Fall 2006 movies: The Big Wow!

[Ghost]

If yoiu're a film fan, if you like to go see good films, or even just entertaining films. the rest of this year is for you. It seems loaded with interesting projects.

Look at some of the releases scheduled for October....

Flags of Our Fathers (d. Clint Eastwood) - leading Best Picture candidate, with Eastwood and Haggis.
The Queen (d.Stepehen Frears) - Tony Blair and the queen negotiate private emotions and public needs in the wake of the death of Princess Di. Helen Mirren is supposedly great.
Little Children (d. Todd Field) domestic drama follow-up from the director of In The Bedroom.
Marie Antoinette (d. Sophia Coppola) - Coppola's love it or hate it Cannes entry.
The Prestige (d. Christopher Nolan) - Rival magicians Hugh Jackman and Christia Bale square off.
Babel (d. Gonzalez Inirritu) - Brad PittCateBlanchett and an accidental shooting inMorocco. Won the Golden Palm at Cannes
The Departed (d. Martin Scorsese) - gangester thriller pairing Scorsese and Jack.
Running with Scissors - literary adaptation of thepopular book.
49 UP -- continuation of the Michael Apted documentary seriesdocumenting the lives of a group of Briitons.
Fast Food Nation (d. Richard Linklater) - haven't reseearched this one much at this point.

That's just one month. Originally, two fo the movies with the biggest buzz were also supposed to be released in late September and October, but they got moved. That would be .....

The Fountain (d. Darren Aronofsky) -- Sci-Fi Mindbender starring HughJackman and Rachel Weisz seeking the fountainof youth during a 1,000 year lifespan. The filmI'm most looking forward to.
Children of Men (d. Alfonso Cuaron) - Heavybuzz on this one. With Clive Owen protecting the world's last pregnant woman in a futuristic setting.

Throw in ...
Renaissance (d.Christrian Volckman) - Future noir animation that has an amazing trailer.
Hollywoodland (d. Allen Coulter) - solid speculative film on the death of Superman George Reeves.
Borat - Ali G goes big screen.
Casino Royale - firrst outing for new James Bond Daniel Craig in an origin story.
The Last King of Scotland (d. Kevin MacDonald) - Intriguing release with buzz for Forest Whitaker as Idi Amin.
Volver (d. Pedro Almodovar) - slobbered-over new Almodovar release.
The Science ofSleep (d. Michel Gondry) - Gael Garcia Bernal ina Michel Gondry fantasia.

Did I miss anything? As I said, loaded. I'm really excited for a lot ofthese.Andthis doesn't touchmuch on December.

[Via_Chicago]

A little on some of the film's you mentioned:

Flags of Our Fathers - Don't forget that Eastwood also simultaneously directed Red Sun, Black Sand (or Letters from Iwo Jima as it's being called in Japan), a Japanese language version of events that I'm actually more interested in. Also, the Japanese trailer combining images from both films has already hit the net. Unfortunately, it looks like Eastwood has taken his artistic cues from Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan.

Little Children - The trailer is now up on the official site. I was not at all interested in this film until I saw the trailer. Really, the film looks horrifying and devastating. As someone commented: "I hope it's just not American Beauty II."

Marie Antoinette - All I can say is I'm psyched for this one. As long as it's not mediocre (meaning it could be gloriously good or bad) I won't mind. I mean, it's got Rip Torn! Rip freaking Torn!

The Prestige - The marketing so far for this film has been terrible (including the trailer and movie poster). That said, I really liked Nolan's Batman Begins and am interested in seeing David Bowie (!) play Tesla.

Babel - Just a correction, but Ken Loach's The Wind that Shakes the Barley was the unanimous winner of the Palmes D'Or.

The Departed - Like The Prestige, the studio is doing its best to make me not want to see this movie, but I'd see it even if it was a disaster just for the Scorcese - Jack Nicholson pairing.

Fast Food Nation - Word at Cannes was that this was something of a disappointment for Linklater. Too many characters, too little development, and far too little payoff for the investment. I'm hoping these were just overly judgmental reactions because I love Linklater (and loved A Scanner Darkly), but I'm not going to hold my breath.

Renaissance - The buzz is that this film has awesome animation and a terrible story.

Volver - Did you hear the Almodovar quote about Penelope's character? He basically said she needed to have an "ample arse because the arse is a symbol of optimism." I love this guy.

A few you're missing:

The Black Dahlia (dir. Brian De Palma) - De Palma has been hit (Femme Fatale) or miss (Snake Eyes, Mission to Mars) in recent years. No matter, I'm very excited for this one. Negative? Josh Hartnett. Positive? Aaron Eckhart.

Crispon Hellion Glover's What Is It? - I can't begin to describe this film, so I won't. Just hope that it comes to town near you.

