Review: 'The Navigator' Doc Film is a Poetic Tale of Ocean Voyagers

"Make the simple promise for young people in the future to launch something. Launch something good." ⛵ Another wonderful documentary that deserves more attention and acclaim. Too many of them this year, too many of them every year, that are absolutely incredible but should be seen by more and more people. The Navigator is an extraordinarily touching, humble film about the handful people who are brave enough to make the astonishing voyage from Hawaii to Tahiti and back using no modern instruments for navigation – only the stars (and our moon). The original attempts to do this in the 1970s & 80s were a way to prove their ancestry and show that, definitively, yes human beings from thousands of years ago successfully navigated and sailed on the open water across 2,400 (nautical) miles to other islands. This film is about one of these men, Nainoa Thompson, while also explaining the idea behind this voyage & how they did it. Thankfully it's not so much of a biopic as it is a look at the importance of this voyage, and the importance of passing down this knowledge (of how to navigate on he ocean solely using stars & waves) to the next generations. I'm still caught up in it days later – an instant favorite documentary that filled me with hope and courage. The Navigator just premiered at the 2026 Hawaii Film Festival and will play at more festivals soon this fall. // Continue Reading ›

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Official Trailer for 'The Last Dive' Doc About Befriending a Manta Ray

"I want him to know... I haven't forgot him!" A trailer has debuted for a documentary film titled The Last Dive, another heartfelt story about friendship between humans and animals. This initially premiered at the 2025 Tribeca Film Festival last year and is finally getting a global theatrical release in theaters this year starting in November. Terry Kennedy is a legendary figure down in Baja, Mexico — an American veteran, and one-time Hell's Angel, whose life was transformed by an unlikely friendship with "Willy", a 22-foot oceanic manta ray. For nearly two decades, Willy would slap his wings against the hull of Terry's sailboat to signal their next dive. Now in his 80s, Terry embarks on one final journey out to a remote volcanic island in hopes of reuniting with his old friend one more time — searching for peace, closure, and a chance to say his goodbyes. Witness the depths of a friendship in The Last Dive, heartwarming documentary distributed by Area 23A. Yes it's similar to My Octopus Teacher but with its own different story to tell. And I still really do think these animal friendships are absolutely beautiful and wholesome. 🌊 This nature doc looks really good. // Continue Reading ›

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Another Extra Boring Baseball-Themed 'Avengers: Doomsday' Teaser

"Wow I've never seen that kind of stretch." Huh? This is how they're promoting this movie? Ugh. It's all so dull and boring and exceptionally unexciting. Disney debuted another brand new promo teaser trailer for Marvel's Avengers: Doomsday movie, landing in theaters December 2026 at the end of this year. (Same day as Dune: Part Three release - which is the one to really watch). This crossover movie will bring EVERY superhero from two decades of Marvel movies together to battle the villain Doctor Doom (starring Robert Downey Jr. once again). But no one still knows what the actual plot is. The huge cast includes Chris Evans, Vanessa Kirby, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Paul Rudd, Wyatt Russell, Simu Liu, Florence Pugh, Kelsey Grammer, Lewis Pullman, Danny Ramirez, Joseph Quinn, Tom Hiddleston, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Alan Cumming, Rebecca Romijn, James Marsden, Channing Tatum, Letitia Wright, Winston Duke, Tenoch Huerta Mejía, Pedro Pascal, Ebon Moss-Bachrach & more surprises. This new teaser is baseball-themed for a promotion with the MLB during their games. Apparently all the footage of the Fantastic Four at a baseball game is an actual scene in the movie. Then they're still recycling the same shots from the previous trailers. This movie is going to be one giant, boring, ugly-looking dud – that millions of people will happily go watch. Aren't they getting tired of all this unnecessary rehashing & retconning, too? Oh well, it's Marvel. Play ball! // Continue Reading ›

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Final Featurettes for Laika's 'Wildwood' Must See Fantasy Adventure

