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Dysfunctional parents, a pining girlfriend, falling for a straight guy — if you’ve seen one gay coming-out movie, you’ve seen them all. In fact, the genre has become so overcrowded that it’s spilled out from indie film festivals to streaming and even the multiplex via mainstream efforts such as “Love, Simon,” “Heartstopper,” and “Red, White & Royal Blue.”

Watching these same beats play out time and again, it’s tempting to dismiss coming-out movies as trite or unnecessary these days, at least within a Western context. But of course, every generation deserves its own version of this story. The problem is when said story is derivative of what’s come before.

Cookie-cutter takes on this vital step in the lives of so many no longer move the dial forward like they used to. To be queer is by definition a radical act, yet subversive, disruptive spins on that narrative remain few and far between.

[Warning: The following contains Major spoilers for The Boys Season 3, Episodes 7 & 8, “Here Comes a Candle to Light You to Bed” & “The Instant White-Hot Wild.”] The Boys is without a doubt one of TV’s wackiest shows, but it can also deliver one of its most poignant with dark trauma-filled storylines like in Season 3’s revealing entry, “Here Comes a Candle to Light You to Bed.” Directed by Sarah Boyd, the entry sees Boys’ vigilante leader Billy Butcher (Karl Urban) trapped in one of Mindstorm’s (Ryan Blakely) haunting visions. Experiencing his past in flashes, Butcher is haunted by memories of his younger brother Lenny (Jack Fulton). Forced to reckon with the mistakes he’s made, the unending fog allows viewers further insight into the violent opposer of Supes, just as the Black Noir’s (Nathan Mitchell) history is shared through the lens of cartoon characters making for an unconventional, yet moving story. ...

This article contains spoilers for The Boys season 3 episode 7.

In the Western pop culture canon, stories about fathers and sons will usually find an apt audience. Dating back to before even The Empire Strikes Back, (usually male) writers in genre storytelling have often used their art to unpack their history with their own respective fathers. What was the deal with that old man? Why was he so ornery all the time? Probably because he was secretly a space samurai killing people on behalf of a Galactic empire. Yeah, that’s it.

Through nearly three seasons now, Prime Video’s superhero satire The Boys has kept up that Skywalkerian energy. The show’s season 2 finale focused prominently on one son, Ryan (Cameron Crovetti), and the two men, Billy Butcher (Karl Urban) and Homelander (Antony Starr), who would attempt to be his father. Somehow we all know that the fate of the...

How much weight do you put into a strong performance within a film that has its fair share of issues? Can a single turn lift up an entire project? Honestly, it really depends on the movie and the acting turn in question. Sometimes, it can be enough to warrant a recommendation, while at other times, it still falls a little bit short. In the case of this week’s new release The Kindness of Strangers, we’re faced with a similar situation. The flick is a mixed bag, though its ensemble cast is led by a wonderful performance by Zoe Kazan. In the end, she does manage to drag this one across the finish line, generating enough goodwill for a mild recommendation. The movie is a drama that takes its title largely literally. The lynchpin is Clara (Kazan), an abused wife who packs up her two sons Anthony (Jack Fulton...

Stars: Jack Fulton, Jaeden Noel, Ava Preston, Dee Wallace, Tashiana Washington | Written by Scott Lobdell | Directed by Bobby Miller

All Drea (Tashiana Washington) wants is to get into a good college, but for now, she’s stuck making deliveries for a local sushi restaurant. One night, after her little brother Phillip (Jaeden Noel) witnesses meteors plummeting to Earth, one of her co-workers is attacked by hungry alien furballs with sharp teeth and big appetites. Yes, the rolling, ravenous critters are back, and soon Drea, Phillip, and two kids she’s babysitting (Ava Preston and Jack Fulton) are running for their lives. They’re also trying to protect an injured friendly alien they come across along the way, but every place they flee to becomes the site of a critter massacre.

I’m not going to lie, I went into Critters Attack! with a mix of trepidation and excitement. On the...

Do you remember the 80s sci-fi horror franchise Critters!? Well, they are making a comeback and the first trailer has been released for the new film, Critters Attack!

