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October '08
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August '08
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The Buzz: 11/20/2007
By Aaron
This an early edition of The Buzz as the Thanksgiving weekend approaches. And have no fear, The Buzz will return to Thursdays next month.
Movies worth $10
Starting Out in the Evening (release November 23, 2007; click here for preview) – Heather Wolfe, a young grad student thrusts her master’s thesis into the hands of her favorite writer, Leonard Schiller (Frank Langella) who has ceased writing since the 1950s. Heather’s enthusiasm makes Schiller think he still has what it takes. Does he have what it takes to get back into the game?
 I’m Not There (release November 21, 2007; click here for preview) – another music biopic? Of a live performer? Is that bad luck? I’m Not There follows the life of Bob Dylan, where different actors play Dylan at different points of his life. The most publicized turn has been Cate Blanchett’s. How does she pull it off? If you are near one of the few theatres showing this one, you can find out.
Youth Without Youth (release December 14, 2007; click here for preview) – Francis Ford Coppola’s new film does not have a lot of known information. But what little there is, sounds good. The movie follows a professor who’s life changes forever right before World War II. The war, and the aftermath take him to Romania, Switzerland, Malta and India. What is this movie about? Who knows. Seems like a period piece. Why is it worth $10? Francis Ford.
 Charlie Wilson’s War (release December 25, 2007; click here for preview) – a story about a lazy politician (Tom Hanks) who, on a whim, persuades the CIA to train and arm rebels in Afghanistan. Wilson’s actions turned the tide and helped the rebels hold ground against the Soviets, ultimately paving the way for the unstable, religiously divided, warlord-controlled region that is a hotbed of terrorism today. But hey, expect a feel good film about a politician who straightens his life out, wins the idealistic girl (Julia Roberts) and helps the underdogs beat the reds.
Remember previous suggestions coming soon to theaters near you: Enchanted, No Country for Old Men, and Hitman, this weekend
Update: American Gangster was well worth $10!
TV Buzz
Okay – tune up your sets for some serious television after your turkey feast. If foortball is not your fare, there are plenty of alternatives, one of my favorites being the Spike TV's James Bond marathon (that has already started). If that doesn’t cut it there are probably a bunch of good Thanksgiving movies out there for you to see. You could find one such list here, here, or here.
 The Writers’ strike looks to claim another unfortunate victim. As Seth McFarlane, the creator of Family Guy marches with his fellow writers, Fox is pushing ahead with new family guys without him. This would be terrible if he just wrote the show, but he also voices four of the main characters and will not do that voice work! To make things worse, McFarlane is not under contract for next year…could this be the end for Family Guy?
A touch of nostalgia
Not much entertainment induced nostalgia right now. But one thing that totally annoys me is that annoying Beyonce music video-ad that keeps on playing on NBC. What is she thinking? Shouldn’t she be doing something REAL? Do you remember when she and the girls were pulling on skin tight camouflage for Destiny’s Child music videos? And look at her now…
What the papers say
 A story earlier this week mentioned that “Friday Night Lights” Scott Porter was going to be cast as Superman in the new Justice League movie. The story also included some other casting choices, but my thoughts are, why not use the whole FNL cast? Here is what I would like to see: Street as Superman, Riggins as Batman, Lyla as Wonder Woman, Saracen as Flash, Smash as Green Lantern, Landry as Aquaman, and Tyra as the Martian Manhunter. Sounds good to me. And I am totally unbiased…
Some depressing news earlier this week noted that movies are just not making money anymore. That the industry’s overpaying of stars and reliance on DVD sales had risked sinking the whole industry into the red. Will the movie industry be as crippled as the music industry? What will the implications be? Will the Writers’ strike be the last straw?
 The Pixar head honcho confirmed that Toy Story 3 is in the works. Sure, that probably isn’t news to most of you, but it sounds sweet! I don’t care what anybody says, Toy Story is still my favorite computer animated flick.
What made me really happy was the GREAT Entertainment Weekly article I read about predicting the Oscars. The article runs down all of the selection tricks and points out the flaws in Oscar’s voting and how certain films are destined to slip through the cracks. The article made me excited for Oscar season.
Um…really???
