The Best of 2005 - A Future Look

[tabuno]

A number of somewhat promising movies are set for a 2005 release. 2005 doesn't seem to quite have the magic as 2004 though. But mark your calendars for:

02/11/05: Constantine. Keanu Reeves tries his hand at superhero status.

02/18/05: The Interpreter. Nicole Kidman and Sean Penn team up in an assassination thriller.

03/11/05: Robots. An animated version of Ice Age but with Robots.

03/11/05: Sound of Thunder. Another Time Travel movie but with more adventure.

03/18/05: Cinderella Man. Based on a true story of a boxer, Russell Crowes tries a different character this time.

04/01/05: Sin City. A star-studded crime drama (perhaps trying to play off of the success of "Traffic").

06/03/05: The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Sleeper movie of romance and adventure.

06/03/05: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. The most unusual and perhaps one of the more riskier attempts at adaptation of an odd sci fi novel onto the big screen.

09/16/05: A Scanner Darkly. Keanu Reeves tries another sci fi vehicle.

09/30/05: Jarhead. A war movie that's more personal.

11/04/05: American Gangster. Denzel Washington and Benicio Del Toro star in this story about a real heroin kingpin.

11/23/05: The Brothers Grimm. A darker more serious fairy tale.

12/02/05: The Great Raid. Another Attempt at a war rescue movie.

12/21/05: The Producers. Can the Broadway actors recreate the magic?

12/25/05: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe.

I'm glossing over Star Wars & Harry Potter this year.

[arsaib4]

I was looking for The Interpreter to come out later this year for awards qualification but i guess not. Hopefully it will live up to the expectations.

[Johann]

American Gangster and The Brothers Grimm sound interesting.

Episode III of Star Wars has been relegated to a cursory must-see. We'll all see it, even though we know it'll be the same sfx garbage Lucas has given us with the other two..

I'm seeing it to support Ewan McGregor, and I hope the big finale light-sabre duel with Anakin justifies my ticket.

The Chronicles of Narinia has already been done, hasn't it?
BBC?


The Kidman/Sean Penn thriller also sounds promising.

Sin City is a Frank Miller comic book- is the film based on Miller?

[arsaib4]

Batman?? anyone......

[Johann]

Oh don't worry about Bats- it'll be number one in my book.
Nolan can do no wrong now that he's given us a wicked trailer and the reassurance of Bale's presence.

He's gonna make all those other Batmans look like rejects from the audition.

[Brice]

Don't forget:
Responsible Homeless
A Dark Comedy about Homelessness, Drug Addiction, Sex, Politics and Cinnamon Rolls.

[tabuno]

Memoirs of a Geisha (12/9/05) has the elements of Oscar about it, except for its Japanese and Chinese cast.

So far 2005 has been a decent but not spectacular movie year with the usual comedy romances, occult movies and the like. Yet it becomes harder and harder for movies to outdo the past year and the standards just like gymnastics become ever more difficult to adjust and modify. What I've notice is an incremental improvement in the quality and substance of movies overall...making small improvements in the material, blending the comedy/drama elements better and introducing more darker European tones into American movies. Overall, however, there doesn't seem to be any breakout, super blockbuster movies that will generate the excitement of last year.

[wpqx]

Hopefully the first part of Theo Angelopolous's Trilogy: The Weeping Meadow, will be officially released here in the US.

Nobody Knows is the film I'm most looking forward to, just released here, I'll probably get to it next weekend.

[oscar jubis]

I watched Nobody Knows at the MIFF. I posted a review on the Festival's thread (in case you'd like to read it).

[HorseradishTree]

Sin City is indeed based upon Miller's fantastic graphic novels. The film is co-directed by Robert Rodriguez and Miller himself. Rodriguez actually resigned from the Director's Guild so that Miller could have credit as a director.

Chronicles of Narnia is going to be a visual feast solely because Weta Workshop is doing what it did with LOTR and bringing the universe to startling reality.

[arsaib4]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by wpqx
Hopefully the first part of Theo Angelopolous's Trilogy: The Weeping Meadow, will be officially released here in the US.[quote]

I hope so too, although, Artificial-Eye released the film theatrically in the U.K. in January so expect their DVD in either May or June.

[HorseradishTree]

A Scanner Darkly is going to be interesting due to its Waking Life style animation. Linklater directs, of course.

[SinjinSB]

I didn't care for Constantine (1.5/4) - Too much emphasis on special f/x, not enough on story.

I've seen sixteen 2005 movies so far and not a good one yet. Let's hope the year gets better (they always do).

Here's a list of the 2005 movies I've seen so far (in order):

** (out of 4)
01) Hitch
02) Dave Barry's Complete Guide to Guys
03) Coach Carter
04) Elektra
05) Assault on Precinct 13
06) Racing Stripes

*1/2
07) White Noise
08) Hide and Seek
09) Into the Sun
10) Elaan
11) Constantine
12) Are We There Yet?
13) PTU File Deathtrap

* (lowest rating)
14) Alone in the Dark
15) Son of the Mask
16) Boogeyman (Worst movie in years...I was cussing at the screen by the end)

[arsaib4]

Originally posted by SinjinSB
Here's a list of the 2005 movies I've seen so far (in order):

** (out of 4)
01) Hitch
02) Dave Barry's Complete Guide to Guys
03) Coach Carter
04) Elektra
05) Assault on Precinct 13
06) Racing Stripes

*1/2
07) White Noise
08) Hide and Seek
09) Into the Sun
10) Elaan
11) Constantine
12) Are We There Yet?
13) PTU File Deathtrap

* (lowest rating)
14) Alone in the Dark
15) Son of the Mask
16) Boogeyman (Worst movie in years...I was cussing at the screen by the end)

Geez, did you walk in thinking that they were gonna be any good? What happened to your radar? May be you're the kind of person who sees anything that's playing....

