411 Movies Roundtable: March 2010

Posted by Jeremy Thomas on 03.06.2010

Can anyone take down Avatar as Winner of the Month? Who lost bigger, Kevin Smith or The Wolfman? What does the 411 Movie Staff think of Alice in Wonderland, Green Zone, Brooklyn's Finest and Hot Tub Time Machine? Check find out as the we take a look at the month of March!



February is in the books and a new month is upon us; that means that it's time for monthly 411 Movies Roundtable for March 2010! Oscar is reigning over the beginning of the month, and March is when the bigger releases start to come out in order to capitalize on the movie mania that audiences tend to go through following the awards telecast. This year we have a Tim Burton retelling of a Disney classic, the latest action thriller from Paul Greengrass and Matt Damon, another Gerard Butler romantic comedy, a laugh film about a hot tub that travels back in time…and that's just the tip of the iceberg!

This month's picture theme is in honor of the new Antoine Fuqua film releasing this month, Brooklyn's Finest. Since it's awards season, we're using some of Brooklyn's Finest as far as the Academy is concerned: those actors and directors who were born in Brooklyn who have an Oscar on their mantelpiece. To all my fellow participants: You're welcome for not getting Barbara Streisand as your picture. No need to thank me.

Anyway, let's get to it! Introducing this month's participants:

"Furious on Film's" own Arnold Furious!
Bryan Kristopowitz of "The Gratuitous B-Movie Column" and "TV Rants and Raves!"
The man behind "Movie's 3R's," Shawn S. Lealos!
Steve Gustafson of "The Big Screen Bulletin" and "The Hollywood 5&1!"
And I'm your host, Jeremy Thomas!





Arnold Furious

Biggest Winner of the Month: Martin Scorsese. Remember back in the 1970s (you probably don't but I'll carry on regardless) when the new auteur directors were all coming into fashion. Coppola, Scorsese, Spielberg, George Lucas even. Coppola hasn't made an important film in nearly 20 years and not a good one since the early ‘80s. Lucas got more involved in the creation of technology and hasn't directed anything outside of Star Wars since the ‘70s. Spielberg is perhaps the most successful of the bunch but he has numerous blunders on his record. Most recently the pillaging of the Indiana Jones character for one more payday. Scorsese has stayed true to himself and even minor Scorsese films are usually very solid. When was the last bad Scorsese film? Maybe his Howard Hughes biopic Aviator was a little too glossy but it nearly won an Academy Award. New York, New York isn't particularly great but that was over 30 years ago! This past month he brought us Shutter Island, which opened strong and to decent reviews. Number one picture in America, hasn't made a bad movie in 30 years. He can have winner of the month.

Biggest Loser of the Month: Plenty of bad pictures in February. But being bad in of itself isn't enough for this category. The Wolfman was not only bad, but badly reviewed, hated by the public and was a complete waste of time for all concerned. Not only that but it stands to lose a significant amount of money after Universal spent $150M on it. $150M! Smashed at the box office by a much cheaper and still star-studded rom-com it then suffered near 70% drop-off in its second weekend. Disappointing.

Biggest Movie News of the Month: I'll go with the Oscar nominations. I always look forward to the ceremony itself but seeing the nom's come out is always fun. With the extended contenders for ‘best picture', which certainly would have insured best picture nominations for Dark Knight and WALL-E last year thus satisfying some angry dissenters, such crowd pleasers as District 9, Inglourious Basterds and Up get the nod. None of them stand a chance of winning but getting mentioned is nice.

Your Most Anticipated Movie of the Month: I've been looking forward to Brooklyn's Finest for ages and with such positive early screenings I'm amazed it's taken this long to get a release. Green Zone also looks like a winner.

Recommended DVD Release of the Month: Harry Brown; the British version of Gran Torino. Clint Eastwood is replaced by the equally charismatic Michael Caine. It's not without flaws and certainly can't hold up to Eastwood's denouement but well worth a look.

Classic Movie of the Month: Seeing as it's getting a cinematic re-release this week why not check out Gentlemen Prefer Blondes? One of Marilyn Monroe's better performances and one of her better pictures. It's charming and behind Seven Year Itch and the vent dress blowing scene, is one of Marilyn's most iconic moments…the "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend" number. An inspiration to many young women not least of all Madonna who lifted it for her "Material Girl" video.

