Halloween is one week away… there are now 3 movies in wide release that fall in the Halloween genre…  there’s also a family adventure, a drama bio-pic, and some limited releases…..

New at Theaters (Friday): “Amelia”, “Astro Boy”, “Cirque Du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant”, “Paranormal Activity” (expansion),  ”Saw VI”, “Good Hair” (limited), “Bright Star” (limited)

Limited Release in Grand Rapids market: 
“Paranormal Activity” (AMC Star Alpine, Celebration! North, Celebration! Muskegon, Celebration! Mt. Pleasant),
“Good Hair” (Celebration! Muskegon, Celebration! South, Celebration! Benton Harbor),
“Tony Manero” (UICA in Grand Rapids 10/23-10/29),
“Bright Star” (The Harbor Theater in Muskegon)

Moving to Woodland Mall this week ($4.00 shows): “Up” (3D), “Julie and Julia”, “The Time Traveler’s Wife”, “Love Happens”, “My One and Only”

Best Bet(s): If you like scary movies – “Paranormal Activity” is probably your best choice despite two other offerings this weekend… or you could wait another week to see “Paranormal Activity” - I think its one of the best horror movies I’ve seen in years.   If you’d rather go for a drama with possible Oscar nominations – then put “Amelia” or “Bright Star” (at Harbor Theater in Muskegon) on your list. “Astro Boy” is the family friendly entry this week, but I have not yet seen it.

 CLICK HERE TO FIND A MOVIE SHOWTIME

New on DVD (Tuesday): “Blood: The Last Vampire”, “Cheri”, “Love N’ Dancing”, “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen”, “Wrong Turn 3: Left For Dead”

Best Bet(s): I’m still catching some grief for my favorable rating of “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” - one of two movies I may have rated a little high this summer, but if the other critical reviews and/or controversy kept you away – you can now watch in the comfort of your home… and please tell me what you thought…  ”Cheri” got some good reviews and some bad reviews… the others I have not seen and have not heard much about.

Next Week (more…)

Sorry its been awhile since I did this part of my blog… I took some days off, then I got sick…. I’m also behind in writing several reviews including the fun romantic comedy “The Propsoal”, the sci-fi drama “Moon”, and the thriller “Passengers”….

New at Theaters (Friday): “Funny People”, “Aliens in the Attic”, “The Collector”
Limited Released in Grand Rapids market: ”Food Inc.” (Celebration RiverTown), “The Hurt Locker” (Celebration North & Celebration Crossroads)

Best Bet(s): This weekend is pretty much wide-open, but the movie getting the best reviews is “The Hurt Locker”, but is only playing at limited theaters including Celebration North and Celebration Crossroads in the Grand Rapids market.  “Funny People” is getting decent reviews, and “The Collector” is getting good reviews – if you like horror – think “Saw” franchise.

New on DVD (Tuesday): “Dragonball: Evolution”, “Fast & Furious”, “Miss March”

Best Bet(s): depends on your preferences, if you like the “Fast & Furious” franchise, this one got pretty good reviews…. if you like raunchy comedy “Miss March” might be your bet…. if you are a “Dragonball” fan, maybe that’s for you, if not, rent something else listed below.

 CLICK HERE TO FIND A MOVIE SHOWTIME

Next Week at Theaters: “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra”, “Julie & Julia”, “A Perfect Getaway”, “500 Days of Summer” (limited), “Stoning Of Soraya M” (limited) 

Next Week on DVD: “Fragments”, “Labor Pains”, “Mutant Chronicles”, “The Mysteries of Pittsburgh”, “Obsessed”, “Race to Witch Mountain”, “The Soloist”

MY REVIEWS OF OTHER MOVIES CURRENTLY PLAYING IN THEATERS OR AVAILABLE TO RENT/BUY: 

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New at Theaters (Friday): “Drag Me To Hell”, “Up”

Best Bet(s): Two very different options this weekend by design this weekend, the Disney/Pixar animated family adventure “Up” and the  counter- programming from Universal Pictures’ horror movie “Drag Me To Hell” from Sam Raimi (”Spider-Man”, “The Evil Dead”).  And you’re on your own here, I haven’t see either on yet, BUT… I HAVE HEARD A LOT OF GOOD BUZZ about “Up”… so if its a family movie you’re looking for, that might be the one to check out this weekend.

