New in Theaters for the Holiday Weekend!!

This is always a big weekend at theaters.  Lots of folks will be seeing Iron Man 2, Robin Hood and Shrek Forever After, still.  But, there are some fresh new blockbusters hitting theaters for Memorial Day!!

This one is going to be interesting.  Jake Gyllenhaal is the Prince of Persia.  The film is based on a video game.  The prince teams up with a rival princess, played by Gemma Arterton, to stop an angry ruler from unleashing a sandstorm that could destroy the world.  Ben Kingsley and Alfred Molina are on board.  Prince of Persia is rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action.  Since this is from Disney Pictures, I’m expecting a romp in the realm of a Pirates of the Caribbean, don’t you think?

Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte, Samantha and even Mr. Big are back for Sex and the City 2.  We got rave reviews from the Mix 106.5 preview screening the other night, with many people saying they liked this one better than the first one.  From what I can gather, the girls go on a fantasy weekend, for some reason.  And, if you go opening weekend, expect some hoots and hollers and cheers during the good parts.  Sex and the City 2 is rated R for some strong sexual content and language.

In limited release this week, The Good, the Bad, the Weird.  I’m not sure if this is a take off on The Good, the Bad and the Ugly or not.  It’s from South Korea.  I recognize the main character as Byung Hun Lee, who I really liked as Storm Shadow, last summer, in GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra.  This is the story of three Korean outlaws in Manchuria in the 1940s.  They’re trying to get a treasure map and outrun the Japanese army and Chinese bandits.  The film is in japanese, korean and mandarin.  It’s not rated, but I would expect it’s packed with violence, and reviews are very positive.

On At the Movies, one of the guys, I can’t remember if it was Tony or Michael, said this was the best documentary of the year, so far.  Casino Jack and the United States of Money is about super-lobbyist Jack Abramoff.  Remember when his name was in the news every day?  You probably didn’t pay much attention, I know I didn’t.  Just like I learned about the Enron scandal with the documentary The Smartest Guys in the Room, I will probably get my information on the lies, greed and corruption surrounding Jack and his D.C. cronies, right here. The concern is always the potential slant of the filmmaker.  Writer and director Alex Gibney has a pretty strong pedigree, though.  He DID The Smartest Guys in the Room, won an Oscar for Taxi to the Dark Side, and he’s working on Freakonomics, right now.  Casino Jack and the United States of Money is rated R for some language.

It seems like we’ve had a lot of interesting inspirational sports movies from the UK, recently.  Of course, they’re obsessed with different sports than we are:  cricket, soccer, rugby.  Looking for Eric is from director Ken Loach.  The Eric of the title is a postman, who is a soccer fanatic.  When his life descends in to crisis, he receives some life coaching from the famously philosophical Eric Cantona.  Looking for Eric is not rated.  I have to think there’s some language in there.  It strikes me as sort of a Full Monty kind of film.

New to See on DVD!!

Intense emotions prevail in our new DVD selections.  If you want popcorn fair, head to the theaters, instead. 

The Road – I could not even get through the book by Cormac McCarthy, I can’t imagine how painful the movie is, especially with Garret Dillahunt as one of the bad guys.  Still, Viggo Mortensen is the man trying to keep his son alive in a dangerous post-apocalyptic world.

Dear John – Lasse Hallstrom takes on a Nicholas Sparks book.  The reviews were pretty mixed for Dear John, a romantic drama about a soldier who falls for a conservative college student while he’s home on leave.  Channing Tatum and Amande Seyfried are the attractive couple.

Mystery Team – A group of former Encyclopedia Brown-style child-detectives struggle to solve an adult mystery.

Tell Tale – Direct to DVD, but this stars Josh Lucas and Brian Cox, who are usually reliable.  Josh plays a man with a newly transplanted heart who tries to find out more about the murder victim who donated the organ.  

Rain Fall – Gary Oldman stars in a movie from Japan, about a hit man who is trying to protect the daughter of one of his victims against CIA assassins.

Owl and the Sparrow – An acclaimed film from Vietnam, about three strangers in Saigon who form a unique family.  There’s a ten-year old orphan, a zookeeper and a beautiful flight attendant.

My Dog: An Unconditional Love Story – A documentary with stars like Glenn Close, Richard Belzer and Edie Falco talking about their pets.

And, two classics get re-released.  John Ford’s Stagecoach, with John Wayne, gets the Criterion Collection treatment.  And, there’s a new 50th Anniversary edition of Spartacus.

