March Movies: Battle L.A., Sucker Punch, Rango....

[Mark Vader]

Hell, Im usually still in bed at 11am.

 

I don't mind the ticket prices as much as I do the concessions. I was traumatized by movie popcorn back in 1992, so I never buy that anyway...but $5.75 for a damn coke is nuts man.

How do you think movie theatres make their money?

[ajzepp]

How do you think movie theatres make their money?

 

Yeah, I know...my brother is a GM at a Regal Theater...a significant part of his bonus is based on concessions. I know they don't make squat off the tickets, but that's still ridiculous for a coke lol. The least they could do is use a plastic cup so that I could re-use it at home

[UConn James]

Hell, Im usually still in bed at 11am.

 

I don't mind the ticket prices as much as I do the concessions. I was traumatized by movie popcorn back in 1992, so I never buy that anyway...but $5.75 for a damn coke is nuts man.

 

I'm sorry, but you can't write something like that and then not offer an explanation (or expect that one will not be demanded)!

[shrader]

Hell, Im usually still in bed at 11am.

 

I don't mind the ticket prices as much as I do the concessions. I was traumatized by movie popcorn back in 1992, so I never buy that anyway...but $5.75 for a damn coke is nuts man.

 

But hey, at least for that $5.75, you get about 5 gallons. There's nothing better than some diabetes in a cup.

[Doc]

Yeah, I know...my brother is a GM at a Regal Theater...a significant part of his bonus is based on concessions. I know they don't make squat off the tickets, but that's still ridiculous for a coke lol. The least they could do is use a plastic cup so that I could re-use it at home

The cup costs more than the Coke. I worked at a pizza place in college and the owner said I could drink all the soda I wanted, but I could only use a reusable cup (that he gave me, probably given free to him by one of the bev companies) because the disposable cups cost more than the product.

[CosmicBills]

Don't go see Paul. My early nomination for Turd Of The Year. Really disappointing since I enjoyed Shawn Of The Dead and Hot Fuzz. This one got the Hollywood treatment and it showed. Clumsy attempt at humor rarely made me smile. I think early in the film when they were at Comic Con there may have been a few moments that made me smile I guess. One of those movies I couldn't wait to end to get out of there. What really seemed weird was the swipes the movie took at creationism. Kind weird because it seemed so out of place in this lame brained, light weight disaster. Anyway, Hollywood just can't help itself I suppose. Had the obligatory country redneck that can't wait to use his gun on anyone and anything. Stereotyped government agent with a signed pic of GW Bush on her desk and so on.

To be fair, Paul isn't a Hollywood movie. It's a UK movie.

[Dante]

To be fair, Paul isn't a Hollywood movie. It's a UK movie.

I guess I was mislead by the almost the entire cast being SNL alums. Director being from Long Island and so on. Silly me.

Edited March 23, 2011 by Dante

[CosmicBills]

I guess I was mislead by the almost the entire cast being SNL alums. Director being from Long Island and so on. Silly me.

I'm just being an ass. But it was written, produced and (largely) financed by UK folks.

[ajzepp]

I'm sorry, but you can't write something like that and then not offer an explanation (or expect that one will not be demanded)!

 

haha, well it was around the time when my brother first started working in the theater. One night I was about to watch Unforgiven and he asked if I wanted some popcorn. I said, "sure, that would be great". A few minutes later he came back with some popcorn that tasted almost identical to what you get in the theater. I asked him where he got it and he proceeded to take me over to kitchen where this giant hefty bag was sitting on the counter. He said that when they finish up for the night, they take all the extra popcorn left in the bin thing, stick it in a garbage bag, and then someone gets to take it home. On top of that, the theater "butter" came in this giant plastic industrial-looking container that could have held anything from anti-freeze to vegetable oil, for all I knew. It was very concentrated and just looked nasty. My brother is one of the most picky eaters ever, so why he was ok with this I'll never know...but every time I see popcorn at the movie theater sitting in that glass bin, it makes me nauseous.

[Dante]

I'm just being an ass. But it was written, produced and (largely) financed by UK folks.

np. Pegg has a hand in writing all the movies. This is why I'm kinda surprised and disappointed this thing was such a dog. Also why I suspect the Hollywood people had a hand in the writing. No consistent with his other stuff including the series "Spaced" that he also co wrote. Not really any politics or heavy social commentary in his stuff.