New on DVD (Tuesday): “Killshot”, “New in Town”, “Powder Blue”

Best Bet(s): Some solid offerings coming out on DVD: the first good romantic comedy of 2009: “New in Town”, and then two movies I haven’t seen, but the cast should at least make them worth watching: “Killshot” with Mickey Rourke and Diane Lane and “Powder Blue” with Ray Liotta, Jessica Biel, and Forest Whitaker.

 CLICK HERE TO FIND A MOVIE SHOWTIME

Next Week at Theaters: “The Hangover”, “Land of the Lost”, “My Life in Ruins”

Next Week on DVD: “Defiance”, “He’s Just Not That Into You”, “Revolutionary Road”, “Spring Breakdown”

MY REVIEWS OF OTHER MOVIES CURRENTLY PLAYING IN THEATERS OR AVAILABLE TO RENT/BUY: 

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New at Theaters (Friday): “Dance Flick”, “Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian”, “Terminator Salvation” (Thursday)

Best Bet(s): Two good options this holiday weekend: the 4th entry in the sci-fi action Terminator franchise “Terminator Salvation” and the family friendly “Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian”.  DO NOT see “Dance Flick” (read my review), it would be a waste of your time and money!!!  And there are still several good offerings that aren’t new: “Star Trek” (read my review), “X-Men Origins: Wolverine”, and “Angels & Demons” (read my review).

New on DVD (Tuesday): “Fanboys”, “My Bloody Valentine”, “Outlander”, “Paul Blart: Mall Cop”, “Valkyrie”

Best Bet(s): While the theaters aren’t offering good choices for comedies, you can now rent or buy two of this year’s best comedies “Paul Blart: Mall Cop” (read my review) and  “Fanboys” (read my review). “My Bloody Valentine”, “Outlander”, “Valkyrie”

 CLICK HERE TO FIND A MOVIE SHOWTIME

Next Week at Theaters: “Drag Me To Hell”, “Up”

Next Week on DVD: “Killshot”, “New in Town”, “Powder Blue”

MY REVIEWS OF OTHER MOVIES CURRENTLY PLAYING IN THEATERS OR AVAILABLE TO RENT/BUY: 

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New at Theaters (Friday): “Next Day Air”, “Star Trek”, “The Chaos Experiment” (May 8-14 limited in Grand Rapids at Celebration! North and Celebration! RiverTown only)

Best Bet(s): There’s no confusion here, “Star Trek” (read my review) is the best bet this weekend, I would argue this is now second best movie in this long running franchise (after “Star Trek II: Wrath of Kahn”), and it may turn out to be the “Iron Man” of this summer with its wide-ranging appeal and positive reviews.

New on DVD (Tuesday): “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”, ”Last Chance Harvey”, “Wendy and Lucy”

Best Bet(s): If the 13 oscar nominations aren’t enough for you, read my review of “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”, this was one of the best movies of 2008, and if you haven’t seen it yet, now is the time!  Plus, there’s plenty of DVD extras like the makeup process and how they pulled off all those special effects.  For more, check out my interview with actress Taraji P. Henson about her role in the movie.

 CLICK HERE TO FIND A MOVIE SHOWTIME

Next Week at Theaters: “Angels & Demons”, ”The Chaos Experiment” (May 15-21 limited run at Celebration! Lansing only)

Next Week on DVD: “The Grudge 3″, “Passengers”, “Personal Effects”, “Taken”, “Underworld: Rise of the Lycans”

MY REVIEWS OF OTHER MOVIES CURRENTLY PLAYING IN THEATERS OR AVAILABLE TO RENT/BUY: 

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You know the old saying: “April showers bring May flowers”…
for the summer of 2009, lets make it: “April downers bring May blockbusters”

May is the official beginning of the summer movie season in theaters with the first big blockbuster and your clear cut new number one movie: “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” starring Carson City (Montcalm County) native Daniel Henney… with an anticipated take of around $95 million at the box office.    There’s a new romantic comedy with ties to the holiday season staple: “Christmas Carol”.    And this is just the beginning, next week is “Star Trek”, the following week is “Angels and Demons” (”DaVinci Code”), and the following week is “Terminator: Salvation”.

