Tag Archives: Lily Collins

Drama

CALLS (2021): New Trailer From Pedro Pascal, Rosario Dawson, Lily Collins, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Aubrey Plaza…

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Calls (2021), Apple TV+
Calls (2021), Apple TV+

Based on creator Timothée Hochet’s French series of the same name, Calls is a new show that tells the mysterious story of a group of strangers who’s lives are thrown into disarray, in the lead-up to an apocalyptic event.

Told through real-life audio sources and minimal visuals, Calls stars Pedro Pascal, Rosario Dawson, Lily Collins, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Aubrey Plaza.

I’ll give this a chance to find out if it actually works. Because something tells me I might miss seeing the person/people on at least one side of the conversation.

Remember Tom Hardy’s very impressive Locke (2013); when we could see his character but only hear the people he was speaking to on the phone; yet it worked perfectly? Perhaps this too will surprise us all and exceed all expectations.

Directed by Fede Álvarez; additional key cast includes Nick Jonas, Jennifer Tilly, Ben Schwartz, Jaeden Martell, Riley Keough and Joey King.

Calls Release Dates: March 19th, Apple TV+

Happy Film Loving

G

TV

THE NETFLIX AFTERPARTY (2021): New Trailer For Talk Show Series Starring David Spade, London Hughs and Fortune Feimster

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The Netflix Afterparty (2021), David Spade, Netflix
The Netflix Afterparty (2021), David Spade, Netflix

Read my spoiler-free movie review of  The Netflix Afterparty (2021).

New weekly talkshow The Netflix Afterparty is hosted by David Spade, Fortune Feimster and London Hughes. The focus is on conversations, skits and more with stars of the newest and biggest Netflix titles.

Some key guests include comedian Bill Burr, Kevin Hart and other stars such as Lily Collins, Anya Taylor Joy and many more.

I haven’t watched all the shows some of the guests appear in; so I mostly just want to find out how well this concept works and hopefully feel as though I’m in fun company while watching.

It’s already clear that most of the guests are in shows that premiered weeks, if not months ago. Therefore, something tells me this concept may work better if the featured guests appeared during the week of or soon after a show’s premier. I could be wrong, of course. Will have to watch to find out. Fingers crossed it’s good/fun.

The Netflix Afterparty Release Dates: January 2nd, 2021 (US), Netflix.

Happy Film loving

G

Comedy, Drama, No Spoiler Reviews, Romance

EMILY IN PARIS (2020), The Things I Liked…

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Emily In Paris (2020), Lily Collins, Netflix
Emily In Paris (2020), Lily Collins, Netflix

I’ve seen one or two review titles say that if you miss Sex and the City (SATC), new series Emily in Paris (EIP) is here to help you out. As a long time fan of SATC and having now seen the new EIP series in full, I’d say that it’s at best a very loose comparison. Besides both SATC and EIP sharing a creator (Darren Star), the other similarities between the series feel very slight indeed.

Starring Lily Collins as Emily, a young American woman who’s hired by a marketing firm in Paris to provide an American perspective, the reason I watched the entire series isn’t so much because I think it’s great. I kept watching to ‘spend some time in Paris,’ a place I’d hoped to revisit in 2020.

The other reason is that I like Collins. And although the EIP story isn’t as well-written as one would hope, I found other elements that kept me watching. In other words, I blocked out all of Emily’s seemingly over the top and forced/exclamations to the generally loved elements of French cuisine, just so I could ‘stay in Paris.‘

Part of what made SATC so great, besides all the glamorous high fashion, the humour and its much-loved fifth star, the vibrant city of New York is the story of beautiful female friendships. There’s a little bit of that in EIP and room for improvement that a second season will hopefully deliver.

I know very well that EIP isn’t supposed to be SATC and it shouldn’t be. I’m just disappointed that it’s not at least as good in almost every way, including the fashion, which feels less exciting.

If Netflix confirm a second season of Emily in Paris, I’ll give it a chance in hopes that it will have improved. That way, my love of Paris and appreciation of Collins’s charm won’t be the main reason I keep watching, assuming I do. I mean, I probably definitely will.

Give Emily in Paris a chance if you’re very curious.

Happy Film Loving

G

Thriller

INHERITANCE (2020): New Trailer From Lily Collins, Chace Crawford, Simon Pegg, Connie Nielsen…

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Inheritance (2020), Lily Collins, Vertical Entertainment US
Inheritance (2020), Lily Collins, Vertical Entertainment US

At the heart of new thriller Inheritance is a shocking secret. One that threatens to unravel and destroy the lives of a wealthy family after their patriarch suddenly dies.

Directed by Vaughn Stein, Inheritance stars Lily Collins, Simon Pegg, Chace Crawford and Connie Nielsen.

Anyone else notice that Collins has one of those faces that always looks at least a decade younger than she actually is? The lady is thirty-one years old but could easily play a twenty-year-old, if not younger.

I’m watching this one because ‘promising thriller’ is the vibe I’m getting, and I’m interested in this new type of role for Pegg.

Marque Richardson, Chris Gann, Michael Beach, Joe Herrera, Christina DeRosa, Harrison Stone, Rebecca Adams and Mariyah Francis also star.

Inheritance Release Dates: May 22nd, 2020 (US)…

Happy Film Loving,

G

Biography, Crime, No Spoiler Reviews, Thriller

EXTREMELY WICKED, SHOCKINGLY EVIL & VILE (2018): The Things I Liked…

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Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile (2019), Lily Collins, Zac Efron
Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile (2019), Lily Collins, Zac Efron

Ted Bundy, one of America’s most infamous serial killers, is very much at the centre of director Joe Berlinger’s film Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile. Yet the story is really told from the perspective of Bundy’s longtime girlfriend, Elizabeth Kloepfer. As such, like Kloepfer, we don’t get to be there with Bundy as he commits his shockingly evil crimes (thank goodness!) We also don’t get to know any real shocking details about the crimes until the trial, towards the end. What we do get is a front row seat to watch Bundy sometime after he commits a crime and pretends to be as normal and decent as the next guy. It’s sad, but like a true psychopath, he succeeded at it. A lot.

Starring Zac Efron, Lily Collins, Jim Parsons and John Malkovich, I watched Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile because of the very interesting subject matter and the new perspective. Another reason is to see Efron succeed in a more serious role than he’s taken on in recent years. I’m happy to say that he does well. I was particularly impressed during the moments he gave the audience a glimpse into the true darkness within his character’s soul. His time at the dog’s home is one such example.

I don’t believe there was a single dull moment during this movie and contrary to what the trailer made many feel, I don’t consider Berlinger’s film to be one that glorifies or celebrates Bundy. It’s instead a movie that portrays Bundy as he was known to be and part of that is that he was sadly almost as charming as he was wicked, evil and vile.

I say watch Berlinger’s movie. Just don’t watch it expecting explanations and/or deep dives into Bundy’s past that highlight what could have led him to such darkness. For this is a film about Bundy, but the focus is on Kloepfer’s experience.

Parsons and Malkovich’s characters are memorable. Overall though, it’s really Collins by whom I was most impressed. She may be an actor with a forever youthful face, but the lady has great instincts. Her telling of Kloepfer’s story will have you mad at Kloepfer, sad for Kloepfer and by the very end, a little surprised, but definitely extremely relieved for Kloepfer.

Happy Film Loving,

G