Linus once told his best friend, Charlie Brown, “Of all the Charlie Browns, you’re the Charlie Browniest.” Charlie Brown is known among his peers as the kid who just can’t catch a break. In the recently released full-length trailer for “The Peanuts Movie” Charlie, with the help of Snoopy, decides to try and reinvent himself in order to win the affections of the new girl in town, The Little Red Haired Girl.

If Snoopy is able to pass on any of his dance skills to Charlie, I’d say the kid who is always down on his luck definitely has a chance to win the girl.

“The Peanuts Movie” will be in theaters November 6, 2015.

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The teaser trailer for “Mockingjay – Part 2,” the last film in the Hunger Games series, dropped yesterday and it stirred up all sorts of emotions for this fan. I’m excited for the movie as I think the book to movie adaptation has been done well so far, I’m sad for the end of the series, distraught over what I know the characters will all face, and eager to try that wedding dance.

When we last left Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence), Gale (Liam Hemsworth), Finnick (Sam Claflin), Haymitch (Woody Harrelson), and Effie (Elizabeth Banks), they had just rescued a brainwashed Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) and were all in District 13 which was on the brink of a revolution against President Snow (Donald Sutherland). This movie will bring us into the revolution and we’ll witness its outcome.

“The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2” will hit theaters November 20, 2015.

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This Friday, June 12^th, the doors will open to “Jurassic World,” and today Universal posted the final trailer on their YouTube page. I watched the trailer with my daughter this morning and she asked, “If the dinosaurs keep escaping and eating people, why do they keep coming back?” Because raptors, kid. Raptors. They are awesome and scary.

“Twenty-two years after the events of Jurassic Park, Isla Nublar now features a fully functioning dinosaur theme park, Jurassic World, as originally envisioned by John Hammond. After 10 years of operation and visitor rates declining, in order to fulfill a corporate mandate, a new attraction is created to re-spark visitor’s interest, which backfires horribly.”

Directed by Colin Trevorrow and executive produced by Steven Spielberg, the movie stars Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Vincent D’Onofrio, Ty Simpkins, Nick Robinson, Omar Sy, BD Wong and Irrfan Khan.

Take a look-see at the final trailer before it opens in theaters on Friday:

If you missed any of the previous trailers, you can catch them below.

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True Lies (1994)

To those closest to him, Harry Tasker (Arnold Schwarzenegger), is a husband, father, and computer salesman. To those who really know him, he is a spy for the United States. While on the trail of some stolen nuclear weapons that have found their way into the hands of terrorists, Harry begins to suspect his wife, Helen (Jamie Lee Curtis), is having an affair with a used car salesman. In the true art of balancing it all, Harry must find a way to simultaneously take down the terrorists and save his marriage.

Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997)

Mike Meyers plays Austin Powers, a British spy from the 60’s, who volunteers to be cryogenically frozen after his nemesis, Dr. Evil (also played by Mike Meyers) escapes and is also cryogenically frozen. When Powers is woken up in the 90’s he is teamed up with Vanessa Kensington (played by Elizabeth Hurley), in order to find Dr. Evil and stop his plan of world domination.

Get Smart (2008)

Based on the 1965 television series of the same name, “Get Smart” stars Steve Carell as the intelligent, but inept, Maxwell Smart, and Anne Hathway as the straight-laced and beautiful, Agent 99. The movie revolves around the pair’s attempts to thwart the terrorist organization KAOS. Though Maxwell’s blunders makes it seem as their task will inevitably fail, they manage to pull it all off in the end.

Despicable Me 2 (2013)

With the voice talents of Steve Carell as Gru and Kristen Wiig as Lucy, “Despicable Me 2” brings Gru into the world of the Anti-Villain League when they recruit him to assist in an investigation. Gru is paired with AVL agent, Lucy, and together they track down Gru’s number one suspect El Macho (voiced by Benjamin Bratt) and find a little love along the way as well.

Spies Like Us (1985)

Chevy Chase and Dan Aykroyd star as Emmett Fitz-Hume and Austin Millbarge, two Pentagon workers whom meet while taking the Foreign Service exam, which they ultaimately do poorly on. The Defense Intelligence Agency takes them in and makes them agents to send out to the field as decoys to distract from what the team of real agents is doing, of course the part about being decoys is kept quiet from Emmett and Austin. All but one agent from the real team is destroyed, but the bumbling team of Millbarge and Fitz-Hume survive. They team up with the surviving member of the real team, Karen Boyer (Donna Dixon), and continue the mission.

