Watch the terrifying new trailer for ALIEN: ROMULUS

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The sci-fi/horror-thriller takes the phenomenally successful Alien franchise back to its roots.

While scavenging the deep ends of a derelict space station, a group of young space colonizers come face to face with the most terrifying life form in the universe.

The film stars Cailee Spaeny (“Priscilla”), David Jonsson (“Agatha Christie’s Murder is Easy”), Archie Renaux (“Shadow and Bone”), Isabela Merced (“The Last of Us”), Spike Fearn (“Aftersun”), Aileen Wu.

Fede Alvarez (“Evil Dead,” “Don’t Breathe”) directs from a screenplay he wrote with frequent collaborator Rodo Sayagues (“Don’t Breathe 2”) based on characters created by Dan O’Bannon and Ronald Shusett. “Alien: Romulus” is produced by Ridley Scott (“Napoleon”), who directed the original “Alien” and produced and directed the series’ entries “Prometheus” and “Alien: Covenant,” Michael Pruss (“Boston Strangler”), and Walter Hill (“Alien”), with Fede Alvarez, Elizabeth Cantillon (“Charlie’s Angels”), Brent O’Connor (“Bullet Train”), and Tom Moran (“Unstoppable”) serving as executive producers.

Walk the Red Carpet: Gold Coast Film Festival Unveils ‘THE WAY, MY WAY’ as Opening Night Gala

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Get ready to immerse yourself in the magic of cinema as the Gold Coast Film Festival (GCFF) returns for its 22nd year from April 17 to 28, at the iconic HOTA, Home of the Arts. This year’s festival promises to be an unforgettable celebration of film on the Gold Coast.

The excitement kicks off in true Goldy-wood style with the Red Carpet rolled out for the Opening Night Queensland Premiere of Bill Bennett’s captivating film, THE WAY, MY WAY, on Wednesday, April 17, at 5:30 pm.

Based on the best-selling Camino memoir of the same title, THE WAY, MY WAY follows one man’s extraordinary journey along the 800km pilgrim’s trail, the Camino de Santiago in Spain. As he searches for meaning, he discovers that the answers he seeks lie right in front of him, one step at a time.

Featuring moments that will have you laughing out loud and others that will tug at your heartstrings, THE WAY, MY WAY offers an authentic portrayal of walking the Camino, blending talented actors with real-life pilgrims.

Joining the event will be Author and Director, Bill Bennett, along with Actress and Producer, Jennifer Cluff, Actor Chris Haywood (Sleeping Beauty, Muriel’s Wedding, Wolf Creek), and Camino legend Johnny Walker.

“The Gold Coast Film Festival is a celebration of storytelling, and we are thrilled to bring this exceptional film to Queensland audiences,” said GCFF CEO, Luke Wheatley.

The full program for GCFF will be available from March 27, featuring a lineup of World, Australian, and Queensland premieres, exclusive preview screenings, and showcasing filmmaking talent. The festival will include SIPFEST outdoor cinema, red carpet screenings, industry panels, filmmaker Q&As, and special events.

Tickets are on sale now for the Opening Night Red Carpet Gala Premiere, with all other tickets available from March 27 via  www.gcff.com.au.

The Gold Coast Film Festival is supported by the Queensland Government through Screen Queensland, Tourism and Events Queensland along with Experience Gold Coast, the City of Gold Coast and home venue HOTA, Home of the Arts.

Interview – ‘Kung Fu Panda 4’ directors talk working with Jack Black and creating animated action scenes

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For the first time in almost a decade, comedy icon Jack Black returns to his role as Po, the world’s most unlikely kung fu master, with a hilarious, butt-kicking new chapter in DreamWorks Animation’s beloved action-comedy franchise: Kung Fu Panda 4.

As Kung Fu Panda 4 kicks it’s way into Australian cinemas on March 28, Nick L’Barrow had the chance to chat with the films co-directors, Mike Mitchell (Mitchells vs The Machines) and Stephanie Ma Stein (Raya and the Last Dragon) about the energy of Jack Black, creating long take action scenes, and the films that they grew up on!

Nick: Stephanie, it’s an absolute pleasure to meet you! And Mike, it’s great to see you again! How are you both today?

Mike Mitchell: Great! Excited to be here!

Stephanie Ma Stine: Great!

Mike Mitchell: And excited we’re finished [the movie]!

Nick: I’m excited too because I had a lot of fun with this movie, and I can’t wait to chat with you both today about it! Mike, I know you worked on the first Kung Fu Panda, and Stephanie, this is your introduction into this world. But Jack Black has been with this character and world for over 16 years now! I’m intrigued to know what the collaboration is like with Jack!

