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The summer movie season starts with The Avengers on May 4th. In anticipation, we’re counting down the movies we’re most looking forward to. We’re doing top 12s. Because it is 2012. That’s why we get paid the big bucks.
BRIAN
4. Brave
Despite the buzz, I’m still lower on this than I expected. Maybe its just a hangover from How to Train Your Dragon, but the Scottish accents just don’t have the same original feel that my favorite Pixars have. Skepticism aside, its a non-sequel and non-Mattel driven marketing make me pleased. And those baby bears look rather adorable. Brave is where I start my “less is more” list of movies that I want to know as little about as possible before seeing.
3. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
The strongest indicator of my interest in this film is that after watching the initial trailer was “Wait a sec, the Washington Monument wasnt finished while Lincoln was alive…” not “Wait a sec, um, vampires? And Lincoln?” I never read the source material, but anything this ridiculous can’t be that bad. My prediction is that it is this years Rise of the Planet of the Apes — the underrated but surprisingly well-received blockbuster of the summer.
2. The Avengers
My preferred order of the Avengers films: Iron Man, Capt. America, Iron Man 2, Thor, Ed Norton Hulk (see entry on Bourne Legacy), Eric Bana Hulk. And despite only really loving the first two, I am pumped for the first movie of the summer season. The advance buzz has been phenomenal and I’m curious to see how they build a semblance of plot while having to introduce Jeremy Renner and sort-of do the same with Scarlett Johannson.
1. Dark Knight Rises
Naturally. Anyone who doesn’t have this in at least their top 3 hates America.
JARED
4. Rock of Ages – An 80s jukebox musical with Tom Cruise as the world’s biggest rock star is pretty much my ideal blend of music, movies, and absurdity. The supporting cast, including Bryan Cranston, Paul Giamatti, Alec Baldwin, Russell Brand, Malin Akerman, Julianne Hough, and Catherine Zeta-Jones is ridiculous. That Allan Loeb co-wrote is worrisome, but Justin Theroux also co-wrote, and Hairspray director Adam Shankman is at the helm. Mostly, I’m just happy this movie exists.
3. G.I. Joe: Retaliation – If only because of Adam’s sheer glee upon watching the trailer for the first time. Also because the film was written by Rhett Reese and Paul Warnick, who wrote Zombieland. And this is a little nuts, but I kinda love the idea of Adrianne Palicki and Bruce Willis in, like, a buddy cop movie. Plus, the Rock is perfect for a movie like this. Basically, I have a lot of faith in the casting.
2. The Dark Knight Rises – I didn’t love The Dark Knight as much as everyone else in the world, so originally I had this a little lower in my rankings. But then I realized that the last one was still a really solid movie, they added three or four of my favorite actors and actresses, and there’s such a low probability of me not liking the film. Nolan may not be a perfect action filmmaker, but he’s a master of the form. I wrote this before, but am posting after that last trailer hit. But, damn. That’s a trailer.
1. The Avengers – There’s the fantastic buzz and the incredible cast, sure. But this one is simple. Joss Whedon directing a big budget comic book movie. ’Nuff said.
The summer movie season starts with The Avengers on May 4th. In anticipation, we’re counting down the movies we’re most looking forward to. We’re doing top 12s. Because it is 2012. That’s why we get paid the big bucks.
BRIAN
8. The Dictator
Considering that its only 75 minutes long, and the studio has already released the first scene — I’m pretty sure this film is going to be terrible. But. That scene in the trailer of The Dictator shooting all of his competitors in the foot race cracks me up every single time. I probably could be persuaded to spend $11 just to watch that again on the big screen even though I can watch it on YouTube for free.
7. Dark Shadows
Tim Burton’s at his best when he’s letting his freak flag fly and Dark Shadows sure looks like a return to that. Eva Green is downright sexy in the trailer, joining Michele Pfeiffer and Chloe Moretz and Johnny Depp of course. The time-traveler goes to the 70s thing could get stale quick, but the camp factor is too strong to dissuade me.
6. The Campaign
Yeah, its Will Ferrell, I know. But since he once did a passable George Bush impersonation I’m going to take it at face value and look positively upon his politically-themed comedy with Zach Galifianakis. By early August I’m going to be starving for some relief from the presidential race and this could be just whats needed.
5. Bourne Legacy
I’m fully in the tank for the Bourne series, but that was the one with Matt Damon and Paul Greengrass. The reboot features Jeremy Renner with Tony Gilroy at the helm — and the return of bit players Joan Allen, David Straitharn, Scott Glenn among others. That actually may be the strongest selling point for me — I really loved the CIA bureaucratic infighting that took a back page to shaky-cam fight scenes. Bring those actors back and you add my nonsexual mancrush Ed Norton and Rachel Weisz? Score!
JARED
8. Safety Not Guaranteed – A quirky comedy that played well at Sundance. If you haven’t read about it, the film is based on the true story of a guy who placed a craigslist ad asking for a time-traveling companion. Mark Duplass plays that guy and Aubrey Plaza and Jake Johnson play two reporters who investigate. Maybe it is just this high because I can’t stop thinking about all the patented Aubrey Plaza eyerolls that will happen. What’s the line, 15?
7. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter - I know these history/horror mashups are multiplying at an ever-increasing rate, but since grad school doesn’t leave me much time to read, this will be my first exposure. And the concept alone is ridiculous enough to get me super excited. Plus director Timur Bekmambetov’s films (Night Watch, Wanted) are always slickly creative action flicks. Not super familiar with lead Benjamin Walker, but excited by a supporting cast that includes Anthony Mackie, Dominic Cooper, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, and Alan Tudyk (as Stephen Douglas!).
