"Gangster movies are dead." You won't be able to refuse this offer! Paramount has unveiled a teaser trailer for their new streaming series arriving April on Paramount+ called The Offer. This 10-episode series tells the behind-the-scenes story of Francis Ford Coppola's iconic mafia masterpiece The Godfather - released in 1972. It's based on Oscar-winning producer Albert S. Ruddy's extraordinary, never-revealed experiences of making the movie. He was hired by the studio for the adaptation because "executives were impressed with his interview and because he was known for bringing his films in under budget." Starring Miles Teller as Albert S. Ruddy, Matthew Goode as Robert Evans, Juno Temple as Bettye McCartt, Giovanni Ribisi as Joe Colombo, Dan Fogler as Francis Ford Coppola, Burn Gorman as Charles Bluhdorn, Patrick Gallo as Mario Puzo, Justin Chambers as Marlon Brando, and Colin Hanks as Barry Lapidus. This sounds like a blast already! Who doesn't love a good series poking fun at making Hollywood movies in the 70s. Rock on. https://onfs.net/34uSqsh

"I know you're scared... but I made a promise and I intend to keep it." Saban Films has revealed an official trailer for The Girl on the Mountain, a survival thriller from filmmaker Matt Sconce shot in the Sierra Nevadas. The film is opening in select theaters and on VOD starting this March for anyone interested. When a reclusive backwoodsman finds a mute little girl named Aria wandering alone in the forest, he must protect her from the forces determined to end her life. When the girl tells Jack of her past, he learns that evil people are out hunting her. Confronted with this knowledge, he must decide if he will fight the coming danger or retreat into his world of isolation. The director adds his thoughts: "The Girl on the Mountain is the powerful and poignant story of the human experience of love, grief, brokenness and healing." The film stars Daniel O'Reilly, Makenzie Sconce, Megan Elizabeth Barker, Rease Etzler, Ryan Kos, and D.T. Carney. It reminds me of something like Cliffhanger, with very bad men going into the wilderness to find someone. https://onfs.net/34sScla

"What threatened us with catastrophe... turned out to be our salvation." Well Go USA has revealed a new US trailer for an intriguing space travel sci-fi thriller titled Project Gemini, which is technically a Russian film but shot in English. It's arriving on VOD in March in the US, skipping theaters, after first opening in Russia this January. Set in the distant future, the film is about a space mission sent to terraform a distant planet. However, the mission encounters something strange that has its own plan for the planet. They don't know what it is. "Unfortunately, they’ll soon learn that something truly unimaginable has been out there watching, lying in wait for the unwary human scouts." The film's ensemble cast includes Egor Koreshkov, Alyona Konstantinova, Dmitry Frid, Nikita Dyuvbanov, Lisa Martinez, Kostya Samoukov, Petr Romanov, and Viktor Potapeshkin. This looks cool! I'm always down for more sci-fi, especially when they go big with epic shots like in this trailer. No idea if it'll be any good! But I'm certainly curious about it. https://onfs.net/3AR52pD

"I am ashamed to admit it... but sometimes I think that they are punishing us for going on strike." The Cinema Guild has unveiled an official trailer for an indie experimental documentary film titled A Night of Knowing Nothing, the feature debut of Indian filmmaker Payal Kapadia. The film won the "Golden Eye" Award in the Directors' Fortnight at last year's Cannes Film Festival, with the jury saying: "We were all won over by a film with a strong artistic vision, which combines the personal and the political in a hypnotic way. For a first film, that makes it even more amazing." Through fictional love letters found in a cupboard at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), we meet L, a film student writing to her estranged lover while he is away, returning to his home village. Gradually we're immersed in the drastic changes taking place in the lives of young people across the country as they take to the streets to protest widespread discrimination. I'm curious to see how her story connects with the resistance theme at the core of this trailer. Have a look. https://onfs.net/3rjsxEH

"Now that you're saved, we can be sisters." 1091 Pictures has revealed an official trailer for an indie horror thriller about a cult titled Hell is Empty, made by filmmaker Joe Shaffer. This one is arriving on VOD in March. A self-styled messiah initiates a teenage runaway into his cult of sister-wives, upsetting the delicate balance of their community fixated on sin and salvation. As the family descends into violence, two of the women plot a daring escape. Hell is Empty stars Spencer Peppet, Nia Farrell, Travis Mitchell, Laura Resinger, Aya, Meredith Antoian, and Liam Ouweleen. There's way too many cult movies recently, but I guess it's part of the zeitgeist considering the crazy times we're living in with lots of people losing their minds. This seems like a direct-to-video remake of this cult horror The Other Lamb. Doesn't look that good. https://onfs.net/3rom63m

