Cinetopia

A lot of technologically advanced movie lovers default to satellite TV as their main means of movie consumption, considering the unparalleled High Definition picture quality and even some 3D programming options in recent months (following the standard Hollywood trend -> home timeline), but not every household does their research as thoroughly as they might were they going to see a flick in theaters. Between trailers, Rotten Tomatoes, sites like ours and the opinions of good friends, even casual movie goers are relatively realistic about their expectations.When shopping around for TV service, it’s best to do your homework. It’s not just the provider that will ultimately affect your bottom line and viewing experience, but where you buy it.

Take DirecTV for example (www.direc4u.com). Yes, buying straight from the company will ensure you will get straight from the source products and pricing. While these are of the utmost concern in nearly any high-involvement purchase, assuming this is the only place where such quality is guaranteed may eliminate the advantageous aspects of shopping around. Read More…

Romantic comedies that are fun for men and women are easy to find, one of my favorite romantic comedies is The Ugly Truth, starring Katherine Heigl and Gerard Butler. Katherine Heigl plays the role as Abby Ritcher who is the producer of a morning news show in Sacramento that is about to be canceled. Her boss hires Gerard Butler who plays Mike Chadway an un-orthodox local cable host who has a very popular show called The Ugly Read More…

One of the top movies out now is Rango, an animated feature with Johnny Depp providing vocal talent. The movie is an offbeat tale about a lizard (Rango) who gets the chance to save a small Western town. While some may write this movie off as just another kids’ movie, most critics say they enjoyed this movie more than their kids did.

Fans of now-classic comedies Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz will enjoy Paul, the latest comedy released from popular duo Simon Pegg Read More…

Some movies have been sequeled to death and some remakes are insults to the original movie. The first Jaws movie scared me silly but I thought the sequels were kind of lame. Sylvester Stallone was fantastic in Rocky and Rambo but less so in their successors. The worst are sequels or remakes of movies that weren’t that great to begin with. I’m thinking American Pie 2.

The remake I’m waiting for is the Wizard of Oz. I have watched this movie more times than I can count and I Read More…

Ah Christmas, the best time of year for children around the world, when parents and grandparents can spoil their kids rotten under the cover of Santa Claus, the way they’ve always secretly wanted to throughout the rest of the year. Six years after Meet the Fockers, the successful sequel to Meet the Parents, it’s time to introduce the world to the most terrifying father in law alive’s new grandchildren, the Little Fockers. Ben Stiller, Robert De Niro, Teri Polo, Blythe Danner and Owen Wilson all return to their original roles, with Jessica Alba, Laura Dern, Harvey Keitel and Barbara Streisand joining the all-star cast. Director Jay Roach, however, will not be partaking in the third installment, rather Paul Weitz (of American Pie and About a Boy fame) will be directing the film. Read More…

For more than 20 years the only Gecko in town was small green and single-track minded on selling car insurance. When Gordon Gecko was jailed in the 1987 classic Wall Street, starring Michael Douglas (as Gordon Gecko), Charlie Sheen and Daryl Hannah, we slowly forgot about how he wronged society, assuming we would never again see the Oliver Stone creation. Little did we know, Gecko would make a similar return to mainstream glory in 2010, similarly coordinated with jailed NFL quarterback Michael Vick, as the original movie was finally granted a sequel, with the release of Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps.Douglas reprises his role as Gecko, like Vick, supposedly a changed man after his incarceration. Stone once again sits in the director’s chair and even Charlie Sheen makes a cameo appearance playing an aged version of his original character Bud Fox. Up and coming star Shia LeBouf joins the cast as the movie’s central protagonist, Jake, a young go-getter dating Gecko’s estranged daughter. Read More…

If there’s one young actor of recent years who has made a career out of being typecast, it’s Michael Cera. His blend of indie rock earnestness and nave teenage awkwardness is honed to a fine edge, and yet he continues to make entertaining, thought-provoking movies. In his most recent film, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, he plays a young bass guitarist who meets his mysterious dream girl and learns that to be with her, he must defeat her seven evil exes. The film is scheduled for wide release on August 13.Cera seems to work best in casts with such large ensembles. He got his first big break in 2003 with Arrested Development after voice acting in shows like Rolie Polie Olie, The Berenstain Bears, and Braceface. Alongside Jason Bateman and Will Arnett, the quirky sitcom about a family patriarch sent to jail for embezzlement quickly evolved into one of the most critically acclaimed shows of the decade. Read More…

