The To-Do List: 8/7/09

It's another stacked week of flicks this week threatens to keep me out of the house and my stomach full of Swedish Fish. After a week of being in the house cooped up with plumbers failing miserably to fix one minor leak, this will be a welcome change.



Some might be surprised to see A Perfect Getaway at the top of my list this week, but the fact is I've got a thing for suspense/thrillers. I've also got a thing for Marley Shelton ever since she co-starred with Jake Gyllenballs in Bubble Boy. Judging from the looks of it, A Perfect Getaway appears to be another one of those "yuppy couple lost in the woods with dangerous mountain man psycho" that are always good for a few thrills. I could be reading it all wrong but this looks like campy fun.



In case y'missed it, my review of G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra is already up, but I'll probably see it again anyway. To me it delivers everything a GI Joe movie should: plenty of explosions, cheesy one-liners, bizarre characters ripe for marketing on store shelves, ninjas, and the Baroness in tight leather. Keep an eye out for a cool cameo by Brendan Fraser as Sgt. Stone.



The Cove might not be everyone's cup of tea, but I love a good documentary, especially one that's as much a spy/thriller as this one is supposed to be. Louie Psihoyos's investigative look at the illegal killing of dolphins at the Taiji cove in Japan has stirred up a ton of controversy since it was first shown at the Sundance Film Festival. In the DC/Metro area The Cove is currently playing at AMC Shirlington and Landmark E Street Cinema. I'll be hosting a Meetup this Sunday to check it out. If you're interested feel free to tag along!



Aussie Aussie Aussie oy oy oy! In the late 70s and 80s there was an explosion of B-movie cinema from the land down under arriving on our shores. Gritty, filthy, bloody, kinky films that put the world Australian cinema on the map. We're talkin' some real classics, like Mad Max, and some not so classics like Dead End Drive-In. The type of stuff Quentin Tarantino often references(Death Proof in particular) and worships at the altar of. Not Quite Hollywood is the story of the making of those films, featuring interviews with the actors and directors who brought them to life, including one Mr. Tarantino himself. Not Quite Hollywood is only playing at Landmark E Street so if you're interested in a little bit of film history, y'know where to find it.

What Else is Out There?



Fans of romantic comedies have been unnaturallly treated to a wealth of unique selections this summer. Paper Heart is a mockumentary documenting the burgeoning love between performance artist Charlyne Yi and Michael Cera. The problem? Charlyne doesn't believe in love. D'oh! I saw this last week and fell for it despite my protestations. Paper Heart takes up residence at AMC Georgetown, AMC Shirlington, and ofcourse Landmark E Street.



I want to want to see this movie. I really do. I love Meryl Streep. Finest actress in history. I love Amy Adams. I'll never get the image of her in those tight pants in Night at the Museum 2 out of my head. I even used to watch Julia Child as a kid. I've got a thing for cooking shows even though I could burn salad and undercook a Pop Tart™. But there's something about the look of this movie that is slowly turning me away. I can't place my finger on it, but this is looking like more of a no-go than a must-see. There's a Meetup for it next week and maybe I'll tag along, but it's not looking promising.