Jason Bateman and Taron Egerton star in CARRY-ON, arriving December 13, 2024 on Netflix!

ABOUT CARRY-ON
Director: Jaume Collet-Serra
Writer: TJ Fixman
Producer: Dylan Clark
Executive Producers: Holly Bario, Brian Williams, Jaume Collet-Serra, Seth William Meier, Scott GreenbergCast: Taron Egerton, Jason Bateman, Sofia Carson, Danielle Deadwyler, Logan Marshall-Green, Dean Norris, Sinqua Walls and Jason Bateman
Also Starring: Gil Perez- Abraham, Tonatiuh, Curtiss Cook, Joe Williamson, Josh Brener
Logline: A young TSA agent fights to outsmart a mysterious traveler who blackmails him into letting a dangerous package slip onto a Christmas Eve flight.

By David Baldwin

It is the late 1980s and Henk Rogers (Taron Egerton) is looking for a hit. The Video Game Designer and salesman is hemorrhaging money, but may have found his salvation in a game called Tetris. He is not the only one who wants a piece of it though, and once he learns that the IP rights belong to the Soviet Union, Henk decides he is going to travel behind the Iron Curtain and negotiate for them himself.

Did that sound convoluted? Well, there are a whole lot more rights-related shenanigans where that came from on top of family drama and light Nintendo-related nostalgia. Some of the story has been clearly embellished (particularly a bit cribbed from the Oscar-winning Argo), yet it stays grounded enough to keep your attention. I loved how Lorne Balfe incorporated the music from Tetris into his Score, yet could have done without the recurring neon-soaked 8-bit motif anytime a setting changed.

While Henk’s story is straight-forward enough, it feels like it is at odds with the bigger tale Director Jon S. Baird and Writer Noah Pink are more interested in telling: the dying days of the Soviet Union and all the corruption that goes with it. The shady individuals, the double-crossing deals, the KGB, the spying, Gorbachev, all of it is fascinating and often downright terrifying. There are a whole lot more of these elements in the Film than you might imagine – considering it is called TETRIS – and I think it suffers from having them smashed-together with Henk’s story.

TETRIS is a well-made film despite these qualms and I enjoyed watching it. Egerton is just as charismatic and committed as always, and his chemistry with Nikita Yefremov, who plays Tetris architect Alexey Pajitnov, is wonderful. Had Baird and Pink focused more on that budding friendship or made a separate movie about the inner workings of the USSR, then we could have had a much more cohesive picture about one of the most ultra-popular pieces of media ever created, rather than the messy film we did get.

TETRIS screens at SXSW ’23 as follows:

Mar 15 at 6:00pm at Paramount Theatre

Mar 16 at 5:15pm at Alamo Lamar E

Today Apple Original Films unveiled the trailer for the highly anticipated thriller, “Tetris,” starring Taron Egerton. 

“Tetris” tells the unbelievable story of how one of the world’s most popular video games found its way to avid players around the globe. Henk Rogers (Taron Egerton) discovers Tetris in 1988, and then risks everything by travelling to the Soviet Union, where he joins forces with inventor Alexey Pajitnov (Nikita Efremov) to bring the game to the masses. Based on a true story, “Tetris” is a Cold War–era thriller on steroids, with double-crossing villains, unlikely heroes, and a nail-biting race to the finish.

“Tetris” will premiere globally on Apple TV+ on March 31, 2023

(Photo/video credit: Apple TV+)

By David Baldwin

It is the mid-90s and Jimmy Keene (Taron Egerton) has just been arrested for a multitude of offenses. The high school football star and son of retired cop Big Jim Keene (the late Ray Liotta in one of his last filmed roles) is encouraged to take a plea deal with the hope of getting out jail quickly. Instead, the judge makes an example of Jimmy and sentences him to ten years with no chance of parole. Months later, he is offered a deal: elicit a confession from suspected serial killer Larry Hall (Paul Walter Hauser) – who is currently residing in a maximum security prison for the criminally insane – and get out of jail early, or turn it down and wait out the remainder of his sentence.

