Tag: Zoe Kravitz

Geekscape Movie Reviews: ‘Kin’

by AnalogJonesTOF

This Friday night I rented Kin – get ready for a dark, serious, science fiction film that misfires!

Directors: Jonathan and Josh Baker
Starring: Myles Truitt, Jack Reynor, Zoë Kravitz, and James Franco
Appearances by: Dennis Quaid, Carrie Coon, and Michael B. Jordan
Theater Release Date: August 31, 2018
Runtime: 1 hour 42 minutes
Rated: PG-13

Geekscape Movie Reviews: 'Kin' | Kin Poster

Character Rundown
Myles Truitt plays Elijah Solinski, a young, adopted kid living in Detroit, and is our main protagonist.
Jack Reynor plays Jimmy Solinski, Eli’s brother who gets out of jail and plays our ever popular antihero.
Dennis Quaid plays Hal Solinski, a tough love blue-collar father and is a widower.
Zoë Kravitz plays Milly, a stripper that runs off with Elijah and Jimmy on their adventure.
James Franco plays Taylor Balik and is our main antagonist, a crime lord that supplies protection in prison.
Carrie Coon plays Morgan Hunter, an FBI agent that gets involved in a firefight at a police station.
Michael B. Jordan plays a “Cleaner.”

Quick Story Breakdown
While scrapping copper one day to sell, Eli finds a pair of futurist soldiers dead from a battle. Eli takes one of the soldier’s guns and brings it home. Jimmy, Eli’s brother, gets out of jail and needs a place to crash while he gets on his feet. Hal, Jimmy and Eli’s father, doesn’t get along with Jimmy. Hal warns Eli to watch himself around Jimmy after Eli gets kicked out of school for fighting.

While Jimmy was in prison, he needed protection and asked Taylor Balik, a local crime lord, to keep him alive while behind bars. Now, Jimmy owes $60,000 to the Balik brothers. Hal catches Jimmy and the Balik brothers trying to steal the cash out of Hal’s work safe. The robbery goes wrong, Jimmy grabs the money and runs off with Eli in Hal’s truck which leads to Taylor Balik chasing him the rest of the movie until the finale, a firefight in a police station.

Geekscape Movie Reviews: 'Kin' | Taylor Balik

Pros
The poster is badass! I’m an old video store kid, which means most of my movies are picked from the marketing. This film nailed the eye candy.

The gun that Eli finds is a dope weapon and does some severe damage. A fresh story point is that only Eli can use the gun, and its three destructive settings. Truthfully, the soldiers or cleaners look altogether is fun.

Speaking of Eli, Myles Truitt does an excellent job of secondary action. He delivers his lines well but always goes further to deepen his character with these thoughts behind his eyes and facial gestures. I hope to see Myles Truitt more in the future.

James Franco’s portrayal of the nasty and strange Taylor Balik is lovely to watch. I was more a fan of Taylor than Jimmy, which leads me into my cons.

Cons
Jimmy is a very unlikeable character. I’m not knocking Jack Reynor’s acting, he’s doing a solid job. Jimmy, on the other hand, keeps putting his brother Eli in terrible situations. The story tries to force you to like Eli and Jimmy with some brotherly mischief on this crazy road trip/chase. It’s not working, and you will find yourself cheering for Jimmy to leave Eli out of his stupid plan.

Zoë Kravitz and Carrie Coon are wasted in their roles. Kravitz plays a stripper that takes a liking to Jimmy and Eli, but I can’t tell why. Coon’s FBI agent does next to nothing. I’m wondering if her role was cut down for time.

Final Thoughts
I had a lot of hope Kin (2018) would be a quiet gem ever since I saw the trailer and the short film “Bag Man” from 2014 that Jonathan and Josh Baker did, which lead to this movie. Sadly, Kin is an action sci-fi that misses the mark and seems to be a prequel to a much better film. I know this is the Baker brothers debut film and I think there is enough here to build on. Hopefully, they get another shot and Hollywood doesn’t bury them for one failure.

Final Grade: C-

Thanks for reading, and check out our podcast Analog Jones and the Temple of Film. We are a VHS Podcast that breaks down the box art, trailers and behind the scenes.

– Stephen M. Bay

Geekscape Movie Reviews: Rough Night

by MCDave

Back in 2009 Paul Feig’s Bridesmaids launched the R-rated female comedy genre into the middle of mainstream cinema. And since then, stars like Melissa McCarthy, Tina Fey and Amy Schumer have carried the torch through a mostly unspectacular crop of releases. But in-steps the eye-popping Scarlett Johansson, an unlikely character actress who finds herself starring in Broad City director Lucia Aniello’s feature film debut, Rough Night.

The film centers around bride-to-be Jess (Johansson), a state politician caught in the middle of a neck-and-neck race. Her former college roommate (Jillian Bell) demands an elaborate bachelorette getaway weekend, and things go completely sideways when a freak accident leads to a dead stripper in their shore house. Jess and her best friends need to put their petty grievances aside and work together to avoid some serious jail time.

There are a few strong positives provided in Lucia Aniello’s Rough Night. Cleverly scripted humor is sprinkled throughout, allowing the film to do more than just rely on raunchy and vulgar jokes. In addition, Scarlett Johansson transitions from drama to comedy with exceptional ease. Her performance is the glue that holds the rest of this up-and-down cast together. Co-stars Jillian Bell, Zoe Kravitz, Ilana Glazer and SNL‘s Kate McKinnon, who sports her finest Aussie accent, each offer a handful of shining moments. Yet, they also suffer from grossly embellished characters and instances of all-out absurdity. Sometimes the craziness is effective, but other times it’s a legitimate concern. Futhermore, Rough Night‘s secondary storyline following Jess’ fiance Peter (screenwriter and co-star Paul W. Downs) is way over the top. If you’re seeking some easy and constant laughs with little regard for a sensible plot, Rough Night will surely suffice. But if you’re searching for a comedy that’s plausible and grounded in reality, then you should look elsewhere.

