Author: crunchonthis

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Holiday Preview

Will Hollywood Give Us a Good Christmas?

by Danny Minton

    I can’t think of a year when I wasn’t absolutely thrilled by what was coming to the local cineplex over the holidays.  For years Hollywood has saved up its best offerings for a Thanksgiving or Christmas release and while they do this to make it fresh in voters’ minds, it also leads to great times spent in a darkened theater with family and friends while you wind the year down. 

    For the first time in my life, I am less than thrilled at what is on the November and December calendar.  2013 hasn’t been the best year for movies, although there have been some truly great ones.  If I were to bet on it, I would put my money down that we’ve already seen our big Oscar contenders for this year.  With such terrific movies as 12 Years A Slave, Gravity and Captain Phillips, its hard to imagine any of the upcoming pictures will be able to surprise us in the awards season. 

    But I am hopeful.  Every year there are films that sneak up and bat me upside the head.  I’ve no clue what film has that potential this holiday, but here are the ten films that I am most looking forward to seeing in the coming weeks.

10) Anchorman 2. The Legend Continues.  Will Ferrell, Paul Rudd, Steve Carell and company are back as Ron Burgundy attempts to make a name for himself on cable news.  The early indications are that this could be a really good comedy filled with many more raunchy one-liners for us to copycat for years to come. 

9) August Osage County.  Sure to garner tons of acting accolades, Tracy Letts’s Tony-winning Broadway play is getting the big screen treatment with an all-star cast including Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Ewan McGregor and many others.  This could easily be the next Steel Magnolias. 

8) The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.  Part two in Peter Jackson’s new Hobbit trilogy looks to be yet another grand Tolkien adventure.  While not as rich and sophisticated a story as Lord of the Rings, Jackson’s first third proved worth the buzz and part two looks even better. 

7) The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.  This screenplay has seen many names attached through the years, including Steven Spielberg, but finally found a home with director and star Ben Stiller.  I really don’t have a clue why its such a big deal, but i’m anxious to find out.  If the long-time buzz holds true, this could be the surprise smash hit of the holiday. 

6) Walking with the Dinosaurs 3D.  I’m not sure how original this big-budgeted CG dino tale will be but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t excited to see it.  Not necessarily for me but for my three-year-old who knows more about dinosaurs than anyone I’ve ever met.  His desire to see it, and he’s been talking about it for months, has me jonesing to take him. 

5) Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom.  This has been an amazing year for films about the black experience.  With such amazing films as 12 Years a Slave, Fruitvale Station, The Butler and Captain Phillips I think we’ve all learned and grown a lot.  While this new film about Nelson Mandela is sure to bring controversy, many, including myself, are looking forward to see this long awaited account of the legendary figure’s life. 

4) Inside Llewyn Davis.  While I have no idea what this film is about, and don’t want to know until I see it, I’ve learned one thing over the last two decades: true the Coen Brothers.  They always deliver a great film, and yes I even liked Intolerable Cruelty. 

3) Her.  Another filmmaker I’ve learned to trust is Spike Jonze (Being John Malkovich).  The story follows Joaquin Phoenix as a man who develops an unusual relationship with the voice on his new computer.  I just love weird and wonderful films and I hope this fills the void. 

2) American Hustle.  Combine writer/director David O. Russell (Silver Linings Playbook) with Jennifer Lawrence, Amy Adams, Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper, Jeremy Renner and Robert De Niro and its hard not imagine a huge hit.  I can almost guarantee this will be a much talked-about pic with huge twists and turns that you’ll hate when your friends accidentally give them away. 

1) Saving Mr. Banks.  As a life-long Disney fan and even a former employee,  I have long been waiting to see one of my heroes come to life.  In this new sure to be sappy but sweet comedy, Tom Hanks plays Walt Disney as he tries to convince Marry Poppins writer P.L. Travers (Emma Thompson) to allow him to bring her story to life on the big screen.  Of all the films on the horizon, this is the only one that has me a little giddy. 

