Stone, Cast Powers Bush Bio-Pic

You hear the name Oliver Stone and you think of one thing...controversy. Yet, Stone has surprised us over the past couple years. When he was set to direct World Trade Center, a lot of people were dreading his vision of it. Surprisingly though, it turned out rather brilliant and magnificent. So, here we are again. Only this time, it's not a tragic event. It's someone's life. Stone is no stranger to doing a movie about a President (he directed JFK in 1991 and Nixon in 1995), but this is the first film to made about a current sitting President! We know from articles that Stone was never a real big supporter of George W. Bush, so we were all a bit skeptical of how he would portay "Dubya's" life. Well, once again, we're surprised.

It seems George (Josh Brolin) himself has never had it easy. Always living in the shadow of his successful father, George Sr. (James Cromwell). George doesn't try to hard neither. He's constantly getting drunk and arrested at frat parties while attending Yale. He can never hold a single job his father gets for him, which includes working on an oil rig. Of course, George thinks he can get away with it. After becoming a born again Christian, G.W. wises up and decides he'd like to follow in his father's footsteps and run for public office. His belief in religious destiny helps him as he climbs the political ladder, from being Governor of Texas to our current President of the United States. The movie flashes back and forth from Bush's past to his time as President, not long after 9/11, when he's stuck with the decision of sending troops overseas to fight.

Stone does a wise job avoiding just about everything Bush has been criticized for over the years (such as his response to the 9/11 attacks). Stone's direction and the A-list cast's support are what really hold this movie up, though. Brolin does a terrific job as Bush, Jr. We also get Elizabeth Banks as the future First Lady, Laura; Richard Dreyfuss as VeeP Dick Cheney; Scott Glenn as Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld; Ioan Gruffudd as British PM Tony Blair; Toby Jones as G.W.'s aide and (to an extent) right-hand man Karl Rove; and Jeffrey Wright as Gen. Colin Powell. They all play their roles magnificently and each one holding up there own. Cromwell does a superb job in a non-parodic version of Bush, Sr. The only cast member that I felt was a problem was Thandie Newton as Condoleeza Rice. I felt the performance was a little too phoned in, like she was doing an "SNL" skit or something. It didn't really work too well. For the others, it more or less came natural to them. This movie is interesting to watch because you view points of a man who's been criticized constantly since he took office and see what it was really like for him growing up. Even Bush-haters I bet would be curious enough to watch this film. It just further proves that you can't judge a book by its cover.

3 1/2 stars

"The Express" Is Typical But Still Inspirational

Yes, by now it seems cliche. Just about every sports film in the history of man has been made...showing us tales of devotion and inspiration. The underdog that finally gets its glory in the end, or a player who was told he never had a chance and then proves everybody wrong. Well, this story fits among the others like a puzzle piece. The only thing different about this one is that it just may be the most inspirational one out there.

The story is one that will truly touch your heart and tug at your emotions. For those that have followed football closely for years, the name Ernie Davis rings well in your ears. Davis (Rob Brown) was a highly talented football star, who got a big break when he got a scholarship to play for the Syracuse Orangemen. Under the guidance of Ben Schwartzwalder (Dennis Quaid), Davis becomes one of the greatest running backs in the history of college football and the first African American player to win the Heisman Trophy. Unfortunately, Davis was cut down in his prime when he was diagnosed with leukemia, shortly after being traded to the Cleveland Browns (he was drafted to the Washington Redskins, but they traded him to the Browns). Davis never got a chance to play a professional game.

The storyline is fairly basic. We see Davis as a kid, as he struggles with racism and poverty. The movie follows Ernie through into college, a time where racism is at its strongest. On and off the field, Ernie and his other African American teammates are constantly tormented...even in the games. Ben is more or less Ernie's surrogate father, he kinda looks out for Ernie, but is also obsessed with winning a national championship.

I'm going to side-step the usual sports movie cliches, because they are evident here, and it's basically come to realization that there isn't going to be a single sports movie in the future that doesn't have at least some of them in there. The tough-as-nails coach, the big game pep talk, etc. The film does have a few too many close-ups and there does seem to be an abudance of slo-mo shots during the games. Still, the games can be entertaining to watch. What this movie has a lot of though, is heart. It's powered by its immensely likable cast and the story its driven on. It's overwhelmingly inspirational. Ernie wanted nothing more than to play football, but what he ended up was becoming an icon in civil rights, Ernie tackled one obstacle after another, and that's something to cheer about.

3 stars

22nd Bond Feature Has Confusing Name, But Great Action

James Bond has been, and always will be, quintessential to action films. Even if you don't like the Bond movies, you've at least heard of him. His movies are legendary and a permanent mark in the history of film. The film's have been going strong since 1963. Here it is, now 2008, and we've hit our 22nd Bond film. By now, Bond fans know that every Bond film should have a great opening song, a good story, awesome cars, lots of action, sexy women, and cool gadgets. Well, the cool gadgets were abandoned in 2006 with the entry of Casino Royale, but it worked. Us Bond fans liked this different Bond. Daniel Craig also brought to the role a grittier, tougher Bond. One that none of Craig's predecessor's could've done (although they were still great when covering the role). Craig enters his second Bond film, Quantum of Solace, which is the first direct sequel in a Bond film.

The story takes place just minutes after Casino Royale, with a thrilling chase through narrow streets in Italy, where Bond's Aston Martin DBS takes a serious licking, but keeps on ticking. Shortly thereafter, Bond (Craig) and M (Judi Dench) are interrogating Mr. White (Jesper Christensen) about a secret organization that was involved with the death of Vesper. Bond is hellbent on finding out who set her up and will stop at nothing to do it. His exploits lead him to an environmentalist named Dominic Greene (Mathieu Amalric), leader of an organization called QUANTUM. Along the way, he gets help from Dominic's ex-girlfriend Camille (Olga Kurylenko), fellow Agent Fields (Gemma Arterton), and CIA buddy Felix Leiter (Jeffrey Wright). They all set out to wage war against Dominic, whom they find out is planning to take control of a third world country's water supply.

Well, for starters, the title is a bit confusing. Not for me so much because when I first found out about the title, I scrambled to look through my Webster's dictionary to figure out what it meant. I won't spoil the surprise for ya. The second thing wrong with this is the opening song. It's performed by Alicia Keys and Jack White (frontman for The White Stripes). This is the first time the Bond theme has been a duet and for some reason, it doesn't work. It seems a strange combination, having Alicia and Jack sing together. Personally, I think the song would've sounded much better had it just been Jack White, but that's just me. Apart from that, the rest of the film is fine.

This movie also serves a good example of the movie term "McGuffin." McGuffin means that there's a plot device in the movie that advances the story, but the details about it are of little or no importance. Thus is Dominic Greene's quest for controlling a country's water supply. We hear about it, Dominic talks about it a little, and then that's it. The primary plot is Bond going after Vesper's saboteurs. This film has more action than Casino Royale did, which is fine. I've read too many people comparing this film to Casino, mainly because it is a sequel. This is a bit different. We get aerial dogfights, car chases on top of car chases, rooftop chases, nasty fights, etc. It's everything you could want in a Bond film. Bond's actions are a little crazy, bordering pyschosis, but he is after someone that got the woman he loved killed. That's enough to drive any man like Bond over the edge. Craig gets wonderful support, especially Dench, Kurylenko, Arterton, and Wright. Kurylenko, while not the best of the Bond girls, does her part well. This certainly isn't among the best Bond films and isn't quite as good as Casino Royale storywise, but it keeps you highly entertained and knee-deep into action. That's Bond.

3 1/2 stars

Keep Your Panties On, This Wonder Woman Revealing Is a Fake

Are you a Wonder Woman fan that's been itching for a big screen adaptation to come out? Well, you're certainly not alone. I, myself, aren't really a fan of Wonder Woman, but have always been interested in seeing her make her own big screen debut, what with just about every other superhero from the DC Universe getting one, why not the sexiest superhero of them all?

Well, a website known as wonder-who.com claims to have been slowly revealing the identity of who would be playing the Amazonian princess with the magic lasso and the invisible plane. Each day, a different section of an American Flag with the Wonder Woman logo on it would get torn off, revealing who this mystery woman is. On the final day, it was revealed as....Megan Fox.

Fox has garnered a huge fanbase online ever since her break-through role in Transformers, so, naturally, seeing the 22-year-old brunette in full Wonder Woman garb would make anyone jump...especially a huge fan of either Fox and/or Wonder Woman.

But hold on to your panties, shortstuff. This is all a hoax. Yep, that's right. None of it is true. Fox has no ties with a Wonder Woman movie, nor does Warner Bros. or DC Pictures have anything lined up. Speculation has circled for quite a while now, with producer Joel Silver attached at one point, and then another when Buffy the Vampire Slayer creator Joss Whedon was set to write and direct, but pulled out due to "creative differences."

There's been no leads as to who is behind this enormous farce, but JoBlo.com was able to contact a representative from Warner Bros. who stated that the site was "complete B.S."

You can access the site via the provided link:

http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vd3d3LndvbmRlci13aG8uY29tL2luZGV4Lmh0bWw=

More of the Same But with a Duller Story in Fifth "Saw" Outing

There's only so much audiences can take. After reaching it's umpteenth entry, a horror film franchise becomes harder and harder to keep audiences interested. Plot lines become repetitive and the stories become dull and boring. Such is the case with Saw V.

It's been a couple years since Jigsaw (Tobin Bell) died (he did so in Saw III), but for some reason, he work goes on. It's revealed that the person who's been named as Jigsaw's successor (would he be called Jigsaw II?) is none other than Det. Hoffman (Costas Mandylor). As he continues Jigsaw's work, FBI Agent Strahm (Scott Patterson) gets closer and closer to uncovering Jigsaw. Meanwhile, four strangers (but all with ties to each other) get trapped in a room and engage in a series of traps to find their way out.

If it weren't for the constant clever traps and puzzles that the filmmakers come up with, this franchise would be completely dead in the water. It is heading there, as the story is stale. It's a standard cop investigation story with nothing really to go on. There is a clever scene where Agent Strohm is trapped with his head in a glass box of water. He takes his pen, stabs himself in the throat, and then uses his pen to perform an emergency trachyotomy so he can breath. Whether that can really work or not, it's still the most clever thing about this movie. Going into it, you know what to expect. A cop story with people attempting to get out of live-threatening moral traps in order to survive. However, this franchise has run its course. The saw's blade is now rather dull.

1 1/2 stars

Coen Bros. Return to Familiar Territory with Hilarious "Burn After Reading"

The Coen Brothers, Ethan and Joel, have definitely made their mark in Hollywood. They've done a wide array of films, from noir to dark comedy, from drama to standard comedy. Last year, they once again got honored for their work, bringing home Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay Oscars for their drama No Country For Old Men (it also earned Javier Bardem a Best Supporting Actor Oscar). Their latest film, Burn After Reading, is far from their Oscar winning film, but provides all the entertainment you can get while watching a film from the Coen Bros.

