The Slackers Selection Movie Blog: August 2012

Friday, August 31, 2012

Movie Review: "The Hunter" by Alex Schopp

Release: 2012

Director: Daniel Nettheim
Written By: Julia Leigh (novel), Wain Fimeri
Actors: Willem Dafoe, Sam Neill, Frances O'Connor
Rated: R
Run Time: 102 min

"The Hunter" tells the story of Martin, a skilled and ruthless mercenary sent into the Tasmanian wilderness on a hunt for a tiger believed to be extinct. Hired by an anonymous company that wants the tiger's genetic material, Martin arrives in Tasmania posing as a scientist. He proceeds to set up base camp at a broken-down farmhouse, where he stays with a family whose father has gone missing. Usually a loner, Martin becomes increasingly close to the family; however, as his attachment to the family grows, Martin is led down a path of unforeseen dangers, complicating his deadly mission.

Director: Ole Bornedal
Writers: Juliet Snowden, Stiles White
Stars: Natasha Calis, Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Kyra Sedgwick

Rated: PG-13

Run Time: 92 min

A child becomes possessed by a demon and the unlucky family must seek help in order to remove said nuisance. Sound familiar? I thought so...The Possession is no different in that regard and is as predictable as it sounds. While it is all too familiar and has plenty of weak spots, this "based on a true story" tale succeeds in delivering a creepy thrill-ride that is begging for at least one more watch.

Thanks for checking out the latest edition of Photo Bomb!, your weekly roundup of all movie-related photos and posters floating around the internet.

We'll jump right into things this week, as we have new photos and images from the films "The Way, Way Back", "Thor: The Dark World", "A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III", "Liz and Dick", "This Is 40", "Django Unchained", "Les Miserables", "Taken 2", "The Lone Ranger", "The Wolf of Wall Street", "JOBS", "The Silver Linings Playbook", "Passion", "The Paperboy", and "Lawless".

And only a few new movie posters this week, but still, new stuff for "Life of Pi", "Trouble With the Curve", "Killing Them Softly", "Looper", "Hotel Transylvania", "That's What She Said", "Arbitrage", "Texas Chainsaw 3D", and "Butter".

Hit the jump for all of this week's latest content!

Quick Cuts: "Lovely Molly" Movie Review by Ben Foutch

Director: Eduardo Sánchez
Writers: Eduardo Sánchez , Jamie Nash
Stars: Gretchen Lodge, Johnny Lewis and Alexandra Holden

Rated: R

Run Time: 99 min

This week marked the home video release of Eduardo Sánchez's (The Blair Witch Project, Altered) newest venture, Lovely Molly. Supported by a talented cast and brutally simplistic design, this low budget shocker succeeds in creating a disturbingly memorable experience. Just don't forget to turn off the light and crank up the volume!

Well I guess this weekend unofficially draws an end to the summer movie season. It was a another fun ride that provided a lot of different thrills along the way. As the end of the year approaches, we'll see if any of the big hits from this season stick or not, but as we transition into the fall schedule, here's what you can expect this weekend: "Lawless", "The Possession", "Oogieloves in The Big Balloon Adventure", and, in limited variety, "For a Good Time, Call...". Definitely not the huge draws we've grown accustomed to over the previous months (though last week should be a pretty fresh reminder of the ongoing lackluster schedule), but still I think a few decent titles in that mix.

Hit the jump for a rundown on each, as well as box office projections for the weekend.

Top 5 Movie Guide: Justin Long

For this week's edition of the Top 5 Movie Guide, we turn our attentions to Justin Long, one of the actors in the upcoming film, "For a Good Time, Call...". Long won't be a central member of the film, but even though the actor seems notable today in most circles, to date he still hasn't appeared in many films in which he's taken a lead role. Still though, the actor has made his mark on the industry, now only a little over a decade in the business.

Long came from a family in which his mother was a Broadway actress, so the stage was no surprise to him. After high school, he went on to attend the highly-selective Vassar College, where he studied the arts. Knowing that he wanted to be an actor, he still made a point not to take on any large roles while still in school ("Galaxy Quest" was the only commercial film he appeared in during the time). After school, he appeared in a variety of offbeat films, but it wasn't until his work in the comedy troupe LaughingStock that he started to really get noticed. Since then, Long has appeared in a variety of Hollywood films, never looking back.

And though managing to avoid super-stardom thus far in his young career, can you really go wrong with an actor who's favorite film is "Back to the Future"? We didn't think so either. So after the jump, check out some of our favorite titles from this actor's filmography!

