Weekend Preview (9.11.09)

After an incredibly weak box office performance last Labor Day weekend, there isn’t a whole lot of reason to be confident that this weekend’s take will be any better. There are a few new films to choose from, but if you’re smart, there’s only one clear choice of what to do with your money: keep it, or go see “9.”

My endorsement: Adult CGI-animated post-apocalyptic action movie “9” opened on Wednesday to mixed but decidedly positive reviews. The visuals in director Shane Acker’s expansion of his Oscar-nominated short film received a lot of praise and seemed to overshadow the under-80-minute film’s lack of sufficient explanation and character development. In putting this film on my must-see list for the fall, that was the risk I knew I would take, and I’m glad to hear that the innovation of “9” left its lasting impression. I can’t say, however, that I’ll have a review for you this weekend.

Red flag of the weekend: I’m so glad that the trailer for “Sorority Row” will no longer be appearing before any movies that I go see. If you think this superficial slasher film remake is worth any cent of your money, then you probably already know this blog isn’t for you. I’ll admit, the first half of the trailer left an impact, but then, as a former Greek college student, I laughed at the line “but, like, the whole Greek system is wearing hooded robes right now” and I was reminded of how poor Hollywood’s depiction of Greek Life is. If you want to see a bunch of attractive younger people kill or be killed, including Bruce and Demi’s baby Rumer Willis, go ahead, just please, please don’t believe anything that movie tells you about college Greeks.

B.O. Winner Prediction: “The Final Destination”  has won two weeks in a row, so that will divide the horror audience up, keeping “Sorority Row” and the new Dominic Sena film “Whiteout” starring Kate Beckinsale from competing. Beckinsale’s “Underworld” fans might be loyal, but who wants to see a film about freezing weather in the wake of summer? With all that in mind, I think the door is open for the master of black family comedy/drama, Mr. Tyler Perry — and his latest Madea film “I Can Do Bad All By Myself” — to take the box office. “9” doesn’t have a big enough demographic to compete, whereas Perry’s films have been known to steal away weak box office weekends in the fall and spring.