Mike Mitchell: Well, Jack is the reason this franchise withstands the test of time. He is the panda. They both can do tremendous kung fu kicks that reach up to your face by the way! In real life!

As for Jack evolving, he’s been exactly the same. He’s been invested, he’s been hilarious. And the big surprise for me, because I hadn’t worked with him so closely until this film, I don’t think people realise that he is really a tremendous actor. He’s making line choices and he’s digging into the heart of every scene and the emotional core of everything!

Stephanie Ma Stine: He’s so incredible! For me, it was just a fantastic experience getting to work with Jack Black! It was my first time, of course, but part of Po’s journey on this movie is to take on a mentee. That’s not the entire movie, but it sort of tees up for that story – [Po], being able to take on someone, and show them the ways of good, and the path of righteousness and justice.

I thought he [Jack] was a fantastic mentor figure, and for me that meant a lot because I don’t just work in animation, but I also teach storyboarding and story development. So, I was able to take a lot of inspiration from Jack Black as a person and as his character of Po, because he’s just so wholesome and funny and inspirational. He just brings this energy to the room that gets everyone pumped. And I’m like, “I can bring that energy! I can learn from him and use it when I teach!” So, I was very grateful for working with him.

Nick: That actually leads into my next question perfectly, because as you said Stephanie, a part of this story is Po having to be a mentor for the next Dragon Warrior. So, I’m curious to find out who were your filmmaking “Dragon Warrior’s”? Who mentored each of you as you began your journey that has now led to you both being feature film directors?

Mike Mitchell: Wow! That’s a good question!

Stephanie Ma Stine: I will go first. I definitely have to say that Mike Mitchell has been my number one mentor. I’ve learned so many incredible insights on directing and filmmaking, storytelling from him. Every single day I was learning something new. And like, whenever I was tired, or my brain was overloaded, he’s been amazing.

I also want to give a shout out to Jeff Chan, who is the director of Code 8, which is on Netflix, and the sequel just came out! He was also super supportive. But these two guys, they’re awesome.

Mike Mitchell: That’s very nice of you to say! For mine, it was almost like a group of mentors that are all equal. There’s a bunch of directors. Pixar directors and DreamWorks directors, and a lot of people I went to school with, and we’d all communicate and judge each other!

And in fact, for this particular film, Tom McGrath would come in. He was on the fifth floor, and we were on the fourth floor, and when we put together the great fight scene in the tavern, we’d pull him down. Tom McGrath directed Boss Baby and all the Madagascar movies! He actually voices on of the Madagascar penguins!

So, we’d pull Tom in, and we’d show him this incredible fight sequence, and Tom would go, “No. Yeah. That’s pretty good. It’d be funnier if the tavern titled.” And then he leaves the editing room, and we go, “Oh, that’s a good idea!”

But that’s like, one of the many mentors besides Jill Culton. There are tonnes of them! Like Conrad Vernon. There’s a whole bunch of directors around DreamWorks. It’s kind of this thing that I’d like to think constantly happens and evolves. That everyone’s kind of mentoring each other as we all learn.

Stephanie Ma Stine: It was so wonderful we have those sort of surprise bombs, because it makes the movie better! What kind of better drop in could you have!

Mike Mitchell: I mean, it’s not great for the producers [laughs]! The producers would tell us tilting the tavern is too expensive to do!

But I also learned a lot from Stephanie as a director. She was teaching me a lot about anime, and a lot of anime tricks. That was kind of interesting for me. I know anime, but I’m not as versed in it as Steph!

Stephanie Ma Stine: I’m a huge fan of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba!

Nick: I’m so glad you mentioned the tavern scene, because I’m a sucker for one-shot takes, and there is a couple of those in the tavern fight! I’m curious to find out, when you’re choreographing the action, how do you decide what will end up becoming a one-shot take?

Mike Mitchell: That’s a great question! Remember we did that when everyone is gossiping at the noodle shop, too? That was a long take.

Stephanie Ma Stine: Oh, that is a great question. You know, we really wanted to make sure that we were pushing the boundaries with the cinematography. It’s typically very difficult to do, you know, really long takes like that in animation because there’s so many personnel and crew members, and the timing!

Mike Mitchell: And then there’s background characters. Like, if it’s one character, everyone works on it at different times. And if it’s a long time, they all have to be in lockstep.

Stephanie Ma Stine: They’re communicating 24/7! They’re like, “Why did you do this to us?” [laughs]

Honestly, there was a balance making sure that we didn’t go full Alfonso Cuaron, which is like 10 minute long takes!

