A hard-boiled detective (Dillon) gets in between a group of bank robbers and their plan to make away with a $20 million bounty.
Buzz:
Matt Dillon is back on the right side of the law after Armored, but the real question here is: How do you promote a movie featuring one currently incarcerated musician/actor (T.I.) and post-Rihanna Chris Brown, whose fame allotment has been nearly drained. Suddenly, heist movies don't seem fun anymore.
A troubled evangelical minister (Fabian) agrees to let his last exorcism be filmed by a documentary crew, where a possessed young (Bell) brings him face to face with the devil himself.
Buzz:
Eli Roth (in producer mode here) and Lionsgate are testing the Paranormal Activity theorem here: can you turn a low-budget horror/thriller with no stars into a hit? Director Daniel Stamm caused a minor genre stir back in 2008/2009 with A Necessary Death; screenwriters Huck Botko and Andrew Gurland are back in theaters on September 10 (as co-directors) with a completely different project, The Virginity Hit, and we think they had something to do with this viral video. Funny or Dead?
The fearless Barney Ross (Stallone) leads a team of mercenaries on a mission to South America, where their objective -- to overthrow a ruthless dictator -- is more dangerous than the men realize.
Buzz:
Scott Pilgrim and Elizabeth Gilbert might find themselves defeated by a handful of old guys this weekend. My only questions here: Why did Sylvester Stallone not turn this screenplay into Rambo V? And who thought the name Barney Ross sounded tough?
While trying to get pregnant, a happily married woman (Roberts) realizes her life needs to go in a different direction, and after a painful divorce, she takes off on a round-the-world journey.
Buzz:
While Liz Gilbert liberates herself on her globe-spanning trip, Julia Roberts might be feeling the pressure to deliver a major box-office hit, since Sex and the City 2 derailed the momentum earned by Mamma Mia!, Julie & Julia, and other "women's films". Still wondering what attracted subversive writer/director Ryan Murphy ("Glee", "Nip/Tuck") to the project, but I'm more curious whether Ms. Robert's let actual mosquitoes feast on her in India.Will Murphy + Roberts reunite for a second movie? They are both attached to an untitled romantic comedy where an executive learns to readjust to life at home with her kids after losing her job -- sort of like if Danny Moder became the breadwinner of the Roberts household.P.S. Did you know you can purchase the aromas of Ms. Gilbert's reawakening?
Detectives Allen Gamble (Ferrell) and Terry Hoitz (Wahlberg) might not be New York City's finest, but when they discover a path that leads directly to one the city's biggest criminals, they seize the opportunity to become supercops.
Buzz:
Will Ferrell looks to put Land of the Lost behind him with a can't-miss late-summer comedy directed by his best handler, Adam McKay. Though New York City wasn't so kind to Ferrell the last time around. Funny that this will be the movie to topple Inception from its position atop the box-office.
A spoof of vampire-themed movies, where teenager Becca finds herself torn between two boys. As she and her friends wrestle with a number of different dramas, everything comes to a head at their prom.
Buzz:
I feel like if you're the type of person who eye-rolls every time you hear the names Bella or Edward, but you wind up shelling out for a spoof comedy from Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer -- who share the honor of having three movies in the IMDb Bottom 100 -- then the joke is really on you?
Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ellen Page
Studio:
Warner Bros. Pictures
Plot:
Dom Cobb (DiCaprio) is a thief who specializes in the art of extraction, the stealing of secrets from a target's subconscious. Though his profession cost him everything he has ever loved and has turned him into a fugitive, an offer for a final job -- one that requires him to plant an idea instead of pilfering it -- could be his chance at redemption.
Buzz:
Our founder has already called this "the movie of the decade".
Nanny McPhee (Thompson) arrives to help a harried young mother, Mrs. Green (Gyllenhaal), with running the family farm while her husband is away at war. With Mrs. Green's children waging a personal war with their two spoiled cousins, Nanny McPhee uses her magic to teach the kids five important new lessons.
