Box Office Preview – October 15, 2010
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Jackass 3D
Director: Jeff Tremaine Writer: Preston Lacy Stars: Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O, Bam Margera MPAA Rating: Rated R for male nudity, extremely crude and dangerous stunts throughout, and for language. Synopsis: All of the crazy hijinks and disgusting stunts you’ve come to expect from the Jackass crew, but in 3D this time. |
Lars’ take: It’s a Jackass movie. You’re going to laugh at it. It’s hysterical. They act like morons and they get hurt a lot. But why 3D? The other movies are nothing but a bunch of penises and poop, so why 3D? I’d rather not see that in 3D. I actually walk through my daily life trying to avoid that in 3D.
Joel’s take: I hate 3D. I think it is a cheap gimmick. But that’s actually what makes the use of 3D in this film perfect. It adds a new dynamic to the Jackass stunts and from what I’ve heard the crew they hired to film in 3D knows their stuff. You know what you are getting with this film and it won’t disappoint, even if the combination of the 3D glasses and the onscreen gross out moments might have you feeling nauseous by the end of the film.
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Red
Director: Robert Schwentke Writers: Jon Hoeber & Erich Hoeber (screenplay), Warren Ellis and Cully Hamner (graphic novel) Stars: Bruce Willis, Helen Mirren, Morgan Freeman, Mary-Louise Parker, John Malkovich, Ernest Borgnine MPAA Rating: Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of action violence and brief strong language. Synopsis: A former black-ops operative reassembles his aged team in order to thwart the high tech assassin who is trying to kill him. |
Lars’ take: It’s everything a movie should be. What else can I say? Stop reading this and go see the movie. It’s going to be awesome.
Joel’s take: I don’t think it’s possible to make me more excited for a movie. This is the perfect combination – a cast I love acting in a film with a great action movie premise. It looks awesome and funny and weird and quirky. I really have high hopes for it.
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Conviction
Director: Tony Goldwyn Writer: Pamela Gray Stars: Hilary Swank, Sam Rockwell, Minnie Driver, Melissa Leo MPAA Rating: Rated R for language and some violent images. Synopsis: Convinced that her brother was wrongly convicted of a crime, a single mother spends two decades putting herself through law school in order to set him free. |
Lars’ take: There are a lot of talented ladies in this one and the central focus is Sam Rockwell. It definitely peaks my interest. But I feel like it’s been done too many times and it seems a little too heavy for something I want to see in the theater. I think it’s a good movie to watch at home and talk about afterward, but not a good movie to put butts in movie theaters.
Joel’s take: I’m intrigued that it’s based on a true story and I can tell it’s going to be really compelling, but I get a distinct “we’re making this to win an Oscar” vibe from this movie. I can see the gears moving on this one and it’s hard to shake my cynicism about their motives. That being said, I’m sure if I gave it a chance, it would win me over.
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I Want Your Money
Director: Ray Griggs Writers: Randall Norman Desoto, Ray Griggs Stars: Steve Forbes, Mike Huckabee, Newt Gingrich MPAA Rating: Rated PG for thematic elements, brief language and smoking. Synopsis: This documentary uses quotes from Barack Obama and Ronald Reagan to compare and contrast the two Presidents and their philosophies of government. |
Lars’ take: Is this just a piece of crap documentary or is it blatant right wing propaganda? Either way, I don’t want to see it. If this is actually a good movie and they are trying to convince me to see it, they put all the wrong parts in the trailer. It looks like a really bad documentary and when a documentary is done poorly, it’s impossible to watch.
Joel’s take: What the hell is going on with the CGI Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama? If you are going to use caricatures that are that bad, why not just bring back the Ronald Reagan puppet from Genesis’ “Land of Confusion” video? But more to the point, there was no reason to make this documentary. The only people it is going to appeal to are those who already agree with the premise that Obama is a socialist who wants to steal all your hard-earned money. It will reaffirm the beliefs those people already have, but it won’t convince anyone who doesn’t believe that going in, which makes it pointless.
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This week’s recommendations …
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HoboTrashcan’s Confidence Rating System
Since we force Joel and Lars to make a recommendation each week (using the classic “If a gun was pointed to your head and you had to pick one” scenario), we are also having them rate their confidence in their pick using HoboTrashcan’s patented Confidence Rating System. The system is on a scale of one to five, which breaks down as follows:
- Eddie Murphy – Like every film Eddie Murphy has done in the last decade, avoid this movie at all costs.
- Nicholas Cage – The movie is most likely awful, but like Cage, there is a chance it may still surprise you.
- Samuel L Jackson – With this rating, you don’t know what you are going to get. It could be another Pulp Fiction or it could be Jumper.
- Bruce Willis – Like Bruce Willis, chances are the film is good, but there’s always a possibility it’s another Surrogates.
- Morgan Freeman – The highest possible rating. The film, like Morgan Freeman himself, is a lock to be entertaining.