Film School Rejects » Monthly Movie Guide

The Movies of April 2011

FSR Staff — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 16:13:13 +0000

We realize that you’re probably sitting at home right now, chewing your own nails off and wondering what movies are coming out this month. Maybe you’re even wondering why no one on the entire internet has said anything about them. Strange, we know.

How will you know what to watch this month?

Fortunately, Rob Hunter and Cole Abaius spent the entire month of March, taking naps, playing tether-ball, and researching movies at the last minute to keep you informed about what’s coming out in April.

You watch movies, so this guide’s for you.

April 1

Source Code

Who did it? Directed by Duncan Jones; Written by Ben Ripley; Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Monaghan, Vera Farmiga, and Jeffrey Wright

What is it? Groundhog Day with more terrorists and fewer laughs

Why should we care? Jones’s first film was the excellent, low-key Moon, and everyone is looking to his follow-up to see if he can avoid the so-called sophomore slump. He’s staying in the same genre of science fiction, but whereas Moon is a quiet one-man show, this is a bigger, action-filled film with one man and two lovely ladies. The story sees a US soldier trying to stop an impending terrorist attack by “jumping” into the body of someone who died in an attack that’s already happened…the hope being he can identify the terrorist, return to the present, and stop the upcoming bombing. But what if he can stop the attack that already occurred? -RH

Super

Who did it? Written and Directed by James Gunn; Starring Rainn Wilson, Ellen Page, Liv Tyler, and Kevin Bacon

What is it? A guy gets fed up and tells crime to be quiet in the least polite way possible

Why should we care? James Gunn has slithered out of the Troma model and written some mainstream stuff, but he’s never been given the change to make a truly Gunn-ian movie (it’s a thing). Here’s that chance. It’s pure, unfiltered dark comedy that looks a little messy and brilliant all at the same time. It also promises an obsessively horny Ellen Page, a crazed Kevin Bacon, and a lot of violence. So, as you can tell, it’s perfect for that Spring brunch you’ve been planning with Nana. -CA

Insidious

Who did it? Directed by James Wan; Written by Leigh Whannell; Starring Rose Byrne, Patrick Wilson, and Darth Maul

What is it? Poltergeist with the volume turned all the way to eleven

Why should we care? Wan and Whannell made a big splash with Saw, but their follow-ups (Dead Silence and Death Sentence) have been fairly mediocre affairs. This creepy, jump-filled flick should change that pattern with its story of a young family being harassed by paranormal events. The catch here is that the problem isn’t a haunted house. It’s a haunted son. You could say his nocturnal emissions are keeping them up at night. You probably shouldn’t say that, but you could. The movie is a blood-free, PG-13 rated affair, and while I have issues with the third act and the use of volume and musical score to artificially scare audiences (as with Sam Raimi’s Drag Me To Hell), the movie still has enough truly frightening visuals and scenes to warrant a trip to the theater. -RH

Hop

Who did it? Directed by Tim Hill; Written by Brian Lynch; Starring James Marsden, Kaley Cuoco and the vocal talents of Russell Brand and Hugh Laurie

What is it? An animated rabbit makes troubles for a live-action man, and it’s not Roger Rabbit

Why should we care? It’s about time that Easter got its due. The Easter Bunny is no Santa Claus, mostly because he’s actually small enough to fit into a chimney without the use of magic. This looks like a completely harmless children’s flick with the rock and roll sensibilities (performed at a safe, low volume) shoved into the Easter Bunny to make him hip. Will it work? Who knows. Even if it does, the Easter Bunny still won’t be nearly as cool as Hanukkah Harry. -CA

Rubber

Who did it? Directed and Written by Quentin Dupieux; Starring Stephen Spinella, Wings Hauser, Robert, and you, the viewer

What is it? The most absurdly entertaining film of the year. (And my personal favorite of all the movies I saw in 2010.)

Why should we care? As much as I love this movie, and I do so with the heat of a thousand horny Chihuahuas, I would not fault anyone for disliking it. The story of a telepathic, serial killing tire named Robert is clearly not for everyone. I get that. But if you have an open mind and an appreciation for absurd yet incredibly smart commentary on films and audiences alike, then I highly recommend you give this oddball movie a chance. If there’s a chance you’ll see this then don’t even watch the trailer…just know that it’s funny, self-aware, filled with exploding heads, and features an extremely catchy electronic score. -RH

Even more April goodness awaits you…

The Movie Watcher’s Guide to March 2011

FSR Staff — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 20:52:13 +0000

We realize that you’re probably sitting at home right now, chewing your own nails off and wondering what movies are coming out this month. Maybe you’re even wondering why no one on the entire internet has said anything about them. Strange, we know.

How will you know what to watch this month?

Fortunately, Rob Hunter and Cole Abaius spent the entire month of February drinking tiger’s blood, wandering the Oscar red carpet, and copying by hand every copy of Below The Line in order to keep you informed about what’s coming out in March.

You watch movies, so this guide’s for you.

March 4th

The Adjustment Bureau

Who did it? Directed and written by George Nolfi; Starring Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Anthony Mackie, Terence Stamp,

What is it? A romantic science fiction film about how Fate is real, and it’s wearing a fedora.

Why should we care? Because unlike most sci-fi films that are so focused on effects and gadgetry that they often forget to include ideas, this one looks smart! Nolfi’s film is based on a story by Philip K Dick, and while adaptations of his work include stinkers like Paycheck and Next they also include entertaining flicks like Blade Runner, Total Recall, and Minority Report. Nolfi’s film looks to lean closer to the latter group with its tale of a man who chooses love and uncertainty over destiny itself. The movie has a beautiful look to it with its clash of early 20th Century fashion and architecture with a sci-fi plot, and you can rarely go wrong with Damon and Blunt. -RH

Watch the trailer:

I Saw the Devil

Who did it? Directed by Jee-woon Kim; Written by Hoon-jung Park; Starring Byung-hun Lee and Min-sik Choi

What is it? A cop goes outside the law to take revenge on a serial killer, to rescue his wife, to take revenge on a serial killer, and to take more revenge on a serial killer.

Why should we care? What’s better than a movie where good triumphs over evil by seeking bloody retribution? A movie where a man gets that retribution and lets the bad guy go so he can track him down all over again and kick his ass some more. Those fortunate enough to see it at Fantastic Fest (like me) reveled in the amount of red stuff and schadenfreude being spilled when Oldboy star Min-sik Choi gets tormented simply because he liked to kill people for fun. Plus, The Good, The Bad, The Weird director Jee-woon Kim sure does know how to make a beautiful flick. -CA

Watch the trailer:

Rango

Who did it? Directed by Gore Verbinski; Written by John Logan; Starring the vocal stylings of Johnny Depp, Isla Fisher, Abigail Breslin, Ned Beatty, Alfred Molina, Bill Nighy, Harry Dean Stanton, Timothy Olyphant, Ray Winstone

What is it? An animated film about a pet chameleon forced out into the real world where he discovers it’s never too late to be a hero and run for public office.

Why should we care? Because the movie looks like a lot of fun in the guise of a Western themed, beautifully animated kids movie! Logan is the writer behind such manly epics as Gladiator, The Last Samurai, and Bats so the presence of his talents is an exciting change-up. And Verbinski has always been a visual director, so his take on an animated film is equally interesting. In addition to the talent involved the concept of an animated western is quite cool and holds lots of promise. -RH

Watch the trailer:

Take Me Home Tonight

Who did it? Directed by Michael Dowse; Written by Jackie Filgo and Jeff Filgo; Starring Topher Grace, Anna Faris, Dan Fogler, and Teresa Palmer

What is it? A scrawny video store clerk rips off the alien symbiote infecting his psyche and finally gets the balls to ask out the girl of his dreams.

Why should we care? There are plenty of One Night That Changed Our Lives movies for the high school and college set, and this one looks no more harmful than the others. The 80s seem to be annoyingly coming back into fashion, but this appears not to use it solely for gags (unless you’re a teenager giggling at how primitive times were back then). Topher Grace has done good work in lead roles like this before, specifically with In Good Company, Director Michael Dowse’s Fubar films were off-kilter comedy goodness, and the blonde Australian Kristen Stewart seems to be a commodity on the rise. Plus, you get to see Chris Pratt propose to real-life wife Anna Faris. That’s heartwarming, right? -CA

Watch the trailer:

There are even more days in March, and even more movies. Check out what the next week’s have to offer…

March 11th

Battle: Los Angeles

Who did it? Directed by Jonathan Liebesman; Written by Christopher Bertolini; Starring Aaron Eckhart, Bridget Moynahan, Michael Peña, Michelle Rodriguez

What is it? An action/sci-fi film about an alien invasion seen through the eyes of the folks on the ground instead of some hoity toity President Bill Pullman.

Why should we care? Because the trailers look like the best parts of Black Hawk Down and Independence Day combined! At the surface level (i.e. the trailers), this flick looks absolutely amazing with its mix of gritty action, fantastic special effects, and large-scale action. The only pause comes from Liebesman’s presence as director seeing as until now his resume consists mostly of mediocre (at best) horror flicks like Darkness Falls and Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning. But all that seems to wash away as the trailer plays out before our eyes. -RH

Watch the trailer:

Elektra Luxx

Who did it? Directed and written by Sebastian Gutierrez; Starring Carla Gugino, Timothy Olyphant, Adrianne Palicki, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and a cast of dozens

What is it? The sequel in the inter-weaving saga of soap opera-like happenings that see porn star-cum-mother-to-be Elektra Luxx at its center.

Why should we care? Women in Trouble was a great flick because it took the ridiculous and delivered it in a package wrapped in a thong and the best canine cunnilingus-based comedy out there. Elektra Luxx continues giving, and adds Joseph Gordon-Levitt as a Mexican porn blogger. Oh, that sold you? Figures. I didn’t even get to mention the stylized strip tease that…you know, you can go see it for yourself. You don’t need me boring you. -CA

Watch the trailer:

Jane Eyre

Who did it? Directed by Cary Fukunaga; Written by Moira Buffini; Starring Mia Wasikowska, Michael Fassbender, Jamie Bell, Sally Hawkins, Imogen Poots

What is it? A long overdue adaptation of Charlotte Bronte’s classic novel about a nosy servant who grows to despise and love her employer in equal measure until she discovers his terrible secret.

