Category Archives: Jack_Poessiger
Jack Goes Confidential: ‘THE DEBT’ Has Unexpected Payoff
There’s been any number of memorable Nazi hunter thrillers over the years…
MARATHON MAN and THE BOYS FROM BRAZIL are the standouts.
Now add THE DEBT to that genre’s lineup, which builds its action and intrigue across two different periods of time.
The storyline here begins in a 1997 Tel Aviv setting focusing on three Mossad agents. Agents who back in the 60’s flushed out a Dr. Mengele-like Nazi butcher who practiced his horrific trade in Hitler’s old concentration camps.
Yeap, the secret agents nailed him, alright.
Trouble is, they pulled it off in 1966 during the Cold War in of all places, East Berlin. Smuggling him (as well as themselves) into West Berlin back then entailed major complications. Not to mention an uncomfortable sexual triangle.
New Jack City: KC’s Celluloid Movie Summer—The Good. The Bad. The Easily Forgettable
As Kansas City’s movie summer flickers to a screeching halt let’s reflect on what approximately $4.4 billion in North American ticket sales bought moviegers at the nation’s boxoffices.
Here then my take on the endless summer of 2011
First there were the this summer’s three major sleeper hits
Translation: Pictures that far exceeded expectations and where great word-of-mouth built their ongoing performance
* Judd Apatow’s BRIDESMAIDS written by and starring Kristen Wiig. This one started out totally as a chick flick. But once the guys discovered it they loved it just as much!
Jack Goes Confidential: With ‘OUR IDIOT BROTHER’ What You See Ain’t What You Get
Hail to the primo trailer-makers for creating the smoke and mirror previews for OUR IDIOT BROTHER…
That’s not to say that the movie is necessarily bad. It’s just not a rip-roaring comedy. OUR IDIOT BROTHER could almost qualify as an art house entry, which means that the masses that’ll be attracted to it (thanks to its sly marketing) may end up disappointed.
OUR IDIOT BROTHER stars Overland Park export Paul Rudd as Ned, a simple minded kinda dude. An irresponsible man-child of sorts selling organic veggies from the little farm that he toils with girlfriend Kathryn Hahn and his beloved dog Willie Nelson.
He’s a goodhearted soul. And when a friendly cop tricks Ned into selling him a little weed, it’s promptly off to the slammer for him.
Fast forward eight months as Ned is released from jail only to find his girlfriend with a new stoner. Furthermore, she’s not giving up Willie Nelson.
New Jack City: Sin City Sex, Part Deux—Leaving Las Vegas
Last week I passed along the do’s, dont’s and misconceptions of just how open Las Vegas actually is these days—and nights…
"Babes To Your Room," billboards proclaim – but not for sex! They’re entertainers. And that’s basically what they’ll do for you: ‘Entertain.’
And be careful – ever since the recent mayoral campaign Vegas vice squads have become more vigilant and increased sting operations have turned many a bachelor party into nights in the slammer!
So what are your legal options?
New Jack City: ‘THE HELP’ Needs None!
THE HELP has done what very few films ever achieve…
It opened big—and then got better with age.
Based on Kathryn Stockett‘s best-selling novel and starring Emma Stone, Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer, Bryce Dallas Howard, Jessica Chastain, Chris Lowell, Cicely Tyson and Sissy Spacek, the picture opened just semi-wide Wednesday, August 10 to impressive boxoffice numbers. But when Fox’s tentpole RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES hit practically every theatre two days later on Friday, August 12, THE HELP ended up in second place for the weekend.
That all changed this weekend when the Mississippi based drama pulled a major upset.
Jack Goes Confidential: : ‘FRIGHT NIGHT’ is Cult Blood-Sucking—Revisited!
Was there a good reason for remaking Tom Holland‘s 1985 Cult-Classic FRIGHT NIGHT?
Frankly I can’t think of any!
But give producer Michael DeLuca credit for keeping the reboot real. After all he did tell the entertainment media that the original "has a very special place in his heart."
