Remember Me

Oh my! Do I love a broody Robert Pattinson? Yes, I do. That boy can brood with the best of them. As a single girl, dreaming of the bad boy who changes his bad ways for" the one," that broody. dark, angsty thing is undeniably sexy. That's why I bought Twilight. Not one of those kids can act, but a good angsty love story is worth all 18 dollars that I spent on the DVD. Remember Me might be the same thing, but something about this trailer tells me, it's a sad ending, which means that it's not the angsty love story that I love. When love is lost then found again, that's the love I'm looking for in a movie. All that being the case, skinny little Rob Pattinson, who is not at all my type, can switch my buttons to "on" with one little look of his dilated eyes. I was actually considering seeing this movie as a way to escape for the weekend, but real life butted into the conversation. While this movie may not be something that's worth the "silent" function on my phone while I sit in the theater, it is something that I am absoutely certain that on some night, when I have nothing else to do, will be the movie that I pick from my "on demand" options.

Out This Weekend: January 8-10, 2010

This is a weekend of repeats. We have two typical genre pics, Daybreakers and Leap Year, and one screwy Michael Cera movie, Youth in Revolt. Frankly, not one of them fills me with anticipatory excitement, but we'll take a look anyway.

1. Daybreakers
US Opening: January 8, 2010


Scary vampire movie. Is that enough for you? No? Ok- Just as it was in the case of A Perfect Getaway, the scary movie is not my thing, but in the interest of fairness, it's important to mention this opening. As far as a genre pic goes, this one looks mildly interesting. No, I take that back. I just got so bored writing about this movie that I zoned out on a Bravo rerun and had to go back and watch the trailer again. Not a good sign. So basically, we're looking at a world populated with vampires who have depleted their natural resources- human blood. I hate it when mid-budget studio movies get preachy. I suspect that there will be some resurgence by the few remaining intrepid humans who will overcome the evil bloodsuckers. There. I just saved you ten bucks. You're welcome.

2. Leap Year
U.S. Opening: January 8, 2010

I sincerely hope that Amy Adams' motivation for making this movie was a hefty paycheck. Now go back to the Julie & Julia review from August 4, 2009 and reference the paragraph where I refer to Ms. Adams' character and whiny and hapless. Now replace Julie & Julia with Leap Year and you've got my opinion. It's unfortunate because I love a good romantic comedy, especially one set in Ireland. Matthew Goode, even though he is a skinny Englishman, looks like he might be able to play the part of the rugged Irishman, so maybe....no probably not, never mind. This is going to be a movie I order On Demand on a rainy Saturday afternoon with a glass of wine in hand. That's what it's good for. Don't hope for more and you won't be disappointed.


3. Youth in Revolt
U.S. Opening: January 8, 2010


I still love Michael Cera (see Paper Heart post). I may always love Michael Cera no matter how arrogant he comes off in his interviews, and performances, for that matter. He's perpetually got that "I'm so nerdy and awkward that I must be smarter than you, so I'm automatically cool" thing going on, which annoys me greatly in most people, but only annoys me a little in Michael Cera. What this movie also has working for it is the rest of the supporting cast; Jean Smart- love, Steve Buscemi- love, Ray Liotta- love, Zach Galifianakis- jury still out on him, but he was hilarious in The Hangover. All of that being said, this is still a movie about a quirky awkward teenage boy trying to get laid. Not that that's bad. American Pie was about quirky awkward teenage boys trying to get laid and it's, in my opinion at least, a classic. There's hope that this will be entertaining. There's also a distinct possibility that it will be goofy and overly self-aware, but if you're otherwise caught up on all of the other movies on your list, this one is worth a shot.


Bottom line is that it's an uneventful weekend for box office openings, but there are some solid options already out there and these new additions are just good time passers. Happy movie watching!

Back on the Wagon

Silencing a ringing phone, deleting an inane email, and ignoring idle chatter are all acceptable forms of neglect. Turning a blind eye to the many movies that come out during the holiday season, unpardonable. With that knowledge I vow to get back on the movie picking wagon.


Let's jump into what is currently available at your local multiplex.

