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.
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
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
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
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
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.
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 Tomatoespage 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
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.
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.
I figured this was going to happen very soon, and here it is! The new trailer for I'm Still Here, the documentary about the past year for Joaquin Phoenix which follows his retirement from acting and his pursuit of a rap career, among other things. The film is directed by Casey Affleck, Ben's younger (and more talented, in my opinion) brother.
I know this is only a teaser, but I really wanted a bit more from it. I'm not complaining, though, because this is a film I am very interested in seeing. What about you?
Hey guys! I'm starting this new feature that will appear sometime between Sunday and Tuesday each week, and that's the "what I've been watching" segment. In this feature, I will break down the movies I watched the previous week, give a short paragraph review of them, and give them a rating between 1 and 10. This allows me to talk about movies that came out many years ago that I normally wouldn't have a reason to mention, but are worth discussing. A few words about how I rate; while many critics are conservative with their 10 out of 10 ratings, I am not. Since I assume we are all human and nothing's perfect, I don't feel as if a 10 out of 10 rating represents perfection necessarily, I just feel as if it represents the highest level of success. So, if you see many movies with that rating, that is why. So, without further ado, here's what I've been watching this week, starting with my pick of the week.
Man on the Moon (1999) - I thought this film was fantastic. If you are unfamiliar with this one, it stars Jim Carrey as the late comedian Andy Kaufman in the story of his career. This film was exceptional in the way it portrayed the career and the personality of Kaufman, especially with the tone and feel of the film. Director Milos Forman has been very selective in his projects as of late (he has only made 8 films since his 1975 hit, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest) and I'm glad he chose to do this project. This film also shows Jim Carrey does have talent when he's not doing his slapstick roles. I felt as if this was by far his best performance, because he nearly perfectly portrayed Kaufman unlike anybody else would have been able to. I did feel like this film had a few flaws, mainly the casting of Courtney Love to portray Kaufman's wife. While I didn't think her performance was terrible, neccessarily, I felt as if she didn't do a good enough job to justify casting someone with her personality. Nevertheless, I felt as if this movie served as an important message to other artists; don't necessarily be who you feel like the general public thinks you should be, if you want to be an artist, you shouldn't be afraid to create art you feel is important just because the general public may not like it. In conclusion, I cannot reccomend this movie highly enough.
Rating: 10 out of 10
Kick-Ass (2010) - Overall, I felt as if this film didn't succeed beyond the point of entertainment. I read the graphic novel, and while I wasn't too impressed by it, I found it more successful than the movie. The biggest twist in the novel, and one of the strongest points, was revealed in the first five minutes of the movie, which I felt was a poor decision. Nevertheless, this film was entertaining, and there were many scenes that were just plain cool.
Rating: 6 out of 10
The Other Guys (2010) - This new film starring Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg was surprisingly entertaining. I originally thought this movie was going to be terrible when I saw the trailer, but I was pleasantly surprised to find it wasn't. I thought this was Ferrell's best comedy since Anchorman, even though I don't feel like that's saying much. In short, go see this one, you will probably enjoy it.
Rating: 7 out of 10
The Book of Eli (2010) - For a film based on religious themes, this one was of very high quality, but that's more of a statement on the lack of quality in religious cinema and less of a comment on the success of the film. I found this one to have many holes throughout. While I liked the art direction at times, it seemed a bit forced and unoriginal at times. As far as casting goes, this was a normal performance for Denzel Washington, not anything terrible, but nothing very exciting or mind-blowing. While I thought Mila Kunis did her best, I felt like she was a victim of bad casting, which isn't neccessarily her fault. The best part of the film is the performance of Gary Oldman, who portrayed the villian perfectly and gave me a reason to keep watching. Also, I watched this movie with the knowledge of the final reveal at the end (someone spoiled it for me), and I found it to be implausible and inconsistent throughout the film.
Rating: 3 out of 10
So what did you think of these movies? Which ones do you want to see now?
According to Access Hollywood, David Fincher has finally cast the lead for his upcoming film, Girl With a Dragon Tattoo. Rooney Mara, who previously appeared in Youth in Revolt as Sheeni's French school roommate, Taggarty, and who will appear in Fincher's latest film, The Social Network, has been cast as Lisbeth in the film slated to release in December 2011. Mara reportedly beat out many actresses, including the likes of Ellen Page, Natalie Portman, and Carey Mulligan, to star in the film alongside Daniel Craig.
