Halloween is nearly upon us, which means it is Hollywood's last chance to get a scary movie into theaters before the big day. This weekend brings what may be, arguably, the biggest scary movie of the year. Hopefully, it will deliver the goods. It is the only big release of the week. There is one independent film hitting this weekend in a semi-wide release, and I hope it does well because I like the trailer.
Catch a Fire. (2006, 98 minutes, PG-13, drama, trailer) This movie looks very good, except for Tim Robbins' accent. This is the true story of Patrick Chamusso (Derek Luke), a man with a wonderful family and a good job. Trouble starts when he is arrested on suspicion of sabotage, which results in the torture of his family. Upon release, his priorities are reoriented and he joins the resistance against apartheid.
It was directed by Phillip Noyce, who was also behind Clear and Present Danger and Patriot Games. The look of the film reminds me of The Constant Gardener. Hopefully the quality will be similar.
Death of a President. (2006, 90 minutes, R, drama) This one is sure to stir up a hornets' nest. It debuted at the Toronto Film Festival in a flurry of controversy, where it was picked up by Newmarket, a distributor that is no stranger to controversy as they distributed The Passion of the Christ a few years back. This film is a historical what-if, postulating what would happen if President George W. Bush were assassinated. Pretty heady stuff; hopefully the film pays off.
Saw III. (2006, 107 minutes, R, horror, trailer) The series is often considered to be horror, although I find it to be more along the lines of a suspense thriller. It is the blood and the colorful bad guy that seem to throw people off. I have always had some issue with these films because, for a serial killer, his modus operandi seems to change from person to person. To me, that makes no sense. The typical profile for these types of people usually has them following a similar pattern. Whatever. It's not really the point of these movies.
Article comments
1 - Pat Evans
Well, you predicted Saw III on the nose. Who would have thunk it!
2 - Chris Beaumont
Occasionally I get lucky :)