New Releases!

This was a very busy week for Carter and myself, so I apologize for us getting behind in the blog. For this week, we will try to catch up with 2 hidden gems and a "what I've been watching" that covers the highlights of the last two weeks, so here's your new releases!

The Social Network - Since this post is coming so late, I have already had the opportunity to see this, but I will save those comments for my "what I've been watching" segment. The reviews for this one have been about as good as they can be, and for all the right reasons. Everyone should check this one out as soon as possible.
Rating: 5 out of 5

Let Me In - Let me start off by saying that this remake is largely pointless. We are two years removed from the release of the Swedish original (entitled Let the Right One In), which was acclaimed by critics and audiences, and it is easily accessible in the US. I've also heard this version is very similar to the original, which furthers my point. All that being said, I've heard this remake is very well made. Unfortunately, it's not supposed to be as good as the original. I plan on seeing this one, but it'll be after the DVD release and after I get a chance to see the original.
Rating: 3 out of 5

Hatchet II - Unfortunately, I never had the chance to finish watching the first installment of this series, even though I was fully enjoying it. These films are essentially horror-comedies, which means they aren't masterpieces, but very enjoyable to watch. If you like the first one, you'll probably enjoy this one.
Rating: 3 out of 5

Case 39 - This film seems like yet another terrible horror film that will try and make back its budget during the opening weekend and be forgotten soon after. However, I do love crappy horror films...
Rating: 2 out of 5

Barry Munday (limited) - The main reason I really want to see this is because of Patrick Wilson's character. It makes me laugh every time I watch this trailer. I've heard this film is forgettable overall, but not terribly made. I think I personally will enjoy it quite a bit.
Rating: 4 out of 5

 Freakonomics (limited) - If you are into economics, this movie will likely be interesting to you. I, however, am not, so I'm not too thrilled about this one.
Rating: 2 out of 5

Chain Letter (limited) - I literally laughed out loud when I saw this trailer. Will it be a good movie? Probably not. Will it be fun to watch? Almost certainly.
Rating: 3 out of 5

DVD Releases!

 Frozen - This thriller received some very strong buzz after its debut at Sundance, but has died off significantly since then. I've been interested in this film since that premiere, and I'm glad to see it is finally getting a DVD release. While I hear the script and some of the acting leave much to be desired, the premise seems strong and worth checking out.
Rating: 5 out of 5

Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky - Last year there was an interesting occurrence of two biopics about Coco Chanel being released within weeks of each other theatrically. This one is considered to be the lesser of the two, and since I don't have a strong interest in the life of Chanel or her relationship with Igor Stravinsky, I probably won't see this one.
Rating: 2 out of 5

Get Him to the Greek - I actually got to see this one in theaters, and while I felt it was funny, it seems ultimately forgettable. It is worth checking out, especially for P. Diddy's hilarious performance, but probably not for repeat viewings.
Rating: 3 out of 5

Iron Man 2 - I didn't see this one in theaters, mainly because I wasn't a big fan of the first installment. I've heard this is entertaining, but not as effective as its predecessor, which doesn't add much appeal for me. I will probably see this one eventually, mainly to indulge the comic-book-nerd side of me.
Rating: 3 out of 5

The Killer Inside Me - This is the movie Casey Affleck performed in to get funding for I'm Still Here, which basically caused him to go bankrupt. I've heard this movie is rather average, but I am a fan of Casey's acting. He was incredible in Gone, Baby Gone and The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (which he should have won Best Supporting Actor for, in my opinion), and he has proven that he has the acting ability over his brother, Ben (who has shown he has incredible talent behind the camera). I've heard I'm Still Here has really put him in a bind; he used all his money to fund the film, which flopped, and he recently settled a sexual harassment case. He apparently hasn't been getting prestigious future roles in films, which is a real shame. Here's to hoping Casey can get it together and soon.
Rating: 3 out of 5

Superman/Batman: Apocalypse  - This is to appease all my comic-book-fan readers. This one seems interesting, mainly because I always like when Superman and Batman team up, they have an interesting relationship. There seems to be no word yet as to whether this is actually good or not, but it still seems fun.
Rating: 3 out of 5

New Releases!

Enter the Void (limited) - Since this week is full of movies that appear to be dissapointing, I decided to go with a small film that will only be showing in New York and Los Angeles. This is Gaspar Noe's follow up to his brilliant but incredibly disturbing film, Breathless. This one appears to have a sort of supernatural element, but is also apparently extremely tough to watch. While this one won't be for everyone, I think it has the chance to be a well-made film.
Rating: 4 out of 5

Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps - Recently, I've been more open-minded to the idea of this sequel. The most reedeming quality of the first film was Gordon Gecko, who will be featured in this film, and placing Gecko in the current economic crisis has the potential for an interesting premise. Unfortunately, this film does not deliver, according to the reviews. I will still see this one eventually, but probably not until the DVD release.
Rating: 2 out of 5

Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole - This movie reminds me quite a bit of last year's animated film, 9. Both had interesting premises and amazing trailers, but like 9, this film appears to fall short when it comes to characters and story, which is dissapointing. The visuals are said to be incredible, and I did enjoy 9, so I think I'll still like this one.
Rating: 3 out of 5

You Again - Like my fellow blogger Carter said, the Betty White thing is getting old.
Rating: 1 out of 5



Buried (limited) - This film has been receiving great buzz since it premiered at Sundance. It features Ryan Reynolds as a man that has been buried alive with nothing but his cell phone. The premise sounds weak, but it is apparently quite thrilling. I would like to see this one.
Rating: 4 out of 5

Waiting for 'Superman' (limited) - This film has received amazing reviews, and it will likely at least receive a nomination for Best Documentary Feature at this year's Oscars. For me, I'm not much for the overly-political subject matter of the film, and this is the same filmmaker behind the 2006 documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, which I found to be shallow and very overrated. I still plan on seeing this eventually, though.
Rating: 3 out of 5

You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger (limited) - This is the latest from Woody Allen. While this got a lot of attention during its production, the final product seems to not live up to the previous expectations. I do like Woody Allen, especially after seeing Annie Hall, but he has made some stinkers in the past.
Rating: 3 out of 5

Like Dandelion Dust (limited) - The trailer for this film seems to bounce between two different tones, one of cheesy inspiration and one that is very dark. The film itself has received strong buzz around the festival circuit, so I imagine that actual product is good.
Rating: 3 out of 5

Hidden Gem of the Week!

13 Tzameti (2005)

Written and Directed by: Gela Babluani

Starring: George Babluani

Trailer 

Sebastian finds directions for and assumes the identity of a recently deceased man which leads to him participating in an underground ring of human Russian Roulette. 

I was first introduced to this film by the fantastic trailer, which is on the list of the best trailers I have ever seen. The film is a bit slow and can be hard to follow during the first part, but it really excels once it gets to the roulette scenes. From that point on, it is one of the most suspenseful movies out there, and the direction and shot selection is flawless. Unfortunately this film has been remade for American audiences, and now stars Jason Statham, Mickey Rourke, and 50 Cent. I recommend seeking out this French original first, because I can't imagine the remake will be anywhere near as good.

