Theatrical Releases: 3 Days To Kill & Pompeii

February 21, 2014 / Leave a Comment

POMPEII || February 21st, 2014

	“3 Days To Kill” definitely does not look amazing, but in the same vein as the “Taken” films, produced by Luc Besson and directed by McG, this film cannot be a complete waste of time. Kevin Costner takes over the Liam Neeson role as the killer dad, but this time he’s dying of some illness to which his old company has the cure, lead by the gorgeous Amber Heard. In order to get the cure, he has to commit to killing for the company, for what I can only imagine will be three days. Also starring the talented Hailee Steinfeld, I’m expecting standard action fare with some pretty faces mixed in.	75% MOST LIKELY
	The story of the real life Pompeii is enough to peak my interest. I don’t care that the love story looks weak and the dialogue is probably mediocre at best, “Pompeii” is an action film surrounded around the ticking clock of Mount Vesuvius that took the life of the villagers living around it. With “Game Of Thrones” helmer Kit Harrington grabbing his first starring role and one of my favorite young actresses Emily Browning playing his love interest, this will also be action fare with little heart, but the overshadowing volcano will be the star of the show, front and center, and that’s okay with me.	THEATER

	Truth be told, I’ve got to give “Almost Human” an ‘A’ for effort. Delivering a low budget, gory alien flick that is actually marketable is not an easy thing to accomplish. Teetering on being hokey, with some bad acting deliveries and some questionable visuals, the film does look quite terrifying or at least equivalent to comparable bigger budget horror films. A better part of me does not want to see this film at all, but I do feel like I at least owe this film a shot to disappoint me, as alien abduction stories are always quite intriguing to me and I do wonder where this story is going to lead.	25% MAYBE
	The more that I see Evan Rachel Wood in films, the more that I grow to like her. In “Barefoot”, she plays a recluse that is suddenly whisked off her feet by the charming Scott Speedman, a player who needs a date to a wedding. Bringing her to meet the family and forcing her out of her shell, the film looks like a romantic version of “Paradise”. Similar in that both films ugly up their leading beauties and stunt their personalities, making them just this side of mentally challenged. That being said, besides the less than perfect marketing, these actors have me interested.	RENTAL
	For having to watch this trailer on Vimeo, “Bethlehem” is actually a good looking political thriller. That being said, it just doesn’t look like my cup of tea. Were this film nominated for Best Foreign Feature, I would have definitely seen the film, but there’s just nothing wowing me into seeing the film. Depicting a police officer that invokes the help of a young man to feed him information, the stakes are high with guns and explosions going off constantly.	PASS
	As the trailer touches upon, if Guy Ritchie were to have made “The Hangover”, his version would have been like “Black Out”. The story follows a man the day before he’s supposed to get married but he’s woken up next to a dead man and cannot remember where the cocaine he was delivering has been stashed. With the race for his life and a race to get all of this settled before his wedding, the film has the action and humor straight out of a Ritchie thriller. What sounds like an amazing script definitely wriggles its way into my good graces and will probably get me to see it.	25% MAYBE
	From the trailer alone, I’m surprised that Romania’s Best Foreign Feature entry for this year’s Academy Awards, “Child’s Pose”, was not nominated in the category over something else. Feeling much like many of the previous foreign entries that I’ve seen for the Oscars, the film follows a mother after she finds out her son has hit and killed a child with his car. She proceeds to try and get him out of it, despite the people around her telling her not to. I’m not sure if the films this week are actually good or if I’m in a lenient demeanor, but there’s a possibility I may see this film.	25% MAYBE
	“Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me” is a documentary about the aging actresses flourishing career. In her 80’s, she’s still active in the acting and theater community. Told through interviews with celebrities, including Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin, and Jon Turturro, as well as herself, the film has a very upbeat nature and focuses on the positives of this amazing actress and her illustrious career. But also shows her eccentricity, as she tells Turturro about her first lesbian orgasm at dinner. I’m not entirely familiar with Elaine and for that this documentary misses its mark with me.	PASS
	Perhaps it’s his striking resemblance to Giovanni Ribisi, but where I know Joe Egender from completely eludes me. “Holy Ghost People” sees a woman looking for her missing sister among a group of snake handling church folk, landing closely to a cult. With the strong feeling of foul play, the woman decides to join the church in order to learn more about her missing sister, with Joe Egender playing the creepy leader/pastor of the cult. More of a thriller than a horror film, I am intrigued but not enough to want to see this film.	PASS
	Elizabeth Olsen is enough to sell “In Secret”. A period piece about a young woman who is married to an awkward man (played by the “Harry Potter” villain Tom Felton), who then finds love in a romantic stranger (played by Oscar Isaac), the story turns to murder to bring the couple together, despite the husband’s mother still hanging around (played by Jessica Lange). The cast is stacked and a period piece like this always grabs my attention. But add Elizabeth Olsen into the mix and I do not care what the reviews are saying of the film, I want to see this.	THEATER
	“Omar” is the last Best Foreign Language Film nominee that I have left to see. Having just recently seen the trailer, the story follows a young Palestinian man who is in love with his best friend’s sister, who just happens to live on the other side of the wall dividing Palestine. In order to earn his respect, he agrees to help in the freedom fight with his friend and the young love becomes complicated. Although the hopes are not high for this film winning against other nominees including “The Hunt” and “The Broken Circle Breakdown”, this will be seen in theaters as part of my annual Oscar Challenge.	THEATER
	Apparently Hayao Miyazaki’s last film, “The Wind Rises” is also nominated for Best Animated Feature at this year’s Academy Awards. Having won for “Spirited Away”, there’s a good chance this could be a main competitor for fellow animated nominee “Frozen”. My interest in Miyazaki has just begun recently, but so far I am enjoying his work. With striking visuals and distinct stories, his latest (and perhaps last) film looks to be a love story revolving around flight. But not much else is known as the trailer is quite silent through, except for music. I will be seeing this in theaters as part of my annual Oscar Challenge.	THEATER