• ‘Ancients Behaving Badly’ – The History Channel
  ‘Bing Crosby: The TV Specials’
  ‘The Deputy’ – TV Western Classics
• ‘Flashpoint’ – Season 2
  ‘The Guilde’ – Season 3
  ‘Hoarders’ – Season 1
• ‘Leverage’ – The 2nd Season
• ‘The Real Housewives of New York City’ – Season 1
• ‘Royal Pains’ – Season 1
• ‘Top Chef Masters’ – Season 1
• ‘True Blood’ – The Complete Second Season
• ‘The Virginian’ – The Complete 1st Season: Collector’s Tin
• ‘Waiting for God’ – Series 5

What's Going to Happen on The Good Wife?

I am very concerned about Cary on The Good Wife.  The first season ends tonight on CBS.  I was sure that he only agreed to join Childs in the District Attorney’s office, because he was going to try to pull a double agent and get back into Stern and Lockhart’s good graces.  Who better to ask than the actor who plays him, Matt Czuchry?

Find out more about Cary’s perspective and what to look forward to in the second season of The Good Wife.  Our conversation is posted in Daune on Demand.  You can listen online or download to your device and listen later to the podcast.  Click here to get some The Good Wife scoop!!

What’s Going to Happen on The Good Wife?

I am very concerned about Cary on The Good Wife.  The first season ends tonight on CBS.  I was sure that he only agreed to join Childs in the District Attorney’s office, because he was going to try to pull a double agent and get back into Stern and Lockhart’s good graces.  Who better to ask than the actor who plays him, Matt Czuchry?

Find out more about Cary’s perspective and what to look forward to in the second season of The Good Wife.  Our conversation is posted in Daune on Demand.  You can listen online or download to your device and listen later to the podcast.  Click here to get some The Good Wife scoop!!

New in Theaters!

This is a great time of year to go the movies.  Lots of fun things are out, and if a big deal, like Iron Man 2, is sold out, there are still some great smaller summer movies to see!

Each week, for the most part, it’s one BIG movie opening.  This week, Shrek Forever After is the star.  This is the 4th Shrek movie.  Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz and Eddie Murphy are all back.  You can see it in 2-D or 3-D.  More giant green ogre adventures.  And, the filmmakers say this is going to be the last one.  Hmmm…  skeptical.  Still, they’re fun.  Shrek Forever After is rated PG for mild action, some rude humor and brief language.

I am not a fan of the MacGruber skit on Saturday Night Live.  I usually watch part of the first one (they do two or three cut ins during the show, when it’s on) and fast forward through the rest.  Somehow, someone got the okay to make an entire movie based on the character.  Will Forte is MacGruber, a former special operative who is called back into action to take down his archenemy, who’s in possession of a nuclear warhead and bent on destroying Washington, D.C.  MacGruber is rated R for strong crude and sexual content, violence, language and some nudity.

The Secret in their Eyes is definitely worth checking out, if you’re near a place that shows some art movies.  It’s from Argentina and is in Spanish, about an aging detective who wants to solve a murder committed many years ago.  But, I think it goes much deeper than that, and there’s an aching, unrequited love story.  The Secret in their Eyes is rated R for a rape scene, violent images, some graphic nudity and language.

The Good Heart is out in limited release.  It was at the Cleveland International Film Festival, this year, if I’m not mistaken.  Brian Cox and Paul Dano star.  Dano plays a young homeless man.  Cox is the older dude and bartender who tries to take him under his wing.  I think the writer/director is from Denmark.  The Good Heart is rated R for language and a disturbing image.

Last week, the blockbuster that opened was Robin Hood.  I am hoping to see it very soon, as I like Russell Crowe’s swagger and Ridley Scott’s action.  William Hurt, Cate Blanchett and Danny Huston also star.  It’s Robin as an archer in the army of Richard Coeur de Lion who fights against the Norman invaders and then becomes the legendary hero known as Robin Hood.  Robin Hood is rated PG-13 for violence, including intense sequences of warfare, and some sexual content.


A movie that did not get the buzz of Robin Hood, last week, but is just as recommended, is Just Wright.  Queen Latifah stars as a physical therapist and basketball fan, who falls for the basketball player she helps recover from a potentially career threatening injury.  Common is the baller, Paula Patton plays Latifah’s thinner, hotter friend that he is interested in.  Just Wright is rated PG for some suggestive material and brief language.

Letters to Juliet has more of a story than I initially thought, when I saw the trailers.  Amanda Seyfried stars, as an American girl on vacation in Italy.  She finds out there is a group of women who answer letters to Juliet that are left at the fictional lover’s Verona courtyard.  She ends up trying to answer and resolve a letter written by a woman played by Vanessa Redgrave.  Letters to Juliet is rated PG for brief rude behavior, some language and incidental smoking.


