The crew of Serenity on EW
September Movie Preview Highlights
Below is a list of some of the highly anticipated
films mentioned by EW for September releases and highlights from each report:
Flightplan
If you have seen the trailer for Flightplan,
starring Jodie Foster, Sean Bean and Peter Sarsgaard, you can probably guess
that this film should be one hell of a thriller. Returning to film after
2002's Panic Room, Foster admits that she does not do movies just
to do them or only for the money. It was the script of Flightplan
that caught Foster's attention and convinced her that maybe it was time
to step back in front of the camera. The script tells the story of a mother
who suddenly loses her daughter mid-flight. Though this idea does seem interesting,
the script is actually the result of a number of edits and re-writes. The
original story told of terrorists taking over a plane on the way to New
York, with a bunch of side stories mixed in. The story of a daughter vanishing
just happened to be one of these, with a male [father] protagonist who must
decide if he is losing his mind or if he really did have a child on board.
Obviously, this side-story has now become the major gist of the film, but
with a mother as the protagonist.
The Corpse Bride
The
Corpse Bride was thrown a $40M budget from Warner Bros.
The film follows under the category of 'stop-motion puppetry,' a film medium
that would be dead if it wasn't for Tim Burton. Considering that this film
is supposed to target families, Warner Bros took a risk by allowing Tim
Burton artistic freedom; most likely meaning questionable animated gore.
A Sound of Thunder
The only reason I am pointing out A Sound of
Thunder is that there are quite a few people who are excited about
it. Unimpressed by the trailer, I cannot figure out why some of our readers
and EW are overly excited about a film that has been on a film distributor's
shelf for so long [it was filmed in 2002]. Ben Kingsley claims that the
film has taken so long to get back out of the can because Peter Hyams [director]
really wanted to work on the visual effects. I am still doubtful... anyone
remember Pluto Nash?
Oliver Twist
After finishing the trailer for Oliver Twist
I was left feeling pretty neutral on the film and I had begun to wonder
what all the hype was about. But then it hit me, with EW giving confirmation
that the major reason so much hype has been built behind Oliver Twist
comes down to two words-- Roman Polanski [The Pianist].
Lord of War
For those of you who are worried about Jarhead
serving up a little too much political commentary towards the Bush administration
have no fear, as it looks like Lord
of War may shift films back to bipartisan. Starring Nicolas
Cage, Jared Leto and Ethan Hawke, Lord of War takes a 'truthful'
look at American military's role in trafficking weapons to 'lesser-evil'
dictators under presidential administrations such as Clinton's. Though this
film may have a point or 'truth', the trailer makes Lord of War
seem like a fun - with - guns type film; which is all right by me.
Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang
I have only just seen the first trailer for Kiss
Kiss, Bang Bang and have to admit that Robert Downey Jr.
and Val Kilmer both have a charisma that compliments the other. While it
was probably considered a risky move to have these two guys star in this
buddy - crime - comedy, the effect may just pay off. Kiss Kiss, Bang
Bang comes from the mind of director Shane Black [Lethal Weapon],
who has had previous experience with dark comedies.
When asked about the film, Black said the real risk for Kiss Kiss, Bang
Bang comes in the storytelling.
A guy gets shot with a penis. A guy gets his balls electrically shocked... and I think it's important to fill the movie with images that don't conform to that ideal.... You know what? F*ck all that. It's just a fun private-eye story.
Serenity
Though Joss Whedon's Serenity
was pushed back from its original release in April to the beginning of fall
to avoid serious summer competition, Universal more than made up for the
move by allowing a bunch of early screenings to begin, well, on the original
release date. If there is one thing we know about early screenings, it shows
confidence in a film, especially since all the reviews we have received
claim that Serenity is something wonderful. For Joss Whedon and
crew, this is exactly the news they need to hear as they attempt to retain,
and build on, as much hype as possible in order to perform well in the domestic
box office. If all goes as hoped, we can probably expect a trilogy from
the films, or a new beginning to the television series Firefly
[same cast].
Serenity is easily our most anticipated film for September; it's
just too bad that it comes out so near the end of the month that we can
almost call the film an October release.
Into the Blue
Though I may sound awkward saying this, Into
the Blue could just possibly be one of the few Paul Walker
films that I am excited to see on opening weekend. A group of friends [Jessica
Alba, Paul Walker, Scott Caan] discover billions of dollars within a small
airplane that has sunk to relatively shallow depths. Though some want to
continue to look for 'real' treasure, as the money in the plane is drug
money, most, including the moviegoers, should call that a dumb idea and
say go for the drug money. Unfortunately, there are still a bunch of bad
guys who also want their money back. A little deception among friends and
next thing we know we have guns blazing, sharks biting, and hostage negotiations
to boot. However, the number one thrill for the film may be watching Jessica
Alba appear on camera in her underwear and bikini.
According to EW, Alba had to 'audition' hundreds ob bathing suits to make
sure she found the right one. It is also said that, uh, body parts were
known to fall out of her chosen outfits. If the film fails at the box office,
these types of scenes could just put DVD sales through the roof.
A honorable mention goes out to A
History of Violence, which features an extended article
in EW that talks more about Viggo Mortensen [Lord of the Rings]
than the film itself.
These are just a few of the films mentioned in the latest issue of Entertainment
Weekly. Be sure to head on out and purchase the current issue, featuring
Reese Witherspoon on the cover, at your local newsstands right now.
Stay tuned for updates.
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