Unless you were living under a rock during the ’90s, the new trailer for Jurassic Park 3D probably seems pretty familiar to you. It’s basically just a trailer for Steven Spielberg’s ubiquitous 1993 blockbuster Jurassic Park, with some stuff about the film being re-released in 3D tacked on at the end. But, that doesn’t mean you don’t need to watch it. Chances are it’s been quite a while since you’ve last watched Jurassic Park, and chances are you’ve forgotten how much a movie like this lends itself to making great trailers. The sense of grandeur, the big reveals, the breakthrough special effects, Jeff Goldblum draped across various things all shirtless and sexy, the ripple in the glass of water, Samuel L. Jackson saying “Hold on to your butts,” it’s all here. But, what strikes you about watching this trailer more than anything else, is the music. The second the first few notes of John Williams‘ iconic score for this dinosaurs run amok adventure start playing, you find yourself instantly transported back to being however old you were when you first saw this movie. And by the time the song gets to the soaring crescendo, well, it’s done its job of convincing you that you’re going to want to shell out some money to experience this classic up on the big screen one more time pretty effectively.

October offered up plenty of films to give this awards season a proper start. Ben Affleck once again showed he’s got one of the best eyes for tension working today; John Hawkes gave another year’s best performance in Fox Searchlight’s The Sessions; Martin McDonagh made another wicked, original dark comedy with real bite; and, who could forget, The Wachowskis and Tom Tykwer made a huge box office smash which received unabashed praise up the wazoo, especially for the seamless makeup work. While I wish Cloud Atlas did fit that description, at least for a few more years the trio’s daring and moving film will go down as a box office bomb which may or may have not been ahead of its time. No matter how Cloud Atlas stands up in a few years, it was the type of ambition which served as another reminder of how important going to the movie theater is and to truly have experiences while you are there, be they good or bad. With November 2012, there are plenty of movies to have a similar experience with, from Ang Lee‘s Life of Pi to a triumphant new Bond movie. Keep reading to find out what other eight movies you must see this month.

You know the story. At this point it’s basically the new shot heard ‘round the world: Disney has bought Lucasfilm for $4 billion, George Lucas is retiring from the Star Wars game, and three more Star Wars films are planned for production starting in 2015. Lucas and the new Lucasfilm president, Kathleen Kennedy, have stated that they have archives of story treatments for more books, TV shows, and films… but with Lucas stepping back from the property, who are they going to get to direct these next three episodes in the ongoing Star Wars adventure? Let’s take a look at some candidates, whether they be likely, unlikely, or long shots.

We are more than halfway through the month of October, which means we’re in the home stretch to Halloween and in the thick of great content pertaining to scary movies and horror films. So, welcome to another filling recap of a week’s worth of original writings and coverage. First, though, let’s remind you of the regular goodies here at FSR, such as our reviews of new releases (Paranormal Activity 4, Alex Cross, Bestiaire, The Sessions) and interviews with Alex Cross director Rob Cohen and star Matthew Fox and The Black List creator Franklin Leonard. We also caught some new trailers for Carrie and Jack Reacher and, in addition to our regular TV column, we have begun a weekly recap for the TV series The Walking Dead. Also this week, we saw the New York Film Festival end (stay tuned for a look at our critics’ highlights and favorites) and the Austin Film Festival begin. So rummage through our coverage of the former (including a review of Flight) and bookmark the tag for the latter — also check out some AFF recommendations below. Check out our ten best features from the past week, plus some other recommended reading, after the break.

For a long time, Steven Spielberg has expressed interest in making a James Bond picture. From the start of his career and even until after he hit it big time, Spielberg has wanted to bring his Spielbergyness to Bond. Unfortunately for both Spielberg and Bond fans, that dream hasn’t come to fruition. The idea of the mega director and Bond coming together sounds like a perfect match, both artistically and financially. With an idea this good, it’s a little baffling Spielberg hasn’t gotten a crack at Bond yet. Now, we sort of have an answer why. Speaking with producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli at the press day for Skyfall – which completely lives up to the hype – we had the chance to ask them if there’s ever been serious discussions of bringing Spielberg in. In response, Broccoli did share a story regarding conversations between Spielberg and her father, Albert R. Broccoli, over the matter:

Thirty years ago, Steven Spielberg’s E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial became the biggest box office success of all time. Now, Universal has finally released the Blu-ray of this family science fiction classic, which makes great companion viewing with Spielberg’s other recent Universal Blu-ray releases, Jaws and Jurassic Park. Just as E.T. breaks into the refrigerator in the middle of the day and gets drunk on Coors beer, you can join in the fun without leaving your home. There was a terrible E.T. board game back in the 80s, but this game is sure to be a lot more fun. By the end, it’s likely you won’t be able to phone anyone on this planet or any other.

