What are those people doing?! It looks as though they’re having some sort of unholy ceremony!!….It must be a ‘Twisted Tale of Pure Evil!!!…..This movie THE SECRET VILLAGE looks absolutely terrifying!!
….and check out these scary tombstones!!!.…Spooooooooky!
Independent distributor Vertical Entertainment has picked up genre horror/mystery themed thriller THE SECRET VILLAGE (starring Jonathan Bennett, Ali Faulkner, Stelio Savante, and Richard Riehle) with a nationwide DVD release date of Dec 17th. THE SECRET VILLAGE will also have a limited US theatrical release on Oct 18th through SD Digital Creations.
The international release is being handled by ITN Distribution who will premiere the film in several foreign territories on October 14th.
Directed by Swamy Kandan, The Secret Village is headlined by Jonathan Bennett, Ali Faulkner, Stelio Savante and Richard Riehle.
The film follows Greg, (Jonathan Bennett) a screenwriter and Rachel (Ali Faulkner), a beautiful journalist research an outbreak of mass hysteria in a small village. They start to uncover a secret about ergot poisoning that has affected this village for years. But the cult activity has been kept a secret by the locals (Stelio Savante, Richard Riehle) and when Greg disappears, Rachel is left alone to unravel the mystery and save their lives.
The sure sign of a scary movie is a scary trailer. This one is sure to keep you up at night!:
“If you have a gun, shoot ’em in the head. That’s a sure way to kill ’em. If you don’t, get yourself a club or a torch. Beat ’em or burn ’em. They go up pretty easy.”
With 8-years olds watching The Walking Dead today with Mom and Dad today, it’s hard to convey just how grossed out and appalled people were when NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD started popping up on movie screens back in 1968. Variety wrote back then: “No brutalizing stone is left unturned: crowbars gash holes in the heads of the living dead, monsters are shown eating entrails, and – in a climax of unparalleled nausea – a little girl kills her mother by stabbing her a dozen times in the chest with a trowel.” Yep, NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD had it all: cannibalism, slow-moving zombies who always seem to be catching up, and women-in-danger tripping and falling for no reason. But it was one of the first horror films that refused to turn away from its own gruesomenesss and has become the barometer by which all Zombies Attack films are measured..
The minimalist plot of NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD makes it all the more horrifying. Simply put, a group of strangers end up trapped in a farmhouse as slow-moving zombies, who were created by radiation from a Venus space probe (don’t ask), try to break in and eat them. Among the house’s occupants is a woman (Judith O’Dea) who saw her brother attacked by one of the “living dead” while they visited their father’s graveside, a black man (Duane Jones) who attempts to take charge of the situation, a middle class husband and wife (Karl Hardman and Marilyn Eastman) who are nursing a young daughter who was bitten by one of the ghouls, and the requisite terrified teenage couple (Keith Wayne and Judith Ridley).
The first time I saw NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD was in 1974 at the Crown Theater in Florissant. The EXORCIST knock-off BEYOND THE DOOR was the main feature and NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD played second. My friends and I were terrified and amazed (especially after that dull first feature) though most of director George Romero’s political and social commentary no doubt went way over our little 12-year old heads. This being years before DAWN OF THE DEAD or ZOMBIE, we had no idea how influential the film would be or the impact Romero’s little low budget black and white movie would have on the evolution of horror films. Thirty years later I interviewed eight cast members from NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD on stage at the Kitbuilders Monstrous Weekend Convention here in St. Louis including Judith O’Dea and the late Bill Hinzman, who played the first graveyard zombie. Several of these were older folk who had never acted before or since, yet were being flown to horror cons and treated to long lines of fans willing to pay for their signatures. Behold the power of the first ‘Living Dead’ movie!
NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD is a masterpiece, still holding strong today, and you’ll have the opportunity to see it again in all of its 35mm big-screen glory when it plays this weekend (October 4th and 5th) at midnight at St. Louis’ fabulous Hi-Pointe theater (1005 McCausland Ave., St. Louis, MO 63117) as part of Destroy the Brain’s monthly Late Night Grindhouse Film Series. The pre-show begins at 11:30.