The story involves multiple lives, as a lot of the Coen Bros. films do. One is Osbourne Cox (John Malkovich), a CIA agent who gets unjustly fired and decides to write a book about his time in the agency. His wife, Katie (Tilda Swinton) wants to divorce him and start a real relationship with the man she's been cheating on, Treasury agent Harry Pfarrer (George Clooney), who's also married. At the advice of her lawyer, she makes a copy of all of Osbourne's personal documents and top secret files and puts them on a disc. One day, that disc is discovered at a local fitness center by the not-so-bright Chad Feldheimer (Brad Pitt), who, along with his friend and co-worker, Linda Litzke (Frances McDormand) decide to return it to whomever it belongs to, in hopes of getting a reward. Linda is mainly in on it because she wants to get some money so she can get liposuction. What turns out to be hopes for a reward turns to blackmail when Osbourne gets ornery with them over the phone. Meanwhile, Linda tries this online dating service and ends up meeting Harry, who begins seeing her as well. Linda takes the information to the Russians in hoping that Osbourne will give them the money they feel they rightly deserve. This ends up intersecting all the lives as Chad and Linda scramble to uncover more information from Osbourne's personal files, Osbourne tries to get the information back from them by any means necessary, and Harry begins to think that the U.S. Government is spying on him.

In all it's madcap glory, this is one hilarious movie. The comedic timing is great and there are serious moments of pure laughter. The cast does a terrific job. It's especially funny seeing Pitt in a nutball role. It's Malkovich though that steals the show. The story is dark, but funny and the Coen Bros. show that they still have what it takes. This is truly one of the funniest movies of the year.

3 1/2 stars

Mark Wahlberg Is Good, but ’Max Payne’ Isn’t

Well, here we go again. Another vast attempt to transform a popular video game into a feature-length, live-action movie. They've already failed miserably with such classic games like Street Fighter, Double Dragon, Wing Commander, and especially Super Mario Bros. Max Payne is the latest in line and we're still waiting.

Mark Wahlberg stars as the title character, a New York City cop working in the Cold Case Division. His office is dingy with poor lighting. It looks similar to Joe's (Tom Hanks) office in Joe vs. the Volcano. Max is still searching for whoever killed his wife and daughter. Reluctantly, he teams up with an assassin named Mona (Mila Kunis) who's out to avenge her sister's death. As Max digs deeper and deeper, he confronts certain demons, all the while an Internal Affairs agent (Chris "Ludacris" Bridges) is hot on his trail. At the moment, the only people he can turn to is an old friend (Beau Bridges). The conspiracy behind his wife's death has something to do with a mysterious pharmaceutical drug called Valkyrie. It has the ability to give whoever takes it superhuman strength. It falls somewhere between steroids and The Incredible Hulk's gamma radiaton.

There are so many problems with this movie. One of them that isn't is Mark Wahlberg. He's fantastic. This film feels so unrealistic. It feels...like a videogame. Yeah, that's it. It's as if the filmmakers just took the script from the game and used it for the movie. There's these brooding voice-overs, constant flashbacks of Max with his family (you gotta have those in a revenge film), and even New York City looks fake. Another problem is the character's job description, one that I'm sure fans of the series won't like. In the game, Max is a DEA agent. Here's a NYC detective. Why the change? There are a few nice, stylized shots, but these are just to tease us. We're teased into thinking the film is getting better, but it doesn't. Kunis is entirely miscast as she seems to young for the part. At this rate, they'll have reached 100 videogame-turned-movies before they get it right.

1 1/2 stars

’Quarantine’ an Effective and Stylized Thriller

Nine years ago, we were treated to a tepid thriller called The Blair Witch Project, which was the starting point for the whole "shaky-cam revolution." Countless films later, you'd think you've had enough. People have gotten queasy and nauseous over the constant shaking of the cameras, made to look like some moron who couldn't hold a video camera to save his life, was video-taping the footage. Surprsingly, though, Quarantine manages to pull itself from the schlock and deliver itself as a decent thriller.

The whole thing revolves around Angela Vidal (Jennifer Carpenter), a night-time field reporter for a local Los Angeles TV studio. She gets the honor of seeing what it's like in the night of a L.A. fire department. Early in the movie, it's just standard banter. The fireman show her around the building, they play some games, they have a good time. Not soon afterward, they get a medical call to an apartment building. Tagging along, Angela and her cameraman, Scott (Steve Harris) go inside the building to discover a woman foaming at the mouth and then attacking one of the firemen. Moments later, doors are bolted and everyone, from tenants to fireman to Angie, are trapped inside. Something strange is going on and the CDC has quarantined the entire building. People inside the building are getting this strange disease and passing it along with whomever they bite into, and with Angie and Scott recording every moment of it along the way.

Based off a 2007 Spanish film titled [Rec], this is actually a really effective thriller. There are quite a few scares that you can garnish with this tale. There's a few moments of dullness and the shaky-cam can get a bit irritating, but it's more subdued than in films like Cloverfield or Diary of the Dead. Jennifer Carpenter delivers an exceptional performance. She makes you really believe she is scared shitless. This is a fun and entertaining thriller that goes for shocks rather than gore.

3 stars

’Body of Lies’ Typical, But Entertaining

We've seen it before. The typical political war thriller. It seems at least one is cranked out of Hollywood every day. However, give the right cast and crew and the film can still remain entertaining, which is exactly what Body of Lies manages to do.

The story is about Roger Ferris (Leonardo DiCaprio), a CIA operative that's hunting down a possible Al Quaeda leader in Jordan. Keeping in contact with his boss in Langley, Ed Hoffman (Russell Crowe), Ferris devises a plan to infiltrate his network, which includes enlisting the help of the Chief of Jordanian Intelligence (Mark Strong).

That right there is pretty much it as far as the plot goes. Based off of Washington Post columnist David Ignatius' novel, there are plenty of twists and turns, each one making us suspicious of the other, not believing who's an enemy and who's an ally. The cast delivers strongly, with Crowe and DiCaprio only having three scenes together, despite the constant communication their characters have. There's also a sub-plot involving a nurse that Ferris falls for, which seems to be a typical thing in DiCaprio film. Here, it's a bit unnecessary for what this story was trying to achieve. The set pieces are nice and director Ridley Scott's usual visual flair is present. It's entertaining and has plenty of action, but it's not as riveting or as poignant as it could've been.

3 stars

Robert Downey, Jr. Geared for "Iron Man" Sequels and More As Tony Stark

Robert Downey, Jr. has recently been reported by Variety to having signed a deal to play billionaire playboy Tony Stark/Iron Man for two more sequels. Not only that, but Downey will also star as Iron Man in the live action superhero film The Avengers, slated for future release.
Iron Man 2 has been in full swing for a while, with recent reports stating that Don Cheadle will be playing Col. James Rhoades instead of Terence Howard. However, up until now, it had not been confirmed by Marvel that Downey and director Jon Favreau were attached. Favreau will direct the other two sequels. Favreau will also stay on as producer for The Avengers.

The Avengers chronicles the partnership of the classic Marvel superheroes Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Capt. America, and Thor.

Iron Man 2 is currently slated for a May 7th, 2010 release, while The Avengers is currently scheduled for a July 15th, 2011 release.

"Spider-Man 4" Lands a Writer and Dunst

More info on the fourth Spider-Man installment has erupted from Columbia Pictures. Kirsten Dunst has agreed to return as Mary Jane Watson. Also, Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright David Lindsay-Abaire is in final negotiations with Columbia to pen the script. As reported earlier, Sam Raimi and Tobey Maguire will be returning as well. The plot is being locked in a "vault" as of now, but more on that when I catch wind.

Producer Laura Ziskin is looking for a May 2011 release, so all you Spidey fans will have to wait another few years.

First Look at Robert Downey, Jr. as Sherlock Holmes and Jude Law as Dr. Watson in New Movie

These are a couple first look pics at Robert Downey, Jr. and Jude Law, who will be portraying Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, respectively, in a new Sherlock Holmes movie.

The characters, which were created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, is about a brilliant private investigator and his trusty doctor companion, has been adapted numeous times, from radio to TV to movies. The most memorable of those performances was when Basil Rathbone played the character in 14 films, from 1939-1946.

This latest incarnation, which is being directed by Guy Ritchie, will also star Rachel McAdams as American love interest Irene Adler. The plot is still unclear, but it will have something to do with Det. Holmes and Dr. Watson engaging in a battle of wits over a man who will be a threat to London. The film is currently set for a 2009 release (October 2009 in the UK).

*Photos Courtesy of JustJared.com*

For Jean-Claude Van Damme Fans Only...."JCVD" Trailer

Jean-Claude Van Damme is finally back in a way we've never seen him before...as himself. This comedy-drama pits the former action star in a series of struggles, from losing his daughter in a custody battle to losing the main role in an action film to Steven Seagal. When he finds he needs money, he robs a small-time bank.

Not really sure what the whole point of it is, but judging by the trailer, it looks to be an entertaining time at the movies. The film is set to release November 7th.

http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1810028921/video/10133660

Capt. America In "The Incredible Hulk"?

See the in-set pic? Notice the red, white, and blue? Well, probably not, but sources, including The Incredible Hulk director Louis Letterier admit that this is a glimpse at Capt. America, frozen in ice, in an alternate opening found on The Incredible Hulk DVD. The alternate scene has Bruce Banner (Ed Norton) trekking through the Arctic Circle, trying to find a way to kill himself. Ever since Nick Fury's (Samuel L. Jackson) surprise visit at the end of Iron Man and then Tony Stark's (Robert Downey, Jr.) surprise visit in The Incredible Hulk, fans have been searching for more possible clues and/or references to The Avengers (the movie is set for a 2011 release). Well, here's one for ya. It's unknown whether the scene will appear alongside other deleted/alternate scenes in the Special Features or whether it will be a special Easter Egg that you have to find. The Incredible Hulk releases onto DVD in both standard and a 3-Disc Special Edition on Tuesday, October 21st.

*Photo Courtesy of /Film*

Until next time, I'll be seeing you...at the movies.

Do you suppose there's a day where a group of people sit in a room, contemplating whether they should make a film live action or animated? I'm guessing it happens a lot over at Disney. For the most part, Disney can be right on their choices. For Beverly Hills Chihuahua, they should've gone in another direction.

The hapless story is about a pampered Beverly Hills chihuahua named Chloe (voice of Drew Barrymore), complete with designer booties and a diamond collar, gets stuck in the care of carefree Rachel (Piper Perabo), the niece of Chloe's owner, Vivian (Jamie Lee Curtis). One night, Rachel and her friends go partying in Mexico, taking Chloe along for the ride. Chloe escapes the hotel room and finds herself in foreign territory. She's never been outside of Beverly Hills. Soon, Chloe gets snatched up by a group of dog-nappers, who use them for underground dog fights. Chloe narrowly escapes with the assistance of a german shepherd named Delgado (voice of Andy Garcia). Together they attempt to get back to California. Meanwhile, back in Beverly Hills, another chihuahua, Papi (voice of George Lopez), who's been pining over Chloe since day one, finds out that she's been dog-napped and sets out to rescue her, along with his owner, Sam (Manolo Cardona) and Rachel. While out in the wild, Chloe discovers her heritage, is confronted by the usual array of strange animals (including a thieving rat (voice of Cheech Marin) and iguana (voice of Paul Rodriguez), all the while being chased down by the head ring-leader, who discovers how valuable Chloe is and plans to hold her for ransom.

