Matt Reeves did wonders with the Apes. The filmmakers’ Planet of the Apes trilogy created a fantastical world that was surprisingly rich and beautifully crafted. With that, it was difficult to imagine another director taking on this exciting series. Enter Wes Ball. Coming off of the popular Maze Runner franchise, Ball has successfully continued the already impressive world with his latest, The Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. The film offers a fresh faced cast that includes, Owen Teague, Freya Allan, Kevin Durand, Peter Macon, and William H. Macy. It is a bold sequel that continues what Reeves started with a smart and satisfying new story (which is getting great buzz).

Last Wednesday, I took a drive to the idyllic and incredibly peaceful Descanso Gardens in La Canada-Flintridge. It was a perfect day to get close to nature, and yes, talk about Apes. First up, I met a new friend, a hawk named Jasper. Did I mention it was also a perfect day for Falconry? After that incredible experience, one where I couldn’t resist the beauty of this incredible bird, I continued on my day.

The first interview was the wonderful Kevin Durand and Peter Macon. It was one of the easiest interviews I’ve ever done as the the two just told me these amazing stories about becoming Apes. Having interviewed Kevin recently for his excellent work in Abigail, it was fantastic to chat with him again. Right after speaking with these two, I sat down with both Owen Teague and Freya Allan. The two were incredibly charming, and they opened up about being a part of this legendary series.

To finish the day up, we talked with director Wes Ball. It was clear that bringing life to The Maze Runner prepared Mr. Ball for yet another franchise. He discussed taking on after what Reeves brought us, and the casting of this latest installment. It was a delightful conversation, but one could not end an Apes junket without learning how to become an “ape.” The final trip of the day included a conversation with Movement Coordinator/Choreographer Alain Gauthier. And yes, I try my best to learn to walk the walk. Luckily, Mr. Owen Teague made a brief cameo to help us out.

The Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is heading to theatres this weekend, and it’s a sequel that manages to live up to the beauty of what came before.

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Hype can kill a great moviegoing experience. And frankly, there was a lot of hype even before I stepped into David Leitch’s take on the classic series, The Fall Guy. Thankfully, this time, it’s beyond well warranted. Starring the ridiculously charismatic Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt, this love letter to the amazing world of stuntwork shines. The action is predictably glorious – it’s David Leitch, the man excels at this – and the performances are perfection. It’s that rare cinematic treat that manages to do nearly everything well, and it works. Whether or not you are familiar with the cool as hell Lee Majors series (1981-86), you will fall for Leitch’s amazing work. A couple of weeks back, I had the incredible chance to step onto the sound stages of Universal Studios. I was there to interview the cast and director about their latest. First up was Mr. Leitch. I can’t say enough about what a great guy he is. We talked about the references in the new film, one of which was especially fitting for my viewing experience. He discussed finding the right balance a humor and heart, without letting up on the brilliant stunt work and action set pieces.

Next up, we talked with co-stars Hannah Waddingham and Winston Duke and it was yet another treat. The two talked about working on a set with Leitch, and building grounded, yet entertaining characters. Both of these actors are terrific in the film. In fact, Hannah is so good in the movie, I was half expecting her to be drinking the same beverage during the interview as the person she plays in the film. She did not. In fact, she is about as far from that as possible. These two were terrific.

And finally, I made my way to my final interview with Emily Blunt and Ryan Gosling. While waiting for Ms. Blunt, I had the chance to speak off camera with Mr. Gosling. Having had the pleasure before, the man is one of the nicest guys you could ever talk to. As is his wonderful co-star. The two talked about taking on this fantastic film. For Emily, she talked about playing out the real life stakes portraying an up-and-coming director. And Ryan talked about his experiences with stuntmen throughout his career. It’s hard to imagine a more pleasant couple of actors to sit down with, as Gosling and Blunt are lovely people on-screen and off.

The Fall Guy is one of the most engaging and thrilling movies so far this year. It’s the kind of big budget tale that will likely find the same success as Top Gun and Barbie. You all are going to dig this (check out our review HERE).

