July 22, 2009
WEEKEND FIRST: Movie Comings and Goings
By Tony Rutherford
Huntingtonnews.net Entertainment Editor
Huntington WV (HNN) - Having been blown away into the netherland of cinematic impressiveness by last week’s “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,” what can any studio serve up to dent this immortal morality tale of good versus evil?
Guinea pigs and 3D.
Disney digital brings a family friendly flick by action guru Jerry Bruckheimer, the producer who brought the “Pirates of the Caribbean” trilogy to the screen, as well as “National Treasure,” “Deja vu,” “Blackhawk Down,” “Crimson Tide,” “Bad Boys,” “Days of Thunder,” and “Remember the Titans.” His resume also includes some earlier classics, such as “Flashdance,” “Beverly Hills Cop” and “Top Gun.”
MAINSTREAM THIS WEEK (not all movies in all areas)
For Movie Changes/Times, CLICK HERE.
For REVIEW of HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF BLOOD PRINCE, CLICK HERE
For REVIEW of I LOVE YOU, BETH COOPER, CLICK HERE
For REVIEW of MY SISTER’S KEEPER, CLICK HERE
For REVIEW of YEAR ONE, CLICK HERE
For REVIEW of THE PROPOSAL, CLICK HERE
For UPCOMING Releases, CLICK HERE
JULY 24
G-FORCE: Disney has given us penguins, a Chihuahua, and now guinea pigs. They will be this year’s little heroes attempting to prevent the world from falling into evil hands.
All Pictures © Walt Disney
ORPHAN: As August approaches, so do the influx of horror flicks. Here, a couple adopt after their unborn baby dies. While the nine-year-old orphan they find at a local orphanage who seemed sweet and angelic might have a sinister and demon-like agenda. Vera (“The Boy in Striped Pajamas”) Famiga and Peter (“Garden State”) Sarsgaard play the parents while Isabella Fuhrman, who has appeared in TV’s “Ghost Whisperer and Justice.
UGLY TRUTH: Katherine Heigl and Gerard Butler star as a lonely morning show producer and a macho correspondent bets he can teach her to land and keep a guy. Unfortunately, you can guess what’s going to happen during this process.
All Pictures © Sony
FRIDAY JULY 31
FUNNY PEOPLE: It’s time for Judd Apatow to take the helm of a summer pic, but this one has him a little out of his element. In fact, early buzz has the flick running well over two hours. Adam Sandler starts as a successful comedian who has a terminal health condition. Hope for a “Punch Drunk Love” but this could the subject matter be the set up for a misfire from the man responsible for “40 Year Old Virgin,” “Superbad,” and “Knocked Up?” His wife, Leslie (“17 Again,” “Drillbit Taylor”) Mann and Sarah Silverman are the opposite sex lures for this comedy-drama.
All Pictures © Universal
ALIENS IN THE ATTIC: Fess up. Don’t you remember telling mommy you were scared of the dark or that a giant monster was hidden in your closet? Taking a little “E.T.” and “Gremlins” along with the standard what lurks behind the attic door, kids on a summer vacation discover knee high aliens in their attic. How can they get them to beam back before mom and dad tell them they’ve been playing too many video games? Incidentally, the cast includes two “SNL” dudes and a gal from “HSM.”
All Pictures © Fox
'HARRY POTTER': Grown Up Wizard’s Adventure Now Loosely Reminds of Luke Skywalker
Good Versus Evil Theme Broadens Scope Beyond Youthful Potter Junkies
By Tony Rutherford
Huntingtonnews.net Entertainment Editor
Wands up, make evil go away.
Ushering us into the world of wizards , witches and professors from the git-go, the newest “Harry Potter” entry has enchanted hands overseeing every aspect of the boy wizard’s battle with the Half Blood Prince. Complimented by the misty noir-like cavernous ancient stone castle and exceptionally fluid camera movements, “Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince,” has matured beyond magical schoolmates and their long grey-bearded teachers.
Instead of opening with Potter preparing to leave his parents home for the trip back to school, he’s alone reading a newspaper in a London subway café, where a young lady sets up a spontaneous, when do you get off from work rendezvous. Illustrating the constant conflict balancing between the enveloping good versus evil combat and the normal teen hormonal pressures vying for superiority, the production had shed all semblances of nearly exclusive youth appeal for a broader action/fantasy structure reminiscent of the “Star Wars” and/or Indiana Jones sagas.
No, Potter has not grown into a marauding “Dark Knight,” but the mood has decidedly shifted from classes, communal dining, and dormitory conversations. Earning accolades from fans of the novels to those just taking in a movie, one six-time reader of “Half Blood Prince” shed a few tears and awarded it second place among the Potter film adaptations. Dismissing inevitable literary to celluloid transformations to names, spells and have to look through the book ones, this film has captured and maintained the soul of novelist J.K. Rowling’s.
Potions, spells, and abracadabra’s quickly surpass the banal luck and love potion teaching exercises, as the evil aura of the approaching battle descends on Hogwarts. Much of the foreboding tale simmers in tension filled mystery, as the investigation into the immortality of Voldemort runs parallel to saving Professor Dumbledore from an impending assassination attempt.
Peter (“Order of the Phoenix”) Yates has returned to the director’s chair. He’s tacitly nimble in adding multiple layers of detail in the frames and he’s mastered a seamless blending of special effects so they advance the story , not rely on dazzling the eye. One transition that mystifies as it recalls past memories has the soft rippling effects of a watery fluidity with traces of color morthing in the manner of a lava light.
Probably, the most artful use of effects depict a flying broomstick soccer game.
Nevertheless, effects take second place to Yates’ cinematography styles of having cameras moving within the scene(s) or squeezing meticulous details into already architecturally film friendly facades.
Daniel Radcliffe remains a young man appropriate for the now mid-teen aged Potter. He’s avoiding much teen awkwardness (except when it comes to girls and romance) and stepping into young Luke Skywalker leadership decisions.
I’m wanting more when the credits star rolling, not exactly a continuation but bulking the length of a few scenes and longer glimpses into the personality quirks of, say, Luna Lovegood (Evanna Lynch).
out of
RUTHERFORD ON FILM: 'BETH COOPER'
Average Dude's Dream Comes True; Filmmakers Bobble the Opportunities Through an Epidemic of What Next, Resolution Writer’s Block
By Tony Rutherford
Huntingtonnews.net Entertainment Editor
Huntington, WV (HNN) -- What teen has not dreamed of crashing the top peer social circle whether generally defined by the athletes or cheerleader personas? Ultimately, those desires and unrequited loves generally can be reflected by the lyrics of a song such as, “the Class of (fill in the blank) had its dreams.” Be they astronaut, model, or tycoon, they normally subside during the period between graduation and freshman orientation.
Recollecting high school memories, “I Love You, Beth Cooper” tackles the common girl or guy left behind myths as a nerdy valedictorian (Paul Rust as Denis Cooverman) proclaims his love at the graduation speech for the school’s cheerleader hottie, Beth (Hayden Panettiere). Although his speech has a broader theme --- inducing individualism --- his socially challenged last chance to let her know I love her statement opens the door to a conversation and her showing up at his graduation party attended only by his male “bff.”
Directed by Chris (“Home Alone,” “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone”) Columbus, he’s attempting to revive the bittersweetness which John Hughes so often spiked his work (both as a screenwriter and /or director) , in 80s mini-classics like “Pretty in Pink,” “The Breakfast Club,” “Sixteen Candles,” “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.”
Each premise has a coming of age element (the prom, 16th birthday, graduation) balancing where the awkward, inept teen’s life actually stands and their expectations based on peer pressures. Interestingly, these events pertain to a night into morning time frame. Once the time passes, the opportunity/dream fizzles.
But “Beth Cooper” shudders with a sort of ‘where do we go from here’ vagueness. Denis and Beth meet and have a night into morning adventure. He has achieved the ‘dream’ of not only speaking to but being with the girl whom he had placed on a large poster over top of his bed. Now what?
Fortunately, director Columbus did not take the cliché way out. He left ambiguity, too many, which betrays a writer resolution burn out and writer’s block, after 75% of the flick.
Rust handily depicts the love sick smart boy who’s suddenly overwhelmed with receiving his wish. Panettiere’s Beth has crazy, quirky spontaneity with a dash of low self esteem. She does not fit quickly into a relegated position. It’s back to ‘now what?’
Since the ‘real’ Beth clashes so vividly with Denis’ pedestal Beth, this coming of age fairy tale does not have the snuggly feel good sugar and spice situations. It’s like “American Graffiti” meets “Animal House.”
For instance, my own high school / college dream girl(s) (like yours) represented love unrequited. Placing a little real life ‘one on one’ brought ethical and moral dilemmas denting the dream (like she smokes, drinks, tries weed, feigns love for affection, and deliberately breaks hearts and likes the jerks). Fast forward about ten or fifteen years and courtesy of a Nikon I had a babe magnet --- one that attracted aspiring model types.