It's the same old story...one that we've heard and seen numerous times. While the voice cast does a great job (the largest collection of Latino actors and comedians to be in a movie, I'm sure) and the dogs are cute, they story is as stale as week-old popcorn. The adventure is unexciting and uninspiring. Why do they have to make the dog's mouths move when they talk? Why couldn't it be like how they did it in Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey. It still looks creepy to see an animals' mouth moving. If you want to see a better Disney flick about dogs, check out Oliver & Company. You can leave this one in the kennel.

1 1/2 stars

"The Rocker" Rocks Out a Good Time

In a season of big-budget blockbusters, overrated films, and highly anticipated movies, comes this low-key comedy that plays with a lot of heart...and a lot of laughs.

Rainn Wilson, best known for his role as paper-pushing suck-up Dwight Schrute on TV's The Office, tackles his first lead role, and does it with brio. He plays Robert "Fish" Fishman, the wild drummer for fictious '80s big-hair band Visuvious. The night after their big concert, the other three members (Bradley Cooper, SNL castmembers Will Arnett and Fred Armison) are given a decision to make: either drop Fish and rocket to stardom or keep him and stay playing local gigs. The bandmembers of course pick the former, which enrages Fish, and leads to a hilarious spoof of Halloween (well, actually Halloween 4, but who's keeping track). Now it's 20 years later and Fish is working as a telemarketer. His co-workers go nuts because Vesuvius has made a comeback and released a new album, in which Fish must swallow that large lump in his throat and try not to go ballistic. He does. Fish gets fired and then breaks up with his girlfriend (so she can't break up with him), then moves into his sister Lisa's (Jane Lynch) house. Her husband, Stan (Jeff Garlin), is a wannabe rocker and in a way looks up to Fish, although he's a little perturbed that his brother-in-law still isn't with Vesuvius so they can be living a sweeter life. They have two children, little, sarcastic Violet (Samantha Weinstein) and shy, teenage Matt (Josh Gad). Matt is keyboardist for a garage band called A.D.D., which also consists of bassist Amelia (Emma Stone) and lead singer/guitarist/songwriter Curtis (Teddy Geiger). They are playing at the the school prom, but their chances are nearly shot when their drummer gets grounded. Running out of options, with no credible replacement, they reluctantly hire Fish. At first Fish turns them down, but he too reluctantly accepts. Everything goes smooth, until towards the end, when Fish gets a little carried away. In order to stay in the band, Fish offers to get them gig. Pretty soon, they're on their way to the high life, when a jackass agent hires them and puts them on tour. Soon, they're getting wild, thanks to Fish's teachings of 80s touring. This leads the band to being supervised by Curtis' mom, Kim (Christina Applegate).

This is a typical small time-to-big time band movie. The movie is often funny and sometimes hilarious. The cast is great, especially Wilson, who's character you'd swear is related to Jack Black's Dewey from School of Rock. Fish is so likable, it makes the whole film work. The best thing about this film is that the high school characters actually act like high schoolers...something you don't see too often in the movies. It's a fun time, and fans of '80s big-hair bands will enjoy the subtle references. The Rocker will leave you rocking.

3 stars

"The Women" Offer Good Times In a Decent Remake

Some movies are classics or at least have a cult following. When remakes occur, it's very rare that they ever precede the original. Films such as Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (1994), Halloween (2007), or War of the Worlds (remade three times in 2005) offer nothing the originals carried. Remember the expression, "Let sleeping dogs lie"? Well, they mean leave it the fuck alone! Then there's movies that are okay remakes, such as The Time Machine (2002). This film, a remake of the 1939 George Cukor classic, which was also remade in 1956 as a musical titled The Opposite Sex, falls into that category.

The Women has a huge, A-list cast. The main plot focus is on Mary Haines (Meg Ryan), a successful wife and mother, whose husband works on Wall Street. She has three BFF's. They are single and very successful Sylvia Fowler (Annette Bening), married mom Edie Cohen (Debra Messing), and successful lesbian Alex Fisher (Jada Pinkett Smith). These four women come to each other for everything. One day, while Sylvia is getting her nails done at Sachs Fifth Avenue (seemingly the popular hang-out for these women), the new manicurist, Tanya (Debi Mazar) is delivering the latest gossip. She recollects on her best friend, who works at the perfume counter (Spritzer Girl as the women call her) has landed herself a nice, married, rich guy. This is the very guy that's wed to Mary. Shocked, Sylvia slowly leaks the news to Edie, and then eventually, Alex. It's only when Mary goes there that Tanya tells the same story. Mary gets a lot of support from her friends, as well as her housekeeper (Cloris Leachman) and her mom (Candice Bergen). They talk about moving on and about life, then they shop. Mary takes a small vacation with her mom and daughter, and there's more talking. They also discover that the Spritzer Girl is a hot, young woman named Crystal Allen (Eva Mendes), in which, of course, Mary feels threatened.

I know what you're thinking. New York City. Four best friends. Sounds a bit like Sex and the City, right? Well, hold on there. This is a remake. Wouldn't that mean SATC is a rip-off of the Cukor classic? Actually, no. They are on two different planes here. Although there is an abundance of talking in this film, it's surprisingly rarely ever boring, although it does go on a bit too long. There are a few lulls where you just want to dunk your head in a bucket of ice water, but for the most part, you can actually sit through it all. There are also no guys whatsoever in this film. Seriously. Not one single man. Not even in the extras or NY citizens in the background have a single Y chromosome in them. They must've banished men from the set or something. I liked that. That's how the original was. There are even a couple of laugh-out-loud scenes, including when Mary finally confronts Crystal and when Edie (who becomes pregnant...again) gives birth (you'll see what I mean when you watch it). The cast holds the film together and while it's more than likely considered a loose remake, it's a faithful one...and that's ample.

2 1/2 stars

"Igor" Pays Nice Homage, and Keeps Us Laughing

Homage. The word gets used a lot in filmmaking these days. Homage to this movie. Homage to that movie. In Igor, the latest animated comedy, the filmmakers pay a direct homage to one of the greatest moments in cinema history, the b&w horror classics.

In the country of Malaria, it constantly rains and thunderstorms. We were told that the country was once peaceful and beautiful, but now it's mainly presided over by mad scientists who compete for the same thing every year. They work on their greatest work, present it at a contest, and the winner's diabolical weapon gets used to threaten mankind. Pay a hefty ransom or mankind gets it. Every mad scientist has an igor. That's their names...all of them. One Igor in particular (voice of John Cusack), doesn't want to be the scientist's hunch-backed lackey his whole life. He'd rather invent. In fact, he has had two near successes. He has a brain, named Brain (voice of Sean Hayes), in a jar that talks. This brain isn't smart nor is it abby-normal. In fact, it's quite dumb (it wrote "Brian" on its jar). The second is a squirrel named Scampers (voice of Steve Buscemi) that can't ever die. Everytime something bad happens to it (i.e. something heavy landing on it), he just poofs! back to life. When Igor's master (voice of John Cleese) dies in another failed experiment, Igor decides to keep it hush-hush and take over his master's duties, creating something everyone in Malaria thought was impossible...creating life. When the leader of Malaria (voice of Jay Leno) and another mad scientist (voice of Eddie Izzard), who is the continual winner of each contest catch wind of this possibility, they each decide to get a look at it their own way. What Igor creates, however, is life, but not evil. Evelyn (voice of Molly Shannon), as she calls herself, is a gentle giant. After they run Evelyn through a brain-washing (kind of like a car wash), a major glitch has occured. The channel in the brain-washing room had been changed to an episode of In the Actor's Studio with James Lipton, so now Evelyn thinks she's an actress rehearsing for the main role in a stage production of Annie. Igor and his friends decide to go along with this, presenting her at the contest as his own creation.

This is an often funny, sometimes hilarious, and awfully adorable animated comedy. Despite the somewhat dingy premise and the pretty good CG, it pulls off nicely. There are plenty of nice homages to Frankenstein, Bride of Frankenstein, The Invisible Man, and even Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde. The voice cast does an incredible job and their timing is great. This is a film for both young and old alike, especially if you were a fan of the old, black and white horror classics.

3 stars

Stallone Plans "Rambo V"

Can't get enough of the blood and machismo that is the Rambo series? Well, the machoness will have to be put on hold for at least another year. Sylvester Stallone announced that he will be writing, directing, and starring in a fifth Rambo feature.

There are no concrete details on the plot, but it has been rumored that the script will be an original one by Stallone, and will be about John Rambo discovering he has a daughter, and that she's been kidnapped by a hostile cult. So, of course, Rambo is going to wage a one-man war and kick some serious ass. It has also been rumored that a majority of the film will be shot in Africa. More info on this story as it develops. As of now, the release date will be sometime in 2009.

Cook Fails To Humor Once Again in Lame-Brained "My Best Friend's Girl"

There are some stand-up comics that can make the transition from stage to film. Steve Martin, Eddie Murphy, and even Tim Allen have done so, marking success in their own way. Then there are those who can't seem to make that transition, like Carrot Top, Andrew Dice Clay, and Dane Cook. Carrot Top and Clay made wise decisions and stepped back from movies, but Cook can't seem to get the picture. I've never really found him funny on stage (only laughed a handful of times), but he's never made me laugh once in a single movie he's starred in. He's got talent, there's no doubt about that. He was really good in a supporting role in Dan in Real Life, but he can't seem to hold a lead role. A big problem could be the material. He's always doing this lame-brained, uber-raunchy comedies that end up sucking beyond all reality. This is one of those films.

My Best Friend's Girl has a bold, but ultimately brainless plot. Cook stars as Sherman "Tank" Turner, a customer service rep for some company that also gets paid on the side to take women on dates and act like a complete and utter asshole. I mean, he takes it to the extreme, even going so far as to take a devout Catholic girl to a pizza place titled "Cheezus Crust" ("where pizza's a religion"). The men that pay him are that girl's exes. His goal is to make such a jerk of himself, that they'll realize what they're missing when they broke up with their ex, and ultimately get back together. This formula seems to work every time. So, when his cousin/roomate/best friend Dustin (Jason Biggs) tells his girlfriend, Alexis (Kate Hudson), whom he's been dating for three weeks, that he's in love her, she dumps him. This prompts Dustin to hire Tank, who reluctantly does. However, a glitch has befallen. Alexis at first hates the way Tank acts, but then begins to like it. Tank also begins to fall for Alexis. So, when Dustin is dismal to discover that Tank's job didn't work, he obsessively decides to try and win her back. Meanwhile, Tank, who is kinda seeing Alexis, must decide whether to tell Dustin, keep it a secret, or just dump Alexis. He even seeks advice from his professor father, played by Alec Baldwin, who, in shockingly raunch-mode, must only be here to fill time in between shooting 30 Rock.

