you'll get some interceptions
And, we're into it again, the season of the year where I start looking forward and back in time, and explaining to you why you should care. Today's article is:
The Top Ten (Twelve) Films To Look Forward To In 2008
Remember, folks. 2009 is going to be a horrible year for film, 2010 even more so (thank you writers' strike!). So next year is your last chance for a while to really enjoy yourself in the theatre for any sort of regularly. So what's whetting my appetite for l'année prochaine?
12. The Dark Knight - July 18
Chris Nolan, director of Memento, took over the Batman franchise after Joel Schumacher quite spectacularly ran it into the ground in 1997's unforgettable Batman & Robin. The film he produced, Batman Begins, was one of my favorite films of 2005, and for good reason. Ignoring for the moment the horrible ending and worse title, Begins was a great film. Christian Bale's ability to flip between the easy-going billionaire and the gravely-voiced--and legitimately scary--vigilante helped make a weakish script into an enjoyable film. Now that the exposition is out of the way, I expect Dark Knight to surpass Begins, especially considering girlyman Heath Ledger's fantastic casting as The Joker.
11. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - November 21
This list wouldn't be full if I didn't mention the penultimate Potter film. This series has managed to stay good through five films, a feat I believe no other franchise has pulled off. The grittiness of the later films has been triumphant. While I was perturbed by the loss of many key plot points in this year's Order of the Phoenix, it still made for a fun watch, and I expect returning (after being gone for that one) screenwriter Steven Kloves knit a much more faithful script.
10. Where The Wild Things Are - October 3
Spike Jonze has yet to really burst into mainstream awareness, even after directing some of my favorite music videos ('Buddy Holly,' 'Undone') and favorite films (Adaptation, Being John Malkovich). This adaptation of the popular children's book, written for the screen by 'A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius' author and McSweeney's contributor Dave Eggers, may be his opening. The-boy-who-didn't-talk from Little Miss Sunshine stars.
9. Iron Man - May 2
Do I need to say more than 'Robert Downey Jr.'? How about 'plays a superhero'? How about 'directed by the guy who co-starred with Ben Affleck in Daredevil'? If none of that got your attention, go watch the trailer. If you're still not convinced, I don't know what to do with you.
8. Be Kind Rewind - January 25
Spike Jonze is my second-favorite music video director. My first is Be Kind's Michel Gondry. I'm sure you've seen the 'Hardest Button to Button' video, which featured Meg and Jack White transposed onto lengthening lines of instruments to Meg's pounding bass thump. If not, than perhaps you saw Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, which featured Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet becoming royally confused by memory alteration. Be Kind features (I'll find a new word soon, I promise) Jack Black and Mos Def creating their own versions of major film hits, including Ghostbusters and Driving Miss Daisy. I expect to be rolling in the aisles, a good sign.
7. The Incredible Hulk - June 13
I'm the guy that loved the first Hulk, a staggering but misunderstood work of genius by cinema master Ang Lee. The mass market didn't want an opaque tone poem about anger, they wanted to see stuff get smashed by a big green guy. Well, this is your film, guys, I hope you're happy. In what will be surely marketed as 'Not At All From The Guy That Made That First, Horrible HULK Film,' Incredible is a re-launch, designed to bring the franchise 'back' to its 'smashy' 'roots.' Whatever. Ed Norton is starring, and he apparently worked on the script, and hey, I like see Hulk smash too, so count me in.
6. Synecdoche, New York - March 21
I just mentioned Adaptation, Being John Malkovich, and Eternal Sunshine. There's one thing these films have in common, and that is they were written by Charlie Kaufman. Played brilliantly by Nic Cage in Adaptation, Kaufman is the best comedic screenwriter alive today. This is his directorial début, and stars Capote's Philip Seymour Hoffman (go rent State and Main) and Catherine Keener (go rent Being John Malkovich). I'm so there.
