The Starting Lineup

Now playing at a theatre near you this holiday weekend:


Alexander (R)
Starring: Colin Farrell, Rosario Dawson, Anthony Hopkins, Val Kilmer, and Angelina Jolie
Director: Oliver Stone

Oliver Stone's latest epic has an all star cast, Oscar aspirations, and controversy. Are we really surprised?


Christmas with the Kranks (PG)
Starring: Tim Allen, Jamie Lee Curtis, Cheech Marin, and Dan Aykroyd
Director: Joe Roth

The trailer for this film has lifted my expectations for this film. The Kranks decide to forgo Christmas because their daughter won't be home for the holiday. Mass hysteria ensues because of that decision.


Finding Neverland (PG)
Starring: Johnny Depp, Kate Winslet, Julie Christie, and Dustin Hoffman
Director: Marc Forster

This tale tells the story behind the story, so to speak, about the creation of Peter Pan.

DVD Rundown

Now available to rent or own:


The Terminal (PG-13)
Starring: Tom Hanks, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Stanley Tucci
Director: Steven Spielberg

In this promising little film Hanks plays a foreigner who becomes stuck in an airport when war breaks out in his home country leaving him without nationality. He makes friends and makes do inside the airport because his visa is taken away.


Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (PG)
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Gint, and Emma Watson
Director: Alfanso Cuaron

Harry Potter is back. All I can say is whoopee. Yeah. No. I really mean it. Just can't wait. Wahoo. This time that Larry, oh excuse me, I mean Harry... (I forget that this is a J.K. Rowling ORIGINAL story. My bad.) Anyway, where was I? Oh, yes. This time something happens to Harry and then something else goes on for a couple of hours and then it resolves itself until the next film when they will bilk parents and children out of a few hundred million more bucks. The books keep getting longer and the films are excruciatingly longer. Can't you just hardly wait the fourth?


Sleepover (PG)
Starring: Alexa Vega, Mike Boorem, and Sam Huntington
Director: Joe Nussbaum

Vega steps out of her Spy Kids role, jumping head-first into the realm of teenage feminine angst as she and her friends deal with the so-very-serious threat of high school obscurity and insignificance. In the mean time, they throw-down with the popular girl in an all-night scavenger hunt.

Weekend Sweep

National Treasure took the box office crown over the weekend by nudging out SpoungeBob SquarePants. The Squared One scored with audiences of all makes although I'll never ever understand why. The Incredibles, The Polar Express, and Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason round out the top 5, which begs the question: When was the last time three of the top 5 films were all animated? I'm not clever enough to figure that one out so drop us a line if you think you know the answer. Be prepared to cite your sources.

We haven't had a news update in a while so there's much to report...

Jude Law was named the sexiest man alive. I have an ex-girlfriend who put forth this thought over five years ago but she doesn't speak to me anymore so I can neither confirm nor deny the notion that's she's behind his selection in some way. As manipulative as she was I figure she had to have a hand in this somehow, thus bringing about her ultimate vindication at this time.

Mel Gibson says he won't be plugging his flick for an Oscar this year.

The folks at AFI are at it again. This time they're compiling a list of the top 100 movie quotes of all time. Casablanca is probably going to dominate the top 10.

Exhibit A in our study of duplicity--Roman Polanski. He wants the right to sue somebody in a court of law via video link. He wants to sue Vanity Fair for "defamation." You might recall that Polanski was convicted for having sex with a 13 year-old back in 1977. There are two things astonishing about this; first, that Polanski has the nerve to use the courts when they might benefit him but refuses to yield to court orders himself, and second, that a fleeing felon pedophile would actually think somebody could "defame" his "reputation."

Several films in development make their debut on The Hot Corner.

Sam Raimi, the director of both recent Spider-man films, intends to remake one of his own films--The Evil Dead. With the current resurgence of The Zombie Genre, this is not at all surprising.

Colin Firth wants to throw his hat inside Money Penny's office as the new Bond. The other Colin, Colin Farrell who is Pierce Brosnan's choice went on record that he has no desire to tackle 007.

