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SXSW REVIEW: Bridesmaids

Tuesday, March 15th, 2011

Bridesmaids doesn’t come out until wedding season (May) but Universal, star Kristen Wiig and director Paul Feig brought a print to Austin, TX for the South By Southwest Film Festival. They knew they would be pandering to an accepting crowd after the screening of Paul, but they didn’t need to…the movie was hilarious! Starring a slew of comedic women, Bridesmaids shows the dirty and funny side of competitive bridesmaiding. It follows a group of women from engagement to wedding ceremony and the crazy antics that happen in the catty minds of females. The reactions from men and women are going to vastly differ but both sides are going to be laughing out loud.

I wasn’t sure if Kristen Wiig could carry the film on her own, but she doesn’t have to. She’s joined with a great ensemble cast that are all hilarious in their own rights. Maya Rudolph is the one getting married and Wiig is her long time best friend. Maya chose her to be the maid of honor. Wendi McLendon-Covey is a mom of three rambunctious boys. Elli Kemper is a young newlywed (you might recognize her from The Office). Melissa McCarthy is Rudolph’s butch sister-in-law. And finally, there’s the pretty Rose Byrne who tries to steal the maid of honor position from the very beginning. The interactions they have with each other are movie gold…I can’t wait to see the outtakes.

The Bridal Party.

The beginning of the movie is the funniest sex scene since Team America: World Police and sets the tone for the rest of the show. The scenes keep getting funnier and funnier leading to a hilarious and stomach-churning gown fitting. Who thought a fitting could be so funny? However, after that, the movie starts losing momentum and becomes flat. There are a few scattered escalating scenes that will have you rolling again and again but they’re pieced together with points in the story that just don’t hold up the same comedic caliber. Full Disclaimer: this screening didn’t start til after midnight and I was tired as hell, but the middle of the movie was putting me to sleep.

I'M GETTING ENGAGED

Kristen Wiig plays Annie, a single 30-something in a terrible relationship, financial problems and no hope in site. Her life unravels during the movie while she has to take on the duties and responsibilities of throwing her best friend’s wedding. Helen (Rose Byrne), on the other hand, wants the wedding to be extravagant and tries to take over the top spot from Annie. You can imagine a bunch of catty behaviour and twisted inner workings of females like a no holds bar aim for the chest game of tennis. Annie meets a romantic interest so you have that whole love story intertwined now and let’s not forget she’s a baker so there are random baking montages…that leave an awkward feeling.

I don't know if I'll eat at a Brazilian restaurant again...

Women are definitely going to see this movie in a different light and get more out of it but guys aren’t going to be disappointed with the kind of humor that writers Annie Mumolo and Kristen Wiig offer. The banter between Rudolph and Wiig is great and they have realistic on screen chemistry (obviously from their SNL days together). The tidbits and side stories from the other bridesmaids makes this a well rounded story whenever their included. But when the story focuses just on Wiig for a while, it gets pretty mundane rather than continually building the ridiculous atmosphere you get when all the girls are together. While I would’ve preferred this to be an all-out laugh out loud comedy similar to The Hangover (oh yes, they got a flight to Vegas for the bachelorette party), I understand they took it another way giving a lot more commentary for the female demographic.

This post is part of our SXSW Film Festival coverage
The South by Southwest® (SXSW®) Conferences & Festivals offer the unique convergence of original music, independent films, and emerging technologies. Fostering creative and professional growth alike, SXSW® is the premier destination for discovery. The internationally acclaimed, nine-day Film Festival celebrates raw innovation and emerging talent, with a truly diverse program ranging from provocative documentaries to subversive Hollywood comedies.Visit South by Southwest’s Official Website

Tags: Bridesmaids, Elli Kemper, Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Melissa McCarthy, Paul Feig, Rose Byrne, Wendi McLendon-Covey
Posted in Reviews, South By Southwest 2011 | 3 Comments »

SXSW REVIEW: Paul

Tuesday, March 15th, 2011

Paul Two of our favorite British comedians set off on a new adventure involving a smart ass alien, religious nuts, more cameos than jokes, and an alien with 3 tits. awesome. Simon Pegg and Nick Frost are back at it again with a project they’ve had on the shelf for years. Now that big brother Edgar Wright has gone on to do his own movies, these two decide to have a go with the help of director Greg Mottola and Universal Pictures. If you’re fans of these guys, you’re going to have a good time and laugh but don’t expect too much because it wasn’t written or directed for you, they’re typical target market, it’s water-downed and mass produced for the general audience…making it just another run of the mill sci fi comedy with wasted talent.

Graeme Willy (Simon Pegg) and Clive Gollings (Nick Frost) are two childhood friends from the UK who have finally made it to the geek mecca of the world, Comic Con, to meet one of their inspirations Adam Shadowchild (Jeffrey Tambor – the first of a countless amount of cameos). Since they’ve come such a far way, they decide to rent a RV and go on an alien pilgrimage through the heart of Middle America. Not long after, they find themselves smuggling an alien (voiced by Seth Rogen) to his mother ship on an intergalactic chase. This should sound pretty straightforward, because it is. Paul, in heart, is a spoof on all alien films and concepts to date.

