Going the Distance

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A couple (Drew Barrymore & Justin Long) meet in New York, when she has only 6 weeks left before she moves back to San Francisco, but they fall in love anyway, so they decide to try a long distance relationship.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Drew Barrymore, Justin Long, Charlie Day, Jason Sudeikis, Christina Applegate, Ron Livingston, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Jim Gaffigan, Kelli Garner, June Diane Raphael, Rob Riggle, Sarah Burns, Natalie Morales, Matt Servitto, Leighton Meester, Kristen Schaal

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! As far as romantic-comedies go, this one actually has comedy in it.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Much more than the preview leads you to believe. But be warned, it gets pretty raunchy at times. Even when it's girls talking... and I know that many of you are hyper-sensitive to hearing girls talk about some of the things that girls actually talk about.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: It's sad that it's so much easier to fall in love with someone when you know they're leaving and you don't have any pressure to get into a serious relationship. But it's also stupid because you actually get your heart broken twice as hard that way.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Most successful film starring a couple who is actually dating, since the 1950s (I'm referring back to Lucy and Desi, of course.) Although it may be because they broke up before filming commenced... or maybe they're still together. No one seems to know the latest on this, but it's certainly better PR if they at least pretend to be together until the film passes $100 million at the box office, because you feel like you're getting a glimpse into their real life as a couple.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: As charming and funny as Justin Long is as the MAC guy, he's just not a leading man. Drew Barrymore is even more cute and disarming than usual, despite the fact that she has the laugh of a 60-year-old alcoholic. And Charlie Day is the new Zach Galifianakis.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Let's put this in the "You go, girl!" category. Nanette Burnstein, who has multiple awards for documentary directing, but has never directed a fictional script before, could have fooled me.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Apparently Geoff LaTulippe's original script made the "Black List," which is Hollywood's unofficial list of the best script each year that didn't sell. Knowing this, you can imagine my surprise when I found out in the Q & A, that the first thing the director did was to hire two different writers to rewrite the script completely, and then have the actors improvise most of their dialogue. In turn, I can imagine your surprise at the fact that I'm still surprised that the script got rewritten, even though I should get by now that this is pretty much true of every single movie that has ever gotten made in Hollywood. Then again, while I don't know what the Black List script was like, I did like this version.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/search/going%20the%20distance/trailers

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Mao's Last Dancer

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: The true story of Li Cunxin (Chi Cao), who was taken away from his family as a boy in Moaist China, to train at the Beijing Dance Academy, and later recruited to the United States where he was accused of turning his back on China, and denied re-entrance to his homeland. Meanwhile, in America he becomes an acclaimed ballerino.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Chi Cao, Bruce Greenwood, Kyle MacLachlan, Joan Chen, Amanda Schull, Shuang Bao Wang, Madeleine Eastoe, Aden Young, Chengwu Guo, Wen Bin Huang, Camilla Vergotis, Su Zhang, Gang Jiao, Ferdinand Hoang

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! This film is so beautiful, its beauty can only be properly expressed in French with tears in your eyes. So here goes... C'est beau! (sniff-sniff)

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: There's one musical cue that's kind of funny, although I'm not sure it's deliberately funny. You see, the film takes place in the 70s, so for authenticity's sake, they have no choice but to cut to disco music once in a while.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: I predicted what they were going to do, I knew it was gonna make me cry, and I still cried, full on tears, both eyes.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: This is the kind of slow and important film that the Academy goes crazy over. The only thing it has going against it is that I like it, too.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: After watching Bruce Greenwood play very straight and very powerful men, in both Dinner for Schmucks and Star Trek, it is fascinating to see him pull off a man who is obviously gay, but in no way flamboyant. Joan Chen is delightful as the dancer's mother, with touching moments of both anger and joy. And it deserves a mention that Chi Cao, who is an amazing professional ballerino, but has no acting experience to speak of, makes you believe that you are watching a documentary, and not a scripted movie.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Despite a few passing moments that are pointlessly showy, Bruce Beresford's directing is impressive both in the flawless coverage of the numerous ballet numbers, and in the little touches, like making the film negative look like grainy stock footage, straight out of the 70s and 80s, when he shows us the date of each sequence.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Obviously, it's a true story and a tear jerker. My only complaint is that for those of us that know structure, there are a few moments which feel like they're approaching the ending but then don't, which makes the film feel momentarily longer than it is. But all is forgiven, as the last 10 minutes are worth the wait.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/maos-last-dancer/10014074/trailers

