Tag: The Institute

More Casting Announcements for The Stand

As the closing chapter of the It series is currently in theaters, and the release of Stephen King’s new book The Institute hitting shelves yesterday, it seems only fitting that we keep talking about King’s upcoming adaptations. Collider is reporting several new casting announcements for The Stand, the upcoming CBS All Access Series, including Alexander Skarsgård as the villainous Randall Flagg.

The report also revealed Whoopi Goldberg, Jovan Adepo, Owen Teague, Brad William Henke, and Daniel Sujata joining the cast. Previously announced cast members included James Marsden, Amber Heard, Odessa Young, and Henry Zaga.

The big reveal here of course is Skarsgård as Flagg, the villain of the book and one of King’s most important characters across his multiverse. Flagg enters the story as the world is ravaged by a plague called Captain Tripps which wipes out a significant portion of the population. So it would seem that the Skarsgård brothers will be sharing the villain spotlight in King’s work, with Alexander’s brother Bill playing Pennywise the Dancing Clown in the It films.

It was previously reported that Whoopi Goldberg would be playing Mother Abigail, the light to Flagg’s darkness, and it would seem that has now been confirmed. Not much else is known of the other additions to The Stand’s mammoth cast, but I’m excited to see some more good names joining the production, which is set to release in 2020.

Making some guesses here, I would assume perhaps Owen Teague (known for Patrick Hockstetter in the It films as well) could be playing Harold Lauder, a nerdy youth who is in love with Odessa Young’s Frannie Goldsmith. I would like to see Brad William Henke playing Lloyd Henreid, a criminal poised at Flagg’s right-hand man. I could potentially see Sunjata placed in a Larry Underwood role as a musician who just hit it big with his new single, but I’m not sure how I would place Adepo except for perhaps a role as Tom Cullen, although this is a complete out-of-nowhere guess.

What do you think about these casting choices, and who do you think they will play? Let me know/Drop a comment below!

 

-Kyle A. Goethe

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[#2018oscardeathrace] The Disaster Artist (2017)

Director: James Franco

Cast: James Franco, Dave Franco, Seth Rogen, Alison Brie, Ari Graynor, Josh Hutcherson, Jacki Weaver

Screenplay: Scott Neustadter, Michael H. Weber

104 mins. Rated R for language throughout and some sexuality/nudity.

  • Academy Award Nominee: Best Adapted Screenplay [Pending]

 

No one would have believed that a film based on a book about the making of the worst movie ever made would ever happen, nor did anyone guess that the film would be acclaimed critically. From watching the trailers, I knew I had to see this.

Greg (Dave Franco, Neighbors, The LEGO Ninjago Movie) is a struggling actor who can’t get a break when he meets Tommy (James Franco, The Institute, In Dubious Battle), a horrible over-acting hack with aspirations for stardom and a unique outlook on his lot in life. Tommy convinces Greg to move to LA with him in search of fame. When that isn’t working out for Tommy, he decides to write his own movie: The Room. The mysterious Tommy seems to have the means to finance the film by himself, hiring script supervisor Sandy (Seth Rogen, This is the End, Kung Fu Panda 3) and lead actress Juliette Daniels (Ari Graynor, Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist, TV’s I’m Dying Up Here) to star opposite Tommy and Greg. But when mounting tensions on set and Tommy’s ego create chaos during production, a rift starts forming between the two best friends, leaving the film’s trouble production in jeopardy.

This is such a spectacular film about films, friendship, and passion. The feeling it gave me leaving the theater was one of such excitement and pure joy that I wanted to watch it again immediately. The tone is so fun and inspiring. The recreation of scenes from The Room were done so painstakingly that it’s easy to see the care that director/star James Franco put into the work. The plot meanders a bit on its way to the finale, but it’s hard to say that any of the film should have been cut.

Franco’s performance is something of merit as well. He was so convincingly real playing a larger-than-life character, not an easy feat for anyone to accomplish, but Franco does it with graceful measure. He should have received a nomination for his acting at the Oscars. Yes, I understand the political landscape involving Franco, but he still deserves the nomination.

The Disaster Artist is a beautiful love letter to The Room. The film is a true-ish recreation of the events involving the creation of one of the worst films of all time, and it also features some of the best cameos of any film ever, as well as the best use of “Rhythm of the Night” in existence. You think I’m joking. I’m not. The Disaster Artist is one of the more inspirational films I’ve ever seen. I highly advise you to check it out, even if you haven’t seen The Room (but see The Room, c’mon).

 

4.5/5

-Kyle A. Goethe

 

 

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