Rian Johnson's Brick is one of my favorite films because of the way the writer/director so deftly created a throwback film noir movie set in a modern day high school. It looks like directors Adam and Aaron Nee have done something similar with Band of Robbers, a comedy that imagines the famous Mark Twain characters of Huckleberry Finn (Kyle Gallner) and Tom Sawyer (Adam Nee) as modern day criminals. If that premise doesn't whet your appetite enough, Supergirl star Melissa Benoist co-stars as Becky Thatcher, and actors like The Office's Creed Bratton, comedian Hannibal Buress, and Avatar's Stephen Lang also have roles here.
The Playlist points us to a new red-band trailer for the film, and this definitely looks like it's worth checking out. Band of Robbers hits select theaters and VOD on January 15th, 2016.
A modern-day retelling of Mark Twain’s iconic books, Band of Robbers...
The Playlist points us to a new red-band trailer for the film, and this definitely looks like it's worth checking out. Band of Robbers hits select theaters and VOD on January 15th, 2016.
A modern-day retelling of Mark Twain’s iconic books, Band of Robbers...
- 12/11/2015
- by Ben Pearson
- GeekTyrant
Read More: Gravitas Ventures Acquires Mark Twain-Inspired Comedy 'Band of Robbers' Written and directed by Aaron and Adam Nee, "Band of Robbers" is putting a modern spin on Mark Twain's most influential novels by turning Hunk Finn and Tom Sawyer into grownup, small-time crooks. The movie stars Kyle Gallner, Adam Nee, Matthew Gray Gubler, Hannibal Buress, Melissa Benoist and Stephen Lang. The official synopsis reads: "When Huck Finn is released from prison, he hopes to leave his criminal life behind, but his lifelong friend, and corrupt cop, Tom Sawyer, has other plans. Not ready to give up on his childhood fantasies, Tom forms the Band of Robbers, recruiting their misfit friends, Joe Harper and Ben Rogers, to join them for an elaborate plan to find a fabled treasure. But the plan soon unravels, thrusting the guys on a wild journey with dangerous consequences." The film will...
- 12/10/2015
- by Sonya Saepoff
- Indiewire
Band Of Robbers screens Monday, November 9th at 7pm at The Tivoli Theatre as part of The St. Louis International Film Festival. Ticket information can be found Here. The film’s co-directors Adam and Aaron Nee will be in attendance. This screening is sponsored by Tenacious Eats
A modern-day retelling of Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huck Finn, the comedy Band Of Robbers re-imagines the characters as adults, now grown from juvenile delinquents into small-time crooks. When Huck Finn (Kyle Gallner) is released from prison, he hopes to leave his criminal life behind, but lifelong friend and corrupt cop Tom Sawyer (co-director Adam Nee) has other plans. Not ready to give up on his childhood fantasies, Tom forms the Band of Robbers, recruiting Huck and their misfit friends Joe Harper (Matthew Gray Gubler) and Ben Rogers (Hannibal Buress) to join an elaborate scheme...
A modern-day retelling of Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huck Finn, the comedy Band Of Robbers re-imagines the characters as adults, now grown from juvenile delinquents into small-time crooks. When Huck Finn (Kyle Gallner) is released from prison, he hopes to leave his criminal life behind, but lifelong friend and corrupt cop Tom Sawyer (co-director Adam Nee) has other plans. Not ready to give up on his childhood fantasies, Tom forms the Band of Robbers, recruiting Huck and their misfit friends Joe Harper (Matthew Gray Gubler) and Ben Rogers (Hannibal Buress) to join an elaborate scheme...
- 11/6/2015
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
You may know actor, singer, and model Justin Gaston from his role as Ben Rogers on "Days of Our Lives" or as a contestant on Season 6 of "Nashville Star." Now the 27-year-old Louisiana native (and former Taylor Swift music video love interest) is taking on a whole new kind of role -- he'll be portraying John Stamos in Lifetime's "The Unauthorized Full House Story," which airs August 22.
