Yawn! What's new this weekend?

Seems like it's going to be a slow weekend for the movies.

The biggest film to hit theaters today is Fast Five.  My brother is totally stoked about this one, but it doesn't twist my Twizzler.  Apparently the original cast of The Fast and the Furious has been reunited for the making of this film, making it somewhat - dare I say - nostalgic.  Seems to me that it will have everything all the other films had - plenty of car chases, explosions, fights and violence, with a slightly different plot and a few good one liners.  If you're anything like my brother, or you're just looking for some mindless entertainment, you'll love it.  Me, I think $9 a pop is too much to pay for mindless.  I don't think for a second that this movie will be number one this week.  Maybe I'll be surprised.

Prom also opens this week.  Made by Disney, you can expect this one to be a wholesome look at the life of teens getting ready for the prom.  While I would have loved this movie when I was 14, at 27 I'm thinking I can skip it.

Hoodwinked Too is also out this week.  I didn't see the first Hoodwinked, and am shocked at the amount of buzz this film is getting.  People are genuinely excited about it.  I love the one preview I saw for it that declared it is "as good as Shrek."  Haha, lets not set the standards too high and call it better than Shrek.  Anyway, the film is about the disappearance of Hansel and Gretel, and the other fairy tail creatures trying to find them.  Meh.  This is one that I can see on DVD at best, or on TBS when it gets there.

So, if I make it to the movies this weekend, what can I watch?  I still haven't seen Water for Elephants, so that might be an option if Dan is game.  Hanna is another one I've been itching to see.  So, we'll see what we see!

Only One Can Live

HARRY POTTER!!!  The first trailer for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 is online!  First of all, can I just say, it's about friggin time!  I mean, it's been since November that we got our last taste of fresh Harry Potter material!

Ok, enough with the exclamation points.  In all seriousness, the new trailer is great.  It provides small glimpses of what you can expect, and if you blink, or only watch the trailer 5 times instead of 10, you're liable to miss something.

First is the horcruxes.  Lets not forget the overall mission of this story, finding and destroying all the horcruxes.  We get a glimpse of a few of them - ones that have yet to be found, and ones that have already been destroyed.

Second, is the major focus on Snape.  The truth about Snape will finally be revealed with this epic finale, and I can't WAIT to see it!  And, who is that that Voldemort is performing a killing curse on about 29 seconds into the trailer?  Don't blink or you'll miss it.

Lily also makes an appearance in the trailer, as part of what I can assume is Snape's flashbacks.

The end scene worries me.  Is that Hogwarts that's become a ball of fire?!  I mean, I know it was a mess in the book, but it might make me cry a little to actually see it destroyed.

And, can I just say, I love the soundtrack for these films.  Every time I hear those notes I get goosebumps.  The way they've slowed the tune down for the opening of this trailer is amazing.

Of course, it all boils down to the final battle.  Only one can survive.  And I can't wait to see Harry do it!

Precious Returns

More Lord of the Rings/Hobbit hype today.  For those of you who haven't heard, The Lord of the Rings trilogy is coming back to theaters with extended scenes.  So, if you thought three hours was not enough time to get through the series, get ready!  Longer editions are making their way to the theater this summer.

The Fellowship of the Ring is due out June 14, The Two Towers is due June 21, and Return of the King will hit the big screen June 28 - just in time for my birthday, and early enough that they won't compete or interfere with the release of Harry Potter.

I'm undecided if I'll see these in theaters again.  I've already invested a ridiculous amount of money in this trilogy over the years, and I have them all on DVD and have seen them on Blu Ray accompanied by my husband's awesome HD TV.  So, do I need to spend my movie budget on that?  Probably not.  If I have extra money lying around, I might use it that way.  The temptation is certainly there.    Particularly since the rumors of the extended scenes explains some of the plot holes, like why Faramir's relationship with Boromir and his father is so strained, what happens romantically to Eowyn, and more.

At any rate, I'm excited.

Who Wants To Be A Slumdog?

Last night I watched Slumdog Millionaire finally.  It came highly recommended, particularly after I watched 127 Hours - another Danny Boyle film.

The way the film starts out is sort of jarring.  The opening scene is very intense, and you see Jamal in the questioning room with the officer (although you don't know that's where he is) and the officer is just blowing smoke in Jamal's face.  Then, we're on the set of Who Wants to be a Millionaire.  It takes a little while to figure out what's going on, and make the connection between his life experiences and answers to the questions.  But, I can appreciate a good storyteller's desire to keep the viewers guessing.

