Hot films for 2011

http://scarletsp1der.wordpress.com/2010/10/27/on-the-wait-list/

Impatient about the “Wait List”

It’s Wednesday! The “W” in Wednesday stands for “waiting” as in “waiting for the weekend to be here already!” Today on TheScarletSp1der’s “Web!” I decided that, since waiting is on the mind, let’s take a quick look at some movies that we must wait for that release next year! 2011 looks to be either rather promising to some or rather disappointing to others. Here’s a list of at least 20 of the films coming out between January and July. All dates are tenative. (You may want to bookmark this page for future reference!—I will be placing a link for it in the righthand margin under “My Favorite Posts” soon.)

1. The Green Hornet (Jan 14)- Seth Rogen dons the superhero gig in this movie version of the classic tv series. Also starring Cameron Diaz, Edward James Olmos, and Tom Wilkinson.

2. I Am Number Four (Feb 18)- Seeking to escape those set to kill him, John Smith is number 4 of 9 with special abilities being hunted down. The first 3 have already suffered an unwelcome demise.

3. The Eagle (Feb 25)- Channing Tatum stars as a Roman centurion seeking to restore the honor of his father, recently deceased commander of the Ninth. To do so, he must recapture the golden emblum of the regiment- The Eagle of the Ninth. Also starring Donald Sutherland.

4. The Adjustment Bureau (Mar 4)- Matt Damon and Emily Blunt star in this film about fighting fate for love as a politician seeks to make his own destiny…against those who have plotted it out for him.

5. Jane Eyre (Mar 11)- Featuring Mia Wasikowska (Alice in Wonderland) and Michael Fassbender (300, Centurion) Charlotte Brontë’s literary classic is once more brought to the big screen, courtesy of Focus Features.

6. Beastly (Mar 18)- Alex Pettyfer (I Am Number Four), Vanessa Hudgens, and Mary-Kate Olsen star in this modern retelling of the classic story of Beauty and the Beast.

7. Sucker Punch (Mar 25)- Zack Snyder brings this highly visual psychological thriller of an alternative reality inside a mental institution. Starring Jon Hamm, Vanessa Hudgens, Abbie Cornish, and more.

8. Scream 4 (Apr 15)- The ghostfaced horror franchise returns for a fourth time. Starring all your favorite survivors and some new screamers, Wes Craven returns us to the not-so-silent world of Sidney Prescott.

9. Thor (May 6) -director Kenneth Branagh brings the fury of Marvel’s thunder god with Chris Hemsworth, Anthony Hopkins, Natalie Portman, Idris Elba, and more! Here’s the teaser trailer from ComicCon! Hurry, I don’t know how long it will be up on youtube!

10. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (May 20)- Jack Sparrow returns on an all-new adventure, with all-new friends. Starring Johnny Depp, Penelope Cruz, Ian McShane, Geoffrey Rush and more!

11. The Hangover 2 (May 27)- The crew returns for more adventure, laughs, and trouble. More cameos and craziness ensues overseas. Get ready for part deux!

12. Kung Fu Panda: The Kaboom of Doom (May 27)- I love the title. Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, and Jackie Chan return to lend their vocal talent to this animated sequel.

13. X-Men: First Class (June 3)- James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Kevin Bacon and more in this visit to the early origins of some of our favorite mutant heroes..and villains.

14. Fast Five (June 10)- The Fast and Furious team reunite for a global run this time around. Welcome newcomer Dwayne Johnson to the crew, along with the likes of Chris Bridges (Ludacris) and Tyrese.

15. The Green Lantern (June 17)- Ryan Reynolds stars as Hal Jordan/The Green Lantern. Be ready for DC’s answer back to Marvel’s long comic movie reign. “In brightest day, in blackest night, no evil shall escape my sight. Let those who worship evil’s might, beware my power, Green Lantern’s light!” -Hal Jordan

16. Cars 2 (June 24)- Lightening McQueen is back with other wheeled companions in this superspy vehicular animated motion flick from Pixar.

17. Transformers: The Dark of the Moon (July 1)- Shia LaBeouf, Josh Duhamel, John Malkovich, Hugo Weaving and a few robots here and there make their way into theaters under direction of Michael Bay!

18. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 (July 15)- Harry Potter in his “final” theatrical appearance. The sequel to the two-part finale.

19. Captain America: The First Avenger (July 22)- Chris Evans, Hugo Weaving, Tommy Lee Jones, Samuel L. Jackson! Marvel brings good ol’ Cap to the silver screen! The first of several Avengers.

20. Cowboys and Aliens (July 29)- Highly anticipated. Starring Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford, Sam Rockwell, Olivia Wilde, and directed by Jon Favreau (Iron Man). “The Old West.. where a lone cowboy leads an uprising against a terror from beyond our world. 1873. Arizona Territory.” -Universal Pictures

……and many, many more such as Rise of the Apes, Gnomeo and Juliet, Final Destination 5, Unknown, Rango, Rio, The Three Musketeers, The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn, Spy Kids4, Priest, Smurfs, Warhorse, Horrible Bosses, etc.

Too many to choose from! I’m glad they don’t all release in the same day/week/month! The YEAR is plenty enough! haha! Mark your calendars! Tell me, which one(s) are you most excited to see? Leave a comment.

Thanks for reading! Happy Watching!

-TheScarletSp1der

http://thetweetingquill.com/2010/11/08/7-most-awaited-film-sequels-of-2011/

Nov 8, 2010 Posted by thetweetingquill on Nov 8, 2010 in Film | 0 comments
7 Most Awaited Film Sequels of 2011

Film sequels have been a great source of anticipation from movie enthusiasts of any genre. People always have higher expectations and, in turn, film makers try their best to live up to them. A successful film installment is a tricky merchandise for a movie maker, as it may be bigger than the last film, or pale in comparison. On that note, here’s to hoping 2011′s sequels won’t be as bad.

7. X-Men: First Class (June 3, 2011)

The film’s initial appeal is seeing Professor X with hair and without a wheelchair. The exact opposite of a sequel, X-Men: First Class is a prequel to all three films in the X-Men series, and is the story of Charles Xavier, later known as Professor X, and Erik Lensherr, later known as Magneto. Bryan Singer takes reigns of the story while Matthew Vaughn (Kick-Ass) directs. All X-Men characters will not be appearing, with the exception of Hank McCoy, or Beast. James McAvoy (Atonement) star as Charles Xavier and Michael Fassbender (300) star as Erik Lensherr.

James McAvoy (L) is Charles Xavier/Professor X and Michael Fassbender (R) is Erik Lensher

http://embracethedeception.blogspot.com/2010/11/what-to-see-in-2011-rays-guide-to.html

Friday, November 12, 2010
What To See in 2011: Ray's Guide to the Movies

I can except that there are certain things that I am good at...and that there are certain things that I am not so good at. For instance, I am not good at soccer and I never will be. Seriously...it is my family's not-so-secret shame. There are tapes of 4-year-old Ray being so bad at soccer that his parents start crying from the embarrassment by association. However, on the list of things that I exceptionally gifted at...there is movie prognostication. I know when a movie is going to be good long before anybody else knows. Anybody can tell you if a movie that came out five years ago was good, and most people with an ear to the ground can tell you if a movie that is currently out in theaters is good. But I can tell you if a movie will be good months before it hits theaters. I can tell you if a film will be good before there is even a trailer.

I have successfully predicted three of the past four Best Pictures before the Oscars of the previous year. That number should be four out of five, but the Academy decided that Crash was better then Brokeback Mountain for some reason. I selected our family's holiday films four consecutive times and went four for four on Oscar nominees. My picking privilege was revoked when my selection of Milk ruined Christmas. I promise to pick good films..not films that the whole family will enjoy. I was the first in line to see smaller release films like Memento and Mulholland Drive, which have become cult hits today. This was before websites like Rotten Tomatoes existed to let you know what you needed to see. This was back when you had to pick films solely on your knowledge of the personnel involved. Nowadays, it's significantly easier to tell if a movie is going to be good when it hits theaters.

This is why I have taken my gift for prognostication and gone where most others dare not venture. I will tell you the movies to see in 2011. Some of which are over a year away. Several of which have not even started filming. My reputation is now on the line here, but I think that the vast majority of these films will be films to see in 2011. I've left off several films that will assuredly be blockbusters. We all know that Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Harry Potter 7, Mission Impossible IV, and Transformers 3 could push a billion dollars. Pixar never does bad films and Cars 2 should be no exception. I'm not here to tell you things you already know. I'm here to get you excited about things that you might not know about. Also, these are just picks that are coming out in 2011. I also have dozens of films that I am excited for that won't hit until 2012 and even 2013. However, some of these films might move up their release date. Anything that shifts it's release date forward to 2011 or that has flown under my radar at this point...I will update you on in my Oscar-season post in February. So here are my 40 picks to see in 2011. For those who have stated my posts are too long (basically my entire readership)...you have won the day. I am splitting this post from one excessively, ludicrously long post into two still quite long posts so that it is more palatable. I will be posting the 24 movies that have release dates here...and the other 16 films will appear in a post a week from now. We'll order the 24 that have release dates by their release date.

June

3rd - X-Men: First Class

The Plot - Before Charles Xavier and Erik Lensherr took the names Professor X and Magneto, they were two young men discovering their powers for the first time. Before they were archenemies, they were closest of friends, working together, with other Mutants (some familiar, some new), to stop the greatest threat the world has ever known. In the process, a rift between them opened, which began the eternal war between Magneto's Brotherhood and Professor X's X-Men.

The Who -

1. Director = Matthew Vaughn (Layer Cake, Kick-Ass)
2. Charles Xavier = James McAvoy (Atonement, Wanted)
3. Erik Lensherr = Michael Fassbender (Band of Brothers, Inglourious Basterds)
4. Also featuring Kevin Bacon (Footloose, A Few Good Men)
5. Also featuring January Jones (Mad Men, The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada)
6. Also featuring Rose Byrne (Damages, 28 Weeks Later)
7. Also featuring Oliver Platt (The Three Musketeers, Deadline)

Films I Hope it Can be Likened to - Iron Man meets John Q

Why I'm on the Hook - This is the next in the line of super hero films that also fancy themselves as social commentary. The Dark Knight, Watchmen, Hellboy, and The Incredible Hulk all have agendas that they are trying to preach to us from accepting those who are different to questioning the decency of humankind. Even Daredevil taught us to never underestimate the handicapped. Only Ghost Rider and Nicholas Cage's flaming skull can provide us with mindless action without a shred of underlying educational value. However, X-Men: First Class is taking the X-Men narrative back to the 1960s to parallel it with the civil rights movement. And in doing so they are bringing in some sweet ass X-Men that are not featured in the other films. We're getting a look at Emma Frost, easily among the hottest X-Men of all-time, as played by January Jones. We are also getting our first look at Tempest, Riptide, and Darwin. I like the director. I like the casting of James McAvoy as a young Xavier. And X-Men is so rich with material that if they feed off of the comics they could make hundreds of X-Men films and they would all be good.

http://popculture4fun.com/10-big-movies-to-look-for-in-2011

10 Big Movies to Look for in 2011
Red Riding HoodAssuming studios don’t mess with the announced release dates (which will happen), next year promises to offer a lot of (would-be) blockbusters. There’s everything for everyone: Deja Vu with Jake Gyllenhaal as Denzel Washington (Source Code), The Three Musketeers in Paul W.S. “Resident Evil” Anderson’s vision, an uninspired Wes Craven attempt to resurrect the Scream franchise, a prequel to the Planet of the Apes, Michael Bay’s Blow It Up 3 Transformers: Dark of the Moon, J.J. Abrams’ next Cloverfield (Super ,the two superhero movies that will determine The Avengers’ ultimate(ha!) fate (Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger), Red Riding Hood : A Twilight Story, Paul Bettany is post apocalyptic again with Priest, the Smurfs come to life, and there’s a myriad of remakes: The Thing, Conan, Footloose and plenty others.

