Movies Scheduled for the Week of 1/30 - 2/5

The schedule looks busy this week, but it's all the same movie with lots of opportunities to view it. Not to worry, looks like we more to choose from next week.

In the meantime check out the various Academy Award Watching parties that are being offered by our friends who help bring us free passes. Please make your plans and enjoy a favorite night for all us movie lovers.

January 30 - February 5, 2011

Sun
1/30
Mon
1/31

6:00 pm
Slant 45
Studio Movie Grill Royal

Tue
2/1

6:00 pm
Slant 45 The Movie
Studio Movie Grill - Lewisville

7:30 pm
SANCTUM
AMC Northpark

8:00 pm
Slant 45 The Movie
Studio Movie Grill - Lewisville
Wed
2/2

6:00 pm
Slant 45 The Movie
Studio Movie Grill Dallas

8:00 pm
Slant 45 The Movie
Studio Movie Grill Dallas

Thu
2/3

5:30 pm
Slant 45 The Movie
Colleyville Cinema Grille

6:00 pm
Slant 45 The Movie
Studio Movie Grill - Arlington

7:30 pm
Slant 45 The Movie
Angelika - Plano

8:00 pm
Slant 45 The Movie
Studio Movie Grill - Arlington

Fri
2/4

Slant 45 The Movie
Colleyville Cinema Grille

Sat
2/5

10:30 am
Slant 45 The Movie
Colleyville Cinema Grille

12:00 pm
Slant 45 The Movie
Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth

2:00 pm
Slant 45 The Movie
Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth

5:30 pm
Slant 45 The Movie
Colleyville Cinema Grille

Screen Actors Guild Award 2011 Winners

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
The King’s Speech

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
Colin Firth, The King’s Speech

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
Natalie Portman, Black Swan

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
Christian Bale, The Fighter

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
Claire Danes, Temple Grandin

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
Al Pacino, You Don’t Know Jack

Screen Actors Guild Awards 47th Annual Life Achievement Award
Ernest Borgnine

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
Modern Family

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series
Betty White, Hot in Cleveland

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
Melissa Leo, The Fighter

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
Boardwalk Empire

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series
Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series
Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire

Ip Man 2: The Legend of the Grand Master

The sequel to the story of Wing Chun martial arts master Ip Man reunites director Wilson Yip, screenwriter Edmond Wong and star Donnie Yen. It covers Ip Man's move to Hong Kong in 1948 where they fled after the Japanese-Sino War. Now safe and recovered from his gun shot wound Ip Man with his pregnant wife and his son can barely pay the rent. Ip Man seems perfectly happy just to sit smoking his cigarettes and drinking tea. His attempt to open a martial arts school is met with resistant from the other schools in the area who have “rules”. It means that he must demonstrate his abilities with the other masters and pay a protection fee which is a kickback to a crooked British police officer.

Ip Man attends the competition easily defeating the masters of Monkey Kung Fu
and Baguazhang (circle walking)
but refuses to pay the fees. This makes his school prey from the bullies of the other schools who harass Ip Man's students. They get kicked out of their rooftop space but Ip Man refuses to stop teaching. He confronts Master Hung Chun-nam (Sammo Hung Kam-Bo) who wants to finish their fight which ended in a draw, but when his family interrupts they depart with a grudging respect for one another. He gifts Ip Man with tickets to see a western boxing match put on by the British colonial rulers. They have brought in a champion Austrailian fighter Taylor "Twister" Milos
(Darren Shahlave) who uses his skills on the Chinese kung fu style demonstrators and taunts the Chinese into a brawl. Ip Man and Hung Chun-nam step in are able to stop the fight and demand an apology. Twister demands that if the Chinese want an apology he will give it to them if they can defeat him. Hung takes on the fight so the "white devils” cannot take away the pride of the Chinese martial arts. Despite the Hungs' skill he is older and gets winded. He refuses to give up even after Ip Man begs him to stop. The younger man defeats him, beating him to death in the ring. The Chinese newspapers declare that the western fighter bullied the Chinese. The bad British cop arrests the editor and break his hands so that he can't write. The British put their own spin on the events and decide to stage another fight. Ip Man decides to face the challenge in honor of Hung and the Chinese culture.

The climatic fight with the boxer is similar to the ending fight in the first Ip Man against the Japanese Karate master. Once more Ip Man resurrects the national pride of the Chinese people. After the fight Ip Man says he was fighting for the dignity of all people and that they should respect each other. The epilogue introduces Ip Man's most famous student Bruce Lee who started training with him at the age of 16.

The legendary Sammo Hung is back as fight choreographer and shot his own fight scenes while recuperating from heart surgery. The master's match on a rickety table top surrounded by upturned chairs was perfectly staged. The boxing matches as well as the street brawls made for more of an action packed follow-up. As in the first movie, Donnie Yen is amazing as the deceptively calm master who advices his students that's it's better not to fight. His emphasis to his students is on Chinese wisdom and philosophy. You don't really need to see the first movie to appreciate this one, although you would be wise to experience both as companion pieces.
(Review by reesa)

Biutiful

Javier Bardem is going to give Colin Firth a run for the Oscar this year with his very powerful performance in Alejandro González Iñárritu's sorrowful film. Written by Iñárritu, Armando Bo,
and Nicolás Giacobone it follows the last days of Uxbal as he tries to tie up his loose ends before his cancer kills him.

