Spatial Rift's Semi-annual Silver Screen Schedule, 2011.2
OKAY OKAY I KNOW IT'S LATE. SHUSH. Lots of real life been happening at Casa Spatial. By way of catching up, sort of, we'll start off with a list of movies that came out in the intervening time that I still want to see.
SPECIAL MENTION
... Goes to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2. The very last Harry Potter movie until some other studio does the inevitable remake. I have already seen it, but it deserves a mention here. This movie marks the passing of an age, the end of an era, the punctuation of a cultural epoch in cinematic history. Not since Star Wars did a fantasy saga capture the public imagination so thoroughly. When this lightning (ha!) will strike again, no one knows. Now begins the passage of Harry Potter from pop culture phenomenon into pop culture pantheon. For decades hence it shall form the foundations of future franchises. It shall be one of the standards against which they are judged and compared. Long live Harry Potter.
CURRENT
Captain America (Jul 22) - The Marvel filmverse quilt continues to knit itself together, and this is one red white and blue patch I won't be missing.
Cowboys & Aliens (Jul 29) - James Bond and Indiana Jones as cowboys fight ALIENS. WEARING WAISTCOATS. YES. ("The aliens are wearing waistcoats?" I sure hope so.)
COMING THIS YEAR
Griff the Invisible (Aug 19) - As the superhero genre becomes a proper genre, it was really inevitable that it would start to be mixed with other genres. I give you Griff the Invisible, the world's first indie movie superhero. The trailer promises meaty discussions of such themes as love, power, and social responsibility. It's limited release, so I may wait for the DVD.
Real Steel (Oct 7) - YOU GUYS, IT'S ROCK 'EM SOCK 'EM ROBOTS: THE MOVIE. STARRING HUGH JACKMAN. OF COURSE I AM GOING TO SEE THIS.
The Three Musketeers (Oct 21) - Yes, an actual Three Musketeers story. Featuring deadly assassins, blimp warship galleons, and good old fashioned swordfighting. You know what I say to that? All for one, and one for all.
In Time (Oct 28) - If you ask five science fiction fans to define science fiction, you will get at least eight definitions. But for me, the core quality of sci-fi is that it must be a story which considers the real human reactions and ethics regarding some element of scientific knowledge or technological achievement. What do people do with warp drives? They go out and explore and build a Federation. What do people do with genetically engineered, government-controlled lifespan counters? We'll have to watch Justin Timberlake's latest movie to find out.
Hugo (Nov 23) - This kid-based, 1930s France, adventure movie looks utterly charming. Little Hugo meets a girl whose heart-shaped key fits the anthro-shaped robot his father left him, and you know that unraveling the mystery is going to be half the fun.
The Muppets (Nov 23) - Wait, wait, wait. Are there muppets in this movie? Yes, I think there are.
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (Dec 16) - The inevitable and highly anticipated (by me) sequel to the 2009 Robert Downey Jr. Holmes flick. There is something larger than life about the Sherlock Holmes character, as evidenced by the fact that the market is currently bearing two very distinct Holmes adaptation series (the other one being, of course, Moffat's current-day Sherlock TV show). Like chocolate chip and fudge ripple ice cream, both with the same premise but very different execution, and both delicious.
The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn (Dec 23) - I am not particularly qualified to comment on this movie as an adaptation, being as I am unfamiliar with the original comic books. But my god, the animation on this sucker looks absolutely goddamn gorgeous. With Spielberg, Peter Jackson, and Steven Moffat (I feel like I've just mentioned him somewhere ... oh well) running this show, it can't possibly go wrong.
MAYBES
Tucker & Dale vs Evil (Sep 30) - First of all, Alan Tudyk. Less important, but still interesting, is the premise of the movie: What if the thing that keeps capturing and killing the preppy college kids in the woods is actually just a misunderstanding? This comedy horror flick could be quite enjoyable.
Anonymous (Oct 28) - No, this is not a movie about the internet-born political movement from 4chan. Almost as old as Shakespeare's plays themselves are the many theories positing that Shakespeare was actually someone else. Roland Emmerich takes a break from destroying the world to destroy instead our history of the world's greatest playwright.
Immortals (Nov 11) - More Greek myth stories in super action slow motion! Hooray! In Relativity Media's latest installment, the highly underrated Theseus basically gets to save the entire friggin' universe.
