Popcorn & a Movie

The air is crisper. The mornings are darker. The leaves are cluttering the long. And as we embrace these changes as shift towards a cozier Holiday season, so to must we embrace Hollywood’s annual shift from summer fun to fall quality. Each year it never fails – the “serious” films of “artistic integrity” are backloaded to these final few months before the awards season, replacing the innocently fun and intentionally stupid with the occasionally existentially stupid. Here’s a list of buzz-gathering films to look forward to this season.
Appaloosa – Directed by Ed Harris, written by Ed Harris, and starring Ed Harris, this western revival is just screaming for an Oscar (the last Ed Harris-helmed film was the award winning Pollock). Riding sadle-by-sadle with Vigo Mortenson as law men looking to clear out tough-guy Jeremy Irons, Harris will look to clear out the Oscars as well. And as an added bonus, the movie’s supposed to be quite good.
Twighlight – This tweener flick about vampire High Schoolers living in the seldom light of Oregon comes with literary pedigree – Stephenie Meyer’s novels are the Potter replacement of choice, and as such will fuel quite the following for this horror-romance that takes the “wrong side of the tracks” storyline to new, screaming mall-girl places.
W – Yet another political Oliver Stone movie, this one arriving as its protagonist leaves. Stone is classically left-wing, so look for an emphasis on Dub-ya’s party days and lack of leadership, and an equal amount of controversy (Oct. 23).
Rachel Getting Married – The loveable romantic dramedy entry, starring Anne Hathaway, co-starring rumors of Oscar gold. If early festival reactions are any indication, this film (about a woman returning from rehab for her sister’s wedding) will cement Hathaway as the next great thing.
The Wrestler – This year’s Indie entry, directed by Indie wunderkind Darren Aronofsky (Requiem for a Dream, The Fountain). Stars a washed-up Mickey Rourke as a washed-up wrestler looking to make a comeback. Don’t you just love when art and life coincide? (Dec. 19)
Body of Lies – Leo DiCaprio and Russel Crowe squaring off in a spy v. spy thriller directed by Ridley Scott = a must see fall release (this coming weekend).
Max Payne – Okay, so it’s a video-game adaptation starring Mark Wahlberg as a cop crossing lines between heaven, hell and the space inbetween. This one ain’t here to win awards. But hey, there’s a always gotta be a rebel in the bunch. (Oct. 17)
Changeling – Directed by uber-awesome Clint Eastwood, this 50s Los Angeles throwback (starring Angelina Jolie as a mother who loses her son, then refuses to accept the boy the cops return to her as her own) looks better and better every time I see the trailer. It’s by front runner for Best Picture this year. (Oct. 31)
Quantum of Solace – The next installment in a revitalized James Bond franchise, the one with integrity and grit. Need I say more? (Nov. 14)
Defiance - A WWII era epic about a band of Jewish brothers who save themselves and others by building a community in the forest and essentially removing themselves from the world. Starring Daniel Craig, Live Schriber and a host of Oscar favorite themes. This is a contender to watch out for. (Dec 12)
Doubt – This fall’s Meryl Streep entry. This time she plays a nun who suspects a priest (Philip Seymour Hoffman) of abusing a boy. He said – she said, battled out by the greats. (Dec. 12)
Yes Man – Because every now and then, it’s fun to have a wholesome Jim Carey movie (wow, the modern world we live in). This one’s like Liar Liar, except instead of only being able to tell the truth, Carey can here only say “yes” to every opportunity. (Dec. 19)
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button – Brad Pitt stars in this David Fincher film about a man who ages backwards. I know I’M curious (Dec. 25)