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Novocaine review – Jack Quaid is put through the grinder in ultraviolent action comedy

A man’s inability to feel pain comes in handy in this extravagantly gory bank heist caper Risk-averse San Diego assistant bank manager Nathan Caine (Jack Quaid) lives a cautious, cotton wool-wrapped life. It’s not that he’s afraid of getting hurt. Quite the opposite, since a rare genetic abnormality means he’s unable to feel pain. Rather, Nathan is concerned that because of his sensory quirk he risks inadvertently injuring himself. When the girl of his dreams, sparky fellow bank employee Sherry (Amber Midthunder), is abducted during a heist, and Nathan embarks on an off-the-cuff rescue mission, his unusual condition suddenly comes in handy. While Nathan may feel no pain, the audience certainly does: this is an amped-up, cartoonish blitzkrieg of ultraviolence and – fair warning – a bit of an endurance test if deep-fried fingers and snapped bones give you the ick. Directors Robert Olsen and Dan Berk take a sadistic glee in dreaming up extravagant horrors to inflict on their irrepressib...

Sebastian review – journalist turned sex-worker aims to turn side-hustle into art

Ruaridh Mollica is very good as Max, a freelance writer with a secret app life in prostitution, but Mikko Mäkelä’s film is not clear enough about his motivations Sex work as a window into human nature is a longstanding theme in cinema, from Kenji Mizoguchi’s Street of Shame to Chantal Akerman’s Jeanne Dielman, and onwards. It is intensified here by the fact that the protagonist Max (Ruaridh Mollica), who mines his side-hustle escort work for material, is also a writer. But this uneasy, self-regarding sophomore effort by Finnish-British director Mikko Mäkelä, never fully distancing itself from the narcissistic prism of artistic creation, only fleetingly makes contact with flesh-and-blood human truths. By day, Max is a freelance hotshot for London’s trendy Wall magazine; he has just bagged himself a sweet assignment to interview Bret Easton Ellis. By night he is “Sebastian”, a hot commodity on an app called DreamyGuys. Typically servicing the older gentleman, he turns his experiences...

A Minecraft Movie review – building-block game franchise spin-off is rollicking if exhausting fun

Full-throttle star turns from Jack Black and Jennifer Coolidge raise laughs but don’t help the perfunctory plotting in this screen take on the game franchise If you’re not familiar with Minecraft as a game then this film, notionally a big screen version of same, won’t necessarily solve that. Minecraft, even more than most computer games, is what you make of it, an experience generated by the player. So in a way, the idea of making a film set in the Minecraft world is counterintuitive, because it can never replicate what is good about Minecraft, it can only tell you what is good about Minecraft. In addition to that, this comedy-fantasy takes aspects of the Minecraft world and uses them as building blocks in a rollicking adventure suitable for almost all ages, giving Jack Black and Jason Momoa carte blanche to wild out and be deeply silly. Your affection for and/or tolerance of this latter prospect will dictate to a large extent your enjoyment of this film. Black plays Steve, a crafter...

Academy apologises for failure to back Palestinian Oscar winner over attack

Letter signed by 700 members offers support to Hamdan Ballal after initial statement had failed to name director The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has apologised after criticism for its failure to support the detained Palestinian Oscar winner Hamdan Ballal. Almost 700 voting members, including multiple A-list actors, signed a letter apologising for not directly acknowledging Ballal and the film by name. Continue reading... from Film | The Guardian https://ift.tt/HXQCJBi via IFTTT

SCOOP: Salman Khan and Sanjay Dutt's next titled Ganga Ram; debutant Krish Ahir to direct

In the last 2 weeks, both Salman Khan and Sanjay Dutt independently confirmed that they are coming together on a rustic action film. Post that, we did our due diligence trying to collate information from industry sources. And we have some exciting, good news for all Bhai fans. Reliable sources confirm that Salman Khan is indeed teaming up with Sanjay Dutt on an action film. "Salman and Sanju are coming together for a rustic action film titled Ganga Ram, with the duo in the titular role. It's a film developed by Salman and his SKF team in-house, and everyone is very excited to get back the OG's on the big screen in the action set-up. When Salman's team told the one-line to Sanjay, he was also more than excited to partner and join forces with Salman on a two-hero film," a source shared with Bollywood Hungama. The film will be directed by debutant Krish Ahir, who has been an associate on multiple films produced by Salman Khan over the last 5 years. "Ganga Ram ...