This film is a continuation of the original story and Dee Wallace (E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial) returns to reprise her role as Helen Brown from the first film. The movie looks like it will offer audiences a fun, silly, and violent experience. One of the charming aspects about the film is that the effects still look like they are from the 80s.

Here’s the synopsis:

Dee Wallace (E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial), who starred in the original Critters as Helen Brown, will sink her teeth into the franchise for a second time in the mysterious role of Aunt Dee. Inspired by the film series from the ’80s and ’90s, Critters follows 20-year-old Drea (Tashiana Washington), who reluctantly takes a job babysitting for...

Following IGN's trailer reveal that proved the Krites are returning to Earth and "everyone is on the menu" in the new horror comedy Critters Attack!, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has now announced a July 23rd Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital release date for the fifth Critters film, and we have a look at the cover art and list of special features ahead of its ravenous release:

From the Press Release: Burbank, CA – The feeding frenzy begins! Critters Attack!, the newest entry in the bloody, live-action, horror/sci-fi film series lands on earth on July 23, 2019, from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment on Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD and Digital for $24.98 / $19.98 / $19.99 Srp. Fans can also watch the fur-ocious creatures’ television debut on Syfy, scheduled to air in October.

Dee Wallace (E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial), who starred in the original Critters as Helen Brown, will sink her teeth into the franchise for a second time...

The feeding frenzy begins! Critters Attack! the newest entry in the bloody, live-action, horror/sci-fi film series lands on earth on July 23, 2019, from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment on Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD and Digital for $24.98 / $19.98 / $19.99 Srp. Fans can also watch the fur-ocious creatures' television debut on Syfy, scheduled to air in October.

Dee Wallace (E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial), who starred in the original Critters as Helen Brown, will sink her teeth into the franchise for a second time in the mysterious role of Aunt Dee. Inspired by the film series from the '80s and '90s, Critters follows 20-year-old Drea (Tashiana Washington), who reluctantly takes a job babysitting for a professor of a college she hopes to attend. Struggling to entertain the professor's children Trissy (Ava Preston) and Jake (Jack Fulton), along with her own little brother Phillip (Jaeden Noel), Drea takes them on a hike, unaware that mysterious...

The first trailer for Critters Attack is here. The little deadly creatures have been away from the pop culture landscape for nearly three decades now. However, in the modern age of Hollywood, everything old is new again. As such, this particular franchise is getting revived in a big way this year as we're not only getting the recently revealed Critters: A New Binge series over on Shudder, we're also getting this brand new movie, which brings back original franchise star Dee Wallace.

It's a trailer that should delight fans of the series. It starts off with a familiar premise, as the little creatures crash land on Earth and quickly begin devouring unsuspecting humans. Dee Wallace seems to be playing a role similar to that of Jamie Lee Curtis from the most recent Halloween, waiting and preparing for these aliens to return. Based on what we see here, she's more than ready for them.

The Krites recently returned to Earth after more than a 25-year hiatus in Shudder's Critters: A New Binge series, and now they're coming back in feature-length form in the new movie Critters Attack!, featuring Dee Wallace's return to the franchise.

IGN exclusively revealed the first trailer for Critters Attack!, which you can watch below. Wallace, who played Helen Brown in 1986's Critters, this time around plays Aunt Dee, and by the looks of the trailer, she's ready to wage war on the hungry Krites from outer space.

Not all of the Krites are looking to eat through the planet's human population, however, as one of the little space visitors seeks to help the humans in their battle against their newfound furry adversaries.

The new film is described as being "inspired by the film series from the '80s and '90s," so we'll have to wait and see if...

“Only just connect” are the words that would most aptly end “The Kindness of Strangers” if it were an E.M. Forster novel — even if that prospect is about as hard to swallow as, well, just about anything that happens in Lone Scherfig’s strange, sticky mélange of social realism, Dickensian sentiment and straight-up romantic fairy tale. Awkwardly twirling parboiled spaghetti strands of narrative around Zoe Kazan’s modern-day Little Match Girl — a pure-hearted mother of two escaping her abusive husband to live rough in Manhattan — this über-earnest Berlinale opener is given some commercial lift by classy ensemble casting and the malted directorial polish we’ve come to expect from the helmer behind “An Education” and “Their Finest.” But even Kazan’s stalwart commitment to the material can’t resolve the clash of grit and whimsy in Scherfig’s schizo moral fable.

