Weekly Review Round Up 12th January 2013

THIS WEEK'S PREVIEWS

What should you spend your precious dollars on when visiting the cinema? What needs popcorn to enjoy?  And what needs waiting until DVD?

If you have seen any of these or want to see them and have a comment please feel free to share. We love hearing from our readers.

Hitchcock ★★★★

(My movie Pick of the week)

Opens in Australia: 10^th January, 2013

Other Countries: Release Information

OUR THOUGHTS

My hero as a kid was Hitchcock.  He was the master of suspense and I have vivid memories of the first time I saw Psycho when quite young. Of course, I never felt safe in the shower again. Well they didn't worry about scarring impressionable young children in those days and I also grew up watching Hammer Horror films from age six or seven and I only turned out to be a horror writer. So, not so bad.

This is a fascinating peak behind the scenes during a very difficult time for our hero Director.  I love the way film educates us in such an entertaining way.  All the actors, Helen Mirren, Anthony Hopkins and Scarlett Johannsen bring their A game.  The entire film is worth the scene where Hitchcock stands outside the first audience screening of Psycho directing the screams.  Beautiful work.  A must for Hitchcock fans.

STUDIO BLURB

HITCHCOCK is a love story about one of the most influential filmmakers of the last century, Alfred Hitchcock and his wife and partner Alma Reville. The film takes place during the making of Hitchcock's seminal movie Psycho.

Monsters Inc 3D ★★★★^½

Opens in Australia: 17^th January 2013
Other Countries: Release Information

OUR THOUGHTS

I’ve always loved this film and who doesn't own the DVD.  So you know what you are getting.  The 3D isn't anything over-the-top wonderful but it is great to see Sully and Mike on the big screen.  It simply whets our appetite for MONSTERS UNIVERSITY arriving on our screens in June 2013.

STUDIO BLURB

“Monsters, Inc.,” one of Disney•Pixar’s most beloved and visually imaginative feature films ever, returns to the big screen to delight a whole new generation of audiences and fans alike, this time in stunning 3D. The now-classic

Academy Award®-winning animated comedy adventure “Monsters, Inc.” is set in Monstropolis, a thriving company town where monsters of all shapes and sizes reside. Lovable Sulley (voiced by John Goodman) and his wisecracking best friend Mike Wazowski (voiced by Billy Crystal) are the top scare team at Monsters, Inc., the largest scream-processing factory. The main power source in the monster world is the collected screams of human children—and at Monsters, Inc., an elite team of scarers is responsible for gathering those precious natural resources. Believed by monsters to be toxic, children are strictly forbidden from entering Monstropolis. But when a little girl named Boo (voiced by Mary Gibbs) accidentally follows Sulley back into his world, he finds his career in jeopardy and his life in utter chaos. So pals Mike and Sulley plot to rectify the mistake and return Boo to her home.

But when the trio encounters an unexpected series of complications, they become embroiled in a cover-up catapulting them into a mystery beyond their wildest dreams.

Gangster Squad ★★★

Opens in Australia: 10^th January 2013

Other Countries: Release Information

OUR THOUGHTS

At the end of this film I turned to my hubby expecting him to have enjoyed this film as much as me.  But no, he shot about as many plot holes in the film as there were bullet holes in the huge on-screen body count.  By the time we got home I fully agreed with him. I had really been quite mesmerised by Ryan Gosling and hadn’t noticed anything else; like Emma Stone being very un-sexy as the gangster’s girlfriend; or the movie plot becoming more far-fetched with each new scene.  If you are a Ryan Gosling fan (and he is now officially my favourite actor—sorry Mr Gere) you will enjoy salivating.  If you are looking for another SCARFACE or THE UNTOUCHABLES, this film will disappoint.  Not terrible, just not great.

STUDIO BLURB

Los Angeles, 1949. Ruthless, Brooklyn-born mob king Mickey Cohen (Sean Penn) runs the show in this town, reaping the ill-gotten gains from the drugs, the guns, the prostitutes and-if he has his way-every wire bet placed west of Chicago. And he does it all with the protection of not only his own paid goons, but also the police and the politicians who are under his control. It's enough to intimidate even the bravest, street-hardened cop...except, perhaps, for the small, secret crew of LAPD outsiders led by Sgt. John O'Mara (Josh Brolin) and Jerry Wooters (Ryan Gosling), who come together to try to tear Cohen's world apart. -- (C) Warner Bros

Paranorman ★★★^½

Opens in Australia: 10^th January 2012

Other Countries: Release Information

OUR THOUGHTS

This stop-animation film looks like a kid’s film but be warned it has very dark themes.  The lead character talks to dead people and some of them are not so nice.  However, if your kids are not too sensitive and over ten they should appreciate this spooky little horror tale.  It’s a little different with a solid story and most parents will be grateful for that.  If you've watched Ghost Whisperer then it will seem all very familiar.

STUDIO BLURB

ParaNorman is following Coraline, the company's second stop-motion animated feature to be made in 3D. In ParaNorman, a small town comes under siege by zombies. Who can it call?  Only misunderstood local boy Norman (Kodi Smit-McPhee), who is able to speak with the dead. In addition to the zombies, he'll have to take on ghosts, witches and, worst, of all, grown-ups, to save his town from a centuries-old curse. But this young ghoul whisperer may find his paranormal activities pushed to their otherworldly limits. -- (C) Focus

What have you seen this week? Did you find our comments helpful or do you disagree? Share your thoughts with us.