The Big Screen Bulletin 11.27.06: The Post Thanksgiving, No Money, Holiday Blues
Posted by Chad Webb on 11.27.2006
A nightmare with "Dorm Daze 2", "Happy Feet" dances to a second victory, No "Hobbit" for Peter Jackson, A digitally created Bruce Lee?, "Da Vinci" writer Goldsman receives a nifty paycheck, new quickees, trailers, all the latest DVD releases, and much more!
Obituaries
Robert Bernard Altman
Rest in Peace
1925 – 2006
What can you say about this Oscar winning filmmaker. At least he passed on after a successful career. The 81 year old director was married to Kathryn Reed at the time of his death. He had a total of 5 children. He was nominated for an Oscar 5 times, and also received an AFI Director of the Year award. Altman has given us such classic like Nashville, Short Cuts, MASH, and The Player. It is so fitting that he was able to unveil one last masterpiece in A Prairie Home Companion before he died. We will miss him. Thanks for the laughs, the tears, and the memories.
Straight To Video Nightmares
Dorm Daze 2
Starring: Danielle Fishel, Vida Guerra, Chris Owen, and Rachel Hubber
Directed by: David and Scott Hillenbrand
Release Date: September 5, 2006
Running Time: 100 minutes
Rated R for strong sexuality, nudity, language and drug use.
There are only two reasons to sit through Dorm Daze 2. The first reason is Vida Guerra. The second is her derrier. Ok maybe three. Danielle Fishel's cleavage shots are nice as I fantasized about Topenga many times in Boy Meets World. However, anybody that was hoping to see Vida nude will be hugely disappointed. Go and seek out the Playboy issue for that. I admit that I watched all 90 minutes worth of the first Dorm Daze, and wanted to subject myself to endless Indian burns and/or games of bloody knuckles, which would have felt better. The first one was a non stop cluster fu$% of a mess that so obviously wanted to be the bastard step child of American Pie. I chuckled maybe twice, but other than that the film blew goats, and the second one is no better. Some of the same characters are back for this stupidity. Tickets should be issued to those who laugh out loud during these.
The students from Billingsley University are setting sail on a cruise for their sophomore year, and even though they are going for educational reasons, learning is the last thing that occurs on this trip. Rusty (Owen Skoog) is a young man who will do anything to lose his virginity. Marla (Danielle Fishel from Boy Meets World) and Lynne (Jennifer Lyons from :insert bad T.V. show her:) attempt to become "born again virgins" and alter their reputations. Gerri and another nameless dork are competing for some sort of award or scholarship. Newmar (Tony Denman) is having a tough time getting his girlfriend Violet into bed because she runs a group for abstinence. Booker (Chris Owen from American Pie) and Rachel (Gable Carr) who got together freshman year, decide to break up at the beginning of this one, but maybe it was the wrong choice. Professor Cavendish, played by the out of work Nanny star Charles Shaughnessy, is trying to sell a famous diamond. Captain Dunkley (Richard Riehle from Office Space) is running things on the ship, but has no clue that his wife Honey (Jasmine St. Claire) is a porn star. Robin is a girl who is preparing a theatrical play in hopes of winning a grant from Dean Dryer (Larry Drake from Darkman and L.A. Law) in a competition. This is only half the ludicrous characters, and painful sub-plots. Ok, I'm sick of explaining this storyline now.
Chris Owen acts as Booker, and seriously this dude will be playing high school/college roles until he has to be rolled out in a wheelchair. He must really not care about what others think. The National Lampoon company must be hiring kids who have dropped out of high school for writing positions. They insist on making trash after trash for a direct-to-DVD release. Do they not give one iota of a shit on how the film actually turns out, or do they just accept every single script that comes over the table. Hell, if that's the case, I will write something and submit it to them. I could use the extra cash. Everybody in this movie wants to have sex in some way. Award for most original screenplay will not go to screenwriters Patrick Casey and Worm Miller. Dorm Daze 2 also features many drug scenes, some about smoking monkey bones, lots of nudity and streaking from guys, a homosexual, and some meaningless adventure for diamond. I must also mention the judges of this competition, who are: Kato Kaelin, Ted Lange, and Dr. Joyce Brothers. Kato Kaelin has this compelling line "I Like Boobs." Vida Guerra is not the worst actress I have ever seen in my life, but not the best either. She is tremendously sexy, but maybe movies are not her calling. Porn Star Jasmine St. Claire is looking pretty rough and ragged in her old age. She is not attractive for one second. She should stick to positions where she feels more comfortable. This movie is just as bad as the original, and just as horrid as every other National Lampoon movie given to us in the past decade. Someone needs to shut these people down for good. Some studio needs to buy them out and pound the last nail in the coffin, so all of us can sleep soundly for once. Are they actually turning in a profit? The only teenagers who rent this garbage either have an I.Q. of 3, or want to see how low these guys can stoop.
