This week in theaters: 10/30

There's really only four things in theaters this weekend, only one of which is in wide release. One of the limited ones sounds interesting, but it's not playing near me. Oh well.

Michael Jackson's This Is It: A two hour film that consists of only footage of Michael Jackson practicing for what was supposed to be his upcoming concert tour. I'm going to be honest: I'm sorry Michael Jackson died, but I really could care less about this film. It's obviously just a cash grab by Columbia Pictures. Of course, see it this weekend if you're interested because it's only in release for two weeks.

Gentlemen Broncos: Jared Hess, the maker of Napoleon Dynamite, returns with the story of a teenager who goes to a fantasy writers' convention and discovers his idea for a story has been taken. I was originally interested, but then I came to the realization that Napoleon Dynamite wasn't really that great. It's a good movie, but only for maybe two viewings. Meh.

The Boondocks Saints II: All Saints Day: A sequel to the indie hit The Boondock Saints. Only for fans of the original which I admit that I've never seen although it's on my long Netflix queue.

The House of the Devil: Here's the one I wanted to see. A girl takes up a babysitting job, but realizes her client doesn't even have a child and has a darker secret: they're using her in a satanic ritual. This one has been highly buzzed about and I really need another great horror movie after Paranormal Activity. Plus, doesn't it make sense to see a scary movie on Halloween?

This week in theaters: 10/23

Before you read this, let me remind that there is nothing good coming out this weekend. Seriously. The fall season has hit a dry spot. Next week isn't going to be much better. As Jigsaw from Saw would say, what do you choose?

Saw VI: I guess this is the one to see in theaters, but only if you're a fan of the series. The first one was great, the second was good, and the third was where it took a wrong turn and went bad. And to still think they're making more. Game over, Saw.

Astro Boy: Based on the 1950's cartoon about a robotic boy who can fly. Meh, nothing interesting. There's nothing much I can say about this.

Cirque Du Freak: The Vampire's Assisstant: Another shot at the vampire movie. A boy becomes a vampire and is exposed to carnival led by John C. Reilly. One of the main attractions is a bearded Salma Hayek. Whatever.

Amelia: Hilary Swank plays Amelia Earheart as directed by Mira Nair of Monsoon Wedding. Richard Gere co-stars. The predictions that this was Oscar bait were apparently very wrong. It currently has 18% good reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. I thought I would want to see this, but not anymore.

Antichrist: A couple goes to their cabin the woods where the engage in mental, physical, and sexual torture. A good movie to say you've seen...if it's playing anywhere near you. It has a limited release of under 20 theaters. Also, it's very controversial so there's a good chance you might not like it. There's penis smashing, a shot of unsimulated sex, vagina mutilation, and a talking fox. Did I mention it's directed by the infamous Lars von Trier?

Paranormal Activity expands its release to 1,000 more theaters making the total about 1,800 theaters. If you haven't seen it yet, do see it, but don't read anything about it. Even though I think it's one of the scariest films ever made, people who have seen it tell me it's overhyped. Use your judgement.

Scary Movie 5 is a reboot

Oh, Hollywood is running out of original ideas. Scary Movie 5 is officially a reboot of the series. Now here's my question: How do you reboot a satire? A parody is a parody. You can't redo it or start it over! That's just stupid.

While the idea is already satirical by itself, we really don't need another scary movie. There's a reason why the Weinstein Co. is suffering and that's because they keep making stupid movies! I'll admit that I did think Scary Movie and Scary Movie 3 were occasionally funny, but the second and fourth were horrible. We need a fifth one like I need another Uwe Boll movie.

Awesome: New Avatar trailer coming to theaters Friday!

The general reaction to the teaser trailer of Avatar was so-so. Fans were underwhelmed and audiences who were previously unexposed to it wanted to remain underexposed to it. ComingSoon.net has found out that a new trailer for Avatar will be coming to theaters on Friday! This trailer will be three and a half minutes long and it will tell more about the story. Don't get so excited. It won't be online till October 29th. Also, don't hype it too much. Remember what happened last time.

