Film

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

• By Debbie Emery
• Photo By Walt Disney Pictures

While the fifth installment of the Indiana Jones series marks the first film not to be directed by Steven Spielberg or written by George Lucas (they act as executive producers, however), it still retains all the thrilling qualities of its predecessors — from Harrison Ford’s whip-wielding, wise-cracking hero to a musical score composed by John Williams. Dial of Destiny is in fact directed by James Mangold and released by Disney following the studio’s acquisition of Lucasfilm.

A new, and very welcome, addition to the cast is Fleabag creator Phoebe Whaller-Bridge, as Helena Shaw, Jones’ goddaughter who is described as the catalyst of the film’s plot. The first Indiana Jones movie, Raiders of the Lost Ark, was released in 1981 and set in 1936. Film no. 5 is a direct sequel to Kingdom of the Crystal Skull but set 25 years later in 1969, as Dr. Jones battles the moral dilemma that the U.S. government has recruited former Nazis to help beat the Soviet Union in the space race. He’s also being divorced by wife Marion and being forced into retirement … so when Shaw invites him on a quest to retrieve a mysterious dial known as the Antikythera from an ex-Nazi now working for NASA (played by Mads Mikkelsen), he naturally jumps at the chance. 

Opens June 30, 2023, for more, click here.

NO HARD FEELINGS

• By RICH ANDREW
• Photo Courtesy of SONY PICTURES

Writers Gene Stupnitsky (Jury Duty) and John Phillips (Dirty Grandpa) are heating up this season right with their slapstick comedy about a summer fling. The film stars consummate goofball Jennifer Lawrence (Causeway) as Maddie, an Uber driver whose livelihood is abruptly ripped away from her when her car gets repossessed. Down on her luck and desperate, she finds a peculiar ad on Craigslist from a married couple offering a free car. All she has to do is date their son. Doting parents Laird and Allison hire Maddie to bring their son Percy out of his shell before he is on his own and off to college. So Maddie has only a few months to turn their shy and seemingly asexual teenager into a party-loving, charismatic Casanova. What follows is an exploit of binge drinking, inappropriate vomiting, and the use of every aphrodisiac under the sun. And what Maddie finds out is that underneath all of Percy’s social awkwardness is a hopeless romantic she might actually be falling for. With a star-studded cast that also includes Andrew Barth Feldman (Foul Play), Matthew Broderick (Lazy Susan), Laura Benanti (Life & Beth), Natalie Morales (The Morning Show), Scott MacArthur (Killing It), Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Bear), Kyle Mooney (Saturday Night Live), and Hasan Minhaj (Haunted Mansion), No Hard Feelings is a feel good smash.

For more, click here.

Dalíland

• By Nina Sventitsky
• Photo By Magnolia Studios

What do you know about Salvador Dalí- the Spanish Surrealist artist? It’s hard to find an artist who has imprinted more on 20th century media and art than Dalí. His most well-known painting – The Persistance of Memory – features images of drooping clock faces. Dalí became a devotee of cubism and the avant-garde movements in art in the 1920s and is probably the key figure most of us connect with these movements. 

Dalíland stars Sir Ben Kingsley as the titular Salvador Dalí, one of the most world-renowned artists of the 20th century and focuses on the later years of the strange and fascinating marriage between Dalí and his wife, Gala (Barbara Sukowa), as their seemingly unshakable bond begins to stress and fracture. Set in New York and Spain in 1974, the film is told through the eyes of James, a young assistant keen to make his name in the art world. 

The cast ofDalíland is art-house royalty; Lesley Manville, Tim Roth, Frank Dillane and Ezra Miller are also in the film, which should not be missed. Set in New York and Spain in the early 1970s, the story follows a young assistant assigned to prepare Dalí for an upcoming gallery show. 

Directed by Mary Harron (American Psycho), Dalíland is a peek inside the tumultuous and creative world of this extraordinary genius. 

For more, click here.

THE FLASH

• By KENNE HOFFMAN
• Photo By WARNER BROS.

The Scarlet Speedster, also known as The Flash (Played by Ezra Miller, Fantastic Beasts) speeds into theaters and the hearts of The Flash fans. This marks the first time the character, based on the 1940 comic book character of the same name, has had his own feature film. Barry Allen aka The Flash has had a successful television series (starring Glee’s Grant Gustin) running for nearly a decade. As the series wraps up, Miller steps into the scarlet running shoes to continue the legacy of the fastest man alive.

When Barry Allen, a forensic scientist, is struck by lightning he acquires super (hero) speed known as The Speed Force. Allen/The Flash uses his powers for good and protects Central City from evil. The Flash goes on to be a founding member of The Justice League and is a key player in almost every major event in DC Comics.

The Flash film is inspired by Flashpoint and will be pulling elements from that well-known storyline. Barry goes back in time to save his mother from being murdered and inadvertently causes a ripple in time that will bring about the end of the world. How many times would the world have ended without our beloved superheroes to save us? Now Barry must find a way to reset the timeline before it’s too late. Ben Affleck will be Playing this Earth’s Batman/Bruce Wayne role. And because Flashpoint uses alternate timelines and universes, and Michael Keaton will again be donning the BatmanMantle in this film and fans are excited about this. Also, Michael Shannon (Man of Steel) will reprise his role of General Zod.

The film speeds into theaters June 16, 2023. For more, click here.