Thompson on Hollywood

Weekend Preview: 'Dictator,' 'Polisse,' Pregnant Movie Stars & Vibrators

Box Office

"The Dictator" rules with provocateur Sacha Baron Cohen, and here's what you'll get from "What To Expect When You're Expecting": easy laughs, strategically placed music and one-dimensional characters. Jennifer Lopez is the soul of the movie (if there is one), Chace Crawford is the eye candy and Elizabeth Banks is the lovable mess. The rest are forgettable. You'd think a movie about the creation of vibrators, "Hysteria," would be hilarious, sexy and frank. Instead, it's lands between dull and creepy (even if it is the tame vibrator comedy you could watch with your mother). Per usual, the real gems arriving this weekend are foreign: "Polisse," "Beyond the Black Rainbow" and "Elena" - Criticwire's pick of the week. There's also "Animerican Animal," "Viriginia" and "Battleship." Details and trailers below:

By Sophia Savage
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May 17, 2012 4:05 PM
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Weekend Preview: From Steve Jobs and Paul Simon to France, Lebanon & Japan

Box Office

Take your pick: A Johnny Depp-Tim Burton misfire, a slight but charming Lebanese comedy-musical (Toronto's People's Choice Award, "Where Do We Go Now"), an anti-American shoot 'em up ("God Bless America"), a delightful Japanese kids' movie ("I Wish"), the impeccably reviewed thriller "Sleepless Night" or Paul Simon music doc "Under African Skies" -- and that's just a few of this weekend's offerings. Details on these and more below. Indiewire has reviews for 15 indies hitting theaters.

By Sophia Savage
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May 10, 2012 5:04 PM
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Weekend Preview: 'The Avengers,' 'First Position' & 'Best Exotic Marigold Hotel' Are Best Bets of New Arrivals

Box Office

"The Avengers" will take most of the attention at this weekend's box office; the Marvel franchise mash-up delivers 142 minutes of satisfying, bombastic entertainment, with Mark Ruffalo and Robert Downey Jr. stealing the show.

By Sophia Savage
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May 3, 2012 3:20 PM
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Weekend Preview: From 'Raven' and 'Five-Year Engagement' to 'Headhunters' and 'Elles'

Box Office

Among the many new releases this week, the Edgar Allen Poe inspired "The Raven" and NC-17 French exploration of female sexuality, "Elles," have the steepest climb in the eyes of the critics, sitting at 19% and 25% on the Tomatometer, respectively...

By Sophia Savage
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April 27, 2012 12:20 PM
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Weekend Preview: Indie & Foreign Arrivals Include 'Damsels,' 'Comic-Con,' 'Heyhole,' 'Pope' & 'Hunter'

Box Office

The re-release of "Titanic" in 3-D and the return of the "American Pie" gang in "American Reunion" will take a big bite of the pie at theaters this weekend, where "The Hunger Games" is still going strong with $378 million worldwide. (All three are expected to score about $25 million.)

By Sophia Savage
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April 6, 2012 12:17 PM
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Weekend Preview: Washington's 'Safe House,' 'In Darkness,' 'Rampart,' 'The Vow' and 'Star Wars' in 3-D

Box Office

If you like the idea of seeing "Star Wars: Episode 1 - The Phantom Menace" (and paying for it) in 3-D, go forth. However, if you want to enjoy some grittier contemporary cinema...

By Sophia Savage
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February 9, 2012 2:35 PM
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Weekend Preview: Horror Rules the Weekend with 'Woman in Black,' 'Kill List' and 'Innkeepers'; Madonna's 'W.E' Lands

Box Office

This week, your best bets for weekend theater-going are all films that aim to thrill and chill. While Madonna's "W.E" has failed to get much critical support -- one critic dubbed it "a royal disaster" -- it may be worth the trip to check out Andrea Riseborough's breakout performance. The UK's "The Woman in Black," starring "Harry Potter"'s Daniel Radcliffe, as well as SXSW horror hits "Kill List" and "The Innkeepers," are nabbing upbeat reviews. Ti West's entertaining "Innkeepers" is being hailed as an ode to old-school horror. Details, reviews and trailers below:

By Sophia Savage
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February 2, 2012 12:44 PM
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Weekend Preview: Sex & Power Dominate The Box Office: Shame, Sleeping Beauty, Coriolanus, Outrage, The Lady

Features

Forget feel-good holiday movies: themes of sex and power dominate this weekend's newcomers. Feast on the dark side before more heartwarming Christmas fare hits multiplexes--"War Horse" will loosen your tear ducts and we can assume 9/11 drama "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close" will do the same. (Then there's that "feel bad movie" of Christmas, "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.")

By Sophia Savage
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December 2, 2011 12:40 PM
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WEEKEND PREVIEW: Oscar Front-runner The Descendants; Twilight, Tyrannosaur, Tomboy & More

The Descendants Fox Searchlight

There is something you can see in Alexander Payne's "The Descendants" that you will likely never ever see in real life: George Clooney as a cuckolded husband and the father of two daughters. But the film is down to earth, offering something you rarely see these days at the movie theater: Situations you can relate to, characters you care about, whose highs and lows don't revolve around super powers or the apocalypse. You will want to see "The Descendants" eventually, as Fox Searchlight's multiple Oscar campaigns hit full strength. Gurus o' Gold has "The Descendants" leading picture, director, screenplay and actor categories. Consider this essential viewing. Here's our interview with Payne and Oscar Talk on Clooney.