Author: marleneardoin@yahoo.com

NEW MOVIES: June 6-12, 2024, “Bad Boys: Ride or Die,” “The Watchers,” “Hitman,” “Kidnapped: the Abduction of Edgardo Mortara”

BAD BOYS: RIDE OR DIE

BAD BOYS: RIDE OR DIE

Bad Boys: Ride or Die is a 2024 American buddy cop action comedy film directed by Adil & Bilall and written by Chris Bremner and Will Beall.[3] Produced by Columbia Pictures, Don Simpson/Jerry Bruckheimer Films, Westbrook Studios and 2.0 Entertainment, and distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing, it is the sequel to Bad Boys for Life (2020) and the fourth installment in the Bad Boys franchise. Martin Lawrence, Will Smith, Joe Pantoliano, Vanessa Hudgens, Alexander Ludwig, Paola Núñez, Jacob Scipio, and DJ Khaled reprise their roles from the previous film with Tasha Smith taking over the role of Theresa Burnett from Theresa Randle, who previously played the character in the last three films. New cast members include Eric Dane, Ioan Gruffudd, Rhea Seehorn, Melanie Liburd and Tiffany Haddish.

Bad Boys: Ride or Die premiered at Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai on May 22, 2024. The film is scheduled to be theatrically released in France, Germany and the United Kingdom on 5 June 2024; in Australia, Brazil, India, Mexico and South Korea on 6 June 2024; in the United States on June 7, 2024.[4]

Premise

Detectives Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett investigate corruption within the Miami PD when their late Captain Conrad Howard is posthumously accused of being involved with the Romanian Mafia, but a setup turns them into fugitives, forcing them to work outside the law in order to solve the case.

Cast

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THE WATCHERS

THE WATCHERS

The Watchers (titled The Watched in the United Kingdom and Ireland[1]) is an upcoming American supernatural horror film written and directed by Ishana Night Shyamalan, produced by her father M. Night Shyamalan, and based on the novel of the same name by A. M. Shine. It stars Dakota Fanning, Georgina Campbell, Oliver Finnegan, and Olwen Fouéré.

Filming took place from July to September 2023. It is scheduled to be theatrically released by Warner Bros. Pictures on June 7, 2024.

Premise

28-year-old artist Mina gets stranded in an expansive, untouched forest in western Ireland. Upon finding shelter, she unknowingly becomes trapped alongside three strangers who are watched and stalked by mysterious creatures each night.[2]

Cast

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HITMAN

HITMAN

Hit Man is a 2023 American romantic black comedy film produced and directed by Richard Linklater, who co-wrote the screenplay with Glen Powell, based on the 2001 Texas Monthly magazine article of the same name by Skip Hollandsworth. The film stars Powell, Adria Arjona, Austin Amelio, and Retta, and follows an undercover New Orleans police contractor who poses as a reliable hitman as he tries to save a woman in need.

Hit Man premiered at the 80th Venice International Film Festival on September 5, 2023, and was released in select theaters in the United States on May 24, 2024, before its streaming debut by Netflix on June 7. The film received praise from critics.

Plot

A part-time staffer with the New Orleans Police Department stumbles into the role of posing undercover as a reliable hitman with the goal of arresting those trying to hire him. He discovers he has a talent for theatrically matching the expectations of his suspects with often-humorous costumes, accents, and mannerisms, which makes him especially adept at his work. He meets a battered woman who wants to hire him to kill her husband, but he advises her to pursue better options for getting help. They become romantically entangled.

Cast

  • Glen Powell as Gary Johnson, college professor and tech guy turned undercover mole
  • Adria Arjona as Maddy Masters, Gary’s love-interest
  • Austin Amelio as Jasper, an undercover cop
  • Retta as Claudette, a police officer Gary works for
  • Sanjay Rao as Phil, a police officer Gary works for
  • Evan Holtzman as Ray Masters, Maddy’s ex-husband
  • Molly Bernard as Alisha, Gary’s ex-wife

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KIDNAPPED: THE ABDUCTION OF EDGARDO MORTARA

KIDNAPPED: THE ABDUCTION OF EDGARDO MORTARA

Kidnapped (Italian: Rapito) is a 2023 Italian-language historical drama film co-written and directed by Marco Bellocchio, about Edgardo Mortara, a young Jewish boy who was taken from his family by the Papal States and raised as a Catholic. It is loosely based on Daniele Scalise’s book Il caso Mortara.[3] It is a co-production between Italy, France and Germany.

The film was selected to compete for the Palme d’Or at the 76th Cannes Film Festival, where it premiered on 23 May 2023. It was theatrically released in Italy on 25 May. It received 11 nominations at the 69th David di Donatello, and won 5 awards, including Best Adapted Screenplay.[4]

Synopsis

1851. Edgardo Mortara is the sixth child of a Jewish family from the city of Bologna, part of the Papal States. Believing him sick and dying, the Christian maid Anna Morisi administers baptism in secret, for fear that when he dies he will end up in limbo. The child survives, but seven years later Anna tells Pier Feletti, head of the Bolognese office of the Holy Inquisition, about the baptism: the sacrament would have made the child irrevocably Catholic, and since the laws of the Papal States forbid a Christian to be raised by non-Christians, Feletti decides to remove the child from his family. On 24 June, Edgardo was forcibly taken and brought to Rome, where he would stay in the Casa dei Catecumeni, the boarding school for the children of converted Jews.

Cast

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NEW MOVIES: #Bad Boys: Ride or Die #The Watchers #Hitman #Kidnapped: the Abduction of Edgardo Mortara

NEW MOVIES: May 30-June 5, 2024, “Ezra,” “Summer Camp,” “The Young Wife,” “The Girl Who Wore Freedom”

EZRA

EZRA

Ezra is a 2023 American comedy drama film directed by Tony Goldwyn and written by Tony Spiridakis. It stars Bobby Cannavale, Rose Byrne, Vera Farmiga, Whoopi Goldberg, Rainn Wilson, Goldwyn, William Fitzgerald, and Robert De Niro.

