May 2011 Archives

Oh my.  Oh my.  Oh my. 

It looks like George Clooney is making a run at another Oscar.  The movie comes out December 16, but I am ready to stand in line tonight.

Let the sequel speculation run rampant as The Hangover Part II opened up with a $135 million box office take from Thursday to Monday, and broke all sorts of records this Memorial Day weekend.

Here's the roundup of records broken:

Most number of theaters playing an R-rated movie - 3,615

Highest grossing R-rated midnight debut - $10.4 million

Biggest 3-day weekend comedy debut - $85 million

4th biggest Memorial Day weekend opening - $104 million

2nd biggest R-rated weekend opening - $85 million

As you can imagine, that kind of performance has Hollywood tongues wagging about a sequel, and the stars of the movie are more than willing to stoke the flames.  Director Todd Phillips has stated there will be a third movie, while stars Jamie Chung and Justin Bartha publicly have nominated Amsterdam for the setting. 

Should the Wolfpack head to Amsterdam?  Where else could they go?  How can they sneak the monkey into Amsterdam?
 

Every time I am ready to count out Woody Allen and tell him to give it up, he makes me regret it. 

Midnight in Paris makes you happy he continues to make movies.

Owen Wilson stars as Gil - a Hollywood writer trying to transition into writing novels.  His fiancee, Inez (Rachel McAdams), her family and Gil have all made the trip to Paris, and our writer starts to believe this quaint, historic, vibrant town is where he should live.  Of course, Inez is not as enamored with the grand old city.

One night, Gil takes a walk and, at midnight, a mysterious, old, 1920's car stops by the side of the road and the people inside beckon Gil to join them.

The Hangover Part II is not the only sequel taking a bow this Memorial Day weekend, but this movie might be the better of the two.

In this animated film, Jack Black is back as the voice of Po - a lovably awkward, sometimes clumsy panda who turns out to be a much prophesized Kung Fu master.  After saving his town in the first movie, Po has to kick it up a notch and save all of China from an evil mastermind, Lord Shen (Gary Oldman), who has developed a weapon that can defeat Kung Fu! 

Every sequel is haunted by the success of the original and the fear fans have that the new one won't live up to the original.  You rarely get The Godfather II and The Empire Strikes Back.  Mostly, you get Speed 2, Grease 2, Caddyshack 2 or Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo.  The Hangover Part II is somewhere in between.    

Phil (Bradley "See My Interview With Willie Waffle At The Bottom Of This Review" Cooper), Stu (Ed Helms), Alan (Zach Galifianakis) and Doug (Justin Bartha) are back and a wedding is in the future, again.  Stu's life has turned around for the better.  He has fallen in love, become engaged to young hottie Lauren (Jamie Chung), and planned a massive luxury ceremony in her homeland of Thailand.  Already not very well liked by his future father-in-law, Stu is walking on eggshells, and refuses to have a bachelor party in an attempt to avoid a repeat of what happened at Doug's bachelor party in The Hangover.    

On the other hand, you are buying a ticket with hopes it will happen again, and it does (kinda).  In what seems to be a wholesome bonfire celebration on the beach at the majestic resort hotel where the wedding is taking place, the guys calmly celebrate with Lauren's college-aged brother, Teddy (Mason Lee), but wake up the next morning in a flop house in Bangkok.  They aren't sure where Teddy went, but they do have his finger.

The Muppets are back this November, and this trailer is a great indication of how kooky the movie might be.  Written by How I Met Your Mother's Jason Segel, the story is being kept under wraps.  Rumor has it the plot focuses on The Muppets' theater in danger of being destroyed, and some of the biggest actors in Hollywood dropping in to save it. 

Count. Me. In.

I don't know about you, but this trailer has me all sorts of excited for this vampire film. 

 

Katy Perry is up in arms today as husband and well known comic actor Russell Brand was deported from Japan.  According to Perry's own tweets on the matter, Brand was sent away due to prior legal issues from ten years ago. 

Brand has acknowledged his own problems with drugs and drinking in the past, but he has not confirmed what incident may have caused this action.  Japanese authorities have not commented on why he was deported.

Brand did find some humor in the situation, and tweeted that he was planning an escape, but "it's bloody hard to dig a tunnel with a chopstick."

Perry will continue the tour in Japan without her sweetheart at her side.  She is expected to be in the DC area when she performs at Merriweather Post Pavilion on June 15.  No word on whether or not the Maryland authorities will deport Brand as well.  I guess much of that will depend on whether or not they have seen Arthur. 

Of course, Brand finds himself in good company when it comes to being deported from Japan.  In 1980, Paul McCartney was detained and deported when Japanese authorities found 1/2 pound of marijuana in his luggage. 

Velvet Revolver was denied visas to perform in 2007 due to previous drug convictions. 

Mick Jagger and The Rolling Stones were denied visas to perform in Japan for several decades due to prior drug arrests, and who can forget Paris Hilton was turned away by Japanese authorities in September 2010 due to a cocaine possession conviction.

They say the third time is a charm, and that's where they should have stopped with Pirates of the Caribbean.

