Movies This Weekend! 12/4/08

After a pretty big box office last weekend, will this week be able to match or even top it? If I had to give my opinion (and I’m going to), I don’t think so. We do have a few films that could make some noise, but I think that last week’s offerings were better. Let’s take a look at what we have to look forward to this weekend!

Cadillac Records, Directed by Darnell Martin, Rated R

A film that explores the rise of Chess Records and the artists that rose to fame with it. Leonard Chess, a young Polish emigrant hires a talented blues duo. Fascinated by the sounds they produce, and wanting to get in on the lucrative recording industry, Chess arranges a recording session for Muddy Waters, one of the two he hired. Waters’ initial recordings make their way up the R+B chart, and he becomes a success.

Chess tries to treat all his artists like family, buying them a Cadillac when they record their first hit. However, conflicts of interests between all his artists begin to cause issues with his increasingly talented prodigies. Soon, all of his artists are displaying their troubles, and trying to stay united while more and more scandals become revealed to them. As Rock n Roll begins to rise, Chess’s artists try to move on as they are taken over by other popular artists. However, each of them has lost a small fortune trying to live the high life, yet their spirit remains strong. Chess eventually moves on and gets out of the record industry, but the blues live on.

I can’t even write this synopsis with any justice to the film without revealing too much! Sorry!

Nobel Son, Directed by Randall Miller, Rated R

A tale of familial dysfunction, betrayal, lust, and all that other good stuff. Barkley Michaelson is trying to finish his PhD thesis when his father wins the Nobel prize. However, his father’s past begins to catch up with him when Barkley is kidnapped on the even of the Nobel being accepted. His father refuses to pay the ransom to free his son. Soon, however, he will learn that payback is quite the b*tch.

Punisher: War Zone, Directed by Lexi Alexander, Rated R

Frank Castile continues to wage his war on the world of organized crime, setting his target on mob boss Billy Russoti. After Russoti is left disfigured by Castile, he begins his plan for revenge as a new man, Jigsaw. With Russoti’s men hot on his trail, and the FBI not able to bring in Jigsaw, Castile must stand up for himself to the army that is after him, to ensure that good will prevail.

Joe’s Weekend Outlook

I’m kinda surprised that with this being the holiday season, that studios would decide to release 3, count em, 3, rated R movies. Do they not understand the atmosphere of the holiday season? I may be wrong, but I really think that a movie like Four Christmases was perfect for the time. Do people really want a couple of heart-wrenching tragedies or an action thriller about someone who is trying to fight an army of darkness? I don’t think so. That being said, because they’re new films, they’ll at least crack the top 10… but don’t be surprised to find those theatres less full than those for Bolt and Four Christmases.

What do you think… do you agree with me?