JUSTIN BARTHA as Doug, JOHN GOODMAN as Marshall, ED HELMS as Stu, ZACH GALIFIANAKIS as Alan and BRADLEY COOPER as Phil in Warner Bros. Pictures' and Legendary Pictures' comedy "THE HANGOVER PART III," a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
“Where is he?! Leslie Chow stole 21 million in gold from me, and I figure the Wolf Pack has the best chance to find him. Doug is my insurance,” says Marshall (John Goodman) to Stu (Ed Helms), Phil (Bradley Cooper), and Alan (Zach Galifianakis), who’ve just been run off the road and assaulted in the last installment in the Hangover comedy series, The Hangover Part 3.
When the gang finds out Alan has not been taking meds for his mental conditions, Doug (Justin Bartha) – along with the rest of Alan’s family – as well as Stu and Phil stage an intervention to get him some help. After convincing Alan to finally say yes to getting treatment, the guys go on a road trip as escorts, dropping him off at a treatment facility. But on the way there, they are hijacked by a mobster named Marshall who kidnaps Doug to motivate Phil, Stu, and Alan to find Chow (Ken Jeong) who just recently broke out of prison.
Marshall explains to a terrified Phil and Stu that Alan has been Chow’s pen pal while he was in prison and expects Chow to reach out and contact them. So it’s up to Stu, Phil, and Alan to track down Chow, drug him, and deliver him to Marshall to save Doug.
Dark and uneven, The Hangover Part III is an improvement over the mean-spirited sequel but still falls far from the laugh-filled adventure of the first film. The movie plays out more as a weak crime comedy with very few laughs.
Zach Galifianakis’ character, Alan, who was originally goofy and weird but ultimately likable, has degenerated into being just an obnoxious, annoying jerk. Galifianakis may have been the breakout star in the first film, but now he’s just repetitive and not very funny. Bradley Cooper and Ed Helms, who added so much to the first film and had their moments of humor and craziness, are now just going through the motions. Their characters have become plot and laugh devices for Galifianakis’ character Alan’s dumbness and at times mean one-liners.
It’s sad that a film franchise that started out so fresh, original, and hilarious ends as a tired, predictable, and unoriginal adventure with only a few laughs. However, if you decide to see The Hangover 3, stay through the start of the end credits for the only real laugh-out-loud scene in the entire film…not that it’s worth sitting through the movie just for one scene.
GRADE: D+
The Hangover 3 opened in theaters on May 23, 2013 and is rated R for pervasive language including sexual references, some violence and drug content, and brief graphic nudity.
In support of its upcoming release, Summit Entertainment’s released a few videos of the Now You See Me cast performing magic tricks. The studio’s also unveiled a new clip from the movie which is heading to theaters on May 31, 2013.
Directed by Louis Leterrier, the cast includes Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher, Melanie Laurent, Dave Franco, Michael Caine, and Morgan Freeman.
The Plot:
Now You See Me pits an elite FBI squad in a game of cat and mouse against “The Four Horsemen”, a super-team of the world’s greatest illusionists. “The Four Horsemen” pull off a series of daring heists against corrupt business leaders during their performances, showering the stolen profits on their audiences while staying one step ahead of the law.
Mark Ruffalo Magic Trick:
Melanie Laurent Card Trick:
Dave Franco and Magician David Kwong Card Throwing:
BloodDisgusting calls Maniac the best horror movie of the year, while The Hollywood Reporter says it’s “dirty” and “nasty” (since the trailer advertises THR’s quote, I’m assuming THR means that as a compliment). Elijah Wood, best known for playing a Hobbit, stars in the horror film from director Franck Khalfoun, and IFC Films is set to release it theatrically and on VOD on June 21, 2013.
The Plot:
Just when the streets seemed safe, a serial killer with a fetish for scalps is back and on the hunt. Frank (Elijah Wood) is the withdrawn owner of a mannequin store, but his life changes when young artist Anna (Nora Arnezeder) appears, asking for his help with her new exhibition. As their friendship develops and Frank’s obsession escalates, it becomes clear that she has unleashed a long-repressed compulsion to stalk and kill.
