May is over, and three of the summer's expected big hits are already out there. It is now time for a bit of a lull while we wait for the next high profile title to suck up screens at the local multiplex. So, while we may not be getting a new gigantic release this week, that does not mean we will not have anything new to watch.
This weekend brings two new wide releases, both of which are R-rated and targeting the adult audience, if slightly different demographics. One is a raunchy comedy in the vein of 40 Year Old Virgin and Wedding Crashers, and the other is a thriller reminiscent of A History of Violence. Both seem to offer up intriguing premises and could prove to be box office hits. Time will tell how they stack up to the blockbusters already on the screens.
Knocked Up. (2007, 132 minutes, R, comedy, trailer) If there is one comedy that I have been looking forward to this summer, this is it. I have no idea if it will be good, but I like all those involved, and the trailer just struck me as very funny and seems to have hit written all over it. It is written and directed by Judd Apatow, the mind behind the hilarious 40 Year Old Virgin and the shortlived series Freaks & Geeks and Undeclared, and stars Grey's Anatomy's Katherine Heigl as well as Virgin co-star Seth Rogen. The story is about a one-night stand between an unlikely pair that results in a pregnancy that leads to a run at a real relationship. It looks like it will have that mix of raunchy comedy and genuine heart that is box office gold, at least for me.
Mr. Brooks. (2007, 120 minutes, R, thriller, trailer) As hit or miss as Kevin Costner's films can be, this one looks to be rather intriguing in its Jekyll and Hyde setup. Costner stars as Earl Brooks, a family man and top businessman, who happens to enjoy killing. He has a split personality, to the point where the other personality is played by a different person (William Hurt). Brooks decides to quit, but gets sloppy on the last kill and is seen by a reporter played by Dane Cook. Meanwhile, he is also pursued by a police detective played by Demi Moore. It is directed and co-written by Bruce A. Evans, who last directed Kuffs in 1992, and last wrote the Tim Allen flick Jungle 2 Jungle. I cannot say that is a great pedigree, but the concept is definitely interesting.
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