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Fall Movie Preview:
Pass the popcorn…
For Your Consideration
For Your Consideration: Poking fun of Hollywood never felt so funny.
Release Date: November 22
Director: Christopher Guest (Best In Show, A Mighty Wind)
Starring: Eugene Levy, Bob Balaban, Ed Begley, Jr., Jennifer Coolidge, Catherine O'Hara, Ricky Gervais
The Lowdown: An independent film cast becomes caught up in its own hype during awards season.
Outtakes: The cast improvised most of their scenes.
Should You See It? If you like undiscovered low-budget gems, then this one’s for you.
Official Website: wip.warnerbros.com/foryourconsiderationThe Fountain
Release Date: November 22
Director: Darren Aronofsky (Pi, Requiem for a Dream)
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Rachel Weisz, Ellen Burstyn, Sean Gullette, Sean Patrick Thomas, Donna Murphy
The Lowdown: This sci-fi flick features Hugh Jackman as a man reincarnated many times over, with the underlying mission to save the woman he loves. Beginning in 16th century Spain, Tomas Creo searches for The Tree of Life. In present day, Tommy Creo searches for a cure to his wife’s cancer. And 26th century Tom Creo searches for the meaning of life in space.
Outtakes: In 2002, the $75 million film was cast with Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett in the lead roles. Pitt left the project due to creative differences, and years later, Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz stepped in with a reduced budget of $35 million.
Should You See It? If you’re okay with discounting preliminary reviews panning the film, then this one’s for you.
Official Website: thefountainmovie.warnerbros.comThe Hoax
Release Date: November 22
Director: Lasse Hallström (An Unfinished Life, Casanova)
Starring: Richard Gere, Alfred Molina, Marcia Gay Harden, Julie Delpy, Hope Davis
The Lowdown: Clifford Irving (Gere) pulls off a literary hoax when he sells a bogus biography of Howard Hughes to publishing house McGraw-Hill.
Outtakes: Based on the novel of the same name by the real Clifford Irving.
Should You See It? If you can withstand Richard Gere and Julie Delpy’s wooden acting, then this one’s for you.
Official Website: www.miramax.comLet's Go to Prison
Release Date: November 22
Director: Bob Odenkirk (The Pity Card)
Starring: Dax Shepard, Will Arnett, Chi McBride, Dylan Baker, Steve Dahl, David Koechner, Michael Shannon
The Lowdown: When Nelson Biederman IV (Arnett), the obnoxious son of a deceased judge, is wrongly accused of a crime and sent to prison, ex-felon John Lyshitski (Shepard) sees this as the perfect opportunity to seek posthumous revenge on the judge. John lands himself in prison again, and sets out to make Nelson’s life miserable by showing him the ropes. Unfortunately, Nelson is either more charismatic or smarter than John, and soon becomes the prison’s big dog, turning the tables on John.
Outtakes: Some may recognize Will Arnett from the now-defunct “Arrested Development.”
Should You See It? If you love clichéd prison humour and have two hours to kill and have seen all the films available in theatres, including The Santa Clause 3, then this one’s for you.
Official Website: www.letsgotoprison.comThe Nativity Story
Release Date: December 1
Director: Catherine Hardwicke (Thirteen, Lords of Dogtown)
Starring: Keisha Castle-Hughes, Oscar Isaac, Hiam Abbass, Shaun Toub, Alexander Siddig, Said Amadis
The Lowdown: Mary and Joseph are turned away from every inn. Will they be able to find a place to birth their miraculous son?
Outtakes: The cast was sent to a historical boot camp, where they learned how to use ancient tools, make bread, and milk goats.
Should You See It? If you love the Bible, then this one’s for you.
Official Website: www.thenativitystory.com
Off the Black
Off the Black: The presence of Nick Nolte is enough to make anything creepy...or like you've just stepped into an AA meeting.
Release Date: December 1
Director: James Ponsoldt (Junebug and Hurricane)
Starring: Nick Nolte, Trevor Morgan, Timothy Hutton, Sally Kirkland
The Lowdown: In this dark coming-of-age story, Dave Tibbel (Morgan) forms an unlikely friendship with high school umpire Ray Cooke (Nolte). When Ray asks Dave to attend his high school reunion and pose as Ray’s son, this results in extremely explosive results.
Outtakes: This film premiered at The Sundance Film Festival.
Should You See It? If Nick Nolte doesn’t give you nightmares, then this one’s for you.