A 21st-century Jack the Ripper set in present-day L.A., Franck Khalfoun’s Maniac, produced by Alexandre Aja and composed by Rob of the band “Phoenix”, is a re-boot of the William Lustig cult film considered by many to be the most suspenseful slasher movie ever made – an intimate, visually daring, psychologically complex and profoundly horrific trip into the downward spiraling nightmare of a killer and his victims.
Reigning CMA Vocal Group of the Year Little Big Town will host "CMA Music Festival: Country's Night to Rock" on Monday, Aug. 12, on the ABC Television Network. - Photo Credit: Kristin Barlowe
The CMA Music Festival: Country’s Night to Rock will be hosted by CMA Vocal Group of the Year Little Big Town (Karen Fairchild, Phillip Sweet, Kimberly Schlapman, and Jimi Westbrook). The special, which will be taped during the CMA Music Festival June 6-9th, will air on ABC on August 12, 2013 at 8pm.
The CMA Music Festival is a fanfest celebrating Country music. This year’s music-filled event will feature more than 450 artists performing on 11 stages. Among the acts set to entertain fans are Gary Allan, Dierks Bentley, Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Kelly Clarkson, Florida Georgia Line, Hunter Hayes, Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert, Little Big Town, Kip Moore, Jake Owen, Brad Paisley, Blake Shelton, Taylor Swift, The Band Perry, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, and Zac Brown Band.
“It’s an incredible honor to be hosting this year’s CMA Fest,” stated Karen Fairchild of Little Big Town. “We could not be more excited about the party that’s going to break out at LP Field every night!”
For more info on the CMA Music Festival, visit CMAfest.com.
My sister doesn’t get why everyone loves a shirtless Adam Levine…and I don’t get my sister. What’s not to like? In the new music video for “Love Somebody,” Levine is once again shirtless while his bandmates (what little we see of them) remain fully clothed. Directed by Rich Lee, the “Love Somebody” music video involves invisible body parts and strategically placed paint.
Love Somebody is the fourth single off of Maroon 5’s Overexposed album following “Payphone,” “One More Night,” and “Daylight.”
Predators director Nimród Antal turns his attention to the heavy metal band Metallica with the 3D film Metallica Through the Never arriving in 300 IMAX 3D theaters on September 27, 2013 followed by wider release in conventional theaters on October 4th. This isn’t a concert film – or at least not the normal sort of concert event we’re used to seeing on the big screen. Instead, this is described as a music-driven feature film about a young roadie “sent on an urgent mission” during a Metallica concert. The young roadie named ‘Trip’ is played by Dane DeHaan, most recently seen in The Place Beyond the Pines.
According to Picturehouse (the film’s distributor), 24 cameras were set up to capture Metallica in concert.
The Plot:
As the band performs its most iconic songs for thousands of their fans in a never-before-seen performance created exclusively for the film, Trip is dispatched outside the arena to meet a disabled delivery truck and recover a mysterious item being transported to the show. But the seemingly simple assignment turns into a surreal adventure when his car is hit by an out-of-control driver. Trip, dazed and bruised, climbs out of his van only to find himself pitched in the middle of a tense standoff between angry protesters and charging riot police. In the ensuing mayhem, a vicious masked horseman sets his murderous eye on Trip while delivering indiscriminate deathblows to rioters and cops alike. Fleeing through the desolate, post-apocalyptic urban streetscape, Trip has only his wits to protect him as he attempts to deliver the band’s precious cargo and avoid becoming the horseman’s next victim.
Featuring dazzling pyrotechnics, the most elaborate live-performance stage ever built and imagery drawn from the band’s trailblazing iconography, the immersive 360-degree show creates a mind-bending, ear-shattering mirror image of the destruction and chaos of Trip’s journey.