[ajzepp]

np. Pegg has a hand in writing all the movies. This is why I'm kinda surprised and disappointed this thing was such a dog. Also why I suspect the Hollywood people had a hand in the writing. No consistent with his other stuff including the series "Spaced" that he also co wrote. Not really any politics or heavy social commentary in his stuff.

 

It seems to be holding up well in terms of the critics...has a 71% on rottentomaoes.com as I'm writing this...that's not bad at all.

[UConn James]

haha, well it was around the time when my brother first started working in the theater. One night I was about to watch Unforgiven and he asked if I wanted some popcorn. I said, "sure, that would be great". A few minutes later he came back with some popcorn that tasted almost identical to what you get in the theater. I asked him where he got it and he proceeded to take me over to kitchen where this giant hefty bag was sitting on the counter. He said that when they finish up for the night, they take all the extra popcorn left in the bin thing, stick it in a garbage bag, and then someone gets to take it home. On top of that, the theater "butter" came in this giant plastic industrial-looking container that could have held anything from anti-freeze to vegetable oil, for all I knew. It was very concentrated and just looked nasty. My brother is one of the most picky eaters ever, so why he was ok with this I'll never know...but every time I see popcorn at the movie theater sitting in that glass bin, it makes me nauseous.

 

I'm a picky eater myself, but I'd be OK with the popcorn in a bag if it were unflavored or something like kettle corn. But, yeah, the butter mixture they put on that stuff is highly suspect in a LOSTian "DHARMA Ranch Dressing doesn't need to be refrigerated" kind of way.

 

On the relatively rare occasion I make popcorn here, it's the Boy Scout plain kernels in the hot air popper, with some melted butter (real butter from a stick like Julia Child), some black pepper and a bit of Kraft parmesan. I don't like anyone eating on the sofa, tho; that's the reason it's rare.

[shrader]

It seems to be holding up well in terms of the critics...has a 71% on rottentomaoes.com as I'm writing this...that's not bad at all.

 

I've never been able to get a good handle on most critic's thoughts when it comes to comedies. It seems like most of the time, I come out with the exact opposite opinion of the critic.

[UConn James]

Also, I caught "Limitless" a couple of days ago. It was entertaining enough, but it got a little draggy. I don't understand why the character doesn't go to Vegas and clean up instead of borrowing cash from a Russian mobster, but then that would preclude an action plot element.

 

Its ending was morally bankrupt. Pale-fonted for spoilerage: He faced no prosecution for possibly killing the model (says he doesn't remember b/c he was on the ZMT(?) --- yeah, that's a great excuse!), he's ostensibly on a cleaner/purer version of the drug (that makes it OK to use drugs?), and worst of all [shudder] --- he's running for the U.S. Senate!

[Dante]

It seems to be holding up well in terms of the critics...has a 71% on rottentomaoes.com as I'm writing this...that's not bad at all.

I read some of them before I went. Has me puzzled. I wanted to like it going in so I would think I was more tolerant than most critics.

[Mark Vader]

BUMP

 

Here are this month's Independent Films, and there are plenty.

 

Paul Giamatti stars in the Sundance favorite "Win Win". In order to support his family, attorney Mike Flaherty moonlights as a high school wrestling coach and assumes the guardianship on an elderly client (albeit not in the most honest fashion). Flaherty's fortunes begin to shine when the man's runaway grandson materializes, until the boy's mother appears, fresh from rehab, flat broke, and looking for an opportunity. Also starring Amy Ryan and Jeffrey Tambor.

 

In "Miral", A Palestinian girl is brought to the Dar Al-Tifl orphanage in the wake of Arab-Israeli war, where she forms a bond with Hind Husseini, founder of the orphanage. Finding herself drawn into the conflict as she matures, a connection with an Israeli socialist opens a door to a different life. Starring Freida Pinto, Hiam Abbass & Willem Dafoe.

 

From director Kevin Smith comes "Red State". After a group of teens accept an online invitation for group sex, though they soon encounter Pastor Abin Cooper, his followers, and their sinister agenda. Starring Michael Parks, Melissa Leo, Kevin Pollak & John Goodman.

