Friday, February 1, 2013

February Theatrical Releases

It is that time…..Great Stories previews the cinematic releases for the month of February.  Movie trailers are our source, and here are our choices for movie dollar spending!
February 1st
Bullet to the Head (Warner Bros):  Sylvester Stallone sets out to prove that old action heroes can still rake in the dough at the box office in this film about a hitman (Stallone) teaming up with a cop (Sung Kang) to hunt down the people responsible for killing their respective partners.
Stand Up Guys (Lionsgate):  Al Pacino, Christopher Walken, and Allen Arkin play old friends who reunite after one of them is released from a 28 year prison sentence.  Rekindling their friendship, they make up for lost time with more mayhem in this comedic drama.
Warm Bodies (Summit):  A zombie falls in love with a human survivor after the apocalypse and sets off a chain of funny events that might change their world.
Haunting in Connecticut 2: Ghosts of Georgia (Lionsgate):  A family moves into a historic Georgia home inhabited by some restless spirits.
Great Stories Pick:  Bullet to the Head
We have to go, once again, with the re-emergence of the classic action heroes of the eighties.  After Schwarzenegger’s lackluster box office in The Last Stand, we are rooting for a Stallone success to help preserve a moral victory for that generation that brought so much joy to our movie palates so long ago.  Though, the Pacino/Walken coupling is quite intriguing as well  and could prove to be a winning combo.  As for the zombie apocalypse done for laughs and love?  Well, zombies are just starting to get a little too played out, and we will wait for the DVD in spite of the presence of John Malkovich.  And what does  A Haunting in Connecticut have to do with a Haunting in Georgia?  I would love to hear the explanation for that title, or not.
February 8th
Identity Thief (Universal):  Jason Bateman plays a family man victimized by an identity thief (Melissa McCarthy).  He tracks her down and gets more drama than he bargains for in this comedy.
Side Effects (Summit):  Rooney Mara and Channing Tatum star as a couple whose world is turned upside down after a new psychiatric drug is prescribed to Emily(Mara) by her doctor (Jude Law). 
Great Stories Pick:  Side Effects
After a week of mindless action, following it up with a thriller starring the talents of Jude Law and Rooney Mara (who comes off the gripping The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), seems to be in order.  We are fans of psychological thrillers here at Great Stories, and this one promises to be worth a look.  That is not to take anything away from Jason Bateman’s adult comedy effort, which certainly had some good moments in its trailer.  Only two movies this week, and they both look solid!
February 15th
A Good Day to Die Hard (20th Century Fox):
  John McClane (Bruce Willis) teams up with his son to defeat terrorists in Russia as the Die Hard series continues on. 
Beautiful Creatures (Warner Bros):  A young man meets a beautiful and mysterious young girl as he plots to escape the confines of his small town, and in so doing learns some dark secrets. 

Safe Haven (Relativity):  Julianne Hough plays a woman running from her past where she meets a widower and has to deal with her secrets.  From the author of The Notebook. 
Escape from Planet Earth (Weinstein Co): Brendan Fraser, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Jessica Alba lend their voices to this animated feature from the makers of Hoodwinked about an alien who comes to Earth to rescue his brother from Area 51.
A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III (Film Buff):  Charlie Sheen returns to the big screen and is joined by Bill Murray.  Sheen plays a graphic designer whose world spirals into despair after his girlfriend breaks up with him.
Great Stories Pick:  Safe Haven
Hey, it’s Valentine’s Day weekend, and as much as we would love to see Bruce Willis save the day again, Safe Haven’s trailer makes it look like a movie you can enjoy together.  And you and your loved one should be on this of all weekends.  With the story coming from Nicholas Sparks, author of The Notebook, there is even more promise to be had.    On the other hand, if you prefer to be served up another dissatisfying dose of teen schlock, you could always jump on the Beautiful Creatures bandwagon.  Or if you want to see an actor circling the drain of life in a movie where he portrays a man going much the same direction, go check out Charles Swan III.  As for Escape from Planet Earth, it feels one part Monsters Inc. and one part Toy Story to me.  I am sure the kids will eat it up like cotton candy!

February 22nd
Snitch (Summit):  Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is a Dad who goes undercover for the DEA to help clear his son’s name in this action/thriller.
Dark Skies (Momentum):  Keri Russell stars in this horror/thriller about a family that is accosted by strange phenomena in their neighborhood and seek to uncover its origin before it tears them apart.
Great Stories Pick:  See Below
After spending our money on a sugary romance movie last week, we were all set to admit to you that we would be foregoing the February 22nd releases in favor of that Die Harderest of Them All movie, or whatever it was called.  Bruce Willis is the man, after all!  But wait….Snitch and Dark Skies both delivered trailers that have set our genre-meters buzzing in excitement.  What should we do?  I think the only natural thing is to take a vacation day from work, start counting all of that loose change in your car and around your room to spend it on an extra tub or two of popcorn (make sure you ask for extra butter while you are at it) and wash it all down with a nice cup of satisfaction because this week is looking like the definition of a good time at the theaters.  Yeah!
J  Chris @ Great Stories

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