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Upcoming Movies Week of 8-29

Ah, the back to school season. College students across the nation are so occupied with drinking, packing, traveling, and vomiting that they can't get a movie in edgewise. So with the possibility of a big opening weekend thrown out the window, the studios are unveiling some movies I'd like to throw out a window. These movies made me think of some good films to talk about, though.

Babylon A.D. (8-29) -- I've met a few enthusiastic members of the Pitch Black cult, but still haven't seen that or Chronicles of Riddick. Any fans of these movies who are looking forward to Babylon A.D.? I would see this movie more for Michelle Yeoh, who could definitely kick Vin Diesel's ass.

Traitor (8-29) -- Is it just me, or does this movie look as generic as those cereals that come in plastic bags? It could surprise me though, starring reliables like Don Cheadle, Guy Pearce, and Jeff Daniels. Still, if I'm going to see a thriller about treason I'll watch The Hunt for Red October again. I found the recent Breach (Ryan Philippe, Chris Cooper) only passable, though the ever-excellent Cooper succeeded at making me feel as sordid as his character. Any treason thrillers you guys recommend?

If you like the actors in Traitor, get a load of Cheadle in Devil in a Blue Dress, Guy Pearce in The Proposition, and Jeff Daniels in The Squid and the Whale.

Disaster Movie (8-29) -- Even the two-minute trailer to this comedy feels an hour too long.

College (8-29) -- (sigh) If you were stuck on a deserted island with only Disaster Movie or College, which one would you pick?

Maria Bethania: Music is Perfume (8-29, limited release)  -- Huge in Brazil, I haven't heard of the singer until now. Turns out she's released over thirty albums in forty-some years. "Samba is sadness dancing," she says, so if this documentary is as thoughtful and articulate as Maria, fans of Latin and world music might enjoy it.

I've realized that the music docs I prefer all include mad men: Dig! follows the feud between The Dandy Warhols and The Brian Jonestown Massacre; You're Gonna Miss Me shows psych-rock innovator Roky Erickson's sad but winning battle with schizophrenia; and Townes Van Zandt is quietly crazy in the heartbreakingly beautiful Be Here to Love Me.

We just have to hang in there until September 12 for the new Coen Brothers movie Burn After Reading. Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Frances McDormand and John Malkovich in a dark spy-comedy--how could this film go wrong?

Though I'm a little worried about Righteous Kill (also Sept. 12). Robert Deniro and Al Pacino doing a bad cop/bad cop routine looks like some supremely macho entertainment, and I'm fine with that. The chemistry between these actors in Heat was tremendous, but I wonder how much of that had to do with director Michael Mann? I'm wary that Righteous Kill director Jon Avnet might blow it, because if his recent team-up with Al Pacino, 88 Minutes, is any indication of how righteous Righteous Kill will be...we're doomed.

Re:Upcoming Movies Week of 8-29

SkyPilot:

Babylon A.D. (8-29) -- I've met a few enthusiastic members of the Pitch Black cult, but still haven't seen that or Chronicles of Riddick. Any fans of these movies who are looking forward to Babylon A.D.? I would see this movie more for Michelle Yeoh, who could definitely kick Vin Diesel's ass.

We just have to hang in there until September 12 for the new Coen Brothers movie Burn After Reading. Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Frances McDormand and John Malkovich in a dark spy-comedy--how could this film go wrong?

I'm mildly curious about Babylon A.D. You have it right. I'm much more interested in seeing Michelle Yeoh  than Diesel.

Burn After Reading is one of the few movies I really want to see in the upcoming weeks. It looks like we are in a real desert, until the studios start releasing their Oscar contenders.

Re:Upcoming Movies Week of 8-29

SkyPilot:

Babylon A.D. (8-29) -- I've met a few enthusiastic members of the Pitch Black cult, but still haven't seen that or Chronicles of Riddick. Any fans of these movies who are looking forward to Babylon A.D.? I would see this movie more for Michelle Yeoh, who could definitely kick Vin Diesel's ass.

Pitch Black was pretty good. (coincidently, my new weekly theme is monsters)(*shameless plug*) The sequel sucked, really really bad. And for my money, I would take any Vin Diesel movie and replace him with The Rock. They are both comparable when it comes to talent, but for some god-awful reason, Diesel actually takes himself seriously.

Re:Upcoming Movies Week of 8-29

leeroy711:

Pitch Black was pretty good. (coincidently, my new weekly theme is monsters)(*shameless plug*) The sequel sucked, really really bad. And for my money, I would take any Vin Diesel movie and replace him with The Rock. They are both comparable when it comes to talent, but for some god-awful reason, Diesel actually takes himself seriously.

You've got something there leeroy, the Rock is definitely more charming. Though Diesel has a small place in my heart because he plays Dungeons and Dragons. He wrote the forward to "30 Years of Adventure: A Celebration of D&D."

Re:Upcoming Movies Week of 8-29

Mr. Skypilot,

This post was really very well done! I appreciated how you were able to take the up-coming films and then give us the antecedent/precursor films; that was great! and an interesting way to set the possible expectations and why the antecedent/precursor(s) might be the better bet.

I saw the preview for Traitor and a nice touch of you referencing Cheadle in Devil in a Blue Dress...I would mention Traffic too as a ( perhaps, but who knows until the film arrives ) similar drawn character. ( by the way, am I the only one that found the multi-part series Traffik, the far more interesting and finely drawn piece???)

puhnner

Re:Upcoming Movies Week of 8-29

SkyPilot:

leeroy711:

Pitch Black was pretty good. (coincidently, my new weekly theme is monsters)(*shameless plug*) The sequel sucked, really really bad. And for my money, I would take any Vin Diesel movie and replace him with The Rock. They are both comparable when it comes to talent, but for some god-awful reason, Diesel actually takes himself seriously.

You've got something there leeroy, the Rock is definitely more charming. Though Diesel has a small place in my heart because he plays Dungeons and Dragons. He wrote the forward to "30 Years of Adventure: A Celebration of D&D."

Yeah, and The Rock never had moves like this:

Re:Upcoming Movies Week of 8-29

Whoa, thanks for that leeroy!

Re:Upcoming Movies Week of 8-29

Pitch Black is basically Aliens for a new generation, but it's also a ripping good sci-fi action story. The sequel tried too hard to make it 'epic' and just got bogged down and sluggish. And I'm sorry, to anyone looking forward to it, but Babylon A.D. looks so incredibly, offensively generic. There isn't anything in that trailer that appeals to me. I'm sure that could change, maybe I'll see it one day on cable and slap myself for missing out on the theatrical experience. But I doubt it.

And god, Disaster Movie? Are they basing an entire feature length on movie trailers now? When did American satire go from Kentucky Fried Movie, I'm Gonna Get You Sucka, and Blazing Saddles to a game of spot the reference? The humor is all 'ha ha, remember this film/book/musician/actor/celebrity/event? Wasn't that funny?' No. Not really.

I think this is the first week in a couple months where NOTHING is being released that I want to see. I'm a pretty big sucker for some of those cheesy blockbusters, but now we're in that dead space between the summer blockbuster season and the winter prestige season.

Sorry for the anger in this reply. I'm feeling very judgmental tonight.