The film definitely paints a bleak picture of India.  Seems like it's intended to bring the spotlight to basic issues, like police brutality, the state of the slums, religious persecution, etc.  But, it also doesn't seem like any of those things are exaggerated in the film.  It seemed very real to me.  And the scene with the Americans really gets me.  The one where Jamal's character get's beaten by the police and they give Jamal money, as if that's supposed to make it better.  I love the conversation in that scene.

"You wanted to see the real India?"  Jamal says as he's lying on the ground after being brutally kicked by the officer.

"Well, we'll show you the real America!"  The woman says resolutely and turns to her husband and whispers for him to give Jamal money.

Making a jab at the overall ignorance of Americans, perhaps?

I wasn't overly clear on why Salim felt the need to kill himself at the end.  The change in his demeanor seemed very abrupt.  He was always mildly abusive towards Jamal, and did what he could to stay on top.  He only drew the line once when he knew Jamal was in danger of bodily harm.  At which point he basically threw Latika under the train in order for he and his brother to escape.  So, what turned him into a humanitarian suddenly?  What made him care about Jamal and Latika's happiness?

You can assume by the end that Jamal and Latika get their home on Harbor Avenue or wherever they want and live happily ever after.  But I would've liked to see a glimpse of their lives after things had settled down.  Not because I needed closure or anything, but just because.

Overall I thought it was a great film.  A good renter for a relaxing Monday night.

Happy Monday!

Little bit of this and a little bit of that going on today.

I watched the new trailer for Melancholia today.  The film stars Kirsten Dunst and Alexander Skarsgard among others.  The trailer is...odd to say the least.  I can't decide if it's about this wedding, or about a planet that's going to crash into the Earth at any moment and kill all life on both planets.  It seems like odd things to juxtapose.  At first, based on the title, I thought it was going to be about this super happy wedding day where the bride is depressed and do a psychological exploration of the importance of appearing happy on that day, etc. etc.  But, it doesn't seem like that's it at all.  It appears to be very artistically filmed, and may or may not be worth watching?  I'm not sure.  If nothing else, I think bizarre is a good word for this one.  A US release date for this film has not yet been set, so maybe we won't get it, but for those fans of abstract, semi-foreign films, keep an eye out.

News From The Shire
Peter Jackson has lost Rob Kazinsky as part of his cast for The Hobbit.  He was slated to play a minor role as one of the 13 dwarves, Fili.

Jackson stated on Facebook:
"I am sad to report that Rob Kazinsky, who was cast in the role of Fili, is having to leave The Hobbit and return home, for personal reasons.  Rob has been terrific to work with and his enthusiasm and infectious sense of humor will be missed by all of us.  I should say that Rob's departure will not affect ongoing filming of The Hobbit, nor will it impact work done to date, as we had yet to film much of Fili's storyline.  At the moment, we are shooting scenes featuring Bilbo without the Dwarves, which will give us time to find a new Fili."

Jackson also gained an actor for his long list of cast members.  He just announced Ian Holm will be returning as the older Bilbo in the film.  Holm joins original Lord of the Rings cast members Cate Blanchette, Andy Serkis, Ian McKellen, Elijah Wood and possibly Hugo Weaving and Orlando Bloom.

The first part of the film is due out in December of 2012.

With all the tidbits of news that are eeking out about this film on a daily basis, I just hope there isn't too much hype that precedes it.  Everyone is already expecting it to be epic, based on Jackson's Lord of the Rings series.  I'm just not so sure it can live up to it.  Particularly since Frodo is generally a more lovable character than Bilbo.  That guy is just whiney and annoying!  So, I'm interested to see what Jackson does with his character.  Obviously, I'll be seeing it when it comes out, I'm just not sure it's going to be as awesome as the first set of movies.

All for today!  I hope you all had an excellent Easter weekend!

Opening Today

Happy Earth Day everyone!  And, it's Good Friday as well, so insert your own appropriate Good Friday well wishes here.

It also happens to be Friday, and there are a few movies that look pretty good debuting today.

Water for Elephants is one that piques my curiosity.  I read the book a few weeks ago, and I had mixed feelings about it.  I thought the author (Sara Gruen) was amazing.  Her style was so realistic and really thrust me into the thick of the story.  However, the story is about the circus, which isn't something that I'm overly interested in.  But, it has murder, love, sex, controversy, trouble with the higher ups - which everyone can relate to - and more, which in my opinion is enough to be interested.  Plus, with a cast like Reese Witherspoon and Robert Pattinson, I think it'll be a hit.  Oscar nominee, probably not.  Entertaining?  Yes.  Worth seeing on the big screen?  I'll get back to you.

