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Thursday, March 28, 2024

Tag: Keri Russell

Cocaine Bear (2023)*

Title: Cocaine Bear
Rating: R
Directed by: Elizabeth Banks
Written by: Jimmy Warden
Starring: Keri Russell, O’Shea Jackson, Jr., Christian Convery-Jennings, Alden Ehrenreich, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Brooklynn Prince, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Kristofer Hivju, Hannah Hoekstra, Aaron Holliday, Margo Martindale, and Ray Liotta
Release Date: 2/24/2023
Running Time: 95 minutes

Official Site
IMDb

What did you think of this film?

Inspired by the 1985 true story of a drug runner’s plane crash, missing cocaine, and the black bear that ate it, this wild dark comedy finds an oddball group of cops, criminals, tourists and teens converging in a Georgia forest where a 500- pound apex predator has ingested a staggering amount of cocaine and gone on a coke-fueled rampage for more blow … and blood.


Are There Any Extras During The Credits? Yes

Click to see whats: during the credits

Are There Any Extras After The Credits? Yes

Click to see whats: after the credits

Is this stinger worth waiting around for? Vote DownVote Up (-11 rating, 39 votes)

Memoriam: In Loving Memory of Ray Liotta

Special thanks to Frank and Tony for this submission


Antlers (2021)

Title: Antlers
Rating: R
Directed by: Scott Cooper
Written by: Henry Chaisson, Nick Antosca, and Scott Cooper
Starring: Keri Russell, Jesse Plemons, Jeremy T. Thomas, Graham Green, Scott Haze, Rory Cochrane, and Amy Madigan
Release Date: 10/29/2021
Running Time: 99 minutes

Official Site
IMDb

What did you think of this film?

A small-town Oregon teacher (Keri Russell) and her brother (Jesse Plemons), the local sheriff, discover that a young student (Jeremy T. Thomas) is harboring a dangerous secret with frightening consequences.


Are There Any Extras During The Credits? No

Are There Any Extras After The Credits? No

Memoriam: In Loving Memory of
Loretta M. Cooper

Special thanks to Michael and Frank for this submission


Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019)

Title: Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Rating: PG-13
Directed by: J.J. Abrams
Written by: J.J. Abrams and Chris Terrio
Starring: Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Anthony Daniels, Naomi Ackie, Domhnall Gleeson, Richard E. Grant, Lupita Nyong’o, Keri Russell, Joonas Suotamo, Kelly Marie Tran, and Billy Dee Williams
Release Date: 12/20/2019
Running Time: 141 minutes

Official Site
IMDb

What did you think of this film?

The riveting conclusion of the seminal Skywalker saga, where new legends will be born and the final battle for freedom is yet to come.


Are There Any Extras During The Credits? No

Are There Any Extras After The Credits? No

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Free State of Jones (2016)

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Title: Free State of Jones
Rating: R
Directed by: Gary Ross
Written by: Leonard Hartman and Gary Ross
Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Mahershala Ali and Keri Russell
Release Date: 6/24/2016
Running Time: 139 minutes

Official Site
IMDb

Free State of Jones is an epic action-drama set during the Civil War, and tells the story of defiant Southern farmer, Newt Knight, and his extraordinary armed rebellion against the Confederacy.

Banding together with other small farmers and local slaves, Knight launched an uprising that led Jones County, Mississippi to secede from the Confederacy, creating a Free State of Jones.

Knight continued his struggle into Reconstruction, distinguishing him as a compelling, if controversial, figure of defiance long beyond the War.


What did you think of this film?

During Credits? No

After Credits? No


Dawn of the Planet of the Apes Review – 3 1/2 out of 5 stars

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Dawn of the Planet of the Apes leaves off many years after the events of Rise of the Planet of the Apes. Most people have been killed off after a deadly virus and the only people still alive are those who were immune. The civilization of the apes on the other hand has taken off and they have been building a new era. Caesar (the main ape from the first movie) is now the leader of the civilization of the apes and must do what best for everyone. After the two groups meet up, crueler members of the apes try to conquer the people and a battle occurs.

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Rise of the Planet of the Apes was an entertaining movie as I last remember it. I thought the acting was impressive especially from John Lithgow and I was on board with Andy Serkis receiving an academy award nomination for his CGI work as Caesar. The animal arc was definitely more interesting than the human arc but I still thought it was a fun blockbuster that had more brains than the average action movie.

With the first movie, it had this huge sense of revolution. This isn’t something against it but the film had very little thought for the future of the apes and mainly aimed at giving you the start of something different in our world. By the end of the first movie, the people are about to unleash the virus that will kill them all and the apes are escaping into the forest. Characters are too worried about the present for them to consider any of the problems they could have in creating the politics and rules of their new world.

What I respect about Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and what for me brings the film above average is how effectively the apes are presented as the villain of this story. The apes in this movie have gotten over the rush of the first movie and now Caesar has to make decisions that will affect the lives of his citizens. Throughout the movie, you get to see the laws he created fall apart and we watch as the civilization he has created becomes open to corruption and savageness (everything Caesar rebelled against in the first place). Many could see this film as your average Romeo and Juliet story about two opposite learning to get along but this movie goes far beyond that mostly because of what the movie does after the 2nd half. The apes are the clear ones who are evil and violent in this movie; they come dangerously close to killing all of the humans by the end. Caesar must come to terms with his flawed system which he created and it is up to him to accept the consequences for its failure.

