"You know what's on his hands? More rings than fingers." Netflix has revealed an official trailer for a two-part documentary titled Bill Russell: Legend, profiling the basketball icon and his life & career. This will be streaming on Netflix starting in early February, just before the 2023 NBA All-Star Game. On the court, Bill Russell was a force to be reckoned with - a champion who sacrificed himself for his teammates and love of basketball. Off the court, Bill Russell was a force in the fight for human rights - marching with the great Martin Luther King Jr., pioneering NBA boycotts and fighting against racism. From Sam Pollard, Bill Russell: Legend tells the remarkable life and legacy of an NBA superstar and civil rights icon. Featuring the last interview with Russell prior to his passing in 2022. Narrated by actors Jeffrey Wright and Corey Stoll and interviews with his family & friends as well as Steph Curry, Chris Paul, "Magic" Johnson, Larry Bird, Jim Brown and more. Looks damn good! No surprise from Pollard, he always makes must watch docs. https://onfs.net/3HsBxiN

"You can't just pluck people out of their lives and then throw them back in with nothing." Good Deed Ent. has revealed an official trailer for a low budget indie sci-fi called TwoTwo, the latest from a filmmaker called Jun Hoskulds. This premiered at a few small festivals last year and will be out on VOD in February for anyone to watch. David had the dream life... Good education, suit-and-tie job in the corporate world, an apartment with a view. His life collapses when he loses his job. He randomly encounters a homeless man who makes David an offer: to "give it all up, in order to find it all over again," in a mostly similar, but much better, parallel universe. Intrigued? "TwoTwo is a fantasy film, a metaphor about life, purpose, connecting, spirituality, love, creativity, parallel universes, and the unseen presence of a power always watching." The film stars Joel Ballard as David, Morgan Makana as the woman called "22", Kenneth Best, and P.K. Simone. The acting in here is really bad, and it looks like the sci-fi concept is much bigger than the budget. https://onfs.net/3Hudccw

I did not know what I was getting into with The Deepest Breath. I did not know I was about to watch one of my favorite documentaries of the year. I went on a journey with all these people and can never forget this experience. The Deepest Breath is a extraordinary and awe-inspiring work of cinematic art. I was lucky to attend the world premiere screening at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival of this A24 / Netflix co-production, directed by Irish filmmaker Laura McGann. This exceptional documentary film is this year's Fire of Love (nominated for an Oscar!) – both films follow the beautiful story of a couple, examining their lives living on the edge and doing something radical that few other people on this planet do. The Deepest Breath is about a freediving couple and the incredibly dangerous sport of freediving - the act of holding your breath for long periods of time while diving or swimming. It moved me beyond words, I was wiping away tears by the end. https://onfs.net/3HwjmZr

"Your world will not survive this!" Warner Bros revealed a second official trailer for their superhero sequel Shazam! Fury of the Gods, now opening in theaters in March. It was previously set for December, but then they moved it back again - probably a better strategy after Black Adam didn't do so well. From New Line Cinema comes Shazam! Fury of the Gods, which continues the story of teenage Billy Batson who, upon reciting the magic word "SHAZAM!," is transformed into his adult Super Hero alter ego, Shazam, played again by Zachary Levi. In this next one he will confront Hespera & Kalypso, daughters of the Greek god Atlas, while introducing us to an entire Shazam! family of (young) heroes. In addition to Levi, the new cast features Helen Mirren as Hespera, and Lucy Liu as Kalypso, Rachel Zegler, Meagan Good, Grace Fulton, and Marta Milans; with Djimon Hounsou, Asher Angel, and Jack Dylan Grazer returning from the first one. This looks like a much darker sequel, though it still seems like one big CGI fest with more than half this trailer being full CGI scenes. That big dragon looks cool, and the rest of it seems entertaining. https://onfs.net/3ZZpPUd

