Opening 6/29/07

For showtimes select your theatre under the SHOWIMES AT: header in the left column. Weekend times normally start appearing on Wednesday.

EVENING [PG-13] 1 hr. 55 min. Drama Trailer Cast: Claire Danes, Toni Collette, Vanessa Redgrave, Patrick Wilson, Hugh Dancy, Natasha Richardson, Mamie Gummer, Eileen Atkins, Meryl Streep, Glenn Close. Plot: based on the novel by Susan Minot this is a deeply emotional film that illuminates the timeless love which binds mother and daughter – seen through the prism of one mother’s life as it crests with optimism, navigates a turning point, and ebbs to its close. Showing at: 13th Avenue Warren exclusively.

RATATOUILLE [G] 1 hr. 55 min. Animted comedy/adventure Trailer Voices of: Patton Oswalt, Ian Holm, Lou Romano, Brian Dennehy, Peter Sohn, Peter O'Toole, Brad Garrett, Janeane Garofalo, Will Arnett, Julius Callahan, James Remar, John Ratzenberger, Teddy Newton, Tony Fucile, Jake Steinfeld, Brad Bird, Laurent Spelvogel (narrator). Plot: the unthinkable combination of a rat and a 5-star gourmet restaurant come together for the ultimate fish-out-of-water tale. Showing at: Derby Plaza, Movie Machine, Northrock, 13th Avenue Warren, 21st Street Warren.

Leaving 6/26, (6/28)/2007

Derby Plaza - nothing
Movie Machine - Shrek The Third, (Nancy Drew)
Northrock 14 - Pirates of the Caribbean 3
Palace West - (Lucky You, Bridge To Terabithia, The Ex)
Starlite Drive-In - (Surf's Up, spider-Man 3)
Warren East 13th - Hostel 2, Spider-Man 3, (Journey From The Fall)
Warren Old Town - Pirates Of The Caribbean 3
Warren West 21st - Hostel 2

Opening 6/27/07

LIVE FREE OR DIE HARD [R] 1 hr. 55 min. Action/Crime/Thriller Trailer Cast: Bruce Willis, Justin Long, Maggie Q, Timothy Olyphant, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Cliff Curtis, Kevin Smith, Jonathan Sadowski. Plot: an attack on the vulnerable United States computer infrastructure by terrorists is thwarted by an old-fashioned, "analog" fly-in-the-ointment: John McClane. Showing at: Derby Plaza, Movie Machine, Northrock, 13th Avenue Warren, Warren Old Town, 21st Street Warren.

Worthwhile (or not) 6/22/07

According to the MetaCritic summaries A Mighty Heart (75) is the one to see followed by 1408 (66), with Evan Almighty (37) following far behind. I think it's likely the popularity of these three will be in reverse order but I understand the tracking of Evan is not very good.

1408 ***

I've always found Stephen King to be an innovative and entertaining author. But the mental imagery his writing evokes is usually far better than the visuals any filmmaker can put on the screen. I've not read the short story this picture is based on but this movie is better than I expected and quite intense in parts. Basically, this is John Cusack's film since he's the only person on screen for large segments.

If you've seen the preview you pretty much have the entire plot with the exception of the ending. Cusack is a talented writer who cynically turned to "ten best" books about haunted rooms, etc. after the death of his young daughter. He solicits sites to write about and one of the sites he's told about is room 1408 in a New York hotel. He goes to the room with the intention of debunking the fact it's haunted and is responsible for the deaths of 56 individuals. The scary part starts after he enters the room and then discovers he can't get out.

I really can't go much further with the plot without spoiling the ending and you're not going to get to that ending without a couple of twists and turns. You may or may not like the conclusion but after thinking about it I don't know how it could have been any more satisfying. Cusack is good in his role and the special effects do an impressive job of giving you the creeps. I would suggest you see this one in a theatre with good sound as the audio effects are used very effectively.

EVAN ALMIGHTY **½

This film supposedly cost over $200 million and its distributor (Universal) is scared to death it will loose a bundle. It's basically a sequel of Bruce Almighty without Jim Carey but with a boatload of animals. Featured in the cast are: Steve Carell, Morgan Freeman, Lauren Graham, John Goodman, and Wanda Sykes.

