[Trailer] A Haunted House 2
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Countless scary movies cycle through movie theaters as the year progresses. People wait in lines for tickets with the hope that in a few hours they won't even be able to sleep with the lights off. They watch the movie for a little bit and more often than not are extremely disappointed in just how terribly not scary the experience was for them. In fact, if a majority of viewers are anything like me, they were probably laughing throughout the film instead of screaming.
A Haunted House 2 is the sequel to the popular flick A Haunted House, and it proudly embraces the humor that could come from scary movie situations. Malcom, played by Marion Wayans, was forced to exorcise his former girlfriend but is now working to make things go smoothly with his current girlfriend and her two kids. However, the paranormal manages to follow him to his brand new house. A parody of many recent horror movies, it's a film that's sure to get some laughs.
A Haunted House 2 is directed by Michel Tiddes and produced by Rick Alvarz and Marion Wayans. Other cast members are Jaime Pressly, Gabriel Iglesias, Ashley Rickards, Steele Stebbins, Essence Atkins, Affion Crocket, Dave Sheridan, Hayes MacArthur, Missi Pyle and Cedric The Entertainer. The film will hit the theaters on Friday, April 18! Below is A Haunted House 2's parody poster of Insidious 2.
[Review] Bad Words
Jason Bateman isn’t exactly an actor on the up-and-coming. With successful television series Arrested Development and other films like Horrible Bosses and Up In the Air, he’s definitely already made a name for himself that has a pretty strong following. Bad Words, however, is his first step into directing a feature length film, and I must say that this comedy full of quick wit and, well, bad words was an enjoyable movie worth seeing if in need of a few laughs.
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Bad Words
Director: Jason Bateman
Rating: R
Release Date: March 14, 2014 (limited)
Guy Trilby (Jason Bateman) is introduced as a 40-year-old man in the crowd at The Golden Quill National Spelling Bee competition. As an adult in an environment that is intended for the thriving of kids, it is believed that he’s a parent of one of the competitors until he steps up onto the stage. While his enrollment in the tournament doesn’t go uncontested, he proves his right to be up there competing by finding a few loopholes in the rule book. Without giving much of a reason as to why he’s doing this, parents are becoming enraged for the sake that their children won’t have a fair chance in the competition. He isn’t alone in this though. Jenny Widgeon (Kathryn Hahn) is a journalist following Trilby from competition to competition in the hope that she will catch the moment in which the estranged man reveals his real reasons for competition as he escalates higher and higher in the tournament. Along with her is young Chaitanya Chopra (Rohand Chand), a young boy that is completely unfazed by Guy’s choice to be a loner in life and forms a bond with the man after much persistence to be friends.
I went to this film without knowing too much about it other than a faint memory of seeing the trailer just a few months earlier, but what little expectations I had were not let down whatsoever. It’s full of quick wit and great comebacks from Bateman’s asshole of a character, and there was rarely a scene in which I wasn’t laughing. Trilby doesn’t have any intent on befriending anyone as an adult at this grade school competition, but the non-stop efforts of young, fellow competitor Chaitanya Chopra to be friends with Guy has a great impact on the humor displayed in the film. Most of the jokes are from the things that Bateman says to this naïve kid and the situations he puts them both into. In fact, the overall inappropriateness of the whole film is the driving force of this comedy, and I enjoy the seemingly mature level of immaturity that this movie took on.
I truthfully don’t have too many complaints about what I was privileged to watch. This wasn’t a comedy that changed my life forever, and I don’t see it doing any better in theaters than any other average comedy that has been put onto the market. Regardless, it was a genuinely easy viewing that kept me laughing throughout it’s entire duration, and I feel like it accomplished its goals.
Everyone in the cast put in some of their best effort for this production. Bateman is excellent at playing this person who is seemingly one of the worst human beings in existence, and his minimal evolution of a character was executed perfectly. Kathryn Hahn also brings some hilarity through her determination and underlying loneliness in the film. Allison Janney is great in comedic roles, but her character, Dr. Bernice Deagan, is the director of the spelling bee and remains serious while she’s featured.
2014 seems to be stacked with a bunch of comedies to look forward to seeing, with a lot of them coming out in late spring. Bad Words is no exception to my anticipation of a string of good laughs to come. The plot line, while predictable, was simple and easy to follow. It wasn't created to change the world of comedy, and it was an equal balance of hilarity that works that made the film just right for pure enjoyment. I don't have a dying urge to see it in theaters once again, but I probably wouldn't contest it if someone were to pop it into the DVD player on another night. If you're in need of a good laugh and have nothing better to do, I would definitely confirm that seeing this movie is worth getting into theaters to see.