"There's something out there... Something alien." Sony has debuted another new official UK trailer for the epic sci-fi dinosaur movie 65, arriving in theaters in March 2023 in just a few months. The first official US trailer landed last month, this one is a bit different with a few extra shots of the dinosaurs they encounter. An astronaut who crash lands on a mysterious planet discovers that he is not alone. It turns out he crash lands from the future back on Earth – 65 million years ago – and encounters dinosaurs as they try to find a ship to escape on. All his fancy new tech will be used to keep them alive. Adam Driver stars with Ariana Greenblatt (the girl seen in this footage) and Chloe Coleman. Produced by Sam Raimi, who also gets name dropped in this new trailer. This does look like it might be a very entertaining dino movie. Especially with Adam Driver in the lead, look gritty and super pissed trying to escape alive and not get eaten. Fire it up. https://onfs.net/3HaAqD5

"Ready to have some fun?" Netflix has revealed an official trailer for the next horror comedy from writer / director Christopher Landon, best known as the creator of Happy Death Day and Freaky. His latest is titled We Have a Ghost, launching on Netflix this February. Finding a ghost named Ernest haunting their new home turns Kevin's family into overnight social media sensations. But when Kevin and Ernest go rogue to investigate the mystery of Ernest's past, they become a target of the CIA. The best part about this is that David Harbour (from "Stranger Things", Hellboy, and Violent Night) stars as the titular ghost, Ernest, based on a short story by Geoff Manaugh. The cast also includes Jahi Winston, Tig Notaro, Erica Ash, Jennifer Coolidge, and Anthony Mackie, plus Faith Ford, Niles Fitch, Isabella Russo, and Steve Coulter. This does look funny! Landon keeps delivering with his funky fresh horror comedy ideas. I'm in. https://onfs.net/3DhRWnM

"Do you know when this is going to end?" Cohen Media Group has revealed a new US trailer for an Israeli indie drama titled Let It Be Morning, finally arriving in US theaters in February. The film first premiered in 2021 at the Cannes Film Festival, playing in the Un Certain Regard section. It later won in 9 awards at the Ophir Awards (Israel's Academy Awards) including for Best Film, Director, Actor and Actress. From Eran Kolirin (director of The Band's Visit) comes a new powerful and timely film Let It Be Morning. In the film, a Palestinian-born Israeli citizen attending his brother’s wedding in an Arab village finds himself unable to return home to Jerusalem when a road is blocked by Israeli soldiers. A bitter sweet comedy about a state of siege, both internal & external and about a man who built a wall around his heart, and how the walls starts coming apart when another, more real wall is built around the village where he was born. Starring Alex Bakri as Sami, Juna Suleiman, Salim Daw, Ehab Salami, Khalifa Natour, and Izabel Ramadan. Looks like another good film from Israel addressing their problems and bad relationship with Palestinians. https://onfs.net/3HwoA7J

After the 95th Academy Awards nominations were announced earlier this week, at least three of the big nominees are returning to theaters again. Most of the studios want all of these films to earn more now that they've been highlighted by The Academy voters. First up, the biggest surprise of this week - a nomination for Andrea Riseborough in the indie drama To Leslie - has put the spotlight on this film. Momentum Pictures will re-release To Leslie in six theaters (limited to start) this weekend - beginning from January 27th onward. In addition, A24 is re-releasing The Daniels' masterpiece Everything Everywhere All at Once in theaters nationwide (1400 screens) this weekend, so that everyone can see why this film deserves the 11 nominations it got. Finally, Searchlight is also re-releasing Martin McDonagh's The Banshees of Inisherin in theaters nationwide this weekend, since that film received a total of 9 nominations - including Best Picture & Best Director. Now is the perfect time to catch up with these films playing on the big screen. https://onfs.net/3H9V1aA

