The film follows a group of seven college friends who spend a weekend in big old Airbnb mansion for one of their birthdays. After their resident astrology buff, Haley, reads their horoscope with the help of a deck of very creepy tarot cards, the group begins to be killed off quickly. The ones that remain then work together to stop their untimely fate before it’s too late.

The storyline, simple as it may be, benefits from the talent of its core characters, even if it takes some deaths before you actually begin to care for them. That first act drags a little. Avantika Vandanapu and Jacob Batalon (who play Paige and Paxton respectively) in particular breathe life into their characters for different reasons. Paige acts like the emotional heart of the group whose fear and grief feel the most genuine, while Paxton plays the comedic relief that keeps the rest of the characters on their feet. Tarot is also undoubtedly fun, with a pace that has you at the edge of your seat — once the death starts coming, it doesn’t stop coming.

That said, it is unfortunate that the film doesn’t really go anywhere, becoming shallow and unmemorable by the end. Other than cool character designs via the tarot cards, and a handful of great scenes (Paige’s death via being sawed in half comes to mind), it fails to put up that anything that will really surprise or shock you. It takes itself far too seriously, despite being surrounded by monsters that should probably lean a bit camp and comedic rather than be played straight. Sure, all of them are creepy, but a handful also feel like Courage the Cowardly Dog villains. It also relies far too much on loud jump scares to deliver on the horror, and this despite building tension effectively in the right places.

In the end, the title of this review says a lot about what the watching experience was like — Tarot feels so much like a Final Destination film that it seems like it was a conscious choice. The general premise sticks: a bunch of young adults try to fight their inevitable deaths with varying levels of success. Both have their moments of terrifying clarity, and both have their schlocky choices, but ultimately they’re exciting as hell to watch (even if they haven’t much depth to them). The biggest difference is that the thing that comes out to kill the Tarot kids has a face, a backstory, and isn’t quite literally the invisible embodiment of Death. 

While both movies explore the inevitability of fate, they do it in different ways; perhaps signifying the difference in generations. 

In the 2000s there was an existential dread: the new millennium signified something unknown and new, calling to the eventuality of everything ending (and maybe starting, too). It’s why the Final Destination films were so focused on cheating death, the Y2K scare was indicative of maybe an inkling of fear that everything past the year 1999 was just a drawn-out eventuality to the end of the world. It’s why Death surrounded the characters as an invisible force: the new millennium was something that encompassed everything, you lived in it, whether you liked it or not.

Tarot, on the other hand, uses the anxiety that surrounded us in the 2020 pandemic and the world ending dread that came with it. People were looking to astrology and tarot for answers to their fate and some took it seriously, irrespective of whether it brought them comfort or even more fear. It’s why the character’s tarot reading, in the beginning, ends up being a literal play-by-play of their death, with their centre card pull being the harbinger of their death. The over-reliance on the stars and fate can only spell anxiety if taken to heart. And if it was maybe a greater film, a better and clearer argument could be made about this idea. (Alas, it’s not.)

Ultimately, Tarot is another horror film that you may watch with a group of friends — whether it be in the cinemas or just gathered around a smaller screen. It’s fast-paced, full of yell-at-the-TV moments, and won’t leave you in a crisis, which is really all we need from a movie sometimes. It does the job and can even be treated like a spiritual successor to Final Destination (despite there being a Final Destination 6 coming to our screens in 2025).

Tarot is now showing in Malaysian cinemas.

The post Tarot Is Gen Z’s Final Destination, Only With More Mysticism appeared first on Goggler.

Set seven years after the last film, Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan) is ready to face his biggest challenge when his childhood partner in crime Anderson Dame (Jonathan Majors) comes back into his life, and looking to settle old feuds… in the ring.

Jordan vs. Majors!

Right off the bat, this one looks like a fight for the ages. Jordan versus Majors. Two of the biggest actors of our generation, facing off, not only in the ring, but in life as well. Majors is ready to go to war and Jordan seems like the perfect opponent. The two actors look like they are ready to deliver a performance that may be remembered for a long time to come.

Creed III is also Michael B. Jordan’s directorial debut, and it looks like he’s pulling out all the stops, creating an intensely exciting story to cap the series off. Speaking at the press conference, Jordan detailed how he had a conversation with Denzel Washington before directing, and that his support and wisdom really helped while prepping this project.

