Feel the Force: Amazing high-tech Star Wars gadgets you can buy today

Harrison Ford is our celebrity of the month (see our feature on the legendary actor here)! Among his countless leading roles, arguably his most iconic is that of devil-may-care Han Solo. We’re paying homage to the irascible yet charismatic pilot of the Millennium Falcon by highlighting some amazing Star Wars gadgets that you can actually buy in real life!

Lightsaber duels and 3D chess from Lenovo

Despite being among the most popular Star Wars gadgets, in real life lightsabers are actually physical impossibilities. But that hasn’t stopped Lenovo from taking an alternative approach at creating an authentic duelling experience. With its new Jedi Challenges experience merges smartphone power with augmented reality technology to allow players to match lightsabers with Kylo Ren, dabble in 3D chess, and even orchestrate massive droid battles. The US$199.99 set comes with an AR headset, lightsaber controller and tracking beacon.

BB-8 and BB-9E robots

To celebrate the reboot of the Star Wars franchise, robotics company Sphero teamed up with Disney to release an adorably miniaturised robotic version of BB-8 (US$99.99). Two years later, its First Empire nemesis BB-9E (US$129.99) was released. Paired with a dedicated mobile app, these droids can ‘patrol’ your living room, throw holographic projections to your phone and even interact with other droids.

Hoverbikes from Hoversurf

Do you recall the thrilling high-speed speeder bike chase scene through the forests of Ewok home planet Endor? Clearly Hoversurf does. In fact, the Russian drone manufacturer’s latest Scorpion 3 hoverbike could be a carbon copy of the film vehicle. It can achieve speeds of up to 70kmph and altitudes of over 28m. It doesn’t come cheap though. There’s a hefty US$59,900 price tag, and potential buyers also have to cough up US$2,000 to confirm a reservation.

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Honourable mention: Limited-edition LEGO Millennium Falcon

Although technically not a gadget per se, we just had to include this limited-edition Millennium Falcon Lego set in our list of Star Wars gadgets anyway. The mammoth 7,541-piece set, which is priced at US$800, includes mini figurines of fan favourites Han Solo, Princess Leia, Chewbacca and C3PO, as well as new faces like Rey, Finn and BB-8. While this Millennium Falcon definitely won’t be doing the Kessel run in 12 parsecs, it promises hours of fun (and no small amount of frustration) for the whole family.

Text: Tenzing Thondup
Videos & Images: Lenovo, Sphero, Hoversurf, Lego, Disney

Gal Power: Gal Gadot shatters superhero glass ceiling with Wonder Woman debut

Former Miss Israel and mother-of-two Gal Gadot was catapulted to superstardom last year with the record-breaking success of Wonder Woman. After appearing in the second highest-grossing movie of the year (second only to Star Wars: The Last Jedi), Gadot made another appearance in Justice League (November), securing her place as 2017’s highest-grossing actress and third highest-grossing actor, period.

Considering’s Gadot’s relative Hollywood obscurity prior, these achievements are not to be sniffed at. It only took 70 years to bring Wonder Woman to the big screen – a rare female lead in a world of male superheroes. It’s also been more than 40 years since the character, played by Lynda Carter, appeared on TV.

Whether she intended to or not, Gal Gadot (that’s Ga-dote) has shown the world that women can rise to the top of their careers, be successful mothers and look fabulously fit all at the same time. Getting there was no small feat, though.

Gadot prepared for her first appearance as Wonder Woman in Batman v Superman (2016) by training six days a week with horseback riding lessons, martial arts, sword fighting and weightlifting. By the time she shot her first stand-alone, hundred-million dollar movie, she had gained 7.7kg (17lbs) in pure muscle – spurring her husband to hit the gym more just to keep up with her physical prowess.

In Wonder Woman (2017), Gadot plays an Amazonian princess fighting against evil in World War I. Audiences the world over were shocked to learn that she had performed choreographed fights and running scenes while five months’ pregnant with her second child.

