- Guillermo del Toro to Receive Ebert Director Award at the 2025 TIFF Tribute Awards (August 1, 2025)
Cameron Bailey, the CEO of the Toronto International Film Festival (“TIFF”), announced that at its 50th edition, TIFF will present acclaimed filmmaker Guillermo del Toro with this year’s Ebert Director Award, as part of their TIFF Tribute Awards gala.
Del Toro, the Academy Award-winning director of films like “Pan’s Labyrinth,” “Nightmare Alley,” “Hellboy,” “Crimson Peak,” “The Devil’s Backbone,” and “The Shape of Water,” will be presented with the award (which recognizes filmmakers who have exemplified greatness) at the TIFF Tribute Awards gala, in Toronto, Sunday, September 7th at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel.
The director will also premiere his latest film, “Frankenstein,” at the festival.
Chaz Ebert, Publisher of RogerEbert.com, said: “I am absolutely thrilled that Guillermo Del Toro will receive the Ebert Director Award at TIFF in acknowledgement of his excellence as a filmmaker. In his conversations with Roger, he confirmed that his films often explored the depths of the psyche, both of his own and of our collective fears and desires. His attention to cinematic detail is exemplary.”
Alongside del Toro, other Tribute Award recipients this year include Jodie Foster, who will receive the Share Her Journey Groundbreaker Award for her pioneering work as a female filmmaker; Japanese writer-director Mitsuyo Miyazaki (aka Hikari) will receive the Emerging Talent Award, and South Korean star Lee Byung-hun (“Squid Game, “this year’s upcoming “No Other Choice”) will receive the Special Tribute Award. Brendan Fraser is returning as the Chair of the event.
TIFF Ebert Tribute recipients Martin Scorsese (with Roger Ebert), Agnes Varda, Ava DuVernay (receiving Golden Thumb award from Chaz Ebert), Claire Denis (with Robert Pattinson), Taika Waititi (with Guillermo Del Toro) and Wim Wenders (with Michael Barker).
Previous Ebert Director Award recipients include Martin Scorsese, Ava DuVernay, Agnes Varda, Wim Wenders, Spike Lee, Mike Leigh, Claire Denis, Taika Waititi, Chloé Zhao, Denis Villeneuve, and Sam Mendes.
TIFF will take place September 4th to September 14th, with its opening night film being the documentary “John Candy: I Like Me,” about the late comic actor.
Watch the teaser for the TIFF Tribute Awards below.
- The Unloved, Part 139: “Wild Card” (August 1, 2025)
Simon West auteurism is not for the faint of heart. Unlike Joseph H. Lewis or Phil Karlsen, his compromised studio work has less of a moral component and much more to do with what he can get away with in a lowdown, agreeably grotesque and decent-looking package. Whereas the journeymen of yesterday were placed in a studio and asked to make miracles out of whatever was handed to them, the hirelings of the ’90s, music video and commercial directors bumped up to the pros for their style and presumed malleability, have come to the international co-production stage of their careers much sooner.
In the late ’50s and ’60s, Hollywood directors like Karlsen, André de Toth, Jacques Tourneur, Sidney Salkow, George Sherman, Robert Aldrich, William Dieterle, Edgar Ulmer and more went to Italy to soak up funding and make largely undistinguished historical films (Lewis never made it that far, but he did film in pre-revolution Havana).
Many years later, West went to China to film for a few years. Like the directors of yore, he’s taken many a detour to survive, and that has placed him in a proud lineage of genre directors who refuse to stop or be pigeonholed. Before his first move, he remade the similarly undistinguished, frankly somnambulant Burt Reynolds movie “Heat” with a staggering A-list cast behind star Jason Statham, which nevertheless has a B-movie edge. “Wild Card” was just one more damned movie when it was new in 2015, but today it’s a wonderfully violent lowlife movie about the sheer love of the game. The game in this case: ruining lives, not least your own.
I’ve been a West fan since “Con Air,” and while I can’t say he’s always made it easy for me to follow him like Carmen Sandiego all over the globe and into projects both ludicrously insubstantial and unfashionably bitter, I hang on because he can still surprise me. Whether it’s the winning misanthropy of “Expendables 2,” the CGI athletics of “Skyfire,” the bisexual palette of “The Old Man,” the zesty theatrics of “Stolen,” or the perfect framing of “When a Stranger Calls,” West zigs when he could as easily zag.