Johnny Depp is back for a fourth time as Captain Jack Sparrow, and he has found himself in the middle of a crazy situation (of course).  After making off with a map to the Fountain of Youth during Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, Sparrow is in demand. 

Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) has left the pirate life to join the British Navy and lead an expedition to find the Fountain for King George, but Sparrow escapes his clutches only to find himself on the Queen Anne's Revenge.  It's bad enough the ship belongs to Blackbeard (Ian McShane), but the evil pirate's first mate is Angelica (Penelope Cruz) - Sparrow's former flame, who might be in love with him, looking for revenge, or just happy to use the drunken pirate to find the Fountain.

So, I keep hearing about Hunger Games and what a big deal it is, so here is the first picture of Jennifer Lawrence in the lead role of Katniss. 

Teach me why I should be excited.  What makes Hunger Games awesome?

Oh, and click on the photo to see it full size.

The Adventures of Tintin is one of the most popular and successful comics in Europe,  entertaining kids and adults since the 1930's.  That caused Steven Spielberg to get back into the director's chair and join forces with producer Peter Jackson to make one of the holiday season's biggest gambles. 

Will US kids and adults be lining up on December 23 to see Tintin?

Are you curious? 

While the drama is far from over, everyone involved with Two and a Half Men took a huge step forward from the Charlie Sheen Era into the Ashton Kutcher Era this week when it was announced the former Punk'd host and producer would be filling Charlie's shoes.  

No matter how much Warner Brothers Television or CBS wanted Charlie Sheen to return to the show, it was clear the March 7th firing was the end between Sheen and show creator Chuck Lorre.  Too much water had gone under the bridge, and too much bad blood had been spilled between the two.  They will continue to fight it out in court as Sheen tries to argue breach of contract, he should not have been fired and they still owe him future syndication money, even for episodes in which he will not appear, but that discussion is for another day. 

Today, we have to wonder, will Ashton Kutcher save Two and a Half Men? 

I don't think so.

It's time for Tina Fey to step aside.  Kristin Wiig now is the funniest woman on the planet, and her new movie Bridesmaids will prove it to you.   This is one of those movies where I don't know if I have the ability to tell you how fantastic it is, but let's give it a try.

Wiig stars as Annie - a woman who is more down on her luck than anyone you have ever met.  Her bakery failed as the economy tanked, she has a sales job she doesn't like very much and isn't very good at, she shares an apartment with a very strange brother and sister who make her feel like an intruder, and the only man in her life, Ted (Jon Hamm), treats her as a convenient booty call and not much else.  However, through thick and thin, best buddy Lillian (Maya Rudolph) has been there for her.

Now, Lillian has become engaged, and wants Annie to be the maid of honor.  It's an honor, but Annie soon finds herself competing with Lillian's new pal Helen (Rose Byrne), trying to keep up with the mounting expenses involved and seeing every plan go so horribly awry.

While most of us know Will Ferrell as the crazy, silly, over-the-top comedian who is willing to strip down to his tighty whities to get laughs (and does so in almost every movie), underneath all of that, Ferrell has the heart and desire to be a true thespian. 

After performing so well in complete bomb movies like Stranger Than Fiction (which you should see on DVD ASAP) and Melinda and Melinda, I had given up hope he would continue to expand his horizons.  In Everything Must Go, Ferrell restores my hope, and sends a message to everyone in Hollywood that he can act with the best of them.  

Ferrell stars as Nick Halsey - a traveling salesman who is prolific in his ability to sell and drink.  The company has given him plenty of opportunities over the years to clean up his act and get on the right track, but the latest allegations about his behavior and alcoholism have led to his termination.  

Those allegations also have led his wife to end their marriage on the same day.  As Nick arrives back home, he finds all of his life's belongings on the front lawn, and the locks to the house changed, so he can't get inside.

With a life spiraling out of control and neighbors complaining to the police, Nick has been told he has three days to get everything off the front lawn, so he decides to start selling it all.

With her legendary talk show entering its final weeks on TV, Oprah Winfrey is preparing for the next stage of her life, and it won't be completely focused on running her TV network, OWN.

In an interview with The Chicago Tribune, Oprah revealed she is spending a great deal of time reading scripts and trying to find a job on Broadway.  "I have a stack of plays in my bag right now I am reading," said Winfrey, who went on to express regret that she has not been able to take advantage of other opportunities in the past, including a chance to star in the Tony Award winning play Fences, which also led to a Tony for its star, Denzel Washington. 

Let's hope Oprah finds a production that wants to use Washington, DC as a testing ground, as other plays have done in the past.  

A tragic and controversy filled life has continued into death for former child star Gary Coleman as new reports indicate the battle over his estate has led to a macabre situation for his remains. 

One of the biggest film festivals in DC has gotten underway, and this one isn't about Hollywood stars.  It's about the men and women who serve in the US military, and the families that support them.  Don't worry.  They have Hollywood stars, too.

When star Chris Hemsworth shows up on screen without his shirt and so muscle bound I literally heard women in the audience gasp, every cookie, piece of cake and scoop of ice cream that has passed my lips flashed before my eyes.  Had I made all of the wrong life decisions?  Or, should I send him a plate of brownies so Hemsworth looks as shlubby and chubby as the rest of us?