Box Office Report: Week of 10/16

This week was a pleasant surprise at the box office. Where the Wild Things Are landed at number one with about the money the expected it to and The Stepfather did well against its competition. The real stars of the weekend were Law Abiding Citizen and Paranormal Activity. Many people were sure that Law Abiding Citizen would fail, but this is far from what happened. It actually was quite a hit at the box office. Paranormal Activity did well, but far better than expected. It expands more next week. Can it make it past third place and maybe even damage Saw VI? We'll see! On a side note, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs has officially crossed the $100 million dollar mark at the box office. Who woulda thought it?

1. Where the Wild Things Are-$32.5M

2. Law Abiding Citizen-$21.2M

3. Paranormal Activity-$20.2M

4. Couples Retreat-$17.9M

5. The Stepfather-$12.3M

6. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (in 3D in some locations)-$8.1M

7. Zombieland-$7.8M

8. Toy Story/Toy Story 2 Double Feature-$3.0M

9. Surrogates-$1.9M

10. The Invention of Lying-$1.9M

Review: Paranormal Activity

I finally got to see Paranormal Activity which was overdue from last week when I got there and it was sold out. It was so scary! I don't scare easily, but Paranormal Activity really got under my skin. It's a really great movie to see in theaters. Read my review that I wrote for IMDB (my user name is alexart-1):

Fear. One of the most essential and loved emotions ever in the movies. Does Paranormal Activity bring the fear? It sure does. Paranormal Activity is one of the rare horror movies that is actually scary and that makes you afraid to sleep. Many horror movies these days fall the way of Sorority Row and the Final Destination series-full of clichés and lacking scary material. In fact, in a day where the horror movie is not actually scary, it is hard to even call it a genre anymore. Paranormal Activity disobeys the standards for the new horror movie genre and brings the old version back with good film-making and great thrills.This spooky little film starts out easy and almost a comedy.

It's about a couple, Katie and Micah (pronounced Meeka), who have been experiencing what they think is a haunting. The two quarrel while remaining hopelessly in love with each other. Micah decides to set up a camera system to appease Katie who is hoping to give Micah a glimpse of a ghost which she believes to be in the house. The heart of the film is its night scenes which depict the couple sleeping in bed while the ghost (it's actually something slightly different) "attacks". The film is made in the "shaky cam" style, but the camera is not very shaky and audiences concerned about nausea should not be.

Paranormal Activity works primarily for the reason that it continually mounts fear. As I said before, the beginning starts out comedy-like, gradually transitions into horror, and then just goes wild. The night scenes are scariest because they prey on one of our most common fears: the unknown predator. The viewer knows what it is that is haunting them, yet they never get even a quick look at what it is that is doing this other than its shadow. The night scenes begin with shutting doors, banging noises, and booming noises in the background. This may not sound like anything new, but after this phase is done, the film just keeps getting stranger. By the end, the film is so scary that the viewer just hopes that there isn't another night scene coming, that everything is going to be okay, that the movie will be over so they won't have to endure any more fear. No, Oren Peli, the director, does not give up. Once you've gotten into his trap of this movie, you can't leave. Peli has made a film so scary that even I, a person who really doesn't get scared by horror movies, might have trouble sleeping for the next few days.

This film is absolutely one to catch in theaters. Part of the fun of the movie seeing the audience's reaction. The film was so scary that during a screening in Montreal, a person fainted and was carted out of the theater by the ambulance. Alright, nothing that exciting happened to me, but yes, the reactions were very interesting. However, it was so scary that one woman sitting behind me kept murmuring to herself "Ohmygod, ohmygod, ohmygod!" during the night scenes. Later, the "ohmygods" turned into a scream which, at the very end, changed into her crying because she was so scared. Many people didn't have as intense a reaction as this, but almost everyone was gasping when scary things happened. I even found myself gasping at the screen at certain parts, something I have never found myself doing before at a movie.