The Secret of Kells is based on an old Celtic fable.  It was nominated for Best Animated Feature at the Academy Awards, this year.  I’m still not entirely sure what the story is about, but it involves magic and epic battles.  There’s a young boy and an enchanted forest and a mysterious young wolf girl.  The Secret of Kells is not rated.

Also out in limited release, this week, is The Human Centipede.  It’s written and directed by Tom Six, and parenthetically titled (the First Sequence).  Two American girls are roadtripping through Europe and end up with a broken down car in the woods of Germany.  They end up in a scary hospital setting with a scary German dude who is planning to join the two girls and a japanese man together into a human centipede.  ?!?!  The Human Centipede is not rated.


Steve Buscemi stars as Saint John of Las Vegas.  All of the usual indie film suspects are here:  Sarah Silverman, Peter Dinklage, Tim Blake Nelson, Emmanuelle Chriqui.  Saint John is an ex-gambler lured back into the game by a veteran insurance-fraud investigator.  Saint John of Las Vegas is rated R for language and some nudity.

Glee's Piano Man

One of the few shows we watch together as a family is Glee.  We all come to show choir from a TOTALLY different place, but I guess it has something for all of us.  For me, it’s the music, and it brings back great memories of my musical and show choir days.  Invariably, someone starts singing a song, and I start to cry, and then my husband has to have an explanation.  This week… well, if you watched it, I don’t have to tell you… it was Fontine’s song, I Dreamed a Dream, from Les Miserables.  It’s only one of the most gut wrenching songs ever written!  And to have it sung by Lea Michelle AND Idina Menzel?  Perfection. 

Have you ever noticed THIS guy?  No, not Mr. Schuester, the guy on the piano.  He always intrigued me.  I end up watching him a lot.  It seemed obvious to me that he really can play.  It turns out that’s true.  Great story on Brad on CNN, you can read it here.  The funniest thing from the article is this quote, where he relates his early days working with a producer of the show:

The first thing he told me about my character is, “Here’s the thing. You hate them all.”

I didn’t get that from him on Glee at all!  But, I think it’s funny, if he’s truly holding on to that motivation.  Next week, it’s all Lady Gaga.  Go, Kurt!  And, I hope to see more of Brittany.  She’s my favorite.

Glee’s Piano Man

One of the few shows we watch together as a family is Glee.  We all come to show choir from a TOTALLY different place, but I guess it has something for all of us.  For me, it’s the music, and it brings back great memories of my musical and show choir days.  Invariably, someone starts singing a song, and I start to cry, and then my husband has to have an explanation.  This week… well, if you watched it, I don’t have to tell you… it was Fontine’s song, I Dreamed a Dream, from Les Miserables.  It’s only one of the most gut wrenching songs ever written!  And to have it sung by Lea Michelle AND Idina Menzel?  Perfection. 

Have you ever noticed THIS guy?  No, not Mr. Schuester, the guy on the piano.  He always intrigued me.  I end up watching him a lot.  It seemed obvious to me that he really can play.  It turns out that’s true.  Great story on Brad on CNN, you can read it here.  The funniest thing from the article is this quote, where he relates his early days working with a producer of the show:

The first thing he told me about my character is, “Here’s the thing. You hate them all.”

I didn’t get that from him on Glee at all!  But, I think it’s funny, if he’s truly holding on to that motivation.  Next week, it’s all Lady Gaga.  Go, Kurt!  And, I hope to see more of Brittany.  She’s my favorite.

New to See on DVD!!

Kind of a light week for new releases on DVD, but here’s what’s new for you…

Edge of Darkness – Mel Gibson gets paid to act crazy, as homicide detective, Thomas Craven.  Dad uncovers his daughter’s secret life, while investigating her death and activism.  Guess what?  There’s a corporate and government cover up involved!  

Legion – If you’ve been watching Supernatural, Legion might be right up your alley.  God loses faith in humankind and sends his legion of angels to bring on the Apocalypse.  Paul Bettany plays Michael (of Archangel fame).  Lucas Black, Tyrese Gibson and Adrianne Palicki also star. 

Daybreakers – A fun new way to stage a vampire movie.  The year is 2019.  A plague has transformed almost every human into a vampire.  So, there’s a dwindling blood supply.  Meantime, one of the remaining humans is a researcher working on a solution to the plague.

Tidal Wave – Disaster movie from South Korea.

Malice in Wonderland – Maggie Grace stars in a modern take on the classic fairytale, set in the North East of England.

