Opening this week at a theatre near you:
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013)
Photo courtesy of Warner Brothers Pictures
Gandalf the Grey (Ian McKellen), Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) and the dwarves continue with the quest to defend Erebor, their home, from the Dragon Smaug. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug website
What to Watch For: Director / co-writer Peter Jackson adds a new character to the Middle Earth world, one that wasn’t in the J.R.R. Tolkien book. It’s a new Elven character called, Tauriel, a fierce warrior played by Evangeline Lilly.
Word on the Street: This film is said to have much more action and move at a faster pace than the first film, “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)”.
My Take: I am excited that Legolas (Orlando Bloom) will be making an appearance in this film and that Benedict Cumberbatch will be voicing the character, Smaug.
Tyler Perry’s A Madea Christmas (2013)
Photo courtesy of Lionsgate
Watch out small town America, Madea is coming for Christmas. Madea heads for a small, rural town that is about to have its annual Christmas Carnival. Will the town survive Madea’s Christmas spirit? Tyler Perry’s A Madea Chirstmas website
What to Watch For: This is the seventh “Madea” film and is adapted from Tyler Perry’s play of the same name.
Word on the Street: This is not your usual Madea cast. It includes Larry the Cable Guy, Chad Michael Murray, Kathy Najimy, Alicia Witt, and Lisa Whelchel .
My Take: I imagine the interplay between Madea and Larry the Cable Guy will be very interesting
“The Armstrong Lie” (2013)
Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures Classic
A documentary that covers seven time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong and focuses on the accusations that Armstrong used performance-enhancing drugs and then lied about it. The Armstrong Lie website
What to Watch For: Documentary filmmaker Alex Gibney was given complete access to Armstrong’s 2009 comeback attempt at winning an 8th Tour.
Word on the Street: Gibney gets Armstrong to answer the questions that Oprah never asked during their famous interview.
My Take: Will Armstrong admit to everything, on-camera, this time?
If you can’t make it to the theatre this weekend, stay at home and watch movies on CW69.
Saturday
1:00 pm
“King’s Ransom” (2005) Malcolm King (Anthony Anderson) is a wealthy businessman who has made quite a few enemies on his way to the top. One is his soon to be ex-wife (Kellita Smith) who hopes to take Malcolm to the cleaners with a divorce settlement. Malcolm decides to plan his own kidnapping, therefore keeping the ransom money for himself. The only problem is Malcolm doesn’t know that other people are out to kidnap him too.
3:00 pm
“The Replacement Killers” John Lee (Chow Yun-Fat) is one of the best hit-men out there. But when John, on assignment, doesn’t kill a man, his bosses put out a hit on him. John seeks out a forger named Meg (Mira Sorvino) to help him escape “the replacement killers.”
Sunday
1:00 pm
“Men of Honor” (2000) The story of Carl Brashear (Cuba Gooding Jr.) who beat the odds to become the first African American US Navy Diver and the Master Chief (Robert DeNiro) who trained him.