Taking advantage of the current vampire craze, this new tongue-in-cheek edition has Las Vegas High Schooler Charley Brewster (Anton Yelchin) suspecting that his new next door neighbor Jerry—played by Colin Farrell-–is a vampire! And that he and his hot girlfriend are now Jerry’s next victims. Matter of fact Charley’s best friend Ed (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) is convinced of it.
Mother Toni Collette takes longer to persuade. But when there’s a blood-sucker to slay and you live in Vegas, why not call upon the expertise of a local hocus-pocus headliner from the Strip for advice?
That’s what happens when Charley now seeks the services of a Chriss Angel-like dude.
So why the R-rating?
New Jack City: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Getting Sex in Las Vegas
Frequently asked questions and misconceptions about Las Vegas include sex and its availability in Sin City…
Say you’re on the bachelor party plan. You’re staying on the Strip and do the ‘Hangover’ thing the first night. Great! And by Day 2 you’re looking for companionship of the professional kind.
No matter what you may have heard, prostitution is illegal in Clark County which includes all of Las Vegas. And because of the recent mayoral campaign, authorities of late have really been cracking down.
So don’t get caught with your pants down.
Jack Goes Confidential: ’30 MINUTES OR LESS” For Slacker Comedy
If you’re going to film a low budget, 83 minute-long, R-rated slacker comedy in Grand Rapids, Michigan you better make it a funny one…
Especially when you’ve got Oscar nominee Jesse Eisenberg fresh off his THE SOCIAL NETWORK success in it! And guess what, ZOMBIELAND director Ruben Fleischer kinda sorta gets it done. Which makes me wonder whether his co-producer Ben Stiller didn’t have a hand in pulling it off?
The story has Eisenberg playing pizza boy Nick who’s constantly racing against the clock to deliver the goods to customers before the 30 minutes or its free deadline is up. He usually blows it. Nick’s best bud Chet—played by Aziz Ansari—has improved his status in life by becoming a teacher.
And Nick’s confession though that he schtupped Chet’s little sister hasn’t helped their buddy relationship much.
Jack Goes Confidential: ‘THE HELP’ is This Summer’s Knockout Oscar Contender!
When you see as many marginal movies like critics have to, it’s easy to become a bit jaded.
So when something very special comes along we tend to go overboard and want to tell everyone about it. And that’s the case with THE HELP, the superb screen adaptation of Kathryn Stockett’s # 1 best selling novel.
Set in 1960’s Jackson, Mississippi during the height of the civil rights movement, THE HELP tells of southern society girl Skeeter (played by Emma Stone). She’s returning from Ole Miss, becoming a writer for the local newspaper, but begins to turn the town upside-down when she decides to interview many of the black women who’ve spent their lives as maids, taking care of prominent white southern families. Almost single handedly raising their own kids yet having to use separate bathrooms in their houses.
"They carry different diseases, you know."
New Jack City: Airlines Play Fast & Loose with Controversial FAA Tax Money
You purchased an airline ticket in early June for your great vacation getaway in late July. Then Congress didn’t see fit to extend FAA funding before they went on recess last week, which stopped the agency from collecting federal ticket taxes.
You’re familiar with the controversy.
So were you in luck?
It sure looked that way because if you’d paid for your ticket before July 23, 2011 for flights after that date you were surely due the tax refund.You remember all the cable news stations moaning about the tax revenue being lost.
Not so fast!
Jack Goes Confidential: “THE CHANGE-UP’ Out-Raunches Other Summer Comedies!
This has been the summer of raunchy movie comedies!
I’ve counted five so far: BRIDESMAIDS , HANGOVER II, BAD TEACHER, HORRIBLE BOSSES and FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS.
Number 6 takes it over the top!
It’s THE CHANGE-UP, which takes the traditional body switching formula, adds its own heavy dose of vulgarity and debauchery, then ties it up tightly and throws it off the cliff.
New Jack City: ‘MAMMA MIA’ Here We Go Again—How Can I Resist You?
"You already know you’re gonna love it!"
That’s what MAMMA MIA‘s print ads proclaim. And it must be true since after just 2 years the North American Tour of what’s been described as ‘the world’s most popular show’ is making a return trip to Starlight this week.
