Weekend Bites: Ace vs. Zombieland... the Zombies win!

Posted by Ace

4 bites [out of 5]

There is finally something worth watching this weekend… or rather something worth spending your $15 at the box office.


Rules for surviving the Zombie apocalypse:
Rule #1 – Cardio
Rule #2 - The Double Tap
Rule #3 - Seatbelts

Alright… so who hasn’t thought of what they would do if, in fact, the Zombie apocalypse broke out? (Personally, I’d probably hull up in a Wal-Mart or Costco or something… that is to say after I killed all the Zombie employees first) With all the strange infectious disease scares floating around, who’s to say that the Zombie apocalypse won’t happen? I’m just saying… It’s something to keep in mind…

But I digress…

When I first heard about “Zombieland,” I naturally wrote it off. I’m not big on horror, or gore, or zombies for that matter. Ever since I was a kid and watched Night of the Living Dead during a daytime matinee on TV, zombies have scared the bejeezus out of me (and yes, there’s still a small part of me, hidden deep inside, underneath this dastardly handsome exterior that still gets a little scared by the “Thriller” music video).

But like I was saying, I wrote this movie off almost the instant I first saw a poster for it, mainly because I didn’t know anything about it. But the first trailer I ever saw for Zombieland was actually at San Diego Comic-Con this year, and it was probably the biggest surprise of the Con. Perhaps a lot more people shared my original sentiment about the movie, and just as likely, we were probably all pleasantly surprised by what the film had to offer. So, kudos to newcomer director, Ruben Fleischer, for breaking my preconceptions about this movie and dissuading me from not watching it.


The film stars Jesse Eisenberg (Adventureland), Woody Harrelson (White Men Can’t Jump), Emma Stone (Superbad) and Abigail Breslin (Little Miss Sunshine) as the last remaining living human beings in Zombieland, formerly known as America.

The plot is pretty simple… Survival.

Eisenberg’s character, Columbus, named after the city in Ohio (a coping strategy for the characters -- referring to themselves as the names of the cities they were from, helps them stay emotionally detached, in the event that they would have to kill one another) narrates the film as he runs through a list of rules he’s compiled which are imperative to surviving in Z-land. Columbus is trying to get to, well, Columbus in hopes of finding his family, and along the way, he runs into Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson), the expert in zombie killing, who’s also on a quest of his own — finding Twinkies. Somewhere along the way, Columbus and Tallahassee get hijacked by a sister duo, Wichita (Emma Stone) and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin). I don’t want to give too much away here, so I’ll just say this: they eventually all team up together.

And like I said earlier, the movie is pretty simple and straight-forward. There aren’t too many twists and turns, but it’s just pure, unadulterated fun at the expense of killing zombies. Drawing its inspiration from another great Zombie-comedy insta-classic, Shaun of the Dead, the film really isn’t a horror movie (and I still find it strange that Zombie movies have become their own sub-genre). Of course it has its moments that startle you, but I can’t really classify this as “HORROR” per se. It’s much too light-hearted for that. Unless you’re squeamish and you consider all movies that feature blood, guts, gore, and Zombies as horrific, then this movie’ll probably scare you.

But it’s not just about gore and guts and zombie smashing, it has a great amount of heart. As the characters try to stay emotionally detached from one another, they find themselves actually growing closer together. Columbus finds another kind of family in his endeavor to find his real family. But I guess being the sole surviving members of the human race will do that to people. Plus, someone makes a really GREAT cameo in the movie… arguably the greatest cameo of all time. Alright, I hyperbolized that just a tad, but it’s still awesome!

That being said, here are my rules for surviving Zombieland…

Rule #1 – Go watch this movie!
Rule #2 – If you’re squeamish… get over it and go watch this movie! (It’s time to Nut up or Shut up!)
Rule #3 – Refer back to Rules #1 and #2…

Images courtesy of Columbia Pictures

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The Daily Munchies: Trailer Time (October 6th)

- Posted by Rusty

Lots of interesting stuff to check out—here, we have explosions galore, Wild Things, and a badass, futuristic Denzel Washignton. Let's dig in, and check out some of the best new trailers...

"2012"

Now this I just couldn’t resist. From Roland Emmerich, the disaster maestro behind The Day After Tomorrow, Independence Day, and (yep) the American Godzilla, comes 2012, which looks to be his magnum opus…where he’ll get to destroy the entire world this time! Everything falls apart here—LA collapses in earthquakes, the Sistine Chapel breaks down (but cracks apart ever so perfectly on Michelangelo’s famous ceiling), the White House gets smashed by a tanker, and people do big heroic things, like drive off of helicopters in massive storms (and say beautifully cheesy lines, like: “I thought they had the right to fight for their lives!”). Honestly, I love Emmerich’s films, and, with The Day After Tomorrow, I think he embraced the all-out stupidity of the concept to just give us a fun overall ride—it was dumb, but with a knowing wink—a non-pretentious, Big Summer Movie. Here, it looks like he’s tackling similar ground. The plot revolves around the legendary Mayan prediction, with the world finally collapsing in 2012. It’s a good set-up, and this will give Emmerich the chance to put on the biggest spectacle of his career. Also, he’s managed to get quite the cast to play along—John Cusack, Amanda Peet, Danny Glover (as the president!), Oliver Platt, and Woody Harrelson are the humans we care about as everyone else dies, and, really, the special effects are amazing (as expected). Emmerich is not a bad storyteller (Stargate is good proof of that)—he’s supposed to tackle Isaac Asmiov’s Foundation novels next, and I think it will prove him to be more than a just flashy entertainer. In the meanwhile, 2012, opening November 13th (a Friday, of course), looks to be exactly what this trailer promises—lots and lots of ridiculous fun.

