Magic Mike

Thursday, June 28, 2012 6:52 PM

My View:  Magic Mike (2012) Mike (Channing Tatum) is the hot star of a male strip club and takes “The Kid” (Alex Pettyfer) under his tutelage to show him the lifestyle of partying, women and money. Mike, though, is about to meet his match in a woman (Cody Horn) who is unimpressed with his job or his lifestyle. I liked Tatum in this role.  He has a likeable quality that makes you want to root for him, and you can see why both men and women want to be his friend. Oh, and by the way, Tatum can dance. I loved Matthew McConaughey, who was picture-perfect as the slick talking, high energy club-owner / host.  I felt that Cody Horn wasn’t up to the part of being the romantic interest for Tatum, and I expected more from a Steven Soderbergh directed film, as I was left wanting more of a storyline and less of a floor show.   My Rating: Cable   Magic Mike Website

Indiefest: Your Sister’s Sister (2012) After the death of his brother, Jack (Mark Duplass) is in a dark place. To cheer him up, Jack’s friend, Iris (Emily Blunt), invites him to stay at the family island cabin. Things become interesting when Iris’s sister, Hannah (Rosemarie DeWitt), has a drunken night with Jack. I enjoyed this film which is mostly made up of conversations between the two sisters and Jack, with the chemistry working extremely well between Blunt and DeWitt.  The two actresses make us believe they really are sisters. Duplass is very funny as the depressed Jack who is secretly in love with Blunt’s character. This is the type of film where you want a sequel made just so you can see where the characters are later in life.    My Rating: Full Price   Your Sister's Sister Website

Indiefest: People Like Us (2012) After his estranged father dies, Sam (Chris Pine) finds out that he has a sister , Frankie(Elizabeth Banks), about whom he never knew. Now, as ordered in his father’s will, he must find his sister and give her $150,000, an amount of money he could desperately use, himself. Pine is first-rate in the role of the salesman who is always looking to make a deal. Michelle Pfeiffer brings her usual star quality to the role of Sam’s mom who knew about Frankie but never accepted her husband's daughter.  It's Banks, though, who makes this movie in her best role to-date as the damaged single mom who attends AA meetings and works two jobs so she can properly raise her son.    My Rating: Full Price   People Like Us Website

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

#18 Worst Film:

Godzilla vs. the Smog Monster (1971) Considered the worst Godzilla film ever made (which is saying a lot), an alien monster who feeds on and spews out pollution starts attacking Tokyo. So, who comes to the rescue? Godzilla, of course! There is even animation and musical numbers in this film which even has a message that pollution is bad, and we must stop our polluting ways before another monster comes a calling.   Godzilla vs. the Smog Monster Info

Forgotten Film: Harry and Tonto (1974) Harry (Art Carney) is a widow living in an apartment building in New York with his cat, Tonto. When he finds out his building will be torn down, he decides to take his cat and go on a trip across the country. Along the way, Harry meets and interacts with a number of people, including a Native Indian chief (Chief Dan George), a runaway girl (Melanie Mayron) and a hitchhiker (Michael Butler) who likes to quote the bible. This is a wondrous character study, and Carney deserved the Oscar for Best Actor that he won in 1974.   My Rating: Full Price   Harry and Tonto Info

In Case You Missed it (A Film Just Released on DVD): The Artist (2011) The Artist Is a wonderful silent film that won the Academy Awards Best Picture last year. It’s a story of a dashing silent screen star who sees his career go downhill due to the advent of sound just as the girl he falls in love with becomes a rising film star.   My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again   The Artist Website

In Memory of Ed Wood (A Movie I’ve Only Seen in Trailers but Just Looks Like a Bad Idea):  The Apparition (2012) A young couple are haunted by some sort of paranormal presence that feeds on their fear. Could it be that the couple is just being haunted by a bad horror film?   The Apparition Website

Weird Credits: From the credits of Your Sister’s Sister: Beer Graphics

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You: The Queen of Versailles (2012) A documentary that follows a billionaire couple as they build one of the largest homes in the United States while the economy is tanking.   The Queen of Vesailles Website

Until Next Time!