Release Dates Jan 22 2009 @ 06:54 pm
Theater Releases for January 23rd, 2008
Apparently, this is what you have to look forward to if you go see 'Outlander.'
If Oscar bait is your delight, this is your week — Frost/Nixon, Revolutionary Road, Slumdog Millionaire and The Wrestler are all finally expanding to theaters where you might actually be able to see them. Even The Dark Knight (which didn’t really receive the scads of Oscar nominations that everybody but me thinks it deserved) is being re-released to a select number of theaters. Also, opening in New York and L.A. is something called Donkey Punch…which sounds, um, extremely sophisticated.
Slumdog Millionaire
This is the Golden Globes’ choice for “best drama” of the year, and I think I’d have to say that I agree. It’s the story of a kid from the slums of India who wins on the local version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire (thus making trouble with some crooked cops), but it’s not really about slums, or game shows, or even corruption. What is it about? Well, you’ll just have to see it for yourself, but here’s a hint: it starts with “the triumph of” and ends with “the human spirit.”
Recommended if you like gameshows, gangster films, and Bollywood dance videos.
The Wrestler – 
Another excellent film, just barely edged out by Slumdog. This one tells the story of a washed-up professional wrestler and his friendship with a stripper. It’s a sad, quiet tale of two people desperately selling their bodies, directed by critical darling Darren Aronofsky (Pi, Requiem for a Dream, The Fountain). In some sense, it doesn’t really overcome its “sports movie” roots, but there’s no reason that it should have to. Also, it ends with the triumph of the…ah, never mind.
Recommended if you wished Rocky Balboa was more tragic, or that Bigger, Stronger, Faster* was more fictional. (Or, alternatively, if you sit up late at night listening to Weird Al Yankovic’s 1984 classic “Theme from Rocky XIII (The Rye or the Kaiser)” over and over again.)
Outlander
I was hoping this one would be about Opus the Penguin discovering he was part of an ancient race of immortals (and thank you to the one person out there who actually got that). It turns out that it’s actually just a science fiction film about ancient Vikings fighting alien monsters with a fusion of space-age and iron-age technology (and stars James “Jesus H. Christ” Caviezel). Well, that’s almost as good, I guess.
Recommended if (and only if) you liked all of the following: Aliens, Wild Wild West, and Highlander.
Inkheart
Brendan Fraser plays a guy who can bring storybooks to life. Hey, haven’t we seen this before with some other equally talentless actor?
Recommended if it really bothered you that The Mummy and Bedtime Stories were two separate movies.
Underworld: Rise of the Lycans
The Underworld franchise has lasted long enough for a third installment? Believe me when I say that no one is surprised as I am. Apparently, its not-all-that-novel take on werewolves-vs.-vampires struck a chord with six-year-old boys with fake IDs everywhere. Anyway, this installment apparently takes you far into the past so you can learn the sordid backstory of the werewolf tribe. Not since The Godfather Part II has such prequelic gravity graced the silver screen.
Recommended if you’ve never heard of House of Frankenstein.
on Jan 22 2009 @ 7:51 pm 1. Film-Book dot Com said …
Loved Outlander. A very cool flick. Gory, nice tech and action.
on Jan 23 2009 @ 10:55 am 2. Adam K said …
Bloom County reference! Hoorah!
I’m not so hot on the top two (although Mickey Rourke is the best or second-best of the Oscar nominees, maybe behind Richard Jenkins), although The Wrestler is my still favorite Aronofsky movie and I’m generally a fan of Boyle’s kineticism if nothing else.
As for what Slumdog’s about, can I venture “the triumph of a Brit’s tourist love of India coupled with a well-told but gimmicky romance which, mileage may vary, could qualify as uplifting the human spirit” ?
on Jan 23 2009 @ 1:12 pm 3. Luke Harrington said …
I think you’re being a tad hard on Slumdog there, Adam. Sure, Danny Boyle’s a Brit, but he’s working from a novel by a Hindi author (and, even ignoring that, India and the U.K. have been associated politically for centuries). There’s probably a bit of orientalism in play here, but it’s never condescending or critical. Really, he’s made a film that could play well in any part of the English-influenced world.
