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I'm heading out to watch Star Wars: The Clone Wars later on today, and while a part of me is excited to be revisiting some of my all time favorite characters, the rest is sort of "eh" about the whole thing. And I'm not sure why, either. It's funny, too, because Campea over at The Movie Blog wrote up a similar piece recently where, prior to attending this film's premiere, he was trying to figure out why he wasn't excited about going to see a brand spanking new Star Wars movie. For him, it seems dude wasn't keen on watching another between-episode story.

Me? Not sure. I really enjoyed the last Clone Wars series, and ever since the original flicks I've always wanted to see this time in the Star Wars mythology played out a bit more. Honestly, I think I'm just spent on summer movies. I mean, is it just me or does it feel like Iron Man came out seven years ago already? I'm hyped out. I'd rather spend the last days of summer watching simple comedies or dramas (especially before a heavy awards season) than with a beloved franchise like Star Wars. So yeah, for me maybe it's the release date. A movie like this in late February, early March or early April and my excitement level is higher. End of August and, well, I'm just burnt. Still, though, I really do hope it rocks.

What about you? Are you excited for a new Star Wars movie?

We've hit that spot in December where you'll start seeing tons and tons of year-end lists. We here at Cinematical usually reserve our year-end lists for the week after Christmas, though you'll be seeing two of them debut tonight and tomorrow. You'll read about awards being handed out from groups across the country; some of which you've never heard of. You'll see names of films that haven't even arrived in theaters yet, and you'll probably even see titles that never screened at your local theater. Then you'll see nominations announced for the Golden Globes and Oscars, and the same films mentioned earlier will probably show up in their lists too. But what do all of these lists have in common? Well, that the average moviegoer has no say whatsoever.

While I've always thought the People's Choice Awards and MTV Movie Awards were a little cheesy, I dig them because they allow the average person -- the dude or dudette who actually pays to watch these films -- to vote for their favorites. I've always thought it would be fun if the Oscars included a category that was voted on by moviegoers. This way, when fat Tony is sitting at home with his family and the category is announced, he can feel like he was a part of the process too. That awarding the best films of the year with an Oscar isn't exclusive to an elite group of people you've never met, heard of or even cared about. Heck, maybe more people would watch the damn telecast. Vote for your favorite film of the year below (based on what was popular at the theaters), or leave a comment if a particular film is not mentioned. Let's try to see how close (or far apart) the moviegoers and critics really are ...

I've just recently hit that spot in my Netflix queue reserved for "films I've always wanted to see but never got around to it." I'm sure everyone does something similar; when I look at my friends' queues, they're filled with older flicks -- random movies, the kind you know they want to see for the hell of it. Either they read about the film, someone told them about it or they discovered an old gem all on their own. And it's so much fun to stumble upon a wonderful film that you, for one reason or another, never watched. For me, this weekend, that film was Amelie. For those that have never seen it, Amelie is fantastic -- one of the best films I've watched all year (even though it's six years old), and one I'll definitely be watching again. The colors, the characters; my friend and I were both in agreement in saying it felt like a French Wes Anderson film.

Not sure about you, but I've found myself skipping the majority of theatrical releases lately (with the exception of films I'm assigned to review) in favor of catching up with older flicks. So instead of talking more about the writers strike, I thought it might be fun to ask which random films you watched this weekend. Is your Netflix queue filled with new releases, old films you've never watched or movies you're dying to see again? Did anything surprise you? Did you queue up something you thought would be great, but it turned out to suck? Or vice-versa?

So, I ask you: What was your random movie rental this weekend, and would you recommend it to others?

The other night, my friend was over and I noticed him watching Superman Returns for the umpteenth time on television. When I made fun of him for watching it again (keep in mind, the two of us have had lengthy discussions regarding Returns, in which we always wind up pointing out what went wrong moreso than what went right), he claimed he was only watching it because it was in HD. (See, the film was playing on one of the three HD movie channels that I currently have at home.) So after I poked fun at him, he went in this direction:

HIM: I could've made a much better Superman flick than Bryan Singer.
ME: Oh yeah?
HIM: Yeah, and in my movie, I'd want you to play Lex Luther.
ME: I don't want to play Lex Luther -- he's an a**hole.
HIM: So then who would you want to play? Actually, that's a good question -- if you could be any superhero or supervillain, who would you choose and why?
ME: You know what, this would make a good Monday Morning Poll.

And so here we are. Following our discussion -- and considering all the hoopla currently circling the Justice League of America movie -- I thought it would be fun to ask readers which superhero or supervillain they'd like to be. Our conversation sort of ended after that -- and I'm not sure why -- so I never got to give an answer. Since I was obsessed with The Incredible Hulk as a kid, I'd probably have to go with him. Sure, he's all conflicted, but girls dig conflicted men. And if someone pissed me off, or tried to assault me, they'd be in a world of hurt. I guess Superman would be cool too, but I don't like the fact that he's stuck on this one girl ... all the time. And at least Bruce Banner is kind of cool, whereas Clark Kent is an idiot.

So, I ask you: If you could be any superhero or supervillain, who would you choose and why?