Final Rating= 2.5/10.0
The News Bulletin
"Happy Feet" Dances To A Second Victory
Warner Bros. Pictures' "Happy Feet" and Sony Pictures' "Casino Royale" held up remarkably well over the five-day Thanksgiving holiday weekend, taking the top two spots for the second consecutive frame with impressive estimated takes of $51.6 million and $45.1 million, respectively. Meanwhile, Denzel Washington did his job opening another movie above the $20 million mark, with his Buena Vista Pictures actioner "Deja Vu" grossing an estimated $20.8 million over the three-day portion of the weekend and $29 million for the five days. Still, the Thanksgiving frame at the North American boxoffice was down compared with last year at this time as even the strongest of this year's performers couldn't compete with "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire," which reaped $81.2 million a year ago.
The five-day holiday frame this Thanksgiving earned an estimated $208 million for the top 12 films, a 3% drop-off compared with last year's take of $215.4 million. Regency Enterprises fielded two films that didn't perform as well as expected: 20th Century Fox's release of Regency's "Deck the Halls" bowed to a relatively weak $16.9 million for the five days, while Warners' release of its Regency co-production "The Fountain" battled with New Line Cinema's "Tenacious D: The Pick of Destiny" for the 10th spot in the boxoffice derby. According to estimates, "Fountain" beat out "Tenacious D" for the three-day period. "Fountain," featuring Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz, grossed $3.72 million, while "Tenacious D," starring Jack Black and bandmate Kyle Gass, earned an estimated $3.27 million. MGM's release of the Weinstein Co.'s "Bobby" earned the ninth-place spot in its second-week expansion, but its five-day take of $6 million was not what the companies were hoping for.
A couple people asked me which film I thought would take the #1 spot this week, and after careful contemplation, I thought to myself that Happy Feet could definitely do it again despite the release of so many other films. To no one's surprise, Happy Feet has done it for a second week in a row, and to be honest, they might do it a third week. It has raked in $100 million, and following closely behind is Casino Royale at #2 with $94 million as its grossing total. Déjà vu was able to snag #3, and amazingly, the atrocious looking Deck the Halls grabs #4. Borat is also still holding strong at #5 with around $109 million thus far. After that is The Santa Clause 3, Stranger Than Fiction, and Flushed Away staying put in the middle. Bobby dissapoints with it's all-star cast by only getting to #9, and The Fountain barely makes the top 10. On the limited end of things, The History Boys opened in six theaters with a commendable $132,559, while Volver, For Your Consideration, and Babel all continued to increase their totals. Next week, The Nativity Story and Van Wilder 2: The Rise of Taj will probably only graze the top 10.
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Jackson Will Not Enter Hobbit Country
Director Peter Jackson, who filmed the sensational "Lord of the Rings", has been informed by New Line Cinema that his services won't be required on the studio's upcoming "Hobbit" film; the same goes for a potential prequel to "LOTR." Peter Jackson has an ongoing lawsuit with New Line over his compensation for making the three "LOTR" pictures, and he's long held that he'd be willing to make "The Hobbit" for that studio so long as those disputes got resolved. New Line has apparently stalled attempts to settle the discrepancy between their accounting and that of Jackson's people. The studio had hoped Jackson would drop the case in return for the likelihood of more lucrative income from "The Hobbit" and other Middle-Earth related projects, but Jackson didn't feel that was a wise course to take.
