Opening May 8

Trekkies, unite! This is the weekend you've been waiting for!


GEEK PICK OF THE WEEK

Star Trek



STARS > Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Simon Pegg
DIRECTOR > J.J. Abrams
WHY SEE IT > Okay, this blogger has publicly expressed her dislike for J.J. Abrams in the past. But that was before she knew the dude playing young Capt. Kirk was so pretty. So, yeah. I might join the Trekkies for opening night, Abrams and all.


DID YOU KNOW "BIOPIC" IS PRONOUNCED BIO-PIC AND NOT BI-OP-IC?

Little Ashes




STARS > Robert Pattinson, Javier Beltrán, Matthew McNulty
DIRECTOR > Paul Morrison
WHY SEE IT > Mr. Lovable Vampire himself steps up to the plate with the challenging role of playing Spanish surrealist painter, Salvador Dali. One could commend him for taking a project that would separate him from some of his Twilight fame, but he actually filmed this before he donned his vampire getup, so we're not sure if it counts.


BUDDY FILM MEETS DRUG HEIST

Next Day Air



STARS > Mos Def, Mike Epps, Donald Faison (aka Turk from Scrubs)
DIRECTOR > Benny Boom
WHY SEE IT > Really, it looks like it might be pretty funny, but our main reason would be because we are already going through Scrubs withdrawl after last night's series(?)/season(?) finale. More Turk and JD, plz!







FIRE UP THE NETFLIX
New on DVD & Blu-ray this week:

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Dexter: The Second Season
Wendy and Lucy

Beef up your Blu-ray collection:



Big
Event Horizon
Face/Off
Ferris Bueller's Day Off
From a Place of Darkness
Ghost Town
Grease: Special Edition
It Could Happen To You
Next
The Strat Pack: Live in Concert
There's Something About Mary
Top Gun
Tropic Thunder
Twilight: Special Edition
Without a Paddle: Nature's Calling

Opening May 1

Wow, are we in May already? Good grief! If you're not spending the weekend at the ballpark of your choice, head to the theater for one of these films opening tomorrow...

SUPER MUTANT SHOWDOWN



X-Men Origins: Wolverine

STARS > That dude Dr. Cox hates (2 points if you get this reference), Liev Schreiber, Ryan Reynolds
DIRECTOR > Gavin Hood
WHY SEE IT > Well, you know, the X-Men trilogy did okay, I guess... So, think of this as a prequel, and if this grosses as much as the previous ones did, expect more chapters about the beginnings of other mutants to be released down the road.



INDIE MOVIE EXCELLENCE


The Limits Of Control



STARS > Isaach De Bankolé, Tilda Swinton, Gael García Bernal, Paz de la Huerta, John Hurt, Bill Murray
DIRECTOR > Jim Jarmusch
WHY SEE IT > Because Jarmusch is a brilliant director, and you should see all of him films (start with: Ghost Dog, Broken Flowers and Coffee And Cigarettes). Check out our online film review for a more scientific explanation. Peep the trailer here.



REASON NO. 872 FOR MATTHEW McCONAUGHEY TO TAKE OFF HIS SHIRT

Ghosts Of Girlfriends Past



STARS > Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Garner, Emma Stone
DIRECTOR > Mark Waters
WHY SEE IT > Is it bad that we kinda wanna see this? Even though it takes its plot from Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol (and it is far from being Christmas-y outside)? Jennifer Garner fluctuates between cute and annoying for us, and outside of a couple of choice films (Dazed And Confused, The Wedding Planner), McConaughey is all muscle no meat. But still... there's something endearing about this trailer. Maybe good enough for an afternoon showing when the tickets are reduced-price?


FIRE UP THE NETFLIX!
Out this week on DVD and Blu-ray...



