Entertainment Wrap #15

With summer pumping out a new #1 Blockbuster movie just about every week, it seems inevitable that there be at least a couple of weeks mixed in to serve as a down period, or at least a slow time to catch up on the barrage of flicks you may have missed.  It seems like we are in that lull period now. There are still new releases coming out weekly, but it seems as if Hollywood has let things die down a bit, almost like the calm before the storm, before it unleashes a relentless blockbuster combo that all starts next week with the hotly anticipated Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. This week’s releases are no slouches by any means and in any other season would probably gain a ton of exposure, yet in the summer season they are simply assimilated into the greater mix.

THEATERS

New in theaters this week are: The Proposal, Year One, Food Inc., Dead Snow, and Whatever Works.   The Proposal is a romantic comedy starring Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock. Bullock plays Reynold’s boss, who is revealed to be living and working in the U.S. on an expired Visa.  In order to remain in the country, she bribes Reynolds with a promotion if he marries her so she can gain citizenship.  Of course sometime by the end of the flick, they actually fall in love with each other. This is a pretty familiar premise, but Reynolds is usually pretty hilarious, even when appearing in recycled romantic comedy plots like this.

Food Inc. is a Michael Moore style documentary about the food industry. Everything from the inhumane treatment of farm animals to the countless number of pesticides used in fruits and vegetables is covered. Personally, I’m of the “eat first ask questions later” mindset, but this film is provocative and informative enough that it has the power to change people’s buying and eating habits, which in some cases can be a very good thing.  Whatever Works is the latest film from Woody Allen which stars Larry David as….wait for it….a cynical old man who complains about everything. That’s about all I know about this film and honestly, it is all I need to know. Reviews indicate that this film will appeal to hardcore Woody Allen fans and not much else.

Dead Snow is a Norwegian horror comedy about a group of people who go spring breaking to a cabin in the mountains. Little do they know that the cabin was originally occupied by Nazis back in WWII, who had hidden a cache of treasure up in the mountains. When the group discovers a chest full of gold, Nazi zombies show up to reclaim their prize. The movie sounds incredibly cheesy and gory, much in the vain of Zombie Strippers. Movies like this are somewhat of a guilty pleasure, not to mention the fact that this movie just reminds me of Call of Duty:WAW. While it may not be the most substantial film out, this one looks to provide some entertaining laughs for fans of the B-movie horror genre. 

Which brings us to my pick for this week, Year One.  This movie stars Michael Cera and Jack Black as a pair of hunter-gatherers who are banished from their tribe and wind up venturing off in search of a new world. The trailers for this film look hilarious. While I like Jack Black, a lot of his humor is hit or miss.  I am a fan of Michael Cera and he has some of the funniest deadpan sarcasm on screen today.  The premise is fairly original and the movie features a ton of cameos from other funny actors. While it’s not necessarily an epic film, it looks to have enough laughs to keep you well entertained for the price of admission.

DVD

This week’s  DVD releases are : Friday the 13th and Madea Goes to Jail. Friday the 13th is pretty self explanatory. It is the reimagining of the classic slasher franchise which follows Jason and his victims at Camp Crystal Lake.  The film is decent and Jason fans should definitely appreciate the modernization of the series. Lets just hope it doesn’t spawn another 13 sequels.  Madea Goes to Jail is the latest Tyler Perry film about the life and misadventures of Grandma Madea and her family.  As you may have guessed, in this film she goes to jail. Tyler Perry’s films range from being amazing to being excruciating to watch at times. This one falls somewhere in between. While the plot is so far fetched with holes galore, Madea is still good for a few laughs and solid one liners.

GAMING

This week is pretty slow in the gaming world. There is one release though that is worth mentioning, which is Ghostbusters the video game. Ghostbuster fans are sure to be all over this one. The story is written as the next installment in the Ghostbusters movie series, with a plot line that continues from the 2nd film.  Perhaps the best part of it all is that it features voice acting from the original cast, including Bill Murray, Dan Akyroyd, Harold Ramis, and Ernie Hudson all reprising their roles as the fab foursome.  Seeing as how this is the closest we will get to a true GB sequel, I may wind up picking it up. The PS3 version includes  a blu-ray of the first movie, which is definitely a good bonus.

Overall a pretty mellow week, but it is a good chance on catching up on some of the other media you may have missed from previous weeks or go check out some of the new stuff. Thats the week in entertainment and that’s a wrap.