Uxbal is a devoted single dad to his two kids. He walks them to school, picks them up from the baby sitter, makes them dinner. Which wouldn't be anything special if he lived anywhere else but the poor and dirty slums of Barcelona. Clutter, dirty dishes, stained walls, leech like critters on the ceilings. He soothes his kids desires by focusing on what they say and filling that hole with his love. They are separated from their bi polar alcoholic mother Marambra (Maricel Álvarez) who is trying to get them back together again but she proves to be too erratic and abusive. Uxbal and his brother Tito (Eduard Fernández) sell their father's grave so a shopping mall could be built. Before they have him cremated Uxbal is able to look at the embalmed face of his father frozen at the time of his death while in his 20's. Uxbal is basically a decent guy, but he's a street hustler who supplies illegal African street vendors with goods to sell while paying off the police to look the other way. The goods are made by undocumented Chinese laborers where he is the middleman working with a couple of low rent gay Chinese businessmen. He also sells his services as a psychic to the loved ones of the recently deceased to help their spirits to pass on. On top of all this his doctor has told him they could extend his life a couple months if he came in for chemotherapy. Uxbal doesn't even let the nurse draw blood, preferring to stick himself with the needle. He won't go in for treatment even though he's been doubling up in pain and he has blood in his urine. Uxbal's world is dire, but despite his grim surroundings he cares for the people that he services. When one of the African vendors is arrested and deported, he sets up the man's wife and baby in his house. One of the Chinese laborers baby sits his kids. He spends his days putting out fires for all the people that intersect his life and whose money he depends on to survive. Uxbal doesn't tell anyone that he is dying, not even Marambra or his brother.

The squalid surroundings of the neighborhood, the warehouse basement full of Chinese workers sleeping on the floor, the African apartments filled with people is far from the picturesque tourist vision of the city. As in Babel, Iñárritu uses the device of random happenstance to unite the stories together and shine the light on small pieces of life that we often take for granted. But that unrelenting focus of Uxbal's world that is falling apart can drain the spirit. If it wasn't for Javier's soulful eyes and the poetic beginning and the ending of the film are the only places where peace and beauty exit.
(Review by reesa)

The Rite

Michael Kovak works in his family mortuary. He is preparing a young woman who committed suicide. He wonders why she would do such a thing. His father reminds him that they just care for people as they come to them, and not to reason how they got there. But restless Michael is seeking more answers so he enrolls in seminary school to become a priest. Before he takes his final vows he questions his commitment and wants to drop out. As one of his teachers rushes to speak to him it sets off a series of accidents that Michael forces to perform last rites on a victim despite his lack of faith.

Based on the book The Rite: The Making of a Modern Exocist by Matt Baglio who wrote the script with Michael Petroni. Directed by Mikael Håfström it tells the story of the disillusioned young man who is sent by kindly priest (Toby Jones) to Italy to learn how to carry out exorcisms. Pope John Paul II has decreed that a exorcist be available in every Parrish as demonic possession is on the rise. Irish stage actor Colin O'Donoghue is Michael Kovak who gets assigned by Father Xavier (Ciaran Hinds) to work with Father Lucas (Anthony Hopkins) who regularly performs exorcisms. Father Lucas lives in a rundown villa that is over run with cats. He is also a medical doctor and his “patients” come to him like an office call. A young very pregnant girl comes in, shy and unassuming. Michael is having a hard time believing she is possessed and believes she really needs is a good shrink. Father Lucas has Michael pull something out of his pocket and put in a bag. Later while bringing out the demon while praying over the girl he asks her what Michael is holding in his bag. She names it correctly. Michael is still not convinced. No matter what kind of contortions their bodies and voices exhibit, Michael tries to find a rational excuse why this is happening. Father Lucas warns him that “Choosing not to believe in the devil won't protect you from him.”

The Rite fortunately doesn't pull out the usual exorcism tricks and symbols. It's not so much a horror thriller as it is a more psychological journey as Michael comes to terms with his faith. Hopkins is as usual a fascinating actor, but in some places you can't help notice that he's channeling Hannibal Lecter. The creepiness factor hangs heavy over the tone of the sound, light and color. Hopkins melodious voice almost lulls the viewer into a dream state (meaning you may feel sleepy). O'Donoghue underplays Michael so much that it's hard to tell why he's not reacting to the weirdness happening during the exorcism sessions like most people would. A young Rutger Hauer would have done a better job in the role, but he's relegated to being Michael's father. Alice Braga is Angeline a reporter who is also taking his exorcism class and wants to write about the process gets more than she had expected. If nothing else it's worth it just to see the red eyed mule.
(Review by reesa)

The Mechanic

Arthur Bishop is an elite assassin known for his efficient and super stealth abilities in carrying out his job. He's able to take out a ruthless target who is swimming in his indoor pool with his house surrounded by a private army of body guards and make it look like an accidental drowning. Bishop is vexed by his next assignment which turns out to be his mentor and the closest person in his lonely life, Harry McKenna.

Jason Statham has created a niche in the B-movie bruiser category. He's handsome, stoic, detached and the British accent gives him an edge. Arthur Bishop is a classy guy with his beautiful house located in the middle of the bayou, plays classical music, has the best equipment that money can buy and is also rebuilding a beautiful vintage car. His only human contact outside of Harry (Donald Sutherland) is Vaughn an old guy who watches his boat and a beautiful prostitute who doesn't even know his name. His main employer Dean (Tony Goldwyn) and Harry's partner tells Bishop that Harry has been responsible for the death of a team of operatives in South America and had embezzled the money from the job. Bishop is disappointed in his wheel chair bound associate but takes him out anyways. Bishop takes on Harry's troubled son, Steve (Ben Foster) out of obligation to his old friend. He begins to train him in his craft. Steve has a bit of aptitude for the profession, but he's also got a wild side. On his first assignment he's supposed to poison his target, but Steve's hunger for more action almost gets him beat to death. Dean is not happy that Bishop has taken on an unsanctioned employee especially when the last job doesn't come off as a clean kill. Soon the duo are facing being eliminated themselves.