It's coming a little late today, but on the west coast it's technically still morning. Over the past week, I've been reading tons of articles on movie piracy -- but more specifically, how copies of both Hostel: Part II and Sicko have already leaked online. With regards to the Hostel sequel, director Eli Roth has already gone on record saying that those early leaks greatly contributed to his film failing at the box office. Since it's a smaller film, a few thousand downloads could very well hurt the pic's overall gross ... or so he says. We'll have to wait a couple weeks to see if Michael Moore's latest documentary suffers the same fate; Sicko isn't scheduled to hit theaters until June 29. But if both films wind up doing poorly when it's all said and done, is piracy really to blame?

For example, take a film like Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. Here's a movie that's primarily geared toward a generation that's very knowledgeable when it comes to finding movies online for free. A very quick search lead me to a crystal clear version of the film online (and, trust me, I'm an idiot when it comes to this kind of stuff), yet it still opened this week at number one with roughly $57 million. Is it just a question of certain films being piracy proof? Or did Hostel: Part II fail for different reasons? And what if Sicko opens to great numbers -- will that mean Hostel II failed because of piracy and because it didn't feature a big fat guy talking about health care? Is it just me, or is movie piracy now becoming the go-to reason for a film's failure? If that were the case, then wouldn't more films this summer be suffering from piracy? Although I haven't downloaded any (because I absolutely refuse to do so), I've noticed almost all of the big films available for free online. And yet none of them seem to be playing the piracy card as much as Eli Roth has. Why? Because they're all making lots of money.

So, I ask you: Is piracy really to blame for the failure of a film like Hostel: Part II? And, in your opinion, is it really having that much of an impact to warrant us constantly talking about it?

It's a new year, a new summer and the studios are gearing up to present us with a fresh crop of blockbusters. Last year at this time, I wrote up a Monday Morning Poll asking you which Summer 2006 film would make the most money at the box office. Ultimately, I went with The Da Vinci Code over Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest -- a rookie mistake, I know, but something in me felt pretty confident. But now I'm back -- a whole year has gone by -- and it's about time for those predictions. So, lets take a look at some of the top contenders (in the order of how I think they'll finish at the box office when it's all said and done):

1. Spider-Man 3 -- In this third installment, Peter Parker finally realizes that, as a superhero who constantly saves New York City, he should definitely be able to land someone better looking than Kirsten Dunst. Lots of villains and lots of mind-blowing special effects --coupled with the fact that this could be the last Spidey go-round for Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst and Sam Raimi -- should be enough for this web slinger to swing into the summer's top spot.
2. Pirates of the Caribbean: At Worlds End -- Though the second Pirates flick went ballistic at the box office last summer, a lot of folks walked away with lukewarm feelings toward the sequel. And while I'm confident a truckload of peeps will show up to see how Disney and director Gore Verbinski wrap up the trilogy, I'm not quite sure it will have what it takes to knock Spidey out of the top spot. There's no doubt in my mind that these flicks will finish one and two at the box office, but it really is a toss-up. Tough call right here; something tells me it will come down to the foreign totals.
3. Shrek the Third -- The only reason why I think Shrek will beat out Ratatouille this summer is because it's been a couple years since his last adventure and, well, fans are a bit hungrier for the green ogre. And hey, Justin Timberlake is in it! Do I even need to give you any more reasons?
4. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix -- Seeing as the seventh and final Potter book will arrive in bookstores one week after Order of the Phoenix hits theaters, I'm pretty sure the entire world will be Potter crazy for those few weeks in July. With nothing that substantial (Bourne, Rush Hour 3 being the exceptions) arriving after Potter, the little wizard should have plenty of time to catch up to the three films mentioned above, and could potentially steal the third spot from Shrek.
5. Ratatouille -- As unfortunate as it is to write, I cannot see Pixar (and their confusing title) beating out any of the films mentioned above. Yes, it's Pixar. And yes, it's Brad Bird. But the competition this year is the greatest it's been in quite some time. Though I'm sure the film will be just as entertaining as the rest, it will take a miracle for that rat to climb out of the sewer on top.

So, after reading my predictions, what do you think? Which film will take home the most money at the box office this summer?

Is it just me, or did you feel as if Casino Royale's release was a holiday in and of itself? Perhaps it felt that way because of our non-stop Bond coverage, but -- sheesh -- I'm wiped out. With Bond Day out of the way, Thanksgiving is this Thursday. And, when people start mentioning Thanksgiving, you know what that means -- the Holiday season (complete with decorated store windows, giant trees and a slew of references to some fat, bearded guy from the North Pole) is officially in full swing. While I absolutely hate shopping and spending money, I love eating -- and so Thanksgiving is one of those holidays I truly look forward to. Football, food and sleep ... does it get any better than that?

Thanksgiving is also about being thankful for stuff. Like, this year, I'm thankful I didn't accidentally fall off the roof of a building. Since this is a film-related site, there has to be a ton of things (yes, film-related) that you're thankful for this year. Are you thankful Bryan Singer didn't ruin the Superman franchise? For some odd reason, are you thankful Peter Jackson will not be directing The Hobbit? Perhaps you're thankful Daniel Craig played a sweet ass Bond and proved all those naysayers wrong? Personally, I'm thankful for films like Little Miss Sunshine -- a flick that snuck into a summer packed with blockbusters and somehow managed to brighten up my life. I'm also thankful that it's now so much easier for a young aspiring filmmaker to follow their dreams -- to make a film and find an audience.

So, I ask you: What are you film geeks thankful for this year?