The plot is relatively straightforward. Carell is a freshman congressman who's tapped by God to build an Ark in preparation for a flood. Of course Carell fights the idea and his wife (Graham) and his kids take their leave for awhile in protest of his Biblical appearance and actions. But, build an Ark he does along with the eventual help of his family and a few of the thousands of animals that make an appearance. Along the way he gets regularly covered with bird poo which loses its humor rather quickly.

When I first started in theatre management the Billy Graham organization used to run religiously themed movies in local theatres. That's pretty much what this picture reminds me of. It starts out as an offbeat comedy but segues fairly rapidly into a preachy religious film. There's nothing wrong with that as long as you understand that's what you're going to see and are OK with it. It's mildly entertaining family fare but definitely a message film. Carey is fine although not hilarious and Goodman is great as an oily "out for a buck" Congressman. Freeman is fine as God and Sykes is Sykes. The disappointment to me was Graham, who is not given a role where she can shine but is basically limited to the portrayal of a dutiful spouse and mother. She's a good actress with terrific comedic timing and deserves better. Incidentally, the original script title was The Passion Of The Ark, which I'm obliged to say is much funnier than this film.

Opening 6/22/07

For showtimes select your theatre under the SHOWIMES AT: header in the left column. Weekend times normally start appearing on Wednesday.

1408 [PG-13] 1 hr. 35 min. Horror/Thriller Trailer Cast: John Cusack, Samuel L. Jackson, Mary McCormack, Tony Shalhoub. Plot: a renowned horror novelist checks into suite 1408 of the notorious Dolphin Hotel for his latest project, "Ten Nights in Haunted Hotel Rooms." Another bestseller may be imminent, but like all Stephen King heroes, he must ultimately survive the night. Showing at: Northrock, 13th Avenue Warren, 21st Street Warren.

A MIGHTY HEART [R] 1 hr. 40 min. Drama Trailer Cast: Angelina Jolie, Dan Futterman, Archie Panjabi, Will Patton, Irfan Khan, Sajid Hasan, Aly Khan, Denis O'Hare. Plot: based on the book by Mariane Pearl about her reporter husband and his disappearance, the intense effort to find him and his eventual murder in her memoir "A Mighty Heart: The Brave Life and Death of My Husband Danny Pearl." Showing at: Northrock, 13th Avenue Warren, 21st Street Warren.

EVAN ALMIGHTY [PG] 1 hr. 30 min. Comedy Trailer Cast: Steve Carell, Morgan Freeman, Lauren Graham, John Goodman, John Michael Higgins, Jimmy Bennett, Wanda Sykes, Jonah Hill. Plot: a man's life life gets turned upside-down when God appears and mysteriously commands him to build an ark. His befuddled wife and kids can't decide whether he's is having an extraordinary mid-life crisis or is truly onto something of Biblical proportions. Showing at: Derby Plaza, Northrock, Movie Machine, 13th Avenue Warren, Warren Old Town, 21st Street Warren, Starlite Drvie-In.

Leaving 6/21/2007

Derby Plaza - Mr. Brooks
Movie Machine - Ocean's Thirteen
Northrock 14 - Hostel 2
Palace West - Georgia Rule, 28 Weeks Later, TMNT, Vacancy
Starlite Drive-In - Knocked Up, Ocean's Thirteen
Warren East 13th - nothing
Warren Old Town - Hostel 2
Warren West 21st - nothing

Worthwhile (or not) 6/15/07

Once again the artsy film, Journey From The Fall, has the best review average (67) with Nancy Drew (48) and Fantastic Four (45) bringing up the rear at MetaCritic. None of that means anything at the boxoffice so Journey will be gone in a week or two, Drew will probably fade fairly quickly and the Four will do the most business of the new films this weekend.

If none of those do anything for you, there is a sneak preview Saturday night at the 13th Avenue Warren and 21st Street Warren (7:00 at both theatres) of RATATOUILLE, an animated comedy whose preview looks pretty good.

