Towelites!

This week is another good one, starting off with the awesome The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. The first part of the prequel trilogy to the Lord of the Rings, this movie has all the heart and magic the original one had. I found it interesting that you could see how this one was a tad more lighthearted, which was appropriate considering that the very first original version of J.R.R.Tolkien’s Hobbit was a children’s story. Directed by Peter Jackson and starring Ian McKellen, and Martin Freeman, this movie is a great addition to any collection. Not to mention, it also comes out in 3D, which was extra entertaining.

Next on the list is Les Miserables. Starring Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, and Amanda Seyfried, this musical was actually extremely good. I have never been the biggest fan of musicals, nor had ever read the story of Les Mis, but I found the production of this one amazing. Also, unlike any other musicals I have seen, were the songs break out intermittently throughout the story – this film has the entire dialogue shot in song. *As a note, LesMis is actually released on Friday of this week (22nd) – not sure why some movies get released like that… it’s rare, but it happens every so often.

Zero Dark Thirty also hits the shelves this week, and I have to admit, the movie was great. Starring Jessica Chastain and Chris Pratt, this movie had me on edge the entire time (despite having a general idea of how the story goes). Directed by Kathryn Bigelow, this movie is much better then her previous film Hurt Locker (which I thought was very good, but overrated.

Another release this week is This is 40. Director Judd Apatow brings the group back together for more laughs – this time working with Paul Rudd, Leslie Mann, John Lithgow and Megan Fox. This quasi sequel to Knocked Up has been on my To Do list since I missed it in the theaters. Lots of mixed reviews for it, but I’m a fan of the team, so… guess we’ll see. * Like Les Mis, This is 40 also gets released this Friday (22nd).

Leaving the new for an old, the Criterion Collection is releasing Badlands on blu-ray. Starring Martin Sheen and Sissy Spacek, this is a classic when it comes to films.

Till next week…

~mozeus