Hmmmm...Curiosities...These would be films that look somewhat interesting, and I'm riding the fence between matinee and Netflix...
Redbelt [May 2]
David Mamet will hold a special place in film history one day. I don't know what that place is, but it will involve a lot of great, albeit stiff dialogue with lots of swearing. I feel bad that he has to resort to jumping on the UFC bandwagon to get an audience, but regardless, he's got Chiwetel Ejiofor, and he is by far the most underrated actor around today.
[TRAILERS]
War, Inc. [May 23]
Long-delayed, but Cusack has earned a little faith. Basically looks like Grosse Pointe Blank gone political satire, which is fine. I just don't know, after the last five years of relentless, ubiquitous political humor, if it's $10 fine.
[TRAILER]
Mongol [June 6]
Genghis Khan biopic. I know three things: the trailer looks cool, nominated for an Oscar this year (Foreign Language), and supposed to be the first of a trilogy. OK, tell me more...
[TRAILER]
Kung Fu Panda [June 6]
LOL! Oh, Jack Black voicing a Panda who goes chop socky. How original - fat comic actor voices fat comic animated character. Wow! Genius! ...Anyone remember Shark Tale?? How'd that work for ya?? My little-kid side is a little intrigued, but really, am I supposed to be blown away by the A-List talent supporting in an animated film?? Here, for everyone to gawk at: Angelina Jolie, Dustin Hoffman, Jackie Chan, Lucy Liu, Seth Rogen, Ian McShane, Michael Clarke Duncan & David Cross. Whoopee!!!
[TEASER]
The Incredible Hulk [June 13]
Pros: All things Edward Norton, acting, producing, writing, co-directing?, generally being more fun than Eric Bana. Also, a villain (what a novelty) played by...is that Tim Roth? He's still alive?
Cons: Liv Tyler is not Jennifer Connelly. CGI Hulk is an upgrade but not enough. No word of the plot = Raz nervous again.
Meh: William Hurt. The Transporter director (I swear if Hulk does one bit of martial arts, goddammit I'll...).
[TRAILER]
Hancock [July 4]
I've already put my faith in Peter Berg's corner as a director. We've covered that, and it will come up again. Premise is fun. Will Smith is Will Smith, and I can just hope this is better than that mess I Am Legend. Don't like Theron, or as Rick calls her, Chuckie. That leaves Jason Bateman. Save us, brother.
[TRAILER]
Hamlet 2 [August 22]
Two words: Steve. Coogan. Give this man a Golden Globe cuz an Oscar is too stuffy for him. High school drama teacher makes sequel to centuries-old masterpiece. Kind of Chris-Guest-esque, and yet Stand & Deliver. Early word is mixed, but still...Coooooooogan. Also, Poehler says "Suck my balls!"
[NSFW REDBAND TRAILER]
Babylon A.D. [August 29]
Vin Diesel in a sci-fi action epic? I'm not sure anymore. Children Of Men has a kid with Total Recall? OK, maybe I'm might be in. I am one of the few people you'll probably find who liked Chronicles of Riddick, but it wasn't a classic or anything. I'm thinking this is his last chance to wow me.
[MAKING-OF TEASER]
Showing posts with label Heads Up. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Heads Up. Show all posts
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Summer Movies. Part One.
Some summers are packed with options. Others are not. At first, when I looked at the schedule for this summer, I thought, wow, there appears to be a blockbuster on every Friday. But we all know that's never how it goes. Many of those studio hopefuls turn out to be D.O.A., and after reconsideration, this year looks to be a long one for the studios' money men, sweating repeats of some of the higher profile nosedives of the past few summers.
Here are your TEN best bets for the summer of 2008...Enjoy.
Your Ten Best Bets:
10. The International [August 15]
The long-awaited English-language debut by Run Lola Run director Tom Tykwer is an espionage action-thriller starring Clive Owen and Naomi Watts as an Interpol agent and a NYC A.D.A., respectively, uncovering the illegal evils and conspiracies of a massive worldwide bank. Sounds like the Bourne films without the Kung Fu.
09. The Happening [June 13]
A lot of people are fed up with M. Night Shyamalan. I am not one of them. Unlike most sheep, I think Unbreakable is his best film, and I even liked both The Village and Lady In The Water. But even if you are not like me, you might concede that this film could be his "return to form".
[TRAILER]
08. Tropic Thunder [August 15]
I hate Ben Stiller, but damn if this doesn't look like a genius comedy. By all reports, this is the Robert Downey Jr. performance everyone will be talking about come the end of the summer.
[TRAILER]
07. Indiana Jones & The Kingdom of The Crystal Skull [May 23]
What can I say really? It's Indy. I love him like an uncle I've never met. He nurtured me when Han Solo and Dr. Peter Venkmen weren't around . But alas, as much as I want to see this, and as inspired as I think Shia LaBeouf's casting is, the heavy dose of special efx and an Area 51 alien storyline make this smell more like the Temple of Doom than the other two. Besides, it has Lucas' prints on it, and after the last decade of disasters, that makes me very nervous.
[TRAILER]
06. Iron Man [May 2]
Here's why this is going to be good: At least a few people must have seen the finished product by now, and the promotion machine is ahead-full-steam. That equals confidence. That means they think it's good enough to lead off the summer. Jon Favreau has yet to direct a classic, but all his films have been very good, with Zathura looking to hold the most hints to this one. A superb cast can't hurt.
[TRAILER]
05. Pineapple Express [August 8]
Considering how untouchable the Apatow posse is right now, how can this possibly miss?? These films should be just more of the same old thing, and yet they're not. They have a human heart underneath all the fratboy excess. Oh, and M.I.A. rules.
[NSFW REDBAND TRAILER]
04. Hellboy 2: The Golden Army [July 11]
Trailer 1 looked amazing enough, but with the recently released second trailer revealing all sorts of new, wonderful, and completely fucking crazy visions from Del Toro's warped mind, this is looking like one of the greatest fantasy films of all time. Watch both, compare and contrast.
[TRAILERS]
03. Son Of Rambow [May 2]
It's a winner, in that it will win us all over. Garth Jennings, as much a fantastic visionary as Guillermo Del Toro, had the unenviable task of making the Hitchhiker's Guide movie, and I personally think he did a great job. Now what does he do for an encore? He updates the movies he used to make as a kid with his friends. This is a must-see, a film with a beating heart in the season of high-gloss.
[TRAILER]
02. WALL-E [June 27]
It's fuckin' Pixar, muthafuckas!! You better recognize!!
...robot voices by Ben Burtt, Oscar winner for "voicing" your last favorite robot.
[TRAILER]
01. The Dark Knight [July 18]
Hmmm...let's see...Batman Begins is the greatest superhero/comic book film adaptation of all time, no contest, by a fairly large margin. Christian Bale is easily one of the ten best actors around right now, while Christopher Nolan must be among the five best directors. No Katie Holmes; Maggie Gyllenhaal = upgrade. More Caine, Oldman, & Freeman. Aaron Eckhart is a great idea, and they're saving him, not putting him in the trailers. And of course, Ledger, you tragic man... your lost soul will leave us with what your peers are calling one of the most twisted, deranged, frightening, haunting performances of recent memory. I hope they're right. You're already going to be remembered, but if you do the nerd fanboy coalition a solid, and do an iconic favorite proper, they will make you immortal. Ask the Fellowship.
[TRAILER]
Here are your TEN best bets for the summer of 2008...Enjoy.
Your Ten Best Bets:
10. The International [August 15]
The long-awaited English-language debut by Run Lola Run director Tom Tykwer is an espionage action-thriller starring Clive Owen and Naomi Watts as an Interpol agent and a NYC A.D.A., respectively, uncovering the illegal evils and conspiracies of a massive worldwide bank. Sounds like the Bourne films without the Kung Fu.
09. The Happening [June 13]
A lot of people are fed up with M. Night Shyamalan. I am not one of them. Unlike most sheep, I think Unbreakable is his best film, and I even liked both The Village and Lady In The Water. But even if you are not like me, you might concede that this film could be his "return to form".