African Cats also makes its big screen debut today as Disney's annual Earth Day installment.  The others, Earth and Oceans were great I thought, so I'm excited about this one.  It follows a family of cats through the trials and tribulations of life on the African plains.  (Insert Circle of Life soundtrack here.)  And, if you go see it during its premier week Disney will donate "a portion" - whatever that means - of the proceeds to save the African Savannah.

Medea's Big Happy Family also opens today.  Snore.  This movie is not even worthy of putting the trailer in here.  Tyler Perry, can you please retire?  I understand that the first 28 of these had some success, but I'm sick of hearing about it now.  I'm sure you've made enough to live on for the rest of your life.  Don't get greedy.  Quit while you're not too far behind, please?  'Nough said.

Don't forget to check out The Myth of Reason this week, where we discuss Source Code (since I finally saw it), new on DVD this week and today's movie releases!

All in all, could be a good weekend at the movies!  I think Water for Elephants would be my pick to splurge on.  I don't know.  Every time I watch the trailer for African Cats, I want to see that one too.  We'll see.  Happy Easter everyone!

Mixed Bag

Winter is Coming

Holy crap, I haven't blogged for like four days, and there's so much to talk about!!  First, Game of Thrones premiered on Sunday night on HBO.  Can I just say OMG that was AWESOME!  I thought for sure with all the hype there was no way the show was going to live up to my expectations, but it did!  The episode follows three different sets of characters that are all seemingly after the same thing - The Iron Throne.

I was worried that the series would be...well hokey.  I've watched a few episodes of Camelot (Starz) and True Blood (HBO) and was slightly disappointed with the shallow storyline (Camelot) and just plain bad acting (True Blood), but Game of Thrones has a solid and compelling story as well as excellent actors.  I was totally absorbed in the show and disappointed when it was over so soon!  I can't wait for Sunday!

Source Code

I finally saw Source Code this week.  Thank's to Flagship Cinema's rewards program, we got to see it for $6.50 total for both of us!  Score!  And, it was worth every penny.  The story follows a military Captain (played by Jake Gyllenhaal) who is charged with going back in time to the last eight minutes of a person's life in order to discover the identity of a bomber who poses a deadly threat to the city of Chicago.  It has a very Quantum Leap feel to it, which I loved.

There was also a very nice twist towards the middle of the film about the condition of Gyllenhaal's character.  For those of you who haven't seen it yet, I'll let you figure it out, but it gave the film a little more depth.

The end of the film was debatable (spoiler alert).  Dan thought Gyllenhaal's character was just living in his own reality, but I thought he'd changed reality all together, which posed the problem of what happened to the man that he was posing as?  And what happens when they need Gyllenhaal's character to do another Source Code mission?  Does he Quantum Leap away from this new rosy reality?  Anyway, it kept me thinking about it, which is always a bonus.  I'd recommend spending the $9 to see this one in the theater.  It was a great film with a little bit of everything - action, stress, romance, explosions, death, ethical issues, etc.

New on DVD

Really, the only thing worth mentioning this week that's new on DVD is The King's Speech.  It follows the inspirational true story of King George VI, who had a stuttering problem and was thrust into the lime light when his brother abdicated the throne.  He takes the position during Britain's darkest hour, at the beginning of the Second World War, when a strong show of leadership is vital to the country's survival.  How can a stutterer overcome such daunting circumstances?  With the help of a quirky speech therapist that's how!  The film is excellent and should be seen by everyone!

The only other thing of note on DVD is Rabbit Hole, starring Nicole Kidman and Aaron Ekhart.  The film follows a happily married couple struck by a terrible tragedy.  It mirrors the tone of Revolutionary Road apparently (according to Amazon), and based on that information I'm not sure I need to see it.  I was so depressed after that one I needed to watch something like The Little Mermaid to get over it.  So, I'll probably skip that little journey down the Rabbit Hole.

Whew!  I think I'm all caught up now.  Sorry about that!

Ever Want To Go Cross Country With A Crazy Stranger? Me Neither.

Watched Due Date last night.  Despite how stressful it was, I loved it.  I like Robert Downey Jr. a lot.  I think his delivery is priceless and the way he can just spout insults, you can't help but laugh.  I didn't see the Iron Man movies until I fell in love with Downey Jr.'s comedic genius in Sherlock Holmes.  (By the way, Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows is due out in December!!)

"You're 23?  How did you live that long?  How have you not gotten hit by a car?"

I swear, I've known people I could have said that to!

The movie follows a guy (Downey Jr.) as he tries to make it home before his wife gives birth to their baby. Stressful enough on it's own.  Throw in a character like Ethan - Tramblay or Chase, who knows - (played by Zach Galifianakis from The Hangover), and chaos ensues.  

