WHAT TO WATCH THIS WEEKEND – OCT 22-25

With so much grabbing for your attention and dollars these days, it’s easy to miss when the latest releases are heading to a cinema near you. So come back every week as we here at So, Is It Any Good? preview the new movies hitting screens.

This weekend, Tom Hanks crosses the Bridge Of Spies, the Paranormal Activity franchise goes into The Ghost Dimension, and Bradley Cooper gets Burnt.

Bridge Of Spies

Bridge_of_Spies_poster

Rating: M

Starring: Tom Hanks, Mark Rylance, Alan Alda

Synopsis: An American lawyer is recruited by the CIA during the Cold War to help rescue a pilot detained in the Soviet Union.

Our Verdict

Trailer:

Why you should be interested: Any project that unites the supreme talents of Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks is worth getting excited about, but this cold war era spy film has Oscar written all over it. Co-written by the Coen brothers and based on a true story involving the rescue of an American pilot detained by the Soviet Union in 1960, it bears more than a passing resemblance to 2013’s Best Picture winner Argo. But more than the awards buzz, its just great to see Spielberg and Hanks working together on the kind of weighty political thriller Hollywood shies away from in this age of the modern mega-blockbuster. At the end of the day, as long as this is better than their last outing together (2004’s rather forgettable The Terminal) it’ll be considered a success.

Who should see it: Spielberg spy-hards

Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension

paranormal_activity_the_ghost_dimension

Rating: M

Starring: Chris J. Murray, Brit Shaw, Ivy George

Synopsis: A family moves into a house and discover a video camera and a box of tapes in the garage. When they look through the camera’s lens, they begin to see the paranormal activity happening around them, including the re-emergence of two girls.

Trailer:

Why you should be interested: The next sequel you didn’t know you wanted has arrived, and judging by the trailer… prepare to be underwhelmed (and also maybe have the whole story told in 2 and a half minutes?). Maybe it’s just me, but I feel like the found footage/security camera idea has done it’s dash, and unless I’m missing something, this doesn’t bring anything new to the table. If you’re in the Halloween spirit maybe it’ll creep you out for a little while, but I doubt it’ll leave a lasting mark.

Who should see it: Gung-ho ghost hunters

Burnt

burnt movie poster

Rating: M

Starring: Bradley Cooper, Sienna Miller, Omar Sy

Synopsis: Adam Jones is a Chef who destroyed his career with drugs and diva behavior. He cleans up and returns to London, determined to redeem himself by spearheading a top restaurant that can gain three Michelin stars.

Our Verdict

Trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiGJlUVQDGk

Why you should be interested: If Chef got your stomach rumbling, think of Burnt as the next course. Following the same “down-on-his-luck chef tries to claw his way back into the restaurant game” as Chef (Fun Fact: At one time during production, this was even called Chef), this looks to be a bit more serious, but with the same prickly protagonist at it’s centre. Cooper is always on point, and the supporting cast is impressive. It’s really all about the food though, and judging from the trailer (and my colleague Shell’s review) it delivers in spades. Bon appetite!

Who should see it: Food-porn addicts

So, what are you going to see this weekend? Hit us up in the comments and let us know what you’ve watched, and if it’s any good!

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