[TRAILER]
08. Tropic Thunder [August 15]
I hate Ben Stiller, but damn if this doesn't look like a genius comedy. By all reports, this is the Robert Downey Jr. performance everyone will be talking about come the end of the summer.
[TRAILER]
07. Indiana Jones & The Kingdom of The Crystal Skull [May 23]
What can I say really? It's Indy. I love him like an uncle I've never met. He nurtured me when Han Solo and Dr. Peter Venkmen weren't around . But alas, as much as I want to see this, and as inspired as I think Shia LaBeouf's casting is, the heavy dose of special efx and an Area 51 alien storyline make this smell more like the Temple of Doom than the other two. Besides, it has Lucas' prints on it, and after the last decade of disasters, that makes me very nervous.
[TRAILER]
06. Iron Man [May 2]
Here's why this is going to be good: At least a few people must have seen the finished product by now, and the promotion machine is ahead-full-steam. That equals confidence. That means they think it's good enough to lead off the summer. Jon Favreau has yet to direct a classic, but all his films have been very good, with Zathura looking to hold the most hints to this one. A superb cast can't hurt.
[TRAILER]
05. Pineapple Express [August 8]
Considering how untouchable the Apatow posse is right now, how can this possibly miss?? These films should be just more of the same old thing, and yet they're not. They have a human heart underneath all the fratboy excess. Oh, and M.I.A. rules.
[NSFW REDBAND TRAILER]
04. Hellboy 2: The Golden Army [July 11]
Trailer 1 looked amazing enough, but with the recently released second trailer revealing all sorts of new, wonderful, and completely fucking crazy visions from Del Toro's warped mind, this is looking like one of the greatest fantasy films of all time. Watch both, compare and contrast.
[TRAILERS]
03. Son Of Rambow [May 2]
It's a winner, in that it will win us all over. Garth Jennings, as much a fantastic visionary as Guillermo Del Toro, had the unenviable task of making the Hitchhiker's Guide movie, and I personally think he did a great job. Now what does he do for an encore? He updates the movies he used to make as a kid with his friends. This is a must-see, a film with a beating heart in the season of high-gloss.
[TRAILER]
02. WALL-E [June 27]
It's fuckin' Pixar, muthafuckas!! You better recognize!!
...robot voices by Ben Burtt, Oscar winner for "voicing" your last favorite robot.
[TRAILER]
01. The Dark Knight [July 18]
Hmmm...let's see...Batman Begins is the greatest superhero/comic book film adaptation of all time, no contest, by a fairly large margin. Christian Bale is easily one of the ten best actors around right now, while Christopher Nolan must be among the five best directors. No Katie Holmes; Maggie Gyllenhaal = upgrade. More Caine, Oldman, & Freeman. Aaron Eckhart is a great idea, and they're saving him, not putting him in the trailers. And of course, Ledger, you tragic man... your lost soul will leave us with what your peers are calling one of the most twisted, deranged, frightening, haunting performances of recent memory. I hope they're right. You're already going to be remembered, but if you do the nerd fanboy coalition a solid, and do an iconic favorite proper, they will make you immortal. Ask the Fellowship.
[TRAILER]
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Heads Up: New Portishead...finally
If you're internet savvy and fiending enough, you probably already have the new album. I downloaded it, but I haven't listened to it yet... And well, this single doesn't really make me want to. To me, Portishead music always meant the best in dust-n-crackle, a certain organic, antique quality to their new sounds. So, OK, we all have to grow up, and I can understand wanting to try something different after a decade in the making, and I can even dig some icy synthetics. But regardless of the tones in which it's cast, this single doesn't DO anything. I understand that, ultimately, PH is about the voice of Beth Gibbons, but this track is boring as fuck. The first two-thirds are just the same bad drums over and over, and then when the drums get a bit more interesting, the synths turn it into the score from Terminator 2. I waited ten years for THIS???
"Machine Gun" [video]
Portishead's Third is out 4/29 in the US.
"Machine Gun" [video]
Portishead's Third is out 4/29 in the US.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Heads Up: New Raconteurs NEXT WEEK!!!
Way to leave it to the last minute, Jack! What are you, Radiohead??
And the neo-classic-rockers say...Moooooooooo:
[via Pitchfork]
And the neo-classic-rockers say...Moooooooooo:
"The Raconteurs are happy to announce that in one week's time their second album, entitled Consolers of the Lonely, will be available EVERYWHERE Tuesday, March 25th.
"'Album' meaning: full length vinyl, CD and digital formats; and 'everywhere' meaning: local mom and pop Indie retailers, corporate superstores, supermarkets, iTunes, Amazon, the band's own website and any other location that could get the record up and going this quickly (some places couldn't move this fast, so they will join in as soon as they can).
"It contains 14 new recordings and is being released globally on Third Man Records in conjunction with our marketing/distribution partners, XL Recordings and Warner Brothers Records.
"The album was mastered and completed in the first week of March. It was then taken immediately to a vinyl pressing plant. Then to a CD pressing plant. Then preparations to sell it digitally began. March 25th became the soonest date to have it available in EVERY FORMAT AT ONCE. The band have done no interviews or advertisements for this record before this announcement.
"The purpose: to get the album to the fans as soon as possible and as we promised. We wanted to get this record to fans, the press, radio, etc., all at the EXACT SAME TIME so that no one has an upper hand on anyone else regarding its availability, reception or perception.
"With this release, The Raconteurs are forgoing the usual months of lead time for press and radio set up, as well as forgoing the all important 'first week sales'. We wanted to explore the idea of releasing an album everywhere at once and THEN marketing and promoting it thereafter. The Raconteurs would rather this release not be defined by its first weeks sales, pre-release promotion, or by someone defining it FOR YOU before you get to hear it.
"Another purpose was to also allow people to have their own choice as to exactly which format they would like to hear the album in IMMEDIATELY, rather than having to wait for their favorite format to become available. The band are also not releasing any version of this record that contains bonus tracks. Musically this album will be the same as the band created it no matter what format it is purchased in. (The sound quality of each format however, is a different story. The Raconteurs recommend hearing it on vinyl, but the choice is of course up to the listener).
"The band also prefer that fans buy the album as a whole instead of breaking up the tracks, but until iTunes and other digital services allows bands to release their albums with the option of NOT breaking it up, it will be sold in that fashion on those particular sites. On the band's website however, the album will be sold in its entirety as an mp3 at 320kb bit rate. Also in Japan, fans will be able to download the record via their mobile phones, as that is how a majority of recorded music is consumed there.
"The reason we are announcing this release one week ahead of time is because of retail pre-ordering and stocking, information about this album's imminent release was bound to come to light and could be confusing to fans. Also in the event that the record leaks, we didn't want this method of release to be seen as a REACTION to such a leak. It's not. The actual worst thing about a leak is the usual poor sound quality, akin to watching a movie on a wristwatch instead of in a theater. Which for the album's creators is a bit of a letdown, but again, it is completely up to the listener.
"There will be a video up on the internet for the first single, 'Salute Your Solution', on the 25th as well, provided it gets edited in time. We just filmed it the other day!
"We hope not to confuse anyone with too many options, or deny them the formats that they like best. The Raconteurs feel very strongly that music has worth and should be treated as such. Thank you to all those who respect music in this fashion, and thank you to our label partners for working with us to get this album to fans in as many formats as possible all at once.
"Thank you, and we hope that you enjoy Consolers of the Lonely.
"Sincerely,
The Raconteurs"
[via Pitchfork]
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Heads Up: new Futureheads part 2
The Futureheads are a great young band with a small, devoted following; they are not Radiohead or Nine Inch Nails. So the fact that they're going it alone for their third album, without a label, is that much more admirable - and difficult. So they've taken to the, uh, airwaves. This is Barry & Ross asking their UK fans to support their new single. The album, This Is Not The World, should be out in early summer.
