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Oz, The Great and Powerful
Who: James Franco, Mulia Kunis, Rachel Weisz, Michelle Wiliams, Zach Braff, Tony Cox, Bruce Campbell, director Sam Raimi
What: A fantasy adventure from Disney that takes place in the land of Oz prior to Dorothy's arrival (in The Wizard of Oz). Franco plays a circus magician named Oscar Diggs who is swept away to Oz and becomes entangled in the land's politics. He must deal with witches Theodora (Kunis), Evanora (Weisz), and Glinda (Williams) while trying to figure out whose side he's on.
When: June 11th - DVD and online on demand
Why: I probably should have caught this in the theater, since the trailer makes it look like it would be a great visual experience on the big screen. I love the idea of a prequel to the Wizard of Oz, and I'm looking forward to how the actresses play the witches.

Snitch
Who: Dwayne Johnson, Rafi Gavron, Barry Pepper, Jon Bernthal, Susan Sarandon, Benjamin Bratt, Harold Perrineau
What: A crime thriller starring Dwayne Johnson as John Matthews, the father of a kid who's been set up in a drug deal and is faced with serious prison time. Johnson makes a deal with the DEA to go undercover in the drug world in order to reduce his son's sentence. Of course, the dangerous mission now puts Matthew's life in danger (in a PG-13 way) if he gets caught snitching. Pepper plays a Fed, Sarandon plays a U.S. Attorney, and Bratt plays a drug cartel kingpin.
When: June 11th - DVD and online on demand
Why: I always find it strange how popular Johnson can be, likely a significant reason for the boost in Fast & Furious movie box office, and yet he has these smaller films that don't do as well. Snitch reminds me of Faster, and also Vin Diesel's revenge movie A Man Apart. I'm looking forward to the action and the drama in this one.

Wrong
Who: Jack Plotnick, Eric Judor, Alexis Dziena, Steve Little, William Fichtner
What: An off-beat surrealistic comedy from French director Quentin Dupieux (in English language) starring Jack Plotnick as a depressed suburban man who is losing his mind. He's also lost his dog, and while on a journey to find the dog, things get strange.
When: June 11th - DVD and online on demand
Why: I'm not familiar with Plotnick, nor am I sure from the trailer that there's any dog, so don't approach this as a man's best friend movie. It looks weird. I can do weird. I also like William Fichtner, who is the main draw for me.

Release Note: the movies Betty and Coretta, Horrid Henry: The Movie, The Incredible Burt Wonderstone, Movie 43, and Ring of Fire may be available in some formats now but I'm waiting for their Netflix release dates to include them in the Watchlist.

What I'm watching this week: I missed Oz, The Great and Powerful in theaters, so that's easily the first movie I want to see this week. The effects look great, the spectacle looks great, and I want to see Mila Kunis be a witch. The rest of this week's movies look less appealing to me but I'm open to watching them as a way to relax. I'll be watching Snitch and Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters mostly for the action. Absolute Deception and Nine Miles Down would qualify for the same reason if I had nothing else to watch, but since I do, these two won't make the cut. Cloud Atlas is something I feel like I need to see more than I want to see. Some of the effects look neat, and I'll enjoy some of the historical setting, but I'm dreading the touchy-feely theme (and seeing Tom Hanks with terrible hair styles). Frankie Go Boom is a comedy that's probably entertaining, but I wouldn't necessarily regret missing, were it not for the presence of Lizzy Caplan. I'll make an effort to see it for her. Knife Fight and Wrong are the more intellectual choices this week. Like Frankie Go Boom, I wouldn't be rushing to see these movies, but the presence of Lowe and Schiff, and the potential for something weirdly funny, make them considerations.

Coming next week:

21 and Over, Beautiful Creatures, The Brass Teapot, Come Out and Play, The Last Exorcism II, Movie 43, Open Road, Quartet, Side Effects, Stoker

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