This Week’s Releases: “The Butler,” “Kick-Ass 2,” “JOBS,” and “Paranoia”

Posted on August 11, 2013 at 3:59 pm

It’s another big week at the movies, with some of Hollywood’s biggest stars in two fact-based prestige movies with awards potential, a superhero sequel, and a twisty thriller based on a best-selling novel.

Formally called “Lee Daniels’ The Butler,” following a petty title rights dispute, this is the “Precious” director’s epic based on the real-life story of a black man who served eight Presidents from the Jim Crow era through the era of the Civil Rights movement. Stars include Oscar winners Forest Whitaker, Robin Williams, Jane Fonda, and Cuba Gooding, Jr., as well as Oprah Winfrey, Mariah Carey, James Marsden, Alan Rickman and Terrence Howard.

“JOBS” has Ashton Kutcher as the late founder of Apple and Pixar. “Paranoia” stars Harrison Ford, Gary Oldman, Amber Heard, and Liam Hemsworth in a story of corporate espionage based on the best-selling thriller about corporate espionage by Joseph Finder.

And “Kick-Ass 2” is the sequel to the controversial, ultra-violent story based on the comics from Mark Millar and John Romita. Jim Carrey joined the cast — but has now distanced himself from the film because of its violent content.

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Opening This Week

Tribute: Steve Jobs

Posted on October 6, 2011 at 9:58 am

I like President Obama’s observation on the passing of Steve Jobs: “The world has lost a visionary. And there may be no greater tribute to Steve’s success than the fact that much of the world learned of his passing on a device he invented.”

Jobs will be remembered along with Thomas Edison and Henry Ford as a visionary whose ideas transformed our culture and our sense of what was possible. His 2005 graduation speech at Stanford University should be watched by everyone — especially every teenager.

Most tributes to Jobs will focus on the computers and gadgets like iPhones and iPods and iPads, on his understanding of the user and his passion for design. I want to pay tribute to him as a film-maker. Jobs played a key role in the development of the most successful movie studio of all time, Pixar, now a part of Disney. Without Steve Jobs, there would be no Nemo, no Incredibles, no house lifted by balloons, no rat chef and no “Hello Dolly-“loving robot romance (“Wall•E’s” Eva was of course designed by Apple engineers). No Buzz and Woody. No Sully and Boo.