Mike Mitchell: Maybe on the next Kung Fu Panda though… [laughs]

Stephanie Ma Stine: The goal is to always keep the audience engaged and make sure they’re fully into the story. But I’m glad you noticed the longer takes!

Nick: They were great! Before we wrap up, I wanted to say that I was about 12 or 13 when Kung Fu Panda first came out, and it was absolutely a formative movie for me growing up. So, I would love to know what were the formative movies, animated or live action, for you both?

Stephanie Ma Stine: Interesting! I’ve always been a fan of Hayao Miyazaki. One of the first films I ever watched of his was when I was visiting some family members in Taiwan, and I saw Kiki’s Delivery Service on the TV. And it was in Japanese, but subtitled in Chinese, and I couldn’t understand it because I can’t read Chinese.

Mike Mitchell: It’s kind of fun to try to figure out that story! I think that’s the way I first saw it!

Stephanie Ma Stine: I absolutely love that! You know, that movie and all the music. I also love Terminator 2.

Mike Mitchell: Terminator 2 is a great film. Terminator 1 is a great film!

Stephanie Ma Stine: Yes it is!

Mike Mitchell: I saw it by accident when I was a kid in Oklahoma. But I went to the theatre and saw Rear Window and it blew my mind! I didn’t know what it was going to be. I was very young, but man, that one blew my mind.

Thank you so much to Mike Mitchell and Stephanie Ma Stine for their time, and to Universal Pictures for organsing the interview! You can see Kung Fu Panda 4 at select advanced screenings between March 22-24, and then it will officially release in Australian cinemas on March 28.

Review – Immaculate

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Star power and screen presence of Sydney Sweeney aside, her current run as a producer with her company Fifty-Fifty Films has put Sweeney on the map as an actor whose nose for interesting films that won’t just entertain audiences (much like her recent rom-com smash-hit Anyone but You), but will subvert their expectations as to the roles she picks, has made her an interesting actor to keep an eye on. And Sweeney is ready to make a bold move in shocking audiences with Immaculate, of which she stars in and has produced.

The nunsploitation-throwback horror film sees Sweeney collaborating once again with director Michael Mohan (The Voyeurs), and follows Cecilia (Sweeney), a woman of devout Catholic faith from America, who receives an invitation to join an exclusive convent in the Italian countryside run by Father Sal Tedeschi (Alvaro Morte, Money Heist), a man who is morally conflicted by his faith and his fascination with science.

As the timid Cecilia befriends her fellow nuns and begins to settle into the convent, disturbing discoveries and supernatural occurrences bring to light a dark, evil secret lurking beneath the surface of this Holy place.

The tone is set early with Immaculate, as the opening moments provide a glimpse into the terrifying atmosphere and brutal violence that will unravel over the film’s 89-minute runtime. The rush and excitement of the tension in this opening scene does simmer back down to begin Cecilia’s story, but there is no denying that Immaculate is book-ended with some truly brutal horror.

As Cecilia’s journey begins, Mohan’s direction and Andrew Lobel’s screenplay work quite well with each other to have an overarching sense of unsettling uncertainty in every scene. Mohan captures the large convent castle in a way that is both claustrophobic for the nuns who inhabit it, but also gives a grand sense of scale that evokes a feeling that there is space for more sinister forces to play.

Lobel’s script is an ever-growing encapsulation of tension and insanity. The drip feeding of horror after Immaculate’s opening scene initially comes in the form of general eeriness and uncertainty for Cecilia, followed by intense jump scares and disturbing visuals, before finishing on an insane set piece full of brutal and gory horror violence.

But it’s not always the traditional horror aspects that serve as the scariest elements of the film. The patient opening act lays the foundation of eeriness by exploring the male-skewed power dynamic of this convent, and the rights religion attempts to have over a woman’s body. These themes add a layer of substance to both the characters and the story, making the drama and emotionality of the film worth investing in, which in effect makes the ensuing horror even more brutal.

However, the true shining light of this film is Sydney Sweeney, who gives a career best performance as Cecilia. The timid nature of Cecilia, and the backstory behind her drastic turn to devout faith, allows Sweeney to showcase a dramatic nuance that audiences haven’t had a chance to see yet. As the films tension and insanity increases, so does the range of Sweeney’s performance, which requires some heavy emotional turns and immense physicality, all of which are grounded by her performance.

