December 5
- Cadillac Records
- Extreme Movie (limited)
- Frost/Nixon (limited; expands: Dec. 12; expands: Dec. 25)*
- Hunger (L.A. Oscar run; limited release: March 2009)
- Let Them Chirp Awhile (NY; Chicago release: Dec. 12; LA release: Jan. 2)
- Local Color (limited)
- Nobel Son
- Punisher: War Zone***
December 10
- The Reader (NY, LA, SF; expands: Dec. 25; wide: Jan. 9, 2009)
- Wendy and Lucy (limited)
December 12
- Adam Resurrected (NY, LA)
- Dark Streets (limited)
- The Day the Earth Stood Still (conventional theaters and IMAX)
- Delgo
- Doubt (limited; expands: Dec. 19; expands: Dec. 25)
- Gran Torino (limited; wide: Jan. 9)
- Nothing Like the Holidays
- Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi (limited)
- Timecrimes (Los Cronocrímenes) (NY, LA)
- What Doesn't Kill You (NY, LA)
- Where God Left His Shoes (NY)
- While She Was Out (limited)
December 17
- The Wrestler (limited)***
December 19
- The Brothers Bloom (limited; wide: Jan. 16, 2009)
- The Class (1-Week NY, LA Oscar Run; NY, LA release: Jan. 30, 2009)
- Moscow, Belgium (NY)
- Nothing But the Truth (NY, LA; expands: Jan. 9, 2009)
- Seven Pounds****
- The Tale of Despereaux
- Yes Man***
December 24
- The Secret of the Grain (Graine et le mulet, La) (NY)
- Theater of War (NY)
December 25
- Bedtime Stories*
- The Curious Case of Benjamin Button**
- Last Chance Harvey
- Marley & Me
- The Spirit****
- Waltz with Bashir (NY, LA)
December 26
- Revolutionary Road
- Valkyrie*
December 31
- Defiance (limited; wide: Jan. 16, 2009)
- Good (limited)
- The Lodger (limited)
DECEMBER 5th
Cadillac Records [limited]
Director: Darnell Martin
Stars: Adrien Brody, Beyoncé Knowles, Mos Def (Full Cast)
Studio: TriStar Pictures
The Plot: A chronicle of the rise and fall of Chess Records, the Chicago-based record label founded by Leonard Chess (Brody), whose musical ear and business savvy helped foster the careers of Etta James (Knowles), Chuck Berry (Def), and other rhythm-and-blues pioneers.
THE BUZZ: All my single ladies: Let the idea of Beyoncé Knowles starring as Etta James attract or repel you to this rhythm & biopic, but I have to say that Bey's revealing statements about her pop-star side (let's just pretend they're actual-real quotes) and the arrival of her bi-polar solo album makes me interested in her now more than at any other time in her career. She'd probably be the first person to proclaim that her voice and look doesn't exactly match up with Ms. James's, though I'm hoping Etta's wild side will have a lasting effect on Ms. Knowles. (Hmm, perhaps Sasha Fierce should have been cast instead?) Sony's been rather quiet on this one, and I'm wondering if the thought here is to give it an awards-qualifying release this month, then blow it out come January. And I'm dying to see what Mos Def (who should reunite Black Star) brings to the screen as Chuck Berry. Mr. Brody is going to have to fight to not be upstaged.
Frost/Nixon [LA/NY] Wide release: 12/25
Director: Ron Howard
Stars: Frank Langella, Michael Sheen, Kevin Bacon (Full Cast)
Studio: Universal Pictures
The Plot: BBC host David Frost interviews Richard Nixon in 1977, where the scandal-plagued President opens up about his role in the Watergate scandal.
THE BUZZ: Opie does alright racking up the Oscar noms when he takes on American tales of a certain era (Apollo 13, A Beautiful Mind). Add to the mix Frank Langella (who was seriously overlooked last year for Starting Out in the Evening) as tricky Dick, a Tony-nominated play by The Queen's Peter Morgan and sprinkle a little Bacon (Kevin, that is) and you can expect similar results this awards season.
Punisher: War Zone
Director: Lexi Alexander
Stars: Ray Stevenson, Dominic West, Julie Benz (Full Cast)
Studio: Lionsgate
The Plot: Continuing his crusade to punish violent criminals, former FBI agent Frank Castle (Stevenson) arrives in New York to take on the city's underworld bosses.
THE BUZZ: Seems like we'll never know the details of what happened behind the camera here, so we'll treat the rumors of director Lexi Alexander (Green Street Hooligans) being booted from the project as uncorroborated reports that, while never denied by Lionsgate, aren't exactly trustworthy. We can say that Alexander won the battle to keep her R-rated vision, though we're not sure if she wanted the score to be comprised solely of heavy-metal thunder worthy of a WWE champion's entrance music. Looking at what's going on in front of the camera, we wish the new Frank Castle, Ray Stevenson (aka Titus from HBO's "Rome") all the best in his effort not to go the way of Thomas Jane once War Zone's theatrical run is up (Jane said he didn't work for a year after the original movie was released in 2004). Ditto co-star Dominic West, another HBO vet whose post-"Wire" career isn't looking all that prosperous; perhaps Marvel can find a home for him in one of their myriad projects in development.
Nobel Son [limited]
Director: Randall Miller
Stars: Alan Rickman, Bryan Greenberg, Shawn Hatosy (Full Cast)
Studio: Freestyle Releasing
The Plot: A young chemistry student (Hatosy) throws a wrench into the existence of Nobel Prize-winning scientist Eli Michaelson (Rickman) by first kidnapping his son (Greenberg), then exposing Michaelson to his family friends, and colleagues as the pompous, unscrupulous egomaniac he has become since his triumph.
THE BUZZ: Perhaps writer-director Randall Miller and his co-writer/producer Jody Savin deserve some sort of award for first delivering Bottle Shock as one of the true indie success stories of the year, then cranking up more buzz for Nobel Son, their 2007 project that has been lauded already as a fast, loose, and original caper flick. We all know that Alan Rickman, who stars in both films, is one of the most versatile contemporary actors, but what no one would have predicted in a year where the future of indie-movie distribution has been called into question is to have a filmmaking pair chart two hits in a crowded market without the benefit of A-list wattage. We're stoked for the behind-the-scenes duo, and their wonderfully diverse cast -- many of whom are in both Bottle and Nobel).
Timecrimes [LA/NY]
Director: Nacho Vigalondo
Stars: Karra Elejalde, Candela Fernández (Full Cast)
Studio: Magnolia Pictures
The Plot: After being subjected to a bizarre attack, a man (Elejalde) is transported one hour back in time, where he meets himself, then introduced to events that will lead up to an unthinkable -- but preventable? -- crime.
THE BUZZ: It seems as though this year, more so than in any past year, any non-U.S. film that generates Stateside buzz is snatched up and put on the development track to Remakeville. That's the case with short filmmaker Nacho Vigalondo's feature debut, which is being handled by Children of Men screenwriter Tim Sexton as a potential project for David Cronenberg. While Timecrimes hasn't received the same favorable-across-the-board reception as, say, Let the Right One In (which will be directed by Cloverfield's Matt Reeves for a January 2010 release, FYI) it just might fare better with a slightly re-tinkered premise, if you believe one of the smarter online reviewers out there.
DECEMBER 10th
The Reader [LA/NY/SF]
Director: Stephen Daldry
Stars: Kate Winslet, Ralph Fiennes, Bruno Ganz (Full Cast)
Studio: Weinstein Company, The
The Plot: Post-WWII Germany: Nearly a decade after his affair with an older woman came to a mysterious end, law student Michael Burk is reunited with his former lover (Winslet) as she defends herself in a war-crime trial.
THE BUZZ: Call it the battle of the slimmed-down movie moguls: Superproducer Scott Rudin tussled with studio chief Harvey Weinstein over the release date of director Stephen Daldry's follow up to The Hours. Rudin and his filmmaker wanted a 2009 berth, but Harvey wasn't having it, an indication that the former Oscar-winning champ is -- dare we say it? -- getting back into shape for next February. Right after the drama had subsided (at least in the press), Rudin walked away from the film, and then the reports of HW hassling Reader producer Sydney Pollack on his deathbed surfaced, painting one of the ugliest portraits in recent movie history. I will be happy when the people who actually made and star in this troubled saga begin stumping for the film -- especially Kate Winslet, who has a curious bond to this project, and might be competing against herself for her elusive Best-Actress statue next year (her Revolutionary Road arrives on Christmas). Meanwhile, I wonder if Scott Rudin will option his own Reader-era story and turn it into a future Oscar-winning, postwar drama.
Wendy and Lucy [limited]
Director: Kelly Reichardt
Stars: Michelle Williams (Full Cast)
Studio: Oscilloscope Pictures
The Plot: Troubles besiege Wendy (Williams) during her trip from Indiana to Alaska, where she hopes to find gainful employment at a fish cannery. While stopped in Oregon, she's caught shoplifting food for her beloved dog, Lucy, which causes the duo to become separated, and presents to Wendy an increasingly dire set of circumstances as she searches for her companion.
THE BUZZ: In her last film, Old Joy, Kelly Reichardt explored the fragility of interpersonal relationships; her latest seems to hone in on the individual, and how just about anyone these days could easily be pulled under by a simple misstep, economic or otherwise. (I am so dying to see this.) It's been reported that Reichardt initially thought Michelle Williams was too pretty for this role and she didn't allow her to wear makeup or wash her tomboy haircut for several-weeks-long shoot. (She probably got lo-fi beauty tips from co-star Will Oldham, who will hopefully be in every future Reichardt project.) My eye is on Willaims to see if she lands a Best Actress nomination alongside two other well-received indie performances: Anne Hathaway in Rachel Got Married and Kristin Scott Thomas in I've Loved You So Long. Could Williams also be nominated for Synecdoche, New York?
DECEMBER 12th
Doubt [limited]
Director: John Patrick Shanley
Stars: Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams (Full Cast)
Studio: Miramax Films
The Plot: The principal (Streep) of a Catholic school in the Bronx grows suspicious of a priest (Hoffman) who might have crossed the line with one of their students; her subsequent accusation leads to a tense confrontation that also involves a young nun (Adams) who might have proof of the priest's wrongdoing.
THE BUZZ: John Patrick Shanley adapts and directs the film version of his Broadway play, which can boast of the fifth-longest run in history. Meanwhile, producer Scott Rudin, who divorced himself from The Reader after a bust-up with Harvey Weinstein, is still in good shape to vie for some best-picture awards, since the buzz temperature here is climbing as December draws near. Look for Streep to extend her lead in the number of total Best Actress nominations, for Hoffman to rack up another nod (one of possibly two if Synecdoche, New York lives up to its avant-garde promise), and for Adams to probably walk away with her first Oscar. Then there's the presence of Viola Davis, who has turned more than one critic's head with her performance as the mother of the student who may or may not have fallen under the influence of Hoffman's Father Brendan Flynn.
Nothing Like the Holidays
Director: Alfredo De Villa
Stars: John Leguizamo, Freddy Rodríguez, Debra Messing (Full Cast)
Studio: Overture Films
The Plot: The scattered members of the Rodriguez family return to their parents' home in Chicago to celebrate the holiday season, as well as their youngest's safe return from combat overseas. But when old tensions surface, the pressure is on the individuals to truly come together as a family.
THE BUZZ: Formerly known as Humbolt Park (a Puerto Rican neighborhood in Chicago), NLtH represents director Alfredo De Villa's (Washington Heights) first dabbling in mass-appeal filmmaking. With a Chi-town setting, such a likable cast, and a built-in audience, all it should take is an appealing trailer and savvy marketing to get this comedy to stand out during the holiday rush -- though I imagine the mainstream press will be focusing on Four Christmases.
The Day the Earth Stood Still
Director: Scott Derrickson
Stars: Keanu Reeves, Jennifer Connelly, Kathy Bates (Full Cast)
Studio: Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation
The Plot: Aliens land on Earth with an important message for its citizens. A remake of the classic 1951 sci-fi film directed by Robert Wise.
THE BUZZ: The original '51 flick is pretty much close to perfect, so we were just as surprised as you were to learn that what it really needed was Keanu?! But, here he is, returning to the genre that made him the One, hooked up to wires, interrogated by some creepy goon in a black tie and warning us against the threat of complete global annihilation. Worked before, so there's no reason to think this remake/reboot/re-whatever won't draw us in this time around. Even if it leaves us feeling a bit nostalgic for the old Gort.
For the director's take on the trailer, check this out.
Gran Torino [LA/NY]
Director: Clint Eastwood
Stars: Clint Eastwood, Bee Vang (Full Cast)
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures
The Plot: When his prized 1972 Gran Torino nearly is stolen, disgruntled Korean War vet Walt Kowalski (Eastwood) looks to clean up his neighborhood, which has been taken over by gangs. Reluctantly, Kowalski also forms a bond with one of his neighbors, a Hmong teenager, whose family is embroiled in a gang-related conflict.
THE BUZZ: Clint Eastwood's under-wraps project is getting a reveal at year's end, in hopes that his Detroit-set story of racism, revenge, and urban decline will result in an Eastwood-heavy Oscar field. Apple has the trailer online, and it's confirmed that Christian Bale officially has some competition in the Best Grumble category. I like that Mr. Eastwood is updating his own Dirty Harry persona (make it more age-appropriate); he also seems to be providing a societal critique that is reminiscent of 70s-era urban-panic movies. Does the trailer, however, feel a bit rushed to you -- an indication that yet another film from a notable director (think: Oliver Stone here) has been given the hurry-up treatment for potential Oscar glory? GT could be up for Best Director by default, but Best Picture?
What Doesn't Kill You [LA/NY]
Director: Brian Goodman
Stars: Ethan Hawke, Mark Ruffalo, Brian Goodman (Full Cast)
Studio: Yari Film Group Releasing
The Plot: Two lifelong friends who have survived the mean streets of South Boston find it increasingly hard to maintain a balance between their personal lives and the "jobs" they take for a local crime boss (Goodman).
THE BUZZ: WDKY marks the arrival of actor-turned-director Brian Goodman, who mined his personal experiences in order to generate this story of two friends quickly moving in opposite directions in their lives, with both of them facing potential dead ends. Since the drama's debut at the Toronto Film Festival back in September, critics have indicated that Goodman's ultra-convincing story, as well as the interplay between Ruffalo and Hawke ("career bests," we hear), take the familiar-sounding tale to new heights. Let's see how well Yari Film Group does in getting the word out on this one; the studio has kept most of their films under wraps this year (The Accidental Husband, Assassination of a High School President), though they are making an awards-season push with this film and Nothing But the Truth.
Delgo
Director: Marc F. Adler Jason Maurer
Stars: Freddie Prinze Jr., Val Kilmer, Anne Bancroft (Full Cast)
Studio: Freestyle Releasing
The Plot: When Delgo (voice of Prinze, Jr.), a troubled teenager, is framed for a crime he didn't commit, his subsequent prison escape leads him and a group of unlikely friends on adventure to save two sparring races from a common enemy.
THE BUZZ: Yes, this is the animated movie that has been around since 2003, back when co-star Val Kilmer missed out on a role in Collateral. To be honest with you: I'm not exactly sure what the storyline is here -- I'm cobbling together bits and pieces of information available on myriad websites. But I can say this is another questionable gamble on the part of distributor Freestyle Releasing, aka the studio who gave Uwe Boll a three-picture deal back in January (a relationship that seemed to dissolve with the release of Dungeon Siege). Can Delgo and his pals rake in as much money as those Fly Me to the Moon kids?
DECEMBER 17th
The Wrestler [limited]
Director: Darren Aronofsky
Stars: Mickey Rourke, Marisa Tomei, Evan Rachel Wood (Full Cast)
Studio: Fox Searchlight Pictures
The Plot: With his battle scars and failing heart, retired professional wrestler Randy "The Ram" Robinson (Rourke) jumps back into the squared cirle, climbing his way up the independent-circuit ladder, with his eyes on a showdown with his longtime rival.
THE BUZZ: I could come up with a dozen wrestling metaphors to describe Darren Aronofsky's apparently triumphant return to scrappy, independent filmmaking, while I join the circle of whisperers who are guessing that Mickey Rourke will be up for Oscar glory here, but I'm, well, hesitant. The fact remains that Aronofsky couldn't find native funds for this one, and he turned to Wild Bunch, the French foreign sales company who also backed Soderbergh's four-hour Che Guevera biography. And though the film, essentially a three-character drama, was purchased by Fox Searchlight, I don't think The Wrestler is going to be their Juno-like success this year -- neither commercially nor critically. In fact, I hear press at both festivals just sorta rolled their eyes at this one. However, I really hope I eat my own words, because I'm pro-Aronofsky, provided The Fountain can be ignored.
DECEMBER 19th
Seven Pounds
Director: Gabriele Muccino
Stars: Will Smith, Rosario Dawson, Woody Harrelson (Full Cast)
Studio: Columbia Pictures
The Plot: A professional man (Smith) who is close to suicide for his role in an auto accident that claimed the lives of seven people finds a reason to live, and to atone, when he falls for a woman (Dawson) who wants to help him deal with his grief.
THE BUZZ: Get way down and then be lifted back up a second time by Will Smith and his Pursuit of Happyness director Gabriele Muccino. I don't think we know the full scope of the story just yet -- there are whispers about Smith's character assuming the identity of his brother (possibly played by Michael Ealy?) -- but you and I both can imagine the weighty drama is being positioned for a third Best-Actor nomination for Smith. There must have been tremendous pressure on greenish screenwriter Grant Nieporte to deliver, and I've seen plenty of postings championing his script. I thought Happyness' screenplay was wispy, but that didn't prevent it from international success, so I have to surmise that Smith's bulletproof career is in no danger of taking a dent this holiday season ... even if he made a few enemies in LA this time around.
The Tale of Despereaux
Director: Sam Fell Robert Stevenhagen
Stars: Matthew Broderick, Emma Watson, Dustin Hoffman (Full Cast)
Studio: Universal Pictures
The Plot: Banished from his home for being more man than mouse, Despereaux (Broderick) is befriended by Princess Pea (Watson) who teaches him the value of reading books (instead of eating them) as well as a fellow outcast, Roscuro the Rat (Hoffman), who is interested in hearing the stories Despereaux has learned. When Roscuro is shunned by the princess, however, he plots her kidnapping, putting Desperaux's human-sized bravery to the test.
THE BUZZ: Triplets of Belleville director Sylvain Chomet first began work on Despereaux, though he eventually left the project to continue development on a Jacques Tati-scripted project that may or may not be his next film. Chomet was temporarily replaced by Corpse Bride co-director Mike Johnson, though the giant mouse ears wound up being handled by veteran animator Robert Stevenhagen and Flushed Away's Sam Fell. This is definitely the second most-interesting animated project of the year (nothing is beating WALL•E) and it's cool to see Chomet's influence lingering in the trailer. Given the derth of family films this holiday season, Despereaux is the champion by default -- though the picture has certainly captured our attention.
The Brothers Bloom [limited]
Director: Rian Johnson
Stars: Rachel Weisz, Adrien Brody, Mark Ruffalo (Full Cast)
Studio: Summit Entertainment
The Plot: A pair of brothers and veteran conmen (Brody and Ruffalo) target an enigmatic wealthy woman (Weisz) as their potential last job, fully unaware of the twists in the road ahead of them.
THE BUZZ: This is the first title in an interesting slate of releases for Summit Entertainment, who made us giggle last year with their parking-lot thriller P2. More exciting: Bloom is writer-director Rian Johnson's follow up to Brick, one of the most-debated films within IMDb circles (just so you know). What gets us excited here is: the casting of Rinko Kikuchi (Babel) as the brothers' accomplice; knowing that filming occurred all over Europe and Asia; anticipating Johnson's crafted dialogue and his second attempt at fooling his audience.
Yes Man
Director: Peyton Reed
Stars: Jim Carrey, Zooey Deschanel (Full Cast)
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures
The Plot: What happens when you agree with everyone and say "yes" to everything? Carl (Carrey) is about to find out when he chooses to become overly agreeable for an entire year.
