man who stalked and took the life of iconic designer Gianni Versace.
Beanie Feldstein as Monica Lewinsky in ‘Impeachment: American Crime Story’ (Photo Credit: Kurt Iswarienko / FX)
The Plot, Courtesy of FX:
“Impeachment: American Crime Story examines the national crisis that led to the first impeachment of a U.S. President in over a century. It tells this story through the eyes of the women at the center of the events: Monica Lewinsky (Feldstein), Linda Tripp (Paulson) and Paula Jones (Ashford). All three were thrust into the public spotlight during a time of corrosive partisan rancor, shifting sexual politics and a changing media landscape. The series shows how power lifts some and disposes of others in the halls of our most sacred institutions.”
The CW’s Riverdale season five episode 13 returns to the season’s normal timeline after an episode that traveled back in time to show Hiram’s backstory. Directed by Gabriel Correa from a script by Evan Kyle, episode 13 – “Reservoir Dogs” – will air on August 25, 2021.
The cast of season five includes KJ Apa as Archie Andrews, Lili Reinhart as Betty Cooper, Camila Mendes as Veronica Lodge, and Cole Sprouse as Jughead Jones. Madelaine Petsch is Cheryl Blossom, Marisol Nichols is Hermione Lodge, Mӓdchen Amick is Alice Cooper, Casey Cott is Kevin Keller, Mark Consuelos is Hiram Lodge, Skeet Ulrich is FP Jones, Charles Melton is Reggie Mantle, Drew Ray Tanner is Fangs Fogarty, and Vanessa Morgan plays Toni Topaz.
“Chapter Eighty-Nine: Reservoir Dogs” Plot: COYOTE UGLY — While helping Eric (guest star Sommer Carbuccia) deal with his PTSD, Archie (Apa) is forced to confront his own past trauma in the Army. To find the Lonely Highway killer, Betty (Reinhart) and Tabitha (Erinn Westbrook) come up with a way to lure truckers to Pop’s. Cheryl (Petsch) extends an invitation to Kevin (Cott) and Veronica (Mendes) gives Reggie (Melton) a shot to prove her wrong.
Season 5 Description, Courtesy of The CW:
The fourth season of Riverdale began with a funeral and tribute to Archie’s late father, the beloved Fred Andrews (Luke Perry). Throughout the season, Archie (KJ Apa) tried to live up to his father’s memory by mentoring youths at his Community Center with the help of his pals Reggie and Munroe Moore. But the shadow of that tragedy loomed over Archie—and only darkened when Fred’s brother Frank arrived, bringing unforeseen complications with him, much to the chagrin of Archie’s mother (Molly Ringwald).
Meanwhile, after Betty saved her mom and sister from the Farm cult, she joined her brother Charles’s Junior F.B.I. Training Program. Veronica found herself locked in a season-long battle with her father Hiram and half-sister Hermosa over her burgeoning maple rum business. And, at the urging on FP, Jughead enrolled in a new school, Stonewall Prep, only to be caught up in a mystery that involved his grandfather, the secret author of a series of teen detective novels called “The Baxter Brothers.” His classmates turned out to be killers—and it was up to Betty and Jughead (pretending to be dead) to solve the murder of…Jughead Jones!
At Thistlehouse, Cheryl was trapped in a gothic nightmare, fighting her demons, literal and metaphoric, with the loving support of her girlfriend Toni. She finally put her brother Jason to rest while maintaining her control over the Vixens as resident HBIC against Principal Honey (Kerr Smith). Kevin got dragged into an illicit tickle scheme, but still found time to put on a Variety Show with hit songs from Hedwig and the Angry Inch.
And throughout the season, disturbing unmarked videotapes kept appearing on our characters’ doorsteps, ensuring that there would be one more mystery to solve.
