Actor Christopher Plummer (1929)

Knives Out (2019) is a compelling American mystery penned and helmed by Rian Johnson. The talented Daniel Craig leads an impressive eleven-actor cast as renowned private detective Benoit Blanc, called upon to investigate the tragic death of celebrated writer Harlan Thrombey. The morning after his lavish eighty-fifth birthday party at his Norfolk County estate, Thrombey’s body is found in his attic study with a fatal knife wound. His dysfunctional family, including his mother, children, spouses, and grandchildren, were all present at the party. The previous evening, ...

Howard Lovecraft and the Kingdom of Madness (2018), a Canadian animated film from 2018, is the third and final installment in the series. Written, directed, and produced by Sean Patrick O’Reilly, it follows the 2016 and 2017 films Howard Lovecraft and the Frozen Kingdom and Howard Lovecraft and the Undersea Kingdom. At SDCC ’18, Shout! Factory revealed their upcoming titles, including Howard Lovecraft and the Kingdom of Madness. This series is based on a graphic novel by Bruce Brown. In an interview with WIRED, Brown mentioned that ...

The Man Who Invented Christmas (2017) is a comedic-drama biopic about author Charles Dickens. Directed by Bharat Nalluri and written by Susan Coyne, the film is based on Les Standiford’s non-fiction book of the same title. Set in 1843, four years after Dickens’ successful novel Oliver Twist, the story follows his struggles with financial difficulties following the failure of his last three books. Despite being rejected by publishers, he decides to write and self-publish a new book to improve his financial ...

Howard Lovecraft & the Undersea Kingdom (2017) is an animated direct-to-video film, based on the graphic novel of the same name. The voice cast for this animated feature includes Mark Hamill, Christopher Plummer, Jeffrey Combs, and Doug Bradley. Hamill plays Dr. Henry Armitage, while Plummer reprises his role as Dr. Herbert West. Additionally,

The biographical crime thriller film All the Money in the World (2017), directed by Ridley Scott and written by David Scarpa, is based on John Pearson’s book Painfully Rich: The Outrageous Fortunes and Misfortunes of the Heirs of J. Paul Getty. It centers around the 1973 kidnapping of John Paul Getty III and his grandfather’s refusal to pay the ransom demanded by the kidnappers. Set in Rome during that time, a group of masked men abduct teenage John Paul, while his grandfather Jean Paul remains ...

An animated film Howard Lovecraft and the Frozen Kingdom (2016) is based on a graphic novel that draws inspiration from the writings of American horror author H. P. Lovecraft. Young Howard embarks on an adventure when he visits his father, Winfield Lovecraft, at Butler Sanitarium with his mother. Unfortunately, Winfield has been driven insane by something he regrets writing and begs Howard to destroy the book. Although Howard remains composed during this disturbing incident, he leaves with a paper star gift from his father. However, once at home, his curiosity gets the better of him and he delves into the dark world of ...

The film The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011) is based on the novel by Swedish writer Stieg Larsson. Directed by David Fincher and written by Steven Zaillian, it follows journalist Mikael Blomkvist in Stockholm as he deals with the consequences of a libel suit against businessman Hans-Erik Wennerström. To resolve this issue, wealthy Henrik Vanger offers Blomkvist a unique task: investigating the 40-year-old disappearance of his grandniece Harriet, who is believed to have been murdered. Each year on his birthday, Vanger ...

The fantasy film, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009), was directed and co-written by Terry Gilliam along with Charles McKeown. Heath Ledger’s performance in most of the movie was later replaced by Johnny Depp, Jude Law, and Colin Farrell as different versions of his character in the dream world. This was Ledger’s final acting role and a dedication to him and ...

Up (2009) is a well-loved American animated comedy-drama adventure film from Pixar Animation Studios and Walt Disney Pictures. Young Carl Fredricksen greatly admires famous explorer Charles Muntz, who was discredited after his discovery of a supposed giant bird skeleton from Paradise Falls in South America was deemed fraudulent. Despite this setback, Muntz remains determined to find a living specimen at the Falls and returns there soon after. ‘clubhouse’ (an abandoned home in their neighborhood) to a cliff near Paradise Falls. Eventually, Carl and Ellie get married and settle into the clubhouse, where they both work at the city zoo – Carl as a ...

The film The Lake House (2006) is a fantasy romance directed by Alejandro Agresti, with David Auburn as the writer. That same year, Kate Forster, a doctor, leaves her rental lake house near Chicago and begins working at a downtown hospital. In order to make sure her mail gets forwarded, she leaves a note in the mailbox. She also mentions the pawprints on the front walkway and a box in the attic that were there when she moved in. Two years prior, architect Alex Wyler moves into the same lake house and discovers Kate’s letter. Confused, he realizes there are no pawprints ...