THE BUZZ: Carrey returns to form (almost literally if you consider the kinda sorta plot similarities with Liar, Liar). Combined with this year's earlier Seuss success and what we've seen from his next romp, it looks like the $20 million man is ready to make us laugh again.
Nothing But the Truth [LA/NY]
Director: Rod Lurie
Stars: Kate Beckinsale, Matt Dillon, Vera Farmiga (Full Cast)
Studio: Yari Film Group Releasing
The Plot: Reporter Rachel Armstrong (Beckinsale) is handed a jail sentence for refusing to name her source, a covert CIA operative, for her article on a American missile attack against Venezuela.
THE BUZZ: Writer-director Rod Lurie (Resurrecting the Champ) apparently distorts the Judith Miller/Valerie Plame affair to a humorous extent, but at least one reviewer has wondered aloud if the filmmaker intended to create a comic melodrama, or a more hard-hitting awards contender. No real matter, since it's being positioned for a Best Actress nomination for Beckinsale and can potentially serve as a bitter/sweet note in a season of perhaps-too-earnest dramas of the war variety, and otherwise. Meanwhile, it's not like Kate B. needed a career makeover or anything, but I'm glad to see she's getting some grit under her fingernails, instead of more gore.
DECEMBER 25th
Bedtime Stories
Director: Adam Shankman
Stars: Adam Sandler, Keri Russell, Courteney Cox (Full Cast)
Studio: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
The Plot: Somehow, someway, the lavish bedtime stories that a hotel handyman (Sandler) tells his niece and nephew start to magically come true.
THE BUZZ: Softly doth Adam Sandler step into family-friendly territory under the chopless direction of Adam Shankman. Ooh, will there be dance sequences with co-stars Courteney Cox and Russell Brand? I'm digging for the dirt on this one ...
The Spirit
Director: Frank Miller
Stars: Gabriel Macht, Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson (Full Cast)
Studio: Lionsgate
The Plot: A rookie cop (Macht) returns from the dead to fight crime from the shadows of Central City. His main opposition is a former lab technician who has reinvented himself as The Octopus (Jackson), an elusive criminal mastermind who knows the secrets behind his nemesis.
THE BUZZ: While we still don't know if those Sin City sequels will ever get made, how cool is it that Frank Miller has moved on to directing his own projects after learning the trade alongside Robert Rodriguez? Sin City's enduring popularity and influence, combined with Iron Man's success (which proved that a lesser-known comic-book character can resonate with general audiences) has helped position The Spirit as a potential holiday-season hit, not the frost-bitten confection it was threatening to become with that nasty original release date of January 2009. The question on our mind is: If we're moved by The Spirit, could Samuel L. Jackson (a.k.a. The Octopus and, just maybe, Nick Fury) find himself immersed in two different comic franchises?
Revolutionary Road [limited]
Director: Sam Mendes
Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet (Full Cast)
Studio: DreamWorks Distribution
The Plot: A young couple raising a family in a Connecticut suburb during the mid-1950s look to break free from their frustratingly mediocre lives.
THE BUZZ: Avoiding the whole Kate and Leo back together again thing is like trying to steer clear of a giant iceberg. So, we'll just get all the OMG's out of our system now and crown Mendes the new "King of the World" for this brilliant (and nepotistic) casting move.
Valkyrie
Director: Bryan Singer
Stars: Tom Cruise, Bill Nighy, Carice van Houten (Full Cast)
Studio: United Artists
The Plot: Near the end of WWII, Claus von Stauffenberg (Cruise) leads to group of fellow German army colonels in an attempt to assassinate Adolf Hitler; the event would later be called the July 20 Plot of 1944.
THE BUZZ: With each release-date change, our interest in Valkyrie only increases. Will it become known as the title that topples the reportedly dissolving United Artists partnership between Tom Cruise and longtime producing partner Paula Wagner, or will it mark the successful reunion of director Bryan Singer and Usual Suspects writer Christopher McQuarrie, who haven't worked together since they made one another famous? If the players involved here ratchet up the Valkyrie's action/thriller angle, we expect they will successfully combat everything working against this film: myriad production woes (including a late-stage shooting delay that caused the release date to be pushed back from the July 4th holiday), the public's disinterest in T.C., said public's recent indifference to war movies, holiday competition, etc. Still, the look is right and if this creative team reaches its zenith, this is exactly the sort of fare that will get adults into the multiplex during this season.
Marley & Me
Director: David Frankel
Stars: Owen Wilson, Jennifer Aniston (Full Cast)
Studio: Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation
The Plot: An impossibly cute, but impossible-to-live-with yellow Labrador retriever named Marley teaches his newlywed owners a thing or two about patience and parenthood.
THE BUZZ: There must be some kind of rule in Hollywood about when a big-time star decides to make a dog movie. We're guessing for Aniston and Wilson, it's when they're done working with Ben Stiller.
Last Chance Harvey [limited]
Director: Joel Hopkins
Stars: Dustin Hoffman, Emma Thompson, Kathy Baker (Full Cast)
Studio: Overture Films
The Plot: During a weekend in which Harvey Shine (Hoffman) travels to London for his daughter's wedding, her first learns that he's lost his job back in New York, then he discovers he won't be the man giving away the bride at the ceremony. The one good thing that happens -- his meeting Kate (Thompson), a prickly but nevertheless enchanting Londoner -- might be the beginning of some much-needed change in Harvey's life.
THE BUZZ: Writer-director Joel Hopkins explored romantic complications in his debut, Jump Tomorrow, which was embraced by indie circles on both sides of the Atlantic. Now he steps up to the majors with a potential awards contender (now that The Road and The Soloist have been pushed to 2009, Oscar buzz has trickled down to smaller films such as Harvey). I wouldn't be surprised if Hoffman and Thompson are positioned for nominations, and considering the story's Before Sunrise tones (albeit for the generation ahead of Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy), a Best Original Screenplay nomination is not out of the question.
Waltz with Bashir [limited]
Director: Ari Folman
Stars: Ari Folman, Ron Ben-Yishai, Ronny Dayag (Full Cast)
Studio: Sony Pictures Classics
The Plot: By meeting and interviewing old friends from around the world, Ari, a former member of the Israeli Army, retraces his spotty personal history to a life-changing incident that occurred during his country's 1982 invasion of Lebanon.
THE BUZZ: Uh-oh, the Academy has another Persepolis situation on their hands... Turns out Ari Folman's surrealist animated war drama never had its mandatory one-week run in New York City this year (something that had to be in place by the end of last August), so it's no kudos for Bashir, easily one of the best-received documentaries on the international film-festival circuit. Personally, while I think the rule is so old fashioned, I find it odd that the doc's NYC-based distributor, Sony Pictures Classics, missed the bus here. The Joe Sacco set is up in arms!!
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Director: David Fincher
Stars: Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Tilda Swinton (Full Cast)
Studio: Paramount Pictures
The Plot: Benjamin Button was born under unusual circumstances. As everyone around him grew older, he aged backwards, making the challenges of life such as creating friendships, finding a job and falling in love all the more difficult and heartbreaking.
THE BUZZ: A curious choice for Fincher, who's never been one to go the fantasy-romance route. Seems more like a Case for Tim Burton. But, reteaming with Pitt (thrice already) is always a pleasure. Plus, sharing screen time with Blanchette and Swinton? We're swooning. Word of mouth has it that Button's visual effects are stunning, even if that train in the trailer looks a little too much like the Polar Express.
Showing posts with label dates. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dates. Show all posts
Monday, December 1, 2008
Monday, November 3, 2008
November 2008 Movie Releases
November 7
- The Alphabet Killer (Rochester; NY, LA release: Nov. 14)
- The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (limited)
- Gardens of the Night (NY; LA release December 5)
- The Guitar (NY)
- House (limited)
- JCVD (NY)
- Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (conventional theaters and IMAX)
- Otto; or Up with Dead People (limited)
- Pray the Devil Back to Hell (NY)
- Repo! The Genetic Opera (limited)
- Role Models****
- Soul Men
November 12
- Slumdog Millionaire (limited)
November 14
- A Christmas Tale (NY)
- B.O.H.I.C.A. (LA)
- Dostana (Friendship) (limited)
- The Dukes (NY; expands: Nov. 21)
- Eden (limited)
- House of the Sleeping Beauties (NY)
- How About You (limited)
- Quantum of Solace****
- We Are Wizards (NY)
November 21
- Bolt (Disney Digital 3-D)
- Special (NY, LA)
- Twilight
November 26
- Australia
- Four Christmases**
- Milk (limited; expands: Dec. 5; expands: Dec. 12)
- Transporter 3****
NOVEMBER 7th
Soul Men
Director: Malcolm D. Lee
Stars: Samuel L. Jackson, Bernie Mac (Full Cast)
Studio: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
The Plot: Though it's been some twenty years since they have spoken with one another, two estranged soul-singing legends (Jackson and Mac) agree to participate in a reunion performance at the Apollo Theater to honor their recently deceased band leader.
THE BUZZ: Oh, man, how to market a movie about a deceased singer right after the passings of co-star Bernie Mac and supporting player Isaac Hayes? The pressure here is on distributor Dimension Films, good-natured director Malcolm Lee (Roll Bounce, Welcome Home, Roscoe Jenkins), and co-star Sharon Leal, the Dreamgirls scene stealer who here plays Samuel L. Jackson's daughter and the new singer of the soul group.
Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa
Director: Eric Darnell Tom McGrath
Stars: Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer (Full Cast)
Studio: DreamWorks Distribution
The Plot: In the sequel to Madagascar, Alex the lion (voiced by Stiller) and his friends board an NYC-bound plane (that's been "repaired" by their penguin pals), only to find themselves touching down in the African plains. It's an opportunity for the animals to encounter their own kind for the very first time, and to discover, while various plots play out, what "home" truly means to each of them.
THE BUZZ: Say what you will about the original's primitive animation and whatnot, but it tallied up over $400 million in worldwide receipts, so this crack-a-lackin' sequel comes as no surprise -- but did it really require three years to come together? Maybe those psychotic penguins held out for more money. Maybe this time around the creative talent behind the camera will have more going on in the wild (something sorely missing from the first movie). And while we expect a big return here, honestly, we're more primed for Dreamworks' 2009 offering, Monster vs. Aliens.
Repo! The Genetic Opera
Director: Darren Lynn Bousman
Stars: Paul Sorvino, Anthony Head, Alexa Vega (Full Cast)
Studio: Lionsgate
The Plot: A worldwide epidemic encourages a biotech company to launch an organ-financing program similar in nature to a standard car loan. Too bad the repossession clause is a killer ...
THE BUZZ: First it was a short film, then it became a play, and now we have the movie version of Darren Smith and Terrance Zdunich's horror musical, which was bankrolled by Twisted Pictures, the production company behind Saw (which also started life as a short film). Though the Saw legacy kickstarted Darren Lynn Bousman's career, you have to imagine the director was thrilled to be let out of his trap and able to stretch his legs a bit. Can we expect something, more engaging and stomach-turning than, say, Sweeney Todd, with flourishes of George Romero-like social commentary (alongside the obvious environmental/healthcare parallels, the health care the suddenly subversive Paris Hilton here plays the surgey-addicted Amber Sweet)? Most reviewers are still trying to figure that out, but one thing is for sure: "Buffy" fans and Saw addicts are likely to converge in theaters this weekend, and the number of screens Repo! is set to open on is increasing as the release date draws near.
Role Models
Director: David Wain
Stars: Paul Rudd, Seann William Scott, Elizabeth Banks (Full Cast)
Studio: Universal Pictures
The Plot: Unsavory behavior forces a pair of energy-drink reps (Rudd and Scott) to enroll in a Big Brother program, where the duo learn, however reluctantly, to bond with their assigned kids.
THE BUZZ: David Wain (The Ten) isn't nearly as famous as Judd Apatow, but he got his career started the same way (both guys turned oddball comedy shows into cult hits in the early/mid-90s) before taking tentative steps toward the big screen. And from the sound of this movie's premise, it appears that Wain is learning the lesson Apatow aced a few years ago: Get less cerebral with your comedy, rotate key players through your projects, and gun for the hard-R rating. I'm curious as to why these Models earned a winter release when they are clearly a summer-movie confection, though it is a savvy and rather funny counter-programming effort by Universal ...
House
Director: Robby Henson
Stars: Reynaldo Rosales, Heidi Dippold, Michael Madsen (Full Cast)
Studio: Roadside Attractions
The Plot: A freak accident strands a couple on a deserted back road in Alabama. Happening upon the Wayside Inn, they meet another couple -- victims of a similar accident -- and thus begins a game enacted by a killer known as the Tin Man. Can the couples survive the night, knowing the only "safe" way out of the inn is to kill one of the four of them?
THE BUZZ: This adaptation of the best-selling novel from Ted Dekker and Frank Peretti finally locked in a post-Halloween release after a year of come-and-go dates. Seeming to combine elements of the Saw legacy, Vacancy, and even Se7en, the material here focuses on the struggle between Good and Evil; that fact, combined with the faith of the writers, is causing a lot of people to brand House as a "Christian cult film." Be that as it may, the trailer reveals a potentially controversial phrase (the villain apparently "killed God" after he let Him into his house) -- a brazen statement that to me makes Jigsaw (who is so tired after Saw V) and his ilk feel somewhat tame in comparison. Director Robby Henson has worked from novels by Dekker (Thr3e) and Peretti (The Visitation) before, and something tells me this triad will find their greatest success working together. Fans of the hardworking Michael Madsen will not be disappointed here, either.
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas [limited]
Director: Mark Herman
Stars: Asa Butterfield, David Thewlis, Rupert Friend (Full Cast)
Studio: Miramax Films
The Plot: A WWII-set story as seen through the eyes of Bruno (Butterfield), whose Nazi-Officer father (Thewlis) has just been made the commandant of a concentration camp outside Berlin. Bruno's eventual friendship with Shmuel, a boy his age who is detained at the camp, will usher in a troublesome reality for Bruno, and lead to a fateful attempt to alter Shmuel's situation.
THE BUZZ: Typically cheery British director Mark Herman (Little Voice) looks back to the dark days of WWII in his adaptation of John Boyne's acclaimed, super-depressing novel. Prepare to be horrified by David Thewlis and Rupert Friend in what could be the saddest film released this year. Awards bait? Certainly. What are its chances? We'll have to see what sort of push Miramax gives it -- they've also got Mike Leigh's buzzing Happy-Go-Lucky on their plate this season ...
NOVEMBER 12th
Slumdog Millionaire [limited]
Director: Danny Boyle Loveleen Tandan
Stars: Dev Patel, Freida Pinto (Full Cast)
Studio: Fox Searchlight Pictures
The Plot: The story of how impoverished Indian teen Jamal Malik (Patel) became a contestant on the Hindi version of "Who Wants to be A Millionaire?" -- an endeavor made without prize money in mind, rather, an effort to prove his love for his friend Latika (Pinto), who is an ardent fan of the show.
THE BUZZ: Danny Boyle's latest has had quite the ride on the way its awards-friendly berth; originally purchased by Warner Independent Pictures, the film's future was in limbo when WIP closed its doors given the gloomy climate for indie/art-house films. For a minute there, Slumdog almost went direct to DVD (which may not come as a surprise to those who saw Sunshine). "Dickensian" and "Capraesque" are two descriptors being used by those who saw it at the Telluride Film Festival, though to me it sounds like Boyle is giving a nod to his contemporary, Michael Winterbottom, who often (successfully) mines for gold outside of his native UK.
NOVEMBER 14th
Quantum of Solace
Director: Marc Forster
Stars: Daniel Craig, Olga Kurylenko, Mathieu Amalric (Full Cast)
Studio: Columbia Pictures
The Plot: Picking up where Casino Royale left off, James Bond (Craig) sets his sights on the organization behind Vesper Lynd's betrayal. The mission puts him on a collision course with Dominic Greene (Amalric), a ruthless businessman who, Bond soon learns, is brokering a deal to take total control of one of the world's most precious resources. Relying on allies new and old -- including Camille (Kurylenko), a beautiful woman with her own agenda -- Agent 007 looks to bring down Greene and his conspirators.
THE BUZZ: Is Bond losing his edge? With the Jason Bourne's and Jason Statham's of the world busting the roof off of Hollywood's typical car-chasing action genre, 007 can't really rest on his martini-sipping laurels anymore. Don't think we didn't notice you pulling up in a Honda rental car in Royale, Bond. The parkour stunts and blood stains on your tux were a nice touch, though. Keep it up. You know, we'll keep coming back for more, and who knows, you might see us in a Quantum cardigan; it is autumn, after all. P.S. The reviews from the world premiere have been decidedly mixed.
Christmas Tale [limited]
Director: Arnaud Desplechin
Stars: Catherine Deneuve, Jean-Paul Roussillon, Mathieu Amalric (Full Cast)
Studio: IFC Films
The Plot: The Vuillard family's history of physical and mental illness, estrangement, self harm, and loss doesn't lead itself to the idea of a cheerful holiday season. But can a Christmastime reunion, a scheme concocted by three of the youngest family members, finally bring peace their clan?
THE BUZZ: Arnaud Desplechin's last film, Kings & Queen, was a smash in the director's native France, and it eked out a decent tally at the American box office. That film's Catherine Deneuve and Jean-Paul Roussillon reunite as the respective matriarch and patriarch of the Vuillard clan, and I think their presence, combined with Gallic cinema's string of 2008 successes on this side of the Atlantic, could add up to some sort of art-house sensation this holiday season. For sure: That audience swooned over Mathieu Amalric's performance in Diving Bell and the Butterfly, and it should be compelling to watch him portray an alcoholic who has been banished by his sister. Why is that? Well, said sister is played by Anne Consigny, who handled with grace the role of blink-by-blink translator in the Diving Bell.
NOVEMBER 21st
Bolt
Director: Byron Howard Chris Williams
Stars: John Travolta, Susie Essman, Mark Walton (Full Cast)
Studio: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
The Plot: Bolt (voice of Travolta) is a celebrity dog and the star of a hit TV show where his amazing feats and powers draw big ratings. But when a mail-room mix-up finds him roaming free on the streets of New York City, the wonder dog will have to learn to rely on his actual strengths -- as well as his new friends, an abandoned housecat and a starry-eyed hamster -- in order to find his way back home.
THE BUZZ: Disney's latest morality tale sort of sounds like their other upcoming movie, Beverly Hills Chihuahua, with touches of Cars here and there. Travolta was creepy to look at in Wild Hogs and Hairspray, so it's a good thing Bolt looks nothing like his master. Meanwhile, listen close while "Curb Your Enthusiasm" standout Sussie Essman steals as many scenes as she's in -- though she'll have to keep her language family friendly here.
Twilight
Director: Catherine Hardwicke
Stars: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Billy Burke (Full Cast)
Studio: Summit Entertainment
The Plot: In her new town of Forks, Washington, misfit teenager Bella Swan (Stewart) falls for her alluring and mysterious classmate, Edward Cullen (Pattinson). As it turns out, Edward belongs to a lineage of vampires, although he doesn't fit the typical vampire mold. As their passion reaches dizzying heights, can Edward resist his natural urges, and will he be able to defend Bella from his family members who have come for her?
THE BUZZ: In terms of movies, 2008 will be remembered as the year superheroes went truly mainstream and, separately, the industry realized that female and gay male audiences are a neglected demographic. But what about the younger generation -- more specifically, teenage girls? Has any studio been able to figure out what they want, aside from Hannah Montana? Enter Catherine Hardwicke's adaptation of Stephenie Meyer's first novel, a project that first captured our interest very early this year when Kristen Stewart (Bella), Robert Pattinson (Edward), and a handful of their castmates took over our STARmeter chart, well in advance of any available footage from the production. The hype reached its first apex at Comic-Con, when the movie's panel earned Beatlemania comparisons from aging journalists who covered their ears as the teen girls and their "Twilight Moms" made the event more of a freak-out and less of a presentation. It's always tricky to predict if Internet buzz will turn into box-office gold (or, in this case, crimson) but I will say this: If the mother-daughter duos turn out for opening weekend (which was pushed up from mid-December to pre-Thanksgiving once Harry Potter decided to hide until 2009), Twilight could trump some higher-profile holiday movies, powered by repeat audiences, and send competing studios rushing off to optioned like-minded novels. Stephenie Meyer is keeping a blog on the movie's progress, so you might want to bookmark it as your destination for all things vamp as the release date draws near.