"Book of Eli"

This just looks better and better. Book of Eli takes place in a post-apocalyptic setting, where the landscapes are bleak, scavengers and criminals run amok, and villains (like the always-brilliant chameleon, Gary Oldman…who plays the absolute best villains possible!) reign supreme. But then we have Denzel Washington’s Eli, a mysterious, martial arts-skilled drifter carrying some sort of book…a book that Gary Oldman’s character is desperate to get from him. That’s the stage of the conflict, and the trailer only hints at everything else—Mila Kunis’ character somehow fits into the picture, lots of fighting ensues, and, from brief flashes, it looks like the title book might be a bible…or is it? I like the mystery, and I love this haunting, desolate world. This could be a good genre film—some well-cast, smart entertainment to start off 2010. Washington looks solid as the hero, and it’s a thrill to see Oldman back in scene-stealing bad-guy mode (see: True Romance, The Professional, The Fifth Element, and many more—the guy’s a genius in any role, but he plays evil like only few can); I can’t wait to see those two acting giants square off. The January release date is a bit fishy (most of the time, studios release only their worst films then), but I have some faith in this cast and crew—I’m hoping that was done just so the film will have little competition. This comes from the Hughes Brothers, who gave us the stylish Johnny Depp murder-mystery, From Hell, and I think this could be something interesting—hopefully in the vein of Children of Men, another bleak, end-of-humanity film. I know, a high standard, but if it hits half of the strong notes that brilliant film did, it’ll easily be worth the ticket price. Look for this in theaters on January 15, 2010.

"Where the Wild Things Are"

This is my favorite trailer of the year. There’s actually a longer one out right now, but this teaser is one of the best bits of advertising I’ve ever seen, so I had to include it. Check it out above—look how little dialogue there is, how it’s mainly just a rush of beautiful images, all set to the perfect, melancholy song, Arcade Fire’s “Wake Up”. Allow me to gush for a few seconds here…but, man, it’s all so gorgeous, so sad, so full of life and real childlike wonder. I have no idea what the final film will be (and I just read the tiny, tiny book it’s based on, so I’m even more curious now), but the footage is making a strong case for it. Maurice Sendak's beloved book follows the story of Max—a boy who misbehaves, and, in a fit of anger over his punishment, imagines himself going to the Land of the Wild Things (that’d be those giant, frightening, terrible creatures in a far, far away land) where he could be free to roam wild and do mischief to his heart’s desire.

More so than anything, I love that director Spike Jonze, the offbeat mind behind Being John Malkovich and Adaptation, seems to have built upon the book, expanding its themes of the strangeness (and, sometimes, pain) of growing up. Max is at the heart of all this, and I like newcomer Max Records—he’s got an edge to him that you don’t often see in child actors, and he honestly comes across as a real kid, warts and all. There are a lot of interesting things going on in this trailer—we see some glimpses of Max’s mother (played by the lovely Catherine Keener) and what looks like a new boyfriend (added plot material that could work very well), scenes of Max feeling out of place in school, and, of course, that epic, imaginative world where the Wild Things live. All of the Wild Things are also made into fully believable characters—a wondrous mix of CGI, real-life costumes, and some great voice-acting from the likes of James Gandolfini and Forest Whitaker. From what I read, this was a bit of a troubled production…and I’m not too surprised—this doesn’t look like your average, “safe” kids’ movie—there’s something unsettling about it, something that creeps under your skin a bit. By all means, it’s not a bad thing at all, but I’m guessing it was probably a hard sell to the bigwigs at the studio. Still, the end result looks amazing—if it could sustain the momentum of this fleshed-out story (while keeping the book’s few original plot beats), and make the entire ride as emotional and thoughtful as this preview, we could be in for a real treat. I can’t wait to check this out—Where the Wild Things Are hits theaters next Friday, October 16th.

So, what do you guys think? Any of these films look worth checking out?

I think the biggest question mark here is Where the Wild Things Are. The buzz over the last couple of weeks has been very positive (one of our best critics, Michael Philips, called it his favorite movie this year) and I'm fascinated to see how they'll transform that classic book into a two-hour movie.

Clips courtesy of Trailer Addict.
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What's on the Menu: October 2 - 4

- Posted by Rusty

What a great weekend for movies. We have 5 new releases (and one very special double-feature re-release), and it looks like all are worth catching in theaters. Let’s break down the movies, and see what we have…


1. “Whip It” - I’m crazy about the trailer for this—check it out below if you haven’t seen it. I don’t know about you guys, but it looks like a great time to me—colorful characters, a rousing spirit, and a pretty heartwarming coming-of-age story at the center (and love that Weezer song it’s set to!). This is actually the directing debut of Drew Barrymore, and it’s all centered on Ellen Page’s Bliss Cavendar, a teen misfit who defies her mother’s beauty pageant dreams…and joins the roller derby instead! The trailer has an infectious energy, and just look at the talent that Barrymore rounded up: Page is dependably good at this point (especially in playing quirky teens), and she’s backed up by Kristen Wiig, Barrymore herself, Juliette Lewis, super stuntwoman Zoe Bell (from Tarantino’s Death Proof), Marcia Gay Harden, Daniel Stern (great to see him again—he was Joe Pesci’s robber partner in Home Alone), and Jimmy Fallon as derby announcer “Hot Tub” Johnny Rocket. The reviews are strong, and this could very well be a popular, feel-good hit for Barrymore.