Val Kilmer, star of Top Gun and The Doors, dies aged 65

Known for his roles in Batman Forever, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, and Tombstone, the prolific actor’s cause of death was pneumonia Remembering Val Kilmer: an ethereally handsome actor who evolved into droll self-awareness A life in pictures Val Kilmer, the actor best known for his roles in Top Gun, Batman Forever and The Doors, has died at the age of 65. His daughter Mercedes told the New York Times that the cause of death was pneumonia. Kilmer was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014 and later recovered, after treatment with chemotherapy and trachea surgery that had reduced his ability to speak and breathe. Continue reading... from Film | The Guardian https://ift.tt/jbRflG0 via IFTTT

Coyote vs Acme: $70m Looney Tunes film to be released after being canned by Warner Bros

Live-action animated film starring John Cena and Will Forte will hit cinemas in 2026, after it was controversially shelved in favour of a $30m tax write-down For once, things are working out for Wile E Coyote. The film Coyote vs Acme, which stars John Cena and Will Forte acting alongside beloved Looney Tunes cartoon characters, will finally be released to the public, almost two years after the completed film was shelved by Warner Bros as part of a tax write-off . Continue reading... from Film | The Guardian https://ift.tt/KGhMu8L via IFTTT

Black Cab review – Nick Frost on outstanding form in creepy taxi-driving Brit horror

Though the narrative goes the long way round, there are plenty of strong performances and good ideas to keep this journey interesting Although this British horror flick gets a little muddy in strictly narrative terms with its tricky shifts in viewpoint, it’s rich enough in ideas and strong performances as well as running a blessedly crisp 88 minutes, that any flaws are easily forgiven. The story starts with Anne (Synnove Karlsen, outstanding in a demanding yet slightly underwritten role) waking from a frightening dream and going to join her boyfriend Patrick (Luke Norris) for dinner with another couple, Ryan (George Bukhari) and Jessica (Tessa Parr). The snappy banter between the foursome, which instantly and economically establishes that Patrick is an outright asshole who doesn’t deserve quiet, circumspect Anne, suddenly chills when it’s revealed the two are engaged. Jessica, for one, doesn’t approve, for reasons only revealed later. Nevertheless, Anne and Patrick depart in the titu...

Sikandar’s shows CANCELLED in several cinemas; replaced with All The Best Pandya, L2 Empuraan, The Diplomat; Gaiety-Galaxy INCREASES shows due to INSANE public demand

The Salman Khan-starrer Sikandar has failed to entice the viewers as intended. The word of mouth is very poor and though there was growth on the second day of release, the trend has made it clear that the film will suffer a fall once the holiday season gets over. Realizing this aspect, the theatres have begun to reduce the showcasing of Sikandar and replace its shows with successful holdover releases. There were reports that Sikandar’s shows were being cancelled due to no audience. A trade source told Bollywood Hungama, “We didn’t find any instance of the show getting cancelled in Mumbai. There were shows where the number of viewers was in single digits but on the first two days, no show got cancelled due to no audience. However, the same happened in Surat, Ahmedabad, Bhopal, Indore etc., especially in areas where there was little or no Eid effect.” Kiritbhai T Vaghasia, who runs The Friday Cinema multiplex in Surat, said, “Not a single ticket was sold for the 9:00 am and 10:00 am sh...

Kis Kisko Pyaar Karoon 2: Kapil Sharma surprises fans on Eid with First Look poster

Comedian-turned-actor Kapil Sharma has given his fans a delightful Eid surprise by unveiling the much-anticipated first look of Kis Kisko Pyaar Karoon 2. The film, a sequel to his 2015 comedy hit, promises to bring back the signature humor and chaos that made the original a crowd favorite. The first-look poster, which was released on social media, features Kapil Sharma alongside a mysterious female character, sparking curiosity among fans about the film’s storyline. With the announcement of the film's shoot commencement already generating excitement, this latest reveal has further heightened anticipation for the sequel. Cast and Crew Details Alongside Kapil Sharma, actor Manjot Singh is set to play a key role in the film. Known for his impeccable comic timing, Manjot’s presence is expected to add another layer of entertainment to the movie. While the full cast list is yet to be announced, speculations are rife about potential new additions to the ensemble. Directed by Anukalp G...