Now, among the big budget extravaganzas there are a couple of films that might prove to be worthy of your money, here’s 10 of them, in chronological order (as of the date of this article):

X-Men: First Class

January Jones - Emma Frost comparisonIt’s the young X-Men on screen. I don’t think this will be ground breaking or great, but I look forward to seeing Matthew Vaughn lend his style to the Marvel Universe and breathe some life into the slowly dying franchise. Two other key elements: Michael Fassbender as Magneto and James McAvoy as Professor X. As far as I am concerned, it’s perfect casting.

http://nativeaudiogrrrl.blogspot.com/2010/12/my-most-anticipated-movies-for-2011.html

Wednesday, December 1, 2010
My Most Anticipated Movies for 2011
Today is the first day of December, which means that the end of 2010 is approaching. There are lots of really cool-looking movies coming out in 2011, and here are the ones that I am the most excited for....

MARCH:
This movie actually looks really good. I thought that it was just going to be another British romance movie like Pride and Prejudice, but there are parts in the trailer that look sort of creepy. Plus, I think that Michael Fassbender (from 300 and Inglourious Basterds) is quite handsome...

JUNE:
X-Men: First Class comes out on June 3rd, and I haven't seen any pictures from it yet, nor do I believe that there is a trailer. This movie is about Professor X (played by James McAvoy) and Magneto (played by Michael Fassbender) in their younger years. I think that the casting for the two main characters is perfect, and I am really excited to see the trailer for this movie whenever it comes out....

http://thevoid99.blogspot.com/2010/12/most-anticipated-films-of-2011-pt-1.html?zx=d09ae496835ae0bb

Sunday, December 19, 2010
The Most Anticipated Films of 2011 (Pt. 1)

With every upcoming year in films. There is always something for film buffs and audiences to figure out what they want to see. Yet, it is now becoming harder as more trends such as 3D and mindless blockbusters continue to give filmgoers a hard time to actually put something that is worth the money they’re paying. Even such art house luminaries are either unable to get funding for a new project or are still working on their next big project. It’s often a gamble of what is coming for the year 2011. Even as some 2010 festival film releases like Kelly Reichardt’s Meek’s Cutoff and Gregg Araki’s Kaboom are going to be seen to American audiences but only to a small amount of people. Yet, there is another film that is finally going to be released in 2011 and it could be said that it’s the most anticipated film of 2011 but really, it’s the most anticipated film of the decade.

8. A Dangerous Method


Directed by David Cronenberg. Screenplay by Christopher Hampton based on his play The Talking Cure. Based on the non-fiction novel A Most Dangerous Method by John Kerr. Starring Viggo Mortensen, Keira Knightley, Michael Fassbender, Sarah Gadon, and Vincent Cassel.

Since 2005’s A History of Violence, David Cronenberg had suddenly captured the attention of the mainstream despite his dark take on violence. The film starred Viggo Mortensen as they teamed up again for 2007’s Russian-mob crime drama Eastern Promises. The duo will team up once again as Mortensen will play Sigmund Freud in the story of Freud’s turbulent relationship with Carl Jung that is shattered by the appearance of Sabrina Spielrein. While it will be a more dramatic film from Cronenberg, if anyone will make a film about Freud, Jung, and Spielrein interesting. It’s David Cronenberg.

19 X-Men: First Class


Directed by Matthew Vaughn. Screenplay by Jane Goldman, Ashley Miller, Zack Stentz, and Jamie Moss. Screen story by Bryan Singer. Based on the Marvel comic by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. Starring James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Kevin Bacon, January Jones, Rose Byrne, Nicholas Hoult, Jason Flemyng, Jennifer Lawrence, and Ray Wise.

When the X-Men comic finally came into the big screen by Bryan Singer in 2000, it was a surprise hit while its sequel in 2003 became a bigger hit. Then when Singer left the franchise to do 2006’s Superman Returns, Brett Ratner took over for the third film that received mixed reviews despite good box office receipts. Things got worse for the X-Men franchise when a spin-off film for Wolverine was released in 2009 to negative reviews despite being a box office hit. With Singer now returning as a producer, Matthew Vaughn will now tell the story of the X-Men as a prequel of how Charles Xavier meets Magneto that would lead to the formation of X-Men and how their rift would begin.

http://www.culturedeluxe.com/film/filmfeature/coming-your-way-in-2011/

coming your way in 2011
Published December 20th, 2010
Words: John Rain and Tim Pelan

: First Class

Before Charles Xavier and Erik Lensherr took the names Professor X and Magneto, they were two young men discovering their powers for the first time. Before they were archenemies, they were closest of friends, working together, with other Mutants (some familiar, some new), to stop the greatest threat the world has ever known. In the process, a rift between them opened, which began the eternal war between Magneto’s Brotherhood and Professor X’s X-Men. James McAvoy will play Charles Xavier and Michael Fassbender will be attracted to all things metallic. With a supporting cast of Kevin Bacon, January Jones and Rose Byrne, direction by Matthew Vaughn and co -writing by Vaughn and Jane Goldman ( who previously teamed up on Kick Ass), expect big things from this class when it graduates.

http://hollywood-elsewhere.com/2010/12/best_estimate.php

Best 2011 Estimate

I'm feeling less dispirited about 2011 now that I've tallied everything up. I'm looking at 42 films that will almost certainly intrigue and perhaps more than that -- 9 from top-grade filmmakers (whose films seem the most likely Best Picture candidates at this stage), 27 that are promising maybes at the least, and 6 that will most likely qualify as "entertaining," however you want to define that. Here's hoping that other surprises turn up. Corrections and suggestions are welcome.

Major League (9):

The Descendants (d: Alexander Payne). Cast: George Clooney, Judy Greer, Beau Bridges, Matthew Lillard, Shailene Woodley, Robert Forster, Michael Ontkean, Mary Birdsong. Synopsis: Indifferent husband & father of two girls Matt King (Clooney) considers his past and future when his wife suffers a boating accident off of Waikiki, and debates whether to sell or not sell the family's land handed down from Hawaiian royalty and missionaries, etc.

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (d: David Fincher). Cast: Rooney Mara, Daniel Craig, Christopher Plummer, Stellan Skarsgard, Robin Wright, Joely Richardson, Steven Berkoff. Synopsis unnecessary.

The War Horse (d: Steven Spielberg). Cast: Jeremy Irvine, Tom Hiddleston, David Thewlis, Emily Watson, Peter Mullan, Benedict Cumberbatch, Toby Kebbel Synopsis: HE War Horse riff posted on 5.4.10.

The Tree of Life (d: Terrence Malick). Cast: Brad Pitt, Sean Penn, Jessica Chastain, Joanna Going, Fiona Shaw. Celestial cosmic pondering of the pain and general shittiness of things, considering what brutal fathers do to their sons, etc.

The Ides of March (d: George Clooney). Cast: Ryan Gosling, George Clooney, Marisa Tomei, Evan Rachel Wood, Paul Giamatti, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Max Minghella, Jeffrey Wright. Synopsis: :Political drama about an idealistic staffer working for a presidential candidate getting a crash course on dirty politics," etc. Based on the play by Beau Willimon.

Young Adult (d: Jason Reitman, w: Diablo Cody). Cast: Charlize Theron, Patrick Wilson, Elizabeth Reaser, Collette Wolfe, Patton Oswalt. Synopsis: "A divorced writer from the Midwest returns to her hometown to reconnect with an old flame, who's now married with a family," etc.

We Bought A Zoo (d: Cameron Crowe, w: Crowe, Aline Brosh Mckenna). Begins shooting in early '11. Cast: Matt Damon, Scarlett Johansson, Elle Fanning, Patrick Fugit, Thomas Haden Church, Angus Macfadyen, Colin Ford. Synopsis: A father moves his family to the English countryside to own and operate a zoo.

Moneyball (d: Bennett Miller). Cast: Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, Robin Wright, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Chris Pratt, Tammy Blanchard. Synopsis: "The story of Oakland A's general manager Billy Beane's successful attempt to put together a baseball club on a budget, by employing computer-generated analysis to draft his players."

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (d: Stephen Daldry, w: Eric Roth). Cast: Tom Hanks, Sandra Bullock, Thomas Horn. Synopsis: "A nine-year-old searches New York for the lock that matches a key left by his father when he was killed in the 9.11 attacks," etc.

Qualified Expectations (27):

Larry Crowne (d: Tom Hanks). Cast: Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Bryan Cranston, Nia Vardalos, Pam Grier. Synopsis: "After losing his job, a middle-aged man reinvents himself by going back to college," etc. A variation of this idea found form as High Time ('60), a Bing Crosby movie about a successful resturateur who decides to go to college at age 51.

Hugo Cabret (d: Martin Scorsese). Cast: Asa Butterfield, Chloe Moretz, Jude Law, Richard Griffiths, Emily Mortimer, Ben Kingsley, Sacha Baron Cohen, Christopher Lee, Ray Winstone, Michael Stuhlbarg. Synopsis: "Set in 1930s Paris, an orphan who lives in the walls of a train station is wrapped up in a mystery involving his late father and an automaton," etc.

Nanjing Heroes (d: Zhang Yimou). Cast: Christian Bale. Synopsis: "Chinese sex workers in 1937 volunteer to replace university students as escorts for invading Japanese soldiers," etc.

Contagion (d: Steven Soderbergh). Cast: Matt Damon, Marion Cotillard, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Winslet, Jude Law, Bryan Cranston, Laurence Fishburne, Jennifer Ehle, John Hawkes. Synopsis: "Action-thriller centered on the threat posed by a deadly disease and an international team of doctors contracted by the CDC to deal with the outbreak,"etc.

Haywire (d: Steven Soderbergh, w: Lem Dobbs). Cast: Gina Carano, Channing Tatum, Michael Fassbender, Ewan McGregor, Michael Douglas, Antonio Banderas, Bill Paxton, Mathieu Kassovitz . Synopsis: "A black ops super soldier seeks payback after she is betrayed and set up during a mission," etc.

Straw Dogs (d: Rod Lurie). Cast: James Marsden, Kate Bosworth, Alexander Skarsgåard, James Woods, Dominic Purcell, Willa Holland. Synopsis: Remake of Sam Peckinpah's 1971 classic, this time about an "L.A. screenwriter relocating with his wife to her hometown in the deep South" where a brewing conflict with locals turns creepier and scarier. Endlessly delayed.

The Beaver (d: Jodie Foster). Cast: Mel Gibson, Foster, Jennifer Lawrence, Anton Yelchin. Synopsis unnecessary

Water for Elephants (d: Francis Lawrence). Cast: Robert Pattinson, Reese Witherspoon, Christoph Waltz, Hal Holbrook. Synopsis: "A veterinary student abandons his studies after his parents are killed and joins a traveling circus as their vet," etc.

On The Road (d: Walter Salles). Cast: Garrett Hedlund, Kristen Stewart, Sam Riley, Amy Adams, Steve Buscemi, Kirsten Dunst, Viggo Mortensen, Terrence Howard, Alice Braga.