- Apple TV+’s Meditative and Epic “Chief of War” Demands To Be Seen (August 1, 2025)
Like many good stories, Apple TV+’s new historical drama “Chief of War” begins with an ancient prophecy: “A Star with a Feathered Cape will signal the rise of a great King, who will unite the kingdoms and end the age of war.” Taking place in the late 18th century, when the land that is presently called the Hawaiian Islands was untouched, the series focuses on four kingdoms that stood alone: the Kingdom of O’ahu, the Kingdom of Maui, the Kingdom of Kaua’i, and the Kingdom of Hawai’i. At the center of these islands is Kaʻiana (Jason Momoa), a warrior who, initially from Maui, sought refuge in Kaua’i, and resides there with his two brothers. They’ve cultivated a languid life, hunting sharks and finding love, wildly different than the existence they previously lived.
This peace is threatened when a horn blows past the water’s shores, signaling the presence of a ship from Maui, and the powerful King Kahekili (Temuera Morrison), who is also Kaʻiana’s uncle. He brings news that the seers of Maui have foreseen a great threat that will enslave their people under the rule of O’Ahu, and with an army larger than theirs, they need the help of Kaʻiana to stop this invasion. Kahekili believes that this impending war could usher in the ancient prophecy their people have been awaiting, and sees himself as the potential king to unite each kingdom. Seeing his nephew has built a life for himself away from war, there is only one route he sees fit to take to convince him.
“The Prophecy does not foretell the rise of a king. It predicts the birth of a moment.” With this declaration from his uncle, Kaʻiana takes up arms and proposes that they invade O’ahu first before the kingdom can even strike Maui. It quickly becomes apparent, however, that perhaps these seers were incorrect, with the king of O’ahu being no older than a child, and Kahekili’s righteousness festering within him right before the eyes of his family. In an attempt to ignite the prophecy himself, the king seeks to use his nephew’s prowess in battle to usher in the rise of their people and the desecration of others.
It’s here that the series raises a question that lays the groundwork for the series: Are our decisions truly our own? Or are they dictated by unseen gods and men and women we hold close? At the heart of these questions is expertly written dialogue that has a knack for disarming you with each declaration, affirmation, and secret uttered from these characters’ mouths. Usually, a series like this would eventually abandon dialogue for extended action sequences. While those do exist here, the show never strays far from simply capturing two people speaking to one another. Not since the early seasons of “Game of Thrones” has writing ever been so thrilling to listen to and consume, only recently rivaled by “Interview with the Vampire.”
Conversations are rich and layered, with a history largely unknown to viewers, bringing forth inflections of the past and future with each passing word. They’re delivered by each actor in the series with a fierceness that gives a heady weight to even the simplest lines. While the show boasts an engaging ensemble cast, two performers stand out among the many, delivering revelatory performances. First is Luciane Buchanan as Kaʻahumanu, who becomes intertwined with Kaʻiana’s story when she helps his family to safety after Kahekili’s men attack them. A priestess tells her that she will “break this world,” ushering in a path of destruction, which hangs heavy on her mind throughout the series. The second is Brandon Finn, who plays Prince Kūpule, the son of Kahekili. As he slowly becomes wary of his father’s growing madness, Finn shines as a man torn between duty, morality, and even his ambitions.
Like the performers that grace the screen, the series is crafted with an overwhelming perspective of wonder and richness. From its opening minutes to its cataclysmic finish, the production value is vast. Gorgeous exterior shots show us mountains, water, and a sky glittering with stars, shaping this show into one of the most beautifully shot series of the decade. The lighting is especially phenomenal, with green trees and brush gleaming under the sun, captured by the camera with a heavenly light. In an era where film and television become increasingly visually dull each year, “Chief of War” stands out among the colorless projects that dominate our cultural landscape.
A feat of spectacle and rich character work, the series does sag a bit in the middle before closing out with a finale that can’t go unmissed. In a world where historical accounts often leave the people who experienced these histories out of the fold, it boldly demands the eyes of an audience that is growing more apathetic with each passing year. Unwilling to abandon its meditative story for loud action sequences or gaudy performances, the series takes time in a landscape that feels the need to rush through these tales. “Chief of War” forces its audience to reckon with its languid storytelling process and the histories it teaches, demanding to be seen in a genre that outsiders often dominate.
All episodes were screened for review. Now on Apple TV+.
