411 Movies Roundtable: July 2008 Part 1

Posted by Owain J. Brimfield on 07.01.2008

The 411 staff takes a look back at the month that was, and discusses the upcoming big releases in July!

Welcome to the monthly 411 Movies Roundtable. We're starting to draw to a close on the summer movie season, but there are still a fair few big hitters out there, and we have to see whether DC can match the success their rivals Marvel have had over the past few months. It'll be a stern task, but if anyone can do it, Batman can. Elsewhere this month, Will Smith battles the forces of alcoholism, Brendan Fraser takes a trip to the bowels of the planet, and Eddie Murphy once again attempts to see whether he can ever be funny/relevant ever again.

This month's picture theme takes the obvious comedy route afforded us by the upcoming Space Chimps, by highlighting some other famous simians from the movie world. As always, bragging rights to the first person to correctly name both the character and the movie for each pic.

Let's get down to business...

Introducing this month's participants:

Movie reviewer James McGee!

DVD mastermind Jeremy Thomas!

From the aptly-titled "Furious on Film", yes, it's Arnold Furious!

Dungeonmaster Jeffrey "The Vile One" Harris!

B-movie guru Bryan Kristopowitz!

King of the Casting Call, Jason Chamberlain!

All the way from 411's MMA zone, Eight Sides of Wendell Mitchell!

A high five for Trevor Snyder!

An alternate take on Shawn S. Lealos!

...and I'm your host, Owain J. Brimfield!

The Month That Was

James McGee

Biggest Winner of the Month: I'm going to have to go with Marvel Studios once again for following up the surprise hit that was Iron Man with The Incredible Hulk. The big green guy isn't making quite the same impact at the box-office as Iron Man, but its far from a failure. Plus, it's getting generally favorable reviews. This has been a great debut-year for Marvel's in-house movie studio, and the schedule over the next couple of years only suggests things will get better.

Biggest Loser of the Month: It may just a tad early as of this writing, but it looks like The Love Guru is shaping up to be a spectacular failure. Maybe Mike should have just done that fourth Austin Powers movie outright.

Biggest Movie News of the Month: Not sure if this technically qualifies as movie news, but considering Hulk Hogan has starred in some…things that some people call "movies," I'll go with the ever-deteriorating circus that he and his family is becoming. Nick and his dad aren't making many new fans with their jail-house conversations, Brooke's music career isn't exactly setting the world on fire, and the divorce is starting to get nasty. Couldn't have happened to a nicer bunch of people.

Your Most Anticipated Movie of the Month: Easily The Dark Knight. I loved Chris Nolan's take on Batman the first time around, and I can only suspect this one will be even better. The cast is once again fantastic, and this movie should be a nice memorial for Heath Ledger's tragic end.

Recommended DVD Release of the Month: Alongside The Dark Knight, Warner Bros. will be releasing a collection of animated shorts that are supposed to bridge the gap between this new movie and Batman Begins. The DVD - called Batman: Gotham Knight - features six stories, several penned by writers from the comic-book world. It looks to have a more anime-influenced style than some of DC's other cartoon efforts, but looks pretty cool regardless.

Classic Movie of the Month: Since July is traditionally "Will Smith Month", check out Men in Black. It's a funny, freaky, sci-fi romp, and very few screen duos have ever had as much chemistry as Smith and Tommy Lee Jones.

Movie Quote of the Month: "A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky, dangerous animals and you know it. Fifteen hundred years ago everybody knew the Earth was the center of the universe. Five hundred years ago, everybody knew the Earth was flat, and fifteen minutes ago, you knew that humans were alone on this planet. Imagine what you'll "know" tomorrow." - Kay (Tommy Lee Jones), Men in Black

Jeremy Thomas

Biggest Winner of the Month: Dreamworks SKG. First, they get a pretty damn major hit with Kung Fu Panda. It may not have the box office power of Shrek, but it's gotten pretty incredible reviews and is still turning out to be a major hit that proved the studio was smart to put it a few weeks ahead of WALL-E. Then, news hits that Spielberg is near a deal that will help Dreamworks break away from Paramount Pictures. The skies are looking pretty rosy where that kid is hanging out with his fishin' pole.