Movie Quote of the Month:
"We don't know how she got out of her room. It's as if she evaporated, straight through the walls."
– Ben Kingsley gets all metaphysical in Shutter Island.




Bryan Kristopowitz

Biggest Winner of the Month: Once again, "Avatar" gets the nod because it still hasn't stopped making money, and theatre chains are trying to figure out how they can keep the movie around in 3-D when other big 3-D movies are coming out. When will the money train stop for the biggest movie of all time?

Biggest Loser of the Month: The people behind "The Wolfman," as the horror flick tanked despite some pretty nifty advertising and movie nerd curiosity (will we be able to tell why the movie was delayed for so long by watching it?). It'll probably do okay for itself on home video, though.

Biggest Movie News of the Month: "The Hurt Locker" and Kathryn Bigelow usurping "Avatar's" Oscar momentum and looking like the front runner going in. It looks like Bigelow may finally get the recognition she deserves.

Your Most Anticipated Movie of the Month: "Brooklyn's Finest," "Green Zone," "Our Family Wedding," "Repo Men," "Hot Tub Time Machine."

Recommended DVD Release of the Month: There's quite a bit of cool stuff coming out this month: "The Wraith" gets a special edition, "Capitalism: A Love Story," "Elvis" miniseries (the one starring Kurt Russell and directed by John Carpenter), "Precious," "The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day," "Scarecrow and Mrs. King: Season 1,' "Matt Houston: Season 1," "Tremors: The Complete Series," "The Princess and the Frog," "Ninja Assassin" (I missed it in theatres), "The Fourth Kind," "The Men Who Stare at Goats," "The African Queen," "The Fantastic Mr. Fox," "Red Cliff International Version Part I & II," the flicks from "After Dark Horrorfest 4," "Damage" (the "Stone Cold" Steve Austin flick), "Sherlock Holmes," "Alvin and the Chipmunks: the Squeakquel" (I loved it, so sue me) and "Steven Seagal: Lawman" Season 1.

Classic Movie of the Month: "Hoffa" (1992): This is the great biopic directed by Danny DeVito, written by David Mamet, and starring Jack Nicholson as the Teamsters President Jimmy Hoffa. I don't think I've ever seen a movie with so many people using the word "cocksucker." It's also one of those biopics you have to see a few times to catch everything and it gets better with each viewing (Robert Prosky is freaking transcendent here). Easily DeVito's best effort as a director. If you haven't seen it yet, do yourself a favor and see it now. You won't regret it.

"Hoffa: What do I want you to do? I want you to kill the cocksucker! I want you to stuff his arms up his ass, that's what I fuckin' want!"
Jack Nicholson (James R. Hoffa) Hoffa (1992)



Shawn Lealos

Biggest Winner of the Month: Avatar. It became the highest grossing movie of all time (inflation be damned). It broke all IMAX records. It passed $2 billion. By the end of the month it was still hanging out at the top of the charts every week. It is still averaging over a million a day in ticket sales. And it was nominated for NINE Oscars. I predicted it would flop. Damn.

Biggest Loser of the Month: Fans of the Percy Jackson book series. These books are fantastic and fans were all excited to see it brought to life by the same guy who gave us the original Harry Potter movies. So, what do they do to the first book's adaptation? They change the bad guy, completely remove one of the most interesting characters, eliminate the prophesy that drives the entire book series and fuck up the entire stories continuity as a result. A comparison would be if Chris Columbus had removed Snape from the first Harry Potter movie, made Dumbledore the bad guy and not had Harry marked. They fucked up what could have been a great new kid's adventure series.

Biggest Movie News of the Month: Christopher Nolan joins the Superman team. Man of Steel will be the new film's name and it will be written by Dark Knight screenwriter David Goyer. The bad guys will be Lex Luthor and Braniac and it will NOT be an origin story. Superman is coming back and I have all the faith in the world in Nolan.

Your Most Anticipated Movie of the Month: Repo Man. This month is kind of weak and there is little that looks GREAT enough to get excited about. Repo Man is the closest we come to a movie that I feel even remotely excited about.

Recommended DVD Release of the Month: I could be cool and say The African Queen, since that movie has never been released on DVD before. But I won't. I also have to say I am interested in both The Princess and the Frog, Ponyo and Fantastic Mr. Fox, since I missed all of them while they were in theaters. There are also a few Criterion Blu Rays I am excited about including Yojimbo, Sanjuro and Days of Heaven, but those are also not my most anticipated releases. Both Toy Story movies hit Blu-Ray too. Nope, as cool as all those are I am so ready to see Where the Wild Things Are again and that Blu-Ray is my most recommended release of the month.

