Mason Thames is a young actor who began acting at age 11, having studied ballet since he was four years old. Recently he featured in the feature film The Black Phone with four-time Oscar nominee Ethan Hawke as Finney Blake.
The Black Phone is an effective horror movie that benefits from a strong script and impressive performances from its cast. However, it’s the chemistry between its two leading actors – Madeleine McGraw and Mason Thames – that truly makes this film work.
The Black Phone
After providing audiences with ‘Sinister’ and ‘Doctor Strange,’ Scott Derrickson brings us The Black Phone, a supernatural horror film based on Joe Hill’s 2004 short story of the same name written by his son Joe (son of Stephen King). Not only is The Black Phone an ideal summer movie, but it’s also an introduction to two promising young actors: Mason Thames and Madeleine McGraw.
This script is an expert blend of horror and mystery that builds to an intense climax. There are few jump scares, but the real terror lies within each character’s stories. Parents should be aware that there are scenes of violence between teen boys and adults; including bashing heads with rocks, kicking, punching, and whipping with a belt.
‘The Black Phone’ stands out among other prestige horror films by not feeling outdated or over-the-top. It stays true to its period while doing its best to make us care about Finney and Gwen without becoming overly sentimental.
Director Derrickson and screenwriter Cargill join forces for this story of a kidnapped boy (Ethan Hawke) who hears the voices of his past victims through an unknown black phone, creating an intense thriller with Michael Korven’s masterful score.
This score plays a pivotal role in setting the film’s eerie atmosphere and provides suspense at the start. Additionally, it helps establish Finney’s emotional state, making the climactic moments all the more poignant.
Finney and Gwen possess an amazing chemistry, and they play off each other beautifully. There are moments between them that show genuine affection for one another. Furthermore, the supporting cast allows each character to stand out and be unique; no one feels like a throwaway character, everyone has their own distinct personality.
Incoming
Mason Thames is a rising star in the entertainment industry. He has achieved great success through his social media accounts, particularly Instagram. Additionally, he’s an incredibly popular TikTok user with over 6.1 million followers on the app.
His recent role in The Black Phone has helped him further cement his career. It demonstrated his talent for acting on screen, and it allowed him to realize his longtime dream of becoming an actor.
His latest movie, Incoming, stars him alongside Scott Adkins and Michelle Lehane. In this action flick, he portrays an assasinating CIA agent named Reiser.
The film follows a space station serving as a CIA black site. Every month, a shuttle comes to pick up supplies and provide medical checkups; on this particular trip, Dr. Stone arrives. She takes it upon herself to inform one of Argun (Vahidin Prelic) that he is not alone on board the station.
He uses this information to craft an escape plan, but in doing so he gets into trouble with other CIA agents.
Incoming is not a bad film, but it lacks the appeal to make it worth your time. It’s an average sci-fi flick with some technical issues and little depth in its story. If possible, skip Incoming and watch something better instead.
Boys of Summer
Boys of Summer is a timeless classic, beautifully capturing both life’s ups and downs. It also serves as proof that simple ideas can have enormous influence on an audience.
This song’s lyric can be easily understood from the viewpoint of a young boy at summer camp, but it’s the chorus that truly sets this song apart. As soon as the first verse begins, one is transported to an idyllic beach town that has just closed down for the season.
In this scene, you can see the sun setting over the beach and hear that summer has come to a close. The song then switches to an acoustic guitar and gentle drum beat that creates an enchanting atmosphere for this tender moment.
This song’s lyrics are beautifully composed, and its melody and execution are flawless. It’s no wonder why this has become one of Henley’s most beloved hits since its release over 25 years ago.
Another reason this song has endured so long is because it serves as an inspiring example of how music can be used to connect the past and present in meaningful ways. Furthermore, its good singer allows listeners to connect with a song they may never have encountered before.
It’s no shock that this song has remained timeless, being a classic anthem about love and loss. It has been covered by many artists, making it an irresistible earworm.
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1
Nearly a decade ago, the first Twilight film burst onto movie screens and ignited an epic book-to-film franchise that would go on to become one of Hollywood’s biggest successes. This series followed teenage girl Bella’s turbulent love affair with vampire Edward Cullen as they navigate their relationship through glittery romance.
The series resonated with its target audience of teenage girls and had a lasting effect on youth culture, vampire fiction and pop culture in general. Its themes of sexual discovery, rebellion and self-destructive tendencies resonated with teen girls’ rising hormones. Furthermore, the series popularized the apple as a symbol for forbidden fruit that links each novel together.
Breaking Dawn – Part 1 follows Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) as she becomes engaged to vampire Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson). As the film progresses, it examines the consequences of their relationship and their efforts to protect each other from evil covens of vampires.
One of the key things to note about Twilight movies is how they amplify drama and conflict. For example, in the books Bella’s fight with Victoria (Victoria Clairmont), a vicious vampire, is described as intense and frightening; however, in the films Edward kills Victoria without much difficulty and cuts out a scene where Bella attempts to cut her arm off.
Another essential element of the books is Edward’s dark past. He wasn’t always vegetarian and had killed many people in his past; although this is only hinted at briefly in a few scenes, it plays an integral part of the overall plotline.
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2
For years now, The Twilight Saga has been a cultural phenomenon and revolutionized young adult literature, vampire fiction and youth culture alike. The series is renowned for its themes of forbidden love, an age gap of toxic power and self-destructive behavior. The four books that made up this epic series broke records by dominating the New York Times best seller list.
In 2008, the first movie in the series was released and quickly achieved huge success, becoming one of the most beloved films ever made. Furthermore, it ignited an immense fan culture that endures to this day – one that spans across centuries and continues to inspire young people around the world.
While Bella Swan and Edward Cullen in books are similar to their film counterparts, there are a few key distinctions you should be aware of. For instance, Bella in the books is more determined and opinionated than she is onscreen; she does not accept Edward’s proposal immediately and questions why they need to get married so young.
Another notable distinction is Edward Cullen’s appearance. In the novels, Edward has long golden hair; however, in the films it was shorter due to lack of access to his family crest which appeared in the books but wasn’t used onscreen.
Finally, the movie version of Jacob Black does not have a history with Edward. In the novels, Jacob tells Bella she would be better off dead than living as a vampire; however, in the films he does not attempt to kill her.
In the second installment of the series, Bella has given birth to a daughter and is adjusting to life as a vampire. But she and Edward must face off against an evil Volturi, who wish to harm both Bella’s father Charlie and their newborn. But Bella and Edward manage to foil their plans with ease.
