Docs, docs, docs. That's what we're selling folks, so get 'em while they're still hot. An American mayor, Israeli intelligence agents, professional hockey players, and Dave Grohl lead the way on the documetary front. Alternatively, you could temper all that reality with a heavy dose of cinematic illusion and façade: aging hitmen, gun-toting Lolitas fighting the good fight for gender equality, and the walking undead, oh my! (And yes, by "façade," we do mean "Sly's perfectly and uncannily preserved face.") Which direction will you take this weekend? Or are you watching the Super Bowl with the rest of America? Let us know in the comments below!
"Bullet to the Head." Directed by Walter Hill. Starring Sylvester Stallone, Sung Kang, Jason Momoa, and Christian Slater. Our review: "There is absolutely nothing defensible about the movie's leering treatment of women, or the casual racism played frequently for laughs, or even the utter nihilism of its hero, but it's so patently unrepentant, and so oddly even-handed in having all of its characters seem mindbendingingly dumb, that it kind of gets a pass." Metacritic: 49 Rotten Tomatoes: 47% The Playlist: B-
"Stand Up Guys." Directed by Fisher Stevens. Starring Al Pacino, Christopher Walken, Mark Margolis, and Alan Arkin. Our review: "Given an embarrassment of riches in this cast, director Fisher Stevens bungles the opportunity, running them through lame goombah tropes and hooligan-ish up-all-night misbehavior best suited to someone like Todd Phillips (or, in a darker vein, Abel Ferarra)." MC: 40 RT: 31% PL: D+"Koch." Directed by Neil Barsky. The documentary about the 105th mayor of New York — its release coinciding with the sad news of his death this morning — provides a thorough and engaging factual history, but fails to award the space or time necessary to delve into Ed Koch's complicated psyche with the depth this subject deserves. MC: 70 RT: 80%
"Sound City." Directed by Dave Grohl. Our review: "'Sound City' is a vibrant and vital tribute to a piece of recording and rock history that could have been lost to the ether, and Grohl packages the story of this little studio with a detailed celebration of the craft and skill necessary to this kind of recording, all with a killer soundtrack." MC: 74 RT: 100% PL: A-
"The Last Gladiators." Directed by Alex Gibney. This examination of NHL "enforcer" Chris "Knuckles" Nilan is more emotional and reflective than you might expect. MC: 55 RT: no score yet
