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This Week

/ / Film News & Trailers

So what’s out there this week?  Well today we’ll take a look at the films scheduled to be released which include Will Farrell being controlled by a narator who wants him dead, Sarah Michelle Gellar taking on monsters, Russell Crowe re-teaming with director Ridley Scott, Nicole Kidman and Robert Downey Jr. in an “imaginary” biopic and another with Ed Harris and Diane Kruger, a documentary about a naughty word, and Joey Lauren Adams writes and directs her first film.

All that and more, so c’mon in and let us get you ready for the week!

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Here’s what’s scheduled to hit theaters this week.  Want to know more?  Just click on the title for film info including a full cast list.  Want a closer look?  Just click on the poster to watch the trailer.

Opening Friday:

Stranger Than Fiction

Harold Crick (Will Ferrell) is the character in the latest novel from author Kay Eiffel (Emma Thompson), but he’s a real person who must stop this unseen narrator before she sets in motion events that will lead to his death.  Should be one of the more interesting and original films of the year.  The film was directed by Marc Forester who gave us Monster’s Ball and Finding Neverland but also is responsible for last year’s atrocity Stay (check out that review, if you dare).  The strong supporting cast includes Dustin Hoffman, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Queen Latifah, and Arrested Development‘s Tony Hale.  Come back Friday for our review.

Harsh Times

Christain Bale, in his second film of the fall, plays a Gulf War vet, unable to find employment and fighting delusions, who reunites with a childhood friend (Freddy Rodriguez) for a joyride of booze, drugs, babes, and danger around the streets of L.A.  Writer David Ayer (Training Day, The Fast and the Furious, S.W.A.T.) pens the script and takes his first stint behind the camera as director, so expect fast cars and fast women – Eva Longoria, Tamy Trull, Adriana Millan, Samantha Esteban and Tania Verafield.  Paul Renteria, Emilio Rivera, Noel Gugliemi, Terry Crews, Randy Tobin, and J.K. Simmons also star.

A Good Year

Russell Crowe plays an Englishman who inherits a vineyard from a dying uncle (Albert Finney), but the arrival of the dead man’s sexy and spunky daughter (Abbie Cornish) from California, who claims the land his hers, complicates matters.  Seriously, is that the lamest poster ever?  Anyway…  Ridley Scott reconnects with his Gladiator star, but odds are less dead bodies here (unless audiences start to commit suicide).  It seems an odd project for both and an obvious ploy to help Crowe’s poor public image.  Archie Panjabi, Ali Rhodes, Tom Hollander, Richard Coyle, Rafe Spall, Patrick Kennedy, and Daniel Mays also star.

The Return

Sarah Michelle Gellar seems to be entrenched as the horror industry’s new scream queen.  The brunette Gellar plays a young businesswoman dealing with her nightmares about a murder of a woman she’s never met which cause her to investigate the crimes only to discover she’s a vampire slayer, um, something scary?  The deep voice on the trailers promises a “psychological thriller,” but why do the ads all look like your average ghost and gore flick?  Well, at least it’s original and not adapted from a Japanese film this time.  Adam Scott, Kate Beahan, Erinn Allison, and Peter O’Brien also star.

Currently in Limited Release, Opening Wide on Friday:

Babel

Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Adriana Barraza, Rinko Kikuchi, and others star in this wide-ranging, and long-winded, tale of children and parents spanning four families, three countries, and two continents.  I wanted to like Babel, but when I wasn’t bored out of my skull I found myself bewildered by the odd make-up of the film and bizarre choices of its characters.  It wants so badly to be important, but lacks the detail necessary, instead providing us with a glut of stories and characters, that neither explored nor developed, which never come together.  The film is currently in limited release.  You can read the rest of my review here.