BLACK BIRD is inspired by true events and comes with the added pedigree of being written and created by Dennis Lehane, the acclaimed Novelist behind titles like Mystic River, Gone Baby Gone and Shutter Island. The first two episodes make for a compelling set-up for the six-episode Mini-Series, introducing us to all of the players and setting the stakes sky high right from the start. The transitions from present to past and back again are a little clunky in some areas while being downright riveting in others. Hauser, who has truly honed his craft over the past half-decade, is incredible as Hall, creating a character that we are immediately unsure of. Is he telling the truth? How does he know certain details, but not others? Why is he so soft spoken? I had a lot of questions and uneasy feelings about him, and the series plays right into all of that and allows Hauser the freedom to dig deep and explore Hall’s idiosyncrasies. I will not call it his best work yet (not when his turns in I, Tonya and Richard Jewell still exist), yet I look forward to being endlessly fascinated by his performance and genuinely hope it sticks the landing.

And yes, it is just as gut-wrenching and heartbreaking to see Liotta on-screen after being taken from us less than two months ago. He is absolutely mesmerizing in his supporting role. Such a tremendous loss.

Sadly, I cannot speak highly of the rest of the Series at this point. The first two episodes are slickly-produced and look great, but also feel unnecessarily dragged out. Whole swaths of scenes could have been trimmed down to mere montages, mere pieces of dialogue or excised entirely. What that boils down to is the hard truth that these early episodes do not make a great case for why BLACK BIRD exists as a prestige Mini-Series and not a two-and-a-half-hour film. Egerton’s accent is great and he gets to show off his acting range (and his ridiculously sculpted abs, which I have to assume are in place for his rumoured desire to play the MCU’s Wolverine), but does not really wow. His chemistry with Sepideh Moafi’s FBI Agent Lauren McCauley is fiercely palpable at least – as is the edginess Moafi brings to her character. Greg Kinnear is solid as Detective Brian Miller, but again, is not really afforded the chance to wow.

BLACK BIRD may prove to be compelling, must-watch Television. There are certainly hints of greatness parsed throughout these early episodes and I do look forward to keep watching, if only for Hauser. My fear is that the next four will be just as stretched thin and padded-out. But I genuinely hope I get proven wrong.

The first two episodes of BLACK BIRD premiere Friday, July 8, 2022 on Apple TV+, with each new episode arriving every Friday throughout July.

Taron Egerton stars in BLACK BIRD, coming soon to Apple TV+. The Series, based on a true story also features the work from a late Ray Liotta.

Synopsis:

“Black Bird” stars Taron Egerton as Jimmy Keene, Paul Walter Hauser as Larry Hall, Greg Kinnear as Brian Miller, Sepideh Moafi as Lauren McCauley, and Ray Liotta as Jimmy Keene’s father, Big Jim Keene. The series is adapted from the true crime memoir “In With The Devil: A Fallen Hero, A Serial Killer, and A Dangerous Bargain for Redemption” by James Keene and Hillel Levin.

Inspired by actual events, when high school football hero and decorated policeman’s son Jimmy Keene (Egerton) is sentenced to 10 years in a minimum security prison, he is given the choice of a lifetime — enter a maximum-security prison for the criminally insane and befriend suspected serial killer Larry Hall (Hauser), or stay where he is and serve his full sentence with no possibility of parole. Keene quickly realizes his only way out is to elicit a confession and find out where the bodies of several young girls are buried before Hall’s appeal goes through. But is this suspected killer telling the truth? Or is it just another tale from a serial liar? This dramatic and captivating story subverts the crime genre by enlisting the help of the very people put behind bars to solve its mysteries.

The first two episodes of BLACKBIRD arrive Friday, July 8, 2022 on Apple TV+, with new episodes to come weekly through August 5, 2022.

(Photo/video credit: Apple TV+)

Taron Egerton stars in BLACK BIRD, coming to Apple TV+.

Synopsis:

Inspired by actual events, when high school football hero, decorated policeman’s son, and convicted drug dealer Jimmy Keene (Taron Egerton) is sentenced to 10 years in a minimum security prison, he is given the choice of a lifetime — enter a maximum-security prison for the criminally insane and befriend suspected serial killer Larry Hall (Paul Walter Hauser), or stay where he is and serve his full sentence with no possibility of parole. Keene quickly realizes his only way out is to elicit a confession and find out where the bodies of several young girls are buried before Hall’s appeal goes through. But is this suspected killer telling the truth? Or is it just another tale from a serial liar? This dramatic and captivating story subverts the crime genre by enlisting the help of the very people put behind bars to solve its mysteries.  