5. Cloverfield - January 18
This is the film everyone on the Internet is already sick of, but I'm still excited for. You probably saw the teaser trailer before Transformers, when it was still untitled, and only known by the release date: 01-18-08. I still prefer that title, but the film itself is unchanged. Written by one of LOST's best writers ('One of Us,' 'The Man Behind the Curtain'), Cloverfield is The Blair Witch Project meets Godzilla. And while neither of those are great films, I believe the combination of the two may prove to be winning. The plot is still shrouded in mystery, and hopefully it will stay that way until I'm in my seat at midnight.
4. and 3. Guerilla, The Argentine - Fall, Winter 2008
One of the most prolific directors at work today, Steven Soderbergh (Erin Brokovich, Ocean's Eleven-Thirteen, Traffic, Solaris, etc.) has now taken on the task of documenting two periods in the life of Cuban revolutionary Che Guevara, the guy from those idiotic shirts you see. Both films star Benicio Del Toro, who was born to play the role, and both will come out at some point next year. Both films will be incredible, and both will be up for Academy Awards. So, you should see them.
2. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull - May 22
My birthday. My birthday, for goodness' sake. Harrison Ford returns. Karen Allen returns. Steven Spielberg returns. Shia LeBouef joins. Cate Blancett joins. David Koepp--well, the less said about him the better. But I'm still expecting an incredible film. Just check out that new poster drawn by legend Drew Struzen and tell me you're not excited. And: my birthday.
1. Star Trek - December 25
I am both excited for and terrified by this film. Excited: J.J. Abrams (LOST, Mission: Impossible III) directs. Terrified: Chris Pine (The Princess Diaries 2, Just My Luck) stars. Excited: it's Star Trek. Terrified: it's Star Trek. This will either be a fantastic relaunch of a series in the way of Battlestar Galactica, or a excruciating misfire in the way of Star Wars: Episode I. And I can't bloody tell which it is. The trailer that will be screening before Cloverfield next month should alleviate most of my fears (or induce a myocardial infarction), but until then I'm holding dear to cautious optimism.
The Top Ten (Twelve) Films To Look Forward To In 2008
Remember, folks. 2009 is going to be a horrible year for film, 2010 even more so (thank you writers' strike!). So next year is your last chance for a while to really enjoy yourself in the theatre for any sort of regularly. So what's whetting my appetite for l'année prochaine?
12. The Dark Knight - July 18
Chris Nolan, director of Memento, took over the Batman franchise after Joel Schumacher quite spectacularly ran it into the ground in 1997's unforgettable Batman & Robin. The film he produced, Batman Begins, was one of my favorite films of 2005, and for good reason. Ignoring for the moment the horrible ending and worse title, Begins was a great film. Christian Bale's ability to flip between the easy-going billionaire and the gravely-voiced--and legitimately scary--vigilante helped make a weakish script into an enjoyable film. Now that the exposition is out of the way, I expect Dark Knight to surpass Begins, especially considering girlyman Heath Ledger's fantastic casting as The Joker.
11. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - November 21
This list wouldn't be full if I didn't mention the penultimate Potter film. This series has managed to stay good through five films, a feat I believe no other franchise has pulled off. The grittiness of the later films has been triumphant. While I was perturbed by the loss of many key plot points in this year's Order of the Phoenix, it still made for a fun watch, and I expect returning (after being gone for that one) screenwriter Steven Kloves knit a much more faithful script.
10. Where The Wild Things Are - October 3
Spike Jonze has yet to really burst into mainstream awareness, even after directing some of my favorite music videos ('Buddy Holly,' 'Undone') and favorite films (Adaptation, Being John Malkovich). This adaptation of the popular children's book, written for the screen by 'A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius' author and McSweeney's contributor Dave Eggers, may be his opening. The-boy-who-didn't-talk from Little Miss Sunshine stars.
