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Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

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In Theaters

On The Road (Sundance Selects)

On The Road
(Sundance Selects)

Jack Kerouac’s On The Road gets the big screen treatment with a script from Jose Rivera and direction from his Motorcycle Diaries collaborator Walter Salles.  The material was previously adapted for a 1962 Canadian Broadcasting Company series, but this is the first legit feature film treatment.  Leading the way is relative newcomer Sam Riley as Kerouac stand-in Sal Paradise and Tron: Legacy‘s Garrett Hedlund as Dean Moriarty, along with Viggo Mortensen, Kirsten Dunst, and Mad Men‘s Elizabeth Moss in supporting roles.  Also unfortunately in the mix are two of my least favorite actresses, Amy Adams and Kristen Stewart.  Will their twin annoyance be too much to overcome or will the hold of classic literature win out?  Find out in my review on Friday.

The Gatekeepers (Sony Pictures Classics)

The Gatekeepers
(Sony Pictures Classics)

The new doc on the block is the Oscar-nominated The Gatekeepers, which features the first ever interviews with each of the six men who’ve led the Israeli anti-terrorism agency Shin Bet.  Exceptionally well-received (90 on Metacritic; 91% fresh on RottenTomatoes), had it not been up against Searching for Sugar Man, the film may very well have won the Academy Award for Best Documentary.  Look for my review on Friday.

G.I. Joe: Retaliation (Paramount Pictures)

G.I. Joe: Retaliation
(Paramount Pictures)

At long last, the much-delayed G.I. Joe: Retaliation is ready for duty.  The sequel to 2009’s Rise of Cobra finds the real American heroes battling their old shapeshifting foe, who’s now posing as the U.S. President (in a nifty Jonathan Pryce mask) and causing all sorts of trouble.  The Rock Dwayne Johnson joins Channing Tatum, Adrianne Palicki (Friday Night Lights), and Joseph Mazzello (The Social Network; Jurassic Park) in battle, along with a very special appearance by Bruce Willis as G.I. Joe himself!  Jon M. Chu of the second and third Step Up dance flicks takes the reins.  Yikes!

The Host (Open Road Films)

The Host
(Open Road Films)

The Host, the much ballyhooed adult novel from Twilight author Stephenie Meyer, hits theaters thanks to an unlikely source.  Handling writing and directing duties is Andrew Niccol, who excelled at both tasks on Gattaca and also wrote another personal favorite, The Truman Show.  Perhaps his skills will elevate the story of an alien race that inhabits humans, turning them into technologically advanced body snatchers.  Saiorse Ronin (Atonement; Hanna) and Diane Kruger (Inglourious Basterds) star.

Tyler Perry's Temptation (Lionsgate)

Tyler Perry’s Temptation
(Lionsgate)

A first will be made on Friday when I see Tyler Perry’s Temptation.  I’ve yet to see any of the man’s films and with the exception of his turns in Star Trek and Alex Cross, I know little about his empire.  The writer/director/producer’s latest work stars Jurnee Smollett-Bell (Full House; Friday Night Lights) as a married woman seduced by a social media mogul (One Tree Hill‘s Robbie Jones) while her husband (Perry regular Lance Gross) remains none the wiser…that is until he catches on!  Brandy Norwood (yes, that Brandy Norwood), Kim Kardashian, and a mysteriously-accented Vanessa Williams also show up.  Hopefully a cohesive story will, too.

Fleeing the Scene

Side Effects ends an impressive and well-deserved run just shy of two months at the Carolina.  Not so impressive is the one-week stand for 56 Up, though it’s tough for any documentary, let alone the eighth in a series to do well in theaters.  Also not so impressive are Emperor, Jack the Giant Slayer, and The Incredible Burt Wonderstone, none of whom will be missed.

 

On DVD

Killing Them Softly, Lincoln, and A Royal Affair join Safe House director Daniel Espinosa’s thriller Easy Money and the Billy Crystal/Bette Midler horror film comedy Parental Guidance at your local rental establishment.

On Netflix Instant

Holy Motors! Holy Motors! Holy Motors!

Um…*cough*…it appears that the critically revered Holy Motors is now available for home streaming.  I will officially be unreachable until further notice.

Other new offerings include the allegedly “funny because it’s unfunny” The Comedy, the Bridesmaids-tastic Bachelorette, and All Togethera French comedy about five aging friends (including Jane Fonda and Geraldine Chaplin) who move in together instead of going to a retirement home.

Also of note is Season 5 of Mad Men for those who need to catch up before the Season 6 premiere on April 7.  Any time with Don Draper is time well spent.

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Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

  • 1

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