Born in Rosh Ha’Ayin, Israel, Gadot studied dance and played several sports in her youth. “I was a dancer for 12 years,” says Gadot, who did ballet, hip-hop, modern and jazz. Standing at 1.78m, she received offers to model throughout her teens. After high school, she was crowned Miss Israel in 2004 and went on to represent her country in the Miss Universe pageant.

“I was 18, and I had some time in between going to the army,” she told W magazine. “My mom figured, ‘Hey, why don’t I send your photo?’ I got in but never thought I would win.” Despite her reservations, the experience paved the way to a career in modelling and exposed her to international travel.

After wrapping up Miss Universe and modelling for some time, she went home to serve two years in the Israeli Defense Forces – a mandatory requirement for all Jewish Israelis, both male and female.

“I wish no country had the need for an army,” she says. “But in Israel serving is part of being an Israeli. You’ve got to give back to the state … It’s not about you. You give your freedom away. You learn discipline and respect.”

After the army, she enrolled in IDC Herzliya College to study law. Her studies were interrupted, though, when a casting director for Quantum of Solace contacted her after seeing her modelling card on her agency’s wall.

“I said, ‘No way am I going to audition to be a Bond girl,'” she says. “‘I’m studying law and international relations. I’m way too serious and smart to be an actress, and besides, the script is all in English.” Her first language is Hebrew.

She pursued the role nonetheless and received multiple callbacks, which required her to split time between Tel Aviv and Los Angeles. “Throughout this process I realised that acting is so much more fun than going to law school!” she says.

While someone else was ultimately cast as James Bond’s love interest, the process got Gadot into acting. She started seeing an acting coach, then landed her first role in an Israeli TV series.

“I had finished my first year in school, and I decided to stop when I got that project,” she says. “Then that same Bond casting director cast me as Gisele in Fast & Furious – my first movie.”

After Gadot’s big screen Hollywood debut in 2009, she was asked to return for the sequels: Fast Five (2011), Fast & Furious 6 (2013) and Furious 7 (2015).

“Whenever I met with producers, writers or directors, I said I wanted to portray a strong, independent woman,” says Gadot. “Cut to Wonder Woman.”

Gadot’s big break came when she turned 30, in a move she never imagined as a child growing up in small-town Israel. But before she became Wonder Woman, she had to endure numerous callbacks and screen tests, only to be let down repeatedly.

“It would be a ‘no’, over and over,” she says, recalling being on the brink of quitting. “Then my agent called and said Warner Brothers wanted to audition me for something.”

Zack Snyder, the director of Batman v Superman, finally called and asked her, “Have you ever heard of Wonder Woman?”

“My jaw dropped,” she says. “I tried to sound nonchalant, like, ‘Oh yeah, Wonder Woman, sure.’” It was a whirlwind from that point up until Wonder Woman’s premiere on May 2017 in Hollywood.

“It should have happened a long time ago,” she says. “People are looking for (a superheroine), waiting for one, and I’m so happy and grateful to be the one who is actually doing it.”

At Comic-Con in July 2015, Gal Gadot introduced herself to an enthralled crowd. “I feel like I’ve been given such a huge opportunity to show the strong, beautiful side of women,” she said. “Finally, Wonder Woman is getting the respect of having her own movie!” The room broke out in wild applause.

Beyond the big screen, she is playing another important role: mother of two. She and her husband, Yaron Varsano, are the proud parents of two little girls – Alma, six, and Maya, born last year.

“The Jewish guilt I feel about being a working mom is the hardest thing,” she says. “When Alma was around two, I was really anxious about moving her from one country to the other. It was my husband who told me: ‘Gal, think about what kind of a role model you want to be. If you want to show Alma that she can follow her dreams, that’s what you should do, and we will figure out the logistics.’”

Gadot believes feminism is part of being a woman and mother. “There are such misconceptions as to what a feminist is. Feminism is about equality. I want all people to have the same opportunities and to get the same salaries for the same jobs.

