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jackass number two (2006)

Visual Hollywood — Sun, 17 Sep 2006 20:34:00 +0000

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Release Date: September 22, 2006
Studio: Paramount Pictures
Director: Jeff Tremaine
Screenwriter: Sean Cliver, Preston Lacy
Starring: Johnny Knoxville, Bam Margera, Ryan Dunn, Steve-O, Jason "Wee Man" Acuña, Chris Pontius, Preston Lacy, Dave England, Ehren McGhehey
Genre: Comedy
MPAA Rating: R (for extremely crude and dangerous stunts throughout, sexual content, nudity and language)

Plot Summary: After smearing the world with all sorts of ridiculous crap, the original creators and cast of the MTV series "jackass" and "jackass the movie" go one louder in "jackass: number two." Significantly raising the stakes and lowering the bar, "jackass: number two" unleashes a spirited mess of absurdity as the cast and crew gets even more ugly around the globe.

Review:

laughs over politics
people want laughs not politics

At the age of 18, JOHNNY KNOXVILLE moved his hillbilly ass out to California from his native Tennessee to pursue a career in acting. He supported himself by appearing in commercials and freelance writing jobs. In 1998, Knoxville teamed up with Jeff Tremaine of Big Brother, and the two went on to create and produce the cultural blight forever known as “jackass.”

From the notoriety and success of the MTV series “jackass” and feature film of the same name, Knoxville finally graduated to a series of big screen roles. He recently starred as Luke Duke in “The Dukes of Hazzard” and appeared in “Daltry Calhoun,” “Lords of Dogtown,” and “The Ringer.”

When “jackass the movie” was released in 2002, people were outraged. Critics called it “a new low,” “a plunge into depravity,” “a sad commentary on our degenerating culture,” and “a disgusting, repulsive, grotesque spectacle.” Unfortunately for them, here comes “jackass number two.”

When “jackass number 2” was released it opened at #1. It out performed “All The King’s Men” which had an all star cast. Could it be, at the time of it’s release, people wanted laughs not politics? Like duh!

If politics is the circus, then jackass represents the clowns
When the politicians complain that TV turns the proceedings into a circus, it should be made clear that the circus was already there, and that TV has merely demonstrated that not all the performers are well trained.
--Edward R. Murrow

THE IMPORTANCE OF LAUGHTER
Think of what would happen to us in America if there were no humorists; life would be one long Congressional Record.
-- Tom Masson
Total absence of humor renders life impossible.
-- Colette

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Crank (2006)

Visual Hollywood — Sat, 16 Sep 2006 23:06:00 +0000

Crank
Release Date: September 1, 2006
Studio: Lionsgate

Director: Mark Neveldine, Brian Taylor
Screenwriter: Mark Neveldine, Brian Taylor
Starring: Jason Statham, Amy Smart, Efren Ramirez, Jose Cantillo, Jay Xcala, Carlos Sanz, Keone Young
Genre: Action, Drama
MPAA Rating: R (for strong violence, pervasive language, sexuality, nudity and drug use)

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The very illusive meaning of human existence.

Crank takes place over the course of one frenzied day in Los Angeles, where Chev Chelios (Jason Statham), a hit man who is trying to give up the business in order to lead a more normal existence with his oblivious girlfriend Eve (Amy Smart), wakes up to find that his nemesis Verona (Jose Pablo Cantillo) has poisoned him with a drug that will kill him if he slows down for even a minute. To outwit Verona and his men, and finish off a job that involves the termination of a Chinese crime lord named Don Kim (Keone Young), Chev must rely on his physical strength, the help of his friend Kaylo (Efren Ramirez) and the medical counsel of Doc Miles (Dwight Yoakam) to keep moving—and stay alive.

This film explores the value of life: How far will people go to save their life?

This film explores the value of relationship: How far will people go to maintain relationships?

A very suggestive pose: Jesus on a cross?

This is a “Jesus” that would take life to save his own life. A very self centered existence.

Men as strong. Women as weak. Men are violent. Women as sex objects.

Interestingly: We do want the protagonist to win despite his violations of human worth.

Perhaps, we identify with the protagonist because, we -like him- are flawed.

Yet, we know there can be no salvation for him. It is the sad outcome of a self centered reality.
The film is a sad statement about the very illusive meaning of human existence. Is there any true meaning?