The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 9, 2023. It is scheduled to be released theatrically on May 31, 2024.

Premise

Max Brandel, a stand-up comedian living with his father, Stan, struggles to co-parent his autistic son Ezra with his ex-wife, Jenna. When faced with difficult decisions about their son’s future, Max and Ezra set out on a cross-country road trip.

Cast

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SUMMER CAMP

SUMMER CAMP

Summer Camp is an upcoming American comedy film written and directed by Castille Landon. It stars Diane Keaton, Kathy Bates, Alfre Woodard, Beverly D’Angelo, Nicole Richie, Josh Peck, Betsy Sodaro, Dennis Haysbert, and Eugene Levy.

The film is scheduled to be released theatrically by Roadside Attractions in the United States on May 31, 2024.

Premise

Nora, Ginny, and Mary have been close friends since they were children and have spent their summer vacations together without fail, attending sleepaway camp as a trio. As they have aged, their opportunities to spend time together have dwindled. Thus, when the chance for a summer camp reunion presents itself, they all accept it, albeit with different levels of enthusiasm.[1]

Cast

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THE YOUNG WIFE

THE YOUNG WIFE

The Young Wife is a 2023 American drama film written, directed, and produced by Tayarisha Poe. It stars Kiersey Clemons, Leon Bridges, Kelly Marie Tran, Michaela Watkins, Aya Cash, Sandy Honig, Brandon Micheal Hall, Lukita Maxwell, Sheryl Lee Ralph and Judith Light.

It had its world premiere at South by Southwest on March 12, 2023.

Cast

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THE GIRL WHO WORE FREEDOM

THE GIRL WHO WORE FREEDOM

The Girl Who Wore Freedom is a documentary film that tells the untold stories of D-Day from the perspective of the men, women, and children who lived through German occupation and the Allied liberation of Normandy, France12. It uncovers an untold love story between two nations, highlighting the values and pride in country that emerged during that time1.

Discover the untold stories of D-Day from the men, women, and children who lived through the German occupation and Allied liberation of Normandy, France. Powerful and deeply personal, THE GIRL WHO WORE FREEDOM tells the stories of an America that lived its values, instilling pride in a country that is in danger of becoming a relic of the past.

The Girl Who Wore Freedom / Cast

    • Sharon Anderlik
      Sharon Anderlik

      Journalist

    • Andy Barnett
      Andy Barnett

      Allen Hopper

    • Patrick Fissot
      Patrick Fissot

      Self

    • Corey Johnson
      Corey Johnson

      General James Gavin

    • Christian Taylor
      Christian Taylor

      Narrator

    • Ceo E. Bauer

      Self

    • Eric Belloc

      Self

    • Daniele ‘Dany’ Patrix Boucherie

      Self

    • Flo Boucherie

      Self

    • Jean-Marie Boucherie

      Self

    • Jean-Marie Caillard

      Self

    • Sylvie Caillard

      Self

    • Valerie Gautier Cardin

      Self

    • David Chapman

      Self

    • Cameron Cook

      Self

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5/28/2024 #Ezra #Summer Camp  #The Young Wife  #The Girl Who Wore Freedom

 

NEW MOVIES: May 23-29, 2024, “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga,” “The Garfield Movie,” “Sight,” “Solo”

FURIOSA: A MAD MAX SAGA

FURIOSA: A MAD MAX SAGA

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is a 2024 post-apocalyptic action adventure film co-produced and directed by George Miller, who co-wrote it with Nico Lathouris. It is the fifth installment in the Mad Max franchise, serving as both a spin-off and prequel to Mad Max: Fury Road (2015). The film stars Anya Taylor-Joy and Alyla Browne as younger versions of the title character Imperator Furiosa, originally portrayed by Charlize Theron. Chris Hemsworth and Tom Burke also star.[2]

In March 2020, Miller conducted casting auditions for the title role of the film. In October, Taylor-Joy, Hemsworth and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II were cast in starring roles, but due to a scheduling conflict, Abdul-Mateen was replaced by Burke in November. Several crew members from Fury Road returned for the film, including screenwriter Lathouris, film editor Margaret Sixel, costume designer Jenny Beavan, and composer Tom Holkenborg. Principal photography took place in Australia from June to October 2022.

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga had its world premiere at the 77th Cannes Film Festival on 15 May 2024, and is scheduled to be released in theatres in Australia by Warner Bros. Pictures and Village Roadshow Pictures on 23 May 2024, and in the United States the following day.

Premise

As the world fell, young Furiosa is snatched from the Green Place of Many Mothers and falls into the hands of a great Biker Horde led by the Warlord Dementus. Sweeping through the Wasteland they come across the Citadel presided over by The Immortan Joe. While the two Tyrants war for dominance, Furiosa must survive many trials as she puts together the means to find her way home.

— Warner Bros. Pictures

Cast

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THE GARFIELD MOVIE

THE GARFIELD MOVIE

The Garfield Movie is a 2024 American animated adventure comedy film based on the comic strip Garfield created by Jim Davis. Directed by Mark Dindal from a screenplay by Paul A. Kaplan, Mark Torgove, and David Reynolds, the film stars Chris Pratt as the voice of the titular character, alongside the voices of Samuel L. Jackson, Hannah Waddingham, Ving Rhames, Nicholas Hoult, Cecily Strong, Harvey Guillén, Brett Goldstein, Bowen Yang, and Snoop Dogg. In the film, Garfield is reunited with his long-lost father, a street cat named Vic, being forced into joining him on a high-stakes adventure.

