Right Cinema

The DVDs releasing this week include “Vantage Point”, “Tyler Perry’s Meet the Browns”, and “Drillbit Taylor”. It looks like a little bit of action, a little bit of love, and a little bit of laughs.

“Vantage Point” Releases on DVD July 1

Vantage Point

When the President of the United States is shot while giving a speech at an international location, it’s up to the people in the crowd and a couple secret service agents to put the pieces together and figure out what exactly went wrong. The movie stars Dennis Quaid, Forest Whitaker, Matthew Fox, and Sigourney Weaver, but even with a strong cast like that, the critics say they can’t carry a weak script. Even the good reviews have comments like, “To fall for Vantage Point you have to throw away any connection to reality” and “watchably silly”.

Tyler Perry’s Meet the Browns

When Angela Bassett’s character loses her job in inner city Chicago, she’s almost at wit’s end with how to make ends meet. But then she receives word that a father she has never met has passed away, and the single mother of three decides to take her kids to Georgia for the funeral and see what kind of help she can find. In the process of getting her feet back on the ground, she finds friends, family and even love. Critics give this one a C.

Drillbit Taylor

Another film in a long line of Judd Apatow scripts, “Drillbit Taylor” stars Owen Wilson as a pre-teen bodyguard. When three boys start high school as freshman, they’re small size makes them perfect targets for the school bullies. So they take matters into their own hands and hire a bodyguard, who teaches them how to stick up for themselves. But again the movie is not all it’s cracked up to be. Wilson is said to be phoning it in this time around and the bullies are just a little too dark for how lighthearted the film is supposed to be.

See the trailers for the movies below.

Videos

It’s time for summer blockbusters, and the movies releasing Friday fit the bill. It’s time for some family fun with the long-awaited Pixar film, “WALL-E”, and some hot action with Angelina Jolie’s latest, “Wanted”.

“Wanted” Releases June 27

Wanted

Curving bullets. Assassins. And the return of Morgan Freeman. Oh, and one fine-looking Angelina Jolie. The folks in “Wanted” are a fraternity of assassins who recruit James McAvoy. Though the plot and the focus of the movie appear somewhat lacking, the action looks bad ass. The only question is, will it be enough to carry the script?

The plot: After Wes’ father is murdered, the Fraternity recruit him to avenge his death and become a trained assassin. Kill one, save thousands. But there might be more to this group of assassins than meets the eye.

WALL-E

In the most anticipated animated movie of the year, we find Short Circuit look-alike Wall-E alone on planet Earth, left to clean it up. But love blossoms when a spaceship, carrying Eve, lands at Wall-E’s landfill. And while reviewers say that there’s really only 45 good minutes in the one and a half hour movie, they also say that’s a damn good 45-minute stretch. As Mick LaSalle of the San Francisco Chronicle writes,

Philosophically and emotionally, this is probably the most profound animated film ever made or attempted. … For as long as it stays on Earth, “WALL-E” is a great film, and on its way to being one of the masterpieces of the decade. But then it leaves Earth, and, once it does, it goes into pedestrian territory.

See the trailers for the movies below.

Videos

Another week, another DVD release. The DVDs releasing this week bring you action, adventure, and fun for all ages. We’ve got “The Spiderwick Chronicles”, “10,000 B.C.”, “Definitely, Maybe”, “Persepolis”, and “Charlie Bartlett”.

“Definitely, Maybe” Releases On DVD June 24

Definitely, Maybe

Have you had a bad Monday? Do you really need a feel good movie you can curl up to with a pint of Ben & Jerry’s? Then “Definitely, Maybe” is the DVD pick for you this week. Starring Ryan Reynolds, Abigail Breslin, Isla Fisher, Rachel Weisz, and Elizabeth Banks, the story is about a little girl dealing with her parents divorce. She’s worried about her dad, and in the midst of the unpacking, she convinces her dad to tell her the story of how her parents got together. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you’ll enjoy Ryan Reynolds.

The Spiderwick Chronicles

In the family film department this week, we’ve got “The Spiderwick Chronicles”. Starring Freddie Highmore (previously seen in “August Rush”), the story is about a boy who finds a mysterious book that opens the doors to an unseen world. While it appears beautiful at first glance, soon the ugly ogre rears his head, and the boy and his family must figure out how to get their world back to normal. The critics mostly love it, saying it’s fun for both kids and adults, and let’s face it, those are the best movies.

10,000 B.C.

