The Weekend Cheat Sheet: May 2

Posted by Neil Miller (neil@filmschoolrejects.com) on May 2, 2008

We know that you are all live busy lives; it explains why you never call us anymore. And while we understand that everyone is hustlin’ and bustlin’ all over town, just trying to make a livin’, we know that you also want to catch a flick on the weekends. On top of that, we know that since your time is valuable, you don’t want to waste it on another cinematic turd. Therefore, we’ve created the “Weekend Movie Cheat Sheet” to help you make those snap decisions. Need a date movie? A popcorn flick? A thriller? We’ve got you covered — and we’ve got you in and out faster than you can say “Hey, those Film School Rejects really know what they are talkin’ about…”

What type of movie are you looking for?

A Popcorn Movie…

We recommend: Iron Man

Why: The Summer movie season is all about popcorn movies. In fact, for movielovers across the world, this weekend marks the start of 3 consecutive months of awesome popcorn purchase inducing cinema. And what better way to get it started with one of the best-constructed, most entertaining superhero movies to ever hit the screen. Yes, Iron Man, with Robert Downey Jr. in the lead and Jon Favreau at the helm, is that good. So good, in fact, that it is enough to not only entertain you, but it may also instill some hope for the rest of the summer movie season. Break out those big tubs of popcorn, because this is what it’s all about!

A Date Movie…

We recommend: Baby Mama

Why: I feel it necessary to preface this one with the fact that this is not a good movie for a first date. It may raise questions about kids, marriage, etc., so if you aren’t ready to have that little talk, you may want to go see Harold and Kumar. But if you are okay discussing those topics with your sweetie, this movie is a great date night flick. On top of satisfying the cinematic needs of both woman and man, this thing delivers the laughs by the ton. Tina Fey and Amy Poehler are both great in a film that reminds us a bit of Knocked Up, just a lot less raunchy.

A Thriller…

We recommend: Prom Night

Why: Audiences have kept Prom Night’s box office pretty strong over its first few weeks, proving to us that it is worthy. At least, it is the most worthy of all the thrillers out there right now — but that isn’t saying much. Sure, its just another in a long line of hit or miss remakes, but as our own Kevin Carr said, “I was surprised at the fact that I really didn’t get that bored with it.” You probably won’t be bored either — but we will admit that this probably isn’t the best weekend for a thrill-seeker.

A Family Flick…

We recommend: The Forbidden Kingdom

Why: Most of us would say, “Cool. Jackie Chan and Jet Li kicking the shit out of each other… Sounds badass.” And it is badass, for the few moments that Chan and Li spend fighting each other. Outside of that, this is a straight kids movie with all kinds of lighthearted shenanigans. For example, there is a scene where Jet Li actually urinates on Jackie Chan. And what kid doesn’t like a good pee-pee scene? Aside from that, there isn’t much else out there for the family — by now Horton Hears a Who and Nim’s Island have run their course. Beyond being a solid flick, The Forbidden Kingdom pretty much wins by default.

A Take-a-Chance Flick…

We recommend: Forgetting Sarah Marshall

Why: It appears that most of the options on the table above have been rehashed from recent weeks, and it’s true — there isn’t much in the way of new movies for you to choose from. But alas, there are still a few good ones out there should you decide to do the dishonorable thing and skip Iron Man. One solid choice is Forgetting Sarah Marshall. This Judd Apatow-produced comedy falls somewhere between Walk Hard and Superbad, with the laughs coming in more on the Superbad side. It’s not for the kids, as it contains some dudity (male nudity), but that doesn’t mean the big kids can’t enjoy it — and they will.

So there you have it, the quick and easy way to go to make all of your movie-related decisions this weekend. Check back every Friday morning for more of the Weekend Movie Cheat Sheet. We’ll see you at the movies…

Read more articles by Neil Miller