Director: Gareth Evans
Writer: Gareth Evans
Stars: Iko Uwais, Ananda George and Ray Sahetapy

Rated: R

Run Time: 101 min

Looking to kill some time with a rock 'em sock 'em action flick? After having my mind and senses blown away by The Expendables 2, there couldn't possibly be another testosterone fueled, murder rampage that would hold my attention. Boy, was I wrong. The Raid: Redemption meets and exceeds requirements in that department. This uber-violent, martial arts spectacle will surely please the most jaded adrenaline junkies and might just be a new classic.

Blu-Ray/DVD Releases: August 28, 2012

Welcome back! We have something for everybody this week. The notable new releases are a board game action-thriller, a Nicholas Sparks love story, a stop-motion animated adventure and a romantic comedy. There are also some under the mainstream radar films that might peak your curiosity. Hopefully you won't be disappointed.

Either way, beyond the jump you'll find this weeks releases!

Release: 2012
Director: Benh Zeitlin
Writers: Lucy Alibar, Benh Zeitlin
Stars: Quvenzhané Wallis, Dwight Henry
Rated: PG-13
Run Time: 93 min

With lessons of preparation and readiness lining the film, Beasts of the Southern Wild tells the final chapters of a little girl named Hushpuppy living with her father in an outskirt bayou community where rising waters threaten their livelihood. As a reverse or inside out fable, the story evolves toeing ambiguous moments of fantasy and imagination. When all in the universe seems to systematically break, Hushpuppy knows she must make her greatest attempt to be the piece of the universe that fixes everything.

Quick Cuts: "Salmon Fishing in the Yemen" Movie Review by Alex Schopp

Release: 2012

Director: Lasse Hallström
Written By: Simon Beaufoy, Paul Torday
Actors: Ewan McGregor, Emily Blunt, Kristin Scott Thomas, Amr Waked
Rated: PG-13
Run Time: 107 min

"Salmon Fishing in the Yemen" centers around a visionary sheik who believes that his passion for the peaceful pastime of salmon fishing can enrich the lives of his people, and he dreams of bringing the sport to the not so fish-friendly desert. Willing to spare no expense, he instructs his representative to turn the dream into reality, an extraordinary feat that will require the involvement of Britain's leading fisheries expert, who also happens to think the project is completely absurd and unachievable. That is, until the Prime Minister's overzealous press secretary latches on to it as a 'good will' story, and it becomes one of the biggest news sensations in Britain. From there, this unlikely team puts everything on the line and embarks on a fascinating journey of faith and fish to prove that the impossible is possible.

The Trailer Park: The Barrens, Butter, The Frozen Ground, The Girl, Hearts Of Dorkness, The Impossible, Knuckleball!, Passion, Stolen

Welcome to The Trailer Park! - A weekly column rounding up new and newish trailers lurking around the internet.

As always, put on your John Nada sunglasses before the jump or...submit to the advertising.

Well, it's official. The numbers this weekend make for the worst overall box office numbers we've seen in theaters this calendar year. Only one film broke the $10MM mark (and barely), and none of the three new releases even managed a top five spot.

The surprise of the weekend was "2016: Obama's America", a documentary that appeared in only 1,000 theaters but still managed to topple two notable wide releases. This wasn't officially the first week for the film, but it was the first time audiences had a chance at it in larger capacities. And either way, most fans still opted for this political doc over any of the other new films this weekend.

Otherwise, scanning the top fifteen, I really don't see anything of note. I'll break down some of the totals after the break, but we're going to make this a short post this weekend; I don't see anything that inspires me to write about it.

Hit the jump for the full graphic on where all of the top films landed this weekend.

Top 5 Movie Guide: Ghost Movies

For this week's edition of the Top 5 Movie Guide, we left things fairly broad, to give ourselves yet another bit of a challenge. "The Apparition" released this weekend, and while it's not a film that really any of us are interested in, it does lend a very specific genre: the supernatural. And I guess in that sense, "supernatural" is still pretty ambiguous and can be defined by a variety of different mediums. So even if it's not the specific focus of the film, it did get us to a point where we wanted to compile a list of our favorite Ghost Movies.

Where trouble lied with these lists is that there are so many different genres that have covered ghosts over the years. Of course horror is the main focus here, but we've all seen plenty of comedies, dramas, romances, etc. How does one compile a list for a category containing all of those other genres?

It's too extensive to detail in this intro, but there are a lot of great breakdowns on how the genre has changed from decade to decade on the Wikipedia page about ghosts in film. As most cases go, it's interesting to associate the different trends for the genre with different cultural climates taking place in the real world at the same time.

For now though, let's just take a look at 25 different films that this category has had to offer over the years, and see which ones we found to be the best!

Photo Bomb!

