What's on the Menu (December 18-20)

- Posted by Rusty

This weekend, it’s all about Avatar. James Cameron’s mega-expansive sci-fi behemoth is looking to make a big splash (and is very much worth it, but more on that later), and very few movies are challenging the self-named King of the World. Still, there’s a bit of something for everyone, especially if, like me, you can never go wrong with a Hugh Grant romantic comedy. Let’s take a look at the new releases… [breakdown of new releases after the jump]

1. “Avatar” - By now, you’ve seen the trailers, the TV ads, the posters, the non-stop interviews with the cast and crew. Avatar is being sold as a big deal, an important step in the evolution of filmmaking…and it’s very well-deserved praise. We just caught this last night in IMAX 3-D (expect a full review from one of us in the next week; Luke is currently putting the finishing touches on his The Lovely Bones review), and it’s a hell of a good time. A big, smart, and surprisingly emotionally engaging ride, and a trip to a whole new world like only the movies could deliver. The story follows Jake Sully (Terminator Salvation’s Sam Worthington, in an excellent performance and one that should officially make him a star), a paraplegic ex-marine who gets sent to the distant moon of Pandora. Using a breakthrough in science, he is able to able to interact with the locals, a race of 10-ft-tall, cat-like, blue beings called the Na’vi, through the Avatar program (headed by Sigourney Weaver, star of Cameron’s Aliens), all done by transferring his consciousness into the body of a genetically engineered Na’vi. From there, the film launches headfirst into the world of these “alien” beings, as Jake has a great change of heart and steps up to defend Pandora from the natural-resource-obsessed human military. As we’ll talk about later, the film’s not perfect; I think its biggest hurdle is that we’ve seen this story before—it’s essentially Pocahontas, albeit with probably the best special effects ever put on screen. But though you could foresee pretty much every story beat, the experience itself is fascinating and enormously entertaining. This is an amazing world created here, and the characters that roam Pandora’s wide-spanning forests and floating mountains, particularly Worthington and his love interest, Zoe Saldana’s Na’vi warrior, Neytiri, are well-written and all sympathetic (a nice relief from what could have easily been a hollow, very pretty spectacle). If you can, be sure to catch this in theaters—it will be fine on DVD, but this is the kind of experience that demands the biggest screen possible.

2. “Did You Hear About the Morgans?” - I’m pretty positive this will be a weak film. I’m also positive that I’ll watch it…and, knowing me, probably more than once as it makes its rounds on HBO and TNT. The thing is, I think Hugh Grant is the absolute best romantic comedy lead out there. He brings just the right amount of self-deprecating charm and wit every time, and he raises what should often be disposable films (ie, Two Weeks Notice, Music & Lyrics, Mickey Blue Eyes) into something that I just keep watching. Same goes here: the concept—about a bickering high-class New York couple forced to go into the Witness Protection Program in Wyoming (ah, the countryside—what horror!) after witnessing a murder—sounds pretty lame, and yet the trailer still made me laugh. I think Parker’s a likable actress as well, even though I couldn’t stand the Sex and the City film, and the two of them together (after their first pairing ages ago in the murder drama, Extreme Measures) might be enough to make this a breezy, if forgettable, good time (the great Sam Elliot, here playing (you guessed it) a cowboy helps too). Reviews are pretty awful, so I think this is probably best saved for DVD or cable. Still, by now, you’d know if you want to see this or not, and I’m sure there are far worse date flicks out there. This is from writer/director Marc Lawrence who also made Two Weeks Notice, Miss Congeniality, and Music & Lyrics—minus Miss Congeniality’s awful sequel, all of those films are ones that I’ve enjoyed and kept re-watching over the years. This will probably join that club—a probable mix of goofy humor, bad plotting, and very charismatic actors.

And, on a final note, while I love Grant and always glad to see him working, here’s hoping he’ll take on a meaty role in a drama some time soon—he’s just as talented as his more respected British peers (and hilarious in person), so I’d love for him to remind us of that once again.

3. “The Young Victoria” - Like this week's Crazy Heart, this has been getting plenty of buzz for star Emily Blunt's lead performance. She’s going to be huge one day (if she’s not already)—she’s talented, beautiful, and, so far, has shown excellent taste in films, taking quality supporting parts (ie, Dan in Real Life, The Young Buck Howard, The Jane Austen Book Club) as opposed to leading roles in bland star vehicles. And, come on, even Meryl Streep admitted she’s one of the best young actresses, particularly after Blunt stole The Devil Wears Prada from its more known stars, Streep and Anne Hathaway. This looks like her first big leading role, and the subject—about Queen Victoria’ rise to the British throne—is ripe for awards attention, not to mention some good historical drama. I like period pieces such as this, and, like Shakespeare in Love and many others, it features a who’s-who of top-notch British talent in supporting roles (including Jim Broadbent, Miranda Richardson, and my personal favorite, A Knight's Tale's Paul Bettany!). Could be worthwhile—the topic is interesting, the script is from the Oscar-winning screenwriter of Gosford Park (one of the best films I’ve ever seen), and I’m sure Blunt will rise to the occasion to deliver a superb central performance, with hopefully a well-deserved first Oscar nomination as a result.

4. “Crazy Heart” - I'm not too familiar with this film, other than all the awards attention it’s been getting for star Jeff Bridges. He already has Golden Globes and Screen Actor’s guild nominations for this part—that of an aging country musician out to rediscover his humanity—and the film sounds like one of those quiet, powerful dramas than sneak in around Oscar season and steal the thunder from more obvious candidates. It co-stars one of my favorite actresses, Maggie Gyllenhaal (Stranger than Fiction, Rachel Dawes in The Dark Knight), and Bridges has consistently been one of our finest and more respected performers. Seriously, the guy is so consistently good, I often take it for granted—he casually puts in solid work in popular films like Iron Man and Tron (with its sequel out next year!), and yet knocks it out of the park in smaller, more thoughtful roles like Seabiscuit and K-PAX (not to mention his iconic turn as The Dude in The Big Lebowski, a role he semi-reprised in the fun surfing-penguin cartoon, Surf’s Up). I hope this gets him the awards love he deserves, and the film itself could be quite good as well, at least judging by the outstanding reviews.

