Opening 10/4/13

For Wichita show times select a theatre at the end of each synopsis. For most other cities, select any theatre below a synopsis or review and enter other town/state below "Change Location", press enter. Next times, just press change. Friday times appear Wednesdays.

Enough Said [PG-13] 1 hr. 31 min. Comedy Watch Preview Cast: Julia Louis-Dreyfus, James Gandolfini, Catherine Keener, Toni Collette, Ben Falcone, Eve Hewson, Tavi Gevinson, Tracey Fairaway. Plot: a divorced and single parent (Julia Louis Dreyfus) spends her days enjoying work as a masseuse but dreading her daughter's impending departure for college. Then she meets  a sweet, funny and like-minded man (James Gandolfini) also facing an empty nest. Showing at: Warren East.

Grace Unplugged [PG] 1 hr. 42 min. Music Drama Watch Preview Cast: AJ Michalka, James Denton, Kevin Pollak. Plot: an 18-year-old Christian singer/songwriter (AJ Michalka) seems prepared to walk away from her Christian faith and music to achieve her long-suppressed fantasy of Hollywood superstardom. Showing at: Warren West.

Gravity 2D/3D/IMAX 3D [PG-13] 1 hr. 40 min. Sci-Fi thriller Watch Preview Cast: Sandra Bullock, George Clooney. Plot: a brilliant medical engineer (Bullock) on her first shuttle mission, and a veteran astronaut (George Clooney) in command of his last flight before retiring are faced with disaster. Showing at: Derby Plaza, Movie Machine, Warren East, Warren Old Town, Warren West.

Pulling Strings [PG] 1 hr. 52 min. Romantic comedy Watch Preview Cast: Laura Ramsey, Tom Arnold, Jaime Camil, Stockard Channing. Plot: a career diplomat (Ramsey) gets drunk, passes out on the street, and wakes up in the apartment of a handsome Mariachi singer with no recollection of how she got there. Showing at: Warren East.

Runner Runner [R] 1 hr. 31 min. Thriller Watch Preview Cast: Justin Timberlake, Ben Affleck, Gemma Arterton, Anthony Mackie. Plot: a Princeton grad student (Justin Timberlake), believing he's been swindled, travels to Costa Rica to confront an online gambling tycoon (Ben Affleck). Showing at: Derby Plaza, Movie Machine, Warren East, Warren Old Town, Warren West.

Leaving 10/3/13

Derby Plaza - The Family, We're The Millers, Planes
Movie Machine - The Family, Monsters University
Palace West - Wolverine, R.I.P.D., This Is The End
Starlite Drive-In - Open Fri-Sat
Warren East 13th - In A World, Battle Of The Year 2D/3D, Elysium, Plane
Warren Old Town - The Family, Insidious Chapter 2
Warren West 21st - The Butler, Despicable Me 2, Battle Of The Year

Don Jon **

Joseph Gordon-Levitt wrote, directed and stars in this Comedy drama. Watch Preview. Cast: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Scarlett Johansson, Julianne Moore, Tony Danza, Brie Larson, Glenne Headly. Rated R for strong graphic sexual material and dialogue throughout, nudity, language and some drug use. Running time is one hour and thirty minutes.

An old fashioned guy (Gordon-Levitt) and an old fashioned girl (Johansson) struggle against a media culture full of false fantasies to try and find true intimacy.

This is a well made film with attractive stars and good pacing. Unfortunately, for me at any rate, I didn't like the characters at all which left me uninterested in their problems or solutions. I also failed to find it particularly humorous. I can see those in their late teens or early twenties finding something of interest but I don't think an older crowd will find this at all entertaining. The first half of the film is very crude, both with language and in porn clips, and I found the last half to be improbable. I understand Gordon-Levitt's trying to point out the difference between lust and true romance but the method he chooses just didn't work for me. To put it another way, I think the excellent actress Julianne Moore is woefully miscast. I won't go any further in that regard in case you intend to see the film, but you'll see what I mean if you do.

There are no additional scenes once the final credits begin. Screen size is unimportant. Theatres/Times.

Worthwhile (or not) 9/27/13

MetaCritic indicates In A World (79) is the best picture this week followed by Rush (74), Don Jon (66), Metallica Through The Never (61), Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs 2 (58), and in last place, Baggage Claim (33).  I saw just one film this week and am wondering who the audience is for it. For all the reviews take the link to the MetaCritic website for each film by clicking on the titles above.