Why should we care? Because this is a follow-up to Fukunaga’s beautiful and brilliant debut, Sin Nombre! Kudos go to the marketer who decided to pair Goblin’s score from Suspiria against the trailer for this film, but the real draw here is the film’s visual appeal and its incredibly strong cast. Wasikowska stood out from the far more veteran actors in The Kids Are All Right as well as from the abundant special effects in Alice In Wonderland, and it’s good to see her tackling a classic character like Jane Eyre. At the very least it will be fun to spot the anachronistic Gordon & the Whale sticker hidden in the film somewhere. -RH

Watch the trailer:

Mars Needs Moms

Who did it? Directed and co-written by Simon Wells; Co-written by Wendy Wells; Starring the motion capture talents of Seth Green and the vocal stylings of Seth Dusky, Joan Cusack, and Dan Fogler

What is it? Another planet takes it upon itself to steal the Earth’s mothers, and one soon accidentally goes to save his.

Why should we care? Children’s movies are hit or miss these days, but this one looks genuinely good – with a mix of flashy images to grab the attention span and jokes to keep the older fans interested. Plus, the premise is sort of adorable. Hopefully the fart jokes won’t get in the way and we’ll be able to set up some sort of Martian welfare system to get them some maternal figures that aren’t currently in use. -CA

Watch the trailer:

Red Riding Hood

Who did it? Directed by Catherine Hardwicke; written by David Johnson; starring Amanda Seyfried, Gary Oldman, Billy Burke, Virginia Madsen, Lukas Haas, Julie Christie

What is it? A stylish and MTV-friendly adaptation of the classic fairy tale about a teenage whore.

Why should we care? Because Seyfried has big beautiful eyes! There are probably other reasons for folks to be excited for this one, but I can’t imagine what they might be. Hardwicke (Twilight) has hardly proven herself as a director of note, and the trailer does little to show anything aside from her continued fascination with young women attracted to abnormally hairy men. Seyfried aside, the cast is filled with folks just happy to have work and Oldman… who is incapable of saying “no” to anything. -RH

Watch the trailer:

March 18th

Limitless

Who did it? Directed by Neil Burger; Written by Leslie Dixon; Starring Bradley Cooper, Robert De Niro, and Abbie Cornish

What is it? A handsome guy takes a pill that unlocks his full brain potential, gets a haircut, and makes a ton of money.

Why should we care? It’s sort of masochistic to want to see Bradley Cooper make a better version of himself, but Limitless takes a completely incorrect misconception about the brain and science fictionalizes it into oblivion. After all, who wouldn’t want to see the best possible version of themselves just by popping some meds. Wait, this is going to turn out to be a commentary on current American culture isn’t it? The generic action thriller tone of the trailer makes it looks like it could range from Devil’s Advocate good to Paycheck bad, and yes, you’re welcome for two Paycheck references in one article. -CA

Watch the trailer:

The Lincoln Lawyer

Who did it? Directed by Brad Furman; Written by John Romano; Starring Matthew McConaughey, Ryan Phillippe, Josh Lucas, Marisa Tomei, John Leguizamo, William H. Macy, Bryan Cranston, Michael Peña (again!), Michael Paré, Trace Adkins

What is it? A legal thriller about a lawyer defending a high profile client who just might be guilty… so basically Criminal Law meets Southern drawl.

Why should we care? Because McConaughey is a rising star, and this could be the film to push him onto the A-list! I kid the shirtless bongo player, but he is actually an engaging and charismatic actor when he wants to be (A Time To Kill, Contact, Frailty) and the trailer teases that he may be back on his game here. Phillippe’s character is clearly guilty, but the movie looks to have more than just suspense in its favor including a great supporting cast and strong source material (based on novel by Michael Connelly). -RH

Watch the trailer:

Paul

Who did it? Directed by Greg Mottola; Written by Simon Pegg and Nick Frost; Starring Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Jason Bateman, Kristen Wiig, and the vocal stylings of Seth Rogen as an E.T.

What is it? Two road-tripping blokes find an alien out in the desert, and they all go on a wacky adventure.

Why should we care? That synopsis is unfair, but it seems like Paul has all the elements of the typical found alien movie: the law chasing them, a host of random caricatures to run into, main characters with child-like wonder, and a quest to get an outside off this planet. Those elements are ripe for the parody picking, and the Frost/Pegg team has been consistently funny (even moreso than Frost/Nixon). Just watch out for its obvious, self-evident, totally clear, not-at-all imagined liberal bias. -CA

Watch the trailer:

Win Win

Who did it? Directed and written by Thomas McCarthy; Starring Paul Giamatti, Melanie Lynskey, Amy Ryan, Jeffrey Tambor, Burt Young

What is it? A dramedy about a shlubby lawyer who moonlights as a shlubby high-school basketball coach.

Why should we care? Because it was a hit at Sundance! Take that praise for what it’s worth, but McCarthy’s two previous films as director (The Visitor, The Station Agent) are minor gems, and by all accounts he’s continuing that trend here. Giamatti is an odd actor in that he’s brilliant just as often as he’s obnoxious, but thankfully this performance looks to belong to the former category. And if nothing else Lynskey is always a joy to watch. -RH

Watch the trailer:

March 25th

Miral

Who did it? Directed by Julian Schnabel; Written by Rula Jebreal; Starring Frieda Pinto, Hiam Abbass, Yasmine Al Massri, Vanessa Redgrave, and Willem Dafoe

What is it? A Palestinian orphan comes of age and finds herself in the chaos of the first Arab-Israeli War.

Why should we care? Schnabel directed the gorgeous The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, which lands him squarely in the category of directors to watch. Pinto stood out in Slumdog Millionaire even as the damsel in distress, and this represents a chance to see her before she goes full ape in that Planet of the Apes prequel. The story and the visuals here look compelling and severe with the kind of inherent drama that allows filmmakers to play around with convention – a situation Schnabel is skilled enough to take advantage of. -CA

Watch the trailer:

Sucker Punch

Who did it? Directed by Zack Snyder; Written by Snyder and Steve Shibuya; Starring Emily Browning, Abbie Cornish, Jena Malone, Vanessa Hudgens, Jamie Chung, Carla Gugino, Scott Glenn, Jon Hamm

What is it? An ode to CGI and slo-mo action scenes that crosses The Wizard of Oz with a game of Zork.

Why should we care? Because it features a gaggle of cute girls hitting, shooting, and kicking the shit out of soldiers, robots, dragons, and anything else that stands in their way! While Dawn of the Dead remains Snyder’s most consistent narrative feature his follow-ups (300, Watchmen) have seemed more concerned with visual style than actual content. There’s no denying his latest looks to be an incredible ride, but the possibility of the film being little more than a “find these five items” quest with pretty pictures is worrying. But who am I kidding. I look forward to anything with Jamie Chung in it. -RH

Watch the trailer:

What are you watching in March?

The Movie Watcher’s Guide To February 2011

FSR Staff — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 19:38:07 +0000

We realize that you’re probably sitting at home right now, chewing your own nails off and wondering what movies are coming out this month. Maybe you’re even wondering why no one on the entire internet has said anything about them. Strange, we know.

Fortunately, Rob Hunter and Cole Abaius spent the entire month of January combing through Wikileaks, calling Cleo, and building balsa wood trailers to make sure that you, dear reader, are in the know about what’s coming out in February.

You watch movies, so this guide’s for you.

February 4th

The Roommate

Who did it? Directed by Christian E. Christiansen; Written by Sonny Mallhi; Starring Leighton Meester, Minka Kelly, Cam Gigandet, and Billy Crazy Eyes Zane

What is it? A PG-13 remake of Single White Female… which means no sloppy blowjob followed by a high-heeled shoe murder.

Why should we care? The concept of a wacko glomming onto someone with a violent obsession is pretty well worn territory, so it would take something special for this film to stand apart from the rest. But that “something special” seems entirely absent judging by the trailer. Sure the girls are cute, but this looks to be lightweight thrills for the CW crowd only.

Watch the trailer:

Sanctum

Who did it? Directed by Alister Grierson; Written by John Garvin, Andrew Wight; Starring Richard Roxburgh, Ioan Gruffudd and Alice Parkinson

What is it? People go deep, deep, deep down into a cave only to realize that they aren’t in Abyss.

Why should we care? James Cameron. His name as executive producer has been all over the marketing for this thing – almost as if they don’t trust the movie to sell itself based on its own merits. The trailer sort of confirms that because it looks like a bunch of people yelling at each other inside a cave for two hours. Plot!

Watch the trailer:

The Other Woman

Who did it? Directed and written by Don Roos; Starring Natalie Portman, Lisa Kudrow, and Lauren Ambrose

What is it? A drama about the hardships of being a cheating ho-bag… starring Academy Award nominee Natalie Portman as the ho.

Why should we care? Portman’s presence is clearly the biggest draw for this reportedly humorous drama about a woman forced to move from mistress to mother figure, but there may be a reason this 2009 film has been sitting on the shelf for over a year. The trailer seems harmless enough, but it reminds too much of the abysmal Julia Roberts film Stepmom. The one area of interest aside from Portman may be a curiosity as to how they turn a character who intentionally broke up a marriage into someone the audience can root for and like.

Watch the trailer:

What (Chinese) Women Want

Who did it? Directed and written by Daming Chen; Starring Osric Chau, Li Gong, Kelly Hu, and Andy Lau

What is it? A remake of What Women Want done in Mandarin.

Why should we care? It’s a remake of What Women Want done in Mandarin.

Will there eventually be a good February movie? Continue on to find out…

The Movie Watcher’s Guide to January 2011

FSR Staff — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 15:00:08 +0000

We realize that you’re probably sitting at home right now, chewing your own nails off and wondering what movies are coming out this month. Maybe you’re even wondering why no one on the entire internet has said anything about them. Strange, we know.

Fortunately, Rob Hunter and Cole Abaius spent the entire month of December combing through Wikileaks, calling Cleo, and building balsa wood trailers to make sure that you, dear reader, are in the know about what’s coming out in January.

You watch movies, so this guide’s for you.

