Badass Mechanic

The Verdict:
GO SEE!

REVIEW:

Action star Jason Statham is badass as expected, playing a "Mechanic"--- really an assassin who regretfully follows orders to kill a friend. Statham shoots his gun and kicks ass with such wonderful bravado! Ben Foster is great as his sarcastic, loose cannon sidekick assassin. Fans of the original 70's The Mechanic with the original badass Charles Bronson, should really enjoy. But action movie fans in general are guaranteed to get an adrenaline fix from Statham's action-packed, bloody The Mechanic.

New Movies Playing!

The Mechanic

What's It About?

An assassin seeks revenge on his boss after he's ordered to murder a friend--- training his murdered friend's son to be an assassin in the process.

Trailer:

http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1810120971/video

PREDICTION:

"It looks so cool! Lots of action and tons of fun gun play to be expected. Jason Statham always delivers action."

*

IP Man 2

What's It About?

The story of real life Chinese marital arts grandmaster, Ip Man.

Trailer:

http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1810190842/video

 

PREDICTION:

"It looks wow! just from the small clips of martial arts moves shown--- so the entire movie has to be even more amazing."

*

The Rite

What's It About?

A young priest who learns how to perform exorcisms in the Vatican.

Trailer:

http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1810161312/video

PREDICTION:

"It looks pretty scary even though I don't find most exorcism movies scary."

*

 From Prada to Nada

What's It About?

Two rich Beverly Hills sisters move into a poor Los Angeles neighborhood after their father dies.

Trailer:

http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1810125201/video

PREDICTION:

"It looks like a waste of time to have been made and to go see."

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E N J O Y
*the*
M O V I E S

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New Movies Playing!

The Housemaid

What's It About?

After a housemaid seduced by her rich boss with a pregnant wife, becomes pregnant, the housemaid seeks revenge when she is forced to get an abortion.

Trailer:

http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/movie/housemaid/trailers/7836

PREDICTION:

"It looks wonderful! Delicious and very soap-operish."

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No Strings Attached

What's It About?

A girl and guy who are best friends, evolve into being "friends with benefits."

Trailer:

http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1810159162/video

PREDICTION:

"It looks uninteresting. The cast looks about right but I really don't want to see Natalie Portman or Ashton Kutcher in a movie about no strings attached sex."

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E N J O Y
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Anne the Cat... Catwoman Returns As Hathaway!

(Actress Anne Hathaway, known for her good girl roles, will play the villainous, sexy Catwoman in 2012's upcoming The Dark Knight Rises.)

I'm still in disbelief that Anne Hathaway has won the role of Catwoman in the latest Batman movie set to release in 2012:

(http://blog.movies.yahoo.com/blog/435-anne-hathaway-is-your-new-catwoman)

(http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/anne-hathaway-latest-don-catwomans-mask/story?id=12725020&page=2)

I'm still upset.

I was rooting on Angelina Jolie, even though she wasn't even an official contender to play the notoriously sexy Catwoman. 

Actually I'm still hoping Hathaway's name is a major misprint and Jolie's name will soon be announced soon to play Catwoman!

Vanilla looking Anne Hathaway is one of the last actresses I can imagine as feisty Catwoman. She reeks niceness too much--- something Catwoman lacks a lot of.

Hathaway's film career is built around her playing sunny, funny, klutzy nice girl roles--- starting from her breakout role in 2001 as a princess in The Princess Diaries.

So far, she's only taken on three risky roles--- none which were so believable:

-a promiscuous, swearing, female "wigger" in 2005's Havoc

-an ex-addict in 2008's Rachel Getting Married

-a phone sex operator in 2010's Valentine's Day

I want to say that perhaps Hathaway will shock me and everyone else who thinks she doesn't have the ferociousness and sexiness in her to play Catwoman, and end up being a great Catwoman...

But I just don't see that happening.

I cringe imagining her wearing tight leather or latex and crawling about. The thought seems faux and un-sexy. 

Even when Hathaway tries to be sexy, it looks forced:

There are rumors however, that Catwoman in Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight Rises will focus on more of her origin:

(http://www.cleveland.com/people/index.ssf/2011/01/anne_hathaway_tom_hardy_dark_k.html)

So Hathaway probably will be donning just a mask, not full Catwoman gear (tight costume and whip)--- which I hope. Hathaway holding a whip just screams awkward!

If the rumor is true, it makes a little more sense why young Hathaway was cast as Selina Kyle (aka Catwoman).

