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Fall Movie Preview:
Pass the popcorn…
Flicka
Flicka: See, isn't it better to ride a horse than talk about your feelings?
Release Date: October 20
Director: Michael Mayer (A Home at the End of the World)
Starring: Alison Lohman, Tim McGraw, Maria Bello, Ryan Kwanten
The Lowdown: It’s a movie about a girl and her horse.
Outtakes: Based on Mary O'Hara's novel, My Friend Flicka.
Should You See It? If you like any films involving a girl bonding with a horse as a way to deal with bigger issues, most likely involving an absent father, then this one’s for you.
Official Website: www.flickamovie.comMarie Antoinette
Release Date: October 20
Director: Sofia Coppola (The Virgin Diaries, Lost in Translation)
Starring: Kirsten Dunst, Jason Schwartzman, Judy Davis, Rose Byrne, Asia Argento, Molly Shannon
The Lowdown: Marie Antoinette (Dunst) is just a young girl when she becomes betrothed to King Louis XVI (Schwartzman). Lost in the fray of upperclass snobbery, conspiracy, and scandal, Marie strives to make her own mark in French society.
Outtakes: Sofia Coppola and crew acquired special permission from the French government to film in the Palace of Versailles. Coppola also convinced designer Manolo Blahnik to create hundred of specially made shoes for the film.
Should You See It? If you like Coppola’s often slow but rewarding films and wonder what the heck Molly Shannon is doing in this film, then this one’s for you.
Official Website: www.sonypictures.com/movies/marieantoinette/The Prestige
Release Date: October 20
Director: Christopher Nolan (Memento, Batman Begins)
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Scarlett Johansson, David Bowie, Andy Serkis
The Lowdown: The Prestige follows the life-long bitter rivalry between two gifted magicians, Robert Angier (Jackman) and Alfred Borden (Bale), which eventually leads to deceit and murder.
Outtakes: Adapted from the 1995 novel of the same title by Christopher Priest. The title refers to a successful magic trick that cannot be unraveled.
Should You See It? If you enjoyed The Illusionist and want something more meaningful than David Blaine, then this one’s for you.
Official Website: www.prestige-movie.comCatch A Fire
Release Date: October 27
Director: Phillip Noyce (The Bone Collector, The Quiet American)
Starring: Tim Robbins, Derek Luke, Bonnie Henna
The Lowdown: A political drama, Catch A Fire focuses on the political movements against apartheid in early 1980s South Africa. Two family men, who stand on the opposite sides of the issue – oil refinery foreman Patrick Chamusso (Henna) and police officer Nic Vos (Robbins) – are at odds when Patrick is accused of being in cahoots with the African National Congress (ANC). Much to Patrick’s horror, ruthless Nic jails and tortures Patrick’s wife in the hopes of weaning a confession from the innocent Patrick. Once released and out for retribution, the formerly docile and apolitical Patrick joins the very group that he was accused of supporting.
Outtakes: This film had its premiere at The Toronto International Film Festival. The original title of the film was Hotstuff, but has since been changed because “Hotstuff” is a terrible name for anything.
Should You See It: If you enjoyed Hotel Rwanda and like seeing Tim Robbins as a bad guy, then this one’s for you.
Official Website: www.catchafiremovie.comRunning With Scissors
Release Date: October 27
Director: Ryan Murphy (“Nip/Tuck”)
Starring: Annette Bening, Brian Cox, Joseph Fiennes, Evan Rachel Wood, Alec Baldwin, Joseph Cross
The Lowdown: Running With Scissors chronicles the life of young poet Augusten Burroughs (Cross), who is sent to live with eccentric psychiatrist Dr. Finch (Cox) after his bipolar mother (Benning) and alcoholic father (Baldwin) divorce.
Outtakes: Based on the Augusten Burrough’s bestselling memoir of the same title.
Should You See It? If you loved Girl, Interrupted but sometimes wished it were funnier and quirkier, then this one’s for you.
Official Website: www.sonypictures.com/movies/runningwithscissors/
Saw III
Saw III: Will this guy ever die?
