CinePhillyist

What's new and/or interesting in Philly theaters this weekend.

Tideland - We really wanted to label this our Most Likely to Rule this week - we really did! It's the new movie from one of our favorite directors - Terry Gilliam. It's got on of our favorite actors, Jeff Bridges, as Noah, a burnt-out, drug-addicted rock star. It's even also got Jennifer Tilly - who's not really a very good actor, but we like her anyway - as his similarly addicted wife. Tilly's character dies early on, and Noah and his daughter move to a prairie house in the middle of nowhere. He gets lost on a drug trip, and his daughter gets lost in her own magical, hallucinatory fantasy land. Sounds great, right? But like most Gilliam films, it's also incredibly disturbing and depressing - this time so much so that it's apparently practically unwatchable. A rating of 25% on Rotten Tomatoes is not a good sign, people. Sigh. What happened to you, Terry? Twelve Monkeys was such a long time ago...
Trailer
Showing at: Ritz at the Bourse

Charlotte's Web - Hollywood does the famous children's book again, this time with a combination of live action and computer-generated footage, featuring Dakota Fanning as the girl Fern, and, as is now standard, a bevy of famous actors voicing the various animated animals, including Julia Roberts, Oprah Winfrey, Steve Buscemi, Kathy Bates, John Cleese, Thomas Haden Church, Cedric the Entertainer, Robert Redford, Jennifer Garner, Reba McEntire, and Andre Benjamin. Reviews are surprisingly good, so if you're looking for a good kid's movie with a quick cry at the end, this could be your film.
Trailer
Showing at: The Riverview, The Bridge

Most Likely to Suck: Eragon - The inevitable film adaptation of the first episode in the latest popular series of fantasy novels finally hits theaters this weekend. As we've said before, dragons + Jeremy Irons = very bad memories for us, but we might have been tempted to see this anyway, as we love a good fantasy epic with dragons and magic and prophesies and the overthrow of evil empires. Plus the movie's got Robert Carlyle, Djimon Hounsou, Rachel Weisz (well, her voice, anyway), and Joss Stone (!!!), and best of all, John Malkovich stars as the no doubt scenery-chewing big bad guy, King Galbatorix. Unfortunately, once again Rotten Tomatoes has spoken, and the news is not good. That is a low, low rating, folks. Avoid at all costs!
Trailer
Showing at: The Riverview, The Bridge

The Pursuit of Happyness - Will Smith plays a smart, talented guy who has a hard time making ends meet for him and his five-year-old son (who is played by Will Smith's actual son, Jaden Smith). But he lands an internship at a prestigious stock brokerage firm, fights against adversity, and eventually...etc., etc. No doubt heartwarming, and apparently well acted, but we can't bring ourselves to be interested in it at all. Also stars Thandie Newton and Dan Castellaneta.
Trailer
Showing at: The Riverview

Most Likely to Rule: Exhumed Films in Outer Space! - Dude. Do we even need to say anything else? Exhumed Films - in outer space!!! That means a double feature of '80s Roger Corman sci-fi "classics!" First up is Galaxy of Terror, wherein space explorers discover an alien pyramid that brings their worst fears to life. Corman helped foster the careers of lots of famous people in Hollywood - two guys working behind the scenes on this one were Bill Paxton and James Cameron. Two guys working in front of the scenes were Ray Walston and Robert Englund. But wait - it gets better! Next up is Battle Beyond the Stars, which looks like the Super Bowl of sci fi B-movies. It's sort of a future version of Seven Samurai, written by John Sayles (!), scored by James Horner (!!), and starring Richard Thomas, John Saxon, George Peppard, and Robert Vaughn (!!!). Rocking!
Showing at: The International House, Sat @ 8PM ONLY

Image Credit: Soundtrack Collector