In a near-future society, The Running Man is the top-rated show on television—a deadly competition where contestants, known as Runners, must survive 30 days while being hunted by professional assassins, with every move broadcast to a bloodthirsty public and each day bringing a greater cash reward.

Desperate to save his sick daughter, working-class Ben Richards (Glen Powell) is convinced by the show’s charming but ruthless producer, Dan Killian (Josh Brolin), to enter the game as a last resort. But Ben’s defiance, instincts, and grit turn him into an unexpected fan favorite—and a threat to the entire system.

As ratings skyrocket, so does the danger, and Ben must outwit not just the Hunters, but a nation addicted to watching him fall.

Running Man is coming to cinemas November 13!
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The character in question is a toy monkey who once wound up plays the drums but this rhythmic interlude has a downside and one with fatal consequences. And those vivid fatalities are so imaginatively and comically staged, they almost defy description. You are quarantined to laugh out loud whether you like it or not.

Let’s put it this way if you applied the drinking game rules to every death scene in this film you would be absolute blotto before the end of the first half. You would have also laughed yourself silly. The ground rules laid out by Stephen King’s 1980 short story provide the building blocks for some truly outrageous fun. This rapid escalation of casualties lasts until the final scene and it’s a doozy.

Those with squeamish sensibilities, know that the gore is played mostly for laughs and is very imaginatively staged. British actor Theo James is very effective as the twin brothers who inherit the toy from their late father. It takes little more than a taste of the absurd to really enjoy The Monkey. If you find this kind of film a bit too much you need to realign your priorities because it’s one not to miss.
Rob Hudson
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The brothers decide to throw the monkey away and move on with their lives, growing apart over the years.

But when the mysterious deaths begin again, the brothers must reunite to find a way to destroy the monkey for good before it takes the lives of everyone close to them.

The Monkey is based on the short story by Stephen King, written and directed by Osgood Perkins and stars Theo James.

The Monkey is coming to Australian cinemas on February 20, 2025.
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High school student Sadie Harper and her younger sister Sawyer are reeling from the recent death of their mother and aren’t getting much support from their father, Will, a therapist who is dealing with his own pain. When a desperate patient unexpectedly shows up at their home seeking help, he leaves behind a terrifying supernatural entity that preys on families and feeds on the suffering of its victims.

“The Boogeyman,” directed by Rob Savage (“Host”) with a screenplay by Scott Beck & Bryan Woods (“A Quiet Place”) and Mark Heyman (“Black Swan”) and a screen story by Scott Beck & Bryan Woods based upon the short story by Stephen King, stars Sophie Thatcher (“Yellowjackets”), Chris Messina (“Air”), Vivien Lyra Blair (“Obi-Wan Kenobi”), Marin Ireland (“The Umbrella Academy”), Madison Hu (“Bizaardvark”), LisaGay Hamilton (“Vice”), and David Dastmalchian (“Boston Strangler”).

“’The Boogeyman’ is a classic horror movie in the mould of ‘Poltergeist’ that has scares and heart in equal measure,” says director Rob Savage.

“I vividly remember the terror I felt reading King’s short story as a kid, and it’s this feeling of childhood fear that I wanted to inspire in cinema audiences around the world. This film was made in collaboration with an incredibly talented team of creatives, and is anchored by wonderful, soulful performances from our incredible cast – I’m in awe of them, truly. We’re incredibly proud of this movie and can’t wait to give you all a reason to fear the dark again.”
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High school student Sadie Harper and her younger sister Sawyer are reeling from the recent death of their mother and aren’t getting much support from their father, Will, a therapist who is dealing with his own pain.

When a desperate patient unexpectedly shows up at their home seeking help, he leaves behind a terrifying supernatural entity that preys on families and feeds on the suffering of its victims.

“The Boogeyman,” directed by Rob Savage (“Host”) with a screenplay by Scott Beck & Bryan Woods (“A Quiet Place”) and Mark Heyman (“Black Swan”) and a screen story by Scott Beck & Bryan Woods based upon the short story by Stephen King, stars Sophie Thatcher (“Yellowjackets”), Chris Messina (“Birds of Prey”), Vivien Lyra Blair (“Obi-Wan Kenobi”), Marin Ireland (“The Umbrella Academy”), Madison Hu (“Bizaardvark”), LisaGay Hamilton (“Vice”), and David Dastmalchian (“Dune”).