“Can’t you just be kind?” pleads one character...

New York can be an unforgiving city, even in the best of circumstances. Unfortunately for the awkward patchwork of characters who populate Lone Scherfig’s listless new melodrama, “The Kindness of Strangers” does not take place in the best of circumstances. Everyone in the film is lost and lonely in one way or another; everyone is either helpless or guilty; everyone is either about to hit bottom, or beginning to claw their way out of a hole that’s too deep to escape without some assistance. The young mother whose story provides the spine of this underdeveloped mosaic, is somehow all of those things at once.

Played by a tender and compellingly frayed Zoe Kazan, Clara opens the story in the pre-dawn hours by stealing her two young sons (Jack Fulton and Finlay Wojtak-Hissong) away from their Buffalo home, and from the abusive cop husband (Esben Smed as the demonic...

Shadowhunters decided to scare to us death with Max's (Jack Fulton) near death experience, which was

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Read More >...

Shadowhunters decided to scare to us death with Max's (Jack Fulton) near death experience, which was a pretty mean thing to do.

In the books, Max dies from a blow to the head delivered by Jonathan/Sebastian when Max finds out his true identity. The show seemed to be following that course, but thanks

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With a seemingly endless amount of streaming options — not only the titles at our disposal, but services themselves — we’ve taken it upon ourselves to highlight the titles that have recently hit platforms. Every week, one will be able to see the cream of the crop (or perhaps some simply interesting picks) of streaming titles (new and old) across platforms such as Netflix, iTunes, Amazon, and more (note: U.S. only). Check out our rundown for this week’s selections below.

Closet Monster (Stephen Dunn)

Writer/director Stephen Dunn’s feature debut Closet Monster cares little about convention to tell the story of Oscar Madly (Connor Jessup) growing up with a psychological revulsion to his sexual urges, all thanks to an extremely disturbing event witnessed as a child. This prologue glimpse at his youth (played by Jack Fulton) is a mash-up of tough coming-of-age-dramatics and a dark-edged imaginative whimsy that intrigues to draw you closer.

Now that the summer is cooling down, we’re entering perhaps the best time of year for cinephiles, with a variety of festivals — some of which will hold premieres of our most-anticipated 2016 features — gearing up. As we do each year, after highlighting the best films offered thus far, we’ve set out to provide a comprehensive preview of the fall titles that should be on your radar, and we’ll first take a look at selections whose quality we can attest to. Ranging from acclaimed debuts at Sundance, Cannes, and more, we’ve rounded up 25 titles that will arrive from September to December (in the U.S.) and are all well worth seeking out.

As a note, these didn’t make the cut, but you can see our reviews at the links: White Girl (9/2), Other People (9/9), London Road (9/9), Goat (9/23), Sand Storm (9/28), Do Not Resist (9/30), The Birth of a Nation (10/7), Desierto...

The 2016 Outfest Los Angeles Lgbt Film Festival has a little for everyone this year. One of the city’s biggest showcases for Lgbt stories has competition screenings, retrospectives, diversity panels and even a Vr workshop (all of which you can find in their 2016 film guide).

Among the festival offerings are a handful of films we’ve been lucky enough to see elsewhere. Below, we’ve gathered thoughts on some of the titles we can guarantee are valuable additions to your Outfest screening schedule.

“The Intervention”

Clea DuVall has been a familiar face in movies and on TV since she was in her teens (she recently told Indiewire that her schooling mostly came from her working experiences, not high school or college), and she’s finally made the jump to directing with a Sundance breakout that spins “The Big Chill” into unexpected new directions. Starring a cast of other big indie...

This weekend New Yorkers will have a change to dive into a selection of the best recent Canadian cinema thanks to a showcase created by Tiff and Telefilm Canada appropriately called "See the North." On April 1, 2 and 3 2016, audiences at the IFC Center in New York City will be treated to this curated program of Canada’s finest creative talent, with directors in attendance for intros and Q+A’s.

The series includes the most recent work my Oscar-nominated filmmaker Philippe Falardeau ("Monsieur Lazhar"), an Lgbt-themed debut, and a drama starring Ellen Page and Evan Rachel Wood.