Opening Friday in Limited Release:

Fuck

Director Steve Anderson (The Big Empty) gives us a documentary on everyone’s favorite curse word.  The film looks at the orgin of the word, the reasons behind it’s offensive meaning, and what can be gained from its use.  The film has had some trouble being marketed, since you can’t use the name of the film on a movie poster, but word of mouth and a cast of comedians (and porn stars?), including Billy Connolly, Bill Maher, Jeneane Garofalo, Kevin Smith, Tera Patrick, and Ron Jeremy, discussing it all (think last year’s dirty but delicious The Aristocrats).  It opens exclusively in New York and L.A. on Friday.

Come Early Morning

Unable to find any good roles, actress Joey Lauren Adams (Chasing Amy, A Cool, Dry Place, Big Daddy) decided to take a page from former boyfriend Kevin Smith and write and direct her own film.  The story follows a hard-drinkin’, hard-workin’, hard playin’ southern gal (Ashley Judd) who begins to confront her lifestyle and turn her life around when she meets the new guy in town (Jeffrey Donovan).  Fans of That 70’s Show can tune in for Laura Prepon playing Judd’s daughter.  Early reaction has been positive, especially for Judd’s perfromance and for Adams who won a nomination at Cannes for her direction.

Fur: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus

The latest from director Steven Shainberg (Secretary) follows wealthy aristocrat Diane Arbus (Nicole Kidman) who turns her back on her family in favor of her mentor (Robert Downey Jr.) who opens up a world to her allowing her to become one of the most revered photographers of the twentieth century.  The film also stars Ty Burrell, Jane Alexander, Emmy Clarke, Genevieve McCarthy, Emily Bergl, Gwendolyn Bucci, and Krista Coyle.  Should be an art house hit if the early buzz for Kidman’s performance is true, but will in connect with mainstream viewers?  It opens in select cities in limited release on Friday.

Copying Beethoven

Ed Harris as Ludwig van Beethoven?  Yep.  Harris plays the famous composer in his late years struggling with the Ninth Symphony with the help of the lovely Diane Kruger (National Treasure, Troy).  The film won the CEC Award for Best Film at the San Bebastian International Film Festival.  The cast also includes Matthew Goode, Joe Anderson, Nicholas Jones, Viktoria Dihen, and Phylida Law.  Well, it can’t be worse than Harris’ last project (though mine wasn’t the only opinion), and the lovely Ms Kruger can make anything more enjoyable.  It opens in select cities in limited release on Friday.

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New On DVD

/ / Home Video News 

Sorry girls and ghouls, this Tuesday’s release of new DVDs is a week one, but if you were thinking “Gee, I could sure go for more of that Tom Cruise fella,” then you are in luck.

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I guess Halloween must not be an enticing day to release new discs.  All we’ve got is slim pickings this week.

Film:

Mission: Impossible III – At last, it’s Tom Cruise the Movie!  After jumping on sofas and glibbing Matt Lauer, Tom Cruise has become too big for his own good.  This writer has no problem with him as an actor, what he does have a problem with is that he couldn’t watch M:i:III without being reminded of Katie Holmes or Scientology every few minutes.  Thanks to all the attention the press has paid him, it’s too difficult to forget about the man our media loves to hate so much and believe that he’s a secret agent for a couple of hours.  Having said that, J.J. Abrams does a successful job of making this one exciting and escaping the doldrums of a dull action movie, and how could any movie where Philip Seymour Hoffman is the nemesis be bad?  Let’s just hope that if there’s ever an M:i:IV, it doesn’t come around until Cruise’s tidal wave of poor popularity washes over.

Those who are planning to make the buy should know that there are two editions of the DVD – coming in single and double-disc packages.  You can hear Abrams and Cruise himself as they discuss the film in their commentary on both editions, other than that none of the special features on either of the discs sound all that enticing.  The one possible exception is a feature called “Tribute Montage: Generation: Cruise” on the two disc set.  I have no idea what that vignette contains, but a montage including Tom Cruise must be worth a couple of laughs.

Special Edition:

It’s a Wonderful Life (60th Anniversary Edition) – Frank Capra.  Jimmy Stewart.  It doesn’t take too much to convince anyone that It’s a Wonderful Life is a wonderful movie, but do you really need to own it?  It’s aired every year on NBC, and with the only special features being a making-of feature, a trailer and a short on Capra, it hardly seems worth spending money on.  You’d be better off putting it in the bank – just don’t let Mr. Potter take it.  What an asshole.