“I realise I’m doing what I want to do because of the women before me who laid the groundwork. Without them I wouldn’t be an educated working mother who is following her dreams. I wouldn’t be here.”

In October 2016, the United Nations invited Gal Gadot and Lynda Carter, the original Wonder Woman, to a special panel. The comic book heroine was named an “honorary ambassador for the empowerment of women and girls”. However, the event was sabotaged by protesters accusing the character of being “overtly sexualised”.

A petition signed by nearly 45,000 people prompted the UN to nix the campaign. Gadot said in response, “When people argue that Wonder Woman should ‘cover up’, I don’t quite get it. They say, ‘If she’s smart and strong, she can’t also be sexy.’ That’s not fair. Why can’t she be all of the above?”

Text: Julienne C. Raboca
Photos: AFP

Top Props: Robby the Robot joins the list of most valuable movie props to be sold at auctions

The original poster of Forbidden Planet starring Robby the Robot

Move over, R2-D2. There’s a bigger, badder bot in town. Robby the Robot – a movie prop from the 1956 film Forbidden Planet – outperformed its Star Wars counterpart, at least in the cash-grabbing category. Collectors were stunned when an R2-D2 model sold for about US$2.8 million (HK$ 21.9 million) last year, but Robby came along and raised the bar, going for a record US$5.3 million at Bonhams’ recent Out of This World auction in New York.

Robby movie prop — Robby the Robot is a prop of towering proportions

Why the discrepancy? At seven feet tall, Robby’s basketball player proportions might offer some clue. Add to that the fact that this fully-functional suit – whose head, torso and legs can be dismantled – came with its Jeep, controls and the original MGM packing crates. Although it’s been more than 60 years since Forbidden Planet debuted, Robby the Robot still holds cult status among sci-fi fans. In an attempt by MGM Studios to get the most bang for their buck, Robby has also featured in The Twilight Zone, The Addams Family and other films.

Robby’s previous owner, filmmaker and collector, William Malone, who brought the robot to auction, said, “I’m astounded by the result, but also sad to part with him. However, it’s time Robby finds a place where he can be displayed, and with someone who can look after him. Of course, he will leave an empty spot in my house—and in my heart.”

Robby’s sale secured its status as the most expensive movie prop ever sold at auction, beating previous record holders including the falcon statue from The Maltese Falcon, the Batmobile and the dress made famous by Marilyn Monroe in The Seven-Year Itch.

The craze for collecting movie props reached a peak in 2013, when Bonhams Entertainment Memorabilia Department made history in New York, selling the Maltese Falcon statue from the noir classic of the same name for US$4 million, then a record price for a movie prop at auction (non-automotive). The 12-inch-tall Falcon was the star of the Bonhams inaugural movie props sale with partner Turner Classic Movies (TCM).

Batmobile movie prop — The 1966 original Batmobile

Automotive movie props too have grabbed a fair share of the spotlight for quite sometime. In 2010, the Aston Martin driven by James Bond (played by Sean Connery) in Goldfinger had fetched a handsome US$4.6 million. The 1966 original Batmobile again touched the record US$4.6 million when it was bought by a Phoenix-area businessman in 2013.

Dr. Catherine Williamson, Director of Entertainment Memorabilia at Bonhams, says, “This is the fifth year we have partnered with TCM to present auctions of movie memorabilia, and each year the demand only increases. It shows how important these props and costumes are to everyone throughout the world.”

Text: Suchetana Mukhopadhyay

Harrison Ford: Looking back at the iconic actor’s storied legacy

Fittingly, it was Star Wars (1977) that gave the world its first inkling that Harrison Ford was a truly stellar leading man. Side-by-side with Chewbacca, his Wookie wingman, the then 33-year-old Ford made the part of Han Solo his own, with his piloting of the iconic Millennium Falcon proving the launch pad to his portrayal of countless other leading men – from Indiana Jones to Jack Ryan, by way of Rick Deckard, the is-he-isn’t-he replicant who took centrestage in the two Blade Runner movies (1982 and 2017).

