Universal Pictures recently released stills for the upcoming film "Rush". The film is the latest from two-time Academy Award® winner Ron Howard (A Beautiful Mind, Frost/Nixon)and stars Chris Hemsworth (The Avengers, Thor), Daniel Brühl (Inglourious Basterds, The Bourne Ultimatum), Olivia Wilde (TRON: Legacy) and Alexandra Maria Lara (The Reader). "Rush" opens in NY and LA on 9/20 and theaters nationwide on 9/27.

For more information on this film, you can visit the film's official website at: www.rushmovie.com.

Plot Synopsis:

Two-time Academy Award® winner Ron Howard (A Beautiful Mind, Frost/Nixon) teams once again with two-time Academy Award®-nominated writer Peter Morgan (Frost/Nixon, The Queen) on Rush, a spectacular big-screen re-creation of the merciless and legendary 1970s Formula 1 rivalry between gifted English playboy James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth of The Avengers, Thor) and his disciplined Austrian opponent, Niki Lauda (Daniel Brühl of Inglourious Basterds, The Bourne Ultimatum). Set against the sexy and glamorous golden age of racing, Rush portrays the exhilarating true story of the charismatic Hunt and the methodically brilliant Lauda, two of the greatest rivals the world of sports has ever witnessed. Taking us into their personal lives and clashes on and off the Grand Prix racetrack, Rush follows the two drivers as they push themselves to the breaking point of physical and psychological endurance, where there is no shortcut to victory and no margin for error. Olivia Wilde (TRON: Legacy) and Alexandra Maria Lara (The Reader) co-star in the epic action-drama as, respectively, Suzy Miller and Marlene Lauda, the loves of James and Niki’s lives who watched and feared as the men rocketed toward possible death. Rush is produced by Andrew Eaton (A Mighty Heart, The Killer Inside Me), Eric Fellner (Les Misérables, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy), Brian Oliver (Black Swan, The Ides of March), Morgan, Oscar® winner Brian Grazer (Apollo 13, A Beautiful Mind) and Howard. The film was co-financed by Cross Creek Pictures and Exclusive Media, and produced in association with Revolution Films and Imagine Entertainment. Executive producers for the film are Guy East (The Woman in Black, The Ides of March), Nigel Sinclair (The Ides of March, End of Watch), Tobin Armbrust (End of Watch, The Woman in Black), Tim Bevan (Les Misérables, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy), Tyler Thompson (Black Swan, The Woman in Black) and Todd Hallowell (Apollo 13, Frost/Nixon). Universal Pictures distributes the film in the United States. Rush was filmed on location in the U.K., Germany and Austria.

Going into “Butter”, I was really not looking forward to this film. The main reason for it, the fact that it seemed like one of those films where a bunch of A list actors get together and have a good time. Hopefully, I’m wrong about that assumption.

The film takes place in Iowa, where butter cutting is like a presidential election. It’s plagued with scandal, greed, blackmail and sex. When a champion butter sculptor (Ty Burrell) is forced to not defend his crown, his wife Laura (Jennifer Garner) enters this competition to preserve the couple’s status as butter royalty. Everything seems guaranteed, until an enigmatic 10 –year-old African-American foster child enters the competition. Now Laura will do anything to sabotage and win this competition. That includes seducing her idiotic ex-boyfriend (Hugh Jackson) to help her. Olivia Wilde, Rob Corddry, Ashley Green and Alicia Silverstone also co-star in this comedy.

Film Review:

Sadly, I was right my assumption. There are some films that you have to sit through as a reviewer, where you really want to shut the film off completely and do something else. That was my thought with “Butter”, as this was the worst film of 2012.

One of the reasons for it was its lack of direction. Director Jim Field Smith doesn’t bring any excitement to the way that he handles this film. Most of the supposed funny scenes felt boring or unfunny. It didn’t help that he had a very bad screenplay to deal with. I’ll was bored sitting there and watching this film, as ninety percent of the comedic scenes feel unfunny. You can’t have that in comedy film and expect to enjoy it. The other thing that I hated about Smith’s direction was that almost all of the performances were annoying. Every character in the film was one dimensional in the performance aspect. Smith doesn’t make sure that his cast stands out from each other. It may have maybe made this film more tolerable to watch. Also if you’re putting a gag reel at the end of the film to pad the running time, then there’s most certainly a problem with your film.