A Dangerous Method (d: David Cronenberg). Sigmund Freud (Viggo Mortensen) vs. Carl Jung (Michael Fassbender). Costars: Keira Knightley, Vincent Cassel.

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (d: Thomas Alfredson). Cast: Gary Oldman, Tom Hardy, Colin Firth, Mark Strong, Stephen Graham, Benedict Cumberbatch, Ciaran Hinds, Christian McKay. Synopsis: "In the bleak days of the Cold War, espionage veteran George Smiley is forced from semi-retirement to uncover a Soviet agent within MI6's echelons," etc.

Jane Eyre (d: Cary Fukunaga). Cast: Mia Wasikowska, Michael Fassbender, Jamie Bell, Judi Dench, Imogen Poots, Sally Hawkins. Synopsis: "A mousy governess who softens the heart of her employer soon discovers that he's hiding a terrible secret," etc.

My Week With Marilyn (d: Simon Curtis). Cast: Michelle Williams, Kenneth Branagh, Eddie Redmayne, Emma Watson, Judi Dench, Dougray Scott, Julia Ormond, Dominic Cooper, Derek Jacobi. Synopsis: The experience of Colin Clark (Redmayne), an employee of Sir Laurence Olivier's, about the tense interaction between Olivier and Marilyn Monroe during production of The Prince and the Showgirl," etc.

The Whistleblower (d: Larysa Kondracki). Cast: Rachel Weisz, Monica Bellucci, Benedict Cumberbatch, Vanessa Redgrave, David Strathairn, David Hewlett. Synopsis: "A drama based on the experiences of Kathryn Bolkovac, a Nebraska cop who served as a peacekeeper in post-war Bosnia and outed the U.N. for covering up a sex scandal," etc.

Wuthering Heights (d: Andrea Arnold). Cast: James Howson, Kaya Scodelario, Nichola Burley, Oliver Milburn, Steve Evets, Amy Wren. Synopsis: Cathy, Heathcliff, Emily Bronte, etc.

The Skin That I Inhabit (d: Pedro Almodovar). Cast: Antonio Banderas, Elena Anaya, Marisa Paredes, Eduard Fernández, Barbara Lennie, Fernando Cayo. Synopsis: A plastic surgeon on the hunt for the men who raped his daughter, based on Thierry Jonquet's novel 'Mygale'," etc.

We Need To Talk About Kevin (d: Lynne Ramsay). Cast: Tilda Swinton, John C. Reilly, Ezra Miller, Siobhan Fallon. Synopsis: "The mother of a teenage boy who went on a high-school killing spree tries to deal with her grief -- and feelings of responsibility for her child's actions -- by writing to her estranged husband," etc.

Rampart (d: Oren Moverman). Cast: Steve Buscemi, Robin Wright, Sigourney Weaver, Woody Harrelson, Ben Foster, Brie Larson. Synopsis: "Veteran police officer Dave Brown struggles to take care of his family, fights for his own survival," etc.

Source Code (d: Duncan Jones) Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Monaghan, Vera Farmiga, Jeffrey Wright. Synopsis: "Soldier who wakes up in the body of an unknown man, discovers he's part of a mission to find the bomber of a Chicago commuter train," etc.

Midnight in Paris (d: Woody Allen). Cast: Rachel Mcadams, Michael Sheen, Marion Cotillard, Owen Wilson, Alison Pill, Adrien Brody, Kathy Bates. Synopsis: "Romantic comedy, family visiting Paris for business, young engaged couple dealing with quality-of-life issues," etc.

Take This Waltz (d: Sarah Polley). Cast: Michelle Williams, Seth Rogen, Sarah Silverman, Aaron Abrams, Luke Kirby. Synopsis: "A woman struggling to choose between two different types of love," etc. Whatever that means.

At-Swim-Two-Birds (d: Brendan Gleeson). Cast: Cillian Murphy, Michael Fassbender, Colin Farrell , Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Brendan Gleeson, Gabriel Byrne. Synopsis: "A playwright's life begins to mingle with the fictional characters he's created," etc.

Dream House (d: Jim Sheridan). Cast: Daniel Craig, Rachel Weisz, Naomi Watts, Marton Csokas, Claire Geare, Taylor Geare. Synopsis: "Soon after moving into their seemingly idyllic new home, a family learns of a brutal crime committed against former residents of the dwelling," etc.

The Help (d: Tate Taylor). Cast: Emma Stone, Jessica Chastain, Bryce Dallas Howard, Mike Vogel, Allison Janney, Sissy Spacek, Viola Davis. Synopsis: "'60s period drama, small southern town, three courageous women who strike up an unlikely friendship," etc.

Albert Nobbs (d: Rodrigo Garcia). Cast: Glenn Close, Aaron Johnson, Mia Wasikowska, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Brendan Gleeson, Brenda Fricker, Janet McTeer. Synopsis: Cross-dressing drama, late 19th Century Ireland, etc. Shooting this summer, possibly not ready until 2012.

This Must Be The Place (d: Paolo Sorrentino). Cast: Sean Penn, Frances McDormand, Harry Dean Stanton, Shea Whigham, Judd Hirsch, Kerry Condon. Synopsis: "A bored, retired rock star sets out to find his father's executioner, an ex-Nazi war criminal who is a refugee in the U.S.," etc.

One Day (d: Lone Scherfig). Cast: Anne Hathaway, Jim Sturgess, Patricia Clarkson, Jodie Whittaker, Georgia King. Synopsis: A reworking of the old Same Time Next Year concept? "Dexter and Emma, who first meet during their graduation in 1988 and proceed to reunite one day each year for the next 20 years," etc.

Elite Popcorn (6):

Cowboys & Aliens (d: Jon Favreau). Cast: Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford, Olivia Wilde, Olivia Wilde, Sam Rockwell, Noah Ringer, Paul Dano, Ana de la Reguera, Clancy Brown, Keith Carradine. Synopsis: "A spaceship arrives in Arizona, 1873, to take over the Earth, starting with the Wild West region...a posse of cowboys are all that stand in their way," etc.

Paul (d: Gregory Mottola). Cast: Simon Pegg, Jane Lynch, voice of Seth Rogen, Kristen Wiig, Sigourney Weaver. Jason Bateman, Blythe Danner, Bill Hader. Synopsis: "Two British comic-book geeks traveling across the U.S. encounter an alien outside Area 51," etc.

Red Riding Hood (d: Catherine Hardwicke). Cast: Amanda Seyfried, Lukas Haas, Gary Oldman, Virginia Madsen, Michael Shanks, Julie Christie. Synopsis: "Set in a medieval village that is haunted by a werewolf, a young girl falls for an orphaned woodcutter, much to her family's displeasure," etc.

Hobo With A Shotgun (d: Jason Eisener).

Super 8 (d: J.J. Abrams). Cast: Elle Fanning, Noah Emmerich, Amanda Michalka, Kyle Chandler, Ron Eldard, Zach Mills. Synopsis: Some kind of spooky creepy neo-Spielbergean thing.

Hanna (d: Joe Wright). Cast: Saoirse Ronan, Cate Blanchett, Eric Bana, Olivia Williams, Tom Hollander. Synopsis: "A 14-year-old who was raised by her father to be a cold-hearted killing machine connects with a French family who look to help ease her into a more conventional life," etc.

http://www.tvandmovienews.com/2010/12/the-notable-films-of-2011-part-four/

The Notable Films of 2011: Part Four

Damsels in Distress
Opens: 2011
Cast: Adam Brody, Analeigh Tipton, Megalyn Echikunwoke, Ryan Metcalf
Director: Whit Stillman

Summary: The story revolves around a group of style-obsessed college girls who take in a new student (Gerwig) and teach her their misguided ways of helping people at their grungy university.

Analysis: The first film in a decade from arthouse darling Whit Stillman, a filmmaker's filmmaker whose three Manhattan-based, yuppie-themed mannerist comedies - "Metropolitan," "Barcelona" and "The Last Days of Disco" - were a big influence on the likes of auteurs such as Wes Anderson and Noah Baumbach. Stillman says this film varies somewhat from his previous trilogy of sorts, telling First Things that "This film is different, Completely different. Okay, not completely different, but it’s different".

Independently financed by Castle Rock CEO Martin Shafer, the project recently wrapped filming in Manhattan where Stillman returned to last year after having spent much of the past decade in Paris. In Europe he worked on several scripts that never took off including an adaptation of Christopher Buckley's novel "Little Green Men", the 60's Jamaica-set "Dancing Mood" and the Francis Marion biopic "The Swamp Fox".

There's talk that Stillman's onscreen good luck charm, actor Chris Eigeman, might make a cameo in this but if he does it won't be as any of his previous characters. Stillman won't confirm anything much about the project and is highly secretive in regards to it, which is why there's no materials for it or even paparazzi set photos which is a rarity. No word yet on a release either, though a splashy festival debut seems a certainty.


A Dangerous Method
Opens: 2011
Cast: Viggo Mortensen, Michael Fassbender, Keira Knightley, Vincent Cassel, Sarah Gadon
Director: David Cronenberg

Summary: Set on the eve of World War I, the story is based on the turbulent relationships between fledgling psychiatrist Carl Jung, his mentor Sigmund Freud, and Sabina Spielrein, the troubled but beautiful young woman who comes between them.

Analysis: It seems fitting that a story about two of the most influential figures in the endeavour of understanding the human mind is being told by a filmmaker who earned his reputation on some of the most psychologically f*cked up movies ever made. Certainly one of my most keenly anticipated films of next year, Cronenberg's €15 million historical biopic about the birth of psychoanalysis marks the helmer's third collaboration with Viggo Mortensen after the brilliant "A History of Violence" and the strong "Eastern Promises".

Here, Cronenberg is helped by a stellar supporting cast; on location filming in the likes of Vienna, Cologne and Berlin; and a screenplay adapted by Oscar-winning writer Christopher Hampton from his 2002 stage play "The Talking Cure". The play itself was based on a 1993 non-fiction book by John Kerr entitled "A Most Dangerous Method" which is where the film's title comes from.

Cronenberg has reinvented himself in recent years from a master of venereal horror to more mature and accessible dramatic works. Here he tackles a setup which some have already compared to his earlier twisted medical tale "Dead Ringers", however don't expect much in the way of gynecological terror this time out as apparently it's "like nothing he’s ever done before" said actor Vincent Cassel in a recent interview. Cassel added that what will be seen will be more 'fun' than we might expect, but whatever tone it sets I'm extremely curious about this one.

The Darkest Hour
Opens: August 5th 2011
Cast: Emile Hirsch, Olivia Thirlby, Max Minghella, Rachael Taylor, Joel Kinnama
Director: Chris Gorak

Summary: The story of five young people who find themselves stranded in Moscow, fighting to survive in the wake of a devastating alien attack.

Analysis: Seventy years ago Winston Churchill used that titular phrase in the days before the Nazi army crossed into Russian territory. Now it aptly fits an invasion of a different kind, one where the jackbooted soldiers and German tanks have been replaced by aliens and destructive spacecraft in Summit's $40 million action thriller said to be in the style of "28 Days Later" and shot natively in 3D.

The last release in a wave of alien invasion films of late that began with "Skyline" and continues with "Battle Los Angeles" and "Apollo 18" next year, the big selling point of 'Hour' is the setting. Aside from the various attacks that seem to kick off in the UK in "Doctor Who", films and shows about alien forces attempting to gain a foothold on Earth have always been set either primarily or completely within the United States. Here, both the film's production and the onscreen action takes place entirely in Russia.