January 7th

Season Of the Witch

Who did it? Directed by Dominic Sena; written by Bragi F. Schut; starring Nicolas Cage, Ron Perlman, Christopher Freaking Lee

What is it? Nicolas Cage gets to act nutty and fight evil. What’s not to love?

Why should we care? Knights are tasked by the church with transporting a witch, and things go poorly. Cage is an interesting actor. He’s clearly given up on any semblance of quality and respectability and just accepts any role that’s offered to him. But unlike most actors who do the same, he doesn’t sleepwalk through the role… he gives each one the full Cage experience. And it’s the audience who benefits. The film looks like a fairly lightweight period horror flick, and you can be sure that the director (Whiteout, Swordfish, Gone In 60 Seconds) will do everything in his power to make it suck… but it should still be a partially entertaining time with Cage in the lead. -RH

Watch the trailer:

Country Strong

Who did it? Directed and written by Shana Feste; Starring Gwyneth Paltrow, Garrett Hedlund, and Leighton Meester

What is it? Paltrow plays a country singer fresh out of rehab who teams up with the guy from Tron Legacy and a Gossip Girl to fight the nation’s sore lack of pop country.

Why should we care? Sure, it looks like a Hallmark movie, but that’s where the magic truly lies. With rock bottom expectations of a schmaltzy exercise in Paltrow seeking her Blindside alongside the cardboard acting of Hedlund and Meester, this thing could turn out to be completely passable and shockingly average. -CA

Watch the trailer:

January 14th

The Dilemma

Who did it? Directed by Ron Howard; Written by Allan Loeb; Starring Vince Vaughn, Kevin James, Winona Ryder, Channing Tatum and Jennifer Connelly

What is it? A guy sees his best friend’s wife going to town on another man’s mouth with her mouth and has to figure out whether to tell him or not.

Why should we care? Beyond all the hilarious jokes about electric cars being driven by homosexuals (I’m not sure I got the joke), famed narrator of Arrested Development Ron Howard is taking a simple high concept and building what will most likely be a mixture of laughs and heart. Allan Loeb hasn’t written anything amazing yet, even though he has a lot of work ahead of him, and Kevin James seems best suited to fall down for a laugh these days. It would be easy to claim that Vince Vaughn’s involvement assures some quality, but unfortunately Couples Retreat came out and was seen by humans. -CA

Watch the trailer:

The Green Hornet

Who did it? Directed by Michel Gondry; written by Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen; starring Seth Rogen, Jay Chou, Cameron Diaz, Tom Wilkinson, Christoph Waltz, Edward Freaking Furlong

What is it? A big budget, effects filled action movie starring Seth Rogen? Okay.

Why should we care? Rogen plays a man who turns vigilante with the help of his Asian sidekick after his father dies and leaves him with a vast fortune and a sense of responsibility. The gravelly voiced actor toyed with action in Pineapple Express, but the title role here looks to increase the physical mayhem to laughs ratio quite a bit. More surprising than his involvement though is the man in the director’s chair. Gondry is an unknown element in the action genre, but at the very least we know the film will look creative and fresh. Early reviews out of Austin have been promising… although folks there saw it without the post converted 3D. -RH

Watch the trailer:

Barney’s Version

Who did it? Directed by Richard J. Lewis; Written by Michael Konyves; Starring Paul Giamatti and Rosamund Pike

What is it? Paul Giamatti gets to be an asshole who loves hockey that will maybe make you cry.

Why should we care? There’s more to the story there, but if you’ve read the novel, you know that it’s all too good to give away in a simple synopsis. This film was nominated for the Golden Lion at Venice and features Giamatti (who demands to be seen in just about everything) as a cigar-chomping hockey fanatic recounting his life near the end of it. -CA

Watch the trailer:

A Somewhat Gentle Man

Who did it? Directed by Hans Petter Moland; Written by Kim Fupz Aakeson; Starring Stellan Skarsgard and several men named Bjorn

What is it? Fresh out of prison, Ulrik wants out of gang life which allows awkward hilarity to ensue.

Why should we care? For one, Stellan Skarsgard. That really should be enough, but the film also got some strong, yet culturally insensitive, praise coming out of Fantastic Fest last year. Skarsgard is re-teaming with Moland here, and even if his films haven’t gotten a lot of play in the US, he’s still a consistently strong director that’s been at it since the 1980s. For some, this just might be a gateway drug to his other films. -CA

Watch the trailer:

The rest of January lies ahead…

The Movie Watcher’s Guide to December 2010

FSR Staff — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 17:14:10 +0000

We realize that you’re probably sitting at home right now, chewing your own nails off and wondering what movies are coming out this month. Maybe you’re even wondering why no one on the entire internet has said anything about them. Strange, we know.

Fortunately, Rob Hunter and Cole Abaius spent the entire month of November dumpster diving in studio lots, mailing in proof of purchase codes on cereal boxes, and building trailers from old plywood to make sure that you, dear reader, are in the know about what’s coming out in December.

You watch movies, so this guide’s for you.

December 3rd

Black Swan

Who did it? Directed by Darren Aronofsky; Written by Mark Heyman, Andres Heinz, and John McLaughlin; Starring Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis and Vincent Cassel

What is it? A young ballet student starts having dreams about a girl who turns into a swan in a horror film that no one will call a horror film.

Why should we care? Even with his missteps, Aronofsky is nothing if not an innovative filmmaker who points his bat at the bleachers. With Portman leading a fantastic cast in a surreal, psychological horror film that echoes Red Shoes and Suspiria, the film (a spiritual partner to The Wrestler) has a shot at being a truly unique experience at the theater, and that’s a rare thing these days. -CA

Watch the trailer:

I Love You Phillip Morris

Who did it? Directed and Written by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa; Starring Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor

What is it? Two men fall in love in prison, the third most romantic place in the world.

Why should we care? Rob Hunter has already lobbed praise on it, and he’s usually correct about these sorts of things (except for his disastrous views on Milo and Otis). Plus, Carrey at his dramatic best is a sight to behold, and McGregor is almost always a force to be reckoned with. It’s been almost a year since it debuted at Sundance, the rest of the world has already seen it, and it’s finally making a break for the big screens near you. -CA

Watch the trailer:

The Warrior’s Way

Who did it? Directed and Written by Sngmoo Lee; Starring Dong-gun Jang, Kate Bosworth, and Geoffrey Rush

What is it? Ninjas. Damn.

Why should we care? A little style over substance never hurt anybody. From the looks of the trailer, The Warrior’s Way might be an action movie from a portrait artist. The lines of dialog, on the other hand, leave a bit to be desired. On the other hand, it’s great to finally know what Kate Bosworth has been up to, and a western town being infested with ninjas seems like the perfect antidote to all the “smart” movies coming out this awards season. -CA

Watch the trailer:

All Good Things

Who did it? Directed by Andrew Jarecki; Written by Marcus Hinchey and Marc Smerling; Starring Ryan Gosling, Kirsten Dunst, and Frank Langella

What is it? A stunning portrait of love and murder that has nothing to do with Martha Stewart.

Why should we care? Come on, everyone. It’s the first feature length non-documentary movie from the man who composed the title theme to Felicity. Not sold yet? You’re too picky. -CA

Watch the trailer:

The Movie Watcher’s Guide To October 2010

FSR Staff — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 20:12:30 +0000

We realize that you’re probably sitting at home right now, chewing your own nails off and wondering what movies are coming out this month. Maybe you’re even wondering why no one on the entire internet has said anything about them by now. Strange, we know.

Fortunately, Rob Hunter and Cole Abaius spent the entire month of September searching EBSCO Host, making phone calls to important producers and making fan trailers out of peanut butter and marshmallows to make sure that you, dear reader, are in the know about what’s coming out in October.

Wondering why it’s a few days late? Because we don’t run it until it’s perfect. Or something. Anyway, just check out the movies to see what you wanna see.

October 1st

Case 39

Who did it? Directed by Christian Alvert; Written by Ray Wright; Starring Renee Zellweger, Bradley Cooper, Ian McShane, Callum Keith Rennie

What is it? A social worker tries to save a young girl’s life and rejuvenate her acting career in the process.

What about it? Alvert’s film has three distinct strikes against already. One, it’s been sitting on a shelf for over two years, and while no official reason has been given for the delay it doesn’t bode well. Two, Zellweger has been underwhelming at the box-office for almost a decade. And three, the whole evil child sub-genre has kind of run its course. Of course, these three things aside the movie looks pretty solid.

Watch the trailer:

Chain Letter

Who did it? Directed by Deon Taylor; Written by Deon Taylor, Diana Erwin and Michael J. Pagan; Starring Nikki Reed, Keith David, and Brad Dourif

What is it? That urban legend from the nineties time travels to a time when no one sends letters and the name Chain E-mail still sounds dumb.

What about it? The premise of the film is so impossible, that it’s almost intriguing just to see if the production can play it out. A handful of teens are forced to send and re-send a chain e-mail between the group, and if they break the chain, they get taken out in a bloody, screaming manner. It sounds like The Ring, except much, much, much easier to copy and send.

Watch the trailer:

Hatchet II

Who did it? Directed and written by Adam Green; Starring Danielle Harris, Tony Todd, Kane Hodder, Tom Holland

What is it? The sequel to Hatchet. Obviously.

What about it? Green’s fourth feature is a sequel to his acclaimed (and deservedly so) debut about a murderous mongoloid haunting a Louisiana swamp. The sequel literally starts mere seconds after the conclusion of the first film, albeit with a different actress in the lead, and sees a new group of human chum heading into the swamp to track and kill Victor Crowley. We get some back story and a few inventively gory death scenes, but the movie is absent the laughs and sense of fun from the original. That is, if you can even see it in theaters.

Watch the trailer:

Let Me In

Who did it? Directed by Matt Reeves; Written by Matt Reeves; Starring Kodi Smit-McPhee, Chloe Moretz, Elias Koteas, and Richard Jenkins

What is it? The remake/second novel adaptation of the classic coming of age tale – when boy meets vampire.

What about it? The nay sayers would have you skip this film because it’s a remake, because the original was so powerful, and because the original came out only 2 years ago. However, despite the factors working against it, Matt Reeves and the stellar actors involved managed to make a moving film that stands on its own. Even if it does feel a little too familiar.

