PHATFLIX DVD RECOMMENDATIONS By James Avatar

In the mood for: Silly grown–up comedy

Rent: BURN AFTER READING

Upside: Cohen brothers farce, awesome cast including George Clooney & Brad Pitt.

Downside: Intellectual and quirky- no fart jokes.

Buy it? Oh, yeah. Put it next to FARGO in your collection.

 

In the mood for: Intellectual indie comedy

Rent: 10 ITEMS OR LESS

Upside: Morgan Freeman’s charisma, Pas Vega’s beauty.

Downside: Slow pacing. Intellectual and quirky - no fart jokes.

Buy it? If you like indie films, sure. Get it if you got JUNO.

 

In the mood for: International Crime Drama

Rent: EASTERN PROMISES

Upside: David Cronenberg’s spot-on direction, Viggo Mortensen’s nude fight scene.

Downside: Violent, sometimes graphic. Very

 mature themes.

Buy it? Yes. Put it next to A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE in your collection.

 In the mood for: Grown–up “stoner” comedy

Rent: PINEAPPLE EXPRESS

Upside: Suburban “HALFBAKED”. James Franco nails it.

Downside: Non-smokers will be scratching their heads.

Buy it? Only if you like “Cult Classics” or “Midnight Movies”. It will be a new one.

 

In the mood for: Bizarre political sci-fi action comedy

Rent: SOUTHLAND TALES

Upside: “Donnie Darko” director’s 2 ½ hr. futuristic masterpiece. Huge ensemble cast.

Downside: Not your average apocalyptic action movie. Way strange.

Buy it? Only if you want something completely different. (Warning: Moby soundtrack)

 

In the mood for: Silly Hollywood comedy based on a network TV show

Rent: GET SMART

Upside: Good slapstick. Steve Correl. Alan

 Arkin. Terrance stamp is the villain.

Downside: Non-“Maxwell Smart” fans won’t have a reference to compare this to.

Buy it? Sure. Especially if you remember the Mel Brooks TV series.

 

In the mood for: A Ben Stiller movie.

Rent: TROPIC THUNDER

Upside: Robert Downey Jr.

Downside: Fart jokes

Buy it? Yes. It’s the only movie that TOM CRUISE is actually good in.

The year 2008 starring in "Return of the sequel".

Some say you can't get enough of a good thing. If anyone believed that last year it was Hollywood, for sure. Sequel after sequel came rolling off the film studio assembly lines and into our neighborhood multiplexes like overpriced buckets of popcorn.

NEO should have told MORPHEUS that the "second black cat" was actually named "Reloaded". The Hollywood matrix glitched on purpose and we loved every minute of it. Just in case you missed this massive re-attack on the senses, here's a run down of some of favorite stories that got part-two'd:

Last year we:
•Helped RAMBO into the old folks home (we hope).

•Once again visited our furry friends from the land of NARNIA. PETA must be pleased.

•Dusted off yet another MUMMY. (Spoiler Alert: Brendan Frasier really is the animated corpse.)

•Witnessed more gore in SAW.

•Sang yet another HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL.

•Got another delivery from THE TRANSPORTER.

•Went to hell and fought THE GOLDEN ARMY with HELLBOY.

•Really, really wanted to believe in THE X FILES.

•Escaped twice: once to Africa from MADAGASCAR, and again from GITMO with HAROLD AND KUMAR.

•Fought another STAR WAR with cartoons CLONES.

•Got no SOLACE with 007. (Okay. Maybe a Quantum)

• Watched INDIANA JONES bump his CRYSTAL SKULL.

•And giggled with the SISTERHOOD again in those darn TRAVELING PANTS.


But I think 2008 sequel award goes to the caped crusader. THE DARK KNIGHT is now the fourth highest grossing movie in history and picked up two Academy Awards. (Best sound editing and best supporting actor: HEATH LEDGER.)

Betcha we see more super hero flicks soon considering that three of the top ten films of 2008 were superhero movies. ENTER: THE WATCHMEN.

The Dark Knight- Worldwide Gross : $1,001,082,160
Hancock - Worldwide Gross : $624,386,746
Iron Man- Worldwide Gross : $582,030,528



PHAT ALERT!!
Paramount Pictures and Marvel Studios are scheduled to release on July 15, 2011 a film titled The Avengers.
Iron Man director Jon Favreau is the executive producer, while Robert Downey, Jr. and Don Cheadle will play Iron Man and War Machine, respectively.
Unknown returns include Edward Norton, star of The Incredible Hulk (2008) as Bruce Banner and Samuel L. Jackson in his Iron Man cameo as Nick Fury.
The film's roster includes Iron Man, Captain America, the Incredible Hulk and Thor.The film's writer, Zak Penn (co-writer of The Incredible Hulk film), cited Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch's Ultimates version of the team as inspiration for the story.