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I’ve been waiting for this Friday for quite some time - a long week, what can I say? But we’ll see if the movies releasing Friday live up to the anticipation. Tomorrow we’ve got “My Best Friend’s Girl”, “Lakeview Terrace”, “Igor”, and “Ghost Town”.

“My Best Friend’s Girl” Releases Friday

“My Best Friend’s Girl”

Starring Dane Cook, Kate Hudson, and Jason Biggs, this latest romantic comedy gives you just enough laughs during the preview to make you want to drop 10 bucks to see it. But then you remember that the lead character is played by Dane Cook. On the other hand, there’s a role for Alec Baldwin, who always brings the fire. After being dumped by Hudson, Biggs calls in Cook to play the jerk-date to make Hudson come crawling back. Unfortunately for Biggs, she ends up liking that sort of thing.

Cook did his part to promote the film when he took time on his blog to trash the movie’s poster. He said,

“Whoever photoshopped our poster must have done so at taser point with three minutes to fulfill their hostage takers’ deranged obligations. … [I look like I’m] wearing Maybelline Water Shine Diamonds Liquid Lipstick.”

“Lakeview Terrace”

Samuel L. Jackson is back for another thrill ride of a movie. This time it’s a suspenseful flick about an inter-racial couple that moves in next to Jackson, who just happens to be a deranged police officer. Trouble for the new homeowners is they’ve got no one to turn to when the cop goes crazy. But as skeptical as I am about this one (because honestly, when is the last time Samuel L. Jackson delivered), the critics seem to like it, with one even stating “the entertainment value is guaranteed”.

“Igor”

It’s time for some animated family fun, but it looks a little dark for the young’uns, so this might require an audience that’s just a bit older than the Nemo crowd. We find the title character, Igor (voiced by John Cusack), competing in the town science fair against some fierce competition. This is Igor’s chance to prove himself and the family’s chance to laugh along the way. It looks like this one will be a hit, especially with the kids still young enough to think science experiments are fun.

“Ghost Town”

Ricky Gervais is back in this comedy that also stars Greg Kinnear. Gervais plays a dentist who is not quite happy with life as it is, but who suddenly finds himself dealing with the ghosts who are stuck in the middle, trying to make it to the other side. The film also stars Tea Leoni and the always funny Kristen Wiig (of SNL fame). A family adventure and feel good movie, this one looks to be a hit.

See the trailers for the movies below.

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The scariest horror movie of my childhood (at least it freaked the hell out of me when I was eight) is back for more. After “Child’s Play”, I couldn’t be alone in the room with my brother’s My Buddy doll. Even Kid Sister barely made the cut. Was I that big of a wuss, or was that scene where the batteries fell on the floor some really scary stuff? We’ll see if the Child’s Play remake is as scary as the first. I bet that doll is more realistic at least.

“Child’s Play” Remake

Rumors of the remake have been floating around since October 2007, but now it’s being confirmed - the Chucky doll is back for a redo of the original “Child’s Play” movie. Creator Don Mancini will write and direct the film. He assures fans that the original voice will remain, as Brad Dourif returns as Chucky. The director says,

“I think what we are mainly responding to, David [Kirschner, producer] and I, is the will of the fans, which is really telling us that they want to see a scary Chucky movie again. They want to go back to the straightforward horror rather than the horror comedy.”

The classic horror flick is set to drop in 2010.

See the trailer of the original “Child’s Play” below.

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It actually looks to be a pretty good movie week, all things considered. I was just reading a Slate article about how August shouldn’t even be a month anymore because it’s so awful and nothing happens in August. One of the arguments was the lack of good movie releases, but the movies releasing Friday put that argument to the test. We’ve got “Tropic Thunder” (finally!), “Star Wars: The Clone Wars”, “Mirrors”, and “Vicky Cristina Barcelona”.

“Tropic Thunder” Releases Friday

Tropic Thunder

People have been waiting for this movie for about a year, ever since news dropped that Owen Wilson would be replaced by Matthew McConaughey after being hospitalized. Ben Stiller recently opened up about Wilson’s struggles, saying, “It’s impossible to understand that kind of pain – depression or anything like that – until you’re in it.”

The movie is about a group of actors who think they’re filming a war flick, but who’ve been dropped off in the middle of an actual battlefield after their diva-like antics drive the director over the edge. And so far, the early reviews have been good, with one moviegoer saying,

Tropic Thunder makes you laugh. It’s just that simple. They aren’t the smartest laughs… they aren’t high brow laughs… but oh my goodness they are laughs nonetheless. This is a FUNNY flick.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars

Not much to say about this one - if you’re a Star Wars fan you’ll probably see it; if you’re not, you probably won’t. It’s an animated feature-length film building on the Star Wars franchise. It’s an involved plot with lots of characters all important in their own way: the Clone Wars are sweeping the galaxy, Anakin and Ahsoka end up in a battle against Jabba the Hutt, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda lead the clone army in battle, and the Separatists further their control of the Galactic Republic. Get ready for the fun.

