The Top 12 of '12.

So sure, it's March, but we (me?) here at HoB felt it necessary to compile our (our? we? am I Gollum?) own best-of list. Better late than never, etc, and so on. Am I an expert? Not so much.. but I am opinionated and rather passionate about the whole affair.. which I would argue makes me better suited for such endeavors than 90%+ of the Academy.  So without further ado, here are my top 12 films of 2012:

Honorable mentions: The Dark Knight Rises, The Hobbit, Cabin in the Woods, Lawless, The Amazing Spider-Man, Cloud Atlas


12. SAFETY NOT GUARANTEED
I'm an equal-opportunity fan over here. Big, effects-driven blockbusters with $200M budgets? Hell yes. Tiny indie flicks with 7 named characters that were made for under a million $? ABSOLUTELY. By way of confession here, Aubrey Plaza might be my #1 celebrity crush of the moment and I love Jake Johnson. Despite that disclaimer, this is a charming, incredibly fun, sweet little movie. It's quirky as hell, but the talent and charisma of the people involved and limited scope make this a personal journey about love, friendship, companionship and acceptance. Who couldn't use a little of that?


11. THE AVENGERS
In Joss we trust. Honestly, I feel that if you DIDN'T like Avengers, I don't trust you. Unless you just don't like superheroes/superhero movies in general, in which case, stop being such a dour sourpuss, but honestly, this is the first superhero/comic book movie that felt like a comic event.  This is what it feels like to be 14 and so damn excited about getting the next issue to see what it happens when ______ teams up with ________ or fights ________. It's fun without being childish. Smart without being nonsensical. You'll laugh, enjoy well-drawn and rounded characters, some great action sets, and the first flick that TRULY replicates the feel of a comic book event. What more could you want from a summer blockbuster?


10. LOOPER
Time travel is one of those things that's become almost cliche in its convoluted nonsense. For every time it's used well (2009's Star Trek, Terminator 2) there are numerous examples of it being used nonsensically at best. It's become the sort of sci-fi trope that's been relegated to mockery and B-movie-dom, but director/writer Rian Johnson (one to watch, to say the least) has rescued it as a salvageable conceit from the scrap heap for sure. In this flick that's part noir gangster crime flick, part redemption story and part revenge saga Johnson takes a new and fascinating look at time travel and its potential implications.  His bleak look at a future America in shambles is at once fascinating and unsettling as well. Smart, heartfelt, well-acted and ultimately powerful, this was one of the biggest surprises of the year. Watch it.


9. MOONRISE KINGDOM
Quirky hipster auteur may well be on his way towards being a less prolific Woody Allen for his generation. With a distinctive voice and aesthetic, Anderson may well be one of the most consistent filmmakers working today. Moonrise Kingdom, featuring two complete unknowns as adolescent lovebirds on the run, is absolutely vintage Anderson, and possibly as accessible and sweet as anything he's ever done.  The line between sweet and twee is a fine one, but despite the subject matter, Anderson never crosses it.  This is one of the most accessible flicks of the year. Need something to watch with your parents? Get it.



8. SKYFALL
In many years that weren't as deep or star-studded as 2012 this would have been a top 3 flick.  This is simply just about as good as an action movie can hope to be. When you're talking about the Bond film series with its 20+ entries and everyone's proclaiming this as the best one without much argument, it's clear we're talking about a great flick. Memorable villain, high stakes, beautiful, epic shots and a storyline that hits close to home for our legendary protagonist.. this is James Bond at his best. Mendes + Bond = amazing.



7. LINCOLN
Few, if any, films in recent memory come packing the pedigree that this one does. Spielberg, Daniel Day-Lewis, Tommy Lee Jones and a cast shock full of A-listers bring one of America's greatest historical figures and one of America's most turbulent and historical times to life exquisitely.  While ultimately this flick fell short of true GREATNESS, it does provide a great historical perspective and a tremendous and memorable lead performance. DDL really gives us an incredibly human and charming look at someone it's very easy to look at in an inhuman way.  Plus, it looks simply incredible.. like Colonial Williamsburg on steroids. This is one that will be shown in high school and college classrooms for decades.



6. SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK
David O. Russell is a filmmaker who's proving to be incredibly versatile and skilled both as a director and a writer. He follows up The Fighter with a charming romantic comedy at its core that turns out to be about family and athletics and life and pain and mental illness in modern blue collar America.  It's amazing that when you throw in well-developed characters, strong acting and a quality script, the romantic comedy can be a formula for a good to great flick. Bradley Cooper finally reveals why I've liked him all these years, Jennifer Lawrence is worth every bit of the hype, Robert DeNiro emerges from the lameass bear cave he's been hiding in for the last 15 years and even Chris Tucker (?) is memorable. It's sweet, sad, funny, and endearing, with a happy ending to boot.. America, enjoy. David O. Russel, make more movies!


5. LIFE OF PI
I wouldn't call myself "spiritual" in any sense of the word, much less religious (I think sentimental might be a better term) but this flick, despite its ostensibly spiritual bend, truly touched me. Gorgeous cinematography, great characterization, strong plotting and compelling acting all combine to make one of the most powerful and emotionally stirring films I've seen in years. If you would have told me I'd have been profoundly touched by an hour of a boy and a vicious tiger sharing a lifeboat 2 months ago I'd have given you my best stink face. Touche, Ang Lee, touche.


4. THE MASTER
Paul Thomas Anderson just might be the most insanely talented auteur working in film today, apologies to Tarantino, David O. Russell, Wes Anderson and others. When your resume starts with "Boogie Nights" and continues through to "There Will Be Blood", you're so crazy talented it makes my brain hurt.  After a long wait (5 years!), we finally get "The Master", which features the also insane Joachin Phoenix as a troubled WW2 vet and Phillip Seymour Hoffman as a charismatic and temperamental manipulative guru and would-be religious leader along the lines of L. Ron Hubbard of Scientology fame. Is it about scientology? Ye...maybe? Does it matter? Not really. What we get is an intensely personal and disquieting look at religion and new-era spirituality through the lens of a deeply troubled postwar society. It's like Mad Men with crazy people and a subtler, more nihilistic commentary.


3. ARGO
Fresh off of a best picture win, Ben Affleck may well be the hottest director in Hollywood. After breaking into directing in a big way with back to back hard-boiled Boston-centric crime dramas, Affleck set his sights a little higher, adapting the almost-too-crazy-to-be-true story of how 6 embassy staffers were smuggled out of Tehran during the Iran Hostage Crisis by the CIA and the Canadian ambassador using the ruse of a fictitious science fiction film.  This is popcorn filmmaking at its finest, a meticulously presented thriller that's interested most of all in telling the story in front of it. Spielberg has been trying to make films like this for years and falling short because his inherent sentimentality won't let him. Argo has its shortcomings, a general lack of characterization and a less-than-compelling lead performance chief among them, but what it ultimately is is an incredibly watchable and enthralling bit of Americana.


2. DJANGO UNCHAINED
The faux "controversy" surrounding this one was some of the most nonsensical drivel I've come across in years. It was as if the conservative blowhards crying foul at Tarantino's tongue-in-cheek and over the top revenge fantasy were utterly unaware of Inglorious Basterds, which followed the exact same format. Very confusing. This is Tarantino's most complete film since Pulp Fiction, and features well-drawn characters, some terrific performances, (as should be expected) spectacular dialogue and vacillates from the hilarious to the troubling in rapid succession.  Vintage Tarantino, in that this one is at once an homage to an established genre(s) and yet also a terrific film in its own right. Tarantino remains one of the most original and exciting filmmakers in Hollywood, even as he moves from young rebel to established middle-aged statesman. Oscar-related note: Waltz should have been nominated for lead actor, he had by far the most dialogue in an extremely wordy movie, and DiCaprio should have won best supporting actor. 
 