So, the Nikon brought the ‘what does she see in him’ accolades, but, for the most part, my secret was secure: We were good opposite sex friends who hung out and went out. Once, a daring photo on the Ohio River rocks pose prompted stares at the lady in a dress in heels. I started to blush, my model nonchalantly stated, “We’re shooting for Vogue.” I turned down an opportunity to make an “ex” jealous by showing up with the then Miss West Virginia (I would have been using the pageant winner). I learned to carefully listen, prompting a rep for the dude to go with to get advice. My most proud moment, a now ‘ex’ telling other would be usherettes, ‘this one’s mine.’
Handed the key to the pageant circles, the ‘girls’ beneath those nine or ten exterior ratings came complete with character flaws. Suffice that hanging out with this ‘attractive’ circle opened doors for me, but not in the carry her over the threshold conclusion. What I did readily adopt to was the nearly impossible task of holding together opposite sex (best) friendships.
That’s why “I Love You, Beth Cooper” simply languishes. After the gags , crashes, and clashes, the filmmakers went on an idea vacation. Ritual complete, the next step seems structured more for sequel than “if we’re both not married at the ten year reunion, we’ll say I do.” Neither character tips their lips. The one night fantasy has numerous multiple choice possibilities.
More inherently, this little ‘fable’ likely should have wrapped after Denis’ continual bashing by her ROTC boyfriend and/or her own display of driving miss crazy.
Utterly misplaced, Denis’ friend Rich (Jack Carpenter) often stereotyped as gay, but actually a pull a line from a movie trivia fountain. But, his tossed out movie quotes, don’t seem to coagulate with the screen scene.
Flawed by comic timing, the film, like the girl upon whom the title is based, wobbles along stealing a laugh here, a hug there, and a philosophical principle too.
out of
RUTHERFORD ON FILM: 'MY SISTER’S KEEPER'
A Mellow, Intense Medical Drama Leaves You Weepy, Thoughtful, and Inspired
By Tony Rutherford
Huntingtonnews.net Entertainment Editor
Huntington, WV (HNN) – Think momentarily of one of those hammy, heavy-handed attorney commercials where the pitchman asks, “What can I do for you? How can our firm solve your problems?” CUT! Now, visualize the litany of activities and/or conduct that often have adults condemning young people not having a childhood anymore. PASTE!
Placing those two thoughts together, along with the stress upon family members tending to a critically ill teen, and you have the objective elements of “My Sister’s Keeper.” Add, love to the equation and you have the emotive, wringing circumstances faced by members of the Fitzgerald family.
Kate (Sofia Vassilieva) has leukemia . At the suggestion of a physician, Anna (Abigail Breslin ) was conceived in a test tube as a ‘perfect’ genetic match for the seriously ill older daughter. From embryonic fluids to bone marrow, the younger daughter has been stuck, poked, and prodded. At the ripe young age of eleven, Anna stuns her mom and dad by objecting to a proposed kidney transplant. “I want to be in charge of my own body,” the young woman declares.
On the other hand, her mom (Cameron Diaz) asks, “Why won’t you help your sister [anymore ]?”
Told in a series of flashbacks, director Nick (“The Notebook,” “Alpha Dog) Cassavetes offers viewers a sample of the thought process from each character’s perspective, be it mom, dad (Jason Patric), brother Jessee ( Evan Ellingson ), Anna and Kate. Though coping with a loved one with cancer may not sound like a good view, “My Sister’s Keeper” has a gentle introspective manner whose pendulum swings seamlessly between extreme sadness and smiling giddiness. Those light or inspirational moments do not dam tears, instead, the choice of scenes conveys that interpersonal behavior varies even in times of grief.
The film’s bulls eye stridently faces children growing up too fast. In the case of the Fitzgerald siblings, the disease has left few options, but the filmmakers blend dates, proms and heart-to-heart talks in manners that you realize these kids should be still spending their days and nights imagining, pretending, believing in Santa and the Easter Bunny, and peering at adult situations. All wistful rituals of childhood were jettisoned by efforts to squeeze a full lifetime into an undetermined amount of teen years. It has also meant that Kate’s needs have overridden those of the other siblings.
Punctuated by soft, twinkling, narrative, narrative songs with a twinge of an upbeat tempo, “My Sister’s Keeper” immerses you ever soothingly into the family’s decision-making hierarchy which until now has been mom’s by default.
As this story unfolds, it respectfully represents the maturation of the ill girl’s first thoughts of “boy’s” as she to begins ‘dating,’ a boy suffering from cancer too. While parental approval and rebellion do not flair, appropriate and inappropriate degrees of affection symbolically stand-in for the bigger question i.e. how quickly do young people mature, how much flexibility should they have to learn decision making, and when do a child’s wishes override those of grownups?
Similarly, Anna’s legal challenge to make decisions regarding her body more than hints, at least for the legally attuned, on a larger controversy which has divided men and women, young and old, black and white, and spiritual believer versus spiritual believer. Sidestepping the Roe v. Wade implications, Anna’s decision to take a position (rather than blindly follow instructions) argues persuasively for parents to judge their child’s maturity and be conscious of how the child feels instead of relying upon mom and/or dad selfishly putting themselves into the shoes of their child as a way to re-live their own youth.
This suggestion, though here shown by Diaz obsessed and absorbed on healing her dying daughter equally transcends to soccer moms, football dads, or talent competitions such as dancing, beauty pageants, or gymnastics.
Bald Sofia Vassilieva achieves such acting accolades --- from laughing on a date and expressing indecisiveness during a kiss to confidently stating , “I need to speak to mom alone” and turning a chemotherapy reaction into a halfway humorous mocking of herself --- that the teen actress deserves award nomination consideration. I’m not certain too many children or adults could maintain the mostly pleasant demeanor while family members systematically descend into drastic dysfunction.
These well spaced happy moments avoid deeply, forbearing sadness and allows most viewers the luxury of lessening the intensity. On the other hand, I saw one couple move up to two rows from the screen suggesting they wanted to immerse themselves more into the on screen situations.
(Editor’s Note & Spoiler Alert: Author Jodi Picoult stated on her website, “There’s a great deal in the movie that I think is great and I enjoyed watching it --- and I hope you did too.” The book has been selected as Marshall University’s One Book (common reading) for the 2009-2010 academic year. I have not read the book, but by checking Picoult’s website, those who read the book and see the movie, or vice versa, have a vital question when discussing the two mediums.)
REVIEW: YEAR ONE
No, it’s not Flintstones, Try Incompetent Hunters Banished to the Ancient Sin City
By Tony Rutherford
Entering “Year One,” I anticipated Fred Flintstone and Barney Rubble stone-age antics served up, of course, with an abundance of director Harold (“Analyze This,”) Ramis moderately digestible potty mouth and subtle nuances toward the vulgar. That how the writer of such 70s and 80s hits like “Meatballs,” “Caddyshack,” “Stripes, and “Ghostbusters” achieved comedic writing success and graduated to directing “National Lampoon’s Vacation,” and “Groundhog Day.”
To his credit, he took Jack Black and Michael Cera, known for Apatow raunchiness in “Superbad” and “Tropic Thunder” essentially dropped them in a chronological out of sync Garden of Eden, where the incompetent hunters and gather duo get booted from the tribe after tasting the forbidden fruit.
A mildly reimagining of events involving known Biblical characters ( Cain, Abel, Isaac and dwellers of Sodom prevent the Good Book thumpers from shouting undue blasphemy brands. Ramis chose not to parody the stories of Genesis, instead, he explored fictional interactions of Black and Cera with them.
The lengthiest visits are with Cain just after the slaying of Abel and a subsequent journey to Sodom, where they are taken as slaves.
Don’t rant because of a sequence or set of dialogue coming out of their mouths. “Year One” is not intended to depict Biblically correct doctrine (or recite accurate stories), it lifts their names and familiarity to shoot really out of the box and fill in intentionally humorous gaps.
When a dude eats from the forbidden tree (we know it was Eve), you realize that this is not a mean spirited or belief mocking. It’s just a so-so attempt to inspire a little laughter into the early days after creation.
The film has a Monty Python “Life of Brian” feel, but it’s not offensive. At most, it conveys moments of extreme faith or periods of disbelief, which any normal believer or non-believer experiences.
But, the filmmakers never find the proper mode to coax laughs from the audience. Cain (David Cross as a arrogant, selfish dude with no redeeming qualities) has more chemistry in his briefly overly hammed argument with Abel (Paul Rudd) than Black and Cera as Zed and Oh. The cavemen’s attempts to grab their ladies by the hair (often thwarted by armies and virgin sacrifices) add a trifle of better parody with bumbling adventurous attempted heroics by a blubbery ditz and his stone age nerd both hoping for would-be swashbuckler heroics to save themselves and their ladies.
“Year One” has lots of potential, but aside from the non-humorous humiliations in the ancient city of sin, you could call this “Year 0.25.” It needed work. And, according to reliable sources, the director planned a sequence with Noah which was tossed after “Evan Almighty” sunk.
