There’s one heck of an action packed weekend ahead of us and if action aint your thing, then there’s plenty of comedies, suspense and drama’s lined up. DStv really outdid themselves. I’m just a tad worried about next week though – if one weekend is great you can be defs certain that the next will suck big time. There’s also the Currie-Cup and Tri-Nations to satisfy any testosterone filled guy and let’s not forget us ladies who also like the game (ahem - well the guys playing at least). Hopefully the Boks will be better against the Aussies than the All Blacks (I’m hopeful, but I seriously doubt it, if I have to judge them against the matches they have played so far). My beloved Bulls team aren’t doing too great either :-( - sigh, but I’m still rooting for both of them, hopefully when the Boks face them on their own home turf it will be a totally different story. Soccer City here we come!!!! If you’ve missed Idols this past Sunday, there will be repeat of it on the series channel Saturday at 11:30. It was extremely difficult to choose a movie of the week as there are many great ones lined up (ie Angels and Demons, Wolverine, Mr Brooks and Gangs of New York). It was a toss-up and believe it or not my absolutely have to see movie of the week is: Star Trek
FRIDAY, 23 JULY 2010
Ch 101 M-Net 21:30 Spring Breakdown
Starring: Amy Poehler, Rachel Dratch, Parker Posey, Amber Tamblyn, Jana Kramer
Director: Ryan Shiraki
Three women vacation together at a popular travel destination for college co-eds on spring break.
Ch 103 MM1 20:15 Angels and Demons (***)
Starring: Tom Hanks, Ewan McGregor, Ayelet Zurer, Stellan Skarsgard, Pierfrancesco Favino, Nikolaj Lie Kaas, Armin Mueller-Stahl
Director: Ron Howard
This movie is by far much better than the Da Vinci code. The director managed to keep the suspense and the storyline. The movie is extremely violent and the murder/torture scenes might upset sensitive viewers, but just keep in mind that the books’ version was by far more graphic. It has some decent ‘action’ sequences but the visual/CGI effects are stunning. It’s a good movie and defs worth a watch if you haven’t seen it yet.
Synopsis
Symbologist Robert Langdon once again finds that forces with ancient roots are willing to stop at nothing, even murder, to advance their goals.
Ch 103 MM1 22:35 Obsessed
Starring: Beyonce Knowles, Idris Elba, Ali Larter, Jerry O'Connell, Christine Lahti
Director: Steve Shill
Derek Charles, a successful asset manager who has just received a huge promotion, is blissfully happy in his career and in his marriage to the beautiful Beth. But when Lisa, a temp worker, starts stalking Derek, everything he's worked so hard for, are placed in jeopardy.
Ch 104 MM2 20:10 Disturbia (****)
Starring: Shia LaBeouf, Carrie-Anne Moss, David Morse, Sarah Roemer, Aaron Yoo
Director: D.J. Caruso
You....just....have....to....see....this....movie!!!! Unfortunately I can’t compare this with the original Hitchcock as I haven’t seen that. But the remake, pure brilliance – by the end of the movie I didn’t have any nails left and was literally sitting on the edge of my seat or either jumping up and down. It boasts of a stellar cast and even though it has a slow start, in the end it’s all worth it.
Synopsis
After his father's death, Kale Brecht becomes sullen, withdrawn, and troubled -- so much so that he finds himself under a court-ordered sentence of house arrest after a run in with the law. His mother, Julie, works night and day to support herself and her son, only to be met with indifference and lethargy. The walls of his house begin to close in on Kale. He becomes a voyeur as his interests turn outside the windows of his suburban home towards those of his neighbours, one of which Kale begins to suspect is a serial killer. But, are his suspicions merely the product of cabin fever and his overactive imagination?
Ch 104 MM2 22:00 Mr Brooks (****)
Starring: Kevin Costner, William Hurt, Demi Moore, Dane Cook, Matt Schulze
Director: Bruce Evans
This is a brilliant psychological drama/thriller and shows us the creepier side of Mr Costner that we are not used to. On the one hand it’s quite disturbing, but on the other hand you cannot tear your eyes from the screen (it’s so mesmerizing). I highly recommend watching this movie – it’s a must see in my books.