1. ZERO DARK THIRTY
I'm undecided whether the "Is Django racist?" flap or "does Zero Dark Thirty condone torture?" flap was more ridiculous and indicative of why our society is losing the ability to rationally discuss anything, but the ZDT "controversy" was complete and utter shit.  Depicting something THAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED no more requires condemnation than it requires explicit approval. The world isn't an op-ed, guys. Art can exist apart from your politics. I really and truly think that this was not merely the best, but also the most memorable flick of the year. I am of the opinion that, along with "The Social Network", this will be one of the two films that's most remembered as representative of the last decade. (Ironic, then, that both would be overlooked by the Academy for much safer and more sentimental fare) In much the same way that Social Network was a tremendous and definitive look at a transformative and revolutionary institution and movement (social media) that would come to define an era, Zero Dark Thirty is a comprehensive, bruising and definitive look at a geopolitical moment in time that will similarly define the present era. (The hunt for Bin Laden and wider war on terror) That alone would make it important, but the fact that it's impeccably done, tremendously acted, features a driving, fascinating narrative that seamlessly weaves across a decade and manages to be compelling DESPITE an ending that literally everyone is aware of makes it a tremendous piece of filmmaking. Guys, fuck the academy. This was the best movie in years.


Better... 10 weeks late than never, right? I'm presently working on a 2013 movie preview... and it doesn't matter if that's not out until next week, because let's be honest, Jack the Giant Slayer and Oz the Great and Powerful aren't good enough to warrant excitement, guys. #SamRaimiruinedSpiderMan

2012: The Year in Film: "Avengers" Review

The wait is over folks. The comic book movie to end all comic book movies is upon us, the culmination of a grand experiment begun by then upstart Marvel movie studios in 2008 that resulted in 5 separate and surprisingly, consistently strong movies culminating in the first grand comic book "event" movie. 4 separate characters that have each anchored successful films independently come together in the ultimate "team" movie, in an event that promises to change comic book movies forever, either for the better or for worse. Basically, Marvel Studios has run their film franchises like a comic book universe.. with a consistent continuity where each individual hero has their own storylines that overlap in particular instances resulting in occasional "events" where the heroes come together to face a threat they cannot face alone. Who better to handle such a task than Joss Whedon, the nerd-tastic mind behind "Buffy" and "Firefly" (shows renowned for their strong ensemble writing), who also penned a legendary run on "Astonishing X-Men" in comics? As someone who's read Marvel comics for basically his entire life and nerded out over every single movie Marvel has put out so far, I'm more or less their target audience.. please keep this in mind while reading my nerdgasm/review. So let's talk about the movie already, shall we?

First, I feel like this is the perfect, quintessential comic book movie. It encapsulates perfectly what makes comic books so fun and popular. The sense of wonder, the bold, soundbyte-ready dialogue, the high stakes, the epic personalities, if you're wondering why comic books have continued to be so beloved and popular over decades, look no further than what Marvel's managed to do here. This flick could have been an absolute mess. Take a look at the middle third of Iron Man 2, all of Spider Man 3, or any number of crappy DC adaptions over the years to see how superhero movies end up when they drift too far into campy silliness or neglect character in favor of action. Marvel has done something truly remarkable here.. they've made something that successfully builds on every single one of the prior films while also working effectively as a stand-alone film. That is no small feat. Of the 5 prior Marvel films (Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk (Edward Norton version), Iron Man 2, Thor, Captain America) I would say that watching at the very least "Captain America" and "Thor" will greatly aid in your enjoyment of this one. Of course, I watched and nerded out over every single one and have grown up as a total Marvel nerd, so the richness of the world created by Whedon for this film is just rewarding on multiple levels. You can get as into this one as you'd like.