Rating: *1/2 out of *****
REVIEW:
The Proposal : Gender Warfare Cultivates Belly Laughs for Males and Females
Is this just a chic flick? Not necessarily. Judging from the numerous husky laughs at an advance screening, the dudes in the predominately female audience had gotten their money’s worth in their funny bone.
Lifting a few concepts from the famed “Devil Wears Prada,” “The Proposal” has as much to say about working nine to five steps from a ‘dream’ publishing position as it does about the not so blissful relationship of the newly betrothed couple. For that matter, Andrew, the groom to be (Ryan Reynolds) gingerly drops in on a corporate conference uttering the word “engaged.”
It’s the magic word for Margaret Tate (Sandra Bullock), who has just been told that she’s to be deported for an infraction of her visa, which will cost her the editor’s job at the publishing firm too. Once betrothed to her liege seeks visual and verbal revenge on the take no prisoners (and fire at will) boss. Her humbling on one knee proposal is both laughable, poignant, and humbling.
However, “27 Dresses” director Anne Fletcher (who was also a producer on “Wedding Planner”) has assembled a strong supporting cast (Mary Steenburgen, Betty White, Craig T. Nelson) and an absorbing (and continuous) foilables and a fish out of water remote Alaska setting for the staunch feminist boss to meet her new in-laws.
I can rattle off the memorable scenes with one or two word descriptions (so as not to spoil your fun) --- The hawk, the towel, the fitting, and the hip gyrating chant. Male or female you’re going to be doing some serious laughing.
Bullock’s “boss” is a couple of steps down from Miranda (Meryl Streep) in “Devil Wears Prada.” Instead, she tough as nails (watch her climb down into the boat carrying her bag and not breaking a heel) but lacks the mean spirited, cynical arrogance of Miranda. Bullock’s sweeter and straight laced persona places her somewhere mid-spectrum between Miranda and Lucy (Renee Zellweger) in “New in Town.”
“The Proposal” does not have its faults. Personally, dad’s degree of meddling and fetching sends the couple’s chemistry off a beat or two. Their adaptation to each other and her adjustment to small town Alaska fare just fine, thank you. Despite an unnecessary cliché let down, the film’s brutally cynical gender warfare one-liners (and conversations) assure a bouncing romp and unforgettable lines such as “Ask me nicely, on your knee” and Betty White’s native American chants and use of the words “Easter eggs.”
***1/2 out of *****
HOLD OVERS:
DRAG ME TO HELL: Alison (“Beowulf,” “Delirious”) Lohman has a chip on her shoulder --- she wants to be the first female loan officer at her bank. After competing with the boys club, she’s also been warned that a woman might not be tough enough for the position. An elderly woman (Loren Raver) gets down on hands and knees begging for an extension on her mortgage. To impress her boss, Lohman says, “No.” As a result, the lady puts a curse on her which transforms her life into hell on earth while she awaits a demon to collect her soul for eternal damnation.
THE HANGOVER: Here comes what many predict as the summer comedy sleeper. Director Todd (“Old School,” “Road Trip”) Phillips watched a steady diet of screwball comedy growing up, like “Stripes” and “Revenge of the Nerds,” but you would recognize him best as an Oscar nominated writer of “Borat.” Now, he’s cast Bradley (“Yes Man,” “The Rocker”) Cooper in a Vegas bachelor party gone bonkers. When the three groomsman awake, there’s a tiger in the bathroom of their suit and a six-month old baby in the closet. At ShowWest, Curtis McCall, caught a clip and told us, it’s a comedy of the Aptow style. “It could be hilarious. I don’t think people are aware of it right now, I think it will have a lot of bite.” At least two of those exiting a screening said the movie contained the most laughs of any they had seen previously (and their combined age was over 100 years).
ICE AGE DAWN OF THE DINOSAURS: 3-D animations keeps the family friendly ball , as Manny, Ellie, Diego and Scrat travel deep underground where they find flora, fauna, and dinosaurs still alive.
LAND OF THE LOST: Don’t write this off as just typical family friendly. Will Ferrell stars in what , based on buzz, will spoof a fabled 70s Saturday cartoon show with lots of creatures populating an alternate universe. He’s paired with a redneck survivalist (Danny McBride) and a female research assistant (Anna Friel).
PUBLIC ENEMIES: Likely you still think of Johnny Depp as ‘Jack Sparrow’ from the “Pirates of the Caribbean” trilogy , as the fiendish “Sweeny Todd,” or as the poignant “Edward Scissorhands.” Now, the dude whose voice has been that of Willy Wonka, Icahbod Crane, and Victor Van Dort does an acting 180-degree maneuver as 30s gangster and public enemy Number One, John Dillinger, in “Public Enemies.” Depp joins Christian Bale and Marion Cotillard as the charming, charismatic bank robber who had a trait for breaking out of jails. Since banks had gone belly up in the Depression, the public saw him akin to Robin Hood. Bale, known as “Batman” and “Terminator,” plays a young FBI agent assigned to find gunfighters who can bring down the Dillinger gang.
TAKING OF PELHAM 1 2 3: A re-make of a 1974 Walter Matthau and Robert Shaw underrated thriller, Denzel Washington takes Matthau’s role as an NYC subway dispatcher whose world of on-time routine shatters when four armed terrorists (led by John Travolta) hijack a train and demand a large ransom or they will start putting bullet hole in the passengers trapped in the dark tunnels under Manhattan. However, this reviewer, found it a bit disappointing since it switches too often from the terror tunnel and the race to fulfill ransom demands on the surface, which allows the action director (Tony Scott) opportunities to crash and bang vehicular demolition derby.
UP: Pixer and Disney Digital 3D team for what’s already generating five star reviews from critics who have seen advance showings. Here’s the story: A 78-year-old balloon salesman ties thousands of the air-filled objects to his house lifting off to South America. Unfortunately, the home-made aircraft has a stowaway --- an eight year old explorer (voice by Christopher Plummer). Pete (“Monsters Inc.”) Docter directs.
NO MORE ROCKY HORROR: The Cinema Theatre has ended Friday showings of the cult classic "Rocky Horror Picture Show." The floor show producers are looking for another venue.
Starting July 24 – July 30
HUNTINGTON, WV
MARQUEE PULLMAN: (Now ALL digital projection): Ugly Truth , 11:45-2:15-4:40-7:15-9:50; Orphan , 1:00-3:50-6:45-9:30; G Force in Disney Digital 3D, 11:30-12:00-1:45-2:15-4:00-4:30-6:15-6:45-8:30; STARTS FRI JULY 31: Aliens in the Attic, Funny People; TIME CHANGES:My Sister’s Keeper, 12:45-3:45-6:45; Drag Me to Hell, 9:20; Up , 9:15 only; Ice Age Dawn of Dinosaurs 3D, (one print) 12:15-2:35-4:55-7:15-9:35; ENDS THURSDAY JULY 23: Year One, Taking of Pelham; FREE KID’S SUMMER SERIES TUESDAY & WEDNESDAY 9:30 a.m., JULY 28-29, Coraline, Veggie Tales; For Full Schedule, click: http://www.marqueecinemas.com/location.asp?location=9219
DISCOUNT CINEMA 4: Admission: $3. After 6 p.m., $2 before 6 p.m. and all day Tuesday: Starts Friday, July 24: Night at the Museum 2, 1:00-3:10-5:20-7:30-9:40; Taking of Pelham 1:05-3:15-5:25-7:35-9:45; Year One, 1:15-3:15-5:15-7:15-9:15; Land of the Lost 1:10-3:15-5:20-7:25-9:30; ENDS THURSDAY: Terminator Salvation, Angels Demons, 17 Again; FREE KIDS FLIX: Tales of Despereaux, Wed. July 29, 10 a.m.; For full schedule click and select date: http://www.ourshowtimes.com/cinema/index.html
