"In the Dark" is a weekly e-zine (that's a fancy word for "e-mail") featuring Eric's movie reviews, box office scores and other film-related merriment, all delivered straight to your e-mailbox.

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A sample issue is below, but in a nutshell, here's what you'll get every Friday:

- A full-length review of that week's best and/or highest-profile release.
- Capsule reviews of the other new releases, with links to Eric's full reviews.
- A heads-up on what was released on DVD that week.
- Recommendations on what else is worth seeing that weekend, aside from the new releases.
- Links to reviews of films that you should NOT see, but whose reviews may amuse you.
- "5 Good Movies," a brief list of movies worth renting on DVD, all connected by a theme.
- The box office scores from the previous weekend.
- Sass. Plenty of pure, unfiltered sass.

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A RECENT EDITION, PROVIDED HERE AS A SAMPLE

ERIC D. SNIDER'S
I  N     T  H  E     D  A  R  K
MOVIE REVIEWS FOR OCTOBER 2, 2009
(#232 - Volume 5, Issue 22)

CONTENTS:
1. OUR TOP STORY
2. OTHER NEW RELEASES
3. DVD RELEASES
4. 5 GOOD MOVIES...
5. BOX OFFICE
6. ERIC'S TOP 10 CURRENT RELEASES
7. ERIC RECOMMENDS YOU AVOID
8. RECENTLY REVIEWED

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OUR TOP STORY
The week's best and/or highest-profile release.
***************

"ZOMBIELAND"
Grade: B+
Rated R for abundant harsh profanity, abundant gory violence, brief partial nudity
1 hr., 25 min.
    PERMALINK:
    http://www.ericdsnider.com/movies/zombieland
    BUY "SHAUN OF THE DEAD":
    http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0006A9FKA/thelandoferic
    BUY "DAWN OF THE DEAD":
    http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0002ABURA/thelandoferic

It's been five years since we got "Shaun of the Dead," the last really terrific zombie comedy to reach a wide audience, and I'd say we're overdue for another one. And lookee here, stumbling up the path is "Zombieland," a deliriously funny and cheerfully gruesome tale of post-apocalyptic mayhem from first-time director Ruben Fleischer.

Zombies have already wiped out most of America when the film begins, and a scrawny college student played by Jesse Eisenberg is trying to get from Austin to his hometown of Columbus to see if his parents survived. In narration, he tells us how a nerd like himself has managed to outlast nearly everyone else. For one thing, he already had a lot of phobias and seldom left the house anyway, so dodging zombies comes easily. For another thing, he's methodical, with a list of rules he adheres to rigidly. Rule number one for surviving the zombie apocalypse? Cardio. Never underestimate how important it is to be able to outrun the living dead.

On the road he meets a fellow traveler who's older, tougher, more awesome, the kind of guy who not only kicks a** and takes names but would actually phrase it that way, too. He's played by Woody Harrelson. He doesn't like to learn the names of his fellow non-zombies, lest he get too attached. He calls our nerdy hero Columbus, on account of where he's trying to get to, and identifies himself as Tallahassee, for the same reason.

Tallahassee and Columbus are your standard odd couple, if your standard odd couple bickers between volleys of gunfire aimed at flesh-eaters. (When Columbus corrects him on the fact that penguins don't live at the North Pole, Tallahassee says, "Do you want to feel how hard I can punch?") Columbus has gotten pretty good at killing zombies himself, but he's in awe of his new companion's skills: "When Tallahassee goes Hulk on a zombie, he sets a new standard of not-to-be-f*****-with."

The two run into another pair of road warriors, sisters Wichita (Emma Stone) and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin), their names supplied once again by Tallahassee. Everyone has a policy of not trusting anyone, though of course the moral to this sweet little fable will be that life isn't worth living if you don't have someone to live it with.

The four also encounter a very cool and very famous Hollywood celebrity, appearing as himself in a brilliantly funny cameo. Knowing who it is won't ruin anything -- you can look at the film's Internet Movie Database page if you want to -- but you might enjoy the surprise. Either way, it's audacious and loopy and original.