Check out Monday's Opening section below to see the previews and synopses.

Opening 9/27/13

For Wichita show times select a theatre at the end of each synopsis. For most other cities, select any theatre below a synopsis or review and enter other town/state below "Change Location", press enter. Next times, just press change. Friday times appear Wednesdays.

Baggage Claim [PG-13] 1 hr. 36 min. Romantic comedy Watch Preview Cast: Paula Patton, Derek Luke, Taye Diggs, Jill Scott, Boris Kodjoe, Tremaine Neverson, Adam Brody, Jenifer Lewis, Ned Beatty, Lauren London, Tia Mowry, La La Anthony, Christina Milian, Affion Crockett, Terrence J, Rickey Smiley, Thomas Miles, Djimon Hounsou. Plot: determined to get engaged before her youngest sister's wedding, a flight attendant (Paula Patton) finds herself with only 30 days to find Mr. Right. Showing at: Warren East, Warren West.

Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs 2 2D/3D [PG] 1 hr. 35 min. Animated Comedy Watch Preview Voices: Bill Hader, Anna Faris, James Caan, Will Forte, Andy Samberg, Benjamin Bratt, Neil Patrick Harris, Terry Crews, Kristen Schaal. Plot: picks up where the first mouth-watering comedy left off. Showing at: Derby Plaza, Movie Machine, Warren East, Warren West.

Don Jon [R] 1 hr. 30 min. Romance Watch Preview Cast: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Scarlett Johansson, Julianne Moore, Tony Danza, Brie Larson, Glenne Headly. Plot: an old fashioned guy (Gordon-Levitt) and an old fashioned girl (Johansson) struggle against a media culture full of false fantasies to try and find true intimacy. Showing at: Warren East, Warren Old Town, Warren West.
 
In A World [R] 1 hr. 33 min. Comedy Watch Preview Cast: Lake Bell, Michaela Watkins, Demetri Martin, Rob Corddry, Michaela Watkins, Ken Marino, Fred Melamed, Tig Notaro. Plot: a struggling vocal coach (Bell) musters the courage to pursue her secret aspiration to be a voice-over star. Showing at: Warren East.

Metallica Through The Never IMAX 3D [R] 1 hr. 32 min. Musical thriller Watch Preview Cast: Dane DeHaan, James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett, Robert Trujillo. Plot: a young roadie (DeHaan) is sent on an urgent mission during Metallica's roaring live set in front of a sold-out arena. Showing at: Warren West.

Rush [R] 2 hrs. 3 min. Action drama Watch Preview Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Daniel Brühl, Olivia Wilde, Alexandra Maria Lara, Stephen Mangan, Christian McKay, Julian Rhind-Tutt, Jamie de Courcey, Pierfrancesco Favino, Natalie Dormer. Plot: a spectacular big-screen re-creation of the merciless 1970s rivalry between James Hunt and Niki Lauda. Showing at: Warren East, Warren Old Town, Warren West.

Leaving 9/26/13

Derby Plaza - Riddick, The Spectacular Now
Movie Machine - The Butler
Palace West - World War Z, Now You See Me, The Lone Ranger, Man Of Steel
Starlite Drive-In - Open Fri-Sat
Warren East 13th - Red 2, The Heat, 2 Guns, Mortal Instruments, Blue Jasmine, Austenland
Warren Old Town - Riddick, The Butler
Warren West 21st - Planes, Elysium, The Conjuring, Mortal Instruments, Ultimate Life, One Direction: This Is Us 3D

Worthwhile (or not)

MetaCritic indicates Prisoners (73) is the best picture this week followed by Battle Of The Year (24).  I didn't see any new reviews for The Wizard Of Oz altho its 2011 re-release got 100.  I chose not to watch anything this week. Had Prisoners been a reasonable length instead of a ridiculously excessive two hours and thirty-three minutes I might have watched it, even though it appears to be a real downer. For all the reviews take the link to the MetaCritic website for each film by clicking on the titles above.

Check out Monday's Opening section below to see the previews and synopses.

Opening 9/20/13

For Wichita show times select a theatre at the end of each synopsis. For most other cities, select any theatre below a synopsis or review and enter other town/state below "Change Location", press enter. Next times, just press change. Friday times appear Wednesdays.

