TUESDAY TIDBITS

Robert Rodriquez has made some great grown-up films (all on the dark, gritty and artful side), but he’s also pretty effective with the kiddie set (Spy Kids). He’s back, with a new film called Shorts, a story about a kid and a magic rock (releasing in August):




I’ve always liked Sam Rockwell. Maybe his new movie, Moon, will help propel him to the top of the actors’ heap. I’m not a huge sci-fi fan, but this looks pretty riveting. A three-year stint alone on the moon for astronaut Sam Bell, played by Rockwell, is about to come to an end... until a bizarre series of events occur.




Speaking of sci-fi, Tron, from 1982, is a movie I managed to avoid (told you I wasn’t big on this stuff), but I’ve recently put it on our Netflix list for K. It’s rated PG, and sounds like it’s right up K’s alley:

Programmer Kevin Flynn's (Jeff Bridges) video games are stolen, and with help from his friends, he tries to hack the Master Control Program to prove CEO Ed Dillinger (David Warner) ripped him off. But the MCP pulls Flynn into its world, where enslaved programs fight on the "game grid." An amazing mix of Alice in Wonderland, Star Wars, Ben-Hur and German expressionism. (--Netflix)

I may finally see this film! Fans of Tron are probably thrilled to hear there is a sequel planned for 2011, and original star Jeff Bridges has reportedly signed on.

In more semi-kid-related movie news, Ridley Scott is directing a Robin Hood epic for 2010 release! Now, this could be fun. It will star Cate Blanchett and Russell Crowe, with Vanessa Redgrave and William Hurt. Of course, as usual, I fear it will be a PG-13 or an R movie when all is said and done. I’m 110% certain this could be a great movie with a PG rating. Bets, anyone?

Awright, back to grown-up stuff:

Directed by Ang Lee, and starring Emil Hirsch, Eugene Levy and Dimetri Martin, Taking Woodstock looks like it could be a real charmer.




Small indie movies typically have short lives in the theaters, so here’s a little plug for Sugar, which may be playing near you; try to catch it before it leaves! It looks like a great human story, and if you are a baseball fan, it’s probably a great baseball movie, too.

Sugar follows the story of Miguel Santos, a.k.a. Sugar, a ball player from the Dominican Republic, who gets a break and makes it to the U.S. minor league system.