What's Playing? 10/1 Weekend

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Kicking off October, this weekend in theatres is a horror lover's paradise. 

Four horror films open:

Let Me In, a vampire flick, Hatchet II, sequel to 2007's Hatchet, Case 39, a supernatural thriller and Chain Letter, a teen slasher.

Beyond blood and gore, the highly anticipated The Social Network, about Facebook's founder, opens.

 

Here's the run down of movies starting this Friday in theatres:

Let Me In

 What's It About?

A boy unknowingly befriends a vampire girl.  

Why See It?

 A vampire story about a young girl doesn't seem scary but the trailer proves otherwise.

Why Skip It?

You're a werewolf lover. 

Trailer:

 http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1810048892/video

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Hatchet II

  What's It About?
The return of the hatchet wielding Victor Crowley.

Why See It?

You're a fan of the first Hatchet.

Why Skip It?

You didn't see the first Hatchet.

 

Trailer:

http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1810134212/video

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Case 39

What's It About?

A social worker takes on Case 39, a case involving a strange young girl who's parents want her dead.

Why See It?

To find out why the parents want to kill their daughter.

Why Skip It?

You're wary of Renee Zellweger and Bradley Cooper in a horror.

Trailer:

http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1809761693/video 

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Chain Letter

 What's It About?

A group of high school students who start receiving mysterious chain letter emails are murdered off.

Why See It?

You're a slasher fan.

Why Skip It?

The plot isn't original at all.

Trailer:

 http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1809962103/video

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The Social Network

 What's It About?

The founder of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg's story of how Facebook was founded.

Why See It?

If you ever wondered the origin of the popular social networking site Facebook.

Why Skip It?

You're more interested in the story of MySpace and Tom.

Trailer:

http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1810128131/video

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Seeing Buried Is Worst Than Being Buried!

The Verdict:

DON'T SEE!

Why?
It's beyond absurd a man trapped in a coffin, buried alive underground can survive without air for as long as Paul Conroy is trapped.
More absurd he has a cell phone and can't get rescued.
Buried is just an absurd movie that's excruciating to watch.

REVIEW:

Buried is easiest the worst movie of 2010. I've never been so happy to see the credits rolling to a film. It was as I predicted, preposterous!

Ryan Reynolds (National Lampoon's Van Wilder, The Proposal) is the only actor (seen) in this thriller, disbelievingly playing a man, Paul Conroy, who finds himself in a coffin buried underground somewhere with only a cell phone, lighter and knife all while being held for a ransom of $5 million dollars.
Sure.

With a cell phone, you'd think he'd be able to get out of the death trap he's in. Think again. Authorities don't believe him and keeps getting voice mails from loved ones when he does call for help.

After the first thirty minutes or so, I was hoping he'd either suffocate or get rescued already so the movie could end. Unfortunately there was an hour to go.

Sure the plot is original and there are some great camera angles and shots. Some storyline surprises are even tossed in that make Buried a little bearable. But not that bearable.

After Buried finally ended, audiences members let out loud sighs of relief to loud curses to loud laughing at the ridiculousness of what they just saw. I joined in. I wanted Reynolds to personally give me my $12 back.

If Buried ended after thirty minutes I would have been happy. But an hour and a half is too painfully long to watch a man in his premature grave make useless phone calls for help.

You will wish you are Paul Conroy buried in the coffin, instead of an audience member if you see Buried.

On Wall Street Greed Is Still Good

The Verdict:

GO SEE!

Why?
Michael Douglas is still at his best 20 years later, replaying the icon of greed, Gordon Gekko. Shia LaBeouf is wonderful to watch as Gekko's  money loving yet good-hearted future son-in-law. And Josh Brolin is wickedly good as Wall Street's new Gekko. If you loved Wall Street, you'll definitely love Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps.


REVIEW:

Gordon Gekko is back!

Michael Douglas (Wall Street, Fatal Attraction) is of course at his greatest reprising the money hungry, manipulative, greedy Gekko from Wall Street (1987).

After 8 years of being in prison for money crimes of insider trading and securities fraud, Gekko is a free man.

Is he reformed? Yes and of course no.

Gekko is now making money legally selling his book, "Is Greed Good?"and lecturing at colleges. But his main goal is to win back the love of his daughter Winnie (a cute, Carey Mulligan, An Education, Never Let Me Go). 

Winnie is engaged to Jake Moore (a great Shia LaBeouf, Disturbia, Transformers series), an ambitious but caring young man working on Wall Street in proprietary trading. 

Jake is curious about Gekko and goes to one of his lectures where afterwards he introduces himself as Winnie's fiance. Gekko is interested, seeing Jake as a way to get back into his daughter's life.

Beyond the story of reconciliation, there is also one of revenge. Jake wants to take revenge on Bretton James (a fabulous villain played by Josh Brolin, W., Jonah Hex), the new Gordon Gekko it seems--- a shady, powerful, greedy businessman who indirectly causes the suicide of Jake's boss Lewis Zabel (Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon, The Box) after Bretton buys Zabel's company.