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Man of the Year (2006)

Visual Hollywood — Tue, 10 Oct 2006 23:45:00 +0000

Release Date: October 13, 2006
Studio: Universal Pictures
Director: Barry Levinson
Screenwriter: Barry Levinson
Starring: Robin Williams, Christopher Walken, Laura Linney, Lewis Black, Jeff Goldblum
Genre: Comedy
MPAA Rating: PG-13 (for language including some crude sexual references, drug related material, and brief violence)
Official Website: ManoftheYearmovie.net | TomDobbs.com

Plot Summary: What would happen if one of the nation's funniest men became its leading one? Oscar® winner Robin Williams reunites with the director of "Good Morning, Vietnam" to answer just that question in the comic tale of an entertainer's accidental rise to power, "Man of the Year."

Acerbic performer Tom Dobbs (Robin Williams) has made his career out of skewering politicians and speaking the mind of the exasperated nation on his talk show. He cracked scathing jokes at a fractured system night after night...until he came up with a really funny idea: why not run for president himself?

After a flip comment, Dobbs ignites a grassroots movement that puts him on the ballot. Hot on the campaign trail, he debates elected drones and says exactly what frustrated voters have often thought. Nov. 2nd later, the muckraker wins--only to learn that a computer voting error gave him the victory. With time ticking on the inaugural clock, Dobbs has a big decision to make: should he go back behind the mike or stay in the Oval Office?

This election season, comic actors including Laura Linney, Christopher Walken, Jeff Goldblum and Lewis Black join Williams in a pulled-from-the-headlines comedy. Together with Oscar® winner Barry Levinson ("Rain Man," "Wag the Dog"), they'll show the world that--only in America--a comedian can become the country's next president and our "Man of the Year."

The Marine (2006)

Visual Hollywood — Tue, 10 Oct 2006 15:57:00 +0000

Release Date: October 13, 2006
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Director: John Bonito
Screenwriter: Michelle Gallagher, Alan McElroy
Starring: John Cena, Kelly Carlson, Robert Patrick, Jeff Chase, Jon Bennett, Abigail Bianca, Troy Brenna, Ashley Lyons, Anthony Ray Parker, Drew Powell, Kelly Steves
Genre: Action, Thriller
MPAA Rating: PG-13 (for intense sequences of violent action, sensuality and language)
Official Website: TheMarinemovie.com

Plot Summary: WWE wrestling champion John Cena makes his motion picture debut in this rugged action thriller. Cena is John Triton, a heroic Marine who returns home after being discharged- against his will- from the Iraq War. Stateside, he finds himself back in action, when his wife (Kelly Carlson) is kidnapped by a murderous gang led by the merciless Rome (Robert Patrick). With everything on the line, the Marine will stop at nothing to carry out his toughest and most important mission.

Driving Lessons

Visual Hollywood — Mon, 09 Oct 2006 19:48:00 +0000

Release Date: October 13, 2006 (NY, LA)
Studio: Sony Pictures Classics
Director: Jeremy Brock
Screenwriter: Jeremy Brock
Starring: Rupert Grint, Laura Linney, Julie Walters, Nicholas Farrell, Oliver Milburn, Michelle Duncan, Tamsin Eggerton
Genre: Comedy, Drama
MPAA Rating: PG-13 (for language, sexual content and some thematic material)
Official Website: SonyClassics.com/DrivingLessons

We first meet Ben (RUPERT GRINT), a shy, bookish 17-year-old, as he begins a very unpromising summer vacation. While the other kids are out having fun, Ben spends these precious few weeks attending bible classes, having driving lessons with his overbearing and overly religious mother (Laura Linney) and helping out at a local old people’s home.

The Grudge 2

Visual Hollywood — Mon, 09 Oct 2006 16:36:00 +0000

Release Date: October 13, 2006
Studio: Columbia Pictures
Director: Takashi Shimizu
Screenwriter: Stephen Susco
Starring: Amber Tamblyn, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Arielle Kebbel, Jennifer Beals, Teresa Palmer, Takako Fuji, Ryo Ishibashi, Misako Uno, Shaun Sipos, Edison Chen
Genre: Horror, Thriller
MPAA Rating: PG-13 (for mature thematic material, disturbing images/terror/violence, and some sensuality)
Official Website: DoYouHaveaGrudge.com

Plot Summary: From Columbia Pictures and Ghost House Pictures comes the much-anticipated sequel to the 2004 worldwide hit "The Grudge." The terrifying thriller "The Grudge 2" explores the dark secrets of the grudge as the terrifying supernatural curse is unleashed on a group of seemingly unrelated victims. One by one, they are infected by the grudge, which quickly moves from a burned-down house in Tokyo and spreads to everyone who crosses its path.

