Posts Tagged ‘ 2008 ’

1. 21

Directed by Robert Luketic who is famed for a variety of recently released terrible comedies, 21 is based on the true story of a group of MIT students who formed a group that, via mathematics and advanced card counting methods, was able to successfully beat the odds at blackjack in casinos and in doing so, make millions of dollars.  The screenplay is based on Ben Mezrich‘s book Bringing Down the House: The Inside Story of Six M.I.T. Students Who Took Vegas for Millions and stars Laurence Fishburne, Kate Bosworth, Kevin Spacey and Jim Sturgess.

Early press is very favorable and having seen a couple of documentaries on this group and now having it adapted into a feature film with such a cast, I expect very good things.

The MPAA has rated 21 PG-13.

2. Run Fatboy Fun

With a story by Michael Ian Black and a screenplay by Michael Ian Black and Simon Pegg, this feature film directorial debut from David Schwimmer has a very solid support system and as his writers are considered contemporary comedic geniuses and Schwimmer is famed for his comedic work on Friends, Run Fatboy Run is the story of Dennis (Simon Pegg), a fat, clueless who five years ago made the mistake of leaving his pregnant fiance Libby (Thandie Newton) five years ago and is now obsessed with winning her back.  Finding Libby has moved onto an American named Whit (Hank Azaria) Dennis makes himself a promise to finish something in his life and makes his mission to train for and then complete an upcoming marathon.

Having received two awards nominations and favorable reviews in its previous release last year and with such a comedic line-up and skilled cast, it is difficult to imagine anything but an excellent comedy coming from this film’s wide, general release.

The MPAA has rated it PG-13.

3. Stop Loss

Writer/Director Kimberly Peirce brings us the story of a highly decorated veteran of the war in Iraq played by Ryan Phillippe who makes a grand return to small town Texas.  Despite his attempts to get back into civilian life and even with the support of family and friends, he strenuously tries to adjust with his best friend, played by Channing Tatum, and just as things start to look up, the Army orders him back to another tour of duty in Iraq.  The conflict calls into question the bonds between family and friends, loyalty, love, and honor.

It has received mixed early reviews and it is unclear how Peirce, whose last directorial experience was Boys Don’t Cry in two versions: 1999 and 1995.

Stop Loss has been rated R by the MPAA.

4. Superhero Movie

Superhero Movie is a spoof of every action, adventure, and comic book movie recently made in the style of Scary Movie by writer/director Craig Mazin and featuring a great comedic cast in Tracy Morgan, Pamela Anderson, Christopher McDonald, Leslie Nielsen, Sara Paxton, and even Brent Spiner.

There’s very little buzz surrounding this movie, but it’s safe to say that if you liked Scary Movie or Scary Movie 3, or Scary Movie 4 you’ll like this movie too.

Superhero Movie has been rated PG-13 by the MPAA

5. Flawless

Experienced director of independent films Michael Radford brings us his next selection in Flawless, starring Michael Caine, Joss Ackland, Demi Moore, and Jonathan Aris.  The film is set in 1960s London where a janitor on the cusp of retirement played by Caine is able to convince a powerful female executive played by Demi Moore to conspire with him to steal diamonds from their mutual employer.

Radford‘s last really noticeable independent movie was Dancing at the Blue Iguana, which was spectacularly received by the critic community and with this cast and this story, it is likely that this movie is going to be pretty good, though probably not excellent in my opinion.  Early buzz is giving it above-average ratings, but none seem to really think of it as excellent.

Flawless is rated PG-13 by the MPAA.

Matt Reeves‘s much marketed 2008 action/horror/thriller Cloverfield lives up to its hype.  It takes the point-of-view camera technique utilized in The Blair Witch Project and brings it to new extremes as it ekes out a truly creepy and unsettling looking at an attack on Manhattan by what can only be described as a monster.

1.  Fool’s Gold

The most well-known and predictable of this week’s releases is a romantic comedy starring Matthew McConaughey, Kate Hudson, and Donald Sutherland.  Directed by Andy Tennant whose previous credits include Sweet Home Alabama, Fools Rush In and Hitch, this movie tells the story of a married couple who discover rumors of a missing treasure and take off in search of it and in doing so renew their strained romance.

It has been rated PG-13 by the MPAA.