What's it like to step into the iconic Uncle Jesse's leather boots? Gaston chatted with us about the pressures of playing such a beloved character, how he prepared for the role, Netflix's upcoming "Fuller House," and why he thinks the original cast should tune into the film, which he calls a "love letter" to "Full House."
Moviefone: What was this audition process like? John Stamos is such an iconic TV figure to play.
Justin Gaston: I know! I remember being in a...
What's it like to step into the iconic Uncle Jesse's leather boots? Gaston chatted with us about the pressures of playing such a beloved character, how he prepared for the role, Netflix's upcoming "Fuller House," and why he thinks the original cast should tune into the film, which he calls a "love letter" to "Full House."
Moviefone: What was this audition process like? John Stamos is such an iconic TV figure to play.
Justin Gaston: I know! I remember being in a...
- 8/19/2015
- by Alana Altmann
- Moviefone
Classic literature endures the changing taste trends because of its timeless ideas and characters that are strongly grounded on human nature’s eternal flaws. These traits make them very desirable properties to put onto the screen. Among these there exists an even more exclusive group of works that have not only been adapted into films, but which have been removed from their original context to be placed and infused with the singular concerns of an entirely different time period
Shakespeare is a favorite for this type of treatment: Baz Luhrmann’s “Romeo + Juliet” and scores of films that attempt to reimagine “Hamlet,” are proof of this fascination. Hits and misses that pursue a symbiotic blend between the themes in the original material and their modern settings.
Finding this cohesive marriage of ideas to a great degree, "Band of Robbers," by co-directors and siblings Aaron and Adam Nee, is a new retelling of Mark Twain's most iconic characters that brings them into 21st century California with comedic spunk. His famous scoundrels, Tom Sawyer (Adam Nee) and Huckleberry Finn (Kyle Gallner), are still great friends looking for an ancient treasure in this modern iteration, but the obstacles to get it are very much of our time.
Segmented into cleverly titled chapters to further its literary quality, the film opens as young Huck and Tom, whose home life is less than ideal, come across Injun Joe (Stephen Lang), a rough-looking villain who is willing to kill in order to get the riches he's been chasing down for years. Caught up in middle of the crime, Huck goes to prison for most of his teenage years, while Tom gets to walk away. But in spite of the abrupt separation no loyalty is lost between them - they are, indeed, each other’s only family.
Cut to about a decade later, Tom has become a police officer and Huck has just been released. Reunited, the ex-con wants to go straight, while the boy in blue is still obsessed with finding Murrel’s legendary treasure - even if their original search is what landed Huck behind bars. Tom has obtained new intel on its whereabouts and he is putting together a gang of misfits to finally put his hands on it.
Besides our two main bandits, a shabby Joe Harper (Matthew Gray Gubler) and the easygoing Ben Rogers (Hannibal Buress) join their ranks in hopes of a quick buck Robin-Hood-style. With an elaborate plan, the band will is ready to rob a pawnshop – where the treasure is supposed to be hidden – but clearly these inept boy-scouts-turned-thieves will find it much more challenging in practice.
Adam Nee's Tom is a charmer - just like in Twain's writing - who longs to become a hero and leave a legacy behind. There is contrived idealism in his persuasive speeches that aim to inspire others to follow his lead even when he is not certain of the outcome himself. Prompted by underlying insecurities derived from living under his detective brother’s shadow, Tom tries to overcompensate with flaky confidence and reckless acts often resulting in humorous mishaps. Nee gets the tone right both when dealing with Sawyer’s heroic exploits and his constant failures.
Though the film is narrated by Gallner’s Huck, his is a much smaller role, almost like and observer who initially trusts Tom blindly. But as Sawyer’s relentless quest for glory becomes more detached with their reality, Huck begins to notice the cracks in his best pal’s personality. While not consciously aware of it or too proud to admit, they have become the villains of their legend by hurting innocent bystanders like rookie officer Becky Thatcher ( played by Melissa Benoist and who is Tom’s partner in this interpretation) or Jorge (Daniel Edward Mora), a hardworking Mexican man who risks deportation after being tricked into helping the robbers.