New at Theaters (Friday): “Battle for Terra”, “Ghosts of Girlfriends Past”, “X-Men Origins: Wolverine”

Best Bet(s): Its probably obvious what I’m going to say here: “X-Men Origins: Wolverine”… but for audiences who aren’t into X-Men/Superhero/Comic Book/Action movies, there’s the Matthew McConaughey/Jennifer Garner romantic comedy “Ghosts of Girlfriends Past”, based on the “Christmas Carol” premise of the ghosts of past, present, and future giving the min character a wake-up call… it could be pretty good… but a longshot at winning the weekend.

New Week on DVD (Tuesday): “Bride Wars”, “Hotel for Dogs”, “JCVD”, “Legally Blondes”, “Nothing But the Truth”, “The Uninvited”, “What Doesn’t Kill You”

Best Bet(s): I haven’t seen all of these offerings, but I can tell you that “Bride Wars” and “Hotel for Dogs” are great rentals for their target audiences (women and families), and pretty good for anyone outside the target audiences.

 CLICK HERE TO FIND A MOVIE SHOWTIME

Next Week at Theaters: “Next Day Air”, “Star Trek” (Thursday evening), “The Chaos Experiment” (formerly “The Steam Experiment”) (Celebration! North and Celebration! RiverTown only)

Next Week on DVD: “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”, ”Last Chance Harvey”, “Wendy and Lucy”

MY REVIEWS OF OTHER MOVIES CURRENTLY PLAYING IN THEATERS OR AVAILABLE TO RENT/BUY: 

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New on DVD/at Theaters this week

New on DVD (Tuesday): “Battlestar Galactica: Caprica”, “Frost/Nixon”, “Into the Blue 2: The Reef”, “The Last Word”, “Notorius”, “The Wrestler”

BEST BETs: 
Oscar nominated performances should put “Frost/Nixon” and “The Wrestler” at the top of your rental lists, although “The Wrestler” may not be appropriate for younger audiences with its violence and adult themes.  Also for consideration, the well reviewed bio pic “Notorious” about the rapper Notorious B.I.G.  

New at Theaters: “earth” (Wednesday), “Fighting”, “Obsessed”, “The Soloist”, “The Informers” (limited release)

 BEST BETs: 
“earth” is the DisneyNature documentary opening Wednesday on Earth Day that looks to be an early favorite for an Oscar nomination, after months and months of delays (from November 21st) and seeing the trailer about two dozen times now, “The Soloist” with Robert Downey, Jr. and Jamie Foxx will finally open, it could also be in the early running for Oscar consideration.

 CLICK HERE TO FIND A MOVIE SHOWTIME

Next Week at Theaters: “Battle for Terra”, “Ghosts of Girlfriends Past”, “X-Men Origins: Wolverine”

Next Week on DVD: “Bride Wars”, “Hotel for Dogs”, “JCVD”, “Legally Blondes”, “Nothing But the Truth”, “The Uninvited”, “What Doesn’t Kill You”

MY REVIEWS OF OTHER MOVIES CURRENTLY PLAYING IN THEATERS OR AVAILABLE TO RENT/BUY: 

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sorry for the delay, I should have done this abbreviated version Friday night or Saturday morning, but here it is with one day left in the weekend…

New at Theaters: “17 Again”, “Crank: High Voltage”, “State of Play”

New on DVD: “The Reader”, “The Spirit”, “Dark Matter”

BEST BETs: “17 Again” will be number one at the box office, but the best movie of the weeekend (”State of Play”), might not even make the top 2… and Jason Statham’s “Crank High Voltage” might struggle to make the top 5.  Kate Winslet’s Oscar winning performance in “The Reader” might be enough of a reason to rent the holocaust-era drama about a woman and her unusual facination with a much younger guy.  “The Spirit” didn’t do as well at the box office, but might be worth a look now if your looking for a “Sin City”-esque movie.