The Friday night Facebook Invite can be found HERE
Here’s the latest video from Lars Von Trier’s NYMPHOMANIAC.
Chapter 4: Delirium
Delirium:
Confusion. Delusion. Hallucination.
The nymphomaniac’s father dies.
Since its initial launch in June, Zentropa Productions has been unveiling each chapter on the film’swebsite:
CHAPTER 1 is THE COMPLEAT ANGLER CHAPTER 2 is JERÔME CHAPTER 3 is MRS. H CHAPTER 4 is DELIRIUM CHAPTER 5 is THE LITTLE ORGAN SCHOOL CHAPTER 6 is THE EASTERN & WESTERN CHURCH (THE SILENT DUCK) CHAPTER 7 is THE MIRROR CHAPTER 8 is THE GUN
NYMPHOMANIAC is the wild and poetic story of a woman’s erotic journey from birth to the age of 50 as told by the main character, the self-diagnosed nymphomaniac, Joe. On a cold winter’s evening the old, charming bachelor, Seligman, finds Joe beaten up in an alleyway. He brings her home to his flat where he tends to her wounds while asking her about her life. He listens intently as Joe over the next 8 chapters recounts the lushly branched-out and multi faceted story of her life, rich in associations and interjecting incidents.
The film stars Charlotte Gainsbourg, Stellan Skarsgård, Shia LaBeouf, Jamie Bell, Christian Slater, Connie Nielsen, Udo Kier and Willem Dafoe.
“One thing about living in Santa Carla I never could stomach, – all the damn vampires!”
THE LOST BOYS (1987) is screening at 7pm this Thursday, October 3rd at Schlafly Bottleworks – 7260 Southwest Ave St Louis, MO 63143. Doors open at 6:30pm. It’s a fundraiser for Helping Kids Together.
Been feeling a bit under the weather lately? Too many late nights? Keep missing the daytime or having to wear sunglasses when you do make it up before dusk?…… How do you feel about garlic? Crosses? Stakes?
Yes, it’s vampire time again…
It may not be the scariest horror movie of the ‘80s (heck, the ridiculously over-sized 80s hairstyles and mullets on show are probably more frightening than the fangs), but twenty-five years later it’s easier to appreciate director Joel “Bat Nipples” Schumaker ‘s THE LOST BOYS as the first teen vampire movie. Boasting not just one but both of those late 1980s/early ’90s pubescent “pin-ups” called “Corey”, THE LOST BOYS was a sort of brat-packer attempt at the typical vampire/horror flick. It became a pop-culture phenomenon in 1987 thanks to its attractive young stars, offbeat soundtrack, and hip, clever marketing campaign (but it’s never explained why does Corey Haim’s character has a poster of Rob Lowe on his door!).
Recently divorced Diane Wiest moves with her two sons (Jason Patric and Haim) to the California community of Santa Carla, where teenage vampires (headed by Kiefer Sutherland) cruise the boardwalk. These ‘Lost Boys’ (there is a lost girl too, but nobody mentions her) hang from the ceiling of their lair in the ruins of an old hotel, while at night they go out seeking blood in Santa Cruz, known as the Mass Murder Capital of the World. Patric is initiated into the gang, but tries to resist his vampiric urges while his brother calls in Edgar and Alan Frog (Corey Feldman and Jamsion Newlander), gonzo teen vampire hunters from the local comic store, to battle the undead bloodsuckers.
THE LOST BOYS tagline – “Sleep all day. Party all night. Never grow old. Never die. It’s fun to be a vampire.” — perfectly captured its knowing mixture of attitude and gore. Now this Thursday, October 3rd, you can sleep all day and party all evening at Schlafly Bottleworks in Maplewood (7260 Southwest Ave St Louis, MO 63143) when THE LOST BOYS screens as part of the A Film Series monthly ‘Culture Shock’ Film Festival. Doors open at 6:30pm.