Director Simon West who's first film was Con Air knows his way around action flicks. The film is a remake of The Mechanic with Charles Bronson updated by screenwriters Richard Wenk and Lewis John Carlino who wrote the original movie. The first film is a classic which this doesn't come close to matching. Statham has cornered the market on the cool demeanor and signature scowl. There's also the obligatory shirtless scene, thankyouverymuch. You have to suspend belief and not look to closely to the plot holes, but the inventive action sequences come fairly quickly so you don't have to think too hard about it. The partnership of the on the edge Steve and the terse Bishop could have been a better movie and the resolution came too quickly, but it was quite satisfying at the end. It's a good mindless diversion for January.
(Review by reesa)

2011 Academy Award Oscar Nominations

BEST MOTION PICTURE OF THE YEAR
"Black Swan"(Fox Searchlight)
"The Fighter"(Paramount)
"Inception"(Warner Bros.)
"The Kids Are All Right"(Focus Features)
"The King’s Speech"(The Weinstein Company)
"127 Hours"(Fox Searchlight)
"The Social Network"(Sony Pictures Releasing)
"Toy Story 3"(Walt Disney)
"True Grit"(Paramount)
"Winter’s Bone"(Roadside Attractions)
 
ACHIEVEMENT IN DIRECTING
"Black Swan"(Fox Searchlight), Darren Aronofsky
"The Fighter"(Paramount), David O. Russell
"The King’s Speech"(The Weinstein Company), Tom Hooper
"The Social Network"(Sony Pictures Releasing), David Fincher
"True Grit"(Paramount), Joel Coen and Ethan Coen
 
PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Javier Bardem in "Biutiful" (Roadside Attractions)
Jeff Bridges in "True Grit" (Paramount)
Jesse Eisenberg in "The Social Network" (Sony Pictures Releasing)
Colin Firth in "The King’s Speech" (The Weinstein Company)
James Franco in "127 Hours" (Fox Searchlight)
 
PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Christian Bale in "The Fighter" (Paramount)
John Hawkes in "Winter’s Bone" (Roadside Attractions)
Jeremy Renner in "The Town" (Warner Bros.)
Mark Ruffalo in "The Kids Are All Right" (Focus Features)
Geoffrey Rush in "The King’s Speech" (The Weinstein Company)
 
PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
Annette Bening in "The Kids Are All Right" (Focus Features)
Nicole Kidman in "Rabbit Hole" (Lionsgate)
Jennifer Lawrence in "Winter’s Bone" (Roadside Attractions)
Natalie Portman in "Black Swan" (Fox Searchlight)
Michelle Williams in "Blue Valentine" (The Weinstein Company)
 
PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Amy Adams in "The Fighter" (Paramount)
Helena Bonham Carter in "The King’s Speech" (The Weinstein Company)
Melissa Leo in "The Fighter" (Paramount)
Hailee Steinfeld in "True Grit"(Paramount)
Jacki Weaver in "Animal Kingdom" (Sony Pictures Classics)
 
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM OF THE YEAR
"How to Train Your Dragon"(Paramount), Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois
"The Illusionist"(Sony Pictures Classics), Sylvain Chomet
"Toy Story 3" (Walt Disney), Lee Unkrich
 
ACHIEVEMENT IN ART DIRECTION
"Alice in Wonderland"(Walt Disney), Production Design: Robert Stromberg, Set Decoration: Karen O’Hara
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1"(Warner Bros.), Production Design: Stuart Craig, Set Decoration: Stephenie McMillan
"Inception" (Warner Bros.), Production Design: Guy Hendrix Dyas, Set Decoration: Larry Dias and Doug Mowat
"The King’s Speech" (The Weinstein Company), Production Design: Eve Stewart, Set Decoration: Judy Farr
"True Grit" (Paramount), Production Design: Jess Gonchor, Set Decoration: Nancy Haigh
 
ACHIEVEMENT IN CINEMATOGRAPHY
"Black Swan"(Fox Searchlight), Matthew Libatique
"Inception" (Warner Bros.), Wally Pfister
"The King’s Speech"(The Weinstein Company), Danny Cohen
"The Social Network" (Sony Pictures Releasing), Jeff Cronenweth
"True Grit"(Paramount), Roger Deakins
 
ACHIEVEMENT IN COSTUME DESIGN
"Alice in Wonderland" (Walt Disney), Colleen Atwood
"I Am Love" (Magnolia Pictures), Antonella Cannarozzi
"The King’s Speech" (The Weinstein Company), Jenny Beavan
"The Tempest" (Miramax), Sandy Powell
"True Grit" (Paramount), Mary Zophres
 
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
"Exit through the Gift Shop" (Producers Distribution Agency), A Paranoid Pictures Production, Banksy and Jaimie D’Cruz
"Gasland", A Gasland Production, Josh Fox and Trish Adlesic
"Inside Job" (Sony Pictures Classics), A Representational Pictures Production, Charles Ferguson and Audrey Marrs
"Restrepo" (National Geographic Entertainment), An Outpost Films Production, Tim Hetherington and Sebastian Junger
"Waste Land"(Arthouse Films), An Almega Projects Production, Lucy Walker and Angus Aynsley
 
BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT
"Killing in the Name", A Moxie Firecracker Films Production, Nominees to be determined
"Poster Girl", A Portrayal Films Production, Nominees to be determined
"Strangers No More", A Simon & Goodman Picture Company Production, Karen Goodman and Kirk Simon
"Sun Come Up", A Sun Come Up Production, Jennifer Redfearn and Tim Metzger
"The Warriors of Qiugang", A Thomas Lennon Films Production, Ruby Yang and Thomas Lennon
 
ACHIEVEMENT IN FILM EDITING
"Black Swan"(Fox Searchlight), Andrew Weisblum
"The Fighter"(Paramount), Pamela Martin
"The King’s Speech"(The Weinstein Company), Tariq Anwar
"127 Hours"(Fox Searchlight), Jon Harris
"The Social Network" (Sony Pictures Releasing), Angus Wall and Kirk Baxter
 
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM OF THE YEAR
"Biutiful"(Roadside Attractions), A Menage Atroz, Mod Producciones and Ikiru Films Production, Mexico
"Dogtooth"(Kino International), A Boo Production, Greece
"In a Better World"(Sony Pictures Classics), A Zentropa Production, Denmark
"Incendies"(Sony Pictures Classics), A Micro-Scope Production, Canada
"Outside the Law (Hors-la-loi)"(Cohen Media Group), A Tassili Films Production, Algeria
 
