Film

No Time to Die

• By Debbie Emery
• Photo Courtesy of MGM

James Bond fans have waited 18 months for Daniel Craig’s final film as 007 — but after multiple pandemic-induced delays, No Time to Die is finally here. With Cary Joji Fukunaga (True Detective) as director, we are guaranteed to be in for a wild ride as Bond takes on new villain Lyutsifer Safin, played by Bohemian Rhapsody Oscar winner, Rami Malek.

No Time to Die opens with Bond having retired from active service and enjoying a tranquil life in Jamaica. But his pina colada-sipping days are interrupted when he’s contacted by friend/CIA agent Felix Leiter. A “simple” mission to rescue a kidnapped scientist ends up way more complicated than expected, and James is soon tracking the elusive Safin and his dangerous new technology. 

In a behind-the-scenes video, Fukunaga described Bond as a “wounded animal” who is “struggling with his role as a 00” five years after retirement. Co-star Léa Seydoux, who reprises her Spectre role as Dr. Madeleine Swann, also warned that this is an emotional Bond movie, saying: “I bet you’re going to cry.”

The introduction of a new 00, Lashana Lynch as Nomi, sparked speculation over whether Craig’s replacement will be a woman. We’re still waiting to find out who will take over the wheel of Bond’s Aston Martin, but in the meantime, No Time to Die hits theaters on Oct. 8. 

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Halloween Kills

• By AC Remler
• Photo Courtesy of Universal Pictures

The boogey man is back! In Halloween Kills, Michael Myers (aka The Shape) returns for a new gory killing spree after having been presumed dead in 2018’s Halloween. Kills is the 12^th installment of the Halloween franchise and the second in a trilogy directed by David Gordon Green based on the 1978 classic.

The slasher saga left off with the Strode gals–Jamie Lee Curtis’ Laurie Strode, Judy Greer’s Karen, and Andi Matichak’s Allyson—escaping Laurie’s burning house in Haddonfield, believing Michael is dead inside.

But if there’s anything we know about horror flicks, when you presume everything is fine …it’s most definitely not. Folks of Haddonfield start turning up dead. Michael’s at it again and his killing rampage is more grisly than ever before.

In Kills, there’s an interesting Frankensteinian twist: Sick of living in fear, the town forms a vigilante mob to hunt Michael down. An assemblage of scarred souls triggered into action after generations of terror—another dark ripple to add to the macabre tale.

For franchise connoisseurs, there are plenty of references to previous Halloween films. Look for fun role reprisals from 1978 including Michael Anthony Hall as Tommy Doyle and Kyle Richards as Lindsey Wallace. And umm, can we believe that Laurie is a grandma now? Sheesh. With a final chapter on the way from Green, expect a cliffhanger to leave us dying for more.

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MASS

• By RICH ANDREW
• Photo Courtesy of BLEEKER STREET

With his feature debut, writer and director Fran Kranz (Homecoming) is impressing audiences with one of the most heart-wrenching and hot-button conversations our country has yet to have. Set in the private sanctuary of a church, Mass is more than just a story about reconciliation. In the wake of another senseless school shooting, two families have gathered to talk about their two sons — one murdered and the other the murderer. What follows is a complicated yet intimate discussion about loss, but without arriving at a suitable answer to the impossible question of why, these broken parents are left to unpack their remorse, their resentment, and their own responsibility. In no small feat, this film lands every emotional punch it can throw with due credit falling to its impeccable cast of insanely talented actors who have the awards to prove it: Martha Plimpton (Generation), Jason Isaacs (Sex Education), Reed Birney (Home Before Dark), and Ann Dowd (The Handmaid’s Tale). Birney and Dowd play the parents of the shooter with such conflicted grace, making them hard to blame, and as always, Isaacs nails the brooding and desperate father with ease. But it is Martha Plimpton whose performance as mother of the deceased holds such power and fragility that it will undoubtedly bring you to tears while earning Mass some much-deserved Oscar buzz.

“Mass” premieres October 8th.

DUNE

• By Kenne Hoffman
• Photo Courtesy of Warner Bros.

Dune gets a new feature film and a new generation of fans! Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures the film will premiere in theatres along with HBO Max streaming it for the first month. Dune is based on one of the most beloved multi-layered novels in the annals of science fiction. Frank Herbert wrote nearly 30 popular books and collections of short stories including six in the Dune universe. All became international best sellers. Herbert drew inspiration from the stories of H.G. Wells, Jules Verne, and Edgar Rice Burroughs and is widely renowned for his intricate worlds, galaxies, and multi-dimensional characters. Dunehas seen two previous film versions — David Lynch’s 1984 adaptation and John Harrison’s Frank Herbert’s Dune for the Sci-Fi Channel in 2000. 

Dune takes place in a distant galaxy and focuses on Duke Leto Atreides (Oscar Isaac, Star Wars Episode VIII), young Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet, Call Me by Your Name), and Lady Jessica, Paul’s mother (Rebecca Ferguson, Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation) as they travel to a treacherous desert planet. Apart from harvesting “the spice,” capable of prolonging human life and providing beyond genius intellect, no one comes here. Malevolent forces will clash violently over the exclusive supply of the most precious resource in existence. As with any great novel to film franchise, an epic battle ensues for power and control. After all, “He who controls the spice, controls the world!”

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