The Bounty Hunter

Not the best it could have been, but it’s a fun rom-com that is pleasing for the girls (Gerald Butler) as well as the guys (Jennifer Aniston). (Formats: Blu-ray/DVD)   Jon says: Rent   Donny says: Rent

Greenberg

This is what Ben Stiller should be doing more of instead of more Fockers. It isn’t for everyone humor-wise, but there’s some good acting, good character arcs, and it is funny at times, making it worth a look. (Formats: Blu-ray/DVD)   Jon says: Rent   Donny says: Rent

New to Blu

Insomnia (Nolan’s version)

Assault on Precinct 13

In Bruges

Alpha Dog

Hmm, small week, huh? Regardless, keep it here for more news and reviews only on Killer Film!

Attack of the Horrible DVD Covers! will be a monthly article focusing on the month’s releases that feature some truly bad art. Let’s look at some of the bad ones in this month of July.

There’s just something that is an eye sore about this one for Greenberg. It’s overly complicated in its simplicity if that makes sense, and I get they want to pimp the quotes, but the poster, once again, is better and should have been used.

The backlash was rapid against Repo Men, a commonly themed film to the cult film Repo! A Genetic Opera, that led to low box office returns and apparently this horrible cover. I get discs want to sell you on the actors, but since this flopped, why not sell us on the violence or the organ repossession? It’s boring, lazy, and that tells us a lot about the film.

I hate to do this, but hey, that’s my job here. I know indie companies are short on money, but wtf is this?

The film is about the spirit of a young girl who was killed by a prank turned tragic, haunts the hallways of a school. The day is coming where she will reach full strength and get revenge on the kids responsible for her death. Sold!…not. Gah!

To tell you the truth, there isn’t too many bad cover this month. Bounty Hunter and the Blu-ray cover for Clash of the Titans (2010) was generic, but not bad. Maybe this article is helping? We shall see in August.

Thoughts?

Those already a part of the cast include Natalie Portman, Ashton Kutcher, Kevin Kline, Ben Lawson and Ophelia Lovibond. The Elizabeth Meriwether script centers of the question of whether two long-term friends can have a purely sexual relationship without falling in love.

Gerwig will play a brainy friend of Portman’s character who is the first to recognize signs that Kutcher’s character has become smitten with her friend (Variety). Principal photography is expected to start in May with Montecito Picture Company, Spyglass Entertainment and Cold Spring Pictures.

You can still watch Greta Gerwig in the Noah Baumbach feature Greenberg still playing in theaters, but be sure to check your local listings first for it.

Published last month by Dutton, Hedges’ latest book is about a seemingly perfect husband and wife raising their children in an affluent neighborhood of Brooklyn known as the Heights. But their lives are turned upside down when a wealthy couple moves in next door (Variety).

Although Peter Hedges has written a couple of novels, more of his great work has spanned into screenplays that have already been put onto the big screen. Among those are What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, About A Boy and Dan in Real Life. Focus Features recently distributed Noah Baumbach’s Greenberg onto the big screen, following it with the release of the documentary Babies, coming out on May 7th.

“Mr. Popper” is the tale of a house painter whose dreams of Arctic exploration prompt him to write letters to real explorers. One of them sends him a penguin, which he keeps in an icebox. Soon, Mr. Popper receives a female penguin from a zoo and before he knows it, he has a litter of 12 beaked birds. When the penguins start to eat him out of house and home, Mr. Popper forms Popper’s Performing Penguins, a stage act that goes on tour and causes mayhem at every stop (Variety).

Stiller can next be seen in the third film of the Meet the Parents franchise Little Fockers on December 22nd.

Greenberg is far from perfect, and not as funny as the trailer suggested, but it is sincere. Sincerity is a rare bird in films now days, and the film really feels alive when it focuses on the two main character separately rather than together. Greenberg is immediately unlikable. He’s like that one guest at a party, everyone’s asking why was he inivited? Florence (Greta Gerwig), the film’s other main focus, is equally the opposite of Greenberg. She’s immediately likable and sweet. Yet, they both are stuck. Greenberg is easier to figure out. He’s bitter and disgusted. Perhaps the live he wanted, he (obviously) never got, and that irritates him to no end. It’s this consumption of his past, that doesn’t allow him to move on. With Florence, it’s way more difficult to figure her out. Clearly, she’s doing things to make ends meet, yet has an odd time connecting with people. She’s not anti-social, but clearly makes excuses to avoid commitment. Hmm.

