Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa

The animals are back in this sequel to the 2005 hit, Madagascar. This time out the crew are trying to get back to home to New York but end up crash landing in Africa. They have made it back to their true home where Alex must prove himself to his father, Marty finds out he is not as unique as he had hoped, and Gloria is looking for love and finds it with Melman? The film is a great follow up to the first and the penguins are still the best part. So when are we going to get a feature length film with just the penguins which they deserve?

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Quantum of Solace

Daniel Craig is back as Bond in this direct follow up to the film, Casino Royale. Although one of the shortest Bond films to date it is still jam packed with the non-stop, physical action sequences that made previous film a wake up call for the franchise. Olga Kurylenko and Gemma Arterton provide the beauty while Judi Dench is back as the ball crushing, no nonsense M we have come to love. The plot still maintains credibility with out getting lost in the unbelievable with realistic villians on a grand scale. The only thing I still miss from the new generation of Bond is Q - I wish there was some way they could bring that part of Bond back.

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The Midnight Meat Train

After a generally crappy day at work on my favorite holiday of the year, I got home and checked my email to find that the movie I have been waiting to see since the 2007 San Diego Comicon was playing for free on FEARnet.com. This film is based on a short story from Clive Barker's first anthology, The Books of Blood, which also includes my other favorite short story that I would love to see as a movie, In The Hills, The Cities. The movie is pretty much dead-on with the original story with just the addition of a love interest and the main character is now a photographer. The movie lives up to its name and does delivery the bloody, meaty goods with Bradley Cooper, from such films as Wedding Crashers and Wet Hot American Summer, taking the lead without crumbling under the imposing performance of genre favorite Vinnie Jones as the serial butcher. Clive Barker fans rejoice and let's hope the next Blood movie adaptations are just as good.

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Body of Lies

Ridley Scott is back on the screen with his latest thriller starring Russell Crowe and Leonardo DiCaprio. I really enjoyed this movie and its revelation of the vast differences between American and Arab espionage techniques. Russell Crowe is always good but I was finally taken in by a performance delivered by DiCaprio. This was the first movie where I could actually see the boy...err man now...really act and delivery an outstanding performance. Great director, great cast, great plot - go see it already.

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Saw V

I saw this film after re-watching the previous four films as part of Sawfest at my local AMC theater - Saw III is still my favorite one. I'm not sure if it was the previous eight hours of blood and violence that desensitized me or the change in director for this current installment but I was not overly impressed with the latest effort. The story did not seem as tight and well constructed as in previous films. Also, the actors did not seem to be delivering the "oh shit how did I get here" performances I had enjoyed in the previous four films. Regardless, I love Jigsaw and the Saw premise and cannot wait to see how he is still around in Saw VI which was filmed at the same time as V.

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The Shadow of the Glen & The Playboy of the Western World @ Kennedy Center's Terrace Theater

The DRUID theater company has made it to the Kennedy Center to put on two of John Millington Synge's best know plays. The Shadow was a one act play dealing with an Irish wake where the husband is playing dead to test his wife's fidelity. The Playboy is a full three act play about a man who has supposedly killed his father and becomes the local town hero. Both plays are down-right hilarious and easy to follow despite the Irish slang used. Definately worth checking out while it is still in town.

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Max Payne

Mark Wahlberg stars in this latest video game turned big screen flick that falls flat on its face. Even with the sexy Olga Kurylenko from last year's Hitman can not save this mish mash of a film. If you are going to have CGI snow falling through 90% of your film at least have the shit fall to the ground and accumulate to make it even slightly believable - snow globes look more real then this film. Also, if your plot deals with the sister of your dead girl and an indestructable madman at least do something with them that adds up to more than 5 minutes of meaningful screen time. Lastly, a film dealing with an obsessive cop seeking revenge and blowing people away to solve her three year old murder deserves more than a PG-13 rating and a movie plot that cannot find a single through-line to get it to just an adequate resolution.

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Janet Jackson @ Verizon Center

Janet Jackson was able to make her Washington, D.C. performance and the crowd was frenzied. The opening act was a local DJ who was pretty good and got the crowd ready with some great generation jumping songs. The forty five minute wait after the DJ end was a bit ridiculous since the stage was ready and no changes needed to be made as seen from the seats. Either way way, when the show started the crowd was on its feet and treated to a great stage show filled with dancers, bizarre video montages, anime like costumes and fireworks. The highlight for me was the on-stage over-the-top lap dance given by Janet to a lucky man from the audience - it was crazy hot!

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Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist

Michael Cera and Kat Dennings of Superbad and The House Bunny respectively star as Nick and Nora in this John Huges-esque coming of age film. The director, Peter Sollett, tries hard to pull off the Huges' feel but just misses the mark that made those early 80's films such classics for my generation. He does include the required gay character of teen films these days but transforms it in to the form of a band where Nick is the only straight guy in the group. The film takes place over the course of one night with the hunt for a secret band show, the lost drunk friend who needs to be found, and the jealous return of an ex-girlfriend. So basically your normal teen film that is just average.

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Quarantine

Jennifer Carpenter returns to the horror film genre in this next installment of the zombie-like film that does not have zombies. Jennifer's break-through performance was as Emily in 1995's sleeper hit The Exorcism of Emily Rose which lead to her current casting as Debra Morgan on the series Dexter. This film continues the en vogue film style of first person video that was made popular by The Blair Witch Project. There are some good fright moments but they don't hold up to the unbelievable responses of the authorities that strains the film's attempts at realism. Lastly, Jennifer's hysterics at the end of the film are a little over the top and a little to late.

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