Johnny English (2003)

Rowan Atkinson stars in the parody of the James Bond films in which MI5 is attacked and his character, Johnny English, is left as the only remaining British spy. English is incompetent as a spy, but he and his sidekick, Angus Bough (Ben Miller) take on the case that Agent One was working on prior to his death – a plot to steal the Crown Jewels. Mishap after mishap ensues, and English and Bough eventually work with Interpol agent, Lorna Campbell (Natalie Imbruglia), to save the Crown Jewels from resting on the head of a criminal.

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Confession: I have not watched “Jaws” from beginning to end. I’ve seen enough bits and pieces to hold my own in a conversation about the movie, but I’ve just never sat down and watched the film in its entirety. Why? I’m terrified of sharks. Terr-i-fied.

Last week The Hollywood Reporter announced that Fathom Events will screen “Jaws” on the big screen on June 21^st and June 24^th. So if you’re a die-hard fan who didn’t get to see the great white shark in theaters the first time around, now is your chance. Me? I don’t want to watch people be chewed up by a shark for 124 minutes.

But then I was challenged to watch “Jaws,” and I can’t back down from a challenge of the cinematic nature.

So here’s my before take on the film: Shark terrorizes beach town threatening their revenue from summer time visitors. Shark eats people. Shark attacks are rare, and should not hold me back from watching a film. If I watch this film, I will likely never enter the ocean again, and I love the ocean too much for that.

Here’s the original trailer to freak you out. No? Just me that’s freaked out?

https://youtu.be/U1fu_sA7XhE

I’ll let you know my thoughts after watching “Jaws.” Like, will I ever look at the ocean the same way?

The post 'Jaws' back in theaters for 40th anniversary appeared first on Utah.Film.

With the end of school quickly approaching I want to address those movies that cover something everyone goes through: high school graduation. My own graduation was not a big deal. I received my diploma, I didn’t trip walking up or across the stage, and I wore a horribly white graduation gown. White is not my color.

Here are six movies that make the whole graduation thing seem a bit more exciting and emotional than my own moment was.

Can’t Hardly Wait (1998)

After four years of pining, Preston (Ethan Embry), learns that the object of his affection, Amanda (Jennifer Love Hewitt), has recently been dumped by her jock boyfriend, Mike (Peter Facinelli). Preston drags his best friend, Denise (Lauren Ambrose) to the party for support, even though it’s the last place she wants to be. Everyone hits on Amanda during the entire party, which frustrates her, and once Preston works up the nerve to profess his love, she turns him down. Hard. Denise gets stuck in a bathroom with her former friend, Kenny (Seth Green), and you can guess what happens with them. Eventually Amanda realizes dissing Preston as she did was a mistake and she goes looking for him. And that’s how things went down at all those high school parties you were never invited to. Exactly like that.

Toy Story 3 (2010)

The Disney-Pixar movies are very good at making you feel all the feels. In “Toy Story 3” Andy is preparing to leave for college and is sorting through everything in his childhood room. He bags up all his old friends Woody, Buzz, Jessie, Slinky, Hamm, Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head, and Rex, but is interrupted before he can get them in the attic and they end up the garbage instead. The toys end up in a day care center, with an evil bear acting as they guy in charge. Attempts to escape are thwarted, but in the end the toys end up where they belong. Which isn’t where any of them expected to be. “Toy Story 3” includes the voice talents of Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Ned Beatty, Michael Keaton, and many more.

American Graffiti (1973)

Cruising, mischief, decisions, and mysterious blondes – all things that make a young man wonder if heading off to college the next day is the best decision. Set in 1962, Curt (Richard Dreyfuss), is undecided as to whether or not he wants to leave his hometown of Modesto, California in order to attend college. The night before Curt is scheduled to leave he meets up with his friends, Steve (Ron Howard), John (Paul Le Mat), and Terry (Charles Martin Smith). The night takes the four young men on their own mini journeys, and they each man up and make some decisions about their immediate future.