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The Switch

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: An aging woman (Jennifer Aniston) decides she's not going to wait for love to have a baby, she's going to get a sperm donor. Then, in a drunken stupor, her best friend, who happens to be a guy, (Jason Bateman) switches the donors sperm for his own, and 7 years later starts to realize that her kid is his kid.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Jason Bateman, Jennifer Aniston, Patrick Wilson, Jeff Goldblum, Thomas Robinson, Juliette Lewis, Caroline Dhavernas, Jason Jones, Bryce Robinson

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. Despite the ridiculous premise, the moments that lead to each implausible beat make a lot of sense.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: I had a couple of good ones, because I like to laugh at children.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: A much less cool fact about me is I tend to cry at children, too.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: First movie about a woman who decides to get pregnant on her own, since The Back-up Plan. Hey, it's been 4 months, we were due for another one, right?

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Jeff Goldblum is the stand out, and also plays the perfect best-friend. He is just the right combination of caring and giving you the space to make your own mistakes. The little boy, Thomas Robinson, is pretty impressive, too.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: For some reason, the directing in this movie feels kind of self-conscious to me. It's like they're trying really hard to do something special, but no matter how hard they try, their work refuses to go beyond run of the mill.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: The hardest thing to get past (besides the premise) is Jason Bateman's character, who you feel empathetic toward, but you never really like as a love interest. You almost don't want him to end up with the girl because you know that in the long run, he would be a major drain on her life. My favorite thing about the script, though, is how you see Jennifer Aniston fall for her son, as any mother would, and the more she grows to like all of Jason Bateman's unlikeable characteristics in her own son, the more you can buy that she might grow to appreciate them in the man who spawned him.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/the-switch/31199/trailers

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Vampires Suck

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: Twilight is spoofed, similarly to how Scream was spoofed in Scary Movie.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Jenn Proske, Matt Lanter, Diedrich Bader, Chris Riggi, Anneliese van der Pol, Ken Jeong, B.J. Britt, Arielle Kebbel, David Deluise, Charlie Webber, Michael Hanson, Kelsey Ford, Jun Hee Lee

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. You know what you're getting into with this type of broad humor based almost exclusively in pop culture. And if you are going to see this, you should have a solid knowledge of the Twilight Saga going in... which, somehow, I do.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: What's funny about movies based in pop culture is they're almost too dumb to be blond.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: What's sad about movies based in pop culture is that they feel passé by the time they come out on DVD.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Funniest Song. "My Panties" by Magicwandos. Imagine you're looking at Kristen Stewart in Twilight, and you suddenly hear the lyrics in her head, put to an emo alternative rock tune, "I feel so lonely. Nobody gets me. I. Am. So. Unhappy."

Q: How is the Acting?

A: I am totally not kidding when I say that Jenn Proske turns in one of the most impressive performances of the year. Sure, it's just an impersonation of Kristen Stewart, but the mannerisms, the posture, even the voice are spot on. This is how Anna Faris started her career with the Scary Movie franchise, and I see a future just as bright for this new actress, who has a total of zero credits to her name leading up to this one. It's almost worth seeing the movie just for her.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: From the very first shot I was surprised that this movie didn't look crappier. In fact, for $20million, Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer do a pretty darn good job of making it look exactly like Twilight. In further fact, the directors of the Twilight movies should be ashamed of themselves for needing so much more money to get the same look.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: It's so close to the Twilight story that there are times when you forget that you're watching a spoof. But right when you get comfortable with the idea that you're simply watching a remake with new actors who are imitating the old actors, they throw a joke in your face-- often quite literally.

Q: Is there anything else worth mentioning about the movie?