First the boys get thrown off a flight after a vast overreaction on the part of the crew.  They are then placed on a no fly list to continue this overreaction.  Commentary on the way the TSA is keeping us "safe?"  Who knows.  Peter is then forced to drive from Atlanta to Los Angeles with this crazy stranger who got him put on the no fly list.  Major events include surviving a flipping over accident in their rental car, getting arrested in Mexico and then explosively escaping, and Ethan shooting Peter in the leg, all in the matter of a few days, and all before he can get back to L.A. to see his baby born.

The storyline is complex to say the least.  Realistic, no.  Funny, yes!  I'd recommend this film to anyone who likes either Galifianakis or Downey Jr., or to anyone who just needs a bit of a laugh.

"If You Have Tears, Prepare To Shed Them Now"

Dan brought an new film to my attention today - Anonymous.

"It's about Shakespeare," he says.  Being an English Literature major, naturally I'm intrigued.  "It's about how Shakespeare didn't write all his plays and poems.  Someone else did."

"BLASPHEMY!" I declare!

Based on this information I assumed that Shakespeare would have a ghost writer and he would be the charismatic front of this dynamic duo.  Sort of like Milli Vanilli for the 16th Century.  However, after watching the trailer, I'm further confused.  The 2 minute blip of information implies that the original genius was punished for doing something to fall out of favor with the queen.  His punishment was that no one would know who he was.  Everything was published under Shakespeare's name, so the poor man watches Shakespeare rise to be the greatest writer of all time, even though he never penned a word.

It's an interesting concept I'll give it that.  But, the very thought of it makes me angry.  It has planted a seed of doubt in my mind.  A seed that spreads like a vine, choking out rational thought.  What if this isn't the first time something like that has happened?  What if everyone we idolize from history wasn't who they said they were?  Abe Lincoln?  A racist you say?  Henry VII?  A faithful man?  Oh the humanity!  Ok, so that's taking it way to far.

And anyway, I do love movies that take risky, new approaches rather than these tired old remakes and sequels (Scream 4?  Really guys?).  I will most likely go see this one in the fall.  I will also most likely be peeved about it, and rant and rave about it on my blog.  Something for you to look forward to in September.

"Be not afraid of greatness: Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them." - Act II, Scene V, Twelfth Night

So Will, which one were you?

HARRY POTTER!

This week in DVDs Harry Potter dominates.  Friday marks the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1 on DVD and Blu Ray, and I have to say, YEEEES!

The Blu Ray even features an exclusive clip of the upcoming film!  That by itself is nearly enough to make me buy it!  Aside from the fact that I have been very pleased with the way the Potter films have been done, and I just like them.

The seventh installment of the series finds the three troublemakers in world of hurt post Dumbledor's death.  They're on the hunt for the missing Horcruxes so they can once and for all be finished with Voldemort.

Before I saw the film in the theater, I worried about them breaking Deathly Hallows into two movies.  On one hand, the last book was nearly 1,000 pages, and I thought it was right to break it up, so that adequate time could be spent on the story.  On the other hand, I worried how they would break the story apart.  I mean, when I was reading it I felt like it was non stop action!  Where were they going to make the separation?  However, after I saw it, I thought that was just the right place to take a break.  It left me feeling like I do when I watch an episode of CSI that's "to be continued" (aaaahhh!!!) but, it served its purpose!  I got a taste of Harry Potter, and I wanted to come back for more!

Now, this week Best Buy is having a pretty excellent sale on the Harry Potter movies, and for those of you (like me) who don't have them yet, now's the time!  According to Sunday's flier, all previous Potter Blu Rays are $9.99 and the new one will be $16.99 for a single disc.  I'm not sure that that edition comes with the special features/exclusive content or not, but $9.99 for the previous ones is the steal of the century in my opinion!

So, I guess you want to know what else comes out on DVD this week, as if it really matters.  Country Strong makes its DVD/Blu Ray debut this week.  I was intrigued by this movie.  I'm always a sucker for stories about musicians that can over come drugs and alcohol and re-realize what made them great in the first place.  I don't think this is any Walk the Line type of film, but it could be entertaining.  It's on my rental list anyway.

And The Incredibles makes its Blu Ray debut this week as well.  The Blu Ray has several behind the scenes and the making of featurettes.  Since I already own the DVD of this film, those extras aren't enough to make me want to buy the Blu Ray.

So that's what's new this week on DVD and Blu Ray.  I'm hoping this release of Harry Potter is enough to get me through until July!

