Popcorn, Soda, and Goobers - Movie and DVD Reviews and Film Commentary

Don’t forget guys, Harold and Kumar 2: Escape from Guantanamo Bay is set to open tomorrow! We were lucky enough to catch and advanced screening and couldn’t help but post a review last month. To summarize in one sentence, it’s out of control… in a good way. If you liked watching Harold and Kumar making their way to White Castle, you’re going to love watching them take it one step further as they run away from the law. For more, check out our full review. Or, just get your tickets and go see for yourself!

Oops missed a day. That’s okay, though. The DVD Spree tends to come a day before the true releases of DVDs. So, here it is, these are the notable DVD releases for TODAY! Next week, we’ll try to go back to giving you some advanced notice.

Recommended

Release Date: April 22, 2008 Comments: So by now, everyone knows Cloverfield as the Blair Witch-zilla movie. And I would say that’s an entirely accurate description; with cheap thrills and a Disney movie length runtime, the film resembles the low budget Blair Witch on more than a few levels. However, the use of the shaky camera works pretty well in this disaster flick and despite more than a few flaws, Cloverfield entertains… Read the whole review Get It: Cloverfield DVD

Release Date: April 22, 2008 Comments: Produced by Guillermo Del Toro and composed of a cast of new comers, this movie apparently wowed audiences all over the world racking up dozens of awards at various film festivals. Some say this is nearly as good as Del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth. Get It: The Orphanage DVD

Waited for the DVD…

Release Date: April 22, 2008 Comments: Raise your hands if you thought Julia Roberts had retired. Well, I guess she’s back for a go around and apparently only working in star-studded casts alongside the likes of Tom Hanks and Phillip Seymour Hoffman. Usually, all-star casts will get me out to the theaters. But, since the only one of those three I really like is Phillip Seymour Hoffman, here I am wondering if I should get the DVD. Either way, color me curious. Get It: Charlie Wilson’s War DVD

Release Date: April 22, 2008 Comments: Oh, Japanese remakes. The cover is maximum creepy. The plot is maximum goofy. Guy #1: Help! My cellphone is attacking! Guy #2: Take out the damn battery! I like Shannyn Sossamon, though, and I bet she’s scantily clad at least once. Get It:One Missed Call DVD

This Week’s Video Highlights
Here’s a quick featurette on The Forbidden Kingdom, the new Jackie Chan-Jet Li joint movie. It opened up this Friday, though it seems that there wasn’t much publicity on it. I have to say I’m intrigued, though disappointed that it isn’t a proper wu xia flick.

Also, now that Forgetting Sarah Marshall has premiered, it’s time to update our rotation of trailers in the sidebar. We’ve added the new Indiana Jones trailer as one of our five most anticipated movies. If you’re lucky, it might be displayed now, if not you’ll just have to keep your eye out as you cruise our site. Or, you can justcheck out the Indiana Jones IV trailer here.

If that’s not enough, check out the weekly news and link round up after the jump. Read the rest of this entry »

Forgetting Sarah Marshall (imdb | get tickets)

Apatow Productions release another hit comedy, this time starring TV stars Jason Segel and Kristen Bell. Segel, who also wrote this film, stars as Peter, the just-dumped, ex-boyfriend of TV star Sarah Marshall. Peter is devastated by Sarah’s actions and in order to get over her, he takes a trip to Hawaii - coincidentally staying at the same resort as Sarah and her new beau.

This film is funny, there’s no doubt about it. It contains the quip dialogue that one would expect from Apatow talent, and it also has the body of a romantic comedy which grounds the crude humor to some pseudo-realistic emotion. Some noteable comedic moments come from the jealousy that sprouts from Sarah as Peter begins to get over her. I also enjoyed seeing the short clips from Sarah’s TV show “Crime Scene” where William Baldwin would drop some extremely silly lines. Seeing Jonah Hill and Paul Rudd is always a good sign (though I found their characters to be a little less funny than usual), and some of the other hotel employees are quite hilarious.

