Wknd Box Office: Lockout, Cabin in the Woods

Here is an interesting article from http://www.debbieschlussel.com/ reviewing some of the movies that came out over the past weekend. This follows this post some of the movies from last week and THIS POST about some movies that have been released over the past few years that you might have missed! This all follows this post about guidelines to chosing good movies to watch yourself!




Wknd Box Office: Lockout, Cabin in the Woods

By Debbie Schlussel



Not exactly a great weekend in new releases at movie theaters. But I liked one a lot. I did not see “The Three Stooges” or “Bully,” as they were screened at the same time as “Lockout,” which I chose to see instead.









* “Lockout“: I’m a big fan of Guy Pearce, the star of this movie, so I would have enjoyed this even if it were not a good movie (but it is). No matter what he’s in, he’s always good, and his American accent is perfect, never belying his real-life Australian brogue. In this movie, he’s also funny and gets to play the action hero. And I liked the storyline in this, which is complete with the mockery of the liberal do-gooder daughter of a Democratic President. If you like science fiction and action movies, as I do, this is for you. It’s written by the usually excellent Luc Besson, of whom I’m also a fan. Some of the stunts weren’t believable, but they’re far more believable than what you’ll see in a James Bond movie.


Pearce plays a man framed for the murder of his friend. He insists he didn’t commit the crime, claiming he was set up. It involves national security secrets and the apparent theft of them, and he’s convicted of conspiracy to commit espionage. Te President’s top advisers are heavily involved in questioning him.



It’s the future, and, sadly, the President is a Democrat. His bleeding-heart liberal, social activist daughter makes a trip to an outer space prison for violent criminals. Set on a space station, the prison contains hundreds of prisoners who are frozen for their entire sentence. The President’s daughter insists that this is inhumane treatment because allegedly the prisoners experience dementia and other severe illnesses as a result of being frozen for so long. While on her visit, she meets with a prisoner, who then takes her hostage. Pearce is sent to the outer space prison to rescue her. But he has another plan, too: he wants to rescue a friend of his who is imprisoned there and has the briefcase taken from the scene of the murder, which allegedly contains the national security secrets the President wants.



The movie is fast-paced, full of action, and while at first, you don’t really know what’s going on, it acquits itself nicely. Yes, the ending is predictable, but I enjoyed the ride. And Pearce makes it even more fun with his wisecracking.



TWO-AND-A-HALF REAGANS



* “Cabin in the Woods“:  I have mixed feelings about this atypical horror flick, which is supposed to be campy and sort of a parody of others like it.  It’s a mix of “The Hunger Games” (read my review),  “Creature” (read my review), and maybe even a little “The Truman Show,” which is probably why one of the characters is named Truman.  But it’s extremely violent, bloody, there’s a gratuitous topless scene and a disgusting scene of a woman making out with a stuffed wolf, and lot’s of dumb, groanworthy sexual innuendo and dialogue.



The story: Four college students take a motor home to a cabin in the woods. On their way there they stop at a gas station with a creepy owner. And interspersed with those scenes, we see several men who appear to be scientists but are actually something else. It appears they know what’s going on at the cabin and have set the whole thing up. Back at the creepy cabin, the college students discover a cellar and begin reading from a diary they found in the cellar, which awakens a family of dead people from the grave, who come after them.



I wouldn’t spend $10 on this.  I felt like it was a time bandit that robbed me of 1.5 hours of life.  But then I’m not the target demographic for this.  It’s aimed at 20-somethings and teens.  But if you’re a parent, here’s a tip:  It’s rated “R” for a reason . . . many of them.  Susan “Sigourney” Weaver–who compared American men to Islamic terrorists–makes a cameo appearance.



HALF A MARX