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.
- Tammy – Parts of this trailer do make me laugh, but the whole thing just feels way too unoriginal to worry about. Melissa McCarthy is very funny and a great performer, but this who wacky schtick is already played out. I know she can do more so I hope she does soon. However, her and her husband Ben Falcone both wrote while he directed, so obviously they’re in this to make some money. No shame in that – Adam Sandler’s been doing it for years. The thing is, it’s a quick way to lose respect if you’re spitting out the same crap. So hopefully after this McCarthy moves on to some other character types.
- Deliver Us From Evil – Eric Bana stars as a NYPD officer who becomes a paranormal investigator, based on a real person. These possession tales especially have become rehashed at this point, but The Conjuring showed us that this could still be done in a refreshing, interesting way. The real component to this movie that’s drawing my in is that it’s directed and co-written by Scott Derrickson who was behind the pretty great Sinister. If he can deliver something close to that level, I’d be pleased.
- Earth to Echo – I don’t have a reason to seek out kids movies, but if I did I would barely know this one existed. I’ve heard the name a few times, but never what it was about or if anyone was interested in it. It’s about a group of kids who end up helping an alien get back to home. Sounds very, very familiar. This generic tale seems okay enough, but unless you have to take kids to see a movie, you might as well keep this off your radar.
- Life Itself – This documentary is based on the life of beloved movie critic, Roger Ebert. For any film fan, it almost feels like required viewing, but I think it will likely strike a chord with most. It’s based on his memoir Life Itself. I read a passage from it about his love for his wife Chaz that was deeply moving, resulting in me crying quite a bit. I’ve been meaning to pick up the book ever since. If this doc is anywhere as eloquent as that chapter, this is going to be wonderful.
Available through Video on Demand and in select theaters.