"They have, essentially, ignored the family's of the victims." Netflix has revealed a trailer for a provocative and chilling new documentary film titled Downfall: The Case Against Boeing, which just premiered at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival a week ago. Following the premiere it's set to being streaming on Netflix in February. Critics have said this is the kind of film that will make you afraid of flying Boeing ever again, if everything in the news hasn't already made you concerned. It's executive produced by Brian Grazer and Ron Howard. Sundance's intro: the film is a "comprehensive investigation into the crashes of Lion Air Flight 610 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302. Families of the victims relate the human cost of these tragedies, while aviation experts and former Boeing employees reveal what went wrong at the company, offering damning evidence of lies, negligence, and cover-up." It "serves as a searing indictment of a once-principled company corrupted by the influence of Wall Street to prioritize profits above all else." We need to stop this mentality. https://onfs.net/3upXqZZ

"This film is etched on my heart." LevelFIlm in Canada has unveiled the first official trailer for a Canadian indie feature film titled Scarborough, which first premiered at last year's Toronto Film Festival to some effusive reviews. Three kids in a low-income neighbourhood find friendship and community in an unlikely place. This "life-affirming drama" is based on the critically-acclaimed novel of the same name by Catherine Hernandez. It's a remarkably powerful and moving film about connection, about the "collective refusal to be fractured by individual challenges and instead be brought together through kindness and solidarity." TIFF adds: "the directors' exacting attention to detail frames the vibrant, rapidly changing neighbourhood with a universality and compassion that makes the film strikingly humanistic." It stars Liam Diaz, Essence Fox, Anna Claire Beitel, Felix Jedi Ingram Isaac, Ellie Posadas, and Cherish Violet Blood. It's one of the best Canadian films from TIFF last year and it's worth a watch. We're waiting for any US release details. https://onfs.net/3ujXbj0

"I think I'm always tormented by guilt." Utopia has revealed a brand new official US trailer for the intimate documentary film Jane By Charlotte, which originally premiered at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival last summer. It's opening in the US starting in March coming soon. The film is the directorial debut of renowned actress Charlotte Gainsbourg, which "charts her complex relationship with her actress and singer mother Jane Birkin." Produced by Nolita Cinema and Deadly Valentine, along with Mathieu Ageron as a producer. "Gainsbourg looks at her mother Jane Birkin in a way she never did, overcoming a sense of reserve. Using a camera lens, they expose themselves to each other, begin to step back, leaving space for a mother-daughter relationship." This received mixed reviews out of Cannes (I did not care for it at all) but it is a unique film in the way Birkin and Gainsbourg open up as mother and daughter, discussing fascinating subjects of all kinds. https://onfs.net/3HAxuyo

"It is way more than a club... it teaches you the skills of life!" Disney has revealed the first official trailer for More Than Robots, a documentary film marking the feature directorial debut of actress Gillian Jacobs. The film is premiering at the 2022 SXSW Film Festival coming up soon in March this year, before launching streaming on Disney+. Similar to a few other science competition documentaries made recently (see Science Fair or Inventing Tomorrow) this one follows students as they plan and prepare for a robotics competition. Four teams of teenagers from around the world prepare for the 2020 First Robotics Competition, but in a year like no other, the kids learn that there is more to the competition than just robots. It focuses on teams from Los Angeles, Mexico City + Chiba, Japan. Disney has also been a supporter of the "FIRST" competition with financial, in-kind and mentorship resources for years. This looks superbly inspirational! Check it out. https://onfs.net/34tKHdS

"How will I do it?" "By not believing God is with you, but by believing you are God." Saban has revealed an official trailer for Exorcism of God, an intense new horror film from Mexico. This initially premiered at the 2021 Sitges Film Festival last year, and also played at Fantastic Fest, arriving in the US on VOD starting this March. Peter Williams, an American priest working in Mexico, is possessed by a demon he was trying to expel in a botched exorcism and ends up committing the most terrible sacrilege. Now eighteen years later, the consequences of his sins have returned to haunt him, unleashing the greatest battle within. Directed by Alejandro Hidalgo (The House at the End of Time), the film stars Joseph Marcell, María Gabriela de Faría, Will Beinbrink, Hector Kotsifakis, and Irán Castillo. It's good to see another reinvention of the exorcism subgenre, as there have been way too many copycat exoricsm films recently. This looks wicked. https://onfs.net/3glJs38