"The Grudge 2" stars Amber Tamblyn under the direction of Takashi Shimizu, from an original screenplay by Stephen Susco. The producers are Sam Raimi, Rob Tapert and Taka Ichise.

The Departed

Visual Hollywood — Sat, 07 Oct 2006 19:20:00 +0000

Release Date: October 6, 2006
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures
Director: Martin Scorsese
Screenwriter: William Monahan
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg, Martin Sheen, Ray Winstone, Vera Farmiga, Alec Baldwin, Anthony Anderson, James Badge Dale, Kristen Dalton Gerard McSorley, David O'Hara, Mark Ralston
Genre: Crime, Drama
MPAA Rating: R (for strong brutal violence, pervasive language, some strong sexual content and drug material)
Official Website: TheDeparted.com | MySpace.com/TheDeparted

Plot Summary: "The Departed" is set in South Boston, where the state police force is waging war on organized crime. Young undercover cop Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio) is assigned to infiltrate the mob syndicate run by gangland chief Costello (Jack Nicholson). While Billy is quickly gaining Costello's confidence, Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon), a hardened young criminal who has infiltrated the police department as an informer for the syndicate, is rising to a position of power in the Special Investigation Unit. Each man becomes deeply consumed by his double life, gathering information about the plans and counter-plans of the operations he has penetrated. But when it becomes clear to both the gangsters and the police that there's a mole in their midst, Billy and Colin are suddenly in danger of being caught and exposed to the enemy – and each must race to uncover the identity of the other man in time to save himself.

Employee of the Month

Visual Hollywood — Sat, 07 Oct 2006 18:25:00 +0000

Release Date: October 6, 2006
Studio: Lionsgate
Director: Greg Coolidge
Screenwriter: Greg Coolidge
Starring: Dane Cook, Jessica Simpson, Dax Shephard, Efren Ramirez, Tim Bagley, Andy Dick, Brian George, Marcello Thedford, Danny Woodburn, Sean Whalen, Harland Williams, Shirly Brener
Genre: Comedy
MPAA Rating: PG-13 (for crude sexual humor, and language)
Official Website: EmployeeoftheMonthfilm.com

Plot Summary: For customers of Super Club, the largest high-volume, bulk-discount retailer in the country, membership has its privileges. For workers at the cavernous store, the most coveted honor is the "Employee of the Month" award, and having one's photo immortalized on the wall of fame in the staff lounge.

Enter Zack Bradley (Dane Cook) and Vince Downey (Dax Shepard), two ultra competitive Super Club workers whose ten years of employment have resulted in drastically different career paths. While Vince – with the aid of his trusty sidekick Jorge (Efren Ramirez) -- has advanced to become head cashier and winner of 17 consecutive "E of M" awards, Zack is the ultimate slacker whose scruffy appearance and laid back attitude has made him popular with his colleagues, but kept him stuck in the lowly ranks of the store's box boys. The duo's longtime rivalry comes to a bitter head when Amy (Jessica Simpson) – a beautiful new cashier with a reputation of only dating "Employee of the Month" winners – transfers to the store, immediately becoming the object of both Zack and Vince's affection and often comical gamesmanship.

While Vince instantly impresses Amy with his crowd pleasing, flamboyant style behind his checkstand register, Zack's feeble attempts to charm his beautiful new co-worker quickly backfire against him. With the race to win Amy's affections slipping away, Zack determines his only chance rests in winning the store's next "Employee of the Month" award. A battle to the end, "Employee of the Month" shows that the only failure in life is when one fails to try.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning

Visual Hollywood — Sat, 07 Oct 2006 16:09:00 +0000

Release Date: October 6, 2006
Studio: New Line Cinema
Director: Jonathan Liebesman
Screenwriter: Sheldon Turner
Starring: Jordana Brewster, Andrew Bryniarski, R. Lee Ermey, Taylor Handley, Matthew Bomer, Diora Baird, Heather Kafka, Marietta Marich, Terrence Evans
Genre: Horror, Thriller
MPAA Rating: R (for strong horror violence/gore, language and some sexual content)

Plot Summary: The original 1974 film, "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre," shocked and stunned audiences with its bone-chilling realism. The horrifying story, drawn from a series of true events, is considered by many to be one of the greatest thrillers of all time and a landmark of terror that has influenced countless films in its wake. Iconic in popular culture, its menacing evil character, Leatherface, will forever be one of the most recognizable screen villains.

