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

New In Theaters - September 2nd, 2011

THE DEBT

Starring: Helen Mirren, Sam Worthington, Jessica Chastain, 
Jesper Christensen, Marton Csokas, Ciaran Hinds & Tom Wilkinson

Directed by John Madden for distribution by Focus Features

The Plot: The past lives of three Mossad agents come back to haunt them when they begin to question if a mission they thought they carried out was actually a success.

The Final Word: Remember “Shakespeare In Love?” That was the last time director John Madden has had a successful hit at the box office. Now after originally being conceived under the Miramax umbrella for a 2010 release, “The Debt” has been picked up by Focus Features and may finally see the light of day.

(8/31)

APOLLO 18

Directed by Gonzalo Lopez-Gallego for distribution by Weinstein Company

The Plot: Newly found footage spotlights the real reason why America has yet to return to the moon.

The Final Word: “Found” footage movies were a major sell to studios after “The Blair Witch Project” broke records in 1999, now in 2011, the Weinstein’s are trying to jumpstart the craze. The viral campaign for this movie started earlier in this year with a slick website and interesting premise, but it may have possibly been off the grid for too long as the movie was originally slated to open in April before being bounced to September. While the delay was rumored to be because of high advance buzz, some aren’t entirely sold that’s still the case.

SHARK NIGHT 3D

Starring: Sara Paxton, Dustin Milligan, Katharine McPhee, Chris Carmack,

Alyssa Diaz, Joel David Moore, Donal Logue, Sinqua Walls & Chris Zylka

Directed by David R. Ellis for distribution by Relativity Media

The Plot: A weekend lakeside retreat for a group of friends takes a deadly turn when a series of shark attacks turn their vacation into a nightmare.

The Final Word: The movie’s called “Shark Night 3D,” so I doubt anybody going to see this for the acting. With “Piranha 3D” crashing and burning earlier in the year, the bar can’t be set to high for the movie and I’m betting Relativity knows that given its end of summer release date. Granted audiences looking for one last summer blast at the Cineplex could still make this a surprise sleeper during the Labor Day weekend.

Previewed next week: Contagion, Warrior, Bucky Larson: Born To Be A Star

New In Theaters - August 26th, 2011

COLUMBIANA

Starring: Zoe Saldana, Jordi Molla, Lennie James, Michael Vartan, Cliff Curtis

Directed by Olivier Megaton for distribution by TriStar (Sony)

The Plot: Following the murder of her parents, Cataleya (Saldana) trains alongside her uncle to become an assassin with the ultimate goal of taking down the mobster responsible for the killings.

The Final Word: Zoe Saldana has been poised for this type of movie ever since “Avatar” hit it big. Now after “The Losers” failed to light a box office fire, the actress is ready to strike out on her own and show audiences what she can do when put in the title role. With action direction Luc Besson’s protégé Megaton at the helm, Saldana should be in give hands, but are audiences still up for one more action romp after a long (and loud) summer? Granted Sony can’t be expected a high return here, which should set the bar at a manageable level.

DON’T BE AFRAID OF THE DARK

Starring: Katie Holmes, Guy Pearce, Bailee Madison and Jack Thompson

Directed by Troy Nixey for distribution by FilmDistrict

The Plot: A young girl (Madison) moves into a newly restored house with her father (Pearce) and his girlfriend (Holmes) only to learn the house is literally out to get her.

The Final Word: While fantasy/horror film maven Guillermo del Toro left the directing duties to Nixey, his fingerprints are all over this movie and that could lead to some serious thrills. Coming off this year’s “Insidious,” FilmDistrict is slowly making a name for itself in this genre and “Dark” should help solidify it even more

OUR IDIOT BROTHER

Starring: Paul Rudd, Elizabeth Banks, Zooey Deschanel, Emily Mortimer,

Rashida Jones, Hugh Dancy, Kathryn Hahn,

Shirley Knight, Janet Montgomery & Steve Coogan

Directed by Jeese Peretz for distribution by The Weinstein Company

The Plot: Three sisters (Banks, Deschanel, Mortimer) take turns housing their well-meaning but overly trusting brother (Rudd) after he loses his girlfriend and his home.

The Final Word: While the cast is strong, I just don’t see audiences getting very excited about this picture. You also can’t imagine the Weinstein Company is too psyched about it either since they planted it firmly in the dog days of summer.

Previewed next week: The Debt, Apollo 18, Shark Night 3D

New In Theaters - August 19th, 2011

CONAN THE BARBARIAN

Starring: Jason Momoa, Rachel Nichols, Stephen Lang, Rose McGowan,

Saïd Taghmaoui, Ron Perlman & Leo Howard

Directed by Marcus Nispel for distribution by Lionsgate

The Plot: A warrior (Momoa) seeks revenge following a brutal attack on his village.

The Final Word: Aside from HBO, no other studio is probably as excited about the success of “Game of Thrones” as Lionsgate. Jason Momoa, who became a breakout star on the series, fronts this re-imagined remake of the classic Arnold Schwarzenegger 80’s film. Momoa’s newfound fanbase paired with the nostalgia factor just could make this flick a late summer surprise; if the logjam of 3D movies that weekend doesn’t destroy it.

FRIGHT NIGHT

Starring: Anton Yelchin, Colin Farrell, Christopher Mintz-Plasse,

David Tennant, Imogen Poots & Toni Collette

Directed by Craig Gillespie for distribution by DreamWorks

The Plot: A high-school senior (Yelchin) becomes convinced his new next-door neighbor (Farrell) is actually a vampire who is preying on his neighborhood.

The Final Word: While Colin Farrell hasn’t exactly fallen off the grid over the last few years, he also hasn’t been as prevalent as he once was in Cineplex’s. You actually have to go back 2008 to find the last time the charismatic actor truly headlined a movie. Now the Colin Farrell reunion tour looks to continue as the actor stars in his second summer movie ahead of next summer’s “Total Recall” remake. DreamWorks looks to be hoping to capitalize off the same audience that made the company’s 2007’s “Distrubia” a big hit and putting a star like Farrell opposite a younger rising star like Yelchin could do the trick; again only if it is done in by a 3D heavy weekend.

ONE DAY

Starring: Anne Hathaway, Jim Sturgess, Patricia Clarkson,

Ken Stott, Romola Garai & Rafe Spall

Directed by Lone Scherfig for distribution by Focus Features

The Plot: The two-decade long story of two friends (Hathaway, Sturgess) who meet on the night of their high-school graduation and then the anniversary of that night for the next twenty years.

The Final Word: While both actors have had mainstream success, both have even stronger luck with these types of art-house movies. Focus has to be expecting those types of returns also since they slated this move in the middle of what has quickly turned into a 3D warzone weekend.

SPY KIDS: ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD

Starring: Jessica Alba, Jeremy Piven, Joel McHale, Rowan Blanchard, 
Mason Cook,Antonio Banderas, Danny Trejo,
 Alexa Vega & Daryl Sabara

Directed by Robert Rodriguez for distribution by Dimension Films

The Plot: The family of a retired spy (Alba) are thrown into the world of espionage when a villain (Piven) threatens to take over the world.

The Final Word: It makes sense that Jessica Alba would take this role on given her young daughter (and second child on the way). Although I’m racking my brain trying to figure out what lured Jeremy Piven and Joel McHale to this pic. It just seems odd both guys would jump into a movie that is bringing back “aroma-vision.”

Previewed: next week: Columbiana, Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark, Our Idiot Brother