Release Date: October 27
Director: Darren Lynn Bousman (Saw II)
Starring: Tobin Bell, Shawnee Smith, Angus MacFadyen, Bahar Soomekh, Dina Meyer
The Lowdown: The lovable Jigsaw is back, and events pick up from where Saw II left off. (If you’re planning on seeing Saw II and haven’t gotten around to it, you may want to skip the plot synopsis of Saw III.) This time, Jigsaw’s nutty pranks lead to a new survival game for Jeff (Macfayden) and Dr. Lynn Denlon (Soomekh).
Outtakes: Donnie Wahlberg was scheduled to reprise his role as Detective Eric Matthews, but dropped out due to creative differences.
Should you see it? If you loved the inspired gore of Saw III’s predecessors, then this one’s for you.
Official Website: www.saw3.comBorat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan
Release Date: November 3
Director: Larry Charles (“Curb Your Enthusiasm”)
Starring: Sacha Baron Cohen, Daniel Castro
The Lowdown: Borat (Cohen), a Kazakhstani reporter, travels all over America to film a documentary. If you’re familiar with HBO’s “Da Ali G Show,” you’ll know that Borat’s adventures will result in hilariously off-colour material.
Outtakes: Director Todd Phillips (Starsky & Hutch, School For Scoundrels) was tapped to helm this project, but creative differences with Sacha Baren Cohen prompted Phillips to drop out of the film.
Should You See It? If you love Borat and can withstand some offensive humour, then one’s for you.
Official Website: www.boratmovie.comFlushed Away
Release Date: November 3
Director: Sam Fell (debut), David Bowers (Chump)
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Kate Winslet, Ian McKellen, Andy Serkis, Bill Nighy, Shane Richie, Jean Reno
The Lowdown: Roddy St. James (Jackman) is a pampered London mouse that lives in the lap of luxury (or as much luxury as a mouse can get). When a plan to rid sewer rat Sid (Richie) backfires, Roddy is accidentally flushed down the toilet and ends up in the sewers, where he meets worldly rat Rita (Kate Winslet). Standing in the way of Roddy and his way home is evil Toad (McKellen), and his henchmen Spike (Serkis), Whitey (Nighy), and Le Frog (Reno). Will Roddy ever find his way home?
Outtakes: Director Sam Fell has previously worked on Wallace & Gromit in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, Shark Tale, and The Road to El Dorado as a story artist.
Should You See It? If you loved Finding Nemo and Stuart Little, then this one’s for you.
Official Website: www.flushedaway.comInfamous
Release Date: November 3
Director: Douglas McGrath (Emma)
Starring: Toby Jones, Sandra Bullock, Daniel Craig, Jeff Daniels, Hope Davis, Gwyneth Paltrow, Isabella Rossellini, Sigourney Weaver
The Lowdown: This is the other Truman Capote biopic.
Outtakes: Mark Wahlberg and Mark Ruffalo were both signed to play Perry Smith at one point, but dropped out of the project before Daniel Craig took on the role.
Should You See It? If you didn’t like Capote but are intrigued by the complex man, or did like Capote and want to see more, then this one’s for you.
Official Website: wip.warnerbros.com/infamous/The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause
Release Date: November 3
Director: Michael Lembeck (The Santa Clause 2, Connie and Carla)
Starring: Tim Allen, Elizabeth Mitchell, Judge Reinhold, Wendy Crewson, Eric Lloyd, Alan Arkin, Martin Short
The Lowdown: Scott Calvin (Allen) is back as Santa Claus, and must juggle a full family life as well as his duties at the North Pole. With his plate full, Scott must also contend with annoying Jack Frost (Short), who is plotting to take over Christmas.
Outtakes: Jack Frost’s look is believed to be modeled after The Nightmare Before Christmas’ Jack Skellington. In the trailer, the soundtrack from The Nightmare Before Christmas is heard playing in the background.
Should You See It? If you love predictable PG-humour with a cheesy Hollywood happy ending, then this one’s for you.
Official Website: disney.go.com/disneypictures/santaclause3/
A Good Year
A Good Year: Russell Crowe tries his hand at a romantic drama...with varying but often bloated results.