Mirrors

Starring Kiefer Sutherland, Paula Patton and Amy Smart, “Mirrors” is a horror film about a guy who takes over as watchman in a building that has all kinds of mirrors. The freaky part starts when he realizes that the reflections are taking on lives of their own, and even follow him home, so that his son’s and wife’s reflections also join in on the action. Viewers are calling it “scary but predictable”.

Vicky Cristina Barcelona

“Vicky Cristina Barcelona” is the latest Woody Allen film to star his muse, Scarlett Johansson. The film also stars Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz. In a fashion that only Woody Allen can do, this movie is a love triangle like no other. Two women on vacation in Spain fall for the same painter, but his ex-wife isn’t exactly out of the picture yet. If you like Woody Allen and you don’t mind Scarlett Johansson, I’m guessing you won’t be disappointed.

See the trailers for the movies below.

Videos

This Tuesday is a slow day for DVDs releasing this week, unless the only DVDs you watch are Blu-Ray, in which case there are several discs being released on the high definition disks that were already previously released on DVD. This week, the only two semi-big titles we’ve got are “The Eye” and “Flawless”.

“The Eye” Releases on DVD

The Eye

Jessica Alba stars in this horror film about a blind girl who is given the chance to see after a corneal transplant. Unfortunately for the girl, along with the sights of everyday life, Alba’s character is also able to see death capturing people and taking them away. She must find out whose eyes she has inherited and why they hold these secret visions. Critics have almost universally panned the flick, which received a C- overall. Alex Markerson of E! Online writes,

“So, there’s nothing in The Eye that’s scary enough to warrant closing your eyes. Sadly, there’s nothing exciting enough to keep them open, either.”

But Jessica Alba on screen for 90 minutes might keep your eyes open. See, there is an up side.

Flawless

Demi Moore and Michael Caine star in this diamond heist thriller set in 1960s London. Demi is diamond company executive frustrated by the glass ceiling holding her down. Michael is a night janitor with a personal vendetta against the company. Together they come up with a plan to take down the man and steal all of his diamonds.

Unfortunately, it appears that the movie never quite gets going. After the robbery, the film starts to get a little more unpredictable, but not necessarily in a good way. As a New York Times reviewer writes,

None of it makes much sense. In an extra, unnecessary layer, “Flawless” is told as a flashback in which the aged Laura brings her story to a magazine editor.

Also on DVD this week is the Third Season of “Weeds”.

See the trailers for the movies below.

Videos

Friday is almost here, and with it there are new movies. Here are the movies releasing this week, on Friday, May 30. There’s only two this week: “Sex and the City” and “The Strangers”, so whether you want to laugh or jump out of your seat, you’ve got options.

“Sex and the City” Releases Friday

Sex and the City

Friday night, it’s going down. Groups of girls are going out in droves, wearing their best Carrie garb and drinking their cosmos, all in the name of one movie: “Sex and the City”. But as much hype as there is, it sounds like the film doesn’t live up. But did you really expect it to? And is it really necessary that the movie is 2 hours 15 minutes? I smell overkill.

While one qualm with the film is the way the characters have remained stagnant over time, the big complaint is the abundance of product placement. It is also much tamer sex-wise than the television show ever was - I’ll let you decide whether that’s a good or a bad thing. One reviewer writes,

There are some good lines, but the much-feted banter is far less soulful or funny than that in Bridget Jones’s Diary. Sex and the City won’t disappoint any of its fans. But like its characters - Samantha, who’s on the verge of 50, and Carrie, who looks like a skeletal transvestite - it’s getting on a bit. This really should be its final hurrah.

Having said all that, I’ll be wearing my stilettos, martini glass in hand, on Friday.

The Strangers

Liv Tyler is back, and this time she’s going horror film - a movie that will make you think twice about renting a cabin for the weekend somewhere. In “The Strangers”, Liv and her husband, played by Scott Speedman, check into a large house for the weekend, but their romantic getaway is interrupted by a group of people who want to torture the couple just because “they were home”.

Feelings on this movie are about 50-50. I guess you’ll either love it or hate it, but either way I bet you jump out of your seat at least once.

See the trailers for the movies below.

Videos

It’s a pretty lame movie Friday if you ask me, but only two more months until those summer blockbusters start rolling into town. Here are this week’s new movie releases: “Prom Night”, “Smart People”, and “Street Kings”.