Jackson explained the situation in a statement released to the TheOneRing.net website: "We would have to agree to make "The Hobbit" as a condition of New Line settling our lawsuit. In our minds this is not the right reason to make a film and if a film of "The Hobbit" went ahead on this basis, it would be doomed. Deciding to make a movie should come from the heart - it's not a matter of business convenience. When you agree to make a film, you're taking on a massive commitment and you need to be driven by an absolute passion to want to get the story on screen. It's that passion, and passion alone, that gives the movie its imagination and heart."
What the hell is wrong with New Line Cinema? They had better get their acts straightened out. I have just read however that MGM has the distribution rights to a Hobbit flick even though New Line has the production rights. I do not know how this mumbo jumbo affects the casting. Apparently, MGM will be fighting tooth and nail for Jackson as a director. Yeah, that's great, but it won't happen methinks, and it blows hard. I agree with Jackson that one should have passion to direct a film. This is such a stupid reason to not hire him also. Many other filmmakers have the ability to make a quality adaptation, but those filmmakers will also think long and hard before they accept an offer because they will be aware of how much LOTR nerds will be scrutinizing a different persons version. I do not see how this can end happily.
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"Da Vinci" Screenwriter Has His Wallet Stuffed
I'm told that Akiva Goldsman, who adapted Dan Brown's worldwide bestseller into a $755.6 mil hit pic, is receiving $4 million for the "Da Vinci Code" sequel in the works by both Imagine Entertainment and Sony Pictures. Not only is that major moola, but agents are telling me this represents a new $$$ high for hiring a screenwriter (not buying a spec script) -- and not even an original screenplay, but an adaptation of a book. And, no, Goldsman isn't getting a producer credit, so this is for straight scribbling. "That would be a lot for a pure writer's credit," one agent gushed. "It puts Akiva in the absolute top of his profession." (Actually, the first rumor I heard was an astounding $6 mil, but the truth is $2 mil less than that. As for whether the deal also includes gross points, dunno.) Anyway, this is great news for Hollywood screenwriters, who continue to get screwed left and right in the moviemaking process, notwithstanding the WGA's supposedly best but also glacial efforts to prevent that.
Generally, the most in-demand screenwriters these days are getting between $2 mil and $2.5 mil per project. And Sony historically has been known to open its wallets a little wider for writers than most studios. The reason for the big score is that the studio wants the 2008-slotted sequel, like, yesterday, not only because the first movie did so well, but also because of the expected studio-WGA confrontations next year. Fortunately for Goldsman, when "DVC" came out, Sony already owned the rights to the Robert Langdon character. Not only is the Harvard symbologist the protagonist in Brown's "Angels and Demons", but also featured in a new book the author is penning as we speak that takes off where "Da Vinci Code" leaves off. In "A&D", Goldsman must make sense of a plot crammed with Vatican intrigue and high-tech drama: it thrusts Langdon together with an ancient and shadowy secret brotherhood, the Illuminati, the most powerful underground organization ever to walk the earth.
Every website that added this as a newsbit did nothing but trash The Da Vinci Code. This is so unwarranted. The film is so underrated it's sad. I will never understand why people hate it so much. Most of the arguments people have made about it are absurd. Anyway, this is quite the sum of money for a screenwriter isn't it? I just hope that the finished script is good enough that he deserves this money. Goldsman has a difficult task ahead of him. Angels & Demons is a book with as much, if not more details than The Da Vinci Code. Most people (except me) I know enjoyed it more than The Da Vinci Code. I am anxious to see how it turns out though. If Hanks returns, as well as Ron Howard as the director, I am all for a prequel. Yes, Goldsman gave us the screenplays for the horrid Batman sequels, but let's not forget that he is also an Oscar nominated screenwriter. The man has talent, and like everyone else, sometimes he hits, and sometimes he misses. I hope everything works out with this upcoming film.
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The Unwanted Return of Jack Ryan?
Though he's no longer involved in the series (though he wanted to do "Sum of All Fears", the studio had other ideas), Australian filmmaker Phillip Noyce, who directed Jack Ryan pics "Patriot Games" and "Clear and Present Danger", tells Moviehole that he's heard that the wheels are in motion to put C.I.A agent Ryan back on the big screen. But no, he won't be involved – and from the sounds of it, neither will the man who invented the popular literary character. According to Noyce, Paramount is looking to relaunch the Jack Ryan film series – a series that began with 1990's "The Hunt for Red October" - only this time; the film won't be based on one of Tom Clancy's books.
