Movie Release Awareness - December '08 (Ex-Presidents, Aliens, and Wrestlers)

TehSpectre

The Week of December 5th


Milk (Supposed to net Mr. Penn an Oscar nod)



Director: Gus Van Sant
Stars: Sean Penn, Josh Brolin, Emile Hirsch (Full Cast)
Studio: Focus Features
Trailer & Review

The Plot: A chronicle of Harvey Milk's (Penn) ascent to become San Francisco's first openly gay city supervisor in 1977, and the political fallout that led to his assassination, as well as Mayor George Moscone's, the following year.


Punisher: War Zone (Tom Jane was great. Fuck this movie.)



Director: Lexi Alexander
Stars: Ray Stevenson, Dominic West, Julie Benz (Full Cast)
Studio: Lionsgate
Trailer

The Plot: Continuing his crusade to punish violent criminals, former FBI agent Frank Castle (Stevenson) arrives in New York to take on the city's underworld bosses.


Frost/Nixon (More Oscar nods for this movie. Meh.)



Director: Ron Howard
Stars: Frank Langella, Michael Sheen, Kevin Bacon (Full Cast)
Studio: Universal Pictures
Trailer & Review

The Plot: BBC host David Frost interviews Richard Nixon in 1977, where the scandal-plagued President opens up about his role in the Watergate scandal.


Nobel Son -Limited- (I Alan Rickman)



Director: Randall Miller
Stars: Alan Rickman, Bryan Greenberg, Shawn Hatosy (Full Cast)
Studio: Freestyle Releasing
Trailer

The Plot: A young chemistry student (Hatosy) throws a wrench into the existence of Nobel Prize-winning scientist Eli Michaelson (Rickman) by first kidnapping his son (Greenberg), then exposing Michaelson to his family friends, and colleagues as the pompous, unscrupulous egomaniac he has become since his triumph.


Timecrimes -Limited- (Excited! David Cronenberg is rumored to remake this.)



Director: Nacho Vigalondo
Stars: Karra Elejalde, Candela Fernández (Full Cast)
Studio: Magnolia Pictures
Trailer & Review

The Plot: After being subjected to a bizarre attack, a man (Elejalde) is transported one hour back in time, where he meets himself, then introduced to events that will lead up to an unthinkable -- but preventable? -- crime.


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The Week of December 12th


The Day the Earth Stood Still (Klaatu Barada Nikto!)



Director: Scott Derrickson
Stars: Keanu Reeves, Jennifer Connelly, Kathy Bates (Full Cast)
Studio: Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation
Trailer

The Plot: Aliens land on Earth with an important message for its citizens. A remake of the classic 1951 sci-fi film directed by Robert Wise.


Nothing Like the Holidays (I think I've seen this movie enough times already.)



Director: Alfredo De Villa
Stars: John Leguizamo, Freddy Rodríguez, Debra Messing (Full Cast)
Studio: Overture Films
Trailer

The Plot: The scattered members of the Rodriguez family return to their parents' home in Chicago to celebrate the holiday season, as well as their youngest's safe return from combat overseas. But when old tensions surface, the pressure is on the individuals to truly come together as a family.


Delgo (Val Kilmer would have been in Michael Mann's Collateral had it not been for this movie.)



Director: Marc F. AdlerJason Maurer
Stars: Freddie Prinze Jr., Val Kilmer, Anne Bancroft (Full Cast)
Studio: Freestyle Releasing
Trailer

The Plot: When Delgo (voice of Prinze, Jr.), a troubled teenager, is framed for a crime he didn't commit, his subsequent prison escape leads him and a group of unlikely friends on adventure to save two sparring races from a common enemy.


Doubt -Limited- (Now Timmy, show me on the doll where Father Flynn touched you.)



Director: John Patrick Shanley
Stars: Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams (Full Cast)
Studio: Miramax Films
Trailer & Review

The Plot: The principal (Streep) of a Catholic school in the Bronx grows suspicious of a priest (Hoffman) who might have crossed the line with one of their students; her subsequent accusation leads to a tense confrontation that also involves a young nun (Adams) who might have proof of the priest's wrongdoing.


Wendy & Lucy -Limited- (I would probably cry if I saw this movie. I'm such a sap.)



