VACATION

Plot:

It was 1983 that we were introduced to the Griswolds as they vacationed across America with Rusty Griswold being just a young boy back then. Now Rusty (Helms) is all grown with his own family, his wife Debbie (Applegate) and two sons James (Gisondo) and Kevin (Stebbins). Working as a pilot for stressful small airline he wants only the best for his family but begins to realize that they are caught up in a repetitive cycle of  life that is causing his wife to become bored and his sons detached. Tired of taking them on the same old camping vacation he arranges for them to drive cross country in some ugly foreign rental car to their destination the theme park Walley World. But while on the vehicle adventure they encounter one obstacle after another from shabby hotels, getting robbed, bathing in sewage water just to name a few. But he is determined to make this vacation work for him and his family and refuses to let anything deter them from enjoying it.


Reel Talk:

If you have had a stress filled week and need to just get away for a few good laughs, well "VACATION" is calling you. This is a very funny movie. Ed Helms and the rest of the family especially Steele Stebbins as the youngest son Kevin, will have you rolling laughing. And the cameo with Chris Hemsworth and Leslie Mann is crazy. It is raw, raunchy and funny, a very entertaining movie with only one downside and that is that it went probably 30 minutes too long, other than that a good revamp of the 1983 movie. Worthy of cashing out the dollars to have a few laughs.

Starring: Ed Helms, Christina Applegate, Skyler Gisondo, Steele Stebbins, Chris Hemsworth and Leslie Mann
Directed by: John Francis Daley and Jonathan M. Goldstein
Rated: R

I give it 3 corn dogs.

By: The Reel Hustler

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - ROGUE NATION

Plot:

Due to their reckless tactics despite efficient results the IMF team is dissolved and all members will report to CIA Director Alan Hunley (Baldwin). That doesn't sit well with IMF agent Ethan Hunt (Cruise) who goes rogue so that he can continue what might be his last mission as he goes after a secret group of rogue British agents known as The Syndicate that is lead by Lane (Harris), a mysterious and ruthless murderer who is seeking a highly protected file that would cripple the world's economy. So Ethan and his friends are forced to work with a sexy double agent named Ilsa (Ferguson) to retrieve the list but are unsure about where her loyalty really lies. But with the fate of the world, the future of IMF and their lives at stake, Ethan takes the risk so that he can try to expose and capture the evil Lane.


Reel Talk:

In the 5th installment but certainly not the last of the Mission: Impossible series Tom Cruise delivers as always. This is your typical Mission: Impossible movie, full of action, high speed chases and death defying (but unrealistic) stunts. But speaking of stunts, my hat goes off to Tom Cruise who does pretty much all his stunts no matter how crazy and dangerous they may be. This time around Cruise allows more involvement from normally office geek Simon Pegg as Benji and IMF boss William Brandt played by Jerermy Renner, with Rebecca Ferguson stepping in as the sexy super spy Ilsa. This movie is full of action and very entertaining, so this is definitely one you will want to check out. This review will self destruct in 10 seconds....LOL!

Starring: Tom Cruise, Jerermy Renner, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Ving Rhames, Sean Harris and Alec Baldwin
Directed by: Christopher McQuarrie
Rated: PG-13

I give it 3 and a half eaten corn dogs.

By: The Reel Hustler

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE TOP TEN

JULY 24, 2015 - JULY 26, 2015

1 Ant-Man $24,765,000
2 Pixels $24,000,000
3 Minions $22,100,000
4 Trainwreck $17,300,000
5 Southpaw $16,500,000
6 Paper Towns $12,500,000
7 Inside Out $7,356,000
8 Jurassic World $6,900,000
9 Mr. Holmes $2,849,000
10 Terminator: Genisys $2,400,000

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 Official Trailer – “We March Together”

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 Official Trailer – “We March Together”

MISSION IMPOSSIBLE - ROGUE NATION VIENNA PREMIER PICTURES

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - ROGUE NATION

In Theaters July 31, 2015

 

Ethan and team take on their most impossible mission yet, eradicating the Syndicate – an International rogue organization as highly skilled as they are, committed to destroying the IMF.