Television:

Party at the Palms –Okay, there is not much to say for the first season of this show, a late night E! network series, hosted by Jenny McCarthy, that showcases crazy parties and the even crazier girls that occupy them.  Yawn.  But something worth mentioning is that at the Amazon page for Party at the Palms, there’s an incredibly odd bundle offer of this two disc set alongside the seventh season of The West Wing together for $61.48.  Okay, that’s not much to talk about; but come on guys, it really is a slow day.

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New on DVD

/ / Home Video News 

Another Tuesday, another batch of DVDs thrown at the consumer to purchase.  Ah, capitalism.

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Just in time for Halloween, it’s three scary movies!  There’s Monster House for the kids, Slither for the gut-busters out there and, scary enough to make anyone wet themselves, Nacho Libre! 

Film:

Monster House – You may have read last week’s column when I declared Over the Hedge to be the best animated film of the year.  This was a sloppy statement, because I had completely forgotten Monster House.  Erie, unnatural and with a bit of sophomoric humor (Mountain Dew bottles are used to store . . . similarly colord liquids,) it was a perfect realization of how a The Twilight Zone movie for the whole family would look like.  Another plus of the film is the look – instead of jumping on the bandwagon of making everything look more real in CG movies today, House went for style.  Instead of having every character’s hair blow gently in the breeze, this one just glues the hair down to the head, in a style not unlike claymation.  And best of all, it never ascends PG-rated frights, making House a great way to introduce your kids to scary movies.  Alan enjoyed the ride too, as you can read by kindly clicking here.

Nacho Libre – I love Jack Black.  I loved Napoleon Dynamite.  So, naturally, when I heard that Black and the director of Dynamite, Jared Hess were making a movie together called Nacho Libre, I was very content.  One year later, I was somewhat less content while in a theater watching Nacho.  Why?  Because I never perceived that a Jack Black vehicle could be so mind-shatteringly dull.  As hard as this film tries to be so obscure and silly that it gives the viewer a wave of giggles; Nacho only has one scene that inspires chuckles, every other shot is just of Black and friends being weird.  Aaron didn’t exactly disagree in his short review

Slither – 2006 has been a good year for comedy.  It’s given us Little Miss Sunshine Borat, Strangers With Candy and Little Miss Sunshine – all delivering laughs in high abundance.  But even in such a successful year for humor, Slither has a good shot of being the funniest movie of the bunch.  A send-up of horror a la Shaun of the Dead, Slither takes up the particularly simple (and easily achieved) task of pointing out everything mindless about a horror movie.  Shaun and Slither will find an identical audience, with the only differences between the movies being that the latter is less romance-oriented, and a lot scarier.  Scary enough, with its red and shriveled man-eating slugs, to be the creepiest movie put out in at least the last year.  If justice is alive, then Slither will find an audience on DVD.

Special Edition:

Reservoir Dogs: 15th Anniversary Edition – Hot off the heels of the 10th Anniversary edition comes this third edition of those ear-cutting Dogs to DVD.  Compared with the long line of Special Features from the last edition, 15 doesn’t have much to offer.  It scraps off just about everything from that edition except deleted scenes, while adding a couple of docs and . . . get excited . . . ENGLISH SUBTITLES!  A purchase for the die-hardiest of die-hard fans.

Television:

Batman Beyond: Season Two – Okay, nothing’s ever going to top the Bruce Timm-produced Batman from the 90s.  It’s just not going to happen.  Having said that, Batman Beyond is not a complete waste of time.  One of the first cartoons to embrace a jagged, straight line-oriented look that has come to dominate action cartoons today, Beyond was carefully designed and written to keep it from falling into just being a kids show, with solid plot lines that could appeal to any nine-year-old boy and his dad.

