Wednesday
Jun022010
Let Me Take You To The Movies, Let Me Take You To the Show...
Wednesday, June 2, 2010 at 6:00AM in J.D. Rhoades by J.D. Rhoades
It's summer, and summer means big movies. A lot of us here at Murderati are big movie fans.Some have actually worked in show business. And some of us, to put it mildly, have really been through some bad stuff lately. I don't know about you, but one of the things I can always count on to take my mind off the bad stuff for a little while is to zone out with a good movie. Or even a bad one.
Here, therefore, is one 'Rati's far from comprehensive list of what looks good, what looks bad, and what looks mockably ugly at the movie house this summer.
SEX AND THE CITY 2: I rather liked the HBO series when I first saw it, but by the time it stumbled to a close, I was getting weary of the characters, so I didn't see the first movie. Nor do I plan to see the second. So why bring it up? Mostly because it gives me the chance to link to this review, which I regard as the Best. Review. Ever.
IRON MAN 2: If you liked the first one, you'll like this one. I did. Unfortunately, still no Black Sabbath on the soundtrack, but they make do with AC/DC. Robert Downey Jr. is funny, the battle suits are still way cool, Scarlett Johanssen kicks serious ass, and Gwyneth Paltrow really looks like she could use a decent meal.
See what I mean?
WINTER'S BONE: Oh boy oh boy oh boy. I cannot wait for this movie. I don't know anything about the director or any of the near-unknowns starring in it, but Daniel Woodrell's book was as dark and brutal a slice of redneck noir as you'll find anywhere. I definitely wouldn't recommend it as a light and frothy date movie. Still.
THE KILLER INSIDE ME: Casey Affleck stars as Jim Thompson's sociopathic sheriff Lou Ford. I didn't think Affleck could pull off Patrick Kenzie in GONE BABY GONE, but damned if he didn't do it, and I do love me some Jim Thompson. And it's got Jessica Alba, apparently getting nekkid. So this one's on my list.
PREDATORS: Why? Why does this this movie exist? What was wrong with the original (the only movie to star two future state governors) that someone felt it needed to be remade? Is there any way Adrian Brody can pull off deathless lines like "If eet bleeds, ve can kill eet" and "GET TO DA CHOPPAAAH!" with the same panache as the Governator? We think not.
GET HIM TO THE GREEK: Looks an awful lot like a rip-off of the 1982 film MY FAVORITE YEAR, another movie about a hapless underling trying to keep a wacked out, substance-abusing star together long enough to make the big show. Russell Brand plays the Peter O'Toole role in the update, and while Brand's no O'Toole, he's still pretty damn funny, as is Jonah Hill. A definite maybe.
JONAH HEX: Loved the comic. Love Josh Brolin. Love John Malkovich as a villain. Hate Megan Fox's "ain't ah just the sexiest thang" drawl in the previews. Giving this one a miss.
THE A-TEAM: Looks dumb. Probably is dumb. But that's the point. Waiting for the reviews on this one. If I hear that it can pull off dumb with style, then I'll check it out. Actually, I'll probably just wait for the DVD.
THE EXPENDABLES: Sylvester Stallone directs a who's who of action movie stars: Himself, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Bruce Willis, Mickey Rourke, Dolph Lundgren, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, and--do my eyes deceive me?-Arnold Schwarzenegger his own bad self, in a shoot 'em up, blow-em-up, action movie about mercenaries trying to pull off a coup in a mythical South American country. How could this possibly go wrong? Well, plenty of ways actually. It could be a mess. It could also be the most brain-meltingly awesome movie ever. I have got to be there to find out.
THE TWILIGHT SAGA: ECLIPSE: No. Just no. And here's why (clip NSFW):
So how about you guys? What's on your must-see and must-miss lists this summer?
Reader Comments (61)
Hi JD,
Movies are pure escapism for me....so,I go to ones that caught my interest...I would like to see The Expendables..surprised my son, because I called him up and asked if he would like to go together to see it...to me, it makes a difference who I am with when I see any movie...if it is one I am looking forward to, well then, I don't really want to be with someone who is only there* on sufferance*.