Co-written by Baumbach’s wife, Jennifer Jason Leigh, the film never gels with their romance, but as parts they are far more interesting than as a whole. The sly look at suffering intellectuals isn’t new territory for Baumbach, but it’s one he’s about done telling, in my opinion. Greenberg works since maybe it can hit close to home. For some, it won’t. In a scene where Greenberg is hanging at a party with a ton of early college kids, his analytical eye seems on. I hope I die before I see any of you in a job interview. Harsh, but precise. Baumbach’s eye turns to these kids, our youth, and at one hand points out their generation as scary as it is for a young person to think about getting old, yet is also appreciative of their youth. Greenberg balances some keen looks at times in our lives we aren’t self-aware too.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Greenberg

There is beautiful, sophisticated Marina Thwaite — an “It” girl finishing her first book; the daughter of Murray Thwaite, celebrated intellectual and journalist — and her two closest friends from Brown, Danielle, a quietly appealing television producer, and Julius, a cash-strapped freelance critic. The delicious complications that arise among them become dangerous when Murray’s nephew, Frederick “Bootie” Tubb, an idealistic college dropout determined to make his mark, comes to town. As the skies darken, it is Bootie’s unexpected decisions — and their stunning, heartbreaking outcome — that will change each of their lives forever.

If Gere does climb onboard this picture, he would be taking on a supporting role. Producing the film so far is Brian Grazer for Imagine Entertainment with a yet to be specified release date from the studio.

The cast also includes Rhys Ifans, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Juno Temple and Brie Larson. Greenberg comes out in theaters on March 26th. Look at the new clips below and let us know what you think. If you like what you see, make sure you sign up on the official Facebook page.:

“The Thing About You Kids” clip:

“Musso and Frank” clip:

“How Long Do We Wait” clip:

(March 5th)

Alice in Wonderland

Jon: On paper, this film seems like a perfect storm. You got Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter, Tim Burton directing, and if anyone is perfect with his style and sensibilities to direct this movie, it is Tim Burton. It’s almost too perfect, yet I can’t wait for the film just for that reason. Should be the trippy, stoner movie of the year! See it.

Donny: I’m not a fan of Tim Burton, even when Johnny Depp is involved (I do love Beetlejuice though), so I’m not really looking forward to this one. I’m gonna let Jon have fun with this one and wait for the Blu-ray. Skip It.

Brooklyn’s Finest

Jon: Yes, it’s another cop drama, but it’s from Antoine Fuqua (Training Day). It features a great cast: Ethan Hawke, Richard Gere, and Don Cheadle, but this could be the type of film everyone sleeps walks through. Point of interest? Wesley Snipes and Don Cheadle. Hopefully, Fuqua will add something new to this played out genre, as the trailer looked interesting. See It

Donny: I love all of the actors involved in this picture, and the director as well. I’m thinking it’s gonna be a solid flick. See It.

(March 12th)

Green Zone

Jon: The much delayed release of this Paul Greengrass/Matt Damon reunion looks amazing. Plus, I’m a sucker for political thrillers, and this looks like Greengrass’s Bourne films, but what’s wrong with that? Apparently, Universal was touting this as an Oscar film, but pulled it out of the 2009 race. Hmm. While the trailer gives a little too much away, let’s hope this is a furious political thriller in line with Bourne Supremacy rather than Bourne Ultimatum. See It

Donny: Maybe it’s just me, but something about this movies seems familiar. Eh…who cares, Matt Damon and Greengrass are a kick ass combination. See It.

Remember Me

Jon: Before we get all crazy about this new non-Twilight film staring Robert Pattinson, the film is the second script from Jenny Lumet (Rachel Geting Married), features a solid cast-Chris Cooper and Pierce Bronson, and with the Twilight fans eager for their RP fix before Eclipse, I fully expect this to be a hit. But for us non-Twi-hards, is it worth seeing? I think it looks decent, and the Lumet script has me curious. See It

Donny: What Jon said. See It.

She’s Out of My League

Jon: Here’s the next film from the Sex Drive guys, and it might be me, in my older age, but these sex comedies are getting tiresome and the trailer did nothing to prove me wrong. Skip It

Donny: I dug Sex Drive and still enjoy sex comedies, so I’m gonna be there on opening night. See It.

(March 19th)

The Bounty Hunter

Jon: While this could be just Gerald Butler and Jennifer Aniston in some average mainstream comedy, it looks like it could be a blast. Think of it as a perfect date movie, since young love is in the Spring air. It has the sex appeal for the ladies and the action for the guys, and while Hitch was okay, director Andy Tennent might have another big hit. See It.

Donny: I’m gonna have to see this one with the wife so I might as well try to enjoy it. At least Aniston is fun to look at! See It.

Repo Men

Jon: Okay, okay. Let me state that I’m friends with Repo: A Genetic Opera‘s Terrance Zdunich and Killer Film was one of the first sites to immediately support Repo. I stood behind his decision to seek a lawsuit for plagiarism against this film, which features plenty of similar themes and ideas, minus the singing. As a critic, I must be objective. So with that all being said, Universal’s Repo Men looks to be a slick, sci-fi film. I just can’t get over the similarity, and I’m sure the Repo Army will do everything to tank this film. Sadly, I must support them. I say sadly, because the film looks decent. Skip It

Donny: I’m going to agree with Jon on this one. I’m not extremely excited to see this flick since I’ve already seen it with a rocking cast and soundtrack behind it. Skip It.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (limited)

Jon: Having seen little on this film, but based on what I’ve seen it looks pretty good. It was a huge hit in its native Sweden, but I suppose many will see this either On-Demand or on DVD. See It.

