Coming Up In 2008 January 4, 2008
Posted by gproject in : Articles , add a commentTrying to pick out films for the upcoming year is such a difficult task given the sheer amount of theatrical releases planned for the next 12 months. I still believe that one of the most exciting aspects of cinema-going is discovering something great when you weren’t expecting it, but with ever-present marketing campaigns starting up to 12 months in advance of some releases, it’s hard to go into anything completely cold. So with that in mind, here’s a quick look at some of the most anticipated releases for 2008. I’m slipping in a few of my personal choices too in the hope of bringing them to your attention.
Let’s kick off with the inevitable comic book adaptations, of which there are a few on the way this year. You’ll be able to see the Edward Norton-starring reinterpretation of The Incredible Hulk, as well as a follow-up to 2004’s The Punisher in the form of Punisher: War Zone, and Oscar nominated director Guillermo del Toro’s return to his favourite comic character with Hellboy II: The Golden Army. Sitting slightly higher on the anticipation scale after going over a storm at comic conventions last year, is Iron Man: starring Robert Downey Jr. as the titular metal man and directed by Jon Favreau. For me, there’s only one comic book film that really stands out though, and it’s the one I have the highest hopes for. Currently in the middle of the largest viral marketing campaign ever put together, Christopher Nolan’s sequel to his magnificent 2005 franchise reboot, The Dark Knight will reach cinemas this July.
2008 will also see its fair share of computer animated movies, with their compulsory high-profile comic actors attached to provide the vocals. 
Horton Hears a Who! teams up Jim Carrey and Steve Carell for a retelling of the Dr Suess story, while Ben Stiller, David Schwimmer and Chris Rock all return for more zoological japes in Madagascar: The Crate Escape. Already receiving promotion for its July release is the Jack Black project Kung Fu Panda, although almost certainly taking the crown from all these pictures will be Pixar’s bid for summer domination: WALL·E – it already looks like it may become their sweetest picture to date and with Finding Nemo director Andrew Stanton at the helm, who’s to argue?
Having mentioned a few sequels and remakes already, it’s worth pointing out some of the others heading our way this year – not least because they form some of the most hotly anticipated releases. The fantasy genre is getting its annual top-up from a Chronicles of Narnia sequel, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, while director David Yates takes us on the penultimate adventure of a particularly famous young wizard in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. 
More interesting are the re-emergence of characters who have been away from the screen for a while, two of which this year are Sylvester Stallone’s Rambo, hitting theatres soon in a new ultra-violent incarnation if the advance trailers are anything to go by, and an updated version of the original Star Trek with Alias and Lost creator J.J. Abrams in the director’s chair. Also falling into this category is a sure-fire summer hit from the legendary Steven Spielberg: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull goes worldwide in May, and will probably take more than its weight in gold. If I have to pick a film out of this pile however, I’d have to choose the as yet untitled 22nd James Bond movie. Apparently picking up where the superb Casino Royale [review] left off, it seems almost impossible that this will make its November release date having just started shooting this month, but I’m hopeful and waiting for big things from Daniel Craig and Stranger Than Fiction [review] director Marc Forster.
On the periphery of these big releases is the anti-budget comedy revolution, headed formerly by man-of-the-moment Judd Apatow. Even though he has no movies of his own out in 2008, we already know that his name and résumé will be plastered all over the promotion for any of the numerous flicks for which he is a producer. These include, in January, the musical biopic spoof
Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, followed up by the Owen Wilson-starring Drillbit Taylor in March. You’ll hear his name again in June when Forgetting Sarah Marshall is released, and he’s all over September with both the Adam McKay (Anchorman, Talladega Nights) directed Step Brothers, and the new movie from Superbad writing partners Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg: Pineapple Express – which puts Apatow regulars Rogen and James Franco in the leading roles. I can’t imagine how many promotional interviews he’ll do this year, but with a release list like that, you can bet his face isn’t going away any time soon.