Thor's brother Loki, Norse "God" of mischief, returns to earth seeking to harness a source of great power in order to conquer the earth. Top secret intelligence division, S.H.I.E.L.D., finds themselves overwhelmed, and in response to this great threat to the planet, seeks to "assemble" "Earth's mightiest heroes". Introductions ensue, and the group seeks to gain some common ground in order to counter Loki's threat.


What makes this movie great is the characterization.  Something that could easily have felt stuffed, confusing and crowded instead feels rich and full, with very little fluff and wasted time even despite a runtime nearing 2 and a half hours.  Every single character gets at least one moment to shine and they almost all get more characterization than many comic book characters receive in entire movies.  As is to be expected with Whedon, the film is very, very funny.  There were several moments where the crowd was laughing so hard that I actually missed bits of dialogue.

Iron Man is the star of this one.  Tony Stark is given the strongest material to work with, and his arc actually seems richer than Stark's did in either one of the Iron Man flicks.  We may have just seen the definitive Bruce Banner as well.  Ruffalo knocks Banner out of the park, and this version of the Hulk is by far the best of the three we've seen in the last decade.  Captain America's arc is extremely effective as well, and he emerges to take his proper place among the group.  If I have knocks, they are thus: Thor wasn't given as meaty an arc as the rest of the super-powered Avengers, and ScarJo simply played the Black Widow too flat.  But these are minor, minor criticisms.

Whedon directs a hell of an action scene and writes incredible dialogue.  The effects are pitch-perfect, and the interplay between characters is everything you could possibly want from an Avengers movie.  As should be expected, Robert Downey Jr is simply great.  His version of Tony Stark is so damn smart, witty and charming that it's simply not possible to find yourself glued to him when he's on screen.  Ruffalo and Chris Evans are right there with him.  Hemsworth, Renner and Sam L. all are very effective and hold their own.  As Loki, Tom Hiddleston had a crucial part, interacting with virtually every other major character, and if he had fallen flat, the movie would suffer hugely.  Rest assured that he does not. ScarJo had some strong scenes.. I think the problem may be that Black Widow is simply not as interesting as Joss Whedon thinks she is.  But that's seriously my only criticism.  That Thor's part isn't as meaty as Cap's, Iron Man's or Hulk's, and that ScarJo seems to be comparatively distant, considering how all-in everyone else seemingly is.  When we're talking about a 145 minute movie with at least 8 major characters, massive effects and the seemingly impossible task of balancing characters that each are beloved and designated franchises in their own right, the fact that those are seriously the extent of my criticisms is down right incredible.

Make no mistake, this isn't "The Dark Knight".  It's not a dark, metaphorical look at philosophical ideas.. it's a comic book story written and developed for the screen.  The stakes are high, characters are given moments in the sun, and there's a whole lot of fun to be had.  This may well be the most entertaining movie I've ever seen.  I saw it at midnight in a theater full of dressed up nerds.  We laughed, we cheered, we enjoyed the hell out of it. 

9/10.  We now have the definitive Summer Blockbuster.  Couldn't have happened to a better group of people.  Oh, and more than half of the flick was filmed in Ohio.

2012 Movie Preview

So I've been privately freaking out about the seeming quality of films slated to be released in 2012, and I decided to sort of give a run down of what you should be looking forward to in 2012, at least what I'm looking forward to, to give you an idea of what's coming so you hopefully can share in a little of my excitement. Trust me when I say that on paper, 2012 is completely loaded. So without too much further ado, I've made a list of the 20 flicks I'm most excited for in 2012. To give an idea of how stacked this year is, know that this isn't an exhaustive list, but 20 seemed like a nice round number. Feel free to disagree, but I'm guessing that my 2012 "best of" list includes a solid chunk of these flicks.