Hemsworth is Thor - the heir to the throne of Asgard who defies his father, Odin (Anthony Hopkins), and leads his merry band of warriors on an attack of their long time enemy, The Frost Giants.  Odin has grown tired of Thor's arrogance and eagerness to engage in war, so he banishes him and his mighty hammer, from Asgard, leaving Thor's brother, Loki (Tom Hiddleston), next in line.

Now, nothing is what it seems as Loki learns a long hidden secret about the family, Thor is wandering around New Mexico trying to figure out what is going on, and Thor's buddies realize they must bring him home to save Asgard.

It's the most debated, dissected and delayed movie of the year, but it all comes down to one question.  Are you willing to watch Mel Gibson in a movie or do you find him too disgusting?

Gibson stars as Walter Black - the heir to a toy company who has taken over and led it to failure, just like he has with everything in his life.  Walter has become depressed, alienated from his family, and asked to leave the house by his wife, Meredith (Jodie Foster).  

While attempting to throw away all of his personal belongings, he finds a beaver puppet in the dumpster, puts it on, and begins to speak through the stuffed toy.  Telling everyone it is a form a prescribed therapy, Walter might be on the verge of saving his life.

Will everyone be accepting of the beaver and Walter's new form of communication?

Can it last forever?

Has Walter made a turn for the better?

Paula Patton stars as Sabrina - a successful woman who always ends up with the wrong guy and regretting it.  After making a promise to God to withhold what men like so much about a woman, she finds the right guy, Jason (Laz Alonso), and the two decide to get married (and he's the right guy because he is willing to wait for that thing guys like so much about a woman).  

However, the wedding promises to be eventful for all of the wrong reasons as Jason's and Sabrina's families come from opposite sides of the economic spectrum, love is in the air (along with some lust), cultures will clash, secrets are revealed and we might even be witnessing the beginning of a divorce.  It's going to be a wild weekend.   

Is this wedding doomed?

Is the movie doomed?

In a summer full of robots from space, comic book heroes and stuff going boom, you can consider Something Borrowed to be the ultimate counterprogramming for those who want some sticky feelings and matters of the heart on screen instead of a throw down between The Rock and Vin Diesel.

Ginnifer Goodwin stars as Rachel - the goodhearted, girl next door who just turned 30-years old, and realizes nothing seems to be going the way it should in her life.  Instead of being the bride, Rachel is the bridesmaid for her best friend, Darcy (Kate Hudson), and, as the wedding day approaches, our heroine is overcome by long held feelings she has for Darcy's fiancée, Dex (Colin Egglesfield).  

The two were pals in law school, and always seemed to have something simmering underneath, but Rachel missed her chance because she wasn't willing to take the leap.  Now, Darcy has scored the man of Rachel's dreams, filling the bridesmaid with regret and remorse.

Such an elegant title for such a boring movie.  Maybe I am being a bit harsh here, but Cave of Forgotten Dreams feels like a great Discovery Channel 30-minute special dragged out to about an hour and a half.

In this documentary, director Werner Herzog takes us deep into the Chauvet caves in the south of France where, in 1994, three explorers stumbled upon a series of cave drawings that had been hidden for over 32,000 years. 

The Dilemma

Vince Vaughn and Kevin James star as Ronny and Nick - two lifelong buddies with a business on the verge of becoming ubersuccessful.  Ronny is the voice and business acumen behind the operation, while Nick is the brains behind the car engines they build, and they have a lucrative deal with Chrysler just within reach if Nick successfully can make an electric/hybrid engine that sounds like a muscle car.   

However, when Ronny witnesses Nick's wife, Geneva (Winona Ryder), fooling around with an oddly tattooed  man, Zip (Channing "Abs of Steel" Tatum), he's not exactly sure how or if he should break the news.

Can Nick, already under immense pressure, handle such a revelation?

Would he believe Ronny?

Is that the most airbrushed poster you have ever scene?

Read more about The Dilemma.



The Green Hornet

Seth Rogen stars as Britt Reid - the son of a millionaire newspaper publisher (played by Tom Wilkinson, and you know it's a movie because no one makes millions publishing newspapers anymore).  Of course, he's kind of a lazy screw up, and Dad has always been harsh on him, but everything changes when Britt's father suddenly passes away.

Not excited about running a publishing empire, the playboy who likes to party has started to get a crazy idea.  After meeting the mysterious Kato (Jay Chou) and learning about all of the wildly imaginative inventions and weapons he has created, Britt has decided to join forces with him to fight crime, but their efforts lead to the duo being misunderstood and considered Public Enemy #1 (or maybe that's Public Enemies #1 and #2?).

Can The Green Hornet and Kato survive when LA's biggest crime lord, Chudnofsky (Christoph Waltz), tries to get them out of the picture?

Will Britt be more successful as a crime fighter than he has at being a journalist?

Read more about The Green Hornet.

While the romantics of DC were hoping it would be Prince William, and the ladies of DC were hoping it would be Prince Harry, their daddy, Prince Charles, is visiting DC today, and he will be welcomed by the farmers.