Thanks for checking out the latest edition of Photo Bomb!, your weekly roundup of all movie-related photos and posters floating around the internet.

Not the strongest week we've ever had, but still plenty of great stuff. The films we have new photos for include "The Butler", "Jack Reacher", "The Guilt Trip", "Paranoia", "Behind the Candelabra", "Carrie", "Zero Dark Thirty", "The Impossible", and "Mad Max: Fury Road".

And we have some new posters for films "Machete Kills", "The Sessions", "Epic", "Lincoln", "Red 2", "Looper", and "Killing Them Softly".

Hit the jump for all of this week's newest content!

Release: 1989
Director: Brian Yuzna
Writers: Rick Fry, Woody Keith
Stars: Billy Warlock, Devin DeVasquez and Evan Richards

Rated: R

Run Time: 99 min

Brian Yuzna's overlooked and severely underrated directorial debut, "Society", is paranoid, stomach churning fun. For some reason it didn't become a hit in the United State upon its release in 1992, but maybe it was just way ahead of its time. While it certainly has a high "cheese" factor and a morbid sense of humor, the theme carries a timeless quality that will always remain relevant. Try not to have a belly full of tasty food, but if you do, be sure to grab a puke bucket.

Movie Review: "Bernie" by Alex Schopp

Release: 2012
Director: Richard Linklater
Written By: Richard Linklater, Skip Hollandsworth
Actors: Jack Black, Shirley MacLaine, Matthew McConaughey
Rated: PG-13
Run Time: 104 min

"Bernie" tells the real-life tale of assistant funeral director Bernie Tiede, living in the rural town of Carthage, Texas. As we open the film, we see that Tiede was one of the town's most beloved residents. He taught Sunday school, sang in the church choir and was always willing to lend a helping hand. Everyone loved and appreciated Bernie, so it came as no surprise when he befriended Marjorie Nugent, an affluent widow who was as well known for her sour attitude as her fortune. Things go fine for a while, but eventually Marjorie pushes Bernie just a little too far, and he snaps.

And the interesting part of this tale is what happens next.

Three films open across the country this weekend, though, none of them officially are "wide-releases" (none will surpass the 3,000 theater mark). That isn't too surprising due to the less-than-enthusiastic lineup rolling out. The highlight this weekend, I suppose, will be "Premium Rush". The thriller features a nice cast, but it also revolves around a high-octane chase around the city - on bicycles... Otherwise, we're looking at yet another supernatural horror film in "The Apparition", and an action comedy, "Hit and Run".

None of these titles really grab me this week, but I'm hoping one or two of them will surprise. Hit the jump for a further rundown on each film, as well as what I expect from the weekend box office numbers (we're probably looking at yet another down week at the theater).

Top 5 Movie Guide: Tony Scott

This week, we change things up a bit for the latest installment of the Top 5 Movie Guide. There were a few different filmmakers we had our eye on for this post, but with the sudden and unexpected passing of Tony Scott, we decided to pay our respects to his career the best way we know how - with one of these posts. As all of you have surely heard by now, director and producer Tony Scott died in an apparent suicide on Sunday night. There are plenty of rumors and reports floating around as to the reason for such, but we're not going to touch any of that here. Instead, we'll focus on the films from this filmmaker's career, and do our best to honor the legacy he left behind.

First, let's start with a quick rundown on Scott's life. He is the younger brother of also famed director, Ridley Scott. Both brothers enjoyed going to the cinema with their mother at a very young age, and both quickly developed a love for the medium. They also both started their careers by directing commercials - it's said that Tony has directed thousands himself; far too many to keep count of. His first film was "The Hunger", starring Susan Sarandon and David Bowie. The film was panned by critics, and because of such, he did not get the job for the project he next wanted to direct, "Starman" (it ultimately went to John Carpenter). But a few years later he was given the reigns to "Top Gun", and along with Tom Cruise, they turned the film into a blockbuster success.

Since that film in 1986, Scott continued to advance his skills in mainly the action genre, and developed his own unique styles along the way. His films were known for often using very rich colors, colored lenses, and the use of handheld cameras in high-intensity action scenes. And whether you've enjoyed all of his films along the way or not, there's no doubting that he left a memorable mark on the film industry.

Hit the jump for all of our favorite selections from the director's career.

Welcome back to another installment of In Anticipation. This newest segment focuses on the upcoming horror flick "The Possession", produced by Sam Raimi and Rob Tapert, under the Ghost House Pictures banner. Ghost House Pictures is responsible for genre films such as "The Grudge", "30 Days of Night", "The Messengers" and "Drag Me To Hell". They will also be responsible for the upcoming remake of the cult classic, "The Evil Dead". I'm not a huge fan of the majority of their filmography, but most of the wide releases are generally worth a watch and actually showcase some interesting direction.

