for August 3

  • The Bourne Ultimatum

    Bourne is back … and he remembers everything!!! Matt Damon stars.

  • Hot Rod

    Andy Samberg leads a cast of SNL regulars in a comedy about a low-budget stuntman

  • Underdog

    Based on the comic character, this is a dog with superpowers.  Right!

  • 1. 300

    Don’t get too hung up on the actual history of this event, based on the standoff created by 300 soldiers of Sparta against invading Persian hoards at the battle of Thermopylae in 480 BC.  You’ll see characters and creatures here that are obviously based on modern-day styles and actions, but the comic-book-style graphic art and the scope and scale of the battle scenes is worth every minute of your investment of time.  Gerard Butler stars as King Leonides. Rated 18A.

  • 2. Hot Fuzz

    If you liked Simon Pegg’s send-up of zombie films in the British-made Shaun of the Dead, you’ll like this send-up of cop shows from the same creative team.  They’re slackers, they have no class, no style, and no common sense, but there is an element of fun here that you just don’t get with the such American equivalents as Adam Sandler and anyone from SNL.  Rated 14A.

  • 3. Firehouse Dog

    Josh Hutcherson, now 15, is one of the best child-actors around, and here he plays the son of a Fire Captain (Bruce Greenwood) who doesn’t want him to keep the dog he has found.  The dog is an actor – a stunt dog from the movies that has come into the young boy’s possession, and he won’t give it up easily.  G-rated for family viewing, this is perfect for kids under 12.  Parents too, but not under 12! Rated G.

  • Rick's Pick: 300

    Spectacular from a visual perspective, the movie came under severe criticism from Iran because of the brutal portrayal of the Persians in this film … the Iranians called it US propaganda … but the Spartans were Greeks … go figure!
300 Spartans (1962)
Richard Egan is King Leonides in the original film version of the 300 movie released this week.  Check out the Persians in this one and you’ll have a better idea of why the Iranians are so hot about the new movie.

  • No Reservations

    If you like a romantic comedy with a depressing series of events making unhappy characters even more unhappy, be my guest. It was okay – Catherine Zeta-Jones as a depressed chef is good in a predictable turn.

  • The Simpsons Movie

    Doh!!  What can anyone say about this?  We get poked right in the eye off the top when an Itchy and Scratchy cartoon chides us for paying money for something we can see for free on TV.

  • I Know Who Killed Me

    A pretty brutal turn of events for a kidnapped girl – Lindsay Lohan, despite her personal troubles, turns n a good performance.

  • Hairspray