- The Spies of “Eyes of Wakanda” Can’t Be Stopped in Vibrant New Disney+ Animated Series (August 1, 2025)
Eyeing the “Arcane” and anime fandoms, Disney+ original “Eyes of Wakanda” is all about the spies who keep the secrets Wakanda doesn’t want the world to know. The new limited series from Marvel Animation, set in the world of “Black Panther,” begins in 1260 B.C. Crete. The city is immediately shown to be multicultural—from the accents to the clothing and the varied skin tones. But, sailing in off the coast, we see ships breaking through the mist with golden lion figureheads as their bows. This is the Lion’s Kingdom. What fate awaits the city?
“When you have suffered, as you have, benevolence can look like bondage.”
These words are difficult to believe when the speaker brandishes a branding iron in episode 1, “Into the Lion’s Den.” Maybe it’s the setting or that someone says, “blood and sand,” but this version of Crete reminds me of Rome in the “Spartacus” series from Starz, especially the first season. There is a sense of ancient dangers and captivity, warriors and machinations, but here there be pirates. Yet there is one face that stands out. She is tall and watchful but seems afraid. That is the guise of a spy. Soon, we are taken back, six weeks earlier, to Wakanda.
Nkati (Cress Williams), a high-ranking official and former captain of the king’s guard—a warrior second only to the king—has disappeared. Dozens of dangerous items imbued with Wakandan tech vanished with him. So, that’s not good. Needing a renegade to hunt a renegade, the leader of the Dora Milaje, Akeya (Patricia Belcher), calls on an expelled warrior who defies authority. That warrior is that face in the crowd in Crete: Noni (voiced by model and beauty mogul Winnie Harlow), of the Merchant Tribe.
The Lion (Cress Williams) stops a Local Defender of the village in Marvel Animation’s EYES OF WAKANDA, exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Marvel. © 2025 MARVEL. All Rights Reserved.
“Secrecy has always been essential to Wakanda‘s security.”
Therefore, Noni must be a ghost, but the power wielded by Nkati the Lion is vast and advanced. Can a ghost grapple with a self-appointed demigod? Nkati’s pirate fleet constructs ports by throwing a single switch, and his mothership is a floating fortress. This is where you might suspect the creatives behind “Eyes of Wakanda” are fans of the smash hit “One Piece.” It’s there in the bold character designs, the grandeur of the ships, and the fight against imperialist control. The Lion is so predatory he’s building an enslaved harem, full of women who are taught the arts and told they only need to smile.
Early on, the use of propaganda to brainwash the Pride’s captives is so well integrated, I quirked a brow and wondered out loud: Who wrote this? It was Geoffrey Thorne. These characters are adept at using psychological tactics and violence to “re-educate” and force others into their cult of conquerors. If action animation is your thing, you’ll be ready for it to kick in right about here. Shockingly, that hook occurs only 14 minutes into the story, but the lure of the series is contained in the line, “Wakanda is a kingdom of many secrets.”
To guard these secrets, the hidden nation deploys a network of spies. Once known as Hatut Zeraze, they are now called War Dogs—a role you’ll remember from Nakia (Lupita N’Yongo) in “Black Panther.” Ignited by a partnership between Marvel Animation and Ryan and Zinzi Coogler’s Proximity Media, and helmed by director/executive producer Todd Harris, “Eyes of Wakanda” is not for the kids. Not the young ones, anyway. I mentioned both “Spartacus: Blood and Sand” and “Arcane” because this show doesn’t flinch away from blood, politics, or the waging of war through frontal assault or subterfuge. Another central theme examines the effects the “outside world” has on the War Dogs and how those effects change them. While their methods are sometimes questionable, the goal is always to serve Wakanda and protect the world. In attaining those goals, “Eyes of Wakanda” aligns repatriating artifacts with “Mission: Impossible,” incorporating all the feels and thrills.
(L-R): Noni (Winnie Harlow) and The Lion (Cress Williams) in Marvel Animation’s EYES OF WAKANDA, exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Marvel.© 2025 MARVEL. All Rights Reserved.
As the episodes unfold, we encounter heroes and villains from Greek mythology, then travel from the Mediterranean to the East to discover the origins of another Marvel legend, and finally to Ethiopia and back. Wherever we go, if there is a Wakandan artifact to be retrieved, the Dogs of War are there. In the second episode, “Legends and Lies,” we meet Memnon/B’Kai (Larry Heron)—yes, that one—as he fights alongside Achilles (Adam Gold) in the Trojan War. Then skipping forward in time, in the third episode, “Lost and Found,” we visit China in 1400 A.D. for clandestine fun and games with the puckishly playful Basha (Jacques Colimon), the by-the-book Captain Ebo (Isaac Robinson–Smith), and a version of Iron Fist (Jona Xiao) that makes me smile (despite her blush blindness). By episode 4, “The Last Panther,” we’re off to the City of Adwa in 1896, where Prince Tafari (Zeke Alton) and Kuda (Steve Toussaint) are at odds in their perspectives and their methodologies during the first Italo-Ethiopian War.