Director: Kelly Reichardt
Stars: Michelle Williams (Full Cast)
Studio: Oscilloscope Pictures
Trailer & Review

The Plot: Troubles besiege Wendy (Williams) during her trip from Indiana to Alaska, where she hopes to find gainful employment at a fish cannery. While stopped in Oregon, she's caught shoplifting food for her beloved dog, Lucy, which causes the duo to become separated, and presents to Wendy an increasingly dire set of circumstances as she searches for her companion.


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The Week of December 19th


Seven Pounds (Place your bets as to what the twist will be.)



Director: Gabriele Muccino
Stars: Will Smith, Rosario Dawson, Woody Harrelson (Full Cast)
Studio: Columbia Pictures
Trailer

The Plot: A professional man (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 (Dawson) who wants to help him deal with his grief.


The Tale of Despereaux (Omygoshesocute!)



Director: Sam FellRobert Stevenhagen
Stars: Matthew Broderick, Emma Watson, Dustin Hoffman (Full Cast)
Studio: Universal Pictures
Trailer

The Plot: Banished from his home for being more man than mouse, Despereaux (Broderick) is befriended by Princess Pea (Watson) who teaches him the value of reading books (instead of eating them) as well as a fellow outcast, Roscuro the Rat (Hoffman), who is interested in hearing the stories Despereaux has learned. When Roscuro is shunned by the princess, however, he plots her kidnapping, putting Desperaux's human-sized bravery to the test.


Yes Man (Didn't Carrey already make this movie?)



Director: Peyton Reed
Stars: Jim Carrey, Zooey Deschanel (Full Cast)
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures
Trailer

The Plot: What happens when you agree with everyone and say "yes" to everything? Carl (Carrey) is about to find out when he chooses to become overly agreeable for an entire year.


The Wrestler -Limited- (This is the movie to see in December.)



Director: Darren Aronofsky
Stars: Mickey Rourke, Marisa Tomei, Evan Rachel Wood (Full Cast)
Studio: Fox Searchlight Pictures
Trailer & Review

The Plot: With his battle scars and failing heart, retired professional wrestler Randy "The Ram" Robinson (Rourke) jumps back into the squared cirle, climbing his way up the independent-circuit ladder, with his eyes on a showdown with his longtime rival.


The Brothers Bloom -Limited- (From the dude who brought us Brick.)



Director: Rian Johnson
Stars: Rachel Weisz, Adrien Brody, Mark Ruffalo
Studio: Summit Entertainment
Trailer & Review

The Plot: A pair of brothers and veteran conmen (Brody and Ruffalo) target an enigmatic wealthy woman (Weisz) as their potential last job, fully unaware of the twists in the road ahead of them.

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The Week of December 25th


Bedtime Stories (Adam Sandler movies are hit or miss. I'll probably skip this one.)



Director: Adam Shankman
Stars:Adam Sandler, Keri Russell, Courteney Cox
Studio: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Trailer

The Plot: Somehow, someway, the lavish bedtime stories that a hotel handyman (Sandler) tells his niece and nephew start to magically come true.


The Spirit (This looks super cheesy, but I am a sucker for Sam Jackson.)



Director: Frank Miller
Stars: Gabriel Macht, Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson
Studio: Lionsgate
Trailer

The Plot: A rookie cop (Macht) returns from the dead to fight crime from the shadows of Central City. His main opposition is a former lab technician who has reinvented himself as The Octopus (Jackson), an elusive criminal mastermind who knows the secrets behind his nemesis.


Valkyrie (A movie about Germans who neither speak German, or have German accents.)



Director: Bryan Singer
Stars: Tom Cruise, Bill Nighy, Carice van Houten
Studio: United Artists
Trailer

The Plot: Near the end of WWII, Claus von Stauffenberg (Cruise) leads to group of fellow German army colonels in an attempt to assassinate Adolf Hitler; the event would later be called the July 20 Plot of 1944.


Marley & Me (Labrador retrievers are super cute and this one is no exception.)



Director: David Frankel
Stars: Owen Wilson, Jennifer Aniston
Studio: Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation
Trailer

The Plot: An impossibly cute, but impossible-to-live-with yellow Labrador retriever named Marley teaches his newlywed owners a thing or two about patience and parenthood.