Biggest Loser of the Month: Fans of Night Watch and Day Watch. Director Timor Bekmambetov confided that he has yet to read a script for Dusk Watch (or Twilight Watch, depending on the source you read), the rumored third movie that would complete the trilogy, and that he was likely done with the series in any case. This is a huge, huge disappointment for those of us who loved the Wanted director's breakthrough films. One can only hope that this news will change in the near future, because of all the movie series' out there, this is the one that deserves a third chapter.

Biggest Movie News of the Month: While it's been talked about for a while, the potential of the Screen Actor's Guild strike is looming closer and closer. Whereas the Writer's strike earlier this year severely wounded the entertainment industry, this will cripple it. Hopefully the AMPTP and SAG can come to an agreement before it goes to that level, but it's looking worse and worse as things loom ever closer. There are indications that SAG will be as successful as the WGA, with dissention in the ranks hamstringing them, but all bets are off until things kick in big time...which could well be the case by the time this column goes public.

Your Most Anticipated Movie of the Month: Is there any doubt, at all, whatsoever? The Dark Knight is, outside of our metal-suited buddy from May, THE movie release of the summer. I'll be right there, first in line to see this one.

Recommended DVD Release of the Month: Two for me this coming month: I didn't get a chance to check out 21 when it hit theaters, and I'm a big Jim Sturgess fan from everything I've seen him in to date. Also, Doomsday gets its DVD bow at the end of the month. Neil Marshall's post-apocalyptic film bombed in theaters, but I still want to give it a chance.

Classic Movie of the Month: In honor of The Dark Knight, my classic movie of the month is Tim Burton's classic, Batman. People don't often remember anymore how risky of a film it was, with fans torn over the casting of "Mister Mom", Michael Keaton, as the caped crusader. Keaton (and Burton) blew everyone's expectations away, and the film was a huge, huge success. And that guy from One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest wasn't half-bad, either. (I kid, Nicholson kicked ass and we all know it.)

Movie Quote of the Month: "'Winged freak terrorizes'? Wait'll they get a load of ME!" - The Joker (Jack Nicholson), Batman

Arnold Furious

Biggest Winner of the Month: Jack Black. And everyone else behind Kung-Fu Panda. We didn't really expect this to do squat but the kids must have loved the trailers and flocked to the movie in huge numbers. Iron Man has topped $300M and Indy is well on the way to that but Kung-Fu Panda cost a fraction of both movies and has still topped $150M.

Biggest Loser of the Month: Mike Myers. You really worry for Mike's career after his latest crap-fest The Love Guru. The cracks starting appearing with the god-awful Cat in the Hat in 2003 and since then all he's contributed were two below-par Shrek sequels. Perhaps it's time he went into serious acting, although that strikes me as a bit of a stretch, as his next two roles are Walter Mitty and Keith Moon. Good luck to him I say. He's been responsible for some great characters but his comedy routines seem less funny these days.

Biggest Movie News of the Month: Zach Snyder is sticking to his guns and against studio wishes is keeping as much of Watchmen's content in as possible. The runtime is rumored to be somewhere between 150 and 180 minutes. I know a lot of people won't want to see a 3 hour movie but fuck them, I do. You worry about the film's capacity to make money but I'm still hopeful it'll be true to one of the best books I've ever read.

Your Most Anticipated Movie of the Month: The Dark Knight. Most anticipated movie of the year, I'd say. I've wanted to see it ever since Jim Gordon handed Batman the Joker's calling card at the end of Batman Begins in 2005. I trust Chris Nolan because of the terrific job he's done on the series so far. Every time I see a teaser for the new film I get even more excited about seeing it. Iron Man may have owned the summer so far but the summer isn't over yet!

Recommended DVD Release of the Month: There Will Be Blood. It may be out in the US already but the UK release date is July 7th.

Classic Movie of the Month: The 400 Blows. Francois Truffaut's second most famous film, behind Jules et Jim, it's partly autobiographical and depicts youngster Antoine's coming of age as he moves from child to man, albeit prematurely, and gets into progressively more and more trouble amounting from a day of skipping school.

Movie Quote of the Month: "What would you say if I told you we're putting a team together?" - Tony Stark furthers Marvel's Avengers initiative.

Jeffrey Harris

Biggest Winner of the Month: Iron Man once again with a bullet. Why you ask? Well for one thing, Iron Man broke the $300 million mark this month, also being the first movie of 2008 to do so. Now it's already over $305 million, and could even break $310 million in its 9th weekend. OK, so The Incredible Hulk wasn't quite able to piggyback off of the huge success of Iron Man very much. But when all is said and done: critically, commercially, and overall with everyone, Iron Man will come out as the summer's biggest winner.

