New on DVD & Blu-Ray: 'Runner Runner', 'Closed Circuit', 'Thanks for Sharing'

Runner Runner - Justin Timberlake goes to work for Ben Affleck in this film about a grad student who gets in way over his head when he goes to Costa Rica to confront the head of a gambling website only to end up working for him. Throw in Gemma Arterton and Anthony Mackie as the FBI agent who's been on the look out for Affleck, who plays a pretty good arrogant bad guy, and you've got Runner Runner. 

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Closed Circuit - Suspense. Twists and turns. All of these collide in a film about two ex-lovers who are unexpectedly forced to work together during a high-profile terrorist case. They, along with their highly stressful case, test their limits and loyalties to each other. The film is directed by John Crowley and stars Eric Bana, Rebecca Hall, and Jim Broadbent. 

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Thanks for Sharing - This interesting romantic comedy tells the story of three different characters who are all struggling with the same thing: sex addiction. Together, and with their significant others, try to navigate the world, through its confusion and challenges. Directed by Stuart Blumberg, the film stars Mark Ruffalo, Gwyneth Paltro, Tim Robbins, Josh Gad, Joely Richardson, and Alicia Moore. 

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We Are What We Are - Looks can be deceiving. On the outside, the Parkers seem like a normal, everyday family. They follow their ancient customs, their family secret is threatened when a rainstorm hits their small town and local police gather clues that might lead the Parker family to possibly reveal secrets they've kept hidden for years. Starring Bill Sage, Ambyr Childers, and Julia Garner. 

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Box Office: 'Gravity' Soars with Record-Breaking $55M Debut

1. Gravity- $55.55M
It's one giant leap for Alfonso Cuaron's acclaimed sci-fi epic, Gravity, as the long-awaited film broke October records on the way to a $55M debut. The film has now surpassed Paranormal Activity's $52M to become the top all-time grosser for the month, fueled by overwhelming critical reviews that emphasized the need to catch it in more expensive IMAX theaters. The larger IMAX format accounted for $11M of the overall ticket sales, with roughly 80% of those also in 3D. It certainly didn't hurt to have stars like Sandra Bullock and George Clooney tackling a genre neither is really known for, and since both stars' movies tend to have long theatrical runs we can be looking at a massive blockbuster if attendance doesn't slip too quickly.
2. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2- $21.5M/$60.5M
Slipping only 37% from last week was Cloudy 2, making the most of being the only animated comedy available for the next few weeks.  That's basically identical to where the first film was after its second weekend.
3. Runner Runner- $7.6M
Despite Ben Affleck and Justin Timberlake fronting the online gambling flick, Runner Runner, the film failed to flop the nuts at the box office. Marketing for the film was lousy to start, focusing on its star power rather than offering a compelling reason beyond that to see it. So it came across as a generic crime film that will turn up on pay cable in short order, which to be honest is exactly what it is. Affleck won't be hurt by this, but it's another example of Timberlake not quite being ready for prime time.Working in its favor is the $11M already earned overseas, so it should be able to make up for the $30M budget before too long.
4. Prisoners- $5.7M/$47.8M
5. Rush- $4.4M/$18M
6. Don Jon- $4.1M/$16M
Joseph Gordon-Levitt's $6M directorial debut held strong in its second weekend, dropping 52% and solidifying the film as a solid, small scale hit.
7. Baggage Claim- $4.1M/$15.1M
8.  Insidious Chapter 2- $3.8M/$74.7M
9. Pulling Strings- $2.5M
As the surprising Latino-themed smash Instructions Not Included exits the top 10, another one takes its place in Pulling Strings. The bilingual rom-com, which stars Jaime Camil, Laura Ramsey, and Stockard Channing; not exactly household names; opened at 387 theaters and pulled an impressive $6400 per site.
10. Enough Said- $2.1M/$5.3M
Driven by strong reviews and high praise for Julia Louis-Dreyfus and James Gandolfini in his final lead performance, Nicole Holofcener's Enough Said cracks the top 10 in its third week. Holofcener's brand of high-minded comedies have never been huge earners, 2006's Friends with Money topping the list at $13M, but Enough Said seems to be riding a wave of solid buzz that could carry it through the Oscar season.