The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (Yesssssssssss)



Director: David Fincher
Stars: Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Tilda Swinton
Studio: Paramount Pictures
Trailer & Review

The Plot: Benjamin Button was born under unusual circumstances. As everyone around him grew older, he aged backwards, making the challenges of life such as creating friendships, finding a job and falling in love all the more difficult and heartbreaking.


Revolutionary Road -Limited- (What would have happened if she didn't let him freeze to death in Titanic.)



Director: Sam Mendes
Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet
Studio: DreamWorks Distribution
Trailer & Review

The Plot: A young couple raising a family in a Connecticut suburb during the mid-1950s look to break free from their frustratingly mediocre lives.


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Notable Movie News of November '08


Tintin movie in the works?

Planet of the Apes getting another reboot?

Why Terrence Howard will not be in Iron Man 2.

Road to Perdition is getting a pair of sequels!

Jack Black to star in Gulliver's Travels.

30 Days of Night nets itself a sequel.

Beyonce wants to play Wonderwoman in upcoming film.

Fox says "Yes" to Arrested Development fans.

It looks like The Host is getting an American remake.

Jonah Hex seems to be having problems getting off the ground.

Oldboy a "reimagining" and not a remake. Fans still groan.

Steven Segal is getting his own reality series where he gets to be a cop. Seriously.

Will Whedon get to make another cancelled tv show movie? Buffy rumors swirl about Hollywood.

TehSpectre

DVD Releases for December '08


The Week of December 2nd

The Week of December 9th

The Week of December 16th

The Week of December 23rd

The Week of December 30th

Fencingsax

Just in to say I saw the limited opening of Milk, it was fantastic.

Also saw the theatrical version of Frost/Nixon. Very nice.

TehSpectre

I just saw Bolt (In 3D) and Transporter 3 recently.

Enjoyed both.

Transporter 3 wasn't as good as the other 2 pacing-wise and 2 of the fights were kinda similar, but the villain was the best yet.

cj iwakura

The Brothers Bloom seems like the best one on the list, though I do love Bryan Singer's work.


Wasn't Coraline coming out this month?

TehSpectre

cj iwakura wrote: »

Wasn't Coraline coming out this month?

It was pushed back to February.

A Dabble Of Thelonius

The Spirit looks like it will make a run for the Worst Movie 08' title.

Also, blue font on blue background is not so great.

Fencingsax

By the way, Australia is one of those Epic Romances where nothing much happens.

flamebroiledchicken

When the hell is Fanboys coming out?

hesthefastest

Nothing is really standing out as a 'must-see'.

Couscous

Valkyrie (A movie about Germans who neither speak German, or have German accents.)

To be fair, it is really retarded when English movies set in a non-English country have the characters speak English with shitty accents.

Quid

Oh my fucking God they made a movie out of Marley & Me?

That is too much emotion for the world.

Robos A Go Go

flamebroiledchicken wrote: »

When the hell is Fanboys coming out?

It was delayed again. I think it's set for February now.

Quid

And now I just watched the trailer and while stuff's obviously changed, they kept the spirit and what looks like most of the events. They'd just better keep the ending.

For those that didn't read the book, the vast majority of the scenes in the trailer are actual occurrences with the dog.

rchou

Couscous wrote: »

Valkyrie (A movie about Germans who neither speak German, or have German accents.)

To be fair, it is really retarded when English movies set in a non-English country have the characters speak English with shitty accents.

Guys, I saw Valkyrie at an advanced screening recently. It is fuckawesome.

Robos A Go Go

After reading the original short story, I'm not that interested in seeing Benjamin Button, just because I think they're going to overlook the humor of the story and emphasize the drama as much as possible.

Also, I'm really surprised to hear something good about Valkyrie.

Hoz

Good thing I don't give a shit about the movie's relation to its source. I will watch Benjamin Button very fucking hard.

Robos A Go Go

Hoz wrote: »

Good thing I don't give a shit about the movie's relation to its source. I will watch Benjamin Button very fucking hard.

Is this hardness reserved for Benjamin Button, or is this just a condition Brad Pitt inspires in general? :winky:

Seriously though, I didn't mean to suggest that Benjamin Button will be worse simply because it will be a deviation. Pretty much any film based on a short story that takes less than an hour to read cover to cover is going to have to take liberties, after all. Instead, it's more a matter of envisioning how I'd like them to approach the film, and knowing how the film is more likely to go given how it's being promoted.

werehippy

Frost/Nixon is the only must see for me this month, the trailer was fantastic and the reviews have all been glowing.