Here is the full lineup:

"Closet Monster" – Ontario/Newfoundland

A film by Stephen Dunn

Starring Connor Jessup, Aaron Abrams, Joanne Kelly, Aliocha Schneider, Sofia Banzhaf, Jack Fulton, Mary Walsh, Isabella Rossellini

Rt: 90min

U.S. Distributor: Strand Releasing

Screening: 4/1 at 9:30pm with intro and Q + A from director Stephen Dunn

Canada Goose Award for Best Canadian Feature Film, 2015 Toronto International Film Festival

An East Coast teenager and aspiring special-effects makeup artist (Connor Jessup, Blackbird, 2012 Tiff Rising Star) struggles with both his sexuality and his fear of his macho father, in this imaginative twist on the coming-of-age tale from first-time feature director Stephen Dunn.

"The Demons" (Les démons) – Quebec

A film by Philippe Lesage

Starring: Edouard Tremblay-Grenier, Pier-Luc Funk, Pascale Buissière

Rt: 118min

Sales Agent: FunFilm Distribution

Screening: 4/2 at 9:30pm with intro and Q + A with director Philippe Lesage

While Montreal is in the throes of a string of kidnappings targeting young boys, 10-year-old Felix is finishing his school year in the seemingly quiet suburb where he lives. A sensitive boy with a vivid imagination, Felix is afraid of everything. Little by little, his imaginary demons begin to mirror those of the increasingly disturbing world around him.

"Into the Fores" – British Columbia/Ontario

A film by Patricia Rozema

Starring Ellen Page, Evan Rachel Wood, Max Minghella, Callum Keith Rennie, Michael Eklund, Wendy Crewson

Rt: 101min

U.S. Distributor: A24 Films

Screening: 4/1 at 7:00pm with intro and Q + A from director Patricia Rozema

Two sisters (Ellen Page and Evan Rachel Wood) struggle to survive in a remote country house after a continent-wide power outage, in this gripping apocalyptic drama by one of Canada’s most celebrated filmmakers.

"My Internship in Canda" (Guibord s'en va-t-en guerre) – Quebec

A film by Philippe Falardeau

Starring Patrick Huard, Irdens Exantus, Clémence Dufresne-Deslières and Suzanne Clément

Produced by Luc Déry, Kim Mccraw

Rt: 108min

Sales Agent: Film Distribution

Screening: 4/2 at 7:00pm with intro and Q+A from director Philippe Falardeau

Guibord is an independent Member of Parliament representing a vast county in Northern Quebec who unwillingly finds himself in the awkward position of determining whether Canada will go to war. Accompanied by his wife, daughter and Souverain (Sovereign) Pascal, an idealistic intern from Haiti, Guibord travels across his district in order to consult his constituents and face his own conscience. This film is a sharp political satire in which politicians, citizens and lobbyists go head-to-head while tearing democracy to shreds.

"Our Loved Ones" (Les Êtres Chers) – Quebec

A film by Anne Émond

Starring: Maxim Gaudette, Karelle Tremblay, Valérie Cadieux, Mickaël Gouin

Rt: 102min

Sales Agent: Wide Management

Screening: 4/3 at 7:00pm with intro and Q+A from director Anne Émond

The story begins in 1978 in a small town on the Lower St.-Lawrence where the Leblanc family is rocked by the tragic death of Guy, found dead in the basement of the family home. For many years, the real cause of his death is hidden from certain members of the family, his son David among them. David starts his own family with his wife Marie and lovingly raises his children, Laurence and Frédéric, but deep down he still carries with him a kind of unhappiness. Our Loved Ones is a film of filial love, family secrets, redemption and inherited fate. Featuring 2015 Tiff Rising Star Karelle Tremblay.

