Here to take a look at the films coming out in wide and limited release this coming weekend. I’ll give you my thoughts to help you decide what’s worth checking out.
- The Purge: Anarchy – I cannot wait to not see this trailer every time I go see a movie. I swear it’s been before every movie I’ve seen for the past 6 months. That’s not to say it looks terrible, but it almost got as redundant as the constant The Leftovers commercials during the entire season of Game of Thrones. And I still haven’t started watching that. It’s sad when advertising makes you fatigued with something before it even comes out. Now, I though The Purge was just okay. It seemed to flounder a great concept, and not really go as all out with a home invasion horror film as many others. It certainly didn’t replace The Strangers in my nightmares. This movie seems like it makes better use of the scope of a “Purge” but it’s still not pulling me in. I would like to see a movie in this franchise that tells wildly different stories all over the country during such an event. In this one, just wrangling everyone together across one city still seems too restrained.
- Sex Tape – This first trailer for this looked funny enough. Nothing great, but a decent watch. Sort of how I felt about Bad Teacher. Something you could watch and get a kick out of without having to rate it comedy of the year or anything. The concept is ridiculous of course and I’m tired of hearing the cloud used in a “we have no idea what this technology even is” way in movies and TV shows (I don’t really know exactly what it is either, but that’s besides the point). But, Jason Segel! I’m serious in that I love that dude so much I would see this just to get to watch him act in a movie. He’s been kinda MIA for awhile in the big comedies, and not that I really see this filling the hole, but I miss seeing him around (and a brief conversation in This Is The End doesn’t count). I’d give this one a shot, but most likely on cable.
- Wish I Was Here – As someone who saw Garden State at an impressionable age and completely loved it, I’ve been waiting awhile now for Zach Braff to make another film. While Garden State was about a mid-20’s man who’s feeling a bit lost in life, Wish I Was Here is about a mid-30’s married man who’s feeling a bit lost in life. Somehow, I think I’d relate a bit more to the first one at this point. Nevertheless it seems like a reasonable transition in material Braff would want to cover. Despite all my hope over the years to see another film by the man, I can’t help but lower my expectations just a bit after seeing the trailer. Maybe it’s just the way the trailer is cut, but it just seems a bit too cheery and light-hearted. Maybe a bit too intentionally quirky. I don’t want anything constructed with too heavy a hand (which seems funny coming from someone who loves this image). I hope you know what I’m trying to say. I will definitely see it anyway though, because it still stars the lovable Braff and it’s still a movie he directed.
Available in select theaters. - I Origins – This is the second film directed by Mike Cahill, who previously made the divisive Another Earth. Some claimed it revelatory,some thought it was stupid. One things for sure, he’s interested in putting out indie sci fi films with interesting concepts, and that should earn some credit even if he hasn’t crafted a true winner yet. I Origins is about a molecular biologist conducting research on the eye who makes an incredible discovery. Michael Pitt and Brit Marling star. Despite its mediocre response so far, I can’t help but want to check this out.
Available in select theaters.