I actually watched “10,000 B.C.” in the theater … on opening night. Don’t ask me how it happened, it just did. But interesting fellow movie-goers aside, the movie actually wasn’t all bad. It’s a strong story of love, courage, and fulfilling your destiny. After a band of horse-riding vandals ransack D’Leh’s village and kidnap his love, he must lead the few strong survivors into battle to regain the love of his life (played by Camilla Belle) and restore peace to his village. And, yes, there’s some pretty good special effects.

Persepolis

A favorite in the foreign film and animated film categories at the Oscars, as well as Toronto, Telluride and Sundance, “Persepolis” is the story of a young girl living in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. When the main character, Marji, begins to speak out against the new tyranny of the Islamic fundamentalists, her parents send her to study in Vienna and stay out of trouble. Feeling like she doesn’t belong in either location, Marji must find her true identity in unfamiliar territory.

Charlie Bartlett

In the comedy department this week, we have “Charlie Bartlett”, a story about a high school student struggling to make the transition from private school to public school. But he finds his calling as the high school shrink, who happens to get some meds prescribed by his own psychiatrist. He sets up shop in the boys’ bathroom, and the students line up the dozen to get Charlie Bartlett’s advice. Rated overall as a B-, you’re sure to get a few laughs out of this film.

See the trailers for the movies below.

Videos

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Hollywood studios have chosen two of the “biggest” comedies of the summer season to go up against one another on the same weekend. Which film will end out on top of box office ticket sales by end of the weekend?

First off, we have the Steve Carell vehicle, Get Smart, which is a remake of a 1960s sitcom created by the legendary Mel Brooks. The story is a play on a familiar scenario: A clumsy, not-so-quick-on-the-draw funny guy somehow becomes a secret agent and stumbles and bumbles his way to saving the world. In 1965, this may have been a novel concept, but we’ve seen some version of this a million times by now. Fortunately, Steve Carell is very funny and Anne Hathaway always seems to deliver a better than expected performance. Because Carell has generated enough good will with me and I tend to enjoy Anne Hathaway, I’ll probably pony up for the tickets, soda, and popcorn prices that would cover a tank of gas.

Next, we have Austin Powers, I mean Mike Myers, in The Love Guru. This movie can go one of two ways. It could be a genuinely funny Mike Myers creation that would remind us of the unique humor from his previous masterpieces, while not copying his past work. Or . . . it could end up being a tired photocopy of a photocopy and just a means for Paramount to turn a quick buck by following a formula that worked a coupled of times back in the 1990’s. In that sense, it might seem like watching VH-1 I Love 1998. It is not old enough to be a missed classic and at the same time the expiration date has run on its freshness.

There are two further elements worth mention regarding The Love Guru. One is that it has Justin Timberlake.

Timberlake is talented and fully commits to whatever he takes on. Plus, he does not need to do a stupid movie, like Lindsay Lohan, because he has a ridiculously successful career, unlike Lindsay Lohan. I like Justin Timberlake, and he may help sway me to watch this film or at least rent it some time in the near future.

On the other hand, The Love Guru also has one of the least talented actresses my eyes have ever gazed upon (even worse than Lohan who at least has an addiction excuse).

In fact, I believe society as a whole is less fortunate because studios keep putting Jessica Alba in movies. Seriously, Jessica Alba is one of the most beautiful women in Hollywood. She seems nice and sweet. However, the girl could not act her way out of a paper bag and I have never seen a Jessica Alba movie that I liked or that I thought would be possible to like even after 5 wine coolers. Of course, there are those who may disagree. When I recently visited one of the more popular movie sites, I was enlightened by this comment (typos included) from Austin567:

“jessa abla if u are reading this leader u are my favorite actor in the intire WORLD and u are so cute”

Really Austin567? Really? If u are reading this Austin567, you are a silly, misguided fool. I bet you there are at least 566 Austins out there that are much cooler and a better judge of talent, a better judge of human beings, and a better judge of anything living. But that’s, just like, my opinion.

Okay, forget everything I just said. I watched both trailers and I actually think they will both be funny. Maybe Austin567 will be down for a double feature.

Click below to watch the trailers and judge for yourself:

Videos

Meet Meaghan Cooper, Miss September 2007 for the Hooters calendar and the girl rumored to have had an affair with everyone’s favorite “Saved by the Bell” cast member, Mario Lopez. See her biography, photos and video here.