"Tonight is move night." And tomorrow, and the next day, and the... New movies! Every week! Bring it on. Netflix has unveiled their Netflix 2022 Movie Preview, a 3-minute long trailer with exciting glimpses at MOST of their upcoming movies launching in 2022. There's so many in here! "Need ideas for your next movie night? Netflix has you covered: whether you're looking for a laugh, cry, scream or cheer, we've got an A-list cast for any mood with new movies every week all year." There's a first look at Rian Johnson's Knives Out 2 with Daniel Craig (and others), a first look at the Russo Brothers' action movie The Gray Man with Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans, a first look at Francis Lawrence's family adventure Slumberland with Jason Momoa, and a first look at Matt Charman's sci-fi drama The Mothership with Halle Berry. Netflix knows what they're doing! And they're one of the only studios to publicly release a preview for the entire year, as they have a strong brand & they're confident in their 2022 offerings. Which films are you looking forward to? https://onfs.net/3uorEga

"We got the element of surprise... and we got violence." Vertical has released an official trailer for a generic action thriller titled A Day to Die, yet another boring new Bruce Willis movie to ignore. Even the title is generic and forgettable. After killing a drug syndicate member while protecting a parolee, Connor Connolly has one day to pay two million dollars in reparations he doesn't have to Tyrone Pettis. He is forced to ask his old military ops crew, led by Brice Mason, to come together and somehow get two million dollars before Connor loses everyone he loves. Bruce Willis co-stars with Kevin Dillon, Frank Grillo, Leon, Gianni Capaldi, Johnny Messner, Vernon Davis, and Brooke Butler. Not a bad cast, but nah... These dime-a-dozen Bruce Willis movies are as bad as they've ever been, and I really hope no one is wasting their money on them. Just stay away. There's plenty of other better movies to watch than this. At least the trailer is free. https://onfs.net/3HqmO5r

"Don't you see, child, we all have our sin!" Totally nuts, eh? Indican Pictures has released an official trailer for an indie horror thriller titled Sin Eater, from filmmaker Carmelo Chimera making his feature debut. This hasn't shown up anywhere else yet and is arriving directly to VOD in March. When a woman on the run from her past suffers a terrifying injury, she becomes stranded in a town with a dark secret. As the bizarre phenomena intensify and with no one to trust, she'll have to face her inner demons before a real one takes her soul. The film has a crazy twist where this girl wakes up with her jaw wired shut. Freaky. It stars Jessie Nerud as Christine, with Bill Moseley, Danny Bohnen, Scotty Bohnen, and Scott Moore. This looks like a cult thriller mashed up with religious horror, which is almost too scary. Check out the footage below. https://onfs.net/34wjI1t

"He made his name in blood. No one could touch him." Saban Films has unveiled an official trailer for an indie horror mystery film called So Cold the River, arriving on VOD and in theaters this March. Described as a "bone-chilling, supernatural thriller," adapted from the book by the bestselling author of "Those Who Wish Me Dead." The story revolves around documentary filmmaker Erica Shaw who's hired to profile ailing millionaire Campbell Bradford, whose sole clue is an antique bottle filled with water from a local spring. While staying at a luxury resort in town, Erica meets a descendant of Bradford's and learns of a familial curse of mysterious suicides and deaths, and as she begins drinking from the antique bottle, she is subjected to terrifying visions and unleashes an unspeakable evil. Starring Bethany Joy Lenz, with Katie Sarife, Deanna Dunagan, Andrew J. West, & Alysia Reiner. Looks better than it sounds. Might not be so bad. https://onfs.net/3gnLuzO

The 2022 Sundance Film Festival wrapped up last week after a series of virtual premieres. Now it's time to present our annual Best of the Fest list. I was able to catch a total of 60 films this year (my full list on Letterboxd), watching online from home (to stay safe and save some money). This is my 16th year in a row covering Sundance, and this fest still has a special place in my heart. I am always excited about the films and filmmakers they bring. I am presenting one big list of my 10 favorite films - a mix of docs and features. All of these below are worth watching, and I highly recommend seeking them out whenever they show up at your local cinema. I am glad Sundance has continued to do their best with a film festival even in this crazy times during an ongoing pandemic, because we all need good cinema like this. Below are my favorites, the films that connected with me and have remained on my mind all the way through the 10 days of the festival. https://onfs.net/3olXztu

Werner wants love, but Klaus has other plans. Okay this is amazing. There's a marvelous new short film to watch called My Dinner with Werner, made by filmmaker Maverick Moore. It's a terrifically witty riff on My Dinner with Andre, but about a mythical maybe it happened, maybe it didn't, dinner in the 1980s with Werner Herzog. While on a blind date dinner, a young Herzog is suddenly confronted by deranged actor Klaus Kinski. Things get even crazier as the evening goes on – of course. "Inspired by the real-life, totally bonkers 'friendship' between legendary filmmaker Werner Herzog and controversial actor Klaus Kinski, the film is a wildly bizarre comedy about a mid-80s blind dinner date with a murder plot as the main dish." This stars Matthew Sanders as Werner, Andrew Perez as Klaus, Chynna Walker as Christine, along with Grant Virtue, Trey Dickerson, Brenda Henderson, Ka Beesler. It's even better than you're hoping - the performances are all spot on and, while a bit too long, the whole film is so damn good. Available below. https://onfs.net/3se7dzI