Friendship, camaraderie, snark, and the relentless mowing down of zombies: This is why motion pictures were invented. Some zombie films skimp on the kills, but not "Zombieland"! No sir! Fleischer (working from a screenplay by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick) indulges the audience with abundant blood and gore, allowing the characters to stumble across far more weapons and ammunition than is plausible in the interest of keeping the bullets flying.

The action eventually leads to an amusement park, an altogether fitting place for a carnival-ride movie like this one. Eisenberg, a more angular version of Michael Cera, might seem an unlikely movie star if you haven't seen his work in "Adventureland," but his prim, dorky persona is perfect for Columbus. He's well matched with Harrelson, whose exuberance makes the happy-angry Tallahassee a nonstop source of delight, the kind of character you'd say steals the show except that he's already the co-lead and thus part owner of the show.

"Zombieland" doesn't add anything new to the zombie genre (nor, for that matter, to the comedy genre), and its story is extremely simple, almost to a fault. On the other hand, it's fast-paced, clever, and filled with inventive details. It deserves to become a midnight-movie cult classic. If it doesn't, that means the zombies win.

***************
ADVERTISEMENT:
Eric personally recommends Netflix for all your DVD-renting needs. Try it for free, and then pay only $9.99 a month! Click here: http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=5f9NLp9EpHI&offerid=78684.10000073&type=3&subid=0
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OTHER NEW RELEASES
Films opening today or that have been reviewed since we last spoke.
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"CAPITALISM: A LOVE STORY"
(2 hrs., 6 min.; rated R for three uses of the F-word; should have been PG-13)
Grade: C-

No one expects economics to be a thrilling subject. But in the past Michael Moore has usually managed to at least be entertaining. "Capitalism: A Love Story" has only a few traces of his wit and humor, and they're nearly lost in the fog of his indignation. More than ever, Moore assumes we already agree with him and makes no effort to convince us. His final statement is that capitalism (an economic system) should be replaced with -- wait for it -- "democracy" (a political system). One assumes he intended for that declaration to make sense in light of the film he's just shown us. It doesn't.

    ERIC'S COMPLETE REVIEW:
    http://www.ericdsnider.com/movies/capitalism-a-love-story
    BUY "BOWLING FOR COLUMBINE":
    http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00008DDVV/thelandoferic

* * * * * * * *

"WHIP IT"
(1 hr., 51 min.; rated PG-13 for moderate profanity, a little very mild sexuality)
Grade: B

"Whip It" tells the tender, romantic tale of a 17-year-old girl falling in love for the first time. As is often the case with young love, the object of her affection is a rugged outsider. Its name is roller derby. How refreshing to see a film about female characters where the primary focus isn't men. Yeah, our teenage heroine has a crush on a human male, too, but he is second in her life, after roller derby. Her inevitable confrontation with her disapproving parents is about it, not him. "I am in love with this!" she says. For once the female protagonist's journey into adulthood isn't about finding a man to love but about finding herself.... [continued at Film.com.]

    ERIC'S COMPLETE REVIEW:
    http://www.film.com/features/story/review-whip-it-good/30308223
    BUY THE COOL, INDIE-ROCK SOUNDTRACK:
    http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B002KVSJDW/thelandoferic

* * * * * * * *

"THE INVENTION OF LYING"
(1 hr., 40 min.; rated PG-13 for language including some sexual material and a drug reference)

Ricky Gervais stars (he also co-wrote and co-directed) as a man who lives in a world where everyone is 100 percent truthful all the time. And then he gets the idea to say something untrue, and lying is born! It was screened for critics -- but at the same time as "WHIP IT," and I drew the Barrymore. Review to come.

    BUY JIM CARREY'S "LIAR LIAR":
    http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0783235070/thelandoferic

* * * * * * * *

"WORLD'S GREATEST DAD" (limited release)
(1 hr., 39 min.; rated R for abundant harsh profanity and crude sexual dialogue, brief nudity)
Grade: A-

If Bobcat Goldthwait's goal as a filmmaker is to avoid mainstream success at all costs, then "World's Greatest Dad" may be the pinnacle of his career. Calling it a dark comedy doesn't do justice to the word "dark," nor does it adequately convey how funny it is. To enjoy the film requires not just the customary suspension of disbelief but the suspension of taste. All of the preceding is meant as a compliment, by the way. "World's Greatest Dad" isn't for everyone (what movie is?), but it's fully committed to its insanely morbid ideas. Robin Williams plays a high school teacher with a loathsome, hateful teenage son (Daryl Sabara) who suffers an embarrassing accident, leading Dad to falsify some of the circumstances and turn his awful offspring into a folk hero -- and himself as his son's biggest champion. For fans of perversely dark comedy, "World's Greatest Dad" is a treasure trove of morbid sarcasm and gleeful malevolence.