Two sources have Tom Hanks, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Kate Beckinsale involved they in bringing The Da Vinci Code to the big screen.

Director Brian Singer (X-men) will be taking an alternative creative turn in developing a new video game called Secret Service.

Disney intends to bring Toy Story 3 to a theatre near you without the help of Pixar.

For the next two weeks The Hot Corner will have to go on pseudo-hiatus due to the Thanksgiving Holiday and my dad's major reconstructive surgeries on his leg. I'll try to update with reviews during those two weeks but the news and forthcoming releases will have to wait.

But I won't leave you folks empty handed. Here's what's coming in the weeks ahead.

A BIG HAPPY BIRTHDAY goes out to my little brother Brett today!

Take care, be safe, and have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

The Starting Lineup

At a theatre near you starting this afternoon!


Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (R)
Starring: Renee Zellweger, Colin Firth, and Hugh Grant
Director: Beeban Kidron

I mean really! What's the point here? Merely to showcase Zellweger's improved Brit accent? Same plot different diary. Or so I am told. Unfortunately, the wife will never let this one slip by without dragging me along for the ride. I'm sure it is a funny film considering the cast, but it certainly offends my pocket book and my sensibilities that part two comes along with the same love triangle that should have been resolved in the snowy streets of London so long ago.


National Treasure (PG-13)
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Diane Kruger, and Sean Bean
Director: Jon Turteltaub

This ain't a banner weekend for movies. While National Treasure might very well be the second coming of Indiana Jones (somehow I doubt it) I couldn't care less because every movie I went to see at the theatres, every video I rented, and every movie a bought in the last two years had the trailer for this film attached to it. I can even quote the film already. "Did Big Foot take it?" The Marketing Army has carpet bombed my peaceful territory and I'll be darned if I'll ever pay big bucks to see this film!


The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie (PG)
Starring: Tom Kenny, Alec Baldwin, and Bill Fagerbakke
Director: Stephen Hillenburg and Sherm Cohen

Words cannot even begin to describe my disdain for SpongeBob, Nick, and all the wretched "cartoons" they crank out. I realize SpongeBob is a bit of a cult phenomenon, but my daughter isn't even allowed to watch Nick so why would I take her to see this?

DVD Rundown

Sorry I'm late on the draw this week but I had a family emergency that took me out of town for 24 hours. All is well now so we pick up our regularly scheduled programming already in progress.

Elf (PG)
Starring: Will Ferrell, James Caan, and Zooey Deschanel
Director: Jon Favreau

Favreau spins a sweet tale about a man adopted by an elf (Bob Newhart) who travels through candy canes, gumdrops, and the Lincoln Tunnel in search of his long lost father. Eventually the big-elf-who-could saves Christmas, but that's just to be expected. MATINEE


Ragtime (PG)
Starring: James Cagney, Howard E. Rollins, and Elizabeth McGovern
Director: Milos Forman

I've never had a chance to see this film and I look forward to renting it soon. This period piece is set in early 1900's New York about a jazz pianist that has won fame and fortune that some folks just don't appreciate. Based on the E.L. Doctorow novel that was also turned into a musical. Cagney came out of retirement to make this film.


The Chronicles of Riddick (PG-13)
Starring: Vin Diesel, Judi Dench, and Thandie Newton
Director: David Twohy

So here's the deal. I loved Pitch Black. I caught it on CATV late one night and wound up watching it virtually every time it came on for months. There wasn't much special about the film but the Vin Diesel's career certainly took off afterward. For a while, anyway. I'll be renting this one as soon as possible but, judging from the poor reviews and poor box office bank, I'm sure to be disappointed.


I'll Sleep When I'm Dead (R)
Starring: Clive Owen, Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, and Charlotte Rampling
Director: Mike Hodges

A retired bad guy comes out of retirement to investigate the events surrounding his brother's suicide.