Finally there’s the miscellaneous category – probably the most fun, and often where the real gems lie. Critics who attended film festival showings are already raving about Paul Thomas Anderson’s There Will Be Blood and the new movie from the Coen Brothers, No Country For Old Men. Both look suitably intriguing and are likely to have their 2008 UK releases bolstered by raving critical acclaim. Another film enhanced by much speculation but this time from audiences, is the aforementioned J.J. Abrams mysterious Cloverfield – a new destructive monster movie 
that has revealed its hand slowly through a rather masterful teaser campaign. We won’t have to wait much longer though; the film gets a January release Stateside, for a Feb 1st debut in the UK. I should probably also drop a mention for the Sex and the City Movie, a guaranteed draw if you’re that way inclined (although I’ve got a feeling it may disappoint those anxiously awaiting it – just my prediction), and Tom Cruise taking time out from appearing in newspapers and magazines to grab the lead role in an all-star cast for Bryan Singer’s Valkyrie – not particularly my kind of flick, but I await being proven wrong in October.
So what are my picks? Well, besides those I’ve highlighted so far as pre-emptive favourites, I’ve drawn a few more from this year’s crop as potential entertainment highs. Rest assured I’ll be straight out in February to see indie-smash Juno, which looks like a quirky comedy delivered in the best possible way, while I’m also craving to see Be Kind Rewind, Michel Gondry’s new movie released in the same month – if, like me, you adored Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind or The Science of Sleep [review], then definitely check out the fantastic trailer for this new film. Meanwhile there’s a new Kevin Smith film in the form of the uniquely titled Zack and Miri Make a Porno 
that I’ve got high hopes for, as well as John Cusack’s War, Inc. which will hopefully get picked up for a 2008 release – it’s looks like the modern cousin of his fantastic 1996 black comedy Grosse Pointe Blank, which is more than enough of a reason for me to be front of the queue. Finally, Vantage Point may turn out to be silly thriller-fare, but it’s got a nicely put together trailer, and in a year that has started with critical hype for two dramatic works, it’s the Ben Affleck directed drama Gone Baby Gone that has my attention – still awaiting a release date after being put back from last year.
Plenty to contend with then, but whatever you see - have a happy and healthy 2008 everyone! As always, thanks to those who read the reviews and articles posted here, I’m very appreciative of all your support. I guess there’s nothing left to say except, I’ll see you in the theatre!
If you want to find out more about any of the movies mentioned above, I highly suggest visiting Dave’s Trailer Page and checking out the trailers available there.
Films Of The Year: 2007 January 1, 2008
Posted by gproject in : Articles , add a commentI know I’m contributing to an end of year cliché here, but by this point I doubt that another ‘best of’ list is really going to hurt anyone, so here follow my picks from the year that was 2007. Anybody who remembers last year’s article will recall that I claimed to be about 12 months behind – this is still the case. So while the list stands as of today, I would imagine there will be significant changes by this time next year.
I have to admit that this has been a bit of a disappointing 12 months. I still feel like I’m waiting for that really special movie – the film that reaches its conclusion and immediately stands out as a true gem. There have been some good movies, and plenty of shoulder-shrugging middle of the road ones, but no truly great films that I’ve felt the need to run out of the theatre and rave about. My feelings are justified by the fact that nothing on this year’s list has scored over four (out of five).
