Valkyrie
In a country in the grips of evil, in a police state where every move is
being watched, in a world where justice and honor have been subverted, a
group of men hidden inside the highest reaches of power decide to take
action. Tom Cruise stars in the suspense film, "Valkyrie," based on the
true story of Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg (Cruise) and the daring and
ingenious plot to eliminate one of the most evil tyrants the world has
ever known...more
EN 5 Second Review:
We went into this movie expecting the Nazi version of
Battlefield Earth, and maybe we were
just really happy that it was not that,
but we really liked this movie. It's an
action suspense flick that is quite
enjoyable for what it is.
Peter's Picks for December 17-26th
Emphatically, I’d pick
the Tom Cruise/Bryan Singer thriller
“Valkyrie” (Dec 25), the curious
sounding Adam Sandler family movie
“Bedtime Stories” (Dec 25), journalistic
thriller/drama “Nothing but the Truth”
(in limited release Dec 19; stars – Kate
Beckinsdale and Matt Dillon), and the
irresistible Jim Carey in comedy “Yes
Man” (Dec 19) and animated family movie
“The Tale of Despereaux” (Dec 19) –
can’t resist a mouse saving a princess.
Peter's Picks for December
There’s
some great-sounding stuff this month,
with some lulls here or there, but not
to be missed – “Gran Torino” – which
could see Clint Eastwood get an acting
Oscar nom again, Mickey Rourke in “The
Wrestler”, and Jim Carey back in comedy
with “Yes Man”. There are other films,
but these are the most salient.
Pete's
Featured Reviews:
The Day the Earth Stood Still “The
Day the Earth Stood Still” is a good
movie. Good in the sense of the Socratic
view that goodness does not consist in
helping your friends or harming your
enemies, but in never harming anybody at
all...more
Mama Mia!
It came as quite a surprise that I
liked this musical so much that I’d
hate to find fault. In fact, at a closer
look, it’s a pretty sad commentary on
the state of male-female
relationships...more
"Its pop synthesizer ambiance and disjointedness don’t do
its meaningful ideas credit" Peter Veugelaers:
EntertainmentNutz.com
Anti-war movies, on the whole, don’t
take sides as much as they present war
as undesirable. Israeli filmmaker Ari
Folman’s background from Israel should
give him substance on the matter, a
country which has been in the grip of
war for well-over half-a-century...more
The
Curious Case of Benjamin Button
"I was born under unusual
circumstances." And so begins "The
Curious Case of Benjamin Button,"
adapted from the 1920s story by F. Scott
Fitzgerald about a man who is born in
his eighties and ages backwards: a man,
like any of us, who is unable to stop
time. We follow his story, set in New
Orleans from the end of World War I in
1918, into the 21st century, following
his journey that is as unusual as any
man's life can be. Directed by David
Fincher and starring Brad Pitt and Cate
Blanchett with Taraji P. Henson, Tilda
Swinton, Jason Flemyng, Elias Koteas and
Julia Ormond, "Benjamin Button," is a
grand tale of a not-so-ordinary man and
the people and places he discovers along
the way, the loves he finds, the joys of
life and the sadness of death, and what
lasts beyond time...more
EN 5 Second Review:
Not to be missed, however also not nearly as good as we
thought it would be. Very nice holiday fare though. We can see a long
life for this movie along the lines of "It's a Wonderful Life"
Valkyrie
In a country in the grips of evil, in a police state where every move is
being watched, in a world where justice and honor have been subverted, a
group of men hidden inside the highest reaches of power decide to take
action. Tom Cruise stars in the suspense film, "Valkyrie," based on the
true story of Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg (Cruise) and the daring and
ingenious plot to eliminate one of the most evil tyrants the world has
ever known. Director Bryan Singer ("The Usual Suspects," "X-Men,"
"Superman Returns") re-teams with Academy Award®-winning "Usual
Suspects" screenwriter Christopher McQuarrie to bring to life the story
of the men who led the operation to assassinate Hitler. The film also
stars an acclaimed cast including Kenneth Branagh, Bill Nighy, Tom
Wilkinson, Carice van Houten, Thomas Kretschmann, Eddie Izzard,
Christian Berkel and Terence Stamp...more
EN 5 Second Review:
We went into this movie expecting the Nazi version of
Battlefield Earth, and maybe we were just really happy that it was not
that, but we really liked this movie. It's an action suspense flick that
is quite enjoyable for what it is.
