2009 in Film
Wow, I'm just a writing fool today, but it's probably mostly because I enjoy making lists and/or talking about movies. In any event, I'll desperately try to keep the rambling at a minimum, mainly because there's a lot to cover here and there's no way I'm writing a whole paragraph about each movie. So here we go...the movies I'm most looking forward to in 2009 (in order of release date):
CORALINE - February 6th
The new stop motion film from Nightmare Before Christmas director Henry Selick about a girl who goes into an alternate world to escape her own and finds that the alternate world is a bit worse. Selick tried his hand at a live action/stop motion combo with Monkeybone a few years back....that movie didn't work out so well, but this movie looks very interesting.
HE'S JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU - February 6th
I understand that my anticipation for this movie will lead to the cancellation of my Man Card (and I'll be subject to any and all glass ceiling-related issues from here on out), but like I said the other day, it just seems to be a movie about the shitty, shitty world of dating, and I can relate to that. Plus, it's from the director of Dunston Checks In...what more do you want?
WATCHMEN - March 6th (hopefully)
Well, duh. As long as Fox doesn't ruin everything, I'll be there opening night at a nice theater for the best picture and sound possible. This is definitely the next movie I'm super-excited about seeing.
MONSTERS VS. ALIENS - March 27th
I saw the trailer for this on the Kung Fu Panda Blu-ray, and while it wasn't on my radar before, it is now. Sure, it might be more Shark Tale than Shrek, but either way, the trailer has me sold. It looks like it could be cute.
STATE OF PLAY - April 17th
Another movie that wasn't on my radar, but after seeing the trailer a few times this past week, I've decided that it looks sufficiently twisty and high-class. I'm always up for a quality political thriller, and the cast certainly suggests quality (yes, that includes Ben Affleck). This might have tipped into "see in the theater" from "Netflix rental."
X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE - May 1st
I know this movie might suck...all of the behind the scenes tussles suggest that, and the fact that it's from the cinematic chop-shop that is Fox doesn't bode well. Plus, if Fox does end up affecting Watchmen's release, then boycotting this movie will be my justice. But I can't deny that, divorced from all of that context, I still want to see this movie. Dammit.
STAR TREK - May 8th
Again, I know the risk I'm taking in getting excited about this movie...I'm not a Trekker (Trekkie?), but I do enjoy the movies. But the trailer, for all of its faults, shows some promise...I hate to admit it, but I'm excited about this movie. I'm like a battered spouse...but you don't know...you haven't seen all the nice things these movies have done....
TERMINATOR: SALVATION - May 22nd
Terminator 2: Judgment Day is one of my favorite movies. That being said, I'm basically separating the world of The Terminator and Terminator 2 from the alternate universe of Terminator 3 (which was so-so) and this movie. To that end, I'm going into this movie with an open mind, particularly because the trailer shows a lot of promise. I'm even ignoring the fact that I'm not a fan of director McG (the Charlie's Angels movies). We'll see....
UP - May 29th
The latest film from Pixar, Up didn't start off as a must-see. A story about an old man floating around in his house via a rig of large balloons? Sounds...painfully whimsical. But I should really stop underestimating Pixar: a recent review of the film's first twenty minutes or so made it sound extraordinary. I'll be there on opening day.
THE TAKING OF PELHAM 1-2-3 - June 12th
A remake of the 1974 film, with this version directed by Tony Scott and starring Denzel Washington and John Travolta. The original was a superb thriller that I would recommend to everyone, so I'm actually looking forward to this update. Tony Scott can make solid entertainment (when he's not having a cinematic stroke, a la Domino) and Washington and Travolta are solid actors. Here's hoping for a solid piece of summer entertainment.
PUBLIC ENEMIES - July 1st
The only trailer I could find online for this movie is some crappy fan-made awfulness. Basically, this is the story of John Dillinger starring Johnny Depp from director Michael Mann. I think that basically says it all.
HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE - July 17th
Really, do I need to explain this one? It's a Harry Potter movie...I'll be there. With possibly literal bells on.
FUNNY PEOPLE - July 31st
The new Judd Apatow-directed movie (his first since Knocked Up). Normally, I wouldn't get all excited about the prospect of yet another Judd Apatow project (how much over two hours will this one be?), but this project actually sounds interesting. It's about standup comedians and there's a terminal illness and it's got Adam Sandler...if nothing else, it's going to be interesting. Plus, I'm hoping for a Punchline-esque exploration of the world of the standup comedian.
WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE - October 16th
Spike Jonze directing the children's classic, which has already been delayed from 2008 because kids were getting scared during the test screenings. Awesome.
THE FANTASTIC MR. FOX - November 6th
I'm not completely sure what this movie is about exactly...all I know is that it's part-stop motion and it's from writer/director Wes Anderson. Like with a lot of the movies on this list, that partial piece of information is more than enough to get me into the theater.
A CHRISTMAS CAROL - November 6th
Robert Zemeckis is using his vast array of digital tools to adapt the classic Christmas story. I'm not so thrilled about the digital tools part, but I have heard that it's going to be a much darker version of the traditional story. Either way, I'm a fan of the basic story and I'm a fan of Robert Zemeckis.
SHERLOCK HOLMES - November 20th
I'm not a fan, however, of Guy Ritchie, who is directing this take on Sherlock Holmes. But with Robert Downey Jr. as the titluar detective and my surprising interest in the character (I read the entirety of the Sherlock Holmes tales during a trip to England with my family when I was younger), I'm excited about this project.
NINE - December 11th
A weird sort of adaptation/take-off of the classic Fellini film, 8 1/2. It's based on the stage play and is directed by Chicago's Rob Marshall. Hopefully Marshall got his wings clipped a bit after the inert Memoirs of a Geisha and is back to his comfort zone of fun cinematic musicals.
THE LOVELY BONES - December 11th
Only four years after King Kong, Peter Jackson finally returns to making movies with this adaptation of the well-known book. I haven't read the book yet, but I'm interested to see how Jackson handles his first small-scale project since the aforementioned (and awful) Kong and the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Will it be as good as Heavenly Creatures? Let's hope so.
AVATAR - December 18th
Speaking of being away from making movies for a while, welcome back James Cameron. Only twelve years after Titanic, Cameron is thundering back into the world of cinema with some mysterious alien/war/3-D project that has been mostly kept under wraps. Unfortunately, it doesn't sound like we'll be getting the old True Lies Cameron back, but will instead have to make do with this new 3-D/digital obsessed version. I need to know more about the story to get really excited about this movie (so far, it's sounded a bit cheesy), but I can't refrain from wanting more James Cameron movies. He may kill half of Hollywood to get his vision on screen, but it's usually worth it.
THE IMAGINARIUM OF DOCTOR PARNASSUS - TBD
Yes, this is Heath Ledger's true final film (it was unfinished at the time of his death, so Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell and Jude Law stepped in to help finish his role), but that's not why I'm interested to see it (though he was a good actor). Really, it's because it's the new Terry Gilliam film. Hopefully it will be more Twelve Monkeys than Tideland.
Again, there are plenty of other movies I'll see throughout the year, but I can't say I'm excited about 2012 or G.I. Joe. But who knows....