And that’s it for this weekend. Minus the questionable Did You Hear about the Morgans? (which I think will still be entertaining, despite its contrived plot), there are some excellent choices out there this weekend. Avatar is an easy recommendation, and I’m really itching to see The Young Victoria as well.

How about you guys? Are you planning to see any of these new movies?

We’ll be back with reviews of The Lovely Bones and Avatar very soon. And, for next week, I’m putting together a list of my favorite Disney hand-drawn-animated cartoons, and Luke and I will post lists of our Top 10 Films of the Decade before the New Year.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Clips courtesy of Trailer Addict.
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What's on the Menu (December 11-13)

- Posted by Rusty

This is shaping up to be a great weekend for movies. I could personally recommend two of the films coming out (like I could ever say "no" to a hand-drawn Disney fairy tale...), and most of the other new releases look like solid, interesting choices as well. Let’s see what we have… [breakdown of new releases after the jump]

1. “The Princess and the Frog” - I caught this one last week—check out my review here. All in all, minus its flaws, Disney’s first hand-drawn-animated feature in years is a delight. From Ron Clemens and John Musker, the talented duo behind Aladdin (my personal favorite Disney cartoon), The Great Mouse Detective (forgot how much I loved that Holmes-ian Basil of Baker Street!), The Little Mermaid, Mulan, and the underrated Hercules and Treasure Planet, this film recaptures some of the storytelling magic that Disney perfected in the 90’s. Following Tiana and Prince Naveen, two lively, very enjoyable characters in 1920’s New Orleans, this twist on the “The Frog Prince” fairy tale is full of charm and warm-hearted spirit—a perfect treat for the holidays. It’s not necessarily a great film, but it’s an easy recommend, especially if you love (and, like me, missed) the glory of Disney’s 2-D animated films.

2. “The Lovely Bones” - I just saw this last night (we’ll have a full review up next week), and, while far from perfect, this is an interesting, quite powerful film, and a highly recommended watch. Based on Alice Sebold’s beloved book (which I’m finishing up right now), The Lovely Bones tells the story of Susie Salmon (the amazing, young Saoirse Ronan, an Oscar-nominee from Atonement), a bright, lovely girl in 1970’s suburbia, and one who was savagely murdered on her way home from school. Thus, Susie narrates the proceedings from her own personal Heaven, a gorgeous, endless “perfect world,” something that the film dubs the In-Between. Throughout the film, her surviving family (featuring Mark Whalberg and Rachel Weisz as Susie's parents, both terrific) grieves and tries to rediscover the love that held them together, her killer, Mr. Harvey (the great character actor, Stanley Tucci) attempts to cover his tracks, and Susie, ever lonely and away from her loved ones, tries to make peace with her own death and finally move on to a better place. As you could tell, there are a lot of elements at play here (much like the book)—bits of family drama, supernatural visuals, and even suspense and thrills—they don’t always mix, but when the different pieces click, the film ranks among the best I’ve seen this year. I imagine the book, spanning years of time and lacking any straightforward narrative, was incredibly hard to adapt, so kudos to the filmmakers for capturing some of its ultimately hopeful and loving spirit.

This comes to us from Lord of the Rings/King Kong super-director Peter Jackson (and produced by some little, unheard-of guy named Steven Spielberg), and it’s a beautiful film, all emotionally anchored by Ronan, easily one of our best young actresses. The reviews are very mixed, with many claiming that the special effects distract from the emotional pull of the story. Honestly, I couldn’t disagree more—the film does run into some narrative stumbles in the second act, as Jackson obviously struggles to do justice to Susie’s family's story in under 3 hours, but the few visual sequences always felt right for the surreal state of Susie’s Heaven. It’s certainly not for everyone—its subject matter (though handled sensitively) doesn’t make it easy to watch, but this is very strong work on display, and further proof that Jackson remains on the most important and gifted directors working in Hollywood.

3. “Invictus” - Check out the trailer below. Can’t you just taste the Oscar nominations? Following the story of Nelson Mandela’s first year in office (played by the perfectly-cast Morgan Freeman, our go-to guy for wise, inspirational people), and his plan to unite the post-Apartheid South African people with a World Cup Rugby victory, this looks like intelligent, uplifting entertainment. Plus, it’s packed with the kind of things Oscar voters love: we have an inspirational true story, an important historical figure (who surprisingly does not have his own movie yet), a top-notch cast (including the always-good Matt Damon as South African Rugby star, Francois Pienaar, whose relationship with Mandela jump-starts the plot), and all delivered with a touch of class from director and living legend Clint Eastwood. Honestly, it looks like a very good film. On a simple level, I know only the general facts about Mandela and his presidency, so I’d love to learn more, especially since the events depicted here hold a special place in South African history. And, of course, Eastwood knows how to make a strong picture—it might hit those “hopeful” notes a little too hard (as the still very good reviews point out), but I think the whole picture is worth catching in theaters. Mandela, himself a symbol of hope, democratic reform, and perseverance, deserves to have his story told, even if it’s just a fraction of his whole life experience. I’m definitely watching this soon, and expect this to be a major contender once the Academy Awards season starts full swing.