I Will Go to War

Music still remains a very important element of this franchise, and Jordan is bringing the fire if the soundtrack to the trailer is anything to go by. Music is a great tool for storytelling and Jordan is certainly using it to heighten the drama and stakes for his characters. What’s more, with Adonis’ wife Bianca (Tessa Thompson) being a singer, it only makes sense for a little focus to be on the tunes.

Not Your Father’s Rocky

The only real disappointment here was the absence of Sylvester Stallone, Rocky Balboa himself. I understand that he felt like his time as Rocky was done, but it would have been nice to see him one last time. Then again, it’s Hollywood, and anything could happen. So I’m still keeping my fingers crossed that we might see a small glimpse of Rocky somewhere in this film.

This trailer for Creed III has got me so hyped that I just want to watch it over and over again. This is the showdown we were waiting for. Jordan and Majors. It doesn’t get any better than this. It’s anyone’s fight at this point.

Creed III opens in cinemas in March 2023.

The post Creed III: Trailer First Reactions appeared first on Goggler.

Last night, we were invited to a special press conference at which Lisa Joy shared her inspirations for the movie, which ranged from conversations she’s had with her grandfather, to her experiences being a mother for a first time, to things she’s learned at a class she once took on the science of the mind. It became incredibly clear that Reminiscence was the product of experiences that were very specific to her. That had been processed through her clearly brilliant mind, filtered through some of her Westworld preoccupations, and infused with a pop sci-fi sensibility.

From this quick tease alone, I am already in love with the aesthetic of this movie. The nocturnal world that these characters inhabit feels so well realized and lived in. It’s a vision of the future that feels altogether probable. A mirror to what we’ve already seen Lisa Joy do in Westworld. What’s more, there is also something old fashioned about the way these characters carry themselves. From Rebecca Ferguson’s silhouetted first appearance, to Hugh Jackman’s ragged weariness, I’m getting very strong Kim Novak and James Stewart vibes.

Long story short, this feels like a movie that is laser targeted towards someone like me. So colour me excited.

Check out the Reminiscence trailer below and let us know what you think!

What’s Reminiscence About?

Nick Bannister is a private investigator of the mind who navigates the darkly alluring world of the past by helping his clients access lost memories. Living on the fringes of the sunken Miami coast, his life is forever changed when he takes on a new client, Mae. A simple matter of lost and found becomes a dangerous obsession. As Bannister fights to find the truth about Mae’s disappearance, he uncovers a violent conspiracy, and must ultimately answer the question: how far would you go to hold on to the ones you love?

Who’s Behind the Movie?

Reminiscence is written and directed by Lisa Joy. And If that name sounds familiar, it’s because she is one of the co-creators (read: geniuses) behind HBO’s Westworld. This movie, however, will be her debut directorial feature.

She has also assembled an incredible cast of players including Hugh Jackman and Rebecca Ferguson as Nick Bannister and Mae respectively, alongside Thandiwe Newton, Daniel Wu, Cliff Curtis, Oscar nominee Marina de Tavira, Mojean Aria, Brett Cullen, Natalie Martinez, Angela Sarafyan, and Nico Parker.

When Is Reminiscence Coming Out?

Reminiscence is scheduled for a simultaneous release in theaters and on HBO Max in the United States on August 20. It is currently scheduled for release here in Malaysia on October 7.

What are your first impressions of the Reminiscence Trailer? Just email us on podcast@goggler.my, or reach out to us via Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. You can also WhatsApp us on The Goggler Hotline.

The post Our First Impressions From Watching the Reminiscence Trailer appeared first on Goggler.

And while these three minutes provide a thrilling tease of what’s to come, how does Team Goggler feel about the direction that Denis Villeneuve has taken in adapting this most unadaptable of novels?

Umapagan Ampikaipakan: So let’s do this. What are your first impressions! Go!

Bahir Yeusuff: Honestly, it was aight.

Iain McNally: *to crowds of assembled Fremen* “Ok guys. Pack it up. That’s a wrap. He said it was ‘aight’. We’re done here.” 

UA: You get out of here right now. You leave. Meanwhile, I’ll just sit here chanting Denis Villeneuve’s name.

IM: Bahir this article, like Arrakis, is a deathtrap. C’mere, I just need you to put your hand in this box for oooone second…

BY: See all those references you just made? I don’t get it. I mean, I get it because I saw it in the trailer, but I don’t get it.

IM: And to be fair, that’s to be expected. What did you think of what you saw? Does this look like an Arrival-y sci-fi thriller you might be interested in, or just some weird niche sci-fi Lord of the Rings/Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets nonsense that you feel like you can safely skip?

