I’ve had a nice day today, after researching hotels for the honeymoon this afternoon, and making a few important phone calls and such, I head to Stauf’s, stopping on the way to pick up the Fall Movie Preview issue of Premiere.
It has yielded a short list of movies I’m excited about. Not as long a list as I like, but I’m convinced that due to the leatley-lamented fact that we’re all gettting more cynical and fussy about what we’ll see as we get older. It’s easier to smell the crap, I guess. Or, maybe I’ve just refined my knowledge of what it is I really like. Maybe. Or maybe I’m just more and more bored with entertainement that’s provided by passively sitting in front of a screen. After, I still watch plenty of DVDs; it’s just more and more likely that I’ll be reading a magazine or (much more likely) working on a website while I do it.
Anyway, without further ado, some movies to look forward to.
September
The Science of Sleep
Gael Garcia Bernal in a Michel Gondry film. (!!!)
How is it that this is in Premiere’s “Also in Septmeber” section instead of featured?!? Especially frustrating when you lokk at the crap that’s featured.
Children of Men
Clive Owen & Julianne Moore in a Alfonso Cuaron film.
Hollywoodland
Adrien Brody, Ben Affleck, Diane Lane, Bob Hoskins in a Allen Coulter film.
Actually, I’ll probably just catch this on DVD. It doesn’t sound like my kind of film, but it’s comics-related and I really like the cast, so I do want to see it.
The Last Kiss
Zach Braff in a Paul Haggis and Tony Goldwyn film.
I liked Garden State well-enough. But this de facto sequel is about people closer to my age and issues. The soundtrack is cool enough.
Renaissance
A black-n-white, animated, dystopian thriler. Sweet.
American Hardcore
A dcumentary about 1980s punk-rock. Already been on the list.
Al Franken: God Spoke
This could be horrible, or it could be one to cheer for.
The Ground Truth
“Documenring the psychological effects of miitary service in Iraq.” A much-needed film.
October
The Fountain
Hugh Jackman, Rachel Weitz, and Ellen Burstyn in a Darren Aronofsky film.
I’v been hearing about this for two fucking years. Aronofsky is also a film-making god. A young god, but none-the-less, he was born for it. Thank God this movie is finaly coming out.
Babel
Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Gael Garcia Bernal in a Guillermo Arriaga Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu film.
The Prestiege
Hugh Jackman, Chritian Bale, Michael Caine, Scarlett Johansson, Andy Serkis, Piper Perabo, and motherfucking DAVID BOWIE in a Christopher Nolan film.
Hell, yeah!
Running with Scissors
Annette Benning, Brian Cox, Jo Fiennes, Alec Baldwin in a Ryan Murphy film based on the Augusten Burroghs book.
The Departed
Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Mark Wahlberg, and Jack Nicholson(!!!) in a Martin Scorsese film.
In 30 years, film historians will look back on Marty’s early-21st-century work and bemoan whatever it was that cemented his partnership with li’l-to-no-talent-Leo. But, it’s Scorsese, he’s a movie god, and it has Jack, for God’s sake. JACK!!!
Infamous
The second Truman Capaote writing In Cold Blood movie. What? Yeah.
Trade
Kevin Kline in a Jose Rivera and Peter Landesman film.
Probably gonna be a rental. It sounds awfully depressing. But Kevin Kline is great, and how can you resist a film based on a NYTimes Magazine article?
Fast Food Nation
An insane ensemble cast (Seriously, IMDB it.) in a Richard Linklater film based on the Eric Schlosser book.
Shortbus
A John Cameron Mitchell film.
I really like JCM as a person. We’ll see if he can something that doesn’t involve a rocknroll transvestite.
November
Casino Royale
Daniel Craig as the new Bond.
New Bond. NEW BOND. A period piece with a black-n-white openning sequence.
The History Boys
Directed by Nicholas Hytner, adapted from the Alan Bennett play.
For Your Consideratino
The usual crew in a Christopher Guest film.
Fur
Nicole Kidman and Robert Downey Jr. in a Steven Shainberg film.
Stranger than Fiction
Will Ferrell, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Dustin Hoffman, Queen Latifah, Emma Thompson in a Marc Forster film.
I’m gonna go ahead an assume that Finding Neverland was just a mis-step for Forster, that the studio beat the crap out of that film. This one looks pretty good, and I like the cast.
Volver
Penelope Cruz and Carmen Maura in an Almodovar picture.
December
Dreamgirls
Jamie Foxx, Beyonce, Eddie Murphy, et al.
The Good Shepherd
Matt Damon, and Angelina Jolie in a Robert De Niro film.
So … November really stinks comparatively. But, the list is longer over-all tha I expected. It’ll be a miracle if I see 25 films in 4 months. And God knows there’ll probably be a few more big films added to December. But, any year (season in this case) that includes new movies from Chritopher Nolan, Darren Aronofsy, Martin Scorsese, Michel Gondry, Richard Linklater, Nicholas Hytner, and Pedro Almodovar should be fantastic. Maybe the best year for movies since 2001. Sweet,