In America we have neither kings nor gods. Our brief experiments with any cult of personality ended badly, though they inspired some excellent movies along the way (All the Kings Men and Gabriel over the White House spring to mind). We have put our greatest presidents on mountains and given them monuments on the National Mall in Washington, but we’ve never admired them with the same spirit as the divine right of European monarchs or the fanatical devotion required of totalitarian dictatorship. Biopics of our Commanders-in-Chief are often either ambiguous critiques, like Nixon, or flippant light pieces along the lines of NYFF’s Hyde Park on Hudson. This history makes Steven Spielberg’s newest undertaking almost unprecedented. Lincoln is an earnest attempt to give Honest Abe a cinematic apotheosis, the kind of hero-making treatment rarely given one of our leaders on film. This is also a new path for Spielberg himself. Previous capital-I “Important” films have focused on a more collective triumph of the people, from Saving Private Ryan and Schindler’s List to the more directly applicable Amistad. Where those works take a wide look at the trials, tribulations and heroics of large and varied casts, Lincoln puts on its blinders and focuses on a very specific period in the life of a single icon. Spielberg and writer Tony Kushner are only concerned with a few short months in early 1865 — telling the story of the arduous passage of the 13th Amendment through the House of Representatives — and nothing more.

Another day, another bit of Robopocalypse potential casting. Variety is reporting that Steven Spielberg wants Ben Whishaw (I’m Not There, the new Q in Skyfall) to play a hacker called Lurker for the sci-fi flick. Normally, it would be hard to report on a wish list (because they represent casting that’s an inch and a mile away from the finalized deal), but there are two things here that make this unique. One, Whishaw is not on everyone’s wish list (even if he should be), and two, there’s a sentiment that Spielberg wanting something or someone means he’s going to get it or them. If Whishaw does take the role, he’ll undoubtedly nail it and make it look easy in the process. He’ll also be busy, because this project is next once Spielberg gets Lincoln into theaters. For now, it’s still only a possibility.

Not only is the newly semi-untethered Tim Rothman going to produce Steven Spielberg‘s forthcoming Robopocalypse, The Hollywood Reporter is reporting that Anne Hathaway is in talks to play the lead role. She’d join Chris Hemsworth who has been in talks to star as well. The film is based on the book by Daniel H. Wilson in which a sentient computer named Archos launches small test attacks against humanity to check for weaknesses before descending into an all-out assault, pitting a small group of survivors and a “freeborn” robot to fight back. It seems likely that Hemsworth and Hathaway will play important figures in the revolt. There’s reasonable excitement with all these names involved (and the straight-ahead genre possibilities), but it’s really fantastic to have Drew Goddard (Cain in the Woods) writing the script. With all the pieces in place, the production is looking to release April 2014.

While much of the FSR family is busy in our hometown of Austin, Texas, gorging themselves on equal parts barbeque and genre films at dear old Fantastic Fest, the rest of us must attempt to extract some joy from future festivals that we’ll be able to attend – like Los Angeles’ own AFI FEST. To that end, the Hollywood-based festival has just announced their Closing Night Film: the world premiere (swank!) of Steven Spielberg‘s Daniel Day-Lewis-starring Lincoln. The film will close out the festival on the evening of November 8 at the “historic” (and historically beautiful) Chinese Theatre. “Steven Spielberg epitomizes American filmmaking,” said Jacqueline Lyanga, Director, AFI FEST, “and who better to tell the story of one of the most significant figures in our country’s history. In this important presidential election year, Spielberg’s Lincoln reminds us that the challenges of the past remain as relevant today.” Spielberg has previously been the recipient of the AFI Life Achievement Award (in 1995) and, just last year, his The Adventures of Tintin closed that year’s festival.