Alvaro Morte is also a standout as Father Tedeschi, who’s moral ambiguity fuels an engaging performance that will constantly have audiences going back and forth on whether his intentions and practices at the convent are pure or not. There is a charm that comes through Morte’s unassuming and warm smile and demeanor that never comes across as off-putting, which makes Tedeschi even more dangerous as the story progresses. However, it’s not all “good guy-bad guy” with Morte’s performance, as Tedeschi’s only moral dilemma of being a man of science who turned to God, two worlds which do not coincide, creates a complexity that is intriguing to watch unfold.

The one major thing audiences will walk away from this film is the truly shocking final moments. It will be divisive. It will sicken some. However, it’s a fantastic and unexpected finale that will not only give horror fans something to chew on for a long time, but it will be the moment many people, if they weren’t convinced already, that Sydney Sweeney is not afraid to go their as an actor, or as a producer, if it is something that is in service of the story. And the way Immaculate goes, this ending is perfect.

Immaculate is a boiling point of uneasiness and terrifying tension right from its opening scene, constantly building the horror and suspense with an unsettling atmosphere, solid scares, and brutal, bloody violence. But it’s Sydney Sweeney who will have audiences talking about potentially her best performance yet, leading to a final scene that will be regarded as an iconic horror movie ending for years to come.

Immaculate is in cinemas March 21.

TV Review – 3 Body Problem

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It’s been a long-awaited answer to the question of what Game of Thrones series creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss would make next after they left cable giant HBO for a healthy payday at Netflix. And it seems that the same ambition the duo showed in adapting one of the most beloved and complex fantasy series of all time is still there in their adaptation of the award-winning sci-fi novel of the same name, 3 Body Problem.

Told through correlating timelines, one during the Chinese Cultural Revolution of the 1960s and the other in 2024, this science-fiction heavy epic follows a group of scientists in modern day England who are trying to make sense of a recent suicide that rippled through the scientific community, all while an otherworldly anomaly leads down a rabbit hole of consequences and ramifications caused by the ripple effect of one Chinese woman’s actions in the 1960s.

Auggie (Eisa Gonzalez), an incredibly intelligent and successful scientist, begins to experience odd and visceral hallucinogenic visions of a countdown right in front of her eyes. Not know why she sees these numbers, or what will happen when the countdown strikes zero, she enlists the help of a close friend and fellow intellect Saul (Jovan Edepo) to help her uncover the meaning behind her visions. 

Meanwhile, back in 1960s China, Ye Wenjie (the younger version of this character being played by Zine Tseng), another woman of great intelligence who also happens to be able to speak and write in English, a much-maligned combination for the Chinese during this time, finds herself embroiled in a secret Government experiment after witnessing the death of a close mentor who held dark secrets himself.

Investigating the suicide and the link between the scientists involved, Detective Da Shi (Benedict Wong) also begins to suspect something much more complicated, and potentially supernatural, is at play, despite the disapproval of his superiors. But the cases complexities arise after a worldwide phenomenon strikes.

Having spent the better part of a decade on arguably the largest scale show in the history of television, the 5-year hiatus for Benioff and Weiss didn’t see them working on their own smaller scale projects (outside of a few producing credits) like many other filmmakers do, but rather building a brand-new world in 3 Body Problem, and the scale of this story is felt on screen.

Knowing the incredible physical world that was built in Game of Thrones, it’s no surprise that 3 Body Problem is a brilliant looking show. Each episode showcases the expected cinematic quality from a high-budget Netflix series, with grandiose sets in multiple locations across the world, in different eras, serving as immersive visual eye-candy. Then as the series delves further into the science fiction elements, the stunning visual effects enhance the immersion and truly bring to life an ambitious science-fiction tale.

Navigating a story with two timelines, one of which has upwards of a dozen characters to deal with, is no easy feat. For the most part, 3 Body Problem is easy to follow. The pacing is a little all over the place in the early episodes as the story lays its foundations, often spending a fair amount of time in one storyline before jolting back to the other one in what seems more like an attempt to remind the audience that this is still important to remember, but it won’t be entirely relevant just yet. This isn’t a hinderance to the overall narrative as the two timelines begin to converge, but there is more confusion than mystery to start things off.

One of the shows strengths is the dedication to the science (and in a lot of ways, the fiction) element of the show. Supernatural anomalies caused by scientific experimentation that probably shouldn’t have happened, incredibly life-like augmented reality video games, being able to access the multiverse, creating new elements, the physical world of spirituality, and the inseparable bond of people in different times are just some of the themes that 3 Body Problem presents to the audience, and it’s not all surface level for the sake of “being smart”.