Smart People

“Prom Night”

There’s never a better setting for a scary movie than prom night; maybe that’s why they’re doing the film for the second time (the first one was released in 1980). The girls are looking good and can’t run well in tight dresses and heels. The guys are drunk and are thinking about getting into their dates pants. It’s a great combination for any serial killer looking to catch a few victims. In “Prom Night”, Brittany Snow plays a senior girl who is ready to move on from a tragic past, but some characters from yesteryear just won’t leave her alone. Make sure that popcorn isn’t too full, because there’s sure to be boogey men jumping out of dark corners and boyfriends accidentally scaring their girlfriends.

“Smart People”

The producer of “Sideways” brings you this clever comedy about learning how to be happy. Dennis Quaid plays a college professor who’s accident brings together his daughter, played by Ellen Page, his adopted brother, played Thomas Haden Church, and his physician/former student, played by Sarah Jessica Parker. The film tells the story of an out-of-touch father who realizes it’s time to turn life around. It looks pretty clever and heartwarming, and the cast is fairly well-rounded. After her success in “Juno”, Ellen Page might make this movie a break-out all my herself.

“Street Kings”

Oh, Keanu Reeves, this is not your come back. What’s funny is while I was watching the preview I was thinking to myself, this really looks like “Training Day” - remember the one with Ethan Hawke and Denzel Washington - and then the movie voice guy says, “from the producer and director of ‘Training Day’.” The plot goes a little like this: Keanu’s partner is killed, and he makes it his mission to find the killers, but he has to stay within the confines of the law while he does it. Bring on the justice … and the bad reviews.

See the trailers for the movies below.

Videos

It’s that time again - new movies! This Friday is kind of a let down, but every weekend can’t be a blockbuster weekend.

Leatherheads

Leatherheads

“Leatherheads” looks like a “Down With Love”-type comedy, again starring Renee Zellweger, along with George Clooney and John Krasinski. But I was one of the few who enjoyed “Down With Love”, and I like the George-Renee chemistry, so I’ll be sneaking to see this one while the hubby is playing poker with the boys. The plot goes something like this: George Clooney’s football league is going under, but he recruits war hero hottie John Krasinski to save the day. But it’s not going to be that easy, because sports reporter Renee Zellweger is on the case and wants to find the holes in Krasinski’s war story. And of course, romance and hilarity ensue.

Nim’s Island

Jodie Foster and Abigrail Breslin star in this family-fun adventure film about an author (Foster) who has written creative adventure books but who rarely leaves the house. When Abigail, whose hero mirrors Foster’s main character, needs to find her father, the two cross paths and conquer Nim’s Island together. Though reviews have been mixed, most enjoy Jodie Foster’s comedic performance and think it’s fun for the whole family. One critic calls it “above average family entertainment.”

The Ruins

If you’re into horror flicks, “The Ruins” might be right up your alley. Like all these movies do, this one starts off sunny with some young kids on vacation. But the resort just isn’t exciting enough, so the kids go off the beaten path to explore some ancient ruins. When they unexpectedly find themselves atop a sacrificial temple, things go south. Very, very south. Jena Malone, who stars in the movie, says this horror film is unlike any other because the bad guy is you.

“It strips you down so you no longer have your cute little catechisms: how you like to paint your nails, who you are with your best friends, the jokes you acquire. You’re stripped down to your basic need of having water and the will to survive. What animal comes out of you in the midst of such deprivation?”

Stephen King called the book on which the movie is based “the best horror novel of the new century.” So if screams are your thing, this movie might be the one for you this weekend. And I like Jena Malone, so maybe I’ll break my freaky film boycott and check it out.

See the trailers for Leatherheads, Nim’s Island, and The Ruins below.

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Paramount pictures is in talks to remake the 1968 movie Rosemary’s Baby that starred Mia Farrow and won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for Ruth Gordon.

Rosemary’s Baby Remake

Roman Polanski wrote and directed the original and he has been contacted by Paramount about the remake. Rumor has it, the production company is just seeking Polanski’s approval, not creative input. Polanksi was also nominated for an Oscar in the ‘Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium’ category as the film was taken from the 1967 best-selling horror novel by Ira Levin.

“We certainly come to [the project] with trepidation because of how important [the original] film is, but we’re going to see if there’s a great way to tell that story.”

Paramount has joined forces with Michael Bay’s production company Platinum Dunes, but no word on whether Bay will direct the project since he is currently set to direct ‘Transformers 2′ in summer 2009. The film itself is still in “the pitching” stages. Any suggestions on who should play Rosemary Woodhouse?

You can see the rare trailer for the original Rosemary’s Baby film below.

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