A: I love it when I get a natural opportunity in my post to write commonly searched words (Twilight) seven times and (Kristen Stewart) thrice... not counting the tags.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/vampires-suck/51638/trailers

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Eat Pray Love

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: Book writer, Elizabeth Gilbert's (Julia Roberts), memoirs about the time when her life and marriage fell apart, and she lost all of her money, but somehow had enough left over to take a year off so she could travel to Italy to eat, to India to get religion, and to Bali to do-- God knows what her plan was there, but luckily she fell in love, so that her book could have a title that comes full circle.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Julia Roberts, James Franco, Viola Davis, Javier Bardem, Billy Crudup, Richard Jenkins, Mike O'Malley, Hadi Subiyanto, Tuva Novotny, Luca Argentero, Giuseppe Gandini, Christine Hakim, Anakia Lapae

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. Everything about the book that works works better in the book.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: There's a funny scene where Julia Roberts and her Swedish friend realize that they've eaten so much in Italy, and put on so much weight, that they can no longer zip up their pants. The funniest part about the scene is how skinny they both are.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Boy does this film have a lot of sentimentality in it.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Let me smile in my liver on it and get back to you.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Julia Roberts is still a movie star who lights up the screen without even trying. Javier Bardem and James Franco are duly sexy in their respective love interest roles. But Richard Jenkins, as the unlikely friend who's unlikely to be in an ashram, is totally miscast. For one thing, he doesn't look enough like an all-American Texan good-ol' boy, by which I mean he's not fat. And more importantly, he looks like a Democrat.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: It's hard to go wrong in such colorful places as Italy, India and Bali, so it looks beautiful, but I wish the meditations had been more visually inventive... Although I admit that based on the description in the book which describes the meditations as indescribable, that was a losing battle from the moment the director signed up for this job.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Any adaptation is a challenge because there are things that work on the page which don't translate well to the screen, and this adaptation is no exception to the rule proven by my personal, made-up statistic that an average of 1 out of 18 books succeeds as a movie. This adaptation, along with the other 17 out of 18, fails on several levels. Things that are described in the book come off staged and monolgue-y when they're said out loud as dialogue. Also most of the angst that works as a starting point for Liz Gilbert's inspiring transformation from a depressed mess to a well-balanced woman with an undeniable joie de vivre is invisible on the screen. In the book, being inside her head keeps the audience attuned to her ever changing emotional level. But it would be ridiculous to hear her every thought throughout the movie-- hey, I just got a good idea for a Will Ferrell comedy!

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/eat-pray-love/27799/trailers

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Scott Pilgrim vs. the World

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera) falls for a girl (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) who has 7 evil exes that he must defeat, for no reason in particular.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Kieran Culkin, Ellen Wong, Mark Webber, Alison Pill, Johnny Simmons, Anna Kendrick, Aubrey Plaze, Chris Evans, Jason Schwartzman, Brandon Routh, Satya Bhabha, Brie Larson, Mae Whitman, Keita Saitou, Shota Saito, Ben Lewis

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. This film is all style and no substance. But there always seems to be some idiot who gloms onto that sort of a thing and calls it a cult classic.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: The style is pretty funny at times, but when I say style, I'm talking about dialogue more pretentious than in Juno.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: No, because you won't give a crap about anybody in it... not in you heart anyway.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Best Directing. Bet you didn't think I'd say that?

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Kieran Culkin steals the show because he has the best lines. And Anna Kendrick-- is there anything she's not in?

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Edgar Wright's visuals are the only reason anyone will be fooled into thinking this is a good movie.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Don't expect to care about anybody, or even understand why Scott Pilgrim likes the girl he has to fight for. Also prepare to wonder where he gets his superpowers to fight these exes, why the exes turn into money when they are defeated, and by the way, how he defeats any of them, when in most cases it looks like they killed him first, multiple times. Basically, we are shown a surrealistic world of magical reality, but the rules of the world and the magic are never set up or explained to us.

Q: Is there anything else worth mentioning about the movie?

A: It tries to be a live action videogame, probably in order to pander to the young male audience that no one seems to be able to reach because they're busy playing actual video games. Since there's no user participation in this viewing experience, I don't see any reason for that audience to come out and see this. So why don't we all just accept that that audience is done with movies, and start making movies for the people who actually like to go to them. Like, for example, girls.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/scott-pilgrim-vs-the-world/35215/trailers

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Step Up 3D

(Featuring Contributions by Guest Reviewer Valerie)

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A lot of people think that the most important thing in the world is winning a dance battle that no one else even knows exists.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Rick Malambri, Adam G. Sevani, Sharni Vinson, Alyson Stoner, Keith Stallworth, Joe Slaughter, Martin Lombard, Facundo Lombard, Daniel 'Cloud' Campos, Stephen 'tWitch' Boss, Oren 'Flearock' Michaeli, and literally every person in the world who has ever had or wanted a career in dance.