Bride Wars
Hotel for Dogs
JCVD
Legally Blondes
Nothing But the Truth
The Reader
Star Trek The Original Series: Season One
The Uninvited

And beef up your Blu-ray collection:
The Da Vinci Code/Extended Cut
In The Realm Of Senses/Criterion Collection
Star Trek The Original Series: Season One
What Doesn't Kill You

Opening April 24

Not gonna lie: Not a lot's opening this weekend (at least not as far as wide releases go). I'm gonna go ahead and suggest that if you live somewhere like Cleveland where it has been in the 40s and raining on and off for the past week, and the weekend forecast is 75 and sunny, do yourself a favor and skip the theater in favor of a baseball game or a grill sesh. If you live some place where it's warm all the time, or some place where it's gonna rain this weekend, you could check out...

JAMIE FOXX IN ANOTHER BIOPIC


The Soloist
STARS > Jamie Foxx, Robert Downey Jr., Catherine Keener
DIRECTOR > Joe Wright
WHY SEE IT > Foxx takes his ability to play other real-life people (as seen in Ray) to another level as Nathanial Ayers, a homeless musical prodigy. RDJ takes his buff, super hero bod to the streets as a hard-hitting (or is that hard-hit?) reporter, looking for a good story. Either way, early reviews are saying the performances are top-notch all-around, and who doesn't love a good biopic about a musician?


If you live in NYC/LA? Check it:
Tyson
Mutant Chronicles
The Informers

FIRE UP THE NETFLIX!
If you need a movie night in to recover from all the weekend sunshine, here's some stuff new to DVD and Blue-ray players this week.

DVDs
The Wrestler
Frost/Nixon
Caprica


Bolster Your Blue-ray collection
Hellraiser
The Last Word
Sin City
X-Men Trilogy

Opening April 17

Welcome back to another week of movie-opening madness. Heeeeeere we go!


DISNEY & FRIENDS



17 Again
STARS > Zac Efron, Matthew Perry, Leslie Mann
DIRECTOR > Burr Steers
WHY SEE IT > We're much more stoked for Mr. Musical Zac Efron's Disney-breakway role in director Richard Linklater's Me And Orson Welles (which will hopefully come out sometime). Until then, we're curious to see how he does opposite such comedic giants as Chandler Bing. Check the trailer (if you've somehow managed to miss all the commercials). Huzzah!



SUPER CUTE LITTLE KID + SUPER CUTE ELDERY PEOPLE = SUPER, SUPER CUTE TEAR JERKER



Is Anybody There?
STARS > Michael Caine, Bill Milner
DIRECTOR > John Crowley
WHY SEE IT > I'm pretty darn sensitive when it comes to films. I mean, I even get teary during those Folgers' "Home For The Holidays" commercials, and the insurance ones (or is it investment firms?) with that one Five For Fighting song. I mean, it doesn't take much. So the mere premise of this film (a 10-year-old boy bonds with an elderly magician--the always stellar Michael Caine--who just moved into the old folks' home the boy's parents run) already has me reaching for the Kleenex. I haven't seen it, so I can't say for sure, but I'm guessing from the trailer it's gonna be a feel-good cry fest. Pack accordingly.



BIG-TIME NAMES, BIG-TIME ACTION, BIG-TIME GIRL CRUSH



State Of Play
STARS > Russell Crowe, Rachel McAdams, Ben Affleck
DIRECTOR > Kevin Macdonald
WHY SEE IT > Why not see it? It's got politics! Journalists! Intrigue! Murder! Suspense! Rachel McAdams! Forget Russell Crowe and Benny Affleck--I definitely have a bigger girl crush of Miss McAdams, and I'd happily see anything she's in. Decide for yourself.


ANOTHER SEQUEL. YAWN.

Crank: High Voltage
STARS > Jason Statham, Amy Smart, Clifton Collins Jr.
DIRECTORS > Mark Neveldine, Brian Taylor
WHY SEE IT > Uh, I didn't see the first one, so I really can't say. I can only imagine it has something to do with this, though:




FIRE UP THE NETFLIX
New on DVD (and now Blu-ray!!) this week:

DVDs



The Spirit
The Last Kiss
The Reader
Splinter





Add these to your Blu-ray collection



Mean Girls
8 Mile
The Thirteenth Floor

Opening April 10

You know what's really awesome? Dumping a box of M&Ms (or Reeses Pieces) into a big tub of hot, buttery popcorn. That's food p0rn as far as I'm concerned. You know where you can get such a concoction? At your local theater, while you check out one of these films opening this weekend!