4. “A Single Man” - If I needed only one reason to check this out, it’s for Colin Firth, the great British actor who’s earning endless raves for his turn here—here’s hoping he will get his first-ever Oscar nomination as a result. Firth has been so good for so many years (ie, Love Actually, Girl with a Pearl Earring, Shakespeare in Love, and, of course, his iconic Mr. Darcy in the 1995 Pride & Prejudice mini-series), that it’s about time he gets his time to shine. If you guys get the chance, also check out his recent film, Easy Virtue, with Jessica Biel—it’s one of his strongest performances, and the whole film is just a witty (and surprisingly dark) trip into the heart of the British upper class.

The Oscar buzz on Colin Firth is my driving factor to see this, but, actually, the rest of the story—about a middle-aged gay college professor (Firth) trying to move on after the loss of his lover (Watchmen’s Matthew Goode)—sounds equally compelling. This could be powerful (and topical) material, and, according to the excellent all-around reviews, Julianne Moore is phenomenal in a supporting part (like always), and newbie director Tom Ford makes it all something truly special. I really want to see this—it looks like a fine choice for anyone seeking intelligent drama, and, like Invictus, I hope to catch it sometime in the next few weeks.

5. “The Slammin’ Salmon” - This is from Broken Lizard, the comedy guys behind Beerfest, Super Troopers, and (unofficially) The Dukes of Hazard. I’m not a fan of them, but I know Super Troopers and Beerfest have their followings (I want to guess a very specific, herbal-substance-involving target audience, but you could probably say the same thing about the Harold & Kumar movies, which I unashamedly love). The trailer below wasn’t all that funny to me, though I'm a big fan Michael Clarke Duncan, who broke through amazingly with The Green Mile and The Whole Nine Yards, then kind of remained on the sidelines for years. He should have been a much bigger star, and while I love his occasional TV gigs (like Chuck!), here’s hoping this will be a nice showcase for his leading-man quality and underseen comic chops. The reviews are mostly negative, as expected. I doubt it will be worthwhile, but you never know. By all means, it could be a silly, stupid-good time at the movies, which is sometimes just the thing we need.

And that’s it for this weekend. Are you guys excited to see any of these films?

Of the ones I haven’t seen, I think A Single Man and Invictus look equally good, both bona-fide awards contenders featuring some of our best off- and on-screen talent.

Next week looks pretty great too—we’ll have the release of the star-studded musical, Nine, a new Hugh Grant romantic comedy (always a nice option in my book), and James Cameron’s 3-D epic, Avatar, which, yeah, we might be a tiny bit excited to see.

Have a good weekend, everyone, and see you next week!

Clips courtesy of Trailer Addict.
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Review: "The Princess and the Frog"

- Posted by Rusty


Movie: Disney’s The Princess and The Frog

My Rating: 3 bites [out of 5]

In Short: The hand-drawn-animated The Princess and the Frog is a most welcome return to form for Disney! Although it doesn’t hit the highs of their previous classics, it’s a lovely fairy tale that will sit comfortably on the shelf next to your old Disney VHS’es. [full review after the jump]

Full Review: The Princess and the Frog, in a spin on the Grimm Brothers’ “The Frog Prince”, stars the bright, determined Tiana, who dreams of opening her own restaurant in 1920’s New Orleans. But, when money problems get in the way, she stumbles upon a smooth-talking, very cooly accented, talking frog. Turns out, he’s a prince under a curse by the voodoo Shadow Man (a very colorful, fun villain), and if she kisses him…well, he’ll turn human again and pay for her restaurant!

Ah, but there’s the twist: the mucus-y kiss fails and they both turn into frogs instead, launching a bright, colorful adventure into the Louisiana bayou. Wisecracking animal sidekicks, lots of musical numbers, and one big, last-10-minutes showdown with the villain ensue. And, of course, we get lots of heartfelt moments along the way, with a sweet running theme of making your own dreams come true, not by wishing but through patience, hard work, and dedication—I wouldn’t expect any less from Disney.

Like it sounds, this it the old Disney formula down pat, and it’s a wonderful, familiar sight. What makes this outing extra special is likely the most engaging central couple Disney has ever had. Tiana is getting a lot of positive word-of-mouth for being the first Black princess (long overdue, though still nice to see), but her character is also headstrong, intelligent, hard-working (she even refuses to dance, for she’d rather work and save money for her restaurant!), and has big dreams that don’t only revolve around boys (take that, Bella Swan). She’s probably the most rounded character in the Disney Princess universe and the best role-model for young girls since Beauty and the Beast’s Belle.

As for Prince Naveen…well, he’s a charming, ultra-suave European womanizer (as much as the G-rating will allow him to talk about), but, of course, with a great, big heart too. He’s great fun to watch, and he gets the biggest laughs in this movie. There were also genuine and very sweet sparks between him and Tiana (not to mention an adorable running joke about “slime” vs. “one’s own mucus”)—his journey in the film is really the most rewarding. What a great change of pace from Disney’s stock of unbearably bland princes (I’m looking at you, Prince Eric!).

In all honesty, I wanted to rate this higher, but there were just a few nagging things that prevented it from becoming an instant classic for me. First off, while the story was cute, it just felt too slim to support 90 minutes, resulting in parts of the movie feeling padded and sapping its great, zippy initial energy.

Same goes for the musical numbers: the songs are well-animated—lots of oomph and colors and jazzy tunes—but there were a good one or two that felt like they were filling up time and not pushing the story forward. It doesn’t really help that the songs weren’t too memorable—I enjoyed them when I saw the film last week, but none of them really stuck in my head (compare that to: “A Whole New World”, “Under the Sea,” the opening song of Beauty and the Beast, and many, many more).

