The Rest O' The Year Movie Preview

Wow - I don't really know what I'm getting myself into with this! My Summer Movie Preview contained a list of 25 movies (and a Wildcard - which later became a part of the Top 25) and a brief explanation for its status in the list. Well. . . The end of the year is always a huge time for movies (not unlike the Summer) but what's different about them is their substance. The "good" movies come out between September and December. This is Oscar Season. While some of these movies on the list coming up will definitely be heard from come next March and April (the time of the Academy Awards), some certainly will not. You see, there are pure pleasure (comedies, horror films) movies coming out soon too. And I was honest with this list. As you'll see. What will follow is my list of the TOP 40 (yes, you read that right) films that are being released betweeen September and the end of the calendar year. I desire to see all of these films for one reason or another (which I will explain) although I feel I need not explain myself (ha ha - but I will anyway). This will be good practice for the future Journalist, I think. Also, you will find links (if you haven't noticed, I figured out how to place HTML links in my posts - click and you get sent somewhere else) to movie information pages and trailers. This is a service I am providing you. I'll be expecting payment via a check or cash in the mail. Thanks :D - - (That's a joke ladies and gents) - -

Ok folks. Here we go!!! (And just so you know, you're gonna need QUICKTIME to view a vast majority of the trailers. So go download it!)

40. NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM (12/22) This film is one of those classic family comedies that releases right around Christmas to get the whole family to come out to the movies. Ben Stiller stars in this movie as a security guard at The Museum of Natural History that comes to life after the doors are closed. Robin Williams also shows up as Teddy Roosevelt (yes, our former President - former as in really long ago ha ha) and for that reason alone, this movie makes it on the list. The teaser shows a T-Rex skeleton chasing Stiller through the halls of the museum. I've seen this before. It's called JURASSIC PARK. And then the dinosaur was real, not just bones. O well - can't blame 'em for trying! TRAILER

39. OPEN SEASON (09/29) Another in the long line of animated animal movies (there will actually be two more appearing later on in the list too). This one stars Martin Lawrence (who, I believe has a great voice for animation) as a bear who has grown up in a house and must make it out in the wild for once. He gets help from a small, fast-talking deer voiced by none other than Ashton Kutcher. I know, once you've seen one animated animal movie, you've seen them all (read: THE WILD, MADAGASCAR, BARNYARD) but this one has a little bit more to offer, including the great voices of Patrick Warburton (Kronk from EMPEROR'S NEW GROOVE) and Jon Favreau (Vince Vaughn's buddy from SWINGERS, MADE, and THE BREAK-UP). TRAILER

38. CHARLOTTE'S WEB (12/20) Another remake of a classic family movie. This one is a live-action version of the animated film from 1973. Young Dakota Fanning is jumping into the role of Fern, the young girl who befriends a pig named Wilbur and family fun ensues. The voice cast is quite extraordinary actually: Julia Roberts (Charlotte, the angelic spider), Steve Buscemi (Templeton, the trouble-making rat), and various other animals voiced by the likes of Thomas Haden Church, Robert Redford, John Cleese, Andre Benjamin, Reba McEntire, Kathy Bates, and even Oprah Winfrey! The giant, high-class cast, as well as the fact that it's a new version of an old favorite (I remember watching it many times at my grandma's house) film make this one worth going to (plus, I know for a fact that Heather will want to see it). TRAILER

37. THE BLOOD DIAMOND (12/15) Not a lot is known about this movie, especially since there is no trailer out yet. What I do know is that Leonardo Dicaprio (always a good bet with Leo) is starring as a South African mercenary in this Edward Zwick (THE LAST SAMURAI, GLORY) film. Djimon Hounsou (of GLADIATOR fame) costars along with Jennifer Connelly (A BEAUTIFUL MIND, HULK) in what should be a pretty intense visit to 1990's Africa. Head here for more information, if you want, but I'll be there at some point just because I really like Dicaprio. Hell, I've seen that Titanic boat sink to the bottom of the Atlantic a few times, so this is no stretch for me.