SNL: The Best of Saturday TV Funhouse – The Ambiguously Gay Duo?  Ex-Presidents?  As someone who watched and studied Will Ferrell era SNL throughout middle school in the hopes of becoming funnier, the Robert Smigel helmed short cartoons hit close to home.  The crude animation paired with obscurely silly humor worked better than many of the live-action skits on SNL, and with voice actors like Steve Carell and Stephen Colbert what reason don’t you have to check this out?

The Swan – You’re kidding me.  I mean really, you’re kidding me, right FOX?  I still have a hard enough time believing there was ever a show like The Swan, a reality show where they turn the less attractive members of our society into beauty queens, and torture the contestants by not letting them within sight of a mirror while they undergo plastic surgery liposuction and recovery from such procedures, but now you’re putting it on DVD so it can live on forever?  Really?

That’s My Bush! – Before I was allowed to watch South Park, my parents and I would make an occasion of every Wednesday night to watch That’s My Bush!, a live-action show about George W. that mocked the average American Sit-com just as much as the American President, created by the same guys that gave us South Park.  With the annoyingly perfect neighbor, a catch-phrase that ended every episode (“Oh Laura, one of these days, I’m gonna punch you in the face!”)  and even a traditional, couch dominated Sit-com living room set that occupied the White House, Bush somehow managed to be hilarious regardless of your feelings on the namesake of the show.  With only 13 episodes, it left office early but used its time wisely.

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New on DVD

/ / Home Video News 

Oh, heck yes! It’s Tuesday, and that means that you, yes you, the happy reader of RazorFine Review, gets to read a brand new installment of New on DVD!  Is it even remotely possible to contain the excitement?  I think not.

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Welcome to a week of commercial hits.  With the excetption of American Dreamz, all of the titles in this week’s column either grossed over $50 million in theaters, or lasted on television for eight years.

Film:

The Break-Up – I don’t have many actors that I can’t stand.  When I announced my anticipation for Marie Antoinette to my friends, I was met by a barrage of hatred for Kirsten Dunst; when I see the covers of tabloids, I just can’t understand why everyone loves to hate Lindsay Lohan.  But there is one starlet of Hollywood who I can’t find any favor in – Jennifer Aniston.  She was great in The Good Girl, but in any other movie she fails to prove any ability to act.  All she seems to do in any movie (including The Break-Up,) is recite lines while looking perky and as adorable as ever.  I couldn’t sympathize with her at all throughout all of her trials through the movie because I never saw her character, all I saw was the super-star known for two things: Friends and Brad Pitt.  Having said that, Vince Vaughn is charmingly funny as usual in this film, and it never hurts in my book to feature an alum of Arrested Development (Jason Bateman,) but thanks to Aniston the movie just never works.  Alan wasn’t too fond of it either, as made evident in his review of the film.

Over the Hedge – I never thought I would say this, but the best computer animated film this year so far wasn’t from Pixar.  No, Cars was fun but flat, giving DreamWorks the opportunity to steal the show with its simple but delightful Over the Hedge.  It did everything right – it had an all-star cast (with names like Bruce Willis, Steve Carell and even Captain Kirk,) a family friendly script that anyone could enjoy and, most importantly, it was funny.  It was funny on multiple levels, from Carell’s sugar junkie squirrel Hammy to the over the top direction found in the third act, it’s impossible not to give off a loud laugh at least a dozen times during the movie.  The animation might have failed to bring anything new to the table, but other than that there are no complaints to be had in this movie.  Alan was a believer too, as his review demonstrates.

American Dreamz – Too be honest, I walked out of American Dreamz disappointed.  As a believer that About a Boy is easily one of the most over-looked classics of the past ten years, I was excited to see this promising next film for Paul Weitz.  It was the first to lampoon the easily lampoonable American Idol, and featured Dennis Quaid with a hilariously spot-on impersonation of an American President who might or might not be a reflection of George W. Bush, American Dreamz had the potential to be a great satire on today’s America.  But the final product isn’t what could have been – what we get instead is a jumbled effort that makes it seem as though Weitz couldn’t decide if he wanted to make a serious, political film or a solid knee-slapper.  Still, American Dreamz should be commended for trying something most comedies try to steer clear of: having an intelligent message.  Alan, on the other hand, found more appeal in the film as you can read in right here.