Let us know what you thought of our The Fall Guy interviews by leaving a comment below!

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You are on the wrong website if you don’t know who William Shatner is. Whether or not you are a Star Trek fan is irrelevant for you to appreciate Shatner’s impact on pop culture. From his role as Captain James T. Kirk to turns on The Twilight Zone, TJ Hooker, Rescue 911, Boston Legal, and more, Shatner has been a pop culture stalwart since the 1960s. Having written books, released albums, and performed on stage, William Shatner’s legacy hit a pinnacle when he joined Jeff Bezos for a spaceflight a few years ago. From fictional space to real stars, Shatner is a legend.

At 93 years old, William Shatner also knows his time on this planet is coming to an end in the near future. His new documentary, You Can Call Me Bill, mediates his place in the cosmos and what it has meant to have lived almost a century of happiness. The stream-of-consciousness interview combines footage from his vast resume and direct commentary from the man himself on his life, his loves, and what he has learned over the past nine decades. It is a fascinating and unique look into the life of an icon many of us have grown up admiring.

I was privileged to speak with William Shatner about the new documentary and the profound impact his roles have had on my own life. I asked him about his work on the Esperanto-language film Incubus and the opening camping scene in Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, which he also directed. We touched on his wish to have refilmed his final scene as Captain Kirk in Star Trek Generations and what his interactions with fans have been like over the years. Check out the full interview in the embed above.

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Once set up at the Max streaming service, the TV series Dead Boy Detectives, which is based on characters Neil Gaiman created for DC Comics in the pages of The Sandman issue #25, is now calling Netflix its home, having moved away from Max last year because it “doesn’t fit with DC executives James Gunn and Peter Safran’s plans for the DCU.” The show premiered on April 25th (you can read our review HERE) – and to mark the occasion, a new addition to the team here at JoBlo.com, Kyanna Mondezie, was given the opportunity to conduct interviews with several members of the cast: George Rexstrew, Jayden Revri, Kassius Nelson, and Yuyu Kitamura. You can hear what they had to say about their experience working on the show by checking out the video embedded above. Also interviewed were series creator Steve Yockey and showrunner Beth Schwartz.

Since these characters were introduced in the comic book The Sandman, it seems fitting that they ended up on Netflix, as the streamer is also home to the live-action The Sandman series.

George Rexstrew, making his screen debut, and Jayden Revri of The Lodge play the title characters in Dead Boy Detectives. The third lead of the show is Kassius Nelson of Last Night in Soho. The eight one-hour episodes of the series will follow the Dead Boy Detectives — Charles Rowland (Revri) and Edwin Paine (Rexstrew) — who decided not to enter the afterlife in order to stay on earth and investigate crimes involving the supernatural. They are joined by Crystal Palace (Nelson), a living psychic medium.

Also in the cast are Lukas Gage (Euphoria) as Thomas the Cat King, who can transform into a Siamese cat and is always happy to make a deal, but shouldn’t be trusted; Briana Cuoco (The Flight Attendant) as Jenny, described as a mildly punk butcher and a confidant of Crystal Palace; Jenn Lyon (Justified) as Esther, described as a witch obsessed with youth and immortality; Yuyu Kitamura (The Expatriates) as Niko, a boarding school student intent on joining the Dead Boy Detectives agency who now lives above Jenny’s butcher shop; Caitlin Reilly (Hacks) and Max Jenkins (Dead to Me) as Litty and Kingham, who are “tiny foul-mouthed dandelion sprites who are a rude annoyance to the Dead Boys,” and Ruth Connell (For the Love of George) as Night Nurse, a demon that controls the flow of souls in the afterlife.

Connell is a carry-over from Doom Patrol, as she previously played Night Nurse on that show. But Charles, Edwin, and Crystal were played by Sebastian Croft, Ty Tennant, and Madalyn Horcher on Doom Patrol.