"This is not a making of... But more of insight on how the cowboy fell asleep and woke up in Copenhagen." Netlfix has revealed an extensive behind-the-scenes featurette for their new series Copenhagen Cowboy, the latest creation from the mind of Danish filmmaker Nicolas Winding Refn. We already posted the official trailer last year, and it has been streaming since early January on Netflix. The series introduces a brand new young heroine, Miu, who travels through Copenhagen's criminal netherworld. He adds in this video that the original pitch was to extended his Pusher series, but it's actually about a woman becoming a "superhero." The series stars Angela Bundalovic as Miu, who's joined by Lola Corfixen and Zlatko Buric, plus a big supporting cast featuring Andreas Lykke Jørgensen, Jason Hendil-Forssell, Li Ii Zhang, Dragana Milutinovic, Mikael Bertelsen, Mads Brügger, and more. We don't usually get to see lengthy, full-on videos like this when it comes to behind-the-scenes glimpses. I really enjoy seeing Refn work on his neon-drenched sets. He says some strange things in here (extraterrestrials?? okay Refn) but that's the magic of it. https://onfs.net/3YiWORR

"If you get on an animal that can kill you without even trying... it's like trying to control an explosion." Amazon's Prime Video has revealed a first look teaser for its new bullriding sports documentary series titled The Ride, following in the footsteps of so many other doc series recently about golfing, F1 racing, tennis, and more. The Ride follows an ensemble cast of bull riders and coaches throughout the PBR Team Series, as they navigate the league's inaugural 2022 season, budding rivalries, exhilarating highs, and the challenging lows of PBR’s newest team-based competition. The PBR (Professional Bull Riders) organization launched a brand new format last year, and this doc is made up of all the footage they shot on that first year. I'm sure many didn't even realize bull riding was still an ongoing professional sport, but it absolutely is. This is also covered in Chloe Zhao's excellent film called The Rider. It's only a 20 second teaser but yeah this looks wild. https://onfs.net/3Hwejs5

Another absolutely wonderful animated short film to enjoy. The Kite is a stop-motion animated short made using paper and felt by a filmmaker named Martin Smatana, who is based in Slovakia. The film is a Czech production and was made mostly in Prague. It premiered in 2019 and played at lots of festivals back then, and is finally online for everyone to watch & enjoy. Only 12 minutes! It's worth it! Described as a short film for children about the loss of a loved one, for all ages. "The Kite deals with the issue of death, but it does so in a simple metaphorical and symbolic way on the relationship between the little boy and his grandpa. The Kite explains that none of us are here forever and that all living creatures must die, but also to show that death doesn't mean the end of our journey." I always love seeing the creativity in design and the materials in a short like this, especially with the layers of paper in the grandpa's hands. It's all so beautiful. Watch below. https://onfs.net/3Hxjmse

So fresh, much love, so funky, much London. Get in the groove with Rye Lane and you'll never forget Dom and Yas. One of the best original romantic comedy creations in years is the delightfully quirky, exceptionally entertaining Rye Lane, marking the feature directorial debut of filmmaker Raine Allen Miller. Rye Lane just premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival and is already set for release (in theaters in the UK / on Hulu in the US) from Searchlight Pictures starting in late March this spring. It's one of the many must-see, don't-miss-it, get-your-ticket-right-now films from Sundance this year - its been a fantastic year. I've been recommending it to anyone asking (it was one of my most anticipated of the fest, too). Thankfully everyone else who has seen it so far also loves it (here's one of the best reviews). The film instantly joins the ranks of beloved Sundance romcom classics like 500 Days of Summer, Before Midnight, Palm Springs, The Big Sick. https://onfs.net/3wCoXr7