The Omen – You know, The Omen wasn’t that good, but at least it was exciting (which in itself makes it several thousands times more watchable than The Grudge 2)  Sure, it was made obvious from its theatrical campaign that the only reason it was greenlit was so that 20th Century Fox would have a scary movie to release on 6/6/06; but hey, it wasn’t too bad.  It was watchable and, though rarely scary, was often intense.  There are better horror films out there to rent this Halloween; but I’ll be honest, after seeing The Grudge 2 last week (you can read my review of that stinker here,) even White Noise sounds like a fun-filled fright-fest.  Although Alan didn’t exactly agree with me on the issue, obvious from his one-star review of the film.

Television:

That ‘70s Show: Season 5 – Who buys these DVDs?  Seriously, who cares enough to pay money for an okay show that is already run, rerun and overrun through syndication .  The show is a testament of how there’s always going to be an audience out there for crappy television.  Still, if you need a fix for your Fez infatuation, then by all means run out there and throw Fox some more money.

Charmed – The Complete Sixth Season – Rejoice Charmed fans, although the death of the WB may have destined the show for the same fate, you get the sixth of the show’s eight seasons today!  The show was by no means great, but still a fun enough way to pass an hour by.  Some even tried to claim that, in a post-Buffy world, it was a semi-worthy heir to the show.  Of course, no show of its kind has come even close to matching the genius Buffy the Vampire Slayer since it ended three years ago, but you get the idea.

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Marie Antoinette Week

/ / Film News & Trailers

Sofia Coppola gave us The Virgin Suicides and Lost in Translation.  This Friday she brings her latest film, re-teaming with Kirsten Dunst, in Marie Antoinette.  Over the week we’ll be taking a look at Coppola’s first two films as well as a gander at a few of Miss Dunst’s as well.  And of course we’ll have our reviews for her new flick on Friday.

But that’s not the only film opening this week.  The list includes Flags of Our Fathers, the first of two films to be released from director Clint Eastwood examining the Battle of Iwo-Jima, as well as obsessed dueling magicians Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman in The Prestige, a new 3-D version of Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas, Terry Gilliam falling further into the abyss with a film that makes his last (The Brothers Grimm) appear to be a classic, another horsey movie with a young girl learning about life, and the star-studded cast of the Augusten Burroughs biopic Running With Scissors. 

All that and more; take a peek inside for the full list.

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Sofia Coppola brings Marie Antoinette to the screen, in the guise of Kirsten Dunst, for her third film.  All this week we’ll take a look some of the previous films of Coppola and Dunst as we begin Marie Antoinette Week here at RazorFine.

But that’s not all that’s scheduled to hit theaters this week.  Want to know more?  Just click on the title for film info including a full cast list.  Want a closer look?  Just click on the poster to watch the trailer.

Opening Friday:

Marie Antoinette

For her third film Sophia Coppola decided to adapt Lady Antonia Fraser’s The Journey which takes a sympathetic look at the figure of Marie Antoinette.  For her star Coppola called on Kirsten Dunst (the two worked on Coppola’s first film The Virgin Suicides) as well as Judy Davis, Jason Schwartzman, and Rip Torn.  The film received a mixed reaction at the Cannes Film Festival (as any pro-Antoinette film would) but also earned one award and a nomination for the Golden Palm.  The rock trailer, the intriguing cast, and the lush photography make this look like a film worthy of viewing and discussion.  How worthy?  Well check back Friday for our reviews!

Flags of Our Fathers

In the first of two films dealing with the Battle of Iwo Jima (Eastwood also directed Letters from Iwo Jima, presented from the Japanese point of view) Clint Eastwood gives us Ryan Phillippe, Jesse Bradford, and Adam Beach as the surviving members of the most famous photograph from WWII.  The film follows the stories of all six men, their families, the raising of the flag at Iwo Jima, how it changed the lives of the three men who made it home, and how the U.S. Government used the event to help jumpstart the war effort.  The script was penned by Oscar winner Paul Haggis (Crash).  Make sure you check back Friday for our review.