You would think another finger would be up...

Paul wasn’t terrible but it wasn’t fantastic either. It is hilarious and you will laugh your ass off. There are so many geek and popular culture references that anybody can find something to relate to. They spoof so many different films that you’re bound to have seen at least 3 of them so you can laugh along. They make fun of the movies and themselves at the same time. The cast list is ridiculous, with a few surprises: Jane Lycnh, David Koechner, Jason Bateman, Sigourney Weaver, Bill Hader, Joe Lo Truglio and even the great Steven Spielberg himself. Seth Rogen is the voice of Paul and it fits…his smart alec jokes and antics show on the screen very well. Kristen Wiig plays the other creature escaping…the daughter of a religious redneck. This side story with Kristen making up curse words and trying to be promiscuous at every turn is better than the main story.

Nick Frost, Kristen Wiig, and Simon Pegg in Paul

I typically love these guys (Spaced, Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz) and they typically love each other (bromance) but their chemistry was remarkably missing in Paul. While they usually make an effort to really sell the relationship of two best friends, they kind of just went along with the motions in this movie expecting you to already know who they are. They also through in a bunch of silly homosexual jokes which got annoying from the first use. One of many running gags that add to the references and cliches that Paul is loaded with. These guys are excellent comedians, writers, and actors but for Paul, it seems like they phoned it in. Same goes for Greg Motolla who shot a bland movie without taking any chances. As said earlier, this was a made to be a blockbuster/try to please everybody opening weekend kind of movie.

Pretty iconic visual, eh?

Paul is a caper. It’s a chase film. One crazy event leads to another and another as your core characters try to escape everybody they run into along the way. There are a lot of surprises but none as big as how boring the movie got. The characters are very one-dimensional and easy to like but they don’t leave any lasting impressions. The story is pretty lazy and just filled with things that will get a quick chuckle or smile from the audience…after the first few scenes, there isn’t much of the same laughter left…I expected more, but at least there’s an alien with 3 tits. awesome.

Tags: Bill Hader, David Koechner, Edgar Wright, Greg Mottola, Jane Lycnh, Jason Bateman, Jeffrey Tambor, Joe Lo Truglio, Kristen Wiig, Nick Frost, Paul, Sigourney Weaver, Simpon Pegg, Steven Spielberg
Posted in Reviews, South By Southwest 2011 | 1 Comment »

Universal’s Comic-Con Panel: Paul and Cowboys & Aliens

Wednesday, July 28th, 2010

Paul

From the creators of Shawn of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, comes a hilarious-looking comedy 7 years in the making. Basically, there was bad weather during the scene in Shawn of the Dead where they were outside throwing records at a zombie. They thought to themselves how cool would it be to do a road trip from California down to Wyoming in an RV so they started spit-firing some ideas of an alien movie in the desert. They teamed up with the director of Superbad, Greg Mottola.

The Paul Panel at Comic-Con

They showed an extended first-cut trailer for us and it looked great! Paul, who is voiced by Seth Rogen, is a bad-mouth bad-ass alien. Some of the lines he said were like, “Hey Fucknuts, it’s probing time!” and in response to, “How can I hear you? Are you using neural translation?” Paul says, “Actually, I’m speaking English you fucking retard.” So you can get a taste of the flavor of this creature from a galaxy far far away…farther than Comic-Con. It was great for the Comic-Con audience because the beginning of Paul is actually set AT Comic-Con. They tried to film at the official San Diego Comic-Con but in the words of the San Diego Fire Marshall: “No Fucking Way.”

The Paul Panel at Comic-Con (side view)

The cast is a collection of some of the greatest comedy actors today including Jason Bateman (Arrested Development), Kristen Wiig (Date Night), Bill Hader (Forgetting Sarah Marshall), Jeffrey Tambor (The Hangover), Joe Lo Truglio (Role Models), Seth Rogen (The Green Hornet), and Sigourney Weaver (Baby Mama).

Cowboys & Aliens

Comic-Con should be renamed Favreau-Con because in the last few years, he has presented some of the best panels and knows how to hype up the crowd. No one knew what he was going to show or who he was going to bring because the film is shooting right now in New Mexico and has only been doing so for about a month. But Jon Favreau knew he had to bring something to Comic-Con to show the crowds so he went straight to the editing room and cut some exclusive scenes for us. The film won’t come out for another year and is to be launched right after the next Comic-Con!

Jon Favreau presenting his next film: Cowboys & Aliens

Well I was amazed with how much they showed. We saw the stars of the movie, Daniel Craig, Olivia Wilde, and Harrison Ford in this old time western. It’s being shot in glorious 2D since Favreau didn’t want to shoot in stereo. Cowboys & Aliens is going to be a by the book western, they’re going to just play it straight but mix it with old sci-fi from before there was CG and then put in the CGI. The footage Favreau backed it up and we got to see the feel of the movie which is truly a western. But what’s that in the sky!? And what’s that on Craig’s wrist?? I can’t wait a year.