GRADE: 2.5/5

Check out other reviews, trailer and movie lists at MCDave’s host site

SXSW Movie Reviews: Gemini

by MCDave

Lola Kirke first caught my eye in Noah Baumbach’s 2015 indie-comedy, Mistress America. Even standing alongside the versatile indie starlet, Greta Gerwig, from scene to scene, Kirke’s performance jumps off the screen and immediately commands your attention. The same can be said for her latest work in Aaron Katz’s new L.A. mystery, Gemini, which completely reaffirms that Lola Kirke is an emerging star.

Jill (Kirke) is a personal assistant and best friend to her famed Hollywood-celebrity boss, Heather Anderson (Zoe Kravitz). Throughout the course of the day, Heather’s odd behavior ultimately makes mortal enemies out of her now ex-boyfriend, and a filmmaker whom she leaves hanging out to dry. Therefore, when Jill returns to the actress’ home the next day and finds her dead body on the floor, she becomes the lead detective’s (John Cho) number one suspect in a sea of possible murderers, prompting her to manipulate her appearance and dig deeper into the mystery herself.

Aaron Katz delivers another fine piece of filmmaking with his latest feature, Gemini. Katz’s direction continues to embolden itself with every subsequent project. It’s been an absolute pleasure to watch his progression as both a writer and filmmaker, which culminates into this new career-best effort thanks to brilliant performances and a clever screenplay that help propel his overall vision. Leading star Lola Kirke possesses a hypnotic ability as a performer, one that takes you on her chaotic journey through Katz’s smartly written murder mystery. Zoe Kravitz also provides an exceptional supporting turn by molding a complex and conflicted character. Gemini swiftly navigates through a bleak Los Angeles backdrop, disjoint from all the glamour and glitz of Tinsel Town, in order to tell a unique story. And despite the film’s mildly unsatisfying finale which leaves a little to be desired, this twist-filled “whodunit” tale still proves to be completely worth the ride.

GRADE: 4/5

For more reviews, trailers and movie lists, visit MCDAVE’s host site

Watch The First Clip From ‘The Divergent Series: Allegiant’!

by Derek Kraneveldt

Briefly: While it’s bound to be overshadowed by the towering release of Warner Bros. Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, Divergent fans everywhere are readying their best Four and Tris costumes and getting ready to line up in droves on March 18th.

Today, Lionsgate debuted the first, romantic clip from the anticipated sequel.

In the film, after the earth-shattering revelations of ‘Insurgent’, Tris must escape with Four and go beyond the wall enclosing Chicago. For the first time ever, they will leave the only city and family they have ever known. Once outside, old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless with the revelation of shocking new truths. Tris and Four must quickly decide who they can trust as a ruthless battle ignites beyond the walls of Chicago which threatens all of humanity. In order to survive, Tris will be forced to make impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice and love.

Take a look at the clip below, and be sure to let us know what you think!

https://youtu.be/94nJo3WVPEE

Check Out The New Trailer For ‘The Divergent Series: Allegiant’

by Bigyanks

Teaser Poster

FINALLY!! The first trailer for ‘Allegiant’ is here!!

The third installment of the ‘Divergent Series’ is coming this spring and the stakes will be raised for Tris (Shailene Woodley) and Four (Theo James).

After the earth-shattering revelations of ‘Insurgent’, Tris must escape with Four and go beyond the wall enclosing Chicago. For the first time ever, they will leave the only city and family they have ever known. Once outside, old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless with the revelation of shocking new truths. Tris and Four must quickly decide who they can trust as a ruthless battle ignites beyond the walls of Chicago which threatens all of humanity. In order to survive, Tris will be forced to make impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice and love.

This will part one of the final act of the movie franchise with part two being renamed to ‘The Divergent Series: Ascendant’. Both films will still be based on Allegiant, the final novel in Veronica Roth’s best-selling Divergent trilogy.

The Divergent Series: Allegiant In Theaters March 18, 2016!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0G0C-vMHcQY

‘Allegiant’ The Third Of The Divergent Series Gets A Teaser Trailer

by Bigyanks

The teaser trailer for the third installment of the Divergent series, ‘Allegiant’ has been released. Titled “Beyond the wall”, the series takes us beyond the wall in hopes of finding a way to help to save humanity.

After the earth-shattering revelations of INSURGENT, Tris must escape with Four and go beyond the wall enclosing Chicago. For the first time ever, they will leave the only city and family they have ever known in order to find a peaceful solution for their embroiled city. Once outside, old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless with the revelation of shocking new truths. Tris and Four must quickly decide who they can trust as a ruthless battle ignites beyond the walls of Chicago which threatens all of humanity. In order to survive, Tris will be forced to make impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice and love.

Allegiant is in Theaters March 18, 2016.

https://youtu.be/Vzn4MJdaabw

Set Pictures And Concept Art From ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’

by Shawn Madden

Set photos and some concept art from the upcoming Mad Max: Fury Road have made their way online. Filming on the upcoming reboot started last month in Africa. In the upcoming reboot of 1979’s Mad Max we will see the road warrior, played by Tom Hardy this time around, caught up with a group of people fleeing across the Wasteland in a War Rig driven by the Imperator Furiosa played by Charlize Theron. The film also stars Nicholas Hoult and Zoe Kravityz(X-Men: First Class), Rosie Huntington-Whiteley (Transformers: Dark Of The Moon), Nathan Jones (Fearless) and Riley Keough (Magic Mike). Check out the photos full of post-apocalyptic goodness from the set below!

Source: CineCommunity