Reviews of Movies We Haven’t Seen

Bewitched
From director Nora Ephron, who brought us such sugary sweet servings as “Sleepless in Seattle” and “You’ve Got Mail,” comes this reimagining of the classic 60’s television sitcom of the same name. Will Ferrell, whom we obviously love for his comedic chops (Blue Oyster Cult sketch, anyone?), if not his fine acting skills, plays Jack, a struggling actor who is cast to play Darrin in a remake of the tv show. He gets lucky in love when Isabel, played by Nicole Kidman, lands the role of Samantha. Hilarity, presumably, ensues as Jack falls for the real-life witch Isabel, who only wants to live a ‘normal’ life. We imagine the comedic timing of Ferrell is probably spot on, if not a bit predictable, but we are unsure whether the refined, elegant dramatic actress Kidman is up to the challenge. She just has to much intrigue and beauty and gravity to play silly, we feel. Two screen legends, Shirley McClain and Michael Caine lend the film some serious star cred, and one of our favorites, Stephen Colbert, lingers on the periphery to give a comedic kick in the pants. It’s probably cute; it’s probably sweet. But until we have junior high-age children, or date high school-age girls, we’ll pass on this fare.
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*Georege A. Romero’s Land of the Dead
If "Shaun of the Dead" whet your appetite for some good zombie action, Land of the Dead should hit you right where you live. Master of the zombie/horror genre brings us a story of the living dead. While it appears this one is a little less on the scare the hell out of you scale, we hear there are plenty of exploding heads and gore galore. If you like creepy dead folks chasing the living, go check it out. And come on, a zombie movie with Dennis Hopper in it…what are you waiting for?
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Herbie: Fully Loaded
Let’s see…do we give a damn? No. That is all.
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Paheli
Oh, Bollywood, you’ve done it again. Paheli is a love story with a very mythical/folksy Indian twist. You know this one: wedding party heading home through the countryside, they stop under a tree, bride lifts her veil, a ghost living in the tree falls in love with her, ghost later takes form of husband, husband later returns, ghost and husband both have a child with the woman, etc. Very whimsical and romantic and Indian.
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*Torremolinos 73
A goofy (in that way that the Spaniards do so well) tale of a door-to-door encyclopedia salesman who takes up an offer to help his struggling business by making sexual-education movies, read: pornography, with his wife. His wife becomes quite the porn star, which is even more risqué given the Franco-era Spain in which the film is set, and the former encyclopedia salesman fancies himself a real auteur. Hilarity ensues. Aye caramba!
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My Summer of Love
Based on Pawel Pawlikowski’s novel of the same name, “My Summer of Love” tells the story of two teenage girls in the English town of Yorkshire who are drawn together by boredom, curiosity and lust. The two girls, very different in their natures, find in their relationship a refuge from the strong arm of religion that sets the backdrop of this coming-of-age drama.
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*Austinist Recommends:
New Releases: Torrelinos 73, Georege A. Romero’s Land of the Dead
Currently Running: Crash, Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room, Kung Fu Hustle, Layer Cake
Special Screenings: Barfly, Scarface, Hell’s Angels, Raging Bull, Jaws, Horse Feathers, Duck Soup
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