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The End of Summer Movie Awards

By Eric Robinette | Friday, August 29, 2008, 01:16 AM

It may be a holiday weekend, but other than the reportedly excellent Man on Wire opening at Neon, the theatrical slate is … unremarkable, to put it charitably. It includes a Babylon AD, a movie that has been trashed by its own director; College, which probably is only funny if you’re on a beer binge; and a “comedy” that I don’t want to draw ANY attention to. To be fair, Hamlet 2 and Traitor have attracted decent if not spectacular reviews.

With such an unimpressive roster, for the weekend I’ll take one look back at summer and offer my own brand of movie awards.

Iron Man: The Worst Performance in a Good Movie goes to Jeff Bridges, a great actor who isn’t very good at playing villains.

Made of Honor : The THIS had to be Sydney Pollack’s Final Screen Appearance? Award

Speed Racer: The Way to Swallow Dark Knight Profits award. Warner Bros. released both films. Speed Racer bombed; The Dark Knight … didn’t.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull: Flawed but not Nearly as Bad as Some People Said You Were.

Sex and the City: Movie Most In Need of a Nip and Tuck.

Kung Fu Panda: The New Vocabulary award with the word “Skidoosh.”

The Incredible Hulk: The Dubious Evaluation award for calling it a success when it made barely more money than the 2003 film.

The Love Guru: The How to Make People Wonder If You Were Ever Funny award, presented to Mike Meyers.

WALL-E: Best Picture

More after the jump …

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December’s movies: The Oscar race heats up

By Eric Robinette | Thursday, August 28, 2008, 12:55 PM

The fall movie preview concludes with the strongest lineup yet. You’d think the Oscars are afoot or something.

DECEMBER 5

Punisher: War Zone
The lowdown: Hero shoots a lot of bad guys and makes mean faces.
The forecast: Funny - I don’t seem to remember many people actually liking the previous Punisher film. So where’d this come from?
The prospect: F

DECEMBER 12

The Day the Earth Stood Still
The lowdown: A remake of the 1951 sci-fi classic, reportedly with a bit of an eco spin. Keanu Reeves is Klaatu.
The forecast: Many people have understandably howled in protest at this film, but it’s being directed by Scott Derrickson, who made The Exorcism of Emily Rose, which I quite liked. That’s why I’m willing to give it a shot.
The prospect: B

Defiance
The lowdown: A group of Jewish brothers organize the largest armed rescue of Jews during the Holocaust. Daniel Craig leads the cast.
The forecast: Director Ed Zwick’s output has been uneven, ranging from the excellent Glory to the ponderous Legends of the Fall Asleep. At the least, I hope this film falls somewhere in the middle.
The prospect: B

DECEMBER 19

Revolutionary Road
The lowdown: A young couple raising a family in a Connecticut suburb during the mid-1950s look to break free from their mediocre lives.
The forecast: Kate (Winslet) and Leo (DiCaprio) together again at last, directed by Kate’s Husband, Sam Mendes, the director of American Beauty and Road to Perdition. Works for me!
The prospect: A

Seven Pounds
The lowdown: A professional man (Will Smith) who is close to suicide for his role in an auto accident that claimed the lives of seven people finds a reason to live, and to atone, when he falls for a woman (Rosario Dawson).
The forecast: Smith reunites with Pursuit of Happyness director Gabriele Muccino, who kept that film from being too maudlin. With any luck, he’ll repeat that feat.
The prospect: B

The Yes Man
The lowdown: Jim Carrey’s just a man who cain’t say no, he’s in a terrible fix.
The forecast: The premise sounds maybe a little too similar to Liar Liar, but Carrey hasn’t made a flat-out comedy for a while, so it will be nice to see him mine that territory as long as he doesn’t go too far over the top.
The prospect: B

The Tale of Desperaux
The lowdown: Banished from his home for being more man than mouse, Despereaux (Matthew Broderick) is befriended by Princess Pea (Emma Watson) who teaches him the value of reading books.
The forecast: Looks like a charming little animated entry, and it’s nice to see the gifted Emma Watson doing something besides Hermione, even if it is only voice work.
The prospect: B

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November movie preview: Bond, Twilight n’ more

By Eric Robinette | Wednesday, August 27, 2008, 12:53 PM

Our fall preview rolls on. After a relatively lackluster September and October, November heats things for at least one week.

