Dread Locks: March 2011

I have truly given up at this point on seeing The Roommate, despite my predisposition to see it. I will eventually get around to it on DVD, at which point I will gladly inform you of all its "prowess", but I'd like to be in a position to have money before heading into a position of spending money on such lesser trifles. Hopefully I'll be in that sort of position next month, and it's a pretty good thing too based on the films up for contention in this month's "Dread Locks" poll. I had plenty of likely horrid works to choose from such as Take Me Home Tonight, Mars Needs Moms, and The Lincoln Lawyer. That's not even to mention the films that look good but could turn out to be less than favorable. A film named Elektra Luxx sounds like it's begging to be on a list like this, but actually looks somewhat decent. Am I supposed to condemn a film starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt?

The films in contention for this month's poll are mostly mainstream efforts, which is something corporate Hollywood has no problem supplying us with. First up is Rango, the animated western about a pet chameleon who finds himself becoming the sheriff of a miniaturized western neighborhood. The film comes from Pirates of the Caribbean director Gore Verbinski, who hasn't really been known for outstanding quality. I don't expect many truly inspired laughs or any heartfelt musings of Pixar proportions. Kids will eat just about anything up, and Nickelodeon hasn't had the greatest track record with kids films in the recent past.

The other two are of live action origins, and the one currently getting the most votes is Red Riding Hood. The much maligned hybridization of The Twilight Saga and the tale of "Little Red Riding Hood" is bound to pull in delirious female audiences, and I can never resist the chance to poke fun at this sort of cinematic manure. The third film on the slate is Diary of a Wimpy Kid 2: Rodrick Rules, and if this turns out to be the film I end up seeing, I'll be entering into it without any previous knowledge of the series. I'm obviously going to be instantly lost in the complex mythology. Those are your choices, so be sure to vote before the month is out, and for trailers for the films click on the links provided.