Biggest Loser of the Month: The Love Guru. Hey it wasn't a sequel, remake, or book adaptation. The revealing Entertainment Weekly article on the movies and Mike Myers was just so weird. Had no idea he broke up with his wife, Robin, three years ago either. While the Shrek series is bound to continue its mediocrity, perhaps the talked about Austin Powers 4 featuring Dr. Evil as the lead will soon come into play.

Biggest Movie News of the Month: I think it would unquestionably be the passing of Stan Winston. I mean it kind of sucks to say this between Winston and George Carlin who also passed away in June. But as far as the last few decades of modern cinema go, Winston had some of the greatest influence on some of the most important movies, creatures, and characters of the last 25-30 years. Carlin's contribution to cinematic history isn't quite as large. But this news was so shocking and blindsiding. Winston was only 62 years old, and I had no idea he was sick. I saw him at San Diego Comic Con the last two years, and he didn't come off as ill at all. Very, very sad.

Your Most Anticipated Movie of the Month: The Dark Knight, this looks like the big one. Or I at least very much hope that it is. Early talk is encouraging. The pics and trailers look great. But the subject matter, will it be too intense for audiences, or will it really play well with the 13-and-up crowd?

Recommended DVD Release of the Month: Burn Notice: Season 1 DVD Box Set. The best new show of the year turns out to be an awesome one. And it's got tons of awesomeness with The Chin, aka Bruce Campbell.

Classic Movie of the Month: In honor of Stan Winston, Predator. The best action, horror, military men on a mission get stuck in a jungle and get attacked by an alien menace flick of all time. Be thankful that Winston was working on this movie and gave us the classic looking Predator creature we all know and love. Because without Winston, the reveal of the creature would not have been as nearly as important or classic. Plus the original design looked absolutely crappy and ridiculous. If you don't believe it, check out the special edition DVD set.

Movie Quote of the Month: "Don't make me hungry, you wouldn't like me when I'm hungry . . . wait, that's not right." - Ed Norton as Bruce Banner in The Incredible Hulk

Bryan Kristopowitz

Biggest Winner of the Month: It's a tie between M. Night Shyamalan, for beating back plenty of negative critical response for his The Happening to have a decent opening, and Marvel for having another hit with The Incredible Hulk. Apparently the Avengers thing is right on track to actually happening.

Biggest Loser of the Month: Mike Myers. The Love Guru has bombed, and it definitely deserves it. It's not a great movie at all. Myers should have let the flick cook a little while longer. It wasn't done.

Biggest Movie News of the Month: The death of George Carlin definitely tops the list. A close second is the death of Stan Winston. The entertainment world lost two titans. And it sure does suck.

Your Most Anticipated Movie of the Month: The X-Files sequel looks promising. Hellboy II looks cool, too. And the Will Ferrell movie Step Brothers looks hilarious.

Recommended DVD Release of the Month: There's so much good stuff coming out this month. Spaced the complete series comes out in a Region 1 edition, finally. Vantage Point comes out, too (yeah, I liked it). Both Cannon and Jake and the Fatman hit with season one DVD sets (hopefully that means the Sleuth Channel starts airing them soon). The Robot Chicken Star Wars parody comes out, which was hilarious. The season two boxed set of Masters of Horror comes out from the fine folks at Anchor Bay Entertainment. And Doomsday, the flawed but fun Neil Marshall genre homage hits at the end of the month. I can't wait to see it again.

Classic Movie of the Month: Westward the Women: This, of course, is the 1951 western featuring Robert Taylor leading a group of women from Chicago to California. Taylor is awesome as the tough as nails but honorable wagon train leader Buck Wyatt. There are so many great little moments in this flick that manages to straddle that line between western action/adventure, drama, and comedy, never once feeling contrived in doing so. Denise Darcel was hot way back then. And Hope Emerson's Patience is one of the better tough broads of the 1950's. I'm kind of surprised no one has tried to remake this yet. Jim Quackenbush forever!

Movie Quote of the Month: "Life's a bitch, and she's back in heat." John Nada (Roddy Piper) - John Carpenter's They Live (1988)

Jason Chamberlain

Biggest Winner of the Month: I'll go with Marvel for the Hulk. Another big success box office wise, and it was certainly better received than the 2003 effort. And really, when Ed Norton is in a movie, everybody wins.