Finally, I should note that my criteria for what counts as a 2007 movie is based on its UK theatrical release date. So without further ado, here’s the list:
1) The Darjeeling Limited
Wes Anderson’s road movie on rails is full of charm and eccentricity, as well as an originality of vision that you won’t find anywhere else. [Review]
2) Zodiac
A lengthy crime thriller that is relentlessly engaging and full of atmosphere despite being David Fincher’s most straightforward narrative tale to date. [Review Coming Soon]
3) Hot Fuzz
The Shaun team do it again with their juxtaposition action comedy, creating a perfect showcase for the skills of director Edgar Wright. [Review]
4) The Science Of Sleep
Eternal Sunshine director Michel Gondry hits home with an imaginative and heartfelt story about dreams. Bizzare, but full of personality. [Review]
5) Superbad
Apatow domination is cemented by this foul-mouthed high school comedy. Not for the faint of heart, but hilarious for the rest of us. [Review]
6) Transformers
An outlandish action spectacular from Michael Bay that’s as loud, brash and bold as it needs to be. Popcorn precision. [Review]
7) The Last King Of Scotland
James McAvoy and Forest Whitaker give great performances in this heavily grounded fictional drama about real life leader Idi Amin. [Review]
8) Knocked Up
Soft-centred crudity makes a star of Seth Rogen as well as offering probably the most universally appealing comedy of the year. [Review]
9) Half Nelson
Quiet indie drama makes the most of very little. Featuring a top-form performance from Ryan Gosling. [Review]
10) Rocky Balboa
Respectful conclusion to the Rocky saga that returns the character to his underdog origins and goes out swinging. [Review]
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Not quite making it into the big leagues this year were a host of films that made for great entertainment but are inevitably left to reside in the 11-20 region.
Firstly, my hotly awaited release of the year, Spider-man 3 [Review] turned out to be a muddled disappointment, although nowhere near as bad as everyone made out at the time. Meanwhile, other enjoyable sequels included Ocean’s Thirteen [Review] and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix [Review], the first of which was a fun-filled return to their origins while the second was stilted in story but still stands out as one of the better of its franchise. Another major theme in cinemas towards the end of the year was that of war – most notably commenting on the current US engagements, although with mixed success. Rendition [Review] had an interesting plot structure but the more interesting film was Robert Redford’s Lions For Lambs [Review]: a quick-paced, succinct drama that many will miss because of an aversion to its ever-present message.
Elsewhere there were excellent performances from Leonardo DiCaprio in Edward Zwick’s Blood Diamond [Review], and Viggo Mortensen in his second David Cronenberg movie, Eastern Promises [Review]. Both films were filled with a strong sense of drama, although they each contained their fair share of action – which was the focus of another rather surprising entry in this list, the Antoine Fuqua directed Shooter [Review]: a Mark Wahlberg action flick that was genuinely entertaining, who would’ve thought? Rounding out this section is a long-awaited comedy that didn’t quite hits its mark in The Simpsons Movie [Review], Ridley Scott’s well focused gangster opus American Gangster [Review Coming Soon] about the interplay between good and evil, and a film that was worth seeing entirely for the IMAX 3D experience rather than the feature itself: Beowulf [Review] – a cinematic highlight despite being a distinctly average movie.
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Not Yet Seen
In the interests of full disclosure – and possibly to quell the “How could you miss out X” comments – here’s a list of films that were released in the past year that I have not yet been able to watch. They are all releases that I have high hopes for, but I’m still open to suggestions if you have any.
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, 300, Michael Clayton, 28 Weeks Later, Eagle vs. Shark, Ratatouille, Reign Over Me, The Bourne Ultimatum, The TV Set, This Is England, Once, Control, King of Kong: A Fist Full of Quarters and 3:10 To Yuma.
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One Year On: 2006
Finally, here’s my newly updated and revised 2006 list. To see how it differs from last year – click here.
1) Casino Royale [–]
2) Brick [–]
3) Little Miss Sunshine [n]
4) Children Of Men [n]
5) Hard Candy [v]
6) Clerks II [n]
7) The Departed [n]
8) Stranger Than Fiction [n]
9) Borat [v]
10) The Matador [v]
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11) The Prestige [n]
12) Superman Returns [v]
13) Inside Man [v]
14) Cars [v]
15) Find Me Guilty [v]
16) Thank You For Smoking [n]
17) Pan’s Labyrinth [n]
18) Walk The Line [v]
19) Mission:Impossible 3 [v]
20) Running Scared [v]Key:
[^] = Up
[v] = Down
[–] = No change
[n] = New entry
Coming Up In 2007 January 3, 2007
Posted by gproject in : Articles , 2 commentsWith 2006 officially wrapped up, we can now look forward to the year that is: two thousand and seven. Of course, stating that you’re ‘looking forward’ to any movie this early on is usually just a prelude to disappointment, but I’m willing to stick my neck out and highlight the stuff that’s set to be big this year, and the items currently circled on my movie calendar.
