Everything Old is New Again, Vol. 17 - July 2020
by Hunter Bush
How's everybody doing out there? States are reopening, businesses resuming in some feeble attempt at "normalcy" but I keep getting this sinking feeling... and maybe this is just me but, does anybody else keep feeling like we're in the middle of Jaws when the mayor (Murray Hamilton) refuses to close the beach in the middle of prime tourism season despite the warnings of experts? Ugh. Well, I hope wherever you are you're doing well and staying safe.
As for me, I'm back with your July installment of Everything Old Is New Again, my - now monthly - column where I attempt to keep y'all abreast of upcoming releases that fall under the EOINA purview: Remakes (a movie, but again), Adaptations (it used to be a book, TV show, play or what have you but now it's a movie) and Long-Gap Sequels (the last one came out *how* long ago?) and things of that ilk.
Since no one in their right mind is going back to theaters right now, I'm sticking to what flicks and series are coming to the various streaming services around. The downside of this set-up being that, streaming services are kind of difficult to get reliable release dates and/or trailers from. But I did my best and, whenever possible, tried to give my overall impression of the type of movie or series we'll be getting. Appearances *can be* deceiving however, don't forget.
But let's get started! I divided each service's offerings into the categories Premiers (essentially their big screen debut no matter where you're watching) and Arrivals (anything that's not a premier but is arriving on that date). Hope this helps!
AMAZON PRIME:
PREMIERS:
July 3rd:
HANNA: Season 2 - In this second season of the TV series based on the 2011 film of the same name, Esme Creed-Miles returns as the titular little-girl-assassin (the role was played by Saoirse Ronan in the film). We see Hanna introduced to an auditorium of girl-assassins in-training with the implication that they'd already had one interaction with her. I've never seen the first season, but the idea I'm getting is that she was whisked away from this killer training ground as a baby, raised in secret and returned to get bloody revenge. Now, she's being welcomed by Dermot Mulroney as a new member of the academy. There's plenty of screen time of the tweens and teens (all gals) whooping ass - on each other, on military personnel, etc. - and overall this seems pretty fun. There's some dialogue about "learning who your true family is" so I guess Hanna will eventually be accepted as one of them (gabba gabba they accept her, etc).
ARRIVALS:
July 1st:
52 Pick-Up (1986) - Based on the Elmore Leonard novel from 1974. Also streaming on Hulu.
Big Fish (2003) - Based on the 1998 novel by Daniel Wallace.
The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet (1952) - First TV season, a continuation of the popular radio show that ran from 1949 - 1954.
Arthur: Season 1 (1996) - First season of the animated children's show based on the Arthur Adventure book series by Marc Brown.
Beyond the Pole: Season 1 (2009) - First season of the British mockumentary series based on the BBC radio series.
The Bounty (1984) - Based on the 1972 novel Captain Bligh and Mr. Christian by Richard Hough. Also streaming on Hulu.
Bug (1975) - Adapted by William Castle and Thomas Page from Page's 1973 novel The Hephaestus Plague.
Edge of Darkness (2010) - Inspired by the 1985 BBC series of the same name.
The Eye (2008) - Remake of the Pang Bros.' 2002 film of the same name. Also streaming on Hulu.
The Forbidden Kingdom (2008) - Loosely based on the 16th century Chinese story Journey to the West. Also streaming on Hulu.
Hollow Man (2000) - Inspired by H.G. Wells' 1987 novel The Invisible Man.
LEGO City Adventures: Season 1 (2019) - First season of the computer animated series based on the toy blocks created in 1949.
Lone Ranger: Season 1 (1949) - First season of the classic western based on the 1933 radio show.
Modus: Season 1 (2015) - Based on the Norwegian novel Frukta inte (Do Not Fear) by Lisa Siwe.
Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist (2008) - Adapted from the 2006 novel by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan.
Rabbit Hole (2010) - Based on David Lindsay-Abaire's 2006 play. Also streaming on Hulu.
Sliver (1993) - Based on Ira Levin's 1991 novel. Also streaming on Hulu.
Starting Out in the Evening (2007) - Based on the Brian Morton novel. Also streaming on Hulu.
July 7th:
The Tourist (2010) - Remake of the French film Anthony Zimmer from 2005.
