Scenes From the Cinema [CON]: Theatrical Exhibition HAS THE POWER ✨ ✨ ✨ ✨ ✨ ✨ ✨ ✨ ✨

As part of Tin Foil Hat I’ve been planning a series of pieces about going to the cinema, volunteering at Gardena Cinema, and how much I love watching films on the big screen. So with my first ever Cinema Con in the bag it seemed right to launch this column Scenes From the Cinema with a special edition! 

I loved Cinema Con!!! 

In hindsight that’s probably not a surprise coming from someone who’s wanted to be involved in the movies in some capacity — director/popcorn maker/I dreamed of it all — ever since I borrowed Ridley Scott’s glitter-choked masterpiece Legend from the barber shop that doubled up as a video rental spot on our lil street. 

In a year where everything has been awful, having a really great couple of days feels like a bit of a blessing. Not only did a close friend end up at the show allowing us to adventure around and live it up in Vegas, but as it was my first ever year I got a lil awestruck at the presentations and star power that the competing studios bought as they fought to prove that they still care about theatrical exhibition in the ever more tumultuous streaming era.

The excitement was clear in the echoing halls - extremely liminal to wander through the sometime empty corridors under chandelier-dripping ceilings next to those eerie cgi Animal Farm posters - as studios and exhibitors celebrated the success of recent record breaking hits like Sinners and Project Hail Mary and looked towards eclectic and often impressive slates that promised longer exclusive theatrical windows and bigger star power than a Hollywood studio could dream of.

We even got the first appearance of Academy award-winner Michael B Jordan post that historic moment, as he showcased his upcoming 2027 remake of The Thomas Crown Affair that will reframe the art heist classic through a revenge thriller lens.

Rosie Knight Eats Her Shoe 

Over the years you may have heard (or read) me say some choice words about Christopher “Mr Dead Wife” Nolan. While I appreciate the grandeur of his work I’m not as enamored as many and will bring up Satoshi Kon (RIP to my GOAT) and Paprika anytime anyone brings up the word Inception to me. All of that is to say, I wasn’t particularly excited to see The Odyssey footage that had been confirmed as part of Universal’s immense Cinema Con presentation.

When they played a brilliantly edited HD Christopher Nolan fancam on the immense screen inside the Dolby Colosseum in Caesar’s Palace, I was intrigued and ultimately impressed at how it encompassed his entire career pre-Universal. A celebration of a creative not a studio. Then when Nolan revealed that he, like me, had spent much of his youth watching whatever IMAX releases he could at local museums, and spoke about creating new cameras to enable them to film the entire feature on IMAX, I got a little chill. 

In spite of that, the first couple of scenes from the footage were giving “a contemporary director of any stripe tries to do an historical epic” and I was ready to go back to my comfortable position as a Nolan skeptic. But what came next took my breath away, it was a scene unlike anything I’ve ever seen and without hyperbole entirely converted me from unexcited spectator to rabid cinema goer. 

This is not the footage I saw but enjoy the trailer for the movie anyway!

WARNING: If you want to go into The Odyssey and what looks like it'll certainly be another billion dollar hit for the British director, without any spoilers then stop reading here. For those who want to know just what converted me - a renowned hater into a certified can’t wait head - then feel free to read on. 

Jon Bernthal’s hulking King Menelaus, his bald head glistening under shimmering golden light, calls on the evasive Telemachus (Tom Holland). As the scrawny and gaunt young man sits next to him, Menelaus asks if he’s heard the story of the horse. When Telemachus nods in the affirmative, Bernthal growls “from the inside?” *the crowd goes wild* 

Nolan instantly throws us into a tight, writhing, tower of men stacked into the infamous Trojan Horse, here not on all fours but instead rearing up like something from the Piccadilly Circus fountains that gave many 80s baby a nightmare. It’s an intimate, anxiety-inducing, grimy sequence as the men crawl over each other to balance and avoid stabbing blades. As they utilize pipes to breathe under the shallows they’re dragged through. The entire audience leaned forward in their seats despite knowing exactly how the story goes. As the mission succeeds, Nolan directs a thoroughly modern yet totally immersive action sequence, as saints flying through the court as they kill the guards and open the gates. 

It was the kind of sequence that made me want to instantly hit replay, but Universal had much to do and I was not in control of the presentation, so we only got to see it once. Nice to add another movie to my most anticipated list. 

Masters of the Universe Was Made For Me 

I've been excited for Masters of the Universe since Noah Centineo was announced as He-Man. Obviously that version didn't come to pass, but we are still getting the movie that producer Jason Blumenthal has been trying to bring to the big screen for almost 20 years. 

I was lucky enough to visit the set of the Amazon MGM Studios film last year, which was filled to the brim with cool costumes, unreal practical sets, and even the Sword of Power — more on that coming soon. I absolutely did get a photo of myself holding it and will post it here whenever I can. That visit led to me getting the Cinema Con invite to watch 20 minutes of previously unseen footage from the Travis Knight directed movie which absolutely banged. 

For those who've been worried Masters of the Universe is gonna center solely on Earth, there was tons of crazy Eternia action including the reveal that the status quo that begins the film is essentially "What if Skeletor Won?" Both Cami Mendes and Nicholas Galitzine are beacons of charm and sincerity which is vitally important for such a silly franchise. From what we saw it's just knowing enough, with nods to the meme of it all, while still crafting something that feels like it wants to be taken seriously as a Techno-Barbarian fantasy film in its own right. 

It was a total joy to see how much the footage landed with my fellow journalists, especially as it was giving Aquaman, which my readers and listeners know is one of my personal faves. 