Official Website: www.thinkfilmcompany.comTuristas
Release Date: December 1
Director: John Stockwell (Blue Crush, Into the Blue)
Starring: Josh Duhamel, Melissa George, Olivia Wilde, Desmond Askew, Beau Garrett, Max Brown
The Lowdown: A group of unlucky twenty-somethings are stranded on a remote Brazilian jungle after a bus accident. Predictably, there is something fishy going on in this town, which becomes apparent when they all start to disappear.
Outtakes: Star Josh Duhamel is engaged to scary Black Eyed Peas’ Fergie.
Should You See It? If you love conventional horror movies with fake scares and a bland cast, then this one’s for you.
Official Website: www.myspace.com/turistasmovieVan Wilder Deux: The Rise of Taj
Release Date: December 1
Director: Mort Nathan (Boat Trip)
Starring: Kal Penn, Glen Barry, Lauren Cohan, Anthony Cozens, Tom Davey, Holly Davidson, William de Coverly
The Lowdown: Taj (Penn), last seen in National Lampoon's Van Wilder, gets into Oxford to study and, in the process, shows the uptight Ivy Leaguers how to party.
Outtakes: Director Mort Nathan has also headed the little-seen and little-lauded Boat Trip, a comedy starring Cuba Gooding, Jr., about two straight men who end up on a gay cruise.
Should You See It? If you like frat humour and are very stoned and possibly drunk, then this one’s for you.
Official Website: www.mgm.com/vanwilder2/Apocalypto
Release Date: December 8
Director: Mel Gibson (Braveheart, The Passion of the Christ)
Starring: Dalia Hernandez, Mayra Serbulo, Gerardo Taracena, Raoul Trujillo, Rudy Youngblood
The Lowdown: Set in ancient Maya, the film explores the fall of a great civilization. In order to restore order, the rulers believe they must build more temples and offer more human sacrifices to their gods, beginning with a young man named Jaguar Paw (Youngblood). Jaguar’s all like, “Hell, no!” and, spurred on by his love for a woman, flees to save himself.
Outtakes: Mel Gibson has a one-frame cameo in the teaser trailer, popping up about 1:46 seconds into the trailer.
Should You See It? If you can get past Mel Gibson’s drinking and driving faux pas, not to mention his gargantuan ego, then this one’s for you.
Official Website: apocalypto.movies.go.comThe Holiday
Release Date: December 8
Director: Nancy Meyers (What Women Want, Something's Gotta Give)
Starring: Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jude Law, Jack Black, Eli Wallach, Edward Burns, Rufus Sewell
The Lowdown: Sick of men and their crappy ways, American Amanda Woods (Diaz) and British Iris Simpkins (Winslet) meet on the net and decide to swap homes for the holidays and for a chance at a fresh start.
Outtakes: Nancy Meyers wrote the script with Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jude Law, and Jack Black in mind.
Should You See It? If you like cutesy romantic comedies where everyone is pretty and can somehow always afford everything, then this one’s for you.
Official Website: www.sonypictures.com/movies/theholiday/
Unaccompanied Minors
Unaccompanied Minors: If only we could have this much fun at the airport.
Release Date: December 8
Director: Paul Feig (“The Office,” “Arrested Development”)
Starring: Lewis Black, Tyler James Williams, Dyllan Christopher, Gina Mantegna, Quinn Shephard, Brett Kelly
The Lowdown: On Christmas Eve, five kids are snowed in the airport and have to find a way to outwit the crusty airport official (Black) in order to get home to their families. Of course, this wouldn’t be a complete movie without the usually clichéd high school characters: there’s awkard Spencer (Christopher), rich bitch Grace (Mantegna), tomboy Donna (Quinn Shephard), geeky Charlie (Williams) and shy Beef (Kelly).
Outtakes: For his big-screen debut, director Faig has enlisted the help of some familiar faces: B.J. Novak and Mindy Kaling (“The Office”) and Tony Hale and Jessica Walter (“Arrested Development”).
Should You See It? If you loved The Breakfast Club and want to recapture that magic with an airport setting, then this one’s for you.
Official Website: unaccompaniedminors.warnerbros.comThe Blood Diamond
Release Date: December 15
Director: Edward Zwick (Legends of the Falls, The Last Samurai)
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Djimon Hounsou, Jennifer Connelly, James Purefoy, Stephen Collins, Michael Sheen
The Lowdown: Set in 1990s Sierra Leone, Blood Diamond recounts the story of Danny Archer (DiCaprio), a South African mercenary, and Solomon Vandy (Hounsou), a Mende fisherman. Both men’s lives are transformed when they enlist in each other’s help to recover a rare pink diamond.