BY: Look, don’t get me wrong, the trailer looks amazing. Especially after what little I saw of Lynch’s Dune (I nopped out hard when Sting first shows up) and the colorful jester clothes of Jodorowsky’s Dune. But the trailer really feels like it was made for people who know what all those things mean. The thing with the vibrating sword. I don’t know why that’s supposed to be exciting. The box. Sure, it’s a danger pain box. But a lot of the trailer’s references felt very alienating. I mean, I’ll still watch it because it looks like a kick ass movie, but it didn’t make me want to replay the trailer.

IM: Sting sends his regards.

UA: We’ll get to “what’s in the box?” in a little bit. (Note: It’s not Gwyneth’s head! Spoilers for anyone who hasn’t seen Se7en.) But why I think the trailer works, for both folk who are familiar with the source material and the casual viewer, is because Villenueve manages to tread that fine line between obscure concepts like the Gom Jabbar and just out-and-out star wars.

IM: “The trailer works, for both folk who are familiar with the source material and the casual viewer.” Does it though? What was it that you found ”amazing” Bahir? What in this trailer would entice to you to see the movie? I think Uma and I might be too close to the source material. God knows I’m going because ORNITHOPTERS!

BY: Honestly, the fact that it’s a Denis Villenueve joint. And the fact that people I respect, like and respect the book. It’s just that I didn’t jump out of my seat when I saw the vibrating knife fight. Or the giant worm at the end.

UA: All of the cosmetic things about this movie look and feel right. The casting. The costumes. The sandworm. And even Villeneuve’s tendency towards a slightly washed out colour palate. Not to mention the sheer scale of what this movie is. I think the trailer manages to communicate all of that rather well. 

BY: Okay, so we’ve heard what this noob has to say. What do you Dune nerds think? How many times have you watched the trailer Uma?

UA: Only seven times! For me, making Dune was always difficult because I didn’t want something too true to the novel. The book is very cerebral. It’s all about what people are thinking. We go deep into the inner lives of the characters. And while that works on the page, a movie needs to be exciting. And from this trailer, it looks like Villenueve has added a little spice (pun intended) to the proceedings. I already know that some fans are going to be annoyed at just how much “action” there appears to be in this movie. But I think it actually does a lot to supplement Paul’s journey.

BY: That’s Chalamet right?

IM: Yes, that’s him. It’s HIS movie. I like that it does look like an adaptation. Villeneuve has a definite take. There’s a thread running through the trailer of what Paul will do. Can he learn to lead successfully? What will he do if caught in a trap (“Arrakis is a death trap” and “an animal will sometimes gnaw off it’s own leg to escape a trap”)? Villeneuve seems to be treating it as an honest to goodness coming of age story, with a love story thrown in with Zendaya. Which I’d prefer over a dry, arid, parched, etc. etc. etc. retelling of the events of the book. I mean, this isn’t a Disney remake.

UA: I also think it was really smart to show us the scene with the box. That was definitely for the fans. It is such a pivotal moment from early in the novel, and the way it’s depicted here is pitch perfect.

So, the box is a test. Paul places his hand inside the box and the Bene Gesserit Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam channels her energy (Chi, the Force, whatever you want to call it) to create a sensation of overwhelming pain. If Paul removes his hand at any point, she will prick his neck with a Gom Jabbar, that poison pin she’s got held up against his skin, and kill him instantly. To survive, he has to resist the urge to pull his hand out, no matter how much it hurts. The idea here is to see if his intellect can supersede his survival instincts.

In the book, Paul actually holds out longer than anyone ever has. You know, because he’s the chosen one and all. And the words you hear toward the end of the trailer are called “The Litany Against Fear,” which he recites in order to distract himself from the pain. It’s probably one of the most iconic set of lines from the novel.  (IM: It’s also the basis for a banging track on the REZ soundtrack.)

So when I saw that, I felt that it was Villeneuve going, “I know what I’m doing suckers.”

IM: I mean, Paul IS the chosen one, but after Mulan, I’d prefer to think at that stage he passes the box test because he’s had some naughty (mental martial arts) training from mommy. What did you guys think of the look of the film? I’ve seen complaints that it looks washed out (as compared to Mad Max: Fury Road) but I can see that as a choice for “moody sci-fi.” The armour looks cool. As does Dave Bautista as The Beast Rabban. I’m on board the with ornithopters as they look like cool dragonflies which always beings me back to the old Cryo Dune videogame.  

