Too busy last week recovering from Labor Day & commemorating September 11th to keep up with the latest in entertainment news? Here’s a look at some of my favorite stuff from the news and my twitter feed so you can catch up!

* Box Office Top 5: Contagion infected the top spot (yeah, I had to go there), but The Help is close behind at number two. Warrior enters the list at number three, with The Debt and Columbiana rounding out the top 5. (Thanks Box Office Mojo!)

* The 20 Worst Lines in Movie History! Yay!!! (?)

* All the zombies, plagues and Acts of Whomever scare the body organs outta you? Wanna know how to survive the end of the world? The Baltimore Sun’s Jordan Bartel breaks it down for you. And we thank you, Jordan!

* From HufPo: Netflix shares drop after Starz decides it may not re-up their contract with the stay-at-home streaming co. And I gotta say that I feel really good about that. You double my fees and cut my service, Netflix? I blow my nose at you!

* A first-look at American Reunion! What a perfect teaser; I can’t wait for this to hit theaters next year!

* Trailers? You betcha!

The Amazing Spiderman:

And…The Avengers trailer, just in case you need it again for comparison:

Finally, a trailer for a movie that opens this year! Well, this December. Behold Justin Timberlake & Amanda Seyfried in…In Time!

Survived Hurricane Irene with dry basements and dvd’s?  Well, here’s a look at what you might have missed while heading out to buy bread, milk & toilet paper….

* If you like Team America: World Police and you don’t live in NYC?  You’re gonna wish you did; there’s a “Sing & Swear-Along” slated for the 17th of September in Tribeca.  Yeah, you wanna go.

* Zombies from World War Z!

* It’s on.  It’s off.  It’s on?  Don’t trifle with me; The Dark Tower, does it stand or fall?  Here’s the latest.

* No questions here: Ghostbusters 3 is definitely shooting next year.  What’s not definite is if Bill Murray will be a part of the team.  No Venkman?  Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together… mass hysteria! (C’mon.  I had to use it. Because I couldn’t finagle a way to use “It’s in the hole!” Unless there’s a Caddyshack sequel coming…. *shudder*)

More trailers:

* Fireflies in the Garden, starring Ryan Reynolds & Julia Roberts. It was shot back in ‘07 and is finally getting some theater play.  Hope it was woth waiting for…but then again I’ll watch Roberts & Reynolds in just about anything.

* A Hellraiser without Doug Bradley as Pinhead?  Um…  Well, judge for yourself.

* The Red Band trailer for Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark (be prepared to verify your age, you young’uns)

* The trailer of Disney/Pixar’s Brave (that debuted at D23):

* Kate Winslet and Jodie Foster tear it up in Carnage.  A hilarious Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?  Bring it.  And I wipe my ass with your human rights!

Too busy to catch up on movie news and assorted genre goodness last week? Well, here’s a peek at some of the coolest stuff you may have missed!

* Weekend Box Office Roll-Call: Rise of the Planet of the Apes comes out on top,  The Smurfs hold at #2, Cowboys & Aliens in third from the top slot last weekend, The Change-Up opening at #4 and Captain America: The First Avenger dropping two slots to #5.

* Rhianna’s in Battleship! Don’t believe me? Check it.

* More behind-the-scenes pics from World War Z, which totally helps my The Walking Dead jones right now.  And Bryan Cranston will have a “small but flashy” part to play… I’m hoping he’ll be  Redeker.

* Super Hero Updates:
- Idris Elba says he is up for Hemidall in Thor 2  (glad to see the crackpots that protested his casting in Thor got the respect they deserved), and chats about Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance.
- Meanwhile, va-va-va-vroom goes Anne Hathaway as Catwoman. Looks good so far, all apologies to Halle Berry and her S&M kitten suit.
- And The Tudors‘  Henry Cavill has always looked good in tights, so check him as Superman.
- Oh, and Green Lantern 2 will be “darker”. Yeah, there’s a sequel. Like they’d trot out Sinestro with the yellow ring and not do one? I just hope it won’t suck as bad as the first one. Oh who am I kidding? I’d watch it on mute just to see Ryan Reynolds in tights.
- Why does Spidey have web-shooters? Uh, because he’s supposed to. That’s why.

