sandwichjohnfilms

Looking Better Than The Last Time We Saw Him Story by David Clark Images have surfaced this past week showing Frank Grillo ’s character Rumlow finally taking on his villainous persona known as Crossbones. First appearing in the Marvel movie universe as part of Captain America’s S.T.R.I.K.E. team in Winter Soldier, Frank Rumlow has served as little more than a punching bag thus far. In Winter Soldier Rumlow and his team were assigned to apprehend and detain Captain America after the Captain withholds information from S.H.I.E.L.D., clearly a task that is easier said than done. Cornering Captain America in an elevator Rumlow and his team proceed to receive a royal beatdown. Unfortunately for Rumlow, getting his butt kicked was not the end of his troubles in Winter Soldier. At the movie’s conclusion Rumlow has the misfortune of having an airship dropped on top of him. One of the very last scenes in Winter Soldier is that of a badly burned Rumlow being carted into a hos...

Who Got Chopped? Review by David Clark As with every other episode this season, this week’s Blue Bloods revolves around three main storylines. Opening with the aftermath of a homicide, detectives Danny and Maria must overcome their initial shock at finding a celebrity chef named Bret Madison dead. Having found his fame through a reality cooking show, the now dead chef was on the upswing of a promising career. The first suspect that Danny and Maria come across in the investigation ends up giving a full confession. Being seasoned veteran detectives Danny and Maria find the convenience of the confession to good to be true; so they continue looking under rocks for clues. They quickly learn that the dead chef was having issues with his landlord Choinski. Coincidentally Choinski is also the man who pointed the detectives towards the initial suspect that confessed. Learning that Choinski runs a number of less than legal business ventures, Danny guessed that Choinski...

Is Stardom All It Is Cracked Up To Be? Review by David Clark Buckle up for this one and be prepared because Hollywood Shuffle will make you laugh, think, and feel guilty all at the same time. Robert Townsend, known today as a well rounded actor, writer, and director, had a message on his mind that he wanted to share with the world. Nearly 30 years later Townsend’s little project is still funny and still holds relevance. Joined by the likes of Keenan Ivory Wayans, David McKnight, Anne-Marie Johnson, Helen Martin, and Sarah Coughlan; Townsend sheds light on what life as a young would-be minority actor is like in hollywood. Despite the important message regarding equality for actors, Hollywood Shuffle does not preach or lecture, it is a satirical comedy that has a moral at the center. The movie follows Townsend as he plays the character of Bobby Taylor, a young African-American actor trying to earn his big break in the movie and television industry. Bobby tries to...

The well-made HBO documentary reveals essential truths about Lincoln and the family who protected his legacy. Review by Matt Cummings Our nation's cherished history is often expressed in terms of events: the American Revolution, The Civil War, 9/11. But at its heart, our history is a story of people. Figures like Abraham Lincoln have been celebrated in over 15,000 books, each trying to tell another aspect of his life. In the HBO documentary Living with Lincoln , one more story is told that's never been attempted: the effort made by one family to preserve its overwhelming collection of related photographs and documents. The result is far more about the their extraordinary burden of maintaining it rather than shedding any new light on the 16 president, and that's ok. Narrated by Documentary filmmaker Peter Kunhardt, the grandson of famous historian/child author Dorothy Kundhardt, the documentary traces the history of the family's four generations to pro...

We break down the cast, and discuss its big differences to a certain Marvel team. Story by Matt Cummings Now that CW's Arrow and The Flash have released their finales, it's time to look at another superhero series debuting on the network next Fall. And just like Warner Bros' movie adaptation of the team up Suicide Squad, this one's got a lot of familiar faces. Titled DC's Legends of Tomorrow , the series brings together a collection of heroes from Arrow and The Flash, some of which were introduced this season. The Atom (Brandon Routh), FIRESTORM (Robbie Amell), Hawkgirl (Kendra Saunders), White Canary (Kaity Lotz), and villain Captain Cold (Wentworth Miller). Scientist Dr. Martin Stein (Victor Garber) looks to be the team's version of Professor X, leading the way backstage and serving as the team's morals/conscience. The announcement was made this week at the Upfront media event in Los Angeles by showing the trailer below, and has already be...