Foul Play (PG)
Starring: Goldie Hawn, Chevy Chase, and Dudley Moore
Director: Colin Higgins

Seems Like Old Times is a much better film, but Foul Play has a few moments of fun. For the most part it is more mystery than comedy. Chase doesn't show up until the second act and Moore is only in one scene in the entire film, although it is a very funny, albeit naughty, scene. RENTAL


The Saddest Music in the World (NR)
Starring: Isabella Rossellini, Mark McKinney, and Maria De Medeiros
Director: Guy Maddin

This film is billed as a musical (of sorts) about a woman that starts a contest to find the saddest music in the world.

Also be on the lookout for special editions of Daredevil (HOT DATE) and Top Gun (MATINEE) if you're a fan.

Weekend Sweep

The Incredibles inconceivably fended off contenders again this week as the Tom Hanks one-man show The Polar Express chugged along in second place. In a highly limited release, Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason almost edged past After the Sunset which finished in third. That ridiculous Chucky thing finished fifth proving once and for all that there's just no accounting for taste.

On the Bridget Jones Chick-flick front, Hugh Grant says he's "semi-retired" from acting and Zellweger plans to take a sabbatical.

The Starting Lineup

Now playing at a theatre near you:


After the Sunset (PG-13)
Starring: Pierce Brosnan, Woody Harrelson, Salma Hayek, and Don Cheadle

Director: Brett Ratner

Brosnan plays a thief who has retired with his beautiful girl (played by Hayek, of course) to a tropical locale. But an FBI agent (Harrelson) with a grudge just won't let him go in peace and neither will the the bad guys (Cheadle). I've seen the clips and trailers and this one holds promise. We'll see how it fairs over the weekend.


Seed of Chucky (R)
Starring: Britney Spears DOES NOT appear in this film
Director: Britney Spears DOES NOT direct this film

I never thought I'd say this, but the only thing that can improve a movie this bad IS Britney Spears.

In case you don't get the joke, click here to read the entire story.

The Incredibles (PG)

View Trailer and Clips

A Review
By M. Chad Durham

What are the secret ingredients to Pixar’s critical and box office success?

For the sixth straight time Pixar Studios has cranked-out a huge hit and Disney executives better be taking notes. Disney hasn’t produced a decent animated story in virtually a decade. They seem quite content to torture parents with inane sequels (Cinderella 2) or trite little cartoons scored by aging popsters Phil Collins or Elton John. On the other hand, the brilliant minds at Pixar have perfected the art of the modern family film. Their accomplishments have very little to do with the computer technology they use to make films. Disney fails where Pixar succeeds simply because the folks at Pixar refuse to settle for cute or clever or political (i.e. Brother Bear), opting instead for creative stories that parents are sure to enjoy.



Not that The Incredibles contains much originality. It doesn’t. Scene after scene audiences will find the familiar; the giant boulder that chased Indy in Raiders of the Lost Ark, funny little machines piloted by henchmen in pursuit of a teenage girl and her kid brother like Spy Kids 2, and the criminal’s secret lair inside a hallowed out Volcano. (Is that Austin Powers or James Bond? Actually it was both.) There is a landing ship that looks like those used in the more recent installments of Star Wars, a train scene that is the spitting image of the one in Spiderman 2, a computer control room that looks exactly like Cerebrum in X-Men, and a finale that is almost exactly the same as the one Robert Rodriguez shot for Spy Kids 3D. Batman toys, James Bond gadgets, Superman moments, and bad guy clichés abound.

And I loved every minute of it! I know it doesn’t sound like it so far, but let me tell you what Pixar does right.



First, Pixar knows their audience—the modern American family. For most families a trek to the theatre can cost upwards of fifty bucks with popcorn and cokes, even for a matinee. If you’re going to lure middle class families to the theatre on their tight budgets you have to give them something they want to see. What parents don’t want to see are tree-hugging stories about bears, movies about stupid loud-mouthed annoying cows, another extended Phil Collins video, or Snow White Episode 3: Revenge of the Dwarf.