Finally, while the cast of characters here is a funky, creative bunch (including a jazz-playing chubby alligator and a Cajun fly), none of them end up really standing out. They don’t really pop off the screen—we like them, sure, but their personalities don’t leave too lasting of an imprint. There are no Timons here, or Abus, or Lumieres—Tiana and Naveen make up for this, but I would have liked to see them surrounded by a more developed group of people. Even the villain, while very amusing to watch and root against, pales in comparison to more deliciously evil Disney baddies like Jafar and Gaston. I know I’m comparing The Princess and the Frog too much to the Disney classics I grew up with; it should stand on its own, and, by all means, it does. It’s just so close to being perfect that it’s a bit of a bummer that it falls short.

Still, my nitpicks aside, I’m sure little kids will eat this up. Even better, all of us crazy Disney enthusiasts (I know there’s a bunch of us out there!) or just fans of good family films will love this too. It’s too charming not to like, brimming with warm humor and imagination, and, despite its shortcomings, I have a feeling I’ll watch this many more times over the years.

If you caught the trailers and I liked what you saw, I’m pretty sure you’ll like the final product too. Go out and see it—you know you want to; even if you don’t come out humming the songs, you’ll still exit with a great big smile on your face. After all, it’s why we adore the old Disney movies.

Good to know that Disney (and not just Pixar) is making those once again.

Image courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures.
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What's on the Menu (December 4-6)

- Posted by Rusty

Hey, everyone! This looks like a pretty good weekend, with 7 new releases hitting theaters—we have some dud choices, but some potentially great ones as well. Let’s break down the new releases… [breakdown after the jump]

1. “Armored” - Yeah, I could totally live without seeing this. And, really, shouldn’t this come out in September? Some good actors and a ho-hum premise—September is chock-full of those types of films—quickly forgettable, but maybe good enough for a quick buck, since there’s not much else out in the doldrums of the first month of school. Sorry, it’s hard to muster up any enthusiasm for this—I like a lot of these actors (Laurence Fishburne, Matt Dillon, the great Frenchman, Jean Reno), but the whole plot—about an armored-truck heist-gone-wrong—looks lackluster at best from the trailer. This didn’t screen for critics (never a good sign)…although I suspect, when all is said and done, that this will be a middle-of-the-road kind of film—far from good, but passably entertaining. There are certainly worse choices out there, but I would go for something that looks more substantial than this.

2. “Up in the Air” - Now this just looks wonderful. I loved the teaser from a few months back, and the full-length trailer (see it below) is even better—more humor and a much greater dose of the plot. This comes from director Jason Reitman, whose first two films, Thank You For Smoking and Juno, comprise one of the best one-two punches I’ve seen in a while. Looks like this is another winner for him: the reviews are absolutely sensational, and the story, tracking George Clooney’s travel-loving expert firer (yep, the guy whose job it is to come over and personally fire workers) and his realization of his empty existence, is both topical, and with lots of potential for good, heartfelt drama. Clooney is slowly taking his place (if he’s not there already) among our best actors—his choices are savvy and always interesting, and I love how he uses his box office clout to keep making mature, personal films that actually have something to say (his Ocean’s buddies, Matt Damon and Brad Pitt, are pretty much in the same league). Same goes for Jason Reitman—he’s a young director, but he shows a confidence and understanding of the various material he tackles of someone who’s been doing this for years. He’s the real deal, and I think he’ll knock it out of the park with this film too. I have very high hopes for this one—I’m definitely checking it out in the next few weeks. Also, so far, it looks like a sure-bet Oscar frontrunner, so expect to hear lots of buzz on it in the months leading up to February’s ceremony.

3. “Brothers” - The trailer for this is actually kind of brilliant. Check it out below—the tonal shift near the end is completely unexpected, turning what looked like a heart-tugging drama of grief and forgiveness into a more psychological, intense experience. It could be interesting—it comes from award-winning director Jim Sheridan (In America, In the Name of the Father), and its trio of actors—Natalie Portman, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Tobey Maguire—is excellent all-around. The story, following one brother’s (Maguire) disappearance in Afghanistan, and his wife’s (Portman) growing relationship with his just-out-of-prison brother (Gyllenhaal), looks to hit the right emotional notes as well. My only bit of apprehension is screenwriter David Benioff—he’s a respected novelist, and one of the highest-paid scribes in Hollywood. But he’s also quite inconsistent—for every terrific, powerful script like The 25th Hour (based on his own novel), we get the underwhelming Troy or the stylish, but ultimately kind of pointless, Stay. I hope I’m wrong on this one—the many great reviews certainly indicate that. Plus, from the reviews, it looks like this is Tobey Maguire’s show, and he more than rises to the occasion. Portman and Gyllenhaal are already Oscar-nominees, so, all Star Wars prequels aside, we know to expect good things from them (and it helps that I’m completely in love with Natalie Portman—she’s like a Jewish goddess!). Maguire, on the other hand, has always been a good actor (see: Wonder Boys, The Cider House Rules, Pleasantville), but, post-Spider-Man, he rarely had a chance to display some range. Here (at least in the trailer), he shows an unhinged, go-for-broke energy, and I think he’ll turn a lot of heads—it’s about time Peter Parker gets back some credibility. All in all, it’s an interesting choice—I’ll definitely see this eventually, even if it’s not in theaters.

Fun Fact: Casting Gyllenhaal and Maguire as brothers is pure genius—the two honestly look similar, and, even better, Gyllenhaal almost replaced Maguire as Peter Parker in Spider-Man 2, back when Maguire’s back injury might have prevented him from stepping back into his signature role.