FANTASTIC FOUR: RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER **½

FANTASTIC FOUR was such a success in 2005 ($100 mil to make and grossed over $150 mil in the U.S. alone) you had to know there was going to be a sequel. Well, here it is and with most of the original cast back plus a few new faces: Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Chris Evans, and Michael Chiklis are the four heroes plus Julian McMahon, Kerry Washington, and Andre Braugher with Laurence Fishburne and Doug Jones as the voice and persona of The Silver Surfer respectively.

The story takes up where the original ended so we have to slog through the wedding preparations for Gruffudd and Alba. Fortunately, that nonsense is interrupted by the arrival of the Silver Surfer, who, it turns out, is something like a truffle sniffing pig. He works for a monstrous being, Galactus, whose idea of a meal is a planet with a side order of inhabitants and who forces the Surfer to lead it to tasty stellar consumables. Naturally, the foursome take up the challenge of saving Earth although it isn't easy with an officious Army General and a nemesis from the past constantly getting in their way.

I was never a comic book reader so this seems downright silly to me but I have friends who loved this comic series and can hardly wait for the movie. The special effects and plot are good enough to satisfy them and I think families who want an outing will be entertained also. In fact, I thought this plot was much better than the original although that doesn't mean I want to see it again. If you decide this is a film for you, the movie experience will be far more effective and impressive than viewing it on the average home TV.

Opening 6/15/07

For showtimes select your theatre under the SHOWIMES AT: header in the left column. Weekend times normally start appearing on Wednesday.

FANTASTIC FOUR: RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER [PG-13] 1 hr. 30 min. Action/Comedy/Sci-Fi Trailer Cast: Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Chris Evans, Michael Chiklis, Julian McMahon, Kerry Washington, Andre Braugher, Gonzalo Menendez, Laurence Fishburne. Plot: our superheroes meet their greatest challenge yet as the enigmatic, intergalactic herald, The Silver Surfer, comes to Earth to prepare it for destruction. Showing at: Derby Plaza, Movie Machine, Northrock, 13th Avenue Warren, Warren Old Town, 21st Street Warren.

JOURNEY FROM THE FALL [R] 1 hr. 45 min. Foreign/Drama Trailer Cast: Long Nguyen, Diem Lien, Kieu Chinh, Nguyen Thai Nguyen, Jayvee Mai The Hiep, Khanh Doan. Plot: inspired by the true stories of Vietnamese refugees who fled Vietnam after the fall of Saigon, and those who were forced to stay behind, this film follows one family's struggle for freedom. Showing at: 13th Avenue Warren exclusively.

NANCY DREW [PG] 1 hr. 40 min. Adventure/Family/Mystery Trailer Cast: Emma Roberts, Josh Flitter, Max Thieriot, Rachael Leigh Cook, Tate Donovan. Plot: set in contemporary times the teenage sleuth accompanies her father to Los Angeles on one of his business trips and stumbles across evidence about a long-unsolved crime involving the mysterious death of a beautiful movie star. Showing at: Derby Plaza, Movie Machine, Northrock, 13th Avenue Warren, 21st Street Warren.

Leaving 6/14/2007

Derby Plaza - Spider-Man 3
Movie Machine - Pirates Of The Caribbean 3, Spider-Man 3
Northrock 14 - Gracie, Spider-Man 3
Palace West - Next, Miss Potter, Perfect Stranger, Shooter
Premiere Palace - Theatre Closed starting Friday
Starlite Drive-In - Pirates Of The Caribbean 3
Warren East 13th - Gracie, Fracture
Warren Old Town - Shrek The Third
Warren West 21st - Gracie

Worthwhile (or not) 6/8/07

OCEAN'S THIRTEEN and SURF'S UP both have a MetaCritic rating of 61 while HOSTEL PART II brings up the rear (as well it should) with a 43. Younger children will be bored silly in THIRTEEN but the entire family will probably enjoy SURF.

Something late night fans might want to consider is the "Cult" films being shown at Palace West on Friday/Saturday. Showing this weekend is PSYCHO with MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL, GOONIES and PULP FICTION slated on the following weekends. Generally each film is shown twice each evening. Showtimes can be found in the "SHOWTIMES At: Palace West" section on the left side of this page. I'll alert you about future films as they become available.