ACHIEVEMENT IN MAKEUP
"Barney’s Version"(Sony Pictures Classics), Adrien Morot
"The Way Back"(Newmarket Films in association with Wrekin Hill Entertainment and Image Entertainment), Edouard F. Henriques, Gregory Funk and Yolanda Toussieng
"The Wolfman"(Universal), Rick Baker and Dave Elsey
 
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
"How to Train Your Dragon"(Paramount), John Powell
"Inception"(Warner Bros.), Hans Zimmer
"The King’s Speech"(The Weinstein Company), Alexandre Desplat
"127 Hours" (Fox Searchlight), A.R. Rahman
"The Social Network"(Sony Pictures Releasing), Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross
 
BEST ORIGINAL SONG
"Coming Home"from "Country Strong" (Sony Pictures Releasing (Screen Gems)), Music and Lyric by Tom Douglas, Troy Verges and Hillary Lindsey
"I See the Light"from "Tangled" (Walt Disney), Music by Alan Menken, Lyric by Glenn Slater
"If I Rise"from "127 Hours" (Fox Searchlight), Music by A.R. Rahman, Lyric by Dido and Rollo Armstrong
"We Belong Together"from "Toy Story 3" (Walt Disney), Music and Lyric by Randy Newman
 
BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM
"Day & Night" (Walt Disney), A Pixar Animation Studios Production, Teddy Newton
"The Gruffalo", A Magic Light Pictures Production, Jakob Schuh and Max Lang
"Let’s Pollute", A Geefwee Boedoe Production, Geefwee Boedoe
"The Lost Thing", (Nick Batzias for Madman Entertainment), A Passion Pictures Australia Production, Shaun Tan and Andrew Ruhemann
"Madagascar, carnet de voyage (Madagascar, a Journey Diary)", A Sacrebleu Production, Bastien Dubois
 
BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM
"The Confession" (National Film and Television School), A National Film and Television School Production, Tanel Toom
"The Crush"(Network Ireland Television), A Purdy Pictures Production, Michael Creagh
"God of Love", A Luke Matheny Production, Luke Matheny
"Na Wewe"(Premium Films), A CUT! Production, Ivan Goldschmidt
"Wish 143", A Swing and Shift Films/Union Pictures Production, Ian Barnes and Samantha Waite
 
ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND EDITING
"Inception"(Warner Bros.), Richard King
"Toy Story 3"(Walt Disney), Tom Myers and Michael Silvers
"Tron: Legacy"(Walt Disney), Gwendolyn Yates Whittle and Addison Teague
"True Grit"(Paramount), Skip Lievsay and Craig Berkey
"Unstoppable" (20th Century Fox), Mark P. Stoeckinger
 
ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND MIXING
"Inception"(Warner Bros.), Lora Hirschberg, Gary A. Rizzo and Ed Novick
"The King’s Speech"(The Weinstein Company), Paul Hamblin, Martin Jensen and John Midgley
"Salt"(Sony Pictures Releasing), Jeffrey J. Haboush, Greg P. Russell, Scott Millan and William Sarokin
"The Social Network"(Sony Pictures Releasing), Ren Klyce, David Parker, Michael Semanick and Mark Weingarten
"True Grit" (Paramount), Skip Lievsay, Craig Berkey, Greg Orloff and Peter F. Kurland
 
ACHIEVEMENT IN VISUAL EFFECTS
"Alice in Wonderland"(Walt Disney), Ken Ralston, David Schaub, Carey Villegas and Sean Phillips
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1"(Warner Bros.), Tim Burke, John Richardson, Christian Manz and Nicolas Aithadi
"Hereafter" (Warner Bros.), Michael Owens, Bryan Grill, Stephan Trojanski and Joe Farrell
"Inception" (Warner Bros.), Paul Franklin, Chris Corbould, Andrew Lockley and Peter Bebb
"Iron Man 2"(Paramount and Marvel Entertainment, Distributed by Paramount), Janek Sirrs, Ben Snow, Ged Wright and Daniel Sudick
 
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
"127 Hours" (Fox Searchlight), Screenplay by Danny Boyle & Simon Beaufoy
"The Social Network"(Sony Pictures Releasing), Screenplay by Aaron Sorkin
"Toy Story 3"(Walt Disney), Screenplay by Michael Arndt, Story by John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton and Lee Unkrich
"True Grit" (Paramount), Written for the screen by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
"Winter’s Bone"(Roadside Attractions), Adapted for the screen by Debra Granik & Anne Rosellini
 
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
"Another Year"(Sony Pictures Classics), Written by Mike Leigh
"The Fighter"(Paramount), Screenplay by Scott Silver and Paul Tamasy & Eric Johnson, Story by Keith Dorrington & Paul Tamasy & Eric Johnson
"Inception"(Warner Bros.), Written by Christopher Nolan
"The Kids Are All Right"(Focus Features), Written by Lisa Cholodenko & Stuart Blumberg
"The King’s Speech"(The Weinstein Company), Screenplay by David Seidler

Movies Scheduled for the Week of 1/23 - 1/29

Really...is it that difficult to write directly to the person offering passes? Please tell us why some of y'all are having problems. Because ya know that you are not going to get that pass you are seeking by sending your request to the list. If you send it to the group...delete, simple.

If anyone wants to write a review to be posted on the main page at http://dallasmoviescreenings.com, please send it to reesas@yahoo.com

January 23 - 29, 2011

Sun
1/23

Mon
1/24

7:30 pm
The Rite
AMC Valley View

Tue
1/25

7:30 pm
The Mechanic
Studio Movie Grill Dallas

Wed
1/26

7:30 pm
FROM PRADA TO NADA
tba

10:00 pm
Horror Remix:Death Rock Part 1
Studio Movie Grill Dallas

Thu
1/27

10:00 pm
Horror Remix:Death Rock Part 1
Studio Movie Grill Arlington

Fri
1/28

Sat
1/29

The Company Men

Anyone who is receiving extended unemployment benefits will find this film hitting close to home. Last year's “Up In The Air” centered on the people doing the downsizing. “The Company Men” focus is on the people who lost their jobs. Director/writer John Wells pulls good solid performances from his cast while he tells the story of middle management workers suddenly losing their long time positions and what happens to them.

