New In Theaters - October 21st 2011

PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 3

Directed by Henry Joost & Ariel Schulman for distribution by Paramount Pictures

The Plot: Two young sisters encounter a supernatural invisible entity in their home, only to realize it is not as benevolent as they first thought.

The Final Word: The only thing certain about a “Paranormal Activity” movie is that there are no certainties. When the original film first came out, it was during the height of the “found footage” era, where studios still believed they could make audiences think they’ve uncovered video of an event so shocking it had to be covered up. As a result, Paramount didn’t even release the cast list, so to as to keep the illusion of it not being “scripted.” In fact it was even rumored that the all of those who watched the rough copy of the original footage found themselves encountering “unexplained occurrences,” including veteran Hollywood director Steven Spielberg. This time around, audiences at least have a logline to work with, but still no true cast list. The other thing to keep in mind is that this time out the movie was directed by filmmakers Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman, whose documentary “Catfish” tried to a new take on the “found footage” genre, but eventually was widely discredited.

THE THREE MUSKETEERS

Starring: Logan Lerman, Milla Jovovich, Matthew Macfadyen, Ray Stevenson, 
Luke Evans, Mads Mikkelsen, Gabriella Wilde, 
Juno Temple, Orlando Bloom & Christoph Waltz

Directed by Paul W.S. Anderson for distribution by Summit Entertainment

The Plot: A young hot headed swashbuckler teams with three rogue musketeers to take down an evil leader.

The Final Word: Summit Entertainment is the latest company to try and bring back to life the legendary “Three Musketeers” story and of course this time in 3D. Its talented cast and director aside, this movie is going to be watched for two reasons. The first being it’s the first 3D feature released since Disney’s “The Lion King” 3D experiment crushed the competition and the second being that Summit’s gravy train is about to reach the end of its track with the final “Twilight” movie fast approaching. How moviegoers respond is going to tell a very interesting tale in Hollywood very soon.

Previewed next week: 13, Anonymous, In Time, Johnny English Reborn, Puss In Boots

New In Theaters - October 14th 2011

THE THING

Starring: Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Joel Edgerton,

Jonathan Lloyd Walker & Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje

Directed by Matthijs van Heijningen for distribution by Universal

The Plot: A team of scientists stranded in Antarctica must band together when they accidentally unleash a deadly alien that can take the form of anything it touches.

The Final Word: You have to give Universal credit here as they have really tried to make sure this thriller was done right, especially given its pedigree. Remember this isn’t a remake, but a prequel to the 1982 John Carpenter cult favorite horror film and as such has to be very careful not damage the legacy of the original. It’s hard to make a sequel that outshines the first, but some would say it’s equally as hard to make a prequel that properly respects the material a classic’s fans know all to well.

FOOTLOOSE

Starring: Kenny Wormald, Julianne Hough, Dennis Quaid

Andie MacDowell & Miles Teller

Directed by Craig Brewster for distribution by Paramount Pictures

The Plot: Following the tragic death of five teens, a town bans dancing and loud music, only to see the ruling challenged years later by a new arrival.

The Final Word: With everyone’s love of 80’s nostalgia it really was only a matter of time until “Footloose” got the reboot treatment. Relative newcomer Kenny Wormald steps in the role made famous by Kevin Bacon in the 1984 original opposite “Dancing With The Stars” favorite Julianne Hough. Through Wormald wasn’t the first choice to play Ren McCormack, that was actually Zac Efron who eventually passed on the project, as did “Gossip Girl’s” Chase Crawford, but with the star power of Hough and Dennis Quaid (who plays the John Lithgow role), it could actually work out rather well. Call it the “John Grisham effect,” as the films based on the noted author’s books usually had a unknown or two in a major starring role; including then rising stars Matthew McConaughey and Matt Damon.

THE BIG YEAR

Starring: Steve Martin, Jack Black, Owen Wilson, Brian Dennehy,

Rashida Jones, Rosamund Pike & Dianne Wiest

Directed by David Frankel for distribution by 20^th Century Fox

The Plot: Three friendly rivals, each going through a mid-life type crisis, decide to embark on a yearlong bird-watching challenge.