The pilot for Dead Boy Detectives was written by Steve Yockey, who also serves as executive producer alongside Jeremy Carver and Berlanti Productions’ Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter, and David Madden. Yockey and Carver previously worked together on Supernatural. Yockey was co-showrunner on The Flight Attendant, while Carver was showrunner on Doom Patrol. Yockey serves as showrunner on Dead Boy Detectives alongside Beth Schwartz, who was previously a showrunner on Arrow and Sweet Tooth.

Netflix shared this official description of the show: Meet Edwin Payne (Rexstrew) and Charles Rowland (Revri), ‘the brains’ and ‘the brawn’ behind the Dead Boy Detectives agency. Teenagers born decades apart who find each other only in death, Edwin and Charles are best friends and ghosts… who solve mysteries. They will do anything to stick together – including escaping evil witches, Hell and Death herself. With the help of a clairvoyant named Crystal (Nelson) and her friend Niko (Kitamura), they are able to crack some of the mortal realm’s most mystifying paranormal cases.

Have you watched Dead Boy Detectives yet? If so, let us know what you thought of the show – and of our cast member interviews – by leaving a comment below.

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It star Bill Skarsgard is out for revenge in the action thriller, Boy Kills World, which just reached theatres today (April 26th). JoBlo’s own Chris Bumbray already had the chance to see the movie, giving it an 8/10 review that you can read HERE – and we also had the opportunity to sit down for interviews with the film’s director Moritz Mohr, as well as cast members Famke Janssen (The Faculty), Brett Gelman (Stranger Things), Isaiah Mustafa (It: Chapter Two), and Andrew Koji (Warrior). To find out what they had to say about their experience of working on Boy Kills World, check out the video embedded above!

Produced by the legendary Sam Raimi, the film marks the feature directorial debut of Mohr. It was scripted by Arend Remmers (Sløborn) and Tyler Burton Smith (Kung Fury: The Movie). The story takes place in a bizarre, dark dystopian universe and centers on a deaf and mute character, Boy, who navigates this depressing world with his otherworldly imagination. Tragedy strikes when Boy’s family is brutally murdered. When his fight or flight instincts kick in, Boy finds himself on a life-threatening trek into the darkly forested jungle. There, he meets a shaman who takes Boy under his wing and launches him into a cutthroat coming of age journey where he encourages his new pupil to leave his youth behind and pick up the baton as a highly trained assassin.

Skarsgard and the actors interviewed above are joined in the cast by Jessica Rothe (Happy Death Day), Yayan Ruhian (The Raid: Redemption), Sharlto Copley (District 9), Quinn Copeland (Punky Brewster), twin brothers Cameron and Nicholas Crovetti (Big Little Lies), and Michelle Dockery (Downton Abbey). Dockery plays Melanie, “the sister of the film’s Van der Koy family. Melanie is a satirical powerhouse and sociopath who tries to project a powerful cohesive family image to hide the desperation behind their decaying dynasty.” Janssen, Gelman, and Copley are also members of the antagonistic Van Der Koy family, with Janssen as matriarch Hilda, and Gelman and Copley as Gideon and Glen, respectively.

Sam Raimi and Zainab Azizi are producing Boy Kills World through Raimi Productions, Roy Lee is producing for Vertigo Entertainment, Simon Swart and Wayne Fitzjohn are producing through Nthibah Pictures, and Alex Lebovici is producing through Hammerstone Studios. Stuart Manashil and Dan Kagan are also producers. Reza Brojerdi of Ventaro Film and Andrew Childs are executive producers.

Boy Kills World has been rated R for strong bloody violence and gore throughout, language, some drug use and sexual references.

Will you be catching Boy Kills World on the big screen this weekend? Let us know by leaving a comment below – but first, check out the interviews!

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A few weeks ago I received a rather intriguing invite. VVS Films, one of the biggest film distributors in Canada, invited JoBlo.com to participate in a press junket for the new film, The King Tide, which was to be held in Newfoundland. As a proud Canadian, I was excited, as I had never visited the Maritimes before.