* R.I.P. Cha-Cha (a.k.a. Annette Charles/Cardona in “real life”). Grease would not have been quite as amazing without you and your toreador pants.  And Bubba Smith, the same goes for you and Police Academy.  You will both be missed.

* Bruce Cambell + Steve Raimi = drool-tastic, any way you slice it. Oz The Great And Powerful? Can’t wait to see ya.

* Stephen Soderbergh will be second unit director for The Hunger Games. Who cares? You should.

* PETA gives Rise of the Planet of the Apes it’s seal of approval. Like a film that decries the use of animals in science wouldn’t?

* And speaking of animals, here’s a peek at Shark Night 3D. Because last week was shark week, that’s why.

* I love fan art. Don’t you? You will, when you see these minimalist posters for The Avengers. Bravo, Marko Manev. And ZOMG, send me a Hawkeye?  What?  (BTW, peep the whole super shebang at his Web site.  Seriously. you really wanna.)

* When I heard that Russell Brand was gonna be in Diablo Cody’s Lamb of God, I squeed; hooray for someone making a movie based on Christopher Moore’s hilarious book! But it’s not Moore…more’s the pity. (Sorry, couldn’t help myself. I’m a bit tired so I’m easily amused.) But with Cody and Brand, I’m hoping it’ll be good anyhow.

* I have absolutely no idea what Mila Kunis is saying, but she’s speaking Russian (hey, she’s from Ukraine, remember?) and defending Justin Timberlake.  Just watch it all on YouTube and wish that our school system insisted on a foreign language requirement..

* Now I’m off to eat some Ben & Jerry’s Boba Fett Carbonite Crunch. Or I wish I could.  Pleeeeease let this be the next Chubby Hubby (er, I mean Hubby Hubby…mmm, delicious, wonderful marriage equality.  Hooray!)

* Oh, a trailer? You got it. This is one to watch after the young’uns go to bed. Mash up Bad Teacher and Adventures in Babysitting and get…The Sitter. I’m on the fence with this one. It could be hilarious, it could be a re-hash of all the other potty-humor movies from this year. But it’s buzz is off the charts. So for now, it’s just glorious, happy, filthy promise.

Too busy to catch up on movie news and assorted genre goodness last week?  Well, here’s a peek at some of the coolest stuff you may have missed!

* Box Office: Cowboys & Aliens beat The Smurfs for the top spot (though that’s not tough; the little blue guys are only three apples high….)  Cappy held firm in the top 5, with Harry Potter at number 4 and Crazy, Stupid Love opening at the 5th spot.

* Guillermo del Toro has been eyeing Willem Dafoe and Rob Kazinsky to add to the star power of Pacific Rim.  Me, they had me at monsters.  And Idris Elba.  No, I’m not obsessed.  I can put down my Luther dvds anytime I want to , thankseverso.

* Miss Harry Potter?  Of course you do!  But never fear, Daniel Radcliffe has shot out of the starting gate and into other projects.  Though you’d have to travel to NYC to catch How To Succeed In Business…, The Woman in Black will be in theaters February of next year.  Why the bump to the beginning of Cinema Wasteland?  So The Woman in Black won’t compete with the new Underworld movie that is opening the same time as their original start date.

* Single?  Wanna impress the lay-deez?  Well fellas, I don’t know about all the other girls, but the new Evil Dead II Deer Head accessory would…well, scare the [RADIO EDIT] out of me.  Which means you’d have the wimmin jumping into your arms.  Win?

* Or, you could just wait for the Linda Lovelace biopics to hit.  The latest gal that may play Miss Throat?  Olivia Wilde.  Not too shabby.

