If you were one of the 42 million viewers of last Sunday’s three hour and 35 minutes Oscar telecast, then aside from enduring a schizophrenic show with way too much CHICAGO, you saw the love poured out to ARGO (best picture, best adapted screenplay, best film editing), LES MISERABLES (best supporting actress, best makeup and hairstyling, best sound mixing), LINCOLN (best actor, best production design), and SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK (best actress).
The best news? If you haven’t seen any of these Oscar-nominated and Oscar-winning movies, you can catch LINCOLN, LES MISERABLES and SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK at Logan North Main Megaplex theater, and you can pick up ARGO on Blu-ray or DVD online or at the store (and via Redbox on March 19th). Another Oscar-nominated movie, THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY, is still playing at the Providence Stadium Megaplex theater. All these movies are easily worth the full-priced ticket.
As for movies opening this weekend, you have four to choose from –
21 AND OVER (R)
When a movie boasts “from the writers of THE HANGOVER” and the trailer boasts copious amounts of booze and an Asian guy running around in a bra and underwear yelling, “Free O.J.,” you know exactly the kind of college-kids-gone-wild flick that awaits. Crude and rude with just enough heart to make it all go down with laughs and smiles.
JACK THE GIANT SLAYER (PG-13)
A new take on the old tale of Jack and The Beanstalk, this Bryan Singer (VALKYRIE) film has boasted multiple directors, delays, a name change (from KILLER to SLAYER) and Warner Brothers pushed the movie back from its original release date of June 2012 to March 1, 2013. I hate to play the skeptic, but Singer hasn’t given us much to cheer about recently and a movie with as much production trouble as CGI beanstalk-chucking giants makes me leery.
PHANTOM (R)
This Soviet submarine thriller set during the Cold War and the K-129 crisis of 1968 is an under-the-radar movie that proves Ed Harris (GAME CHANGE) and David Duchovney (GOATS) are alive and kicking and you don’t need to have HBO or Showtime to see these thespians strut their stuff.
THE LAST EXORCISM PART II (PG-13)
So apparently the last exorcism of THE LAST EXORCISM really wasn’t the last exorcism. Apparently when the found-footage movie caused screams and hands-over-eyes action in theaters, the studio decided to milk the scares in a sequel. This one isn’t in the found-footage style, but still looks to provide an up close look at Satan’s brand of back-bending devilish yoga.
If you’re not up for any new releases, you can still catch last week’s openers – DARK SKIES (PG-13) and SNITCH (PG-13) – in theaters, or you can hit up your local DVD rental spot or store for THE MASTER, an Oscar-nominated movie that, despite amazing acting, will make your head hurt. Or, if you’re into the whole sparkly vampire business, i.e. a love-struck teenager or creepy mom, THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN PART 2 is available tonight at midnight!
All of the DVDs mentioned are available at Amazon.com by clicking the links below.
