SONIC THE HEDGEHOG is now available on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, DVD, Digital and for rental On Demand or disc from Paramount Home Entertainment. To celebrate today’s physical release of Sonic the Hedgehog, check out the exciting clips below featuring deleted scenes and behind the scenes with cast commentary from James Marsden (Sheriff Tom Wachowski) and Ben Schwartz (Sonic)!
Powered with incredible speed, Sonic the Hedgehog (voiced by Ben Schwartz), aka The Blue Blur, embraces his new home on Earth. That is, until he accidentally knocks out the power grid and sparks the attention of super-uncool evil genius Dr. Robotnik (Jim Carrey). Now it’s super-villain vs. super-sonic in an all-out race across the globe to stop Robotnik from using his unique power for world domination. Sonic teams up with The Donut Lord, aka Sheriff Tom Wachowski (James Marsden), to save the planet in this action-packed hit that’s fun for the whole family. Here’s another deleted scene: “Baby Sonic”:
Look out old-school Sega fans… Sonic the Hedgehog is on his way back to theaters this February, and along for the ride are Jim Carrey (bringing all the silliness we know and love) as the and James Marsden.
Based on the global blockbuster videogame franchise from Sega, SONIC THE HEDGEHOG tells the story of the world’s speediest hedgehog as he embraces his new home on Earth. In this live-action adventure comedy, Sonic and his new best friend Tom (James Marsden) team up to defend the planet from the evil genius Dr. Robotnik (Jim Carrey) and his plans for world domination. The family-friendly film also stars Tika Sumpter and Ben Schwartz as the voice of Sonic.
Catch SONIC THE HEDGEHOG in theaters February 14, 2020.
It’s hard not to like THE D TRAIN, a witty, well-made celebration of friendship in which two very different guys come to know and appreciate each other – if maybe a bit too much. Jack Black stars as Dan Landsman, a schlubby married Pittsburgh dad enthusiastically heading up his 20th high school reunion committee even though he’s so unpopular the rest of the group heads out for beers after their meetings without inviting him along. The board members have been unable to muster much support for the reunion, but things change when Dan spots a TV commercial starring former classmate and school stud Oliver Lawless (James Marsden), now the face of ‘Banana Boat’ sunblock ad campaign. If Dan can get Oliver to attend the reunion, he figures others will follow suit just to rub elbows with a TV star, making him a hero. Dan works for a consulting firm headed by a technology-challenged boss (Jeffrey Tambor), to whom he concocts a series of lies to justify a trip to L.A. to pursue a potential, non-existent client. Once in L.A., a starstruck Dan quickly hooks up with Oliver, who turns out to be a hard-drinking, cocaine-snorting party boy who’s not nearly as successful an actor as Dan has been lead to believe. They enjoy a wasted night on the town and even run into Oliver’s “pal” Dermot Mulroney (playing himself). When the two stumble back to Oliver’s one-room apartment, they continue to enjoy each other’s company in a Brokeback Mountain kind of way in a scene that is going to make a lot of guys in the audience squirm, but only those who are uncomfortable with their own masculinity (…….just kidding! – all guys will squirm and that one-second shot of Jack Black on the receiving end of some man-love will live in cinema infamy). After this surprising turn, the action moves back to Pittsburgh, where Dan returns to his wife Stacey (Katheryn Hahn) a changed, if confused man. Oliver agrees to attend the reunion, which sets things up for an uncomfortable climactic confrontation.
