If there's a number in a film title you've got a sequel, right? Not necessarily, unless Oceans 1 through Oceans 10 came out on some obscure underground label I've never heard of. The trailers are getting all mathematical on our collective ass this week, and each of them (sort of) sports a number in the title.
Four Christmases
It happens every year. The first time I see a sign of the coming holiday season I cringe. I like Christmas fine once it gets here, but being forced to think about it in September is asking too much.
Terminator: Salvation
OK, there's actually no number in this title, but we're all mentally planting a "4" after the word Terminator. After Terminator 3 I really didn't care if the series lived or died. Without James Cameron at the helm and Linda Hamilton in the lead we were left with mindless action and none of the compelling elements from the first two films. This is only a teaser, but with Christian Bale taking over the role of John Connor, I'm thinking there may be hope. We get a glimpse of a post-apocalyptic future, and Connor tells us via narration that this is not the future his mother warned him about. Considering how bleak that future was portrayed in the previous films, it's chilling to imagine how it could get worse.
Feast 2: Sloppy Seconds
Pinning your hopes on a sequel can be a tricky proposition. 2005's Feast was one of the best horror movies of recent years and this follow up has me psyched. The creatures have escaped into a nearby town and the locals join forces with the survivors of the first film to defeat them. Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton, the writers of the original screenplay are back and John Gulager is directing again, so I have cause to hope. The trailer is a frenzied affair, with plenty of gore flying. This one is going right to DVD and will be in stores on October 21.
The Soloist
Not exactly a number, I suppose, but the word "solo" implies "one." Maybe I'm just being cynical, but when I see this one all I can think is "someone is trying to score himself an Oscar." Robert Downey Jr. plays a journalist with writer's block who befriends a gifted musician played by Jamie Foxx. Foxx's character suffers from schizophrenia and, despite having been educated at Julliard, lives on the street. With these two actors involved I don't doubt there's something worthwhile here, but this one isn't my cup of tea. Here's William's take on the trailer.
A Thousand Years of Good Prayers
An elderly Chinese man moves to the U.S. to reconnect with his recently divorced daughter. Culture shock and the daughter's resentment at the loss of her privacy threaten to drive them further apart. I like the looks of this quiet drama from Wayne Wang, director of The Joy Luck Club. Now that the Summer blockbuster season is over, I find myself in the need of a film sans explosions or digital effects, and this looks like a good fit. Here's Kim's review of the movie.
New this week on AOL Moviefone:
- Transporter 3 - (HD) - Jason Statham returns for the third installment of the series. Check out the trailer right here:
- Knowing - (HD) - Nicholas Cage plays a teacher who discovers a series of mathematical codes in a time capsule. The codes have predicted every major disaster over the last several decades, so what might they have to say about the future?
- Humboldt County - A straight laced medical student falls in love with a jazz singer and finds himself associating with a group of marijuana growers and aging hippies. Here's the preview:
- The Forgotten Woman - A documentary examining what it is like to be a widow in modern India.
- Choose Connor - Political thriller about a teenager who is appointed youth spokesman for a charismatic congressman, but in the process discovers the seamier side of politics.
- Breakfast With Scot- Two gay men suddenly find themselves with an adopted son.