Donny: I know nothing about this flick, but I have a weakness for hot goth chicks. See It.

(March 26th)

How to Train Your Dragon

Jon: DreamWorks has been becoming better in recent outings, and I’ll be that guy: I’m more excited to see this, than Pixar’s Toy story 3. Why? I think this looks like a blast based on the idea, the originality, and (yes) the 3-D. See It.

Donny: The trailer for this sold me. I’m really looking forward to seeing DreamWorks kick some 3-D ass! See It.

Greenberg

Jon: Noah Baumbach and Wes Anderson might be cut from the same cloth, but I’m so excited to see this. Maybe because the Ben Stiller’s character might be me in a few years or something, but I think this might be a huge hit for Baumbach as it has been advertised in front of a lot of big films lately. Quirky, good humor. See It.

Donny: I’m one of the few people that like Baumbach but doesn’t care for Anderson. I also really like it when Stiller takes chances on indie flicks. See It.

Hot Tub Time Machine

Jon: Ugh. Donny is all about this, ain’t you? I’m sick of these adults-missing-their-youth comedies, and I know everybody is raving about the Red Band trailer, but these aren’t my comedies. I’ll see Greenberg twice. Skip It.

Donny: Don’t listen to Jon, he hates everything. I, on the other hand, can spot a killer comedy like a lonely nymphomaniac in a see of goody-goodys. This flick looks like a great time at the movies and that’s enough for me. See It.

Outside of some indie films being released, that does it for this month. Look for all of these to be reviewed and other surprises all month long, only on Killer Film! But be advised, release dates are subject to change.  So what are you seeing and skipping this month? Comment below!

The picture stars Ben Stiller as Roger Greenberg who’s a singe, forty-ish and at crossroads in his life. He finds himself in Los Angeles, house-sitting for six weeks for his more successful/married-with-children brother (Chris Messina). In search of a place to restart his life, Greenberg tries to reconnect with old friends including his former bandmate Ivan (Rhys Ifans). But old friends aren’t necessarily still best friends, and Greenberg soon finds himself spending more and more time with his brother’s personal assistant Florence (Greta Gerwig), an aspiring singer and also something of a lost soul. Despite his best attempt not to be drawn in, Greenberg and Florence manage to forge a connection, and Greenberg realizes he may at last have found a reason to be happy.

Greenberg comes out in theaters on March 26th. Watch the brand new featurette below from Yahoo! Movies. If you want to keep up to date with all things pertaining to this film, make sure you follow the Focus Features Twitter or Facebook page.:

“I wonder if someone’s not even already working on a script for that,” he added with a raised eyebrow. “I cannot confirm that for a fact, but I cannot deny it for a fact either… It might be in the works.”

And he suggested he is thinking about where the next film could be set.

“Here’s a little bit, [a] real quick spoiler alert – ‘Night at the Museum 3’ is set in the Liberace Museum,” he said with a smile.

The Liberace Museum, for those of you who do not know, is located smack dab in the middle of the Las Vegas strip. That could provide to have some interesting new additional characters to add onto the already overflowing cast from the previous two features. Thomas Lennon has co-written the two films with scribe Robert Ben Garant, both of them starring Greenberg star Ben Stiller.

Roger Greenberg (Ben Stiller), single, fortyish and at a crossroads in his life, finds himself in Los Angeles , house-sitting for six weeks for his more successful/married-with-children brother. In search of a place to restart his life, Greenberg tries to reconnect with old friends including his former bandmate Ivan (Rhys Ifans). But old friends aren’t necessarily still best friends, and Greenberg soon finds himself spending more and more time with his brother’s personal assistant Florence (Greta Gerwig), an aspiring singer and also something of a lost soul. Despite his best attempts not to be drawn in, Greenberg and Florence manage to forge a connection, and Greenberg realizes he may at last have found a reason to be happy.

The cast also includes the talents of Jennifer Jason Leigh, Chris Messina, Brie Larson and Juno Temple. Want to know more about Greenberg? Well if you go and sign up on the official Facebook page you can be completely up to date with the feature that’ll include more pictures, videos and what have you.

Greenberg (Ben Stiller) is at a crossroads in his life. Out of a job and none too interested in finding one, he agrees to housesit for his younger and more successful brother, thereby getting a free place to stay in Los Angeles. Once settled in, Greenberg sets out to reconnect with his old friend and former bandmate Ivan (Rhys Ifans). But times have changed, and old friends aren’t necessarily still best friends, so Greenberg finds himself spending more and more time instead with his brother’s personal assistant Florence (Greta Gerwig), an aspiring singer and herself something of a lost soul. As their relationship develops through a series of embarrassingly awkward romantic encounters, even someone as irascible as Greenberg might have at last found a reason to be happy.

Greenberg comes out on March 12th, 2010 in theaters everywhere.

Greenberg First Trailer