The New Wave: 5/28/10

Two movies dealing with sandy deserts are upon us this week. It makes sense for one of them. The other? Not so much.  Both dealing with issues of time. One about a weapon that can reverse time. The other about a bunch of old broads trying desperately to hold on to their youth, and failing miserably if you ask me.

Assuming you can stomach shaky accents, cornball script, and Ben Kingsley's phoned in performance, there are still a couple of reasons to check out Mike Newell's(Four Weddings and a Funeral) actioner. Forget that it's based on a video game, that's irrelevant. Focus on Jake Gyllenhaal, who gives the rogueish prince about as much charm as one can hope for. With Gemma Arterton(Quantum of Solace) playing the feisty princess, the visuals aren't bad either. You can read my review here.

Is this Sex and the City, or is this Ishtar? Seriously, of all the lunk-headed moves I can think of, taking the glam girls out of NYC and dropping them in the middle of the desert ranks at the top of the list. From what I've seen and heard, it looks like they are desperately trying to find something to keep these old broads interesting, but the point of the show was single women navigating the NY social scene, juggling dating with their careers. Why would I have any interest in watching a bunch of post-menopausal women stuck in boring marriages? Quick answer: I don't.

In the face of movies like Zombieland and 28 Days Later, the old Romero classics seem like a distant memory. After a nearly 20 year hiatus, the legendary director began a new crop of "...of the Dead" flicks for a brand new audience. This one, his third since his return springboards off of events from Diary of the Dead, focusing on Sarge "Nicotine" Crockett and his band of soldiers turned thugs. Consider this one only for die hard zombie fanatics, who just can't get enough of the brain easting monstrosities. You can read my review here, and John's point of view can be found right here.

Director Rodrigo Garcia tugs at the powerful bond between parents and their children again, just as he did in Nine Lives back in 2005. Annette Bening stars as a woman who gave up her daughter years earlier, but now questions that decision. Naomi Watts, Kerry Washington, and Samuel L. Jackson round out an impressive cast.