$6 suggested for the screening. A yummy variety of food from Schlafly’s kitchen is available as are plenty of pints of their famous home-brewed suds. Dan the bartender will be on hand to take care of you.
“Culture Shock” is the name of a film series here in St. Louis that is the cornerstone project of a social enterprise that is an ongoing source of support for Helping Kids Together (http://www.helpingkidstogether.com/) a St. Louis based social enterprise dedicated to building cultural diversity and social awareness among young people through the arts and active living.
The films featured for “Culture Shock” demonstrate an artistic representation of culture shock materialized through mixed genre and budgets spanning music, film and theater. Through ‘A Film Series’ working relationship with Schlafly Bottleworks, they seek to provide film lovers with an offbeat mix of dinner and a movie opportunities.
We hope to see everyone this Thursday night!
THE FACEBOOK Invite for the event can be found HERE
Pantelion Films’ breakout comedy/drama INSTRUCTIONS NOT INCLUDED, starring and directed by Eugenio Derbez, grossed an estimated $3.4 million in its fifth weekend at the domestic box office, bringing its total to an estimated $38.6 million to date as it became the highest-grossing Spanish-language film ever at the domestic box office, it was announced today by Lionsgate. Pantelion Films is a joint venture between Lionsgate and Latin media giant Groupo Televisa.
INSTRUCTIONS NOT INCLUDED passed Pan’s Labyrinth, which grossed $37.6 million at the domestic box office, to become the new record holder. The Pantelion release also became one of the four highest-grossing foreign-language films ever in the U.S., ranking behind only Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (Taiwan), Life is Beautiful (Italy) and Hero (China). Pantelion noted that INSTRUCTIONS NOT INCLUDED has achieved its entire domestic box office in the U.S. since the film hasn’t been released in Canada.
“We’ve been building our brand and our audience for three years, and we’re very pleased that our efforts have resulted in a record-breaking hit,” said Pantelion Films Chief Executive Officer Paul Presburger. “The film’s success reaffirms our belief that there is a large audience in the U.S. with an appetite for commercial films with Latino characters and themes. Its performance is a testament to the prodigious talents of Eugenio Derbez, Lionsgate and Televisa’s support, guidance and vision since our launch, an adroit and focused marketing campaign which we developed with Televisa and Univision and the superb distribution and expansion plan executed by the Lionsgate theatrical distribution team.”
INSTRUCTIONS NOT INCLUDED is the story of Valentin (Eugenio Derbez), Acapulco’s resident playboy–until a former fling leaves a baby on his doorstep and takes off without a trace. Valentin leaves Mexico for Los Angeles to find the baby’s mother, but only ends up finding a new home for himself and his newfound daughter, Maggie (Loreto Peralta). An unlikely father figure, Valentin raises Maggie for six years, while also establishing himself as one of Hollywood’s top stuntmen to pay the bills, with Maggie acting as his on-set coach. As Valentin raises Maggie, she forces him to grow up too. But their unique and offbeat family is threatened when Maggie’s birth mom shows up out of the blue, and Valentin realizes he’s in danger of losing his daughter- and his best friend.
Upcoming Pantelion releases include the bilingual comedy Pulling Strings, starring Jaime Camil and Omar Chaparro and slated for release next Friday; The Hours, a suspense thriller starring Paul Walker and Genesis Rodriguez, due out December 13; and Diego Luna’s Chavez, starring Michael Pena, John Malkovich, Rosario Dawson, Gabriel Mann and America Ferrera in the biography of civil rights activist and labor organizer Cesar Chavez.
Are you ready? The incredible saga of high-school-chemistry-teacher-turned-meth-kingpin Walter White is coming to a finish tonight in the series finale (gulp) of AMC’s BREAKING BAD.
