The month of August concluded a weak summer with a
resounding ‘meh’. August 2012 was the lowest grossing August at the box office
since 2006. None of the major releases knocked it out of the ballpark, and more
than a few underperformed.
It looks like September will start slow, continuing the down
period at the movies. But, there is hope for September. Several good-looking
films are coming this month that should provide some great entertainment and
could draw in audiences. A couple of good action films, an intriguing kids
film, an amazing-looking drama from a stellar director, and a 3D re-release of
one of Pixar’s best films highlight the month.
Here is a preview of the major releases of September 2012
with a couple of limited release films to keep an eye on.
Week of September 7, 2012
The Words
The Plot: A struggling writer publishes a manuscript he
finds stashed away in a satchel. As the truth of his plagiarism comes out, he
must deal with the consequences.
Who’s in it? Bradley Cooper, Dennis Quaid, Olivia Wilde, Zoe
Saldana
Ultimate Fate: Well, at least Olivia Wilde is hot. The film
has gotten, shall we say, mixed reviews from the festival circuit. Scathing,
actually. I haven’t seen it, so I don’t really want to pass judgment. I will
say, however, that I haven’t heard many kind words about the film. Apparently,
good performances by the leads are squandered with a confusing story structure
and convoluted narrative. Lower your expectations for this one.
The Cold Light of Day
The Plot: A young Wall Street kid goes on the hunt after his
family is kidnapped while on vacation in Spain. Along the way he learns about
his father’s role as an international superspy and discovers he has a few spy
tricks up his sleeve too.
Who’s in it? Henry Cavill, Bruce Willis, Sigourney Weaver
Ultimate Fate: It’s like Taken,
only with the kid doing the big action stuff instead of the old man. Actually,
Bruce Willis gets involved, so the old man does crack some skulls in the name
of family vengeance. This looks to be a rather standard action flick with
perhaps a few interesting twists thrown in. Maybe it will be worth a look, but
I’m not sensing much buzz about this one.
Where I’ll be this weekend: There’s a local movie festival
going on this weekend, so I’ll probably be spending my time watching some
independent films and, hopefully, chatting with some of the filmmakers.
Week of September 14, 2012
Resident Evil: Retribution
The Plot: Alice is back trying to take down the Umbrella
Corporation once again. As the virus unleashed by Umbrella continues to
decimate the human population with hordes of zombies, Alice must infiltrate the
deepest sectors of the corporation to unravel some of their deepest secrets.
Who’s in it? Mila Jovovich, Sienna Guillory, Michelle
Rodriguez
Ultimate Fate: This is the fifth entry in the video game
adaptation/zombie franchise, all of which were written (and a few directed by)
Paul W. S. Anderson. Plus, they’ve all starred Jovovich. With that kind of
continuity, it’s safe to say we know what to expect from this franchise. It’s
going to feature attractive women running around in skimpy outfits blasting
zombies in a futuristic, post-apocalyptic city environment. Teenage boys are
going to love this. These films have never been extremely profitable, but
they’ve done enough business that Anderson and Jovovich have carved out a nice
little cottage industry churning out one of these every couple of years.
Finding Nemo 3D
The Plot: You saw this back in 2003, right? I’m guessing
that everyone knows about the tale of Nemo in this, one of Pixar’s greatest
films.
Who’s in it? Nemo, Dory, Gill, Crush, Bruce, and the actors
who voice them
Ultimate Fate: One of Pixar’s great films not only features
a perfectly loveable story, but it is perhaps their most visually impressive
film as well. Here, it’s getting the 3D treatment similar to the makeover Disney
has given some of its previous masterpieces. Finding Nemo 3D will look amazing, and the chance to see Nemo on
the big screen should not be missed.
The Master (limited release)
The Plot: A Navy veteran returns home, and, suffering from
supreme boredom, falls under the guidance of a charismatic religious leader who
promises salvation. It’s the story of a man trying to find his way, a man who
is willing to do anything to keep hope alive.
Who’s in it? Joaquin Phoenix, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Amy
Adams
Ultimate Fate: This is a film written and directed by Paul
Thomas Anderson (two Paul Anderson films this week!), whose last film was There Will Be Blood. This guy is good.
This go ‘round, he is working with a cast that would make any director alive
giddy with excitement. The film has gotten rave reviews already with a lot of
awards talk for Anderson, Phoenix, and Hoffman. This is going to be one of the
year’s best dramas.
Where I’ll be this weekend: The Master, if it’s anywhere near me. This one is going to start
out in a limited release, but I expect it to expand wider fairly quickly once
people start clamoring for it.
Week of September 21, 2012
Dredd 3D
The Plot: In a bleak future, Judge Dredd assaults a
high-rise building housing a criminal overlord who controls the production and
distribution of a potent drug.
