What to see this weekend 10/19-21

Last week I wrote about how the fall line up of movies every weekend from that point forward was stacked. I forgot to factor this weekend into the mix mainly because this weekend's releases are more than forgettable. With Halloween looming right around the corner, the mandatory Paranormal Activity sequel hits theaters this weekend. While the first film was extremely original, and a huge success, these films have continued to get less and less interesting by the second.

Unfortunately because the franchise has a solid following, and there is nothing else worth checking out opening weekend, Paranormal Activity 4 will likely win out the box office this weekend despite the fact that it's getting horrible reviews. I don't foresee them stopping the production on further films until they stop performing at the box office, considering they're extremely cheap to produce. If you really want to see this movie, just put in any of the previous 3 and it will have the same effect on you. Or just go to a Haunted House.

Sadly, the only other wide release movie that hits the theaters this weekend is Alex Cross, starring Tyler Perry. When I first saw the poster I thought to myself that it was going to be a farce, like Get Smart but the black version. Then I watched a commercial the other day and saw that this movie was an actual attempt at making an action movie. My jaw dropped as I watched the commercial and I saw former Lost guy, Matthew Fox, sporting a bald head and a sniper rifle. Matthew Fox is about as funny as having a venereal disease so I knew right then that the movie was actually serious. Just please if you're reading this for some reason and you feel like Alex Cross has potential to be something good, then you should consult someone about getting a lobotomy, because your brain isn't worth saving.

I will however recommend checking out The Sessions, which hits the theaters in limited release this weekend. Like last week's release Smashed, this film won critical acclaim at Sundance early this year and got pushed all the way to October to be in the running for Oscar Nominations. While I doubt the film will see a best picture nod, it's not out of question to think that John Hawkes gets his second Oscar nomination this year, as he plays a 38 year old man confined to his bed due to polio, who sets out a goal to lose his virginity. Helen Hunt plays his sex therapist and William H. Macy all in your facey plays John Hawks' confidant, and priest. The movie is lauded as a real crowd pleaser and has potential to at least nab some nominations so if you have the opportunity you should really check it out. It hits limited theaters this weekend, but look for it to hit more cities later in the fall should the oscar buzz be good.

That's really it for movies that are hitting theaters this weekend. I don't recommend that you see either PA4 or Alex Cross considering there are still plenty of good flicks out there. I took in Seven Psychopaths Thursday at midnight and that was a bloody good time. Martin McDonagh is probably the only director/writer in the world of film who knows how to make comedies that dark, and get away with it. Definitely not for all people, but I still recommend it highly. Sam Rockwell, Woody Harrelson and Christopher Walken all give fantastically hilarious performances. Also if you haven't seen Argo you really should go check it out. Great story, great script, great directing, great everything. Ben Affleck has all of a sudden become the best Director/Actor combo in Hollywood, and I don't foresee him falling by the wayside anytime soon. Just go check it out.

If you feel like staying in, or you've already seen all the movies out that I recommend, then I suggest you go out and buy, or rent Moonrise Kingdom. Wes Anderson has his own unique and quirky style, which makes him the subject of many love/hate debates, but if you truly love cinema, then you should see this movie. It's probably his most likable film all around, as it happens to be about young love which we can all relate to. If you haven't seen it yet then you're making a mistake. So far it's up there in the top 3 films I've seen this year, which are Moonrise, Looper, and The Master.

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Here are some sweet new trailers you should check out if you like cool things. Note in the Gangster Squad trailer that they took out the sequence where a bunch of mobsters line up on the backside of a movie screen and shoot up the crowd. I wonder why they may have done that?