This week, the new movies at the movie theater will be bringing us a huge match-up of titans, with one of my favorites, Vin Diesel (Pitch Black) facing off against the even bigger (My other fave) Dwayne Johnson (Walking Tall)! We’re also going to get some supernatural dissing from Brandon Routh (Scott Pilgrim, Unthinkable, Chuck).
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Fast Five from Universal Pictures, stars Vin Diesel and Paul Walker reprising their The Fast and the Furious roles once again in the franchise’s fifth installment. Other cast reprising roles includes Jordana Brewster, Tyrese Gibson (Transformers franchise). Other cast includes Chris ‘Ludacris’ Bridges (who worked the music in The Fast and the Furious) and introducing the big man himself to the franchise, Dwayne Johnson.
“Dominic and his crew find themselves on the wrong side of the law once again as they try to switch lanes between a ruthless drug lord and a relentless federal agent.”
I’ve always wanted to see Diesel and Johnson in the same movie and I hope this huge confrontation is worth it. But what worries me is the franchise it’s taking place in.
Have you noticed how the ad campaign for Fast Five started changing this weekend? There’s more of a musical edge to it than the previous marketing campaigns. I always worry when an ad campaign changes its pace right before opening week. To me, it’s not the best signal a distributor can send.
Fast Five is directed by Justin Lin (Fast & Furious, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift) and written by Chris Morgan (Fast & Furious, Wanted). At least the writer has had some success outside of this film’s franchise.
Normally I’d poo-poo the movie, but who doesn’t like fast cars and big, bulky, good looking actors?
Prediction: Probably making its money back at the box office. The question is just how long that may take.
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Dylan Dog: Dead of Night, from Freestyle Releasing, stars Brandon Routh, Sam Huntington (Syfy’s Being Human), Peter Stormare, Taye Diggs.
“The adventures of supernatural private eye, Dylan Dog, who seeks out the monsters of the Louisiana bayou in his signature red shirt, black jacket, and blue jeans.”
Directed by Kevin Munroe (TMNT) and written by Thomas Dean Donnelly (Conan the Barbarian, Sahara).
If we do the math between the creative team members, I happen to like Brandon Routh’s presentation but with little success under the directors belt, the redeeming feature is that the screenplay writer has one potential and one strong success under his belt.
Prediction: Dylan Dog might break even at the box office, but not on opening weekend. The marketing that is behind the film seems pretty bland. It’s the same trailers I saw over a year ago in a preview of the movie held for some press.
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Hoodwinked Too! Hood VS. Evil this time, is about
“Red Riding Hood is training in the group of Sister Hoods, when she and the Wolf are called to examine the sudden mysterious disappearance of Hansel and Gretel.”
In this animated feature, you’ll be treated to the voice talent of Glenn Close, Hayden Panettiere, Cheech Marin, Patrick Warburton, Joan Cusack, David Ogden Stiers and more.
Mike Disa is an animator turned writer/director for this film (Dead Space: Aftermath), I can’t predict how an animated feature can perform and this is not his first directorial take. Cory Edwards co-wrote this film. (He screenplayed & directed the first film.)
Prediction? Animated films can come out of left field and do well at the box office. The first film broke even at the box office on its opening weekend. I’ll say the same for Hoodwinked Too.
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Prom is a teen comedic drama starring Aimee Teegarden (Scream 4) about a group of teenagers get ready for their high school prom.
Written by Katie Wech (Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience) and directed by Joe Nussbaum (Sydney White, Sleepover).
Prediction? Nah, this isn’t my bag of tea. No, wait… There’s been little promotion for this film, has there? I’ve seen one or two TV spots, but that’s it. It will drag at the box office.
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Next week Thor & Something Borrowed opens in theaters! Hoo ya! Hmm, I wonder which one I might go see…
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This, is the list of all movies and film festivals happening on Friday, April 29th, 2011.
• Fast Five
• The Speed of Thought (Newport Beach International Film Festival)
• Dylan Dog: Dead of Night
• Prom
• Hoodwinked Too! Hood VS. Evil
• Sympathy for Delicious (limited)
• The Robber
• Black Bread (San Francisco International Film Festival)
• Lebanon, Pa. (limited)
• Joint Body (Newport Beach International Film Festival)
• Page One: A Year Inside the New York Times (San Francisco International Film Festival)
• Letters from the Big Man (San Francisco International Film Festival)
• White Knight (Newport Beach International Film Festival)
• Sahkanaga (Atlanta Film and Video Festival)
• Earthwork (New York City, New York)
• The Journals of Musan (San Francisco International Film Festival)
• The Selling (San Francisco International Film Festival)
• Marathon Boy (San Francisco International Film Festival)
• 100% Love
• Detroit Wild City (San Francisco International Film Festival)
• The Other Men in Black (limited)
• We Go Way Back
• too perfect
• Animus
• Let the Wind Carry Me (San Francisco International Film Festival)
• The Beekeepers (Barebones International Film Festival)
• Akkarakazhchakal – The Movie
Film Festivals
• Los Angeles United Film Festival (Day 2)
• Puerto Rico International Film Festival Vieques Island (Day 4)
• Tribeca Film Festival (Day 10)