"It might be nice to have a little animal hopping around the house." Blue Fox Entertainment has revealed an official trailer for an indie comedy titled Unexpected, from actor / filmmaker David Hunt. It's heading direct-to-VOD in the beginning of February, just in time for Valentine's Day if it looks any good. Music critic Bob is out of a job, addicted to Zoloft, and trying to wrangle the menagerie of animals that his wife Amy has accumulated. Will adopting a baby cure their existential angst? Or should they just rescue another duck? She wants to adopt, but he doesn't. Will renovating a house and rescuing animals solve their problems? "A comedy about life, love, adulting... and a bunny named Binky." Starring Anna Camp, Joseph Mazzello, Neil Flynn, Ryann Shane, and Nash Grier. Adapted from the book “Enslaved by Ducks” by Bob Tarte. Despite the somewhat interesting cast and the fun existential setup, this looks like an easily forgettable film. https://onfs.net/3HCpaks

"We will find the truth; we will find the culprits." Topic has revealed an official US trailer for a streaming series from Finland titled Helsinki Syndrome, a riff on the classic "Stockholm Syndrome" term. The story involves a crime from the past being connected to a current hostage situation in Finland. Entrepreneur Elias Karo takes four journalists hostage in order to reveal that 30 years ago, a bank manager and a district court judge took his family's possessions with the government's blessing and caused a still ongoing family tragedy. Elias, a working class family man is deeply haunted by the economic strife his family endured in the 90s. To settle a decades-long vendetta, he holds 4 journalists hostage to expose bank and government corruption while concealing an ulterior motive. The series stars Kseniya Peter Franzén, Oona Airola, and Taneli Mäkelä. This definitely looks like a made-for-TV series, but it has an intriguing premise and I'm curious to see how ends with this guy and his demands. If you're interested in corruption, this looks like a must watch. https://onfs.net/3HzqrIO

"Have you ever dance in a theatre before?" One of the best festival discoveries from 2022 is this Pakistani film titled Joyland, marking the feature debut of filmmaker Saim Sadiq. It was submitted by Pakistan for the 95th Academy Awards, but unfortunately it didn't make the cut as one of the five nominated. Joyland first premiered at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival in the Un Certain Regard section, and it also just played at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival this month in their Spotlight section. "Take a first glimpse into the daring, soul searching film that delves deep into the challenging complexities of desire and gender identity through the lens of the Rana Family." The youngest son from a traditional Pakistani family takes a job as a backup dancer in a Bollywood-style burlesque theater, and he quickly becomes infatuated with the strong-willed trans woman, BIba, who runs the show. It stars Ali Junejo, Alina Khan, Rasti Farooq, Sarwat Gilani, Salmaan Peerzada, Sameer Sohail, and Sania Saeed. I rave about this film in my own review, saying that "it's an absolutely magnificent and enlightening feature about gender roles and how society is evolving." https://onfs.net/3DoILlt

The official awards for the 2023 Sundance Film Festival, held in Park City, Utah every January, were announced this evening with a small ceremony held in person in Utah. The festival continued this week with an at-home online series of viewings in addition to all the in-person projections. It was an especially festive year, so many people were excited to be back in Park City in the snow to enjoy films, and a rather impressive selection - 111 features in total screened at Sundance 2023. I enjoyed so many of them, the quality was at its best. The main winners for 2023 including A Thousand and One (made by A.V. Rockwell) and the doc Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project winning the premium top Grand Jury Prizes. In addition, the festival favorite is Radical (read my glowing review) along with The Persian Version and Beyond Utopia as the Main Competition Audience Award winners. As always, if any of these films interest you, we hope you note them down and take the time to watch as soon as you can. All 2023 winners are listed below. https://onfs.net/3kNDUns

I am always up for a good documentary that re-establishes the legacy of an important person who has been forgotten in time. This film is one of those extraordinarily vital documentaries that will, when given a proper release sometime in the near future, reset the legacy and re-establish Shere Hite as the feminist hero that she really, truly was. If you're like me, born in the 1980s (or anytime after), you've probably never heard of Shere Hite. She hasn't so much as "disappeared" as been forgotten, buried by criticism and fanaticism and unjust hate. I'm lucky I could watch this documentary film at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival and learn all about her, I'm so glad someone decided to tell her story accurately. The Disappearance of Shere Hite is a film about Shere - who she was, what she did, her books, what happened to her after he books achieved an immense amount of fame and popularity. It's a biopic but also much more - a film about progressive ideas, sexuality, society's resistance to sexuality, and how good people can be crushed by a puritanical population. https://onfs.net/3Y9yRfD

