Tag Archives: a quiet place

Get a First Look at ‘A Quiet Place Part II’

Last year’s A Quiet Place, the directorial debut by John Krasinki (aka Jim from The Office) was an unexpected hit. The innovative almost-silent horror film, which chronicles a post-apocalyptic world in the near future that’s been overrun by creatures that hunt by sound, was a commercial and critical success that saw Krasinski star alongside his wife, Emily Blunt. Shortly after the film’s surprise success became apparent, a sequel was announced with Krasinski resuming writing and directing duties and today the first official teaser trailer was released. In the new 30-second clip,  we see the Blunt return with her two children as they seem determined to venture beyond their safety zone and take on the creatures and who knows what else.

 

A Quiet Place Part II hits theaters on March 20, 2020. Watch the teaser trailer above now.

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Welcome to the Age of the Terror Film

Last year, there was a horror film resurgence. Movies like Hereditary, A Quiet Place, and Annihilation were all hits by critics and audiences alike for their originality that brought new credibility to the genre. Jordan Peele’s directorial debut Get Out was the first horror film nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture since Silence of the Lambs took home the prize in 1992—only six have ever been nominated in the ceremony’s 91-year history. But something was different — the model had changed. Audiences seemed to want more than the traditional monster flick (though there were plenty of those as well), hungry for more innovative interpretations to scare the public.

 

In literary terms, there’s a distinct difference between ‘horror’ and ‘terror.’ The former is described as a repulsed reaction to something grotesque, while the latter is the moments of dread leading up to it. Horror is seeing the shark attack the woman, but terror is sensing that she shouldn’t get into the water. Terror is before, while horror comes after.

 

 

Horror films. seem to be entertaining the idea of ‘terror’ more literally today. This phenomenon has been spearheaded by independent productions that inspire word of mouth hype. In 2016, The Witch earned commendation for its idiosyncratic take on the classic female coming-of-age tale while criticism was targeted for its pacing and hard-to-follow story. Similarly, It Comes at Night had warm critical reception while audiences were turned off by the slow-pacing. Both were marketed as conventional horror films but were treading new terror-tory entirely. New York-based film company A24, which produced both films mentioned as well as Hereditary, seems to be a leading figure in this space.

 

Hereditary, the directorial debut of Ari Aster, is a masterclass in dread. Anchored by a career-defining performance by Toni Colette, the film is a tale of grief surrounding a family’s own unraveling before reaching a fever pitch. The film was one of the year’s most acclaimed for its raw and unnerving portrayal of a family in distress. Yet despite the supernatural undertones, the film was heralded by critics for its realism. Aster’s latest effort, the Pagan folk-inspired Midsommar that follows a group of friends who attend a mysterious festival in Sweden, has a similar tone. What makes it effective is that based on the premise, tone, and plenty of foreshadowing, viewers are given strong clues as to what’s about to go down. So once that’s figured out, it just becomes a ride to see how far Aster can take in the moments leading up to the end.

 

 

What does it mean that we’re seeing a rise in these types of films? Historically, horror films have often been made in response to political times. The low-budget genre-defining Night of the Living Dead was a commentary on racism. Candyman, which is currently being remade by Peele, was a commentary on gentrification in Chicago. It Follows was a commentary on AIDS. At best, they offer valuable cultural insights that capture the zeitgeist and prey upon what we already know. So the fact that we’re interpreting ‘terror’ as the new horror film template could indicate at something bigger that’s yet to come.

 

This type of dread is painfully evident today. There’s general hopelessness that hovers above our day-to-day lives—global warming is worse than we thought. The upcoming election is its own kind of a mess. Beyond the cinema, we’re living in a new age of terror. The real horror is yet to come.

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Our Golden Globe 2019 Film Predictions

With the Golden Globes on Sunday, we’ve compiled a list of our expected winners of the award ceremony. For the sake of brevity, we’re only focusing on the film nominees as I don’t watch TV apart from the same Frasier episodes I’ve come to rely on. Now on to the show.

