Movies: Heigl vs. Liam Neeson vs. Sam Worthington In The Air (Again)

Before we get to movies, an obituary: Robert Hegyes, who played character Juan Epstein on the 1970’s TV series Welcome Back Kotter (along with a young John Travolta) has passed away. He also starred in Cagney & Lacey, and had roles on The Love Boat, NewsRadio, CHiPS and the film Bob Roberts, among others. Hegyes lived in New Jersey and reportedly succumbed to a heart attack at age 60.

Now let’s take a look at movies. What’ll it be this weekend, a romantic comedy caper or something dark and scary? An Oscar-nominated flick about turn-of-the-century cross-dressing, or a thriller starring one of Avatar’s Cool Blue Cat-Dudes?

Right out of the gate we have One For The Money. And even before we get to plot, I have to sat there’s something intriguing about a film that stars Katherne Heigl, Jason O’Mara and Daniel Sunjata AND Debbie Reynolds, Sherri Shepherd and John Leguizamo. I’d see it just for the casting alone. Plotwise, it has to do with a down-on-her luck divorcee who takes a bailbonds job tracking a fugitive she may or may not already know. Sure it sounds familiar, but this probably won’t make it any less fun.

Then we have The Grey. Which I knew nothing about until several of its stars —  Liam Neeson, Frank Grillo and Dermot Mulroney appeared onstage at the PCA’s this year, looking very dapper in (grey) suits. Which is when I took notice and ever since I’ve been keeping an eye out for this film. Which may actually be quite scary – it’s about a group of guys who get stranded on an oil-drilling expedition in the Alaskan wilds, who fall prey to a pack of hungry wolves. My suspicion is that this film will also fall prey to a pack of hungry moviegoers, and do nicely.

Then there’s Man on A Ledge, starring Sam Worthington and it’s clearly not for anyone with vertigo. If you don’t mind the heights (and what looks like a pretty suspenseful plot) it might be worth a look. It also stars Elizabeth Banks and Jamie Bell, both of whom are getting some major star vehicles these days. Apparently the story’s about an ex-con who’s helbent to leap from a NYC building while a diamond heist is in progress. Looks like a major adrenaline rush, if you ask me.

Finally we have Albert Nobbs – starring Glenn Close. Now I don’t think Ms. Close does much wrong, so I’ll absolutely go see this; to be honest though, if I hadn’t known it was something that Close has been trying to get made for years and years, if I hadn’t known of her tireless devotion to the project, and if I hadn’t known about her Oscar nod, I might not have been interested. Janet McTeer, her costar, got an Oscar tap too. The movie takes place in 19th century Ireland and it’s about a woman who masquerades as a man in order to find work in the city where there weren’t too many options for ladies. Mia Wasikowska, who was so great in Alice and The Kids Are Alright also stars.

So that’s what’s out there in terms of new releases this weekend. What looks good of the newbies? Or, now that the Oscar nominations are out will you head off to see one of the nominees? Regardless, have a great weekend.

Today’s poll:

Which of these new movies are you most likely to check out this weekend ?

1)   One For The Money

2)   Man on A Ledge

3)   The Grey

4)   Albert Nobbs

Post a Comment (0) 11:17 am on January 27, 2012

What’s Your Favorite TV Spinoff Show?

So who likes a TV spinoff show? Sure, they can be tricky at best, and sometimes downright controversial. Plus there are more of them out there than you might think. The reason I bring this up? Word on the street at NBC is that The Office may get its own spinoff – starring Dunder Mifflin’s own Dwight Schrute. That means the actor Rainn Wilson may get his own TV show. Would you watch it? I’d certainly check it out. Remember when The Office itself debuted on TV and everyone said that the original British one was so fantastic the US version would never work? And now it’s a bona-fide super hit – or it certainly was. I’ve always found it pretty genius.

People seem automatically to fear a spinoff, and yet for every bomb there’s a hit. For every Flo (from Alice), every Joey (from Friends), and every Top of The Heap (from Married…With Children) we have a Knot’s Landing (from Dallas) and an Empty Nest (from The Golden Girls).

