Redbox Roundup

When isn't a movie weekend a smashing idea?  One of my semi-new favorite things in life is Redbox.  New releases for $1.  You can't beat it.  (Especially in a recession.  Am I right?)  Last Sunday I had a mini-marathon, as I was woefully behind on some movies I'd been jonesing to watch.

First up was Hereafter.

Did this one pass you by?  That's a shame because it's really interesting.  Matt Damon is the biggest name in the cast, but there are lots of great performances.  Plus, it has twin brothers.  And they're British.  I'm a twin, so I'm always intrigued by stories like this.  It's not a very fast-moving story, but that's ok.  Not everything has to have Furious in the title.

Then we have this one.

Oh, Natalie.  You just chewed up every piece of that scenery, didn't you?  But I liked it.  I guess it was sort of a bummer to have seen most of the pivotal clips on awards shows and whatnot, but the overall tone of the film was unlike anything I'd ever watched.  I was rooting for Nina, but I sort of knew how things would end.

I rounded out the film fest with The Social Network.  And I know some of you may disagree with me, but I could not get on board with this movie.  I think that the Oscar buzz was way overrated and not deserved.  It just seemed like a movie of the week to me, and Jesse Eisenberg seemed completely one-dimensional.  I hung on for about an hour and then had to cut and run.  At that point, I did not really care what happened.  Facebook is still around.  Fin.

If you're not familiar with Redbox, it's time to get that way.  $1/night is super cheap and legal.  You can find one here.

Review: Thor (**1/2)

Thor is the most recent Marvel superhero to get his own movie. It follows the hero (Chris Hemsworth). who after a battle in the underworld gets outlashed into the real world by his father (Anthony Hopkins). There he meets Jane (Natalie Portman), Darcy (Kat Dennings), and Erik (Stellan Skarsgard). We find out it was Jane's dream to discover something like this. But then SHIELD a private detective agency confiscates all of their stuff. Meanwhile in Thor's world his brother Loki (Tom Hiddleson) makes an attempt to kill his father making Thor return.

In the end this was Marvels weakest film however there is a scene after the credits that sets up the plot to The Avengers film out next year.

Review: Fast Five (***)

Fast Five is the latest installment in The Fast And The Furious film series. It takes place right where the last movie ended. It starts with Brian (Paul Walker) and Mia (Jordanna Brewster) attempting to save Dominic (Vin Diesel) from a prison bus. it's a success and they pack their bags and go to Rio De Janiero, Brazil. Their plan is to steal 100 million dollars from the country's biggest druglord. They go and bring back multiple characters from previous films such as Taj (Ludacris), Roman (Tyrese Gibson), and Han (Sung Kang). Meanwhile a FBI agent named Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) and his assistant (Elsa Palsky) are on the hunt after the gang.

In conclusion this was the best in the film series. There was a scene I think can make a perfect senior prank. Plus a bonus credits scene you'll not want to miss.

John's DVD Pick of the week (May 17th 2011)

Well it's Tuesday again that means it's my dvd pick of the week this week its

The Mechanic

That's right Jason Statham's take on the 1972 Charles Bronson film is my pick.  It's not he best pick but it's better than the other two releases. The other two releases this week are the thrillers The Rite and The Roomate, I did not see either nor do I plan to see them.

My vintage pick is: In honor of this weeks release of Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, I'm recommending The original film The Curse Of The Black Pearl. It was # 8 on my best films of 2003 so check it out as well as the other two films before you check this one out.

TinTin HD Trailer

Thoughts?

Misnomer

It's funny how GQ can be so polarizing to me.  In one article, they'll gripe that $6 is too much for a lip balm, and on the next page they'll tout a $400 shirt.  That's probably more than I spend on all clothes I wear in a year--including shoes. 

Anywho, imagine my surprise when I glanced the latest cover:

Back?  Where did he go?  Since The Hangover, I'd go so far as to say that Zach G. has been damn-near ubiquitous.  Due Date.  Dinner for Schmucks.  Up in the Air.  SNL. 

Can I get an amen?

Also, mini-rant: The Hangover was a funny (definitely R-rated) movie.  Why couldn't we leave it at that?  Why did they have to do a sequel?  The obvious answer is the money.  But wasn't it somewhat refreshing to watch that comedy way back in 2009 and actually laugh? 

Of course I have not seen the sequel and can't speak to how funny it may or may not be.  But look at the movies in the last, oh, I don't know...ten years.  They're either fairly terrible remakes or comic book movies.  That's why I blog about movies such as Rabbit Hole and Away We Go and even Kramer vs. Kramer.

What are some of your favorites?

Bill Hader to play Andy Warhol in Men In Black III

  via The Hollywood Reporter

Bill Hader will portray pop art superstar Andy Warhol in Columbia’s Men In Black 3, which is currently shooting in New York.
Will Smith and Josh Brolin lead the cast of the third installment of the sci-fi comedy being directed by Barry Sonnenfeld.
The studio isn’t revealing too many details about the film, although it is known to feature a time travel element, allowing Brolin to play a young Tommy Lee Jones and Alice Eve, a young Emma Thompson, as the MIB agents try to save the world in 1969.
Several iconic personalities from the time period are expected to be seen in the movie, paving the way for a series of cameos.
SNL star Hader, repped by UTA and Odenkirk Provissiero Entertainment, was last seen on the big-screen in Paul.

John's two cents: I think its good casting thoughts?