I'm also gonna assume that you don't watch foreign/Indie films, right?

[SinjinSB]

Originally posted by arsaib4


Geez, did you walk in thinking that they were gonna be any good? What happened to your radar? May be you're the kind of person who sees anything that's playing....

I'm also gonna assume that you don't watch foreign/Indie films, right?

Why would you assume that? I watch hundreds of movies every year...there just hasn't been any good ones yet this year. I had hoped that Dave Barry's movie would be good, I actually paid $17.50 to see it at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival. The only other one on that list I paid money for was $5.50 for Hide and Seek because some friends invited me to go with them to see it.

Actually, 2 of the last three films I watched today were foreign films (and two of the movies on my 2005 list are foreign...Elaan and PTU File).

In reverse order here are the movies I watched over the last 8 days (there's a few more than average because I just had a 3-day weekend and it has been raining non-stop):

It Happened One Night (1935) -3/4
The House of Flying Daggers (2004) -3/4
Osama (2003) - 3/4
The Notebook (2004) - 3/4
Wuthering Heights (2004) - 3/4
Chasing Liberty (2004) - 2/4
Motorcycle Diaries (2004) - 3.5/4
David Copperfield (1935) - 3/4
Constantine (2004) - 1.5/4
Breakfast at Tiffany's - (1961) - 3/4
Blackball (2003) - 1.5/4
The Great Escape (1963) - 3.5/4
Red River (1948) - 3.5/4
It Could Happen to You (1994) - 2.5/4
Hotel Rwanda (2004) - 3.5/4
Veronica Guerin (2003) - 3/4
The Bells of St. Mary's (1945) - 3.5/4
Layer Cake (2004) - 2.5/4
On-Bak (2003) - 2.5/4
The Birds (1963) - 4/4
Garage Days (2002) - 2.5/4
Elaan (2005) - 1.5/4
Kill Bill Vol. 2 (2004) - 3/4
Silent Movie (1976) - 2.5/4
Foul Play (1978) - 3/4

Out of 25 movies, at least 9 of them are foreign (not sure if Veronica Guerin is considered foreign). Not sure what the point is. There are good foreign films (like House of Flying Daggers, Osama, Motorcycle Diaries, Hotel Rwanda), mediocre foreign films (like Layer Cake, Garage Days, On-Bak) , and bad foreign films (like Blackball and Elaan). Same goes for 'Indie' films or any other genre of film. To assume that I don't watch them for some reason is silly.

Early in the year not many good movies get released. I knew most of them weren't going to be good. I was really hoping Dave Barry's movie would be a little better. I'm a Daredevil fan (the comic not the movie that much), so I had to see Elektra. I was interested in seeing Assault on Precinct 13, but had low expectations because I didn't care that much for the original. My friend's asked me to go to Hide and Seek...and who knew with the quality actors, that one would be SO bad. Really the only two I regret wasting my time on were Alone in the Dark and Boogeyman. The rest are just filler til the good movies start coming out.

Like they said in 'The Odd Couple', you should never assume because it makes an ass out of u and me!

Don't blame me for no good movies coming out! I've been counteracting it by watching a lot of good 2004 releases that I missed first run...and have been catching quite a few classics on TCM's 31 Day tribute to the Oscars.

Peace,
Andrew

[arsaib4]

Originally posted by SinjinSB


Why would you assume that? I watch hundreds of movies every year...

Well, you can't assume that I know your viewing habits. I was just going by your post above with an extraordinary # of bad films in a short amount of time.
It'd be nice if you discuss some of the other films you've seen.

[SinjinSB]

Originally posted by arsaib4


Well, you can't assume that I know your viewing habits. I was just going by your post above with an extraordinary # of bad films in a short amount of time.
It'd be nice if you discuss some of the other films you've seen.

That's exactly my point...I wouldn't assume you know my viewing habits, yet you assumed that you did know them (by assuming that I don't watch foreign or indie films). If you wanted to know, you just had to ask. I've seen close to 100 movies in the last two months (more than usual thanks to a lot of rainy weather keeping me indoors), just because the 16 new movies have all sucked, doesn't mean the other 75 or so aren't any better...and definitely no reason to assume I don't watch whole genres of film (especially when those genres are represented on my list). I watch a wide range of movies from all genres...some good, some mediocre, some bad. If anything, it may make me a more well rounded student of film as compared to someone who only watched good foriegn indie movies. If nothing else, the bad movies makes you appreciate the good ones a little bit more. Plus sometimes I'm in the mood for a silly comedy or a mindless action flick...though granted, I'm never in the mood for the likes of Boogeyman!

I'd be happy to discuss other movies I've seen in another more appropriate thread. Since this is a thread about 2005 movies, I had posted about 2005 movies. Are there any movies in particular you'd like to hear my thoughts on?

[arsaib4]

Originally posted by SinjinSB


That's exactly my point...I wouldn't assume you know my viewing habits, yet you assumed that you did know them (by assuming that I don't watch foreign or indie films).

I repeat, I was only going by your post earlier, and I did ask, that's why I ended with "right?" My intentions were harmless, you're getting a little over-excited here. You probably know where I stand but since you're only posting here sporadically that's why I wasn't sure. There are many many threads here on indie/foreign films, some by me, so I hope you find the time to add to them.