Trevin's "What I've Been Watching"!

The American (2010) - Since its release, this movie has been oddly divisive in regards to its response, meaning people either love it or hate it when they see it. After seeing the film, I can see why it received such a reaction. I have previously described the movie as "intentionally tedious" to my friends. That means the film is slow at times, but in an intentional way. It is a character study of an assassin who is forced into hiding, and in order to convey his anxiousness of being stuck in a small town, the film feels slow so the audience can get the same feeling as well. I thought Clooney did an excellent job with the role, he was very subtle and subdued,  which is a very tough thing to pull off well. I can't say I recommend this film to everybody, but if you like what you have read here, I would check it out. If this doesn't appeal to you, you might want to skip this one.
Rating: 8 out of 10

I Want Someone to Eat Cheese With (2006) - This is one I liked better the more I thought about it, and I think that has to do with being mislead by the trailer. From the trailer, you get the idea that this is a fun, indie-style romantic comedy, which this film is absolutely not. It's a very interesting comedy, and it is rather depressing throughout. The best thing I can think of to compare this to is the TV show "Louie" on FX starring Louis C.K.. Both have extremely depressing looks on life that they play for humor, and they both have this episodic sense of narrative, meaning it seems like the main character just goes around and has strange interactions with interesting people. It does work as a remake of sorts of a classic film called Marty, which is referenced throughout the movie, because it is being remade throughout the narrative. At the very least, this film is interesting, and if you like Jeff Garlin, you might want to see if this one is right for you.
Rating: 6 out of 10

Wall Street (1987) - This film does not age as well as Oliver Stone had likely originally intended. While it is an interesting take on the sudden rise and fall of a character, it is very cliched and very '80s. Unfortunately, Charlie Sheen was cast in the main role and, while I do like his comedic work, he is a poor actor when it comes to drama. The redeeming quality of this film, and the reason they are making a sequel, is Michael Douglas' portrayal of Gordon Gecko. That is one of the iconic film characters and acting performances of the '80s, and I am now semi-interested to see what Stone has to say about the current economic crisis through Gecko in his upcoming sequel.
Rating: 6 out of 10

Prodigal Sons (2008) - The less you know about this documentary going in, the more likely you are going to enjoy it. If I were you, I would absolutely avoid seeing the trailer (it gives away the two big reveals in the film) or even reading the IMDb plot summary. All you need to know going in is its about Kimberly Reed, the filmmaker, who is going to her 20 year high school reunion in her hometown where she hasn't been for years, and she is reuniting with her older brother, who she hasn't seen or heard from in years. This movie is much more effective if that is all you know. Overall, it is a very interesting character study of the older brother, and a good film overall.
Rating: 7 out of 10

"Weeds": Season 6, Episode 4 - Finally, we have some potential at the end of this episode! For the first time this season, I felt like there were some stakes revealed in the last shot. Is it just me, or has Mary-Louise Parker's acting been underwhelming this season? It seems like she's just floating around this season aloof, and not really committing to anything. I'm still skeptical, but we'll see what happens in episode 5.

Box Office Report (September 17-19 weekend)

Here is our top ten from this list weekend [source]:

1. The Town - $23.8 million

2. Easy A - $18.2 million

3. Devil - $12.6 million

4. Resident Evil: Afterlife - $10.1 million

5. Alpha and Omega - $9.2 million

6. Takers - $3 million

7. The American - $2.76 million

8. Inception - $2 million

9. The Other Guys - $2 million

10. Eat Pray Love - $1.7 million

The Town debuted this week as our new number one earning $23.8 million in theaters. So far, I have heard it is a great film and you should go see it, everyone else did already. Easy A debuted in the number two spot, I'm assuming because of Emma Stone. [She is hot]. I'm really glad that Devil debuted at number three and not number one because I think that movie looks really stupid. I mean really stupid. But perhaps it is better than Resident Evil: Afterlife, no I personally guarantee it is better than Resident Evil: Afterlife.

Alpha and Omega also debuted at number 5. The American seems to be falling quickly, to the number seven spot with only $2.76 million in earnings. Somehow, Inception rose two spots to number eight even though it has been out for ten weeks [it has now earned $285.178 million, nice]. Even more shockingly, Eat Pray Love has a deathgrip on the ten spot. Seriously, who is still seeing this movie? Probably them.

DVD Releases!

The Secrets in Their Eyes - This is the film that controversially won the Oscar for Best Foreign film over favorites such as The White Ribbon and A Prophet. While I have heard that it was a travesty this film won over the two that were far superior, this film is still quite good, and worth checking out.
Rating: 4 out of 5

The Experiment - Here we have an interesting straight-to-DVD release. This is a remake of The 2001 German film Das Experiment, which is a re-imagining of the infamous 1971 Stanford Prison Experiment. While I've heard this film doesn't quite work, it does feature a cast of Adrien Brody, Forest Whitaker, and Clifton Collins Jr., which is enough to keep me interested. The German original seems more interesting based on the trailer, though.
Rating: 3 out of 5

Ondine - I've heard some good things about this film, especially in regards to Colin Farrell's performance, who has recently turned into a decent actor. It's a fairy tale of sorts, which seems like it resembles Pan's Labyrinth in many ways.
Rating: 4 out of 5

Robin Hood - This film seemed to much like Gladiator, especially since it has the same director and lead actor combination. I wasn't impressed during its theatrical run, and I'm not terribly inclined to check it out on DVD.
Rating: 2 out of 5

What are you checking out this week?  

New Releases!

The Town - My one complaint about this film was the trailer. It seemed to give away the big reveals in the movie, even though I have not heard if that is the case. Some may be put off by the fact that this film was directed by Ben Affleck, but his directorial debut, Gone Baby Gone, was quite impressive. Jeremy Renner also looks great in this, and the reviews were nearly unanimously positive, so I'm anxious to see this.
Rating: 5 out of 5

Easy A - The reviews were surprisingly positive for this one, comparing it to Mean Girls by many. I do secretly love that movie, and I am very attracted to Emma Stone, so I might have to see this one. It probably won't be until a DVD release, though.
Rating: 3 out of 5

Devil - This one is supposedly "from the mind of M. Night Shyamalan", even though he didn't write or direct it. That may be a good thing, though, according to his latest track record. However, I've heard this one isn't very good, so I'll pass for now.
Rating: 2 out of 5

Alpha and Omega - The one good thing about this year in film has been the strong animated films that have been released, but this one appears to be an exception. There seems to be little to like here for people older than 8, so I would avoid this one.
Rating: 1 out of 5