4. “The Last Station” - I’m very intrigued by this film, tracing the last days of Russian literary giant, Lev Tolstoy (Anna Karenina and the huge, daunting War and Peace). I’ve been meaning to read Anna Karenina for ages—I have the huge, pretty, Oprah-approved edition lying on my shelf, and I’m promising myself that I will read it in the next few months—it’s too much of a classic for me to ignore anymore! I’m also crazy for biopics about writers—the peeks into the creative process, or really just the general lives of our great artists (Finding Neverland, especially, is one of my favorite films). Tolstoy was a fascinating figure—I wasn’t enthusiastic about his short stories in my Russian Lit class (although that might change when I finally check out Anna Karenina), but there’s no denying he led an interesting and very influential life. From what I gather, this film will cover his embrace of religion, and his wish to donate his land to the Russian people. Christopher Plummer is Tolstoy, Helen Mirren plays his wife, Sofya, and my favorite young actor right now, James McAvoy, stars as his advisor, Bulgakov (sadly not that Bulgakov, who wrote one of the most famous and amazing Russian novels, The Master and Margarita). I really want to see this—it’s playing in limited release in both New York and LA, but, as always, it should expand into more cities in the coming weeks. Reviews are also very strong and it’s picking up some Oscar buzz, especially for star (and Oscar-darling) Helen Mirren (here’s hoping McAvoy’s performance will gain some steam as well)—looks like a solid choice for those looking for a respectable historical drama.

5. “Everybody’s Fine” - I liked the trailer a lot, and the cast (featuring Robert De Niro, Kate Becksinale, Drew Barrymore, and the always-amazing Sam Rockwell) is fantastic. However, judging by the mixed reviews (with even the positive ones not that enthusiastic), I reckon this will turn out to be a decent, but pretty flawed film. The set-up—De Niro’s widower father tries to reconnect with his kids, all of whom were far closer to their mother—is good, but it needs a strong script to prevent it from falling into clichéd melodrama; sadly, it doesn’t sound like that happens here. Still, I see this as a good rental in the future—it’s great to see De Niro in what looks like a warm-spirited, layered performance (and not a gruff caricature, the kind he does so effortlessly) and I’m sure the rest of the cast deliver as well. These types of films, the family dramedies, are easy to watch, and I can overlook a lot flaws if the character work is believable and affecting—I hope that’s true of the final product here. It’s an awfully likeable group of people in front of the camera, so think of it as hesitant, maybe-worthwhile choice.

6. “Serious Moonlight” - I only know the very basic facts about this film: it was the last written script of the late Adrianne Shelley (the likeable writer/director/star of the indie, Waitress, who was tragically murdered shortly before that film came out). Cheryl Hines, a lovely comic actress and Shelley’s co-star in Waitress (she’s also Larry’s long-suffering love on Curb Your Enthusiasm) developed this feature, and this also marks her directorial debut. I’m not so sure about the concept—a wife (Meg Ryan) duct-tapes her divorce-seeking husband (Timothy Hutton) to the toilet to work out their problems, until complications (ie, burglars) ensue; it carries the risk of being too broad and uninvolving. Then again, if done in the right tone (and the characters are well-written), it could be funny, and the cast is very promising, rounded out by some of my favorite people, Kristen Bell and Justin Long. Plus, for a fun fact, Hutton and Meg Ryan last starred together (also as feuding lovers) in the very pleasant French Kiss, one of Ryan’s most enjoyable romantic comedies. Not a must-see for me, but, like a few other films this weekend, it could be a good rental in the future.

7. “Transylmania” - Don’t bother with this. A spoof of horror/monster movies, this is from the guys behind a few of the recent National Lampoon’s direct-to-DVD films. And if that’s not a ringing endorsement, these types of spoof films are rarely done well—in fact, the vast majority of them are downright awful. Date Movie, Epic Movie, Disaster Movie—it’s ridiculous that people were paid to write those strings-of-jokes (terrible ones at that!) disguised as movies. Sure, we have the likes of Hot Fuzz (which is probably more of an homage than a spoof) and, back in the day, stuff like Top Secret and The Naked Gun was very clever entertainment. This looks nowhere near those great films. Gone are the clever ways to make fun of popular films, as are the (very necessary) good characters that could zip through the jokes and still make us care. I think we could all easily skip this.

And that’s it for this weekend. What do you guys think? Any of these new releases look worth checking out?

As for me, Up in the Air and The Last Station look like the best choices. I’ll definitely check those out in the next few weeks.

Next week sees the release of the Disney’s The Princess and The Frog (which I just saw at a special screening! It’s delightful, if not up in the ranks of Disney’s masterpieces. I’ll do my best to have a full review up before its Friday release date) and Peter Jackson’s amazing-looking The Lovely Bones. See you guys then!
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What’s on the Menu (Turkey Day Edition)

- Posted by Rusty

Happy (late) Thanksgiving, everyone! This is one of my favorite holidays—just some good times with family, insanely-stuffing meals, and some hearty, warm spirit to hold us over until Christmas (or, er, Hannukah and Russian New Year for me). And, on the entertainment side, Thanksgiving weekends are usually pretty good times for new movies, and, for the most part (minus one glaring, awful-looking exception), this year is no different. We have five new releases, and The Fantastic Mr. Fox opening wide. Let’s break down the new movies… [breakdown after the jump]

1. “Old Dogs” - Man, does this look terrible; even from the trailer, it looks lazy, uninspired, and the lowest of low-brow. How this thing managed to get top-drawer talent like John Travolta, Robin Williams (one of the funniest men alive, to boot), Seth Green, Matt Dillon, Justin Long, and Kelly Preston is beyond me. Sadly, I have a feeling it will still make money this weekend. Perhaps the actors will make people think this will be something decent, and the plot—about two old bachelors who suddenly have to babysit the kids one of them never knew he had—sounds like it could be a cute film about families. I really doubt it, though, and I hate that Disney (which, when they’re firing on all creative cylinders, produces the best family entertainment) proudly put their name on top of this. I’m staying far away—I like the people involved way too much, and hopefully they’ll all bounce back with something that’s original and actually witty and funny (I’ll give a quick shout out to Seth Green, though, one of my long-time favorites—the only laugh in the trailer belongs to him). I know it’s wrong to judge something before seeing it, but I just can’t see this turning out to be something worthwhile. Reviews are vicious across the board…and, frankly, I’m not too surprised. Don’t see this—I guarantee there are better, smarter, and funnier choices out there, in both new movies and ones that have been out for a while that you just haven't caught yet.

