The Hangover Review – Smart and Funny
June 30, 2009 by Jane Boursaw
| Movie: The Hangover * Official Site | In Theaters: June 5, 2009 |
| Runtime: 100 minutes | Directed by: Todd Phillips |
| MPAA Rating: R for pervasive language, sexual content including nudity, and some drug material |  Gecko Rating: |
Sometimes a movie comes along that you think will be crude and stupid, and it turns out to be smart and funny. That’s "The Hangover." At first glance, it’s a crude buddy movie with lots of sex and drugs. Ok, it’s all that, but look a little further and you’ve got a smart, funny film with great writing and real characters, not movie cliches.
Basically, the story is about a Las Vegas bachelor blow-out that goes horribly, horribly wrong. Two days before his wedding, Doug (Justin Bartha) and three pals (Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms and Zach Galifianakis) head for Vegas for one last bash they’ll never forget.
12 Images from The Code with Morgan Freeman, Antonio Banderas
June 24, 2009 by Jane Boursaw
I just posted a little tidbit about Antonio Banderas doing nude scenes as he turns 50 years old, so I thought I’d post a few stills from "The Code" (said movie in which he strips down).
Also known as "Thick as Thieves," "The Code" bypassed theaters and went straight to DVD yesterday. The story follows a veteran thief, Keith Ripley (Morgan Freeman), who recruits a younger crook, Gabriel Martin (Antonio Banderas), to help him pull one final job so he can repay his debt to the Russian mob. But what Ripley doesn’t know is that the younger crook is actually a Miami cop working with the NYPD to bring him to justice.
Gabriel gets involved in a romance with Ripley’s goddaughter, Alexandra (Radha Mitchell). When they get around to pulling the final job, a Russian mobster kidnaps the goddaughter and demands two Faberge eggs stolen in return.
Directed by Mimi Leder (a veteran filmmaker whose credits go back to "China Beach" and "Hill Street Blues"), "The Code" is rated R for sexuality, language and some nudity. With Freeman and Banderas, it sounds like a lovely game of cat-and-mouse shenanigans. Buy it on DVD or Blu-ray.
More pics after the jump…
Vampire trend continues with Daybreakers
June 23, 2009 by Jane Boursaw
We’re starting to get some info on 2010 moves now, and the vampire theme continues on and on (which is fine by me!).
I just received a poster for Lionsgate’s "Daybreakers," starring Ethan Hawke and Willem Dafoe.
Hawke plays Edward Dalton, a researcher in the year 2019, and a plague has transformed the world’s population into vampires. Humans are becoming extinct, and vampires must capture and farm every remaining human, or find a blood substitute before time runs out (they haven’t heard of "True Blood"?).
But then a covert group of vampires makes a remarkable discovery, one which has the power to save the human race. The movie hits theaters January 8, 2010. Check out the official site, and the first teaser poster (creepy, huh?).
Image: © Lionsgate, 2010
Sexy, Cute and Funny - The Girl From Monaco Poster and Trailer
June 23, 2009 by Jane Boursaw
This looks like a cute, sexy, funny movie; a subtitled French film you might see at a film festival or arthouse theater.
"The Girl From Monaco" is about a high-priced Parisian lawyer named Bertrand (Fabrice Luchini) who travels to Monaco to defend a wealthy woman accused of murder. He discovers that his bodyguard, the scowling Christophe (Roschdy Zem), can be useful in a variety of ways. But then they run into a stunning – and dangerous - TV weathergirl, played Louise Bourgoin.
Directed by Anne Fontaine, it’s rated R for some sexual content and language. Arrives in theaters July 3, 2009.
After the jump, check out the trailer…
The Proposal Review – Betty White rocks.it.out.
June 23, 2009 by Jane Boursaw
| Movie: The Proposal * Official Site | In Theaters: June 19, 2009 |
| Runtime: 107 minutes | Directed by: Anne Fletcher |
| MPAA Rating: PG-13 for sexual content, nudity and language |  Gecko Rating: |
The interesting thing about “The Proposal” is that it’s produced by Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, the team behind TV shows like “Fringe” and “Alias,” and movies like “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen,” “Star Trek,” and “Eagle Eye.” And then along comes “The Proposal,” and you’re going, that seems weird. It’s a romantic comedy amongst these other action projects.
But it works. Maybe that edginess is just what a romantic comedy needs to keep it from being mundane. Well, that and Betty White. At 87 years old, that girl rocks every line and steals every scene. I adore Betty White.
32 Images from Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
June 21, 2009 by Jane Boursaw
“Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” hits theaters (IMAX and conventional) this Wednesday, June 24, 2009, and it looks Totally Awesome, Man!! (Couldn’t help myself). But it really does look like a fantastic summer blockbuster for Dreamworks/Paramount.