So, what do you think? Does this movie interest you?
The full report can be seen here, but it looks like we have two new movies on top. Coming in at number one with over $35 million is The Expendables in its first week of release. I honestly doubt this movie has very much staying power because I just don't think it looks that good. Trevin said it looks like a "so-bad-it's-awesome ride" in his New Releases preview last week and I have to agree with him. With guys like Stallone, Willis, and even Stone Cold Steve Austin you aren't exactly going to have a classic. This movie just seems rather forgettable.
However, rottentomatoes.com has The Expendables with a 43% positive rating whereas our number two this week, Eat Pray Love, has a 39% rating. This movie, based on an Elizabeth Gilbert novel of the same name [crap, crap, crap my girlfriend liked that book how am I going to get out of seeing this movie? I need to find some asbestos.] Anyway, this movie made $23.7 million in its first week of release. Last week's number one The Other Guys pulled in only $18 million more in its second week to fall in at third place. Summer blockbuster Inception piled up over $11 million to bring the total to $248.5 million in five weeks.
One big surprise came from Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. It earned only $10.5 million in this first week and now runs the risk of falling into absolute obscurity. It is possible that much of the target audience went to see The Expendables but this movie is really going to have to rally in the upcoming week if it wants to outlive Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore. [C'mon really people? Who is still seeing that crappy movie? It came in at number 10! Stop watching it.]
This is a feature I started on the old blog, so click here to check out the first Director's showcase on Taika Waititi. For all my new readers, in this feature I give a profile on an up-and-coming director I think has a bright future ahead of them. So, without further ado, here is your director showcase for the month of August!
Jay and Mark Duplass were born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana. Together, they have written and directed various films since 2002 that have contributed heavily to the rise of the "mumblecore" genre of independent film, which are films that present realistic social situations where most, if not all, of the dialogue and scenes are completely improvised.
The Duplass brothers' first credited film was a short called The New Brad, which stars Mark along with many of their family members. They went on to win the Grand Jury Award at the Florida Film Festival for their short film, Scrapple. Their careers really took off with their first feature film, The Puffy Chair, which garnered them two Independent Spirit Award nominations. After the release of their second film, Baghead, they were given the opportunity to direct Cyrus, starring Jonah Hill, John C. Reilly, and Marisa Tomei.
While Jay mainly stays behind the camera, Mark has been known to step in front and act quite a bit. He appeared not only in his own film The Puffy Chair, but also other independent films such as Humpday, Hannah Takes the Stairs, and even a small role in the latest Noah Baumbach film, Greenberg, starring Ben Stiller. He can also be seen on the FX television show "The League", which will begin its second season in September.
The Duplass Brothers' upcoming projects include The Do-Deca-Pentathlon a film they shot before working on Cyrus that they are now completing, and Jeff Who Lives at Home, starring Jason Segel, Susan Sarandon, Judy Greer, and Ed Helms.
Hey guys! It's time to preview what's being released in theaters this week, starting with my pick of the week!
Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World - This is a film I've been anticipating for a while, mainly to see the pairing of Michael Cera with the great British film director Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz). The rest of the cast looks amazing, which includes Jason Schwartzman (Rushmore, Funny People) and Anna Kendrick (Rocket Science, Up In the Air), among others. The reviews have been saying it's visually unique and quite entertaining, even though the script seems a bit lacking. I think this film will be overall enjoyable.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Eat Pray Love - This Julia Roberts movie based on the novel of the same name has absolutely no appeal to me. Plus, the reviews have been largely negative, so I think I'll pass on this one.
Rating: 1 out of 5
The Expendables - I've been anticipating this one for a while, mainly for it's cast. The film has just about every washed-up action star out there: including Sylvester Stallone (who directed as well), Bruce Willis, Arnold Schwartzenegger, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Randy Couture, (Stone Cold) Steve Austin, and Mickey Rourke. Sign me up, this should be one, so-bad-it's-awesome ride.
Rating: 3 out of 5
Animal Kingdom (limited) - This film about organized crime in Australia received great buzz and reviews out of Sundance. The trailer looks great, so I'm interested in seeing this one.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Tales From Earthsea (limited) - This is the feature film debut of Goro Miyazaki, son of the legendary animated film director Hayao Miyazaki (Ponyo, Howl's Moving Castle, Spirited Away). The reviews have been mixed to negative, but it would be interested to see what he does well, and if he's ever going to be a director at the level of his father.