DISNEY+:
PREMIERS:
July 3rd:
HAMILTON - A filmed performance of Lin-Manuel Miranda's incredibly successful Broadway musical running since 2015 - itself inspired by the 2004 biography Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow. You've probably heard at least some of the music by now; you may even have seen the show. I have not, so I'll definitely be tuning in! L-MM revealed via his Twitter that he decided to cut out two of the three instances of the F-word to make it more family friendly (and avoid an R rating) which I guess some folks are annoyed at (?) but like, it's the Mouse House, y'all. I'm happy to get just one fuck (like the Violent Femmes). I love musicals, and that's almost entirely due to a childhood spent watching them broadcast on channels like PBS or A&E or what have you and it's been far too long since I watched one, so this is a surefire must-watch for me.
July 31st:
MUPPETS NOW - A new series starring those lovable Muppets created in 1955 by Jane and Jim Henson. The gag of the trailer is that Kermit (Matt Vogel) isn't allowed to announce any celebrity guests or describe any of their antics, so: great trailer. So what do I have to talk about. Matt Vogel's Kermit voice is only okay; I actually quite enjoyed that ABC reboot of The Muppets from 5 years ago and I'm sure this will be worse; Why isn't Jason Segel involved? That guy pretty much single-handedly revived the Muppets as a franchise. Regardless, I will tune in to check it out because I love the Muppets and think the world needs more Muppets (both specifically and in general).
ARRIVALS:
July 3rd:
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Roderick Rules (2011) - Adapted from the 2008 book of the same name by Jeff Kinney, this is the second installment in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid film series begun in 2010.
Race to Witch Mountain (2009) - Remake of 1975's film Escape to Witch Mountain.
July 10th:
Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018) - Origin story of the Han Solo character who first appeared in 1977's Star Wars.
July 17th:
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul (2017) - Adapted from several books in the Wimpy Kid book series by Jeff Kinney, this is the fourth installment in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid film series begun in 2010.
HBO MAX:
PREMIERS:
July 1st:
NECESSARY EVIL: THE SUPER-VILLAINS OF DC COMICS - This doc is based around the concept of spotlighting the villains of the DC Comics universe which, we are told (by Christopher Lee of all people, may he rest his badass soul in peace) don't get enough attention. Hey, DC: don't piss on my head and tell me it's raining. Unless this doc completely ignores the villains everybody knows and focuses on the truly lesser-knowns - which I doubt - then this is just one more thing for Joker fanboys to edge to. Pass.
And now a Moviejawn listicle:
Lifelong Comic Fanboy Hunter's List of Top Five Lesser-Known DC Villains:
1 - No one from Batman (sorry, not sorry - even the more obscure ones are pretty well-known)
2 - Mister Mxyzptlk (5th dimensional imp who bugs Superman)
3 - Eclipso (dug his cool design since childhood)
4 - Amazo (always love a villain who can mimic the heroes powers)
5 - Starro (mind controlling starfish from outer space. I rest my case.)
Not saying these characters are super-duper deep cuts, but most people don't know who they are, whereas if I mention Lex Luthor or half dozen Batman villains, nobody bats (no pun intended) an eye.
ARRIVALS:
July 1st:
A Guy Named Joe (1943) - The screenplay by Dalton Trumbo and Frederick Hazlitt Brennan is adapted from a story by Chandler Sprague and David Boehm.
Absolute Power (1997) - Based on the 1996 book by David Baldacci.
The Adventures of Pinicchio (1996) - Adaptation of Carlo Collodi's 1883 novel.
Angus (1995) - Based on the short story A Brief Moment in the Life of Angus Bethune by Chris Crutcher.
The Bachelor (1999) - Remake of the 1925 film Seven Chances.
Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero (1998) - Animated film based on the myriad adventures of the DC Comics character created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger who dates back to 1939.
Batman and Harley Quinn (2017) - See above.
The Batman vs. Dracula (2005) - See above but with the addition of Dracula, created by Bram Stoker in 1897.
Batman vs. Two-Face (2017) - More Batman, but based around the Batman TV series of the 1960s.
Batman: Assault on Arkham (2014) - Even more Batman.
Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders (2016) - Still more Batman.
Batman: Under the Red Hood (2010) - Yes, Virginia, there is more Batman.Batman: Year One (2011) - I think that's a wrap on the Batman...
Beautiful Creatures (2013) - Based on the 2009 novel by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl.
The Big Year (2011) - Comedic adaptation of the nonfiction book The Big Year: A Tale of Man, Nature and Fowl Obsession by Mark Obmascik.
The Bishop's Wife (1947) - Adapted from the 1928 novel by Robert Nathan.
Blade (1998) - Adapted from the adventures of the Marvel Comics character created by Marv Wolfman and Gene Colan in 1973.
Blade 2 (2002) - Sequel to the above.
Blade: Trinity (2004) - Sequel to the above.
Blood Work (2002) - Based on the 1998 novel by Michael Connelly.
Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2004) - Based on Helen Fielding's novel of the same name from 1999. The second film in the Bridget Jones trilogy.
Catch Me If You Can (2002) - Based on the life of Frank Abagnale and named after his autobiographical book, though it was apparently started before the book was released.
Clara's Heart (1988) - Based on the novel of the same name from Joseph Olshan.
Creepshow (1982) - Inspired by E.C. Comics horror anthology format, two of the stories are adapted from previous works of Stephen King: The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill is based on King's short story Weeds and The Crate is based on King's short story of the same name.
The Departed (2006) - Remake of the Hong Kong film Infernal Affairs from 2002.
The Dirty Dozen (1967) - Inspired by the 1965 book by E.M. Nathanson.
Doc Hollywood (1991) - Inspired by Neil B. Shulman's obnoxiously named book What? Dead. . .Again?
Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd (2003) - Prequel to Dumb and Dumber (which is also streaming) from 9 years previous.
The English Patient (1996) - Inspired by the Michael Ondaatje novel from 1992.
The Exorcist (1973) - Adapted by William Peter Blatty from his 1971 novel.
Fantastic Four (2005) - Adapted from the adventures of the Marvel Comics characters created by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee in 1961.
Flags of Our Fathers (2006) - Inspired by the 2000 book of the same name by James Bradley and Tom Powers.
Fred Claus (2007) - Loosely based on the poem A legend of Santa and his brother Fred by Donald Henkel.
Freedom Fighters: The Ray (2017) - Animated film based on the adventures of the DC Comics character created in 1992 by Jack C. Harris and Joe Quesada.
Get Smart (2008) - Inspired by the 1960s TV series created by Mel Brooks and Buck Henry.
Green Lantern: Emerald Knights (2011) - Animated film based on the adventures of the DC Comics characters created in 1959 by John Broome and Gil Kane, though the concept of the Green Lantern originated in 1940 as a separate character created by Martin Nodell.
Green Lantern: First Flight (2009) - See above.
The Green Pastures (1936) - Adapted stories from a little book called The Bible.
Inkheart (2009) - Based on the 2003 YA fantasy book by Cornelia Funke.
Innerspace (1987) - Inspired by the film Fantastic Voyage from 1966.
Insomnia (2002) - Remake of the 1997 Norwegian thriller of the same name.
Jane Eyre (2011) - Adapted from Charlotte Brontë's 1847 novel.
Journey to the Center of the Earth (2008) - Inspired by Jules Verne's novel from 1964.
Justice League: JLA Adventures: Trapped in Time (2014) - Animated film based on the adventures of the DC Comics team of characters created in 1960 by Gardner Fox.
Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths (2010) - See above.
Justice League: Doom (2012) - More Justice League stuff.
Justice League: Gods and Monsters (2015) - Still more.
Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox (2013) - Oh boy.
Justice League: The New Frontier (2008) - Almost done.
Justice League: Throne of Atlantis (2015) - Just about.
Justice League: War (2014) - Home stretch.
Justice League vs. Teen Titans (2016) - This is it, but also with the Teen Titans, another DC Comics team of younger heroes created in 1964 by Bob Haney and Bruno Premiani.
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001) - Based on the female lead adventure video game franchise begun in 1996.
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life (2003) - See above.
The Last Emperor (1987) - Based on the 1964 autobiography of Puyi, the last Emperor of China.