So, different people for different movies.
My older two children are movie fanatics..have great collections of all sorts of films..so, if I happen to miss one ....chances are one of them will have it.
A while back, a DJ out of St Louis stated guys could have whole conversations out of movie quotes..with that in mind, a thread was started on different website I frequent...
it was started in 2005,and is now 78 pages long with 1160 or more quotes...males and females contributing....I'ld say movies make a difference.
kit: I'd love the address of that site.
Oh, my dear--THANK YOU for that Sex in the City review. I fucking hated that show, and the first movie (forced to watch it by my niece.) I wish those fictional bitches would find themselves in a Jim Thompson novel for round three.
Thanks for the heads-up on Winter's Bone and The Killer Inside Me. Both of them look great.
I too got tired a long time ago of 4 women talking dirty and shopping. The review is wonderful. I'm with Cornelia...a good Jim Thompson movie would take care of the 4 and Mr. Big while they are at it. Question: now that she is married to him, does Carrie still call him Mr. Big?
I saw SATC 2 the other night and enjoyed it. That doesn't mean that great review isn't hilarious (or true) but I've always seen SATC not about four girls talking dirty and shopping rather it's about how and why people fall in love and what happens after people get everything they want.
I'm also looking forward to The ATeam and Jonah Hex and probably seeing Iron Man 2 again. Wife and I are going to see The Greek this Friday and will most likely enjoy it.
Man, I really haven't seen a movie since....since I started writing my debut novel. It makes me insane, because movies used to mean everything to me. And I love disappearing into a great film. I really miss that. I've seen a few, here and there, but I used to see three or four films a week, back in the day.
I MUST see The Killer Inside Me. Because I'm a huge Thompson fan. And the Alba thing is really frosting on the cake.
Winter's Bone looks intriguing. Like the kind of film I'd dig. I did see Avatar in Imax 3-D, and I wanted to settle into that 3-D jungle forever.
My ideal SATC3:
Carrie dumps Big and becomes a Hell's Angel's old lady.
Samantha is revealed to keep a portrait of her... you know... in her closet that ages while her real one remains forever 20.
Charlotte is forced to go on welfare and move to Scranton, PA, where she becomes Dwight Schrute's assistant on The Office. Among her jobs is cleaning Angela's cat boxes out and clipping Creed's toenails.
Miranda realizes she's the only normal person on the show. She and her hubby and kid move to Long Island and don't miss the constant daily pressure to buy shoes, look fabulous, and whine about... whatever.
I suggest Neil Smith and Victor Gischler do the screen play, and JJ Abrams direct.
The one movie I really want to see is Inception. After Memento, The Prestige, and The Dark Knight, anything Christopher Nolan directs is worth checking out on opening weekend. Plus, Inception is one of the very few big movies coming out this summer that's not a sequel or based on a TV show.
I'm REALLY hoping The Expendables is NOT a miss. That's definitely on my summer list. And now Winter's Bone makes the list as well. Thanks.
omg, I'd forgotten that PREDATOR had Jesse Ventura in it, so you're right about the two future state governors. How wacky is that?
Haven't seen SATC2. It may be vapid, it may be groan-worthy, but in the end it's all about the fashion. Which I hear it achieves beautifully.
KILLER INSIDE ME looks great! Can't wait. Like you say, THE EXPENDABLES could go either way...hoping it tips to the good.
Another movie out in limited release come July is the Swedish version of the second Steig Larsson book, THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE. Can't wait for that one!!!
That's the funniest vampire clip I have ever seen.............HA HA HA You made my day, J.D. !
That Eclipse trailer cracked me up. Summed up perfectly why the franchise annoys me. And that SATC2 review is perfect. I haven't ever been able to stand the show, though, so I am biased.