[HorseradishTree]

Trailer for Scanner Darkly is out. If you've seen Constantine then you've already viewed it with pleasure.

http://www.ifilm.com/ifilmdetail/2665143?htv=12

Looks amazing. I trust Linklater to do a good job. But at this point, is Phillip K. Dick ever going to be put to rest in Hollywood?

[arsaib4]

Thanks for the link, HorseradishTree. The trailer looks good. I would've preferred Ethan Hawke over Keanu Reeves (especially in a Linklater film) but we'll see. We also have two controversial figures here in Ryder and Downey. Jr, can't wait!

[Johann]

Anyone read The DaVinci Code?

It tells about the Priory of Sion (of which Jean Cocteau was a grand master, FYI) and how DaVinci and others (Victor Hugo, Isaac Newton, etc..) were keepers of the secret of the Holy Grail.

It turns Christianity on it's ear, and it was a book I read in about 6 hours straight through. The Grail was never a chalice according to the Priory of Sion.

Dan Brown crafts a riveting read (he tells us everything as though we are children who need everything carefully explained) & it's based on accurate documents/facts. Brown surrounds them with a nifty murder mystery.

The book is easy to see as a bestseller- it's written simply, with very short chapters- I read it fast, you'll read it fast.
You should like the part about Jesus' daughter... yes, he had a daughter, and you'll never guess who the mother is...

The film version of the novel is in production with Tom Hanks as Langdon and directed by Ron Howard- maybe a Christmas release?

[tabuno]

Sin City trailer that came with The Man of the House was a really sizzling trailer with black and white and color montage - like one of those Gatorade commercial colored effects. This movie has original written all over it - it's a Kill Bill Vol. 1 with comic book style of the 50s. This is stylistic crime/comic strip brought to life with harsh sharp shadows and dramatic hype. This is sort of Who Frame Roger Rabbit? grown up with the humans in charge of all of the action this time - for mature audiences.

[tabuno]

A few more lesser known films that sound intriguing:

The Girl From Monday. A science fiction, drama-comedy.

Loggerheads. A female driven drama.

Loverboy. One of the those all-star casts, female drama.

Marilyn Hotchkiss' Ballroom Dancing and Charm School. A solid cast about unrequitted love. Supposedly a musical, comedy, romance combination.

Nine Lives. Another solid cast. A female driven drama.

Proof. A tough sounding drama with Gwyneth Paltrow and Anthony Hopkins.

Shakespeare Behind Bars. Documentary about prison inmates playing Shakespeare.

Sounds of Thunder. A hopefully standard-setting time travel movie that can rise above the rest.

Strangers with Candy. A solid cast with a comedy script.

[arsaib4]

So, why did Sean Penn defended Jude Law at the Oscars? It might have something to do with this (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0405676).

[tabuno]

A few more movies have come up to be on the look out for:

June 10, 2005 - Heights. Sounds something like the English version of After Life (1998) a Japanses movie look at a way station before going on after day. Heights may not be quite as ethereal but sounds like it has some of the same components. Glenn Close and Isabella Rossellini have starring roles.

June 29, 2005 - War of the Worlds. Remake of the classic starring Tom Cruise. Has to be billed as a hoped for blockbuster hitting close to July 4. As they say - an eye candy movie.

July 15, 2005 - Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Remake of the odd original. With Johnny Depp in the lead role, this risky movie requires holding one's breath. Another extension of Depp's acting performances.

July 22, 2005 - The Island. This science fiction cloning themed movie could go either way as an action-thriller or a more serious, qualitative movie.

July 29, 2005 - The Brothers Grimm. The Terry Gilliam vehicle could be the strange sleeper of the year with his usual twisting, dark motiff.

September 16, 2005 - Syriana. Falcon and the Snowman revisited? A strong cast, timely spy thriller based premise has possibilities for a strong outcome.

September 23, 2005 - Tim Burton's Corpse Bride. A Burton Holloween entry...another strange but intriguing children's movie.

December 9, 2005 - Memoirs of a Geisha. A beautiful, mysterious sounding movie with a strong Japanese bent directed by Rob Marshall. Likely Oscar contender but limited by its predominatly Asian cast.

December 21, 2005 - Zathura. An intriquing spin off of Jimanji with Tim Robbins starring. The timing of the movie suggest a hoped for large Holiday turnout and like Polar Express.

December 25, 2005 - The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion Witch and the Wardrobe. The popular children's book series comes to the big screen.

[HorseradishTree]

I'm personally looking forward to Steamboy, the new animated project from the director of the classic Akira. The trailer looks amazing and smooth. Look for it this spring...

[tabuno]

Cinderella Man. While a strong contender for awards, this movie has to survive, been there, done that with The Million Dollar Baby movie from last year. It's like Moulin Rouge (loser) and Chicago (winner the next year) in reverse in terms of awards. I haven't been a Russell Crowe fan since Gladiator received so much hype, but his role in A Beautiful Mind helped to redeemed a lot of my reservations.

Kingdom of Heaven. While Ridley is deserving of greatness, can this historic piece really gather much of a following considering Troy and Alexander from last year?

All the King's Men. Except for the all-star cast, does anybody really care?

Jarhead. Intriguing sniper concept, continuing war interest theme. But this movie would have to have more than just military war action to become anything more than just a good Black hawk Down movie.

King Kong. Curious, but we've all seen dozens of this. A real literally tall order.

The New World. Another historical piece. The trailers look sharp and raw. A Colonial and new world meets old world (a real terrestial alien invasion) may capture some interest, but A Cold Mountain revision it doesn't seem to be...more of a Saving Private Ryan caliber but with a duel perspective.

