I Think I'll Be In Film Junk Food Heaven --- And I Think I'm Gonna Love It!!!!

As much as I appreciate art films and actually like SOME of them, I must confess I am still very much a big, nay, HUGE(!!!), fan of what artfilm posers call "Hollywood drivel".

Why?

Because at the end of the day, pathos still overcomes logos.

Yes, intellectual discourses are all good. But when I step into a movie theater, I don't wanna be discussing the plight of man or the struggle to fight the represssion of the marginalized. (That may sound very selfish to most, but hey, it's the flat-out truth.)

In fact, when I see movies that go along these lines hard-sell, I feel like I'm being lectured to - something I don't want coming from my hard-earned 150+ pesos.

But that's that. Here now folks, is what I actually plan to set aside time and money for along with a whole host of other moviegoers for the year 2007.

You are allowed to roll your eyes, laugh out loud OR join me in going beserk and drooling for these coming attractions:

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1. 300
Before Sin City, I have never heard of Frank Miller. But things pretty much changed after that. This time, the project is a movie version of Frank's retelling of the Battle of Thermopylae. It's where the Persian army, numbering a million, faced 300 Spartans each one hell-bent on taking as many enemies as they can before they fall. If the visuals from the trailer are anything to go on, it'd be unthinkable for me to miss this. (This movie 's said to have been already released, although some say it's still a coming attraction. At least for Manila, the latter's true.)

2. Pirates of the Carribean: At World's End
Johnny Depp. Keith Richards. Need I say more?

3. Resident Evil: Extinction
Now I'm not big fan of trilogies. But if it involves zombies, how can I refuse? And besides, Milla Jovovich's in it.

4.Alien Vs. Predator: Survival of the Fittest
Admittedly, the core story may be lame at best. But as far as I'm concerned, just seeing the Predator kick the Alien's ass on the big screen is worth the time. (I personally have a copy of all the Alien and Predator series so that sort of explains why I want to see this second installment of the franchise.)

5. Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
I care little for the Fantastic Four but research say that this movie precedes a movie fully-dedicated to the Silver Surfer, which'll come out 2008 or 9. Back in grade school, you would find me with the boys huddled over the latest issue of the Infinity Gauntlet series. We would exchange notes and ideas of what could happen and why. Looking back, those were the days - and I miss them. If this movie could at least come close to my imaginations of Galactus and Thanos and the like, that'd be so suh-weeeeeeeet.

6. 28 Weeks Later
The film that reinvented the zombie flick (although many claim it's technically NOT a zombie film. Whatever...) has been given a successor with a story plot that picks up where 28 Days left off. The title should give you an idea already: It's London roughly six months after the inital incident. Although Danny Boyle's no longer at the helm, he still produces this project. Still remains to be seen if his vision is carried over into this sequel.

7. Transformers
I grew up on the stories of the Autobots and the Decepticons; Optimus Prime and Megatron. I love Volkswagen beetle cars partly because they resemble Bumblebee. (As a kid, I believed those cars could actually transform.) Now Michael Bay (one of my favorite action film directors) is coming up with a live-action version of this cartoon series. I've seen the trailer. Medyo bitin. What I wanna know is if they're gonna show Soundwave and those casette-robots of his. If they do, that'd be soooooo sick! (In a good way, of course.)

8. Sin City 2
Like I've mentioned before, I am a Frank Miller fan for the visual goodies and twisted tales in store. Ditto when it comes to robert Rodriguez - The King of Camp Action Flicks. I don't suppose I'd be seeing a reprise of Benecio del Torro with a half-lopped off head. Oh well, one can only be so lucky I suppose.

Other projects in the offing...

He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (2008)
They've come out with an earlier version of this. Now I'm curious how they're gonna redo the adaptation. Research tells me John Woo will be at the helm. That tidbit alone's already got me hot and bothered....

Tekken (2008/09?)
Out of the many movie studios that produce videogame to movie adaptations, Screen Gems comes out with one of the more decent ones. These guys, after all, are responsible for the (so far) kick ass adaptations of Resident Evil. While I'm not a big gamer, I like Tekken if only because they've got such interesting characters. When it comes to the movie, I'd see it because I'm so damned curious how they're gonna render Yoshimitsu.

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Yes folks, it is all eye candy and gratuitous ass-kicking.

And it is very likely they'll all rot my brain the way too much Three Musketeers does to your teeth. But quite frankly, I don't give a shut-yer-mouth. It's one of those few opportunities I can sit back and be a kid again.

That alone is already worth the price of admission (along with a bagful of chips and chocolates...).