More movies actually

It's that time again, when I blog about the upcoming films which I'm eagerly anticipating. Of course, I'd be one of the first in line to see LOTR: Return of the King, Matrix Revolutions and Kill Bill 1 & 2 (btw, there's a incredibly funny new trailer at Yahoo! Movies), but here are some others that seem worthy to see...


This season's most eagerly awaited film pour moi most definitely has to be Love Actually - the directorial debut of Richard Curtis (screenwriter of Four Weddings and a Funeral, Bridget Jones's Diary, & Notting Hill).

The film revolves around ten charming love stories played out by a dozen characters, all culminating on Christmas Eve. The love stories portrayed aren't confined to the standard "boy-meets-girl" formula. Instead, the film covers platonic, married, unrequited, childhood, and sibling varieties as well, in a bold gesture to prove that love is indeed all around. Not every story ends happily, but it gives me warm and fuzzy feeling just thinking about it.

Members of the love-fest include Hugh Grant, Alan Rickman, Emma Thompson, Laura Linney, Colin Firth (!), Liam Neeson, Rowan Atkinson, Keira Knightley, Rodrigo Santoro (!) and Andrew Lincoln ("Egg" from This Life - above right). Apart from the stellar cast, expect to see plenty of cameos, especially in the scenes at the arrivals area or London's Heathrow Airport.

Early reviews and work-in-progress showings at the Toronto International Film Festival have been overwhelmingly positive, surpassing those of Curtis' earlier films.

It's released in the US on 14 November; Australians have to wait until Boxing Day.

(For those straight males who remain reluctant or apprehensive about watching the film under your own initiative, consider that the cast includes the girl from 24, the exchange student from American Pie, the sister from American Wedding, Denise Richards and showings of boobs. As I said, there's something for everyone.)

Just released in the US is Sophia Coppola's light comedy, Lost in Translation. Bill Murry stars as a famous Hollywood actor, who is enticed to make a commercial for Whiskey in Japan. He meets a directionless woman who followed her photographer boyfriend to Tokyo and an unusual friendship develops between them.

Mona Lisa Smile has the makings of a great chick flick. Julia Roberts plays a newly appointed faculty member of Wellesley in the 1950s. Those in her art history class include Kirsten Dunst, Julia Stiles and Maggie Gyllenhaal.

If its trailer is anything to go by, Luther should be an awesome film. Joseph Fiennes plays the "heretic, genius, liberator", Martin Luther. It opens 26 September.

Opening at the same time is Duplex with Ben Stiller and Drew Barrymore, playing newlyweds with a fabulous NYC, er, duplex, but with an incredibly annoying elderly neighbour.

The Scary Moive franchise may not be everyone's cup of tea, but the trailer for Scary Movie 3 is hilarious. Check out who is under the bedsheet in the scene that spoofs The Others... now, that is scary.

Finally, the Director's Cut of Alien will be released on Halloween. Alien on the bigscreen will definitely be worth the price of an admission ticket.