The project is helmed by Chris Gorak ("Right at Your Door"), a former production designer and art director turned filmmaker who also penned the currently shooting "Man on a Ledge". Here he's heavily supported by "Night Watch" and "Wanted" director Timur Bekmambetov who is producing and supervising the shoot at his personal studio Bazelevs in Moscow. Though much of Eastern Europe has become a filmmaking mecca since the fall of the Iron Curtain, Hollywood hasn't made much use of Russia as a filming locale which means at least there's a chance of some fresh visuals and location work beyond the confines of Red Square.

The film has been written by three scribes, one (Jon Spaihts) did the script for Ridley Scott's upcoming "Alien" prequel, the other (Leslie Bohem) penned the likes of "Dante's Peak," "The Alamo," "Daylight" and the upcoming "Real Steel". The cast is a healthy international mix of two Yanks (Emile Hirsch, Olivia Thirlby), a Brit (Max Minghella) and an Aussie (Rachael Taylor) in the leading roles with local talent filling out the rest of the cast.

Production was suspended for a planned two weeks due to the extraordinary air pollution caused by heavy smoke from the wild fires surrounding Moscow in August 2010. It eventually resumed three weeks later, and the release date has been unaffected. Coming out late Summer, it will suffer comparisons with the other films of this type opening next year, let us hope it's different enough to distinguish itself.

The Debt
Opens: 2011
Cast: Sam Worthington, Helen Mirren, Ciaran Hinds, Tom Wilkinson, Martin Csokas
Director: John Madden

Summary: In 1965, three young Israeli Mossad agents on a secret mission capture and kill a notorious Nazi war criminal. Now, thirty years later, a man claiming to be the Nazi has surfaced in the Ukraine and the former agents must go back undercover to seek out the truth.

Analysis: A victim of the delays pertaining to Miramax's closure and change of ownership, this remake of Assaf Bernstein's acclaimed 2007 Israeli film apparently sticks fairly close to its originator with just a slight polish by Peter Straughan ("The Men Who Stare at Goats") and Matthew Vaughn ("Kick Ass," "Stardust") to adjust it for Western audiences. Director John Madden shot this in London & Hungary almost two years ago and early last year it looked like this was being setup as a potential awards candidate with a release being targeted for this week in fact.

Plans changed however after a bow at the Toronto Film Festival yielded mixed reviews. Madden's direction, the performance by Jessica Chastain, and the story were well received. The opening hour in particular was praised for creating tension and suspense even during a long stretch set entirely within a small apartment. However the last act is said to have some big credibility issues and a love triangle subplot that doesn't work. While it may not be awards worthy, it still seems to be considered an above average thriller that's worth checking out - that is one day when it's finally scheduled for a release by whomever now owns it.

The Deep Blue Sea
Opens: 2011
Cast: Rachel Weisz, Tom Hiddleston, Simon Russell Beale, Harry Hadden-Paton
Director: Terence Davies

Summary: Hester Collyer is the middle-aged trophy wife of a high court judge in 1950 who begins a self-destructive affair with a traumatized RAF World War II fighter pilot pilot turned alcoholic who shows her the meaning of true passion. When he walks out on her, the now smitten Hester takes a drastic course of action.

Analysis: Acclaimed British filmmaker Terence Davies ("The House of Mirth," "Of Time and the City") tackles the historical romance genre with this effort based on the 1952 play by late scribe Terence Rattigan ("Goodbye Mr.Chips," "Brighton Rock"). Having literally just wrapped filming last week in the UK, the project will spend much of next year in post production and could well get a Fall release with either a Toronto premiere and/or a late year awards qualifying run on the cards.

The play itself became infamous at the time for its controversial depiction of female sexual awakening, the turning point of the whole play revolves around Hester experiencing her first orgasm, in a period before women's liberation and the sexual revolution rendered the topic far less taboo. The 50's was a time of an overly simplified moralistic society which punished those for love that was either excessive or different, something that still happens in many places today. As a result, much of what was able to be shown was only allowed to be implied which hampered previous film adaptations to some extent.

Several decades on however it can be much more overt, and with the skilled Davies in charge it'll no doubt push boundaries without becoming tacky or tasteless. Some great actress have played the role on stage including Peggy Ashcroft, Penelope Wilton, Isabel Dean, Blythe Danner, Harriet Walter, Greta Scacchi and even "To The Manor Born" actress Penelope Keith (I hope she didn't call out "Brabinger" during the bedroom scenes). Here it's one of our great modern actresses, Rachel Weisz, in the role opposite stage legend Simon Russell Beale as her husband. Rising newcomer Tom Hiddleston, who makes a strong impression in the BBC "Wallander" TV movies and is the villain in "Thor", plays the pilot. Definitely sounds like it'll have a lot of potential.


The Descendants
Opens: 2011
Cast: George Clooney, Judy Greer, Beau Bridges, Matthew Lillard, Robert Forster
Director: Alexander Payne

Summary: Matt King is an indifferent husband and father of two girls forced to re-examine his past and embrace his future when his wife suffers a boating accident off of Waikiki. Learning that his wife had been unfaithful, he takes their daughters, ages 17 and 10, on a road trip to find her lover as he considers selling the family's land handed down to him from Hawaiian royalty.

Analysis: Alexander Payne's first feature film since 2004's acclaimed "Sideways", there's a lot of good will riding on this after Payne's previous works, including "About Schmidt" and "Election", were so well received. Based on the novel by Kaui Hart Hemmings and shot on-location in Honolulu earlier this year, George Clooney takes on the lead role which at one point comedian Louis C.K. apparently auditioned for - talk about a wide casting net.

Payne is apparently taking his time in post-production and doesn't plan to be finished until about February. An extended interview reveals that Clooney and the two girls are the only major roles in the film with everyone else literally small but important cameos from Lillard as the lothario to Bridges and Forster as relations of Matt's.

Payne, who has confirmed that he intends to use 100% Hawaiian music throughout, calls it a "family drama with comedy touches". However there's enough adult themes that he expects distributor Fox Searchlight won't be planning a release until next Fall where it'll undoubtedly come up for awards consideration. By that time he'll probably be at work on his next project which is said to be an adaptation of Denis Hamill's "Fork in the Road".

The Details
Opens: 2011
Cast: Elizabeth Banks, Tobey Maguire, Laura Linney, Ray Liotta, Kerry Washington
Director: Jacob Aaron Estes

Summary: When a family of raccoons discover worms living underneath the sod in Jeff and Nealy's backyard, this pest problem begins a darkly comic and wild chain reaction of domestic tension, infidelity and murder.

Analysis: A rather strange sounding "Fargo"-esque black comedy from "Mean Creek" writer/director Estes that's premiering at Sundance in January, early reviews should hopefully give us some proper insight into what in the world this is all about. There's a strong cast on hand which includes not only the names above but "True Blood" shapeshifter Sam Trammell and former "24" President Dennis Haysbert.

Maguire replaced James McAvoy in the lead, a bit of a downgrade but not enough to affect the overall picture. Certainly Laura Linney cast as an eccentric neighbor is reason enough to get excited, though other plot descriptions to come through indicate elements of bed-hopping infidelity, organ donation, cat murder and archery all configure into the story somehow.

The project did suffer a slight delay due to some financial trouble, but it was quickly resolved and everything was completed in Seattle back in mid-2009. Estes scored a lot of deserved love for "Mean Creek", so will be interesting to see if the reaction out of Park City in a few weeks time will be the same.

The Devil's Double
Opens: 2011
Cast: Dominic Cooper, Ludivine Sagnier, Philip Quast, Raad Rawi, Dar Salim
Director: Lee Tamahori

Summary: 1980's Baghdad, the playground for the rich and infamous like Uday Hussein, the sadistic son of leader Saddam, whose depraved lust for debauchery and immorality are indulged at every turn. Into this world is thrust army lieutenant Latif Yahia who is forced to become Uday's 'fiday' - his body double, or have his family condemned to death.

Analysis: An Iraq-set "Scarface" rather than another tedious treatise on the moral dilemmas/depression of those who served in the war, 'Double' is far more an entertainment driven piece than potential awards bait despite its premiere next month at the Sundance Film Festival. Shot early this past year in Malta and based on Latif Yahia's two books, this has been described as a gangster movie, not a biopic, about a psychopath with near unlimited power and the innocent guy caught up in his wake.

The backdrop is Baghdad before (and during) the first Gulf War, a time when the wealthy Ba'athist ruling class lived in opulence amidst the overwhelming poverty of the masses. Michael Thomas ("Ladyhawke," "Backbeat," "Scandal") penned the script while Lee Tamahori ("Die Another Day," "XXX: State of the Union") is helming the film which, though not heavily politicised, will depict some of the darkest and often least reported elements of the Hussein regime.

"We're telling a soft story compared to what I've heard about this guy" says Tamahori of Saddam's brutish son Uday. Both Uday and Latif are played by rising "Mamma Mia" and "An Education" star Dominic Cooper. It's not the only unusual casting choice here as amongst others there's French actress Ludivine Sagnier, and Australian veteran Philip Quast as Saddam himself. It's definitely a curious project, reviews out of Sundance however will play a big factor in determining whether this'll be worth catching.

Dibbuk Box
Opens: October 28th 2011
Cast: Madison Davenport, Natasha Calis
Director: Ole Bornedal

Summary: Based on a true story. Clyde Breneck and his 10-year-old daughter Em purchase an antique box at a yard sale. When Em opens the box, she accidentally releases an ancient spirit that has one goal: to devour her. Her father must work with his ex-wife to put an end to the curse.

Analysis: Sam Raimi's Ghost House Pictures has been pretty quiet in recent years, mostly producing dire direct to video sequels to their earlier work. Now, they're back two years on from "Drag Me To Hell" with this spook tale based on an LA Times article by Leslie Gornstein.

Said article tells the story of the events surrounding a Dibbuk box, the commonly-used name of a wine cabinet which is supposedly haunted by a Jewish spirit known as a Dybbuk. Details on the apparent legend are up at Dibbukbox.com, but essentially the granddaughter of a holocaust survivor sold it a decade ago and since then its been something of a jinx to those who've owned it.

Ole Bornedal, who helmed the acclaimed "Deliver Us from Evil", the well received Danish serial killer thriller "Night Watch" and its less well-received British remake, directs this $12.5 million budgeted production which is about to begin filming shortly. Stephen Susco was originally hired to adapt the script, though the final credited writers are Juliet Snowden and Stiles White who both co-wrote the awful "Knowing" and "Boogeyman".

With the "Saw" franchise thankfully in its well deserved grave, Lionsgate quickly nabbed the distribution rights to this story to fill its Halloween release slot where it'll compete with Paramount's third "Paranormal Activity". It looks a little more interesting than the most recent "Saw" films, but frankly there's nothing particularly exciting here unless Bornedal is able to draw something special out of it.

The Dilemma
Opens: January 14th 2011
Cast: Vince Vaughn, Kevin James, Jennifer Connelly, Winona Ryder, Channing Tatum
Director: Ron Howard

Summary: A man is unsure if he should tell his best friend and business partner that his wife is cheating on him with another man after catching them in the act.

Analysis: Filmmaker Ron Howard's first comedy since his take on "The Grinch", there has to be something more on the surface here than meets the eye. Aside from Kevin James, whom this marks a step up for, everyone else here seems far too talented to be wasted on a story that is throwaway at best.

Maybe it's something in the script by Allan Loeb ("Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps," "Things We Lost in the Fire") that drew some big names, Connelly replaced Jennifer Garner in one role while Ryder beat out the likes of Kate Beckinsale, Carla Gugino and Uma Thurman for her part. Whatever the case, there's been a distinct whiff of bad odor surrounding this, long before the whole overblown gay joke controversy gave it a hell of a lot of free publicity.

