This week, my marching orders from the A&E chief were to check out the movies premiering during spring break and see if any of them were a “must-see.” A great task because there’s nothing I like more than watching a new movie into the wee hours and then sleeping the rest of the day. Sadly, not a single movie opening in the next two weeks jumps out as a “must-see.” Two movies, however, make the “probably will see” list; but honestly, it looks like most of my viewing time will be spent with Netflix.
The first movie of possible interest coming out the beginning of break (March 9) is the “The Wizard of Oz” prequel, “Oz the Great and Powerful,” starring James Franco. “Oz the Great and Powerful” follows the journey of a small-time magician who is transported to the magical land of Oz. I’m a huge fan of the original “The Wizard of Oz” complete with the Lollipop Guild, flying monkeys and timeless characters, so the thought of a movie screwing with the Oz magic causes me pause. Regardless, the seemingly dark reboot of the Oz world in the 1939 classic could be a potential see for spring break.
The second movie I am looking forward to seeing over break is “The Incredible Burt Wonderstone” (March 15), about two magicians played by Steve Carell and Steve Buscemi. The duo has been performing in Las Vegas for years but recently has experienced declining admission. A new street performer (Jim Carrey) comes along and begins to attract huge audiences away from the dynamic duo. These actors seem like an odd mix, but the previews of them sporting shoulder-length hair shows some potential to be quite funny … or possibly a huge flop.
Sadly, the choices for movies coming out during spring break don’t excite me, and I’m glad that I’ll be backpacking for the majority of the time. However, this absence gives me the perfect opportunity to start knocking things off my Netflix queue!
After watching the first episode, I’ve been dying to finish the new series with Kevin Spacey called “House of Cards.” I’ve also been craving some good old-fashioned drama, leading me to become addicted to “Friday Night Lights.” Once I make it through television, I’m planning to move back in time to some of the classics like “The Grapes of Wrath” and the original “Cleopatra.” Just by going onto Netflix for this article, I already added 10 movies to my queue that I can’t wait to sit back, relax and enjoy.