Classic Movie of the Month: Yojimbo. It hits Blu-Ray this month and is one of Kurosawa's best movies. For those who have not heard of it, watch this movie. Clint Eastwood's A Fistful of Dollars, the cult classic Django and Bruce Willis' Last Man Standing are all remakes of this wonderful classic.

Movie Quote of the Month:
"Two coffins... No, maybe three."
- Yojimbo




Steve Gustafson

Biggest Winner of the Month: There's no way around this one...Avatar! No one could ever have predicted this. Not even the most generous of estimates. I've seen it a few times and each time I'm amazed at the demographic I'm sharing the theater with. All ages, all colors, all religions...ALL LOVE IT! This has to make James Cameron nervous though. The pressure and expectations for this next movie are going to be through the roof! Anything less than $1 BILLION will be UNACCEPTABLE!

Biggest Loser of the Month: Kevin Smith. It pains me to say this. While his movie opened stronger than expectations, his "cool" demeanor is taking a hit from fanboys everywhere. Hey, I'm still a fan, don't get me wrong. But from Weight-Gate to the awfulness that was Cop Out, Smith isn't on my good list. Especially with his recent statements that pretty much said that if you're opinion is different from his...you're wrong. One, it sucks what happened on the airplane. But it happened. How he handled it turned him from being the victim to looking like a bitter guy looking for attention by beating an unfortunate incident into the ground. Two, I like Bruce Willis. I like Tracy Morgan. I like Kevin Smith. I liked the cast. But add those all up and Cop Out just wasn't funny. It happens. The jokes felt forced. The storyline was uninspired. Everyone seemed flat or just uninterested. We all have our misses, and this was one of them. Three, Smith attacking critic's opinions was petty. I can appreciate his passion for his project but to blanket EVERYONE into a group is beneath him. Look, his loyal fan base isn't going anywhere. But as far as that fan base growing, I don't think that's happening.

Biggest Movie News of the Month: Christopher Nolan RULES THE (DC) UNIVERSE! I don't know what's going to happen but my interest is at an all time high to see how the Nolan Initiative plays out. From Batman 3 to the Superman reboot and the Justice League, the folks at DC Entertainment are in the right to back Nolan's vision. Let's hope this plays out well for all involved.

Your Most Anticipated Movie of the Month: Brooklyn's Finest. You had me at Wesley Snipes.

Recommended DVD Release of the Month: Where the Wild Things Are. I want to give this another run through. I loved it in the theater and now I can enjoy it in my home.

Classic Movie of the Month: Grandma's Boy. A 35 year old video game tester has to move in with his grandma and her two old lady roommates. Isn't that the dream?

Movie Quote of the Month:
"Women are a labyrinth, my friend. Can I be frank? I don't think you listen to her. I think you tell her what she wants to hear. She wants you to thirst for knowledge about who she is, all the complicated splendor that is women. When your love is truly giving, it will come back to you tenfold."
-The Cable Guy (Jim Carrey), The Cable Guy



Jeremy Thomas

Biggest Winner of the Month: Martin Scorsese. A lot of people were concerned about whether Shutter Island was going to be any good or make any money. Those people can rest easy for now, as both turned out to be the case. The film ended up being a damn good psychological thriller in pulp/noir trappings and the film is on track to make a tidy profit for Paramount. Even while Avatar continued to rake in money, this gets the win for me because it silenced the critics. (Well, okay it didn't. But there are enough supporters to drown them out.)

Biggest Loser of the Month: Horror fans and Universal. Not only was The Wolfman a loathsome excuse for a horror film, it has done poorly compared to the eye-popping $150 million budget that had ballooned that high due to costly reshoots and special effects that didn't deliver. I'm sure this one will be decently successful on home video, but I don't expect it to make back its budget by any stretch.

Biggest Movie News of the Month: The Nolans ruling DC is hard to deny as the big movie news. I don't consider this to be the greatest thing on the planet, primarily because I don't think Nolan's style is quite suited to Superman and I also believe that with his and Jonathon's attentions split between the Man of Steel and Batman that both will suffer. Also, David Goyer writing the script doesn't hype me that much. Does anyone else remember that for every Dark Knight he writes, he also does two or three The Crow: City of Angel's?