It's hard to believe that Paranormal Activity was made for $11,000. It brings the scares of a $20 million-ish movie. Oren Peli takes the audience and scares them until the very end which is easily one of the most jolting endings to a movie ever. Don't watch the trailers! They spoil the ending! Anyway, Paranormal Activity is one of the scariest movies ever and will definitely spook any horror fan. It's a must see for people who care about movies and even for people just looking for fun. I know that I've never had as much fun watching a movie in theaters before. Paranormal Activity is not only one of the best films of the year, but also one of the most frightening films of all time.

Chris Pine is Jack Ryan?

Everyone knows Chris Pine was awesome in Star Trek this past summer. Now, Paramount has taken this into consideration and it is said that they want Pine to play Jack Ryan in a reboot of the Tom Clancy series. Good idea? Yeah, probably, but I think the buzz surrounding him has reached saturation point. The idea of Star Trek 2 is awesome, but I think Hollywood loves him a little too much. Still, I think I'm looking forward to this project.

Zaillian and Scott to adapt Red Riding trilogy

Steven Zaillian and Ridley Scott are set to bring the Red Riding trilogy to the screen in America. A trilogy of movies has already been made in England, but, as per usual, the American film industry needs to remake every movie and these three are being remade here. The British trilogy screened at the Telluride Film Festival and was met with some good buzz. Zaillian and Scott have worked together before on American Gangster and Hannibal.

Foster and Sutherland join The Mechanic

A while back, we learned that Jason Statham was acting as a hit man again in a remake of the schlock classic The Mechanic. We also learn it would be directed by (unintentional) schlock master Simon West, the maker of Tomb Raider and Con Air. What seemed like so-bad-it's-good-it's-bad just turned into something better. Ben Foster and and Donald Sutherland have now joined the movie. Foster will play an apprentice to Statham and Sutherland will play Foster's father. Maybe I actually care about this film now. How interesting.

Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer have an Open House

As if we don't see enough voyeuristic sex on True Blood. Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer play husband and wife in Open House, an upcoming horror movie. It's about a couple who moves into a house that the previous owner hasn't quite left. By that, I mean he's a ghost.

I am NOT excited about this. First of all, I love True Blood, but these two need to be separated. They may be good actors seperately, but together, they suck (haha). Hopefully, there's no sex scenes in this. It's already gross enough to think that a real life couple portrays a fictional couple who has a lot of graphic sex. Also, I hope Anna Paquin doesn't smile. She has a terrible gap in her front two teeth that bugs me all the time in True Blood.

Up in the Air, 25/8, Book of Eli, and Hole get ratings

Up in the Air
R for language and some sexual content

25/8
R for strong bloody violence, and pervasive language including sexual references

The Book of Eli
R for some brutal violence and language

The Hole
PG-13 for frightening images, violence, and some language

Me and Orson Welles
PG-13 for sexual references and smoking

The Tree of Life dies, replanted in 2010

Earlier this year, people got excited when Apparition bought the rights to Terrence Malick's The Tree of Life. It was rumored to be released on Christmas this year. Today, this was revealed to be false and just wishful thinking. No release date is set, but it will be released in 2010 for sure. 2010 now has its first Oscar contender.

This week in theaters: 10/16

Five new movies this weekend. Three mainstream, two independent. Which one will you see?

Where the Wild Things Are: The obvious choice for the weekend. The famous children's book makes it to the screen with Spike Jonze as director. The trailers made me cry because they were so sentimental. Also, I love Spike Jonze. Where could you go wrong? Did I mention Karen O and The Kids did the whole soundtrack?

Law Abiding Citizen: Gerard Butler plays a man turned serial killer after his wife is raped. He is arrested, but the murders keep happening. Jamie Foxx plays good cop, bad cop for the whole movie. Booorrring. The trailer was so corny and cliched that I can't understand why anybody would want to see it.

The Stepfather: A remake of the poor 1980's movie about an evil stepfather. Another boring cliche fest. If this is your thing, pursue it, but I would not recommend wasting ten dollars on this.

New York, I Love You: A series of vignettes with good actors and good directors about New York. Ah, yes. New York movies are back. I truly do love New York and hope to love this movie. The early reviews for it weren't great, but I still want to see it anyway.