ASHLAND, KY
CINEMARK CINEMA 10: G Force (2D), 11:00-12:10-1:30-2:40-4:00-5:10-6:30-7:40-9:00-10:10; Orphan , 12:20-3:50-7:10-10:00; Ugly Truth, 11:20-1:50-4:20-7:00-9:20; TIME CHANGES: I Love You Beth Cooper, 2:30-7:30, Hangover, 12:00-5:00-10:20 only; ENDS THURSDAY: Up, Public Enemies, My Sister’s Keeper; For full times, http://www.cinemark.com/metropolitan_opera.asp
PHOENIX 10 KYOVA MALL: G Force 11:45-2:10-4:30-6:55-9:10; Orphan, 11:35-2:15-4:55-7:40-10:20; Ugly Truth, 12:10-2:30-5:00-7:30-10:00; TIME CHANGES: NONE; ENDS THURSDAY: I Love You Beth Cooper, My Sister’s Keeper, Bruno;; Full schedule: http://www.movietickets.com/house_detail.asp?house_id=10480
BARBOURSVILLE, WV
CINEMARK HUNTINGTON MALL 12:G Force (3D), 12:50-3:10-5:30-7:50-10:10; G Force , 12:00-2:30-4:45-7:00-9:20; Orphan, 12:10-3:10-6:05-9:05; Ugly Truth, 12:05-2:35-5:00-7:25-9:55; TIME CHANGES: NONE; ENDS THURSDAY: I Love You Beth Cooper, Bruno, Ice Age (3D), My Sister’s Keeper; For full schedule, check: http://www.cinemark.com/theater_showtimes.asp?theater_id=1046
BECKLEY, WV
GALLERIA CINEMAS: (Now All Digital Projection!): G Force in Disney Digital 3D, 12:00-12:30-2:15-2:45-4:30-5:00-6:45-7:15-9:00-9:30; Orphan, 1:00-4:00-6:45-9:30; Ugly Truth , 11:45-2:10-4:35-7:00-9:25; TIME CHANGES: Bruno, 7:05-9:20 only; I Love You Beth Cooper, 4:00-9:35; My Sister’s Keeper 1:00-7:00 only; Transformers 12:00-3:15-6:30-9:45; ENDS THURSDAY: Up, Year One, Drag Me to Hell; FREE KID’S SUMMER SERIES TUESDAY & WEDNESDAY 9:30 a.m., July 28-29, Coraline, Pirates Who Don’t ,Veggie Tales; For full schedule: http://www.marqueecinemas.com/location.asp?location=10115
BLUEFIELD, WV
MERCER MALL: Features/Times To Be Announced; For full schedule, click: http://www.carmike.com/showtimesdetails.aspx?theatrenumber=075503
COMMONS 8 (Marquee Cinemas, Wytheville, Va.): (Now all digital projection!): G Force in Disney Digital 3D, 12:00-2:15-4:30-7:00-9:15; Orphan, 12:10-4:15-7:15-9:55; Ugly Truth, 11:45-2:10-4:40-7:10-9:30; TIME CHANGES: NONE; ENDS THURSDAY: Up, Bruno, Public Enemies, Hangover; FREE KIDS FLICKS, July 28-29, 9:30 a.m., Hotel for Dogs, Igor; For full schedule: http://www.marqueecinemas.com/location.asp?location=9196
CHARLESTON, WV
MARQUEE SOUTHRIDGE: (Now All Digital Projection!): G Force in Disney Digital 3D, 11:30-12:15-1:50-2:40-4:15-5:00-6:45-7:15-9:00-9:30; Orphan , 11:15-1:55-4:35-7:20-10:00; Ugly Truth, 11:50-2:20-4:50-7:30-9:55; CONTINUING: Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince (3 screens) , 11:40-12:00-1:00-3:00-3:20-4:30-6:20-6:40-8:00-9:40-10:00; TIME CHANGES: Bruno, 1:00-9:35 only; Public Enemies, 3:15-6:30 only; Ice Age , 11:45-2:10-4:40-7:00-9:20 only; ENDS THURSDAY: Up, I Love You Beth Cooper, My Sister’s Keeper; FREE KID’S SUMMER SERIES TUESDAY & WEDNESDAY 9:30 a.m., July 28-29, Coraline, Veggie Tales; For full schedule click: http://www.marqueecinemas.com/location.asp?location=6021
PARK PLACE STADIUM CINEMAS: G-Force 3D, 1:05-3:05-5:05-7:05-9:05; Orphan, 12:40-3:00-5:25-7:40-9:55; Ugly Truth, 1:00-3:10-5:20-7:30-9:40; ENDS THURSDAY; Love You Beth Cooper; Up; My Sister’s Keeper; FREE KIDS FLIX: Wed. July 29, 10 a.m., Kung Fu Panda; For full listing: http://www.ourshowtimes.com/parkplace/index.html
HINTON, WV
RITZ THEATRE: Closed for renovations; grand re-opening July 4; For full schedule, click: http://www.ritzwv.com
HURRICANE, WV
TEAYS VALLEY CINEMA 10: The Orphan, 11:45-2:30-5:05-7:35-10:00; Ugly Truth, 10:30-12:45-3:00-5:15-7:30-9:45; G Force, 10:45-1:00-3:00-5:00-7:00-9:20 ; TIME CHANGES: Bruno, 1:15-5:10-10:15 only; Public Enemies, 10:15-2:45-7:15 only; Hangover, 3:05-7:40-9:50; Up , 10:05-12:45-5:15 only; Transformers (one print), 10:10-1:10-4:10-7:10-10:05; Ice Age (one print), 11:20-1:20-3:20-5:20-7:20-9:30; ENDS THURSDAY: Drag Me to Hell, I Love You Beth Cooper, My Sister’s Keeper, Year One; FREE SUMMER KIDS SERIES TUESDAY AND THURSDAY 10 A.M., July 28 & July 30, City of Ember; August 4 and August 6, Space Chimps; (**No Early Bird Show Sundays); For full schedule click: http://boxoffice.printtixusa.com/allstar/movies?v=2756
LEWISBURG, WV
SENACA SHOWPLACE: G Force, 4:30-7:00-9:30, Sat/Sun Mat. 12:00-2:15; Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, 3:00-6:20-9:40, Sat/Sun Mat. 11:40; ENDS THURSDAY: Ice Age; FREE KIDS SUMMER FLICKS, July 28, Horton Hears a Who; For advance tickets, http://www.marqueecinemas.com/location.asp?location=4500
LOGAN, W.VA.
FOUNTAIN PLACE CINEMA 8: G Force (3D), 12:40-2:45-4:50-7:15-9:20; Orphan 12:05-2:25-4:40-7:05-9:45; Ugly Truth 12:20-2:30-4:45-7:30-9:50; TIME CHANGES: NONE; ENDS THURSDAY: Up, Bruno, Public Enemies, Hangover; FREE KIDS FLIX WEDNESDAYS 10 A.M., July 29, Nim’s Island; For full schedule click: http://www.ourshowtimes.com/fountainplace/index.html
NITRO, WV
Great Escape Nitro 12: http://greatescapetheatres.com or 769-0405
SUMMERSVILLE, WV
NICHOLS SHOWPLACE: G Force (3D), 5:00-7:15-9:30, Sat/Sun Mat. 12:20-2:40; Ugly Truth, 5:10-7:30-9:50, Sat/Sun Mat. 12:30-2:50; Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, 3:00-6:20-9:40, Sat/Sun Mat. 11:40; Transformers, 3:15-6:30-9:45, S/Sun Mat. 12:00; ENDS THURSDAY: Ice Age, Proposal; FREE KIDS SUMMER FLICKS, Tuesday, July 28, Horton Hears a Who; For advance tickets: http://www.marqueecinemas.com/location.asp?location=4499
WELCH, WV
MCDOWELL 3: G Force, 4:45-7:00-9:10, Sat/Sun Mat. 12:00-2:15; Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, 3:00-6:20-9:40, Sat/Sun Mat. 11:40; The Proposal, 4:20-6:50-9:20, Sat/Sun Mat. 1:30; FREE KIDS SUMMER FLICKS, Tuesday @ 10 a.m.,July 28, Igor; ENDS THURSDAY; Transformers, Ice Age; For Advance Tickets, http://www.marqueecinemas.com/location.asp?location=9609
WHEELING, WV
Marquee Highlands 14: (All Digital DLP Projection): G Force in Disney Digital 3D, 12:15-12:45-2:30-3:00-4:45-5:15-7:00-7:30-9:15-9:45; Orphan, 1:00-3:45-6:45-9:30; Ugly Truth, 11:50-2:15-4:45-7:15-9:40; TIME CHANGES: Public Enemies 3:30-6:40 only; I Love You Beth Cooper 7:20-9:50 only; My Sister’s Keeper , 7:00-9:40; Ice Age 3D (one print) , 12:00-2:10-4:30-6:50-9:10; Night at Museum 11:50-2:20-4:50 only; Up (3D), 11:45-2:10-4:35 only; ENDS THURSDAY: Taking of Pelham; FREE KID’S SUMMER SERIES TUESDAY & WEDNESDAY 9:30 a.m., July 28-29, Coraline, Veggie Tales; For full schedule click: http://www.marqueecinemas.com/location.asp?location=11469
UPCOMING RELEASES (Dates Subject to Change; not all films in all areas)
July 31: Funny People, They Came from Upstairs
August 7: GI Joe, Julie & Julia, Shorts, When in Rome
August 14: Bandslam, District 9, The Goods: The Don Ready Story, Time Traveler’s Wife
August 21: Goose on the Loose, Inglorious Bastards
August 28: Boat That Rocked, Final Destination Death Trip 3D, Halloween II
September 4: All About Steve, Carriers, Gamer
September 11: Nine (on Wed.), Sorority Row, Tyler Perry’s I Can Do Bad All By Myself, Whiteout
September 18: Armored, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Jennifer’s Body, Love Happens, Pandorum
September 25: Fame, Invention of Lying, Surrogates
October 2: Toy Story/Toy Story II (double feature) in 3D (two weeks only)
· Release dates subject to change; not all films will play in every market and/or every theatre.