Watch the trailer:

The Social Network

Who did it? Directed by David Fincher; Written by Aaron Sorkin; Starring Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, Justin Timberlake, Rooney Mara, Joseph Mazzello

What is it? The somewhat true story behind the creation of Facebook and the fallout between the friends. I just hope it makes sense to those of us who have yet to join the rest of you sheep.

What about it? Fincher has yet to make a bad movie and even his least entertaining (The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button) is a technical marvel and an interesting watch. Advance reviews for his latest have been almost unanimous in their praise with special notice given to Sorkin’s script and the three lead performances. And per the Twitter argument I recently witnessed it also features an unnecessarily stereotypical portrayal of Asian girls as slutty. So yes, I’ll be seeing it as soon as possible.

Watch the trailer:

The Movie Watcher’s Guide to September 2010

FSR Staff — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 17:42:41 +0000

We realize that you’re probably sitting at home right now, chewing your own nails off and wondering what movies are coming out this month. Maybe you’re even wondering why no one on the entire internet has said anything about them by now. Strange, we know.

Fortunately, Rob Hunter and Cole Abaius spent the entire month of August going to the local library, making phone calls to important producers and making fan trailers out of macaroni to make sure that you, dear reader, are in the know about what’s coming out in September.

Don’t let Machete scare you. If you watch movies, this guide’s for you.

September 3rd

The American

Who did it? Directed by Anton Corbijn; Written by Rowan Joffe; Starring George Clooney, Irina Bjorklund, and Paolo Bonacelli

What is it? An assassin takes to the streets of Italy for a good hiding space, a good conversation with a man of the cloth, and one last job.

What about it? I realize it technically comes out on September 1st, but it throws off our nicely organized feature, so Clooney and company will have to deal with it. Or come hunt us down. Digressions aside, Clooney has chosen great, intimate character projects ever since Out of Sight. This particular project looks a bit like Michael Clayton meets A Sniper Rifle – an apt combination. Plus, director Anton Corbijn’s Control is as good a band biopic as you could ever want. It’ll be a thrill to see him in his first large film outside the world of bands and music videos. Personal demons and the promise of a car chase or shoot out? Sounds like it’s Oscar-worthy. -CA

Watch the trailer:

Machete

Who did it? Directed by Ethan Maniquis and Robert Rodriguez; Written by Robert Rodriguez and Alvaro Rodriguez; Starring Danny Trejo, Robert De Niro, Jessica Alba, Michelle Rodriguez, and a cast of dozens

What is it? One bad ass Mexican jumps from a fake trailer into the world of feature length film as he seeks bloody revenge.

What about it? There has been a growing lust for grindhouse-style cinema ever since QT praised it at the beginning of his career. As most major feature films continue to slide toward the middle, it’s refreshing to see filmmakers still swinging for the fences and purposefully trying to irritate audiences. With any luck, Machete will offend just the right amount of people without getting deported. Catching a screening in Arizona might be difficult. Plus, Cheech Marin as a gun-toting priest is the stuff of dreams. Bring on the senseless violence. -CA

Watch the trailer:

Going the Distance

Who did it? Directed by Nanette Burstein; Written by Geoff LaTulippe; Starring Drew Barrymore, Justin Long, Christina Applegate, Charlie Day, and Jason Sudeikis

What is it? A couple trying to keep it light and disease-free fall for each other and face the dreaded horrors untold of keeping a long distance relationship together.

What about it? With the drought of solid romantic comedies out there, this film seems to be a call back to the classic formula and a breath of fresh air at the same time. It’s just raunchy enough to be real, and Long and Barrmore are together in real life so the chemistry is no problem. Toss in the standard sidekick best friends with a weird Always Sunny twist of Charlie, and drink until you’ve forgotten your bad break up. Nanette Burstein also directed the documentaries The Kid Stays in the Picture and American Teen. Her first fictional film is a step in the right direction. -CA

Watch the trailer:

A Simple Noodle Story

Who did it? Directed by Yimou Zhang; Written by Jianquan Shi and Jing Shang; Based on the Blood Simple screenplay by Joel Coen and Ethan Coen; Starring Honglei Sun, Dahong Ni, and Ni Yan

What is it? Set in 1800s China, a noodle shop owner plots the murder of his wife when things go terribly off the tracks.

What about it? The buzz for this film comes from two directions. One, the concept of taking Blood Simple and setting it in 19th century China with a comedic twist is just crazy enough to work. Two, director Yimou Zhang has proven his talent (from Ju Dou to Hero to Curse of the Golden Flower) so thoroughly that any film he puts out is at least worth a look. -CA

Watch the trailer:

This Month In Theaters: February 2010

Rob Hunter — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 19:32:41 +0000

Hey everyone, we survived the January doldrums! And it wasn’t too bad either, cinematically speaking… Daybreakers and Youth In Revolt were pretty damn good while The Book of Eli and Edge of Darkness also managed to be fairly solid. (But the less said about Leap Year, The Spy Next Door, Tooth Fairy, and Extraordinary Measures the better.) So what types of films does February have in store for us? Pretty much a bit of everything actually… although I don’t know as any of them will find their way onto Top Ten lists at the end of the year.

February 5th

Dear John

Who? Directed by Lasse Hallestrom, written by Jamie Linden from a novel by Nicholas Sparks; starring Amanda Seyfried and Channing Tatum

What? A soldier from a top secret government agency called GI Joe falls for a blond Mormon girl. One will die…

Why should you care? I don’t actually know if one of them dies, but considering the source material is Sparks (The Notebook, Message In a Bottle) it’s probably a safe bet. Tatum and Seyfried play a couple who meet and fall for each other in a short period of time and are then forced by circumstance and war to build their relationship long distance. My guess is that since he’s in combat and therefore the most likely to die she’ll be the one to kick the bucket instead.

Watch the trailer:

From Paris With Love

Who? Directed by Pierre Morel, written by Adi Hasak from a story by Luc Besson; starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers and John Travolta’s Giant Head

What? A low level CIA newbie finds himself paired with the agency’s #1 loose cannon played by the grinning, goateed, and disembodied head of Travolta…

Why should you care? The only reason to care really is that Morel also directed last year’s surprise action hit Taken with a grumpy, ass-kicking Liam Neeson. This flick looks even more ridiculous and over the top which can only be a good thing right? Personally I can’t stand Travolta when he overacts (or when he acts period I guess), so I’m not ashamed to admit I skipped a screening of this one in favor the Lost season premiere. I mean, when Battlefield Earth is the man’s most subdued role in the last decade you know there’s a problem.

Watch the Trailer:

In Limited Release:

District B13: Ultimatum - Post apocalyptic France is once again filled with two types of people… evil government stooges and guys who do parkour.

Frozen – Three friends get trapped on a ski lift when the resort closes for the weekend. Seems like a poor business model… killing your guests is bad enough but closing on the weekend?

Red Riding Trilogy - This is some pretty impressive modern film noir in trilogy form from the UK. All three films (1974, 1980, 1983) are currently hitting select theaters across the US, and it’s worth the five hour plus time investment. (My review of 1974 is here.)

Shinjuku Incident – Jackie Chan washes away the terrible aftertaste of The Spy Next Door with this gritty R-rated dramatic thriller. No pratfalls or kid-safe shenanigans here… instead expect violent amputations, bloody assassinations, and Chan doing the horizontal mambo with a white woman. (My review here.)

February 12th

Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief

Who? Directed by Chris Columbus, written by Craig Titley from a novel by Rick Riordan; starring Pierce Brosnan, Sean Bean, Steve Coogan, Catherine Keener, Rosario Dawson, Kevin McKidd, and Joe Pantoliano as the Greek god Gabe

What? A young man discovers his genetic heritage includes an origin of supernatural design and finds himself battling gods, wooing the girl, and making water…

Why should you care? There are a few reasons why you may care but none really that say you really should. For one, this is based on a series of bestselling children’s books. For two, Columbus is also the director that started the Harry Potter film franchise. (And he also directed Cole Abaius’ favorite film from 2009.) And for three, if it does well we may be looking at the next big fantasy film series. Yeah, I don’t believe that either so let’s change reason three to point out that the movie has a fantastic cast!

Watch the Trailer:

Valentine’s Day

Who? Directed by Garry Marshall, written by Katherine Fugate; starring Hollywood

What? A “funny” look at the most “romantic” day of the year as multiple characters and stories cross paths throughout Los Angeles…

Why should you care? This one follows in the mold of He’s Just Not That Into You with its multi-star, multi-story format, except it’ll probably be a little bit better. I say that not because Marshall is a good director (because seriously, the guy hasn’t had a worthwhile film since Pretty Woman), but because the cast is a slightly higher caliber in both talent and looks.

Watch the Trailer:

The Wolfman

Who? Directed by Joe Johnston, written by Andrew Kevin Walker and David Self; starring Benicio Del Toro, Emily Blunt, and Anthony Hopkins

What? An aristocrat with slurred speech is bitten by a furry beast and attempts to hump Blunt’s leg. Who can blame him really…

Why should you care? This has been a troubled production for a while now with re-shoots, editor and composer changes, a rather tepid trailer, and more… but for some reason I’m still interested. Three reasons actually. The writer of Seven. The effects guru behind An American Werewolf In London. And an R-rating for bloody horror violence and gore. I’m not expecting greatness, but there’s a good chance this can still be a fun and scary flick.

Watch the Trailer:

Click Here to See What Comes Out in the Final Half of February >>

This Month In Theaters: January 2010

Rob Hunter — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 20:04:07 +0000

Welcome to 2010… and the supposed cinematic doldrums of January. The beginning of the year used to be considered a dumping ground for terrible films and the month where embarrassing movies went to die. But things changed with a little movie called Paul Blart: Mall Cop that proved critically acclaimed blockbusters could find a home in the coldest month alongside all the chum. This month actually has some solid releases to look forward to, so let’s get started.