Well, this is classic Steven Spielberg, cribbing slightly off Glory. It’s uplifting and terribly sad, with a sweeping slow score and a range of beautiful shots. Judging from the trailer for Lincoln, this movie is going to pull every ounce of emotion right out of our veins, and with Daniel Day-Lewis in the spotlight, the chances of veering into cheesy heartstrings is diminished considerably. The best part is how subtle Day-Lewis is and how calmly the trailer sells him as the president. There’s nothing overly bombastic or showy, and it reveals the distinct possibility of Day-Lewis completely inhabiting the role of what must have been the most conflicted leader in our nation’s history. Check out the trailer for yourself:

President Abraham Lincoln. Google. It’s a natural fit. The first official bit of footage from Steven Spielberg‘s highly anticipated Lincoln has finally arrived, and it’s done its damnedest to make Lincoln and Google seem simpatico in ways no one has ever dreamed. At least there’s voiceover by David Oyelowo to give this glorified commercial some actual gravitas. We won’t get a full trailer for the film until this Thursday at 7PM EST, but this remarkably slim teaser trailer is much more concerned in letting us know that said trailer premiere will be followed by a “Live Google Hangout” with Spielberg and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. That’s just a string of stuff I don’t understand, but perhaps you young’uns out there will get what it means and can participate. Check out some fresh looks at the back of Daniel Day-Lewis‘ head after the break. Presidential!

UPDATE: Spielberg’s rep has told The Wrap (via Cinema Blend) that Spielberg and DreamWorks Entertainment will not be optioning the book. According to The New York Post, Steven Spielberg can’t let Kathryn Bigelow have all the fun when it comes down to hunting a mass murderer on dialysis. The director is in talks to purchase the film rights to the forthcoming autobiography by a Navy SEAL using the pen name Mark Owen, “No Easy Day: The Firsthand Account of the Mission That Killed Osama Bin Laden.” The book is out on September 11th, but it’s already in the middle of controversy as Fox News dangerously reported the Navy SEAL’s real name, essentially making him a target for retaliation, and SEALs chief Admiral Bill McRaven (who may have the best name of a US Navy Commander ever) has warned that the book might mean legal action against the author for revealing classified information.

We all knew that Daniel Day-Lewis looked exactly like Abraham Lincoln, but this new poster for Lincoln is just creepy. It’s goose-bump inducing. It’s also the kind of poster that makes you want to throw Oscars at it. There’s no real doubt that Steven Spielberg‘s forthcoming biopic will definitely be in the Oscar race. It’s the right kind of bait, and he’s not the kind of filmmaker to squander the opportunity. Plus, he’s got a searing talent on display, portraying an oft-misunderstand yet ultimately fascinating figure whose name seems to be thrown out more and more in political circles. It’s not like a movie poster can seal the deal or anything, but knowing nothing else, wouldn’t you want to see this thing based on Day-Lewis’ dramatic into-the-distance stare? This right here is the man who kept our country together during its darkest hour:

The adventures of Indiana Jones as we know them first kicked off (whipped into?) in theaters in June of 1981 with the release of Steven Spielberg‘s Raiders of the Lost Ark, but before those of us not around for the big screen experience back then, Spielberg and George Lucas have a big (no, really, giant) treat to make up for it. The film will have an exclusive one-week engagement in select IMAX® theatres starting on September 7th. The IMAX release comes to us as part of the release of an all-new Blu-ray release of all four Indiana Jones films (yes, four) later in September, and has “undergone a complete restoration for the IMAX exclusive one-week release and subsequent debut on Blu-ray.” The film has been digitally re-mastered for IMAX using the proprietary IMAX DMR® (Digital Re-mastering) technology. Raiders has also been restored by sound designer Ben Burtt, “with careful attention to preserving the original look, sound and feel of the iconic film.” The all-new Blu-ray set, billed as INDIANA JONES: The Complete Adventures, hits Blu-ray on September 18th. After the break, check out an all-new trailer for Raiders of the Lost Ark in support of the IMAX release. It’s big!

