Ten Movies I Want To See This Fall

Filmspotting just did their fall movie preview, which got me thinking about what movies I'm really looking forward to this fall. I'm not going to bother ranking, because my desire to see these movies is likely to change on a whim, but here's ten that I'm looking forward to.

My five favorite films so far this year.... Thank You For Smoking, Prairie Home Companion, Clerks II, Talladega Nights, and Little Miss Sunshine. With the exception of Prairie Home Companion, these are all comedies (and even Prairie could be considered a comedy if you squint just right), so it seems appropriate to start with another one.

Borat: Cultural Learnings of America
for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan

There are much weightier movies coming out this fall, but, I have to admit, if I was told I could only see one movie this fall... I might go see Borat. I love Da Ali G Show, love the character of Borat, think Sasha Baron Cohen is a comic genius, and from everything I've heard, this movie is not going to disappoint. I have extremely high expectations for this.

The Departed

Jack Nicholson, Matt Damon, Alec Baldwin, Martin Sheen and Mark Walhberg in a Martin Scorcese picture. And based on a supposedly great Hong Kong movie that I haven't seen. 'Nuff said.

The Last King of Scotland

Forest Whitaker as Idi Amin. I'm almost ready to give Forest the Oscar from the trailer alone.

The Good German

Directed by Steven Soderbergh. This still photo alone makes me want to see it. Beautifully shot in black and white with George Clooney and Cate Blanchett, and Tobey Maguire, who to me is a completely underrated actor. Tobey's the Jimmy Stewart of his time. Seriously.

Stranger Than Fiction

Alot of my favorite movies start off with a unique, surreal, premise.

An IRS auditor suddenly finds himself the subject of narration only he can hear: narration that begins to affect his entire life, from his work, to his love-interest, to his death.

I think this qualifies. And Will Ferrell is the IRS auditor. Add Maggie Gyllenhaal, Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson to the mix, and I have to see it. If done right, this could be on par with Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Speaking of which....

The Science of Sleep

Michel Gondry, director of Eternal Sunshine, has a movie coming out, which is enough for this one to be on my list. I don't know much about it, but it looks quite surreal itself.

The Prestige

Directed by Christopher Nolan, starring Hugh Jackman. Something about magic. Looks live a visual tour-de-force, or something. One of two magic movies I really want to see, but since The Illusionist is already out, it's disqualified from my list.

All the Kings Men

Getting some negative reviews, but Sean Penn looks like he's in top form, and it's based on a classic political novel, so I still want to see it.

For Your Consideration

A Christopher Guest mockumentary automatically makes my list.

Tenacious D in 'The Pick of Destiny'

I've been waiting for a Tenacious D movie for several years now.

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Honorable mentions (because I can't stop at ten)
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Marie Antoinette

Looks like the weirdest bio-pic ever.... I want to see it just to see what it actually ends up like. Plus, it's Sofia Coppola, and I trust her.

Rocky Balboa

Ok, this movie could be REALLY bad, but Stallone seemed so passionate about making it that I want to give it a shot.

Willie Nelson and Pot

I'm sure you know the shocking.... SHOCKING.... news that Willie Nelson was busted for pot.

But the best comment on the matter comes from Janet Gansburg,
Bond Insurer, talking to the Onion......

"That's the difference between marijuana and alcohol: When Willie Nelson was pulled over, he had only nice things to say about Jews."

George Allen Poll

In honor of all of Senator Felix's recent comments, I've decided it's time to post a poll (the first ever on this site).

It's on the sidebar on the right.... Who's George Allen gonna hate on next?

George Felix Schlomo Macaca Allen Update

I was going to post today about George admitting to his Jewish heritage, but Dara beat me to it.

So one day he acts all insulted that someone would ask if he has some Jewish roots and won't admit that it's so, the next day he gets some bad press and admits that he does.

I'm more proud every day that George Allen hates me.

George Allen Hates ME Too!

So Dara had a good post about George today that resulted in a rather lively comments section. But she didn't even mention the big news about G. Felix.

George Allen doesn't seem to like Jews.

I know, it's a shocker that a guy like G. Felix would be an anti-semite, but I hadn't really heard any hard evidence. Today, the Washington Post has the goods.

At a debate in Tysons Corner yesterday between Republican Allen and Democrat Webb, WUSA-TV's Peggy Fox asked Allen, the tobacco-chewing, cowboy-boot-wearing son of a pro football coach, if his Tunisian-born mother has Jewish blood.

"It has been reported," said Fox, that "your grandfather Felix, whom you were given your middle name for, was Jewish. Could you please tell us whether your forebears include Jews and, if so, at which point Jewish identity might have ended?"

Ok. I'm with Kos....
That's a dumb, inappropriate question for a debate, but it's Allen's response that's telling. Allen supporters booed the question from the audience, which is a little over the top but fine.... and then.....

"I'm glad you all have that reaction," Allen said to the audience as people jeered the questioner. Allen lectured Fox about the importance of "freedom of religion and not making aspersions about people because of their religious beliefs."

So there you have it. Calling someone Jewish is "making aspersions." Insulting them.

Wonkette has more.....

George Allen — whose mother was, yes, of the prosperous and well-known Jewish Lumbroso family — clearly so shocked — shocked! — at the question that he can’t bring himself to just fucking say “yes, my mom was a Jew, that’s why I bring up the fact that my grandfather was in a fucking concentration camp.” No, instead he suddenly (and temporarily, one presumes) becomes a First Amendment absolutist of a stripe we’ve never seen before: one who takes “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof” to mean “the press doesn’t have a right to ask me if anyone in my family was ever a member of the Tribe in front of my milky-white constituents.”

I'm almost proud G. Felix hates me. If Macaca Man hasn't insulted your ethnic group yet, don't worry, he'll get to you soon.

Here's the video from the debate.

Blogging for the sake of blogging

Well, I haven't blogged since last Wednesday, so I feel I should post something.

I have an excuse, sort of.... I was in Pittsburgh over the weekend playing bingo in honor of my grandmother who passed away in January. The center where she went for activities during the day bought a bingo set in her honor. So last Friday they had a bingo day in her honor. I played a few games, won one. I won a little homemade button for the Steelers from after the Super Bowl. It has a hand with Super Bowl rings on each finger, making a thumbs-up, and it says "One for the thumb."

I'm not a Steelers fan, but Grandma was, so I guess it's appropriate.

But the big fun came for the rest of the day. I was the bingo caller for most of the afternoon. The highlight.... A 90 year old man told me I'm the best bingo caller they've ever had.

Time to update my resume.