* One movie that I am thisclose to calling upon He Who Must Not Be Named to send his evil minions in to destroy is the possible Twins 2.  Oh yeah.  Let’s hope this never sees the light of day.

* More Comic-Con movie poster unveilings!  The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn part 1, The Raven, Happy Feet Two (and am I the only one who will miss Brittany Murphy?  Thought not.) Also, George Clooney’s The Ides of March, Stephen Soderberg’s Congation, and Kevin Smith’s Red State.

* “There’s gotta be more stars here than rehab!”  My thoughts exactly.  So enjoy the trailer for New Year’s Eve!

 

Too busy last week to go through all the movie news?  Here’s a look at what you missed!

Since Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 opened last week, who can think of anything else?  Here’s an all-Harry, all the time edition.  Think of it as a last hurrah for The Boy Who Lived….

* Box office: as you might expect, Harry Potter dominated this weekend, with a record-breaking first day and weekend.  Sweeping up after Harry are the Transformers, Horrible Bosses, Zookeeper and Cars 2.

* Haven’t seen the movie yet?  The wonderfully talented gals at Forever Young Adult have a Harry Potter drinking game that will get you (thrown out of the theater if you’re busted) “in the spirit”.  So sneak in a small flask and…drink!

* Wonder how real witches and wizards feel about Harry?  Well, there may not be flying broomsticks or a Room of Requirement, but some very real pagans weigh in on how their lives have been changed.  As if by magic….

* MTV has been pulling out all the stops for the final Harry film, and now that it’s in theaters they have five reasons you need to see it, the ten best Harry scenes, and ridiculous spin-off ideas  (none of them fanfic.  Yet.)  Total Film weighs in on the fifty greatest Harry Potter characters.  Yes, fifty.

* Not to be outdone, Slate has everything you need to know about Harry in six minutes.  Accio, awesomeness!

* Love the stars as much as the story (Neville, Fred & George — FTW!!!)?  HuffPo gives you a peek into what’s next for the gang.

* Speaking of our gang, like Harry?  Of course you do.  Like classic rock album covers?  Who doesn’t, they’re awesome.  Combine the two, and you have…something I’d like on my wall please.  And thank you, Nextmovie.

* If you’re still sad about the series coming to a celluloid end, there are very good reasons why you shouldn’t be, courtesy of Nextmovie.com.

* And, of course, you can now feel free to obsess over Twilight: Breaking Dawn or Hunger Games.  It won’t be the same, but it’ll do.  It’ll do.

Too busy last week to go through all the movie news?  Here’s a look at what you missed!

* Box office?  No surprise that Transformers took the top spot again this weekend, with Horrible Bosses in second and (egads) Zookeeper in 3rd.  Cars 2 skidded in at 4th this past weekend, and Bad Teacher is still holding strong in 5th.

* So, Kevin James = Chris Farley? That could explain Zookeeper…. But let’s keep that shirt on Kev, huh?

* It’s hot outside.  Why not stay in and watch one of those fancy-pants movies you have on your bucket list? Total Film’s article on why you should give a few of those slow-paced movies your attention hits the nail on the head. The Seventh Seal?  Seriously, check it out.

* Sequel-mania! Pirates 5 has been written, but Johnny wants to hit pause (and rightly so),  Thor 2 has a writer , “Iron Man 3 will actually be about Iron Man” (best news I’ve had all week), plus, A Star Is Born may also get a new spin, thanks to Leo & Beyoncé . And the best thing this week?  Spike Lee may do an Oldboy remake!  What?  A ghetto spin on this movie could really work.  But it looks like there’ll be no sequel for Zombieland.  Which is probably a good thing.

* New stuff?  Well, there’s Gods Behaving Badly, (not to be confused with the American Gods miniseries in development at HBO) the animated fright-fest Hotel Transylvania (which probably will be all for laughs, with Adam Sandler and Kevin James), Prometheus (which everyone on board is saying IS NOT AN ALIEN PREQUEL…though it kinda quacks like an Alien Queen) and a Rod Serling biopic!

