5 movie anniversaries you need to celebrate this April

April marks several key cinematic anniversaries, the most famous being 1976, a legendary year for cinema. 50 years later, this film remains the benchmark for the representation of journalism.

Another highlight this month is the 30th anniversary of a memorable cinematic turning point that’s still talked about today. Other anniversaries include a video game adaptation, an action-packed heist thriller, and a CGI adventure set in the Disney universe.

The Jungle Book

10th anniversary

During the 2010s, Disney became obsessed with live-action remakes. When the 2010s Alice in Wonderland earned over a billion dollars at the box office, Disney has gone all out to adapt cartoon classics, including the 2016 one. The Jungle Book, a fantasy film about Mowgli (Neel Sethi) and his journey to a new home. Instead of filming on location, The Jungle Book was primarily shot on a soundstage with CGI animals.

The Jungle Book marks a turning point in the career of director Jon Favreau. He directed an Oscar-winning visual effects film that grossed $966 million. Favreau hasn’t left Disney since the film. He then directed the live-action remake of The Lion King in 2019. There is no doubt in my mind that Lucasfilm looked at Favreau’s effects-heavy films and recruited him to Star Wars. The result became The MandalorianLucasfilm’s most important project of the last decade.

The Jungle Book

Release date

April 15, 2016

Runtime

106 minutes

Director

Jon Favreau

Quick five

15th anniversary

With your best Vin Diesel voice, “It’s Brazil.” For how much I have supported and defended this franchise, I would like to think that I am a member of The Fast and the Furious family. Times haven’t always been good for Dominic Toretto and his family. Following Tokyo DriftI didn’t think the franchise would come back, but Diesel’s return in 2009 Fast and Furious proved that audiences wanted these films.

In 2011, the Quick Saga received his best entry, Quick five. On the run from the authorities, Dom, Brian (Paul Walker) and Mia (Jordana Brewster) travel to Brazil in search of a new job. After being framed for murder by crime lord Hernan Reyes (Joaquim de Almeida), Dom and Brian enlist the help of the crew to steal $100 million of his fortune. Two things. First of all, Quick five transformed the franchise into an action spectacle. No more stealing DVDs from trucks. Second, it introduced Dwayne Johnson’s Luke Hobbs, an imposing figure who helped legitimize the franchise going forward.

Quick five

Release date

April 29, 2011

Runtime

131 minutes

Director

Justin Lin

silent Hill

20th anniversary

Video game adaptations used to be toxic. There are many more failures, like House of the Dead And Max Payne, that there are successes like The last of us. silent Hill probably falls somewhere in the middle. I’m leaning more toward the positive side because of its strong fan base and modest box office haul: $100 million on a $50 million budget.

For those who don’t know the game, Silent Hill is the enigmatic city that haunts the nightmares of Sharon Da Silva (Jodelle Ferland). Sharon’s mother, Rose (Radha Mitchell), takes her daughter to Silent Hill in search of an answer. When Rose gets into a car accident, Sharon disappears, forcing her to confront the strange town’s dark and traumatic revelations. Things are going to get scary real quick.

silent Hill

Release date

April 21, 2006

Runtime

127 minutes

Director

Christophe Gans

Primal fear

30th anniversary

In 2026, it’s almost impossible to keep a cinematic secret. Police spoiler culture is a losing battle. I give The dramaa recent A24 movie starring Zendaya and Robert Pattinson, props for keeping their twist a secret for as long as they did. In 1996, you could go weeks after a release before a twist became public knowledge. The primordial fear twist still shocks me even though I know it happens.

Chicago defense attorney Martin Vail (Richard Gere) has become a local celebrity for choosing to defend difficult clients. His latest case involves Aaron Stampler (Edward Norton), a mentally ill 19-year-old stutterer who is accused of murdering an archbishop. The ensuing essay is gripping, with Norton delivering a breathtaking performance. Matt Damon talks about how seemingly every young actor tried to get the role Norton won because it was the part that would change a career. Damon was right, as Norton received an Oscar nomination.

Primal fear

Release date

March 6, 1996

Runtime

129 minutes

Director

Gregory Hoblit

All the President’s Men

50th anniversary

All the President’s Men came out at a time when Americans did not trust the government. In times of chaos and confusion, people turned to journalists for answers. Unfortunately, journalism does not have the same relationship with the public in today’s politically charged world. As someone who has worked in journalism, it’s refreshing to see journalists doing their jobs well.

After the Watergate complex is broken into, two Washington Post reporters, Bob Woodward (Robert Redford) and Carl Bernstein (Dustin Hoffman), begin their investigation into what happened. Take me back to the cinema of the 1970s, when political thrillers dominated the landscape, where writing reports and listening to phone calls put you on the edge of your seat.

More films are coming

If you need more movies, several new films are coming to streaming services this week, including Discuss on Netflix and Result on Apple TV. Elsewhere, try an awesome thriller on Netflix like Caught stealing And The platform.