April brings forth several key movie anniversaries, the most famous being one from 1976, a legendary year for cinema. 50 years later, this film remains the gold standard in its portrayal of journalism.
Another highlight this month is the 30th anniversary of a memorable cinematic twist talked about to this day. Other anniversaries include a video game adaptation, an action-packed heist thriller, and a CGI adventure in the Disney universe.
The Jungle Book
10th anniversary
During the 2010s, Disney became obsessed with live-action remakes. When 2010’s Alice in Wonderland made over $1 billion at the box office, Disney went all-in on adapting animated classics, including 2016’s The Jungle Book, a fantasy movie about Mowgli (Neel Sethi) and his journey to a new home. Instead of shooting on location, The Jungle Book was mostly shot on a sound stage with CGI animals.
The Jungle Book marks a turning point in the career of director Jon Favreau. He delivered a movie with Oscar-winning visual effects that made $966 million. Favreau hasn’t left Disney since the movie. He then directed the live-action remake of The Lion King in 2019. There’s no doubt in my mind that Lucasfilm watched Favreau’s effect-heavy movies and recruited him for Star Wars. The result became The Mandalorian, Lucasfilm’s most important project of the last decade.
The Jungle Book
Release Date
April 15, 2016
Runtime
106 Minutes
Director
Jon Favreau
Fast Five
15th anniversary
In your best Vin Diesel voice, “This is Brazil.” For how much I have supported and defended this franchise, I’d like to think I’m a member of The Fast and Furious family. Times weren’t always good for Dominic Toretto and his family. Following Tokyo Drift, I didn’t think the franchise would come back, but Diesel’s return in 2009’s Fast & Furious proved audiences wanted these movies.
In 2011, the Fast Saga received its best entry, Fast Five. On the run from the authorities, Dom, Brian (Paul Walker), and Mia (Jordana Brewster) head to Brazil searching for a new job. After being framed for murder by crime lord Hernan Reyes (Joaquim de Almeida), Dom and Brian call in the crew to steal $100 million of his fortune. Two things. First, Fast Five transformed the franchise into an action spectacle. No more stealing DVDs off trucks. Second, it introduced Dwayne Johnson’s Luke Hobbs, a hulking figure who helped legitimize the franchise going forward.
Fast Five
Release Date
April 29, 2011
Runtime
131 minutes
Director
Justin Lin
Silent Hill
20th anniversary
Video game adaptations used to be poisonous. There are far more failures, like House of the Dead and Max Payne, than there are success stories like The Last of Us. Silent Hill probably falls somewhere in the middle. I lean more toward the positive side due to its strong fan base and a modest box office haul—$100 million on a $50 million budget.
For those unfamiliar with the game, Silent Hill is the enigmatic town that haunts Sharon Da Silva’s (Jodelle Ferland) nightmares. Sharon’s mother, Rose (Radha Mitchell), takes her daughter to Silent Hill in search of an answer. When Rose crashes the car, Sharon goes missing, forcing her to confront the eerie town’s dark and traumatic revelations. Things will get creepy real fast.
Silent Hill
Release Date
April 21, 2006
Runtime
127 minutes
Director
Christophe Gans
Primal Fear
30th anniversary
In 2026, it’s nearly impossible to keep a cinematic secret. Policing spoiler culture is a losing battle. I give The Drama, a recent A24 movie with Zendaya and Robert Pattinson, props for keeping their twist under wraps for as long as they did. In 1996, you could go weeks after a release before a twist became common knowledge. Primal Fear’s twist still shocks me even though I know it’s coming.
Chicago defense attorney Martin Vail (Richard Gere) has become a local celebrity for choosing to defend difficult clients. His latest case involves Aaron Stampler (Edward Norton), a mentally ill 19-year-old with a stutter who is accused of killing an archbishop. The ensuing trial is riveting, with Norton delivering a jaw-dropping performance. Matt Damon tells a story about how seemingly every young actor tried out for the role won by Norton because it was the part that would change a career. Damon was right, as Norton received an Oscar nomination.
Primal Fear
Release Date
March 6, 1996
Runtime
129 minutes
Director
Gregory Hoblit
All the President’s Men
50th anniversary
All the President’s Men came out at a time when Americans did not trust the government. In times of chaos and confusion, the people looked toward journalists for answers. Unfortunately, journalism doesn’t have that same relationship with the public in today’s politically charged world. As someone who has worked in journalism, it’s refreshing to watch reporters properly do their jobs.
After the break-in at the Watergate complex, two reporters for The Washington Post—Bob Woodward (Robert Redford) and Carl Bernstein (Dustin Hoffman)—begin their investigation into what happened. Take me back to 1970s cinema when political thrillers ruled the landscape, where typing reports and listening to phone calls would put you on the edge of your seat.
More movies are coming your way
If you’re in need of more movies, several new ones are hitting streaming services this week, including Thrash on Netflix and Outcome on Apple TV. Elsewhere, try an impressive thriller on Netflix like Caught Stealing and The Platform.