Development on the first animated Garfield film for theatrical release started at Alcon Entertainment in May 2016. Dindal was announced as the film’s director in November 2018, and pre-production began the following month. By 2021, Sony Pictures had already purchased the film rights for global distribution and Pratt was cast as Garfield, with the rest of the cast joining the following year. The film was animated by DNEG Animation, while John Debney, a frequent collaborator of Dindal, composed the score.

The Garfield Movie is set to be released in the United States by Sony Pictures Releasing on May 24, 2024.

Premise

Garfield (voiced by Chris Pratt), the world-famous, Monday-hating, lasagna-loving indoor cat, is about to have a wild outdoor adventure! After an unexpected reunion with his long-lost father – scruffy street cat Vic (voiced by Samuel L. Jackson) – Garfield and his canine friend Odie are forced from their perfectly pampered life into joining Vic in a hilarious, high-stakes heist.

— The Garfield Movie official website[5]

Voice cast

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SIGHT

SIGHT

Sight is an upcoming American biographical drama film directed by Andrew Hyatt, written by Hyatt, John Duigan, and Buzz McLaughlin, and starring Terry Chen and Greg Kinnear.[1] The film is about Ming Wang, a Chinese immigrant to the United States who became a renowned eye surgeon. It is based on Wang’s 2016 autobiography From Darkness to Sight.[2]

Cast

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SOLO

SOLO

“Solo” is a film written and directed by Sophie Dupuis. It stars Théodore Pellerin and Félix Maritaud as two drag performers whose love affair takes center stage. Here’s what you need to know:

  1. Plot Summary:
  2. Director’s Perspective:
  3. Release and Reception:
  4. Trailer:

“Solo” promises a unique blend of passion, romance, and drag performances. It’s a celebration of chosen families, self-discovery, and the power of love. 🌈✨

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5/21/2024 #Furiosa: A Mad Max Sage, #The Garfield Movie, #Sight, #Solo

NEW MOVIES: May 16-22, 2024, “If,” “Back to Black,” “Babes,” “Taking Venice”

IF

IF

IF is an upcoming American live-action/animated fantasy comedy film written, produced, and directed by John Krasinski. The film features an ensemble cast that includes Cailey Fleming, Ryan Reynolds, Krasinski, Fiona Shaw, Alan Kim, and Liza Colón-Zayas, along with the voices of Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Louis Gossett Jr., and Steve Carell. Its plot follows a young girl and her neighbor who find themselves able to see imaginary friends.

Paramount Pictures is scheduled to release IF in the United States on May 17, 2024.

Premise

A young girl named Bea, who has been going through a troubling experience in her life, unexpectedly gains the ability to see people’s imaginary friends (referred to as “IFs” for short) who have been abandoned by the kids they helped. Bea then discovers that her neighbor, Cal, has the same ability. Together, they join forces to reunite the IFs with their former kids.

Cast

Voices

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BACK TO BLACK

BACK TO BLACK

Back to Black is a 2024 biographical drama film based on the life of British singer-songwriter Amy Winehouse, played by Marisa Abela. Directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson and written by Matt Greenhalgh, the film also stars Jack O’Connell, Eddie Marsan, and Lesley Manville.

Following Winehouse’s death in July 2011, several filmmakers attempted to create biopic projects, but none of them progressed. In 2018, Winehouse’s estate announced they had signed a deal for a film about her life and career. By July 2022, StudioCanal moved forward with production, and filming took place in London from January to April 2023.

StudioCanal released the film theatrically in Australia on April 11, 2024, and in the United Kingdom on April 12, 2024.Focus Features will release the film in the United States on May 17, 2024. It received mixed reviews from critics.

Plot

The film opens with scenes of Amy Winehouse’s Jewish family background, her father Mitch, and her grandmother “Nan” Cynthia, with their love for music and singing. Amy’s friend Tyler hands his manager Nick a demo tape of Amy’s recording and is impressed by her talent. She then signed a contract with Island Records and released her first album, Frank.

After enjoying acclaimed success, her record label wishes to make some changes to her stage act, which Amy strongly disagrees with. Amy then reveals she needs time off to live her songs and meets Blake in a pub in Camden Town, where they fall in love. Their relationship is soon troubled by Blake’s cocaine addiction, Amy’s alcoholism, and her bulimia. After experiencing Amy’s irritable behavior, Blake reveals that he thinks they would be better as friends and wants to work on things with his ex-girlfriend, Becky, which leaves Amy heartbroken. Before going to New York City, she learns that her grandmother is dying of lung cancer. After a difficult period of these traumatizing events all happening at once, she then gathers inspiration to write her hit album Back to Black.

Blake and Amy reconciled shortly after the release of her second album. They get married in Miami, Florida, much to Mitch’s dismay. But soon after, Blake is arrested and then serves a two-year sentence in jail for perverting the course of justice. Before he is released and Amy has now become a drug addict, Blake reveals he has been having counselling and informs Amy that he wishes to divorce as he wants a fresh start.

After various blackouts, Amy decides to accept “rehab”. She later receives five Grammy Awards. The last scene shows her new home in Camden Square, where Amy is now free of drugs and trying to tackle her alcohol dependence. After saying goodbye to her father, Mitch, for the final time, the paparazzi appear outside her gate and reveal that Blake has a new girlfriend and will have a baby. The film concludes with a tearful Amy singing “Tears Dry on Their Own” to herself and finishes with her walking up the stairs to her demise.

Cast

Jeff Tunke was also cast as Mark Ronson, but his scenes were ultimately cut.

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BABES

BABES

Babes is a 2024 American comedy film directed by Pamela Adlon, written by Ilana Glazer and Josh Rabinowitz, and starring Glazer. It is Adlon’s feature directorial debut.

The film will be released in the United States on May 17, 2024.