I don't even know where to begin on this heaping load of pig feces. Well, might as well start with the cast. I already mentioned that Cook seems to only do a good job in a supporting role. Jason Biggs' career seemed to have ended after the American Pie series. His last film, Wedding Daze, was supposed to be released in theaters, but went straight to DVD instead. Then there's sweet Kate Hudson. The gorgeous, talented daughter of Goldie Hahn. Her last film, Fool's Gold, was a total bomb, and it seems that after this, she's heading her career into the same direction as Cook and Biggs. The jokes in this film are a complete misfire. Cook insults anything and everything and does a heavy amount of gay-bashing. The story, while I said is bold, is uninteresting and seems to only be a retread of other comedies. However, there is one tiny good thing to this film and thankfully, you don't have to watch it to hear it. As with quite a few of Cook's films, there's a good soundtrack. Once again, a Cars song headlines the movie (the title is derived from it), but there are other good songs involved too. Pick up a copy of the soundtrack instead. This is one raunchy comedy that will make its way to the discount bin quicker than you can say, "This film sucks!"

1 star

"Eagle Eye" a Unbelievable Thriller

In this day and age, it's considered somewhat common for people to be a little more paranoid. With technology being advanced every day, our society is becoming more and more like George Orwell's vision in 1984. Big Brother is watching. Even reading recent news stories about how scientists are working on ways to do so. This entire premise is put to effect in this film.

The story centers on two targests. The first is Jerry Shaw (Shia LeBeouf), a slacker that works at a Chicago-based Kinko's-type store. He has a twin brother in the Air Force. One day, Jerry heads to the ATM and discovers a massive amount of cash has been deposited into his accounty. Not saying anything, he withdraws some of it. When he gets back to his dingy apartment, he discovers that his place is now littered with boxes and boxes of advanced weaponry. Now, my first question is how did they get all these boxes in there without anybody (other than the landlord) without anybody saying anything? Then, Jerry gets a mysterious phone call from a stone-voiced woman who tells him that he's been "activated." She tells him to get out of there because the FBI will be in his place in 30 seconds. Of course, he doesn't comply and gets arrested...briefly. He's interrogated by Agent Thomas Morgan (Billy Bob Thornton, slightly more believable in this role than as the director of NASA in Armageddon), who doesn't believe anything Jerry says. Then, the stone-voiced woman calls Jerry on the FBI line, tells him to duck, and wouldn't you know it? A crane slams into the side of the building, missing Jerry by inches, so now he can escape. Somehow, this person that keeps contacting Jerry knows where he is at all times and can display messages anywhere, from a message board to a TV screen, instructing him what to do.

The second target is Rachel Holloman (Michelle Monaghan), a single mother to a little boy. She receives a phone call from the same woman, threatening to kill her son if she doesn't do as she complies. Coincidentally, Rachel's and Jerry's lives intersect when Jerry jumps in her car. They discover that the same person is pulling their strings, so they stick together. They end up on a cross-country trip to Washington, D.C., being closely pursued by Agents Morgan and Zoe Perez (Rosario Dawson), where they discover a vast program called "Eagle Eye" is being used to eavesdrop on people's cell phone calls and what not (a news story even discusses it briefly in the beginning). The program is headed by Defense Secretary Callister (Michael Chiklis) and unknowingly involves a huge political assassination (where all the major heads of state will be gathered for one night).

Eagle Eye is produced by Steven Spielberg, and they certainly let us know it. There are quite a few angles that are reminiscent of a Spielberg-directed thriller, Minority Report. D.J. Caruso is at the helm. He directed last year's Disturbia, which also starred LeBeouf. In my mind, Disturbia, albeit a direct rip-off of Rear Window, is a far more effective thriller than this one. The cast is good, although Chiklis must think he's still playing The Thing from The Fantastic Four because he shows absolutely no emotion at all throughout the movie. The story starts out fine, then becomes more and more unbelievable. There's a scene where Jerry and Rachel are at a Circuit City and old family videos of Jerry's and pics of Rachel's kid are flashing across a giant screen, while the woman talks to them. There are about a dozen other people in the store! How do they not see it? How do the FBI agents keep missing all that? We just reach a point where we shake our heads in disbelief, wondering, "What will they come up with next?" The big climax actually seems to be a rip-off of the climax in Get Smart, right down to a musical instrument being the trigger for a bomb. The movie makes nice use of Chicago's locales. For weeks, that's all I heard, was filming for this movie (well, that and The Dark Knight later on). A friend of mine even got hired as a stand-in for Monaghan, which I consider really cool. I was really psyched to see this film, but became more and more disappointed as it dragged on. The director, the producer, and especially the cast are fine. It's a different story they're in need of.

2 stars

Samuel L. Jackson Steals Show in Otherwise Mild Thriller

Lakeview Terrace, which is directed by Neil LaBute is simply a tale of racism. It's a different kind of racism that we've seen or read about in the past and in the movies, but undoubtedly one that people struggle with in this modern day. LaBute has a distinct style of keeping people in suspense. His last work, the disastrous 2006 remake of The Wicker Man, kinda showed that, but to very little effect. It's put it to slightly more effect here, but we end up with nearly the same results.

The story centers around Samuel L. Jackson's character, Abel Turner. He's a devoted father, very protective of his two children. He shows this by treating his house like a military base. Abel is also a Los Angeles police officer. He's one of those cops that doesn't mind putting the law into his own hands. A nerve of Abel's is struck when an inter-racial couple move in next door. They are Chris (Patrick Wilson) and Lisa (Kerry Washington), newlyweds. From the moment they arrive, Abel keeps a close eye on them. He plays off as being the nice neighbor, but at the same time, shines his brightly lit backyard lights right into their window. Chris has a couple of secrets from his wife, one of them being that he sucks down a cigarette before he goes in the house. Abel makes it his duty to inform her of this. He does everything possible to make their lives miserable, which includes having a fellow officer's bachelor party moved to his place. He gives them hell, right to the boiling point.

Samuel L. Jackson takes the cake here. He's the whole show. He may do a bit of overacting, but his steel-eyed glare is enough to send a shiver down anyone's spine. The film starts out building a nice suspenseful plane, but never quite reaches the point where we eagerly grasp our arm rests, slide to the edge of the seat, and ask, "What's gonna happen next?" Instead, we're left with a glassy stare. Wilson and Washington don't bring much to the screen. In fact, their characters are rather dull. Now, it should be noted that Lake View Terrace was also the area where Rodney King was attacked by police officers in 1991, and yes, his name and famous quote are mentioned in this film. There is also a subplot involving a forest fire that's steadily heading towards the area. Now, I imagine that this is to set it in a current real life situation, but it comes off rather pointless and a bit unnecessary. Still, there is an entertainment value to behold, mainly thanks to the works of Jackson. You can enjoy watching him any day.

3 stars

Cage and Disney Confirm "National Treasure 3"

Along with the news of a fourth Pirates movie, Disney also passed along further information, with Nicolas Cage and Disney's Dick Cook confirming that a National Treasure 3 is planned.

No plot is set, but their has been early rumors stating that Ben Gates and Co. may be uncovering clues to the lost city of Atlantis, which I would find pretty interesting.

The film, at the moment, is slated for a 2010 Holiday release.

Depp, but no Knightley as "Pirates of the Caribbean 4" is Confirmed

A fourth installment of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise has been confirmed by Disney. The date so far, is looking like it will be released in 2011, but that's not official right now. What is official is that Johnny Depp has signed on to once again play everyone's favorite pirate, Capt. Jack Sparrow. Other sources have confirmed that Keira Knightley, who has portrayed Elizabeth Swann in the three Pirates films will not be returning. She was quoted by M&C, saying:

"I think it was wonderful and an amazing opportunity and those films were just extraordinary and I was extremely lucky to be a part of them. But no. I think my pirating days may be over."

As far as the plot is concerned, there was hint at the end of At World's End, of a possibility of the pirates searching for The Fountain of Youth (Pirates of the Caribbean: The Fountain of Youth?). On the other hand, AICN received word from a source, saying:

In regards to PIRATES, two dramatically conflicting assessments about how a fourth film might be approached have been making the rounds. Some indications suggest the film's story would be far more contained than its predecessors, allowing for a budget-friendly downsizing.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, there's been unsubstantiated talk that a fourth film would go the other way completely...think in terms of ultra fantastical (dinosaurs, Jules Verne-esque floating fortresses, etc.) Not sure how I feel about either notion, to be honest. Not sure if I even care to see a fourth PIRATES film at all.

Only time will tell as we eagerly await the next couple years of hearing anything further about it.

"Fast & Furious" Trailer

Aching for some car on car action? Tame your fuel-filled nerves with the trailer for the fourth installment of the Fast and the Furious series. Apparently, they were running out of time for title choices, so they just removed the words "the" from the title, leaving it at Fast & Furious.

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi3583574041/

According to IMDB, the plot revolves around Bryan O'Connor (Paul Walker) being released from prison and teaming up with Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) to work with the Feds to bring down a heroin importer. Judging by the trailer, they seem to be up to their eyeballs in the same antics as the first film (hijacking moving vehicles, or in this case, tankers). The first part of the trailer looks to be an entire clip from the movie. Hopefully, this will bring Diesel's career back on track (after the disastrous Babylon A.D.). Michelle Rodriguez and Jordana Brewster also return from the first film, reprising the roles of Dom's girlfriend, Letty, and his sister, Mia, respectively. This installment is directed by Justin Lin, who also directed The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift. The film is set to open June 12th, 2009.

Tom Cruise’s latest film: "Valkyrie" - Poster and Latest Trailer

Here is a look at Tom Cruise's latest flick, Valkyrie, a film he's put his primary focus on lately (he must be giving Katie Holmes a break). Included is the poster and the latest trailer.



http://movies.yahoo.com/feature/valkyrie.html?showVideo=1


Tom Cruise stars as Con. Claus von Stauffenberg (who does bear a striking resemblance), a German Nazi who risks it all while plotting to assassinate Hitler. An all-star cast follows including Eddie Izzard, Bill Nighy, Terence Stamp, Tom Wilkinson, Kenneth Branagh, Tom Hollander (Lord Beckett from Pirates 2 & 3), Kevin McNally (Gibbs from the Pirates movies), and Ian McNiece. The film is directed by Bryan Singer, who has done good work before with The Usual Suspects, X-Men, and X2: X-Men United.

Given the lack of Cruise's German accent (considering HIS CHARACTER IS FUCKING GERMAN!), this film may be critically panned. It could turn out to be good, though. You never know.

Save For De Niro and Pacino, "Righteous Kill" Is a Righteous Bore

I suppose there was a point during the filming of this movie where the filmmakers decided to just screw it, because they have two of Hollywood's greatest actors starring in it. At least, that's what it felt like while watching this. Robert De Niro and Al Pacino, two of the best actor's in this generation, set up shop in a mess of a film.