NOVEMBER 7

Madagascar: Back 2 Africa
The lowdown: The escaped zoo animals try to head back home to NYC, only to crash land in Africa.
The forecast: I thought the original Madagascar was perhaps the weakest animated film by DreamWorks. It was less a story then a string of lame and obvious pop culture references, redeemed only by the hilarious penguins. If this movie had to have a sequel, I would have much preferred it to be about them alone. Alas, no.
The prospect: D

NOVEMBER 14

Quantum of Solace
The lowdown: James Bond returns, setting his sights on the men who betrayed his lost love.
The forecast: Casino Royale was the first truly great Bond film in years, with Daniel Craig instantly owning the character. The dynamite trailer indicates he’s as sharp as ever, and it’s full steam ahead for the franchise. Never mind all that Oscar stuff - this is the film I’m most looking forward to seeing in the fall. PS: Will people STOP grousing about the title? It’s not that hard to figure out, folks!
The prospect: A

Role Models
The lowdown: Wild behavior forces a pair of energy drink reps (Paul Rudd and Seann William Scott) to enroll in a Big Brother program.
The forecast: This comedy has gotten some good buzz, no pun intended. The premise is nothing if not unique.
The prospect: B

Soul Men
The lowdown: Two estranged soul-singing legends (Samuel L. Jackson and Bernie Mac) agree to participate in a reunion performance at the Apollo Theater to honor their recently deceased band leader.
The forecast: Fate cast a sad shadow over this film, with Bernie Mac and Isaac Hayes passing away so close together. Regardless, this sounds like a fun movie.
The prospect: B

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Fall movie preview: October

By Eric Robinette | Tuesday, August 26, 2008, 01:13 PM

As leaves fall and Halloween decorations spring up, a crowded October brings surprisingly few true highlights. If you missed the September installment, click here.

OCTOBER 3

Beverly Hills Chihuahua
The lowdown: I Chihuahua? No, I appalled.
The forecast: I have to admit, there’s a small part of me that wonders if this movie can really be as ghastly as that infamous trailer. A very, very, very, very, very, very small part.
The prospect: F

Blindness
The lowdown: A doctor’s wife becomes the only person who can see in a town where everyone is struck with a mysterious case of sudden blindness.
The forecast: This film has generated decidedly lukewarm buzz so far, but I’m in for any movie directed by Fernando Meirellles, who made City of God and The Constant Gardener.
The prospect: A

The Duchess
The lowdown: A chronicle of the life of 18th century aristocrat Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, who was reviled for her extravagant political and personal life.
The forecast: Keira Knightley is known for wearing a corset well, but is this more Pride and Prejudice or Silk?
The prospect: B

Flash of Genius
The lowdown: The true story of the man (Greg Kinnear) who fought the auto industry for his patent on intermittent windshield wipers.
The forecast: On the one hand it sounds like an interesting slice of history, but can one really muster up a lot of passion about intermittent windshield wipers?
The prospect: B

How to Lose Friends and Alienate People
The lowdown: A British journalist (Simon Pegg) gets a new job with a high-profile New York magazine, though he soon learns the bridges he burned will catch up to him.
The forecast: A great cast also includes Kirsten Dunst, Jeff Bridges and Megan Fox, and the trailer is intriguing too.
The prospect: B

Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist
The lowdown: Nick (Michael Cera) asks Nora (Kat Dennings) to pretend to be his girlfriend for 5 minutes so he won’t have to feel as awkward around his ex. Then sparks unexpectedly fly.
The forecast: “This year’s Juno” had to come along at some point. The trailer didn’t grab me the way Juno’s did, and besdies, you never see “the next (fill-in-the-blank)” coming, so call me skeptical but curious.
The prospect: B

Sex Drive
The lowdown: A high school senior “borrows” his brother’s beloved ‘69 GTO and brings his friends (Duke and Crew) on a road trip from Chicago to Knoxville to hook up with a babe he met online.
The forecast: Intriguing title and premise, but other than that, I don’t have a read on this one.
The prospect: C

What Just Happened
The lowdown: A comedy about two weeks in the life of a fading Hollywood producer (Robert De Niro) who’s having a rough time trying to get his new picture made.
The forecast: Barry Levinson directed, and his output has been uneven lately. I’d hope this is more like the inspired Wag the Dog than the uninspired Man of the Year.
The prospect: B