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New in Home Entertainment – November 19, 2013



New in Home Entertainment

November 19, 2013

The World’s End
Rated R for pervasive language including sexual references
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
From writer/director Edgar Wright and stars Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, whose great teamwork brought us Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, comes yet another terrific end of the world comedy.  This time around Pegg and Frost, as well as some other wonderful British actors, attempt to recreate an epic pub crawl from their youths and are bound and determined to get to the 12th pub, The World’s End, even in light of an alien invasion serving as a blockade.  While not quite as good as their other two movies, this is still an incredibly entertaining comedy with huge laughs coming off of a sophisticated sense of humor.  While the characters aren’t as likable as you’d expect, you still manage to cheer for them to win out in the end.  A-

We’re the Millers
Rated R for crude sexual content, pervasive language, drug material and brief graphic nudity
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
When a down-on-his-luck drug dealer (Jason Sudeikis) is forced to go to Mexico and pick up an RV full of weed and bring it back to the states, he hires a stripper (Jennifer Aniston) and two teens to pose as his happy family in order to keep his cover safe and get across the border.  I heard from so many people that this was one of the funniest comedies of the year, but honestly, I just wasn’t as entertained.  Don’t get me wrong – its funny at times and also occasionally clever, but many of the jokes are overly contrived and some of the jokes are flat out not funny.  B-

Planes
Rated PG for some mild action and rude humor
Available on DVD, Blu-ray, and Blu-ray 3D
What was supposed to be a straight-to-DVD animated film from Disney ended up being released in theaters to make a quick buck before stealing more money from audiences right before Christmas.  No one said Disney wasn’t smart if not a little cruel in this case.  Planes is basically Cars in plane form except Pixar didn’t participate.  While it’s probably meant for toddlers with weak attention spans, it failed my three-year-old’s test as he was begging to watch the Lion King 30 minutes in.  Everything is lame here including the writing, directing and voice acting.  The only thing of any value is the animation which manages to make the film only partly watchable.  D+

2 Guns
Rated R for violence throughout, language and brief nudity
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Denzel Washington, an undercover DEA agent, is teamed up with Mark Wahlberg, an undercover naval officer, who are both after the other until they find out they might need to collaborate in order to survive a setup.  The script is good enough with an interesting plot and 2 very likable actors.  Unfortunately, the amount of violence is excessive and while a lot has cooled down since the theatrical release, it’s definitely not going to be a film for everyone.  Personally, my attitude toward this type of violence has changed and I am thankful that Hollywood has decided to shift away from these sorts of ultra-bloody movies over the last several months.  B-

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Thor: The Dark World

Thor: The Dark World
Starring Christ Hemsworth, Natalie Portman and Tom Hiddleston
Directed by Alan Taylor
Rated PG-13 for sequences of intense sci-fi action and violence, and some suggestive content

    Set two years after the events of the last Thor film, upon learning that his lost love, Dr. Jane Foster (Portman) could be in trouble, Thor (Hemsworth) travels to Earth again to rescue her.  Upon bringing her back to Asgard, his home is attacked by the leader of the dark elves who is after Foster for an ancient evil power she has stumbled upon. 

    It’s hard for me to complain about this film too much since it feels like all of my complaints of Thor’s first outing were corrected here. 

    First I thought the first Thor was just a giant commercial for The Avengers movie.  It felt like it had little identity of its own and served as a prequel for a film yet unreleased.  This new Thor feels more epic and individual.  SHIELD and The Avengers are nowhere to be found (aside for a hilarious cameo by Captain America).

    Secondly I thought the directing and overall production was weak.  Here, relative newcomer Alan Taylor does a fine job directing the Norse super hero and Asgard has a stunning look that should satisfy his fans.  I was also deeply disappointed by the music of the first film which was written by its director’s close friend Patrick Doyle.  Doyle’s scores are typically spectacular but Thor was disjointed and so overly percussive that it distracted rather than elevated the film.  Here the very young but talented Brian Tyler gives a dramatically beautiful score worthy of such a film. 

    Where both films come up short is in the writing.  The dialog and humor are fine here, but ask me what the plot is really about and I could hardly tell you.  I know hardcore Thor fans are well familiar with the nine realms, but most normal folks are not and I was confused when I had time to stop and think about it.  Then again, they kept the action so non-stop that you really didn’t have to think it through so this complaint didn’t ruin it for me.

    And while I was satisfied that this wasn’t a setup film for the Avengers sequel, I was also plagued by the sudden lack of SHIELD or any other heroes.  This seemed to be a serious and potentially world-ending event and only Thor was there to save the day.  Hmmm. 

