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THE POPCORN REEL FALL FILM
PREVIEW 2008
The Popcorn Reel's Twenty One Films To See
This Fall
By
Omar P.L. Moore/July 23, 2008
Summer films at the North American box office have been on a fast-track for an
all-time record grossing box office. As of the date of this piece, eleven
summer films have already topped the $100 million mark.
So how does the Fall film season shape up?
Below are The
Popcorn Reel's 21 films to watch as they open in the U.S. and in Canada from September through the end
of 2008. Some of these films will be certified box-office winners, others
likely nominees for Academy Awards come January 2009.
Note: Films with two release dates in parentheses -- the date on the left is a
limited release for New York and Los Angeles, the date on the right is the
release date for general wide release across the U.S. and in Canada.
Clicking on the blue links will yield to trailers, posters or additional
information. Other films to be released this fall in the U.S. and Canada
will be added here.
Burn After Reading -- The Coen Brothers'
first film since their "No Country For Old Men" Oscar triumph in February.
The new film is about a disgraced CIA agent whose memoirs are stolen by two
bumbling opportunistic gymnasium employees. And here's the impressive
cast: George Clooney, Frances MacDormand, John Malkovich, Tilda Swinton, Richard
Jenkins and Brad Pitt. (September 12)
Lakeview Terrace -- In a role-reversal of "you're
not welcome in this neighborhood", Samuel L. Jackson plays an Los
Angeles police officer hostile to the presence of an interracial couple in the
affluent Los Angeles neighborhood in which he resides. The couple is
played by Kerry Washington and Patrick Wilson. The film is directed by
Neil LaBute. (September 12)
Righteous Kill -- Thirteen years after appearing in "Heat" Al Pacino and Robert
De Niro are back on the big screen together again in the same scenes but this
time on the same side of the law as veteran New York Police Department
detectives in Jon Avnet's drama about a serial killer who may be on the New York
police force. Mr. Avnet and Mr. Pacino are looking to rebound after a
disastrous "88 Minutes" back in April. With Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson,
Carla Gugino, Brian Dennehy, Donnie Wahlberg, Trilby Glover, John Leguizamo,
Anthony Michael Hall. (September 12)
The Duchess -- Keira Knightley stars in
the title role and could be an early candidate for an Oscar nomination early
next year. Can Stephen Frears do for Miss Knightley what he did for Helen
Mirren in 2006's "The Queen"? With Ralph Fiennes and Charlotte Rampling.
(September 19/September 26)
Choke -- Chuck Pahlaniuk directs this film of his novel about a sex addict.
The film was one of the most popular at Sundance earlier this year. Sam
Rockwell plays the sex addict. With Angelica Huston. (September 26)
Miracle At St. Anna --
Spike Lee's World War II epic drama will surely receive Academy Award
nominations next year. "Miracle" is based on author James McBride's
fiction book of a true story of Buffalo Soldiers, black U.S. infantrymen trapped
behind enemy lines in an Italian village with the Nazis closing in. An
outstanding cast includes John Turturro, Derek Luke, Laz Alonzo, Michael Ealy,
Omar Benson Miller and Alexandra Maria Lara. After New York University
film school alums Martin Scorsese and Joel Coen winning consecutive best picture
and director Oscar honors (in 2007, 2008) will Mr. Lee make it three years in a
row? (September 26)
Blindness -- Based
on the powerful best-selling novel from Nobel Prize winning author Jose Saramago,
Fernando Meirelles' first film since his 2005 Oscar-winning drama "The Constant
Gardener" is about a pandemic of blindness which has ravaged everyone, for no
apparent rhyme or reason and with no cure. Only one person can see: Julianne Moore.
With Mark Ruffalo, Gael Garcia Bernal, Sandra Oh and Danny Glover.
(October 3)
Religulous -- Political satirist, social commentator, comedian and part-time
libertarian Bill Maher uses "Borat" director Larry Charles to chronicle his
search for the cult of . . . religion! Mr. Maher believes religion is a
joke and is a mirage. Here's hoping that the documentary isn't.
(October 3)
Body Of Lies -- Ridley
Scott is back after last year's searing "American Gangster" with another
true-life crime drama, this time featuring Leonardo DiCaprio (above) and Russell
Crowe in the Middle East, Jordan to be precise. The British director works
with Mr. Crowe for the fourth time ("Gladiator", "A Good Year", "American
Gangster") and Mr. DiCaprio for the first. (October 10)
W -- Along with "Milk", "The Spirit" and "The
Curious Case Of Benjamin Button", Oliver Stone's drama about current sitting
U.S. president George W. Bush is the most eagerly-awaited film of the year.
