Movies on a Saturday Afternoon

School started on Thursday, but you know what? I don’t really want to talk about it… :-) (It’s not so bad, I’d just rather write about other things right now.)

So – my roommates and I are sitting in the living room watching Alton Brown’s Feasting on Asphalt. I love this show. It’s all about a road trip, good company, meeting new and interesting people…and food! I’ve also been thinking. I don’t say this about many famous people, but I think I could marry Alton Brown. :-) I mean, life would be an adventure, and I think I would live that adventure while laughing a lot along the way! (Of course, it doesn’t hurt that he’s cute and smart.)

My fall movie preview edition of Entertainment Weekly came last week and I’ve been meaning to write a blog entry on the films I’m anticipating. Today’s the day, so here we go! Jill's list of movies that might be interesting between now and Christmas...

Casino Royale – The new Bond flick. I always enjoy Bond movies. I don’t own any and I usually don’t re-watch them, but they sure are fun in the theater! I like the idea of giving us an origin story. How did Jimmy become “Bond, James Bond?” I'm looking forward to the story. Especially if there is actually a good story. Sure, we all love Bond for the explosions and beautiful people, but I want a real story. There's potential for greatness. Will it deliver?

Crank - I like a good action flick and this one looks good. Jason Statham (The Transporter and The Italian Job) must keep his adrenaline levels high or he'll die from a poison he's been given. He also has to find out who poisoned him, find an antidote and get the girl. Fun times.

The Queen - this is about the British royalty in the week after Princess Diana died. The summary sounds exploitive, but it stars Helen Mirren. I'm intrigued.

The Black Dalia - A very, very dark film noir about the famous murder. The author also wrote L.A. Confidential, which I loved. This movie might be a bit much for me, but I'm interested all the same.

Eragon - There's dragons. That's all I need to know.

Hollywoodland - This is about the mysterious death of George Reeves, the actor who played the original Superman. I'm interested to see if Ben Affleck can resurrect his career.

Flyboys - Americans who flew fighter planes for the French in WWI.

The Departed - The Mob and the Police. Not a story that normally attracts me. But, this is Martin Scorsese with Jack Nicholson, Martin Sheen, Matt Damon, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Mark Wahlburg. Could be pretty good...

Flags of Our Fathers - This one's for my Dad. The story of the six soldiers who planted the flag on Iwo Jima.

Fast Food Nation - This seems pretty depressing and I can't imagine that it will be fun to watch, but it'll probably be pretty educational. It's a fictionalized version of a best-selling non-fiction book. I'm guessing that I won't ever want to eat fast food again if I see it.

Running with Scissors - A boy stuck in a crazy, crazy family. Sad crazy, not funny crazy.

Marie Antoinette - a very stylized look at the famous queen. Written and directed by Sophia Coppola. Since all that most people know about her is the "let them eat cake" line, this might open some eyes. I've always thought that she was a tragic figure. She married at 14 and was basically a prisoner in a very elaborate cage. She had no concept of the life of the average person. I've always wondered if history has given her a bad rap. However, I don't think this movie is going to fix it. Historically accurate, it ain't. (The queen wears tennis shoes and dances to punk music.)

Lucky You - about a man terrified to connect. (It's also about poker...) It seems like the skills for poker would be detrimental in a relationship. Imagine, being with someone who is able to completely hide what they are truly feeling.

The Prestige - Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale, and Scarlett Johansson in a film about magicians. This is by the same writer/director team as Memento. It's supposed to be a puzzle of a narrative.

Man of the Year - Robin Williams playing a Jon Stewart type. That's gonna be funny. Maybe.

Stormbreaker - It's described as "Harry Potter meets James Bond." Could be good. And it has Ewan McGregor.

A Good Year - This makes me want to see Russell Crowe in a movie. (I'm not a huge fan.) And it's directed by Ridley Scott, who also directed Alien, Blade Runner, and a little film called Gladiator. But it's a pastoral film about a vineyard in France. huh.

Deja Vu - A sci-fi movie about a ferry bombing filmed in New Orleans soon after Katrina. It's a Jerry Bruckheimer movie starring Denzel Washington.

The Fountain - Hugh Jackman, sci-fi, and the Fountain of Youth.

For Your Consideration - It's from the gang that did Spinal Tap, Best in Show, and A Mighty Wind. It'll be good.

Bobby - A story about people in the Ambassador Hotel the night Bobby Kennedy was shot. This was written and directed by Emilio Estevez and apparently, the Ambassador Hotel was being torn down around them while they shot the film. It was destroyed only days after they wrapped.

Dreamgirls - a musical about a Supremes-esque girl group. It's got Beyonce.

Blood Diamond - about the strip mining of Africa and the suffering that is caused by diamond cartels. (And it stars Leo.)

The Good German - a murder mystery set in post-WWII Berlin starring George Clooney, Tobey Maguire and Cate Blanchett. Directed by Steven Soderbergh. And it's in black and white. What's up with Clooney making black and white pictures for which he gets paid almost nothing? I'm impressed with his indie record lately. Well, Ocean's 13 is coming soon and I'm guessing his paycheck for that was pretty hefty...

The History Boys - the play won a bunch of Tonys, and the same actors and writer made the film for a ridiculously small budget. It's about college bound British teenagers.

Rocky Balboa - Yep. Rocky again.

The Pursuit of Happyness - First of all, that's how it's spelled in the title. I didn't mess up. Will Smith in a pretty heavy drama. This looks like the performances and the story are good. I'm just not sure I want to watch the sadness.

The Holiday - FINALLY, a romantic comedy. I was starting to think that people had forgotten how to make them! It stars Cameron Diaz, Jude Law, Kate Winslet, and -- wait for it -- Jack Black. I can't wait to see him in a romantic lead. I love the guys who make me laugh. :-)

Night at the Museum - Stuff comes to life at night at the American Museum of Natural History. It stars Ben Stiller, but I'm looking forward to Dick Van Dyke and Mickey Rooney.

The Good Shepherd - A secret agent over 20 years leading up to the Bay of Pigs. This is supposed to be a very smart script. Directed by Robert De Niro and starring Matt Damon.

The Nativity Story - Mary is played by Keisha Castle-Knight, the girl from Whale Rider and Alexander Siddig is in it also. (If you are anything like me, you'll remember him as Dr. Bashir from Deep Space Nine.) I'm not sure what to think about this film and I haven't heard any buzz, but it seems to be a respectful telling of the story. I'm interested.

The Painted Veil - a period story of a British doctor and his wife who travel into the interior of China to help with a cholera epidemic. It was filmed entirely on location in China.

We Are Marshall - the story of rebuilding the Marshall College football team after 75 players and most of the coaches were killed in a 1970 plane crash.

Pan's Labyrinth - Okay, I really don't want to see this one because it's supposed to be really creepy. But I had to mention it because my sister's friend, Doug Jones, is in it. He plays the title character, Pan. It's a story of a fantasy world created by a little girl in war-torn northern Spain.

Miss Potter - the story of Beatrix Potter, starring Renee Zellweger and Ewan McGregor. I love that Ewan has the same name as Peter's nemesis. I love the Potter stories. I'm not sure about the animals talking in the film. We'll see. I don't like talking animals. They creep me out. That's why Charlotte's Web isn't on this list.

Renaissance - I love the look of this. Animation in grey scale.

Stranger Than Fiction - When it comes to this movies, I think my dislike of Will Ferrell will be outweighed by my love of Emma Thompson. A man discovers that he is a character in a novel when a woman's voice begins narrating his life.