> Nov 26 - Timeline
>
> Richard Donner (Superman, Lethal Weapon) directed this adaptation of Michael Crichton's novel. Crichton's work is usually fun but thin. This one is a time-travelling adventure that steers back to medieval times. I'm all about that. Could be good, could be mediocre, but it's sure to be interesting.

Yeah, nobody's ever done a story about present-day people going back to the medieval times, using their knowledge of modern technology and science to have a leg up on the barbarians.

> Dec 25 - Paycheck
>
> John Woo directs Ben Affleck and Uma Thurman in a sci-fi thriller with an amnesia subplot. Amnesia is a great device for stories like this, but Woo's fallen far from his heyday in Hong Kong.

It's based on a story by Philip K. Dick, the premise of which would be fantastic for turning into a good sci-fi thriller. Since Woo hasn't made a good movie in a decade, I expect it to be up there with other PKD classic adaptations like Screamers.

We got lucky with Minority Report last year, but even a director as talented as Spielberg had trouble dealing with aspects of Dick's story. Paycheck is a pretty simple story, though, so maybe Woo won't mess it up too badly. I'd advise staying away from the trailers though, since it seems to me that one of them gives away what is, or was in the story anyway, a pivotal plot point.

> Dec 25 - Peter Pan
>
> Was I just talking about good-looking movies? WOW this looks fantastic. Of course, I liked Hook. But the look and feel of this upcoming live action version of Peter Pan absolutely dazzles me. I'm there.

I agree that this *looks* cool, but I'm worried about it not being anything else. I dunno. The trailer's visuals look perfect, but the sense of mood and atmosphere just seems off somehow.

> Jan 9 - Big Fish
>
> Tim Burton's Big Fish opens wide on this date, but it'll be available in select cities as early as November. I'm pumped for this one, though Burton's track record with me is uneven. It's about a son who visits his estranged and dying father, who tells him some pretty wild stories. It's an odd, offbeat kind of premise, perfect for an odd, offbeat kind of director.

After RotK, this is the one I'm most excited about. I tend to really enjoy some aspect of Burton's work, even when it's uneven. I think it'll rock.

Stephen

P.S. Everyone should go see Lost in Translation. I don't care if it's not playing anywhere. Download it from the Internet or something.