Paul Walker To Be Replaced By Body Doubles and CGI
The death of Paul Walker is one that saddened fans all over the world. The Fast and Furious franchise has a huge following, and the loss of this great actor left many devastated. As depressed as fans were though, many couldn't help but wonder what will happen for the next Fast and Furious installment, Fast and Furious 7.
The film already pushed its release date in December to April 10, 2015 after the death of Walker. After setting this new release date, Universal suggested that Paul Walker will still appear in the upcoming film, regardless of his untimely fate. “They have hired four actors with bodies very similar to Paul’s physique and they will be used for movement and as a base,” said a source to the New York Daily News. "Paul's face and voice will be on top using CGI." Walker is known for playing cop Brian O'Conner in all of the Fast and Furious installments except for Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift. Because he is the star in the upcoming film alongside costar Vin Diesel, this may be a task that is difficult to pull off.
James Wan is to direct this next chapter in the widely successful series, and Vin Diesel and Neal H. Moritz are returning to produce it as well. The filming was delayed after 40-year-old Walker died in a car crash on November 30 in Valencia, California, just outside of Los Angeles. The cast and crew was about halfway done with production of the next film in the series when the tragedy struck, with Walker's performance unfinished. Vin Diesel is now determined to make this the best one in the series, and I could only hope that they're all brought to even more success after his loss.
[via Variety]
[Review] Awful Nice
The bond between siblings is an unexplainable one with many benefits and pitfalls. One day, your brother or sister could be giving you their leftover candy, but in the next they could be trying to rip your eyeballs out. Growing up with two younger brothers, I must say that the latter happened more so when we were younger, and sometimes I feel the need to continue this immature behavior. This only seems to be making up a small portion of the complexity that is sharing the same gene pool as other people who kind of look like you in one way or another. Regardless of the indifferences that siblings may face, it's a bond difficult to break.
Awful Nice is a comedy of its own breed that taps into the dysfunctional side of these sibling relationships. I saved myself from having a tainted opinion of what this film would entail by going into it completely blind, and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the antics of the two brothers in the film. Perhaps it is because they reminded me of my own brothers in a way. Regardless, I think this was a story worth the viewing.
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Awful Nice
Director: Todd Sklar
Rating: R
Release Date: March 7, 2014
When Jim Brouillette (James Pumphrey) hears news that his father has passed away, he is forced to track down his brother Dave (Alex Rennie) for the upcoming services. While they may be brothers, there seems to remain very few similarities. Jim, a married family man and college professor, tries his best to be responsible in all of his efforts. Contrarily, Dave is quite a deadbeat with not much accomplished in his years of life. It's been awhile since they've been united, and their indifferences are brought to life in the most inopportune setting of a funeral. Their disagreements are put aside with the discovery that they both have inherited the family's lake house in Branson, Missouri, and thus prompts a road trip to check out the current conditions of the house and hopefully sell it for a check to be split between them. The house is a complete dump, and Dave convinces Jim to stay and help him fix it up and mend their lost bond.
The film follows the basic requirements of most sibling movies, but the execution of it was absolutely well-done. The humor of it all seems to be driven by Dave's crazy, bachelor-like antics, and the more Jim resists his behavior the more I found myself laughing. Even in the first scene alone we are introduced to a naked Dave laying on the ground of an indian reservation. However, this is a weird breed of humor, and I think that its just one of those movies that's either going to be loved or hated. The speed is fairly fast paced, and to not pay attention for even a minute could mean that something important in one way or another could be missed.
Whether a viewer has siblings or not, I think there is a little bit of something for everyone who may watch this movie. The whole time I was watching it I felt this relation to Jim and his attempts to keep his head on his shoulders, but Dave definitely gave me the vibe of my younger brother Donnie who enjoys stirring the pot and being controversial whether he intends on doing so or not.
I think that Awful Nice is a pleasant addition to the spring release library. Film is really slow at this time of the year, and this is something that I believe would be worth getting out of the house and seeing. It captures the essence of the inescapable bond that is family, and I felt like it was so relatable on many different levels.
I firmly believe this a film that everyone could enjoy in one way or another, but even more so when a viewer has siblings that drive them nuts. Jim and Dave are very eccentric in their own unique ways, and a multitude of fist fights and arguments have a weird way of proving their sibling relationship. The jokes fell one after the other, whether they be contrived or situational. I really appreciated the humor peppered throughout, and I hope that someone else could enjoy it as well. A weirdly heartwarming tale with it's even weirder conclusion, I think this is the kind of dysfunctional tale that was entertaining in most of its efforts.
