Holiday Movie Preview: Part 1

What to see this holiday season? Look no further.

SWEENEY TODD – Tim Burton turns everything into SWEENEY TODD so this should be a natural. And it has Johnny Depp and Sondheim’s bulletproof score so how bad can it be? Also stars Helena Bonham Carter as the director’s wife who always gets a part.

MARGOT AT THE WEDDING – Stars Jennifer Jason Leigh as the director’s wife who always gets a part. Also Nicole Kidman in her most “courageous performance” since her last most “courageous performance”.

ATONEMENT – Keira Knightley looks spectacular in the trailer. There’s a love story, battle scenes, star crossed lovers, whatever. As long as she eats.

FRED CLAUS – Already dead. Vince (“who needs writers when I can just fix scripts myself?”) Vaughn in a studio formula Santa Claus movie. ELF it’s not. ALF it’s not.

ENCHANTED – is about a live princess who used to be a cartoon character. Women! There’s always baggage!

JUNO – Teenager puts her baby up for adoption. Great buzz on the script. Written by a former stripper. If the strike drags on forever she at least has something to fall back on.

I AM LEGEND – Will Smith. Should be entitled I AM OSCARWORTHY.

THERE WILL BE BLOOD – Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson (BOOGIE NIGHTS), it’s about an oilman in California and has a minimum of dialogue. Could either be a masterpiece or the feature long college student film from hell.

NATIONAL TREASURE: BOOK OF SECRETS – Sequel. Nick Cage finds treasure map in Thomas Jefferson’s wig receipt.

WALK HARD: THE DEWEY COX STORY – The one movie I can’t wait to see. John C. Reilly as a rock star moving through musical decades. Co-written by Judd Apatow. It sounds like FORREST GUMP meets SUPERBAD. Jack Black as “elfin” Paul McCartney. I gotta see the movie just for THAT.

I’M NOT THERE – Six actors and actresses take turns playing Bob Dylan. The “elfin” Jack Black is not one of them.

THE GOLDEN COMPASS – A giant spectacle featuring polar bears, wondrous worlds, children, and Nicole Kidman in her “most courageous role” since MARGOT AT THE WEDDING, unless she filmed this one first.

PERSEPOLIS – The title speaks for itself.

BEOWULF – When Christian monks first wrote this story over 1,000 years ago this is how they envisioned it – as a big blockbuster motion-capture digital animated thrill ride with Angelina Jolie coming out of the water...naked.

The conclusion tomorrow.

SEE YOU ALL AT THE BIG WGA RALLY IN HOLLYWOOD TUESDAY AFTERNOON. WEAR RED.