The film opens with De Niro's character, Turk, a NYC cop, being videotaped in what looks like a confession. The whole film is told in a flashback, as we see Turk, a brash and often hot-headed detective, on the job. He's partners with Rooster (Pacino) and has been for over 30 years. They're on the case of a mysterious serial killer, who leaves poems with his victims, which describes his justification for these murders. His victims also are all people who have been acquitted of their crimes, although they're guilty of said crimes and have just fallen through the crack in the judicial system. This case also seems to have a mysterious link to another case they thought they closed up years ago. Their investigation leads them to a drug dealer named Spider (Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson). They wire-tap a drug-using lawyer (Trilby Glover) to infiltrate his lair and see if they can dig anything up. Meanwhile, Turk is having trouble with his girlfriend, a forensics scientist (Carla Gugino), as well as two other detectives are also on the case (John Leguizamo, Donnie Wahlberg). The big question, of course, is: who's committing these crimes? Is it Turk? Could it be someone else? Whoever it is, Turk and Rooster would love to pin a medal on this guy, even though they have to make an arrest.

This movie will only be heralded as the first time Robert De Niro and Al Pacino share some serious screen time together. Hard to believe, but they've actually been in two other films together. They both starred in The Godfather Part II, although they never shared any screen time at all. They didn't actually have any scenes together until Michael Mann's 1995 crime opus, Heat. They only have two scenes in this one, a pivotal one at a cafe and the climactic scene at LAX. Now they get paired together in this clunker. De Niro and Pacino are so fantastic in this movie, you almost forget how horrible it really is. Almost. It's as if the filmmakers forgot about everything else, and put their entire focus on De Niro's and Pacino's characters. In fact, De Niro's role seemed to have been written specifically for him. If you look closely at the movies, you'll notice subtle references that Turk says or does, to earlier De Niro films. The supporting cast doesn't offer much. Actually, it's quite sad. They support here is a drag. Usually you get some welcome support from actors like Gugino and Leguizamo, but we end up empty-handed. They seem to just drag through their roles as if their real-life career was just another menial, nine to five job. Jackson, for the most part, looks like he got some lemon juice up his nose. His face is always scrunched up. I don't know, maybe he has a headache. The story is chocked will just about every single cop cliche known to Hollywood, right up to a scene where the tough chief (played here by Brian Dennehy) threatens to take away the badge. The story starts out okay, but then gets lost within itself, becoming as gritty as the enviroment this story takes place in. For a majority of the film, we're led to believe it's one person doing the killings, then in the last ten minutes or so, are thrown a curve, and expect us to just take it. Now, I'm obviously not going to tell you whom or what is going on, but I was disappointed by it. I will recommend this movie, but merely for the performances of our two leads. Otherwise, I'm sure you can find something more righteous to do with your time than watch this.

2 stars

"Spider-Man 4" A Go

All you Spidey fans can once again get ready to dust off your homemade Spider-Man suits, a fourth Spidey picture has been announced. Director Sam Raimi will be on board for the third time, along with Tobey Maguire. The script will be written by Zodiac scribe Jamie Vanderbilt. It's also been announced that the script plans to be big enough for two films (much like Spider-Man 3 was), therefore leading to serious consideration about filming a fourth and fifth Spider-Man film back to back. The film is slated for a 2011 release, with principal photography to begin in 2009. As far as villains and characters will go, everyone involved is keeping a tight lid on it. Rumors that date back to when Spider-Man 3 was in the works involve Bruce Campbell (who's made cameos in all the Spider-Man movies) getting a bigger role, and playing Mysterio. I, for one, would like to see that. Campbell is a good actor. Recent rumors include having Dr. Curt Connors in a bigger role. In the comics, he becomes The Lizard. Fan-made trailers for Spider-Man 4 have been popping up all over YouTube, some of which contain The Lizard and Carnage (the out-of-control opposite of Venom). Only time will tell as the film will prepare to get under way.

Until next time, I'll be seeing you...at the movies.

Latest James Bond Trailer

The latest trailer for the upcoming James Bond movie, Quantum of Solace, is now available. Enjoy.

http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1809961074/video/9655524

The 22nd Bond picture will be released November 14th.

Cage Keeps Us Entertained in "Bangkok Dangerous"

What is it with hairdos? Tom Hanks got panned for his do in The Da Vinci Code and now Nic Cage is getting it in this one. To me, it looks the same as in his last film, Next. Well, it's not the hair that does the acting, it's the the person underneath it. Okay, enough about hair. Bangkok Dangerous, which is a remake of the 1999 Thai film, and directed by the same people (Oxide Pang Chung, Danny Pang) is a slightly entertaining action drama with Cage being the anchor of this film.

Cage plays Joe, a professional hitman in Bankok on business. He's got a series of hits to make. Through Cage's narration (which is always interesting), he explains the rules and regulations of being a successful hitman, because you never know when someone in the audience will suddenly decide to take up a risky profession. He hires a young pickpocket named Kong (Shahkrit Yamnarm) to be his errand boy, for $2,000 a day. Sounds nice, huh? Well, what Kong doesn't know is that Joe plans on killing him after everything's done. Joe also has made it a habit to be a loner. That is, until he meets a deaf pharmacist named Fon (Charlie Yeung). He falls for her and struggles about whether he should tell her what he really does or not. After Kong gets the shit kicked out of him, Joe reluctantly makes him his apprentice, showing him the ropes of becoming a successful hitman. On the final hit, Joe's contacts decide to kill him, so that the hit won't get traced back to them.

Cage is the whole show here. He puts on his dead-pan expression, as he shuffles through this film. The action is pretty good and the boat chase is nice and old-fashioned. The only real problem with this film is the camerawork. It's a bit flashy for this type of film. It just doesn't work. Also, the ending is a bit of a real drag. If you're looking for small-time entertainment, then get caught up in Bangkok.

2 1/2 stars

"College" Just Another Teenage Rip-Off

There are two things very wrong with College, the latest teenage raunch fest. The first is that damn title. It could win an award for Most Generic Title of the Year. The second is that it doesn't have a single original bone in it's poorly constructed body. It's just a collage of pale imitations and bad clones. If you've seen as many college-based movies as I have, you'll see it too.

The story is about three friends, the cute but meek Kevin (Drake Bell), geeky Morris (Kevin Covais), and horn-dog tubby Carter (Carter Scott). These high school seniors have planned for a weekend at a college, where they plan to take tours and meet with teachers. Then they hear of the awesome time another classmate had there. When they get there, they end up having to bunk at a run-down frat house, filled with juvenile guys who stop at nothing to torture these pre-frosh. But still, they get a chance to party and Kevin gets a chance to loosen up, which is why his girlfriend broke up with him. While there, they each meet a member of the opposite sex. Kevin falls for Kendall (Haley Bennett), Morris for Heather (Camilla Mana), and Carter with Amy (Nathalie Walker). The three girls are led to believe they're all freshman, which would lead to an completely predictable point where they find out that they're not, then they try and win their hearts back. Yawn.

First thing, right off the bat, I noticed that the three main characters looked an awful lot like Evan, Seth, and McLovin from Superbad. Then the movie rolls forward, unleashing everything in its unoriginal storyline. They even rip-off the king of college comedies, Animal House. For shame! Bell and Bennett are the only assets here. Both are charming and almost make it worth stomaching this film. Bell, like his Drake & Josh co-star Josh Peck, is attempting to shed his teenage status. This won't get him anywhere. The big surprise of this film is Covais. No, not his acting (which is okay). No, it's the fact that I remember him from American Idol. That's right! For all you Idol fans, Covais was on there, and was better known as "Chicken Little." So...he goes from participating in the biggest reality show of all time (and finishing in the Top 20) to starring in a lame-ass raunch-fest? Nice. He should stick to singing. The tagline simply says: Best. Weekend. Ever. Actally, it's: Biggest. Rip-Off. Ever.

1 star

"Disaster Movie": The Title Says It All

My headache returns. I start getting jittery. I anxiously look at the clock constantly. No, nothing's wrong with me. It's just that I was watching the latest Friedberg and Seltzer "spoof" film. I put the word spoof in quotations, because it's less of a spoof and more of just a way to incorporate every single pop culture reference and latest movie into a film. To put it in layman's term: THIS MOVIE FUCKING SUCKS!!

What a shitload of fuck! Why do they keep cranking this garbage out? It's not even funny. They just keep torturing us. JUST STOP IT ALREADY!! Friedberg and Selter wouldn't know a spoof film if it jumped up their ass and laid eggs in their colon.

This latest barf-fest is about a group of teenagers, who, while having a sweet 16 party for their 25-year-old friend, witness the world coming to an end, combined with asteroids and tornadoes. The main character, Will (Matt Lanter), claims he had a dream (which was an opening flashback in 10,001 B.C.) where Amy Winehouse told him the world would end and that it had something to do with the Crystal Skull (which here looks more like molded snot). So, Will and his friends set out to find it. Will is also searching for his girlfriend, who's trapped at the museum.
What makes this even more sad is that a few of the teaser posters were actually clever. Although they decided to spoof posters from other movies as well, the ones that were actually spoofed off of disaster movies were kinda funny. Why couldn't the movie be like this? Why all this crap? Everything from Enchanted to Indiana Jones to The Dark Knight is made fun of, all to no effect. You know it's bad when you check IMDB and after only being in theaters for less than a week, it's rated the No. 1 worst movie ever made. This movie is what you'd find if you were to look in the port-a-potty's next to the chili-dog eating contest.

1 star

Fall/Winter Movie Preview

As the summer draws to an end, we take a step back and gasp at how awesome this summer was. Despite a few disappointments (ahem, Star Wars), for the most part, the summer was one to remember. Box office records were broken, movies made us sing, as well as laugh and cry (for various reasons). Here's a look at what's coming up in the next months over the fall and winter seasons, along with my usual quips about them. Take it all in.

Sept. 5th

A Secret - A French film about a young boy that discovers a shocking family secret. (Opens in limited release on this date in the U.S.) If you're into foreign films, check this one out. It looks to be pretty good.

Bangkok Dangerous- Nicolas Cage heads back into action, sporting the same hairstyle he wore in Next. This time, Cage plays a hitman, in the title city to do a few jobs. In the meantime, he falls for a local and bonds with his errand boy. All the while, the guy he's supposed to kill decides to take him out instead. This is a remake of the 1999 Thailand film of the same name. Cage has been kind of hit and miss with action films, but this one looks to be fairly entertaining. Let's hope I'm right.

Ping-Pong Playa - Comedy with Jimmy Tsai (who also co-wrote) as a kid who dreams of becoming a professional basketball player. He wants to get away from his dead end job. While teaching his Mom's ping-pong classes, he tries to lead a group of youngsters to table tennis glory. I never heard of this one until about a week or so ago. Hopefully, it'll generate more laughs than last year's ping-pong comedy, Balls of Fury.