At the end of the day THE D TRAIN is a pretty formulaic bromantic comedy, and that unexpected twist it has can’t hide that fact, but it’s done well, which counts for a lot, and the chemistry between leading men Jack Black and James Marsden is fantastic. What’s impressive about co-directors Andrew Mogel and Jarrad Paul’s screenplay is the way it explores the complexities of modern, grown-up friendships, and the awkwardness of renewing old acquaintances in middle age, while retaining a bracing sense of adolescent humor. The funniest bits involve Dan covering his lies and Jeffrey Tambor discovering them by learning to use the internet. Too often in these guy-centric comedies, women are little more than ornaments or plot obstacles. Mogel and Paul have balanced their film extremely well, with equal time given to Dan and his wife as much as Dan and Oliver, so that their relationship actually does feel real and not just a convenient plot contrivance. The talented Kathryn Hahn’s Stacey is a supportive figure for Dan and her fine work here ought to add to the fan following she has built in other big-screen comedies as well as on Parks and Recreation. It is the performances that make THE D TRAIN work. Everyone is, for the most part, subdued rather than over-the-top including Jack Black in his first lead since BERNIE four years ago, and it finds him more restrained than we remember him. He’s still adept as ever at reactions and the physical fat-guy stuff, and his clumsily injecting street slang to impress Oliver (hence the title) is a funny gag. Dead-pan Tambor is hysterical and oddball Mike White shines in a couple of scenes as Dan’s fellow reunion committee member. But it’s James Marsden who hijacks THE D TRAIN and runs away with it. The actor has played these impossibly-handsome-guy roles for almost two decades now. Ever since he was John Wilkes Booth, the ‘first male model’ in ZOOLANDER, Marsden has shown a great knack for comedy but his Oliver Lawless – complex and haunted, is his best work. The sad scene where he pretends to know Dermot Mulroney is awkward and note-perfect as is the hilarious one where he gives Dan’s 14-year old son (Russell Posner) advice on his first sexual three-way. Marsden’s performance here is loose and confident and attractive. He makes THE D TRAIN one to catch.
4 of 5 Stars
THE D TRAIN opens in St. Louis May 8th at, among other places, Landmark’s The Tivoli Theater
WELCOME TO ME opens in St. Louis May 8th exclusively at The Hi-Pointe Theater
Bill Murray called WELCOME TO ME “one of the boldest and strangest comedies I’ve ever seen.”
In WELCOME TO ME, directed by Shira Piven—co-starring Linda Cardellini, Tim Robbins, Wes Bentley, Joan Cusack, and James Marsden—Kristen Wiig plays Alice Kleig, a woman with a borderline personality disorder who wins $86 million in the lottery and decides to buy her own talk show.
We Are Movie Geeks did not get a chance to see WELCOME TO ME in advance, but the critics who did are impressed:
Andrew O’Hehir at Salon.com calls WELCOME TO ME:
“Malicious, hilarious and heartbreaking … one of the biggest movie surprises of 2015 so far.”
Travis Hopson at Examiner.com says WELCOME TO ME is
“….hilariously wacky and touching….a showcase for what Wiig can do when put front and center.”
A.O. Scott at New York Times says of WELCOME TO ME:
“By turns touching, amusing and genuinely disturbing, it defies expectations and easy categorization, forgoing obvious laughs and cheap emotional payoffs in favor of something much odder and more interesting.”
Richard Brody at New Yorker claims:
“The movie’s idiosyncratic delights pack a wild metaphorical punch.”
WELCOME TO ME opens in St. Louis tomorrow only at The Hi-Pointe Theater (1005 McCausland Ave). Showtimes are:
Friday – Sunday: (1:15, 3:15, 5:20), 7:30 and 9:30
Would you like to attend the premiere of THE D TRAIN starring Jack Black, James Marsden, Kathryn Hahn and Jeffrey Tambor?
Well, you’re in luck! WAMG is giving away a pair of tickets to the upcoming LOS ANGELES screening and we’d love for you to go!
DATE: APRIL 27TH
Be the first to see IFC Films’ latest movie before it hits theaters on May 8th.
Plus we also have for the winner a special gift from Banana Boat.
All his life, Dan Landsman (Jack Black) has never been the cool guy. That’s about to change – if he can convince Oliver Lawless (Marsden), the most popular guy from his high school who’s now the face of a national Banana Boat ad campaign, to show up with him to their class reunion.
