Opening Movies is now Closed

Based on many recent developments, including the my growing interest in classic movies, this article, the economic downturn (yes you can blame the banks for this blog shutting down, I know I am), and the fact that most movies that open each week can be described by me as "craptastic", the Opening Movies blog is closing.

I want to thank all the visitors to the blog, and especially those who contributed via comments and suggestions. I had a great time blogging, but I feel that this blog has run it's course.

If you're still interested in the type of information I provided, please peruse these sites:

IMDB Now Playing
Rotten Tomatoes Opening

And don't forget to have fun at the movies!

Weekly Roundup - Opening 2/13

There are five movies opening up tonight, and there are a few that look watchable. Two Lovers is apparently talented actor Joaquin Phoenix's last movie, The International is entertaining for what it is, Confessions of a Shopaholic is uninventive, Friday the 13th is yet another necessary remake, and Under the Sea 3D is another solid IMAX film.

Weekend Suggestion:

As a last hurrah to Whah-Keen, I'm going to recommend Two Lovers. He's not the only one who is generating buzz about this film, as Venessa Shaw is also top-notch in it.

Under the Sea 3D

Movie Info

Directed by: Howard Hall (Deep Sea, Island of the Sharks)
Written by: N/A
Starring: Narrated by Jim Carey
Genre: IMAX/Educational
MPAA Rating: G
Runtime: 40 minutes

Reviews

RottenTomatoes Score: 95% Fresh
MetaCritic Score: 75/100
IMDB Rating: N/A
My Response: Really, what IMAX film doesn't not suck? I sure don't know. This one is nothing extra spectacular, so see if you want, but you won't miss any water-cooler talk if you miss it.

Trailer



Official Website

Friday the 13th

Movie Info

Directed by: Marcus Nispel (The Texas Chainsaw Masacre (remake), Pathfinder)
Written by: Screenplay: Damian Shannon (Freddy vs Jason) & Mark Swift (Freddy vs Jason)
Starring: Some 20 hot somethings who play hot teenagers who end up dying hotly
Genre: Horror
MPAA Rating: R for strong bloody violence, some graphic sexual content, language and drug material
Runtime: 97 minutes

Reviews

RottenTomatoes Score: 25% Fresh
MetaCritic Score: 35/100
IMDB Rating: 7.0/10
My Response: At least it's rated R. A slasher pick that is only PG-13 is no slasher at all. I'm not a huge fan of remakes that are not necessary, so I just recommend renting the original and cozying up with someone hot if you want to watch a scary movie this Friday the 13th.

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Official Website

Confessions of a Shopaholic

Movie Info

Directed by: P. J. Hogan (Peter Pan)
Written by: Book: Sophie Kinsella; Screenplay: Tracey Jackson (The Guru), Tim Firth (Kinky Boots), & Kayla Alpert (film writing debut)
Starring: Isla Fisher (Wedding Crashers, The Lookout), High Dancy (King Arthur, Black Hawk Down), Krysten Ritter (What Happens in Vegas, 27 Dresses)
Genre: Romantic Comedy
MPAA Rating: PG - for some mild language and thematic elements
Runtime: N/A minutes

Reviews

RottenTomatoes Score: 17% Fresh
MetaCritic Score: 39/100
IMDB Rating: N/A
My Response: This one looked good from far, as Isla Fisher is becoming a star in her own right, but it ended up far from good (I bet you didn't see that "far from good line comin'). Skip it.

Trailer



Official Website

The International

Movie Info

Directed by: Tom Tykwer (Run Lola Run)
Written by: Eric Singer (writing debut)
Starring: Clive Owen (Children of Men, Inside Man), Naomi Watts (The Ring, Mulholland Dr.),
Genre: Action/Suspense/Thriller
MPAA Rating: R - for some sequences of violence and language
Runtime: 118 minutes

Reviews

RottenTomatoes Score: 55% Fresh
MetaCritic Score: 52/100
IMDB Rating: 7.8/10
My Response: I saw The International at a screening a few days ago, and it was a lot better than I thought it would be. Clive delivers (as always) a solid action/thriller performance. It's not revolutionary, but it's entertaining. The irony of a movie opening about a bank becoming too powerful during the current bank collapse is an added bonus.