Synopsis
Earl Brooks is a highly respected businessman and was recently named Portland's Man of the Year. He hides a terrible secret however: he is a serial killer known as the Thumbprint Killer. He has been attending AA meetings and has kept his addiction to killing under control for two years now but his alter ego, Marshall, has re-appeared and is pushing him to kill again. When he does kill a couple while they are making love, he is seen and photographed by someone who also his own death and murder fetish. In a parallel story, the police detective investigating the murder is having problems of her own. She is going through a messy divorce and a violent criminal who had vowed revenge some years before has escaped from prison and is after her.
Ch 105 M-Net Stars 19:30 Agent Cody Banks (***½)
Starring: Frankie Muniz, Hilary Duff, Angie Harmon, Keith David, Cynthia Stevenson
Director: Harald Zwart
I thoroughly enjoyed this movie which even stars our very own Arnold Vosloo (as the usual bad guy). It has gadgets, humour, action, suspense all rolled into one extremely cool movie the whole family can enjoy. You could almost say a Junior James Bond.
Synopsis
A government agent trains Cody Banks in the ways of covert operations that require younger participants.
Ch 105 M-Net Stars 21:30 Out of Sight
Starring: Brad Martin, Michael Keaton, George Clooney, Jennifer Lopez, Ving Rhames
Director: Steven Soderbergh
A female U.S. Marshall is taken hostage during a prison break and falls in love with one of her captors. After she escapes her captors, Karen joins the manhunt team. But she keeps running into the diverting Jack, who is engaged in a diamond heist, the infamous 'one last job'. Soon each one must consider their loyalty to their chosen professions.
Ch 106 M-Net Action 20:00 The Hand that Rocks the Cradle (***)
Starring: Annabella Sciorra, Rebecca De Mornay, Matt McCoy, Ernie Hudson, Julianne Moore
Director: Curtis Hanson
This movie gave me the creeps the first time I saw it – not that it’s scary or anything, but just how close it is to real life – I mean it could really happen as you do get these people (the ones that lost a marble or two). Rebecca also bring some creepiness to her character. It’s a good movie with a decent plot that I’d highly recommend if you haven’t seen it yet.
Synopsis
Peyton Flanders seemed to be the perfect nanny, but secretly she was out to wreck the lives of the family she was supposed to be helping.
Ch 108 Universal 21:00 Homecoming
Starring: Mischa Barton, Matt Long, Matthew Long, Jessica Stroup, Michael Landes
Director: Morgan J. Freeman
A jilted ex-girlfriend plots revenge after her former beau comes back to their hometown with a new lover
Ch 109 TCM 19:35 The Mouse on the Moon
Starring: Margaret Rutherford, Ron Moody, Bernard Cribbins, David Kossoff, Terry-Thomas
Director: Richard Lester
A tiny country persuades the Americans and Soviets that they're starting a space program, when they really just want some money for new plumbing.
Ch 109 TCM 21:00 The Year of Living Dangerously
Starring: Mel Gibson, Sigourney Weaver, Linda Hunt, Bembol Roco, Domingo Landicho
Director: Peter Weir
A young Australian reporter tries to navigate the political turmoil of Indonesia during the rule of President Sukarno with the help of a diminutive photographer.
Ch 113 Sony 20:30 Uncommon Valor
Starring: Gene Hackman, Robert Stack, Fred Ward, Reb Brown, Randall Cobb, Patrick Swayze
Director: Ted Kotcheff, Conrad Palmisano, Rod Amateau
A big city hospital's busy routine is shattered when an arsonist sets fire to the building. It's a matter of life and death as rescue crews try to clear patients and doctors from the debris and save the lives of those who depend on the miracles of modern medicine in order to survive.