Your Most Anticipated Movie of the Month: I'm hopeful for Alice in Wonderland and Brooklyn's Finest, but for me it's Repo Men. I'm digging the vibe and I'm down for Jude Law in more starring roles, so this looks like my kind of thing.

Recommended DVD Release of the Month: Screw whether it's "cool" or not to mention it. I'm all OVER the DVD & Blu-Ray Release of The African Queen after all this time of Paramount never putting it out. A second place vote goes to the theatrical and international versions of John Woo's Red Cliff. And they all come out the same week, too.

Classic Movie of the Month: With The Runaways releasing this month, I'm going a wee bit off the beaten path and going with a movie that not many people may know. Starring Gina Gershon and Lori Petty, Prey for Rock and Roll is also about an all-girl rock band trying to make it big (although this one's fictional). It's not the greatest movie of all time and there are times where it drags, but the music is pretty good and Gershon is great as the lead role.

Movie Quote of the Month:
"Actually, I'm in a band so that I can get laid."
"C'mon dude, chicks do not need to be in a band to get laid."
Tracy (Drea de Matteo) and Jacki (Gina Gershon), Prey for Rock & Roll



MARCH 5TH



Alice in Wonderland
Genre: Fantasy Adventure
Studio: Walt Disney Pictures
Directed by: Tim Burton
Starring: Mia Wasikowska, Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Anne Hathaway, Crispin Glover, Christopher Lee, Michael Sheen
Synopsis: 19-year-old Alice returns to the magical world from her childhood adventure, where she reunites with her old friends and learns of her true destiny: to end the Red Queen's reign of terror.

Arnold Furious: I'm not a big Tim Burton fan. I don't think he's made much of any worth, apart from Big Fish since his late 80s heyday. I wasn't impressed with his Goth-opera or his last re-do Charlie & the Chocolate Factory. Trailers for this seem to suggest more of the same. I'm sure Burton's army of fans will enjoy and perhaps the odd neutral but for me it's a nausea inducing pass.

Bryan Kristopowitz: You know, I'm as big a Tim Burton nerd as the next guy on the internets, but this just looks like shit. It's probably amazing, but after seeing several previews and reading about it in my Sunday paper I'm just not enthused.

Shawn S. Lealos: I am pretty excited to see this movie and there is a good chance I will have seen it before this roundtable is posted. Tim Burton and Johnny Depp are usually pretty damn good together and if this is anywhere near as brilliant as Sweeny Todd I will be happy. I'm pretty damn excited about this film and can't wait to see it - in glorious 3D!

Steve Gustafson: With Avatar still making money and many theaters having only ONE auditorium with 3D capacity, this will be interesting. The eyes of Hollywood will be looking at how performs. Is 3D here to stay? Most likely, yes. Especially is Johnny Depp in Wonderland has the kind of performance everyone is expecting it to have. So go out. Watch Alice. And get used to paying an extra $5 for 3D movies. Hollywood thanks you.

Jeremy Thomas: I'm really looking forward to this one. Alice in Wonderland is exactly the kind of cracked-out story that Tim Burton should be able to do well with, and while the advertising is focusing largely on Johnny Depp who will probably rock the house as the Mad Hatter, I'm personally more interested in seeing how Mia Wasikowska does. She could definitely be a name for the future and if she does well here, big things could be coming her way.



Brooklyn's Finest
Genre: Crime Drama
Studio: Overture Films
Directed by: Antoine Fuqua
Starring: Richard Gere, Don Cheadle, Ethan Hawke, Wesley Snipes
Synopsis: In the course of one chaotic week in Brooklyn, the lives of three conflicted New York City police officers are dramatically transformed by their involvement in a massive drug operation.

Arnold Furious: This is the movie I'd rather check out March 5th. Antoine Fuqua has had a few misfires but festival feedback for this has been very positive. And let's not forget this is the same man who directed Training Day. New York cop movies have been somewhat disappointing in recent years. I'm concerned about Richard Gere working against type but it's about time Wesley Snipes was in something decent and Ethan Hawke usually delivers the goods in grittier roles. Like Training Day, for example.

Bryan Kristopowitz: This looks like a pretty decent cop movie, even with Richard Gere in it. But the big reason to see this is Wesley Snipes and his return to the big screen since, what, "Blade: Trinity?" Don't get me wrong, I don't want Snipes to stop making direct-to-video action flicks, but it'll be cool to see him "act" again in a movie theatre.