Last Knights (2015) - Inspired by the legend of The Forty-Seven Ronin.
Life is Beautiful (1997) - Partially inspired by the book In the End, I Beat Hitler by Rubino Romeo Salmoni.
The Longest Yard (2005) - Remake of the 1974 film.
Love Don't Cost a Thing (2003) - Remake of the 1987 film Can't Buy Me Love.
Mars Attacks! (1996) - Inspired by the Topps trading card series from 1962.
Message in a Bottle (1999) - Based on Nicholas Sparks' novel from the previous years.
Munich (2005) - Inspired by the book Vengeance by George Jonas.
Nancy Drew (2007) - Based on the adventures of the teen sleuth in the book series begun in 1930 by Edward Stratemeyer.
Pee-Wee's Big Adventure (1985) - Inspired and adapted from the character created and portrayed by Paul Reubens since at least the 1980s.
The Polar Express (2004) - Based on the 1985 children's book by Chris Van Allsburg.
Rich and Famous (1981) - Adapted from the 1940 play Old Acquaintance by John Van Druten.
The Right Stuff (1983) - Adapted from Tom Wolfe's 1979 book.
Sesame Street Presents: Follow That Bird (1985) - Based on the characters of the children's educational TV show begun in 1969.
Space Jam (1996) - Starring the Warner Brothers stable of Looney Tunes cartoon characters who date back to the 1930s.
Star Trek (2009) - Reboot of the franchise begun in the 1966 TV series of the same name created by Gene Roddenberry.
Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay (2018) - Animated film drawing on the adventures of the DC Comics team of villains and anti-heroes created in 1987 by John Ostrander, though the concept existed at DC since 1959.
Superman: The Movie (1978) - Based on the adventures of the DC Comics character Superman created in 1938 by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster.
Superman II (1981) - Sequel to the above.
Superman III (1983) - Sequel to the above.
Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987) - Sequel to the above.
Superman Returns (2006) - Conceptual sequel to the above, or at least some of them. I was never 100% sure on that.
Superman: Brainiac Attacks (2006) - An animated adventure of Superman.
Superman: Unbound (2013) - An animated adventure of Superman.
Sweet November (2001) - Inspired by the 1968 film of the same name.
The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999) - Based on the novel by Patricia Highsmith from 1955.
Thirteen Ghosts (2001) - Remake of the film 13 Ghosts from 1960.
Tom & Jerry: The Movie (1993) - Feature length adventures of the cartoon duo created by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera in 1940.
The Towering Inferno (1974) - Based on a pair of novels, The Tower by Richard Martin Stern from 1973 and The Glass Inferno by Thomas N. Scortia & Frank M. Robinson from 1974.
Troy (2004) - Loosely inspired by Homer's The Iliad.
True Crime (1999) - Adapted from Andrew Klavan's 1995 novel.
12 Monkeys (1995) - Inspired by Chris Marker's 1962 short film La Jetée (The Pier).
Watchmen (2009) - Adapted from the DC Comics / Vertigo Comics graphic novel by Alan Moore, Dave Gibbons & John Higgins published in 1986 & 1987.
What's Your Number (2011) - Inspired by the novel 20 Times a Lady by Karyn Bosnak.
The Women (2008) - Remake of the 1939 film which was adapted from a 1936 play by Clare Boothe Luce.
Yogi Bear (2010) - Adapted from the adventures of the cartoon bear created by Hanna-Barbera in 1958.
Yours, Mine and Ours (2005) - Remake of the 1968 film.
July 11th:
Last Christmas (2019) - Inspired by the music of George Michael.
July 14th:
Inuyasha: Season 1 (2000) - First season of the anime series that ran from 2000 - 2004, based on the manga created by Rumiko Takahashi in 1996.
July 25th:
Motherless Brooklyn (2019) - Based on the novel by Jonathan Lethem. Previously covered in EOINA Vol.12 and reviewed by The Old Sport here.
HULU:
PREMIERS:
Hulu doesn't appear to have any premieres meeting EOINA criteria this month, as far as I could tell.