Who’s in it? Karl Urban, Olivia Thirbly, Rachel Wood
Ultimate Fate: The plot of Dredd 3D sounds an awful lot like the plot of The Raid: Redemption, and I’m betting the Indonesian martial arts
film is way more insane and fun than the upcoming Hollywood action flick.
That’s not to say that Dredd 3D sounds
bad. By all accounts, it seems to be a perfectly fine action movie with some
cool action bits and story. It can’t be much worse than the distinctly 90s Judge Dredd, which starred Sylvester
Stallone during one of the down periods of his career.
End of Watch
The Plot: Two Los Angeles police officers wind up on a
cartel hit list after busting up a drug operation.
Who’s in it? Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Peña,
Anna Kendrick, America Ferrera
Ultimate Fate: I get the impression that this is a fairly
hardcore buddy-cop drama. Much of this film was shot with handeld cameras to
give an up close and personal feel to the Gyllenhaal and Peña
confrontation with the cartel baddies. It should feel very immersive. If this
stylistic choice is done well and can avoid being an out-of-focus shakycam mess,
this could wind up being an intense experience.
House at the End of the Street
The Plot: A girl who recently moved to town realizes that
the house at the end of the street and the boy who lives there are hiding some
dark secrets.
Who’s in it? Jennifer Lawrence
Ultimate Fate: The producers of this film must be jumping
for joy that the virtual unknown they hired to star in this film a few years
ago would turn out to be the lead in a blockbuster franchise. The
suspense/scary flick was originally slated for April 2012, but with Lawrence dominating
the big screen as Katniss Everdeen in The
Hunger Games, the studio pushed it back to a Halloween release. I have no
idea if this film will be any good, but The
Hunger Games bump should get people in seats.
Where I’ll be this weekend: I’m not that excited about any
of the offerings this week, but I am mildly curious to see how things go with End of Watch. I like a good
action-oriented drama, and the trailers for this one have indicated a mix of
personal, family drama and crazy, in-your-face shootouts. Could be worth a
look.
Week of September 28, 2012
Looper
The Plot: A hitman who specializes in killing bad guys sent
back in time from the future finds himself facing off with an older version of
himself.
Who’s in it? Bruce Willis, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Emily Blunt
Ultimate Fate: Willis and JGL are amazing actors, and the
writer/director of Looper, Rian
Johnson, wrote and directed the really smart and underappreciated Brick a few years ago. The cast and crew
each have great pedigrees. The early reviews have been very positive. Accolades
such as “masterpiece”, “astounding”, “revolutionary”, “perfection” have been
tossed our. So, yeah. It’s getting some good hype, and it will likely be great.
Hotel Transylvania
The Plot: Dracula built a castle to provide a safe haven for
all the monsters in the world. When his daughter wants to leave the castle on
her 118th birthday, and a human inadvertently wanders into the castle, the
monster’s idyllic lifestyle is thrown into chaos.
Who’s in it? The voices of Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Andy
Samberg, Selena Gomez, Steve Buscemi
Ultimate Fate: This animated film from Sony Pictures
Animation looks to be a fun spin on the father-daughter relationship and
fish-out-of-water dynamics. It looks like a lot of fun with vibrant imagery and
playful characters. Hopefully, the story will be equally fresh and exciting.
Trouble With the Curve
The Plot: An ageing baseball scout gets some assistance from
his daughter as he struggles with failing sight in the final days of his
career.
Who’s in it? Clint Eastwood, Amy Adams, Justin Timberlake
Ultimate Fate: Eastwood has a pretty good handle on playing
old timers in dramas. His last film, Gran
Torino, had him spouting, “Get off my lawn!” to some punk kids to the great
pleasure of the audience, and this film also looks to tap into his curmudgeonly
acting skills. Amy Adams and Justin Timberlake are always worth your attention.
The Trouble With the Curve is likely
to be a good, if predictable, father-daughter relationship drama.
Where I’ll be this weekend: Looper is one of the highest regarded science fiction films of the
year. Given the talent involved, it should be a tightly woven, exciting, and
entertaining tale. I’m there.
Movie of the Month: It comes down to either Looper or The Master as the movie of the month. Do you want a cool
action-adventure sci-fi film, or are you looking for a well-constructed and
Oscar-worthy drama? Personally, I’m going to go with the excellent writing and
directing of Paul Thomas Anderson and call The
Master my movie of the month.
I know it was slim pickin’s for September, folks. Don’t
worry though, the last three months of the year are packed full of great films,
so things are going to get better at the movie theater very soon.
Let me know on the message boards or Twitter if any of these
films has you really jazzed up!
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