Special [limited]
Director: Hal Haberman Jeremy Passmore
Stars: Michael Rapaport (Full Cast)
Studio: Magnet Releasing
The Plot: Metermaid Les Franken (Rapaport) has an unexpected reaction to the anti-depressant he's taking as part of a clinical trial; suddenly convinced he's a superhero, he embraces his new powers, dons a homemade costume, and hits the streets to protect the citizens of his city. the corporation behind the pill, fearing bad publicity about their drug, set out to bring down our hero, who in turn hones his abilities to fight off his new arch-nemeses.
THE BUZZ: This one has been around since '06, but Magnet Films has saved it from DVD obscurity as part of their Six Shooter Film Series. You can bank on an ace performance from go-to character actor Michael Rappaport (who is sadly un-super-famous), but reviewers say prepare for a tonal shift that steers the story away from its comedic beginning and into murky, paranoid territory. Is that a good or bad thing? Either way: It sounds better than Hancock to me.
NOVEMBER 26th
Transporter 3
Director: Olivier Megaton
Stars: Jason Statham, Robert Knepper, Katia Tchenko (Full Cast)
Studio: Lionsgate
The Plot: Plot unknown. This is the third chapter of the action trilogy centered on Frank Martin (Statham), the former mercenary who reinvented himself as a specialist in moving goods of all kinds.
THE BUZZ: Looks like a much leaner (as in: 0% body fat) Jason Statham has punched in for a third-and-final? installment of the franchise that helped him break big in America. But do me a favor: Watch the teaser trailer and let me know if you think it's kind of embarrassing that the production -- which is still being steered by writer/producer Luc Besson, but is in the hands of graffiti-artist-turned-director Olivier Megaton -- lifted a story convention from Statham's Crank 2: High Voltage? In C2, Statham has a rejiggered heart that needs electrical jolts to keep ticking, here in T3, he's been outfitted with a silver bangle that will detonate if removed. Is this a metaphor for what might happen to Statham if he ever decides to transition out of action-anti-hero mode and into, say, a romantic leading man?
Four Christmases
Director: Seth Gordon
Stars: Reese Witherspoon, Vince Vaughn, Mary Steenburgen (Full Cast)
Studio: New Line Cinema
The Plot: A comedy about a married couple (Witherspoon and Vaughn) from two divorced families who are tasked with attending four Christmas Day celebrations.
THE BUZZ: Sounds more like Christmas with the Kranks to us, given the reports that Reese and Vince didn't exactly get along during filming. That's going to make promoting the movie interesting; picture them on daytime TV together: him rumpled and probably hungover, her glowering and taking questions about her other upcoming projects. Maybe this one should end with the main characters going about their separate ways. That sure seemed to work for The Break Up ...
Australia
Director: Baz Luhrmann
Stars: Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman (Full Cast)
Studio: Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation
The Plot: Set in northern Australia before World War II, an English aristocrat (Kidman) who inherits a sprawling ranch reluctantly pacts with a stock-man (Jackman) in order to protect her new property from a takeover plot. As the pair drive 2,000 head of cattle over unforgiving landscape, they experience the bombing of Darwin, Australia, by Japanese forces firsthand.
THE BUZZ: Originally Russell Crowe was set to star opposite Kidman in this paean to the antipodean outback, but everyone's favorite bad boy balked at the salary, stating, "I don't do charity work for major studios." Charming or surly? In stepped Wolverine to help Mrs. Keith Urban herd cattle, and while we couldn't be happier that Jackman and Kidman will play dueling cheekbones, the combination of dust, sweat, and livestock seems a far cry from Luhrmann's usually spangled-and-sumptuous milieu. This better deliver more than cattle or you're looking at the Australian Atonement come Oscar time.
Milk [limited]
Director: Gus Van Sant
Stars: Sean Penn, Josh Brolin, Emile Hirsch (Full Cast)
Studio: Focus Features
The Plot: A chronicle of Harvey Milk's (Penn) ascent to become San Francisco's first openly gay city supervisor in 1977, and the political fallout that led to his assassination, as well as Mayor George Moscone's, the following year.
THE BUZZ: While Oliver Stone skewers the current president, Gus van Sant turns the clock back 30 years to a golden moment in San Francisco that soon turned to rust. I am fortunate enough to live in said city, and it was striking to see what the Milk crew did with their big budget (well, big for a GVS production) in order to return the Castro to its 70s-era splendor; Milk's camera store was recreated, the Castro Theater got a hot makeover, classic cars jammed the streets, there were parades, and Sean Penn could be seen traipsing around the Haight in a kimono. (At least I think that was him.) While the film received its fair share of attention toward the end of the summer -- James Franco, who plays Milk's lover, seemed to enjoy throwing a kink in Pineapple Express press junkets by describing what it was like to kiss Sean Penn -- we already know that distributor Focus Features (still smarting from Brokeback?) has an Oscar campaign waiting in the wings. Will Josh Brolin, who here plays city-supervisor-turned-assassin Dan White, receive a nomination for this role, or for W., or both?
- The Alphabet Killer (Rochester; NY, LA release: Nov. 14)
- The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (limited)
- Gardens of the Night (NY; LA release December 5)
- The Guitar (NY)
- House (limited)
- JCVD (NY)
- Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (conventional theaters and IMAX)
- Otto; or Up with Dead People (limited)
- Pray the Devil Back to Hell (NY)
- Repo! The Genetic Opera (limited)
- Role Models****
- Soul Men
November 12
- Slumdog Millionaire (limited)
November 14
- A Christmas Tale (NY)
- B.O.H.I.C.A. (LA)
- Dostana (Friendship) (limited)
- The Dukes (NY; expands: Nov. 21)
- Eden (limited)
- House of the Sleeping Beauties (NY)
- How About You (limited)
- Quantum of Solace****
- We Are Wizards (NY)
November 21
- Bolt (Disney Digital 3-D)
- Special (NY, LA)
- Twilight
November 26
- Australia
- Four Christmases**
- Milk (limited; expands: Dec. 5; expands: Dec. 12)
- Transporter 3****
NOVEMBER 7th
Soul Men
Director: Malcolm D. Lee
Stars: Samuel L. Jackson, Bernie Mac (Full Cast)
Studio: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
The Plot: Though it's been some twenty years since they have spoken with one another, two estranged soul-singing legends (Jackson and Mac) agree to participate in a reunion performance at the Apollo Theater to honor their recently deceased band leader.
THE BUZZ: Oh, man, how to market a movie about a deceased singer right after the passings of co-star Bernie Mac and supporting player Isaac Hayes? The pressure here is on distributor Dimension Films, good-natured director Malcolm Lee (Roll Bounce, Welcome Home, Roscoe Jenkins), and co-star Sharon Leal, the Dreamgirls scene stealer who here plays Samuel L. Jackson's daughter and the new singer of the soul group.
Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa
Director: Eric Darnell Tom McGrath
Stars: Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer (Full Cast)
Studio: DreamWorks Distribution
The Plot: In the sequel to Madagascar, Alex the lion (voiced by Stiller) and his friends board an NYC-bound plane (that's been "repaired" by their penguin pals), only to find themselves touching down in the African plains. It's an opportunity for the animals to encounter their own kind for the very first time, and to discover, while various plots play out, what "home" truly means to each of them.
THE BUZZ: Say what you will about the original's primitive animation and whatnot, but it tallied up over $400 million in worldwide receipts, so this crack-a-lackin' sequel comes as no surprise -- but did it really require three years to come together? Maybe those psychotic penguins held out for more money. Maybe this time around the creative talent behind the camera will have more going on in the wild (something sorely missing from the first movie). And while we expect a big return here, honestly, we're more primed for Dreamworks' 2009 offering, Monster vs. Aliens.
Repo! The Genetic Opera
Director: Darren Lynn Bousman
Stars: Paul Sorvino, Anthony Head, Alexa Vega (Full Cast)
Studio: Lionsgate
The Plot: A worldwide epidemic encourages a biotech company to launch an organ-financing program similar in nature to a standard car loan. Too bad the repossession clause is a killer ...
THE BUZZ: First it was a short film, then it became a play, and now we have the movie version of Darren Smith and Terrance Zdunich's horror musical, which was bankrolled by Twisted Pictures, the production company behind Saw (which also started life as a short film). Though the Saw legacy kickstarted Darren Lynn Bousman's career, you have to imagine the director was thrilled to be let out of his trap and able to stretch his legs a bit. Can we expect something, more engaging and stomach-turning than, say, Sweeney Todd, with flourishes of George Romero-like social commentary (alongside the obvious environmental/healthcare parallels, the health care the suddenly subversive Paris Hilton here plays the surgey-addicted Amber Sweet)? Most reviewers are still trying to figure that out, but one thing is for sure: "Buffy" fans and Saw addicts are likely to converge in theaters this weekend, and the number of screens Repo! is set to open on is increasing as the release date draws near.
Role Models
Director: David Wain
Stars: Paul Rudd, Seann William Scott, Elizabeth Banks (Full Cast)
Studio: Universal Pictures
The Plot: Unsavory behavior forces a pair of energy-drink reps (Rudd and Scott) to enroll in a Big Brother program, where the duo learn, however reluctantly, to bond with their assigned kids.
THE BUZZ: David Wain (The Ten) isn't nearly as famous as Judd Apatow, but he got his career started the same way (both guys turned oddball comedy shows into cult hits in the early/mid-90s) before taking tentative steps toward the big screen. And from the sound of this movie's premise, it appears that Wain is learning the lesson Apatow aced a few years ago: Get less cerebral with your comedy, rotate key players through your projects, and gun for the hard-R rating. I'm curious as to why these Models earned a winter release when they are clearly a summer-movie confection, though it is a savvy and rather funny counter-programming effort by Universal ...
House
Director: Robby Henson
Stars: Reynaldo Rosales, Heidi Dippold, Michael Madsen (Full Cast)
Studio: Roadside Attractions
The Plot: A freak accident strands a couple on a deserted back road in Alabama. Happening upon the Wayside Inn, they meet another couple -- victims of a similar accident -- and thus begins a game enacted by a killer known as the Tin Man. Can the couples survive the night, knowing the only "safe" way out of the inn is to kill one of the four of them?
THE BUZZ: This adaptation of the best-selling novel from Ted Dekker and Frank Peretti finally locked in a post-Halloween release after a year of come-and-go dates. Seeming to combine elements of the Saw legacy, Vacancy, and even Se7en, the material here focuses on the struggle between Good and Evil; that fact, combined with the faith of the writers, is causing a lot of people to brand House as a "Christian cult film." Be that as it may, the trailer reveals a potentially controversial phrase (the villain apparently "killed God" after he let Him into his house) -- a brazen statement that to me makes Jigsaw (who is so tired after Saw V) and his ilk feel somewhat tame in comparison. Director Robby Henson has worked from novels by Dekker (Thr3e) and Peretti (The Visitation) before, and something tells me this triad will find their greatest success working together. Fans of the hardworking Michael Madsen will not be disappointed here, either.
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas [limited]
Director: Mark Herman
Stars: Asa Butterfield, David Thewlis, Rupert Friend (Full Cast)
Studio: Miramax Films
The Plot: A WWII-set story as seen through the eyes of Bruno (Butterfield), whose Nazi-Officer father (Thewlis) has just been made the commandant of a concentration camp outside Berlin. Bruno's eventual friendship with Shmuel, a boy his age who is detained at the camp, will usher in a troublesome reality for Bruno, and lead to a fateful attempt to alter Shmuel's situation.
THE BUZZ: Typically cheery British director Mark Herman (Little Voice) looks back to the dark days of WWII in his adaptation of John Boyne's acclaimed, super-depressing novel. Prepare to be horrified by David Thewlis and Rupert Friend in what could be the saddest film released this year. Awards bait? Certainly. What are its chances? We'll have to see what sort of push Miramax gives it -- they've also got Mike Leigh's buzzing Happy-Go-Lucky on their plate this season ...
NOVEMBER 12th
Slumdog Millionaire [limited]
Director: Danny Boyle Loveleen Tandan
Stars: Dev Patel, Freida Pinto (Full Cast)
Studio: Fox Searchlight Pictures
The Plot: The story of how impoverished Indian teen Jamal Malik (Patel) became a contestant on the Hindi version of "Who Wants to be A Millionaire?" -- an endeavor made without prize money in mind, rather, an effort to prove his love for his friend Latika (Pinto), who is an ardent fan of the show.
THE BUZZ: Danny Boyle's latest has had quite the ride on the way its awards-friendly berth; originally purchased by Warner Independent Pictures, the film's future was in limbo when WIP closed its doors given the gloomy climate for indie/art-house films. For a minute there, Slumdog almost went direct to DVD (which may not come as a surprise to those who saw Sunshine). "Dickensian" and "Capraesque" are two descriptors being used by those who saw it at the Telluride Film Festival, though to me it sounds like Boyle is giving a nod to his contemporary, Michael Winterbottom, who often (successfully) mines for gold outside of his native UK.
NOVEMBER 14th
Quantum of Solace
Director: Marc Forster
Stars: Daniel Craig, Olga Kurylenko, Mathieu Amalric (Full Cast)
Studio: Columbia Pictures
The Plot: Picking up where Casino Royale left off, James Bond (Craig) sets his sights on the organization behind Vesper Lynd's betrayal. The mission puts him on a collision course with Dominic Greene (Amalric), a ruthless businessman who, Bond soon learns, is brokering a deal to take total control of one of the world's most precious resources. Relying on allies new and old -- including Camille (Kurylenko), a beautiful woman with her own agenda -- Agent 007 looks to bring down Greene and his conspirators.
THE BUZZ: Is Bond losing his edge? With the Jason Bourne's and Jason Statham's of the world busting the roof off of Hollywood's typical car-chasing action genre, 007 can't really rest on his martini-sipping laurels anymore. Don't think we didn't notice you pulling up in a Honda rental car in Royale, Bond. The parkour stunts and blood stains on your tux were a nice touch, though. Keep it up. You know, we'll keep coming back for more, and who knows, you might see us in a Quantum cardigan; it is autumn, after all. P.S. The reviews from the world premiere have been decidedly mixed.
Christmas Tale [limited]
Director: Arnaud Desplechin
Stars: Catherine Deneuve, Jean-Paul Roussillon, Mathieu Amalric (Full Cast)
Studio: IFC Films
The Plot: The Vuillard family's history of physical and mental illness, estrangement, self harm, and loss doesn't lead itself to the idea of a cheerful holiday season. But can a Christmastime reunion, a scheme concocted by three of the youngest family members, finally bring peace their clan?
THE BUZZ: Arnaud Desplechin's last film, Kings & Queen, was a smash in the director's native France, and it eked out a decent tally at the American box office. That film's Catherine Deneuve and Jean-Paul Roussillon reunite as the respective matriarch and patriarch of the Vuillard clan, and I think their presence, combined with Gallic cinema's string of 2008 successes on this side of the Atlantic, could add up to some sort of art-house sensation this holiday season. For sure: That audience swooned over Mathieu Amalric's performance in Diving Bell and the Butterfly, and it should be compelling to watch him portray an alcoholic who has been banished by his sister. Why is that? Well, said sister is played by Anne Consigny, who handled with grace the role of blink-by-blink translator in the Diving Bell.
NOVEMBER 21st
Bolt
Director: Byron Howard Chris Williams
Stars: John Travolta, Susie Essman, Mark Walton (Full Cast)
Studio: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
The Plot: Bolt (voice of Travolta) is a celebrity dog and the star of a hit TV show where his amazing feats and powers draw big ratings. But when a mail-room mix-up finds him roaming free on the streets of New York City, the wonder dog will have to learn to rely on his actual strengths -- as well as his new friends, an abandoned housecat and a starry-eyed hamster -- in order to find his way back home.
THE BUZZ: Disney's latest morality tale sort of sounds like their other upcoming movie, Beverly Hills Chihuahua, with touches of Cars here and there. Travolta was creepy to look at in Wild Hogs and Hairspray, so it's a good thing Bolt looks nothing like his master. Meanwhile, listen close while "Curb Your Enthusiasm" standout Sussie Essman steals as many scenes as she's in -- though she'll have to keep her language family friendly here.
Twilight
Director: Catherine Hardwicke
Stars: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Billy Burke (Full Cast)
Studio: Summit Entertainment
The Plot: In her new town of Forks, Washington, misfit teenager Bella Swan (Stewart) falls for her alluring and mysterious classmate, Edward Cullen (Pattinson). As it turns out, Edward belongs to a lineage of vampires, although he doesn't fit the typical vampire mold. As their passion reaches dizzying heights, can Edward resist his natural urges, and will he be able to defend Bella from his family members who have come for her?
THE BUZZ: In terms of movies, 2008 will be remembered as the year superheroes went truly mainstream and, separately, the industry realized that female and gay male audiences are a neglected demographic. But what about the younger generation -- more specifically, teenage girls? Has any studio been able to figure out what they want, aside from Hannah Montana? Enter Catherine Hardwicke's adaptation of Stephenie Meyer's first novel, a project that first captured our interest very early this year when Kristen Stewart (Bella), Robert Pattinson (Edward), and a handful of their castmates took over our STARmeter chart, well in advance of any available footage from the production. The hype reached its first apex at Comic-Con, when the movie's panel earned Beatlemania comparisons from aging journalists who covered their ears as the teen girls and their "Twilight Moms" made the event more of a freak-out and less of a presentation. It's always tricky to predict if Internet buzz will turn into box-office gold (or, in this case, crimson) but I will say this: If the mother-daughter duos turn out for opening weekend (which was pushed up from mid-December to pre-Thanksgiving once Harry Potter decided to hide until 2009), Twilight could trump some higher-profile holiday movies, powered by repeat audiences, and send competing studios rushing off to optioned like-minded novels. Stephenie Meyer is keeping a blog on the movie's progress, so you might want to bookmark it as your destination for all things vamp as the release date draws near.
Special [limited]
Director: Hal Haberman Jeremy Passmore
Stars: Michael Rapaport (Full Cast)
Studio: Magnet Releasing
The Plot: Metermaid Les Franken (Rapaport) has an unexpected reaction to the anti-depressant he's taking as part of a clinical trial; suddenly convinced he's a superhero, he embraces his new powers, dons a homemade costume, and hits the streets to protect the citizens of his city. the corporation behind the pill, fearing bad publicity about their drug, set out to bring down our hero, who in turn hones his abilities to fight off his new arch-nemeses.
THE BUZZ: This one has been around since '06, but Magnet Films has saved it from DVD obscurity as part of their Six Shooter Film Series. You can bank on an ace performance from go-to character actor Michael Rappaport (who is sadly un-super-famous), but reviewers say prepare for a tonal shift that steers the story away from its comedic beginning and into murky, paranoid territory. Is that a good or bad thing? Either way: It sounds better than Hancock to me.
NOVEMBER 26th
Transporter 3
Director: Olivier Megaton
Stars: Jason Statham, Robert Knepper, Katia Tchenko (Full Cast)
Studio: Lionsgate
The Plot: Plot unknown. This is the third chapter of the action trilogy centered on Frank Martin (Statham), the former mercenary who reinvented himself as a specialist in moving goods of all kinds.
THE BUZZ: Looks like a much leaner (as in: 0% body fat) Jason Statham has punched in for a third-and-final? installment of the franchise that helped him break big in America. But do me a favor: Watch the teaser trailer and let me know if you think it's kind of embarrassing that the production -- which is still being steered by writer/producer Luc Besson, but is in the hands of graffiti-artist-turned-director Olivier Megaton -- lifted a story convention from Statham's Crank 2: High Voltage? In C2, Statham has a rejiggered heart that needs electrical jolts to keep ticking, here in T3, he's been outfitted with a silver bangle that will detonate if removed. Is this a metaphor for what might happen to Statham if he ever decides to transition out of action-anti-hero mode and into, say, a romantic leading man?
