RAYA & WEEKEND PIC: Oct 1 - 5, 2008

Your Guide To The Weekend Movies

1. MAMMA MIA! (musical with Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Stelan Skasgard and Amanda Seyfried) Rated * * * (out of 4): It is a real campy Bollywood-style musical incorporating the songs of ABBA but fun to watch. Where else can you see Bond star Brosnan singing and Streep having such a great time hamming it up? (Reviewed below)

2. THE OTHER BOLEYN GIRL (period drama with Natalie Portman, Scarlett Johansson, Eric Bana and David Morrissey) Rated * * * (3 stars): BBC director Justin Chadwick combines historical court drama with the emotional rivalry between the two Boleyn sisters to cook up a rich and engaging movie. If you liked 'Elizabeth', you will like this one. (Reviewed below)

3. EAGLE EYE (Action thriller with Shia LeBeouf, Michelle Monaghan, Rosario Dawson, Billy Bob Thornton and Michael Chiklis) Rated * * (2 stars): If you can tolerate lots of ridiculous high-tech suspense and a lousy pay-off at the end, then this is the flick for you. (Reviewed below)

4. PAINTED SKIN (thriller with Betty Sun, Chen Kun, Donnie Yen Ji Dan, Qi Yuwu, Vicki Zhao Wei and Zhou Xun) Rating * * 1/2 (2.5 stars): Gordon Chan's remake of the 1993 flick (that starred Sammo Hung and Adam Cheng) has its moments as well as disappointments. It should please action fans, though.

5. FLIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (pictured, comedy with David Chisum, Richard Tyson and Kevin J. 'O Connor) Rating * * (2 stars): This 'Zombies On A Plane' movie is actually a made-for-DVD flim, but some wise guys must have thought it would convert a few fans here in Malaysia.

6. KAMI THE MOVIE (local drama with Liyana Jasmay, Syarul Ezani and Ani Zayanah) Rated * * (2 stars): Another coming-of-age movie about a bunch of school chums hanging out in some dodgy places, quite unlike 'The Goodbye Boys', 'S'kali', and 'Gol & Gincu' characters.

7. I KNOW WHO KILLED ME (thriller with Lindsay Lohan, Julia Ormond, Neal McDonough and Brian Geraghty) Rated * 1/2 (1.5 star): Lohan won fame playing twins in 'The Parent Trap'. In this 2007 film, she sucks big time playing dual roles as a smart student gone missing and a uncouth stripper. (Reviewed below).

8. PATHOLOGY (with Milo Ventimiglia, Lauren Lee Smith, Michael Weston, Alyssa Milano and Keir O'Donnell) Rating * 1/2 (1.5 stars): It's blood-and-gore meets kinky sex in this pathetic excuse for a morgue thriller. Of course, it's dead meat for our censors. So...?