Meanwhile, everyone knows Frasier was spun off from Cheers, and Private Practice owes itself to Grey’s Anatomy – and I happen to love all four of those shows. Actually quite a few beloved programs were actually spinoffs. Maude and The Jeffersons, (along with Jeffersons’ spawn Good Times) all came from parent series All In The Family (which was also a British import, BTW). Cannon spun off into a little something called Barnaby Jones, which enjoyed several good seasons. More recently, we have Buffy and Angel, plus the (original) Beverly Hills 90210 which gave us the (original ) Melrose Place. Matlock produced Jake and the Fatman which in turn bequeathed us Diagnosis: Murder. Meanwhile think about how Happy Days gave way to Laverne & Shirley, Joanie Loves Chachi and a raft  of other spinoffs – some of which were true bombs. Those shows made up an empire, and director Garry Marshall (Laverne’s brother) still knows how to assemble huge casts – he directed the movies New Year’s Eve and Valentine’s Day.

So all I’m saying is that at a time when some of the brand new shows are wavering (like Pan Am and A Gifted Man) with shows like Touch and Alcatraz in the who-knows-zone, maybe it’s smart to look to what you already know for ideas. Or at least look at beloved, established casts. At the end of the day of course, it’s a complete crapshoot. But I’d still take a chance watching Rainn Wilson starring in his own sitcom. Would you?

Today’s poll:

Which of these TV show spinoffs is your favorite?

1) Frasier (Cheers)


2) Private Practice (Grey’s Anatomy)


3) Laverne & Shirley (Happy Days)


4) NCIS (JAG)

Post a Comment (10) 9:20 am on January 26, 2012

What’s This Year’s Worst Best Picture Snub?

Did Oscar get it right? Do you agree with yesterday’s nominations? Nor is there any doubt that the Meryl vs. Viola race seems to be THE question on everyone’s mind. How could it not be?

But what of Oscar’s snubs? We asked yesterday about the most shocking “oversights” and everyone seems to agree that Leo DiCaprio was the most egregious. So now let’s consider why voters acted as they did. Little Devil’s Advocate stuff here. Regards Leo… I have to ask (and I enjoyed J.Edgar and thought he did an awesome job)  – was he really the right guy for the role? I think he’s sensational, although I also feel that when he plays someone who’s really old, they better darn well get that makeup right. Which they did not. And do something magical with the audio, so that he doesn’t sound like a boyish movie star in his prime. Tough to say that effects matter, but they certainly play a role. And I have to say Leo may have picked the wrong role – he’s just too young.

No Bridesmaids for Best Picture…also not that surprising to me. Much as I adored it (and I did, along with everyone else I’ve ever met) the thing is still, in some respects, a raunchy comedy. Just like The Hangover. Much as I would have like to have seen it up there, something tells me Oscar voters decided that they wanted to get more serious this year. After all, when you’re dealing with nine films that are all pretty serious, to do with 1) war, 2) hijacking, 3) professional sports, 4) racial inequality, 5) infidelity, 6)20th century literary giants, 7) life in black & white, and um, 9) our existentialist quest for meaning  (I think) – it’s tough to see a silly, fun, raucous comedy in there. No matter how glorious it may be.

Why didn’t Tilda Swinton get nominated? No idea, except that Glenn Close is probably a better campaigner. She’s certainly more well-known. All we know about Tilda is that she is absolutely striking, impossibly talented, and not one if those actors who takes advantage of every PR opportunity. My guess is that Glenn Close – nominated five times but never a winner – is super familiar to voters, who realized that Albert Nobbs was a serious labor of love. Let’s face it – it’s not a film everyone’s going to run out and see. Voters also know that no one but Meryl or Viola will win so, why not toss Glenn a bone? Besides, Tilda Swinton’s film, while obviously beautifully done, may be too touchy a subject still. That, and she already has an Oscar.

Not sure why Albert Brooks got snubbed – and didn’t see Drive – although I’m told it’s a bit violent so perhaps this turned voters off (not that it stopped them from going with Rooney Mara). Why the very, very good kid from The Descendants Shailene Woodley got passed over is anyone’s guess. Maybe voters think she’s young and will have plenty more chances to shine. Maybe they know Octavia Spencer will walk away with it so they focused on other things.