2. “Zombieland” - This just looks fantastic—I have a weird love for zombie flicks in general, and this one feels like it’s mining the same horror/comedy gold as Shaun of the Dead (one of my all-time favorite zombie movies). The previews have all been fun, and the story, tracking a group of random heroes as they travel a zombie-ravaged world, has tons of potential for both laughs and scares. The cast is also pitch-perfect: Woody Harrelson looks like he’s having a blast as Tallahassee, a guy who finally discovers his one true talent (killing zombies!), and Jesse Eisenberg (ironically following up another “land” movie, Adventureland) and Emma Stone are fast becoming my new favorite young actors. This is actually the best-reviewed movie of the week, so, in terms of sheer entertainment, I think this will be your best bet. I’m psyched to see what the final product will be—hopefully, I’ll catch it sometime this weekend, so I’ll let you guys know how it was.

3. “A Serious Man” - This is the new film from the Coen brothers, the always-unpredictable duo behind Fargo, No Country for Old Men, and Burn After Reading, and it’s supposedly their most personal (and, according to the many positive reviews, their best) film yet. Featuring mostly unknown actors, this tackles the midlife crisis of a Jewish man in 1960’s suburbia. I think the trailer (check it out below if you’re curious) is brilliant—it’s strange, but with a captivating, haunting edge to it—even in two minutes, it really pulls you in, and you feel for this guy whose life is crumbling all around him. And while I’m not crazy about all of the Coens’ films (I thought Fargo was a masterpiece, but No Country For Old Men didn’t live up to the hype for me), they’re certainly never boring, and they always manage to bring something new and intriguing to the table. If you’re in the mood for something more challenging, or are a fan of the filmmakers, this looks like it’s worth seeing, even if it doesn’t strike me as a must-watch-in-theaters type of film.

4. “The Invention of Lying” - I can’t wait to see this. From Ricky Gervais, the mastermind behind The Office (the original British version) and Extras, this movie takes place in a version of our world where everyone can only tell the truth…that is, until one man (Gervais) discovers a lie, and uses that power to get everything he ever wanted (including the way-out-of-his-league Jennifer Garner). The premise is ripe for Gervais’ satirical bite, and the cast alone might make this worth seeking out: alongside Gervais and Garner (who showed great comic chops in 13 Going on 30), we have Rob Lowe, Tina Fey, Jason Bateman, Jonah Hill, and apparently some big-star, secret cameos. The reviews are a bit mixed, but that’s not surprising—Gervais’ brand of comedy isn’t for everyone, and sometimes he goes too far into the squirmingly-awkward even for me (there’s also a religion subplot here—cleverly hidden by the marketing—that's sure to rub some people the wrong way). Still, this feels like something witty and original, and its topic is brimming with comic potential, especially with these actors tackling all the painfully honest dialogue.

5. “Toy Story" / "Toy Story 2" 3D Double Feature” - This is just too tempting an opportunity: two of the best animated films of all time, back-to-back for the price of one, all in a nifty, brand-new 3D presentation…and capped off with a never-before-seen preview for next summer’s Toy Story 3! I never saw the original Toy Story in theaters, so I’ll definitely make time for this—if anything, it’s a lovely way to spend a few hours—some great storytelling, characters you love, and I hear the 3D adds a beautiful touch to already perfect films (oh, and apparently there’s some in-between-movies footage that’s really entertaining as well). For $10, I think it’s a wonderful deal…and it should do the job of all getting us all pumped for Toy Story 3—if anyone can pull off two brilliant sequels in the same series, it’s the band of geniuses at Pixar! This is only playing for two weekends, so if you want to see it, make sure to catch it soon.

6. “More Than a Game” - I’m really not the target audience for this—opening in limited release, it’s a documentary about LeBron James’ rise from humble beginnings to NBA Basketball superstardom. True, I’m the least knowledgeable guy when it comes to sports, but this does sound like a compelling story—if you’re a James and basketball fan, this might be worth checking out.

And that’s all we have for this weekend. What do you guys think? Interested in seeing one (or more) of these?

Me? I actually want to see almost all of them (sorry, Mr. LeBron James), so this weekend is a very nice change of pace from the last couple of weeks. All of the major releases look like good movies, so I think you can’t go wrong—it all depends on whatever you’re in the mood for. And I could never pass up some zombie-comedy action!

Images courtesy of Fox Searchlight, Columbia Pictures, Focus Features, Working Title Films, Warners Bros. Pictures, Walt Disney Pictures, Pixar Animation Studios, and Lionsgate.

Clips courtesy of Trailer Addict.
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On The Bookshelf: "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs"

- Posted by Rusty

What did I read? Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs – Written by Judi Barrett, Illustrated by Ron Barrett

What did I think? I know what you’re thinking: “Really, Rusty? Kids’ books now??”

Very fair questions...but this was just too good to pass up. So, if you guys are with me, let me explain my crazy reasoning behind it...