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Tags: Bill Hader, Cowboys & Aliens, Daniel Craig, Greg Mottola, Harrison Ford, Jeffrey Tambor, Joe Lo Truglio, Jon Favreau, Kristen Wiig, Nick Frost, Olivia Wilde, Paul, Seth Rogen, Sigourney Weaver, Simon Pegg, Universal
Posted in Comic-Con 2010, Previews | No Comments »

Comic Con 2010 Preview!

Thursday, July 15th, 2010

advancescreenings.com is heading to San Diego for the 2010 Comic-Con! The movie schedule this year looks intense so we should have tons of stories and previews for you in the next couple of weeks. You can find the full Comic-Con schedule here. Let us know if there’s something you want us to cover in particular on Facebook or comment below! Here’s a list of panels we plan on attending:

Thursday
11:15-12:45 Walt Disney Pictures: TRON: Legacy— Returning for an unprecedented third year to the fans and convention that started it all, Walt Disney Pictures is pleased to present a special insider look at the upcoming TRON: Legacy. Panelists include filmmakers and talent from the film: director Joe Kosinski, producers Sean Bailey and Steven Lisberger, and cast members Jeff Bridges, Garrett Hedlund, Olivia Wilde, Michael Sheen, and Bruce Boxleitner. The discussion, moderated by Patton Oswalt, is set to include exclusive glimpses of the film, as well as a Q&A involving all panel participants, along with special surprise guests.

1:00-2:00 Sony Pictures Entertainment: Battle: Los Angeles and Salt— Two great new films from Sony Pictures Entertainment are showcased in this Hall H presentation!

Battle: Los Angeles — When unknown forces suddenly and mercilessly attack the City of Angels out of nowhere, it’s up to a local Marine staff sergeant (Aaron Eckhart) and a new platoon of unseasoned soldiers to meet the threat. As the invasion hits the streets of LA, these Marines become our first and last line of defense in an intense battle against an enemy unlike any they’ve ever encountered before. Appearing in person are Michelle Rodriguez, Aaron Eckhart, Neal Moritz, and director Jonathan Liebesman.

Salt — Opening in theaters everywhere tomorrow, Columbia Pictures brings an exclusive and surprising look at Salt to Comic-Con today, featuring some very special guests. As a CIA officer, Evelyn Salt (Angelina Jolie) swore an oath to duty, honor and country. Her loyalty will be tested when a defector accuses her of being a Russian spy. Salt goes on the run, using all her skills and years of experience as a covert operative to elude capture, but her efforts to prove her innocence only serve to cast doubt on her motives as the hunt to uncover the truth behind her identity continues and the question remains: “Who is Salt?”

2:15-3:15 Summit Entertainment: RED— Summit Entertainment presents a sneak peek of exclusive footage from RED. They used to be the CIA’s top agents — but the secrets they know just made them the Agency’s top targets. Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich, and Helen Mirren star in RED, an explosive action-comedy based on the cult DC Comics graphic novel by Warren Ellis. Join him, director Robert Schwentke, and the film’s stars as they share footage from the film and debut the final trailer before it’s ever in theaters.

4:45-5:45 Lionsgate: The Expendables— Prepare to have your ass kicked by The Expendables, the biggest action movie this summer! Lionsgate presents exclusive scenes and the inside scoop on every punch, kick, and bloodied lip from the most iconic cast of heroes and villains ever assembled, including the director, writer, and star Sylvester Stallone (Rambo), along with Dolph Lundgren (Universal Soldier), Steve Austin (The Condemned), Randy Couture (Scorpion King: Rise of the Warrior), and Terry Crews (Gamer).

6:00-7:00 Universal: Scott Pilgrim vs. the World— Genre-bending filmmaker Edgar Wright (Hot Fuzz), graphic novel author Bryan Lee O’Malley, and the cast of Universal Pictures’ Scott Pilgrim vs. the World provide a sneak peek of summer 2010′s epic of epic epicness. Joining Wright will be our hero, Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera of Superbad); Scott’s two current girlfriends, Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead of The Thing) and Knives Chau (Ellen Wong of Unnatural History); his band, SEX BOB-OMB: Kim Pine (Alison Pill of Milk) and Stephen Stills (Mark Webber of Broken Flowers); SEX BOB-OMB super-fan Young Neil (Johnny Simmons of Jennifer’s Body); Scott’s awesome roommate, Wallace Wells (Kieran Culkin of Igby Goes Down); and four of Ramona’s seven evil exes: Matthew Patel (Satya Bhabha of Fair Game), Todd Ingram (Brandon Routh of Superman Returns), Gideon Graves (Jason Schwartzman of Funny People) and Roxy Richter (Mae Whitman of Parenthood); plus Scott’s younger sister, Stacey Pilgrim (Anna Kendrick of Up in the Air), and the obnoxious Julie Powers (Aubrey Plaza of Parks and Recreation). Q&A to follow.