    So while not a hugely impressive feature, Thor: The Dark World is a vast improvement over the first film and provides a fun couple of mindless hours of entertainment.  B

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New in Home Entertainment – November 12, 2013

New in Home Entertainment

November 12, 2013

Man of Steel
Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence, action and destruction, and for some language
Available on DVD, Blu-ray and Blu-ray 3D
300 director Zack Snyder’s epic reimagining of the Superman story still stands as one of my favorite films of 2013.  Henry Cavill is fantastic as the greatest of all super heroes and villain General Zod is masterfully portrayed by Michael Shannon.  And with great performances by Russell Crowe, Kevin Costner, Amy Adams and a very talented supporting cast, Man of Steel turns out to be not only a visionary production, but one with acting muscle as well.  So its a tad violent for the younger kids and the mass destruction of Earth is underplayed, but for teens on up this is a remarkable film.  Now I can’t wait for my toddler to grow up so I can watch this with him and have his little mind blown.  A

Dexter: The Final Season
Rated TV-MA
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Some shows like Breaking Bad know how to end a series and some shows, like Dexter here, haven’t a clue.  In our favorite TV vigilante’s last season, he faces a new killer with close ties to the new criminal psychologist working with the Miami police department.  Unfortunately there is a lot of been there/done that played out here and the drama seems forced to say the least.  And with a finale that shows how not to end a series, my advice is to pretend Dexter is already over and if you are catching up on Netflix, let his universe end with John Lithgow’s exit.  C-

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New in Home Entertainment – November 5, 2013

New in Home Entertainment

November 5, 2013

White House Down
Rated PG-13 for prolonged sequences of action and violence including intense gunfire and explosions, some language and a brief sexual image
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
The second of the 2013 White House under attack films has our president under the gun of rogue agents and rednecks rather than the North Koreans but the results are just as silly.  Just like Antoine Fuqua’s Olympus Has Fallen, the White House is attacked and its up to someone not on his security team to rescue him.  While both films are over the top, White House Down differs in its tone as it chooses to be more sarcastic towards our government and very much less believable.  The script is incredibly weak with dialog worthy of a film by Roland Emmerich, director of 2012 and The Day After Tomorrow.  That being said, the action, while much of it doesn’t make sense, is packed and there are enough gunfights and explosions to keep you occupied through the lame storyline.  C-

Clear History
Rated TV-MA
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Curb Your Enthusiasm’s Larry David and Mad Men’s Jon Hamm lead an all-star cast in this very typical Larry David comedy.  Here David, a marketing executive from Hamm’s car company, is justifiably fired right before the launch of a vehicle that changes the world.  Years later David seeks his revenge on Hamm for making him look like a fool.  Of course he is a fool and that doesn’t stop.  He is practically the same character he always is as he lacks the filter that prevents most people from saying whatever comes to mind.  While it probably could have been released theatrically, HBO took it straight to TV but that doesn’t mean it’s any less hilarious.  The actors look like they had a blast making the project and I had a blast watching it.  A-

Mad Men: Season 6
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
We’ve already seen Don Draper (Jon Hamm) at his worst and here in season 6 he attempts to put his life back together again.  With a new moral compass that occasionally falls apart, his work and home life begin to suffer from his past and present sins.  As we gear up for what should be a jaw-dropping series finale, hopefully like AMC’s other hit show Breaking Bad, season 6 allows a last long look at what Draper has accomplished before it all might be taken away.  A-

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New in Home Entertainment – October 29, 2013



New in Home Entertainment

October 29, 2013

Monsters University
Rated G
Available on DVD, Blu-ray and Blu-ray 3D
Rather than go the sequel route which has been the norm for animated features, Pixar chose to make a prequel for their hit film Monsters, Inc.  In this new adventure Mike and Sully (voiced once again by Billy Crystal and John Goodman) meet in college where they are rivals who must become friends in order to succeed.  I was very hesitant going in since Monsters, Inc is my absolutely favorite Pixar movie and the thought of the prequel was underwhelming.  But my attention was grabbed quickly and I ended up loving it.  The writing is back to the Pixar quality we’ve been missing over the last couple of years and in spite of its G rating, the pic is easily as fun for adults as it is for children and doesn’t have to resort to going over kids’ heads with questionable jokes to do it.  A-

