Tiptoe Through The Tulips

The highly anticipated sequel to the 2010 horror film “Insidious” might have broken records over the weekend opening on Friday the 13^th, but the low budget film has audiences feeling a bit underwhelmed. “Insidious: Chapter 2” finds the Lambert family exactly where we last saw them: on the verge of being murdered by the dark bride who has inhabited Josh’s body, played by Patrick Wilson. But instead of this happening, the family believes that someone else has murdered paranormal investigator Elise played by Lin Shaye and they decide to return to Josh’s childhood home where odd things start to happen. Sound familiar? Rose Byrne returns as Renai Lambert, the matriarch of the family who is trying to believe her husband Patrick Wilson, who promises that everything will be alright if they just ignore the ghosts that keep appearing. Barbara Hershey also returns as Lorraine Lambert, Josh’s mother, who is trying to remember more about her son’s past with the paranormal. While this movie wasn’t a complete disappointment, some of the plot elements just didn’t make any sense.

The flashbacks to Josh’s unexplained childhood was a high point in the movie, as well as the music and the new settings; however, the film’s downfall were the obvious flaws in the premise and the lack of scares caused by keeping audience in the dark by not showing what characters were seeing. Gone from the sequel are the infamous demon with hooves and his creepy rendition of Tiny Tim’s “Tiptoe through the Tulips.” Another odd thing was the PG-13 rating, which was no doubt in favor of getting a younger audience to drive the $41 million opening weekend sales. While there were definitely a few creepy moments that caused jolts, “Insidous: Chapter 2” failed to ignite both the fear and curiosity of the first film by basically repeating the story and adding time travel to the mix. The much campier approach didn’t really help either, with audiences laughing more than screaming. If the first film had shades of “Poltergeist,” the second is filled with “Psycho” references as the dark bride’s past is uncovered. It’s clear that the inevitable “Chapter 3” will introduce a new family and follow Elise as she tries to help victims from the Further.

Mr. Big Stuff

Last week marked the opening night for the new Broadway show “Big Fish,” which centers on the life of a man who is known for stretching the truth when it comes to telling bed time stories of his past to his son. Based on the 2003 Tim Burton film of the same name, “Big Fish” tells the story of Edward Bloom, a man too big for the small town he grew up in and who ventures off with a giant to find the life he envisioned from a witch. In reality, Bloom was a traveling salesman who lived life to the fullest by joining the circus, saving his hometown, and even marrying the girl of his dreams: Sandra. The film has been compared to the likes of “Forest Gump,” but with a more whimsical approach that aims at enchanting viewers with an all-star cast including Ewan McGregor and Jessica Lange among others. Both the play and the film flash through special events in Bloom’s life till the very end with his now grown son trying to decipher what his father has told him from fact and fiction. This father-son drama was one of the best shows since “Wicked,” with its big heart and fantasy this fairytale will surely charm audiences by the herd. “Big Fish” has succeeded in reminding theater goers why we come see shows in the first place: for an experience that’s richer, funnier, and bigger than life itself.

Not Ready To Make Nice

Romantic drama “Silver Linings Playbook,” which was released as a film last year, was first a novel written by Mathew Quick that tells the story of Pat Peoples played by Bradley Cooper, a former teacher who moves back into his parent’s house following a stay at a mental institution. The details of his past slowly come back to his memory during his quest to “end apart time” with his estranged wife Nikki as he forms an unlikely friendship with Tiffany played by Jennifer Lawrence, a promiscuous dancer who lost her husband. Pat’s family is obsessed with the Philadelphia Eagles, so much so that his father’s mood often relies solely on how their season is going, forcing further complications with his mother. Pat spends a good deal of his time working out and improving his personality in order to win back Nikki, but as the story progresses it becomes clear that a reunion is less likely.

Although a great deal of the book’s premise revolved around football, readers don’t have to necessarily be diehard sports fans to enjoy reading about the tailgates, scores, and camaraderie of it all. And while Pat refers to his life as a movie, the book is not as light-hearted as the film with Pat being in “the bad place” for four years instead of eight months and his father played by Robert De Niro refusing to have a relationship with Pat and not the other way around. There is also the dance competition which Pat and the older Tiffany perform against children and not “Dancing with the Stars” knockoffs. The film initially opened as a limited release last September but slowly became a sleeper hit, grossing over $236 million worldwide due in large part to both Cooper and Lawrence’s critical reception and the success of their current franchise films. The movie went on to win several awards, including Lawrence’s Academy Award for her role while the novel has become a best seller.

