WAMG has your passes to MAGIC MIKE XXL, the follow up to 2012’s worldwide hit MAGIC MIKE.
Picking up the story three years after Mike (Channing Tatum) bowed out of the stripper life at the top of his game, Magic Mike XXL finds the remaining Kings of Tampa likewise ready to throw in the towel. But they want to do it their way: burning down the house in one last blow-out performance in Myrtle Beach, and with legendary headliner Magic Mike sharing the spotlight with them.
On the road to their final show, with whistle stops in Jacksonville and Savannah to renew old acquaintances and make new friends, Mike and the guys learn some new moves and shake off the past in surprising ways.
Directed by Gregory Jacobs, the film also stars Matt Bomer, Joe Manganiello, Kevin Nash, Adam Rodriguez, Gabriel Iglesias, Amber Heard, Donald Glover, Stephen ‘tWitch’ Boss, Michael Strahan,
with Andie MacDowell, Elizabeth Banks and Jada Pinkett Smith.
MAGIC MIKE XXL hits theaters on July 1st.
WAMG invites you to enter for a chance to win passes (Good for 2) to the advance screening of MAGIC MIKE XXL on Thursday, June 25th at 7PM in the St. Louis area.
We will contact the winners by email.
Answer the following:
What future Oscar winner starred in the original MAGIC MIKE?
TO ENTER, ADD YOUR NAME, ANSWER AND EMAIL IN OUR COMMENTS SECTION BELOW.
OFFICIAL RULES:
1. YOU MUST BE IN THE ST. LOUIS AREA THE DAY OF THE SCREENING.
2. A pass does not guarantee a seat at a screening. Seating is on a first-come, first served basis. The theater is overbooked to assure a full house. The theater is not responsible for overbooking.
3. No purchase necessary.
The film is rated R for strong sexual content, pervasive language, some nudity and drug use.
“Live from New York, it’s the Tribeca Film Festival.”
I’m sure that is how some people’s coverage of this year’s TFF started off. It makes sense considering the opening night film was a documentary about Saturday Night Live! Plus, some writers can’t help but resort to puns and cheap gimmicks to appear witty. Hell, I used it and haven’t even seen the film yet. But my TriBeCa experience didn’t start off with belly laughs. Instead it began with a double feature of films about shitty parents.
THE ADDERALL DIARIES stars James Franco as an author struggling with writer’s block, which could be the inspiration for my deconstruction of an opening to this recap. The film is based on the memoir of the same title by Stephen Elliott. Franco’s version of Elliott deals with drug addiction (mostly Adderall), a BDSM fetish that could ruin a burgeoning relationship, and a haunting past retold through fractured memories. The acting is solid but the story is just too disjointed to truly feel invested in any of these characters.
Throughout the film we are consistently told (mostly by Stephen himself) that he has struggled his whole life. From our perspective it seems everything is simply handed to him. When we first meet Stephen he gets an amazing book deal, the idea for his next novel falls into his lap, and shortly after so does Amber Heard. It is Stephen’s self-destructive tendencies that mess it all up but we are unsympathetic because we don’t really know who he is. We are given a superficial glimpse but it is revealed early on that Stephen is an unreliable narrator.
Regardless of its shortcoming, there are still some great moments in the film, mostly those that involve Stephen’s best friend Roger (Jim Parrack). He adds some levity to the film but also acts as a realistic wake up call for Stephen. Regardless of which flashbacks actually are true, we see that Stephen and Roger came from the same place but their lives diverged on two very different paths. The always fantastic Ed Harris also gives another great performance as Stephen’s father, who may or may not be the monster he initially appears. The editing of the film also deserves credit for making the narrative much more interesting to watch than the story should allow.
Out of a curiosity, I read an article about the memoir while waiting for my second screening. This definitely appears to be a case where the source material is far better than what it inspired. I would recommend fans of Stephen Elliott check out the film since they will likely be able to connect more of the pieces than someone unfamiliar with the book. For everyone else, the film feels like a less intelligent and far more Americanized version of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. The film is enjoyable in its own way but it is frustrating to think how much better it could have been…
GRANDMA
Paul Weitz will always have a special place in my heart for his hugely influential directorial debut, American Pie. While he does not sport a spotless filmography, he does impress with films like About A Boy and the highly underrated In Good Company. (I’d also like to make a special mention to the even more underrated TV show Off Centre, which I couldn’t help but mention during an interview with Sean Maguire a few years back.) While GRANDMA doesn’t stack quite as high as those other films in my book, it is definitely close. This may be Weitz’s most intimate film to date but that also lends itself to an annoying problem. While the characters are vibrant and it is easy to invest in the story, at times the film can feel too small for its own good.
