December Lambeth

So what’s out there this week?  It’s an interesting week at the movie plex coming to a theater near you and in limited release: 3 Needles, The Architect, Christmas at Maxwell’s, National Lampoon’s Van Wilder: The Rise of Taj, The Nativity Story and Turistas.

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:

National Lampoon’s Van Wilder: The Rise of Taj

Just in case the first bomb wasn’t enough for you, here is another. National Lampoon is back again and in it’s usual color. They should have stopped with National Lampoon’s Christmas and left it at that. Now we have to suffer through some film that should have went straight to DVD. How do they get such bad humor green lit?  Taj, Van Wilder’s geeky apprentice from the first film, goes international. He heads off to Camden University in England and adopts a group of misfit geeks and teaches them a little Wilder magic. Plenty of T & A and nerds being picked on, but they win in the end.

Rated R for pervasive crude sexual content (like the first), some nudity and language. Projected bomb.

The Nativity Story

Director Catherine Hardwicke and crew painstakingly produce this story down to the finest detail. A great deal of work and fine-tuning went into the set design, costuming and location. Well acted and written, The Nativity Story comes to the big screen in all its marvelous wonder glory. I don’t feel I need to summarize the film, it’s well known throughout. Just in time for the holidays and family gatherings.

Rated PG for some violent content. Projected 3.5 out of 5 razors.

Turistas

Just in case the first bomb wasn’t enough for you, here is another. National Lampoon is back again and in it’s usual color. They should have stopped with National Lampoon’s Christmas and left it at that. Now we have to suffer through some film that should have went straight to DVD. How do they get such bad humor green lit? As if Hostel wasn’t enough, now we have Turistas. A group of young and beautiful Americans go on vacation off the beaten path in beautiful exotic Brazil. After a bus crash and being a little shook up, the group runs into a couple of British travelers and some kind locals.

As the night draws on and the exotic drinks keep coming, the tourists wake up the next morning on the beach with no wallets, id’s or passports. Left in a country with no way out, they trust a local boy to take them to a safe house, or not. They find other passports and photo ids’s from past tourists and start to become unnerved. Sleeping in groups with one eye open, they are attacked in the middle of the night, but by whom? Horrible tortures and experiments locked in a cage and trying to escape the “Turistas” may not make it through their lavish vacation. After some of the films released this year and last, I may never want to travel out of the U.S., or my own hometown, for that matter, again.

Rated R for strong graphic violence and disturbing content, sexuality, nudity, drug use and language. On a fear factor and pure adrenaline projected 4 out 5 razors. You must remember I’m rating this based on the genre, not the Oscars.

Limited Release:

3 Needles

Beautiful visuals and touching stories, 3 Needles hits on 3 continents, South Africa, China and North America. In South Africa, Clara (Chloe Sevigny) tries to lead the dying to Jesus before it’s too late. She and her crew run across a group of orphans and she finds herself making a deal with a wealthy plantation owner to by the safety of the orphans. In China, Jin Ping (Lucy Liu) sets up a blood collection service. A local farmer, Tong Sam (Tanabadee Chokpikultong), has the flu and cannot sell his blood, so he lies about his daughter’s age and sells hers. He uses the money to make improvements on his farm, but when his farm finally prospers his daughter and wife mysteriously die.

Sam sets out on a journey to find out what caused their deaths and when he returns, he finds the whole town ill and the mobile blood collection out of business. In North America, Denny (Shawn Ashmore) is a porn star that passes his blood tests with his father’s blood. He is busted and the family falls on extremely hard times. His mother, Olive (Stockard Channing), takes out a large life insurance policy, purposely contracts a life threatening disease and sells her life insurance for a settlement worth millions. All stories have a strong tie to a particular disease and blood, each story is human and touching and spread through out the world. Projected 4 out of 5 razors.

Christmas at Maxwell’s

From the site:Christmas at Maxwell’s is an inspirational but light romantic Christmas drama, a story about the human struggle, the power of love, forgiveness, trust and uplifting the human spirit. It is the story of a fortysomething man confronting the overwhelming effect his past actions seem to be taking on his life and his family. Christmas at Maxwell’s was created to supplement the lack of family-friendly movies on the market today. It is inspired by a true story of faith, hope, love, and forgiveness, and is a movie based on traditional spiritual values.