"Simply with the human voice, you have to imply intention and purpose..." Now playing in theaters is this incredible animated work of art - Wildwood. In celebration of its release, Laika has debuted the last promo featurettes for this stop-motion adventure. One spends time with the fabulous voice cast bringing all these characters to life, the other one looks at the "magic" of making all of this stop-motion design feel real. An expansive, emotional, wondrous adventure into the woods - with the same extraordinary scale as Lord of the Rings and so many wonderful characters to meet. I've seen this movie and it is an absolute must watch right away! The best! Prue McKeel (voiced by Peyton Elizabeth Lee) and her friend Curtis are drawn into a hidden, magical forest near Portland, Oregon after Prue's baby brother Mac is kidnapped by crows and a mysterious woman. The robust voice cast includes Angela Bassett, Jacob Tremblay, Carey Mulligan, Awkwafina, Jemaine Clement, Charlie Day, Jake Johnson, Amandla Stenberg, Tom Waits, Richard E. Grant, and Mahershala Ali as the Bandit King of Wildwood. One of my favorite characters. From the recording booth to the screen, the voice cast of Wildwood helps the characters of the hand-crafted epic to life. This movie is an utterly spectacular creation made entirely by hand & passionate artists. See it. // Continue Reading ›

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Amusing Trailer for Animated Movie 'Cloud Girl' About a Magical Pen

"One magical quill. One unlikely hero. One world worth saving." Viva Kids Film has revealed their official US trailer for an animated adventure movie called Cloud Girl, another new French animation creation. It already premiered at the 2026 Annecy Film Festival in the summer and it opened in France in July during the summer. "What if everything you imagined could become real?" Providence, a 12-year-old dreamer, and her hilarious guinea pig Airbag (which she gives the power to talk), suddenly find themselves in possession of a magic pen that makes everything written with it come true. With this superpower, they embark on an incredible journey. Filled with breathtaking voyages, unexpected friendships, laugh-out-loud moments, and a vivid message about courage, creativity, and protecting our beautiful planet, Cloud Girl is an enchanting adventure that reminds us all that the power to change the world begins with our imagination. The original French title is La Fille dans les nuages which translates to Girl in the Clouds. This US release version includes an English voice cast featuring Faith Delaney as Providence and Hugh Laurie as Airbag. Enjoy. // Continue Reading ›

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Freaky Trailer for French Sci-Fi 'Just After Dawn' All People Are Gone

"If you go out now, you'll never escape the signal!" Futurikon and Cine+ OCS have debuted the full official trailer for a French indie film titled Just After Dawn, a sci-fi thriller / post-apocalyptic mystery. This is getting a direct-to-VOD release in France on the Cine+ OCS platform this month if anyone wants to watch it. Alas it doesn't look good enough to break out of France at all. Returning from the Atlas lunar mission, the astronauts discover an Earth where humanity has vanished. Cut off from anyone/everything, they soon find themselves confronted with an unfathomable mystery that defies reason...and threatens their very existence. Starring Charlie Anson, Mehmet Kurtuluş, Aïssa Maïga, and Vincent Grass. Where did they all go? What is with this signal and why is it controlling humanity? Any guesses? The early reviews of this film on Letterboxd from French viewers are pretty harsh - mostly negative reviews about how "boring" & "awful" it is. Nonetheless, I want to feature new trailers for any/every indie sci-fi film even if they don't look any good. // Continue Reading ›

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Official Trailer for 'Dead-End Job' Korean Supernatural Work Series

"Will you accept this sweet gig?" Netflix has debuted an official trailer for another new dark thriller comedy series from Korea titled Dead-End Job , ready for streaming later this month. From the same writer as the Korean "Tarot" series comes this new supernatural survival show about working a shady job but making good money. A man in his 30s, Byeon Hyeok Jun, tries to escape the quagmire of debt he's swimming in and starts a super high-value but secretive part-time job leading to an unfolding of unexpected events. "I'm more scared of being broke than I am of ghosts." Drowning in debt, a young man takes on lucrative part-time jobs from a mysterious agency — only to find his hustle for more money turning nightmarish. Starring Lee Jae-wook, Go Min-si, Kim Min-ha, Lee Hee-joon, Yoon Kyung-ho, Choi Hyun-wook, along with an appearance by Ko Chang-seok. This looks like they took the make money doing wacky things concept from "Squid Game" and mashed it up with the supernatural ghost story stories that are popular in Korea right now. Each episodes seems like another crazy twisted night to survive! I'm intrigued - looks like it's very fun. // Continue Reading ›

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