Despite the almost perfect blend of crude humor and real life sympathies, I never found Forgetting Sarah Marshall to be as funny as Apatow’s own Knocked Up. This is probably personal preference, but I found Sarah Marshall to lack the quotable jokes and memorable scenes that I had upon exiting Knocked Up or 40 Year Old Virgin. While I enjoyed the film, I still didn’t find it to be the perfect romantic comedy.

Don’t get me wrong, Forgetting Sarah Marshall is all gold, and I’m probably going to see it again at some point. Maybe my opinion will likely change upon a second viewing, but as it stands now, I found previous Apatow productions to be funnier and more enjoyable than Sarah Marshall.

3.5-4 ominous tones out of 5

Forgetting Sarah Marshall premiers in theaters nationwide April 18, 2008. Get your ticket now.

Well, no responses on this week’s meme prompt just yet. Hopefully, that will change soon! The Fandango contest is over now, but our weekly game doesn’t end till Friday! Okay, no real prize, but you will get our eternal respect. Actually, I’m going to cop out this week as well. It’s hard thinking up funny sequels. But, here are some great trailers for potential movie sequels.

The Goonies Reunited

More than a decade later, the loss of one of their friends brings together the goonies for one last adventure.

The Titanic Trilogy

Jack is found frozen in the wreckage of the Titanic years after the death of his beloved, Rose. Now, he must live life all over again, in an unfamiliar town, in the future.

Years later, Jack, still haunted by the fateful night on the Titanic, and he realize that he will never let go.

Lars and the Real Girl (imdb | get the dvd)

As promised in this week’s DVD Spree (our weekly post on interesting DVD releases), here’s a quick review of Lars and the Real Girl which came out on DVD today.

For those of you who haven’t heard, and it’s understandable if you haven’t, Lars and the Real Girl is the story of a terribly shy young man who spends his time avoiding contact at work and living a reclusive life in the garage of his brother and sister-in-law’s house. One day, he decides to purchase a super-realistic sex doll online and comes out of his shell, introducing the doll as his new girlfriend to friends and family alike. Despite the concerns of his family, a local doctor finds Lars to be highly functioning and that his delusion is just a way for him to work through his own internal struggles. She tells the family to just play along while he goes through this phase and we eventually find that the entire town rallies around Lars and his doll. The movie had a limited theatrical release in October, but that was enough to garner it a nomination for a Oscar for Best Screenplay.

Ryan Gosling is terrific as Lars and Emily Mortimer also submits a strong performance alongside him as Katie Lindstrom, Lars’ caring and nurturing sister-in-law. The movie moves a little slowly, but the dialogue and the characters are all truly believable. It’s as if you really were watching a slice of someone’s life (sorry to steal a horrible cliche). Most of the time is likely to be spent marveling at how well Ryan Gosling plays yet another deep and moving character even though, aside from being psychologically troubled, Lars just might be the polar opposite of Dan Dunne, Gosling’s cocaine addled character in Half Nelson (another highly recommended title).

The plot sounds humorous and the trailers were deceivingly light. This movie, however, is really much more a drama than a comedy. The humor is portrayed through classically “indie” quirkiness and moments of awkward silence. You might crack a smile, but you won’t be hooting and hollering. Ultimately, the movie experience is much more about connecting with the characters and watching their growth and transformation on screen than about sitting down to a laugh riot. But, that’s okay. Instead, this movie is much more than just a cheap comedy about a man and his sex doll. Instead, it’s a charming tale about the power of love, kindness, and community that begs the question, “What if we embraced the oddities that are within each of us?”

3.5-4 anatomically correct dolls out of 5

Popcorn, Soda, and Goobers can’t get to every movie that comes out in theaters and on DVD, but we’re trying out best. Here’s a look at the DVDs which will be released tomorrow (April 15, 2008). Where possible we’ll link you to our original movie review or try to give you some background on each film to help you figure out which movie to add to your Netflix queue or your permanent collection.

