Opening in Dallas, 03/09

The Host (trailer): Previously reviewed by Nick, and now released in the US courtesy of Magnolia Pictures. Looks like they did an OK job with the marketing, too - the guys on the oldies station this morning were going on and on about it.

300 (trailer): Like so many movies with this kind of fanboy appeal, I can’t help but want to see this, but I also can’t shake the feeling that it’s probably something I won’t like all that much.

Believe in Me (trailer at official site): Never heard of this before this morning, but maybe it’s not all that bad? Good review in the Dallas paper.

Starter for Ten (trailer): I hate it when stuff like this comes along, because there’s just nothing to say about it. There’s not much advance word one way or the other, and it doesn’t look either particularly good or particularly bad. It’s just there.

Maxed Out (trailer): Worthy subject, but sometimes documentaries come out where I feel like everyone already knows everything they have to say.

Puccini for Beginners (trailer): First of two lesbian comedies this week that don’t look any more interesting than the typical romantic comedies involving straight people. This one stars Elizabeth Reaser and Gretchen Mol, who were both in good movies last year.

Gray Matters (trailer): Second of two. This one stars Heather Graham and Bridget Moynihan, who were both not in good movies … ever, maybe.

The Ultimate Gift (trailer at official site): FoxFaith entry about … oh, I don’t know. Somebody dies or something. Lessons are learned. Lives are changed.

Opening in Dallas, 02/23

The Lives of Others (trailer): Yay! Been looking forward to this one since … what, Cannes? Has it really been that long?

The Astronaut Farmer (trailer): Liked the Polish brothers’ Northfork a few years ago. I’m a bit suspicious about this one, but willing to give the benefit of the doubt for now.

Amazing Grace (trailer): I could write something very snide here, but I’ll let it pass.

The Number 23 (trailer): I finally quit on Joel Schumacher for good. I’ll go see this only if someone gives me a damn good reason to.

An Unreasonable Man (trailer): Appears to be Nader revisionism of the highest order. Myself, I don’t blame Nader for running - I blame Democrats for making such a big fucking deal about a fringe candidate.

Reno 911!: Miami (trailer): Never watched more than a few minutes of the show. Used to like “The State” OK.

The Abandoned (trailer): Just another horror movie with a creative poster.

Opening in Dallas, Weekend of 02/16

Breach (trailer): Looks interesting, and if the reviews so far are any indication, it’s actually good! Imagine that - from a major studio! And right here in the middle of February!

God Grew Tired of Us (trailer): I don’t want to be a jerk, but why does this look so insufferable? Am I supposed to laugh when the guy says that he expects using electricity to be very hard? That doesn’t seem funny. In fact, it seems downright condescending to laugh at that. What kind of a world do we live in where grown men have never used electricity? But yet, it gets a laugh every time I see it. Ha, ha, those charmingly goofy Africans with their backwards, non-electricity using ways! Maybe I’m the one that’s insufferable. Yep, that’s probably it.

The Italian (trailer): Talk about insufferable. Might go see it anyway.

Ghost Rider (trailer): Might get dragged along to this, in which case I anticipate 100 minutes or so of Nic Cage amusing himself more than anyone else in the theater. As usual. (Sorry, that last part was mean.)

Music and Lyrics (trailer): Might get dragged along to this, too, but whatever. It’s February, so these things happen.

Opal Dream (trailer): Indy kids movie by Peter Cattaneo, who did The Full Monty, which as far as I can recall wasn’t bad. Only playing daytime shows at one theater.

Bridge to Terabithia (trailer): Not much to say. Don’t have kids. Didn’t like Narnia enough to see every movie about kids in a fantasy world.

Daddy’s Little Girls (trailer): Man, lots of kids in movies this week.

Opening in Dallas, 02/09

I suppose that after I see the two Weinstein movies (i.e., the top two, although Hannibal Rising is also Weinstein Co.) this week, I'll be able to consider 2006 closed, and start writing a year in review post. In mid-February! At least I'll still beat the Oscars.

Factory Girl (trailer): I don't get all the skepticism about the idea that Sienna Miller is good in this movie. I've seen Layer Cake, Alfie, and Casanova (ugh), and she seems perfect for this kind of role to me.

Breaking and Entering (trailer): I'd consider myself an Anthony Minghella fan, having really liked The English Patient and The Talented Mr. Ripley, and even Cold Mountain to a lesser extent. I don't expect this one to be all that great, but I'd be surprised if it wasn't well-shot and well-acted enough to roll with it.

Hannibal Rising (trailer): Weinstein Overload Week (W.O.W., ironically) continues with a movie that can't possibly be any good. Can it?

