Posted on: Friday, September 5, 2008
COMING ATTRACTIONS
Moving pictures
By Bill Goodykoontz
Gannett Chief Film Critic
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George Clooney and Frances McDormand are among those in the star-studded cast of "Burn After Reading," which hits theaters Sept. 12. The film, which is the first by the Coen brothers since the Oscar-winning "No Country for Old Men," also stars Brad Pitt, Tilda Swinton and John Malkovich.
Focus Features
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In "Lakeview Terrace," Samuel L. Jackson is a cop who wants to get rid of his neighbors, played by Patrick Wilson, left, and Kerry Washington.
Screen Gems (Sony)
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Viggo Mortensen, left, and Ed Harris protect a small town in "Appaloosa."
New Line Cinema
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Robert De Niro, left, and Al Pacino star in "Righteous Kill" as two police officers who wonder if they arrested the wrong man years ago.
Overture Films
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"The Duchess" features Keira Knightley as Georgiana, the Duchess of Devonshire.
Paramount Vantage
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Laz Alonso appears in Spike Lee's "Miracle at St. Anna," a story about four black soldiers during World War II.
Touchstone Pictures
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Summer was huge at the movies, at least in terms of the box office.
A monster film such as "The Dark Knight" has that effect.
Now come fall and winter, typically a time for more-serious fare (translation: when studios break out the Oscar-worthy material).
If you're looking for an overall theme, well, keep looking. If it was a summer of superheroes, it's a fall and winter of just generally highly anticipated movies. It's also the return of directors we love.
For instance, the Coen brothers are back with their first film since winning an Oscar for "No Country for Old Men," and they aren't exactly resting on their laurels. Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Frances McDormand and Tilda Swinton star in "Burn After Reading." That's a lot of Academy favorites under one title — and a lot of egos. Can't wait.
Spike Lee directs the story of a group of black soldiers trapped behind enemy lines in Italy in "Miracle at St. Anna." It's a passion project for Lee, and he's at his best when working in that mode.
David Fincher teams up with Brad Pitt — a combo that's worked well often — for "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button." It's based on a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald about a man born old who ages backward. Think the twisted Fincher can't have fun with that?
What follows are the scheduled releases for fall and winter. As always, release dates are subject to change, but this will get you started on your own anticipation.
In the spirit of things, what else is there to say, but "Action"?
T0DAY
"Bangkok Dangerous" (R): Nicolas Cage stars as a hitman in Bangkok in this remake of a Thai film. They can't take someone's Oscar away, can they?
SEPT. 12
"Burn After Reading" (R): The Coen brothers' first film after the Oscar-winning "No Country for Old Men" stars Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton and John Malkovich as ... wait, with a cast like that, does it matter?
"Righteous Kill" (R): Robert De Niro and Al Pacino team up in what could have been the greatest movie of 1978 or so — a couple of cops wondering if they arrested the wrong man years ago.
Tyler Perry's "The Family That Preys" (PG-13): Kathy Bates and Alfre Woodard play friends whose families become enmeshed in scandal.
"The Women" (PG-13): Annette Benning, Meg Ryan and Eva Mendes are among the cast for this remake of George Cukor's 1939 classic.
SEPT. 19
"Ghost Town" (not yet rated): Ricky Gervais stars as a misanthropic dentist who can, yes, see dead people in New York. One of them (Greg Kinnear) wants him to romance his wife (Tea Leoni) to prevent her from marrying a boring man (Bill Campbell). Gervais is a genius; the rest doesn't matter.
"Igor" (PG): John Cusack lends his voice to this animated film about the classic hunchbacked lab assistant who has ideas of his own. Also stars Steve Buscemi, John Cleese and Eddie Izzard.
"Lakeview Terrace" (PG-13): Samuel L. Jackson stars as an L.A. cop who disapproves of the interracial couple who move in next door (Patrick Wilson, Kerry Washington), and basically goes to only-in-a-movie ridiculous extremes to get rid of them.