Huck carries himself with a hint of melancholy, which is Gallner’s best tool to transfer the lonesome vagabond to a new era and render him relevant for current audiences, many of which will have their first encounter with Twain’s world through this film. Not a bad introduction at all.
Since “Band of Robbers” approaches the material with intelligent humor and takes broad liberties with it, there is not an actual need to familiar with these characters to enjoy it. Still, the curious intersection it inhabits - somewhere between millennial bromance and elegant saga – makes the film accessible, yet embellished with sophisticated touches.
The mystery at the center of the plot is clearly not the focus as it unfolds with excessively circumstantial twists that hardly allow for any real tension. However, the film’s strength is the mythical atmosphere that’s able to generate while not being overly solemn. Particularly in the sequences when the misguided heroes confront or hide from Injun Joe, the film sports Scooby-Doo-like undertones, which add a playful mood to the narrative.
The Nee Brother’s “Band of Robbers” has the production value of major studio project and the spirit of an unconventional indie showing off compelling cinematic skills. It's like a thinking man’s “Superbad” with an ethereal quality that’s sort of murky, but delivers in laugh-out-loud moments and thoughtful realizations about young manhood.
In a scene during the first half of the film Tom and Huck wearing modern-day clothing sit in what looks like a candlelit room to discuss their future, the production design is straight from the 1800s but their worries are ageless. At that moment neither them nor us know the time and place they are supposed to be in, but we are completely aware that their emotional distress and uncertainty transcend. Hoping to become something greater never goes out of style.
World rights are being handled by Agency for the Performing Arts, U.S. rights are still available.
Shakespeare is a favorite for this type of treatment: Baz Luhrmann’s “Romeo + Juliet” and scores of films that attempt to reimagine “Hamlet,” are proof of this fascination. Hits and misses that pursue a symbiotic blend between the themes in the original material and their modern settings.
Finding this cohesive marriage of ideas to a great degree, "Band of Robbers," by co-directors and siblings Aaron and Adam Nee, is a new retelling of Mark Twain's most iconic characters that brings them into 21st century California with comedic spunk. His famous scoundrels, Tom Sawyer (Adam Nee) and Huckleberry Finn (Kyle Gallner), are still great friends looking for an ancient treasure in this modern iteration, but the obstacles to get it are very much of our time.
Segmented into cleverly titled chapters to further its literary quality, the film opens as young Huck and Tom, whose home life is less than ideal, come across Injun Joe (Stephen Lang), a rough-looking villain who is willing to kill in order to get the riches he's been chasing down for years. Caught up in middle of the crime, Huck goes to prison for most of his teenage years, while Tom gets to walk away. But in spite of the abrupt separation no loyalty is lost between them - they are, indeed, each other’s only family.
Cut to about a decade later, Tom has become a police officer and Huck has just been released. Reunited, the ex-con wants to go straight, while the boy in blue is still obsessed with finding Murrel’s legendary treasure - even if their original search is what landed Huck behind bars. Tom has obtained new intel on its whereabouts and he is putting together a gang of misfits to finally put his hands on it.
Besides our two main bandits, a shabby Joe Harper (Matthew Gray Gubler) and the easygoing Ben Rogers (Hannibal Buress) join their ranks in hopes of a quick buck Robin-Hood-style. With an elaborate plan, the band will is ready to rob a pawnshop – where the treasure is supposed to be hidden – but clearly these inept boy-scouts-turned-thieves will find it much more challenging in practice.
