Release Radar – June 28th, 2024

Before we get to this week’s movies, I wanted to take a moment to say something. Moving forward, there’s a reasonable chance that the Release Radar will come to an end or, at the very least, have to change. I decided to audit the total numbers here at the midway point of the year and despite the amount of time and work that goes into putting this out every week, it accounts for less than 10% of the total traffic for the site. I enjoy taking a look at my options each week and finding things I may not otherwise discover, but those of you reading this and myself are in the minority.

I want to get back to writing about film in a way that’s more consistent with the reasons I started this site in the first place and the reasons people started reading the site as well. When I wrote about Love Lies Bleeding earlier this year I felt that again and, sadly, I haven’t gotten back to that since. Something has to give and here I am again, behind schedule, working on something I know most people won’t read, with a podcast to edit, numerous 2023 projects to complete, and a 2024 midway report due soon.

So, to those of you who appreciate the Release Radars, I’m sorry to have to let go, but I want to find a happy medium where I can make time to get back to what the site was meant to be about. Until then, here’s what’s lined up this weekend.


New In Theaters


Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1

Director(s): Kevin Costner | Writer(s): Jon Baird, Kevin Costner, Mark Kasdan

Stars: Kevin Costner, Sienna Miller, Sam Worthington

Kevin Costner says goodbye to the small screen and re-introduces himself to the big screen with this Western of epic magnitude, as Chapter 1 clocks in at a staggering runtime of 3h1m. Walking away from one’s extremely popular television show, and at least partially self-financing a project of this scale, Costner renews his investment in the cinematic experience. I’m a Waterworld truther for life, so it’s easy for me to say, but it’s great to see Kos the Boss making something of this scale again and being all in. Let’s go!

A Quiet Place: Day One

Director(s): Miachel Sarnosku | Writer(s): Michael Sarnoski, John Krasinski, Bryan Woods, Scott Beck

Stars: Lupita Nyong’o, Joseph Quinn, Alex Wolff

Sadly, I’ve seen this trailer so many times I’ve lost most of my interest. No exaggeration, close to 50 times. I’m still going to see it because why not. I just don’t see what this movie can do that the previous two haven’t. We already know what happened in this world. Now we just get to see it with a bigger budget and set in the city. I guess it could be a good place to start for anyone who has never seen any of the films in the franchise, and the cast is good so I don’t think it will be bad.


Limited Release


Daddio

Written & Directed by: Christy Hall

Stars: Dakota Johnson, Sean Penn, Marcos A. Gonzalez

Revival 69: The Concert That Rocked the World (+VOD)

Director(s): Ron Chapman | Writer(s): Phyllis Ellis

Stars: John Lennon, Alice Cooper, Little Richard

A Sacrifice

Director(s): Jordan Scott | Writer(s): Nicholas Hogg, Jordan Scott

Stars: Sadie Sink, Eric Bana, Sylvia Hoeks

Confessions of Good Samaritan

Written & Directed by: Penny Lane

Stars: Penny Lane

The Conqueror: Hollywood Fallout

Written & Directed by: William Nunez

Stars: John Wayne, Sophie Okonedo, Susan Hayward

How to Come Alive with Norman Mailer

Director(s): Jeff Zimbalist | Writer(s): Victoria Marquette, Jeff Zimbalist

Majority Rules

Written & Directed by: AJ Schnack

Stars: Lisa Murkowski, Sarah Palin, Mary Peltola

The Small Black Room (re-release)

Director(s): Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger | Writer(s): Nigel Balchin, Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger

Stars: David Farrar, Jack Hawkins, Michael Gough


International Marketplace


Kalki 2898 AD (IMAX June 27th)

Written & Directed by: Nag Ashwin

Stars: Prabhas, Amitabh Bachchan, Kamal Haasan

Last Summer

Director(s): Catherine Breillat | Writer(s): Catherine Breillat, Pascal Bonitzer, Maren Louise Käehne, May el-Touhky

Stars: Léa Drucker, Samuel Kircher, Olivier Rabourdin

The Human Surge 3

Written & Directed by: Eduardo Williams

Stars: Bo-Kai Hsu, Meera Nadarasa, Sharika Navamani

Chronicles of a Wandering Saint

Written & Directed by: Tomás Gómez Bustillo

Stars: Mónica Villa, Iail Said, Pablo Moseinco

The Vourdalak

Director(s): Adrien Beau | Writer(s): Adrien Beau, Hadrien Bouvier, Aleksei Tolstoy

Stars: Kacey Mottet Klein, Ariane Labed, Grégoire Colin

Music

Written & Directed by: Angela Schanelec

Stars: Aliocha Schneider, Agathe Bontizer, Marisha Triantafyllidou

Blue Lock -Episode Nagi-

Director(s): Shunsuke Ishikawa | Writer(s): Muneyuki Kaneshiro, Taku Kishimoto, Yusuke Nomura, Kôta Sannomiya

Stars: Nobunaga Shimazaki, Yuma Uchidam Kazuyuki Okitsu

June Zero

Director(s): Jake Paltrow | Writer(s): Jake Paltrow, Tom Shoval

Stars: Koby Aderet, Adam Gabay, Tzahi Grad

Hopeless (VOD/Digital June 25th)

Written & Directed by: Kim Chang-hoon

Stars: Hong Xa-bin, Song Joong-ki, Bibi

Make a Wish (VOD/Digital)

Director(s): Meta Akkus | Writer(s): Meta Akkus, Avni Tuna Dilligil

Stars: Altan Erkekli, Vildan Atasever, Ihsan Berk Aydin


Streaming & Digitial


How to Break a World Record (VOD/Digital June 25th)

Director(s): Dan Johnson, Andrew P. Oliver

Stars: Stephen Oliver, Andrew P. Oliver, Dan Johnson

Little Town (VOD/Digital June 25th)

Written & Directed by: Dani Menkin

Stars: Jason Paul Field, Crystal St John, Grant Stevens

It’s Not Over (VOD/Digital June 25th)

Written & Directed by: Alessandro Riccardi

Stars: Gianni Capaldi, Christopher Lambert, Weronika Rosati

I Am: Celine Dion (Prime Video June 25th)

Director(s): Irene Taylor

Stars: Céline Dion

A Family Affair (Netflix)

Director(s): Richard LaGravenese | Writer(s): Carrie Solomon

Stars: Nicole Kidman, Zac Efron, Joey King


Thanks for reading! Word of mouth is still the best way to help. So, if you enjoy what I’m doing, please tell somebody. And if you have a comment, I’d love to hear it! Liking, subscribing, and sharing go a long way too. As usual, be well, be safe, and have fun no matter how you get your movies!