A man on a mission, Dan travels from Pittsburgh to LA and spins a web of lies to recruit Lawless. But he gets more than he bargains for as the unpredictable Lawless proceeds to take over his home, career, and entire life. THE D TRAIN showcases Jack Black and James Marsden’s most intoxicating performances to date.
The film is rated R.
ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTION: How far would you go to be popular?
OFFICIAL RULES: 1. YOU MUST BE IN THE LA AREA THE DAY OF THE EVENT 2. FILL OUT YOUR NAME AND E-MAIL ADDRESS BELOW. 3. TRANSPORTATION NOT PROVIDED. WINNERS WILL BE CHOSEN THROUGH A RANDOM DRAWING OF QUALIFYING CONTESTANTS. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. PRIZES WILL NOT BE SUBSTITUTED OR EXCHANGED.
The first trailer for the Sundance hit THE D TRAIN is here. The comedy stars Jack Black, James Marsden, Kathryn Hahn and Jeffrey Tambor.
All his life, Dan Landsman (Jack Black) has never been the cool guy. That’s about to change – if he can convince Oliver Lawless (Marsden), the most popular guy from his high school who’s now the face of a national Banana Boat ad campaign, to show up with him to their class reunion.
A man on a mission, Dan travels from Pittsburgh to LA and spins a web of lies to recruit Lawless. But he gets more than he bargains for as the unpredictable Lawless proceeds to take over his home, career, and entire life.
Showcasing Jack Black and James Marsden’s most intoxicating performances to date, THE D TRAIN serves up the question: how far would you go to be popular?
Jarrad Paul and Andrew Mogel (Writing/Producing/Directing Team) are making their directorial debut with THE D TRAIN. Currently, they are developing their blacklisted script HIMELFARB for Warner Brothers. Previous projects from the duo include co-writing 2008’s YES MAN (Jim Carrey and Zooey Deschanel) for Warner Bros. Pictures.
On casting Black and Marsden, the directors said, “It was less about a casting process and more us just begging these guys to do our movie. We thought they were each so perfect and after seeing a moving “Touched by an Angel” episode that they co-starred in together 15 years ago, we knew they had great onscreen chemistry.”
Once again Hollywood reaches for that elusive golden ring that is the big box office “R” rated comedy smash. After all, there’s been a HANGOVER trilogy, and double dips in the HOT TUB TIME MACHINE and those HORRIBLE BOSSES. So when did this cycle of raunchy, crude laugh fests begin? Many point to that unexpected BO champ from nearly ten years ago, WEDDING CRASHERS. And, oddly enough, one half of that “bromance” headlines this new release. That 2015 hit was a high point in the roller coaster movie career of Vince Vaughn, a ride that really began with his breakout role nearly twenty years ago in SWINGERS. But of recent years the coaster car has been on a downward trek with misfires like THE WATCH and THE INTERNSHIP. Perhaps with two new comic cohorts and the director of one of his few recent bright spots (DELIVERY MAN), he can put the brakes on and start that climb back to the top, asVince and the boys complete some UNFINISHED BUSINESS.