The Final Word: Martin, Black and Wilson. How’s that for a dream team of comedy? Sure each of them can be a little out there at times and have not had the most stellar track record at the box office as of late, but people still rightfully pay attention when they have a new movie. Combined the trio should be able to draw in a substantial audience, but it could get overshadowed by the two “known” films coming out this week.

Previewed Next Week: Paranormal Activity 3, The Three Musketeers

New In Theaters - October 7th, 2011

THE IDES OF MARCH

Starring: Ryan Gosling, George Clooney, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Marisa Tomei,

Paul Giamatti, Jeffrey Wright, Max Minghella & Evan Rachel Wood

Directed by George Clooney for distribution by Columbia (Sony)

The Plot: A hotshot campaign press secretary finds himself embroiled in a scandal that could bring down both him and his candidate during the final days of a contentious Ohio presidential primary.

The Final Word: If you didn’t know who Ryan Gosling was before, you certainly will by the year’s end. Already a former Oscar nominee, Gosling has yet to really breakthrough to the level of Clooney, Hoffman or Tomei, but that’s coming. Here he is given a chance to build on his work in the critically loved “Drive” and with Clooney as his director, he could be right back in the mix come award season. Incidentally don’t forget about Clooney either (not that anybody could) as between this and the upcoming “The Descendants”  he’ll be in the Oscar spotlight just as much.

REAL STEEL

Starring: Hugh Jackman, Evangeline Lilly, Dakota Goyo,

Anthony Mackie & Kevin Durand

Directed by Shawn Levy for distribution by DreamWorks

The Plot: A washed up boxer teams with his estranged son to build and train a robotic fighter in a future where humans no longer compete in the ring.

The Final Word: “Steel” has been on many fan’s must-see lists for some time now and it’s not hard to see why. This is literally a more developed version of the popular “Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots” line of toys and with Hollywood heartthrob Hugh Jackman in the title role opposite the equally stunning Evangeline Lilly, DreamWorks should see some solid returns. Studios will also be keeping an eye on “Steel” as DreamWorks opted to go the IMAX route, without the 3D add-on. With the drubbing 3D has been taking this could be a smart middle-ground for upcoming releases. 

Previewed next week: The Thing, Footloose, The Big Year

New Releases - Week of September 30, 2011

50/50

Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogen, Anna Kendrick,

Bryce Dallas Howard, Anjelica Huston & Philip Baker Hall

Directed by Jonathan Levine for distribution by Summit Entertainment

The Plot: Two friends depend on humor and each other, when one is diagnosed with cancer.

The Final Word: When your main bread and butter franchise is “Twilight,” it gives you creative ability to finance award-bait like “The Beaver” and “50/50.” Granted, while “Beaver” underperformed, that had more to do with Mel Gibson backlash than anything else…still don’t be surprised if his name pops up again during award. Regarding “50/50,” this is dangerously close to “Funny People” territory which the public wasn’t quick to embrace. Either way Levitt has some serious indie credibility following the successful “500 Days of Summer” and he will draw.

DREAM HOUSE

Starring: Daniel Craig, Naomi Watts, Rachel Weisz,

Marton Csokas, Elias Koteas & Jane Alexander

Directed by Jim Sheridan for distribution by Universal Pictures

The Plot: An author moves him family to small New England town only to find their new dream house was the site of a brutal murder and the killer is still at large.

The Final Word: Watts broke through with the horror classic “The Ring” and she returns to that genre here alongside some of the same behind the scenes folks. Although horror films are a tricky genre, they either light the box office on fire or fair to scare up profits, which is incidentally also the way Craig films have tend to be as of late (minus of course his Bond films). It’s also worth noting that Craig has since married co-star Rachael Weisz which help enhance the movie’s buzz.

WHAT’S YOUR NUMBER

Starring: Anna Faris, Chris Evans, Zachary Quinto, Joel McHale,

Andy Samberg, Dave Annable, Ed Begley Jr. & Thomas Lennon

Directed by Mark Mylod for distribution by 20^th Century Fox

The Plot: A woman dives through her dating history believing she’s already met the man of her dreams and broke up with him.

