The Concubine (Capelight DVD)
The Concubine (2012) opens in the forests of medieval Korea with a mounted prince and his retinue hunting deer. That prince becomes one corner of the story’s romantic geometry concerning the beautiful Haw-yeon. She is in love with a commoner, the prince is in love with her—but she’s been given to the king as his concubine. Much intrigue will follow. The DVD release is dubbed in English. Korean film buffs will recognize Cho Yeo-Jeong as Mrs. Park from the Oscar-winning Parasite. (David Luhrssen)
The Concubine
Nightmare Alley (In theaters Dec. 17)
Based on the 1946 novel by William Lindsay Gresham, this second film adaptation (first filmed in 1947, starring Tyrone Power) casts Bradley Cooper as ambitious Stan Carlisle. A carny seeking fame and fortune, Carlisle falls into the clutches of corrupt psychiatrist, Dr. Lilith Ritter (Cate Blanchett). He’s hoping they’ll team up to swindle Ritter’s wealthy clients but is in over his head. She’s the ultimate femme fatale, impeccably turned out, and loyal to no one.
Guillermo del Toro co-wrote the screenplay and directs. He relishes his dive into the carny world. Rooney Mara portrays a wide-eyed innocent protected by strongman Bruno (Ron Perlman). The cast includes Toni Collette, Willem Dafoe, Richard Jenkins, David Strathairn and Mary Steenburgen, serving to further elevate this adult-oriented, 2-1/2 hour, neo noir production. Critics agree. It scores 83% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes and gets a 67% nod at Metacritic.com. (Lisa Miller)
Nightmare Alley
Spider-Man: No Way Home (In theaters Dec. 17)
The latest installment in the newest “Spider-Man” trilogy returns Tom Holland as Peter Parker/Spider-Man in a 2-1/2 hour extravaganza directed by Jon Watts. Spider-Man’s secret Parker identity was publicly unmasked in film two, sending him to Dr. Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) in this threequel to magically reclaim his secret. Unfortunately, the spell opens a portal to the multi-verse allowing villains from other universes to enter our own.
More importantly, this event enables Disney and Sony studios to each assign Spider-Man different storylines going forward. Intense fan interest made this trailer the most viewed in history. When Fandango, AMC Theatres, and Regal Cinemas opened ticket sales, the unprecedented volume of buyers crashed their sites within minutes. Projections are the film’s box office sales will hit pre-pandemic levels, bringing the film industry a share of holiday cheer. (Lisa Miller)
Spider-Man: No Way Home