ROCUMENTARY

Anvil! The Story Of Anvil



STARS > The members of Anvil
DIRECTOR > Sacha Gervasi
WHY SEE IT > Because Lars Ulrich will come over to your house and sucker punch you if you don't pay homage to one of his favorite influences, that's why. Anvil, quite possibly the biggest Canadian metal band you've never heard of, inspired many bands with their early '80s speed-metal sound, but they failed to ever reach the heights of success as most of their imitators. Now, they've gotten the band back together for one last stab at infamy.

Plus, just watch the trailer. It looks amazing and hilarious and heartbreaking and triumphant all at the same time. Those are some heavy modifiers, if you know what I mean.






INDIE FLUFF

The Mysteries Of Pittsburgh




STARS > Sienna Miller, Peter Sarsgaard, Mena Suvari, Jon Foster
DIRECTOR > Rawson Marshall Thurber
WHY SEE IT > Because Sienna Miller and Peter Sarsgaard are both really, really pretty. But seriously, Miller and Pittsburgh did not play nice when this was being filmed in 2006 (!), so we're wondering if the time that has passed has been enough to heal wounds, so that P-burgh is one of the cities who will get a limited release of the flick this weekend? If you live there, let us know!



Okay, back to the film: It's based on a novel by Pulitzer Prize-winning Michael Chabon and directed by the dude who did Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story. Uh, okay... Anyway, it's a coming of age story with lots of sexual confusion/curiosity, and you can check the trailer here.







ROGENISMS

Observe And Report



STARS> Seth Rogen, Anna Faris, Collette Wolfe, Ray Liotta
DIRECTOR> Jody Hill
WHY SEE IT? Because writer/director Jody Hill (The Foot Fist Way, Eastbound & Down) is just as funny as Judd Apatow (it's just a different kind of funny), so the poaching Seth Rogen for one film should work out splendidly. And if Paul Blart taught is anything, it's that the public enjoys laughing at mall security dudes...



FIRE UP THE NETFLIX
New this week on DVD!



Take a close look at the cover art for this DVD, and you'll notice that it's called Tim: 30th Anniversary Edition. This week's rental pick is dedicated to another Tim: 30th Anniversary edition. Perhaps you know him?

Opening April 3

Another month, another round of movies! Here we go...


SNL PEEPS, THAT CHICK FROM TWILIGHT & THE KID FROM THAT SQUID MOVIE ALL WALK INTO AN AMUSEMENT PARK...




Adventureland
STARS > Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, Ryan Reynolds, Kristen Wiig, Bill Hader
DIRECTOR > Greg "Superbad" Mottola
WHY SEE IT > Okay, so in case you are one of the two people reading this who aren't related to me or didn't go to school with me at some point, I grew up in rural Nebraska. Growing up, I wanna say at least three times but maybe as many as six or seven (Mom, can you clarify?) my family drove the five-ish hours to Des Moines, Iowa, to vacation at Adventureland. The fact that there's now a movie about a corny, rural amusement park called Adventureland justifies so much of my childhood (even if this one is supposed to take place in some exotic place like Pennsylvania or something). Back then, neither me or my brother were too fond of roller coasters (my dad didn't love them, either), so my mom would go on the roller coasters all by herself while we went on all the barf-inducing spin-y ones like the Silly Silo. (Only in the Midwest would you get in a ride shaped like a silo. F'reals.) I'm pretty sure she even rode the biggest one (the Tornado, pictured above) with a bunch of random high schoolers that felt bad that she was going on it alone. Oddly enough, my brother and I both now love roller coasters, and when he came to visit me in Cleveland last year, he made us wait in line for the front car on every single ride at Cedar Point (it was worth it).