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WEEKEND FIRST: Movie Comings and Goings
By Tony Rutherford
Huntingtonnews.net Entertainment Editor
Huntington WV (HNN) - Having been blown away into the netherland of cinematic impressiveness by last week’s “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,” what can any studio serve up to dent this immortal morality tale of good versus evil?
Guinea pigs and 3D.
Disney digital brings a family friendly flick by action guru Jerry Bruckheimer, the producer who brought the “Pirates of the Caribbean” trilogy to the screen, as well as “National Treasure,” “Deja vu,” “Blackhawk Down,” “Crimson Tide,” “Bad Boys,” “Days of Thunder,” and “Remember the Titans.” His resume also includes some earlier classics, such as “Flashdance,” “Beverly Hills Cop” and “Top Gun.”
MAINSTREAM THIS WEEK (not all movies in all areas)
For Movie Changes/Times, CLICK HERE.
For REVIEW of HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF BLOOD PRINCE, CLICK HERE
For REVIEW of I LOVE YOU, BETH COOPER, CLICK HERE
For REVIEW of MY SISTER’S KEEPER, CLICK HERE
For REVIEW of YEAR ONE, CLICK HERE
For REVIEW of THE PROPOSAL, CLICK HERE
For UPCOMING Releases, CLICK HERE
JULY 24
G-FORCE: Disney has given us penguins, a Chihuahua, and now guinea pigs. They will be this year’s little heroes attempting to prevent the world from falling into evil hands.
All Pictures © Walt Disney
ORPHAN: As August approaches, so do the influx of horror flicks. Here, a couple adopt after their unborn baby dies. While the nine-year-old orphan they find at a local orphanage who seemed sweet and angelic might have a sinister and demon-like agenda. Vera (“The Boy in Striped Pajamas”) Famiga and Peter (“Garden State”) Sarsgaard play the parents while Isabella Fuhrman, who has appeared in TV’s “Ghost Whisperer and Justice.
UGLY TRUTH: Katherine Heigl and Gerard Butler star as a lonely morning show producer and a macho correspondent bets he can teach her to land and keep a guy. Unfortunately, you can guess what’s going to happen during this process.
All Pictures © Sony
FRIDAY JULY 31
FUNNY PEOPLE: It’s time for Judd Apatow to take the helm of a summer pic, but this one has him a little out of his element. In fact, early buzz has the flick running well over two hours. Adam Sandler starts as a successful comedian who has a terminal health condition. Hope for a “Punch Drunk Love” but this could the subject matter be the set up for a misfire from the man responsible for “40 Year Old Virgin,” “Superbad,” and “Knocked Up?” His wife, Leslie (“17 Again,” “Drillbit Taylor”) Mann and Sarah Silverman are the opposite sex lures for this comedy-drama.
All Pictures © Universal
ALIENS IN THE ATTIC: Fess up. Don’t you remember telling mommy you were scared of the dark or that a giant monster was hidden in your closet? Taking a little “E.T.” and “Gremlins” along with the standard what lurks behind the attic door, kids on a summer vacation discover knee high aliens in their attic. How can they get them to beam back before mom and dad tell them they’ve been playing too many video games? Incidentally, the cast includes two “SNL” dudes and a gal from “HSM.”
All Pictures © Fox
'HARRY POTTER': Grown Up Wizard’s Adventure Now Loosely Reminds of Luke Skywalker
Good Versus Evil Theme Broadens Scope Beyond Youthful Potter Junkies
By Tony Rutherford
Huntingtonnews.net Entertainment Editor
Wands up, make evil go away.
Ushering us into the world of wizards , witches and professors from the git-go, the newest “Harry Potter” entry has enchanted hands overseeing every aspect of the boy wizard’s battle with the Half Blood Prince. Complimented by the misty noir-like cavernous ancient stone castle and exceptionally fluid camera movements, “Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince,” has matured beyond magical schoolmates and their long grey-bearded teachers.
Instead of opening with Potter preparing to leave his parents home for the trip back to school, he’s alone reading a newspaper in a London subway café, where a young lady sets up a spontaneous, when do you get off from work rendezvous. Illustrating the constant conflict balancing between the enveloping good versus evil combat and the normal teen hormonal pressures vying for superiority, the production had shed all semblances of nearly exclusive youth appeal for a broader action/fantasy structure reminiscent of the “Star Wars” and/or Indiana Jones sagas.
No, Potter has not grown into a marauding “Dark Knight,” but the mood has decidedly shifted from classes, communal dining, and dormitory conversations. Earning accolades from fans of the novels to those just taking in a movie, one six-time reader of “Half Blood Prince” shed a few tears and awarded it second place among the Potter film adaptations. Dismissing inevitable literary to celluloid transformations to names, spells and have to look through the book ones, this film has captured and maintained the soul of novelist J.K. Rowling’s.
Potions, spells, and abracadabra’s quickly surpass the banal luck and love potion teaching exercises, as the evil aura of the approaching battle descends on Hogwarts. Much of the foreboding tale simmers in tension filled mystery, as the investigation into the immortality of Voldemort runs parallel to saving Professor Dumbledore from an impending assassination attempt.
Peter (“Order of the Phoenix”) Yates has returned to the director’s chair. He’s tacitly nimble in adding multiple layers of detail in the frames and he’s mastered a seamless blending of special effects so they advance the story , not rely on dazzling the eye. One transition that mystifies as it recalls past memories has the soft rippling effects of a watery fluidity with traces of color morthing in the manner of a lava light.
Probably, the most artful use of effects depict a flying broomstick soccer game.
Nevertheless, effects take second place to Yates’ cinematography styles of having cameras moving within the scene(s) or squeezing meticulous details into already architecturally film friendly facades.
Daniel Radcliffe remains a young man appropriate for the now mid-teen aged Potter. He’s avoiding much teen awkwardness (except when it comes to girls and romance) and stepping into young Luke Skywalker leadership decisions.
I’m wanting more when the credits star rolling, not exactly a continuation but bulking the length of a few scenes and longer glimpses into the personality quirks of, say, Luna Lovegood (Evanna Lynch).
out of
RUTHERFORD ON FILM: 'BETH COOPER'
Average Dude's Dream Comes True; Filmmakers Bobble the Opportunities Through an Epidemic of What Next, Resolution Writer’s Block
By Tony Rutherford
Huntingtonnews.net Entertainment Editor
Huntington, WV (HNN) -- What teen has not dreamed of crashing the top peer social circle whether generally defined by the athletes or cheerleader personas? Ultimately, those desires and unrequited loves generally can be reflected by the lyrics of a song such as, “the Class of (fill in the blank) had its dreams.” Be they astronaut, model, or tycoon, they normally subside during the period between graduation and freshman orientation.
Recollecting high school memories, “I Love You, Beth Cooper” tackles the common girl or guy left behind myths as a nerdy valedictorian (Paul Rust as Denis Cooverman) proclaims his love at the graduation speech for the school’s cheerleader hottie, Beth (Hayden Panettiere). Although his speech has a broader theme --- inducing individualism --- his socially challenged last chance to let her know I love her statement opens the door to a conversation and her showing up at his graduation party attended only by his male “bff.”
Directed by Chris (“Home Alone,” “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone”) Columbus, he’s attempting to revive the bittersweetness which John Hughes so often spiked his work (both as a screenwriter and /or director) , in 80s mini-classics like “Pretty in Pink,” “The Breakfast Club,” “Sixteen Candles,” “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.”
Each premise has a coming of age element (the prom, 16th birthday, graduation) balancing where the awkward, inept teen’s life actually stands and their expectations based on peer pressures. Interestingly, these events pertain to a night into morning time frame. Once the time passes, the opportunity/dream fizzles.
But “Beth Cooper” shudders with a sort of ‘where do we go from here’ vagueness. Denis and Beth meet and have a night into morning adventure. He has achieved the ‘dream’ of not only speaking to but being with the girl whom he had placed on a large poster over top of his bed. Now what?
Fortunately, director Columbus did not take the cliché way out. He left ambiguity, too many, which betrays a writer resolution burn out and writer’s block, after 75% of the flick.
Rust handily depicts the love sick smart boy who’s suddenly overwhelmed with receiving his wish. Panettiere’s Beth has crazy, quirky spontaneity with a dash of low self esteem. She does not fit quickly into a relegated position. It’s back to ‘now what?’
Since the ‘real’ Beth clashes so vividly with Denis’ pedestal Beth, this coming of age fairy tale does not have the snuggly feel good sugar and spice situations. It’s like “American Graffiti” meets “Animal House.”
For instance, my own high school / college dream girl(s) (like yours) represented love unrequited. Placing a little real life ‘one on one’ brought ethical and moral dilemmas denting the dream (like she smokes, drinks, tries weed, feigns love for affection, and deliberately breaks hearts and likes the jerks). Fast forward about ten or fifteen years and courtesy of a Nikon I had a babe magnet --- one that attracted aspiring model types.