Trailer



Official Website

Two Lovers

Movie Info

Directed by: James Gray (We Own The Night)
Written by: Screenplay: James Gray (We Own The Night) & Ric Menello (feature film debut)
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix (Walk the Line, Signs), Gwyneth Paltrow (Shakespeare in Love, Se7en), Vinessa Shaw (3:10 to Yuma, Eyes Wide Shut)
Genre: Drama/Romance
MPAA Rating: R - for language, some sexuality and brief drug use
Runtime: 110 minutes

Reviews

RottenTomatoes Score: 83% Fresh
MetaCritic Score: 71/100
IMDB Rating: 7.9/10
My Response: If you believe the latest news, and Joaquin Phoenix really gives up acting to become...ahem...a rapper, then this is his last film. I really don't think he will leave movies for good, but it he does, at least he goes out with a good one. The cast is great, and there are rumors that up-and-comer Vinessa Shaw outshines Gwyneth Paltrow in this one. See it.

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Official Website

Weekly Roundup - Opening 2/6

We've got a wide range of movies coming out this week, so that's good. With five movies opening today, lets hope one is good. We've got Fanboys that seems to be good for, well, fanboys. There's Coraline, which has stretched the realm of animation in a new way. And there's The Pink Panther 2 which does no deserve to be mentioned. The action-packed Push should be good for drunk teenaged boys. And finally, He's Just Not That Into You has a lot of big stars, but doesn't offer much bang for its buck.

Weekend Suggestion:

The pick of the week is Coraline. Not only does offer a unique, creative, and entertaining form of animation, it has also recieved the best reviews since the Oscar contenders more than a month ago. See it.

He's Just Not That Into You

Movie Info

Directed by: Ken Kwapis (About A Boy, The Office (TV))
Written by: Book: Greg Behrendt & Liz Tuccillo, Screenplay: Abby Kohn (Never Been Kissed) & Marc Silverstein (Never Been Kissed)
Starring: Jennifer Aniston (Marley & Me, Friends (TV)), Ben Afflect (Good Will Hunting, Pearl Harbor), Drew Barrymore (E.T., Fever Pitch)
Genre: Romantic Comedy
MPAA Rating: PG-13 - for sexual content and brief strong language
Runtime: 129 minutes

Reviews

RottenTomatoes Score: 44% Fresh
MetaCritic Score: 48/100
IMDB Rating: 6.5/10
My Response: While this one looks to try to be an American version of Love Actually, it falls way short. It may be the best romantic comedy to come out in a while, but that's not saying much.

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Official Website

Push

Movie Info

Directed by: Paul McGuigan (The Reckoning, Lucky Number Slevin)
Written by: Screenplay: David Bourla (Nostradamus)
Starring: Camilla Belle (When a Stranger Calls, 10,000 BC), Dakota Fanning (Man on Fire, War of the Worlds), Chris Evans (The Fantastic Four, Sunshine)
Genre: Action
MPAA Rating: PG-13 - for intense sequences of violence and action, brief strong language, smoking and a scene of teen drinking
Runtime: 111 minutes

Reviews

RottenTomatoes Score: 26% Fresh
MetaCritic Score: 39/100
IMDB Rating: 6.9/10
My Response: This one reminds be of last year's Jumper: Tons of CGI action...bad plot. ...Explosion!...bad characters...action-packed!...dumb. Skip it.

Trailer


Official Website

The Pink Panther 2

Movie Info

Directed by: Harald Zwart (One Night at McCool's, Agent Cody Banks)
Written by: Scott Neustadter (debut), Michael H. Wever (debut), & Steve Martin (The Pink Panther)
Starring: Steve Martin (The Jerk, Roxanne), Jean Reno (Leon, The Da Vinci Code), Emily Mortimer (Notting Hill, Match Point)
Genre: Comedy/Family
MPAA Rating: PG - for some suggestive humor, brief mild language and action
Runtime: 92 minutes

Reviews

RottenTomatoes Score: 14% Fresh
MetaCritic Score: 37/100
IMDB Rating: 4.6/10
My Response: What the hell happened to Steve Martin? He used to be great, and now look at him. WTF Steve? WTF. Skip this one just like everyone skipped the first Pink Panther remake.

