We've assembled representatives of some of Hollywood's key demographics. Each week, our group weighs in on the coming weekend's releases, letting us know whether all the script fixes, the re-shoots and the product tie-in campaigns have added up to a movie they are likely to see. Our focus group is going to be busy over the holidays.
Our Pastor especially has made a long cinematic to-do list. Our city girl has already selected her Christmas Day movie and our teenage girl surprised us by expressing interest in Sylvester Stallone's "Rocky Balboa." The first Rocky came out more than 15 years before she was born.
Keenan Roberts: Senior pastor of New Destiny Christian Center in Northglenn, Colo., as well as director of the ministries of the Hell House Outreach. GLC: An artist on Kanye West's label.
Originally from Chicago, he now lives in Los Angeles where he is at work on his album. Justin Scharf: 18, freshman at Georgia State University. He is 6-foot-3, listens to a lot of music, and works at Starbucks.
Elena Roye: 13, a seventh-grader at a middle school in Westchester County, N.Y. Carol Creighton: 30, lives in Manhattan.
She is a solutions manager at a consulting firm and lives with her best friend Mindy. Pastor Keenan: "If that thing was rated PG-13 I'd be all over it like white on rice, but the R-rating is a real Christmas disappointment right there. And you know what?
A pastor ought to be able to go see 'The Good Shepherd' of all things." GLC: "I want to see that. I want to know the story behind the people that brought crack cocaine to the streets in the '80s when Reagan was in office.
I want to see a movie about the biggest drug dealers." Justin: "This one to me has the makings of being really good. I had never been sold on all-star casts in movies before, but I saw it work in 'The Departed,' so I entirely believe it can work now.
I don't think Angelina Jolie is nearly up to the talent of Matt Damon though. It will be interesting to see if she flounders in it with all these good people." Elena: "I want to see it because it seems interesting to see because I'm interested in how the CIA was made.
" Carol (via email): "Well we all know my feelings for Matt...
. So yes I will in all likelihood see this movie. I also like Robert De Niro's work, and I think that the movie plot has the possibility to be very interesting and entertaining.
I am not a huge fan of Angelina Jolie. Not so much that I object to her acting, which is satisfactory most of the time, and good occasionally, I am just tired of her. So that might limit my interest in seeing the film, but my guess is Matt Damon can cover for my lack of enthusiasm about AJ.
" Pastor Keenan: "We've seen previews for that and it was intriguing to all four members of the Roberts clan, so I would say it has a very good chance of being seen during the Christmas holidays." GLC: "I want to see that. It's got that dude with the crazy nose in it, right?
I think it would be good for him to play a toy because his nose is a toy. I like Ben Stiller he is a good dude, and I like that guy with the broken nose, they have good chemistry when they act together. I'm going to go see it.
" Justin: "Wow, there are some big creep-heads in this. I'm kind of disturbed. I just saw Robin Williams dressed up as a Mounty and it is kind of gross.
This is a disaster of epic proportions. We're going to pretend this movie didn't happen." Carol (via email): "I do like Ben, but the story just does not do it for me.
I have spent the night in the Museum of Natural History with the Girl Scouts. We slept under the big whale, and it was amazing. The movie just seems a little silly for my tastes, but I suppose it could be fun and at least it is not a cartoon!
" Pastor Keenan: "About six months ago TNT had a 'Rocky' marathon, and my 14-year-old son sat there and watched every last one of them. He cannot wait for this thing to come out. He said we are going on opening day.
I would say my interest is mild, very mild, but I will be guilty by association." GLC: " Nah, hell no. I don't want to see no old ass [dude] with a speech impediment.
He should make some Rocky grills or something like George Foreman. I already can't be understanding what he is talking anyway. I think it is crazy to have retarded people in the ring.
Rocky is retarded right? Or does he just talk retarded?" Justin: "I actually haven't seen any of the original ones, but I see he is also making another 'Rambo.
' I should be like, 'It is money grabbing that he is making sequels to his two biggest movie franchises,' but I actually think it is pretty cool. I'm happy he is back. I'm not going to see this movie, but 'Rambo' I rented when I was little so I'll go to that.
" Elena: "I want to see it because I saw the other 'Rocky' movies and I like them and I'm interested in seeing the other ones. I saw them on vacation and I watched with my brother when everybody else was at the beach, but I fell asleep, so I only saw a little bit of it." Carol (via email): "Okay, normally I would flat out say no and just moved on when asked if I would see this movie, but last week I was listening to Stallone in an interview and he just seemed to have put so much heart behind this movie.
He came of as a genuine guy with a final chapter to close out. I also like Milo, the part seems so right for him." Pastor Keenan: "I got a surprise ending for you here: My wife cannot wait to see this.
But there's a caveat. The reason she can't wait to see it is because there is an Oprah connection. Oprah had Matthew Fox on and he told the whole behind the scenes story about the impact on the city when they had the opportunity to tell the team's story.
There wasn't a dry eye in the place. And the first trailer I was like, 'I cannot wait to see this.'" GLC: "Hell yeah I want to see that.
It was a really good football team and the whole team died. That movie right there I want to see it. I say live today until tomorrow.
You never know when the lord is going to call you home. I'm going to go and see it for inspiration of course, so if I've been putting off calling a girl I will go home and do that." Justin: "My neighbors in Florida went to Virginia Tech and they were big rivals of Marshall.
Marshall's team is called the Thundering Herd, but my neighbors called them The Thundering Turd. It looks like kind of a classic motivational movie, and I think it is kind of cool that it is true, but I'm not touching this with a ten-foot pole. McG directing a movie about the Thundering Turds?
I can't deal with that mentally." Elena (via IM): "I want to see that because it reminds me of 'Remember the Titans' and I liked that movie, and I think it is a moving movie and I like moving movies." Carol (via email): "Okay, so I decided this will be the Christmas Day movie.
My father will be happy to finally get a movie that he likes the subject matter; usually it is the girls choosing a flick and my father begrudgingly agreeing. I am really excited to see this movie, it seems like a tearjerker, but I always like when people overcome what seem to be insurmountable obstacles. Besides all the sentimental stuff, the movie has another Matthew I have a huge crush on.
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