Those are just my guesses, who knows what voters were thinking? Now, let us know your thoughts by weighing in on notable Best Picture snubs.

Today’s Poll:

None of these movies got an Oscar Best Picture Nomination. Which of them deserved one?

1)   Harry Potter (DH2)

2)   Bridesmaids

3)   The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

4)   The Ides of March

Post a Comment (17) 11:03 am on January 25, 2012

Who Will Win The Best Actress Oscar?

By the time you read today’s post, the Oscar nominations will be out. Will there be any surprises? Doubtful. Are you going to tune in on Sunday February the 26th? I know I will.

So today let’s discuss some of the races – and please note the predictions are entirely my own and I could be totally wrong, but let’s use them for the sake of argument (this post was written yesterday so I don’t actually know what will happen nominee-wise, but I’ve got some guesses). First, Best Actor…will this one go to fabulous French actor Jean Dujardin for his work in The Artist? I think not, actually. He will be nominated, but I believe the actual prize will go to our very own homegrown movie star George Clooney (did you know both George and Johnny Depp were born in Kentucky?) They’ll both get nominated methinks along with Brad Pitt and Leo and Michael Fassbender (the last for that sex addiction movie that fared better among the arty/indie set than it did in mainstream America). But somehow it just feels like Clooney’s year to shine.

In the Best Supporting Actor Race, it’s too bad if you happen to be Nick Nolte or Jonah Hill or Albert Brooks or Kenneth Branagh or anyone else in that (top flight ) category, because you’ll be tipping your hat in deference to Christopher Plummer from Beginners come Awards Night. That’s a lock.

The big race, or I should say the most interesting race, will be for Best Actress. Because I feel like it’s going to come down to Meryl vs. Viola and it’ll be a tough call. (My guess for nominations? Meryl, Viola, Michelle Williams, Glenn Close and Tilda Swinton). Oh, Michelle Williams did a wonderful job as well playing Marilyn, but she hasn’t got the momentum of the other two ladies. Bearing in mind that my two absolute favorite movies of this year are The Help and The Artist, I want it to be Viola and I actually think it will be Viola, but on the other hand if she’s going to lose to anyone, let’s hope it’s Meryl.

As for Supporting Actresses, let’s go with Octavia Spencer (who will probably win) plus Jessica Chastain plus hopefully Melissa McCarthy and I’m also hoping Shailene Woodley gets a nomination too (for The Descendants). Perhaps Emma Stone too (come to think of it, who wasn’t wonderful in The Help?) What do you all think – especially since you’ve seen the nominations and I haven’t? Let’s make it easy for today’s poll. Let’s take three absolutely positive nomination shoe-ins and we’ll see where you guys weigh in on one particular race.

Today’s poll:

Feb. 26th’s Oscars may have a major Best Actress Showdown. Of the three ladies here, who’s your favorite to win?

1) Meryl Streep (The Iron Lady)

2) Michelle Williams (My Week With Marilyn)

3) Viola Davis (The Help)

Post a Comment (5) 9:48 am on January 24, 2012

R.I.P. Etta James & Best National Anthem Singers Ever?

Today we have an obituary for a wildly talented performer. Etta James – the smoky-voiced R&B singer whose career endured for fifty-plus years, passed away at age 73 from leukemia this past weekend. If you’ve heard her, you probably know what a truly astounding voice this lady had. James was perhaps most well-known for the songs “At Last” and “I Just Want To Make Love To You “ both of which enjoyed surges of popularity again in later years due to their use in commercials. Known to many as “the greatest modern blues singer”,  Etta James began singing in church at age 14; she started to gain notoriety in the 1960s when she signed on with Chess Records, her music label for nearly twenty years. (There’s a pretty good movie called Cadillac Records, based on the real-life Chess Records, and in it Beyoncé plays James – and also sings “At Last” – definitely worth a look.) James racked up countless hits over the years and won six Grammy Awards. In 1983 she received a star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame and she was also inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1993. She’s also credited with inspiring countless younger singers enjoying tremendous success today. Adele has said that Etta was a major influence upon her, and Katy Perry, Christina Aguilera, Lady Gaga and R.Kelly immediately took to the web to tweet and blog about this beloved blues icon… with the otherworldly voice. She shall be remembered.