A pregnant teenage girl and her eccentric grandmother drive around town trying to scrounge up $630 to pay for her abortion appointment later in the day. There are many scenes that are funny, moving and at times both. While the premise is fine, there really is no sense of urgency motivating the picture. The grandmother is cash poor but explains that she has checks coming in the following week that would cover the procedure. Why not wait? Because morning sickness is starting to kick in. That is the sole reasoning behind the events that unfold. There are other examples of weak motivations and unexplored routes that held me back from really loving the film.
Getting past nitpicks, GRANDMA really does have a lot going for it. Namely, Lily Tomlin. Her name is sure to come up during Awards season this year and not just because Sony has already made it clear they plan a big push. This really is her film and she shines throughout. Tomlin owns the role expertly pulling off the hip granny routine without ever feeling like a shtick. That is actually her car they spend much of the runtime driving around in which speaks volumes for how much she put into this film. While it likely will not end up as one of my favorites of the festival, GRANDMA is definitely one to check out when it gets a wider release.
In anticipation of the Blu-Ray and DVD release of Relativity’s 3 DAYS TO KILL on May 20th, WAMG is giving away copies of 3 DAYS TO KILL on Blu-Ray. Hooray! The new McG thriller stars Kevin Costner, Amber Heard, Hailee Steinfeld, and Connie Nielsen.
TO ENTER:
1. YOU MUST BE A U.S. RESIDENT WITH A U.S. SHIPPING ADDRESS. NO P.O. BOXES.
2. PLACE YOUR NAME, A VALID EMAIL, AND ANSWER TO THE QUESTION BELOW IN THE COMMENT SECTION OF THIS POST.
3. What is your favorite Kevin Costner film?
WINNERS WILL BE CHOSEN THROUGH A RANDOM DRAWING OF QUALIFYING CONTESTANTS. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. PRIZES WILL NOT BE SUBSTITUTED OR EXCHANGED.
In this heart pounding action-thriller, Kevin Costner is a dangerous international spy, who is determined to give up his high stakes life to finally build a closer relationship with his estranged wife and daughter, whom he’s previously kept at arm’s length to keep out of danger. But first, he must complete one last mission- even if it means juggling the two toughest assignments yet: hunting down the world’s most ruthless terrorist and looking after his teenage daughter for the first time in ten years, while his wife is out of town.
Costner shows us that he’s still got what it takes as a leading man in 3 DAYS TO KILL.
Ethan Renner (Kevin Costner) has finally decided to bow out of the CIA after finding out that he has a terminal illness until Vivi Delay (Amber Heard), an agent offers him an experimental life-saving cure in exchange for his participation in one last mission. Now, Ethan is balancing his time in case it does run out by getting to know his estranged daughter Zoey (Hailee Steinfeld) and hunting down a threat he knows only by name… The Wolf.
Kevin Costner still has it. Not only is he in the action scenes of this film, but his comedic timing is incredible. Going into this film, I didn’t expect much on the side of humor but I was pleasantly surprised. This film also offers a bit of heart, which I also did not expect. If you are expecting a cut-throat, hardcore CIA movie, then this is not the film for you. It’s filled with action, and has some pretty violent scenes, but all of that is balanced with a story about family, and making sure that you don’t miss out on the important things in life. Hailee Steinfeld, known best for her role in TRUE GRIT, does a wonderful job as the angsty teenager Zoey. She plays both sides, the side that is acting out because of the pain her father caused by leaving, and the side begging for his love and approval, beautifully. The only character that I wasn’t completely sold on was Vivi Delay, played by Amber Heard. Her character was more cute than charismatic. To be honest, I found her performance rather dull, and flat. Her character did sport some amazing wigs though.
Director McG manages to take a relatively implausible story, and make it interesting and fun. Ethan has two different lives, one as a CIA assassin, and the other as a man trying to make amends with his family, and they are balanced quite well. I think as critics, we tend to forget that movies are about entertainment. Sure, I’m guilty of ripping films apart when they throw things like common sense out the window, but why go to a movie, or review it if you aren’t going to give it a chance to entertain you. Having said that, this film is in no way a truthful tale, nor is it trying to boast its accuracy. You can tell that from the scenes where Vivi is driving Ethan around, whipping her expensive car in and out of traffic without even looking at the road. That part did bug me quite a bit.
If you are looking for a fun time at the movies, this is a great film to see. Kevin Costner proves that he is back and ready to kick cinematic ass!
3 DAYS TO KILL hits theaters this Friday, and in promotion of the film, held a small press conference last week where Director McG and stars Kevin Costner and Amber Heard talked about the physicality of their roles in the film with WAMG and other members of the press. Check it out below.