Please! If you build it, they will come. Oh yes, Ray, people will most definitely come. And they will keep on coming because Pixar has built a reputation and an audience by telling stories that parents really do understand.



Second, they create characters that are very human. Remember Woody in Toy Story? Flick from A Bug’s Life? Sulley, the big loveable fuzz ball in Monsters, Inc.? Or how about Nemo’s dad, Marlin? A toy, a bug, a monster, and a fish respectively but each one is decidedly human to the core.



The Incredibles gives us a few more. In order of preference we’re introduced to a teenage girl named Violet (Sarah Vowell) who possess the ability to make herself invisible and generate force fields around her self and others. She’s got a crush on a boy at school but, well, she is invisible. Right? Syndrome (Jason Lee) suffers from what I like to call Childhood Idol Rejection Syndrome (CHIRS for short). He becomes a villain because he thinks there’s nothing really special about being himself. Mr. Incredible (Craig T. Nelson) struggles to find himself and his beltline. Mrs. Incredible (Holly Hunter) just wants to be the best wife and mother she can possibly be, although she probably wishes her hips weren’t so wide. Dash feels restrained in school because he’s not allowed to use his abilities.



Actually, my favorite character was Edna “E” Mode, voiced by the director himself, Brad Bird. She is a mix of Donatella Versace, Rona Barrett, Frau Farbissina (Austin Powers), and Velma (Scooby Doo). As the designer to “the supers” her character is just plain super, though no one but Donatella Versace and Mya Rudolph (who mimics Versace on Saturday Night Live) could identify with her at all. Nonetheless, her character is the most fun.



Third, Pixar stories strike a personal chord. Who can’t relate to overprotecting their child, feeling insignificant, feeling lost and forgotten, getting dumped, or being stuck in a mindless job you can’t stand? I can’t relate to a guy turning into a bear and back again. Give me a break. But tell me a story about a father longing for the good old days, trapped in a dead-end job, looking for a way out? That’s life! A wife worried about her husband’s mid-life crisis? Protecting her kids? That’s life! A villain obsessed with revenge because his childhood hero spurned him? A girl who feels like she’s invisible at school that actually is invisible? Brilliant!



The story begins by making a powerful statement on our society at large. When Mr. Incredible saves a man attempting suicide, and soon thereafter the aforementioned train of passengers’ al-la Spiderman 2, it opens the door for a flood of lawsuits against all the so-called “supers.” They have to give up their heroics because an ungratefully greedy society littered with lawyers wants to make a quick buck or two. So, all the “supers” are rounded up by the government and placed inside the witness protection program. Here Mr. Incredible grapples with what he construes is a meaningless existence, stifled by the thought that the only thing he has to champion is mediocrity.

Some of the humor throughout The Incredibles is pretty sly. Clearly it spoofs the superhero genre in general. (For the record—James Bond is a superhero.) There are quite a few inside jokes many moviegoers will miss.
Mr. Incredible erroneously calls Buddy Pine (Jason Lee) Brodie, the somewhat infamous character Lee portrayed in Mallrats and reprised for Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. (I was the ONLY person laughing at one.)

Later in the film, Lucius Best (Samuel L. Jackson) splashes on some aftershave. Make sure you read the brand name on the bottle. In fact, the entire style and look of the film reminds us of the golden age of comic books. Watch carefully and you will see these little touches throughout the film.

As much fun as it was to watch The Incredibles (and I will watch it again and again), I still can’t offer up my highest rating because it lacks the total originality of Toy Story. We’ll call it a MATINEE and you really should take the family to one and see this film soon.


This copyrighted article was also published in Grace-Centered Magazine - A daily publication for Christians that examines tradition and aspects of living the Christian life.

Early Release

The Polar Express (G)
Starring: Tom Hanks, Leslie Harter Zemeckis, and Peter Scolari
Director: Robert Zemeckis

Hanks and Scolari together again? Yes, but the Bosom Buddies are transvestites no more. (That's why I wasn't allowed to watch the show, by the way.) Instead, they just lend their vocal and physical talents to a film that combines computer animation with the live movement. The result is a classic tale wherein the proverbial question gets answered--Does Santa Claus exist? The Polar Express will take those who believe to directly to the North Pole for a first-hand experience. This holds promise for the entire family.

