“This Is It” – Oct. 30
The plot seems familiar: A white guy, outcast from society because of his abnormal moral code, gets people to love him with the help of some killer dance moves. Oh yeah, Kevin Bacon made this one 25 years ago. It’s called “Footloose.” So, will MJ triumph like Bacon’s Ren, and make a convincing, postmortem push for the town elders to drop the ban on rock music and hip shaking? I’m not sure it’s worth ten bucks to find out.
“The Boondock Saints II”: All Saints Day – Oct. 30
The last time we saw the McManus Brothers (Sean Patrick Flanery and Norman Reddus), they had reunited with their convict father, performed a bloody public execution in a courtroom and, surprise surprise, become the subjects of a public debate over the need, and right, for vigilantes to patrol Boston’s streets. Well, the boys are back, in what appears to be an over-the-top romp of violence, sex and more violence. For this trip to Green Hills, call up some bros, but leave the date at home.
“The Men Who Stare at Goats” – Nov. 6
Watching George Clooney act is like watching a child eat ice cream. He flaunts his happiness—nearly sickening in its proportion—unabashedly, skipping, grinning and laughing as he gorges himself in merriment. His newest effort seems only to advance this trend, complementing the silliness of its star with a smattering of Jedi mind-tricks, unassuming military men and pistol-popping Middle-Easterners. Save me a seat!
“2012” – Nov. 13
How many notable monuments can we banish from existence within the span of two hours? This was the question director Roland Emmerich seemingly asked himself when planning the action scenes—seemingly all the scenes—of this upcoming CG cluster-f*** of apocalyptic proportions. If you like your cinematic experiences to bitchslap your senses towards a point of no return, go see it. If you like them to include plot, you’d have more luck watching an infomercial.
“Fantastic Mr. Fox” – Nov. 25
See above for my dissertation on the appeal of George Clooney. Then imagine his antics channeled into the wiry figure of a stop-motion animated fox, complete with a rowdy band of furry friends and a cunning plot to two-time the humans. Such is the set-up of Fantastic Mr. Fox, a set-up worth this week’s allowance and then some.