* Captain American won’t be “Captain America”???  Say wha’???  Yep, at least in some other countries.  And it may not be shown in China at all, because of their strict limitations on the number of foreign films allowed in the country.  *That’s* a list of films I’d like to see.

* Like movies and tv shows based on comics (Iron Man, Thor, X-Men, The Walking Dead, 300, Sin City…)?  Who doesn’t?  Looking for something to do the weekend of August 20-21st?  Check out the Baltimore Comic-Con and have the one-up on all the snooty comic book fans that always seem to be a step ahead of you on what’s coming to theaters.  You could even get to see Stan Lee…  and you know who he is, don’t even lie.  We all watch for his cameo on Marvel-produced movies like they used to for Alfred Hitchcock back in the day.  More on Baltimore Comic-Con, including Twitter-feed coverage by yours truly (hint: the hashtag #atomicpopcorn will be the way to go that weekend) in the next few weeks….

* Though this documentary won’t be in a theater near you (it’s slated for the cable channel Epix…and Comic-Con.  In San Diego.  Dammit.)  I had to share this trailer.  Because it is epic.  Behold, the glory and the wonder that is but a small taste of SHATNERPALOOOZA…The Captains!

Monday Rewind is on hiatus today. Sure, I could tell you that Larry Crowne got his ass handed to him by Transformers, Cars 2 and Bad Teacher this weekend, barely getting one over on Monte Carlo. But that’s just depressing.  (Why the hatin’ on Larry?  Look up “character based story”, people.  Then get back to me.)   Instead?  Since it’s one of my favorite holidays — the day when you can blow up stuff and be called a True American — I’ve decided to whip out a top ten list.  This is a list of all things good, fine and true, movies that you can point to and say yep, that right there?  America.  Speaking of whipping things out, let’s get started:

10)  Blazing Saddles: More schnitzengruben?  Yes, please!  If you haven’t seen this movie yet, unhook yourself from your internet IV and watch it Right Now.  Don’t worry, I’ll wait right here.  This Mel Brooks satire of the beloved cowboy genre gets everything right.  From the rampant but undercover racism that made the West what it is today (full of people that aren’t Native American) to the no-holds-barred final scenes that bust through the fourth wall and into the French Mistake (“Watch.  Me….” Let’s just say for this scene alone, Dom Deluise is God in my eyes.)  This is one of the most quoted movies that ain’t Star Wars or Monty Python, and it’s all American.  God bless us, every one.

9) Dave:  Which proves to the world that in America, if you stop being a jerk, people start to wonder what the hell is going on.  Basically a revamped Prince and the Pauper tale, a beloved but less-than-successful guy who happens to look like the jerkwad President gets tapped to step in when said jerkwad lapses into a coma.  Need I say that the plain-old Joe does a better job?  Or that he nabs the First Lady?  Didn’t think so.  Adorable, and lots of fun.

8 ) The Best Years of our Lives: Coming back home from war is a bee-yotch.  Or so I’ve been told.  But lest you think that we’ve gotten weak since Vietnam, this movie shows us that even The Greatest Generation had it rough.  Coming back as heroes ain’t no picnic, not after what those soldiers had been through.  Bonus points for casting WWII hero Harold Russell — a man that lost both of his hands in the war — as a man who had to not only come to terms with his disability, but come to terms with how others now viewed him.  A classic movie that earns every good thing that’s ever been said about it.

7) Mr. Smith goes to Washington: Before America got into WWI, before Clarence got his wings, this movie showed us all that Jimmy Steward was a force to be reckoned with.  His fillibuster is amazing, and it makes me wish that they still allowed that sort of thing.  In Jefferson Smith, the smalltown guy that tries his best to do the right thing against the colossal machine that is Capitol Hill, we see ourselves.  Okay, we see how we’d all like to be, if we only had the guts.