Release Date: November 10
Director: Ridley Scott (Gladiator, Hannibal, Kingdom of Heaven)
Starring: Russell Crowe, Albert Finney, Abbie Cornish, Marion Cotillard, Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi, Didier Bourdon
The Lowdown: Investment expert Max Skinner (Crowe) inherits a small vineyard in Province from his late uncle. Intending to sell it, Max goes to Province and is surprised when he meets a beautiful American woman (because there couldn’t be any other kind of woman who just pops up in someone’s life), who claims the land is hers.
Outtakes: The film was a big disappointment at The Toronto International Film Festival.
Should You See It? If you’re keen on seeing Russell Crowe butcher an English accent while looking like he just stepped off the set of The Insider, and have little to no chemistry with his leading lady, then this one’s for you.
Official Website: www.agoodyear.comHarsh Times
Release Date: November 10
Director: David Ayer (debut)
Starring: Christian Bale, Freddy Rodriguez, Eva Longoria
The Lowdown: Jim David (Bale) is an ex-Army Ranger who finds himself slipping back into a life of petty crime.
Outtakes: Director David Bayer is the mastermind behind the screenplays for The Fast and the Furious and S.W.A.T. On the flip side, he has also worked on Training Day.
Should You See It? If you love urban melodrama that keeps it real, then this one’s for you.
Official Website: www.harshtimes.comThe Return
Release Date: November 10
Director: Asif Kapadia (The Warrior)
Starring: Sarah Michelle Gellar, Kate Beahan, Peter O'Brien, Adam Scott, Sam Shepard
The Lowdown: Joanna Mills (Gellar) has recurring visions of dead people. In particular, Joanna sees a young woman she’s never met, who was murdered at the hands of a cruel killer almost fifteen years ago. Determined to get to the bottom of things, and possibly to take some time off work, she ends up in the woman’s eerie small town to get some answers.
Outtakes: The film has been pushed back from its initial September release.
Should You See It? If you love “Medium” with a twist of Dead Again, then this one’s for you.
Official Website: www.thereturnmovie.netStranger Than Fiction
Release Date: November 10
Director: Marc Forster (Monster’s Ball, Finding Neverland)
Starring: Will Ferrell, Emma Thompson, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Dustin Hoffman, Queen Latifah
The Lowdown: Kay Eiffel (Thompson) is a talented writer struggling to finish her latest novel Harold Crick novel. But Harold (Ferrell) is alive and well in the real world, and can suddenly hear her words narrating his life. Things get sticky when he realizes that Kay intends to kill him off at the end of her book.
Outtakes: The film had its premiere at The Toronto International Film Festival.
Should You See It: If you love Will Ferrell but hated Talladega Nights, then this one’s for you.
Official Website: www.sonypictures.com/movies/strangerthanfiction/index.htmlBobby
Release Date: November 17
Director: Emilio Estevez (“Rated X,” “CSI: Miami”)
Starring: Anthony Hopkins, Demi Moore, Sharon Stone, Lindsay Lohan, Elijah Wood, William H. Macy, Helen Hunt
The Lowdown: Set in one fateful night, Bobby follows the stories of twenty-two strangers who are present Ambassador Hotel in 1968 where Robert F. Kennedy was gunned down.
Outtakes: The Ambassador Hotel is no more. The last wing fell on January 16, 2006. However, the cast and crew were able to film some scenes in the hotel during the demolition.
Should You See It? If you love ensemble pieces like Crash and wished that they featured an additional fifteen characters, then this one’s for you.
Official Website: www.weinsteinco.com
Casino Royale
Casino Royale: The world famous spy is back...but there's something different. Maybe a new haircut?
Release Date: November 17
Director: Martin Campbell (Beyond Borders, The Legend of Zorro)
Starring: Daniel Craig, Judi Dench, Eva Green, Mads Mikkelsen, Jeffrey Wright, Caterina Murino, Giancarlo Giannini
The Lowdown: With a franchise going forty years strong, the latest adaptation goes back to its 007 roots by basing the story on Ian Fleming’s first novel, which will explore James Bond’s (Craig) first mission as a government spy. Le Chiffre (Mikkelsen), banker to the world's terrorists, must be taken down and, in true Bond fashion, this will involve a high-stakes poker game at the Casino Royale.