Arthur Christmas (Nov 23) - Okay, on the one hand, yet another christmas movie. On the other hand, Aardman Animations (the Wallace & Gromit guys), and the same tongue-in-cheek trailer charm as Despicable Me. This one may prove hard to stay away from.
SPECIAL MENTION
... Goes to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2. The very last Harry Potter movie until some other studio does the inevitable remake. I have already seen it, but it deserves a mention here. This movie marks the passing of an age, the end of an era, the punctuation of a cultural epoch in cinematic history. Not since Star Wars did a fantasy saga capture the public imagination so thoroughly. When this lightning (ha!) will strike again, no one knows. Now begins the passage of Harry Potter from pop culture phenomenon into pop culture pantheon. For decades hence it shall form the foundations of future franchises. It shall be one of the standards against which they are judged and compared. Long live Harry Potter.
CURRENT
Captain America (Jul 22) - The Marvel filmverse quilt continues to knit itself together, and this is one red white and blue patch I won't be missing.
Cowboys & Aliens (Jul 29) - James Bond and Indiana Jones as cowboys fight ALIENS. WEARING WAISTCOATS. YES. ("The aliens are wearing waistcoats?" I sure hope so.)
COMING THIS YEAR
Griff the Invisible (Aug 19) - As the superhero genre becomes a proper genre, it was really inevitable that it would start to be mixed with other genres. I give you Griff the Invisible, the world's first indie movie superhero. The trailer promises meaty discussions of such themes as love, power, and social responsibility. It's limited release, so I may wait for the DVD.
Real Steel (Oct 7) - YOU GUYS, IT'S ROCK 'EM SOCK 'EM ROBOTS: THE MOVIE. STARRING HUGH JACKMAN. OF COURSE I AM GOING TO SEE THIS.
The Three Musketeers (Oct 21) - Yes, an actual Three Musketeers story. Featuring deadly assassins, blimp warship galleons, and good old fashioned swordfighting. You know what I say to that? All for one, and one for all.
In Time (Oct 28) - If you ask five science fiction fans to define science fiction, you will get at least eight definitions. But for me, the core quality of sci-fi is that it must be a story which considers the real human reactions and ethics regarding some element of scientific knowledge or technological achievement. What do people do with warp drives? They go out and explore and build a Federation. What do people do with genetically engineered, government-controlled lifespan counters? We'll have to watch Justin Timberlake's latest movie to find out.
Hugo (Nov 23) - This kid-based, 1930s France, adventure movie looks utterly charming. Little Hugo meets a girl whose heart-shaped key fits the anthro-shaped robot his father left him, and you know that unraveling the mystery is going to be half the fun.
The Muppets (Nov 23) - Wait, wait, wait. Are there muppets in this movie? Yes, I think there are.
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (Dec 16) - The inevitable and highly anticipated (by me) sequel to the 2009 Robert Downey Jr. Holmes flick. There is something larger than life about the Sherlock Holmes character, as evidenced by the fact that the market is currently bearing two very distinct Holmes adaptation series (the other one being, of course, Moffat's current-day Sherlock TV show). Like chocolate chip and fudge ripple ice cream, both with the same premise but very different execution, and both delicious.
The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn (Dec 23) - I am not particularly qualified to comment on this movie as an adaptation, being as I am unfamiliar with the original comic books. But my god, the animation on this sucker looks absolutely goddamn gorgeous. With Spielberg, Peter Jackson, and Steven Moffat (I feel like I've just mentioned him somewhere ... oh well) running this show, it can't possibly go wrong.
MAYBES
Tucker & Dale vs Evil (Sep 30) - First of all, Alan Tudyk. Less important, but still interesting, is the premise of the movie: What if the thing that keeps capturing and killing the preppy college kids in the woods is actually just a misunderstanding? This comedy horror flick could be quite enjoyable.
Anonymous (Oct 28) - No, this is not a movie about the internet-born political movement from 4chan. Almost as old as Shakespeare's plays themselves are the many theories positing that Shakespeare was actually someone else. Roland Emmerich takes a break from destroying the world to destroy instead our history of the world's greatest playwright.
Immortals (Nov 11) - More Greek myth stories in super action slow motion! Hooray! In Relativity Media's latest installment, the highly underrated Theseus basically gets to save the entire friggin' universe.
Arthur Christmas (Nov 23) - Okay, on the one hand, yet another christmas movie. On the other hand, Aardman Animations (the Wallace & Gromit guys), and the same tongue-in-cheek trailer charm as Despicable Me. This one may prove hard to stay away from.