Trailer



Official Website

Coraline

Movie Info

Directed by: Henry Selick (The Nightmare Before Christmas, James and Giant Peach)
Written by: Book: Neil Gaiman (Stardust, MirrorMask), Screenplay: Henry Selick (writing debut)
Starring: Dakota Fanning (Man on Fire, War of the Worlds), Teri Hatcher (Tomorrow Never Dies, Desperate Housewives (TV)), John Hodgmen (Baby Mama)
Genre: Animated/Family
MPAA Rating: PG - for thematic elements, scary images, some language and suggestive humor
Runtime: 101 minutes

Reviews

RottenTomatoes Score: 88% Fresh
MetaCritic Score: 80/100
IMDB Rating: 8.2/10
My Response: Everyone is saying that Coraline is Henry Selick's chance to shine. He's worked on other similar projects, but other people usually get the credit (mainly Tim Burton). Coraline looks to be very entertaining, and Selick definitely has an established, imaginative, and very unique style that many people love. See it.

Trailer



Official Website

Fanboys

Movie Info

Directed by: Kyle Newman (The Hollow)
Written by: Ernest Cline (writing debut), Adam Goldberg (The Muppets' Wizard of Oz), & Dan Pulick (writing debut)
Starring: Dan Fogler (Balls of Fury, Good Luck Chuck), Jay Baruchel (Knocked Up, Million Dollar Baby), Kristen Bell (Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Veronica Mars (TV))
Genre: Comedy
MPAA Rating: PG-13 - for pervasive crude and sexual material, language and drug content
Runtime: 90 minutes

Reviews

RottenTomatoes Score: 28% Fresh
MetaCritic Score: 43/100
IMDB Rating: 8.1/10
My Response: Fanboys was originally supposed to be released in 2007, but due to many re-shoots and setbacks (including a very long back and forth with Miramax studio cheif Harvey Weinstein (who wanted to change much of the movie to his liking) that was finally stopped with the help of an online movement called "Stop Darth Weinstein" that reportedly sent Miramax over 300,000 emails) the movie was delayed until now.

If you don't know what a fanboy is, then this is probably not the best movie for you. But George Lucas gave it his official "stamp of approval", so if you are a fanboy, you cannot miss it.

Trailer



Official Website

Weekly Roundup - Opening 1/30

Just like last week, three movies are opening. But unlike last week, one of them might be worth watching. It's not New in Town, the unofficial remake of Sweet Home Alabama. It's not The Uninvited, the unofficial remake of every Japanese horror film remake. Seriously, where's the originality people??

Weekend Suggestion:

Taken is the pick of the week. While it may not hold up to other action thrillers like the Bourne trilogy or the new James Bond movies, it still offers some exciting action and some good Liam Neeson butt kicking.

New in Town

Movie Info

Directed by: Jonas Elmer (Nynne)
Written by: Screenplay: Ken Rance (Wednesday Afternoon) & C. Jay Cox (Sweet Home Alabama)
Starring: Renee Zellweger (Jerry Maguire, Chicago), Harry Connick Jr. (Independence Day, My Dog Skip), Nathan Fillion (Serenity, Slither)
Genre: Romantic Comedy
MPAA Rating: PG-13 - for brief strong language
Runtime: 96 minutes

Reviews

RottenTomatoes Score: 16% Fresh
MetaCritic Score: 30/100
IMDB Rating: 5.7/10
My Response: This one is easy for me to say "skip it". It's just another formulaic rom-com, with nothing special added in. It was even already made when it was called Sweet Home Alabama. But I guess, that depends on which southern hunk you like more.

