1. Cop Out (Warner Brothers, 3,150 Theaters, 107 Minutes, Rated R): Granted, Kevin Smith is a writer/director, but the emphasis has always been on the “writer.” By his own admission, his directing skills have always lagged behind his wordsmith ones.
And yet, here he is, directing a film that he didn’t write. I have no idea what the true job of a director is and what Smith can bring to it, but surely no one who has ever heard his self-deprecating view toward his directing abilities would ever rush out and see any movie he exclusively directs.
The film is somewhat up his alley. The plot concerns two cops in pursuit of a stolen baseball card. Along the way, they meet up with a mobster who is a rabid collector and Seann William Scott.
2.The Crazies (Overture Films, 2,476 Theaters, 101 Minutes, Rated R): If you think this film looks like a rip-off of a George Romero Zombie flick with people turning psychotic instead of the living dead, well, you’re not far off.
The film is a remake of a 1973 film written and directed by Romero. So they are ripping off Romero in a way, but he actually ripped himself off first.
A tainted water supply has infected certain members of a small town with a deadly virus that causes them to become homicidal. The sheriff tries to make heads or tales out of what is going on while trying to keep the last remaining unaffected people safe and alive.
So, this, I guess , is a zombie movie for people who like zombie movies but want a break from them without going too far away from the genre.
