Mar 26 2010

Movies Opening March 26

Category: 2010,Movies,Openingvelveetahead @ 11:14 am

The wide releases actually look like a good time at the movies. It’s about time.

Nationwide Releases

Hot Tub Time Machine
How to Train Your Dragon

Hot Tub Time Machine
Directed: Steve Pink
Starring: Crispin Glover, John Cusack, Lizzy Caplan, Chevy Chase, Rob Corddry, Clark Duke, Craig Robinson
Trailer

Synopsis: For reasons unknown, four guys get into a hot tub and wake up in 1986 where shenanigans ensue.

My Take: It looks completely dumb and hilarious.

RT Score: 63%
RT Consensus: Its flagrantly silly script — and immensely likable cast — make up for most of its flaws.

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Nov 13 2009

Movies Opening November 13

Category: 2009 Movies,Movies,Openingvelveetahead @ 4:35 pm

The wide releases are about people rebelling against the establishment with rock music and the world ending in a few years. More of the interesting films are in the limited releases, including the animated Fantastic Mr. Fox, The Messenger, and Dare.

Nationwide Releases

9x9_rotten Pirate Radio
9x9_rotten 2012

pirateradio

Pirate Radio
Directed: Richard Curtis
Starring: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Bill Nighy, Rhys Ifans, Nick Frost, Kenneth Branagh, Tom Sturridge, Talulah Riley
Trailer

Synopsis: The British government did not like rock music in the 1960s so they banned it, but an American DJ and some other British folks got onto a boat and broadcast from there where no one could find them.

My Take: It seems like a fun film with some good music.

9x9_rotten RT Score: 59%
RT Consensus: It lacks genuine rock & roll raunch, but Richard Curtis’ ode to the offshore radio stations of 1960s Britain has enough laughs and great tunes to stay smoothly afloat.

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Jun 26 2009

Movies Opening June 26

Category: 2009 Movies,Movies,Openingvelveetahead @ 10:41 pm

I would think this summer would have more big movies that I wanted to see, but it seems to be another week of sad wide releases. The one film that actually looks interesting is the limited release, The Hurt Locker. It looks like a really good, intense war film.

Nationwide Releases

9x9_rotten Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
9x9_rotten My Sisters Keeper

transformersrevengeofthefallen

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Directed: Michael Bay
Starring: Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, Kevin Dunn
Trailer

Synopsis: Sam tries to go to college, but the Autobots call on his help against the Decepticons again, which somehow involves destroying the pyramids in Egypt.

My Take: I had a hard enough time telling which transformer was which in the first one. I don’t imagine it’ll be any easier to tell them apart in the sequel.

9x9_rotten RT Score: 21%
RT Consensus: Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is a noisy, underplotted, and overlong special effects extravaganza that lacks a human touch.

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Sep 19 2008

Movies Released September 19

Category: 2008,Movies,Openingvelveetahead @ 2:00 pm

There aren’t any real stand outs in the wide releases this week. Ghost Town looks passable, but the others can be easily skipped. the more interesting movies seem to be the limited releases. Well, at least the first two Appaloosa and The Duchess seem interesting.

Nationwide Releases


Ghost Town
Directed: David Koepp
Starring: Ricky Gervais, Tea Leoni, Greg Kinnear, Billy Campbell, Kristen Wiig, Dana Ivey, Aasif Mandi
Trailer

Synopsis: A dentist who is not a people person dies for seven minutes during surgery starts to see ghosts everywhere.

My Take: It doesn’t seem outstanding, but looks like an amusing romantic comedy saved by Ricky Gervais being funny.

RT Score: 87%
RT Consensus: Ricky Gervais’ consistently sharp performance and beautifully dry execution transform this otherwise mainstream comedy into an endearing, funny, and altogether snappy romantic comedy. With ghosts.

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May 23 2008

Movies Opening May 23

Category: 2008,Movies,Openingvelveetahead @ 2:55 pm

Nationwide Releases


Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Directed: Steven Spielberg
Starring: Harrison Ford, Ray Winstone, Shia LaBeouf, Cate Blanchett, Karen Allen
Trailer

Synopsis: The third sequel in the series almost twenty years after the last one where they smartly have Indiana Jones age about twenty years in the process too.

My Take: I wasn’t sure when I first heard they were making a fourth movie, but it actually looks good.

RT Score: 79%
RT Consensus: Though the plot elements are certainly familiar, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull still delivers the thrills and Harrison Ford’s return in the title role is more than welcome.

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Dec 07 2007

Movies Opening Dec 7

Category: 2007,Movies,Openingvelveetahead @ 10:26 pm

Nationwide Releases

The Golden Compass
Directed: Chris Weitz
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig, Dakota Blue Richards
Trailer

Synopsis: A girl tries to rescue her kidnapped friend from an evil organization in a world where people’s souls are shown as animals.

My Take: Never read the books, but it looks super cool to me.

RT Score: 44%
RT Consensus: Without the bite or the controversy of the source material, The Golden Compass is reduced to impressive visuals overcompensating for lax storytelling.

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Nov 10 2007

1408

Category: 2007,Movies,Reviewsvelveetahead @ 1:09 am

1408

Directed: Mikael Hafstrom
Starring: John Cusack, Samuel L. Jackson, Mary McCormack

After hunting for any signs of paranormal activity from the other side, a grieving father declares there are no such things as ghosts. Then he gets trapped in room 1408 where no one has survived past an hour in the room.

I haven’t read the Stephen King story so I have no idea how well of an adaptation this movie is. It is a pretty creepy movie for a while when he finally gets to the hotel run by Samuel L. Jackson, who is awesome. The hotel room is very spooky and watching a non-believer slowly believing what is happening to him is pretty fun. There is an odd part in the middle, where Cusack’s character yells at a tiny Jackson in his fridge. It is a hilarious scene, but really breaks the spooky mood.

Then there is a part where you think the movie is over, and I was pissed that was the way it was going to end. Then it is just a fake out and it isn’t really over. I was glad, and the way it ended was better but still not great.

Rating: B-

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Nov 02 2007

Movie Opening Nov 2

Category: 2007,Movies,Openingvelveetahead @ 6:21 pm

Nationwide Releases


American Gangster
Directed: Ridley Scott
Starring: Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe
Trailer

Synopsis: In the 70s, the first black mafia godfather and the one of the few uncorrupt cops in New York going after him.

My Take: It has an intense quality to it and both Denzel and Russell look good.

RT Score: 79%
RT Consensus: American Gangster is a gritty and entertaining throwback to classic gangster films, with its lead performers firing on all cylinders.

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