I'm hoping to get to the theaters next weekend, maybe catch Iron Man 2. There's not much else out now that appeals to me.
Did you see that the Memorial Day weekend's attendance at the movies dropped 17% from last year? That's a huge amount, for one year.
"I wish those fictional bitches would find themselves in a Jim Thompson novel for round three."
There's a topic for you, Cornelia, for a non-Maddy book.
Cornelia: the SATC crew in a Jim Thompson novel/movie...THANK YOU for that image. I needed a laugh today. Jim W: likewise.
Jeanne in MN: one of the annoyingly cutesy things about the whole SATC oeuvre is that Carrie never ever calls her true love by his real name. So I guess it's either "Mr Big" or "the Hubby" which would be even worse.
I'm also looking forward to The ATeam and Jonah Hex and probably seeing Iron Man 2 again.
Oh, good, Bryon, 'Cause I thought you might be turning into a chick there for a minute.
Stephen: Jessica Alba...frosting...hmmmm....
Sorry, I went away for a second. I'm back now.
Boyd: Inception does look way cool. Nolan is indeed a genius with atmosphere.
It may be vapid, it may be groan-worthy, but in the end it's all about the fashion. Which I hear it achieves beautifully.
Leave it to Our Tess to find the silver lining...
Dawn, I'm pushing Winter's Bone as hard as I can becuase a lot of people don't seem to have heard about it.
Brett: shows how out of touch I am. I didn't know there was a movie of the first one.
Toni: that is a pretty ominous statistic. Is it the recession, you think, or are cable and DVD continuing to erode the number of people willing to put up with lines, high prices, and loud talkers?
I'll probably be watching all the films I missed in the last couple of years. Just saw Avatar last night and -- in spite of the obvious good-native, bad-white man meme -- really enjoyed it.
Can't wait to see Iron Man 2. Like SITC1 all right for a free movie on HBO, but doubt I'll go for #2. There's only so much sex/dating this writer can stand. (Enjoyed the review, btw)
AND I ADORED the vampire clip. Thankyouthankyouthankyou.
Anon: you're welcome.
And I like Tom's suggestion, Cornelia. Get on it, will ya?
There's only so much sex/dating this writer can stand.
I shall avoid making the obvious joke here.... :-D
I watched Letters to Juliet last weekend and loved it. Yes, I know, all you men just groaned. It is definitely a chick flick.
I still want to see Iron Man II. I'm hoping to get there this weekend. Other movies I'd like to see over the summer are, in no particular order:
Jonah Hex
Killers
The Expendables
The Girl Who Played with Fire
Heh heh heh.
Can't believe no one mentioned SHREK 4. I mean, it's SHREK!!!!!!!!! :D
And, awww, I wanna see Eclipse. I'm not a Twilight addict or anything, but New Moon was a GREAT book to movie adaptation, and Eclipse was my favorite book out of those! I want to see what they did with it.
Barbie, You beat me to it, but I'm seeing Shrek Saturday, because I'll could live to be fourteen hundred and still love cartoons. JD, I'm with Cornelia on that SATC review. Loves it!
KIT ! We're still waaaiting............
(for the movie-quote-conversation web site. That sounded cool. Give it up, Lady.)
As much as I hate G4, that Twilight spoof is hilarious. I'm also up for A-Team, and if The Expendables is anywhere close to being as well-done as Rambo (the latest installment) -- which had no story but some amazing, amazing action -- then I'm so there.
I'm looking forward to watching a new Australian movie,' Animal Kingdom'. It has a June release date here and I think it opens August 13 in the US.
It did well at Sundance, winning the World Cinema Jury Prize.
From promos I gather it's about a suburban Melbourne family of bank robbers. Guy Pearce plays a policeman that tries to save a young family member. It's doesn't seem high on guns blazing, more on the interplay of the strong and the weak, the impact that changes in family dynamic bring. It's the very ordinariness of crime.
Just from the promos alone I'm thinking of Air Supplies ' Im all out of love' in a very different way.