In this heart pounding action-thriller, Kevin Costner is a dangerous international spy, who is determined to give up his high stakes life to finally build a closer relationship with his estranged wife and daughter, whom he’s previously kept at arm’s length to keep out of danger. But first, he must complete one last mission – even if it means juggling the two toughest assignments yet: hunting down the world’s most ruthless terrorist and looking after his teenage daughter for the first time in ten years, while his wife is out-of-town.
How was your experience shooting the stunts, and how did working with a whole new French stunt crew impact your design and execution?
McG: Kevin’s the kind of guy… he’s never seen base camp. He loves to be on the set and be active in the filmmaking process and that goes for the stunts as well. Every once in a while, you’ve got to grab him by the back of his pants and say, “Kevin, this one’s not all that safe for you to be in the car as it rams the other car off the bridge and down into the river.” He’s just very focused in that respect. It was fun just shooting things practically in the spirit of Frankenheimer, and those films that I grew up on and were real seminal. We wanted to do it in camera and shutting down the streets of Paris was fun in that respect. But I think it’s clear to everyone who’s seen the picture that the action is decorative. It’s ultimately a character-driven piece that we’re hoping the defining characteristic of this film is the balance of certainly action and comedy but most particularly a dramatic investment in this Ethan character who’s played by Kevin.
How challenging was the physicality of this film for you?
Kevin Costner: Well, you’re cold. And any time you’re cold, things are harder. I’ve been involved in my stunt career. It used to be that my stunt guy, we would talk about it and about when it was time for him to take over. And the way you know you’re getting older, with my stunt guy, we look at the thing and he goes, “You could make it.” I can tell he starts getting scared. “You could make that.” So, it was an evolving thing. Fortunately, I didn’t have that over there because I had a new stunt guy, a new stunt coordinator. You have to measure things. I wanted to ride with the buffalo. I wanted to do those things. Whenever you can put the audience in the car, on the horse, carrying your daughter, they’re now in the movie. But stunts have always had their place and I have to measure them right now. I’ve done things that if I make a mistake, you could die, and you really need to look at something. That usually is mechanical. I wouldn’t jump this, right there to there. I’d go, “You know what? You could really die straight down there,” because weird things happen. So I’ve gone from doing everything to listening to say, “Maybe you shouldn’t do this.”
On screen Ethan struggles with the balance between work and home life. Did that ring true for you in real life?
Kevin Costner: When dealing with women, my boss in this instance, my hellish relationship with her… But he gets frustrated by women, and my house is the same. There’s a level of humor that we tried to bring into the movie without winking at the camera. I think it’s funnier if you don’t wink and say, “I’m really frustrated by you, by her, by my wife, by my daughter.” So there’s a part of the world where he’s very efficient in his life and he’s not that great in this particular aspect. He can be shut down.
Amber Heard: I agree. For my part in it, our relationship is an interesting one. And the power struggle of these two strong characters constantly going against each other was interesting. He’s very accomplished. He’s very good at his job. He’s tried and true. He’s a veteran of the trade that they’re in. She’s a whole other school. It’s a new school. It’s completely opposite people in some ways and we’re the adversaries, which is what I liked. It’s rare that you see that dynamic between a man and a woman in a film. And I liked that it didn’t bother or hinder McG’s imagination or his desire to see that come to fruition. It’s like he didn’t care. It’s like, “Yeah, why couldn’t I be his boss? Just because I wear high heels?” But you don’t see that often, which is why I liked it.
McG: For me, what you talk about is the central theme of the picture. I think you guys as journalists — everybody can understand — sometimes you get so caught up in your work life that there’s atrophy on the home front. And I think that’s one of the primary stories of the film. You have a guy in Ethan who’s so focused on duty that he’s spent a lot of time in the field and then he gets a piece of information and gets deeply in touch with what matters the most in his life, which is clearly his daughter and his wife. And that’s not going to be an easy road to win his way back into their hearts.
In anticipation of Relativity’s upcoming film 3 DAYS TO KILL on February 21st, WAMG is hosting a 3 DAYS TO KILL giveaway. The new McG thriller stars Kevin Costner, Amber Heard, Hailee Steinfeld, and Connie Nielsen.
One lucky winner with receive a 3 DAYS TO KILL prize pack including the following items:
Branded sunglasses
Branded tin of mints
Branded t-shirt
$25 Fandango gift card
TO ENTER:
1. YOU MUST BE A U.S. RESIDENT WITH A U.S. SHIPPING ADDRESS. NO P.O. BOXES.
2. PLACE YOUR NAME, A VALID EMAIL, AND ANSWER TO THE QUESTION BELOW IN THE COMMENT SECTION OF THIS POST.
3. What is your favorite Kevin Costner film?
WINNERS WILL BE CHOSEN THROUGH A RANDOM DRAWING OF QUALIFYING CONTESTANTS. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. PRIZES WILL NOT BE SUBSTITUTED OR EXCHANGED.