6. The Amazing Spider-Man – Is it just me, or is this movie generating absolutely no buzz? I feel like I’m the only one excited for it. To be fair, the old Spiderman series had more than run its course, no one was asking for a new one, and Spiderman himself is a pretty lame character. But I have a ton of faith in director Marc Webb (and the producers for choosing a guy named “Webb” to direct the film). Andrew Garfield is super talented, and I think Rhys Ifans is going to make a great bad guy. And I think my feelings on Emma Stone are well-established at this point.
5. Seeking a Friend for the End of the World – I don’t know about you, but to me, a romantic dramedy starring Steve Carell and Keira Knightley on a road trip as the apocalypse nears sounds like a pretty fantastic premise. Everyone knows that road trip movies also depend on the wacky characters encountered along the way, and the supporting cast here is top notch, with the like of Patton Oswalt, Connie Britton, and TJ Miller filling out the ranks, among others. Also, the movie is written and directed by Lorene Scarfaria, who wrote the screenplay to another kind of road trip dramedy that was my fifth-favorite movie of 2008: Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist.
The summer movie season starts with The Avengers on May 4th. In anticipation, we’re counting down the movies we’re most looking forward to. We’re doing top 12s. Because it is 2012. That’s why we get paid the big bucks.
BRIAN
12. Magic Mike
21 Jump Street sold me on Channing Tatum as being anything other than cheap eye candy. He can do funny, and I imagine that the amount of dramatic acting he’ll have to do in this he’ll succeed with since it’s practically biographical. The trailer drew me in a lot more than I thought it would. Looks like it could be good fun.
11. Prometheus
One of the biggest holes on my “movies to watch” is the Alien series. I also haven’t watched any of the
trailers for Prometheus – so this is an odd one to land on my list. But the accumulated anticipation from geeks I respect convinced me to put it in my top 12. I plan on seeing it — but going in totally in the dark. This one’s for you, Dagneau.
10. Hysteria
Quirky sex comedy about Victorian England? Sure, why not! Plus a pretty decent cast with Maggie Gyllenhaal and Jonathan Pryce (one of my favorite Bond villains of the modern Bond era).
9. God Bless America
I’ll most definitely be waiting for DVD on this one, but the concept itself is rather enjoyable. There’s a little bit of Kick-Ass in the trailer, and if Bobcat Golthwait go as over the top as I imagine he will, then this should be a good cult classic. But only if they stick the landing.
JARED
12. Total Recall – The original is one of my favorite movies ever. I don’t think it demanded a remake, necessarily, but it sounds like they are going in a different direction, and Philip K. Dick stories are super-adaptable. Plus Colin Farrell facing off against Bryan Cranston should be a lot of fun.
11. Lawless – By law, if you have a movie blog, you are terribly excited for this John Hillcoat movie about bootleggers in 1930s Virginia. The cast is pretty much entirely made up of Oscar-watchers favorite actors: Tom Hardy, Guy Pearce, Gary Oldman, Jessica Chastain, Mia Wasikowska, and also Shia LaBeouf. Honestly, it almost sounds like the perfect movie, my only concerns are that I didn’t love The Road and a release date that’s shifted around a few times.
10. Brave – To paraphrase a movie from someone coming up later on this list: “It’s cut! It’s cut! Pixar is cut and it’s a bad cut.” We all knew Pixar had to be mortal, even if no one wanted to believe it. They still get the benefit of the doubt, of course, and I’m super excited for the movie. Great to see Kevin McKidd get a plum role too.
9. The Expendables 2 – I’m curious if there’s anyone on the fence about seeing this movie. Because it sorta seems like you know exactly what you are getting. Obviously you all know where I stand. And it only helps that the film is directed by Simon West, who did Con Air and Lara Croft: Tomb Raider.
The summer movie season starts with The Avengers on May 4th. In anticipation, we’re counting down the movies we’re most looking forward to. We agreed to do top 12s, but I got a little overexcited. Actually, turns out, a lot overexcited. Here’s the second part of the preliminary movies.
19. Magic Mike – Channing Tatum stars in this film loosely based on his life as a stripper. Plus Matthew McConaughey, Alex Pettyfer, and Matt Bomer, so I think the film has cornered the market on actors typecast as bland pretty boys. You gotta admire director Steven Soderbergh’s stubborn refusal to stick to any one genre.
18. Battleship – Sometimes you just want a big dumb popcorn movie, you know? Plus, it was written by the guys who did the script to Red and is directed by Peter Berg, who was kind enough to feature two Friday Night Lights alums. And, you know, Liam Neeson.
17. Sparkle – The film is about a (fictional) Motown girl group. I love Motown girl groups. A lot. And Jordin Sparks can certainly sing well. The movie, of course, has taken on a different hue after co-star Whitney Houston’s untimely passing, featuring her in a role that some had been calling a comeback for the singer/actress.
16. Dark Shadows – You may want to sit down for this revelation: this Tim Burton/Johnny Depp collaboration looks bizarre. The cast is appropriately Burtonian (Chloe Grace Moretz’s career made this team up inevitable, for example), and Pfeiffer and Eva Green are inspired choices. Sure, the movie may be based on a mostly-forgotten TV show, but boasts a story from John August and a script from Seth Grahame-Smith, the creator of The Hard Times of RJ Berger (a fact that only interests me), and writer of a film still to come on my list.
15. Premium Rush – I don’t exactly know what a bike messenger action movie is, but if Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Michael Shannon are in it, then I’m coming along from the ride. Also, I won’t bother to list them all out, but director/co-writer David Koepp has written at least a half-dozen action movies that you’ve seen.