Live Fast, Die Young, Bad Girls Do It Well

Foul-mouthed action comedy “The Heat” is being touted as the first all-female buddy-cop film to ever surface on the big screen, and audiences can’t seem get enough of it. Sandra Bullock stars as an uptight FBI agent who is partnered with a foul-mouthed Boston cop played by Melissa McCarthy. The duo must stop a Russian drug lord that is taking over the Boston area thanks to dishonest teens and dirty cops. Although it wasn’t the funniest movie in recent years, it’s just what this action-packed summer needed: a little comedy. Both McCarthy and Bullock’s timing were on point and the hot Boston heat serves as the perfect backdrop for a summer hit. Bullock’s performance was similar to her recent stints as a high-strung editor in “The Proposal” or as a neurotic assistant in “Two Weeks Notice,” yet these resemblances were overlooked by the laugh-out-loud moments fueled by her character.

Although the R-rated comedy has some graphic violence that is reminiscent of 2008’s “Pineapple Express,” McCarthy’s crude language should take most of the blame. After stealing the show in 2011’s “Bridesmaids,” McCarthy’s popularity has increased dramatically making her a household name and this film only continues to prove it. The action comedy opened on June 28^th with $40 million, which is not too bad considering its competition. “White House Down,” the summer’s second failed action film about a terrorist plot against the nation’s capital, was unable to beat “The Heat.” Given the film’s success, a sequel is expected to showcase even more ridiculous anecdotes and incompatible awkwardness between Bullock and McCarthy. “The Heat” is drunk, crude, and hysterical with its funniest moments coming from the two leads physical comedy.

Born Again

Action-adventure “Bourne Legacy” continues writer Robert Ludlum’s saga of Jason Bourne played by Matt Damon, but replaces it’s lead actor with a new character that’s spices things up in the sometimes slow-paced summer blockbuster. Jeremy Renner stars as Aaron Cross, another member of the Treadstone Project working with the Department of Defense who is trying desperately to stay alive after his company starts targeting him along with every other hired assassin. This time around has much more Science with Rachel Weisz starring as Dr. Marta Shearing, a scientist working for Treadstone and responsible for creating the medication that the assassins take, which alters their chromosomes and heightens their senses, physical abilities and mental concentration. This movie takes place during the events of the past three installments, with Jason Bourne going rogue after losing his memory and ending all ties with his employer.

This causes Treadstone to wipe out the assassin project by getting rid of all evidence including killing everyone involved. While the beginning of the film was very slow-paced compared to the other movies in the series, the story started to pick up once Renner and Weisz came face-to-face. Edward Norton also stars as Eric Byer, an angry supervisor at Treadstone who will stop at nothing to cover up all evidence of the project. “Bourne Legacy” made nearly $40 million in its opening weekend on August 8, 2012 and continues to perform well. While Damon declined to make a cameo in this movie, his presence is still very much noted in the News coverage being watched by the characters. There are also plenty of familiar faces including Joan Allen as Pamela Landy. “Bourne Legacy” succeeds in keeping the original formula of the last three installments intact and adding plenty of new and interesting characters who can no doubt continue the series.

No Sleep Tonight

Chilling psychological thriller “Before I Go to Sleep” by first-time author S. J. Watson remains one of those few books that you just can’t put done. The novel tells the story of 47-year-old Christine Lucas who wakes each day in a place she does not know and next to a man she does not recognize as her husband. She stares into her bathroom mirror at the labeled pictures surrounding her not knowing how she has aged twenty years after suffering head injuries in an accident during her twenties. The book follows the formula of a diary written by the amnesiac herself, but with the beginning of each chapter the reader almost immediately forgets that they are reading a journal because the story is written so well. After meeting with Dr. Nash, who contacted her about doing a study on her illness, Christine begins to keep the journal in order to see if it helps her to remember what she had done the day before. In doing so she finds out about her life, her past and ultimately that her husband, Ben, isn’t telling her everything.