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment cooks up a full batch on Nov. 26 when BREAKING BAD: THE COMPLETE SERIES comes to Blu-ray™ in its entirety. One of the most explosive series to air on television, the 16-disc set is this year’s must-have gift for the holiday season, complete with all 62 episodes and more than 55 hours of special features. Starring three-time Emmy® winner Bryan Cranston (Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series) alongside two-time Emmy® winner Aaron Paul (Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series), the critically acclaimed drama from Sony Pictures Television boasts one of television’s most radical storylines, giving viewers a glimpse into the life of how far a man might go in order to take care of the ones he loves. “Bryan Cranston is still turning in a transformative, unimpeachable performance as Walt, who remains one of the greatest dramatic creations ever to grace our TV screens,” hailed USA Today’s Robert Bianco.
Fans who are addicted to the series and itching for another hit can now indulge in more than two-hours of never-before seen footage in a ground-breaking series documentary exclusively in the box set, which comes packaged in a collectible replica barrel representing an important aspect of the legacy that Walter White set out to leave for his family at the onset of the series. The all-new documentary chronicles the making of the final season, from filming the first table read to the very last day on set and everything in between. A special moment in the documentary is when Bryan Cranston invites the camera in to his Albuquerque living room for the first reading of the final script with Aaron Paul. The box set also includes all bonus features from previously released seasons, a Los Pollos Hermanos apron and a collectible booklet with a letter from Gilligan, as well as a commemorative Breaking Bad challenge coin designed and created by Gilligan. The unique tradition of providing the show’s actors and production crew members with challenge coins after the completion of each season was started by Gilligan and carried throughout the show’s production. Now, fans can take home their own challenge coin from Gilligan as a token of appreciation for making the Breaking Bad journey.
The dark series includes an exceptional ensemble cast with Anna Gunn (TV’s “Deadwood”), Dean Norris (TV’s “Under the Dome”), Betsy Brandt (TV’s “Michael J. Fox Show”), RJ Mitte and Bob Odenkirk (The Spectacular Now). BREAKING BAD was created by writer/director/producer Vince Gilligan (TV’s “The X-Files”), who also served as executive producer with Academy Award® winner Mark Johnson (Rain Man, 1988’s Best Picture) and Michelle MacLaren (TV’s “The X-Files”). Co-executive producers of the series include Melissa Bernstein (TV’s “Rectify”) Sam Catlin (TV’s “Canterbury’s Law”), George Mastras (TV’s “The Dresden Files”), Peter Gould (TV’s “Too Big To Fail”), Thomas Schnauz (TV’s “The X-Files”) and Moira Walley-Beckett (TV’s “Pan Am”). Stewart A. Lyons served as Line Producer/UPM. Cranston and Diane Mercer (TV’s “Arrested Development”) are producers of the series. The series is produced by High Bridge and Gran Via Productions in association with Sony Pictures Television for AMC.
BREAKING BAD follows protagonist Walter White (Cranston), a chemistry teacher who lives in New Mexico with his wife (Gunn) and teenage son (Mitte) who has cerebral palsy. White is diagnosed with Stage III cancer and given a prognosis of two years left to live. With a new sense of fearlessness based on his medical prognosis, and a desire to secure his family’s financial security, White chooses to enter a dangerous world of drugs and crime and ascends to power in this world. The series explores how a fatal diagnosis such as White’s releases a typical man from the daily concerns and constraints of normal society and follows his transformation from mild family man to a kingpin of the drug trade.
BREAKING BAD: THE COMPLETE SERIES Barrel Set Special Features Include:
No Half Measures: Creating the Final Season of Breaking Bad – An all-new, exclusive two hour documentary that chronicles the filming of the final eight episodes.
Bad Memories – Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul talk about the show ending and some of their favorite moments.
Bryan Cranston: Director – Go on set with Bryan Cranston as he directs the first episode of the season entitled “Blood Money.”
Scene Envy – The Cast tell us which scene they wish they could have been in.
Shocking Moments – The Stars Reveal The Moments that Shocked Them Most.
From Walt to Heisenberg – From high school teacher to deadly meth dealer, watch as Walter White quickly transforms into Heisenberg.