Never Let Me Go (limited) - The one issue I'm hearing about this film is that it is a very loyal adaptation to it's critically acclaimed novel, which may more or less hurts it as a film. This one seems like The Road, which was a well-done adaptation of a great novel, which made it easy to appreciate, but hard to enjoy. I still think this will be a very good movie, and I'm excited to see it.
Rating: 4 out of 5

Jack Goes Boating (limited) - This is the directorial debut of Philip Seymour Hoffman, who is one of the two best actors working today, in my opinion (the other is Daniel Day-Lewis). While I heard the movie itself is flawed, the acting and characters are very well done. So I'm looking forward to this one.
Rating: 4 out of 5

Catfish (limited) - This film has been quite controversial since its appearance at Sundance as to whether or not the events of the film were staged. The filmmakers insist everything that is shown is genuine. I've heard good things from this film, and the trailer seemed interesting, so I will see this one when I can.
Rating: 5 out of 5

Leaves of Grass (limited) - This film, which features Edward Norton in two roles as an Ivy League professor and his pot-head brother, was supposed to be released in April but was pushed back. The trailer seems funny, and Edward Norton appears to give a strong performance, so I'm curious to check this one out.
Rating: 4 out of 5

So, it appears we have a strong weekend in film, especially in regard to the limited releases. What do you think?

Hidden Gem of the Week!

World's Greatest Dad (2009)

Written and Directed by: Bobcat Goldthwait

 Starring: Robin Williams, Alexie Gilmore,

and Daryl Sabara

Trailer 

Lance Clayton is a failed writer and an unpopular high school teacher with a questionably faithful girlfriend and a nightmare of a son. When his world is turned upside down, Lance must figure out the importance of fame versus true friendships.

This is another movie that is not for everyone. The entire premise makes light of a very serious situation and continues down that path. If you are able to handle that, this comedy successfully pushes the boundaries and is very funny. Robin Williams delivers arguably one of his best performances in this film, and I even thought he gave one of the top three acting performances last year. If you can handle some very dark material, I highly suggest you check this one out.

Trailer for The Fighter!

This is the trailer for the new film starring Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale, and Amy Adams and directed by David O. Russell (Three Kings, I Heart Huckabees). This one is called The Fighter.



This one already has a bit of Oscar buzz around it, but I'm not sure if I'm buying it at this point. Russell doesn't have the best track record, so I'm not sure if the film will be that strong. That being said, Christian Bale looks very promising in this role. He lost quite a bit of weight, which his will have to turn around and put back on for the new Batman film, and he appears to have a strong performance. Maybe this will be the film that gets him the Oscar I believe he will win some day.

What do you think?

Sacha Baron Cohen gets his first dramatic role!

According to CBS News, Sacha Baron Cohen has signed on to play Freddie Mercury, the late lead singer of Queen, in a yet-to-be named biopic. The screenplay is being written by Peter Morgan (The Queen, The Last King of Scotland, Frost/Nixon) and no director has been chosen as of yet.

I think this is a great opportunity for Cohen to show his actual acting talent. He obviously has the look, and he has appeared in a musical before (Sweeney Todd), so apparently he can sing. I'm interested to see what comes of this.

What do you think?

DVD Releases!

My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done - Here we have a film I have been looking forward to for a while now. This is a collaboration of sorts from two of the great filmmakers: David Lynch (who produced) and Werner Herzog (who directed). While a producer can normally have little to do with the project itself, this one seems to have Lynch's fingerprints on it. It has hints of his style and a few of his regular cast members, combine that with Herzog's interesting use of animals, this one seems to be something worth seeing. The cast is also incredible: Michael Shannon is coming off a few great years as of late, and Willem Dafoe, Michael Pena, and Chloe Sevigny are also talents. I can't wait to see this one.
Rating: 5 out of 5

Casino Jack and the United States of Money - This documentary about Jack Abramoff and his shenanigans (I apologize, I'm not the most politically educated person) is said to be very effective and one that could potentially end up in the Oscar race for Best Documentary Feature. Even though I know very little on the subject, I still plan on checking this one out.
Rating: 4 out of 5

Just Wright - Now we go from a political documentary to a Queen Latifah comedy. While this one looks terrible, there's still a bit of appeal to me, mainly because Dwight Howard shows up in the trailer and I'm curious to see if any other NBA players make cameos. I won't go out of my way, nor make any effort to see this one, but I wouldn't mind watching it.
Rating: 2 out of 5

Letters to Juliet - This, on the other hand, I would mind seeing. I will say, this did have one of the (albeit unintentionally) most entertaining trailers I have seen in a while; I remember Carter and I in the theater almost falling out of our seats laughing at the part where the old man rides up on the horse. However, I really do not want to sit through this movie.
Rating: 1 out of 5

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time - And finally, we have a very expensive reason to show Jake Gyllenhaal without his shirt on for 2 hours.
Rating: 2 out of 5
 

Trevin's "What I've Been Watching"!

Winter's Bone (2010) - I had heard great things about this movie, so I decided to see it even though it didn't initially appeal to me, and I am very glad I did. Some might say this movie is a bit slow, but I would have to completely disagree. This film sucks you in from the brilliant opening scene all the way throughout the film. The way the director set up the setting and the tone of the film was pitch perfect, as was the acting, notably from relative newcomer Jennifer Lawrence and veteran character actor John Hawkes. There were a few editing mistakes in my opinion, mainly scenes lasting a second longer than they should have, but if I'm being that picky, that means the movie is very successful on every other aspect. I highly encourage everyone to find this movie and check it out, because I would expect this to be high on my end of the year top 25 list.
Rating: 9 out of 10

Mildred Pierce (1945) - I found this Joan Crawford film to be quite entertaining. It is part film-noir type murder mystery, and part melodrama, and it is no secret that the noir segments work much better. When watching this film, one must take into account the time it was made and the effect that has on the acting, story, and not-so-subtle racism. If someone is able to overlook that, I think they would find a movie that is quite enjoyable, especially if they enjoy films from this era.
Rating: 7 out of 10

Chloe (2010) - There are a few things in this film that work well, and quite a bit that doesn't. The character of Chloe has the beginnings of a very interesting character, but it doesn't seem fully developed. I thought Amanda Seyfried handled it well overall, and she was gorgeous (which is quite a bit of the role), it just seemed as if she didn't have too much to work with. The relationship between Chloe and Julianne Moore's character came across as not quite believable, and I think this film had the potential to be more interesting. I still enjoyed aspects of it though.
Rating: 5 out of 10

 

Box Office Report (September 10-12 Weekend)

I am going to try a new format for the box office reports. Instead of just saying there is an article here which can show you the report, I will put the full top ten list to give you more to look at here on the blog rather than having to click all over cyberspace. Any feedback would be nice as to format, etc. of this segment as well. Here is this weekend's top ten with their respective earnings [source]:

1. Resident Evil: Afterlife - $27.7 million

2. Takers - $6.1 million

3. The American - $5.9 million

4. Machete - $4.2 million

5. Going the Distance - $3.8 million

6. The Other Guys - $3.6 million

7. The Last Exorcism - $3.5 million

8. The Expendables - $3.3 million

9. Inception - $3.0 million

10. Eat Pray Love - $2.9 million

You can still click the "source" link for more in depth information such as total earnings and weeks release for each of these films but I will highlight just a few points that I find interesting as usual.

