MICHAEL JACKSON'S THIS IS IT (B)

Starring: Michael Jackson

Story: Michael Jackson's This Is It will offer Jackson fans and music lovers worldwide a rare, behind-the-scenes look at the performer as he developed, created and rehearsed for his sold-out concerts that would have taken place beginning this summer in London's O2 Arena. Chronicling the months from April through June, 2009, the film is produced with the full support of the Estate of Michael Jackson and drawn from more than one hundred hours of behind-the-scenes footage, featuring Jackson rehearsing a number of his songs for the show. Audiences will be given a privileged and private look at Jackson as he has never been seen before. In raw and candid detail, "Michael Jackson's This Is It" captures the singer, dancer, filmmaker, architect, creative genius and great artist at work as he creates and perfects his final show. (Sony Pictures)

Rated: PG for some suggestive choreography and scary images

Bottom Line: THIS IS IT is a fascinating glimpse in to MJ’s unflinching attention to detail, his passion for the product and the collaborative nature he put forth on every single aspect of his final tour (that, alas, was never to be). It’s not groundbreaking stuff but it sure is interesting and ridiculously toe-tapping. Plus, nothing screams Halloween movie like Michael Jackson’s face on a 60-foot movie screen…

DVD/Blurays realeased next Tuesday (11/3):
G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra C
The Taking of Pelham 123 C+
I Love You Beth Cooper D-
Aliens in the Attic D

Summer 2010 Preview #1

I haven't been very excited to see yet another popular, 80's TV show pummeled on the big screen (MIAMI VICE anyone?!)... But this recently released cast picture of THE A-TEAM from 20th Century Fox has me a lot more interested than I was - which was not at all.

From left to right: THE HANGOVER's Bradley Cooper as Lt. Templeton ‘Faceman’ Peck, Former UFC fighter turned actor Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson as Sgt. Bosco ‘BA’ Baracus, DISTRICT 9’s Sharlto Copley as Capt. ‘Howling Mad’ Murdock and TAKEN’s Liam Neeson as Col. John ‘Hannibal’ Smith. You can click the picture for a larger view.

'If you have a problem - if no one else can help - and if you can find them - maybe you can hire...THE A-TEAM.'

THE A-TEAM is being directed by Joe Carnahan (NARC and SMOKIN' ACES) and is set to be released June 11, 2010.

AMELIA (D+)

Starring: Hilary Swank , Richard Gere and Ewan McGregor

Story: After becoming the first woman to fly across the Atlantic, Amelia was thrust into a new role as America's sweetheart - the legendary "goddess of light," known for her bold, larger-than-life charisma. Yet, even with her global fame solidified, her belief in flirting with danger and standing up as her own, outspoken woman never changed. She was an inspiration to people everywhere, from First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt to the men closest to her heart: her husband, promoter and publishing magnate George P. Putnam, and her long time friend and lover, pilot Gene Vidal. In the summer of 1937, Amelia set off on her most daunting mission yet: a solo flight around the world that she and George both anxiously foresaw as destined, whatever the outcome, to become one of the most talked-about journeys in history. (Fox Searchlight)

Rated: PG for some sensuality, language, thematic elements and smoking

Bottom Line: Don’t expect any Oscar nominations for this uncharismatic, soulless, by-the-numbers, bio-pic that’s kept barely afloat by marginal acting from Swank, stunning cinematography and keen costume design (because I have an eye for fashion…obviously). AMELIA, unfortunately, never takes flight.