Here is the trailer for the new documentary, Freakonomics, based on the ideas of the novel of the same name.
While I have limited (that's putting it lightly) knowledge in economics in general, this film looks interesting to me in the way it addresses social economic issues. What do you think? Would you like to see this?
The first is from the great French animated director Sylvain Chomet (The Triplets of Belleville). This one is called The Illusionist.
Next, we have a trailer for the new film from Gaspar Noe, who directed the brilliant but shockingly disturbing 2002 film, Irreversible (watch with EXTREME caution). This one is called Enter The Void.
And if a French animated comedy or an independent drug film aren't your style, we have the latest collaboration from director Tony Scott and actor Denzel Washington (who previously teamed up for The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3, Deja Vu, and Man on Fire) about a runaway train (which just seems like an excuse to see what happens when a speeding train runs into various objects, but I digress). This one is called Unstoppable.
And for a special treat, we have a video from a local news station in Atlanta where Jason Schwartzman and Michael Cera are doing the weather, likely promoting their new film, Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World.
So, what do you think of these trailers? And what about that weather video? In my opinion, the bus thing was pretty funny, but that's about it. What was Michael Cera doing that whole time?
Hey guys! Everyone that read the old blog is familiar with this feature, and if you didn't, you are in for a treat! Every week I feature a smaller, independent film you may or may not have heard of that is worth checking out. You can find my past hidden gems by clicking the link above. So, here's the hidden gem for this week!
Chapter 27 follows Mark David Chapman (Leto), a Beatles fan on the edge obsessed with J.D. Salinger's novel, A Catcher in the Rye, in the days before he assassinated John Lennon.
Even though this movie received mixed reviews during its release, I found it to be incredibly fascinating. This film is understated; it simply follows Mark David Chapman's descent into insanity leading up to his famous assassination that affected the entire world. Jared Leto gives it his all in this performance. He famously gained 67 pounds in order to play this role, and he didn't stop there. He really delves into the mental decline of the character, and gives a fascinating performance. I did find the occasional flaw in the film, mainly Lohan's character ( I thought she did an excellent job with what she was presented with, her character was just not very interesting.), but they were small. This is the kind of film I really enjoy, and I reccomend everyone see it because, even if it's not really their type of film, it only has an hour and a half run-time, so it's not a terribly long time commitment.
So, what do you think? Does this interest you? And if you have seen it, what did you think?
Hey everyone, I'm here to preview the DVD releases this week! After a strong week last week, we have a week where very few quality films are released. Nevertheless, here's what is coming this week, starting with my pick of the week!
Date Night - This was actually a very entertaining movie. I thought Steve Carell and Tina Fey worked well together, and the action and comedy worked well throughout the movie. However, I haven't had the desire to see this movie again. So, if you haven't seen it, I recommend you check it out. Otherwise, this one doesn't excite me all that much.
Rating: 3 out of 5
Death at a Funeral - When this remake hit theaters back in the spring, I expressed my disdain for the movie based on the trailer compared to the source material, and I gave it my very rare "0 out of 5" rating. I stand by my decision.
Rating: 0 out of 5
The Joneses - This movie seemed to have an interesting premise based on the trailer, where it follows a group of con artists posing as a family who just moved into a suburban neighborhood. This was released in theaters without much fanfare, but I'm still intrigued.
Comedy is one of my favorite genres in all of film. I consider myself a bit of a comedian, regardless of what other people will tell you. Comedy is like horror, it is pretty easy to make but very difficult to make well [I'm looking at you, White Chicks]. There are so many types of comedy from fart jokes to sardonic monologues and beyond. I have compiled a list of my favorite 15 comedy movies of all time. Feel free to read and comment to your heart's [or spleen's] content.
Here is numbers 15 through 13 from my previous article:
15. This is Spinal Tap
14. Shaun of the Dead
13. The 40 Year Old Virgin
This movie is just plain fun. I'm sure everyone has sat through a roll call somewhere where someone says "Bueller... Bueller" in a Ben Stein style monotone voice. Every time I see Matthew Broderick I picture Ferris Bueller regardless of the movie. This movie is pure situational comedy. Ferris tricking the whole school into thinking he is deathly ill, his sister Jeanie's bad luck at dealing with authority juxtaposed with Ferris' sensational luck, the principal Mr. Rooney's antics at trying to reveal Bueller's truancy, it is all just classic. It is hard to watch this movie and not want so badly to be friends with Cameron and ride in his dad's Ferrari. Ferris does what we all wanted to do while in school, skip it and have the time of your life. He does it in such an entertaining way that it is really hard not to like this movie.
