Things are finally picking up, movie fans. But while there are a large number of new releases, you many want to investigate carefully before making any choices. Mixed in with the Oscar hopefuls are some “worst of the year” contenders (which may be entertaining in a different sort of way). Be sure to click on any links to read more detailed write ups. So if you can’t make it out to the movies this week, be sure to give one of these titles a try!
Big New Releases!
Atlas Shrugged: Who is John Galt? – …And does anyone still care? The third and final film in this series finds more entrepreneurs disappearing and the world on the very brink of economic collapse. Critics were downright derisive about the movie (it still has yet to receive a positive review). They suggested that it did its source material no favors and called it a cheap-looking, laughably written mess that amounts to little more than a lengthy series of dull conversations. Expect it to receive some Razzie Award consideration in the coming weeks. It stars Rob Morrow, Stephen Tobolowsky and Joaquim de Almeida.
Boyhood – This unique experiment is guaranteed to receive some Academy Award nominations. It follows the fictional life of a youngster as he grows from age 5 to 18 and was filmed in chunks over a period of 12 years. It has been described as a bit shaggy at just under three hours, but all reviews called it an incredible accomplishment. Not only does it feature plenty of interesting observations and food for thought, but plays out in a believable and realistic manner. Ellar Coltrane, Patricia Arquette, Ethan Hawke and Lorelei Linklater play the leads role. Read the site’s full-length review of the film right here.
Dinosaur 13 – Documentary fans may want to give this effort a try – it reports the story of a paleontologist who finds the most complete T. rex fossil ever located in the wilds of North Dakota, only to run afoul of the local government, museums and various other factions. This resulted in a legal case that lasted more than 10 years. The press generally like the movie. While some concluded that it was too one-sided and heavy-handed, the majority called it an unexpectedly gripping and tense doc.
Get on Up – This biopic of the great soul singer James Brown didn’t make a very big splash at the box-office a few months back, but interested parties can now catch up with it. It tells his life story from his backwoods upbringing to life in the spotlight and troubles with the law. Most critics enjoyed the film a great deal. A few suggested that it could have provided deeper insight, but all praised the performance of Chadwick Boseman and enjoyed the film’s music and high-energy level. It also features Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer, Craig Robinson and Dan Aykroyd.
The Guest – Independent film director Adam Wingard’s follow-up to You’re Next is this well-received thriller about a soldier who arrives at a family’s doorstep. After claiming to have served with the late son of the people residing there, he’s welcomed into their home… until strange and nasty events begin to occur. Despite its violent content, reviews were incredibly strong for this effort. It was described as an excellent throw-back to gritty thrillers of the late 70s and early 80s that features plenty of surprising twists and turns and some very effective scares. Sounds like a creepy little flick that may be worth a look. Dan Stevens plays the title character.
Honey – Also known as Miele in its homeland, this independent foreign-language co-production from Italy and France follows a young woman who acts as a courier from Tijuana to Rome. Her goal is to bring back drugs to help the terminally-ill end their lives, but she comes under scrutiny when she is tricked into giving a dose to a healthy man. The movie garnered raves, with viewers calling it a though-provoking exploration of euthanasia.
Horns – In the mood for another genre flick? This indie horror effort based upon the popular novel follows the exploits of a young man accused of murdering his girlfriend. Things get significantly worse when he grows horns out of his head and begins exerting a devilish influences on others. Bizarre is an understatement and it split critics (receiving a few more negative notices than positive ones). Many called it ambitious and darkly humorous but even more felt it was too tonally uneven and long-winded to be truly effective. It stars Daniel Radcliffe, Juno Temple, James Remar, Heather Graham and David Morse. Read the site’s detailed take on the flick here.
The Houses October Built – The latest low-budget, found-footage effort follows a group of teens documenting a bunch of “underground” haunted house attractions around Halloween. Naturally, they discover that one attraction may be a bit too authentic. While it likely won’t compare to the other horror-thrillers listed this week, half of those who saw and reviewed the film didn’t mind it. Some called it sloppy, others suggested that it was better than most of its ilk and featured some creepy moments.
Left Behind – The morbidly curious now have the opportunity to catch up on one of the year’s biggest critical duds. This Biblical effort tells the tale of The Rapture. Nicolas Cage plays an atheist pilot flying the friendly skies when millions of people disappear, leaving the Earth in chaos and heathens rioting in the streets. Don’t worry folks, he can handle it. It was uniformly ripped apart, criticisms included the heavy-handed tone, ridiculous dialogue and slow pacing. The movie has also been described as a shoo-in for just about every Razzie Award category. Let’s hope Cage can turn things around in the future. Lea Thompson, Cassi Thomson and William Ragsdale are also featured.