2.  The Hottie and the Nottie

Director Tom Putnam teams up with Paris Hilton, Joel Moore, and many other B-list celebrities to tell the story of a young man who travels across the country to woo the woman he’s loved since he was a teenager and is then faced with the problem of her best friend who despises him.  During the course of his work to woo the woman of his dreams he is forced to re-evaluate that because of the changing relationship of him towards the best-friend.  This movie looks like something that should justifiably have gone direct-to-video and it is advisable that if you have any interest in seeing this movie, at least skip the theater and wait for its release into the video market.

It is rated PG-13 by the MPAA.

3.  Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins

Writer/director Malcolm D. Lee brings us this story of this movie after an illustrious career which has included Roll Bounce and Undercover Brother.  I wouldn’t expect much from this, but the story is said to be that a talk show host who is immensely successful in Los Angeles leaves his life to reunite with his family in the south.  The cast includes the most obvious choices for a movie with these connections, including: Martin Lawrence, Cedric the Entertaine, Michael Clarke Duncan, and Mike Epps.  Perhaps most surprising is that James Earl Jones will be playing the father and that may be enough to push this movie from a mediocre cookie-cutter of a plot into something approaching enjoyable.  I still wouldn’t get your hopes up, though.

This movie has been rated PG-13 by the MPAA.

4.  In Bruges

Initial reviews of this picture indicate that is is phenomenally good.  In Bruges, written and directed by Martin McDonagh is a crime thriller set in the Belgian city of Bruges where hit men have been sent to carry out a murder on behalf of a London gangster.    The tourism industry, Flemish charm, and well-preserved medieval architecture begin to make their time in the city quite surreal as they begin to enjoy their surroundings and have trouble remembering to complete the task which was the reason for their being sent to Bruges.  It is a darkly comic look at the lives of these two characters ensconced in a well-preserved historical setting of Europe and their development as human beings sent to do an awful thing and changed by the beauty that they encounter.  It stars Elizabeth Berrington, Colin Farrell, Ralph Fiennes, and Brendan Gleeson and the early buzz is that this is one of the best movies to come out so far this year.  See it if you’re fortunate enough to have it released in your market!

It is rated R by the MPAA.

5.  Wild West Comedy Show

Directed by Ari Sandel Wild West Comedy Show: 30 Days and 30 Nights – Hollywood to the Heartland chronicles the journey of Vince Vaughn and other comedians as they move across the United States putting on comedy shows in 30 different venues on 30 different days and 30 different nights and includes appearances by Keir O’Donnell, Sebastian Maniscalco, Justin Long, Bret Ernst, John Caparulo, Peter Billingsley, and

Ahmed Ahmed.  There’s been very little word as to quality of this movie, but judging by the cast and the idea, I can’t imagine it won’t be at least mildly entertaining.

It has been rated R by the MPAA.

6.  The Band’s Visit

Which is also known as Bikur Ha-Tizmoret this is a highly acclaimed Israeli film from director Eran Kolirin which contains Arabic, English and Hebrew and is thus subtitled.  It tells a fish out of water story about a brass band of Egyptian policemen invited to Israel to perform who are delighted to do so, but then find themselves lost in a foreign city that is very different from what they accustomed to.  Based on its earlier releases this movie should prove to be exceptionally good, though you will need to tolerate subtitles, which I know is a frustration for some of the lazier viewers out there.

This movie is rated PG-13 by the MPAA.

7.  Spiral

Something a re-relrease is found here in this 2007 picture that is for some reason being released exclusively in Los Angeles.  This is the story of a socially dysfunctional telemarketer whose quiet, dull, and isolated life is suddenly thrown into chaos by the introduction of a new co-worker.  It is unfortunate that with the appearance of this new co-worker, voices and other malevolence begin to find their way into the character’s head and he begins a downward spiral into horror.  It features a cast of unknowns and was directed by Adam Green who has no significant films to his past credit.  Why is this movie being released in this fashion is anyone’s guess, but the buzz being generated by those who saw it in its earlier release is that it is a very watchable thriller.

It is rated PG-13 by the MPAA.

The Internet Movie Database reports that the following pictures will be released in the US markets on Friday, February 1, 2008.