6) Johnny Tremain: Yeah, yeah, yeah.  How can I possibly rank a Disney movie ahead of two of the most beloved movies about America?  Well, because it’s my list, and because it’s a Fourth of July list, so it gets points for things that go boom.  This once was a staple of elementary school history class (I must have seen it at least 5 times, god bless the American school system!)  It looks at the Revolutionary War through the eyes of a young man that doesn’t seem to be able to do much, but ends up proving everyone wrong.  Points for the underdog factor, and for the absolutely shameless heartstring pulling, a requirement for all true patriotic films.

5) 1776: Wonder where Gwyneth Paltrow got her pipes?  Look no further.  Gwyneth’s mom Blythe Danner, as Martha Jefferson, Thomas’ beautiful and vibrant young wife, sings “He Plays the Violin” and steals the audience away ‘til it’s done.  Hey, where else are you gonna hear The White Shadow belt one out?  Shockingly, this movie is not only a successful adaptation of a Broadway hit musical, but it’s chock full of actual historical stuff.  This is the movie to put on for your friends who hates to learn anything.  You can’t help but be drawn in by this movie, and out of nowhere that stick-in-the-mud friend who thinks Paul Revere warned the British is a little bit wiser.  It could happen.

4) M.A.S.H.: This film does for war movies what Blazing Saddles did for westerns, but with a much lighter touch.  The distrust of authority and blatant disregard for decorum?  Absolutely 100% A-murrrr-ican.  I feel sorry for the poor bastards that signed up for duty with a hospital unit in the mistaken believe that this is what really went on.  Still, it’s a great look at how America shifted gears thanks to Vietnam.  Or, rather, thanks to the powers-that-be screwing things up.  Potato, potatoe.

3) Born on the Fourth of July: Oliver Stone’s unflinching look at how the Vietnam War took it’s toll on the soldiers that fought over there, could easily be seen as the sequel to Platoon.  But it stands up on it’s own, not only because it’s built around the true story of Ron Kovic, but because it’s a powerful film in it’s own right.  And America loves a comeback story, so this tale of a young man who has everything to live for and then has to start all over again is an emotional fist-pumper.  Which brings me to….

2) Red Dawn: “Wolverines!”  If that doesn’t get your fist in the air, well…you didn’t grow up in the 80’s.  Ah, the 80’s; we hated The Commies, loved power ballads and feared packing up and hitting the highway to avoid WWIII.  And it’s all here in this film!  But don’t worry, a group of kids has our back.  This is the Brat Pack on full auto, before tiger blood and Dancing With The Stars.  Ask anyone who has seen this movie, it’s a makes-ya-proud kinda film.  Plus, it’s easy to follow, a big plus if you’re putting this on after a full day of drinking in this insane heat while watching things go boom.

1) Independence Day:  What?  It’s all about the title, baby.  Who cares if this movie figures that alien life is IBM compatible?  Yes, the story has holes you can drive an alien spacecraft through.  Michael Bay brings it, and it is ON.  If you see Will Smith — king of the July 4th weekend — punch an alien in the face and don’t get the least little bit pumped, you are dead inside.  Though my favorite is Randy Quaid’s wacked-out cropduster that just knows he was a victim of alien abduction.  When he volunteers to help America put the smackdown on those creepy aliens and he tells everyone he wants to do this because he was abducted and wants a little payback?  OMG, if that isn’t America in a nutshell (the good, the bad and the just plain ol’ Jerry Springer), it’s sure damn close.

Now go forth and grill, drink, stay out in the sun too long and watch professionals really blow some $%^#* up.  It’s the American way!  If you need a break to grab some a/c?  Well, these movies’ll be here for you.  God Bless Amurrrica.

