What to Watch This Weekend: September 27, 2013

In Theaters: Don Jon

Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s writing and directorial debut is a confident, smart, and, most importantly, genuine romantic comedy. The content will probably be too explicit for many viewers, but those that stick around will find that between the cringes and laughs, there is a touching story. It was also one of David's top 5 movies of this year!

In Theaters: Rush

Rush is a surprisingly good sports drama that follows two Formula 1 racers as they dominate their sport despite their utterly different styles of living and driving. The central rivalry brings uncommon amounts of fun and action to the biography genre while still making time for drama.

In Theaters: Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2

CWACOM 2 is imaginative, has a clever premise, and is a fun movie for both viewers who were hungry for a CWACOM sequel and those who are having the sequel as their first taste of this franchise.  

On DVD: Kings of Summer

Another one of David's favorite movies of the year, this genuinely great indie coming of age movie was my surprise hit of the summer. This summer had multiple indie coming of age movies come out, but Kings of Summer was my favorite.

Streaming (Netflix): Side Effects

What initially seems like a drama exploring the side effects of antidepressants becomes a complicated psychological thriller. Toward the end, the plot twists start seeming a bit silly but, overall, it's a suspenseful and surprising movie with another great performance by Dragon Tattoo actress Rooney Mara. 

Streaming (Netflix): Upside Down

This movie has an imaginative premise and some great performances, but it was hampered by some cheesy dialog and plot twists. Still, it is an interesting movie with some beautiful visuals and you should definitely check it out on Netflix!

What to Watch: David's top 5 movies so far

Now that summer is over, we thought that it would be fun to pick out our five favorite movies of 2013 so far. These are purely subjective and likely to change once the Fall and Oscar-hopeful movies come out, but here are the films that we think everyone should see! The criteria is that we have to have seen them in a screening this year, thus Starbuck being on my list despite it being a 2012 Canadian film.

David:

Short Term 12 – It’s rare to see a movie and not want to change a single thing about it, but Short Term 12 has it all: great acting, a heart-wrenching and heart-warming story, and some truly interesting characters brought to life by amazing writing. It’s a movie that everyone should see.

Kings of Summer – A genuinely great indie coming of age movie. This summer had multiple indie coming of age movies come out, but Kings of Summer was my favorite. If you have to choose one, then this is the movie to see, but honestly check them all out.

Don Jon – Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s writing and directorial debut is a confident, smart, and, most importantly, genuine romantic comedy. It’s a guy’s romantic comedy that both mocks traditional romantic comedies while managing to follow the formula closely. The content will probably be too explicit for many viewers, but those that stick around will find that between the cringes and laughs, there is a touching story.

The World’s End – The third movie in the Cornetto trilogy, The World's End is a really good movie. It has a story that is funny but also deals with darker, more complex themes than the previous Cornetto movies, great acting, funny writing, and some excellent cinematography. Plus, it has plenty to enjoy for both fans of previous Simon Pegg / Nick Frost efforts and those who are new to the movies.

Starbuck – They’re remaking this movie as The Delivery Man starring Vince Vaughn but there is no reason to wait. The original Canadian (French-language) version is perfect as is. Great writing, very funny acting, and an interesting story make this one of my favorites of the year.

Honorable Mentions:

The Way, Way Back – Another great indie coming of age movie. I loved this one but I liked Kings of Summer slightly more.

Fast 6 – If you like Fast and Furious movies, then you can’t get much better than this movie. It has everything you’d want in a Fast and Furious sequel.

What to Watch This Weekend: June 7, 2013

In Theaters: The Kings of Summer

This is a charming, funny coming of age movie about three boys' somewhat misguided plan to live on their own terms. Those who enjoy the great outdoors will really appreciate the woodsy setting. Here's the review.

On DVD: Warm Bodies

This human-zombie romantic comedy seems implausible. I'm okay with the modification of supernatural fiction tropes, but the rules are bent a lot here. Still, it's kind of funny and sweet. Don't be put off by the review's comparison to Twilight. This is much lighter and sillier than the melodramatic vampire series.

Streaming (Netflix): Knuckleball!

I haven't seen this acclaimed baseball documentary, but I'm intrigued by its focus on two pitchers (Tim Wakefield and R.A. Dickey, the only knuckleballers of the 2011 season) who attribute their success to their rare pitching abilities. Though the unusual pitch is discussed, the real draw seems to be the good-natured pitchers and the drama they endured during that particular baseball season.

Streaming (HBO Go): Die Hard, Die Hard 2 or Die Hard with a Vengeance

If you have the misfortune of watching A Good Day to Die Hard on its newly released DVD, you may be left wondering why the franchise is revered at all. Fortunately, the first three films are available at HBO until June 15, and will remind you of how good the movies once were.

Screening: The Kings of Summer Advance Screening

Screening Date:  May 15, 2013
Time: 7:00 PM

Location: Regal Gallery Place

Here's your chance to see a special advance screening of the phenomenal indie summer movie, The Kings of Summer, this week!  The screening is on Wednesday, May 15 at 7:00 PM at the Landmark E Street cinema.  To get your passes, please visit our facebook page for the Gofobo link.  Not sure if you want to go?  Check out our review here for more info about the movie.  It's one of my favorites this year, though, so make sure to see it! 

Trailer: The Kings of Summer Red Band Trailer

Honestly, don't watch this trailer.  It will spoil some of the jokes in a movie that you really should just experience for yourself!  The Kings of Summer is probably my favorite film I've seen this year.  You're going to want to see it, it's just that good.  If you don't believe me, check out the review here.

So, you ask, why am I posting a trailer and actively telling you not to watch it?  Because it just gives me an excuse to write more about the movie and promote it!  So please, don't watch the trailer but see it as soon as you can!

The Kings of Summer Red Band Trailer from Nick Offerman

Screening: The Kings of Summer Advance Screening

Screening Date:  May 15, 2013
Time: 7:00 PM

Location: Regal Gallery Place

Here's your chance to see a special advance screening of the phenomenal indie summer movie, The Kings of Summer, this week!  The screening is on Wednesday, May 15 at 7:00 PM at the Landmark E Street cinema.  To get your passes, please visit our facebook page for the Gofobo link.  Not sure if you want to go?  Check out our review here for more info about the movie.  It's one of my favorites this year, though, so make sure to see it! 

Review: The Kings of Summer

Release Date:  May 31, 2013

Running Time: 93 minutes
Starring: Nick Offerman, Moises Arias, Nick Robinson

Who to see it with: Everyone (especially anyone who's been camping or tried to rebel when they were kids)

David: 

I generally prefer seeing independent movies. I feel like they have better writing, more genuine acting, refreshing stories, and give some lesser known actors a chance to shine. That's exactly what you get with The Kings of Summer--an amazing coming of age story about three kids who try to get away from their families and live on their own. The acting is phenomenal--especially the stellar Nick Robinson and Moises Arias. The writing is sharp and very funny. There are so many good laugh out loud moments it's tough to single any individual one out. Moises Arias's random lines are so well-timed and so out there that you just have to smile. There is a really good chemistry between all the main characters--the two childhood friends and their new, slightly strange friend. And this chemistry helps to tell a very touching, relatable story. This movie just grabs you from the start and leads  you on an interesting and entertaining journey. It really has it all: good acting, great writing, and a story that has just the right balance of serious and funny to keep you entertained. This is an absolute gem that you have to see.  

See it.