Few directors can claim to have a film on the top ten list of highest grossing films of all-time, even fewer can claim to have more than one of their movies on this list, but only one can claim to have directed the top two highest grossing films worldwide. James Cameron not only has produced numerous chart-topping works, but the diversity of his films sets him apart in the field. His ability to tackle a range of genres is evident in the fact that Avatar, the highest grossing film ever, is a Sci-Fi Fantasy, and the second highest-grossing film ever is Titanic, a historical, romantic drama. Cameron wrote, produced and directed both. Read More…

If you, of your own free will, buy a ticket to a movie’s 5^th sequel or any film starring a former reality TV star, you won’t find any sympathy here. What’s unfair is when a movie is billed with high expectations and top end talent, yet still manages to waste an hour and a half of your life you will never get back. This countdown chronicles the biggest disappointments of the decade,worth avoiding at all costs.10. Two For the Money (2005) Matthew McConaughey, Al Pacino and Rene Russo headline what appeared to be a promising look inside the seedy world of sports gambling. The all-star cast conned many moviegoers into gambling 6.50 on a ticket and losing everything.9. From Justin to Kelly (2003) In hindsight, perhaps this shouldn’t qualify, as no one end their right mind should expect much from two never-acted-before semi-celebrities in a romantic comedy musical. Still, the build up from American Idol’s first season was enough to lure nave audiences to the theater.8. All About Steve (2009) How could a movie starring Sandra Bullock, fresh off her award winning performance in The Blind Side, and Bradley Cooper, who stole the summer comedy stage as part of The Hangover crew, be so awkwardly painful?7. Freddy Got Fingered (2001) Bare in mind, this was early in the decade, back when people still thought Tom Green was funny. Perhaps this was the turning point.6. Fred Claus (2007) This marked the first of two straight holiday seasons in which Vince Vaughn delivered proverbial coal. Though Four Christmases gets the slight edge, “marginally better than Fred Claus” isn’t exactly a ringing endorsement.5. The Love Guru (2008) Oh how the mighty have fallen. Mike Myers was once seen as a comedy guru of sorts, with successful Wayne’s World and Austin Powers series. The Love Guru left viewers wondering if Myers every really knew how to get a laugh. Read More…

With June marking the halfway point on the calendar, we can finally get a grasp of how this year’s movies are stacking up against 2009, a great year for moviegoers by all accounts. In case you’ve already forgotten what last year gave us, this countdown of 2009′s best should refresh your memory.

10. New Moon Based on box office numbers it would place towards the better half of any list, but with so many loose ends leading into the saga’s third movie, Eclipse, New Moon is more of a stepping stone than a complete film.

9. Adventureland Kristen Stewart’s other movie in 2009 didn’t register nearly the same mainstream response, but Adventureland quickly developed a significant cult following. Starring Jesse Eisenberg alongside Stewart, this coming of age story is set in the late 80′s and explores a post-graduate virgin’s struggle to make ends meet both socially and financially.

8. The Blind Side Based on the true story of Michael Oher’s improbable rise to the NFL stage, The Blind Side is carried by Sandra Bullock’s Oscar winning performance. In addition to Bullock’s first career Best Actress award, the film itself received an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture.

7. District 9 This mock-umentary tracks alien life on earth after their 1982 arrival, as the extraterrestrial “prawns” are relegated to slums inside South Africa. More than a mere science fiction flick, District 9 explores issues of race and segregation inspired by the country’s apartheid history.

6. The Hangover Four friends embark on a Vegas bachelor party they will never forget remember in Todd Phillips’ blockbuster comedy. Hilarity ensues as they try to retrace their steps in an effort to find Doug, the missing would-be groom.

5. Up In The Air George Clooney plays the part of corporate terminator and motivational speaker Ryan Bingham, intentionally devoid of personal relationships with the single goal of reaching the mythical 10 million sky mile mark. At the urging of his company’s young new hire Natalie, Bingham is forced to challenge his own philosophy and explore emotions he’s made a career out of ignoring.

Read More…