The Godfocker

Got to watch Little Fockers this weekend!  I love the Focker series for its awkward brilliance.  Plus, they cast the same people in it, so the sequels are often just as good as the original.

They'd all aged a bit in this film, but particularly Dustin Hoffman's character.  I'm not sure if he's really aged that much or not, but man.  Rainman he's not.

So, the movie centers around Greg and Pam's twin's birthday party.  The twins are an interesting set of characters because they seriously don't look anything alike.  This was to further the comedic line that one twin had a "double dose of Focker" but still.  They didn't even look like brother and sister, let alone twins!

Anyway, of course all the grandparents are coming to visit for this little party.  Jack is facing his mortality after having a heart attack, and declares that Greg become "The Godfocker" of the family.  Of course, comedic hilarity ensues.

One character that really annoyed me in this particular movie, more so than he did in previous films, was Kevin - Owen Wilson's character.  He's so over the top in this one.  Then Jack tries to use him to break up Pam and Greg's marriage, and that rubbed me the wrong way too.  When Kevin fell off that pole during the birthday party, I kind of wanted to see him break his nose or something that would mar his perfect outward appearance.  Heh.  Yeah, that would've been ideal.

If you'll recall, I was particularly excited about the gag reel on this film.  However, thanks again to Blockbuster, I was deprived of this feature.  The disc was a "rental" and so didn't have any special features on it, even though they popped up on the menu!  When you clicked on them, it popped up with a message that said, "this disc is a rental.  For the special features please purchase this movie."  I think that is TOTAL bs.  Mostly because I still paid to rent the dang thing, so the movie maker still made money off of me, and quite frankly I'm not going to go buy a DVD/Blu Ray just to watch a five minute gag reel.  Seriously, if you think about this in a dollars and cents kind of way, it costs about $5 to rent a movie anymore, and $15 to buy a DVD.  So, all they have to do is rent that movie 3 times to get their money for it.  My Blockbuster had about 20 slots for the movie and I took the last one.  That's $100 on that one movie, for one weekend, in that one location.  I'm sorry movie maker, but my financial sympathy wanes for you.

Other than the special features mishap, Little Fockers was every bit as good as the first two.  I'd recommend it to just about anyone!

All Tangled Up

I finally got to watch Tangled last night!!  It was sort of epic, because I'd put it at the top of my Blockbuster list, but they of course didn't have it right away (28 days before Netflix my butt).  So, they shipped it out to me early last week.  I got the disc and was all set to watch it, and the thing is completely cracked in half.  How does this happen to a brand new Blu Ray??  The movie was just released last Tuesday!  And, how do the people in the shipping center not notice this??  So, I'm all set up with my drink and my food and ready to put the movie in the Playstation when disappointment comes crashing down on me.  Thanks for that Blockbuster.

So, we send it back, and they sent me a new disc, rather quickly actually, and we got to watch it last night. This was an excellent flick.  Very Aladdin, Little Mermaid, and Beauty and the Beast.  So, for those of you looking for the brilliant humor you found in Cars, The Incredibles or any of the Toy Story movies, Tangled wasn't it.  But, classic Disney genius it was.

The movie is about Rapunzel and how she came to be trapped in the tower.  She is then rescued by a thief who's wanted by the kingdom's royal guards for stealing the lost princess's crown (lost princess = Rapunzel, but she doesn't know that until the end).  The movie is filled with just the right amount of foolishness (mostly coming from Max the horse - an excellent character), sadness, and the moral goodness you've come to expect from an animated Disney movie.

Rapunzel is voiced by Mandy Moore, and I must say, she was a perfect fit for the role.  When the movie was out in theaters, I saw a clip of her on Regis and Kelly, and they were asking her if she changed her voice at all to be more "cartoony" and she said no, which I thought was hilarious (about 3:50 into the clip).  She's so smiley and happy naturally, she made the perfect Disney princess.

At the very beginning there was a little blip that said Tangled was Disney's 50th animated feature!  Kudos to them.  I'm so glad they picked the animation line back up with The Princess and the Frog.  There's nothing quite like an animated Disney film.

Riding the Waves with The Big Kahuna

Soul Surfer makes its big screen debut today, and like many Christian movies it's flying under the radar, save for a small roll played by Carrie Underwood.  The singer's acting debut is drawing more attention to the film than I think it otherwise would have gotten.  Think about films like To Save a Life.  Do you remember that one?  I think I saw maybe one trailer for it the entire time it was out.  Fireproof is another one.  The only reason I actually heard of that one was because one of my friends watched it during church group (and for the record said it wasn't all that great).