"Forget about the girl! Get out of here." Epic Pictures has revealed the trailer for an indie hitman action movie titled The Last Mark, yet another movie repeating pretty much the same plot of a hitman who has to do one last job before he retires. But he can't take out this person because it's a woman. Oh how original. This film opens on VOD at the beginning of March if anyone wants to watch. After a young woman witnesses a mob hit, a seasoned assassin and his psychotic partner must track her down before she turns them in, but she proves to be the hardest mark to kill. The Last Mark is directed by Reem Morsi and stars Alexia Fast, Shawn Doyle, Bryce Hodgson, Josh Cruddas, and Jonas Chernick. There's not much to see here, it doesn't look any good. The poster is the best part about this release, and it's not even that impressive either. https://onfs.net/3LlZRmD

"To us teenagers, she was a babe!" Madman Films has released an official trailer for the documentary film Elizabeth, a biopic profile of the iconic Queen of England. This film is made by the acclaimed filmmaker Roger Michell, known for his many features over the years including Notting Hill, Changing Lanes, Venus, Morning Glory, Hyde Park on Hudson, Le Week-end, My Cousin Rachel. His latest is this - a documentary on the life of Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-lived, longest reigning British monarch and longest serving female head of state in history. Why now? Who knows! "With extraordinary access to rare footage from the Royal Archives, Elizabeth is a cinematic celebration of an icon that reveals a unique glimpse of the woman behind the legend." It sounds like it won't be critical because it's more of a look at this woman and her life, not so much a commentary about the Royal Family and what they do. But the interviews here do seem fun. https://onfs.net/3AUWM89

"My motive: I want to change the world." Super LTD has debuted the full-length official trailer for the film Ted K, from filmmaker Tony Stone. This originally premiered last year at the 2021 Berlin Film Festival, and it played at Camerimage and the Stockholm Film Festival. Sharlto Copley stars as the infamous madman bomber. The film is an exploration of Ted Kaczynksi's life in Lincoln, Montana in the years leading up to his arrest as The Unabomber. Based on Kaczynski's diaries and writings, it's a kaleidoscopic true crime journey into the life of one of America's most complex and eccentric killers. It features a tour-de-force performance by Copley who portrays the complexity of this unique outsider, raging at the forces of both the inescapable technological society that plagues him and his inner demons. Also with Drew Powell, Travis W Bruyer, and Wayne Pyle. Both trailers are superb, not only gripping but edited to make me want to watch this now. https://onfs.net/3uGI8Ar

"A minute late, the deal is off!" Brainstorm Media has revealed an official US trailer for an indie thriller titled Nightride, arriving in the US starting in early March. The film is a "realtime one shot" thriller from BAFTA-nomninated director Stephen Fingleton and starring Moe Dunford (of Vikings, Texas Chainsaw Massacre). A small-time dealer tries to pull one last deal with cash borrowed from a dangerous loan shark. When the handover goes wrong and the deal is off, he races against the clock to find his missing product and secure a new buyer before the loan shark finds him. In addition to Moe Dunford as the driver, the small cast includes Joana Ribeiro, Gerard Jordan, Ciaran Flynn, John Travers, and Stephen Rea. This first premiered at last year's Toronto Film Festival as well, but there wasn't much buzz then. It looks quite good. https://onfs.net/3AY3yK9

"What's inappropriate? Inappropriate, says who?" Kino Lorber has unveiled the official US trailer for an indie drama from Israel called Ahed's Knee, the latest from acclaimed award-winning filmmaker Nadav Lapid. He won the top prize Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival a few years ago for his film Synonyms, and this is his follow-up - an extremely critical takedown of Israel and its many problems with censorship and hypocrisy. It originally premiered at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival in competition last year, and ended up winning the third place Jury Prize during the fest. An Israeli filmmaker throws himself in the midst of two battles doomed to fail: one against the death of freedom, the other against the death of a mother. Lapid wrote the film soon after the death of his own mother, who worked as an editor on many of his works. It offers a sharp critique of censorship, hypocrisy, and violence instigated by Israel & repressive governments. Starring Avshalom Pollak & Nur Fibak. I'm a big fan of how this film lashes out and fights for the truth. https://onfs.net/3AXMiEO