Thursday, April 5, 2012

This Friday

A new weekly series on my intuition or gut-feeling of how movies will be received by audiences and critics. Mostly I score this by the trailers & marketing impressions I've seen.


American Reunion: Yes

Synopsis (provided by Apple)

In the comedy American Reunion, all the American Pie characters we met a little more than a decade ago return to East Great Falls for their high-school reunion. In one long-overdue weekend, they will discover what has changed, who hasn't and that time and distance can't break the bonds of friendship. It was summer 1999 when four small-town Michigan boys began a quest to lose their virginity. In the years that have passed, Jim and Michelle married while Kevin and Vicky said goodbye. Oz and Heather grew apart, but Finch still longs for Stifler's mom. Now these lifelong friends have come home as adults to reminisce about--and get inspired by--the hormonal teens who launched a comedy legend. In the comedy American Reunion, all the American Pie characters we met a little more than a decade ago return to East Great Falls for their high-school reunion. In one long-overdue weekend, they will discover what has changed, who hasn't and that time and distance can't break the bonds of friendship. It was summer 1999 when four small-town Michigan boys began a quest to lose their virginity. In the years that have passed, Jim and Michelle married while Kevin and Vicky said goodbye. Oz and Heather grew apart, but Finch still longs for Stifler's mom. Now these lifelong friends have come home as adults to reminisce about--and get inspired by--the hormonal teens who launched a comedy legend.

I will not be watching this, but it does provide the perfect plot for putting out a sequel after so many years out of the blue (I'm looking at you, Dumb and Dumber 2). Also I'd be interested to know what has happened with the characters; especially John Cho's, who had his big break with the first American Pie.

Bully: Yes

Synopsis (Provided by Apple)

Directed by Sundance and Emmy-award-winning filmmaker, Lee Hirsch, The Bully Project is a beautifully cinematic character-driven documentary. At its hear are those with huge stakes in this issue whose stories each represent a different facet of America’s bullying crisis. The Bully Project follows five kids and families over the course of a school year. Stories include two families who have lost children to suicide and a mother awaiting the fate of her 14-year-old daughter who has been incarcerated after bringing a gun on her school bus. With an intimate glimpse into homes, classrooms, cafeterias and principals offices, the film offers insight into the often cruel world of the lives of bullied children. As teachers, administrators, kids and parents struggle to find answers. The Bully Project examines the dire consequences of bullying through the testimony of strong and courageous youth. Through the power of their stories, the film aims to be a catalyst for change in the way we deal with bullying as parents, teachers, children and society as a whole.


I definitely want to watch this, but will probably happen when it comes on television (the same way I ended up seeing MissRepresentation). You can read a review of it here.

Fightville: Maybe

Synopsis (Provided by Apple)

Over the last decade, Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) has grown from a controversial no-holds-barred gladiatorial sideshow into a billion dollar phenomenon. MMA has eclipsed boxing as the dominant combat sport in the world, and is so popular that MMA fights regularly appear on U.S. network television - even as a longstanding ban remains in force in New York State. But far from Las Vegas, in sweat-soaked gyms and low-rent arenas across America, the big lights are but a dream. Here, men fight to test their mettle, fortified with the mythic promise that an ordinary man can transform into a champion. Directed by the accomplished filmmaking duo of Petra Epperlein and Michael Tucker (GUNNER PALACE), FIGHTVILLE takes us to Southern Louisiana, where a group of young athletes, including future MMA powerhouse Dustin Poirier, strive towards personal and professional greatness. The reward? A triumph that could ultimately yield an opportunity to compete professionally in the sport's upper echelons. FIGHTVILLE is a microcosm of life, a physical manifestation of the American Dream and the relentless dedication required of all who hope to attain it. Here, men are not born, but are instead built through self-determination, hard work and faith. In FIGHTVILLE, that's what champions are made of.

MMA and sports like UFC are becoming more popular now than ever, especially since the sport has been brought to Toronto. I doubt that people will line up to see this one (Just because people like the burger, doesn't mean they want to go to the kitchen and see how it's made), but there may be fans who go for it. It might just be that a lot of fellas could relate to, training hard to beat the crap out of someone.

The Moth Diaries: No
It's a limited release anyway

The Vanishing Springlight: No
It's a limited release anyway

Legend
Yes = Yes
No = No
Maybe = Unsure

2 comments:

  1. 1) Thanks for the plug on your Blog Roll post. Appreciate it!

    2) There's an update in my review for Bully that explains that the MPAA has granted it a PG-13 rating, at the cost of losing a few f-words. Check it out.

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  2. Thanks Cam!

    Some have called it a "PR scam" in saying that Lee Hirsch 'won' his war against the MPAA by getting the film approved that rating, when really it ended with compromise for both parties. Not sure if (or how) we will see a reform in the way MPAA does its rating system.

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