DVD/Blurays released next Tuesday 10/27:
ICE AGE: DAWN OF THE DIINOSAURS C
ORPHAN C-

ASTRO BOY (C-)

Starring the voices of: Freddie Highmore, Nicolas Cage, Kristen Bell, Nathan Lane, Bill Nighy, Eugene Levy and Donald Sutherland

Story: Set in futuristic Metro City, Astro Boy is about a young robot with incredible powers created by a brilliant scientist named TENMA. Powered by positive "blue" energy, Astro Boy is endowed with super strength, x-ray vision, unbelievable speed and the ability to fly. Embarking on a journey in search of acceptance, Astro Boy encounters many other colorful characters along the way. Through his adventures, he learns the joys and emotions of being human, and gains the strength to embrace his destiny. Ultimately learning his friends and family are in danger, Astro Boy marshals his awesome super powers and returns to Metro City in a valiant effort to save everything he cares about and to understand what it takes to be a hero. (Summit Entertainment)

Rated: PG for some action and peril, and brief mild language

Bottom Line: This unoriginal Pinocchio-meets-Superman premise is too political, too heavy-handed and way too intense for little kids – you know, the little kids that the movie squarely targets in all its commercials. ASTRO BLAH.

CIRQUE DU FREAK: THE VAMPIRE'S ASSISTANT (D+)

Starring: John C. Reilly, Ken Watanabe, Josh Hutcherson, Chris Massoglia, Ray Stevenson, Patrick Fugit, Orlando Jones, Willem Dafoe and Salma Hayek

Story: 16-year-old Darren was like most kids in his suburban neighborhood. He hung out with his best friend Steve, got decent grades and usually stayed out of trouble. But when he and his buddy stumble upon a traveling freak show, things begin to change inside Darren. That's the exact moment when a vampire named Larten Crepsley turns him into something, well, bloodthirsty. Newly undead, he joins the Cirque Du Freak, a touring sideshow filled with monstrous creatures from a snakeboy and a wolfman to a bearded lady and a gigantic barker. As Darren flexes his newfound powers in this dark world, he becomes a treasured pawn between the vampires and their deadlier counterparts. And while trying to survive, one boy will struggle to keep their brewing war from devouring what's left of his humanity. (Universal Pictures)

Rated: PG-13 for sequences of intense supernatural violence and action, disturbing images, thematic elements and some language

Bottom Line: Cool special effects barely save this un-scary, schizophrenically shot and sloppily written Tim Burton-esque wannabe. Now, on to more important things like what am I going to have for lunch today. Hmmm…

Seattle Blair Witch Event (on 10/28)

Who: You (and someone to hold your hand)

What: Join the W Seattle for shocking Blair Witch Project outtakes and an unsettling discussion of how best to chill spines, raise hairs and race hearts with co-creator Daniel Myrick as he sits down with cultural commentator Warren Etheredge of The Warren Report.

When: Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Where: W Seattle, Studios 7 & 8

Time: 6:30pm

Price: $10 (includes tantalizing treats, no-host cocktails)

Ticket Info: www.brownpapertickets.com/event/87402

Wine Sponsor: McCrea Cellars

Listen to Me: The Movie Guy Speaks

Listen to my reviews for WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE and LAW ABIDING CITIZEN (as heard this morning on STAR 101.5 and KOMO AM/FM Newsradio) below:

http://media.star1015.com/audio/STAR+Movie+Guy+101609.mp3

WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE (B+)

Starring: Catherine Keener, Max Records, Mark Ruffalo, Lauren Ambrose, James Gandolfini, Catherine O'Hara and Forest Whitaker

Story: The film tells the story of Max, a rambunctious and sensitive boy who feels misunderstood at home and escapes to where the Wild Things are. Max lands on an island where he meets mysterious and strange creatures whose emotions are as wild and unpredictable as their actions. The Wild Things desperately long for a leader to guide them, just as Max longs for a kingdom to rule. When Max is crowned king, he promises to create a place where everyone will be happy. Max soon finds, though, that ruling his kingdom is not so easy and his relationships there prove to be more complicated than he originally thought. (Warner Bros.)

Rated: PG for mild thematic elements, some adventure action and brief language

Bottom Line: Too dark for little kids, possibly too ‘boring’ for older ones – it may be the first kids movie that’s not fit for most kids. Subtle and madcap, sophisticated and edgy, imaginative and heartfelt. WILD THINGS – you make my heart sing – you make everything groovy – I think I really, really like you!