"The Possession" is supposedly based on a true story about a demonic possession involving a young girl and a haunted dibbuk box. While this might not be a summer blockbuster title like "The Dark Knight Rises", "The Expendables 2", or "The Amazing Spider-Man", it is still a high profile release that aims to send some chills down your spine during this excessively hot summer season. The film will release on August 31, 2012.

Hit the jump for my thoughts on this anticipated, horror release!

Quick Cuts: "Hick" Movie Review by Alex Schopp

Release: 2012

Director: Derick Martini
Written By: Andrea Portes
Actors: Chloë Grace Moretz, Blake Lively, Juliette Lewis, Eddie Redmayne, Rory Culkin, Alec Baldwin
Rated: R
Run Time: 95 min

"Hick" follows a young teenage girl, Luli (Moretz), who escapes her life in rural Nebraska and her alcoholic parents, fleeing for the glamorous city of Las Vegas. While she never makes it to her final destination, its the adventures she has in the short amount of time with the different characters along the way that make this story interesting. And don't take that to mean anything close to some heartfelt meaning, where these different characters she encounters help her to grow and up find who she really is. No, we're talking about bad people, most of them with serious issues, showing her just how intense the real world can be.

Thanks for checking out this week's edition of the Slackers Selection CinemaCast!

This week, the only film that we all saw - but we did all see it - was "The Expendables 2". We make this film our big focus this week and talk about a variety of aspects that we loved about the film, some we didn't, and thoughts on future installments. "ParaNorman", "The Odd Life of Timothy Green", and "Sparkle" also released this weekend, but none of us saw any of them.

Next week's lineup takes a bit of a step back, but includes "Premium Rush", "Hit and Run", and "The Apparition". None of these get us too excited, but we do go over which we'd be watching if we do hit up the theaters this weekend.

The only other films of note this week we watched outside of theaters included "The Hunger Games", now that it got its DVD release, and "Salmon Fishing in the Yemen".

With our passions for "The Expendables 2", we bump our run-time back up to nearly an hour this week, but that's just more content for your listening pleasures!

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Blu-Ray/DVD Releases: August 21, 2012

Welcome back! Not a very exciting week (although there are plenty to choose from), that is of course with the exception of a high-profile, offensive comedy and an amazing foreign film. Aside from those gems, there are a couple straight to video releases starring well known actors scraping the bottom of the barrel for a paycheck, some Disney hits arriving on blu-ray for the first time and other cult favorites making the high-def transition. Have your money ready and be sure to spend it all in one place (it will be a lot easier).

Hit the jump for this week's DVD/Blu-ray releases!

Casting Calls

Thanks for checking out Casting Calls, a weekly roundup of all the notable roles that actors and actresses have scored for upcoming films. As always, we will try to avoid rumors, and stick to roles that have been locked down or are in the negotiation stage.

In this weeks edition, Tobey Maguire and Willem Dafoe snag two roles, Jake Gyllenhaal has a gambling problem, and much more.

So hit the jump to see who got what gig!

The Trailer Park: 10 Years, Bullet To The Head, Deadfall, Dinosaur Project, Great Expectations, Keep The Lights On, The Last Stand, The Magic Life, Seven Psychopaths, Stage Fright

Well, I wasn't even close with my projections this week. As usual, order isn't always that difficult, but I really over-estimated just how much I thought people wanted to check out "The Expendables 2" this weekend. The film still took the top spot, but there wasn't ever much doubt of that happening. Its lesser totals made for a much messier field otherwise though.

Seven films earned at least $10MM this weekend, the most I can remember seeing at any point this year. The total box office was weak this weekend, but that has been the case for the most part this whole month of August.

But since there were no huge hits this weekend, a few films were able to take advantage and scrape together a few extra bucks for themselves. Hit the jump for the full numbers on each film.

Movie Review: “The Expendables 2” by Nathan Hinds

Release: 2012
Director: Simon West
Written By: Sylvester Stallone
Actors: Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Dolph Lundgren, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Nan Yu, Terry Crews, Randy Couture, Liam Hemsworth, and Chuck Norris
Rated: R
Run Time: 113 min

Let’s just sum up “The Expendables 2” really quick here. Its action is big, it’s loud, unrealistic, and it’s probably got the highest body count of any movie I’ve ever seen. The stars of the film are big, loud, cheesy, and past their prime. The script is filled with a constant barrage of one-liners and jokes poking fun at each of the stars previous films and the fact that they should be too old to be doing what they’re trying to do. The plot is something we’ve seen over-and-over again, and has several holes. Basically what I’m getting at here is….the film is great!