My Picks for Today: Angels and Demons, Disturbia, Mr Brooks, Agent Cody Banks, The Hand that Rocks the Cradle
Movies that might be Worth Watching: Uncommon Valor, The Year of Living Dangerously, Out of Sight
SATURDAY, 24 JULY 2010
Ch 101 M-Net 20:00 X-Men Origins: Wolverine (***½)
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Liev Schreiber, Tim Pocock, Troye Sivan, Tahyna Tozzi, Ryan Reynolds
Director: Gavin Hood
I just loved this action movie even though the critics slashed it to pieces. It has a top notch cast and our own Mr Hood behind the camera. I thought that it was quite a good movie. The special/CGI effects are not too over the top and if you listened to all the interviews, you’d realize that the emphasis wasn’t an action movie but rather on Wolverine’s character and how he came to be The Wolverine. It’s extremely violent, especially in the beginning, but it does calm down after the first 15 minutes or so. It has a good storyline and lots of action sequences. The mystery of why he has amnesia will keep you guessing until very last minute - when it’s resolved. It’s a good movie and defs worth a watch in my books.
Synopsis
X-Men Origins: Wolverine" tells the story of Wolverine's epically violent and romantic past, his complex relationship with Victor Creed, and the ominous Weapon X program. Along the way, Wolverine encounters many mutants, both familiar and new.
Ch 103 MM1 19:00 Ghosts of Girlfriends Past (***)
Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Garner, Breckin Meyer, Lacey Chabert, Robert Forster
Director: Mark Waters
It’s a new spin on Charles Dickenson’s beloved novel ‘A Christmas Carol’. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie as I didn’t have too high expectations of it (the critics slashed it to pieces). It’s still a romantic comedy but with a twist. I thought it was quite funny and it kept its promise to the audience by keeping it light and fun. It’s a movie that should not to be taken seriously, to sit back to, relax and just enjoy.
Synopsis
A bachelor is haunted by the ghosts of his past girlfriends at his younger brother's wedding.
Ch 103 MM1 21:00 The Boat that Rocked
Starring: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Bill Nighy, Rhys Ifans, Nick Frost, Kenneth Branagh
Director: Richard Curtis
In the 1960s a group of 8 rogue DJs on a boat in the middle of the Northern Atlantic, played rock records and broke the law all for the love of music. The songs they played united and defined an entire generation and drove the British government crazy. By playing rock 'n roll they were standing up against the British government who did everything in their power to shut them down.
Ch 104 MM2 20:00 Mr Woodcock (**)
Starring: Billy Bob Thornton, Seann William Scott, Susan Sarandon, Kurt Fuller, Amy Poehler
Director: Craig Gillespie
I was terribly disappointed in this movie. You would expect something amazing with the likes of BBT, SWS and SS, but it fell flat. The comedy felt forced and it was just plain terrible. This is defs not a movie I would recommend sitting through, it was almost painful and unbearable to watch but then again that’s my opinion and you might think it was better.
Synopsis
Taken aback by his mother's wedding announcement, a young man returns home in an effort to stop her from marrying his old high school gym teacher, a man who made high school hell for generations of students.
Ch 104 MM2 21:30 The Last Kiss
Starring: Zach Braff, Jacinda Barrett, Rachel Bilson, Tom Wilkinson, Blythe Danner
Director: Tony Goldwyn
A group of 30 year-olds struggle to adapt to adulthood while their aging parents face middle age.
Ch 105 M-Net Stars 19:30 Babe (****)
Starring: James Cromwell, Magda Szubanski, Zoe Burton, Paul Goddard, Wade Hayward
Director: Chris Noonan
Now let’s say all together – aaaawwwww. What can I say of babe except that at the time it was considered groundbreaking. It’s fresh, funny and defs something different. It has the sweet and cute factor (if you could think that a pig could be cute – okay as piglets they are). It’s a movie which the whole family can enjoy and I’d highly recommend watching it.
Synopsis
A piglet won by Farmer Hoggett as a raffle prize is raised by Fly, the matriarch sheepdog, as one of her own. His owner senses something special in Babe and makes sure he learns sheep herding along with his new brothers. Babe proves so adept, in fact, that Farmer Hoggett enters him in the world sheepdog championship.
