Upcoming Film News

State of the Blog – July 2017

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The summer is in full swing, and it is time to update you with the goings-on here at Plot and Theme.  The standard formula will apply to this State of the Blog post:  we’ll look at the past month, talk a tad about the new movies that are on the horizon, and make outlandish promises … Read more

Yay for Giant Hippo-Pig Trailers: Bong Joon-Ho’s “Okja”

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Korean filmmaker Bong Joon-Ho is not subtle when it comes to the themes of his films, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.  Snowpiercer isn’t so much an allegory for class warfare – it is class warfare, just set on the science fiction environment of an ever-moving train.  The Host is the venerable monster-movie warning … Read more

State of the Blog: May 2017

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April showers bring May flowers, Mayflowers bring pilgrims, and May itself brings the start of Summer Blockbuster Season, that baffling mixture of excitement and predictable, four-quadrant committeethink.  As we touch base at the beginning of this season, I’ll discuss the films that have me stoked for this month (both big and small), talk about a … Read more

State of the Blog – April 2017

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It’s April, the lion of March has transfigured into a lamb (at least I think that’s how it works), and now the fools have come and gone (I’m sure).  All the while, the endless cycle of movie releases continues unabated and I’m here on Plot and Theme to contribute to the confusion with my entirely … Read more

Official Teaser Trailer for Pixar’s “Coco” Melds Music, Magic, and Family

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Disney recently released the first teaser trailer for Pixar’s next original feature film, Coco. The teaser introduces us to a world full of music, magic, and spirits centered around Dia de los Muertos. In accordance with standard Pixar protocol, this teaser offers us only a slight glimpse at the characters and story, and instead envelopes … Read more

A Pair of Afterlife Trailers: “The Discovery” and “The Void”

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A pair of off-the-radar film released trailers recently, and both of them appear to offer something interesting for the fan of genre film.  Each also, in their own way, use concepts revolving around the afterlife as major plot elements.  These films are The Discovery and The Void.  This will be a short piece introducing each of these films and their trailers, and offering a few stray observations about what we’re seeing (and what other people have been saying).  Here we go!

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The Last Jedi Revealed – Level-Headed Reactions and Definitive Predictions

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In the biggest news since the last time the title of a Star Wars movie was revealed, the title of the next Star Wars movie has been revealed.  Disney’s Star Wars Episode VIII:  The Last Jedi – A Star Wars Story promises to be the next best film in the Star Wars saga for the three weeks after its December 15th release.  Me, personally, I love the new title.  But what can we predict now, 11 months before opening night, with nothing to go on but the title, a red outline, and the phrase, “the next chapter in the Skywalker saga”?  Basically everything.

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State of the Blog – January 2017

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We’re just into 2017, and the time-honored tradition of celebrating a new year by accidentally writing down its predecessor first continues unabated.  Though the early months of the year often struggle movie-wise, there are interesting things going on.  These include a few intriguing films, the meaningless over-evaluation of Awards Season (and the vitriol it inspires), and even the beginning of the festival season.  Here at Plot and Theme, I’ll reflect backwards a bit, mention some cool things I’m looking forward to, and then set some goals for the year.

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State of the Blog – December 2016

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In the Northern Hemisphere, darkness insists upon our waking hours earlier each day.  The country is full of crybabies and fascists, and nothing in between.  It’s cold.  But at least there’s a new Star Wars movie to over-appreciate.

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State of the Blog – November 2016

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The second-scariest month of the year has passed, and we now find ourselves in the most-scariest.  Something about an election (to paraphrase Barry Crimmins, the problem is that someone will win). Fortunately, there is a high chance that fans of film stand to win as well, as November appears to the month with the most intriguing array of releases.  December looks fine too, but we’ll deal with that one as it comes.  For this month’s base-touching, I’ll lament about the relatively disappointing October (briefly), wig out about November flicks that I predict will be worth seeing, and do a little managerial upkeep on Plot and Theme.

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