Men In Black 3

My View:  Men in Black 3  (2012):  The MIB are back!   Agent Zed is dead, and a new agency head is taking over, Agent O (played by Emma Thompson).  Agent J (Will Smith) must travel back to 1969 to stop the death of Agent K (Josh Brolin) by an alien assassin. If Agent J isn’t successful, it could be the end of Agent K, the Agency and, even possibly, Earth.  Tommy Lee Jones makes an appearance at the start of the film, but this is Josh Brolin's film, and he does a fascinating job as the young agent K, perfectly mimicking Tommy Lee's  performances in the earlier films. This a clever film, but it's not a  great one.  It's still a fun ride on another adventure with the MIB gang on a mission to save the world. By the way, MIB3 was not shot in 3-D, so no need to see it in 3-D. My Rating:  Full Price   Men in Black 3 Website

Indiefest: Girl in Progress (2012) Eva Mendes plays Grace, a single mom who is working two jobs while trying to raise her teenage daughter, Ansiedad (played by Cierra Ramirez). Grace is always making the wrong choices, sometimes, at the sacrifice of her daughter, especially when it comes to men.  Currently, she is having an affair with her employer, a married doctor (played by Matthew Modine), whose house she cleans. While her daughter, Ansiedad, is fueled by the teachings of her English teacher, she decides that, to gain independence and get away from her mother, she must follow the ideas in all the coming-of-age stories that she has either read or watched in movies.  This is one of those films that you really want to love, but it just misses the mark, and you end up not even really liking it. I like the cast, especially, Cierra Ramirez but I felt that Eva Mendes just wasn’t quite up to the task of giving us the warm and complicated woman that this film needed. The script should have been a little more clever, especially with the ending, which seemed to happen much too easily. My Rating: Cable   Girl In Progress Website   

Indiefest: Bernie (2012) Based on a true story, Jack Black plays Bernie, an assistant director of a funeral home in a small east Texas town. Bernie is the most popular man in town, and he is great at his job.  He is also kind and generous with his time and money and is perfect with the widows in the area. Bernie becomes involved with “the meanest woman in the town," a wealthy widow, Marjorie Nugent (Shirley MacLaine). At first, the relationship is beneficial to both.  They travel, are good company for each other, and seem to have the same interests. But soon, Marjorie becomes obsessed with Bernie, cuts him off from his friends and family and makes him her virtual servant. The big question is, can Bernie survive in Marjorie's world?  Writer/Director Richard Linklater (Slacker, The School of Rock) does a masterful job of capturing the life of a small Texas town, especially showcasing all of the townspeople who are willing, at the drop of a hat, to give their opinion. Jack Black is fun to watch as the very effeminate, but earnest Bernie, and Matthew McConaughey, in one of his best performances in recent years, shines as the tough as nails, baseball bat wielding district attorney. This is one of those films that hits just the right notes and makes it fun to go to the movies.  My Rating: Full Price   Bernie Website

The 50 (A Movie From My Best/Worst Films of All Time)

#20 Worst Film:

Lost Horizon (1973) This film, based on the 1937 Frank Capra masterpiece of the same name, stars Peter Finch, Liv Ullmann, Sally Kellerman and Michael York. Considered one of the worst musicals of all time (with original music by Burt Bacharach), it’s also considered one of the biggest promotional flops. Not only did the soundtrack bomb, the line of “Lost Horizon” clothes, perfumes, and home paint (yes, you could make your den into virtual “Shangri-La”) died as well. During the film, if you look carefully, you can see that a number of the books in the “Greatest Library in the World” are from the Readers Digest Condensed Books series. If only the film had been condensed.   Lost Horizon Info

Forgotten Film: October Sky  (1999) Homer (Jake Gyllenhaal) is the son of a coal miner in a small West Virginia town in 1957 and is destined to follow in his father’s footsteps. With the launch of the Russian satellite, Sputnik, Homer becomes inspired and decides he will design and build a rocket to send into outer space, a project that Homer’s dad and townspeople feel is a waste of time. But, with the help of a few friends and a high school teacher (Laura Dern) , Homer begins the process of building a rocket that could lead to a college scholarship and a way out of the coal mines. Based on a remarkable true story, this film makes you believe when you put your heart and soul into something, you will be rewarded.   My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again   October Sky Info

In Case You Missed it (A Film Just Released on DVD): The Secret World of Arrietty (2011) I enjoyed this animated family film based on the beloved children’s book, The Borrowers.  It's about a family of four-inch tall people, who live in secret and take just what they need to survive from the Beings living in the big house above. It’s a beautiful film, and it doesn’t hurt that the cast is full of talented actors like Will Arenett, Amy Poehler and Carol Burnett.  My Rating: Full Price   The Secret World of Arrietty Website

In Memory of Ed Wood (A Movie I’ve Only Seen in Trailers but Just Looks Like a Bad Idea): Madea’s Witness Protection (2012) I think the cast speaks for itself: Tyler Perry, Denise Richards, Tom Arnold, Doris Roberts. Can I get into the program so I don’t have to see this film?    Madea's Witness Protection Website

Weird Credits: From the credits of Bernie: Armadillo Handler

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You: The Bourne Legacy (2012) After three films as Jason Bourne, Matt Damon has decided to pass the reins to the Robert Ludlum novel based "Bourne" series to Jeremy Renner.  I think the series will be in good hands.   The Bourne Legacy Website

Until Next Time!