The screenplay was very mean spirited. Screenwriter Jason Micallef doesn’t good a very good job with the way that he approaches the story. One of the things that I don’t like about the characters was the fact that they were unlikable. They come off more aloof and lighthearted than interesting and fun to be with. Maybe it was the fact that he added political stereotypes, which even made the characters even more annoying than they were. It didn’t make me laugh. Instead, it made me not interested in the film. The other thing that I didn’t like was the fact that you’re having the narration from each of the two main characters. It’s was completely written wrong and was very unnecessary for this film. It made a very dull film, even duller. It did nothing but hurt the film even more.

Blu-Ray Extras:

There are very little extras on this Blu-Ray. You only have a gag reel and deleted and extended scenes. It would have been nice to include a behind the scenes featurette or commentary track to get some information on the film.

Final Summary:

If this film was in a competition with other films to see who would win, “Butter” would finish in last place. It’s a very boring film with annoying characters with tedious screenplay.

Review Rating: One Star
Extras: One Star

Anchor Bay Films and RADiUS-TWC announce the DVD and Blu-Ray release of the hilarious political satire comedy "Butter". The film is the latest film from director Jim Field Smith (She’s Out of My League)and stars Golden Globe® Award winner Jennifer Garner (The Odd Life of Timothy Green), Emmy® Award winner Ty Burrell (ABC’s “Modern Family”), Olivia Wilde (TRON: Legacy), Emmy® Award winner Rob Corddry (Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart”), Ashley Greene (the Twilight franchise), Alicia Silverstone (Clueless), and Hugh Jackman (the X-Men franchise).

DVD and Blu-Ray special features include a gag reel and deleted and extended scenes. "Butter hits retail shelves on December 4th.

For more information on this film, you can visit the film's official website at: www.butterthemovie.com

Press Release:

Anchor Bay Entertainment and RADiUS-TWC announced today the Blu-ray™ Combo Pack and DVD release of the hilarious political satire comedy, BUTTER, from director Jim Field Smith (She’s Out of My League). Written by newcomer Jason Micallef, BUTTER features a stellar ensemble cast that includes Golden Globe® Award winner Jennifer Garner (The Odd Life of Timothy Green), Emmy® Award winner Ty Burrell (ABC’s “Modern Family”), Olivia Wilde (TRON: Legacy), Emmy® Award winner Rob Corddry (Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart”), Ashley Greene (the Twilight franchise), Alicia Silverstone (Clueless), and Hugh Jackman (the X-Men franchise). A story about unlikely rivals who will do whatever it takes to beat the competition in this quirky and outrageous comedy about love, sex, winning, and most of all, butter, BUTTER heads to retail on December 4, 2012 for an SRP of $29.99 for the Blu-ray™ Combo Pack and $24.98 for the DVD.

Much in the same vein as films like Christopher Guest’s Best In Show and Alexander Payne’s Election, BUTTER also stars Yara Shahidi (Imagine That), Kristen Schaal (Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart”), and Phyllis Smith (NBC’s “The Office”).

In his review for Variety, film critic Peter Debruge called BUTTER “a wicked Midwest satire with razor blades stashed beneath its bright candy-apple surface.” Wrote WeGotThisCovered.com’s, Jonathan Lack, “‘Butter’ is a spectacularly entertaining film, a well written, perfectly paced comedy brought to life by one of the year’s best ensemble casts.” Added ComingSoon.net’s, Edward Douglas, “‘Butter’ is very much like the type of comedy Alexander Payne used to make back when he was starting out – dark and edgy humor that plays with religion and politics…”

In Iowa, butter carving is as cut-throat as a Presidential election, plagued with scandal, greed, blackmail, and sex – except with butter! When long-reigning champion butter sculptor, Bob Pickler (Ty Burrell), is forced to step down, his zealous wife, Laura (Jennifer Garner), enters the competition herself to fight for their status as butter royalty. A win seems virtually guaranteed for the poised and studied candidate when a formidable contender emerges: the fresh-faced, effortlessly charismatic 10-year-old, Destiny (Yara Shahidi), an African-American foster child of local couple, Jill and Ethan (Alicia Silverstone and Rob Corddry). Suddenly, it’s anybody’s game and Laura will do anything to win – even if it means resorting to sabotage and seducing her foolish ex-boyfriend, Boyd (Hugh Jackman), as a co-conspirator.

