January 2013 – Coming Soon Poll
This year, we’re gonna try something a little different, something that demands participation from you, dear reader! It’s real easy – all you have to do is vote and tell Keeping It Reel which movie you are most looking forward to seeing each month. We’ll kick off with January, which isn’t really a month to scoff at anymore, especially after last year’s “The Grey”. This month there movies that saw a limited release in December, are now getting a wider release – a couple with award buzz swirling around them. There are two Jessica Chastain movies to choose from (“Mama” and Zero Dark Thirty”), a mobster movie with an all-star cast, another horror remake, a crime drama and Arnold Schwarzenegger’s return to headlining an action flick! You must choose wisely….
This Week on DVD & Blu-ray (12-31-12 & 01-01-13)
Looper (2012)
written by: Rian Johnson
produced by: Ram Bergman and James D. Stern
directed by: Rian Johnson
rating: R (for strong violence, language, some sexuality/nudity and drug content)
runtime: 118 min.
U.S. release date: September 28, 2012
Watching time travel movies requires a certain suspension of disbelief in order to prevent utter frustration. If you can’t get beyond the theories, codes and laws while using (and abusing) the time continuum, then you’re bound to have problems with whatever paradoxes and conundrums show up. Of course, it helps if the movie in this sci-fi subgenre is well-made and has solid actors working from a clever and creative screenplay. Such is the case with writer/director Rian Johnson’s latest film “Looper” a time-twisting, brain-cramping action thriller. He gives the audience quite a ride, offering a dazzling feature that has a complex head with an ample amount of memorable (and disturbing) shocks ands surprises.
The Central Park Five (2012)
written by Sarah Burns, Ken Burns and David McMahon
directed by: Ken Burns, Sarah Burns, David McMahon
rating: not rated
runtime: 120 min.
U.S. release date: November 23, 2012 (currently available On-Demand)
In 1988, filmmaker Errol Morris released his seminal documentary, “The Thin Blue Line” which documented the case of Randall Adams, a man wrongly convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison in Texas. The film so strongly presented its case of Adams’ innocence that the verdict was subsequently overruled by the Texas Court of Appeals, and he was released from prison. Aside from being a groundbreaking work in the documentary format, “The Thin Blue Line” showed that films like this could have real world implications, that they had the power to change established viewpoints and perhaps even to correct injustices in our society.
Jack Reacher (2012)
written by: Christopher McQuarrie (based on the book One Shot by Lee Child)
produced by: Tom Cruise, Paula Wagner, Gary Levinsohn & Dana Goldberg
directed by: Christopher McQuarrie
rating: PG-13 (for violence, language and some drug material)
runtime: 130 min.
U.S. release date: December 21, 2012
Every now and then Tom Cruise will choose to star in a movie that seems a little below his supposed blockbuster pedigree. I’m thinking of things like “Valkyrie” and “Collateral” and heck, even “Tropic Thunder”, movies that are darker and slightly edgier, and allow Cruise to explore different aspects of his acting abilities. After the mammoth success of “Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol“, “Jack Reacher” would seem to fall in that category, a smaller and more character-based crime thriller less concerned with wild action scenes than with intricate plot twists.
Les Misérables (2012)
written by: William Nicholson, Allain Boublil, Claude-Michel Schönberg and Hernbert Kretzmer
produced by: Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Deborah Hayward and Cameron Mackintosh
directed by: Tom Hooper
rating: PG-143 (for suggestive and sexual material, violence and thematic elements)
runtime: 160 min.
U.S. release date: December 25, 2012
Having been in a few musicals in my time, I can’t really say I have an aversion to them as some moviegoers have, it’s just that there are many out there that aren’t that good. Although I’ve never seen a film version or live musical production of “Les Misérables”, I’ve known of the story, adapted by the classic 1862 novel by Victor Hugo and of the songs that highlight the musical that’s been around since the 80s. So, a new film adaptation of the musical from the Oscar-winning director of “The King’s Speech”, Tom Hooper, had my interest once the cast was announced and the trailers were released. While most musicals are better off on the stage, some film adaptations are able to add a new dimension to the story or bring the drama closer to the viewer, offering a more personal experience – not to mention it’s most likely a cheaper ticket price than any live stage production.
Citizen Gangster (2011)
written by: Nathan Morlando
produced by: Daniel Bekerman
directed by: Nathan Morlando
rating: not rated
runtime: 105 min.
U.S. release date: April 27, 2012
DVD release date: August 28, 2012
Where America had John Dillinger, Pretty Boy Floyd, the Barker Gang, Machine Gun Kelly on a list of infamous bank robbers, Canada had….um….uh…. yeah….I don’t know either. Courtesy of 2011’s “Citizen Gangster”, I’m at least somewhat familiar now with Canada’s most infamous bank robber/outlaws. His name? Edwin Alonzo Boyd.
Django Unchained (2012)
written by: Quentin Tarantino
produced by: Reginald Hudlin, Stacy Sher and Pilar Savone
directed by: Quentin Tarantino
rating: R (for strong graphic violence throughout, a vicious fight, language and some nudity.
runtime: 165 min.
U.S. release date: December 25, 2012
With each movie, Quentin Tarantino has proven himself a filmmaker who revels in the genres he immerses himself in. From 1992‘s “Reservoir Dogs”, the heist film that started his directing career to “Inglorious Basterds”, his revisionist WWII film from 2009, his enthusiasm for each subject matter he tackles is ever-present. By now, we pretty much know what we’re in for with a Tarantino film; there’s the cool dialogue and the snappy banter and the requisite blood and violence. That’s what viewers will find in his latest, a comical yet unsettling blaxploitation/spaghetti Western hybrid that may be Tarantino at his loosest, but also one that doesn’t shy away from the atrocities of slavery. Merry Christmas, everyone!
Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
written by: David O. Russell
produced by: Bruce Cohen and Donna Gigliotti
directed by: David O. Russell
rated: R (for language and some sexual content/nudity)
runtime: 122 min.
U.S. release date: November 16, 2012
To follow-up 2010’s Oscar-winning drama “The Fighter”, writer/director David O. Russell gives us “The “Silver Linings Playbook”, his adaptation of Matthew Quick’s 2008 novel. The two films actually have quite a bit in common: both have men who must overcome bad behavior and personal obstacles and both of them fall for spirited women who, unbeknownst to these men at the time, happen to be the exact kind of gal these particular men need. Russell is again dealing with some challenging subject matter here, as mental illness replaces substance abuse, and he does so in a respectful and realistic manner combining hilarious wit and refreshing vulnerability. “Silver Linings Playbook” is a challenge to describe to others, since it offers much more than any summary can communicate. It could be considered a dramedy, yet one could also categorize it as a rom-com. If so, it would then be the kind of rom-com that you could recommend to anyone who’s given up on the genre.
This Week on DVD & Blu-ray (12-18-12 & 12-21-12)
Yet another remake is made, seen and forgotten – I’m talking about you “Total Recall”. All you have to offer is a fine fight between Kate Beckinsale and Jessica Biel, after that you’re just unmemorable. At least there’s “Pitch Perfect” which supposedly offers more than you’d expect from a musical comedy focusing on a collegiate a capella group featuring the wonderful Anna Kendrick. And then there’s – COWABUNGA! – those pizza-lovin’ ninja turtles are back! All three live-action movies are now available for the first time on Blu-ray! These and many more selections can be found in this week’s double-sized list….