So what’s out there this week?  Well today we’ll take a look at the films scheduled to be released early for the Thanksgiving holiday rush. Following films will be opeing this week on the 22nd: Deck the Halls, Déjà Vu, The Fountain, Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny and Valley of the Wolves: Iraq.

C’mon in and let us get you ready for the week!

N/A

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 Wednesday:

Deck the Halls

Contending neighbors, Steve (Matthew Broderick) and Danny (Danny DeVito), duke it out over the holidays. Steve and Danny are exact opposites, Steve runs a tight ship around the house and is very conservative and Danny is an all out wild guy who likes to enjoy a little holiday decorating competition. Danny is looking to light up his house so bright that he might knock out the power grid to cities surrounding miles away and this is interrupting Steve’s perfectly planned out holidays. The neighbors are duking it out and one is sure to conquer the other, but, I have know doubt, they’ll end up shaking hands in the end. Rated PG for some constructive crude and suggestive humor and language.

Here is a silly holiday film that falls very short of National Lampoons Christmas Vacation. Projected .5 out of 5 razors.

Déjà Vu

Wonderful, how exciting another weird ass movie with mind jacking moments and the star being Denzel Washington. No, if you couldn’t tell, I’m not much of a fan of old Denzel, his acting abilities are identical in every role he is cast and Déjà Vu is, but another. Yes, it is directed by Tony Scott and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, but seriously, aren’t most of their films mediocre at best? Doug Carlin (Denzel Washington) gets flashes of Déjà Vu, but these are not just mysterious visions in his memory, but warnings of bad things to come. Doug is an ATF agent who is sent in to investigate a bombing in New Orleans and ends up finding out he has powers that could save hundreds of people.

I don’t see this film being any more exciting than any of Denzel’s past films.  Projected 2 out of 5 razors.

The Fountain

A century long story about a man who tries to save his beloved from death. Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz play the couple in love looking for the Tree of Life and her salvation. Starting out in the 16th century, conquistador Thomas Creo (Hugh Jackman) begins his search to save Isabel’s (Rachel Weisz) life. Moving forward he becomes a modern-day scientist and even a 26th century astronaut to cure his wife from the consuming cancer. The Fountain promises to be an interesting twist and should be an exciting film, but I fear that it might get a little too out of touch with reality to work.

Rated PG13 for violence and action, some sensuality and language. Projected 3.5 out of 5 razors.

Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny

Jack Black and Kyle Glass star in a film about their band (that’s a given by the name). There doesn’t seem to be much that can be said about Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny. However, if you find Jack Black funny and if you enjoy is band duo Tenacious D, then you will enjoy this little escapade. Guaranteed to be full of dirty, raunchy and disgusting comedy and will fulfill your quota for off the wall humor for a year. You would never guess, it’s Rated R for language, sex and drugs. Projected 1 out of 5 razors.

Currently in Limited Release, Opening Wednesday, Novemeber 22:

For Your Consideration

Christopher Guest brings to the big screen another laugh out loud story about human’s infatuation about self-gratification. For Your Consideration has a few repeat players and a couple of new, a cast list that boasts Carrie Aizley, Bob Balaban, Ed Begley, Jr., Jennifer Coolidge, Paul Dooley, Ricky Gervais, Christopher Guest, Rachael Harris and on and on and on, how does Guest get so much talent in one film? The show is all about making an independent film and the award buzz that taunts the actors afterwards. Once again, Guest throws the obvious in our face and makes us look at the ugly beast in the eye.

Yes we are a greedy society that needs constant rewards and pats on the back for simply doing our job. Luckily he makes quite a farce of it and a completely enjoyable viewing experience. Read Alan’s review here.