The following link is the teaser for the film.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4CjNY3OEXQ
As I do like a bit variety in my entertainment at the opposite side of the spectrum is Iron Man II....it was awesome to disappear into this film where guns did blaze in over the top fashion. I'll go back for more.
I like the look of 'The Killer inside Me' too.I'll keep an eye out for its Aussie release. Thanks for the previews JD.
Hi Dusty
LOVED the review for SATC2. It reminded me why I didn't watch the original series, nor did I go to see SATC1. And - God forbid - that there should be a SATC3, I'll be giving that a miss, too!
Snuck off to see IRON MAN 2 last weekend and had a ball. If anyone hasn't seen it yet, don't forget to stay right to the end of the credits - in which, by the way, you may notice the name of the Special Effects Producer as Wayne Billheimer. If that surname seems familiar, it's because he's the son of mystery writer, John Billheimer, and a nice guy to boot! We gave him a cheer when his name came up on the screen.
The whole TWILIGHT thing has passed me by, I regret to say. I watched the first movie, but to me the best thing about it was the modern architecture of the vampires' house in the woods. I think that probably says more about me than the movie...
Oh, and just in case you were wondering, I live in east rather than west Cumbria, but we're all rather in shock here after recent events.
Geez. Thanks a lot, JD. I see all these blurbs and trailers for awesome movies and I really want to watch them and then . . . I never seem to get around to it. And some of these look SO good. I think I hate you.
Honestly can't remember the last time I went out to see a movie in a theatre. Might have been that hideous thing with Jar Jar Whatever when the kids were young and persuasive and couldn't drive yet.
Maybe I need a movie buddy. Someone who will come to my house and drag me to the theatre and force me to eat popcorn and chocolate. I'd even pay. Actually, I might pay a lot.
Oh, Zoë. I haven't read news all day and had to search to find the story. That is horrible. I'm so sorry. Also relieved to hear you're alright. Physically, at least.
BCB: this is an advantage of having a son who's a movie geek too.
Zoe: Holy shit! Glad you're alright but Jesus, that's horrible.
Catherine, definitely keeping an eye peeled for Animal Kingdom.
Man, that preview for "Winter's Bone" kicks ass. That was a book that just knocked me over, and I hate movies of books I love. Still, this one might just do it right.
I am absolutely delighted that Netflix sent me a note today telling me REBECCA will be arriving tomorrow. The Hitchcock version. So excited.
I'm also looking forward to Robin Hood, A-Team, Eclipse (Yes, Dusty, us romantic girls are still out there...)
Zoe, I'm so glad to hear you're okay. I've been buried in this deadline and just saw the news.
sorry, I was at work...this should take ya there....
http://www.specialx.net/specialxbbs/viewtopic.php?t=436&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=225
I saw the A Team...and loved it. Of note - i watched the original on teevee (not in reruns)...and still think the movie was great.
Houses and cars are quite expensive and not every person is able to buy it. However, personal loans are created to support people in such kind of cases.
