Welcome to the first issue (collector’s edition!) of “Weekend Talk”, a media-focused op-ed segment where we arm you with some facts and opinion to get you ready for all the talk that will be happening instead of work today.
Let’s start!
After 15 years and enough money to basically buy a small state, “Avatar” made its full-feature debut in London tonight.
Unfortunately, 20th Century Fox has embargoed all reviews until the film comes out world wide on the 18th.
Cheah, right. Good luck with THAT one, guys! The same studio that couldn’t keep a lid on Wolverine expected a movie people actually WANT to see to be kept quiet for a week.
Can’t blame this one on the bloggers, though! Everyone from The Hollywood Reporter (who called the film “a jaw dropping wonder”) to Variety to The Guardian has been going on about this film.
The verdict is in.
The overall consensus is: Avatar = ‘WOW’.
When we went to see the 16 minute advance preview, we were floored. This is great fun, and we anticipate the date night factor for this movie to be high.
Looks like you’d better get those advance tickets for Avatar in IMAX 3D. First showings start at 12:01am on Friday, December 18.
Here’s what’s playing in theaters today:
Invictus (PG-13 for brief profanity) Clint Eastwood directs this uplifting saga based on John Carlin’s best seller recounting recently-elected, South African President Nelson Mandela’s (Morgan Freeman) attempt to unite his Apartheid-divided nation during the national rugby team’s run to the 1995 World Cup Championship. Co-starring Matt Damon and Scott Eastwood (Clint’s son).
DATE NIGHT FACTOR: HIGH. Also, FAMILY FACTOR: MODERATE . Check out our review today!
If you’re in New York or LA and in a really artsy “let’s see a foreign film” mood, you need to go see Pedro Aldovar’s “Broken Embraces”. If you’re dating someone with a bunch of Criterion DVDs — this is the move. If you’re just starting to get into films outside of Hollywood and you’re looking for different styles of filmmaking. Almadovar is a great director to get into. His style is not for everybody, but this is a great film to get started on. DATE NIGHT FACTOR: LOW. Unless your date edits a film website or a SERIOUS Penelope Cruz fan, this is a risky one.
If you’re NOT into all that, and that’s fine, and you’re looking for a comedy, and you’re the kind of person who loved “Super Troopers“, or one of the better Seth Rogen films, then we suggest “The Salmmin’ Salmon. We’ve been talking about this since January…Olivia Munn has been talking about it for months on G4′s “Attack of The Show” (she’s in it), so uhm… yeah. Go. DATE NIGHT FACTOR: HIGH
And, if you have kids, there’s only one ticket. The Princess and the Frog (G) Animated, musical tale, set in New Orleans’ famed French Quarter, where a jazz-loving frog (Bruno Campos) gets turned back into a prince with the help of a fateful kiss from a beautiful waitress (Anika Noni Rose). With voiceover work by Oprah Winfrey, Terrence Howard, John Goodman, Keith David, Jenifer Lewis and Randy Newman. DATE NIGHT FACTOR: ZERO. FAMILY FACTOR: HIGH!
So, there’s been a lot of nonsense being said about this movie. How the (imaginary) Prince isn’t Black enough, blah blah blah. Look, somewhere there’s a young girl who is going to be in a Target and see a Princess Tiana doll (next to the Barbie-ish Uhura doll, btw) and THAT is a byproduct of this film that makes everything else worth it. Most of the “reviews” of this film are by people who haven’t seen it. So do yourself (and your daughter) a favor and get tickets.
What are YOUR plans for the weekend?
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