MovieWeek: Week of August 4

The big opening this week is Will Ferrell's latest, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby. Looks to us like Anchorman-meets-NASCAR, and indeed it's produced, written, etc. by a lot of the same people. We found Anchorman overrated, but previews for this look like it's a good fit for Ferrell's particular brand of humor. Reviews claim it falls flat as satire but as improvisational comedy it looks about as good as anything Ferrell's ever done, and also features Sasha Baron Cohen (a.k.a. Ali G).....If you're in the mood for horror, though, check out The Descent, which is apparently the story of an "all-female caving expedition gone horribly wrong". Reviews so far have been good, if you can call reviews that seem to think it's the scariest movie ever "good". The Hollywood Reporter says that "[Director Marshall] expertly maps out those raw nerve endings while creating credible characters who speak and act like real people rather than the usual horror archetypes"....Houstonist, however, will be found at The Night Listener, starring Robin Williams and based on Armistead Maupin's celebrated novel. This Mirimax offering has Williams as a novelist and radio host who begins to converse with a fan, a young boy (Rory Culkin). But when questions about the boy's identity and past come to light, Williams' character goes cross-country to find answers. The novel on which the movie is based has been described by author Maupin as a "what-if"--he had a fan like this, but never went after the truth as Williams' Gabriel Noone does. The movie also stars Toni Collette (also currently seen in Little Miss Sunshine, which is scheduled to open in Houston next week).