The BUTTER Blu-ray™ Combo Pack and DVD special features include a gag reel and deleted and extended scenes. Note: Special features are subject to change.

Learn more about BUTTER at: www.butterthemovie.com

“On the Inside”
Year: 2012
Director: D.W. Brown
Stars: Nick Stahl, Olivia Wilde, Dash Milhok
Studio: Anchor Bay Films
MPAA Rating: R
Running Time: 90 Mins

“On the Inside” is executive produced by Jamie Kennedy. Yes that Jamie Kennedy, from “Scream” and Malibu’s Most Wanted”.

The film follows a troubled college professor (Nick Stahl), who ends up being sentenced to psychiatric hospital after a revenge killing goes wrong. There, he is entered into an experiment socialization program. In the program, he meets a beautiful woman (Olivia Wilde), who harbors a dark secret and a volatile psychopath (Dash Mihok) with a deadly history. Can two damaged soul find love and redemption in a place of despair? Pruitt Taylor Vince (The Walking Dead) Shohren Aghdashloo (24) and Tariq Trotter (aka Black Thought of The Roots)

I hate it, when you think you’re going to be in good movie and then you have a very bad third act to ruin it for you. That was the case with “On the Inside”.

First, let me talk about the positive things about this film. Writer/director D.W. Brown did a very decent job with the directing. One of things that I liked about, he does a very good job getting his cast to make the material interesting. I thought the performances were very good, especially from Nick Stale and Olivia Wilde. They made their characters work up until the third act, where it wasn’t their fault as this turns into a completely different movie. The other thing I enjoy about it, the way that the film’s dark tone was consistent throughout the film and the screenplay. I liked how, he makes the situations very dark. It helps the development of the main character’s state of mind. But all of that was erased with the third act.

The main reason that this film was very disappointing was with the whole subplot with the psychotic inmate. It ruined all the goodwill that this film had, as I was enjoying this film up until that point. To me, it all of a sudden became the main focus of the film. I was quite upset with the whole subplot, because it was taking away from the focus of the main character’s state of mind and his relationship with the girl. Also, the third act felt like it went 360 and turned into a mini slasher film with the psychotic inmate leaving a trail of victims on his way to the main characters. That’s what made very upset with this film, as it killed the focus of the film’s main relationship. It’s okay to have the riot in the hospital and have him makes his way there, but having a supporting character go on a killing spree. It killed the flow of the relationship that I was invested in and it ultimately it kills this film for me. It’s very hard for a subplot to ruin a film for me, but this did it.

This is first time in a while, where I’ve experienced this outrage over a subplot. I would have to go back to an independent film called “Rocket Science”, which was released. I felt so outraged with a third act of a film, where it took a dump on its main character. I was enjoying that film, until the screenplay decided to degrade its main character and leave you feeling very sad that the filmmakers chose to humiliate the character to end the film. There was no degrading of the characters here, but the film here does a 360 that leaves you baffled and angry to what film you were just watching.

“On the Inside” is a film that had promise, but a bad third act sends the film off course.

Review Rating: Two Stars

 

CBS Films has send us over the official poster and trailer for the upcoming romantic drama "The Words".  The film stars Bradley Cooper, Oscar®-winner Jeremy Irons, Dennis Quaid, Olivia Wilde and Zoë Saldana. "The Words" hits theaters on September 21st.

For more information on this film, you can visit the film's official website at: http://www.thewordsmovie.com

Plot Synopsis:

Starring Bradley Cooper, Oscar®-winner Jeremy Irons, Dennis Quaid, Olivia Wilde and Zoë Saldana, the layered romantic drama The Words follows young writer Rory Jansen who finally achieves long sought after literary success after publishing the next great American novel. There's only one catch - he didn't write it. As the past comes back to haunt him and his literary star continues to rise, Jansen is forced to confront the steep price that must be paid for stealing another man's work, and for placing ambition and success above life's most fundamental three words.

