Opening this weekend are some movies I am VERY excited about.

My suggestion to you is to watch these trailers today then watch the movie this weekend (Oct20-23).

As always, click on the movie titles to view the trailers.
Trailers courtesy of Apple

First off.



Marie Antoinette

This movie has been pissed on by the French.
That should be enough endorsement.

Not that I have anything against the French.
The previous statement wasn't meant to be "patriotic" or anything but French Cinema really isn't for me.

I actually think its boring and pretentious.
And artsy for the sake of being artsy.

What is for me is anything directed by Sophia Coppola.
Sure she is a young film maker and offspring of a film legend but so far she has not disappointed me once.

And yes being young and a relative of someone famous can be a bad thing.

Usually, I am a fan of movies with quick dialogue and witty characters.
Her films are the antithesis of that.
She tells her story visually and with long awkward pauses.

She lets the environment of her films tell the story.

Coppola has an introverted sense of story telling and I like it.



The Prestige

I am really excited about seeing this movie this weekend.
I think I am going to watch Marie Antoinette on Friday and The Prestige on Sunday.

My only problem with this movie is Scarlett Johansson.
I think she is remarkably beautiful and talented.

But frankly I think she is over used.
The role of an actress is to make the audience believe she is the character she is portraying.
She has to fool the audience into believing she is someone else.

This task is much more difficult to achieve when she is someone else every two weeks.
It seems to me as though she is in a movie every other week.
In my opinion she needs to pick her roles more carefully.

That is if she wants to be great at her craft.

If she is just in this industry to make money then she should take as many roles as she can get and continue to record her album.

Johansson is currently recording an album of Tom Waits cover songs.
If you have ever heard a Tom Waits song you know that this is going to be a disaster.

She needs to leave the media hopping to the talent less and over hyped.

After that digression, I would like to say that The Prestige looks like it could be good.
Even though most of the critics have already panned it I am still going to see it.

Ironically enough I don't really listen to what the critics have to say. Critics these days are 60 year old failed screen writers. Would you take movie advice from your Grandfather?

Seems to me as though I am all over the place today.

Bottom line.
Watch The Prestige.




Flags of our Fathers

Another war movie.

I said this to a friend the other day after seeing the trailer to this movie during The Departed this past weekend.

His answer was..." But Clint Eastwood is directing it"

So what. When did Clint Eastwood become this Acclaimed director. Sure he has had a string of hits lately but I think this could only be accredited to the fact that he has been working with great scripts from great writers.

Yes, Flags of our Fathers was written by Academy award winning Paul Haggis. I know this. I just don't see the need for another war movie during a time of war.
Going to the movies is about escaping our reality and watching beautiful people do extraordinary things.
I don't want to see twenty year olds get their heads blown off.

After saying all that.
Go watch Flags of our Fathers.
I am.
I just like to complain.

This movie is being released this week but only in select cities. It opens nationwide the following week.



Running With Scissors.

The title says it all. Its a fun movie about doing things you are not supposed to.
I am a huge fan of the book and I have read most of Augusten Burroughs other books.
From what I can gather from his memoirs is that he has had a fascinating life that I am not jealous of.

When I read his stories it makes me feel like his personal therapist. He tells you the most interesting and intimate stories about his life that leave you shocked and laughing.

It will be great to see these stories come to life with a cast of talented actors all being helmed by first time director Ryan Murphy.

His name might sound familiar if you are a fan of his hit television show Nip/Tuck.

If you have ever seen this show you know this man is corrupted.
Two great corrupted artist come together to make a film.
That alone is a selling point.


Not coming soon but still great.



Hot Fuzz

From the creators of Shaun of the Dead.
Comes Hot Fuzz.

Shaun of the Dead took the horror movie genre to a place that made me comfortable.
They made it funny.
Really funny.

The trailers made me laugh out loud.
Check it out.



Pans Labyrinth

Guillermo Del Toro is a geek.
His most successful movies are about comic book inspired Hero’s all who have had a dark past and even darker future.

My kind of director.

Pans Labyrinth looks like something Terry Gilliam could have directed and ruined.

Sorry, I still can't forgive Mr. Gilliam for the Brothers Grimm.