The Hunger Games (3/23)

I know, I know, Young Adult literature, doesn't seem like something that would get the endorsement of this blog. Well, I'm moderately ashamed to say that I read the Hunger Games trilogy in a moment of weakness last year (and they take about an hour and a half to read if you're an actual grown up), and the first book at least, is pretty damn good. The sequels decrease in quality, but the first one stands proudly among youth dystopian literature.. it most reminded me of a childhood favorite of mine: "The Giver". The tone of the trailers thus far has seemed pitch-perfect, Jennifer Lawrence has serious acting chops (check Winter's Bone if you don't believe me) and I am very intrigued by the cast, particularly Woody Harrelson as ornery, broken alcoholic mentor Haymitch Abernathy. I was skeptical that this would be another Twilight-style amateur hour kidfest, but the trailers give the impression that they're going full-out, and good for them.. the story seems made for the screen.


The Avengers (5/4)

If I was ranking the flicks 1-20 this one would absolutely be top 3 and quite possibly #1. Let it be known that I'm an unabashed Marvel nerd.. I grew up reading the comics and have been experiencing excitement bordering on low-level arousal since I found out what Marvel was planning on doing with their Avengers properties. So Marvel made successful and high quality Iron Man, Thor, Hulk and Captain America movies that all tie together into this.. Avengers. That in and of itself is amazing.. but you throw in written and directed by Joss Whedon? Forget about it. I'm so incredibly stoked I can't even handle it. Robert Downey Jr returns as Tony Stark/Iron Man, Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Chris Evans as Captain America, Mark Ruffalo takes over as the Hulk, and throw in Jeremy Renner, Samuel L. Jackson and Scarlett Johannson for shits and giggles. Watch the pilot to Firefly or Serenity and you'll understand why I'm so pumped. No one, and I mean no one can handle an ensemble the way that Whedon can. In someone else's hands, I'd be skeptical to say the least, especially considering the problems with Iron Man 2 getting bloated with too much going on.. but there is little doubt in my mind that Whedon's going to crush this one out of the park. Enjoy the ride.


The Dictator (5/11)

I'm also a rather unabashed Sasha Baron Cohen fanboy.. Da Ali G Show and I go way back to drunken nights in college, and I'm actually looking forward to this one more than I was Bruno or Borat because he's not a pre-existing character. Supposedly SBC decided to create this character after reading Saddam Hussein's book, and that in and of itself is rife with rich possibilities. This flick has all of a sudden become shockingly topical, with the "Arab Spring" of the last year, and knowing SBC, he certainly won't shy away from a controversy.


Moonrise Kingdom (5/25)

The list of things of which I'm an unabashed fanboy just continues. I love Wes Anderson. Love love love. Own all of his flicks, quote several of them with regularity, wish I lived in them, so on, so forth. So Wes Anderson returns to live action with an absolutely stacked cast (Ed Norton (!), Bruce Willis, Frances McDormand, Bill Murray, Tilda Swinton..) in a film that appears on first glance to be absolutely quintessential Wes Anderson. Where do I sign up?


Prometheus (6/8)

So we aren't quite sure whether this one is a straight-up Alien "prequel" or just set in the same universe... but it looks pretty prequel-y to me, and that's in no way a bad thing. If there's one thing that the universe absolutely needs, it's a Ridley Scott helmed prequel to one of the legend's absolutely great works, and one of the great sci-fi/horror films of all time. Look at that cast.. Fassbender, Guy Pearce, Charlize Theron, Idris Elba.. the trailer looks incredible. I'll be there opening night, no matter what.


The Amazing Spider Man (7/3)

As mentioned previously, I was a bigtime Marvel comics fan growing up. My two favorite super heroes were Iron Man and Spider Man.. and let me say that I was no fan of the Sam Raimi Spider Man flicks. I know that they were hugely popular and relatively well done.. but they were cheesy. No one's even pretending that they take place in the actual New York City.. and that does Spider Man a disservice. What makes him great is that he takes place in a realistic world (within reason of course).. and from the look of the trailers I've seen thus far, it looks like this iteration has it down rather nicely. Spider Man doesn't deserve a cheesy cornball movie.. this is an orphan whose origin as a super hero comes when his beloved uncle is murdered because of his inaction.. which part of that is corny? His origin is pretty damn dark. Garfield was great in The Social Network and in the Red Riding part I that I've seen him in, Emma Stone is always strong, and someone made the genius move of casting Martin Sheen as Uncle Ben.. perfect. Hot name Marc Webb (500 Days of Summer) is directing.. and this one is rapidly moving up my list.. as everything I've seen is completely encouraging.