1. Avatar

US Opening: December 16, 2009

In case you missed it, Avatar is a huge, major, colossal hit. Worldwide box office intake is already in the billions of dollars. It's got four Golden Globe nominations. Buzz on the street is that it has, and I'm quoting directly from a conversation I heard on the street, "changed movies forever." It's probably worth a trip to the theater. I am, for some inexplicable reason, reluctant to see it. Sure, it's going to loud and flashy and maybe even exciting. I think it's the whole, visual effects situation that's turning me off. If the movie is about the effects, then where does the story fit in? Call me old-fashioned but I'd rather see a visually simple film with a compelling and well-told story than any green-screened after-affected mutation thereof. As always, I'm willing to admit my wrongs, and when I am inevitably dragged to this movie, I'll keep and open mind and try to achieve the level of amazement that has afflicted everyone else, but at the end of the hype, this is going to be a film that is hugely referenced among the comic-con set and vaguely remembered by everyone else. Many (note gross understatement) will buy the DVD and it will sit, unwatched for years until we move on to the next generation of home entertainment technology. Then everyone will buy the new "remastered" version, watch it once, and put it back on the shelf. So, congratulations George Lucas, woops- I mean James Cameron, you've given the world one more thing to dust.

2. Sherlock Holmes

US Opening: December 25, 2009

Guy Ritchie's gift to the world is shirtless RDJ with Jude Law as a stocking stuffer. Thank you Mr. Ritchie. As is the case with all the movies on this list, this is a film not yet seen by this blogger, but I do fully and excitedly intend to see it. It's a Guy Ritchie movie. It's Robert Downey Jr. movie. It's a Jude Law movie. Any of those three statements are enough to compel me to go to the theater. All three together- whew! What slightly scares me is that fact that Mr. Ritchie has turned Mr. Holmes into an action hero. It could be good. It could be bad. It will be interesting. This, unlike the above mentioned blockbuster, will certainly be worth a rental even if I don't make it to the theater and there's a good chance that it will be worth the purchase if I do.

3. Alvin & the Chipmuncks: The Squeakquel

US Opening: December 23, 2009

You don't need my opinion here. If your kids want to see it, take them. Then reward yourself with a bottle of wine when they go to sleep. You've done your good deed for the day.

4. It's Complicated

US Opening: December 25, 2009

It's simple, I want to see this movie. Admittedly, I may have fallen victim to the massive marketing blast, but the cast is stellar, Meryl Streep, Steve Martin, Alec Baldwin, and the Writer/Producer/Director Nancy Meyers has given me some of my favorite Saturday afternoon movies: Something's Gotta Give, The Holiday, What Women Want, so I feel confident in this choice. At the very worst, you will be entertained in a lighthearted, upbeat, happy ending guaranteed kind of way for 118 minutes. Bottom line, based on star power alone, this movie is worth the one trip to the theater and the many many viewings on basic cable.

Much more to come, but until next time, happy movie watching!

Not New New, but Still New

Even though all I've tackled this first week of blogging are the releases opening this weekend, there are plenty of other choices still available from weeks past.

"Harry Potter & the Half-Blood Prince":
It's still a box office giant. It has, to date, grossed $263 million. That's a big movie by any body's estimation. There must be something there and I can say that I am definitely a Potter fan. I've read the books and until this one I've seen all of the movies. Something about this one, makes me less eager and I haven't heard other Potter Heads singing it's praises, but that doesn't mean it's not crazy good. It doesn't mean that it is either. I want to see it. I will see it. It just might be on DVD.

"The Proposal":
This is just a straight up review because I've seen this one already. It was cute. That's all. Just cute. No shocks, but some laughs. Ryan Reynolds has an amazing body, but you probably figured that out in all of the press that he did for this movie. It's probably the element they pimped the hardest. They ain't lyin'. His body is out of control. The movie- all the better for it- still just cute. It will be one of those movies that that takes up whole afternoons on a frothy basic cable network; and what a good Saturday it will be.

"Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen":
Yuck. Pretty people- Josh Duhamel, Megan Fox, Tyrese Gibson. Maybe if they lose the sound, I'll watch it.

"Funny People":
I know this movie is going to break my heart, because I love Judd Apatow movies, Adam Sandler, and Seth Rogen. Still, this is not going to be good. I don't know why. I can't pick out the one element that's turning me off here, but just the trailer let's me down. There's no joy in it; no brightness or levity. It feels heavy and flimsy at the same time. Quite the paradox, I know, but not what I want from this trio.

There are many more, of course, but I've got little time and movies to see. Happy movie watching!

Paper Heart

Opening: August 7, 2009 (Limited Release) August 14, 2009 (Nationwide)

I finished watching this trailer and said "awwwww." Before that, I was a little skeptical. This may be a poor reason to want to see a movie, but I love Micahel Cera, or at least I loved him in Arrested Development, so a movie that lets me see the little rascal fall in love just makes me want to emit giggly squeals of school girl delight.