BY: I’m on board with the look. I mean, it’s about warring space tribes on a dessert. Sure colours would be nice, but colours could also look really out of place in that setting.

UA: It’s very much in line with Villeneuve’s style. See: Arrival, Sicario, even Blade Runner 2049. This isn’t an explosion of colour like in Valerian. 

IM: I presume they’ll keep some colour for key elements and moments that should pop, like that bloody hand on Oscar Isaac’s shirt, which reminded me of the hand (and the sleeper must awaken line) from Lynch’s version.

Were those Sardaukar all dressed in white and ninja roping into a scene without actual ninja ropes because “IT IS THE YEAR 10,191” as Virginia Madsen might say?

UA: I miss Virginia Madsen’s face. The two things we didn’t have in this trailer that I’m most looking forward to are Feyd and the Guild Navigators. I think the most exciting thing about these various adaptations (even Jodorwoksy’s) is seeing how the different directors and concept artists have interpreted Frank Herbert’s ideas.

IM: Speaking of which, whats’s going on with the design of Stellan Skarsgård’s neck muscles? In that bath scene he looks like the old muscley prison Bill and Ted from Face The Music? Is Stellan Ripped now?

BY: This is going to be multiple movies right? Do you guys have any idea where the break might be?

IM: Right after we’re introduced to Stellan’s neck meat!

I don’t know though. There’s one scene where paul sees a “crusade” not a “jihad” that seems to show him and Chani standing in silhouette with a battle raging in the background. That would seem to come from much later in the story, but most of the other stuff looks like it all comes from Paul and family arriving on Arrakis, and then Paul running off to the desert to escape the evil Harkonnen.

I’m guessing he joins the Fremen (Dune natives basically) and swears revenge in this movie, with Part 2 showing him rising in the ranks of the Fremen.

We don’t know if they are going to include anything from the later books, do we? 

UA: I was thinking that a natural place to split the movies would be at the point at which the Atreides are taken out by the Harkonnen/Sardaukar. That feels like a good cliffhanger. Or would it be too harsh to end the movie there?

IM: It comes down to what you want from a Dune movie. You want a (white)  saviour narrative, then that’s the second half of the story. The first bit is all about space politics and Game of Thrones in space. 

BY: I want to AVOID hearing about white saviour narratives please. Thank you very much.

IM: Ehhhhh. It’s kind of at the core of the material, but that’s okay! The locals are white too! They just have blue eyes. Like really, really blue, so that’s okay, and not racist, or weird, or anything. 

UA: I think it’s a very conscious decision to use the word “crusade” instead of “jihad.” It’s one way of sidestepping some of the more touchy subjects in the novel.

IM: Absolutely.

BY: I don’t really care if it is a white saviour story. I just don’t want to see the 300 think pieces for and against it.

UA: It’s really going to be interesting to see how the mass moviegoing audience reacts to this. The problem with any sort of big question sci-fi has always been people going in and expecting a lot of pew pew. And then being disappointed when all they see are people talking. (Exhibit A: Blade Runner 2049.)

IM:  So what did we think of using Pink Floyd in the trailer? Of course it won’t be in the movie, but it’s a really odd choice for the trailer. Was it an original cover done for the trailer? 

UA: I read that it was a cover. They got Hans Zimmer to rearrange “Eclipse” for this trailer. But when I first heard it, I thought it was an homage to Jodorowsky wanting Pink Floyd to compose the soundtrack for his Dune. 

IM: Could well be. Or it could end up being the end credits music for the film (would you hire Zimmer just for a trailer?).  Either way it lent a totally epic air to those scenes, right?

UA: It totally did. It was also a nice acknowledgement that this movie doesn’t exist in isolation. Villeneuve nodding to previous attempts is classy.

IM: Hopefully he’ll have David Lynch back again to reprise his role as Spice Miner from the 1984 version.

BY: I don’t know if this movie will convert me, but I have faith enough in Villeneuve that this will be a movie to remember. Hell, may even be worth buying a Blu-ray. 

IM: Agreed. *lifts sword to chest, then to forehead, in cool salute from the trailer*

UA: I think this is where The Lord of the Rings test applies. A tonne of people watched those movies, went out and bought those books, only to realise that Peter Jackson had essentially given us the “good bits version.” They never did finish those novels. 

BY: Jumping in on the Lord Of The Rings/Dune comparison, do you think Lord Of The Rings was more accessible?

