April Movie Preview

April Movie Preview
by: Melissa Lanouette

Curious about what to see in the upcoming month? Red Skies has looks at ten movies slated to come out in early spring. So grab your popcorn and head to the theater to catch these films (or don’t)!


April 6th:

Grindhouse: A double-feature movie featuring Quenton Tarantino’s “Death Proof” and Robert Rodriguez’s “Planet Terror”, this film is guaranteed to shock. The idea of the movie is to take the viewer back to the “Grindhouse” double features of the 1970’s, when two exploitation horror flicks would be shown back to back. Certain to be a film-going experience, complete with fake trailers for other exploitation movies shot by famed horror directors, this gory team-up between these two famed directors should not be missed.
Melissa Prediction: Those freaky trailers featuring Rose McGowen with a machine gun for a leg won’t win these two directors any new fans, but their diverse fan base will bring in solid box office results.

The Reaping: Hilary Swank must’ve decided commercial and critical success weren’t her style, since “The Reaping” looks to be a typical religious-angle horror movie. Swank stars as a miracle-debunker who gets her world turned upside-down when the Plagues of old start appearing in a small Texas town. Although Swank’s incredible acting talent must count for something, it won’t be enough to make this movie really pop.
Melissa’s Prediction: It’s R-rating won’t help it along in the box office, and since the trailer displays the horror aspect, I suspect those few who will see it will find it too thinky (Swank must’ve signed on for some reason).


April 13th:

Disturbia: This film is an updated retelling of Hitchcock’s, “Rear Window,” told in the common horror movie language of today: young, rebellious youths, characters too stupid to live, and superfluous half-naked young actresses. After being sentenced to house arrest, Kale (Shia LaBeouf) turned to voyeurism to fill his time. After getting bored of watching an array of hot teenage neighbors swimming, he starts to notice very suspicious activity in another house. Shia LaBeouf, once a Disney-owned child actor, accepts this relatively grown-up role, with Carrie Anne Moss (The Matrix trilogy) stars as his put-upon mother.
Melissa’s Prediction: It’ll make money, as long as all the high-school kids get their allowance this week.

Pathfinder: Another bare-chested, blood spattered historic epic based on a comic book, Pathfinder seems to be lacking some of the elements that made “300” a moderate hit. Starring Karl Urban, an action movie sidekick in all his previous roles, this film tells the story of a Viking who was stranded by his people during a raid and raised by a Native American tribe. When the Norsemen return, 25 years later, little Viking Eagle-Feather (actually called Ghost) is all grown up and ready for revenge. The acting, story, and film-making are all worse than “300”…even the washboard stomachs are less impressive.
Melissa’s Predictions: Comic book fanatics either are still broke from seeing “300” or are saving up to see “Spiderman 3”. Things look grim for Ghost.

April 20th:

Fracture: Starring Anthony Hopkins as a man who coolly attempted to murder his wife and Ryan Gosling (“The Notebook’s” Heartthrob) as the prosecuting attorney, this film seems half courtroom drama and half thriller. Gosling stars as Willy Beachum, a young prosecutor on his way to bigger and better things, who gets involved with a sexy but ambitious attorney who starts to twist his moral code. Hopkins shoots his wife in cold blood, willingly confesses to the murder, and seems unapologetically like Hannibal in this film.
Melissa’s Prediction: Any thriller starring Anthony Hopkins is guaranteed to fill seats, and with Ryan “Eye Candy” Gosling as the lead, it can only get more popular.

Hot Fuzz: Although very disappointing to those anticipating a sequel to “Shaun of the Dead” (“From Dusk ‘til Shaun”?), this film follows the same concept, parodying action films instead of horror ones. Sharing both the two main actors, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, and the director with “Shaun of the Dead”, Hot Fuzz promised to be a hit. Simon Pegg is Nicholas Angel, a policeman so good that his team conspires to send him somewhere he’ll stop making them look bad. In a small, sleepy town, he is paired with the over-eager son of the police chief (Nick Frost). After the worldwide success if the strikingly British “Shaun”, this film likely will go for more international appeal.
Melissa’s Prediction: Not enough people saw “Shaun”, not enough people will see this. But word of mouth about the British zombie movie parody will fill a few more seats in this British action movie parody.

April 27th:

The Invisible: A remake of the Swedish film 'Den Onsynlige', this movie portrays one teens struggle as he finds himself trapped between life and death, invisible to others. After being deliberately hit by a troubled girl in a car, he wakes up and finds that he’s invisible, that he can’t touch or change anything that happened. However, instead of making his girlfriend know he loves her with the help of Whoopi Goldberg (the similar plot of “Ghost”), he has to try and help his parents and the police solve his murder. Starring mostly unknown actors and actresses, “The Invisible” seems to have an interesting and complicated plot line, without the teen angst and half-naked 15-year-olds that dominate the Teen genre.
Melissa’s Prediction: Unless they start advertising this film, it’s unlikely to be much of a success. Also, it’s half-balanced between arty and “teenagery”, so it might have trouble finding a market.

Kickin It Old Skool: Jamie Kennedy is usually a hit-or-miss talent, but his last two movies, “Son of the Mask” and “Malibu’s Most Wanted”, were definitely in the miss category. What makes this one different? In this film, Justin Schumacher (Kennedy), a true child of the eighties, goes into a coma after a break dancing accident and wakes up to find 20 years have passed. Combining “Austin Powers”, “Big”, and “I love the Eighties”, this film probably promises more than it delivers. Certain to contain endless mentions of the now-ridiculous fads of the eighties and the typical “child grows up overnight” gags, this film will contain some laughs, but the rest will seem forced and overdone. Melissa’s Prediction: Kennedy has repeatedly lacked the star power or acting chops to front his own movie…no matter how good the movie could’ve been with someone else starring. The studio should’ve gotten Knoxville or Ferrell if they’d wanted a hit.