October Jambalaya 2004

The movies of October

By Blake M. Petit
Theatre Editor

It’s October, friends, the time of ghosts and spooks, goblins and ghoulies -- and frequently some pretty scary movies, too. This October features several major releases, but surprisingly few horror movies (unless you count “Surviving Christmas”). Let’s take our monthly walk through the movies of October to see if any will be worth watching.

Opening Oct. 1:

Riding the Bullet. Based on the novella by horror master Stephen King and directed by Mick Garris (who has previously worked with King on “Sleepwalkers” and the TV miniseries versions of “The Stand” and “The Shining”), this is the creepy little tale of a college student (Jonathan Jackson, “Tuck Everlasting”) who is hitchhiking home to see his ailing mother, only to wind up the passenger in a ghoulish ride. The film also stars David Arquette (who’s done horror before in the “Scream” trilogy, but mostly as the comic relief), Erika Christiaensen (“Swimfan”) and Matt Frewer (“The Stand”). I’ve read this book and it’s one of King’s better short efforts -- fast and creepy... but I have my doubts as to how well it will translate to a feature film. Still, Garris has done good work with King in the past, and hopefully he’ll continue to do so here.

Ladder 49. Joaquin Phoenix (“The Village”) and John Travolta (“The Punisher”) star in this drama about a young firefighter joining the crew of a big city department. One has to believe this film was brought about due to the well-deserved adoration America’s firefighters were given in the wake of 9-11 -- it’s something they’ve deserved for a long time and I hope this film does them justice. The trailers are impressive, and as long as they’ve got compelling characters and a storyline that’s not overly familiar, I think this will be an enjoyable film.

Shark Tale. I applaud Dreamworks for trying to break the stranglehold Disney has had on American animation for so long, but sometimes, doesn’t it feel like they’re just following suit? “Antz” came out around the same time as “A Bug’s Life,” “Deep Impact” followed “Armageddon,” and now this comes right on the heels on the wildly successful “Finding Nemo.” In this underwater CGI adventure, Will Smith “I, Robot” plays a tiny fish in a big ocean who’s made a false name for himself as a sharkslayer. He partners up with an embarassed vegitarian shark (Jack Black, “School of Rock”) and they hatch a scheme that will solve both of their problems. The film also stars Renée Zellweger (“Cold Mountain”), Angelina Jolie (“Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow”), Martin Scorcese (best known as the director of films such as “Gangs of New York”) and Robert Deniro (“Meet the Parents”). Could be cute. Could be funny. But at the moment I’m more concerned about what this film isn’t -- and that would seem to be “original.”

Opening Oct. 8:

Friday Night Lights. Based on the true story of the Permian High Panthers, which some have called the greatest football story of all time, this film stars Billy Bob Thornton (“Bad Santa”) as the coach of a heroic high school football team which carries with it the hopes and dreams of an entire depressed community. The film also stars Derek Luke (“Antwone Fisher“), Lucas Black (“Cold Mountain”), and country singer Tim McGraw. I’m of two minds about this movie. It’s directed by Peter Berg, whose only credit that I’ve actually seen was the abysmal “Very Bad Things.” On the other hand, this kind of film seems tailor-made for Thornton. The inherent problem with every sports movie is building suspense, because these films always, always come down to the same thing -- will the hero (or team) win the big game? The only challenge is making the journey to that game exciting and emotional. Hopefully they’ve pulled it off.

Taxi. Jimmy Fallon (late of “Saturday Night Live”) and Queen Latifah (“Bringing Down the House”) star in this comedy about a bumbling cop who winds up paired up with a tough-as-nails cab driver to solve a string of bank robberies. Hilarity ensues. I’m not a fan of Fallon, frankly, but Queen Latifah has proven she has real comedic chops -- if I see this movie, it’ll be because of her. Also because it’s directed by Tim Story, best known for the first “Barbershop” movie, but who has been given the job of the upcoming “Fantastic Four” film, and I’m hoping against hope for a snippet of brilliance that will make me believe he won’t screw that movie up.

Opening Oct. 15:

Shall We Dance? Richard Gere (“Chicago”) stars as a world-weary accountant who hopes to reignite his love for his wife (Susan Sarandon, “Moonlight Mile”) by taking dancing lessons... from a hot, sultry instructor (Jennifer Lopez, “Gigli”). Sign number 1 that this film is in trouble -- it was supposed to come out this summer but got pushed back to October. Sign number 2 -- it has Jennifer Lopez in it. Maybe I’m just cynical, but no good can come from this.

Team America: World Police. This action comedy, by Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the creators of “South Park,” is about a squad of... well... marionettes that unite to save the world from terrorism. For years now these guys have been doing the sharpest political and pop culture satire on television with “South Park,” and this seems to be an extension of that. And unlike most of Hollywood, they seem pretty bipartisan in picking their targets. If you dig that kind of stuff, this movie will be worth checking out. If you lack the ability to laugh at yourself, skip it.

Opening Oct. 22:

Surviving Christmas. Ben Affleck (“Jersey Girl”), Christina Applegate (“Anchorman”), James Gandolfini (“The Sopranos”) and Catherine O’Hara (“A Might Wind”) star in this comedy about a lonely man who rents himself a family for the holidays. Good grief. Somebody look at the release date on this thing. Oct. 22. That’s over a month before Thanksgiving, and they’re releasing a Christmas movie? Is this sufficient proof that Dreamworks has just thrown its hands up in the air and said, “You know what? We give up? This movie is going to bite?”

Opening Oct. 29:

Saw. Looks like Hollywood is saving its scariest stuff for the end of the month. “Saw” stars Cary Elwes (“The Princess Bride”) and Leigh Whannell (“The Matrix Reloaded”), two men who find themselves trapped in the lair of a serial killer with a dead body between them. Whannell co-wrote the screenplay with first-time director James Wan, and the film also stars Danny Glover (“Lethal Weapon”) and Dina Meyer (“Starship Troopers”). Looks creepy. Elwes is great. Right before Halloween, this could be just what you need to chill your blood. And if that doesn’t do it for you, how about...

The Hollow. Kevin Zegers (“Dawn of the Dead “) stars as Ian Cranston, great-grandson of Ichabod Crane, who returns to the little town of Sleepy Hollow unaware of his ancestor’s terrifying experiences there. The Headless Horseman (stuntman Ben Scott of “Holes”) returns to life and a slaughter ensues. The film also features Stacy Keach (“American History X”), Judge Reinhold (“The Santa Clause”) and Nicholas Turturro (“NYPD Blue”). Could be good, could be another generic slasher flick. The jury is still out on this one.

Blake M. Petit can be reached at BlakeP@heraldguide.com or at 758-2795, ext. 215.