UA: The movies are a lot more accessible than the books. That’s for sure. 

IM: Who’s the Tom Bombadil of Dune though? It’s not Duncan Idaho, CAUSE HE IS ALL OVER THIS TRAILER (that’s Jason Momoa, Bahir). If you are just adapting the first book, he is one of the first things I’d jettison. He only really becomes super important in later books. LOTR has a classic quest narrative. Express delivery of one ring to Mordor. Dune has an obvious (white) saviour plot line, but it’s also about warrior nuns, ecology, mind (and space) bending drugs, and a hero trying to survive while plotting his way through multiple futures THAT HE CAN ACTUALLY SEE (thanks to those aforementioned drugs), most of which result in him unleashing a JIHAD (yes, I said it) across the universe. And that’s one of the better outcomes.

UA: But we don’t mention the unmentionable sequels in this house! 

IM: Not even if I give you your own personal ghola? All the way from planet Ix! Still in its original packaging, never used!

UA: I hate you for reminding me of that. 

IM: Hold on to your hat Bahir, the later Herbert sequels do get a little wild. Look up what happens to Leto II ( Paul’s son) in the later books. It’s wild, and very sci-fi, and goofy, and horrifying as all hell.  

To get back to the trailer for this movie though, some other things I liked in no particular order  – the shield fighting, the way the Reverend Mother held the Gom Jabbar needle to Paul’s neck, indicating the complete mastery of physical movement and poise thanks to the Bene Gesserit training, ORNITHOPTERS, that sword salute, and THE WORM! 

As someone with no vested interest Bahir, what did you think of the big worm at the end of the trailer Bahir? Impressive or just weird? 

BY: It looks a little weird, but then again, giant sand worms is generally a really weird idea. No weirder than the Sarlacc.

IM: Yeah. It’s just a giant mobile Sarlacc really. No weirder than that.

UA: I agree with all of the things you liked Iain. It feels like this is a movie whose time has come. In that movie magic has finally caught up with everything Frank Herbert imagined. It feels real and believable, but also lived in. That worm though, I can’t wait to see that worm in IMAX.

IM: Well I think that just about wraps things up for this edition of “Two and a half FREmen.” All that’s left to say is: LOOK AT THE ORNITHOPTERS! THEY FINALLY GOT THEM RIGHT! THEY LOOK LIKE DRAGON FLIES! 

I really like the ornithopters, Bahir!

UA: Looks like we know what we’re getting Iain for Christmas!

IM: Rebecca Ferguson?

We have a tonne of Dune content here on Goggler. Uma talks about his first encounter with Frank Herbert’s novel. Iain reviews the Sci-Fi Channel’s mini-series. Bahir takes a look at the greatest Dune movie that never was. We even break down Dune: The Alternative Edition Redux, the incredible fan edit that tries to recompile the movie into a version that’s closer to David Lynch’s original intent. You can find all of that here.

The post Dune: We Break Down That Epic First Trailer appeared first on Goggler.

HOLY SHIT. THIS THING IS ALMOST FOUR MINUTES LONG! (I HAVEN’T SEEN A TRAILER THIS LONG SINCE FINCHER DROPPED AN EIGHT AND A HALF MINUTE TRAILER FOR HIS DRAGON TATTOO REMAKE.)

OH LOOK. IT BEGINS LIKE EVERY OTHER FAST MOVIE. DOM IS LIVING A QUIET AND PEACEFUL LIFE. #FARMLIFE. BUT FOR HOW LONG?

BUT OF COURSE DOM AND LETTY’S KID IS CALLED BRIAN. #BECAUSEFAMILY

DAMN, THAT TONE SHIFTED QUICKLY. WHAT’S COMING LETTY? WHAT DO YOU KNOW?

OKAY, THE GANG’S BACK TOGETHER AND THEY’RE RISKING EVERYTHING. AGAIN. ONLY THIS TIME, IT’S REALLY EVERYTHING. LIKE EVERYTHING EVERYTHING. NOT LIKE LAST TIME, WHEN IT WAS ONLY SOME OF EVERYTHING.

WHAT’S COMING? OR RATHER, WHO’S COMING? A MASTER THIEF, ASSASSIN, AND HIGH PERFORMANCE DRIVER IN THE SHAPE OF JOHN CENA. WHO ALSO HAPPENS TO BE… WAIT FOR IT… DOM’S MUCH WHITER BROTHER! #BECAUSEFAMILY

WE’VE SUBSTITUTED ONE CHARISMATIC WRESTLER FOR ANOTHER AND ARE REALLY HOPING YOU WON’T NOTICE.