14. Take This Waltz – A decade ago, Michelle Williams was on Dawson’s Creek, Seth Rogen was on Undeclared, and Sarah Polley was in a bit of wilderness after The Sweet Hereafter. Things have changed a little. With Away From Her, Polley showed a deft touch and surprising ability to craft a compelling movie about relationships. Which is relevant to this film about a happily married women drawn to another man.
13. Ted – One of those movies where even knowing a bunch about it, I essentially have no clue what I’ll think of it. The movie is Seth MacFarlane’s baby, and he voices the titular foul-mouthed teddy bear who is apparently alive or something and living with Mark Wahlberg. The trailer has some funny bits and may well be a live-action Family Guy. Mila Kunis also co-stars.
The summer movie season starts with The Avengers on May 4th. In anticipation, we’re counting down the movies we’re most looking forward to. We agreed to do top 12s, but I got a little overexcited. Actually, turns out, a lot overexcited. Here’s part I of the preliminary movies.
25. Hope Springs – Meryl Streep and Tommy Lee Jones play a married couple seeking professional counseling from Steve Carell in this dramedy from the director of The Devil Wears Prada and the writer of the last filmed episode of Cupid (the first go-round). Anyone who isn’t a little excited about Streep and Jones going head to head is probably reading the wrong blog.
24. Savages – So every preview of this film begins with Taylor Kitsch and Aaron Johnson playing drug dealers who have to go rescue their common girlfriend, Blake Lively, after she gets kidnapped, and that the movie is directed by Oliver Stone. If you stop reading there, you’ll miss a Tarantinoesque supporting cast that somehow includes: John Travolta, Salma Hayek, Demian Bichir, Emile Hirsch, Uma Thurman, and Benicio del Toro. And that the movie looks absolutely friggin’ insane.
23. Your Sister’s Sister – I’m not the world’s biggest Lynn Shelton or Mark Duplass fan, but count me in for any love triangle involving Emily Blunt and Rosemarie DeWitt.
22. God Bless America – Sure, odds are the film ends up like Bobcat Goldthwait’s previous effort: World’s Greatest Dad – great idea, middling execution. But when that idea is a middle-aged guy going on a shooting spree to rid the world of obnoxious people, well, you get a little leeway.
21. Ruby Sparks – You might remember directors Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris’s last movie: Little Miss Sunshine. Which came out a half-decade ago. That’s a mighty long vacation. For their “comeback”, they chose a film written by Zoe Kazan, who co-stars as a fictional character dreamed up by writer Paul Dano that comes to life. The movie boasts a rather fun supporting cast, including: Chris Messina, Annette Bening, Alia Shawkat, Antonio Banderas, Deborah Ann Woll, and Steve Coogan. The crazy talented Kazan, by the way, is due for a mainstream breakout any day now.
20. Sleepless Night – All descriptions of this French action/thriller I’ve found make it sound like a generic genre piece involving cops and drugs and having one night to get some drugs to Mr. MacGuffin’s or wherever. But the early slate of reviews I’ve seen suggest the film is a taut, frenetic, thrill ride that revitalizes the genre.
October 6, 2008: I review Gymkata
April 9, 2012: AV Club reviews Gymkata as a Film That Time Forgot
—————–
April 11, 2009: I review On the Line
March 28, 2012: AV Club reviews On the Line as a film in My World of Flops
Obviously, the only logical conclusion is that Nathan Rabin has been searching the history of this here blog for ideas.
2011 was a bad year for movies, but fortunately 2012 promises to be much better. I’ve already got about 100 movies on my list of ones I want to see, and that’s just counting films with some sort of release date. Here’s part four (the last part) of that list, broken into categories (some wittier than others). Categories this time include: Lincoln, Luc Besson, Meh, but, Mumblecore goes big, Musical, Ridiculous action, RomCom, Taylor Kitsch-led, The State comedy, and finally ZomRomCom.
LINCOLN
Lincoln (Dec) – Steven Spielberg is directing this adaptation of Doris Kearns Goodwin’s Team of Rivals. I’ve read the book, it is quite good. Daniel Day-Lewis has become Abraham Lincoln, and the rest of the ridiculous cast includes three-named people Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Tommy Lee Jones, and Jackie Earle Haley, along with Lee Pace, James Spader, Sally Field, David Straitharn, John Hawkes and Walton Goggins.
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (Jun 22) – I’m fascinated to see how this one turns out. The guy who wrote the novel and co-wrote the script, Simon Kinberg, also worked on the Mr. and Mrs. Smith script. And the other co-writer worked on the Dark Shadows script and created the vastly underappreciated Hard Times of RJ Berger. Benjamin Walker is the titual president/killer of vampires, but Mary Elizabeth Winstead plays Mary Todd, Alan Tudyk is Stephen Douglas, plus Dominic Cooper, Anthony Mackie, and Rufus Sewell show up. Oh, and it is directed by the guy who did the stylish Night Watch and Wanted.
LUC BESSON
Lock-Out (Apr 20) – Trailer here. Seems like Luc Besson’s take on Escape from New York, starring Guy Pearce, Peter Stormare, and Maggie Grace. I want to see this one so very very badly.
Taken 2 (Oct 2) – I know some people were pleasantly surprised by Taken, and I’m happy for them, but that was pure Luc Besson. Apatow:comedy::Luc Besson:action. No one does taut, streamlined, exhilarating action like he does.
MEH, BUT
The Grey (Jan 27) – Trailer here. The trailer doesn’t look terrible exciting. But it is Liam Neeson fighting wolves in Alaska, so…
Gone (Feb 24) – Trailer here. A tired thriller premise (the main character can’t get anyone to believe him), uninspired trailer and lame title, from a screenwriter who has done almost a dozen things you haven’t heard of. But it stars Amanda Seyfried.