This is a complexly themed series that audiences who enjoy the challenges of questioning our existence and the existence of life outside of Earth will relish in the rabbit hole the characters of this story will go down. For a casual viewing experience, it will take a bit of work and focus, because there are aspects of the story that do get quite dense. At times, the focus on the science can take away from the overall drama, but it’s the interesting, unique (and at points, straight up strange) things 3 Body Problem creates that are engaging to watch.

3 Body Problem is a bold, ambitious follow up to Game of Thrones for David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, who have once again not skimmed on scope and scale to adapt a dense, unique, weird, and intriguing science-fiction story. While the complexities and mystery of the narrative takes a few episodes to settle, the end is a satisfying conclusion for this story, but still leaves a desire to see what else could happen next.

All eight episodes of 3 Body Problem are available to stream on Netflix from March 21.

Watch the new trailer for FURIOSA: A MAD MAX SAGA

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Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth star in Academy Award-winning mastermind George Miller’s Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, the much-anticipated return to the iconic dystopian world he created more than 30 years ago with the seminal “Mad Max” films. Miller now turns the page again with an all-new original, standalone action adventure that will reveal the origins of the powerhouse character from the multiple Oscar-winning global smash Mad Max: Fury Road. The new feature from Warner Bros. Pictures and Village Roadshow Pictures is produced by Miller and his longtime partner, Oscar-nominated producer Doug Mitchell, under their Australian-based Kennedy Miller Mitchell banner.

As the world fell, young Furiosa is snatched from the Green Place of Many Mothers and falls into the hands of a great Biker Horde led by the Warlord Dementus. Sweeping through the Wasteland, they come across the Citadel presided over by The Immortan Joe. While the two Tyrants war for dominance, Furiosa must survive many trials as she puts together the means to find her way home.

Miller penned the script with “Mad Max: Fury Road” co-writer Nico Lathouris. Miller’s behind-the-scenes creative team includes first assistant director PJ Voeten and second unit director and stunt coordinator Guy Norris, director of photography Simon Duggan (“Hacksaw Ridge”, “The Great Gatsby”), composer Tom Holkenborg, sound designer Robert Mackenzie, editor Eliot Knapman, visual effects supervisor Andrew Jackson and colorist Eric Whipp. The team also includes other longtime collaborators: production designer Colin Gibson, editor Margaret Sixel, sound mixer Ben Osmo, costume designer Jenny Beavan and makeup designer Lesley Vanderwalt, each of whom won an Oscar for their work on “Mad Max: Fury Road”.

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is in cinemas May 23.

Interview – ‘Immaculate’ star Alvaro Morte talks working with Sydney Sweeney on new religious horror flick

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Sydney Sweeney (Anyone But You, Euphoria, The White Lotus) stars as Cecilia, an American nun of devout faith, embarking on a new journey in a remote convent in the picturesque Italian countryside. Cecilia’s warm welcome quickly devolves into a nightmare as it becomes clear her new home harbours a sinister secret and unspeakable horrors.

As Immaculate scares it’s way into Australian cinemas on March 21, Nick L’Barrow had the chance to chat with Sydney Sweeney’s co-star, Alvaro Morte (Money Heist), who plays Father Sal Tedeschi in the film, about the scene he thinks audiences will love, and how his acting process changes between film and TV.

Nick: Thank you so much for your time!

Alvaro Morte: Thank you for the interview!

Nick: Immaculate has some genuinely scary moments, but a lot of the horror comes through themes that explore religious rulings over a woman’s body, or the skewed male-power dynamic. What do you feel it is about the horror genre that is an interesting vessel to explore these themes?

Alvaro Morte: Actually, that was one of the things that caught me to be in this project. Of course, I won’t lie to you, the first thing that helped me decide to be in the project was Sydney Sweeney! She is such an amazing actress, and I can tell now [after] working with her that she’s just so amazing.

But apart from that, they sent me the script and what I was really, really excited about is that it wasn’t just another horror movie. It’s a movie that talks about feminism, it talks about motherhood, it talks about a world of woman controlled by one man.

The movie talks about many things that nowadays are so important to put on the table and offer it to the audience, over to the people. We’re talking about the culture here! The movie is a way of the culture, and the culture is what we have to try and do better as a society.

So, it’s an entertaining movie, of course! People are going to have fun in the theatre. But to me, the main thing was that you’re gonna have fun, you’re gonna get scared, but then when you get out of the theatre with your friends, you go to a cafeteria or something, you have material to talk about, you know?

I don’t know if horror itself, in general, makes it easier to talk about these themes or not. I don’t know. But what I do know for sure is at least this movie offers us a path to be able to talk about these things.

Nick: You’ve done a lot of television work in your career, and you’ve had characters that you’ve spent 50, 60, even 90 episodes with! I’m curious to know if your acting process or how you evolve a character when it’s a character like Father Tedeschi, who you only have a finite amount of time with?

