10 Movies to Watch this Fall/Winter: Les Miserables

By: Robert Acosta

It seems like the Musicals genre has faded away. Fewer and fewer musicals have been coming out over the years, and even ones that have musical elements to it have been considered to be other genres instead. But make no mistake, Les Miserables is a Musical. From novel to Broadway play to the big screen, Les Miserables will be worth a watch.

A star studded cast including Anne Hathaway, Hugh Jackman and many more, Les Miserables follows Hugh Jackmans character, a prisoner set free from jail trying to make a new life for himself.

A movie that looks like it will combine a great story with a good musical and great heartfelt performances is a movie that cannot be missed. I've been to a few Broadway shows and you can certainly feel the emotions that these kind of plays can produce, and the adaptation of Les Miserables could very well be a powerful production.

Les Miserables hits theaters on December 14th. 

35,000 Page views later...

The picture says it all. While we can keep tabs on exactly how many page views we get, it feels like it's been sky rocketing as of late, and now we've reached a milestone:

35,000 PAGE VIEWS!!!!!!

It's a milestone we could have never envisioned, something we wanted to shoot for but never saw coming to fruition. Well today (approximately after 2:00 am) we got out 35,000th page view.

We at The Movie Spot would like to thank you, the viewer, the audience, the critic in your own right, for tuning in to reviews and news and everything.

We hope to continue providing excellence to this blog!

Al Pacino to play Joe Paterno in Bio-flick

By: Robert Acosta

As it happens all the time in America, when a big scandal happens, Hollywood is on alert. Less than a year removed from the Penn State child sex abuse scandal, a movie is in the works to follow Joe Paterno.

What exactly will be covered in this movie? Nothing has been said of this movie except for Al Pacino being cast as Joe Paterno. But the obvious answer would be, the sex abuse scandal will be front and center. Hollywood is ready to milk this story for every penny it's worth, and I couldn't despise a movie idea more than I do this one.

For a movie of this class, personal views have to be taken in consideration. I have, and always will be, on Joe Paternos side, and I can only hope a movie like this does not get made. 

New trailer (kinda) for Breaking Dawn Part 2

By: Robert Acosta

While i'll never be a fan of the Twilight series and everything surrounding it, it's partly my job to bring things like this to you. Last night at the MTV VMAs, a new trailer/clip premiered of Breaking Dawn part 2 (the end  is near!!).

It looks like it's going to be packing some more action than usual, which is going to attract about 0 new fans. Nonetheless, i'm sure people will rejoice about it being over more than the sad fans will cry about it. 

10 Movies to watch this Fall/Winter: The Hobbit

By: Robert Acosta:

While i've been somewhat forced to see The Hobbit trailers (they play them in front of every movie) over the last year, I can still say it's a movie to look out. Coming in mid-December, there really will be almost nothing else to watch, but that's not the only reason to go watch it. If you're a fan of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, then this is going to be something you must see.

A prequel to the trilogy, The Hobbit: The Unexpected Journey follows Bilbo Baggins in his pursuit of a stolen treasure. The journey is difficult and cannot be done alone so Baggins brings along a group of malicious dwarves.

Directed by Peter Jackson (director of the Lord of the Rings trilogy) is back to keep things familiar and in good hands. It was a good sign that Jackson returned to not only direct this film but the 2 future Hobbit films after, cementing that much won't change from the LOTR films. Expect action, expect a good story, good adventure and Gollum. Lots of Gollum.

The Hobbit: The Unexpected Journey hits theaters on December 14th.

Kick Ass 2 casting news!

By: Robert Acosta

Since the release of the hit comic/action/comedy flick Kick Ass, details have been somewhat mum on Kick Ass 2: Balls to the Wall. So, let's catch you up.

Kick Ass 2 does have a release date. Right now, it's scheduled to drop on June 28th, 2013.

In terms of casting, Aaron Johnson (Kick Ass himself), Chloe Moretz (the ever popular, Hit Girl) and Christopher Mintz-Plasse (Red Mist) are all set to return for the sequel.

In terms of new casting, we have a few veteran actors joining. John Leguizamo, Morris Chestnut and Donald Faison have all signed on for roles in the film.

In terms of the newest cast member, as of today, we have a big name joining their crew. Jim Carrey has signed on to play Colonel Stars.

Take that news as you will, Kick Ass 2 looks like it's coming full swing. 

Celeste and Jesse Forever Review

By: Robert Acosta

Cast:
Rashida Jones as Celeste
Andy Samberg as Jesse

Elijah Wood as Scott
Ari Graynor as Beth

Plot: A divorcing couple try to stay friends after everything that has happened but learn it's much more difficult than planned.

Review: You never really know what you're going to get with limited movies. Limited meaning the movie isn't available in most theaters, including most of the major theaters. I actually had to go to a movie theater I hadn't been to in almost a decade, kind of nice. You're probably asking yourself, why does this matter? Well for me, it kind of helps to setup the movie, it helps the "feel" of the movie.

Celeste and Jesse Forever follows Celeste (Rashida Jones) and Jesse' (Andy Samberg) divorce and how they try to make it work afterwards. At first, it seems easy to stay best friends. They still live together (technically) and see each other every day and do everything together. After a while, mostly after their friends pointing how weird it is, they realize it's not healthy to keep going on like that, and attempt to go their separate ways.

Jones and Samberg's chemistry is as good as it gets. Like real best friends, they do things only they can understand, that only they really find funny and it all works, looks natural. I can respect these kind of performances a bit more than a movie that is released everywhere just based on how small the audiences are for this movie.

Individually, you see a lot more of Rashida Jones character than Andy Samberg' and while i'm not saying she "carried" the movie, she put a great performance forward on her own. You see her play of the levels of a divorce very naturally, as does Samberg. While you don't see Samberg as much, you do see a quicker version of what he's going through and uses his screen time pretty well, although a bit limited. 