"When we conducted our annual audience survey at the end of the 2009 season, we asked our patrons what musical they’d like to see at Starlight in the future," says Denton Yockey, the theatre’s president and executive producer.
Jack Goes Confidential: ‘Cowboys & Aliens’ Brings Marauders from Space to Old West
Hot Damn…
A stroke of genius. Combining the western genre with that of today’s alien fascination. But hold it right there! Didn’t they do that back in 1999 in THE WILD, WILD WEST?
They sure did.
But in COWBOYS & ALIENS they do it a hell of a lot better job of it. Not only is the talent in front of the camera—
Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford—to be reckoned with, the movie’s production credits are impressive as well.
Jack Goes Confidential: ‘Crazy, Stupid, Love’ Delivers Character Driven Bittersweet Comedy
Finally a smart new bittersweet romantic comedy that doesn’t resort to raunch to get laughs and make its point!
In CRAZY, STUPID, LOVE Steve Carell seemingly has it all. Good job. Nice house. Great kids and married to his childhood sweetheart Julianne Moore.
And then it happens right over dinner!
They’re both studying the menu, when Carell asks her what she wants and she replies: "a divorce."
New Jack City: Your Tax Dollars at Work – Don’t Ask-Just Measure!
Too much dysfunctional dicking around in Washington DC?
So what else is new? Now the National Institutes of Health, a division of the Department of Health and Human Services, has come under scrutiny for spending precious dollars on what many consider to be useless and wasteful programs.
You decide!
Probably the most stupid of the bunch was a study that examined what effect a gay man’s penis size has on his sex life. Apparently inquiring minds wanted to know to the tune of $899,769.
Other recent research by the agency has been directed towards fascinating and must-know subjects as:
Jack Goes Confidential: ‘FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS’ Cruises Predictable Territory
Ever heard, "Liking HARRY POTTER doesn’t make you gay." How about, "Do you know how hard it is to pee with a hard-on?"
Those are just two of the nuggets from the trying-too-hard-to-be-hip, romantic comedy FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS. It’s not as we haven’t seen it before.
Like earlier this year in NO STRINGS ATTACHED. Good looking young people just wanting casual sex without any commitments. (Arguably this one’s funnier.)
New Jack City: Harry Potter Breaks All Records, Massive Crowds Pack Plexes!
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Friday’s opening of HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS-PART 2 raised the bar for Hollywood tentpoles by grossing a massive $92.1 million at North America’s boxoffices.
A good part of that huge number came courtesy of the blockbuster Friday 12:01 a.m. and 3:00 a.m. "midnight" shows which saw record-breaking ticket sales of $43.5 million.
HP8 is now on track to score a whopping $180 million-PLUS in its initial 3 day domestic opening weekend
New Jack City: K.C. Worships At the Altar Of TRADER JOE’S!
Remember watching the opening of the Berlin Wall on TV in 1989?
Thousands of East Germans crushing their way through the newly opened border into West Berlin. But where were most of them really heading to on their first visit to freedom?
The supermarkets and department stores, that’s where!
That’s where everything they didn’t have in the East was available for the asking on fully-stocked shelves.
Jack Goes Confidential: ‘HARRY POTTER 8’ Delivers Magical Finale w/ 3-D to Match
And so the most successful cinematic franchise in the history of movies comes to an ever so magical conclusion!
Eight Potter movies in 10 years producing in excess of $6 billion in worldwide ticket sales and actually outperforming the entire James Bond series which had a 39 year long head start
New Jack City: Jack Loosens a Screw, Charts Career Path for Casey Anthony
Memo to Casey Anthony:
I see you finally let your hair down again, and I have to say, you’re still looking fine. But have you given any thought to what you’re going to do come Monday, July 18th?
A Charlie Sheen Victory Tour is out of the question. Unlike Charlie, most Americans probably detest you. So nobody would show up. We’re talking boxoffice disaster.
So what WILL you do?
First off, you’ll need a top notch personal manager to act as your agent. I know just the guy – ME!
Here’s my 5-point plan guaranteed to maximize your future earnings. I’ll do it for the standard 10% of gross.
