Romantic Comedy vs. Suspenseful Horror to Begin February
This week there are two major motion pictures premiering at a theater near you. They are the romantic comedy Because I Said So and the horror suspense drama The Messengers. I am looking forward to the end of February when there are more than two new movies to choose from on an opening day. Next Friday is similar to this week in both number and type of movies. Two new movies also come out on Valentine’s Day. At least, it’s better than only having one to choose from, like the weekend The Hitcher opened.
New Movies Opening February 2nd:
Movie: Because I Said So (PG-13)
Starring: Diane Keaton, Mandy Moore, Lauren Graham and Gabriel Macht
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Synopsis: Daphne Wilder (Diane Keaton) is the mother of three beautiful daughters. Milly (Mandy Moore) is the youngest and has the most trouble with choosing the right guy. Mom doesn’t want to see her daughter go down that path again and sets out to find her the right guy. Daphne tries to find Mr. Right by heading out into the online dating waters and much comedy and calamity follows.
First Thoughts: This looks really good. Diane Keaton is always outstanding in this type of role and Mandy Moore looks to be quite good as usual, as well and adding Lauren Graham (TV’s Gilmore Girls) into the mix is always a plus in my book.
Movie: The Messengers (PG-13)
Starring: John Corbett, Dylan McDermott and Penelope Ann Miller
Genre: Dramatic Horror Suspense Thriller
Synopsis: The Solomon’s move to a small rural town and move into a rundown house that sets on acres of sunflowers. The farm looks to be on the upswing but things aren’t what they seem. The family starts to be pulled apart as suspicions grow and murder and mayhem follow.
First Thoughts: I saw the trailer for this before I saw The Hitcher a couple of weeks ago. It looks like it might be creepy but they also seem to give way much of the plot. It does look better than the aforementioned, The Hitcher.
What looks good to you? Is either of these going to get you out to the movie theater this weekend?
Movie Review: Catch and Release
Released: January 26th, 2007
Runtime: 2 hr. 4 min.
Ticket Price: $5.00 Early Matinee
Refreshments: Peanut M&M’s
Starring: Jennifer Garner, Timothy Olyphant, Kevin Smith and Juliette Lewis
Director: Susannah Grant
Rating: Worth a Matinee
Synopsis: Gray (Jennifer Garner) finds life after the death of her fiancé to be tough as she finds out secrets he had kept from her. Her fiancé’s best friend (Timothy Olyphant) and another goofball of a friend (Kevin Smith) help her along the way.
Review: Catch and Release is like being handed a Happy Meal in the midst of eating a meal of bean curd loaf and lawn clippings. That is to say, it’s a good thing and quite enjoyable. This story of love, loss, betrayal and finding one’s self while finding love again holds your interest and keeps you engaged with an appealing cast of characters, even with its meandering pace.
It starts you out right smack dab in the middle of Gray’s fiancé’s funeral. Those who have gathered are trying their best to console her while at the same time a man shows up to deliver flowers for the wedding that is no longer. It is a very poignant scene and the movie takes off from there, oscillating between the comedy and the drama. Never giving you too much of one with out dishing out some of the other. While the trailer did seem to play up the comedic aspects a bit more than the dramatic, it wasn’t so much that you will be disappointed by the amount of comedy in the movie.
Kevin Smith, who is best known acting wise for Silent Bob from the likes of Mallrats
Timothy Olyphant plays Fritz, the former best friend of the fiancé. He is a hotshot commercial director in L.A. and not one of Gray’s favorite people. Over the course of the movie, as events transpire, these two become close and eventually fall for each other. This is where the movie turns into your regular romantic movie, which has the good girl falling for the seemingly bad boy and vice versa.
Catch and Release is worth catching at a matinee and guys, if you get drug to this by your girlfriend or wife; there’s plenty of comic relief to get you through.
Have you seen Catch and Release? How good or bad did you think it was?
So, What New Release Will I Catch This Week?
There are five movies for me to choose from this week, none of which I would normally go see. At least there is some choice this week, after having none last week.