From beginning to end, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps is exhilarating. The action lies in the wonderful performances of the the actors (including an amusing Susan Sarandon (Thelma & Louise, The Lovely Bones) as Jake's co-dependent mother) and the conversations between them. Dialogue is everything. It's witty. Truthful. Damaging.

Fans of Wall Street are in for a treat for the scene mid-movie where a "certain someone" from the 80's classic makes a brief appearance. Hint: It's not Darien Taylor (Daryl Hannah, Splash, Kill Bill series).

The sequel Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps greatly picks off where Wall Street left off.

Is greed still good?

Yes!

 

What's Playing? 9/24 Weekend

   

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 Wall Street's sequel Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps is definitely the must see for this weekend's opening movies.

The horror Buried looks intriguing even though the plot is preposterous. 

The kid friendly Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole about owls looks stunning visually. The plot however looks a little too complicated for children to grasp.

You Again, the lone comedy, looks cute but cliched.

The documentary about America's school system Waiting for "Superman"   seems interesting but I doubt their will be a line to see it.

Opening this Friday in theatres are:

Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps

What's It About?

The sequel to 1987's acclaimed Wall Street.

Why See It?

To see Gordon Gekko back in action.

Why Skip It?

-You didn't see the first Wall Street. 

-You have no idea who Gordon Gekko is.

Trailer:

http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1810045848/video 

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Buried

What's It About?

A man buried alive tries to find a way out of his early grave.

Why See It?

To see if the man will escape.

Why Skip It?

You think an hour + film about a buried man seems ludicrous.

Trailer:

http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1810157966/video

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Legend of the Guardians: 

The Owls of Ga'Hoole

What's It About?

Good vs. evil owls in battle for The Kingdom of Ga'Hoole.

Why See It?

You can't resist the cuteness of those owls.

Why Skip It?

-You're not fond of birds.

-You're over 12.

Trailer:

http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1810150180/video

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You Again

What's It About?

A young woman finds out her brother is marrying her rival from high school. 

Why See It?

You're a Jamie Lee Curtis or Betty White fan.

Why Skip It?

The storyline seems predictable.

Trailer:

http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1810111331/video 

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Waiting for "Superman"

What's It About?

A documentary on America's educational system.

Why See It?

You have children in school.

Why Skip It?

You don't have children in school.

Trailer:

 http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1810129305/video

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A+ Easily

The Verdict:

GO SEE!

REVIEW:
Easy A is a smart, hilarious comedy that will make you laugh out loud thanks to a great, cast not afraid to be silly. Emma Stone is pretty wonderful and a funny girl. But Stanley Tucci steals her show, as Stone's zany dad.
Fans of Cam Gigandet, beware. He's not a lead character and has maybe 5 whole lines. But the cuteness and hilarity of the film make up for that disappointment.

Go to (See) The Town

The Verdict:

GO SEE!

REVIEW:
Ben Affleck especially, and all his co-stars shine in this thrilling heist/drama.

One of the best heist films of the year!
And the romance element of the bank robber falling for the bank teller is unexpectedly sweet.

Praise (for) the Devil

The Verdict:

GO SEE!

REVIEW:
M. Night Shyamalan redeems himself from his latest flops The Last Airbender and The Happening with this great, creepy horror film. You're kept guessing which elevator passenger is the Devil until the end.
He... She... will surprise you!

What's Playing? 9/17 Weekend

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This weekend's movies are a lot more promising than last weekend's.
M. Night Shyamalan's hopefully scary as it sounds, horror Devil opens as well as Ben Affleck in a gritty looking crime thriller The Town.
There's also the cutesy comedy Easy A with the mysterious Catfish and Never Let Me Go.
For younger movie goers, there's the 3D animated Alpha and Omega.


Starting Friday, here is the run down of movies opening in theatres:

Devil

What's It About?
In an elevator ride full of strangers, someone is the Devil.

Why See It?
-To see who the Devil is.
-You're a M. Night Shyamalan fan (he's the director).

Why Skip It?
The title alone scares you.

Trailer:
http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1810055811/video


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The Town

What's It About?
A crime drama in which a bank robber falls for the the manager of the bank he's robbed, causing complications.

Why See It?
-You're a Ben Affleck fan.
-Or a fan of bank heist films.

Why Skip It?
-You're not a Ben Affleck fan.

Trailer:

http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1810112712/video


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Easy A

What's It About?
A girl in high school lies about losing her virginity and ends up with the school and town's worst reputation--- starts to see liken herself as Hester Prynne from The Scarlet Letter.

Why See It?
It's a cute spin on the Scarlet Letter.


Why Skip It?
It seems silly an unmarried high school girl can liken herself to the adulteress wife and mother, Hester Prynne.

Trailer:

http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1810154443/video



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Catfish
What's It About?
Boy meets girl via Facebook and they start a cyber relationship. But when boy goes to meet girl for the first time face to face, things go very wrong.