Read on to learn if the sequel recaptures the magic of the original. Review by Sue Lukenbaugh The Pitches are back, and while the Bellas prove they've still got swagger, they lack the spark that made us really love them in the first place. The Barden Bellas have been ruling the world of collegiate a cappella since we last saw them, but with that success and the lack of Aubrey's stringent leadership the girls have gotten sloppy. They've lost their identity and can't get through a performance without some sort of catastrophe. Just as in the first one, the Bellas have to come together to after a very embarrassing display. Instead of projectile vomit, its muffgate at the Kennedy Center in front of the POTUS and FLOTUS. The girls not only get their victory tour taken from them after the snafu, but in order for the Bellas to redeem themselves and not be disbanded forever after their current season they have to win the World Championship in Copenhagen. The Chief comp...

Read on to learn why this weekend isn't all bad for Marvel. Story by Matt Cummings With Avengers: Age of Ultron passing $1 billion internationally this week, the film has been a massive success, and should eclipse Furious 7 as the top domestic film of 2015 by the end of this weekend. Still, the latest superhero team-up hasn't fared nearly as well as its 2012 predecessor: as of this posting (10 days since its North American release), it's off nearly $70 million. That's a lot, and it's soon about to be deposed from its two-week throne as Universal’s sequel Pitch Perfect 2 and Warner Brothers' Mad Max: Fury Road arrive. Each of these releases is looking to take in as much as $50 million each, which should easily overthrow Ultron . Based on early Friday estimates from both Variety and BoxOfficeMojo, the Rebel Wilson/Anna Kendrick musical comedy is drawing solid numbers, with a very good $20-$22m, which could see it finish the weekend between $48...

See the first image released by Lionsgate for the final film. Story by Matt Cummings With The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1 bringing in a very profitable $752 million worldwide, it's time to say goodbye to this YA franchise with the final chapter. Lionsgate Films began its marketing campaign this week by releasing a new poster of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 2 for the Cannes Film Festival. Known as the "commemorative" print, it features Jennifer Lawrence's Katniss Everdeen dressed in her strappy leather-armored suit and standing behind her sister Primose (Willow Shields). From the pose, we can see just how much Katniss has changed since the series started in 2012, with Primose looking on a bit worried. Here's the plot according to a press release from Lionsgate: In the last installment of the "Hunger Games" movie franchise, Katniss confronts President Snow (Donald Sutherland) in the final showdown. Teamed with a group of ...

The spectacle of Mad Max: Fury Road is equaled only by its uncompromising brutality. Review by Matt Cummings The Mad Max franchise is one whose fans cling to it like the last tank of gasoline on planet Earth, while others state and wonder, "What's the big deal? Simply put, the franchise is one of the most brutal, thunderously loud and oddly-cast in movie history. Filled with memorable and outright weird characters like the hockey-masked Humungous to the assless-chapped Dex in The Road Warrior , to Master/Blaster and Pig Killer in Beyond Thunderdome , the entire experience can be difficult for some to get through. But with its trend-setting action sequences and dark, gritty tone, Mad Max has endured since it premiered in 1979. Its follow-up/reboot/sequel Mad Max: Fury Road is a spectacle of vehicle manslaughter, furthered by images that could be some of the most disturbing in recent film. Set in the mire of a post-apocalyptic world, one-man wrecking crew M...

Ender's game to join the MCU. By Brandon Wolfe Reported weeks ago as one of a handful of finalists for the role of the new Spider-Man , Ender’s Game star Asa Butterfield has entered early talks to portray Peter Parker in Captain America: Civil War before headlining his own film for Sony. While Deadline states that other candidates are still “in the mix,” the 18-year-old Butterfield has emerged as the frontrunner to bring a dash of youthfulness into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, where one expects he will be called “squirt” or “sport” by Tony Stark. Discuss this story with fellow SJF fans on Facebook . On Twitter, follow us at @SandwichJohnFilms , and follow author Brandon Wolfe at @BrandonTheWolfe .

