sign in sign up
<<
Home , Frat Pack, Jack Black, James Franco, Jonah Hill, Keke Palmer, Superbad

08 Arts

[email protected] Movie releases on the sunnier side of summer

Erica Balanc (opening AUGUST 22 STAFF WRITER 8/13) DEATH RACE Director: Director: Paul W.S. Anderson As the beaches start to clear out and Cast: Ben Stiller, , Robert Cast: , Joan Allen, Tyrese our long, hot summer comes to an end, Downey, Jr. Gibson there is still time to go to , es- Rating: R Rating: R pecially if you’re in the mood for a laugh. When it comes to comedy, Ben Still- Take The Fast and the Furious, “Prison Spit out the bad seeds, and you should er is a great character . He is also Break,” and a Hot Wheels video game and be able to get in a good movie before au- a good director and writer, but audi- you get this movie. It’s shot in drab color, tumn creeps up on us. ences haven’t been able to experience the cars look like run-down versions of that side of him since . Tropic the new Batman’s Batmobile, and the fe- AUGUST 8 Thunder (which Stiller directed and co- male inmates look like models that get to PINEAPPLE EXPRESS wrote) looks to be just as funny (and wear their makeup in prison. The idea is Director: David Gordon Green stupid -- but in a funny way) as the that the warden of a prison (surprisingly, Cast: , rest of those “Frat-Pack” movies. It is played by Joan Allen) runs a dangerous Rating: R the story of a group of that think underground car race. A convict played The 1999 series may they are fi lming a war movie, when re- by Jason Statham (basically, the new Ste- have left many fans unhappy with its ally, their director has set them loose in ven Seagal) must win the game to get his cancellation, but its family of talent has the jungle to fi lm. The funniest part of freedom. If you are easily entertained by led to some some great comedies. Now the is Robert Downey, Jr., whose things that go fast and occasionally crash, with two of the “family members,” Seth character is going above and beyond Death Race should be a winner. Rogen and James Franco, starring in the to be “in-character,” that is, as a black latest movie, Pineapple Express, we can man. Opening a week after Pineapple Director: certainly expect another smart, well- Express, I don’t suspect this fi lm will Cast: written, unique comedy. The story is of steal Pineapple’s “thunder,” but could Rating: R a drug dealer and a user that must go on give it a run for its money. Unsurprisingly by the writers of Legal- the run after the user witnesses a murder. MIRRORS ly Blonde, we now have The House Bunny, In a haze of “pineapple express,” Rogen Director: Alexandre Aja the story of Shelly, a bunny, that and Franco will create what I suspect Cast: Keifer Sutherland, Paul Pat- has been kicked out of the mansion and will be the best comedy of the summer. ton fi nds herself helping a socially-backward THE SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAV- Rating: R sorority. Makeovers and all, the funni- ELING PANTS 2 Mirrors is not the fi rst horror movie est thing about this movie has to be the Director: Sanna Hamri about, well, a mirror. And based on the idea of the movie itself. I think all lessons Cast: America Ferrera, Alexis Bledel, trailer, this mirror doesn’t seem to offer that could possibly be learned from The , Blake Lively anything worth seeing. It is the story House Bunny were already covered in Le- Rating: PG-13 of a family that is being terrorized by gally Blonde and they already drowned us The four girls that all share the same an “evil force” that travels through with another dose of that by making a pair of pants (that never gets washed) mirrors -- perhaps like the evil force in sequel. have returned for the sequel a little Poltergeist that travels through the tele- THE LONGSHOTS older, and with a higher MPAA rating. vision? This summer has not offered Director: Now the friends must deal with college much in the horror movie genre, and Cast: , (and adulthood) and staying connected even if you’re looking for a scare, I’d Rating: PG despite the different paths that they take. still suggest sitting this one out. The Longshots is the true story of Jas- I saw and somewhat liked the fi rst fi lm, VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA mine Plummer (played by Keke Plum- but I have little desire to see this. One Director: Woody Allen mer who shined in Akeelah in the Bee) thing in the fi lm’s favor is that it is the Cast: , Penelope Cruz, that doesn’t fi t in, until her slacker uncle fi rst “chick-fl ick” this summer since Sex , Rebecca Hall helps her realize her calling as a football and the City (which was for older audi- Rating: PG-13 player on an all-boys team. The idea of a ences), and we can’t go too long without Woody Allen is one of the greatest girl being able to play with the boys and COURTESY , WARNER BROTHERS, TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX those. It should make a good movie to writer/directors of all time. He is a the underdog story of a school football > Get ready to have fun at the movies this summer! see with your hometown friends before master of the “comedy/drama” genre, team are both nothing new, but this still the fall semester before everyone goes with his witty, honest dialogue. How- looks to be a feel-good movie. The win- , the girl from and Life, and citing a song made famous by their separate ways. ever, for me, his fi lms are still always ning joke at the end of the trailer, how- , the guy from oh, wait, that’s Ol’ Blue Eyes, Fly Me to the Moon has either hit or miss. Vicky Cristina Bar- ever, leaves me a bit skeptical. “I wouldn’t not Jonah Hill, the guy from Superbad. come along at not the best time for a AUGUST 15 celona at this point could be either be caught dead playing football,” says That’s Josh Grad, who just so happens to kid’s movie. Audiences were already : THE CLONE WARS one, though I want to lean towards a the snobby girl to Jasmine. One of the look like Jonah Hill, the guy from Super- won over by WALL-E, which was the Director: Dave Filoni hit. Rebecca Hall and Scarlett Johans- boy football players responds, “That’s bad. And we have star-ing best-looking animated fi lm you could Animated son (his most recent muse) are Vicky because if you were playing football, as “The Rocker,” who is playing in a high see this summer, and then “the studio Rating: PG and Cristina, and while in Barcelona you’d be dead!” Cricket, cricket. school band for his second chance at that brought you Shrek” offered Space Yes, they made another Star Wars they meet a painter (played by Javier THE ROCKER (opening 8/20) fame. As high as my hopes were for him, Chimps. Fly Me to the Moon is the story movie. Yes, it is animated. No, it is not Bardem) that romances them, before Director: Peter Cattaneo I fear that Rainn Wilson suffers from Na- of three house fl ies that stow away on going straight to video. I feel that the his ex-wife (played by Penelope Cruz) Cast: Rainn Wilson, Josh Grad, Emma poleon Dynamite syndrome; meaning a fl ight to the moon, and the money- only people that could want to see this comes back into the picture. Things Stone he is only as funny as the character he is maker is that it is in 3D. Well, Journey movie are hardcore Star Wars fans (or look to get complicated, especially at Rating: PG-13 best known as. to the Center of the Earth already has 3D perhaps I’m completely wrong about the end of the trailer with Cruz shown First I saw the poster with Dwight (I’m FLY ME TO THE MOON covered, and I don’t think this movie that and they are boycotting it instead) fi ring a gun. Whether hit or miss, Al- sorry, Rainn Wilson) standing in his un- Director: Ben Stassen will be worth the headache that comes and kids that will watch anything with len’s fi lms are always worth investigat- derwear with his arms crossed, holding Animated along with the glasses. a lightsaber, especially if it’s animated. ing. Vicky Cristina Barcelona could be a pair of drum sticks. I was interested. Rating: G At least I didn’t see Jar Jar Binks in the the fi ne gem that this summer’s the- I watched the trailer. I was disappoint- Aside from looking like VeggieTales- Comments can be sent to trailer. aters need. ed. Not a single funny thing. We have quality replicas of the bugs in A Bug’s [email protected].