Four Christmases
Director: Seth Gordon
Stars: Reese Witherspoon, Vince Vaughn, Mary Steenburgen (Full Cast)
Studio: New Line Cinema
The Plot: A comedy about a married couple (Witherspoon and Vaughn) from two divorced families who are tasked with attending four Christmas Day celebrations.
THE BUZZ: Sounds more like Christmas with the Kranks to us, given the reports that Reese and Vince didn't exactly get along during filming. That's going to make promoting the movie interesting; picture them on daytime TV together: him rumpled and probably hungover, her glowering and taking questions about her other upcoming projects. Maybe this one should end with the main characters going about their separate ways. That sure seemed to work for The Break Up ...
Australia
Director: Baz Luhrmann
Stars: Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman (Full Cast)
Studio: Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation
The Plot: Set in northern Australia before World War II, an English aristocrat (Kidman) who inherits a sprawling ranch reluctantly pacts with a stock-man (Jackman) in order to protect her new property from a takeover plot. As the pair drive 2,000 head of cattle over unforgiving landscape, they experience the bombing of Darwin, Australia, by Japanese forces firsthand.
THE BUZZ: Originally Russell Crowe was set to star opposite Kidman in this paean to the antipodean outback, but everyone's favorite bad boy balked at the salary, stating, "I don't do charity work for major studios." Charming or surly? In stepped Wolverine to help Mrs. Keith Urban herd cattle, and while we couldn't be happier that Jackman and Kidman will play dueling cheekbones, the combination of dust, sweat, and livestock seems a far cry from Luhrmann's usually spangled-and-sumptuous milieu. This better deliver more than cattle or you're looking at the Australian Atonement come Oscar time.
Milk [limited]
Director: Gus Van Sant
Stars: Sean Penn, Josh Brolin, Emile Hirsch (Full Cast)
Studio: Focus Features
The Plot: A chronicle of Harvey Milk's (Penn) ascent to become San Francisco's first openly gay city supervisor in 1977, and the political fallout that led to his assassination, as well as Mayor George Moscone's, the following year.
THE BUZZ: While Oliver Stone skewers the current president, Gus van Sant turns the clock back 30 years to a golden moment in San Francisco that soon turned to rust. I am fortunate enough to live in said city, and it was striking to see what the Milk crew did with their big budget (well, big for a GVS production) in order to return the Castro to its 70s-era splendor; Milk's camera store was recreated, the Castro Theater got a hot makeover, classic cars jammed the streets, there were parades, and Sean Penn could be seen traipsing around the Haight in a kimono. (At least I think that was him.) While the film received its fair share of attention toward the end of the summer -- James Franco, who plays Milk's lover, seemed to enjoy throwing a kink in Pineapple Express press junkets by describing what it was like to kiss Sean Penn -- we already know that distributor Focus Features (still smarting from Brokeback?) has an Oscar campaign waiting in the wings. Will Josh Brolin, who here plays city-supervisor-turned-assassin Dan White, receive a nomination for this role, or for W., or both?
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
October 2008 Movie Releases
October 1
- Ballast (NY)
- Religulous (NY; wide release: October 3)
October 3
- Allah Made Me Funny (limited)
- An American Carol
- Beverly Hills Chihuahua
- Blindness
- Flash of Genius*
- How to Lose Friends & Alienate People**
- Humboldt County (NY, LA)
- Just Buried (limited)
- Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist***
- Rachel Getting Married (NY, LA)
October 8
- RocknRolla (NY, LA, Toronto; wide: October 31)*
October 10
- Ashes of Time Redux (NY, LA)
- Body of Lies**
- Breakfast With Scot (NY, LA)
- Choose Connor (NY)
- City of Ember
- The Express**
- Good Dick (LA; NY, Columbus release: Oct. 17)
- Happy-Go-Lucky (limited; expands: Oct. 17; expands: Oct. 24)
- Nights and Weekends (NY)
- Quarantine
October 17
- The Elephant King (NY)
- Filth and Wisdom (NY; LA release: October 31)
- Mary (NY)
- Max Payne****
- Morning Light
- The Secret Life of Bees
- Sex Drive**
- W.*
- What Just Happened (limited; expands: Oct. 31)
October 22
- Stranded: I Have Come From a Plane That Crashed on the Mountains (NY; L.A. release: November 7)
October 24
- Changeling (limited; wide: Oct. 31)
- Dalton Trumbo's Johnny Got His Gun (NY)
- Fear(s) of the Dark (limited)
- High School Musical 3: Senior Year
- I've Loved You So Long (NY, LA)
- Let the Right One In (limited)
- Passengers (limited)
- Pride and Glory
- Roadside Romeo (limited)
- Saw V*
- Synecdoche, New York (NY, LA)
- The Universe of Keith Haring (NY)
October 31
- The Haunting of Molly Hartley
- The Other End of the Line (limited)
- Splinter (limited)
- Zack and Miri Make a Porno****
OCTOBER 1st
Ballast [LA/NYC]
Director: Lance Hammer
Stars: Micheal J. Smith Sr., JimMyron Ross, Tarra Riggs (Full Cast)
Studio: Required Viewing
The Plot: A drama set in a Mississippi township, where three people try to reconnect to their respective lives after a young man's suicide.
THE BUZZ: I know the depth of Lance Hammer's narrative, but I won't spoil it for you like others have done in their post-Sundance reviews of the film, which won a best-director award at said festival earlier this year. (It also won for best cinematography, quite a feat considering the production only used available light.) Scoreless and near-silent in nature, Ballast has a legion of supporters (and a few detractors) but I think both sides can agree that Hammer is a unique, European-and-Asian-influenced director who is guaranteed to make a statement with each and every future project. Here's a link to a great interview with the director.
Religulous
Director: Larry Charles
Stars: Bill Maher (Full Cast)
Studio: Lionsgate
The Plot: Atheist Bill Maher looks to understand the beliefs behind different world religions.
THE BUZZ: Bill Maher has embraced controversy all of his career, and I'm primed to see what he and Borat director Larry Charles have created with their guerilla-filmmaking approach to documenting the beliefs and tenets of Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, et al. I believe (I bee-LEAVE!) Maher and co. have already gone viral with their intent to expose the truths, untruths, and misconceptions to be found in Vatican City, Jerusalem, Salt Lake City, and elsewhere around the world. However, it remains to be seen if Maher can parlay all the attention into box-office dollars.
OCTOBER 3rd
Beverly Hills Chihuahua
Director: Raja Gosnell
Stars: Drew Barrymore, George Lopez (Full Cast)
Studio: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
The Plot: While on vacation in Mexico, Chloe (Barrymore), a pampered Beverly Hills chihuahua, finds herself lost and in need of assistance in order to get back home. Coming to Chloe's aid is a a macho Chihuahua named Papi (Lopez), a spirit guide (Hayek) who endeavors to help Chloe discover her true heritage.
THE BUZZ: I'm wondering if Disney employees think BHC looks kind of kinda juvenile after the refreshing Enchanted became a worldwide hit and was nominated for 3 Oscars. Chihuahua! Or why the trailer, which reveals nothing about the movie, also doesn't indicate that Drew Barrymore's voice is the star of the show. Chihuahua! Or if Raja Gosnell will ever make a non-syrupy movie. Chihuahua!
Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist
Director: Peter Sollett
Stars: Michael Cera, Kat Dennings (Full Cast)
Studio: Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE)
The Plot: Nick (Cera) asks Nora (Dennings) to pretend to be his girlfriend for 5 minutes so he won't have to feel as awkward around his ex-g.f., who just walked into the club where Nick's band is playing ... with a new guy. But when the fake couple decides to kiss, sparkage occurs, leading to a first date which seems to span all of New York City.
THE BUZZ: Wow, a mainstream movie set in NYC's queercore punk scene? Those Weitz brothers (producers Chris and Paul) sure know how to work the studio system, even if their last teen-skewing comedy, Bickford Shmeckler's Cool Ideas, didn't get much attention. Bickford couldn't boast Michael Cera in a starring role, however, or a long-awaited second film from a promising indie director (Peter Sollett turned heads back in '02 with Raising Victor Vargas). Assuming Sollett knows how to handle an awkward boy, a hot girl, and lots of swearing and cool music, we can see the iPod generation embracing this as their own sort of High Fildelity. (Look at that, not one mention of Juno.)
Blindness
Director: Fernando Meirelles
Stars: Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo, Gael García Bernal (Full Cast)
Studio: Miramax Films
The Plot: A thriller set in a city that is suffering from an epidemic of sudden blindness, where only one woman (Moore) remains able to see as the rest of her society is pushed to its limits.
THE BUZZ: Hmm, more like Deafness, in terms of the level of hoorahs ready to greet Fernando Meirelles's adaptation of José Saramago's seemingly unfilmable novel. When the film's Cannes premiere came and went without un certain regard, I thought distributor Miramax might pull a Harvey Weinstein and re-edit the picture for its general release. But it looks like the studio is ready to take the hit for this one while they mount awards campaigns for Doubt and possibly The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas. Meirelles can withstand the potential bomb while he considers Love's Labors Lost as his next project, and all eyes are on Ruffalo's other two 2008 movies, Reservation Road (this year's All the King's Men?) and The Brothers Bloom. Julianne Moore, meanwhile, continues to recede into the true-indie world, which serves her better.
How to Lose Friends & Alienate People
Director: Robert B. Weide
Stars: Simon Pegg, Kirsten Dunst, Megan Fox (Full Cast)
Studio: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
The Plot: British journalist Sidney Young (Pegg) crosses the pond for a new job with a high-profile New York magazine, though he soon learns the bridges he burned on his way to the top can only lead to his downfall.
THE BUZZ: This comedy is based on the first memoir by former Vanity Fair contributor Toby Jones, and if there's anyone would can make the snide, self-deprecating Brit palpable, it's Simon Pegg, who is having the opposite real-life experience from Jones as he becomes an NY/LA darling with a slate of upcoming movies (which includes Paul, a Brits-in-USA comedy he's writing with Nick Frost). We Americans love to watch people fail, so I wonder if the producers here have already optioned Jones's The Sound of No Hands Clapping, his follow up to How to Lose Friends that chronicles his failed attempt to segue from the writing desks at Vanity Fair to the pitch meetings of Hollywood. Helping to ratchet up the awkward moments here is director Robert B. Weide, one of the guys behind "Curb Your Enthusiasm."
The Express
Director: Gary Fleder
Stars: Rob Brown, Dennis Quaid, Clancy Brown (Full Cast)
Studio: Universal Pictures
The Plot: A drama based on the life of Ernie Davis (Brown), a high school football standout who is recruited by Syracuse University, where he becomes the first African American to win the Heisman Trophy.
THE BUZZ: The Express's seemingly artful blend of archival and recreated footage might help erase the memory of recent clunker pigskin movies (Leatherheads, We Are Marshall). Casting Dennis Quaid as a coach is always the right decision, and surrounding him with the phenomenally talented Clancy Brown ("Carnivàle") and Rob Brown (Coach Carter) is a good way to get men (and women?) into theaters.
Rachel Getting Married [NYC]
Director: Jonathan Demme
Stars: Anne Hathaway, Rosemarie DeWitt, Debra Winger (Full Cast)
Studio: Sony Pictures Classics
The Plot: Kym (Hathaway), who has been in and out of rehab for the last decade, reunites with her family for her sister Rachel's (DeWitt) wedding. Can she keep it together for the weekend?
THE BUZZ: Anne Hathaway continues her smart, measured approach to leading-lady status with an indie-minded drama, her first such endeavor since 2005's Havoc. I just watched the trailer (now conveniently located just over this rambling text) and I feel like this could be one to watch come award-nomination time. A young actress in ascent, stretching her range, coupled with sure-to-be-stellar performances from Rosemarie DeWitt (from TV's "Mad Men") and Debra Winger (last seen in another indie black comedy, Eulogy). This is A.H.'s Girl, Interrupted, her Pieces of April, and the difference is: she'll probably score her first Oscar nod here ...
Flash of Genius
Director: Marc Abraham
Stars: Greg Kinnear, Lauren Graham, Alan Alda (Full Cast)
Studio: Universal Studios
The Plot: Once Robert Kearns (Kinnear) discovers that new cars are coming equipped with intermittent windshield wipers -- a technology Kearns invented, patented, and unsuccessfully tried to sell -- he launches a landmark lawsuit against the U.S. automotive industry.
THE BUZZ: This true story might make for a killer HBO movie, but a feature film? Seems hard to market to general audiences, especially during a busy awards-baiting month such as this. One has to imagine that producer-turned-director Marc Abraham has the clout to see a big push from Universal as his first film enters Oscar chase; the studio has revealed the first trailer, and it looks like the film will hit all the appropriate notes, but I'm still uncertain its appeal is broad enough to remain in focus for too long.
An American Carol
Director: David Zucker
Stars: Kevin P. Farley, Kelsey Grammer, Leslie Nielsen (Full Cast)
Studio: Vivendi Entertainment
The Plot: An anti-American filmmaker who's out to abolish the July Fourth holiday is visited by three ghosts who try to change his perception of the country.
THE BUZZ: Former liberal David Zucker believes that it's "almost illegal" to make a conservative film in Hollywood today, so he's used his decades of influence to skewer the Michael Moore set as the presidential and Oscar races shift into fifth gear. The problem here: Looks like Zucker has had to dumb down his political satire in order to entice the movie-going masses, because Carol looks tepid in comparison to his YouTube salvos that even stupefied the GOP two years ago (remember this?). Plus, those Disaster Movie wanks pretty much ruined the spoof genre for a few years. Do you want to know more about Zucker and his "Friends of Abe?" Then go here.
OCTOBER 10th
Quarantine
Director: John Erick Dowdle
Stars: Jennifer Carpenter, Steve Harris, Columbus Short (Full Cast)
Studio: Screen Gems
The Plot: What happened to the people who were locked inside an apartment building by a CDC-issued quarantine? The only evidence left after the quarantine has been lifted is a videotape shot by a TV reporter (Carpenter) and her cameraman (Harris) who were investigating the initial 911 call ...
THE BUZZ: Is this the next attempt to create a Cloverfield-like hit? Insiders are beginning to think so, since this latest viral outbreak looks like a few clips from Quarantine, the remake of [Rec], Spanish filmmaker Jaume Balagueró's international horror hit that wasn't even given a proper U.S. release in favor of a rushed-into-production remake by director John Erick Dowdle (whose other recent film, The Poughkeepsie Tapes, is being held captive by MGM). You'll recognize star Jennifer Carpenter as the titular Emily Rose or as Dexter's sister. We have the first trailer online, while Yahoo! has the second ...
Body of Lies
Director: Ridley Scott
Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Russell Crowe, Mark Strong (Full Cast)
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures
The Plot: In Jordan, an ex-journalist (DiCaprio) working to locate an Al Qaeda leader for the CIA faces pressure from an agent (Crowe) for whom failure is not an option.
THE BUZZ: Ridley Scott gets his war on again, with a screenplay by William Monahan (his first credit since The Departed, and perhaps an effort to erase the memory of his previous collaboration with Scott). I wonder if this one is being positioned as Oscar bait, because it looks more like Hollywood's savvy attempt to finally profit from this gosh darn war. Do you think Crowe and Monahan teased Scott and DiCaprio on the set for not having any Oscars? Another question: Did the first trailer engage you, or leave you feeling like you don't have any idea what the movie's about? If you feel confused by it all, good luck with the second trailer.
RocknRolla [limited]
Director: Guy Ritchie
Stars: Gerard Butler, Tom Wilkinson, Idris Elba (Full Cast)
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures
The Plot: In London, a real-estate scam puts millions of pounds up for grabs, naturally attraction the attention of some of the city's scrappiest tough guys (Butler, Elba) its more established underworld players (Wilkinson), and others -- all of whom are looking to get rich quick.
THE BUZZ: Is Guy Richie back? Will he still be married by the time his fifth movie is released this fall? Will Warner Bros. handle it, or will it ultimately be distributed by someone else? These are the questions overlapping one another while Richie tries to keep his cool as the pressure builds around his career and his family life. Back in his criminal element, with a formidable cast that includes Thandie Newton, Jeremy Piven, and Ludacris, I'm thinking Richie could be in for his biggest international success to date. ("International" being the keyword, since there's a severe chance this scam could be bungled by Hollywood types.)
City of Ember
Director: Gil Kenan
Stars: Saoirse Ronan, Toby Jones, Bill Murray (Full Cast)
Studio: Fox-Walden
The Plot: For generations, the underground City of Ember has been the only light in an otherwise dark world. But when the city's generator begins to fail, teenagers Lina (Ronan) and Doon (Treadaway) desperately race to help their fellow citizens escape before the lights go out permanently. To do so, they will have to search Ember high and low for clues that will unlock the ancient mystery of their city's origins.
THE BUZZ: After Monster House, I am totally on board with anything Gil Kenan brings to the big screen. I have to think Kenan and Fox-Walden are hoping to turn Jeanne DuPrau's novels into a franchise (the fourth book, The Diamond of Darkhold will be released this August), but we all know how spotty the adaptations of young-adult fantasy books have been post-Harry Potter. If Ember can meet or surpass the successes won by Bridge to Terabithia and The Spiderwick Chronicles, perhaps we will see The People of Sparks in 2010 or a year later. While we ponder that, check out the first trailer on Yahoo!
Happy-Go-Lucky [limited]
Director: Mike Leigh
Stars: Sally Hawkins, Alexis Zegerman, Samuel Roukin (Full Cast)
Studio: Miramax Films
The Plot: A look at a few chapters in the life of Poppy (Hawkins), a cheery, colorful, North London schoolteacher whose optimism tends to exasperate those around her.
THE BUZZ: Though it feels like a perfect summer movie, undoubtedly there's a motive behind Miramax's decision to release Mike Leigh's latest during the quote-unquote serious-movie season -- even though Poppy has already enchanted her native UK and come out there on DVD. Last time through, Leigh scored 3 Oscar nominations for Vera Drake, and though I don't think H-G-L was conceived as awards bait, it's made the European Film Academy's shortlist this year, and something tells me it's going to get a royal push from M's Hollywood offices. Funny, considering the dramatic crux here arrives when Poppy has an encounter with a male driving-school instructor, that causes a gentle rift between her and her housemate.
Nights and Weekends [NYC]
Director: Greta Gerwig Joe Swanberg
Stars: Greta Gerwig, Joe Swanberg (Full Cast)
Studio: IFC Films
The Plot: A young couple (Gerwig and Swanberg) face the tension that begins to appear in their long-distance relationship as they shuttle back and forth between New York City and Chicago.
THE BUZZ: The mumblecore movement categorized by recent movies such as Old Joy and The Puffy Chair sees its volume dial turned up a few notches with the latest no-budget film from Joe Swanberg and Greta Gerwig (LOL, Hannah Takes the Stairs). The narrative begins with the dissolution of their relationship, then picks up a year later. Interspliced is plenty of nudity to keep you engaged if your own personal long-distance partner makes you attend a showing of this film; it'll provide a kind of distraction when and if you catch yourself wondering what exactly you are doing at this particular point in your life, with the particular person next to you.
OCTOBER 17th
W. [limited]
Director: Oliver Stone
Stars: Josh Brolin, Elizabeth Banks, Ioan Gruffudd (Full Cast)
Studio: Lions Gate Films Home Entertainment
The Plot: Texas Governor, George W. Bush, follows in the footsteps of his father, former President George H.W. Bush, in the wake of a controversial election to lead the United States of America.
THE BUZZ: People love him, people hate him. And we're just talking about the director. Whatever your take is: Stone's the perfect choice to bring this biopic to life. As for Mr. Bush, we're pretty sure this film will get a higher approval rating than he does. Not that that's saying much. But, with an all-star cast including the red-hot Brolin as the man-in-charge and Mr. Fantastic as Teflon Tony, this one's got our vote based on curiosity alone.
Sex Drive
Director: Sean Anders
Stars: Josh Zuckerman, Clark Duke, Amanda Crew (Full Cast)
Studio: Summit Distribution
The Plot: High school senior Ian (Zuckerman) "borrows" his brother's beloved '69 GTO and recruits his best friends (Duke and Crew) on a road trip from Chicago to Knoxville in order to hook up with a babe he met online.