IT’S BEEN NINE MOVIES AND WE’VE NEVER HEARD OF THIS BROTHER BEFORE? THEN AGAIN, WHO KNEW PALPATINE WAS ALIVE?

OH HELLO JORDANA BREWSTER. WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN THIS MOVIE? WHERE’S BRIAN? DID JOHN CENA KILL HIM? #REVENGE #BECAUSEFAMILY

OOOHHH. CHARLIZE HAS A NEW HAIRCUT!

WAIT. WHY IS HELEN MIRREN MONOLOGUING ABOUT #FAMILY? IS THE STATH IN THIS MOVIE? IS SHE DOM’S LONG-LOST MUCH WHITER, MORE ENGLISH MOTHER?

CARS WITH ROCKETS! CALLED IT! COMING IN 2022 TO A CINEMA NEAR YOU: FAST T-MINUS 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5… IN SPACE.

DID JUSTIN LIN JUST RECREATE THE TEMPLE OF DOOM BRIDGE SCENE WITH CARS?

WHY DOES CHARLIZE HAVE A STEALTH FIGHTER?

HAN’S BACK! HE WAS NEVER DEAD. IT WAS ALL PART OF A CUNNING PLAN BY THE STATH. ALL IS FORGIVEN SHAW. YOU CAN OFFICIALLY BE A GOOD GUY NOW.

WHO IS JUSTICE? AND WHEN IS S/HE COMING? IS IT THE ROCK? I’M PRETTY SURE HIS LEFT MOOB IS CALLED “JUSTICE”. THE RIGHT ONE IS CALLED “FREEDOM”.

HAVE VIN AND DWAYNE KISSED AND MADE UP SINCE HOBBS & SHAW MADE ENOUGH MONEY FOR BOTH TO BUY THEMSELVES NEW PATIO FURNITURE?

I’M A LITTLE DISAPPOINTED THAT THE TRAILER DIDN’T SHOW THE FAST PROTON SAGA WE WERE PROMISED IN THE TITLE. BUT THEN AGAIN, THEY’VE GOT TO SAVE SOME REVEALS FOR THE ACTUAL MOVIE. I DID MANAGE TO FIND SOME SECRET UNRELEASED FOOTAGE THOUGH.

The post F9: The Fast Saga (Official Trailer) appeared first on Goggler.

Sadly Jared Leto has decided to forego the cod European accent used by the DEFINITIVE Michael Morbius in the 90’s Spider-Man cartoon and instead mopes around to the tune of Für Elise while slowly dying from a rare blood disease. While this could make for a very different (boring?) type of superhero movie, thankfully Micheal Morbius exposes himself to some bats outside a cave straight out of Outbreak and is rewarded with a fit new bod and a slew of superpowers including echo location, the ability to leave sick trails when he movies, and an overwhelming urge to consume blood.

There is no real indication of how Sony plan to handle the character as hero, anti-hero, or villain, but that’s no bad thing seeing as no one expected what Sony did with Venom, or the insane box-office success of that film.

Almost equally unexpected is an appearance by Michael Keaton at the end of the trailer, presumably as Adrian Toomes/The Vulture from Spider-Man: Homecoming. After Sony and Marvel made up following their confusing split in September 2019, it’s anybody’s guess how they are working together with the MCU and moving characters back and forth between universes.

It raises a lot of questions.

Could Spider-Man actually appear in this Spider-Man spin-off?

Could Tom Hardy’s Venom?

Could Mahershala Ali’s Blade turn up?

Why does the trailer state that it’s made “In Association with Marvel”, and not “Marvel Studios”?

One thing is for sure, Leto will be hoping that this turn as a comic book character makes more of an impact than his last attempt as the Joker in Suicide Squad (or more of a positive one at least).

Morbius is directed by Daniel Espinosa and stars Jared Leto, Jared Harris, Matt Smith, Michael Keaton, and Tyrese Gibson. The movie is scheduled for release on 31st July 2020.

The post Morbius (Teaser Trailer) appeared first on Goggler.

Our first look at the movie from over two years ago was really more of a tone trailer. There was nothing there that revealed the plot, or who the characters were. The Marvel logo implied some superhero connection. The actors were all young up-and-comers, all of whom looked familiar from being here and there – The Witch, Game of Thrones, Stranger Things. But mostly, all we got were some terrifying horror beats, and a deeply disturbing mood.

