Some weeks releases feel less enticing then others, then some times you get film releases that seem like an abundance of riches. I feel there are a lot of movies this week that I am honestly very interested in seeing.
Alright, enough rope-a-dope, lets get started.
AUGUST 7th
Director: Thor Freudenthal
What’s it about? In order to restore their dying safe haven, the son of Poseidon and his friends embark on a quest to the Sea of Monsters to find the mythical Golden Fleece while trying to stop an ancient evil from rising.
My thoughts? Never read the books this was based on, but I had fun with the first film. Actually, I am very surprised that a second film is coming out since the first one didn’t do THAT great in the box office. Looks like it will continue to be a lot of fun, and HEY! Nathan Fillion!! Well that pretty much sold me my ticket!
Director: Rawson Marshall Thurber
What’s it about? A veteran pot dealer creates a fake family as part of his plan to move a huge shipment of weed into the U.S. from Mexico.
Red Banned Trailer
My thoughts? I am not going to lie, I laughed A LOT through this trailer. It’s also a pretty funny high concept with a cast that, if used right, could be a real laugh riot. Also, I really kinda love Director Rawson Marshall Thurber’s Dodgeball. Guilty pleasure? No, it’s a pleasure, as much as I hope this one is.
AUGUST 9th
LIMITED RELEASE
Director: Nick Murphy
What’s it about? The Fairburn brothers (Paul Bettany and Stephen Graham) are detectives who have lived under the shadow of their police chief father (Brian Cox) – a man known for doing whatever it takes to get a confession. When the brothers take an interrogation too far, they raise the suspicions of their colleague (Mark Strong) and suddenly find themselves having to cover up their own crimes.
My thoughts? A lot of really great actors in this film. Looks really intense. Not sure if I’ll be up for seeing it right away, but for a truly dark thriller, I might give this one a shot.
LIMITED RELEASES
Directors: Rob Epstein, and Jeffrey Friedman
What’s it about? In 1972–before the internet, before the porn explosion–Deep Throat was a phenomenon: the first scripted pornographic theatrical feature film, featuring a story, some jokes, and an unknown and unlikely star, Linda Lovelace. Escaping a strict religious family, Linda discovered freedom and the high-life when she fell for and married charismatic hustler Chuck Traynor. As Linda Lovelace she became an international sensation–less centerfold fantasy than a charming girl-next-door with an impressive capacity for fellatio. Fully inhabiting her new identity, Linda became an enthusiastic spokesperson for sexual freedom and uninhibited hedonism. Six years later she presented another, utterly contradictory, narrative to the world–and herself as the survivor of a far darker story.
My thoughts? For me, personally, Boogie Nights is THE film about the 1970’s and the porn industry. It’s a very hard film to beat in my opinion, so I’m not gonna lie, any other films made after that, even ones based on the true stories makes it a very hard sell for me. Seyfried seems to be really good in this though, and I kinda dig the casting of James Franco as Hugh Hefner. Not really a must see for me, but could be interesting none the less.
LIMITED RELEASE
Director: David Gordon Green
What’s it about? An odd couple of sorts, meditative and stern Alvin and his girlfriend’s brother, Lance, dopey and insecure, leave the city behind to spend the summer in solitude repainting traffic lines down the center of a country highway ravaged by wildfire. As they sink into their job in the remarkable landscape, they learn more than they want to about each other and their own limitations. An unlikely friendship develops through humor and nasty exchanges, leading to surprising affection.
Adapted from Icelandic film Either Way, ‘Prince Avalanche’ is driven by wonderful performances by Paul Rudd, Emile Hirsch, and Lance LeGault. Writer/director David Gordon Green gets back to his independent roots with this character study, which shows his knack for realistically capturing people and finding meaning in their lives and dreams. With a soundtrack by Explosions in the Sky and David Wingo and gorgeous cinematography by Tim Orr, Prince Avalanche bucks convention by exploring male bonding in a refreshingly genuine way.
My thoughts? While I liked David Gordon Green’s time as a studio comedy director (though I haven’t seen the Jonah Hill comedy The Sitter, and judging from the reactions, that’s a good thing.) I am very glad to see him get back to smaller scale character driven films. I’m a huge fan of Paul Rudd and Emile Hirsch, and both their characters look like real meaty parts for them to play. Definitely one I want to check out.
Director: Klay Hall
What’s it about? From above the world of ‘Cars’ comes Disney’s ‘Planes’, an action-packed 3D animated comedy adventure featuring Dusty (voice of Dane Cook), a plane with dreams of competing as a high-flying air racer. But Dusty’s not exactly built for racing-and he happens to be afraid of heights. So he turns to a seasoned naval aviator who helps Dusty qualify to take the defending champ of the race circuit. Dusty’s courage is put to the ultimate test as he aims to reach heights he never dreamed possible, giving a spellbound world the inspiration to soar.
