Bad Film Week 2 -- Bigger, Badder, Bleah...

Jaru's gone to sasshin again so I'm finishing a first draft and, like last time, watching bad films.

But I'm feeling pretty let down by Hollywood.

I saw Unleashed last night. The premise is, of course, pretty flaky and isn't really saved by the execution -- but Jet Li, Morgan Freeman, and Bob Hoskins! Bob Hoskins gets the best part in the film -- this marvelously over the top, foul-mouthed low life, who, for some reason, is an expert in behavioral psychology. Morgan Freeman is cool and smooth in a part that really needed some more edge; some action films do a good job with multi-textured antagonists but go all gooey when they get around to the good guys. And Jet Li kicks some ass -- but, again, it's kind of hard to take seriously a metaphor for overcoming bad upbringing when it's as whacked out as your foster dad made you think like a dog. I think that's called trying too hard.

Anyway, it was a perfectly fine film, but the rest of the stuff in theaters is pathetic. Honestly, I've got just the kind of crappy taste that Hollywood panders to, so why am I scrounging the video stores? I've already seen the biggie, so I was looking at the other choices. I'll do a little list:

• The Amityville Horror: Eh, maybe, but not really interested. I saw the first one and I'm a little tired of the guy turns into axe murderer in house with spooky events story (and happened to catch just that kind of movie on DVD last night when I rented Darkness). But maybe I'll see it anyway out of desperation.
• House of Wax: Another remake... and this one has Paris Hilton. Admittedly, she supposedly gets killed, but, really, I'd rather just not see Paris Hilton at all. Actually, I would have gone to this had it not been for Ms. Hilton on the poster.
• Comedies: It's like all the latest non-Star Wars releases are comedies and kids movies -- and The Longest Yard is a remake too! I guess because it has football in it the studios thought that would satisfy the guy portion of the audience...
• So I'm also looking at older releases (Sahara or XXX: State of the Union), or releases that everyone knows will suck (Mindhunters).

But I'll probably just rent DVDs....