Josh Brolin isn't going to be a problem at all as W, but the most interesting
performances are sure to come from Richard Dreyfuss as self-selected Vice
President Dick Cheney and Scott Glenn as former Secretary of Defense Donald
Rumsfeld. With Elizabeth Banks, Ellen Burstyn, James Cromwell, Jeffrey
Wright, Thandie Newton, Toby Jones, Ioan Gruffudd, Noah Wylie, Jason Ritter and
Rob Corddry. (October 17)
Changeling -- After the Clint-Spike feud, Mr. Eastwood focuses his energies on
his new film, set in the 1920's and based loosely on the real-life Wineville
Chicken Murders. Angelina Jolie reportedly gives an arresting performance
as the mother of a kidnapped daughter. John Malkovich, Amy Ryan and Colm
Feore are among the co-stars in Mr. Eastwood's first film since the 2006 WWII
double-header "Flags Of Our Fathers" and "Letters From Iwo Jima". (October
24/October 31)
Quantum Of Solace -- Bond
is back. So is Daniel Craig, who stepped in so ably as the new James Bond
in "Casino Royale" in 2006. This time the going gets even tougher for our
favorite British secret agent 007. With Gemma Arterton, Mathieu Almaric
(of "The Diving Bell And The Butterfly"),
Olga Kurylenko (of "Hitman"), Jeffrey Wright and Judi Dench. It's likely Marc Forster's
film will leave you shaken and stirred. (November 14)
Milk -- Sean Penn stars as the first openly gay American politician Harvey Milk, the leader of the
San Francisco Board of Supervisors, who was assassinated by Dan White in 1978,
just over a year after Mr. Milk was elected to the office. Josh Brolin
plays another controversial political figure in Dan White. Gus Van Sant
directs. With Emile Hirsch, James Franco, Diego Luna, Victor Garber, Lucas
Grabeel, Alison Pill. "Milk" was shot almost exclusively in San Francisco.
(November 26/December 5)
Frost/Nixon -- Ron Howard's film version of the London and Broadway stage play
that starred Frank Langella as U.S. president Richard Nixon and Michael Sheen as
British television interviewer David Frost who famously interviewed the
president in the 1970's. Both actors reprise their roles for the big
screen. The only question is, will the line from the real-life 1977 interview
with Mr. Frost when Mr. Nixon says, "well when the president does it that means that it
is not illegal" feature in the film? (December 5)
Defiance -- Daniel Craig takes center stage again, this time in a World War Two
drama about the extraordinary odds faced in order to liberate Eastern European
Jews during Nazi Germany's reign of horror and terror. Edward Zwick, who
has been hit and miss with his last two efforts ("The Last Samurai" and "Blood
Diamond") looks for a hit here. With Liev Schreiber and Jamie Bell.
(December 12)
Seven Pounds -- The last time Gabriele Muccino directed Will Smith the actor
played a homeless man on the streets of San Francisco who later would strike it
rich in real life. This time Mr. Muccino directs Mr. Smith -- who plays a
suicidal IRS agent -- who affects the lives of numerous people in Los Angeles.
After the critically disappointing "Hancock", Mr. Smith, in both performance and
film overall, will be much better here. With Rosario Dawson, Woody
Harrelson and Connor Cruise, the adopted son of Mr. Smith's good friend Tom.
(December 12)
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button -- Reverse aging? Sounds like a great
thing, eh? Not so fast. In David Fincher's hands it will be the
creepiest thing to watch -- and it, like his excellent "Zodiac" film of 2007,
will be well worth it. With Brad Pitt in the title role. Cate
Blanchett, who could act her way out of a phone booth in three different time
zones at once if she wanted to, reunites with her "Babel" co-star.
Oscar-winner Tilda Swinton, who will also be on screen with Mr. Pitt in "Burn
After Reading", is part of Mr. Fincher's cast, as is Taraji P. Henson,
"Zodiac" alum Elias Koteas, Julia Ormond,
Jason Flemyng and Elle Fanning. This film marks the director's third
collaboration with Mr. Pitt ("Se7en", "Fight Club".) (December 19)
The Spirit -- "Sin City"'s Frank Miller is back and this time he writes and
directs "The Spirit", a graphic novel from the early 20th century about a man who has risen
from the dead to defend the world against evil. The Spirit is a ladies
man to boot. Gabriel Macht stars in the
title role, with Samuel L. Jackson as arch nemesis The Octopus. And woe betide
you if you make eye contact with The Octopus. Detroit Red Wings hockey
fans beware! With this role, Mr. Jackson has now played three bad guys
this year (after "Jumper" and "Lakeview Terrace".) The unsurprising word about Mr.
Miller's film: there's lots of women and femme fatales, lots of sex and violence. Blood, blood and
more blood. With Scarlet Johansson, Eva Mendes, Sarah Paulson, Jaime King and Paz
Vega. The
trailer is eye-catching. (December 25)
Revolutionary Road -- The much-delayed film, at least release date-wise, from
"American Beauty" and "Jarhead" director Sam Mendes,
who directs his wife Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio (reunited from
"Titanic") as a married
couple in the 1950's trying to escape the staid conventions of their small town.
The title is not to be confused with last year's Terry George-directed film
"Reservation Road". With Kathy Bates. (December 26)
Valkyrie -- This film about Nazi colonel Claus Von
Staffenburg's real-life plot to assassinate Nazi Germany leader Adolf Hitler has
shifted its release date at least three different times, finally settling for a
day-after-Christmas release. The troubled MGM/UA studio throws Tom Cruise
(who probably heads United Artists solo these days following Paula Wagner's
departure) into the mix as Von Staffenburg. Bryan Singer ("Superman
Returns", "The Usual Suspects") directs this international all-star cast, which
includes Bill Nighy, Tom Wilkinson, Kenneth Branagh, Carice Van Houten and
Terence Stamp among others. Will the wings of this film fly with the
American public? (December 26)
Winged Creatures -- This film's rating has been changed from PG-13 to R, but one
thing hasn't changed: the search for a release date in 2008. A story about
a random shooting that draws a group of complete strangers closer together in
Los Angeles stars Oscar winners and nominees Jennifer Hudson, Forest Whitaker
and Jackie Earle Haley. With Guy Pearce, Kate Beckinsale, Dakota Fanning,
Jeanne Tripplehorn and Embeth Davitz. Will the film be "Grand Canyon"-esque? The expectation is that the film
will be released before the calendar year is complete.
Original story with photos:
http://www.popcornreel.com/htm/popfall08.htm
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