Shawn S. Lealos: This movie is nothing you haven't seen before many times. It has great acting but a weak storyline. It is everything you hated about Crash. It is perfectly average. Luckily, Wesley Snipes is pretty great. I'll leave the rest for my upcoming review.

Steve Gustafson: Richard Gere. Don Cheadle. Ethan Hawke. Wesley Snipes. Now THIS is a cast you want to root for! I've heard the rumors of why this has been pushed back and the supposed trouble, but I'm keeping an open heart and a clear mind on this one. Thanks to a great trailer, buzz is picking up.

Jeremy Thomas: Antoine Fuqua has made a lot of great films, and a few bad ones. This one got a lot of attention when it got picked up after Sundance last year by Overture, who reportedly wanted the "depressing" ending changed. Will it have been changed? How will the cast do? I'm a big fan of Ethan Hawke's and the rest of the cast is usually very solid, which could make this a fantastic film by the time it's done.


MARCH 12TH



Green Zone
Genre: Action Thriller
Studio: Universal Pictures
Directed by: Paul Greengrass
Starring: Matt Damon, Jason Isaacs, Greg Kinnear, Brendan Gleeson, Amy Ryan
Synopsis: Discovering covert and faulty intelligence causes a U.S. Army officer to go rogue as he hunts for Weapons of Mass Destruction in an unstable region.

Arnold Furious: Greengrass and Damon have obviously garnered quite the friendship during the ongoing Jason Bourne series. Recently the actor was pictured alongside the director at a Chelski football match. Clearly being introduced to more British culture courtesy of his colleague. Greengrass has done wonders for both the Bourne franchise and Damon's career so it's no wonder they get along so well. I know there are those who criticize Greengrass' habit of using a shaky camera but he finally got the balance right in Bourne Ultimatum. The action blurry at times but gloriously in focus when it needed to be. Something Michael Bay could learn a thing or two from. The cast is great and the only downside is the general public's disillusionment with Iraq War II movies. Green Zone might just change all that.

Bryan Kristopowitz: I've never been a fan of Matt Damon, but this looks pretty decent. I don't know why, though, Damon and Greengrass just didn't make this the fourth Bourne movie. That's what it looks like and the commercials sort of make it look that way.

Shawn S. Lealos: It's Jason Bourne vs. Jason Isaacs. How freaking cool is this going to be. I really like the actors in the movie and the action looks great. I'm not a big war movie fan but this movie looks more like a giant B-level action romp with A-list stars. Plus, its Paul Greengrass, so you know it's gonna look great.

Steve Gustafson: I had a list of Bourne jokes but didn't want to be looked at as a hack. Again. As much as I want to pass on this...it keeps getting my attention. Dang you Matt Damon!

Jeremy Thomas: My big problem with this film is that it seems too generic to me. Take Matt Damon, make him a covert operative and plunk him down in Iraq. Throw in Paul Greengrass's reliance on shaky cam and begin to market. This is not saying that it won't be good, but it has not been marketed well for those who want something more than your average CIA-type thriller. I will definitely be checking it out, but my expectations have been tempered significantly.



Our Family Wedding
Genre: Comedy
Studio: Fox Searchlight Pictures
Directed by: Rick Famuyiwa
Starring: America Ferrera, Lance Gross, Forest Whitaker, Carlos Mencia, Regina King
Synopsis: A couple return from college and too suddenly announce their marriage plans, discovering that their ego-driven fathers and overbearing mother can wreak a major amount of havoc on their special day.

Arnold Furious: Forest, what are you doing in this pile of shit? Doing battle with Carlos Mencia? If the idea sounds bad check out the trailer. Even worse.

Bryan Kristopowitz: I'm a fan of Ferrera's (it sucks that her show "Ugly Betty" is ending) so I'm interested regardless of whoever else is in it. And this cast looks pretty damn decent. Funny. Regina King kicks ass, too.

Shawn S. Lealos: This is a comedy that doesn't look that funny to me. I guess I'm not the target audience.

Steve Gustafson: I'll catch this on DVD. Maybe. I'm not a Carlos Mencia fan and I know that's a weak excuse to pass on a movie. I don't know. Wedding movies are so played, I'm not really itching to see another one that screams, "WATCH ME! I'm different!" Still, maybe...just maybe...the power of Forest Whitaker will draw me in.