The Dark Knight Rises (7/20)

So if you aren't a fan of "Batman Begins" or "The Dark Knight" I'm really wondering why you're continuing to read this blog. Chris Nolan is one of the top 3 or 4 directors working today, Christian Bale is a master, and what they've done with the Batman franchise is truly remarkable and we should count ourselves lucky that such talented and accomplished artists choose to dedicate their art to popular pursuits. I truly mean that. So after the triumph that was "The Dark Knight", Nolan is making the end to his trilogy. From everything I've heard, this is it for Chris Nolan Batman flicks. We add Tom Hardy (who I'm obsessed with..) as Bane, Anne Hathaway as Catwoman, and several other new characters as it appears Batman is going to really have his hands full in this one. It's going to be dark.. but mostly, it's going to be amazing. This one, "the Hobbit", and "Avengers" are fighting for the #1 most anticipated movie of 2012 spot.


The Bourne Legacy (8/3)

Ordinarily, a quasi-sequel/reboot introducing a new star and new primary players would have me about as excited as I am for an 8 AM court date. But this is no ordinary quasi sequel/reboot. Written by the same guy (Tony Gilroy) responsible for the other Bourne flicks, Gilroy is also directing (he also directed Michael Clayton), so he's no stranger to the Bourne films, which are some of the best spy/action flicks in recent memory. Plus, while Matt Damon will be missed, there's certainly no drop off in talent, with Jeremy Renner starring s a new CIA operative in the Bourne universe. Edward Norton (Big summer for Ed) is the villain and Rachel Weisz the love interest as many of the players from the Bourne series (Joan Allen, David Strathairn) reprise their roles. Count me as cautiously optimistic on this one.. it could be great.


Argo (9/14)
So of the more surprising happenings in movies in recent years, Ben Affleck's emergence as quite the talented director is close to the top. "Gone Baby Gone" and "The Town" are both great.. and Affleck clearly has established himself as a director to watch. Where his first two films dealth with something near and dear to his heart, Boston, this film promises to expand the scene, dealing with a CIA rescue operation during the 1979 Iranian revolution. So in both scope and period, Affleck is seriously broadening his horizons, and I for one am excited to see how he does. Oh, and this flick happens to star Bryan Cranston, Affleck and John Goodman.. NO BIGGIE.


Cloud Atlas (10/19)

From the Wachowski brothe.. er, siblings, just the guys who, you know, brought us "The Matrix" and "V for Vendetta", no bigs, this one is intriguing if a pretty complete unknown. This one is noteworthy for the talent involved, the ambition and its scope. I have no idea whether it's going to be good or not, it could completely fall flat on its face.. but as of this moment, I'm rather excited to see how this one turns out. With a cast including Tom Hanks, Hugo Weaving, Halle Berry, Keith David, Hugh Grant and Susan Sarandan, this film is said to follow 6 separate but interweaving storylines that interweave and reverberate through time and distance. Sounds pretty philosophy-y and ambitious, RIGHT? So consider my anticipation guarded, but sincere. I mean, that's a picture of a 17th century clipper sailing on clouds towards some kind of futuristic cityscape.. that right there is intriguing enough to at least check out the early reviews.


