Category Archives: Jack_Goes_Confidential
Jack Goes Confidential: THE RUNAWAYS–Hot, Nubile and Ready to Rock!
Here it is! The music-fueled bio-pic of pioneering, 70’s, all-girl rock band THE RUNAWAYS with Kristen Stewart as the young Joan Jett and Dakota Fanning—rebellious and provocative as the band’s leader, nubile Cherie Currie.
This is their story. Their rise to fame, celebrity, egomania—and eventually to flameout.
Sex, Drugs and Rock ‘n Roll. You get the picture!
THE RUNAWAYS were manufactured by sleazy male manager Kim Fowley, played here perfectly by Michael Shannen from REVOLUTIONARY ROAD!
The gals aren’t bad either. Matter of fact, (little) Dakota Fanning as 15 year old underage sexpot Cherie Curry is an eye Continue reading
Jack Goes Confidential: DATE NIGHT dishes up sparks for dessert!
What would happen if two of today’s hottest TV actors–Steve Carell and Tina Fey—were to step back in time and do a Steve Martin/Goldie Hawn tribute movie?
Or dare I suggest, Continue reading
Jack Goes Confidential: CLASH OF THE TITANS not KRAKEN up to Hype!
“Release the Kraken!” Continue reading
Jack Goes Confidential: Miley Dumps Hannah for Ronnie. Sparks fly!
It’s not easy!
Finding the exact right property for a tween idol’s transition to (semi) adulthood roles can be a tricky process.
Not only do you want to hang on to your excisting audience base, but also reach for something an older crowd would buy into!
For my money Miley Cyrus’ handlers have done her right by selecting a screenplay by best selling weep meister Nicholas Sparks of THE NOTEBOOK, DEAR JOHN, A WALK TO REMEMBER and NIGHTS IN RODANTHE fame. Continue reading
Jack Goes Confidential: Vikings vs. Dragons = Nordic Nooky, Animated Action
I must confess that our advance screening of HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON earlier this week was not presented in 3-D!
Still it became pretty evident which scenes in the movie would play most effectively in the 3-dimensional process that most moviegoers will be enjoying beginning this weekend.
And ENJOY is the key word here as DreamWorks—the studio behind such previous projects as SHREK, MADAGASCAR, and KUNG FU PANDA—unleashes its latest potential franchise.
What we’ve got here is an exciting and very entertaining action adventure. A mythical fantasy story about a Viking teenager rebelling against his people’s practice of dragon slaying—and in the process befriending a young fire-breather! Continue reading
Jack Goes Confidential: BOUNTY HUNTER Exes Mark the Spot
Guess you could call it his DREAM JOB!
Down on his luck BOUNTY HUNTER, Gerard Butler getting to track down his bail-jumping ex-wife, reporter Jennifer Aniston!
But no easy payday when Aniston gives him the SLIP so that she can chase a lead on a murder cover up!
This could turn out WORSE than their marriages!!!!
Staying alive now getting a whole lot tougher for
THE BOUNTY HUNTER!
…..let the EX-games—-begin. Continue reading
Jack Goes Confidential: Repo Men, Organ-ized Crime
New this weekend: Continue reading
Jack Goes Confidential: American Pie has Nothing on these SEMEN-ly Laughs!
Being in the mood for a good laugh earlier this week, I reluctantly made myself attend the screening of SHE’S OUT OF MY LEAGUE….Continue reading
Jack Goes Confidential: Tim Burton and Johnny Depp make ALICE happen!
Oscar weekend brings Hollywood’s first major tentpole movie of 2010 to local megaplexes.
…and I’m here to tell you that ALICE IN WONDERLAND lives up to its hype!
It’s simply amazing what Hollywood’s Fantastic Four of Tim Burton, Johnny Depp, the Disney Studios and the musical genius Danny Elfman have done with Lewis Caroll’s classic tale!
First off, Alice has become a spunky young woman on the verge of her engagement party where she Continue reading
Jack Goes Confidential: Cop Out is Kevin Smith-LITE!
Director Kevin Smith has Continue reading
Jack Goes Confidential: Shutter Island—Unpleasant All-Inclusive Destination!
Martin Scorcese’s SHUTTER ISLAND is an intense and gripping film!
Yet somehow his fourth collaboration with Leonardo DiCaprio is not one of Scorcese’s better ones.
