Stranger Than Fiction? 30 Minutes or Less

So I wrote about most of my moviegoing last Friday, and I am itching to post. This weekend was quite hairy, as a Microburst brought down two trees into my yard...one on my truck and one on my shed. The latter of the two burst into flames as the downed power lines remained live for around 10 minutes after they went down. KC's Bravest made it to the homestead in two-alarm fashion. At the end of the day, no one was hurt but the insurance company, thank God for that.

I did go to The Smurfs on Saturday, as I scored a few hours off from family detail and the timing was right to catch this short, family flick.

I didn't hate The Smurfs. I grew up a member of the Smurfs fan club, so nostalgia played a part in my perspective. I think also, to some extent, I am tired of the fish out of water reboots that are so prevalent, and this tale was no different.

I will say that Neil Patrick Harris and Jayma Mays were competent as the human counterparts in this live action flick. Jonathan Winters was also acceptable Papa Smurf with a decent effort by Katy Perry as the lovable Smurfette. But by far, the show was stolen by that menacing figure in Gargamel, portrayed wonderfully by Hank Azaria.

I give The Smurfs a 2.5 of 5 rating and nostalgia aside, this film is really only worth it if you are taking the youngins' to catch some of these animated hijinks. Yes, I say animated as the live action smurfs were really no better than a live-action/animated hybrid. The Smurfs would have been much better if they would have stuck to the cartoon roots and went for a full on animated reboot in the vein of Shrek or How To Train Your Dragon. The material was there, it was just squandered on this as the product. Sorry gang.

30 Minutes or Less

I haven't seen this flick yet, but I am utilizing my filmic soapbox to wax poetic on this new release for this weekend.

I know I haven't ever mentioned it...why would I right...but my hometown is good old Erie, PA. What you may not know is that this quiet city is the home of the inspiration for this new comedy from Ruben Fleisher, director of Zombieland.

On August 28th, 2003, Brian Douglas Wells, a local Erie pizza delivery man, marched into an area bank and demanded money. Did he have a gun? A knife? Nope...

Well if you've seen at least a single trailer for the film, you know it was a bomb. But unlike the movie, in which Jesse Eisenberg has a bomb strapped to his chest, Mr. Wells had a bomb clamped around his neck.

While I don't yet know how things will turn out for Eisenberg's character, we do know the tragic end that met Mr. Wells that day. On national television, with police and federal agents holding onlookers at bay, Mr. Wells collar bomb detonated, blasting a sizable hole in his chest.

The controversy and investigation that followed would be huge for the big little city of Erie, and in the end, Brian Wells would be implicated in the crime. There are theories that he was a true victim and those that speculate he was in on the crime from the get go and was killed by his co-conspirators to eliminate a potential witness in the case. The evidence is pretty heavy that he was involved, and although it is not valid for your next term paper, you can learn more here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Wells_(bank_robber)

Also, for a dramatization of events, this is actually a pretty neat re-enactment, I believe from America's Most Wanted:

Finally, don't forget about the other new releases this weekend...

Glee 3-D - yes, I am a GLEEK.

The Help

Final Destination 5 3-D aka 5-al Destination

When will we stop integrating numbers into titles...yes, we get it....you are vedy, vedy cleaver.

Until later, take care...

Reel Rhino