Looking back today, he is quick to acknowledge the importance of his role in that far, far away galaxy in terms of his own career, saying, “Star Wars really did mark the beginning of my working life.”

Repaying this debt, he went on to star in a further three instalments of the swashbuckling space saga – The Empire Strikes Back (1980), Return of the Jedi (1983) and The Force Awakens (2015), with his apparent death in the latter triggering a fan-spasm among the Star Wars faithful. His commitment to defeating Darth Vader and his evil cohorts, however, seldom stopped him from becoming the founding father of other franchises across a career that has now spanned more than half a century.

Along the way, he has notched up four appearances as Indiana Jones, two appearances as Blade Runner’s Deckard and as Jack Ryan, Tom Clancy’s ever-ingenious CIA operative. Return gigs aside, he also dominated the screen in more than his fair share of the most iconic movies to have been released over the last 50 years, including Apocalypse Now (1979), Witness (1985) and The Fugitive (1992).

Despite his glittering cinematic CV, Harrison Ford was no overnight success. Indeed, prior to his big Star Wars break, he trained as a carpenter, determined to have a fallback profession should Hollywood fail to recognise his thespianic qualities. By the time Star Wars plucked him from relative obscurity, he had already spent more than a decade failing to set the film world alight in such uninspiring roles as “airport worker” in 1970’s counterculture hit Zabriskie Point and “irate motorist” in Luv, a 1967 slapstick rom-com.

Looking back at his early struggles to make his mark in the fickle world of filmdom, he says, “It took me a long time to figure out how to act and how to give directors just what they wanted.” He was a persistent student, though, and by the time he auditioned for American Graffiti, a 1973 coming-of-age comedy, he had learned enough of his craft to impress its director – 32-year-old George Walton Lucas, the man who was just three years away from making Star Wars, the highest-grossing movie of all time.

Despite his relatively short screentime in American Graffiti, Ford’s performance was clearly memorable enough to land him a spot on the shortlist for the role of Solo. While Star Wars elevated Lucas into a select pantheon of the World’s Most Commercially Successful Directors Ever, it had a similarly transformative effect on Harrison’s own life. Pretty much overnight, he became an internationally-feted superstar, lauded wherever Star Wars became the hottest ticket in town – which was pretty much everywhere.

With fame also comes rumours and gossip. In terms of affairs, Harrison Ford has been linked to several of his leading ladies, including Lesley Ann-Down, his co-star in 1979’s Hanover Street. He was, however, just as likely to be flirting as fighting, as he apparently loathed Sean Young who played opposite him in the original Blade Runner.

There was also the “fact” that he bought the Sunset Hills Golf Course (he hadn’t), was suffering from Parkinson’s Disease (he wasn’t) and, on several occasions, that he had died, a claim that most recently surfaced on 1 January this year. One apparently scurrilous tale, however, turned out to be true, when he finally acknowledged that he had, in fact, had a brief but intense affair with Carrie Fisher, his love interest in the original Star Wars movie.

The claim had first surfaced in The Princess Diarist, the final instalment in Fisher’s memoirs, published in December 2016, just a month before her untimely death. It was a testament to the affection widely felt towards both performers that the revelation proved endearing rather than outrageous.

As to Ford’s own mortality, while he is clearly still with us, over the last couple of years it could be seen that he is tying up the loose ends of his cinematic legacy. In 2015, Han Solo was grimly cut down by his own son in The Force Awakens, while last year’s Blade Runner 2049, although clearly leaving Ford’s character alive, did seem to mark the end of his particular story arc.

For 2020, we are promised the fifth Indiana Jones movie, giving the by then 78-year-old actor the chance to reprise the last of his truly iconic movie roles. Should it all end for him then, though, perhaps that carpentry qualification will finally prove its worth.

Text: Robert Blain
Photos: AFP

Hollywood went black at Golden Globes to support #metoo campaign, but is it enough?

