December 2010 Archives

Based on the true story (and the writers/directors John Requa and Glenn Ficarra didn't have to embellish it all that much), Jim Carrey stars as Steven Russell - a man who has decided to live life to its fullest, even if that means stealing to do it.  After a mundane life as a married man and father, Steven has decided to be true to himself, come out of the closet, and live a life of luxury financed by a series of cons.  

Of course, he gets caught and sent to jail, but that is where Steven meets the love of his life, Phillip Morris (Ewan McGregor).  

Can Steven and Phillip find a way to live life together?

Will they ever get out of jail?

Just in time for the cheeriest and merriest time of the year, Lionsgate delivers Rabbit Hole - a movie about grief, pain, longing and disaster.  Happy Holidays and Feliz Navidad!

Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart star as Becca and Howie - a married couple trying to come to grips with the tragic death of their young son.  As you can imagine, the past few months have been heartbreaking and stressful, and Becca and Howie aren't sure how to move forward.

Based on the true story, Kevin Spacey stars as Jack Abramoff - the most notorious lobbyist in the history of Washington, DC politics.  After a short career as a Hollywood producer, Abramoff set his sights on building an empire in DC as a lobbyist, restaurateur, scion of education and all around man about town.  However, he built that empire by swindling some American Indian tribes trying to build casinos, attempting to buy a floating casino in Florida and playing fast and loose with the law.

Casino Jack is entertaining, but needs more detail, background and storytelling.  Spacey, along with co-stars Barry Pepper and Jon Lovitz, do a great job creating the characters and making us laugh at their gonzo antics, but director George Hickenlooper and writer Norman Snider don't give us enough of the story to understand exactly what is happening and the extent of the illegality in motion. 

Luckily, I'm a DC guy, so I knew the story, but, if you have a life and didn't follow the scandalous tale as it developed, you might find yourself trying to figure out what is happening on the screen.










2 ½ Waffles (Out of 4)

Casino Jack is rated R for pervasive language, some violence and brief nudity.

If you loved the first two Focker movies, are you in for a treat as they rehash and retell almost every joke and complication you saw in the first two movies!  There's so much recycling of jokes and plots, I thought Al Gore was one of the screenwriters.

Ben Stiller is back as Greg Focker - the male nurse who married Pam (Teri Polo) and has spent several years terrorized by her father, Jack Byrnes (Robert De Niro).  However, Jack is starting to come to grips with his own mortality, so he is worried about who will become the family patriarch (Yes, Little Fockers is a movie that feels like it was written in the 1950's, until the dirty stuff kicks in).  Of course, he wants to see if Greg has what it takes be The Man, so he's off to Chicago for the grandkids birthday party, and a thorough examination of his son-in-law.

Will Greg pass the test?

Is there anything to laugh at?

Jeff Bridges is no John Wayne, but he does help make this True Grit one of the best westerns you will ever see.

Hailee Steinfeld stars as Mattie Ross - a 14-year old girl seeking vengeance, and what she thinks is justice.  Her father was gunned down in cold blood by the infamous Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin), and she wants the murderer to die for it.  

Of course, she can't do it alone, so she recruits the most notorious lawman in the area, Rooster Cogburn (Jeff Bridges), to chase after the lawbreaker, and Mattie demands to be part of the posse, to see the deed is done and to make sure Rooster doesn't take off and start drinking away the payment.   

After hearing about the girl's efforts, Texas Ranger LaBeouf (Matt Damon), who has been chasing after Chaney for crimes committed in Texas, decides to follow them, since Cogburn knows the area better.  Eventually, the three team up, but getting revenge is not as easy as it seems.

Stephen Dorff stars as Johnny Marco - a massive Hollywood superstar who enjoys a life of debauchery (isn't that why you become a Hollywood superstar?).  However, he has been feeling like something is missing in his life, and finds it being filled by his 11-year old daughter, Chloe (Elle Fanning), as a family emergency has them spending more and more time together.   

When Johnny needs to take over as the parent in Chloe's life, can he do the job?

Is he ready to be an adult?

Is it better than being a wild and crazy guy?

If Christian Bale doesn't win the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, I may have to lead the campaign for a total investigation and recount.  