36. THE BLACK DAHLIA (09/15) Supposedly a part of the novel series that brought us what would become the film L.A. CONFIDENTIAL, this movie appears to be a tasty film noir attempt. I absolutely love detective/crime movies (probably my favorite genre) and this one appears like it has the potential to be one of the better ones. A great cast in this one as well (Josh Hartnett, Aaron Eckhart - who recently astounded audiences in THANK YOU FOR SMOKING - Hillary Swank, and Scarlett Johansson) will bring me to see if the crime gets solved right (it usually does, right?). Also, Brian De Palma, the director, has been known to create some great great films (THE UNTOUCHABLES, SCARFACE) so we'll see if he can strike gold again. TRAILER

35. JET LI'S FEARLESS (09/22) In what is supposed to be (it's in the tagline, so it better be) Jet Li's final martial arts epic, Li plays (what else?) a guy who defies a country with his kick ass fighting skills and inspires a whole lot of people. Or something like that. It looks like the fight choreography (done by famous choreographer Yuen Wo Ping) is really good, as is always true with Li's movies. I could see myself waiting for this one on DVD, but it still makes an appearance because it's (again, maybe) Jet Li's last martial arts movie. We'll just see about that. . . TRAILER

34. EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH (10/06) Ginormously successful stand-up comedian Dane Cook (who is also my friend on Myspace ha ha) gets his first starring role in this teeny comedy co-starring MTV's own Dax Shepherd (you know him from the first season of PUNK'D or from a comedy called WITHOUT A PADDLE) and Jessica Simpson. Yep, no acting awards will be given for this one! Either way, it's about two workers at a COSTCO (in the film it's KOSTMART I think, but that's what it is) vie for the love of the new employee played by Simpson. A strong comedic supporting cast (Andy Dick, Harland Williams) plus the involvement of Cook makes me wanna cough up my five dollars for this one. TRAILER

33. FAST FOOD NATION (10/20) A possible compaion piece to this year's THANK YOU FOR SMOKING (the best movie, in my opinion, of the year so far), it's an adaptation of the widely successful book of the same name. A satirical comedy of sorts, but mostly a revealing drama (not documentary), NATION stars Greg Kinnear (always good for a few laughs) among others in this film by acclaimed director Richard Linklater. If it's half as good as THANK YOU FOR SMOKING is, then it'll be alright in my book. TRAILER

32. THE WICKER MAN (09/01) This horror remake (is there any other kind of horror movie nowadays - - ) stars Nicolas Cage (a man who can do NO WRONG in my book) as a broken down cop (after witnessing the death of a young girl) who goes on the hunt for answers to the questions of the whereabouts to another little girl. The plot may be kinda normal for your usual spook-fest, but the visuals put forth by the trailer are scary in themselves and Cage is a quality actor who can make you believe anything is possible (or believable). It's the first scary movie on this list (with two more to follow) which just goes to show that horror is still in baby! TRAILER

31. THE GOOD SHEPHERD (12/22) Really, what is getting me interested in this one is the cast (Matt Damon, Angelina Jolie, Robert De Niro). De Niro actually is the man behind the camera in this espionage thriller (his first stint as a director since 1993's A BRONX TALE). Add to the top-notch cast a Christmastime release date, and it has all the makings of a quality end-of-the-year film. No trailer yet, but that could really change this around for this SHEPHERD. I will wait with expectancy to be sure.