You see, the studio has the right to make a film based on the character – but not John Clark, a character that appears in his own set of Clancy novels – without the permission of author, and so they're going to come up with their own story for a new Ryan movie. Originally, Paramount planned on using Clancy's "Red Rabbit" as the stencil for the next Ryan movie – even attaching Ben Affleck to the film – but after tills failed to ring for "The Sum of All Fears", starring Affleck, they ditched the idea of a ‘young Ryan' series and of the young actor carrying on with the role. Clancy is still involved in the film versions of "Splinter Cell", "Without Remorse" and "Rainbow Six".
This sounds like a guaranteed disaster doesn't it? Instead of using a good director, or a story inspired by the author, the morons at Paramount choose to say "screw you" to both Clancy and Noyce, and head out to make their own story, with no original actors. How much of a dumbass would you have to be? I feel sorry for those who were hoping for more faithful Clancy adaptations of this nature. This is where franchises go to die in my opinion. Just the like the remake Revenge of the Nerds has been knocked out, this project deserves to have some bad luck, and hopefully it will die completely.
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Bruce Lee Resurrected…Into A CGI Character?!
"A few months ago we learned that director Rob Cohen was working on a movie ("Rage and Fury") that would "feature" Bruce Lee in some fashion or another. And since Mr. Lee has been deceased for quite some time, a lot of us were curious to see what "feature" actually meant. And now we know. From Mr. Cohen himself, as sent to Latino Review: "The big headline is that I am NOT using clips from the film; I am creating an entirely photo-realistic Bruce Lee with new, advanced digital technlogy. Digital Domain who did "XXX" and "Stealth" with me are on it big time. We are in the vfx development stage. This will be the first digital actor and I am very excited about the challenge."
So it will be a live action film, with a CGI Bruce Lee? Hahahahahahaha. This concept sounds so preposterous, so doomed to failure; I have trouble expressing it in words. This is indeed a challenge. It is a challenge too huge for anyone to undertake, and too obviously retarded for any normal person to consider. The money must be out of this world if Cohen actually thinks a decent film will result from this. Other than cash, I do not see why any person would think this could work. There is a reason this will be the first digital actor. No one else would want to actually go forward with it. It was bizarre, but appropriate when The Sopranos creators used technology to paste the face of Tony's mother into a newer episode after the actress passed away in real life, but this is something else entirely.
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Tarantino Set To Put On His Acting Shoes
Quentin Tarantino will always be a better filmmaker than he is an actor – as "Destiny Turns on the Radio" proved – but that doesn't mean he's about to have his agent block all acting offers in the near future. Tarantino – who has acted in several of his own films, including "Pulp Fiction" and "Reservoir Dogs" – is out to prove he can remember his lines like the best of them by accepting an acting role in friend Takashi Miike's new film, "Sukiyaki Western Django". Tarantino has been a long-time fan of Miike's and even roped the filmmaker into making an appearance into "Hostel", which he produced. Seems Miike's collecting on his favour.
Ol' banana-chin's character is only described by The Hollywood Reporter as simply a "mystery man". The Hideaki Itoh starrer is the tale of clashes between two rival gangs and is scheduled to open in late 2007. The 800 million yen ($3.8 million) movie will be distributed by Sony Pictures, says the trade. Though filming began this weekend at the Syonai Movie Studio in Yamagata Prefecture, northern Japan, Tarantino isn't scheduled to arrive in Japan until late November. Tarantino's returning to acting for Miike – which is, well, kinda surprising considering he said the following in an interview with MTV last year. "I just don't feel like acting anymore," the hyperactive Oscar winner said, announcing that he has retired as an actor. "I lost the bug."
The word "duh" comes to mind when anyone asks if Tarantino is a better filmmaker than actor. However, he was pretty good in From Dusk Till Dawn. That film kicked butt. The film sounds enticing enough to me. Any storyline about two rival gangs has immediate potential in my eyes. Hopefully it is not as appalling as Deuces Wild. Tarantino has reached the Christopher Walken status where anything he is attached to, whether it is a producer, writer, director, or actor is intriguing to moviegoers.
