Sex Tape

My View:  Sex Tape (2014) R A married couple, Jay (Jason Segel) and Annie (Cameron Diaz), try to spice up their marriage by doing a sex tape. They wake up to discover that they have sent their video to the cloud network, where everyone they know can see it. Can they get the video back before the couple is exposed?  Yes, there are quite a few shots of Segel and Diaz having sex, and all the shots are done for comedy, and we mostly just see a tangle of legs and arms.  It’s a comedy that is slightly raunchy, and producers could have taken it farther, but they held back.  There are some funny scenes, especially when the couple visits Annie’s potential boss’s home, but the film quickly runs out of steam and is incredibly predictable.  It’s not a bad film, but it needed to be a whole lot funnier.  And, I never want to see Jason Segel’s butt ever again.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Sex Tape Website

My View:  The Purge: Anarchy  (2014) R It’s time for the annual Purge, a night where everything is legal, and if you want to survive, you better lie low. A number of citizens, including a young married couple (Zach Gilford, Kiele Sanchez), get caught out in downtown L.A. How will they survive the night? This is a sequel to the surprise hit, The Purge (2013), but this one is a much better film.  It has far more action and less political talk than the original. This is what I call a video game type of film - one that has lots of fighting and chases but not a lot of heavy dialogue. I enjoyed watching this film, most of which was shot at night on the streets of L.A. It moves at a quick pace, is easy to understand, and it keeps you guessing on who will survive and how.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  The Purge: Anarchy Website

Indiefest:  Wish I Was Here (2014) R Aidan Bloom (Zach Braff) is a 35-year-old man who is having a mid-life crisis a little early. He is at a major crossroads that will force him to reassess his life, his career and his relationship with his family.  While at times funny and moving, this film too often goes for the easy joke or cliché plot point to make it a really effective film.  Braff is basically playing a less successful version of himself and doesn’t really bring anything new to the screen.  I did enjoy the performance of Kate Hudson, who plays Sarah, the wife of Aidan, who is in love with her husband and has supported his dream of being a full-time actor.  Also, Joey King, who plays the older daughter of Aidan and who is wise beyond her years, brings an honest emotional tone to the film.  I just wanted this film to be better than it is.  It’s enjoyable to watch and, at times emotional, but Braff doesn’t deliver a complete story, as this film feels more like several sketches pieced together.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Wish I Was Here Website

Forgotten Film:  Gone Baby Gone (2007) R A four-year-old is missing in the city of Boston.  The family feels that the cops aren’t moving fast enough and hires two private detectives (Casey Affleck, Michelle Monaghan) to find their baby girl.  The two P.I.’s start digging around and find out that this case is more complicated than just a simple abduction, and it could get them killed.  Ben Affleck directed this smart and tense film that has you guessing until the very end.  The casting is first rate, including Morgan Freeman, who plays a police investigator who is determined to find the girl.  Casey Affleck is at his best in this part, showing great range and bringing an emotional impact to the screen.  Ben Affleck knocks it out of the park with his first directorial job.   My Rating: Full Price  Gone Baby Gone Website  

Weird Credits:  From the credits of Sex Tape: Graphic Designer Specialty Tattoos

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  Laggies (2014) R  A young woman’s (Keira Knightley) life is in a rut. She decides to take a week off and lay low.  She meets a teenager (Chloe Grace Moretz) and convinces her to let her stay at her home.  Is it okay for a grown woman to spend so much of her time with teenagers? This comedy film stars Moretz, Knightley, Sam Rockwell, Ellie Kemper and Gretchen Moll, so you know I will be there to watch it.  Laggies Website

Until Next Time!

The Other Woman

My View:  The Other Woman (2014)  PG-13  Carly (Cameron Diaz) discovers that her boyfriend is married when she shows up at his house to surprise him.  Kate (Leslie Mann) confronts Carly about the affair, and they soon discover that Kate’s husband (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) is cheating not only on her but Carly, as well with, Amber (Kate Upton).  When another affair is discovered, the three women decide to get revenge on the cheating husband and make him pay for his transgressions.  This is a fun, and, at times, a little raunchy comedy that never takes itself too seriously.  Diaz is enjoyable as the driven Carly, using her knack for physical comedy to the upmost.  Upton is beautiful and cute but isn’t asked to do too much on-screen than react to what Diaz and Mann do.  Leslie Mann is why you will want to see this movie, as she gives an impressive comedic performance.  Kate overreacts to everything, and Mann uses that to make every scene her own.  This isn’t a perfect film, as it’s too long and has plot holes, but it’s a fun romp that uses Mann’s comedic talents to full effect.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  The Other Woman Website 

