Isle Of Dogs
Director: Wes Anderson
Screenwriter: Wes Anderson
Cast: Bryan Cranston, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Jeff Goldblum, Kunichi Nomura, Ken Watanabe, Greta Gerwig, Frances McDormand, Courtney B. Vance, Fisher Stevens, Nijiro Murakami, Harvey Keitel, Koyu Rankin, Liev Schreiber, Bob Balaban, Scarlett Johansson, Tilda Swinton, Akira Ito, Akira Takayama, F. Murray Abraham, Yojiro Noda, Mari Natsukim, Yoko Ono, Frank Wood
Distributor: Fox Searchlight
Rated PG-13 | 101 Minutes
Release Date: March 23, 2018 (Limited); April 6, 2018 (Wide)

There is plenty of visually pleasing aesthetics to look at when seeing a film like Wes Anderson‘s Isle Of Dogs. The director’s latest stop-motion animation effort has all of his signature symmetrical, camera-panning style and deadpan humor. It also happens to be one of Anderson’s most politically charged films by addressing some very serious themes that affect us today. Unfortunately, none of that takes away from the fact that there is some appropriation going on, with the added white savior factor, and that the Japanese characters are playing supporting roles in a film set entirely in Japan.

Therein lies one of the greatest problems of this film. How much of it is Anderson paying homage to a culture by using the beautiful aesthetics and Akira Kurosawa inspirations, and how much of it is his signature being written over a culture? It’s the paradox that just keeps on giving. Check out my full review here below.

Stop-motion animation is a very taxing medium, but the pay off can be glorious if it is well-executed. Wes Anderson, the filmmaker known for quirky out of the box filmmaking, returns to stop-motion with Isle of Dogs. In the film, dogs are supposedly carriers of a disease and are all banished to a garbage dump known as Trash Island.

Now we are getting a closer look at how this film came to be from those who voice the characters in a newly released cast interviews featurette. The only thing is the cast is not speaking through their respective human forms, but through their cuddly canine characters. Quite a fun way to push a movie and get everyone interested. Check it out below.

Wes Anderson films are anything but conventional. He has a visual sense composed of flat cameras, snappy zooms, symmetrical compositions, hand-made art, and miniature feels, that give the film’s setting a sense of uniqueness. On top of that, he has a quirky and yet hypnotic soundtrack that often utilizes pop songs of the ’60s and ’70s. Then there is the dysfunctional family that takes center stage of the storytelling. And while all of that plays a huge role in his live-action films, Anderson has also dipped his hand into stop-motion animation. An animation medium where his skills can be put to good uses because of its use of practical hand made set pieces.

Which takes us to Isle of Dogs, Anderson’s latest directorial effort that uses stop-motion animation. And just wait until you hear who has lent their talents for the film. Check out the cast and trailer below.

The Mummy (2017)
Director: Alex Kurtzman
Writers: David Koepp, Christopher McQuarrie, Dylan Kussman
Cast: Tom Cruise, Sofia Boutella, Annabelle Wallis, Jake Johnson, Courtney B. Vance, Russell Crowe
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Rated PG-13 | 107 Minutes
Release Date: June 9, 2017

“Welcome to a new world of gods and monsters.”

If you’re a moviegoer in the year 2017, odds are you’re familiar with the concept of a “shared cinematic universe.” Whether it’s the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s The Avengers or the DC Extended Universe’s upcoming Justice League, we understand that these franchises are built on standalone stories set within the same continuity, leading to crossover events and team-up films.

The idea of a shared cinematic universe came into being over 70 years ago with the emergence of Universal Monsters. Following their popular silent films, 1923’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame and 1925’s The Phantom of the Opera, Universal Studios began developing talkies based on other classic horror characters. 1931’s Dracula and Frankenstein got things started, followed by The Mummy (1932), The Invisible Man (1933), 1935’s Bride of Frankenstein, and The Wolf Man (1941).

Sometimes explorers should just leave ancient temples be. But where’s the fun in that? We’ve all heard the story before of an ancient evil being unleashed on accident, on purpose, or just because someone is curious. It’s all been done before. But for Universal’s reboot of The Mummy, it’s a little bit different. That’s because it’s a part of a dark universe of monsters.

In the film’s final action-packed trailer we see Tom Cruise being attacked by ancient monsters and hurled out of vehicles. All the while, audiences will “Witness The Beginning of a Dark Universe.” Check out the final trailer below.