In this final arc of the 4-episode limited series, the sci-fi deepens, taking us to unexpected places and events. Imagine a crossover of “The Matrix” and the video game “Helldivers 2” but featuring a known Marvel threat and Anika Noni Rose. This is where we realize the stories in “Eyes of Wakanda” are interconnected through more than the missions the War Dogs undertake, eventually linking the series to the live-action films and a fan-favorite moment. Friends, when the plot thickens, it’s so satisfying to watch these creatives cook.
“It is the nature of a war dog to walk their own path.”
If you’re a fan of action animation, spy-craft, and alternate history, it’s highly enjoyable to see Wakanda placed within the context of historical influence and a Marvel Universe that borders ours, one filled with technology so advanced it’s indistinguishable from magic, skills of wit and combat, and internal duals between loyalty and duty. This is a world of consequences, where Black leading characters are rendered in fullness—sometimes morally gray but forever willing to struggle against friends and foes for what they believe and the land they call home. That makes the War Dogs soldiers, but whether they are heroes or not is a matter of perspective. Moving through decades with each episode, “Eyes of Wakanda” counts the cost of “the price they pay.”
Members of the Dora Milaje in Marvel Animation’s EYES OF WAKANDA, exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Marvel. © 2025 MARVEL. All Rights Reserved.
Animated in lushly tactile 3D by Axis Animation studios, with a hand-drawn opening sequence from AKA Studios that features silhouettes sketched in charcoal as fluid as ink, the visuals invite us to explore. Ryan Meinerding is the head of visual development and character design, and according to Variety, the characters’ exaggerated proportions are inspired by the great American painter, Ernie Barnes. With more visual style cues from artists like Dean Cornwell. (There might be a little homage to Klimt in the first episode, too.)
The elasticity and three-dimensional forms combined with painterly effects is poetry, enhanced by world-building and character design that cross-pollinates science fiction, history, and various global cultures. The resulting animation is kinetic, with a heartbeat, evoking the style of anime and donghua like “To be Hero X”—featuring equally enchanting fight scenes that unfold in the realm of imagination and an efficient ruthlessness. The visuals are rooted in Wakandan lore. For example, the Vibranium artifacts emit a soft purple glow reminiscent of the heart-shaped herb. The facial expressions and body language are vividly rendered, so we understand what is going on below the surface of each character. In the third episode, there’s a scene where Basha gets his feelings hurt, and the layers of emotion are laid bare for us to see.
My only major complaint is the slim episode count. Still, after “Sinners” and “KPop Demon Hunters,” I didn’t expect yet another fantastic fantasy fueled by cultures and myths adjacent to but distinct from the American mainstream. This series might not quite hit the heights of those two properties, but it does good work playing in the shadows of Wakanda and the MCU. With its imaginative machinations and gorgeously giddy action, Marvel Animation and Proximity Media deliver on the promise of the wider world of Wakanda. Long before the end of the “Eyes of Wakanda,” you’ll be geared up and ready for the next mission.
All four episodes screened for review. Now on Disney+.
- Netflix’s “Leanne” is Predictable Southern Comfort (July 31, 2025)
The new Netflix laugher “Leanne” is … fine. The Chuck Lorre sitcom stars Leanne Morgan of the Netflix stand-up special, “Leanne Morgan: I’m Every Woman.” Fans of that hour will find many of the same themes and even some of the same jokes in the 16-episode first season, the first eight of which Netflix made available for critics to screen.
If you liked the stand-up, it’s probably because of Morgan’s voice–her unique and utterly relatable takes on aging, marriage, and parenting. That voice is in full effect in “Leanne,” which is why the series works as often as it does.
Being new to Morgan’s work, and not squarely in her demographic, it took me until the end of the second episode to so much as crack a smile. Forty minutes is a long setup, but the show gets better from there, welcoming in even an audience that may find Leanne’s suburban Tennessee foreign. Part of the initial problem is that Leanne and her fictional sister Carol (Kristen Johnston) open the series in full ham mode, making ridiculous faces that aren’t realistic, endearing, or funny. As we get to know them, though, their grimaces become less distracting, just part of the show. It also helps that Leanne escapes the one-note of her jilted housewife character as she starts to explore and even enjoy her newfound freedom.