The Longest Week – This independent romantic-comedy follows a very wealthy and self-involved Manhattanite who loses his fortune over the course of a week… but finds love. Jason Bateman, Olivia Wilde, Billy Crudup and Jenny Slate headline the cast. Despite those stellar names, it didn’t receive any love from the press. Not only did they think that it aped the directorial style of indie wunderkind Wes Anderson (The Grand Budapest Hotel), but felt that the characters were underdeveloped and unlikable and the movie itself rather aimless. Now viewers can decide for themselves.
No Good Deed – If you’re still looking for more bad-movie-night thrills, the press also suggest this thriller. A stranger knocks on a door of a young mother and her children claiming car trouble, only to terrorize the family upon entry. It may have done decent business at the box office, but reactions from reviewers were almost uniformly negative – dull and routine were terms commonly used to describe it, with others finding this potboiler exploitative, silly and over-baked. It stars Idris Elba, Taraji P. Henson, Kate del Castillo and Leslie Bibb.
Not Another Happy Ending – This Scottish indie rom-com follows a publisher upset with his most successful writer – she’s a novelist who has fallen for the man of her dreams but can’t write when he’s happy. Reaction was muted to this effort, with more pans than picks. Reportedly, while the Glasgow scenery is impressive and the cast game, the majority found it too quirky and felt that the two leads didn’t possess a great deal of onscreen chemistry. Karen Gillan and Stanley Weber play the romantic couple.
Two Night Stand – A pair of youngsters trying to part company after a one-night stand find themselves stuck indoors together after a snowstorm in this low-budget romantic comedy starring Miles Teller and Analeigh Tipton. It didn’t make waves with critics, who enjoyed the performances but found the pair trapped by a rote, routine and formulaic screenplay.
Blasts From the Past!
As always, there are a couple of interesting titles from the fine people at Shout! Factory. This week, they’re releasing a Blu-ray of the 1978 thriller The Boys From Brazil, starring Gregory Peck, Laurence Olivier, James Mason and… wait for it…. Steve Guttenberg. It has been a while since I’ve seen it, but it memory recalls it’s a fun, pulpy tale of an evil Nazi plot to raise a new Third Reich. The science will be more than a bit dated and silly, but there are still some chilling moments, nasty murders and a twist that was considered fairly surprising in its day.
They’ve also got the 1995 horror sequel, Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh. The original Candyman is an excellent and chilling horror fable that is worth checking out if you’ve never seen it. This movie struggles to match it, but still comes up with a few jolts here and there. The disc also features some fun extras that include an audio commentary with director Bill Condon (who won an Oscar a few years later for writing Gods & Monsters), as well as new interviews with actors Tony Todd and Veronica Cartwright.
Criterion have the 1966 Japanese epic The Sword of Doom coming to Blu-ray. The story involves a samurai whose violent tendencies eventually lead to madness. It comes with an audio commentary from a film historian giving some insight into the movie.
Fox are also putting out a Blu-ray of the Oscar-nominated 1988 comedy Working Girl. After her boss is injured in a skiing accident, a young secretary decides to make a name for herself in the business world by adopting her employers persona and negotiating deals. It stars Melanie Griffith, Harrison Ford, Sigourney Weaver and a lot of giant, 80s hairdos.
And while it’s only being released on DVD, Scorpion are bringing an intriguing action movie from 1987 called Wheels of Terror aka The Misfit Brigade. I’ve never heard of it and know nothing about it, other than the fact that it’s about a group of rogue German soldiers who decide to fight against the Nazis. The cast is made up of actors like Oliver Reed, Bruce Davidson, David Patrick Kelly and David Carradine. Frankly, that’s good enough for me.
You Know, For Kids!
And here is what is available for kids… frankly, it involves lots of sea and pirate-related titles.
Jake & The Neverland Pirates: Battle For the Book (Disney)
Octonauts: Pirate Adventures
Sesame Street: Elmo’s World: Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes
Spongebob Squarepants: The Pilot, a Mini-movie and the Square Shorts
On the Tube!
There are a few shows of note coming your way, including a couple of oldies. Married with Children was an extremely popular comedy series that helped turn the Fox network into a major network. The show ran 11 seasons from 1987 to 1997. Here’s an ad for a season 7 episode. Also included below is the opening for another successful early Fox series, Party of Five. This drama about a group of kids who lose their parents and attempt to help raise each other, aired from 1994 to 2000.
Archer: Season 5
The Big Bang Theory: Season 7
Black Sails: Season 1
The Bridge: The Complete Season 2
The Cosby Show: Seasons 5 & 6
Girls: Season 3
Glee: Season 5
Looking: Season 1
Married with Children: Seasons 7 & 8
Masterpiece: The Manners of Downton Abbey (PBS)
Midsomer Murders: Series 12
Party of Five: Season 2
Sacred Journey With Bruce Feiler