Month: May 2008

Today’s Past in the Movies … May 30

May 30 … What occurred in movie-land today in years past?

Events on this day:

1977 – Star Wars: Episode IV, A New Hope records $1,554,475 box office on opening weekend.
1977 – Smokey and the Bandit records $1,728,060 box office on opening weekend.
2004 – The Day After Tomorrow records $85,807,341 box office on opening weekend.

Born on this day:

1896 – Howard Hawks (Producer/Director: Scarface, His Girl Friday, The Big Sleep)
1899 – Irving Thalberg (Producer: The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Mutiny on the Bounty)
1908 – Mel Blanc (Voice Actor: Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Who Framed Roger Rabbit?)
1912 – Hugh Griffith (Actor: Ben-Hur, Exodus, Mutiny on the Bounty)
1920 – Franklin Schaffner (Oscar-winning Director: Papillon, Patton, Planet of the Apes)
1927 – Clint Walker (Actor: The Ten Commandments, The Dirty Dozen)
1928 – Agnes Varda (Director: The Gleaners and I, Vagabond, Cleo from 5 to 7)

Died on this day:

1967 – Claude Rains (Actor: The Good Earth, The Invisible Man, Casablanca)
2006 – Shohei Imamura (Director: The Pornographers, Black Rain, The Eel, Dr. Akagi)

New ‘Zohan’ pictures arrive..

New pictures have hit the internet(s) from ‘You dont mess with the Zohan’ and we are sharing them with you. Collider.com has 29 other photos than the one above, so head over there and check them out.

What excites me most about this movie is not Adam Sandler(he is great too) but Emmanuelle Chriqui..I absolutely LOVE her. She really brought the house down in ‘Adam and Eve’.

‘Burn After Reading’ Red Band Trailer

Yes geeks, The Coen Brothers are back with yet another masterpiece! Coen Brothers are going to explore their comedic sides again just as they did with ‘Big Lebowski’,’Raising Arizona’, ‘The Ladykillers’,and ‘O Brother, Where Art Thou?’ The casting is excellent too, Clooney,Pitt,and Malkovich headlining the film shouldn’t do to bad at the box office once this hits theaters. This movie has a release date of September 12, 2008

This movie is going to be a riot!

Review: ‘The Strangers’

I just checked out the new flick “The Strangers”. This will give you new perspective about living in the country! The story, which is inspired by actual events, takes place in rural Wisconsin. The story Has James Hoyt (Scott Speedman) taking his girlfriend/fiance’ Kristen (Liv Tyler) to his family’s summer home following a wedding reception. Shortly after they arrive a knock comes at the door with a girl looking for “tamara”. This is where the “fun” starts!

Three masked figures then begin to appear everywhere thoughout the house and yard. They go unnoticed at first just leaving little clues to their presence. It’s kinda like the Keebler elves..FROM HELL! Once they are visible to the couple they begin to terroize the couple throughout the night!

This movie will creep you out and possibly encourage a trip to Home Depot for new deadbolt locks. “The Strangers” is not the typical Jason/Freddy/Pinhead slasher film that has the scream queen and jock doing everything that the typical victim would do. This one is fresh because they don’t open the door to the evil or walk down the wrong stairwell. It’s loaded with scenes that will have you jumping out of your seat ,and if your like fellow editor Scott, you’ll be crying for you mama(Scotts Note:..its true)!

The best line summed up the creepfest …Kristen says “Why are you doing this?!” masked intruder #1 replies…”Because you were home.”

WOW!

[Rating:2.5/5]

Review: ‘Sex And The City’

sex and the city

The “Fab” four are back! After a 4 year vacation, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Catrell, Cynthia Nixon and Kristen Davis, are back reprising their roles of Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte in the new Sex and the City Movie. One thing that worries me when they do a TV-based movie is that original cast members are missing. Not so in this case…all your faves are in it including the original writer/director Michael Patrick King. Ok..Ok.. before you revoke my “man” card, I went into this film thinking it was going to be a very,very long tv show but I was pleasantly surprised …IT was GOOD! (it is about a 1/2 hour too long running time is 2hours and 28 mins.)

The story picks up 3 years following Big (Chris Noth) going to Paris to tell Carrie (Parker) he loved her and bring her back to New York. Carrie and Big have been looking for the right Manhattan apartment to move in together. Three years later has Samantha on the west coast in Hollywood living with and managing her boy -toy Smith Jared (Jason Lewis). Samantha finds herself walking the thin line between monogamy and gluttony when she spies her new neighbor Raoul and his harem of sex partners. Miranda (Nixon) is still in Brooklyn with husband Steve (David Eigenberg) and son Brady (Joseph Pupo). Miranda is still with the law firm and approaches her marriage as all work and no sex makes Miranda a crappy wife. This leaves us with “Cinderella” Charlotte (Davis). Charlotte has her adopted baby Lily and Husband Harry (Evan Handler) and the canine trio from the finale. Three years has just made Charlotte happier living the “dream”. It wouldn’t be the same if our favorite designers didn’t pop in for cameos …yes Stanford Blatch and Anthony Marintino (Willie Garrison, Mario Catone) show up for the Big/ Bradshaw nuptuals. There is also a forgettable performance by American Idol Jennifer Hudson as an assistant hired by Carrie. Hudson does contribute a song to the soundtrack. (Stick to the singing Jen)

