This Means War

I was happily surprised by this movie. How the concept was executed had everything to do with making or breaking the flick. The movie maintains it comedy and action throughout. Reese Witherspoon and her dueling CIA operative suitors Chris Pine and Tom Hardy each act convincingly and Chelsea Handler delivers in her role as the comic relief best friend to the lead. There are many laughs, special effects and thinking about which guy is the better of the two. The movie was a nice popcorn diversion from my Oscar homework.

Several trailers before This Means War stood out and it was my first time seeing each. The quirky, genre combining comedic-apocalyptic movie Seeking A Friend For the End of the World starring Steve Carell and Keira Knightley is out June 22nd. The second, Think Like A Man, is a rom com spun from Steve Harvey's relationship advice book. Unlike He's Just Not That Into You, the movie features Harvey and acknowledges the existence of the book. It arrives in theaters April 20th. Also, the intriguing Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter was previewed. It also arrives June 22nd.  



Looking forward to...

Just caught the trailer for Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol. It looks good! The Bad Robot logo was the first strong sign (JJ Abrams' production company). I liked seeing Simon Pegg (who also popped up as Scotty in Abrams' Star Trek), Josh Halloway, Paula Patton and Jeremy Renner. The Lost full-circle-ness of it all is still blowing my mind; Evangeline Lilly was Renner's wife in the Oscar winning Hurt Locker, and we all know her as Kate. Abrams is producing this installment and Brad Bird is directing. Bird is best known for his work in animation (the Iron Giant, the Incredibles).
Guess I need to see the third one from 2006. That was at the height of Tom Cruise's craziness and I was relishing in it. I almost saw if for JJ's direction and Felicity, I mean Keri Russell's role in the flick.
Tom Cruise is the true work of some modern PR genius.

The new movie arrives in theaters December 16th. Even at the height of the summer movie season and knowing that mid-December is when the Oscar race gets going, I love it when I am energized and excited by a trailer.

Laura's cousin Mary was an extra in Salvation Boulevard. She is third from the left at the 1:44 mark, the girl with dark hair during the protesting, angry crowd scene. http://youtu.be/TYiYHfciJwE. Movie is out July 15th. Pierce Brosnan, Greg Kinnear, Ed Harris, Jennifer Connelly and Marisa Tomei are all in it. Looks wacky fantastic. I had actually never heard or read of it. Love new stuff.

Jumping the Broom

The audience made this movie exceedingly more entertaining than I think it may have been on its own. First off, we were laughing hysterically during the previews. There was a very random assortment of trailers and many. One of the last ones was for a horror movie. The screen remained black for several minutes but everyone in the audience knew something was going to jump out at some point. Then we all started laughing. It was great! I loved the guy just down the row from Kari and I who said repeatedly throughout the movie, "No he didn't!" and how great Mike Epps is.

There were many funny lines from the strong ensemble cast. I am sure that there are several things I missed because of the laughter. That said, there were some moments that were a little too melodramatic as well. The audience made the different and seeing this flick was an entirely entertaining experience.

Arthur

I really enjoyed Arthur. I commented on my first time seeing the trailer in a previous post and gave the details of how I have been a fan of Russell Brand's longer than any other stateside folks at that time. The movie definitely delivered. It was what the trailer promoted but was not only the lines/jokes from the preview. Jennifer Garner played very against her girl-next-door or even spy-badass types. Her character is not likable and there are jokes at her expense. She of course looks hot the whole time. Dame Helen Mirren continued her recent excellence in comedy (see last night's hosting gig on SNL and the impression given by previews for the movie Red). The relationship between Brand and Mirren's characters has depth, is well-written and their exchanges are often hilarious. The run-time of the movie feels good, satisfying in length but not too long. Good laughs, not a ton of laugh out loud moments, but enough. Specifically, enough from the not as-seen-in the trailer moments. I was surprised by the moments that had me welling up. I feel like I have been saying funny and heartfelt frequently as of late in my posts. If the shoe fits.

I recently watched the original Arthur, which like myself is 30 years old this year. I am a big fan of the more modern updates the new film has. Without getting too heavy for a comedy, it is much more socially responsible. If not in the script originally, I can't help but think Brand may have insisted upon seriously addressing his character's alcoholism. Brand often honesty, comedic, and self-deprecatingly discusses his life before and to sobriety. The movie also pays tribute to the original. Even with the updates and additional backstory and depth of the main character, the film follows the plot points of the 1981 movie almost exactly. I was waiting to see if I would hear Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do). I like the song more for the episode in Friends in which it is referenced than the movie but the new cover was good and well placed as the second song over the end credits. In paying close attention to see the band that redid the song (Fitz and the Tantrums), I also noticed curiously that Dermot Mulroney is credited as a performer on the track Hello I Must Be. Random and very interesting.

Also, I very much loved seeing the trailer for Larry Crowe (out July 1) with Tom Hanks and Julie Roberts on the big screen. It was my first time seeing the previews for Something Borrowed (May 6) and the full Super 8 (June 10) trailer. Those are the three I liked the looks of from the five or so that played. I also snuck in a six inch veggie delight from Subway. I did buy my small diet coke from the theater, so when they have more than almonds, pretzels and raisins exceeding 600 calories, we can talk about me eating their food when not seeking a treat.