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Stop! Let's face it, no one goes to Step Up for the the plot, they go for the dancing. So why would they ruin the magic of the mad skills involved in this level of dancing by doing it in 3D, which makes it look like special effects instead of human genius?

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Laugh with or laugh at?

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: You might cry about the extra $4 you are forced to spend on 3D, only so you can leave the theater thinking, "I can't wait for this to come out in 2D."

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Most Choreography.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Adam G. Sevani is angling for Michael Cera's sloppy seconds. Meanwhile, Sharni Vinson, as the love interest, seems to be angling for the unemployment line. And she's a terrible kisser.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: If I had a nickel for every useless 3D effect the director uses, I'd have enough money to remake this movie in 2D.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: There's dancing, betrayal, horrible dialogue, and star-crossed lovers from opposite sides of the tracks. Basically, what I'm saying is they dug up the scripts for Step Up and Step Up 2: the Streets, and changed a few names and places.

Q: Is there anything else worth mentioning about the movie?

A: Just a couple more major problems: the soundtrack is not nearly as blood-pumping as it was for Step Up 2, and 4 times out of 5 our heroes' winning dance routines are definitively not as good as the competitors' losing routines.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/step-up-3d/51894/trailers

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The Other Guys

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A couple of buddy cops who hate each other (Will Ferrell & Mark Wahlberg) try to prove that they are not the two most incompetent police officers who ever lived.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Will Ferrel, Mark Wahlberg, Michael Keaton, Eva Mendez, Steve Coogan, Rob Riggle, Damon Wayans, Jr., Dwayne Johnson, Samuel L. Jackson, Ray Stevenson, Bobby Cannavale, Andy Buckley, Lindsay Sloane, Natalie Zea, Anne Heche, Michael Delaney

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! As far as Will Ferrell movies go, this one actually has a story. And yes, I admit that my expectations for his movies are so low that I may be being more lenient than I normally am.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Prepare for usual stupid, wacky Will Ferrel comedy stylings, which often make no logical sense, and yet seem to catch on like The Macarena.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: No, but when people fall from tall buildings, you actually get to see them hitting the ground... So that's disturbing.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: I think it's going to be up for the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences for the mind blowing stats and charts during the credit sequence that point out exactly how badly we were screwed by the banks in the financial collapse. What, you didn't know this was a message movie?

Q: How is the Acting?

A: First of all Mark Wahlberg is hilarious in this. His curmudgeonliness reminded me of Mr. Roper from Three's Company, the way he would smile through intense annoyance, unable to hide his insincerity. And Will Ferrell's jokes are always funnier when they come from a character who is sweet, naive, and innocent, as they do in this film, than when they come from that unlikeble cocky, bastard place, as they do in some of his less well developed films. I am always happy to see him in a character that highlights his strength. Sadly, I didn't think Steve Coogan was exploited to the best of his abilities.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Adam McKay, who directs most of Will Ferrell's movies, succeeded in making it look like a Will Ferrell movie.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: I was ecstatic to see that there was one, even if it contained several moments, emotions, and jokes that have no basis in reality.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/the-other-guys/38655/trailers

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Salt

(Guest Review by Russ)

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A secret agent (Angelina Jolie) is accused of being a Russian spy working as a mole in the CIA and must go on the run to prove her innocence.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Angelina Jolie, Liev Schreiber, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Daniel Olbrychski, August Diehl, Daniel Pearce, Hunt Block, Andre Braugher

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. Salt is serviceable summertime action fare that doesn't exceed expectations nor fall below them. You've probably seen most of it before, and it's pretty illogical, but it at least it zips along. And hey, it's a decent way to cool off for 100 minutes if the hot summer sun is wearing you down.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: If watching the heroine survive unbelievable stunt after unbelievable stunt with nary a scratch makes you guffaw, then you will be rolling in the aisles. Otherwise... no.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: If watching the heroine survive unbelievable stunt after unbelievable stunt with nary a scratch makes you cry, then your seat will be soaked from the waterworks. Otherwise... no.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Most Watching of a Heroine Surviving Unbelievable Stunt after Unbelievable Stunt, and Getting Out with Nary a Scratch. Do you get what this movie is about yet?