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)

Ferris Bueller (Matthew Broderick), wants to take one day off from school to hang with his best friend, Cameron (Alan Ruck,) and girlfriend, Sloane (Mia Sara), before they head their own ways after graduation, so he pretends to be ill and his parents agree to let him stay home. Ferris, Cameron, and Sloane the day traipsing around Chicago, narrowly avoiding parents, and hijacking parades. Ferris’ younger sister, Jeanie (Jennifer Grey), is determined to catch Ferris in his lie, and ends up defending her home from an intruder who actually is the school principal, Ed Rooney (Jeffrey Jones), who is also just trying prove Ferris is lying. There’s a brilliant chase scene of sorts at the end between Jeanie and Ferris as they both strive to be the first one home. If you’re of a certain age and have never seen this movie, then I don’t want to know you.

Grease (1978)

Ah, to be young and in love in the 1950’s – it gives me chills, and they’re multiplying. After spending a romantic summer together Danny (John Travolta) and Sandy (Olivia Newton-John), must go their separate ways. Danny, the coolest of the cool, returns to his senior year of high school at Rydell High, and as far as he knows, Sandy returns to her life Australia. Imagine Danny’s surprise when the Pink Ladies (Stockard Channing, Didi Conn, and Jamie Donnelly) push Sandy into his arms after a school bonfire. Sandy’s the ultimate goody goody and Danny the stereotypical bad boy, so how will their relationship ever work? Are they willing to change for each other? Well, y’all find out at the end of the year. Now excuse me while I go sing a little.

American Pie (1999)

Jim (Jason Biggs), Oz (Chris Klein), Kevin (Thomas Ian Nicholas), and Finch (Eddie Kaye Thomas) decide make a pact to lose their virginity before their high school graduation, so they set their sites on prom night. Is there any better way to end some of the most awkward years of your life with awkward attempts and wooing a girl into your bed? I think not. The road to their goal is a bumpy one, but somehow they all manage to keep the pact in the end.

The post Lacey's Six Flix List : High School Graduation appeared first on Utah.Film.

Isn’t it great when you find something fun while mindlessly scrolling through your various social media feeds? This happened to me last night as I found myself sucked into the world of 8-bit Cinema.

Created by the folks at Cinefix, their 8-bit Cinema shorts are the recreation of popular movies in 8-bit form. Basically, it’s like you just dusted off your NES and popped in a cartridge, but instead of Donkey Kong you get a four-minute summary of the Titanic or Guardians of the Galaxy.

They’re all kind of awesome, and I’m telling you to check them out if you haven’t yet.

Here’s the Titanic 8-bit Cinema:

The post 8-bits of wonderful appeared first on Utah.Film.

Thelma & Louise (1991)

Starring Susan Sarandon as Louise and Geena Davis as Thelma, this road trip begins with two friends wanting a break from the everyday. When they stop for a drink Thelma is almost raped and Louise ends up shooting and killing the man responsible. Instead of going to the police, they decide to flee to Mexico. Along the way more crimes are committed, they meet (and are robbed by) the then unknown Brad Pitt, and then there’s that iconic ending.

National Lampoon’s Vacation (1983)

In the first of the National Lampoon Vacation movies, Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) decides to take his family from Chicago to L.A. in order to visit the Wally World theme park. Clark decides to drive there, rather than fly, in order to spend more quality time with his wife, Ellen (Beverly D’Angelo) and kids (played by Dana Barron and Anthony Michael Hall). Of course, as is the case with all Clark’s ideas, things don’t go quite as planned.

Fanboys (2009)

A group of old high school friends Eric (Sam Huntington), Linus, (Chris Marquette) Hutch (Dan Fogler), Windows (Jay Baruchel), and Zoe (Kristin Bell) go on a cross-country trek in order to break into Skywalker Ranch hoping to watch a rough cut of The Phantom Menace so Linus, who has cancer and only months to live, can see the film before dying. Along the way they encounter geekdom gods, trouble, and tests to prove that they are truly fanboys.

A couple for the kids:

Pee-wee’s Big Adventure (1985)

Paul Reubens stars as Pee-Wee, whose adventure begins when his prized bicycle is stolen. A psychic tells Pee-Wee the bike is in the basement of The Alamo, so Pee-Wee begins hitchhiking to Texas in order to retrieve it. Along the way he meets a whole host of characters. “Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure” was also the debut of director, Tim Burton.