“The Expendables 2” is a glorious return to a time when action films relied on the actors in front of the camera, rather than the special effects people behind the camera, like so many of today’s action films. The film delivers on all the false promises of the first film, and improves on everyone of it’s flaws (at least the ones we cared about it improving on). “The Expendables 2” gives its audience exactly what they expected, nothing more, nothing less. It’s in your face action, aging icons, cheesy one-liners, all stirred up together, and man does it taste good.

Top 5 Movie Guide: 80's Action Films

For this week's edition of the Top 5 Movie Guide, we look to the macho "The Expendables 2" for some inspiration. The film, as I'm sure you're all well-aware, gets its appeal by pulling in various action stars from our youth. We're quite the nostalgic generation, and something about seeing all of these old guys with guns in their hands again really gets to us. So, since the movie is already bringing those memories back, we decided to keep it going, get even a bit more nostalgic, and take a look at some of our favorite action films from the 80's, the era when these guys and this genre were in their primes!

It does seem important to note that we're talking only about the gun-toting, blood-shedding, larger-than-life action films from the decade, and not just talking about "action" films in general - you could classify films like "Raiders of the Lost Ark" or "Top Gun" as action films if you wanted, but hopefully by this point you're not expecting any of that. Nonetheless, we did want to clarify, just in case. No, this list wasn't so much about the action genre as it was the characters and icons that were featured in the films. High body counts, excessive amounts of one-liners, muscles bulging out of arms, and more gun fire than you'd find in a modern-day war were the backbones we based these lists on (okay, some of these "heroes" didn't always use guns as their primary weapons, but regardless, they still managed to eff stuff up). Just pure and constant violence, set up in film's cheesiest era. It's a combination that might not sound like much, but it's got it where it counts!

Anyway, enough of that. In a style very similar to the genre we're referencing, let's forget the pleasantries and jump right to the action. Hit the break for all of this week's lists!

[Exclusive] Interview and Synopsis with Robert Remy on His New Film, "The Touchstone"

Director: Robert Remy
Writer: Robert Remy
Starring: Christian Gehring, Bryan Gabriel Lamorena, Ty Sheedlo
Rated: NR
Run Time: 85 min

"The Touchstone" is a film that follows the path of three teenagers trying to loose their virginity any way they can manage it. It begins with a few failed attempts and some demoralizing situations until the day of their class field trip, whereupon they find a small stone idol. This idol at first sight seems like a neat little find, but they soon realize it's actually the find of the millennium! When kept on ones person, the idol makes you a magnet for virgins! And I don't simply mean that virgins flock to you, I mean that virgins want only one thing from you while you hold it. They want to give you their "V-card". The boys decide to take turns with the idol and see if they can once and for all lose their virginity and claim their place in manhood!

Read on for more, where I go further into what this movie is all about and how I thought it played out. I also got a chance to metaphorically "sit down" with Writer/Director/Producer Robert Remy and shoot the proverbial "breeze". We get into some pretty good questions, and literally "get down to brass tacks" on what this movie is really all about! (on a side note, I'm not sure I even know what "getting down to brass tacks" really means, let alone LITERALLY doing it. But you get it)

Surely you've seen much about this being Universal Pictures' 100th anniversary. From the various DVD & Blu-Ray re-releases, to even that awesome picture that featured 100 different filmmakers, the studio has been prominently displaying its centennial mark.

To seemingly cap off what has been a great year for the studio so far, they just announced the Blu-Ray collection to end all collections (not that it's the only one you need, but I haven't seen a more epic ensemble yet myself). This 25-film assortment is amazing. Really, it is. Not only are all of the films of quality and interest to most, but the bonus content associated with the box set really sets it apart from any other collection you'll find. Outside of the 25 different films, the “Universal 100th Anniversary Collection” will include a 15-track music CD full of some of the most iconic film scores of all-time, a “100 Years of Universal” 72-page collector’s book, a number of vintage cartoons and shorts, and a collection of featurettes covering the studio’s entire history.

The 25-disc Blu-ray set and 26-disc DVD collection (Schindler’s List is included in the DVD set only) will be available for a limited time starting November 6th. Apparently there isn't an official price set for the collection just yet, but if you hop over to Amazon for the pre-order, you get a pretty good idea of what we're looking at - a hefty price that doesn't much surprise me.

Hit the jump to read the full rundown of films and special features.

Thanks for checking out the latest edition of Photo Bomb!, your weekly roundup of all movie-related photos and posters floating around the internet.