Oliver Twist. Old classic. Another rivival?

The Producers. Can magic strike again? Moulin Rouge. Chicago. Another musical? By it's very nature, its an uphill battle.

Walk The Line. Another biopic. Iffy. Bobby Darin didn't make it. Can Johnny Cash?

[Johann]

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is gonna be a kid's movie thru and thru. Johnny said he wanted to play Willy Wonka for his children, so we can expect child-like Burton zaniness that should be better than those Harry Potter movies which I don't like.
The trailer is interesting- a wee bit psychedelic, no?
Fine by me!

I saw the trailer for Cinderella Man at million dollar baby.
It looks excellent. I'll probably go see it because I will watch just about anything with Renee Zellweger.
It looks like another "Oscar Movie"- from the award-winning team that brought you A Beautiful Mind- Academy Award Winner Russell Crowe! Academy Award Winner Renee Zellweger!
Academy Award Winner Ron Howard!



Doesn't the above sound ridiculous next to Academy Award Nominee Martin Scorsese?

[tabuno]

Like Mysterious Skin (opening May 6, 2005), the coming month is replete with more questions than answers when it comes to movies.

Kingdom of Heaven (opening May 6, 2005), if not for all of last years historical epic dramas, this movie by Ridley Scott might have been able to draw more interest. But as I mentioned last month, Troy and Alexander have both really stretched the public for another attempt. Braveheart...Excaliber...King Arthur...While lavishly shot with good action...can this movie really distinguish itself from all of the rest and is the public really wanting to see another movie like this?

The upcoming last Star Wars movie installment coming out later in May would seemingly be sucking out most of the attention of the public.

Mindhunters (opening May 13, 2005), is a combination variation of the theme of law enforcement, special ops, and horror (one person being picked off at a time), just another in a series of thrillers with a twist. Nothing however, suggests, anything more than moderate audience appeal - considering so many of this year's mind-boggling onslaught of horror movies.

Monster in Law (opening May 13, 2005) has an uncertain future just considering the name of the movie, yet with Jane Fonda in the movie, this movie has the potential of being a big bomb or something distinctively a cut above as a comedy. This romantic comedy has the possibility of becoming one of those easily forgettable movies or the standout piece of its genre for the year.

Star Wars - (opening May 19, 2005) from the trailer this much more darker, deeper sequel or prequel might possibly draw in a sizeable crowd from the movie critic, movie fans, and general public though surprisingly the interest in the youngest demographic remains a mystery. This layered visual experience with serious, grown-up overtones may reach more of the adult crowd and curiousity of how it ties up with the original movie will help. This movie has technical Oscar awards all over it.

Madagascar (opening May 27, 2005) the second big animation/cartoon (to distinguish it from Sin City) movie of the year after Robots...continuing the use of sophisticated animation technology. But considering all that has gone before, this movie has it work cut out for it (work that it might not be up to).

Overall, the month of May seems more of low expectation month, except for Star Wars, continuing the drought of "really great" movies this year. June, appears to be filled with more entertainment, eye-candy movies - but nevertheless a crowd-pleasing if not substantially intelligent one (except for of course, Cinderella Man and The War of the Worlds). The Japanese "Howl's Moving Castle" offers some break in the bland outpouring of summer movies.

[oscar jubis]

Originally posted by tabuno
The Japanese "Howl's Moving Castle" offers some break in the bland outpouring of summer movies.

Having already seen the two masterpieces coming to theatres this summer courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics:
Ingmar Bergman's Saraband -July 8th and
Wong Kar Wai's 2046- August 5th,
Hayao Miyazaki's Howl's Moving Castle is the summer movie I can't wait to watch. It's being released in two versions: original Japanese language with subtitles, and a dubbed version starring Christian Bale as Howl, Billy Crystal as Calcifer, and Lauren Bacall as the Witch of the Waste.
The Brothers Grimm, Corpse Bride, and King Kong also look promising.

[tabuno]

How can a remake of King Kong really be something to look forward to? There have been a number of versions. What could this new version really do to make it anything more than a bigger, badder, updated attempt to get onto the remake bandwagon? The basic story theme now seems pretty quaint and the mystery seems to have been pretty much played out by now. Like Tarzan, can a modernized version really make it in today's world?

[oscar jubis]

Yes, dear colleague, King Kong looks promising because Peter Jackson has proven throughout his career that he has the skill and imagination to do something special with it. Mr. Jackson and his spotlight-avoidant wife Fran Walsh's dream of remaking Kong dates back almost a decade. Their first draft of the screenplay was written back in '96 (I can provide a link if there's interest). Jackson and Walsh have a knack for creating spectacle without neglecting characterization. Oscar-winner Adrien Brody has stated Jackson has lived up to promises he made, when Brody accepted the part, regarding the film's attention to creating nuanced drama with well-rounded characters. The cast also includes Naomi Watts, Jack Black, and Jamie Bell (Undertow, Billy Elliot). Maybe their efforts won't amount to much but I won't bet against them.

[tabuno]

The question one has to has can Peter Jackson do it again? Looking at his film history, he really doesn't have much depth except for his claim to fame - Lord of the Rings Trilogy. Like Ridley Scott, a talented director in his own right, his record hasn't been a 100% and even the actors' listing isn't completely convincing. Adrien Brody hasn't been one of most favorite actors, even his performance in The Pianist, while commendable wasn't my preference for best actor.