1.  The Eye

Unfortunately this is a remake of a mediocre Hong Kong horror film of the same name.  The Eye is directed by David Moreau who is for all intents and purposes, a newcomer in the world of directing, it stars Jessica Alba, Parker Posey, and Rade Serbedzija and tells us the story of a young woman who loses her eyes and is subjected to a full eye transplant to allow her to see.  As a consequence of this transplant she is now able to see into the supernatural world, witnessing the world of death, and she must determine what this power is to be used for and what she must do to keep her sight and use it for good.

The original was good for a couple of scares, but quickly dragged massively.  Looking at the group responsible for bringing this adaption to the US, I wouldn’t expect much and this is certainly something I won’t be seeing until it reaches the video market.

The Eye is rated  PG-13 by the MPAA.

2.  Strange Wilderness

Directed by Fred Wolf, Strange Wilderness tells us the story of two hosts of an animal-themed television show who embark on a quest for bigfoot in a bid to reverse the negative trend of their ratings. With a cast of relatively unknown actors, this is Wolf’s first attempt at direction after having long written and acted in a number of terrible movies like Dickie Roberts.  This sounds like a terrible movie and without anyone attached who looks capable of adding anything special to the effort, this project seems ruined before it even begins showing in the US.

Strange Wilderness has been rated R by the MPAA.

3.  Over Her Dead Body

Eva Longoria Parker, Paul Rudd, and Stephen Root star in this 2008 movie from writer/director Jeff Lowell, previously known for a handful of television show episodes as a writer, in his premiere attempt at direction of any kind.  Over Her Dead Body is a comedy about a dead woman who haunts her ex-boyfriend’s new girlfriend in an attempt to prevent her from wooing her former lover.  The previews and buzz surrounding this movie lead me to be cautiously optimistic about what is to be found.  While this is a first in direction, it is not a first for Lowell in writing and with the help of a very solid cast, it’s possible, even likely, that this movie will turn out to be something worth seeing.

It is rated PG-13 by the MPAA.

4.  Hannah Montana: Best of Both Worlds

A confession before I begin: I have vaguely heard of Hannah Montana and that is the extent of my knowledge, though I recall having heard the show has a tremendous following among children.

Hannah Montana: The Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour sounds like a terrible idea.  It will be a wide release that will be nothing more than a 3-d look at concert footage from Hannah Montana.  I think the producers are banking on the idea that children will do anything to see Hannah Montana concerts, so by putting something like this into wide circulation, money can be made.  That’s possible, but an important consideration is how many children spend much at movie theaters.  When you consider how few do so, how unappealing this movie is to essentially everyone who isn’t a child, and the content itself, barring a miracle in the form of children’s finance, this is a flop.  Unless you’re a kid, skip it entirely.

It’s rated G by the MPAA (though that should really come as no surprise…)

5.  Sukkar banat

The first of two limited market re-releases this week is Sukkar banat. The movie is subtitled from Arabic and French and was made last year in Lebanon.  The bonus of this type of release is that seeing the ratings from the previous releases audiences it is easy to see that this movie is going to be something quite good.

Director Nadine Labaki gives this romantic comedy which tells the story of a group of five women living in Lebanon.  It promises to take comic look at an area that a lot of Westerns often think of as nothing more than warzone and may change some attitudes about that with a comic look at life, even in what may be a slightly dreary setting.

The MPAA has rated the picture PG.

6.  Trailer Park Boys: The Movie

Finally we come to the Canadian movie that was released two years ago, based on the hit Canadian comedy series.  Writer/director Mike Clattenburg brings a film adaption about the lives of a bunch of losers who live outrageous lives in a Canadian trailer park and as a result bring an absolutely hilarious situation to the screen with an incredibly entertaining and fresh comedy.

While all of the characters loved in the series return here in the film adaptation, the story centers around the boys after they get into trouble for stealing an ATM and (poorly) plan to pull a scam to steal a bunch of coins because they think they’re untraceable.  This movie is hilarious and if you like other Canadian comedy efforts, you’re going to love this one as well!

It is rated R by the MPAA.

The Internet Movie Database reports the following movies will open January 25, 2008 in the US markets.