Video for said single, "The Beginning Of The Twist"
- BONUS: "Beginning Of The Twist" while walking down Carnaby Street, London
Video for said single, "The Beginning Of The Twist"
- BONUS: "Beginning Of The Twist" while walking down Carnaby Street, London
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
First contender for single of '08
I first heard of Estelle in 2004, when she broke down the doors with the incredible "1980" single, one of the best of that year (which is saying something, cuz '04 was one of the best years for singles ever). At the time, I likened her to a UK version of Lauryn Hill, and it seems that she's followed that maturation by slowly transitioning from MC to songbird. So now, check her new joint featuring Kanye: "American Boy" marries the type of smooth soul that John Legend's been pimping with an irresistable disco bump. Infectious is an understatement.
Estelle: "American Boy" [feat. Kanye West]
Estelle: "American Boy" [feat. Kanye West]
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Heads Up: New Futureheads!!
We (the royal We, the editorial) here at CSR are HUGE fans of The Futureheads, so We were pleasantly surprised to go to YouTube today and find a new song. "Broke Up The Time" is going to be on their third album, which they're recording now. Enjoy!
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Re-ignition!
Pitchfork reported today on the good possibility that the world will see a new My Bloody Valentine album, the first in 16 years, by the end of 2007. I am honestly overwhelmed with excitement to the point that I've blown my excitement fuse and appear stonefaced (like that episode of South Park where Cartman blows his funny fuse and can't laugh). I'm so excited that just the relaunched MBV website, which is 'under construction', is blowing my mind right now for no real reason other than the fantasy of the future.
- Pitchfork's story
- My Bloody Valentine official site
- Pitchfork's story
- My Bloody Valentine official site
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Heads Up: New Ghostface!!!
The rap Toney Starks will release his new album, The Big Dough Rehab on the same day as he helps birth the new Wu-Tang Clan album, 8 Diagrams. Look for them both on December 4th.
Monday, October 1, 2007
Oh yeah, and by the way...
Radiohead's got a new record.
It's called In Rainbows.
It comes out next week, on October 10th.
Yeah, on the Internet.
You won't get your hardcopy until December though.
That thing about not having a record label anymore?
No problemo. They're putting it out themselves.
Enjoy.
- In Rainbows pre-order site
It's called In Rainbows.
It comes out next week, on October 10th.
Yeah, on the Internet.
You won't get your hardcopy until December though.
That thing about not having a record label anymore?
No problemo. They're putting it out themselves.
Enjoy.
- In Rainbows pre-order site
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Heads Up: QOTSA finally release the correct single from Era Vulgaris
"3's & 7's" is, by the majority of public opinion, the best song on the new Queens of the Stone Age album, not to mention it should've been the clear choice for first single. But for some reason, the muddled "Sick Sick Sick" got released instead. Well, "3's & 7's" finally has a video, and it looks like Josh saw Grindhouse. I'd say this is gonna get banned by MTV (which it probably will), but who fuckin' watches videos on TV anymore anyway???
Queens of the Stone Age: "3's & 7's" [video]
Queens of the Stone Age: "3's & 7's" [video]
Heads Up: Bat For Lashes
Bat For Lashes being written about is nothing new; they've been getting praise pretty much everywhere. I just haven't had time to listen to them until now. You know when you hear a song for the first time, and it shoots straight to your heart, and your brain screams "YES!!!!!!!!!" Yeah, I just had that reaction. Thanks to Goldenfiddle for deciding to post this so I could find it. Fuckin' spectacular song and video.
Bat For Lashes: "What's A Girl To Do" [video]
- Bat For Lashes website
Bat For Lashes: "What's A Girl To Do" [video]
- Bat For Lashes website
Saturday, September 15, 2007
The 2007 CSR Guide to Fall Movies, Part 2
Welcome back! Let's get right into November...
[Week Nine]
Friday, November 2 – Thursday, November 8
Unless you have kids and are forced to sit through The Bee Movie (stay retired, Seinfeld!), you have only one option this week, but that’s OK because it’s the biggest release of the season, and potentially the year. Director Ridley Scott, one of the greatest directors of the last 30 years, gives us American Gangster. It’s the story of Frank Lucas, probably the most revolutionary narcotics figure of the 20th century. In the early 1970’s, Lucas, played here by Oscar winner Denzel Washington (who has worked with Ridley’s brother Tony on three films), had the brilliant idea of smuggling Vietnamese heroin back from the war in the coffins of dead US soldiers. When that heroin hit the streets of Harlem, and the black community in general, it changed the world forever. Before African-Americans got on smack, the biggest criminal around the way was “the numbers man”, your local bookie. Lucas basically created the major drug trade in New York City, and now it was drug escalation; before him it was a little weed, a little coke. Heroin had been out of favor since the Bop days of Charlie Parker. Lucas’ heroin led to crack, crack led to Hip-Hop. Frank Lucas is one of those figures in American history that everyone should know, but doesn’t. Scott also reunites with Russell Crowe, who plays the cop who’s after Lucas, and the two know success together; Crowe won his Oscar with Scott on Gladiator. And the rest of the cast and crew is as just as good; the screenplay is by Steve Zallian, who won an Oscar for Traffic, and the supporters include the incredible Chiwetel Ejiofor, Cuba Gooding Jr, Josh Brolin, Idris Elba, Carla Gugino, Armand Assante, John Hawkes, Ted Levine, and Norman Reedus, as well as rappers like T.I., Common, and The RZA. This is as must-see a film as you’re going to get.
See: American Gangster
[Week Ten]
Friday, November 9 – Thursday, November 15
This week, while your less intelligent human peers are shuffling like zombies to lay down cash for Fred Claus, you can feel smart having two brilliant choices to pick from, but both are among the most anticipated films of the year, so you should make every effort to see them both. The first is the new Coen Brothers film, No Country For Old Men. They’ve returned to crime noir on this go-round, and the film, starring Tommy Lee Jones, looks to be a classic. The other film is the super-long-awaited Southland Tales, director Richard Kelly’s extremely troubled follow-up to his adored Donnie Darko (no trailer yet - click for a clip). Southland Tales premiered 18 months ago at Cannes ’06, and was supposedly booed, though some dispute this. Since then, it’s been endless hours in the editing room for Kelly, honing what’s sure to be one of the oddest films you ever see, and hoping the studio will actually release it. It’s a sci-fi musical action comedy. Yes, you read that correctly. I think if you put a gun to Kelly’s head and made him pick a genre, he’d say it’s a satire. Dwayne Johnson (can we stop calling him “The Rock” yet?) stars as an action movie star trying to make a film, but his life starts imitating the script. Add in Sarah Michelle Gellar as an upwardly-mobile porn star, Seann William Scott as an LAPD officer, and countless wacky cameos and bit parts, from Mad TV’s Will Sasso to Mandy Moore, from Kevin Smith to an almost unrecognizable Justin Timberlake. Oh, and don’t forget the three prequels being released in graphic novel form; I believe the first two are out already.
See: Both, but seek out No Country For Old Men first.
[Week Eleven]
Friday, November 16 – Thursday, November 22 (Thanksgiving)
I think the big-budget animated Beowulf looks kinded lame, and could anyone care less about Dustin Hoffman ripping off Willy Wonka in Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium, so you have another week to do some catching up. The one interesting film opening on Friday is Noah Baumbach’s follow-up to his 2005 breakthrough, The Squid & The Whale. The new one, Margot At The Wedding, appears to be a sobering family drama starring Nicole Kidman and Jennifer Jason Leigh as sisters, but with flashes of comedy because it also stars Jack Black as Leigh's fiancé. You know no matter how hard he tries to do serious work, he’ll accidentally be funny somewhere in there. Now, this next flick is more of a release for next week, but because of the holiday, Wednesday is a fairly popular release day every year. This year we get The Mist, which registers high on the curiosity meter. It’s yet another film adaptation of a Stephen King work, but what’s special here is that it’s the third one directed by Frank Darabont. The first one was a little film you might’ve seen – The Shawshank Redemption – yeah, and he followed it with The Green Mile. So, it’s been 8 years since, and it’s about time he gives us another film. No matter how good it is, and the first trailer looks...OK, Darabont’s name is still worth the price of admission.