Anchor Bay Entertainment has send us over information regarding their upcoming DVD and Blu-Ray Combo Pack release of the psychological thriller, "On The Inside". The film is produced by Jamie Kennedy (“The Jamie Kennedy Experiment”, Scream 1-3)and a features a cast that includes Nick Stahl (Sin City, the Academy Award® nominated film In the Bedroom), Olivia Wilde (TRON: Legacy, “House”), and Dash Mihok (I am Legend, The Thin Red Line). No Special Features have been announced yet for this release. "On The Inside"

For more information on this film, you can visit the film's official website at: http://ontheinsidemovie.com

Press Release:

Anchor Bay Entertainment announced today the Blu-ray™ Combo Pack and DVD release of the psychological thriller, On The Inside, starring Nick Stahl (Sin City, the Academy Award® nominated film In the Bedroom), Olivia Wilde (TRON: Legacy, “House”), and Dash Mihok (I am Legend, The Thin Red Line). Written and directed by D.W. Brown, On The Inside tells the story of a decent, but troubled young man, who is sent to a psychiatric institution for the criminally insane, only to find himself in a fight for his life. Produced by Jamie Kennedy (“The Jamie Kennedy Experiment”, Scream 1-3), On The Inside heads to retail on July 24, 2012 for an SRP of $29.99 for the Blu-ray™ Combo Pack and $26.98 for the DVD.

In addition to Stahl, Wilde and Mihok, On The Inside features a talented supporting cast, including Daniel Franzese (I Spit on Your Grave (2010), Mean Girls), hip-hop singer — and one of the leaders of the Philadelphia hip-hop band and “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” house band, The Roots — Tariq ‘Black Thought’ Trotter (Bamboozled), with Pruitt Taylor Vince (“The Walking Dead,” “The Mentalist”), and Academy Award® nominee Shohreh Aghdashloo (X-Men: Last Stand, House of Sand and Fog).

In On The Inside, Allen Meneric (Nick Stahl) is committed to a psychiatric institution for the criminally insane after carrying out a brutal revenge murder. There, he is forced to deal with the very ill and the dangerous until, as part of a socialization program, he is transferred to minimum security where he meets a beautiful bipolar female inmate named Mia (Olivia Wilde). Ever haunted by his past, Allen seeks his redemption when sudden events demand that he protect Mia from the violence and chaos of the institution.
Learn more about On The Inside at: http://ontheinsidemovie.com

20th Century Fox recently released the official trailer and teaser poster for the Justin Timberlake, Amanda Seyfried sci-fi thriller "In Time". The film is directed by Andrew Niccol (Lord of War) and co-stars Olivia Wilde (Tron: Legacy, Cowboys and Aliens) Alex Pettyfer (I Am Number Four) and Cillian Murphy (Inception, 28 Day Later.) "In Time" is slated to hit theaters on October 28th.

Plot Synopsis:

When Will Salas is falsely accused of murder, he must figure out a way to bring down a system where time is money – literally – enabling the wealthy to live forever while the poor, like Will, have to beg, borrow, and steal enough minutes to make it through another day.

"In Time": Official Trailer

For once we have a summer movie that is not a sequel, prequel, or an unnecessary remake of a horror classic with “Cowboys & Aliens.” And yet we come out of it disappointed that it was not all it was cracked up to be. Despite having quite the crew with “Iron Man” director John Favreau, Harrison Ford, Daniel Craig, and it’s based on the popular graphic novel by Scott Mitchell Rosenberg. While it’s not boring, it is not as exciting or thrilling as its numerous trailers led us to believe.

The movie starts off in the wild west of 1873 when Daniel Craig’s character wakes up in a Jason Bourne-like situation not knowing who he is or why he has this metal thing attached to his wrist. But sure enough, he knows how to kick ass when the situation calls for it. I love how you can develop amnesia and yet remember certain reflexes like how to take out an attacker in less than 5 seconds. He is soon discovered to be Jake Lonergan (an appropriate last name for a loner), a wanted man with too many crimes to keep track of. But just as he is about to be taken away by Colonel Woodrow Dolarhyde (Harrison Ford), strange lights appear in the sky… You’ve seen the trailer, so you know what happens next.

Mixing science fiction with the western genre is an inspired move, but Favreau is never able to balance one with the other effectively. It also would have been better if he did not reveal the look of the aliens early on. Not seeing them made them far more threatening to where our imaginations went into overdrive, and this could have worked immensely to the film’s advantage. But when we do see them up close, their design proves to be nothing memorable or particularly original. After “Super 8,” no other monster seems as scary or threatening in its wake.