How Will It End? – At the beginning of the season, the cast was asked to give their thoughts on how they thought the show would end.
Avenging Agent: Dean Norris as Hank Schrader — A look at the character Hank Schrader and the man who played him, Dean Norris.
Scene Stealer: Betsy Brandt as Marie Schrader – A look at the character Marie Schrader and the woman who plays her, Betsy Brandt.
A Criminal Attorney: Bob Odenkirk as Saul Goodman –A look at the character Saul Goodman and the man who played him, Bob Odenkirk.
Jesse’s Journey: Aaron Paul as Jesse Pinkman – A look at the character Jesse Pinkman and the man who played him, Aaron Paul.
Skyler Breaks Bad: Anna Gunn on Season Four – Actress Anna Gunn and series creator Vince Gilligan explore Skyler’s character evolution through the fourth season.
Growing Up in the White House: RJ Mitte on Walter, Jr. – RJ Mitte, Anna Gunn, Bryan Cranston and series creator Vince Gilligan discuss the extraordinary dynamics of the White family, and Walter, Jr.’s unique role.
The Ultimate Chess Match – Members of the cast and crew discuss Walter White and Gus Fring’s extraordinary and complicated battle of wits and their struggle for Jesse’s allegiance.
Looking Back: A Season Four Retrospective – Season Four’s most surprising and memorable moments.
Ted’s Wipeout – In Episode 411, “Crawl Space,” Ted Beneke suffers a head injury while trying to escape from Saul’s goons. In this featurette, Christopher Cousins (Ted) explains how this shocking stunt was accomplished.
The Truck Attack Storyboard Comparison – A side-by-side comparison of the Los Pollos Hermanos truck attack and the brilliant shot-by-shot storyboards that were created for the episode “Bullet Points.”
Walt and the Challenger Storyboard Comparison – A side-by-side comparison of the sequence where Walt indulges in some crazy stunt driving in Walt Jr.’s Dodge Challenger and the storyboards that were created.
In addition to releasing the complete set on Blu-ray, SPHE will release BREAKING BAD: THE FINAL SEASON on both Blu-ray and DVD with UltraViolet™ on Nov. 26. The final season includes the series’ final eight episodes and is loaded with special features, including all-new featurettes, cast and crew commentaries, deleted scenes and more. Episodes include: Blood Money, Buried, Confessions, Rabid Dog, To’hajiilee, Ozymandias, Granite State and Felina.
BREAKING BAD: THE FINAL SEASON Blu-ray Includes: “Blood Money” Table Read – A rare look at the only final season Breaking Bad table read.
BREAKING BAD: THE FINAL SEASON Blu-ray & DVD Include: Cast and Crew Commentaries on Every Episode
4 Featurettes
o The Main Event
o The Final Showdown
o Life of a Show Runner
o Behind-the-Scenes of the Alternate Ending
Alternate Ending – A 3-minute alternate version of how Breaking Bad could have ended.
Deleted & Extended Scenes
Gag Reel
Walt’s Confession
The Layers of a Sound Mix
Over 15 Episodes of Inside Breaking Bad
Uncensored and Extended Episodes
Broadcast Year: 2013 (AMC)
BREAKING BAD: THE COMPLETE SERIES has a run time of approximately 390 minutes and is not rated.
BREAKING BAD: THE FINAL SEASON has a run time of approximately 2,949 minutes and is not rated.
“We wanted it to be an immersive experience, as if you’re sitting in the theatre but you feel as if you’re floating in space. There’s no other format as immersive as IMAX.” – GRAVITY director Alfonso Cuarón
In this IMAX Behind the Frame, Director Alfonso Cuarón and NASA astronauts discuss the intense and raw cinematic experience of GRAVITY and the preparation that went into delivering a true-to-life space exploration.
GRAVITY plunges audiences into a shuttle mission that goes disastrously wrong; and combines a chilling and suspenseful story with stunning imagery drawn from actual space footage from the IMAX documentary, Hubble 3D.