NEW SPECTRE TRAILER

The Good Dinosaur Official Trailer #1 (2015) - Pixar Movie HD

Mississippi Grind | Official Trailer HD | A24

PIXELS

Plot:

Back during the the era when video game arcades with games like Pac Man, Centipede, Space Invaders, etc... were the popular thing, there was one kid who was considered the best up until while competing in a video games tournament he loses to a midget named Fire Blaster (Dinklage) while playing Donkey Kong. Well all grown now Brenner (Sandler)the former video whiz kid is a gadget installer for a company called Nerds and while on a job he meets the recently divorced Violet (Monaghan) who he calls a snob because she looks down on his career choice. That changes when he gets summoned to the White House by his childhood best friend Cooper (James) who is now the President of the United States because of some attacks through out the world that strangely resemble some patterns related to some of the video games they played as kids. They are soon reunited with their former outcast-ed friend Ludlow (Gad) who informs them that when they performed in the video tournament as kids the video games they played were put in a capsule and launched into space and had been retrieved by aliens who mistook the games as a challenge for world domination of the winner of the games. Now they must come together and utilize all their gaming skills and other resources to compete in the tournament to save Earth from being over taken by the alien pixels.


Reel Talk:

I really enjoyed this movie, it was a lot of fun and kinda took me down memory lane since I was around during the video game fad era. It was refreshingly funny with the all star cast of Sandler, Monaghan, James, Gad, Dinklage and a host of celebrity cameos. Now it is not a great movie because it has some of Sandler's typical humor but it is not over the top, it is tolerable. This movie is one of the most fun and enjoyable movies that I have seen this year. Uh If you are around my age (LOL) and want to take an nostalgic trip down video lane or if you are someone who just want to see a fun film, this is definitely one to go see. Worth going in your pocket to check it out.

Starring: Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Michelle Monaghan, Peter Dinklage and Josh Gad
Directed by: Chris Columbus
Rated: PG-13

I give it 3 and a half eaten corn dogs.

By: The Reel Hustler

SOUTHPAW

Plot:

Boxer Billy Hope (Gyllenhaal) has just won another championship title and belt to add to his collection of boxing trophies. He is on top of the world living life to the fullest with his beautiful wife and manager Maureen (Adams) and his daughter Leila (Laurence), living in a luxurious mansion and driving the best exotic cars money can buy. Yes life is good! Just like the outlaw gunslingers of the wild west boxers always have contenders trying to take their title of being the best. When Billy gets into an altercation at a charity event with a possible opponent his wife is accidentally killed causing him to soon spiral out of control because with him losing his soul mate he is on the verge of losing his mind. He becomes reckless and careless, leading him to lose all his wealth, home, cars and most of all his daughter who while coping with the loss of her mother loses her respect for him. Realizing that he has to get his act together he enlist the help of boxing trainer Tick Wills (Whitaker) with hopes that he will train him to prepare for his chance at redeeming the title and the love and respect of his little girl.


Reel Talk:

This is truly one of the most powerfully impaction movies that I have seen in awhile. This is not just a boxing movie but also a film that has an emotional story about how life can change for anybody in the matter of seconds. You can be on top today and on the ground tomorrow. All I can say is that Jake Gyllenhaal put in one heck of a performance and so does Oona Laurence as his beautiful daughter and then you add Forest Whitaker who you can never go wrong with. This was an excellent movie with an excellent cast, that will keep you glued to the screen. I strongly recommend this movie and also strongly recommend that you have some Kleenex handy. Definitely a must see!

Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Rachel Adams, Forest Whitaker, Oona Laurence, 50 Cent and Naomie Harris
Directed by: Antoine Fuqua
Rated: R

I give it 4 and a half eaten corn dogs.

By: The Reel Hustler

STRAIGHT FROM COMPTON TO DETROIT'S CASS TECH

Oh so you thought it was over huh??? Well it was still going down on a beautiful Thursday afternoon July 23, 2015 as we went to Detroit's Cass Technical High School for a special gathering for the school's senior class. Detroit rapper Big Sean a former student and graduate of the school who along with Adidas Originals and The Sean Anderson Foundation opened The Sean Anderson Studio Of Infinite Possibilities in June 2015, a one of a kind recording studio equipped with the latest technology enabling the students of Cass Tech to refine and realize their musical aspirations and dreams. Well on this day he had another gift for his alma mater as he surprised the assembled students with appearances from Ice Cube (producer), F. Gary Gray (director), O'Shea Jackson Jr. (actor) and Jason Mitchell (actor) who were in town promoting their upcoming film "Straight Outta Compton". They sat down for a brief panel discussion about the movie with Big Sean serving as the moderator. The film tells the story of how five young teens from the streets of Compton came together and formed the rap group N.W.A. that rapped raw and uncensored about the struggles and hardships of growing up in one of the most dangerous cities in the country. It also shows their rise to becoming rap superstars and the contractual disputes that would lead to the break up of the group. Well your boy was there for the surprise school encounter coming off the heal of the previous evening's private advance screening of the movie that was followed by a Q&A panel discussion by the cast members also hosted by Big Sean. The life of THE REEL HUSTLER!!!

STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON opens in theaters August 14, 2015.

STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON PRIVATE ADVANCE SCREENING

It was a packed house of the city's whose who at the Emagine Royal Oak Theater on the evening of Wednesday, July 22, 2015 for the advanced private screening for the highly anticipated film "Straight Outta Compton". This was not just an ordinary screening because it was screened along with the other fortunate movie viewers by the film's producer Ice Cube, the director F. Gary Gray, cast members O'Shea Jackson Jr. and Jason Mitchell who after the film was over they stay around for a Q&A hosted by Detroit rapper Big Sean. They talked and gave incite behind the making of the film that conveys the rise and demise of the group known as N.W.A. that consisted of Eazy E., Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, MC Ren, DJ Yella, and D.O.C. whose gansta rap music took the world by storm. Now c'mon you already know your boy was there to give you a front row peek into what went down. The life of THE REEL HUSTLER!

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE TOP TEN

JULY 17, 2015 - JULY 19, 2015

1 Ant-Man $58,040,000
2 Minions $50,200,000
3 Trainwreck $30,200,000
4 Inside Out $11,660,000
5 Jurassic World $11,400,000
6 Terminator: Genisys $5,400,000
7 Magic Mike XXL $4,500,000
8 The Gallows $4,005,000
9 Ted 2 $2,700,000
10 Mr. Holmes $2,489,000

JAKE GYLLENHAAL AND EMINEM SURPRISE MOVIE GOERS!

I attended a private advance screening of  the new film "SOUTHPAW" on the evening of Sunday, July 19, 2015 at the AMC Livonia Theater and myself along with the capacity filled theater were surprised by an unscheduled appearance by the movie's star Jake Gyllenhaal and Detroit mega rapper Eminem who scores on the soundtrack. The pair just stopped in prior to the movie starting to thank everyone for coming out and asked that people go to #SOUTHPAW to support the movie. The life of THE REEL HUSTLER!!!

Southpaw opens in theaters July 24, 2015

ANT-MAN

Plot:

Just released from jail for burglary charges, Scott Lang (Rudd) is trying to do whatever he can to live honestly so that he can be able to see his young daughter who adores him. But unable to find a job because of his conviction he reluctantly takes on another burglary job to break into a home and crack a safe with only a strange suit as its content, but it turns out that this caper will change his life. He finds out that the custom suit can reduce him to the size of an ant but give him super powered strength all while being monitored by its designer Dr. Hank Pym (Douglas). The two team up with the hopes that it will help Scott with the chances of being with his daughter and Dr. Pym along with the ANT-MAN can stop one of his understudies efforts to use his ideas to create an army of miniature assassins that would take over the world.


Reel Talk:

I guess the saying is true that "Big things come in little packages". I really went into seeing this movie with little expectations but ended up being quite surprised at how good it is. Use to seeing Paul Rudd in comedy films and Michael Douglas in more dramatic roles, they did really well adjusting to the Marvel Comic's film realm. Although this doesn't pack the wallop of action like the other superhero movies like Captain America, Thor, and Iron Man it is just as good because of the plot and the performances of Rudd and Douglas. Like the other Marvel movies this one sets the tone for a sequel and a possible addition of the ANT-MAN to the upcoming AVENGERS' movie. This is one that you can shell out a "little" moola on.

Starring: Paul Rudd, Michael Douglas, Evangeline Lilly, Corey Stoll, Bobby Cannavale, Judy Greer and T.I.
Directed by: Peyton Reed
Rated: PG-13

I give it 3 and a half eaten corn dogs.

By: The Reel Hustler

MR. HOLMES

Plot:

The legendary Sherlock Holmes (McKellan), now an old man and retired from solving mysteries, lives in his England sea side home along with an unappreciated housekeeper Ms. Munro (Linney) and her young son Roger (Parker) who assist him with tending to his hobby of beekeeping. Now that he is not living the fictional life that was assigned him by his longtime partner Watson he sets out to document his memoirs himself, but keeps reflecting on one case in particular with regards to an unhappy housewife all while he copes with the ailing effects of growing old. He even traveled to China with hopes of finding a plant that is suppose to be a natural healer but also finds out that he was summoned about an unresolved case from years ago.