This has been going on for weeks now, but I can’t take it anymore. Hannah Montana tickets reaching ridiculous proportions. To compound the madness there are simply too many gimics that risk the lives of overeager parents. A story earlier this week told of how there was a competition to hold onto a statue. The last person left got free tickets. After SIX days one parent finally emerged victorious. The question is, where do you draw the line? What won’t you do for your little kids? And even more importantly, why do you let them watch the Disney channel?
Happy Thankgiving Everybody!
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Bob’s October Movie Preview
By Bob 10/2/2008
 Now that we have gotten through the sludge of September movies, it’s time for some Oscar contenders, and movies that think they’re good but not. Halloween is also this month so there is bound to be a lot of random horror movies going on and of course a Saw film to soak in. Whatever happens though, I’m gonna guess that at least one of the following gets some nods come Oscar time. With that, my October Movie Preview:
Cops, Robbers, and Blah
10) Pride and Glory: October 24th
From the director of Miracle comes one of the most clichéd trailers of ALL TIME. Edward Norton as A COP. Colin Farrell as HIMSELF. What more could we want from a movie? I don’t know, and I will likely never find out because this is not one flick I will be seeing.
9) Max Payne: October 17th 
As I feverishly go through my mind trying to think of a video game adaptation that has actually been a good movie, I’m also reminded of all of the bad movies Marky Mark has made over the past ever (excluding The Departed and Boogie Nights of course). I would be shocked if there is anybody who is actually excited for this, as anybody who actually played the game has probably outgrown the genre.
8) Body of Lies: October 10th
Leonardo Dicaprio. Russell Crowe. Ridley Scott. Something about spies. The trailers really tell us nothing about this film except, “How am I supposed to run an operation when you’re running a side operation.” I don’t really know what that means, but Leo says it in the trailer. This film looks like another lame attempt by Ridley Scott and Russell Crowe to win Oscars. I’m not buying it.
7) Flash of Genius: October 3rd
Greg Kinnear stars as an man who invents the intermittent windshield wiper, and then has it stolen from him buy the major auto manufacturers. This just looks like a boring film that will get a lukewarm response. For some reason, however, it has been getting a huge level of marketing with television and even radio advertisements. I doubt people will buy it.
6) RocknRolla: October 10th
Guy Ritchie is back in the genre he knows best, and this appears to be an English gangster film much in the mold of Lock Stock and Snatch. We’ll see if he still has his stuff, but for now, I’ll just pop in my DVDs of the older films that I can trust, and look to be almost identical in plot to this one.
Movies that Intrigue Me
5) Changeling: October 24th 
Angelina Jolie stars in this Clint Eastwood film about a woman whose son goes missing and is returned with something different. Any film that Eastwood directs (that’s not Flags of our Fathers of course) is worth checking out, and this looks to be no different. It got solid reviews with it premiered at Cannes, and Angelina Jolie is ready for a solid role.
4) W.: October 17th
 A film that is certain to be the years most controversial, Oliver Stone directs this biopic about our current president. While I am sure Stone will exaggerate many of the details, there is no denying that he has put together an awesome cast including Josh Broling (as Bush), Elizibeth Banks (as First Lady Laura), James Cromwell (as his father H. W.), Richard Dreyfuss (as Cheney), Thadie Newton (as Condoleezza Rice) and others as the rest of his cabinet. Whatever happens in this film, it will certainly be interesting.
3) Synecdoche, New York: October 24th
A film that I have been awaiting since last year, this is Charlie Kauffman’s directorial debut. I have loved the films he has written (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Being John Malkovich, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, and Adaptation. ) and this should prove to be equally compelling. It stars Philip Seymour Hoffman as a playwright who attempts to put on a production in a warehouse that includes a scale model of New York. It will probably boggle our minds, but that is Kauffman, isn’t it?
2) Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist: October 3rd
Michael Cera and Kat Dennings star as the eponymous Nick and Norah who meet each other one night in New York and have adventures. Something about the trailer really brought this movie to my attention, probably the indie style that I love. Cera is always great, and Dennings was really cool in Charlie Bartlett, so I might make my way to a cinema this week to check it out.
1) Zach and Miri Make a Porno: October 31st 
Seth Rogen and Elizibeth Banks star as two best friends who decide to make a porno together. This is Kevin Smith’s first film since Clerks 2, and I can only hope that it matches that film in hilarity. The only thing I don’t understand, is why are they releasing this film on Halloween? I guess there is probably a Saw film being released anyways.
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