Friday
11:15-11:45 Summit Entertainment: Drive Angry 3D— A vengeful father hunts down the people who brutally killed his daughter and kidnapped her baby in the newest film shot in 3D from the writer and director of My Bloody Valentine 3D, starring Nicolas Cage, William Fichtner, Billy Burke, and Amber Heard. Join the cast and filmmakers as they showcase never-before-seen footage of this high-octane, blood-spattered road trip through hell!

12:00-1:00 Skyline— Universal Pictures, Relativity Media, and Rogue Pictures present an exclusive look at the sci-fi thriller Skyline, directed and produced by the Brothers Strause (Alien vs. Predator: Requiem), whose company Hydraulx has provided visual effects for Avatar, Iron Man 2, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and 300. In Skyline, strange lights descend on the city of Los Angeles, drawing people outside like moths to a flame, where an extraterrestrial force proceeds to swallow the entire human population off the face of the earth. Colin and Greg Strause unveil an exclusive Comic-Con trailer and scenes from Skyline, along with stars Donald Faison (Scrubs), Eric Balfour (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, 24), David Zayas (The Expendables, Dexter), Scottie Thompson (Star Trek), and Brittany Daniel (Club Dread). HitFix’s Drew McWeeny moderates.

1:00-2:00 Super— Writer/director James Gunn (Slither), stars Rainn Wilson (The Office), Liv Tyler (Lord of the Rings), Nathan Fillion (Firefly), and Michael Rooker (Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer), and producers Ted Hope (Adventureland) and Miranda Bailey (The Squid and the Whale) reveal footage from their latest feature production Super, including the first peek at Rainn and Ellen Page’s costume design. Super is a hyper-real and shockingly funny look at the extremely violent antics of a down-on-his-luck man as he attempts to win his wife back from a glamorous drug dealer by teaming up with a psychopathic teen to become costumed crimefighters.

2:15-3:45 Miramax Films: Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark— Producer/co-writer Guillermo del Toro and director Troy Nixey present a first look at their new film Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark, a hair-raising, spine-chilling tale of horror about a little girl (Bailee Madison) who is sent to live with her father (Guy Pearce) and his girlfriend (Katie Holmes) in the old mansion they are renovating, only to unwittingly unleash malevolent creatures bent on destroying all of them.

4:00-6:00 Sony Pictures Entertainment: The Other Guys, The Green Hornet, and Priest— Two more sneak peeks at upcoming films from Sony Pictures Entertainment!

The Other Guys–NYPD Detectives Christopher Danson and P.K. Highsmith (Dwayne Johnson and Samuel L. Jackson) are the baddest and most beloved cops in New York City. Two desks over and one back, sit Detectives Allen Gamble (Will Ferrell) and Terry Hoitz (Mark Wahlberg). You’ve seen them in the background of photos of Danson and Highsmith, out of focus and eyes closed. They’re not heroes — they’re “the Other Guys.” But every cop has his day and soon Gamble and Hoitz stumble into a seemingly innocuous case no other detective wants to touch that could turn into New York City’s biggest crime. It’s the opportunity of their lives, but do these guys have the right stuff? Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg, Eva Mendes, and co-writer/director Adam McKay will be appearing in person.

The Green Hornet–Director Michel Gondry, who makes movies with a special, personal signature, is taking on The Green Hornet — and he’s doing it in 3D. Comic-Con audiences, prepare yourselves. In The Green Hornet, Britt Reid (Seth Rogen) is the son of L.A.’s most prominent and respected media magnate and perfectly happy to maintain a directionless existence on the party scene — until his father (Tom Wilkinson) mysteriously dies, leaving Britt his vast media empire. Striking an unlikely friendship with one of his father’s more industrious and inventive employees, Kato (Jay Chou), they see their chance to do something meaningful for the first time in their lives: fight crime. To get close to the criminals, they come up with the perfect cover: they’ll pose as criminals themselves. Protecting the law by breaking it, Britt becomes the vigilante The Green Hornet as he and Kato hit the streets. Confirmed to appear in person to unveil this early look at The Green Hornet in 3D are the Hornet himself, Seth Rogen, director Michel Gondry, writer Evan Goldberg, producer Neal Moritz, and actor Christoph Waltz.

Priest (3D) — A western-infused post-apocalyptic thriller, set in an alternate world — one ravaged by centuries of war between man and vampires. The story revolves around a legendary Warrior Priest (Paul Bettany) from the last Vampire War who now lives in obscurity among the other downtrodden human inhabitants in walled-in dystopian cities. When his niece (Lily Collins) is abducted by a murderous pack of vampires, Priest breaks his sacred vows to venture out on an obsessive quest to find her before they turn her into one of them. He is joined on his crusade by his niece’s boyfriend (Cam Gigandet), a trigger-fingered young wasteland sheriff, and a former Warrior Priestess (Maggie Q) who possesses otherworldly fighting skills. Stars Paul Bettany, Karl Urban, Maggie Q, Cam Gigandet, Stephen Moyer, and director Scott Stewart will be onstage to unveil the first 3D look at Priest.

Saturday
11:45-1:15 Warner Bros.: Green Lantern, Sucker Punch, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows— Warner Bros. showcases three eagerly awaited upcoming new films in this Hall H presentation!