"Sleeping Giant" (Le géant endormi) – Ontario

A film by Andrew Cividino

Starring: Jackson Martin, Nick Serino, Reece Moffett, David Disher, Erika Brodzky, Katelyn McKerracher, Lorraine Philp

Rt: 90min

U.S. Distributor: FilmBuff

Screening: 4/3 at 9:30pm with intro and Q+A from director Andrew Cividino

City of Toronto Award for Best Canadian First Feature Film, 2015 Toronto International Film Festival

Spending his summer vacation on rugged Lake Superior, teenager Adam befriends Riley and Nate, smart-aleck cousins who pass their ample free time with pranks, vandalism and reckless cliff jumping. The revelation of a hurtful secret sets in motion a series of irreversible events that test the bonds of friendship and change the boys forever.

Stars: Nicolas Cage, Sarah Wayne Callies, Jack Fulton, Lyriq Bent, Lauren Beatty, Stephen McHattie, Veronica Ferres | Written by Dan Kay | Directed by Uli Edel

You can’t say Nicolas Cage rests on his laurels. After previously going all religious with Left Behind, the rapture-based movie from last year, he heads to the dark side of life for the supernatural thriller Pay the Ghost. Although caution is needed… Previously Cage took on the horror genre with a remake of The Wicker Man and we all now how that turned out!

Almost a year after his young son disappeared by his side on Halloween night in New York City, Mike (Cage) is alone and haunted by terrifying visions of his son. Desperate but determined not to let go he researches all the cases of missing children in the city and comes to a horrifying conclusion. After bombarding the detective in charge of...

Title: Pay the Ghost Rlj Entertainment Director: Uli Edel Writer: Dan Kay Cast: Nicolas Cage, Sarah Wayne Callies, Jack Fulton Running time: 94 minutes, Unrated (mild gore) In theaters, VOD and iTunes September 25, 2015 Professor Mike Lawford (Nicolas Cage) has a habit of disappointing his young son Charlie (Jack Fulton) by missing important events. His estranged wife Kristen (Sarah Wayne Callies) is usually the one to save the day and still make Mike look like a good dad. It’s Halloween and Charlie really wants to go to the street fair with his father. His mom takes him out so that he won’t miss much, and then Mike finally comes [ Read More ]

The post Pay the Ghost Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.

All Sallow’s Eve: Edel Gets Stuck in the Cage

For those who had a modicum of hope that German director’s Uli Edel‘s Canadian production of Nicolas Cage horror thriller Pay the Ghost would be more serviceable than its inane title would suggest, abandon hope all ye who enter here. Based on a novella by Tim Lebbon and adapted by Dan Kay (who last penned the 2007 indie yokel horror film Timber Falls), it’s one of those unfortunate genre cheapies that takes itself too seriously to be appreciated even for a bit of camp value—a missed opportunity considering Cage is headlining.

A supernatural thriller whose title actually succinctly implies everything the next ninety minutes will be devoted to explaining, a hungry entity wreaks havoc on New York City and its outlying regions on an annual basis, choosing everyone’s favorite pagan holiday, Halloween, to snatch innocent tots...

Read More: The Breakouts: 9 Up-and-Coming Actors to Watch For at the Toronto International Film Festival Stephen Dunn works a delicate balance with his "Closet Monster," an imaginative spin on the coming-of-age tale that blends together both straightforward storytelling and recognizable emotional beats with creative flourishes. Those flourishes -- including a talking hamster and a series of fantasy sequences -- are treated with the same equanimity as the rest of the more reality-rooted elements, allowing "Closet Monster" to retain an authenticity that other, similar features may not be able to hold on to with such grace. The film is Dunn's first feature, and he uses it as a vehicle to explore familiar territory with style and tenderness. Young Oscar Madly (played as a child by Jack Fulton) has a seemingly idyllic childhood, one that is punctuated by his father's (Aaron Abrams) rich imaginative, is brutally disrupted by his parents' separation,...

Writer/director Stephen Dunn’s feature debut Closet Monster cares little about convention to tell the story of Oscar Madly (Connor Jessup) growing up with a psychological revulsion to his sexual urges, all thanks to an extremely disturbing event witnessed as a child. This prologue glimpse at his youth (played by Jack Fulton) is a mash-up of tough coming-of-age-dramatics and a dark-edged imaginative whimsy that intrigues to draw you closer. It will be divisive with an idyllic world’s caring father (Aaron Abrams‘ Peter) “pushing” dreams into his son’s head via a balloon, a talking hamster named Buffy (voiced by Isabella Rossellini), and the horrific teenage assault of a homosexual with a piece of rebar in a cemetery. But this tumultuous roller coaster is worth you sticking around.