30. BOBBY (11/17) A mishmash of stories will be told as Emilio Estevez ("the Mighty Ducks guy" - that's for you ROXBURY fans out there) writes and directs about the last night of former Presidential hopeful and American favorite Robert F. Kennedy. An all-star cast includes Elijah Wood, Sharon Stone, William H. Macy, Lindsay Lohan, Anthony Hopkins, Helen Hunt, Demi Moore, Christian Slater, and Laurence Fishburne (and will also include small parts for both Estevez and his daddy Martin Sheen). The story of Kennedy's last night is what intrigues me, not the cast (although that helps) or Estevez (meh, I guess that's ok). With a CRASH-like plot, I hope, for Estevez's sake, that it works. If it does, you could see Coach Bombay at the Oscars next year. No trailer yet.

29. TENACIOUS D IN THE PICK OF DESTINY (11/17) Although I have no prior Tenacious D experience (I have never heard a CD of theirs), I am a huge Jack Black fan. And the thing that makes this one appealing is the fact that he's essentially playing himself (something he does to perfection; see SCHOOL OF ROCK and HIGH FIDELITY if you don't believe me). A truly odd premise, I hope that fans of D will make this one a success and that non-fans (like me) will be introduced to the truly weird, wild, and wacky world of Jack and Kyle in a great way. TRAILER

28. THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS (12/15) No, I didn't spell it wrong. That's the title of the new Will Smith movie. Is it action-packed? No. Are aliens involved? Nope. What about robots or Martin Lawrence? Neither of them as well. So what could he possibly be doing then? Well Smith is trying to win that Oscar that evaded him when he was nominated for his portrayal of Muhammad Ali back in 2001. It's also a book adapatation and has him playing a struggling daddy (oddly enough to his own son, Jaden, who co-stars in this, his first film) who wants to turn his life around from the poverty that he's in. A possibly inspirational film, it all revolves around Big Willie because there are no other big names appearing (save for Thandie Newton from CRASH and M:I:2). I hope it's successful because I like Will. And I would hate to see him go down in flames, unlike the character he plays (I'm assuming it's a happy ending). TRAILER (You need Windows Media Player here

27. CRANK (09/01) Jason Statham rocks. Straight up. Another starring-vehicle for him gives him essentially the same requirements as always: Look cool. Do dangerous crap. Be buff. Well that's about what this film is. Shoot, I'm just gonna kick back and enjoy the nonsense. No questions asked! TRAILER

26. RUNNING WITH SCISSORS (10/27) Another adaptation from a book, this movie appears to be really quirky and it has the possibility of becoming one of those critic faves that does really well in the writing department come Oscar time. Brian Cox, Annette Bening, Evan Rachel Wood, and Alec Baldwin are all supporting characters to young, up-and-coming actor Joseph Cross who could really make a name for himself here. Watch for this one come March when the nominations for Best Adapted Screenplay come out. TRAILER

25. FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS (10/20) Clint Eastwood is back with this story about the guys who raised the flag at Iwo Jima back during World War II. Next year, Eastwood plans to release a companion film about the Japanese soldiers who were around there at that time. Could be interesting. The reason this one is lower is the cast. It's a bunch of younger guys who are trying to show their acting chops. I like Ryan Philippe (CRASH) and Barry Pepper (SAVING PRIVATE RYAN), but Paul Walker (FAST AND THE FURIOUS) and Jesse Bradford (SWIMFAN)? Really? I'm not so sure about that one yet. No trailer yet.

24. LUCKY YOU (10/27) The much-delayed Poker film is finally seeing the light of day. I hope. Eric Bana (MUNICH) stars as a Poker player who runs into all sorts of personal demons at the World Series of Poker when his dad (Robert Duvall), also a professional player, shows up and brings with him all sorts of fun memories. Director Curtis Hanson (L.A. CONFIDENTIAL, 8 MILE) has promised that it's not all about Poker, but about people and conflict and all that good stuff. I don't care anymore! I just wanna see it! (It was supposed to come out last year!) TRAILER