So, the Nikon brought the ‘what does she see in him’ accolades, but, for the most part, my secret was secure: We were good opposite sex friends who hung out and went out. Once, a daring photo on the Ohio River rocks pose prompted stares at the lady in a dress in heels. I started to blush, my model nonchalantly stated, “We’re shooting for Vogue.” I turned down an opportunity to make an “ex” jealous by showing up with the then Miss West Virginia (I would have been using the pageant winner). I learned to carefully listen, prompting a rep for the dude to go with to get advice. My most proud moment, a now ‘ex’ telling other would be usherettes, ‘this one’s mine.’
Handed the key to the pageant circles, the ‘girls’ beneath those nine or ten exterior ratings came complete with character flaws. Suffice that hanging out with this ‘attractive’ circle opened doors for me, but not in the carry her over the threshold conclusion. What I did readily adopt to was the nearly impossible task of holding together opposite sex (best) friendships.
That’s why “I Love You, Beth Cooper” simply languishes. After the gags , crashes, and clashes, the filmmakers went on an idea vacation. Ritual complete, the next step seems structured more for sequel than “if we’re both not married at the ten year reunion, we’ll say I do.” Neither character tips their lips. The one night fantasy has numerous multiple choice possibilities.
More inherently, this little ‘fable’ likely should have wrapped after Denis’ continual bashing by her ROTC boyfriend and/or her own display of driving miss crazy.
Utterly misplaced, Denis’ friend Rich (Jack Carpenter) often stereotyped as gay, but actually a pull a line from a movie trivia fountain. But, his tossed out movie quotes, don’t seem to coagulate with the screen scene.
Flawed by comic timing, the film, like the girl upon whom the title is based, wobbles along stealing a laugh here, a hug there, and a philosophical principle too.
out of
RUTHERFORD ON FILM: 'MY SISTER’S KEEPER'
A Mellow, Intense Medical Drama Leaves You Weepy, Thoughtful, and Inspired
By Tony Rutherford
Huntingtonnews.net Entertainment Editor
Huntington, WV (HNN) – Think momentarily of one of those hammy, heavy-handed attorney commercials where the pitchman asks, “What can I do for you? How can our firm solve your problems?” CUT! Now, visualize the litany of activities and/or conduct that often have adults condemning young people not having a childhood anymore. PASTE!
Placing those two thoughts together, along with the stress upon family members tending to a critically ill teen, and you have the objective elements of “My Sister’s Keeper.” Add, love to the equation and you have the emotive, wringing circumstances faced by members of the Fitzgerald family.
Kate (Sofia Vassilieva) has leukemia . At the suggestion of a physician, Anna (Abigail Breslin ) was conceived in a test tube as a ‘perfect’ genetic match for the seriously ill older daughter. From embryonic fluids to bone marrow, the younger daughter has been stuck, poked, and prodded. At the ripe young age of eleven, Anna stuns her mom and dad by objecting to a proposed kidney transplant. “I want to be in charge of my own body,” the young woman declares.
On the other hand, her mom (Cameron Diaz) asks, “Why won’t you help your sister [anymore ]?”
Told in a series of flashbacks, director Nick (“The Notebook,” “Alpha Dog) Cassavetes offers viewers a sample of the thought process from each character’s perspective, be it mom, dad (Jason Patric), brother Jessee ( Evan Ellingson ), Anna and Kate. Though coping with a loved one with cancer may not sound like a good view, “My Sister’s Keeper” has a gentle introspective manner whose pendulum swings seamlessly between extreme sadness and smiling giddiness. Those light or inspirational moments do not dam tears, instead, the choice of scenes conveys that interpersonal behavior varies even in times of grief.
The film’s bulls eye stridently faces children growing up too fast. In the case of the Fitzgerald siblings, the disease has left few options, but the filmmakers blend dates, proms and heart-to-heart talks in manners that you realize these kids should be still spending their days and nights imagining, pretending, believing in Santa and the Easter Bunny, and peering at adult situations. All wistful rituals of childhood were jettisoned by efforts to squeeze a full lifetime into an undetermined amount of teen years. It has also meant that Kate’s needs have overridden those of the other siblings.
Punctuated by soft, twinkling, narrative, narrative songs with a twinge of an upbeat tempo, “My Sister’s Keeper” immerses you ever soothingly into the family’s decision-making hierarchy which until now has been mom’s by default.
As this story unfolds, it respectfully represents the maturation of the ill girl’s first thoughts of “boy’s” as she to begins ‘dating,’ a boy suffering from cancer too. While parental approval and rebellion do not flair, appropriate and inappropriate degrees of affection symbolically stand-in for the bigger question i.e. how quickly do young people mature, how much flexibility should they have to learn decision making, and when do a child’s wishes override those of grownups?
Similarly, Anna’s legal challenge to make decisions regarding her body more than hints, at least for the legally attuned, on a larger controversy which has divided men and women, young and old, black and white, and spiritual believer versus spiritual believer. Sidestepping the Roe v. Wade implications, Anna’s decision to take a position (rather than blindly follow instructions) argues persuasively for parents to judge their child’s maturity and be conscious of how the child feels instead of relying upon mom and/or dad selfishly putting themselves into the shoes of their child as a way to re-live their own youth.
This suggestion, though here shown by Diaz obsessed and absorbed on healing her dying daughter equally transcends to soccer moms, football dads, or talent competitions such as dancing, beauty pageants, or gymnastics.
Bald Sofia Vassilieva achieves such acting accolades --- from laughing on a date and expressing indecisiveness during a kiss to confidently stating , “I need to speak to mom alone” and turning a chemotherapy reaction into a halfway humorous mocking of herself --- that the teen actress deserves award nomination consideration. I’m not certain too many children or adults could maintain the mostly pleasant demeanor while family members systematically descend into drastic dysfunction.
These well spaced happy moments avoid deeply, forbearing sadness and allows most viewers the luxury of lessening the intensity. On the other hand, I saw one couple move up to two rows from the screen suggesting they wanted to immerse themselves more into the on screen situations.
(Editor’s Note & Spoiler Alert: Author Jodi Picoult stated on her website, “There’s a great deal in the movie that I think is great and I enjoyed watching it --- and I hope you did too.” The book has been selected as Marshall University’s One Book (common reading) for the 2009-2010 academic year. I have not read the book, but by checking Picoult’s website, those who read the book and see the movie, or vice versa, have a vital question when discussing the two mediums.)
REVIEW: YEAR ONE
No, it’s not Flintstones, Try Incompetent Hunters Banished to the Ancient Sin City
By Tony Rutherford
Entering “Year One,” I anticipated Fred Flintstone and Barney Rubble stone-age antics served up, of course, with an abundance of director Harold (“Analyze This,”) Ramis moderately digestible potty mouth and subtle nuances toward the vulgar. That how the writer of such 70s and 80s hits like “Meatballs,” “Caddyshack,” “Stripes, and “Ghostbusters” achieved comedic writing success and graduated to directing “National Lampoon’s Vacation,” and “Groundhog Day.”
To his credit, he took Jack Black and Michael Cera, known for Apatow raunchiness in “Superbad” and “Tropic Thunder” essentially dropped them in a chronological out of sync Garden of Eden, where the incompetent hunters and gather duo get booted from the tribe after tasting the forbidden fruit.
A mildly reimagining of events involving known Biblical characters ( Cain, Abel, Isaac and dwellers of Sodom prevent the Good Book thumpers from shouting undue blasphemy brands. Ramis chose not to parody the stories of Genesis, instead, he explored fictional interactions of Black and Cera with them.
The lengthiest visits are with Cain just after the slaying of Abel and a subsequent journey to Sodom, where they are taken as slaves.
Don’t rant because of a sequence or set of dialogue coming out of their mouths. “Year One” is not intended to depict Biblically correct doctrine (or recite accurate stories), it lifts their names and familiarity to shoot really out of the box and fill in intentionally humorous gaps.
When a dude eats from the forbidden tree (we know it was Eve), you realize that this is not a mean spirited or belief mocking. It’s just a so-so attempt to inspire a little laughter into the early days after creation.
The film has a Monty Python “Life of Brian” feel, but it’s not offensive. At most, it conveys moments of extreme faith or periods of disbelief, which any normal believer or non-believer experiences.
But, the filmmakers never find the proper mode to coax laughs from the audience. Cain (David Cross as a arrogant, selfish dude with no redeeming qualities) has more chemistry in his briefly overly hammed argument with Abel (Paul Rudd) than Black and Cera as Zed and Oh. The cavemen’s attempts to grab their ladies by the hair (often thwarted by armies and virgin sacrifices) add a trifle of better parody with bumbling adventurous attempted heroics by a blubbery ditz and his stone age nerd both hoping for would-be swashbuckler heroics to save themselves and their ladies.
“Year One” has lots of potential, but aside from the non-humorous humiliations in the ancient city of sin, you could call this “Year 0.25.” It needed work. And, according to reliable sources, the director planned a sequence with Noah which was tossed after “Evan Almighty” sunk.