Ch 105 M-Net Stars 21:30 Wonder Boys
Starring: Michael Douglas, Tobey Maguire, Frances McDormand, Robert Downey Jr., Katie Holmes
Director: Curtis Hanson
An English Professor tries to deal with his wife leaving him, the arrival of his editor who has been waiting for his book for seven years, and the various problems that his friends and associates involve him in
Ch 106 M-Net Action 20:00 Gangs of New York (****)
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Cameron Diaz, Daniel Day-Lewis, Jim Broadbent, John C. Reilly
Director: Martin Scorsese
If you’re a fan of Mr Scorsese like I am, you would defs enjoy this drama/action. It boasts of a top notch cast, some amazing costumes and set designs, but what would a Scorsese picture be without his trademark violence? He doesn’t disappoint. It’s a good movie, albeit extremely long (it clocks in at 167 minutes), but it wouldn’t be a Scorsese picture otherwise. It’s a good movie and defs worth the watch.
Synopsis
In 1863, Amsterdam Vallon returns to the Five Points area of New York City seeking revenge against Bill the Butcher, his father's killer.
Ch 108 Universal 20:50 Mrs Washington Goes to Smith
Starring: Cybill Shepherd, Al Sapienza, Corri English, Nicole Dalton, Tracey Costello
Director: Armand Mastroianni
After her husband leaves her for a younger woman, Alice Washington a middle aged mother of two decides to complete her college education at Smith College. She and her 20 year old room mate Zoe Burns share their experiences, conflicts and interest in their poetry professor
Ch 109 TCM 19:10 Bachelor in Paradise
Starring: Bob Hope, Lana Turner, Janis Paige, Jim Hutton, Paula Prentiss
Director: Jack Arnold
A male love columnist settles down in a small California town to write a book about winning over women and finds himself chasing off all the married women to town, only to fall into the arms of the one single beauty.
Ch 109 TCM 21:00 Real Genius
Starring: Val Kilmer, Gabriel Jarret, Michelle Meyrink, William Atherton, Jon Gries
Director: Martha Coolidge
A group of exceptionally bright students are unwittingly involved in the development of a military weapon.
Ch 113 Sony 20:30 Godzilla (***)
Starring: Joseph Badalucco Jr., Matthew Broderick, Jean Reno, Maria Pitillo, Hank Azaria
Directors: Roland Emmerich, Josef Rusnak, Peter A. Ramsey
Although the critics slashed this movie to pieces, I really thought that it wasn’t that bad. The special/visual effects are amazing, it has a decent storyline and enough action and suspense to keep you interested. So go get that big bowl of popcorn, snuggle up under the duvet and just enjoy some mindless fun.
Synopsis
Following the French atomic bomb tests in the South Pacific, an unknown creature is spotted passing eastward through the Panama Canal. Scientist Niko Tatopolous is called in to investigate the matter, and he quickly arrives at the conclusion that a giant, irradiated lizard has been created by the explosions. Godzilla then makes its way north, landing at Manhattan to begin wreaking havoc in the big city. Even with the combined forces of the U.S. military to fight the monster, will it be enough to save the people of New York?
Ch 303 Disney 19:10 Princess Protection Program
Starring: Demi Lovato, Selena Gomez, Tom Verica, Sully Diaz
Director: Allison Liddi-Brown
When a tiny country is invaded by a dictator, a young Princess is taken into custody by the "Princess Protection Program." She is taken away to rural Wisconsin, where she must adapt to life as a normal American teenager.