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Review: 'Runner Runner' Starring Justin Timberlake and Ben Affleck

Wait a second! How can a film that combines Batman, Sean Parker, a Bond Girl, and online gambling possibly turn out as dull and mediocre as Runner Runner? Pretty darn easily, apparently. Directed by Brad Furman, whose legitimately terrific The Lincoln Lawyer set Matthew McConaughey on his career resurgence, the film packs mucho star power, boasts a gorgeous Costa Rican locale, and yet lacks the one thing that every thriller needs to succeed: actual thrills.

It's tough to find a reason to care a lick about the terribly-named Richie Furst (Justin Timberlake), a Princeton student getting his hustle on as a recruiter for an online gambling site. A Wall Street washout hoping to get back in the game after securing his degree, Richie has seen first-hand how the system can screw the little guy. "Everybody gambles", he tells himself, a mantra he probably learned from his loser, gambling addict father. When no longer able to rely on his gig to keep up with the hefty tuition payments, Richie does what any reasonable person would do and risks it all pulling an all-night session of online poker.  After losing every penny of the $17000 he had in the bank, Richie discovers that he may have been cheated, and makes the rash decision to fly off to Costa Rica to confront the site's owner.

Make sense? Only about as much as raising on a 7-2 off-suit in a game of Texas Hold 'Em. The site is run by Ivan Block (Ben Affleck), an American who runs his gambling enterprise the way Don Corleone ran the Mafia. Even the site's name, Midnight Black, sounds like the moniker some gangster would give his favorite gun. Block keeps the Costa Rican gaming officials off his back through a combination of lucrative payoffs and violent threats, living the lavish life that Richie has always desired for himself. Impressed by Richie's gravitas, Block hires him as his right-hand man and numbers cruncher, putting the Princeton education to good use. Richie gets a taste of what living in style is really like, and that includes scoring with Block's ex-girl (Gemma Arterton) and business partner.

Of course it isn't long before we discover that Block is into some really dirty stuff, and that bullish FBI agent Shavers (Anthony Mackie) will break the rules to take him down. That means putting Richie in a tough spot between his loyalty to Block, his love of the high life, and the most obvious need to not go to jail. There aren't many twists and certainly few turns in a familiar, mid-level crime yarn that sadly has little to do with gambling. You'd expect more insider lingo and poker insight out of writers Brian Koppelman and David Levien having written one of the great gambling movies ever in Rounders. Runner Runner quickly becomes just another story of excess, with all the requisite hot babes, wild parties, and falls from grace we've come to expect. There's never a hint of danger, less urgency, and absolutely zero stakes. That is unless we're meant to care if Richie graduates and becomes some hot shot Wall Street big wig? Not even Timberlake can sell that to the audience right now.

It doesn't help that the normally likable Timberlake is a flavorless dud as Richie. He never quite nails the bad boy persona he's looking for, and his chemistry with the gorgeous but equally-flat Arterton is nowhere to be found. Only Affleck scores as the evil, homesick, and sullen Block, adding color to a character that could have turned out to be a complete joke. Sure, his Pittsburgh accent sounds exactly like his Boston, but you won't care when he's dropping most of the film's best one-liners. In Block we see a guy who probably started out with the best of intentions, but has been changed by the pervasive corruption he helped foster. It's a meatier role than the trailers suggest, and Affleck proves he can rise above pedestrian material such as what Runner Runner provides.

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*CLOSED* 'Runner Runner' Advance Screening

Before he gets to play Batman, Ben Affleck is going to rob Justin Timberlake blind in Runner Runner, the new thriller from Brad Furman, director of The Lincoln Lawyer. Timberlake stars as a college student who loses everything in an online gambling scheme, only to become a part of the dangerous operation himself after confronting its ringleader. We want to offer you a chance to see the film early by attending a free advance screening held at Regal Gallery Place on Wednesday October 2nd at 7:30pm.