The Spirit looks kind of rough, but depending on whether I find myself with an evening to kill when people are around I might end up going to see it.

Why does The Wrestler have so much buzz? I saw the trailer and would have just ignored it if people didn't keep talking about how amazing they expect it to be.

frank as fuck

Thread lacks Gran Torino.

Quid

I dare you fuckers to read Marley & Me.

Dare you.

frank as fuck

Quid wrote: »

I dare you fuckers to read Marley & Me.

Dare you.

I love it.

flamebroiledchicken

werehippy wrote: »

Why does The Wrestler have so much buzz? I saw the trailer and would have just ignored it if people didn't keep talking about how amazing they expect it to be.

Because it's by Darren Aronofsky (Pi, Requiem for a Dream, The Fountain)

yakul

Unless all the action scenes are spoiled in the preview, Punisher looks like a pretty solid action movie.

Kyougu

God I can't wait to see The Wrestler. It looks so good, but I think I want to see it partly for being a wrestling fan. None the less, it's been getting some great reviews, and I really liked the trailer.

I'll probably check out Milk this Friday. Hopefully.

werehippy

flamebroiledchicken wrote: »

werehippy wrote: »

Why does The Wrestler have so much buzz? I saw the trailer and would have just ignored it if people didn't keep talking about how amazing they expect it to be.

Because it's by Darren Aronofsky (Pi, Requiem for a Dream, The Fountain)

There we are, I knew it had to be something. I completely missed that.

Wobblie

cj iwakura wrote: »

The Brothers Bloom seems like the best one on the list, though I do love Bryan Singer's work.


Wasn't Coraline coming out this month?

I am hella excited for this. There seem to be a lot of potentially awesome movies coming out. Thank god for the holidays.

Mike Danger

I was under the impression that December was going to be another dry month for the movies, but now I'm completely backtracking.

Punisher looks passable (I like the Jigsaw make-up a lot, although I don't like them changing actors midstream. Wayne Knight as Microchip should be pretty fun, though.)
Frost/Nixon looks kind of cool, although I'm not sure if I would pony up for it at the theater.
I'm not sure what to make of The Day the Earth Stood Still just yet.
The trailer for Doubt on TV the other night seemed really cool.
Yes Man looks pretty funny, which is a lot from me (I'm not a big Jim Carrey fan).
The Spirit looks like it's going to be stupid-fun.
Valkyrie is a must-see (I'm in a course on the rise and fall of Nazi Germany, and it looks awesome, even if it has been gussied up a little for the big screen)
Benjamin Button looks like it's going to be solid, too. (Did anyone else get a Chris Van Allsburg vibe from the trailer?)

Man, I hope the roads around here don't get super-crappy and stop me from rolling out with friends during break.

Underdog

Quid wrote: »

And now I just watched the trailer and while stuff's obviously changed, they kept the spirit and what looks like most of the events. They'd just better keep the ending.

For those that didn't read the book, the vast majority of the scenes in the trailer are actual occurrences with the dog.

HA! It looks pretty cute. I think if I see it, I'll just spend the whole time cooing and will then want a dog even more afterwards.

Cherrn

I actually do expect Punisher to be good. Marvel has stepped their game up a notch over the past year, and one of the writers also wrote Iron Man. It has suffered several problems during production what with the whole Thomas Jane debacle, I think the script has been replaced several times, and there was even some rumor that the director had been taken off the the film.

Still, the trailer looks promising, it is appropriately violent considering the license, and Ray Stevenson is perfect for that role. It also seems to have completely disavowed the first movie (not including the Dolph Lundgren one), which I personally consider a very wise decision. So I'm hoping it'll at least be comparable in quality to The Incredible Hulk. Only more violent,

TehSpectre

frank as fuck wrote: »

Thread lacks Gran Torino.

I choose to put limited releases that will probably not achieve a wide release during their run in theaters.

Gran Torino opens wide in January.

TehSpectre

Cherrn wrote: »

I actually do expect Punisher to be good. Marvel has stepped their game up a notch over the past year, and one of the writers also wrote Iron Man. It has suffered several problems during production what with the whole Thomas Jane debacle, I think the script has been replaced several times, and there was even some rumor that the director had been taken off the the film.