Black Dynamite: Blaxploitation roars back to theaters. Hey, I'm excited! The trailer was so bad it was great and that's exactly what the early reviews said. The trend of making so-bad-it's-good movies is starting to get old, but this one seems pretty fun.

Paranormal Activity is also expanding its release by 800 theaters. If you want to see this, don't make the same mistake as me and get tickets online in advance ASAP!

A disgrace: Fox tells the story of Moses in style of Zack Snyder

20th Century Fox has bought an update of The Ten Commandments...but its being done in the style of 300. The Jewish religion just got a big F U from Fox. Come on. This has got to be the dumbest idea for a movie that I've heard this year. They're gonna do that stupid slo-mo/fast-mo BS with the parting of the Red Sea. And it's not gonna be one bit interesting.

Also, what the hell was the pitch like from writers Adam Cooper and Bill Collage? That meeting must have been hilarious! I laughed out loud just from the thought of the movie. Listening to their pitch must have just been straight laughter the whole way through. /Film has pointed out that it may turn out to Roland Emmerich style, with a big budget and tons of VFX. Neither one is necessary. It's okay for Hollywood to make book adaptations, but not Holy Book adaptations.

Mandalay Pictures gets Horn-y

Mandalay Pictures has acquired the rights to Joe Hill's, the son of Stephen King, upcoming book Horns. The book hasn't even released yet and it's already been optioned for a movie! It must be good. Horns is about a man who wakes up from a hangover and realizes that there are horns growing from his head. The horns continue to grow bigger each day and eventually he realizes that they may be related somehow to the unsolved murder of his girlfriend.

Those who have read Heart Shaped Box know the power of Joe Hill's writing. Hill's writing, which is very reminiscent of his father's, is unusual and striking. It's spooky and at the same time, very readable. I'm totally psyched for this and I love Joe Hill. Try picking up Heart Shaped Box. You won't be able to put it down.

Theron no longer a Tourist, Jolie replaces her

Angelina Jolie has replaced Charlize Theron for her part in The Tourist, a remake of a French thriller about an American tourist who goes undercover in hopes to trap his ex-lover who is currently wanted for an international crime. Back in August, Sam Worthington replaced Tom Cruise for his role as well. Moreover, Spyglass Entertainment also wants to replace Bharat Nalluri, the director of the original, who just got off the project.

Still, Spyglass Entertainment has this set to release in early 2010. They need a miracle for this happen. With so much replacing, its a stupid idea to let the film keep going. They should just shut the production down now and save some money.

Animation Academy Award given five nominees

The Academy has now given the Animation category five nominations instead of the usual three. Speculation has risen over how necessary this actually was, but I believe that this year was and still is a particularly good year for animation, so yes, it does deserve the extra nominations. Here's what I think they should be:
Up
Coraline
9
Fantastic Mr. Fox
Ponyo

Second Avatar trailer to come in the next two weeks!

According to the blog MarketSaw, a few insiders have informed him that there are a few trailers in contention for being released in theaters and we will see one of them very soon. The trailer is said to have only three lines of dialogue and focus on Sigourney Weaver's character. Again, this only rumor. If it's true, more details to come!

Box Office Report: Week of 10/9

To sum it up, the box office was surprisingly pleasant this week. Couples retreated to the local multiplex to see Couples Retreat, Paranormal Activity broke records, and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs is now within the $100 million range. So here is the question: how and why did Couples Retreat do so well? There's a very simple answer: it was the only mainstream release of the week. But still, the response to the trailer wasn't great and it looked like a Forgetting Sarah Marshall knockoff. Whatever the reasons may be, Universal needed this badly and I'm glad they got it.

