hollywood
by tim parks
SEEING DOUBLE There’s a slew of movies that will cause you
to see double, in that they are being released simultaneously on streaming platforms and in, gasp, movie theatres! First up is director Zack Snyder’s return to zombie
territory with Netflix’s Army of the Dead, after previously giving his undead spin to the remake of Dawn of the Dead in 2004. Wrestler-turned-actor – is there any other kind? – Dave Bautista (Guard- ians of the Galaxy) assembles a ragtag group of mercenaries, including out actress and comedian Tig Notaro, when there’s a zombie outbreak in Las Vegas. I always knew that place was a hotbed for pink eye, so it makes sense that’s where the zombie apocalypse would start. (Out now) Everyone’s favorite Dalmatian pelt collector, Cruella, gets her an eponymous origin story on Disney+ – via Premiere Access – and in theatres on the same day. Emma Stone plays the live action villainess, and if she doesn’t scare you, no evil thing will in her pre-101 Dalmatians days. The younger version is an aspiring fashionista
who locks horns with Emma Thompson, all the while showing a flair for criminal pursuits in 1970s London. Cue the parade of gays emulating her punk rock sensibilities come Halloween, given their penchant for doing that for Glenn Close’s portrayal of the Miss de Vil circa 1996. (Out now) The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It gives
you the option of being scared at the theatre or in the comfort of your own home watching HBO Max. Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga return as paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren in this third outing of the supernatural movie franchise. This time around, their services are enlisted in a sensational murder trial, in which the defendant proclaims, well, it’s right there in the subtitle. (June 4) From the musical mind of Lin-Manuel Miranda,
the creator of Hamilton, comes In the Heights to theatres and streams on HBO Max the same day. The neighborhood of Washington Heights takes center stage in the telling of bodega owner Usnavi (Anthony Ramos), who laments about a
SITTIN’ IT OLD SCHOOL Since cineplexes have reopened again, there
are flicks being released solely to theatres, and here are a few that may get your butts back in the dark, with the light of the projector casting images on the screen as a welcome-back signal. I’ll be honest, when it comes to scary movies,
it’s not the sights but the sounds that elicit a scare and a jump out of me. So, A Quiet Place 2 may get me into the movie-going groove, seeing as the first one provided plenty of opportunities to scare the beejesus out of me. Emily Blunt returns as the matriarch of the Abbott family. And while they’re not creepy nor kooky, they are dealing with all-things spooky, as they traverse the outside world and discover the creatures that hunt by sound aren’t the only monsters that they have to contend with. (Out now) You would think that by a certain age that
you wouldn’t have to put up with mean girls. The opposite is true for Helen Wilson (Ellen Burstyn) in Queen Bees. She takes up temporary residence at a retirement community while her house is being repaired and she finds out the hard way that it’s no tea, but plenty of shade being thrown her way. Other residents at Shady
better life through the magic of song. (June 11) Nerd alert, part deux! Scarlett Johansson finally
gets to headline her own Marvel movie as Black Widow, twofold with a theatrical release as well as streaming on Disney+. Set after the events of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, it finds Natasha Romanoff dealing with her time as a spy and all those that she left behind, prior to her becoming one of the Avengers. (July 9) If you are confused as to why The Suicide Squad is on this list, well that’s because 2016’s Suicide Squad was minus the The. Which makes for a big what what and why why that the studio decided to go that title route. Anyhoo, the sequel once again finds Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) as part of a band of supervillains recruited by the govern- ment to lend a helping hand to a crisis. The actors going for the ultimate in squad goals include John Cena, Idris Elba and Pete Davidson and director James Gunn’s (Guardians of the Galaxy) take on the band of villains will be released in theatres and on, wait for it, HBO Max! (August 6)
Respect
Pines include Loretta Devine, Jane Curtin and the incomparable Ann-Margret. (June 11) M. Night Shama-lama-ding-dong newest
thriller Old embodies the “Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water” tagline for Jaws 2. Star Gael Garcia Bernal and a group of vacationers at a tropical resort learn the shocking truth that no amount of SPF 50 can stop them from prematurely aging, as the beachgoers rapidly age every half hour. (July 30) The latest Disneyland ride to get the big
screen treatment is Jungle Cruise. Personally, I’m still waiting for Teacups: The Movie to be greenlit, but I digress. Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt must navigate the Amazon and steer clear of animals and humans that want to prevent them from finding the Tree of Life, which could forever alter the future of medicine. (July 30) Find out what R-E-S-P-E-C-T means to
Jennifer Hudson as she socks it to us with her portrayal of Aretha Franklin in the biopic Respect, which chronicles her humble beginnings singing in father’s church choir to becoming the Queen of Soul. (August 13)
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ragemonthly.com | JUNE 2021
Queen Bees
CUT. PRINT. THAT’S A WRAP! When I was a kid, the very worst thing that my
Dad could say to me when I wanted to go see a movie was, “It will be on cable in a year.” Who knew that in 2020 this sentiment would become true for this pop culture junkie, losing myself in watching TV shows and movies, finding a semblance of what passes for normalcy these days. Happy viewing!
Tim Parks has been a freelance writer for 21 years, a columnist for 16 years, and part of Team Rage since 2009. He is the award-winning author of The Scheme of Things, available on
Amazon.com
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