Friday, October 5 2012, 01:57 PM MDT
Box Office: Recommended Films October 5 to October 11, 2012
Recommended films showing in Salt Lake City for the week of October 5 – October 11, 2012
Mainstream
1. Looper (R)
2. The Dark Knight Rises (PG-13)
3. The Avengers (PG-13)
4. Prometheus (R)
5. Lawless (R)
Family
1. Frankenweenie (PG)
2. Finding Nemo 3D (G)
3. ParaNorman (PG)
4. Won’t Back Down (PG)a
5. Hotel Transylvania (PG)
Art House
1. Beats of the Southern Wild (PG-13)
2. Moonrise Kingdom (PG-13)
3. The Perks of Being a Wallflower (PG-13)
4. Sleepwalk with Me (NR)
5. Liberal Arts (NR)
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
4 out of 5 Stars
Director • Stephen Chbosky
Starring • Logan Lerman, Emma Watson and Ezra Miller
Rated • PG-13
Recommended to • Those in search of a good coming-of-age drama with an extremely talented cast.
Charlie (Logan Lerman) is a dysfunctional teen with a history of depression looking for the strength and friendships to turn his life around. His first year of high school starts off horribly until he’s befriended by a pair of outcast seniors, Patrick (Ezra Miller) and his stepsister Sam (Emma Watson).
Watching “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” was a nostalgic experience. I couldn’t help but find pieces of myself, friends and people I knew in high school. A life fueled by a strange mixture of fatality and hope lingering in every inconsequential or life redefining moment. It doesn’t hurt that a David Bowie track plays a pivotal role in the plot or that guitarist Michael Brook provides a tone-perfect score. Were it not for a unnecessary twist thrown in at the end I’d call “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” perfect.
Frankenweenie
4 out of 5 Stars
Director • Tim Burton
Starring • Winona Ryder, Catherine O’Hara and Martin Short
Rated • PG
Recommended to • Those looking for a quirky Halloween film made by people who actually love monster movies.
When Victor Frankenstein’s beloved dog Sparky is struck and killed by a car Victor attempts to bring him back to life through his latest science project.
In 1984 director Tim Burton made a short film called “Frankenweenie,” 28 years later the idea has been expanded into a feature length film and it works marvelously. Filled with references to classic horror films through the ages (we’re talking everything from “The Bride of Frankenstein” to “Gremlins”) the film is essentially a love letter to the films that inspired Burton and his purest, most personal film since “Ed Wood.” It easily trumps “Hotel Transylvania” in every regard.
Pitch Perfect
3 out of 5 Stars
Director • Jason Moore
Starring • Anna Kendrick, Brittany Snow and Rebel Wilson
Rated • PG-13
Recommended to • Those looking for a fun, but predictable coming of age a cappella.
Beca (Anna Kendrick) wants to skip college in favor of heading off to Los Angeles where she can begin cutting her teeth on the music scene in hopes of someday becoming a world-class producer. To satisfy her father she gives college a shot and eventually falls in with an all-girl a cappella group in dire need of a new sense of direction, particularly if they’re going to beat their male rivals.
“Pitch Perfect” doesn’t exactly bring anything new to the table, but it does offer a couple hours of solid entertainment. The cast, particularly Kendrick and Rebel Wilson (as the scene stealing Fat Amy), are extremely likeable and while the story is overly formulaic and entirely too predictable the film still works better than “Joyful Noise,” a film with a similar trajectory. I wish it was smarter and less saturated by clichés, but the film’s success might help drag Kendrick out into the spotlight that she absolutely deserves.
(Copyright 2012 Sinclair Broadcasting Group.)
Mainstream
1. Looper (R)
2. The Dark Knight Rises (PG-13)
3. The Avengers (PG-13)
4. Prometheus (R)
5. Lawless (R)
Family
1. Frankenweenie (PG)
2. Finding Nemo 3D (G)
3. ParaNorman (PG)
4. Won’t Back Down (PG)a
5. Hotel Transylvania (PG)
Art House
1. Beats of the Southern Wild (PG-13)
2. Moonrise Kingdom (PG-13)
3. The Perks of Being a Wallflower (PG-13)
4. Sleepwalk with Me (NR)
5. Liberal Arts (NR)
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
4 out of 5 Stars
Director • Stephen Chbosky
Starring • Logan Lerman, Emma Watson and Ezra Miller
Rated • PG-13
Recommended to • Those in search of a good coming-of-age drama with an extremely talented cast.
Charlie (Logan Lerman) is a dysfunctional teen with a history of depression looking for the strength and friendships to turn his life around. His first year of high school starts off horribly until he’s befriended by a pair of outcast seniors, Patrick (Ezra Miller) and his stepsister Sam (Emma Watson).
Watching “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” was a nostalgic experience. I couldn’t help but find pieces of myself, friends and people I knew in high school. A life fueled by a strange mixture of fatality and hope lingering in every inconsequential or life redefining moment. It doesn’t hurt that a David Bowie track plays a pivotal role in the plot or that guitarist Michael Brook provides a tone-perfect score. Were it not for a unnecessary twist thrown in at the end I’d call “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” perfect.
Frankenweenie
4 out of 5 Stars
Director • Tim Burton
Starring • Winona Ryder, Catherine O’Hara and Martin Short
Rated • PG
Recommended to • Those looking for a quirky Halloween film made by people who actually love monster movies.
When Victor Frankenstein’s beloved dog Sparky is struck and killed by a car Victor attempts to bring him back to life through his latest science project.
In 1984 director Tim Burton made a short film called “Frankenweenie,” 28 years later the idea has been expanded into a feature length film and it works marvelously. Filled with references to classic horror films through the ages (we’re talking everything from “The Bride of Frankenstein” to “Gremlins”) the film is essentially a love letter to the films that inspired Burton and his purest, most personal film since “Ed Wood.” It easily trumps “Hotel Transylvania” in every regard.
Pitch Perfect
3 out of 5 Stars
Director • Jason Moore
Starring • Anna Kendrick, Brittany Snow and Rebel Wilson
Rated • PG-13
Recommended to • Those looking for a fun, but predictable coming of age a cappella.
Beca (Anna Kendrick) wants to skip college in favor of heading off to Los Angeles where she can begin cutting her teeth on the music scene in hopes of someday becoming a world-class producer. To satisfy her father she gives college a shot and eventually falls in with an all-girl a cappella group in dire need of a new sense of direction, particularly if they’re going to beat their male rivals.
“Pitch Perfect” doesn’t exactly bring anything new to the table, but it does offer a couple hours of solid entertainment. The cast, particularly Kendrick and Rebel Wilson (as the scene stealing Fat Amy), are extremely likeable and while the story is overly formulaic and entirely too predictable the film still works better than “Joyful Noise,” a film with a similar trajectory. I wish it was smarter and less saturated by clichés, but the film’s success might help drag Kendrick out into the spotlight that she absolutely deserves.
(Copyright 2012 Sinclair Broadcasting Group.)
