Weekend Preview: Zombies vs. Old Guys

The first weekend of February gets the ball rolling by pitting an up-and-coming zombie (Nicholas Hoult in Warm Bodies) against a few older more experienced actors: Sylvester Stallone in Bullet to the Head and crime buddies Al Pacino, Christopher Walken, and Alan Arkin in Stand Up Guys.

Since you can read my thoughts about Warm Bodies and Stand Up Guys here: February Preview, I'll try to not repeat myself too much. Very quickly: zombies learn to love, a group of con men team up again for one last job, and Stallone just tries to stay relevant.

As for the box office, Hoult should have no trouble shambling his way into first place. Guys is only getting a limited release from Lionsgate and therefore is likely to not do much better business than Walken's previous film (Seven Psychopaths), and Bullet will probably fare no better than The Last Stand, i.e. the Governator's failed attempt to restart his blockbuster star status. As for the recent holdovers, the Witch Hunters seem to be getting war weary, Jessica Chastain's box office luck has to run out eventually, and the rest of the well performing pack (Silver Linings Playbook, Django Unchained, Les Miserables Lincoln, and The Hobbit) should continue their slow yet steady declines.

So what did you think of my first foray into this new series of posts? Leave a comment to let me know if I should make any changes. Am I totally crazy for predicting that Bullet will be a flop? Share your thoughts in the comments for a chance at a lively debate!

Tune in next week to see Identity Thief and Side Effects go head to head!

February 2013 Preview!

Here is a quick look at the films I plan to see in February:

Warm Bodies (2/1/13)
After watching the first trailer I went out and bought Isaac Marion's book on which the film is based. I really enjoyed the book and I'm sure I will enjoy the movie too. I love Marion's take on the zombie mythos (i.e. the existence of degrees of "zombie-ness", the retention of some humanity, and the ability to become fully human again once infected.) My only fear is that the film might over-romanticize (a la the-vampire-series-that-must-not-be-named) what has historically been the personification of the most abject aspect of life: the fact that our bodies are already slowly dying and falling apart.

Stand Up Guys (2/1/13)
Al Pacino, Christopher Walken, and Alan Arkin in a buddy crime action comedy. If you don't care for zombies and are lucky enough to live near a theater showing this (since it isn't getting a wide release yet), then this is the obvious choice for you to see this weekend.

Identity Thief (2/8/13)
He's a dinosaur, that Jason Bateman. But he still makes me laugh, and not just when he's being a member of the Bluth family. Add in some raunchy Melissa McCarthy (aka my favorite part of Bridesmaids that I actually liked) and I would call that comedic gold.

Side Effects (2/8/13)
I don't like Channing Tatum. But I do like Rooney Mara, Jude Law, and Catherine Zeta-Jones. Add in the chameleon Steven Soderbergh and a plot about prescription drugs, betrayal, and a possibly illicit affair, and you get one intriguing film. Hopefully also a few Magic Mike-esque glimpses of Rooney.

Beautiful Creatures (2/13/13)
To be honest, I'm including this one because I know that the Misses will be dragging me along to it. It does look like it will be a well made and enjoyable film, if that particular branch of the fantasy genre is your cup of tea. For my money, I would prefer a cup of Earl Grey, hot.

Did I leave off the film you're the most excited about? Leave a comment and let me know! It takes two seconds and would be greatly appreciated! :)