If that personal anecdote doesn't convince you, then here's some scientific reasoning about seeing the film.


TESTOSTERONE SHOT



Fast & Furious
STARS > Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Michelle Rodriguez
DIRECTOR > Justin Lin
WHY SEE IT > First off, this film is NOT to be convinced with THE Fast & THE Furious. Nor should it be confused with 2 Fast 2 Furious. The ridiculously clever title for the third (or wait, is it the fourth? I think there might've been a Tokyo Drift in there, too) film in this street racing empire once again pairs the meaty Vin Diesel with everyone's fave QB, Paul Walker. I mean, it's also probably got a lot of super tricked out rides (is that what the kids are saying these days?) and some super high-speed car races. If you're into that sort of thing...


WE'RE SUCKERS FOR ZOOEY AND THINK YOU SHOULD BE, TOO

Gigantic
STARS > Paul Dano, Zooey Deschanel, John Goodman
DIRECTOR > Matt Aselton
WHY SEE IT > Paul Dano and Zooey Deschanel are two of the most promising young talents in Hollywood. They've both got a whole bunch of projects in the works, and though this one is indier than thou, if you've got a hip theater, it's worth checking out for those two alone.




FIRE UP THE NETFLIX
New this week on DVD!


Ricky Gervais Out Of England: The Stand-Up Special
This guy needs no introduction. But just in case, here are a few quick facts: He's the creator of your fave TV show (if your fave TV show is The Office); he's got an insanely contagious laugh; he wants to spend 90 minutes with you, beamed into your living room via your DVD player...

Seven Pounds
We're still not sure what this film is about, but Will Smith has plenty of mass appeal, so yeah. Rent it and see.

Slumdog Millionaire
Uh, yeah. Best Picture of 2008.

[Photos of box art forthcoming... Currently experiencing some technical difficulties...]

Opening March 27

Movies. Check 'em out. This weekend.

"BASED ON A TRUE HORROR STORY" STORY



The Haunting In Connecticut
STARS > Virginia Madsen, Kyle Gallner, Elias Koteas, Amanda Crew, Martin Donovan, Ty Wood, Erik J. Berg
DIRECTOR > Peter Cornwell
WHY SEE IT > Well, the story's not really anything new: Family moves into old, creepy, abandoned house in the middle of nowhere (in this case, upstate Connecticut). Family finds an embaling chamber in the basement and loads of creepy corpse photos. Family realizes they've moved into a converted funeral home. Creepy things start happening, yadda yadda yadda. Except this time, it actually happened. Supposedly. In 1987. Check the trailer here and decide for yourself.



RAP-ROCK SPOKESMAN GOES "CINEMATIC MOMENT" ON YER A$$

The Education Of Charlie Banks
STARS > Jesse Eisenberg, Jason Ritter, Chris Marquette, Eva Amurri, Sebastian Stan
DIRECTOR > Fred Durst
WHY SEE IT > Because Jesse Eisenberg looks like a mini Andy Samberg. What? That's not a good enough reason for you? Fine... Check out AP's online review, instead, or watch the trailer.


GET YER STOKED ON



In other movie news, Apple's got the exclusive trailer for Spike Jonze HIGHLY anticipated big screen version of the classic children's book, Where The Wild Things Are. Do yourself a favor and watch it, asap. Then start the countdown to October 16...




FIRE UP THE NETFLIX
New on DVD this week!



Casual CoCa fans need not apply: This extensive box set (5 DVDs/4 CDs) contains four live DVDs, four live audio CDs, one documentary DVD, a 10x10 hardcover 48-page photo book and a 7-1/2" custom metal dragonfly. A scaled-down 2-disc version is also available if nine discs make you feel a little faint.







Embrace your inner child (and your love for hamsters rolling around in plastic balls), with this fun-filled romp with a super-powerful pup.











The latest installment of the Bond series comes shaken and blond. No surprises there, right?