Category Archives: Coming Soon

Entertainment Wrap #16

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Its a pretty busy summer week as the new releases keep rolling in with perhaps one of the most anticipated flicks of the summer released earlier this week.  Without further delay…let’s get right into it.

THEATERS

New releases this week are: Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen,  My Sister’s Keeper, and Cheri.  My Sister’s Keeper stars Cameron Diaz as a mother whose  daughter, Kate, is battling leukemia. She then has another child, Anna, via in vitro fertilizatioin, who is designed to be a perfect genetic match for Kate.  When Kate’s kidneys begin to fail, Anna seeks medical emancipation from her parents who are demanding that she donate a kidney to her dying sister. While at first glance this may seem to be your standard tear jerking chick flick, the film seems very well written and acted.  Although I normally shy away from depressing fare like this, I must admit that this film has a very interesting story and seems well worth checking out.

Cheri is a romantic drama set in 1920s Paris that follows the love affair between a young man and an older, more experienced woman played by Michelle Pfeifer. While I don’t know too much more about the film, it obviously seems to share a lot of similarities with the award winning ‘The Reader’.  However, from a technical standpoint, even as she ages,Pfeifer ranks considerably higher on the MILF scale than Kate Winslet.

Finally, we have Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. I don’t really want to say too much about this film as both Trench and myself have reviews which should be up in the very near future. Is it better than the first film? Not really in my opinion. Is it worth checking out at the movies? Yes. I doubt anyone will consider this a masterpiece or even an excellent film, but it is literally the most bang for your admission buck.

DVD

New DVDs this week are: The Pink Panther 2, Confessions of a Shopaholic, and Inkheart.  Pink Panther 2 has Steve Martin reprising his role as Inspector Clouseau.  Kids may find the humor in this film amusing, but most of the jokes and gags have been done before.  While the first film had the benefit of Beyonce to at least keep it afloat visually, this film has the benefit of….um….sorry I’ll have to get back to you on that.

Confessions of a Shopaholic stars scene stealing Isla Fisher as a shopaholic who learns to find comfort in more than just material things. While the film isn’t exactly the most original idea, Fisher is usually pretty entertaining.  I may have a review up for this soon as my spider sense is indicating that I will most likely be forced to watch this in the very near future.  This brings us to the Brendan Fraser children’s flick, Inkheart. The story is similar to The Neverending Story in that there is a magical book whose characters and world come to life.  Admittedly, I don’t know too much about this film but my kids were watching it a few weeks ago and they really enjoyed it.

GAMING

This week brings us the release of one of my personally most anticipated games in a while, EA’s Fight Night Round 4. I’m sure you’ve seen the constant barrage of commercials featuring a virtual matchup between Heavyweight legend Muhammed Ali and Iron Mike Tyson. Fortunately, the game features the pre- tattoed face, ear biting version of Tyson when he was the terror of the heavyweight division. The game also features a great roster of fighters, including: Tommy Hearns, Lennox Lewis, Manny Pacquiao, and Roy Jones Jr. just to name a few.  I can’t wait for this game as I’ve already sunk way too much time into the demo, which only allowed you to choose between Manny Pacquiao or Ricky Hatton.

That’s the week in entertainment and that’s a wrap.

Entertainment Wrap #15

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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.

Entertainment Wrap #14

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Another week brings about another crop of new releases and UFC 99. You’ve got to love summer and all the entertainment goodness it brings! Let’s get right into it…

THEATERS

It’s a pretty chillax week in terms of new movies. Out this week are: Imagine That, Taking of Pelham 123, and Moon.  Imagine That is the latest family movie from Eddie Murphy about a man who’s daughter whose imagination has the power to make things come true. The movie seems awfully similar to Adam Sandler’s Bedtime Stories, which is actually a pretty good flick. Seeing how Eddie hasn’t been in anything remotely funny for a while, I have my doubts about this film.  Those who have seen every kid movie out right now may want to check this out, or maybe just play it safe and rewatch some of the great films already out.

