RANDOM MUSINGS - As much as I hate to interrupt this Movie Club discussion of '8 Mile' (see posts below), which has been great fun I should add, I wanted to throw out a couple of observations. First, before seeing 'Femme Fatale' Monday night -- yeah, yeah, comments are coming soon -- there were three trailers that all looked promising. I'm not sure, but that has to be a first. I don't think I've ever been to a movie where all three trailers got me intrigued. The first was for 'Dreamcatcher', a Stephen King adaptation that isn't scheduled for release until April 4, 2003. You can learn everything you want to know about the movie at Greg's Previews, but I thought the trailer was surprisingly creepy. The film stars Morgan Freeman, Thomas Jane (who was great as Mickey Mantle in HBO's '*61', Tom Sizemore (I thought he had it written in his contract he could only play soldiers or cops?) and Timothy Olyphant. It's nothing I'm going to rush out and see, mind you, but compared to more recent King adaptations, this one could be decent -- especially when Lawrence Kasdan is directing and William Goldman is writing. Watch the trailer here. The second trailer was for 'The Recruit' (Jan. 31, 2002), a spy movie featuring Al Pacino, Colin Farrell and Bridget Moynahan. Basically, Pacino plays a CIA recruiter who taps Farrell to undergo training and become a secret agent. Moynahan plays Farrell's love interest who just may or may not be a double agent. From the trailer, Pacino seemed to be restraining himself -- none of the Col. Slade braggadocio were so accustomed to now -- and I'll always give Farrell the benefit of the doubt since 'Tigerland', even though his performance in 'Minority Report' was dreadfully irritating. But as I said here, that was more Spielberg's fault, not Farrell's. My one problem is that, as usual with most trailers these days, I think it gave too much away -- too much backstabbing and deception is revealed for a trailer. Why give it all away. Check it out for yourself here. Finally, there was the preview for Spike Jonze's 'Adaptation' (12/6 limited), written by 'Being John Malkovich' scribe Charlie Kauffman. If you're familiar with the movie at all, then you know about its somewhat complicated, deliciously post-modern plot, but here is a quick version from Greg's Previews: It's based on "the nonfiction novel, The Orchid Thief, by Susan Orlean, which is itself based upon a true story. The movie is also, oddly enough, based upon Charlie Kaufman's attempts to adapt the novel. That this book in particular is the object of Kaufman's adaptation may not be coincidental, as the novel is described as Susan Orlean's own journey to tell John Laroche's story. So, this movie is an adaptation (by Jonze) of a writer's (Kaufman's) adaptation, of a novel (by Orlean), which was based upon a true story (Laroche)." Got all that? An overweight, semi-afro-headed Nicolas Cage plays a dual role as both Charlie Kauffman (yes, the actual screenwriter is the main character) and his brother Donald. Meryl Streep and Chris Cooper also star. It should be one of the best films of the year -- oops, gotta watch those expectations. Watch the trailer here. * 'Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets' is garnering the same critical adoration as the first, 81% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, with many critics saying it's better than the first. I found the 'Sorcerer's Stone' to be tedious and boring, but then I'm not the target demo. Just as he did with the original, Roger Ebert gave 'Chamber' 4 stars. "The second in a planned series of seven Potter films is brimming with invention and new ideas, and its Hogwarts School seems to expand and deepen before our very eyes into a world large enough to conceal unguessable secrets." Sorry Rog, still not going to bother.

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