# Premium Channel Premieres: March 2010



## bdowell (Mar 4, 2003)

_Hopefully this thread will be updated as information becomes available and folks are able to post the information here. As always, everyone will hopefully of course appreciate any information you may be able to add (such as the always helpful Pablo has been able to provide :up. If you find the information useful, you may wish to subscribe to this thread so you'll receive e-mails as information is added _

All Premiere's on Saturdays, unless otherwise noted.
All times east unless otherwise noted.

Note please that I haven't confirmed that the programs I have listed are actually premiering for the first time on these channels. These programs may have been shown on channels, or on other nites before the dates shown. The information below is just a look at the list of movies and major programs that are upcoming and seem to be showing for the 'first time' (on the network that is shown) on the dates noted.

Somewhat surprisingly, Starz! has not posted their programming information yet. Hopefully they'll get it out soon.

Meanwhile, here's some of the coming highlights (better formatting to come later).

*Note* to HBO personnel - the 'new' Flash based schedule looks purty, but is not necessarily any more useful than the old traditional website had been, and especially not more useful than what you used to have. More especially so when you only let someone advance the schedule halfway through the following month!! 

*HBO*
March brings the highly anticipated made-for-HBO mini-series *The Pacific*. Fans of _Band of Brothers_, _Saving Private Ryan_ and similar quality series/films related to World War II will likely consider this can't miss programming.
Additionally, HBO will have: *Monsters vs. Aliens* and another HBO original: *Magic & Bird - A Courtship of Rivals*.

_Magic & Bird_ 3/6 8pm
_Boxing After Dark_ 3/6 9:30pm
_Monsters vs. Aliens_ (Reese Witherspoon, Seth Rogen, Hugh Laurie, Will Arnet, Kiefer Sutherland, Rainn Wilson, Paul Rudd, Stephen Colbert) 3/13 8pm
_The Pacific 01_ (first of 10 episodes, others air on Sunday nights in following weeks) 3/14 9pm
_Ghosts of Girlfriends Past_ (Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Garner, Michael Douglas) 3/20 8pm
_Gran Tornio_ (Clint Eastwood) 3/27 8:30pm

I've been waiting for quite a while (since it was originally announced as coming in the future) for _The Pacific_. I'm quite confident it will have been worth the wait and am looking forward to it as programming that will make HBO worth having a subscription to :up:
_Monsters vs. Aliens_ was pretty good, certainly worth catching with your family (or by yourself if you enjoy good animated films).
The _Magic & Bird_ original should be decent too. HBO's sports related programming is almost always very enjoyable.

*Cinemax*
MAX actually has what would seem to be some decent premieres in March: *Taken* and *X-Men Origins: Wolverine*. Ok, make that a half decent month 

_Observe and Report_ (Seth Rogen, Anna Farris) 3/6 10pm
_Taken_ (Liam Neeson) 3/13 10pm
_Fighting_ (Stars to come) 3/20 10pm
_X-Men Origins: Wolverine_ (Hugh Jackman, Liev Schreiber, Danny Huston) 3/27 10pm

Thanks to *Tecmo SB Guy* we know the air dates for the touted films for Cinemax in March :up:.
_Taken_ is a very decent action thriller, catch it if you can.
_X-Men Origins: Wolverine_ did ok at the box office but was heavily criticized. It is probably an 'ok' film if you don't go in with high expectations.
Tecmo SB Guy posted his thoughts on _Observe and Report_ below, my own opinion is that the film isn't that funny and could easily be skipped. It's ok at best, and even that would be a stretch in my book. Many might find it downright offensive given a drunken coupling that amounts to ... well, I won't spoil it, but be warned in advance that it's not for those that are easily offended.

*Starz/Encore channels*

Thanks to Pablo for this information :up:


*Underworld: Rise of the Lycans* 3/6 (already premiered earlier)
*The Ugly Truth* (Heigl, Butler) 3/13
*The Taking of Pelham 123* (Washington, John Travolta, Luis Guzman) 3/20
*Angels & Demons* (Tom Hanks) 3/27

Again thanks to *Pablo* for the schedule information here.
I've not seen _Underworld: Rise of the Lycans_. Not normally my type of flick, though I admit the trailers/ads made it look fun.
I did see _The Ugly Truth_. A little crude, but decent comedy with a little romance tossed in. Tilts more towards a guy flick than a chick flick in my book.
_Pelham 123_ is the 'new' version of an older film. This version was ok by me, though I'm not sure I'd go out of my way to see it. (I admit I did rent it though, so perhaps I did go out of my way a little...)
_Angels & Demons_ is the follow-up to the earlier Da Vinci Code.