For me going to the theater has mostly meant seeing the big action movies on the big screen. Few other movies would motivate me enough to go see them. At times a comedy or drama might get watched at my local movie theater. But, they would have to look really, really good to get me out to see it. However, whether it would be a DVD rental or watching them on HBO, sooner or later I would see most of them.
That is what I am already finding interesting about this project. I have to go see something, whether I normally would or not. So given the choice, which of the offerings looks like the best option? After pondering that question for the night I have come to a conclusion.
- Blood and Chocolate is a wait for it on HBO type of movie.
- Catch and Release has Jennifer Garner and Kevin Smith, who I both like, and a theme that looks interesting.
- Epic Movie has that hit or miss quality about it and a, you should wait and rent the DVD to find out, vibe to it.
- Seraphim Falls looks good but maybe a bit to slow moving. While it is opening in the Seattle area, it isn’t in a theater that is that close to me.
- Smokin’ Aces, as I stated yesterday, “Looks to be a tale told about an idiot, full of psychos and bullets, signifying nothing.”
With those thoughts in mind, I am off to see Catch and Release. Given the choices, what looks good to you? Come back tomorrow and see if you should catch it, as well, or release your money elsewhere.
A Lot of This and That Coming to a Theater Near You
There are three movies being released this week with an AND in the title. We have Blood and Chocolate, Breaking and Entering and Catch and Release. Arthur and the Invisibles should have opened this week as well. I always find these little coincidences interesting. How three movies made at different times and about different things, all end up with similar sounding titles and the same release date. Well, enough about that. What all is opening this week and what looks good?
New Movies Opening January 26th:
Movie: Blood and Chocolate (R)
Starring: Nobody I’ve heard of
Genre: Horror Sci-Fi Fantasy
Synopsis: A 19-year-old woman in Bucharest has denied what she truly is, which is a werewolf. Then she meets a visiting American and her affection toward him may out her secret and the society she is apart of. She then has to choose between love and her secret family.
First Thoughts: After having seen the trailer, I don’t get the title. Maybe I would, if I had read the book
Movie: Catch and Release (PG-13)
Starring: Jennifer Garner, Juliette Lewis and Timothy Olyphant
Genre: Romantic Dramedy
Synopsis: A woman finds life after the death of her fiancé to be tough as she finds out secrets he had kept from her. Her fiancé’s best friend and another goofball of a friend help her along the way.
First Thoughts: This movie looks pretty good. I think the ads for it may be playing up the comedy over the drama when there is probably more of the latter.
Movie: Epic Movie (PG-13)
Starring: Jennifer Coolidge, Crispin Glover, Darrell Hammond and Carmen Electra
Genre: Adventure Comedy
Synopsis: A spoof of blockbuster and fantasy films from the recent past along with a few films that don’t really qualify as such.
First Thoughts: Hopefully it is more Scary Movie
Movie: Seraphim Falls (R)
Starring: Liam Neeson, Pierce Brosnan and Anjelica Huston
Genre: Western Drama
Synopsis: A man is on a hunt for another man and nothing will stop him until he avenges a massacre that took place during the war.
First Thoughts: This movie is in limited release, which actually includes a few theaters up here in Seattle this week. It looks good but at a scant 1 hour and 11 minutes it doesn’t seem quite big theater worthy. Update: As noted in the comments, the Fandango runtime is a bit off and the movie is actually almost 2 hours long. This makes it a definite candidate worthy of the big screen experience.
Movie: Smokin’ Aces (R)
Starring: Jeremy Piven, Ben Affleck and Ryan Reynolds among many others
Genre: Action Comedy Crime Drama
Synopsis: A Las Vegas magician has decided to testify against the mob. They put out a $1 million price tag on his head. Many a psycho comes out of the woodwork to get the money and mayhem ensues.
First Thoughts: This looks to be a tale told about an idiot, full of psychos and bullets, signifying nothing.
Also opening this weekend according to First Showing, but not near me, is Breaking and Entering. It is a romantic crime drama starring Jude Law, Juliette Binoche and Robin Wright Penn.
Now that I have watched the trailers and read about the movies above, I have to choose one. What shall I go see? What new movies look good to you this week?
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