Black was the colour of choice for most Hollywood A-listers at the recently concluded 75th Annual Golden Globes held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. Only this time, actors chose the colour not as a safe bet, but as an icon of protest. Men and women alike came together in black as a symbolic gesture to support the famous #metoo campaign.

In the wake of several molestation cases coming out into the open following the allegation against Harry Weinstein, the women in Hollywood have taken a united stand. A legal defence fund called Time’s Up was recently founded, backed by over 300 celebrities, including big names like Reese Witherspoon, Natalie Portman, Eva Longoria and Ashley Judd.

As an extension of the movement, black was unanimously picked as the colour for the night at the 75th Annual Golden Globes. While Angelina Jolie and Oprah Winfrey looked regal in Versace gowns, actress Kate Hudson chose a Valentino haute couture gown and Diane Kruger wore a classic Prada. TV stars Emilia Clarke (star of GoT) and Sadie Sink (of Stranger Things fame) also shone in black Miu Miu.

Men stood side by side with the women to make a statement in black. Award-winners Gary Oldman, who won Best Actor, Sam Rockwell, who won Best Supporting Actor, GoT stars Nikolaj Coster Waldau and Kit Harrington, and many others were spotted in black.

Oprah Winfrey, who received the Cecil B. DeMille Award, spoke about the importance of this symbolic resistance in her acceptance speech. She said, “What I know for sure is that speaking your truth is the most powerful tool we all have. I’m especially proud and inspired by all the women who have felt strong enough and empowered enough to speak up and share their personal stories. But it’s not just the story affecting the entertainment industry. It’s one that transcends culture, geography, race, religion, politics or workplace.”

Indeed it is heartening to see that the #metoo campaign has opened up avenues for women to share their stories and finally shed the misplaced taboo that is forced on the victim by the patriarchal society. This latest gesture by Hollywood A-listers at the Golden Globes should hopefully encourage more women to share their experiences.

But one can’t help but wonder if this symbolic move is enough. While it is definitely a step in the right direction and has great symbolic potency, the choice to dress in black restricts the narrative of sexual ethics within the codes of dressing. No matter what outfits men and women choose to wear, the dress should not be allowed to signify anything more than an accessory; it can never be a judge of one’s character, social standing or belief. This has to be a non-negotiable premise if equality, and within it gender equality, is to be established.

Once and for all, let’s shift our gaze from the colour of the dress and the length of the skirt, and look in the mirror instead.

Text: Suchetana Mukhopadhyay

Netflix Binge: Top 6 TV series you have to watch now

There are plenty of blockbusters coming to silver screens next month, but if you don’t want to leave your home, don’t worry. Web streaming video provider Netflix has literally hundreds of TV series available at your fingertips! We’ve picked six standout shows that you absolutely have to watch.

Stranger Things

Genre: Sci-fi/Horror

Synopsis: Set in the 1980’s, this Netflix cult phenomenon tracks the supernatural occurrences that wrack the sleepy little town of Hawkin, Indiana. From a psychokinetic teenager (played to perfection by the lovable Millie Bobby Brown) to monsters from an eerie parallel universe dubbed the Upside Down, you’ll spend every minute at the edge of your seat.

The Crown

Genre: Period drama

Synopsis: This critically acclaimed historical drama traces the life of England’s Queen Elizabeth II from her marriage to Prince Philip in 1947 through her coronation and beyond. The sharp dialogue and true-to-life accuracy of the series highlight the marital tensions, political manoeuvrings and illicit love affairs that surrounded Britain’s monarch in her early years.

Mindhunter

Genre: True crime

Synopsis: This gritty freshman Netflix series takes viewers back to the advent of criminal profiling and behavioural analysis at the FBI in the late 1970’s. Follow the agents of FBI’s Behavioural Science Unit and get a fascinating education on what makes a serial killer tick.

Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories

Genre: Japanese slice-of-life

Synopsis: Based on the Japanese manga series Shinya Shokudo, Midnight Diner introduces a bunch of oddball diners that frequent a small izakaya in Tokyo. This wonderfully minimalist series perfectly captures the everyday trials and tribulations of Japanese people from all walks of life, be they a police officer, a prostitute or a yakuza boss.

Master of None

Genre: Comedy

Synopsis: Master of None details the professional and romantic experiences of 30-year-old Dev Shah, a commercial actor living in New York City with no clear ambitions or goals for his life. Though billed as a comedy, Aziz Ansari and Alan Yang’s smartly written show is a fantastic anthropological statement on the aimlessness and ennui of a whole generation of millennials.

Alias Grace

Genre: Historical true crime drama

Synopsis: Based on Margaret Atwood’s novel of the same name, this Netflix miniseries follows conversations between incarcerated murderess Grace Marks and psychologist Dr. Jordan in 19th-century Canada. Marks claims to have no memory of the murders that led to her imprisonment, and over the course of their talks, we get a first-hand account of her harsh life and the events that led to her arrest. Although set over a century ago, this series still resonates deeply today and makes viewers question the treatment of women in a world filled with Harvey Weinsteins.

Text: Tenzing Thondup
Images: Netflix

Reel Deal: What to watch in theatres this January

2018 is poised to start big for the film industry with a whole lot of Hollywood biggies hitting the theatres in January. Whether it’s a spine-chilling thriller, a tragicomedy or an epic adventure, there’s something for everyone! An entertaining movie and a tub of popcorn may be a good way to welcome the New Year!

The Disaster Artist

Director James Franco retells the real-life story of aspiring filmmaker and infamous Hollywood outsider Tommy Wiseau, whose ‘disasterpiece’ film The Room was dubbed as the ‘Greatest Bad Movie Ever Made’. Based on Greg Sestero’s best-selling book on the making of Tommy’s cult-classic disaster, The Disaster Artist is a tragicomic tale of friendship, artistic expression and hopes pursued against all odds.

Opening on 12 January 2018

The Commuter

The story centres around Michael MacCauley (starring Liam Neeson), a newly sacked insurance salesman who faces an interesting proposition during his daily commute that turns his world upside down. Persuaded by a mysterious stranger, Michael seeks to uncover the identity of a hidden passenger on the train before the last stop. As he works against the clock to solve the mystery, he realises he has been caught up in a conspiracy that could spell death for all his co-passengers on the train.

Opening on 12 January 2018

Downsizing

In this dystopic film, Norwegian scientists discover how to shrink humans as a solution to overpopulation. Lured by the promise of a better life, Paul Safranek (Matt Damon) and wife Audrey (Kristen Wiig) decide to get small and shift to a new downsized community. What follows is a life-changing adventure.

Opening on 25 January 2018

Maze Runner: The Death Cure

In the final movie of the Maze Runner saga, Thomas leads the escaped Gladers on their ultimate mission. Only this time, the mission gets even more dangerous and life-threatening. To save their friends, the group has to get into the legendary Last City, a WCKD-controlled labyrinth that is surely the deadliest maze of them all. If they come out of this alive, they’ll finally find the answers to all the questions that the Gladers have been asking since they arrived in the maze.

Opening on 26 January 2018

Text: Suchetana Mukhopadhyay

Mastermind World premiers Star Wars collection at new display-less store

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Japanese fashion label MASTERMIND WORLD has built a cult following of sorts thanks to its high quality fabrics and innovative street-chic creations. Now creator Masaaki Homma has brought the high-end gothic apparel brand to Hong Kong, while simultaneously unveiling a special Star Wars: The Last Jedi collection.

Launched in early December, his new Fashion Walk store brings fans a novel ‘display-less’ shopping experience. Instead of browsing through the usual panoply of clothing displays, guests visiting the shop will be whisked away to a private room to browse through Mastermind World’s collection on a tablet. Chosen items will be sent directly in for you to try.