Green Lantern– Get a first look at the upcoming sci-fi action adventure Green Lantern, directed by Martin Campbell. Green Lantern is an epic adventure that crosses galaxies to bring to life the legendary Silver Age superhero Hal Jordan, who is chosen by the ring itself to become the first human member of the Green Lantern Corps and take on the vast and powerful Parallax as it threatens to destroy the world. The film stars Ryan Reynolds as Hal Jordan, Blake Lively as Carol Ferris, Peter Sarsgaard as Dr. Hector Hammond, and Mark Strong as Sinestro.

Sucker Punch — Fasten your seatbelt for a sneak peek at the dark action fantasy Sucker Punch, from director Zack Snyder, who previewed his films 300 and Watchmen at past Comic-Cons. A group of young girls escape the dark reality of their lives through their vivid imagination, which takes them to various fantasy locations in different realms. The ensemble cast features Emily Browning, Abbie Cornish, Vanessa Hudgens, Carla Gugino, Jena Malone, Jamie Chung, and Jon Hamm.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Every saga has a final chapter. Kick off the year of Harry Potter with a first look at the coming screen adaptation of J. K. Rowling’s final book in the series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, with a program created just for Comic-Con fans. One way. One hero. One destiny. Don’t miss it!

1:30-2:30 Overture: Let Me In— The cast and filmmakers of Let Me In, a haunting and provocative thriller written and directed by filmmaker Matt Reeves (Cloverfield), give the Hall H audience a sneak peek at this highly anticipated film. Let Me In is an astonishing coming-of-age story involving a young girl (Kick Ass’s Chloe Moretz) and an alienated boy (Kodi Smit-McPhee from The Road) unlike any you have seen. Based on the bestselling Swedish novel Lat den Ratte Komma (Let The Right One In) by John Ajvide Lindqvist and the highly acclaimed film of the same name, Let Me In takes audiences straight to the troubled heart of adolescent longing and loneliness. Academy Award-nominee Richard Jenkins (The Visitor) also stars in this exhilarating reboot of the beloved original.

4:00-4:45 Screen Gems: Resident Evil: Afterlife— In a world ravaged by a virus infection that turns its victims into the Undead, Alice (Milla Jovovich) continues on her journey to find survivors and lead them to safety. Her deadly battle with the Umbrella Corporation reaches new heights, but Alice gets some unexpected help from an old friend. A new lead that promises a safe haven from the Undead takes them to Los Angeles, but when they arrive the city is overrun by thousands of Undead and Alice and her comrades are about to step into a deadly trap. The fourth installment of the hugely successful Resident Evil franchise, Resident Evil: Afterlife is again based on the wildly popular video game series and this time will be shot in 3D using the same state-of-the-art cameras created for Avatar. Writer/director Paul W. S. Anderson, along with the film’s stars Milla Jovovich, Ali Larter, and Wentworth Miller, will be on hand to show you some stunning 3D sequences and answer your questions.

4:45-5:45 Universal: Paul and Cowboys & Aliens— Universal presents two upcoming films in this exclusive Hall H presentation.

Paul — Scheduled to appear for Universal Pictures’ sci-fi comedy-adventure Paul are a who’s who of film comedy. Director Greg Mottola (Superbad) will be joined by cast members Simon Pegg (Hot Fuzz), Nick Frost (Shaun of the Dead), Kristen Wiig (Date Night), Bill Hader (Forgetting Sarah Marshall), Jeffrey Tambor (The Hangover), Joe Lo Truglio (Role Models), Seth Rogen (The Green Hornet), and Sigourney Weaver (Baby Mama) as they discuss the movie about two sci-fi geeks whose pilgrimage to Comic-Con ultimately takes them to America’s UFO heartland. While there, they accidentally meet an alien who takes them on an insane road trip that alters their universe forever. Q&A session to follow.

Cowboys & Aliens — Director Jon Favreau (Iron Man series) discusses what’s happening behind the scenes of Universal Pictures and DreamWorks’ action-thriller Cowboys & Aliens, based on Platinum Studios’ graphic novel. Currently shooting in New Mexico, Cowboys & Aliens stars Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford and takes audiences into the Old West, where a lone cowboy leads an uprising against a terror from beyond our world. Q&A session to follow.

6:00-7:00 Marvel Studios: Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger— Producer Kevin Feige and special guests give you an inside look at the ever-expanding Marvel Cinematic Universe.

As you can see, that’s a lot of panels! I’m sure there will be tons of exclusive news and announcements so make sure to visit advancescreenings.com throughout next weekend and you can also follow me on twitter for real-time updates!