Jeremy Thomas: I hate Carlos Mencia, and I consider that a perfectly acceptable reason to pass on this movie. However, it doesn't hurt that the plot is cookie-cutter, the trailer is underwhelming and frankly, everything about this screams "Run Away!" to me. I enjoy Forest Whitaker and Regina King in past work, but there's nothing about this that appeals to me.




Remember Me
Genre: Romantic Drama
Studio: Summit Entertainment
Directed by: Allen Coulter
Starring: Robert Pattinson, Emilie de Ravin, Pierce Brosnan, Chris Cooper
Synopsis: A drama centered on two lovers whose newfound relationship is threatened as they try to cope with their respective family tragedies.

Arnold Furious: Allen Coulter directed 12 episodes of the Sopranos and also did Hollywoodland, which is terrific. He also has some killer support for the main roles. Chris Cooper is routinely the best thing about every movie he's in. But I'm not exactly a fan of Robert Pattinson. Not just because he's a teeny heartthrob but because he isn't very good at acting. So I think I'll have to pass on this. Unless the wife gets me to watch it.

Bryan Kristopowitz: I really have no interest in seeing anything with Robert Pattinson in it, so screw this movie.

Shawn S. Lealos: The movie looks like it might be decent. I didn't think Robert Pattinson had it in him, and he might not, but with Chris Cooper this has to be somewhat decent. Still, once again, I'm not really seeing much interest in this yet.

Steve Gustafson: C'mon Pierce! What's going on with you lately? Another movie that I put in the "thanks but no thanks" box.

Jeremy Thomas: You know…I want to hate this. I really do. But damn if I wasn't actually a bit intrigued when I saw the trailer for the first time in December or January. The cast looks solid—yes, even Pattinson, who looks to be branching out from his Twilight stuff—and Allen Coulter has done some very good work in the past. This is clearly marketed toward a certain type of fan, but I may wind up enjoying it anyway. Weirder things have happened.



She's Out of My League
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Studio: Paramount Pictures
Directed by: Jim Field Smith
Starring: Alice Eve, Jay Baruchel, Krysten Ritter, Mike Vogel
Synopsis: An average Joe meets the perfect woman, but his lack of confidence and the influence of his friends and family begin to pick away at the relationship.

Arnold Furious: So all the men will be watching Green Zone on March 12th then! I like Jay Baruchel but I don't think this is the movie that'll make him a star. If they can't even find enough good bits to make the trailer entertaining then I pass. Incidentally this would be my vote for the worst release of the month.

Bryan Kristopowitz: I've laughed at the previews, and I like the premise of the movie, but I suspect that we've already seen the best bits in the trailers. I just hope the movie is short. Sex comedies are at their best when they're lean and mean and get to the point quickly. Does anyone really want to sit through two hours of a movie like this one?

Shawn S. Lealos: I think I'm getting old. This doesn't have the same appeal it might have had when I was in my twenties. The trailer has some funny moments but the entire premise seems a bit shallow.

Steve Gustafson: Predictable but the trailer got a few chuckles out of me. Plus, I'm a sucker for underdog type movies.

Jeremy Thomas: This one looks like it's trying too hard. I think that it will have a few minor laughs in it and it's nice to see Jay Baruchel trying to become a star of his own rather than being comfortable with supporting roles, but there's not much that I can see for this film that sets it apart from a thousand other "geeky guy gets girl" movies. I hope it will be good, but I'm expecting it to be very, VERY bad.


MARCH 19TH



The Bounty Hunter
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Studio: Columbia Pictures
Directed by: Andy Tennant
Starring: Gerard Butler, Jennifer Aniston, Christine Baranski
Synopsis: A bounty hunter learns that his next target is his ex-wife, a reporter working on a murder cover-up. Soon after their reunion, the always-at-odds duo find themselves on a run-for-their-lives adventure.

Arnold Furious: Both Butler and Aniston seem to be stuck in a bit of a rut. Making the same lousy films one after another. I'm sure this will change nothing. Christine Baranski can be quite irritating when she tries too. I think this is a definite pass.

Bryan Kristopowitz: Andy Tennant is a pretty okay romantic comedy director, so in that sense this could be worth seeing. Butler and Aniston seem to have decent enough chemistry based on the trailers. But this is an action movie, isn't it? Can Tennant handle that kind of thing?

