On the Horizon: Movies in 2011

Foreboding weather again for movie fans?

Although I've yet to finalize my best films of 2010, mostly because I'm still slowly catching up to all that I've missed, it's already well into 2011 and thus time to take a look at what's ahead.

People have defended 2010 as a solid year in film, but I'm afraid I just haven't seen (at least not yet) much to write home about, or write here about, as it were. Compared to the upcoming year, however, 2010 may end up being considered a golden year to be remember. I'm not going to break down specific titles by month as I have in past years; rather, I'm going to lift from Mark Harris' instantly classic article in the February issue of GQ (which I now realize has been lauded all over the place for weeks, but which I only discovered in the hard copy of the magazine that I stole borrowed from the YMCA).

I think this is all that needs to be said, and I think that aside from MSPIFF 2011 this spring, I probably shouldn't worry about the many new movies that I'm likely to miss this year as well:

"...let's look ahead to what's on the menu for this year: four adaptations of comic books. One prequel to an adaptation of a comic book. One sequel to a sequel to a movie based on a toy. One sequel to a sequel to a sequel to a movie based on an amusement-park ride. One prequel to a remake. Two sequels to cartoons. One sequel to a comedy. An adaptation of a children's book. An adaptation of a Saturday-morning cartoon. One sequel with a 4 in the title. Two sequels with a 5 in the title. One sequel that, if it were inclined to use numbers, would have to have a 7 1/2 in the title.

...Right now, we can argue that any system that allows David Fincher to plumb the invention of Facebook and the Coen brothers to visit the old West, that lets us spend the holidays gorging on new work by Darren Aronofsky and David O. Russell, has got to mean that American filmmaking is in reasonably good health. But the truth is that we'll be back to summer—which seems to come sooner every year—in a heartbeat. And it's hard to hold out much hope when you hear the words that one studio executive, who could have been speaking for all her kin, is ready to chisel onto Hollywood's tombstone: "We don't tell stories anymore."

On the Horizon: Movies in 2010 (Pt. 3: TBA & Documentaries)

Continued from On the Horizon: Movies in 2010 (Pt. 1: January - June) &
 (Pt. 2: July - December)

Wow, well I don't know about you, but even for somebody who's willing to see some bad movies, 2010 looks like a good year to concentrate on some other hobbies (or, in my case, such projects like my own wedding). There are still some movies I'm excited to see, but nearly all of them are outside of the mass-marketed wide releases I listed in Part 1 and Part 2. Thanks to Garth Franklin's list I mentioned in Part 1 (you really have to check out all eleven parts), I've got my eyes on the following award-likely titles, hoping they will be bright spots in the year ahead - if they are indeed released in the next 12 months:

On the Horizon: Movies in 2010 (Pt. 2: July - December)

Continued from On the Horizon: Movies in 2010 (Pt. 1: January - June)

JULY: Star-studded tent poles and Shyamalan's return

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse: I haven't read any of the books or seen either of the first two movies. So... 

Knight & Day: I've admitted my soft spot for Tom Cruise before, so it should come as no surprise that this doesn't look or sound nearly as bad to me as it does to most people. It's also worth mentioning that James Mangold (3:10 to Yuma, Walk the Line) is not your typical summer blockbuster director, so maybe, just maybe, this will be more than meets the eye.

The Last Airbender: M. Night Shyamalan's next movie. Also, the worst movie of 2010.

Inception: I have yet to see any 2010 movie forecast that does not list Inception as the #1 most anticipated movie of the year. Obviously much of this has to do with Christopher Nolan's last film, The Dark Knight (and Batman Begins before it, all three films are IMAX spectacles), but personally I'm hoping it's more along the lines of Memento and The Prestige. The short of it is that Christopher Nolan was probably the best director of the last decade, but I'm excited for this movie for different reasons than most people. 

Predators: Sequel. 1980's movie. Are you getting the picture yet? 

Salt: Ah, Angelina Jolie, peaceful ambassador off screen, half-naked ruthless assassin on screen, and always passing wise a good two decades beyond her years (all 34 of them). No, I don't have any respect for this woman and I don't feel badly about it. Expect her to save the world again and look perfectly put together doing it.