MUMBLECORE GOES BIG
Jeff Who Lives at Home (Mar 2) – Written and directed by the Duplass brothers, this one stars Jason Segel, Judy Greer, Ed Helms, and Susan Sarandon. If that group can’t get me to finally like something mumblecore, not sure anything will.
Your Sister’s Sister (Sep) – Written and directed by Lynn Shelton, stars Emily Blunt, Mark Duplass, and Rosemarie DeWitt.
MUSICAL
Les Miserables (Dec 7) – I’ve never seen the musical, for which I apologize profusely. Directed by Tom Hooper, the helmer of The King’s Speech. The big news is that he is going to have the actors actually sing while he is taping and use that, as opposed to the normal practice of recording elsewhere and lip syncing. A heavyweight that includes Anne Hathaway, Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Helena Bonham Carter, Sacha Baron Cohen, Eddie Redmayne, and just today offers went out to Amanda Seyfried and Taylor Swift. So everyone can sing, it would appear. What, you didn’t forget Crowe’s 30 Odd Foot of Grunts, did you?
Rock of Ages (Jun 1) – Directed by Adam Shankman (Hairspray) and Justin Theroux (Iron Man) has a writing credit. An ’80s jukebox musical starring Tom Cruise, Julianne Hough, Paul Giamatti, Alec Baldwin, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Malin Akerman, Bryan Cranston, and Russell Brand. It appears to have been made solely for me. So thanks, guys!
Sparkle (Aug 10) – The triumphant movie return of Whitney Houston, plus Jordin Sparks and Mike Epps are in it as well. The plot description makes it seem like basically a Behind the Music for a girl group of three sisters.
Twylight Zones (Oct 19) – Written and directed by David Chase, and OK, not a true musical, but it is about friends in 1960s New Jersey forming a rock band.
RIDICULOUS ACTION
Bullet to the Head (Apr 13) – Sylvester Stallone and Jason Momoa begrudgingly team up to kill lots of people for very good reasons I’m sure. Director Walter Hill kinda went away for awhile, but he did do The Warriors. Also, Christian Slater is in it.
Safe (Apr 27) – Trailer here. Jason Statham protects a little girl who MacGuffin’s the MacGuffin’s MacGuffin, only for MacGuffin to MacGuffin and then a lot of guys get beat up real good.
Parker (Oct 12) – I swear all of these facts are true. The imdb plot description: “A crime/thriller centered on a thief who lives by a code of honor that includes never stealing money from people who need it.”. The stars: Jason Statham, Nick Nolte, Jennifer Lopez, Michael Chiklis, Clifton Collins, Jr., Wendell Pierce. The screenwriter has credits on: Man of the House and Black Swan. The director was nominated for an Oscar for: Ray. I think this movie will end up either in my top or bottom 10 of the year.
ROMCOM
This Means War (Feb 17) – Trailer here. Starring Reese Witherspoon, Tom Hardy, and Chris Pine, and directed by McG. I dunno, the film looks well-cast and like a whole lot of fun. I’m guessing you’ll get out of this exactly what you expect.
Salmon Fishing in the Yemen (Mar 9) – Trailer here. Good lord that is a terrible name for a movie. But it is Oscar-nominee Lasse Hallstrom (Cider House Rules, My Life as a Dog) directed from a script by Oscar-winner Simon Beaufay (127 Hours, Slumdog Millionaire, The Full Monty), and starring Ewan McGregor and Emily Blunt.
Playing the Field (Mar 9) – Gerard Butler plays a former soccer player who coaches his son’s team and hits on all the soccer moms, who apparently include Jessica Biel, Judy Greer, Uma Thurman, and Catherine Zeta-Jones. Written by the guy who wrote So I Married an Axe Murderer.
The Wedding (Oct 19) – What a delightfully generic title. However, the film is written and directed by the creator of the decent Lights Out and stars Diane Keaton and Roberto De Niro as a couple who have been divorced for years, but pretend to be married for the sake of a big wedding in the family. The supporting cast includes Amanda Seyfried, Robin Williams, Katherine Heigl, Topher Grace, and Susan Sarandon.
Think Like a Man (Mar 9) – Trailer here. Apologies, I need to copy the imdb plot description here: “Four friends conspire to turn the tables on their women when they discover the ladies have been using Steve Harvey’s relationship advice against them.” I’m so in. From the director of Barbershop and two of the writers of Friends with Benefits. And the cast is kinda fantastic: Taraji P. Henson, Gabrielle Union, Meagan Good, Michael Ealy, Morris Chestnut, and, um, Kevin Hart and Jerry Ferrera.
TAYLOR-KITSCH LED
Battleship (May 18) – Trailer here. Wisely, it looks like they made the board game tie-in irrelevant. And you can’t go wrong with Liam Neeson as a crusty Admiral. Plus Brooklyn Decker and Rihanna are…interesting choices. I went back and forth on which category this one belongs in, and I think I made a mistake, because it is directed by Peter Berg and Jesse Plemons is in it, so it probably should have stayed in FNL.
John Carter (Mar 9) – Trailer here. An iffy trailer, ridiculous budget (at least $250 million) and slightly bizarre premise (Civil War vet somehow ends up on Mars dealing with 12 foot tall aliens) may be worrisome. But the film was directed and co-written (along with Michael Chabon) by WALL-E‘s Andrew Stanton. And the supporting cast is Bryan Cranston, Mark Strong, Ciaran Hinds, Thomas Haden Church, Dominic West, and Willem Dafoe. I hope they all play bad guys, because that would be the greatest crew of villains ever.