9. Iron Man - May 2
Do I need to say more than 'Robert Downey Jr.'? How about 'plays a superhero'? How about 'directed by the guy who co-starred with Ben Affleck in Daredevil'? If none of that got your attention, go watch the trailer. If you're still not convinced, I don't know what to do with you.
8. Be Kind Rewind - January 25
Spike Jonze is my second-favorite music video director. My first is Be Kind's Michel Gondry. I'm sure you've seen the 'Hardest Button to Button' video, which featured Meg and Jack White transposed onto lengthening lines of instruments to Meg's pounding bass thump. If not, than perhaps you saw Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, which featured Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet becoming royally confused by memory alteration. Be Kind features (I'll find a new word soon, I promise) Jack Black and Mos Def creating their own versions of major film hits, including Ghostbusters and Driving Miss Daisy. I expect to be rolling in the aisles, a good sign.
7. The Incredible Hulk - June 13
I'm the guy that loved the first Hulk, a staggering but misunderstood work of genius by cinema master Ang Lee. The mass market didn't want an opaque tone poem about anger, they wanted to see stuff get smashed by a big green guy. Well, this is your film, guys, I hope you're happy. In what will be surely marketed as 'Not At All From The Guy That Made That First, Horrible HULK Film,' Incredible is a re-launch, designed to bring the franchise 'back' to its 'smashy' 'roots.' Whatever. Ed Norton is starring, and he apparently worked on the script, and hey, I like see Hulk smash too, so count me in.
6. Synecdoche, New York - March 21
I just mentioned Adaptation, Being John Malkovich, and Eternal Sunshine. There's one thing these films have in common, and that is they were written by Charlie Kaufman. Played brilliantly by Nic Cage in Adaptation, Kaufman is the best comedic screenwriter alive today. This is his directorial début, and stars Capote's Philip Seymour Hoffman (go rent State and Main) and Catherine Keener (go rent Being John Malkovich). I'm so there.
5. Cloverfield - January 18
This is the film everyone on the Internet is already sick of, but I'm still excited for. You probably saw the teaser trailer before Transformers, when it was still untitled, and only known by the release date: 01-18-08. I still prefer that title, but the film itself is unchanged. Written by one of LOST's best writers ('One of Us,' 'The Man Behind the Curtain'), Cloverfield is The Blair Witch Project meets Godzilla. And while neither of those are great films, I believe the combination of the two may prove to be winning. The plot is still shrouded in mystery, and hopefully it will stay that way until I'm in my seat at midnight.
4. and 3. Guerilla, The Argentine - Fall, Winter 2008
One of the most prolific directors at work today, Steven Soderbergh (Erin Brokovich, Ocean's Eleven-Thirteen, Traffic, Solaris, etc.) has now taken on the task of documenting two periods in the life of Cuban revolutionary Che Guevara, the guy from those idiotic shirts you see. Both films star Benicio Del Toro, who was born to play the role, and both will come out at some point next year. Both films will be incredible, and both will be up for Academy Awards. So, you should see them.
2. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull - May 22
My birthday. My birthday, for goodness' sake. Harrison Ford returns. Karen Allen returns. Steven Spielberg returns. Shia LeBouef joins. Cate Blancett joins. David Koepp--well, the less said about him the better. But I'm still expecting an incredible film. Just check out that new poster drawn by legend Drew Struzen and tell me you're not excited. And: my birthday.
1. Star Trek - December 25
I am both excited for and terrified by this film. Excited: J.J. Abrams (LOST, Mission: Impossible III) directs. Terrified: Chris Pine (The Princess Diaries 2, Just My Luck) stars. Excited: it's Star Trek. Terrified: it's Star Trek. This will either be a fantastic relaunch of a series in the way of Battlestar Galactica, or a excruciating misfire in the way of Star Wars: Episode I. And I can't bloody tell which it is. The trailer that will be screening before Cloverfield next month should alleviate most of my fears (or induce a myocardial infarction), but until then I'm holding dear to cautious optimism.