Also Opening
Bedtime Stories
"Bedtime Stories" is an adventure comedy
starring Adam Sandler as Skeeter
Bronson, a hotel handyman whose life is
changed forever when the bedtime stories
he tells his niece and nephew start to
mysteriously come true. When he tries to
help his family by telling one
outlandish tale after another, it's the
kids' unexpected contributions that turn
all of their lives upside down...more
Marley
& Me
As the snow falls on their wedding
night, newlyweds John and Jenny Grogan
(Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston)
decide to leave behind the harsh winters
of Michigan and head south to begin
their new lives in West Palm Beach,
Florida. They obtain jobs as journalists
at competing local newspapers, buy their
first home, and begin to make their way
through the challenges of a new
marriage, new careers and, possibly, the
life-changing decision to start a
family.
Unsure of his preparedness for raising
children, John confesses his fears to
his friend and fellow journalist
Sebastian, who comes up with the perfect
solution: John should get Jenny a puppy.
"There's nothing to it," says Sebastian.
"You walk 'em. You feed 'em, you let 'em
out now and then."
Then came Marley...more
The
Spirit
Adapted from Will Eisner's comic book
series, "The Spirit" is a classic
action-adventure-romance genre-twister
written for the screen and directed by
Frank Miller (creator of "300" and "Sin
City"). It is the story of a former
rookie cop who returns mysteriously from
the dead as The Spirit (Gabriel Macht)
to fight crime from the shadows of
Central City. His arch-enemy, The
Octopus (Samuel L. Jackson) has a
different mission: he's going to wipe
out Spirit's beloved city as he pursues
his own version of immortality...more
Limited Releases
December 24
- The Secret of the Grain (La graine et le mulet) (NY)
- Theater of War (NY) December 25
- Last Chance Harvey (limited)
- Waltz With Bashir (NY, LA) December 26
-
Revolutionary Road (limited) December 31
- Defiance (limited; wide: Jan. 16, 2009)
- Good (limited)
- The Lodger (limited)
Coming Next Week
January 2
- Cargo 200 (NY)
January 7
- Silent Light (NY)
January 9
- After Dark Horrorfest 2009 (limited)
- Bride Wars
- How About You (SF)
- Not Easily Broken
- The Unborn
- Yonkers Joe (limited)
Previous Features
Seven
Pounds
Academy Award® nominee Will Smith reunites with the
directors and producers of "The Pursuit of Happyness" for the emotional drama
"Seven Pounds." In the film, Smith plays Ben Thomas, an IRS agent with a fateful
secret who embarks on an extraordinary journey of redemption by forever changing
the lives of seven strangers...more
The
Tale of Despereaux
Once upon a time, in the faraway kingdom
of Dor, there was magic in the air,
raucous laughter aplenty and gallons of
mouth-watering soup. But a terrible
accident left the king broken-hearted,
the princess filled with longing and the
townsfolk despondent. All hope was lost
in a land where sunlight disappeared and
the world became dreary gray. Until
Despereaux Tilling was born...more
Yes
Man
Jim Carrey stars as Carl Allen, a guy whose life is going
nowhere—the operative word being "no"—until he signs up for a self-help program
based on one simple covenant: say yes to everything...and anything. Unleashing
the power of "YES" begins to transform Carl's life in amazing and unexpected
ways, getting him promoted at work and opening the door to a new romance. But
his willingness to embrace every opportunity might just become too much of a
good thing...more
The
Day the Earth Stood Still
"The Day the Earth Stood Still" is 20th Century Fox's
contemporary reinvention of its 1951 classic. Keanu Reeves portrays Klaatu, an
alien whose arrival on our planet triggers a global upheaval. As governments and
scientists race to unravel the mystery behind the visitor's appearance, a woman
(Jennifer Connelly) and her young stepson get caught up in his mission – and
come to understand the ramifications of his being a self-described "friend to
the Earth."
