Watch Out for 2009, or How what are you looking forward to?

Okay, so 2008 is far behind us, and it didn't quite make an impression on anyone (can someone tell me why Slumdog is taking every and all prizes other than because its competition is horribly weak?) In any case: let's look ahead people! I mostly look forward to films because of the people involved so that's why the list skews more towards films made by/starring people I love. "Big Movies" and the "Blockbusters" don't really get me excited though I do end up watching them, so that's why stuff like Watchmen, Terminator and Avatar don't quite make it to the list. Without further ado:

Top 20 Films I'm Most Looking Forward to

20. Cherie (Stephen Frears)

Michelle Pfeiffer in a costume drama. Need we say more?

19. Shutter Island (Martin Scorcese)

Despite The Aviator I still look forward to any Leo/Marty pairing.

18. Duplicity (Tony Gilroy)

You had me at Julia Roberts headlining a film. Add in Tony 'Bourne/Michael Clayton' Gilroy and a shirtless scene with Clive Owen and you've got me really intrigued for this film.

17. A Single Man (Tom Ford)

You have to give props to Mr Ford for bringing together three stars I love: Julianne, Lee & Colin. Also, I love the original story so I'm interested to see how this turns out.

16. An Education (Lone Scherfig)

If there was one deafening pronouncement coming from Sundance this year, it was the breakthrough of a certain Ms Carey Mulligan in this Nick Hornby-penned film. Add in Peter Saarsgard and an academic environment and I'm sold.

15. Rudo y Cursi (Carlos Cuaron)

Gael. Diego. 'Nuff said.

14. Brothers (Jim Sheridan)

Is it just me or was this supposed to be an '08 release? In any case, this remake of a Danish film of the same name has me intrigued, mainly for the talent involved (Ms Portman, Jake and Tobey).

13. Ponyo at the Cliff (Hayao Miyazaki)

I'm an animation freak, so of course I would be

looking forward to Miyazaki's new retelling of Anderson's Little Mermaid. Also, is this not the best voice acting cast since... ever? You had me at Tina Fey.

12. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (David Yates)

This was on my list last year: Warner Bros better make our wait worth while!

11. Los Abrazos Rotos (Pedro Almodovar)

Penelope. Pedro. 'Nuff said.

10. The Princess and the Frog (Ron 'n John)

These are the guys that brought us The Little Mermaid, Hercules and Aladdin, and while I'm unsure about the whole 'Randy Newman writes New Orleans tunes' is gonna work out, I have high hopes for this return to form among the Disney crowd.

9. Away We Go (Sam Mendes)

This is why doing research for upcoming films is fun: you realize John Krasinski, Maya Rudolph Maggie Gyllenhaal, Cheryl Hines, Alison Janney and Catherine O'Hara are starring in a new comedy film by Sam Mendes!

8. Julie and Julia (Nora Ephron)

Meryl. Amy. 'Nuff said.

7.The Lovely Bones (Peter Jackson)

The novel tells the story of a girl who watches from heaven as her family deal with her murder. Intriguing no? We'll see what Mr Jackson cooks up for us.

6. Scott Pilgrim Vs The World (Edgar Wright)

Have you really not picked up the wonderful comic books that trace the trials and tribulations of a certain Scott Pilgrim? What is wrong with you? And now, with a wonderful cast, I can't wait to see what this film looks like.

5. Sunshine Cleaning (Christine Jeffs)

Amy. Emily. 'Nuff said. (This film also closes the Amy-Emily-Meryl-Anne square - wait no. Amy and Anne now need to star in something...)

4. 500 Days of Summer (Marc Webb)

I already talked about how much I was looking forward to this film starring Zoey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt here.

3. Nine (Rob Marshall)

Nicole. Penelope. Kate. Sophia. Judi. Marion. 'Nuff said. Well, no - add to it the directorial vision of Rob Marshall and you've got yourself the most anticipated musical this year.

2. Talking Woodstock (Ang Lee)

When has Mr Lee disappointed us? (If you're answer was "Hulk" please go skulk in the corner right now, shame on you!) Also: Emile, Paul (Dano), Liev, Imelda, Demetri Martin (just saw him on Flight of the Conchords - so cute!) and Jonathan 'Spring Awakening' Groff!

1. Up (Pete Docter)

Is this a surprise to anyone? Of course PIXAR's latest installment would make my number 1 (the fact that Ratatouille and Wall‧E were my top picks for the last two years proves that I have yet to be disappointed by Lassetter & co).