Trailer



Official Website

The Uninvited

Movie Info

Directed by: Charles & Thomas Guard (feature film debut)
Written by: Screenplay: Craig Rosenberg (After the Sunset), Doug Miro (The Great Raid), & Carlo Bernard (The Great Raid)
Starring: Elizabeth Banks (Zack & Miri Make a Porno, W.), Emily Browning (Darkness Falls, Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events), Arielle Kebbel (The Grudge 2, John Tucker Must Die)
Genre: Horror
MPAA Rating: PG-13 - for violent and disturbing images, thematic material, sexual content, language and teen drinking
Runtime: 87 minutes

Reviews

RottenTomatoes Score: 41% Fresh
MetaCritic Score: 44/100
IMDB Rating: N/A
My Response: I swear this one has been done before. It feels like we've seen it many times by now. But hey, Japanese horror remakes always make some dough, so let's have another one! I'll be skipping it.

Trailer



Official Website

Taken

Movie Info

Directed by: Pierre Morel (Banlieue 13)
Written by: Screenplay: Luc Besson (The 5th Element, Leon) & Robert Mark Kamen (The Transporter, Banditas)
Starring: Liam Neeson (Batman Begins, Gangs of New York), Maggie Grace (Lost (TV), The Fog), Famke Janssen (X-men trilogy, The Wackness)
Genre: Action/Suspense
MPAA Rating: PG-13 - for intense sequences of violence, disturbing thematic material, sexual content, some drug references and languag
Runtime: 94 minutes

Reviews

RottenTomatoes Score: 58% Fresh
MetaCritic Score: 49/100
IMDB Rating: 8.0/10
My Response: After watching the trailer for this one, everyone should know two things: (1) don't f*ck with Liam Neeson or any fictional daughters he may have, and (2) see this movie so you know why you should not take any chances. Taken looks to be the best movie released since all the Oscar-contenders a while ago, so don't miss it.

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Official Website

Weekly Roundup - Opening 1/23

With only three new movies opening this week (and all three in the action/fantasy realm), let's hope at least one of them is decent. Let's see here....we've got books coming to life in Inkheart, a dragon-slaying Jesus in Outlander, and vampires vs werewolves in Underworld: Rise of the Lycans. They all sound so compelling!

Weekend Suggestion:

While I would obviously pick Outlander out of these three (I'm a dragon guy at heart), I think I'll recommend Frost/Nixon or Revolutionary Road instead. Both Oscar contenders open wide tonight.

Underworld: Rise of the Lycans

Movie Info

Directed by: Patrick Tatopoulos (Bird of Passage)
Written by: Nine dudes....too many to list
Starring: Rhona Mitra (Doomsday, Shooter), Michael Sheen (Underworld, Frost/Nixon), Bill Nighy (Underworld, Love Actually)
Genre: Action/Fantasy/Horror
MPAA Rating: R - for bloody violence and some sexuality
Runtime: 93 minutes

Reviews

RottenTomatoes Score: 38% Fresh
MetaCritic Score: 47/100
IMDB Rating: 6.8/10
My Response: There is only one word I can use to talk about this film: Why? As in... why make a prequel to a crappy movie franchise...why would Michael Sheen go from the Oscar-nominated Frost/Nixon to this....why does Bill Nighy, a respected English actor, do these horrible vampire movies...why are there NINE writers for this movie? Why? Why? Why? Skip it.

Trailer



Official Website

Outlander

Movie Info

Directed by: Howard McCain (directorial debut)
Written by: Screenplay: Howard McCain (writing debut) & Dirk Blackman (writing debut)
Starring: James Caviezel (The Passion of the Christ, The Count of Monte Cristo), Sophia Myles (Tristan + Isolde, Underworld), Ron Perlman (Hellboy, Enemy at the Gates)
Genre: Action/Adventure/Science Fiction
MPAA Rating: R - for violence
Runtime: 115 minutes

Reviews

RottenTomatoes Score: 29% Fresh
MetaCritic Score: 40/100
IMDB Rating: 7.1/10
My Response: This is very unknown movie, and it is only getting a limited release. That's too bad, because it definitely looks like it could be entertaining. Someone said that if it was released in the 80's, Outlander would probably be a cult favorite nowadays (like Conan or Predator), and I can't disagree. See it if you can, and make sure to catch it when it hopefully comes to the SciFi channel in a few years.

Trailer



Official Website