Indeed, the studio seemed to be rolling out the red carpet for the assembled press, with us being treated to a wonderful experience in St. John’s, Newfoundland, which included me being “screeched in” (watch it right here) at a local pub (located on St. George Street which has the highest amount of per capita bars per street in the country), which included drinking rum (count me in!), kissing a cod (sure, why not?) and eating baloney (ewww – gross). We also got to take a trip to scenic Bonavista, close to where the film was shot. While there, we were treated to an amazing five-course dinner at the Bonavista Social Club, with dishes that included the local snow crab and cod, lamb and more. It was like The Menu, but none of us died. Indeed, it was three days of wonderful food and excellent company.

Having seen The King Tide just before I left, I can see why VVS aggressively promoted the film. You can read my full review tomorrow, but it’s a pretty intriguing tale. In it, a small fishing village is revitalized when a baby washes up on the shore. The baby, who eventually is named Isla, is taken in by the town’s mayor (star of the Lethal Weapon TV reboot, Clayne Crawford) and his wife, (Lara Jane Chorostecki). Isla has mysterious healing powers, where just being around her can cure any illness or wound. She also is able to revitalize the cod fishing trade, making the town completely self-sufficient. As Isla grows into a young woman (played by Alix West Lefler, who’s starring in the upcoming Speak No Evil remake), she becomes almost a deity, with the town cutting itself off completely from civilization. But, when Isla’s powers begin to fail, the town becomes desperate, with the mayor’s mother-in-law (Frances Fisher), who was formerly ravaged by dementia, desperate to hold on to her new vitality.

It’s a pretty dark tale, with echoes of Rod Serling and The Twilight Zone present in how it meshes the supernatural with a classic morality tale. I was able to sit with the director, Christian Sparks, while in Newfoundland to discuss his take on the material and the way the story of child exploitation mirrors overdue conversations happening in the real world now since the release of the documentary series Quiet on Set. I was also thrilled to speak to the great Frances Fisher (Titanic, Unforgiven) about her key role in the film, with her initially sympathetic but slowly turning into a true predator as the film continues, leading to its highly unsettling end. Check out my interviews embedded at the head of this article!

The King Tide opens across Canada tomorrow, and is set for a U.S. release from Vertical shortly! Here are some pics from my travels:

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Music can transport you. When you hear a song that brings back memories, it can be an exceptionally moving experience. However, in the new feature The Greatest Hits, those songs from the past can quite literally move you to another place and time. Written and directed by Ned Benson, the film cleverly intermingles sci-fi elements such as time travel, in a beautifully grounded way. It also features an excellent lead performance from Lucy Boynton, as well as the terrific Justin H. Min, David Corenswet, and Austin Crute. The story is original, refreshing, and will likely connect to anybody out there that loves music. It certainly did with me.

The last time I spoke with Lucy Boynton, it was for another project that had a ton of music. That would be Bohemian Rhapsody. Here, she shines as a woman who desperately attempts to change the past. Both Justin H. Min and Ms. Boynton discussed working with Mr. Benson, and finding such an easy and effective acting partner with each other. We also sat down with Austin Crute, and it was a joy. Mr. Crute discussed his relationship to music, and a few wonderful memories he was kind enough to share. The Greatest Hits is currently available on Hulu, and it’s well worth seeking out if you’ve ever connected to a memory with music.

The film (you can read our review HERE) has the following synopsis: Harriet (Lucy Boynton) finds art imitating life when she discovers certain songs can transport her back in time – literally. While she relives the past through romantic memories of her former boyfriend (David Corenswet), her time travelling collides with a burgeoning new love interest in the present (Justin H. Min). As she takes her journey through the hypnotic connection between music and memory, she wonders – even if she could change the past, should she?

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Having spent many years as a fan of Jackass, I’ve always gravitated to the career of Johnny Knoxville. The actor has a new feature currently available for streaming or purchase on Prime, and frankly, he’s excellent in it. Sweet Dreams tells the story of Morris, a man who has found himself at a sober living facility. The film, written and directed by Lije Sparks, is a sweet, funny, and heartfelt tale, one that is utterly inspiring. The sports aspect is fun, as the group put together a ragtag softball team to save their place, but it’s also a serious work. Also starring Kate Upton, Bobby Lee, Jay Mohr, and Gata, it’s an inspiring film with a huge heart.

