Needless to say, October was not the most exciting month for film. Meet the Parents dominated the box office not only because it was a good comedy but also because there wasn't much else worth seeing. John from Ohio takes a look at what November will bring…

"When your favorite football team starts off the season 0-6, you kinda write off the season and start looking forward to next season's draft. This is how I felt about film this year. As I have written before, it seems like nothing has really gotten me excited, nothing has left me walking out of the multiplex with that big smile that only seeing a great film can bring. However, now that my football team has won two in a row and I'm feeling optimistic, maybe this month has some surprises in store for me at my local theater. "There is no doubt that I will be seeing Charlie's Angels on Friday, if only to see what has come out of this mess. There hasn't been a more discussed production in recent memory, with the talk of on-set fighting and 30 script rewrites. According to the buzz, I should only walk in looking for a good time, and I plan to do only that. Men of Honor doesn't really interest me. The trailers don't give me a great feeling and, for some reason, I feel like it will be another Instinct, with a couple of good actors stuck in a dumb story. Red Planet is a runner-up to Charlie's Angels in terms of reports of on-set fighting, but this movie doesn't interest me either. We've seen this concept before, both in Mission to Mars and 2001. And a movie featuring the director of Budweiser commericals and Mr. Val Kilmer doesn't really give me hope of a solid sci-fi film. Looks like we should write this weekend off. "Does everyone remember when Arnie used to make decent action movies? After End of Days, I was reminded that Jim Cameron is the only director who knew how to utilize Arnold correctly: as an emotionless cyborg. Whenever he tries to emote, it seems like he is just inviting me to laugh. And the trailer makes the movie look way too much like Total Recall. Bounce actually looks halfway decent to me. I know that test audiences had problems with it, but I like both Affleck and Paltrow, and Don Roos's previous movies have been good, so maybe he'll be able to put this one together. "It surprises me that in all of the Oscar predictions writers have been making lately, no one is mentioning Unbreakable. Has everyone just figured that The Sixth Sense was a fluke? M. Night Shyamalan wrote one of the best thrillers in years last year and no one seems to be mentioning this one. I, for one, had staked out Unbreakable once I heard that Shyamalan had a new script, again starring Bruce Willis, going into production. "On second thought, November doesn't instill much promise in me. But if my shoddy football team can pull out a couple of wins when I didn't see them coming, then here's hoping Hollywood can, too." --John Haubrich Dayton, Ohio

I agree with John about Unbreakable. Do people feel that The Sixth Sense was just a fluke? Was the surprise ending all that made this film stand out from the crowd last year? Personally, I don't think so. What do you think? Will Unbreakable be as big a hit as The Sixth Sense? Are you looking forward to seeing it? Let us know, won't ya?

More folks sent in their picks for the movies of the year so far. High Fidelity has not been touted by many critics as one of the best films of the year, but it has made quite a few roughcut.com reader's lists. Jordan from Omaha thinks it's number one…

"My humble submission for the Top Five of 2000: 1. High Fidelity: As complete a movie as there is this year. 2. American Psycho: Bale will be overlooked at Oscar time, but he shouldn't be. 3. Gladiator: Epic Crowe performance, but would someone please show Ridley Scott the editing room? 4. The Perfect Storm: Worked for me. I'm a Clooney fan. He's charismatic as hell. 5. Wonder Boys: Dark, quirky. Douglas & Downey are great to watch. "A soapbox moment, if you will… "I really don't understand the incessant praise for Erin Brockovich, an exercise in manipulation from Steven Soderbergh and Julia Roberts. And I really don't understand all the positive buzz for Roberts's grandstanding, showy performance, which I found infuriating. The movie plays as though I am supposed to be sympathetic toward a character who: destroys her own personal-injury lawsuit with her foul mouth and uncivilized behavior; berates employers as though it is their fault that she has three kids and therefore can't fulfill her job duties; and basically holds anyone and everyone in contempt because she feels disrespected. And, in the end, her sarcasm, condescension, and incivility toward any who would hurt or help her is rewarded with a multimillion-dollar payday. In my opinion, the self-important diatribes, the utter refusal to acknowledge personal blame, and the concept that blatant disrespect somehow earns you respect does not make Erin Brockovich a film, or a character, worth championing. However, I am looking forward to Soderbergh & Roberts's Ocean's Eleven. Thanks for listening." --Jordan McGrain Omaha, Nebraska

Also writing in with her list of Top Five is Beatrice F. Let's just say she's a bit of a Gladiator fan…

"1. Gladiator: The best movie of the decade and the millennium! Not only a visually stunning film but also a story told with passion and power. The rich vision of Ridley Scott is beautifully realized by the amazing Russell Crowe in defining the genre: a superlative melding of action and emotion for a thrilling journey from triumph to tragedy. This film has touched nerves long gone in a horde of moviegoers, prompting devotion unseen for years. While the entire cast is very good, Russell Crowe has found the defining role of his lifetime, for which he deserves the Oscar that eluded him for The Insider. "5. (tied) Erin Brockovich, Almost Famous, Chicken Run. "I'm in hopes Proof of Life will fill out the list." --Beatrice D. Foley

Also sharing a Top Ten list and another theory on Roger Ebert is Li W...

"The Top 10 so far this year: "I am surprised no one has mentioned Girlfight, Remember the Titans (best feel-good movie of the year), and Croupier. Especially Croupier, which was done in a film-noir genre. "As for Roger Ebert, lord knows what types of decisions he's making these days. I saw The Cell and thought it was a great visual experience; however, like another commentary said, I am tired of the serial-killer genre and will not, repeat will not, see Hannibal." --Li Wright

Over the weekend, I asked folks to tell me the scariest movies they've ever seen. Iconoclast Matt, who is starting to become a regular around here, had this to say…

"Alien. I cannot watch this film by myself. It is tense; it is gory; and it frightens me every time I watch it. That is a scary movie." --Iconoclast Matt

Also writing in with his votes for the scariest films ever made is Corbin S…

"No contest, hands down, and without question the best horror film ever made is Halloween. Expertly paced (back when John Carpenter knew how to make movies), it's one slow crescendo of fright. A cavalcade of memorably terrifying images; a plethora of nightmare stills. "The Exorcist, Dawn of the Dead, and The Blair Witch Project follow close behind. Honorable mention goes to A Nightmare on Elm Street (the first one only), Exorcist 3, The Amityville Horror, The Haunting (the original), Night of the Living Dead (the original, too), and Evil Dead 1 and 2. "A side note: Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 is not just one of the worst horror movies I've ever seen (and I've seen some really bad ones), it's one of the worst MOVIES I've ever seen. Battlefield Earth (all I could do was shake my head and wonder what Travolta was thinking) and Loser (the movie that suggests date rape is comedic fodder) round out the worst films of the year so far. " --Corbin Saleken

Want to know what scares me? Not getting e-mail for the next edition of Civilian Voices. So keep those e-mails coming. Here are a few topics to get those fingers moving across your keyboards: Will Unbreakable be as good as The Sixth Sense? Is Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 really the worst movie ever? Was The Blair Witch Project worth all the hype? What November movie are you most looking forward to and why?

Have a safe and happy Halloween!

 

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