The Ides of 2006 (and Movies)

Today is the last day of the first half of the year -- June 30 -- and my favorite movie thus far is the kickass crossword documentary Wordplay. Nothing else has come along that I've been particularly stoked about, but I am eager about these upcoming movies (listed in order of release):

Strangers with Candy (July 7). Jerri likes the pole and the hole, and I like Jerri. But I hope I don't come out of this feeling like I paid $9.50 merely to watch an extra-long episode of the TV show.

Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (August 4). Will Ferrell is a NASCAR driver! And his name is Ricky Bobby!! This looks killer.

Snakes on a Plane (August 18). Actually, I'm not as eager about this one -- I'm afraid that the anticipation of this film will be more fun than the film itself. I'll wait to hear how it's generally received before deciding whether I wanna watch it.

Jackass: Number Two (September 22). This "sequel" looks to be more of the same, which is to say, it looks hilarious. However, the near-identical reaction shots of Johnny Knoxville and company following every stupid/dangerous/gross-out stunt ("Whoaaaa!") is tiresome.

Borat (November). I love Ali G on TV ("Booyakasha!"), but the Ali G movie was pretty weak. By the same token, I love Borat on TV ("Jagshemash!"), but a Borat movie? At least his web site is the funniest of this bunch.

For Your Consideration (November). The latest Christopher Guest ensemble mockumentary, following the trifecta of Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show and A Mighty Wind. After some slight initial disappointment, repeated viewings brought me to love A Mighty Wind, but I don't know how many more times Guest'll be able to repeat his winning formula before it gets stale.

Spider-Man 3 (May 2007). Alright, so this doesn't come out 'til next year, but Spider-Man is my favorite current big blockbuster franchise, the kind with trailers appearing nearly a year in advance. So there.

I'll get back to you in six months' time with my favorites of the year. Okay?

***