Another of my favorite discoveries at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival is a comedy called Shortcomings, based on the graphic novel of the same name. The film is also the feature directorial debut of actor Randall Park, best known as the guy from "Fresh Off the Boat", Always Be My Maybe, and many other supporting character roles (he's also in the MCU). It took him years to finally get this film made, working from a script by another writer, Adrian Tomine, and it's worth the wait. I loved Shortcomings. The film has some of the most "real" characters and dialogue in any of 40+ films I've seen at Sundance this year, following a guy from Berkeley questioning his romantic choices while making even more irrational choices. It's an exploration of what it's like being a young Asian-American male in American society, and it's powerfully honest. I found it incredibly bold for a filmmaker + writer to make a film about their own experiences, and make these flawed characters realistic. No one is perfect; yes everyone gets angry, that's normal. Realizing that is empowering. https://onfs.net/3Y4Z7aN

"Your family needs you." "My family needs me? What about when I needed you..." An early teaser trailer is out for a film titled Goliath, a Canadian feature that has been in the works for years already. It's finally set to release on VOD starting in February this year, after first premiering in 2019. When Robin Walker returns home for her father's funeral, she's forced to confront the bitter family she left behind, as well as personal demons; resulting in the reveal of an unsettling secret. "Goliath was the ultimate film school," states the first-time director Luke Villemaire. "We took the trial by fire approach that many first-time filmmakers are forced to endure when struggling to break into the industry. It was incredibly tolling, but I was determined to see this project through, and it has ultimately been a rewarding experience." This was originally shot back in 2016 in Quinte West, Ontoario and nearby areas. The film stars Jessica Sipos, Michelle Mylett, Jon Cor, Shannon Kook, Daniel Maslany, Krista Bridges, & Andrea Roth. Not much to see here so far. https://onfs.net/409sDOt

"It's been around forever... Hidden. In the dark." 20th Century Studios has revealed the first official trailer for The Boogeyman, an upcoming Stephen King horror adaptation from the acclaimed genre director Rob Savage (of Host and Dashcam previously). This looks like the most terrifying a-haunted-house-with-kids-in-it update on Poltergeist since the original Poltergeist in 1982. Still reeling from the tragic death of their mother, a teenage girl and her little sister find themselves plagued by a sadistic presence in their house and struggle to get their grieving father to pay attention before it is too late. The scary horror movie stars Madison Hu, Vivien Lyra Blair, Sophie Thatcher, David Dastmalchian, LisaGay Hamilton, and Chris Messina. This was originally going to launch on Hulu, but 20th Century rightfully decided it would be better in theaters - opening in June. Who's ready for some summer horror? Because this looks freaky af!! That upside down spin when she looks under the bed is legit. I'm so down for this, looks outstanding so far. https://onfs.net/3Dotgdk

Obsession can drive a man insane. No doubt about that. This riveting character study explores the intensity that comes with obsession, and how striving for perfection can ruin someone. Magazine Dreams is the second feature film written and directed by up-and-coming filmmaker Elijah Bynum, following his 2017 film Hot Summer Nights (which came out of SXSW). After screening during the first weekend at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival, this has become one of the most talked about films at the entire fest. Everyone has something to say. It's being discussed so much not because it's the best film at the fest, but because it's one of those films that everyone must talk about - whether it's the lead performance from Jonathan Majors, the uncomfortable story it tells, or the brutality and intensity of what happens, or whether or not it's actually a good film, and how could it be better. All of this has been a big part of the conversations over the last week and that's always invigorating because it's better than watching a film that everyone instantly forgets about. https://onfs.net/40bRmBT