Theatrical Releases: The World’s End & You’re Next

THE WORLD’S END || August 23rd, 2013

	I love Olivia Wilde. I love Anna Kendrick. I love Jake Johnson. All of this adds up to me being pretty pumped to see “Drinking Buddies”. I’m not sure what all this beer has to do with the film but intertwining relationships and real-life emotions screams high quality romantic comedy.	THEATER
	Starring two prolific actors, Nicolas Cage and John Cusack, “The Frozen Ground” is an otherwise ‘B’ thriller that has some huge talent and wins for it in the end. Also starring Vanessa Hudgens, 50 Cent, and Breaking Bad’s Dean Norris, it’s amazing what you can get high profile actors to star in and Cage and Cusack have definitely been doing their rounds of not-so-great thrillers. Hopefully this one will be somewhat enjoyable.	RENTAL
	Not huge into martial arts film, “The Grandmaster” is the “true” story of the man that taught Bruce Lee. That being said, with some stunning visuals and choreography, there’s absolutely no way any of this was real. Ziyi Zhang looks enigmatic and will be the only reason I see this film if I eventually so choose.	25% MAYBE
	Before “Mortal Instruments: City Of Bones” hit theaters, I had a chance to see it and passed. Lily Collins is stunning and will eventually find herself in something I can actually watch. In the meantime, good for her for raking in money where she can, but do not expect this new “based on a tween novel” to produce a franchise. Not sure why they had to use the score from “Sunshine” but marketing needs to quit killing that music.	PASS
	With “The World’s End”, director Edgar Wright delivers his funniest installment in the Cornetto trilogy, with a masterful blending of comedy, science fiction, and action, endless laughs and rich character development the likes that the previous two films never quite reach. Hilarious and action packed, the film almost never holds back and, despite a terrible ending, provides some of the best comedy cinema of the year.
	Dusted off of someone’s shelf, “You’re Next” has apparently been sitting around for awhile. Looking like your typical home invasion film ala “The Strangers” (with masks and all), there’s no way this film wins on originality. But what it lacks in creativity, it hopefully makes up for in scares and suspense. I rarely turn down the opportunity to see a horror film.	THEATER

	Having not gotten into “Southland” yet, Michael Cudlitz has not solidified himself with me as of yet, therefore “Dark Tourist” falls a bit flat for me. With the trailer not doing a very good job of convincing me of its suspense or danger, and with Melanie Griffith having seen better days, there’s not much in this for me.	PASS
	Anyone interested in this film, “Harold’s Going Stiff” will find it on Netflix Instant streaming. However, even with it readily available, this mockumentary about an elderly man becoming a zombie and the people that hunt down zombies and kill them, is far too British and far too over the top for my liking.	PASS
	From the same producers as Oscar nominated films “Incendies” and “Monsieur Lazhar” comes another strong looking foreign film titled “Inch’Allah” about a female doctor stuck between helping people in both Romallah and Jerusalem. Evelyne Brochu looks very strong in her leading role and with this production company’s track record, I could be seeing this film as part of the Oscar Challenge.	25% MAYBE
	Following April’s release of “Paradise: Love”, the second film of this trilogy, titled “Paradise: Faith” follows an older woman as she tries to spread Catholicism in Austria, despite her crippled husband’s protests. As I passed on the first film, this too seems little bit too dry of a dark comedy for me to endure.	PASS
	At about :45 into the trailer, I couldn’t take it anymore. The music alone is enough to alienate anyone trying to catch what this film actually is. Then, with poor quality and some strange visuals, we’re left to watch a montage of shots that make no sense together. I still don’t know what “Savannah” is about, but something tells me I’ll still be able to sleep tonight.	PASS
	Interestingly pairing Josh Duhamel and Dan Fogler, “Scenic Route” is a unique premise of two friends stuck in the desert, with new revelations causing a rift between them. Although the trailer divulges a little bit too much of the story, the darkness of this film cannot be denied and looks to be a somewhat original concept throughout.	75% MOST LIKELY
	Winning the Grand Jury Narrative Feature Award at SXSW this year, “Short Term 12” is not only an exceptional launching pad for independent film and film-makers alike, it is also the perfect vehicle to continue catapulting Brie Larson’s career, who looks phenomenal in this leading role.	THEATER
	Had a film like “Sparrow’s Dance” gotten any sort of seminal star in the main role, it could have been watchable, but with two unknown actors and one-and-done location of a woman’s apartment, there’s very little that could possibly keep me interested.	PASS
	Far too melodramatic for my liking, “Surviving Evil” looks cardboard thin and poorly casted. With horrible production quality and the impression of reading line deliveries, no one, especially Billy Zane, could save this film.	PASS
	Audrey Tautou is one of the strongest foreign actresses I’ve ever witnessed and her new film “Therese” looks right up her alley. Playing a housewife in 20’s France in which her husband becomes a marital tyrant, oppressing her into virtual servitude, she is tempted by another many. With some strong writing and Tautou’s gift with tortured performances, this could be a great film.	25% MAYBE
	Apparently not only was Muhammad Ali an interesting boxer in the ring, but was also an activist outside the squared circle. “The Trials of Muhammad Ali” appears to focus on the years of Ali’s life when he was drafted into the U.S. Army and he refused. However, interesting this may be, I feel like there are several better documentaries about this icon, but from the same people that made “Hoop Dreams”, it can’t be all that bad.	25% MAYBE
	“Una Noche” is all over the place. With way too many story lines portrayed in the trailer, I can only image how scattered the actual film is. Debut director Lucy Mulloy, endorsed by Spike Lee, this film could use some focus to get me the least bit interested in this film.	PASS