Meaghan Cooper

Meaghan is being blamed for the break up of celebrity dancing couple Mario Lopez and Karina Smirnoff. Although pictures of the two surfaced last year, Mario and Karina have only recently split. Karina’s rep says it’s a difficult time but that the dancer is focusing on her professional life.

As a biography, Meaghan Cooper was born in San Antonio, Texas. Her age is 22. She was previously named Miss South Texas. She is an aspiring actress and model, as well as a musician. She appeared as Miss September 2007 in last year’s Hooters girls’ calendar, a guest on “The Best Damn Sport Show”, and a contestant on “American Idol”. She is currently recording her debut pop-rock album.

Meaghan can most recently be seen on ABC’s new reality television show “I Survived a Japanese Game Show”. One of the stunts being performed on the show involves one contestant trying to reach food that is on the head of their partner, who happens to be running on a treadmill. The game show premieres June 24.

See more photos of Meaghan Cooper and a video below.

Photos and Video

Entertainment Weekly has released its list of the Top 25 Hollywood Hookers, and Julia Roberts has taken the number one spot for her role in “Pretty Woman”. Because, honestly, who else would win that one?

Julia Roberts in “Pretty Woman”

The list takes a look at the actors and actresses who played prostitutes and the careers that such a role gave them. For Julia Roberts, her role as Vivian, a prostitute who happens upon Eddie (played by Richard Gere) when he can’t figure out how to drive a stick shift on Hollywood Boulevard, skyrocketed her to fame. Though Julia had appeared in “Steel Magnolias”, and a few movies like “Mystic Pizza” before that, it was “Pretty Woman” that landed her the title of America’s Sweetheart.

And the same might be said for a few of the other prostitutes on the list as well. Rebecca De Mornay lands at 17 on the list for her role in “Risky Business”. The actress was virtually unknown in 1983 when the film released, with only one movie completed prior to that. But after she stole Tom Cruise’s heart, she was in America’s as well. De Mornay has gone on to star in about 40 other films and various television shows. Others on the list include Jamie Lee Curtis (”Trading Places”), Jodie Foster (”Taxi Driver”), and Elisabeth Shue (”Leaving Las Vegas”).

There’s even a few men on the list, including Dermot Mulroney for his role in “The Wedding Date”. I’ll be adding that to my Netflix queue … now. And of course, Richard Gere makes the cut for “American Gigolo”.

See more photos of the Top 25 Hollywood Hookers and a video of Julia Roberts in “Pretty Woman” below.

Photos and Video

The prequel to the smash hit film “The Da Vinci Code”, entitled “Angels and Demons”, has run into some problems filming. The producers had attempted to get permission from two churches in Rome to film there, but both refused based on religious reasons.

“Angels and Demons”

“Angels and Demons” was turned down by Santa Maria del Popolo and Santa Maria della Vittoria because the movie is not in line with the church’s opinion on certain things. Monsignor Marco Fibbi released a statement,

“It’s a film that treats religious issues in a way that contrasts with common religious sentiment. We would be helping them create a work that might well be beautiful but that does not conform to our views.”

The ban on filming will not exclude shots of the outside of the churches.

Tom Hanks will return for the second movie in the Dan Brown series. It is set to be released on May 15, 2009; the film was slightly delayed by the writers’ strike. Check out photos from the set here.

See more photos of Tom Hanks in “The Da Vinci Code” and a video of Hanks on “Inside the Actors Studio” below.

Photos and Videos

Who are some of the best actors to never have won an Oscar? I tried to think of some actors who I was unsure of whether they received an Oscar or not.

First, here are some who came to mind and did win at least one:

Robert Deniro has two for Raging Bull and The Godfather II; Al Pacino won his first for Scent of a Woman; Susan Sarandon has won it for Dead Man Walking and her costar in that film, Sean Penn, has got one for his role in Mystic River.

Now here are some names who you might expect to have an Oscar on their mantle, but don’t:

Johnny Depp: Nominated for Sweeney Todd, Finding Neverland, and Pirates of the Caribbean. One glaring omission in my opinion is Edward Scissorhands. Without that movie there is no Johnny Depp film career, and he was fantastic in that movie.

Tom Cruise: Nominated for Magnolia, Jerry Maguire, and Born on the Fourth of July. But what about A Few Good Men?

Matt Damon: Nominated for Good Will Hunting, for which he won as a screenwriter. But what about The Departed and even The Talented Mr. Ripley.