Recommended

Release Date: April 15, 2008 Comments:Juno was one of our favorite movies this year and one of the first indie-ish comedies we’ve felt truly deserved being nominated for Best Picture. It’s touching, funny, and terrifically well acted… Read the whole review Get It: Juno Single Disc Edition

Release Date: April 15, 2008 Comments: Lars and the Real Girl is a quirky, odd dramedy starring Ryan Gosling as the shy and reclusive, Lars, who strikes up an unconventional relationship with a doll he buys over the Internet. A humorous plot shot in a dead-serious manner. Ryan Gosling once again shows us why he’s one of the best young actors of his generation. A full review will be posted tomorrow. For now, check out the trailer. Get It: Lars and the Real Girl DVD

For more upcoming releases keep reading after the jump. Read the rest of this entry »

Alright, let’s get it started. This week’s round up starts with a clip of a sneak peak at the upcoming movie, Iron Man.

Next, a Bare Naked Ladies moment (trying hard not to smile though I feel bad), watch Hayden Panetierre do a Sexual Harrassment PFA.

If these little videos aren’t enough of a fix, check out our weekly link out after the jump. Read the rest of this entry »

Be Kind Rewind (imdb | find showtimes)

So I’m a bit late to the game on this one, but if you have asecond run theater near you Be Kind Rewind is worth a few bucks. The film is big-hearted in its love for all things film, and despite a few shortcomings, provides an enjoyable experience.

Mos Def stars as Mike, an employee in a neighborhood video store owned by Elroy Fletcher, played by Danny Glover. Fletcher is trying to make ends meet as his store is next on the list for city renovations. Trying to gather the sum of money to protect his store from city officials, Fletcher takes a trip to research the business success of other video rental stores, leaving Mike to watch the shop. Mike’s bumbly friend Jerry (Jack Black) gets in an accident at the local power plant, and somehow becomes magnetized. By venturing into the store, he erases all of the videos.

The rest of the film deals with Mike and Jerry’s attempt to reshoot the movies erased. They “swede” films, shortening them and placing their own personal touches into the them. Be Kind Rewind has a lot of fun with these “sweded” films, and seeing Ghostbusters was certainly very funny and very amusing. The movie has a huge heart as it depicts a pure love for movies and filmmaking. Within Be Kind Rewind, the moviegoer and the movie maker are one and the same - both have a passion for all things reel.

Be Kind Rewind’s main fault is in its pacing during the beginning of the film. The movie simply isn’t very funny in its opening 20+ minutes. A lot of time is spent on developing the plot on how the videotapes get erased, and these scenes are a bit dull. However, the movie isn’t too long and once the sweding begins, so does the fun and the pace picks up.

Another small hiccup comes as the film relies heavily on knowledge of the sweded films. If you’ve never seen Ghostbusters, don’t expect to be laughing crazily. Be Kind Rewind attempts to swede some very common films, but the jokes can be a bit hit or miss. I found the Rush Hour 2 scenes to be pretty lame, but the other remakes have more charm.

In the end, Be Kind Rewind merits a viewing. If you love movies, then I think you’ll find much to enjoy in Be Kind Rewind. Despite some pacing issues, the movie has fine acting, a nice story, and most importantly a big heart.

3.5 sweded tapes out of 5

This week’s Flick4Friday prompt was: “What movies do you watch to get back on your feet after a breakup?”

Picture courtesy of ForgettingSarahMarshall.com. Look for the trailer in the sidebar.

Admittedly, I was inspired by the upcoming movie, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, which is billed as “The Ultimate Romantic Disaster Movie.” And, I might be breaking Flick4Friday rules here as you won’t be able to watch Forgetting Sarah Marshall this Friday (it doesn’t debut till April 18th), but I had the pleasure of going to a screening recently and have to say that I have not found any romantic comedy to be as funny or uplifting as Forgetting Sarah Marshall. If you’re down in the dumps and looking for something to brighten your spirits, I can think of no better movie to do it with. But, I don’t want to get ahead of myself. A full review will definitely be coming as we get closer to the actual release date. For now, the red band trailer is one of the five rotating trailers in the sidebar to your right. If you’re lucky, click play now. Otherwise, reload the page (it will take at most five tries) or watch the full trailer after the jump.

For those that need a pick me up to curl up to at home this Friday, I recommend Lady and the Tramp (dvd). There’s nothing like classic Disney to bring back the hopeless romantic in all of us. Read the rest of this entry »