Inside Man (2006) is an American crime thriller film directed by Spike Lee and written by Russell Gewirtz. It centers on an elaborate bank heist-turned-hostage situation on Wall Street. In August 2005, inside a small, dimly-lit cell, Dalton Russell brags about committing the perfect bank robbery. In New York City, masked robbers seize control of a Manhattan bank, using variants of the name “Steve” as aliases and dressed in painter coveralls. They hold patrons and employees hostage and divide them into groups, rotating them among various rooms while disguised ...

Syriana (2005), an American political thriller film written and directed by Stephen Gaghan, is loosely based on Robert Baer’s 2003 memoir See No Evil. The movie was filmed in over 200 locations across five continents, including the Middle East, Washington D.C., and Africa. In an interview with Charlie Rose, Gaghan revealed that the film draws from his personal experiences meeting and interviewing powerful figures such as oil owners, media moguls, lobbyists, ...

The historical romantic drama film, The New World (2005), was written and directed by Terrence Malick. It tells the story of Pocahontas, the adventurous daughter of Chief Powhatan, and her tribe’s encounter with three English ships in 1607. Captain John Smith, who had been sentenced to death for mutinous comments on board one of the ships, is pardoned upon arrival ashore by Captain Christopher Newport. Despite an initially promising start, the colony soon faces challenges such as disease, poor discipline, supply shortages and tensions with the local Native Americans – referred to as ‘the ...

The epic historical drama film Alexander (2004) is based on the life of the ancient Macedonian general and king, Alexander the Great. Narrated by Ptolemy I Soter, basileus and pharaoh of Ptolemaic Egypt, the story follows Alexander’s journey starting from his childhood with his mother Olympias and mentor Aristotle. As he grows up, Alexander becomes interested in love, honor, music, exploration, poetry and military combat. However, his relationship with his father Philip II of Macedon takes a negative turn when Philip marries Eurydice, niece of Attalus who Alexander has disowned. This conflict leads to Alexander’s banishment from the palace. After Philip is ...

National Treasure (2004), an American action-adventure film from Walt Disney Pictures, tells the story of Benjamin Franklin Gates. He is an American historian and treasure hunter who was taught by his grandfather, John, about a secret clue passed down from Charles Carroll in 1832. According to the story, this clue leads to a hidden treasure in America that was left behind by the Knights Templar, Founding Fathers, and Freemasons. Despite Ben’s belief in the tale, his father Patrick remains skeptical and dismisses it as nonsense. Along with his friend Riley Poole, a computer expert, Ben leads an expedition funded by Ian Howe to search for the Charlotte – a ...

Directed by Taylor Hackford, Dolores Claiborne (1995) is an American psychological thriller drama film based on the novel of the same name by Stephen King. The story follows Dolores Claiborne, who works as a domestic servant for her elderly employer, Vera Donovan, on Little Tall Island in Maine. One day, Dolores and Vera have a struggle which results in Vera falling down the stairs. After this incident, Dolores is caught by the mailman who sees her standing over Vera with a rolling pin. Unfortunately, Vera passes away and a murder investigation begins. In light of these ...

Directed by Terry Gilliam, 12 Monkeys (1995) is an American science fiction thriller film that depicts a world devastated by a deadly virus. The survivors are forced to live underground while rumors circulate about the Army of the Twelve Monkeys being responsible for the outbreak. In 2035, James Cole is chosen from among the prisoners living in an underground compound beneath Philadelphia to travel back in time and locate the original virus. He agrees to do so in exchange for a reduced sentence. However, he is troubled by recurring dreams involving a foot chase and shooting at an airport. When he finally arrives in ...

Malcolm X (1992) tells the story of an African-American activist and is directed and co-written by Spike Lee. Born in rural Michigan, Malcolm Little is raised by his Grenadian mother and African-American father in a strong household. Tragically, their home is destroyed and Malcolm’s father, a passionate advocate for black rights, is killed by the Black Legion. Despite this injustice, his death is recorded as a suicide and the family receives no compensation. With his mother’s mental health deteriorating, Malcolm and his siblings are placed in protective care. Despite facing numerous challenges, Malcolm ...

The American science fiction film, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991), was directed by Nicholas Meyer, who also directed the second Star Trek film, The Wrath of Khan. It follows the journey of the starship USS Excelsior under the command of Captain Hikaru Sulu in the year 2293. During their mission, they discover that the Klingon moon of Praxis has been destroyed in a mining accident. The destruction of Praxis and its impact on the ozone layer of the Klingon homeworld causes chaos within the Klingon Empire. As a result, they seek peace with their long-time enemies, the United Federation of ...

Director Tom Mankiewicz made his debut with Dragnet (1987), an American buddy cop comedy. The film follows the story of LAPD Sergeant Joe Friday’s nephew and namesake, who shares his late uncle’s old-fashioned beliefs. He is paired with Pep Streebek, a street-smart and confident newcomer. Their contrasting personalities clash initially, as Friday disapproves of Streebek’s attitude, appearance, and attire. Despite this, they develop a bond while investigating a strange string of thefts. One of the stolen items is Bait, a pornographic magazine owned by Jerry Caesar. Reverend Jonathan Whirley has been ...