See: Margot At The Wedding if you’re bored or if it gets good reviews. Check out The Mist for Turkey Day.
[Weeks Twelve & Thirteen]
Friday, November 23 – Thursday, December 6
Hey, I know you have to shop. Good thing for you I covered The Mist in Week 11, and I only have one film for you in these two weeks. Black Friday brings the release of Todd Haynes’ surreal Bob Dylan biopic, I’m Not There. This is one of the ones I’m really waiting for – who doesn’t want to see Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Heath Ledger, and Richard Gere – ALL as Bob Dylan??!!? That’s awesome, not to mention David Cross as Allen Ginsberg. You can meet me at the front of the line. Other than that, take a week off and save a few bucks for the December onslaught.
See: I’m Not There
[Week Fourteen]
Friday, December 7 – Thursday, December 13
The Christmas season really gets going with an excellent batch of films. First, the big money is on The Golden Compass, which is already being positioned as the next Lord of The Star Potter saga, and it looks pretty massive. Second, from the director of Pride & Prejudice and its star, Keira Knightly, comes Atonement, a romance which looks like Cold Mountain set during World War II. Recent festival screenings have critics absolutely raving that it’s an instant classic and it will clean up at the awards; when people are saying a film is among the greatest of all time at the time of its release, it’s probably even money to go check it out. And third, I want to mention Leatherheads, directed by and starring George Clooney. I haven’t seen any footage yet, but it sounds interesting - a romantic comedy set against the backdrop of the beginning of what would become the NFL - it sounds kind of like Some Like It Hot meets Bull Durham, but with shoulder pads. I’m intrigued because I’ve loved Clooney’s two previous directorial endeavors; the down side is the woman being fought over is Renee Zellweger, but the up side is The Office’s John Krasiniski is playing Robbins to Clooney's Costner, and seems a better prospect than that horrible Robin Williams debacle this summer.
See: The Golden Compass; if you’re like me and you hate sitting in theaters with lots of kids, see it as late in the day as possible. Check out Atonement on a weeknight if you get a chance.
[Week Fifteen]
Friday, December 14 – Thursday, December 20
This is a grab bag week, with a lot to choose from. The blockbuster is going to be I Am Legend, starring Will Smith, and directed by Constantine director Frances Lawrence. The concept is incredible, with the tagline – "The last man on Earth is not alone” – saying it all, and I have a feeling it will be the rare big budget popcorn flick that delivers. Almost as tempting is the new Woody Allen picture, Cassandra’s Dream. A crime thriller in line with his 2005 masterpiece Match Point, this film concerns two cockney brothers (Ewan McGregor & Colin Farrell) trying to one-up each other for a girl, and how their criminal uncle (Tom Wilkinson) gets them wrapped up in wrong doing. Also, do not sleep on Juno, director Jason Reitman's follow-up to his great Thank You For Smoking. It's a teen pregnancy black comedy starring, as the knocked up pair, Ellen Page (Hard Candy, X-Men 3) and Michael Cera (Superbad); the brilliant cast also includes Kingdom duo Jason Bateman and Jennifer Garner, as well as the hilarious Rainn Wilson, J.K. Simmons, and Alison Janney. Finally, way under the radar, is Youth Without Youth. I don't know much about it except (a) it's about Nazis, (b) it stars Tim Roth, and (c) it's the first film in a decade from legendary Godfather director Francis Ford Coppola. That all should be enough for a matinee.
See: well, all four, but if I personally had to pick one, after seeing the trailer, I would pick Juno...cuz ya know, who doesn't like to laugh?
[Weeks Sixteen & Seventeen]
Friday, December 21 - New Year's Eve
I combined the last week and a half of the year because most of the movies are opening on Christmas Day, which is a Tuesday. There are a total of 14 films coming out within these 10 days, so I'll try and cut off the excess. The must see is going to be P.T. Anderson's long-awaited There Will Be Blood [12/26], starring a spooky Daniel Day Lewis and Little Miss Sunshine's Paul Dano. A loose adaptation of Upton Sinclair's 1927 novel Oil!, it is the third of the gritty westerns I've been mentioning, but it's the only one to feature a score by Radiohead's virtuoso multi-instrumentalist Jonny Greenwood; it looks positively epic. After that, the next movie I would recommend is National Treasure: Book Of Secrets [12/21]. I know you might feel this damages my credibility, but as a man that grew up on Indiana Jones, I think it's refreshing to see a family-friendly action movie in an age of increasingly explicit films. Plus, the entire cast and crew from the original is returning, and they've added Helen Mirren, Ed Harris and Bruce Greenwood - so how could it go wrong? Beyond those two films you have some interesting options. Sweeney Todd [12/21] is yet another teaming of director Tim Burton and Johnny Depp, so even though I'm not a fan of musicals, it still bears mentioning. The Savages [12/26] has Laura Linney and Philip Seymour Hoffman, which is always good. Hoffman also pops up in Mike Nichols' political drama, Charlie Wilson's War [12/25], starring a couple of up-&-comers named Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts. I wasn't going to mention Walk Hard [12/21], cuz I'm really not sold on it yet, but I'm a big fan of Jenna Fischer's, so her starring role warrants the mention. And finally, AVP: Reqiuem [12/25]. I had to do it. C'mon, nothing could be as bad as the first one.
See: There Will Be Blood
So, that's a wrap! Let's do a little recap with my list of the
Top 17 Must-See Films of the Fall.
17. Atonement [12/07]
16. The Assassination Of Jesse James... [9/21]
15. Gone Baby Gone [10/19]
14. Into The Wild [9/21]
13. Cassandra's Dream [12/14]
12. I Am Legend [12/14]
11. Southland Tales [11/09]
10. We Own The Night [10/12]
09. Juno [12/14]
08. Control [10/10]
07. The Golden Compass [12/07]
06. There Will Be Blood [12/26]
05. 3:10 To Yuma [out now]
04. I'm Not There [11/23]
03. The Darjeeling Limited [9/29]
02. No Country For Old Men [11/09]
01. American Gangster [11/02]
Thanks for reading, have fun at the theater, and stay tuned for more goodness here at CSR.
[Week Nine]
Friday, November 2 – Thursday, November 8
Unless you have kids and are forced to sit through The Bee Movie (stay retired, Seinfeld!), you have only one option this week, but that’s OK because it’s the biggest release of the season, and potentially the year. Director Ridley Scott, one of the greatest directors of the last 30 years, gives us American Gangster. It’s the story of Frank Lucas, probably the most revolutionary narcotics figure of the 20th century. In the early 1970’s, Lucas, played here by Oscar winner Denzel Washington (who has worked with Ridley’s brother Tony on three films), had the brilliant idea of smuggling Vietnamese heroin back from the war in the coffins of dead US soldiers. When that heroin hit the streets of Harlem, and the black community in general, it changed the world forever. Before African-Americans got on smack, the biggest criminal around the way was “the numbers man”, your local bookie. Lucas basically created the major drug trade in New York City, and now it was drug escalation; before him it was a little weed, a little coke. Heroin had been out of favor since the Bop days of Charlie Parker. Lucas’ heroin led to crack, crack led to Hip-Hop. Frank Lucas is one of those figures in American history that everyone should know, but doesn’t. Scott also reunites with Russell Crowe, who plays the cop who’s after Lucas, and the two know success together; Crowe won his Oscar with Scott on Gladiator. And the rest of the cast and crew is as just as good; the screenplay is by Steve Zallian, who won an Oscar for Traffic, and the supporters include the incredible Chiwetel Ejiofor, Cuba Gooding Jr, Josh Brolin, Idris Elba, Carla Gugino, Armand Assante, John Hawkes, Ted Levine, and Norman Reedus, as well as rappers like T.I., Common, and The RZA. This is as must-see a film as you’re going to get.
