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Movie Preview Thursday: Ocean's 13, Surf's Up, Hostel: Part II...+ More
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After a week without a sequel, we're back at it with the lovable scoundrels of "Ocean's 13". Sure, watching the same group of guys we've seen plunder Vegas and steal a Faberge egg plan another elaborate heist is rehashing already trodden ground, but I'll be damned if it isn't a good time. Add to that a torture-porn and another insufferable CG toon about penguins and we're in for an interesting weekend.
Ocean's 13 - After a slightly disappointing "Ocean's 12", Clooney is back as the rakish Danny Ocean with his rag-tag band of thieves. Per usual, Clooney is flanked by rapscallions Brad Pitt and Matt Damon (sporting a prosthetic nose in the previews) in another attempt to turn the tables on the house in Vegas. This time it looks like they'll be getting help from Andy Garcia, their mark from the first film. Thankfully, Julia Roberts and Catherine Zeta-Jones will be sitting this one out. In their place, a Mrs. Robinson-esque Ellen Barkin (set to win this year's "Isn't-she-super-hot-for-her-age" award. Time's up, Helen Mirren).
Steven Soderbergh once again takes the reins. I always appreciate the way he takes risks with his films, but lets hope he sticks to the script on this one and produces something more in the vein of "Out of Sight" and less like "The Good German".
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Hostel: Part II - Say what you want about Eli Roth's directing (Cabin Fever, Hostel), but the man is the best at what he does (sickening gore). Yeah, its over the top violence and sure, it's basically torture-porn, but he's good at it. No director can make you squirm in your seat with such regularity. He's back with part 2 in his "Hostel" series about Americans getting butchered over-seas. This time a trio of females discover the darker side of Eastern Europe. Before you go, understand that this is a hard R and not for the weak-of-stomach.
The rest of tomorrow's movies after the jump...
La Môme - Foreign language biopic about the life of French singer Edith Piaf. It covers the bases of the "musician biopic film" touching on her drinking/drug problem, the loss of the love of her life (Marcel Cerdan) and her relatively early death.
Surf's Up - Remember the days when animated films were hand drawn and featured a wide-range of humans, animals and inanimate (no pun intended) objects. No more, now they have to involve an ogre or a penguin to get green lit. Following in the tap-dancing footsteps of "Happy Feet", "Surf's Up" centers on Penguins doing something you wouldn't expect...surfing! Apparently, penguins founded the sport and hold an annual competition that we're lucky enough to see through the eyes of a "documentary crew". And since its been more than a month since "Disturbia" and we're still a whole three-and-a-half weeks away from "Transformers", Shia Lebouf is due to headline something (this time, as an up-and-coming surfing penguin named, I kid you not, Cody Maverick).
You're Gonna Miss Me - Documentary about the "13th Floor Elevators", the band that founded the term psychedelic rock back int he 60's. The movie documents their rise and fall (apparently drugs were involved in both, surprise).
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