Sept. 12th

Burn After Reading - The Coen Brothers go back to their natural territory, dark comedy, after taking hom Oscar gold with No Country For Old Men. This one should please fans of the Coen comedy genre. This story is about tw dim-witted gym employees (Brad Pitt, Frances McDormand) who attempt to extort a CIA agent (John Malkovich) after they find a CD-ROM containing what might be classified information. Also starring is Tilda Swinton as Malkovich's wife and George Clooney as her scheming lover. Judging by the trailer, this one looks to be one of the Coen Bros. finest comedies.

Righteous Kill - Robert De Niro and Al Pacino star with each other for the first time since 1995's Heat. This time, they play two NYPD cops fighting through the political red tape to capture a serial killer. Both De Niro and Pacino have been dealt some shitty roles in the past, but this one looks to bring them both out of the muck. Let's hope, for their sake (and ours), that it delivers.

Tyler Perry's The Family That Preys - Tyler Perry, who seems to want to take all of his stage work and put it on screen, plops out another one, about two families of opposite sides that learn to work together. In my book, Perry is 0-4 with his movies, but he's bound to come out of the hole sometime...right?

The Women - Ah, yes. Another remake. Actually, this is the first American remake of the season. This is a a do-over of George Cukor's 1939 film about a New Yorker who leaves her cheating husband and bonds with other women at a resort. This one boasts an all-star cast including Meg Ryan, Annette Bening, Eva Mendes, Debra Messing, Jada Pinkett Smith, Bette Midler, Candice Bergan, Carrie Fisher, Cloris Leachman, and Debi Mazar. This sounds like it could be a cross between The First Wives Club and Sex and the City. Definitely what the guys would call "a chick flick."

Sept. 17th

Appaloosa - Ed Harris directs (the first time since 2000's Pollack), co-writes, and stars in this Western about a lawman (Harris) in the 1880s who sets out to clean up the title town. Viggo Mortenson (who last co-starred with Harris in David Cronenberg's 2005 thriller A History of Violence) plays his sidekick. The film also stars Renee Zellweger and Jeremy Irons. This is based off the 2005 Western novel of the same name, written by crime writer Robert B. Paker. I'm a fan of Westerns and this one, judging by the cast and the source material, seems to be a good one. Westerns haven't really been box office material over the past few years, but hopefully we'll be surprised. Plus, we get to see Zellweger in YET ANOTHER period piece film. She must love wearing those old time clothes. (This film opens in limited release on this date. Wide release is set for October 3rd.)

Sept. 19th

Battle in Seattle - Stuart Townsend writes and directs this drama about activists who arrive in Seattle to protest a meeting of the World Trade Organization, which eventually starts riots. This film stars Woody Harrelson and Charlize Theron. (This film opens in limited release on this date.) Should be an interesting film. Having Harrelson and Theron (who also worked together in 2005's North Country) on board should make it even more so.

The Duchess - No, this isn't a film based off of Fergie's album, but rather a true story, 18th-century melodrama starring Keira Knightley (another actress with a penchant for dressing in old fashioned garments) as Georgina, the Duchess of Devonshire, a headstrong heroine who, despite becoming a celebrity, must endure her villainous husband (Ralph Fiennes) who rapes her and forces her to give up another man's child. Should be entertaining enough, as most period pieces have been in the past. Oscar noms could also be in the future for Knightley and Fiennes for this film. (This film opens in limited release in the U.S., on this date.)

Ghost Town - Comedy about a scroogish dentist (Ricky Gervais) who, during a colonoscopy, dies for about ten minutes (or less). When he awakens, he discovers that he can see ghosts. These ghosts want his help, but one in particular, played by Greg Kinnear, wants him to woo his widow (Lea Teoni) so she doesn't marry a scumbag (Billy Campbell). With someone as funny as Gervais in the lead, you can't miss. Add Kinnear and ghosts in the plot line and I'm hooked.

Hounddog - Drama with Dakota Fanning as a young girl in the American South who finds comfort in Elvis Presley's songs. This is the controversial film that made buzz some months back in which Fanning's character gets brutally raped...on screen. Hopefully this drama will be decent and not a dud, like it was in 2007 when it was publicly and critically panned at Sundance. (This film opens in limited release on this date.)

Igor - An animated tale featuring the voice of John Cusack as the title character, one of many Igor's that serve their masters. This particular Igo would rather invent, though. Looks to be a charming animated comedy. Other cast voices include John Cleese, Steve Buscemi, Jennifer Coolidge, Arsenio Hall, Sean Hayes, and Eddie Izzard.
Lakeview Terrace - Samuel L. Jackson stars in this thriller as a neighbor who will stop at nothing to get rid of the interracial couple that's moved in next door. Oh, yeah. Jackson's a cop, too. Hopefully, this will turn out to be a pretty decent thriller and not be another waste of Sam's time.

My Best Friend's Girl - Another insipid comedy featuring Dane Cook. This one has Cook being hired by his friend (Jason Biggs) to take out his ex-girlfriend (Kate Hudson) and make a complete ass of himself, so she can realize what a great guy he was. Judging alone by the lead cast's track record, I'm putting my money on this one crashing and burning. Cook last starred in Good Luck Chuck (we all know how that turned out); Biggs' last film, Wedding Daze, went straight to video (and sucked); and Hudson's last film was the big flop, Fool's Gold. Let's hope they can salvage their careers from this one, otherwise it could be back to the fryers for them.

Sept. 26th

Blindness - Thriller with Julianne Moore as the wife of a doctor who, for some reason, is the only person who can see, after an epidemic leaves the citizens of a city blind. Not sure what to make of this one, except that it seems they really seem to be getting desperate for storylines. A blind epidemic? Mark Ruffalo and Danny Glover co-star, so hopefully this will be a decent film.
Choke - Sam Rockwell stars in this comedy-drama about a con man who pays for his mother's hospital bill by preying on those who rescue him from "choking." Rockwell has always had good comedic timing. Let's hope his timing isn't off. Angelica Huston and Kelly MacDonald co-star.

Eagle Eye - Shia LeBeouf and Michelle Monaghan star in this thriller about two people who are brought together in a deadly game of cat-and-mouse, orchestrated by a mysterious caller who seems to know their every move. Billy Bob Thornton plays the FBI agent hot on their trail. This was conceived and executive produced by Steven Spielberg. It does seem like they watched The Matrix, then came up with the idea after watching the scene where Morpheus helps Neo avoid the agents via cell phone. This looks to be a decent thriller. This film holds more sentimental value for a friend of mine, who was a stand-in for Monaghan.

Forever Strong - Ah, it's fall, which must mean a sport movie will be coming out. What's this? A movie about rugby? That hasn't been done before! Unfortunately, the story has. It's a tale of a talented, but troubled player (Sean Faris) who must play against the team his father (Neal McDonough) coaches. I'm sure cliches will abound in this flick. Before you know it, there will be an inspirational sports story on curling.

The Lucky Ones - A comedy-drama about three soldiers, played by Rachel McAdams, Tim Robbins, and Michael Pena, who return home from the Iraq War, injured. They discover that life has moved on without them, so they decide to take a road trip together, with each one having a personal reason for the trip. If this is as dull as Home of the Brave (another story of soldiers returning from Iraq), then movie-goers themselves would be the lucky ones to stay away from this. Considering the cast, though, it might not be bad.

Miracle at St. Anna - Spike Lee directs this true-story account of the U.S. Army's 92nd Infantry Division, which was a segregated unit that fought the Germans in Italy during World War II. Four of the soldiers (Laz Alonso (Stomp the Yard), Derek Luke (Antwone Fisher), Omar Benson Miller (Get Rich or Die Tryin'), and Michael Ealy (Barbershop) become seperated from their unit during a battle at the Serchio River and end up in a village behind enemy lines. Spike Lee hasn't let us down and he may even earn a couple Oscar nods for this biopic.

Nights in Rodanthe - Richard Gere and Diane Lane reunite (they last starred in 2002's Unfaithful) in this romantic drama. Gere plays a doctor who travels to North Carolina to find his estranged son and sparks a romance with an uhappily married woman (Lane). Scott Glenna and James Franco (as Gere's son) also star.

Oct. 3rd

An American Carol - A Christmas Carol gets the Zucker treatment as David (Zucker) co-writes and directs this spoof of the beloved Charlese Dickens classic. The story is about an anti-American filmmaker (Kevin Farley, brother of the late Chris), that bears a striking resemblance to documentarian Michael Moore (down to the name) who is out to abolish Independence Day, and is visited by three ghosts who set out to show him the true meaning of America. Zucker was last seen behind the helm at Scary Movie 4, which wasn't all that funny. Hopefully, this will put David, who's previously done Airplane! and The Naked Gun, back in the ring as one of the funniest filmmakers of all time.

Beverly Hill Chihuahua - I can see it now. Paris Hilton praising this film, saying "It's, like, the best film ever made!" Hopefully, it has nothing to do with being a dog version of Beverly Hills Cop. Actually, it's a Disney film about a ritzy Beverly Hills chihuahua (voice of Drew Barrymore) who gets lost in Mexico while vacationing with her sitter, and needs assistance to get back home. Other voice cast members include Salma Hayek, George Lopez, Andy Garcia, Cheech Marin, and Paul Rodriguez. Those acting among the human world include Piper Perabo as the sitter and Jamie Lee Curtis as the owner of the aforementioned lost dog. In my opinion, this looks to be more of an eye-roller than a film pleaser.

How to Lose Friends and Alienate People - Based off of Toby Young's memoir of the same name, this comedy is about a British writer (Simon Pegg) who has trouble fitting in at a high profile New York magazine. Forgetting Run, Fatboy, Run, Pegg has a great track record, and hopefully he keeps it up. Gillian Anderson, Jeff Bridges, Kirsten Dunst, and Megan Fox (Transformers) also star.

Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist - Teen comedy about two high school seniors, played by Michael Cera (Superbad, Juno) and Kat Dennings (The 40-Year-Old Virgin), who fall in love with each other over the course of one night as they head all over Manhattan in search of a secret late-night concert put on by their favorite indie-rock band. Despite its two stars being from Judd Apatow films, this is not an Apatow production. Cera has played the charming, meek kid in his last two films, while this appears to be Dennings first starring vehicle (she played Catherine Keener's daughter in Virgin). Let's hope that this comedy delivers.

Rachel Getting Married - Indie drama, directed by Jonathan Demme (Silence of the Lambs), about a recovering drug addict (Anne Hathaway) who's temporarily released from rehab, in order to attend her sister's wedding. Forget the super-sexy spy she played in Get Smart or the heroine in The Princess Diaries movies, this is a totally different Hathaway. She's got an enormous talent and I think she'll really nail this role home.
Religulous - Comedic documentary starring Bill Maher, who takes on the current state of world religion. Knowing Maher's comedy, this one should be biting and an entertaining doc.