The Final Word: Anna Faris has tried for years to breakthrough as something other than the “satire” girl, but keeps being pulled back into that genre. “Number” on paper doesn’t look much different than most of the films on her resumes and probably won’t do that much box office damage, despite an impressive array of supporting comedic talent.

Previewed next week: The Ides of March, Real Steel

New Releases - Week of September 23, 2011

ABDUCTION

Starring: Taylor Lautner, Lily Collins, Alfred Molina, Jason Isaacs,

Maria Bello, Denzel Whitaker, Michael Nyqvist & Sigourney Weaver

Directed by John Singleton for distribution by Lionsgate

The Plot: A teenager’s life is thrown into chaos when he learns his entire childhood has been lie and is forced to go on the run.

The Final Word: Sorry to all the “Twi-hard” haters hoping for Taylor Lautner to just go away following the conclusion of the “Twilight” movies, but that Hollywood has embraced the young star. Lionsgate, who has a knack for under-anticipated yet very successful action films, pairs Lautner with “Boyz in the Hood” director John Singleton. The Oscar nominee has basically been MIA from Hollywood since 2005’s “Four Brothers’ and could make a strong comeback courtesy of much buzzed about script.

MONEYBALL

Starring: Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, Philip Seymour Hoffman,

Robin Wright, Stephen Bishop, Kathyrn Morris & Chris Pratt

Directed by Bennett Miller for distribution by Columbia Pictures (Sony)

The Plot: The true story of Oakland A’s general manager Billy Beane who defied conventional logic to construct a playoff caliber baseball team.

The Final Word: When baseball fans found out that one of baseball’s Bibles was being brought to the screen with Brad Pitt in the lead role and Aaron Sorkin at the typewriter, they scoffed. Yet, these will also be the first people in line to see it. Pitt, Sorkin and director Bennett Miller (“Capote”) are all garnering Oscar buzz and with good reason. Incidentally this is actually the second version of the movie being produced by Sony as the first one was canned due to its high budget; ironic huh?

KILLER ELITE

Starring: Jason Statham, Clive Owen, Robert De Niro, Yvonne Strahovski,

Dominic Purcell, Aden Young, Ben Mendelsohn, Lachy Hulme,

Firass Dirani, Grant Bowler & Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje

Directed by Gary McKendryfor distribution by Open Road Films

The Plot: A former special ops agent is lured out of retirement to rescue his kidnapped mentor.

The Final Word: It isn’t often new studios pop up on the scene and it is even less often that the ones that do put out successful films. Although with FilmDistrict’s successful foray into theaters as a guide, OpenRoad pictures is looking for that same type of magic thanks to a strong cast including Jason Statham, Robert DeNiro and Clive Owen. That and the fact it’s essentially a non-thinking action film and even more interesting is that it is based on a real story.

DOLPHIN TALE 3D

Starring: Harry Connick Jr., Ashley Judd, Kris Kristofferson,

Nathan Gamble, Cozi Zuehlsdorff, Austin Stowell & Morgan Freeman

Directed by Charles Martin Smith for distribution by Warner Brothers

The Plot: The true story of a group of strangers who come together to save the life of an injured dolphin only to learn her plight could save the lives of others.

The Final Word: In the wake of “Soul Surfer” and a few other low-budget, low profile family friendly films comes “Dolphin Tale,” which for no explainable reason is in 3D. People’s aren’t going to see this before its 3D, they are going to see this, because there is a serious lack of live action family movies. The appeal of leads Morgan Freeman and Ashley Judd are all big draws. Yet this is a busy week for movies and its possible “Tale” could be overshadowed.

Previewed next week: 50/50, Dream House, What's Your Number?

New In Theaters - September 16th, 2011

DRIVE

Starring: Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Bryan Cranston,

Ron Perlman, Christina Hendricks, Oscar Isaac & Albert Brooks

Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn for distribution by FilmDistrict

The Plot: A Hollywood stuntman (Gosling), who moonlights as a getaway driver for criminals, finds his life and the lives of his neighbor (Mulligan) and her daughter in danger when he botches his latest job.