d^_^bIt is very interesting. .<a href="http://www.efox-shop.com/" rel="nofollow"> Sciphones i68，ciphone c6,Ciphone,cecthandy,Sciphones ,cecthandys,hiphone,HIPHONE 4,pinphone 3gs </a>
http://www.nikedunkssbshoes.com
http://www.uggbootsuk4u.com
http://www.worldwide-watches.com replica watches
http://www.watches-mens.com mens watches
http://www.watches-mens.com/breitling-navitimer breitling navitimer
http://www.watches-mens.com/rolex-datejust rolex datejust
http://www.worldwide-watches.com/rolex-watches rolex watches
http://www.worldwide-watches.com/bell-ross-watches bell ross watches
http://www.worldwide-watches.com/ferrari-watches ferrari watches
http://www.worldwide-watches.com/bvlgari-watches bvlgari watches
http://www.worldwide-watches.com/rolex-datejust-watches Rolex DateJust
http://www.worldwide-watches.com/burberry-watches Burberry watches
http://www.worldwide-watches.com/breguet-watches Breguet watches
http://www.worldwide-watches.com/chopard-watches-c-24 chopard watches
http://www.worldwide-watches.com/hublot-watches hublot watches
http://www.worldwide-watches.com/u-boat-watches U boat watches
http://www.watches-mens.com/rolex-daytona rolex daytona
http://www.watches-mens.com/iwc iwc watches
http://www.watches-mens.com/panerai-luminor panerai luminor
http://www.watches-mens.com/burberry burberry watches
http://www.uggcode.com/ ugg boots
http://www.cheap4laptopbattery.com/apple-laptop-battery.htm cheap Apple Laptop Battery
http://www.cheap4laptopbattery.com/asus-laptop-battery.htm cheap Asus Laptop Battery
Apart from being practical, UGG boots are <a href='http://www.cheapwomenuggs.com' style="color:red;"><b>cheap ugg boots</b></a> also fashionable and chic. You can make a unique fashion statement with these exquisite and charming footwear. Wearing them with short skirts or tight pants tucked in, you will make heads turn when walking on <a href='http://www.cheapwomenuggs.com' style="color:red;"><b>ugg classic tall 5815</b></a> the street. The wide range types and colors of these footwear offered in are also what attracts quite a few consumers.
Folks ranging form infants to the elderly can come <a href='http://www.hotkidsuggsboots.com' style="color:red;"><b>ugg kid's classic</b></a> across UGG styles that fit their taste well. Classic shades like black, chocolate, grey and brown are well-known choices. Even so, if you want to be eye-catching in the crowd, UGG boots crafted in bright <a href='http://www.hotkidsuggsboots.com' style="color:red;"><b>kid's classic boots 5281</b></a> colors surely can aid you do the trick.
We seem to be to wait around righ <a href='http://www.topmonclercoats.com' style="color:red;"><b>Moncler Coats</b></a> up until the final moment and have the ability to we should come across a single that appears fantastic but that people could quite possibly get quick and hopefully as affordable as possible. other people are seeking tuxedos for your groomsmen within their big event or for his or her <a href='http://www.topmonclercoats.com/moncler-jackets-c-1.html' style="color:red;"><b>Moncler Jackets</b></a> son's prom. they are heading to search engines and typing in: "Tuxedos, in which to buy" seeking that a single cease store to purchase that tux in time for his or her celebration and at an excellent price.
Youngsters probably need the warmth of an <a href='http://www.uggboots5.com/' style="color:red;"><b>women's ugg boots</b></a> more than adults. After all, they are the ones who will spend hours playing in the snow and cold temperatures. Their hands may get numb from the cold, but their feet will stay warm. The kids’ classic boot has all the same features of the adult boots, but come up just 6 inches high. For toddlers, the classic boot is available in <a href='http://www.uggboots5.com/ugg-womens-classic-tall-5815-c-18.html' style="color:red;"><b>cheap ugg boots 5815</b></a> chocolate, chestnut and black, and comes in toddler sizes 7 to 12. The classic boot for youth comes in a few more colors and is available in sizes 13 to 6.
The easiest choice of shoes is for jeans because <a href='http://www.hottimberlandboots.com'><b>cheap timberland boots</b></a> you can wear just about anything, but avoid shiny shoes. They are intended for much dressier outfits. You can wear boots; lug soles, sneakers and sandals all go well with jeans. Just <a href='http://www.hottimberlandboots.com'><b>wholesale timberland shoes</b></a> choose according to the choice of your shirt. Loafers, Oxford and other such kinds of shoes are a good casual choice like for your khakis or chinos.
Ultrasoft cleaning cloth with AEGIS microbe shield cleans Beats and controls germs.
<a href="http://www.dr-dre-beats.com/">Monster Beats</a>
Scratch-resistant gloss finish
Advanced materials make Monster Beats by Dr. Dre Studio Headphones stand out from the crowd, and keep them looking good.