Battle Of The Year 2D/3D [PG-13] 1 hr. 49 min. Watch Preview Drama/Musical Cast: Josh Holloway, Laz Alonso, Josh Peck, Caity Lotz, Chris Brown. Plot: about an international dance crew tournament that attracts all the best teams from around the world, but the Americans haven't won in fifteen years. Showing at: Warren East, Warren West.

Prisoners [R] 2 hr. 33 min. Thriller Watch Preview Cast: Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Maria Bello, Terrance Howard, Viola Davis, Melissa Leo, Paul Dano. Plot: when  a 6-year-old girl and her young friend go missing, minutes turn to hours and panic sets in. Showing at: Derby Plaza, Movie Machine, Warren East, Warren Old Town, Warren West.

The Wizard Of Oz IMAX 3D [PG] 1 hr. 42 min.  Family, Fantasy  Watch Preview Cast: Judy Garland, Frank Morgan, Ray Bolger, Bert Lahr, Jack Haley, Billie Burke, Margaret Hamilton. Plot: Victor Fleming's 1939 classic is celebrating its 75th anniversary with a 3D re-release in IMAX theaters. Showing at: Warren West.

Leaving 9/19/13

Derby Plaza - The Butler
Movie Machine - Planes, We're The Millers
Palace West - Iron Man, Kick-Ass 2
Starlite Drive-In - Open Fri-Sat
Warren East 13th - One Direction, The World's End, Percy Jackson 2, Getaway
Warren Old Town - This Is The End
Warren West 21st - Riddick IMAX, Percy Jackson 2, This Is The End, 2 Guns

The Family ***

Luc Besson directed this Action comedy. Watch Preview. Cast: Robert De Niro, Michelle Pfeiffer, Tommy Lee Jones, Dianna Agron, John D'Leo, Domenick Lombardozzi. Rated R for violence, language and brief sexuality. Running time is one hour and fifty minutes.

A mafia boss and his family are relocated to a sleepy town in France under the witness protection program, but their former mob cronies track them down.

My wife doesn't care for action/violence films so imagine my surprise when she told me she really liked this film. To her, the family seemed real and interesting so the action never really bothered  her. Well, there's plenty of action and violence but there's a fair amount of comedy to go along with it, making for an attractive combo in my estimation. The cast is first rate although Jones seems to be an add-on rather than a main character. And, the four leads do have a real family vibe that makes their situation even more interesting. Those who are offended by profanity should consider skipping this but other adults should find this entertaining. Parts of the film were shot in France so you also get to see a little French scenery.

There are no additional scenes once the final credits begin. Screen size is relatively unimportant. Theatres/Times.

Worthwhile (or not) 9/13/13

MetaCritic indicates The Family (48) is the best picture this week followed by Austenland (42) and  Insidious Chapter 2 (41).  I saw one of these and found it entertaining for adults. For all the reviews take the link to the MetaCritic website for each film by clicking on the titles above.

Check out Monday's Opening section below to see the previews and synopses.

Opening 9/13/13

For Wichita show times select a theatre at the end of each synopsis. For most other cities, select any theatre below a synopsis or review and enter other town/state below "Change Location", press enter. Next times, just press change. Friday times appear Wednesdays.

Austenland [PG-13] 1 hr. 37 min. Comedy Watch Preview Cast: Keri Russell, J.J. Feild, Bret McKenzie, James Callis, Jennifer Coolidge, Jane Seymour, Rupert Vansittart. Plot: a seemingly normal young New Yorker has an obsession with Mr. Darcy, as played by Colin Firth in the BBC adaptation of "Pride & Prejudice". Showing at:  Warren East.

The Family [R] 1 hr. 51 min. Action comedy Watch Preview Cast: Robert De Niro, Michelle Pfeiffer, Tommy Lee Jones, Dianna Agron, John D'Leo, Domenick Lombardozzi. Plot: a mafia boss and his family are relocated to a sleepy town in France under the witness protection program, but their former mob cronies track them down. Showing at: Derby Plaza, Movie Machine, Warren East, Warren Old Town, Warren West.

Insidious Chapter 2 [PG-13] 1 hr. 45 min. Horror film Watch Preview Cast: Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Lin Shaye, Ty Simpkins, Barbara Hershey, Danielle Bisutti, Michael James Grise, Lindsay Seim. Plot: the haunted Lambert family seeks to uncover the mysterious childhood secret that has left them dangerously connected to the spirit world. Showing at: Derby Plaza, Movie Machine, Warren East, Warren Old Town, Warren West.