I’m not going to give away all the details. I’m sure you’ve seen the trailers, let me tell you there is a lot more than whats been shown on TV. A line that sums it up from the film is women come to New York for the two L’s ..Labels (designer) and Love. There is plenty of both in the film. If you like the TV show …this maybe your favorite film of the year. If your idea of romance is Clint Eastwood and a 44 Magnum..Ironman is still playing. If you have never seen the show ,”Sex and the City” is a very good stand alone film. Important note to all married guys and men in relationships that read this review: This summer is shaping up like this: Ironman, Indiana Jones, Zohan, Hulk, Hellboy 2 and the Dark Knight. This a good movie to “take one for the team” and go with her to this flick. (also the nudity factor is 10 to 1 girls vs. guy)

sex and the city 2

[rating:4/5]

In case you missed it … ‘The Specials’

Basically, this movie really kind of sucks. On the other hand, and this may just be coming from my years of being a comic book geek as a kid, its also kind of cool … in a sad, pathetic way. The Specials, directed Craig Mazin, which says a lot right there, is a terribly written movie with a silly story. As far as I can tell, its intended to be using the “superhero” idea to tell a story about the ups and downs of friendship … then again, it may just be an attempt to parody something many of us love. Either way, its a movie that only those with a childish fascination with comic books can appreciate … even if its a closet appreciation kept secret from others.

In the movie, The Specials are the 6th or 7th best superhero team in the world. Troubled by their lack of popularity, their leader devises a plan to increase their fans by releasing a series of action figures promoting The Specials. Amidst tension within the ranks of The Specials, opinions are mixed regarding the new business venture and the sudden call for maturity and professionalism by the team’s leader, the great Strobe. After the action figures are unveiled at a public press event, the team realizes the entire campaign has been a complete catastrophic failure. With team members frustrated and angry with one another, the fate of The Specials is in jeopardy.

Who are The Specials? The great Strobe (Thomas Haden Church) shoots laser-beams out his arms, Ms. Indestructible (Paget Brewster) has indestructible skin, the blue-skinned anti-matter throwing Amok (Jamie Kennedy), The Weevil (Rob Lowe) makes people like him, Power Chick (Kelly Coffield) can take on the characteristics of any element she touches, Deadly Girl (Judy Greer) can summon the dead and teleport in and out of the underworld, Minute Man (James Gunn) can shrink himself, the shape-shifting Alien Orphan (Sean Gunn) is an idiot alien that crash-landed on Earth, the incredibly strong [and dumb] U.S. Bill (Mike Schwartz), Mr. Smart (Jim Zulevic) the smartest man on Earth, Nightbird (Jordan Ladd) the team’s rookie with “bird powers” and Eight, who is actually eight different people with a single collective consciousness.

Who are the villains? Well, there aren’t any … but, Amok used to be one when he was a teenager. There are however, several other super-teams like The Crusaders and the Sunlight Grrrll from the Femme Five, which is actually got eight members. Most are gonna hate this movie. In all honesty, I’m surprised I enjoyed it at all. If you’re a serious comic book geek, or just glutton for punishment … give it a try.

Actor Harvey Korman dies at 81

Harvey Korman as Hedley Lamarr in Blazing Saddles

Actor and comedian Harvey Korman has died at the age of 81. Korman was born February 15, 1927 in Chicago, Illinois. He was a four-time Emmy Award winner, with his roles on The Carol Burnette Show , but is probably best-known by movie geeks in his role as Hefley Lamarr in Blazing Saddles. This performance would lead to two more films with director Mel Brooks. Whether he’s made you laugh on TV or in the movies, Korman will be missed.

Other Notable Movie Performances:

High Anxiety (1977)
Herbie Goes Bananas (1980)
History of the World: Part I (1981)
Trail of the Pink Panther (1982)
Curse of the Pink Panther (1983)		 ………. Munchies (1987)
Radioland Murders (1994)
Dracula: Dead and Loving It (1995)
Jingle All the Way (1996)

Tonight at Midnight … ‘Zack and Miri’ teaser will be online!

“Don’t call it a trailer, ’cause it’s not a trailer; it’s a teaser. There ain’t a frame of footage in this puppy that’s in the actual flick, so feel free to watch it without fear of “spoilers†. This is just a little something to give you a bit of a feel for the flick.”

This from Kevin Smith on his “My Boring Ass Life” blog …

Tonight, at midnight, there will be a teaser trailer online … go check it out at Quick Stop Entertainment