Britt Hayes is a writer, movie lover, and sensible sweater enthusiast living in Austin, Texas. She watches too much TV and never eats her vegetables.
Britt Hayes
New Netflix Instant Releases: August 2016
It’s a little later than usual, but Netflix has finally announced their upcoming streaming releases for August — which is next week, by the way. Among this month’s offerings are new Netflix Original titles, like Baz Luhrmann’s series The Get Down and the animated adaptation of The Little Prince. As usual, there are several new films hitting the streaming library, including contemporary favorites like Blue Is the Warmest Color and No Country for Old Men. Read on for our full guide to August’s new Netflix Instant Releases.
‘The Purge: Election Year’ Review: Like the 2016 Election, But Less Scary
In 2013, The Purge introduced an interesting horror concept: In the not-too-distant future, the government allows citizens to commit violent crimes for one night each year. That first film featured a nice white suburban family besieged by yuppie college kids, only fleetingly paying any mind to more fascinating ideas about class warfare. The Purge: Anarchy further established the mythology of the franchise by weaving a “one percent vs. the 99 percent” element into a tale of revenge. In 2016, we have The Purge: Election Year, which turns the sociopolitical commentary up to 11 in the most ridiculous, relevant installment of the series yet. Far from nuanced allegory, the sequel splits the difference between satire and low-brow camp in a film that could just as easily be The Idiot’s Guide to Being Woke in 2016.
‘Star Trek’ Actor Anton Yelchin Dies in Tragic Accident at the Age of 27
Anton Yelchin, the young actor best known for recent roles in the Star Trek franchise and acclaimed indie thriller Green Room has tragically passed away at the age of 27. Yelchin’s death was originally discovered early Sunday morning and initially reported by TMZ. Several outlets are confirming this terrible news, which comes just one month ahead of the release of Star Trek Beyond, in which he reprises the role of Chekov.
New Movie Releases: July 2016
The summer movie season continues next month with new Ghostbusters, a big friendly giant, another Purge night and Star Trek Beyond, and that’s not even half of it. Those of you interested in something a little less blockbuster-y should definitely add Mike Birbiglia’s Don’t Think Twice to your must-see list, along with the James Wan-produced horror flick Lights Out. For details on all of these movies and more, read on for our complete guide to July’s new movie releases.
Stephen King’s ‘It’ Remake Finds Its Pennywise as Casting Begins
While we continue to mourn Cary Fukunaga’s adaptation of It that might have been, the remake of Stephen King’s classic horror story is still chugging right along with Mama director Andy Muschietti at the helm. Casting has begun for the long-developing project, which has officially locked down the role of Pennywise the terrifying clown, along with at least one of the young kids he’ll be tormenting.
There’s a ‘Slender Man’ Movie in the Works, Obviously
Honestly, it’s surprising it took this long for a studio to begin developing a horror movie based on Slender Man, the creepy meme that took on a prolific life of its own, inspiring countless photoshopped images, fan art, fan fiction and eventually a video game and a documentary. As rumored yesterday and confirmed today, Screen Gems is the studio that will finally put Slender Man on the big screen, though given how quickly things tend to age in internet years, you have to wonder if this horror movie will still feel relevant by the time it hits theaters.
New ‘Star Wars: Episode 8’ Set Photos Show Off the Millennium Falcon
Just a couple of days ago, director Rian Johnson shared two new photos from the set of Star Wars: Episode 8, one of which featured a Resistance X-Wing and a mysterious pilot. Today brings another sneak peek from the set, this time offering an unofficial look at a much bigger, much more notable spacecraft — you know, just in case you were concerned, for whatever reason, that the Millennium Falcon might be sitting this one out.
New Amazon Prime Instant Video Releases: May 2016
This week Amazon launched its standalone Instant Video streaming plan (a whole dollar cheaper than Netflix's monthly fee), which should entice those of you who put off by Amazon Prime's annual fees. If you need further convincing, there's plenty of great new content coming to the service next month, like HBO favorites Mr. Show With Bob and David and Boardwalk Empire, and lots of films both old and new. Read on for our guide to what's hitting Amazon Prime Instant Video in May.
‘Deadpool 2’ Gets Official Confirmation With Ryan Reynolds and Director Tim Miller Returning
Three days before Deadpool even hit theaters, word got around that Fox was already developing a sequel with screenwriters Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick returning. Since then we’ve heard a lot about what to expect from the sequel (Cable, mostly) despite the fact that Fox had yet to make an official announcement. That changed today at CinemaCon, of course, where the studio made it all very officially official, confirming the return of both Ryan Reynolds and director Tim Miller for Deadpool 2.
‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ Tops 2016 MTV Movie Awards Winners
Although the 2016 MTV Movie Awards won’t air until tonight, the awards actually took place on Saturday night, April 9, and we have the full list of nominees and winners — you know, just in case you’re feeling particularly antsy or won’t be around to watch the awards because you have actual plans (like watching Vinyl, or something). Unsurprisingly, Star Wars: The Force Awakens was (or is?) the big winner of this year’s awards, but Deadpool also pulled in a couple of golden popcorn trophies.