Alvaro Morte: The biggest difference between a movie and a series is that normally, in the movies, you know where your character arc is going. But a character in a series – I don’t know if you watched Money Heist, which is a series I did, but I began that performance and that character as an absolute nerd! Like a librarian! And then suddenly, they came with a script where I was performing martial arts. And I was like, “What the fuck?!”

So, you have to transform your acting, your performance, according to the script. Which was very interesting because I have many colleagues that suddenly get these scripts, and they say, “Oh my God! My character would never say this. My character would never do that!” But it’s brilliant because if it surprises you, it’s going to surprise the audience. Your work as an actor is to try make it something that could happen, make it natural, make that transition.

The difference with a movie is that you have the whole arc, so you can work specifically here and there because you know the information as you go. I wanted to make Father Tedeschi someone who what kind of in the middle of nowhere. He’s a guy who has a degree in biology, but he’s also a priest, which is like, in complete opposite worlds. I believe that he struggles with that a lot.

So, in the movie, I was able to make decisions about what world he was stepping into, the science or the faith. But, at the same time, I wanted to make it blurry. I didn’t want to make it clear with all the information because I believe it’s much more interesting if I give you questions instead of the answers. That’s what I wanted to do! Even though I know the whole arc, it’s much more interesting for you guys who are going to watch it.

There are some great set pieces, great scares, and kills. Is there a particular scene or set piece that you’re really looking forward for audience to see in the cinema?

Alvaro Morte: I mean, there are many, many moments! When I belong to a project, I never look at my work. That would be kind of selfish, and I’m not that guy! So, I would actually never talk about one of my scenes!

But I think there is a scene that I love very much. The very last scene of the movie. It was done in just one take. Wow. But that’s what I told you Sydney Sweeney is just amazing. I think it’s a brilliant decision of the director [Michael Mohan], and it is absolutely, amazingly performed by Sydney. It has such a mix of feelings that I consider is the best one [scene] of the movie!

Nick: You mentioned Father Tedeschi’s studying of biology before he became a priest, and how different those worlds are! I’m curious as to whether there was an acting equivalent for you. Was there ever a different career path before pursuing acting?

Alvaro Morte: I actually began studying telecommunication engineering! I love science. I love science! I do believe the most intelligent people in the world are the ancient Greeks, and the people from the Renaissance, you know! People like Pythagoras, and Leonardo da Vinci who was also an engineer!

I am not saying I am that intelligent! But for me, it makes sense [of] my life. It makes me balanced, to be in both the worlds of the arts and science and technology.

I was studying telecommunication engineering in Canary Island in Spain, and suddenly theatre came across my life and I changed the path, like Father Tedeschi. And the key was faith. My faith wasn’t God, but it was the theatre. And I followed that path, and I think it worked!

Thank you to Alvaro Morte for his time, and to Rialto Distribution and NedCo PR for organsing the interview! Immaculate is in cinemas March 21.

Watch the first trailer for REBEL MOON – PART TWO: THE SCARGIVER!

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REBEL MOON – PART TWO: THE SCARGIVER continues the epic saga of Kora and the surviving warriors as they prepare to sacrifice everything, fighting alongside the brave people of Veldt, to defend a once peaceful village, a newfound homeland for those who have lost their own in the fight against the Motherworld. On the eve of their battle the warriors must face the truths of their own pasts, each revealing why they fight. As the full force of the Realm bears down on the burgeoning rebellion, unbreakable bonds are forged, heroes emerge, and legends are made.

Watch the first trailer for REBEL MOON – PART TWO: THE SCARGIVER here:

REBEL MOON – PART TWO: THE CARGIVER hits Netflix on April 19. Add it to your Watchlist now: www.netflix.com/RebelMoonPart2

Interview – Jake Gyllenhaal and Conor McGregor chat ‘Road House’

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Road House stars Jake Gyllenhaal as Dalton, an ex-UFC fighter trying to escape his dark past and his penchant for violence, in this adrenaline-fueled actioner. Dalton is barely scraping by on the reputation that still precedes him when he is spotted by Frankie (Jessica Williams), owner of a roadhouse in the Florida Keys. She hires him to be her new bouncer in hopes of stopping a violent gang, working for crime boss Brandt (Billy Magnussen), from destroying her beloved bar. Even five to one, Brandt’s crew is no match for Dalton’s skills. But the stakes get higher with the arrival of ruthless gun-for-hire, Knox (Conor McGregor). As the brutal brawls and bloodshed escalate, the tropical Keys prove more dangerous than anything Dalton ever faced in the Octagon. 

