The Social Network (October 1) - A movie about Facebook!? One more sign that Hollywood had ran out of good ideas, you say? Believe the hype you've been hearing about director David Fincher's (Seven, Fight Club, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) geek drama. It's better than advertized. Fincher and screenwriter Aaron Sorkin (The West Wing) aren't interested in Facebook as a whole, or how the creator Mark Zuckerberg got to 500 million friends and counting. Fincher and Sorkin are hunting bigger game: a generation that can't communicate, much like Mark himself. The casting, you might say, sounds ridiculous! Jesse Einseburg as Zuckerburg, Justin Timberlake as Napter co-founder Sean Parker, and Mark's best friend and CEO Edwardo Saverin (Andrew Garfield) are both inspired casting, and electrifying performances that are not to be missed.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part I (November 19) - After 11 years, 4 directors, 2 screenwriters, 1 Writer's strike, and over $5 billions dollars later, J.K. Rowling's film series about The Boy Who Lived is finally coming to an end. Now if you think Warner Bros. is going to send off Mr. Potter in a final, 3 hour bang, then i've got this lovely Hungarin Horntial i'd love to sell to you. They're splitting up Deathly Hallows into two parts, the second and epic finale will be released in July of next year. Yes, I called the final installments "epic". Watch the trailer and see if you don't feel that this isn't made on an epic scale, or to sway the Academy to finally recognize and award the series for its achievements over the last decade.
True Grit (December 25) - I know, I know: First Facebook, now the Suits in Hollywood are remaking the 1969 western classic? Don't panic, for Joel and Ethan Coen (No Country For Old Men, Fargo, The Big Lebowski) are helming the remake. And how's this? Jeff "The Dude" Bridges is playing John Wayne's character that won him his only Oscar. Will lightning strike twice for Bridges? We'll see, along with what the Coens have up their sleeve with this remake.
Tron Legacy (December 17) - This won't turn the heads of Academy voters, but who cares? Disney's shaking off the 20+ year rust on the cult classic, and bringing it to the 21st century....and boy, does it look slick and eye-poppingly cool.
Yogi Bear (December 25) - You've read that right. They're making Yogi Bear, and with it, killing a little bit of our childhood along the way. And yes, the trailer looks godawful, but you probably guessed that already.
Burlesque (November 24) - Cher? Christina Agulara? Musical? Together? On Thanksgiving Day? Thank the Lord for football on Turkey Day.
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (December 10) - It's the worst of both worlds: they're trying to be the family-friendly version of Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings Trilogy, and trying to be the next big series after Harry, Ron, and Hermione hang up their school robes. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe in 2005 and Prince Caspian in 2008 failed on both counts, so i'm sitting out this next voyage.
Saw 3D (October 29) - Christ, this series never ends...wait, the filmmakers are saying that this latest installment of disturbing, softcore torture porn saga is the last one they're making?! Oh, happy day!!
1 comment:
I can't agree about Narnia, Jonathan. They're striving for a tough balance there in that they want to be true to the books as story - which on the whole they do - but they also have to pander to the audience that only looks at them as Christian allegory. I find it more successful than not. But, then, I've always been a C.S. Lewis person, so I'm biased. I wrote my thesis on his space trilogy.
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