OCEAN'S THIRTEEN **½

The boys from Twelve are back: Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Matt Damon, Elliott Gould, Don Cheadle, Bernie Mac, and Carl Reiner and a few others I won't mention plus Al Pacino as a new villain. The distaff side has been replaced by Ellen Barkin.

This film gets right down to the nitty gritty as the boys decide to take their revenge on Pacino who has cheated Gould and caused him to suffer a heart attack. What they want to do is cause Pacino's new casino/hotel to lose a fortune on opening night and a coveted six diamond rating plus an incredible collection of diamonds worth millions. Initially thought to be too difficult to accomplish, the lads manage to find a way (as you probably expected they would).

The plot is a lot more about the caper and almost nothing about the relationship of the characters. As such, I found it to be less interesting than the previous two films in the series. The cast is fantastic and the production values are first rate but I found this story rather sterile, to the extent I started looking at my watch after a half hour. I expect it to do well at the boxoffice but it's a picture I have no real desire to see again. To get the maximum effect, you'll need to see this one on a large screen.

SURF'S UP **

When I watch an animated film I'm usually unaware of the actor voicing a character. This time there were several instantly recognizable. Shia LaBeouf who is the voice of the star, Cody Maverick, has already had one hit film this year (Disturbia) but his was a voice I didn't recognize. Jeff Bridges (Big Z/Geek), Zooey Deschanel (Big Z's neice, Lani Aliikai), and James Woods (Reggie Belafonte) have voices that are distinctive enough to be easily identifiable, however.

The story's pretty simplistic, as you'd expect in an animated feature. Cody is a young penguin who wants to be a champion surfer like his hero, Big Z. He manages to talk his way into a surfing contest run by Reggie, who sports a Don King hairdo so you'll be certain he's a promoter.. He gets some mentoring from Big Z and also manages to fall for Lani, the lifeguard. In the end he learns some things are more important than winning.

This is a pleasant film with a message for the kids and one most adults will chuckle or at least smile at occasionally. There weren't any outright laughs, though, at least not for me. The music is saccharin, not catchy, and you won't leave the theatre humming one of the songs. Whether you see it in a theatre or wait for the DVD will probably depend on how insistent the kids in your life are. Either way will be acceptable, as a big screen doesn't add much to this pic.

HOSTEL: PART II 0

Last January, writer/director Eli Roth was responsible for the first HOSTEL which cost 4½ million dollars to make and grossed over 80 million dollars worldwide. Guess who's back, and why. Once again he's got a cast of relative unknowns including: Lauren German, Bijou Phillips, Roger Bart, Richard Bugl, Vera Jordanova, Heather Mattarazzo (The Princess Diaries), Stanislav Ianevski, and Milan Knazko.

The plot is virtually the same as the first, only it's girls getting slaughtered this time instead of guys. We're treated to several minutes of screaming and moaning plus lots of blood, and we learn the penalty is severe if you don't kill the girl you've contracted for. We also learn you should never trust anyone in the Czech Republic. Then, and I'm sure this will come as a surprise, a plot twist occurs which must have taken, oh, ten seconds to think up, but doesn't do a thing to make what you're experiencing less excrutiating.

There is simply no reason to waste time or money on this film. There's no one in it you'll find sympathetic so it's impossible to get worked up over their eventual fate. There's no suspense either. So, this is a film where you sit and watch people you don't care about scream and bleed to death and wish you hadn't paid good money for the privilege. It won't be any better on DVD either. I really hate to tell you this but it looks like Mr. Roth is prepared to do another one based on the ending. Do your part and avoid this pic so I don't have to sit through HOSTEL III.

Opening 6/8/07

For showtimes select your theatre under the SHOWIMES AT: header in the left column. Weekend times normally start appearing on Wednesday.