Adam Nee's Tom is a charmer - just like in Twain's writing - who longs to become a hero and leave a legacy behind. There is contrived idealism in his persuasive speeches that aim to inspire others to follow his lead even when he is not certain of the outcome himself. Prompted by underlying insecurities derived from living under his detective brother’s shadow, Tom tries to overcompensate with flaky confidence and reckless acts often resulting in humorous mishaps. Nee gets the tone right both when dealing with Sawyer’s heroic exploits and his constant failures.
Though the film is narrated by Gallner’s Huck, his is a much smaller role, almost like and observer who initially trusts Tom blindly. But as Sawyer’s relentless quest for glory becomes more detached with their reality, Huck begins to notice the cracks in his best pal’s personality. While not consciously aware of it or too proud to admit, they have become the villains of their legend by hurting innocent bystanders like rookie officer Becky Thatcher ( played by Melissa Benoist and who is Tom’s partner in this interpretation) or Jorge (Daniel Edward Mora), a hardworking Mexican man who risks deportation after being tricked into helping the robbers.
Huck carries himself with a hint of melancholy, which is Gallner’s best tool to transfer the lonesome vagabond to a new era and render him relevant for current audiences, many of which will have their first encounter with Twain’s world through this film. Not a bad introduction at all.
Since “Band of Robbers” approaches the material with intelligent humor and takes broad liberties with it, there is not an actual need to familiar with these characters to enjoy it. Still, the curious intersection it inhabits - somewhere between millennial bromance and elegant saga – makes the film accessible, yet embellished with sophisticated touches.
The mystery at the center of the plot is clearly not the focus as it unfolds with excessively circumstantial twists that hardly allow for any real tension. However, the film’s strength is the mythical atmosphere that’s able to generate while not being overly solemn. Particularly in the sequences when the misguided heroes confront or hide from Injun Joe, the film sports Scooby-Doo-like undertones, which add a playful mood to the narrative.
The Nee Brother’s “Band of Robbers” has the production value of major studio project and the spirit of an unconventional indie showing off compelling cinematic skills. It's like a thinking man’s “Superbad” with an ethereal quality that’s sort of murky, but delivers in laugh-out-loud moments and thoughtful realizations about young manhood.
In a scene during the first half of the film Tom and Huck wearing modern-day clothing sit in what looks like a candlelit room to discuss their future, the production design is straight from the 1800s but their worries are ageless. At that moment neither them nor us know the time and place they are supposed to be in, but we are completely aware that their emotional distress and uncertainty transcend. Hoping to become something greater never goes out of style.
World rights are being handled by Agency for the Performing Arts, U.S. rights are still available.
- 6/16/2015
- by Carlos Aguilar
- Sydney's Buzz
While finding works for "The Best of Cosplay Collections," I've stumbled across a lot of cross-gender cosplay a.k.a crossplay. Women dressing as male characters is the overwhelming majority. Over the last several months, I've been passively collecting images of guys who are bravely - or, in some cases, jokingly - pushing gender norms the other way. Upon seeing some of the photos in the collection, my wife said I might be able to pull some of these off. I don't think I'm up for rocking these costumes, but my hat's off to these dudes who do.
Cruella De Vil Crossplay by Hakucosplay
Pokemon Crossplay by Zee and Evey Dantes — Source: Reddit
Elsa Crossplay by Keruuu
Stom Crossplay — Source: Tux Board
Power Girl Crossplay by Test Subject B, Power Girl Cosplay by Gravimetric Rush — Photo by Ben Rogers Photography — Via: Comics Alliance
Raven Crossplay by Reneks
Lara Croft Crossplay by Dr.
Cruella De Vil Crossplay by Hakucosplay
Pokemon Crossplay by Zee and Evey Dantes — Source: Reddit
Elsa Crossplay by Keruuu
Stom Crossplay — Source: Tux Board
Power Girl Crossplay by Test Subject B, Power Girl Cosplay by Gravimetric Rush — Photo by Ben Rogers Photography — Via: Comics Alliance
Raven Crossplay by Reneks
Lara Croft Crossplay by Dr.
- 1/6/2015
- by Free Reyes
- GeekTyrant
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