Premise

When Eden, an aggressively single woman, gets pregnant from a one-night stand, she turns to her best friend Dawn, a married mother of two, for help.[2]

Cast

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TAKING VENICE

TAKING VENICE

“Taking Venice” is a documentary directed by Amei Wallach. It delves into the true story behind rumors that the U.S. government and a team of high-placed insiders rigged the 1964 Venice Biennale, the “Olympics of art,” so their chosen artist, Robert Rauschenberg, could win the grand prize. The film explores this captivating tale with expert interviews and extensive archival footage, shedding light on the intersection of art, politics, and ambition during the height of the Cold War.

At the height of the Cold War, the U.S. government was determined to fight communism with culture. The Venice Biennale, the world’s most influential art exhibition, became a proving ground in 1964. Alice Denney, a Washington insider and friend of the Kennedys, recommends Alan Solomon, an ambitious curator making waves with trailblazing art, to organize the U.S. entry. Together with Leo Castelli, a powerful New York art dealer, they embark on a daring plan to make Robert Rauschenberg the winner of the Grand Prize. The artist is yet to be taken seriously with his combinations of junk off the street and images from pop culture, but he has the potential to dazzle. Deftly pulling off maneuvers that could have come from a Hollywood thriller, the American team leaves the international press crying foul and Rauschenberg questioning the politics of nationalism that sent him there.

 

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5/14/2024 #”If,” #”Back to Black,” #”Babes,” #”Taking Venice”

NEW MOVIES: May 8-15, 2024, “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes,” “Hidden Master: The Legacy of George Platt Lynes,” “The Last Stop in Yuma County,” “Mother of the Bride”

KINGDOM OF THE PLANET OF THE APES

KINGDOM OF THE PLANET OF THE APES

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is a 2024 American science fiction action film directed by Wes Ball and written by Josh Friedman. The standalone sequel to War for the Planet of the Apes (2017) is the fourth installment in the Planet of the Apes reboot franchise and the tenth film overall. The film stars Owen Teague in the lead role alongside Freya Allan, Kevin Durand, Peter Macon, and William H. Macy. In the movie, 300 years after the war events, a young chimpanzee named Noa embarks on a journey alongside a human woman named Mae (Allan) to determine the future for apes and humans alike.

Development on a new Planet of the Apes film began in April 2019, following Disney’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox, with Ball attached as writer and director that December. Much of the script was written during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, with casting commencing in June 2022, following the script’s completion. Teague was cast in August’s lead role, with the film’s title and additional casting revealed in the following months. Principal photography began in October 2022 in Sydney and wrapped in February 2023.

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes premiered in Los Angeles on May 2, 2024, and is scheduled to be released by 20th Century Studios in the United States on May 10.

Premise

300 years after the events of War for the Planet of the Apes,[3] ape civilizations have emerged from the oasis to which Caesar led his fellow apes, while humans have regressed into a feral, primitive state. When the ape king Proximus Caesar, armed with weapons forged from lost human technologies, perverts Caesar’s teachings to enslave other clans, the chimpanzee hunter Noa embarks on a harrowing journey alongside a human woman named Mae to determine the future for apes and humans alike.[4][5]

Cast

Additionally, Eka Darville,[16] Ras-Samuel Weld A’abzgi,[13] Sara Wiseman,[13] and Dichen Lachman have been cast in undisclosed roles.[4]

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HIDDEN MASTER: THE LEGACY OF GEORGE PLATT LYNES

HIDDEN MASTER: THE LEGACY OF GEORGE PLATT LYNES

DIRECTED BY SAM SHAHID2023USA96 MINS

Photographer George Platt Lynes achieved renown during his lifetime for his innovative celebrity portraits and striking fashion photography. However, his best work and greatest passion was for the explicit male nudes he made of his lovers, friends, colleagues, dancers, models — and any other handsome man he could persuade to disrobe in front of his camera. This articulate, wide-ranging, fabulously gossipy documentary brings to life the charming, complex man who wielded his good looks, natural talent, and massive ambition in pursuit of artistic creation and sexual pleasure.

Directed by famed art director Sam Shahid, this documentary portrait places the photographer within the more extensive network of gay artists and cultural figures who championed each other’s work. Showcasing a dazzling amount of Lynes’ photographs (including some rarely seen to this day), Hidden Master: The Legacy of George Platt Lynes mounts a convincing case that Lynes not only deserves rediscovery but should be remembered as one of the great masters of 20th-century photographic art.

George Platt Lynes began his career photographing celebrities, and it’s those portraits, along with his extravagant fashion work, that he’s best remembered for today. However, George’s heart, his passion, and his most remarkable talent lay elsewhere in his work with the male nude. This work, sensuous and radically explicit for its time, has only recently begun being fully discovered and appreciated for the revolution that it represents—a man capturing his fantasies as a gift, a window to a future his camera saw coming before anyone else.

From visionary art director Sam Shahid, HIDDEN MASTER features a stunning collection of photography from the 1930s-50s, uncovering the life of Lynes less known: his gifted eye for the male form, his long-term friendships with Gertrude Stein and Alfred Kinsey, and his lasting influence as one of the first openly gay American artists.

Expected Guests

Sam Shahid
Director
Matthew Kraus
Producer/Cinematographer
John MacConnell
Producer/Lighting & Sound
Nando de Carvalho
Producer
Conor McBride
Editor

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THE LAST STOP IN YUMA COUNTY

THE LAST STOP IN YUMA COUNTY

The Last Stop in Yuma County is a 2023 American crime thriller film written and directed by Francis Galluppi and starring Jim Cummings, Jocelin Donahue, Richard Brake, Faizon Love, and Michael Abbott Jr. It is Galluppi’s feature directorial debut.[1]

Cast

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MOTHER OF THE BRIDE 2024

MOTHER OF THE BRIDE 2024

Mother of the Bride is an upcoming American romantic comedy film directed by Mark Waters and written by Robin Bernheim. It stars Brooke Shields, Miranda Cosgrove, and Benjamin Bratt.