Reel Talk:

This is not one of those action filled Sherlock Holmes movies we are used to seeing because he is much older and it is about the real man Sherlock Holmes and how he deals with growing his senior years. So in saying that this movie is a lot slower and offers more of a subtle dialog. Some may even find it kinda boring, so you will probably have to be a die hard Sherlock Holmes or Ian McKellan fan to really enjoy this movie. Not a bad movie at all just not a movie that will awe you. This is a movie that you can easily wait for DVD or even cable to catch.

Starring: Ian McKellan, Laura Linney, Milo Parker, Hiroyuki Sanada
Directed by: Bill Condon
Rated: PG

I give it 2 corn dogs.

By; The Reel Hustler

TRAINWRECK

Plot:

Having been taught as a little girl along with her sister by their dad Gordon (Quinn) that monogamy relations are bad, Amy (Schumer) grows up jumping from one man to another with no desire to commit to any one. This changes though when as a journalist she is given an assignment to interview and do a story on a famous sports doctor named Aaron Collins (Hader). While they become acquainted for the sake of the article they began to get involved and then it's not long that they fall in love with each other.  But because of the way she was raised she creates issues that can possibly sabotage any real chance she may have with being in a committed loving relationship. She has to figure it out while dealing with various life crises and try to make deadline for her story.


Reel Talk:

Amy Schumer is being taunted as the new it girl and with this film you kinda see why. She is raw, raunchy and funny! This movie touches on a lot of dating cliche's that we mostly relate to men, but to see Schumer expose them from a woman's prospective and with her comedic spin on it makes this an entertaining film. Now it is a quirky mix between her and Hader but it is also kind of a realistic vibe as well, since we are always accustom to the gorgeous mix of actors and actresses that normally grace the screen. Again the humor is raw and raunchy and may even be offensive to some, but that is Amy Schumer's style and director Judd Apatow rolls with it. This movie is laced with cameos with the most surprisingly funniest ones coming from John Cena, Lebron James and Tilda Swinton. Not a great movie but certainly not a bad movie and worth checking out for a few laughs.

Starring: Amy Schumer, Bill Hader, Colin Quinn, John Cena, Tilda Swinton and Lebron James
Directed by: Judd Apatow
Rated: R

I give it 3 corn dogs.

JOY | Official Teaser Trailer [HD] | 20th Century FOX

Sisters - Official Trailer (HD)

Fantastic Four | Official Trailer 2 [HD] | 20th Century FOX

Win a walk-on role in Star Trek Beyond...for charity

Watch Tom Cruise get scared sh*tless shooting the plane stunt for Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation!

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE TOP TEN

JULY 10, 2015 - JULY 12, 2015

1. 'Minions' $115,200,000
2. 'Jurassic World' $18,100,000
3. 'Inside Out' $17,108,000
4. 'Terminator: Genisys' $13,700,000
5. 'The Gallows' $10,015,000
6. 'Magic Mike XXL' $9,640,000
7. 'Ted 2' $5,600,000
8. 'Self/Less' $5,379,000
9. 'Baahubali: The Beginning' $3,575,000
10. 'Max (2015)' $3,420,000

Sinister 2 Official Red Band Trailer #1 (2015) - Horror Movie Sequel HD

Trainwreck - Featurette: "S’Nuff Mag" (HD)

Alvin and the Chipmunks 4 "The Road Chip" TRAILER (2015)

The Finest Hours Official Trailer #1 (2015) - Chris Pine, Eric Bana Movi...

SELF/LESS

Plot:

Damian Hale (Kingsley) is an eccentric billionaire who has all the spoils of life but as he is aging, his body is becoming compromised to terminal cancer. As death draws closer he is presented a procedure called 'shedding' by a Dr. Albright (Goode) that can transfer his soul from the old ailing body to a new younger body. He accepts to the terms of the shedding process which he is transferred to a younger Damian (Reynolds) and now ready to began living the good life all over again anonymously. But while trying to adjust to his new body his thoughts keep flashing to another previous life of someone else. It soon becomes clear that he has taken over the body of someone less fortunate and he sets out to find the truth but it also puts him in a dangerous position as the shedding society tries to keep him from discovery their mysterious secrets even to the point that they will kill him.


Reel Talk:

This movie starts out very promising but then the plot just hits rock bottom about halfway through. Even with a solid cast like Ben Kingsley, Ryan Reynolds, Matthew Goode, Natalie Martinez and Victor Garber, the movie still falls short of being an impressive film. Just seem like the writers ran out of ideas on how to keep it interesting. Too bad, what a waste. You can save your hard earn bucks and wait to catch this one on cable.

Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Natalie Martinez, Matthew Goode, Ben Kingsley, Victor Garber and Derek Luke
Directed by: Tarsem Singh
Rated: PG-13

I give it 2 corn dogs.


By: The Reel Hustler

Trainwreck - A Look Inside (HD)

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE TOP TEN

JULY 1, 2015 - JULY 5, 2015

1. 'Jurassic World' $30,900,000
2. 'Inside Out' $30,105,000
3. 'Terminator: Genisys' $28,700,000 (wknd) $44,156,000 (ttl)
4. 'Magic Mike XXL' $11,600,000 (wknd) $26,656,000 (ttl)
5. 'Ted 2' $11,000,000
6. 'Max (2015)' $6,610,000
7. 'Spy' $5,500,000
8. 'San Andreas' $3,030,000
9. 'Me and Earl and the Dying Girl' $1,320,000
10. 'Dope' $1,098,000

Creed - Official Trailer [HD]

Shaun the Sheep The Movie – Official Trailer

Steve Jobs - Official Trailer (HD)

MAGIC MIKE XXL

Plot:

It has been 3 years since Mike (Tatum) hung up his stripper thong to settle down and live the domestic life but when he gets a call informing him that his old boss has departed, it doesn't take much arm twisting for him to reunite with his former dance mates The Kings Of Tampa. The boys Richie (Manganiello), Tarzan (Nash), Ken (Bomer), Tito (Rodriguez) and the MC Tobias (Iglesias) want one more shot at giving a great performance on the stage entertaining the ladies but won't do it unless Mike comes along. Once he is on board the group engage in a roller coaster road trip from Florida to Myrtle Beach which will be the host city for the  stripper convention that they wish to entertain at. This adventure will allow each of them to learn a little more about each other than they have known before regarding their lives.


Reel Talk:

The boys are back and they are in  rare form! This time around they don't have a sappy love plot to bore down the movie but instead more dialog with each of the main characters with a lot more humor this time, keeping you more interested. This film is so much better than the first one, with the addition of new cast members Like Jada Pinkett Smith, Carrie Anne Hunt, Stephen Boss, Donald Glover and a host of other surprise cameos, it is given more flavor. Of course the ladies will enjoy the on screen display of oiled up beefcake but believe me fellas this will make a good date movie because after your lady sees this film she should be good and ready. Very good entertaining movie that is worth checking out and ladies all you have to do is pay the admission fee and don't have to tip. LOL!!!

Starring: Channing Tatum, Joe Manganiello, Kevin Nash, Matt Bomer, Adam Rodriguez, Gabriel Iglesias and Jada Pinkett Smith
Directed by: Gregory Jacobs
Rated: R

I give it 3 and a half eaten corn dogs.

By: The Reel Hustler

TERMINATOR GENISYS

Plot:

On the verge of winning the war against Skynet and the army of terminating cyborgs, John Connor (Clarke) knows the only way to completely defeat them is to destroy a weapon that would enable the machines to time travel. Unfortunately Connor and his men are too late and the weapon has already sent some terminators back in time to kill Connor's mother Sarah Connor (Clarke), so he picks his most loyal soldier Kyle Reese (Courtney) to be sent to the year 1984 so that he can protect his mother from being murdered because if she dies he would never exist to fight the cyborgs. Once Kyle reaches his destination he realizes that Sarah is already being protected by a older model cyborg that she calls Poppy (Schwarzenegger) and she is already at war against the machines so they must alter the plans and  the trio time travels to 2017 so that they can stop and destroy  the program Genisys that will give Skynet complete control over humans through the technical devices they use everyday. 


Reel Talk:

This movie was a dud...all bark (hype) and no bite. Sure it has special effects, it has action, it is in 3D and it has Arnold Schwarzenegger in it but none of those things really make this movie pop. They try to incorporate the storyline from the previous 4 movies Terminator series but the story gets quite confusing as it just bounces around. But hey this gives Schwarzenegger a paycheck and an opportunity to reuse his famous three lines in the movie, other than that don't expect too much from this film. Die hard Terminator fans may like this one but other than that you can wait and catch it when it comes out on Blu-Ray.

Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jason Clarke, Emilia Clarke, Jai Courtney, J.K. Simmons and Courtney B. Vance
Directed by: Alan Taylor
Rated: PG-13

I give it 2 and a half eaten corn dogs.

By: The Reel Hustler