I saw the movie based on Cloudy last weekend, but, right before it started, they ran that gorgeous preview for Where the Wild Things Are. And that got me thinking—a lot of people I talked to have wonderful memories of reading these two books, even if they don’t remember all the details (my co-worker, in particular, was too adorable when she recounted how much she loved the flying food in Chewandswallow). But I just couldn’t relate to that—unfortunately, I was never driven to pick up either of them. Not that I stayed away from kids’ books—I grew up on Russian fairy tales, like the evil, forest-dwelling Baba Yaga, and I learned English through Dr. Seuss, Roald Dahl (especially Matilda and James and the Giant Peach) and the pretty-bad-but-incredibly-addicting Goosebumps. Once that phase was over, though, I read books every now and then, but I didn’t really embrace reading until high school—by that point, I missed out on these must-read classics, thinking myself “too grown-up”, or just plain not-interested to give them a quick read.

But, as I saw over the last few weeks, I was missing this experience—the chance to see a years-old American favorite transformed to the big screen, to get all lost in cozy memories, and geek out over beloved books you haven’t talked about in years. Of course, I can’t recreate that, but I can certainly give the original book a shot. Cloudy, in particular, looks like the kind of warm-hearted, joyful fun you’re supposed to love as a kid…so, well, I just couldn’t resist. I went straight to Borders after work, asked for the picture books section (and maybe mumbled something about it being “for my niece”…who’s, ahem, 3 months old), and came home, ready to read both classics in one fell swoop (although I’ll tackle Where the Wild Things Are in a later column—its fascinating ideas about growing up deserve a section of their own).

Even better, it’s interesting to experience these types of books as an adult. For those who know me, I’m pretty much a big kid at heart (if that—most people probably don’t even add the “at heart” part), and I have an innate love for children’s stories, especially if they’re done well, with real heart and imagination. Moreover, I always believed that good stories for children, the true kid-lit classics, have much more to offer than just pretty pictures and exciting plotlines. If you look carefully, you’ll often find some truly great, thought-provoking ideas, and powerful messages to add to the fancy events on display. True, many times, the stuff we loved as kids (I’m looking at you, Goosebumps!) doesn’t stand the test of time, remaining more as passing entertainment than something that actually touches you. But other stories are something really special—the kind of books that adults can’t wait to read to their own kids—stories that, no matter how crazy (like Alice in Wonderland), end up being all-ages pleasures (much like good family films, something Pixar excels in).

Well, I couldn’t be happier that Cloudy lives up to all that—it’s just a wonderful all-around story, with beautiful, very witty illustrations, a wickedly clever concept, and a warm, strong focus on family at its center.

For those who don’t know, or want a quick refresher course, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, written by Judi Barrett and illustrated by Ron Barrett, takes place on a winter day at home, with a grandfather telling his kids the bedtime story of the town of Chewandswallow. A tiny island in some far corner of the sea, Chewandswallow is remarkable for one specific reason: its weather. It never rains, nor snows, nor blows anything “normal” from the clouds in the sky—instead, the weather only produces food. That’s right, three times every day, the sky would churn out different meals, whether it’s raining pancakes, syrup, and orange juice in the morning, or hurling down steaks for dinner. No one ever goes hungry in Chewandswallow, and people always walk around with cutlery in pocket, ready to chew themselves silly at a moment’s notice! But then…the food starts getting bigger and bigger—suddenly, meatballs for dinner doesn’t sound as enticing, especially if said meatballs are a hundred times normal size, and crash through and bludgeon down every rooftop in town. Even worse are those pea soup fogs—when you can’t see anything but green all around you…not to mention those pesky flying peas…and tomato tornados…and pasta avalanches…well, you get the idea.

Like it sounds, the premise is just a great deal of fun—full of inventiveness and great visual moments…even for me, and I’m probably far from the target audience. Best of all, if you’re a kid or just a fan of good artwork, the drawings are lovely—they’re sprawling, colorful bits of imagination, relishing every bit of food falling from the sky. There’s also a great witty energy to them: take for instance the memorable image of a giant pancake flattening a school (it’s in the movie as well, and you can catch it in the trailer)—the details are fantastic, but next to all the shocked people and helicopters desperately trying to lift the pancake, there’s a little boy running on the side, tearing up his schoolbooks, and running in joy. I love that, and that would have spoken directly to me when I was 9 years old, when I kept wishing for LA to have some funky weather, just so school would finally be cancelled. Forget possible damage to the buildings—as long as I got to stay home, play hooky, and hopefully watch Saved by the Bell reruns (or Ducktales!), all was good.

Judi and Ron Barrett seem to really understand kids too—after all, isn’t that a very childlike idea, to have all your favorite things whenever you want it? To have a place so cool and unique that it’ll just rain down whatever you like, three times every day…forever? I think it taps into that—that hidden dream to enjoy every last morsel of something that you love…something we definitely have as kids, but slowly lose (for good reason) as adults. When I was growing up, my mom used to make this amazing dish—it was fresh strawberries, mixed with tons of sugar, and all topped off with whipped sour cream. It literally was the most delicious thing in the world, and I remember thinking that I could eat this every day for the rest of my life—it was that good—who needs all that vegetables and meat when you have something so mouth-wateringly fantastic at your disposal? But, of course, I would have hated eating it by Day 2…and then hated the dish in whole…and probably my mom for making me eat it. I think, as kids, we don’t realize that sometimes there can be too much of a good thing…at least not yet. Things don’t usually work in extremes, but we don’t see that until much later—as a kid, when you’re full of energy and imagination, anything seems possible, and those impossible things are way too tempting to dismiss. Cloudy works off of that idea—Chewandswallow falls apart precisely because of what makes it so awesome to kids. As a wish-fulfillment place, it shows you the dangers of having everything you could want…and, really, what kid would want to spend their days avoiding deadly, flying, giant meatballs…let alone suffer stomach aches from having to eat all the moldy bread off the bread-blocked streets? It’s an important lesson, but it's delivered with subtlety and plenty of good-natured humor.