1. Couples Retreat-$34.3M

2. Zombieland-$14.8M

3. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (in 3D in some locations)-$11.5M

4. Paranormal Activity (limited, 159 theaters)-

$7.9M

5. Toy Story/Toy Story 2 Double Feature-$7.8M

6. Surrogates-$4.3M

7. The Invention of Lying-$3.3M

8. Whip It-$2.8M

9. Capitalism: A Love Story-$2.6M

10. Fame-$2.5M

Paranormal Activity producers get Jealous

The Paranormal Activity producers are already moving onto their next project, an adaptation of Celia Fremlin's 1985 book The Jealous One. The Jealous One is about a woman who dreams she murdered another woman who was tempting her husband. She awakens to find that the woman she dreamed of is missing. The book is described as Hitchcockian. Sounds intriguing.

Why?: Joss Whedon's Cabin in the Woods gets pushed back

Joss Whedon's buzzed about movie The Cabin in the Woods got pushed back to January 14, 2011. That's eleven months past what it was supposed to be. Why, you may ask? Well, MGM has said that the movie was well received during test screenings and they want to redo the film in 3D. Aw, come on! If a film wasn't supposed to be in 3D, leave it that way. Plus, MGM is probably just lying considering they're having financial troubles anyway. The 3D fad has really reached saturation point. People need to give it up already.

Paranormal Activity gets a nationwide release!

After buzz and hype continued to mount for the most discussed film of the year (yes, even more than Antichrist), Paranormal Activity finally will get a nationwide release! In possibly the smartest advertising campaign ever, one million people Demanded It! and Paramount agreed to relase it nationwide. This Friday, Paranormal Activity will add 1,000 more theaters to its release. You know I'll be there. I actually tried to see it tonight, but it was completely sold out two hours and half ahead of time and the line for the showing that wasn't sold out snaked out the door of the theater. I'll see it, eventually. I feel like I owe it to myself to see the most buzzy film of the year. I love horror movies and this is right up my alley.

Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire-Review

Precious really struck a chord with me. Here's what I wrote on IMDB (I'm alexart-1, by the way):

I saw Precious at the New York Film Festival yesterday. As you may know, Precious is the only film to ever win the Audience Award at both the Sundance and Toronto International Film Festivals. The film has been highly hyped since January and I was afraid I would be underwhelmed. Well, I sure wasn't! Precious is a powerhouse piece of cinema that will rip your heart to shreds. The acting is pitch perfect from everybody and the film-making is unusual.

Precious is about Claireece 'Precious' Jones, an overweight girl who has already had a child with Down's Syndrome from when she was raped by her father. Her mother constantly abuses her and she's already pregnant with her second baby. When she gets kicked out of school and is forced to go to an alternative school to help her get her GED, she realizes that there may actually be hope for her.

The acting is easily the most important and best thing during Precious. Newcomer Gabourey Sidibe will absolutely be famous and definitely deserves the Best Actress Oscar. Her performance was so real and searing that you're just forced to sympathize with her. Other cast includes Lenny Kravitz, Mariah Carey, and Mo'Nique who are all unfamiliar to the genre, but still perform very well. Mo'Nique gives a really great performance as the abusive mother Mary and should definitely win an Oscar as well. Mariah Carey's performance is a bit dry, but her character is not very major. Paula Patton, the actress who plays Blu Rain, Precious' teacher, gives a believable and loving performance as well. Also, the girls in Precious' class are all great. I actually was sitting behind them at the screening and got the them to sign my Playbill. They were all very excited.

The crowd seemed to love the movie. At Toronto, people laughed at serious parts, but the New York audience ate it up. People clapped for Precious, cried at the right parts, and even gasped at the screen over some of the violence. The violence is often so abrupt that it feels as if you too could have just been hit over the head with a pan. Everybody was so engaged in watching it even Gabourey Sidibe herself who had already seen it three times. Even she had trouble watching some parts. At the end of the movie, everyone in the audience stood up and gave Lee Daniels and his cast about a ten minute standing ovation. Everybody loved the film. Precious is definitely one of the best movies of the year and will definitely at least be nominated for Best Picture if not win it. It may be a bit bleak, but Precious gives me and everybody else hope. Lee Daniels wrote a quotation at the end of the movie that said "For precious girls everywhere". This is what really put the icing on the cake. Precious is a magnificent and disturbing movie.