2. “Ninja Assasin” - This comes to us from director James McTeigue, and producers The Wachowikis, the same team behind V for Vendetta, one of the rare action films that get better the more you watch them. I’m not sure where I stand on this one, though; the reviews range from weak to mediocre (and some good, to be fair), and I can’t say the plot—about a rogue ninja who vows to bring down a secret society of assassins—has me rushing to the theater. Still, I like the talent involved, and the action looks slick and actually quite fun. Also, it might be a great showcase for Korean pop sensation Rain in the title role (who you might remember from the Wachowkis’ underrated Speed Racer) and Naomie Harris, so great in 28 Days Later and as Tia Dalma in the Pirates of the Caribbean sequels. How often do we get a big movie with an Asian lead, right? It’s a welcome change of pace, and I applaud the Wachowskis for paving the road for more casting like this. I doubt this will be a great film, but, ever since the disappointing Matrix sequels, I think the Wachowikis redeemed themselves and had their hand in quality works, ably mixing smarts and entertainment--hopefully this will follow suit.

3. “Me and Orson Welles” - Of all the new releases this week, I think this looks best. Tracking a young actor’s (Zac Efron) experience working with the legendary Orson Welles (he of Citizen Cane and Touch of Evil fame) and his world-famous Mercury Theatre, this promises both good drama and an always personal-favorite of mine—period romance. This comes to us from prolific director Richard Linklater (School of Rock, the lovely Before Sunrise and Sunset, Waking Life)—I love that we can never predict what he'll do next, and, while I’m not always a fan of his films (the trippy—but ultimately kind of frustrating—A Scanner Darkly comes to mind), he tackles every different genre with energy and intelligent writing. Plus, Efron is really a superstar-in-waiting; I actually watched 17 Again (yep, not ashamed to admit…well, not too much so), and while the movie had problems, there were a few scenes where Efron proved he could tackle more challenging material. He definitely has chops, and him choosing an independent, non-tween-fanbase project like this (as well as stepping out of the planned Footloose remake) shows he’s serious about his future career (and kudos to him on that front!). The reviews are pretty strong as well, with plenty of kind notices for co-star Claire Danes and, especially, Christian McCkay in the unenviable position of bringing to life that larger-than-life figure of Orson Welles. I adore stories about life in the theatre, the electricity on stage and the magic of creating something alive for the audience, so this looks right up my alley—great talent, an interesting angle on a Hollywood legend, and I like the sparks we see in the trailer (see it below) between Efron’s naïve actor and Claire Danes’ theater manager. It’s playing in limited release for now in Los Angeles and New York, but it should expand in the coming weeks as we move though December.

4. “The Road” - Cormac McCarthy’s original book (on which this move is based) is a Pulitzer-prize winner, and, judging by the people I talked to, just an overall adored piece of work. I bought the book a while ago, and flipping through it, there’s a real power in the language, and in the barren, global-catastrophe-stricken world that McCarthy describes. I think this movie adaptation, which is getting mixed to great reviews, looks like it's very much worth seeing. The book is on my must-read pile, and though I wasn’t as enthusiastic as most people about the previous McCarthy adaptation, the Oscar-winning No Country for Old Men, I think this father-and-son story of survival (in what can best be described as a sprawling, living hell-on-Earth) looks to be an intelligent and quite compelling experience. Starring one of my favorite actors, Viggo Mortenson (who’s been on absolute roll following Aragorn (!)--if you have the chance, check out his Oscar-nominated, killer turn as a Russian in Eastern Promises), as well as small roles for Guy Pierce (from the amazing Memento), Robert Duvall, and Charlize Theron. Mortenson has shown some quality, classy taste in his choices over the years, so this is high on my must-see list—perhaps it won’t be “entertaining” in the 2012, end-of-the-world way, or stack up to the much-respected source material, but this looks like the type of film that we should definitely see somewhere down the line.

5. “The Private Lives of Pippa Lee” - Don’t know too much about this one, save that it’s based on the writer/director’s novel of the same name, but I am very intrigued by this top-notch cast. The amazing Robin Wright (to me, she'll always be Princess Butercup in The Princess Bride) stars as the tile character, and she’s backed up by Keanu Reeves (love him in drama roles), Alan Arkin, Julianne Moore, Winona Ryder, and Gossip Girl’s Blake Lively as the younger version of Wright’s Pippa Lee (ah, Serena van der Woodsen, how big a crush I used to have on you…). The story seems to revolve around Pippa Lee, an emotionally damaged trophy wife who slowly reevaluates her existence, particularly though an affair with her druggie next door neighbor (Reeves). Could be an interesting watch—the reviews are certainly good (if not great), and the talent in front of the camera is strong enough to overcome a potentially slim-sounding storyline. It’s in limited release right now, playing in a few theaters in both New York and Los Angeles—looks like a solid choice for those looking for a mature adult drama, even if this doesn’t exactly strike me as something that must be caught in theaters.

And that’s all we have for this Thanksgiving weekend. What do you guys think looks interesting or worth catching?