DVD Rundown

New on DVD Today!


The Stepford Wives (PG-13)

Starring: Nicole Kidman, Bette Midler, and Matthew Broderick
Director: Frank Oz

Yoda (Frank Oz) offers his sage-like advice in yet another remake that wasn't necessary. This version is presumed to be a comedy in which a television executive (Kidman) has a meltdown and her husband moves to the family to Stepford, Connecticut where every man in town is married to the perfect wife.


The Clearing (R)
Starring: Robert Redford, Willem Dafoe, and Helen Mirren

Director: Pieter Jan Brugge

Redford plays a businessman kidnapped and held for ransom while his wife tries frantically to secure his release. On the surface the story sounds cliched but it is purported to be based on a true story. But then again, so was The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.


Before Sunset (R)
Starring: Ethan Hawke and Julie Deply
Director: Richard Linklater

A sequel to Before Sunrise, Hawke plays an American in Paris who runs into an old friend he just might be in love with but time is of the essence because he's set to fly back to the states in just a few short hours.


Falling from Grace (R)
Starring: John Mellencamp, Mariel Hemingway, and Claude Akins
Director: John Mellencamp

Larry McMurtry penned this story about a successful musician's bittersweet homecoming. Mellencamp makes an adequate debut in the starring role, but is impressive as a rookie director. Falling from Grace is far from perfect, but isn't that what Grace is for? RENTAL


Gone with the Wind (G)
Starring: Clark Gable, Vivien Leigh, and Leslie Howard

Director: Victor Fleming

I've never watched this film, which I'm sure some of you find appalling. All I can say is, "frankly my dear, I don't give a... darn."

Weekend Sweep

Pixar's hands were raised again in triumph over the weekend as The Incredibles captured over $70 million at the box office. Ray finished second again.

The Grudge fell to third place but that hasn't stopped the studio from exploring a possible sequel.

As much as I enjoyed The Incredibles with my family this past weekend, I have to admit I was even more stoked about the teaser trailer for Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith that was attached to the film. If you missed it or want to see it again you can surf on over to Movie-List and take a peek.

By the way, the Sin City Comic-Con promo that was previously available through the same source has been removed. I presume it took up too much bandwidth as it was over five minutes long. So disregard The Hot Corner's links to that trailer.

On Friday the MPAA announced that they were going to start going after Internet video pirates.

My favorite actress, Kate Beckinsale, is all over the news this weekend because she came out to deny that she has had breast augmentation. Here's one of the photos that led people to conclude that she had this done, but she claims the stretch marks are related to giving birth to her child. She also says she's been wearing "the suit" from Underworld around the house. Why not? Obviously her director hubby Len Wiseman is no dummy.

What do I think? Not that it matters much but if she was going to have them done, why not make them larger than they were before? As a somewhat casual observer I can tell you that they haven't, er... uh... grown. They did grow for the movie posters and the DVD cover of Underworld, but that's another story altogether and I can't find it right now so I'll keep looking.

The release date for the Bridget Jones sequel has been bumped up to November 19, which has made my wife very happy indeed.

The Starting Lineup

At a theatre near you starting today!


The Incredibles (PG)
Starring: Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Samuel Jackson, and Jason LeeDirector: Brad Bird

This is the much anticipated and ballyhooed release from Pixar, perhaps their last in association with The Mouseketeers. The Incredibles are a family of retired superheroes trying to live in anonymity. But, you know how that sort of thing goes. Just ask Michael Corleone. "I try to get out but they keep pulling me back in." Looks like a whole lot of fun for the entire family! Maybe I'll get to take the daughter this weekend.