It is apparent from this list that very few people actually went to the movies this weekend. Unfortunately, enough people went and saw Eat Pray Love that I have to type the words "Eat Pray Love" and after six weeks of release I am becoming more and more annoyed about the lack of commas between these verbs. I am also somewhat annoyed that this movie exists, but that is a different story. The video game-based Resident Evil: Afterlife debuted at number one earning almost $28 million. I am not too big on movies based on games, but this just really gets me excited for the movie Madden 11 which I believe is shooting on location in Canton, Ohio. If my sources are correct, then I believe Vince Vaughn is slated to portray Jim Thorpe.

Takers, the number one from two weeks ago, jumped over last week's number one, The American and two, Machete to come in at number two this week with only $6.1 million. New release The Virginity Hit did not crack the top ten even with these tiny earnings this week; this does not bode well for this movie. Inception is still in the top ten and number nine in its ninth week of release. As we can see, this summer has many movies that hardly make a blip on the radar screen (Scott Pilgrim anyone?) and a few others which have much staying power like Inception due to the overall weakness of the films that have been released.

New Releases!

I'm Still Here (limited) - If you remember, I previewed this film on my movies to look out for feature way back on the blog. The reviews for this one have been mixed so far, but I'm still interested. From what I hear, it doesn't really answer the question as to whether this was all a joke or if Joaquin Phoenix really had a meltdown, but most critics feel like the evidence points to the latter. I think this one looks to be very interesting, and I will see it the first chance I get.
Rating: 5 out of 5

Resident Evil: Afterlife - Of all the movies based on video games, this series probably does it the best, unfortunately that's not saying much at all. These movies can be entertaining, but they are far from being of quality, and the reviews suggest this one is more of the same.
Rating: 1 out of 5

The Virginity Hit - This movie had a slightly interesting premise, but horrible execution based on the reviews. I tend to get into cheesy teen comedy moods at times, so I may eventually see this one in the distant future.
Rating: 2 out of 5

Heartbreaker (limited) - I have been hearing quite a bit from this French romantic-comedy for a while, and apparently it's pretty good. I might see it now.
Rating: 3 out of 5

The Romantics (limited) - I posted this trailer about a week ago, not knowing whether or not this movie would be any good or not. Apparently, it's pretty bad.
Rating: 1 out of 5


Bran Nue Dae (limited) - This is an Australian movie musical about an aborigine who escapes from his boarding school (run by Geoffrey Rush) in an attempt to get back to his hometown. This one is so bizarre, I'm not sure how to react, but I'll give it the benefit of the doubt.
Rating: 3 out of 5

Legendary (limited) - This is the latest from former wrestler John Cena, only this one is more of a drama rather than a "Cena-without-his-shirt-action" movie. I would give this a 1, but I subscribe to the idea that Danny Glover's presence makes every movie better.
Rating: 2 out of 5

So, do you want to see any of these this week?

Hidden Gem of the Week!

In the Company of Men (1997)

Written and Directed by: Neil LaBute

Starring: Aaron Eckhart, Matt Malloy,

and Stacy Edwards

Trailer 

Chad and Howard, two men who have recently been burned by women and who are on a six month corporate assignment out of town, mutually decide to both begin dating the same woman and dump her on the same day in order to re-establish their dominance over women. Things become interesting when the woman they have chosen turns out to be deaf.

This black comedy satire works on many levels. On one level, it is a commentary on gender roles in the corporate landscape, on the other, it is the absolute most misogynistic film out there, ridiculous to the point that it plays with that mindset. Unfortunately, Neil LaBute didn't improve after this film; he went on to direct such gems as Nurse Betty, Nic Cage's The Wicker Man, and the infamous Chris Rock version of Death at a Funeral. Don't let that sway you from this one, where he was on top of his game. Eckhart stands out in this film with his performance, where he portrays one of the most evil men I've seen in film history. This movie is not for everyone; it is incredibly anti-feminist (satirically) and offensive, but it is well made and very interesting.

DVD Releases!

 

Solitary Man - This film got some pretty decent reviews during its brief theatrical run, especially about the performance of Michael Douglas. Many critics have said this is one of his best performances, and with a great supporting cast including Susan Sarandon, Danny Devito, Mary Louise-Parker, Jesse Eisenberg, and Jenna Fischer, this is one I look forward to checking out.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Killers - Here we have yet another failed attempt this year at the action romantic comedy. This one, featuring Ashton Kutcher and Katherine Heigl, looks especially bad, so I plan on skipping it.

Rating: 1 out of 5

MacGruber - Believe it or not, I was actually a bit sad I missed this one in theaters. While I hear it's far from actually good, it's still quite entertaining and much better than most SNL movies. I'll probably rent this one when I get a chance.

Rating: 3 out of 5

So what are you renting this week?

Box Office Report (September 3-5 Weekend)

We had a long weekend this past week but it doesn't look like many people went to the movies [full report can be found here]. The American debuted at the number one position grossing a paltry $13.2 million. This film, despite mixed reviews, seems to have a lot of potential, with Anton Corbijn directing and a relatively unknown actor named George... Something in the lead role. Machete, with $11.4 million in earnings this weekend came in at number two in its debut.

The creatively-named Going the Distance debuted in the five spot with $6.9 million behind last week's number one, Takers, and The Last Exorcism, respectively. In other news, enough people went and saw Eat Pray Love to earn it another $4.8 million and give it the number eight spot. That's right. Somehow that movie is still allowed to be shown in theaters.

Human rights advocates applauded moviegoers this weekend as Vampires Suck dropped out of the top ten as the ritualistic suicide of cinema faded away, for now. [Don't drink the kool-aid = don't watch Vampires Suck].

Trevin's "What I've Been Watching"!

Get Low - While this was a very small film in scale, it was quite an achievement. The praise must begin with Robert Duvall, who gave an incredible performance that should get some attention come awards season. While most actors could have easily ruined this character, Duvall perfectly captured the humor of the character along with the struggles and emotions. Bill Murray once again proves he is arguably the best character actor working today with his subtle yet hilarious performance as a struggling owner of a funeral home. The film even found a role for Lucas Black, who normally gets on my nerves, but he more or less held his own throughout. If you get a chance to see this, you must. It's quite good.
Rating: 9 out of 10

The Princess and the Frog - It really is a shame they've almost completely gone away from hand-drawn animation, and this film shows why. The animation is beautiful, and I still believe hand drawn animation allows for another level of creativity than computer animation. I also found this film to be very clever, and quite fun to watch. I'm also glad to see a Disney movie that's not afraid to explore some darker tones, which they did back in the day, but have gone away from as of late. In closing, you should see this one, I think they're something for everyone to enjoy.
Rating: 8 out of 10

"Modern Family": Season 1 - I started watching this show due to the critical acclaim it's been receiving, culminating in it's big night at the Emmy's, and I am glad I did. While there are some episodes that drag, and there are slow moments here and there, this show is one of, if not the funniest show on television currently. I recommend getting into this one before the new season picks up.
Rating: 9 out of 10

"Weeds": Season 6: Episode 3 - This show continues to develop some potentially interesting ideas, but the jury's still out on whether or not they will work. It is still a far cry from what the earlier seasons were, but there is a bit of potential going forward, enough to keep me watching.
Rating: 7 out of 10

New Releases!

