Gothamist loves movies (especially those by any "Anderson" director). That's why each Friday, we'll highlight the best and worst in both indie and blockbuster movies as well as the latest in trailers (because admit it, they're the best part of the movie-going experience). We will try our hardest to refrain from such overused phrases as "a non-stop laugh riot", "high octane fun" and "so funny I pished myself!" But no promises.
Opening this weekend:
•Romantic-comedy veteran Drew Barrymore and Jimmy Fallon balance their relationship with a pathetic Red Sox obsession in Fever Pitch.
• Scruffy southern beefcake Matthew McConaughey and Tom-Cruise’s leftovers go hunting for “adventure,” easily foiled plans, and a long lost Civil War battleship in Sahara.
• Set in Shanghai 1930, Director Stephen Chow's (Shaolin Soccer)
Kung Fu Hustle is one man’s accidental, slapstick involvement in street gangs. Imagine Gangs of New York meets Jackie Chan - but smart & funny.
• Tribeca Film Festival acclaimed Winter Solstice follows complicated family members struggling to deal with a death in the family and has all the perquisites for a thoroughly depressing movie: small town, troubled Jersey children, a mourning widower, and Ron Livingston in a non-comedic role. Check Moviefone for showtimes & tickets.
Gothamist Suggests:
• Eros - Three of the world’s most talented directors -- Wong Kar-Wai (China), Steven Soderbergh (America) and Michelangelo Antonioni (Italy) – teamed up for a movie on love, desire, and Robert Downey Jr.'s wet dreams. Played out in various stories in an anthology, Eros promises to weld each director’s talent into a “sensual” anthology; Kar-Wai tells the tale of a young tailor’s lust for a courtesan, Soderbergh’s is a cynical and preverse comedy starring Robert Downy Jr. as a stressed advertising exec who discusses his erotic dreams during therapy sessions, while Antonioni focuses on a ménage-a-trois between a couple and a young woman in Tuscany. Menage-a-trois? We’re in. Eros is playing @ Sunshine Landmark Cinema [143 East Houston Street].
•For those of you up for a midnight movie, The Sunshine Landmark is resurrecting a classic: Stanley Kubrick's nightmarish A Clockwork Orange, both tonight and tomorrow night.
•Also, check out the 5th Annual Brooklyn Jewish Film Festival, featuring the Lenny Bruce biography Lenny on Sat. @9:00PM, Billy Crystal’s Mr. Saturday Night on Sat. @ 9:30 PM and My Favorite Year on Sun. @4:30 PM. For more movies & times,visit BAMcinemtek.
Gothamist Does Not Suggest:
Fever Pitch- Based on the novel by literary favorite Nick Hornby, this Farrelly Brothers comedy follows the relationship of Ben (Jimmy Fallon) an “ah, schucks” high school teacher and a successful businesswoman, Lindsay (Drew Barrymore). Quasi-hilarity ensues when the once seemingly perfect relationship gets tangled and tainted by Ben’s red badge of dorkdom: being a Boston Red Sox fan. Ben must heartwrenchily choose between balls or love.
While we appreciate an effort to overthrow the John Cusack/Hugh Grant/Adam Sandler genre tyranny, Jimmy Fallon jumped the shark somewhere back in SNL, and coupled with Barrymore’s lukewarm comedic talents, we doubt this could be very funny. Beside, we're loyal to the Yankees.
Latest Noteworthy Trailers:
Death of a Dynasty: This is Spinal Tap + a Jay-Z ego stroke equal this docu-comedy on the lavish hip-hop empire, starring Damon Dash Devon, Aoki Capone, & Rashida Jones.
The Skeleton Key: The director of The Ring has a new thriller (with hopefully, 30% less water scenes) starring Kate Hudson as a live-in-nurse caring for an older woman (Gena Rowlands) and her ailing husband. The delicious Peter Sarsgaard stars as the estate attorney.
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I can't wait to see Kung Fu Hustle. And I know I could have seen it from a pirated version via Chinatown, but I like going to movie theaters.
And I'm curious about Fever Pitch - I did see the Colin Firth version years ago, which was okay. But I agree with the Fallon assessment - he bugs and bores.
The worst part about "Fever Pitch" is that the Red Sox win. Nothing is more depressing than happy Red Sox fans.
I can vouch for Kung Fu Hustle. It's silly, has great action and is way smarter than a Jackie Chan movie. As Ken Tucker of New York Magazine said, Stephen Chow is Hong Kong's Buster Keaton. Right on, KT.
WARNING! I saw Death of a Dynasty at the Tribeca Film Festival 2 years ago. It was the worst movie I have EVER seen. Full of bad clichés and inside jokes. I am in that specific music industry and I still didn't find it the least bit interesting or amusing. I would have walked out if I wasn't there on a date. I didn't want to be rude. Turns out he wanted to walk out too and didn't want to seem rude since he invited me. Funny.. Everyone I know who has seen it says the same thing. Please do not go and see this movie. I don’t want Damon Dash thinking he can ever make another film. Seriously. It is that bad.
Too late, Damon Dash has made another movie. State Property II. I think it comes out this month too.
Even though I haven't seen the picture I will go on the record that Drew Barrymore deserves an oscar for her work on "fever pitch" simply by gamely pretending to be attracted to jimmy fallon. How he got cast in a major film is beyond me. Maybe joe piscopo wasn't available. It's painful to watch him in the clips that I've been forced to watch in every media outlet. Drew should get a new agent.
"The worst part about 'Fever Pitch' is that the Red Sox win. Nothing is more depressing than happy Red Sox fans."
HAHA! Get used to it!
By some coincidence Peter Sarsgaard appears in the credits of both The Skeleton Key and Death of a Dynasty.........but I've watched the latter on DVD and did not spot him at all. I'm assuming he was at the party but can anyone shed any light?
I think I lived through a real life version of "Fever Pitch" a few months ago, when the World Series was on TV. Can someone pay me millions for acting like I was excited?
Unfortunately, they probably paid Jimmy Fallon millions for not doing much acting at all.