New Movie Releases for 1/6/06: Featuring Hostel

The first full weekend of 2006 is upon us. Each January the hopes of every movie fan for a good season begin anew. January also brings with it the curious mix of studio leftovers that sneak into theaters, and the Oscar hopefuls that had limited releases in December for eligibility reasons begin their roll out to more theaters. What will this year bring us?

Casanova. Heath Ledger stars as the notorious lover who meets his match. This opened in limited release on Christmas, now it widens its reach. To be honest, the trailer looks uninspired and not terribly exciting. This is the story of a womanizer who chases a woman who he cannot have and actually starts falling in love. Not a story I've seen be`fore. (note: sarcasm) TRAILER

Grandma's Boy. So, I guess Adam Sandler's production company is going to bill itself as a comedy group, ala Broken Lizard. Strikes me as an odd thing to be doing. Anyway, this is a sophomoric comedy filled with supporting characters from Sandler's sophomoric comedies. The story is about a video game tester who is forced to move in with his grandmother, much comedy ensues. TRAILER

Hostel. This is the one I am most looking forward to. Director Eli Roth (Cabin Fever) brings us 95 minutes of torture, based on true events. The film looks to provide wall to wall gore and torture, not unlike the Saw films. I am always up for a little blood on the big screen, and the fact that Quentin Tarantino is championing its way does not hurt in the least bit. TRAILER

Match Point. Woody Allen's latest entry I find intriguing in that I know nothing about the movie. A month or so back some good buzz started kicking up about the movie, but I haven't seen anything about the plot. I, only today, saw a commercial for the first time and was struck by the presence of Scarlett Johansson. I'm sold, Allen and Scarlett? I'm there. TRAILER

Munich. Spielberg's second film of 2005 and an Oscar hopeful. Earlier this year he tackled science fiction in spectacular fashion, here he tackles the 1972 Olympics. Specifically following a team of agents tasked with hunting down the Israeli terrorists responsible for the murder of 11 athletes at the game. It stars Eric Bana, and the new James Bond, Daniel Craig. TRAILER

Also opening this week, but not near me:

• Bloodrayne
• Kill the Poor

And we're off into 2006!