Timo Tjahjanto I Love You King

One of the first movie reviews I ever wrote at IGN - where I’d go on to write 100+ movie reviews some of which are still some of my fave pieces of writing -  was for an Indonesian action-horror called The Night Comes For Us. Directed by Timo Tjahjanto, a filmmaker who already held a very special place in my heart thanks to Macabre and VHS 2, the high-octane gore fest became an instant fave of mine and my 9/10 review launched a new era of my career as a film reviewer.

As a kid I’d realized pretty quickly I couldn’t afford to make movies so I’d just learn everything I could about them and watch as many as possible. Around the age of 12 I decided I wanted to be a film critic and sent unsolicited reviews to Empire and Total Film for movies that were old AF and that I wasn’t legally allowed to watch. 

So getting to actually be a film critic was a literal dream come true. And I’ve been yapping about Timo and his work ever since. So it was with a large yell that I welcomed the unexpected sight of Jason Statham reading Sherlock Holmes and waxing lyrical about bees and honey on the immense screen before me. It could mean only one thing: Beekeeper 2 trailer time baby!! 

If you’re not versed in The Beekeeper it’s one of many recent Statham / David Ayer collaborations, and imho their best by a mile. A hyper-extreme version of Statham’s action hero tropes that play perfectly in a gorgeously choreographed competency fantasy where evil tech bros led by a wonderfully hateable  Josh Hutcherson get what they deserve and quiet violent men help women instead of hurting them. 

I fucking loved it. 

So I was even more overjoyed when it was announced that Tjahjanto would be expanding the world of the mysterious beekeepers in a sequel, the trailer promised the kind of out there action grotesquery that first made me fall in love with Tjahjanto’s filmmaking. 

💀 Man getting stabbed in the head with a bone? YES PLEASE! 

💀 Guy getting his face melted by a flame thrower in a totally new way?!? ENJOY!

💀 Crazy action that makes your old man joints sore? IT'S HERE!

All the while my cockney icon Jason Statham is doing the most at the center of it all showcasing his unique martial art and stunt skills that make him such a fantastic cinematic triple threat. Cannot wait to see The Beekeeper 2 on the biggest screen possible as Statham's ex special agent has to take down a group of rogue beekeepers who want to take over the world. And in case you didn't know it was made for me, Statham heals himself with bees now. PERFECTION.

Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother Looks Relentlessly and Brilliantly Intense

The would be — in a better universe — Blade team of director Bassem Tariq and Mahershala Ali showed up and out at the MGM panel with a trailer for their upcoming collaboration Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother.

Academy-Award winner Ali stars as a hardworking Muslim perfume salesman and loving father who moonlights as a morally-driven assassin in sweltering streets of Houston. This unexpected trailer blew away not only the Amazon features team, but the entire Colosseum as execs, special guests, and of course cinema exhibitors were drawn into the vibrant and intense story that featured unreal action, stunning cinematography, and a spiritual and philosophical bent that gave me goosebumps.

I wish I had a trailer to share but hopefully we'll have more on this one soon.

Is the Minions Franchise Auteur Cinema? 

Illumination chief Chris Meledandri made an argument for just that while introducing the newest entry into the Illumination money printer, which I have to admit looked delightful. He himself was introduced by Jack Black, there to take a victory lap about the success of Super Mario Galaxy, which made tons of money for exhibitors around the world.

It was a bombastic beginning which also saw Pierre Coffin — the visionary "auteur" behind the Minions  who also voices them all — make his Cinema Con debut before the new Minions & Monsters footage debuted. 

While I have many nieces and nephews and loved ones, my real knowledge of the Minions goes about as deep as the ride at Universal and the era when they had to be frozen to canonically explain why they didn't help Hitler — real story. Contextually that matters as the new spin on the kids faves actually hooked me.

The footage we saw revealed that the film is set in 1920s Hollywood, the film sees a group of rogue lil yellow guys looking for a new evil boss to follow, who end up as unexpected stars in the silent era. But as talkies become the next big thing the Minions are left behind. Deciding to embark on their own movie project, the new cast of badly behaved bozos pay homage to Hollywood hits of years past and the magic of storytelling. AKA what we saw was lovely and I will be watching.

Spielberg Says Aliens Are 100% Real (Basically)

There has been much conversation about Steven Spielberg's return to sci-fi and aliens with his big budget blockbuster Disclosure Day. The iconic filmmaker not only showed up to introduce a new trailer but also to tease the fact that he thinks Disclosure Day is "closer to truth than fiction" and that its inspired by the real people who both whistle blow knowledge about extraterrestrial activity and those whose jobs it is to protect that very same knowledge.

All though its rarely been reported on my biggest takeaway was "Steven Spielberg knows aliens are real and wants us all to know." My craziest theory after the pretty extensive and off script chat — I could see the teleprompter — hosted by Coleman Domingo is that the third act of Disclosure Day will feature real undeniable proof aliens exist, and that's why its being hidden. Yes I think the movie will act as our very own, real disclosure day. Hey you might think I'm crazy but think about it.

Judy Kim: Queen of Cinema Con (and My Heart) 

One of the greatest joys in my life has been becoming a volunteer at Gardena Cinema and getting to call its owner, steward, and indie theatrical trailblazer Judy Kim, my friend. I've been helping out at Gardena Cinema ushering, hosting Q&A's, and learning how to help program movies. Soon I'll be launching a super fun new series there which will be debuting with a little seen South LA classic. Subscribe here to get the first news on the movie and date we'll be launching that!

I was lucky enough to catch Judy at one of the many parties that pop up over the strip during Cinema Con, and it was just totally lovely to see her treated like the celebrity that she is. Follow Gardena Cinema on Instagram to support and share her rad work as the owner of the last single screen family owned cinema in LA.

You can follow me on Letterboxd, Instagram, Bsky, and Threads @rosiemarx.