And I’m glad to hear that Outlander is as awesome as it sounds. It’ll probably be a while before it makes it to my neck of the woods, but I’ll be sure to check it out when it does.
on Jan 25 2009 @ 6:20 pm 4. Rick said …
I’ll agree with Luke about “Slumdog,” right down to “triumph of the spirit,” which might be a bit to un-cynical for us movie-critic types. I liked it.
But I have a lot of love for Brendan Fraser. Sure, he’s talentless. Of course he’s a hack. Doubtless, he’s constantly in movies where the special effects out-act him. But, to give him credit, he’s feckless …
on Jan 27 2009 @ 10:59 am 5. Maurice said …
And now, another episode of love letters from Maurice.
Dear Adam K;
How wickedly thoughtful of you, to acknowledge an Opus reference in a review on this site. You managed to Segway (Ha!) from a review and turn it into a shout out to “da homies out dere!” Brilliant, bro. U da man! Can I get a whoop-whoop?
C’mon. Think this through. It’s one thing not to like a film, to say “It’s not my cup of tea” or “It wasn’t what I thought.” Those are acceptable comments for an extraordinary film. Heck, I myself felt that “Mystic River” was more soft core porn than the tale pre-teen abuse. Further, I’d have held the Tim Robbins character face down in a puddle rather than spend my life staring into his confused about life eyes. But I always just say “Clint is god” and walk away.
“Slumdog Millionaire” is on my top ten for last year. It is also number one in my top ten list of movies with money in the title. Not only is it a movie with heart, it is a movie with feeling. Feeling that you are able to empathize with as you sit in your seat and stuff your face with nacho sauce. That is a rarity these days. There are scads of films produced that evoke feelings but to feel what a character on the screen feels, that’s film magic.
There was no part of this film that was filler. No wasted time or movement. I would not change anything I saw nor would I reshoot or redo a single frame. This is not a perfect film but it nonetheless satisfies on all levels, especially the end. Was that not the most awesome dance sequence in the past 10 years? Sure is. I cared about every character on the screen, hero or villain. I was energized by the survival techniques the young children utilized over the years. I could put myself into the shoes of those folks and do it the same way. I wish it would have been 50 questions they asked and answered.
And so, my dear Adam K, I would urge you to go back and review this film once more. Look for the many nuggets of gold it offers. You will find them lying in the river bed, on top of the gravel. That will eliminate your need to dynamite the water.
Love, Maurice
on Jan 27 2009 @ 11:01 am 6. Maurice said …
It’s time, once again, for “Love Letters From Maurice.”
Dear Rick,
I have two words for you, my little Langolier:
“Gods & Monsters.”
Love, Maurice
on Jan 30 2009 @ 3:10 pm 7. Rachel said …
I grant that Inkheart doesn’t look all that great, and hasn’t gotten good reviews anywhere else, either; but shame on you for calling Brendan Fraser talentless! (See post above, but it’s actually three words: “Gods and Monsters.”) Fraser desperately needs another chance to prove what a fine actor he is, so he can stop bringing comic books to life! Please!
on Jan 30 2009 @ 10:01 pm 8. Luke Harrington said …
Yeah, I probably went a bit too far with the “talentless” dig. What can I say, I’m a provocateur. Adam Sandler probably isn’t entirely talentless either (Punch Drunk Love arguably showed some promise).
on Nov 03 2010 @ 1:12 pm 9. Canister Set · said …
the visual effects of inkheart is really great, but i the visual of effects of Transformers is the best `
on Dec 02 2010 @ 1:19 am 10. Fluorescent Lamp %0A said …
inkheart has great graphics but the story is not that very impressive ,~~
on Dec 03 2010 @ 12:51 am 11. Resistor Color Code %0A said …
Rise Of The Lycans do have some great fighting scene between the werewolves and the vampires, it is a nice movie ~’~
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