If you have even a passing familiarity with the comics – or have seen any of the many, many X-Men movies – you’ll know that mutants are individuals who possess unique powers that can be seen as either a blessing or a curse.

In this movie, we meet five of them; teenagers committed to an asylum in order to atone for some past sin (Anya Taylor-Joy’s Illyana Rasputin boasts having killed 18 men, “one by one”). There is a darkness here. A claustrophobia. A sense that someone, or something, is coming to get them. Which runs in stark contrast to the cushy life those X-Men have over at Charles’ mansion.

This new trailer is very different from the last. Where the last was more Stranger Things meets One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, this one takes a more straightforward approach by leaning more into its superhero roots. Given how stripped down the previous trailer made this movie look, I for one wasn’t expecting to see Illyana go full on Magik and manifest the Soulsword. But here we are.

Make no mistake, this still looks very much like a horror movie. But there is a lot more superhero action in this trailer. There is a lot more flash. There is even the implication that a sort of mutant team-up may occur. Hell, it might even be an origin story!

The one thing I can’t figure out is how Marvel is going to shoehorn this into their existing cinematic universe. They don’t have to, but given how long they’ve waited to bring the X-Men into the fold, it would be remarkably odd to have The New Mutants be something that simply exists out-of-continuity and outside canon.

The New Mutants is directed by Josh Boone and stars Anya Taylor-Joy, Maisie Williams, Charlie Heaton, Henry Zaga, and Alice Braga. The movie will be in cinemas on April 3rd.

The post The New Mutants (Official Trailer) appeared first on Goggler.

Here it is, a brief history of just what happened to The New Mutants.

1

It’s been two long years since we first saw footage for The New Mutants. Seemingly based on “The Demon Bear Saga” storyline from the 1980s and looking like an out-an-out horror movie, The New Mutants seemed to be building on 20th Century Fox’s then push to move the X-Men in creative new directions. Legion (Noah Hawley’s fantastic television series) set out to explore mutant powers as a psychological horror, Logan gave us a study of mortality and redemption by way of a Western, and Deadpool was a meta-mockery of the franchise (and the whole genre), with a whole load of violence and cussing thrown in for good measure.

Needless to say, the prospect of what this movie could be was pretty interesting.

2

Then It: Chapter One became the highest grossing horror movie of all time and a rumour started making the rounds that Fox wanted The New Mutants to be even scarier than it already was. This reportedly triggered extensive reshoots and delayed the movie’s release by a year, from April 13, 2018 to February 22, 2019, and then again to August 2, 2019.

God knows, multiple delays are never a good thing.

3

Then Disney buys Fox. And given just how much control they assert over their Marvel properties, everyone figured that an out-of-continuity X-Men horror movie was likely never going to see the light of day. (Or at least be unceremoniously dumped in the darkest corners of Disney+.)

4

In March 2019, in an interview with Rolling Stone, The New Mutants star Maisie Williams told Brian Hiatt that there were supposed to be reshoots, but that they never took place. She also confirmed that she had no clue as to what was actually going on with the movie.

“Who knows when the fuck that’s gonna come out,” she says. There were supposed to be reshoots to “make it scarier,” she explains, but they haven’t actually taken place.

Maisie Williams speaking to Brian Hiatt of Rolling Stone

5

The final nail in the coffin for The New Mutants came in June 2019, when X-Men: Dark Phoenix is released in cinemas and absolutely no one cared.

The next time anyone thought they’d see the X-Men, or any mutant for that matter, is once Kevin Feige had figured it all out.

6

Surprise! On January 1st, director Josh Boone announces on Instagram that there was going to be a new trailer dropping on January 6th and that the movie would be out in cinemas on April 3rd.

Boone went on to confirm that the version of The New Mutants we were getting was, in fact, the version he originally intended to make.

7

The New Mutants, directed by Josh Boone and starring Anya Taylor-Joy, Maisie Williams, Charlie Heaton, Henry Zaga, and Alice Braga, will be in cinemas on April 3rd.

For reals.

The post The New Mutants? We’re Still Getting The New Mutants? appeared first on Goggler.

2. It looks like Universal has chosen to drop the “Dr.” from Dolittle. I’m not sure that’s wise. I’ve always felt that the “Dr.” added credibility to the claim that he could converse with fauna.

