Paul Lane: Bees, monsters and aliens -- oh my

Saturday

Oct 27, 2007 at 12:01 AMOct 27, 2007 at 10:10 AM

If horror isn’t your thing, there are several animated, dramatic and comedic highlights from Hollywood coming to finish out the year. Following is a quick look, including tentative release dates, at some of my picks for how to spend those Friday nights when — make that if — it gets cold.

Paul Lane

First it was a trap that tore a person’s head open.

Then there was the antidote hidden in the fired-up furnace.

And who could forget the attempted drowning sequence involving deceased pigs?

If nothing else, the “Saw” franchise has entrenched itself as the James Bond of the horror world — you tune in just to see what new gadgets will be unveiled.

For the fourth time in four years, Halloween weekend will begin with an installment of this horror chain that’s already in line for two more sequels. This one sees main terrorizer Jigsaw (Tobin Bell) continuing to torment his victims even after he’s dead. The death of the main character might be the final straw for many franchises, but “Saw” fans know that anything is possible and don’t expect any let-up in the frights.

If horror isn’t your thing, there are several animated, dramatic and comedic highlights from Hollywood coming to finish out the year. Following is a quick look, including tentative release dates, at some of my picks for how to spend those Friday nights when — make that if — it gets cold.

“Dan in Real Life” (in theaters): Steve Carell stars as an advice columnist who falls for the woman he later finds out is his brother’s girlfriend. They spend the rest of the film fighting an obvious mutual attraction. Dane Cook co-stars as the afore-mentioned brother; despite that glaring flaw, this film should appease a variety of viewers.

“American Gangster” (Nov. 2): Russell Crowe is a New York City detective who’s working to bring down a heroin kingpin (Denzel Washington) who smuggles drugs into the country in the coffins of soldiers returning from Vietnam. Everything about this film, from the plot to the leads and the supporting cast (Cuba Gooding Jr. and RZA, among others) looks superb — which might help this film supplant “Gladiator” as Crowe’s most butt-kicking film.

“Bee Movie” (Nov. 2): Sure it’s a cartoon. But it’s Jerry Seinfeld, so how bad could it be? Seinfeld — who produced the film — voices a bee who’s disappointed in his career choices after college. After striking up a conversation with a New York City florist (voiced by Renee Zellweger), he wants to right the centuries-old wrong of people taking honey and sues the human race. This devastates the bees’ economy, however, so he has to set things right again.

“The Mist” (Nov. 21): If there’s anything out there that can rival “Saw” in terms of being twisted, it’s Stephen King. This latest adaptation from one of his novels sees a strange storm possess the residents of a Maine town, turning them upon their neighbors. A small band of citizens hunkers down for the final fight.

“Grace is Gone” (Dec. 7): John Cusack tugs at the heartstrings as a father who can’t find a way to tell his daughters that their mom died serving in combat in Iraq. This movie won the Audience Award for Drama at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival and has generated Oscar buzz for Cusack.

“I Am Legend” (Dec. 14): Just in time to warm up your spirit for the holidays, Will Smith stars as the last survivor in New York City as a man-made virus kills everyone. He spends three years in solitude searching for other survivors around the world while dodging mutant victims of the plague. As the infected gang up on him, he races to make a cure out of his blood, which carries an immunity to the virus. This film is based on the 1954 novel of the same name.

“National Treasure: Book of Secrets” (Dec. 21): Pointless sequel? Absolutely. But the original was better than expected, so we’ll hold out hope. Nicolas Cage returns as Benjamin Franklin Gates, the treasure hunter who’s charged this time with discovering the truth behind an alleged conspiracy behind the Lincoln assassination. His distant relative is supposedly implicated in the killing, so Gates seeks out the “Book of Secrets,” which tells the truth behind this, the JFK conspiracy and countless other mysteries.

“Alien vs. Predator: Requiem” (Dec. 25): Speaking of sequels, this follow-up to the 2004 nerdfest sees more aliens fighting more Predators. Aside from retooled costumes for both of the warring species, this one features an R as opposed to a PG-13 rating, promising more violence for your buck. Merry Christmas!