The American - Don't let this movie's rotten tomatoes rating fool you. While it only stands at 60% (which isn't terrible, but not great), the reviews have been very divisive. Critics who like the movie apparently love it, and those who don't seem to be strongly against it. While I haven't seen the movie, and I'm not sure why the reviews have turned out this way, I'm still intrigued to see this one. Anton Corbijn is a strong director (his film, Control, was our hidden gem of the week), and Clooney's work of late has been very strong, so I'm very excited about this one.
Rating: 4 out of 5

Machete - Now here's a movie that is getting mostly positive reviews across the board. It is apparently very gory and cartoonish, which is exactly what it needs to be. This one looks like a lot of fun.
Rating: 4 out of 5

Going the Distance - This movie has been getting poor reviews so far, and it looks to be bland, but this is another example of a movie I want to see for no reason at all. I can't explain why, but I would like to see this eventually.
Rating: 3 out of 5

The Tillman Story (limited) - This documentary based on the apparent cover-up by the military about Pat Tillman's death has already been praised about, even to the point that some are saying it's a two film race between this and Restrepo for best documentary feature at the Oscars. The trailer is very interesting, and director Amir Bar-Lev has handled conspiracy documentary quite well in the past with his film, My Kid Could Paint That.
Rating: 4 out of 5

Mesrine: Killer Instinct (limited) - You may recall last week I previewed the first part of this film in my new release section. This week, they are releasing part 2, one week after they released part 1. Again, this still looks interesting, and I really like Vincent Cassel, but learning that this culminates into about a 4 hour viewing experience makes me less inclined to watch either film.
Rating: 3 out of 5

The Winning Season (limited) - This seems to be a strange follow-up for James C. Strouse after his 2007 drama Grace is Gone. I am a fan of Sam Rockwell, and I get the feeling that this movie is a lot better than the trailer makes it out to be, but that remains to be seen.
Rating: 3 out of 5

A Simple Noodle Story (limited) - This is a Chinese remake of the Coen Brother's Blood Simple. If that sounds interesting to you, by all means check it out. Not for me, though.
Rating: 2 out of 5

White Wedding (limited) - This South African wedding comedy actually looks to be quite sweet and entertaining.
Rating: 3 out of 5

Last Train Home (limited) - This is a documentary about 200 million Chinese migrant workers all trying to go home for Chinese New Year. It seems like it would be a good film if that falls into your level of interest, but unfortunately it doesn't appeal to me.
Rating: 3 out of 5

So, a pretty mixed bag coming out this week. What do you want to see?
  

Hidden Gem of the Week!

Control (2007)

Directed by: Anton Corbijn

Written by: Matt Greenhalgh

Starring: Sam Riley, Samantha Morton

and Joe Anderson

Trailer 

Control is based on the life of real life 80's punk rock band Joy Division's Ian Curtis, and follows his quick rise to fame, his broken relationships, and his drug problems which all accumulated into his sudden death at age 23.

While most people would argue that I may have spoiled the movie there, I would disagree for many reasons. First off, since it's based on a true story, that is widely accessible information, but that is not my only reason. This movie is made in such a way that it is arguably more powerful if you know his fate throughout the film. Corbijn does a wonderful job depicting Curtis' life and struggles honestly, and Sam Riley gives a perfect performance as a young man who is not ready to handle all the pressure put on him. Samantha Morton is also perfect as Curtis' wife, who is the person that continues to be affected by Curtis' decisions. Shot in beautiful black and white, this film not only looks incredible, it is also a movie you must see.

Trailers!

First up for today, we have a romance drama of sorts with an interesting cast (with people I don't necessarily like save Anna Paquin) and a seemingly Indie style to it. I'm not sure whether this one will work or not (my bet is on not, but that remains to be seen), but here is the trailer for The Romantics.


And second, we have a movie I'm now interested in. It's directed by and starring Katie Aselton, who gave a great performance in The Puffy Chair, and also starring Dax Shepard, who seems to be getting positive reviews for his role. This one is The Freebie.


So, do any of these appeal to you?
 

Box Office Report [August 27-29 Weekend]

We have two new movies on top this week [full report here]. It was very close but "Takers" came in at number one earning $20.5 million in its opening weekend while "The Last Exorcism" came in at number two with $20.36 million. "Takers" to me doesn't seem like it has much staying power [but Chris Brown may fight to keep the movie on top]. "The Unorigina..." excuse me, "The Last Exorcism" doesn't seem that amazing but I have heard and read that it is actually pretty good.

"Lottery Ticket" debuted at number four last week and promptly dropped out of the top ten. I am hoping "Vampires Suck" follows. "The Expendables" [number one the last two weeks] pulled in $9.5 million this weekend to hold the number three spot. "Inception" actually rose two spots to number seven this week with $4.9 million in earnings to brings its total to $270.5 million in seven weeks of release. I am surprised to see "Inception" do so well considering gems like "Eat Pray Love" and "The Switch" are still out, positions number three and nine, respectively.

Overall, it seemed like a pretty slow weekend in the theaters and I expect these movies and their earnings to be pretty fluid in the coming two or three weeks. Perhaps we should start an Internet movement to get an unexpected movie to number one next week. "Nanny McPhee Returns" is my choice.

DVD Releases!

Harry Brown - Another slow week for DVD releases means another week where I feature a movie I'm not terribly excited about. However, this film did get very good reviews, and the trailer actually makes this one seem like a good one to watch. It's basically about Michael Caine systematically taking out a local gang, much in the vain of Taken. While I normally would not make this my pick of the week, I still think it's worth a shot.\
Rating: 3 out of 5

Marmaduke - This latest film featuring live-action talking animals just looks unwatchable. When will they learn that talking animals are only cute in animation? Otherwise, they're just plain creepy.
Rating: 1 out of 5

Why Did I Get Married Too? - I'm not a fan of Tyler Perry really, nor the strangely successful first installment in the Why Did I Get Married franchise (I say that facetiously). Even by his standards, I've heard this one is not very good. I think I'll pass.
Rating: 1 out of 5

Do any of these films interest you?

Trevin's "What I've Been Watching"!