Dinner for Schmucks: If I have this correct, Jay Roach will be directing a Fockers sequel (below) as well as this remake of the 1998 French comedy, and both will be released in July? Whatever the timing, this will earn a lot of hype due to its cast alone: Steve Carell, Paul Rudd, and Zach Galifianakis. 

Little Fockers: I loved Meet the Parents and I absolutely loathed Meet the Fockers, so this one is a bit of a rubber match film. From what I know it will involve pregnancy and or infant care, so potty humor will likely be the foundation. Maybe I'll see Inception again instead.

On the Horizon: Movies in 2010 (January - June)

I don't know about you, but I had many more disappointments than pleasant surprises at the movie theater in 2009. Instead of looking back on all that could and should have been, I'll look ahead at all that could and should be. If last decade went out with a fizzle, let's hope this decade starts out with a bang. Then again, by the looks of things this year's movies include about a dozen 1980's remakes, so it's really one step forward, two steps back.

These are some notable wide releases for 2010 (not documentaries, foreign, or independent) that I've culled together from IMDb and ComingSoon.net. In other words, these are the movies that everyone will see that will overshadow all of the movies that everyone really should see. 

Release months are probably only 90% accurate, but this is what we have to go on at this time. Also, Garth Franklin at Dark Horizons has an insanely well researched forecast as well. Probably the best movies of the year will be from his bunch (I can only hope based on what I see below), but in the interest of time you can scan through my list instead, and then spend the rest of the year over there - it's so extensive it might take you that long.

Here's Part 1 - the first half of the year:

JANUARY: Big stars, big movies, little interest

The Book of Eli: Denzel Washington and The Hughes Brothers (From Hell, Dead Presidents) team up for a post-apocalyptic tale about some mysterious book. The trailers remind me of a particular section of Terminator Salvation, and anything that reminds me of Terminator Salvation already has a major strike against it. 

Edge of Darkness: I enjoyed Mel Gibson in Ransom, but I think I only need to see him as a vengeful father once. Director Martin Cambell has been awesome (GoldenEye, Casino Royale) and awful (Beyond Borders), so who knows what to expect. The real question will be whether anyone can stand Gibson's Boston accent for 30 seconds, let alone 108 minutes.

FEBRUARY: Dumping grounds for the pushed back releases

The Wolfman: Benicio del Toro in the remake of the 1941 classic horror film. I haven't seen that and I have yet to find a reason to need to see this. Universal knows this and they've delayed the release already once, but they're going to have to do some hard work to get me on board in time. 

Valentine's Day: Possibly the worst title of the year, this ensemble romantic comedy is, obviously about the big love day. About a million people star, most of whom I have little tolerance for (Julia Roberts, Ashton Kutcher, Anne Hathaway, Bradley Cooper, Topher Grace). Still interested? How about Taylor Lautner and Joe Jonas? Turn in your tween girl card, please.

On the Horizon: Movies in 2009

Lots of movies out there on the horizon...

When I first started these "On the Horizon" posts last year, they were almost exclusively movies that I had seen at MSPIFF (the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film Festival), months before their actual release (American Teen, Encounters at the End of the World, etc.). After that was over, I had to play the waiting game with everyone else, maybe seeing movies a week or two before their release, when it would have been worthless to take time for an "On the Horizon" post. So it was kind of a poorly planned idea to begin with.

In any case, the one holdover that has not yet been widely released, Nerakhoon (The Betrayal), is actually still on the horizon. It's on the Oscar shortlist and we'll find out next week if voters will make the right decision and award it a nomination for Best Documentary Feature (especially since they botched the short list selections in the first place). It arrives in Minneapolis in March and I highly recommend it.

In the meantime, here are the major studio releases for 2009 that for some reason grabbed my attention, even though I likely won't see all of them. Because this list is already too long to read, I'm not including documentaries and I'm not including many of the indies that will play at Sundance.


BOLDED are the movies that really I'm hoping won't disappoint. This is going to take a while to read - but it will be worth it if I can help you plan out your schedule in some way, and I'm going to link to it on my sidebar for the next month or so.

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JANUARY:

Notorious (opening today): Starring Jamal Woolard, Derek Luke, and Angela Bassett, this biopic of Christopher Wallace better show off a bangin' soundtrack. And it better be good. Tupac's version, Tupac: Resurrection, was a documentary - deservedly nominated for Best Documentary Feature, don't forget. Early word is that Woolard is eerily believable as Biggie.