If I’m honest, I imagine most of May will be consumed with the watching of, and discussion about, Spider-man 3. And even though I know that Sony will promote the living hell out of it beforehand, it’s still the movie on the top of my cinema-going list for 2007. I’m such a fan of the character, and the previous two movies have (somehow) lived up to all my expectations so far – I can only hope that this third instalment continues the trend. Roll on May 4th!
Some slightly less spider-oriented comic-book movies are also due to hit our cinema screens; Ghost Rider being the other prominent offering from Sony, while Frank Miller’s graphic novel 300 looks like it might turn out to be a cracker based on the trailers playing at the moment. Lots of TV shows are also getting theatrical outings too, with the bound-to-be-popular Simpsons Movie set for a Summer release. Despite being a Simpsons fan, I’ve got serious reservations about the choice to finally make a feature film. I can only hope that the writers have some surprises left for us, although after 18 seasons of episodes, it’s hard to see where they’ve got left to go. Coming out around the same time is the 
new Transformers movie, and with Michael Bay at the helm it’s bound to be a larger-than-life action spectacular at the very least. Also returning to our screens are the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, with an entirely computer animated outing for the Easter holidays.
There’s the traditional plethora of sequels too, with Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End bracing itself for sure-fire success, regardless of whether it’s actually any good. 2007 will also see the next instalment of the Harry Potter series, 
with the 5th movie: Harry Potter & The Order of the Phoenix dominating theatres countrywide in July. If you’re looking for something slightly less fantasy based, Steven Soderbergh has brought the gang back together for Ocean’s Thirteen, while Bruce Willis puts on the vest again to star in Live Free or Die Hard, the fourth instalment in the Die Hard franchise. Failing that, you can always catch Evan Almighty, the sort-of sequel to Bruce Almighty, which this time features God (a returning Morgan Freeman) asking Steve Carell (Jim Carrey’s rival newsreader in the first movie) to build an ark.
While many of the above are considered the ‘big releases’, there are a few others than I‘m personally excited about. First off, I’m itching to see Hot Fuzz, the next movie from Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright, creators of the magnificent Shaun Of The Dead. Just as important is the new movie from David Fincher (Se7en, Fight Club), which puts Robert Downey Jr. and Jake Gyllenhaal on the trail of a San Francisco serial killer in Zodiac. Jim Carrey is appearing in his first mystery thriller, Joel Schumacher’s The Number 23 while Narc’s Joe Carnahan has a January release for his explosive-looking Smokin’ Aces. And finally, being a Pixar fanboy means I’ll try and see Ratatouille on its release, although I’m actually looking forward to Bee Movie, the Jerry Seinfeld written CG adventure, a little bit more.
Whatever you choose to see this year, I hope you do get out and see something at the cinema. With DVD release windows falling to mere months, it’s all too easy to wait and watch something in the comfort of your own home. But I still believe that seeing a movie projected on the big screen is the optimum viewing experience. We often moan and complain when movies are altered from the director’s vision (studio interference, distributor cuts, censor cuts, pan & scan DVDs etc.), but ask any film director if they intended for you to watch their movie at home on your TV, or projected in a cinema. I think you already know the answer.
Thanks for reading, and have a safe 2007 everyone,
Gp.
Nb. To watch the latest trailer for any of the new movie releases mentioned above, simply click the title of the film! And make sure you visit DavesTrailerPage for plenty more.
Films Of The Year: 2006 December 31, 2006
Posted by gproject in : Articles , add a commentI’m putting forward this list of ‘top films’ from 2006 only provisionally, since I find myself consistently about twelve months behind when it comes to watching new movies. I was worried that I might have only seen ten films from 2006 at this point, and while that turned out not to be the case, I’ll probably see many more during next year which will completely change this list.