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Angelina Jolie gets credit for being one of the very few American actresses who can pull off this type of action-y ridiculousness and not come across as completely ridiculous. And she even has a few moments that will remind you of what a fine dramatic actress she is as she conveys her double-spy loyalties with a quiver of her lips and a watery eye. Makes you wish she was doing Wanted Part 2 instead of this though.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Phillip Noyce can bring it, but Salt is not his finest hour. The action sequences are disjointed and much of the editing makes it look as if the latter part of the stunt didn't really work so they just cut to the result creating a jarring effect that leaves the viewer confused.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: It doesn't make a lot of sense. But if you like watching Angelina Jolie run around, blow stuff up, and shoot people, then you probably won't care all that much. Doesn't seem like the screenwriter did.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/salt/37107/trailers

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Charlie St. Cloud

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: All the different ways you can light Zac Efron to showcase his extreme levels of beauty... Other than that, I'm not really sure. I think there was the death of a brother. Some ghosts. A girl. And a whole bunch of melodrama.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: When you have Zac Efron, does anyone else really matter?

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Stop! I liked him by candlelight. Daylight was nice. The sunset wasn't bad either. Moonlight wasn't so great though, because you could only see him in silhouette, and when he took off his shirt, you could hardly see his dewy muscles glistening.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Funny, but in an extremely pleasant way, were the skin tight shirts Zac Efron wore in every scene. My favorite was the maroon one, because you could really see his nipples protruding. Of course that's not counting the white one, which became transparent when wet, as he slowly rises out of the lake, like a merman.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Zac's eyes are such a deep, rich shade of blue as they well up with tears in scene upon scene. It was just my luck that his brother died early in the film, so he could be sad and weepy throughout.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Cutest Smile.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Did you know that Kim Bassinger and Ray Liotta were in this film? Yeah, neither did any of the women in the audience. How could they think about such things when Zac Efron was steaming up the screen.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Somehow the man knew that if he put Zac Efron's face, smile, eyes, arms, and pecs in every shot, nobody would notice how bad the directing and the story were. He was right.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: When the opening title of the film came up on the screen, I thought to myself, "What a dumb name for a movie." But, as the anonymous heterosexual male friend who saw it with me (and shall remain nameless to protect the innocent) said, "They had to name it Charlie St. Cloud, because it was the only thing they could do to stop you from thinking you're watching a story about Zac Efron."

Q: Is there anything else worth mentioning about the movie?

A: I heard on the radio today that Zac Efron would be interested in hooking up with either Eva Mendez or Penelope Cruz-- which is great news, because I'm an older woman, too, and on a good day, I can pass for Latina-- which makes me his type!

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/charlie-st-cloud/1430516/trailers

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The Disappearance of Alice Creed

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A kidnapping for a ransom turns complicated, when one of the kidnappers (Martin Compston) admits to the victim (Gemma Arterton) that he's in love with her... and that's only half the story. But anyway, when has a kidnapping for a ransom not turned complicated?

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Gemma Arterton, Martin Compston, Eddie Marsan. And that's really it.

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! Taking place almost entirely in a tiny one bedroom apartment, this low budget thriller is both simple and full of twists.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: You know what's funny? When they tie her up, and strip her naked, and you think they're going to rape her, but they don't. Hahahaha! They totally got me.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Hopefully, neither kidnapping nor being kidnapped are relatable enough situations to you to make you cry.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: I would love to see Gemma Arterton nominated for something for this. The girl cries and screams like nobody's business, through the whole thing. She must've been exhausted by the end of every work day. I was exhausted just watching her performance.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Martin Compston will likely be our next British import, now that we've all sort of tired of Orlando Bloom. And Eddie Marsan is great, if not somewhat scary, in everything-- I mean, did you see Happy Go Lucky?

Q: How is the Directing?

A: It's hard to keep a bedroom, a living room, and a bathroom entertaining for the entire length of a movie, but in this case it really adds to the claustrophobia, and J Blakeson keeps things moving and dynamic, along with the help of an ominous score.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: The story has enough twists, turns and intrigue to make you forget that you haven't left the room in over an hour. It doesn't fall back on dialogue to keep things moving along, either. You are simply pulled through by your concern about who will get out of this situation and how-- despite the fact that each of the characters has at least one flaw that should rightfully make you hate them to the point of not caring.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/search/the%20disappearance%20of%20alice%20creed/trailers

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Hugh Hefner: Playboy, Activist and Rebel

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: Hugh Hefner has lived through the Great Depression, a World War, two east-Asian wars, two gulf wars, the sexual revolution, the civil rights movement, and the invention of plastic surgery, and I'm pretty sure he had a hand in all of it.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: A bunch of bunnies, a bunch of horn dogs, some old-timey famous folks, and George Lucas.