Dreamgirls - I'm not one to buy Oscar hype, but I have to agree that this film has Oscar written all over it. Why? It's a prestige musical and they always win. However, this one's actually supposed to be generally fun. The only thing I'm excited about is the thought of Eddie Murphy reprising his James Brown impersonation from his SNL years.

Pan's Labyrinth - Guillermo del Toro's Pan's Labyrinth won numerous plaudits at Cannes, and seems like a wild freak show of the imagination. Can't wait.

Okay, so I've been including some Winter films here, but if that's the case then I'll also include:

The Chronicles (formerly Zodiac) (dir. David Fincher) - This isn't out until January, and it's apparently quite long in its current (rough cut) incarnation, but I'm excited about this one.

The Good German (dir. Steven Soderbergh) - Soderbergh returns with this black and white WWII thriller starring George Clooney, Cate Blanchett, and Tobey Maguire.

Bug (dir. William Friedkin) - OK, the trailer sucks, but this movie is supposed to be CRAZY. It also got some good buzz at Cannes.

Inland Empire (dir. David Lynch) - This doesn't even have a distributor yet, but if it ever gets one...

[Excape Goat]

The Departed - Like The Prestige, the studio is doing its best to make me not want to see this movie, but I'd see it even if it was a disaster just for the Scorcese - Jack Nicholson pairing.

[.

The original was a Hong Kong movie called "Infernal Affairs". They went on to make Part 2 and Part 3. The first two were very good, but the last one sucked. The title referred to a place bewteen Hell and the common world or the Buddhist meaning of between hell and life. basically, it talked about an undercover cop and his life is between hell and life.

[Crimen y Castigo]

The original was a Hong Kong movie called "Infernal Affairs". They went on to make Part 2 and Part 3. The first two were very good, but the last one sucked. The title referred to a place bewteen Hell and the common world or the Buddhist meaning of between hell and life. basically, it talked about an undercover cop and his life is between hell and life.

Oh wow. I really dug "Infernal Affairs" -- hope they don't blow it.

>>The Prestige (d. Christopher Nolan) - Rival magicians Hugh Jackman and Christia Bale square off.

And you're trying to tell me they're making a move about who's the best magician and it doesn't include this guy?

http://z.about.com/d/tvcomedies/1/0/8/-/-/-/112_gob_magic_72.jpg

COME ON!

[bmurphyfl]

I just watched the trailer for Marie Antoinette. So....ummmm....New Order was around in the 18th century? Coppola certainly is non-traditional.

[Ghost]

I just watched the trailer for Marie Antoinette. So....ummmm....New Order was around in the 18th century? Coppola certainly is non-traditional.

http://www.sensesofcinema.com/images/top/2001_ape.jpg

Primordial apes don't play kettle drums, either. :)

[The Double]

The Departed - Like The Prestige, the studio is doing its best to make me not want to see this movie, but I'd see it even if it was a disaster just for the Scorcese - Jack Nicholson pairing.



I saw it at Edgewater, and everyone does either good (Damon), very good (Di Caprio, Wahlberg, Sheen) to Great (Nicholson and Baldwin, trust me on Baldwin, he's a scene stealer, and you will laugh your collective asses off when he comes on screen). Go see it when it comes out.

I'm most excited about Babel.

[SirManchester]

I'm not particularly excited about any of these. I'll check out The Prestige and The Fountain because I happen to follow their respective directors closer. Children of Men has a great story line but it's very similar to a comic book called Y The Last Man, so it never really struck me as an original idea and that's all it really has going for itself. I'll also be checking out Casino Royale because I'm way into Bond and Chris Cornell is supposed to do the theme song for this one.

[Via_Chicago]

I'm not particularly excited about any of these. I'll check out The Prestige and The Fountain because I happen to follow their respective directors closer. Children of Men has a great story line but it's very similar to a comic book called Y The Last Man, so it never really struck me as an original idea and that's all it really has going for itself. I'll also be checking out Casino Royale because I'm way into Bond and Chris Cornell is supposed to do the theme song for this one.

Children of Men doesn't seem like Y The Last Man at all. The latter is a slightly comedic (yet still dark) take on a world with only one man left on it. The former is about a world slowly shrinking because women have become incapable of having children. Other than a dying earth and pregnancy being a problem (but in totally different ways), I don't see the similarities. But since I don't read Y The Last Man, maybe there's something like Children of Men?

[DoctorJones24]

Babel - Just a correction, but Ken Loach's The Wind that Shakes the Barley was the unanimous winner of the Palmes D'Or.


Well, hell. Add another one.

[Belgian guy]

I have to say that the movie I'm looking forward to most for this fall is Casino Royale. I'm cautiously optimistic that this movie might save the franchise from becoming a caricature of a caricature of it's former self.