Choice Movie: Action
“G.I. Joe: Retaliation”
“Iron Man 3”
“Skyfall”
“The Bourne Legacy”
“The Dark Knight Rises”
Choice Movie Actor: Action
Christian Bale, “The Dark Knight Rises”
Daniel Craig, “Skyfall”
Robert Downey, Jr., “Iron Man 3”
Chris Hemsworth, “Red Dawn”
Dwayne Johnson, “G.I. Joe: Retaliation”
Choice Movie Actress: Action
Jessica Biel, “Total Recall”
Anne Hathaway, “The Dark Knight Rises”
Adrianne Palicki, “G.I. Joe: Retaliation”
Gwyneth Paltrow, “Iron Man 3”
Rachel Weisz, “The Bourne Legacy”
Choice Movie: Sci-Fi/Fantasy
“Beautiful Creatures”
“Iron Man 3”
“Oblivion”
“Oz the Great and Powerful”
“The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2”
Choice Movie Actor: Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Tom Cruise, “Oblivion”
Robert Downey, Jr., “Iron Man 3”
James Franco, “Oz the Great and Powerful”
Taylor Lautner, “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2”
Robert Pattinson, “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2”
Choice Movie Actress: Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Mila Kunis, “Oz the Great and Powerful”
Gwyneth Paltrow, “Iron Man 3”
Saoirse Ronan, “The Host”
Kristen Stewart, “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2”
Michelle Williams, “Oz the Great and Powerful”
Choice Movie: Drama
“Argo”
“Les Misérables”
“The Great Gatsby”
“The Impossible”
“The Perks of Being a Wallflower”
Choice Movie Actor: Drama
Ben Affleck, “Argo”
Bradley Cooper, “The Words”
Leonardo DiCaprio, “The Great Gatsby”
Hugh Jackman, “Les Misérables”
Logan Lerman, “The Perks of Being a Wallflower”
Choice Movie Actress: Drama
Halle Berry, “The Call”
Anne Hathaway, “Les Misérables”
Carey Mulligan, “The Great Gatsby”
Emma Watson, “The Perks of Being a Wallflower”
Naomi Watts, “The Impossible”
Choice Movie Actor: Comedy
Skylar Astin, “Pitch Perfect”
Jason Bateman, “Identity Thief”
Steve Carell, “The Incredible Burt Wonderstone”
Nicholas Hoult, “Warm Bodies”
Craig Robinson, “Peeples”
Choice Movie Actress: Comedy
Anna Kendrick, “Pitch Perfect”
Melissa McCarthy, “Identity Thief”
Kerry Washington, “Peeples”
Olivia Wilde, “The Incredible Burt Wonderstone”
Rebel Wilson, “Pitch Perfect”
Choice Movie: Romance
“Beautiful Creatures”
“Les Misérables”
“Safe Haven”
“The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2”
“Warm Bodies”
Choice Movie Actor: Romance
Josh Duhamel, “Safe Haven”
Alden Ehrenreich, “Beautiful Creatures”
Nicholas Hoult, “Warm Bodies”
Robert Pattinson, “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2”
Eddie Redmayne, “Les Misérables”
Choice Movie Actress: Romance
Jessica Biel, “Playing for Keeps”
Alice Englert, “Beautiful Creatures”
Julianne Hough, “Safe Haven”
Amanda Seyfried, “Les Misérables”
Kristen Stewart, “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2”
TELEVISION
Choice TV Show: Drama
“Gossip Girl”
“Nashville”
“Pretty Little Liars”
“Revenge”
“Switched At Birth”
Choice TV Actor: Drama
Penn Badgley, “Gossip Girl”
Joshua Bowman, “Revenge”
Lucas Grabeel, “Switched At Birth”
Ian Harding, “Pretty Little Liars”
Nick Wechsler, “Revenge”
Choice TV Actress: Drama
Troian Bellisario, “Pretty Little Liars”
Blake Lively, “Gossip Girl”
Vanessa Marano, “Switched At Birth”
Hayden Panettiere, “Nashville”
Emily VanCamp, “Revenge”
Choice TV Show: Fantasy/Sci-Fi
“Arrow”
“Beauty and The Beast”
“Once Upon a Time”
“Supernatural”
“The Vampire Diaries”