The Way Way Back
Rated PG-13 for thematic elements, language, some sexual content and brief drug material
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
After scoring an Oscar nomination for writing The Descendants, I was excited to see what actor/writer/director Nat Faxon could do with his own movie.  Set in a sort of retro yet modern time, a young teenager (Liam James) and his mother (Toni Collette) travel to a summer getaway with his mom’s new boyfriend (Steve Carell).  While temporarily living in the beach community he learns about life and love and pain while working at a water park with its crazy owner played by Sam Rockwell.  There are workable moments throughout but the film suffers from trying to be uber-clever and fails by not delivering.  Too much of the film is completely contrived and just plain nonsensical and these moments completely distract you from becoming emotionally involved.  C

R.I.P.D.
Rated PG-13 for violence, sci-fi/fantasy action, some sensuality, and language including sex references
Available on DVD, Blu-ray and Blu-ray 3D
When a young police officer played by Ryan Reynolds is killed in action, he is sent to the Rest In Peace Department which is ultimately responsible for getting rid of dead spirits that disturb the planet.  Joining a wild west lawman played by Jeff Bridges, the two uncover an unholy terror plot that they must foil to save Heaven and Earth.  If you think this movie looks like a Men in Black knockoff you’d be correct.  For Universal to put so much money into such a B movie seems like an insane investment.  Of course the film bombed badly simply because it wasn’t very good.  It’s not a total stinker, but its far from a quality sci-fi adventure.  Predictable and tasteless from start to finish, the film unfortunately qualifies as a must-avoid.  D+

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Captain Phillips

Captain Phillips
Starring Tom Hanks and Barkhad Abdi
Directed by Paul Greengrass (United 93)
Rated PG-13 for sustained intense sequences of menace, some violence with bloody images, and for substance use

    Based on the true story of the hijacking of the Maresk Alabama off the coast of Somalia, Tom Hanks is Captain Richard Phillips whose valiant efforts to save the ship and his crew put his own life in extreme danger under the guns of Somali pirates. 

    From the moment I first saw this trailer I had an idea that this would be a great film.  After all, combining Tom Hanks, director Paul Greengrass and a story of somali hijacking has gold written all over it.  And it sure lives up to its promise.  From start to finish, this is a great movie.  It’s extremely well-written and directed and the performances by not only Hanks but a largely unknown supporting cast are inspired. 

    While so many things impressed me about the film, what surprised me was how ultimately patriotic the film is.  The message is clear – you mess with one American you mess with all.  Ted Cruz isn’t in the background insisting that Phillips should only be rescued if he is a republican.  In fact there is not talk of politics or ideology.  He is an American and he is off limits.  Our military response is incredibly professional and intimidating and brings a sense of pride for our men and women in uniform and should bring a sense of fear to those wishing to do harm. 

    Since we are about to enter awards season I would like to make a prediction though – Captain Phillips could easily get shut out at the Oscars.  Don’t get me wrong – it will receive a huge amount of nominations, but with the serious movie muscle being released this fall, including last week’s awe-inspiring Gravity, Captain Phillips will have a challenging time taking home a trophy. 

    That being said, this is still a highly relevant film that needs to be seen.  Aside from the South Park episode where Cartman goes to Somalia to become a pirate, I’ve seen very little about piracy in Africa and I now feel there is a face to the crisis.  Greengrass and screenwriter Billy Ray (The Hunger Games) attempt to not only show the actions but explore the root causes of piracy as well.  It’s an eye-opening experience with a jaw-dropping conclusion.  A-

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New in Home Entertainment – October 15, 2013



New in Home Entertainment

October 15, 2013

Pacific Rim
Rated PG-13 for sequences of intense sci-fi action and violence throughout, and brief language
Available on DVD, Blu-ray and Blu-ray 3D
Just the thought of Guillermo del Toro directing a film about giant robots fighting off humongous alien monsters determined to destroy the planet gets me excited.  Perhaps the movie needed bigger stars, but regardless it really delivers exactly what is promised – a ton of fun and giddy mayhem with a good story and excellent special effects.  While worldwide audiences ate it up with over $400 million in receipts, the U.S. did not as the box office came in at just over a hundred.  But don’t let that fool you – this is a terrific genre film worth your attention.  A-