"Management" (not yet rated): Jennifer Aniston stars in a movie romance, instead of a tabloid one. That's a relief. Steve Zahn loves her. Does she love him? Woody Harrelson waits in the wings. Somewhere John Mayer sighs.
"My Best Friend's Girl" (R): Dane Cook alert! His best friend gets him to go out on a date with his girlfriend (Kate Hudson), so that the friend will look good in comparison. Now that's friendship. Or something.
SEPT. 26
"Choke" (R): Sam Rockwell stars as a man who pretends to choke on food in restaurants, only to have people save him — and send him money. Meanwhile, he's a sex addict. Based on Chuck Palahniuk's book.
"Eagle Eye" (PG-13): Shia LaBeouf and Michelle Monaghan are being manipulated in an assassination plot. From Indy to the tabloids, this is probably a relief for LaBeouf.
"The Lucky Ones" (R): Rachel McAdams, Tim Robbins and Michael Pena star as three soldiers back from Iraq hitting the road. Will this be the Iraq film that makes a dent in the box office?
"Miracle at St. Anna" (R): Spike Lee tells the story of four Black soldiers trapped behind enemy lines in Italy in World War II.
"Nights in Rodanthe" (PG-13): Richard Gere and Diane Lane hook up for a third film ("The Cotton Club" and "Unfaithful"). This time, they're in a North Carolina beach town. He's unhappy in his life, she's unhappy in hers, they get together and ... well, all happy, one supposes.
"Towelhead" (R): Summer Bishil stars as Jasira, an Arab-American girl coming of age in Houston. Alan Ball makes his feature-film debut as a director.
OCT. 3
"Appaloosa" (R): Ed Harris directs and stars in this Western about two men (Harris and Viggo Mortensen) hired to protect a small town.
"Beverly Hills Chihuahua" (PG): A spoiled dog gets stranded in Mexico. Dust off those Oscar speeches. Or not. Drew Barrymore, Salma Hayek, Jamie Lee Curtis and Andy Garcia are among the cast members.
"Blindness" (R): In a city where everyone else is blinded, Julianne Moore is the only person who can still see. Moore's always good, and the concept's certainly intriguing. Buzz is mixed, though. We'll just have to wait and, uh, see.
"The Duchess" (PG-13): Keira Knightley stars as Georgiana, the Duchess of Devonshire, in this period piece directed by Saul Dibb.
"The Express" (PG): Rob Brown is star Syracuse running back Ernie Davis, the first black player to win the Heisman Trophy. Based, obviously, on a true story.
"How to Lose Friends & Alienate People" (not yet rated): Love the title. Simon Pegg (yay) stars as Sidney Young, a British writer who lands a job at a conservative New York magazine. Hilarity ensues, all that. In this case, we believe it.
"Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist" (PG-13): Michael Cera persuades Kat Dennings to pose as his girlfriend for five minutes; a night of romance follows. Surely "The Thin Man" reference in the title is no accident.
"What Just Happened" (R): Robert De Niro is a movie producer wrestling with all sorts of troubles, including Bruce Willis' beard (shave it, is the idea). The trailer, in which Willis defends his whiskers, is hilarious. Here's hoping the rest of the film is, too.
"Sex Drive" (not yet rated): Ian (Josh Zuckerman) goes across the country with some buds to lose his virginity to a babe he met on the Internet. Does this sound like an online version of "The Sure Thing" to anyone else?
OCT. 10
"Body of Lies" (R): Leonardo DiCaprio plays a CIA agent, Russell Crowe his handler, or whatever you call a spy's boss. Probably pretty good, but DiCaprio's scenes in the trailer — I want out, that kind of thing — could have been lifted from "The Departed."
"City of Ember" (not yet rated): Bill Murray is the mayor of Ember, an underground city with problems (geez, even the imaginary cities have problems?) in this fantasy that includes Martin Landau and Tim Robbins.
"Quarantine" (R): Horror film about a TV reporter (Jennifer Carpenter) and her cameraman (Steve Harris) who wind up in the middle of some sort of terrible event or other.