Rating: *1/2 out of *****
REVIEW:
The Proposal : Gender Warfare Cultivates Belly Laughs for Males and Females
Is this just a chic flick? Not necessarily. Judging from the numerous husky laughs at an advance screening, the dudes in the predominately female audience had gotten their money’s worth in their funny bone.
Lifting a few concepts from the famed “Devil Wears Prada,” “The Proposal” has as much to say about working nine to five steps from a ‘dream’ publishing position as it does about the not so blissful relationship of the newly betrothed couple. For that matter, Andrew, the groom to be (Ryan Reynolds) gingerly drops in on a corporate conference uttering the word “engaged.”
It’s the magic word for Margaret Tate (Sandra Bullock), who has just been told that she’s to be deported for an infraction of her visa, which will cost her the editor’s job at the publishing firm too. Once betrothed to her liege seeks visual and verbal revenge on the take no prisoners (and fire at will) boss. Her humbling on one knee proposal is both laughable, poignant, and humbling.
However, “27 Dresses” director Anne Fletcher (who was also a producer on “Wedding Planner”) has assembled a strong supporting cast (Mary Steenburgen, Betty White, Craig T. Nelson) and an absorbing (and continuous) foilables and a fish out of water remote Alaska setting for the staunch feminist boss to meet her new in-laws.
I can rattle off the memorable scenes with one or two word descriptions (so as not to spoil your fun) --- The hawk, the towel, the fitting, and the hip gyrating chant. Male or female you’re going to be doing some serious laughing.
Bullock’s “boss” is a couple of steps down from Miranda (Meryl Streep) in “Devil Wears Prada.” Instead, she tough as nails (watch her climb down into the boat carrying her bag and not breaking a heel) but lacks the mean spirited, cynical arrogance of Miranda. Bullock’s sweeter and straight laced persona places her somewhere mid-spectrum between Miranda and Lucy (Renee Zellweger) in “New in Town.”
“The Proposal” does not have its faults. Personally, dad’s degree of meddling and fetching sends the couple’s chemistry off a beat or two. Their adaptation to each other and her adjustment to small town Alaska fare just fine, thank you. Despite an unnecessary cliché let down, the film’s brutally cynical gender warfare one-liners (and conversations) assure a bouncing romp and unforgettable lines such as “Ask me nicely, on your knee” and Betty White’s native American chants and use of the words “Easter eggs.”
***1/2 out of *****
HOLD OVERS:
DRAG ME TO HELL: Alison (“Beowulf,” “Delirious”) Lohman has a chip on her shoulder --- she wants to be the first female loan officer at her bank. After competing with the boys club, she’s also been warned that a woman might not be tough enough for the position. An elderly woman (Loren Raver) gets down on hands and knees begging for an extension on her mortgage. To impress her boss, Lohman says, “No.” As a result, the lady puts a curse on her which transforms her life into hell on earth while she awaits a demon to collect her soul for eternal damnation.
THE HANGOVER: Here comes what many predict as the summer comedy sleeper. Director Todd (“Old School,” “Road Trip”) Phillips watched a steady diet of screwball comedy growing up, like “Stripes” and “Revenge of the Nerds,” but you would recognize him best as an Oscar nominated writer of “Borat.” Now, he’s cast Bradley (“Yes Man,” “The Rocker”) Cooper in a Vegas bachelor party gone bonkers. When the three groomsman awake, there’s a tiger in the bathroom of their suit and a six-month old baby in the closet. At ShowWest, Curtis McCall, caught a clip and told us, it’s a comedy of the Aptow style. “It could be hilarious. I don’t think people are aware of it right now, I think it will have a lot of bite.” At least two of those exiting a screening said the movie contained the most laughs of any they had seen previously (and their combined age was over 100 years).
ICE AGE DAWN OF THE DINOSAURS: 3-D animations keeps the family friendly ball , as Manny, Ellie, Diego and Scrat travel deep underground where they find flora, fauna, and dinosaurs still alive.
LAND OF THE LOST: Don’t write this off as just typical family friendly. Will Ferrell stars in what , based on buzz, will spoof a fabled 70s Saturday cartoon show with lots of creatures populating an alternate universe. He’s paired with a redneck survivalist (Danny McBride) and a female research assistant (Anna Friel).
PUBLIC ENEMIES: Likely you still think of Johnny Depp as ‘Jack Sparrow’ from the “Pirates of the Caribbean” trilogy , as the fiendish “Sweeny Todd,” or as the poignant “Edward Scissorhands.” Now, the dude whose voice has been that of Willy Wonka, Icahbod Crane, and Victor Van Dort does an acting 180-degree maneuver as 30s gangster and public enemy Number One, John Dillinger, in “Public Enemies.” Depp joins Christian Bale and Marion Cotillard as the charming, charismatic bank robber who had a trait for breaking out of jails. Since banks had gone belly up in the Depression, the public saw him akin to Robin Hood. Bale, known as “Batman” and “Terminator,” plays a young FBI agent assigned to find gunfighters who can bring down the Dillinger gang.
TAKING OF PELHAM 1 2 3: A re-make of a 1974 Walter Matthau and Robert Shaw underrated thriller, Denzel Washington takes Matthau’s role as an NYC subway dispatcher whose world of on-time routine shatters when four armed terrorists (led by John Travolta) hijack a train and demand a large ransom or they will start putting bullet hole in the passengers trapped in the dark tunnels under Manhattan. However, this reviewer, found it a bit disappointing since it switches too often from the terror tunnel and the race to fulfill ransom demands on the surface, which allows the action director (Tony Scott) opportunities to crash and bang vehicular demolition derby.
UP: Pixer and Disney Digital 3D team for what’s already generating five star reviews from critics who have seen advance showings. Here’s the story: A 78-year-old balloon salesman ties thousands of the air-filled objects to his house lifting off to South America. Unfortunately, the home-made aircraft has a stowaway --- an eight year old explorer (voice by Christopher Plummer). Pete (“Monsters Inc.”) Docter directs.
NO MORE ROCKY HORROR: The Cinema Theatre has ended Friday showings of the cult classic "Rocky Horror Picture Show." The floor show producers are looking for another venue.
Starting July 24 – July 30
HUNTINGTON, WV
MARQUEE PULLMAN: (Now ALL digital projection): Ugly Truth , 11:45-2:15-4:40-7:15-9:50; Orphan , 1:00-3:50-6:45-9:30; G Force in Disney Digital 3D, 11:30-12:00-1:45-2:15-4:00-4:30-6:15-6:45-8:30; STARTS FRI JULY 31: Aliens in the Attic, Funny People; TIME CHANGES:My Sister’s Keeper, 12:45-3:45-6:45; Drag Me to Hell, 9:20; Up , 9:15 only; Ice Age Dawn of Dinosaurs 3D, (one print) 12:15-2:35-4:55-7:15-9:35; ENDS THURSDAY JULY 23: Year One, Taking of Pelham; FREE KID’S SUMMER SERIES TUESDAY & WEDNESDAY 9:30 a.m., JULY 28-29, Coraline, Veggie Tales; For Full Schedule, click: http://www.marqueecinemas.com/location.asp?location=9219
DISCOUNT CINEMA 4: Admission: $3. After 6 p.m., $2 before 6 p.m. and all day Tuesday: Starts Friday, July 24: Night at the Museum 2, 1:00-3:10-5:20-7:30-9:40; Taking of Pelham 1:05-3:15-5:25-7:35-9:45; Year One, 1:15-3:15-5:15-7:15-9:15; Land of the Lost 1:10-3:15-5:20-7:25-9:30; ENDS THURSDAY: Terminator Salvation, Angels Demons, 17 Again; FREE KIDS FLIX: Tales of Despereaux, Wed. July 29, 10 a.m.; For full schedule click and select date: http://www.ourshowtimes.com/cinema/index.html