Biggest Loser of the Month: Mike Myers. I could have told him that making a movie about the Leafs winning the Stanley Cup just wouldn't be convincing. People can buy orcs, wizards and an ugly secret agent with bad teeth being a sex magnet, but man, there's a limit!

Biggest Movie News of the Month: For the love of all that is holy, there is still no agreement to avoid an actor's strike. Will anybody on either side man up and get this done?

Your Most Anticipated Movie of the Month: The Dark Knight by a country mile. The continuation of a great story. Heath Ledger as the Joker. The emergence of Two-Face. More of the Tumbler. I could go on.

Recommended DVD Release of the Month: I'll go with Robot Chicken's Star Wars DVD. A solid hour of classic parody!

Classic Movie of the Month: Batman - With the Dark Knight just around the corner, I'm taking a look back at the first time The Joker hit the big screen. Jack Nicholson certainly delivered a memorable performance, but it's clear Christopher Nolan and Heath Ledger were shooting for something a whole lot different. Take a look back at this film for a reminder of how different this new franchise is to the one Tim Burton started.

Movie Quote of the Month: "You ever dance with the devil in the pale moonlight?" – The Joker unleashes his trademark taunt on his victims.

Wendell Mitchell

Biggest Winner of the Month: Marvel Studios wins the month of June. Iron Man may have premiered almost two months ago, but is still going strong with box office receipts in excess of three hundred million dollars. Hulk may not be performing as strongly, but has broken $115 million so far and garnered fairly positive reviews. I'll definitely catch it before it leaves theaters.

Biggest Loser of the Month: I think it's safe to say The Love Guru earns this dubious distinction. To a lesser extent, Mike Myers, but hey at least he gets paid no matter how much the movie bombs and no matter how many innocent lives this film eradicates.

Biggest Movie News of the Month: Happy news would be Marvel Studios with their announcements of having dates set aside for the Iron Man sequel and Captain America film. In sadder news, the passing of special effects genius Stan Winston and iconic comedian George Carlin and both garnered headlines. You hate to say "this guy's death was more important" but Winston is the mastermind behind special effects in both Terminator 2 (which I just bought again - yay me!) and Jurassic Park. Carlin had some notable roles, but nothing as industry impacting as Mr. Winston. Either way, RIP gentlemen, your contributions shall never be forgotten.

Your Most Anticipated Movie of the Month: If you're not anticipating The Dark Knight, we can't be friends. Or even acquaintances. I will probably spit on you in front of your kids and smack your wife's ass. That's how much I want to see this movie and I've been waiting since before the credits for Begins finished rolling.

Recommended DVD Release of the Month: Batman: Gotham Knight - yeah I'm a huge Batman fanboy and will be picking this up as soon as it drops. You should too, hence the recommendation on my part. I also strongly recommend Burn Notice. That show is fantastic and you know I'll be lying on the floor July 10 watching the second season premiere.

Classic Movie of the Month: Let's see, something classic... going to follow in the footsteps of Mr. McGee and go with the original Men in Black. Seriously, I happened to be flipping through the channels this weekend and there it was and I remembered how much I loved that movie. Too bad I had to leave and do, whatever I ended up doing. I'm going to order that on Amazon sometime this week. Hard to believe that came out eleven years ago.

Movie Quote of the Month: Current: "Why so serious?" - The Joker as portrayed by Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight

Classic: "Well, first I was gonna pop this guy hanging from the street light. But then I realized he's just workin' out, you know. I mean, how'd I feel if someone came in bustin' my ass while I'm on a treadmill? Then I was gonna shoot this snarling beast guy, then I noticed he had a tissue in his hand and I realized, he's not snarling, he's sneezing, there ain't a real threat there. Then I saw little Tiffany, and I'm thinkin "eight year-old white girl, out on the street this time of night, middle of the ghetto, bunch of monsters, hangin' around with quantum physics books?!" She's about to start some shit, Zed! I mean, she's only about eight years old, those books are way too advanced for her. So, if you ask me, I'd say she's up to something. And to be honest, I'd appreciate it if you eased up off my back about it. Or do I owe her an apology?" - James Edwards, as portrayed by Will Smith in Men in Black

Trevor Snyder

Biggest Winner of the Month: Marvel. Iron Man continued to do boffo box-office throughout June. At the end of the month, it's Iron Man - not the lackluster Indiana Jones - that people are still talking about. Meanwhile, while not a massive success, The Incredible Hulk had a fairly strong opening that exceeded expectations. True, it slid off after that first weekend, but what is probably more important is that it scored very high with audience members, something that can't be said for Ang Lee's version. Marvel's poor handling of the Jon Favreau-Iron Man 2 situation was a pretty embarrassing stumble, but otherwise they continue to look pretty good leading up to the Avengers movie.