The supporting cast includes Ari Graynor, Eric Christian Olsen and Elijah Wood. Graynor and Olsen play the engaged friends of Celeste and Jesse. They play the logical, sane people trying to talk sense into both Celeste and Jesse. Wood plays the boss of Jones, the apparently gay boss of Jones, who provides one of the funnier moments of the movie as he tries to cheer Jones up.

For a pretty serious situation, Celeste and Jesse Forever ends up being pretty funny as well. The movie manages to make you feel sympathy for the main characters while also keeping it light-hearted and comical at the same time.

Overall, if you can watch it at a local theater playing it, you should go watch it. Running at about 1 hour and 30 minutes, you'll enjoy it thoroughly.

Rating: 4 out of 5 

DVD Releases September 4th

By: Robert Acosta

NOTE: Blue means movie/TV show available Blu Ray and DVD

Movie/TV Releases- September 4th

• Five Year Engagement Plan
• Safe
• Piranha 3DD
• The Office (Season 8)
• Bored to Death (Season 3)
• Hung (Season 3)
• Grey's Anatomy (Season 8)

September 7th

• Harry Potter Wizards' Collection (31 Discs!)

September 10th

• Titanic
• Titanic 3D
• Titanic Collector's Edition (4 discs)

A nice week of movies and TV shows coming out. Being in the first week of September, a lot of big name shows are coming out with their previous seasons on DVD/Blu-ray as a way to plug the upcoming seasons. This week, The Office, Bored to Death, Hung and Grey's Anatomy all come out with their previous seasons. As a fan of The Office (and with the upcoming season being the final season), I would pick this up in a heart beat.

In the movies section, Five Year Engagement Plan, Safe and Piranha 3DD comes out today. Avoid Piranha 3DD at all expense. It may actually be the worst movie I've ever seen. And I've seen way too many movies. Five Year Engagement Plan is a comedy starring Jason Segal and Emily Blunt as an engaged couple whose lives take them in opposite directions as they try to get married.

Later on in the week, new collectors edition of Harry Potter and Titanic come out. The Harry Potter Wizards Collection features all 8 movies packed in 31 discs, which means....wait for it.... A TON OF SPECIAL FEATURES!!!!!!! This Sunday, Titanic Collector's Edition comes out and while it'll still be packed with special features, i'd rather have the Harry Potter collection.

Michael Clarke Duncan passes away at age 54

                                      By: Robert Acosta

It's sad to report things like this, Michael Clarke Duncan passing at the age of 54. Duncan suffered a heart attack a couple of months back and was still rehabbing from that and was not able to make a full recovery.

It's sad on a few levels. Sad because of how young he was, how he looked to have a clean bill of health and sad because he was a great actor who seemed to have his head on straight, remained out of the tabloids, from all the negative press.

Duncan is best known for his roles the movies: The Green Mile, Sin City, Planet of the Apes and Armageddon. Rest in Peace, Michael Clarke Duncan.

September Movie Releases

By: Robert Acosta

After a small hiatus away from The Movie Spot, we're back and ready to go! This summer was filled with great movies, some of which saw the end of a trilogy (Batman), the beginning to a new one (Amazing Spider-Man) and a talking teddy bear (Ted). Now, we move to the fall. And while some of the better movies of the Fall come out closer towards the end of Fall, September has a decent lineup of movies to check out:

(*)- Denotes limited movie
September 7th

• The Words
• The Cold Light of Day
• Bachelorette (*)
• REC 3 (*)

Septmber 14th

• Resident Evil: Retribution
• Finding Nemo 3D
• The Master
• Liberal Arts

September 21st

• Dredd 3D
• End of Watch
• House at the End of the Street
• Trouble with the Curve

September 28th

• Looper
• Hotel Translyvania
• Won't Back Down

This month certainly has a good variety of movies, along with a lot of big name actors/actresses. Clint Eastwood, Milla Jovovich, Joseph Gordon Levitt, Jake Gyllenhaal, Jennifer Lawrence, etc.

In the first week, the along awaited drama/romance flick: The Words comes out. I've been seeing trailers for this movie for almost a year now and it may end up being one of the better films of the year. While seeing the trailer so much may kill the buzz surrounding the movie, the plot alone may save the movie. A writer (Bradley Cooper) is having trouble getting his work published, until he steals the work of a deceased writer.

The 2nd week boasts two movies that are sure to grab a lot of money in the box office, Resident Evil: Retribution and Finding Nemo 3D. It's been 9 years since the release of Finding Nemo and although they are 1 year short of making this really special, who doesn't want to see this movie again on the big screen? As for Resident Evil, it's a franchise marred with shotty screen writing, and not so great translation from video game to movie. However, I did enjoy RE: Afterlife and think that this series may be heading in the right direction.

Heading into the 2nd half of September, the 3rd week in particular may have the best lineup. Dredd 3D is a reboot of the failed 1995 Judge Dredd movie starring Sylvester Stallone. Karl Urban will be holding up the law in this one as Dredd. This can't be any worse than the 95' version right? End of Watch stars Jake Gyllenhall and Michael Pena as two city cops who bust a drug cartel and now face the consequences. Trailers of the movie show how gritty and fast paced this movie looks like it will be, and if so it'll be one of the more enjoyable movies of the year.

Finally, Looper makes it way to theaters on September 28th. Coming off the heels of The Dark Knight Rises, Joseph Gordon-Levitt follows up with Looper, a Sci-fi/action flick that follows JGL as a hitman who offs people in the past to prevent what they do in the future. It has an interesting premise and a certainly a great cast (JGL, Bruce Willis, Emily Blunt) and it looks like it could end up being of the better movies of the year.