Winter Movie Dulldrums......

The Dack is officially sick of hearing about great films from last year..... Sure it's nice to go see a well crafted film but the Dack loves the escapism of the multiplex and most of the time your standard Oscar fare isn't going to cut it......they might have been good but it's time to look forward toward the new year and all the awesomeness we have waiting for us. although for the next couple months things look pretty bland, so you might want to check out Slumdog Millionaire, The Wrestler, Curious Case of Benjamin Button, or perhaps even The Dark Knight in IMAX because you know that would be sweet!

Here are some movies to look forward too.

Fanboys (February 6) - After several years in the can, Fanboys finally gets released.... well, at least we hope so. The basic premise centers around a group of friends who decide to break into George Lucas's Skywalker Ranch to sneak a peak at Star Wars Episode One when one of their friends becomes seriously ill. Yes, this movie would have been awesome way back in 2000 closer to when Phantom Menace actually came out but this is worth checking out for any star wars fan.



He's Just Not That Into You (February 6) - It's a chick flick I know. But it feels like months since any halfway decent movie came out that I could actually get the Dackette stoked for. I hope this one lives up to my Dackxpectations and if not, rest assured you will be hearing about it.

Watchmen (March 6) - I just caught the latest trailer for this one when I went to see Gran Torino and I was totally hooked... If you are a fan of comic book movies this is what will tide you over until Wolverine hits... but don't be surprised if this one is the superior film. Director Zack Snyder has bitten off a lot with this one translating the most famous graphic novel ever to the big screen let's just hope he's up to the task. I'll be honest I found the Watchmen a little to slow for my tastes on the page. With a reported 3 hour running time this movie better be something special.

I Love You, Man (March 20) - The Dack is a huge fan of Paul Rudd and Jason Segal and this duo looks to make me laugh enough to wet myself.

Fast and Furious (April 4) - The last few sequels have been decent but nothing special...... let's hope that bringing everyone back brings the quality back too. Vin Desiel has never really made the jump to huge action star that most people expected him to after the first Fast and Furious. I think it has more to do with his poor choice of roles that his ability... hopefully he can prove me right.

X-men Origins: Wolverine (May 1) - The Dack has made his love of comic book films very clear so it should not come as a surprise that this one lands on the list. My excitement continues to grow with recent news that the character of Deadpool is going to have a significant role. The fact that Ryan Reynolds is playing the "Merc with a Mouth" has the Dack thrilled!!

Star Trek (May 8) - Who says you can't enjoy both the world of Star Trek and Star Wars.... not the Dack. I like JJ Abrams but he has never put a compete package together. I am excited for the return to the Star Trek universe but I am also preparing for total disaster.


If you haven't see it yet..... here is the first trailer for G.I. Joe... more on this one when I drop my list of summer movies to see later this year but enjoy the trailer.

Clint's Ends Tough Guy Acting Career with Bang...

The Dack had heard all the talk about the launguage and racist comments going into seeing Gran Torino.... So when the F bombs started dropping and the most racist slurs I have heard in a 2 hour period hit I was totally prepared...... As a film Gran Torino worked only because of the skill and status of Clint Eastwood. His performance wasn't to far removed from his tough guy Dirty Harry character but a grity realistic take on what Harry Callahan would be like after the world forgot about him. To me it was a well executed morality tale about how racism is still plaguing this country because people are still hung up on the idea that what you look like or where your family comes from has something to do with who you are as an individual. But I am afraid that what most people are going to take from the movie is a bunch of new racist terms. I do agree that this movie was defiantly unapologetic in not being politically correct but that wasn't enough for me. The one thing I was bothered by the most is how can a person become friends with someone and yet still continue to use racist slurs at them..... and I know Eastwood was staying true to the character but couldn't he have grown just a little...

Besides Eastwood's brilliant performance most of the supporting cast is simply getting by with scenes that Eastwood is not in suffering. The good news is those are few and far between.... When he is on screen his presence lifts the entire casts performance.

As for what the Dack thought, well, it wasn't great and it wasn't terrible and if you are at all a fan of Clint Eastwood than this is a must see. It ends up with sixDacks just because even knowing that all the language and racism was in there I was still a little shocked by it.