The Last Sin Eater (trailer at official site): Yes, I want to see Norbit so little that I'd rather go see something from Fox Faith. Neat title, though.

Norbit (trailer): Hard to think of something that's come out recently that I've wanted to see less. This looks worse than any of the Wayans brothers stuff, cheap-ass horror movies, stupid crass kids comedies, the last three years of the Weinsteins' output, Pokemon movies, direct-to-video American Pie sequels, that movie that tried to make Dennis Rodman an action star, or even anything else that Eddie Murphy has been in over the last five years or so.

Opening in Dallas, 02/02

Super Bowl weekend, meaning of course nothing worthwhile opens. So I'm completely phoning it in; this will probably be the first time since I started doing this that I won't see any of the movies listed.

The Messengers (trailer)

Because I Said So (trailer)

Constellation (trailer at official site)

Eating Out 2: Sloppy Seconds (trailer at MySpace page)

Go Bears!

Opening in Dallas, 01/26

Venus (trailer): Hey, it’s about time. I know that if I had a little-known movie with a lead performance that allegedly deserved an Oscar, I’d make sure that it didn’t arrive in major markets until after the nominations were announced. Way to build up the word, guys.

Sweet Land (trailer): I’ve heard a lot of good about this, and I’m quite pleased to have a genuine quality indie release in town.

Seraphim Falls (trailer at official site): Looks interesting, but I think I’ve warned against movies with a great cast yet no advance buzz before.

Smokin’ Aces (trailer): Perhaps the loudest trailer ever. Looks far too eager to please.

Catch and Release (trailer): I would guess that two things are true here: 1) This is the most charming, down-to-earth performance that Jennifer Garner has given, and 2) the movie sucks anyway.

Blood and Chocolate (trailer): A teenage werewolf movie, but serious this time. Awesome.

Epic Movie (trailer): Lots of problems here. One, none of the movies spoofed, as far as I can tell, are what I’d call “epics”. I mean, Nacho Libre? Second, none of the jokes in the TV ads are even really jokes. Third - they’re making fun of Paris Hilton, really? And fourth, how exactly does one spoof Borat? And fifth, why are Borat and Paris Hilton in a spoof of “epics” anyway?

Opening in Dallas, 01/19

Not much happening this week:

Flannel Pajamas (trailer at official site): Got mixed reviews at Sundance last year, although a rave by Ebert is featured in the (good) trailer. I’ll go see it, what the hell.

The Hitcher (trailer): I’ve always thought that Sean Bean is a very good actor, but if there was ever a warning against the perils of being typecast, he’s it. I don’t think this is going to help him much, but someday I’d like to see him break out of the villain rut that he’s been in since Patriot Games.

That’s it!

Opening in Dallas, Weekend of 12/22

Finally! A few movies to get excited about.

The Good German (trailer): I know buzz on this hasn’t been terribly strong, but I couldn’t really care less. A new Soderbergh movie is a genuine cinema event as far as I’m concerned, even though (or maybe because) he’s all over the place, whether in terms of genre, style, or quality.

Volver (trailer): At long last. Previously reviewed here by Nick.

The Good Shepherd (trailer): I don’t know what to make of this one. I’m generally of the mind that a willingness to cast Angelina Jolie in any role indicates a fundamental lack of seriousness by the filmmakers towards a project, since it’s been awhile since Angelina Jolie has seemed serious about acting. But the movie seems first-class in every other respect, although again, reviews have been spotty so far.

Curse of the Golden Flower (trailer): The second Zhang Yimou film to hit the US this year, after the fairly decent but ultimately slight Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles. This one looks like Hero, but with a lot more cleavage.

Rocky Balboa (trailer): I’m sorry, but I’m too young by about 3-4 years to have really gotten Rocky. I’ve seen 1-4, of course, but like Star Wars, I feel like I just missed the cutoff date for the age when Rocky was a mandatory part of American childhood. And ultra-Rocky fan Bill Simmons’ review kinda confirms my suspicions that the new one just isn’t very good.

We Are Marshall (trailer): Ordinarily, this would be higher, because it actually looks somewhat decent. But there’s just one thing … the “Directed by McG” line at the bottom of the poster. I’m not just trashing the guy out of antipathy towards Charlie’s Angels, either - I also genuinely hated the dude’s trashy music videos back in the day. I’ve been a hater ever since Sugar Ray’s “Fly”. Or maybe it was Fastball’s “The Way”. Or Smash Mouth’s “Walkin’ on the Sun”. Or…

Night at the Museum (trailer): I’m kinda tired of Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson, but on the other hand, Mickey Rooney’s “He looks like a weirdie!” is pretty strong. So yeah, it’s at the bottom of the list, but I really don’t feel all that bad about it.