PREVIEW WEEKLY - FRIDAY MAY 8

Grand Readership,

Late, late, late! Almost too late to preview these movies - but why the heck not? A great blockbuster in STAR TREK and then some quieter releases... I don't see STAR TREK having trouble dismantling WOLVERINE (hopefully permanently) and should do very strong the next week against ANGLES & DEMONS. We'll have to wait and see - until then, check out the sneak peaks below!

STAR TREK (DIR. JJ ABRAMS)

People who know me know I'm no friend of JJ ABRAMS. Sure, M:I:3 was fun, LOST is a cultural phenom and everything that is tagged with JJ ABRAMS seems to fly off the shelf. Still, I've been sore about him. However, even I cannot deny this is the freshest take on STAR TREK since NEXT GENERATION - and the trailer riles up genuine interest in me - both in story and action. STAR TREK features some newcomers (certainly to this scale of picture) in CHRIS PINE and ZACHARY QUINTO (who play KIRK and SPOCK respectively) as well as some more seasoned veterans in SIMON PEGG, ERIC BANA and JOHN CHO. Is STARK TREK this year's IRON MAN? Certainly appears that way - and it has my vote. See this in a theater, but don't bother with IMAX.


NEXT DAY AIR (DIR. BENNY BOOM)

NEXT DAY AIR marks BENNY BOOM'S first entry into feature filmmaking, and seems be a simple enough premise: a package containing drugs being delivered to the wrong address and hilarity ensues. That BOOM was able to keep this picture rated R in a time where PG13 is all the studios want, is a good sign that he's able to sell his own material (his writer is also a first timer in BLAIR COBBS). NEXT DAY AIR stars MOS DEF (BE KIND REWIND, THE ITALIAN JOB), whom I have a huge soft spot for and DONALD FAISON who's been reliably entertaining in NBC'S SCRUBS. Won't do much at the box office - but there should between $5-10M for the taking in its opening weekend.


RUDO Y CURSI (DIR. CARLOS CAURÓN)

RUDO Y CURSI follows two small town brothers (RUDO and CURSI) who make it big as professional football players in MEXICO - and their lives and they adjust to newfound wealth, fame and opportunity. Director CARLOS CAURÓN was a writer on Y TU MAMÁ TAMBIÉN and has worked with GAEL GARCÍA BERNAL often. BERNAL has star power across the road having such smash hits as Y TU MAMÁ TAMBIÉN, AMORES PERROS and THE MOTORCYCLE DIARIES. Looks light enough, and if its playing in your city and the foreign language scene is for you, there's no reason to miss it.