Superbad Table Read

Watch And Learn: Andrew Stanton's clues to a great story

Before you dismiss this based on John Carter's failure at the Box-Office, remember that Stanton also happens to have written (and directed in some cases) little movies such as Toy Story, Monsters Inc, Finding Nemo, Wall-E, etc. This guy knows what he's talking about. 

Hot Tub Time Machine (2010)

Just like Grandma's Boy, Hot Tub Time Machine is a hilarious R-rated comedy that was mostly ignored by audiences when it first came out. HTTM is at least as funny as The Hangover in my opinion -- thanks in no small part to Craig Robinson and Clark Duke -- and will hopefully find new life on DVD.    

21 Jump Street

I'll make this as brief as possible: I can't remember the last time I laughed this hard at the movies. Was it during Superbad? Step Brothers? Maybe. All I know is 21 Jump Street is loud, relentlessly funny, and a million times better than it had any right to be. I can't wait to watch it again. So, unless you hate what you've seen of the movie so far, you should not miss this one!

See This, Not That: Taxi (FR) / Taxi (USA)

Like Point Of No Return, Taxi is also a remake of a far superior Luc Besson production . While it might be a little more difficult to get your hands on than other movies I've mentioned so far , it's certainly worth the effort. Taxi is a fun, high-octane action comedy. Oh, and the movie launched the career of  a certain Marion Cotillard.

     

See This, Not That: Death At A Funeral (UK) / Death At A Funeral (USA)

I must admit I never watched the remake of Death At A Funeral. Not because of the horrible reviews, but because sitting through the trailer at the theater made me angry enough. And no, I'm not racist! I just can't respect a lazy copy --they even use the very same dwarf--  of a movie that was already in English to begin with. Jump on the original if you appreciate British humor.

See This, Not That: La Femme Nikita / Point Of No Return

Though not as painful as The Tourist, Point Of No Return ('93) nevertheless deserves to be called out as one of the worst Hollywood remakes of all time. Not only does it lack the flair of the original, Bridget Fonda is completely miscast in this near shot-for-shot remake of Luc Besson's über-awesome La Femme Nikita ('90). 

See This, Not That: Anthony Zimmer / The Tourist

Did you know that The Silent House, which opens this weekend in theaters, is in fact a remake of the 2010 Uruguayan film La Casa Muda? I don't blame you. Hollywood doesn't really want you to know that the "wonderfully innovative" horror movie you're about to shell out for is in fact already available on Netflix, Itunes, PSN, etc...

So? It's no secret Hollywood loves a good retread. Yes, but unfortunately for us moviegoers, the originals tend to be far greater movies even though they rarely get any proper distribution over here. As a result, these movies unfairly go unnoticed. Here is my first attempt to rectify the situation:

I don't think it's too controversial to say The Tourist was a flaming pile of shite. Anthony Zimmer ('05), the French movie it's based on is infinitely better and is even available to watch instantly on Netflix. Check it out and see how and why it all went wrong!   

 

The Yellow Sea (2010)

I'm slowly coming to the conclusion that Koreans make the best thrillers, and The Yellow Sea is yet another example of this. A must for those who enjoyed Old Boy, I Saw The Devil, The Chaser, Man From Nowhere, etc...