MacKenziesaurus Awaits Movies in October

The Invention of Lying
When I lay my head on my pillow at night, I slip into a dream world in which I'm best friends with Ricky Gervais; We banter about witty things and man-hug. Tina Fey lives in that dream world as well, but I refuse to go into more detail about that. But Ricky and Tina together in the same movie? Pinch me. Not only does the Invention of Lying promise to be an overtly hysterical movie, it's refreshingly original. Mark Bellison (Ricky Gervais) lives in a Pleasantville like world where no one has ever lied, nor do they even consider it. Lying doesn't exist as a concept until Mark creates it, and then I assume the hilarity grows like our national debt. The other supporting roles offer no small incentive to cartwheel over to the Rave. Jennifer Garner took time away from polishing her Golden Globe to play co-lead and love interest, Anna. Jonah Hill (Superbad), Jeffrey Tambor (Arrested Development), and Rob Lowe (Google him) bring up the rear. I dare say, after I exhaust my welcome at the Dollar Theater's stimulus Tuesdays, I may write Santa and beg for a certain DVD for Christmas. Opened October 2nd

Zombieland
I swear upon my bomb-shelter full of canned food and semi-automatic weaponry that zombies will one day be reality. Until that day, I will imagine the various ways in which I, and perhaps only I, will survive the zombie outbreak. To my incredible fortune, Woody Harrelson is in a new comedy about all of those things dream of one day doing. Zombie comedies (zom-coms) first grabbed my heart with Shaun of the Dead, and now tantalize me once again with Zombieland. The premise is Woody killing zombies while sporting a southern accent. Hypothetical question: Do movies get more entertaining? Hypothetical answer: Yes, but only under rare circumstances. If you, for some absurd reason, dislike blood, shoot-em-ups, comedies, merriment, awesome or being entertained then this isn't your movie. Everyone else, by the time you read this I will have already seen it. You are welcome to ask be about how amazing it was, but you should already know. Zombieland opened October 2nd.

Where the Wild Things Are
This blurb is as serious as I'm ever going to get. Perhaps my most anticipated movie of the year; nay, of the decade. I haven't been this excited about a movie since Batman: The Dark Knight. Think about that. Where the Wild Things Are promises to be a childhood perfectly articulated. The premise is simple: A boy, Max, escapes the real world where no one understands him to visit where the Wild Things are. There he finds enormous and fascinating creatures who are rambunctious and unpredictable. They crown him king and his first official declaration is “Let the wild rumpus start!” He promises to make everyone happy. but finds it a tall order. The creatures are costumed actors, so there's no fear of glossy CGI ruining the movie. The head creature, who speaks most often to Max, is voiced by James Gandolfini (Tony Soprano in “The Sopranos”), and supported by fellow creatures Forest Whitaker, Paul Dano (Dwayne in Little Miss Sunshine) and Catherine O'Hara (voice of Sally in The Nightmare Before Christmas). I will cry during this movie, because I have cried during the trailer. It's one of the most beautiful movies I've ever been taunted with, and I'm counting down the days. Opens October 16th

Cirque du Freak: the Vampire's Assistant.
Enough is enough! I enjoy variety, and the current fascination with vampires is making the entertainment industry about as diverse as the Mid-West. Don't get me wrong, I love John C. Reilly (Step Brothers and Walk Hard) but this movie looks like it was too ambitious for its own budget. I've got a motto that I swear my bookstore Rave passes by: If its ugly in the trailer, it will be hideous in the feature. The trailer makes it seem as if they tried to pull off special effects that exceeded the movie's budget by a factor of three. The special effects are glossy and detract from any realism the movie might have had. The plot also seems like gross fan fiction from a thirty-year old super-fan of X-Men, Twilight, and Rocky Horror Picture Show, written in their parents basement. Here we have vampires that, instead of traditional vampire characteristics, have X-man-like super powers and work as circus side-show performers because of their apparent disfigurements. I don't want my vampires glittering, leaping to great heights, listening to my thoughts, drinking blood in moderation or having acid spit; I want my vampires sucking the blood of the innocent at every opportunity until someone stabs them in the heart with a splintered hunk of solid wood. I will save my money and wait patiently for a return of traditional Dracula vampires. If you're a part of the other 85% of campus who can afford to waste money, Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant opens October 23rd.
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