November & December Movies 2003

I visit the Internet Movie DataBase at least once a day. Sometimes, I visit it twice: once in the morning for the midnight-updated Celebrity News bites and once in the afternoon for the afternoon-updated Studio Briefing information. On one recent visit, I noticed the feature for "upcoming movie release dates". Fantastic! Now, I know what I want to see for the next two months and when.

On my plate:
• Matrix Revolutions (November 5th, 2003) - I will probably see this on Thursday. Special effects need to be seen on the big screen.
• Love Actually (November 14, 2003) - Els may drag me out to see this
• Tupac Resurrection (November 14th, 2003) - Rental. Looks like a fascinating documentary.
• Looney Toons: Back in Action (November 14th, 2003) - Brendan Fraser is yummy. Rental.
• Shattered Glass (November 14th, 2003) - Hayden Christensen is yummy. Rental but can be talked to the theater.
• Gothika (November 21st, 2003) - Rental, maybe. I said that about The Mothman Prophecies and I still haven't seen that. The vibe from the two films seems the same.
• 21 Grams (November 21st, 2003) - Rental.
• The Missing (November 26th, 2003) - Cate Blanchett. Yum! Tommy Lee Jones! Yum! Ron Howard doing a thriller... hmmm. Rrental. Maybe in theater.
• In America (November 26th, 2003) - I've been seeing trailers for this film for atleast a year and a half. It looks very good. Rental.
• Timeline (November 26th, 2003) - I really like the director, Richard Donner, and I know that he can do films that I find interesting. The cast is kind of unexciting, though. Rental.
• The Last Samurai (December 5th, 2003) - I think I can tell the plot just from the trailer, which is bad. The female love interest looks like Penelope Cruz, just Asian, which I think is bad. The other visuals look decent. I'll probably see it in the theater.
• Big Fish (December 10th, 2003) - Two names: Tim Burton. Ewan McGregor. I am so there. The cast seems phenomenal and the trailer make it a definite theater film. Is there any other way to see a Tim Burton film?
• Girl With a Pearl Earring (December 12th, 2003) - This film looks beautiful. Scarlett Johansson and Colin Firth movie told through the vaseline lens of a Vermeer painting. Lovely. Rental, maybe theater.
• Something's Gotta Give (December 12th, 2003) - A good looking cast with an adequate director. Rental.
• Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (December 17th, 2003) - This date is burned into my brain. I'm probably going to watch it on the 19th with Mike. I will remember to bring tissues so I can adequately cry my eyes out, which I know I will.
• Mona Lisa Smile (December 19th, 2003) - Great cast and I'm sure Els will drag me out to see it, so a theater film.
• Calendar Girls (December 19th, 2003) - Helen Mirren. Naked. Oh yeah, baby. Rental, maybe theater.
• The Company (December 25th, 2003) - I have a lot of faith in Robert Altman to make a great film. Rental.
• Cold Mountain (December 25th, 2003) - Rental. Great cast and interesting material, but I'm not particularly interested in civil war romantic dramas.
• Peter Pan (December 25th, 2003) - I like the trailer, so I expect this to be pretty good. This type of film dictates a theater viewing, but with so many other things to see, I will probably rent it. I will probably regret missing it on the screen.
• Japanese Story (December 31st, 2003) - I've only read a description of this movie, but it sounds intriguing. Australian film with Toni Collette. Rental.

There are a number of high-profile movies that are coming out in the next month and a half that I didn't list. Cat in the Hat is probably the most notable. I have no desire to see this movie, but will go if dragged to it. I haven't seen How the Grinch Stole Christmas. I love Dr. Seuss and it seems awkward to take such great material and make it into two films where the comedian frontsman is over-emphasized. I also have no real desire to see Stuck on You. Oh, Matt Damon! It's okay, you redeem yourself by returning to two roles that you did very well: Ocean's Twelve and The Bourne Supremacy. Bad Santa has Tim Allen, a man I have rarely found funny. The Haunted Mansion: the camp of Scooby Doo and Pirates of the Caribbean evident in their respective trailers is lacking in The Haunted Mansion trailer. It will probably be bad. Yes, I am not above judging a film by its trailer.