My Picks for Today: Wolverine, Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, Babe, Gangs of New York, Godzilla
Movies that might be Worth Watching: Real Genius, Wonder Boys
SUNDAY, 25 JULY 2010
Ch 101 M-Net 20:00 Star Trek (****)
Starring: Leonard Nimoy, Zachary Quinto, Anton Yelchin, Zoe Saldana, Chris Pine
Director: J.J. Abrams
I was extremely skeptical when I first hired this movie. As you know I’m not a huge fan of science fiction and I will never consider myself a trekkie (I have to admit I did watch it when William Shatner was at the helm of Starship enterprise, but after that I thought it got too much), but this movie blew me totally away. It’s a very classy and smart production. The special/CGI effects are stunning but not over the top and not overwhelming. The director did a good job of keeping the story simple but yet entertaining. You can look forward to a cameo from one of the original cast – which made it quite cool. This is a must see in my books.
Synopsis
The early days of James T. Kirk and Mr. Spock, their first meeting at Starfleet Academy and first outer space mission.
Ch 103 MM1 19:00 Make it Happen
Starring: Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Tessa Thompson, Riley Smith, Ashley Roberts (II)
Director: Darren Grant
Embarking on a journey to fulfill her dreams as a dancer, a young girl discovers a new style of dance that will prove to be the source of both conflict and self-discovery.
Ch 104 MM2 20:00 The Thing about my Folks
Starring: Paul Reiser, Peter Falk, Olympia Dukakis, Elizabeth Perkins, Mackenzie Connolly (II)
Director: Raymond De Felitta
Befuddled Sam drops by his son's family home, unexpectedly, with the news that his wife Muriel has suddenly up-and-left after 40 years, leaving nothing more than a vaguely worded note about needing to be alone. The following morning, Ben asks his father to come look at a farmhouse he's thinking of buying in upstate New York, and the drive turns into an impromptu road trip. The two stop to go fishing, take in a small town baseball game, eat freshly picked peaches, and hustle the locals in a roadside pool hall--all the while learning more about each other than they would have ever imagined.
Ch 105 M-Net Stars 19:30 Fried Green Tomatoes
Starring: Chris O'Donnell, Richard Riehle, Kathy Bates, Jessica Tandy, Mary Stuart Masterson
Director: Jon Avnet
Parallel stories of women establishing themselves in the contemporary American South and in the period between the World Wars. A middle-aged woman draws strength and independence from the stories told to her by a resident in an old people's home.
Ch 106 M-Net Action 20:00 D-Tox (***)
Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Tom Berenger, Charles S. Dutton, Sean Patrick Flanery, Christopher Fulford
Director: Jim Gillespie
I quite enjoyed this movie. It’s a decent drama/action with a decent storyline which will keep you on the edge of your seat with its who-dunnit plot. I would defs recommend this movie if you haven’t seen it yet.
Synopsis
A disgraced FBI agent with a drinking problem joins nine other troubled law enforcement officers at an isolated detox clinic in the wilds of Wyoming. But the therapeutic sanctuary becomes a nightmarish hellhole when a major snowstorm cuts off the clinic from the outside world and enables a killer on the inside to get busy.
Ch 109 TCM 19:05 Mogambo
Starring: Clark Gable, Ava Gardner, Grace Kelly, Donald Sinden, Philip Stainton
Director: John Ford, Richard Rossen, Yakima Cannutt
A game hunter, a playgirl, and a sheltered English couple go on safari in Africa.
Ch 113 Sony 20:30 Changing Lanes
Starring: Samuel L. Jackson, Ben Affleck, Toni Collette, William Hurt, Bradley Cooper
Director: Roger Michell
The story of what happens one day in New York when a young lawyer and a businessman share a small automobile accident on F.D.R. Drive and their mutual road rage escalates into a feud.
Ch 303 Disney 19:10 Twitches Too
Starring: Patrick Fabian, Tamera Mowry, Tia Mowry, Karen Holness, Arnold Pinnock
Director: Stuart Gillard
Twin witches Camryn and Alex have been reunited after 21 years and saved the world of Coventry from the evil Darkness. The sisters now spend time getting to know each other and develop their magic. While Camryn enjoys the royal lifestyle, Alex is preparing for her new life in college. While darkness continues to be a threat, the sisters discover that their father might actually be alive in New York.
My Picks for Today: Star Trek, D-Tox
Movies that might be Worth Watching: Mogambo, Fried Green Tomatoes