Still, no other young, talented, tougher looking actress was available?

 I was super excited months ago when I first heard Catwoman may resurface in Nolan's newest Batman film, but knowing Hathaway is playing her doesn't excite me one bit.

I'm just excited to see his take on Selina Kyle's origin (which hopefully will faithfully follow the comic book one of her starting off as a thief as a teenager.)

Hopefully Hathaway can manage to play Catwoman with some justice.

However, I already know there is no way she can out top Michelle Pheiffer's 1992 purrfect portrayal Catwoman, or the three other great Catwomen before her--- Julie Newar, Lee Meriwether and Eartha Kitt.

Perhaps she can do better than Halle Berry's 2004 just okay portrayal of the sexy cat.

In the meantime, I'm still hoping Jolie:

will somehow replace Hathaway!

 ***

 Cinemanista's Catwoman Contenders:

http://cinemanista.blogspot.com/2010/11/catwoman-returns.html

Touching No One Killed Jessica

The Verdict:  
GO SEE! 

REVIEW: 

No One Killed Jessica is a touching Hindi film inspired by the true story of Jessica Lal, a young Indian woman who was a rising model and a barmaid. She was shot dead in New Delhi in 1999, by the son of rich, powerful politician, because she refused to serve him a drink after the bar had closed. The politician's son Manu Sharma was at first acquitted of the murder because of his status but later on, sentenced to life in jail. 
This film greatly tells Jessica's tragic story through the eyes of her younger sister Sabrina (played silently strong by Vidya Balan, Ishqiya, Bhalo Theko) who wants justice for Jessica and a reporter (a feisty Rani Mukerji, Yuva, Saathiya) out to expose the truth of why Sharma was acquitted initially. 
No One Killed Jessica works well using tender scenes of flashbacks of Jessica (portrayed by the newest beautiful Bollywood actress, a vibrant Myra Karn who eerily resembles the real Jessica Lal) and her sister. The most heartbreaking scene is Jessica's actual horrific murder. The scenes of protest by supporters fighting for Sharma's case to be re-tried are especially poignant.
Expect to be drenched in tears. 
No One Killed Jessica is a moving movie that will excite almost every emotion out of you, from anger to sadness and by the last line of the film--- a smile.

Trailer:

http://www.nyootv.com/No-One-Killed-Jessica-Trailer-Entertainment

(*The film is subtitled in English*) 




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New Movies Playing!

The Green Hornet

What's It About?

The 1930's radio program and comic book series come to life on the silver screen.

Trailer:

http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1808411967/video

PREDICTION:

"It looks like mindless fun but at the same time, too funny to be taken seriously as a real superhero movie. Seth Rogen is the last actor I imagine as a superhero and that turns me off to seeing it. But I'm curious to see if he can deliver."

***

The Dilemma

 What's It About?

A man witnesses his best friend's wife cheating and struggles with the dilemma of telling him or not.

Trailer:

http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1810179326/video

PREDICTION:

"It looks funny enough, thanks to Kevin James and Vince Vaughn, but not hilarious enough for me to really want to see it."

 

***

Ong Bak 3

 What's It About?

The third installment of the Thai martial arts film starring marital arts master Tony Jaa.

Trailer:

http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1810181236/video

PREDICTION: 

"It looks visually wow, but since I haven't seen Ong Bak 1 or 2, I wouldn't see it until I at least see the first film in the series."

***

A Somewhat Gentle Man

What's It About?

A man just released from jail copes with life in the real world: his old posse, his son who's getting married and an ex.

Trailer:

http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1810073005/video

PREDICTION: 

"It looks darkly funny. Trying to read the subtitles (it's a Norwegian film) probably will spoil all the jokes however."

 ***

Barney's Version

What's It About?

The true story of a man's life--- from his many marriages to his eventual diagnosis with Alzheimer's Disease.

 

Trailer:

http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1810107748/video

PREDICTION: 

"Although it sounds boring it actually looks charming and funny."

 ***

Hood to Coast

What's It About?

A documentary on the largest relay race in the world.

Trailer:

http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1810149196/video

PREDICTION:

"It looks interesting but not particularly engaging to hold my attention."

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E N J O Y
*the*
M O V I E S

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Sucky Witch Season

The Verdict: DON'T SEE!