GTX a Boston conglomerate that grew out of a ship building company started by James Salinger (Crag T. Nelson) and his college roommate Gene McClary (Tommy Lee Jones) must lay off hundreds of employees to please it's shareholders. One of the first to go is Bobby Walker (Ben Affleck) a sales executive who has been living the plush suburban life with his wife Maggie (Rosemarie DeWitt) and their two teenaged children. Gene, his mentor is no where to be found so he takes his anger out on Sally Wilcox (Maria Bello) the corporate hench-person who must deliver the news to the staff. One by one people pack their personal belongings and tearfully leave the building. Bobby goes to the employment agency hired by GTX to help transition the laid off staff to find other work. The job coach make the already dejected ex-workers engage in confidence building exercises that Bobby finds false and unhelpful. The office is filled with other people using the office resources to make phone calls and copy resumes. Some have been there for months and find it amusing to see Bobby still dressed like going to the office in his suit and “can do” attitude. All this quickly fades as the reality of the small severance and unemployment benefits means that the comfortable lifestyle they once afforded must now be whittled down to the point where they end up living with Bobby's parents. Bobby takes a job with Maggie's brother Jack Dolan (Kevin Costner killing a bad Boston accent) renovating a house during the winter. Jack and Bobby have never been friends, but he helps out the clueless and hardworking Bobby anyway by slipping him extra pay although he can't afford it.

Gene McClary unhappy with Salinger's decision to cut jobs while raising their bonuses has to honor him at a dinner. The next thing he knows he's given the pink slip by his lover Sally. Phil Woodward (Chris Cooper) started at GTX 30 years before as a ship welder. Worked his way up the ranks. His daughter is contemplating which Ivy League school to attend when he also gets the ax. Now, almost 60 years old he has to compete in the already stressed job market getting turned down because of his age. There once was a time a person can devote their lives to their jobs and enjoy the benefits that long time steady employment affords. Instead the bottom line and corporate greed has pulled the rug out and no one is safe. Despite the gloom and doom of the subject especially if one is experiencing it now, there is a light of hope at the end. Too bad we all can't have that ending in real life.
(Review by reesa)

No Strings Attached

Adam and Emma meet at a junior high aged summer camp where they both decide they are weird and oddly compatible. Years later they meet at a frat party in Michigan where once again they feeling simpatico and Emma invites him to this “thing” which turns out to be her father's funeral. Still more years later they run into each other in LA where she is now a medical resident and he's a television production assistant hoping to be a writer. It's mostly Emma's idea to have a friends with benefits relationship, and hound dog Adam is willing to agree to anything just for the free sex.

Adam just found out that his former TV actor and pot smoking father played by Kevin Kline is currently dating his former girlfriend. Freaked out he attempts to call all the women on his cell phone to see if one will sleep with him. His two best friends, Wallace (Chris “Ludacris” Bridges) and Eli (Jake Johnson) are both encouraging and repelled by his dilemma while Adam drinks himself into a stupor. Later he wakes up naked on a couch in a strange apartment wondering if he's had sex with anyone who lives there. It turns out to be Emma's place with her fellow med student roomies. When Emma fills him in with tales of his naked dancing, they quickly give in to their years of attraction. Emma wants them to keep it a secret and just keep it about sex. No fights, no jealousy, no commitments, no cuddling, just sex anytime, anywhere. Like most guys this is a dream come true. But as time goes on, Adam realizes there's something more there. As Adam gets closer, Emma pulls away.

Director Ivan Reitman and writer Elizabeth Meriwether have created a clever little rom-com that Love and Other Drugs should have been. Not weighted down by terminal diseases, sexual performance meds, and nudity, No Strings Attached is more silly and off beat. There seems to be a trend in free love movies with the upcoming Friends With Benefits. Look for a good supporting cast from Greta Gerwig, Lake Bell, Olivia Thirlby and Minday Kaling. The language can be a bit raunchy, but listening to my own 20 something kids, it's pretty much how they speak. Ashton Kutcher is supposed to be in his late 20's perhaps looking too long in the tooth is the warm hearted goofy womanizer and pretty much the same in every role he's done. Natalie Portman is still waif thin but looking more healthy than in Black Swan is a little bit hard to believe as a doctor. No reason is given for Emma's relationship phobia or how Adam manages to be a decent human being with having a Hollyweird upbringing. But the two do have a little chemistry and that with the strong supporting characters makes this film work for a nice way to break in January.
(Review by reesa)

Golden Globes 2011 Winners

http://www.goldenglobes.org/nominations/


Best Motion Picture – Drama
The Social Network

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama
Colin Firth, The King’s Speech

Best Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical
The Kids Are All Right

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama
Natalie Portman, Black Swan

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical
Paul Giamatti, Barney’s Version

Best Television Series – Comedy or Musical
Glee

Best Director – Motion Picture
David Fincher, The Social Network

Cecil B. DeMille Award
Robert De Niro

Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
Melissa Leo, The Fighter

Best Actor in a Television Series – Comedy or Musical
Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory

Best Actress in a Television Series – Comedy or Musical
Laura Linney, The Big C

Best Foreign Language Film
In a Better World (Denmark)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Series, Mini-Series, or Motion Picture Made for Television
Jane Lynch, Glee

Best Screenplay – Motion Picture
Aaron Sorkin, The Social Network

Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Claire Danes, Temple Grandin

Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Al Pacino, You Don’t Know Jack

Best Animated Feature Film
Toy Story 3

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical
Annette Bening, The Kids Are All Right

Best Original Score – Motion Picture
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, The Social Network

Best Original Song – Motion Picture
“You Haven’t Seen the Last of Me,” Burlesque
Music and lyrics by Diane Warren