Michelle Pfeiffer: Nominated for Dangerous Liaisons, The Fabulous Baker Boys, and Love Field (never heard of it). Even though I really liked her in White Oleander, Michelle Pfeiffer feels like yesterday’s news.

Clint Eastwood: Nominated for Million Dollar Baby (won for directing) and Unforgiven.

Michael Rapaport: Lighten up, that’s a joke.

Peter O’toole: No actor has been nominated for more Oscars (8) without winning one. The first film that got him a nod was Lawrence of Arabia in 1963 and his last one was for Venus in 2007. I wish O’Toole the best of luck and hopefully he will still have another opportunity.

Of course, if any of the talented actors above need some tips, they could always ask Marissa Tomei who has won an Oscar for her role in My Cousin Vinny – no seriously.

Imagine having to say, “yes, I was nominated for an Oscar, but lost to the woman from My Cousin Vinny.” Speachless.

It’s almost Tuesday again - time to update that Netflix queue with these new titles. With the DVDs releasing this week, I hope you’re ready to laugh, because it’s pretty much nothing but comedy. This week, we’ve got “Fool’s Gold”, “Be Kind Rewind”, and “Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins”.

“Fool’s Gold” Releases This Week

Fool’s Gold

With the smokin’ chemistry between Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey, “Fool’s Gold” brings the laughs the way a romantic comedy should. McCounaughey plays a treasure salving machine who is on a mission to find the Queen’s Dowry from the 18th Century. Hudson is his wife, who is just about to divorce him when they come upon a clue that might really bring the treasure to life. With lots of laughs and adventure, this movie is a pretty good rental pick this week.

Be Kind Rewind

Jack Black and Mos Def star in this comedy about two guys who work at a video store. After Jack accidentally erases all the videotapes, they come up with a way to save the store - recreate the movies themselves and rent the remakes. But when viewers start to like the remakes more than the originals, Jack and Mos Def become famous. And most people are liking the movie, calling it “corny, cool, and beautiful” with “the most touching ending of Gondry’s films”.

Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins

In Martin Lawrence’s latest movie, the comedian stars as America’s favorite talk show host living the good life. But when Roscoe has returns home for his parents’ 50th Anniversary celebration, it’s a bit of a culture shock from the high-profile, pampered celebrity life he’s used to living. Growing up, Roscoe was the awkward kid who got picked on all the time, and celebrity or not, that’s the way his family remembers him.

See the trailers for these DVDs below.

Videos

Mischa Barton has a long string of lesbian roles and her latest film “You and I” just keeps her streak alive. The movie is based on real events taken from the book “t.A.T.u. Come Back.” t.A.T.u is a musical group out of Russia who became popular and somewhat controversial because they were portrayed as lesbians. You can see the trailer and several other videos of Mischa’s lesbian roles below. This character type has become so common place for Mischa, people are wondering if her life is imitating her art.

Mischa Barton

Rumor has it Mischa has totally dipped out on promoting her new film because it’s so terrible. It premiered at The Cannes Film Festival in May but according to The New York Post, Mischa was nowhere to be seen.

“She hasn’t pulled out of interviews, she’s pulled out of everything . . . Her room is here, she is here, but trying to get the two together has just been impossible. We just don’t know where Mischa is.”

However, Barton did show up to the “The Britains Best” award ceremony as a presenter. See more video after the jump.

Videos

We are getting closer and closer to summer blockbuster season, and the movies releasing this week are sure sign of that. The titles are getting bigger and the celebrities more famous. In theaters this Friday are “The Incredible Hulk” and “The Happening”.

“The Incredible Hulk” Releases Friday

The Incredible Hulk

The last Hulk movie was a pretty big disappointment - even an actor as attractive and talented as Eric Bana couldn’t fix that script. But this time around the film is more promising. Starring Edward Norton, Liv Tyler and Tim Roth, the latest in big green men comic book movies starts with the Gamma Bomb and traces the adventures of the Incredible Hulk as he learns to deal with his new powers. And so far the critics are loving it, saying things like “Hulk Smash!”, “one of the most spectacular and exciting things I’ve ever seen on screen”, and “a summer popcorn movie that favors thrilling action”. It looks like this is the pick of the weekend, so get your tickets early.

The Happening

“The Happening” begins with a wave of strange and mysterious deaths across the US, and Mark Wahlberg, as a high school science teacher, sets off to discover a way to escape the freaky phenomenon. But even far-off farmland isn’t far away enough, and Mark and his wife must face the invisible killer head-on.