Outtakes: The first Bond film, Dr. No, had a budget of $1 million dollars. The highest grossing film in North America, thus far, is 2002’s Die Another Day, with its $160 million box office intake.
Should You See It? If you love espionage and scantily clad women and, for once, a very buff Bond, then this one’s for you.
Official Website: www.sonypictures.com/movies/casinoroyale/site/Fast Food Nation
Release Date: November 17
Director: Richard Linklater (Before Sunset, A Scanner Darkly)
Starring: Greg Kinnear, Patricia Arquette, Bobby Cannavale, Luis Guzman, Ethan Hawke, Avril Lavigne
The Lowdown: Don Henderson (Kinnear), a marketing executive at Mickey's Fast Food Restaurant chain, sets out to investigate how tainted meat is getting into Mickey’s most popular burger. On his journey, Don explores all the nitty-gritty facets of the fast food industry.
Outtakes: The script was co-penned by Fast Food Nation scribe Eric Schlosser.
Should You See It? If you loved Supersize Me, then this one’s for you.
Official Website: www.fastfoodnation-movie.comHappy Feet
Release Date: November 17
Director: George Miller (Lorenzo’s Oil, Babe: Pig in the City)
Starring: Elijah Wood, Robin Williams, Brittany Murphy, Hugh Jackman, Nicole Kidman, Hugo Weaving
The Lowdown: Mumble (Wood) is an Antarctic Emperor penguin. In order to attract a soul mate, an Emperor penguin must be able to sing a heartfelt song. As his name suggests, Mumble is one of the worst singers this side of Rihanna. On the bright side, he’s a kickass tap dancer.
Outtakes: This movie marks Steve Irwin’s (Kev the Leopard Seal) final performance.
Should You See It? If you loved March of the Penguins and can endure a little kiddie humour, then this one’s for you.
Official Website: www2.warnerbros.com/happyfeet/Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny
Release Date: November 17
Director: Liam Lynch (Tenacious D: The Complete Masterworks, Sarah Silverman: Jesus is Magic)
Starring: Jack Black, Kyle Gass, Will Ferrell, David Koechner, Jason Reed, Ronnnie James Dio
The Lowdown: JB (Black) and KG (Gass) bond and form a rock band, Tenacious D. In order to become the world’s greatest rock band, the hapless duo decides to steal a magical guitar pick from a rock-and-roll museum.
Outtakes: Ben Stiller is one of the film’s producers.
Should You See It? If you love Jack Black’s comical faces and can envision him in an updated Wayne’s World, then this one’s for you.
Official Website: www.tenaciousdmovie.comDeck the Halls
Release Date: November 22
Director: John Whitesell (Malibu's Most Wanted, Big Momma’s House 2)
Starring: Danny DeVito, Matthew Broderick, Kristin Davis, Kristin Chenoweth, Alia Shawkat
The Lowdown: Steve (Broderick) and his new neighbor, Danny (DeVito), are polar opposites, so it follows that when Danny decides to create the biggest Christmas display in history, Steve must one-up him at all costs.
Outtakes: “8th & Ocean” alumni and identical twins Sabrina Aldridge and Kelly Aldridge make their big-screen debut in this film.
Should You See It? If you can forgive the director’s previous films and like watching grown men acting like children, the this one’s for you.
Official Website: www.deckthehallsmovie.com
Déjà Vu: When you watch this film, you might get an overwhelming sense of this as well.
Déjà Vu
Release Date: November 22
Director: Tony Scott (Man on Fire, Domino)
Starring: Denzel Washington, Val Kilmer, Paula Patton, Bruce Greenwood, Adam Goldberg, Jim Caviezel
The Lowdown: In this crime thriller, ATF agent Doug Carlin (Washington) experiences an overwhelming sense of the titular sense, which leads to him to investigate a serious crime.
Outtakes: The movie was scheduled to film in New Orleans, before Hurricane Katrina devastated the city. The film was shelved for three months and almost cancelled before the crew was able to return to New Orleans.
Should You See It? If you can’t get enough of Denzel Washington looking perplexed and running around, then this one’s for you.
Official Website: dejavu.movies.go.com
[ From The Nativity Story to The Pursuit of Happyness. Part III of the preview. ]