Soul Surfer is based on a true story about a young girl who is attacked by a shark while surfing in Hawaii.  She looses her arm, and spends the film struggling to understand why God would allow something like that to happen to her, and discovers how to overcome the substantial obstacles she now faces.  Tragedy, check!  Heartwarming, check!

Carrie Underwood was on Ellen this week talking about the film, and they showed a clip from it.  The girl who plays Bethany came off as a little cheesy to me.  Just melodramatic and almost annoying.  So, I hope she's not like that throughout the entire film.

The main stream trailer they're using doesn't really say much about how God-dy the film is, or if the film is religious at all.  In fact, if I hadn't seen that clip on Ellen, or done any research about Bethany myself, I wouldn't think it was a spiritual film at all.  I'm not sure how I feel about that.  I know they want to attract a larger audience, but don't trick people.

I think the beauty of this film is that it's based on a true story.  And with people like Dennis Quaid and Helen Hunt in it, it might do better than some of the other more religious films.  Will it be number one at the box office this weekend?  Doubtful.  With big names like Natalie Portman and Russel Brand to compete with, I think it'll be lucky to make top 5 - and if it does, the film makers should be grateful/proud of that spot.

To be honest, I think it looks like a good film.  Not something I'd pay $9 for though.  Unfortunately for the film makers, I'd dub it a renter.  If I go to the theater this weekend, I'll either see The Adjustment Bureau (I know, I'm late with that one), Source Code, Your Highness or Arthur (since Dan informed me he was interested in that).  With a list like that, Soul Surfer gets bumped to the Blockbuster list.  What are you going to see this weekend?

Don't Be a Stooge

Last night, my brother brought this disturbing bit of news to my attention.  Apparently the world will be graced with a Three Stooges movie in 2012.  If that's not a sign of the Apocalypse I don't know what is. What's that you say?  The release date is December 22?!  Oh, no, wait ... I made that up.

But, it gets better.  Are you ready for this?  I don't think you are, but I'm going to tell you anyway.  Apparently, Sean Hayes has been tapped to play Larry.  That's right, Sean Hayes.  You know, the super gay friend from Will and Grace?  Yeah.  That Sean Hayes.  As Larry.  Let that sink in for a bit.  Are you where I am yet?  Seriously Hollywood, what are you thinking?  Hayes is a great actor, and a hilarious comedic performer, but as Larry?  No no no no no.  It's a crime against nature!

Now, Shane and I decided that a comedian named Steven Wright would be better suited in appearance for the role, but we're not sure his delivery is on par.  He's a pretty monotone/sarcastic comedian (which I think is part of his brilliance) but that may not translate well to the slapstick-style comedy The Three Stooges demands.  In fact, this was the most smiley picture I could find of him.  He's certainly got the ridiculous hair down though.

So, based on the choice of Hayes, who would play Curly and Moe?  How about Eric Stonestreet (Modern Family - Cameron Tucker) for Curly and Justin Bieber pre-haircut/makeover for Moe?  Oh God, I can't even say that with a straight face.  Who knows where this train wreck will go.

Personally, this kind of crap irritates me.  What ever happened to having a new idea?  What is so wrong with coming up with something fresh?  With all the sequels and remakes coming out, the original movies are becoming more rare, and I don't like that trend one bit.  If something was great the first time, why do folks in Hollywood think it can be better the second time?  Movies like Tron are the exception to the rule for me.  I mean, today's technology took that film to a whole new level of awesomeness.  But, look at Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.  I love Johnny Depp as much as the next person, but there was no need to redo that film.  It was excellent the first time around.  Let it go.  Why can't we let The Three Stooges rest in peace and enjoy them in their ORIGINAL glory?

I think I'm siding with Sean Tyler on this one and boycotting this film entirely.  Anyone with me?

(Source of Sean Hayes Image: http://www.starpulse.com/Actors/Hayes,_Sean/gallery/TWW-001894/
Source of Larry Image: http://stoogeworld.com/_Biographies/Larry.htm
Source of Steven Write Image: http://www.inn-entertainment.com/cat_comedy.htm) 

Making Reasoning a Myth

I was a guest on The Myth of Reason this week discussing the latest movie news and releases.  I have to say, it was pretty fun!

First, we talked about the movies that will be out on Friday, which I usually wait to write about until Friday, but meh. 

Arthur will be out Friday, with Russell Brand, Helen Mirren and Jennifer Garner.  Sean was pretty stoked about this one, but sadly he was alone.  I’m not much for that Russell Brand-style comedy.  At best, I might see that for Helen Mirren.  But, I think my $9 could be better spent elsewhere this week.  Anyway, the movie is about a millionaire who risks loosing his family’s fortune when he falls for a woman his folks don’t approve of.  Again, meh.  

