Weekend Flix Picks : Time Travel, Monsters, and One Really Deep Hole

   It's that time again. The weekend is here, and with it comes new movies in your local cineplex. I know what I'm seeing (LOOPER), but you may want more options. So, for your consideration, I present the following:

LOOPER

   I've been looking forward to this ever since I heard of it. I first became aware of director Rian Johnson back when BRICK came out. I still haven't seen all of that film for some reason, but I have watched the hell out of THE BROTHERS BLOOM, his con man film starring Mark Ruffalo and Adrien Brody. This time around, he turns his lens onto the subject of time travel and from the looks of it, he has made a movie that people will be talking about for years to come.

   In it, Joseph Gordon Levitt plays a hit man who executes people sent back to him from the future. Bruce Willis plays his future self that gets sent back in time to be executed by his younger self. All doesn't go well, however, and Willis runs - which is a big no-no.

  One of the big things about this film that has drawn attention is the crazy makeup that Levitt dons to look like a younger Willis. Some have even said that it looks too distracting, but I think that when people see the film they will soon forget how distracted they are and just enjoy what promises to be a hell of a thrill ride. If Rian Johnson's writing is as top notch as in his previous efforts, I have no doubt that LOOPER will be fantastic. 

THE HOLE

   Back in the 80's there were a ton of films that promised horror movie tropes softened down a bit for younger filmgoers. One of the big ones for me was GREMLINS, directed by Joe Dante. Dante went further with that rarely tapped genre with his weird TV show EERIE, INDIANA, and his 90's film SMALL SOLDIERS. Now, Dante has directed a film that features a couple of brothers discovering a hole in their basement that leads straight to hell.

   THE HOLE came out a while back overseas, but, for some reason, it's taken a while to make it to domestic theaters. The trailer looks genuinely creepy in places, and I, for one, welcome a new flick from one of my childhood's favorite filmmakers.

HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA

   My third choice this week is another movie for the little ones, HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA. I ignored this film entirely until a few days ago when I found out it was directed by Genndy Tartakovsky, the man behind DEXTER'S LABORATORY, SAMURAI JACK, and the 2D CLONE WARS that came ou tbetween episodes 2 and 3 in the STAR WARS prequel trilogy.

   The film features a bunch of big name voices, with Adam Sandler as Dracula and Kevin James as Frankenstein - among others. This may be just another CG kidfest, but it might be a good way to introduce your own little geeks to those classic monsters of old. Hell, maybe they'll want to watch that new UNIVERSAL MONSTERS Blu Ray set with you when that hits October 2nd.

   Well, that's all for this week. Have fun at the movies!

Weekend Flix Pix - Fish, Cults, and Zombies.

Wondering what to see this weekend in your local cinema? Well, here are a few suggestions...

FINDING NEMO 3D

I know some of you out there hate the current trend of rereleasing older films to theaters in 3D. Even more perplexing to me is the disdain aimed at films getting rereleased at all. Sure, you can rent the same movie or pull it off your shelf and watch it in the comfort of your home, but there is something truly special about seeing some of these films on a screen that's way bigger than anything you could put in your house - no matter what dimension you see it in.
As far as the 3D thing goes, I am a fan as long as the theater adjusts the brightness accordingly. I think that it really does offer the opportunity to immerse yourself in the movie's universe. Sure, there have been films that use it purely as a gimmick, but in something like AVATAR, it really adds to the overall experience.
The latest film to use the technology to find new life is Pixar's FINDING NEMO, which should be mesmerizing. The underwater setting is already gorgeous and can only benefit from 3D.
When NEMO first came out, I was literally living and breathing Disney, since I was working at Epcot in Florida. I remember loving the film, finding it funny and touching with a great voice cast. I've seen a few times in the interim, and it always held up to further scrutiny.
If you have really young children who never got to see everyone's favorite clownfish on the big screen, do yourself (and them) a favor and revisit this classic film. I know I wish my son was old enough to sit still in a theater. Maybe he will be in time for FINDING NEMO 2 when that hits in a few years...

THE MASTER - limited release

I can't wait to see this, but I will have to. At least until September 21. Some of you will be able to see it this weekend, though, and for that, I envy you.
I first heard about director Paul Thomas Anderson back when BOOGIE NIGHTS came out. I liked that film and his somewhat confusing followup, MAGNOLIA. Unfortunately, I have yet to see PUNCH DRUNK LOVE. As much as I liked his early films, they weren't movies that I just raved about. Then, a few years back, he really won me over with THERE WILL BE BLOOD, which I considered to be the best picture that year.
Now he turns his eye on the weird world of cults and the people who join them. Joaquin Phoenix plays a WWII vet seeking what Phillip Seymour Hoffman's cult leader is selling. I don't know a ton of the plot outside of that, wishing to watch it unfold before me on screen - much as I did with THERE WILL BE BLOOD. If this film can reach even a portion if the greatness of that film, I will be a happy camper.
Advance word is good, and we may be looking at a major Oscar contender here. Side note: see this in 70mm if you can.

RESIDENT EVIL RETRIBUTION 3D

Look, either you want to see Milla Jovavich fight 3D zombies, or you don't. While I honestly lean towards the latter, I feel that this film definitely falls under the "Geek" banner.
I only saw one of these films (the second?) and I thought it was pretty good for a mainstream zombie flick based on a series of video games I've never played. Of course, the fact that I haven't seen any of the others shows how little impact it made on me overall.
I feel like I will eventually see the others. In particular, I remember kind of wanting to see the one that had the trailer with Las Vegas in ruins. Some day...

Well, those are my picks for the week. Overall, not a big weekend, but we are in that weird early fall film season.