ARRIVALS:
July 1st:
52 Pick-Up (1986) - Based on the Elmore Leonard novel from 1974. Also streaming on Amazon Prime.
2001 Maniacs (2005) - Horror comedy remake of Herschell Gordon Lewis' 1964 film Two Thousand Maniacs.
A Bridge Too Far (1977) - Based on the 1974 novel by Cornelius Ryan.
A Kid Like Jake (2018) - Adapted by Daniel Pearle from his own 2013 play.
Boogie Woogie (2009) - Based on the Danny Moynihan novel.
The Bounty (1984) - Based on the 1972 novel Captain Bligh and Mr. Christian by Richard Hough. Also streaming on Amazon Prime.
The Catcher Was a Spy (2018) - Adapted from the book of the same name by Nicholas Dawidoff and based on the life of Moe Berg, documented in The Spy Behind Home Plate.
Cinderfella (1960) - Gender-swapped retelling of the Cinderella fable.
The Client (1994) - Based on the 1993 John Grisham novel.
The Color Purple (1985) - Adapted from the 1982 novel from Alice Walker.
Dheepan (2015) - Somehow inspired by both Montesquieu's Parisian Letters from 1721 *and* Sam Peckinpah's Straw Dogs from 1971 (!)
Downhill Racer (1969) - Adapted from the 1963 novel The Downhill Racers by Oakley Hall.
The Eye (2008) - Remake of the Pang Bros.' 2002 film of the same name. Also streaming on Amazon Prime.
The Forbidden Kingdom (2008) - Loosely based on the 16th century Chinese story Journey to the West. Also streaming on Amazon Prime.
Freddy vs. Jason (2003) - Franchise-combining installment of both the A Nightmare on Elm Street series begun in 1984 and the Friday the 13th series begun in 1980.
Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991) - 6th installment in the A Nightmare on Elm Street series begun in 1984.
Hateship, Loveship (2014) - Based on the 2001 short story "Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage" by Alice Munro.
The Last Mistress (2007) - Based on the 1851 novel Une vielle maîtresse (An Old Mistress) by Jules Barbey d'Aurevilly.
Live Free Or Die Hard (2007) - Long gap fourth installment in the franchise begun with Die Hard in 1988, direct sequel to 1995's Die Hard With a Vengeance twelve years previous.
The Man From London (2007) - Hungarian adaptation of the French novel of the same name (but in French) by Georges Simenon.
The Man Who Could Cheat Death (1959) - Inspired by the play The Man in Half Moon Street by Barré Lyndon from 1939.
Match (2014) - Adapted by writer/director Stephen Belber from his own play from 2004.
Poseidon (2006) - Loosely adapted from the 1972 film The Poseidon Adventure, both of which are adaptations of a 1969 novel by Paul Gallico.
Rabbit Hole (2010) - Based on David Lindsay-Abaire's 2006 play. Also streaming on Amazon Prime.
Rebel in the Rye (2017) - Based on the biography J.D. Salinger: A Life by Kenneth Slawenski.
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991) - Inspired by the Robin Hood fable.
Room of Death (2007) - Based on the French novel La Chambre des Morts by Franck Thilliez.
The Shock Doctrine (2009) - Based on the book The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism by Naomi Klein.
Sliver (1993) - Based on Ira Levin's 1991 novel. Also streaming on Amazon Prime.
Spider-Man 3 (2007) - Third in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man franchise, begun in 2002, all of which are adapted from the adventures of the Marvel Comics character created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, who dates back to 1962.
Starting Out in the Evening (2007) - Based on the Brian Morton novel. Also streaming on Amazon Prime.
The Tenant (1976) - Adaptation of the French novel Le Locataire Chimérique (The chimerical tenant) by Roland Topor from 1964.
This Christmas (2007) - Inspired by the Donny Hathaway song of the same name from 1970.
The Three Musketeers (2011) - Steampunk-y retelling of Alexandre Dumas' 1844 novel.
Trishna (2011) - Loosely adapted from Thomas Hardy's 1891 novel Tess of the d'Urbervilles.
West Side Story (1961) - Adaptation of the Broadway musical from 1957.
NETFLIX:
PREMIERS:
July 1:
ANNE FRANK PARALLEL STORIES - Based on the legacy of Diary of a Young Girl - which if you're not aware was Anne Frank's diary - recovered and first published in 1947, this documentary hosted by Helen Mirren aims to shed light on the stories of other women who survived similar ordeals during the same time.