Road House is smashing on to Prime Video on March 21, and leading up to it’s release, Nick L’Barrow had the chance to attend a global press conference featuring Jake Gyllenhaal and Conor McGregor as they discussed how this film honours the original, and filming a fight scene in front of crazy UFC fans!

Jake, you’ve been eager to work with Doug Liman for quite a while now! Why was this project the right thing for you guys to come together and collaborate?

Jake Gyllenhaal: I mean, first of all, we have been looking for a long time! I remember being out to dinner with him and talking to him about something else. And then he said, “You know, I’ve been reading this reimagining of Road House.” And I said, “That sounds crazy… let’s do that!”

The whole spirit of it was just, sort of, fun, and joy, and playful throughout the whole thing. Because of that, it was like that every day when we were working. It felt like you were working with your friend and he always wanted to get, like, a part of my personality that he said he hadn’t seen in a film before. I think we pushed each other. It was great!

You mentioned reimagining. The original film was made back in ’89, but you can tell with this film, there’s a lot of love for the original. I imagined personally for you, Jake, having worked with Patrick [Swayze] back on Donnie Darko that there’s a personal connection to this.

Jake Gyllenhaal: I mean, Patrick was the best. The most charismatic—I was a fan of his since I was a kid. I’ve watched Point Break maybe 500 times! My sister first took me to see Dirty Dancing when we were kids.

Then we did Donnie Darko and he was always so good to me, and his wife Lisa too. Just supporting me from the start and throughout the years. So I didn’t feel like a great responsibility because we both also come from theatre where you play parts and many other actors play the same part.

But I did feel I wanted to honour him, and I definitely wanted his energy from the original one, to bring it through, you know? Dalton shares some of the same personality traits that his character did too.

It was very important to all of us to respect the original. Both this and the original are produced by Joel Silver, too!

Conor, you make such an impression with the film! You just look like you’re having so much fun. Is that fair to say?

Conor McGregor: Yeah, it was a hell of a lot of fun! My first time doing it! I had an amazing cast to guide me and direct me, you know. Assist me. And they just told me to turn the crazy down a notch! So that was me turned down.

How much of that was in the script? This force of nature, not just physically, but his personality too?

Jake Gyllenhaal: When Conor said that he would do it, and he signed on, the part started to sort of grow in that way I think he brought a lot to it. He brought so many ideas.

I think what I was amazed by was your [Conor’s] brain was like constantly bringing ideas, lines, trying things.

Conor McGregor: We were given free rein to add… you know, we were allowed to be ourselves and they were very supportive of that. Gareth Warren and Steve Brown, who were the stunt guys who were co-ordinating the fighting scenes, if they laid the foundation and then we’d add a couple of blocks here and there, they would build us up and make us feel incredible.

Then we just grew as a team. We had a great team. Very bless and very happy and very proud that I got to deal with these people here.

Then we have the flashbacks with the UFC fights. You were actually in Vegas jumping in the ring between fights right?

Jake Gyllenhaal: Yeah, were we schedule to shoot at UFC 283. And the night before we went to do it, I got COVID. We were all basically there and then I couldn’t go ahead with it, so we had to cancel and wait two months for [UFC] 285 in Vegas.

What they [the UFC] said to us was depending on the how long the undercards went the distance or not, we’d have anywhere between 45 seconds and seven minutes. So we had to make five different alternate plans as to how much time the UFC would grant us to be in the octagon!

And obviously, for me, I consider this a sacred space, to be able to have people go in there and not be a professional fighter. Be in there, we focused on it like we were going to have all seven minutes. And they just said do the whole piece of the choreographed fight, and I thought, “Oh no. We’re going to do this in front of the whole UFC—all the fans and they’re gonna think this looks fake!

Conor McGregor: You did an amazing job, Jake! I know what you’re up against because UFC fans know when it’s real, and when it’s not true, they will not be behind it. That was kind of my addition, to make sure that it held true. And Jake is a consummate professional. I’m proud to walk alongside him, and he done the UFC proud.

I was in the crowd, and I was the fan! Then when the fans saw me cheering, they cheered and we got a great pop out of it! It was worth its weight in gold!

Thank you to Jake Gyllenhaal and Conor McGregor for their time, and to Prime Video and Kit Communications for access to the global press conference. Road House is streaming on Prime Video from March 21, and you can read Nick’s review here!