 

Josh Radnor directs, writes and stars in, another Sundance favorite, "Happythankyoumoreplease". A look at the lives and loves of six friends in New York City, and how their existence is changed when struggling writer Sam (Radnor) finds himself the unlikely guardian of a boy who becomes separated from his family in the subway. Also starring Malin Akerman, Kate Mara & Zoe Kazan.

 

In "Kill the Irishman", Cleveland, Ohio - 1976: A turf war breaks out between Irish mobster Danny Grenne (Stevenson) and the Italian mob as Greene wages a campaign to assert his own power. Starring Ray Stevenson, Christopher Walken, Vincent D'Onofrio, Val Kilmer, Vinnie Jones, Paul Sorvino, Fionulla Flanagan & Linda Cardellini

 

In "Peep World", During their father's 70th birthday celebration, tensions mount between four siblings, the youngest of whom authored a best-seller that exposes the family's most intimate secrets. Starring Michael C. Hall, Judy Greer, Sarah Silverman, Taraji P. Henson, Ron Rifkin & Rainn Wilson.

 

In "The Music Never Stopped", Henry Sawyer (Simmons) looks to bond with his estranged son, Gabriel, who suffers from a brain tumor that prevents him from forming new memories. Sensing that Gabriel responds to music, Henry seeks out a music therapist, who discovers that when Gabriel listens to the rock music he loved, he re-engages with the world. Starring Lou Taylor Pucci, J.K. Simmons & Julia Ormond.

 

In "Black Death", Set during the height of the Black Death, a seasoned knight and a young monk travel to a village rumored to be unaffected by the pandemic. Starring Eddie Redmayne, Sean Bean & Carice van Houton.

 

In "Cracks", At a British boarding school, a clique of girlfriends find their dynamic thrown off kilter by the arrival of a beautiful new Spanish student, Fiamma, who also infatuates Miss G, the school's most glamorous teacher who the center of the girls' lives. Starring Eva Green, Juno Temple & Maria Valverde.

 

In "Certified Copy", In Tuscany to promote his latest book, a British author meets a gallery owner who takes him on a countryside tour, where their intimate discussions on love, life, and art see them mistaken for husband and wife. Starring Juliette Binoche and William Shimell.

 

In "White Irish Drinkers", Brooklyn, 1975: two brothers looking for a way out of their working-class neighborhood make a pact to rob a local theater on the night of a Rolling Stones concert. Starring Nick Thurston, Geoffrey Wigdor, Stephen Lang & Karen Allen.

 

"Bill Cunningham New York" is, A documentary on New York Times photographer Bill Cunningham.

 

In the Foreign Language department:

 

From France is "Potiche". When her husband is taken hostage by his striking employees, a trophy wife takes the reins of the family business and proves to be a remarkably effective leader. Business and personal complications arrive in the form of her ex-lover, a former union leader. Starring Catherine Deneuve, Gerard Depardieu & Fabrice Luchini.

 

From The Netherlands & Belgium comes, "Winter in Wartime". Nazi-occupied Holland, 1945: young Michiel comes to the aid of a wounded British paratrooper and finds himself drawn into the Resistance, though he soon realizes he does not know whom to trust among the adults and townspeople around him. Starring Matijn Lakemeier, Jamie Campbell Bower & Yorick van Wageningen.

 

From Mexico, there is "Abel". As an alternative to sending her troubled young son to a psychiatric hospital in Mexico City, a devoted mother allows her boy, Abel, to live out a fantasy: that he is the head-of-household since his father left to find work in the U.S. Starring Christopher Ruiz-Esparza, Karina Gidi & Jose Maria Yazpik.

 

From South Korea, "I Saw the Devil". When his pregnant wife becomes the latest victim of a serial killer, a secret agent blurs the line between good and evil in his pursuit of revenge. Starring Byung hun-Lee & Min-sik Choi.

 

Finally from Thailand, UK, France, Germany, Spain & The Netherlands comes "Uncle Boonme Who Can Recall His Past Lives". A farmer suffering from a kidney disorder opts to spend his last days in a house in the jungle, where real-world and supernatural visitors call on him. Starring Thanapat Saisaymar.