There is something about King Kong that just doesn't capture my imagination, like War of the Worlds. The original King Kong relied heavily on its special effects and novelty. By today's standards it seems quaint. I will be interested to see the trailers and previews of this new King Kong to see what the excitement is all about. Working ten years on a film script can mean one of two things - either it had big problems (and it continues to have them) or as you seem to suspect it will be a quality product based on a labor of love.

We'll have to wait and see. But a success here would greatly provide Peter Jackson into another level of directorship of respect.

[oscar jubis]

The reason behind Kong's long gestation period is the oportunity to make the LOTR trilogy, which, as you know, took several years to complete. To get a sense of Jackson's (and Walsh's) creative range, rent their brilliant Heavenly Creatures, Kate Winslet's amazing feature debut. Brody, Watts, Black and Bell are quite accomplished actors, but that's obviously a matter of opinion. I hope you don't find it in bad taste if I recycle your skeptic comments after the film opens in Mid-December.

[tabuno]

I knew not being a female would lead to some sort of inferior thinking on my part. Of course 10 years for King Kong minus one, two, three, four, five years interruption for one tremendous accomplishment. So much for the 10 years script development concern.

[tabuno]

May 6, 2005: Chase, starring Don Cheadle, Sandra Bullock, and Matt Dillon may be one of the stronger sleeper movies this year based on the trailer. This ensemble effort presents an intriguing collage of a series of singular events reminiscent of Traffic, Pulp Fiction. This movie appears even more hard edged and directly viseral in its scope. A dramatic entry in this year's list of movies, something that seems to haven't been given much distribution this year.

[tabuno]

So far since my initial comments on the lack of magic for 2005 back in late August 2004, this season has failed to produce much heat, except for perhaps Robots and Hitch. The box office opening this year was Hitch which opened at about 63rd with $43.1 million. Constantine, the Interpreter, and Sin City have opened with respectable if not blockbuster status but not enough to ignite the boxoffice. Hitchhiker Guide was modest in its impact and opening.

As mentioned earlier, Cinderella Man is facing an uphill battle as the recent lackluster opening for Kingdom of Heaven suggests. It was Crash (not Chase) that seems to really have caught the attention of a number of critics. With perhaps a few exceptions, don't expect this year and likely 2006 to be really exciting - maybe a omen for the rest of our near futures...the economy for example. We're running out of new ideas and refining old ones to really capture the movie-goers imagination.

[tabuno]

This movie has the feel of a sleeper movie, especially for young girls. Just as Stand By Me worked for boys, the trailers for this movie make it seem quite sincere, offering a refreshing change up to the usual adolescent movie genre.

[tabuno]

The outlook for June besides The Brothers Grimm, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, isn't very pretty. Perhaps Must Like Dogs with Diane Lane and John Cusack as veteran actors along with a relatively fresh storyline has a chance to break out of the pack in July. Nightwatch, an independent movie incorporating grief and reality/fantasy and Saraband as a different sort of family drama with Liv Ullman also have a suggestive feels of distinction to be an above average movie experiences. The Fantastic Four, Dark Water, Night Watch, Rebound (especially with Bad News Bears coming out in close quarters), Sky High, Stealth (already had War Games, Forbin Project), Undead (no need to even go there in regards to Zombie movies) as with many sequels and copycats this year will have a difficult challenge of over-saturation to overcome as Kingdom of Heaven found out. Happy Endings overall premise is already too confusing to really believe it can break out. The Island provokes a small bit of interest, but like Brave New World doesn't seem really to stand out strongly on its own. Overall, with the more thanyear half over with these movies, the season hasn't been able to pull itself out of its steadily decline that began at the beginning of this year and will likely extent until 2007.

[Johann]

This time of year is routine: blockbusters, star-vehicles and the Cannes Film Festival.

We have to wait until the kids are back in school before we start seeing the good stuff.

Revenge of the Sith, Batman, War of the Worlds & The Fantastic Four will be shown to be the dominating films of this time in cinema history.


Sin City and Hitchhiker's Guide have not lived up to the general audience's expectations.
But! those films get the respect they deserve in the proper quarters..

I think it's a bad release time for Ridley Scott's epic.
It's drowning in "who cares"?
Which is very unfair, but look at the cinematic climate Ridley!
You old dog!

The year is going by at a stately pace...



Also I just read in some film magazine that Jack Black says King Kong will be the greatest movie ever made. Is he joking?
Probably, knowing him.

[tabuno]

From a brief review of the August films only The Grimm Brothers is something to look forward to. For the industry, The Dukes of Hazzards and The Pink Panther are the only possible breakout movies for the month. With the possibility of The Great Raid (a wartime movie), the rest of movie fare will have to struggle mightily to scrape together to just maintain the momentum from July which appears unlikely.

[arsaib4]

I love Terry Gilliam so I'm also looking forward to The Brothers Grimm. I think it's been moved around a few times already.
It's good to see that you've kept up with this thread; it's certainly being read. I'll try to mention a few key indie/foreign films since you've covered the bigger releases. June for now.

June 1

Or - My Treasure (http://www.alapage.com/get_img.php?cgi=disque_l&num_ref=v868905r.jpg) - Keren Yedaya (Israel): Winner of the Camera d'Or (Best first film) at Cannes last year.
Kino International

June 3

Milwaukee Minnesota (http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B0007MAPM4.02.LZZZZZZZ.jpg) - Allan Mindel (U.S.): Cast includes - Josh Brolin, Bruce Dern, Debra Monk, Randy Quaid.
Tartan Films

Pure (http://www.indicanpictures.com/largeView/purefull.jpg) - Gillies MacKinnon (U.K.): This one has played on Sundance Channel on a few occasions. Not bad at all.
Indican Pictures.

