Pop Culture Princess

Pop Culture Princess
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Tuesday, March 01, 2016

Seeing what's springing to life at the Movie Trailer Park

Now that the Oscars are over and done with(a pretty decent show there,by the way), it's time to look forward to what's next on the cinematic horizon in these movie merry months of spring.

Sure, there will be the expected sequels and winter leftover clunkers yet I do think that some popcorn worthy fun is out there. First up is 10 Cloverfield Lane, which swears up and down that it's not a sequel to 2008's Cloverfield and based upon the trailer, that does seem to be the case.

Mary Elizabeth Winstead stars as Michelle, a woman who, along with fellow captive Emmet(John Gallagher Jr.),has serious doubts about the reasons that the survivalist holding them in his underground bunker(John Goodman) is actually protecting them from a mysterious danger above.

 The ad campaign on this movie has been very subtle, making this story look rather twisted Twilight Zone-ish. That alone is a nice change of pace from the usual strong hammer approach given to genre fare and hopefully, it's actually as good as it looks:


MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING 2: This is a follow-up that's a long time in coming as we check in on Toula and Ian(Nia Vardalos and John Corbett) who are seeing their daughter Paris get ready for college and discover that Toula's parents were never officially wed, so another major wedding is in order.

I have sentimental feelings towards this sequel, as I saw the original on board a plane heading home from my trip to England back in 2002. It was a really sweet but not sappy movie with a sincere romance that resonated strongly with audiences.

 One of the positive points in this second go-round's favor is that it's the grandparents getting married(or re-married,as it happens) and not the daughter. Also, a lot of the original cast is back (yes, even Joey Fatone) and the style of humor with it's family focused energy appears to hold up well. Yes, it's a sequel but it might make for a good time to share with that special someone in your life:


KEANU: Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele bring their off-beat sense of humor to the big screen as a pair of pals looking to rescue their beloved kitten Keanu from the clutches of a street gang.

Joining them in this quest is Gabrielle Union, Will Forte and Method Man and as a fan of their former Comedy Central show, I'm so thrilled to see Key and Peele have this showcase that lets them share their comedic genius with a wider audience.

The whole thing seems like a parody of those "find my kidnapped wife/daughter/lover" action flicks that their idol Liam Neeson is so fond of starring in. I really hope that Neeson makes a cameo here or someone like him at least:


 THE BOSS: Melissa McCarthy stars as Danielle Darnell, a disgraced business mogul who ,after her release from prison due to insider trading, winds up living with her former put-upon personal assistant Claire(Kristen Bell).

When Claire demands that Michelle be a little helpful around the house by getting her daughter to her troop meeting on time, things get more hectic than they already are. Michelle uses her devious business savvy to take charge and forms her own troop of girls to compete with the snooty official pack in a brutal brownie sale.

This looks like a lot of fun, as McCarthy gets to cut loose with a character of her own creation(she co-wrote the script and the lead character is based on one she dreamed up during her Groundlings days) and Bell promises to make a nice partner in comedic crime with her:


As we wrap this up, it's best not to ignore the oncoming juggernaut that is Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice. As much as I do want to like and anticipate such a promising comic book come to life match-up, my doubts are still lingering mightily.

For the record, Affleck will most likely be a good Batman and I've already accepted Cavill's Man of Steel but despite the nifty action scenes in this "final trailer", I sense a whiff of DC desperation in the air. The studio is practically screaming "Like us-we're as good as Marvel movies, maybe even better!"

For one thing, Jesse Eisenberg's Lex Luthor is rather underwhelming and while I can deal with a Lex that still has his hair, his pseudo-smarmy persona is extremely off putting. Gal Gadot does look awesome as Wonder Woman(really waiting for that movie to arrive in theaters like now!) and perhaps it'll be worth just to see her launch off into her own cinematic empire:


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