We did it! We survived January 2013's parade of mediocre theatrical releases! Last month saw Horror movies reign supreme at the box office (TEXAS CHAINSAW 3D, MAMA, and HANSEL AND GRETEL: WITCH HUNTERS all took the number one spot on their opening weekends), and saw several action films fail miserably (PARKER and THE LAST STAND flopped big time; GANGSTER SQUAD is still limping along with $40 million).
But now it's February: Punxsutawney Phil will see his damned shadow tomorrow, dooming us to more Winter. Valentine's Day will happen in two weeks; love will be discovered; hearts will be crushed; oh yes, there will be drama! It's also Black History Month (ever notice that it takes place on the shortest month of the year? I'm surprised no one's complained yet.) so students will be learning about Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks, and the dozens of others who fought for equal rights.
That's fine and all, but what why not expand the curriculum to include black actors, actresses, and filmmakers? I think that at least a full week in Black History Month should be dedicated to the blaxploitation genre! (Kids should know who Richard Roundtree, Jim Brown, Pam Grier, and Fred "The Hammer" Williamson are!) Finally, February is now also "Women in Horror Recognition Month," where little seen, and unknown women in the Horror genre (particularly those working in independent film) try to get more exposure (other than going topless) and promote themselves. Read more about it
here.
Anyway, February, like its predecessor, is usually another month where studios drop the films they don't consider to be Summer blockbuster material. Luckily we're getting plenty of decent-looking flicks to choose from at the cinema this weekend. First up is WARM BODIES:
At first I had written this off as a goofy "Twilight" type zombie flick, but after seeing the trailer(s) for it, I've changed my tune and am in fact, going to see it today! It gives us the usual zombie stuff (shoot them in the head to kill them; they crave the flesh of the living), but then goes in an entirely different direction. Aside from "My Boyfriend's Back," "Fido," and "Deadheads," there really aren't a lot of romantic "zombedies" out there, and it is rare for any zombie-themed film to try something different.
Note: I saw "Warm Bodies" earlier today and it was (for sake of a better word) cute. It's relatively bloodless, and is essentially a modern day retelling of Romeo and Juliet, with a post-apocalyptic zombie twist. My fiancee liked it quite a bit, and I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy it myself. THIS is the romantic comedy to take your ladies to this (or next) weekend guys!
Next up, here's a little something for the menfolk! Enjoy the trailer for BULLET TO THE HEAD!
Stallone plays aging hitman James Bonobo (a.k.a. Jimmy Bobo) that teams up with a Washington D.C. cop when both of their partners get iced by Keegan (Jason Momoa), a kill-crazy mercenary. The movie looks action packed and has the two main protagonists exchanging insults while beating down / murdering some henchmen. It is good to see Walter Hill back in the director's eat I tell ya!
Note: Just saw this tonight as well. It was pretty good, but it seems like a lot of the Stallone and Sung Kang banter was left on the cutting room floor. The movie certainly lives up to its title (there are a lot of bullets fired into a lot of heads), and though the main baddie is a bore (his plot is to buy up property and convert it into CONDOS! GASP!), his main henchman played by Momoa is a lot of fun to watch. I enjoyed this one, and I'd readily recommend a matinee viewing of it!
Finally here's the trailer for a film that
I've already posted about recently, namely A HAUNTING IN CONNECTICUT 2: GHOSTS OF GEORGIA:
I've already discussed the asinine title of the film (which TAKES PLACE IN GEORGIA, NOT CONNECTICUT!) but I'll admit that it looks like a solid rental. It's playing in limited theaters at the moment but will probably expand into the video on demand market soon.
Aside from several documentaries that are getting a small release, these three are your best bets in theaters this weekend, and I can totally vouch for two of them! But if none of these strike your fancy, you can always try STAND UP GUYS which stars Christopher Walken, Al Pacino, and Alan Arkin.
