"Let's go to the movies/ Let's go see the stars"

One of my favorite features of the amazing creation that is YouTube is being able to watch movie trailers. Come on, aren't the previews one of the best parts about going to see a movie? You know it is. So this is an easy way to see what is headed to theaters yet it prevents me from paying $8.50 (even for a matinee). Sweet deal. These are the ones that look interesting to me and I might even cough up the money for the insanely overpriced ticket to go and see them once they come out.

6. "Legion" In theaters: 1/22/10. Plot: After God loses faith in humanity, the archangel Michael (Paul Bettany) is the only one standing between mankind and the apocalypse. This time using angels as the act of Biblical judgment, God's wrath descends on Earth to exterminate the world's population. In a desperate, last-chance gambit, Michael leads a group of strangers to a small, New Mexico diner to protect a young waitress who may be pregnant with Christ in his second coming. (source: Wikipedia)

Okay. This one, I might not actually pay to see it. The true saving grace of the film (for me) is the fact that Kevin Durand is in it, playing the angel Gabriel. You might remember him as Keamy from Season 4 of LOST. He is Attractive. That's right, with a capital A. I mean the whole "God killing humanity" thing is sort of bizarre and I think there is going to be some sort of twist (but that might be giving the movie too much credit). Also Paul Bettany is in this and he's awesome. I think he has one of the best voices ever. So yeah, this film-- it's a maybe. That's also why it's number six on this list.

5. Moon. Plot: It is the near future. Astronaut Sam Bell is living on the far side of the moon, completing a three-year contract with Lunar Industries to mine Earths primary source of energy. He is set to return home in three weeks when strange things start to occur. (Source: YouTube)

This movie apparently has already had a limited release (and just to build some street cred, on IMDB.com it is #233 out of the top 250. Sort of impressive for a film with a limited release) and opened yesterday in one theater in Georgia (in Dublin. Might not be making it to this one). It stars Sam Rockwell, who usually impresses me, and Kevin Spacey is the voice of the robot. I don't know why but I am strangely fascinated by Spacey. Well, no, I know why: he's a brilliant actor. And during the trailer, I thought, "Wow. The robot has such a nice, calming voice". Little did I know it was my man, Kev! So that's reason enough for me. Oh and Clint Mansell did the music. He is fantastic so chalk up another point in column for reasons to see this film.

4. Couples Retreat. Release Date: 10/9/09. Plot: A comedy centered around four couples who settle into a tropical-island resort for a vacation. While one of the couples is there to work on the marriage, the others fail to realize that participation in the resort's therapy sessions is not optional.(Source: IMDB)

Vince Vaughn. Jon Favreau. Jason Bateman. Nothing more needs to be said. Moving on...

3. The Blind Side. 11/20/09. Plot: A poor, oversized and under-educated teenager is recruited by a major college football program where he is groomed into an athletically and academically successful NFL prospect. (Source: IMDB)

Sandra Bullock: Great actress. Tim McGraw: Good lookin. Adorable Boys who form an unlikely friendship: All about it. Football: Oh yeah. An uplifting tale based on a true story: YES. I think this may be the first trailer that I ever actually cried while watching. I had tears streaming down my face in the matter of 2 minutes and 32 seconds. I blame it on the use of the beautiful song "Pieces" by Red during the last half of the trailer. I will drag someone to go and see this one with me. Family members, I'm looking at you.

2. The Twilight Saga: New Moon. Coming to Theaters: 11/20/09. Plot: Bella Swan is devastated by the abrupt departure of her vampire love, Edward Cullen, but her spirit is rekindled by her growing friendship with the irresistible Jacob Black. Suddenly she finds herself drawn into the world of the werewolves, ancestral enemies of the vampires, and finds her loyalties tested. (Source: Youtube)

Yes, I am going to be a 14 year-old squealing girl about this one. They can credit the success of this franchise (apart from Stephanie Meyer creating and writing the series) solely to Robert Pattinson. I didn't even know what Twilight was until a few weeks before the last book came out about a year ago. There were all of these vampire, dazzling, Team Edward, and Team Jacob "bumper stickers" on facebook and I had no idea it was a fairly successful book series. Somehow I saw my friend NE had read it and asked to borrow it. Well, two or three chapters in and I was hooked. It's definitely gear toward a middle schooler but it's entertaining and interesting. Actually, I really can't stand the character of Bella. She is whiny and annoying. And the fact that Kristen Stewart was cast as Bella just confirms this fact. They are lucky Katherine Hardwicke didn't screw up this multimillion dollar franchise because of her poor casting choices due in large part to favoritism. Nikki Reed as the most beautiful person on the planet? I'm sorry but NO. Bella, the charmingly clumsy girl who falls for a vampire is played by Kristen Stewart? An actress who is so monotone, gloomy, and plays the same role no matter the film's content or mood? Yeah, I'm not buying it. So that's why the film studio can thank their lucky stars they got R-Patz who sent thousands of girls' hearts fluttering when they saw him as Cedric Diggory in the Harry Potter series. And the likely success of this upcoming film can be also attributed to Taylor Lautner. Boy put on some muscle and became even more attractive (good move on the shirtless scenes in this trailer, editor) and I think many teenage girls are now pondering their loyalty to "Team Edward". Anyway, hopefully with the increased budget and new director this film will be a bit more exciting and visually pleasing than the last one. That doesn't mean I didn't enjoy the last one, I certainly did. And that's why I will definitely see this one. You can bet your last dollar on it.

1. The Lovely Bones. Will be released: 12/11/09. Directed by Peter Jackson. Starring Mark Whalberg, Rachel Weisz, Susan Sarandon, Stanley Tucci, and Saoirse Ronan. Plot: A young girl who has been murdered watches over her family--and her killer--from heaven. She must weigh her desire for vengeance against her desire for her family to heal. (Source: IMDB)

This has been one of my favorite books ever since I read it in high school. When I found out it was being made into a movie and Peter Jackson was at the helm, well I was nothing short of being absolutely giddy. The trailer is a cinematic masterpiece, how can the complete film be anything less? I smell (several) Academy Awards for this one. It looks visually stunning, the casting is surprisingly well-done (I hesitated about Whalberg playing the father. But after seeing The Departed, he is most certainly hardcore and up to the task), and I have already watched the trailer about ten times. I. Cannot. Wait.

Now, if you don't mind, I've got a stack of books I need to re-read before these films hit theaters in a couple of months.