Taking of Pelham 123 is a remake starring Denzel Washington as a subway dispatcher who must negotiate with hostage taker John Travolta who has hijacked a subway car and is demanding a ransom.  I have not seen the original movie, but I’ve heard it is excellent, making acceptance of yet another Hollywood remake all the more difficult.  While the concept may have been cutting edge at the time of the original, the idea of taking a train full of hostages seems a bit outdated to me with all the technology we have today. The movie does have some good things going for it in the form of Denzel Washington, who always brings an intensity to his roles.  Travolta can also be a plus, provided he doesn’t go too over the top with his performance as he has done with some of his past villain portrayals.  Perhaps the biggest thing this movie has going on is director Tony Scott (Man on Fire, Domino, the Last Boy Scout) whose directing style is almost custom made for action films.

This brings us to Moon, which is probably my personal most anticipated movie this week. Moon is a sci fi film set in the future where humans have started to mine moon rocks in order to solve the planet’s natural fuel resources shortage.  The plot follows an astronaut (Sam Rockwell) who is contracted to go out and man the mining station with the help of the ship’s computerized robot AI Gerty (think Hal from 2001).  Even cooler is the fact that GERTY is voiced by Kevin Spacey, who has one of the calmest yet most sinister voices around. Of course, things don’t all go according to plan and there are some unforseen complications on the moon. Early reviews for this film are excellent.  While this movie is relatively low key, but hopefully it will have a widespread release so I can check it out at the theater.

DVD

New DVDs this week are : Grand Torino, Fired Up, and The International.  Grand Torino is a film directed by and starring Clint Eastwood as an aging, racist, Korean war veteran.  It’s an excellent movie and there is a review up here somewhere about it. Definitely worth a rental. Fired Up is a comedy about a couple of football players who ditch their summer workouts to go to the girls cheerleading camp. The movie looks pretty formulaic, but it may wind up being good for some laughs. Finally, the International stars Clive Owen as an interpol agent trying to take down a corrupt worldwide bank.  I’ve heard mixed reviews about this movie, but Owen is usually rock solid as an action star so this should at least be worth a rental.

GAMING

It’s a pretty good week in gaming. Out for the PS3 and Xbox360 is Prototype.  Manhattan is overrun by a mysterious virus that turns humans into killing zombies. You wake up to find that you have shape shifting powers enabling you to transform your body into various weapons of destruction. The game features a ton of gore and violence as you cause widespread death and destruction in search of answers to what is going on. 

The old school Sega games of the past have made their way to xbox live arcade this week. Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Altered Beast, Shinobi, and Phantasy Star II will all be available to relive the glorious Genesis days of gaming goodness. Also releasing this week is Map Pack 2 for Call of Duty:WAW. I haven’t played any of the maps yet, but graphically they are really impressive. These maps are a welcome addition to COD’s already excellent map rotation, which is sure to add countless hours of replayability to one of the best multiplayer games around.

MMA

UFC 99 will feature the ultimate realization bout to a question people have been wondering for a while. What would happen if the former UFC middleweight champion Rich Franklin went toe to toe with former Pride middleweight champ Wanderlei Silva? While both fighters have suffered a few losses since they held their titles, this is still an exciting matchup and it is the main event of UFC 99.

I’ve been a big Wanderlei fan for a long time, despite his brutal losses of late, he is still one of my favorite fighters.  Franklin also brings a well rounded skill set to the fight, as he’s shown his proficiency on all levels. It is a bit of a tough call, but I’m going with Wanderlei. As skilled as Franklin is, he doesn’t have the devastating power that Wanderlei has. 

Prediction: Silva via KO round 2

This event features some less publicized but still exciting matchups.  Cain Velasquez will fight Chieck Kongo in a heavyweight matchup. Both fighters have power. Velasquez is a bit more devastating, but Kongo is just huge.  I think Kongo’s size will keep Velasquez on the outside and prevent him from doing any serious damage, but all Velasquez needs is a good punch to end it all. This should be a solid fight.

Prediction: Velasquez by TKO in round 3

Another good matchup is between TUF alumni Ben Saunders and Mike Swick.  The two fighters are pretty evenly matched with very similar styles. This fight has all the makings of a slug fest and I have a feeling it will be won decisively. No decisions here.

Prediction: Swick via KO round 2

The card also features standouts such as: Spencer Fisher, Marcus Davis, Terry Etim, Caol Uno, and the return of Mirko Cro-Cop. I really hope that the Cro-Cop that shows up is the vicious Mirko from the Pride fighting days and not the neutered UFC version.  Cro-Cop has a lot to prove with his return so hopefully he comes out banging.

That’s the week in entertainment and that’s a wrap.