Woody Harrelson has had an interesting revitalization in the past few years with films like Zombieland and 2012, but now it’s time for him to take on another meaty lead a la The People vs. Larry Flynt. Except this time you can expect a better film with Rampart.

The film’s got a pretty star-studded cast with Harrelson being joined by Ned Beatty, Ben Foster, Anne Heche, Ice Cube, Cynthia Nixon, Sigourney Weaver, Robin Wright, and Steve Buscemi, but that’s not even as good as the story itself. Here’s the synopsis.

Los Angeles, 1999. Officer Dave Brown (Harrelson) is a Vietnam vet and a Rampart Precinct cop, dedicated to doing “the people’s dirty work” and asserting his own code of justice, often blurring the lines between right and wrong to maintain his action-hero state of mind. When he gets caught on tape beating a suspect, he finds himself in a personal and emotional downward spiral as the consequences of his past sins and his refusal to change his ways in light of a department-wide corruption scandal seal his fate.

Brown internalizes his fear, anguish and paranoia as his world, complete with two ex-wives who are sisters, two daughters, an aging mentor dispensing bad advice, investigators galore, and a series of seemingly random women, starts making less and less sense. In the end, what is left is a human being stripped of all his pretense, machismo, chauvinism, arrogance, sexism, homophobia, racism, aggression, misanthropy; but is it enough to redeem him as a man?

Take a look at the trailer below to see the film in action, and catch Rampart in limited theaters on November 23rd.

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So, you’ve just clicked on my column and your wondering what the frak a commentary of Sex and the City 2 is doing on the epitome of all things geek, also known as The Flickcast? Well, Sex and the City 2 is the epitome of geek sheik… for women. Before continuing, I would ask all guys to scroll down as there are helpful hints on how to survive the Sex and the City 2 experience with your girlfriend.

There are some movies I will wait in line with my fired-up guy friends to experience the madness of a 12:01 screening, such as The Dark Knight. With $3 million in box office cash coming from midnight screenings, it seems some women are yearning for similar evening excitement. I thought about planning the typical midnight screening party and then smarted up. Many a lady enjoy a relaxed, less-crowded Saturday afternoon flick, so I thought I‘d give it a shot.

Since SATC 2 worships luxury brands, what better way to experience this film than with luxury accommodations? I skipped the lines, the sticky seats, and booming sound and opted instead for a screening reminiscent of a 60’s era Pan Am first class flight. Arriving at Gold Class Cinemas in Pasadena, I walked into a modern lounge where I chillaxed for a bit. I was then escorted by the cute wait staff into a private-like screening room that sat around 40.

My first piece of advice to those good guys who willingly accompany their gals is to drink and sit in very comfy chairs. My chair just so happened to be a red suede recliner that featured a happy green button that when pressed brought servers to our seats with stiff Flirtinis, pillows, blankets, and duck tacos in hand.

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(Intro to be read in Carrie Bradshaw’s voice-over): There I was, on my way to meet one of my gal pals for a early screening of Sex in the City 2. I’d pulled out my best pair of shoes from Target and paired it with my favorite perfectly worn blue jeans and a top from Forever 21. It was going to be a great night. The Cosmos would pour freely, and my friend and I were certainly in for a little female bonding while watching a fabulous film.

But I couldn’t help wondering while I drove toward the beckoning lights of downtown-do we really need a sequel to Sex and the City? After all, the first movie seemed to be the perfect little send-off for the fans.

Society has been resisting the opulent due to all the financial funk, and I couldn’t decide if this movie depicting the NYC foursome enjoying a decadent Middle Eastern vacation is what people want to see right now.

In the case of a sequel, is less more?

I don’t know much about Michael Patrick King, but that man knows how to indulge. Lavish set pieces, lush scenery, and colorful (though their beauty is highly debatable) costumes abound, and as pure escapism, the movie works. Once you start analyzing the plot and genuinely start to critique the movie, it absolutely falls apart, but I don’t think the target demographic for this movie will care.

Fans of the show who have been eagerly anticipating this film will not be disappointed. They know exactly what they are getting into, and I don’t think anyone expects to have their mind blown over this film. Let’s face it, this is the female equivalent of Transformers. It’s an event movie. and it has a built-in audience.

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