With plenty of twists and turns, “Before I Go to Sleep” will have you up all night thinking about what will happen next to Christine or what she will learn about the missing twenty years from her life. Can she trust the man she married or the doctor she is seeing behind his back? Or are these paranoid feelings just more symptoms of her illness? The book was published in the spring of 2011 by the Dublin native with one critic calling it “quite simply the best debut ever.” It reached number seven on the “New York Times Bestseller’s List,” making Watson the highest debut for a British author since “Harry Potter” writer J. K. Rowling. It has been reported that “Alien” producer and writer Ridley Scott has purchased the rights to adapt this novel into a film and has tapped Rowan Joffe to direct. Although many fans of the book call the ending “obvious” and “hurried,” some were generally shocked at the turn of events that occurred, which you’ll have to read for yourself.

It’s Time To Meet The Muppets

It’s time to play the music, its time to light the lights, it’s time to meet the Muppets on “The Muppet Show” tonight. Long before the world of lovesick ogors, Sponge Bob Square Pants and voiceless mermaids there existed a show that relied solely on a group of puppets. In their first movie in over a decade, family comedy “The Muppets” brings audiences back to a time when the Muppets brought laughter to audiences across the globe. Jim Henson’s “The Muppets” first appeared on the show “Sam and Friends” in 1955 and have since created countless films and television series including “The Muppet Show” which aired on CBS from 1976 to 1981.

In the groups’ newest installment, Kermit the Frog finds himself a victim of fraud as he has unknowingly agreed to sell the original Muppet Studios to be knocked down along with each character’s trademark names. Now, with the help of Walter, his brother Gary, played by Jason Segal, and his girlfriend Mary, played by Amy Adams, Kermit must get the rest of the gang back together and put on one last show in order to raise the money needed to save the studios. There’s only one problem: “The Muppets aren’t famous anymore.”

The success of this film could argue otherwise as “The Muppets” brought in over $150 million after opening last November. With plenty of cheesy jokes and choreographed dancing, this film got its best laughs when it wasn’t afraid to make fun of itself. The movie’s story was written by actor Jason Segal who also won an Academy Award for one of the many songs sung throughout the film. Though Segal will not take part in the sequel that has already been announced, the Muppets have certainly made a comeback with this movie becoming the most successful film of the series.

The Lady In The Blue Dress

Daniele Radcliffe’s first post-“Harry Potter” film debuted this month and while the trailer made it seem like the horror flick would scare audiences into seeing it, the movie itself lacked any thrill. “The Woman in Black” centers on a young widower, Radcliffe, who is assigned to find the last will and testament of the former occupants of a secluded house in the early Twentieth Century. The unwelcoming townspeople believe that if you see the woman in black, she will appear to a child who is doomed to kill themselves. If it were not for the high pitch of the woman’s screams or the way she handles a rocking chair, there is truly little to fear about her.

Radcliffe’s character is also suffering from both the death of his wife during childbirth and his financial issues with his firm. He is forced to continue his search for the sake of his own son even after town’s children begin to die in front of him and reappear as ghosts. With so many opportunities to branch out the storyline and include other characters into the back story, this horror film chose to not stray too far from the most obvious plot. The movie does win points for its creepy use of old dolls and a visually stunning set, but this doesn’t make up for the writer’s lack of exploration even if the film is based on the Susan Hill novel of the same name.

The movie earned $20 million in its opening weekend with a budget of $13 million, making it an unexpected success for CBS Films. With a release in the UK following a week later, the film has gone on to bring in over $50 million worldwide. “The Woman in black” is plagued by a lack of mystery; as if the audience didn’t already figure out what was going to happen, the woman’s reasons for killing the town’s children is explained a mere twenty minutes into the plot. And if your hoping that a shocking ending could save this horror flick from being forgotten, don’t hold your breath; what could have been an interesting mystery turned out to be Radcliffe walking around a deserted home for ninety-five minutes.

The Shape Of Things To Come

While it was always assumed that Katniss Everdeen, “the girl that was on fire,” would survive “The Hunger Games” and continue to bring readers on her journey, it was often unknown how the story would continue to unfold with the follow up “Catching Fire,” let alone conclude in “Mocking Jay.” The series itself, authored by Suzanne Collins, is unlike anything ever written before, with its combination of war, love and reality television brushed together to deliver an undoubtedly interesting story. And although some fans felt that the first book was the best of the series, the underlying message is still pretty provocative; if we don’t learn from our past mistakes then we will surely perish.