"Cadillac Records" chronicles the rise of Chess Records and
its recording artists. In this tale of sex, violence, race and rock and roll in
Chicago of the 1950s and 60s, the film follows the exciting but turbulent lives
of some of America's greatest musical legends...more
January 16
- Chandni Chowk to China
- Cherry Blossoms (NY; March 20, SF)
- Hotel for Dogs
- My Bloody Valentine 3-D
- Notorious
- Paul Blart: Mall Cop
January 21
- Of Time and the City (NY; January 30, LA)
January 23
- Donkey Punch (limited)
- Inkheart
- Killshot (limited)
- Outlander (Third Rail)
- Possession
- Underworld: Rise of the Lycans
January 30
- New in Town
- Shadows (NY)
- Taken
- The Uninvited
Special
Editions
Peter's 2008 Oscar Picks These
are my pre-nomination picks for the
Academy Award major categories: Note –
these are NOT actual nominations but my
speculations/thoughts on the January 22
announcement.
A list of
the actual nominations in the categories
presented here will be posted when they
are announced on January 22...more
Dragonheart
Dennis Quaid stars as a medieval dragon slayer in this
1996 fantasy epic who must team with the
last dragon to defeat an evil king....
Watch
Movie
Starring:
Shia LaBeouf, Michelle
Monaghan, Billy Bob Thornton, Rosario Dawson, Michael
Chiklis
The uppermost goal of a fictional
action movie is to entertain... and "Eagle Eye"
certainly hits the "BULL'S-EYE" in that respect. If the
viewer is willing to stop trying to figure out if every
high-tech gadget and program is legitimate... this movie
will keep you on the edge of your seat for the full
one-hundred-eighteen minutes. The central character is a
gigantic super-computer that decides... based on its
artificial intelligence... to take over the United
States by a methodology that I will let the potential
viewer uncover. This core representation is strikingly
similar in character and presentation to "2001 A SPACE
ODYSSEY" and its computer HAL. The only difference is
that HAL was "male" and in outer space... while this
computer is "female" and in the pentagon...
Extras: Deleted
scenes, alternate ending, "Asymmetrical Warfare: The
Making of Eagle Eye," "Eagle Eye on Location: Washington
D.C.," "Is My Cell Phone Spying on Me?" featurette on
the balance between modern technology and privacy,
"Shall We Play a Game?" conversation with "War Games"
director John Badham, Gag Reel, Photo Gallery.
Release
Date: May 22, 2009 Director: McG Screenwriter: John Brancato, Michael Ferris Starring: Christian Bale, Sam Worthington, Anton Yelchin, Bryce
Dallas Howard, Moon Bloodgood, Common, Jadagrace, Helena Bonham Carter Official Website:
TerminatorSalvation.com
In
the highly anticipated new installment of "The Terminator" film
franchise, set in post-apocalyptic 2018, Christian Bale stars as John
Connor, the man fated to lead the human resistance against Skynet and
its army of Terminators. But the future Connor was raised to believe in
is altered in part by the appearance of Marcus Wright (Sam Worthington),
a stranger whose last memory is of being on death row. Connor must
decide whether Marcus has been sent from the future, or rescued from the
past. As Skynet prepares its final onslaught, Connor and Marcus both
embark on an odyssey that takes them into the heart of Skynet's
operations, where they uncover the terrible secret behind the possible
annihilation of mankind.
Feature
Stories
Where are all the good movies?
The sound of soda being sipped, the smell of fresh popcorn in the
air, the scream or laugh the whole room has burst into, the actor saying the
line he’ll be remembered for his entire career and a while after it – simply
put, the movies. Though we’ve always been fascinated by going to our local
multiplex or movie theater, are we getting the same chills and thrills, twists
and turns as our parents were, not 20 years ago?...more
Lucasfilm's head of fan relations, Stephen Sansweet, has reportedly shot down Fox411 columnist Roger Friedman's report that George Lucas was planning ...
Doug Jones, who reprises the role of Abe Sapien in the upcoming "Hellboy 2: The Golden Army", says filming will begin in May on location in Hungary. Jones ...
"The Mummy 3" will unwrap a new mummy and feature a character who is the grown son of Rick and Evie played in the previous films by Brendan Fraser and ...
EN 5 Second Review:
We went into this movie expecting the Nazi version of
Battlefield Earth, and maybe we were
just really happy that it was not that,
but we really liked this movie. It's an
action suspense flick that is quite
enjoyable for what it is.