2008 Watch Out For List or How Star Wars, NYC and WallE are coming our way

Good Premises

Sure, star-power and franchise-frenzy will make me indulge in the capitalistic world we live in by blindly purchasing a ticket for certain movies, but sometimes I think of good stories, and follow good writers wherever they'll lead me. Here are a couple that have sparked my curiousity:

Fanboys
Release Date: (TBA)
After watching several clips at Comic Con and hearing the cast and crew talk for an entire panel I cannot wait enough for this movie. Not only does it look hilarious but it takes up one of the most fascinating aspects of Pop Culture and turns it on its head: Star Wars. Any movie that gets the blessing of George Lucas to a) make fun of him, and b) allow them to film at the Skywalker Ranch MUST be worth watching. Premise: Four friends try and hunt down a copy of Episode One before it hits screens. Hilarity ensues. (And yes, they all agree it sucked!)

Iron Man

Release Date: May 2, 2008
I am a big supporter of Robert D. So it is only fitting that here I am waiting for his latest foray into Hollywoodland with the newest Marvel hero to join the pantheon of comic-book-to-movie character translations. After seeing the trailer all I can say is: can't wait!


Speed Racer
Release Date: May 9, 2008
Wachowski Bros + a 1960s cartoon that I loved as a little kid + Matthew Fox in spandex? What could be better?



WALL•E

Release Date: June 27, 2008
As an obsessive Pixar fan, I cannot wait to see what Andrew Stanton & co have come up with for next summer. What if man left Earth and forgot to turn off the last robot? What if that robot was a Waste Allocation Load Lifter - Earth-class robot who is utterly adorable? Only Pixar knows and will let us in on the secret next summer.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Release Date: November 26, 2008
After this year's Zodiac, I am even more excited for this movie whose premise still tickles my fancy (an expression I never have nor ever again will use): The movie tells the story of Benjamin Button, a man who starts aging backwards with bizarre consequences. (Based on Fitzgerald's story)




Synecdoche, New York
Release Date: TBA 2008
What has Charlie Kauffman written that I haven't enjoyed? Exactly. Nothing. Every movie leaves me so tantalized I am forced to watch it over and over to get the full effect. Don't know what movies I'm talking about? Wondering who Kauffman is? Please refer to Being John Malkovich, Adaptation, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind but in particular to the brilliant Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. The deceivingly simple premise: A theater director (Phillip Seymour Hoffman) struggles with his work, and the women in his life, as he attempts to create a life-size replica of New York inside a warehouse as part of his new play. Kudos for using 'synecdoche' in the title, maybe now more people will know what it means and use it correctly.

Australia
Release Date: TBA 2008
What do you need to make a star-powered Australian film? Get Nicole on the line, sign up Hugh, have Baz write and direct, assemble a number of recognizable aussie faces (including 300's David Wenham, and 'acting legend' Bill Hunter - Nemo, Muriel and Priscilla on his record? awesome!) and shoot right in the heart of Hollywood's idea of Australia - Bowen, Sydney and Kununurra as far as I've read. I expect some yobbos, sheilas and some walkabouts to make an appearance.

2008 Watch Out For List, or How Amy, Meryl and Kate are back

Stars I Love

A star can make or break a movie (can you imagine Devil Wears Prada without Meryl or Pretty Woman without Julia?) and on occasions I'll find myself flocking to certain movies just to see my favourite stars act their way into (or out of...) a movie. Here's a list of who I'll be chasing at the multiplexes next year:

Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day
Release Date: March 7, 2008 (limited)
Lee Pace (of Pushing Daisies fame) and Amy Adams (one of my new favourite people after Enchanted and Junebug viewings) in the same movie!? After watching the trailer I had to stop myself from smiling (why is it that Lee and Amy do this to me?) That said, it is refreshing to look forward to watch movies where women's promiscuity is embraced in a comedic fashion.





Mamma Mia!
Release Date: July 18, 2008
I will follow Meryl Streep anywhere she goes (and yes, that included watching Lions for Lambs... snooze). And really, what movie with ABBA songs will not make me happy? (Yes Priscilla and Muriel I'm looking at you!) I have yet to see the stage version but with the recent Broadway-Hollywood hits we've seen in the past two years I'm hopeful. (Bonus: Dominic Cooper hottie alert!)