Still, the trailer looks promising, it is appropriately violent considering the license, and Ray Stevenson is perfect for that role. It also seems to have completely disavowed the first movie (not including the Dolph Lundgren one), which I personally consider a very wise decision. So I'm hoping it'll at least be comparable in quality to The Incredible Hulk. Only more violent,

The director was fired (not offically) due to Lionsgate removing the film's score and replacing it with lame heavy metal tracks, not to mention the script revisions the producers kept forcing on her.

She was pissed.

Also, no Tom Jane who stayed in shape for an entire year while he waited for Lionsgate to get their heads out of their asses and make a good script. They didn't even seem to care how dedicated he was.

thanimations

I saw Milk today and it blew me away. I can't recommend it enough.

As for Decemeber, I'll be seeing Yes Man (love Zooey Deschanel), the Wrestler, and Revolutionary Road. After that, it will probably depend on what catches my fancy on a particular day. Overall a little anti-climatic finish to the year for me.

DevoutlyApathetic

I honestly liked the first (recent) punisher movie. I am not enthusiastic about this new one at all.

One Thousand Cables

I'm probably only going to see Frost/Nixon and Valkyrie this month. The Wrestler and Punisher War Zone both sound cool, but I'll have to catch those later, I think.

Quid

thanimations wrote: »

I saw Milk today and it blew me away. I can't recommend it enough.

As for Decemeber, I'll be seeing Yes Man (love Zooey Deschanel), the Wrestler, and Revolutionary Road. After that, it will probably depend on what catches my fancy on a particular day. Overall a little anti-climatic finish to the year for me.

Go see Marley & Me.

Shazkar Shadowstorm

Imma go tell the movie thread
I saw Slumdog Millionaire tonight
It was pretty good, definitely

thanimations

Quid wrote: »

thanimations wrote: »

I saw Milk today and it blew me away. I can't recommend it enough.

As for Decemeber, I'll be seeing Yes Man (love Zooey Deschanel), the Wrestler, and Revolutionary Road. After that, it will probably depend on what catches my fancy on a particular day. Overall a little anti-climatic finish to the year for me.

Go see Marley & Me.

Ehhhhhhhh I'm not a huge dog fan. I'm sure I will see it, though, as everyone else in the world including my wife is, but there's nothing that movie has that makes me want to see it on my own decision.

Kealoha

Wow, this month looks to be a drain on my wallet. At least, it would be, if I didn't work at a theater and get to see all of these movies for free.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button looks so fucking good. I don't even know why. I think the trailers create some sort of super-whimsical atmosphere that I'm just aching for right now. It screams of other movies to me--anyone have any recommendations of films that may be similar atmosphere wise? Amelie seems to fit the bill.

The Brothers Bloom: I'm a huge fan of the three main actors, and Brick is one of my favorites (too bad JGL wasn't in this movie. But I don't think he'd be right for either of the roles.)

Valkyrie: I had a Nazi Germany course last year and my professor did a mini-rant about how inaccurate the film is supposedly. I'll still probably see it. (Mike Danger: do you go to OU? I think that's the same course title I had..)

Milk: I read the Life and Times of Harvey Milk and watched the documentary for one of my classes. So, basically, I have to see this movie.

Nobel Son: I, too, love Alan Rickman.

Doubt: Meryl Streep and Dustin Hoffman are two of my favorite actors. Awesome.

Wendy & Luci: I probably won't see it, but it looks so sad. Michelle Williams is good, too.

The Tale of Despereaux: God damn this movie looks so cute. Plus Matthew Broderick and Emma Watson? Snugglefest.

The Wrestler: Aronofsky is one of my favorites. This looks to be sweet.

Revolutionary Road: Terrible title, but Kate Winslett is so good. Leo doesn't hurt. Neither do stories about 1950s conformity.

Shazkar Shadowstorm

i searched for slumdog on the entire forums
there are only a handful of posts
guys, you need to see this movie

TehSpectre

Shazkar Shadowstorm wrote: »

i searched for slumdog on the entire forums
there are only a handful of posts
guys, you need to see this movie

It would be tough for most, as it is only a limited release and has been out for a few weeks.