I’m going to try to catch Me and Orson Welles in these next few weeks, especially before the onslaught of great-looking Oscar hopefuls like Nine, The Lovely Bones, and Avatar.

Hope you guys had a great Thanksgiving, and see you next weekend!

P.S. For a fun bonus (and, really, it wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without this) here’s a great clip from one of the best Friends episodes ever, with Brad Pitt coming over for Thanksgiving dinner...and meeting his great nemesis, Rachel Green…and complex carbohydrates!



P.P.S. Catch the whole classic Friends episode (free and legally, until November 29) here!

Image courtesy of Warner Home Video and Paramount Home Video.
Clips courtesy of Trailer Addict.
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What's on the Menu (November 20-22)

- Posted by Rusty

Vampires are taking over the theaters this weekend, and, well, there’s no just escaping them. The Twilight Saga: New Moon, probably the only “event movie” until Avatar hits next month, is going to make huge splash, though I think a few other new releases might be good alternatives…especially if you’re not too crazy about Robert Pattison and his pasty, glowing, angsty friends. Let’s check out the new releases… [breakdown of new movies after the jump]

1. “Planet 51” - This looks like a cute idea. We get a spin on the old ‘50’s alien-invasion movies…only this time it’s us humans that invade paranoid aliens (in alien-ized American suburbia). The trailer’s a lot of fun, and I think kids will eat this up. Plus, this has a cast of a lot of people that I like, including Dwayne Johnson (always good to see The Rock) as the cocky human astronaut, Justin Long as his alien pal, Jessica Biel, Seann William Scott (go Stifler!), and Gary Oldman. The reviews aren’t enthusiastic, but they’re mostly decent…which is kind of what I expected. I don’t think this will be something as fresh and witty as Shrek or Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, though it could very well be a pleasant way to spend an hour and a half.

2. “The Twilight Saga: New Moon” - Eh, I haven’t heard too much about this one—some little movie about vampires, right? Man, I hope it can find an audience…

Yep, it’s insanely hard to ignore the Twilight tsunami right now, and New Moon is going to make a ton of money this weekend (it already earned more in its midnight screenings that The Dark Knight did—sorry, Batman). I get that this franchise has its fans (an understatement if there ever was one), and I realized halfway into the first film that this is just not for me—I’m not the target demographic, and I probably never will be. Edward creeped me out (why was he in love with Bella exactly? I never got a sense of that in the movie...besides her blood being like “his own brand of heroin,” of course...), and Bella drove me insane with how passive and singularly focused on Edward she was (does this girl have any interests outside of the boy she’s obsessively in love with? Why, why would she dive off a cliff to get a glimpse of his face?! Seriously, she could find someone better…and less pasty-looking!).

But, as said before, I know this isn’t meant for me at all. Stephanie Meyer’s books are a much-loved property, and I’m sure the fans will dig this new movie as well. Actually, from my perspective, New Moon does have a few new things in its favor. For one, this sequel was directed by Chris Weitz, who made the very underrated The Golden Compass. Plus, it co-stars the great Michael Sheen, the Brit character actor we last saw as David Frost in Frost/Nixon, and who you might also know as Lucian (a werewolf, natch) from the Underworld movies. Most of the reviews (which are fairly decent, to be fair) comment that Sheen brings just the right kind of campy energy in the film’s second half as the head of the Volturi, the vampire government in this world (I hear Dakota Fanning, as a fellow Volturi, steals her few scenes as well). These sound like smart moves to give this series some actual stakes, to make the central romance a bit more dangerous and exciting. Opening up this established world to more vampires and werewolves could be just what this franchise needs to give it a shot of adrenaline…and, dare I say it, more male fans.

If you’re a fan, you know you’re seeing it. If you’re like me, you might want to hold out until the hype dies down and then judge the phenomenon in whole (I have the first book too, and I do want to read it one day to have a proper opinion). Either way, we haven’t seen the last of Twilight—the third film, Eclipse, hits theaters next summer (directed by David Slade, who made the little-seen, but quite great vampire movie, 30 Days of Night), followed sometime soon by the series closer, Breaking Dawn.

3. “The Blind Side” - I don’t know too much about this one—it looks like a crowd-pleasing, based-on-a-true-story sports movie…and, I have to admit, I’m usually a major sucker for those (ie, Invincible, The Rookie). Also, the mostly good reviews say that this is one of Sandra Bullock’s best performances—she can be excellent with the right material (like Crash, a movie I couldn’t stand, though her performance really was terrific), and I’m glad to see her shifting gears a bit from her standard fluffy romantic comedies. This could be good—it’s from writer/director John Lee Hancock, who I thought did a commendable job with similar territory in The Rookie. I wouldn’t rush out to see it, but this looks like something I’ll definitely catch in the future.

4. “Broken Embraces” - Opening in limited release, this is the latest from Spanish filmmaker, Pedro Almodovar, and his go-to muse, Penelope Cruz. I’ve never seen any of Almodovar’s films, though I’ve been wanting to check out his work for years—he is very highly regarded, and the last time he collaborated with Cruz, it led to her first ever Oscar nomination. The premise for this film could be interesting: basically, a blind screenwriter tells his life story, particularly his past relationship with a fiery actress (Cruz). Reviews are very good, with especially strong notices for Penelope Cruz’s performance. This will probably gain a lot more steam as we move closer to Oscar season (which is really next month), and, like Precious the week before, this seems like it’s worth catching—maybe not for some escapist entertainment, but whenever you’re looking for something more heady and substantial. As of now, it’s only playing in New York City, but it will expand to more theaters in the coming weeks.