Tags: Aaron Eckhart, Abbie Cornish, Adam McKay, Ali Larter, Alison Pill, Amber Heard, Angelina Jolie, Anna Kendrick, Aubrey Plaza, Bailee Madison, Battle: Los Angeles, Bill Hader, Billy Burke, Blake Lively, Brandon Routh, Brittany Daniel, Bruce Boxleitner, Bruce Willis, Bryan Lee O'Malley, Cam Gigandet, Captain America: The First Avenger, Carla Gugino, Chloe Moretz, Christoph Waltz, Comic-Con, Cowboys & Aliens, David Zayas, Dolph Lundgren, Don't Be Afraid of the Dark, Donald Faison, Drive Angry 3D, Edgar Wright, Ellen Page, Ellen Wong, Emily Browning, Eric Balfour, Eva Mendes, Evan Goldberg, Garrett Hedlund, Green Lantern, Greg Mottola, Guillermo del Toro, Guy Pearce, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Helen Mirren, James Gunn, Jamie Chung, Jason Schwartzman, Jeff Bridges, Jeffrey Tambor, Jena Malone, Joe Kosinski, Joe Lo Truglio, John Malkovich, Johnny Simmons, Jon Favreau, Jon Hamm, Jonathan Liebesman, Karl Urban, Katie Holmes, Kevin Feige, Kieran Culkin, Kristen Wiig, Let Me In, Liv Tyler, Mae Whitman, Maggie Q, Mark Strong, Mark Wahlberg, Mark Webber, Martin Campbell, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Matt Reeves, Michael Cera, Michael Rooker, Michael Sheen, Michel Gondry, Michelle Rodriguez, Milla Jovovich, Miranda Bailey, Morgan Freeman, Nathan Fillion, Neal Moritz, Nick Frost, Nicolas Cage, Olivia Wilde, Patton Oswalt, Paul, Paul Bettany, Paul W. S. Anderson, Peter Sarsgaard, Priest (3D), Rainn Wilson, Randy Couture, RED, Resident Evil: Afterlife, Richard Jenkins, Robert Schwentke, Ryan Reynolds, Salt, Satya Bhabha, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Scott Stewart, Scottie Thompson, Sean Bailey, Seth Rogen, Sigourney Weaver, Simon Pegg, Skyline, Stephen Moyer, Steve Austin, Steven Lisberger, Sucker Punch, Super, Sylvester Stallone, Ted Hope, Terry Crews, The Expendables, The Green Hornet, The Other Guys, Thor, TRON: Legacy, Troy Nixey, Vanessa Hudgens, Warren Ellis, Wentworth Miller, Will Ferrell, William Fichtner, Zack Snyder
Posted in Comic-Con 2010 | 2 Comments »

REVIEW: MacGruber

Tuesday, May 18th, 2010

If you’re a fan of the MacGruber sketch on SNL, you’ll love this film. If you’re not a fan, you’ll still love this film! It was hilarious. It’s a nonstop comedy mixing NSFW jokes with a plot which pokes fun at all super-spy/evil villain movies. Granted, I saw it at the World Premiere at the South By Southwest Film Festival where almost everyone wanted to see the film and was laughing and cheering the whole time, but I think that attitude will translate to theaters around the country. I kept thinking to myself, if I was in a regular theater on a Friday or Saturday night, would I still be laughing this much? I think I would. This is definitely a movie to take a group of friends to. You’ll be laughing at MacGruber and you’ll be laughing at each other for laughing at it. But how could they turn this short sketch that always ends in a fatal disaster into a feature length film? Well, let me tell you…

The movie begins with the government tracking down and recruiting MacGruber on a mission to stop his arch nemesis, Dieter Von Cunth, played by Val Kilmer. Reluctantly, MacGruber agrees and begins to assemble his all star team which came with a bunch of unexpected cameos from wrestlers of the WWE. Everything about this movie will make you smile, smirk, and laugh out loud. The SNL cast, Will Forte, Kristen Wiig, and Maya Rudolph deliver spot on performances that you would expect from their show personas. Val Kilmer and Ryan Phillippe give us the other half of the formula with Ryan playing the straight man, Lt. Dixon Piper, and Val Kilmer playing the over the top villain. There are a couple good running gags including MacGruber’s tape deck blasting smooth 80s jams and the inevitable making high-tech gadgets out of household items. There’s also a ridiculous sex scene that could rival the one from Team America: World Police…and Ghost.

MacGruber holding the tape deck from his Miata

MacGruber is pretty straight forward, there are a couple of twists and turns in the beginning and end of the film, but through the middle…it’s the typical spy movie mission where the characters have to collect information, figure out what’s going to happen next, and then try and stop it. MacGruber just gets around to do this in his own weird unique way that guarantees outrageous and ridiculous scenes including those scenes that just don’t make any sense but you just go with it because it’s MacGruber…and he’s a super-spy, he knows what he’s doing, right?

MacGruber (Will Forte), Vicki St. Elmo (Kristen Wiig), and Lt. Dixon Piper (Ryan Phillippe) running from imminent death

Let’s be honest, with movies like this you either set your expectations low or prepare for a load of crap. Comedies like this are easy to lead off the track since you’re dealing with this kind of humor but MacGruber surprisingly keeps it together and is a fun entertaining film that you’ll be walking out of with a smile on your face and craving more 80s tunes. You won’t be disappointed unless you were expecting McGyver. I wish I could make this review end in an explosion. BOOM!