OCT. 17
"Happy-Go-Lucky" (not yet rated): Sally Hawkins stars as Poppy, a teacher with a much-needed sense of humor. Mike Leigh directs — always a good thing.
"Flash of Genius" (PG-13): Greg Kinnear stars as Bob Kearns, the man who invented the intermittent windshield wiper, had the idea stolen and then fought the car companies who stole it. Based on a true story (really).
"Max Payne" (not yet rated): Mark Wahlberg plays the title character, a DEA agent. Based on a video game. Nothing says quality like that.
"The Secret Lives of Bees" (PG-13): A girl (Dakota Fanning) escapes her abusive father with her nanny (Jennifer Hudson) and winds up at a bee farm. Based on Sue Monk Kidd's book.
"W." (not yet rated): Oliver Stone's controversial take on the life of George W. Bush — yes, the sitting president. Josh Brolin plays Bush; Stone has assembled his usual top-flight cast, including Elizabeth Banks, Richard Dreyfuss (as Dick Cheney, no less) and James Cromwell.
OCT. 24
"The Brothers Bloom" (PG-13): Adrien Brody and Mark Ruffalo are con men who specialize in bilking the rich; Rachel Weisz plays a rich heiress. Uh-oh.
"Crossing Over" (not yet rated): Harrison Ford, Sean Penn and Ray Liotta star in a film not about seeing dead people, as the title might imply, but about the other kind of crossing over — immigrants trying to make their way to and in America.
"High School Musical 3: Senior Year" (not yet rated): We could provide more detailed information than the title relates, but really, if you saw the first two, you almost certainly know what you need to. And if you didn't, you don't care anyway.
"Pride and Glory" (R): If you think there haven't been enough hard-bitten movies about New York cop families, mark this on your calendar. Cool cast, though, with Edward Norton and Colin Farrell.
"Saw V" (R): Really, what can you say? Even the poster is disgusting.
OCT. 31
"The Haunting of Molly Hartley" (PG-13): It wouldn't be Halloween without a teen-in-peril scary movie. This time: Haley Bennett as the title character, haunted by voices and visions and such.
"RocknRolla" (R): Guy Ritchie — is it still accurate to call him Mr. Madonna? — returns to directing British crime dramas, this one starring Gerard Butler. The cast includes Idris Elba, Tom Wilkinson and Jeremy Piven. OK, we're in.
"Zack and Miri Make a Porno" (R): Kevin Smith has never been Mr. Subtlety. Now it extends to his titles. Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks play the longtime pals who decide to make a dirty movie to make money. Cast includes Traci Lords and Katie Morgan, real-life porn stars. So we hear.
NOV. 7
"Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa" (not yet rated): The gang's all here for a sequel to the first film, which found animals from the Central Park Zoo in the wild, roughing it. And yes, Sacha Baron Cohen returns, as well. "I like to move it move it."
"Quantum of Solace" (not yet rated): Daniel Craig is back as Bond, this time out for revenge over the death of his lover. Huh. The old Bond didn't get that wrapped up in such things. Brave new world, all that.
NOV. 14
"Australia" (not yet rated): Huge epic starring Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman. Guess where it's set. Good buzz. Cast includes Bryan Brown, which we believe is required of films about Australia.
"The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas" (PG-13): Vera Farmiga and David Thewlis star in the story of the son of a concentration camp commandant who befriends a Jewish boy held there.
"Nothing Like the Holidays" (PG-13): John Leguizamo and Freddy Rodriguez star in the story of a Puerto Rican family celebrating Christmas in Chicago.
"Role Models" (not yet rated): Paul Rudd and Seann William Scott play energy-drink salesmen who avoid jail by enlisting in the Big Brothers program. Rudd, who's always hilarious, co-wrote the script.
"Soul Men" (not yet rated): The late, great Bernie Mac and Samuel L. Jackson play backup singers who reunite 20 years later after their lead singer (John Legend) dies. The late Isaac Hayes has a cameo.