Best Motion Picture – Drama
A Star Is Born
Black Panther
BlacKkKlansman
Bohemian Rhapsody
If Beale Street Could Talk

It’s a toss-up between Black Panther and A Star is Born, but Bradley Cooper really delivered in his directorial debut and third mainstream iteration of the classic Hollywood tale. Plus, “Shallow.”

Best Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy
Crazy Rich Asians
The Favourite
Green Book
Mary Poppins Returns
Vice

The Favourite is really unlike anything that’s come out in recent years, and with career-defining performances by its female leads, it deserves the title.

Best Director, Motion Picture
Adam McKay, Vice
Alfonso Cuarón, Roma
Bradley Cooper, A Star Is Born
Peter Farrelly, Green Book
Spike Lee, BlacKkKlansman

Lee knows how to capture the zeitgeist and it showed. Kudos.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture, Drama
Glenn Close, The Wife
Lady Gaga, A Star Is Born
Melissa McCarthy, Can You Ever Forgive Me?
Nicole Kidman, Destroyer
Rosamund Pike, A Private War

I love Glenn Close (watch The Wife — 2/3 of the film is just close-ups of her looking doubtful), but Gaga’s intensity (she barely blinks???) and dedication demonstrated in Star are sure to secure her second Globe.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy
Constance Wu, Crazy Rich Asians
Charlize Theron, Tully
Elsie Fisher, Eighth Grade
Emily Blunt, Mary Poppins Returns
Olivia Colman, The Favourite

Colman in The Favourite? Dramatic, erratic, and vulnerable. Queen!

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture
Amy Adams, Vice
Claire Foy, First Man
Emma Stone, The Favourite
Rachel Weisz, The Favourite
Regina King, If Beale Street Could Talk.

Amy Adams continued to exercise her incredible versatility in this fierce political satire. Also, Sharp Objects.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama
Bradley Cooper, “A Star Is Born”
John David Washington, “BlacKkKlansman”
Lucas Hedges, “Boy Erased”
Rami Malek, “Bohemian Rhapsody”
Willem Dafoe, “At Eternity’s Gate”

Malek fabulously lost himself in the role as Freddie Mercury so it’s in the bag.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy
Christian Bale, Vice
John C. Reilly, Stan & Ollie
Lin-Manuel Miranda, Mary Poppins Returns
Robert Redford, The Old Man & the Gun
Viggo Mortensen, Green Book

Miranda is a musical master so give praise where it’s due.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture
Adam Driver, BlacKkKlansman
Mahershala Ali, Green Book
Richard E. Grant, Can You Ever Forgive Me?
Sam Rockwell, Vice
Timothée Chalamet, Beautiful Boy

2018’s it-boy was snubbed for Call Me By Your Name and reparations must be made.

Best Screenplay, Motion Picture
Adam McKay, Vice
Alfonso Cuarón, Roma
Barry Jenkins, If Beale Street Could Talk
Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara, The Favourite
Nick Vallelonga, Brian Currie, and Peter Farrelly, Green Book

Our winter cover star and Favourite co-star Joe Alwyn called this one of the best things he’s ever read. We can see why.

Best Original Score, Motion Picture
Alexandre Desplat, Isle of Dogs
Ludwig Göransson, Black Panther
Marco Beltrami, A Quiet Place
Justin Hurwitz, First Man
Marc Shaiman, Mary Poppins Returns

One of the most original horror flicks to come out, the score was used very strategically and to brilliant effect.

Best Original Song, Motion Picture
“All the Stars” — Black Panther
“Girl in the Movies” — Dumplin’
“Requiem for a Private War” — A Private War
“Revelation” — Boy Erased
“Shallow” — A Star Is Born

One word: AHHHHHHaaahhhhAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

Best Motion Picture, Animated
Incredibles 2
Isle of Dogs
Mirai
Ralph Breaks the Internet
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

A different take on Spider-Man that brings it to a new level.

Best Motion Picture, Foreign Language
Capernaum
Girl
Never Look Away
Roma
Shoplifters

This is just a beautiful movie. See for yourself.