Tags: Kristen Wiig, MacGruber, Maya Rudolph, Powers Boothe, Ryan Phillippe, South By Southwest, SXSW, Val Kilmer, Will Forte
Posted in Film Festivals and Conventions, Reviews, South By Southwest 2010 | 2 Comments »

REVIEW: Date Night

Monday, April 26th, 2010

Steve Carell and Tina Fey are just a boring married couple from New Jersey. They have two kids, their own jobs, and hardly have time to talk to each other. Just like many other couples, they have to schedule time together just so they can have time together so they have their regularly scheduled date nights. But when Phil Foster (Steve Carell) hears about his neighbour’s marriage troubles, he feels like he has to do something different to spice it up and save his own marriage. Unknown to Phil, Claire Foster (Tina Fey) also learned about their neighbours’ troubles so she got dolled up for her next date night. There it was, an opportunity for Phil to surprise his wife and do something completely different. He decided they weren’t going to their typical run of the mill local restaurant…they were going to that new edgy seafood restaurant in the city!

The plot is your most basic of plots…one crazy night that just keeps getting crazier. Along the way, one funny thing leads to another hilarious moment and it just keeps getting bigger and more outrageous including one of the most ridiculous car chases I’ve ever seen in a movie and best pole dance scene too! The couple ends up in a twisted blackmail scheme involving some really bad guys who think they’re somebody else. The movie flattens out in the middle, but by the end, it all ties together and you’re laughing with everyone else in the theater. Granted, many of the laughs feel a bit guilty as they throw in toilet humor with words you wouldn’t repeat in front of your mother (even though this movie is rated PG-13). The best and loudest laughs come from the scenes where you can tell the characters are improvising and going off script. You can tell their having fun and that translates through the screen. The best laugh actually comes from the outtakes at the end of the film, so stick around for that.

Tina Fey and Steve Carell in Date Night

There are many great supporting actors and cameos in this movie like Mark Wahlberg, Common, James Franco, Mila Kunis, Kristen Wiig, Mark Ruffalo and William Fichtner. They all add different elements to the film and you smile when they all have their introductory scenes. None of them can match the comedic powers of Carell and Fey, but they do add laughs and move the movie along. Pay close attention to see Nick Kroll and Olivia Munn who you may not expect or recognize…but they’re both great in the movie! And girls…you’ll want to go to this movie just for Mark Wahlberg…his character doesn’t like t-shirts.

Mila Kunis and James Franco in Date Night

This is definitely not the best comedy ever made but it’s good enough for a good night out…maybe even a date night? (sorry, had to throw that in there) It’s great for older couples who may be going through the same thing and younger couples who just want to hear crude jokes from recognizable stars they see on TV. Steve Carrell and Tina Fey truly carry the movie themselves and this would be a bomb without them, but with them, it’s worth checking out.

Tags: Common, Date Night, James Franco, Kristen Wiig, Mark Ruffalo, Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis, Nick Kroll, Olivia Munn, Steve Carell, Tina Fey
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REVIEW: How to Train Your Dragon

Wednesday, March 24th, 2010

Let me start by saying: Wow. Every aspect of this movie was great – the story, the visuals, the music, the characters, the whole package. This is DreamWorks Animation’s best work yet. The title of this movie, How To Train Your Dragon, does not do it justice as there is so much more to the movie. You go in to the movie not knowing what to expect, which may be a good thing, because by the end, you’re blown away. It’s a story about a young Viking unlike all the rest of the Viking town since he’s not blood hungry for dragon slaying. Where he’s from, hunting and killing dragons is the way of life and everybody expects each other to do the same. To make things worse, his dad is the head honcho in town who is a bit embarrassed that his son hasn’t turned out like himself: all muscles with guts and glory on the side. Instead, Hiccup (yes, his name is Hiccup) is a small toothpick with a brain on his shoulders. He likes to tinker and make things; he’s an engineer at heart. He doesn’t fit in with everybody else but that’s all he wants – to be like everybody else, or at least that’s what he thinks.

As a group of Vikings set off in their boats to rid the world of these vicious dragons, Hiccup is left with a small group of newbies to learn the ways of their people in dragon training. The class in training adds a lot of fun and comedy to the movie. There’s a too cool for school character called Snotlout (who I thought was voiced by Jack Black, but it’s actually Jonah Hill) who tries to impress everyone by overcompensating. There’s Fishlegs, a chubby blabbering kid who can’t keep his mouth shut but knows all the numbers and strategies of the dragons. Rough and Tough are twin brother and sister who constantly try to outdo one another which usually ends up with them getting in each other’s way. And then there’s Astrid who is the embodiment of Girl Power. She is what every Viking hopes to be and wants to be top dog in everything she does. Together they make a motley crew which doesn’t take kindly to Hiccup at first since he’s pretty much the joke of the town and not cut out for killing dragons.

The 3D in this movie is amazing and really adds to the experience. There are scenes where you follow the dragons in the air and you really feel like you’re flying with them. There were a lot of jumps and gasps from the audience in my screening, everybody really loved it. As you whirl through obstacles of rocks, land, and water, you can feel yourself swaying left to right trying to avoid them with the characters on the big screen. When you’re caught in front of a dragon right before he blasts his fire, you want to turn away so you don’t get hit! The music is incredible and accompanies each scene really well. You experience the feelings that the characters are going through with them.