Revolutionary Road
Release Date: December 19, 2008
The World's favourite tragic-ridden boat lovers are back again under the directorial gaze of Kate's very own Academy Award Winning Director Husband Sam Mendes. The story? According to IMDB: 'A young couple living in a Connecticut suburb during the mid-1950s struggle to come to terms with their personal problems while trying to raise their two children. Based on a novel by Richard Yates.'

The List (Formerly The Tourist)
Release Date: April 25, 2008
Why do I feel as though a) I haven't heard of this movie outside my occasional IMDB stalking of its main stars (Ewan, Hugh and Michelle Williams), b) feel as though it's been in production/ post-production/ release hell for, well... forever and c) still think the idea of Ewan and Hugh involved in some sort of 'mysterious sex club' is endlessly alluring?


The Young Victoria
Release Date: TBA 2008
I'm not a big fan of costume dramas (I am one of the few who hasn't seen the allure of Blanchett's Elizabeth, or Rhys-Meyer's The Tudors for example) but I will watch Emily Blunt in anything. Especially if she's surrounded by an amazing supporting cast: Miranda Richardson, Rupert Everett, Paul Bettany, and Jim Broadbent.

Baby Mama
Release Date: April 18, 2008
If you are not yet in love with Tina Fey, there is something disturbingly wrong with you. Seriously: SNL, Mean Girls and 30 Rock should have wooed you by now. Catch her next year in this comedy about surrogate pregnancy.

2008 Watch Out For List or How Indy, Harry and others will be back

While everyone else is reveling in 'Best of 2007' I thought we could look ahead. Here at A Blog Next Door there are a couple of movies we are watching out for - and you should too! For sake of brevity I divided my list into three categories: Franchises I Love, Stars I Love and Good Premises. Here goes the first:






Franchises I Love (ie. Hyped Up Movies that I hope won't disappoint)
I know, I know... Star Wars and Lord of the Rings come only once in a blue moon. But sometimes you just have to see the 'next episode' if only to revisit characters you love, retread over premises you know by heart, and even see what the producers/writers/directors have come up with THIS time to make your money worthwhile. Here are my picks for 2008:

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Release Date: May 22, 2008
Though I don't know how Indy will make the transition to the 21st Century with newest It-kid Shia LeBouf, I will still buy my ticket to go see what Harrison, Steven and Cate have in store for us this coming summer. That said I am still mourning the fact that Mr Connery will not be reprising his role as Indy's daddy as he was arguably a high point of the 80s trilogy, and the fact that the movie has such a horrible title that makes me think it came out of a dungeons and dragons Saturday night basement charade.

Sex and the City: The Movie
Release Date: May 30, 2008
Like anyone who loved the series and loves watching the reruns (albeit censored on TBS) I am weary about the promising nature of the silver screen shenanigans of Ms Bradshaw and company. That said, watching (what I can only hope will still be R-rated, though I'm sure they'll more likely skew for PG-13) sex scenes on the big screen will be worth the movie ticket - oh and yeah, I'm also excited about the romantic storylines, sure.

Bond 22
Release Date: November 7, 2008
How do you top a movie that has given us one of the most widely reproduced man-candy scenes of all cinema? (Two if you count that torture scene... if you're into that of course) It'll be hard, that's true for Mr Haggis, Mr Foster and Mr Craig to top that and the rest of what was the most thrilling 007 venture in years, but I am confident that it will be one of the must-watch events of 2008 if only to watch Mr Craig owning the 007 title for a second time and seeing Ms Dench scorch the screen as she usually does with those great exasperated sighs and sardonic remarks she has so masterfully honed over the years.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Release Date: November 21, 2008
While I am still torn over the ending of Rowling's franchise (was that subpar last chapter even necessary? I know it's a 'children's lit series' but did it need that useless '20 years later Happy Ending' epilogue?) I am excited about the second to last movie installment - Phoenix delivered and Half-Blood should too. Sure, it won't be the artistic gem that Cuarón's third installment was but it is sure to offer what will be an even greater wizarding duel and a chance for Alan Rickman to scare (new) legions of HP fans.

The Dark Knight
Release Date: July 18, 2008
Chris Nolan - like Paul Greengrass with the Bourne movies - seems to be enjoying himself in this high-profile franchise. Batman Begins was a great entry into the Batman-centered universe with an electric performance by Christian Bale, a great acting ensemble, amazing action sequences and a great reimagining of the Bat-verse (who didn't love that Bat mobile?). With the Dark Knight creating endless online buzz and the ever-presence of Heath Ledger Joker taunts this is a Must Watch indeed.
[Also kudos for knowing that Maggie > Katie]