New Releases: Transformers plus three

This week’s new releases at Nerve. Good news for those of you who hate this format (the feedback has not been, uh, overwhelmingly favorable), we’ll be tweaking it over the next few weeks. Please bear with us during this time of transition!

Summer of ’89: Batman

Each Thursday this summer we’ll hop in the time machine and jump back twenty years to see what was new and exciting at the neighborhood moviehouse this week in…The Summer of ’89!

Batman

Release Date: June 23, 1989

Cast: Jack Nicholson, Michael Keaton, Kim Basinger, Robert Wuhl, Pat Hingle, Jack Palance, Billy Dee Williams

The Buzz: Hot young visionary director of Beetlejuice brings America’s favorite comic book hero to the big screen

Keywords: Vigilante, Joker, Gadget Car, Christ Allegory, Urban Renewal, Evil Clown

The Plot: A vigilante patrols the Gotham City night. Is he man or bat? Or man dressed as bat? (SPOILER: He’s man dressed as bat.)

Throw your own Coen Brothers scavenger hunt

Those of you eagerly awaiting October’s Lebowski Fest have no doubt registered for Friday’s Big Lebowski Scavenger Hunt, and (if you’re smart) are already preparing for glory by securing a few no-brainer items, like a White Russian and a Creedence tape. But as much as we love the film and fear inciting random acts of nihilism from its fervent fans, we have to ask: Why does Lebowski always get the love?

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Five Inappropriate Father’s Day Movies

OK, I’m a day late linking to this one, but I was out at the lake with no internets this weekend, so that’s just the way it’s gonna have to be. From Decider, here’s I know I’m going to be the bad guy here: inappropriate Father’s Day movies. I see that a commenter has noted that I forgot to include Dutch. Sorry for the oversight!

Tourist Trap: Museum of the Weird

Vampires, two-headed sheep, hulking ape-men covered in thick, matted hair—sounds like another night on Sixth Street. Thanks to the Museum Of The Weird, however, you can now enjoy these bizarre sights without the aid of a half-dozen Jell-O shooters at Dizzy Rooster.

Read the full post here.

Wayback Wednesday: Woody

With Whatever Works opening in selected theaters Friday, this week’s Wayback Wednesday looks back at a couple of Woody Allen’s recent Euro-efforts.

Match Point

Like Bob Dylan and the Rolling Stones, Woody Allen has been around long enough to accrue the sort of legendary status that invites critics to freely abuse terms like “comeback,” “return to form” and (shudder) “masterpiece.” Fans of these artists have to tread carefully, sift through the accolades and wonder: “Is this really the greatest thing since Blood on the Tracks or Manhattan?”

New Releases: Film – Pelham plus three

The Taking of Pelham 123 — Summertime is here, guys, and let’s face it, you’re not in Speedo shape. Spare tire, love handles, beer gut — call it what you will, but Men’s Fitness isn’t going to call about that cover shoot anytime soon. But don’t let a few extra pounds get in the way of your love life! Take the object of your affection to see Tony Scott’s rip-roaring remake of the 1974 thriller about a subway hijacking deep in the bowels of New York City.

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Summer of ’89: Star Trek V: The Final Frontier

Each Thursday this summer we’ll hop in the time machine and jump back twenty years to see what was new and exciting at the neighborhood moviehouse this week in…The Summer of ’89!

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier

Release Date: June 9, 1989

Cast: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, Laurence Luckinbill, David Warner

The Buzz: The original crew of the Enterprise is back again, this time with Captain Kirk behind the camera.

Keywords: Vulcan, Futuristic, Climbing, Bodiless Entity, Stripper, Third Breast

The Plot: While the Enterprise is in dry-dock for repairs, ol’ buddies Kirk, Spock and McCoy enjoy shore leave together in Yosemite Park. Sadly, Kirk and McCoy are unable to finish teaching Spock to sing “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” around the campfire, as another deep space threat is quickly developing. On the planet of galactic peace, a strangely emotional Vulcan named Sybok takes the representatives of the Federation, Klingon and Romulan empires hostage. Naturally, the Enterprise is the only ship in the immediate area, so Kirk and company must race to the rescue. It turns out that Sybok is Spock’s half-brother, and that his kidnapping of the three ambassadors was but a ruse to lure a starship, which he needs to cross the Great Barrier, behind which he believes God is waiting.

Let’s Do It Again

Here’s my latest piece for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, a look at remakes of both thrillers and ’70s movies timed to the release of The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3. And at the Screengrab in Exile, my review of the new Pelham.

Wayback Wednesday: Travolta

In honor of his return to the screen in the remake of The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3, this week’s Wayback Wednesday looks at three of Travolta’s previous triumphs.

Domestic Disturbance

You know John Travolta has once again fallen off the Hollywood A-list when he winds up in the Kurt Russell role in a by-the-numbers thriller. It could be worse; as routine as Domestic Disturbance is, at least it’s not Battlefield: Earth II.