Toy Story/Toy Story 2 Double Feature-Short Review

You know the movies. You know they're great. Is it worth spending your money to see them on the big screen? Yes. The 3D is spectacular, if not the best 3D movie of the year. The double feature style is actually quite nice as well. There is a five minute intermission which also has some interesting facts that accompany it. Two hours and 49 minutes may seem like a long time, but its definitely worth your money. Plus, there are free popcorn refills! Where could you go wrong?

This week in theaters: 10/9

There are only three choices this week at the box office. Two are right, one is horribly wrong.

Couples Retreat: Zzzz. Another snoozefest trying to emulate Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Kristen Bell is even in it and its set in Bora Bora. It doesn't get any more obvious. Vince Vaughn also stars. Universal needs a hit, but this is most certainly not it.

An Education: Probably the best choice this weekend. A young girl (Carey Mulligan) falls in love with a 44 year old man (Peter Sarsgaard) who wants her to move away with him to Paris. The girl is faced with the personal conflict of finishing high school or pursuing the life that she would rather have. Mulligan has been gathering buzz for the movie which should be nominated for something eventually. Only problem is it's going to be only in limited release.

Good Hair: Chris Rock does a documentary about why black women want white women's hair. Actually, this seems quite clever. I saw a trailer for it before The September Issue and it was hilarious. Whether it's worth spending $10 on is your decision.

I'm probably going to see Paranormal Activity this weekend because it's finally playing near me!

Newslets: Transformers 3, Ramones biopic, Let Me In

Transformers 3
Michael Bay has announced that a third Transformers is coming in July of 2011. Who didn't see this one coming? Also, Megan Fox is going to reprise her role...which means Michael Bay will womanize her again. Megan Fox should keep acting in movies like Jennifer's Body that show off her sexiness while showing a feminist side, but audiences are stupid and don't enjoy that.

Ramones biopic
Fox Searchlight has gotten the rights to a Ramones biopic. This actually sounds like a good idea. I like Fox Searchlight and I like the Ramones. Hey! Ho! Let's go!

Let Me In
Kodi Smit-McPhee (The Road) and Chloe Moretz (500 Days of Summer) have been cast as the two main leads in Let the Right One In remake Let Me In. Also, Richard Jenkins (Burn After Reading) got cast instead of Phillip Seymour Hoffman which makes me happy. This movie better be good if they're remaking Let the Right One In. It was a dumb decision in the first place, but with a cast like this, it could be good.

Toy Story 3
A trailer debuted in front of the double feature (I saw it, it was pretty cool!)...but it won't be online until after the two week run is over. Damn you, Disney!

Just Another Love Story
Mark Webb (500 Days of Summer) is remaking the Danish movie Just Another Love Story. I'm actually unfamiliar with it so I can't say to much, but I like Mark Webb's style, so I'm guess I'm excited.

The Ghost
Roman Polanksi's The Ghost is still happening with or without Roman Polanski. Good.

This week in theaters: 10/2

It's really a mixed bag at the box office this week. There's something for everyone.

Zombieland-My choice for the weekend. It looks really awesome. A world overrun with zombies that stars Jesse Eisenberg and a badass Woody Harrelson tinged with humor? I'm there!

The Invention of Lying-Ricky Gervais plays a guy who decides to stop lying and see what happens to his world. Reviews have said it's a surprisingly heavy comedy. Sounds intriguing. Maybe I'll see this on DVD.

Whip It-Ellen Page plays Bliss, a girl who finds out that rolled blading with Drew Barrymore is her true passion. Drew Barrymore also directs. Sounds pretty good as well. Definitely a must see for me on DVD.

Toy Story/ Toy Story 2 Double Feature-The same movies, just in 3D. It actually sounds pretty nice to me. Plus, you can't go wrong with a new Toy Story 3 trailer that's attached to it.

A Serious Man-A Jewish man during the 60's realizes his life is falling part a la Coen Brothers. The trailer was great and I'll definitely see this one as well. I love the Coen Brothers and I'll remain loyal by seeing this one in theaters.

Paranormal Activity and Capitalism: A Love Story widen their releases this week.