The themes of the movie are ultimately rather bleak and there is no happy ending where everyone gets along. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes doesn’t feature simple answers for evil like other blockbusters where villains create destruction for the sake of needing an antagonist. Evil and corruption is something that exists in all species and it is rarely in black and white. All terrible acts are brought out of good intentions. In this case, the antagonist Koba does the sadistic things that he does because of torture he received from lab experimentation. The apes of the huge army Koba forms to imprison the humans only do what they do out of protection for their family and for themselves. In this way, there are aspects of this that have led to acts of horror throughout all of human history. Mob mentality can kick in for anyone as is seen by the final acts here. The core theme for the movie is that every system is imperfect and can make way for terrible events. Dawn offers audiences the rare chance this summer to understand the motives of the villains all while being horrified by their grotesque actions at the same time.

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The buzz of the visual effects from back when they were new and groundbreaking has died off and there seems to be less of a campaign to see Andy Serkis get a nomination for playing Caesar this time around. Nonetheless, the visual effects are still quite ambitious and Andy Serkis continues to give a very emotional performance even if it isn’t as breathtaking and new as when he was playing Caesar in Rise. If there is one actor who deserves credits in this area it is Toby Kebbell who played the villain Koba. The great cgi and the intensity that he used to bring to life the character made for easily one of the most memorable and unnerving villains so far this year. From the facial expressions alone, you got this portrayal of a completely ugly sadist, yet one who you can understand where they come from at the same time. This has little to do with the actor but the shot of Koba with the gun pointed towards the camera makes for an unforgettable image of hate and violence that sums up the storyline. The apocalyptic world itself seems interesting and it’s realistic enough for the setting the movie is trying to create. The great visual effects are made even better from excellent cgi performances.

There is one large error in the film and that is the representation of the people. In the previous movie, it felt like they at least tried to make the human characters interesting even if they were second to the apes. In this movie, they don’t make any effort to make the humans at all compelling. They play to the main point of the story but none of the people featured could carry the film on their own. Jason Clarke, Keri Russell and Kodi Smit-McPhee are all capable actors who I’ve seen give great performances but in this movie there stranded because of how bland and two dimensional there characters are. They also tried to throw in a human antagonist with Gary Oldman as the bitter leader of the human community but that storyline felt thrown in and it had no place in the overall concept despite Oldman being really solid throughout. I understand that the apes are the most important area but I think the theme of the movie would’ve been even more successful if they added more depth to humans in this movie and not just made them plot devices.

The humans are really bad in this movie but if you can get beyond that, the areas with the apes makes for a compelling sit. I was impressed with how successfully bleak and gritty this movie was and it was nice to see a summer blockbuster that was focused on heavy ideas rather than brainless action and forced comedic relief. The Dawn of the Planet of the Apes genuinely surprised me in what it chose to tackle and how it presented the troubles a new system can face.

Rating:(3.5/5)

Review by: Ryan M.

Release Date: 4/4/2014

Rating: PG-13

Cast: Gary Oldman, Keri Russell, Andy Serkis, Jason Clarke, Toby Kebbell and Kodi Smit-McPhee

Directed by: Matt Reeves

Written by: Mark Bomback, Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014)*

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TITLE: Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (aka. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes 3D)

RELEASE DATE: 7/11/2014

RATING: PG-13

A growing nation of genetically evolved apes led by Caesar is threatened by a band of human survivors of the devastating virus unleashed a decade earlier.

What did you think of this film?


Official Site

Amazon

IMDb


During Credits? No

After Credits? Yes

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Is this stinger worth waiting around for? Vote DownVote Up (-199 rating, 429 votes)


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Austenland (2013)*

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TITLE: Austenland

RELEASE DATE: 9/27/2013

RATING: PG-13

Obsessed with the BBC production of “Pride and Prejudice”, a woman travels to a Jane Austen theme park in search for her perfect gentleman.

What did you think of this film?


Official Site

IMDb


During Credits? Yes

Click to see whats: during the credits

 

After Credits? No

Is this stinger worth waiting around for? Vote DownVote Up (+4 rating, 4 votes)

NOTE: In memory of Debbie Wilson.


Dark Skies (2013)

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TITLE: Dark Skies

RELEASE DATE: 2/22/2013

RATING: PG-13

As the Barret family’s peaceful suburban life is rocked by an escalating series of disturbing events, they come to learn that a terrifying and deadly force is after them.

What did you think of this film?


Official Site

Amazon

IMDb


During Credits? No

After Credits? No


Leaves of Grass (2009)

TITLE: Leaves of Grass

RELEASE DATE: 2009

RATING: R

What did you think of this film?


Official Site

Amazon

IMDb


During Credits? No

After Credits? No


Bedtime Stories (2008)

TITLE: Bedtime Stories

RELEASE DATE: 12/25/2008

RATING: PG

What did you think of this film?


Official Site

Amazon

IMDb


During Credits? No

After Credits? No


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