The wait is over. Steven Spielberg’s classic film Jaws is finally getting a long-anticipated Blu-ray release as part of Universal’s 100th anniversary. Whether you’ve seen this movie before or not, it’s worth watching again to experience the first blockbuster film ever made. Though there have been three official (and mostly awful) sequels, along with countless rip-offs, over the years, none of these films can hold a candle to this 1975 thriller. Based on Peter Benchley’s best-selling novel, Jaws tells the story of a small-town police chief trying to keep the beaches safe from a man-eating great white shark. Celebrate the end of this summer with this summer blockbuster drinking game.

Of course you do. We’ve been reading your totally healthy Lincoln/Day-Lewis slash fiction, and we can tell you’ve been aching for this moment all year. Entertainment Weekly has debuted the first glossy image of Daniel Day-Lewis as the 16th president for Steven Spielberg‘s Lincoln. The resemblance is terrifyingly accurate. However, according to Spielberg, reports that Day-Lewis lost himself in the 19th century for the role are not. “Daniel was always conscious of his contemporary surroundings,” Spielberg said. “Daniel never went into a fugue state. He did not channel Lincoln. All that stuff is just more about gossip than it is about technique.” That’s fortunate because, as Breaking Bad fans know, a fugue state would have left Day-Lewis naked save for a top hat trying to buy snacks at a convenience store on the outskirts of Nowhere, New Mexico. Check out the full image below followed by a side-by-side comparison:

With Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter already a distant memory, it’s time to turn our attention to that other Abraham Lincoln film – you know, the real one? The one directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Daniel Day-Lewis (and approximately ten thousand others) and based on a bestseller by an actual Pulitzer Prize-winning historian? Yeah, that one. DreamWorks Pictures has now set a release date for their Lincoln, and the clear awards-bait production is hitting screens a tad earlier than we’d previously suspected. The film will open in limited release on November 9, which it will follow with a nationwide expansion on November 16. The film’s limited release date will pit it against both Skyfall and Anna Karenina, also opening on that Friday, and its nationwide release will coincide with two films that probably won’t stand as much direct competition – The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 and the limited release Cannes film Rust and Bone. The following week really kicks off the holiday movie-going season, with November 21 (the day before Thanksgiving) seeing the release of Life of Pi, Parental Guidance, Red Dawn, Rise of the Guardians, and Silver Linings Playbook. When you look at that list, DreamWorks’ decision to date the film on the early side seems like a wise one, giving it plenty of time to get in front of audience eyeballs before the holidays and the rest of the tentpole pack.

Just a few months after the glory of Steven Spielberg’s Jaws finally made its Blu-ray debut the world’s most popular director is readying another hi-def premiere. Paramount has just announced the fall arrival of Indiana Jones: The Complete Adventures on Blu-ray. The set includes all four three goddammit four films with remastered video and audio. Extras have yet to be detailed, but they’re reported to include special features both old and new. The best news though is evident in the care given to the series’ first and best film, Raiders of the Lost Ark. The 1981 classic has been “meticulously restored with careful attention to preserving the original look, sound and feel of the iconic film.  The original negative was first scanned at 4K and then examined frame-by-frame so that any damage could be repaired. The sound design was similarly preserved using [Ben] Burtt’s original master mix, which had been archived and unused since 1981.” Check out the press release and full front-cover art below.

The past couple years have been a rocky road for Universal Studios. Long strings of costly box office flops like The Wolfman, Cowboys and Aliens, and Your Highness have not been completely balanced by their hits. Even this year, the success of The Lorax and Snow White and the Huntsman don’t completely wipe out the red numbers on the books from Wanderlust, The Five-Year Engagement, and most recently Battleship. Oddly enough, their DVD and Blu-ray releases of catalogue titles have been causing the most buzz. The studio’s 100th Anniversary Blu-ray releases of E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial and Jaws are making as much noise as their releases of Back to the Future and Jurassic Park box sets. Plus, Jurassic Park is getting a high profile re-release in 3D next summer. It only makes sense that the studio goes back to these popular franchises for a new hit. Deadline Isla Nublar is reporting that Universal has found writers for the long-awaited Jurassic Park 4. Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver, who are best known for penning last summer’s prequel hit Rise of the Planet of the Apes and its upcoming sequel Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, will be tackling the script for the high-profile dinosaur adventure.