Why See It?
-To find out what this movie really is about.
-To find out just how the title Catfish comes into play.


Why Skip It?
-It seems too unclear.


Trailer:
http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1810129583/video

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Never Let Me Go
What's It About?
A mysterious English boarding school and the truth about the children who go there.

Why See It?
To find out the mystery of the boarding school.

Why Skip It?
-It seems a bit slow paced.
-English accents.


Trailer:
http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1810163957/video



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Alpha and Omega
What's It About?
Two wolves, an Alpha and an Omega, journey to find their way home.

Why See It?
-You're a child.
-Or a parent with children.
-Or a fan of CGI films.


Why Skip It?
-You're over 12.


Trailer:
http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1810012156/video





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Resident Good

The Verdict:
GO SEE!

REVIEW:
This continuation to 2007's Resident Evil: Extinction is more exciting, fun and back to creepy (unlike its 2007 predecessor Resident Evil: Extinction).
There are hundreds of zombies, tons of sneaky monsters and one huge seemingly unstoppable boss. Fans of the video games should enjoy seeing Alice, and especially brother and sister Claire and Chris reunited. The cool post-credits scene assures fans an Evil 5 is coming.

What's Playing? 9/10 Weekend

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There's an interesting mix of films opening this weekend:

-The horror/video gamed based film Resident Evil: Afterlife 3D
-A documentary, I'm Still Here starring Joaquin Phoenix
-The re-release of The Twilight Saga: Eclipse somehow because of Bella Swan's birthday (September 13th by the way)
-And a dirty teen comedy, The Virginity Hit.

Nothing this weekend makes me want to run to theatres however.

Starting Friday in theatres is:

Resident Evil: Afterlife 3D

What's It About?
Alice is back fighting zombies and monsters in the fourth installment of the Resident Evil series.

Why See It?
-If you're a fan of the Resident Evil video games or the previous Resident Evil films.
-For the 3D factor. Zombies in 3D should be pretty cool.


Why Skip It?
If the past Resident Evil movies didn't do enough justice to the video games for you.

Trailer:
http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1810121187/video

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The Twilight Saga: Eclipse

What's It About?
The third installment in the Bella, Edward, Jacob or human, vampire, werewolf teen love triangle.

Why See It?
-You're a Twihard.
-You never got around to seeing it during summer.

Why Skip It?
You're not a Twihard (meaning: you're not in love with Twilight's books/films)

Trailer:

http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1810074301/video

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I'm Still Here
What's It About?
A documentary documenting Joaquin Phoenix's new and odd career path as a rap artist.

Why See It?
To be proven it's not a joke Joaquin Phoenix left film to rap.

Why Skip It?
Joaquin Phoenix's name doesn't ring a bell to you.

Trailer:
http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1810167068/video

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The Virginity Hit

What's It About?
A nerdy teen boy attempts to have his virginity loss recorded.

Why See It?
If you're a fan of raunchy teen movies as such.

Why Skip It?
-The title alone turns you off.
-Because there's not even one known actor/actress you're familiar with.

Trailer:
http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1810168786/trailer

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Avatar Smavatar

The Verdict:
MAYBE SEE...

REVIEW:
You aren't missing much if you don't see the most hyped films of 2009. Sure the super tall, blue Avatars and the creatures in Pandora's world are pretty cool but that's where the coolness stops. The story has been told: one group of people want what another group of people have at all cost. The love aspect between Jake and Neytiri is sweet however but not surprising.
The trailer is more exciting than the actual movie. Twelve years after James Cameron's gorgeous, epic Titanic, Avatar is a letdown. Avatar is beautiful visually but that's where the praises stop.

What's Playing? 9/3 Weekend

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Unlike last weekend in theatres, this weekend, there's not much of an assortment of film genres to choose from--- 2 actions and a romantic comedy.

But there is something for both sexes:
Machete for the guys and Going The Distance for the girls.
The American for either or.


In movie theatres starting Friday is:




Machete

What's It About?
An ex-Mexican Federale now a renegade, is out for vengeance after being set up to assassinate a senator.

Why See It?
-If you're a Danny Trejo fan.
-To see Steven Segal back in action as well as Miami Vice's Don Johnson and Robert De Niro.
-For the guys especially:
Michelle Rodriguez, Jessica Alba and Lindsay Lohan.

Why Skip It?
You're not a fan of blood and violence. With the title Machete, there will be tons of both.

Trailer:
http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1810099036/video

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The American

What's It About?
An assassin takes a break from killing in Italy but ends up taking another assignment while there and also falling in love.

Why See It?
George Clooney is the assassin.

Why Skip It?
George Clooney is the only recognizable star.

Trailer:

http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1810158179/video

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Going The Distance

What's It About?
A couple living in two different states try to have a successful long distance relationship.

Why See It?
If you're a Drew Barrymore fan.

Why Skip It?
You're not a fan of romantic comedies.

Trailer:
http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1810105852/video



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