deep thought (re ‘Despicable Me’)
None of Gru’s Minions are female because Gru’s archenemy Gargamel hasn’t yet gotten around to creating a Minionette to sow discontent in the land of Gru…
movie buzz
poster convergence: ‘Memento’ and ‘Havok’
Everyone loves Christopher Nolan, and hopes you’ll mistake any given movie for one of his. I have no idea if Havok might be a comedy, but the moment I saw its poster, I had to laugh. Because I was pretty sure it wouldn’t be anything like the genius that is Memento. (goes and Googles the … more…
new this week in U.S., Canadian, and U.K. theaters: ‘Despicable Me,’ ‘Predators,’ ‘The Twilight Saga: Eclipse,’ more
U.S. AND CANADA/OPENING WIDE Despicable Me: “It’s so fluffy I’m gonna die!” is my new go-to phrase for when I’m excited about anything. If you can’t make it to the multiplex, try: • The Incredibles (2004): the last great animated movie about supervillains (and the superheroes who thwart them). • 101 Dalmatians (1961): For one … more…
trailer break: ‘Salt’
Take a break from work: watch a trailer… Now, am I being too much of a conspiracy theorist to wonder if the whole Russian spy ring news story that broke recently and today was suddenly wrapped up in a remarkably civilized and surprisingly secret-prison-free manner could possibly have been planted by Sony Pictures to convince … more…
question of the day: Eight extra minutes for James Cameron’s ‘Avatar’: will you watch and do you care?
Mark the date. Or not. On August 27 of this very year, you will have the distinct honor of being able — or not — of paying your 20 bucks/15 quid or so and being graced with eight whole extra minutes of Avatar. In 3D only! Because that’s how you rack up the most box … more…
omg: ‘Grease’ sing-a-long opens today in select U.S. cities
Oh wow! When Grease was rereleased back in 1998 it was such a blast to see this movie in a theater with a big crowd of totally amped-up fans: everyone knew the movie by heart and everyone sang along out loud and had a blast. And all without any prompting from the screen. Which is … more…
trailer break: ‘The Girl Who Played with Fire’
Take a break from work: watch a trailer… The more I think about The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, the more I like it. I hope the sequel does not disappoint. A new director — Daniel Alfredson — has taken over for this and the final film. At least the cast remains the same. The … more…
question of the day: Are you suspicious when a studio tailors screening access to a film, as has happened with ‘Inception’?
We’re all familiar with this kind of situation: A studio has a stinker on its hands, so it frontloads the critical response by showing the film, weeks before it opens, to quote whores, entertainment “journalists” who aren’t critics but get their subsequently rapturous reactions splashed across posters and TV ads anyway. You know, they’re the … more…
trailer break: ‘Ramona and Beezus’
Underpants joke. But no fart joke. That’s a net positive, I think. I remember enjoying Beverly Cleary’s Ramona books when I was a kid. But I do remember them mostly being about Ramona, not about her older teenage pop star sister. That must have come after I moved on from third grade… Ramona and Beezus … more…
question of the day: Is there any point in a Hollywood remake of ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’?
As it always does, the inevitable has come to pass. The Swedish film The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is getting the Hollywood treatment. Never mind that the original film is a worldwide phenomenon that has earned more than $100 million worldwide, including more than $9 million in North America, which ranks it respectably as … more…