Once More with Feeling – It’s making the film festival circuit now.  Chazz Palminteri stars as a doctor in mid-life who always wanted to be a singer.  Before his daughter’s wedding, he starts singing in karaoke contests, living the dream.

The Mini – Indie about a futon salesman who tries to better his position in the bedding business by running a local mini-marathon.

New TV on DVD:

‘Daria’ – The Complete Animated Series
‘Deadliest Warrior’ – Season 1
‘The Famous Adverntures of Mr. Magoo’ – Mr. Magoo in Sherwood Forest
‘The Fresh Prince of Bel Air’ – Complete Fifth Season
‘Larry McMurtry’s Streets of Laredo’
‘My Wife & Kids’ – Season 2
‘Raising the Bar’ – The Complete Second Season
‘thirtysomething’ – The Complete 3rd Season

New in Theaters!

Verrrry wise of the competition not to even try to compete against Iron Man 2 in its opening weekend!  Very light for new movies last week.  Here’s what you can see.

Tony Stark is back.  And, so is Pepper Potts.  The Nick and Nora style banter the Robert Downey Junior and Gwyneth Paltrow bring to Iron Man 2 is terrific.  In this sequel, Tony is under pressure from the government to give up his secrets, from competitors to give up market share and from a new rival, who wants what Tony has.  See my review below.  I loved it.  Iron Man 2 is rated PG-13 for sequences of intense sci-fi action and violence, and some language.

Don’t confuse this with the new Twilight movie coming out!  You won’t have to go to Cedar Lee to see that one.  This is The Eclipse, written and directed by Conor McPherson.  It takes place in a seaside Irish town, where a widower finds romance with a visiting horror novelist.  And then, he also begins to believe he is seeing ghosts.  Aidan Quinn and Ciaran Hinds star.  The Eclipse is rated R for language and some disturbing images.

And, for Mother’s Day weekend, what better movie to open than Babies.  It’s a documentary about one year in the life of four babies from around the world.  They have cuties in Mongolia, Namibia, San Francisco and Tokyo.  Honestly, I don’t know how they found the four cutest babies in the world to document, but they did.  Babies is rated PG for cultural and maternal nudity throughout.

American Idol – Top 4

I had forgotten what a great mentor Jamie Foxx is on American Idol.  Watching him last night made me remember him from last season.  He’s surprisingly terrific!  He obviously was excited about it and put some thought into his appearance.  He’ll be performing tonight, along with Bon Jovi and Daughtry.  Chris will be doing his new single, “September!”

You saw the list of songs the contestants (and artists) had to choose from.  I honestly don’t know what they’re thinking with their decisions, sometimes.

Lee – *sigh*  So many of the movie soundtrack songs would have been so great.  Vocally, he’s not up to Seal’s Kiss From a Rose, at all.  It takes someone with the quality of SMOOTH.  That is NOT Lee.  It was not good.  Bad choice.  And he just stood up there strumming and singing, he’s back to not letting the audience in to his performance.  Bad decision.

Michael – Again, so many other songs would have been better and had more impact.  He sang it well, with the chorus and all, but Will You Be There fell flat.  And, you never want to sing a movie song about an animal with Simon judging.

Duet – Lee and Crystal sing one of the great movie songs of all time, Falling Slowly.  And, it’s moving and totally in the spirit of the original.  They are adorable together.  It’s almost as good as the Kris Allen performance of the same song last season.  And, I hope the popularity of the song on American Idol will inspire fans to seek out the film it’s from, Once, because it’s incredible.

Casey – Emmm… Is this whole final four thing a joke to him?  Why on EARTH would he pick Mrs. Robinson, given everything that has gone on with him and Kara.  Mind you, I completely believe he was thinking about other older women who have, no doubt, hit that.  But, didn’t someone somewhere along the line say:  Dude, you know what people are going to say if you do that song.  That said, I actually liked his rendering, with the mandolin, and thought his voice sounded pretty good for this one.  Weird.

Crystal – Fantastic.  In this case, she was “indulgent,” picking a song that had very pointed lyrics, and I think they were totally directed at the judges, but her performance was so strong, they didn’t abuse her for it.  I’m Alright was really, really good.

Duet – Mike and Casey – It helped that Casey had the difficult classical guitar work down, and his voice sounded decent again.  I knew Mike could sing it, in fact, it was one of the songs I thought he would do well with, for his solo.  Nice.

So, what do you think?  Consensus on the phones is that no one cares, as long as Crystal and Lee are still in it.  Personally, I would like Crystal and Mike to stay.