Finally, one of my favorite things about the book was its element of family and story-telling. The entire book is centered on one grandfather’s story, supposedly from his own experiences; his grandchildren are totally skeptical at first, but, of course, get lost in the story before they know it. And that rings very true to me—stories are the best way to bring people closer together, whether it’s in a friendly or family setting—I think we bond by sharing our experiences, or just sharing silly, ridiculous, too-cool-to-be-true flights of fancy, like a food-raining town. Also, from a personal perspective, my grandpa was the greatest person I ever knew…and he was just born to tell stories. He had that voice, so full of warmth, humor, and wisdom, and every story he told was something special, be it from his own life or some Russian tale he was saving to mess with me and my sister. The relationship in this book, between the grandfather and the kids, captured that bit of story-telling magic that my grandpa perfected. It was charmingly done, and, really, it shows that you don’t need fancy things, like televisions, video games, etc, to keep people together—all you need is a good, loving audience, and the wonders of the imagination. A beautiful message indeed.

In the end, it’s no coincidence that the kids bond with their grandfather over a lively fairy tale—that’s exactly what a good children’s book could do. A good story is the bridge between any age, and Cloudy in whole is the perfect example of that.

Would I recommend it? As strange as this will sound… definitely “yes”. If you have an eight-year old relative or acquaintance, this is mandatory reading. But, then again, if you’re proudly weird like me, I’d recommend giving this a read (and, come on, it’ll take you like 10 minutes tops—no one will ever have to know…). If you read it as a kid, it will be a welcome bit of nostalgia; if you never read it before, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the sheer joy and creativity on display.

Would it make a good movie? Absolutely—that colorful world of Chewandswallow is begging to be a family movie! But, like pretty much every classic children’s book, there’s one big caveat: it’s a tiny story. At 30 pages, it might be long for children, but it’s not nearly enough to sustain a 90-minute film (this is where a lot of kid lit adaptations stumble, notably the Dr. Seuss ones). Plus, minus the grandpa and the kids, there aren’t really any fully-developed characters—at least, the characters that we have don’t really go through a journey, they don’t change in any way—they just listen to a very cool story, and for the purposes of the book, that’s perfectly fine. Thus, it will be up to the filmmakers to flesh out the world—we have the town, the crazy weather, and the fact that the falling food starts to mutate—all great elements for the filmmakers to play with, and a loose blueprint for what the final product could be. With that, the challenge lies in developing a story around those pieces, finding characters that will take us through this world, and all the while maintaining the fun and very clever spirit of the book.

Is it a movie? Yep, and a very successful one at that (it’s been #1 at the box-office two weeks in a row). Ace already reviewed the movie for you guys—he was very lukewarm to it, and that’s cool—everyone’s entitled to their own opinion, and the movie just didn’t work for him.

Me, on the other hand? I loved it—outside of the first two Shreks and the Pixar movies, I think this is one of the strongest animated films out there.

The film opens up with a fancy credit: “A Film by…a lot of people.” And that’s all we get—with nothing else to distract us, we plunge straight into the story, all about young Flint Lockwood (very well voiced by Bill Hader), and how he dreamed to invent something to give his poor, sardine-saturated town some great food. From the outset, it’s clear that the filmmakers love the source material, and that shines brightly through the rest of the film, following Flint and his genius machine that gets the sky to produce food…and the dastardly town mayor (Bruce Campbell) who tries to abuse it.

Like I said before, the filmmakers did exactly what they had to—not stretch out the minuscule story into 80 padded minutes, but rather build and expand upon the original ideas. Pretty much everything is new—the town’s crazy weather gets an origin, the plot’s extended to include the evil (but very clueless) mayor, and the whole story is brimming with well-developed characters, including Flint, his sardine-shop father, and his love interest, a perky weather girl played by one of my biggest crushes, Anna Faris (in a very shrewd bit of casting—I won’t spoil anything, but for a smart girl who plays ditzy better than anyone, this role’s especially fun knowing it’s her behind the microphone). Like Ace said in his review, fans of the book still get the iconic moments, like the pancake flattening the school and the giant jell-o castle, but now they feel like natural parts of this new narrative, and not random leftovers to please fans of the book.

Most importantly, like the best adaptations, the movie stays true to the spirit of the book. The focus on family is maintained, through the sweet (and strained) relationship between Flint and his man-of-very, very-few-words father (a well-cast James Caan). And, of course, the fun and inventiveness of the original concept is still here, now personified by Flint Lockwood, the much too earnest inventor with big dreams for Chewandswallow. The animation is also a bit off-center—these characters don’t look realistic, but they all have quirky, cartoony features, like giant eyes or (in the case of Flint’s dad) hilariously bushy, obstructing eyebrows. As such, the whole look to the film preserves the tone and visual playfulness of the original story, while the food-attack scenes rank among the best animated sequences in recent times.

Mostly, though, it’s just really funny. I won’t waste your time here with a full review, but this is one of the most purely entertaining movies I’ve seen in a while, perfectly capturing the humor of the book and its illustrations. It doesn’t reach the heights of Pixar, but it’s not really aiming there—you could tell the writer/director combo of Phil Lord and Chris Miller (both from the TV show, How I Met Your Mother) just wanted to honor the original book, and deliver us some smart family entertainment in the process.