January 8th

Daybreakers

Who? Directed and written by Michael and Peter Spierig; starring Ethan Hawke, Sam Neill, Willem Dafoe

What? An action/horror/sci-fi hybrid about a future where vampires vastly outnumber humans. The bloodsuckers have redesigned society with them as the dominant species. They live ordinary lives, work typical jobs, and drink the blood of captive humans. A panic begins when the vampires realize their food supply is running dangerously low, and when word of a possible cure reaches a vampire hematologist (Ethan Hawke) he sets out to save the human race and hopefully become a human once again.

Why should you care? Because it’s one of the best vampire movies of the past decade, that’s why. If that sounds a bit over the top check out Brian Salisbury’s review here from when we saw it at Fantastic Fest… could two of us be so wrong? Doubtful, especially since we both disagree on just about everything else. The flick kicks ass with some incredibly stylish visuals, highly energized action scenes, blood and gore galore, and an original take on the genre that comes alive beautifully on screen.

Watch the trailer:

Leap Year

Who? Directed by Anand Tucker; written by Harry Elfont, Deborah Kaplan; starring Amy Adams, Matthew Goode

What? A woman (Adams) decides she’s waited long enough for her boyfriend to propose so she heads off to Ireland to surprise him. She’s told a woman can ask a man to marry her on Leap Day and he has to say yes by law or face a severe shellacking. But as is wont to happen in the wacky world of romantic comedies her plans take a detour when she’s forced to drive across Ireland with another man (Goode). Could he be her real true love? I wonder…

Why should you care? You probably shouldn’t… early reviews haven’t been very kind, and the synopsis alone sounds like a shitty version of Forces of Nature. Yup, that’s right. A crappy version of the Sandra Bullock/Ben Affleck bomb that nobody liked except for me. This probably won’t reach the sewer depths of last January’s Bride Wars, but it doesn’t mean it’s worth making the trip to the theater.

Watch the Trailer:

Youth In Revolt

Who? Directed by Miguel Arteta; written by Gustin Nash from a novel by CD Payne; starring Michael Cera, Portia Doubleday, Zack Galifianakis

What? Ah the joys of teen sex! Who among us isn’t a fan? Nick Twisp (Cera) is a typical teen who meets and immediately falls in love with Sheeni Saunders (Doubleday). What’s an awkward and virginal teen to do but devote all his time towards his natural desire for copulation? Create a new persona who’s not afraid to do and say what needs to be said and done to get what he wants I guess. Divorced parents, religious parents, Navy seamen, ex-boyfriends, pending jail-time, and geography all conspire to stop him in his tracks, but this gangly walking hormone is in it to win it. Or something equally inspiring.

Why should you care? Because it’s hilarious. Michael Cera initially starts the film as a retread of his role from Superbad, but the arrival of his suave and devilish alter ego, Francois Dillinger, represents a complete 180 degree turn for the actor. We know Cera can do awkward, but watching his smooth, deep-voiced, and mustachioed Dillinger in action is unexpected comedy gold. Throw in some sharply written and funny dialogue, fantastic supporting performances from Ray Liotta, Fred Willard, and others, and a sensibility that walks a fine line between sweet and dirty as hell, and you have the best teen comedy of the year (so far)!

Watch the Trailer:

In Limited Release:

Bitch Slap - Four hot bitches (well, 3 out of 4 anyway). Two really bad guys. Green-screen effects reminiscent of the old “Wing Commander” games. And Kevin Sorbo. Oh, and one tease after another as cleavage shots, slow-mo water fights, and sexy lesbian make-out sessions fail to include any nudity! (Aside from one topless and seemingly pregnant stripper and a couple ass shots during the end credits…)

Crazy on the Outside – Tim Allen directs and stars in this comedy about … well I don’t know what it’s about, but it co-stars JK Simmons, Ray Liotta, Sigourney Weaver, and Kelsey Grammer which isn’t too shabby.

Wonderful World - Matthew Broderick plays an unhappy and divorced office worker whose only joy in life is his pre-teen daughter. When his roommate falls ill he begins an affair with the man’s sister that opens his eyes to a few additional joys. (Sex. I’m referring to sex.)

January 15th

The Book of Eli

Who? Directed by The Brothers Hughes; written by Gary Whitta; starring Denzel Washington, Gary Oldman, Mila Kunis

What? A man (Washington) wanders a post-apocalyptic America with his son favorite book while fighting off roving bands of jet skiers ruffians, starvation, and dirty fingernails. His book holds the salvation of humanity, and he has to protect it against Oldman’s sticky fingers.

Why should you care? Maybe because post-apocalyptic movies are too few and far between? The Road was dark and gritty but it was also pretty uneventful. This flick looks pretty action-packed and thanks to the Hughes brothers it should also be fairly stylish. Cast-wise this is also looking good… Washington and Oldman are always reliable, and Kunis is always easy on the eyes. (I just don’t buy her in action movies though.) This is also the screenplay debut of Whitta who I remember as an editor for PC Gamer, so that’s kind of cool. He’s also responsible for the script to the upcoming live-action Akira film.

Watch the Trailer:

The Lovely Bones

Who? Directed by Peter Jackson; written by Philippa Boyens, Jackson, Fran Walsh from a novel by Alice Sebold; starring Marc Wahlberg, Rachel Weisz, Saoirse Ronan, and Stanley Tucci

What? A young girl is murdered (spoiler!) and finds herself stuck in Pandora a CGI purgatory watching over her family as they grieve and attempt to solve the mystery of her death.

Why should you care? I’m still not entirely sold on this one, so I really don’t know if you should care or not. Jackson is a wildly talented filmmaker, and any film of his is worth keeping an eye on but this is an odd one. We know from the beginning who the killer is so there’s no mystery. It’s a Hollywood movie based on a best-selling book so we know the killer gets his comeuppance. Early reviews have been mostly tepid with claims that Jackson goes overboard with the special effects and lets them get in the way of the drama. His excellent Heavenly Creatures was a perfect blend of the two, so it’ll be interesting to see if that claim is true.

Watch the Trailer:

The Spy Next Door

Who? Directed by Brian Levant; written by Jonathan Bernstein, James Greer, Gregory Poirier; starring Jackie Chan

What? An ex-CIA agent (Chan) finds his toughest assignment involves taking care of three precocious children. One of the kids unwittingly downloads something important online and soon Russian spies are… aww who the hell cares.

Why should you care? I don’t know why anyone would care about this one, and I’m a huge Chan fan. Even his most recent Hong Kong films (New Police Story, Shinjuku Incident) are a hundred times better than his paycheck gigs here in the US. This one looks worse than usual though, and in fact just might be a recycled script originally meant to be The Pacifier 2. The director’s resume doesn’t exactly inspire confidence either. Snow Dogs, Are We There Yet?, The Flintstones, Problem Child 2… god I’m depressed now.

Watch the Trailer:

Click Here to See the Releases for the Rest of January

The Movie Watcher’s Guide To September 2009

Rob Hunter — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 16:49:38 +0000

And that’s a wrap for the summer 2009 movie season! We should have a recap coming up shortly, but I think it’s safe to say that it was a damn good summer for movie lovers. (Anyone who claims different not only hates movies but hates babies, puppies, ice cream, and boobs). There was something for everyone regardless of tastes, and happily many of the flicks were actually quite good. It’s time now to turn our attention to the fall though, and what’s traditionally known as Awards season, but nestled between the blockbusters of summer and prestige films of fall is a little dumping ground Hollywood calls September…

September 4th

All About Steve

Who did it? Directed by Phil Traill; written by Kim Barker; starring Sandra Bullock, Bradley Cooper, Thomas Haden Church

What is it? Bullock plays a follicular-challenged woman who becomes obsessed with Cooper after seeing him in The Hangover. For her it’s love at first sight, but for him not so much. Can she win his heart with her spunky personality and positive attitude?

What about it? There wasn’t much expectation behind this one until Bullock’s last romantic comedy, this summer’s The Proposal, grossed a very surprising $160 million. That put the 45 year-old actress back on top of the rom-com genre where she started with the still fantastic and sweet While You Were Sleeping. I’m pulling for her, but damn that hair looks atrocious.

Watch the trailer:

Extract

Who did it? Directed and written by Mike Judge; starring Jason Bateman, Mila Kunis, Kristen Wiig, JK Simmons, Ben Affleck

What is it? Judge tries to apologize for Idiocracy by returning to the more successful workplace comedy roots of Office Space. The twist here is that the boss played by Bateman is the likable lead, and the workers themselves are the crazy ones.

What about it? I love Bateman, and Kunis looks really goddamn good as the new temp that catches his eye. Add in Simmons, Wiig, and yes even Affleck and you’ve got a really strong, comedic cast. 20th Century Fox first planned for this to be a limited release but have since moved it to a much wider schedule.

Watch the Trailer:

Gamer

Who did it? Directed and written by Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor; starring Gerard Butler, Michael C Hall, Ludacris

What is it? The Running Man meets The Sims… and proceeds to blow those little diamond-headed bastards away. Butler stars as a disposable action star being controlled virtually by a teenager. If he wins, he regains his freedom. If he loses, he dies.

What about it? This is the third film from Siamese-twin directing team of Neveldine and Taylor. They previously birthed Crank and its sequel unto the world, and if you’ve seen either of them you know that believable action isn’t one of their top priorities. The action does look pretty intense here though, and Butler is a lot more charismatic than Jason Statham…

Watch the Trailer:

In Limited Release:

Amreeka - A Middle Eastern woman and her teenage son move to America filled with hopes and dreams but soon realizes a change in geography doesn’t preclude the difficult choices and hard times to come.

Carriers - Four friends drive with the quickness across the southwest trying to find safety from a deadly virus that’s wiping out the human race. Chris Pine and Piper Perabo star.

September 11th

9

Who did it? Directed by Shane Acker; written by Pamela Pettler; starring (voices of) Elijah Wood, Jennifer Connelly, Christopher Plummer, Crispin Glover, John C Reilly

What is it? A CGI-animated story about sock puppets who survive an apocalypse only to discover they’re humanity’s last hope.

What about it? Yes I know they’re not actually sock puppets… 9 (voiced by Wood) and his cohorts are sentient ragdolls trying to solve a grand mystery while being pursued by various mechanical beasts. The ads are doing a great job of showcasing the film’s best parts including some very impressive action scenes and visual designs. A PG-13 rating and the absence of either the Pixar or Dreamworks name may turn some folks off, but it should still find an audience in those who like their CGI dark and gritty.