What Just Happened - Robert De Niro stars in this comedy-drama satire, directed by Barry Levinson (who also directed another Hollywood-based satire with De Niro, 1997's Wag the Dog), as a struggling Hollywood producer who's having trouble getting his new project off the ground. I've always been a fan of movies involving Hollywood and/or other movies being made, and this one should be fun to watch. Stanley Tucci, John Turturro, Kristin Stewart (Zathura), and Bruce Willis (who plays himself) also star.

Oct. 8th

RocknRolla - Director Guy Ritchie's lastest crime film consists of a London real-estate scam that puts millions of pounds up for the taking. Naturally, this attracts some of the toughest guys, as well as the more established underground players, all who want to get rich quick. This consists of a cast of basically unknowns, but Gerard Butler, Ludacris, and Tom Wilkinson do star in it. I hope that this will be better than Ritchie's last film, Revolver, and as good as either Snatch or Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels.

Oct. 10th

Ashes of Time Redux - A Hong Kong action movie about a hitman who goes to the desert and finds skilled swordsman to carry out his contracts. Should be plenty of high-flying action.
Body of Lies - Ridley Scott's latest reunites him with Russell Crowe for the fourth time in this action-thriller, based off the David Ignatius novel. Leonardo DiCaprio also stars in this story about a former journalist who was injured in the Iraq War, and is hired by the CIA to track down an Al Queda leader. With powerhouse performances to lead and an equally powerful director behind the lens, this film should not disappoint.

City of Ember - Bill Murray, Tim Robbins, and Martin Landau star in this fantasy film about a special, brightly lit city (built to last 200 years) that has a dying generator. Two teenagers must find clues hidden within in the city before the lights go out. Should be an entertaining film.

The Express - Another fact-based sports story. This one is about Ernie Davis, running back for the Syracuse Orangemen, who became the first African-American player to win the Heisman. Dennis Quaid stars as the tough-as-nails coach. Although a typical true sports story, this one should hold up its own and turn out pretty good. Look for a friend of mine, Naomi Heilmann, who plays the Majorette. You can also more than likely spot her in various parts of the movie, amongst the crowds, as she was an extra as well.

Quarantine - Horror film about a TV reporter and her cameraman who are assigned to cover a night in the life of a Los Angeles fire department station. After the station responds to a call, they discover that a woman living in the building has been infected with something. They try to escape, but discover that the CDC has quarantined the building. Horror films have been rather dull lately, but this one looks like it could stand out from the rest (there's at least one every year). Hopefully, it won't disappoint the audience.

Sex Drive - Teenage comedy about a high school senior who travels cross-country with his friends to meet a girl he met online. No doubt there will be a barrage of juvenile humor in what sounds like a thin story. As a matter of fact, this sounds exactly like Eurotrip, only instead of acros the world, it's across the country. Lame.

Oct. 17th

Filth and Wisdom - British comedy about three flat mates living desperate lives. British comedies rarely disappoint, so let's hope this one doesn't.

Flash of Genius - Inspiring true-story drama about Bob Kearns, who invented the intermittent windshield wiper, only to have his design stolen. Set out to prove it, he fights a long battle with the U.S. automobile industry. Greg Kinnear stars as Kearns and Lauren Graham as his wife. Dermot Mulroney and Alan Alda also star. Kinnear is never a disappointment, and this film should be really good.

Max Payne - Another video-game adaptation hits the big screen. So far, they have yet to make a good movie based off a video game. Hopefully, this one ends that streak. Mark Wahlberg stars as the title character, a DEA agent out to kill those that murdered his family. Ignore the cliched story. This one will be all about the action.

The Secret Life of Bees - Dramatic tale based off Sue Monk Kidd's 2002 best-seller, set in 1964 South Carolina, where a young girl (Dakota Fanning) flees from her abusive father (Paul Bettany). In tow is her nanny (Jennifer Hudson), on the run herself for offending local officers while trying to vote. They find solace at a bee farm, owned by three sisters (Queen Latifah, Alicia Keys, Sophie Okonedo). This should be a charming tale. Fans of the book will certainly swarm to this one (pardon the pun).

W. - Director Oliver Stone's latest, a semi-biographical account (or is it?) about the life and times of our current President, George W. Bush. This is the third time Stone will be directing a movie about a President and the first movie ever to be based off a President that's still in office. Many have been wondering whether Stone will be accurate on his account of the "Dubya's" life or if it will become more of a satirical joke. Josh Brolin stars as our esteemed head of state. Also starring are Elizabeth Banks as First Lady Laura, Thandie Newton as Condoleeza, Richard Dreyfuss as V.P. Dick Cheney, Ioan Gruffudd as Tony Blair, Scott Glenn as Donald Rumsfeld, and James Cromwell as Bush, Sr. I don't know about you, but I'm looking forward to checking this one out.

Oct. 24th

Changeling - Clint Eastwood directs and Angelina Jolie stars in this gripping drama/thriller about a California telephone-company employee in the 1920s, whose son mysteriously disappears. John Malkovich co-stars as a local pastor. This film made a huge critical buzz at Cannes this year and should do so again when it hits theaters and around Oscar time. Noms could be in the future for this film.

High School Musical 3: Senior Year - Now here's a film that, even if it fails, could still be remembered in Hollywood history. Most films start out in theaters, then their subsequent sequels (if the film isn't successful) arrive straight to video or on TV. This one is vice versa. The first two movies both aired on the Disney Channel. They were both such huge hits that the third one was decided to be released in theaters. Whoopee. It's senior year for the kids at East High and that's plenty reason to sing a bevy of songs about romance, books, people, the floor, and God knows what else. Given a bigger budget, this film should have better camera shots and a wider array of setting...at least one would hope. It's a no-brainer that this film will strike big in the box office, but will critics (and fans alike) like it?

Passengers - Dramatic thriller starring Anne Hathaway as a grief counselor, counseling survivors of a plane crash. Things get weirder when they start going missing. Hathaway's a strong asset and this film should be interesting...at least the story makes it sound interesting. We have been deceived before.

Pride and Glory - Edward Norton and Colin Farrell star in this crime drama that centers on a multi-generational family of New York City police officers. Moral codes are tested when one of the officer's (Norton) investigates a police corruption scandal, one that his brother-in-law (Farrell) might be behind and could disrupt the entire family's legacy. Jon Voight co-stars. Considering the powerhouse cast, this should be a great film.

Saw V - Oh, shit. Halloween is around the corner. That could only mean...time for another useless entry in the Saw series. Even though Jigsaw (Tobin Bell) and his apprentice, Amanda (Shawnee Smith), are long dead (they died in Saw III), they keep finding more ridiculous (albeit unique) ways to torture people. They story revolves around forensics exper Hoffman (Costas Mandylor), who goes on the hunt in order to cover up that he's the new Jigsaw. Lame. Moving on.

Synedoche, New York - Comedy-drama starring Philip Seymour Hoffman as a struggling theater director who attempts to build a life-size replica of New York City in a warehouse, for his latest play. An all-star female cast includes Samantha Morton, Catherine Keener, Emily Watson, Dianne Wiest, Hope Davis, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Michelle Williams. Could be an entertaining movie, especially movie, especially judging by the plot, which was written by acclaimed writer Charlie Kaufman (who also directs).

Oct. 31st

The Haunting of Molly Hartley - Can't pick a more perfect date than this. A ghost story opening on Halloween. This is about a young girl who's just moved to a new town after her Mom's psychotic breakdown. Suddenly, she begins seeing images and hearing things that suggest a dark secret to her past. Sounds typical, like we've seen it before. If it's anything like the ghost stories over the past few years, it's gonna suck.

Zack and Miri Make a Porno - It's nothing like the title makes it out to be. Okay. I lied . It's everything the title makes it out to be. Kevin Smith directs this comedy starring Seth Rogan and Elizabeth Banks about two platonic friends who need to scrounge up some money, so they decide to make an adult film together. Sounds like a decent idea. Raunchiness is sure to be at the hilt with this film in this film, along with the nudity and sexuality. Justin Long co-stars, along with Jason Mewes and Jeff Anderson, who we'll finally get to see outside of their prospective Clerks roles.

Nov. 7th

Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa - Sequel to the hugely popular 2005 animated Dreamworks film reunites the original the original voice cast as they attempt to fly back to New York (they rebuilt that old plane from the first), then crash land in Africa. There, Alex (voice of Ben Stiller) discovers his family. I didn't really care for the first one, and for this one, I'm going to watch it for the penguins. The late Bernie Mac provides the voice of Alex's father.

Repo! The Genetic Opera - Despite the dark and somewhat humorous plot, this looks to be nothing more than a standard slasher flick. The story is about a worldwide epidemic that has reached alarming rates. This encourages a biotech company to launch an organ-financing program, much like what you would do to get a loan for a car. The repossession clause, though, is the real catch.
Role Models - Paul Rudd and Seann William Scott star in this comedy about two energy drink reps that are forced to enroll in a Big Brother program, due to their wild behavior. Sounds like a good romp, but be on guard.

Nov. 14th

Quantum of Solace - One of the most highly anticipated films of the year (certainly one of mine) finally hits the big screen. The 22nd Bond film, a sequel to 2006's Casino Royale, takes place not long after the ending in Casino. Daniel Craig returnas 007, who's seeking revenge on whoever was behind the death of Vesper Lynd. This leads him to stopping an environmentalist from taking control of the world's water supply. Dame Judi Dench and Jeffrey Wright return as "M" and Felix Leither, respectively. Olga Kurylenko, Jesper Christiensen, and Mathieu Almraic also star. So dust off your black dinner jacket, make sure your martini is properly shaken, and strap yourself in for what could be one of the most exciting films of the year.
Lake City - Southern drama with Sissy Spacek about a mother and son who reunite under despeate circumstances, years after a family tragedy drove them apart. Troy Garity, Rebecca Romijn, and Dave Matthews also star. The cast looks good, so let's hope that this film delivers.
Nobel Son - Comedy-drama starring Alan Rickman as a professor that receives the Nobel Prize on the same night his teenage son is kidnapped and held for ransom. Sounds like a dark comedy, which has been hit and miss over the years. Judging by the trailer, it looks to be pretty good, though.

Nothing Like the Holidays - Christmas movies begin to flood out, starting with this comedy-drama about a Puerto Rican family, living in West Chicago, who may be spending their last Christmas together. Debra Messing, John Leguizamo, Freddy Rodriguez, Luis Guzman, and Alfred Molina star.


The Road - Post-apocalyptic drama about a father and son (Viggo Mortensen, Kodi Smit-McPhee), who struggle to survive as they make their way across a torched America, to the coast. Based off the 2006 Cormac McCarthy novel and directed by John Hillcoat, who also directed 2005's The Proposition, a gritty Australian Western (which was influenced by another McCarthy novel). Should be an interesting film, as most stories involving a post-apocalypse are.
Soul Men - Samuel L. Jackson and Bernie Mac star as two estranged soul-singing legends that agree to reunite in a performance at the Apollo Theater, to honor the death of their band leader. Final film roles for both Mac and Issac hayes (who appears as himself) should provide some impact for this film. It sounds like a pretty solid comedy.