The Boogeyman will be reelased in Aussie cinemas June 1!
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For more than a decade, parents Andy (Zac Efron; Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile; The Greatest Showman) and Vicky (Sydney Lemmon; Fear the Walking Dead, Succession) have been on the run, desperate to hide their daughter Charlie (Ryan Kiera Armstrong; American Horror Story: Double Feature, The Tomorrow War) from a shadowy federal agency that wants to harness her unprecedented gift for creating fire into a weapon of mass destruction.

Andy has taught Charlie how to defuse her power, which is triggered by anger or pain. But as Charlie turns 11, the fire becomes harder and harder to control. After an incident reveals the family’s location, a mysterious operative (Michael Greyeyes; Wild Indian, Rutherford Falls) is deployed to hunt down the family and seize Charlie once and for all. Charlie has other plans.

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It picks up after the original film when we touch bases with the child Danny as he enters adulthood. His gifts have not made his life easy and he spends his days drinking, fighting and living a life of quiet despair. He relocates to an out of the way town, where the kindness of a stranger has a positive effect on his life.

Danny (Ewan McGregor) now lives a sober and quiet life until he is made aware of the evil temptress, Rose The Hat (Rebecca Ferguson) and Abra Stone (Kyliegh Curran) who is also powerful with art of shining. This contact has an all encompassing effect on him and this sets up a powerful confrontation that drives the second half of the film.

Very clever in its use of story details from King’s books, it is a self-sustaining work until the final reel, where an established knowledge of the first film/book will greatly enhance the viewing experience. It even goes some way towards clarifying details from The Shining. It was a tall order to create a worthwhile follow up to a real classic, but Doctor Sleep accomplishing the task with panache and effectiveness.
Rob Hudson
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Still irrevocably scarred by the trauma he endured as a child at the Overlook, Dan Torrance has fought to find some semblance of peace. But that peace is shattered when he encounters Abra, a courageous teenager with her own powerful extrasensory gift, known as the “shine.” Instinctively recognizing that Dan shares her power, Abra has sought him out, desperate for his help against the merciless Rose the Hat and her followers, The True Knot, who feed off the shine of innocents in their quest for immortality.

Forming an unlikely alliance, Dan and Abra engage in a brutal life-or-death battle with Rose. Abra’s innocence and fearless embrace of her shine compel Dan to call upon his own powers as never before—at once facing his fears and reawakening the ghosts of the past.

DOCTOR SLEEP is directed by Mike Flanagan and stars Ewan McGregor, Rebecca Ferguson, Kyliegh Curran, Carl Lumbly, Zahn McClarnon, Emily Alyn Lind, Bruce Greenwood, Jocelin Donahue, Alex Essoe and Cliff Curtis.

DOCTOR SLEEP releases in Australia in theatres on November 7, 2019.
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After an almost three decade long hiatus, Pennywise (Bill Skarsgård) is back and the gang gathers once again to investigate. The years have not been good to all and the film takes its time to bring you up to speed with their adult lives. The theme of a lifelong friendship growing out of childhood pursuits is tested.

As is the premise that true horror is created in one’s own psyche and fears. This leads to some very inventive nightmares. It is presented as more creepy than terrifying and relies on a number of movie making techniques to present the visual fireworks. These are seamlessly blended together.

The film relies quite heavily on the audience knowing the characters and their personalities from the first chapter, so it’s a good idea to revisit part one beforehand or dig into the 1138 pages of the book. If you come prepared, It Chapter Two will more than satisfy those with a taste for a heavy helping of Stephen King derived thrills.

Rob Hudson
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Twenty-seven years after the Losers Club defeated Pennywise, he has returned to terrorize the town of Derry once more. Now adults, the Losers have long since gone their separate ways. However, kids are disappearing again, so Mike, the only one of the group to remain in their hometown, calls the others home. Damaged by the experiences of their past, they must each conquer their deepest fears to destroy Pennywise once and for all…putting them directly in the path of the clown that has become deadlier than ever.

IT CHAPTER TWO is directed by Andy Muschietti and stars James McAvoy, Jessica Chastain, Bill Hader, Isaiah Mustafa, Jay Ryan, James Ransone, Andy Bean, Jaeden Martell, Wyatt Oleff, Jack Dylan Grazer, Finn Wolfhard, Sophia Lillis, Chosen Jacobs, Jeremy Ray Taylor and Bill Skarsgård.

IT CHAPTER TWO releases in Australian cinemas on September 5, 2019.
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