A great movie weekend in Macon

I realize that means it's at least as great a movie weekend everywhere else too, but a surprise, belated entry has me particularly psyched about the offerings in my little corner of the world.

So, in chronological order, here's what I'll be watching (except maybe the last one) and, if you check back throughout the weekend, I promise, reviewing here:

1. Bee Movie
This isn't the movie I most want to see this weekend, but due to the fact that it's playing on a gazillion screens it's the easiest one to catch before I have to go work today. I think I'd be more excited for this one if we hadn't been inundated with those "Dol-Bee" ads for what seems like three years now. After all, Jerry Seinfeld is a savagely funny guy, and it's much easier to get amped for animation when there's not a glut of it on the big screen, so here's hoping this sucks a lot less than I'm fearing.

2. American Gangster
Until I saw how few screens it's getting at my multiplex, due surely to it's length, among other factors, I was sure this would be the big winner at the box office this weekend. Denzel, Russell and gangsters ... what could be better? For my money, very little. I actually managed to do my senior thesis at Catholic University for a class in political film on something along the lines of "The Social Ramifications and Parallels of Early Gangster Films," which, even though I worked quite hard on it, always felt like a bit of a con. The reviews I've seen so far say this is a pretty by-the-numbers gangster flick, but I still suspect I'm gonna like it a lot.

3. Into the Wild
And here's the wild card late entry, and a flick that many readers of this site have been urging me to see for some time now. My father rather unintentionally spoiled the end of this one for me, which I would be more upset about if every review I've read since hadn't done the same thing. Jon Krakauer's "Under the Banner of Heaven" is one of the best books I've ever read, so I'm sure he delivered a rousing tale here about Christopher McCandless' trip down Thoreau's path, and by all accounts Sean Penn put a stirring visual cherry on top, so count me very psyched for this one too.

4. Across the Universe
I'll definitely need some persuading to drive a half hour to see this one in Centerville. I just love the Beatles far too much to see their songs sung by the likes of Eddie Izzard and, God forbid, Bono. If you've seen this one and there's something to recommend it that I'm just missing, please feel free to let me know.

And there you have it. A busy weekend for me at the movies. Here's hoping you have at least a fairly great one too.