"The Mandalorian" Trailer Prompts Cautious Optimism for the Future of Star Wars

The first trailer for The Mandalorian has arrived and it teases a gritty, dark, albeit sun-drenched, world not seen in the Star Wars universe since 2016's Rogue One. Longtime Star Wars watchers have no doubt learned to temper any optimism stemming from promising trailers with caution. After all, if The Mandalorian series turns out to be totally unrecognizable -- especially in tone -- to the 96-second teaser, it won't be the first time that fans have felt sandbagged.

Both The Phantom Menace and The Last Jedi were preceded by trailers that featured a much more sincere and mature sensibility than that of the actual movies. Even The Force Awakens' first trailer displayed a sinister and ominous atmosphere that wasn't exactly matched by the film itself. And while Rogue One thankfully remained true to the tone of its trailer, the clip featured scenes that never appeared in the actual movie.

This debut trailer for The Mandalorian also poses a potential problem for the movie industry as a whole. Namely, if the teaser is an accurate representation of the show's production values, will viewers lose interest in the theater experience? The trailer looks like its advertising a movie, as opposed to a television show. The 8-episode series' reported $120 million production budget shows in the trailer; that's the same amount typically spent on big-budget live-action features without star-studded casts. Fortunately, Star Wars has enough drawing power that high-profile and high-priced actors are unnecessary so most of the money can be applied to the visuals. But movies typically run two hours and change while these 8 episodes would presumably run 8 hours. So did we only see footage of the first episode? And if so, do the other seven look just as good? If the answer to the latter is yes, The Mandalorian certainly looks as though it'll make up for Solo and also bodes well for future Star Wars releases.

The Mandalorian debuts on the Disney+ streaming service on the same day that the platform launches -- November 12.

"Brian Banks" is An All Too Familiar Story...with An All Too Unfamiliar Ending

by John Zenoni

What an inspirational and amazing film ‘Brian Banks’ is! This is one that has a message that's still very much relevant today as you know good and well what happened to Brian Banks has happened to many, many others and is still happening to people due to a broken legal system.

The film is based on the true story of Brian Banks, a high school football star who is wrongly accused of a crime he did not commit. He is ‘persuaded’ to plea no contest to the charges but only because he's told that the most he would get was probation. Unfortunately, the judicial system didn't see it that way and instead he was sentenced to over 6 years in prison. While he did his time and was paroled, he learned the hard way that even out of prison he's still judged by others and not given any chance to earn a living. So technically he's not ‘free.’ Determined to prove his innocence and get his wrongful conviction overturned, he works with Justin Brooks and the California Innocence Project to get another hearing so he can get his life back and pursue his dreams of playing in the NFL.

This movie works on so many levels and I can't speak highly enough about it. I was concerned going in that it would be like a Lifetime movie or a Dateline television episode of the week but it's not like either of those at all. The film is told with some flashbacks but it's so well done and with such perfect placement  throughout the film that they work without a hitch. You become engrossed in Brian's story from the beginning and wonder how he fell victim to the situation and would he ever be able get his name back. What you find is that this is something that could happen to anyone, all because of someone’s false accusations. It's tragic and your heart breaks for him and his mother, who's helpless, due to limited financial means, to be able to help her son. But the strength that Brian carries in him and his determination to get justice is amazing.

The film perfectly paced and the buildup toward the final court hearing is enthralling. It keeps you on the edge of your seat. The characters are all spot on, especially those of Banks’ mother, Leomia, portrayed by Sherri Shepherd; the accuser, Kenisha Rice, portrayed by Xosha Roquemore; Banks’ parole officer, Mick Randolph, portrayed by Dorian Missick; Banks’ girlfriend, Karina, portrayed by Melanie Liburd; Justin Brooks, portrayed by Greg Kinnear; and last but not least, Banks himself, portrayed by Aldis Hodge. There is an uncredited performance by Morgan Freeman as well, but I won't touch on that for fear of giving anything away. All were wonderful but Mr. Hodge did an outstanding job in his role and I truly hope he's recognized or acknowledged someway during awards season.

'Brian Banks' makes you realize how easy one can lose everything in the blink of an eye and how hard you must fight to keep your good name. This is a must-see film!

Terrance's Favorite Movies of 2019 (So Far)

by Terrance P. Elmore

Captain Marvel

The MCU's 21st installment both introduces a new heroine and provides Nick Fury's origin story. Sandwiched between Infinity War and Endgame, Captain Marvel was always destined for billion-dollar ticket sales.