 CLICK HERE TO FIND A MOVIE SHOWTIME

Next Week at Theaters: “earth” (Wednesday), “Fighting”, “Obsessed”, “The Soloist”, “The Informers” (limited release)

Next Week on DVD: “Battlestar Galactica: Caprica”, “Frost/Nixon”, “Into the Blue 2: The Reef”, “The Last Word”, “Notorius”, “The Wrestler”

New on DVD (Tuesday):  “Marley & Me”, “The Other End of the Line”, “Seven Pounds”, “Slumdog Millionaire”, “Bedtime Stories”  (BluRay on Sunday, DVD next Tuesday), “Tell No One”, “The Butterfly Effect 3″

BEST BETs: Best Picture winner “Slumdog Millionaire” should be your first choice to rent if you haven’t yet seen it… “Marley & Me” is a good drama, but I’ll warn pet lovers again: YOU WILL CRY… the Will Smith drama “Seven Pounds” got snubbed by critics and the Oscars – but its first on my list here… “Tell No One” is a foreign thriller that got great reviews, but I haven’t had the chance to see myself… “Bedtime Stories” is a fun family movie if you have BluRay, otherwise it comes out on DVD next Tuesday.

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New at Theaters (Friday):  ”Adventureland”, “Fast and Furious”, “Sunshine Cleaning” (new to Grand Rapids market)

BEST BETs: “Sunshine Cleaning” is new to the Grand Rapids market, but has been gaining momentum in the first 3 weeks of release and this drama may be our first Oscar worthy movie of the year.  “Adventureland” is an R-rated romantic comedy.  “Fast and Furious” is a sequel with the return of original actors Paul Walker and Vin Diesel.

 CLICK HERE TO FIND A MOVIE SHOWTIME

Next Week at Theaters: “Dragonball Evolution”, “Hannah Montana The Movie”, “Observe and Report”

Next Week on DVD: “Bedtime Stories”, “The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008)”, “Donkey Punch”, “Doubt”, “Not Easily Broken”, “The Tale of Despereaux”, “Yes Man”

MY REVIEWS OF OTHER MOVIES CURRENTLY PLAYING IN THEATERS OR AVAILABLE TO RENT/BUY: 

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New at Theaters (Friday): “12 Rounds”, “The Haunting in Connecticut”, “Monsters Vs. Aliens”

New on DVD (Tuesday): “Big Stan”, “Bolt”, “The Cake Eaters”, “Quantum of Solace”

New at Theaters (Friday): “12 Rounds”, “The Haunting in Connecticut”, “Monsters Vs. Aliens”

BEST BETs: “12 Rounds” looks like a good action thriller from the trailer, but we’ll have to see… “Monsters Vs. Aliens” is just okay for an animated sci-fi/action movie with so much hype… and “The Haunting in Connecticut” is not really my kind of movie, so horror fans, chime in when you see this one.

New on DVD (Tuesday): “Big Stan”, “Bolt”, “The Cake Eaters”, “Quantum of Solace”

BEST BETs: If you’re like me and haven’t see the Oscar nominated animation “Bolt”, this is the week to do so.
“Quantum of Solace” is an above average James Bond movie, but not as good as Daniel Craig’s first Bond film “Casino Royale” (2006)… if you do see it, make sure you see “Casino Royale” first because “Solace” continues the story about 30 minutes after “Royale”.
“The Cake Eaters” is a fairly well reviewed, but small romantic comedy starring Kristen Stewart of “Twilight” fame.
“Big Stan” is a straight to video Rob Schneider comedy, so beware… straight-to-video is a red flag.

 CLICK HERE TO FIND A MOVIE SHOWTIME

MY REVIEWS OF OTHER MOVIES CURRENTLY PLAYING IN THEATERS OR AVAILABLE TO RENT: 

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