THE BUZZ: Director Sean Anders has one cult film under his belt (Never Been Thawed) and he's writing the proposed Meatballs remake (boo, hiss), but here he's offering a sex comedy that is an homage to everything between Fast Times and American Pie. While I don't think Judd Apatow needs to be looking over his shoulder, this is the kind of movie that we all dismiss until it pulls down big DVD numbers. You might remember star Josh Zuckerman as Hot Wheels from Feast (and he's also in the sequel); meanwhile, only Seth Green could truly turn a role as an Amish farmer into something that looks worth catching (and we hear his character throws a mighty rave).
Morning Light [limited]
Director: Paul Crowder Mark Monroe
Stars: Chris Branning, Kate Theisen, Chris Schubert (Full Cast)
Studio: Walt Disney Pictures
The Plot: Fifteen young sailors are chosen for a six-month training in order to compete in one of the most challenging open-ocean sailing races in the world.
THE BUZZ: So many of us have OD'ed on nasty reality shows ... this documentary is an antidote. Although that bearded dude in the trailer looks like troubllllllllle ... like the guy who'd steal your passport from the hostel. See? I'm ruined by "Big Brother."
Max Payne
Director: John Moore
Stars: Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis, Beau Bridges (Full Cast)
Studio: Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation
The Plot: Coming together to solve a series of murders in New York City are a DEA agent (Wahlberg) whose family was slain as part of a conspiracy and an assassin (Kunis) out to avenge her sister's death. The duo will be hunted by the police, the mob, and a ruthless corporation.
THE BUZZ: Director John Moore (Behind Enemy Lines) is back in his element after stinking up the big screen with a pair of woeful remakes earlier this decade. But don't video-game adaptations seem so boringly retro in 2008, the year of the superhero? Ditto the normally bankable Mark Wahlberg, who managed to make a worse film than Rock Star this past summer. I think Sony should put Quarantine back in this slot to take on Payne (Screen Gems, Sony's lower-budget distribution arm, pushed up their buzzing horror remake's release date once Payne staked out the 17th for his assault).
The Secret Life of Bees
Director: Gina Prince-Bythewood
Stars: Dakota Fanning, Jennifer Hudson, Queen Latifah (Full Cast)
Studio: Fox Searchlight Pictures
The Plot: South Carolina, 1964: A fateful incident inspires young Lily Owens (Fanning) to flee her abusive household with Rosaleen Daise (Hudson), the only parental figure she's ever known, in tow. Together, the duo travel to the fictional town of Tiburon, where they are taken in by an eccentric trio of beekeeping sisters, and Lily begins to piece together the secrets of her deceased mother's past.
THE BUZZ: No buzz jokes, please. Love & Basketball filmmaker Gina Prince-Bythewood adapted and directed Sue Monk Kidd's highly regarded novel, and the timing for her film could not be better, since I expect it'll appeal to mother-daughter duos (similar to Twilight moms and their progeny) in this femme-friendly year. Plus, could one of the Boatwright sisters find themselves nominated for Oscar?
What Just Happened? [limited]
Director: Barry Levinson
Stars: Robert De Niro, John Turturro, Stanley Tucci (Full Cast)
Studio: Magnolia Pictures
The Plot: A comedy that chronicles two weeks in the life of a fading Hollywood producer (De Niro) who's having a rough time trying to get his new picture made.
THE BUZZ: Aside from good-humored as-themselves appearances from Bruce Willis and Sean Penn, critical reaction has been less than favorable to Barry Levinson's movie version of the Hollywood-insider novel by Art Linson (who adapted his own material for the big screen). Put another way: WJH? was not supposed to end up at an indie distributor such as Magnolia (no offense, dudes) but that's what happened months (and months) after two splashy festival dates (first Sundance, then Cannes) didn't yield a U.S. distributor.
OCTOBER 24th
High School Musical 3: Senior Year
Director: Kenny Ortega
Stars: Zac Efron, Vanessa Anne Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale (Full Cast)
Studio: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
The Plot: As seniors in high school, Troy (Efron) and Gabriella (Hudgens) struggle with the idea of being separated from one another as college approaches. Along with the rest of the Wildcats, they stage a spring musical to address their experiences, hopes and fears about their future.
THE BUZZ: Here's the dirty little secret of the HSM flicks -- they're actually not half bad, executed with solid professionalism, boundless enthusiasm, and wholeheated willingness to embrace a world of 'dances 'n songs!' (here's a question: does the Generation HSM even know who Xander from "Buffy" is?). It's an immersive musical sensibility that recent big-screen musicals like Dreamgirls and Chicago shied away from with their jazz hands wide open. But will what looks great on TV transfer to the big screen? It's kind of beside the point -- the audience is built-in, with wallets already open, as the Hannah Montana concert movie proved. First Showing has the first trailer ...
Changeling [limited]
Director: Clint Eastwood
Stars: Angelina Jolie, Colm Feore, Amy Ryan (Full Cast)
Studio: Universal Pictures
The Plot: 1920s Los Angeles: A woman (Jolie) who is reunited with her missing son is subsequently committed to an insane asylum when she begins to question whether the boy is her child. Ultimately bringing her case to the city council, she begins to pick apart a conspiracy that reverberates throughout the city.
THE BUZZ: This is the higher-profile project from Clint Eastwood this year (Gran Torino, meanwhile, is shaping up as some sort of spin on Tokyo Drift -- for serious) and it's definite awards-bait in the vein of L.A. Confidential and Chinatown, because we all know how much the Academy likes Angelina when she's been institutionalized. Cinematical has great things to say about Eastwood, Jolie, Amy Adams, and the rest of the talented cast and crew after seeing its Cannes debut.
Saw V
Director: David Hackl
Stars: Scott Patterson, Costas Mandylor, Tobin Bell (Full Cast)
Studio: Lionsgate
The Plot: Forensics expert Hoffman (Mandylor) goes on the hunt in order to prevent being identified as the newest person to carry on Jigsaw's legacy.
THE BUZZ: The fifth installment of the Jigsaw legacy has wrapped production under the direction of David Hackl (the production designer/trap master who has been with the franchise since the second chapter), and details have spilled like so much blood. Official Saw is the best place to go for updates and first looks; our message boards are the place to be if you want to read long theoretical strings about how Rigg will be the new Amanda. We hear there are two twists at the end here, so while you keep your eye on Hoffman, you might just want to keep Rigg in check as well.
Passengers
Director: Rodrigo García
Stars: Anne Hathaway, Patrick Wilson, David Morse (Full Cast)
Studio: Columbia Pictures
The Plot: A grief counselor (Hathaway) working with a group of plane-crash survivors finds herself at the root of a mystery when her clients begin to disappear.
THE BUZZ: By cribbing a bit from Lost and setting this mystery in the Pacific Northwest (forever made creepy by Twin Peaks), suddenly I'm primed for the strange thrills in store for Ms. Hathaway, Mr. Wilson, and their ace supporting cast. But I have to admit: As much as I'm looking forward to Hathaway exploring the genre, you know one of the reasons Sony is keeping this PG-13 is to not alienate the youngsters that love their Prada Princess; we wish she was allowed to wade out in deeper, murkier territory.
Pride and Glory
Director: Gavin O'Connor
Stars: Edward Norton, Colin Farrell, Noah Emmerich (Full Cast)
Studio: New Line Cinema
The Plot: A family of prominent New York City cops is shaken to its core when one brother (Norton) uncovers a scandal at his sibling's precinct.
THE BUZZ: For those of us who have been tracking this film through its initial production and subsequent re-shoots, this October 2008 release date is a relief on the one hand and somewhat distressing news on the other. Perhaps Gavin O'Connor's first excursion into dark territory doesn't look as good on film as it does on paper? Still, Edward Norton and Colin Farrell -- I'd buy one of their table reads on DVD.
Synecdoche, New York [limited]
Director: Charlie Kaufman
Stars: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Samantha Morton, Michelle Williams (Full Cast)
Studio: Sony Pictures Classics
The Plot: A theater director (Hoffman) struggles with his work, and the women in his life, as he attempts to create a life-size replica of New York inside a warehouse as part of his new play.
THE BUZZ: The indie-movie business is hurting, and now no one knows this better than Charlie Kaufman, the still-celebrated screenwriter who encountered a frosty environment when his directorial debut screened as Cannes this year. Synecdoche sold two months after the festival ended (the so-so reception couldn't have helped the matter, just so we're clear here), and two other highly anticipated Cannes premieres, Che and Two Lovers, which have yet to find U.S. distribution. Us? We're primed for the picture, which has been described by many as a story you have to see more than once in order to take it all in. Sounds perfect to us, since it's not like we walked out of the theater knowing what to do with our hearts after seeing Eternal Sunshine for the first time. More on this one when a trailer is finally released. P.S. Whoever first said that Focus Feature should have snapped this one up is right on the money.
OCTOBER 31st
The Haunting of Molly Hartley
Director: Mickey Liddell
Stars: Haley Bennett, Chace Crawford (Full Cast)
Studio: Freestyle Releasing
The Plot: Molly Hartley (Bennett) looks to put her troubled past behind her with a fresh start at a new school, where she sparks with one of the most popular students (Crawford). But can her secrets stay buried, especially as she learns more about the horrific truth that awaits her once she turns 18?
THE BUZZ: The presence of "Gossip Girl"'s Chace Crawford might help attract an audience that would otherwise pass on this low-budget thriller, which marks producer Mickey Liddell's directorial debut and his first teen-skewing project since Go. Really, though, is this truly anything more than ultimate slumber-party fodder? MTV just posted the trailer, which fuels our suspicion that the movie might make for a fun night in with Serena van der Woodsen -- but a theatrical release? Not so much. XOXO
Zack and Miri Make a Porno
Director: Kevin Smith
Stars: Seth Rogen, Elizabeth Banks (Full Cast)
Studio: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
The Plot: Lifelong platonic friends Zack (Rogen) and Miri (Banks) look to solve their respective cashflow problems by directing and starring in their own adult film.
THE BUZZ: Two of the busiest actors in L.A. get down for Kevin Smith and his legion of sex-hungry fanboys who probably won't take the second to realize that Elizabeth Banks and the slimmed down Seth Rogen look more like sister and brother than potential soulmates. As the f-word pings around theaters in THX, look for Banks to pull a Heigl and outshine her male counterpart; meanwhile here's hoping Kevin S. pulls away from Harvey W. and makes Red State his follow-up project.
Splinter [limited]
Director: Toby Wilkins
Stars: Shea Whigham, Jill Wagner, Paulo Costanzo (Full Cast)
Studio: Magnet Releasing
The Plot: An ex-con and his girlfriend dupe a young couple into driving them to Mexico, though the trip is beset with troubles, namely, a parasite that prey on humans and turns its victims into deadly hosts. Now holed up in a remote gas station, can the unlikely alliance outlast their attacker?
THE BUZZ: The first movie from visual-effects vet Toby Wilkins has earned a limited Halloween release, which is more you can say about his in-production, direct-to-DVD project, The Grudge 3. Horror-loving insiders love the movie, and here's what else I know: It's not long before one of the quartet pushes up daisies, violently. We're expecting the trailer for this one any day now ...
The Other End of the Line [limited]
Director: James Dodson
Stars: Jesse Metcalfe, Sara Foster, Anupam Kher (Full Cast)
Studio: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
The Plot: An employee at an India-based call-center (Foster) travels to San Francisco to be with a guy (Metcalfe) she has fallen for over the phone.
THE BUZZ: Producer Ashok Amritraj has a mixed track record here in the U.S., with plenty of hits and misses during his nearly 25 years in the business. This romantic comedy is an experiment; Amritraj wants to see if he can successfully import some Indian stars to America, and vice versa. While I feel like the former landscaper's physique will turn heads in any country, I don't think it's going to be on display in this good-natured affair. Ditto Metcalfe's lesser-known co-star, Sara Foster, who looks like a supermodel from yesterday (but, you know, updated for today) without the résumé to back it up (yet).
- Ballast (NY)
- Religulous (NY; wide release: October 3)
October 3
- Allah Made Me Funny (limited)
- An American Carol
- Beverly Hills Chihuahua
- Blindness
- Flash of Genius*
- How to Lose Friends & Alienate People**
- Humboldt County (NY, LA)
- Just Buried (limited)
- Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist***
- Rachel Getting Married (NY, LA)
October 8
- RocknRolla (NY, LA, Toronto; wide: October 31)*
October 10
- Ashes of Time Redux (NY, LA)
- Body of Lies**
- Breakfast With Scot (NY, LA)
- Choose Connor (NY)
- City of Ember
- The Express**
- Good Dick (LA; NY, Columbus release: Oct. 17)
- Happy-Go-Lucky (limited; expands: Oct. 17; expands: Oct. 24)
- Nights and Weekends (NY)
- Quarantine
October 17
- The Elephant King (NY)
- Filth and Wisdom (NY; LA release: October 31)
- Mary (NY)
- Max Payne****
- Morning Light
- The Secret Life of Bees
- Sex Drive**
- W.*
- What Just Happened (limited; expands: Oct. 31)
October 22
- Stranded: I Have Come From a Plane That Crashed on the Mountains (NY; L.A. release: November 7)
October 24
- Changeling (limited; wide: Oct. 31)
- Dalton Trumbo's Johnny Got His Gun (NY)
- Fear(s) of the Dark (limited)
- High School Musical 3: Senior Year
- I've Loved You So Long (NY, LA)
- Let the Right One In (limited)
- Passengers (limited)
- Pride and Glory
- Roadside Romeo (limited)
- Saw V*
- Synecdoche, New York (NY, LA)
- The Universe of Keith Haring (NY)
October 31
- The Haunting of Molly Hartley
- The Other End of the Line (limited)
- Splinter (limited)
- Zack and Miri Make a Porno****
OCTOBER 1st
Ballast [LA/NYC]
Director: Lance Hammer
Stars: Micheal J. Smith Sr., JimMyron Ross, Tarra Riggs (Full Cast)
Studio: Required Viewing
The Plot: A drama set in a Mississippi township, where three people try to reconnect to their respective lives after a young man's suicide.
THE BUZZ: I know the depth of Lance Hammer's narrative, but I won't spoil it for you like others have done in their post-Sundance reviews of the film, which won a best-director award at said festival earlier this year. (It also won for best cinematography, quite a feat considering the production only used available light.) Scoreless and near-silent in nature, Ballast has a legion of supporters (and a few detractors) but I think both sides can agree that Hammer is a unique, European-and-Asian-influenced director who is guaranteed to make a statement with each and every future project. Here's a link to a great interview with the director.
Religulous
Director: Larry Charles
Stars: Bill Maher (Full Cast)
Studio: Lionsgate
The Plot: Atheist Bill Maher looks to understand the beliefs behind different world religions.
THE BUZZ: Bill Maher has embraced controversy all of his career, and I'm primed to see what he and Borat director Larry Charles have created with their guerilla-filmmaking approach to documenting the beliefs and tenets of Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, et al. I believe (I bee-LEAVE!) Maher and co. have already gone viral with their intent to expose the truths, untruths, and misconceptions to be found in Vatican City, Jerusalem, Salt Lake City, and elsewhere around the world. However, it remains to be seen if Maher can parlay all the attention into box-office dollars.
OCTOBER 3rd
Beverly Hills Chihuahua
Director: Raja Gosnell
Stars: Drew Barrymore, George Lopez (Full Cast)
Studio: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
The Plot: While on vacation in Mexico, Chloe (Barrymore), a pampered Beverly Hills chihuahua, finds herself lost and in need of assistance in order to get back home. Coming to Chloe's aid is a a macho Chihuahua named Papi (Lopez), a spirit guide (Hayek) who endeavors to help Chloe discover her true heritage.
THE BUZZ: I'm wondering if Disney employees think BHC looks kind of kinda juvenile after the refreshing Enchanted became a worldwide hit and was nominated for 3 Oscars. Chihuahua! Or why the trailer, which reveals nothing about the movie, also doesn't indicate that Drew Barrymore's voice is the star of the show. Chihuahua! Or if Raja Gosnell will ever make a non-syrupy movie. Chihuahua!
Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist
Director: Peter Sollett
Stars: Michael Cera, Kat Dennings (Full Cast)
Studio: Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE)
The Plot: Nick (Cera) asks Nora (Dennings) to pretend to be his girlfriend for 5 minutes so he won't have to feel as awkward around his ex-g.f., who just walked into the club where Nick's band is playing ... with a new guy. But when the fake couple decides to kiss, sparkage occurs, leading to a first date which seems to span all of New York City.
THE BUZZ: Wow, a mainstream movie set in NYC's queercore punk scene? Those Weitz brothers (producers Chris and Paul) sure know how to work the studio system, even if their last teen-skewing comedy, Bickford Shmeckler's Cool Ideas, didn't get much attention. Bickford couldn't boast Michael Cera in a starring role, however, or a long-awaited second film from a promising indie director (Peter Sollett turned heads back in '02 with Raising Victor Vargas). Assuming Sollett knows how to handle an awkward boy, a hot girl, and lots of swearing and cool music, we can see the iPod generation embracing this as their own sort of High Fildelity. (Look at that, not one mention of Juno.)
Blindness
Director: Fernando Meirelles
Stars: Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo, Gael García Bernal (Full Cast)
Studio: Miramax Films
The Plot: A thriller set in a city that is suffering from an epidemic of sudden blindness, where only one woman (Moore) remains able to see as the rest of her society is pushed to its limits.
THE BUZZ: Hmm, more like Deafness, in terms of the level of hoorahs ready to greet Fernando Meirelles's adaptation of José Saramago's seemingly unfilmable novel. When the film's Cannes premiere came and went without un certain regard, I thought distributor Miramax might pull a Harvey Weinstein and re-edit the picture for its general release. But it looks like the studio is ready to take the hit for this one while they mount awards campaigns for Doubt and possibly The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas. Meirelles can withstand the potential bomb while he considers Love's Labors Lost as his next project, and all eyes are on Ruffalo's other two 2008 movies, Reservation Road (this year's All the King's Men?) and The Brothers Bloom. Julianne Moore, meanwhile, continues to recede into the true-indie world, which serves her better.
How to Lose Friends & Alienate People
Director: Robert B. Weide
Stars: Simon Pegg, Kirsten Dunst, Megan Fox (Full Cast)
Studio: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
The Plot: British journalist Sidney Young (Pegg) crosses the pond for a new job with a high-profile New York magazine, though he soon learns the bridges he burned on his way to the top can only lead to his downfall.
THE BUZZ: This comedy is based on the first memoir by former Vanity Fair contributor Toby Jones, and if there's anyone would can make the snide, self-deprecating Brit palpable, it's Simon Pegg, who is having the opposite real-life experience from Jones as he becomes an NY/LA darling with a slate of upcoming movies (which includes Paul, a Brits-in-USA comedy he's writing with Nick Frost). We Americans love to watch people fail, so I wonder if the producers here have already optioned Jones's The Sound of No Hands Clapping, his follow up to How to Lose Friends that chronicles his failed attempt to segue from the writing desks at Vanity Fair to the pitch meetings of Hollywood. Helping to ratchet up the awkward moments here is director Robert B. Weide, one of the guys behind "Curb Your Enthusiasm."
The Express
Director: Gary Fleder
Stars: Rob Brown, Dennis Quaid, Clancy Brown (Full Cast)
Studio: Universal Pictures
The Plot: A drama based on the life of Ernie Davis (Brown), a high school football standout who is recruited by Syracuse University, where he becomes the first African American to win the Heisman Trophy.
THE BUZZ: The Express's seemingly artful blend of archival and recreated footage might help erase the memory of recent clunker pigskin movies (Leatherheads, We Are Marshall). Casting Dennis Quaid as a coach is always the right decision, and surrounding him with the phenomenally talented Clancy Brown ("Carnivàle") and Rob Brown (Coach Carter) is a good way to get men (and women?) into theaters.