Choice TV Actor: Fantasy/Sci-Fi
Jensen Ackles, “Supernatural”
Stephen Amell, “Arrow”
Jared Padalecki, “Supernatural”
Ian Somerhalder, “The Vampire Diaries”
Paul Wesley, “The Vampire Diaries”
Choice TV Actress: Fantasy/Sci-Fi
Katie Cassidy, “Arrow”
Nina Dobrev, “The Vampire Diaries”
Ginnifer Goodwin, “Once Upon a Time”
Kat Graham, “The Vampire Diaries”
Kristin Kreuk, “Beauty and the Beast”
Choice TV Show: Action
“Chicago Fire”
“Elementary”
“Hawaii Five-0”
“NCIS: Los Angeles”
“Nikita”
Choice TV Actor: Action
Scott Caan, “Hawaii Five-0”
LL Cool J, “NCIS: Los Angeles”
Jonny Lee Miller, “Elementary”
Jesse Spencer, “Chicago Fire”
Shane West, “Nikita”
Choice TV Actress: Action
Lyndsy Fonseca, “Nikita”
Lucy Liu, “Elementary”
Grace Park, “Hawaii Five-0”
Maggie Q, “Nikita”
Monica Raymund, “Chicago Fire”
Choice TV Show: Comedy
“The Big Bang Theory”
GLEE
“Modern Family”
NEW GIRL
“Suburgatory”
Choice TV Actor: Comedy
Chris Colfer, GLEE
Jake Johnson, NEW GIRL
Ashton Kutcher, “Two And a Half Men”
Jim Parsons, “The Big Bang Theory”
Eric Stonestreet, “Modern Family”
Choice TV Actress: Comedy
Kaley Cuoco, “The Big Bang Theory”
Zooey Deschanel, NEW GIRL
Mindy Kaling, THE MINDY PROJECT
Lea Michele, GLEE
Bridgit Mendler, “Good Luck Charlie”
Choice TV: Animated Show
“Adventure Time”
BOB’S BURGERS
FAMILY GUY
“Gravity Falls”
THE SIMPSONS
Choice TV: Reality Competition Show
AMERICAN IDOL
“The Bachelor”
“Dancing with the Stars”
“The Voice”
THE X FACTOR
Choice TV: Reality Show
“Dance Moms”
“Here Comes Honey Boo Boo”
“Keeping Up with the Kardashians”
“Married to Jonas”
“Tia & Tamera”
MUSIC
Choice Male Artist
Justin Bieber
Bruno Mars
Phillip Phillips
Pitbull
Justin Timberlake
Choice Female Artist
Selena Gomez
Demi Lovato
Pink
Rihanna
Taylor Swift
Choice Music Group
Big Time Rush
fun.
Maroon 5
One Direction
The Wanted
Choice R&B Artist
Beyoncé
Alicia Keys
Bruno Mars
Miguel
Trey Songz
Choice Hip-Hop/Rap Artist
Drake
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
Nicki Minaj
Pitbull
Kanye West
Choice Rock Group
AWOLNATION
Imagine Dragons
Mumford & Sons
Paramore
The Lumineers
Choice Electronic Dance Music (EDM) Artist
Deadmau5
David Guetta
Calvin Harris
Kaskade
Skrillex
Swedish House Mafia
Choice Male Country Artist
Jason Aldean
Luke Bryan
Eric Church
Hunter Hayes
Blake Shelton
Choice Female Country Artist
Jana Kramer
Miranda Lambert
Kacey Musgraves
Taylor Swift
Carrie Underwood
Choice Country Group
Florida Georgia Line
Lady Antebellum
Little Big Town
The Band Perry
Thompson Square
FASHION
Choice Female Hottie
Miley Cyrus
Megan Fox
Selena Gomez
Mila Kunis
Demi Lovato
Choice Male Hottie
Justin Bieber
Liam Hemsworth
Taylor Lautner
Harry Styles
Channing Tatum
Choice Smile
Selena Gomez
Taylor Lautner
Demi Lovato
Harry Styles
Taylor Swift
SPORTS
Choice Female Athlete
Gabby Douglas
Missy Franklin
Alex Morgan
Danica Patrick
Lindsey Vonn
Serena Williams
Choice Male Athlete
David Beckham
LeBron James
Colin Kaepernick
Michael Phelps
Shaun White
OTHER
Choice Comedian
Ellen DeGeneres
Jimmy Fallon
Melissa McCarthy
Daniel Tosh
Rebel Wilson
So, have you been keeping up with the controversy over J.J. Abrams’ decision to include a scene with Carol Marcus (Alice Eve) stripping down to her underwear in Star Trek Into Darkness? Was the scene necessary? No. And on Conan, Abrams discussed the scene and admitted that perhaps it wasn’t edited quite right.