Read on to learn about their newest project. Directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber and Executive Produced by Ed Helms. Production has begun in Boston on the action comedy Central Intelligence , for New Line Cinema and Universal Pictures. The film, starring Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart, will be directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber, director of the hit comedies “We’re the Millers” and “Dodgeball.” The story follows a one-time bullied geek who grew up to be a lethal CIA agent (Johnson), coming home for his high school reunion. Claiming to be on a top-secret case, he enlists the help of the former “big man on campus” (Hart), now an accountant who misses his glory days. But before the staid numbers-cruncher realizes what he’s getting into it’s too late to get out, as his increasingly unpredictable new friend drags him through a world of shoot-outs, double-crosses and espionage that could get them both killed in more ways than he can count. Central Intelligence will also sta...

See the PSA after the jump. Did you know that a contributing factor to the hellish post-apocalyptic wasteland depicted in director George Miller's MAD MAX: FURY ROAD was talking & texting in a theater? Watch Hugh Keays-Byrne (aka Immortan Joe, aka The Toecutter) and George Miller warn that seeds of our society's downfall could begin with human callousness in the movie theater. Hugh Keays-Byrne and George Miller "Don't Talk" PSA George Miller's uncompromising vision of an apocalyptic wasteland future CONTINUES! Society is in total decay and homicidal maniac gangs rule the barren Earth. Then, when hope seemed lost and anarchy prevailing, the fiery decaying soil opened up and gave birth to the hardest man to have ever walked the Earth, Max Rockatansky, a man who drinks gasoline and eats bullets. In this wasteland he is the one who runs from both the living and the dead. A man reduced to a single instinct...survive. Teamed up with Furio...

Read on to learn when you can catch the film. Directed by Martin Owen Starring: Mischa Barton, Drake Bell, Brooke Hogan, Dave Bautista, Abigail Wright and Andy Dick A biting, social satire of reality TV and the glorification of those who are “famous for being famous,” L.A. SLASHER takes aim at the current state of the entertainment industry, where it is acceptable (and even admirable) to gain influence and wealth without merit or talent – but instead through shameful behavior, and the notoriety that comes from it. Incensed by the tabloid culture that promotes this new breed of “celebrities,” the L.A. Slasher publicly abducts a series of reality TV stars, which leads the media and the general public to question if perhaps society is better off without them. L.A. SLASHER is directed, written and produced by Martin Owen. Producers are Jeffrey Wright, Daniel Sollinger, and co-producer Sean Decker. Director of Photography is Chase Bowman. Starring Mischa Ba...

Check out the Mondo-sized gallery appearing soon. Mondo's dino-sized gallery show celebrating Jurassic Park and the highly anticipated Jurassic World (in theaters June 12) will feature dozens of artists contributing original works of art and screen prints for one of the all time greatest blockbusters. The films offer a rich world of colossal dinosaurs, gorgeous tropical landscapes and iconic characters for artists to draw their inspiration from. The title of the show "When Dinsoaurs Ruled The Earth" references the climactic scene of Jurassic Park when the T-Rex triumphantly reclaims her dominance at the top of the food chain, making the past tense of that falling banner's copy ominously incorrect. Now 65 million + 22 years later, dinosaurs are getting their first fully functioning theme park in Jurassic World with all of the terrible implications of how that will go perfectly wrong. "Hosting an entire gallery exhibit of new Jurassic Park artwork is ...

The ape planet goes to war. By Brandon Wolfe The third installment in Fox’s updated Planet of the Apes series has been given a title : War of the Planet of the Apes . Not anything too surprising, yet still fitting. Still, it's a bit awkward (maybe War FOR the Planet of the Apes might be better?), but this series, while great in every other way, has always contended with clunky titles (overuse of “of the”; “Rise” and “Dawn” meaning the same thing). Why should this one be any different? War of the Planet of the Apes , which will again be directed by Dawn ’s Matt Reeves, is set to open July 14, 2017. Discuss this story with fellow SJF fans on Facebook . On Twitter, follow us at @SandwichJohnFilms , and follow author Brandon Wolfe at @BrandonTheWolfe .

