The Center Seat

I hadn't heard much about this action/adventure/sci-fi/ *yawn*/thriller until reading this post by Fox over at Lazy Eye Theatre... not good.

It's generally a really bad sign if both the director and the lead actor of a movie brutally trash it during promotion season. Bad, bad sign.

Watch the trailer, then let me know what you think by answering the poll on the right.



Update: Upon poll closing, 70% of you answered "Ohmygod, I can't wait!", and 30% of you said you "needed to know more". Nobody said "No freaking way". So the buzz seems to be "for"... we'll have to see what happens. I'll probably check it out.

So I was watching Freaky Friday on "The Wonderful World of Disney" tonight* and the Disney people took the opportunity to relentlessly plug their upcoming film, Beverly Hills Chihuahua.

Unfortunately, it only confirmed my initial instinct about this movie... it's just a big vapid animal stunt. 100 dogs manipulated by CGI + tired, exploitative jokes + the voices of George Lopez and Drew Barrymore = a big fat WHO CARES?

With all respect to costars Barrymore, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Piper Perabo (all of whom I love), I'm thinking that if you're over the age of six, you really need to find something better to do with your $9. There's a recession on. Use the cash for something worthwhile... if you're taking the kids out, go see WALL-E again.

*Yeah. In my pj's. With a big bowl of mac and cheese. That's how I roll.

Remember when you were a little kid, and you got in an argument with a playground rival, and there came a point when you resorted to sticking your fingers in your ears and yelling "La, la, la, la, la..." at the top of your lungs?

I'm nearly 30, and I've found myself doing that repeatedly over the last week or so.

This is the problem. Nathaniel. He's so great. We're going to see The Dark Knight on Sunday at noon. Now, those of you who know me even a little bit can see right away how much I like this guy... otherwise, there's no way in hell I'd wait so long to see a movie that's so highly anticipated, and so much of a sure thing, on top of essentially being Heath Ledger's swan song. But I am waiting--and I don't mind--except...

Except that The Dark Knight is EVERYWHERE. A quick search of my Google Reader reveals no less than 121 Batman-related items. That's thanks, in large part, to Big Mike's Movie Blog, which has been running a Batman Blogathon (if you're not at a Batman overload stage, you really should check him out; he's a fantastic blogger), though everyone's been hyping it up, from Slate to EW. (I'm actually adding to the hype too, huh? Irony. Hm.)

I'm one of those people who would prefer to have absolutely no information prior to a movie viewing; too much hype can kill my enjoyment of a film. So I've been avoiding Batman like he's the Ebola virus, but since this is such a monstrous story, that's damn near impossible.

Yesterday I was watching "The Today Show" in bed, as per my usual routine, when they announced they were going to review The Dark Knight in the next segment. Groaning, I dragged my ass out of bed and went into the bathroom. I turned on my radio, and my favorite morning people were--you guessed it--discussing The Dark Knight. Ugh. I got ready for work in silence. It was maddening, to say the least.

So it's Friday, and The Dark Knight is actually in theaters. Now I have to avoid friends as well as media, and all my favorite bloggers... until Sunday. I suppose I could sneak into a theater and see it early... but, no, I can't do that. Nathaniel reads this blog (hi, cutie), so he would know. And I really am looking forward to seeing a fantastic movie with an equally fantastic guy. I don't know, maybe a little self-denial is good for me?

And of course you know as soon as I've seen it, Batman will be splashed all over this blog too. So I don't know what my point is. Maybe I just needed to whine a bit. ...Click here for the rest of this tasty post.

Generally, when a trailer is overplayed on TV, it makes my teeth hurt. And the spot for Pineapple Express, Judd Apatow's new stoner flick, has certainly been running ad nauseum. So why is it that every time I see it, I start vibrating in anticipation?

Check it out. It's set to open August 8.

It's not because I don't enjoy a good dumb summer comedy. I do. Matter of fact, the manhole incident on the trailer is pretty damn funny.

It's not because I have a problem with Playboy. I don't. Like many intelligent women my age, I actually enjoy "The Girls Next Door". Go fig.

This is why: It seems to be a makeover movie, and I think I like the "before" better than the "after". House Bunny's basic plot is this: a Playboy Bunny is kicked out of the mansion and decides to become the house mother to a sorority of "losers". Of course, she decides to make the "losers" over in her own image.

But... if the trailer is any indication... the losers are cool. I'd hang out with them. They seem like earthy, intelligent girls with a sense of what makes them unique; unlike the cookie-cutter "after" versions of themselves which the movie cranks out.

Do we have to get rid of our freakishness to be accepted? Honestly, I'm not interested in looking, acting, or thinking like anyone else. I choose to, as Marilyn Ferdinand once suggested, let my freak flag fly. And I want friends (and movie characters) that will do the same.

Check the trailer out, and tell me what you think:

...Click here for the rest of this tasty post.

I am totally geeked out for this. I'll be at the midnight show.

My regular movie partner (and roommate) Captain Crash took me to The Bucket List last night. I wasn't really that stoked to see it, and honestly it felt like I'd already seen 40% of the movie in previews. It started off with some serious déja vù: the movie opens in a desolate snowy landscape, with Morgan Freeman doing the voiceover. Now where had I seen that before?

The reviews were generally pretty spot-on; Jack Nicholson played Jack Nicholson, and Morgan Freeman played Morgan Freeman. Not a whole lot of acting. But the ending was exquisite.

Incidentally, if I see ONE MORE TRAILER for Vantage Point, I'm going to shove toothpicks under my fingernails, just to have something to distract me. Can you say ad nauseum??? ...Click here for the rest of this tasty post.