Dr. Ryan Stone (Bullock) is a brilliant medical engineer on her first shuttle mission, with veteran astronaut Matt Kowalski (Clooney) in command. But on a seemingly routine mission, disaster strikes. The shuttle is destroyed, leaving Stone and Kowalski completely alone—tethered to nothing but each other and spiraling out into the blackness.
The deafening silence tells them they have lost any link to Earth…and any chance for rescue. As fear turns to panic, every gulp of air eats away at what little oxygen is left.
But the only way home may be to go further out into the terrifying expanse of space.
GRAVITY arrives in IMAX® 3D theatres on Oct. 4.
Keep up to date with the latest GRAVITY news and information –
Have you ever wonder if Peanut Brittle is a nut or a candy? You’ll find your answer in this hilarious first preview for THE NUT JOB.
With an all-star cast, including Liam Neeson, Katherine Heigl, Will Arnett and Maya Rudolph, this is one nutty heist you don’t want to miss.
The look on these little critters faces, as well as this trailer, is priceless.
In animated 3D, THE NUT JOB isan action-packed comedy in fictional Oakton that follows the travails of Surly (voiced by Will Arnett), a mischievous squirrel, and his rat friend Buddy, who plan a nut store heist of outrageous proportions and unwittingly find themselves embroiled in a much more complicated and hilarious adventure.
You’ll go nuts for Open Road’s new animated film, THE NUT JOB when it hits theaters nationwide on January 17, 2014.
COME FLY WITH ME, the late, late movie staple, like the old Sinatra standard, put forth the idea that an airline ticket could open up a whirlwind world of romance and adventure. Well, the new film BAGGAGE CLAIM really believes that, too. But FLY was released in 1963…yeah, fifty years ago! Have the producers actually hung out at any airports recently. Not the same vibe anymore, at all. BAGGAGE is the newest “rom-com” from Hollywood’s assembly line (seems like a new one comes out every other month on schedule) with a bit of a twist. As the politically correct marketing folks would say, “This has an urban edge”. Or to be more to the point it’s cast and crew is predominantly African-Americans. And it’s a testament to strives in equality as this film proves to be just as fluffy, silly, and trite as any Katherine Heigl or Kate Hudson romantic comedy. Let’s head to this carousels….
Montana Moore (Paula Patton) is a single 30 year-old flight attendant for Trans-Alliance (ya’ know I don’t think that’s a real airline!) who’s always a bridesmaid or maid of honor. And it’s about to happen again! Her younger sister has just gotten engaged. And the big event is right around the Christmas holidays! Montana hopes to get her beau Graham (Boris Kodjoe) to pop the question so they can make the announcement during those festivities, mostly to get her pushy, much-married mother (Jenifer Lewis) to back off. But a Chicago Thanksgiving getaway derails those plans. She’s on the market once more with just 30 days to find someone. Luckily her supportive flight crew pals, attendants Gail (Jill Scott) and Sam (Adam Brody), hatch a (possibly illegal) scheme. They get a list of Montana’s ex-boyfriends and send it out to their other airport pals. When the exes make travel plans (it is the busy holiday season, after all), they’ll pass on the info so that Montana can join the flight crew or nab a seat, that way she can just “happen” to bump into them. She does get to re-connect with music producer Damon (Trey Songz) and ambitious politico Langston (Taye Diggs). Happily she can get rides to and from the airport thanks to her apartment building neighbor and childhood chum, William Wright (uh, get it?) played by Derek Luke, who’s sharing his pad with the ditzy Taylor (Christina Milian). And then she meets hotel tycoon Quinton (Djimon Hounsou), who’s not the marrying kind. Oh, what’s a girl to do?