Billy Ray to Script New Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill Film
Billy Ray is coming in fresh off an Oscar nomination for his latest work with writing the script for Captain Phillips. His efforts in depicting this real life drama were pretty fantastic, and now he is set to recreate the 1996 Atlanta Olympics bombing drama The Ballad of Richard Jewell based on Marie Brenner's Vanity Fair article. Following the security guard who reported the bomb and cleared out bystanders, the security guard found himself a suspect of the terrorism plot.
Wolf of Wall Street's Oscar nominated duo Leonardo DiCaprio and Jonah Hill will be brought together once again for the film as well. They are the two biggest stars attached to the future script, with Hill set to play Jewell and DiCaprio the lawyer attempting to clear his name. However, both of the actors have a ton of projects going on. Hill has a good handful of films in post production, and DiCaprio was just announced to be producing the film A Boy and His Tiger. Because of this, there's no date set specifically when the film will begin its production. Fox is working right now to acquire rights to the story and hire Ray in an effort to show that the story is their major priority. Additionally, DiCaprio may be producing with Jennifer Davisson Killoran through his Appian Way banner. Hill is also set to produce along with Kevin Misher who resurrected the article.
Ray has had a lot of great credentials in the past few years with his work scripting The Hunger Games and an award from the Writers Guild of America for best adapted screenplay for Captain Phillips last month. With his work on those two films alone, I have no doubt that he will be able to capture the essence of this next film's terror.
[via Variety]
Adam Driver To Play Villain In New Star Wars
Adam Driver has recently been rising in his own popularity. With a Gap modeling deal, a small role in Inside Llewyn Davis, and his important role as Lena Dunham's character Hannah's boyfriend on the hit HBO series Girls, it seems as if he's striving to become a household name. In the midst in these efforts, sources told Variety magazine that Adam Driver is close to signing a deal for the villain in J. J. Abrams' Star Wars: Episode VII.
While nothing has officially been announced, 30-year-old Driver appears to be the first of any casting Disney has revealed for the latest Star Wars installment. It's scheduled to shoot at London's Pinewood Studios in April. Within the next month more of the major cast members will be announced.
The role of the villain that Driver will play has been rumored for the past few weeks in the casting process, but it seems that he has risen to the top of the list for the actor to play the part. A major cause for delay has been his main acting project on Girls. The HBO comedy series production schedules for Season 4 and future series were causing scheduling conflicts, but sources revealed to Variety that the issue was taken care of and a deal will be delivered shortly.
Driver has a lot of other projects in store for viewers though. Right now he is filming Midnight Special with Warner Brothers and is attached with Martin Scorsese's next project Silence. Another film of his, This Is Where I Leave You, will be coming out this upcoming fall.
[via Variety]
The 86th Academy Awards Winners
An Oscar is undoubtedly the biggest honor any filmmaker could receive for their hard work in creating a cinematic work. While I may hear amongst many of the people in my life just how much they don't care about the evening's victors, I treat my viewing of the Academy Awards almost like the average American treats the Super Bowl. Growing up in an extremely small town, a lot of the nominated films weren't accessible to me and my predictions really reflected my sheltered viewings. Now that I'm in actual civilization, I've been able to catch a lot of the films, and I must say that I have become quite a professional at guessing who will be taking home the big prize of the evening. Last Friday I wrote a post on my predictions for the major categories of the evening, and I am proud to say I was pretty much eight for eight with my guesses. Perhaps I should say 7.5 for reasons of my Best Picture award, but I highly doubt anyone cares too much about that. With that said, here are this year's winners...
The 86th Academy Awards Winners Predictions
The early months of any year are full of awards and recognitions for all of those filmmakers who worked hard in the previous year to produce a form of entertainment that will have the capability to transcend the decades. While a variety of these award nights seem to take precedence throughout these first few weeks of the year, they all seem to merely be leading up to the largest of filmmaking honor ceremonies: The Academy Awards. The night on which the golden Oscar is distributed seems to always be the hype, and these smaller ceremonies just add to the predictions that film fanatics everywhere are making for the late winter celebration. 2013 brought a lot of excitement for filmgoers around the world, and this Sunday could be the test of whether a viewer's favorite film executed just the right amount of excellence for the Academy to spread cheer. So, without further blabber on my part, here is what I think will be receiving each honor this weekend.