 

Calendar with trailers. Note: These dates are for Exclusive or Limited release. These films may appear in your area at a later date.

 

3/4

"Red State": http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi3049233689/

 

"Happythankyoumoreplease": http://www.happythankyoumoreplease.com/#/home

 

"Uncle Boonme Who Can Recall His Past Lives": http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi1313118745/

 

"I Saw The Devil": http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi474847769/

 

"Abel": http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi2812648217/

 

3/11

"Certified Copy": http://www.ifcfilms.com/uncategorized/certified-copy

 

"Black Death": http://www.blackdeathmovie.com/

 

"Kill the Irishman": http://www.killtheirishman.com/

 

3/18

"Win Win": http://www.foxsearchlight.com/winwin/

 

"Bill Cunningham New York": http://www.zeitgeistfilms.com/billcunninghamnewyork/

 

"Cracks": http://www.cracksmovie.co.uk/

 

"Winter in Wartime": http://www.sonyclassics.com/winterinwartime/

 

"The Music Never Stopped": http://themusicneverstopped-movie.com/

 

3/25

"Miral": http://www.miralmovie.com/

 

"Potiche": http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi784178457/

 

"Peep World": http://www.ifcfilms.com/films/peep-world-2

 

"White Irish Drinkers": http://www.screenmediafilms.net/index.php?videoName=whiteIrish

 

That's all for now. April movies will be up very soon. Enjoy!

[CowgirlsFan]

BUMP

 

Here are this month's Independent Films, and there are plenty.

 

Paul Giamatti stars in the Sundance favorite "Win Win". In order to support his family, attorney Mike Flaherty moonlights as a high school wrestling coach and assumes the guardianship on an elderly client (albeit not in the most honest fashion). Flaherty's fortunes begin to shine when the man's runaway grandson materializes, until the boy's mother appears, fresh from rehab, flat broke, and looking for an opportunity. Also starring Amy Ryan and Jeffrey Tambor.

 

In "Miral", A Palestinian girl is brought to the Dar Al-Tifl orphanage in the wake of Arab-Israeli war, where she forms a bond with Hind Husseini, founder of the orphanage. Finding herself drawn into the conflict as she matures, a connection with an Israeli socialist opens a door to a different life. Starring Freida Pinto, Hiam Abbass & Willem Dafoe.

 

From director Kevin Smith comes "Red State". After a group of teens accept an online invitation for group sex, though they soon encounter Pastor Abin Cooper, his followers, and their sinister agenda. Starring Michael Parks, Melissa Leo, Kevin Pollak & John Goodman.

 

Josh Radnor directs, writes and stars in, another Sundance favorite, "Happythankyoumoreplease". A look at the lives and loves of six friends in New York City, and how their existence is changed when struggling writer Sam (Radnor) finds himself the unlikely guardian of a boy who becomes separated from his family in the subway. Also starring Malin Akerman, Kate Mara & Zoe Kazan.

 

In "Kill the Irishman", Cleveland, Ohio - 1976: A turf war breaks out between Irish mobster Danny Grenne (Stevenson) and the Italian mob as Greene wages a campaign to assert his own power. Starring Ray Stevenson, Christopher Walken, Vincent D'Onofrio, Val Kilmer, Vinnie Jones, Paul Sorvino, Fionulla Flanagan & Linda Cardellini

 

In "Peep World", During their father's 70th birthday celebration, tensions mount between four siblings, the youngest of whom authored a best-seller that exposes the family's most intimate secrets. Starring Michael C. Hall, Judy Greer, Sarah Silverman, Taraji P. Henson, Ron Rifkin & Rainn Wilson.

 

In "The Music Never Stopped", Henry Sawyer (Simmons) looks to bond with his estranged son, Gabriel, who suffers from a brain tumor that prevents him from forming new memories. Sensing that Gabriel responds to music, Henry seeks out a music therapist, who discovers that when Gabriel listens to the rock music he loved, he re-engages with the world. Starring Lou Taylor Pucci, J.K. Simmons & Julia Ormond.

 

In "Black Death", Set during the height of the Black Death, a seasoned knight and a young monk travel to a village rumored to be unaffected by the pandemic. Starring Eddie Redmayne, Sean Bean & Carice van Houton.