See: American Gangster
[Week Ten]
Friday, November 9 – Thursday, November 15
This week, while your less intelligent human peers are shuffling like zombies to lay down cash for Fred Claus, you can feel smart having two brilliant choices to pick from, but both are among the most anticipated films of the year, so you should make every effort to see them both. The first is the new Coen Brothers film, No Country For Old Men. They’ve returned to crime noir on this go-round, and the film, starring Tommy Lee Jones, looks to be a classic. The other film is the super-long-awaited Southland Tales, director Richard Kelly’s extremely troubled follow-up to his adored Donnie Darko (no trailer yet - click for a clip). Southland Tales premiered 18 months ago at Cannes ’06, and was supposedly booed, though some dispute this. Since then, it’s been endless hours in the editing room for Kelly, honing what’s sure to be one of the oddest films you ever see, and hoping the studio will actually release it. It’s a sci-fi musical action comedy. Yes, you read that correctly. I think if you put a gun to Kelly’s head and made him pick a genre, he’d say it’s a satire. Dwayne Johnson (can we stop calling him “The Rock” yet?) stars as an action movie star trying to make a film, but his life starts imitating the script. Add in Sarah Michelle Gellar as an upwardly-mobile porn star, Seann William Scott as an LAPD officer, and countless wacky cameos and bit parts, from Mad TV’s Will Sasso to Mandy Moore, from Kevin Smith to an almost unrecognizable Justin Timberlake. Oh, and don’t forget the three prequels being released in graphic novel form; I believe the first two are out already.
See: Both, but seek out No Country For Old Men first.
[Week Eleven]
Friday, November 16 – Thursday, November 22 (Thanksgiving)
I think the big-budget animated Beowulf looks kinded lame, and could anyone care less about Dustin Hoffman ripping off Willy Wonka in Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium, so you have another week to do some catching up. The one interesting film opening on Friday is Noah Baumbach’s follow-up to his 2005 breakthrough, The Squid & The Whale. The new one, Margot At The Wedding, appears to be a sobering family drama starring Nicole Kidman and Jennifer Jason Leigh as sisters, but with flashes of comedy because it also stars Jack Black as Leigh's fiancé. You know no matter how hard he tries to do serious work, he’ll accidentally be funny somewhere in there. Now, this next flick is more of a release for next week, but because of the holiday, Wednesday is a fairly popular release day every year. This year we get The Mist, which registers high on the curiosity meter. It’s yet another film adaptation of a Stephen King work, but what’s special here is that it’s the third one directed by Frank Darabont. The first one was a little film you might’ve seen – The Shawshank Redemption – yeah, and he followed it with The Green Mile. So, it’s been 8 years since, and it’s about time he gives us another film. No matter how good it is, and the first trailer looks...OK, Darabont’s name is still worth the price of admission.
See: Margot At The Wedding if you’re bored or if it gets good reviews. Check out The Mist for Turkey Day.
[Weeks Twelve & Thirteen]
Friday, November 23 – Thursday, December 6
Hey, I know you have to shop. Good thing for you I covered The Mist in Week 11, and I only have one film for you in these two weeks. Black Friday brings the release of Todd Haynes’ surreal Bob Dylan biopic, I’m Not There. This is one of the ones I’m really waiting for – who doesn’t want to see Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Heath Ledger, and Richard Gere – ALL as Bob Dylan??!!? That’s awesome, not to mention David Cross as Allen Ginsberg. You can meet me at the front of the line. Other than that, take a week off and save a few bucks for the December onslaught.
See: I’m Not There
[Week Fourteen]
Friday, December 7 – Thursday, December 13
The Christmas season really gets going with an excellent batch of films. First, the big money is on The Golden Compass, which is already being positioned as the next Lord of The Star Potter saga, and it looks pretty massive. Second, from the director of Pride & Prejudice and its star, Keira Knightly, comes Atonement, a romance which looks like Cold Mountain set during World War II. Recent festival screenings have critics absolutely raving that it’s an instant classic and it will clean up at the awards; when people are saying a film is among the greatest of all time at the time of its release, it’s probably even money to go check it out. And third, I want to mention Leatherheads, directed by and starring George Clooney. I haven’t seen any footage yet, but it sounds interesting - a romantic comedy set against the backdrop of the beginning of what would become the NFL - it sounds kind of like Some Like It Hot meets Bull Durham, but with shoulder pads. I’m intrigued because I’ve loved Clooney’s two previous directorial endeavors; the down side is the woman being fought over is Renee Zellweger, but the up side is The Office’s John Krasiniski is playing Robbins to Clooney's Costner, and seems a better prospect than that horrible Robin Williams debacle this summer.
See: The Golden Compass; if you’re like me and you hate sitting in theaters with lots of kids, see it as late in the day as possible. Check out Atonement on a weeknight if you get a chance.
[Week Fifteen]
Friday, December 14 – Thursday, December 20
This is a grab bag week, with a lot to choose from. The blockbuster is going to be I Am Legend, starring Will Smith, and directed by Constantine director Frances Lawrence. The concept is incredible, with the tagline – "The last man on Earth is not alone” – saying it all, and I have a feeling it will be the rare big budget popcorn flick that delivers. Almost as tempting is the new Woody Allen picture, Cassandra’s Dream. A crime thriller in line with his 2005 masterpiece Match Point, this film concerns two cockney brothers (Ewan McGregor & Colin Farrell) trying to one-up each other for a girl, and how their criminal uncle (Tom Wilkinson) gets them wrapped up in wrong doing. Also, do not sleep on Juno, director Jason Reitman's follow-up to his great Thank You For Smoking. It's a teen pregnancy black comedy starring, as the knocked up pair, Ellen Page (Hard Candy, X-Men 3) and Michael Cera (Superbad); the brilliant cast also includes Kingdom duo Jason Bateman and Jennifer Garner, as well as the hilarious Rainn Wilson, J.K. Simmons, and Alison Janney. Finally, way under the radar, is Youth Without Youth. I don't know much about it except (a) it's about Nazis, (b) it stars Tim Roth, and (c) it's the first film in a decade from legendary Godfather director Francis Ford Coppola. That all should be enough for a matinee.
See: well, all four, but if I personally had to pick one, after seeing the trailer, I would pick Juno...cuz ya know, who doesn't like to laugh?
[Weeks Sixteen & Seventeen]
Friday, December 21 - New Year's Eve
I combined the last week and a half of the year because most of the movies are opening on Christmas Day, which is a Tuesday. There are a total of 14 films coming out within these 10 days, so I'll try and cut off the excess. The must see is going to be P.T. Anderson's long-awaited There Will Be Blood [12/26], starring a spooky Daniel Day Lewis and Little Miss Sunshine's Paul Dano. A loose adaptation of Upton Sinclair's 1927 novel Oil!, it is the third of the gritty westerns I've been mentioning, but it's the only one to feature a score by Radiohead's virtuoso multi-instrumentalist Jonny Greenwood; it looks positively epic. After that, the next movie I would recommend is National Treasure: Book Of Secrets [12/21]. I know you might feel this damages my credibility, but as a man that grew up on Indiana Jones, I think it's refreshing to see a family-friendly action movie in an age of increasingly explicit films. Plus, the entire cast and crew from the original is returning, and they've added Helen Mirren, Ed Harris and Bruce Greenwood - so how could it go wrong? Beyond those two films you have some interesting options. Sweeney Todd [12/21] is yet another teaming of director Tim Burton and Johnny Depp, so even though I'm not a fan of musicals, it still bears mentioning. The Savages [12/26] has Laura Linney and Philip Seymour Hoffman, which is always good. Hoffman also pops up in Mike Nichols' political drama, Charlie Wilson's War [12/25], starring a couple of up-&-comers named Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts. I wasn't going to mention Walk Hard [12/21], cuz I'm really not sold on it yet, but I'm a big fan of Jenna Fischer's, so her starring role warrants the mention. And finally, AVP: Reqiuem [12/25]. I had to do it. C'mon, nothing could be as bad as the first one.
