This Weekend, Watch This
A comparison of the new releases for Oct. 23rd, 2009
By Curt David
October 23, 2009
BoxOfficeProphets.com

I'm biting the next person who says Shake 'n' Bake.
New movies are released into theaters every weekend. How do you decide which movie to watch? Some people could pick a movie based on the title (surprisingly - Big, Big Fish, and The Big Lebowski are not part of a trilogy). Some people watch trailers (misleading), some people listen to their friends (friends can be idiots), and some people only go to the movies if their Hollywood crush is on the screen (Dear Catherine Zeta-Jones, I even saw your movie Blue Juice).

More likely than not, each weekend there is a movie that you have never heard of in theaters. I'll save you the hassle of researching every movie, by comparing the new releases for each weekend in this column. Then, I'll tell you which movie to watch.

For the weekend of October 16th, the movies opening in wide release are Astro Boy, Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant, and Saw VI. Amelia is also opening in some theaters.

AmeliaAstro BoyCirque du Freak: The Vampire's AssistantSaw VIWinner
(1 point per category)
Clearest TitleThis title suggests a biography of either Amelia Earhart or Amelia Bedelia. This title suggests a boy, in space. This title suggests circuses, vampires, and freaks, oh my. This title suggests either the sixth installment of the Saw franchise, or a foreign film (Saw vi?)All titles are pretty clear, only one isn't boring. Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant gets the point!
Best Genre &
Rating		Biography/Drama
PG 		Animation/Sci-Fi
PG 		Adventure, Fantasy, Horror, Comedy, Action, Thriller
PG-13 		Horror
R 		Cirque du Freak should lose a point for all those genres. Saw VI gets a point, because it is almost Halloween.
Best TaglineDefying the impossible. Living the Dream. Have a BlastMeet Daron, he's sixteen going on immortal.The Game Comes Full Circle. You all agree with me that Cirque du Freak has the only creative tagline, right? Point.
Best Part of TrailerHilary Swank as Amelia Earhart, and inspirational music. Its strange resemblance to the Amelia trailer. The trailer decently showed the fantasy, horror, comedy, and action genres working together.It was creepy (like the last five Saw trailers). The Amelia and Cirque du Freak trailers made me contemplate spending 10 dollars on them.....1/2 point each.
Lead ActorHilary Swank from Boys Don't Cry and Million Dollar Baby. Freddie Highmore from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and August Rush. Chris Massoglia from things you've never seen. Tobin Bell from all the Saw movies. Hilary Swank and her two Best Actress Oscars win this round.
Best Cast MemberRichard Gere (aka the guy in Pretty Woman) and Ewan McGregor (aka Obi-Wan Kenobi). Kristen Bell, Nicolas Cage, Sam Jackson, Charlize Theron, Eugene Levy, Nathan Lane, Bill Nighy, and Donald Sutherland (well, their voices at least).John C. Reilly (Chicago and Step Brothers), and Salma Hayek wearing a beard.Tanedra Howard won the reality show Scream Queens to earn a role in the movie.It would be easy to give Astro Boy the point for this round.... so I will.
Best Street Cred for the ProductionWriter Ronald Bass won an Oscar for writing Rain Man. Director David Bowers has been involved with the animated movies Prince of Egypt, SharkTale, Chicken Run, Balto, and FERNGULLY!!!!!Writer Brian Helgeland won an Oscar for writing L.A. Confidential and was nominated for writing Mystic River. Director Kevin Greutert edited the first five Saw films. This is a tough one. I think the Oscar AND the nomination gives one more point for Cirque du Freak.


So out of a maximum of 7 points per movie, Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant scores 3 1/2 points, Amelia scores 1 and 1/2 points, and Saw VI and Astro Boy each score 1 point.

You may interpret this column for your own movie preferences. For example, if you like watching people get tortured, by all means go and see Saw VI. However, if you are still on the fence on which new release to watch this weekend, please read the following conclusions from the scientific data gathered in this column.

Conclusion 1: On paper, Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant is the movie to watch this weekend.
Conclusion 2: Surprising things happen every day. Usually I have a feeling of which movie will win each week before doing any research (i.e. Where the Wild Things Are), but this week each of Cirque du Freak's points surprised me.
Conclusion 3: Amelia Bedelia would make a good movie.