Leaving 9/12/13

Derby Plaza - The Mortal Instruments, Percy Jackson 2, One Direction: This Is Us
Movie Machine - Percy Jackson 2, The Mortal Instruments
Palace West - Pacific Rim
Starlite Drive-In - Open Fri-Sat
Warren East 13th - You're Next, The Spectacular Now, Grandmaster, Closed Circuit, This Is The End
Warren Old Town - Getaway, The Mortal Instruments, You're Next
Warren West 21st - You're Next, The Wolverine, The World's End, Closed Circuit, Getaway

Riddick **½

David Twohy directed this Sci-fi action film. Watch Preview. Cast: Vin Diesel, Karl Urban, Jordi Molla, Matt Nable, Katee Sackhoff, Bokeem Woodbine, Dave Bautista, Conrad Pla, Raoul Trujillo, Nolan Funk, Keri Hilson. Rated R for strong violence, language and some sexual content/nudity. Running time is two hours.

Left for dead on a sun-scorched planet that appears to be lifeless, Riddick (Diesel) finds himself fighting for survival against alien predators more lethal than any human he's encountered.

If you've watched the two earlier Riddick films, you know exactly what you're in for. If you haven't seen them you're going to be at a loss at times, but not enough so you can't fill in the gaps. The fact he can only see well in the dark is downplayed and isn't much of a feature this time around. Production values are fine and the cast is also. Violence/action fans should love this but that's about all this has going for it. I watched the IMAX version which was great at showing the planetary hell the action occurs on. The ending clearly leaves the impression a further sequel is possible.

There are no additional scenes once the final credits begin. A large screen will provide more impact. Theatres/Times. IMAX Times.

Worthwhile (or not) 9/6/13

MetaCritic indicates Riddick (46) is the best picture this week followed by The Ultimate Life (20).  Instructions Not Included doesn't have enough reviews for a rating but those it does have are positive. For all the reviews take the link to the MetaCritic website for each film by clicking on the titles above.

Check out Monday's Opening section below to see the previews and synopses.

Opening 9/6/13

For Wichita show times select a theatre at the end of each synopsis. For most other cities, select any theatre below a synopsis or review and enter other town/state below "Change Location", press enter. Next times, just press change. Friday times appear Wednesdays.

Instructions Not Included [PG-13] 1 hr. 50 min. Comedy Watch Preview Cast: Eugenio Derbez, Jessica Lindsey, Loreto Peralta, Daniel Raymont, Alessandra Rosaldo, Hugo Stiglitz, Arcelia Ramirez. Plot: a former fling of Acapulco’s resident playboy leaves a baby on his doorstep and takes off without a trace, leaving him to raise the child alone. In Spanish with English subtitles. Showing at: Warren East.

Riddick [R] 2 hrs. Sci-fi action Watch Preview Cast: Vin Diesel, Karl Urban, Jordi Molla, Matt Nable, Katee Sackhoff, Bokeem Woodbine, Dave Bautista, Conrad Pla, Raoul Trujillo, Nolan Funk, Keri Hilson. Plot: left for dead on a sun-scorched planet that appears to be lifeless, Riddick (Diesel) finds himself fighting for survival against alien predators more lethal than any human he's encountered. Showing at: Derby Plaza, Starlite Drive-In, Warren East, Warren Old Town, Warren West.

The Ultimate Life [PG] 1 hr. 49 min. Drama Watch Preview Cast: Peter Fonda, Logan Bartholemew, Bill Cobbs, Lee Meriwhether, Ali Hillis. Plot: when a man discovers the lifelong journal his grandfather began as a Depression-era lad, the writings provide him with a front-row seat on an incredible rags-to-riches ride. Showing at: Warren West.

Leaving 9/5/13

Derby Plaza - Elysium
Movie Machine - nothing
Palace West - White House Down
Starlite Drive-In - Open Fri-Sat
Warren East 13th - The Conjuring, Kick-Ass 2, Monsters University, Jobs, Despicable Me 2, Grown Ups 2, The Way, Way Back
Warren Old Town - Kick-Ass 2
Warren West 21st - The Smurfs 2, Jobs, Monsters University, Kick-Ass 2, IMAX Mortal Instruments: City Of Bones