Currently in Limited Release, Opening Thanksgiving Day:

Bobby

Wow, the films out this week have some serious talent. Bobby, written and directed by Emilio Estevez (yeah, I wondered where he went too) has quite the list with Anthony Hopkins, Demi Moore, Sharon Stone, Lindsay Lohan, Elijah Wood, William H. Macy, Helen Hunt, Christian Slater (he disappeared too), Heather Graham, Laurence Fishburne, Freddy Rodriguez…I’ll stop now. I’ve got to give it to Emilio; he has created a culturally and politically powerful film set around the night Robert F. Kennedy was shot. It focuses on 22 people who are all waiting for the arrival of Kennedy’s primary election night and the events that were set in history.

Many issues are covered from racism to women’s rights and each actor plays their part to bring the characters to life, most doing a brilliant job and a few a little rusty. It’s a well-written story and, for the most part, a well acted and directed one at that. Read Alan’s review here.

Opening Friday, November 24, in Limited Release:

Valley of the Wolves: Iraq

Here is a very politically charged film with a mix of fact and fiction about the beliefs and thought amongst Turkish, Arabic and Muslim people. An extremist one-sided story depicting Americans in a very bloodthirsty and heartless way. Much controversy and conversation has stemmed from this film, especially from Germany. I’m having a hard time finding the rating on this film, but from the descriptions and content I would assume it’s a different R, if not worse.

The English title, Valley of the Wolves: Iraq is well shot and very poignant. Projected 5 out of 5 razors.

So what’s out there this week?  Well today we’ll take a look at the films scheduled to be released which include a tap dancing penguin extravaganza, a bit of raunchy humor and a little shaken, not stirred accompanied by a few serious, and not so serious, limited releases. This week’s films include Happy Feet, Casino Royale, Let’s Go to Prison, For Your Consideration, Fast Food Nation, Candy, Shut Up and Sing and Bobby.

C’mon in and let us get you ready for the week!

N/A

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:

Casino Royale

Based on the first Bond book, “Casino Royale” written by Ian Fleming, the film gives us the creation of the top sexiest and lethal agent ever, 007 James Bond. Filling a pretty big pair of shoes left behind by Sean Connery and Pierce Brosnan, Daniel Craig (Munich and Layer Cake) is sure to fit in and hit the ground running. I have a small confession to make, I’ve never been much of a Bond film fan; but I could see where Casino Royale might change things around a bit. Promising your typical Bond moves, gadgets and plenty of danger and let us not forget your typical Bond girls, one good and one bad and always one in his bed. Bond fans won’t be disappointed, 007 is out to bring down the terrorists network through their banker, Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelsen) and to accomplish this he must beat Le Chiffre in a high-stakes poker game at the Casino Royale (wonder where the name of the film came from).

He falls for the sexy Vesper Lynd (Eva Green), British Treasury official, and finds the two of them in danger (what a shocker) and has to save her life as well as his own. Good times, glad to see that no matter how good or how bad the Bond films get, they will never die; our grandchildren will see the 50th Bond film, I have no doubt. Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violent action, a scene of torture, sexual content and nudity, maybe not the best family film, but certainly great for a night out between mom and dad or the buddies. Projected 3.5 out of 5 razors.

Happy Feet

Happy Feet boasts voice talents Elijah Wood, Robin Williams, Brittany Murphy, Hugh Jackman, Nicole Kidman, Hugo Weaving and the list goes on; plus plenty of dancing animated penguins with a lot of singing. Oh, how sweet, it’s Rudolph, but with Penguins, in a far off way. Mumble can’t sing and what’s a penguin that can’t sing, but tap dances? He’s nothing and the leader of the penguins kicks him out to figure things out on his own. Mumble runs across some other outcasts and hunts down an all knowing Guru.

Between the Amigos and the Guru, Mumble figures out the most important thing there is, you must be true to yourself to really shine. He goes back to his family and the nation of Emperor Penguins to prove that he is as worthy as they. Good times for the whole family, plenty of humor and awe shucks moments. Rated PG for some rude humor. Great Casino Royale has torture and violence and it gets a mere PG13, but a little rude humor in a family animated film and it gets PG, what’s this world coming to? Projected 3 out of 5 razors.

