A fairly insane week for new releases is headed by NZ horror-feature The Tattooist, about Samoan tattoos that take on a life of their own and turn their owners into blood-thirsty zombies – or something like that: Readings and Sky City Queensgate only.
Also Readings and Queensgate is Sandra Bullock’s new mystery Premonition about a woman who may have foreseen her husband’s death in a car accident. I get to see this one tomorrow but the 8% rating on the Tomatometer doesn’t fill me with enthusiasm.
[Remaining new releases listed after the jump.]
The biggest movie in the world last weekend was The Bourne Ultimatum (US$47m on Thursday, Friday and Saturday alone) and it opens here tomorrow. The last of the big tent-pole franchise attractions of the (northern) summer, this Bourne brings Jason back home to New York (with a detour in Blighty). Playing at Readings, Regent-on-Manners, Sky City Queensgate and (probably the ultimate Bourne experience) the Embassy
Also opening tomorrow is Russian art-house weepy The Italian (direct from the Festival): Rialto and Lighthouse Petone only. The Singer (Quand j’étais chanteur) places one of France’s all-time greats (Gérard Depardieu) alongside one of her freshest new faces Cécile De France (Orchestra Seats) for some May-December romance. Depardieu plays a fading nightclub singer who woos De France’s single mother real estate agent. Also at Rialto and (unsurprisingly) the Penthouse.
Finally, The War Within opens at the Paramount: it’s a drama about a Pakistani terrorist in New York and it was made for dotcom billionaire Mark Cuban’s HDNet, the cable channel devoted to breaking down the established studio/distributor/exhibitor stranglehold. Other titles produced by Cuban include Enron: the Smartest Guys in the Room, Bubble and Good Night, and Good Luck.
The Italian and The War Within are reviewed at Funerals & Snakes; reviews of the other two will appear there next Wednesday.
The industry is in an interesting state when a relatively small film like Breach can get a release at Readings and the Paramount across the road – and also at the suburban Empire and Lighthouse. Made and distributed in the US by major studio Universal, here it is being distributed by independent Rialto (no longer connected to the cinema chain), hence all the indie exhibitors. My understanding is that Readings, however, want everything and will simply hoover up any and all available titles and no one can afford to turn them down.
Breach is based on the true story of a CIA double-agent played by Chris Cooper and his ultimate exposure by ex-Mr Witherspoon Ryan Phillippe and one Imdb contributor calls it “the best of the year to date†although the comment was made in February…
Once described by Terry Gilliam as “a monument to cranial architectureâ€, Bruce Willis’ shiny bonce is on full display in Die Hard 4.0 (known in US-centric territories as Live Free or Die Hard), playing at Readings, Regent-on-Manners, Empire, Sky City Queensgate and the Embassy where it looked kind of murky this evening.
Adam Sandler does his bit to fill the gap left by Ingmar Bergman with I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry: he and the guy from “The King of Queens†play two firefighters who pretend to be gay to get the marriage benefits (any relationship to the limp Australian comedy Strange Bedfellows starring Paul Hogan is entirely coincidental): Readings and Sky City Queensgate. Aside: I saw a film in one of the two Gold Lounges at Queensgate on Tuesday night and an usher stopped by my seat to ask me if I wanted popcorn or a soft drink which was nice except THE FEATURE HAD JUST STARTED! And for health and safety reasons they don’t dim the lights fully so it was an experience I can’t recommend. The film was good though (more on that in another post).
The rest of the new releases after the jump, including Black Snake Moan and Ten Canoes.
Well, if you happen to be a fan of the big man and are wanting to go see his latest mockdocumentary then you know, you just might be in luck.
We here at Wellingtonista towers, in all our munificence, are giving away three double passes to see SiCKO.
To win, you’ll need to be one of the first three people to send an email to the.wellingtonista@gmail.com and make some appreciative sounding noises.
The tickets are only for this Friday, Saturday or Sunday nights.
Enjoy.
Strange things are afoot concerning the release of the film License to Wed (the trailer for which has been torturing audiences for weeks). The radio preview was at Readings tonight, they have been trailering it heavily and it’s got a start date of Thursday on their web site. But they don’t have any sessions listed for Courtenay Central.
It wouldn’t be the first time that Readings have dropped a film at the last minute as a bargaining position (they have been known to throw their weight around with distributors) or maybe they just wanted to give The Simpsons Movie triple the usual number of sessions (which they have done).
Then again, they might have seen the film and exercised some critical judgement. No, of course not, how stupid of me.
License to Wed is therefore only playing at the Empire in Island Bay so to experience it at the multiplex you’ll have to trek out to the aircraft hangar at Queensgate.
[Because I Said So and Catch a Fire after the jump.]
The highlights of the Northern Hemisphere blockbuster summer keep on arriving, led this week by the long-awaited Simpsons Movie. I previewed it today and I recommend that you stay through all the credits. Playing Readings, Empire Island Bay, Sky City Queensgate and Regent-on-Manners which despite the best efforts of some enthusiastic staff is complete pants.
Lindsay Lohan teams up with Jane Fonda and Felicity Huffman for the inter-generational comedy-drama Georgia Rule. Love interest is provided by Dermot Mulroney and Garrett Hedlund (Eragon). Again all over town: Readings, Regent-on-Manners and Sky City Queensgate.
More after the jump
A reliable informant tells me that former hobbit and tv star Dominic Monaghan is in town, spotted browsing the fine fare at Whitcoulls in Courtenay Central.
I wonder whether he’ll be around long enough to have Sunday brunch at Fidel’s like the old days.
Male Parenting – it’s not all soft toys, breast feeding and Mexican wrestling.
More great entertainment from the New Zealand Film Archive mediagallery, with Wellington artist Bryce Galloway’s new show – “Daddy Doo” – a video installation inspired by the world of male parenting, starting today (July 20th), and running through to the 4th of August.
You may already be aware of Bryce’s through his ‘zine Incredibly Hot Sex with Hideous People which has chronicled his life as a parent over the past four years. If so, you’d know you’ll be in for hilarious, surreal entertaiment. As the publicity blurb says…
More info over at the NZFA site.
While the Film Festival dominates the screens at the Embassy, Paramount, Te Papa, the Film Archive (and partially takes over the Penthouse) there are still mainstream releases being flung to the four winds.
As a writer, Mike White has been responsible for some of the weirdest (Chuck & Buck), the straightest (The Good Girl) and the funniest (The School of Rock) films of recent times. Year of the Dog is his first film as a director and is about a decent, single, secretary (played by perennial supporting actress Molly Shannon) and her quest to replace her deceased pet. It’s a romantic comedy and the supporting cast is pretty flash: including John C. Reilly and Peter Sarsgaard. Penthouse exclusive.
The uplifting story of William Wilberforce (Ioan Gruffudd) and his quest to outlaw slavery (inspiring – or inspired by – the hymn) is told in Amazing Grace. Also starring the wonderful Romola Garai who will be here in less than a month to star with Ian McKellen in “King Lear†and “The Seagullâ€. Penthouse, Readings, Lighthouse Petone and Rialto.
Knocked Up is the story of an unlikely couple who, after a one-night-stand, are forced to deal with the pregnancy that binds them together. It’s by the team that made The 40-year-old Virgin and stars Seth Rogen (promoted from supporting actor in the previous film) and Katherine Heigl. A hoot by all accounts. Readings, Regent-on-Manners, Lighthouse Petone, Sky City Queensgate.
Finally, probably co-inciding with the Dowse’s “Making of†exhibition, King Kong gets another trot out at Queensgate at 2.30pm on Sunday.