*Showtime*
I'd swear this should have been out ages ago (I rented and then later bought the Blu-ray ages ago), but it looks like it may be a premiere: Dane Cook and Jason Biggs in *My Best Friend's Girl*. Also *Soul Men* (Bernie Mac, Samuel L. Jackson). Additionally there's *Saw V*.

*Soul Men* (Bernie Mac, Samuel L. Jackson) airs first on *FRIDAY* 3/5/2010 8pm
*My Best Friend's Girl* (Jason Biggs, Dane Cook) 3/13/2010 9pm
*Saw V* (Jigsaw and a bunch of victims) 3/27/2010 9pm

I hope I have the right premieres for Showtime in March, but given how they set things up in promotional areas of their website that's nearly impossible to determine.
Either way, _My Best Friend's Girl_ is ok for what it is... a crude buddy humor almost romantic comedy. Guys will likely enjoy it much more than gals, and be advised to keep expectations low going in.
_Soul Men_ was a decent flick, sadly one of Bernie Mac's last.

*The Movie Channel*
It looks like The Movie Channel will be continuing their *Splatterday* on Saturdays line-up of horror themed films (double feature of horror themed movies on Saturday nites actually) for June.
(If you aren't a horror fan then it seems that The Movie Channel is going to have slim pickin's for you )


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## Tecmo SB Guy (Sep 28, 2007)

For Cinemax in March:

3/6 Observe and Report
3/13 Taken
3/20 Fighting
3/27 X-Men Origins: Wolverine

I've only seen Observe and Report. Rented it via Blockbuster Online. A much better Seth Rogen movie than Knocked Up and Pineapple Express. Also as an aside, HBO's new website sucks. Their schedule is a lot harder to navigate now. They should have left it alone.


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## bdowell (Mar 4, 2003)

Tecmo SB Guy said:


> For Cinemax in March:
> 
> 3/6 Observe and Report
> 3/13 Taken
> ...


Thanks for the info, I've updated above, and double yep on the HBO website (that was in my original notes above). It looks nice but is almost totally useless as it is. I wish they'd make the downloadable version of the schedule available at the same time they put up the info for the coming month, even if just in draft form, but they refuse to do anything that tips that schedule too far in advance. Lame.


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## Tecmo SB Guy (Sep 28, 2007)

bdowell said:


> Thanks for the info


No problem. Also I noticed you have "time to come" up there in your original post. All the Cinemax Saturday premieres are 10 p.m. EST on the Cinemax-East feed.


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## bdowell (Mar 4, 2003)

Tecmo SB Guy said:


> No problem. Also I noticed you have "time to come" up there in your original post. All the Cinemax Saturday premieres are 10 p.m. EST on the Cinemax-East feed.


Thanks, updating momentarily.


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## pablo (Oct 11, 2007)

For Starz we have an okay month:

Starz:
3/6: Underworld: Rise of the Lycans (already premiered earlier)
3/13: The Ugly Truth
3/20: The Taking of Pelham 123
3/27: Angels & Demons


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## tsmacro (Apr 28, 2005)

I keep seeing ads for Showtime featuring Quantum of Solace, but when I go to their site I can't figure out when it'll be playing. The only reason why I even care is that once upon a time I recorded Casino Royale on my DVR w/ the idea that some day i'd record Quantum of Solace and watch them back to back.


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## pablo (Oct 11, 2007)

Wait, isn't The Taking of Pelham 123 premiering this month on Starz? Why do they have it again next month? I guess there's no premiere on 3/20 on Starz then...


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## Guest (Feb 16, 2010)

Has Religulous been on yet?


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## russ9 (Jan 28, 2004)

Filling in the blanks:

HBO
Ghosts of Girlfriends Past 3/20 5 PM
Gran Torino 3/27 5:30 PM
Duplicity 4/3 5 PM


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## bdowell (Mar 4, 2003)

russ9 said:


> Filling in the blanks:
> 
> HBO
> Ghosts of Girlfriends Past 3/20 5 PM
> ...


Thanks for the updated information. Updated above.


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## pablo (Oct 11, 2007)

Gran Torino already premiered a month or two ago.


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## bdowell (Mar 4, 2003)

pablo said:


> Gran Torino already premiered a month or two ago.


Would this be one of the 'already aired on MAX, but gets its HBO premiere later' type deals?


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## pablo (Oct 11, 2007)

Probably. I don't know why they do it, and waste a premiere slot...


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## SPACEMAKER (Dec 11, 2007)

pablo said:


> Probably. I don't know why they do it, and waste a premiere slot...


It's more than worthy IMO. It's an HBO Premier that will draw well.


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