In addition to Egerton and Hauser, “Black Bird” stars Sepideh Moafi, Greg Kinnear and Ray Liotta.

BLACK BIRD arrives globally July 8, 2022 only on Apple TV+.

(Photo credit: Apple TV+)

The Golden Globe Awards took place tonight at the Beverly Hilton, honouring together the best in Television and Cinema in one star-studded affair. The Awards for the first-time ever, served guests an all-vegan menu with Climate Change being front and center in discussion. Funnyman Ricky Gervais hosted a fifth and final time and once again nobody was spared of his biting humour, whether it be Leonardo DiCaprio being teased for his young girlfriends, The Irishman being too long or everyone as a whole being sent-off for the evening to go enjoy their booze and drugs, which failed to be caught by NBC Censors.

ONCE UPON A TIME… IN HOLLYWOOD  took home three scores including Best Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical, Best Motion Picture Screenplay (Quentin Tarantino) and Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture (Brad Pitt).

Sam Mendes’ 1917 would win Best Director in a Motion Picture and also Best Motion Picture – Drama. The Film gets a wide release next week.

JOKER would be awarded Best Original Score in a Motion Picture, in addition to heavy favourite Joaquin Phoenix winning for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama. Renée Zellweger as predicted, would take Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama after a 17-year absence from the ceremony.

In a couple surprises, ROCKETMAN also took home two Golden Globes, for Best Song with (I’m Gonna) Love Me Again and Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical (Taron Egerton). For Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical, Awkwafina would pull-off the upset winning for her performance in universally-acclaimed The Farewell.

HBO‘s SUCCESSION and Amazon‘s FLEABAG were both the big winners in the Television categories. The former took Best TV Series Drama and Best Performance by an Actor in a TV Series Drama (Brian Cox). The latter took Best TV Series – Musical or Comedy and Best Performance by an Actress in a TV Series – Musical or Comedy (Phoebe Waller-Bridge). In addition to starring in Flebag, Waller-Bridge also wrote the Series, based on her one-woman Play.

Saturday Night Live‘s Kate McKinnon presented Ellen DeGeneres the Carol Burnett Award and reflected on how DeGeneres paved the way for her as a gay woman in Entertainment. “She risked her entire life to tell the truth. If I hadn’t seen her, I wouldn’t be on TV.”. DeGeneres when accepting her Award told the audience, “The real power in Television is not that people watch my Show, but that people watch my show and are inspired to put some of that into their own lives.”.

Charlize Theron presented the Cecil B. DeMille Award to screen veteran Tom Hanks to a standing ovation, recounting how he gave her one of her first big breaks auditioning for 1996’s That Thing You Do and giving her a second chance with a five minute break after being what she called “a sweaty mess”. A tearful Hanks gave thanks to his wife Rita Wilson and five children, stating “They are a loving group of people who put-up me with me being away months and months at a time. I can’t tell you what your love means to me.”. He credits his peers, stating “You’re a dope if you don’t steal from the ones you work with – I’ve worked with many who are known by one name like Meryl, Denzel and Antonio“.  He shares a bit of advice based on his years of experience, saying “Showing-up on-time is one of the greatest liberating acts you can give others in a Movie, because when the time comes you have to hit all the marks and go there.”.

There were several winning looks on the Red Carpet including a glamorous red Vera Wang dress donned by Scarlett Johannson. Nicole Kidman also came in red, appearing every bit a Movie Star in Versace. Rising Star Ana de Armas sparkled like a sapphire in Ralph & Russo at her first-ever Globes appearance.  Jennifer Lopez drew a lot of divided opinions on Social Media with her gold bow dress by Valentino.

Complete list of winners here.

The Oscars air Sunday, February 9, 2020, 8 PM EST on ABC. Nominees will be announced Monday, January 13, 2020.

