Saturday, March 1, 2008

The 10 Movies I'm looking forward to: Spring/ Early Summer

rather than make a lengthy post dedicated to films that won't come out until the end of the year (and therefore make time appear to slow down even further), I'd much rather make a lengthy post dedicated to movies being released within a relatively short time frame (let's say from March to mid or late May). These next two months are about to get a lot longer....

***The only requirement to be on this list is a simple one: it has to be one that has yet to be released as of today (which rules out "Vantage Point", "The Other Boleyn Girl", and "Be Kind Rewind").

10. 10,000 BC: Roland Emmerich is no Scorcese (or even Michael Bay for that matter) but he sure knows how to make cool looking objects crash, smash, and go 'boom'. While the trailer suggests that this will be nothing more than a cheesy popcorn flick with great production values, it looks like a moderately enjoyable cheesy popcorn flick with great production values. And kudos for that that amazing historical inaccuracy (because that's never seen in Hollywood films at all). Also, some points off for giving your main hero dread locks; Jack Sparrow's the only big budget Hollywood character who can pull the look off......sorry. World's first Gay Pride Parade(not that there's anything wrong with that...)

I only have two questions: 1) what is with the saber toothed tiger? that thing shows up like, FIVE times during the trailer. Is it an important character or something? Or is it simply the dread locked dude's daemon *cough*goldencompassreference*cough*? 2) I really want to know how dinosaurs, mammoths, big ass temples, forests, wintry mountains, epic walking across a desert, some hot girl who gets captured, ships with magenta colored sails, and the aforementioned tiger can all be crammed into one coherent movie.........(though I think we all know the answer to that question)

Level of Excitement: Decent (it won't be "300", that's for sure)

9. Wanted: As much as I'm sick of Angelina Jolie (and I fear that she could screw up Clint Eastwood's upcoming film "The Changeling"), the idea of her playing up her hotness factor while wielding a shot gun and flirting with James McAvoy is strangely appealing to me. But then again, as a hormonally unstable teenage, I guess it makes sense....anyone married and/or over 35....you've got some explaining to do....

Level of Excitement: Decent (if it weren't for the cast I wouldn't even bother)

8. My Blueberry Nights: I'm forced to put this one low on the list because...well...I haven't heard anything about it in ages. It was supposed to be released in late 2007, but it had trouble picking up an American distributor (though with all of 2007's glorious entries, it's somewhat understandable). The film will enjoy a limited (and very much delayed) release sometime in March or early April. The story centers on a young woman (Norah Jones...yes that Norah Jones) who travels across America trying to find herself....or something like that. Along the way she meets various eccentrics who bear striking resemblances to Jude Law, Rachel Weisz, and Natalie Portman.....
Level of Excitement: Moderate

7. Leatherheads: another movie that I probably wouldn't bother with if I didn't like (most) of the cast (George "awards whore" Clooney, John Krasinski (Jim from The Office), and Renee Zellweger, who could really use a career-reviver about now). Clooney also directs (and maybe writes) this sports comedy about a struggling 1920s football team that starts to move in the right direction after acquiring a decorated WWI soldier with some unique skills (Krasinski). The best part of it all?: Watching John Krasinski punch George Clooney in the face in the trailer.

Special Note to Mr. Clooney: Start preparing your acceptance speech now, as I have no doubts this film will figure prominently into Awards Season 2008......*cough*awardswhore*cough*

Level of Excitement: Moderate

6. Paranoid Park: There's really only one reason - it's directed by versatile director Gus Van Sant (Good Will Hunting, the masterpiece that is To Die For, Dancer in the Dark, etc...) who can be uneven, but when he's on target, he's brilliant. The story is about (I think I have this right) about a punk skateboarder who commits a crime/witnesses a crime/witnesses and commits a crime/witnesses a crime and starts to get involved in but then remembers that his mom was making his favorite food for dinner that night so he left but still saw the rest of the crime/gets mixed up with the wrong crowd, and runs away from home while having to lie about the crime. And somehow a place called Paranoid Park figures into it all......kind of.....

Level of Excitement: Moderate (if only the trailer had been just a tad bit more revealing....*sigh*)

5. Iron Man: I know Iron is another comic book superhero finally getting the big screen treatment. That's it. So for me this will be a journey of discovery (and of course, objects exploding). Robert Downey Jr. seems like a quirky and intriguing choice for a superhero, and the film seems to have a pretty decent sense of humor (Spiderman 3, start taking notes) based on the trailer. It's also nice to see Gwyneth Paltrow in a movie that will probably make more than $10 million for the first time since........Shakespeare in Love.....

Level of Excitement: Good

4. The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian: It just looks sooooooooooooooooooooo much better than the plodding Lion/Witch/Wardrobe from 2005. From better special effects, a more grown up look (and story), and the possible return of Oscar Winner Tilda Swinton(TM) (boy does that feel good), as the White Witch (was that her behind that weird veil of water????), it just looks like it won't be the slow (but pretty) drag that the first installment was. Oh, and the little girl who played Lucy is back, which is great because she was the only kid actor worth anything in the first one..

Level of Excitement: Good

3. Smart People: Ellen Page takes on the role of a smarty-pants teenager stuck in some weird family situations. Sound a little too much like Juno? Don't worry (at least not now, though I've heard that her character....well...I'll just shut up now), Page's "Vanessa" is nearly the polar opposite of Juno save for the quick wit: flippy hairdo, highstrung-all-A-student, and member of her high school's Young Republicans Club. She's actually not the main character this time. That would be Dennis Quaid's uptight college professor who gets into some sort of accident, rendering him unable to drive for several months. Right on cue, quirky, hilarious chaos ensues as a former student (Sarah Jessica Parker) and a goofy brother (Thomas Haden Church) get thrown into the mix.

Level of Excitement: High

2. Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day: When Frances McDormand isn't filming a Coen Brothers movie, she either goes into hibernation along with Daniel Day-Lewis, Jodie Foster, and Julie Christie, or she makes delightful little movies like this one. McDormand plays an English governess who has trouble keeping work (says one frustrated client: "I can't believe I hired someone with your....your........hair!"). So when the employment office refuses to help her anymore, she gets desperate and steals an assignment, which leads her to the home of a wealthy aspiring actress (played by Amy Adams. The movie automatically becomes 1000x more awesome right now). Joining the cast are Ciaran Hinds, Lee Pace (Pushing Daisies), and ....well someone else I'm sure. Along the way, Miss Pettigrew gets to enjoy high society life, experiencing fancy parties, fashion shows, massages, and a complete makeover which prompts her to gasp: "Is this me?" (to which Adams responds with the trailer's best line: "As nature intended!"). Bonus points just for making the whole thing look so darn adorable.

Level of Excitement: Very High

1. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of Crystal Skull: Two words: Cate. Blanchett. Like fellow Aussie/Oscar Winner Nicole Kidman, the woman can do just about anything, even play a villain in a big budget movie. That, and Harrison Ford's deadpan line delivery remains completely intact. I'm not too crazy about Shia Labeouf joining the cast (if it hadn't been for Disturbia and Transformers in a single year, it never would've happened), but the rest looks like classic Indy fun.

Actually, make that three words: Cate. Blanchett. ALIENS. (yeah, you heard me).

Level of Excitement: So High I'm about to explode.....*blam* whoops...too late...

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