Popcorn Pick 9-17-10

Is the devil among us? Apparently, as evidenced by the new horror movie being released today, called... Devil. Evidently the king of all evil likes to reside in crowded elevators, playing on people's fears and suspicions and driving them to terrible acts. It's even worse than when someone farts. The story follows five strangers stuck in an elevator as weird things start happening and they come to the conclusion that one of them must be the devil himself. It's being advertised as an M. Night Shyamalan film, but the famous director really just writes and produces this piece. The director is a no-name, as is most of the cast, which is smart- it allows the viewers to focus on the story, which promises suspense and mind-bending intrigue. Whether or not it delivers has yet to be seen.

(Also out this week, check out The Town, an Oscar hopeful directed by and starring Ben Affleck [Gone Baby Gone], about a Bostonian bank robber trying to change his ways after he falls in love. The film also stars Jeremy Renner [The Hurt Locker], Jon Hamm [Mad Men], and Rebecca Hall [Vicky Cristina Barcelona]. Looks to be one of the better dramas out this season.)

Popcorn Pick 9-10-10

Still waiting for those good fall movies to come out. While you wait, enjoy Resident Evil: Afterlife, the fourth film in the franchise based on the popular video games. Milla Jovovich returns to kick some more zombie ass and jump off of really tall buildings and other cool stunts. But this time it's in 3-D, so it's different. For fans of the series only, for everyone else it's just another zombie movie with hot chicks. Speaking of, the cast also includes Ali Larter (Heroes).

Popcorn Pick 9-3-10

Nothing really exciting this week, but this Pick will probably be worth a good laugh or two. The last-minute summer comedy Going the Distance stars real-life couple Drew Barrymore and Justin Long as a couple who decide to start a long-distance relationship. This theme of love and trust is very common in real-life but strangely rare in the movies, so I'm excited to see if this offers a fresh take on the romantic comedy genre. The PG-13 concept is surprisingly, rated R, due mainly to the promising supporting cast, which includes Christina Applegate, Jason Sudeikis (Saturday Night Live), Charlie Day (It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia), and comedian Jim Gaffigan.

Popcorn Pick 8-27-10

This time of year is so awkward for movies. We're right between summer and fall, all the big blockbusters have already come out, and all the big fall movies are being kept for Thanksgiving. Now all we're getting are the seasonal rejects that just needed a release date. I can't bring myself to recommend any of the new releases coming out, be it the lame heist thriller Takers or the no-buzz horror The Last Exorcism. However, there is one film coming out that I can suggest because it's not a new release, but actually a re-release.

Avatar: Special Edition features 9 additional minutes of never-before-seen footage that add on to the story and of course the lush visual imagery of this already-impressive film. That's right: the Oscar-winning sci-fi epic that went on to become the biggest movie of all time is being re-released exclusively in 3-D and IMAX 3-D with new scenes. The project was personally overseen by James Cameron and is only out for a limited time. This will be released on DVD, except that version will have 16 additional minutes, which means that by the end there will actually be three different versions of the film. Obviously this won't make a big mark on the box office, being that the film originally came out less than a year ago, but if you were a big fan, and you didn't mind its very long running time, this is a chance to see it on the big screen one more time.

Popcorn Pick 8-20-10

How can you possibly describe Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World? If it's not impossible, it's at least very difficult. Michael Cera plays a geeky kid (surprise, surprise) who falls for a punk girl. As soon as their romance starts up, he discovers she has seven evil ex-boyfriends with superpowers, who all want to kill him for touching the love of their lives. In order to stay with her, he must face them in battle and defeat them. This action-comedy spoofs- and is done in the style of- old pixelly video games from the '90s. If that doesn't make any sense, just watch the trailer, or better yet, go see the movie; it's one that must be experienced. The youthful and enthusiastic cast includes Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Live Free or Die Hard), Kieran Culkin (Macaulay's brother), Anna Kendrick (Up in the Air), and Chris Evans (Fantastic Four).

Popcorn Pick 8-13-10

This week, given the choices of new movies, I couldn't help but do a double Pick. Hitting cinemas this week are two movies that couldn't be more different from one another. One is a testosterone-infused action romp strictly for men, and a sweet romantic dramedy for the ladies. So if you are your significant other are looking for a movie to see together, maybe you two can compromise and make it a double feature!

For the ladies, comes the much-anticipated Eat Pray Love, the adaptation of the hugely popular true-story book, starring one of the biggest movie stars in the world, Julia Roberts. She plays a depressed divorcee who travels around the world for a year to discover herself and have the adventure she always wanted. Along the way she indulges in food and tries to stay away from men. The film co-stars Billy Crudup (Watchmen), James Franco, Richard Jenkins (The Visitor), and Javier Bardem (No Country For Old Men).

For the guys, there's an old-school action movie set in the jungle and filled with huge muscley guys and big guns. This, of course, is The Expendables. Any semblance of a plot is thrown out the window to make way for explosions and cool stunts. Sylvester Stallone directs and leads an impressive ensemble cast that includes Mickey Rourke (Iron Man 2), Jet Li, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, Jason Statham, and Randy Couture (The Scorpion King 2). One scene featuring cameos from action-movie legends Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger should make the whole thing worth it.

Popcorn Pick 8-6-10

Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg team up for the first time ever for this late-summer buddy-cop action comedy, which looks to be the funniest film of the season. The plot is exactly as you'd imagine it to be: the two are mismatched police partners that go out on patrol to take down a large financial embezzler. The awesome cast also includes Eva Mendes, Michael Keaton, Samuel L. Jackson, and Dwayne Johnson. Watch the trailer online to see why this movie looks so promising.