“Catching Fire” started off right where we last saw Katniss after she and Peeta Mellark won the Hunger Games and started the victory tour of the Districts. This book managed to lay out a plot similar to the first book, but kept things interesting with a new string of characters and a continued display of heart wrenching scenes involving the titular heroine. Katiniss’ act of desperation with the suicidal berries at the end of the Hunger Games was taken as an act of revolt against the Capital, thus making its leader, President Snow, Katniss’ new worst enemy. A rebellion begins in the twelve Districts that the Capital reigns over, forcing Katniss to become the face of it and bringing her and Peeta back to where they never thought they’d be again: the Hunger Games.

Much like the “Harry Potter Series,” the concluding novel of “The Hunger Games Series” was by far the darkest of the three books, with some readers questioning whether “Mocking Jay” is suitable for children to even read. Although it expresses important themes of war and love, it often swayed dark with grotesque descriptions of murder and unthinkable acts of violence. Readers were unsure if character deaths were in fact true deaths as they were often left open for resurrection due to the one point of view of narration. Perhaps the most frustrating thing about this final chapter in Katniss’ story was the uncertainty of what was going to happen next and who she would choose in the end as she had made no further inclination to either Peeta or Gale Hawthorne.

Will Katniss lead the rebellion that takes over the Capital and free her world of pain? Readers are left with a message from the author that questions the world’s current situation of War and how far each side is willing to go to win. This series is more than a romantic tale of young lovers torn apart by the cruel world they live in: it’s a futuristic display of a shape of things to come if something doesn’t change. Collins herself even admits that she got the idea to pen these books while switching channels between news coverage on the War in Iraq and a reality program. The conclusion of this series is a satisfying one albeit sad with a chilling message that hits home; “fire is catching…”

This Is A Heartbreak Hotel

Troubled pop star Whitney Houston was found dead yesterday in her hotel bathroom on the eve of the Grammy Awards, which airs tonight on CBS and will feature a special tribute. The singing sensation was once considered an American Sweetheart from her touching ballads to her performances in movies like “The Bodyguard” and “Waiting to Exhale.” Unfortunately, her career seemed to dwindle from her abuse of drugs starting in the late nineties to her tumultuous relationship with husband Bobby Brown, of the R&B group “New Edition,” with whom she had a daughter.

Houston first came onto the music scene in 1985 with her self-titled debut album, “Whitney Houston,” after she was discovered by music producer Clive Davis who has continuously tried to help revitalize Houston’s career. The album’s third single, “How Will I Know,” gave Houston her first number one single and introduced her to MTV’s audience thanks to its accompanying video paving the way for many female African American singers. Houston continued her success with two Emmy Awards, six Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards and 22 American Music Awards throughout her career.

With America entangled in the Persian Gulf War, Houston performed “The Star Spangled Banner” at Super Bowl XXV on January 27, 1991. Due to overwhelming response to her rendition, it was released as a commercial single and reached the Top 20 on the US Hot 100, making her the only act to turn the national anthem into a pop hit of that magnitude. Her film debut in the 1992 movie “The Bodyguard” gave her immense recognition playing a troubled pop star who hires Kevin Costner to protect her from a crazed fan. Perhaps most notably is the film’s ending in which Houston’s character attends an awards ceremony much like she was supposed to tonight.

In 1998, Houston famously ripped off pieces of her dress alongside fellow singer Mariah Carey, with whom she sang a duet with, at the MTV VMA’s. But her personal life overshadowed her success during the new millennium from her odd behaviors in public to her notable absence on the radio. The reality show “Being Bobby Brown” seemed to make matters worse, showcasing the once iconic star as a distressed, out of work drug addict. Houston saw somewhat of a comeback in 2009 with a new album and tour to follow, but many fans complained that her voice was not the same as it once was due to her chaotic lifestyle.

Houston was also one of the world’s best-selling music artists, having sold over 170 million albums, singles and videos worldwide. At 48 years old, this tragedy could have most likely been prevented like so many other stars that have died from drug addictions from Amy Winehouse to Michael Jackson. Her death has cast a prominent shadow on tonight’s awards, leaving many fans shocked and broken hearted. Several radio stations have begun to play Houston’s songs since the news of her death broke yesterday afternoon, as well as music networks airing her videos in remembrance of the troubled star.