Biggest Loser of the Month: Mike Myers. It's certainly not surprising that The Love Guru tanked - I don't know a single person who thought it looked good. What is surprising is that Myers apparently actually thought this would be a hit. Wasn't he seeing the same footage we all were? The Love Guru's defeat at the hands of Get Smart was a somewhat symbolic moment, suggesting that Myers' time as a comedy king might be over, as audiences have replaced him in their hearts with guys like Steve Carell. Of course, Myers will probably fight back by going the easy route, and delivering Austin Powers 4. But the damage might be done, as no one is going to forgot the travesty that was The Love Guru.

Biggest Movie News of the Month: Stan Winston's death was a pretty big blow to all fans of special effects. He might not have been a household name, but he was an icon to true film fans. Other than that, I would also point to Marvel almost dropping the ball on Iron Man 2, and their subsequent attempt to make up for it and save face once it was revealed that they hadn't even contacted Jon Favreau about helming the sequel.

Your Most Anticipated Movie of the Month: Have you heard of this little flick called The Dark Knight? Call me crazy, but I think it might be kinda good.

Recommended DVD Release of the Month: Man, there's a ton of them this month. From WWE's new Ric Flair DVD, to the unrated cut of The Ruins (one of the most unfairly ignored horror flicks in recent memory), to the director's cut of Dark City (one of the most unfairly ignored sci-fi flicks ever). But the two I'm really looking forward to are the Animatrix-esque Batman: Gotham Knight, the animated Dark Knight prequel, and the long-awaited American release of Spaced, the cult classic British sitcom from Shaun of the Dead masterminds Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg. I already have the Region 2 Spaced DVDs (ah, you gotta love the region-free players), but I'll still be picking up this new set, as the inclusion of guest commentaries from the likes of Kevin Smith, Bill Hader and Quentin Tarantino is a pretty nice touch.

Classic Movie of the Month: Since I didn't give it my "Recommended DVD Release of the Month", I'll instead give Dark City a shout-out here. Seriously, if you're a fan of sci-fi, and you've somehow missed this one, you're really doing yourself a disservice. Do yourself a favor and check out that upcoming Director's Cut DVD.

Movie Quote of the Month: "First there was darkness, then came the strangers." – Dr. Schreber (Kiefer Sutherland) in Dark City

Shawn S. Lealos

Biggest Winner of the Month: Marvel. After hitting a home run with Iron Man, they followed up with The Incredible Hulk, a movie that was more entertaining than I thought it would ever be. It was pure bubble gum action, but damn if it wasn't fun. With Marvel two-for-two this year, I am more excited than ever to watch the continuation of the Avengers Initiative as it takes place across their slate of films the next few years.

Biggest Loser of the Month: Fans of great comedy. With the death of George Carlin, we lost one of the best funnymen to ever do standup. Today's comedians are either bland or risqué for the sake of being risqué. Carlin never had to be vulgar just for the purpose of getting a rise. He just went up onstage and said things that made us laugh because, much of the time, we knew it to be true. He was a member of a dying breed and we are now that much poorer after his passing.

Biggest Movie News of the Month: Jon Favreau and Marvel hug it out. For much of the month, there were questions about whether Favreau would be back for Iron Man 2. With the spectacular Iron Man, I would hate to have seen Favreau get screwed over with the sequel. That doesn't look like it will happen now. Marvel has finally laid out the peace offering and started talks with Favreau and right before the Hellboy 2 premiere, Favreau spoke with IESB and told them things were working themselves out, and while two years is really not much time for a movie like this, he can do it and is getting ready to start work on it. That makes me a happy boy.

Your Most Anticipated Movie of the Month: I want to know one person that doesn't say The Dark Knight. It's just that big of a deal, whether you're a Batman fan, a summer blockbuster fan or someone just interested in seeing Heath Ledger's last BIG role (The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus will be seen as nothing more than a curiosity to casual movie fans, although Ledger's death might help Terry Gilliam have a rare hit). The Dark Knight is going to kick all kinds of ass and I will be there when it comes out, as it is not only my most anticipated movie of the month, but my most anticipated movie of the entire freaking year. I'm also pretty excited about Hancock, but nowhere near the level of Batman's latest adventure.

