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Will controversy spoil Nat Turner? That’s the big question as one of the year’s most talked-about, but most controversial films opens at the multiplex. While the controversy isn’t like to keep its target audience away, the advertising has been minimal and the subject matter isn’t your typical blockbuster material. That’s why I give the edge to Emily Blunt’s thriller The Girl on the Train. Based on a popular novel, Blunt has become a reliable actress at the box office, which could give the film just the boost it needs to come in tops for the week.

Our Highest Rated Films: The Girl on the Train, The Birth of a Nation, Being 17
Our Best Awards Ratings: The Birth of a Nation (Oscars), The Girl on the Train (Oscars)

OTHER LIMITED RELEASES

Asura: The City of Madness
Mirzya
Torchbearer
Voiceless
Voyage of Time

Oct. 7-9, 2016

Film

Our Thoughts

Awards Chances

The Birth of a Nation

(Wide Release)
See the original CinemaSight
Trailer & Poster Preview

5.8
Wesley Lovell: (3)
Peter J. Patrick: (6)
Tripp Burton: (6)
Thomas LaTourrette: (8)

4.5
Wesley Lovell: (4,Oscars)
Peter J. Patrick: (4,Oscars)
Tripp Burton: (5,Oscars)
Thomas LaTourrette: (5,Oscars)
Categories:

  • Picture (WL,PP,TB,TL)
  • Director (WL,TB,TL)
  • Actor (WL,TB,TL)
  • Supporting Actor (WL,TL)
  • Supporting Actress (WL,TB,TL)
  • Original Screenplay (WL,TB,TL)
  • Original Score (WL,TL)
  • Film Editing (WL,TB,TL)
  • Cinematography (WL,TB,TL)
  • Production Design (WL,TB,TL)
  • Costume Design (WL,TB,TL)
  • Makeup (WL,TB)
  • Sound Mixing (WL)
  • Sound Editing (WL)

Individual Commentary:

Wesley Lovell (WL): While the early buzz was good, director/writer/star Nate Parker’s inability to accept responsibility for his past actions has adversely affected my desire to see this with any haste.
Peter J. Patrick (PP): Controversy about the filmmakers will likely keep this from being the awards magnet originally thought, but discerning filmgoers will want to see it anyway.
Tripp Burton (TB): I am weary of any film that gets a standing ovation before it is ever shown. It makes me think this is more ‘important’ than great.
Thomas LaTourette (TL): This film about the Nat Turner uprising sounds and looks promising, but the scandal involving writer/director/star Nate Parker may eclipse everything else about this film.

Film

Our Thoughts

Awards Chances

The Girl on the Train

(Wide Release)
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Trailer & Poster Preview

6.0
Wesley Lovell: (7)
Peter J. Patrick: (6)
Tripp Burton: (4)
Thomas LaTourrette: (7)

2.3
Wesley Lovell: (1,Oscars)
Peter J. Patrick: (4,Oscars)
Tripp Burton: (2,Oscars)
Thomas LaTourrette: (2,Oscars)
Categories:

  • Actress (WL,PP,TB,TL)
  • Supporting Actress (TL)
  • Adapted Screenplay (TL)
  • Original Score (TL)

Individual Commentary:

Wesley Lovell (WL): Sure, the trailer makes it look like a commonplace thriller, but you couldn’t find a better cast for such an effort.
Peter J. Patrick (PP): Emily Blunt’s performance is the key reason to see this film version of the twisty best-seller, but Oscar is a long-shot in this year’s highly competitive Best Actress race.
Tripp Burton (TB): I was greatly underwhelmed by the book, but the movie looks stronger just by the trailers.
Thomas LaTourette (TL): It looks like it should be a good thriller, but early reviews make it sound like it has the wrong director to pull it off.

Film

Our Thoughts

Awards Chances

Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life

(Wide Release)
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Trailer & Poster Preview

3.3
Wesley Lovell: (5)
Peter J. Patrick: (2)
Tripp Burton: (3)
Thomas LaTourrette: (3)

Nil
Wesley Lovell: (Nil)
Peter J. Patrick: (Nil)
Tripp Burton: (Nil)
Thomas LaTourrette: (Nil)
Categories:

  • None

Individual Commentary:

Wesley Lovell (WL): It’s not the genre I’m usually fond of, but the trailers haven’t been too awful. It would be a long time before I watched it, though.
Peter J. Patrick (PP): Middle-school kids may find it amusing, but it just looks plain silly to me.
Tripp Burton (TB): This looks like hokey kids stuff.
Thomas LaTourette (TL): There really is not much in the trailer to thrill me, another school kid fighting against the establishment. The use of animation may make it better than average, but I imagine that I will skip this one.