Also, you might think that some of these films came out in 2005, and you’d be right, but I’m using the date of their UK theatrical release as a basis for what counts as ‘this year’.
So with that, I bring you my top films of 2006:
1) Casino Royale
Fantastically entertaining and a real revival for the franchise. Bond will never be the same again. [Review]
2) Brick
Rian Johnson’s wonderful detective noir set in high school plays it straight, and makes for one of the most original films of the year. [Review]
3) Borat
No substance, but undeniably funny. Sacha Baron Cohen’s character offends everyone and comes out smiling. [Review]
4) Hard Candy
Even if the premise doesn’t creep you out, the actual film still might. Original thriller from David Slade that dares to tread where others wouldn’t. [Review]
5) The Matador
A wonderful turn from Pierce Brosnan, coming off the bond franchise and into this comedy about a burnt-out hit man. Great fun from start to finish.
6) Superman Returns
An entertaining but flawed return for the man of steel doesn’t hit Batman Begins highs, but is solid enough for repeat viewings. [Review]
7) Inside Man
Spike Lee creates a stylish and enjoyable crime thriller, with a great cast and some interesting turns.
8) Cars
Pixar’s seventh feature release, proving that even a lesser outing from the CG maestros still blows all their competition out of the water. [Review]
9) Find Me Guilty
Vin Diesel puts in a great performance as the gagster gangster in this unusually funny courtroom drama based on real events. [Review]
10) Miami Vice
While it may not be Michael Mann’s greatest work, the unique visuals help pull this television update above the standard blockbuster fare. [Review]
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There are of course, other films that I enjoyed this year but which didn’t quite make the cut. These all fall in the 11-20 region, and are given in no particular order.
First off, Walk The Line which showcased excellent performances from Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon in this moving Johnny Cash biopic. World Trade Centre [Review] was a movie I didn’t want to even see, but turned out to be a heartfelt piece of filmmaking. On the action front there was Mission: Impossible 3, the J.J. Abrams instalment with a fantastic pre-credit sequence that showed M:I-2 up for the vapid nonsense it was. Alternatively there was the adaptation of Frank Miller’s novel V for Vendetta which while not perfect in execution, was a break from standard flash-bang comic book movies. Also, the surprisingly brutal Running Scared [Review] showed me something I didn’t think I’d ever see: an impressive Paul Walker movie.
And on the (slightly) lighter side of things there was the quick-fire exchanges of Lucky Number Slevin [Review], even if some of the plot points and characters were slightly stereotypical. Also worth a mention are two low-budget offerings: Shopgirl based on Steve Martin’s novella and starring himself alongside Jason Swartzman, as they fight for the innocent Clare Danes. And Waiting, a kind of Clerks for the restaurant trade, which introduces some realistic characters as well as playing off the horrors of the food service industry. Finally, the newly released Night At The Museum [Review] got my approval on Boxing Day, as an entertaining fantasy adventure for the whole family.
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Not Yet Seen
As mentioned earlier, I’ve barely scratched the surface of movies from 2006 at this point, so I’ve probably missed out your personal favourite of the year. Off the top of my head, I can think of these movies which I’m excited about in some way, but I’ve yet to see:
The Departed, This Film Is Not Yet Rated, Little Miss Sunshine, Children Of Men, Clerks 2, Thank You For Smoking, A Scanner Darkly and The Prestige.
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One Year On: 2005
And for the sake of completeness, here’s my full 2005 list:
1) Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
2) Batman Begins
3) Crash
4) 40 Year Old Virgin
5) In Good Company
6) Sin City
7) My Date With Drew
8) Wedding Crashers
9) Jarhead
10) Unleashed (Danny The Dog)
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11) Lord of War
12) Constantine
13) Elizabethtown
14) The Descent
15) Team America: World Police
16) Everything Is Illuminated
17) Thumbsucker
18) The Weather Man
19) The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
20) Green Street (Hooligans)With honourable mentions going to: The Constant Gardener, Corpse Bride, Serenity, A History of Violence, Ladder 49 and Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire.