1530 – The Vast of Night (2019)

spacetime coordinates: November 1958. small-town Cayuga, New Mexico

The Vast of Night is a 2019 American science fiction film directed by Andrew Patterson, and starring Sierra McCormick and Jake Horowitz. The film is written by Andrew Patterson under the pseudonym of James Montague, and Craig W. Sanger. It premiered at the 2019 Slamdance Film Festival in January 2019. Amazon Studios acquired distribution rights to the film and released it on May 29, 2020, including drive-in theaters in the United States and via video-on-demand on Prime Video. The film’s plot is said to be loosely based on the Kecksburg UFO incident and Foss Lake Disappearances.

The film takes place over a night, with the story framed as an episode of Paradox Theatre, a Twilight Zone-style anthology television series.

Patterson financed the film himself with earnings from his work producing commercials and shorts for the Oklahoma City Thunder and others. It was filmed in three to four weeks at a cost of $700,000. (wiki)

imdb   /   rt

1528 – Faust (2011)

spacetime coordinates: early 19th century Germany

Faust (Russian: Фауст) is a 2011 Russian film directed by Alexander Sokurov. Set in the 19th century, it is a free interpretation of the Faust legend and its respective literary adaptations by both Johann Wolfgang von Goethe as well as Thomas Mann. The dialogue is in German. The film is the final part in a series of films where Alexander Sokurov explores the corrupting effects of power. The previous installments are three biographical dramas: about Adolf Hitler in Moloch from 1999, Vladimir Lenin in Taurus from 2001, and the Japanese emperor Hirohito in The Sun from 2005.

The project, described in 2005 as “loosely based on works by Goethe and Thomas Mann”, was announced by Sokurov in 2005 as “a very colourful, elegant picture with a lot of Strauss music and a smell of chocolate.”

Jay Weissberg wrote in Variety: “The influence of Flemish and Dutch painting on Sokurov’s work has never been clearer than in Faust, with its deep debt to the witchcraft paintings of artists such as David Teniers and Herri met de Bles.” (wiki)

imdb

1526 – Knives Out (2019)

spacetime coordinates: 2010s massachusetts

Knives Out is a 2019 American mystery film written and directed by Rian Johnson. A modern whodunit, the film follows a family gathering gone awry, after the patriarch’s death leads a master detective to investigate. The film features an ensemble cast, including Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Shannon, Don Johnson, Toni Collette, Lakeith Stanfield, Katherine Langford, Jaeden Martell, and Christopher Plummer.

Lionsgate announced in February 2020 that a sequel was in development. (wiki)

imdb   /   rt

1525 – Gretel & Hansel (2020)

Gretel & Hansel (also known as Gretel & Hansel: A Grim Fairy Tale) is a 2020 horror film based on the German folklore tale “Hansel and Gretel” by the Brothers Grimm. The film is directed by Oz Perkins. Sophia Lillis and Sam Leakey portray the title characters, alongside Charles Babalola, Jessica De Gouw, and Alice Krige. The story follows Gretel and Hansel as they enter a dark wood in order to find work and food, and then stumble upon the home of a witch. (wiki)

imdb   /   rt

1516 – Daniel Isn’t Real (2019)

spacetime coordinates: 2010’S  New York City

Daniel Isn’t Real is a 2019 psychological horror film directed by Adam Egypt Mortimer, from a screenplay by Mortimer and Brian DeLeeuw, based upon the novel In This Way I Was Saved by DeLeeuw. It stars Miles Robbins, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Sasha Lane, Mary Stuart Masterson, Hannah Marks, Chukwudi Iwuji and Peter McRobbie. (wiki)

imdb   /   rottentomatoes

1514 – Fantasy Island (2020)

Blumhouse’s Fantasy Island (or simply Fantasy Island) is a 2020 American  adventure / fantasy / supernatural horror film directed and co-written by Jeff Wadlow.  A horror re-imagination and prequel to ABC‘s 1977 television series of the same name, it stars Michael Peña, Maggie Q, Lucy Hale, Austin Stowell, Portia Doubleday, Jimmy O. Yang, Ryan Hansen, and Michael Rooker. The plot follows five people who visit the eponymous island, discovering that their dream fantasies brought to life begin to turn into horrific living nightmares they must try to survive. (wiki)

imdb

1509 – The Invisible Man (2020)

spacetime coordinates: 2019 San Francisco

The Invisible Man is a 2020 science fiction horror film written and directed by Leigh Whannell (upgrade). It follows a woman who believes she is being stalked by her abusive and wealthy boyfriend even after his apparent suicide. She ultimately deduces that he has acquired the ability to become invisible. The film stars Elisabeth Moss, Aldis Hodge, Storm Reid, Harriet Dyer, Michael Dorman, and Oliver Jackson-Cohen. It is an international co-production of the United States and Australia.

The development of a new film based on H. G. Wells‘s 1897 book began as early as 2006. The project was revived as part of Universal’s shared cinematic universe in 2016, intended to consist of their classic monsters, with Johnny Depp attached to star in the title role. After The Mummy was released in 2017 to critical and financial failure, development was halted on all projects. In early 2019, the studio changed their plans from a serialized universe to films based on individualized story-telling and the project reentered development. (wiki)

franchise future

imdb   /   rottentomatoes