To qualify, you MUST be a fan of Punch Drunk Critics on Facebook,so if you haven't "Liked" us yet please go there and do so now. Simply leave a comment here with your name, email address, and your favorite starring either Affleck or Timberlake. We'll be using the Gofobo ticketing system for this one, so you'll need to register there as well. The contest ends on Monday September 30th when winners will be notified.

Good luck!


Runner Runner by Teaser-Trailer.com

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New Trailer for Gambling Thriller 'Runner Runner' with Ben Affleck and Justin Timberlake

Now that the fervor has mostly calmed down about Ben Affleck playing Batman, it's a good time to look at the films he actually has coming out this year. The dark knight will be teaming up with the voice of Boo-Boo aka Justin Timberlake for Runner Runner, an online gambling thriller looks like it could either be a dark horse this Oscar season, or a forgettable entry on everyone's resume.

A new trailer for the film has been released, and unfortunately it plays like more of the latter than the former. Affleck plays the head goon at an online gambling outfit that screws a college student (Timberlake) out of tuition. When the kid comes looking for answers, he's instead offered a job and begins to experience just how seedy the operation is from the inside. While this looks potentially corny and maybe even terrible, there's reason for optimism with Brad Furman (The Lincoln Lawyer) directing, plus a script by Rounders scribes Brian Koppelman & David Levien.

Co-starring Gemma Arterton and Anthony Mackie, Runner Runner shows its hand on October 4th. 

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Ben Affleck Lays Down the Law in New 'Runner Runner' Clip

I suppose in a world of online gambling, you'd want Ben Affleck as your mentor. But Justin Timberlake looks pretty damn sure that that's not who he wants on his side at all. Last week, a new clip was released of Timberlake and Affleck, the latter welcoming the younger into the folds of black market gambling. 

Another clip has been released from their new film Runner Runner, giving us more insight into what seems like a very turmoil-filled relationship between the two. This time around, Affleck throws all his supposedly welcoming arms out the window and gets angry when confronted by Timberlake about an event gone wrong. 

You can watch the clip below! 

Runner Runner also stars Gemma Arterton and Anthony Mackie. The film hits theaters October 4. 

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New Clip From Justin Timberlake and Ben Affleck Movie 'Runner Runner'

The announcement of Ben Affleck officially slated to play Batman sent everyone into a frenzy. Some people were ecstatic, others were appalled, some didn't really care either which way. Regardless of your opinion on the matter, it looks like it's happening. 

But before Ben Affleck puts on the famous cape and cowl, he must first go head-to-head with Justin Timberlake in the new movie Runner Runner. The movie pits Timberlake, who believes he being swindled out of his money in online gambling, heads to confront Affleck in order to get his money back. 

In the new clip released, we see Timberlake and Affleck meeting. Affleck gives him back his money but offers Timberlake a chance to make seven figures in three months and even more over the course of several years. Of course the younger man accepts, because there aren't flashing signs that scream "don't do it, this is bad!" everywhere. 

You can watch the clip below! Runner Runner also stars Gemma Arterton and Anthony Mackie. It hits theaters September 27. And if you haven't seen the trailer yet, you can watch it below the clip!

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First trailer for 'Runner Runner' starring Ben Affleck and Justin Timberlake

How long has it been since we've seen Ben Affleck truly play a bad guy? Not since Kevin Smith's early films has he been a villain of the sort he appears to be playing in Runner Runner, the new film from The Lincoln Lawyer director Brad Furman, and the writers of poker drama, Rounders. They're venturing back into the world of gambling yet again, with Justin Timberlake in tow, and now we have the first trailer.

Timberlake plays a Princeton student who sees college future put in jeopardy after an online gambling site cheats him. Affleck plays the corrupt ring leader behind the site, who takes Timberlake under his wing after he's tracked down. While it's a familiar role for Timberlake, Affleck seems to really be relishing the chance to play a guy so nasty he's willing to toss his enemies into a crocodile pit.

Also starring Gemma Arterton, Anthony Mackie, Oliver Cooper, Sam Palladio and Ben Schwartz, Runner Runner shows its cards on September 27th.


RUNNER RUNNER - Trailer by dmagianet

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