BLURAY/DVD'S BEING RELEASED ON 10/20:
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen B-
Imagine That C-

LAW ABIDING CITIZEN (D)

Starring: Jamie Foxx and Gerard Butler

Story: Clyde Shelton is an upstanding family man whose wife and daughter are brutally murdered during a home invasion. When the killers are caught, Nick Rice, a hotshot young Philadelphia prosecutor, is assigned to the case. Over his objections, Nick is forced by his boss to offer one of the suspects a light sentence in exchange for testifying against his accomplice. Fast forward ten years. The man who got away with murder is found dead and Clyde Shelton coolly admits his guilt. Then he issues a warning to Nick: Either fix the flawed justice system that failed his family, or key players in the trial will die. Soon Shelton follows through on his threats, orchestrating from his jail cell a string of spectacularly diabolical assassinations that can be neither predicted nor prevented. Philadelphia is gripped with fear as Shelton's high-profile targets are slain one after another and the authorities are powerless to halt his reign of terror. Only Nick can stop the killing, and to do so he must outwit this brilliant sociopath in a harrowing contest of wills in which even the smallest misstep means death. With his own family now in Shelton's crosshairs, Nick finds himself in a desperate race against time facing a deadly adversary who seems always to be one step ahead. (Overture Films)

Rated: R for strong bloody brutal violence and torture, a scene of rape and pervasive language

Bottom Line: A horrendously muddled, outlandish mess of grizzly, goofball cinema whose preposterous ticking time clock plotline reminds us that, we too, are wasting valuable minutes of our lives watching this trash. This is one LAW ABIDING CITIZEN that should be thrown in the slammer.

COUPLES RETREAT (D)

Starring: Vince Vaughn, Jason Bateman, Jon Favreau, Malin Akerman, Kristin Davis, Kristen Bell, Faizon Love and Jean Reno

Story: The comedy follows four Midwestern couples who embark on a journey to a tropical island resort. While one of the couples is there to work on their marriage, the other three set out to jet ski, spa and enjoy some fun in the sun. They soon discover that participation in the resort’s couples therapy is not optional. Suddenly, their group-rate vacation comes at a price. What follows is a hilarious look at real world problems faced by all couples. (Universal Pictures)

Rated: PG-13

Bottom Line: Shallow characters, unoriginal concept and unintelligent dialogue are all muddled together in this lazily made ‘comedy’. COUPLES RETREAT…indeed - but I’d actually open the category and suggest that everyone retreat!

BLURAY/DVD'S BEING RELEASED ON 10/13:
Land of the Lost F
Drag Me to Hell A-
The Proposal B-

PARANORMAL ACTIVITY (A)

Starring: Katie Featherston, Micah Sloat, Mark Friedrichs, Amber Armstrong, and Ashley Palmer

Story: After a young, middle class couple moves into what seems like a typical suburban “starter” tract house, they become increasingly disturbed by a presence that may or may not be somehow demonic but is certainly most active in the middle of the night. (Paramount Pictures)

Rated: R

Bottom Line: No need for plot, character or acting detail here – it’s a modest, little, single-camera, minuscule budgeted film that (seen at night with the right crowd) will scare the crap out of you.

A SERIOUS MAN (B+)

Starring: Michael Stuhlbarg, Fred Melamed, Richard Kind, Aaron Wolf, Sari Wagner, Jessica McManus and Adam Arkin

Story: A Serious Man is the story of an ordinary man’s search for clarity in a universe where Jefferson Airplane is on the radio and F-Troop is on TV. It is 1967, and Larry Gopnik, a physics professor at a quiet Midwestern university, has just been informed by his wife Judith that she is leaving him. She has fallen in love with one of his more pompous acquaintances, Sy Ableman, who seems to her a more substantial person than the feckless Larry. Larry’s unemployable brother Arthur is sleeping on the couch, his son Danny is a discipline problem and a shirker at Hebrew school, and his daughter Sarah is filching money from his wallet in order to save up for a nose job. Struggling for equilibrium, Larry seeks advice from three different rabbis. Can anyone help him cope with his afflictions and become a righteous person – a mensch – a serious man? (Focus Features)

Rated: R

Bottom Line: Very personal, very deep, very Jewish and very funny. You won’t leave the theater with a skip in your step – but if you enjoy the Coen Brother’s usual bleak look at the universe then you’ll be happy you spent a night with A SERIOUS MAN.