I’ve always enjoyed chatting with Mr. Knoxville, and this was no exception. Both Johnny and Mr. Sarki opened up about bringing a bit of positivity to those struggling with addiction. And yes, the performances are terrific all around. Yet it was the reason for Lije to make this film that truly tugged at my heartstrings during the interview. As well, we spoke with both Bobby Lee and GaTa, and it was a pleasure. The two discussed working with this group of actors, and building the relationships with them on-screen. It’s great to see a film that deals with addiction with hope and heart. If you are looking for a special flick, you may want to give this one a try.

Sweet Dreams has the following synopsis: Forced into rehab, a man reluctantly agrees to coach a misfit softball team of recovering addicts to win a cash prize and prove that everyone, despite their past, can hit a home run.

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One of the interesting aspects of press screenings is that you see a film early, and you don’t have a series of trailers in front of the feature. There is beauty in this. You can walk into a film with very little knowledge of what will happen. And for the new film, Sasquatch Sunset, I had that very experience. Knowing the cast and seeing a picture of a “Sasquatch,” was all I knew going in. Happily, it was one of the most unique films I’ve seen in a while. It is simply the story of a group of mysterious creatures trying to survive in an ever-changing world. Frankly, this flick has so much heart and humanity, and there is not a single line of dialogue.

Recently, I had the joy of speaking with filmmakers David and Nathan Zellner. I also spoke with cast members Jesse Eisenberg, Riley Keough, and Christophe Zajac-Denek. Nathan Zellner also takes on Sasquatch duties as one of the characters in the film. It was a fascinating conversation. It is one that slightly goes into spoiler territory regarding one character in the film, so be warned. Mr. Eisenberg discussed taking on a role as producer as well as star. And his co-stars discussed bringing the family together.

Nathan and David Zellner discussed taking on such an ambitious project. Nathan also opened up about being part of this unusual on-screen family. And yes, he is certainly a highlight in this surprisingly grounded and emotional feature. This is an impressive and very original story that is far different from your usual Friday night at the movies. Yet Sasquatch Sunset is well worth the journey and a terrific feature film. Once again, watch out for a slighty spoilery conversation about the world of a Sasquatch family in the interview above. If you are seeking out something new and engaging, check out Sasquatch Sunset, which is opening this Friday.

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It’s been great to see the classic monsters returning in modern tales. From more Hollywood takes like Leigh Whannel’s The Invisible Man to the more indie darlings like The Angry Black Girl And Her Monster, the monsters have never been more relevant. And Larry Fessenden is no stranger to the world of monsters, having previously created his own iteration of Frankenstein’s Monster with Depraved as well as his own Wendigo film, aptly titled Wendigo. Now he’s taking on werewolf lore with his new film Blackout.

I was lucky enough to sit down with both Larry and the star of Blackout, Alex Hurt, to discuss the film. From the clear Lon Chaney influence to using alcoholism as a parallel for his transformation, this stands out from other modern werewolf tales. I was also fortunate enough to talk to Alex about the passing of his father, William, who was an absolute legend in the industry, and they were able to utilize via archive photos in this film. I really enjoyed my time with Blackout (and so did our critic Cody Hamman) so after you check out the interview above, make sure you check out the film. You won’t regret it.

Blackout plot synopsis:

Artist Charley Barret (Alex Hurt) has a tragic secret – he’s a werewolf responsible for a series of gruesome murders in an upstate New York town. Charley checks out of his motel and embarks on a personal odyssey to master his own fate. Sociopolitical themes are woven through Blackout, a gripping lycanthropian horror that fulfills acclaimed writer/director Larry Fessenden’s monster triptych of vampire drama HABIT (1997) and Frankenstein variation DEPRAVED (2019).

BLACKOUT IS AVAILABLE DIGITALLY ON APRIL 12TH, 2024.

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