Indiefest:  Hateship Loveship (2014)  R  Johanna (Kristen Wiig) is a caretaker who seems to be from another era - she dresses as if she were from the 50’s, right down to her laced up shoes.  She gets a job to take care of a grandfather (Nick Nolte) and his granddaughter, Sabitha (Hailee Steinfeld), a teenager who seems determined to get into as much trouble as she can. Johanna meets Sabitha’s father, an ex-con drug addict named Ken (Guy Pearce) who lives in another town.  When Ken writes Johanna a thank you note, she takes the gesture to heart and writes him back.  Sabitha and her best friend, Edith (Sami Gayle), intercept the letter and begin posing as Ken, writing her letters (just to be mean) that get more and more romantically involved.  Now Johanna is in a romance with Ken, and he knows nothing about it. Wiig gives the dramatic performance of a lifetime, making us slowly fall in love with Johanna.  The script is well written and Wiig doesn’t have a lot of lines, but she gives us all we need to know about Johanna through her body language and facial expressions.  The rest of the cast is outstanding, including a low-key performance from Nick Nolte, and the script gives us a plot that keeps us guessing.  My Rating: Full Price  Hateship Loveship Website  For a full length review of this film click here 

My View: Walking with the Enemy  (2014) R  In Hungary during the final days of World War II, Elek (Jonas Armstrong), son of a Rabbi, helps save thousands of his fellow Jewish countrymen by posing as a Nazi officer.  Unfortunately, Elek was too late to save his own family.  I found this film, based on a true story, absorbing  about a subject that not many people know about and a story of heroism and sacrifice.  I enjoyed the performances of Armstrong, who projects a steely backbone as the heroic Elek and Hannah Tointon, who plays Elek’s girlfriend who joins him in the fight to keep as many Jews safe as they can.  The film has some splendid action sequences and a plot that is full of tension and surprises.  It’s an engaging film about a dark time in our world history.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee Walking with the Enemy Website 

Forgotten Film: The Opposite of Sex (1998) R DeDee (Christina Ricci) is a fast-talking, smart ass of a teenager who, unhappy and pregnant, moves to Indiana to stay with her half-brother named, Bill (Martin Donovan).  Bill is gay and lives with Matt (Ivan Sergei).   Dedee seduces Matt, convincing him that he is bi-sexual.  The film has just about everything, including gunplay, accusations of molestation and double crosses.  What sets this film apart is it is funny, at times, mostly due to DeDee being the narrator of the film, where she makes sarcastic comments about what is going on in the story.  Ricci is always fun to watch on the screen, and in this film she gives one of her better performances.  This film isn’t for everybody, but if you are ready to go on a wild ride with DeDee, then this film is for you.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  The Opposite of Sex Info 

Weird Credits:  From the credits of Walking with the Enemy: German language consultant 

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You: God’s Pocket (2014)  A man investigates the construction accident of his stepson and gets in way over his head.  I don’t need to know any more than it stars the late Philip Seymour Hoffman.  God's Pocket Info

Until Next Time!

Robocop

My View:  Robocop (2014)  PG-13  In the near future, the United States is the last country in the world to not use some sort of robotic police force. When Alex Murphy (Joel Kinnaman), a loving father and good cop, is critically injured in the line of duty, the corporation behind most of the world’s robotic police force, OmniCorp, sees an opportunity. They plan on using what is left of Murphy to create a one-man police force called, Robocop.  I enjoyed this film as it attempted to bring something new to the Robocop franchise.  The supporting cast is perfect, including Michael Keaton as the slimy CEO of OmniCorp, Samuel L. Jackson as a pro OmniCorp TV host, and Jay Baruchel as a sleazy marketing guru.  I didn’t like the action sequences as the PG-13 violence seemed too rooted in video games.  I also didn’t like that the film takes way too long for Robocop to hit the streets to kick some bad guy butt.  Kinnaman is enjoyable as the Robocop, but I just wish the creators had really upped the action sequences.   My Rating:  Bargain Matinee  Robocop Website

The 50  (A Movie from My Best/Worst Films of All Time) 
#4 Best Film:  The Godfather (1972)  R  The story of a mafia crime family trying to stay on top is one of most brilliant films of the past 50 years.  The cast of Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Cann and Diane Keaton is brilliant in this stirring film directed by Francis Ford Coppola.  Every scene in this movie could be studied in a film class, with its perfect framing and lighting.  Pacino is magnificent as Michael, a war hero who naively thinks he can leave the family business.  Brando dominates every scene he is in, and Keaton is never more appealing.  It’s a film that makes you root for the bad guys and feel good about doing it.  My Rating:  I Would Pay to See it Again  The Godfather Info  

Forgotten Film:  Outland (1981) R  William Neal (Sean Connery) is a Marshall, assigned to a mining colony on Io, one of Jupiter’s moons.  When Marshall starts investigating the mysterious deaths of a number of miners, he discovers that a drug trade is responsible for the deaths, and the dealers are out for the Marshall’s death.  Now the Marshall must face a gang of ruthless killers, and the population that he has protected is letting him go against them all alone.  This is a new take on the western theme of one man against many, like the 1952 film, High Noon.  Connery is at his charismatic best, playing the tough-as-nails Marshall who is willing to take on the bad guys.  My Rating:  Bargain Matinee  Outland Info