1. Untraceable

Untraceable really might just as well bill itself as unwatchable. Directed by Gregory Hobit’s previous movies include Hart’s War (2002), Frequency (2000), and Fallen (1998), meaning that seriously since 1998 he hasn’t been capable of producing even borderline-watchable movies and I’m taking a pretty generous view of Fallen. This trainwreck-to-be stars Diane Lane–seriously, that’s it! It looks like of Hollywood already knows what’s coming here and has steered clear of this. In any event like such horrors as Hackers (1995) before it Untraceable tells the story of agent Jennifer Marsh of the US Secret Service who investigates and is wrapped into a race against a killer who publishes his vicious murders on the Internet via an untraceable website, and drawing on schadenfraude or some kind of sick draw towards evil, the more people who log on to see it, the faster the person is killed.

Untraceable is rated R by the MPAA.

2. Rambo

I actually expect a reasonably entertaining movie here; certainly not something that’ll win critical awards or have much depth, but something that is entertaining to watch. Sylvester Stallone writes, directs, and acts in this sequel and before you jump to any kind of conclusions, he did all three in Rocky Balboa (2006) which turned out quite well. Here, again, he brings a sequel to a series of movies in which he’s always starred. John Rambo assembles a team of mercenaries to help escort a shipment of aid into Burma for the Karen people; an ethnic minority in Burma who is truly terrorized and rumored to even be approaching an ethnic cleansing by the Burmese junta. When several of the missionaries are captured by the Burmese, Rambo takes a second job of bringing a team of mercenaries into Burma to free them. It’s timely, surprisingly relevant, and shares the qualities that brought such a great Rocky movie two years ago.

Rambo is rated R by the MPAA.

3. How She Move

We now move to what I am pretty sure will be the most terrible movie opening this week: How She Move directed by Ian Iqbal Rashid and starring no one of note as far as I can discern. How She Move is to tell us the story of a young woman who’s sister dies from a drug overdose. Forced to leave her private school as a result, and move into a public high school, the young woman rekindles her passion in competitive dancing. Like virtually every dance movie I have seen since 1990, this movie really seems like a mistake that its financiers should have seen coming and avoided. That they didn’t just means people should know what to expect.

How She Move is rated PG-13 and early reviews are really as horrid as any so far in 2008.

4. Meet the Spartans

This is the most easy to predict. If you have laughed at any of the Scary Movie (2000) films, Epic Movie (2007), or similar films you should love this as it’s a similar look at recent movies with a plot cobbled together to satirize as many of them as reasonably possible. It won’t be something you’ll keep and treasure, necessarily, but if you’re a film snob, it should at least be good for some good laughs. It’s also put out by the same people, who are, if anything, consistent in their delivery, including director Jason Friedberg.

Rated PG-13 by the MPAA.

5. 4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days

Written and directed by Cristian Mungiu, this is actually 2007 film that was made and released last year, but is now set for re-release into a limited US market because it’s done so well at award shows. It’s said to be quite spectacular and presently holds a very solid 8.4/10 rating on the Internet Movie Database. 4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days refers to the content of the movie, which is sure to be controversial: the story of a woman assisting her friend with an illegal abortion in 1980s Romania. The movie has already won 12 film awards including the Golden Palm of the Cannes Film Festival, and has been nominated for another eight, including a Golden Globe.

I can’t seem to find a rating for this movie by the MPAA, which may indicate it’s limited release is due to a refusal to submit it for rating. Either way, if you don’t mind subtitles, and you really shouldn’t, you’re in for a treat!

6. The Air I Breathe

Another foreign re-release (this time in English), this time it is the much more limited market of Los Angeles and New York City. This is a 2007 Mexican film from director Jieho Lee which stars Sarah Michelle Gellar, Kevin Bacon, Andy Garcia, Forest Whittaker, Brendan Frasier, Julie Delpy, and Emile Hirsch. The Air I Breathe is a drama based on an ancient Chinese proverb breaking life down into four essential categories: happiness, pleasure, sorrow, and love. A businessman (played by Whittaker) bets his life in a horse race; a gangster (played by Frasier) sees his future; a pop star (Gellar) falls victim to a crime boss (Garcia); and a doctor (Bacon) must save the love of his life.

It is rated R by the MPAA and I am pissed that’s its release is so limited since it’ll delay my viewing, but based on its previous release it already has an absurdly-high 9/10 rating by the Internet Movie Database.