The Prestige

Batman vs. Wolverine.  Christain Bale and Hugh Jackman play competing Victorian Age magicians obsessed with outdoing each other and being proclaimed the best magician in London.  Christopher Nolan (Memento, Batman Begins) directs this journey of pride and obsession that will make everyone quickly forget that other regrettable magic film from ealier this fall.  It also stars Scarlett Johansson, Michael Caine, Piper Perabo, Rebecca Hall and David Bowie (yes, THAT David Bowie) as Nikola Tesla.  Check back Friday for our full review.

Flicka

Are you Flickin’ kidding me?  Another horsey movie?  Based on the novel My Friend Flicka by Mary O’Hara (made into a film in 1943 with Roddy McDowall) follows the story of a young teenager girl (Alison Lohman) claiming a wild horse as her own to prove to her father she could one day run the ranch.  This version also stars country music star Tim McGraw and Maria Bello as the parents (how freakin’ lucky is McGraw, he gets to pretend to be Bello’s husband on-screen and go home to Faith Hill at night)!  With Bello’s involvement you’d expect the film to be more than what it seems.

The Nightmare Before Christmas 3-D

Tim Burton’s tale of Jack Skellington (Chris Sarandon) leaving Halloween Town for Christmas Town with a well-intentioned, but woefully inept, plan to play Santa Claus (Edward Ivory) gets a remake in 3-D for Halloween (and you only had to wait 13 years).  The remastered digital 3-D prints include Lucas-like “improvements” included a revamped soundtrack.  For those of you who don’t remember the voice actors include Catherine O’Hara, Paul Reubens, Greg Proops, William Hickey, and the music and singing (he does the singing voice of Jack) of Danny Elfman.  I guess this animated 3-D flick craze is here to stay (Monster House). 

Opening Friday, in Limited Release:

Running with Scissors

In a film based off of Augusten Burroughs’ memoir, Augusten (Joseph Cross) dealing with an alocholic father (Alec Baldwin) and unstable mother (Annette Bening) as he spends his young years with his mother’s therapist (Brian Cox) and his extended family.  The first rate cast also includes Evan Rachel Wood, Gwyneth Paltrow, Gabrielle Union, and Joseph Fiennes.  Burroughs’ family wasted no time in suing Augusten so you can bet there’s some juicy tidbits to be enjoyed.  For you Nip/Tuck fans – the film is directed by the series head staff writer and executive producer Ryan Murphy.  The film opens Friday in limited release.

Sleepling Dogs Lie

Writtnen and directed by Bob Goldthait (yeah, THAT Bob Goldthwait) this dark comedy asks the question “Is honesty always the best policy?”  After Amy (Melinda Page Hamilton) shares a sexual indiscretion from her past with her current fiance (Bryce Johnson) she struggles with the consequences.  Both the film earned a Grand Jury Prize nomination at Sundance.  I have to say I’m more than a little curious at just what craziness Goldthwait’s brain unleashes here.  The film also stars Geoffrey Pierson, Jack Plotnick, Brain Posehn, Morgan Murphy, Steve Agee, and Bonita Friedericy.  It upens exclusively Los Angeles and New York on Friday.

Tideland

Terry Gilliam doesn’t play it safe, he reaches for the moon with his own brand of madness.  Whe he succeeds he gives us Time Bandits, The Fisher King, and Twelve Monkeys.  We he fails however we get films like Tideland.  The movie follows the odd little Jeliza-Rose (Jodelle Ferland) who finds herself in an abandoned country farmhouse with her inattentive druggie father (Jeff Bridges) after her mother (Jennifer Tilly) dies of a heroin overdose.  She lives in a bizarre fantasy world which includes the heads of dolls and the retarded neighbor.  Just how bad is Tideland?  Check back Friday for my review to find out.

Marie Antoinette Week Read More »