Theatrical Releases: The Cabin In The Woods & The Three Stooges

April 13, 2012 / Leave a Comment

THE CABIN IN THE WOODS || April 13th, 2012

	THE CABIN IN THE WOODS \|\| By far the most interesting film coming out this weekend, the Joss Whedon produced The Cabin In The Woods is said to revolutionize the horror genre. Coming from the guy that wrote Cloverfield, I am completely convinced it will and with Chris Hemsworth taking on the role of the jock on the trip into the woods, there something high-end about this take on low-end horror films.	THEATER
	THE THREE STOOGES \|\| Not a huge fan of the original Three Stooges, I have a respect for what they did and the following that they created because of their slapstick humor. So with the remake coming out this weekend, I am not particularly excited to see the film and am uncertain whether I can get behind three different guys playing the Stooges. I will be interested in seeing what fans of the Stooges have to say about the film. At least with the Farrelly Brothers, the guys that brought you There’s Something About Mary and Dumb & Dumber, you know the film will be handled properly.	STREAM

	BAD ASS \|\| Reminiscent of films like Kick Ass and Hobo With A Shotgun, Danny Trejo stars in this action-comedy about a “senior citizen” beating up the bad guys and getting publicized by YouTube. Playing largely on the notion that the older generation is disconnected from social media like Facebook, Bad Ass will probably be entertaining but only on the most basic of levels. Plus, with Ron Perlman, there’s at least something credible to keep your eye on.	STREAM
	BLUE LIKE JAZZ \|\| Though I am unsure what Blue Like Jazz is actually about, there appears to be enough off-the-wall humor and thoughtful cinematography to keep one interested. With an unknown cast and a billing as an official selection of South By Southwest, I have to say I will eventually probably see this film.	STREAM
	HERE \|\| With Ben Foster in this Sundance Film Festival winner, yes, I will be seeing this film. Set in Armenia, Ben Foster plays the interesting character of a land surveyor in a foreign country, where he meets the beautiful Lubna Azabal, who plays a photographer. Their love story looks filled with romance and danger in a different culture, looking to mark Foster’s first big step into some more serious and possibly award-worthy performances.	THEATER
	HIT SO HARD \|\| Seeing Kurt Cobain in footage shot before his death is eerie. Even if it wasn’t anywhere near his death, it still feels slightly haunted. Hit So Hard takes a look at drummer Patty Schemel of Hole, who battles with drug addiction in the height of the grunge movement, alongside Nirvana, Courtney Love, and several other bands. Using recent interviews and footage from the time, this feels like it could be a very hard-hitting documentary and could be worth the Kurt Cobain footage alone.	RENT
	HOW TO GROW A BAND \|\| The story of a young folkish band and the hardships they face to invent themselves, How To Grow A Band looks like a promising Independent documentary from a second-time director. The film looks very personal, but compared to the previous band documentary, Hit So Hard, it is almost hard to take this film seriously, as it is five young men in a band I haven’t heard of talking about the hardships of fame.	PASS
	THE LADY \|\| During this last year’s Academy Awards season, The Lady was a film that popped up as being buzzed about for some award recognition, at least in the “For Your Consideration” phase. Both Michelle Yeoh and David Thewlis were being recognized for their performances in the film and even though they were never nominated, it still got me interested in the film. Directed by Luc Besson, the writer-director of The Fifth Element, a favorite film of mine, and the writer of fellow release this week, Lockout, The Lady is the story of Burma’s democracy movement. With such great advertisements and some worthwhile people connected to this film, I will most likely be viewing it at some point.	RENT
	LATE BLOOMERS \|\| Not really a film for my generation, Late Bloomers revolves around a couple that realizes they are getting old. Starring the brilliant William Hurt, I would almost be pressed to see this film if it didn’t look slightly too “old-age” for me. That aside, there appears to be enough going on the film to remain interesting and perhaps the off-kilter humor would bridge the generation gap.	PASS