The central premise is a joke, one made more unbelievable by pairing two guys with two women who're quite frankly way out of their league. Channing Tatum as the lothario and Queen Latifah in a supporting role are cute casting choices, but certainly not enough to sustain a film nearly two hours in length with an apparently problematic first act. I smell another "Couples Retreat" or "Four Christmases" coming on, a fact not helped by the poster which had Kevin James and Vince Vaughn airbrushed to the extent of rivalling the ladies on the "Sex and the City 2" one-sheet.

Dolphin Tale 3D
Opens: September 23rd 2011
Cast: Morgan Freeman, Harry Connick Jr., Ashley Judd, Kris Kristofferson, Nathan Gamble
Director: Charles Martin Smith

Summary: A boy befriends an injured dolphin who lost her tail in a crab trap. Through their bond and friendship, the boy motivates everyone around him to help save her by creating a prosthetic appendage to replace the dolphin's tail. The marine mammal's strong survival instincts become an inspiration to people with special needs throughout the world.

Analysis: Inspired by a true story at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, this family oriented feature wrapped filming only a fortnight ago after a shoot around various locations in Florida. Shot in 3D, not converted, the underwater sequences are said to be quite spectacular. Certainly the strong cast should generate more interest in this than the modestly budget effort would've attracted on its own.

Actor turned director Charles Martin Smith ("Air Bud") helms the project and says a major aim was to differentiate this from "Free Willy" despite the very similar subject matter. The handicap element was a big part of that, although it now has brought up comparisons to "How To Train Your Dragon" funnily enough. A September bow indicates a relatively quiet launch, hopefully this won't suffer the same fate of Rob Reiner's little seen family friendly "Flipped" this past Summer.

Don't Be Afraid of the Dark
Opens: 2011
Cast: Guy Pearce, Katie Holmes, Bailee Madison, Jack Thompson, Garry McDonald
Director: Troy Nixey

Summary: A young girl moves into an old mansion that her father and his girlfriend are renovating. The girl soon finds a hidden basement with a sealed fireplace, behind which she hears voices that beg her to open it so they can be her friends. The creatures inside get out and start to torment Sally an plan to eventually take her down into the fireplace and their domain.

Analysis: There's something highly appealing about Gothic horror, those old-fashioned tales that are all about atmosphere, sound design, suggestion and unsettling dread. Slasher films and torture porn ruined much of the genre as it became much more about the visceral, but the best efforts of this field from the original "The Haunting of Hill House" to "The Innocents" still work superbly today.

In recent times though its been Spanish filmmakers that have been leading the charge in this field with the one-two blow of Alejandro Amenabar's superb "The Others" and Guillermo del Toro's delicious "The Devil's Backbone" almost a decade ago showing the genre still has plenty of fertile ground. del Toro went on to produce 2007's "The Orphanage" which used the formula well, and returns as producer for this remake of a surprisingly creepy 70's TV movie about a couple who move into a house with a previously sealed up basement fireplace populated by sinister small creatures tormenting the wife.

One of two great Gothic horror TV movies being remade this year, the other being a new version of the chilling 1989 British tale "The Woman in Black", 'Dark' was shot in Melbourne in mid-late 2009 under the helm of Troy Nixey. Nixey makes his feature filmmaking debut here, following on from his brilliant work with the animated short "Latchkey's Lament", and has managed to turn a film with a modest $12.5 million budget into something that looks like it cost considerably more.

Some of the plot elements have been changed, namely the couple is now a father, daughter and the father's new partner with the daughter becoming the target of the creatures. The creatures themselves have gone from looking like old school "Star Trek" villains to CG creations more akin to something out of a Lovecraft tome. Their small stature, sinister whispering and creepy scuttling is all still very much there and will likely be used to much greater effect thanks to the kind of money and talent on offer that a TV movie of the week in the 70's could only dream of having.

A teaser trailer showing off only a little footage proved very effective, while reviews from very early screenings have been raves and claim the filmmakers have achieved the aim they started out with - to make a genuinely frightening film. Originally aiming to be a PG-13, the MPAA awarded the film an R for 'pervasive scariness' and said the filmmakers essentially couldn't trim anything out. So they've kept it intact and thank god for that.

The only downside here is that the film was produced by Miramax, which means it became caught up in all the hassle of that sale. Now 'Dark' and "The Debt" mentioned above are sitting in vaults awaiting Filmyard's full takeover of Miramax. With both films currently unscheduled, there's no telling when this will hit theatres or what kind of release is planned. However having seen quite a bit of this production (I can't go into details just yet), I can definitely say this will be worth the wait.

Dream House
Opens: September 30th 2011
Cast: Daniel Craig, Rachel Weisz, Naomi Watts, Marton Csokas, Gregory Smith
Director: Jim Sheridan

Summary: A successful New York publisher moves his wife and children to a New England town, where they buy the home of their dreams. But the dream is shattered when they learn that the previous tenants were murdered. The husband teams with a neighbor to learn the truth about the crime, and a killer who has made them the next target.

Analysis: Acclaimed Irish helmer Jim Sheridan ("In America," "Brothers") tries out the mystery thriller genre with this tale of digging into a small town crime. Apparently there's supernatural undertones with the house haunted by the victims of the crime. Specifics on the $60 million project are still uncertain, especially the film's tone, but the cast is a solid mix and Universal is planning a strong marketing push for it.

'Dream' was originally slated to open in February next year but got pushed back until the late Summer as two weeks of required reshoots couldn't take place until earlier this month. The reason? Craig has been committed to filming David Fincher's "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" adaptation and this month was his first opportunity to get back to this.

The film's writer, David Loucka, is mostly known for penning the 1996 comedy flop "Eddie". Since he sold his "Dream House" script however, he's become an in demand horror writer and is doing the script for the upcoming third "Ring" feature. Actor Gregory Smith briefly went on record about this film, saying his role is a punk rocker character and the leader of a group of young people who are obsessed with the crime and worship the killer in a Manson-like fashion.

I'm all for a good supernatural thriller, but the trouble is the good ones are few and far between. The plots are also fairly familiar, this one sounds like a fusion of "The Amityville Horror" and "What Lies Beneath", but I hope the presence of the likes of Sheridan, Craig and Watts indicate more substance than what we've come to expect from the genre.

Drive
Opens: September 16th 2011
Cast: Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Ron Perlman, Bryan Cranston, Albert Brooks
Director: Nicolas Winding Refn

Summary: The story follows a nameless Hollywood stuntman who moonlights as a freelance getaway driver during robberies. When a bank heist goes wrong, he ends up on the run with a contract on his head and an ex-con’s girlfriend in his car.

Analysis: Danish helmer Nicolas Winding Refn is becoming a rising star thanks to acclaimed works like "Pusher," "Bronson" and "Valhalla Rising" showing a exciting new voice and talent even if the story details aren't always on the ball (most notably in 'Valhalla'). It's no surprise that Hollywood has come calling and, though he was offered numerous high profile projects, Refn chose to move forward on this high-energy thriller.

Various people have been attached to at one point or another, one previous incarnation had Neil Marshall ("The Descent") slated to direct Hugh Jackman. Here though Refn has settled on a mix of superb talent like Gosling, Mulligan and Perlman rather than marquee names. "Breaking Bad" star Bryan Cranston's role is presently unspecified, though perennial nice guy Albert Brooks apparently has a juicy villain role this time. "Mad Men" actress Christina Hendricks and rising actor Oscar Isaac ("Robin Hood," "Balibo") also have parts.

Hossein Amini ("The Four Feathers," "Jude," "Shanghai") penned the script, an adaptation of the James Sallis novel, and shooting kicked off earlier this Fall. With Refn involved, there's a lot of real potential here that will hopefully be explored, certainly it sounds ten times more exciting than the next entry in this guide.

Drive Angry 3D
Opens: February 11th 2011
Cast: Nicolas Cage, Amber Heard, David Morse, Billy Burke, William Fichtner
Director: Patrick Lussier

Summary: A vengeful father hunts down the people who brutally killed his daughter and kidnapped her baby. As the chase gets bloodier by the mile, his rescue spins out of control, leaving bodies strewn along the highway.

Analysis: Budgeted at a surprisingly large $75 million and shot natively in 3D, this just looks down right silly, as if Nic Cage's "Ghost Rider" and "Gone in 60 Seconds" had a freakish baby together. There were rumours this would be toned down to a PG-13, but instead it's being promoted as a "balls to the wall, R rated" feature which will be one of the film's selling points beyond its two main co-stars, a 1969 Dodge Charger and a 1971 Chevrolet Chevelle, which should get the auto-lovers of the audience aroused.

Editor turned filmmaker Patrick Lussier ("Dracula 2000") previously tackled 3D with the remake of "My Bloody Valentine", a movie mostly remembered for an extended scene of female frontal nudity. That film's writer Todd Farmer ("Jason X") also penned the script for this, a film where the villain of the piece is the enjoyable William Fichtner playing the devil's enforcer known as 'The Accountan0't. I kid you not, though to be fair it looks like the most fun role of the film.

The trailers released thus far, like this, indicate a film far too self-aware of its campiness and so goes way overboard in every way possible. That makes it a love it or leave it proposition, one you really have to be in the mood for (ie. preferably stoned) to enjoy.

Dylan Dog: Dead of Night
Opens: 2011
Cast: Brandon Routh, Sam Huntington, Anita Briem, Taye Diggs, Peter Stormare
Director: Kevin Munroe

Summary: In New Orleans, Dylan Dog is an ace detective whose specialty is paranormal cases. Now, he must deal with vampires, werewolves, zombies and a guardian of the Hell, due to a client's case. With the help of Marcus Adams, his un-dead assistant, he will have to preserve the sake of the Earth.

Analysis: Based on the Italian comic by Tiziano Sclavi, this $20 million independently produced horror/action film was shot early 2009 and finished a year ago. A March 18th Italian release is scheduled which means a U.S. release is likely being setup for around the same time.

Adapted by Thomas Dean Donnelly and Joshua Oppenheimer, the project comes from director Kevin Munroe and marks his second feature after the lacklustre "TMNT" which attempted to revive the Turtles franchise and instead essentially buried it. The cast is decent and Routh is usually pretty good if a bit stiff at times.

First footage for this came from an Italian promotional trailer and looked disappointingly cheap, almost Syfy telemovie in filming style. Part of that is due to the toning down of the rather gory comic to a PG-13 film which has worn down much of the edge, leaving behind only a bland "Buffy" ripoff.

Screened at the AFM this year, a review at Dread Central gave it a 2/5 and that's a site predisposed to like this kind of movie. It's still early though, but the production's backers have some way to go if they hope this will make a splash outside the countries where the comic has an in-built fanbase.

The Eagle
Opens: February 11th 2011
Cast: Channing Tatum, Jamie Bell, Donald Sutherland, Mark Strong, Tahar Rahim
Director: Kevin Macdonald

Summary: In 140 AD, twenty years after the unexplained disappearance of the entire Ninth Legion in the mountains of Scotland, a young centurion arrives from Rome to solve the mystery and restore the reputation of his father who commanded the team.

Analysis: This time last year, late 2010 was shaping up to be a fight of duelling sword and sandal movies about the famed lost Ninth Legion. The first was "The Descent" director Neil Marshall's $12 million, blue-tinted, action-heavy chase movie "Centurion" starring Michael Fassbender which explores those svents. The second was this $20 million action/drama which, though bearing no direct relation with "Centurion", could easily serve as an unofficial sequel considering the storyline is set several decades later.

