Movies released in January, aside from
the Oscar season stragglers getting wide releases, tend to be pretty
dreary. It's after the holidays, kids are back in school, nobody
wants to leave the house, the list goes on. Studios don't have much
confidence in making money during this time and thus don't put their
best foot forward in what they send to theaters. There can always be
surprises, like everyone's favorite “January movies aren't always
bad” example, The Silence of the Lambs,
but typically when you hit the cinema this time of year it's to pass
the time, not to be challenged by great art. And boy oh boy can that
be refreshing and fun. So, let's take a look at the fun-time trash
queued up for us this weekend at the movies.
The Boy Next Door
Director: Rob Cohen
Writer: Barbara
Curry
Starring: Jennifer
Lopez, Ryan Guzman, Ian Nelson, John Corbett, Kristin Chenoweth
The quintessential
January garbage thriller, this one stars Jennifer Lopez as a teacher
who moves to a new town and sleeps with her (possibly underage, as
the trailer isn't entirely clear on this point) next door neighbor,
who turns out to be a psychopath who stalks and later causes mayhem
in her life. It looks like low-rent Brian De Palma, and if it has
even a tenth of the wacky psychosexual stuff he put in, say, Body
Double, we could be in for a treat. Likely, it's awful, but
there's a draw to it nonetheless.
Mortdecai
Director: David
Koepp
Writer: Eric
Aronson
Starring: Johnny
Depp, Gwyneth Paltrow, Paul Bettany, Ewan Mcgregor
Speaking of
low-rent versions of things, here's the modern take on The Pink
Panther, with Johnny Depp in the Inspector Clouseau role, who is
running low on cash so he stages a heist to be paid to solve, or
something. It doesn't matter. It's Depp doing another silly voice and
replacing a silly hat with silly facial hair. You know the drill.
However, the production design and colors indicate a Wes Anderson
influence, which could be eye popping at the very least, plus it's
the first deadpan comedy role in a while for Paltrow, who has had the
thankless role of being Iron Man's girlfriend in the Marvel movies
for years. This could be right in her wheelhouse.
Strange Magic
Director: Gary
Rydstrom
Writers: David
Berenbaum, George Lucas, Irene Mecchi, Gary Rydstrom
Starring: Alan
Cumming, Evan Rachel Wood, Elijah Kelley, Meredith Anne Bull
“From the mind of
George Lucas” comes this CGI animated feature about fairies and
stuff like that doing what looks like a jukebox musical. The
animation looks impressive, but based on the trailer and the fact
that it didn't screen for critics, this could have a rough go of it.
Before you get all, “But George Lucas did Star Wars,” he
didn't do anything but write a short story one time that has been all
“sequels to Shrek”-ified. He's more concerned with
philanthropy and building museums than filmmaking these days, so
don't expect any of that Han Solo magic this time around.
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