    ERIC'S COMPLETE REVIEW:
    http://www.ericdsnider.com/movies/worlds-greatest-dad
    BUY "PARENTHOOD":
    http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000MRNWK6/thelandoferic

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DVD RELEASES
These films were released on DVD this past Tuesday. Who knows, maybe they're on VHS, too. Reviews are of the original theatrical release.
***************

"AWAY WE GO" (B+)
John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph are hipster parents-to-be trying to figure out how the heck you're supposed to be a parent.

    ERIC'S COMPLETE REVIEW:
    http://www.ericdsnider.com/movies/away-we-go
    BUY THE DVD:
    http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0021L8UOY/thelandoferic

"THE GIRLFRIEND EXPERIENCE" (B-)
Steven Soderbergh's experiment with a real porn actress playing a prostitute. Oddly, she's not very convincing.

    ERIC'S COMPLETE REVIEW:
    http://www.ericdsnider.com/movies/the-girlfriend-experience
    BUY THE DVD:
    http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0027BOL46/thelandoferic

"MANAGEMENT" (B)
Steve Zahn stalks Jennifer Aniston, as would we all.

    ERIC'S COMPLETE REVIEW:
    http://www.ericdsnider.com/movies/management
    BUY THE DVD:
    http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B002C39T3M/thelandoferic

"MONSTERS VS ALIENS" (B)
Perfectly good animated flick in which monsters are recruited to fight invading aliens. Good thing we had those monsters lying around!

    ERIC'S COMPLETE REVIEW:
    http://www.ericdsnider.com/movies/monsters-vs-aliens
    BUY THE DVD:
    http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B001GCUO7A/thelandoferic

* * * * * * * *

ALSO NEW THIS WEEK:

"C.S.I.: NEW YORK" (Season 5): If David Caruso isn't taking off sunglasses and cracking one-liners, I'm not interested.

    BUY THE DVD:
    http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B001G0MFLA/thelandoferic

"HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER" (Season 4): This show is fine, but I definitely would not sit through a "how I met your mother" story that lasted 100 hours.

    BUY THE DVD:
    http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0024FAR6Q/thelandoferic

"KINGS" (Season 1): By "Season 1," they mean "the only season," because this one ain't comin' back.

    BUY THE DVD:
    http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0024FAD88/thelandoferic

"LIFE ON MARS" (Complete Series): Remake of a British series about a cop who mysteriously travels back to 1974, when they didn't HAVE Tasers, let alone kill unarmed civilians with them.

    BUY THE DVD:
    http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B001XRLWLU/thelandoferic

"THE PATTY DUKE SHOW" (Season 1): Identical cousins. You know, 'cause that happens all the time.

    BUY THE DVD:
    http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B002ACKBU0/thelandoferic

"THE UNIT" (Season 4): Tee-hee! "Unit"!

    BUY THE DVD:
    http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B001L1S1S0/thelandoferic

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5 GOOD MOVIES...
A random list of quality films, all available on DVD, for you to consider when you're at the video store or updating your Netflix queue.
***************

5 GOOD CANADIAN FILMS

"THE SADDEST MUSIC IN THE WORLD"
Guy Maddin's richly bizarre and funny story of a Depression-era brewery hosting a contest to see which nation can produce the saddest music.
http://www.ericdsnider.com/movies/the-saddest-music-in-the-world

"C.R.A.Z.Y."
Charming and funny story about a teenager in the '70s trying to figure out himself and his family.
http://www.ericdsnider.com/movies/crazy

"A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE"
David Cronenberg's scary and well-acted examination of how violence begets violence.
http://www.ericdsnider.com/movies/a-history-of-violence