Watch the Trailer:

Sorority Row

Who did it? Directed by Stewart Hendler; written by Pete Goldfinger, Mark Rosman, Josh Stolberg; starring Jamie Chung, Rumer Willis, Audrina Partridge, Carrie Fisher

What is it? Technically a remake of House on Sorority Row, but really just an excuse to throw some pseudo-hot chicks in the shower and then stab them.

What about it? The only real difference between this and I Know What you Did Last Summer is the producers’ commitment to an R-rating for more than just violence and gore (meaning, they’ve added some uncovered breasts), but I still wish they’d focus on more original horror instead of recycling the same generic slasher shenanigans. That said, I’m a sucker for nevernude Jamie Chung so I’ll still be watching this probable turd.

Watch the Trailer:

Tyler Perry’s I Can Do Bad All By Myself

Who did it? Directed and written by Tyler Perry; starring Tyler Perry, Taraji P Henson, Gladys Knight sans Pips, Mary J Blige

What is it? An elderly transvestite finds some teenagers rummaging in his home and decides the best punishment is sending them to live with an alcoholic, lounge-singing, floozy they call Aunt April.

What about it? I’m not ashamed to admit that I’ve never watched a Madea/Tyler Perry movie. Brief snippets of his TV shows have been enough for one lifetime, thank you.

Watch the Trailer:

Whiteout

Who did it? Directed by Dominic Sena; written by Carey and Chad Hayes, Erich and Jon Hoeber; starring Kate Beckinsale, Tom Skerritt

What is it? Imagine 30 Days of Night without vampires and six times as long. A killer is stalking the streets tundras of Antarctica while a US Marshal tries to track him down before the sun sets and 180 days of night begin.

What about it? Beckinsale plays the marshal so at the very least the movie will be pleasant to look at, but it’s directed by Dominic Sena who previously gave us swill like Swordfish and Gone In Sixty Seconds… so who knows what to expect here.

Watch the Trailer:

In Limited Release

Beyond a Reasonable Doubt - Michael Douglas and director Peter Hyams reunite 25 years after The Star Chamber for a suspense thriller playing only in limited release?

The Red Canvas - The official tagline reads “Heroes fight with weapons forged in the heart.” That combined with the fact that the movie is being released to DVD as an unofficial installment in the Bloodsport franchise make this a must-see.

Walt and El Grupo - A documentary about Walt Disney’s 1941 visit to South America in search of movie ideas and in the hopes of spreading goodwill. I’m not making this up.

September 18th

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs

Who did it? Directed and written by Phil Lord and Chris Miller; starring (voices of) Neil Patrick Harris, Bill Hader, Anna Faris, Bruce Campbell, Andy Samberg, Mr. T

What is it? A scientist hoping to cure world hunger accidentally causes food to fall from the sky in large sizes and quantities. People are elated at first but soon they’re up to their eyebrows in macaroni & cheese, pig lips, and deep-fried, bacon-wrapped bacon burgers. Obesity, death, and cannibalism ensue.

What about it? This is the second CGI animated film released this month with no ties to Pixar, Disney, or Dreamworks, and that usually doesn’t bode well. The advantage here is that it’s based on a best-selling children’s book which should help bring in the kiddies. The story looks a little one-note to me, but I have very sophisticated tastes…

Watch the Trailer:

The Informant!

Who did it? Directed by Steven Soderbergh; written by Scott Burns; starring Matt Damon, Melanie Lynskey, Patton Oswalt, Scott Bakula, Clancy Brown

What is it? This is based on a true story of a highly-ranked executive at Archer Daniels Midland who turned whistle-blower for a Federal investigation into his company’s habitual and rampant price-fixing.

What about it? Sounds like a terribly boring synopsis, but I first heard this story on NPR’s This American Life radio show and it was at turns surprising, illuminating, and funny as hell. Judging by the trailer below, Soderbergh and friends may have captured that perfectly. And look at that cast!

Watch the Trailer:

Jennifer’s Body

Who did it? Directed by Karyn Kusama; written by Diablo Cody; starring Amanda Seyfried, Megan Fox, Adam Brody, JK Simmons, Amy Sedaris

What is it? A demonic cheerleader turns the tables on all the boys who’d like a taste of her and eats them instead. “Jennifer’s evil. No I mean she’s actually evil… not high school evil.”

What about it? For all the press, commentary, and buzz circling Cody since Juno two years ago, it’s hard to believe this is only her second produced screenplay. Sure she has “The United States of Tara” on Showtime, but no one watched that did they? They stuck with an R-rating on this which is nice, but I’m hoping it’s for more than just dirty hipster language.

Watch the Trailer:

Love Happens

Who did it? Directed and co-written by Brandon Camp; co-written by Mike Thompson; starring Aaron Eckhart, Jennifer Aniston, Dan Fogler, Martin Sheen, Judy Greer

What is it? A widower writes a self-help book that helps everyone but himself.

What about it? Marketing 101 should have taught the filmmakers that you never want a title that basically hands a loaded gun to your eventual critics… Love Happens? “Shit Happens” is guaranteed to be part of more than one review title regardless of how good or bad this movie ends up being. Aside from that, I like Aniston and I just wish she’d find some less predictable roles.

Watch the Trailer:

In Limited Release

The Burning Plain - Why doesn’t Guillermo Arriaga (Babel, 21 Grams, Amores Perros) take medication for his obvious ADD? The man cannot write a simple story with one plot apparently… this one follows several women who seem unconnected but by the end of the film will probably be revealed to be each others daughters, mothers, sisters, and maids.

Paris – Juliette Binoche and (my new favorite French actress) Melanie Laurent star in a tale about the people of Paris as viewed (or possibly imagined) by a dancer stuck in his apartment for health reasons.

September 25th

Fame

Who did it? Directed by Kevin Tancharoen; written by Allison Burnett; starring Kelsey Grammer, Megan Mullally, Bebe Neuwirth, Charles Dutton, Debbie Allen

What is it? The 1980 musical (and TV series that followed) about students and teachers at the NY Academy of Performing Arts gets a face-lift with a new remake that features faces new and old. But mostly new.

What about it? It’s a musical, so I can’t say it’s on my list of must-sees this month, but on the plus side the director’s sister is the very cute and multi-talented Maurissa Tancharoen. She has no connection to this movie, but I wanted to giver her a shout-out anyway. Fans of Chicago, Rent, and the original film will probably enjoy it.

Watch the Trailer:

Pandorum

Who did it? Directed by Christian Alvart; written by Travis Milloy; starring Ben Foster, Dennis Quaid, Cam Gigandet, Antje Traue

What is it? Two crew members aboard a spaceship awaken with no clue as to their identity, mission, or location. They soon discover they’re not alone, which is something they may have already known had they not lost their memories in the first place. So maybe they rediscover they’re not alone…

What about it? I predict Quaid will grimace a lot and Foster will go completely nuts, and that’s okay. The two find some other human survivors as well as something darker and deadlier stalking them through the bowels of the ship. Early footage has looked sufficiently creepy and atmospheric which is also a plus.

Watch the Trailer:

Pool Boys

Who did it? Directed by JB Rogers; written by Stuart Gibbs, Julie O’Hora, Justin Ware; starring Matthew Lillard, Efren Ramirez, Robert Davi, Tom Arnold, George Takei

What is it? Two friends open a brothel in an empty mansion. The obvious template here is a mix of Night Shift and Risky Business, but if it manages to be even half as funny as either of those movies I’ll fuck my pool boy. (I should probably add some kind of disclaimer here, but really, what are the odds this is any good? Plus, I don’t have a pool boy).

What about it? I’m not entirely convinced this flick will actually get a wide release, and honestly it’ll be insulting to movies like Moon, Away We Go, 500 Days of Summer, and The Hurt Locker if it does.

Watch the Trailer:

Surrogates

Who did it? Directed by Jonathan Mostow; written by John Brancato, Michael Ferris; starring Bruce Willis, Radha Mitchell, Rosamund Pike, Ving Rhames

What is it? Society’s dependency on impersonal exchange leads to a world where people never leave home and instead live their lives virtually in artificial surrogate bodies. The homebodies began turning up dead, and a detective has to venture out into the real world with his real body to solve the crimes.

What about it? People haven’t been too impressed with the trailer below, but I’m actually digging it. The effects are pretty cool, the questions it raises are interesting, and Willis is dependable in his gruff detective role. Mostow is also a pretty solid though underrated director… remember Breakdown? Kurt Russell kicks ass! So yeah, this one has some real potential to surprise.

Watch the Trailer:

In Limited Release

The Boys Are Back – Clive Owen plays single dad who struggles to find a way to raise his son until he settles on the idea that he’ll say ‘yes’ to everything. I can’t imagine that’s a stretch for Clive Owen.

Capitalism: A Love Story – Robert Fure’s favorite American, Michael Moore, returns with a documentary about what makes this country great.

Coco before Chanel - Audrey Tautou could star in a two hour movie where she does nothing but make soup and I’d watch it. She’s bypassed that topic so far in films from Amelie to Priceless, and now she stars as the woman who became a legend in the fashion world.

I Hope They Serve Beer In Hell – A dick wrote a book that other dicks liked. Then he made a movie.

Which movies are you excited about in September? Which ones will you avoid?

The Movie Watcher’s Guide to August 2009

Rob Hunter — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 05:00:15 +0000

The summer’s almost over, and so far it’s been an incredibly mixed bag movie-wise. Star Trek, The Hangover, and Harry Potter are some of the few deserving wins on the box-office side while most of the supposed summer blockbusters including X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Terminator: Salvation, Bruno, and Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen all failed to make a financial mark (yeah, that last one was just wishful thinking because the movie sucked so much ass). Quality-wise, many of the summer’s best films have actually been of the decidedly smaller variety including 500 Days of Summer, The Hurt Locker, Moon, and Away We Go.

Which brings us to the final month of summer 2009…

August 7th

GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra

What is it? Hasbro’s most popular toy line for boys comes to life with an advance military team of real American heroes fighting against an evil organization with cool gadgets, deadly weapons, and kung-fu grips.