Savages (Sep 28) – Apparently the plot is that Kitsch and Aaron Johnson grow pot and share Blake Lively as a girlfriend (which, fair). She gets kidnapped by a Mexican cartel and then things get real. Directed by Oliver Stone, somehow, and co-starring John Travolta, Emile Hirsch, Salma Hayek, Uma Thurman, and Benicio Del Toro.
THE STATE COMEDY
Wanderlust (Feb 24) – Trailer here. I maintain that when The State guys are constrained by something (time, money, egos), they make some of my most favoritest things. David Wain directs this one and co-wrote with Ken Marino. Paul Rudd stars, of course, along with much of the usual crew. I’m not the biggest Jennifer Aniston fan, but I’m excited to see what they do with her and absolutely thrilled to see Alan Alda, Malin Akerman, Lauren Ambrose, Ray Liotta and Kathryn Hahn in this movie.
Donny’s Boy (Jun 15) – This movie appears to be the result of some mad scientist’s crazed comedy experiment. The script was originally rewritten by the guy who created Happy Endings, was then rewritten by Marino and Wain, is directed by Sean Anders and John Morris (Sex Drive, She’s Out of My League, Hot Tub Time Machine), and stars Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg, and Leighton Meester, with James Caan and Susan Sarandon.
ZOMROMCOM
Warm Bodies (Aug 10) – You had me at “when a zombie gets involved with the girlfriend of one of his victims.” Written and directed by Jonathan Levine, who did the same on The Wackness and directed 50/50. Stars Nicholas Hoult, Teresa Palmer, John Malkovich and Analeigh Tipton (the babysitter from Crazy, Stupid, Love).
April Apocalypse (TBD) – Doesn’t have an official release date, so I apologize for cheating, but I wanted this one on here. So according to the imdb plot description, this guy (Reece Thompson) has a huge crush on his best friend (Rebekah Brandes) and when he finally gets the courage to admit it, he first finds out she’s moving away with her family. A few years later, he decides to go find her, but on the way he crashes, and awakens to a zombie apocalypse. Awesome! Also, Reece Thompson is great, I just watched Bellflower and kind of have a crush on Brandes. Sarah Hyland is in the film, but most importantly, so is George Lopez.
2011 was a bad year for movies, but fortunately 2012 promises to be much better. I’ve already got about 100 movies on my list of ones I want to see, and that’s just counting films with some sort of release date. Here’s part three of that list, broken into categories (some wittier than others). Categories this time include: FNL, Franchise, Funny Comedy, and Interesting Oscar.
FNL
Beneath the Darkness (Jan 6) – Trailer here. OK, yes, it looks like a rather uninspired thriller. But I watched Prom, so I guess I’ll watch any Aimee Teegarden film. Plus, Dennis Quaid as a creepy killer does sound like a great idea.
Chronicle (Feb 3) – Trailer here. I’m not much for the found footage look, but this one seems like it might be an interesting spin on the superpower story. And Michael B. Jordan is pretty awesome.
The Marriage Counselor (Jul 27) – A Tyler Perry film starring Jurnee Smollett, Vanessa Williams, and Brandy.
FRANCHISE
The Amazing Spider-Man (Jul 3) – Trailer here. Marc Webb directing Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone and I’m hyperventilating just thinking about it.
American Reunion (Apr 6) – Trailer here. Everyone is back from the original, plus this one is written and directed by the guys who did Harold and Kumar. One of whom graduated from the University of Chicago. Just saying.
The Dark Knight Rises (Jul 20) – Trailer here. I think the last movie was a little overrated. Please don’t hurt me.
The Avengers (May 4) – Trailer here. Joss Whedon does superheroes. Wait a second. I didn’t realize Captain Hammer was in the Avengers?
Skyfall (Nov 9) – I love Bond more than almost anything in the world. A love that is being severely tested by the continued insistence on including screenwriters I can’t stand. First Paul Haggis and now John Logan? I think that means Peter Morgan has to co-write the next one.
Wrath of Titans (Mar 30) – Trailer here. I still need to see the first one, but that trailer has me pretty interested in this one.
Men in Black III (May 25) – Trailer here. So the problems with the film’s script have been near legendary. That said, I could watch Josh Brolin do a Tommy Lee Jones impression for a long time. And I’m not sure what has me giggling more: that Emma Thompson plays an agent in the film (by the way, along with Will Smith, that makes four Oscar nominated or winning actors) or that the young version of her is played by Alice Eve. Also, Jemaine Clement is the bad guy.
GI Joe 2 (Jun 29) – Trailer here. Watching Adam’s increasing glee as he watched this trailer, knowing he’d just get more and more excited about it was a whole lot of fun.
The Expendables 2 (Aug 17 ) – Trailer here. The first one was awesome, and this one is directed by the guy who did Con Air, so….
FUNNY COMEDY
Project X (Mar 2) – Trailer here. Early buzz is that film is hilarious and The Hangover keeps being referenced, though the cast here are all relative unknowns. One of the screenwriters also co-wrote Scott Pilgrim.
Butter (Mar 16) – For awhile I thought this one was going to get released in 2011, so hopefully it keeps this date. This film is a comedy about competitive butter carving, and I swear I’m not making it up. It stars Jennifer Garner, Ty Burrell, Hugh Jackman, Olivia Wilde, and Kristen Schaal, among others. It is directed by Jim Field Smith, who did She’s Out of My League, which is why this one has been on my radar for a bit.
Goon (Mar 30) – Trailer here. Not the Kevin Smith hockey movie, this is the one co-written by Jay Baruchel and starring Seann Williams Scott. I think the trailer looks decent, and the world needs more Alison Pill.