The story picks up where the first “Transformers” movie left off, with the evil Decepticons returning to Earth to take Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) prisoner. He’s learned the truth about the origins of the ginormous robots, but he’s got Optimus Prime watching his back. In short, it’s a robot battle to end all robot battles.
Directed by Michael Bay, “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” also stars Megan Fox, Rainn Wilson, Josh Duhamel, John Turturro, and Tyrese Gibson. It’s rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi action violence, language, some crude and sexual material, and brief drug material. Watch the trailer here, and check out the (Totally Awesome!!) pics after the jump!
Tyrese Gibson – Megan Fox is sexy in real life, too
June 21, 2009 by Jane Boursaw
In case you haven’t heard, "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" is exploding onto movie screens this Wednesday, June 24, 2009. Check out the trailer here.
Did Shia LaBeouf, who plays Sam Witwicky in the movie, have a moment’s hesitation when Michael Bay called him to do the sequel? No way! "Oh yeah, for sure — because [the phone's] not even listed as Michael Bay — it’s just listed as pick up."
Tyrese Gibson, who plays USAF Tech Sergeant Epps, has nicknames for various co-stars and crewmembers, like "Boom Boom Bay-ster" for Michael Bay and "Foxy" (of course!) for Megan Fox.
And yeah, she really DOES look that good in real life. "We have a thing," says Gibson. "Sometimes where you look good on camera, but I wonder how you look in person for real … Megan Fox is every bit of a fox when you see her in person."
Not surprising. Check out the ETOnline video here.
Image: © 2009 DW Studios L.L.C. and Paramount Pictures Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
Two images from Sorority Row – Half-naked women stalked by a serial killer!
June 19, 2009 by Jane Boursaw
Here’s a fun movie for anyone who loves horror films with scantily-clad women being stalked by a serial killer. In “Sorority Row,” a group of sorority sisters try to cover up the death of a house-sister when a prank goes horribly wrong. Throw in a serial killer, and you’ve got a recipe for disaster movie heaven. Theta Pi must die!
It’s due in theaters Oct. 2, 2009, and rated R for just about everything in the book — strong bloody violence, language, some sexuality/nudity and partying. Stars include Briana Evigan, Rumer Willis, Audrina Patridge, and Carrie Fisher. Check out the pics below:
Two Images from Astro Boy, in Theaters Oct. 23, 2009
June 19, 2009 by Jane Boursaw
I really don’t have much history with Astro Boy, but the movie looks like a lot of fun! It’s a CGI-animated movie coming to theaters Oct. 23, 2009.
“Astro Boy” began as a Japanese manga series and TV show first broadcast in Japan from 1963 to 1966. The story follows the adventures of a fictional robot named Astro Boy and lots of other fun characters, too.
The movie is set in futuristic Metro City, where Astro Boy (voiced by Freddie Highmore) is a young robot created by a brilliant scientist named Tenma (Nicolas Cage). Powered by positive “blue” energy, Astro Boy has super strength, x-ray vision, unbelievable speed, and the ability to fly.
The young robot goes on a search which eventually leads him back to Metro City to save everything he cares about.
“Astro Boy” also features the voices of Kristen Bell, Bill Nighy, Donald Sutherland, Nathan Lane, and Eugene Levy.
Images: TM and © 2009 Summit Entertainment, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Robin Williams in World’s Greatest Dad – Red Band Trailer
June 19, 2009 by Jane Boursaw
Robin Williams has some interesting movies coming up, including "World’s Greatest Dad." He’s had some tough times in recent years, but I’ve always enjoyed his work and complete spontaneity (or so it seems!) every time you see him on a talk show. He really is a true talent.
"World’s Greatest Dad" is a dark comedy from Magnolia Pictures, directed by Bobcat Goldthwait, who isn’t exactly known for doing warm, fuzzy films. You can actually see this movie before it hits theaters on Aug 21, 2009. Starting July 24, see it on VOD, XBOX Live, and Amazon.
Robin Williams stars as Lance Clayton, a man who dreams of being a rich and famous writer, but has settled for being a high school poetry teacher. Daryl Sabara plays his son Kyle, a brat who won’t give his father the time of day. Lance is dating Claire (Alexie Gilmore), the school’s art teacher who refuses to publicly acknowledge that they’re dating.
After a freak accident, Lance suffers a tragedy and suddenly has the chance at all the fame, fortune and popularity he’s ever dreamed of. But will he take it?
Watch the red band trailer after the jump (not for kids!)…