Leanne. (L to R) Kristen Johnston as Carol, Annie Gonzalez as Nora, Blake Clark as Daddy John, Graham Rogers as Tyler, Hannah Pilkes as Josie and Leanne Morgan in Episode #104 of Leanne. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2024
Once you get on the wavelength of her show, Morgan has a lot of charm and presence. And once we’re through the setup in the initial episodes, the show gets underway with brisk jokes and set pieces, finding humor in things like people in their late 50s getting high.
None of it is cutting-edge, but that’s OK. It has a comforting (even if sometimes foreign) feel to it, and a strong supporting cast bolsters Morgan’s sometimes self-conscious performance. Celia Weston and Blake Clark play her aging parents and invite us to join in on the fun of their kooky and crochety characters. Bringing his signature mix of resignation and mischief, Ryan Stiles plays Leanne’s wayward husband and reverberates at just the right frequency. Jayma Mays plays Leanne’s busybody neighbor (fellow church member and exercise class participant), delivering a somehow grounded and exaggerated performance simultaneously. This trick achieves what Morgan and Johnston attempt from the get-go, but don’t always muster–a character who knows what show she’s in and invites folks to laugh both with and at her.
I also appreciate Annie Gonzalez being there—she plays Leanne’s daughter-in-law, Nora. And while Gonzalez eats whatever material she’s given (and this show is no exception), her character exposes some of the problems with “Leanne.” You see, Nora is the nag, bringing down everyone’s good time by pointing out the problems with football (concussions!), for example, and generally being a party-pooper. It doesn’t matter that she’s right–the show is against her, portraying her husband as hen-pecked and trapped in a move that is both retrograde and unfunny.
Leanne. (L to R) Tim Daly as Andrew, Kristen Johnston as Carol and Leanne Morgan in Episode #106 of Leanne. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix
Likewise, Morgan makes numerous jokes about her body, both in the sitcom and her stand-up. But while she radiates confidence on stage, undercutting her supposed insecurities, the same is not true in the situational comedy. There, the fictional Leanne is brought low by her worries about her body, and so laughing at them feels not conspiratorial but somewhere between fraught and cruel. In addition, these jokes about aging (and the loss of beauty that accompanies it) feel tired. They’ve been done, and with the We Do Not Care Club making headlines for its capturing of a new cultural zeitgeist, this sitcom had the opportunity to find fresh jokes about menopause. It does not, in keeping with its favoring a traditional broadcast TV sense of humor over taking any chances.
It’s no “Abbott Elementary” or “The Office” or “Rosanne.” I can’t imagine it in any awards conversations. But it’s not trying to. Its goal is comfort TV, and “Leanne” mostly achieves that. Bless its heart.
- Stunning First Trailer for Mamoru Hosoda's 'Scarlet' Anime Adventure (August 2, 2025)
"You're hurt. That's why I'm here." Sony Pictures has unveiled the first look teaser trailer for the next new animated adventure made by Mamoru Hosoda (of the films The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, Summer Wars, Wolf Children, The Boy and the Beast, Mirai, Belle) titled Scarlet, arriving in theaters in December later this year. It's already set to premiere at the 2025 Venice Film Festival in one month from today - and open in Japanese theaters first this November. Hosoda's Scarlet follows the story of a brave princess who transcends time and space. Also known as Scarlet Without Limits or Endless Scarlet in Japan, is an isekai-adjacent tale about a princess named Scarlet, voiced by Mana Ashida (from Children of the Sea). After her father, the king, is murdered, she leaps across space & time to get revenge. But finds herself in the "Land of the Dead", where those who fail to fulfill quests for vengeance risk disappearing into nothingness. Along the way, she meets a modern-day Japanese man named Hijiri (voiced by Masaki Okada) who aids her in her perilous quest. Yep it looks like yet another magnificently epic adventure from Hosoda, featuring a distinct animation style – which reminds me of Nimona. You can translate the subs into English to watch the teaser. // Continue Reading ›
- First Look at 2026's 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day' with Tom Holland (August 2, 2025)