Another solid week in the imagery department, and we'll start by taking a look at new photos from such films as "Noah", "Fast 6", "The Apparition", "The Master", "Passion", "Love is All You Need", "Spring Breakers", "House at the End of the Street", "Rush", "The Perks of Being a Wallflower", and "The Tomb".

And not a whole lot of new posters this week, but we still have some for films "The Last Stand", "Hotel Transylvania", "Deadfall", "Trouble with the Curve", "Here Comes the Boom", "10 Years", and "DREDD".

Hit the jump for all of this week's newest content!

In Theaters This Weekend: August 17, 2012

This weekend we're looking at three full wide releases, and a handful of films debuting in limited fashion, but starting their theater runs nonetheless. The films that all of us should be able to get a look at this weekend (if we want to) are "The Expendables 2", "The Odd Life of Timothy Green", and "ParaNorman". Many will also be able to check out "Sparkle", which will try to bank on it being 'Whitney Houston's last feature film appearance'. The film will open in 2,000+ theaters this weekend, but it won't get nearly the same roll out as the previous three films.

And two other films I'd keep an eye on, though 99.9% of us won't get a shot with them this weekend, are "Cosmopolis" and "Robot and Frank".

As usual, hit the jump for details on each, as well as a quick stab at what we can probably expect out of the weekend box office.

Top 5 Movie Guide: Ben Affleck

For this week's edition of the Top 5 Movie Guide, we struggled a bit to come to agreements on a filmmaker who provided a filmography worthy of review and analysis (don't take that to mean Ben Affleck had more quality than anyone else we could find, but the quantity was definitely there). Anyway, we cam across Ben Affleck in a way we rarely like to use, but do go to when we're out of options otherwise - today is his Birthday! Affleck turns, believe it or not, 40-years-old today. On a related note, he is also married to Jennifer Garner, who's latest film, "The Odd Life of Timothy Green", also opens this weekend. So this seems to work on a variety of levels.

As for Affleck, he was born and raised near Boston, MA, and wanted to be an actor for as long as he can remember. One of Ben's best friends all throughout his youth was fellow actor, Matt Damon. They played little league together; went to all of the same auditions. Affleck and Damon found minor success catching on with director Kevin Smith and appearing in some of his various films. These were great in the independent community, but it still left them grinding out auditions for minor Hollywood roles. Eventually, they got sick of the rat race, and in 1997, living in a dingy apartment with Ben's younger brother and actor, Casey Affleck, they decided to write their own film, where they'd call the shots. That film was "Good Will Hunting", and it went on to earn nine Academy Award nominations, including a win for Best Original Screenplay. From that point on, roles came to him, and he was finally a commodity in the film community.

Since then, Affleck has amassed an eclectic variety of roles, to say the least. But there's certainly been a few notable hits along the way; hit the jump for each of our picks!

Slackers Selection CinemaCast: Episode 28

Thanks for checking out this week's edition of the Slackers Selection CinemaCast!

We got a few decent movies this weekend. "The Bourne Legacy" and "The Campaign" both released this weekend, and both provided for at least marginal entertainment. We go over both this week.

Next week's lineup includes "The Expendables 2", "The Odd Life of Timothy Green", and "ParaNorman". In smaller fashion, "Cosmopolis" and "Robot and Frank" both also start their theater runs. We discuss our interests here, and you can expect a detailed rundown on "The Expendables 2" next week.

Of the other films we watched this week, Andy goes over his thoughts on "Wristcutters: A Love Story". Not much else in this department this week though.

Another efficient chat this week, so be sure to give it a listen!

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Blu-Ray/DVD Releases: August 14, 2012

Welcome back! We have an interesting bunch of titles to choose from this week, so be sure to have your finances in line. The two noticeable new releases are an independent thriller and a critically acclaimed foreign action film. On the side lines are some great Criterion editions, as well as the newest Troma release and a Spielberg classic. Surely there is something here that will strike your fancy.

Hit the jump for this week's releases!

Movie Review: "The Bourne Legacy" by Andy Schopp

Director: Tony Gilroy
Writers: Tony Gilroy, Dan Gilroy, Robert Ludlum
Starring: Jeremy Renner, Rachel Weisz, Edward Norton
Rated: PG-13
Run Time: 135 min

You know that moment when you realize that a movie is actually complete garbage? That exactly line or look that ruins everything that came before and that is yet to happen? Well...this movie doesn't have any of that. What this movie does have is some really cool developments in the Bourne series. It's a different perspective of some events happening all throughout the Bourne trilogy, seen through the eyes of Aaron Cross (Jeremy Renner). There are, as per usual, very cool fight scenes and a really neat new driving force for Aaron in the form of a mind enhancing drug they simply refer to as "Blue". If you feel like enhancing YOUR mental movie experience, then stay with me.