Season five of Riverdale will begin with our characters’ final days as students at Riverdale High. From an epic Senior Prom to a bittersweet Graduation, there are a lot of emotional moments and goodbyes yet to come — with some couples breaking up, as everyone goes their separate ways to college — or elsewhere. Then, we will redock with our gang as young adults, all returning to Riverdale to escape their troubled pasts. And life — and romance — will only be more complicated now that they’re in their twenties…
Florida Georgia Line has officially canceled their 2021 “I Love My Country Tour” which was set to kick off on September 24th in Atlanta. The tour was scheduled to make 29 stops and finish up on November 20th in Seattle.
The duo chose to cancel due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
“There is nothing better than seeing all of your faces from the stage, feeling your good energy, and making memories together,” stated FGL’s Tyler Hubbard. “We were hopeful we could get back on the road this fall, and are so bummed to have to cancel this tour, but we know in our hearts that we still have to make sure we’re keeping our fans and crew safe. It’s unfortunate that we have to cancel but we hope y’all understand. We love our fans and can’t wait to be back out when the time is right.”
FGL’s Brian Kelley added, “Although we’ve been able to see some of y’all at shows recently, everyone’s continued safety has been weighing heavy on us. To our fans, band, crew, and all of the venues around the country, thank you for your love and support! We couldn’t do what we do without you, and we hope we can all do our part to bring live music back soon.”
Per the official announcement: “For all current ticket holders, refunds will be issued to the original method of payment used at time of purchase. No action is required to obtain a refund.”
The Grammy-nominated duo have racked up 19 #1 singles since launching in 2012. They’ve also sold more than 4.8 million albums and have been honored with Academy of Country Music, Billboard, and iHeartRadio Music awards.
Imogen Waterhouse is back in the director’s chair for The CW’s The Outpost season four episode seven. Written by Jason Faller and Kynan Griffin, episode seven – “The Power of the Masters” – will air on August 26, 2021.
The cast is led by Jessica Green as Talon and includes Jake Stormoen as Captain Garret Spears, Anand Desai-Barochia as Janzo, and Reece Ritchie as Zed. Izuka Hoyle is Wren, Jaye Griffiths is Yavalla, Aaron Fontaine is Tobin, Georgia May Foote is Falista, Maeve Courtier-Lilly is Luna, Nikki Leigh Scott is Vorta, and Adam Johnson is Munt.
“The Power of the Masters” Plot: MEETING OF THE GODS – Talon (Green) and Luna (Courtier-Lilly) recruit an old friend to help them find an ancient key. Tobin (Fontaine) and Falista (May-Foote) have an extraordinary meeting. Wren (Foyle) and Janzo (Desai-Barochia) unleash a menace causing Garret (Stormoen) and Zed to go on a hunt.
The Season 4 Plot:
After Gwynn (Imogen Waterhouse) sacrificed herself to destroy Yavalla, the Outpost needs a new ruler. But while Talon and Garret try to establish new leadership, a sinister threat awakens, revealing the true origin of the mysterious kinjes. Talon and her kinj-bearing friends all share dark visions from god-like beings who are hell-bent on reclaiming the kinjes for themselves. A would-be assassin named Luna hunts Talon down to get vengeance for crimes of the past, but soon discovers that her own heritage is wrapped up in Talon’s fate.
Mourning the recent loss of her beloved Tobin (Aaron Fontaine), Falista is mentored by Two to dedicate herself to the new “gods” in exchange for a costly favor. But when the Lu Qiri go missing, Talon and Zed track them down to discover the greatest threat the Realm has ever faced… a new race of beings that will ultimately explain Talon’s own dark origins.
When Janzo and Wren are forced to unlock an ancient city beneath the Outpost, they struggle to uncover who their real allies and enemies will be, while a secret they share gives them new motivation to save the world.
As she and her friends are hunted down one by one, while diabolic forces are tearing her world apart, Talon endures the darkest challenge she has ever faced, as she struggles to embrace the heroes of her past and somehow survive the villains that only she has the power to destroy.