A TOUCH OF GREEN - Taiwanese TV period drama from 2015 based on the short story by Pai Hsien-yung in 1971. Since Netflix stinks regarding making trailers available, I had to watch a Chinese trailer for this which, as you may have guessed, I understood none of. There was a CGI plane that was kind of surreal, animated flying too close to buildings and doing sick vape stunts or whatever. The pilot presumably of this very plane (or one like it) is very handsome and the entire cast seems smitten with him.
CHICO BON BON: MONKEY WITH A TOOLBELT: SEASON 2 - Based on the character created by Chris Monroe, I just covered the release of the first season back in EOINA Vol.15 and we're already getting more? Wild times. This seems like more of the same: kinetic animation with an "edu-tainment" bent and the overall tone of a Doritos X-treme commercial starring the Tazmanian Devil. I appreciate anything that aims to smarten humans up rather than dumb them down, but I won't be watching this because I am an adult with bad movies to watch and sex magic to practice. Y'know, the usual.
UNSOLVED MYSTERIES - Called it! In the outro paragraph to last month's EOINA Vol.16, I speculated that we might be getting a new iteration of Unsolved Mysteries and violà: here it is! Based on the series which began in 1987 as a series of specials hosted by Raymond Burr, Karl Malden and famously Robert Stack before becoming a regular series in 1988 hosted by Stack which ran until 1997 on NBC, then transitioned to CBS for two final seasons. It was resurrected by Lifetime in 2000, then again by Spike TV in 2007. Despite apparently being narrator / host-less (big mistake) this latest iteration seems to get back to the blend from the latter Mysteries seasons, mixing true crime with supernatural spookums. Netflix are only dropping the first 6 episodes (so you can binge but not achieve full release) which have titles like: Mystery on the Rooftop, 13 Minutes, House of Terror, No Ride Home, Berkshire UFO and Missing Witness.
And now another Moviejawn listicle:
Top Five People Netflix Should Hire to Narrate/Host Their Unsolved Mysteries Reboot:
1 - Michael Shannon (we would all like that)
2 - Me (shoot your shot, y'know?)
3 - Jeffrey Wright
4 - Cynthia Erivo
5 - Antonio Banderas
July 3rd:
JU-ON: ORIGINS - This TV prequel series is based on Takashi Shimizu's horror franchise that you might mostly know for its 3rd feature entry, 2002's Ju-On: The Grudge, which was adapted for American audiences in 2004 and rebooted earlier this year. This prequel series (which is subtitled for authenticity) seems to tick all the important boxes - sense of dread ✔, pale apparitions ✔, cat noises not always coming from cats ✔, croaking voices on old cassette tapes ✔, footsteps in the night ✔, etc. - while approaching things from an interesting true crime, "Ju-On is based on a true story" angle. I generally like the Ju-On/Grudge movies and the scare language they developed among themselves, and this being a series means it has more ability to control the pace and really build some good spooky moments. I'll be checking this one out!
BABY-SITTERS CLUB: SEASON 1 - I am only tangentially familiar with this book series - written by Ann M. Martin (for the first 40 or so, and ghostwriters thereafter) published by Scholastic from 1986 to 2000 - having spent my childhood reading things like Animorphs and other sci-fi stuff, so I really don't know how true to the books this adaptation seems. Plus, there have been roughly a million spin-off novels and numerous adaptations for film and television as well to draw from for characters and storylines but this looks very sweet. The cast is diverse without that being The One Thing about a character (like Xochitl Gomez is playing an Artsy Girl rather than just a token Latinx friend), and there seems to be equal time spent on frivolous tweenage shenanigans and meaningful moments which seems to be the way to go with something like this.
July 10th:
THE OLD GUARD - Based on a comic book I didn't know existed written by Greg Rucka & illustrated by Leandro Fernandez, this flick stars Charlize Theron, KiKi Layne and others (Chiwetel Ejiofor!) as immortal assassins who have been alive for (I think) quite a long time. The trailer opens with Charlize and her team getting straight gunned down by a military goon squad, then standing up and painting the room red (Charlize using an odd-looking ax at one point) and then talking about having to bring a "new one" (Layne) aboard their particular crazy train. I'm gonna guess whoever the baddies are will figure out a way to potentially kill these unkillables (or else there's no tension) but we'll see. I'm an unrepentant Stan for Theron so I'll be here.
