New Releases for the Week of June 14, 2013

MAN OF STEEL

(Warner Brothers) Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Russell Crowe, Kevin Costner, Michael Shannon, Diane Lane, Laurence Fishburne, Antje Traue, Christopher Meloni. Directed by Zack Snyder

An alien from the planet Krypton is sent to Earth as a baby to escape that planet’s destruction and is raised as their own by a childless farming couple. The yellow sun of our world gives him super strength and speed, the ability to fly, heat vision and other remarkable powers. However, he can’t escape his past and another survivor from Krypton comes looking for this super man to take vengeance on his father. The buzz on this one has been super hot and this could well wind up being the biggest hit of the summer

See the trailer, promos and a featurette here.

For more on the movie this is the website.

Release formats: Standard, 3D, IMAX 3D

Genre: Superhero

Rating: PG-13 (for intense sequences of sci-fi violence, action and destruction, and for some language)

Before Midnight

(Sony Classics) Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy, Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick, Ariane Labed. What started in Before Sunrise and continued in Before Sunset finds the couple of Celine and Jesse more than two decades after meeting on that Vienna-bound train now located in Greece. They’re in their early 40s and dealing with encroaching middle age but deep below the worries and cares of life is that wonderful life-infused couple of the first film. Can they reclaim that energy?

See the trailer and clips here.

For more on the movie this is the website.

Release formats: Standard

Genre: Drama

Rating: R (for sexual content/nudity and language) 

Fukrey

(Eros) Pulkit Samrat, Manjot Singh, Ali Fazal, Varun Sharma. Four college students, staring an unremarkable life in the face, hit upon the scheme of converting one of their member’s dreams into lottery numbers. Confident that they’ll strike it reach, they seek a bankroller but when they find out who’s controlling the purse strings, their lives take a completely different turn.

See the trailer here.

For more on the movie this is the website.

Release formats: Standard

Genre: Bollywood

Rating: NR

Kon-Tiki

(Weinstein) Pål Sverre Hagen, Anders Baasmo Christiansen, Tobias Santelmann, Gustaf Skarsgård. Legendary Norwegian explorer and adventurer Thor Heyerdahl seeks to prove his theory that ancient native of South America settled in Polynesia. In 1947 he sets out with his wife on a balsa wood raft called Kon-Tiki to show that it could be done.

See the trailer here.

For more on the movie this is the website.

Release formats: Standard

Genre: Biographical Drama

Rating: PG-13 (for a disturbing violent sequence) 

This is the End

(Columbia) Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel, James Franco, Jonah Hill. Party at James Franco’s house! As a group of his Hollywood buddies gather at the Oscar-nominated star’s mansion, they are trapped by strange and dangerous events. Beset by suspicion and cabin fever, they are eventually forced to venture out into the apocalyptic landscape. Will they find redemption, or a horrible but funny death?

See the trailer, a clip and a promo here.

For more on the movie this is the website.

Release formats: Standard (Opened on Wednesday)

Genre: Sci-Fi Comedy

Rating: R (for crude and sexual content throughout, brief graphic nudity, pervasive language, drug use and some violence) 

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Four-Warned: April 2013

Every month I’m going to look at every movie on the release schedule and try to assign them a numerical value corresponding to how anxious I am to see it. The lower the number, the more I want to see it. A one means I would walk through hell and high water to see it; a four means there’s no interest whatsoever. The numbers are not arrived at scientifically but they aren’t arbitrary either.

The numbers aren’t a reflection of the artistic merit of any of these films, but merely a reflection of my willingness to go to a movie theater and see it. The top four scores will be gathered as a means of reflecting the movies I’m anticipating the most; you may use that as a guide or not.

Each entry is broken down as follows:

NAME OF FILM (Studio) Genre A brief description of the plot. Release plans: Wide = Everywhere, Limited = In selected markets. RATING A brief comment

Keep in mind that release dates are extremely subject to change, even at this late date.

FOUR TO SEE
1. OBLIVION (1.2)
2. 42 (1.5)
3. EVIL DEAD (1.6)
4. PAIN AND GAIN (2.0)

FOUR TO SEEK OUT (FILMS NOT IN WIDE RELEASE)
1. THE COMPANY YOU KEEP (1.3)
2. THE BRASS TEAPOT (1.7)
3. SIMON KILLER (1.8)
TIE. TRANCE (1.8)
TIE. KON-TIKI (1.8)
TIE. TAI CHI HERO (1.8)

RATING SYSTEM: 1) Must-see, 2) Should-see, 3) Perhaps-see, 4) Don’t-see

APRIL 3, 2013

ANDRE GREGORY: BEFORE AND AFTER DINNER (Cinema Guild) Genre: Documentary. A portrait of the subject of My Dinner With Andre years after the fact. Release Strategy: New York City only. RATING: 2.9 He’s an amazing raconteur but the trailer doesn’t give a sense of that.
LUNARCY! (Epix) Genre: Documentary. A group of disparate eccentrics have only a love for the moon in common. Release Strategy: Limited. RATING: 3.1 Could be fascinating but teasers don’t really show a whole lot about the movie.