The Croods
Rated PG for some scary action
Available on DVD, Blu-ray and Blu-ray 3D
While many of the animated pics have been failures of late (i.e. Planes and Turbo), Dreamworks Animation really came through this year with this original adventure about a caveman family forced to leave the sanctuary of their rock home after a massive earthquake and survive in a colorful new world.  With great storytelling, beautiful animation and in impressive voice cast including Nicolas Cage, Emma Stone, Ryan Reynolds and Catherine Keener, The Croods turns out to be a quality motion picture good for both kids and adults.  A-

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New in Home Entertainment – October 8, 2013

New in Home Entertainment

October 8, 2013

After Earth
Rated PG-13 for sci-fi action and some disturbing images
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Taking place 1000 years after a forced human escape from Earth, Will Smith and son Jaden (playing father and son in the movie also) end up on a hostile Earth that has evolved to a tremendous degree after the humans have left.  While Jaden’s acting isn’t the best and the film might not be completely scientifically sound, the movie is still a very well-made sci-fi adventure that comes in at a tidy 100 fast-paced minutes.  While director M. Night Shyamalan has certainly deserved some of the bad reviews he has garnered over the last few years, especially for The Happening and The Last Airbender, After Earth is a much better film than most critics are giving it credit for.  B

The Hangover Part III
Rated R for pervasive language including sexual references, some violence and drug content, and brief graphic nudity
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
When Doug is kidnapped by gangsters while taking Alan to rehab, Phil, Alan and Stu (Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifianakis and Ed Helms) must recruit Mr Chow (Ken Jeong) to help get him back.  While they wisely chose not to use their “wake up with a hangover and no memory of the night before” plot vehicle that they so poorly utilized in part 2, this time around is far too serious and contains little humor.  And when they were trying to be funny, they weren’t successful.   Ultimately the movie ended up being a huge stinking disappointment.  D

Europa Report
Rated PG-13 for sci-fi action and peril
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
If you saw the trailer for this latest low-budget sci-fi film you’d think it was some kind of horror film, but it turns out to be so different and so much better because of it.  This realistic, almost documentary-style space exploration film follows an international group of astronauts as they attempt to travel to Jupiter’s moon Europa in the search for a life-sustaining planet.  While it’s no Gravity, it is an engrossing and extremely interesting flick with an excellent cast of  “they look really familiar” actors and terrific production values.  B

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New in Home Entertainment – October 1, 2013

New in Home Entertainment

October 1, 2013

This is the End
Rated R for crude and sexual content throughout, brief graphic nudity, pervasive language, drug use and some violence
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
James Franco, Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill, Jay Baruchel, Danny McBride and Craig Robinson all play themselves in this end of the world comedy that takes place after the rapture has left them all behind.  I actually got some ugly emails from angry readers who felt I didn’t give a strong enough warning so let me start off by saying this is incredibly offensive material.  If you think you might be offended, you will be.  DO NOT RENT.  Everyone else – enjoy.  Easily the funniest movie of the year so far, This is the End is as hilarious as it is introspective.  While they are playing a version of themselves they are comfortable with us seeing, you can tell there is a lot of truth behind the actions (aside from Michael Cera possibly).  That being said, this is a rude and extremely crude comedy that will make you laugh right through your discomfort.  A-

The Little Mermaid
Rated G
Available on DVD, Blu-ray and Blu-ray 3D
In 1989 Disney began an animation renaissance with its now classic The Little Mermaid based on the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale.  Beautifully written and stunningly drawn with some of the best music to ever come out of the mouse house, Mermaid is easily one of the greatest animated films of all time.  This new digitally restored edition is packed full of extras and even has a 3D version for those of you with the right sets.  A+

Mamas Family: The Complete Collection
Available on DVD
80’s sitcom Mama’s Family is getting the Time Life touch here with this new box set including 24 DVDs with every episode of its six seasons and tons of new extras.  What made Mama stand out was the terrific performances by Vicki Lawrence as the grandma who is forced to take in her son and grandkids when they are evicted from their home.  Serving as a link between All in the Family and Roseanne, Mama’s Family performed an important function in keeping American white trash family comedy alive and well during the Reagan years.  For now it is only available on www.mamasfamilydvds.com.  B+