Speaking of great voices, Aerosmith frontman and American Idol judge/enfant terrible Steven Tyler sang the National Anthem at yesterday’s AFC championship game. (Full disclosure: I happen to like Tyler a lot but didn’t actually catch the song live.) The Patriots were playing, and Tyler proudly wore Patriots garb and embraced the job – although there are many who think he was perfectly awful. Within minutes of the game Tyler’s rendition was sent all over the Internet, the subject of great ridicule. Did you watch it? What do you think? Was it just a tough crowd, and an even tougher environment — or was he genuinely lackluster? Let us know your thoughts.

Today’s poll:

Which of these Super Bowl National Anthem singers did it best?

1)   Carrie Underwood

2)   Whitney Houston

3)   Jennifer Hudson

4)   Faith Hill

Post a Comment (35) 9:11 am on January 23, 2012

Movies: Beckinsale vs. Soderbergh or Voldemort &WWII’s Hidden Heroes?

Are you a Kate Beckinsale fan? How about dark, moodily-lit action thrillers with a genuine horror component? Where do you weigh in on werewolves and pale people with fangs that have absolutely zero to do with Twilight? If you’re psyched about any of the above you’re in luck because Underworld: Awakening opens today. Here again we have Beckinsale as “Vampire Warrioress” Selene, only now the regular old humans are determined to put an end to both Lycans AND Vampires. I’m not exactly sure what it all means but I do know that it has a rabid fanbase, huge dollar signs attached, and that anyone who likes to see hot English girls in latex prevail against ridiculous odds needs to catch this. It’ll likely do very well at the box office – especially since we’re in that awards season period where horror and action thrillers tend to succeed because they’re not taking focus away from the Important and Thoughtful Films that get nominated.

Next up is Steven Soderbergh’s latest film Haywire, and this one looks really cool. Not only because it’s Soderbergh (Traffic, Contagion, Erin Brokovich) but also because one night he saw a woman who happened to be a famous MMA star on TV and decided he’d make her his next action hero. Her name is Gina Carano (she’s well-known in fighting circles) and she’s about to become a big deal on the big screen too. Here she stars as a “black ops super soldier” hellbent on revenge when a mission is thwarted from the inside. Not only will this film be popular because of its action, but the rest of the casting looks pretty sound too: Michael Fassbender, Ewan McGregor, and Michael Douglas also star. So I’m guessing this one will be around for a while and the word of mouth is already very good.

English actor Ralph Fiennes (a.k.a.Voldemort) makes his directorial debut with Coriolanus, based on the Shakespeare play. Here Fiennes wisely updates its setting to present–day Rome (although the movie was shot in Belgrade). Fiennes himself also plays the title character –  a despotic and crazed leader whose country betrays him – and he’s thus pitted against Gerard Butler. Expect lots of rubble, stubble, soldiers, and the grim realities of war interlaced with Shakespeare’s poetic language. Plus, ubiquitous Jessica Chastain is a love interest and we also get the ever-dependable Vanessa Redgrave playing the matriarch. Definitely worth a look – although it might be a little heavy-going for some.

Finally we have another war movie called Red Tails, this one about an heroic team of African- American pilots who served in World War II. This is based on the true story of the Tuskegee Airmen who endured segregation before being called upon to serve their country it what looks like a pretty powerful film. Cuba Gooding, Jr and Terrence Howard star, and George Lucas – the man behind Star Wars – financed this picture and has said it will be his final filmmaking effort. Here’s thinking he’ll leave the biz on a pretty high note.

That’s a look at some of the big movies playing this weekend at a theater near you. As always, let us know what you see and what you thought.

Today’s poll:

Which of this weekend’s new releases are you most likely to check out?

1)   Red Tails

2)   Coriolanus

3)   Underworld: Awakening

4)   Haywire 

Post a Comment (4) 9:25 am on January 20, 2012

Who Should Play Elizabeth Taylor?