APRIL 5, 2013

6 SOULS (Radius) Genre: Horror. A multiple personality patient may restore a grieving psychiatrist’s faith in God, but at the same time may lead her to a deadly secret. Release Strategy: Limited. RATING: 2.4 Nothing like an encounter with the devil to restore one’s faith in God.
THE BRASS TEAPOT (Magnolia) Genre: Fantasy. A struggling young couple find a magic teapot in an antiques store but as always with magic teapots, one must be careful for what one wishes for. Release Strategy: Limited. RATING: 1.7 Looks fun and kinky at the same time.
THE COMPANY YOU KEEP (Sony Classics) Genre: Drama. When a reporter exposes a former member of the Weather Underground now living a quiet life, he inadvertently lets loose long-kept secrets and exposes both men to mortal danger. Release Strategy: New York City/Los Angeles. RATING: 1.3 Robert Redford directing and an out-of-this-world cast? Count me in.
EDDIE THE SLEEPWALKING CANNIBAL (Doppelganger) Genre: Horror Comedy. A has-been artist discovers his protégé is a sleepwalking flesheater but determines that this will inspire his greatest masterpiece yet. Release Strategy: New York City only. RATING: 3.0 Looks kind of…uhhh…indie precious.
EVIL DEAD (Tri-Star) Genre: Supernatural Horror. A group of five friends find an ancient book in a remote cabin and unwittingly release an evil force. Release Strategy: Wide. RATING: 1.6 A remake of a Sam Raimi classic probably won’t equal the original – but it still could be worthwhile.
FREE ANGELA AND ALL POLITICAL PRISONERS (CODEBLACK) Genre: Documentary. The tale f Angela Davis, the controversial Berkeley philosophy professor whose left-leaning politics would put her at the center of a sensational murder trial. Release Strategy: Limited. RATING: 2.2 Davis herself speaks out for the first time about the events that made her a household name.
JURASSIC PARK 3D (Universal) Genre: Science Fiction. A test run at a biological theme park turns deadly. Release Strategy: Wide (3D, IMAX 3D). RATING: 3.6 Yet another classic movie cheapened by a brazen cash grab.
LOTUS EATERS (Phase 4) Genre: Drama. A group of young hip Londoners express their discontent with the system through embracing indie rock, having lots of sex and taking lots of drugs. Release Strategy: New York City (opening in Los Angeles April 12). RATING: 2.9 Haven’t we seen this movie before?
NO PLACE ON EARTH (Magnolia) Genre: Documentary. A family of Ukrainian Jews hide from the Nazis in a pair of cold, damp caves for over 18 months. Release Strategy: Limited. RATING: 2.2 An incredible story that hasn’t been told in 60 years.
SIMON KILLER (IFC) Genre: Thriller. Recently heartbroken, a somewhat mysterious young man visits Paris and falls in love with a prostitute, leading to blackmail, betrayal and a revelation of his true nature. Release Strategy: Limited. RATING: 1.8 A mesmerizing trailer; the word out of Sundance is that this one is amazing.
THE STORY OF LUKE (Gravitas) Genre: Dramedy. After his grandmother passes away, a young autistic man is forced to live with his dysfunctional family. Release Strategy: Limited. RATING: 2.0 Good cast. Kind of a been there done that story though.
THALE (XLRator) Genre: Horror. Two crime scene cleaners discover a mythical creature living in the basement and soon uncover the terrifying secret why she was there. Release Strategy: Limited. RATING: 1.9 Another odd and twisted Norwegian horror movie; they seem to be getting to be the next hot horror spot.
TOMORROW YOU’RE GONE (Image) Genre: Action. When an ex-con’s promise to commit murder for a cellmate who saved his life in the slam goes awry, he must fight to protect his freedom and the life of his new lover. Release Strategy: Limited. RATING: 3.1 While I like Willem Dafoe and Stephen Dorff, the trailer wasn’t impressive.
TRANCE (Fox Searchlight) Genre: Thriller. An auctioneer involved in an art heist double crosses the gang and is wounded in the head; when he awakens he has no memory of where the priceless painting is and must use a hypnotherapist to find the answers – which aren’t what they seem to be. Release Strategy: Limited. RATING: 1.8 The latest from Danny Boyle looks decidedly trippy.
UPSTREAM COLOR (erpb) Genre: Science Fiction. A man and a woman are drawn together, their lives tangled in that of an ageless organism that threatens to absorb their identities if they can’t do anything about it. Release Strategy: Limited. RATING: 2.0 From the director of Primer another sci-fi tale that relies less on special effects than being thought-provoking.