There are a few problems (mostly having to do with Andy Samberg’s character, an ex sardine-can poster boy, who really doesn’t amount to much), but I could easily overlook them because I was having such a good time…especially with the scene-stealing voice work of Mr. T!

So, all in all, I made two great discoveries: an animated film to add to my Favorites collection, and a wonderful book for children (one that will probably be just as enjoyable for the adults who’ll read with them). Now I finally get the big smiles that appear when people think back to Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. It’s a deserving classic, and I think the book, along with the movie, will continue to enchant readers for many years to come.

And here are some fun facts before we go…

Fun Fact 1: The filmmakers said they tried to make the film work like an affectionate parody of big-time, expensive disaster movies, like Armageddon, Twister, and (one of my favorite stupid movies) The Day After Tomorrow…just with food. I love that idea, and if you watch the movie, you can see the elements of those disaster spectacles—ominous clouds, Michael Bay-style meteor attacks (but actually giant meatballs), and the ragtag group of everyday heroes who must save the day. Once again, just another fun bit the movie has to offer.


Fun Fact 2: This is a really good time for films based on kids’ books. In a few weeks, we’re getting Where the Wild Things Are, by Being John Malkovich director Spike Jonze. Later, we’ll get The Fantastic Mr. Fox, based on Roald Dahls’ book, and brought to life in stop-motion style (like The Nightmare Before Christmas) by Wes Anderson (The Royal Tenenbaums, Rushmore). And, of course, in March of 2010, Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland hits theaters in all of its mad visual glory. I’m really excited for all of these—like the clever Cloudy, these don't look like cookie-cutter, bland family films, but rather original visions from interesting filmmakers, all of whom actually want to breathe life, magic, and intelligence into these beloved stories. Now can someone maybe make a Golden Compass sequel? Ah, I can only hope...

Images courtesy of Atheneum Books, Sony Pictures Animation, and Columbia Pictures.
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Weekend Bites: "Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs"

- Posted by Ace



The ACESTER is back in the game. Sorry for the long hiatus, I had some personal matters to attend to. But now it’s back to work.

Since there was absolutely NOTHING good that opened this past weekend, I decided to check out something that opened LAST weekend, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, which opened at No. 1 for the second straight weekend. So now I have the great fortune of reviewing a food themed movie on a food themed movie blog.

Overall Rating: 2 ½ bites [out of 5]

For those of you who don’t know, the film is an adaptation of the well-known children’s book, written by Judi and Ron Barrett. The basic plot summary is about the town of Chewandswallow where it precipitates food and beverages three times a day. It’s been FOREVER since I’ve read the book, but I remember it being featured on Reading Rainbow, back in the day, and honestly, who didn’t love this book as a kid? Who didn’t love the idea of food raining down from the heavens? Or school being closed because a giant pancake smothers it?

But I digress.

Naturally, I was curiously excited about this film. Based on the trailer, I thought there was genuine ingenuity behind the adaptation of turning a twenty page children’s book into a full-length feature film. And to my surprise, it was in 3-D. I don’t think I’ve seen a 3-D movie since Captain Eo at Disneyland, so I was actually pretty excited about it. But to my disappointment, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs was kind of mediocre. Don’t get me wrong—I’m not being cynical because this is a kid’s movie. I’m a kid at heart and still love watching cartoons. But this one just wasn’t up to par.

The film’s adaptation of the book revolves around Flint Lockwood (voiced by Bill Hader), an aspiring inventor whose inventions usually end in disaster. He finally finds success with the invention of a machine that can create food out of water. Through one disastrous turn of events, his machine is launched into the upper atmosphere over Swallow Falls (later Chewandswallow), causing the food-based weather anomalies.

So here’s the good—Mr. T. His character was probably the coolest and funniest of the cast. And it’s glad to see, or rather, hear Mr. T in another acting gig. Secondly, the Gummi Bear fight scene was the only moment that made me laugh out loud. I don’t want to spoil anything, so I’ll just leave it at that. Lastly, it was great to see that the directors captured a few of the iconic moments from the book, for example the pancake crushing the school, and of course, the split pea soup fog. At least for me, those illustrations in the book stand out in memory to this day.

And now onto the bad news… it just wasn’t funny. It tried really hard to be funny, but the jokes all fell short of hitting its mark. I was sitting in a movie theatre full of kids, and there were very few moments when even the kids laughed out loud. It honestly felt like they were pitching a thousand different jokes, in hopes that at least one of them would stick, rather than letting the comedy come naturally. I can’t recall one other funny moment in the film, other than the Gummi Bear scene.

Some people may think that I’m being a little harsh, but I think that today’s audience has become accustomed to some great animated feature films, all of which possess mass appeal to all audiences. But Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, which had so much promise and the nostalgia factor, failed to meet its potential.

Image courtesy of Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures
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What's on the Menu: 9/25 - 9/27

- Posted by Rusty


A huge amount of stuff is opening this weekend—there are two big releases, but a few of the smaller films might be worth checking out. Let's see what looks good...