Many, many of our PCA fans love their daytime dramas. So riddle me this: Would you watch General Hospital at night? Not DVR’d or Tivo’d – but during prime time? If General Hospital actually became an evening drama?

If it sounds ludicrous, it’s not. In fact, the idea is being bandied about by ABC right now. Since other beloved daytime dramas came to such unfortunate ends when those “internet viewing” options failed to materialize, perhaps this fate for GH wouldn’t be half bad. The concept would be much like the Spanish-language telenovelas, says TV Guide, who air for a shorter season and during the summertime. Right now General Hospital is benefitting from a major infusion of talent – four stars from the late One Life To Live have agreed to come aboard: Kristen Alderson, Michael Easton, Kassie DePaiva and Roger Howarth. As it stands now, on April 1st the fans can catch the show’s 49th season premiere. Along with a bunch of new fans who will accompany their OLTL faves. The question is – if  General Hospital ever starts airing at night, would all these folks stick with it? Would you?

Moving on, let’s talk about Modern Family. Full disclosure #1: I happen to love this show and find it as delightful as anything I have ever seen on TV. Ever. So now it seems that show’s in hot water with those people who monitor what is and what isn’t appropriate viewing. Full disclosure #2: I don’t swear a lot. Oh sometimes, but not a lot. Largely because I am the youngest of seven children who grew up in a fairly traditional and strict environment: kids shouldn’t drink, smoke, use drugs, swear, or travel in sweatsuits. Thus, while I don’t much care if people cuss around me, I tend not to do it so much myself – and certainly not around the elderly. But now Modern Family’s come under fire because tiny Lily, Mitchell and Cameron’s daughter, allegedly uses the “F” word. Here’s my issue with the groups who are currently protesting this “outrage”. First of all, even though I might not think it’s so appealing or even appropriate, that doesn’t matter –  because it’s 2012. This is not a word that kids don’t hear on every premium cable channel everywhere. But what really bugs me – and I’ve said this before – is how these groups get all up in arms about language but they don’t lift a finger when procedural dramas feature dismembered bodies and all manner of blood, weaponry, and gore. Why is that okay? Why is it fine to tacitly glorify violence and then condemn an arguably groundbreaking show because a little kid says something she learned from her parents? I have trouble with these double standards. Just saying. What do you think? Where do you draw the line on what’s appropriate and what isn’t – and do you feel that your kids are being exposed to too much/too little/ not enough? Let us know.

Today’s poll:

They’re making the biopic of Elizabeth Taylor. Which of these young ladies would you like to see play La Liz on the big screen?

1)   Megan Fox

2)   Lindsay Lohan

3)   Zooey Deschanel

4)   Emma Stone

Post a Comment (81) 4:14 am on January 19, 2012

Cancelled TV, New TV & Jay-Z’s Startling Revelation

The bad news? ABC’s new mid-season show Work It has been unceremoniously cancelled after just two episodes. This tells you just how serious TV programmers (at the behest of advertisers) are when it comes to yanking something off the airwaves if audiences don’t respond. To be fair, everyone who saw so much as a minute of Work It found it abysmal, but the ever-shrinking window of TV performance/results/life support is a little scary.

The good news? Hip-hop kingpin/all around mogul/brand new dad Jay-Z has announced that he is no longer going to use the “B” word in his lyrics. According to media reports he’s changed his position on the word in the weeks since the arrival of his brand new daughter Blue Ivy. Thus, he’s vowed to eliminate its use altogether in his songs. No word yet on whether the nine other derogatory terms consistently peppering his tunes will be curtailed. But tiny baby Blue Ivy Carter’s already making strides (and with her “vocalizations” on her dad’s song “Glory”, she’s actually the youngest performer to chart on Billboard’s list!)

The other big story (that isn’t about any Kardashians or anyones’ Housewives) is the biopic about the late, great Elizabeth Taylor. Will Lindsay Lohan land that coveted role? All indicators point to ‘yes’ but there’s recently been talk about other contenders – like Megan Fox. Will you watch a big movie about Liz and her ongoing romance with Richard Burton? I sure will.