Patton, who was so terrific as part of Tom Cruise’s IMF team in MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: GHOST PROTOCOL, flings herself into the “rom-com” staple role of the knock-out gorgeous gal who can be silly and klutzy and full of insecurities. Unfortunately she’s required to spew out the dialogue so quickly that she seems constantly out of breath. This may be also due to the countless scenes of her madly dashing through airports, helped along by her pals in security (gee, that makes me feel safe!). Mostly Montana (sounds like a sitcom..call BET!) is a prize that the various suitors strive for. Even the controlling congressman, played by Diggs, who wants to use her as a donation ploy with the wealthy condescending old white contributor played by Ned Beatty (Oh, Otis!). Many of her dates consists of glorified R and B videos with Patton and her beaus cuddling and cooing against a swanky backdrop while a forgettable pop ballad blasts over the theatre sound system (Gotta’ by the soundtrack!). I guess that’s easier than writing believable dialogue for them. Speaking of believability, Montana’s two best buds come right from “rom-com stereotypes 101”. Scott is the sexually voracious zoftig gal pal that became tired in TV sitcoms long ago (she’s like an Ethel Mertz that’s always ready to party). Pity poor Brody saddled with the cliche’ fussy, eye-rolling supportive gay role (“you go, girlfriend!”) so well parodied by Elijah Wood in last year’s CELESTE & JESSE FOREVER that it should be permanently retired. Hmmm, Brody’s a token Gay and Caucasian, a twofer! There is a “instead of finding a man, I need to find me” empowerment speech near the inevitable airport resolution (how original!), but it seems like a weak rebuttal to the previous hour of frantic husband hunting. In short (too late!), this is a movie that Scarlett Johansson’s Barbara Sugarman character in the vastly superior DON JON (opens today,check out Michael Haffner’s terrific review!) would adore. It’s predictable mind candy. Patton and company proved they can do as fluffy a comedy as anybody in Hollywood. Next time I hope they aim much a lot higher.
Foodimals. They’re the new minions and Sony Pictures should have a tasty hit on their hands with the exhilarating CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS 2, whichbrings back nearly the entire cast of characters from the 2009 hit (except Bruce Campbell’s Mayor and Mr. T- whose character’s voice has been replaced with Terry Crews). While the first one was a spoof of ARMAGEDDEON, the sequel is a rollicking send-up of JURASSIC PARK which picks up where its predecessor left off. Inventor Flint Lockwood’s (Bill Hader) genius is finally being recognized as he’s invited by his idol Chester V (Will Forte) to join The Live Corp Company, where the best and brightest inventors in the world create technologies for the betterment of mankind. Chester’s right-hand-gal – and one of his greatest inventions – is Barb (a highly evolved lipstick-wearing orangutan with a human brain). It’s always been Flint’s dream to be recognized as a great inventor, but everything changes when he discovers that his most infamous machine (which turns water into food) is still operating and is now creating these food-animal hybrids. With the fate of humanity in his hands, Chester sends Flint and his friends on a dangerously delicious mission.
Visually, CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS 2 is as good as any animated endeavor out there. It has a refreshing “cartoony” aesthetic that doesn’t try to make its characters look realistic – but it’s the foodimals everyone will be talking about. Flint and his friends battle tacodiles, shrimpanzees, apple pie-thons, watermelephants, a stampede of bananaraptors, and a double bacon cheespiders with multiple sesame seed eyes. (trivia: Flint’s girlfriend Sam is wearing the exact same outfit Laura Dern wore in JURASSIC PARK). But CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS 2 is more than a bundle of digital eye candy. Like its predecessor, it’s seriously and deliriously demented and makes no apologies for it. It throws out rapid fire jokes, puns (“There’s a leak in the boat!” – cut to shot of an actual leek who screams in panic), and absurdities– some don’t work, but many, like the emission-free car that runs on cute (a kitten pops its head out of the gas tank), are gut-busters. The pace and tone of the comedy is actually pretty sophisticated and while kids will enjoy the visuals and the general frenzy of activity, many of the better jokes are aimed at their dragged-along parents (butter versus Parkay anyone?) And don’t look for any heavy messages about parent-child bonding or saving the planet. – CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS 2 doesn’t go there but simply tries, and succeeds, to be a good time at the movies.
