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.
- Entourage – The characters from the HBO show return for a new and exciting film project.
Directed & written by Doug Ellin
Starring Adrian Grenier, Kevin Connolly, Jerry Ferrara, Kevin Dillon, Jeremy Piven
I guess this is how people felt when the Veronica Mars movie came out. Watching the trailer, you can certainly get an idea about what the show was like and thus if you might enjoy the movie. You also feel a bit like you’ve been thrown in the middle of something that you’re not really clued in on. It might be fun to see the wealth of cameos but it’s hard not to dismiss this as a super bro-y comedy. I have a feeling if I don’t already love characters like “Johnny Drama” and “Turtle”, I am not exactly the target audience. - Insidious: Chapter 3 – Before the events of Chapters 1 & 2, psychic Elise Rainier gets roped into helping out a young girl who’s targeted by a malevolent being from the Further.
Directed & written by Leigh Wannell
Starring Stefanie Scott, Lin Shaye, Dermot Mulroney
Caught this at a screening, and I’ll certainly recommend it to fans of the first two with the warning that this is a step down in the franchise. There’s a lot of hit or miss elements going on here, but if all you want is a suspenseful horror movie to see in theaters, I don’t think you’d go wrong with checking it out. Review will be out tomorrow. - Spy – A CIA employee with a desk job lands herself an undercover role to take down a dangerous operation.
Directed & written by Paul Feig
Starring Melissa McCarthy, Jason Statham, Rose Byrne, Jude Law
I’m happy that this doesn’t seem to be another McCarthy dud. The woman is obviously hilarious, but she’s been shoe-horned already into these bad movies playing ridiculous characters. Sure her character here is a bit silly, but more in a fish-out-of-water context as far as I can tell. I’ve laughed heartedly at scenes from the trailer and tv spots, so I have a good feeling about this one. Of course, it helps that it’s sitting pretty at a 94% on Rotten Tomatoes currently. I am excited to see if it lives up to that hype.
- Love & Mercy – A depiction of the early & middle age years in the life of Brian Wilson, the tormented but talented Beach Boys singer-songwriter.
Directed by Bill Pohlad (directorial debut!)
Starring John Cusack, Paul Dano, Elizabeth Banks, Paul Giamatti
Getting this out of the way at the start – I will see this movie. It’s about such a compelling person, Brian Wilson, a brilliant mind behind the Beach Boys (who I love) but suffers from mental instability. When I learned that the playful and joyful music of the Beach Boys was created by such a tormented person it was a shock. Wilson experienced depression and schizophrenic hallucinations starting a few years into the band. Despite the fact that he wasn’t really involved in the making of the film, he did say it was close to real life. I think the idea of telling the parallel stories between the start of the Beach Boys in 60’s (played by Paul Dano) and his later post-band days in the 80’s (played by John Cusack) when he met his second wife while under the questionable care of a psychologist is a fantastic narrative choice. Elizabeth Banks plays his wife Melinda, and I’m happy to see her getting a good dramatic role, while Dano and Cusack are great choices to portray Wilson’s mental state through the years.