Rock School (http://www.newmarketfilms.com/uploads/images/rock-1S.jpg) - Don Argott (U.S.): Documentary.
Picturehouse Films.

June 10

5x2 (http://www.thinkfilmcompany.com/data/vault/fivebytwo/FIVE_poster_large.jpg) - François Ozon (France): From the director of the popular Swimming Pool.
Think Film.

The Adventures of Shark Boy and Lava Girl in 3-D (http://a69.g.akamai.net/n/69/10688/v1/img5.allocine.fr/acmedia/medias/nmedia/18/35/66/34/18430724.jpg) - Robert Rodriguez (U.S.): From the director of Sin City.
Dimension.

Howl's Moving Castle (http://a69.g.akamai.net/n/69/10688/v1/img5.allocine.fr/acmedia/medias/nmedia/18/35/48/22/18399898.jpg) - Hayao Miyazaki (Japan): From the director of Spirited Away.
Walt Disney.

June 17

Heights (http://www.cinema.com/image_lib/9219_poster.jpg) - Chris Terrio (U.S.): Looks like Crash.
Sony Pictures Classics.

Me and You and Everyone We Know (http://a69.g.akamai.net/n/69/10688/v1/img5.allocine.fr/acmedia/medias/nmedia/18/35/79/78/18425423.jpg) - Miranda July (U.S.): Winner of the Camera d'Or (Best first film) at Cannes this year.
IFC Films.

My Summer of Love (http://a69.g.akamai.net/n/69/10688/v1/img5.allocine.fr/acmedia/medias/nmedia/18/35/52/98/18430209.jpg) - Pawel Pawlikowski (U.K.): Won the award for Best British film earlier this year.
Focus Features.

June 24

The Bridge of San Luis Rey (http://a69.g.akamai.net/n/69/10688/v1/img5.allocine.fr/acmedia/medias/nmedia/18/35/54/02/18414228.jpg) - Mary McGuckian (U.K./France): Cast includes - Kathy Bates, Gabriel Byrne, Géraldine Chaplin, Robert De Niro, Harvey Keitel.
Fine Line/New Line Cinema.

George A. Romero's Land of the Dead (http://www.landofthedeadmovie.net/media/wallpaper/LOTD_WP1_800.jpg) - George Romero (U.S.): Cast includes - Asia Argento, Simon Baker, Dennis Hopper, John Leguizamo.
Universal.

Lila Says (http://a69.g.akamai.net/n/69/10688/v1/img5.allocine.fr/acmedia/medias/nmedia/18/35/49/28/18401334.jpg) - Ziad Doueiri (France): From the director of West Beirut.
Samuel Goldwyn.

March of the Penguins (http://a69.g.akamai.net/n/69/10688/v1/img5.allocine.fr/acmedia/medias/nmedia/18/35/47/16/18396216.jpg) - Luc Jacquet (France): Documentary.
Warner Independent Pictures.

Rize (http://a69.g.akamai.net/n/69/10688/v1/img5.allocine.fr/acmedia/medias/nmedia/18/35/85/69/18430425.jpg) - David LaChapelle (U.S.): Documentary.
Lion's Gate Films.

Wild Side (http://a69.g.akamai.net/n/69/10688/v1/img5.allocine.fr/acmedia/medias/nmedia/18/35/21/06/18375776.jpg) - Sébastien Lifshitz (France): An award winner at Berlin last year.
Wellspring.

Yes (http://a69.g.akamai.net/n/69/10688/v1/img5.allocine.fr/acmedia/medias/nmedia/18/35/79/04/18424772.jpg) - Sally Potter (U.K./U.S.): From the director of The Tango Lesson.
Sony Pictures Classics.

[tabuno]

A listing of indie lists for June makes for an intriquing but not revealing list of movies. It's hard to focus on anyone in particular. It is there anyway to find out more about each film and where and how large a release they will have other than a nice picture?

[arsaib4]

As I stated earlier, I only mentioned a few key films, similar to what you've done. If you want to know more about them, I recommend IMDb (http://www.imdb.com). Most indie/foreign films are "limited" releases.

[tabuno]

Thanks for the reference but what about you? What ones are you going to see and why? Or are you one of those who go to see everyone of them?

[arsaib4]

I appreciate that. Certainly, there are some I'm more keen on than others, even though, it's possible that I may end up watching all of them one way or the other. But I think it's better not to say too much about a film early on, so factual info that may help someone is the best way to go.

[tabuno]

Opening July 1 in New York (a movie I not be able to see in Utah), The World, an Asian dramatic film has a compelling storyline about workers at a theme park, a movie within a theme park has an almost surrealistic experience of actors within a larger stage. Sounds intriguing.

[arsaib4]

The World is one film I'm looking forward to more than any other. It's directed by Jia Zhang-ke, one of the most significant and talented young filmmakers in the world today. Howard has reviewed (http://www.filmwurld.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1052) the film. You might not be able to see The World right away, but check out Zhang-ke second feature called Platform (some patience is required). It will be available on DVD soon. More info here (http://www.filmwurld.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1396).

[arsaib4]

Peter Jackson's KING KONG (http://www.kingkongmovie.com/ef239524432ba87f1ca8f70eed4b1fa7/en_large.mov).