Back to TV, because even though we are smack dab in the middle of awards season, and even though we’ll know next week who’s getting Oscar nods, there’s still the day-to-day business of prime time. With networks offering up brand new shows definitely worth watching (with the exception of Work It) and gearing up with some pretty intriguing premises (Awake will either be a super cool hit or it will be incomprehensible). Right now, all I care about is that Revenge is back, and that ABC still has a massive hit on its hands. It is by far the year’s guiltiest pleasure and totally worth watching. Nor, if you haven’t given it a chance, is it too late. You can easily watch and comprehend the first season in a few hours – if you liked Dynasty, or you’ve craved anything with convoluted (and frequently implausible) plotlines, spectacular scenery, gorgeous clothes and even gorgeouser stars, Revenge is definitely the way to go.

Today’s poll:

Which of the season’s brand new TV shows are you most excited about:

1) Alcatraz

2) The Firm

3) Betty White’s Off Their Rockers

4) House of Lies

Post a Comment (27) 9:14 am on January 18, 2012

Sunday’s Golden Globes: Good or Bad?

Did you watch the Golden Globes? Did you feel – as apparently many did —  that Ricky Gervais should be criticized/ridiculed for NOT being tasteless enough? Do you also feel that he was just too tame and therefore contributed to a dull awards show? Here’s what the UK press had to say about his performance. According to the BBC  “A ‘respectful and restrained’ Ricky Gervais lacked the bite of last year”…

To which I say, come on. This is a man who cannot get a break unless, a la Stephen Colbert, it’s all a big surreal joke and we’ll never really know if we’re being punk’d or he is. In my opinion? When they hired Gervais last year – for the second time —  the Hollywood Foreign Press Association knew what it was getting into with a guy long known for his acid tongue. You don’t enlist a mind that quick, who continuously asserts that he’s got absolutely nothing to lose, and then expect him to tip-toe around. Of course the HFPA knew exactly what was going to happen. Moreover even though it was deemed a “disaster” last year, and everyone reveled in the “horror” of it all, they got quite a bit of attention. Which we know is more often than not a good thing. In Hollywood, at least.

But if the HFPA really felt like that, if he really did go way over the line, then fine – don’t use him again. Oh wait – you say you’re thinking about it? He wasn’t that bad after all? Hiring him again makes you all look easy-going and most importantly, edgy? And it might bring you better ratings? Oh, okay. That’s cool. So bring him back. But NOW, if his every word isn’t laced with poison, his every paragraph not a baffling attack on the unsuspecting, don’t get mad. If he’s not particularly monstrous, you better not complain. You say he was “flat”? Which is not “acceptable”? Sort of ridiculous, in my mind.

I thought Gervais did a good job, in fact. I enjoyed it and most importantly, he got us from one awards presentation to the next. Isn’t that the point? And isn’t that really the point when you’re at a podium surrounded by people actively eating and drinking? Isn’t the low-key thing why the Golden Globes was never considered a big network TV draw anyway – until now?

As for the awards themselves, with the exception of Martin Scorcese taking home the Globe for Hugo, nothing else was a great big surprise. Well, that and the fact that Laura Dern won for Enlightened which of course she may very well have deserved, but I had hoped either Tina Fey or Zooey Deschanel would somehow pocket that trophy. Perhaps the HFPA wanted to shock everyone and go with a total rookie program that all of forty-six people have watched so far. Like when they gave the Funny or Singing Best Actor award to Matt LeBlanc (whose new show I love). The Artist and Jean Dujardin? Got precisely the recognition they deserved.

By the way – one of the criticisms that gets lobbied the Globes’ way, fairly or unfairly, is the fact  that there’s not enough going on. Do you agree? Would you rather in-show sketches like we have with the PCAs and the Oscars? Let us know your thoughts.

And of course, the most important question – who looked best?

Today’s poll:

Which of these Golden Globes’ Red Carpet looks was your favorite?

1)   Laura Dern

2)   Angelina Jolie

3)   Octavia Spencer

4)   Emma Stone

Post a Comment (12) 9:34 am on January 17, 2012

Flicks: Beauty/Beast, Streep/Thatcher & Dolly/Latifah

Who’s up for a long weekend and catching the Golden Globes on Sunday?