'Eagle' has a stronger pedigree with "The Last King of Scotland" and "State of Play" director Kevin Macdonald at the helm, and a script based on Rosemary Sutcliff's acclaimed 1954 novel "The Eagle of the Ninth" that is quite well-known. Macdonald intends his film to be more concerned with being historically authentic and an exploration of anti-imperialist themes, whereas Marshall's was more a take no prisoners thrill ride.

Then the game board changed. "Centurion" premiered at the South by Southwest Film Festival and scored mixed reviews. Poorer reaction followed from regular critics a month later as the movie went into wide release in the UK. As a result, the movie was essentially dumped in the final week of Summer in the U.S. and ultimately flopped at the box-office.

'Eagle' meanwhile, originally set to open a month later, got pushed back five months and had its title shortened from the original book title to just "The Eagle" - some amusing speculation had people mistaking it for a golfing movie on title alone. Most delays are usually due to issues with the movie, this however is one of the few cases where there wasn't any problems. Shot in Hungary and Scotland late 2009, the production scored worldwide distribution deals before a single frame was shot so there's lot of faith already about the film's quality.

An early trailer is promising if not particularly exciting, and it does show off a more serious Channing Tatum who is pushing to be taken more seriously as an actor this year with a healthy mix of blockbusters and solid indie dramas. Bell, Strong, Sutherland and Rahim in key supporting roles along with Macdonald's generally superb filmmaking skills make this one of the few pre-Summer mainstream films that holds some promise.

Even the Rain
Opens: 2011
Cast: Gael Garcia Bernal, Luis Tosar, Karra Elejalde, Raul Arevalo
Director: Icíar Bollaín

Summary: Filmmaker Sebastian travels to Bolivia in 2000 to shoot a film about the Spanish conquest of America. They arrive during the tense time of the Cochabamba water crisis and the lines between past and present, fiction and film, become increasingly blurred.

Analysis: Spanish actress turned filmmaker Icíar Bollaín ("Take My Eyes," "Mataharis") returns with this fascinating and slightly meta story which is the official Spanish entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the upcoming Oscars, beating out her fellow countrymen's efforts like "Celda 211" and "Lope". U.S. distributor Vitagraph Films made a rare acquisition picking this up, they only release 2-3 films a year and their last foreign purchase was Germany's "The Baader Meinhof Complex".

It's a film rich with metaphor and themes from runaway productions to the continued exploitation of Latin America by richer countries and multinational corporations who believe human rights should bow down to the almighty dollar. Bolivia is the poorest country on the South American continent, one of the reasons why the filmmakers in the story choose it because it's so cheap to film there.

As they make their movie about the Spanish conquistadors and their pillaging of the country centuries ago, the parallels with the present day events become pretty clear. In this case, the backdrop is Cochabamba Water Revolt in 2000 in Bolivia when the Government privatised the country's water supply and the cost jumped overnight by 300% (which inspired the plot for the hugely disappointing 2008 James Bond film "Quantum of Solace").

Reviews for this have been strong, the film apparently making its points just enough to avoid being labelled as either overbearing or too subtle. Gael Garcia Bernal's main character for example is deeply upset about the historical injustices but finds it far more difficult to be sympathetic to the modern plight when it interrupts his filming schedule and money becomes a major issue. It actually sounds quite fascinating, and certainly one to look out for.

Every Day
Opens: January 14th 2011
Cast: Helen Hunt, Liev Schreiber, Carla Gugino, Ezra Miller, Brian Dennehy
Director: Richard Levine

Summary: A dissatisfied TV writer finds himself suffering a mid-life crisis. his teenage son has just come out of the closet, his younger son is scared of everything, a sexy female co-worker is tempting him, and his wife has moved her sick and embittered father from Detroit into their home in NY which adds stress to an already strained marriage.

Analysis: Former "Nip/Tuck" scribe Richard Levine's debut feature is an indie 'family in crisis' drama that premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival earlier this year to decent but unremarkable reviews.

Shot in just three weeks on a shoestring budget, one review describes it as a "low-key film about an average family dealing with average problems". There's nothing major at stake so it's said to feel more like episodic TV than a film, but Levine's writing and solid performances from Hunt and Schreiber apparently have a very lived in and realistic feeling to it.

Carla Gugino pops up as a free spirit and possible temptress, but you can kind of guess where that predictable storyline is going. Image Entertainment hasn't a lot of hope it would seem, throwing this out in limited release mid-January before a likely bigger push on DVD and Blu-ray just a few weeks later on March 8th.

Everything Must Go
Opens: 2011
Cast: Will Ferrell, Rebecca Hall, Laura Dern, Stephen Root, Michael Pena
Director: Dan Rush

Summary: Nicolas Halsey is having a bad day. He's been fired from his job of sixteen years, his wife has left him, his bank accounts are frozen, he's been locked out of his own house, and all of his worldly possessions on his front lawn. He has five days to clear his lawn and proceeds to setup a yard sale that will soon lead to a change in his life.

Analysis: 'Go' marks the debut filmmaking effort of writer/director Dan Rush, based on a short story by Raymond Carver whose works were big influences on films like Robert Altman's ensemble drama "Short Cuts" and the Laura Linney-led Australian thriller "Jindabyne". The script itself scored rave reviews and a BlackList placing in 2007, while the film premiered in Toronto and London earlier this year to generally positive reviews, though there have been some complaints about pacing.

It also marks a change for the normally manic Ferrell who dominates much of the screen time in this $8 million melancholic drama with some occasional darkly comic touches. It's a much lower-key endeavour than his most remarkable 'straight work' thus far in "Stranger Than Fiction", with several reviews saying Ferrell's performance is almost unrecognisable compared with his usual antics.

One of the nicer compliments it received was that it apparently tackles the issue of the lead character's battle with alcoholism without either "demonizing him for his addiction or letting him off the hook for his failings" says a review from Twitchfilm's Todd Brown. Yet one wonders if either Ferrell fans or indie cinema lovers will warm to a film where one of the two key ingredients - slow emotional character drama and Will Ferrell - seems to almost cancel out any interest they may have.

The Eye of the Storm
Opens: 2011
Cast: Geoffrey Rush, Judy Davis, Charlotte Rampling, Robyn Nevin, Dustin Clare
Director: Fred Schepsi

Summary: Set in the Sydney suburb of Centennial Park in the 1970's. Two nurses, a housekeeper and a solicitor attend to Elizabeth Hunter as her expatriate son and daughter convene at her deathbed. But, in dying, as in living, Mrs. Hunter remains a powerful force on those who surround her.

Analysis: Acclaimed Australian filmmaker Fred Schepsi ("Roxanne," "Six Degrees of Separation") has kept relatively quiet in recent years with his last on screen directing effort being 2003's "It Runs in the Family". In 2008 he failed to get funding for the proposed Vietnam war feature "The Last Man" with Guy Pearce and David Wenham, and instead shifted his attention to this film adaptation of Patrick White's 1973 novel, a book so good it was the key to scoring the author a Nobel Prize for Literature.

It took some time but Schepsi managed to secure around $10 million in funding and shot the film earlier this year, over two decades since 1988's "Evil Angels" (aka. "A Cry in the Dark") which was the last time he made a film in his native country. There's still a bit of question lingering over whether actress turned scribe Judy Morris ("Happy Feet," "Babe: Pig in the City") was able to fully translate White's rich prose.

Even if she didn't, the fact is what's on offer here is a truly delicious sounding black comedy/drama about a dying tyrannical matriarch (Charlotte Rampling) and her scheming adult children (Geoffrey Rush, Judy Davis), a kind of witty "King Lear" set against the backdrop of Sydney's eastern suburbs in the 1970's. An 'In Production' early trailer released a few months ago looks great if a tad over the top.

Transmission Films, who released the likes of "Samson and Delilah," "Balibo" and "Beneath Hill 60," are set to release the film in Australia this year. No word yet on an international rollout, but with the big name talent involved it'll likely sell quickly overseas.

http://www.ifc.com/news/2010/12/the-top-ten-films-of-2011-or-a.php

The Top Ten Films of 2011 (Or, At Least, Those We Think Will Be Really Really Great)
Sean Penn in a hair band? Viggo Mortensen as Sigmund Freud? Kristen Stewart, Amy Adams and Sam Riley "On the Road"? These are the indies we'll talk about next year.
Posted 12/29/2010 930 AM by Anthony Kaufman
The Top Ten Films of 2011 (Or, At Least, Those We Think Will Be Really Really Great)

Okay, so it may be a little early to talk about the best films of next year. But based on the number of high-profile auteurs with new works on the horizon, 2011 looks like it will be a banner annum for art cinema. While Terrence Malick's "Tree of Life" is already trailering around the world and Sundance will parade a number of hot new projects from American indie stalwarts (Miguel Arteta, Tom McCarthy) and doc-makers (Eugene Jarecki, Steve James), look abroad to the next Berlin or Cannes and you're likely to see the most thrilling examples of contemporary cinema. Here are ten films we believe could top the best-of lists 12 months from now (in no particular order):

"This Must Be the Place"
Directed by Paolo Sorrentino

Though not yet known much outside of his home country or the festival circuit, Italian auteur Sorrentino received considerable acclaim -- including a Cannes Jury Prize and even an Oscar nomination for best makeup -- for "Il Divo," his 2008 tale of political corruption. In his follow-up English-language debut, Sean Penn stars as a retired rock star on the search for his father's torturer, an ex-Nazi war criminal who is hiding in the U.S. Frances McDormand also co-stars. What might be the result is anybody's guess, but the pairing of Sorrentino and Penn is reason alone for great anticipation.

"The Dangerous Method"
Directed by David Cronenberg

The last time Cronenberg tackled the medical profession, we got the eerily creepy "Dead Ringers." The idea that the Canadian maestro is now taking on the birth of psychoanalysis should send shivers down your cerebellum. Based on a play by Christopher Hampton called "The Talking Cure," the film stars Viggo Mortensen as Sigmund Freud (he never looked that good), Michael Fassbender as Carl Jung and Keira Knightley as Sabina Spielrein, a patient of Jung's who was also a huge influence on both their theories. A sort of ménage-a-trois of the mind, the "Method" has all the components of a wonderfully disturbing psychological thriller.

"The Grandmasters"
Directed by Wong Kar-wai

Hong Kong master Wong Kar-wai's latest follows the life of Ip Man, the legendary martial artist who taught Bruce Lee in his younger years. Like all of Wong's projects, there is little else known about the plot, but Tony Leung ("In the Mood for Love") stars as the kung fu expert, alongside Zhang Ziyi ("Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon"), South Korean starlet Song Hye-kyo, and Chang Chen ("Red Cliff"). At a news conference for the film, Leung called the project "a genuine kung fu movie." And with veteran action choreography Yuen Woo Ping ("Kung Fu Hustle," "The Matrix") on board, there's no reason not to believe him. Sales company Wild Bunch has little other info about the film, except a tagline: "In martial arts, there is no right or wrong, only the last man standing" -- which I'm sure has as much to do with the actual film as "Melancholia" has a happy ending; see below.