[tabuno]

I recently saw a trailer for the King Kong remake. I found the trialer a compilation of what the film industry has produced before - action, disaster, horror - dinosaurs vs. monsters, Jurassic Park. I didn't see anything particularly interesting about the trailer - anything new, nor anything compelling about putting bits and pieces of other movies into a King Kong format storyline. I'm not sure that this movie will really spark much interest in particular (though perhaps those people who haven't seen the original might have some curiousity - but even Might Joe Young (1998) seemed more intimately and creatively better without having to resort to a lots of special effects about a grab back of everything.

[trevor826]

Talk about a lack of originality, I mean can you believe the sheer audacity, they even had the cheek to have yet another giant ape in it! LOL

This has got Ron's name written all over it!

Cheers Trev.

[tabuno]

Days of Thunder earlier reported to be released March 11, 2005 had been finally set for September 2, 2005. With a reported $80 million budgeted sci-fi time travel movie produced back in 2002, this movie cames belated on the theatrical scene after various other time-travel movies had made their debut, including The Butterfly Effect (2004), Timeline (2003). The Time Machine (2002). This 2005 time travel movie has at is core the essence of the paradox and dilemma of changing the past based on Ray Bradbury's short story. Hopefully being based on a serious science fiction legend, this movie will have a substantive quality that will allow it to become one of the classics of its sub-genre.

[tabuno]

Tim Burton's production of Corpse's Bride sounds like on of the oddest movies of this year and has the possibility of capturing a rather eclectic demographic movie going base since is its both children's, fantasy, comedy, animated feature about marrying a resurrected corpse who expects to be loved. Release date September 23, 2005.

[tabuno]

With two up and coming performers, Viggo Mortensen, Maria Bello along with Ed Harris and William Hurt, this David Cronenberg film regarding mobsters and a couple whose husband thwarts a robbery may be a sleeper of a movie this year. Opening in limited release at the end of September.

[tabuno]

The fall leading to winter is the traditional time when quality movies are generally released. Can October, November, and December save this dismal box office year?


October: Besides a popular animated/stop action feature film, the required Halloween horror movie, and a romantic comedy, as well as a tentatively schedule Zorro sequel, three movies have potential.

October 21 - Dreamer: Another been there done that movie much like Cinderella Man (or Kingdom of Heaven) that came out recently, this time about horse racing (remember Sea Biscuit, Alexander, Troy). A possibly good movie with unfortunate bad timing.

Expanding release dates - Strangers with Candy: Another intimate drama with a decent cast with independent film quality about a women trying to start over, along with a severely ill father.

TBA - Elizabethtown has a shot at becoming more than a nice drama. A drama about second chances with Cameron Crowe directing Orlando Bloom, Kirsten Dunst, and Susan Sarandon, this quality looking film has the elements to produce.


November: Has a romantic comedy, another comic movie tentatively scheduled, of course Harry Potter:

November 9: The New World with Colin Farrell is a historical epic sleeper that has the look and the uniqueness of its genre hitting on a historical era not covered recently except perhaps for animated movies like Pocahontas (1995). This movie is likely to do well.

November 11: Jarhead a contemporary war movie, perhaps like Black Hawk Down. Should do well.

November 11: Movie adaptation of the staged musical Rent. Attempting to capture the musical successes of Moulin Rouge and Chicago, this more contemporary musical has the ability to capture different audience populations. More risky, likely not has successful, but decent especially with the young adult crowd, an important demographic.

November 23: Zathura - a semi-sequel to Jamanji - with outworldly features. A strong family movie.


December: Has another action/horror movie that has become a tradition the last decade it seems, a dead on arrival King Kong (one of the bombs of the year), another ethnic comedy, Fun with Dick and Jane a sort of Bonnie and Clyde with more humor contemporary update,

December 9: Naria - likely one of the best children's movies of the year for its brilliant cinematography - sort of Lord of the Rings for childen.

December 9: Memoirs of a Geisha supposedly one of those expected to nominated for movie awards.

Expanding Release - Brokeback Mountain - one of those independent attempts at an Oscar nomination with a quality director and strong cast but not the most popular storyline for audience interest.

December 21: Rumor Has It - romantic comedy, a parody on The Graduate that will see if Kevin Costner has anything left (a good timeslot).

October looks bleak, November looks strong, and December seems marginal. Overall, only November has a good chance of pumping up the boxoffice, but overall the movie industry has no real chance of doing better than last year. The only question is how much will the loss be?

[trevor826]

Hey Tabuno, maybe you should let PJ know that King Kong is gonna bomb so he can stop wasting time and effort on it. Tell you what, I'd love to make a bet with you as to whether it'll bomb or not!

Cheers Trev.

[tabuno]

Trevor826: I have sort of an identity crisis in Utah where there are a lot of Mormons around. They don't belive in gambling and making wagers thought a number of them do seem to sneak out to Nevada and Idaho at times. But even though I'm not Mormon, I happen by coincidence ended up a non-smoker and resist when I can alcohol and making wagers. But I can provide non-religious moral support to your King Kong cause.

[oscar jubis]

Trevor, Tab and I discussed King Kong's prospects on this thread (top of page 3, check it out). Tab, when you call King Kong "one of the bombs of the year", your cred goes out the window. Even if the film ends up not making a spash at the b.o., I'm sure it'll be worth watching.
If the film sucks and few see it, I'll sneak you into Nevada for some fun at my expense :))

[tabuno]

There's only one pitch left for King Kong (1995). The first strike was the idea of re-making King Kong in the first place. It's been done before in 1976 directed by John Guillermin
of "The Blue Max" (1966) fame. The second strike was the trailer that was pretty awful. So we're down to the last and final pitch, the actual movie. Let's hope the movie is a lot better than the trailer.