My thoughts? Originally was suppose to be a direct to DVD release, Disney decided it could probably get even more money if they release it in theaters. You know what, they are probably right. I’m sure the kids will love it. Me? I wasn’t really a big fan of Cars, and I didn’t bother with Cars 2. I’ll let my 3 year nephew watch this and he can tell me how it is. SIDENOTE: Despite it being set in the Cars world, this is NOT a Pixar movie. It was animated by the Disney CGI crew. Understandable mistake if you thought it was though.
LIMITED RELEASE
Director: Lake Bell
What’s it about? Lake Bell (“Children’s Hospital”) stars in ‘In a World…’, a hilarious romantic comedy about a struggling vocal coach who strikes it big in the cutthroat world of movie-trailer voiceovers, only to find herself in direct competition with the industry’s reigning king-her father. Written and directed by Bell, who won the Sundance 2013 Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award for the script, ‘In a World…’ also stars Fred Melamed (A Serious Man), Rob Corddry (‘Hot Tub Time Machine’), Demetri Martin (“Important Things with Demetri Martin”), Michaela Watkins (“Enlightened”), Ken Marino (“Burning Love”), Nick Offerman (“Parks and Recreation”), Alexandra Holden (‘The Hot Chick’) and Tig Notaro (“The Sarah Silverman Program”).
http://youtu.be/bZHBjLFu5is
My thoughts? I love the premise to this one, and it’s full of great character comedy actors. I honestly have no real opinion on Lake Bell as a performer since I never saw her in anything, but it looks like she created a pretty damn great role that utilizes her strengths really well (the smoothie bit at the end kills me). It’s interesting to note that the “In The World…” voice over for trailers doesn’t really exist anymore, and truthfully it actually automatically makes a trailer feel really cheesy nowadays. It seems like they address that in this film. Overall, yeah, I really want to see this one.
LIMITED RELEASE
Director: Dan Mazer
What’s it about? Since they met at a party, ambitious high-flyer Nat (Rose Byrne) and struggling novelist Josh (Rafe Spall) have been deliriously happy despite their differences. Josh is a thinker, Nat’s a doer, but the spark between them is undeniable. Their wedding is a dream come true, but no one – family, friends and even the minister who marries them – is convinced that they will last. Josh’s ex-girlfriend, Chloe (Anna Faris), and Nat’s handsome American client Guy (Simon Baker) could offer attractive alternatives.
‘I Give It A Year’ is written and directed by Dan Mazer (‘Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan’, ‘Bruno’), and is produced by Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner (‘Love Actually’, ‘Atonement’), along with Kris Thykier (‘Stardust’).
With their first anniversary approaching, neither wants to be the first to give up, but will they make it?
Green Banned Trailer
Red Banned Trailer
My thoughts: Flat out, the Green Banned was one of the funniest trailers I’ve seen in a while. The sharply written comedy that is showcased in the trailer really got my attention. Again, a great cast that seems to be put to good use. Kinda neat seeing Rafe Spall in this as the lead. It’s funny to remember him first as the chewing gum kid from Shaun of the Dead who was the first one to say…
Now look at him! This looks like the smart kind of romantic comedy that’s about figuring out the relationship between the two leads, and how sad is it that a film like this is RARE.
Director: Neill Blomkamp
What’s it about? In the year 2159, two classes of people exist: the very wealthy, who live on a pristine man-made space station called Elysium, and the rest, who live on an overpopulated, ruined Earth. The people of Earth are desperate to escape the planet’s crime and poverty, and they critically need the state-of-the-art medical care available on Elysium — but some in Elysium will stop at nothing to enforce anti-immigration laws and preserve their citizens’ luxurious lifestyle. The only man with the chance bring equality to these worlds is Max (Matt Damon), an ordinary guy in desperate need to get to Elysium. With his life hanging in the balance, he reluctantly takes on a dangerous mission — one that pits him against Elysium’s Secretary Delacourt (Jodie Foster) and her hard-line forces — but if he succeeds, he could save not only his own life, but millions of people on Earth as well.
My thoughts? I loved District 9. Loved. It. So yes, I am very much looking forward to Neill Blomkamp’s follow up. I was at the Sony Panel last year at Comic Con, in which I got to see the footage for the first time, and it blew me away. I love the worlds that Blomkamp creates, but he also gets that the lead characters have to be engaging for the story to matter. I loved that a character like Wikus was the lead in District 9. Damon is great fun, and his humor is going to help make the dark Sci-Fi themes palatable. Speaking of Wikus, I am digging the crazy ass villain that Sharlto Copley is playing. He’s going to be intensely memorable in this one. Like Pacific Rim, this is an original concept, and in this day and age, we need to support more big budgeted stuff like this one. Thank god this looks like it’s going to be a good one.
So what films got you interested? For me, there looks like a lot of really great comedies that are coming out this week, and of course, the hopeful awesomeness of Elysium.