With 2003's remake of "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre," starring Jessica Biel, the filmmakers at Platinum Dunes brought new life and vigor to the horror movie genre, while also honoring its predecessor. Now the company continues on that path with a startling prequel, "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning," which details the beginnings of the Hewitt clan and exposes their psychotic idea of family fun.

It's 1969. The conflict in Viet Nam has exploded to immeasurable proportions, and 18-year-old Dean Hill's (Taylor Handley) number is up. Dean's brother Eric (Matthew Bomer), who has already seen his share of combat, plans to take Dean to enlist in his beloved Marine Corps in hopes of keeping an eye on him rather than letting him take his chances at the local induction center.

But Dean's plans do not coincide with his older brother's. Instead, he plans to confront Eric about dodging the draft after the boys and their respective girlfriends, Bailey (Diora Baird) and Chrissie (Jordana Brewster) head across Texas for a final fling of serious fun.

Soon after their journey begins, the spirited foursome are spooked by a menacing pair of bikers, Holden (Lee Tergesen) and his girlfriend, Alex (Cyia Batten). When Alex chases the group's jeep, propelling them into a serious accident, Chrissie is thrown from the vehicle. As Alex attempts to rob the injured trio, Sheriff Hoyt (R. Lee Ermey) arrives on the scene and turns the tables on their would-be assassin. While Chrissie hides in the nearby brush, she watches as the sheriff kills Alex in cold blood and then inexplicably taunts her friends before ordering them into the back of the patrol car.

Unbeknownst to Chrissie, Hoyt is headed back to the Hewitt family home where Thomas who is being groomed to become the terrifying monster known as Leatherface (Andrew Bryniarski) and the rest of the Hewitt clan await. In an effort to save her friends, she attempts to convince Holden to help her, but he is on a one-man rampage to avenge his girlfriend's death. As Chrissie witnesses the horrors inflicted by the Hewitt family upon the people she loves, she realizes she is their only hope of survival.

Nacho Libre (2006)

Visual Hollywood — Sun, 17 Sep 2006 23:50:00 +0000

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Release Date: June 16, 2006
Studio: Paramount Pictures
Director: Jared Hess
Screenwriter: Jared Hess, Jerusha Hess, Mike White
Starring: Jack Black, Ana de la Reguera, Héctor Jiménez, Richard Montoya, Peter Stormare
Genre: Comedy
MPAA Rating: PG (for some rough action, and crude humor including dialogue)

Plot Summary: Jack Black stars as Ignacio (friends call him Nacho), a Mexican priest who moonlights as a lucha libre wrestler to raise money for his orphanage in this comedy from the creators of "Napoleon Dynamite" and the writer and star of "School of Rock."

Borat: Cultural Learnings of America (2006)

Visual Hollywood — Sun, 17 Sep 2006 03:18:00 +0000

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Release Date: November 3, 2006
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Director: Larry Charles
Screenwriter: Sacha Baron Cohen, Anthony Hines, Peter Baynham, Dan Mazer
Starring: Sacha Baron Cohen, Daniel Castro
Genre: Comedy
MPAA Rating: R (for pervasive strong crude and sexual content including graphic nudity, and language)
Official Website: Boratmovie.com

Plot Summary: In "Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan," Sacha Baron Cohen - star of HBO's hit comedy "Da Ali G Show," takes his outrageous Kazakhstani reporter character Borat to the big screen. In this hilariously offensive movie, Borat travels from his primitive home in Kazakhstan to the U.S. to make a documentary. On his cross-country road-trip, Borat meets real people in real situations with hysterical consequences.