New in Town: (shudder) Yet another movie set in Minnesota but filmed elsewhere, this time in Winnipeg. Renee Zellweger plays a ditzy blonde who relocates from Miami to Minnesota; ridiculousness ensues. Considering my girlfriend recently moved here from Las Vegas and some of our friends are also transplants from livable locales, there's no way I'm not going to end up seeing this. Somebody help me find the silver lining...

FEBRUARY:

Fanboys: If I can be considered a fanboy of any franchise (and I really hope I can't), it would be Star Wars. It would be biting irony if Fanboys shot to the top of IMDb list due to rabid fanboy voting, as happened with The Dark Knight. Kristen Bell is slated to be in about a movie per month in 2009; this is the first.

The International: I've expressed my love for Tom Tykwer's early films on these pages. No idea what this one is really about but it deserves a spot if only because of Tykwer and Clive Owen. And the poster is intriguing.

New York, I Love You: I don't know if this should be called a spin-off or a sequel or something else in relation to Paris je t'aime, but I've always had a thing for New York. This has the potential to be enchanting or completely forgettable.

Crossing Over: I had this on my sidebar release schedule back in October. After the tenth time its release was delayed I removed it altogether. Let's see what happens. Maybe this should but thrown down with the TBA's. Anyway, I'm pretty clueless about the details but Harrison Ford + Sean Penn + immigration + Los Angeles = me go.

MARCH:

Watchmen: Never read the series and not a huge fan of the superhero trend, but this easily one of the most hyped movies of 2009. I'm not dying to see it, but I'll see it.

Sunshine Cleaning: Had some positive buzz coming out of Sundance last year but it's kind of faded since then. That it was dropped in the usually dead zone that is March might not be a good sign, but Amy Adams, Emily Blunt and Steve Zahn probably work well together.

Adventureland: From the director, but not writer, of Superbad, comes another predictably crass comedy about friends working at an amusement park in 1987. Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig should make this at least worth a few laughs. I also expect a nice soundtrack featuring hair bands.

Monsters vs. Aliens: Only showing up here because Dreamworks Animation really wowed me with Kung Fu Panda last year. This is the kind of movie that gets a huge push because it stars every popular actor and actress in the world right now. And you won't see any of them on screen for one second. Go figure.

APRIL:

Sugar: Next to Ballast this was by far my most anticipated movie out of Sundance last year. From the writing and directing pair of Half Nelson, I'm desperate to see this story about an aspiring baseball player from the Dominican Republic. Just in time for the start of the baseball season, to boot.

Observe and Report: I wasn't too hot about The Foot Fist Way last year, but I'll consider this a second shot for writer/director Jody Hill because it stars Seth Rogen. If people haven't seen Foot Fist, and the tone is anything like that one, I think they're going to be in for a surprise.

O'Horten: Highly regarded Norwegian dramedy about a fateful moment for a retiring train engineer. Sounds riveting I know, but this is one of those you just see on a lark.

The Soloist: True story about a homeless guy and a journalist in L.A., played by Jamie Foxx and Robert Downey, Jr., respectively. Although this was delayed from last November to this April, there is still some buzz about Oscar nominations next year. I'm going to keep my expectations moderate.

MAY:

Star Trek: I'm no Trekkie and I'm not a fan of J.J. Abrams. This marks the official opening of summer movie season, though, so I'll be there. Simon Pegg might ease the pain, but Eric Bana is sure to ruin a few scenes.

Bruno: Sacha Baron Cohen returns with another sure-to-offend movie about the fashion industry, which sure deserves to be offended.

Terminator Salvation: It's almost impossible to expect that director "McG" won't take James Cameron's brilliant, seminal franchise ten steps back, but I officially see anything starring Christian Bale. I just can't believe this guy calls himself "McG".

Up: Pixar. If you're wondering if there's anything else you need to know other than that, there's not.

JUNE:

Land of the Lost: Starring Will Ferrell and my up-and-coming favorite Danny McBride - "Three adults inadvertently stumble into a mysterious land populated by dinosaurs and other creatures, including the mysterious and dangerous race of Sleestak." Uh...

