This Week in Remakes
After witnessing a group of kids involved in a homicide a vengeful killer bides his time (as only homicidal killers in slaher flicks can) and decides to take revenge on Prom Night in this remake of the 1980 film. Brittany Snow, Jessica Stroup, Jana Kramer, Brianne Davis, Debbie Entin, and RGX Body Spray Girl Rachel Specter star. Check out the official site. Larger trailer, plus the trailer for the original, available in the Full Diagnosis.
Prom Night
N/A
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Leatherheads
- Title: Leatherheads
- IMDb: link
“The game of professional football has come of age.”
The year was 1925 and professional football was a joke and losing money fast. Out of money and options Dodge Connelly (George Clooney), the owner, captain, and marketer of the Duluth Bulldogs, comes up with a plan to save the sport by offering college stand-out and war hero Carter Rutherford (John Krasinski) a spot on the team.
The film has both big jokes and a sly wit. Dodge, it turns out, is the game’s best promoter, and does what it takes to make his meal-ticket into a star even at the cost of his own glory. Although the film takes pleasure in Dodge’s loosing influence over the team and the sport, if you watch closely you will also notice Dodge slowly helping out and making sure it’s Carter’s play which gets celebrated.
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The Ruins
- Title: The Ruins
- IMDB: link
Scott Smith adapts his own novel for the screen, and maybe he should farm himself out for other projects because if he can do this good a job with a screenplay about a some dumb kids and a plant think what he could do for the countless other horror scripts out their which need some serious help.
Two couples (Jonathan Tucker and Jena Malone, Shawn Ashmore and Laura Ramsey) on vacation in Mexico learn there are more things to be afraid of than the local water.
A chance encounter with a German (Joe Anderson) leads the group on an expedition of a recently uncovered Mayan temple deep in the jungle. Despite the distance the group makes it to the temple only to find themselves attacked by a local tribe and quarantined for their exposure to the forbidden locale. Surveying the scene and searching for the archaeological team leads some of the members into the temple and to uncover the reason why the locals fear the place and will make sure nothing leaves the area.
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Nim’s Island
- Title: Nim’s Island
- IMDB: link
Abigail Breslin stars as Nim, a headstrong young girl with a good heart who lives on a deserted island with her reclusive scientist of a father (Gerard Butler). When her father is delayed on an expedition Nim asks for help from the most logical source – the hero of her favorite novels Alex Rover (also played by Gerard Butler).
Nim’s cries for help do not reach Alex Rover adventurer, but Alexandria Rover (Jodie Foster) author. Alexandria suffers from acute agorophobia, motion sickness, and a host of other issues which makes it impossible for her to help Nim, but she can’t turn the child down. And so with her make-believe hero in tow (also, quizzically, played by Butler) Alexandria begins a trip by boat, plane, and helicopter, to help.
Nim’s situation if further complicated by a cruise ship who decides to stop on the island and let its passengers enjoy the beach. Unwilling to allow this encroachment into her home, Nim forms a plan with the help of her animal companions to turn away the invaders.
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Tube Watch – The Return of Jezebel James
Oh boy. Here’s a glimpse of what the world of a prolonged writer’s strike would have looked like. It’s not pretty, folks. The Return of Jezebel James, filling a hole for missing programming, was thankfully canceled after only two weeks. For those who missed this inglorious moment in TV history, and have a strong stomach, check out our review (and your chance to view the full Pilot episode) inside the Full Diagnosis.
The Return of Jezebel James
1 Star
Parker Posey stars as Sarah Tompkins, a Manhattan book editor whose defining characteristics seem to be her annoying nature and a complete inability to shut-up. For no real reason, other than the plot calls for it, she decides to have a baby. A trip to the doctor however reveals her inability to conceive. What is she to do?
Out of the blue she calls up her estranged younger sister Coco (Lauren Ambrose) to offer her the opportunity to carry her baby. The two haven’t spoken in years, don’t get along, and don’t even really know each other. Coco, of course, decides against all logic to agree to the arrangement, because, well, the plot calls for her to. And so a sitcom is born. Thankfully it lived only a short time.
Although I’ve seen worse shows on television, I’m not sure I remember one centered around such an annoying character. The show was created by Gilmore Girls creator Amy Sherman who forgets the cardinal rule about a sitcom – to make it FUNNY! In two episodes I watched, I laughed only once – at the complete and absolute absurdity at the entire enterprise.
Even with extensive rewrites I doubt this show could be saved. It certainly could be better, but never passable. Posey has her uses in films and television, but this is just a bad fit for her, and since the writers never decide who Coco is supposed to be Ambrose can be given a little slack for never getting a feel for the character. Bad casting choices and bad writing make for bad television. With the writers returning to work we can be thankful, at least, that this one was put down quickly.
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