Edward Snowden doc is as chilling as any thriller. Review by Brandon Wolfe One of the key traits that distinguishes Citizenfour from most documentaries is the way in which Laura Poitras’ film captures a landmark cultural moment as it occurs. Most documentaries – not all, but most – examine a subject from some distance, months or years after the fact, but Citizenfour allows us the opportunity to witness its seismic events unfold in real-time. Everyone always wishes they were a fly on the wall when something significant happens. Citizenfour puts us on that wall. The film’s subject, NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden, reached out to documentarian Poitras and journalist Glenn Greenwald via unsolicited, encrypted emails in early 2013. Snowden designated them as the ideal vessels through which to release information to the public that he felt was crucial. In his years working as an NSA contractor, Snowden became privy to knowledge that the agency, using 9/11 as justification, had been ...

Mr. Burns is gonna sound a little off from now on. By Brandon Wolfe While Fox’s undying The Simpsons has already been renewed for two more seasons (it’s 83rd and 84th, I believe), don’t expect to hear one voice – several voices, actually – when they air. Harry Shearer, who has been a part of the vocal cast from the start and who voices such major characters as Mr. Burns, Smithers, Principal Skinner, Ned Flanders and many more, has left the show. Shearer, who has long argued that the show should give its longstanding cast a piece of its sizable merchandising pie, posted a couple of cryptic tweets last night that seemed to indicate his departure, and today showrunner Al Jean has confirmed that Shearer turned down the offer that the rest of the cast accepted and has parted company with the series. Shearer’s numerous characters, however, will not be retired, just replaced with “the finest voice talent available.” While it’s tempting to dismiss Shearer as greedy, the fact of the mat...

We pontificate on the return of an American classic to the small screen. Review by Matt Cummings The Muppets have experienced as of late what one might call an identity crisis. Filled with the glory of the 2012 movie , our hearts were nearly broken by the immense critical and financial disappointment of Muppets Most Wanted . It was as if a great sports athlete, bound for certain glory, was suddenly laid up by injury and unavailable to fulfill their destiny. But as in sports, entertainment always seems to get a second chance, and that's exactly what has happened for The Muppets. Ever since we reported on Tuesday that they would be returning to ABC Television in the Fall , our hopes for success have grown with the trailer that was released during the network's Upfront event. If you haven't see it yet, check out the extended trailer and see if your thoughts align with ours: From the getgo, it's clear that the new show has a familiar flavor: zany Muppet ch...

We weigh in on CBS' extended trailer. Story by Matt Cummings Ever since we first reported that CBS was developing a Supergirl series for their Fall lineup , our opinion (and that of most of the Internet) has been the same word - uneasiness. The idea wasn't bad and CBS' logic (at the time) seemed sound: bring the next baddest good guy they could find to the screen that wasn't named Superman. But in looking at the extended trailer below - which we announced yesterday - our concerns have moved far beyond uneasiness. See it for yourself, and see if your thoughts align with our own: From the beginning, it's clear that Producer Greg Berlanti ( Arrow , Flash ) is trying to capture the magic of Flash's memorable first season into a bottle he can replicate with any DC hero he desires. But the result looks cheap, melodramatic, and seems to return to many themes already echoed in other DC movies and television episodes. This isn't even the secon...

FOX SEARCHLIGHT PICTURES ACQUIRES PAOLO SORRENTINO’S “ YOUTH ”, STARRING MICHAEL CAINE, HARVEY KEITEL, RACHEL WEISZ, PAUL DANO AND JANE FONDA . Fox Searchlight Pictures Presidents Stephen Gilula and Nancy Utley announced today that the company has acquired North American rights to YOUTH, starring Oscar winner Michael Caine, Oscar winner Rachel Weisz, Oscar winner Jane Fonda, Academy Award nominee Harvey Keitel and Paul Dano. The film is written and directed by Paolo Sorrentino, director of Italy’s Oscar foreign language winner THE GREAT BEAUTY, and produced by Nicola Giuliano, Francesca Cima, Carlotta Calori for Indigo Film in collaboration with Medusa Film. YOUTH is coproduced by Fabio Conversi for Barbary Films, Jérôme Seydoux for Pathé, Stephen Woolley, Elizabeth Karlsen for Number 9, David Kosse for Film4, and Anne Walser for C-Films. YOUTH will premiere at the Cannes Film Festival and is scheduled to be released in 2015. “I’m delighted and proud that Fox Searchlight has acq...