By Chris Kavan - 10/11/12 at 06:32 PM CT
For two weeks now, Hollywood has reveled in grosses that, while maybe not wiping out the humdrum September, certainly help. This week, with a broad comedy, a horror in anticipation for Halloween and a potential Oscar contender, not to mention some movies that should have a strong second weekend, I think we're looking at a three-peat up weekend. I have high hopes for some, little to no hope for others, but I think the weekend will end up a winner.
ARGO Ben Affleck once again goes behind and in front of the camera for Argo. A true story based on six Americans trapped in Iran following a revolution and in quite high danger of being executed. An "exfiltration" specialist comes up with a plan: come up with a fake movie, make the six people part of his fake crew and get out of the country with no one the wiser. A plan as audacious as it sounds insane. For me, this looks like it lives up to its potential Oscar consideration. It looks like it has a great mix of drama, tension and, aside from his haircut, Affleck looks impressive. It's historic, it's exciting, it's dramatic - it's the kind of film Oscar loves. General audiences? That might be a harder sell. Still, this is by and far the movie I'm most looking forward to watching this weekend.
SINISTER October is all about horror. Halloween is a time to have fun, but, more importantly, it's a time to get scared. And this year I have my hopes pinned on Sinister to scratch my horror itch. In past years I've put my trust in the Paranormal Activity series, but I'm looking for something different. Sinister, with Ethan Hawke finding some creepy footage of the previous family - and putting his own in danger - is kind of a twist on found footage. Yes, I know the genre is being done to death, but I have to admit the trailers look really good. I know, I've been burned on trailers showing the best parts before, but I'm hoping that Sinister makes my day. The closer we get to Halloween, the better horror films perform. I will be interested to see if audiences turn out for this - a bit early, but if it gets the right kind of attention, it could have a nice run throughout the month.
HERE COMES THE BOOM I have no idea why, but people seem to find something comforting about Kevin James. He's a mall cop, he's talking to animals, he's a man-child - and now he's a teacher-turned-MMA fighter. While I am just perplexed how people can find this amusing, I bet it will make more money than I care to think about. James is that loveable schlub that appeals to families. He's a very "safe" choice - kind of funny, kind of teaching a lesson - James seems pretty bland to me, but for whatever reason (kind of like Tyler Perry) people just like it and keep coming back for more.
SEVEN PSYCHOPATHS Finally we come to the ensemble comedy and crime film Seven Psychopaths. Some big names here: Christopher Walken, Woody Harrelson, Colin Farrell, Sam Rockwell, Abbie Cornish, Gabourey Sidibe, Kevin Corrigan - and more join in the fun revolving around the beloved Shih Tzu pet of a notorious gangster. From what I can tell from the previews, most of these people are going to wind up dead in in various ways. For some reason it reminds me of the dark comedy Very Bad Things, where one thing leads to another and BAM, you're dead. Bad decisions people - lead to bad things. Still, I haven't seen a big marketing push for this film, which leads me to believe it's not going to make that big of splash despite the amazing cast. This is one I would be happy to rent in the future, just for the people involved, but considering the competition this week, I have a feeling it's going to get buried.
The question remains: what are audiences looking for this weekend? Are they going to get a jump on Halloween with a horror film? A jump on awards season with a potential Oscar contender? Or a broad appeal family film? Or will Taken 2 continue to kick butt and hold on to the crown. I think it could easily be a battle between the four.
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