Neighborhood Watch (July 27) – Written by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, and directed by Akiva Schaffer (one of the Lonely Island guys), this scifi comedy stars Jonah Hill, Vince Vaughn, Ben Stiller, and Billy Crudup.
Fun Size (Oct 12) – A Halloween comedy that maybe doesn’t have the most exciting cast in the world (Victoria Justice, Johnny Knoxville, Chelsea Handler, though Jane Levy and Riki Lindhome are in it), but it was written by a Colbert Report writer and it is directed by Josh Schwartz.
The Silver Linings Playbook (Nov 21) – I don’t like David O. Russell, but I’ll totally watch a comedy starring Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro, Bradley Cooper and Julia Stiles, no matter the director.
Parental Guidance (Nov 21) – The imdb plot description make the film sound atrocious, but it is Billy Crystal, Bette Midler, and Marisa Tomei, so maybe it will be good.
INTERESTING OSCAR
World War Z (Dec 21) – The book is brilliant and the film stars Brad Pitt, so….Um. Wait a second. Didn’t I write that exact same thing about Moneyball a year ago? Uh oh. Also, there was a quote that came out today that said the film is a mix between Bourne and The Walking Dead, which pretty much sounds like the worst thing ever.
Django Unchained (Dec 25) – This is the Quentin Taratino slave one with Jamie Foxx and Leonardo DiCaprio. Oh and like a million other awesome people, including Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, Christoph Waltz, Don Johnson, Michael Kenneth Williams, and Kerry Washington.
Gravity (Nov 21) – Haven’t gotten a great feel for this movie yet, but it is by Alfonso Cuaron and sounds like it is pretty much just Sandra Bullock and George Clooney alone in space. So, awesome.
Argo (Sep 14) – Directed by Ben Affleck, this is the ridiculous, but true, story of how the CIA extracted Americans from Iran by going in pretending to be a film crew. Bryan Cranston, John Goodman, and Kyle Chandler star alongside Affleck and geez that’s a solid core.
The Great Gatsby (Dec 25) – Almost seems too on the nose for Oscar, right? Directed and co-written by Baz Luhrmann. Stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan, Joel Edgerton, Isla Fisher, Tobey Maguire, and Jason Clarke. Just so we are clear, of the six people I’ve mentioned, only two are American. That’s an unacceptable number when filming a movie adaptation of The Great American Novel! That said, I can hear million of high school students exclaiming joys of relief that they can just watch the movie now. Which is sad. The Great Gatsby is actually one of the best book they’ll force you to read.
2011 was a bad year for movies, but fortunately 2012 promises to be much better. I’ve already got about 100 movies on my list of ones I want to see, and that’s just counting films with some sort of release date. Here’s part two of that list, broken into categories (some wittier than others). Categories this time include: Classic Remake, Comedy Great Cast, Contained Thriller, Cool Action, Stuff that didn’t fit into a category, Fairytale
CLASSIC REMAKE
Total Recall (Aug 3) – The original is one of my absolute favorite films. You probably saw the video that spread around the internet from the commentary, where Arnold mindlessly narrates exactly what’s happening on screen. Believe me, the entire commentary is like that. However, director Paul Verhoeven does get off a great line, talking about Sharon Stone and her reluctance to show much skin in the movie: “Sharon didn’t want to reveal too much of herself in this film. I did get her back for that next time.” Oh, this one has Colin Farrell, Jessica Biel, Kate Beckinsale, Bryan Cranston, Bill Nighy, and a script worked on by a lot of guys who know what they are doing.
Dredd (Sep 21) – Judge Dredd is another fantastic futuristic movie. This version is directed by the guy who did Vantage Point. I have no idea what Karl Urban will bring to the table, but any equation where Diane Lane = Olivia Thirlby is one I’m OK with.
Red Dawn (Nov 2) – The original is just so so good. I mean, it gets completely ridiculous from the very first scene and maintains that high level of absurdity throughout. This film has been in the can for awhile, but the delay in release date is due mostly to MGM being unable to keep their studio afloat. Which may turn out best for the box office, now that the cast (Chris Hemsworth, Josh Hutcherson, Josh Peck, Adrianne Palicki, Isabel Lucas, and Jeffrey Dean Morgan) has largely gotten more famous.
COMEDY GREAT CAST
Movie 43 (Apr 13) – So the film is actually comprised of several distinct short segments, directed by the likes of Elizabeth Banks, James Gunn, Bob Odenkirk, and Brett Ratner, among others, one of which is apparently a spoof of DC Comics heroes speed dating. That features Kristen Bell, Justin Long, Uma Thurman, Leslie Bibb, and Bobby Cannvale. There are too many actors in other segments to the list, but some are: Kate Winslet, Hugh Jackman, Tony Shalhoub, Anna Faris, Chris Pratt, and Richard Gere. And oh yes, Emma Stone.
Seeking a Friend for the End of the World (Apr 20) – You had me at from the screenwriter of Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist. The film is apparently road trip meets apocalypse and stars Steve Carell and Keira Knightley in one of the most unlikely pairings I can think of. The stellar supporting cast includes Connie Britton, Patton Oswalt, Melanie Lynskey, Gillian Jacobs, T.J. Miller, and Melinda Dillon.
My Mother’s Curse (Nov 2) – Written by Dan Fogelman, a screenwriter whose work I can pretty much guarantee you’ve seen in the past year. Another road trip movie, this one stars Seth Rogen and Barbra Streisand, which may be the other most unlikely pairing I can think of. The supporting cast includes actors from each of my current favorite comedies on the air (note date of post, future Jared): Yvonne Strahovski, Adam Scott, Danny Pudi, and Casey Wilson, plus Dale Dickey and Colin Hanks.