See: There Will Be Blood
So, that's a wrap! Let's do a little recap with my list of the
Top 17 Must-See Films of the Fall.
17. Atonement [12/07]
16. The Assassination Of Jesse James... [9/21]
15. Gone Baby Gone [10/19]
14. Into The Wild [9/21]
13. Cassandra's Dream [12/14]
12. I Am Legend [12/14]
11. Southland Tales [11/09]
10. We Own The Night [10/12]
09. Juno [12/14]
08. Control [10/10]
07. The Golden Compass [12/07]
06. There Will Be Blood [12/26]
05. 3:10 To Yuma [out now]
04. I'm Not There [11/23]
03. The Darjeeling Limited [9/29]
02. No Country For Old Men [11/09]
01. American Gangster [11/02]
Thanks for reading, have fun at the theater, and stay tuned for more goodness here at CSR.
Saturday, September 8, 2007
The 2007 CSR Guide to Fall Movies, Part 1
Welcome to Raz's film festival...or something...
I had to split the list in half because it was getting too huge, and I want everyone to actually read it. So, September and October today, November and December next Saturday.
This fall looks to be packed with brilliant films from high profile directors and actors, but there are only 17 weeks until the New Year (and you need to fit in Football too). How will you ever know which movies to see so that you don’t waste your time and money?? Don’t worry. I got you covered. I have planned out your entire fall for you, so you know which films to see and when to see them, in order to cram in all the blockbusters, art-house fare, and of course, the Oscar hopefuls. Not everyone’s the same, so feel free to switch movies around or omit a few of the lesser picks, and as usual, pay close attention to word of mouth, whether it’s from the big paper critic or the old woman in the cubicle next to you; you should know by now whose opinion to trust...well, other than mine. I’ll guide you through week by week, and then at the end give you my top 17 must-see films. Get out your pens & paper, or um, I guess you could just warm up your printers. Enjoy. Oh, and click on movie titles for the trailers.
[All info from IMDB.com - You better recognize.]
[Week One]
Friday, September 7 – Thursday, September 13
Friday night, you should have been rushing out to see James Mangold’s 3:10 To Yuma, a gritty western starring Russell Crowe and Christian Bale which should be one of the best films of the year (I'm seeing it tonight). Mangold is a pretty solid bet, having the underrated Cop Land and Girl, Interrupted on his resumé before hitting a grand slam with Walk The Line. Because of that film’s success, he was able to snatch up Crowe and Bale. If Russell Crowe is such an asshole in real life, then it’s about time he played a villain again, and as far as Bale, if you know someone who doesn’t like him, then you should stop being that person’s friend, like seriously right now. If you have time in the rest of the week and are fixing for another film, check your local art-house for I Want Someone To Eat Cheese With. Curb Your Enthusiasm’s Jeff Garlin wrote, directed and stars in this romantic comedy, and he makes the odd but potentially hilarious choice of casting Sarah Silverman as his leading lady.
See: 3:10 To Yuma is a must.
[Week Two]
Friday, September 14 – Thursday, September 20
This week is kind of a free-for-all. The big commercial picture is going to be The Brave One with Jodie Foster, but I’m skipping that one since they pretty much give away the whole movie in the trailer. Instead, I’m pointing you in the direction of two releases that look interesting. The first is Across The Universe, the troubled Beatles musical that is finally coming out, and curiosity should at least be worth a matinee. The second is Eastern Promises, another collaboration between director David Cronenberg and Viggo Mortensen, who worked together on A History Of Violence. In this film, Naomi Watts stars as a midwife who gets wrapped in a Russian Mob conspiracy when she investigates a baby born to a teenage girl who died during child birth. Both these films should be released semi-wide, as far as I know, as should the last film that might be worth checking out, as a substitution or addition to your schedule: The Hunting Party, a black comedy/political drama starring Richard Gere and Terence Howard. It’s a true story about the American news media in the warzones of Bosnia in the 90’s, and it’s directed by the guy that did The Matador with Pierce Brosnan.
See: Across The Universe or Eastern Promises
[Week Three]
Friday, September 21 – Thursday, September 27
This week you have an excellent choice of three movies, and any one should be worth your cash. Into The Wild is Sean Penn’s adaptation of Jon Krakauer’s book. The trailer sells it perfectly, from the wonder of the locations to the deep cast including Vince Vaughn, Catherine Keener, William Hurt and Marcia Gay Harden. But it will be Lords of Dogtown’s Emile Hirsch that benefits the most, getting to show his range and maturation from kid actor. Next you can check out The Assassination of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford, opening in NYC, LA, Toronto and Austin. It's the second of the three big westerns reaching for the gold statue this fall. You’d think I’d be crazy to say the draw here is not Brad Pitt, but one look at the breathtaking trailer shows you that Casey Affleck is bringing his A-game this fall. Last is the under-the-radar Trade, in limited release, a film that was supposed to be released at the beginning of the year, but got pushed for Oscar contention. Kevin Kline is looking for another statue, this time playing against type as a cop in this abduction thriller that has the same international feel as recent greats like The Constant Gardener, Babel, and the Bourne films.
See: All three, but if it can only be one, I’d go with Into The Wild.
[Week Four]
Friday, September 28 – Thursday, October 4
You get a little break this week, since the only major film of interest is Peter Berg’s massive The Kingdom, boasting a great lineup of Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Garner, Chris Cooper, Jason Bateman, and Jeremy Piven. At first, I was skeptical, but here’s two reasons why you might want to check out this Middle East terrorism drama:
1) It was originally slated to be an early summer popcorn flick, but it got pushed for Oscar season. That means either it tested really well, or the studio heads have a lot of faith in it. That has to equal it rising above its just-OK action movie trailer.
2) Director Peter Berg has quietly been building up to this kind of big Hollywood statement film. After starting out with some black comedies, he made The Rundown, cramming it full of good camerawork and great comedic timing, resulting in a fun adventure movie which is way better than any of the comparable Arnold or Sly throwaways from the 80’s. Then he followed it up with the great football chronicle Friday Night Lights, which had a spectacularly stark look and one of the best soundtracks ever. He’s definitely due for his breakthrough.
See: The Kingdom.
Of course, if it’s not your cup of tea, then you can always catch up on one of the films from the previous weeks.
[Week Five]
Friday, October 5 – Thursday, October 11
This is a weird weekend because, as of right now, there are no movies really worth seeing coming out (you can keep your Ben Stiller reuniting with the Farrelly Brothers). However, on Saturday, September 29th, Wes Anderson’s new film, The Darjeeling Limited, premiers at The New York Film Festival. The early word is that it would also have a limited release, but it seems crazy to me to be opening a film on a Saturday. I would look for it on October 5th. Keep in mind that whatever effect lead Owen Wilson’s suicide attempt might have on promoting the film, it seems that the release might be at the mercy of nervous studio execs. The only thing I can be absolutely sure of is it will be out by New Year’s Eve, to qualify for Academy eligibility. Also in limited release, on Wednesday, October 10th, is Anton Corbijn's Control, the story of Joy Division frontman Ian Curtis, which looks absolutely fantastic.
See: The Darjeeling Limited and Control are both musts. Seek them out.
[Week Six]
Friday, October 12 – Thursday, October 18
In 2000, James Gray made a great little film almost no one saw with some big name actors; The Yards was a dark drama about conspiracy in the railroad union, and it featured excellent performances from Mark Wahlberg, Joaquin Phoenix, Charlize Theron, James Caan, Faye Dunaway & Ellen Burstyn. Seven years later, Gray has finally returned, reuniting with Wahlberg and Phoenix, and adding Eva Mendes and the immortal Robert Duvall, for We Own The Night, sure to be another great crime thriller. It’s already being compared to last year’s Best Picture winner, The Departed. Your second choice for the week is the courtroom drama Michael Clayton, which was bumped from September. It may sport a top-notch cast including George Clooney, Tilda Swinton and Tom Wilkinson, but the draw here is that it’s the directorial debut of Tony Gilroy, who wrote the three Jason Bourne films.