This is a shame because “Cowboys & Aliens” could have gotten a passable grade on the performances alone. Instead of doing a riff on James Bond, Daniel Craig embodies the classic antihero that is Jake Lonergan without sugar coating him too much. Craig also reveals a strong vulnerability here underneath that rough bravado which looks through you saying:

“Let’s not mess with me today…”

Harrison Ford thankfully looks more alive here than in “Morning Glory” where he resembled a walking corpse. This is not just him doing Indiana Jones or Han Solo (the latter being the furthest thing from his mind I’m sure), and he could have gotten away with doing that. Ford makes Dolarhyde a tough and gruff man who has seen things impossible to wipe away from memory. While his role feels underwritten compared to Craig’s, it’s nice to see him in working in genres where he appears more or less to be having fun.

But the actor that truly blew me away here was Olivia Wilde’s who played the elusive Ella Swenson. This is not just due to her being ravishingly gorgeous (let’s be honest here), but I had to keep pinching myself to remind myself that she is the same person who portrayed the warrior Quorra in “Tron: Legacy.” She looks completely different here, and it’s not simply due to makeup. Along with sharing a palpable chemistry with Craig, she maintains her character’s mysterious nature to the very end, and her acting talent can no longer be easily dismissed.

I also loved all the character actors chosen for “Cowboys & Aliens” as their performances give this film an authenticity to its setting without being held prisoner to it. Clancy Brown, a long way from his “Highlander” and “Pet Sematary 2” days, is excellent as the preacher Meacham. Now this isn’t your fire breathing preacher with flames coming out of his nostrils, but a plain spoken man who speaks of God’s will without shoving it down your throat in condescending fashion.

It’s also great to see Sam Rockwell here as the saloon owner Doc. In many ways, this character could have been the gutless wimp that inhabits you average western, but Rockwell inhabits his character with a subtle humanity, keeping him from turning into a walking cliché. No, his performance doesn’t quite reach the heights of his work in “Moon” or “Choke,” but big deal! Rockwell is a welcome presence here, proving once again he’s one of the best character actors out there right now.

Keith Carradine has been celebrating some anniversaries lately, be it “Trouble In Mind’s” 25th or “Southern Comfort’s” 30th, and its welcome fun to see him here as Sheriff John Taggart. Carradine’s one of the few actors I can think of who can play a sheriff and effectively keep him from becoming a bumbling idiot. Some actors just act the part, but Keith becomes it and makes you believe he’s an officer of the law not easily corrupted.

And there’s Paul Dano, the wonderful actor who memorably played the cowardly characters in “There Will Be Blood” and “Where The Wild Things Are” among other films. For a moment, it looked like he would break typecasting here as Dolarhyde’s son Percy, looking to instill fear in the town’s inhabitants so he can get his way. Of course, Craig’s insertion of his knee into Dano’s “Mr. Happy” area is a quick reminder that he’s still stuck in cowardly territory. But he’s still a wonderful actor who does strong work here.

The actors really do a lot to elevate “Cowboys & Aliens” above the overdone western and sci-fi movie it sadly is. Director Favreau doesn’t do a bad job here, and there are good action scenes to be had. But coming out of this movie, I realized there was nothing about it that exhilarated or enthralled me. There were even times I found myself getting bored, but I didn’t look at my watch though.

Also, there are too many scenes that foreshadow what will happen later on. When Col. Dolarhyde gives the young boy his knife, you know that he will eventually use it to kill at least one alien. When the moment came where he made use of the sharp instrument, I was saying to myself:

“What took you so damn long?!”

Then there’s Sam Rockwell’s character that spends a couple of scenes learning how to shoot a gun. Of course, he’s a horrible shot, but will he get his aim straight and true when it counts? Does a bear shit in the woods?

The money’s certainly up there on the screen in “Cowboys & Aliens,” and it’s clear that the filmmakers did not slack in this production. That it comes up short is frustrating because while the cast keeps it from seeming like an average action movie, the director is unable to do the same. There are far worse movies out there this summer, and this one will still appeal to many. Still, this could have been far better than what ended up on the screen. Darn!

The one big delight I got out of “Cowboys & Aliens” came after the end credits where they had the old advertisement about visiting Universal Studios. You know this one; it was featured at the end of “Animal House” and “The Blues Brothers” among other movies. Seeing it put a smile on my face, but it would have been just perfect if the filmmakers snuck in that one line:

“Ask for Babs.”

* * ½ out of * * * *