Always Be My Maybe

After two best friends' decision to take their relationship to the next level ends in disaster, they lose touch for 16 years. But they eventually reunite -- unexpectedly -- without having resolved the issues that drove them apart. An Asian-led cast and a down-to-earth vibe make for one of the best comedies of the year.









Murder Mystery

The Highwaymen

Bonnie and Clyde hit theaters in 1969. Half a century later, instead of shining the spotlight on the infamous couple, The Highwaymen focuses on the efforts of two retired Texas Rangers tasked with ending their crime-spree -- permanently. The movie presents Bonnie and Clyde as the lawmen on their trail see them: as sadistic murderers.

Glass

The story that began at the turn of the century with Unbreakable concludes with a stunning twist in this super-powered trilogy capper that brings David Dunn, the Beast and, especially, Mr. Glass all together.









Endgame

When Scott "Ant-Man" Long provides a glimmer of hope to Steve Rogers and his fellow ex-Avengers, the Captain picks up his shield one more time and leads his former teammates in a last desperate attempt to set things right five years after Thanos' Snap killed off half of the universe's population.

Roland's Favorite Movies of 2019 (So Far)

by Roland

4. I Am Mother

3. The Highwaymen

Bonnie and Clyde hit theaters in 1969. Half a century later, instead of shining the spotlight on the infamous couple, The Highwaymen focuses on the efforts of two retired Texas Rangers tasked with ending their crime-spree -- permanently. The movie presents Bonnie and Clyde as the lawmen on their trail see them: as sadistic murderers.

2. City of Lies

Former LAPD Detective Russell Poole's efforts to determine the identity of legendary rapper Christopher "Biggie Smalls" Wallace's killer became an obsessive quest which led him down a rabbit hole of criminal conspiracy and police corruption. But Poole found all of the answers that he needed to satisfy his compulsion to uncover the truth.

1. Endgame

When Scott "Ant-Man" Long provides a glimmer of hope to Steve Rogers and his fellow ex-Avengers, the Captain picks up his shield one more time and leads his former teammates in a last desperate attempt to set things right five years after Thanos' Snap killed off half of the universe's population.

How Did the "Overboard" Remake Even See the Light of Day in This Day and Age?

by Ran

Hollywood filmmakers have been making a concerted effort to combat racial stereotyping and a lack of diversity onscreen in recent years. Or have they? Because for every Black Panther there's at least one Overboard.

While the original Overboard, released in 1987, features an all-white cast, it's far less offensive than the 2018 remake (actually, we didn't find the original offensive at all).

But the filmmakers behind the remake hold a Mexican man, Leo Montenegro, responsible for a blue-collar white woman, Kate Sullivan, losing her job, and by extension, nearly her home, as she subsequently receives an eviction notice. She soon gets him a job as an -- wait for it -- unskilled laborer and turns him into her maid just for good measure. If that weren't bad enough, Leo's not even allowed to use the bathroom in the house; he's given a bottle to take back to the shed where he's forced to sleep on a cot.

It's shocking that a movie like this could become such a big hit (Overboard grossed 7 times its production budget) in an era filled with so much xenophobic rhetoric largely aimed at Mexican immigrants. It takes more than a gender-swapped update of a comedy classic to rectify the sins of Hollywood's past. And female white supremacy is no better than the male variety.

"Terminator: Dark Fate" Set to Hit Theaters This November

The next Terminator film, entitled Terminator: Dark Fate, has finished shooting and is scheduled for release on November 1, 2019 after being pushed back from its original July 26, 2019 scheduled debut. The movie will serve as the chronological sequel to 1991's T2: Judgement Day, the final film in the series to be directed by franchise creator James Cameron. This sixth installment will ignore the events of 2003's Rise of the Machines, 2015's Terminator Genisys and the 2008-2009 Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles television series. Bodybuilder Brett Azar, who appeared as Arnold Schwarzenegger's body double in Genisys, will also appear as the former governor's body double for the upcoming sequel.

Actress Linda Hamilton joins Schwarzenegger, Azar and Cameron, who serves as producer, in returning to the franchise. Judgement Day star Edward Furlong's image will be digitally superimposed onto a double's body. Deadpool director Tim Miller oversaw the project, based on a screenplay written Billy Ray (The Hunger Games) by David S. Goyer (the Blade trilogy, the Dark Knight trilogy, Man of Steel and Batman v. Superman).

Few details about the movie's story have leaked but it will include a T-800; a young John Connor; his mother, Sarah Connor; a human assassin sent back from the future; a new unspecified Terminator; and new character, Dani Ramos, a 20-something from Mexico City.





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