(Photo credit: Getty Images)

Paramount Home Entertainment x Mr. Will want to give Readers a chance to win a copy of the incredible ROCKETMAN on Blu-ray! The Film recounts the success and struggles of icon Elton John!

See the Trailer:

Features:

BONUS FEATURES ON 4K ULTRA HD COMBO, BLU-RAY COMBO & DIGITAL***
Extended Musical Numbers:
Introduction by Dexter Fletcher
The Bitch Is Back
Saturday Night’s Alright (For Fighting)
Breaking Down the Walls of Heartache
Honky Cat
Deleted and Extended Scenes:
Introduction by Dexter Fletcher
I Love Rock And Roll
You’ve Got to Kill the Person You Were Born To Be
Arabella
Elton in the Gas Oven
Stylish Boots
You’re Not the First Closet Queer with a Mummy Complex
The Blood Test
The Heart Attack
The Launderette
Do You Want Anything?
It’s Going to Be a Wild Ride: Creative Vision
Becoming Elton John: Taron’s Transformation
Larger Than Life: Production Design & Costuming
Full Tilt: Staging the Musical Numbers
Music Reimagined: The Studio Sessions – Behind the scenes in the recording studio with Taron & Elton
ROCKETMAN Lyric Companion: Sing-Along with Select Songs (English only):
The Bitch Is Back
I Want Love
Saturday Night’s Alright (For Fighting)
Your Song
Crocodile Rock
Tiny Dancer
Honky Cat
Rocket Man
Bennie and the Jets
Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me
Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
I’m Still Standing
ROCKETMAN Jukebox: Jump Straight to the Music

ONLY AVAILABLE ON DIGITAL***
The Right Chemistry: The Ensemble Cast
Rocket Man: Anatomy of a Scene
Rocket Man Music Video – Taron Egerton sings the classic
Deleted and Extended Scenes:
That’s My Grandad’s Name
The Morning After

APPLE TV (iTUNES) EXCLUSIVES
Be True to Yourself: Elton John’s Lasting Impact
Rehearsal Shoot for “The Bitch Is Back”

Artwork:

To enter to win, click “like” on this Post at MR. WILL ON FACEBOOK. Re-Tweet this Contest Tweet from @mrwillw for an extra chance. This is open to Canadian Readers only.

Paramount Home Entertainment release ROCKETMAN Tuesday, August 27, 2019.

(Photo/video credit: Paramount Home Entertainment)

This is so amazing! Taron Egerton surprised fans at Elton John’s 95th show as part of his FAREWELL YELLOW BRICK ROAD Tour last night in Hove, UK. See a clip of them performing YOUR SONG together on-stage. This is bringing back memories of the amazing ROCKETMAN which if you haven’t seen yet, you’re missing out!

See the Clip:

ROCKETMAN is now in theatres.

(Photo/video credit: Paramount Pictures)

Paramount Pictures Canada x Mr. Will want to give Readers a chance to attend an Advance Screening of ROCKETMAN. We’ve waited so long to see Taron Egerton as legendary Sir Elton John!

Screenings are as follows Wednesday, May 29, 2019:

Toronto
Scotiabank Theatre Toronto, 7PM

Montreal
Cinema Banque Scotia Montreal, 7:30PM

Ottawa
Scotiabank Theatre Ottawa, 7:30PM

Synopsis:
ROCKETMAN is an epic musical fantasy about the incredible human story of Elton John’s breakthrough years. The film follows the fantastical journey of transformation from shy piano prodigy Reginald Dwight into international superstar Elton John. This inspirational story – set to Elton John’s most beloved songs and performed by star Taron Egerton – tells the universally relatable story of how a small-town boy became one of the most iconic figures in pop culture. ROCKETMAN also stars Jamie Bell as Elton’s longtime lyricist and writing partner Bernie Taupin, Richard Madden as Elton’s first manager, John Reid, and Bryce Dallas Howard as Elton’s mother Sheila Farebrother.

See the Trailer:

Artwork:

Click “like” on this Post at MR. WILL ON FACEBOOK and indicate there your City. Re-Tweet this Tweet from @mrwillw for another shot!

Paramount Pictures Canada release ROCKETMAN Friday, May 31, 2019.

(Photo/video credit: Paramount Pictures)