The Taking of Pelham 123: I really need to see the original before I see this remake starring Denzel Washington and John Travolta about a hijacked NYC subway train. Might be an early summer gem. Or a joke.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen: Though I really doubt it will tank, if if it does maybe Shia LaBeouf will get back to serious acting. Consider this also Megan Fox's official coming-out party.

JULY:

Public Enemies: Another early Oscar talk-about, this Michael Mann thriller about 1930's gangsters features a literal dream cast led by Christian Bale, Johnny Depp and Channing Tatum (who deserves a big break). I didn't like Mann's Miami Vice, but the cast alone should save this one from disaster.

2012: Roland Emmerich continues his time travel expedition, going from 10,000 B.C. (which I skipped) to three years from now, when a Mayan calendar predicts the apocalypse. I'm interested by the cast alone.

500 Days of Summer: Indie comedy starring the promising Joseph Gordon-Levitt. One of the co-writers is also the many behind this summer's Pink Panther sequel, so that's kind of a troubling sign.

Funny People: It seems like ages since a movie with Judd Apatow's name on it has come out, even though it's only been a few months. He must have caught wind about people tiring of his brand - what was that like a dozen movies in three years? This one stars Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen, Apatow's wife Leslie Mann, Jonah Hill, and oh great, Eric Bana. Front-runner for worst title of the year.

AUGUST:

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra: I spent hours on end playing with G.I. Joe action figures when I was younger, so I at least owe this one some consideration. No? Hmm, well it does star Channing Tatum and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, but I'm guessing there isn't going to be as much acting as there is action.

Taking Woodstock: Ang Lee directs an adaptation of a novel about the fateful origins of the famous music festival. Starring Emile Hirsch in what I'm assuming is a starring role, this has to feature a great soundtrack at the very least.

Inglourious Basterds: Quentin Tarantino returns with a WWII action-adventure starring a typically bizarre cast, everyone from Brad Pitt to Mike Myers. It might not be as good as the hype, but there's hardly a chance that it will be boring. Possible Oscar sleeper.

SEPTEMBER:

The Informant: Steven Soderbergh follows up Che with a thriller about Big Agriculture. I think. Starring Matt Damon and, well that's good enough. Another possible Oscar contender.

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs: Yep, they've adapted this great book into an animated movie featuring the voices of Bill Hader, Anna Faris, and James Caan. Maybe I'll just read the book again.

Jennifer's Body: Yet another movie set in Minnesota but filmed elsewhere, this time in Vancouver - just like Juno, which was also written by OSCAR WINNER "Diablo Cody". I'd have to try to be less interested in this, but I know myself well enough to know that buzz may motivate me to see it.

OCTOBER:

A Serious Man: Yet another movie set in Minnesota but filmed- hey! Wait a minute, this was actually filmed here! Only great things can be expected from the Coen brothers in their return to their home state. Tickets might as well go on sale for this next week; the lines are going to stretch for miles. I say just devote one day state-wide and show it on every available screen to prevent riots at the box office. Possible Best Picture nominee.

Where the Wild Things Are: Lots of reasons for this adaptation of the children's book to sound appealing, not the least of which are the involvement of Spike Jonze, Dave Eggers and Forest Whitaker. Plus, it's not animated. I just home Jonze keeps the CGI to a minimum.

Amelia: Hilary Swank throws down for her third Best Actress Oscar in this biopic of Amelia Earhart, also starring Ewan McGregor and directed by Mira Nair (Monsoon Wedding, The Namesake).

NOVEMBER:

The Box: Richard Kelly sure made a splash with Donnie Darko, but I was pretty harsh on his last effort, Southland Tales. This one, starring James Marsden, Cameron Diaz, and Frank Langella, sounds typically trippy. As I said in the Southland review: "I'll see his next film only because he's proven he can make a great one, but I'm going to be reeaaly wary."

The Fantastic Mr. Fox: Wes Anderson directs this animated adaptation of the Roald Dahl novel. Hmm...featuring the voice of George Clooney, Cate Blanchett, and the rest of the Wes Anderson Players (Bill Murray, Jason Schwartzman, et. al.).

Sherlock Holmes: Can Guy Ritchie adapt his trademark style to this detective story? Starring Robert Downey, Jr. and Jude Law as Holmes and Watson, respectively, this also might be in line for some Oscar nominations for acting and design/costumes.