Based on a true story, Mark "Don't Call Me Marky Mark" Wahlberg stars as Micky Ward - a decent fighter who hasn't been able to break through and become a champion.  His career is a family affair as he is managed by his mother, Alice (Melissa Leo), and trained by his drug addicted, former boxer brother Dicky (Christian Bale), who tragically still holds on to his greatest moment, even though it might not have happened exactly the way he wants to believe it did.

After a disastrous fight, Micky starts to realize he doesn't have much longer to make it big, and his new girlfriend, Charlene (Amy Adams), is helping him come to terms with what he must do.  

Can Micky break away from Dicky and Alice?

Are they what has been holding him back?

No one wears tights and a cape.  Nothing gets blown into a million pieces by an earsplitting explosion, and it lacks a sexy 21-year old babe walking around in barely there clothing, but The King's Speech still finds a way to be one of the most exciting movies of the year.  

Set in the 1930's and based on a true story (with plenty of movie magic tossed in to make it more lovey dovey and appealing to modern audiences) Colin Firth stars as the man who would become King George VI, but, right now, he's known as Bertie to his family, and The Duke of York to the people of Great Britain and the world.  

For years, he has tried to hide from public view and public appearances due to a highly pronounced stammer that effects his speech, but as the King (Michael Gambon) ages, the Nazis and Stalin are rising to power, questions about Bertie's brother's ability to take the crown and impending war threatening the country, Bertie is starting to realize he may have to be the man who leads his people through the most trying of times.  As you can imagine, he wants them to see and hear him as an inspirational leader in the age of radio. 

After months of mocking the movie and predicting that Yogi Bear would be the film that destroyed my soul, I decided I had to see it.  Sadly, I should have demanded that I be met at the theater with a pic-a-nic basket full of vodka and pumpkin pie.  That has to be the way many on the set got through the experience, so why not me?

Dan Aykroyd provides the voice of Yogi Bear - the smarter than an average bear who spends his days stealing picnic baskets with his buddy Boo Boo (voice by Justin "I just cost myself an Oscar nomination for The Social Network" Timberlake).  Of course, not all is well in Jellystone Park as the evil Mayor Brown (Andrew Daly) has hatched a scheme to sell off the unpopular park to balance the city's budget shortfalls caused by his own mismanagement. 

Can Yogi, Boo Boo, Ranger Smith (Tom "Ed" Cavanaugh) and his new gal pal documentarian Rachel (Anna Faris) stop the Mayor?

Will they save Jellystone Park as it celebrates its 100th Anniversary?

Does anyone care?

Is it really a legacy when barely anyone remembers the first movie, and most of those who do remember it do not do so fondly?

Garrett Hedlund stars as Sam Flynn - the rebellious heir to the Encom fortune left behind by his long lost father, Kevin (Jeff Bridges).  He's not all that interested in the corporate world, and his only interaction with the company is an annual prank he pulls to annoy those who actually work there instead of collecting riches because they won the gene pool lottery and inherited it from Daddy, but I digress.

His father's old pal and trusted right hand man, Alan Brady (Bruce Boxleitner), has received a strange page from Kevin (pagers still work in 2010?), which leads Sam to go investigate his father's secret office.  Once there, Sam is sucked into a virtual computer world, and finds Kevin.  

Can the two figure out a way to get themselves back into the real world?

Can they stop Kevin's computer generated alter-ego, Clu (Also Jeff Bridges), who has a dastardly plan to bust out and take over the real world?

While participating in a stunt during Oprah Winfrey's series of programs from Australia, actor/singer/dancer and all around good bloke Hugh Jackman crashed into a lighting rig as he entered by sliding down a cable into the Sydney Opera House.

You can see the accident in the video above. Jackman showed his toughness as he dangled above Oprah with a cut to his eye asking only for a tissue and a glass of red wine.

I have a feeling his agent will be having a long talk with Hugh.  You can't risk injuries to the moneymaker (His face!  His beautiful face!)

Pretty people.  Pretty scenery.  Pretty bland.