The film is scheduled to be released on Netflix on May 9, 2024.

Premise

After a year abroad in London, Emma returns home and stuns her mother, Lana, with the news that she’s getting married in a month at a resort in Phuket, Thailand. Things get worse when Lana discovers that the husband-to-be is the son of the man who broke her heart years earlier.

Cast

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5/7/2024: #Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, #Hidden Master: The Legacy of George Platt Lynes, #The Last Stop in Yuma County, #Mother of the Bride”

 

NEW MOVIES: May 2-8, 2024, “The Fall Guy,” “Jeanne du Barry,” “Rocket Club: Across the Cosmos,” “The Philadelphia Eleven”

THE FALL GUY

THE FALL GUY

The Fall Guy is a 2024 American action comedy film directed by David Leitch and written by Drew Pearce, loosely based on the 1980s TV series about stunt performers. The film follows a stuntman working on his ex-girlfriend’s directorial debut action film, only to find himself involved in a conspiracy surrounding the film’s lead actor. It stars Ryan Gosling, Emily Blunt, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Hannah Waddingham, Teresa Palmer, Stephanie Hsu, and Winston Duke.

The Fall Guy premiered at SXSW on March 12, 2024, and was released in countries including Australia and New Zealand on April 24. It will be released in the United States and Canada by Universal Pictures on May 3. Critics generally praised the film, which set a Guinness World Record for the most cannon rolls performed in a car.

Plot

Hollywood stunt performer Colt Seavers, who primarily works as the stunt double for famous action star Tom Ryder, is severely injured during a stunt gone wrong. Blaming himself, Colt abandons his career and his girlfriend, camera operator Jody Moreno.

Eighteen months later Colt, now a valet for a small Mexican restaurant, is contacted by Tom’s film producer Gail Meyer. She says Moreno is directing her first film, a science fiction epic called Metalstorm, and wants him to join the production in Sydney, Australia.

However, when Colt arrives on set, he learns that Jody never asked for him and is still angry about their breakup. Gail reveals that Tom has disappeared after getting involved with drugs, and she wants Colt to find him before his absence causes the film’s cancellation.

Not wanting to ruin Jody’s directorial debut, Colt visits Tom’s hotel room and a nightclub, where he gets into fights. In the hotel room, Colt finds a dead body in a bathtub full of ice, but when he returns with the police, the body is gone.

Cast

Lee Majors and Heather Thomas, who starred in the original television series, have cameo appearances in the film as police officers,[9] while Jason Momoa cameos as himself.

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JEANNE DU BARRY

JEANNE DU BARRY

Jeanne du Barry is a 2023 historical drama film directed, co-written, and produced by Maïwenn. It stars her and Johnny Depp in the leading roles. It also stars Pierre Richard, Benjamin Lavernhe, Noémie Lvovsky, Pascal Greggory, Melvil Poupaud, and India Hair. The plot centers on Madame du Barry, who uses her intelligence and allure to rise in society. She becomes King Louis XV’s favorite, they fall in love, and against all propriety and etiquette, du Barry moves to Versailles, where her relationship with the king scandalizes the court.

Jeanne du Barry is a collaboration between France, Belgium, and the United Kingdom. It was produced by Why Not Productions and Depp’s IN.2 Film, a European sister company to his L.A.-based Infinitum Nihil, and is distributed by Le Pacte. With a budget of $22.4 million, Jeanne du Barry was one of the most expensive French films in 2023, one of only three with a budget of over 10 million euros. The film had its world premiere as the opening film at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival on May 16, 2023, and was released theatrically in France on the same day by Le Pacte, 15 months before its scheduled streaming release on Netflix in France.

Premise

Jeanne, a young working-class woman hungry for culture and pleasure, uses her intelligence and allure to rise step by step to the highest levels of society. She becomes King Louis XV’s favorite, who regains his appetite for life through her. They fall madly in love, and, against all propriety and etiquette, Jeanne moves to Versailles, where her relationship with the king scandalizes the court.[8]

Cast

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ROCKET CLUB: ACROSS THE COSMOS

ROCKET CLUB: ACROSS THE COSMOS

When Rocket Club’s mission to return a stranded alien to its home planet is jeopardized by their rival Calvin’s plan to freeze the Earth, our heroes must unite to unlock the secret of WUP speed to save the Earth before supper time.

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THE PHILADELPHIA ELEVEN

THE PHILADELPHIA ELEVEN

The Team

Picture
MARGO GUERNSEY
Director/Producer
Margo Guernsey is a documentary Director/Producer, impact strategist, and founder of Time Travel Productions LLC. Her films include Councilwoman (America ReFramed 2019) and No Time To Fail (America Reframed 2023). Before film, Margo worked as a union organizer, non-profit development director, and Spanish/English translator. Margo’s work has received support from Chicken & Egg Pictures, ITVS, Catapult Film Fund, GoodPitch, Perspective Fund, Ford Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Humanities. She speaks both Spanish and English and holds an MFA in Film (University of Miami), an MA in History (UMass Amherst), and a BA in History (Brown University). Margo teaches producing as an affiliated faculty member at Emerson College and is a current member of the Board of Directors of the Documentary Producers Association. 

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NIKKI BRAMLEY
Co-Producer / Director of Photography
Nikki is a documentary Director of Photography. Her work ranges from independent documentaries to high-end commercial projects. Recent broadcast credits include: Recent documentary camera credits include: Zora Neale Hurston: Claiming a Space (American Experience 2023), Runner (Festivals 2020), Frederick Douglass in Five Speeches (HBO 2022), This Is A Robbery (Netflix 2021), Trial 4 (Netflix 2020), Councilwoman (America ReFramed 2019), Breaking Big (PBS 2018), Seeing Eyes/Feeling Heart (American Masters 2018), NOVA “Addiction” (2018), NOVA “Prediction by the Numbers” (2017), Frontline (2017, 2015). Nikki graduated from the S.I. Newhouse School of Communications at Syracuse University in 2002 with a BS in Television, Radio, and Film Production.

