Cinema Hype

Oh, October. According to the venerable (and always-correct) Wikpedia, you are National Vegetarian Awareness Month, Filipino American History Month, National Orthodontic Health Month, and Healthy Lung Month, among other things. We at Cinema Hype would like to add National Guilt-Movie Month to the list. We hope you don’t mind.

See, October is the beginning of the holiday/Oscar movie season, and it’s only going to get more intense from here on out. Whether that’s an uphill battle or an exhilarating downhill rush with hands in the air and the wind blowing in our hair remains to be seen. On the one hand, we’ve already seen the release of George Clooney’s Michael Clayton, which everybody wants to see just for Intern George, but about which nobody actually seems to know anything–even those who’ve already seen it. And then there’s Rendition, one of two political dramas due out before the end of the year (part of Meryl Streep’s quest to singlehandedly save the U.S. from itself, along with Lions for Lambs). We at CH recognize the quality and the cultural significance of Rendition–this movie is, of course, essentially a current-affairs period piece, a kind of time capsule for the political whirlpool and crisis of confidence of the year 2007. We understand that we’ll be hearing its name on Oscar night, that people will be discussing it and its political messages and the quality of its performances for months to come. We really do. But we also must confess that we’re having difficulty motivating to actually leave the house, get to the theater, and shell out money to see it. That’s the problem with this time of year–it’s supposed to be the season crammed with the very best of American filmmaking, and maybe it is, but it also tends to be the season crammed with the most movies that nobody actually wants to see on a Friday night.

We’re not saying there’s nothing good coming out. The much-awaited and excellent-looking American Gangster will be released November 2, followed by Atonement, for which we < href="http://www.cinemahype.com/i-will-be-vindicated-when-atonement-is-as-good-as-i-predict/">wait with bated breath. There’s Juno (which, check out that cast!). Sweeney Todd’s finally making it out of the can. We’re getting Charlie Wilson’s War from Aaron Sorkin. And look! Someone made a movie of Persepolis! We’re even still clinging to the hope that The Golden Compass will be better than the trailer leads us to believe. We will make it through this bizarre season of heavy Oscar fare and lame Christmas movies. There are things to see. Until then, we’ll just be assuaging the “I know it’s supposed to be good, but I don’t want to see a movie about torture” guilt. Just talk to our therapist. You’ll see.

Oscar season, Christmas movies, upcoming movies, Rendition, Michael Clayton, George Clooney, Atonement, American Gangster, Juno, Charlie Wilson’s War, Persepolis, The Golden Compass, Sweeney Todd, Meryl Streep