Casting Calls

In this weeks edition, Catching Fire continues to try and assemble the biggest cast ever, Kevin Costner has three days to kill Jack Ryan (I’m pushing it with that line), Jennifer Lawrence will go to the ends of the Earth, Mickey Rourke takes his tough image to two tough cities, and much, much more.

So hit the jump to see who got what gig!

Box Office Report: "The Bourne Legacy" Dethrones "The Dark Knight Rises"

While it wasn't in very surprising fashion, for the first time in a month, "The Dark Knight Rises" does not sit atop the weekend box office charts. As is always the case with every film, "The Dark Knight Rises" has slowly been phasing itself out of the top spot, and with two new films with as much interest behind them as there is/was, it was widely accepted that we would see Batman's reign end this weekend.

Outside of that though, the box office really did go pretty much as I expected. Other than "Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days" out-grossing "Total Recall" by $100,000 and nabbing the #5 slot, everything else was pretty much dead on.

I usually don't post any trailers because Derek Clem is in charge of our 'The Trailer Park' segment, but this made made me laugh so hard that I felt it needed to be shared early.

"Frogz Legz" tells the story of a french girl who turns into a frog when she gets horny... I know what you're thinking, 'Sounds like it could be the worst thing ever', and it might turn out to be so. But, after watching the trailer, I think it could be a new cult classic. Hit the jump for the trailer!

Top 5 Movie Guide: August Releases

For this weekend's edition of the Top 5 Movie Guide, we decided to try something just a little different; expand our creativity for the Genre/Category list. Since our Political Comedies list is already played out, we broadened things up this week and instead looked at some of the best films ever released in the last month of summer, August. There's no specific film this list was inspired by, since they all have the same release dates, but generally I'd say "The Bourne Legacy" would fit the mold for most of these lists more than any. Though, you can probably attribute such an abstract list to a lack of inspiration from all of this weekend's new films.

What seemed fun about this idea was how many different types of films, and amounts of quality films, were available for selection. August is a studio's last month to try and bank in the summer crowds. Generally you won't find any massive budget, high effects-driven blockbusters, but you will find a lot of films made from big studios, with notable actors, and still plenty of culturally popular themes (films that can get a wide audience, but many times couldn't compete with the big boys in June and July). Other than that, I know of no better way to preface this week's category.

There were literally hundreds of great films that could have made each of the lists below, so this should provide an interesting sampling of films. We're not sure of what message this list has to offer, but at the very least, it should provide a peak into each of our personalities, and give a little better idea of how we define what some of the best films are.

Hit the jump for this week's eclectic selection of titles!

Movie Review: "The Campaign" by Ben Foutch

Director: Jay Roach
Writers: Chris Henchy, Shawn Harwell
Stars: Will Ferrell, Zach Galifianakis, Jason Sudeikis, Dan Aykroyd, John Lithgow and Dylan McDermott

Rated: R

Run Time: 85 min

More of a raunchy comedy than biting political satire, "The Campaign" probably won't achieve any sort of cult status or be the shinning moment in any of the actors' carriers. However, it is a fairly satisfying dark comedy that has a few things to say about business and politics that aren't exactly new, but continue to be increasingly relevant. Definitely a fun way to spend an hour or so.

Thanks for checking out the latest edition of Photo Bomb!, your weekly roundup of all movie-related photos and posters floating around the internet.

Not the most content we've ever seen before, but what we do have seems of pretty good quality! We'll start with the photos, for which we feature images from films "Lincoln", "Cloud Atlas", "The Wolverine", "All is Lost", "Lawless", "Anna Karenina", "Zero Dark Thirty", and "Skyfall".

And as for the new movie posters this week, we'll take a look at some from movies like "Skyfall", "Nobody Walks", "Kick-Ass 2", "Django Unchained", "DREDD", "Looper", "Liberal Arts", "The Expendables 2", "The Master", and "Red Dawn".

So hit the jump for all of this week's content!

Quick Cuts: "Ghost World" Movie Review by Andy Schopp

Release Date: 2001
Director: Terry Zwigoff
Written By: Daniel Clowes, Terry Zwigoff
Starring: Thora Birch, Scarlett Johansson, Steve Buscemi
Rated: R
Run Time: 111 minutes

Ghost World follows the path of a young high school graduate named Enid (Birch) and her best friend Rebecca (Johansson) as they attempt to resist the pull of modern society and find their own path in the world. The story really boils down to two main premises: 1. A girl trying to figure out what she means to herself and to the world, and 2. How once you separate from the people that help mold you into who you will become, do you continue down the same path or do you adapt to fit your environment at the (sometimes) expense of others?

