FOLLOWING FILMS

Hayao Miyazaki’s Howl’s Moving Castle is a dazzling piece of animation that combines fairy-tale wonder with thoughtful commentary on love, identity, and war. The story follows Sophie, a shy young woman who is suddenly transformed into an elderly version of herself by a witch’s curse. Her path crosses with the elusive wizard Howl, whose ramshackle, walking castle becomes both a refuge and a place of self-discovery. What makes the film so memorable is how it balances its whimsical visuals with emotional weight. The castle itself feels alive—an eccentric machine that mirrors Howl’s own complicated spirit—while the characters evolve in ways that are both tender and surprising. What makes the upcoming theatrical rerelease so exciting is the chance to truly experience this world as it was designed to be seen. On a large screen, the intricate details of the animation—the shifting gears of the castle, the sweeping skies, the smallest sparks from Calcifer—become even more breathtaking. Joe Hisa...

Tucson, AZ  — The Fox Tucson Theatre is preparing to host a milestone celebration for Resurrection Blvd., the groundbreaking television drama that paved the way for Latino representation on screen. On Sunday, October 19, 2025, the historic venue will welcome fans and newcomers alike for A Day with Resurrection Blvd · The 25th Anniversary Celebration, presented by Elephant Scout Films. Launched in 2000, Resurrection Blvd. made television history as the first hour-long drama created with an entirely Latino cast and creative team. The series followed the lives of a Mexican American family in East Los Angeles and quickly became a touchstone for authentic Latino storytelling in mainstream media. For show creator and executive producer Dennis Leoni, the anniversary carries special meaning. “This series remains the highlight of my career,” said Leoni. “Bringing the celebration to Tucson, my hometown, is deeply personal—especially at The Fox, where I first experienced the magic of movies m...

On September 4th, 2025, Twin Towers: Legacy held a moving premiere in front of 300 active NYPD officers, who gathered to witness a deeply personal story of loss, resilience, and service. Directed by Oscar winner Robert Port (Twin Towers), the new documentary revisits the legacy of NYPD Detective Joe Vigiano, who gave his life as a first responder during the September 11, 2001 attacks.  Narrated by Dennis Quaid, the 87-minute documentary serves as both a continuation and a reflection, picking up more than two decades after Port’s Oscar-winning short Twin Towers. The original film chronicled Joe’s heroic sacrifice; Twin Towers: Legacy now focuses on the family he left behind—his widow Kathy and their three young sons, who grew up carrying his memory. Two of those sons, Joe Jr. and James, went on to join the NYPD, while their brother John served in the U.S. Marine Corps. Their stories reveal a powerful throughline of duty and valor, echoing the words Quaid offers in the film: “The Vi...

Jurassic World: Rebirth arrives as both a return to roots and a bold step forward, reigniting the thrill of seeing dinosaurs on the big screen. Directed by Gareth Edwards and written by David Koepp, the film leans into everything audiences come to these stories for—spectacle, suspense, and the awe of prehistoric life—while tightening the focus to a survival adventure that feels intimate and grand at the same time. From its very first images, the movie reestablishes the island as a place of mystery and danger. Edwards fills the screen with sweeping vistas of mist-shrouded cliffs, vast jungles, and ancient valleys where the dinosaurs roam. The scale is breathtaking, and the creatures themselves are rendered with astonishing realism. One early sequence shows a herd of titanosaurids moving through a riverbed, their immense bodies mirrored in the water, creating a moment of pure wonder. Later, the reappearance of the mosasaur rising from the depths of the ocean blends terror with majesty, a...

  In TRAUMATIKA, a young boy’s night terrors become reality when his mother begins showing signs of demonic possession. What he’s about to experience will haunt him for the rest of his life and claim countless lives across generations. Today I’m joined by the co-writers and director of TRAUMATIKA, Pierre Tsigaridis and Maxime Rançon Today’s episode of the Following Films Podcast is brought to you by Google Workspace. We keep things running smoothly and efficiently at Following Films with the convenience of cloud-based Google Workspace programs. Google Docs lets you work and save on Google Drive, Hangouts lets you video chat, Gmail gives you a professional email, and Calendar lets you organise – from anywhere, at any time. You should try it and see how it can help your business, too. Google Workspace is offering a 14-day trial. If you sign up using my link, I can give you a discount, and it helps to support the show Go to  https://referworkspace.app.goo.gl/G6uF Now on to my con...