The 20 Second Sermon
Bazz Luhrmann's future film, which will be his first since 2001's Moulin Rouge finally has a title, which is Australia. Excuse me while I fall asleep at lifelessness of that title. Also, Sam Raimi is talking with New Line Cinema to direct The Hobbit. If fans actually believe this will happen, they're crazy, and even if it does, it still won't be the same. This is simply a ploy to calm fans down. I am also jumping for joy now that the Revenge of the Nerds remake has been shitcanned. One tidbit just announced is that Daniel Craig refused to dye his hair brown during filmmaking of Casino Royale. Good for him, Craig steps and says "I don't think so." It wouldn't have made a difference anyway.
What's Coming to DVD….Buy or Avoid?
Superman Returns (Two Disc Special Edition) - This was an average flick with some flaws that require discussion, but it doesn't make sense to buy only this when the box set is also out. Avoid
Superman Ultimate Collector's Edition Box Set - For around $70, this is worth it to buy every live action "Superman" film to date. I just read about a huge technical blunder involving one of the discs though. Buy with caution. Buy
Clerks II - This was pure Kevin Smith hilarity. It was darn good sequel that I am sure to watch multiple times in the future. Buy
Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut - I am as interested to see this as anyone, but as I said above, it is worth the extra money to get the box set because it is priced so fairly. All the films will be released individually FYI. Avoid
A Star Is Born - Oh yippee, Barbara Streisand and Kris Kristofferson come to DVD!
The Ant Bully - Besides the voice of Bruce Campbell, this CGI flick was basically a dud. This is all the proof you need that studios are overloading families with CGI films. Avoid
Supergirl - I realize the hardcore fanatics of Superman, and any character associated with him will love this, but this is where my recommendations for buying anything "Super" related ceases. Avoid
Thundercats – Season Two, Volume Two - We can be thankful for one thing this year. The fact that one of the greatest cartoon shows ever, Thundercats is still coming out on DVD. Woohoo! Buy
See No Evil - The first release from WWE films this year. This was laughably bad. Avoid
Foo Fighters: Skin & Bones - This album was very good, but I'd rather see the DVD since it's a live show.
Casino Royale - To all those ignorant snobs who did nothing but insult Daniel Craig, this film is for you. This is definitely the best Bond film in many years. It is not quite up there with Goldeneye or From Russia With Love, but it is still great. This is James Bond unplugged to say it accurately. They have stripped the franchise of numerous over the top action sequences, and outlandish plot points, but have also given the series a new life with a terrific new direction to go in. This adaptation of Fleming's first novel may be set in the present, but the film is so reminiscent of some of the first classics of the series. All the same elements that fans have grown to accustom to, are still present in full force. The dazzling action, the beautiful women, and the vivid villains are still as exciting as they ever were. After the awful Die Another Day, Bond needed to be reinvented, and thankfully that prayer has been answered by Craig and director Martin Campbell. Eva Green, Madds Mikkelson, and of course Judi Dench are all amazing supporting roles. My only problem is the fact that Craig is not as "classically handsome" as the previous Bond's but that doesn't matter too much. The small twists to some of the usual aspects of these films were great as they were changed here. Most notably the trademark opening sequence This could be on many top 10 lists. Final Rating = 9.0/10.0
Happy Feet - {{Spoilers Follow}} Mad Max director George Miller was well on his way to executing a surprising CGI masterpiece until one key scene in the film was rushed. I have to talk about it. When Mumbles gets thrown into the zoo, he starts dancing, and that gets peoples' attention. The next scene is Mumbles reuniting with his penguin tribe. I was so frustrated by this. That moment should have been much more touching. Because of this, the film only gets a 3 star rating from me. Up until that point, I loved the use of music, and the comedy by certain characters. Certain scenes of CGI were breathtaking, such as Mumbles and his group going through a snow storm. Another