The movie is the latest psychological thriller from M. Night Shyamalan, and it looks to be better than some of his more recent films. “The Happening” is being called “a tantalising, sometimes frustrating parable about the menaces that human beings might face from unexpected quarters.” Though Shyamalan usually sticks with a plot-upending twist in his stories, not this time - we’ll leave it up to you whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing.

See the movie trailers below.

Videos

The latest in video game movies brings us a biopic on the creator of Atari, Nolan Bushnell. The Atari movie is set to star Leonardo DiCaprio and will be released by Paramount Pictures.

Leonardo DiCaprio

Nolan Bushnell is the co-creator of Atari and is highly revered as a founding father of the video game industry. He is responsible for bringing us the first home video game console and Pong, and now he will be played by one of the best actors around, Leonardo DiCaprio.

Of the casting selection, Bushnell says,

“I’m very, very thrilled and honored that would be the case.”

Bushnell’s story is one of perseverance and pushing against the odds. At the time Atari was founded, in 1972, no one took the company seriously because video games just weren’t good business. But the entrepreneur proved them all wrong and built the empire that stands as the basis for one of America’s favorite pastimes.

Right now, the movie doesn’t even look to be in production, but it’s sure to be an instant classic, especially for that generation that remembers playing that little tennis-like game with two white paddles and a little white ball we know as Pong.

See more photos of Leonardo DiCaprio and a video from Access Hollywood at the “Blood Diamond” premiere below.

Photos and Video

Tina Fey is not just a funny girl, she’s sexy, too. In fact, she’s really sexy. A website geared toward bisexual and lesbian women, AfterEllen.com, has voted Tina Fey number one on their annual list of “Hot 100: The Sexiest Women, According to Women”.

Tina Fey

The reason for her number one sexy status? AfterEllen says,

“Mix it all together with some awesome black-rimmed glasses and bicurious shoes, and you’ve got a new lesbian icon. Smart, sexy, funny and down-to-earth: That’s what lesbians like!”

In other Tina Fey news, she continues to work on her hot television show “30 Rock”, and has even invited Britney Spears to do a guest appearance. After the popstar boosted ratings for “How I Met Your Mother”, Fey stated, “we would love to work with Britney Spears.”

Tina is currently working on the script for her latest movie, “Curly Oxide and Vic Thrill”.

See more photos of Tina Fey and a video from her last film, “Baby Mama” below.

Photos and Video

Finally, some movies I want to see coming out on DVD on Tuesday. The DVDs releasing this week run the gamut from comedy to drama to action-packed. So get your Netflix queue ready for the releases of “The Other Boleyn Girl”, “The Bucket List”, and “Jumper”.

“The Other Boleyn Girl” Releases on DVD This Week

The Other Boleyn Girl

Natalie Portman, Scarlett Johansson, and Eric Bana star in this drama about the Boleyn girl you haven’t heard of until now. The story revolves around two sisters, Anne and Mary Boleyn, who compete for the love of King Henry VIII because their father and uncle bring the girls into their quest to increase the family’s status and power. But while Mary is driven by true affection for the king, Anne wants the bigger prize - to be the Queen of England. The rivalry between the sisters grows until all of England is engulfed in the battle.

The Bucket List

When Jack Nicholson checks into a hospital only to be roomed with fellow old fogey Morgan Freeman, the two become fast friends after Morgan reveals his “bucket list” - all those things you want to do before you kick the bucket. Along the way, between the Taj Mahal and race cars, the two learn that it’s never too late to live the life you’ve always wanted. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you might just make a list of your own. Critics have called it “absolutely charming”, “an entertaining tear jerker”, and a “rather special film”.

Jumper

Hayden Christensen stars in this movie about a guy who finds out he has the ability to teleport. He uses the ability to make a comfortable life for himself through bank robbery and other kinds of stealing, but when the jumper-hunters come calling, Christensen’s world quickly gets turned upside-down. A fun action movie, “Jumper” looks like a good pick for the week.

Witless Protection

Whether you like this movie or not will most likely depend on whether or not you like Larry the Cable Guy. The comedian stars in this movie about mistaken circumstances. Larry is a small-town sheriff who sees what he thinks is a kidnapping. It turns out that the girl is being escorted to a trial by FBI agents, not being kidnapped, but it’s a good thing Larry is there to save the day because the agents are on the take.

See the trailers for the movies below.

Videos