March Theatrical Releases Part Two

Great Stories previews the movie hitting theaters for the weekends of March 22nd and March 29th!

March 22nd
Admission (Focus Features)- Tina Fey stars as a Princeteon admissions officer who visits an alternative high school on a recruitment assignment and discovers a previously unknown connection to a very gifted student, as we as finding romance along the way.  Paul Rudd also stars.

The Croods (Dreamworks)- Animated family feature about the first pre-historic family and their first adventure together as they travel from the safety and confines of their cave home.  Stars the vocal talents of Ryan Reynolds, Catherine Keener, Nicolas Cage, and Emma Stone.

Olympus Has Fallen (Millenium)- Gerard Butler stars as a haunted secret service agent on the President's (Aaron Eckhart) detail.  When a full scale invasion of the White House by terrorists threatens the leadership of the country, it is up to him to set things right and find redemption.  The ensemble cast also includes Morgan Freeman, Cole Hauser, Ashley Judd, Dylan McDermott, Rahda Mitchell, and Angela Bassett.

Great Stories Pick:  Olympus Has Fallen
We are locked and loaded for a a pretty exhilirating looking thriller, and Gerard Butler has a certain appeal in these types of roles.  We haven't seen D.C. threatened like this since Jack Bauer was all over our TV screens, which seems like forever and a day.  And who didn't like Jack Bauer?  That's right!  As for the other releases, The Croods family fare is great for the little kiddies, and is sure to drum up some decent ticket sales.  As for Admission, well, what can be said?  That is one that we will be refusing to pay for at the Box Office. 

March 29th
The Host (Open Road)- Teen dramas just got another potential flagship franchises as Saoirise Ronan takes on alien hosts that are taking over earth one body at a time, in this Body Snatcher-type sci fi flicks.

Tyler Perry's Temptation (Lionsgate)- Brandy Norwood, Vanessa Williams, and yes, Kim Kardashian, appear in this drama about an unhappy wife in a marriage that is going through the motions when an attractive stranger enters the picture threatening to turn everyone's workl upside down.

Family Weekend (Arc Entertainment)- Matthew Modine and Kristen Chenoweth star as a couple of very unconventional parents whose child-rearing style are rubbing their eldest daughter (Olesya Rulin) the wrong way.  The motivated teen gets the idea to re-educate her parents in this quirky comedy.

The Place Beyond the Pines (Focus Features)- Ryan Gosling plays a carnival stunt motorcyclist who returns home to rekindle romance with his old flame (Eva Mendes) and is surprised to learn he has a son.  Meanwhile, star rookie police officer (Bradley Cooper) is out to make a name for himself as well as a difference under the shadown of a corrupt police chief (Ray Liotta).  The paths of the two men are inextricably linked when Gosling chooses a life of crime to provide for his new family.

The Evil Dead (TriStar)- The remake of Sam Raimi's Evil Dead promises big scares and a new facelift to the franchise which spawned the cult-classic Army of Darkness.

Great Stories Pick:  The Place Beyond the Pines
The trailer for Pines looks fantastic, and the talents of Gosling and Cooper as two of Hollywood's fast rising stars is undeniable.  Factor in a dash of Ray Liotta, and you are in for some great entertainment.  It is a little bit funny that Drive was a movie that starred Gosling as a Hollywood stunt driver who turns to criminal activities.  Is he risking being typecast as a stuntman?  LOL.  But the story looks solid and we can't wait to see how it all plays out.  As for the other entries for the last weekend in March, The Host looks to be one of those tween movies that could go either way.  Movies marketed towards the teen audience are a tough game, as they tend to be what a Snackwell is to the dessert world.  A treat that just isn't all that fulfilling without the real ingredients.  In this way, the stories they tell tend to lack edge and sophistication.  Family Weekend might be a good rental, in that same vein as the off-beat Juno.  We refuse to see anything with Kim Kardashian in it, so Tyler Perry's Temptation is off the list.  The Evil Dead remake is intriguing, but we are more interested in a sequel to Army of Darkness and a continuation of Ash's story as opposed to yet another Hollywood reboot.

We hope you all have an awesome week!

Chris & the Great Stories team