Angelina Jolie stars as Elise - a mysterious, sexy woman (who knows how to walk into a room), who is being followed by Scotland Yard.  She is associated with a big time thief who has stolen billions from a mobster, and the two are trying to rendezvous, without the mobster or the fuzz finding them.

To throw everyone off the scent, Elise and her paramour come up with a plan to find a patsy who will draw all of the attention from them as their pursuers will think he is the man they are looking for.  Upon boarding a train to Venice, Elise picks out American math teacher, Frank Tupelo (Johnny Depp), as that patsy.   However, the two seem to have a special spark that jeopardizes the entire plan.

Will the bad guys figure out Frank is not the man they are seeking?

Will Elise be able to break away from Frank when needed?

Who would have thought Depp and Jolie would refuse to sizzle in this movie? 

I have to admit, the biggest surprise about The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader was the fact that they are still making Chronicles of Narnia Movies.

As World War II rages across Europe, the Pevensie kids are back, at least the ones still under contract (Georgie Henley as Lucy and Skandar Keynes as Edmund), and they have an annoying cousin, Eustace (Will Pouter, although, you might as well call this kid Cousin Oliver), joining them as they are summoned back to Narnia to help Prince Caspian (Ben Barnes) find his father's greatest allies and defeat pure evil (yes, this is where I am supposed to insert the Paris Hilton joke, but I will let you do it).

Can they find the seven swords that are key to winning?  

Is Cousin Eustace up to the task?

Here it is!

Will you be excited to see Mel Gibson in The Beaver this spring?

Will you boycott the film because of Mel Gibson?

Does it even matter?

The steamy sex scene has dominated all of the talk about Black Swan, and my naughtiest dreams, but it's not the only reason to get all hot and bothered about this potential Oscar contender.

Natalie Portman stars Nina - a hard working, but not gifted ballerina who finally gets her big break to star in Swan Lake.  However, she is a hot mess!  

Nina is losing it as she deals with a domineering stage mother (Barbara Hershey) and her controlling ballet company director, Thomas (Vincent Cassel), who seems to be trying to get into her brain (and, maybe, pants).  Of course, it all explodes when Nina starts to worry that the troupe's new and naturally talented dancer, Lily (Mila Kunis), is gunning for the lead role.

Is Lily trying to usurp Nina and become the Swan Queen before the curtain even rises on the production's premiere?

Is Nina going insane?

Jake Gyllenhaal appeared naked (repeatedly) in his last movie, Love & Other Drugs.  That movie came in #6 during its opening weekend and didn't crack $10 million for the three day weekend.

Does that mean his next movie, Source Code, has a chance?  

Call me curious.  It's a Sci-Fi thriller where Jake jumps into the body of a man who is about to die, and must find out which terrorist blew up the train, before he strikes again.  And, it stars Michelle Monaghan, who is AWESOME. 

Will you be there April 15, 2011?

Before Mel Gibson's very well known meltdown and troubles this year, early buzz said he might get an Oscar nomination for The Beaver directed by Jodie Foster. 

It already was a tough sell.  In the movie, Gibson plays a former toy executive who suffers from depression, which causes him to lose his business and family.  When he finds a beaver puppet, and starts wearing it everywhere, his life starts to turn around.

Foster has raved about Gibson's performance. 

Summit Entertainment wanted to make a push for Gibson as Best Actor at the Oscars. 

But, Gibson's tirades and troubles with his girlfriend ruined all of that.

However, Summit is ready to release the movie and see if they can get some money back. 

According to DeadlineHollywoodDaily,com, a trailer for The Beaver will premiere on Friday night's Entertainment Tonight, and the movie will be released some time in the spring of 2011.

Many people rejoiced when Mel Gibson was dropped/fired from The Hangover 2, so are you ready to see Mel Gibson in a starring role?

Willing to showcase the Abs of Steel Johnny Depp never dared to in the 80's, Channing Tatum has joined Jonah Hill for a movie based on one of the Fox network's earliest hits.  Are we ready for 21 Jump Street The Movie?

SONY Pictures announced the project today, but a release date and production date have not been established. 

While I am certain Peter DeLuise and Holly Robinson are ready, willing and able (and desperate), will Johnny make a cameo appearance?