Are there any good movies coming at all?

Forgive me if I'm more than a little punchy this morning. I don't usually stay up so late on a school night, but last night's political show was just fascinating, even if it didn't go as well for Barack Obama as I had been hoping.

But enough of that. This isn't about politics, of course. It's supposed to be about movies, but for what seems like the fifth or sixth week in a row there's nothing but crap opening in wide-release world this week.

I had mild hopes for Malcolm Lee's "Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins," but most of the clips I've seen so far seem to riff on the fact that Mo'nique is a woman who likes to eat. Somehow I think I'll just wait for Tyler Perry's surely superior family-reunion movie "Meet the Browns," coming in early March.

But is there anything even remotely worth watching coming to your multiplexes in the next month? The short answer is not much, but yes, there are a few potential gems in the pipeline. Here's a look at the none-too-distant movie future:

Feb. 8:
Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins: See above.

Fool's Gold: It can't be a good sign when, in the one review I bothered to read, your movie is none-too-favorably compared to some Brooke Shields TV movie called "Wet Gold" (which I can't say I've had the pleasure of seeing.) You can see Kate Hudson in a bikini in the trailer, so I really can't see any possible reason to watch the rest of the movie.

Feb. 15:
Definitely, Maybe: Is is just me, or doesn't it seem kind of sick to make a movie in which a poor little girl has to learn about all her daddy's sexual exploits just to find out who her mommy is? Sheesh.

Jumper: This one could be good, especially with Doug Liman in charge, but I have the sneaking feeling I'm just too old for it, and that suit that Sam the Man wears in the trailer just makes him look some kind of futuristic garbage man.

Step Up 2 the Street: I have no idea if all white people can't dance, but I surely can't. 'Nuff said.

Spiderwick Chronicles: All I needed to know to give this Walden fantasy a chance is that the script was written by John Sayles (hey, a man's gotta eat.)

Feb. 22:
Be Kind Rewind: Finally, a week to look forward to. I sure hope this opens wide, because even though I've seen up to a third of the movie already in clips, it should be a lot of silly fun.

Charlie Bartlett: I have my doubts about this one, but I'll watch just about anything with Robert Downey Jr. in it, and I'm holding out hope this one will be at least as sly as it is sweet.

Cover: Don't know much about this one except that it's some kind of thriller directed by Bill Duke and starring Louis Gossett Jr. and Vivica Fox. That's probably enough to hook me.

My Mom's New Boyfriend: This flick starring Meg Ryan and Antonio Banderas used to be known as "Homeland Security." That's about all I know on this one.

Vantage Point: I have fairly serious qualms about releasing a movie about a presidential assassination during the height of this latest campaign, but for sheer entertainment value this looks like a winner. William Hurt is the president, and Sigourney Weaver and Forest Whitaker factor in here somehow too.

Feb. 29:
Addicted: All I know is that Sarah Michelle Gellar is in this, so my money is on either some kind of generic mind-bender or a Japanese horror remake. Either way, I'll probably pass.

The Other Boleyn Girl: Now this could be fun. Natalie Portman is Anne Boleyn, Scarlett Johansson is her sister Mary and Eric Bana is that crazy King Henry VIII. I personally would have swapped the leading ladies' roles, but that's a minor quibble.

Penelope: I hope this has the cast strength to play wide, because it just looks to be utterly charming. Christina Ricci stars as the titular lady who is trying to escape some kind of family curse and, of course, find love. It's surely better than I'm making it sound here.

Semi-Pro: I could be wrong (and I really do hope I am), but this looks like the first Will Ferrell movie that won't be even remotely funny. A white man in a 'fro just isn't enough to make me laugh.

And now I have to, unfortunately, go to work. I'll leave you with - be warned - a R-rated (but very funny) trailer for "Forgetting Sarah Marshall," coming from Camp Apatow this summer and directed by former Freak Jason Segel (and starring Veronica Mars!) Peace out.