aspect that was nice was the fact that even though this animated film had an all-star cast of voices, you did not pay too much attention to them because the beginning showed who each person was voicing. That eliminates the distraction of who is playing what part. Even the ending, which took a dramatically different turn, impressed me to the point where I initially thought that this CGI film was unique enough to be flawless. It is a shame that one scene ruined that. Robin Williams, Brittany Murphy, Hugh Jackman, Nicole Kidman, and Elijah Wood all contribute wonderful work here, regardless of the flaws. Cars still stand as this year's best animated film. Final Rating = 7.5/10.0
Let's Go To Prison - For the first five minutes of this movie, I was laughing out loud, but after that 5 minutes, my laughs turned to smiles, and my smiles then turned to a straight face, then to a frown, and then to anger. This could have been a funny movie, but instead it is absolutely dreadful to endure at only 90 minutes. The plot starts out so promisingly, but ends up being so stupid, pointless, and ridiculous. Dax Shephard stars as John Lyshitski. He is a man who has been in prison his whole life because a judge who dislikes him. When he sets out to get revenge on the judge, it turns out he is already dead. He then proceeds to take out his frustration on the judge's son. He gets Nelson Biederman IV thrown in jail, and then himself to watch Nelson suffer. The idiocy commences with Chi McBride as a gay man, clichéd gang members, bad acting, and a tasteless screenplay. I could not believe how bad this movie became so fast. Even David Koechner, one of my favorite supporting actors as of late, holds a nothing role. The writers obviously only had certain aspects of the plot worked out, and then winged it from there because the storyline takes such strange twists, I wanted to vomit. Let's Go To Prison will not be Director Bob Odenkirk's masterpiece. Do not waste your holidays on this. Final Rating = 2.0/10.0
Movie Dictionary: Word of the Week
Interquel - The word interquel is used to describe a work that portrays events which happen between those of two previously completed works: The sparkling novel is neither sequel nor prequel but what might be called an "interquel," for it fills some of the chronological gaps between The Godfather (which takes place from 1945 to 1954), and Francis Ford Coppola's movies "The Godfather II" (1958-1959) and "The Godfather III" (1979-1980). There's an unfilled hole between the years 1962 and 1979, suggesting another "interquel." (Henry Kisor, Chicago Sun-Times, November 7, 2004).
Midquel - The word midquel is used to describe a work that portrays events which happen in the meantime of those of a previously completed work. For example, the film "The Lion King 1½" was a midquel as it takes place during the events of "The Lion King."
Threequel - A threequel is the third part of any series, such as "Naked Gun 33 1/3", "Die Hard: With a Vengeance", or "The Lord of The Rings: The Return of the King." Etymologically, threequel is a portmanteau of the words "three" and "sequel". A threequel comes after the sequel, but the term "four-quel" for the work after that is not commonly used, since "four" does not rhyme with the "see" sound in "sequel"; further parts of a series are generally only referred to as "the fourth", "the fifth", etc.
Unaccompanied Minors - This will not be a role comedian Lewis Black will be remembered for. This looks terrible. Trailer Rating = 4.0/10.0
The Hitcher - This horror remake is coming from the same morons who gave us remakes of Texas Chainsaw Massacre and The Amityville Horror. It will likely suck. Trailer Rating = 3.0/10.0
Curse of the Golden Flower - I loved both of this director's previous films, and this looks pretty good, but not quite as perfect as his last two. Trailer Rating = 8.0/10.0
Zodiac - David Fincher's new thriller with Jake Gyllenhaal looks outstanding. I cannot wait for this. Fincher is a genius. Trailer Rating = 9.0/10.0
The Simpsons Movie - I am not the biggest Simpsons fan, but this trailer is hilarious. Maybe this movie won't be all that terrible. Trailer Rating = 8.0/1.0
Bridge to Terabithia - I realize this was a popular book, and I don't care which one came first, but this is so close to Chronicles of Narnia. I see no originality. Trailer Rating = 5.0/10.0
Hostel: Part II - If you have read my material for the past 10 months, you know how I feel about this. The first one sucked, and this one will also. Trailer Rating = 3.0/10.0