Skyfall (11/9)
So to say that Daniel Craig has been pretty damn amazing as James Bond is just a BIT of an understatement. After a long delay that basically consisted of MGM going bankrupt and the future of the franchise being thrown into doubt, we're finally all systems go on the third installment of what may in fact be the best Bond of all. After the almost sci-fi nonsense that characterized the later Brosnan Bond films, Craig has been gritty, damaged, grounded and real as the world's greatest spy. He's charming, he's glamorous, but above all he's a murderous prick. Just as I'd imagine most government assassins are. I know just about nothing about the plot, but I do know that blog favorite Sam Mendes is behind the camera, which means we'll get some stunning visuals, and that Ralph Fiennes and Javier Bardem are set to co-star, meaning that the talent both behind and in front of the camera will be pretty damn top notch. After the moderate disappointment that was "Quantum of Solace", here's hoping that Bond bounces back with aplomb.

Gravity (11/21)
So there's no official art, trailer or poster for this one, so I just used a picture of the hubble space telescope, because why not? Another relative unknown that is exciting simply because of the talent involved.. this one stars Sandra Bullock and George Clooney and focuses on a mission to repair the Hubble Space Telescope that goes wrong and forces the survivor(s) to try to get home however they can. That in and of itself is admittedly "meh", but throw in the fact that it's written and directed by Alfonso "Children of Men" Cuaron and will be in 3D? That's must-see cinema. Children of Men is one of the truly great Sci-films of the last 25 years and one of my alltime favorite movies, and Cuaron's visuals are truly stunning. I'll be keeping a careful eye out for this Thanksgiving time movie.


Lincoln (December)
Yes.. that's Daniel Day Lewis with an Abe Lincoln beard. Yes, that's maybe the most awesome thing to ever happen. This flick has been a passion project for Spielberg for a long time, and has been a long time coming. Based on the book "Team of Rivals", this flick focuses on Lincoln and his management of the Civil War. Spielberg does period better than just about anyone, and this cast? Outrageous. Accompanying our greatest living actor are Tommy Lee Jones, Joseph Gordon Levitt, John Hawkes, Walton Goggins, Sally Field, Jackie Earle Haley, James Harris and James Spader. Yes, that's a stacked cast. So here's what we know about this flick: 1.) the attention to detail and production value will be through the roof, 2.) Daniel Day Lewis is a virtual shoe-in for best actor. Combining a director like Spielberg and an actor like DDL makes this one automatically a must-see. Lincoln was famously a conflicted and complicated person who faced personal demons, hardship and pain while steering the nation through its darkest hour.. dramatic source material doesn't get too much richer than this. DDL doesn't work too often, folks. Catch him while you can.


The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (12/14)

So if you like movies, I certainly hope you liked the "Lord of the Rings" films of 2001, 2002 and 2003.. combined they are one of the more impressive achievements ever put on film. J.R.R. Tolkien's literary masterpieces were given an amazing treatment, one that may just surpass the books themselves. Well, 10 years later, Peter Jackson returns to make a 2-part prequel of sorts, based on Tolkien's other masterpiece, "the Hobbit". Martin Freeman plays a much younger (40 years-ish) Bilbo Baggins, Ian McKellan reprises his role as Gandalf.. and there's no possible way that this flick isn't absolutely great. This one is released Christmas-ish 2012, Part II a year later, and we'll undoubtedly have two new entrants to the "great films" list. If that trailer isn't pitch-perfect, I don't know what is.


Kill Bin Laden (12/19)
Technically, it's my understanding that "Kill Bin Laden" is just a working title and is not yet the formal title of this flick. But oh well, whatever it's called, I'm excited for it. Kathryn Bigelow's last flick was a little movie called "The Hurt Locker".. that just happened to be one of the great war flicks of our time. So when I found out that her follow-up would be a major studio picture with the full backing of the studio, a huge budget, that just happens to be about the hunt for and mission to kill Bin Laden. Mark Strong, Joel Edgerton, Jessica Chastain, Chris Pratt and Jason Clarke star in a flick that's sure to be gritty, authentic, and awesome. Can't wait.

