May 12, 2009
-
Summer Movies ’09
i was going to write up a Summer Movie ’09 list in anticipation of the yearly american shlockfest but i was reading around and found a pretty decent list on cinematical. link here. click on the link for release dates and brief descriptions.
their only requirement was that their staff can’t have seen the movie, which is hard considering they go to many of the big festivals. but anyway, in a nutshell, here’s their list:
1. Inglourious Basterds
2. Public Enemies
3. Up
4. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
5. Funny People
6. Star Trek
7. Ponyo
8. Drag Me To HellPonyo is a new Mizayaki film apparently. i never even knew a new one is coming out but now that i know… hell yeah!
the only one on this list i would replace is harry potter. through 47 harry potter movies i’ve still never been really interested enough in any single one of them to actually anticipate seeing it before it came out. *shrug* i am really hot on Inglorious Basterds though even though i’m kind of afraid of Brad Pitt going too over the top and killing it. but then again Tarantino has a long history of getting great performances out of suspect actors (see John Travolta) and maybe over the top is exactly what he’s going for. now that i think about it, over the top might be the only time Brad Pitt has exceled as an actor (see Kalifornia, 12 Monkeys, True Romance).
Public Enemies sounds pretty damn cool, too. that’s the one with christian bale and johnny depp. are you paying attention to me now, women? christian bale and johnny depp! (and the crowd goes wild!) and billy crudup, btw. just thought you should know. directed by michael mann who is back after his long (and hopefully painful) penance following his most recent shit-fest Miami Vice. hit or miss with this guy…
UP wouldn’t normally be on my radar. the trailers didn’t seem all that impressive to me, you know? but i found out it’s opening the Cannes film fest. not just playing in competition but opening. that’s a big deal. clearly they saw something there.
dude, stop what you’re doing and click that Funny People link up there. it’s judd apatow and like 40 Year Old Virgin and Knocked Up, it looks like a hugely entertaining, and very emotional man-movie that’s probably funny as hell. adam sandler, seth rogen, jonah hill, jason schwartzman, eric bana, leslie mann, apatow’s cute ass kids (those are his daughters, btw, that were also in Knocked Up) (oh yeah Leslie Mann who was in Knocked Up and 40 Year Old Virgin “i want some french toast!” is his wife), yada yada yada. i can’t imagine this film being bad in any way whatsoever. judd apatow for president!
if you click the cinematical link up there there’s another link to their anticipated small releases coming out this summer too. from that list i’d like to pilfer:
The Brothers Bloom
Moon
500 Days of SummerThe Brothers Bloom is made by Rian Johnson who made the audaciously creative and fun movie Brick (that’s the name, not a description) a few years ago. it also co-stars Rinko Kikuchi of revealed snatch fame in Babel. Moon stars Sam Rockwell, a personal favorite, and 500 Days of Summer stars Joseph Gordon Levitt (from 3rd Rock From the Sun) and Zooey Deschanel, also a personal favorite of sorts.
i’ve gotta say. Transformers and Terminator? *shrug* meh. i’d go see them but not with any kind of enthusiasm. Angels and Demons? Zzzzzzzz…..
let’s see. i’d also like to add:
Big Man Japan – very obscure film that was recommended to me a while ago. japanese film about a giant man that fights monsters but he’s considered a public nuisance. part of the Six Shooter series that included my fave Let The Right One In.
Year One
Away We Go – written by David Eggers (A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius) and directed by Sam Mendes (American Beauty, Jarhead)
Whatever Works – woddy allen film starring Larry David and Evan Rachel Wood. consider me a lifetime member of the Evan Rachel Wood fanclub. she’s an acting powerhouse and she’s gorgeous to boot. barring a complete personal meltdown, i see multi-oscars in her career.
Taking Woodstock – ang lee. The Ice Storm, his last film about the american ’70s (or late ’60s) was awesome.
The Girlfriend Experience – soberbergh. starring a porn star as a call girl. recipe for awesome.