"SEDUCING DR. LEWIS"
A tiny fishing village tries to convince a doctor to live there. Small-town quirkiness and merriment ensues.
http://www.ericdsnider.com/movies/seducing-dr-lewis

"MAELSTROM"
A woman becomes friends with the son of a man she accidentally killed in this strangely whimsical and emotional drama.
http://www.ericdsnider.com/movies/maelstrom/

***************
ADVERTISEMENT:
Eric personally recommends Netflix for all your DVD-renting needs. Try it for free, and then pay only $9.99 a month! Click here: http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=5f9NLp9EpHI&offerid=78684.10000073&type=3&subid=0
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BOX OFFICE
What topped last weekend's (Sept. 25-27) box office, with links to Eric's reviews.
***************

The weather continued its pattern of meatiness last weekend as "CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS" took the top spot at the box office for the second weekend in a row. In fact, its $25 million haul was only 17% down from how much it made its first weekend -- one of the smallest second-weekend drop-offs ever.

In a distant 2nd place was newcomer "SURROGATES," with $14.9 million. Even further behind was "FAME," with just $10 million. And the fourth new wide release, "PANDORUM," tanked with $4.4 million and 6th place.

1. "CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS" - $25,038,803 - $60,474,555 total (opened Sept. 18)

2. "SURROGATES" (B+) - $14,902,692 - opening weekend - http://www.film.com/movies/the-surrogates/story/review-surrogates-one-years-better/30243861

3. "FAME" (C-) - $10,011,682 - opening weekend - http://www.ericdsnider.com/movies/fame

4. "THE INFORMANT!" (B+) - $6,624,085 - $20,700,946 total (opened Sept. 18) - http://www.ericdsnider.com/movies/the-informant

5. "I CAN DO BAD ALL BY MYSELF" (C+) - $4,759,833 - $44,552,477 total (opened Sept. 11) - http://www.ericdsnider.com/movies/i-can-do-bad-all-by-myself

6. "PANDORUM" - $4,424,126 - opening weekend

7. "LOVE HAPPENS" (D+) - $4,307,980 - $14,708,710 total (opened Sept. 18) - http://www.ericdsnider.com/movies/love-happens

8. "JENNIFER'S BODY" (C+) - $3,664,559 - $12,470,373 total (opened Sept. 18) - http://www.ericdsnider.com/movies/jennifers-body

9. "9" - $2,959,231 - $27,227,811 total (opened Sept. 9)

10. "INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS" (B+) - $2,683,198 - $114,420,733 total (opened Aug. 21) - http://www.ericdsnider.com/movies/inglourious-basterds

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ERIC'S TOP 10 CURRENT RELEASES
Here are the movies currently in theaters that Eric thinks you should watch, arranged according to their "must-see"-ness. Start at the top of the list and work your way down!
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1. "500 DAYS OF SUMMER" (A)
An endlessly creative, funny, and truthful look at what happens when she's The One for you but you're not The One for her.
http://www.ericdsnider.com/movies/500-days-of-summer

2. "IN THE LOOP" (A)
This cheerfully cynical look at British and American politics is the sharpest, funniest political satire in years.
http://www.ericdsnider.com/movies/in-the-loop

3. "UP" (A-)
Pixar's latest, about a cranky old man and overeager little boy who float to South America in a balloon-carried house, is another brilliant mixture of comedy and emotion.
http://www.ericdsnider.com/movies/up

4. "STAR TREK" (A-)
They've boldly gone and rebooted the franchise, without even having to do it over Shatner's dead body.
http://www.ericdsnider.com/movies/star-trek

5. "HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE" (A-)
The sixth entry in the series is another sure-footed, richly entertaining adventure.
http://www.ericdsnider.com/movies/harry-potter-and-the-half-blood-prince

6. "HUMPDAY" (A-)
Consistently funny and insightful look at heterosexual male friendships, with two straight pals contemplating making an amateur porn tape.
http://www.ericdsnider.com/movies/humpday

7. "THE INFORMANT!" (B+)
Matt Damon stars in this jaunty, goofy true story about a clueless corporate whistleblower.
http://www.ericdsnider.com/movies/the-informant