CONTAINED THRILLER
The Divide (Jan 13) – Trailer here. A bunch of people trapped in a basement for a few days. Basically the plot of a half dozen Twilight Zone episodes, so you know I’m in.
Man on a Ledge (Jan 27) – Trailer here. I’m just guessing at the containedness, but the trailer reminds me a lot of Phone Booth, which is quite underrated.
COOL ACTION
The Hunger Games (Mar 23) – Trailer here. I’m sure everyone else in the world knows more about this one than I do, but if I understand the premise correctly, this is basically Battle Royale, yes?
Haywire (Jan 20) – Trailer here. I’m always up for a revenge action flick. This one is directed by Steven Soderbergh and stars Gina Carano who actually is a real life fighter, even if she doesn’t necessarily look the part.
Red Tails (Jan 20) – Trailer here. You’ve probably seen and forgotten the trailer a number of times. I’ll admit it does look kind of forgettable, even if it does feature Bryan Cranston and my music crush Ne-Yo, among others. But then I found out the script was co-written by Aaron McGruder, the guy who created The Boondocks.
Safe House (Feb 10) – Trailer here. Another CIA agent on the run movie, but this one stars Ryan Reynolds and Denzel Washington, plus Brendan Gleeson is in it. You know, I think I’m OK with Denzel playing morally questionable guys in action movies for a little while longer.
The Raid (TBD) – An Indonesian martial arts film that apparently went over huge at TIFF.
The Cold Light of Day (Apr 6) – It stars the new Superman (Henry Cavill), Bruce Willis, and Sigourney Weaver, who should combine to make even a halfway decent action script work.
STUFF THAT DIDN’T FIT INTO A CATEGORY
Big Miracle (Feb 3) – Trailer here. I imagine you’ll know if you want to see it based on the trailer, but Ken Kwapis is a very compentent comedy director, and Kristen Bell is in it, along with Stephen Root and Tim Blake Nelson.
The Cabin in the Woods (Apr 13) – Trailer here. Joss Whedon does horror.
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (May 4) – Trailer here. Release date has been bumped back a bit. But I’ll be a sucker for any old person comedy starring Dames Judi Dench and Maggie Smith, plus Tom Wilkinson and Bill Nighy.
Magic Mike (Jun 29) – Based on Channing Tatum’s life as a stripper and directed by Steven Soderbergh.
The Odd Life of Timothy Green (Aug 15) – Trailer here. Jennifer Garner and Joel Edgerton wish for a son who then magically appears. Co-written by Peter Hedges, who co-wrote About a Boy and Ahmet Zappa. Ron Livingston, Dianne Wiest, Common, and Rosemarie DeWitt appear.
Great Hope Springs (Dec 14) – A couple goes to a weekend-long counseling session. Sounds iffy, but when the couple is Meryl Streep and Tommy Lee Jones, and the doctor is Steve Carell, well, I’m interested. We can start talking Streep Oscar buzz for it now, if you’d like, since the director also did Devil Wears Prada. Also, the screenwriter (Vanessa Taylor) co-wrote the last episode of Cupid.
FAIRYTALE
Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters (Mar 2) – No trailer yet, but everything I’ve heard points to this action comedy being absolutely insane, as it is directed by Tommy Wirkola, who did Dead Snow, the Norwegian Nazi zombie movie that I did in fact watch. The film stars Gemma Arterton and Jeremy Renner, which is terribly exciting.
Mirror Mirror (Mar 16) – Trailer here. The Snow White movie I’m rooting for. I think Julia Roberts is an excellent choice to play the evil stepmother. And I keep hoping Tarsem Singh breaks out big because his visuals are unique and just so stunning.
Snow White and the Huntsmen (Jun 1) – Trailer here. That said, Charlize Theron is also an excellent casting choice. Plus this one has Ian MacShane, Bob Hoskins, and Eddie Marsan.
Jack the Giant Killer (Jun 15) – Trailer here. I’m not sure I believe Bryan Singer has directed anything good since The Usual Suspects. But it is hard to argue with a cast of Ian MacShane, Eddie Marsan, Stanley Tucci, Bill Nighy, Warwick Davis, and Nicholas Hoult (who was, let’s not forget, the kid from About a Boy).
2011 was a bad year for movies, but fortunately 2012 promises to be much better. I’ve already got about 100 movies on my list of ones I want to see, and that’s just counting films with some sort of release date. Here’s part one of that list, broken into categories (some wittier than others). Categories this time include: Adult Drama, Animated, Apatow, Awesome, Bizarre Remake, Can’t Be Real, and Chase.
ADULT DRAMA
Albatross (Jan 13) – Trailer here. Haven’t seen Like Crazy yet, but Felicity Jones is supposed to be great.
Being Flynn (Mar 2) – Trailer here. Seems like I’ve seen the trailer a million times in the past few weeks, so I almost felt obligated to put it on the list. But it looks like De Niro maybe might have stopped doing whatever it is that he’s done for the past decade. I’m always in the tank for Paul Dano, and the blog loves Olivia Thirlby. Plus, Chris Weitz has directed a lot of dreck since American Pie and About a Boy, but there’s always potential for a return to form.
The Deep Blue Sea (Mar 30) – Trailer here, though it is atrocious, so not recommended. Rachel Weisz is supposed to be fantastic in this adaptation of a play. Based on the trailer and imdb’s plot description, though, it does seem like a whole lot of nothing happens. Which is a price I’ve paid before to see a Rachel Weisz film.
Learning to Fly (Mar 30) – If you are looking for reasons to not see this one: it opens in March, is from the director of Beastly and the imdb description is “Two mothers team up to make a difference at a local school.” But, it does star Viola Davis, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Holly Hunter. Plus, Ving Rhames apparently plays a principal.