See: We Own The Night. Fit in Michael Clayton if you have time.
[Week Seven]
Friday, October 19 – Thursday, October 25
This is by far the most crowded week of the season, but Week Eight is pretty empty, so you can carry some of these over. The definite must see this week is Gone Baby Gone, the directorial debut of Ben Affleck. Affleck was smart when picking this project; he adapted a story by the guy that wrote Mystic River, set, of course, in Affleck’s hometown of Boston, and then he cast his brother Casey in the lead, along with trusted support men like Morgan Freeman and Ed Harris. If the trailer is any indication, this should be a huge hit. The other film this week that I've been watching out for is Wristcutters: A Love Story, which looks wonderfully twisted. Beyond that, you have the popcorn vampire flick 30 Days of Night, adapted from the award-winning graphic novel by Sam Raimi and Hard Candy director David Slade, and two big-name Oscar dramas; Reservation Road (Phoenix! Ruffalo! Connelly!), from the director of Hotel Rwanda, and Rendition (Witherspoon! Gyllenhaal! Streep!), from the director of '06 Best Foreign Film winner Tsotsi.
See: Gone Baby Gone
[Week Eight]
Friday, October 25 - Thursday, November 1
Saw 4...yawn, no thanks. Steve Carrell has this Dan In Real Life, which looks painfully unfunny, which is sad following the obvious failure of Evan Almighty. Like I said, this is a slow week, so it's good to catch up with anything you missed. There are a few small films of interest, but only one that looks like it might be worth a matinee. Run, Fatboy, Run, is the directorial debut of David Schwimmer, and he's lucky enough to have gotten Hot Fuzz star Simon Pegg to fill the lead role. I wasn't really sold on the film until I saw the teaser trailer, which had me in hysterics. Other than that, if you're looking for more, and maybe you want a scary movie for Halloween, search for the limited release of Michael Haneke's brutal hostage thriller Funny Games, the English-language remake of his own 1997 cult classic, this time starring Naomi Watts, Tim Roth and Michael Pitt (sorry, no trailer yet).
See: Run, Fatboy, Run
And that's the end of Part One folks. Come back next Saturday for Part Two. Don't be late cuz we're gonna start with a BANG!
I had to split the list in half because it was getting too huge, and I want everyone to actually read it. So, September and October today, November and December next Saturday.
This fall looks to be packed with brilliant films from high profile directors and actors, but there are only 17 weeks until the New Year (and you need to fit in Football too). How will you ever know which movies to see so that you don’t waste your time and money?? Don’t worry. I got you covered. I have planned out your entire fall for you, so you know which films to see and when to see them, in order to cram in all the blockbusters, art-house fare, and of course, the Oscar hopefuls. Not everyone’s the same, so feel free to switch movies around or omit a few of the lesser picks, and as usual, pay close attention to word of mouth, whether it’s from the big paper critic or the old woman in the cubicle next to you; you should know by now whose opinion to trust...well, other than mine. I’ll guide you through week by week, and then at the end give you my top 17 must-see films. Get out your pens & paper, or um, I guess you could just warm up your printers. Enjoy. Oh, and click on movie titles for the trailers.
[All info from IMDB.com - You better recognize.]
[Week One]
Friday, September 7 – Thursday, September 13
Friday night, you should have been rushing out to see James Mangold’s 3:10 To Yuma, a gritty western starring Russell Crowe and Christian Bale which should be one of the best films of the year (I'm seeing it tonight). Mangold is a pretty solid bet, having the underrated Cop Land and Girl, Interrupted on his resumé before hitting a grand slam with Walk The Line. Because of that film’s success, he was able to snatch up Crowe and Bale. If Russell Crowe is such an asshole in real life, then it’s about time he played a villain again, and as far as Bale, if you know someone who doesn’t like him, then you should stop being that person’s friend, like seriously right now. If you have time in the rest of the week and are fixing for another film, check your local art-house for I Want Someone To Eat Cheese With. Curb Your Enthusiasm’s Jeff Garlin wrote, directed and stars in this romantic comedy, and he makes the odd but potentially hilarious choice of casting Sarah Silverman as his leading lady.
See: 3:10 To Yuma is a must.
[Week Two]
Friday, September 14 – Thursday, September 20
This week is kind of a free-for-all. The big commercial picture is going to be The Brave One with Jodie Foster, but I’m skipping that one since they pretty much give away the whole movie in the trailer. Instead, I’m pointing you in the direction of two releases that look interesting. The first is Across The Universe, the troubled Beatles musical that is finally coming out, and curiosity should at least be worth a matinee. The second is Eastern Promises, another collaboration between director David Cronenberg and Viggo Mortensen, who worked together on A History Of Violence. In this film, Naomi Watts stars as a midwife who gets wrapped in a Russian Mob conspiracy when she investigates a baby born to a teenage girl who died during child birth. Both these films should be released semi-wide, as far as I know, as should the last film that might be worth checking out, as a substitution or addition to your schedule: The Hunting Party, a black comedy/political drama starring Richard Gere and Terence Howard. It’s a true story about the American news media in the warzones of Bosnia in the 90’s, and it’s directed by the guy that did The Matador with Pierce Brosnan.
See: Across The Universe or Eastern Promises
[Week Three]
Friday, September 21 – Thursday, September 27
This week you have an excellent choice of three movies, and any one should be worth your cash. Into The Wild is Sean Penn’s adaptation of Jon Krakauer’s book. The trailer sells it perfectly, from the wonder of the locations to the deep cast including Vince Vaughn, Catherine Keener, William Hurt and Marcia Gay Harden. But it will be Lords of Dogtown’s Emile Hirsch that benefits the most, getting to show his range and maturation from kid actor. Next you can check out The Assassination of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford, opening in NYC, LA, Toronto and Austin. It's the second of the three big westerns reaching for the gold statue this fall. You’d think I’d be crazy to say the draw here is not Brad Pitt, but one look at the breathtaking trailer shows you that Casey Affleck is bringing his A-game this fall. Last is the under-the-radar Trade, in limited release, a film that was supposed to be released at the beginning of the year, but got pushed for Oscar contention. Kevin Kline is looking for another statue, this time playing against type as a cop in this abduction thriller that has the same international feel as recent greats like The Constant Gardener, Babel, and the Bourne films.
See: All three, but if it can only be one, I’d go with Into The Wild.
[Week Four]
Friday, September 28 – Thursday, October 4
You get a little break this week, since the only major film of interest is Peter Berg’s massive The Kingdom, boasting a great lineup of Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Garner, Chris Cooper, Jason Bateman, and Jeremy Piven. At first, I was skeptical, but here’s two reasons why you might want to check out this Middle East terrorism drama:
1) It was originally slated to be an early summer popcorn flick, but it got pushed for Oscar season. That means either it tested really well, or the studio heads have a lot of faith in it. That has to equal it rising above its just-OK action movie trailer.
2) Director Peter Berg has quietly been building up to this kind of big Hollywood statement film. After starting out with some black comedies, he made The Rundown, cramming it full of good camerawork and great comedic timing, resulting in a fun adventure movie which is way better than any of the comparable Arnold or Sly throwaways from the 80’s. Then he followed it up with the great football chronicle Friday Night Lights, which had a spectacularly stark look and one of the best soundtracks ever. He’s definitely due for his breakthrough.
See: The Kingdom.
Of course, if it’s not your cup of tea, then you can always catch up on one of the films from the previous weeks.