Reno 911: Miami - I have never really watched the show, but this looks very funny. Trailer Rating = 7.5/10.0
Evan Almighty - This sequel doesn't have strong plot. Evan is told to build and ark. Dumb, but Carrell is still funny. Trailer Rating = 6.0/10.0
Hot Fuzz - This is the new film from the Shaun of the Dead group. It looks very funny. I'm looking forward to it. Trailer Rating = 9.0/10.0
Night at the Museum - Ben Stiller's newest adventure looks like it will be a relaxing and enjoyable time this holiday season. Trailer Rating = 7.5/10.0
Dreamgirls - This is the film getting all the Oscar buzz? It looks good, but not Oscar good. Trailer Rating = 7.5/10.0
The Good Shepherd - Wow, this looks outstanding. It has a great cast, Deniro directing, and Joe Pesci is back! You can't go wrong. Trailer Rating = 10.0/10.0
Black Christmas - Another remake. They never stop! This teaser really doesn't show a whole lot. This will be terrible. Trailer Rating = 5.0/10.0
Grindhouse - The unique offering from Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez will most likely rock, but the trailer makes it look quite bizarre. Trailer Rating = 8.0/10.0
Charlotte's Web - This looks ok I guess, but it has the opportunity to be terrible. Talking animals is getting redundant. Trailer Rating = 6.5/10.0
The Pursuit of Happyness - It feels like a while since we've seen Smith, but this looks pretty decent to me actually. I'll give it a chance. Trailer Rating = 8.5/10.0
Freedom Writers - I think I already saw this when it was called Dangerous Minds. It's like the exact same movie only with Swank as the teacher. Trailer Rating = 2.0/10.0
Eragon - This looks average, but it seems to be going for that Lord of the Rings crowd. I doubt it will be that good. Trailer Rating = 6.5/10.0
300 - This is a new film inspired based on another Frank Miller graphic novel. It catches my interest, but perhaps a bit too much CGI. Trailer Rating = 7.0/10.0
Blood Diamond - From Director Edward Zwick comes another film with Leo Dicaprio. It has good cast, and looks damn good to me. Trailer Rating = 9.0/10.0
Norbit - Another movie where Eddie Murphy plays a zillion roles. Don't care. It's not funny anymore. Trailer Rating = 3.0/10.0
Home of the Brave - It is a war film with Samuel L. Jackson, Jessica Biel, and 50 Cent. It doesn't look terrible, but what an odd cast. Trailer Rating = 6.5/10.0
Children of Men - Alfonso Cuaron is a unique director, and I think this has a whole lot of potential. Trailer Rating = 9.0/10.0
Tenacious D in: The Pick of Destiny - I think Tenacious D is hilarious, but geez this looks horrible. It seems so much like Blues Brothers. Trailer Rating = 3.0/10.0
Apocalypto - Mel Gibson is having his share of problems, but this film looks amazing. I cannot wait to see it, regardless of Mr. Mel's shenanigans. Trailer Rating = 9.0/10.0
Rocky Balboa - I don't care what people say, this movie looks incredible. This second trailer is slightly more terrific than the first. Trailer Rating = 10.0/10.0
TMNT - Since I grew up watching these guys, I will go see this movie no matter what. The trailer is average. Trailer Rating = 7.5/10.0
Spiderman 3 - Despite my dislike of the second one, this newer trailer is friggin awesome. I'll admit, I'm looking forward to this greatly. Trailer Rating = 9.0/10.0
Transformers - My initial reaction to this teaser was laughter, not like I thought it looked bad, but because it was totally unexpected. A little early to tell, but so far so good. Trailer Rating = 7.5/10.0
Ghost Rider - This looks decent to me. The special effects might be a downfall, but all in all I'm looking forward to Cage in this role. Trailer Rating = 7.5/10.0
Other Stuff to Read
411 November Roundtable - Matthew Craggs gathers the readers thoughts on the November releases and more!
Fact or Fiction - Matt Craggs gathers the thoughts of Trevor Snyder and Will Helm this week!
Furious on Film - Arnold Furious gives you quick rundowns of interesting movies every week.
Scene Anatomy - George H. Sirois discusses 61 this week!
411 Top 5-Trevor Snyder returns and puts together everyone's Top 5 Bond Films! Mine is On Her Majesty's Secret Service. I'll never understand why anyone likes this.
Ask 411 Movies - Leonard Hayhurst answers all the questions in Ask 411 movies.
Forgotten Films - Tony Farinella fills you in on some movies you might not have heard of.