Rachel Getting Married [NYC]
Director: Jonathan Demme
Stars: Anne Hathaway, Rosemarie DeWitt, Debra Winger (Full Cast)
Studio: Sony Pictures Classics
The Plot: Kym (Hathaway), who has been in and out of rehab for the last decade, reunites with her family for her sister Rachel's (DeWitt) wedding. Can she keep it together for the weekend?
THE BUZZ: Anne Hathaway continues her smart, measured approach to leading-lady status with an indie-minded drama, her first such endeavor since 2005's Havoc. I just watched the trailer (now conveniently located just over this rambling text) and I feel like this could be one to watch come award-nomination time. A young actress in ascent, stretching her range, coupled with sure-to-be-stellar performances from Rosemarie DeWitt (from TV's "Mad Men") and Debra Winger (last seen in another indie black comedy, Eulogy). This is A.H.'s Girl, Interrupted, her Pieces of April, and the difference is: she'll probably score her first Oscar nod here ...
Flash of Genius
Director: Marc Abraham
Stars: Greg Kinnear, Lauren Graham, Alan Alda (Full Cast)
Studio: Universal Studios
The Plot: Once Robert Kearns (Kinnear) discovers that new cars are coming equipped with intermittent windshield wipers -- a technology Kearns invented, patented, and unsuccessfully tried to sell -- he launches a landmark lawsuit against the U.S. automotive industry.
THE BUZZ: This true story might make for a killer HBO movie, but a feature film? Seems hard to market to general audiences, especially during a busy awards-baiting month such as this. One has to imagine that producer-turned-director Marc Abraham has the clout to see a big push from Universal as his first film enters Oscar chase; the studio has revealed the first trailer, and it looks like the film will hit all the appropriate notes, but I'm still uncertain its appeal is broad enough to remain in focus for too long.
An American Carol
Director: David Zucker
Stars: Kevin P. Farley, Kelsey Grammer, Leslie Nielsen (Full Cast)
Studio: Vivendi Entertainment
The Plot: An anti-American filmmaker who's out to abolish the July Fourth holiday is visited by three ghosts who try to change his perception of the country.
THE BUZZ: Former liberal David Zucker believes that it's "almost illegal" to make a conservative film in Hollywood today, so he's used his decades of influence to skewer the Michael Moore set as the presidential and Oscar races shift into fifth gear. The problem here: Looks like Zucker has had to dumb down his political satire in order to entice the movie-going masses, because Carol looks tepid in comparison to his YouTube salvos that even stupefied the GOP two years ago (remember this?). Plus, those Disaster Movie wanks pretty much ruined the spoof genre for a few years. Do you want to know more about Zucker and his "Friends of Abe?" Then go here.
OCTOBER 10th
Quarantine
Director: John Erick Dowdle
Stars: Jennifer Carpenter, Steve Harris, Columbus Short (Full Cast)
Studio: Screen Gems
The Plot: What happened to the people who were locked inside an apartment building by a CDC-issued quarantine? The only evidence left after the quarantine has been lifted is a videotape shot by a TV reporter (Carpenter) and her cameraman (Harris) who were investigating the initial 911 call ...
THE BUZZ: Is this the next attempt to create a Cloverfield-like hit? Insiders are beginning to think so, since this latest viral outbreak looks like a few clips from Quarantine, the remake of [Rec], Spanish filmmaker Jaume Balagueró's international horror hit that wasn't even given a proper U.S. release in favor of a rushed-into-production remake by director John Erick Dowdle (whose other recent film, The Poughkeepsie Tapes, is being held captive by MGM). You'll recognize star Jennifer Carpenter as the titular Emily Rose or as Dexter's sister. We have the first trailer online, while Yahoo! has the second ...
Body of Lies
Director: Ridley Scott
Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Russell Crowe, Mark Strong (Full Cast)
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures
The Plot: In Jordan, an ex-journalist (DiCaprio) working to locate an Al Qaeda leader for the CIA faces pressure from an agent (Crowe) for whom failure is not an option.
THE BUZZ: Ridley Scott gets his war on again, with a screenplay by William Monahan (his first credit since The Departed, and perhaps an effort to erase the memory of his previous collaboration with Scott). I wonder if this one is being positioned as Oscar bait, because it looks more like Hollywood's savvy attempt to finally profit from this gosh darn war. Do you think Crowe and Monahan teased Scott and DiCaprio on the set for not having any Oscars? Another question: Did the first trailer engage you, or leave you feeling like you don't have any idea what the movie's about? If you feel confused by it all, good luck with the second trailer.
RocknRolla [limited]
Director: Guy Ritchie
Stars: Gerard Butler, Tom Wilkinson, Idris Elba (Full Cast)
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures
The Plot: In London, a real-estate scam puts millions of pounds up for grabs, naturally attraction the attention of some of the city's scrappiest tough guys (Butler, Elba) its more established underworld players (Wilkinson), and others -- all of whom are looking to get rich quick.
THE BUZZ: Is Guy Richie back? Will he still be married by the time his fifth movie is released this fall? Will Warner Bros. handle it, or will it ultimately be distributed by someone else? These are the questions overlapping one another while Richie tries to keep his cool as the pressure builds around his career and his family life. Back in his criminal element, with a formidable cast that includes Thandie Newton, Jeremy Piven, and Ludacris, I'm thinking Richie could be in for his biggest international success to date. ("International" being the keyword, since there's a severe chance this scam could be bungled by Hollywood types.)
City of Ember
Director: Gil Kenan
Stars: Saoirse Ronan, Toby Jones, Bill Murray (Full Cast)
Studio: Fox-Walden
The Plot: For generations, the underground City of Ember has been the only light in an otherwise dark world. But when the city's generator begins to fail, teenagers Lina (Ronan) and Doon (Treadaway) desperately race to help their fellow citizens escape before the lights go out permanently. To do so, they will have to search Ember high and low for clues that will unlock the ancient mystery of their city's origins.
THE BUZZ: After Monster House, I am totally on board with anything Gil Kenan brings to the big screen. I have to think Kenan and Fox-Walden are hoping to turn Jeanne DuPrau's novels into a franchise (the fourth book, The Diamond of Darkhold will be released this August), but we all know how spotty the adaptations of young-adult fantasy books have been post-Harry Potter. If Ember can meet or surpass the successes won by Bridge to Terabithia and The Spiderwick Chronicles, perhaps we will see The People of Sparks in 2010 or a year later. While we ponder that, check out the first trailer on Yahoo!
Happy-Go-Lucky [limited]
Director: Mike Leigh
Stars: Sally Hawkins, Alexis Zegerman, Samuel Roukin (Full Cast)
Studio: Miramax Films
The Plot: A look at a few chapters in the life of Poppy (Hawkins), a cheery, colorful, North London schoolteacher whose optimism tends to exasperate those around her.
THE BUZZ: Though it feels like a perfect summer movie, undoubtedly there's a motive behind Miramax's decision to release Mike Leigh's latest during the quote-unquote serious-movie season -- even though Poppy has already enchanted her native UK and come out there on DVD. Last time through, Leigh scored 3 Oscar nominations for Vera Drake, and though I don't think H-G-L was conceived as awards bait, it's made the European Film Academy's shortlist this year, and something tells me it's going to get a royal push from M's Hollywood offices. Funny, considering the dramatic crux here arrives when Poppy has an encounter with a male driving-school instructor, that causes a gentle rift between her and her housemate.
Nights and Weekends [NYC]
Director: Greta Gerwig Joe Swanberg
Stars: Greta Gerwig, Joe Swanberg (Full Cast)
Studio: IFC Films
The Plot: A young couple (Gerwig and Swanberg) face the tension that begins to appear in their long-distance relationship as they shuttle back and forth between New York City and Chicago.
THE BUZZ: The mumblecore movement categorized by recent movies such as Old Joy and The Puffy Chair sees its volume dial turned up a few notches with the latest no-budget film from Joe Swanberg and Greta Gerwig (LOL, Hannah Takes the Stairs). The narrative begins with the dissolution of their relationship, then picks up a year later. Interspliced is plenty of nudity to keep you engaged if your own personal long-distance partner makes you attend a showing of this film; it'll provide a kind of distraction when and if you catch yourself wondering what exactly you are doing at this particular point in your life, with the particular person next to you.
OCTOBER 17th
W. [limited]
Director: Oliver Stone
Stars: Josh Brolin, Elizabeth Banks, Ioan Gruffudd (Full Cast)
Studio: Lions Gate Films Home Entertainment
The Plot: Texas Governor, George W. Bush, follows in the footsteps of his father, former President George H.W. Bush, in the wake of a controversial election to lead the United States of America.
THE BUZZ: People love him, people hate him. And we're just talking about the director. Whatever your take is: Stone's the perfect choice to bring this biopic to life. As for Mr. Bush, we're pretty sure this film will get a higher approval rating than he does. Not that that's saying much. But, with an all-star cast including the red-hot Brolin as the man-in-charge and Mr. Fantastic as Teflon Tony, this one's got our vote based on curiosity alone.
Sex Drive
Director: Sean Anders
Stars: Josh Zuckerman, Clark Duke, Amanda Crew (Full Cast)
Studio: Summit Distribution
The Plot: High school senior Ian (Zuckerman) "borrows" his brother's beloved '69 GTO and recruits his best friends (Duke and Crew) on a road trip from Chicago to Knoxville in order to hook up with a babe he met online.
THE BUZZ: Director Sean Anders has one cult film under his belt (Never Been Thawed) and he's writing the proposed Meatballs remake (boo, hiss), but here he's offering a sex comedy that is an homage to everything between Fast Times and American Pie. While I don't think Judd Apatow needs to be looking over his shoulder, this is the kind of movie that we all dismiss until it pulls down big DVD numbers. You might remember star Josh Zuckerman as Hot Wheels from Feast (and he's also in the sequel); meanwhile, only Seth Green could truly turn a role as an Amish farmer into something that looks worth catching (and we hear his character throws a mighty rave).
Morning Light [limited]
Director: Paul Crowder Mark Monroe
Stars: Chris Branning, Kate Theisen, Chris Schubert (Full Cast)
Studio: Walt Disney Pictures
The Plot: Fifteen young sailors are chosen for a six-month training in order to compete in one of the most challenging open-ocean sailing races in the world.
THE BUZZ: So many of us have OD'ed on nasty reality shows ... this documentary is an antidote. Although that bearded dude in the trailer looks like troubllllllllle ... like the guy who'd steal your passport from the hostel. See? I'm ruined by "Big Brother."
Max Payne
Director: John Moore
Stars: Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis, Beau Bridges (Full Cast)
Studio: Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation
The Plot: Coming together to solve a series of murders in New York City are a DEA agent (Wahlberg) whose family was slain as part of a conspiracy and an assassin (Kunis) out to avenge her sister's death. The duo will be hunted by the police, the mob, and a ruthless corporation.
THE BUZZ: Director John Moore (Behind Enemy Lines) is back in his element after stinking up the big screen with a pair of woeful remakes earlier this decade. But don't video-game adaptations seem so boringly retro in 2008, the year of the superhero? Ditto the normally bankable Mark Wahlberg, who managed to make a worse film than Rock Star this past summer. I think Sony should put Quarantine back in this slot to take on Payne (Screen Gems, Sony's lower-budget distribution arm, pushed up their buzzing horror remake's release date once Payne staked out the 17th for his assault).
The Secret Life of Bees
Director: Gina Prince-Bythewood
Stars: Dakota Fanning, Jennifer Hudson, Queen Latifah (Full Cast)
Studio: Fox Searchlight Pictures
The Plot: South Carolina, 1964: A fateful incident inspires young Lily Owens (Fanning) to flee her abusive household with Rosaleen Daise (Hudson), the only parental figure she's ever known, in tow. Together, the duo travel to the fictional town of Tiburon, where they are taken in by an eccentric trio of beekeeping sisters, and Lily begins to piece together the secrets of her deceased mother's past.
THE BUZZ: No buzz jokes, please. Love & Basketball filmmaker Gina Prince-Bythewood adapted and directed Sue Monk Kidd's highly regarded novel, and the timing for her film could not be better, since I expect it'll appeal to mother-daughter duos (similar to Twilight moms and their progeny) in this femme-friendly year. Plus, could one of the Boatwright sisters find themselves nominated for Oscar?
What Just Happened? [limited]
Director: Barry Levinson
Stars: Robert De Niro, John Turturro, Stanley Tucci (Full Cast)
Studio: Magnolia Pictures
The Plot: A comedy that chronicles two weeks in the life of a fading Hollywood producer (De Niro) who's having a rough time trying to get his new picture made.
THE BUZZ: Aside from good-humored as-themselves appearances from Bruce Willis and Sean Penn, critical reaction has been less than favorable to Barry Levinson's movie version of the Hollywood-insider novel by Art Linson (who adapted his own material for the big screen). Put another way: WJH? was not supposed to end up at an indie distributor such as Magnolia (no offense, dudes) but that's what happened months (and months) after two splashy festival dates (first Sundance, then Cannes) didn't yield a U.S. distributor.
OCTOBER 24th
High School Musical 3: Senior Year
Director: Kenny Ortega
Stars: Zac Efron, Vanessa Anne Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale (Full Cast)
Studio: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
The Plot: As seniors in high school, Troy (Efron) and Gabriella (Hudgens) struggle with the idea of being separated from one another as college approaches. Along with the rest of the Wildcats, they stage a spring musical to address their experiences, hopes and fears about their future.
THE BUZZ: Here's the dirty little secret of the HSM flicks -- they're actually not half bad, executed with solid professionalism, boundless enthusiasm, and wholeheated willingness to embrace a world of 'dances 'n songs!' (here's a question: does the Generation HSM even know who Xander from "Buffy" is?). It's an immersive musical sensibility that recent big-screen musicals like Dreamgirls and Chicago shied away from with their jazz hands wide open. But will what looks great on TV transfer to the big screen? It's kind of beside the point -- the audience is built-in, with wallets already open, as the Hannah Montana concert movie proved. First Showing has the first trailer ...
Changeling [limited]
Director: Clint Eastwood
Stars: Angelina Jolie, Colm Feore, Amy Ryan (Full Cast)
Studio: Universal Pictures
The Plot: 1920s Los Angeles: A woman (Jolie) who is reunited with her missing son is subsequently committed to an insane asylum when she begins to question whether the boy is her child. Ultimately bringing her case to the city council, she begins to pick apart a conspiracy that reverberates throughout the city.
THE BUZZ: This is the higher-profile project from Clint Eastwood this year (Gran Torino, meanwhile, is shaping up as some sort of spin on Tokyo Drift -- for serious) and it's definite awards-bait in the vein of L.A. Confidential and Chinatown, because we all know how much the Academy likes Angelina when she's been institutionalized. Cinematical has great things to say about Eastwood, Jolie, Amy Adams, and the rest of the talented cast and crew after seeing its Cannes debut.
Saw V
Director: David Hackl
Stars: Scott Patterson, Costas Mandylor, Tobin Bell (Full Cast)
Studio: Lionsgate
The Plot: Forensics expert Hoffman (Mandylor) goes on the hunt in order to prevent being identified as the newest person to carry on Jigsaw's legacy.
THE BUZZ: The fifth installment of the Jigsaw legacy has wrapped production under the direction of David Hackl (the production designer/trap master who has been with the franchise since the second chapter), and details have spilled like so much blood. Official Saw is the best place to go for updates and first looks; our message boards are the place to be if you want to read long theoretical strings about how Rigg will be the new Amanda. We hear there are two twists at the end here, so while you keep your eye on Hoffman, you might just want to keep Rigg in check as well.
Passengers
Director: Rodrigo García
Stars: Anne Hathaway, Patrick Wilson, David Morse (Full Cast)
Studio: Columbia Pictures
The Plot: A grief counselor (Hathaway) working with a group of plane-crash survivors finds herself at the root of a mystery when her clients begin to disappear.
THE BUZZ: By cribbing a bit from Lost and setting this mystery in the Pacific Northwest (forever made creepy by Twin Peaks), suddenly I'm primed for the strange thrills in store for Ms. Hathaway, Mr. Wilson, and their ace supporting cast. But I have to admit: As much as I'm looking forward to Hathaway exploring the genre, you know one of the reasons Sony is keeping this PG-13 is to not alienate the youngsters that love their Prada Princess; we wish she was allowed to wade out in deeper, murkier territory.
Pride and Glory
Director: Gavin O'Connor
Stars: Edward Norton, Colin Farrell, Noah Emmerich (Full Cast)
Studio: New Line Cinema
The Plot: A family of prominent New York City cops is shaken to its core when one brother (Norton) uncovers a scandal at his sibling's precinct.
THE BUZZ: For those of us who have been tracking this film through its initial production and subsequent re-shoots, this October 2008 release date is a relief on the one hand and somewhat distressing news on the other. Perhaps Gavin O'Connor's first excursion into dark territory doesn't look as good on film as it does on paper? Still, Edward Norton and Colin Farrell -- I'd buy one of their table reads on DVD.
Synecdoche, New York [limited]
Director: Charlie Kaufman
Stars: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Samantha Morton, Michelle Williams (Full Cast)
Studio: Sony Pictures Classics
The Plot: A theater director (Hoffman) struggles with his work, and the women in his life, as he attempts to create a life-size replica of New York inside a warehouse as part of his new play.
THE BUZZ: The indie-movie business is hurting, and now no one knows this better than Charlie Kaufman, the still-celebrated screenwriter who encountered a frosty environment when his directorial debut screened as Cannes this year. Synecdoche sold two months after the festival ended (the so-so reception couldn't have helped the matter, just so we're clear here), and two other highly anticipated Cannes premieres, Che and Two Lovers, which have yet to find U.S. distribution. Us? We're primed for the picture, which has been described by many as a story you have to see more than once in order to take it all in. Sounds perfect to us, since it's not like we walked out of the theater knowing what to do with our hearts after seeing Eternal Sunshine for the first time. More on this one when a trailer is finally released. P.S. Whoever first said that Focus Feature should have snapped this one up is right on the money.
OCTOBER 31st
The Haunting of Molly Hartley
Director: Mickey Liddell
Stars: Haley Bennett, Chace Crawford (Full Cast)
Studio: Freestyle Releasing
The Plot: Molly Hartley (Bennett) looks to put her troubled past behind her with a fresh start at a new school, where she sparks with one of the most popular students (Crawford). But can her secrets stay buried, especially as she learns more about the horrific truth that awaits her once she turns 18?
THE BUZZ: The presence of "Gossip Girl"'s Chace Crawford might help attract an audience that would otherwise pass on this low-budget thriller, which marks producer Mickey Liddell's directorial debut and his first teen-skewing project since Go. Really, though, is this truly anything more than ultimate slumber-party fodder? MTV just posted the trailer, which fuels our suspicion that the movie might make for a fun night in with Serena van der Woodsen -- but a theatrical release? Not so much. XOXO
Zack and Miri Make a Porno
Director: Kevin Smith
Stars: Seth Rogen, Elizabeth Banks (Full Cast)
Studio: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
The Plot: Lifelong platonic friends Zack (Rogen) and Miri (Banks) look to solve their respective cashflow problems by directing and starring in their own adult film.
THE BUZZ: Two of the busiest actors in L.A. get down for Kevin Smith and his legion of sex-hungry fanboys who probably won't take the second to realize that Elizabeth Banks and the slimmed down Seth Rogen look more like sister and brother than potential soulmates. As the f-word pings around theaters in THX, look for Banks to pull a Heigl and outshine her male counterpart; meanwhile here's hoping Kevin S. pulls away from Harvey W. and makes Red State his follow-up project.
Splinter [limited]
Director: Toby Wilkins
Stars: Shea Whigham, Jill Wagner, Paulo Costanzo (Full Cast)
Studio: Magnet Releasing
The Plot: An ex-con and his girlfriend dupe a young couple into driving them to Mexico, though the trip is beset with troubles, namely, a parasite that prey on humans and turns its victims into deadly hosts. Now holed up in a remote gas station, can the unlikely alliance outlast their attacker?
THE BUZZ: The first movie from visual-effects vet Toby Wilkins has earned a limited Halloween release, which is more you can say about his in-production, direct-to-DVD project, The Grudge 3. Horror-loving insiders love the movie, and here's what else I know: It's not long before one of the quartet pushes up daisies, violently. We're expecting the trailer for this one any day now ...