[Week Five]
Friday, October 5 – Thursday, October 11
This is a weird weekend because, as of right now, there are no movies really worth seeing coming out (you can keep your Ben Stiller reuniting with the Farrelly Brothers). However, on Saturday, September 29th, Wes Anderson’s new film, The Darjeeling Limited, premiers at The New York Film Festival. The early word is that it would also have a limited release, but it seems crazy to me to be opening a film on a Saturday. I would look for it on October 5th. Keep in mind that whatever effect lead Owen Wilson’s suicide attempt might have on promoting the film, it seems that the release might be at the mercy of nervous studio execs. The only thing I can be absolutely sure of is it will be out by New Year’s Eve, to qualify for Academy eligibility. Also in limited release, on Wednesday, October 10th, is Anton Corbijn's Control, the story of Joy Division frontman Ian Curtis, which looks absolutely fantastic.
See: The Darjeeling Limited and Control are both musts. Seek them out.
[Week Six]
Friday, October 12 – Thursday, October 18
In 2000, James Gray made a great little film almost no one saw with some big name actors; The Yards was a dark drama about conspiracy in the railroad union, and it featured excellent performances from Mark Wahlberg, Joaquin Phoenix, Charlize Theron, James Caan, Faye Dunaway & Ellen Burstyn. Seven years later, Gray has finally returned, reuniting with Wahlberg and Phoenix, and adding Eva Mendes and the immortal Robert Duvall, for We Own The Night, sure to be another great crime thriller. It’s already being compared to last year’s Best Picture winner, The Departed. Your second choice for the week is the courtroom drama Michael Clayton, which was bumped from September. It may sport a top-notch cast including George Clooney, Tilda Swinton and Tom Wilkinson, but the draw here is that it’s the directorial debut of Tony Gilroy, who wrote the three Jason Bourne films.
See: We Own The Night. Fit in Michael Clayton if you have time.
[Week Seven]
Friday, October 19 – Thursday, October 25
This is by far the most crowded week of the season, but Week Eight is pretty empty, so you can carry some of these over. The definite must see this week is Gone Baby Gone, the directorial debut of Ben Affleck. Affleck was smart when picking this project; he adapted a story by the guy that wrote Mystic River, set, of course, in Affleck’s hometown of Boston, and then he cast his brother Casey in the lead, along with trusted support men like Morgan Freeman and Ed Harris. If the trailer is any indication, this should be a huge hit. The other film this week that I've been watching out for is Wristcutters: A Love Story, which looks wonderfully twisted. Beyond that, you have the popcorn vampire flick 30 Days of Night, adapted from the award-winning graphic novel by Sam Raimi and Hard Candy director David Slade, and two big-name Oscar dramas; Reservation Road (Phoenix! Ruffalo! Connelly!), from the director of Hotel Rwanda, and Rendition (Witherspoon! Gyllenhaal! Streep!), from the director of '06 Best Foreign Film winner Tsotsi.
See: Gone Baby Gone
[Week Eight]
Friday, October 25 - Thursday, November 1
Saw 4...yawn, no thanks. Steve Carrell has this Dan In Real Life, which looks painfully unfunny, which is sad following the obvious failure of Evan Almighty. Like I said, this is a slow week, so it's good to catch up with anything you missed. There are a few small films of interest, but only one that looks like it might be worth a matinee. Run, Fatboy, Run, is the directorial debut of David Schwimmer, and he's lucky enough to have gotten Hot Fuzz star Simon Pegg to fill the lead role. I wasn't really sold on the film until I saw the teaser trailer, which had me in hysterics. Other than that, if you're looking for more, and maybe you want a scary movie for Halloween, search for the limited release of Michael Haneke's brutal hostage thriller Funny Games, the English-language remake of his own 1997 cult classic, this time starring Naomi Watts, Tim Roth and Michael Pitt (sorry, no trailer yet).
See: Run, Fatboy, Run
And that's the end of Part One folks. Come back next Saturday for Part Two. Don't be late cuz we're gonna start with a BANG!
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Heads Up: The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford
Apparently the production has been troubled - it was supposed to be out at the end of September...2006! - but now Brad Pitt is supposedly overseeing the final editting. Still looks cool to me though, and with 3:10 To Yuma and PT Anderson's There Will Be Blood also coming out before the end of the year, the dark & gritty Western is looking at a major comeback, a possible fulfillment of Unforgiven's promise 15 years ago.
The cast is great; you only get to really see Brad Pitt, Casey Affleck, and Sam Rockwell in the trailer, but they're joined by Mary-Louise Parker and Zooey Deschanel, as well as great character actors like Sam Shepard, Ted Levine, Michael Parks, Jeremy Renner & Garret Dillahunt.
The cast is great; you only get to really see Brad Pitt, Casey Affleck, and Sam Rockwell in the trailer, but they're joined by Mary-Louise Parker and Zooey Deschanel, as well as great character actors like Sam Shepard, Ted Levine, Michael Parks, Jeremy Renner & Garret Dillahunt.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Thursday, August 16, 2007
It looks funny, but...
Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story is a parody of Walk The Line starring John C. Reilly, and co-written & produced by Judd Apatow...
So let me get this straight - I like Reilly, I adore Jenna Fischer (especially since she left a comment on my Myspace page), and Knocked Up and 40 Year Old Virgin are two of my favorite comedies of all time. Add Jack White as Elvis, Jack Black as Paul McCartney and Paul Rudd as John Lennon, and what's not to love?? Right??
Then why does this just feel like a Will Ferrell movie that Will didn't want, and he threw his "Magic Man" a bone?
So let me get this straight - I like Reilly, I adore Jenna Fischer (especially since she left a comment on my Myspace page), and Knocked Up and 40 Year Old Virgin are two of my favorite comedies of all time. Add Jack White as Elvis, Jack Black as Paul McCartney and Paul Rudd as John Lennon, and what's not to love?? Right??
Then why does this just feel like a Will Ferrell movie that Will didn't want, and he threw his "Magic Man" a bone?
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Heads Up: The Return of The Hives
The Black and White Album out October 9th
- The Hives Broadcasting Service
- Remember why you love The Hives so much
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Heads Up: Michel Gondry's Be Kind, Rewind
My friends and I had a discussion today about the prospect of Michel Gondry's new movie, Be Kind, Rewind, being any good. I automatically say yes just because he made it, though that doesn't mean it will be great. It just means that because Gondry is probably the most visually original director of the last 15 years, his films get an initial pass straight to 'good', cuz you know at least they'll look good & be oddly interesting. They really have to stink to go down from there.
In case you don't know the plot, I'll try and summarize real quick: Jack Black & Mos Def are clerks at a VHS rental shop owned by Danny Glover. JB magnetizes all the tapes, thus erasing them, and instead of frantically trying to get new ones, Jables & Dante remake a bunch of movies with their camcorder & whatever's lying around. Unexpectedly, the neighborhood loves the home movies, and they become local heroes, or something like that.
There isn't a trailer out yet, but here's the bootleg kind, filmed at ComicCon. I think it looks hilarious. The Ghostbusters parody is supposedly really lovingly detailed. Release dates keep changing, but I'm hearing NY & LA around Christmas, with a wide release next year.
The couple pics that are floating around the nets...This is, of course, Driving Miss Daisy...
...and who ya gonna call?? Ghostbusters!!
In case you don't know the plot, I'll try and summarize real quick: Jack Black & Mos Def are clerks at a VHS rental shop owned by Danny Glover. JB magnetizes all the tapes, thus erasing them, and instead of frantically trying to get new ones, Jables & Dante remake a bunch of movies with their camcorder & whatever's lying around. Unexpectedly, the neighborhood loves the home movies, and they become local heroes, or something like that.
There isn't a trailer out yet, but here's the bootleg kind, filmed at ComicCon. I think it looks hilarious. The Ghostbusters parody is supposedly really lovingly detailed. Release dates keep changing, but I'm hearing NY & LA around Christmas, with a wide release next year.
The couple pics that are floating around the nets...This is, of course, Driving Miss Daisy...
...and who ya gonna call?? Ghostbusters!!
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