Your Highness is also coming out this week.  The stoner comedy stars Danny McBride, James Franco, Zoey Deschanel, and Natalie Portman.  I’m not typically a stoner comedy kind of person, but this one has me intrigued.  Generally I’ll see anything with Natalie Portman, and I’m excited to see how she follows her Oscar winning performance.  For me, I think this one is a good renter.

Hanna was the last new film we talked about.  Starring Eric Bana, Saoirse Ronan (The Lovely Bones), and Cate Blanchette, the premise of the film is a 16-year-old assassin, trained by her father (Bana), and hunted by Blanchette’s character.  I have to say, I’m pretty intrigued by this one.  I like Eric Bana, and tend to think he’s excellent in just about everything (Troy, The Time Traveler’s Wife, and so on).  I hated The Lovely Bones, but I’m willing to forgive a young actor, particularly since that book was bizarre.  Sean pointed out that the film is directed by the same person who did Pride and Prejudice and Atonement, two of my favorite films, so this one definitely has potential for me.

DVDs were next on the agenda on the Myth.  Out yesterday was a special edition Tron with an exclusive light disc.  At $80, it’s a steep price tag, but for a movie like that, it would be cool to have all the bells and whistles that go with it.  I kind of think thought, it should come with a light bike for that much.  Screw the disc.  Give me a bike!  

Little Fockers is also out on DVD this week, and I’m stoked.  I haven’t seen it yet, but I hope it’s as awesome as the first two.  I think the beauty of the Fockers movies is they have the same people in them.  Sequels that change actors for the same characters just don’t do well.  

Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader is out this week on DVD and Blu Ray.  I didn’t see the second Narnia movie, after feeling a bit let down by the first one, and I probably won’t see this one.  Except Sean did say it was better than the second one, so maybe if it’s on TBS I’ll check it out.  But that’ll be a few months.  

So, that was my stint on Myth of Reason this week.  I’ll let you know when it’s available for download.  In the mean time, check out last week’s episode.  

Now…to contemplate what I will write about for the rest of the week…

A Pope That'll Make You Sleep With The Fishes

So, The Borgias isn’t really a movie per se, but it’s on Showtime, so it sort of counts.  I watched the premier of the new series last night.  The show focuses on the Borgia family – the so-called original crime family.  In fact, Showtime mentions repeatedly that The Godfather was based on this family and their rise to power.

However, it struck me that at least the premier episode wasn’t really about the rise to power, but how they held on to that power.  Rodrigo Borgia was named the pope (or purchased the position, however you want to look at it) fairly quickly.  The rest of the episode focused on the threats to his papacy, and how his sons helped him to keep the position through various methods of murder and scandal. 

Borgia’s eldest son is not interested in being a member of the family business and would rather join the military, while the younger son, Juan, is appointed to that post.  This creates angst within the family, and I’m sure will provide ample plot lines in the future.

Previews of upcoming episodes point to how the daughter, Lucrezia, will be manipulated to aid the Borgia family.  Lucrezia was an odd character in the premier, and I’d be interested to see what they do with her.  She had a bizarre relationship with her brother that nearly crosses the lines of incest in my opinion – watching her brother have sex made me gag a little – and is often so sickeningly sweet that I wonder if there’s more to her than what appears.  Perhaps she will use these qualities to her advantage and take on the family business in the near future.

Now, I expect a lot from Showtime when it comes to their shows.  The first two seasons of The Tudors were amazing.  The Big C is quite possibly my favorite show ever, and I can’t WAIT for its return.  The Borgias fell flat for me though.

First of all, I felt like the premier was way too long.  Plus, to me, purchasing the papacy wasn’t all that bad of a crime.  I mean, considering everything else that was going on at that time with royal/religious scandals of the time.

It also strikes me as odd that it’s not uncommon for cardinals and church leaders of the period to have children, and those children were not shunned within the religious community.  I would’ve liked to know more about that.  Maybe that still happens and if I were closer to the Catholic community I would know more about it, but I can’t imagine someone who was known to have children being appointed a priest let alone pope.

Of course, Jeremy Irons is excellent in it, but my love for Scar wasn’t enough to carry it through.  I’m not sure if I’ll watch the next episode.  Depends if there’s something better on TV or if we have a movie to watch I suppose.  

Movies on the Cheap

For those of you who are like me and on a strict budget, DVDs may be the only way you can see a movie.  Particularly since here in Miami, the cost of a movie ranges from $9 to $16 per ticket for 2 hours of entertainment.  And that doesn’t even include a drink or a snack.  When did a date night to the movies become a $40 affair?  