REVIEW:

Nicholas Cage doesn't deliver afterall.
Even the big named actor (Face/Off, National Treasure series) couldn't carry the super unexciting, extremely misleading Season of the Witch.
The trailer to the excruciating Season of the Witch, however, makes it look otherwise, in other words, good.
Cage isn't that unconvincing as a medieval knight  as I thought he would be (he doesn't display any fun eccentricities that he normally does in his roles) and Ron Perlman (Hellboy series) was pretty convincing as a knight--- it's the false title of the film and the confusing chain of events by the end of the movie that make Season of the Witch awful.
Why is the movie entitled Season of the Witch, when the movie doesn't really focus on any season of witches (except at the beginning of the film where three supposed witches are hung and drowned)? 

The girl, called just that (relatively unknown Claire Foy) who is accused to be a witch who brought the Black Plague, and who Behmen (Cage) and Felson (Perlman) must transport to a monastery to break her curse--- turns out not to be a witch afterall... And no, that's not a good thing. *SPOILER: She's a demon. She eventually turns into her true form, a gargoyle looking, talking male monster.*

To make things worse, Behmen and Felson suffer a surprisingly unexpected not good at all fate (*SPOILER: They die.*).

But I was glad because I knew that meant the movie was almost over.

With a better script, definitely a different title and a more believable lead actor as Behmen, Season of the Witch could be a really good movie, instead of the misleading mess it is.

Hopefully Cage won't pick up a sword and don a knight costume anytime soon!

TRAILER:

http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1810055815/video

 ***

 

New Movies Playing!

Season of the Witch

What's It About?

A girl is accused of being a witch and spreading the Black Plague.

 Trailer:

http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1810055815/video

PREDICTION:

"It looks good but not particularly GREAT. 

Nicholas Cage seems wrongly cast as a knight but Ron Perlman is a good choice. Hopefully Cage delivers."

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E N J O Y
*the*
M O V I E S

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Silly Tees Maar Khan

The Verdict: MAYBE SEE...

REVIEW:

Tees Maar Khan is a silly (in a good sense) action/comedy Bollywood about a crime artist Tabrez Mirza Khan or Tees Maar Khan (played hilariously by popular Hindi star Akshay Kumar,  Jaan-E-Mann, Kambakkht Ishq) who literally came out out of his mother's womb a thief (he steals a nurse's and doctor's jewelry as a newborn) because she watched too many heist movies while pregnant with him. Older Khan is finally caught but escapes of course, taking on his biggest heist yet--- robbing a train full of treasures out of an unsuspecting town. The plot isn't anything to get excited about and the song/dance numbers aren't the best ("Shelia Ki Jawani" is the standout number) but Tees Maar Khan is fun nevertheless. Khan's gorgeous vain girlfriend (beautiful Katrina Kaif, Namastey London, Race), three stooges-esque partners in crime, busybody mother, Siamese twin rivals, and two officers hell bent on catching Khan make Tees Maar Khan nothing but mindless fun! And for fans of Bollywood megastar hunk Salman Khan (Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam or Straight from the Heart, Dabangg)--- he makes a cameo!

Trailer:
http://passionforcinema.com/trailer-tees-maar-khan/

(*The film is subtitled in English*) 

*FUN FILM FACTS*

~Tees Maar Khan is a remake of After the Fox, a 1966 Italian film.

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The New Moviegoing Trend: Dinner (And Even Drinks) at the Movies

(A New Jersey movie theatre, AMC Menlo Park 12, offering audiences dinner with their movie.)

(An Arizona Ipic Theater, a movie theatre that offers dinner and drinks! to audiences with their movie.)

What a great idea! 

It's definitely about time dinner and drinks are offered at the movies:

http://www.forbes.com/2009/01/08/date-theatre-dinner-forbeslife-cx_ls_0108food.html

http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2011/09/26/boozing-at-the-movies-amc-serving-alcohol-at-3-nj-locations-nyc-next/

http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/15/coming-soon-to-a-theater-near-you-drinks-at-your-seat/ 

I am dying to try out this new trend!

The biggest downside I see is with the serving of drinks.

Too many moviegoers are annoying and loud without the alcohol- imagine with it!

The other downside is the extra cost. Ticket prices keep rising, add a full course meal to it and that could keep more people away from the movies- at least movie theatres that carry the dinner option.

Nevertheless, dinner + drinks + a movie is a fun idea and I for one can't wait to devour it!

***

NY and NJ Theatre Locations with Dinner + Drinks+ a Movie:

http://www.nitehawkcinema.com/menu.php

http://www.aimiesdinnerandmovie.com/

 http://www.youdontknowjersey.com/2010/11/amc-dine-in-theaters-dinner-at-a-movie/

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