Film

Our Thoughts

Awards Chances

Being 17

(Limited Release)
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Trailer & Poster Preview

5.8
Wesley Lovell: (7)
Peter J. Patrick: (6)
Tripp Burton: (4)
Thomas LaTourrette: (6)

Nil
Wesley Lovell: (Nil)
Peter J. Patrick: (Nil)
Tripp Burton: (Nil)
Thomas LaTourrette: (Nil)
Categories:

  • None

Individual Commentary:

Wesley Lovell (WL): There’s a lot of promise suggested in the trailer that this could be a rare, quality glimpse into the delicate balance between hate and love.
Peter J. Patrick (PP): French gay coming-of-age drama could be a breakout art-house success.
Tripp Burton (TB): Andre Techine is still pushing buttons late in life, but this doesn’t look much to my taste.
Thomas LaTourette (TL): This looks like the better of the teen angst films, but am still not sure that I need to see this French import.

Film

Our Thoughts

Awards Chances

Blinky Bill the Movie

(Limited Release)
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Trailer & Poster Preview

4.0
Wesley Lovell: (4)
Peter J. Patrick: (5)
Tripp Burton: (2)
Thomas LaTourrette: (5)

Nil
Wesley Lovell: (Nil)
Peter J. Patrick: (Nil)
Tripp Burton: (Nil)
Thomas LaTourrette: (Nil)
Categories:

  • None

Individual Commentary:

Wesley Lovell (WL): This just isn’t my type of animated film even if it ends up being entertaining.
Peter J. Patrick (PP): Animated Australian film looks like it could be fun for its intended audience.
Tripp Burton (TB): Nothing about this film looks quality.
Thomas LaTourette (TL): This Australian animated film may have heart, but it certainly has sub-par animation.

Film

Our Thoughts

Awards Chances

Blue Jay

(Limited Release)
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Trailer & Poster Preview

5.3
Wesley Lovell: (4)
Peter J. Patrick: (5)
Tripp Burton: (6)
Thomas LaTourrette: (6)

Nil
Wesley Lovell: (Nil)
Peter J. Patrick: (Nil)
Tripp Burton: (Nil)
Thomas LaTourrette: (Nil)
Categories:

  • None

Individual Commentary:

Wesley Lovell (WL): It wasn’t long after I first watched the trailer that I forgot what it was about. That’s not a ringing endorsement for your trailer or your film.
Peter J. Patrick (PP): Low budget gabfest could find an audience but I wouldn’t hold my breath.
Tripp Burton (TB): This looks like a sweet little film, but I’ll wait to watch it at home.
Thomas LaTourette (TL): This could be a sweet, if generic, romance of old flames meeting by chance. Sarah Paulson can be a wonderful actress, so she might make it worth seeing.

Film

Our Thoughts

Awards Chances

The Greasy Strangler

(Limited Release)
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Trailer & Poster Preview

1.5
Wesley Lovell: (2)
Peter J. Patrick: (0)
Tripp Burton: (1)
Thomas LaTourrette: (3)

Nil
Wesley Lovell: (Nil)
Peter J. Patrick: (Nil)
Tripp Burton: (Nil)
Thomas LaTourrette: (Nil)
Categories:

  • None

Individual Commentary:

Wesley Lovell (WL): Apart from being an absolutely cheesy concept, the film doesn’t have a lot of visual competence about it.
Peter J. Patrick (PP): Unpleasant looking blend of horror and comedy.
Tripp Burton (TB): Man, does this look awful.
Thomas LaTourette (TL): This feels like it is trying to be a cult favorite, but I saw little to interest me in it.

Film

Our Thoughts

Awards Chances

Phantasm: Ravager

(Limited Release)
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Trailer & Poster Preview

2.3
Wesley Lovell: (3)
Peter J. Patrick: (2)
Tripp Burton: (2)
Thomas LaTourrette: (2)

Nil
Wesley Lovell: (Nil)
Peter J. Patrick: (Nil)
Tripp Burton: (Nil)
Thomas LaTourrette: (Nil)
Categories:

  • None

Individual Commentary:

Wesley Lovell (WL): I’m certain I watched the original back in the 1980s, but I’ve largely forgotten it. That means I’m not quite the target audience for this, though I might watch it some day after watching the rest of the films in the series.
Peter J. Patrick (PP): Strictly for fans of the first six in this series, of which I’m not one.
Tripp Burton (TB): I didn’t know they were still making these.
Thomas LaTourette (TL): Not knowing anything about this series, I saw nothing in the trailer that made me want to see this one.

Film

Our Thoughts

Awards Chances

Under the Shadow

(Limited Release)
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Trailer & Poster Preview

5.5
Wesley Lovell: (6)
Peter J. Patrick: (5)
Tripp Burton: (7)
Thomas LaTourrette: (4)

Nil
Wesley Lovell: (Nil)
Peter J. Patrick: (Nil)
Tripp Burton: (Nil)
Thomas LaTourrette: (Nil)
Categories:

  • None

Individual Commentary:

Wesley Lovell (WL): An Iranian horror film sounds like a lot of fun. The last one I heard about, A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night was well regarded, so this might be the furtherance of a burgeoning genre.
Peter J. Patrick (PP): Iranian horror movie is at least something different.
Tripp Burton (TB): This looks like an original take on the horror film.
Thomas LaTourette (TL): Early reviews are strong, but the trailer neither frightened nor enthralled me.

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