Young and Handsome: A Night with Jeff Garlin (2009) - You might consider this cheating, because my pick of the week is not actually a movie. Nonetheless, this is a great stand-up special. I'm a huge fan of Jeff Garlin, who does some great supporting roles in such things as "Curb Your Enthusiasm" and "Arrested Development", along with appearing in various other films and TV shows and specials. This special is not long at all, it only runs for 48 minutes, but it's just well done. He tells hilarious stories effortlessly, and it almost seems like he's just having a conversation with you. I highly recommend checking this special out, it's available to watch instantly on Netflix, and I think you will get some enjoyment out of this one.
Rating: 8 out of 10

Taken (2008) - This is not my first viewing of this movie, but I still found it enjoyable. There's not much in the way of plot; a former CIA guy must rescue his daughter from Albanians who captured her in order to turn her into a sex slave, but it's really not trying to force the plot down your throat. The movie strives to be a fun action flick, and with a very short run-time, I believe it accomplishes that.
Rating: 6.5 out of 10

The Vicious Kind (2009) - This was a very interesting film. I'm still trying to decide how well the film worked overall, there seemed to be some strange moments, but one thing that was excellent was the acting, especially from Adam Scott. You may recognize him as Will Ferrell's more successful brother in Step Brothers, he really steps out and gives an interesting performance in this film. He received an Independent Spirit Award nomination for best actor last year for this film, and I found it well deserved. If nothing else, you should see this movie to see some great work from an actor who is well on his way to being an A-list comedy star.
Rating: 7 out of 10

She's Out of My League (2010) - This is one I was hoping to like more than I actually did. I had heard solid things upon its release, and I do like Jay Baruchel, I just wasn't a fan of this movie. The acting was pretty awful, especially from Alice Eve (who is gorgeous, but that's about all). I also couldn't relate to the characters, mainly because they made decisions that were poor that seemed to be intended to just move the plot along. I also found the climactic fight to be petty, and I really didn't understand what the big deal was. However, this movie had some funny parts, and that's all the filmmakers seemed to be striving for.
Rating: 5.5 out of 10

"Weeds": Season 6, Episode 2 - I found this episode to be an improvement from the previous week, but I'm still not quite sold on the season so far. I thought the premise of the episode was intriguing, and, if done well, there are some scenarios that could play out quite well. Even though this show is a far cry from the quality of the first three seasons, there was enough in this episode to keep me watching.
Rating: 7 out of 10

So, what do you think?

New Releases!

The Last Exorcism - Whenever a small, independent horror film comes out of nowhere, like this one did, that means it's either surprisingly good, or terrible, but the studio thinks they can make a quick buck off of it. The reviews for this one have been positive overall, saying it's nothing too special, but creepy and entertaining. This movie seems like one I want to see given the opportunity.
Rating: 4 out of 5

Takers - Yes, I know. This movie looks horrible. However, for reasons I am unable to explain, this is one I really want to see, even though I know I'm not going to like it.
Rating: 3 out of 5

Avatar  (3D re-release) - Apparently the studio felt as if the highest grossing film of all time needed to make more money, so they decided to release it again in 3D. While I was not a fan of this film, I heard the 3D was incredible, and I do regret not taking that opportunity originally. Now I get a second chance.
Rating: 3 out of 5


Mesrine: Killer Instinct (limited) - This is the first I've heard of this French crime film. That said, the trailer was quite impressive, and it seems to feature a fantastic performance by Vincent Cassel, someone I'm expecting to hear quite a bit from come awards season for his role in Darren Aronofsky's Black Swan.
Rating: 4 out of 5

Centurion - This action film about Roman soldiers is getting rather negative reviews so far, and I was not too impressed by the trailer. It does, however, feature Michael Fassbender, who is probably a few years away from being an A-list action star if his career keeps going the way it has been of late. That's not enough to get me to see this one, though.
Rating: 2 out of 5

So, what do you want to see this week?

Hidden Gem of the Week!

Cashback (2006)

Written and Directed by: Sean Ellis

Starring: Sean Biggerstaff

and Emilia Fox

Trailer

After being dumped by his girlfriend, Ben becomes an insomniac. In order to cope with his inability to sleep, Ben gets an overnight job at a supermarket, where he passes the time by imagining he can freeze time and move about freely.

This film, which is the first feature-length film from writer/director Sean Ellis, is definitely not without its problems. However, the combination of the visuals and the music make this film beautiful. An expansion of his Academy Award nominated short film of the same title, Ellis crafts a rather interesting story of an artist coping with loss and new love that is enhanced by its stunning visuals and rich soundtrack, which makes this one definitely worth seeing.

Carter's What I've Been Watching!

I thought I'd follow Trevin's trend and post a inferior version of my own of his piece about what he has watched in the last week. Hopefully combined we can talk about quite a few movies that otherwise would not be spoken of on here. I will loosely follow the same rules he had for his, that is a 1-10 scale, etc. For me, I will include the movies I have seen in the past week as well as a bonus whatever-the-heck-I-want item, because it is whatever the heck I want. Well, here we go.
The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) - This Oscar best-picture winner was very entertaining. It is mainly a guy movie as almost every single person on screen throughout the film is male. The cast includes beefcake star William Holden and the original Obi-Wan Kenobi, Alec Baldw... Alec Guinness. I am not sure if this movie would be entertaining for today's audiences but I really enjoyed it. I am a sucker for classic movies. This movie is long [At over two and a half hours] especially for back then but hey, it won seven Oscars so they did something right. It is slow for much of the movie but the last hour or so make it all worth it. If you like classics, war movies, or bridges then I recommend this movie to you.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10

Kick-Ass (2010) - I enjoyed this movie more than Trevin did. He says the graphic novel is better and that even that wasn't too great anyway. I say that makes him a nerdy snob. This movie was certainly entertaining and a pretty fun watch. Maybe I did enjoy it more because I haven't read the book, but based solely on entertainment value, this movie is worth it. Also, this girl is in it.
Rating: 7.5 out of 10

Bonus!

Red Bull - To commemorate my classes starting back up this week I chose Red Bull as my whatever-I-want item this week. I will be drinking lots of it as a result of procrastination. Yay.

Trailer for 127 Hours!

Today we have the new trailer for Academy Award winning director Danny Boyle's (Slumdog Millionaire) new film, 127 Hours, which tells the true story of Aron Rolston (played by James Franco), who was trapped for five days after a boulder crushed his arm during a hike.



Personally, I absolutely cannot wait to see this film. Danny Boyle is one of my favorite directors, and James Franco is an incredible up-and-coming talent. There was a rumor going around that said this film featured an extended amount of screen time (up to 45 minutes) without any dialogue at all. Whether or not that is true is yet to be seen, but I'm very curious to see if Boyle and Franco can pull something like that off. Either way, the trailer is fantastic and I'm really hoping this film is good.

Thoughts?

DVD Releases!