Trailers that look cool

First off is Larry Crowne with Tom Hanks as the title character. Also starring Julia Roberts.

Second, Midnight in Paris with Owen Wilson and Rachel McAdams, and a whole
slue of cool people in Woody Allen's next film.

Third, a British young adult movie that looks great, Chalet Girl, that will most likely have a smaller opening in the US.

Just Go With It

Well, I had high hopes for this movie. Happy Madison Productions was apparently hellbent on cramming as many stupid sight-gags as they could into what was actually a very funny movie with a lot of heart. Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston were hilarious together and had great give and take in their scenes together. The stupid stuff, just ruined it. What could have been a Wedding Singer or a 50 First Dates, was two competing movies. One good and one bad. Now I can look the other way at a few items of humor that are not my thing and still appreciate or even love a movie despite those things (eg the androgynous aquarium worker in 50 First Dates). I would like to own the Non-Stupid-St8t edition of the DVD (or the Non-Devlin edition to use a phrase/joke from the movie). Not my Valentine's pick...stay home and watch a double feature of Wedding Singer and Object of My Affection for some quality Sandler and Aniston. Though I do hope they work together again, they are great together.

The music throughout the movie was excellent. Lots of Sting and mash-ups of Sting songs, as well as less commonly used Beach Boy songs. And there were several excellent cameos in the movie. I won't ruin the surprise (though, I don't recommend seeing this one in theaters, wait for DVD) but one typically serious actress is wonderfully wicked and funny in the film. In a way, I think it shows she has a sense of humor about herself (one hint, she is nominated for an Oscar this year). As the fabulous Miss Katy Hagert observed, Adam Sandler's wife Jackie Sandler, is in the opening scene of the movie. After a little research to confirm, the two were introduced by Rob Schneider after she appeared in Deuce Bigalow, and she has been in several other Adam Sandler movies.

One interesting thing I noticed in the credits, was that the movie was based on Cactus Flower. Cactus Flower is the 1969 movie with Goldie Hawn (she won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her film debut in it), Walter Matthau and Ingrid Bergman (and that movie, was first a play).

Also, amid the eight or so trailers before the movie, I really laughed out loud at the preview for the Arthur remake starring Russell Brand (who is hosting SNL tonight). I would like to state for the record that long before Brand was with Katy Perry, before he was in Forgetting Sarah Marshall or hosted the MTV Video Awards, I knew who he was. I am a loyal viewer of the Graham Norton Show on BBC America and Brand was a frequent guest before making his hop across the pond and into Hollywood movies. Looks good. Hope its not just the trailer.

Anyone else hate the creepy music in the Battle: LA trailer?! Blah, not seeing that.

New trailer!

Time to update my movie blog. I know, I know, it is about time.

My decision to update came because I just saw the trailer for the Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston movie that comes out 2/11/11, Just Go With It.
It looks fantastic! Its just the sort of Adam Sandler rom-com that are my favorites of his (50 First Dates, the Wedding Singer). And, I think we can all exhale a sigh of relief, looks like Jennifer Aniston's finally due for a hit!! Plus with a V-Day opening weekend -- no doubt.

With Oscar season ahead, and all the seriousness that that entails, its exciting to know a solid rom-com will be out in February.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5gBBF-y6ZY

I have not been to the movies since early September, thus explaining my lack of movie blogging. I never did post about Going the Distance, which was very cute. Good solid rom-com. Drew Barrymore uses colorful language and its really funny. I saw it with Mindy at Clackamas Town Center over Labor Day weekend -- good grief that seems like forever ago. Makes me realize what a great run I was on late summer/early fall. I would go to a movie, know which one I was going to next and be sure to blog about the last one I saw before seeing the next. I was even taking pictures and at Going the Distance, more creative ones, thanks to Mindy.

Last weekend I recently re-watched SATC2 on DVD, which purchasing was no easy task. I accidentally bought the Blu-Ray, which I do not own. Target was kind enough to exchange, and then that copy had a crack in the special feature disc. Third time is the charm, I now have a good copy, in the correct format. I'm eager to watch the special features. Looks like no commentary though.

Shout out to Marla's Movie nights! Every Friday. We have watched so far: Hot Tub Time Machine, Leap Year, Killers, Julie and Julia, Babies, Practical Magic and Date Night.

A couple of weekends ago, I red boxed The Joneses. Its Demi Moore and David Duchovny, very fun, very clever commentary on upper-middle class suburbs. I had seen the trailer and knew I wanted to see it. Seems to have gone straight to DVD -- which is not a reflection on the movie. Its one where the movie is actually as good as the trailer and the trailer is not the whole movie. I watched Greenburg with Laura back in mid-September, her first experience at the red box machine. That was not so good and an example of when the trailer and what the movie could be, is better than the actual movie.

I don't know what I'll be seeing next, but hopefully something soon! Marla's Movie Night is tonight and Thanksgiving is upon us. That long weekend usually means at least one trip to the theater. I vow to movie blog more. ;)