Now that awards season has officially begun, and now that some of the smoke has cleared, it’s time to talk movies. Since it is still awards season, however, two things are happening. One, nobody releases any super big-deal dramas (that might be contenders, because it doesn’t matter) and thus we get lots of things like horror. In this case, we have a slasher musical opening which is a great example. That’s right…I said slasher musical. The other thing that happens is a lot of great movies with teensy little releases (in order to qualify for awards consideration) are now spreading wide and so more people can watch them.

That’s exactly what’s happened with The Iron Lady, Meryl Streep’s latest masterpiece. Which everyone should see. Because she’s that amazing. I’m also becoming increasingly over people quibbling about the “plot”. Now I’d never say that a movie’s plot isn’t or shouldn’t be super important, but really…when you’re talking about a biopic starring Meryl Streep, is the plot really ultra-central? I don’t think so. Nor is this story about a specific scandal, or who won what war because of a dirty trick. Rather, the story is about a period in the life of England’s first lady Prime Minister. Isn’t that plot enough??  It’s based on a person whom lots of people remember, not a notorious character. This is not Iron Lady With The Dragon Tattoo.

Also opening this weekend in theaters is Joyful Noise. Here we get what essentially looks like a Glee-type movie, starring two fabulous divas, Queen Latifah and Dolly Parton. It’s not getting the best word-of-mouth, but who cares? I believe this one’ll be a sumptuous feel-good style spectacle and I also think that it’ll be extremely popular particularly given the dearth of feel-good entertainment out there. I’ll definitely catch this.

If you want a super-safe bet, as in so safe you know how popular it will be because you saw it years ago, there’s Beauty and the Beast, rereleased in 3D. Here again we have something that fans will likely attend in droves, plus you get the kids who never saw it to begin with – which should equal smashing box office numbers.

In the neither joyful nor feel good nor horror category we have Contraband, starring Mark Wahlberg as a smuggler who’s trying to protect his brother from bad guys. This will be popular among young men and anyone else who loves a good old fashioned-crime-drama about drug smuggling. This one also boasts rather an impressive cast, with Kate Beckinsale and Giovanni Ribisi along for what may be a bumpy and violent ride.

And finally, my personal favorite (in terms of genre – I won’t actually see it because it looks way too scary) we have Don’t Go In The Woods, which is actually being billed as a slasher musical. This one was directed by TV mainstay Vincent D’Onofrio and it’s about an indie rock band who heads out to parts unknown in order to record a new album in peace and quiet. Unfortunately of course, they aren’t exactly alone. Gotta give D’Onofrio props for working with this conceit to begin with and it will, I am certain, attract a certain underground but rabid fanbase from the getgo. For the kitsch factor alone.

That’s what’s out there thiscoming long weekend. With MLK Jr. Day on  Monday, you have plenty of time to check out all manner of flicks. Plus the Golden Globes are this Sunday night, so that should make for some fun viewing. Especially with Ricky Gervais. I predict the guy from The Artist wins, plus Viola Davis too, and The Descendants should fare nicely as well. As always, let us know what you see and what you thought.

Today’s poll:

Which of these movies are you most likely to catch this weekend?

1)   Contraband

2)   The Iron Lady

3)   Joyful Noise

4)   Beauty and the Beast

Post a Comment (17) 2:48 am on January 13, 2012

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About Liz Warner

People's Choice staffer Liz Warner has been delivering news, entertainment & arts coverage to entertainment fans for years, most recently on air and online at LA's Indie 103.1 FM. Liz is also an author and actress who appears frequently in both LA and New York. Her solo monologue show The Wandering Eye premiered at HBO's Aspen Comedy Festival. Her critically acclaimed first book of essays, "Ditched by Dr. Right" (Random House) was published July 2005. Most recently, she was one half of the "He Said/She Said" Official Blogging Team for ABC's The Bachelor, and she is also announcer for Twentieth Century Fox TV's new series "Wedlock or Deadlock". Her second book is due for publication in 2011.

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