APRIL 12, 2013

42 (Warner Brothers) Genre: Sports Biography. The incredible story of Jack Roosevelt Robinson, the first African-American to play Major League Baseball. Release Strategy: Wide. RATING: 1.5 A great American hero gets a lavish film to tell his story.
THE ANGELS SHARE (Sundance Selects) Genre: Drama. A chronically unemployed new father wants to prove to his girlfriend’s family that he can support his child turns out to have a flair for brewing Scotch whiskey. Release Strategy: New York City only. RATING: 2.0 The Full Monty in kilts and director Ken Loach has another solid addition to his filmography.
ANTIVIRAL (IFC Midnight) Genre: Horror. A new industry that supplies viruses from celebrities suffering from head colds to inject into obsessed fans who want to get closer to the objects of their obsession turns deadly. Release Strategy: Limited. RATING: 2.5 Directed by David Cronenberg’s son Brandon who appears to be a chip off the old block.
DISCONNECT (LD Enterprises) Genre: Drama. Several intertwining stories about our increasing reliance on technology for socialization and the devastating consequences that might be in store because of it. Release Strategy: Limited. RATING: 2.4 Some fascinating stories; hopefully it fares better than most anthology pieces.
FISTS OF LEGEND (CJ Entertainment) Genre: Drama. Three childhood friends whose dreams of pugilistic glory were derailed 25 years earlier gets one more shot at the brass ring. Release Strategy: Limited. RATING: 3.0 The trailer didn’t excite me much.
INTO THE WHITE (Magnolia) Genre: War. At the beginning of World War II a group of British and German airmen are shot down in harsh Arctic conditions and must co-operate to stay alive. Release Strategy: Limited. RATING: 2.2 The presence of Harry Potter star Rupert Grint will doubtless excite some curiosity.
IT’S A DISASTER (Oscilloscope Laboratories) Genre: Comedy. Four couples meet for brunch just as the world is about to end. Release Strategy: New York City/Los Angeles/Austin. RATING: 2.4 The humor looks to be dry as a bone; that kind of appeals to me.
SCARY MOVIE 5 (Dimension) Genre: Horror Spoof. The latest in a line of horror send-ups that take on recent hit horror films. Release Strategy: Wide. RATING: 3.3 If you’re likely to see this, you probably don’t need to know what it’s about anyway.
THIS AIN’T CALIFORNIA (Self-Released) Genre: Documentary. Skateboarding culture in Germany turns out to be not that different than skateboarding culture in California. Release Strategy: New York City only. RATING: 3.8 Who’da thought?!
TO THE WONDER (Magnolia) Genre: Romance. A newlywed couple who move from France to Oklahoma find their relationship tested. Release Strategy: Limited. RATING: 2.9 One of the most beautiful trailers I’ve ever seen for director Terrence Malick’s latest, starring Ben Affleck, Javier Bardem, Olga Kurlyenko and Rachel McAdams.

APRIL 17, 2013

DECEPTIVE PRACTICE: THE MYSTERIES AND MENTORS OF RICKY JAY (Kino Lorber) Genre: Documentary. Renowned magician Ricky Jay discusses his background, who influenced him and shows off some of the dry humor that makes his act so memorable. Release Strategy: New York City only. RATING: 2.8 No real trailer that I could find but the footage I did see looked very talking head.
MISTAKEN FOR STRANGERS (Self-Released) Genre: Musical Documentary. The acclaimed indie band The National’s 2010 tour is chronicled by the lead singer’s rascally younger brother. Release Strategy: Limited. RATING: 3.0 Also missing a trailer; might be good depending on how far out of the box they go.