That little fit over with, it's time to talk about what we're actually watching.

The premise here is that Charlyne Yi (Michael Cera's girlfriend, awwww) and guide for the documentary is after the answer to the conundrum "What is love?" I doubt that she ever finds the answer, but the premise is adorable. Yep, I said that, adorable.

I just wonder if you're in the pursuit of a mystery that can't be solved, can you make a satisfying plot? We are a culture that likes a happy ending and demands a tidy one. We can deal if things don't turn out the way we'd hoped, but when there's no resolution it rarely leads to the existential experience that the auteur was trying to evoke. Instead, we're pissed. So I can't help but think that is where we're going to end up with in "Paper Heart". We might get cute, but probably not provocative, which seems to be the films intent. Unfortunately, all I see here is a little more star gazing; provided you think of Michael Cera and Charlyne Yi as stars.

A Perfect Getaway

US Opening: August 7, 2009

Let me just fess up right now- I am not a horror/suspense movie person. I do; however, recognize that many people are and I can't escape this trailer so I may as well throw it in the mix.

Something tells me that this isn't going to be worth the time or money. In theory, it should be- ok. The shots of the idyllic jungle coast with all of the pretty people running around are promising. In actuality, it's probably going to be awful.

The opening shot in the trailer is of Steve Zahn and Milla Jovovich. Let's just start there, shall we?

• Steve Zahn- If you don't know his name, you probably kind of recognize his face. He's one of those. He has many titles on his long list of credits; most of which I have heard of and never bothered to see. On that list of approximately 40-45 feature films I liked 1. Given that the 1 is Reality Bites (1994), which caught me at the height of my angsty teen years, when I thought boyfriends acting like jerks were romantic, I'm not even sure that it still counts. We are not off to a good start here, so let's move on.


• Milla Jovovich- is a model turned actress. Yikes! Well, that worked out for- ummmm- Cameron Diaz! Ok, got one. Let's proceed. Ms. Jovovich is pretty much famous for her role in the video game turned movie franchise, "Resident Evil." No thank you. On the bright side, she was also in "Dazed & Confused" (1993) even though I don't remember her (don't hate me you cult followers), but that may be because I was- nevermind.

Ok, so the two lead actors aren't helping the cause. What else is there? The Director? The Writer? In this case, it's the same guy and you don't want to look there either. David Twohy's list of directorial endeavors is unimpressive- at best. Don't want to take my word for it? Go ahead, look for yourself. Now scroll to the "Writer" section. Do you see it? WATERWORLD. Seriously- I can't even try to help him out on this one.

I don't want to base all of my opinions on past works, but there's just not much else here. This trailer is shallow and screams predicability for the rest of the movie. If you love a predicatble non-thrilling thriller, then by all means, see this. If you like a good movie- skip it.

Julie & Julia

Julie & Julia
US Opening: August 7, 2009

This will, admittedly, be a chick flick. There is just no way around it.

Guys- if your single, you can stop reading now. If you have a girlfriend/wife, you'll prbobably want to know what you will innevitably be forced to watch at some point.

My feelings on this trailer are definitely going to be colored by two very special words- Meryl Streep. That really should be enough to say with complete authority, this is a movie worth seeing.

But wait- there's more!

This is the first major release from Director Nora Ephron since the abismal reinvention of Bewitched in 2005. Please don't hold that against her. Ms. Ephron is a triple threat of the highest order. If you don't believe me, do a quick IMDB search and you'll know she's for real. I don't know too many women who aren't a fan of her work, whether they know it or not.

Also, not to be forgotten is Stanley Tucci, playing Julia Child's husband, Paul Child. From the trailer alone, I can't gauge how influential he's going to be, but it doesn't usually matter how much screen time Mr. Tucci gets. He always leaves an impression.

Holding me back from unmitigated fawning over this trailer is Amy Adams. I like Amy Adams as a personality. I really do. From a celebrity news watcher's point of view, she seems like a nice girl who has been a part of some projects that I have really loved; however, just in the 2:30 trailer I found myself annoyed with her and her character. If she is as whiny and hapless in the rest of the movie as she is in the preview (and most of her other roles, for that matter) I'm going to resent her for every single second she takes away from Meryl Streep. I have a sneaking suspicion that I'm going to resent her very much by film's end.

All in all I would call this a "go for it" movie-going experience. As long as the majority of the screen time is dedicated to the "Julia" portion of this duo, it can't go wrong.