Shawn S. Lealos: I think I'm getting old. This does look funny. Gerard Butler and Jennifer Aniston have good chemistry in the trailers and it is full of really funny moments. It is one of the only movies this month that I think my wife and I can both enjoy, so that is always a good thing.

Steve Gustafson: Gerard, what's up with you and Pierce? I like you guys but the choices you are making in movies is questionable. I know you gotta eat but sometimes you need to listen to that voice inside your head that says, "Pass." Then again, you might have heard the name Jennifer Aniston and listened to another little voice located further south. That I can forgive. But I'm not seeing this movie.

Jeremy Thomas: Gerard Butler needs to stop doing romantic comedies, and Jennifer Aniston should get to doing that whole "no more girl who's trying to get the guy" plan ASAP. That's all I have to say about this one, other than it looks terrible.



Repo Men
Genre: Sci-Fi Thriller
Studio: Universal Pictures
Directed by: Miguel Sapochnik
Starring: Jude Law, Liev Schreiber, Forest Whitaker, Alice Braga
Synopsis: In the future humans have extended and improved our lives through highly sophisticated and expensive mechanical organs created by a company called "The Union". The dark side of these medical breakthroughs is that if you don't pay your bill, "The Union" sends its highly skilled repo men to take back its property. Former soldier Remy suffers a cardiac failure on the job and awakens to find himself fitted with the company's top-of-the-line heart-replacement. When he can't make the payments, The Union sends its toughest enforcer, Remy's former partner Jake, to track him down.

Arnold Furious: The one sci-fi release of the month and Jude Law is there to ruin it for me. Not that I'd want to see it anyway. I like the concept but not the talent involved. Sapochnik is practically on his first time out. Liev Schreiber is ok, I guess but he isn't one of the two main characters. Having Jude and Forest as two guys who "grew up together" just doesn't fit. Forest is 11 years older and looks it. The flashy neon in the trailer looks kinda cool but it did in AI too and look how that worked out. Incidentally another movie I hate Jude Law in.

Bryan Kristopowitz: Simply put, this looks awesome. Everything about it screams classic, ass kicking sci-fi flick. Whitaker, Law, and Schreiber look like they're having the time of their lives. It also looks like something that could happen in the future. You know, business is business and all that. Wouldn't it be cool if John Cleese showed up in it in a cameo and removed a guy's liver? Of course it would be.

Shawn S. Lealos: Wasn't this movie released as a musical opera last year? Either way, the movie looks B-A-D A-S-S. Liev Schreiber is awesome in almost everything I have seen in him and Jude Law is having a career revival when it comes to actual cool movies, between this and Sherlock Holmes. Forrest Whitaker is only icing on the cake. I can't wait to see this movie.

Steve Gustafson: Another one with a great cast. Jude Law, Liev Schreiber, Forest Whitaker...not bad at all. Wrap them up in a pretty cool story and I'll be there with my popcorn.

Jeremy Thomas: This looks wonderful. Yes, this plot was previously done in the fantastic Repo: The Genetic Opera; the two stories developed individually without any knowledge of the other until production and development had begun on both. I love Repo but I expect I will like this one as well. It takes a more serious, thriller-oriented direction and I'm very intrigued to see how it plays out. The marketing has been fantastic and I'm hopeful it will translate into a great sci-fi film as well.



The Runaways
Genre: Musical Biopic
Studio: Apparition
Directed by: Floria Sigismondi
Starring: Kristen Stewart, Dakota Fanning, Scout Taylor-Compton, Michael Shannon
Synopsis: Based on lead-singer Cherie Currie's book 'Neon Angel', the rise of the famous all-girl rock band is chronicled from their formation to their meteoric rise to fame and internal conflicts.

Arnold Furious: I quite like the band. Joan Jett and Lita Ford both went on to have successful solo careers. The big pointer for the Runaways and whether it'll be a success long-term is how good Dakota Fanning is in it. After all she's the big up and coming talent in this film. Kristen Stewart and Scout Taylor-Compton have their franchises but she's the one with a genuine shot at superstardom. If she's good in this it could be the start of a promising adult career for the child star.

Bryan Kristopowitz: Eh. Doesn't sound or seem all that promising.

Shawn S. Lealos: So, we get both EMO Twilight kids in separate movies in the same month? I am more interested in the other movie. I was never a big Joan Jett fan, "I Love Rock ‘n' Roll" being the only song that I really liked. I used to think Stewart had a future in the movie business. Now I don't care anymore.