[TheSlipperyOne]

And you're trying to tell me they're making a move about who's the best magician and it doesn't include this guy?

http://z.about.com/d/tvcomedies/1/0/8/-/-/-/112_gob_magic_72.jpg

COME ON!

http://www.bluthfamily.com/dimages/pictures/tony-wonder-mystifies-you-with-his-bread-trick_361x235.jpg

[TheSlipperyOne]

Oh wow. I really dug "Infernal Affairs" -- hope they don't blow it.


I talked with a friend who saw a rough cut sneak preview and he said it was excellent.

[TheSlipperyOne]

Children of Men doesn't seem like Y The Last Man at all. The latter is a slightly comedic (yet still dark) take on a world with only one man left on it. The former is about a world slowly shrinking because women have become incapable of having children. Other than a dying earth and pregnancy being a problem (but in totally different ways), I don't see the similarities. But since I don't read Y The Last Man, maybe there's something like Children of Men?

For someone who doesn't read Y: The Last Man you've nailed this spot on.

I do read it and I thank you for making it so I didn't have to respond. :D

[SirManchester]

Children of Men doesn't seem like Y The Last Man at all. The latter is a slightly comedic (yet still dark) take on a world with only one man left on it. The former is about a world slowly shrinking because women have become incapable of having children. Other than a dying earth and pregnancy being a problem (but in totally different ways), I don't see the similarities. But since I don't read Y The Last Man, maybe there's something like Children of Men?

Y The Last Man is about the last man on earth, he is travelling the globe in order to find out what caused the eradication of every other male. In this apocalyptic world, he is protected because women would want the last male on earth for reproduction. In Children of Men, females aren't wiped out, but their ability to give birth is, the last woman on earth who can still give birth has to travel to a destination and is protected along the way from other evil figures who would want to use her for their own good.

For me, I can easily picture how the creators of Children of Men looked at the comic book and twitched a few things here, reversed a few roles there, and made this film.

Nevertheless, that's just my take on it, I'm still interested in seeing the film down the road.

[Via_Chicago]

Y The Last Man is about the last man on earth, he is travelling the globe in order to find out what caused the eradication of every other male. In this apocalyptic world, he is protected because women would want the last male on earth for reproduction. In Children of Men, females aren't wiped out, but their ability to give birth is, the last woman on earth who can still give birth has to travel to a destination and is protected along the way from other evil figures who would want to use her for their own good.

For me, I can easily picture how the creators of Children of Men looked at the comic book and twitched a few things here, reversed a few roles there, and made this film.

Nevertheless, that's just my take on it, I'm still interested in seeing the film down the road.

Just did a little digging. The novel upon which Children of Men is based, coincidentally titled The Children of Men, was written by P.D. James and first published in 1992. Y The Last Man was first published in 2003. So you're right that the story is unoriginal (in the sense that it's an adaptation of James' book), you're wrong to chastise the filmmakers for stealing from Y The Last Man.

[SirManchester]

Just did a little digging. The novel upon which Children of Men is based, coincidentally titled The Children of Men, was written by P.D. James and first published in 1992. Y The Last Man was first published in 2003. So you're right that the story is unoriginal (in the sense that it's an adaptation of James' book), you're wrong to chastise the filmmakers for stealing from Y The Last Man.

I never said Children of Men is stealing, I said the concepts are very similar, which is why it didn't appeal as something very original. Incidentally I didn't know Children of Men is an adaptation. Y the Last Man was then most probably influenced by the James novel.

[Via_Chicago]

I never said Children of Men is stealing, I said the concepts are very similar, which is why it didn't appeal as something very original. Incidentally I didn't know Children of Men is an adaptation. Y the Last Man was then most probably influenced by the James novel.

Sorry for misunderstanding you then. I just had a feeling that the movie was an adaptation, since most movies, even as long ago as seventy-eighty years ago, were adaptations of one kind or another. I should also say that, judging from reviews on Amazon, that James' novel isn't much of a literary marvel. It's possible that Y is influenced by it, but I wouldn't necessarily go that far myself since The Children of Men, until May of this year, had been out of print for some time.

[GringoTex]

A little on some of the film's you mentioned:
Flags of Our Fathers - Don't forget that Eastwood also simultaneously directed Red Sun, Black Sand (or Letters from Iwo Jima as it's being called in Japan), a Japanese language version of events that I'm actually more interested in. Also, the Japanese trailer combining images from both films has already hit the net. Unfortunately, it looks like Eastwood has taken his artistic cues from Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan.


The coloring may be similar to Saving Private Ryan, but the trailer is full of shots that Spielberg couldn't or woudn't come up with in a million years (particulalry the very last one).

[That Phat Hat]

If you watch just one Will Ferrel movie this year in theaters, make it Curious George or Stranger Than Fiction (http://www.apple.com/trailers/sony_pictures/strangerthanfiction/).