Director’s Statement

I am not Episcopalian. I was raised in a Congregational Church, and this story is for everyone. It is about breaking down barriers with grace and being true to oneself in the process. It is about standing up to institutions that do not allow all people to be who they are called to be.

The story of the first Episcopal women priests has been under the radar for decades. Perhaps this is because they disregarded certain institutional edicts, or their story is inconvenient. After all, they challenged the very core of patriarchal culture. These pioneers have taught me new ways to think about whose history is recorded and remembered and who does the work of remembering. ​They also provide a vision for a just and inclusive community in practice. Suppose we are serious about loving every human being as they are. In that case, we must find new ways to disrupt the hierarchies we have inherited and replace them with the same kind of radical inclusivity demonstrated by these priests.
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My greatest hope is that viewers will watch, listen deeply, and engage with others about how you might stand up so that we can fully live who we are called to be.

The women ordained as priests in 1974 and 1975

Merrill Bittner
Alla Renée Bozarth
Alison Cheek
Marie Moorefield Fleischer
Emily Hewitt
Suzanne Hiatt
Carter Heyward
Lee McGee Street
Alison Palmer
Jeannette Piccard
Betty Powell
Betty Bone Schiess
Katrina Swanson
Diane Tickell
Nancy Wittig

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April 30, 2024#”The Fall Guy,” “Jeanne du Barry,” “Rocket Club: Across the Cosmos,” “The Philadelphia Eleven”

NEW MOVIES: April 25-May 1, 2024, “Challengers,” “Unsung Hero,” “Breathe,” “Cash Out”

CHALLENGERS

CHALLENGERS

Challengers is a 2024 American romantic sports film directed by Luca Guadagnino and written by Justin Kuritzkes. The plot follows a professional tennis champion (Mike Faist) who plots a comeback with the help of his wife (Zendaya), a former tennis prodigy who retired after an injury, as he goes up against another player (Josh O’Connor), who also happens to be his former best friend and wife’s former lover.[3]

After being delayed from its initial September 2023 release date and pulled out from its slot as the opening film of the 80th Venice International Film Festival due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, Challengers premiered in Sydney, Australia, on March 26, 2024, and is scheduled to be released in the United States by Amazon MGM Studios on April 26, 2024. The film received critical acclaim, with the cast performances (especially Zendaya) being the main highlight.

Premise

Tashi Duncan, a former tennis prodigy turned coach after a career-ending injury, is married to a champion on a losing streak. Her strategy for her husband’s redemption takes a surprising turn when he must face off against his former best friend, Tashi’s former boyfriend.[3]

Cast

  • Zendaya as Tashi Duncan[4]
  • Josh O’Connor as Patrick Zweig[4]
  • Mike Faist as Art Donaldson[4]
  • Darnell Appling as New Rochelle Final Umpire
  • AJ Lister as Lily Donaldson
  • Nada Despotovich as Tashi’s Mother
  • Naheem Garcia as Tashi’s Father
  • Hailey Gates as Helen
  • Jake Jensen as Finn Larsen[5]

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UNSUNG HERO

UNSUNG HERO

Unsung Hero is an upcoming American Christian drama film directed by Richard Ramsey and Joel Smallbone. The film follows the Smallbone family, including Rebecca (stage name Rebecca St. James) and Joel and Luke Smallbone of For King & Country, who become Christian recording artists.

Plot

In 1991, the Smallbone family moved from Australia to Nashville, Tennessee.

Cast

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BREATHE

BREATHE

Breathe is an upcoming American science fiction action thriller film directed by Stefon Bristol, written by Doug Simon, and starring Jennifer Hudson, Milla Jovovich, Quvenzhané Wallis, Common, and Sam Worthington. The film is set in a world where oxygen levels on Earth have dropped making it impossible to live on the planet’s surface without specialised equipment.

Cast

Production

In December 2019, Doug Simon’s screenplay Breathe was revealed to be on that year’s “Black List” of the most-liked unproduced screenplays in Hollywood.[1] In May 2022, it was announced that Sam Worthington, Jennifer Hudson, Milla Jovovich, Quvenzhané Wallis, and Common were set to star in the film, to be directed by Stefon Bristol.[2]

Filming took place on location in Pennsylvania in late 2022.

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CASH OUT

CASH OUT

Cash Out is an upcoming American action film starring John Travolta, Kristin Davis, Lukas Haas, Quavo, and Joel Cohen. It was directed by Ives, and written by Dipo Oseni and Doug Richardson. The film is scheduled to be released on April 26, 2024.

Plot

In the tense thriller Cash Out, John Travolta is Mason, the leader of a high-end crew of thieves that hang it up for good after a double-cross spells a near miss with the law. Still, when thrust into his younger brother Shawn’s hare-brained scheme to rob a bank—and tempted by what could be his biggest score ever—Mason jumps right back into his old ways. Then the heist goes awry, and the thieves are trapped inside the bank with hostages while surrounded by SWAT teams, the FBI, and Interpol. Among the authorities waiting to nab the crew is someone Mason knows well: lead negotiator Decker (Kristin Davis) — Mason’s former lover.”

Cast

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4/23/2024#”Challengers,” “Unsung Hero,” “Breathe,” “Cash Out”

NEW MOVIES: April 18-24, 2024, “The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare,” “Abigail,” “Sasquatch Sunset,” “Villains Inc.”

