Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Deeper Into Movies, Starring Michael Fassbender in Two Huge Roles Plus Rosemary's Baby and (of course) James Franco


Oh shit, we forgot to write the movie column last week.  But here's a quick look at some stuff you can (and can't) see this weekend.

If you live in Kansas or Missouri, you CAN'T yet see Steve McQueen's 12 Years a Slave (looks like it might hit KC on Nov. 1).  But you can certainly read a wealth of online commentary, most of which uses the phrases "instant classic" or "best film ever made about slavery."  The last film that McQueen made was almost entirely about Michael Fassbender's dick, but apparently he's moved on to even bigger subjects this time around (but still featuring Michael Fassbender, who seems to be McQueen's muse).




Despite the frustrating wait for 12 Years,  you CAN get a Fassbender fix at the multiplex this weekend, since the actor is also in Ridley Scott's The Counselor (along with a star-studded cast).  This thing is written by Cormac McCarthy for some reason (apparently reclusive novelists will emerge to write action films on occasion).  But why didn't they call him in to write Prometheus?



If it's boner jokes you need, we expect plenty in Bad Grandpa, the new movie by Johnny Knoxville and the Jackass gang.  And we hear the fart humor is also absolutely stellar.  Chip is practically beside himself with excitement.  We suspect it will be a huge hit because, well, have you heard audiences laughing at that obnoxious fucking trailer for the last few months?




Your best bet for a great film this weekend is almost certainly JC Chandor's All is Lost, which is also being greeted with superlatives claiming that it's the best role of Robert Redford's career.  Apparently it's a near-silent film (except for a few curse words) with Redford (the sole cast member) lost at sea.  Speaking of lost, we were completely lost by the business jargon in Chandor's first film Margin Call but, even so, we still liked it quite a bit.  So this is easily our pick of the week.  It opens in KC on Friday.



But what about Halloween options?  Why isn't there yet another sequel to Paranormal Activity in your multiplex to make you squeal?  Guess you'll have to settle for the Carrie remake or, if you're wiser, just stay home and watch The Conjuring again. It's this year's best horror film and it just hit DVD this week.

 


Or, better yet, trek to KC on Saturday for a Film School matinee of Polanski's great Rosemary's Baby at the Alamo Drafthouse. Look at the tagline below:  "It's not what you're expecting."   Haha.  Get it??  Details here (the blurb calls it an "ungodly masterpiece").




What else?  Well, we hear James Franco's adaptation of Faulkner's As I Lay Dying may arrive OnDemand next week, and we hope to present a full review from resident Faulkner scholar Punnilingus.  As scared as we are to see this film, we actually really love the casting of Tim Blake Nelson as Anse.   The NY-Times review calls it "serious and worthwhile" but they also recently published an article that favorably compares Katy Perry to Bob Dylan, so what do they know?  Anyway, we're certain this is going to stink, and we'll be holding a big watch party.
 
 


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