ASHLAND, KY
CINEMARK CINEMA 10: G Force (2D), 11:00-12:10-1:30-2:40-4:00-5:10-6:30-7:40-9:00-10:10; Orphan , 12:20-3:50-7:10-10:00; Ugly Truth, 11:20-1:50-4:20-7:00-9:20; TIME CHANGES: I Love You Beth Cooper, 2:30-7:30, Hangover, 12:00-5:00-10:20 only; ENDS THURSDAY: Up, Public Enemies, My Sister’s Keeper; For full times, http://www.cinemark.com/metropolitan_opera.asp
PHOENIX 10 KYOVA MALL: G Force 11:45-2:10-4:30-6:55-9:10; Orphan, 11:35-2:15-4:55-7:40-10:20; Ugly Truth, 12:10-2:30-5:00-7:30-10:00; TIME CHANGES: NONE; ENDS THURSDAY: I Love You Beth Cooper, My Sister’s Keeper, Bruno;; Full schedule: http://www.movietickets.com/house_detail.asp?house_id=10480
BARBOURSVILLE, WV
CINEMARK HUNTINGTON MALL 12:G Force (3D), 12:50-3:10-5:30-7:50-10:10; G Force , 12:00-2:30-4:45-7:00-9:20; Orphan, 12:10-3:10-6:05-9:05; Ugly Truth, 12:05-2:35-5:00-7:25-9:55; TIME CHANGES: NONE; ENDS THURSDAY: I Love You Beth Cooper, Bruno, Ice Age (3D), My Sister’s Keeper; For full schedule, check: http://www.cinemark.com/theater_showtimes.asp?theater_id=1046
BECKLEY, WV
GALLERIA CINEMAS: (Now All Digital Projection!): G Force in Disney Digital 3D, 12:00-12:30-2:15-2:45-4:30-5:00-6:45-7:15-9:00-9:30; Orphan, 1:00-4:00-6:45-9:30; Ugly Truth , 11:45-2:10-4:35-7:00-9:25; TIME CHANGES: Bruno, 7:05-9:20 only; I Love You Beth Cooper, 4:00-9:35; My Sister’s Keeper 1:00-7:00 only; Transformers 12:00-3:15-6:30-9:45; ENDS THURSDAY: Up, Year One, Drag Me to Hell; FREE KID’S SUMMER SERIES TUESDAY & WEDNESDAY 9:30 a.m., July 28-29, Coraline, Pirates Who Don’t ,Veggie Tales; For full schedule: http://www.marqueecinemas.com/location.asp?location=10115
BLUEFIELD, WV
MERCER MALL: Features/Times To Be Announced; For full schedule, click: http://www.carmike.com/showtimesdetails.aspx?theatrenumber=075503
COMMONS 8 (Marquee Cinemas, Wytheville, Va.): (Now all digital projection!): G Force in Disney Digital 3D, 12:00-2:15-4:30-7:00-9:15; Orphan, 12:10-4:15-7:15-9:55; Ugly Truth, 11:45-2:10-4:40-7:10-9:30; TIME CHANGES: NONE; ENDS THURSDAY: Up, Bruno, Public Enemies, Hangover; FREE KIDS FLICKS, July 28-29, 9:30 a.m., Hotel for Dogs, Igor; For full schedule: http://www.marqueecinemas.com/location.asp?location=9196
CHARLESTON, WV
MARQUEE SOUTHRIDGE: (Now All Digital Projection!): G Force in Disney Digital 3D, 11:30-12:15-1:50-2:40-4:15-5:00-6:45-7:15-9:00-9:30; Orphan , 11:15-1:55-4:35-7:20-10:00; Ugly Truth, 11:50-2:20-4:50-7:30-9:55; CONTINUING: Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince (3 screens) , 11:40-12:00-1:00-3:00-3:20-4:30-6:20-6:40-8:00-9:40-10:00; TIME CHANGES: Bruno, 1:00-9:35 only; Public Enemies, 3:15-6:30 only; Ice Age , 11:45-2:10-4:40-7:00-9:20 only; ENDS THURSDAY: Up, I Love You Beth Cooper, My Sister’s Keeper; FREE KID’S SUMMER SERIES TUESDAY & WEDNESDAY 9:30 a.m., July 28-29, Coraline, Veggie Tales; For full schedule click: http://www.marqueecinemas.com/location.asp?location=6021
PARK PLACE STADIUM CINEMAS: G-Force 3D, 1:05-3:05-5:05-7:05-9:05; Orphan, 12:40-3:00-5:25-7:40-9:55; Ugly Truth, 1:00-3:10-5:20-7:30-9:40; ENDS THURSDAY; Love You Beth Cooper; Up; My Sister’s Keeper; FREE KIDS FLIX: Wed. July 29, 10 a.m., Kung Fu Panda; For full listing: http://www.ourshowtimes.com/parkplace/index.html
HINTON, WV
RITZ THEATRE: Closed for renovations; grand re-opening July 4; For full schedule, click: http://www.ritzwv.com
HURRICANE, WV
TEAYS VALLEY CINEMA 10: The Orphan, 11:45-2:30-5:05-7:35-10:00; Ugly Truth, 10:30-12:45-3:00-5:15-7:30-9:45; G Force, 10:45-1:00-3:00-5:00-7:00-9:20 ; TIME CHANGES: Bruno, 1:15-5:10-10:15 only; Public Enemies, 10:15-2:45-7:15 only; Hangover, 3:05-7:40-9:50; Up , 10:05-12:45-5:15 only; Transformers (one print), 10:10-1:10-4:10-7:10-10:05; Ice Age (one print), 11:20-1:20-3:20-5:20-7:20-9:30; ENDS THURSDAY: Drag Me to Hell, I Love You Beth Cooper, My Sister’s Keeper, Year One; FREE SUMMER KIDS SERIES TUESDAY AND THURSDAY 10 A.M., July 28 & July 30, City of Ember; August 4 and August 6, Space Chimps; (**No Early Bird Show Sundays); For full schedule click: http://boxoffice.printtixusa.com/allstar/movies?v=2756
LEWISBURG, WV
SENACA SHOWPLACE: G Force, 4:30-7:00-9:30, Sat/Sun Mat. 12:00-2:15; Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, 3:00-6:20-9:40, Sat/Sun Mat. 11:40; ENDS THURSDAY: Ice Age; FREE KIDS SUMMER FLICKS, July 28, Horton Hears a Who; For advance tickets, http://www.marqueecinemas.com/location.asp?location=4500
LOGAN, W.VA.
FOUNTAIN PLACE CINEMA 8: G Force (3D), 12:40-2:45-4:50-7:15-9:20; Orphan 12:05-2:25-4:40-7:05-9:45; Ugly Truth 12:20-2:30-4:45-7:30-9:50; TIME CHANGES: NONE; ENDS THURSDAY: Up, Bruno, Public Enemies, Hangover; FREE KIDS FLIX WEDNESDAYS 10 A.M., July 29, Nim’s Island; For full schedule click: http://www.ourshowtimes.com/fountainplace/index.html
NITRO, WV
Great Escape Nitro 12: http://greatescapetheatres.com or 769-0405
SUMMERSVILLE, WV
NICHOLS SHOWPLACE: G Force (3D), 5:00-7:15-9:30, Sat/Sun Mat. 12:20-2:40; Ugly Truth, 5:10-7:30-9:50, Sat/Sun Mat. 12:30-2:50; Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, 3:00-6:20-9:40, Sat/Sun Mat. 11:40; Transformers, 3:15-6:30-9:45, S/Sun Mat. 12:00; ENDS THURSDAY: Ice Age, Proposal; FREE KIDS SUMMER FLICKS, Tuesday, July 28, Horton Hears a Who; For advance tickets: http://www.marqueecinemas.com/location.asp?location=4499
WELCH, WV
MCDOWELL 3: G Force, 4:45-7:00-9:10, Sat/Sun Mat. 12:00-2:15; Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, 3:00-6:20-9:40, Sat/Sun Mat. 11:40; The Proposal, 4:20-6:50-9:20, Sat/Sun Mat. 1:30; FREE KIDS SUMMER FLICKS, Tuesday @ 10 a.m.,July 28, Igor; ENDS THURSDAY; Transformers, Ice Age; For Advance Tickets, http://www.marqueecinemas.com/location.asp?location=9609
WHEELING, WV
Marquee Highlands 14: (All Digital DLP Projection): G Force in Disney Digital 3D, 12:15-12:45-2:30-3:00-4:45-5:15-7:00-7:30-9:15-9:45; Orphan, 1:00-3:45-6:45-9:30; Ugly Truth, 11:50-2:15-4:45-7:15-9:40; TIME CHANGES: Public Enemies 3:30-6:40 only; I Love You Beth Cooper 7:20-9:50 only; My Sister’s Keeper , 7:00-9:40; Ice Age 3D (one print) , 12:00-2:10-4:30-6:50-9:10; Night at Museum 11:50-2:20-4:50 only; Up (3D), 11:45-2:10-4:35 only; ENDS THURSDAY: Taking of Pelham; FREE KID’S SUMMER SERIES TUESDAY & WEDNESDAY 9:30 a.m., July 28-29, Coraline, Veggie Tales; For full schedule click: http://www.marqueecinemas.com/location.asp?location=11469
UPCOMING RELEASES (Dates Subject to Change; not all films in all areas)
July 31: Funny People, They Came from Upstairs
August 7: GI Joe, Julie & Julia, Shorts, When in Rome
August 14: Bandslam, District 9, The Goods: The Don Ready Story, Time Traveler’s Wife
August 21: Goose on the Loose, Inglorious Bastards
August 28: Boat That Rocked, Final Destination Death Trip 3D, Halloween II
September 4: All About Steve, Carriers, Gamer
September 11: Nine (on Wed.), Sorority Row, Tyler Perry’s I Can Do Bad All By Myself, Whiteout
September 18: Armored, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Jennifer’s Body, Love Happens, Pandorum
September 25: Fame, Invention of Lying, Surrogates
October 2: Toy Story/Toy Story II (double feature) in 3D (two weeks only)
· Release dates subject to change; not all films will play in every market and/or every theatre.
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