Best Television Series – Drama
Boardwalk Empire

Best Performance by an Actor In A Television Series – Drama
Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Chris Colfer, Glee

Best Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Carlos

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Drama
Katey Sagal, Sons of Anarchy

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Christian Bale, The Fighter

Movies Scheduled for the Week of 1/16 - 1/22

Golden Globes are on tonight to give a hint on what to expect come Oscar night. Red Carpet Crash will be holding their annual party that night so we can watch the show together at the Angelika. It's free with the option to purchase reserved seating that comes with a swag bag.
http://www.redcarpetcrash.com/2011/01/13/the-return-of-the-big-gold-statue-watching-party/

The North Texas Film Critics Association posted their top movies for 2010:
http://www.northtexasfilmcritics.com/home/best-of-2010-from-the-ntfca

Moderator reminder of the week: Please do not mooch for passes when there are contests pending. It's up to you to enter the contests or jump through whatever hoops that are out there to get them on your own.

January 16 - 22, 2011

Sun
1/16

Mon
1/17

Tue
1/18

7:00 pm
Ip Man
Texas Theater

7:30 pm
The Lonely Sound
The Angelika Dallas

7:30 pm
No Strings Attached
Angelika Dallas

Wed
1/19

7:30 pm 8:30 pm & 9:30 pm
No Strings Attached
AMC Northpark

Thu
1/20

7:30 pm
No Strings Attached
Studio Movie Grill Dallas

Fri
1/21

Sat
1/22

SANCTUM 3D Mobile Experience National Tour - Dallas

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=129051143824139&index=1


Monday, January 17 · 7:30pm - 11:30pm
American Airlines Center
2500 Victory Avenue
Dallas, TX

26 dates. 12 cities. One unforgettable movie event.

The Sanctum 3D Mobile Experience National Tour will bring the excitement and suspense of the upcoming adventure thriller to a city near you.

Dive into the world of Sanctum in a specially designed immersive 3D environment featuring more than 10 minutes of exclusive film footage, introduced by three-time Academy Award winner James Cameron (Avatar).

The SANCTUM 3D Mobile Experience will be open to the public during the following dates and times:

Monday, January 17th
Dallas Stars vs. Los Angeles Kings
American Airlines Center
7:30 PM

The Green Hornet

James Reid is a wealthy newspaper publisher who doesn't have time to be good father to his young son Britt when the child gets in trouble for trying to stop a fight in school. James doesn't have the patience as he has an important job running the newspaper and no time to spare for one spoiled little boy. Twenty years later, harboring a little resentment, Britt is an irresponsible playboy who is suddenly thrust into taking over his father's empire after James dies from an allergic bee sting. He also inherits his father's genius car mechanic and excellent coffee barista who has some special hidden talents.

Seth Rogen is the least likely kind of actor one would think to play a comic book hero but he does fit the philandering egocentric rich kid. Kato (Jay Chou) is obviously the wiser and more competent of the two relates to Britt's loss and the young men bond quickly. One night while carousing in one of Kato's hopped up vehicles, they encounter a walking couple attached by thugs. Without a lot of thought to the uneven match of power, Britt tries to face down the rabble and ends up almost getting shot before Kato swoops in with his cool martial arts skills to take them all out. Fired up by adrenalin the team decide to become masked vigilantes and help bring bad guys to justice. Kato creates the coolest car ever, Black Beauty, a modified 60's Chrysler Imperial that can repel bullets, fix flats, with plenty of guns and wheel spikes. Their efforts to fight crime brings down the wrath of Benjamin Chudnofsky (Christoph Waltz) a paranoid Russian gangster who later wants to be called Bloodnofsky to make himself more colorful.

Rogen maintains that everyman likability but his character is almost too grating. There are times when the shtick gets to be too much, and you just want the hero to finally find it's mark and stop being such a jerk. Asian popstar Chou is almost too stoic with his struggles with English loses the rhythm of the scenes. His “Kato-Vision” and fighting sequences were some of the best parts beside the car. He even gets to show off his musical pipes. Kato and Britt have some fun and fight over Britt's secretary Lenore (Cameron Diaz). It's nice to see Diaz, but really anyone could have served in this part. Edward James Olmos is also wasted as Mike Axford the newspaper editor who tries to guide the useless Britt on his new job. Also look for James Franco's cameo in the beginning of the movie for a very amusing confrontation with scene stealer Waltz.

The original Green Hornet started as a radio show in the 1930's, evolving to movie and television series and comic books. For the big screen treatment was suggested back in 1992 with George Clooney. Mark Wahlberg, Jake Gyllenhall and Nicolas Cage were all attached to it a various times. Eventually in 2007 Seth Rogen was hired as the lead as well as co-write the script with frequent collaborator Evan Goldberg. In 2008 Stephen Chow was set to direct and co-star as Kato. When he dropped out Michael Condroy who had done Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind was brought in and Taiwanese singer Jay Chou was brought in as Kato. Despite all the hands in the pot, the final product was surprisingly entertaining and worth a large popcorn and soda.
(Review by reesa)

First Look at Fincher's Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

http://www.wmagazine.com/celebrities/2011/02/rooney_mara_girl_with_the_dragon_tattoo_film?currentPage=1


Check out Rooney Mara as Lisbeth Salander the androgynous, bisexual computer hacker from Stieg Larsson's best seller The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. The original movie by Director Niels Arden Oplev was recently voted Best Foreign Film by the North Texas Film Critics Association. Never a big fan of remakes, it will be curious to see what director David Fincher will do with the cast the includes Daniel Craig (James Bond) and little known Rooney Mara (The Social Network). The picture from W doesn't look like they will stray far from Noomi Rapace version. But according to the article, Fincher and screenwriter Steven Zaillian, who wrote Schindler’s List claims it's departs dramatically from the book and changed the ending. This is cringe worthy enough when they change the source material, but we will just have to wait and see when it's released in December.