The Square - This thriller got some great reviews during its very limited theatrical run, and the trailer looked pretty impressive. On a week where very little quality is being released on DVD, that is more than enough to make it my pick of the week.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Abandoned - This direct-to-DVD release is noteable for one reason; it is the last film Brittany Murphy shot before her sudden death. She still has one other film in post-production, but this one is the last movie she made. That said, I probably won't see this one.

Rating: 2 out of 5

Ajami - This was Israel's entrance for Best Foreign Film at last year's Academy Awards. The reviews are glowing and the trailer looks interesting, so if I ever am in the mood to watch an Israeli film, I will definitely check this one out.

Rating: 4 out of 5

The Back-Up Plan - I honestly don't feel like I need to explain why I'd rather not watch a romantic comedy starring J-Lo.

Rating: 1 out of 5

City Island - This comedy about an Italian family starring Andy Garcia has received some decent reviews. While it didn't really appeal to me, I might still check it out eventually.

Rating: 3 out of 5

Dorian Gray - Apparently the acting in this classic novel adaptation is not very good, and neither is the film according to most critics.

Rating: 2 out of 5

Survival of the Dead - This is the latest from George A. Romero, the master of zombies. While I am a fan of his earlier work, Romero's latest zombie flicks have not measured up. I still am interested, mainly because I love horror films, so I'll probably give this one a shot eventually.

Rating: 3 out of 5

So, what interests you this week?

Box Office Report [August 20-22 Weekend]

The full report can be found here and this weekend really had nothing special. "The Expendables" once again topped the list earning $16.5 million to bring its cumulative total to $64.9 million for the past two weeks. Best-picture contender "Vampires Suck" debuted at number 2 and has earned $18.6 million so far. That movie looks about as good as any "Twilight" movie, which is saying absolutely nothing.

"Lottery Ticket" [$11.2 million], "Piranha 3D" [$10 million], "Nanny McPhee Returns" [$8.3 million], and "The Switch" [$8.3 million] debuted as well at positions 4, 6, 7, and 8, respectively. "Inception" fell to number 9 and is on the verge of falling out of the top 10 for the first time in 6 weeks.

The biggest thing to read from this week's report is the decline of "Scott Pilgrim vs. The World" to the number 10 slot making only $5 million this weekend. I am not sure why this movie has done so poorly but it certainly seems like this movie will end up about as obscure as the Andean Avocet, real speak.

Trevin's What I've Been Watching!

A quick word about this segment; since television season is coming up, and since I'm anticipating weeks in the future where I won't have time to watch many movies, I'm going to add TV shows to this segment. I will  try and avoid talking about spoilers, but that may not always be possible. I'll try and warn people if there are spoilers, but just be on the lookout for that.

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (2010) - I found this movie to be very entertaining. It was fast-paced and original, so I felt like it was a success. It had its fair share of jokes that fell flat, but overall, most of the jokes worked, making this a fun movie to see. It's a shame this didn't do better in the box office, because it's far better than the movies that have been topping the charts.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Spirited Away (2001) - After seeing this, and the first half of Howl's Moving Castle, I think I've realized Hayao Miyazaki is not really for me. While I appreciated both films, and found them visually stunning, I wasn't captivated by their storyline as much as other people have been by his works. Even though his stuff might not be my taste, I can still appreciate an achievement when I see one.

Rating: 7 out of 10

Eat Pray Love (2010) - Now here's an example of a movie that's not my taste that I cannot appreciate. I found this film to be way too long, far too cliched, with terrible cinematography choices, and a questionable comclusion (did I really watch a woman find strength in her independence for 2 and a half hours just to see her get with another man?). There was one reedeming quality to the film, and it had to do with the male cast. This film had a very impressive male cast: Billy Crudup, James Franco, Richard Jenkins, and Javier Bardem, all actors I think have great talent. While most of them seemed to have mailed in their performances in exchange for the paycheck, there was a noteable exception. While Richard Jenkins character was terribly written and annoying (to me, at least) his performance in the scene on the rooftop was sensational. The dialogue in the scene was horrible, but he was very convincing as a man struggling with an enormous amount of guilt he's carried with him his entire life. While that part of the scene (the rest was stupid) is worth seeing, it's not worth the price of admission or the runtime of the movie. Avoid this one.

Rating: 1 out of 10

"Weeds" Season 6: Episode 1 - After the way Season 5 ended, I was very excited to see how this episode would turn out. To my surprise, the episode was actually quite dull. Nothing really happened in the entirety of the episode, which was a huge letdown. Despite that, the episode did allow for an interesting setup for the rest of the season, so we'll see how that turns out.

Rating: 6 out of 10

"Louie" Season 1: Episode 9 - This is a show that's been really hard to figure out, and I haven't decided yet if that's a good thing or not. Louis C.K. is probably my favorite American stand-up comic, so that is why I will give this show the ultimate benefit of the doubt. This show seems to change its style with every episode, causing the audience to stop trying to guess the direction of the show. This particular episode was rather interesting to me. Louie has a run-in with a bully on a date, and finds a unique way to handle the situation. I thought this episode worked very well overall, and I thought it was one of the better episodes of the season.

Rating: 7 out of 10

Apparently Facebook isn't too happy with 'The Social Network'

The real question is, are you surprised? According to this article from Hitfix, the heads of Facebook were not too pleased when they saw an advanced screening of the new film, The Social Network. The film, directed by David Fincher and starring Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, and Justin Timberlake, portrays such people as Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg (played by Eisenberg) and Napster creator Sean Parker in a negative light at times, even in instances they are claiming never happened. Zuckerberg, however, seems to be taking the portrayal in stride, by reminding everyone the film is a fictional story.

I encourage everyone to read this article, because I found it fascinating. This is an interesting case in film, where events that happened so recently are already being portrayed. One thing I did like to hear from this article is that early word about the film from critics such as Scott Foundas ("LA Weekly") and Peter Travers ("Rolling Stone") has been unanimously positive. This was a film I thought had the potential of being either really good or really bad, so I'm glad to hear rave reviews about it.

So what do you think? Do you side with the filmmakers' right to free speech or with the company over an alleged misrepresentation over their founder? And what are your opinions on a film with subject matter that is so recent?

New Releases!

