Out for blood
The Russian-Mongolian epic, ‘The Horde,’ comes out on DVD this week, and with it, a bloody tale of the short comings of magic when an empire tries to master it.
Doomsday slackers
This Is the End is silly, sophomoric and excessively self-referential. And it is ashamedly hilarious from start to finish. Particularly the finish.
‘Midnight’ rings true
She: “Baby, you are gonna miss that plane.” He: “I know.”Does that exchange immediately fill you with a sense of wistfulness? Then you’re probably a fan of Jesse and Celine, a.k.a. Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy, whose insanely romantic final scene in Before Sunset nine years ago left moviegoers hanging — deliciously, infuriatingly, agonizingly! — and wondering if they’d ever know what came next for this appealing duo.
Over the rainbow
This week we’re off to see the wizard: Sam Raimi directs and James Franco stars in this colorful, entertaining film based on the books of L. Frank Baum. It wisely never pretends to be a remake of the revered The Wizard of Oz, but instead passes for a prequel of sorts.
Beast within
Characters are frequently urged to “release the beast” in The Purge, a high-concept home-invasion shocker set in a future where one night a year, all crime is legal.
Theater brings back original ‘Raiders’
Cinemark continues its 2013 Spielberg Classics series this weekend with a Sunday screening of Raiders of the Lost Ark.
‘Now You See Me,’ or don’t
The razzle dazzles but the smoke never quite hides the mirrors in Now You See Me, a super-slick new magicians’ heist picture that demonstrates, once again, how tough it is to make “magic” work as a movie subject.
Destiny calls
Truth be told, After Earth wouldn’t exist had Will Smith not cooked it up as yet another star vehicle for his son, Jaden. But since buying your kid a movie credit is a tradition that dates back to the beginnings of Hollywood, you can’t hold that against it.
Alien threat
This week we begin with some spookiness: Writer-director Scott Stewart pays homage to Hitchcock and Kubrick with several small touches that distinguish this horror-alien thriller. Using virtually no special effects until the last act, Stewart pieces together a chilling story touched with suspense, nuance, suggestion and innovative camera work to deliver a few well-earned chills.
Romp & stomp
Greetings, fellow stompers. That’s the name they have for us, stompers. And if you can’t see or can’t hear those who call us that, don’t blame Epic, the clever new animated film based on William Joyce’s children’s book The Leaf Men and the Brave Good Bugs.
Into the rehash zone
Star Trek Into Darkness is like fan-boy fiction on a $185 million budget. It’s reverential, it’s faithful, it’s steeped in Trek mythology.
Fly true
Ayoung princess isn’t ready to accept the restraints of royal behavior in the 2012 animated Pixar feature Brave. The film is the second screening in the free Movies in the Park series this summer. The series presents movies that are suitable for all ages in May and June.
Stage and screen
This week we begin on stage: Christopher Plummer stars in this filmed version of his Broadway hit based on the final stages in the life of John Barrymore.
Good enough ‘Gatsby’
While never taking his eyes off what made the original work of art so enduring, director and co-writer Baz Luhrmann delivers a film for today. In his new The Great Gatsby, the visually alert Australian director understands he is dealing with an American treasure, while also recognizing its cinematic appeal for a modern audience.
Wreck it again, Ralph
What happens when, inside of an arcade game villain, beats the heart of a hero?
The horror
Ridley Scott’s critically acclaimed film Alien will be screened Wednesday with two separate show times at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. at Denton’s Cinemark, 2528 Wind River Lane. Alien is a 1979 science fiction horror film that finds Sigourney Weaver (pictured), Tom Skerritt, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton, John Hurt, Ian Holm and Yaphet Kotto as the crew of a commercial deep-space mining ship, investigating a suspected S.O.S. Then they learn it was a warning — not a cry for help. For a full list of participating Cinemark locations, advance ticket purchases and more information, visit www.cinemark.com.
Metal and mettle
Billionaire industrialist and inventor Tony Stark takes a beating in Iron Man 3. Unfortunately, so does the audience. In this third feature based on the Marvel Comics character, director Shane Black treats his viewers as if they were attention-starved adolescents. And while that may indeed mark the targeted demographic, those not in that select grouping might find this Iron Man 3 a loud, garish, brainless assault on the senses. And it will probably gross a couple billion dollars.
Mayhem buffet
It’s too bad that Pain & Gain comes out at a time when drive-in theaters are all but extinct. Michael Bay’s comedic drama wouldn’t be negatively affected by tinny speakers, scenes missed during make-out sessions or long walks to the nacho stand. Distractions are actually a plus when watching this film. Is there a cineplex that allows patrons to bring in a lawn chair?
Grad studies
Cinemark continues its film series on Wednesday with 1967’s The Graduate, starring Anne Bancroft and Dustin Hoffman.
Into the mystic
The first dozen or so minutes of To the Wonder, the strange new puzzler from Terrence Malick, unfold like a lovely dream. With little or no spoken dialogue, two enchanted lovers (Ben Affleck and Olga Kurylenko) slowly walk through the sculpted gardens of Paris, stroll across the fabled Normandy beaches, and gradually wind their way through Mont Saint-Michel’s mystic surroundings.
Lives during wartime
This week, we begin across the pond, with BBC Home Entertainment releasing three fine dramas, old and new, from its vast, impressive library. Spies of Warsaw -- This recently broadcast two-part drama based on Alan Furst’s novel takes place during the lead-up to World War II.
Look here
The new psychological thriller Trance looks great. In the wandering opus, director Danny Boyle shows off his internationally renowned skill for projecting visual imagery, as evinced previously not only by his films (Slumdog Millionaire) but also by his staging of the opening ceremonies at the London Olympics.
Rough and tumble -- Tough guys tackle bad guys, North Pole in new releases
This week we begin in London:
Mind games mar film version of ‘Host’
Hollywood has always shown a fondness for adapting books — whether they be classic, contemporary or comic — into movies. Not only does this provide instant fodder for a script, but it guarantees a built-in audience.
Worth getting into
The new release Admission is a comedy. But it is a serious comedy. It’s easy to enter Admission thinking it must be a knee-slapping laugh-riot, filled with broad gags and ample potty humor. Considering that it stars reigning queen of comedy Tina Fey along with Paul Rudd, the popular star of many recent romantic comedies featuring every attractive female in Hollywood, the film seems primed for high silliness and crotch shots.
Nothing to lose
Kevin Spacey is Lester Burnham and Mena Suvari is Angela Hayes in American Beauty, which won the Academy Award for best picture in 2000. The film is part of the Cinemark’s Classic Series, which screens a best picture winner each Wednesday through April 10.
Old tricks
The only incredible thing about The Incredible Burt Wonderstone is that way it makes Steve Carell so thoroughly and irreparably unlikable. In a film about magic tricks, this is the most difficult feat of all.
Moscow cool
This week we begin in 1955 Moscow: “Hipsters” (****) Not rated, 125 minutes. Now available on DVD.