ANIMATED
Brave (Jun 22) – Trailer here. I can’t stand the discussion topics surrounding the fact that this film is Pixar’s first with a female protagonist. A good story is a good story is a good story. And Pixar knows good stories. Also, Kevin McKidd gets to voice a character using his (presumably) natural accent.
The Pirates! Band of Misfits (Mar 30) – Trailer here. From Aardman Studios, who do the Wallace and Gromit stuff, so certainly gets the benefit of the doubt. Great voice cast, including Hugh Grant, Brendan Gleeson, Jeremy Piven, Lenny Henry, and others. Also, I don’t believe it is in that trailer, but the line that goes: “Some of you are as ugly as a sea cucumber, some of you are closer to being a chair or coat rack than pirate, and some of you are fish I’ve dressed in hats” keeps making me laugh. Doesn’t take much.
ParaNorman (Aug 17) – Trailer here. Looks kinda insane. In a good way. Plus, John Goodman.
Hotel Transylvania (Sep 21) – Voice talent maybe isn’t the most inspiring in the world (Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Sandler’s SNL crew, Miley Cyrus). But they had me at: “Dracula, who operates a high-end resort away from the human world”.
Frankenweenie (Oct 5) – A Tim Burton joint, so obviously a must-see. The screenplay was written by frequent collaborator John August, whose blog is highly recommended for people interested in movies.
Wreck-It Ralph (Nov 12) – A brilliant premise (a bad guy from a video games who longs to be a good guy busts out of his game), great voice actors (John C. Reilly, Jack McBrayer, and Jane Lynch), and directed by a guy who’s done episodes of The Simpsons, The Critic, and Futurama.
APATOW
This is 40 (Dec 21) – Written and directed by the man himself, this is the Knocked Up spinoff starring Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann.
The Five Year Engagement (April 27) – Trailer here. After Forgetting Sarah Marshall and The Muppets, I’m so completely in the tank for Jason Segel and Nicholas Stoller. Starring Segel and Emily Blunt, the supporting cast somehow includes Alison Brie and Chris Pratt. Plus, Rhys Ifans and Jacki Weaver.
AWESOME
Gangster Squad (Oct 19) – I dare you to find something not awesome about this movie. It is about the LAPD taking on the mafia in the 40s and 50s. The cast includes Ryan Gosling, Sean Penn, Josh Brolin, Nick Nolte, Anthony Mackie, and Emma freakin’ Stone. It is directed by the guy who did Zombieland and written by a writer for Castle.
Looper (Sep 28) – This one is about a time traveling hit man. It is from Rian Johnson (Brick), and stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Emily Blunt, and Bruce Willis, with a supporting cast that includes Paul Dano, Jeff Daniels, and Mahandra from Wonderfalls. I couldn’t ask much more from a movie.
Seven Psychopaths (TBD) – Doesn’t have a release date, but was too awesome not include. From the guy who did In Bruges, this one also stars Colin Farrell, plus Woody Harrelson, Sam Rockwell, and Christopher Walken.
BIZARRE REMAKES
21 Jump Street (Mar 16) – Trailer here. Call me crazy, but I kinda liked the trailer. Plus, the script was co-written by one of the guys who wrote Scott Pilgrim. And the love interests are Ellie Kemper and Brie Larson.
The Three Stooges (Apr 13) – Trailer here. I also smiled at this trailer, so it is entirely possible I’m an idiot. Still, the Farrelly brothers were born to write a Three Stooges movie, don’t you think?
Dark Shadows (May 11) – Of course Tim Burton would remake a gothic horor TV show that ran for five seasons in the 60s. The cast, though, is SO Tim Burton (Depp and Bonharm Carter, of course, with Eva Green, Michelle Pfeiffer, Chloe Moretz, Jackie Earle Haley, and Christopher Lee).
CAN’T BE REAL
Ted (Jul 13) – Seth MacFarlane co-wrote and directed this film about a guy whose teddy bear comes to life. Yup. And it stars Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis. And Joel McHale is in it.
Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (Feb 17) – Trailer here. Sure, it is from the guys who did Crank. Of course, they also did Crank 2, Gamer, and Jonah Hex. Also, I don’t think a single person wanted this sequel, even if it does have both Idris Elba and Ciaran Hinds. And it was roundly booed by comic fans at its first showing, so…who was this movie for, exactly?
The Raven (Mar 9) – Trailer here. I don’t know why it had to be Edgar Allen Poe turning into a detective trying to track down a killer borrowing from his stories. But I’m glad it exists and that John Cusack is Poe. And that Brendan Gleeson and Alice Eve co-star.
47 Ronin (Nov 21) – So you’ve got a story about 18th century samurai. Who do you cast as the lead? Duh, Keanu Reeves. And who do you get to write the screenplay? Duh, Oscar-nominated screenwriter Hossein Amini AND the guy who wrote Cellular and three of the Fast and the Furious sequels.
CHASE
Premium Rush (Aug 24) – Trailer here. A dirty cop chasing a bike messenger may not sound like the most exciting thing in the world, but when the two are played by Michael Shannon and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, things change a little bit. Plus, David Koepp knows his way around a big, broad action script.
Outrun (Aug 24) – Stupid Dax Shepard plays a stupid former getaway driver with the stupid name of Charlie Bronson who goes into Witness Protection because he is stupid and then the bad guys find him. No, I’m not still bitter that he’s with Kristen Bell. Who is also in the movie, along with Kristin Chenoweth, which makes me happy on multiple levels. Bradley Cooper is also in the film, as is Ryan Hansen.
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