In Memory of Ed Wood (A Movie I’ve Only Seen in Trailers But Just Looks Like a Bad Idea):  The Other Woman (2014) A wife (Leslie Mann) and her husband’s girlfriend (Cameron Diaz) team up to get revenge on the husband when they discover he is cheating on both of them.  Just what we need. A female buddy movie about cheating.  The Other Woman Info

In Case You Missed It (A Film Just Released on DVD/Blu-ray):  The Best Man Holiday (2013)  R   When old college friends get together for the Christmas holidays, they find out just how easy it is to pick right back up where they left off, which is good in the romance department but not so much when dealing with a rival.  I thoroughly enjoyed the first film in the series, The Best Man, and while this film isn’t quite as enjoyable as the first one was, it’s still a fun movie with a great message about love and family.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee   The Best Man Holiday Facebook Page

Weird Credits:  From the credits of Robocop:  Balloon light technician

Coming Soon to a Theater Near You:  Captain America: The Winter Soldier  (2014)  Captain America (Chris Evans) is struggling to adapt to the modern world while there is also a new threat from an old foe, a Soviet agent known as the Winter Solder.  I really liked the first Captain America film, but I wanted a little humor in it.  They say this one will have that humor that I was looking for.  Captain America: The Winter Soldier Website

Until Next Time!

The Counselor

My View:  The Counselor  (2013) R  Michael Fassbender plays a greedy lawyer, only known as The Counselor, who becomes involved with the seedy world of drug trafficking.  With a cast to-die-for - Michael Fassbender, Penelope Cruz, Cameron Diaz and Brad Pitt, this should have been an amazing movie- going experience.  Instead, after watching this film, you feel as though you just sat through a college philosophy class.  The dialogue is so dense and abstract that it would have been better suited for a book, not a film.  There is a reason for this - novelist Cormac McCarthy wrote the script, and it feels like it.  The film is also hard to follow with a plot that is never fully explained.  To make maters worse, some of the hair and makeup on the cast is so extreme, I found myself fixating on Javier Bardem's hair (which I think was a tribute to those 80's films that Robert Downey, Jr. did) or Cameron Diaz's eye makeup, that it took away from my paying attention to what those characters where saying.  The film is painfully slow, though it does pick up somewhat in the second half of the film, but, at that point, I just wanted it to end as I didn't care what happened to any of the characters.   My Rating:  Cable  The Counselor Website       

The 50 (A Movie from My Best/Worst Film of All Time)
#4 Worst Film:
Mac and Me  (1988)  PG  A blatant rip-off of E.T. in which a young, wheelchair-bound boy befriends a “Mysterious Alien Creature” (MAC, get it?).  This film is one long marketing tool for products as Coca Cola and McDonalds.  At one point, there is a dancing scene involving Mac dressed as a teddy bear, a football team and Ronald McDonald (listed in the credits as Himself).  To quote an old McDonalds ad, “You deserve a break today," so don’t ever see this film.  Mac and Me Info

Forgotten Film:    Wish You Were Here  (1987)  R  Lynda (Emily Lloyd) is a spunky sixteen year old girl who lives in a small coastline town in England in the 1950s   Lynda loves shocking people with her saucy language and feisty attitude.  She is easily bored, goes from job to job and boyfriend to boyfriend and has problems with her widower father.  Her world changes when she has an affair with an older man and must cope with getting pregnant and having a baby.  Emily Lloyd gives a brilliant performance and wins us over from the first time she appears on camera.  Full of life, Lloyd just dazzles on-screen.  The film is very often funny but also has a bittersweet side to it.  My Rating:  Full Price  Wish You Were Here Info

In Memory of Ed Wood (A Movie I’ve Only Seen in Trailers But Just Looks Like a Bad Idea): The Amityville Horror: The Awakening (2014)  When is Hollywood going to wise up and realize that we want intelligent, creative, scary films like this year's The Conjuring, and not a retread or rip-off of past films like this one?  The Amityville Horror: The Lost Tapes Info

In Case You Missed It (A Film Just Released on DVD / Blu-ray):  The Internship (2013) PG-13   This rarely funny comedy is about two out-of-work salesmen (Vince Vaughn / Owen Wilson)  who are hired as interns at Google.  The film is one long infomercial with one-dimensional characters and very predictable scenes.  My Rating:  Cable  The Internshiip Website  

Weird Credits: From the credits of The Counselor:  Cheetah handler

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  Dallas Buyers Club (2013) R   The year of Matthew McConaughey continues as he portrays a Texas electrician / part-time cowboy named, Ron, who is diagnosed in 1986 as HIV-positive.  When told he has only 30 days to live, he does research and discovers that there are experimental drugs for treating AIDS in Mexico and overseas but are not allowed in this country.  He figures out a way to get the drugs and help other HIV-Positive patients live longer.   Dallas Buyers Club Website

Until Next Time!