The Lookout

Happy Kickoff Thursday everyone! I like the Colts to hold off the Saints in a shoot-out and the Oregon State Beavers to dominate Cincinnati on the road.

This week's crop of new releases brings us another period piece, a Western titled 3:10 to Yuma. Outside of the outstanding title, this one is filled with promise. I looked at the trailers twice in the theater and it looks like it's the real thing. Desperado conflict is one of the best types, don't you know it?

Plus, this film features two of the three finest actors working. Christian Bale and Russell Crowe should be fun to watch in this one. Bale in the man in white, a struggling rancher forced into a situation that will test his character. Crowe will likely be a lot of fun-like the snarling Denzel of Training Day-in his turn as a notorious outlaw.

Directed by James Mangold, the man behind the films Walk the Line and Identity (an underrated little "stranded hotel" flick-better than Vacancy), this film might be the first to put itself out there as we begin the fall ramp-up to the Academy Awards.

My only quibble. What, they couldn't get the third portion of the triumvirate in there? Bruce Willis teamed up with these two would be a sweet picture...

If you're at Blockbuster this weekend and you take out anything other than the excellent (B+) film The Lookout, I will direct my horde of brain-slurping zombies from the Phoenix badlands to your home address. Rent the movie or suffer a serious headache.

Remember Third Rock From The Sun? Joseph Gordon-Levitt played the one-line dropping youngest son. He was ok in that role. He's excellent in this film. Well-paced and suspenseful, it's a nicely framed picture. Scott Frank (The Interpreter and Flight of the Phoenix) can really build tension, and to watch Gordon-Levitt's Chris Pratt attempt to come back from a brain injury, only to find himself embroiled in some pretty bad business-well, it's a pleasure. Take a look at this film and keep the zombies out of your front yard.

Last thought. What do you make of this story? Brian Williams posed an interesting question tonight. Does our country place too much pressure on mothers to juggle multiple roles?