The trailer reminded me of Spielberg's remake of "War of the Worlds" where it's apparent that the industry and directors have begun to run out of ideas and now have resorted to throwing in a lot of past scenes from past movies to keep the action and audience interest going. At least the War of the World's trailers were good.

I think I'd much rather to go Disney World than Nevada.

[arsaib4]

I was looking forward to Terry Gilliam's The Brothers Grimm and still am, but just relecently came across this not so good report on IMDB.

Gilliam's Rage at Weinstein Takeover:


"Twelve Monkeys director Terry Gilliam is furious with movie moguls Harvey Weinstein and Bob Weinstein for scrapping his ideas and undermining his authority during filming of his new Matt Damon movie The Brothers Grimm. The powerful pair first ditched Gilliam's plans to cast Samantha Morton in the lead role in favor of lesser known actress Lena Headey, and then further enraged the former Monty Python star by sacking his cinematographer Nicola Pecorini for working too slowly. Tensions escalated to the extent that Gilliam refused to shoot for two weeks as he was so staggered by what he viewed as the Weinsteins' constant interference. He fumes, "I'm used to riding roughshod over executives, but the Weinsteins rode roughshod over me." But Bob Weinstein insists, "Any film involves the making of 10,000 decisions. If you only concentrate on the few we had issues with, you ignore the 9,997 we left to totally to Terry."

[trevor826]

The changes they have affected are huge, it doesn't matter if they've only made a couple but changing the lead actress and sacking the cinematographer, no wonder Terry's pissed!

Cheers Trev.

[tabuno]

A modest film month with no absolute winners along with a few possible quality films.

Derailed. A seemingly confusing, jumbled drama/thriller that may not draw the Holloween crowd.

Domino. This action movie has the female strong woman role that Jennifer Garner had in Elecktra but with an even harder, more gritty performance that make this movie have a greater reach to a bigger audience. This is something edgy about this movie that increases its chances for serious action drama, lifting it up a notch to become one of the more brighter prospects for October. There is also enough of a recognized actor listing here to help improve its chances for boxoffice profits.

Doom. The required Halloween sci-fi/horror movie with the typical juvenile response.

Dreamer. Another horse racing, young girl (Sea Biscuit) movie that may not have enough leg power. Even Kurt Russell and Dakota Fanning may have outdone their welcome this year.

Elizabethtown. A romantic comedy that is one of the few bright spots of October.

The Fog. A typical pre-Halloween horror movie with dim prospects.

Good Night, and Good Luck. A sleeper of a film produced by George Clooney about the McCarthy era and CBS reporting coverage. The current political climate will enable this little film to hit it big in October. Look for a good turnout. The audienc will be looking for the return of Robert Downey Jr. and George Clooney.

The Gospel. There's few people in church to hear this movie.

Guarding Eddy. A former pro basketball player and disabled kid team up in an unknown drama. Nothing hugely promising.

In Her Shoes. A comedy/drama with Cameron Diaz making a serious attempt at classy movie making. This tight, elegant emotional drama has the elements for a solid performance and audience turn out. A good move for Diaz.

The Legend of Zorro. The cell phone mistress herself is probably the best marketing for this as yet not lit up the anticipation charts. This action western does not yet seem to have caught fire yet and may even not really get fired up.

Nine Lives. A drama that seems too ambiguous to obtain much of a market.

North Country. Female iron miners, a sleeper of the movie that has an uncertain future. As with Meg Ryan in her Against the Ropes (2004) or Million Dollar Baby (2005), this movie can turn either way.

Paradise Now. Is the controversial movie of the year with its main characters a couple of young Palestinian terrorists. Alot to disagree about, except perhaps the execution of the movie itself. May create its own public interest.

Prime. A comedy of psychic proportions when a female psychiatrist and mother finds that her son is involved with a client she's seeing. Has the comedic elements to bring out the crowds in this beginning of fall, heading towards winter season.

Saw II. Another bloody horror, Halloween movie and a sequel - that may say it all.

Separate Lives. A serious drama about marriage and intruders into a marriage, starring serious actors. May be too much heading into the winter season.

Shopgirl. Can Steve Martin pull off and re-enter the comedy movie market? Interesting but no build-up or notice so far.

The Squid and The Whale. A serious family drama. Little or no fanfare.

Stay. A creepy sounding psychological thriller that may be the horror Halloween movie of the month.

Summer Storm. A serious juvenile drama. A rarity in today's movie market...a drama about two adolescent brothers who must come face to face with growing up and their relationship with each other. A difficult no-name actor, movie searching for a market.

Two for the Money. Sports gambling drama movie. How far can the audience appeal reach here for Al Pacino, Rene Russo, Matthew McConaughey - another television Casino?

Wallace and Gromit. Their actual first movie, starring themselves brought to the bring, full-featured film screen. A pretty easy bet that this movie will do well and a decent, a smash hit, that's another matter. But it will provide welcome comic relief - especially in these days of high tech and super sophistication.

The Weather Man. A comedy/drama that if done well, will do well. Could be another "It Could Happen To You" (1994) feel good movie, yet with more drama and subtle acting performances that could make this a even better movie. Can the director of "The Ring" (2002) really produce drama along with The "Mousehunt" (1997) comedy?

The movies to watch for to give this month a "even" chance to maintain the boxoffice status quo are:

Domino
Elizabethtown
Good Night, and Good Luck
In Her Shoes
Paradise Now
Prime
Stay
Wallace and Gromit
The Weather Man

Since my July 10, 2005 assessment, October's film list has grown milderly stronger, though not riveting to the point of outdoing past years.