Friday movie roundup – Aug. 20

Five films opened in wide release this weekend. Only two of them were screened for critics — and here in Portland, the screenings were at the same time. Those would be “The Switch” (review at Film.com) and “Nanny McPhee Returns” (review nowhere, on account of I can’t be two places at once).

The three instances of Hollywood’s Shameful Secrets® are “Vampires Suck,” “Lottery Ticket,” and “Piranha 3-D,” whose actual onscreen title is just “Piranha.” I have a review of “Vampires Suck” already (it opened Wednesday); a review of “Piranha” is on its way.

Speaking of which, “Eric’s Bad Movies” at Film.com this week was about “Piranha II: The Spawning,” which was directed by James Cameron. “What’s the Big Deal?” is about “Z,” the French-Algerian film about Greek politics from 1969.

In limited release, “Get Low” — starring Robert Duvall and Bill Murray — is a pleasant little film indeed.

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