HOSTEL: PART II [R] 1 hr. 35 min. Horror Trailer Cast: Lauren German, Bijou Phillips, Roger Bart, Richard Bugl, Vera Jordanova, Heather Mattarazzo, Stanislav Ianevski, Milan Knazko. Plot: three young Americans studying art in Rome set off for a weekend trip when they run into a beautiful model from one of their classes on her way to an exotic destination. The gorgeous European invites the coeds to come along, assuring them they will be able to relax and rejuvenate. Instead, they're slated to become victims for hire, pawns in the fantasies of the sick and privileged from around the world. Showing at: Northrock, 13th Avenue Warren, Warren Old Town, 21st Street Warren.

OCEAN'S THIRTEEN [PG-13] 2 hrs. Action/Adventure Trailer Cast: George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Andy Garcia, Don Cheadle, Bernie Mac, Ellen Barkin, Al Pacino, Casey Affleck, Scott Caan, Eddie Jemison, Shaobo Qin, Carl Reiner, Elliot Gould. Plot: When a ruthless casino owner double-crosses one of the original Ocean's eleven, Danny and the gang team up one more time to see if they can break "the Bank." Showing at: Derby Plaza, Movie Machine, Northrock, 13th Avenue Warren, Warren Old Town, 21st Street Warren.

SURF'S UP [PG] 1 hr. 25 min. Family/Action/Animation Trailer Voices of: Jeff Bridges, Shia LaBeouf, Zooey Deschanel, James Woods, Jane Krakowski, Jon Heder, Mario Cantone, Brian Benben, Michael McKean. Plot: a documentary crew takes you behind the scenes and onto the waves during the most competitive, heartbreaking and dangerous display of surfing known to man, the Penguin World Surfing Championship. Showing at: Derby Plaza, Movie Machine, Northrock, 13th Avenue Warren, 21st Street Warren.

Leaving 6/7/2007

Derby Plaza - Disturbia, Delta Farce
Movie Machine - nothing
Northrock 14 - Bug, Open Season
Palace West - Firehouse Dog, The Last Mimzy, Night At The Museum
Premiere Palace - The Italian, Black Book
Starlite Drive-In - nothing
Warren East 13th - Bug, Georgia Rule
Warren Old Town - Spider-Man 3
Warren West 21st - Bug, Georgia Rule, Delta Farce, 28 Weeks Later

Worthwhile (or not) 6/1/07

AWAY FROM HER (88) and KNOCKED UP (87) are the clear winners in this week's MetaCritic ratings. GRACIE gets a 53 and MR. BROOKS brings up the rear at 38. I haven't seen any but the last and my review lets you know I wouldn't agree with the mainstream critics. If AWAY FROM HER and GRACIE look like something you want to see I wouldn't wait too long.

MR. BROOKS ***½

This is a film about the C of C "Man of the Year", a loving husband and father who possesses all the characteristics of those considered to have "family values." There's just one little problem: he's also a very successful sociopathic serial killer who constantly "talks" with his worse half. Kevin Costner is the likeable half, William Hurt is the not-so-nice half, Demi Moore is an incredibly wealthy police detective chasing him, Dane Cook is an amateur photographer who wants to be like him, Marg Helgenberger (CSI) is his loving wife and Danille Panabaker (Shark) is his daughter.

We are introduced to the dual Mr. Brooks, Earl and Marshall, at the beginning of the film so I'm not giving anything away there. We get to share in his modus operandi and learn why he's never been caught...he's neat and prepared to a fault. Then we see him captured on film by a peeper with a camera, Cook, who blackmails him into taking him on his next kill in return for silence. We meet his wife, Helgenberger, who's basically here as attractive window dressing, and his daughter, Panabaker, who has a few secrets of her own (could she be a chip off the old block?). That's the essence of the plot. Can he continue to satisfy his craving for murder without getting caught and embarrassing his family and irritating Marshall by being executed? Can he figure out how to resolve the blackmail issue? Finally, can he protect his daughter from the consequences of some rather inappropriate behavior?

You wouldn't think a plot like this could work, but you'd be wrong. It's possible some will even sympathize with Brooks. Costner and Hurt are excellent as is Cook. Demi Moore, not so much, but that's basically because her character is not sympathetic so you don't really care what happens to her. Panabaker is fine in her role. The ending of the film just screams sequel. I can almost see the advertising blurbs now: "The Family That Slays Together Stays Together."