World War Z (12/21)
So World War Z is a pretty damn awesome book, one that seems ripe for the cinematic treatment. It's basically an oral history of a fictional worldwide zombie apocalypse and the human response. It features a number of narrators who dictate their experiences with the zombie rising in their particular part of the worlds and in the process paints a pretty complete picture of how a hypothetical zombie apocalypse might just look. I'm not 100% sure how the movie is going to treat this.. flashbacks maybe? But I do know that zombies can be pretty damn awesome and that as far as zombie media goes, World War Z is pretty much the gold standard, along with "The Walking Dead" comics. No, not the show. Brad Pitt, James Badge Dale, Matthew Fox and David Morse star. Marc Forster (Finding Neverland, Quantum of Solace) directs, and this one has been a long time coming.


This Is Forty (12/21)
As a Director and Producer, Judd Apatow has pretty much reshaped the modern R rated comedy. For his 4th movie, he's making a semi-sequel to his most popular flick, "Knocked Up". "This is 40" focuses on Pete and Debbie (Leslie Mann and Paul Rudd) and their family a few years after Knocked Up. Evidently Seth Rogen and Katherine Heigl are nowhere to be found, and this flick will instead focus on raising older kids and settling into middle age. I'm sure Mr. Apatow will find ample comedic gold to mine with this material. Jason Segel, Megan Fox (?) and Melissa McCarthy also star.


Django Unchained (12/25)
So to follow-up "Inglorious Basterds", Quentin Tarantino is bringing us "Django Unchained", an ode to spaghetti westerns that features an escaped slave, who along with a German bounty hunter, seeks revenge on his former master and seeks to free his wife. It's QT, so it's going to be awesome.. and on the tail of Inglorious Basterds, it's clear that QT's sense of aesthetics, humor and feel for dialogue can surely be used to craft tales in different times.. and quite frankly, this one sounds awesome. Jamie Foxx stars as Django, Leo DiCaprio plays the Plantation owner, Christoph Waltz stars as the bounty hunter, and Samuel L Jackson, Joseph Gordon Levitt, Kurt Russell, Sasha Baron Cohen and Walton Goggins round out the cast. Stacked cast, a supposedly amazing screenplay (Tarantino's best since "Pulp Fiction" according to those who have read it..), one of the best director's working and an awesome premise combine to make one of 2012's must-see flicks. Awe-some. Count me in.


The Great Gatsby (12/25)
So "The Great Gatsby" is truly one of the great American literary works and has already received one great cinematic treatment, but it's certainly ripe for a remake. Leo DiCaprio as Jay Gatsby? Awesome. Carey Mulligan and Joel Edgerton (who's lined up for a big 2012..) play Tom and Daisy Buchanan, and Tobey Maguire plays Nick Carraway. It's directed by Baz Luhrmann, which is either a good thing or a horrible thing, I can't tell yet. Lurhmann has directed the Romeo + Juliet Leo update treatment, Moulin Rouge and Australia. Not exactly my cup of tea.. but the talent involved has me optimistic, and Luhrmann's visuals are undeniably great. Plus.. I'm not a huge Tobey Maguire fan. This one could either be great or a giant miss. Completely up in the air. The fact that they're hyping this one as 3D gives me pause as well. Cocktails, Long Island and yachts ain't exactly Pandora, know what I mean? But Leo's in... so I'm in.


Untitled Terrence Malick Project (TBD)
So Terrence Malick is a madman/amazing auteur. Tree of Life was my #1 movie of 2011, and the fact that he's making another flick so soon is pretty remarkable. We know that we're going to get amazing visuals, a non-linear narrative, and powerful emotions. This one reads like a love story, but we know that with Malick it will be more than meets the eye. The summary reads "A man reconnects with a woman from his hometown after his marriage to a European woman falls apart". Starring Ben Affleck, Michael Sheen, Rachel McAdams, Jessica Chastain, Rachel Weisz and Javier Bardem, the talent in front of and behind the camera makes this one a virtual must see and early awards favorite, even knowing not a damn thing about this one.


See what I mean? 2012 is STACKED. The summer blockbuster season is full of high-quality flicks, and the holiday awards season is absolutely ridiculous. I, for one, can't wait.