Halloween's still a month away, but these films all have some afterlife in them.



The Spirit
The second trailer for the highly anticipated adaptation of Will Eisner's classic graphic novel looks a lot like Robert Rodriguez's Sin City. That's not surprising, since comic book great Frank Miller not only co-directed that flick, he also wrote the book it was based on. The Spirit marks his solo directorial debut, and he's definitely got the film noir thing down. After a rookie cop is brutally murdered, he's resurrected as the title character (Gabriel Macht), a masked crime fighter dedicated to keeping the city streets safe. Of course he has to vanquish a supervillain (Samuel L. Jackson as the Octopus) and a couple of femme fatales, first. It's clearly got a dark vibe, but it doesn't take itself too seriously. There's a bunch of one-liners in the trailer. My favorite: "Somebody get me a tie ... and it sure as hell better be red!"




Soul Men
It's impossible to watch this trailer without getting misty eyed. A Blues Brothers-esque comedy about a middle-aged musical duo reuniting and going on the road, the comedy stars Samuel L. Jackson and the late Bernie Mac, seemingly at his blustery best. The late Isaac Hayes also has a cameo, as himself. As for whether the film will actually be any good, well, the humor is of the lewd and crude variety, ex: Jennifer Coolidge removing her false teeth before she, er, pleasures Mac. If you didn't cry before, that scene'll probably do it.

Repo! the Genetic Opera
Seemingly a combination of Phantom of the Paradise, Blade Runner and Forbidden Zone, this sci-fi musical has something for everyone. No seriously! It's got Buffy vet Anthony Head for the cultists, Nivek Ogre from Skinny Puppy for the Goths, Alexa Vega for the tween set, Sarah Brightman for theater queens and Paris Hilton for ... OK so probably no one's going to see this just because of the celebutante, particularly since her performance doesn't seem so hot. But I can't help but get excited for this surefire midnight musical about a bleak future when organ failure runs rampant and the biotech company that gives folks new life ... for a price. When's the sing-a-long going to launch?

Valkyrie
The true life story of a German plot to kill Hitler during WWII, this flick seems DOA, despite Bryan Singer at the helm. The buzz has been deadly almost from the get go, with star Tom Cruise sporting an eye patch, but thankfully no German accent in the title role. It's tough to tell from the trailer whether there's anything worthwhile here, as it's a cornucopia of clichés: a ticking clock, someone cautioning that nothing ever goes according to plan, a rush of manic violins at its close. It definitely doesn't look like a Cruise career resurrection. See trailer below ...