Review – Road House

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With all the machismo and corniness of the 80s action movies that the Jake Gyllenhaal led iteration of Road House unapologetically displays, it should come as no surprise that the recent uproarious reactions from the world premiere at SXSW almost unanimously praised it for being a wild crowd pleaser best seen with a big audience. And even though this film will only be available for the masses to view on Prime Video, and not in cinemas, there’s nothing stopping you from getting some friends around, getting a couple of beers and pizzas, and recreating the rowdy viewing experience, because Road House is an adrenaline fuelled actioner that deserves such treatment.

Serving as a modern reimagining of the 1989 action flick of the same name (which was headlined by an iconic performance from the late, great Patrick Swayze), Road House follows ex-UFC fighter, Dalton (Gyllenhaal) who is escaping a dark past filled with violence in and out of the octagon. His city-to-city drifting leads him to the Florida Keys, where the owner of a rough-‘em-up roadhouse, Frankie (Jessica Williams) hires Dalton to protect the bar from a violent gang terrorising the patrons and destroying the roadhouse.

But a brutal confrontation with the gang forces the hand of crime boss Brandt (Billy Magnussen) to enlist the services of ruthless, psychopathic gun-for-hire Knox (Conor McGregor), escalating the bloodshed to a level Dalton and the roadhouse has never seen before.

Director Doug Liman is no stranger to intense hand-to-hand brawls, shootouts, and high-octane action set pieces, with his most notable action-work including The Bourne Identity, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, and Edge of Tomorrow. One of the key elements that all of those films have in common is that the action is tense, brutal, and highly entertaining, something that Liman continues with Road House.

Every single punch, kick, head-butt, and even comedic slap (of which the audience is introduced to Dalton’s ass-kicking ability with a fantastic slap-fight) can be felt through the screen. The choreography, along with bone-crunching sound design and wide-lensed camera work capturing all the action in long takes makes for some brutally entertaining set-pieces, the standouts being a chaotic bar fight, and the body-slamming final stand off between Dalton and Knox.

While the action is adrenaline pumping, and due to interesting in camera techniques mixed with special effects to make it look like every punch literally connects, there are a few moments where an over abundance of CGI provides an uncanny valley feeling, split-second distracting the audience from the brawls to wonder why that punch looked a little off. Even when the action escalates to gun-fights, boat chases and explosions galore, the plastic looking flame-balls and blood-squibs do occasionally take away from the intensity.

Not lacking in intensity in anyway, shape, or form, is the physicality that Gyllenhaal and McGregor bring to their respective roles, both having an absolute blast sharing the screen together. Gyllenhaal effortless brings charisma and charm to the timidly exterior nature of Dalton, a nature that is hiding his violent rage that brews beneath the surface, which occasionally, and quite subtly, rears its head throughout first half of the film, before Dalton is fully let loose.

Dalton’s past slowly reveals itself as the story goes on, giving enough context and substance to his character without losing the fun within the drama. Gyllenhaal brings his own style of intensity to both aspects of the performance, reminiscent of the manic-energy shown in Ambulance, and the light-hearted fun of Spider-Man: Far From Home.

However, the true scene stealer of Road House is the unhinged energy of Conor McGregor, who right from his show-stopping (and very cheeky) entrance into the film, never lets the energy drop, bringing a chaotic atmosphere every time he is on screen. It absolutely goes without saying that McGregor holds his own with the fight choreography, using his already established physical confidence from the UFC to be an intimidating force of nature as Knox destructively rips and tears his way through the Florida Keys.

When it comes to acting, it’s better to remember this is McGregor’s first film. There are aspects of his delivery of dialogue that definitely will improve over time, but it is so apparent that he is enjoying chewing up the scenery, and his commitment to making Knox as unhinged as possible is undeniably fun to watch.

Road House could’ve been a 90-minute, all-action, no-fat romp, but there are a few extra side characters and side-plots that tie together the action with some semblance of story and structure. Crooked cops, blossoming romances, Dalton teaching the other bartenders how to defend themselves – all these little things do make up a stronger whole for the film overall, but there are elements of the story that drag out a little too long. It’s hard to come down off the extreme highs of the adrenaline dumps provided by each electric action scene when it’s followed by a slightly elongated dialogue or story scene that isn’t exactly top tier work.

It’s all-action, all-excitement, all-machismo, all-ridiculous, and all-fun. Road House is an energetic, kick-ass, wild ride that is led by the charismatic Jake Gyllenhaal and unhinged Conor McGregor in a throw-back 80s influenced flick that is best enjoyed with beers, pizzas and a couple of your rowdiest friends.

Road House is streaming on Prime Video from March 21. You can also read Nick’s interview with Jake Gyllenhaal, Conor McGregor and the cast of Road House here.