23. MAN OF THE YEAR (10/13) What if someone like Jon Stewart ran for President and then actually won? That's what this Barry Levinson-directed comedy asks. Robin Williams (in what appears to be a return to true Robin form) plays the Stewart character and his sidekicks range from Lewis Black (an actual Stewart sidekick) to Christopher Walken (can't go wrong with that casting!). An interesting concept (I myself would probably vote for Stewart if he ran!) and a hilarious group of comedy faves (add Jeff Goldblum into the mix as well) make me really excited to laugh in October. TRAILER (You need AOL Player here)

22. ALL THE KING'S MEN (09/22) The one thing that bothers me about this adaptation of the famous Robert Penn Warren novel (I've actually never read the book, but I've heard it's really good) is the delay in getting it into theatres. It was supposed to come out last December, but was pushed back because it wasn't ready. Hmmm... Either way, Sean Penn, Jude Law, Mark Ruffalo, and James Gandolfini are all here (along with Anthony Hopkins, Kate Winslet, and Patricia Clarkson) to remake the Best Picture winner of the 1949 Oscars. Best of luck Willie Stark. Best of luck. TRAILER (You need Windows Media Player here)

21. DEJA VU (11/24) Denzel Washington (consistently strong acting) in a Tony Scott (crazy visuals and wild ideas) film about a cop who is trying to solve a case while dealing with that feeling that he's been there before. Call me intrigued. TRAILER

THE TOP 20!!!!

20. HAPPY FEET (11/17) A film that Heather is all sorts of pumped up for, I find it amusing as well. It's essentially the animated equivalent to MARCH OF THE PENGUINS, only with comedic efforts. Robin Williams (again!), Elijah Wood, Nicole Kidman, and Hugh Jackman are all penguins in this different look at the lives of our little tux-wearing friends from the Arctic. The toe-tapping trailer (and Williams' antics) are hilarious, so I'm crossing my fingers on this one. THAT TOE-TAPPING TRAILER

19. HOLLYWOODLAND (09/08) Another crime movie (it's a good season for me!!!) has Adrien Brody searching up and down Los Angeles for the truth about real-life television Superman George Reeves' death. Reeves is played in flashbacks by Ben Affleck (who I really like) and Diane Lane and Bob Hoskins (WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT?) are co-starring. An intense drama to be sure, I'm already curious in a whodunit sort of way! TRAILER

18. ROCKY BALBOA (12/22) Number Six. Wow Stallone's old. I wanna see it for that reason alone. (O and I wanna hear EYE OF THE TIGER just once! Is that so much to ask?) TRAILER

17. APOCALYPTO (12/08) Even with all this Mel Gibson-bashing going on, his historical epic is still planning on being released. To me, I don't care. The movie hasn't changed into an Anti-Semitic movie just about Jew-bashing. It's still the same movie he made a year or so ago. The ancient Mayans struggled with internal issues just like we do - isn't that the truth! Although the subtitles could throw me off (I'm not a huge foreign film fan), I'm intrigued. I'll be there Mel! TRAILER

16. THE SCIENCE OF SLEEP (09/22) The most recent film made by ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND director Michael Gondry looks just as kooky and crazy as his last movie (he did direct DAVE CHAPELLE'S BLOCK PARTY, but I'm talking about feature films, not documentaries). He'd honestly get me there with the trailer alone! See for yourself: TRAILER

15. THE FOUNTAIN (11/24) A sci-fi epic written and directed by Darren Aronofsky (the acclaimed director of REQUIEM FOR A DREAM and PI) that stars Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz. This movie travels through time from 1600 to 2600 and then back to the present day showing the lives of three different couples (or are they?) all played by Jackman and Weisz. It looks pretty trippy and it's been ready for awhile, but apparently Aronofsky has just been preparing it more. I just saw that it's only 96 minutes long! I don't know about that, though. . . TRAILER

14. THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE: THE BEGINNING (10/04) The second horror movie on the list (and not the last), this prequel to the 2003 scare-fest has all the makings of another hit. The first one was intense, disturbing, and scary - everything you'd ask for in a TEXAS CHAINSAW remake. This one has all new characters (thank God - no more Jessica Biel!) except for the scary-ass cannibalistic family that wreaked havoc the last time around. Scary stuff. Bonus points for using the same formula on the trailer as they did on the first one (the remake had one of the best trailers ever!). TRAILER (Note: You can only watch this trailer online between 10 pm and 4 am - sorry)

13. BORAT: CULTURAL LEARNINGS OF AMERICA FOR MAKE BENEFIT GLORIOUS NATION OF KAZAKHSTAN (11/03) Sacha Baron Cohen (better known as Ali G or as the French NASCAR driver in TALLADEGA NIGHTS) is starring in this film actually titled the above. I will just call it funny! TRAILER

12. JACKASS: NUMBER 2 (09/22) Yep, it's a sequel. The movie no respecting critic would applaud now has another part to it. I'd be lying if I said I wouldn't go see it or that I'm excited for it. I am SO EXCITED for this movie, plainly because I know for a fact that I will be laughing at one point or another (but probably both!). You can't deny that! TRAILER

11. CHILDREN OF MEN (09/29) A very interesting, grungy-looking film about the very near future. Clive Owen (an actor who, if he plays his cards right, will be appearing on my list of favorite actors) stars alongside Julianne Moore and the always-great Michael Caine (however, like we've never seen him - he plays a goofy, philosophical hippie; wow that was a redundant description!) in this anti-BLADE RUNNER. Directed by Alfonso Cuaron, the guy who directed the third HARRY POTTER movie as well as the largely successful foreign film Y TU MAMA TAMBIEN, this gritty drama looks really really good. I'm pretty stoked for this one! Basically, women can't have babies anymore and the human race is preparing for extinction. Owen comes across (by way of his ex-wife, Moore) a girl who is pregnant and they must get her to safety to keep our civilization going. Intrigued? I am. TRAILER

O MAN! THE TOP 10!!!

10. A GOOD YEAR (11/08) Russell Crowe and Ridley Scott. Yep, I'll be there. Although it's not a sandal epic (like their prior collaboration, you may have heard of it, GLADIATOR), this one looks just as powerful. Crowe plays a wealthy London stock-broker who hears that his uncle has died and left the vineyard, where he had a majority of his childhood, to him. When he goes, of course his life is changed. But does he sell the vineyard and continue on with his wheelin' and dealin' lifestyle? That's why we go to the movies! TRAILER

9. THE HOLIDAY (12/08) A stellar cast (Kate Winslet, Jude Law, Cameron Diaz, and Jack Black) makes for a very interesting holiday rom-com (romantic comedy). Two women switch places for the holidays (Winslet from England and Diaz from L.A.) because they're fed up with their present situations. They both meet men (not in their plan) and must deal with the rest that occurs. Law and Black play the love-interests (Watch the trailer and tell me that Jack Black does not look freakin' cool in this movie! I dare you!). Good stuff. TRAILER

8. CASINO ROYALE (11/17) Another JAMES BOND movie? Yep, but not quite. A redux version, if you will, of the entire Bond franchise is in the hands of new Bond Daniel Craig (of LAYER CAKE fame). I, for one, cannot understand all of the griping by the "die-hards" who say that he's no good as James Bond. I think he'll be awesome and I can't wait to see what he does with the role. The film was rewritten by CRASH writer/director Paul Haggis and directed by GOLDENEYE (The only Brosnan Bond film that was any good) director Martin Campbell. A better, grittier Bond is supposed to hit us hard come November. I'm glad that Bond and his martinis are back. And it's Bond, not Blonde (Craig is the first blonde Bond)! TRAILER

7. THE GOOD GERMAN (12/08) Thanks goes out to Entertainment Weekly for showing me more about this one! A black and white movie directed by Steven Soderbergh and starring George Clooney, Tobey Maguire, and Cate Blanchett! I'm there! (It takes place in WWII Berlin around the time of a meeting between Stalin, Churcill, and Truman). No Trailer yet.

6. BABEL (11/10) A gritty, CRASH-like drama starring Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett. Set in the middle East, this film looks pretty dang intense. If you can only watch one trailer, I would recommend this one because it's hard to explain in words what it all will entail. Good stuff, though. I promise. TRAILER

Well ladies and gentlemen, I've made it to the TOP 5 (and so have you, I hope)! It's been almost three hours since I started this here dealio, so I hope you've enjoyed it thus far. So without further ado, here's the final 5:

5. THE LAST KISS (09/15) My boy Zach Braff is back in a movie written by CRASH writer/director Paul Haggis. This coming-of-age movie is about a guy (Braff) who is in a serious relationship with the perfect woman when he goes through a bit of a crisis and considers going after that flame that he meets at a big get-together (THE O.C.'s Rachel Bilson). Other stories include great actors Tom Wilkinson and Blythe Danner as well as little bro Casey Affleck in what appears to be a funny/heartfelt/sad/great movie. I have high hopes. Don't let me down there buddy! (Use the Zach Braff link to get to the trailer)

4. SAW III (10/27) Yep. Another SAW movie. This is the third straight Halloween that I will be able to be involved with the sadistic nature of the serial killer Jigsaw. The first two (more the first one than the second one - although the second one's ending was awesome!) blew my mind and I have just the same expectations with this one. The teaser trailer played before THE DESCENT but it has yet to appear online. It looks like it'll offer the same amount of gore, craziness, and just straight-up villainy as the first two. Bring it on!

3. THE PRESTIGE (10/20) This one has all the makings! Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman star as opposing magicians in turn-of-the-century London with the assistance of both Michael Caine and Scarlet Johannson. That would be enough to get me there, but the director is none other than the great Christopher Nolan (MEMENTO, BATMAN BEGINS)! For that reason alone, THE PRESTIGE has jumped up multiple stops and I cannot wait to see this movie! TRAILER

2. STRANGER THAN FICTION (11/10) Another Will Ferrell movie? Yeah, I know, the guy does too much, but it appears as though he's picked the right role in this situation. A Charlie Kaufman-type dramedy (in that it explore the inner workings of the human mind), FICTION (directed by FINDING NEVERLAND director Marc Forster) stars Ferrell as Harold Crick, a lowly IRS agent who suddenly begins hearing a woman's voice in his head describing everything that he does. Turns out, it's an author (Emma Thompson) who is writing a novel about one Harold Crick and her novel is actually coming to life in the form of Ferrell's character. Confused? Yeah, well it goes deeper. The author gets the idea to kill off Crick and so he must decide how to get to her before she does so (with the assistance of a philospher/professor played by Dustin Hoffman). He also goes on a journey of his own as he's learning about himself and life and death and all that jazz. I'm very intrigued and I will certainly be going to see this one. TRAILER

Now, for what you've all been waiting for. The Number One Movie of the next four months!

THE DEPARTED (10/06) There are several reasons this film sits as the number one most anticipated movie by yours truly. 1) Directed by Martin Scorsese; 2) It stars Leonardo Dicaprio and Matt Damon as well as Alec Baldwin and Mark Wahlberg; 3) The plot is intense! Dicaprio plays a cop who goes undercover into the Irish mafia while Damon plays a dirty cop who is in cahoots with the Irish mafia - chaos ensues; and finally, the biggest reason that this movie is numero uno, 4) Jack Nicholson plays the head of the Irish Mafia that Dicaprio infiltrates. Yep. Jack is back! The trailer is actually a little iffy with an oddly-placed song, but that's not the movie. This film is gonna be great and I really really can't wait for this one! TRAILER

There you have it you ungrateful foes. Four hours later (once I go back and put all the links in) and I have this piece of information completed. I hope you learned something and I also hope that I introduced some films to you. Happy Movie-Watching!!!

The Rambler