As a payback of sorts, Abrams showed off a clip of Benedict Cumberbatch shirtless in the shower. “It’s not in the movie but we have this. It’s one of those things we ended up cutting,” said Abrams.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt makes his feature film directorial debut with Don Jon (formerly titled Don Jon’s Addiction). Gordon-Levitt not only directed the drama but also wrote and stars in the film along with Scarlett Johansson and Julianne Moore. Relativity Media snatched it up for distribution and will be releasing it in theaters on October 18, 2013.
The Plot:
Jon Martello objectifies everything in his life: his apartment, his car, his family, his church, and, of course, women. His buddies even call him Don Jon because of his ability to pull “10s” every weekend without fail. Yet even the finest flings don’t compare to the transcendent bliss he achieves alone in front of the computer watching pornography. Dissatisfied, he embarks on a journey to find a more gratifying sex life, but ends up learning larger lessons of life and love through relationships with two very different women.
Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifianakis, and Ed Helms in ‘The Hangover Part III)
Getting a jump on a busy movie weekend, The Hangover Part III is hoping to remind people of the first film and erase the bad taste left in audiences’ mouths after the second. How successful was the film in doing that? I suppose “somewhat” is about the best answer I’d give.
Now, let’s just all agree that The Hangover Part II was garbage. Agreed? Great. So really, being better than that was going to take a very basic understanding of these characters and what made them so much fun for audiences in the first film.
To that end, some of the more playful creepiness about the Phil (Bradley Cooper) and Alan (Zach Galifianakis) dynamic has returned. The Alan-Stu (Ed Helms) rivalry is back in full swing as well. And then there’s Mr. Chow (Ken Jeong), who is up to just as many outrageous and graphic acts as ever. What started as a supporting role has evolved into almost an equal share with the main cast; and it’s definitely surpassed Justin Bartha’s role as the friend who continues to get held for ransom.
Also gone from the second film, (appropriately #2 in the series), is the offshore location. Aside from an opening scene which explains how Mr. Chow gets back to the states, all of the action takes place much closer to home. This helps the script focus on the interplay between the characters, rather than childish setups of cultural misunderstandings.
Speaking of the script, it also calls back many characters from the first film that were absent from the sequel. Like most franchises, it would behoove audiences to have seen the previous works to fully engage with the current film (seriously though, you can skip the second one if you haven’t already seen it). Some of the returning characters are fun to revisit, others not so much; but at least the screenwriters seemed to be trying this time around.
It’s not all sunshine and roses, though. While this was a better balance of danger versus comedy than Part II, there are still a number of scenes that revolve around dire consequences rather than wacky, zany fun. What made the original so successful was that no one was really getting hurt. Even when Doug was held for ransom by Mr. Chow, there was never any real expectation he’d get hurt. That movie lived up to its premise of just being a crazy bachelor party gone wrong to the Nth degree.
In having to incorporate aspects of the second film, which replaced “wacky” with “dangerous”, the overall result of what I hope is the last in this series is a decent enough comedy, though nothing I’ll be eagerly awaiting for release into the home market for a second viewing. The Hangover Part III ties up the loose ends and brings an almost bittersweet end to the characters’ journeys. I enjoyed it for the most part but the magic of the original has yet to be recaptured so just keep your expectations low.
Remember though that you should wait for the bonus scene midway through the credits before rushing out of the theater. Following in the tradition of this series, some of the best (and raunchiest) bits are left for this segment.
GRADE: C
The Hangover Part III opens in theaters on May 23, 2013 and is rated R for pervasive language including sexual references, some violence and drug content, and brief graphic nudity.
Predators director Nimród Antal turns his attention to the heavy metal band Metallica with the 3D film Metallica Through the Never arriving in 300 IMAX 3D theaters on September 27, 2013 followed by wider release in conventional theaters on October 4th. This isn’t a concert film – or at least not the normal sort of concert event we’re used to seeing on the big screen. Instead, this is described as a music-driven feature film about a young roadie “sent on an urgent mission” during a Metallica concert. The young roadie named ‘Trip’ is played by Dane DeHaan, most recently seen in 