The Final Word: Eventually both Ryan Gosling and Carey Mulligan will find the same breakout popularity their co-stars have found in their careers, but some reason it’s taken longer than many people have thought. “Drive” could go a long way in helping boost their popularity as FilmDistrict has slowly made its mark on the Hollywood radar. It could also emerge as a surprise Oscar contender.

I DON’T KNOW HOW SHE DOES IT

Starring: Sarah Jessica Parker, Greg Kinnear, Pierce Brosnan, Olivia Munn,

Seth Meyers, Kelsey Grammer, Christina Hendricks & Jane Curtin

Directed by Douglas McGrath for distribution by The Weinstein Company

The Plot: A workaholic finance executive (Parker) and family breadwinner finds her schedule getting even more hectic when she’s given new client (Brosnan) to whom she finds herself attracted.

The Final Word: Based on the novel by one-time Daily Mail writer Allison Pearson, the movie could do a lot to repair the damage “Sex & The City 2” did to Parker’s career. With an “A” list cast backing her and no direct competitors, the movie could prove to be a modest success and possibly put Parker in the conversation for Hollywood annual awards season.

STRAW DOGS

Starring: James Marsden, Kate Bosworth, Alexander Skarsgard,

Dominic Purcell, Laz Alonso, Willa Holland & James Woods

Directed by Rod Lurie for distribution by Screen Gems (Sony)

The Plot: A Hollywood screenwriter (Marsden) and his wife (Bosworth) return to her hometown following the death of her father, only to find themselves embroiled in a deadly conflict with her ex-boy (Skarsgard) and his gang of thugs.

The Final Word: Based on the 1971 Dustin Hoffman movie of the same name, the remake puts Marsadan in the title role of a man pushed to his breaking point when bullies target him and his wife. With Skarsgard’s “True Blood” popularity at an all-time high and a strong supporting cast, Screen Gems could see a strong showing for “Dogs,” but only is audiences aren’t turned away by the extremely violent final act.

Previewed next week: Abduction, Dolphin Tale, Killer Elite, Moneyball 

New In Theaters - September 9th, 2011

CONTAGION

Starring: Marion Cotillard, Matt Damon, Laurence Fishburne, Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Winslet, Bryan Cranston, Sanaa Lathan & Jennifer Ehle

Directed by Steven Soderbergh for distribution by Warner Brothers

The Plot: The Center for Disease Control must stop the spread of a deadly airborne virus before it wipes out the Earth.

The Final Word: Oscar winning director Steven Soderbergh has more than his earned the right to punch his own ticket, but let’s be honest, on paper this easily could be an updated version of 1995’s “Outbreak,” just shown in IMAX. Yes it has a star studded cast and a strong pedigree behind it, but are audiences going to really show up in force to watch this type of realistic scenario play out?

WARRIOR

Starring: Joel Edgerton, Tom Hardy, Jennifer Morrison, Nick Nolte,

Maximiliano Hernandez, Frank Grillo & Erik "Bad" Apple

Directed by Gavin O’Connor for distribution by Lionsgate

The Plot: Two very different brothers (Edgerton, Hardy) find themselves on a collision course with each other as they train for a mixed-martial arts tournament.

The Final Word: After becoming an overnight success courtesy of “Inception,” Tom Hardy has become one of the most buzzed about celebrities in Hollywood. His ever growing fanbase and charismatic personality lead many to believe his presence in “Warrior,” could held do for mixed martial arts what “The Fighter” did for boxing.

BUCKY LARSON: BORN TO BE A STAR

Starring: Nick Swardson, Christina Ricci, Don Johnson & Stephen Dorff

Directed by Tom Brady for distribution by Columbia (Sony)

The Plot: A nerd from Iowa packs up and heads to Hollywood to follow in his parents footsteps after he learns they were at one time successful porn stars.

The Final Word: Anybody remember “Dickie Roberts: Child Star,” or “Grandma’s Boy?” Same deal here…higher profile cast, lower quality movie. No disrespect to Adam Sandler or his Happy Madison production company, but there’s a reason why Columbia slotted this in the September dumping grounds.

Preview next week: Drive, I Don't Know She Does It, Straw Dogs