Buzz:
A sequel? Surely. While the original Nanny McPhee wasn't a textbook blockbuster, it earned over $100 million in theaters (worldwide) on a reported budget of $25 million. Maybe Nanny McPhee teaches economic lessons to the farm kids here.
An unmarried 40-year-old woman (Aniston) turns to a turkey baster in order to become pregnant. Seven years later, she reunites with her best friend (Bateman), who has been living with a secret ...
Buzz:
I don't know if audiences avoided The Back-Up Plan because of the movie's theme or its star, but, when compared to The Switch, at least Jennifer Lopez's adventures in conception was marketed by its studio. No offense to anyone at the recently sold Miramax, which is a bit rudderless as the company transitions away from its Disney handlers to its new owners. Hopefully Jennifer Aniston's celebrity and Jason Bateman's cult audience will be enough to grow the awareness for this foul-mouthed and potential crowd-pleaser from the dudes behind Blades of Glory. Will Jennifer Aniston swear on film again?
After a tremor under the surface of Lake Victoria unleashes scores of prehistoric piranhas, a group of strangers under the direction of the local sheriff (Shue) band together to stop themselves from becoming fish food.
Buzz:
New rule: From now on, if you're going to remake a movie, it has to be in 3D. Oh, and the original has to be bad. And by bad, we mean terrible. Elsewhere, Richard Dreyfuss returns to scary waters in what might be the best cheapie horror flick casting since Betty White in Lake Placid (but let's hope the supporting players and cameo appearances don't end with Christopher Lloyd or Eli Roth). Other questions: Is Alexandre Aja embracing his camp side? Will this level of gore make it to the big screen intact?
MIAMI — Fourteen years ago, while practicing law, David Lamb wrote the book, Do Platanos Go Wit' Collard Greens?
During his collegiate book tour, students commented that the storyline and characters would “make a great play.”
In 2003, Platanos And Collard Greens debuted to a sold-out audience in a 99-seat, off-Broadway New York City theater. It has since run at more than 150 colleges and universities in more than 10 major cities and 17 states around the country.
“We opened with the intent of running for one weekend,” Jamillah Lamb, David’s wife and the play’s producer, said. “But the people kept coming and we kept going.”
The play, now in its seventh season, will open at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County on Feb. 17. It is one of the Arsht Center’s Black History Month performances.
It will be the play’s first main stage performance open to the public, said Jamillah, who along with her husband is African-American.
“We wanted to take risks,” John Richard, the Arsht Center’s president and CEO, said about running the play.
The romantic comedy tells the story of Freeman, an African-American man, and Angelita, a Latina woman. Both are forced to confront and overcome cultural and racial prejudices while defending their bond to family and friends.
Platanos are a popular complement to many Latin-American dishes. The same is true of collard greens for African-American dishes.
“Platanos And Collard Greens is essentially an urban love story,” Richard said. “It’s not typically a thematic black storyline, but it has a diverse storyline and we think it fits into a celebration of Black History Month.”
Before writing the book, David said that he began thinking about how intimate the connections are between black and Latino people who live in New York City, “especially Puerto Ricans. I started asking myself, ‘Why is it that we can drink and party together, but can’t seem to take care of business together? I wanted to write about that.”
And the best way to write the book, he said, was through a relationship.
“Our issues are really the same and the play is a way to open that discussion,’’ he said. “The humor will relate to people and their family issues.”
The entire month of February, Richard said, is a variety of jazz, gospel, theatrical performances and urban music.
The Arsht Center’s calendar, Richard said, is “robust with so many different offerings.
“Our mission is to be reflective of the community where we live; it drives us in terms of selecting programs we have on all of our stages.”
The John S. and James L. Knight Concert Hall’s first performance in February will feature pop and R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, actor and rapper Ne-Yo. He is also the mastermind behind chart-topping hits for performers Beyoncé and Rihanna.
Rap superstar NAS on Feb. 5 will bring his synthesis of well-crafted rhetoric and street-glamorous imagery to the Knight Concert Hall’s stage. Joining NAS will be Goodie Mob, featuring its original members, Cee-Lo (Gnarls Barkley), Big Gipp, T-Mo and Khujo.