The tone takes some getting used to because the fairy tale sheen has you wondering about the film’s goals. To...

Are you ready for one of the most thrilling and heartbreaking experiences of the fall? Room just premiered to packed houses, receiving standing ovations at the Telluride Film Festival this past weekend. It will next screen at the Toronto International Film Festival as a Special Presentation on Tuesday, September 15. If you are attending Tiff and don't have this one marked down on your todo list, you better check out the latest harrowing trailer. This is one movie you're not going to want to miss.

Both highly suspenseful and deeply emotional, Room is a unique and unexpectedly tender exploration of the boundless love between a mother and her child.&#160 After 5-year-old Jack and his Ma escape from the enclosed surroundings that Jack has known his entire life, the boy makes a thrilling discovery: the outside world.&#160 As he experiences all the joy, excitement, and fear that this new adventure brings, he...

Pay The Ghost Trailer. Uli Edel‘s Pay The Ghost (2015) movie trailer stars Nicholas Cage, Sarah Wayne Callis, Alex Mallari Jr. and Jack Fulton. Pay The Ghost‘s plot synopsis: “A professor frantically searches for his son who was abducted during a Halloween parade.” Nicholas Cage is someone I’ll always be entertained by. I’ve seen most of his schlocky period work, […]...

Brie Larson and young Jacob Tremblay portray a mother and son trying to endure while trapped in captivity in the first trailer and poster for A24 Films' Room. Based on the best-selling novel by Emma Donoghue, Room is a unique and unexpectedly tender exploration of the boundless love between a mother and her child under the most harrowing of circumstances. A24 Films will release the adaptation in New York and Los Angeles theaters October 16, before expanding nationwide November 6.

Room tells the extraordinary story of Jack (Jacob Tremblay in a breakout performance), a spirited 5 year-old who is looked after by his loving and devoted Ma (Brie Larson, Short Term 12, Trainwreck). Like any good mother, Ma dedicates herself to keeping Jack happy and safe, nurturing him with warmth and love and doing typical things like playing games and telling stories. Their life, however, is anything but typical-they are trapped-confined to a windowless,...

The upcoming Hulu miniseries adaptation of Stephen King's "11/22/63" has added yet another big name to its already-sprawling cast, with actor Josh Duhamel joining the ensemble.

The Hollywood Reporter writes that Duhamel will have a regular role on the series, which stars James Franco as English teacher Jake Epping, who travels back in time to prevent the assassination of President John F. Kennedy on the titular date. According to THR, Duhamel's character is an antagonist for Epping:

Duhamel will play Frank Dunning, the father of Jake's student Harry Dunning (played by youngster Jack Fulton and Leon Rippy), in 1960s Kentucky. Frank is the rakish town butcher, a ladies' man with an effortless smile that everyone welcomes -- except Jake, the only man who knows the full violence of which Frank is capable.

The rest of the impressive cast includes Daniel Webber (who's playing assassin Lee Harvey Oswald), Chris Cooper, Cherry Jones,...

Clean shaven and ready to work, Robert Pattinson arrived on the set of “Life” in Toronto, Canada this afternoon (February 19).

The 27-year-old British hunk bundled up in a brown winter jacket and trekked through the snow to begin shooting scenes for his new flick.

In the flick, Pattinson portrays Dennis Stock, a photographer for Life Magazine who is assigned to shoot photos of James Dean.

“Life” also stars Dane DeHaan (as Dean), Emma Pedersen, Kasey Lea and Jack Fulton and is scheduled to hit the big screen next year.

Clean shaven and ready to work, Robert Pattinson arrived on the set of “Life” in Toronto, Canada this afternoon (February 19).

The 27-year-old British hunk bundled up in a brown winter jacket and trekked through the snow to begin shooting scenes for his new flick.

In the flick, Pattinson portrays Dennis Stock, a photographer for Life Magazine who is assigned to shoot photos of James Dean.

“Life” also stars Dane DeHaan (as Dean), Emma Pedersen, Kasey Lea and Jack Fulton and is scheduled to hit the big screen next year.