The subplots of the film are very strong as well. It’s a great film for kids and educational at the same time (without them even knowing). It touches on some serious issues like the single father/son relationship, treating animals and pets right, and that being different is ok – sometimes even paramount. There are some scenes that may be a bit strong for the younger kids and some might be afraid of the dragons at times (there were some crying babies in my screening) but all together it’s definitely safe for the younger viewers and parents don’t have to worry about that or that they’ll be bored during the movie. It’ll entertain young and old alike. So, take the kids or if you want a quiet theater, you may want to wait for the 2nd or 3rd weekend (or go during the week) but you should definitely check out this movie and see it in theaters for the full 3D experience. It pulls off some effects that no other movie has done yet.

Tags: America Ferrera, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Craig Ferguson, DreamWorks, Gerard Butler, How to Train Your Dragon, Jay Baruchel, Jonah Hill, Kristen Wiig, T.J. Miller
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South By Southwest: Halfway Through!

Wednesday, March 17th, 2010

I apologize for not updating more but the South By Southwest Conference and Film Festival is hectic! There’s so much to do, I don’t know how anybody can get it all done. I flew in Friday night and today is Wednesday, I’ve seen over a dozen films in the past 4 days and almost all of them have been great. Here’s a quick recap of what I’ve been up to. I’ll be writing more in depth reviews when the festival is over.

Day 2: Saturday, March 13th.
After picking up my badge and finding my way around a bit, I sat down for my first movie, a movie I wasn’t even planning to see: Marwencol. It was a great and tragic story about a man who was almost beaten to death regaining his life through an alter life in the form of action figures and dolls. I tried to get in to a film called Mars at the Ritz but I have still yet to be able to make it into a screening at this theater…it has been packed! Instead, I got some food and then headed over to the Paramount where most of the big premieres were taking place and saw the French film Micmacs and then Cyrus starring John C. Reily and Jonah Hill…they were in attendance for a Q&A afterwards.

Day 3: Sunday, March 14th.
I tried to get a few interactive events in today so I didn’t start watching movies till later. I was back at the Paramount for Mr. Nice and Elektra Luxx. Mr. Nice was the true story of Howard Marks, a British drug smuggler. Elektra Luxx is the sequel to Sebastian Gutierrez’s Women in Trouble starring Carla Gugino, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Malin Akerman, Adrianne Palicki, Emmanuelle Chriqui, and many more…most of them were in attendance which kind of saved the night because the projector stopped working before the end of the film.

Day 4: Monday, March 15th.
To make up for the day before, I watched 6 movies today, yes 6. I started off with a film I really wanted to see, Pelada…and it was amazing! 2 Americans travel the world playing pick up soccer games. I sat next to the 2 player-travellers in the film. It’s my favorite film of the festival so far. I tried to get into Tiny Furniture at the Ritz, but again it was full, so I saw Beijing Taxi followed by American: The Bill Hicks Story. Beijing Taxi was a stale documentary about a couple taxi drivers in Beijing before and during the Winter Olympics. American: The Bill Hicks Story is the story of comedian Bill Hicks who became more of an activist as his career progressed. I went to a smaller venue, The Hideout, to watch a Finnish film called Living Room of the Nation which put cameras in a few Finnish homes to see how stories unravelled through everyday life. Then I went back to the Paramount for the world premiere of MacGruber, the SNL skit starring Will Forte, Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Ryan Phillippe, and Val Kilmer. It was actually hilarious, I’ll write a full review soon. Elektra Luxx was played again tonight since it broke down the night before, so I caught the ending of that.

Day 5: Tuesday, March 16th.
This was the ending of the interactive and film conference so I watched some internet related films. I started off the morning with Erasing David, a British filmmaker sets off to disappear for a month and hires 2 private investigators to try and find him using only publicly available data. It’s about the state of our privacy in society today. Then I set up shop at the Paramount again and watched 3 films back to back. I couldn’t handle the last one (Skateland) and will have to catch it later. I heard good things about it so I’m sure it’ll get picked up. I started off with Hood to Coast, a film documenting a few teams during this epic marathon from Mt. Hood to the coast of Oregon. Followed by The People vs. George Lucas, another documentary about the angry fans of Star Wars. And finished the night with Harry Brown, a great in your face thriller starring Michael Caine.

So that was 14 films and 1 twice. There’s hardly any time in between to eat! I still have 4 more days but I’m probably going to see less and less movies. I took most of today off to try and get some work done in the middle of the week and I’m planning on catching the other side of the South By Southwest festival, the music. Tonight, I plan on seeing Get Low, Cargo, and maybe another film. For the next couple days I will try and see The Runaways, Monsters, Higanjima, World’s Largest, The Red Chapel, and maybe Canal Street Madam, The Parking Lot Movie, and Mars.

Are you guys interested in any of the movies I’ve seen, am trying to see, or other films of the South By Southwest festival? Let us know!