OCTOBER 10

City of Ember
The lowdown: The underground City of Ember is the only light in an otherwise dark world. When the city’s generator begins to fail, teenagers race to help their fellow citizens escape.
The forecast: The director is Gil Kenan, who made the undervalued Monster House, and he’s got a great cast, including Bill Murray, Toby Jones and Atonement Oscar nominee Saoirse Ronan. Color me persuaded.
The prospect: A

Body of Lies
The lowdown: An ex-journalist (Lenoardo DiCaprio) working to locate an Al Qaeda leader for the CIA faces pressure from an agent (Russell Crowe) for whom failure is not an option.
The forecast: There’s some validity to the concern that the trailer makes this look more like a slick Tony Scott action flick than a probing Ridley Scott drama, but the writer is William Monahan, who worked wonders with Ridley on the long version of Kingdom of Heaven before winning an Oscar for The Departed. Good enough for me.
The prospect: A

The Express
The lowdown: A drama based on the life of Ernie Davis, who becomes the first African American to win the Heisman Trophy.
The forecast:Is it just me, or are these true-life sports dramas getting a bit stale, especially since Dennis Quaid already made one of them?
The prospect: C

Quarantine
The lowdownA television reporter and her cameraman (Harris) are assigned to spend the night shift with a Los Angeles fire station. After a routine 911 call takes them to a small apartment building, they learn that a woman living in the building has been infected by something unknown.
The forecast:Looks like Cloverfield combined with Outbreak, but the trailer is a grabber. Here’s hoping the movie is too. The prospect: B

OCTOBER 17

Max Payne
The lowdown: A DEA agent (Mark Wahlberg) and an assassin (Mila Kunis) try to solve a series of murders.
The forecast: I’d feel a lot more confident about this one if it had a better director than John Moore, whose roster includes the undistinguished Behind Enemy Lines and The Omen remake.
The prospect: C

W.
The lowdown: The life story of a lame duck.
The forecast: Oliver Stone taking on the life of W? Talk about a loose cannon firing from a stacked deck! I can’t resist.
The prospect: A

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Cher IS Catwoman! (?)

By Eric Robinette | Tuesday, August 26, 2008, 10:28 AM

So there’s a report out that Dark Knight director Christopher Nolan wants to cast Cher as Catwoman in the next film.

I have but one word to say about that:

PFFFT!

The story appears to have originated with The Telegraph in London, but the reporting looks about as credible as that of the Weekly World News. It talks about not only about how Nolan has chosen Cher, but that he’s ready to begin shooting the film in Vancouver early next year.

Ummmm … no. According to this Variety story, Nolan isn’t even signed to direct the third film yet, much less ready to begin shooting. And I highly doubt a script is even close to finished, if indeed, one has been started at all.

Like the folks at AICN, I call BS on this one. It’s not worth getting worked up about. The rumor mongering is so transparent, it makes the theories that (SPOILER ALERT) Harvey Dent isn’t really dead look halfway credible.

Let’s assume, though, that Catwoman really is in the next film. Who plays her? Angelina Jolie seems too obvious to me. How ‘bout Rachel McAdams?

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Fall movie preview: September

By Eric Robinette | Monday, August 25, 2008, 11:23 AM

Since my last blog entry focused on a certain film that’s not coming out this fall anymore, maybe I should focus instead on films that are coming out this fall.

All week long I will be previewing the fall/holiday offerings, from the doldrums of the early autumn to the (hoped for) Oscar glory of the later fall. Today, we’ll see what September has to offer. Although the month tends to be a dumping ground for less than promising films, there are at least a few highlights.

I will give each film a prospect grade indicating how eager I am to see it.

A = The waiting is the hardest part
B = Intrigued, but not essential
C = I’ll live if I see it; I’ll live if I don’t
D = Only if I am hopelessly bored
F= Only if I’ve lost my fricken’ mind

As always, release dates are subject to change, as many people are painfully aware by now.