 

In "Cracks", At a British boarding school, a clique of girlfriends find their dynamic thrown off kilter by the arrival of a beautiful new Spanish student, Fiamma, who also infatuates Miss G, the school's most glamorous teacher who the center of the girls' lives. Starring Eva Green, Juno Temple & Maria Valverde.

 

In "Certified Copy", In Tuscany to promote his latest book, a British author meets a gallery owner who takes him on a countryside tour, where their intimate discussions on love, life, and art see them mistaken for husband and wife. Starring Juliette Binoche and William Shimell.

 

In "White Irish Drinkers", Brooklyn, 1975: two brothers looking for a way out of their working-class neighborhood make a pact to rob a local theater on the night of a Rolling Stones concert. Starring Nick Thurston, Geoffrey Wigdor, Stephen Lang & Karen Allen.

 

"Bill Cunningham New York" is, A documentary on New York Times photographer Bill Cunningham.

 

In the Foreign Language department:

 

From France is "Potiche". When her husband is taken hostage by his striking employees, a trophy wife takes the reins of the family business and proves to be a remarkably effective leader. Business and personal complications arrive in the form of her ex-lover, a former union leader. Starring Catherine Deneuve, Gerard Depardieu & Fabrice Luchini.

 

From The Netherlands & Belgium comes, "Winter in Wartime". Nazi-occupied Holland, 1945: young Michiel comes to the aid of a wounded British paratrooper and finds himself drawn into the Resistance, though he soon realizes he does not know whom to trust among the adults and townspeople around him. Starring Matijn Lakemeier, Jamie Campbell Bower & Yorick van Wageningen.

 

From Mexico, there is "Abel". As an alternative to sending her troubled young son to a psychiatric hospital in Mexico City, a devoted mother allows her boy, Abel, to live out a fantasy: that he is the head-of-household since his father left to find work in the U.S. Starring Christopher Ruiz-Esparza, Karina Gidi & Jose Maria Yazpik.

 

From South Korea, "I Saw the Devil". When his pregnant wife becomes the latest victim of a serial killer, a secret agent blurs the line between good and evil in his pursuit of revenge. Starring Byung hun-Lee & Min-sik Choi.

 

Finally from Thailand, UK, France, Germany, Spain & The Netherlands comes "Uncle Boonme Who Can Recall His Past Lives". A farmer suffering from a kidney disorder opts to spend his last days in a house in the jungle, where real-world and supernatural visitors call on him. Starring Thanapat Saisaymar.

 

Calendar with trailers. Note: These dates are for Exclusive or Limited release. These films may appear in your area at a later date.

 

3/4

"Red State": http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi3049233689/

 

"Happythankyoumoreplease": http://www.happythankyoumoreplease.com/#/home

 

"Uncle Boonme Who Can Recall His Past Lives": http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi1313118745/

 

"I Saw The Devil": http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi474847769/

 

"Abel": http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi2812648217/

 

3/11

"Certified Copy": http://www.ifcfilms.com/uncategorized/certified-copy

 

"Black Death": http://www.blackdeathmovie.com/

 

"Kill the Irishman": http://www.killtheirishman.com/

 

3/18

"Win Win": http://www.foxsearchlight.com/winwin/

 

"Bill Cunningham New York": http://www.zeitgeistfilms.com/billcunninghamnewyork/

 

"Cracks": http://www.cracksmovie.co.uk/

 

"Winter in Wartime": http://www.sonyclassics.com/winterinwartime/

 

"The Music Never Stopped": http://themusicneverstopped-movie.com/

 

3/25

"Miral": http://www.miralmovie.com/

 

"Potiche": http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi784178457/

 

"Peep World": http://www.ifcfilms.com/films/peep-world-2

 

"White Irish Drinkers": http://www.screenmediafilms.net/index.php?videoName=whiteIrish

 

That's all for now. April movies will be up very soon. Enjoy!

 

Thanks Mark!! Great info and insight!! "Win Win" is now on my list to go see.

[Dante]

Thanks Mark!! Great info and insight!! "Win Win" is now on my list to go see.

Marks posts have become my guide to upcoming flix. Needs to start his own website. He could attach a message board to it for people to talk more crap about movies. Heh..just what we need. Another time sucker.