"We ready?" Hello again, Peter! Sony Pictures has unveiled the first look at the new Spider-Man suit, which will be used in the upcoming movie Spider-Man: Brand New Day. This is the fourth Spider-Man movie starring Tom Holland, produced in partnership with Marvel Studios, and included in the MCU. This next one is being directed by filmmaker Destin Daniel Cretton, who also directed Marvel's Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings before this, and is taking over for director Jon Watts (who directed Homecoming, Far From Home, & No Way Home). Spider-Man: Brand New Day once again stars Tom Holland as Peter Parker, who is trying to move on from being the superhero Spider-Man after his multiverse experience in No Way Home, alas he's back to fight off more villains. The cast includes Zendaya as MJ, Jacob Batalon as Ned, Sadie Sink, Liza Colón-Zayas, Mark Ruffalo as Hulk, Jon Bernthal as Punisher, and Michael Mando as the villain Scorpion. They just started filming now, and these two very short videos come from the sound stages where they're shooting. Brand New Day lands in theaters on July 31st next summer - one year from now. Not an official teaser yet, but a sneak preview / first look at his new costume. Check it below. // Continue Reading ›
- Quay Brothers' 'Sanatorium Under the Sign of the Hourglass' Trailer (August 1, 2025)
Film Forum has revealed an official trailer for the film Sanatorium Under the Sign of the Hourglass, the first feature in 20 years by animation masters The Quay Brothers. This originally premiered at the 2024 Venice Film Festival last year, and also played at the London Film Festival. Presented by Christopher Nolan, who is a huge fan of these two eccentric filmmakers, Sanatorium Under the Sign of the Hourglass is a 75 minute feature mixing both live-action & stop-motion animation. It will be playing in cinemas starting at the iconic Film Forum theater in NYC starting at the end of August. A ghostly train journey on a forgotten branch line transports a man visiting his dying father in a sanatorium to the edge of a mythic forest. Based on the book of the same name by Polish writer Bruno Schultz. Told in seven chapters corresponding with seven prophetic, mystical viewing lenses, the film bends objects, time, and dimensions as Josef navigates the realm between dreams and reality. With Allison Bell, Andrzej Klak, Wioletta Kopanska, Zenaida Yanowsky. It's described in reviews as: "Wonderfully strange and beguiling. An enchanting fantasia." This definitely looks like it is very experimental and strange – for anyone who is into peculiar & alluring cinema. // Continue Reading ›
- First Look Teaser for Hulu's 'Tempest' Korean Conspiracy Thriller Series (August 1, 2025)
"We will brave the tempest and head towards the north star." Hulu has revealed the first look teaser for a new conspiracy thriller series titled Tempest in the US, also known as The North Star in other countries (based on that opening quote that's also in the trailer), arriving for streaming in September. Set in Korea, Tempest follows Seo Munju, a former UN Ambassador whose life gets flipped on its head when her husband, a presidential candidate, is assassinated in front of her. To discover the truth behind the attack, Munju takes up her husband's role, becoming the party's presidential candidate. With her life now constantly in danger, Sanho, a mysterious mercenary, will step up to keep her safe as her bodyguard. However, with little known about him, can Munju really trust him? Featuring "one of the most impressive international line-ups in a Korean drama to date." Check out this cast! Tempest stars Gianna Jun, Gang Dongwon, John Cho, Lee Misook, Park Haejoon, Christopher Gorham, Michael Gaston, and Spencer Garrett. The series is also written by the same writer of the script for Park Chan-wook's Decision to Leave (one of my faves). This is such a slick teaser - just enough in it to make me interested and curious but without giving away anything. // Continue Reading ›
- New Trailer for Friendly Ghost 'Casper' - 30th Anniversary Re-Release (August 1, 2025)
"Remember, ghosts – they're simply spirits with unfinished business." Universal has unveiled a brand new trailer for the 1995 movie Casper, about the Friendly Ghost living in the mansion. The movie is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year and will be re-released by Universal in theaters again this October. Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Brad Silberling (A Series of Unfortunate Events, City of Angels), the film stars Bill Pullman as Dr. Harvey, a ghost therapist, and Christina Ricci as his daughter Kat. An afterlife therapist and his daughter meet a friendly young ghost when they move into a crumbling mansion in order to rid the premises of wicked spirits. When I was a kid growing up in the 90s, this movie was a huge deal – the first "ghost" movie that was meant for kids to go enjoy. It also stars a powerhouse comedic cast including Brad Garrett, Cathy Moriarty, Eric Idle, Ben Stein, and Joe Nipote & Joe Alasky as Stretch & Stinkie; as well as appearances from TV comedy characters including SNL's Father Guido Sarducci (Don Novello) and The Crypt Keeper (voiced by John Kassir), and other cameos. Interesting they're re-releasing this? Why not. // Continue Reading ›