To celebrate this new minimalist concept store (and in a stroke of PR genius), Mastermind World partnered with the massive Star Wars franchise on an exclusive range of Star Wars: The Last Jedi goodies that launched just one day before the movie premiered in Hong Kong. The collection features ten unique t-shirt and sweater designs priced from HK$880 to HK$1,350.

Reel Deal: What to watch in theatres this December

The most festive month of the year is nearly here and there’s a whole bunch of big releases to add to the celebrations. Here’s our list of the top movies that we are eagerly waiting for this Christmas season.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi

The latest release from the Star Wars saga, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, is set to hit the theatres on 14 December. In this movie, Rey develops her newly discovered abilities and continues the epic journey with Finn, Poe and Luke Skywalker. Meanwhile, the Resistance prepares for a battle with the First Order.

Releasing on 14 December

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle

Two decades after the first film, the havoc-wreaking board game has resurfaced again as a video game in a school’s basement. Four teenagers lay their hands on it and get sucked into a dangerous jungle setting. This is a game they must win at all costs!

Releasing on 21 December

The Greatest Showman

Inspired by the life of American showman, P.T. Barnum, The Greatest Showman is an original musical that celebrates the birth of showbiz. Watch out for Hugh Jackman in his portrayal of the visionary who started from nothing and went on to become a worldwide phenomenon.

Releasing on 21 December

Mary and The Witch’s Flower

Good news for anime fans! The new Japanese anime movie is almost here and it tells the engaging story of a young girl who chances upon a flower in the woods, which changes her life forever. Directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi, Mary and The Witch’s Flower is loosely based on The Little Broomstick by Mary Stewart.

Releasing on 21 December

Text: Suchetana Mukhopadhyay

Movies to watch at the cinemas this November

With the holiday season kicking in, a horde of big-budget movies are set to release in November. From nail-biting whodunits to superhero franchises, from Cannes’ award winners to simple Christmas comedies, you can have your pick and more! Here are our top picks for November:

Murder on the Orient Express

When Agatha Christie’s detective fiction Murder on the Orient Express came out in 1934, it was considered to be one of the best ‘railway stories’ ever written. Many decades and numerous adaptations later, the classic whodunit still remains a crowd favourite because of the startling (and frankly unparalleled) nature of its climax! We don’t want to reveal more, so just head to the theatres on 30 November to be part of an extraordinary ride.

Justice League

Another superhero flick from DC and Warner Bros’ stables, Justice League is the fifth installment in the DC Extended Universe. Inspired by Superman’s selfless sacrifice (Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice), Bruce Wayne and Diana Prince combine forces with other superheroes like Aquaman, Cyborg and the Flash to save the planet from a new and powerful enemy. Scheduled to be released on 16 November, box offices everywhere have already pinned high hopes on this one.

Wonder

If the trailer is anything to go by, this film promises to quite endearing. As a simple story of a little boy with facial ‘deformity’ who’s trying to fit in at his new school, this film will resonate with anybody who has had issues ‘fitting in’ with their peers. Wonder’s simple message, that beauty is not skin-deep, is a particularly relevant one in today’s world of superficial beauty parameters. Releasing on 30 November, Wonder offers a breath of much-needed empathy.

The Star

A Christian comedy based on the Nativity of Jesus, this one is a lighthearted animation centering on Bo, a donkey, and his friends from the animal kingdom who become the unsung heroes of the first Christmas. Hitting the theatres on 17 November, the film promises to be a good watch for the kids and for those young at heart.

The Killing of a Sacred Deer

A competitor in the Palme d’Or category in the Cannes Film Festival 2017 and the best screenplay award winner at the festival, this movie has already made the right noises even before its global release. Featuring big names like Colin Farrell and Nicole Kidman, the film explores the unconventional relationship between an established doctor and his teenage neighbour, a relationship that is laced with underlying menace and a threat of violence. Playing in theatres from 30 November, the film has already won critics’ hearts through its twisted brilliance and intriguing screenplay.

Text: Suchetana Mukhopadhyay