Why you would like it: Any fan of John Hughes or the 1980s would like this movie [although it is impossible to be a fan of the 1980s and not like John Hughes]. If you like to be entertained and have fun watching a film, then this one is for you. 'Nuff said. Plus you know you would want to experience this:
Why you might not like it: It is really hard to not at least like this movie. I don't really know how you wouldn't like this movie. Maybe if you are an abusive father with a Ferrari? Or a dean with a great disdain for truancy?
This movie is absolutely ridiculous. Will Ferrell is perfect as a socially awkward , totally oblivious anchorman for a local San Diego news station. This is one of those movies that is almost too quotable. Nevertheless, this movie is just filled with laughs. The characters are so over-the-top and ridiculous that this movie is just awesome. Ferrell's Ron Burgundy [he's kind of a big deal] and Steve Carell's Brick Tamland [he loves lamp] are unforgettable. This movie is completely stupid but you would have to be brilliant to come up with the ridiculous dialogue.
Why you would like it: If you watch this movie, you will not stop laughing. There are just so many lines and characters and situations that this movie is one of the funniest ever made. The only reason it is not higher on my list is that too many people quote it all the time and sometimes Anchorman wears out its welcome. However, it does not stay unwelcome for long with lines such as this:
and scenes such as this:
Why you might not like it: They have done studies, you know. 60% of the time this movie is funny every time. Therefore, it is impossible to not like this movie. It is just logic after all.
Sacha Baron Cohen is truly a genius. This movie is so good for so many reasons. Borat is an amazing character [who is probably utterly offensive if you are from Kazakhstan] to be at the center of this movie. It is more than just a stupid comedy where a guy has poop in a bag at one point; it wonderfully spoofs American society and real Americans. Yes, this movie is racist and sexist and offensive in so many ways but it also is a good dialogue on America's obsession with self-image, fame, and celebrity [as in when Borat falls in love with Pamela Anderson].
Why you would like it: If you like the idea that this movie makes many allusions to parts of American society or if you simply want some slapstick lunacy, this movie is for you. I think this movie is absolutely brilliant and truly, albeit oddly, captures the essence of comedy and have a message at the same time. Borat is a character that transcends just this one film and Da Ali G Show, he even transcends Cohen himself. He is a new, hilarious character and that is why this movie is one of the best comedies of all time. Just look at Borat make an appearance on the Fox News Channel:
Why you might not like it: If you are from Kazakhstan or any other country on the Eurasian steppes, you might find this movie offensive. Also if you are Jewish, Christian, Muslim, black, white, Hispanic, racist, gay, straight, Democrat, Republican, or Pamela Anderson, you might not like this movie. HIGH FIVE!
Let me preface this news by telling you how the news of the Arrested Development movie has gone in the past. For the last year or so, there have been persistent "on-again-off-again" rumors swirling around this project. Jeffrey Tambor and Will Arnett have both gone on record by saying it's on, while David Cross has said it's unlikely to happen. The most reliable news out there at this point is that they are working on the script, and they're aiming for a 2012 release (here's the IMDb page.)
The latest news, as reported by cinematical, is that Jason Bateman is lobbying for a part for Jennifer Aniston, who is co-starring in the upcoming movie, The Switch, with Bateman. According to Bateman, he has read whatever stage of a script exists so far, and there is apparently a great role for Aniston in the film. Aniston has responded by saying she would love the opportunity to work with Bateman again.
So what do you think? Would you like to see Aniston in the Arrested Development movie, assuming it happens?
The full list can be found here, but the box office report this week yields very few surprises. The Other Guys in its first week finally bumped Inception from the number one spot with a reported weekend gross of $35.6 million. Inception pulled in another $18.6 million this weekend to bring its total earnings to $227.7 million. Step Up 3D debuted in the number three spot with $15.5 million in earnings [I don't know who would spend money on this movie, but apparently a few people did.] Many of the movies on this list really seem to have little staying power [I'm looking at you, Charlie St. Cloud] so it will be interesting to see the box office developments over the next couple weeks.
What do you think? Can The Other Guys last? Will Step Up 3D [hopefully] die off? Or will tweens keep it going and going like little Energizer bunnies?