This week there are three wide releases, and hopefully enough good content to go around. We're met with an action thriller, a political comedy, and a romantic dramedy. The first is the fourth installment for the Bourne franchise, "The Bourne Legacy". This film will deter from Matt Damon's character and instead introduce Jeremy Renner as another member of the program. Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis headline the political comedy "The Campaign", as dimwitted individuals battling each other in a local election. Finally, it's Meryl Streep and Tommy Lee Jones in the dramedy "Hope Springs". This will revolve around the aging couples' continued struggles with marriage and their attendance at an intense couples counseling retreat.

Hit the jump for a further rundown on each film, as well as a stab at what the weekend box office totals might look like.

Top 5 Movie Guide: Edward Norton

For this week's edition of the Top 5 Movie Guide, we focus our attentions on one of the stars of this weekend's upcoming "The Bourne Legacy", Edward Norton. Norton always knew he had a passion for the art, and even at 8-years-old, appearing in local productions, he would ask his directors for his character's motivation. But those passions would remain in check until after his college career. Norton attended Yale as an undergraduate and it is widely noted that he did not major in acting, instead ended up getting a degree in History. And while his acting interests were pushed aside on paper, he still hung out in the Drama department enough to become good college friends with other Yale alums Ron Livingston and Paul Giamatti.

After graduating with his degree in History, he headed over to Japan to work for his grandfather's company, building houses for the underprivileged (interestingly, his grandfather is also credited for inventing the modern shopping mall). But after a few years he was back in New York City, and quickly took up a job working for acclaimed playwright Edward Albee. He carried various odd jobs for the writer and director until catching his Hollywood break, acting alongside Richard Gere in "Primal Fear". In his first ever film role, Norton beat out over 2,000 young actors, and even earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Norton was in instant success, creating a strong buzz all across Hollywood circles.

Norton has become one of the more dedicated young actors in Hollywood today, putting together a very strong filmography in a generally short amount of time.

But we'll only take a look at our five favorites this week; hit the jump for all of the titles!

Welcome to another installment of In Anticipation. The blockbuster season is winding down, and what a season it has been. “The Avengers” got us off to an early start in the beginning of May, and since then we’ve seen films such as “Prometheus”, “The Amazing Spider-Man”, and just recently, Christopher Nolan’s epic finale, “The Dark Knight Rises”, reign supreme over the box office this summer. We will also see “The Bourne Legacy” open this Friday, and see if it can dethrone reigning champion “The Dark Knight Rises”. Now I’m not saying that it’s the best summer ever by any means, but it has certainly been a respectable one.

Which brings us to “The Expendables 2”, which I think would be safe to say is the last film of the summer that you could truly call a blockbuster. This is the second film in the action-ensemble franchise. Simon West (“Con Air”) is directing the film, taking over duties from Sylvester Stallone who helmed the first movie. Stallone will be writing the script along with Richard Wenk, and is based on a story by Ken Kaufman, David Agosto and Wenk. Nu Image and Millennium Films are in charge of production, with Lionsgate Entertainment in charge of distribution.

When I say this film is an action ensemble, I mean it. On second thought, I don’t like using the word ensemble. I think we need a more appropriate way to grasp all the legends that are gathered together for this film. This is more like The Dream Team of action stars. I mean just listen to these names: Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Chuck Norris, Jason Statham, Jet Li, and Dolph Lundgren. Now what makes me so much more excited for this film versus the first film, is obviously the edition of Van Damme and Norris, also Schwarzenegger and Willis will be more than just cameos like they were in the first film.

Hit the jump for more info.

Blu-Ray/DVD Releases: August 7, 2012

Welcome back! We have a slow week for "new" releases with a Dr. Seuss classic and the life story of a cultural icon being the only ones. The rest are cult favorites and other older titles. Maybe you'll see something worth buying; I have my eyes on a few.

Hit the jump for this week's releases!

Thanks for checking out this week's edition of the Slackers Selection CinemaCast!

Again, not the biggest week, as we're in the midst of a mid-summer lull. But the majority of us still managed to get a viewing of "Total Recall" in, and discussed our thoughts on that.

Next week's lineup includes "The Bourne Legacy", "The Campaign", and "Hope Springs". We discuss our interests here, but Bourne looks as it will be the big topic of discussion next week.

Of the other films we've watched this week, we go over "Detention" and "The Bunny Game". One is worth a watch, the other not so much.

Another precise chat this week, so be sure to give it a listen!

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