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. It's interesting to learn that before Hef hung out with gaggles of indistinguishable fake-boobed blonds, young enough to be his grand-daughters, he was an activist who made strides in racial rights and even (supposedly) in some aspects of women's rights, but it's hard to reconcile with the fact that he seems incapable of seeing how his work exploits women.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Here's something funny: Hef doesn't understand why some people call his magazines pornography. So just to be clear, I looked up the definition on Merriam-Webster, which says, "the depiction of erotic behavior (as in pictures or writing) intended to cause sexual excitement." And then, next to it, there was a picture of Marilyn Monroe on the cover of the first edition of Playboy.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Dr. Ruth says it best when she pin-points the sad truth about why Hef won't be remembered for the relevant and important impact he had on making the world a more just and fair place for women and minorities. She explains that he made the mistake of mixing up his personal life with his professional life, and now no one can take him seriously, because all anyone associates with him is the fact that he's dating between three and seven women at once, all of which only love him for his money. (I admit, I added that last bit.)

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: You are not gonna believe this, but it won the Hugh M. Hefner First Amendment Award for free speech!... Okay, it hasn't won it yet, but since Hef gives it out, don't you think it's got a good chance?

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Before he got all old and creepy, Hugh Hefner was actually a much more attractive and fascinating man than I care to admit. Yeah, I would've done him.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: I know Hugh Hefner is almost 200 years old, but the movie about his life didn't need to be in real time. Over 2 hours for any film is a mistake, but over 2 hours for a documentary about one person shows a lack of restraint that borders on unprofessional. I'm thinking the director is a hoarder.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Provocative, but it feels like a bit of propaganda to me. Hef has a line where he says that he still picks every centerfold and every cover, and edits all the cartoons and articles... well I've got a feeling that director, Brigitte Berman, only gained this kind of access because she gave Hef final cut on how he would be represented in his final impressions, too.

Q: Is there anything else worth mentioning about the movie?

A: Boobies!

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/hugh-hefner-playboy-activist-and-rebel/10011272/trailers

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Dinner for Schmucks

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A bunch of a-holes invite a bunch of idiots over for dinner, once again proving that a-holes tend to be idiots.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Steve Carell, Paul Rudd, Zach Galifianakis, Jemaine Clement, Stephanie Szostak, Lucy Punch, Bruce Greenwood, David Walliams, Ron Livingston, Larry Wilmore, Kristen Schaal, P.J. Byrne, Andrea Savage, Lucy Davenport, Christopher O'Dowd, Jeff Dunham, Octavia Spencer, Patrick Fischler, Rick Overton

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. Though the ending is sweet and redeeming, the middle becomes increasingly more and more stressful, as one mishap leads to another and then another, until you can hardly stand to see anything more go wrong. Granted, a lot of people find great humor in their on-screen counterparts' misery.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: If you loved either Meet the Parents or Anger Management, you will find just as much schadenfreude here.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: No, but it might cause you an anxiety attack.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Best Horror Film of the Year. Trust me, you'll be yelling things at the screen like, "No! Don't go in that room!"

Q: How is the Acting?

A: I don't know if it's just the fake teeth, but Steve Carell manages to create a character who's an idiot in a totally different way than the multitude of other idiots he's played. I mean, sheesh! When it comes to idiocy, he's magnificently versatile!

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Jay Roach gets paid $10million a movie-- he'd better do a good job!

Q: How is the story/script?

A: As one of the only people in America who saw the original French movie, Le Diner de Cons, I can honestly say that... I don't remember anything about it. Not because the American version is so much better, rather because I saw it back in the 90s, and who can remember anything from the 90s? Not me. Nonetheless, the American version has a lot more story, a lot more heart, and a lot goofier jokes. One thing the two movies do have in common, though, is that there is a dinner where everyone brings an idiot.

Q: Is there anything else worth mentioning about the movie?

A: The mouse art is incredible. The production designer deserves to be curated.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/dinner-for-schmucks/28119/trailers

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