July 24th:
THE KISSING BOOTH 2 - I think this sequel to the 2018 teen romantic comedy based on the novel by Beth Reekles picks up right where the last one ended more or less with Noah (Jacob Elordi) and Elle's (Joey King's) relationship being tested when he heads to the west coast for college. Seeing as how they are both good looking and bursting with hormones, they each soon hook up with someone else (and thanks to the internet, everybody knows it) and I guess they have to explain themselves -OR- figure out what they really want -OR- (and I know it's a long shot but) just be poly already. This couldn't interest me, personally, any less so some of y'all will have to report back as to the quality of this film.
July 31st:
UMBRELLA ACADEMY: SEASON 2 - I have a feeling this second season of the series based on the graphic novels by Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá might be swerving us. The first season ended with the family of super-powered eccentrics vanishing into time to prevent their own actions which lead to the apocalypse. The second graphic novel has the cast travelling back to Dallas in 1963 to prevent the Kennedy assassination and while I've seen some stuff alluding to that as a setting, I feel like that might only be one thread on the season. I enjoyed the first season overall and will likely check this out too.
ARRIVALS:
July 1st:
Patriots Day (2016) - Based on the book Boston Strong: A City's Triumph Over Tragedy by Casey Sherman and Dave Wedge (2015) about the Boston Marathon Bombings (April 15, 2013)
Red Riding Hood (2011) - Based on the fairy tale you may have heard of.
The Town (2010) - Adapted from Chuck Hogan's 2004 novel Prince of Thieves.
SHUDDER:
PREMIERS:
July 16th:
LAKE OF DEATH - Inspired by the (apparently quite popular) Norwegian book De dødes tjern (Lake of the Dead) by Jarl André Bjerke from 1942, this flick follows Lillian (Iben Akerlie) and three of her friends visiting the remote cabin (on a lake, naturally) where her brother passed away last year, as a way of saying their goodbyes. Things, as you may have guessed from the title, get spooky. This flick is also Norwegian and the only trailer I saw wasn't subbed or dubbed in English so I might have missed some of the subtleties and whatnot, but even from what I could decipher this looks pretty cool. There's some kinda blood (or potentially crude oil or just your garden variety manifestation of evil) seeping up from the drains in the cabin, and out of the walls... gnarly stuff.
July 30th:
IN SEARCH OF DARKNESS - A four hour long documentary about the horror films of the 1980s told by the people who made them, analyzing their impact on cinema afterwards. This is an unabashed love letter to horror flicks of the era and filmmaker David A. Weiner (my condolences) makes that explicit via the trailer: in about 3 minutes the trailer alone features clips from 60 films! And not just the big name franchises either, flicks like Galaxy of Terror, Elvira: Mistress of the Dark, Altered States, Leviathan, TerrorVision and Near Dark among many others! Similarly, the list of talking head interviews is possibly even more lengthy; almost too lengthy to even attempt to list, but suffice to say ‘80s genre film's greatest actors, directors, writers, producers, advocates and effects people are all represented in grand fashion. I'll definitely be tuning in for this, but in the interest of full disclosure should mention I was a backer for this flick on IndieGoGo, so I am a bit biased.
ARRIVALS:
July 1st:
The Burning (1981) - Inspired by the New York urban legend of Cropsey.
Well that about does it for July. Lot of good stuff - old *and* new - that I'll be checking out. If you watch any of these and want to report back, feel free to do so! As always, thanks for taking the time to read this. Thanks as well to Moviejawn for hosting it and bringing together such a great group of creative weirdos (I hope everyone reading this reads the site regularly).
Until next month, you can listen to me on Hate Watch / Great Watch, the podcast I co-host with Allison Yakulis on the Moviejawn Podcast Network. Our latest episode is on the July-appropriate Roland Emmerich blockbuster Independence Day from 1996. Check it out wherever you source your podcasts, enjoy our banter, and tell some friends. And lastly, lest we forget: Long Live the Movies!