What about it? Has there ever been a film that received more negative pre-release buzz than GI Joe? The past few months have seen random bits of criticism about the movie get amplified across the web by just about every movie site (including this one). The reports were based on anonymous sources, advance screening reviews, and pure speculation, and were legitimate news items for the most part… but if a select group of web journalists are to be believed all that negativity was pure bullshit. Director Stephen Sommers has never made a great movie, but the new advance buzz says that may be about to change. At least for ten year old boys.

Read Neil Miller’s early review of G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra here

Watch the trailer:

Julie & Julia

What is it? Writer/director Nora Ephron turns two books into a single movie. One is an autobiography from Julia Child and the other is by a blogger who cooked her way through Child’s most popular French cookbook over the course of a year.

What about it? Ephron’s name on the director chair doesn’t exactly instill confidence. Her last worthwhile movie was 1993′s Sleepless In Seattle (shut it haters, it was a good movie), and having seen Julie & Julia I can say that while it’s her best work since 1993 it’s still a pretty average film. Amy Adams is at her most delightful though and Meryl Streep has an absolute blast mimicking Child’s vocal stylings.

Read my review of Julie & Julia here.

Watch the Trailer:

A Perfect Getaway

What is it? Newlyweds honeymooning in Hawaii cross paths with two other couples… and at least one of them is a killer. Although I’m betting that by film’s end they’ll all turn out to be killers.

What about it? Writer/director David Twohy is fairly reliable in his genre work… he’s written and/or directed Pitch Black, Below, The Fugitive, Waterworld, and more. The trailer looks cool (even if it does appear to give away a bit too much), and the cast including Timothy Olyphant, Steve Zahn, Chris Hemsworth, and Milla Jovovich is pretty solid.

Read my review of A Perfect Getaway here.

Watch the Trailer:

In Limited Release:

Cold Souls - Paul Giamatti channels John Malkovich and plays himself in this meta comedy. He pays a company to remove his soul temporarily only to see it get stolen and trafficked abroad. The question is will he want to wait for the soul mule to poop out the balloon? [More: Watch the Trailer; Read Neil Miller's Review]

Paper Heart - The oddly adorable Charlyne Yi wrote and stars in this documentary/romantic comedy that finds her on a quest to understand love. Who knew that journey would lead her to Michael Cera? [More: Watch the Trailer; Read Neil Miller's Review]

August 14th

Bandslam

What is it? A group of teen outcasts with music in their hearts and crotches form a band. The scrappy group enters the biggest music competition in town… can they pull it together enough to pull it off and win?

What about it? Didn’t star Vanessa Hudgens already cover this ground in High School Musical?

Watch the Trailer:

District 9

What is it? Alien ships appear above South Africa and the visitors are forced to live in refugee-like slums behind fences and armed guards. They just want to go home but the humans won’t let them leave… a decision they’ll regret when a federal agent is accidentally exposed to an alien gas and all hell breaks loose.

What about it? Regardless of Neil’s claim that Iron Man 2 was the big winner out of Comic Con this year, District 9 is the one that wowed me the most. (And no, I wasn’t there.) The movie’s first half reportedly lays down a not-so-subtle message about racism and apartheid before kicking things into high gear with giant robots, fierce action sequences, and gobs of blood. This may just be the sci-fi blockbuster that puts all the others to shame this year.

Watch the Trailer:

The Goods: Live Hard Sell Hard

What is it? A remake of Used Cars apparently… Jeremy Piven and a bunch of other funny guys race to sell out a used car lot in a short amount of time.

What about it? The Goods is from the writers behind Balls Out and I’m hoping they’ve stepped up their comedic skills since then (so I don’t get another passive aggressive email from one half of the writing team). The trailer looks kind of flat, but I find it hard to believe having a cast this talented hasn’t resulted in a funny movie.

Watch the Trailer:

The Time Traveler’s Wife

What is it? A woman falls in love with a man who travels uncontrollably through time. He appears to her in her childhood (but after he’s already met and loved her adult self in the future) and plants the seed reserves a space for his future love in her heart. Sounds more perverted and unethical than romantic doesn’t it?

What about it? Eric Bana and Rachel McAdams star as the couple and both of them are solid actors, but the love story at play here has a huge hurdle to overcome with the whole time travel without purpose shtick.

Watch the Trailer:

In Limited Release

It Might Get Loud - Jimmy Page. The Edge. Jack White. One of these things is not like the others… but that doesn’t stop the three axemen from getting together for a rocking documentary about the electric guitar. [More: Watch the Trailer]

Ponyo - Hayao Miyazaki’s first animated feature since his last one follows the adventures of a sea slug that becomes a boy on a quest to save the planet. Or something. [More: Watch the Trailer]

Spread - Ashton Kutcher has lots of casual sex and learns valuable lessons along the way. I can only assume one of them involves teaching old dogs new tricks. [More: Watch the Trailer]

August 21st

Inglourious Basterds

What is it? Quentin Tarantino’s World War II opus about a squad of soldiers romping around Europe scalping Nazis. The question is would they still do it if Ticketmaster didn’t charge those damn extra fees?

What about it? Advance word is exactly what we should expect from Tarantino… lots of talking, very little action.Is that a bad thing? Probably not since Tarantino’s strength is definitely with dialogue. And Brad Pitt’s accent aside, early footage has looked fairly promising as well.

Watch the Trailer:

Post Grad

What is it? No idea.

What about it? It’s release is three weeks away, but the movie has had little to no advance publicity. So according to IMDB, Alexis Bledel stars as a young woman trying to get her life together. Sounds pretty generic but the supporting cast looks interesting… Michael Keaton, Jane Lynch, Carol Burnett, Craig Robinson, Fred Armisen…

Watch the Trailer:

Shorts

What is it? A little nerd finds a stone that makes technicolor wishes come true. Sadly, all of his wishes involve CGI (and none of them involve hot, naked women).

What about it? This looks like a slight step up from Robert Rodriguez’ previous movies for rugrats with ADD, but that’s not saying much. The premise and the constant projectile CGI should keep the target audience happy.

Watch the Trailer:

In Limited Release

My One and Only - What ever happened to Renee Zellweger? Oh, here she is. [More: Watch the Trailer]

World’s Greatest Dad – Bobcat Goldthwait wrote and directed this dark comedy that stars Robin Williams as father to the worst son ever. The ads are doing a fantastic job of concealing a major plot point so I’m going to go masturbate in the closet with a necktie instead of ruining it for you here. [More: Watch the Trailer; Read Neil Miller's Review]

August 28th

The Final Destination 3D

What is it? Death comes calling for a fourth time as the franchise embraces the third dimension with gusto.

What about it? The Final Destination series has followed the law of diminishing returns, but the intricate deaths have continued to entertain. The gory and precise set-pieces are extremely well-suited to 3-D and almost guarantee the movie will be a blast to watch in theaters.

Watch the Trailer:

Halloween 2

What is it? The sequel to Halloween, obviously.

What about it? I’m no fan of Of Rob Zombie’s films, but the Halloween remake is the best of his three. And that’s even with that annoying as hell little girl playing a young Michael Myers. The sequel apparently still includes some flashbacks to the pre-teen serial killer, but most of the film should focus on the towering adult cutting a swathe through town.

Watch the Trailer:

Taking Woodstock

What is it? Ang Lee takes a comedic look at the true story behind the original Woodstock music festival.

What about it? Demitri Martin takes the lead role and is joined by a muddy Emile Hirsch and a dress-wearing Liev Schreiber. Lee makes consistently good and occasionally great movies, and he knows no bounds when it comes to genres. This is his first comedy since Eat Drink Man Woman so there’s that.

Watch the Trailer:

In Limited Release

The September Issue – A documentary about fashion and magazine publishing that focuses on Anna Wintour and the Fall 2008 issue of Vogue. Will it be as powerful and emotionally devastating as Dear Zachary? It is Vogue’s most important issue of the year after all. [More: Watch the Trailer]

Which movies are you excited about in August? Which ones will you avoid?

The 8 Movies to See in the Month of November

Neil Miller — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 19:44:14 +0000

This past weekend we slipped into the month of November. And while the month begins with the fury of election season, it will undoubtedly finish with the start of the holiday movie season. And in order to help you navigate through the entire month’s worth of films, we’ve broken them down into simple categories and picked out the ones that you shouldn’t miss. It is a new feature that we like to call the Monthly Movie Guide. Check out our list of selections below, listed in chronological order.

The Comedy Pick:

Role Models (November 7)

For those looking for this film — a movie about two losers who become big brothers to a pair of trouble youngsters — to be a family comedy, think again. This one is just as raunchy, but as heartwarming as any of the Judd Apatow movies of the past three or four years. Paul Rudd turns in a top-notch comedic performance and the two young stars — Superbad’s Christoper Mintz-Plasse and newcomer Bobb’e J. Thompson — also deliver the laughs in a comedy that while formulaic and somewhat unoriginal, it is still plenty of fun. Especially if you enjoy some good boob humor and a good KISS-related moment. And yes, we are talking about KISS the rock group here.

The Thriller Pick:

Repo! The Genetic Opera (November 7)

Our own Adam Sweeney had a chance to catch this one a few months back at Fantastic Fest in Austin, and from his report we can gather that this is one of those flicks that could find a very big following. It is a horror rock opera about a futuristic world where humanity has become obsessed with plastic surgery. And sure, it has Paris Hilton in it, but that is an irrelevant point. The film has a kickin’ soundtrack and all kinds of limbs and body parts flying everywhere. It might not be the right medicine for the ailing horror fan, especially after a lackluster October, but this is November — what are we really expecting in the way of genre films? Repo! looks like the blood thirsty’s best chance to get some thrills as we steamroll toward Thanksgiving.

The Editor’s Must See Movie of the Month:

Quantum of Solace (November 14)

Toward the end of November there are a few movies that are vying for our attention, including a big time book adaptation with a crazy N*Sync-like following. But when it comes down to it, we cannot ignore a film franchise that has been successfully thrilling us with action and glamor for over 40 years. James Bond is a character in a class by himself — the man that every action-loving, warm-blooded male would love to be. And in Quantum of Solace, we see Bond at his most badass in his most intense film to date. Sure, some fans of Casino Royale will be searching for some plot development and poking holes here and there, but this movie is a visceral experience — one that taps into that part of our brain that loves to see stuff get blown up. That, and its James Bond — do we really need more of a reason than that?

