December 2009
(as seen in the Scottsdale Airpark News)
Movies in theaters are alive and well as Hollywood
continues to release some very exciting films. Why see these films
in a theater instead of at home on your great home theater system?
Some movies are best experienced on a massive screen with amazing
sound, with audience interaction, or maybe that guilty pleasure
-- with hot liquid butter poured all over that big bag of popcorn.
There could be one annoyance though -- deciding just what to see,
given there are often four or more new movies released every week.
So with your busy life, if you could see just one newly released
movie per week, which four in December should they be?
| |
|
|
For the
weekend of December 4, it is “Up in the Air”,
starring George Clooney, Vera Farmiga, and Jason Bateman,
directed by Jason Reitman. Genre: drama / comedy, rated R.
Plot: a corporate hatchet man (Clooney) loves his life on
the road, but is forced to fight for his job when his company
downsizes its travel budget. He is required to spend more
time at home just as he is on the cusp of a goal he's worked
toward for years: reaching five million frequent flyer miles
and just after he's met the frequent-traveler woman of his
dreams.
The other four movies opening this weekend are: Armoured,
Brothers, Everybody’s Fine,
and Serious Moonlight. |
| |
|
|
For the
weekend of December 11, it is a tie.
The first is “Invictus”, starring
Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon, directed by Clint Eastwood.
Genre: biographical drama, rated PG-13. Plot: the inspiring
true story of how Nelson Mandela (Freeman) joined forces with
the captain of South Africa's rugby team (Damon) to help unite
their country. Newly elected President Mandela knows his nation
remains racially and economically divided in the wake of apartheid.
Believing he can bring his people together through the universal
language of sport, Mandela rallies South Africa's underdog
rugby team as they make an unlikely run to the 1995 World
Cup Championship match.
The second is "The Princess and the Frog",
starring Anika Noni Rose, Keith David, and Oprah Winfrey,
directed by John Musker and Ron Clements. Genre: animated
romantic family / musical / fantasy / comedy, rated G. Plot:
set in the legendary birthplace of jazz -- New Orleans, this
film introduces the newest Disney princess, Maddy, a young
African-American girl living amid the charming elegance and
grandeur of the fabled French Quarter. From the heart of Louisiana's
mystical bayous and the banks of the mighty Mississippi comes
an unforgettable tale of love, enchantment and discovery with
a soulful singing crocodile, voodoo spells and Cajun charm
at every turn. Randy Newman wrote the songs and score.
The other two movies opening this weekend are: A Single
Man and The Lovely Bones. |
| |
|
| |
For
the weekend of December 18, and the Best Movie of the Month,
it is “Avatar”, starring Sam
Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, CCH Pounder,
Michael Biehn, Michelle Rodriguez, and Giovanni Ribisi,
directed by James Cameron. Genre: Action / Adventure, Science
Fiction, Suspense, in 3-D, rated PG-13. Plot: the story
of a wounded ex-marine (Worthington), thrust unwillingly
into an effort to settle and exploit an exotic planet rich
in bio-diversity against the will of its inhabitants, who
eventually crosses over to lead the indigenous race in a
battle for survival against the technically superior forces
from which he came.
This movie sets a new superior standard in Science Fiction,
doing the same as what Star Wars did when it was released.
Even the music is terrific with the James Horner score.
The other three movies opening this weekend are: Did
You Hear About the Morgans?, Nine,
and The Young Victoria. |
| |
|
| |
For the
weekend of December 25, it is “Sherlock Holmes”,
starring Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, and Rachel McAdams,
directed by Guy Ritchie. Genre: comedy, rated PG-13. Plot:
in a dynamic new portrayal of Arthur Conan Doyle's most famous
characters, "Sherlock Holmes" sends Holmes (Downey)
and his stalwart partner Watson (Law) on their latest challenge.
Revealing fighting skills as lethal as his legendary intellect,
Holmes will battle as never before to bring down a new nemesis
and unravel a deadly plot that could destroy England. Based
on Lionel Wigram's yet-to-be-published comic.
The other three movies opening this weekend are: Alvin
and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel, It’s
Complicated, and The Imaginarium of Doctor
Parnassus. |
| |
|
Furthermore, gong to the movies still gives you the most entertainment
“bang for the buck” when compared to a similar two hour
venture at any professional sporting event, play or music performance.
See you at the movies!
Note: While the release dates & ratings for
these movies were correct at the time of printing, studios sometimes
make last-minute changes. If this happens, we apologize for any
inconvenience.
|
®
