Jun 18 2009 Moving Pictures Opening This Weekend!

Treat yourself to a movie this weekend. You've earned it. Here are some new releases to choose from:

The Proposal
Director: Anne Fletcher
Starring: Sandra Bullock, Ryan Reynolds
Good if you want to see: Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds play characters pretending to be engaged, when in actuality they are not engaged.

Year One
Director: Harold Ramis
Starring: Jack Black, Michael Cera, cameos
Good if you want to see: a return to late '70s/early '80s, History of the World/Life of Brian/Wholly Moses!-style historical comedy; a preview of how well screenwriters Gene Stupnitsky and Lee Eisenberg, currently writing Ghostbusters III, work with Egon as a director (Rotten Tomatoes says not well).

Whatever Works
Director: Woody Allen
Starring: Larry David, Evan Rachel Wood
Good if you want to see: Larry David in a Woody Allen movie, which, despite lackluster reviews and an unimpressive trailer, still sounds intriguing to this guy; Woody Allen explore the idea of an older Jewish guy with an attractive young blonde; the source of the thick fog of neuroses that will be drifting through select cities.

Dead Snow
Director: Tommy Wirkola
Starring: Norweigan names, many of which require specialized characters.
Good if you want to see: Nazi snow zombies. Either that sells you or it doesn't, OK?

May 8 2009 'Whatever Works' Trailer (This Isn't What Works)

Woody Allen and Larry David, over the years, the two of you have thoroughly entertained me while making me more comfortable about being a neurotic, misanthropic freak than I should be, and for that I am grateful. But this collaboration of yours, Whatever Works. I don't know about this. I really want to like it, but I also don't particularly want to to see a comedy full of obvious shots at stupid, religious zealot Southerners paired with gay jokes from the Bruce Vilanch catalog, which appears to be what the two of you have made:

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May 7 2009 'Whatever Works' Poster: L.D. Sold Like an iPod

Just as Apple advertises its products against a blank, white background to draw attention to their beautifully-designed product, the producers of Whatever Works know they have such a beautifully-designed Larry David that's all they need to show. No other neurotic Jew on the market has such a well-crafted annoyed grimace or such an ergonomic questioning posture. Smart to show off those features. Strange they wouldn't bother adding writer/director Woody Allen's name, though. That's like omitting the Apple logo.

Thanks for letting me stretch that comparison as far as it would go.

Vulture Premieres the Poster for Woody Allen’s Whatever Works [NYMag]

Mar 25 2009 Larry David Will Be So Larry Davidy in 'Whatever Works'

Ropes of Silicon has posted 44 new production photos from Woody Allen's Whatever Works, meaning it's time to play the smash party game Which is Most Larry Davidy? It's simple: you look at 44 photos of the Evan Rachel Wood/Larry David comedy and determine (answers must be in number form) which is most Larry Davidy.

I think the above photo, 32, with its gesticulation and askew mouth, might be most Larry Davidy, but I'd be willing to hear arguments that 3 (plain clothes, disgusted face), 21 (lifting-massive-ball pose), or 23 (rigid, emphatic, hands up gesture) are more Larry Davidy.

Have fun playing, and be safe.

Feb 23 2009 A Few Seconds of a Bunch of Upcoming Movies

If you made it to the end of the Oscars--or more likely, if you dozed off and were awakened by the credit sequence's jamming guitar--the night's reward was a three-minute movie preview sequence. For some of the films (Public Enemies, Whatever Works), it was a first look at scenes from highly-anticipated projects. For others (Old Dogs!), it was the warning: oh god, Robin Williams and John Travolta made some kind of boot camp comedy, and it's called Old Dogs. Here it is:

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