The Other End of the Line [limited]
Director: James Dodson
Stars: Jesse Metcalfe, Sara Foster, Anupam Kher (Full Cast)
Studio: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
The Plot: An employee at an India-based call-center (Foster) travels to San Francisco to be with a guy (Metcalfe) she has fallen for over the phone.
THE BUZZ: Producer Ashok Amritraj has a mixed track record here in the U.S., with plenty of hits and misses during his nearly 25 years in the business. This romantic comedy is an experiment; Amritraj wants to see if he can successfully import some Indian stars to America, and vice versa. While I feel like the former landscaper's physique will turn heads in any country, I don't think it's going to be on display in this good-natured affair. Ditto Metcalfe's lesser-known co-star, Sara Foster, who looks like a supermodel from yesterday (but, you know, updated for today) without the résumé to back it up (yet).
Thursday, September 4, 2008
September 2008 Movie Releases
SEPTEMBER 5th:
Bangkok Dangerous****
Everybody Wants to Be Italian [limited]
SEPTEMBER 12th:
The Women
Burn After Reading**
The Family That Preys
Towelhead
Righteous Kill
SEPTEMBER 19th:
Lakeview Terrace
The Duchess
Blindness
Appaloosa
My Best Friend's Girl
SEPTEMBER 26th:
Miracle at St. Anna
Choke
Eagle Eye****
Nights in Rodanthe
The Lucky Ones
SEPTEMBER 5th
Bangkok Dangerous
Director: Oxide Pang Chun Danny Pang
Stars: Nicolas Cage, Charlie Yeung, Shahkrit Yamnarm (Full Cast)
Studio: Lionsgate
The Plot: A hitman (Cage) in Bangkok to pull off a series of jobs falls for a local woman and bonds with his errand boy.
THE BUZZ: In real life, Thailand's in a state of emergency; meanwhile, in Hollywood, Nic Cage sports hockey-player hair in the Pang Brothers's remake of their own 1999 film, which might have been more interesting if Cage could have been convinced to play his character as a deaf-mute hitman as the original story goes. Though they certainly have a cult following, the Pangs's brand of horror hasn't taken off with mainstream audiences here, what with their meddling English-language debut and that barely there remake with J'Alba achieving back-to-back strikeouts. Our suggestion: Scrap this version, redevelop the remake with a bankable Asian star (Chow-Yun Fat, Jet Li), set the story in the U.S., and watch the receipts roll in.
Everybody Wants to Be Italian [limited]
Director: Jason Todd Ipson
Stars: Jay Jablonski, Cerina Vincent, John Kapelos (Full Cast)
Studio: Roadside Attractions
The Plot: Jake (Jablonski) is a romantic guy who's still pining for his ex some eight years after their separation. But when he sparks with Marisa (Vincent), a beautiful Italian woman from Boston's North End, he learns how far he'll go for love when he opts to disguise the fact that he's not Italian -- a potential deal breaker for Marisa.
THE BUZZ: Loosely based on writer-director James Todd Ipson's own romantic experiences in Beantown, in which he landed an Italian bride, we can only imagine how this story will end. Penny Marshall has a small role among a cast of recognizable character actors in another ethnic romantic comedy that could catch on with older audiences.
SEPTEMBER 12th
The Women
Director: Diane English
Stars: Meg Ryan, Eva Mendes, Annette Bening (Full Cast)
Studio: Picturehouse Entertainment
The Plot: Happily married Mary (Ryan) finds her world shaken when she discovers that her husband is cheating on her with shopgirl Crystal (Mendes) -- and she was pretty much the last to know. Crying, divorce, recriminations, and revenge follow. Based on the star-studded 1939 classic starring Norma Shearer, Joan Crawford and Rosalind Russell and updated to the present day.
THE BUZZ: Like the original, no men were harmed -- er, employed! -- in front of the camera for this film. Hard core fans will want to know how the movie has been updated: Mary is now a clothing designer, frenemy Sylvia (Annette Bening -- perfect casting!) is a magazine editor, and Crystal is... still a perfume salesgirl. Writer-director Diane English (of "Murphy Brown" fame) has been working on this script for over ten years, and Ryan's availability finally got it made, albeit on an indie-shoestring budget (which is why you saw Ryan at the recent Independent Spirit Awards). The original, after almost 70 years, is still juicy as ever, and we'd call this superfluous if it weren't for English's much-ballyhooed script, which many thought would never get made. And now that Sex and the City made the movies and fun place for the Carrie Bradshaws and Stanford Blatches of the world, look for that crowd to swoon over the first trailer, which funny in a great sitcom way.
Burn After Reading
Director: Ethan Coen Joel Coen
Stars: Brad Pitt, Frances McDormand, George Clooney (Full Cast)
Studio: Focus Features
The Plot: A disk containing the memoirs of a CIA agent ends up in the hands of two unscrupulous gym employees who attempt to benefit from the discovery.
THE BUZZ: The Coens want to make you laugh again, less than a year after bringing Anton Chigurh to life and saddling away with 4 Oscars for their efforts. While I don't think BAR will reach the same level of pop culture-saturation as NCfOM, I guess there's something to be said for a movie in which most everyone in the theater will understand the ending? Sigh ... More on this one after its premiere at the Venice Film Festival at the end of August ...
The Family That Preys
Director: Tyler Perry
Stars: Kathy Bates, Alfre Woodard, Sanaa Lathan (Full Cast)
Studio: Lionsgate
The Plot: Faced with a series of secrets and scandals that are threatening to tear their respective families apart, old friends Charlotte Cartwright (Bates) and Alice Pratt (Woodard) embark on a cross-country road trip in hopes of finding a way to end the drama and rebuild their familial connections.
THE BUZZ: Wait, there's no Madea aboard this trip? Hmm, well, Tyler Perry better hope for a Why Did I Get Married?-sized hit, and not another Daddy's Little Girls experience with his sixth theatrical release, which has yet to generate much buzz on the summer-movie circuit. (I think it's the quiet before the storm over at Lionsgate, however, as the studio ramps up to release 11 films between August and December -- a schedule that include guaranteed hits such as Saw IV and Transporter 3, awards-bait in the form of W. and Religulous, and clunkers such as My Best Friend's Girl and Punisher: War Zone.) My suggestion for marketing Preys: Promote it like a Bucket List for women, and make sure press outlets act dumbfounded if another Perry film debuts at #1. (P.S. The playwright plays a construction worker this time around, which really makes us giggle.)
Towelhead [NY/LA]
Director: Alan Ball
Stars: Summer Bishil, Aaron Eckhart, Peter Macdissi (Full Cast)
Studio: Red Envelope Entertainment
The Plot: An Arab-American teenager is sent to live with her strict father and struggles to find love and acceptance in a her new surroundings.
THE BUZZ: The creative mind behind American Beauty and Six Feet Under wasn't likely to avoid controversy for his feature directorial debut with a title like that. So, it's no surprise that controversy, like a creepy, nosy neighbor, quickly came-a-knocking. First up was Fox News, who dubbed it the "feel-awful film of the year". No need to dignify their claim here, but the novel is touted for exploring themes of racism, misogyny and pedophilia. Not exactly perky, feel-good, date-movie topics. And, what to make of the report that people supposedly walked out during advance screenings? Hmmm, sometimes that only makes us want to see a movie more.
Righteous Kill
Director: Jon Avnet
Stars: Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Carla Gugino (Full Cast)
Studio: Overture Films
The Plot: Two veteran New York City detectives (De Niro and Pacino) work to identify the possible connection between a recent murder and a case they believe they solved years ago; is there a serial killer on the loose, and did they perhaps put the wrong person behind bars?
THE BUZZ: I've watched the trailer a few times, and I have to say that I wish RK's premise excited me as much as the long-awaited pairing of these two acting legends. That said, I have to keep in mind that the script was written by Russell Gewirtz, the pen behind Spike Lee's excellent Inside Man, so I imagine there are more twists in store than the one I already know. (And it's a good one, even if you have seen it before.)
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas [NY/LA]
Director: Mark Herman
Stars: Asa Butterfield, David Thewlis, Rupert Friend (Full Cast)
Studio: Miramax Films
The Plot: A WWII-set story as seen through the eyes of Bruno (Butterfield), whose Nazi-Officer father (Thewlis) has just been made the commandant of a concentration camp outside Berlin. Bruno's eventual friendship with Shmuel, a boy his age who is detained at the camp, will usher in a troublesome reality for Bruno, and lead to a fateful attempt to alter Shmuel's fate.
THE BUZZ: Typically cheery British director Mark Herman (Little Voice) looks back to the dark days of WWII in his adaptation of John Boyne's acclaimed, super-depressing novel. Prepare to be horrified by David Thewlis and Rupert Friend in what could be the saddest film released this year.
Flow: For Love of Water [NY/LA]
Director: Irena Salina
Stars: (Full Cast)
Studio: Oscilloscope Pictures
The Plot: A documentary that addresses how dwindling resources, pollution, privatization and other factors are affecting the world water supply.
THE BUZZ: Irena Salina's documentary has finished up the film-festival circuit (it won a Best Doc award at Vail and was shortlisted for Sundance'S Grand Jury Prize), where it received what industry types call "kind notices" for showing us things we already know (that bottled water you're drinking at your desk probably came from a dirty tap) and things we can only imagine (corporations are buying up the global water supply, drought is just one of many foreboding environmental factors, and even the Ganges is being siphoned). More than one reviewer has suggested the film could use more rhythm, but that hasn't prevented a raft of foreign sales as well as a likely future home on DVD and (perhaps) in classrooms and lecture halls.
SEPTEMBER 19th
Lakeview Terrace
Director: Neil LaBute
Stars: Samuel L. Jackson, Patrick Wilson, Kerry Washington (Full Cast)
Studio: Screen Gems
The Plot: An LAPD officer (Jackson) will stop at nothing to force out the interracial couple (Washington and Wilson) who just moved in next door ...
THE BUZZ: It'll be fun to see Patrick Wilson in thriller mode (one of two genre flicks this season for the former phantom and soon-to-be owl -- look for him in Passengers next month), and I'm pro Kerry Washington (Ray) getting more notice, but if Neil LaBute isn't careful, he's going to find himself, like, rebooting a franchise or remaking his own early film for his next project. And if he tries to pass this off as anything but a cheap-and-easy mainstream release, we're going to laugh at him just like we laughed at Roland Joffe when he tried to promote Captivity as a film with a message.
The Duchess [limited]
Director: Saul Dibb
Stars: Keira Knightley, Ralph Fiennes, Dominic Cooper (Full Cast)
Studio: Paramount Vantage
The Plot: A chronicle of the life of Georgiana Cavendish (Knightley), the 18th century aristocrat who endured a difficult marriage to the Duke of Devonshire (Fiennes), and was known for her beauty, political manuvers, and gambling indulgences.
THE BUZZ: Keira K. gives the period drama another workout, this time with an able-bodied cast, a studio that knows how to market a genre film, and a story that mirrors the experiences of Georgiana's descendant, Princess Diana. Our eye isn't on Ms. Knightley, however, it's focused on Hayley Atwell, who is set to captivate audiences in Bridehead Revisited this year ...
Blindness [limited]
Director: Fernando Meirelles
Stars: Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo, Gael García Bernal (Full Cast)
Studio: Miramax Films
The Plot: A thriller set in a city that is suffering from an epidemic of sudden blindness, where only one woman (Moore) remains able to see as the rest of her society is pushed to its limits.
THE BUZZ: Fans of writer José Saramago have given their blessing to Fernando Meirelles as the director selected to handle the adaptation of Saramago's seemingly unfilmable novel. City of God proved that Meirelles can handle violence artfully and The Constant Gardener showed us his mysterious angles -- two elements crucial to successfully bring this story to life. Helping in front of the camera will be the alluring match up of Ms. Moore and Mr. Ruffalo, who play wife and husband (pretty on paper, but we SO don't buy it) and two of the only people who might be able to put an end to the epidemic. What we're most interested in seeing is how much of the first half of the novel, which is set in an asylum where those who have been stricken blind encounter even worse scenarios, is depicted in the film; if Miramax learned anything from marketing No Country for Old Men, it's that literary violence can equal critical and popular success and plenty of awards.
But now that the film's Cannes premiere has come and gone, and the un certain regard was unfavorable, we wonder if Miramax will take after former boss Harvey Weinstein and re-edit the picture for its general release?
Appaloosa [9/17 -- limited]
Director: Ed Harris
Stars: Ed Harris, Viggo Mortensen, Renée Zellweger (Full Cast)
Studio: New Line Cinema
The Plot: A pair of lawmen (Harris and Mortensen) out to save a Western town from a rancher's tyrannical reign find their bond, and their mission, tested by the arrival of a double-dealing widow (Zellweger).
THE BUZZ: Ed Harris returns to the director's seat some 8 years after his award-winning Pollock, but I'm more excited for his reunion with his A History of Violence co-star, Viggo Mortensen. Both men are fit for the material, an adaptation of the novel by Robert B. Parker (whose Jesse Stone TV movies have been a boon for Tom Selleck's career), but I'm not so sure about the Zellweger's ability to be anything but comical as she makes her return Cold Mountain-ish territory. Does this photo earn your confidence?
My Best Friend's Girl
Director: Howard Deutch
Stars: Kate Hudson, Dane Cook, Jason Biggs (Full Cast)
Studio: Lionsgate
The Plot: Tank (Cook) makes a living as an uncouth womanizer hired by guys who want their girlfriends or wives to reconsider leaving them. But what happens when his behavior has the opposite effect on Alexis (Hudson), the love of his best friend's (Biggs) life?
THE BUZZ: Is Kate Hudson being punished for taking time off to have kids or something? If not, why does she have to star alongside these two bozos? Seriously! As for Jason Biggs, isn't there some American Pie DVD sequel requesting your presence? And Dane Cook, can't you take a parkour class or something -- you know, mix it up a little.
Igor
Director: Anthony Leondis
Stars: John Cusack, Molly Shannon, Steve Buscemi (Full Cast)
Studio: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
The Plot: Tired of playing second fiddle to his "Master," a talented laboratory assistant (Cusack) looks to win the annual Evil Science Fair with his own creation.
THE BUZZ: I sense that Igor's storyline mirrors the experiences of director Anthony Leondis, who has spent his career thus far laboring over direct-to-video sequels at Disney. Given his own animated creation, the first project from Exodus Film Group (who should have Bunyan and Babe in theaters sometime next year), Igor looks like it'll appeal to kids and Tim Burton fans alike; check the teaser trailer for a peep at the dark fun to be had this fall.
Ghost Town
Director: David Koepp
Stars: Ricky Gervais, Greg Kinnear, Téa Leoni (Full Cast)
Studio: Paramount Pictures
The Plot: Bertram Pincus (Gervais) dies for a seven-minute period during his routine colonoscopy, then awakens to realize he has gained the ability to see and communicate with ghosts. Problem #1: He never had people skills, in life or in death. Problem #2: His ghostly patron, Frank Herlihy (Kinnear), pesters him into meddling with the impending marriage of his widow, Gwen (Leoni), who lives in Bertram's building and isn't necessarily his number-one fan.
THE BUZZ: What did Ricky Gervais do to deserve such a schlocky foray into leading manhood? Look here for evidence that this rather-dated premise has zero signs of life or longevity. Greg Kinnear also deserves better roles than the aw-shucks types he tends to inhabit these days; the one time Bob Crane is this close to having a see-through career (and his upcoming Flash of Genius looks like a rainy day). Can we expect Téa and Ricky to form a clay bowl together?
SEPTEMBER 26th
Miracle at St. Anna
Director: Spike Lee
Stars: Derek Luke, Michael Ealy, Laz Alonso (Full Cast)
Studio: Touchstone Pictures
The Plot: A murder committed by post-office worker Hector Negron in 1984 sets in motion an investigation that ties back to the experiences of a battalion of black American soldiers who became trapped in a Tuscan village during WWII.
THE BUZZ: The Emmy-winning "When the Levees Broke" and the box-office topping Inside Man have made Spike Lee one of the busiest independent director/producers on either coast (Lee has sequels to both projects in mind, too), and now he's bringing a different WWII perspective to the big screen with Miracle at St. Anna. And he's not stopping for air while taking swipes at Clint and the Coens and angering Italians for revising bits of their WWII history. So will some other sort of miracle earn Lee his first-ever Oscar? Well, I imagine he has a better chance than, say, Oliver Stone this year, but a lot is riding on how Disney will market the film and how much of a push it will receive. We hear Disney had to put the kibosh on Lee's Eastwood comments, however, if he wants to make a good impression on the Academy -- a move which might cause the director to abandon studio filmmaking for a spell?
Choke [limited]
Director: Clark Gregg
Stars: Sam Rockwell, Anjelica Huston, Kelly Macdonald (Full Cast)
Studio: Fox Searchlight Pictures
The Plot: An adaptation of the Chuck Palahniuk novel, in which sex-addicted con-man Victor Mancini (Rockwell) pays for his mother's (Huston) hospital bills by playing on the sympathies of those who rescue him from choking to death. Victor's mother's attending physician, Dr. Paige Marshall (Macdonald), initially sinks into his morass, only to become his best chance for redemption.
THE BUZZ: I'm still waiting to see if the planned film version of Invisible Monsters, Palahniuk's most-out-there novel, actually happens, it's exciting to ponder the effect of his prose on the movie-going public almost ten years after Fight Club's notorious, end-of-the-century reign. Palahniuk fans probably have heard already how well actor-turned-director Clark Gregg (who's always reminded me of a younger Richard Jenkins) molded the author's mania into something that's been described by many as slimy, weird, and oddly lighthearted to boot. And yes, the characters played by Rockwell, Macdonald, and supporting player Brad William Henke are as sexually obsessed as they are in the novel. Take a couple minutes to watch one of the best trailers of the year.
Eagle Eye
Director: D.J. Caruso
Stars: Shia LaBeouf, Michelle Monaghan, Rosario Dawson (Full Cast)
Studio: DreamWorks SKG
The Plot: Two strangers (LaBeouf and Monaghan) become the pawns of a mysterious woman they have never met, but who seems to know their every move. Realizing they are being used to further her plot for a political assassination, they must work together to outwit the woman before she has them killed.
THE BUZZ: How awesome is this teaser trailer?
When Disturbia surpassed everyone's expectations last spring, DreamWorks execs quickly reunited Shia LaBeouf and director D.J. Caruso for a second project, and it'll be interesting to see if all the kids who swooned for Shia in a retooled Hitchcock thriller will be as engaged by our hero (who lost his real life, real-world innocence this year) trying to prevent political terrorism. By the way, there are a lot of screenwriters present here -- perhaps an indication of how quickly this was rushed into production, which is confirmed by the release-date slippage from August (summer vacation) to late in the back-to-school season.
Nights in Rodanthe
Director: George C. Wolfe
Stars: Diane Lane, Richard Gere, James Franco (Full Cast)
Studio:
The Plot: A doctor (Gere) who is traveling to see his estranged son sparks with an unhappily married woman (Lane) at a North Carolina inn
THE BUZZ: After The Notebook became one the best recent examples of a sleeper hit, producers fought for the rights to the unoptioned novels of Nicholas Sparks. Superproducers Denise Di Novi and Bruce Berman secured Rodanthe and assembled an ace cast as well as an interesting director pick in George C. Wolfe (Lackawanna Blues). Though we love Richard Gere and Diane Lane so much, the question remains whether they can help reignite the romantic drama by pulling in a big audience on opening weekend or, a la The Notebook turning favorable word-of-mouth into staying power at the box office. Watch the trailer and if you listen closely, after the part where Diane says, "We saved each other," Richard whispers, "from career oblivion."
The Lucky Ones
Director: Neil Burger
Stars: Rachel McAdams, Tim Robbins, Michael Peña (Full Cast)
Studio: Roadside Attractions
The Plot: Three soldiers (McAdams, Robbins, and Peña) meet one another as they have all returned from Iraq, and circumstance unites them for a road trip across the country, in which they hope to fulfill different personal missions. As they travel, however, they soon realize the ways in which life has progressed without them in mind.
