Looking at the Weekend: September 16-18, 2011

This is going to be an odd weekend. All of the week’s new releases have the potential of doing well, but Drive may be the most original film, which could boost it into the top spot.

Consensus

Below is a list of what we have come to a general consensus on. The number in parens represents the percentage of our contributors who agree with the statement.

Drive: A solid festival performer, this film looks to be the most exciting release of the weekend.
I Don’t Know How She Does It: It could be fairly innocuous. It could be good. We just aren’t sure yet.
Lion King 3D: Don’t waste your money on something that didn’t need to be done in the first place.
Straw Dogs: As remakes of horror films go, this one just doesn’t appeal to us.
Jane’s Journey: Informative, but a touch formulaic, those interested in the subject will be the best patrons.
Restless: It’s a Gus Van Sant film, which gives it a measure of support among cineastes.

WIDE RELEASES

Drive
See the original CinemaSight Trailer & Poster Preview
Will I See?	Will I See?	Will I See?
Recommendation?	Recommendation?	Recommendation?
Oscar Chances	Oscar Chances	Oscar Chances
Thoughts This film has the potential to reach out both to cineastes and genre fans, which could make it a formidable film.	Thoughts Looks like an interesting thriller.	Thoughts The Cannes prize and glowing festival buzz makes this a must see.

Drive

See the original
CinemaSight
Trailer & Poster
Preview

Will I See?

Recommendation?

Oscar Chances

Thoughts

This film has the potential to reach out both to cineastes and genre fans, which could make it a formidable film.

Thoughts

Looks like an interesting thriller.

Thoughts

The Cannes prize and glowing festival buzz makes this a must see.

I Don’t Know How She Does It
See the original CinemaSight Trailer & Poster Preview
Will I See?	Will I See?	Will I See?
Recommendation?	Recommendation?	Recommendation?
Oscar Chances	Oscar Chances	Oscar Chances
Thoughts The only thing making me lean towards seeing this on DVD is that a handful of critics have liked it, which could mean it lives up to the expectations of the first half of the trailer, not the latter half.	Thoughts I’m on the fence with this one. Writer-director Doug McGrath has made some interesting films, but star Sarah Jessica Parker’s films generally fizzle.	Thoughts Douglas McGrath was once an Oscar nominee for Bullets Over Broadway…now he makes films like this.

I Don’t Know How She Does It

See the original
CinemaSight
Trailer & Poster
Preview

Will I See?

Recommendation?

Oscar Chances

Thoughts

The only thing making me lean towards seeing this on DVD is that a handful of critics have liked it, which could mean it lives up to the expectations of the first half of the trailer, not the latter half.

Thoughts

I’m on the fence with this one. Writer-director Doug McGrath has made some interesting films, but star Sarah Jessica Parker’s films generally fizzle.

Thoughts

Douglas McGrath was once an Oscar nominee for Bullets Over Broadway…now he makes films like this.



Will I See?	Will I See?	Will I See?
Recommendation?	Recommendation?	Recommendation?
Thoughts I loved the film when I first watched it in theaters, but I’ve heard the post-conversion to 3D isn’t terribly good.	Thoughts This now classic animated film doesn’t need a 3-D revision.	Thoughts Rent the original instead.

Straw Dogs
See the original CinemaSight Trailer & Poster Preview
Will I See?	Will I See?	Will I See?
Recommendation?	Recommendation?	Recommendation?
Oscar Chances	Oscar Chances	Oscar Chances
Thoughts Since the first trailer, I’ve had no desire to see the film. Nothing has changed my mind since.	Thoughts Appears to be yet another remake of a film that didn’t need to be re-made.	Thoughts Rent the original instead.

Straw Dogs

See the original
CinemaSight
Trailer & Poster
Preview

Will I See?

Recommendation?

Oscar Chances

Thoughts

Since the first trailer, I’ve had no desire to see the film. Nothing has changed my mind since.

Thoughts

Appears to be yet another remake of a film that didn’t need to be re-made.

Thoughts

Rent the original instead.

LIMITED RELEASES

Jane’s Journey
See the original CinemaSight Trailer & Poster Preview
Will I See?	Will I See?	Will I See?
Recommendation?	Recommendation?	Recommendation?
Oscar Chances	Oscar Chances	Oscar Chances
Thoughts I can’t say for sure how good it will be, but the subject is interesting enough that I might pick it up on DVD.	Thoughts Everything Jane Goodall does is interesting, but this looks to me to be more like a TV special than a real movie.	Thoughts Looks like the kind of documentary that gets forgotten about pretty quickly.

Jane’s Journey

See the original
CinemaSight
Trailer & Poster
Preview

Will I See?

Recommendation?

Oscar Chances

Thoughts

I can’t say for sure how good it will be, but the subject is interesting enough that I might pick it up on DVD.

Thoughts

Everything Jane Goodall does is interesting, but this looks to me to be more like a TV special than a real movie.

Thoughts

Looks like the kind of documentary that gets forgotten about pretty quickly.

Restless
See the original CinemaSight Trailer & Poster Preview
Will I See?	Will I See?	Will I See?
Recommendation?	Recommendation?	Recommendation?
Oscar Chances	Oscar Chances	Oscar Chances
Thoughts The trailer didn’t leave much of an impression on me, so I’m not that interested in watching it.	Thoughts Has the quirky look of Harold and Maude.	Thoughts Gus Van Sant’s films are always worth seeing, although the Academy doesn’t usually warm to them.

Restless

See the original
CinemaSight
Trailer & Poster
Preview

Will I See?

Recommendation?

Oscar Chances

Thoughts

The trailer didn’t leave much of an impression on me, so I’m not that interested in watching it.

Thoughts

Has the quirky look of Harold and Maude.

Thoughts

Gus Van Sant’s films are always worth seeing, although the Academy doesn’t usually warm to them.