1. “Surrogates” - I like the concept, and I’m a big fan of Willis and the supporting cast (which includes Ving Rhames, James Cromwell, and Radha Mitchell)…but something about this movie is just not clicking with me. Based on a respected graphic novel, this takes place in the not-too-distant future where human beings interact solely through robot avatars, all controlled from the safety and comfort of their own homes. But, then, a mysterious murder occurs, and it’s up to Bruce Willis (both the young-looking avatar and the real-life model) to get to the bottom of it. So, yeah, we get shades of The Matrix and I, Robot, all put together in a shiny, conspiracy-thriller package by director Jonathan Mostow and his Terminator 3 screenwriters. I think Terminator 3 is unfairly hated—I know it’s the weakest in the series, but its goofy charm made it pretty fun to watch, and Mostow certainly knows how to up the energy and explosions. The posters for this one are also pretty clever (showing beautiful models with robotic parts), and I think there are some good ideas in the premise, especially our complete obsession with technology. But, all in all, the trailers and the late-September release date suggest a pretty mediocre, generic sci-fi movie to me—something along the lines of Schwarzenegger’s action-heavy The 6th Day, and a more self-serious (and thus less fun) film than Mostow’s Terminator 3. I hope I’m wrong, but I think I’ll catch this one when it hits DVD.


2. “Fame” - I have a soft spot for these inspirational, follow-your-heart dance flicks (ie, Take the Lead, Step Up 2—they always remind me of Jon Heder’s “If you can dream it, you can do it!” pep-talk voicemail in Blades of Glory), but I think they’re best saved for catching on cable over paying 12 bucks to see in theaters. This is based on the beloved 1980 film of the same name, as well as the long-running TV show (with a killer, catchy theme song!) starring Debbie Allen, who cameos here as a principal. The plot’s a blended version of many other dance movies—we got a special Performing Arts school, kids with undiscovered talent, stubborn parents who just don’t believe in their kids, snotty, rich people who need to learn humility, you name it. I have a feeling it’ll still be entertaining, and the dancing and singing will be quite impressive—overall, it just looks like clean, harmless entertainment to tide audiences over until the bigger releases in October. The reviews are mostly average, and I’m guessing the final film will be just that.



3. “Brief Interviews with Hideous Men” - I’d see this just to support John Krasinksi, so good as the loveable Jim Halpert every week on The Office. This is Krasinski’s writing/directing debut, and it’s based on a collection of essays by the late David Foster Wallace. I saw an interview with Krasinksi a while back, and he seemed so passionate about Wallace and his work—it looks like he earnestly tried to make a film that honored the material and the late author. I didn’t read the book (although I’m planning on catching up on Wallace one of these days), but I wish Krasinki well—he seems like a great guy, and I’m rooting for him to have a strong behind-the-camera debut. Brief Interviews is basically what the title says—after a surprise breakup, one grad student (Julianne Nicholson) interviews a bunch of men, including Krasinki, Will Arnett, Timothy Hutton, and SNL’s Will Forte, on relationships, life, and everything in between. The trailer’s pretty fun, and props to Krasinki for choosing some offbeat, tricky material to adapt. However, the reviews are pretty mixed, and I think the extra-talky subject matter has a risk of coming across as flat and uncinematic—I could see it going either way, but, at the very least, it will be an interesting first directing effort. It’s opening in limited release and might be worth checking out, especially if you’re looking for something that skews a bit different and edgier.



4. “The Boys Are Back” - This is high on my must-see list. It’s another limited release, but, like last week’s Bright Star, it sounds like it’s worth tracking down. Inspired by a best-selling memoir, this is the story of Clive Owen’s widower father, and how he and his boys cope with the loss of their mother. Luke and Ace make fun of me, since I seem to be a fan of almost every handsome Brit…but they tend to be dependably good, and Owen is no exception. Clive Owen could probably read me a pizza menu, and it’ll still come out with his patented brand of Intense—he’s the King of Unshaven Cool, and lately he’s perfected his image as the all-purpose, scruffy, brooding badass. That’s why this is such a great change of pace for him—a welcome return to straight-up, emotional drama, and I think he’ll deliver a very wining performance. The movie’s already attracting Oscar buzz for Owen, and this sounds like powerful, very moving material if done right. It’s from the director of Shine (a heartbreaking, beautiful film that won Geoffrey Rush a Best Actor Oscar), the reviews are strong (although they're more enthusiastic about the acting than the script), and, as a fan, it’s good to see Owen flex some different acting muscles—I have very high hopes for this one.



5. “Pandorum” - I saw the trailer for this a while back, and it doesn’t look half bad. It won’t touch the likes of Alien, but it might just be an entertaining, semi-smart sci-fi/horror flick. Dennis Quaid and Ben Foster play two astronauts, who suddenly find themselves on a spaceship with no recollection of who they are…or what’s on board with them. What was their original mission? What’s the secret to their being there? Interesting questions, and there’s good stuff to be mined from this premise. I love claustrophobic suspense films (The Descent, Alien, Pitch Black), where it’s all about the acting and the escalating tension—could be an under-the-radar, pleasant genre surprise. Then again, the mostly negative reviews suggest it falls apart by the third act, by which point it turns into your run-of-the-mill monster-attack movie. It still looks more promising than Surrogates to me…but I’m also the guy who sees every Resident Evil movie in theaters, so take my view with a slight grain of salt.



6. “Paranormal Activity” - This is actually the best-reviewed movie this week—a tiny-budget, haunted-house movie that’s getting favorable comparisons to The Blair Witch Project and Cloverfield (it uses the similar device of the entire movie being “found footage”). The premise is simple: a couple keep having strange disturbances in their house, so the husband installs some hidden cameras…and creepy chaos ensues. I like moody horror films, those all about atmosphere, subtle scares, and believable characters (and not hot people that get naked…and then die) much more than the gory, slasher kind. This could be something interesting—the cast is full of unknowns (which could help sell the “authenticity” of the premise), and the fake “true story” angle worked wonders for Blair Witch—could be a breakout hit if it catches on with people, especially as we move closer to Halloween.