As the story starts, “swarf” (discarded industrial metal shavings) salesman Dan Trunkman (Vaughn) has reached his limit when his boss, Chuck (Sienna Miller) cuts his meager salary by 5%. As his co-workers watch in wonder, Dan makes his “Jerry Maguire”-like mission statement/announcement of his intention to form his own company and invites any interested parties to meet him in the parking lot. The only takers outside are the downsized 67 year-old Tim (Tom Wilkinson) and young, naive, simple-minded Mike (Dave Franco), who was just there to grab a new gig after leaving Foot Locker (“I hate feet, but I like people”). No matter, they’ll meet at the local Dunkin’ Donuts to map out a plan. A year later and they’re still meeting there. But not for long, because they are flying to Portland the next day in order to seal the deal (“shake hands”) with a big client that Dan has been schmoozing for a while. And boy, does he need this deal. Dan’s gorgeous wife (June Diane Raphael) is having trouble stretching the household budget since teenage son Paul (Britton Sear) wants to go to private school (he’s relentlessly bullied because of his weight). Meanwhile pre-teen daughter Bess (Ella Anderson) needs Dan to help with her homework essay, “Who’s your Daddy?”. When Dan, Tim, and Mike arrive in Portland, they’re stunned to run into Chuck, who’s also in the running for the big contract. All seems lost when head honcho Jim (James Marsden) dismisses them, but Jim’s sympathetic aide Bill (Nick Frost) offers some hope. Seems Jim’s boss will be at the company HQ in Berlin over the next couple days, so if Dan and company can hustle across the pond, they’ve got a chance to give a personal sales pitch to him. In this foreign locale, the guys must try to navigate the bustling metropolis during Oktoberfest, the G8 summit,a big marathon run, and a sex “fetish” festival. Whew! It’s do or die for Dan’s fledging company for the next 48 hours.
Vaughn tempers his manic motor-mouth persona for this role as leader and loving poppa’. There’s a sweetness to his scenes with the kids that’s rarely seen in his most recent roles. Plus he’s a bit more open to being the brunt of the jokes here, rather than being a master of the fast insult, even allowing us to see Dan’s flopsweat and fear of failure. He’s a more grounded, human hero amongst the oddballs. First of those being Franco’s Mike who projects a Forrest Gump-like aura as he stumbles and bumbles through life. It, too, is a nice switch from his recent comic villain roles in 21 JUMP STREET and NEIGHBORS. However, the gifted Wilkinson is criminally underused as the ever-horny Tim, whose main purpose is to be the standard inappropriate senior citizen without any filter between brain and mouth. He’s saddled with cheap, drunken and drugged leering through most of the flick. The film’s other comic Brit, Frost, is given little to do here besides being Dan’s supporter and a surprise fetish fan (aww, he’s just lookin’ for love). Marsden is the same callous, one-note handsome jerk he’s played in flicks like ANCHORMAN 2. Speaking of baddies, kudos for casting Miller as an unrepetentent…er.. b#*lbuster, who in any other flick would predictably change her alliegence. The film could’ve used a lot more of her. The same goes for Raphael (so funny on TV’s “Burning Love”), also criminally underused like Wilkinson, as the anchor at home. Anderson and Sear as the Trunkman kiddos give terrific natural performances and never verge on cloying or caustic.
Director Ken Scott really hopes to have it both ways with this comic caper, trying to shock and offend while never putting anyone down. This is most evident with the Mike character, as we’re asked to laugh at his cluelessness while not thinking of him as dim-witted. That push and pull never quite finds a balance. Plus he attempts to shoehorn a “message” (oh, cyber-bullying is bad?) with no subtlety at all. But the film’s worse sin may be the lack of pay-off for the way-too intricate comic set-ups. Dan has to live inside an art exhibit, uh uh, and then…huh? This helps make the film seem twice as long as its 90 minute running time. Berlin looks fairly nice, though. And, hey guys, if you’re gonna’ make Dan’s home base St. Louis, it would’ve been great to at least have some real footage of the town (not even a gol-dern’ establishing shot of the Gateway Arch!). For fans of funny flicks, UNFINISHED BUSINESS never seals the deal. No “handshake” for you folks!
What happens when a young woman with Borderline Personality Disorder wins the lottery?
In the case of Alice Klieg (Kristen Wiig), she quits her psychiatric meds and buys her own talk show. Inspired by the immortal Oprah, she broadcasts her dirty laundry as both a form of exhibitionism and a platform to share her peculiar views on everything from nutrition to relationships to neutering pets.
Watch the trailer for WELCOME TO ME, directed by Shira Piven from an original screenplay by Eliot Laurence.