Outtakes: The movie was shot on location in Mozambique, Africa.
Should You Se It? If you love beautifully shot action dramas with a twist of social commentary, then this one’s for you.
Official Website: blooddiamondmovie.warnerbros.comEragon
Release Date: December 15
Director: Stefen Fangmeier (debut)
Starring: Edward Speleers, Jeremy Irons, Sienna Guillory, Djimon Hounsou, Garrett Hedlund, John Malkovich
The Lowdown: In this fantasy film, young farmhand Eragon (Speelers) happens upon a dragon’s egg, which forever transforms his life when he realizes that he has the power to save his kingdom from an treacherous king.
Outtakes: Based on the trilogy by Christopher Paolini. This marks Edward Speleers’ first film role – he beat out 180,000 other applicants, and a consideration for Elijah Wood, to win the role.
Should You See It? If you loved The Lord of the Rings but couldn’t stand the three-plus hours in the theatre, then this one’s for you.
Official Website: www.eragonmovie.comThe Pursuit of Happyness
Release Date: December 15
Director: Gabriele Muccino (L’Ultimo bacio)
Starring: Will Smith, Thandie Newton, Jaden Smith
The Lowdown: Chris Gardner (big Smith) is a talented but underemployed salesman who struggles to make ends meet for himself and his five-year-old son (little Smith). When Chris lands an internship at a prestigious stock brokerage firm, he and his son set off for a better life, but the road ahead is paved with setbacks and hardships.
Outtakes: This film is based on a true story. Will Smith specifically sought out director Gabriele Muccino after seeing his work on L’Ultimo bacio and Ricordati di me. And yes, nepotism is alive and well in this film.
Should You See It? If you love inspirational based-on-true-stories with sweltering soundtracks, then this one’s for you.
Official Website: www.sonypictures.com/movies/thepursuitofhappynessCharlotte's Web
Release Date: December 20
Director: Gary Winick (Tadpole, 13 Going on 30)
Starring: Dakota Fanning, Julia Roberts, Dominic Scott Kay, Robert Redford, Oprah Winfrey, Cedric the Entertainer
The Lowdown: Little Fern (Fanning) takes a shining to Wilbur (Kay), the runt of the litter, and raises him into a healthy pig. When Wilbur moves to a new barn, he befriends Charlotte the spider (Roberts), and shares his fears that at the end of the season, he’ll become someone’s breakfast side.
Outtakes: Originally scheduled for a summer release, this film was pushed back to December to avoid competition from other children’s movies like Barnyard and Over the Hedge.
Should You See It? If you love the children’s classic and aren’t averse to staring at a pretty icky realistic-looking spider for two hours, then this one’s for you.
Official Website: www.charlotteswebmovie.com/site/index.php
The Good Shepherd
The Good Shepherd: Angelina sets her sights on Matt Damon, who has taken "geeky" to a whole new level.
Release Date: December 22
Director: Robert De Niro (A Bronx Tale)
Starring: Matt Damon, Angelina Jolie, William Hurt, Joe Pesci, Robert De Niro, Alec Baldwin, Billy Crudup
The Lowdown: Edward Wilson (Damon) is a young whippersnapper with a bright future. After a successful stint at Yale, Edward is recruited to the OSS (the precursor to the CIA) during WWII. With tensions running high during the Cold War, he must put everything aside – even his wife (Jolie) – to dedicate himself to his career.
Outtakes: Leonardo DiCaprio was previously cast as Edward Wilson, but dropped out to film The Departed instead. Coincidentally, Matt Damon also appears in The Departed.
Should You See It? If you love espionage movies like Ronin and thought Matt Damon was brilliant in The Bourne Identity, then this one’s for you.
Official Website: www.thegoodshepherdmovie.comNight At the Museum
Release Date: December 22
Director: Shawn Levy (Cheaper By the Dozen, The Pink Panther)
Starring: Ben Stiller, Carla Gugino, Dick Van Dyke, Mickey Rooney, Ricky Gervais, Kim Raver, Robin Williams
The Lowdown: Larry Daley (Stiller) is a good guy at heart, but – surprise, surprise – can’t catch a break. When he accepts what appears to be a menial job as a night watchman at a natural history museum, he doesn’t expect to see exhibits come to life and wreak havoc, but they do. Only a wax statue of Teddy Roosevelt (Williams) can help Larry restore order.