North Texas Film Critics Association Best of 2010

https://sites.google.com/a/northtexasfilmcritics.com/www/home/best-of-2010-from-the-ntfca


BEST PICTURE
1. Inception
2. The King's Speech
3. The Fighter

BEST DIRECTOR
1. Christopher Nolan Inception
2. David O. Russell The Fighter
3. Coen Brothers True Grit

BEST ACTOR
1. Colin Firth The King's Speech
2. Jeff Bridges True Grit
3. James Franco 127 Hours

BEST ACTRESS
1. Natalie Portman Black Swan
2. Jennifer Lawrence Winter's Bone
3. Annette Benning The Kids are Alright

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
1. Christian Bale The Fighter
2. Geoffrey Rush The King's Speech
3. Jeremy Renner The Town

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
1. Melissa Leo The Fighter
2. Amy Adams The Fighter
3. Helen Bonham Carter The King's Speech

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
1. Wally Pfister Inception
2. Anthony Dod Mantle 127 Hours
3. Danny Cohen The King's Speech

BEST ANIMATED
1. Toy Story 3
2. How to Train Your Dragon
3. Despicable Me

BEST DOCUMENTARY
1. Waiting for Superman
2. Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work
3.* Restrepo
3.* Inside Job

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
1. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
2. I Am Love

Movies Scheduled for the Week of 1/9 - 1/15

Nothing like cold nasty weather to enjoy a day lounging around and watching movies if you were so lucky. Despite the cold there are a few screenings this week. So everyone please take extra care driving on icy streets if you really need to get out.

The weekly reminder...again. If you are working on certain days and know you can't use that pass, then please don't RSVP on GOFOBO for it, or enter a contest for the pass. Leave it for someone who is willing and able to attend. Holding them for ransom so you can get the day you want is frowned upon around here.

Also...if there are contests pending for a screening you must enter that contest and not mooch for a pass. Moochers will be deleted by the moderators.

January 9 - 15, 2011

Sun
1/9

Mon
1/10

6:30 pm
Renewal
Studio Movie Grill Plano

6:30 pm
YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN
Studio Movie Grill Dallas

7:30 pm
Take Me Home Tonight
AMC Northpark

Tue
1/11

7:30 pm
The Green Hornet
AMC Northpark

7:30 pm
Take Me Home Tonight
Cinemark West Plano

8:00 pm
The Dilemma
Studio Movie Grill Dallas

Wed
1/12

7:00 pm
SANCTUM
tba-Plano

7:30 pm
The Green Hornet
Cinemark 17

Thu
1/13

7:30 pm
Green Hornet
Cinemark West Plano

Fri
1/14

Sat
1/15

Season of the Witch

A long time ago around the 14th century, two brave and mighty knights stood alongside each other, facing down an opposing army of heathens, in a crusade for the glory of god. These men stood in front of their fellow men of god and exchanged commentary of the battle ahead. One of those men was Felson (Ron Perlman) a skillful swordsman and warrior. The other was Nicholas Cage.

Without any period or regional accent or knowledge that this was only a film, Nicholas Cage erupted, his sword a hot geyser of molten awesome, cleaving and smiting all evil that stood in his way. Like always, as is in every Nicholas Cage flick, the director sets up scene. The other talented actors read the scripts and practice their scenes, but with Nicholas Cage it is different. He gets on set and the director asks him how his day was yesterday and maybe offers him an iced Americano. They shoot the small talk for a while and the director at this point begins to casually call him by the movie’s character’s name (In this case: Behmen). During this time Nicholas Cage is fooled by the polite conversation and free stuff that he is gradually brainwashed into responding to that name. Once “Behmen” is pliable and filled to the brim with caffeine and finger sandwiches he is strategically maneuvered by the director into position. It is then when the director (in this case Dominic Sena) pretends to freak out and tells him the movie plot.

“Behmen” Says Sena. “You stand before many men. They are heathen men and must be smote for the word of god. You will kill hundreds of them, but one day you will kill a woman. This will sadden your heart and you will leave the Crusades with your friend and fellow warrior Ron Perlman. It is only then that you will discover a dark and mysterious girl (Claire Foy) in a dungeon. You must stare longingly and, perhaps, inappropriately into her young doe-y doe eyes. She is a witch though Behmen, a witch and she mustn’t be trifled with. Remember that this innocent girl you are going to kill is obvious foreshadowing for when this other defenseless damsel is brought before you. Only you can find out what evil lurks in these lands! Go forth for it is the Season of the Witch!” Sena, sopping wet with triumphant relief, reclines in the director’s chair and lights up a cigarillo. Cool Directors do that kind of stuff.

Nicholas Cage, high on this new information and the two or three red bulls it took to listen to it, springs into action. Sena calls for his camera crew to “shoot and follow him around” while Nicholas Cage randomly and haphazardly tries to solve whatever it is that needs solving, rescuing whoever needs rescuing, all to the glorious and stunning backdrop of what appeared to be extra footage salvaged from the Lord of the Rings movies.

Unfortunately, and quite sadly, Nicholas Cage wasn’t able to reach his full potential with this script. Nicholas Cage is never allowed to see scripts, lest his great method *acting* be soiled, but some scholars and philosophers do wonder if anyone else in the whole of the production team had actually read that thing before it was green lighted for Nicholas Cage. One Scholar pointed out a plot hole so obvious that it was actually tangible. It was also large enough to stuff an entire boom mic pole into. Some say it may actually lead to the same realm that other mediocre movies end up.

Had only someone read the script and fixed a couple substantial holes. It was starring M.F. Nicholas Cage. Oh, what a tale it should have been.
(Review by Quinn Cruz-Hawkins)

Country Strong

Kelly Canter is a big named country star at a rehab center after a disaster during a Dallas concert where she drunkenly fell off the stage while she was pregnant losing the baby. Her husband and manager James wants to get her out and back on the road despite the protests of Beau, who works at the center as an orderly who says she's just not ready. Writer/director Shana Feste who did The Greatest has created another schmaltzy melodrama with a star cast only this time with music.