5. “Red Cliff” - Like underdog-sports movies, I have a weird thing for historical epics too (like Kingdom of Heaven, The New World, etc). And, from the massive back-story that a buddy of mine told me, this sounds like a captivating part of Chinese history, and one that’ll lend itself nicely to an epic movie treatment. From director John Woo (Mission: Impossible 2 and Face/Off, and here marking a return to Chinese-language cinema), this is the most expensive project ever made in China. I’m not the greatest fan of Woo—M:i-2, for example, was a fun ride, but it paled in comparison to the story-driven first and third films. He puts on great action spectacles, but I feel that the rest of his movies don’t always live up to that. Then again, I know his early Chinese films (with frequent collaborator Chow Yun-Fat) are very respected, and this might be the right material for Woo to tone down the flash, and make a human story on a grand scale. Once again, this is a fairly limited release, but, judging by the excellent reviews, this should be around for a while, and come out in more theaters in the coming weeks.

6. “Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans” - The title’s kind of lame (and oddly clunky, considering that it’s not actually a remake of the original Bad Lieutenant), but the great reviews say it’s a fascinating piece of ballsy, in-your-face insanity. A collaboration between over-the-top master Nicolas Cage and unpredictable director Werner Herzog (Grizzly Man, Rescue Dawn), this is the story of a cop in post-Katrina New Orleans, who ends up on a slippery slope of drugs, murder and one hell of a hurricane-raddled seedy underworld. Cage is getting some of his best reviews in years (with mostly everyone saying how he perfectly dials in his patented brand of crazy for this part), along with co-stars Val Kilmer as his shady partner, and Eva Mendes as a complex hooker that Cage hooks up with. The trailer (check it out below) is suitably weird, but, I have to say, it actually does look interesting. There’s a murder mystery on top of all the cocaine hits, and, surprisingly, many critics say the whole thing is a powerful experience, a gripping look into a city that’s breaking down right before the hero’s eyes. It’s probably not for everyone (maybe myself included); still, this looks like something I’ll want to watch later on. Certainly an offbeat choice for anyone looking to escape Twilight-mania.

7. “Mammoth” - Honestly, this is my first time hearing about this one. It’s only opening in New York, and, if anything, it might be worth seeing for stars Gael Garcia Bernal (from Babel, The Motorcycle Diaries, and Alfonso Cuaron’s Y Tu Mama Tambien—he should really be big star by now) and Oscar-nominee Michelle Williams (Brokeback Mountain, the upcoming Shutter Island). Sounds like a fairly intimate storyline: a husband (Bernal) travels to Thailand, and certain things occur that affect his wife (Williams) and family back home. The reviews are pretty mixed, though I expect the actors turn in strong work, as expected. Not a must-see, but another potentially interesting choice if shiny vampires don’t float your boat.

And that’s all we have for this weekend. Is anyone seeing Twilight? In all honesty, I’d love to hear from fans of the books/movies—do you genuinely enjoy the stories, or is it more along the lines of guilty pleasures? (both of which I can understand—zombie movies are sometimes amazing, though a majority of them will always be my instant embarassing-favorites).

And how about the other movies? Any of these look interesting?

I think I’m seeing Red Cliff in a few weeks with my friend, but, other than that, I’m probably using this weekend to finish my book (a definite future "On the Bookshelf") and catch up on some TV shows (which I hope to finally start blogging about next week)…and, of course, sit down to watch my brand-new Star Trek DVD!

Clips courtesy of Trailer Addict.
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"Clash of the Titans" teaser rocks!

- Posted by Rusty

Liam Neeson as a god? Terminator Salvation breakout Sam Worthington fighting mythological beats? Huge creatures, great British actors, and some crazy-looking action? This thing had me at “Liam Neeson as a god” (Zeus, for that matter!). I’m a sucker for Greek mythology, and this looks like the best stab at this material in years. It’s also a remake—I’ve never seen the original film, but I know it’s a beloved, cult-ish kind of property, especially famous for the effects work of creature-king Ray Harryhausen. [more thoughts after the jump]

But I love the look of this. This is one of my most anticipated movies of next year, and it looks like pure adrenaline—a zippy adventure with some awesome effects. Loosely based on the myth of Perseus (played here by Sam Worthington), a brave warrior who defeated Medusa, that snake-haired demon with a thing for turning men into stone (she makes a quick cameo in the beginning of the teaser, if you watch carefully), to rescue his love, Andromeda (Gemma Arterton, who’s going to have a very good year, with the double-whammy of this and Prince of Persia). It’s a myth ripe for some visual fun, and the story’s foundation is strong (and simple) enough to allow the filmmakers to add plenty of new details.

Mostly, though, I’m excited that this is from director/loveable-French-guy Louis Letterier. This is the man who made the insane (but very fun) Transporter 2 and the excellent, Edward Norton-starring The Incredible Hulk. I think he’s going to be a major force one day—his action scenes have a great kinetic kick to them, and he gets terrific performances from his actors (say what you will about Jason Statham, but that guy put in solid, subtle work as the world’s most dangerous, laws-of-physics-defying delivery man). By the way, if you ever get a chance, the guy's an absolute blast to listen to--his DVD commentary on The Incredible Hulk is entertaining with lots of great factoids, and his comments about Transporter 2 (and Jason Statham's big gay secret) are priceless.

Plus, I think this will be the movie to cement Sam Worthington as a superstar (if next month’s Avatar doesn’t do it first). This part should be a perfect fit, making good use of some of the cheer-worthy hero moments he got to show in Terminator.

What do you guys think of the teaser? Since the movie comes out in March, you can expect a much longer trailer in a few months.

And has anyone seen the original? Does it hold up, or do you think the story could use a tech-savvy update?

Trailer courtesy of Yahoo! Movies.
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