Outtakes: Filming was set to take place in Montreal, but Ben Stiller pushed for his favourite Canadian city, Vancouver.
Should You See It? If you loved everything about Jumanji, including Robin Williams, then this one’s for you.
Official Website: www.nightatthemuseum.comRocky Balboa
Release Date: December 22
Director: Sylvester Stallone (Rocky II, Staying Alive)
Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Burt Young, Milo Ventimiglia, Tony Burton, James Francis Kelly III, Antonio Tarver
The Lowdown: A virtual boxing match (which sounds as stupid as it is) brings Rocky Balboa out of retirement and whets his appetite for the sport again, especially when it is predicted that Rocky would whoop the current champion’s ass. But when promoters start to lure him with promises of bigger and better things, Rocky must decide if his body and mind can withstand a rematch.
Outtakes: The budget for the film was a modest $24 million.
Should You See It? If you love an aging underdog with pec muscles bigger than 95% of the general population, then this one’s for you.
Official Website: www.rockythemovie.comWe Are Marshall
Release Date: December 22
Director: McG (Charlie’s Angels, Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle)
Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Matthew Fox, David Strathairn, Ian McShane, Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty
The Lowdown: In the sleepy town of Huntington, West Virginia, university football is the sport of choice for the small community. But a devastating airplane accident in 1970 leaves 75 dead, including members of the football team. Idealistic football coach Jack Lengyel (McCoanughey) strives to rebuild the team and, in the process, help the town heal.
Outtakes: This film is based on a true story.
Should You See It? If you love rousing football-themed movies, which inevitably end in a big championship game of some sort where the underdog team redeems itself and people cry, then this one’s for you.
Official Website: wearemarshall-themovie.warnerbros.comBlack Christmas
Release Date: December 25
Director: Glen Morgan (Willard)
Starring: Michelle Trachtenberg, Lacey Chabert, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Andrea Martin, Oliver Hudson
The Lowdown: A depraved serial killer terrorizes a sorority house during Christmas, making eerie phone calls from within the house before striking.
Outtakes: Andrea Martin, who starred in the original Canadian horror flick, returns as a housemother in this remake.
Should You See It? If you love the understated low budget and campiness of the original, then this one’s for you.
Official Website: www.weinsteinco.com
Dreamgirls
Dreamgirls: Beyonce & Friends set their sights on fame, fortune, scandal, and the occasional performance.
Release Date: December 25
Director: Bill Condon (God and Monsters, Kinsey)
Starring: Jamie Foxx, Beyoncé Knowles, Eddie Murphy, Danny Glover, Anika Noni Rose, Jennifer Hudson
The Lowdown: Dreamgirls chronicles the rise and fall of The Dreamettes – Effie (Hudson), Deena (Knowles) and Lorrell (Rose) – who emerge from obscurity to form one of the most promising girl acts of the 1960s and 1970s. When Deena starts being singled out by the group’s manager (Foxx), the group unravels. Hmm, sounds familiar.
Outtakes: Based on the Broadway play of the same name. Director Bill Condon was present during the play’s opening night on December 20, 1981.
Should You See It? If you’re looking for a feel-good musical with a kick-ass soundtrack that thankfully doesn’t star Mariah Carey, then this one’s for you.
Official Website: www.dreamgirls.dreamworks.comThe Good German
Release Date: December 25
Director: Steven Soderbergh (Traffic, Ocean’s Twelve)
Starring: George Clooney, Cate Blanchett, Tobey Maguire, Leland Orser, Beau Bridges, Tony Curran
The Lowdown: American journalist Jake Geismar (Clooney), on assignment in Berlin following the end of World War II, reconnects with his long lost love, Lena (Blanchett), only to find that she’s looking for her missing husband. Soon, Jake becomes entangled in mystery as he helps Lena locate her husband before the American and Russian armies get to him. (Not to be confused with The Good Shepherd.)
Outtakes: The film was shot in black and white.
Should You See It? If you’re a fan of Steven Sodenbergh but wish he would stop with the Ocean’s sequels already, then this one’s for you.
Official Website: thegoodgerman.warnerbros.com
[ From The Black Dahlia to The Departed. Part I of the preview. ]