WEEKEND WRAP UP...

Hello all! It's Christmas week, so we have a lot of stuff to get into, so here are your box office top 10...

1.Yes Man
2.Seven Pounds
3.The Tale of Despereaux
4.The Day the Earth Stood Still
5.Four Christmases
6.Twilight
7.Bolt
8.Slumdog Millionaire
9.Australia
10.Quantum Of Solace

Of those 10, the best film, or the one I think everyone should see is Slumdog. It's not a perfect film, but it is a really solid flick, with a lot of praise being heaped upon it. I don't think it's Oscar worthy, but 99.9% of this planet does, and it will win Best Picture come February, so check it out! Also, Will Smith's streak of films grossing over $100 Million will most likely end, as Seven Pounds only grossed $16 Million.

It's Christmas time, and for me, one of the best presents is a set of DVDs or a Best Buy Gift card, however, this week will have me asking for a different gift. Here are the DVDs you should Buy, Borrow, and Burn

BUY:
-Go back to last weeks post, there's nothing here-
BORROW:
-The Duchess-
I never got a chance to see this flick, but costume period dramas are a guilty pleasure of mine. It features Keira Knightley and her lovely cheek bones, and Ralph Fiennes, and will probably be talked about this Oscar season for art direction and costume design. Not really worth a purchase, but if you are like me and love films like Pride and Prejudice, then rent the hell out of this thing.

-Eagle Eye-
A film I did see, this convoluted film from director DJ Caruso, most famous for his Rear Window rip-off Disturbia and The Salton Sea, stars Shia Lebeouf as Jerry Shaw, a guy who is thrown into the middle of a cat and mouse game along with Rachel Holloman, played by Michelle Monaghan who become the nations most wanted fugitives, led by a mysterious woman who contacts them via cell phone. The film is definitely action packed, but it's also lazy and just not really all that interesting. Not a horrible film, just not a good one. Worth a rent, if you really want to see it.

BURN:
-Ghost Town-
Ricky Gervais in an American film...skip it at all costs...

Oh, also, Resident Evil: Regeneration comes out this week, so if you are a RE fan like I am, and enjoyed Final Fantasy: Advent Children, then give it a shot. I know I will.

I'm hopefully going to get out and rent Savage Grace, so you can most likely expect a review of this controversial flick...

As with most years, this Christmas week is jam packed with films that will be hitting your local theatres. First we have the major Awards flicks, starting with The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. This film, based on an F. Scott Fitzgerald short story, stars Brad Pitt as the main character, Ben Button, who is born in the body of an 80 year old, and as the years go by, he begins to age backwards. It also stars the elegant Cate Blanchett, and the much talked about turn from Taraji P. Henson, most known for playing Terrance Howard's main squeeze in Hustle and Flow. Ever since the trailer premiered with Indy 4 (the only thing worth the money I spent to see that flick), I have been anticipating this film like none other, at least from this year. However, early reviews have been mixed. I'm still extremely hopeful as David Fincher has yet to really let me down, minus Alien 4. So this Friday you can expect a review of this film. I hope you all check it out.

Then you have the other awards films, both based on plays, with Doubt and Frost/Nixon. Doubt features a great cast, with Amy Adams, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Meryl Streep, and Viola Davis, the latter two getting Golden Globe nominations for their respective roles. The film is about a heavy subject, as the plot is about a priest who has been accused of touching a male student. Not the most bright subject for Christmas time, but you can not go wrong with that cast. Speaking of great casts, Frost/Nixon doesn't have a bad one either. Telling the story of the historic interview between Richard Nixon and British TV host David Frost, this film stars Frank Langella and Charlie Sheen as Dick and David respectively, the same roles the two actors played in the stage version when it showed in London and New York. Langella is one of my favorite actors, at least after last years great film Starting Out In The Evening, and his performance is being buzzed about as a possible contender for Best Actor. Frost/Nixon is currently up for Best Film-Drama at this years Golden Globe Awards.

Then there are the family films, with Bedtime Stories and Marley And Me. Bedtime Stories stars Adam Sandler and tells the story of a guy who loves to tell stories to his niece and nephew, but as time goes on, his stories come alive. Pretty much a more sterilized and comedic Spiderwick Chronicles, but if you have a family, give it a shot. Also, if you have a girlfriend, then take her out to see Marley and Me. It's based on the book, and is a story about a family and their dog. I will not be seeing either, so moving on.

Finally, the last two films, the probable flops. First there is The Spirit, the Frank Miller directed adaptation of the beloved Will Eisner comic series. All I will say about this film, is that a guy over at a blog I really love reading, said that four words can sum up this film. "Not since Battlefield Earth". Enough said. It's being destroyed critically, but me being the massive fan of stylized film noir, I'll still end up seeing it. Finally, we have Valkyrie, the Tom Cruise, Nazi conspiracy film, about the conspiracy to assassinate Adolf Hitler. It's gaining mixed early reviews, but in a week that's really loaded at the top, there's just no way I think people will get out to this one. If any of you do see it, please let me know what you think!

That's all I've got for now, so come back later for more news, notes, and this Friday, I will have my complete ranking of all of the films I have seen in 2008, along with the 5 films I regret missing or never got the chance to.

Go see something good!