Beau Hutton (Garrett Hedlund of Tron Legacy) is a country singer/songwriter who has been having a really close personal relationship with Kelly (Gwyneth Paltrow) while she was recovering. They spend lazy afternoons writing songs together among other things. Kelly seems relaxed and happy until her husband James (Tim McGraw) comes in and wants her to leave a month earlier than scheduled as they have shows to do. As her manager, he is stressing a jump star of her career after the scandal in Dallas. Kelly agrees only if Beau is allowed to be her opening act. James has other ideas, he's checking out a new young female singer Chiles Stanton (Leighton Meister of Gossip Girl) an ex Miss Dallas and as Beau calls her a country Barbie. She's written some pop country songs but has a tendency to freeze on stage. Beau is also playing the showcase where Chiles is the closing act as an audition for James. When she as expected freezes, Beau comes to her rescue by doing a duet with her so she can continue her set. James decides to bring them both on tour asking Beau to keep an eye on Kelly as her protector.

In this typical story of money and fame cannot buy you happiness, Kelly has seemed to have lost along the way the joy of her music and the love of her husband. Her own infidelity with Beau leads her to suspect that James is flirting with Chiles who idolizes Kelly (and Jesus Christ in the same breath). But she also sees in Chiles what she was like starting out in the business. The hunger for success with a raw natural talent. The pressure of the tour is also too much for her to process when something sets her off and she starts drinking again. Her efforts to rekindle her relationship with James is met with reluctance so she falls back to Beau. Beau honestly doesn't think that he's helping her situation, plus he's started to get close to Chiles. Chiles wants the fame, Beau wants to just play at a bar and work on his tunes, Kelly wants to go back to where she started, James just wants the success to continue. Will this ever get resolved?

If you love soaps, you will love the starry eyed love, the tragic star (Paltrow looking her age), the long suffering husband, and the back stage look at what it's like to be famous. Tim McGraw looking all tan, healthy and well taken care of, does pretty well here not knowing what to do to bring back the wife he once loved. The movie is really about the young lovers. Despite the trailer, Paltrow doesn't really perform that many songs, but wears really short dresses and flaunts around on the edge wrestling with her demons that are not fully explored. Meister and Hedlund are just cute as buttons, Meister shiny, Hedlund looking raggedy in a scruffy beard that looks glued on. This movie does not require a lot from it's audience. There are some nice tunes, even if you are not a big fan of the genre, mostly because it's sung by non “country” actors. Entertaining when the music is flowing, otherwise Country Strong comes off more like country yawns.
(Review by reesa)

Blue Valentine

Dean is a jack of all trades. He talks himself into a furniture moving job without any experience. During one of these moves to a nursing home he sees a young woman, Cindy, visiting her grandmother and he feels an immediate attraction. He semi stalks her and they meet cute. Writer/director Derek Cianfrance with screenwriters Joey Curtis and Cami Delavigne explore the beginning, middle and ending of romance and marriage by hopping from past and present in the turbulent relationship of Cindy and Dean.

Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams both listed as executive producers on this project give a very raw and powerful performance depicting young and stupid in love. Hormone heavy, awkward, love is blind, then suddenly pregnant and reality rears it's ugly head. Cindy's dreams of going to med school instead ends up working as a medical technician while Dean has advanced to odd job construction work. Devoted to their small daughter, it's still a struggle to make ends meet, and the youth that should have been spent in exploration and experimentation is battered down by the daily grind of survival. Dean the more loose and easy going, a child man not tuned to any particular ambition, doesn't quite understand the frustration that is slowly building in Cindy. Anyone who has ever felt trapped in a relationship will easily relate to her growing depression. Some six years later Cindy is walking like a zombie, can't find the attraction to her husband, and just plain sorrowful most of the time. Cindy already had to deal with an abusive father in her early life and she may or may not realize that she is becoming like him. When the blush of first love fades away then all the good things she thought about Dean like his happy go lucky nature becomes a bigger annoyance. Communication becomes almost non existent as they battle in fights that you may have had yourself breaking up with someone. It will make you squirm to hear everyone yelling and no one is really getting to the point. The romantic getaway scene where Dean tries to rekindle their romance goes all awry and is the most uncomfortable to watch. Nothing short of intense couples therapy can help these young folks.

This isn't the typical Hollywood romance movie. Most of the scenes have a feeling of improvisation so what they are saying seems very real and organic. This is more like a reality show filmed in your living room type of story. There are no happy ending walking hand in hand in the sunset. It's hard to be entertained by the harsh light cast on real married life. The hopping back, forth and between the progress of their lives can be disconcerting. How Dean loses so much hair in just six years is kinda weird too. The controversy of the possible NC-17 rating was way overblown. There are some scenes that could be considered explicit but there's been worst in other movies. Probably not a great film to bring your significant other, but worth just watching as Gosling and Williams eat up the screen.
(Review by reesa)

Somewhere Coppola Wine Tasting

Chance for passes to Somewhere.
Click on image for larger view.

Movies Scheduled for the Week of 1/2 - 1/8

Welcome to 2011. Hope everyone had a great holiday and ready to get back into the serious business of attending advanced screenings . We have a light week to start out, but January has never been a boon month as studios trot out stuff that didn't quite make the cut for winter releases. Or stuff that opened in the big cities and just making it's way to us little cities.

Check out the Dallas Movie Screening website (http://dallasmoviescreenings.com) for our lists of the Best and Worst for 2010, You are welcome to add your feedback on what you enjoyed or loathed last year.

Just remember kids, and say it with me, "double check your return addresses before hitting send".

January 2 - 8, 2011

Sun
1/2

Mon
1/3

Tue
1/4

Wed
1/5

7:30 pm
Shameless
Magnolia

7:30 pm
Country Strong
Studio Movie Grill Dallas

Thu
1/6

7:30 pm
Country Strong
AMC Northpark

8:00 pm
Season of the Witch
Studio Movie Grill Dallas

Fri
1/7

Sat
1/8