Flicks Picks

I recommend renting “Thor” this weekend, which is now on DVD. I found this latest comic book adaptation to be an entertaining ride. It provided exciting characters, big action sequences and should be seen by anyone who considers themselves a fan of the genre. Chris Hemsworth has established himself well as a solid superhero among the many others in Hollywood who’ve donned a cape or mask, and Natalie Portman continues to show her talents with the wide range of characters she plays.

IN THEATERS

Out today is the thriller, “Contagion.” The story follows a deadly airborne virus that has started killing people within days. Once panic starts to spread as fast the disease, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is put to work in hopes of finding a cure to stop the virus and put the world back on its feet.

IN THEATERS

Out this weekend in theaters is the horror/thriller, “Shark Night 3D.” Something’s in the water! The story focuses around a group of college friends who vacation at a lake house in Louisiana to relax and party. What starts out as a good time soon turns terrifying once they discover that man-eating sharks inhabit the saltwater lake. Little do they know, the sharks have purposely been put in this lake for a form of twisted entertainment. Let the screams begin!

IN THEATERS

Out this weekend is the thriller, “Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark.” The story follows a young girl named Sally (Bailee Madison) who moves in with her father and his new girlfriend Kim (Katie Holmes). Soon strange occurrences begin to happen, and Sally claims that there are strange creatures in the house that come out to haunt her. With her father ignoring the claims and focusing on refurbishing the house to sell, it’s Kim who begins to feel that Sally might be right in her ideas about the house and that they all might be in real danger.

IN THEATERS

Out today is the remake of the horror flick, “Fright Night.” Charley Brewster (Anton Yelchin) is a high school senior who suspects that his strange new neighbor, Jerry (Colin Farrell), is a vampire. Ever since Jerry has moved in, there has been a string of deaths, mostly kids at his school. So while no one else believes Charley’s claims, he takes it upon himself to investigate with the help of a self-proclaimed vampire killer.

IN THEATERS

Out today is the next installment in the popular horror franchise, “Final Destination 5.” Yes, didn’t we all think the last one was in fact the last one? It was only two years ago that the fourth entry, “The Final Destination” was released. And with the aptly put “The” at the front, it led us all to believe that the doors were finally closing on the gruesome series. But that fourth film ironically ended up making more than $180 million worldwide, easily beating the three previous entries. It’s even more ironic that it was by far the cheesiest and most comedic, which isn’t the path the series began on.

IN THEATERS

Out this weekend is the comedy, “The Change-Up.” Mitch (Ryan Reynolds) and Dave (Jason Bateman) are childhood friends that have drifted apart over the years. Dave is a lawyer, husband and father of three, and Mitch is the exact opposite. So after they reunite and spend a drunken evening together, they awaken in each other’s bodies. Now the two friends get an inside look into the other’s day to day life and realize not everything is always as easy — or hard — as it seems.

IN THEATERS

Out this weekend is the comedy/drama, “Crazy, Stupid, Love.” Cal Weaver (Steve Carell) has a seemingly perfect life — a wife, family, job and house. Now his wife, Emily (Julianne Moore), has confessed to cheating on him and says she wants a divorce. It’s a different day and age now, and Cal is a little rusty on dating and what it takes to woo a woman. Enter Jacob Palmer (Ryan Gosling), an attractive, young ladies’ man. He takes on Cal as a wingman and teaches him all about this generation’s dating game, pickup lines and style. In the meantime Jacob seems to discover some things himself when he meets Hannah (Emma Stone) and realizes that all the rules are off and he has some work to do of his own.

IN THEATERS

This weekend in theaters, the end is here. Well, for the Harry Potter movies at least. “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2” finally makes its way into theaters, and it’s almost a certainty that the better part of the world is excited about this.

IN THEATERS

Out this weekend is the comedy, “Horrible Bosses,” featuring an all-star cast including Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, Jason Sudeikis, Jennifer Aniston, Kevin Spacey and Colin Farrell. It’s the story of three friends Nick, Dale and Kurt (Bateman, Day, and Sudeikis) who plot to murder their contemptuous bosses (Spacey, Aniston, and Farrell) when they discover that they are beginning to hate themselves for putting up with their behavior. But when you have three boneheads trying to successfully pull off several murders, things might not go according to plan.