Looking Ahead: 2008 Fall Movie Preview

After the a summer blockbuster season ruled by superheroes (tentpoled by Iron Man and The Dark Knight and filled in nicely by Incredible Hulk and Hellboy 2). And lets not forget the other great film coming out this summer, pixar classic Wall-E.

As we look to the fall usually we find the race for the elusive Oscar heating up as the studios roll out their big guns for award nights. Generally speaking this is where the big names directors roll out there next masterpieces or failures and all and all critics top ten list are never fully complete until New Years Eve where some January releases are squeaked in around Christmas for Oscar contention. So without further ado, the 2008 fall preview:

Note, I am not stating all fall films, just the ones that I find the need to point out. For a full list check here.

Color Coding: Must sees are in Red. Of interest are in Blue. On the fence are Yellow.

Sept 12th

Burn After Reading

The Coen’s first film the their Oscar awarding winning No Country for Old Men devles back into their quirky humor before they were known for making Javier Bardem a prince valiant haired killer. The cast including, Brad Pitt, Francis McDormand, George Clooney, Tilda Swinton, and JohnMalkovich. The plot revolves around important C.I.A info falling into the hands of the clueless Pitt and McDormand. Then they blackmail Malkovich. Hilarity ensues. First must see of the fall.

Righteous Kill

Pacino. DeNiro. Yeah, yeah I know, but that doesn’t earse the fact that I get a stink off of this film. I could be wrong and maybe the energy of these two performers together sparked some movie magic they haven’t had in several films, but I doubt it.

Sept 17th

Appaloosa

I know what you’re saying, what the hell is this? Well actually this is the cinematic equivalent of a blind buy for me. I haven’t seen a trailer for it. I haven’t seen a poster. No one’s pumped it up. It’s a western directed and starring Ed Harris with Viggo Mortensen. Watching those two performers sells it for me. Who knows it could be the sleeper film that came after the year of the western that was 2007. Find out more here.






Sept. 19th

The Duchess

Another Keria Kightly costume drama? Yawn. But I know she has her supporters out there. It might wield some good performances, but it will probably end up like last years Atonement for me. I’ll see it eventually, or not.





Sept. 26th


Miracle at St. Anna

Spike Lee is hit or miss for me. I respect his work, I just don’t always enjoy it. This is Spike doing a WWII film. Count me interested. This might be Oscar contention.





Blindness

Fernando Merieless whose City of God was phenomenal, and whose Constant Gardner was less so, delivers his next film. I am a huge Julianne Moore fan, so having her in it has me there already. The posters and the trailers have me hooked. Unfortunately the buzz out of Cannes said it was a miss. But what do the French know? I’ll let my enthusiasm go unblemished.


Choke

Read the Chuck Palahniuk book. It was interesting. Not as good as Fight Club though thematically similar. The film could be a sleeper. Personally, I think it looks flat. A tough book to put up on the screen. Jury is still out.








Oct. 3rd

How to Lose Friends and Alienate People

Simon Pegg? Plus. Stock Hollywood comedy? Minus. Could be good for a laugh or date. Could make my skin crawl or be forgotten the next day.




Nick and Nora’s Infinite Playlist

Horrible title. And good god, one of the downfalls of seeing The Dark Knight 4 times in the theatre was seeing this thing play before it every time. By the third time I actually took interest. I like Michael Cera though. It has some good music behind it and I think a high schooler would possibly love this. If it introduces the youngsters to some music that mid twenties me is listening to, power to it. Cute date flick.





Oct 8th

Rocknrolla

I think the eight other people who saw Revolver along with me would agree that it got shat on for no reason. Not a huge Guy Ritchie fan as some are, but his films, minus the unspeakable Swept Away, are always enjoyable. This one looks a like an awesome British gangster time with a great cast. Despite the fact that the studios are dumping it.





Oct. 10th

Body of Lies

Crowe. DiCaprio. Ridley Scott. I feel the trailers don't really sell me the whole film or how good it might be. Right now it looks like Tony Scott's Spy Game the Ridley Scott version. And lets not forget that it’s written by Oscar winning William Monahan of Departed fame, who also wrote Scott’s Kingdom of Heaven (and whose lesser seen director’s cut is absolutely classic). This means we'rein for a well written, well shot film. What’s so bad about that?



Ashes of Time Redux

I have seen part of Wong Kar Wai’s Ashes of Time. It’s a horrible print on a wrongly formatted dvd and I’m going to struggle with my filmmakers OCD to watch the original fully before seeing this gloriously shot film re-cut and beautifully restored to its mind numbingly stunning image in the theatre. Could this be Wong’s Apocalypse Now Redux? I’ll be there in the theatre to tell. Check out the trailer here.








Oct 17th

The Brother’s Bloom

I really enjoyed directors Rian Johnson’s first film Brick. A great little debut with a nice original voice. Let’s hope he continues it here, with what looks like a 60’s heist film starring Mark Ruffalo, Adrien Brody and Rachel Weisz. Looks like a good time to me.



