Theatrical Releases This Week
The Dark Knight Rises
Director: Christopher Nolan
PG-13; 164 mins
Trailer
It has been eight years since Batman vanished into the night, turning, in that instant, from hero to fugitive. Assuming the blame for the death of D.A. Harvey Dent, the Dark Knight sacrificed everything for what he and Commissioner Gordon both hoped was the greater good. For a time the lie worked, as criminal activity in Gotham City was crushed under the weight of the anti-crime Dent Act. But everything will change with the arrival of a cunning cat burglar with a mysterious agenda. Far more dangerous, however, is the emergence of Bane, a masked terrorist whose ruthless plans for Gotham drive Bruce out of his self-imposed exile. But even if he dons the cape and cowl again, Batman may be no match for Bane. (Synopsis by Warner Brothers)
Do I even need to tell you to go see this? The epic conclusion to Nolan’s saga is not to be missed.
DVD Releases This Week
The Three Stooges
Director: Bobby Farrelly and Peter Farrelly
PG; 92 mins.
Trailer
Left on a nun’s doorstep, Larry, Curly and Moe grow up finger-poking, nyuk-nyuking and woo-woo-wooing their way to uncharted levels of knuckleheaded misadventure. Out to save their childhood home, only The Three Stooges could become embroiled in an oddball murder plot…while also stumbling into starring in a phenomenally successful TV reality show. (Synopsis by 20th Century Fox)
Overly juvenile and lacking humor. Sadly, this is what the kings of slapstick have devolved to. While the film has an inherent sweetness, there isn’t anything here that can’t be better viewed on a Saturday morning re-run marathon of the original.
Friends with Kids
Director: Jennifer Westfeldt
R; 100 mins.
Trailer
Friends with Kids is a daring and poignant ensemble comedy about a close-knit circle of friends at that moment in life when children arrive and everything changes. The last two singles in the group observe the effect that kids have had on their friends’ relationships and wonder if there’s a better way. They decide to have a kid together – and date other people. There are big laughs and unexpected emotional truths as this unconventional ‘experiment’ leads everyone in the group to question the nature of friendship, family and, finally, true love. (Synopsis by the Official Site)
The romantic comedy strikes again; this time with kids. The attempts to be “edgy” fall flat, and the attempts to be sweet clash against the harsh language. For the genre, it isn’t terrible. For a film overall, it is bad.
Silent House
Director: Chris Kentis and Laura Lau
R; 88 min.
Trailer
From the directors of the hit film Open Water, Silent House is a uniquely unsettling horror thriller starring Elizabeth Olsen as Sarah, a young woman who finds herself sealed inside her family’s secluded lake house. With no contact to the outside world, and no way out, panic turns to terror to terror as events become increasingly ominous in and around the house. Directed by filmmaking duo Chris Kentis and Laura Lau, Silent House uses meticulous camera choreography to take the audience on a tension-filled, real time journey, experienced in a single uninterrupted shot. (Synopsis by Open Road)
The best part is Olsen’s acting—everything else seems like a re-hash of “Paranormal Activity.” Perhaps the greatest letdown is that this remake does nothing to fix the script of the original. Then again, it does make up the difference with more than a few gratuitous shots of Olsen’s cleavage.
The three stooges is the best!!!!! Nyuk Nyuk!