3. The trailer opens with the big, bold claim of being “from the producer of Alice in Wonderland and Maleficent”. That’s laser-targeted to all the parents wondering if this thing has a good enough pedigree before subjecting their children to it. It’s also a cunning way for Universal to say: “Hey look, we’ve made a Disney movie!”

4. Good God. RDJ is doing an accent. Look out boys and girls, here comes Sherlock Dolittle: Pet Detective!

5. Why, oh why do these CGI animals look so much like CGI animals? Did no one making this movie watch The Jungle Book? Or The Lion King?

6. 00:01:02 – “You can talk to animals?” No shit, Sherlock. Heh.

7. Seriously. What is this accent? Is it supposed to be Welsh?

8. Everyone in this trailer is mugging for the camera. RDJ is mugging. Antonio Banderas is mugging. That big ape is mugging. Even the dragon is mugging.

9. Yes. There. Is. A. Dragon.

10. Why the fuck is there a dragon?

11. Antonio Banderas, Michael Sheen, Emma Thompson, Rami Malik, John Cena, Kumail Nanjiani, Octavia Spencer, Tom Holland, Craig Robinson, Ralph Fiennes, Selena Gomez, and Marion Cotillard. Just how much did they pay all of these people to be in this movie? I mean, Rami Malik just won an Oscar for Chrissakes. Is someone holding Lucy Boynton hostage?

12. #FreeLucyBoynton

13. Wait. This thing is directed by Stephen Gaghan? The guy who won an Oscar for writing Traffic? They guy who wrote and directed Syriana?

14. The tone of this trailer is somewhat bewildering. Set to Reuben and the Dark’s lets-do-a-really-slow-and-wistful-cover of “What a Wonderful World”, the trailer seems to imply some grand globe-trotting adventure, but RDJ’s ridiculous accent and the CGI animals’ uninspired one-liners make this feel like a Saturday afternoon matinee from the Disney Channel.

15. I’m not sure it’s a good sign that we barely see Robert Downey Jr. in this trailer. You have the world’s biggest movie star in your movie and you DON’T fill your two minutes and twenty-two seconds with all-RDJ-all-the-time. What’s up with that?

16. I’m not sure it’s a good sign that Universal decided to relegate a 175-million-dollar movie to January. That’s usually where studios dump things like The Grudge.

17. Can a movie star like RDJ still put bums on seats if he’s not in a Marvel movie? In a post-Avengers world, that’s pretty much the one question studios want answered. I guess we’ll find out on January 23.

The post Dolittle: 17 Thoughts I Had While Watching the Trailer appeared first on Goggler.

So much so that when I heard just how much money the movie had made at the box-office, I began to fear the worst. That it would spawn the obligatory, strained sequel, forcing an unnecessary narrative, thereby undoing the first movie’s understated brilliance.

So here it is, our first real look at A Quiet Place Part II.

I really should have had more faith in John Krasinski.

Now, I realise that I’m making the amateur mistake of getting excited about a film based on nothing more than a two-minute trailer, but hear me out.

Right off the bat, the trailer subverts our expectations by opening with a flashback that runs in stark contrast to everything the first movie was. It is loud; both visually and aurally. It is busy; pulling your focus from one side of the screen to the other. It reminds you that there is a larger world outside the Abbott farmstead. It reminds you that there are still stories here to be told.

We’re then thrown back into the deathly silence of the first film. The now fatherless Abbott family having set out into the big bad world, hoping that there’s something left that’s worth saving. Cillian Murphy and Djimon Hounsou join the cast as human foils to the Abbott’s way of life, with the both of them providing a much darker take on where the human race goes from here. “The people that are left are not the kind of people worth saving,” says a jaded Murphy, setting up what looks to be the core conflict of the movie.

While Krasinski isn’t necessarily treading down a familiar path with his sequel, he isn’t escalating the action either. This isn’t Aliens or Army of Darkness. We’re not likely to see Evelyn Abbott, armed with a shotgun and chainsaw, go all Ash Williams on hordes of creatures. Instead, the movie seems to be taking a page from The Walking Dead playbook, and delving into the philosophical questions and moral quandaries that arise when the Abbotts, outside the safe confines of family, are finally forced to confront the wider world.

A Quiet Place Part II is directed by John Krasinski, and stars Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds, and Noah Jupe, along with Cillian Murphy and Djimon Hounsou. The movie lands in cinemas in March.

The post A Quiet Place Part II (Official Trailer) appeared first on Goggler.