Release Dates Jun 20 2008 @ 12:00 am
Theater Releases for June 20th, 2008
So…this week, we get an epic, a comedy, and an epic comedy. Or something like that.
Mongol
Nominated for the 2007 Best Foreign Language Film Academy Award, this Kazakhstani epic is the first part of a planned trilogy depicting the life of Ghengis Khan. Here’s the kicker, though: it was made for less than $20 million, and it came out looking this good. I’m not exaggerating at all when I say this film looks mind-blowingly awesome and I need to see it right now.
Recommended if you liked 300 or Alexander, but wished they weren’t so…um…stupid
Get Smart
“I learned something today, kid. It ain’t comedy that’s in my blood; it’s selling out.”
…Besides being a quote from Krusty the Klown on The Simpsons, it may as well be the mantra for Mel Brooks, who’s failed to come up with a new idea since 1987’s Spaceballs (unless you want to count 1993’s Robin Hood: Men in Tights, which was basically a remake of his 1975 TV series When Things Were Rotten). Around the turn of the century, he realized he needed more money and began milking his previously-established properties for all they were worth. First we got Broadway musicals based on The Prouducers and Young Frankenstein (and a new film version of the former); now we get a movie based on his TV series Get Smart; and later this year, you can expect - I swear - Spaceballs: The Animated Series. Hopefully, we’ll be spared Life Stinks: The Hip-Hopera, but I’m not betting on it. On the bright side, this new spy comedy looks genuinely funny and has an awesome cast that includes Steve Carrell, Anne Hathaway, Dwayne Johnson and Alan Arkin. If it’s half as funny as the TV series, it can count on earning my $10.
Recommended if you like movies that couldn’t possibly suck
The Love Guru
Oh…so Mike Myers is a Hindu love guru who has to fix the marriage of a Toronto Maple Leaf? And Jessica Alba plays his love interest? And Justin Timberlake is…um…there? And I’m supposed to care about this…why?
Recommended if you’re infantile enough to think the tagline ( “His karma is huge!”) is actually funny
on Jun 20 2008 @ 12:38 am 1. Colleen said …
Mongol looks great, will have to try and catch that soon. The other two, I might see if they were local and I had free tickets…. OK I might Pay to see Get Smart…but only for the parts with the ROCK!
on Jun 20 2008 @ 6:49 am 2. Joseph said …
Love the recommendations for Mongol.
on Jun 20 2008 @ 6:56 am 3. Shannon the Movie Moxie said …
Interesting, different release schedule than my neck of the woods (save Get Smart and Love Guru). Mongol is fantastic, it’s nice to see such an epic film and Tadanobu Asano performance is astonding.
on Jun 20 2008 @ 7:55 am 4. Rachel said …
Less than $20 million?! That wouldn’t even cover the salary of 90% of Hollywood’s useless “stars.”
on Jun 20 2008 @ 7:55 am 5. Daniel said …
Man, I’m getting thrown back and forth with Mongol. Some rave and some shrug their shoulders. What to do, what to do…
on Jun 20 2008 @ 9:55 am 6. Luke Harrington said …
Just go see it, Daniel. $10 for a mediocre (at worst) film and a world of film buff cred? It’s really not a bad deal.
on Jun 20 2008 @ 10:55 am 7. Evan Derrick said …
Daniel, you watched La Misma Luna, so Mongol should be a no-brainer. Sadly, I missed the critics screening this week, but I’ll be sure to see it when it hits our local arthouse theater.
Shannon, thanks for stopping by. Oh, you Canucks and your different release schedules…always trying to go against the grain.
I have no idea who Tadanobu Asano is, but I really want to see him in a movie now, if not for his performance, then just for his totally sweet BA name.
on Jun 20 2008 @ 2:19 pm 8. Daniel said …
Alright, alright, I’ll see what I can do…
on Jun 20 2008 @ 7:18 pm 9. Love of Sean Comeaux said …
Mongol sounds quite epic, but since you related to the likes of 300 I was immediately expecting greensceen studio sets and someone to jump in the air at a nearly prostrate angle and attack a tall dark persian man. and somewhere yell, “I! AM! GHENGIIIIIS!! or “This! is! MONGOOL!” but I did not see that. So I will definitely go and see this movie. Yay for awesome!
Get Smart was the best show on Nick at Nite. I think Carrel will nail it.
Oh geez, lay off of Mikey. It is what it is. Gratuitous midget brutality scenes and schticky slap stick comedy. I would definitely rent this and with a group of people who just want to have fun… go and see it… matinée hour of course.
Nice rec’s, Mongol wins top billing for me.
on Jun 21 2008 @ 3:22 pm 10. ORLY said …
Oh shut up Luke - you and other “critics” just sooo envy Mel Brooks’s luck, energy & talent! Get over it!
on Jun 21 2008 @ 4:12 pm 11. Luke Harrington said …
Truth be told, ORLY, I’m actually a big fan of much of the guy’s work. Just because I’m poking some fun doesn’t mean I’m part of a vast conspiracy to bring him down.
on Jun 21 2008 @ 4:50 pm 12. ORLY said …
Ok. I’m saying that if Mel re-makes his masterpieces - it’s an attempt to show youngsters real good stuff. And that’s just great.