NOV. 21
"Bolt" (not yet rated): Bolt (voice of John Travolta) doesn't realize that he doesn't really have super powers, that he in fact simply plays a dog with them on TV. That, of course, changes. The cast includes Miley Cyrus, which, considering this is a Disney movie, isn't a big surprise.
"The Soloist" (not yet rated): Based on a true story, this stars Jamie Foxx as a schizophrenic homeless man with big dreams; Robert Downey Jr. is the journalist who helps him realize them.
"Twilight" (not yet rated): Stephenie Meyer's book hits the big screen, with Kristen Stewart as the girl who falls in love with a vampire (Robert Pattinson). Will the disappointment over the last book in the series dull the buzz? Probably not.
NOV. 26
"Four Christmases" (not yet rated): And none of them happy, evidently. Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon play a couple who visit their divorced parents over the holidays. Big points for having Seth Gordon, who directed the great documentary "The King of Kong," behind the camera.
"Transporter 3" (PG-13): In which Jason Statham returns, and answers the question: There was a "Transporter 2"?
DEC. 5
"Punisher: War Zone" (not yet rated): Ray Stevenson takes over the role of the Punisher, who is still out there meting out justice. Dominic West plays his adversary. All well and good, but if it was a really good comic-book film, wouldn't it have been released this summer?
DEC. 12
"The Day the Earth Stood Still" (not yet rated): So, genius in casting Keanu Reeves as Klaatu, the alien visiting Earth, in this remake of the 1951 classic, or just a mean joke? We'll find out.
DEC. 19
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (not yet rated): Brad Pitt again teams with David Fincher in this tale, based on an F. Scott Fitzgerald short story, of a man born old who ages backward.
"Doubt" (not yet rated): Oscar alert! Meryl Streep stars as a nun who accuses a priest (Philip Seymour Hoffman) of abusing a boy. John Patrick Shanley directs the film adaptation of his play.
"Seven Pounds" (not yet rated): A suicidal IRS agent (Will Smith) decides to help seven people. Two things you can count on: Smith will be good, and it will make a gazillion dollars.
"The Tale of Desperaux" (not yet rated): Emma Watson, Matthew Broderick, Dustin Hoffman and Sigourney Weaver are among the stars lending their voice to the animated version of the children's book. A mouse who reads, that kind of thing.
"Yes Man" (not yet rated): Jim Carrey can't say no. That's not an evaluation of his script choices, it's the plot of the movie. Guy says yes to everything for a year. So he's going to have to expect these kind of jokes.
DEC. 25
"Bedtime Stories" (not yet rated): Your gift for the holidays: an Adam Sandler movie on Christmas. What did you do wrong? Anyway, the movie's about Sandler's character, who tells his niece and nephew bedtime stories that come true. "So this guy was kind of funny on TV, and then he became a big movie star. ..."
"Hurricane Season" (not yet rated): Forest Whitaker coaches a New Orleans high-school basketball team made up of players from rival schools, who must play together a year after Hurricane Katrina. Denzel Washington also stars.
"Marley & Me" (not yet rated): If you were hoping for a Bob Marley biopic, well, no. Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson — tabloid writers get sweaty just reading the names — star in this film about a family who learns much from a dog named Marley.
"The Spirit" (not yet rated): It's fanboy heaven, as Frank Miller directs the tale of Will Eisner's hugely influential comic about a cop (Gabriel Macht) who fights crime from beyond. Scarlett Johansson, Samuel L. Jackson and Eva Mendes also star.
"The Time Traveler's Wife" (not yet rated): Henry (Eric Bana) is a librarian who travels through time — involuntarily. Rachel McAdams also stars.
DEC. 26
"Valkyrie" (not yet rated): Tom Cruise stars as Claus von Stauffenberg, a Nazi colonel who became part of a plot to assassinate Hitler. The film was delayed and then brought back to this year, meaning the buzz went from bad to good in a hurry.
Bill Goodykoontz of The Arizona Republic is the chief film critic for Gannett. Reach him at bill.goodykoontz@arizonarepublic.com.
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