	L!FE HAPPENS \|\| The same week her “hit” show Don’t Trust The B’ In Apartment 23 hits the airwaves, Krysten Ritter (of Breaking Bad and She’s Out Of My League) lands a starring role in the sex comedy Life Happens. I had heard nothing about this film until I watched the trailer and with such a great cast of young people, I will definitely be seeing this film. Kate Bosworth is popping up everywhere these days, and rightfully so, as she tends to be nailing each role she takes. And with one of my all-time favorite actresses Rachel Bilson, my case furthers for seeing this. Toss in Jason Biggs, Justin Kirk from Weeds, and Rhys Coiro from Entourage and I am completely sold on this hilarious-looking comedy about a young single mom.	RENT
	LOCKOUT \|\| As mentioned earlier, Luc Besson is on double-trouble this week, first with his directorial piece, The Lady, and now with his credit as writer on Lockout. What looks to be almost a remake of Escape from New York, Lockout takes the prisons to the sky, where the world’s worst inmates are taken to space. But when they escape and attempt to crash the space prison into earth, Guy Pearce is sent to divert disaster. The trailer looks laughable at times, but with enough action and visual effects, I feel like I could see this film as a guilty pleasure, if not only for my life for Guy Pearce films.	RENT
	MONSIEUR LAZHAR \|\| One of the five films nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Feature, Monsieur Lazhar, the Canada representative at the Oscars, was one of the five films that alluded me during my Oscar Challenge. Now widely released in theaters, the subtle drama about a teacher that gains a full-time position following the suicide of his predecessor, Fellag looks to deliver an outstanding performance. I will be seeing this film as I always try and catch the films I missed during the Oscar Challenge.	STREAM
	PSEUDO: BLOOD OF OUR OWN \|\| Talk about a trailer that feels like an infomercial. Add the tagline, “don’t do drugs” and you’ve got yourself a good PSA. There are some films that, no matter how hard you try, you cannot make them look good. Pseudo is one of those films. The acting looks cheap, the storyline appears recycled, and there is really nothing that would get me to go see this film.	PASS
	TAKE ME HOME \|\| Despite its extremely tacky music, the trailer for this film highlights Take Me Home’s best features perfectly. The witty banter between its main characters, the slight romantic elements, and the on-the-road adventure that comes with twists and turns. The real life twist is that the leading star of the film, Sam Jaeger takes the director’s chair, as well as acting across from his real life wife, Amber Jaeger, meaning there is actual chemistry between these two. I am a sucker for a well done romantic comedy, which is often hard to find, so if Take Me Home delivers what it promises, I will not be disappointed.	RENT
	TOUCHBACK \|\| Too many times, the writer’s of screenplays try to string together several ideas that have worked previously in order to release yet another film. Touchback is one of the screenplays. When a high school football player who is seriously injured during “the big game” is given a mysterious second chance to do things over, he faces whether or not he will make the same mistakes again. Sports films in general are getting tired, but tack on some 13 Going On 30 storyline and you’ve got yet another bundle of misguided piece of cinema.	PASS
	UNRAVELED \|\| A perfect candidate for the Best Documentary Feature category come Academy Awards season, Unraveled is an introspective look at Marc Dreier, who, similar to Bernard Madoff, was convicted of hedge scheming. In interviews and explanations, Unraveled tells his story during Dreier’s days of house arrest before his conviction. The Academy loves this type of documentary, similar to the house arrest documentary of last year in If A Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front. With a critics review of “a documentary that everyone should see”, how can you not feel a small desire to see this film?	RENT
	WOMAN THOU ART LOOSED \|\| Between a Tyler Perry film and a Lifetime original movie, you can find the film Woman Thou Art Loosed. Not to say that child abduction films can’t be good, but this trailer screams Lifetime movie with its melodramatic dialogue and lack of ingenuity.	PASS