"Melancholia"
Directed by Lars von Trier

Described as a "psychological disaster movie," the Danish provocateur's new film stars Kirsten Dunst, the latest ingénue to subject herself to the filmmakers' whims. At a press conference for the film in July, Dunst praised von Trier's sadistic tendencies, reportedly saying there's "poetry in the way he tortures women." While the actual plot is under wraps, Dunst's character gets married within the film (with Udo Kier as "the wedding planner"), as impending disaster comes in the shape of a planet hurdling towards Earth. Charlotte Gainsbourg plays her sister. The film also stars Kiefer Sutherland, John Hurt, Stellan Skarsgård and Alexander Skarsgård, as Dunst's betrothed. For the new film, von Trier has promised, "No more happy endings." As if you were worried.

"On the Road"
Directed by Walter Salles

The Jack Kerouac Beat classic finally gets a modern screen redo from the makers of the "Motorcycle Diaries," Brazilian director Walter Salles and Puerto Rican writer Jose Rivera. Starring Sam Riley ("Control") as Sal Paradise and Garrett Hedlund ("Tron: Legacy") as Dean Moriarty, the film follows the two young men journeying across North America in search of themselves. The film features an impressive cast of supporting players, including Kristen Stewart, Kirsten Dunst, Amy Adams and Viggo Mortensen as Old Bull Lee, considered to be a stand-in for William Burroughs. "There is a strange modernity to the theme," Salles told CNN. "And maybe 'On the Road' is more contemporary today than it ever was."

"The Skin That I Inhabit"
Directed by Pedro Almodóvar

Loosely based on a French novel called "Tarantula," Almodóvar's latest tells the story of a plastic surgeon (Antonio Banderas) who seeks revenge for his daughter's rape. In the novel, the character performs a sex change operation on the perpetrator. No word on whether this twist manifests itself in the film version, but it would certainly seem up Almodóvar's alley, if you remember the gender-bending characters that populate his cinema. In an interview with a Spanish newspaper, the director likened the film to the horror genre - but "without screams or scares," he said. "It's the harshest film I've ever written and Banderas' character is brutal." Sony Pictures Classics has picked the film up for U.S. distribution.

"Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy"
Directed by Tomas Alfredson

From the makers of "Let the Right One In," the Swedish cult vampire film, comes a tantalizing new project, an adaptation of John le Carré's famous bestseller. Director Alfredson has brought aboard many of his Swedish creative collaborators --including ace cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema -- for this decidedly English drama about George Smiley, a retired MI6 agent trying to adjust to a life outside the secret service, who is then, of course, pulled back into the world of espionage. It's got a great cast, with Gary Oldman as Smiley, as well as Colin Firth, Tom Hardy and Ciarán Hinds. Prestige producers Working Title and Studio Canal are backing the project, which recently completed shooting in London.

"Untitled Dardenne Brothers Film"
Directed by the Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne

Originally known as "Délivrez moi" (or "Set Me Free"), the latest film from proficient Belgian siblings Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne features fellow Belge starlet Cécile de France (recently seen in Clint Eastwood's "Hereafter") and reportedly centers on a 11-year-old boy who escapes from the orphanage where his father left him, and then, pursued by orphanage staffers, eventually finds refuge with a young female stranger. Known for their bracing, heartrending class-conscious dramas ("Rosetta,"
"The Child," and most recently "Lorna's Silence"), there's no reason to doubt the Dardennes' new film will traffic in the same delicate balance of pain and pathos.

"We Need to Talk About Kevin"
Directed by Lynne Ramsay

Following her auspicious debut "Ratcatcher" and the astonishing follow-up "Morvern Callar," the Scottish-born Ramsay has quickly established herself as one of the world's foremost burgeoning auteurs. While her version of "The Lovely Bones" sadly never came to fruition, fans of the filmmakers' work are salivating over her replacement adaptation, "Kevin," based on Lionel Shriver's prize-winning book. Told from the perspective of a conflicted mother (played by Tilda Swinton), the film tells the story of the events leading up to and following her son Kevin's killing spree just days before his 16th birthday. With young "Afterschool" star Ezra Miller as Kevin and John C. Reilly as his father, the film promises to be, what Swinton has called in interviews, "a doozy."

"Wuthering Heights"
Directed by Andrea Arnold

Rising Brit auteur Arnold ("Fish Tank," "Red Road") takes her beautifully gritty aesthetic to the classics, with this reportedly "rawer" take on Emily Brontë's 1847 tale of doomed teenage lovers. The faithful adaptation recently made headlines in the U.K. when it was announced that James Howson, a young black actor with no prior film credits, was cast as Heathcliff. Eighteen-year-old actress Kaya Scodelario (known from Brit TV series "Skins") stars as the ill-fated Catherine Earnshaw. According to The Guardian, key scenes were filmed at Moor Close, "a desolate farmhouse without electricity or running water in the North Yorkshire moors." Sounds glorious!

http://clairelreynolds.blogspot.com/2010/12/films-i-am-eagerly-anticipating-in-2011.html

31 December 2010
Films I am eagerly anticipating in 2011...
It's New Years Eve, a time of contemplation, past memories, nostalgia and future planning. I thought it would be an apt time for a list. I do love a good list as you will know. As any avid film fan will be doing right now, I am already getting a little excited about the films coming up in 2011. So, agree or disagree, even let me know of films I've overlooked, here it is.

4. Jane Eyre
In a completely opposite terrain, one of the films that I am truly counting down the days to is Jane Eyre. Like the forthcoming Brighton Rock, I'm either going to be amazed or offended. I don't think there will be an in-between. Loved the book, loved the BBC TV series and now hoping to thoroughly enjoy the film. For me, the TV series was exactly what Brontë fans hoped for - four episodes of sheer adherence and enthrallment. Plus, Toby Stephens was the most accurate Rochester I could ever imagine, he was truly brilliant. Michael Fassbender has his work cut out I believe. Everyone knows the story of Jane Eyre - orphan goes from Lowood School to Thornfield Hall as a governess, falls in love with Mr Rochester, attempts to get married to the man to find out that he is already married and keeping his insane wife locked up, runs away, inherits a fortune, returns to Rochester who after a fire is now a widow and blind. Phew. Obviously a TV series can cover more things than a film but I really really want to see this - Cary Fukunaga is the director and he will be big if this goes well.


I know that there will be more release's that will have me eagerly entering the cinema popcorn in hand. Upcoming blog entries will cover those films I've missed and those films that slip under the radar and those independent films that just don't get the coverage they should. Happy New Year people x

http://www.urdugold.com/best-movie-of-2011

Best Romance Movies 2011

For all romantic persons here we have the best romantic movies of 2011. Take a look and see who will be the winner of the title “The Best Romance Movie of 2011″. We like to share with you the best romance movies of 2011 and let’s start with The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 (and as you probably know second part will be released in 2012). If you think that The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 will be the best romance movie of 2011 vote it at the poll and for now let’s see some details about this movie:

Title: Twilight Breaking Dawn
Written by: Melissa Rosenberg (screenplay), Stephenie Meyer (novel)
Starring: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner,
Release Date Part 1: November 18, 2011
Genre: Fantasy, Romance
Directed by: Bill Candn

What do you say about Jane Eyre ? Could Jane Eyre be the best romance movie of 2011? If you think so then go and vote it down at the poll. But for now we like to share with you some details adout this movie:

Title: Jane Eyre

Director: Cary Fukunaga
Writers: Charlotte Brontë (novel), Moira Buffini (screenplay)
Release Date: 11 March 2011 (USA)
Genre: Drama, Romance
Credited cast: Mia Wasikowska as Jane Eyre, Michael Fassbender as Edward Rochester, Jamie Bell as St. John

Could be United Love Story the best romance movie of 2011? Angelina Jolie is director and writer for United Love Story. I sems that this movie United Love Story will be a war – romance movie. Let’s see how much romance will put Angelina in this movie. Let’s hope that release date for United Love Story will be as it was anounced in 2011. Bellow we have some detals ablut this romantic movie:

Title:United Love Story
Genre: Romance, War
Release Date: TBA 2011,
Credited cast: Rade Serbedzija, Zana Marjanovic, Nikola Djuricko, Branko Djuric
Director: Angelina Jolie
Writer: Angelina Jolie

Another interesting romance movie for 2011 is The Vow. The Vow will be the best romance movie 2011? That’s up to you! Bellow we like to share with you more information about this movie:

Title: The Vow
Genre: Romance, Drama
Directed by: Michael Sucsy
Written by: Michael Sucsy, Abby Kohn, Marc Silverstein
Starring: Rachel McAdams, Channing Tatum
Release : TBA 2011

Not at the end we have The Adjustment Bureau one intersting story between a politician and a ballerina. Could The Adjustment Bureau be the best romance movie 2011? Vote this romance movie if you like it down here at the poll, but now let’s see some details about this movie and a great trailer HD:

Studio: Universal Pictures
Release: 4 March 2011
Director: George Nolfi
Writer: George Nolfi, Philip K. Dick
Cast: Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Anthony Mackie, John Slattery, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Michael Kelly, Terence Stamp
Genre: Romance, Sci fi

http://www.thelostmovies.com/blog/random-list-the-films-to-look-out-for-in-2011/

January 1, 2011
Random List: The Films To Look Out For In 2011

So another year begins and its time for another list for y’all. The following list are the films I’m most curious about seeing in 2011. These are the ones that fire my imagination, excite me or in some cases make me fear they won’t turn out as I hope. For the record, 2011 seems to be (on the surface at least) a more promising year than 2010 was, where at the start there seemed to be a realm drought of interesting releases. 2011 seems to have at least one thing I want to see per week until May. If there is anything I have missed then feel free to leave a comment at the bottom of the page.

Source Code

The Players: Jake Gyllenhaal, Jeffery Wright, Vera Farmiga and Michelle Monaghan. Directed by Duncan Jones.

Duncan Jones follow up to the critically acclaimed Moon looks like a big screen version of Quantum Leap. Jake Gyllenhaal plays a soldier who is used in the Source Code experiment and is transported back in time for 8 minutes repeatedly to try and stop a terrorist attack on a train. Whilst there he falls in love with a passenger and the mission becomes personal. People seemed a bit underwhelmed by the trailer when it debuted complaining that after the triumph of Moon this film looked a little formulaic. I would agree but the premise and people involved has me intrigued. Has to be better than Deja Vu right?

Release: 11th March

Sucker Punch

The Players: Emily Browning, Jenna Malone, Carla Gugino and Scott Glenn. Directed by: Zack Snyder.

Love him or hate him, Zack Snyder knows visuals. Each one of his films has been visually accomplished even if he is riffing on somebody else's work. Its funny to me that much of the backlash following Watchmen’s release focused on the fact that it followed the book too closely. These same people then whined about the absence of the alien squid from the book, but you can’t please everyone all the time. Sucker Punch represents a big test for Snyder, it could down a classic or a classic case of the emperors new clothes. It’s the first film he has come up with the story for all by himself and from the trailer it looks like he has the awesome visuals to match. The story looks like a retelling of Alice in Wonderland with babes, guns, robots and dragons and concerns a young girl sent to a mental asylum who then retreats into a fantasy world. As long as the story and acting match up to the visual overload then we could be in for a real treat.

Release: 25th March

Red State

The Players: Michael Anganaro, John Goodman, Melissa Leo and Michael Parks. Directed by: Kevin Smith.

