Rundown of Coming Movies...

Well, the summer movie blockbuster season is supposed to be halfway through, but looks pretty much over to me. August is yet another month of black hole movie-dom at the theatre. The possible exception would be Edward Norton’s “The Illusionist.” The trailer certainly has me intrigued, and much like seeing Julia Stiles in the Bourne Identity, seeing Jessica Biel in this one is of those “What is she doing in a movie like this?” moments. However, as fall comes around, studios finally roll out their big guns of quality movies in anticipation of Oscar buzz. Well, as close as Hollywood can get to ‘quality’ anyway. September and October are looking pretty stacked for interesting movies, so I thought I’d do a rundown of what has caught my attention. Sep 1/06 – Crank. This features Jason Stratham in another action role. Yes, it looks like a brainless action fest, but the trailer is fun and it’s a promising setup. Jason plays a hitman who has been given a lethal poison that affects his adrenaline. Basically, he has to keep his adrenaline up and pumping while the clock ticks down on his rush to find a cure or exact revenge before he dies. So basically, he’s a character that has nothing to lose and is looking for the next adrenaline charging moment. Adds up to a very action packed trailer. Oh, and did I mention Amy Smart is in this too? Yep, sign me up. Sep 15/06 – The Black Dahlia. Features Josh Hartnett, Aaron Eckart, Scarlett Johannson, Hillary Swank. This one I am really looking forward to. From the writer of LA Confidential, (loved that movie), this is also set in the ‘40’s and follows cops Hartnett and Eckart trying to solve the Black Dahlia murder case. Now, Hartnett is no Russell Crowe, but after seeing him in Sin City doing that noir turn and being impressed that he might actually be able to act, I’m certainly intrigued to see what he does here. And Scarlettt Johannson and ‘40’s cars are in there too. I’m definitely seeing this one. Sep 15/06 – The Last Kiss. I really enjoyed Zach Braff in Garden State, and this looks like something in the same vein. Normally I wouldn’t go for the ‘coming of age/where is my life going/should I marry this girl or not/ what does it all mean’ movie, but with Braff in it, I’ll check it out, though probably a rental. Sep 22/06 – Renaissance. Don’t know a lot about this one, except for seeing the trailer. It’s an animated movie, but definitely not for kids. If you took a futuristic Sin City movie, in total black and white, and animated it, this is what you’d get. Daniel Craig (the new Bond) is one of the voice actors. Looks like something totally unique. Sep 29/06 – Children of Men. Features Clive Owen and Julianna Moore. Been waiting for more info on this one since I first heard of it, and the trailer came out last week. I’m a big fan of Clive Owen, and this is another original setup. In the near future, something has made it impossible for women to have children. Therefore, the human race is becoming extinct, and the world descends into anarchy. In the middle of this, Owen’s character is brought into a situation where one woman has somehow become pregnant, and he must get her to safety. I’m not really doing the plot justice here, but the trailer looks excellent and it looks to be well acted with multiple character layers. Gotta see this one. Sep 29/06 – Flyboys. Features James Franco and Jean Reno. From the looks of the trailer it’s Pearl Harbor redone, but it’s set in WWI and it’s Sopwith Camels flying around instead of P-52 Mustangs. Franco seems miscast, but the aerial combat with all the biplanes, blimps, and explosions looks impressive. Could be a dud though. Oct 6/06 – The Departed. Features….oh man, too many good actors to list. Jack Nicholson, Matt Damon, and Leo DiCaprio are in it and it’s directed by Scorcese. It’s an American remake of the Asian film Infernal Affairs. Basic setup – there’s the mob and there’s the cops. There’s a cop inside the mob and a mob guy inside the cops, and they’ve moved up to the high ranks within the organizations. They know there’s a rat inside and the heat is on – both sides. The trailer is fantastic and Nicholson stands out as the mob boss. Can’t wait to see this. Oct 13/06 – Man of the Year. Features Robin Williams, Christoper Walken. Basic plot – think what if Jon Stewart of the Daily Show, just for kicks, ran for President and won? Robin Williams plays the fake news comedian that does just that. But there’s a twist – think hanging chads… Oct 13/06 – The Marine. Features John Cena. Who? Yeah, that John Cena, of WWE wrestling fame. It’s a brainless action flick that might be good, but probably not. I miss the old 80’s and 90’s action fests I grew up watching (Cobra, Tango & Cash, Invasion USA, Hard Target, Con Air, etc), and Hollywood seems to be having trouble finding the next Stallone, Norris, or Van Damme. Enter wrestling stars. Now The Rock can act, but I don’t know if John Cena can. The trailer looks interesting enough – ex-Marine on vacation, wife gets taken hostage, rampage ensues – but they blew it with what looks like CGI stunts and explosions. Give me old school stuntwork, please. Oct 27/06 – The Prestige. Features Christian Bale, Hugh Jackman, Michael Caine, Scarlett Johannson. Yep, its Batman vs Wolverine. Seriously though, it’s a tale set in the Victorian era of two magicians that are friends, become rivals, and descend into a battle of one-upmanship as they try to figure out what the other is doing. And from the excellent trailer, I think there is more to it than that. Oh, and it’s directed by Christopher Nolan of Memento and Batman Begins fame. This should be good. So there you go. Make your plans accordingly and start saving your movie money :) [I wanted to put up more pics, but Blogger is making posting pictures a real pain in the ass, so this will have to do till I figure out an easier way...]