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Fall movie preview: September
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
SEPTEMBER 19
Ghost Town
The lowdown: Ricky Gervais) dies for a seven-minute period during his colonoscopy, then awakens to realize he has gained the ability to see and communicate with ghosts, including one (Greg Kinnear) who wants to break up the marriage of his widow (Tea Leoni).
The forecast: The premise is interesting, but if Steven Spielberg couldn’t make a similar premise work in Always, I’m not sure writer-director David Koepp can.
The prospect: C
Igor
The lowdown: In this animated feature, a certain laboratory assistant looks to win the Annual Evil Science Fair with his own creation.
The forecast: Any plot that has an Annual Evil Science Fair sounds promising. I’m very curious about this one, featuring the voices of John Cusack, Molly Shannon and Steve Buscemi.
The prospect: B
Lakeview Terrace
The lowdown: A police officer (Samuel L. Jackson) goes to extremes to force out the interracial couple (Kerry Washington and Patrick Wilson) who just moved in next door.
The prospect: Promising trailer, but this could also be exploitive junk like Unlawful Entry was. At the very least, I hope director Neil LaBute bounces back after the debacle of his Wicker Man remake.
The prospect: C
My Best Friend’s Girl
The lowdown: Dane Cook works as a womanizer hired by guys who want their girlfriends or wives to reconsider leaving them. Things get complicated when Kate Hudson enters the mix.
The forecast: Why do I get the feeling that Dane Cook’s rant about the poster will be the funniest thing to come out of the film? Maybe because the filmography of director Howard Deutch reads like the ultimate C-list.
The prospect: D
SEPTEMBER 26
Eagle Eye
The lowdown: A young man (Shia LaBeouf) and his mother (Michelle Monaghan) become unwitting members of a terrorist cell.
The forecast: The director is DJ Caruso, who is obviously looking to repeat the success he had with LaBeouf and Disturbia, which I thought was well made but predictable. Most of that film’s success came from people who had never seen Rear Window. We’ll see if this one kicks the quality up a notch.
The prospect: B
Miracle at St. Anna
The lowdown: A murder sets in motion an investigation that leads back to the experiences of a battalion of black American soldiers who became trapped in a Tuscan village during WWII.
The forecast: The trailer looks very strong to me, so I’m a little surprised it hasn’t attracted stronger Oscar buzz. However loud such buzz may or may not be, I’m very anxious to see this one.
The prospect: A
Nights in Rodanthe
The lowdown: A doctor (Richard Gere) sparks romance with an unhappily married woman (Diane Lane) at a North Carolina inn.
The forecast: The trailer for this looks awfully maudlin, although I thought the same thing about the trailer for The Notebook, also based on a novel by Nicholas Sparks, and I really liked The Notebook. We’ll see.
The prospect: B
What are you most/least looking forward to seeing here?
Permalink | Comments (3) | Post your comment | Categories: Coming Attractions
Comments
By SRCputt
August 25, 2008 8:52 PM | Link to this
Wait a minute! The Accidental Husband was moved! Let’s boycott the distributor!By Kim S.
August 25, 2008 2:07 PM | Link to this
I’m in for “Righteous Kill” and the Coen Brothers film. Won’t see the Lane-Gere film if paid. I avoid Nicholas Sparks like the plague. “Accidental Husband” and “Lakeview Terrace” are rentals. The latter makes me think of “Pacific Heights” with a badge. I’ll take my mom to see “The Women”, questioning why the whole time I’m there. “Eagle Eye” is also a rental for me - I’m getting tired of Shia already. Unsure about the Lee - he bugs me alot, and I’m tired of war movies. Tyler Perry is always interesting to me, and the rest really aren’t worth comments.By Allie D.
August 25, 2008 12:50 PM | Link to this
Why do I get the feeling that Nicholas Sparks is probably like Jack Nicholson’s character from As Good As It Gets? LOL That being said, I will probably see Nights in Rodanthe. I am also anticipating Eagle Eye and Burn After Reading. I nominate Bangkok Dangerous as the WORST film title of 2008 and definitely in the Top 10 worst of the decade that includes “How She Move” “Meet Dave” and “Stick It.”