Sometimes hitting the multiplex just isn’t in the cards.  That’s when cable, the web and streaming  step in to provide an instant movie fix.  But how to separate the wheat from the chaff?  I’m happy to help; every week I’ll pick a flick and see if it’s worth your time.  This week? “Exam”

How far would *you* go for the perfect job?  How far would you go for a job that you didn’t know anything about, except that it has excellent pay and benefits?  In today’s economy that’s a very interesting question indeed, and one that eight prospective employees must answer for themselves in Exam.

Eight young up-and-comers have all passed a rigorous selection process and have made it to the final part of the evaluation, an exam.  They’re ushered in to a windowless room and are told that if they “spoil” their paper, speak to the (armed) guard or leave the room they will be disqualified.  The exam has only one question, and only one answer.  As the 80 minute countdown to the end of the exam begins, the applicants find that the piece of paper they’ve been given is blank.  One begins to write, and is escorted out.  After that, the remaining candidates must band together to figure out what this corporation really wants from them.

Exam is listed as a thriller, but there are bits of mystery, drama and psychological horror in this well crafted chiller.  Relative newcomer Stuart Hazeldine directs the film with a sly touch, switching from sociological study to thriller with an easy flow, keeping adrenaline on a slow burn throughout.  Hazeldine also wrote the script, and does a good job of connecting viewers to characters that are trying their best to keep their inner workings hidden from their competition.  As with Reservoir Dogs, the characters actual names are secret; instead they refer to each other by nicknames.  These nicknames are from “White”, and given based on outward appearances.  There’s “Dark”, “Blonde”, “Chinese”, “Brown”, “Black”, “Brunette” and the near catatonic “Deaf” who seems to have cracked under the pressure early on.

This movie could have been played as a straight psychological thriller, but instead Hazeldine inserts Sci-Fi elements into the story.  This doesn’t really help move the story along, and the movie itself may have been stronger if they had been left out.  Today’s audience knows that big corporations can be filled with shadowy people that have serious God complex issues.  If Exam had focused on that instead of throwing in a bit of Sci-Fi Ex Machina, this movie could have gotten a bit more of the respect it deserves.  But as a Sci-Fi nut, I found the genre bits intriguing  but surprising after all the straight psychological tension of the earlier scenes.

The cast are relative unknowns, and that lends a touch of realism to the story, though fans of BBC America will recognize Colin Salmon (Hex, MI-5) as the  “Invigilator” (that’s “exam monitor” for classy folk) and Jimi Mistry (EastEnders) as “Brown”.  It’s a small cast, with the eight applicants, the Invigilator and the guard as the only people on screen.  And except for the opening credits, when you see the applicants dressing for their day (in extreme close-up, much like the opening sequences of Pretty Little Liars or The Big Chill), the entire story plays out in one windowless gray room.  But the actors give outstanding performances in the lackluster setting, pulling in viewers with an unflinching look at how these characters react to their situation. As each individual realizes nobody really knows what the job entails (and in some instances, what corporation is actually doing the hiring), things start to get dicey for everyone, as each person’s reason for wanting the job comes to light.  The final scenes are a roller-coaster ride that I won’t spoil here, but even though I wasn’t particularly surprised at the ending, it was a very satisfying conclusion.

Viewers may have a bit of  Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory déjà vu, with the shadowy corporation everybody wants but nobody really knows anything about.  But Exam isn’t that colorful, and as far as I could see there aren’t any Oompa Loompas anywhere.  Don’t worry, you won’t miss ‘em.  All in all, Exam is a fascinating study of human behavior which left me wondering; could I get the job?  Could you?

Here’s the breakdown:
Would I watch it again?:  Yes.  Now that I know how it all plays out, I’d like to watch it again so I can see if I can catch any “tells” I missed the first time.
Should you see it?: Though it has too much Science Fiction to be a true thriller and not enough for it to be genre-worthy for hardcore fans, it’s an interesting character study.  Recommended.
Netflix average rating: 3 ½ Stars
My rating: 4 Stars