The Free Gospel Sundays Feb. 21 performance will feature the pioneers of traditional gospel music, The Canton Spirituals.
Joining the famous group will be the Miami-based Mount Tabor Missionary Baptist Church Choir and the Free Gospel Sundays Mass Choir for this special Black History Month concert.
The concert is presented in partnership with Miami gospel radio station WMBM 1490 AM and Jubilate, Inc.
Closing the Black History Month’s performances will be Jazz Roots: Al Jarreau and Ramsey Lewis.
Jarreau pairs a voice that’s recognized as one of the world’s most precious treasures with his unique and innovative musical expressions. His achievements include five Grammys, several international music awards and numerous hit records.
A pianist and composer, Lewis is often referenced as “the great performer,” a title reflecting a performance style rooted in his early gospel roots and classical training.
The Arsht Center is in its fourth season, and what happens in the surrounding communities, Richard said, “is also presented on our stage. It’s a matter of programming by genre. We are looking to build an audience from the black community throughout South Florida.’’
He continued: “That’s very much in our thinking about being world-class and community based at the same time. And we don’t think that these are mutually exclusive categories.”
“As we program the center, we think of the center as Miami’s new town square,” Richard said. “If we are arriving at this moment of being that, then what happens on our stages has to be a reflection of the community that comes.”
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IF YOU GO
WHAT: Platanos
and Collard Greens
WHERE: Adrienne Arsht Center for the
Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County, Carnival Studio Theater, Ziff Ballet
Opera House. 1300 Biscayne Blvd., Miami, 33132.
WHEN: February 17-28.
Weeknights, 7:30 p.m. Weekends at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
COST: $35. $25
student rush tickets will be available two hours prior to each
performance. Student groups of 15
or more can purchase $25 student tickets in advance by calling 786-468-2326.
CONTACT: Purchase tickets online at www.arshtcenter.org. Box
office hours are Monday – Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The box office is also open
two hours before every performance.
To purchase by phone, call 305-949-6722.
WHAT: Ne-Yo, live in concert
WHERE: Adrienne Arsht Center for the
Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County, John S. and James L. Knight Concert Hall.
1300 Biscayne Blvd., Miami, 33132.
WHEN: Thursday, February 4 at 8 p.m.
COST: $35-$65
CONTACT: Purchase tickets online at www.arshtcenter.org. Box
office hours are Monday – Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The box office is also open
two hours before every performance.
To purchase by phone, call 305-949-6722.
WHAT: Rock the Bells Experience, featuring rap
superstar NAS with special guest Goodie Mob.
WHERE: Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing
Arts of Miami-Dade County, John S. and James L. Knight Concert Hall. 1300
Biscayne Blvd., Miami, 33132.
WHEN: Friday, February 5 at 8 p.m.
COST: $34.75 - $84.75
CONTACT: Purchase tickets online at www.arshtcenter.org. Box
office hours are Monday – Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The box office is also open
two hours before every performance.
To purchase by phone, call 305-949-6722.
WHAT: Free Gospel Sundays, the Canton
Spirituals with Mount Tabor Full Gospel Baptist Church Choir and Vanessa Bell
Armstrong
WHERE: Adrienne Arsht Center for the
Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County, John S. and James L. Knight Concert Hall.
1300 Biscayne Blvd., Miami, 33132.
WHEN: Sunday, February 21 at 4 p.m.
COST:
Free and open to the public.
CONTACT: Order free tickets online at www.arshtcenter.org. Box
office hours are Monday – Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The box office is also open
two hours before every performance, advance reservations are strongly
suggested.
WHAT: Jazz Roots with Al Jarreau
and Ramsey Lewis
WHERE: Adrienne Arsht Center for the
Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County, John S. and James L. Knight Concert Hall.
1300 Biscayne Blvd., Miami, 33132.
WHEN: Friday, February 26 at 8 p.m.
COST: $25-$125
CONTACT: Purchase tickets online at www.arshtcenter.org. Box
office hours are Monday – Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The box office is also open
two hours before every performance.
To purchase by phone, call 305-949-6722.
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