Let’s Go to Prison

Starring Dax from Without A Paddle, one of the accidental funniest guys on film, Let’s Go to Prison promises to be an empty raunchy attempt at prison sex humor. Richy snob gets into a little trouble and finds himself in the clink and roomies with a career thug. He gets a few lessons, sold to the prisons big guy and enjoys (not) a little prison snuggles. Before the career thug knows it, richy boy turns the tables on him and starts controlling the game. Rated R for language, sexual content and some violence and drug material, Let’s Go to Prison is a guaranteed wrong time. A projected bomb all around.

Shut Up and Sing

Rock on Dixie Chicks. Spend a day in their shoes, see what it was like to be the country music’s lead female group to speak their minds against our noble president. Shut Up and Sing is a documentary that follows the Dixie Chicks lives through out the past 3 years of tours, marriage, death threats, family, political attacks and making music after the comment about Bush. I’m glad we are in another country fighting for their rights and freedom of speech (keeping women from being hidden and abused), but all along we are suppose to oppress our true believes and stay under an invisible veil in our own country.

What makes all of this wrong is not only the opposition the government took against these 3 young ladies, but what we as a nation did. What ever happened to freedom of speech and having our own beliefs? I must question, would the same exact interrogation had happened to a male who would have spoke the same way? Is it time for us to burn our bras again? Projected 4 out of 5 razors.

Opening Friday, in Limited Release:

For Your Consideration

Christopher Guest brings to the big screen another laugh out loud story about human’s infatuation about self-gratification. For Your Consideration has a few repeat players and a couple of new, a cast list that boasts Carrie Aizley, Bob Balaban, Ed Begley, Jr., Jennifer Coolidge, Paul Dooley, Ricky Gervais, Christopher Guest, Rachael Harris and on and on and on, how does Guest get so much talent in one film? The show is all about making an independent film and the award buzz that taunts the actors afterwards. Once again, Guest throws the obvious in our face and makes us look at the ugly beast in the eye.

Yes we are a greedy society that needs constant rewards and pats on the back for simply doing our job. Luckily he makes quite a farce of it and a completely enjoyable viewing experience. Projected 5 out of 5 razors.

Fast Food Nation

Here’s an insult to the best selling novel with the same name. The only saving grace for Fast Food Nation are the small parts that Greg Kinnear, Ashley Johnson and Catalina Sandino Moreno plays in the film. There are tasteless graphic scenes of animals being slaughtered and way too much content trying to be covered in a serious form. Too much is too much, why try to cover so many topics in a short 2 hours. Focus on one point of view and keep it simple, simplicity would have saved this film. Rated R for really disturbing images, strong sexuality, language and drug content.

Limited release only, just wait for it on DVD. Projected 1 out of 5 razors.

Bobby

Wow, the films out this week have some serious talent. Bobby, written and directed by Emilio Estevez (yeah, I wondered where he went too) has quite the list with Anthony Hopkins, Demi Moore, Sharon Stone, Lindsay Lohan, Elijah Wood, William H. Macy, Helen Hunt, Christian Slater (he disappeared too), Heather Graham, Laurence Fishburne, Freddy Rodriguez…I’ll stop now. I’ve got to give it to Emilio; he has created a culturally and politically powerful film set around the night Robert F. Kennedy was shot. It focuses on 22 people who are all waiting for the arrival of Kennedy’s primary election night and the events that were set in history.

Many issues are covered from racism to women’s rights and each actor plays their part to bring the characters to life, most doing a brilliant job and a few a little rusty. It’s a well-written story and, for the most part, a well acted and directed one at that. Projected 4 out of 5 razors.

Candy

Heath Ledgerand Abbie Cornish star in this love story of two selfish and self-absorbed heroin addicts. Alan hated it, well hated might not be a strong enough word, despised might be more apt; you can check out his full review on Friday. The film was adapted from Luke Davies bes-selling novel and also stars Geoffrey Rush as an enabler and father figure for the lovers whose lives get slowly eaten up on drugs and madness. Boy, doesn’t that sound like the family film you’ve been waiting to take your kids to?  Doesn’t that sound like a beautiful love story? Oh wait, it doesn’t. A projected bomb all around.