Go figure…
Fans of Dennis Lehane’s novel, on which the screenplay is based, will most likely come away from the Continue reading
Jack Goes Confidential: Wolfman makes for Bloody Valentine’s Weekend!
Universal Pictures, home to classic FRANKENSTEIN and COUNT DRACULA films, now serves up its cinematic update of 1941’s THE WOLFMAN—the third monster of the studio’s horror trio.
Make no mistake, THIS remake of THE WOLFMAN is an Continue reading
Jack Goes Confidential: Valentine’s Day Delivers Two Hours of Chocolate Covered BonBons
VALENTINE’S DAY should lead the box office this weekend by a mile!
After that its theatrical shelf life could fade fast.
THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER nails it with its take on this flick: “For fans of bonbons and Hallmark sentiment who wish Valentine’s Day lasted forever, Garry Marshall’s movie arrives like the answer to a prayer.”
But let’s be fair. Sure it’s a fluff piece, but an entertaining one—and definitely critic’s proof! Continue reading
Jack Goes Confidential: Sony Counters Football Weekend with Kleenex fare!
Super Bowl weekend traditionally means Counter Programming at the movies.
This year’s super weekend is no exception as Sony’s Screen Gems division—known in certain circles as Columbia-Lite—serves up the expected Chick Flick.
But guess what? This is not your typical goofy comedy, but a timely Romantic-Drama from THE CIDER HOUSE RULES director Lasse Hallstroem
And guys will like this one too! Continue reading
Jack Goes Confidential: Mel Gibson Tracks Down Daughters Killer, Makes no Anti-Semitic Slurs!
EDGE OF DARKNESS contains elements of both Mel Gibson’s LETHAL WEAPON series and TAKEN with Liam Neeson. But when it comes right down to it, it really doesn’t live up to either.
Here Gibson plays a no nonsense veteran Boston police detective looking foward to a visit from his estranged daughter, Emma. Continue reading
Jack Goes Confidential: Jeff Bridges Triumphs in CRAZY HEART!
CRAZY HEART was salvaged from big screen doom by FOX SEARCHLIGHT FILMS which aquired the movie after PARAMOUNT decided to take it direct to video.
After all FOX SEARCHLIGHT had scored big with SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE which the studio had taken over after similar initial Continue reading
Jack Goes Confidential: Denzel Washington vs. Gary Oldman for BOOK OF ELI!
Is Hollywood trying to tell us something?
THE BOOK OF ELI is now the third America-in-Ruins, post-apocalyptic action thriller following Continue reading
Jack Goes Confidential: The Lovely Bones; Uplifting but Hard to Watch!
From Alice Sebold’s moving novel THE LOVELY BONES, director Peter Jackson unleashes his credible screen adaptation of the fantasy-based, suspense thriller.
It’s the Continue reading
Jack Goes Confidential: Michael Cera Scores Subversive Laffs with YOUTH IN REVOLT!
He was good in JUNO and SUPERBAD. But as Nick Twisp, Michael Cera is terrific!
We’re talking the popular coming-of-age screen adaptation of C.D. Payne’s cult-hit novel YOUTH IN REVOLT which may just go down as the quintessential teenage angst comedy!
Cera plays the brainy-son of low-rent parents Steve Buscemi and Jean Smart. He wants to lose his virginity in the worst way—and his chance may be just around the corner.
It all starts to come together when dad drags him on a vacation to a seedy trailer park in Utah. That’s where he falls head-over-heels in love–or lust–with smart, cute, and sexy neighbor Sheeni played perfectly by newcomer Portia Doubleday. Continue reading
Jack Goes Confidential: Leap Year Gives Chick-Flick Genre a Black Eye!
Last summer’s THE PROPOSAL was a great Chick-Flick…
IT’S COMPLICATED currently in theaters is a good Chick-Flick.
LEAP YEAR, opening this weekend, imparts the kind of cinematic numbness that gives Chick-Flicks a bad name.
It also calls into question whether cute and perky Amy Adams is strong enough to singlehandely carry a movie.
Remember that in both DOUBT and JULIE AND JULIA she was Meryl Streep’s backup!
But back to LEAP YEAR, which for all I know could’ve been written by a programmed computer. It’s THAT predictable! Continue reading