In this heart pounding action-thriller, Kevin Costner is a dangerous international spy, who is determined to give up his high stakes life to finally build a closer relationship with his estranged wife and daughter, whom he’s previously kept at arm’s length to keep out of danger. But first, he must complete one last mission- even if it means juggling the two toughest assignments yet: hunting down the world’s most ruthless terrorist and looking after his teenage daughter for the first time in ten years, while his wife is out of town.
Kevin Costner takes on the role of international spy Ethan Runner in Relativity Media’s upcoming film 3 DAYS TO KILL.
In this heart pounding action-thriller, Runner (Costner)is determined to give up his high stakes life to finally build a closer relationship with his estranged wife and daughter, whom he’s previously kept at arm’s length to keep out of danger.
But first, he must complete one last mission- even if it means juggling the two toughest assignments yet: hunting down the world’s most ruthless terrorist and looking after his teenage daughter for the first time in ten years, while his wife is out of town.
Directed by McG and written by Luc Besson and Adi Hasak, 3 DAYS TO KILL also stars Amber Heard and Connie Nielsen
Check out this clip from the film. In theaters February 21st.
WAMG invites you to enter for your chance to receive a pass (Good for 2) to the advance screening of 3 DAYS TO KILL – Wednesday, February 19 at 7PM in St. Louis.
Answer the following:
Kevin Costner played a “mole” in this 1987 movie co-starring Gene Hackman and Sean Young. Name the film and the character that Costner played.
OFFICIAL RULES:
1. YOU MUST BE IN THE ST. LOUIS AREA THE DAY OF THE SCREENING.
2. ENTER YOUR NAME AND ANSWER IN OUR COMMENTS SECTION BELOW.
3. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY.
This film has been rated PG-13 for intense sequences of action and violence. Some sensuality and language.
Kevin Costner is back in action in the first poster and trailer for Relativity Media’s upcoming film 3 DAYS TO KILL.
(via Yahoo Movies)
In this heart pounding action-thriller, Kevin Costner is a dangerous international spy, who is determined to give up his high stakes life to finally build a closer relationship with his estranged wife and daughter, whom he’s previously kept at arm’s length to keep out of danger.
But first, he must complete one last mission- even if it means juggling the two toughest assignments yet: hunting down the world’s most ruthless terrorist and looking after his teenage daughter for the first time in ten years, while his wife is out of town.
Directed by McG and written by Luc Besson and Adi Hasak, the film also features Amber Heard and Hailee Steinfeld.
See why you don’t want to mess with Machete in the explosive new trailer for MACHETE KILLS. If you fail to do this, you’ll have to answer to the man himself.
In MACHETE KILLS, Danny Trejo returns as ex-Federale agent MACHETE, who is recruited by the President of the United States for a mission which would be impossible for any mortal man – he must take down a madman revolutionary and an eccentric billionaire arms dealer who has hatched a plan to spread war and anarchy across the planet.
With an all-star cast including Michelle Rodriguez, Sofia Vergara, Amber Heard, Charlie Sheen, Lady Gaga, Antonio Banderas, Jessica Alba, Vanessa Hudgens, Cuba Gooding, Jr., Mel Gibson, and Danny Trejo as the legendary Machete, MACHETE KILLS will be in theaters everywhere October 11th.
Can’t get enough Machete? Do not be ashamed. Few can. Head over to the official MACHETE KILLS site for more action and the latest updates about the film.
Sofia Vergara is the deadly Desdemona in the latest MACHETE KILLS poster (viaEW.com ). Prepare for the epic return of Danny Trejo as the ultimate badass in Robert Rodriguez’s highly anticipated MACHETE KILLS.
Recruited by the President of the United States for a mission which would be impossible for any mortal man, ex-Federale agent Machete must take down a madman revolutionary and an eccentric billionaire arms dealer who has hatched a plan to spread war and anarchy across the planet.
The all-star cast includes Michelle Rodriguez, Sofia Vergara, Amber Heard, Charlie Sheen, Lady Gaga, Antonio Banderas, Jessica Alba, Vanessa Hudgens, Cuba Gooding, Jr., Mel Gibson, and Danny Trejo as the legendary Machete.
From director Robert Rodriguez, MACHETE KILLS will be in theaters everywhere September 13th.