THE MINISTRY OF UNGENTLEMANLY WARFARE

THE MINISTRY OF UNGENTLEMANLY WARFARE

The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is an upcoming spy action comedy film directed and co-written by Guy Ritchie. It is based on Damien Lewis’s 2014 book Churchill’s Secret Warriors: The Explosive True Story of the Special Forces Desperadoes of WWII. The film portrays a heavily fictionalized version of Operation Postmaster.

The film will be released in the United States on April 19, 2024.

Plot

Based in part on real historical events, the film’s storyline is about the Special Operations Executive, a covert British World War II organization formed in 1940 at the instigation of Prime Minister Winston Churchill for conducting espionage and sabotage in Nazi-occupied Europe. SOE operations contributed significantly to the Allied victory over Nazi Germany and were forerunners of modern-day black operations and irregular warfare.[2]

Cast

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ABIGAIL

ABIGAIL

Abigail is a 2024 American vampire horror film[3] directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett from a screenplay written by Stephen Shields and Guy Busick. Based on and a reimagining of the 1936 Universal Classic Monsters film Dracula’s Daughter, the film stars Alisha Weir as the eponymous daughter of Count Dracula, alongside Melissa Barrera, Dan Stevens, Kathryn Newton, William Catlett, Kevin Durand, Angus Cloud, and Giancarlo Esposito.

A reboot of Dracula’s Daughter was announced to be in development in April 2023, with Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett attached as directors, and Shields and Busick hired to write the screenplay. It was also announced that the film would be a co-production between Bettinelli-Olpin, Gillett, and Chad Villella‘s Radio Silence Productions, James Vanderbilt, Paul Neinstein, and William Sherak’s Project X Entertainment, and Tripp Vinson‘s Vinson Films. Barrera was cast that same month, with Weir, Stevens, Newton, Durand, Cloud, and Catlett hired the next month, and Esposito rounding out the main cast in June.

Principal photography began that month in Dublin, Ireland, but was suspended at the beginning of July due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike. Filming resumed at the end of that month and wrapped in December. This was the last film that Cloud worked on during his lifetime, as he died on July 31, 2023, shortly after wrapping filming of his scenes. Brian Tyler, a frequent collaborator of Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett, was hired to compose and conduct the film’s score.

Abigail had its world premiere at the Overlook Film Festival on April 7, 2024, and is scheduled to be released by Universal Pictures on April 19, 2024.

Premise

The film focuses on a group of kidnappers who capture and must watch over Abigail, the daughter of a powerful underworld figure from whom they demand a $50 million ransom. However, they soon get more than what they bargain for when they realize that they are trapped inside with no ordinary little girl but a vampire child who hunts them down one by one.[4]

Cast

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SASQUATCH SUNSET

SASQUATCH SUNSET

Sasquatch Sunset is a 2024 American surreal comedy film directed by David Zellner and Nathan Zellner, and written by David Zellner. Starring Riley Keough, Jesse Eisenberg, Christophe Zajac-Denek, and Nathan Zellner. The film follows a family of Sasquatch over one year. Ari Aster served as an executive producer under his Square Peg banner. It had its world premiere at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival on January 19, 2024. Bleecker Street released the film on April 12, 2024.

Plot

The film follows a family of Sasquatch over one year.

Cast

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VILLAINS INC.

VILLAINS INC.

After the death of their boss, Beatrix, Cain and Harold are left destitute living in an abandoned grocery store. Beatrix is determined that they will fight on their own and take over the world by any means necessary.

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4/16/2024#”The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare,” “Abigail,” “Sasquatch Sunset,” “Villains Inc.”

 

NEW MOVIES: April 11-17, 2024, “Civil War,” “Arcadian,” “Housekeeping for Beginners,” “The Long Game”

CIVIL WAR

CIVIL WAR

Civil War is a 2024 dystopian action film written and directed by Alex Garland.[4] The film stars Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura, Cailee Spaeny, Stephen McKinley Henderson, and Nick Offerman. Its plot follows a team of journalists who travel across the United States during a rapidly escalating Second American Civil War, which has engulfed the entire nation.

Civil War had its world premiere at South by Southwest on March 14, 2024, and is scheduled to be theatrically released in the United States by A24 and in the United Kingdom by Entertainment Film Distributors on April 12, 2024. The film received positive reviews from critics.

Premise

In the near future, a team of journalists travel across the United States during a rapidly escalating multiparty civil war that has engulfed the entire nation.[5][6] The film documents the journalists struggling to survive during a time when the U.S. government has become a dystopian dictatorship and partisan extremist militias regularly commit war crimes.[6][5]

Cast

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ARCADIAN

ARCADIAN

Arcadian (formerly titled Sand and Stones) is a 2024 action horror film written by Michael Nilon, directed by Ben Brewer, and starring Nicolas Cage.

The film premiered at South by Southwest on March 11, 2024, followed by a theatrical release in the United States on April 12, 2024, by RLJE Films.

Premise

A father and his twin teenage sons fight to survive in a remote farmhouse at the end of the world.

Cast

Production

In October 2022, it was announced that Nicolas Cage would star in the film.[2] In November, Jaeden Martell, Maxwell Jenkins, and Sadie Soverall had joined the cast, and filming began in Dublin, Ireland.[1] In February 2023, it was announced that filming wrapped and that the film was in post-production.[3]

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HOUSEKEEPING FOR BEGINNERS

HOUSEKEEPING FOR BEGINNERS

Housekeeping for Beginners (Macedonian: Домаќинство за почетници, romanized: Domaḱinstvo za početnici) is a 2023 drama film written, directed and edited by Goran Stolevski. It stars Anamaria Marinca, Alina Serban, Samson Selim, Vladimir Tintor, Mia Mustafi, and Dżada Selim. It is an international co-production between North Macedonia, Croatia, Serbia, Kosovo, Poland, Australia and the United States.