The Indie Pick:

Slumdog Millionaire (November 14)

28 Days Later and Trainspotting director Danny Boyle’s latest film is getting all sorts of positive buzz — buzz that is pushing toward a potential date with a golden statue in February. And in this light year of Oscar-worthy films, our recommendation is that you see anything that is getting good buzz. It will certainly come in handy later. And this film, the story of an impoverished Indian teen who sets out to win the Hindu version of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” in order to win over the love of his close friend, is going to be one of those important must-see movies of Oscar season 2008.

The Family Pick:

Bolt (November 21)

This one really comes down to the November animation war between Disney and Dreamworks. In Dreamworks’ corner is Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, a sequel to a film that was just okay to begin with. And in Disney’s corner comes an original CG-animated tale of a TV star dog who thinks he has some wicked superpowers. It also has the headline power of Miley Cyrus, who lends her voice to one of the main characters — and don’t think Disney isn’t advertising like crazy to try and capitalize on that. And speaking of marketing, it doesn’t appear that either of these movies have really been giving the big push beyond the traditional spots on Nickelodeon and the Disney Channel, so unless you’ve got kids you probably aren’t even aware of either. But then again, this is the family pick, so go see Bolt.

The Fanboy Fangirl Pick:

Twilight (November 21)

This one goes out to all the fangirls out there who have suffered through years of Star Trek, Star Wars and Lord of the Rings — this one is all yours. And while I know that the header on this category is supposed to be for fanboys, there is no denying that this winter’s biggest film for fankids anywhere is Twilight. The best the rest of us can hope to do is to get out of the way on opening weekend and let Team Edward, Team Jacob and all the rest of the members of the Twi-universe through. As I said back when the Miley Cyrus movie came out, if you don’t desperately need to see this film for your own reasons and if you aren’t trying to mack on a TwiMILF, then you might want to wait a few weeks after it opens. At least then the echoes of screaming teenagers will have dissipated.

The Action Junkie Pick:

Transporter 3 (November 28)

Upon taking in a second viewing of RocknRolla this past weekend — because hey, I really liked that flick and as we’ve explored previously, my mom’s a big Gerard Butler fan — I caught the trailer for Transporter 3, in which Jason Statham returns to the role of fast-driving, ass-kicking bag man Frank Martin. Oddly enough, it was my Gerry Butler-loving mom who leaned over and said, “Another one of these movies? He is just going to make these movies forever, isn’t he?” She makes a good point. Statham may very well make Transporter movies forever. But who cares, they are always fun and entertaining. Why shouldn’t he be able to cash in by kicking trash cans and motorcycle helmets across the room in order to knock out a bad guy? I, for one, will go see Transporter no matter what number is attached to it.

The Date Night Pick:

Australia (November 28)

Sure, if you are dating a 15-year old then you might be looking at Twilight for your date movie fix. But if you are an adult who is looking to take out another consenting adult, I would suggest something a little bit more mature potentially a little bit more sexy. At least, assuming Baz Luhrmann gets it done on time, Australia appears to be a very sexy, epic war-time love story between two beautiful people — Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman. Also, it should have a few big bombing scenes that could provide moments of action and destruction, so it is likely to be both fun and titillating. Our only hope is that it won’t feel like it’s six and a half hours long, otherwise you might have to take that semi-fugly girl who is willing to get naughty during the film instead of the girl who makes you wait until afterward.

That’s our November Movie Guide, be sure to check back in the first week of December when we run down the best of each category for the Month of December!

The 8 Movies to See in the Month of October

Neil Miller — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 07:25:03 +0000

If we are good at anything here at FSR, it is the creation of lists and guides — big, sweeping assessments and recommendations that can be bantered about for days on end in the comment area. And there’s nothing wrong with that, because we love writing them and it’s clear that you love discussing them — it is a win/win for all of us. With that in mind, we have a new monthly feature to share with you.

Tomorrow, the month of October gets underway, at least cinematically, with the first round of releases. And in order to help you navigate through the entire month’s worth of films, we’ve broken them down into simple categories and picked out the ones that you shouldn’t miss. It is a new feature that we like to call the Monthly Movie Guide. Check out our list of selections below, listed in chronological order.

The Date Night Pick:

Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist (October 3)

There really aren’t any “chick flicks” in this month’s line-up, at least not in the traditional sense. No sappy Nicholas Sparks novels or heavy love stories (except maybe for The Duchess), just some funny, endearing comedies that revolve around a love story. For the 20-somethings, there is How to Lose Friends and Alienate People, but they (and most any other demographic) still might be better served by seeing Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist. In this one, the wunderkind of awkward comedy Michael Cera and the new sassy American girl next door Kat Dennings go toe-to-toe in a smart, funny, endearing portrait of blossoming love for two young New Yorkers, all set to an upbeat, but not overbearing soundtrack. Whether you are still young or you still think you are young, if you are looking for a sure-thing date movie, Nick and Norah is your best bet.

The Indie Pick:

Rachel Getting Married (October 3 – Limited)

Hot off some major Toronto buzz and some Oscar-talk for Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married appears to be the standout in a month filled with some good indies. In my mind, the runner up in this category is Fernando Meirrelles’ Blindness (October 3), but even that film doesn’t seem to have the momentum that Rachel has headed into October. And with the sure-fire Oscar nod chances that Anne Hathaway seems to have for her performance, you aren’t going to want to go into the awards season not having seen this one — trust me.

The Action Junkie Pick:

RocknRolla (October 8 – Limited)

When it comes to gun-toting British gangster stories, no one does it quite like Guy Ritchie. In fact, with films like Snatch and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Ritchie quite possibly ushered in a new genre of high-speed, high tension, heavy beats, big guns and bad teeth. And with RocknRolla, fans appear to be ready to celebrate his return to said genre, after his stint making movies with his wife Madonna. Thankfully for us, that cinematic mid-life crisis is over and Guy can go back to doing what he does best — action, baby. And once again, he brings in a big cast, with the likes of Gerard Butler, Jeremy Piven and Thandie Newton, to help give some meat to the experience. If you are into guns, babes and those fancy British curse words, this is your film, my friends.

The Editor’s Must See Movie of the Month:

Body of Lies (October 10)

It goes without saying that director Ridley Scott has gone a long time without disappointing us when he has ventured into the action genre. Think about it — this is the guy who brought us Gladiator, Black Hawk Down, Kingdom of Heaven and American Gangster — he knows what he’s doing. And even well into his 60s and 70s, Scott doesn’t seem to be slowing down at all. So if there is anyone I trust to make a good movie about the War on Terror, it is Ridley Scott. We can expect Body of Lies to be well-acted, thanks to Russell Crowe and Leonardo DiCaprio; well-directed; have a story with at least a few good layers; and be visually impressive. What more could you want out of an action thriller? If there is any movie that is sure to satisfy just about any moviegoer in the month of October, this is it — and that’s why it is my Editor’s Pick of the Month.

The Family Pick:

City of Ember (October 10)

Similar to the date movie conundrum explained above, the market for films for the whole family is a little slim in October. Though, the fact that we have to hedge our bets on City of Ember isn’t all that bad — it looks like it could be a lot of fun. It has a little bit of adventure, the potential for comedy (assuming Bill Murray is still funny) and it is directed by proven winner Gil Kenan, who directed Monster House. Our buzz perception analyzer (that we stole from CNN’s Situation Room) tells us that City of Ember has a serious Bridge to Terabithia vibe, which should play well with audiences — more of a ‘thinking kid’s movie.’ And there’s nothing wrong with some intelligent entertainment for America’s next generation.

The Fanboy Pick:

Max Payne (October 17)

It seems that everyone on the web is waiting on the edge of their specially designed computer chair for gamers for the release of Max Payne, starring Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis and Chris ‘Ludacris’ Bridges. For once, gamers have genuine hope for an adaptation of one of their favorite games. It isn’t in the hands of Uwe Boll, but rather Flight of the Phoenix and Behind Enemy Lines director John Moore. As well, based on the footage that many of us saw at Comic-Con in July, the film really does look badass. If the buzz leading up to this release holds any weight in the end, fanboys and fangirls may just have one of the first video game adaptations of which they can be proud. Either way, I have a feeling that this will be one movie that you’ll want to see on the big screen when it comes flying into theaters, guns blazing.

The Thriller Pick:

Saw V (October 24)

The thriller category was by far the most difficult pick this month, despite the fact that our own Robert Fure has already raged on about the serious lack of horror in the month of Halloween. That aside, there is an up-and-coming horror film coming out this month called Quarantine that could rock our shorts in a way that few thrillers have been able to do all year. But despite what our guts tell us about Quarantine, it is untested, whereas the Saw franchise has not failed fans of blood in the past 4 consecutive years. As they say, it wouldn’t be Halloween if it wasn’t time for another Saw movie, and this year is no exception. Now, I don’t know who ‘they’ are, but I do know this: gore-junkies are most likely to get their fix on Saw V than any other thriller this month.

The Comedy Pick:

Zack and Miri Make a Porno (October 31)

As I mentioned above, there are a few good comedies coming out this month, including How to Lose Friends and Alienate People. But it has become clear, in looking at the October release slate as a whole, that none of them will be able to hold a flame to Kevin Smith’s much-anticipated return to raunch-com, also known as Zack and Miri Make a Porno. Seth Rogen, Elizabeth Banks and The Office’s Craig Robinson may be first timers in the View Askewniverse, but they should have no trouble keeping up with Kevin Smith in the director’s chair. If ever there was a time for a movie with the word ‘porno’ in the title, this would be it. As well, our inside sources indicated to us that not only does Zack and Miri deliver some of the classic Kevin Smith filth, it also showcases a very endearing little love story. Aww, how cute? How could you possibly pass up the chance to laugh and get in touch with your feminine side all at once? Oh, and did we mention that Katie Morgan is in it? Ticket sold.

That’s our October Movie Guide, be sure to check back in on November 1st when we run down the best of each category for the Month of November!