Piranha 3D - This horror comedy is getting rather decent reviews so far, so it looks like it may hit where movies like Snakes on a Plane failed to do so. The advertising campaign for this movie has been entertaining so far, so I think I would be up for seeing ridiculous CG-ed piranhas chewing people up in 3D.
Rating: 4 out of 5

Nanny McPhee Returns - This is another film that is getting pretty good reviews up to this point, unfortunately, it has absolutely no appeal to me. If you are looking for a solid kids film, I hear this one might fit that bill.
Rating: 2 out of 5

Vampires Suck - This is the latest film from the directing team of Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer, which is the ultimate red flag to just run away from this movie. These guys teamed up to make Date Movie, Epic Movie, Disaster Movie, and Meet the Spartans, some of the worst films of the past 5 years. The critics are saying this one is an improvement from those, but that's really not saying much. Just stay away from this one.
Rating: 1 out of 5

Lottery Ticket - This Bow Wow (apparently when you turn 23, you're allowed to take the "Lil" off your name) starring movie just looks plain dumb, and with the negative reviews pouring in, it looks like it lived up to that promise.
Rating: 1 out of 5

The Switch - The reviews have been saying that this movie is too cliched and not very good, but apparently Thomas Robinson, who plays the kid in the film, turns in quite the performance. I do like Jason Bateman, and I am always interested in seeing a good performance of that nature, so I think I may be able to sit through this one, even if the story is just another generic rom-com.
Rating: 3 out of 5

Mao's Last Dancer (limited) - This film placed second to Academy Award nominated Precious at last year's Sundance Film Festival for the audience prize, so it has a sense of credibility behind it. However, the source material doesn't interest me, and some of the reviews have criticized the film for being dull, so I'll likely skip on this one. I am glad to see Kyle MacLachlan acting in a film like this, because his career hasn't really taken off since "Twin Peaks" ended (and, you should all know, I am a huge "Twin Peaks" fan).
Rating: 2 out of 5

A Film Unfinished (limited) - Films like this are the reason I like covering limited releases as well as the nationwide ones, because I would have easily looked this one over otherwise. This one is a documentary about a film shot by the third reich about the Warsaw Ghetto intended for propaganda purposes. The trailer looks incredible, so I can't wait to see this one whenever I have the chance.
Rating: 5 out of 5

So, what do you want to see this weekend?

Hidden Gem of the Week!

Eagle vs. Shark (2007)

Written and Directed by: Taika Waititi

Starring: Jemaine Clement, Loren Horsley,

and Joel Tobeck

Trailer

Lily (Loren Horsley), who lives with her brother because her parents passed away, just lost her job and has no direction in life. That is until she finally talks to her long-time crush, Jarrod (Jemaine Clement) who is on a mission to get revenge on a bully from grade school. These two social misfits try to come to terms with their love through the midst of their problems.

This movie has a Napoleon Dynamite type of feel to it, but I find it far more charming. The characters in this film are surprisingly well-developed, and they go through real life problems. Jemaine Clement and Loren Horsley both give great performances as two awkward people who are very fortunate to find each other. This movie is the perfect combination of comedy, drama, and charm, and everyone should experience this one.

Piranha 3D for Best Picture?

Well here's an interesting attempt at a campaign for the film, check it out!

Piranha 3D: For Your Consideration from Piranha 3D

This makes me want to see the movie, personally. What about you?

DVD Releases!

Cemetery Junction - Normally I wouldn't choose a straight-to-DVD release for my pick of the week, but this week is different for two reasons. A.) There really are no other options this week, unless I went with a TV show (which i will discuss later), and B.) this film is unique. It is a British coming-of-age style comedy written and directed by Ricky Gervais and Steven Merchant, the co-creators of the British version of "The Office" and "Extras". Ricky Gervais is my favorite comedian, so I am definitely looking forward to seeing this one.
Rating: 5 out of 5

Ca$h - This one is a crime comedy starring Sean Bean about a family who finds a bag of money thrown out of a getaway car from a bank robbery, and the robbers come after the family in order to get it back. I feel like I've seen this type of movie way too much.
Rating: 2 out of 5

Furry Vengeance - When this was released in theaters, I talked about how critics can be entertaining when reviewing movies that are this bad. If you want entertainment, I suggest you not rent this, and go to the film's Rotten Tomatoes page instead.
Rating: 1 out of 5

The Last Song - Miley Cyrus + Nicholas Sparks? I'll pass.
Rating: 1 out of 5

Dexter: Season 4 - If you are not watching this show, you should really fix that, because it is incredible. This season in particular is the strongest so far, in my opinion. John Lithgow has a season long guest spot that features some of the most incredible acting you will find on TV. Plus, the ending of this season will make the September premiere of season 5 all the more important to you.
Rating: 5 out of 5

So, what are you renting this week?

Black Swan Trailer!

Today we have the trailer for the new film from Darren Aronofsky (Requiem for a Dream, The Fountain, The Wrestler), starring Natalie Portman, Vincent Cassel, and Mila Kunis. This one is called Black Swan.



Personally, I'm really looking forward to this. Aronofsky has shown us he can handle character depth (The Wrestler), stunning visuals (The Fountain), and dark subject matter (Requiem for a Dream, Pi). This one seems to have the potential of being a culmination of all three aspects. In addition, Vincent Cassel is already getting some awards buzz, Natalie Portman has proven she is an incredible actress, and I'm real curious to see if Mila Kunis can handle a role like this. She has shown flashes of talent in the past, so it'll be really interesting to see her in a challenging role like this one.

So what are your thoughts?

Carter's What I've Been Watching Segment!

I thought I'd follow Trevin's trend and post a inferior version of my own of his piece about what he has watched in the last week. Hopefully combined we can talk about quite a few movies that otherwise would not be spoken of on here. I will loosely follow the same rules he had for his, that is a 1-10 scale, etc. For me, I will include the movies I have seen in the past week as well as a bonus whatever-the-heck-I-want item, because it is whatever the heck I want. Well, here we go.

The Road (2009) - This movie was quite good in my opinion. Every shot has an absolutely dreary gray aura, which is perfect for the post-apocalyptic world that it is set in. Cormac McCarthy is one of the best authors in the world today [See No Country For Old Men] and this adaptation of his work is excellent. It is not a movie for those looking for fun for it is depressing. However, Viggo Mortensen gives an outstanding performance and I feel that no one overplays the depression felt in this movie. At times, this movie feels terrifyingly realistic, as if you or I am going to have to live in this dark, scary world. I was in a bit of a depressed mood when I watched it so perhaps that is why I liked it so much but overall I think this movie is very excellent.
Rating: 9 out of 10




Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus (2009) - I bought this movie for $5 at Walmart one day for three reasons: 1. The cover was an octopus attacking the Golden Gate Bridge next to a shark jumping out of the water eating an airplane 2. It came with a free digital copy (iPod!) 3. It had a sticker saying "One of the Top 10 film trailers of 2009!" So I had to get it. Starring Deborah Gibson of 1980s pop fame, this movie lived up to that cover. It was absolutely ridiculous, seriously hilarious, and downright stupid. Nevertheless, seeing an octopus tentacle slap a F-22 jet out of the air is AWESOME. I recommend this movie to anyone interested in bad movies. The only problem I had was there was too much dialogue and not enough shark and octopus.
Entertainment Rating: 7 out of 10
Actual Rating: 2 out of 10*

*In comparison to other movies of actual value [i.e. The Road]

Bonus!

Dexter - This is what has been taking most of my free time. Instead of watching movies onmy Netflix, I have been watching Dexter the Showtime TV series. This show is awesome. If you haven't seen it I recommend that you check it out. It is one of the best shows I have ever seen. I absolutely love it, and I'm only in season 2 out of 4 so far. Watch it.