Finding Nemo (2003)

This one is technically not a road trip, but when was the last time you saw a clown fish drive a car? Their fins can’t reach the pedals! When clown fish Nemo (voiced by Alexander Gould) is captured by humans on his first day of school, his over-protective father, Marlin (voiced by Albert Brooks), immediately takes action and sets out to find him. Along his way he encounters Dory (voiced by Ellen DeGeneres), a fish with short-term memory, and she becomes his companion. Meanwhile, Nemo has become the newest addition to a fish tank in a dentist’s office. Marlin, with the help of Dory, becomes the stuff of legend and his tale makes it back to Nemo, who then becomes motivated to attempt an escape of his own.

And because John told me to:

Rubin and Ed (1991)

According to John, he is one of twelve people who have seen this movie. I’d never heard of it, so I went looking for the trailer. It stars Cripsin Glover as Rubin and Howard Hesseman as Ed. Rubin is a bit of a hermit, and lives in his mother’s motel. Ed is a salesman. Rubin’s mother forces her son to find a friend to bring to dinner, so when Ed shows up on his doorstep, it’s kismet. They end up going out to bury Rubin’s dead cat in the “prefect spot,” and this leads them on a crazy, hallucination filled adventure across the Utah desert. It actually looks just strange enough to be good, so I’m going to hunt down a copy and give it a look see.

The post Six road trip movies to get you ready to hit the road appeared first on Utah.Film.

Last week the “Jem and the Holograms” trailer hit the web. The 2015 update of the cartoon that aired from 1985-1988 stars Aubrey Peeples as Jem/Jerrica, Stefanie Scott as Kimber, Hayley Kiyoko as Aja, and Aurora Perrineau as Shana.

Now, because I’m a child of the 80’s and I watched the cartoon as a kid, I of course couldn’t resist taking a look at the trailer. The seven-year old in me was really disappointed by what she saw.

With all the tools we have at our disposal now-a-days, the character Synergy (the A.I. that was designed by Jerrica’s late father, and the source of all things hologram), had the potential to be totally awesome. But as I watched the trailer, Synergy never appeared. No holograms appeared. So why have Jem say, “Showtime, Synergy,” while tugging on her star-shaped earrings? In the cartoon, that’s when the holograms happened.

Where are The Misfits? The Holograms’ rivals in every way, The Misfits were a band of troublemakers whose main purpose was to take Jem and the girls down. They wanted their fame, Jem’s record label (also inherited from her father), and basically anything the Holograms touched. The Misfits were crazy. But apparently they weren’t needed for the conflict in this “Jem and the Holograms” update as the conflict appears to come from within the band.

Other changes were made as well: Jem is a teenager, Jem has no business stake in the record label, and Eric Raymond has become Erica Raymond (played by Juliette Lewis). But these changes don’t bother seven-year old Lacey as much. However, when you take these changes and add the two missing components above, I feel like what we will be seeing in theaters this October is too far removed from the source material to be called, “Jem and the Holograms.” I’m hoping some surprises are thrown at us.

Watch the trailer below and let me know what you think.

The post Thoughts on the first ‘Jem and The Holograms’ trailer appeared first on Utah.Film.

In the international trailer for “Absolutely Anything” Simon Pegg is bestowed the power to do, well, absolutely anything by a group of aliens (voiced by the Monty Python guys). If he uses his new ability for good, then great, but if used for selfish or bad reasons, the aliens will blow up the planet.

As we all would probably do if we were given such power, Pegg’s character, Neil, first uses his power to fulfill some selfish desires: the ability to see his good-looking neighbor, Catherine (Kate Beckinsale), through his floor; enhancing his physique; and giving his dog, Dennis (voiced by the late Robin Williams), the ability to speak. Eventually Neil realizes he should be using his newfound power to help the world somehow, but he won’t get it right without a few mishaps first.

There is no US release date yet, but folks in the UK will be able to catch the film on August 14th. I’m always down for a Simon Pegg or Robin Williams film, so hopefully we’ll be able to see it around the same time.

Trailer for your viewing pleasure:

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