8. "INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS" (B+)
Quentin Tarantino's latest is more of what he does best, this time focused on a group of Nazi-killing Jews during WWII.
http://www.ericdsnider.com/movies/inglourious-basterds

9. "THE HURT LOCKER" (B+)
This sharp, suspenseful action drama about bomb techs in Iraq adds emotional resonance to the tense storyline.
http://www.ericdsnider.com/movies/the-hurt-locker

10. "JULIE & JULIA" (B+)
Breezy, thoroughly delightful comedy about Julia Child (Meryl Streep) and a blogger (Amy Adams) who admires her.
http://www.ericdsnider.com/movies/julie-julia

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ERIC RECOMMENDS YOU AVOID
Films now in theaters that got a D+ or worse from Eric. Do not watch these movies!
***************

"ALL ABOUT STEVE" (F)
Don't laugh at Sandra Bullock. You'll only encourage her.
http://www.ericdsnider.com/movies/all-about-steve

"BRIEF INTERVIEWS WITH HIDEOUS MEN" (D)
David Foster Wallace's "unfilmable" book really IS unfilmable.
http://www.ericdsnider.com/movies/brief-interviews-with-hideous-men

"THE FINAL DESTINATION" (D)
They photocopied the first "Final Destination," then removed all the wit.
http://www.cinematical.com/2009/08/28/review-the-final-destination/

"LOVE HAPPENS" (D+)
It barely happens, and it's not very good.
http://www.film.com/movies/love-happens/story/review-love-happens-barely-its/30166807

"I LOVE YOU, BETH COOPER" (F)
So bad it makes me want to apologize to the Wayanses.
http://www.ericdsnider.com/movies/i-love-you-beth-cooper

"ORPHAN" (D)
Preposterous, distasteful trash about an evil orphan who wreaks havoc on her adoptive family.
http://www.ericdsnider.com/movies/orphan

"POST GRAD" (D)
Almost flunks.
http://www.ericdsnider.com/movies/post-grad

"TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN" (D)
Bigger! Louder! Dumber! If you can imagine!
http://www.ericdsnider.com/movies/transformers-revenge-of-the-fallen

"THE UGLY TRUTH" (D)
Ugly, yes. Funny, no.
http://www.ericdsnider.com/movies/the-ugly-truth

***************
ADVERTISEMENT:
Eric personally recommends Netflix for all your DVD-renting needs. Try it for free, and then pay only $9.99 a month! Click here: http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=5f9NLp9EpHI&offerid=78684.10000073&type=3&subid=0
***************

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RECENTLY REVIEWED
Links to all the films Eric has reviewed in the past month. A more complete list of all reviews past and present is at http://www.ericdsnider.com/movie.php .
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"AMREEKA" (B)
http://www.ericdsnider.com/movies/amreeka

"DEAD SNOW" (C+)
http://www.cinematical.com/2009/01/26/sundance-review-dead-snow

"EXTRACT" (B)
http://www.ericdsnider.com/movies/extract

"FAME" (C-)
http://www.ericdsnider.com/movies/fame

"I CAN DO BAD ALL BY MYSELF" (C+)
http://www.ericdsnider.com/movies/i-can-do-bad-all-by-myself

"JENNIFER'S BODY" (C+)
http://www.ericdsnider.com/movies/jennifers-body

"SURROGATES" (B+)
http://www.film.com/movies/the-surrogates/story/review-surrogates-one-years-better/30243861

"TAKING WOODSTOCK" (B-)
http://www.ericdsnider.com/movies/taking-woodstock

"THIRST" (B)
http://www.ericdsnider.com/movies/thirst

"WHITEOUT" (C)
http://www.ericdsnider.com/movies/whiteout

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Your ad here! Get your text ad seen by thousands of people by buying space in Eric D. Snider's "In the Dark" for as little as $10 a week! E-mail Eric@EricDSnider.com for details.
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Copyright (c) 2009 by Eric D. Snider. Feel free to forward this to people you think will appreciate it (without spamming anyone, please), but please keep it reasonably intact (i.e., with all the links and attribution and stuff). Support our advertisers by clicking on the links and doing a little shopping now and then. Box office data courtesy of BoxOfficeMojo.com. Send Eric comments or suggestions at Eric@EricDSnider.com, or simply by replying to this e-mail.