SEPTEMBER 5

The Accidental Husband
The lowdown: When a talk radio host (Uma Thurman) advises one of her listeners to break up with her boyfriend, the ex sets about getting his revenge.
The forecast: This was moved from late August, presumably to give it more breathing room at the box office. Sounds pleasant enough, but I just can’t get fired up about it. However, it may sing like a George Cukor classic compared to what else is on the bill this week.
The prospect: C

Bangkok Dangerous
The lowdown: Nicolas Cage tries on his low rent action chops in a film by cult directors the Pang brothers, who have yet to break out here.
The forecast: Can’t be that much dopier than Ghost Rider- can it?
The prospect: D

SEPTEMBER 12

Burn After Reading
The lowdown: Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton and John Malkovich star in a comedy directed by the Coen brothers.
The forecast: Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton and John Malkovich star in a comedy directed by the Coen brothers? Sold!
The prospect: A

Righteous Kill
The lowdown: Two veteran New York City detectives try to find the connection between a recent murder and a case they believe they solved years ago.
The forecast: The good news? Robert De Niro and Al Pacino have made another film together! The bad news? It’s directed by Jon Avnet, who most recently directed Pacino in 88 Minutes, which by all accounts seemed to last 888 minutes. Still, I’m cautiously hopeful because the screenplay is by the writer of Inside Man, one of the best police thrillers in recent years.
The prospect: B

Tyler Perry’s The Family That Preys
The lowdown: Friends Charlotte (Kathy Bates) and Alice (Alfre Woodard) go on a cross-country road trip to ease some family problems.
The forecast: I’ve never jumped on the Perry bandwagon, Madea or no Madea, but this one has a good cast and a good idea. If buzz is good, I may yet check it out.
The prospect: B

The Women
The lowdown: What starred Norma Shearer, Joan Crawford, Joan Fontaine and Rosalind Russell in 1939 stars Meg Ryan, Eva Mendes, Annette Bening and Jada Pinkett-Smith today, in a drama about what happens when Ryan discovers her husband is cheating on her.
The forecast: Obviously, this movie is hoping to ride Sex and the City’s wave of box-office success, but I’m not so certain every female-dominated cast = huge hit. For some reason, this looks shallow and unnecessary to me, but I hope I’m wrong.
The prospect: C

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Harry Potter delay, Sir Critic’s away

By Eric Robinette | Friday, August 15, 2008, 08:05 AM

So … how many people want to take bets that Warner Bros. changes its mind about delaying Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince to next July after they get flooded with angry mail?

I’m actually half serious. No one outside of WB seems to be saying, “Hey, a Harry Potter delay! What a great idea! I don’t mind waiting 11 months instead of three!” I like the theory in Entertainment Weekly that since The Dark Knight has been insanely popular, WB didn’t need another big movie this year. It’s all Batman’s fault! Or maybe the Joker’s.

I understand the studio is trying to fill out its summer slate, but this still strikes me as a bad idea, if for no other reason than that it will generate a tremendous amount of ill will. If the studio doesn’t revert to November, I guess that means Madagascar: Back 2 Africa will have the IMAX field to itself after all. Yay! (SARCASM - I can’t think of a family film I’m looking forward to less, outside of maybe Fly Me to the Moon.)

Well, look at the bright side, gang. This way the last three Potter films will come in quick succession: 2009, 2010 and 2011. But somehow I think that’s small consolation.

While Potter fans sigh in exasperation, I will be away next week on my annual Memphis trek. Here’s what’s new in theaters while I’m gone. (I reviewed Tropic Thunder Wednesday and decried the attendant controversy Thursday).

At the multiplexes

Mirrors: Hm. Since this is a horror flick, and a bunch of mirrors are bound to break, does that mean more than seven years of bad luck?

Star Wars: The Clone Wars: I will not be seeing this while I am away.

Vicky Cristina Barcelona: This has attracted some of Woody Allen’s better reviews lately. I will be seeing this while I am away.

At the arthouses

The Neon hangs on to Brideshead Revisited and The Wackness and adds Brick Lane, about a young girl from Bangladesh who finds the spark in her life fading after traveling to London for an arranged marriage.

The Little Art opens Brideshead Revisited.

At the Victoria

Hello, Dolly! is the Cool Film this weekend. The movie doesn’t have a great reputation, but it got some choice exposure by being featured so prominently (and used so well) in Pixar’s WALL-E. So question for Victoria: Does your programmer have a really sharp eye or is this a very happy coincidence? Either way, good going!

Next week’s offerings after the jump.

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