 The third season of The White Lotus takes the anthology series to Thailand, placing its ensemble cast within a lavish wellness resort. Where the first season explored wealth and power through money and the second leaned into lust and betrayal, this chapter turns inward, contemplating mortality, spirituality, and the search for meaning. The shift changes the tone entirely, moving from sharp satire toward something darker and more contemplative, while still carrying the biting humor and tension the show is known for. The Thai setting is not just a backdrop but an active presence. Sweeping shots of temples, beaches, and lush forests create a sense of beauty that contrasts with the chaos of the characters’ lives. The spiritual weight of the place seems to press down on the guests, forcing them to confront questions they might otherwise avoid. Every frame feels carefully composed, shimmering with color and texture that highlight the season’s meditation on life and death. The story unfo...

The Jolly Monkey is the kind of movie that almost dares you to take it seriously, then laughs when you try. Produced by The Asylum, a studio famous for its cheeky low-budget knockoffs, it takes inspiration from recent horror buzz about haunted toys and cursed creatures. Here, the menace comes not from something supernatural but from a masked figure dressed in a gaudy monkey costume. The result is part slasher flick, part haunted-motel mystery, and part self-aware gag. It isn’t a prestige horror film, but for the right crowd, it has enough charm to be worth a late-night watch. The plot is set in motion when siblings Jenny and Marshall return to their family’s rundown roadside motel, affectionately (or ominously) called The Jolly Monkey. They hope to renovate it after their mother’s death, but almost immediately the place feels wrong. Shadows hang heavy in the hallways, whispers of past tragedies echo, and locals warn them about what really happened to the families who stayed there years...

When Lost in Space landed in theaters in 1998, it was meant to be the start of something big. New Line Cinema invested heavily in reviving Irwin Allen’s 1960s TV series, hoping to create a sleek, modern franchise that could stand alongside the likes of Star Wars or Independence Day. Instead, the movie opened to mixed reviews and quickly became a box office curiosity. Yet, looking back today, the film feels far more interesting than its reputation suggests. It’s a flawed but ambitious piece of late-90s science fiction that combines family drama, spectacle, and a dash of camp in ways that make it a fascinating and surprisingly enjoyable watch. The story is set in the near future, with Earth in decline from environmental collapse. The Robinson family is chosen to lead a colonization mission to a distant planet, traveling aboard the Jupiter 2 to ensure humanity’s survival. But thanks to sabotage by the scheming Dr. Zachary Smith, the mission goes wrong, and the Robinsons find themselves st...

Tina Romero’s Queens of the Dead has unveiled its first teaser poster, and it’s as bold and extravagant as its premise. The image features a clawed hand bursting through the ground, adorned with glittering rings and sparkling nail extensions, reaching upward amid an explosion of neon light and sequins. The poster immediately sets the tone: this is not your typical zombie apocalypse, but a riotous blend of horror, camp, and queer nightlife energy. The film’s story follows a zombie outbreak that erupts in Brooklyn during a massive warehouse party. As the undead invade, a vibrant mix of drag queens, club kids, and partygoers must cast aside rivalries and drama to survive the night. Their flamboyant style and unique talents become unlikely weapons against the “scrolling undead,” a clever nod to Romero’s satirical twist on zombie lore. Directed and co-written by Tina Romero—daughter of legendary filmmaker George A. Romero—the film combines horror heritage with a fresh, queer-centric voice. ...

Rebel Wilson has built her career on broad comedy, but in Bride Hard she takes a swing at mixing slapstick with action heroics. The premise is playful enough: a secret agent agrees to be maid of honor at her best friend’s wedding, only for the big day to be hijacked by mercenaries. What follows is a mash-up of spy antics and bridal chaos. It’s the kind of idea that almost feels like a parody sketch stretched into a feature, but the film leans into the silliness with enough enthusiasm to keep it moving. The story centers on Sam, Wilson’s character, who is torn between professional instincts and personal loyalty. She wants to support her best friend Betsy, played by Anna Camp, on her big day, but when heavily armed villains crash the ceremony, duty calls. The structure borrows from the classic one-hero-against-many template, but instead of an office tower or airplane, the battlefield is a lavish wedding venue covered in flowers and lace. That contrast between danger and décor creates som...