THE BUZZ: Though it has a comedic tone and it doesn't graphically depict the war, the latest project from director Neil Burger (The Illusionist) is still suffering from post-Rendition stress syndrome, the new condition that makes movie execs nerves about making Iraq-related pictures -- never mind marketing them. At least Lionsgate sounds sincere in their effort to find the right release strategy for these Lucky Ones, though I feel like, despite the appealing cast and apparent good vibes, audiences might take this as the Grace Is Gone of 2008.
Bangkok Dangerous****
Everybody Wants to Be Italian [limited]
SEPTEMBER 12th:
The Women
Burn After Reading**
The Family That Preys
Towelhead
Righteous Kill
SEPTEMBER 19th:
Lakeview Terrace
The Duchess
Blindness
Appaloosa
My Best Friend's Girl
SEPTEMBER 26th:
Miracle at St. Anna
Choke
Eagle Eye****
Nights in Rodanthe
The Lucky Ones
SEPTEMBER 5th
Bangkok Dangerous
Director: Oxide Pang Chun Danny Pang
Stars: Nicolas Cage, Charlie Yeung, Shahkrit Yamnarm (Full Cast)
Studio: Lionsgate
The Plot: A hitman (Cage) in Bangkok to pull off a series of jobs falls for a local woman and bonds with his errand boy.
THE BUZZ: In real life, Thailand's in a state of emergency; meanwhile, in Hollywood, Nic Cage sports hockey-player hair in the Pang Brothers's remake of their own 1999 film, which might have been more interesting if Cage could have been convinced to play his character as a deaf-mute hitman as the original story goes. Though they certainly have a cult following, the Pangs's brand of horror hasn't taken off with mainstream audiences here, what with their meddling English-language debut and that barely there remake with J'Alba achieving back-to-back strikeouts. Our suggestion: Scrap this version, redevelop the remake with a bankable Asian star (Chow-Yun Fat, Jet Li), set the story in the U.S., and watch the receipts roll in.
Everybody Wants to Be Italian [limited]
Director: Jason Todd Ipson
Stars: Jay Jablonski, Cerina Vincent, John Kapelos (Full Cast)
Studio: Roadside Attractions
The Plot: Jake (Jablonski) is a romantic guy who's still pining for his ex some eight years after their separation. But when he sparks with Marisa (Vincent), a beautiful Italian woman from Boston's North End, he learns how far he'll go for love when he opts to disguise the fact that he's not Italian -- a potential deal breaker for Marisa.
THE BUZZ: Loosely based on writer-director James Todd Ipson's own romantic experiences in Beantown, in which he landed an Italian bride, we can only imagine how this story will end. Penny Marshall has a small role among a cast of recognizable character actors in another ethnic romantic comedy that could catch on with older audiences.
SEPTEMBER 12th
The Women
Director: Diane English
Stars: Meg Ryan, Eva Mendes, Annette Bening (Full Cast)
Studio: Picturehouse Entertainment
The Plot: Happily married Mary (Ryan) finds her world shaken when she discovers that her husband is cheating on her with shopgirl Crystal (Mendes) -- and she was pretty much the last to know. Crying, divorce, recriminations, and revenge follow. Based on the star-studded 1939 classic starring Norma Shearer, Joan Crawford and Rosalind Russell and updated to the present day.
THE BUZZ: Like the original, no men were harmed -- er, employed! -- in front of the camera for this film. Hard core fans will want to know how the movie has been updated: Mary is now a clothing designer, frenemy Sylvia (Annette Bening -- perfect casting!) is a magazine editor, and Crystal is... still a perfume salesgirl. Writer-director Diane English (of "Murphy Brown" fame) has been working on this script for over ten years, and Ryan's availability finally got it made, albeit on an indie-shoestring budget (which is why you saw Ryan at the recent Independent Spirit Awards). The original, after almost 70 years, is still juicy as ever, and we'd call this superfluous if it weren't for English's much-ballyhooed script, which many thought would never get made. And now that Sex and the City made the movies and fun place for the Carrie Bradshaws and Stanford Blatches of the world, look for that crowd to swoon over the first trailer, which funny in a great sitcom way.
Burn After Reading
Director: Ethan Coen Joel Coen
Stars: Brad Pitt, Frances McDormand, George Clooney (Full Cast)
Studio: Focus Features
The Plot: A disk containing the memoirs of a CIA agent ends up in the hands of two unscrupulous gym employees who attempt to benefit from the discovery.
THE BUZZ: The Coens want to make you laugh again, less than a year after bringing Anton Chigurh to life and saddling away with 4 Oscars for their efforts. While I don't think BAR will reach the same level of pop culture-saturation as NCfOM, I guess there's something to be said for a movie in which most everyone in the theater will understand the ending? Sigh ... More on this one after its premiere at the Venice Film Festival at the end of August ...
The Family That Preys
Director: Tyler Perry
Stars: Kathy Bates, Alfre Woodard, Sanaa Lathan (Full Cast)
Studio: Lionsgate
The Plot: Faced with a series of secrets and scandals that are threatening to tear their respective families apart, old friends Charlotte Cartwright (Bates) and Alice Pratt (Woodard) embark on a cross-country road trip in hopes of finding a way to end the drama and rebuild their familial connections.
THE BUZZ: Wait, there's no Madea aboard this trip? Hmm, well, Tyler Perry better hope for a Why Did I Get Married?-sized hit, and not another Daddy's Little Girls experience with his sixth theatrical release, which has yet to generate much buzz on the summer-movie circuit. (I think it's the quiet before the storm over at Lionsgate, however, as the studio ramps up to release 11 films between August and December -- a schedule that include guaranteed hits such as Saw IV and Transporter 3, awards-bait in the form of W. and Religulous, and clunkers such as My Best Friend's Girl and Punisher: War Zone.) My suggestion for marketing Preys: Promote it like a Bucket List for women, and make sure press outlets act dumbfounded if another Perry film debuts at #1. (P.S. The playwright plays a construction worker this time around, which really makes us giggle.)
Towelhead [NY/LA]
Director: Alan Ball
Stars: Summer Bishil, Aaron Eckhart, Peter Macdissi (Full Cast)
Studio: Red Envelope Entertainment
The Plot: An Arab-American teenager is sent to live with her strict father and struggles to find love and acceptance in a her new surroundings.
THE BUZZ: The creative mind behind American Beauty and Six Feet Under wasn't likely to avoid controversy for his feature directorial debut with a title like that. So, it's no surprise that controversy, like a creepy, nosy neighbor, quickly came-a-knocking. First up was Fox News, who dubbed it the "feel-awful film of the year". No need to dignify their claim here, but the novel is touted for exploring themes of racism, misogyny and pedophilia. Not exactly perky, feel-good, date-movie topics. And, what to make of the report that people supposedly walked out during advance screenings? Hmmm, sometimes that only makes us want to see a movie more.
Righteous Kill
Director: Jon Avnet
Stars: Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Carla Gugino (Full Cast)
Studio: Overture Films
The Plot: Two veteran New York City detectives (De Niro and Pacino) work to identify the possible connection between a recent murder and a case they believe they solved years ago; is there a serial killer on the loose, and did they perhaps put the wrong person behind bars?
THE BUZZ: I've watched the trailer a few times, and I have to say that I wish RK's premise excited me as much as the long-awaited pairing of these two acting legends. That said, I have to keep in mind that the script was written by Russell Gewirtz, the pen behind Spike Lee's excellent Inside Man, so I imagine there are more twists in store than the one I already know. (And it's a good one, even if you have seen it before.)
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas [NY/LA]
Director: Mark Herman
Stars: Asa Butterfield, David Thewlis, Rupert Friend (Full Cast)
Studio: Miramax Films
The Plot: A WWII-set story as seen through the eyes of Bruno (Butterfield), whose Nazi-Officer father (Thewlis) has just been made the commandant of a concentration camp outside Berlin. Bruno's eventual friendship with Shmuel, a boy his age who is detained at the camp, will usher in a troublesome reality for Bruno, and lead to a fateful attempt to alter Shmuel's fate.
THE BUZZ: Typically cheery British director Mark Herman (Little Voice) looks back to the dark days of WWII in his adaptation of John Boyne's acclaimed, super-depressing novel. Prepare to be horrified by David Thewlis and Rupert Friend in what could be the saddest film released this year.
Flow: For Love of Water [NY/LA]
Director: Irena Salina
Stars: (Full Cast)
Studio: Oscilloscope Pictures
The Plot: A documentary that addresses how dwindling resources, pollution, privatization and other factors are affecting the world water supply.
THE BUZZ: Irena Salina's documentary has finished up the film-festival circuit (it won a Best Doc award at Vail and was shortlisted for Sundance'S Grand Jury Prize), where it received what industry types call "kind notices" for showing us things we already know (that bottled water you're drinking at your desk probably came from a dirty tap) and things we can only imagine (corporations are buying up the global water supply, drought is just one of many foreboding environmental factors, and even the Ganges is being siphoned). More than one reviewer has suggested the film could use more rhythm, but that hasn't prevented a raft of foreign sales as well as a likely future home on DVD and (perhaps) in classrooms and lecture halls.
SEPTEMBER 19th
Lakeview Terrace
Director: Neil LaBute
Stars: Samuel L. Jackson, Patrick Wilson, Kerry Washington (Full Cast)
Studio: Screen Gems
The Plot: An LAPD officer (Jackson) will stop at nothing to force out the interracial couple (Washington and Wilson) who just moved in next door ...
THE BUZZ: It'll be fun to see Patrick Wilson in thriller mode (one of two genre flicks this season for the former phantom and soon-to-be owl -- look for him in Passengers next month), and I'm pro Kerry Washington (Ray) getting more notice, but if Neil LaBute isn't careful, he's going to find himself, like, rebooting a franchise or remaking his own early film for his next project. And if he tries to pass this off as anything but a cheap-and-easy mainstream release, we're going to laugh at him just like we laughed at Roland Joffe when he tried to promote Captivity as a film with a message.
The Duchess [limited]
Director: Saul Dibb
Stars: Keira Knightley, Ralph Fiennes, Dominic Cooper (Full Cast)
Studio: Paramount Vantage
The Plot: A chronicle of the life of Georgiana Cavendish (Knightley), the 18th century aristocrat who endured a difficult marriage to the Duke of Devonshire (Fiennes), and was known for her beauty, political manuvers, and gambling indulgences.
THE BUZZ: Keira K. gives the period drama another workout, this time with an able-bodied cast, a studio that knows how to market a genre film, and a story that mirrors the experiences of Georgiana's descendant, Princess Diana. Our eye isn't on Ms. Knightley, however, it's focused on Hayley Atwell, who is set to captivate audiences in Bridehead Revisited this year ...
Blindness [limited]
Director: Fernando Meirelles
Stars: Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo, Gael García Bernal (Full Cast)
Studio: Miramax Films
The Plot: A thriller set in a city that is suffering from an epidemic of sudden blindness, where only one woman (Moore) remains able to see as the rest of her society is pushed to its limits.
THE BUZZ: Fans of writer José Saramago have given their blessing to Fernando Meirelles as the director selected to handle the adaptation of Saramago's seemingly unfilmable novel. City of God proved that Meirelles can handle violence artfully and The Constant Gardener showed us his mysterious angles -- two elements crucial to successfully bring this story to life. Helping in front of the camera will be the alluring match up of Ms. Moore and Mr. Ruffalo, who play wife and husband (pretty on paper, but we SO don't buy it) and two of the only people who might be able to put an end to the epidemic. What we're most interested in seeing is how much of the first half of the novel, which is set in an asylum where those who have been stricken blind encounter even worse scenarios, is depicted in the film; if Miramax learned anything from marketing No Country for Old Men, it's that literary violence can equal critical and popular success and plenty of awards.
But now that the film's Cannes premiere has come and gone, and the un certain regard was unfavorable, we wonder if Miramax will take after former boss Harvey Weinstein and re-edit the picture for its general release?
Appaloosa [9/17 -- limited]
Director: Ed Harris
Stars: Ed Harris, Viggo Mortensen, Renée Zellweger (Full Cast)
Studio: New Line Cinema
The Plot: A pair of lawmen (Harris and Mortensen) out to save a Western town from a rancher's tyrannical reign find their bond, and their mission, tested by the arrival of a double-dealing widow (Zellweger).
THE BUZZ: Ed Harris returns to the director's seat some 8 years after his award-winning Pollock, but I'm more excited for his reunion with his A History of Violence co-star, Viggo Mortensen. Both men are fit for the material, an adaptation of the novel by Robert B. Parker (whose Jesse Stone TV movies have been a boon for Tom Selleck's career), but I'm not so sure about the Zellweger's ability to be anything but comical as she makes her return Cold Mountain-ish territory. Does this photo earn your confidence?
My Best Friend's Girl
Director: Howard Deutch
Stars: Kate Hudson, Dane Cook, Jason Biggs (Full Cast)
Studio: Lionsgate
The Plot: Tank (Cook) makes a living as an uncouth womanizer hired by guys who want their girlfriends or wives to reconsider leaving them. But what happens when his behavior has the opposite effect on Alexis (Hudson), the love of his best friend's (Biggs) life?
THE BUZZ: Is Kate Hudson being punished for taking time off to have kids or something? If not, why does she have to star alongside these two bozos? Seriously! As for Jason Biggs, isn't there some American Pie DVD sequel requesting your presence? And Dane Cook, can't you take a parkour class or something -- you know, mix it up a little.
Igor
Director: Anthony Leondis
Stars: John Cusack, Molly Shannon, Steve Buscemi (Full Cast)
Studio: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
The Plot: Tired of playing second fiddle to his "Master," a talented laboratory assistant (Cusack) looks to win the annual Evil Science Fair with his own creation.
THE BUZZ: I sense that Igor's storyline mirrors the experiences of director Anthony Leondis, who has spent his career thus far laboring over direct-to-video sequels at Disney. Given his own animated creation, the first project from Exodus Film Group (who should have Bunyan and Babe in theaters sometime next year), Igor looks like it'll appeal to kids and Tim Burton fans alike; check the teaser trailer for a peep at the dark fun to be had this fall.
Ghost Town
Director: David Koepp
Stars: Ricky Gervais, Greg Kinnear, Téa Leoni (Full Cast)
Studio: Paramount Pictures
The Plot: Bertram Pincus (Gervais) dies for a seven-minute period during his routine colonoscopy, then awakens to realize he has gained the ability to see and communicate with ghosts. Problem #1: He never had people skills, in life or in death. Problem #2: His ghostly patron, Frank Herlihy (Kinnear), pesters him into meddling with the impending marriage of his widow, Gwen (Leoni), who lives in Bertram's building and isn't necessarily his number-one fan.
THE BUZZ: What did Ricky Gervais do to deserve such a schlocky foray into leading manhood? Look here for evidence that this rather-dated premise has zero signs of life or longevity. Greg Kinnear also deserves better roles than the aw-shucks types he tends to inhabit these days; the one time Bob Crane is this close to having a see-through career (and his upcoming Flash of Genius looks like a rainy day). Can we expect Téa and Ricky to form a clay bowl together?
SEPTEMBER 26th
Miracle at St. Anna
Director: Spike Lee
Stars: Derek Luke, Michael Ealy, Laz Alonso (Full Cast)
Studio: Touchstone Pictures
The Plot: A murder committed by post-office worker Hector Negron in 1984 sets in motion an investigation that ties back to the experiences of a battalion of black American soldiers who became trapped in a Tuscan village during WWII.
THE BUZZ: The Emmy-winning "When the Levees Broke" and the box-office topping Inside Man have made Spike Lee one of the busiest independent director/producers on either coast (Lee has sequels to both projects in mind, too), and now he's bringing a different WWII perspective to the big screen with Miracle at St. Anna. And he's not stopping for air while taking swipes at Clint and the Coens and angering Italians for revising bits of their WWII history. So will some other sort of miracle earn Lee his first-ever Oscar? Well, I imagine he has a better chance than, say, Oliver Stone this year, but a lot is riding on how Disney will market the film and how much of a push it will receive. We hear Disney had to put the kibosh on Lee's Eastwood comments, however, if he wants to make a good impression on the Academy -- a move which might cause the director to abandon studio filmmaking for a spell?
Choke [limited]
Director: Clark Gregg
Stars: Sam Rockwell, Anjelica Huston, Kelly Macdonald (Full Cast)
Studio: Fox Searchlight Pictures
The Plot: An adaptation of the Chuck Palahniuk novel, in which sex-addicted con-man Victor Mancini (Rockwell) pays for his mother's (Huston) hospital bills by playing on the sympathies of those who rescue him from choking to death. Victor's mother's attending physician, Dr. Paige Marshall (Macdonald), initially sinks into his morass, only to become his best chance for redemption.
THE BUZZ: I'm still waiting to see if the planned film version of Invisible Monsters, Palahniuk's most-out-there novel, actually happens, it's exciting to ponder the effect of his prose on the movie-going public almost ten years after Fight Club's notorious, end-of-the-century reign. Palahniuk fans probably have heard already how well actor-turned-director Clark Gregg (who's always reminded me of a younger Richard Jenkins) molded the author's mania into something that's been described by many as slimy, weird, and oddly lighthearted to boot. And yes, the characters played by Rockwell, Macdonald, and supporting player Brad William Henke are as sexually obsessed as they are in the novel. Take a couple minutes to watch one of the best trailers of the year.
Eagle Eye
Director: D.J. Caruso
Stars: Shia LaBeouf, Michelle Monaghan, Rosario Dawson (Full Cast)
Studio: DreamWorks SKG
The Plot: Two strangers (LaBeouf and Monaghan) become the pawns of a mysterious woman they have never met, but who seems to know their every move. Realizing they are being used to further her plot for a political assassination, they must work together to outwit the woman before she has them killed.
THE BUZZ: How awesome is this teaser trailer?
When Disturbia surpassed everyone's expectations last spring, DreamWorks execs quickly reunited Shia LaBeouf and director D.J. Caruso for a second project, and it'll be interesting to see if all the kids who swooned for Shia in a retooled Hitchcock thriller will be as engaged by our hero (who lost his real life, real-world innocence this year) trying to prevent political terrorism. By the way, there are a lot of screenwriters present here -- perhaps an indication of how quickly this was rushed into production, which is confirmed by the release-date slippage from August (summer vacation) to late in the back-to-school season.
Nights in Rodanthe
Director: George C. Wolfe
Stars: Diane Lane, Richard Gere, James Franco (Full Cast)
Studio:
The Plot: A doctor (Gere) who is traveling to see his estranged son sparks with an unhappily married woman (Lane) at a North Carolina inn
THE BUZZ: After The Notebook became one the best recent examples of a sleeper hit, producers fought for the rights to the unoptioned novels of Nicholas Sparks. Superproducers Denise Di Novi and Bruce Berman secured Rodanthe and assembled an ace cast as well as an interesting director pick in George C. Wolfe (Lackawanna Blues). Though we love Richard Gere and Diane Lane so much, the question remains whether they can help reignite the romantic drama by pulling in a big audience on opening weekend or, a la The Notebook turning favorable word-of-mouth into staying power at the box office. Watch the trailer and if you listen closely, after the part where Diane says, "We saved each other," Richard whispers, "from career oblivion."
The Lucky Ones
Director: Neil Burger
Stars: Rachel McAdams, Tim Robbins, Michael Peña (Full Cast)
Studio: Roadside Attractions
The Plot: Three soldiers (McAdams, Robbins, and Peña) meet one another as they have all returned from Iraq, and circumstance unites them for a road trip across the country, in which they hope to fulfill different personal missions. As they travel, however, they soon realize the ways in which life has progressed without them in mind.
THE BUZZ: Though it has a comedic tone and it doesn't graphically depict the war, the latest project from director Neil Burger (The Illusionist) is still suffering from post-Rendition stress syndrome, the new condition that makes movie execs nerves about making Iraq-related pictures -- never mind marketing them. At least Lionsgate sounds sincere in their effort to find the right release strategy for these Lucky Ones, though I feel like, despite the appealing cast and apparent good vibes, audiences might take this as the Grace Is Gone of 2008.
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