The To-Do List! 7/31/09

It's been one lazy ass week. I think I went through a bit of movie burnout the last few days, so it's fortunate that I saw everything I needed to the week before. This week things amp back up a little bit but again there ain't jack that I can get excited over. I think I'll be spending a bit more time at the American Diner checkin' out some classics. I'll be there tonight checkin' out Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds, and consuming a day's worth of calories, fat, and sugar in the process.



Would you be surprised if I told you that I'm not all that excited by Funny People? The ads portray this as Apatow's 3rd film, and that is true. This is officially his 3rd film as writer/director, although his name has been slapped across practically every successful comedy of the last couple years. Funny People stars Adam Sandler as a comedian who, when faced with a terminal illness, makes a last ditch effort to find some meaning in his life and correct past mistakes. Seth Rogen co-stars as a writer who tags alongside him. I see plenty of potential downfalls here, especially considering that the TV spots and trailers have been odd tonally. It's almost as if they aren't sure quite how to market it. Is it a comedy like Knocked Up? Or is it a dramedy? Here's hoping the film doesn't suffer from the same problem. I'll be checking this out tomorrow with the Metro/DC Movie Fans Meetup. If you'd like to tag along just let me know!



So let's say you're a robber breaking into a family's crib. You're making your way around, diggin' through drawers and maybe snatching a chicken leg out of the fridge. Then, to your shock, you discover that some psycho far crazier than you is already in the house and is holding the family hostage. What's worse, he's laid a bunch of deadly traps around the house in order to catch his prey. What do you do? Do you stay and try to help? Or do you try to escape? Either way you're risking your life. That's the brilliant premise behind The Collector, a film I should've seen last night if I wasn't busy filling my head with reality TV and pro wrestling. The Collector was originally intended to be a prequel to the Saw franchise, and it's easy to see why. I'll be seeing this today no doubt, and based off the idea alone I expect it to be my favorite film of the week. We shall see.



How many credibility points am I sacrificing by saying that I'm actually kinda lookin' forward to Aliens in the Attic? I can't explain why, it just looks like a lot of fun. Bear in mind that I always plan to see movies like this, but rarely do I ever actually attend movies like this. They end up buried on my Netflix queue, like Race to Witch Mountain is(currently 187th on my queue, wedged between I'm Reed Fish and Hounddog).



Comedies about psychiatrists with a wealth of their own problems are common in the world of indie cinema, but rarely do they come with a cast as loaded as Shrink. Kevin Spacey stars as the shrink in question, who becomes a pothead after suffering a tragedy of some sort. The film also features Keke Palmer(Akeelah and the Bee), Saffron Burrows, Dallas Roberts, Pell James, Robert Loggia. Some of my favorite actors working today. Shrink is probably getting about as wide a release as can be expected. Right now you can see it only at Landmark E Street in the DC/Metro area.

What Else is Out There?

I've pretty much knocked out everything else currently playing, but I still hope you all get out to see 3 amazing films I've mentioned a million times before on this site. Everyone owes it to themselves to see Joseph Gordon-Leavitt and Zooey Deschanel in 500 Days of Summer. If you're in the mood for some good old fashioned classic sci-fi, Moon is the best option. You will not be disappointed. And ofcourse, The Hurt Locker is still out there continuing to garner critical acclaim. Go check it out.