Happy Friday, all! TGIF – it’s been a hectic week, so I know I’m looking forward to the weekend! I haven’t done a trailer post since May, which didn’t feel that long ago, but that was three months ago! This year has been flying way too fast 😬
Well, since it’s Friday, I thought I’d post some trailers of upcoming August movies that I’m looking forward to seeing just for the cast!
HIGHEST 2 LOWEST
When a titan music mogul is targeted with a ransom plot, he is jammed up in a life-or-death moral dilemma.
R | 2h 13m
Why aren’t people talking about this movie?? I barely saw any promos or buzz online until I got an invite to a press screening. I mean, it’s the fifth collaboration between Denzel Washington and Spike Lee. They’ve worked together in four previous films: Mo’ Better Blues, Malcolm X, He Got Game, and Inside Man. I like the premise of this one, and Denzel looks suave here as a music mogul.
Highest 2 Lowest are released in U.S. theaters on Friday, August 15.
EDEN
Based on a factual account of a group of outsiders who settle on a remote island only to discover their greatest threat isn’t the brutal climate or deadly wildlife, but each other.
R | 2h 9m
I first heard about this when it premiered at TIFF last September. It’s interesting to see Ron Howard as the director, since I wouldn’t typically link him to a dark, gritty, violent survival thriller like this. I have to say, the trailer is pretty disturbing because the characters come off as unlikable, and they just get nastier as more people show up on the island. The title suggests a perfect paradise, but they find out that the real danger isn’t the harsh weather or dangerous animals, but each other.
The cast is pretty stacked, though not very racially diverse.. Jude Law, Ana de Armas, Vanessa Kirby, Daniel Brühl, and Sydney Sweeney. The reviews have been mixed, but I’m still curious to check this out for myself and see if Howard pulls this off.
EDEN are released in U.S. theaters on Friday, August 22.
The Thursday Murder Club
Four irrepressible retirees spend their time solving cold case murders for fun, but their casual sleuthing takes a thrilling turn when they find themselves with a real whodunit on their hands.
PG-13 | 1h 58m
Here’s a cast I’d readily watch just them conversing over tea for an hour!! Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, Ben Kingsley, Celia Imrie, Jonathan Pryce, oh my! I LOVE films starring veteran actors (the main cast is in their 70s to early 80s) who are still at the top of their game. This one has a nice balance of talented young’uns such as Naomi Ackie, Tom Ellis, and David Tennant. As a Bond fan, it’s amusing to see Brosnan and Pryce together again since Tomorrow Never Dies.
The story is based on Richard Osman‘s books; this one is directed by Chris Columbus, who is adept at comedies (Home Alone, Mrs. Doubtfire).
The Thursday Murder Club drops on Netflix on Thursday, August 28.
FLIXCHATTER FILM BLOG 
Highest 2 Lowest is a film I really want to see. Not because of Spike and Denzel. More importantly to see how these 2 would re-interpret Akira Kurosawa’s classic film High and Low which EVERYONE needs to see.
I’m not interested in Eden despite its cast but I’m iffy on Ron Howard. The Thursday Murder Club is a maybe for its cast but I’m not high on it because of Chris Columbus who hasn’t really made anything watchable for a while.
Ah geez, I forgot to mention about this being the remake of Kurosawa’s classic film High and Low! I still need to see that film, but I’m hoping to catch that sometime this year.
Yeah, Chris Columbus hasn’t been prolific as a director, perhaps he’s been active as a producer? Like I said though, the cast of The Thursday Murder Club is killer!!
High and Low is right now streaming on MAX. I widely recommend it as it is one of Kurosawa’s quintessential films.
I think people aren’t talking about Highest 2 Lowest is because is remake of Kurosawa’s much loved High and Low. I’ve said many times, I don’t have issues with remakes as long as the new version is good and not a scene for scene redo. I haven’t seen Kurosawa’s original since college, it’s a near masterpiece and everyone needs to check it out. But I’m also very excited to see Spike Lee’s take on the subject. I enjoyed all of the films both he and Denzel made together.
Also, I think the film premiere at some festivals and people were not that impressed with it. So, it looks like Apple will just dump it in theaters and then stream on their app.
I saw the trailer of Eden a while back and thought Ron Howard directed this? It looked amateurish and cheap. Was this really made by an accomplished and Oscar winner director like Howard? So, I’m not interested in this one at all. Lol!
Yeah, I forgot to mention that it’s a remake of Kurosawa’s film. Boy, how many of his films have been remade by European/American filmmakers?? Now THAT would make a good topic, would you be willing to make such a list? No rush of course.
Hmmm, I actually haven’t even read any review of Highest 2 Lowest, but I did read a review of EDEN that completely trashed it. That said, I’m curious to check it out just for the cast. I think Howard is being experimental at this stage of his career, I mean he’s quite funny in The Studio series on AppleTV.
Funny thing is that Spike Lee’s previous remake based on a well beloved film from the Far East, Oldboy, just got trashed and it tanked so badly when it came out in theaters back in 2013. So, I’m surprised he decided to do another remake based on another and very well beloved Asian film.
Yeah, I can come up with that type of list. I’ll do remakes that worked and the ones that didn’t.
The only social media site/app I’m on these days is YouTube and I saw some “reviews” from the people who saw Highest 2 Lowest and they thought it wasn’t that good. I don’t trust those people, so I’ll make my own judgement when I see the movie. Heck, I thought Lee’s remake of Oldboy wasn’t as bad as people made it out to be. I think his mistake was that he basically did a shot for shot remake. He should’ve reimagine the story for Western audiences.
You know, you’re right about Howard. He’s at that stage in his career where he doesn’t need to make movies to please the Oscar voters or general public. He won Oscars and made several blockbusters. He’s doing what Sodenberg and Ang Lee are doing. And yes, that episode of him in The Studio was hilarious!
Pingback: The Minnesota Movie Digest: Issue No. 153 – Minnesota Film Critics Association
Yes! Anticipation.
I’m a fan of so many involved in. these movies.
Looks like the first one I’ll be watching is Thursday Murder Club!
Loved all the trailers. Thanks Ruth! xx
I saw Dame Helen and your gorgeous silver Fox Pearce on the Today Show promoting Thursday Murder Club, I can’t wait for that one!!
Mr too!!!!! xoxo
♥ ❤ ❥ ❣ ❦ ❧
♥ ❤ ❥ ❣ ❦ ❧
Fab emoji line-up!!!!!