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Night at the Museum (2006)

Visual Hollywood — Sun, 17 Sep 2006 23:33:00 +0000

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Release Date: December 22, 2006
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Director: Shawn Levy
Screenwriter: Ben Garant, Daniel Goldin
Starring: Ben Stiller, Carla Gugino, Dick Van Dyke, Mickey Rooney, Bill Cobbs, Ricky Gervais, Kim Raver, Robin Williams
Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy
MPAA Rating: Not Available

Plot Summary: "Night at the Museum" is an action-adventure-comedy that comes to life by night. Good-hearted dreamer Larry Daley (Ben Stiller), despite being perpetually down on his luck, thinks he's destined for something big. But even he could never have imaged how "big," when he accepts what appears to be a menial job as a graveyard-shift security guard at a museum of natural history. During Larry's watch, extraordinary things begin to occur: Mayans, Roman Gladiators, and cowboys emerge from their diorama to wage epic battles; in his quest for fire, a Neanderthal burns down his own display; Attila the Hun pillages his neighboring exhibits, and a T-Rex reminds everyone why he's history's fiercest predator. Amidst the chaos, the only person Larry can turn to for advice is a wax figure of President Teddy Roosevelt (Robin Williams), who helps our hero harness the bedlam, stop a nefarious plot, and save the museum.

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The Road to Guantanamo (2006)

Visual Hollywood — Sun, 17 Sep 2006 23:41:00 +0000

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Release Date: June 23, 2006 (limited)
Studio: Roadside Attractions
Director: Michael Winterbotton, Mat Whitecross
Screenwriter: Not Available
Starring: Riz Ahmed, Ewan Bailey, Steven Beckingham, George W. Bush, Nancy Crane, Christopher Fosh, Jacob Gaffney, Demetri Goritsas, Farhad Harun, Duane Henry, Mark Holden, Naser Nawaz Ranjha, Donald Rumsfeld, Sara Stewart, Arfan Usman
Genre: Documentary, Drama
MPAA Rating: R (for language and disturbing violent content)

Plot Summary: Winner of the Silver Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival, Michael Winterbottom and Mat Whitecross' "The Road to Guantanamo" is the terrifying first-hand account of three British citizens who were held for two years without charges in the American military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Known as the "Tipton Three," in reference to their home town in Britain, the three were eventually returned to Britain and released, still having had no formal charges ever made against them at any time during their ordeal. Part documentary, part dramatization, the film chronicles the sequence of events that led from the trio setting out from Tipton in the British Midlands for a wedding in Pakistan, to their crossing the Afghanistan border just as the U.S. began its bombing campaign, to their eventual capture by the Northern Alliance and their imprisonment in Camp X-Ray and later at Camp Delta in Guantanamo.

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John Tucker Must Die (2006)

Visual Hollywood — Sun, 17 Sep 2006 21:40:00 +0000

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Release Date: July 28, 2006
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Director: Betty Thomas
Screenwriter: Jeff Lowell
Starring: Jesse Metcalfe, Brittany Snow, Ashanti Douglas, Sophia Bush, Arielle Kebbel, Jenny McCarthy
Genre: Comedy, Romance
MPAA Rating: PG-13 (for sexual content and language)

Plot Summary: When three popular girls from different cliques discover they've all been dating the school stud, they band together to seek revenge. Despite the jerk’s charm and ever-growing popularity, the girls cleverly scheme with the help of the inconspicuous new girl in town, to soil his reputation and break his heart.

Trust the Man (2006)

Visual Hollywood — Sun, 17 Sep 2006 17:39:00 +0000

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Release Date: August 18, 2006 (limited; wide release: September 1)
Studio: Fox Searchlight Pictures
Director: Bart Freundlich
Screenwriter: Bart Freundlich
Starring: Billy Crudup, David Duchovny, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Julianne Moore, Eva Mendes, James LeGros
Genre: Comedy
MPAA Rating: R (for language and some sexual content)

Plot Summary: A smart, sophisticated comedy about the challenges of love and marriage among modern day New Yorkers, "Trust the Man" features the romantic escapades of two couples: a successful actress (Julianne Moore) and her stay at home husband (David Duchovny); and her slacker younger brother (Billy Crudup) and his aspiring novelist girlfriend Maggie Gyllenhaal). The film follows these four on their pointed, often surprising and frequently hilarious search for love in the midst of careers, family, infidelity and the ever-daunting search for Manhattan street parking.

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