It's a slow week in movie land, since I've already covered most of the movies moving to wide release. And it seems a waste to review studio excrement like \Darkness Falls,"" the only new movie for this week, when ""Narc"" is playing at University Square and most people still haven't seen it. So this week, I'm going to look ahead to what's headed our way.
Next week, I'll bring you the word about ""The Recruit."" I almost want to skip the movie on principle, because I was subjected to its irritating trailer so many times during winter break. I actually counted, and the theatrical trailer combines to say ""nothing is what it seems"" and ""everything is a test"" a total of seven times. Plus, the trailer clearly shows way too much of the plot's development. If I wanted an Al Pacino movie that beats its audience over the head with themes and foreshadowing, I'd just rent ""Devil's Advocate.""
The following week, chick flick fanatics can pass judgement on ""How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days."" After ""Almost Famous"" and the commercially unsuccessful but artistically satisfying ""Four Feathers,"" Kate Hudson kind of has carte blanche to make a trashy, commercial movie. And even if the premise has the potential to be really annoying, at least sticking Hudson alongside Matthew McConaughey, the poor man's answer to Hugh Grant, will most likely keep the movie from being appreciably worse than, say, ""Sweet Home Alabama.""
On February 14th, we'll be greeted with ""Daredevil,"" the high-budget, big-name-loaded comic book adaptation starring Ben Affleck. It will be nice to see Jennifer Garner in a big-screen role more substantial than her prostitute role in ""Catch Me If You Can."" Meanwhile, ""Daredevil"" will be one of three Colin Farrell movies released this semester, in addition to ""The Recruit"" and the sniper-delayed ""Phone Booth."" And you've gotta love the timing of the release. Much respect goes out to any guy with the guts to say to his girlfriend, ""Happy Valentine's Day, honey. We're going to 'Daredevil.'""
The next week will bring a rather bizarre mix. ""Dark Blue,"" the Kurt Russell flick about a group of law-bending Los Angeles cops, looks like just a trashy rip off of TV's ""The Shield."" Frankly, ""The Shield"" is more entertaining than any movie Kurt Russell has ever made, and ""Dark Blue"" doesn't look like anywhere near his best. Save your money.
The same week, we'll see ""The Life of David Gale."" This looks like just another step in my continued frustration at Kevin Spacey. I love Kevin Spacey as an actor. His best work is some of my very favorite. But when he isn't given a project like ""American Beauty,"" ""L.A. Confidential"" or ""The Usual Suspects,"" three of my favorite movies, he keeps making bad choices, like ""Pay It Forward"" or ""K-Pax."" ""The Life of David Gale"" looks like a movie that makes excessive efforts to push hot buttons, and then splashes on the melodrama. Frankly, when one of those rare, outstanding opportunities isn't there for the taking, I'd rather see Spacey make less ambitious, but less pretentious and more worthwhile popcorn movies, like what he did with ""The Negotiator.""
So that week, instead of ""Dark Blue"" and ""The Life of David Gale,"" I'll probably opt for ""Old School,"" with Luke Wilson, Will Ferrell and Vince Vaughn. From Todd Phillips, the writer and director of ""Road Trip,"" the movie is about a group of grown men who start a fraternity. Sure, it looks stupid, and I'm sure it will be stupid. But from the trailer, it looks stupid in the same funny, worthwhile way that ""Road Trip"" was stupid. It looks like Ferrell has found a big screen role better fit for showcasing his talent than his tiny role in ""Austin Powers."" I'm a lot of things, but I'm not exclusively highbrow in my movie taste, and ""Old School"" looks like it's worth taking a flyer on.
So this week may be pretty dead, but we've got a busy semester ahead. In the meantime, check out ""Narc,"" ""About Schmidt"" and ""Confessions of a Dangerous Mind,"" if you haven't yet.
