Movies in Theaters This Friday, June 21, 2013: Monsters University, World War Z, and More
Maybe it’s the hangover from Man of Steel, but it seems like a light week in Hollywood releases. I can’t believe I’m saying that given Pixar’s newest release. Still, it seems like a much less intensive weekend.
Pixar’s 14th feature film Monsters University (you can read Sandrine’s review here) is a prequel to one of their first hits – Monsters Inc. This one returns voice stars Billy Crystal, John Goodman, and Steve Buscemi. The film will see the main characters in their college glory days. It’ll be directed by animator Dan Scanlon. This marks the start to this summer’s animation war between Monsters University, Despicable Me 2, and Turbo.
The second wide release couldn’t be more wildly different. World War Z, starring and produced by Brad Pitt, will finally hit theaters. I say “finally” because the production has been a mess from start to finish. Not only was a warehouse raided, where all the prop weapons were seized, but the production was forced into dreaded reshoots. Two different writers were enlisted to help rewrite a final act, furthering the complications. However, Marc Forster’s film, based on Max Brooks’ popular novel of the same name, did eventually make it through post-production. I’m hoping the film will prove the doubters (like myself) wrong.
In limited release, a notable film is Maniac, starring Elijah Wood. The horror film sees him as a withdrawn man with a deadly obsession. For fans of his work, this looks like a much different turn for him. I’m personally excited to see it.
As for the others, you can choose between: A Hijacking (which I lauded here), The Attack, Compulsion, Rushlights, and Unfinished Song (formerly Song for Marion).
Like always, enjoy your weekend!
Mike Wazowski and James P. Sullivan are an inseparable pair, but that wasn’t always the case. From the moment these two mismatched monsters met they couldn’t stand each other. “Monsters University” unlocks the door to how Mike and Sulley overcame their differences and became the best of friends.
Screaming with laughter and fun, “Monsters University” is directed by Dan Scanlon (“Cars,” “Mater and the Ghostlight,” “Tracy”) and produced by Kori Rae (“Up,” “The Incredibles,” “Monsters, Inc.”). The film opens in U.S. theaters on June 21, 2013, and will be shown in Disney Digital 3D™ in select theaters.
The story revolves around United Nations employee Gerry Lane (Pitt), who traverses the world in a race against time to stop a pandemic that is toppling armies and governments and threatening to decimate humanity itself.
The cargo ship MV Rozen is heading for harbour when it is hijacked by Somali pirates in the Indian Ocean. Among the men on board are the ship’s cook Mikkel (Pilou Asbæk), who along with the rest of the seamen are taken hostage in a cynical game of life and death. With the demand for a ransom of millions of dollars, a psychological drama unfolds between the CEO of the shipping company (Søren Malling) and the Somali pirates.
Tobias Lindholm made his directorial debut with the tough prison drama R (co-directed with Michael Noer, 2010). As a scriptwriter Lindholm has worked with Thomas Vinterberg on the acclaimed drama SUBMARINO (winner of the Nordic Council Film Prize) and THE HUNT (2012) with Mads Mikkelsen in the leading role (winner, Best Actor, Cannes 2012). Since 2010 he has written several episodes for the internationally acclaimed and BAFTA winning BORGEN with Pilou Asbæk and Søren Malling in leading roles.
Amin Jaafari is an Israeli Palestinian surgeon, fully assimilated into Tel Aviv society. He has a loving wife, an exemplary career, and many Jewish friends. But his picture-perfect life is turned upside down when a suicide bombing in a restaurant leaves nineteen dead, and the Israeli police inform him that his wife Sihem, who also died in the explosion, was responsible. Convinced of her innocence, Amin abandons the relative security of his adopted homeland and enters the Palestinian territories in pursuit of the truth. Once there, he finds himself in ever more dangerous places and situations. Determined, he presses on seeking answers to questions he never thought he would be asking. The Attack is adapted from Yasmina Khadra’s international bestseller of the same name. Originally published in 2005, the novel has been translated into more than 40 languages and has won numerous awards worldwide.
The lives of two female neighbors intersect when their individual obsessions begin to unravel.
Just when the streets seemed safe, a serial killer with a fetish for scalps is back and on the hunt. Frank is the withdrawn owner of a mannequin store, but his life changes when young artist Anna appears asking for his help with her new exhibition. As their friendship develops and Frank’s obsession escalates, it becomes clear that she has unleashed a long-repressed compulsion to stalk and kill.
“Rushlights”, a dark, gritty action-mystery thriller, stars Golden Globe© and Emmy© winner Beau Bridges (The Descendants, The Fabulous Baker Boys, Max Payne) and Aidan Quinn (Unknown, The Mission, Legends of the Fall). “Rushlights” revolves around Billy Brody (Josh Henderson, star of TNT’s new hit series “Dallas”) and Sarah (Haley Webb, Final Destination), two delinquent young lovers from the suburbs of Los Angeles, traveling to a small Texas town to falsely claim a dead friend’s inheritance. The two teens, haunted by their own dubious pasts while pursuing their scam, wind up in a nightmare of greed and betrayal when confronted with the twisted and bizarre underworld of Tremo, TX – population 2870.
Song for Marion is a comedic drama about grumpy pensioner Arthur (Terence Stamp) who is reluctantly inspired by his beloved wife Marion (Vanessa Redgrave) to join a highly unconventional local choir. At odds with his son James (Christopher Eccleston), it is left to choir director Elizabeth (Gemma Arterton) to try and persuade Arthur that he can learn to embrace life. Arthur must confront the undercurrents of his own grumbling persona as he embarks on a hilarious, life-affirming journey of musical self discovery.