7. “Coco Before Chanel” - An import from France, this one’s also getting a limited release before it slowly rolls out to more cities. Starring the luminous Audrey Tautou (The Da Vinci Code, Amelie), it’s the biography of fashion icon Coco Chanel, and her rise from humble obscurity to worldwide recognition. It’s a good subject, and I’m sure it’s a sumptuously filmed, well-acted biopic—it’s just not something I’m particularly jumping to see. I can picture this getting Oscar love for its costumes, and Audrey Tautou lights up the screen in any movie she’s in, so maybe this will get her some awards recognition too. Looks like a good movie—it's well-reviewed, and while it’s not something that interests me directly, it looks like a quality film worth catching, especially if the subject matter strikes your fancy.



8. “Capitalism: A Love Story” - I’m not a fan of Michael Moore (Bowling for Columbine, Fahrenheit 9/11), but I have to give him credit: he brings up good points, and he definitely gets people talking. With this movie, Moore tackles the current economic crisis, from both the business and everyday-person side. I’m sure it’ll have lots of over-the-top moments, but this is important subject matter (stuff like the AIG bonus-checks incidents and our country’s unemployment rate) and the reviews are mostly positive. So, if you’re in the mood for a topical, (more or less) informative documentary, this will do the trick nicely.

And that's it for this week's new releases. What do you guys think? Do any of these sound interesting, or like something worth seeing this weekend?

Me? I think “The Boys Are Back” looks like the best new movie, but I have a sneaky feeling I’ll end up seeing “Pandorum” one of these days (and sadly might just enjoy it).

-- And on a quick side note: I’m also really curious to see Megan Fox host SNL this weekend (11:30 pm, Saturday on NBC). I know “Jennifer’s Body” underperformed, but I still think she’s more talented than it seems—this could be a great chance for her to show some range, and prove once and for all if there’s more to her than just amazing looks (just look at Justin Timberlake’s now-classic SNL stints…although I don’t think Megan Fox will hit the genius heights of “Motherlover”!).

Images courtesy of Touchstone Pictures, MGM/United Artists, IFC Films, Salty Pictures, BBC Films, Miramax Films, Overture Films, Paramount Pictures, Dreamworks SKG, Haut et court, Warner Bros., Sony Pictures Classics, Dog Eat Dog Films, Paramount Vantage, and the Weinstein Company.
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The Daily Munchies: Could "Percy Jackson" be the next "Harry Potter"??

- Posted by Rusty

Ever since the one-two punch of Lord of the Rings and (especially) Harry Potter (man, that was a great year), studios have been trying hard to find that next, great fantasy family-franchise. Did you guys notice this? It seemed like every possible kids' fantasy book, all with potential to be a series, was optioned and made into a movie…most with pretty spotty results...

And, so, we got stuff like Eragon, The Seeker: The Dark is Rising, The Water Horse, Inkheart (which had potential, but sadly fell apart), City of Ember, and The Spiderwick Chronicles. My pick for the best of these was The Golden Compass—a tricky piece of material (based on a very good book, even if its sequels didn’t live up to it) that, at the very least, had some magic and moments of wonder. And it was one of the few that seemed to love its source material, and not just trying to hit that fantasy money-making sweet spot.

Which brings us to Percy Jackson and the Olympians. Apparently, it’s another very popular children’s book series, tracing the great destiny of Percy, the son of Poseidon, and his adventures with the Greek gods in the modern world. I like that concept a lot, and I’m crazy about Greek mythology—we have far too few films tapping into that sprawling, epic, very fun world (I’m psyched for next year’s Sam Worthington-led, Clash of the Titans).


This movie will be based on the first book in the series, The Lightning Thief. And I have to give the filmmakers credit—they’re really trying for this to be a hit. They got Chris Columbus to direct (the guy who gave us the first two Harry Potter movies), hopefully getting that lightning to strike twice, and a hell of a cast—Pierce Brosnan (who was in Columbus’ Mrs. Doubtfire), Sean Bean (Lord of the Rings, Troy…and great to see him back in ancient-Greece territory—now can they just give him his long-deserved Odyssey movie?), Uma Thurman, Catherine Keener, Rosario Dawson, and Steve Coogan (Tropic Thunder, Octavius in the Night at the Museum movies) as the underworld god, Hades (brilliantly voiced by James Woods in Disney’s Hercules). The lead role falls to Logan Lerman, a talented young actor—he was really good as Christain Bale’s son in 3:10 to Yuma.

You can see the brand-new teaser above. I like some of the imagery (even if Mt. Olympus evokes a little too much Hogwarts), and I love this cast, but I still don’t have a solid grasp on the film. Could be fun…or it could be a star-filled, expensive, bland movie that will never see a sequel (after all, Eragon had an amazing cast too)—there’s far too little footage here to get a good feel for the the movie. Columbus made two good Harry Potter movies (although, in retrospect, he’s probably the weakest director to take on that franchise), and he does have a great eye for casting (as he showed by finding Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint). The material sounds ripe for some visual, epic fun…so let’s wait and see. I doubt it will be on the level of Harry Potter, but I’m certainly interested to see more.

How about you guys? Like the concept, or intrigued by the trailer?

And has anyone read the series it’s based on? This hits theaters February 12, 2010, so I’ll try to read a few of the books by then. If anyone’s familiar with it, shoot your thoughts in the comments below.
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