A Christmas Carol: I'm not sure why The Polar Express is never mentioned as one of the great modern Christmas movies, but maybe the success of this one, which was also directed by Robert Zemeckis, will get it some attention. Heck, maybe it will get Zemeckis some attention at all. For a guy who has directed some classic movies (The Back to the Future trilogy, Forrest Gump, Contact), he's devoted himself to this 3-D animation deal for the last decade, only having made Express and Beowulf. This classic story has the best potential of them all: Jim Carrey, Robin Wright Penn, Colin Firth, and Gary Oldman.

Nine: Rob Marshall, whose Chicago took home Best Picture less than a decade ago, goes for it again with this adaptation of the Broadway musical. I know none of the songs to this show, but what does this cast do for you?: Daniel Day-Lewis, Marion Cotillard, Penelope Cruz, Judi Dench, and Nicole Kidman. Other than Kidman, can the rest of them sing? We'll find out. Certain to get multiple Oscar nominations, including one for Best Picture.

DECEMBER:

The Lovely Bones: If I were to make insanely early Oscar picks, which I don't, this would be the front runner for Best Picture. I haven't read the book and I have no desire to. At this point the same goes for the movie, but with Mark Wahlberg and Rachel Weisz receiving direction from Peter Jackson (who, let's be honest, is going to be a lot more interested in how it looks), I won't be able to ignore the buzz.

Avatar: James Cameron, please blow my mind again. The brilliant visionary and the man behind Aliens, The Terminator (and T2, but not T3 or the aforementioned Salvation), The Abyss, and True Lies returns to the director's chair for his first major feature since Titanic. Visual effects have come a long way in the last decade so it will be interesting to see what he unveils this time around.

The Princess and the Frog: Disney goes retro with a hand-drawn animated film, and their first to star a black princess. How long did that take?

The Human Factor: While it's beginning to look less likely that Gran Torino will get a Best Picture nod next week, this Clint Eastwood-directed Nelson Mandela biopic starring Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon has to have a great shot at one next year. Please be good.

TBA:

There's a better than 50/50 chance that half of these won't see a theater screen in 2009, but some of them have major potential to be excellent. You have a life, so I'm going to make this quick.

Apples - Bobby Cannavale (if that doesn't mean anything to you, then forget it)

The Boat That Rocked - Richard Curtis, writer of Love Actually and Notting Hill

Brief Interviews With Hideous Men - indie adaptation of story by the late genius David Foster Wallace

Broken Embraces - new Pedro Almodovar movie, starring guess who, Penelope Cruz

Cold Souls - dramedy staring Paul Giamatti as a guy searching for his soul

Couples Retreat - comedy starring Vince Vaughn, Jon Favreau, Jason Bateman, and...Jean Reno?

Endgame - drama about the fall of the apartheid regime in South Africa, starring Chiwetel Ejiofor

The Fighter - Darren Aronofsky (Requiem for a Dream, The Wrestler), Mark Wahlberg, and maybe Brad Pitt

Green Zone - Paul Greengrass (United 93) and Matt Damon re-team for a non-Bourne movie

The Hurt Locker - Guy Pearce and Ralph Fiennes in an Iraq War movie. Early buzz is very positive

The Missing Person - Michael Shannon (Revolutionary Road) and Amy Ryan (Gone Baby Gone) in a neo-noir mystery

Mr. Nobody - Jared Leto plays a guy who mysteriously lives well into his 100's; sounds like Benjamin Button

The Mysteries of Pittsburgh - Based on a Michael Chabon novel, starring Sienna Miller, Nick Nolte, and Peter Sarsgaard

The Poughkeepsie Tapes - Long anticipated horror movie made by Minnesotan brothers (and Coens brothers look-alikes) Drew and John Erick Dowdle

The Road - Another possible Best Picture nominee, this adaptation of the popular Cormac McCarthy novel stars Viggo Mortenson and Charlize Theron and has seen its release delayed at least once already

Rudo y Cursi - Soccer comedy that marks the reunion of members of the Y Tu Mama Tambien team: Screenwriter Carlos Cuaron and actors Gael Garcia Bernal and Diego Luna

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That's enough, I think.

So are you looking forward to any of these?