The film premiered on 6 September 2023, at the 80th Venice International Film Festival, where it won the Queer Lion. It was selected as the Macedonian entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 96th Academy Awards.[4] It was released in the United States on 5 April 2024, and later in Australia on 9 May 2024.

Summary

Dita is forced to raise her girlfriend’s two daughters even though she has never aspired to be a mother. A touching tale about an odd family’s battle to be together emerges when their separate wills collide.

Cast

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THE LONG GAME

THE LONG GAME

The Long Game is a 2023 American historical drama film adaptation of Humberto G. Garcia’s 2010 novel Mustang Miracle. The film is directed by Julio Quintana and stars Jay Hernandez, Julian Works, Jaina Lee Ortiz, Brett Cullen, Oscar Nuñez, Paulina Chávez, Gregory Diaz IV, José Julián, Cheech Marin, and Dennis Quaid.

The film is scheduled to be released theatrically in the United States by Mucho Mas Media on April 12, 2024.

Plot

The Long Game tells a true story of the San Felipe Mustangs, a group of Mexican-American youths located in Del Rio, Texas. In the 1950s, the group set out to play golf at a white country club in town. Despite prejudice, the Mustangs overcame these obstacles to become the 1957 Texas state champions.[1][2]

Cast

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4/9/2024#”Civil War,” “Arcadian,” “Housekeeping for Beginners,” “The Long Game”

NEW MOVIES: April 4-10, 2024, “Monkey Man,” “The First Omen,” “Someone Like You,” “The Old Oak’

MONKEY MAN

MONKEY MAN

Monkey Man is a 2024 American action thriller film directed by Dev Patel, who co-wrote the screenplay with Paul Angunawela and John Collee.[5][6] The film marks the directorial debut of Patel, who co-produced the film and stars in the lead role, alongside Sharlto Copley, Pitobash, Sobhita Dhulipala, Sikandar Kher, Vipin Sharma, Ashwini Kalsekar, Adithi Kalkunte, and Makarand Deshpande.

Monkey Man had its world premiere at South by Southwest on March 11, 2024, and is scheduled to be released in the United States by Universal Pictures on April 5, 2024.[7][8]

Premise

Kid, an anonymous young man, sets on a journey to hunt down a group of corrupt leaders who are responsible for his mother Neela’s death. However, Kid’s journey of exacting revenge soon makes him become the savior of the poor and powerless people, who are tormented by the corrupt leaders.[9]

Cast

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THE FIRST OMEN

THE FIRST OMEN

The First Omen is an upcoming American supernatural horror film directed by Arkasha Stevenson, who co-wrote the screenplay with Tim Smith and Keith Thomas from a story by Ben Jacoby. It is a prequel to The Omen (1976), being the sixth film in The Omen franchise. The film stars Nell Tiger Free, Tawfeek Barhom, Sônia Braga, Ralph Ineson, and Bill Nighy.

The First Omen is scheduled to be released in the United States by 20th Century Studios on April 5, 2024.

Premise

The plot follows an American woman sent to work at a church in Rome who uncovers a sinister conspiracy to bring about the birth of the Antichrist.[2]

Cast

  • Nell Tiger Free as Margaret Daino, an American sent to Rome to work at an orphanage before taking the veil[a]
  • Sônia Braga as Sister Silvia, the Abbess of Vizzardeli Orphanage in Rome
  • Ralph Ineson as Father Brennan, a priest who warns Margaret of a conspiracy within the church[b]
  • Bill Nighy as Cardinal Lawrence, a senior member of the Catholic church
  • Tawfeek Barhom as Father Gabriel, a member of the Catholic clergy working at the orphanage
  • Maria Caballero as Luz Valez, Margaret’s roommate at Vizzardeli
  • Nicole Sorace as Carlita Skianna, an older child at Vizzardeli
  • Charles Dance[4]

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SOMEONE LIKE YOU

SOMEONE LIKE YOU

  • Director: Tyler Russell
  • Writer: Karen Kingsbury, Tyler Russell
  • Stars: Sarah Fisher, Jake Allyn, Lynn Collins
  • Genre: Romance
  • Release Date: 2024-04-02
  • Run Time: 118
Based on the novel by #1 NYTimes bestselling author Karen Kingsbury, “Someone Like You” is an achingly beautiful love story. After the tragic loss of his best friend, a grieving young architect launches a search for her secret twin sister.

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THE OLD OAK

THE OLD OAK

The Old Oak is a 2023 drama film directed by Ken Loach and written by Paul Laverty. It is a co-production between the United Kingdom, France and Belgium.[1]

After its world premiere at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, where it competed for the Palme d’Or, the film was released in the United Kingdom on 29 September 2023, by StudioCanal. The film was nominated for Outstanding British Film at the 77th British Academy Film Awards.

Premise

Pub landlord TJ Ballantyne, living in a previously thriving mining community in County Durham, struggles to hold onto his pub and keep it as the one remaining public space where people can meet in the town. Meanwhile, tensions rise when Syrian refugees are placed there, but Ballantyne strikes up a friendship with one of the refugees, Yara.[3][6]

Cast

  • Dave Turner as TJ Ballantyne
  • Ebla Mari as Yara
  • Claire Rodgerson as Laura
  • Trevor Fox as Charlie
  • Chris McGlade as Vic
  • Col Tait as Eddy
  • Jordan Louis as Garry
  • Chrissie Robinson as Erica
  • Chris Gotts as Jaffa Cake
  • Jen Patterson as Maggie
  • Arthur Oxley as Archie
  • Joe Armstrong as Joe
  • Andy Dawson as Micky
  • Maxie Peters as Tommy
  • Debbie Honeywood as Tania
  • Neil Leiper as Rocco

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4/2/2024# “Monkey Man,” “The First Omen,” “Someone Like You,” “The Old Oak’

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