Wiig was intrigued by how real the bizarre and darkly-‐funny script felt, which she says made the “comedic parts even more funny and the dramatic parts more amazing.”
She hopes that the audience will have the same love-‐hate relationship with the character that she does. “You feel sorry for Alice and at the same time, you totally get why people are frustrated with her, and yet you’re rooting for her. With her having this disorder and the way it manifests and comes about by her having success and notoriety and all of this money, it was a very interesting way to watch someone unravel as they have all of these supposed good things come to them.”
Also starring Wes Bentley, James Marsden, Tim Robbins, Joan Cusack, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Linda Cardellini, Alchemy will release WELCOME TO ME in theatersMay 1st.
Watch the new Super Bowl trailer for UNFINISHED BUSINESS. Directed By Ken Scott, the film stars Vince Vaughn, Tom Wilkinson, Dave Franco, Sienna Miller, with Nick Frost and James Marsden.
A hard-working small business owner (Vince Vaughn) and his two associates (Tom Wilkinson, Dave Franco) travel to Europe to close the most important deal of their lives. But what began as a routine business trip goes off the rails in every imaginable – and unimaginable – way, including unplanned stops at a massive sex fetish event and a global economic summit.
20th Century Fox also released the “Like A Boss” preview that was too hot for the Super Bowl in this hilarious Redband trailer.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS hits theaters everywhere on March 6, 2015.
THE LOFT is a crazy, adultery filled whodunit film filled with twists and turns. Think CLUE… but take out the humor and add in the worst men that you can imagine!
Vincent (Karl Urban)! Plays a womanizing ring leader who convinces his group of friends to go in on a loft with him so that they all have a “safe place” away from their wives. Now, when I say “safe place”, I mean a place where they can commit adultery, shove cocaine up their noses, or just get downright crazy without leaving a pesky paper trail. Things go awry when the men return one day to find a dead woman in the bed. The five friends now find themselves in the middle of a tangled web of lies, and have to figure out what happened before the police unveil all of their secrets hidden within the walls of their secret loft.
The first flaw, in my opinion, is the fact that they buy a ridiculously expensive loft to avoid a paper trail, such as hotel bills on their monthly statements. Don’t you think their wives would question why thousands of dollars went missing out of their bank accounts? Just a thought… The acting in this film is on point though. Karl Urban, James Marden, Wentworth Miller and Matthias Schoenaerts all play guys who seem to be complete opposites that are somehow tied together through friendship.
The real surprise is Eric Stonestreet, who plays Marty. We’re all familiar with his role of Cam on ‘Modern Family’, but this is nothing like that. Stonestreet plays a lying, sex-crazed, crass pig that can only think about sex. It’s great to see his range as an actor, and this was a great role for him to show audiences another side.
Despite great acting, the plot of this film is incredibly dodgy. Not only is there the silly idea that five men can get away with spending thousands for a secret loft without their wives knowing, there is the idea that five men can keep this giant secret, as well as the woman that they bring back to their sex lair. As the story unfolds, more and more women are being brought back to their sleazy dwelling, only to leave feeling hurt or betrayed. The most unbelievable one is a woman who was raped and beaten by Phillip (Matthias Schoenaerts). Although she was a prostitute, she kept screaming for Vincent and Chris (Urban and Marsden) to call the police when they walked in and found her handcuffed to the bed. Rather than do the right thing, the men give her a few twenties and send her on her crying, beaten way. Here is my problem with the scene… A woman screaming for police is not going to take a handful of twenties and call it a day! She’s going to leave and call the police on her own! Instead, the audience is just supposed to assume that the problem was handled. That’s it. We’re all just supposed to go along with whatever they say. For a murder mystery / thriller, audiences are expected to look past the holes in the plot and place their brains on autopilot. Sorry, it doesn’t work like that.
Although the cast is more than appealing, THE LOFT is a drafty screenplay with too many holes to ignore. Don’t expect a think piece!