Jessica Green as Talon and Maeve Courtier-Lilley as Luna in ‘The Outpost’ season 4 episode 7 (Photo: Aleksandar Letic/NBCU International — 2020 Outpost TV LLC. Courtesy of Electric Entertainment)Izuka Hoyle as Wren, Reece Ritchie as Zed, Anand Desai-Barochia as Janzo, and Jake Stormoen as Captain Garret Spears in season 4 episode 7 (Photo: Aleksandar Letic/NBCU International — 2020 Outpost TV LLC. Courtesy of Electric Entertainment)Izuka Hoyle as Wren and Anand Desai-Barochia as Janzo in season 4 episode 7 (Photo: Aleksandar Letic/NBCU International — 2020 Outpost TV LLC. Courtesy of Electric Entertainment)
Michael Keaton and Maggie Q in ‘The Protege’ (Photo Credit: Simon Varsano / Lionsgate)
Michael Keaton, Maggie Q, and Samuel L. Jackson star as assassins in director Martin Campbell’s latest action-thriller, The Protégé.
The film opens in Vietnam in 1991 with hitman Moody (Samuel L. Jackson) on a job when he comes across a young girl, Anna, hiding in a closet and holding a gun. She’s managed to kill her captors and he’s impressed with her talent and willingness to try to kill him if he poses a threat. Moody decides to take her under his wing and make her his protégé.
Leaping ahead 30 years, Anna (Maggie Q) has grown into an extremely efficient and capable killer. She’s still with Moody but now they’ve teamed up as professional assassins who pride themselves on only taking jobs to eliminate bad/evil people.
After another successful job, Anna and Moody head home to London where Anna’s other job is owning a rare bookstore.
It’s just after celebrating Moody’s 70th birthday that all hell breaks loose and Moody is killed at his lavish home in England. Anna realizes his death is the result of looking into an old job of his from years ago. Determined to avenge her mentor’s death, Anna goes on the hunt to find the man responsible and kill him – and anyone else who gets in her way, for that matter.
During her hunt for the killer, Anna crosses paths with a mysterious, charismatic, and deadly assassin named Rembrandt (Michael Keaton) who she finds herself drawn to. While flirting with Anna, Rembrandt warns her if she stays on course with her search, she will die. Anna pays no heed to that warning and instead remains determined in her quest for revenge.
Action-packed but uneven, The Protégé is a B-class thriller with A-list actors. It’s reminiscent of other stronger and more impressive action films and feels as though it’s sampling their original ideas and even some of their action stunts. It’s a film which could be skipped, but Michael Keaton fans would then miss out on a stand-out performance by the Oscar-nominated actor.
Keaton shines as the quirky, charming, and lethal killer Rembrandt who finds his target, Anna, curious, alluring, and a deadly challenge. Keaton infuses the film with its much-needed levity and humor. He steals every scene and elevates The Protégé from being forgettable to entertaining.
Maggie Q delivers a solid performance as Anna, an artistic and well-educated woman who’s just as deadly as she is attractive. Her best scenes in the film are early on when she demonstrates just how precise she is with carrying out a hit. A scene in which she eliminates a mob boss and his henchmen is surprising and memorable. Unfortunately, one problem with the film is her lack of chemistry with Keaton. It’s obvious in their first scene together that the attraction and intrigue her character is supposed to feel toward Rembrandt is absent.
Samuel L. Jackson IS Samuel L. Jackson as Moody, delivering an all too familiar performance as an over-the-hill hitman getting ready to retire and atone for his sins. Still, Jackson has solid chemistry with Maggie Q and their scenes together work extremely well.
The film’s biggest flaw is with its tone and pacing. The Protégé goes back and forth between tongue-in-cheek dialogue and witty banter to dark and brutal killing and fight scenes. It feels as though Martin Campbell couldn’t decide on whether he wanted the movie to be an action-thriller or an action-comedy. This is especially true when the film provides a flashback that shows the terrible deaths of Anna’s family.
Yet even with its flaws, some well-choreographed fight scenes and the scene-stealing performance by Michael Keaton are enough to make The Protégé an entertaining action film – if you go in with lowered expectations.
GRADE: B-
MPAA Rating: R for some sexual references, language, brief nudity, and strong and bloody violence