Steve Gustafson: This gets a thumbs up from. I'm hearing all sorts of cool buzz for this and it has a story I can rock to. This sort of flew under the radar but a quirky little trailer changed all that for me. Is that really Dakota Fanning? She's just rewriting the book on childhood stars, isn't she?

Jeremy Thomas: I'm a sucker for musical biopics, and I've heard enough good things about this one that I'm optimistic. Yes, the cast looks like it could be terrible, but Stewart & Fanning have done some very good work before and of course Michael Shannon was nominated for an Oscar last year for Revolutionary Road. If this lives up to the hype, it could make people look at the girl actors here in an entirely new light.


MARCH 19TH



Hot Tub Time Machine
Genre: Comedy
Studio: MGM Pictures
Directed by: Steve Pink
Starring: John Cusack, Rob Corddry, Craig Robinson, Clark Duke, Chevy Chase
Synopsis: Four guy friends, all of them bored with their adult lives, travel back to their respective 80s heydays thanks to a time-bending hot tub.

Arnold Furious: This film is so ridiculous that the cameo exposition comes from Chevy Chase. At least on Click they got a wacky Christopher Walken. The ‘80s retro love continues too. I fully expect a lot of films to get all nostalgic about 20 years ago because that's when the current crop of screenwriters were growing up but time travel to the ‘80s? The usual Michael Jackson joke appears in the trailer. That's about what I expect from this.

Bryan Kristopowitz: The previews have been a riot, and it's about time John Cusack got to do a wacky comedy like this one. A freaking hot tub time machine. That's ingenious.

Shawn S. Lealos: OK. I said I wasn't feeling She's Out of My League but there is something strangely attractive about HTTM. Seeing John Cusack in a wacky comedy makes me happy (2012 doesn't count because that was unintentional comedy). The movie looks dumb funny and I can always make time for that.

Steve Gustafson: Yes, yes, yes, and YES! When I first heard about this project I thought, "No way they make it and no way they keep the title." Happy to say I was wrong. Thanks to The Hangover studios are a little more open to taking a risk on lesser known names for a comedy.

Jeremy Thomas: I'm a known John Cusack mark and so I'm hyped for this one. The concept is ridiculous and that's the point; the cast looks very solid as well. Chevy Chase looks like he's having fun and while we have all the formula elements in place for a huge misfire, I'm hoping for this to be the Hangover of 2010 in that it's the comedy that comes out of nowhere to be both funny and successful as hell.



How to Train Your Dragon
Genre: Animated Adventure
Studio: DreamWorks Animation
Directed by: Dean DeBlois
Starring: Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, America Ferrera, Craig Ferguson, Jonah Hill
Synopsis: A hapless young Viking who aspires to hunt dragons becomes the unlikely owner of a young dragon himself, and learns there may be more to the creatures than he assumed.

Arnold Furious: DreamWorks has been making some decent films lately. Kung Fu Panda and Monsters Vs Aliens were both an improvement over their usual fare. For How to Train Your Dragon the trailer looks ok but the animation doesn't. Jay Baruchel's delivery is quite flat and lifeless. I guess I just can't get excited about DreamWorks releases knowing full well they never measure up to Pixar. I'll probably get around to this on DVD in a month full of films that are barely worthy of a cinema trip.

Bryan Kristopowitz: This looks like a nice enough animated movie, but it doesn't look like anything that has to be seen right away.

Shawn S. Lealos: How funny is it that all these voice actors are in other movies this month. Uh, this looks, uh, kind of silly. DreamWorks is so hit and miss with their animated movies. This is gonna be a long month.

Steve Gustafson: Something for the kids? I have no problem with that. Actually, I'm digging the trailer and might give it a look-see myself.

Jeremy Thomas: This could be very good…or it could be a disaster. The trailer was actually pretty decent, and if the voice cast rises to the challenge we could get a nice little CGI film here. This certainly doesn't look to be on the level of DreamWorks's recent animated films, but you never know; it could surprise.

And there you have it. Green Zone is the 411 staff's Golden Ticket, while She's Out of My League gets our Bomb of the Month Award!

And that's what we've got for you for the month of March. Stay tuned next month for a look at Clash of the Titans, Kick Ass, The Losers, A Nightmare on Elm Street and many more!