Max Payne

I don’t expect this to be a great film. I’m just hoping for it to be fun. I love the video game and I hope its adapted right. Its got tons of things to love. Action, guns, Mark Wahlberg, noir trappings, Mila Kunis, Mila Kunis shooting guns. Lots of things. So lets just hope for a decent action flick, and not the Departed 2.

W.

Olivier Stones Bush satire. We’ll see.

Oct 24th

Changeling

Basically at this time Clint Eastwood could take a shit and get an Oscar nom, but its not undeserved. The man consistently makes solid films. Buzz from Cannes is that he’s done it again. The great news is that its written by Babylon 5 creator, and comic author (Rising Stars, Midnight Nation, Amazing Spiderman) J. Michael Straczynski. I'm a huge fan of his writing, if you haven't seen B5 or read his comic series, check them out! If he hits Hollywood gold, it would be a great thing in my opinion. Look for this as another Oscar contender starring Angelina Jolie.

Synedoche, New York

I think Charlie Kaufman writing is absolutely fantastic. This is his first directorial effort. I’ve heard contrasting things, but regardless my butt is in the seat. The man that gave of Being John Malkovich, Adaptation & Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind deserves that much.

Oct. 31st

Zack and Mira Make A Porno

Kevin Smith. Seth Rogen. I really think Smith is getting better as a director, and he does hiliarious rated R comedy. Clerks 2 had so much heart in it while being funny and if he can transfer that here, things should be fine.

Nov 7th


The Boy in Striped Pajamas

I’ve never read the book, but I hear its heartbreaking. A boy a boy living next to a Nazi concetration camp and befriending a boy behind the wire, this can only lead to tears. And maybe Oscars.

Nov 14th

Australia

Hugh Jackman/ Nicole Kidman epic. Looks pretty. Actually reminds me of Peter Jackson's Depression era scenes in King Kong. Not a Baz Luhrmann fan. Hmmm…..

Quantum of Solace

Who cares about the title anymore. New Daniel Craig Bond! They had me at Bond, James Bond.

The Road

I have the Cormac McCarthy novel sitting on my stack of things to read. Hopefully I’ll get to it before this. Viggo Mortensen with his kid doing a lone wolf and cub across a post-apocolyptic America. The pics I’ve seen look superb.

Dec 5th

Punisher: War Zone

First one, sucked. Second one, Thomas Jane cool, movie sucked. Third time: back to a Dolph Lundgren route with a no name Frank Castle. I’ve heard contrasting reports about the chaos behind this film. Whether confirmed or not, from what I’ve seen it just looks like shit. How hard is it to get Punisher right? He's serial killer who happens to kill the right guys, criminals. The end. And I hear they’re turning it from rated R to pg-13? Guh! Studios execs are idiots! Oh and nothing says Christmas like the Punisher. Holy Christ!

Frost/Nixon

Now here’s what I’ll be seeing this weekend instead. Didn’t know about it til a week ago, but Ron Howards next film looks to be a winner in my book. And another possible Oscar nod. Could be this year’s Good Night and Good Luck. Plus bonusFrank Langella Nixon!

Dec 12th

The Day the Earth Stood Still

Here’s a studio meeting, it goes like this: we need a new film to remake. How about remaking a beloved sci-fi classic? And we can put Keanu Reeves in it! Barf. What a waste of Jennifer Connelley. Wake me when the nightmares over.

Defiance

Ed Zwick WWII flick. Daniel Craig. Leiv Schriber. Jamie Bells. Loooks great. Two baddass Daniel Craig movies in one season!

Dec 25th

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Brad Pitt aging backwards. David Fincher is back again. Absolutely loved Zodiac, here’s looking for a repeat. Fincher always insures quality. Looks stunning. Here’s for Fincher’s first Oscar bid.

The Spirit

Frank Miller. Will Eisner’s Spirit. Sin City like style. Hmmm. Miller’s solo directorial effort. At Christmas? Really? This is like Grindhouse on Easter. This will not go well. My city screams!

Dec 26th

Revolutionary Road

Sam Mendes. Dicpario. Winslet. Don’t know much about it. But I can’t wait to see it. That’s saying something. Could be another Oscar squeaker.

Valkyrie

Bryans Singer’s Tom Cruise starring WWII film about assassinating Hitler. Its been bounced around scheduling wise. Lots of WWII movies this year, wonder if this one might be the victim of burnout. We'll see. I hope not. Look forward to seeing though after a disappointing Superman Returns.

So there you have it. My picks so far. There might be others that I’ve yet to hear about, or could be added. Notable absent are films I’m dying to see like Terrance Malick’s Tree of Life, Darren Aronofsky’s The Wrestler and Tarantino’s Inglorious Bastards that will come out next year. On a whole though I don’t have my big time auteur tentpole that I’m absolutely dying for like last year’s There Will Be Blood. Here’s hoping for surprises and great filmmaking this fall season.