Don’t Go in the Woods: And, the streak of January horror movies continues this weekend as Gomer Pyle makes his feature-length directorial debut in this film about a band that head to the woods looking for new inspiration. Initially, this film strikes me as a departure from numerous wilderness-horror films, ones that treat the foresty refuge as a cover for transgressions and debauchery. Here though, the idea of seeking a respite from the clamoring grind of everyday life suggests more of an “inspiration-through-escapism trope,” one that echoes previous films like Sideways, Fear and Loathing, or Into the Wild – just with a touch of horror and abject catastrophe mixed in. I’m a fan of D’Onofrio and really want this to be good, but fear the potential story will more closely mirror the events in a Friday the 13th.
Contraband: If you’re a betting viewer, Mark Wahlberg is like Yo on a craps table at three in the morning when you’re six scotches deep. He also might be the actor most likely to make a solid movie in a string of terrible movies, so Contraband might be worth the payoff.
As a retired smuggler, Chris Farraday (Wahlberg) is pulled back in to the scene in order to settle a debt that his brother-in-law accumulates. Here, we’ve got the reformed criminal narrative that offers a take on the difference between crime as a malicious endeavor and crime as an act of charity. These type of movies force us to root for the bad guy, who ultimately looks much better than the badder bad guy – in this case, Tim Briggs (Giovani Ribisi). Frankly, aside from the guaranteed explosions and gun fire to satiate any hunger for violence you might have, Ribisi might be the best reason to see this film. He’s often plays the crazy villain well, and this time he has a goatee, so he’s so much the crazier.
Beauty and the Beast 3D: Well, in a semi-original move from Disney, this movie isn’t a sequel (and the peasants rejoice at the feet of their rodent overlord), which is kind of refreshing, but it’s a re-release, something that affirms Disney is really just all about cashing in on nostalgia. I would imagine that millions of parents, who were probably around ten when this movie was originally released, will take their children to see the fair Belle tame the heart of the oft-rabid beast with the help of anthropomorphized pieces of furniture and dinnerware. But just to make sure Disney gets its money’s worth, this film has been updated to fit the 2009 mold of 3D gimmickry. Honestly, I’m a bit confused by this move in that Beauty and the Beast is nearly void of scenes that would be better enjoyed in 3D. Sure, there’s a Busby Berkeley-type dance number led by Mrs. Potts (Angela Lansbury), and the final battle amongst the jagged gargoyles could be visually stunning, but aside from that, this post-production money grab is more likely to distract the audience with its random transitions to 3D than add anything to a “tale as old as time.”
Joyful Noise: As the recession persists, perhaps Joyful Noise will serve as a slight emergence from the dark doldrums of budgeting, sketching a happy portrayal of community talent over individual aspirations and endeavors. Set in a small town in rural Georgia, Joyful Noise is the tale of the Divinity Church Choir, a group who need to win the Joyful Noise Competition. Queen Latifah plays the choir leader charged with guiding the group to victory. While I have no true interest in seeing this film, something about its incongruity to stereotypical characters strikes me as a bit fun: Latifah portrays the conservative choir leader, Vi Rose Hill, who is determined to win with “tried-and-true” methods whereas the stereotypical spunky, black character is played by the septuagenarian silicon facsimile of Dolly Parton.
The Divide: I’m all about post-apocalypse social disintegration films that showcase how tentative and precarious humanity can be in a survival situation, so I hope this one treats the material well. Something else intriguing about this film is that the nine confined survivors are all residents of a New York City high-rise. Perhaps the close-to-home material piques my interest the most, but The Divide strikes me as a potential exploration of how those who are in such close proximity to each other can know virtually nothing about their fellow denizens. Will competitive characteristics so vital in a bustling city translate to survival or annihilation. Given the genre here, I’m betting on the latter, but it could be more of a profound statement than a predictable digression.