APRIL 19, 2013

FILLY BROWN (Pantelion) Genre: Urban Drama. A young rapper comes to the awful realization that the ticket to her dreams may cost her everything she has. Release Strategy: Limited. RATING: 3.9 A hip-hop Cinderella story with a Latin twist.
HOME RUN (Goldwyn) Genre: Sports Drama. A baseball star suspended from the game is sent home to be a youth baseball coach. Release Strategy: Limited. RATING: 2.8 Looks like a standard sports redemption movie.
IN THE HOUSE (Cohen Media Group) Genre: Drama. A 16-year-old boy insinuates himself into a classmate’s home and causes chaos while his semi-truthful essays spark inspiration. Release Strategy: New York City only. RATING: 2.0 Terrific cast and the right balance between comic and creepy.
THE LORDS OF SALEM (Anchor Bay) Genre: Horror. A DJ in Salem, Massachusetts plays a record she receives in a strange box and literally unleashes Hell. Release Strategy: Limited. RATING: 2.1 The latest from Rob Zombie stars his wife and looks like it kicks ass just like his other movies do.
OBLIVION (Universal) Genre: Science Fiction. A maintenance man repairing drones on an abandoned Earth after a failed alien invasion discovers an astonishing secret that could change everything. Release Strategy: Wide (Standard, IMAX). RATING: 1.2 Tom Cruise starrer looks like it will probably do fair to middling business but I’m a sucker for these sorts of movies.
UNMADE IN CHINA (Seventh Art) Genre: Documentary. The experiences of an American filmmaker trying to make a movie in China. Release Strategy: Limited. RATING: 2.3 Looks pretty fascinating and looks like making a film in China makes making movies in Hollywood child’s play by comparison.

APRIL 24, 2013

AT ANY PRICE (Sony Classics) Genre: Drama. An ambitious farmer wants his son to expand the family farming empire while the young man wants nothing more than to be a race car driver. Release Strategy: New York City/Los Angeles. RATING: 2.6 Sounds cheesy on paper but could well be a realistic look at what is facing the family farmer in the 21st century.

APRIL 26, 2013

ARTHUR NEWMAN (Cinedigm) Genre: Comedy. A man fakes his own death after screwing up his life, hoping to find a fresh start. Release Strategy: Limited. RATING: 2.8 Not so sure about the premise but with Colin Firth in the title role you can’t really go wrong.
THE BIG WEDDING (Lionsgate) Genre: Romantic Comedy. A divorced couple must pretend to be happily married in order to appease the ultraconservative religious mother of the bride who is marrying their son. Release Strategy: Wide. RATING: 2.5 Good cast but looks like another rote rom-com from the trailer.
GRACELAND (Drafthouse) Genre: Thriller. When the driver for a corrupt Filipino senator sees his own daughter kidnapped by mistake, he finds himself falling deeper into a web of deceit and corruption. Release Strategy: Limited. RATING: 2.6 Looks like a pretty taut and compelling thriller which is pretty rare these days.
KON-TIKI (Weinstein) Genre: True Life Drama. The story of Thor Heyerdahl’s epic journey to prove that pre-Columbians could have journeyed across the Pacific ocean in a balsa wood raft to colonize the Polynesian islands. Release Strategy: Limited. RATING: 1.8 One of the great adventurers of the 20th century.
MUD (Roadside Attractions) Genre: Drama. A pair of young boys find a man named Mud hiding out on an island in the Mississippi and decide to shelter him which may prove to be a fatal mistake. Release Strategy: Limited. RATING: 1.9 Matthew McConaughey has been on a roll of good performances and this just might be his best ever.
THE NUMBERS STATION (Image) Genre: Action. A CIA operative whose last assignment went disastrously wrong is ordered to guard a code breaker at a remote company station; when it comes under attack he must figure out what is going on and stop it before something even worse happens. Release Strategy: Limited. RATING: 2.1 John Cusack’s in it you say? Well that’s swell!
PAIN AND GAIN (Paramount) Genre: Action. A group of bodybuilders in a Miami gym mastermind a kidnapping and robbery but don’t count on the lengths their victim will go to get his money back. Release Strategy: Wide. RATING: 2.0 Dwayne Johnson seems to be in every movie being released this year so far.
THE RELUCTANT FUNDAMENTALIST (IFC) Genre: Drama. A Pakistani living in the US is viewed with suspicion and mistrust after 9/11. Release Strategy: Limited. RATING: 2.2 Looks very intriguing, and director Mira Nair is one of my favorites.
SUN DON’T SHINE (Self-Released) Genre: Romance. A couple of newlyweds take a road trip through Central Florida, although their motivations are highly mysterious and suspect. Release Strategy: New York City only. RATING: 2.8 Looks a bit confused and muddled from the trailer.
TAI CHI HERO (Well GO USA) Genre: Martial Arts. A town of Tai Chi Masters whose form of Tai Chi is forbidden to be taught to outsiders finds their town under siege by a remarkable array of machines. Release Strategy: Limited. RATING: 1.8 The second in a trilogy, infuses steampunk into a martial arts movie – very cool!

SCHEDULED TO BE REVIEWED HERE AS NEW RELEASES
42, Oblivion, The Big Wedding, Mud, Pain and Gain