The Report
Director: Scott Z. Burns
Writer: Scott Z. Burns
Cast: Adam Driver, Annette Bening, Ted Levine, Michael C. Hall, Tim Blake Nelson, Corey Stoll, Maura Tierney, Jon Hamm, Matthew Rhys, John Rothman, Sarah Goldberg
Distributor: Amazon Studios
Rated R | Minutes: 120
Release Date: November 15, 2019

There is nothing more shocking and revealing than the truth. Scott Z. Burn‘s The Report is based on the true story of Daniel Jones’ investigation into the infamous Torture Report that followed after the September 11 attacks. The film takes a deep dive to uncover the heinous torture crimes committed by the CIA, and how they and the White House tried to cover it all up. While it is a slow and tedious political thriller, it is something that is filled with fast-paced dialogue, outstanding performances from Adam Driver and Annette Benning, and shocking revelations that will surely evoke anger and frustration.

Above all, The Report highlights the absolute necessity for investigative reporting. My full review here below.

If films like The Irishman, The King, and Marriage Story didn’t make it crystal clear how serious Netflix is about bringing home that Academy Award for Best Picture they were unable to win with Roma last year, they also have someone Oscar is quite fond of, none other than Meryl Streep, a 21-time nominee and three-time winner.

Streep stars in The Laundromat, which Netflix released an official trailer for today. But she’s not alone. Not by a long-shot. The movie is directed by Academy Award winner Steven Soderbergh, and she’s joined on the cast by fellow Oscar winner Gary Oldman and Antonio Banderas. And they’re just the tip of the iceberg; the cast is massive, with numerous familiar faces. You can watch the trailer and see the full cast in the synopsis below.

The 25th installment of the James Bond film franchise has been going by its unofficial title, Bond 25. But that ends today.

The folks behind the film, which once again stars Daniel Craig as the iconic British MI6 spy, have titled the film No Time To Die. More on the report, below.

Audiences won’t get to see Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, the latest sequel in the long-running sci-fi franchise, until this summer, but 20th Century Fox must surely be happy with how the anticipated film is shaping up because they have signed Dawn director Matt Reeves to both co-write and direct the next Apes adventure.

Reeves, who also directed Cloverfield and Let Me In, will share scripting duties on the third entry in the rebooted Apes franchise that was reborn with the surprising success of 2011’s Rise of the Planet of the Apes with Mark Bomback. The original screenplay for Dawn was written by Rise scribes Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver and went through rewrites by Scott Z. Burns (Contagion) and Bomback. In addition to this summer’s smashing X-flick The Wolverine, Bomback has also worked on the scripts for Live Free or Die Hard, Tony Scott’s final movie Unstoppable, and last summer’s Total Recall remake.

Side Effects
Directed by Steven Soderbergh
Written by Scott Z. Burns
Starring: Rooney Mara, Channing Tatum, Jude Law, Catherine Zeta-Jones
Open Road Films
Rated R | 106 Minutes
Release Date: February 8th, 2013

Directed by Steven Soderbergh (Magic Mike) and written by Scott Z. Burns (Contagion), Side Effects begins as an exploration of the pharmaceutical industry and experimental mood-altering drugs. But slowly, Soderbergh’s film becomes something different altogether.

The film follows Emily (Rooney Mara) and her husband Martin (Channing Tatum), a New York couple whose world unravels when a new drug prescribed by Emily’s psychiatrist (Jude Law) – intended to treat anxiety and depression – has unexpected side effects.

Accustomed to a life of luxury and blissful matrimony, Emily’s world collapsed when her dream husband was arrested for insider trading. Since then, she has been struggling with depression and anxiety about the future, or her lack of one. After serving a 4-year prison term, Martin has returned home to help rebuild his life with Emily.

Emily begins seeing Dr. Jonathan Banks (Law), who recommends better living through chemistry via a new SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor), Ablixa. In the past, Emily hasn’t had much luck with drugs like Prozac, Welbutrin, Zoloft, or Effexor, so she’s willing to try the pharmaceutical industry’s latest ‘miracle cure.’