Alfie (R)
Starring: Jude Law, Susan Sarandon, and Marisa Tomei
Director: Charles Shyer

Another remake! Enough already! There have to be 1000's of great-unproduced scripts running around Hollywood but instead we have to endure monthly remakes. This time Michael Caine's 1966 film gets the business. Law plays the title character, a playboy who resides in New York City who discovers there are serious consequences to his lifestyle. Yeah. These consequences are called AIDS, herpes, and allergic reactions to latex! But I'm sure that's not what the filmmakers mean by "serious consequences." I'm sure Alfie and the Sex in the City gang will never meet a serious consequence in their promiscuous lives. I'm beginning to believe that STDs just don't exist in New York City. I could be wrong. Please advise!

New to DVD today!


Shrek 2 (PG)
Starring: Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, and Cameron Diaz
Director: Andrew Adamson, Kelly Asbury, and Conrad Vernon

You can find my original review of this film here.

Taking a Back Seat

No post today.

Entertainment is taking a back seat to politics this week.

I've got a couple of political bloggers linked here at The Hot Corner due to our association at GCM so just scroll down the right hand column if you want to go jump into their fray for the day.

DVD Rundown

Here are today's newest video releases...

Around the World in 80 Days (PG)
Starring: Jackie Chan, Steve Coogan, and Jim Broadbent
Director: Frank Coraci

Adapted from the Jules Verne novel and the original film (1956) starring David Niven, Chan and Coogan try to go around the world in... well, eighty days I suppose.


A Home at the End of the World (R)
Starring: Colin Farrell, Dallas Roberts, and Robin Wright Penn
Director: Michael Mayer

The story of two friends lifelong friends caught in a love triangle. Michael Cunningham (The Hours) inked this adaptation of his own novel for the big screen.


Even Cowgirls get the Blues (R)
Starring: Uma Thurman, Keanu Reeves, and Pat Morita
Director: Gus Van Sant

Van Sant's flick from 1993 that was neither well-received nor critically acclaimed.


Ali G Indahouse (The Movie) (R)
Starring: Sacha Baron Cohen, Michael Gambon, and Kellie Bright
Director: Mark Mylod

Ali G gets duped into a plot to overthrow the Prime Minister of Great Britain but winds up making the leader more popular than ever in this silly excuse for a film.

Weekend Sweep

Audiences held The Grudge at the number one spot for the second week in a row. The PG-13 creep-fest held off the slice-and-dice SAW this Halloween weekend while Ray offered a second place alternative to fright. In a weekend dominated by three-lettered titles, the three worded Friday Night Lights remained in the top ten.

With the elections only a day away in the good-old U.S. of A., it is comforting to know that Arnold Schwarzenegger is interested in running for President. Does this make the folks who made Demolition Man prophets? You might recall Sandra Bullock's character making a reference to the Schwarzenegger Presidential Library before explaining, "Yes! Even though he wasn't born in this country, his popularity at the time caused the 61st Amendment which states...." much to Stalone's dismay.

Interesting thought, isn't it?

On another democratic note... don't forget to vote for your favorites in the People Choice Awards.

Although I did not see Saw, I used to own one. A see-saw that is. Does that count? Here's a Reuters article about the gore-laden flick.

Word of yet another remake crosses this reporter's desktop this morning--The Blob.

Sideways is causing some buzz and just might make it to a theatre near you sometime before the end of the year as it makes its run for Oscar gold.

More woes for Ashlee Simpson. CBS had a 60 Minutes crew on hand to witness here lip synch debacle. A tape of Osama bin Laden surfaced on SNL as well making his stance on the Simpson issue quite clear. Elton John popped in on SNL as well (as portrayed by Horatio Sanz) to sing his disdain. While the rest of this week's SNL was pretty laugh-free, these two segments saved the night.

Meanwhile, the real Elton John made his feelings known as usual.

It's not enough that the Boston Red Sox wreck "The Curse of the Bambino." They also managed to change the ending of a major motion picture as well. Fever Pitch, the forthcoming film starring Jimmy Falon as a life-long Red Sox and Drew Barrymore as his love interest has had rewrites and reshoots galore, including one that was captured by FOX camera crews during the post game celebration.