Hey guys! Today I have two new trailers for horror films. The first is a very creepy trailer for a film written by the great visionary director Guillermo del Toro (Hellboy, Pan's Labyrinth) and starring Katie Holmes. This one is called Don't Be Afraid of the Dark.
Next, we have a trailer for the remake of the highly controversial 1978 film Day of the Woman. This one seems to be extremely gory, and personally kind of reminds me of a messed-up version of Home Alone. This one is called I Spit on Your Grave.
...and for everyone else out there. According to this article from cinematical, Fox has acquired the film rights to Mark Millar's (Wanted, Kick-Ass) new comic series, Nemesis, and Tony Scott (The Taking of Pelham 123, Deja Vu, Man on Fire) has been attached to direct. Since this has just been announced, and since Millar has yet to finish publishing his Nemesis comic series, this project may be years away from a release, however, this may be a project to keep an eye out on, especially with casting news and the like.
Nemesis follows the son of a billionaire who grows up to become a super villian. The series is intentionally almost identical to the Batman story, only Nemesis goes the complete opposite direction.
In my opinion, while I've enjoyed Millar's previously mentioned comic series, I personally think he's a one trick pony. He does the sarcastic type of writing rather well, but that's where it ends for me. I was not too impressed with the film adaptations of the two series, even though Kick-Ass was far better than Wanted. While most critics agree Tony Scott is little more than a studio hack, there is a small contingent of critics that believe he is one of the greatest action film auters of this time.
So what do you think? Would you look forward to this project?
A couple days ago, Cracked.com writer Dan Seitz published an article titled "5 Annoying Trends That Make Every Movie Look The Same." The article is really funny and pretty informative. So go check it out if you are interested and let us know what you think.
...and it does seem to apply in a sense to this blog, I am posting Eminem's new video for his song, "Love the Way You Lie" featuring Rihanna. The video is directed by Joseph Kahn, who mainly directs music videos and concert movies, but also directed the film, Torque. The video is starring Dominic Monaghan ("Lost", The Lord of the Rings Trilogy) and Megan Fox (I think everyone knows who that is). The video will be posted below, so my main question would be what do you think about these well-known film stars appearing in this music video? Especially now since the music video era seems all but dead. Do you think this could help bring music videos back to the public view?
So what do you think? Also, here is an article featuring some quotes from Monaghan about the shoot, which is more or less interesting.
Hey everyone! If you are unaware of how I handle the new theatrical releases of the week, feel free to check out the old blog. I have decided to change how I do these, I will now be handling limited releases as well as wide releases, that way every movie gets covered. My source will be IMDb, if you are wondering where I am getting these titles. So, without further ado, here are the new releases, starting with my pick of the week.
The Other Guys - When I saw this trailer back in the spring, I felt like this was going to be the major comedy flop of the summer, apparently I was wrong. The reviews have come in rather strong, saying it's surprisingly funny, especially compared to what we've been offered this summer. I've been hoping for a good Will Ferrell comedy for a while (Step Brothers got better with more viewings, but overall I've been dissapointed in him since Anchorman.), so I am now looking forward to seeing this one.
Rating: 3 out of 5
Step Up 3D - There is no way this movie will actually be good, but let's be honest. If someone offered to pay for my ticket, I would probably go see this.
Rating: 2 out of 5
Middle Men - This film had a good rotten tomatoes rating earlier in the week, but it took a strong dive once all the critics saw it. Word of mouth seems to say the cast and the acting is strong, but the script is not. I'm still rather intrigued, though.
Rating: 3 out of 5
Twelve (limited) - This movie looks cheesy, and the reviews seem to express that sentiment, but it seems to have the same qualities as Alpha Dog, a movie I inexplicably love.
Rating: 3 out of 5
Flipped (limited) - This film marks Rob Reiner's return to the nostalgic type film about growing up that got him respect in the past (see: Stand by Me). While I love Stand by Me, I am seeing in the reviews that this one is not successful, and way too cheesy.
Rating: 2 out of 5
The Oxford Murders(limited) - Judging from the trailer, this film looks like The Da Vinci Code meets David Lynch with bad acting and no plot, and the critics seem to agree. They are, however, giving it "so bad it's good" reviews, so I may want to see this eventually.
Rating: 2 out of 5
The Disapperance of Alice Creed (limited) - This film has been getting solid reviews, and the trailer looked very strong. I am actually looking forward to getting the chance to see this one.