Listen to My Weekly Reviews

If you live up and around the Seattle area you can tune in to one of the following stations every Friday:

• STAR 101.5-FM @ 6:35am, 8:35am, 3:35pm and 5:35pm
• KOMO AM-1000 @ 6:45am, 9:45am, 2:45pm and 5:45pm
• KOMO 97.7-FM @ 6:45am, 9:45am, 2:45pm and 5:45pm
• KVI AM-570 @ 8:10am

I'll also start including the audio links to this blog every Friday as well.

Listen to my reviews of ZOMBIELAND, WHIP IT! and THE INVENTION OF LYING by clicking the link below:

http://media.star1015.com/audio/KPLZ+100209.mp3

ZOMBIELAND (A-)

Starring: Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin

Story: Columbus has made a habit of running from what scares him. Tallahassee doesn't have fears. If he did, he'd kick their ever-living ass. In a world overrun by zombies, these two are perfectly evolved survivors. But now, they're about to stare down the most terrifying prospect of all: each other. (Sony Pictures)

Rated: R

Bottom Line: Part horror, part comedy, part coming-of-age story, part romance, part road trip movie, part revenge flick – ZOMBIELAND has something for everyone and will have everyone on the edge of their seat. It’s a witty, well-acted and action-packed October cinema gift wrapped in gooey, rancid, blood-oozing fun. Get your zombie on!

BLURAY/DVD'S BEING RELEASED ON 10/6:
Year One D-
My Life In Ruins D

WHIP IT! (B)

Starring: Ellen Page, Marcia Gay Harden, Kristen Wiig, Juliette Lewis, Eve, Jimmy Fallon, Daniel Stern and Drew Barrymore

Story: A rebellious Texas teen trades in her small town beauty pageant crown for the rowdy world of roller derby. (Fox Searchlight)

Rated: PG-13

Bottom Line: I’m secure enough in my masculinity to recommend a solid, you-go-girl mentality movie and say that above the heart and muscle on display here – there’s almost too much at times – this unassuming movie just flat out entertains. WHIP IT! isn’t great – but WHIP IT! good!

THE INVENTION OF LYING (C+)

Starring: Starring Ricky Gervais , Jennifer Garner , Jonah Hill , Louis C.K., Jeffrey Tambor , Fionnula Flanagan , Rob Lowe and Tina Fey

Story: The Invention of Lying takes place in an alternate reality where lying--even the concept of a lie--does not exist. Everyone--from politicians to advertisers to the man and woman on the street--speaks the truth and nothing but the truth with no thought of the consequences. But when a down-on-his-luck loser named Mark suddenly develops the ability to lie, he finds that dishonesty has its rewards. In a world where every word is assumed to be the absolute truth, Mark easily lies his way to fame and fortune. But lies have a way of spreading, and Mark begins to realize that things are getting a little out of control when some of his tallest tales are being taken as, well, gospel. With the entire world now hanging on his every word, there is only one thing Mark has not been able to lie his way into: the heart of the woman he loves. (Warner Bros.)

Rated: PG-13

Bottom Line: A quiet, subtle comedy with a few wickedly funny moments – but the last 70 minutes never measure up to the genius of the first 30. The truth is THE INVENTION OF LYING could have been much better.

Old School

Left to right: Harrison Ford (Han Solo), David Prowse (Darth Vader), Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca) and, in foreground, Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia), Kenny Baker (R2-D2) and Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker).

No real reason for posting this other than it's Star Wars related and it's a cool photo. You can click the picture for a larger image.

May the Force be with you.