Nov. 21st


The Soloist - Jamie Foxx stars in this true-story drama about a musical prodigy who's become a schizophrenic, homeless man in L.A. Along the way, he befriends a soul-scarred jounalist (Robert Downey, Jr.). Foxx has never let us down and with the hits Downey, Jr. has had recently, this should be a very compelling drama.


Bolt - Disney's latest CG animated film features the voice of John Travolta as the title character, a small German Shepherd who's the star of an action TV show (think Lassie mixed with James Bond) and has never left the set. Being cooped up like that, Bolt thinks everything done in the show is real, so when he leaves the studio lot, he thinks his human co-star, Penny (voice of Miley Cyrus), has really been kidnapped by the dastardly villain of the show. The trailer has some laughs, and this charming comedy should appeal to both children and adults.


Australia - Baz Luhrmann directs and Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman (who also starred in Luhrmann's 2001 project, Moulin Rouge!) star in this war drama set in the title continent just before World War II. The story is about an English aristocrat who inherits a sprawling ranch and reluctantly pairs with a stock-man in order to protect her new property from a takeover. As the two of them herd over 2,000 cattle across the Australian landscape, they experience, first-hand, the Japanese bombing of Darwin. This film has been pushed back further each time. Let's hope it was worth the wait.


Nov. 26th


Four Christmases - Comedy with Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn as a couple who struggle to visit all four of their divorced parents on Christmas Day. Vince Vaughn hasn't done that well in the Christmas comedy dept. (Fred Claus was just okay), so let's hope this one is better. Robert Duvall, Jon Favreau, Mary Steenburgen, Kristin Chenoweth, Sissy Spacek, and Dwight Yoakam co-star.


Milk - True-story drama about Harvey Milk (Sean Penn), the first openly gay man elected to a major political office - before he was assassinated in 1978 by former San Francisco city supervisor Dan White (Josh Brolin). James Franco and Emile Hirsch co-star. If the on-screen make-out scene with Penn and Franco won't turn you towards this film, then the controversial buzz that will generate around this film might, considering this is the first gay-themed film since 2005's Brokeback Mountain.


Transporter 3 - Jason Statham returns to ass-kicking status, playing Frank Martin, the professional transporter, for a third go-around. This time, Frank is in Paris, driving his souped-up Audi, delivering packages, no matter what they are or how high the risk. Luc Besson co-wrote the screenplay. As exciting as the first two were, hopefully this one won't disappoint as we're sure to see plenty of martial art action courtesy of Statham himself.


Dec. 5th


Frost/Nixon - Another story of Nixon gets the Hollywood treatment. This one is directed by Ron Howard and is a dramatic recreation of the post-Watergate TV interviews between British talk-show host David Frost (Michael Sheen) and former President Richard M. Nixon (Frank Langella). Sam Rockwell, Kevin Bacon, Oliver Platt, and Toby Jones co-star. It seems the late Nixon was always entertaining, giving this is about the fourth time our infamous former head of state will be featured in a film. We hope this movie will be entertaining as well.


Punisher: War Zone - Sequel to the 2004 Marvel action film has Ray Stevenson taking over for Thomas Jane (who pulled out because of creative differences) as Frank Castle, aka The Punisher. This time Frank sets his sights on mob boss Billy Russoti, who becomes Jigsaw after Frank leaves him horribly scarred. Now, Frank must stand up against the army that Jigsaw has built in order to destroy him. Should be a decent action flick from Marvel. Not sure how good it will be compared to the first one (which I really enjoyed), but it may crave the hunger for those that want a lot of action.


Dec. 12th


The Day the Earth Stood Still - Why, oh why, do they need to remake such a sci-fi classic? Because it happened with War of the Worlds? Well, this one (I pray) is at least decent compared to the 1951 version. This one stars Keanu Reeves as Klaatu, who comes to Earth with a giant robot companion to warn them. Instead of the Cold War setting we received in the original, this one will point more towards environmental destruction and Klaatu's warning on what will happen if we don't clean up. Jennifer Connolly, Kathy Bates, and John Cleese also star in this drama.


Defiance - Daniel Craig slips out of his black tux and into something a little grubbier, in this true-story drama about three Jewish brothers (Craig, Liev Schreiber, Jamie Bell) who escape from Nazi-occupied Poland into the Belarussian forest, where they join Russian resistance fighters. True stories have, for the most part, been big hits. This one, considering the size of the cast, and the fact that its something a little bit different than the war movies we're used to seeing, should be an enjoyable story.


Doubt - John Patrick Shanley directs his first film since 1990's Joe Versus the Volcano, and also wrote this drama, set in 1964. The film centers on a nun who confronts a priest who has been accused of abusing a black student. The priest, of course, denies the allegations. Meryl Streep stars as the nun, Philip Seymour Hoffman as the priest, and Amy Adams as another nun. this film could become controversial, considering the touchy storyline, but may be compelling as well.
Seven Pounds - Will Smith stars in this drama about an IRS agent who is depressed and guilt-ridden over the mistakes he made in the past. Along the way, he changes the lives of seven people, including Emily (Rosario Dawson) and a blind pianist (Woody Harrelson). Barry Pepper also stars.


Twilight - Stephanie Meyer's popular teen novel gets the Hollywood treatment, which should send fans roaring to the theaters. Kristen Stewart stars as Bella Swan, who decides to live with her father in a small town in Washington. She falls for a young man named Edward, who, unbeknownst to her, is a vampire. He runs faster than a cheetah, can stop cars with his bare hands, and hasn't aged since 1918. (Hmmm....kinda sounds like Hancock's story.) The story is of forbidden love, as Edward must resist the primal pull of her scent (although he has no fangs and is what they'd call a vampire "vegetarian"). This looks to be a pretty decent story. A different take on the vampire genre. Let's hope it is.


Dec. 19th


The Brothers Bloom - Caper comedy with Mark Ruffalo as a career con man who enlists the help of his retired con man brother (Adrien Brody) to pull off one last heist. He has to show an eccentric millionaire (Rachel Weisz) the time of her life. Caper comedies have rarely misfired and this one should be pretty good. (The film is in limited release on this date. Wide release is set for January 13th, 2009.)


The Tale of Desperaux - An A-list cast highlights this animated tale based off the Kate DiCamillo children's novel, about three unlikely heroes: a mouse that would rather read books, an unhappy rat who schemes to escape the darkness of the dungeon, and a bumbling servant girl with cauliflower ears. These lives intertwine as they attempt to make their way to the castle above. The voice cast includes Matthew Broderick, Dustin Hoffman, Sigourney Weaver, Emma Watson, Christopher Lloyd, Robbie Coltrane (Hagrid in the Harry Potter films), William H. Macy, Kevin Kline, Stanley Tucci, and Tracey Ullman. This should be an entertaining animated tale, given the right material and the right cast (which is already evident).


Yes Man - Jim Carrey returns to comic form in this film (based off the Danny Wallace memoir) about a man who says "no" to everything, then one day, decides to challenge himself to say "yes" to everything. The trailer provides some solid laughs and Carrey has rarely let us down in this department, so this could be another big hit for the "man with the rubber face." Zooey Deschanel, Danny Masterson (from TV's That 70s Show), Bradley Cooper, and Terence Stamp also star.


Dec. 25th


Bedtime Stories - Ahhh. Christmas is finally here. Lights shine brightly in and outside of the house, as well as on the tree. Presents fill up every inch of space, bursting underneath the smell of pine (or plastic, whichever you decide to get). Then there's Adam Sandler with Disney....wait. What? We didn't see this one coming. Adam Sandler's Happy Madison Productions team up with Walt Disney Pictures in this family comedy/fantasy about a hotel handyman (Sandler) who tells his niece and nephew bedtime stories, only to discover they come true. Hopefully, considering it's with Disney, this Sandler comedy won't fall flat like his last couple (Zohan was okay, but disappointing, and Chuck & Larry was horrid). Keri Russell, Guy Pearce, and Courtney Cox co-star.


The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - David Fincher directs this story, written by Eric Roth, about the title character (Brad Pitt), who ages backwards...starting out as an old man and ending up as a baby. An original storyline is just what we need in this day and age, and this looks like it could be the ticket. Tilda Swinton, Cate Blanchett, Elle Fanning, and Elias Koteas also star.


Hurricane Season - What would the holiday season be without the inspirational sports story? This one takes place in post-Katrina New Orleans, where a high school basketball coach (Forest Whitaker) assembles a team of players from five different schools, and leads them to the state championship. Sounds like the same material we've seen over and over again. Hopefully, given it's primary setting, it will attract an audience. Tim Story directs, so let's hope he does a better job with sports dramas than he does with superhero movies...namely The Fantastic Four.


Marley & Me - Owen Wilson (in his first film since his personal fall-out) and Jennifer Aniston star in this comedy about a couple who learns important life lessons from their adorable, but neurotic dog. Based on the memoir by John Grogan, this should make an ample comedy for the holiday season. Both the leads are making an attempt to bounch back: Wilson from Drillbit Taylor and Aniston from The Break-Up.


The Spirit - Frank Miller adapts another one of his graphic novels, this one about a rookie cop (Gabriel Macht) who is murdered, then returns as The Spirit, who makes it his mission to fight the crime in Central City. Sounds like your basic superhero film, just with the added dash of it looking like Sin City (another Miller concoction). This one has been getting quite a bit of hype so it should do well. Will we like it, though? That's the question. Scarlett Johansson, Samuel L. Jackson, Eva Mendes, Jaime King (who was in Sin City), Eric Balfour, and Paz Vega also star.


Dec. 26th


Revolutionary Road - This film will most likely be heralded as the film that reunited Titanic's Jack and Rose. Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet star in this adaptation of the novel by Richard Yates, about a couple living in 1950s Connecticut as they struggle with their personal problems while trying to raise two children. Hopefully, this one will have a happier ending than Titanic. Should make for a decent post-Christmas drama.


Waltz With Bashir - An R-rated documentary/drama with animated elements, about director Ari Folman who tracks down old friends and comrades about a certain point in his life that he can't remember while in the Lebanon War. As he digs deeper and deeper into this mystery, his memory unfolds in surreal images. Interesting, to say the least. This one may be worth a look.


Dec. 2008


Gran Torino - No official release date has been set yet for this action-drama, directed by and starring Clint Eastwood. For months, there were rumors that this was another Dirty Harry film, but that's been proven false. The story is actually about a disgruntled Korean War vet (Eastwood) who sets out to reform his neighbor, a young Hmong teenager, who attempted to steal his most prized possession: a 1972 Gran Torino. Eastwood is coming off hot with his thriller Changeling, so that should provide some added fuel for this film, which looks to make a good time at the movies.




That wraps up my preview for the fall and winter season. Although there's only a few certain blockbusters, there seem to be a lot of memoirs, movies based off books, and the reuniting of cast members and/or filmmakers. This season also comes with a lot of hope for films. A LOT. Until next time, I'll be seeing you at the movies.