Anyway, if you’re one of the privileged few that still has a Blockbuster near you, this can offer a great way to get cheap entertainment.  If you don’t, might I recommend Netflix?  For their lowest plan, you can access to thousands of titles and even have instant downloads, eliminating even money spent on gas!  

This week some great flicks came out on DVD that are worth checking out for all you budget conscious folks out there.  Black Swan is a must see for those of you who haven’t checked it out yet.  Natalie Portman was amazing in it.  Now, there are some pretty graphic sex scenes in it, but you have to understand that they contribute to the downward spiral her character goes through.  They’re not in there just for smut’s sake.  

Anyway, the film is about a ballerina who’s chosen to play the lead in Swan Lake – seemingly every ballerina’s dream come true.  However, due to the pressure, and her borderline crazy/overly supportive mother, the role ends up being the catalyst to this ballerina’s downfall.  

It was an excellent film - one of those that you keep thinking about long after you’ve seen it.  Although, I don’t need to see it again because it was just so intense, I recommend everyone see it once, if for nothing else than to see Natalie Portman step out of her comfort zone, and do it beautifully.

Tangled was the other notable DVD release this week.  This one I haven’t seen yet, but as with any animated Disney film, I look forward to it.  It’s a Rapunzel story with a Disney twist.  A runaway thief releases her from the tower/prison, and the movie subsequently tells the tale of her discovery of what life can be.  I expect it to have some great one-liners, coupled with a solid moral and feel-good love story.  

So, for those of us pinching our pennies this weekend, rentals are an option for cheap/fun entertainment!  Go see a movie this weekend, even if it’s not in the theater!

Opening today…April Fool!

Since April Fool’s Day is on a Friday this year, I thought it would be awesome for the movie industry to participate in an April Fools joke.  For example, they could promo a super awesome movie that’s guaranteed to be Epic (with a capital E), like The Hobbit, say it’ll be out 4-1-11, then not release it.  Or do a Saturday release.  Or, not release any movies today.  Everyone goes to the theater today, expecting to see Source Code or any one of the other films releasing this week, and the ticket sellers are like, “huh?  What are you talking about?  I’ve never heard of Source Code.  Who’s Jake Gyllenhaal?”  That’s what would happen if I ruled the world anyway.  ::Insert maniacal laughter::

Anyway, today’s movie releases include Source Code.  I have to say, I’m pretty stoked about this one.  Gyllenhaal is a pretty well rounded actor, and I’ve liked him in just about everything he’s been in.  Granted, I didn’t see Brokeback Mountain, but everything else I’ve liked, and he did get rave reviews for that one.  (For the record, I didn’t see that one because it involves cheating/affairs, which I hate - not because of the gay content.)

Back to Source Code: It’s about a government experiment that allows Gyllenhall’s character to relive the last 8 minutes of someone else’s life, sort of Quantum Leap style.  It would seem he of course falls in love with a woman during all this, and tries to save her from imminent death.  The romantic in me is hoping he does it, and they live happily ever after, particularly after the woman only knows Gyllenhall for 8 minutes – in fact, I think she thinks he’s someone else, but now you’re just splitting hairs.  What’s a little thing like identity to stand in the way of true romance?  Ah, realism.  However, I’d also kind of like this to be a more gritty film that deals with hard issues, like the value of one life over many, or changing the past to affect change in the future, or whatever.  I think the film has an interesting concept.  I get the impression that they’re just doing the experimentation to extract information about a catastrophic event, and solve crimes.  Think about how helpful that technology would be!  I mean, if we had that power after Columbine, we may have been better equipped to prevent the shootings at Virginia Tech or Fort Hood.

The other film that’s being widely released this week is Hop.  This one I’m not so sure about.  It stars James Marsden (from Enchanted), Russell Brand (as the Easter Bunny – eh) and Hugh Laurie as the Easter Bunny’s father (which has the potential to be good).  I totally wish Hugh Laurie had been casted as the Easter Bunny.  There’s one I might go see (children’s film + Huge Laurie style cynicism = awesome).  Anyway, the film is about an out of work guy who accidentally injures the Easter Bunny, and is therefore obligated to help him save Easter (sort of a Santa Claus feel to it, minus the big red suit).  I know my sister-in-law is totally stoked about this one, but I think I might skip it.  If I had kids, that would be another story.  

So, we’ll see if Source Code has the power to dethrone Diary of a Wimpy Kid from the number one slot at the box office.  Fingers crossed it’s a great flick!