Recommended DVD Release of the Month: Batman Begins on Blu-ray. When Batman Begins was released as an HD-DVD exclusive, I was not real happy since I was a Blu-ray guy (PS3 and all that). Then I read all the reviews about how it was just an amazing HD-DVD, but what made it great (PIP) was not possible on the Blu-ray. I was still pissed. Well, thanks to the PS3 and its updating, it is not possible to go where only HD-DVD had gone before. Rambo's PIP presentation is just incredible. This comes just in time for The Dark Knight to hit theaters and now Batman Begins is coming to Blu-ray (and standard) in a special edition. It has 12 making-of featurettes and - yes - the In-Movie Experience. I cannot wait.

Classic Movie of the Month: Batman Returns. With The Dark Knight coming out this month, I implore you go back to watch the best of the original four. Batman may be the best remembered, thanks in no small part to Jack Nicholson, but the second movie stands high above the original four as the best story, and the movie that held up the best over time.

Movie Quote of the Month: "You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain." - Harvey Dent, The Dark Knight

Owain J. Brimfield

Biggest Winner of the Month: I hate to fall in with the crowd, but it's surely Marvel and Marvel Studios. Although Iron Man won't beat Batman to be the year's top grossing movie, it should be a good second place, and while The Incredible Hulk won't keep up with either of them it still managed to throw off the shackles of rumor, with the apparently tortured production process making no dent on the movie's enjoyability. Marvel Studios have got a 100% hit rate so far, and if that can continue with Thor et al, DC are going to have to hope the next Superman movie does big business if they want to compete.

Biggest Loser of the Month: For me, it's M. Night Shyamalan. I'm a huge of fan of Unbreakable and I enjoyed all his other movies, despite some egregious leaps of logic in his screenplays (I picked up Lady in the Water a few weeks ago but haven't had the time for it yet). Unfortunately, the critics haven't been so kind, and with the savaging that The Happening has received after it was being built as his "comeback" movie, it's hard to see ol' Shamalamadingdong recovering from the after-effects, and I imagine he'll either have to take a good long break or seriously reinvent himself before the critical cruise ship takes him back on board.

Biggest Movie News of the Month: Sadly, again I'll have to fall in with my compadres and go with the death of Stan Winston. If you don't understand this man's contributions to cinema, go back and watch Terminator 2 and marvel at the fact that 17-year-old special effects still manage to look better than some of the stuff that's been released in 2008. Budding effects gurus could learn a thing or three from the dirt off Winston's boots.

Your Most Anticipated Movie of the Month: You can keep your Batman flicks. There's only one movie for me this month. Let me just lay out the premise: Chimpanzees. In Outer Space. Fucking brilliant! Yeah, I'll go and wait in line for The Dark Knight, but while I'm there the thought swirling around my head will be simple: Batman ain't got nothing on monkeys in space. That is an absolute masterstroke of a plot conceit, and you'd better believe I'll be there to see Space Chimps when it gets its release and kicks every other movie's arse this month. Hell, maybe even this year.

Recommended DVD Release of the Month: The second Futurama DVD movie sees its release here in the UK, and I've got mine pre-ordered and ready to roll. Bender's Big Score, while placing too much emphasis on the convoluted but predictable storyline for my liking, was still damn entertaining, and I expect The Beast With a Billion Backs to improve on that. Elsewhere, apparently Spaced is seeing a DVD release in the US. You guys really need to get hold of that show, it's a classic.

Classic Movie of the Month: We're all used to Will Smith dominating the fourth of July weekend at the box office, so why not check out his underrated spy thriller Enemy of the State, an excellent fusion of paranoid conspiracy theory and balls-to-the-wall action blockbuster. A solid performance from Smith in the lead, not to mention his veteran counterpart Gene Hackman and some quality cameos from the likes of Gabriel Byrne, Jason Lee, Jack Black and Dan Butler make this one of the better movies in the Fresh Prince's back catalogue.

Movie Quote of the Month: "If they're big and you're small, then you're mobile and they're slow. You're hidden and they're exposed. You only fight battles you know you can win. That's the way the Vietcong did it. You capture their weapons and you use them against them the next time." - Brill Lyle (Gene Hackman) expounds on his theories for evading capture in Enemy of the State.