Nobody in 2010 generated more venom or bile on websites than Kevin Smith. There was the whole airline fiasco followed by the critic bashing following the disaster that was Cop Out. All staged very publicly via his twitter feed and blog. Smith is heading into uncharted waters with Red State, a horror movie based on Fred Phelps and his Westboro Baptist Church. I hate these people, the Louis Theroux documentary ‘The Most Hated Family in America’ made me so angry I nearly kicked the TV off its stand. So the fact that Smith is bringing the hate to these people pleases me, they are ripe for satire in a country which is increasingly polarized between the far right and far left. All the publicity for Red State so far makes me think that Smith has created a timely horror film that holds up a mirror to middle America, maybe a mirror they don’t want to look into. He has also gone ultra independent with this as the film does not have a distributor and was made without any major studio backing. The film will apparently be ‘sold in the room’ when it debuts at the Sundance film festival in January.The cast also is eclectic, Michael Parks could well be a breakout star based on his performance here but also on the roster are John Goodman, Melissa Leo and Stephen Root. The recently released teaser trailer seems to hint that Smith is well outside his comfort zone. Expect controversy when the film is eventually released as well as the usual Smith baiting from the haters.

Release: ??

X Men – First Class

The Players: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Kevin Bacon and January Jones. Directed by: Matthew Vaughn.

If you had asked me a couple of years ago if I wanted another X-Men movie then my answer would have been a deafening NO. Then Fox brought Bryan Singer back on board as a producer and hired the Kick Ass team of Matthew Vaughan and screenwriter Jane Goldman for this prequel set in the 1960’s. Little is known about the actual plot except that it involves young Professor X and young Magneto when they were still chums and the villains are possibly the Hellfire Club. Not much has been released in terms of publicity so far, We don’t even have a teaser trailer at this point. If they can pull this off without Fox interfering too much then this could be great and return the X-Men franchise to its lofty position as the best comic based franchise out there. If nothing else its financial success should help a Kick Ass sequel get off the ground.

http://blogs.indiewire.com/thelostboy/archives/2011_preview_the_25_films_im_most_looking_forward_to/#

2011 Preview: The 30 Films I’m Most Looking Forward To

I assume I’m not the only one sick and tired of top ten 2010 this and that by now. So to fresh start this blog for 2011, I’m going to offer an even more subjective but probably much less boring list: the films I’m most looking forward to seeing in the next 362 days. It’s a dreamy list, and it doesn’t even include the many, many films we haven’t heard of yet that will end up in theaters this year, as well as the films I’ve already seen - like “Beginners,” “Cold Weather,” “Incendies,” “Kaboom,” and “Meek’s Cutoff,” for example, all of which I highly recommend. It does however, include, lots of Ryan Gosling, some George Clooney and Michael Fassbender, dashes of Tilda Swinton and James Franco, new work from Cronenberg, Almodovar, Von Trier, Soderbergh, Haynes, Spielberg, my dear Sarah Polley, and even Madonna, among many, many others…

Happy 2011:

1. The Tree of Life (Terrance Malick) - The inevitable top choice on this list and “annual preview” lists for the past two years, Terrance Malick’s long awaited family saga - which stars Brad Pitt and Sean Penn and may or may not have something to do with dinosaurs, the cosmos and the meaning of life (all against the backdrop of a 1950s family drama) - is 100% actually coming out this year and I’m as excited as I was in 2008.

2. We Need To Talk About Kevin (Lynne Ramsay) - In what I’m anticipating as the third in a trilogy of remarkable, career-defining lead performances from Swinton (following “Julia” and “I Am Love”), “Kevin” has an amazing source material (Lionel Shriver’s book about a mother who recounts the events leading up to and following her son’s massacre of students and teachers at his high school), an amazing director (Lynne Ramsay, in her first film since “Morvern Callar”) and an amazing supporting cast (John C. Reilly, Ezra Miller) to aid in what Swinton already brings to the table… “Hold onto your hat,” Tilda Swinton said of “We Need To Talk About Kevin” last year. “I think it’s going to be what the Americans might call a ‘doozy.’” Chills.

3. A Dangerous Method (David Cronenberg) Sexist man alive Michael Fassbender joins runner-up Viggo Mortensen and Keira Knightley in Cronenberg’s first film since “Eastern Promises” - a look at how the intense relationship between Carl Jung and Sigmund Freud gives birth to psychoanalysis.

4. Melancholia (Lars Von Trier) “No more happy endings,” Lars said, and this film - starring Kirsten Dunst, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Charlotte Rampling, Alexander Skarsgård and Kiefer Sutherland - has a title alone that suggests it will fulfil that promise. A sci-fi thriller that’s title refers to “an enourmous planet…that looms threateningly close to Earth,” this one will likely be the talk of Cannes, just like “Antichrist” was two years ago.

5. The Skin That I Inhabit (Pedro Almodovar) I would follow Pedro anywhere, including this revenge tale that tells the story of a plastic surgeon (Antonio!) on the hunt for the men who raped his daughter.

6. Contagion (Steven Soderbergh) One of the most promising casts this side of “Inception” with Kate Winslet, Matt Damon, Marion Cotillard, Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow, Bryan Cranston, John Hawkes, and Laurence Fishburne all taking on an “Outbreak”-style disease thriller, Soderbergh (who also produced “We Need To Talk About Kevin” and has a second directorial effort on tap for 2011, “Haywire”), was hopefully outdone himself here.

7. Take This Waltz (Sarah Polley) Apparently a James L. Brooks/Judd Apatow-esque romantic comedy set in Toronto and starring Michelle Williams as a woman torn between her loving husband (Seth Rogen) and a sexy new dude she meets (Luke Kirby), this looks the city’s second coming of high profile exposure after “Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World,” and I have no doubt that Polley will pull it off.

8. The Grandmasters (Wong Kar-wai) The story of martial-arts master Ip Man, the man who trained Bruce Lee, it could be about the man who trained Sara Lee how to make cakes and I’d go see it if it were directed by Wong Kar-wai.

9. Mildred Pierce (Todd Haynes) Yeah, yeah.. it’s TV. But it so much bigger than its medium. The “Angels of America” of the 2010s? There definitely hasn’t been an HBO miniseries I’ve anticipated this much since. Todd Haynes directing Kate Winslet in a 5 hour epic based on a movie I adored? It don’t get better.

10 & 11. The War Horse and The Adventures of Tin-Tin (Steven Spielberg) One month, two Spielberg movies… both set for release in late December, World War I drama “The War Horse,” and big budget Peter Jackson collaboration “Tin-Tin,” a motion capture 3-D film based on the series of comic books created by Belgian artist Georges “Hergé” Remi. Spielberg has come in twos quite nicely in the past - “Schindler’s List”/“Jurassic Park” in 1993; “Minority Report”/“Catch Me If You Can” in 2002 - and we haven’t seen anything from him since 2008’s disappointing “Indiana Jones” movie, so I for one am looking forward to this ambitious attempt at showing us he’s still got it.

12. Hugo Cabret (Martin Scorsese) Marty goes 3-D and very big budget in this adaptation of the classic book, starring the likes of Chloe Moretz (!), Jude Law, Sacha Baron Cohen, Emily Mortimer and Ben Kingsley.

13. On The Road (Walter Salles) Could be a disaster (see Salles’ English language “Dark Water”), and a disservice to the book’s legacy, but Salles has a great cast in Viggo Mortensen, Steve Buscemi, Kirsten Dunst, Amy Adams, Kristen Stewart, Sam Riley, Garrett Hedlund, and Elisabeth Moss.

14. Shame (Steve McQueen) A drama centered on 30-something Brandon (Michael Fassbender again!), his myriad sexual escapades, and what happens when his wayward younger sister (Carey Mulligan) moves in with him, all things sound to be in place for McQueen to impress us with his follow up to debut “Hunger.”

15. Super 8 (JJ Abrams) I was intrigued by that trailer just like the rest of you, and hope that this could be one of the summer’s brightest studio spots given is pedigree and potential originality in a sea of sequels & remakes.

16. Wuthering Heights (Andrea Arnold) I fell in love with Arnold’s “Fish Tank,” just like I did her “Red Road” and am so curious what she does with a period/literary piece - which is a big stretch from where we’ve grown to love her.

17. The Future (Miranda July) Over five years after “Me and You and Everyone We Know” stole my heart (forever), Miranda July is back with a film about a couple that decides to adopt a stray cat, and then find their perspective on life change radically.

18. The Descendants (Alexander Payne) Over SEVEN years after “Sideways,” Alexander Payne is quietly returning with this film about a land baron (George Clooney… the perfect land baron) who tries to re-connect with his two daughters after his wife suffers a boating accident.

19, 20 & 21. Crazy, Stupid, Love (Glenn Ficarra, John Requa), The Ides of March (George Clooney) and Drive (Nicolas Winding Refn). 2011, the year of Ryan Gosling? We’re getting a romantic comedy that also stars Emma Stone, Steve Carell, Julianne Moore, Marisa Tomei and Kevin Bacon (“Crazy”); “The Descendants” star George Clooney’s next directorial project, also starring Clooney himself and Gosling’s “Crazy” co-star Tomei (“The Ides of March”); AND Nicolas Winding Refn’s much buzzed about film about a Hollywood stunt performer who moonlights as a wheelman (“Drive”). Not to mention “Blue Valentine” is just coming out now…

22. Red State (Kevin Smith) A horror film in which a group of misfits encounter fundamentalism gone to the extreme in Middle America? Kevin Smith, welcome back.

23. Your Highness (David Gordon Green) James Franco and Natalie Portman follow up their Oscar nominated/potentially winning roles with a sure-to-be-hilarious stoner comedy set in medieval times.

24. & 25. Jeff Who Lives at Home (Jay Duplass & Mark Duplass) and Untitled Lynn Shelton Project (Lynn Shelton) Mumblecore continues to go Hollywood and I for one and quite looking forward to it. “Cyrus” and “Humpday” were varying degrees of awesome, and it seems likely that the Duplass’s and Shelton will follow them up with worthy successors that collectively star Jason Segel, Susan Sarandon, Judy Greer, Emily Blunt and Rosemarie DeWitt.

26. My Week With Marilyn (Simon Curtis) Michelle Williams as Marilyn Monroe from a director I’ve never heard of!

27. Bridesmaids (Paul Feig) Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolph battle it out as they plan their friend’s wedding party, from a script co-written by Wiig!

28. Source Code (Duncan Jones) The guy who made “Moon” gives us two hours of Jake Gyllenhaal on a train!

29. The Beaver (Jodie Foster) C’mon, I know you’re curious.

30. WE (Madonna) Alright, maybe you’re not curious. But I am.

http://www.genevievevalentine.com/2011/01/nine-things-about-2011-make-a-post/

Nine Things about 2011 Make a Post!

So, it’s a new year! For optimists, it’s a time of new beginnings, of promises to themselves and others, of a whole year of fresh possibilities! For me: bad movies.

I’m just going to cut to the chase. Here are nine things I am looking forward to this year, in no particular order.

1. This adorable tango couple serves double-duty. First, it’s part of a project I’m working on that I’m really enjoying; second, it’s a reminder that I actually used to dance this thing, and while I’m not looking for a large-scale return, I should attempt to go out and make a night of it at least once this year. Otherwise I have a serious collection of shoes gathering dust in a corner.

2. Southland. I have been a sucker for cop shows since my parents and I watched the pilot of Homicide back in the day. And ten thousand cop shows later, Southland still manages to compel me. When it was canceled after one season on NBC, I was bummed. TNT picked it up for a second season (yay!), and though ratings were modest, they greenlit a third, premiering Jan. 4. I really appreciate a network that gives great shows a chance, and I have set a Season Pass for this guy.

3. Another double-duty! This is a still from this year’s Jane Eyre, with Mia Wasikowska and Michael Fassenbender (I LIKE MICHAEL FASSBENDER), which I will be writing up this week, complete with personal essays and movie-trailer picspam. It is also standing in for every downtrodden, bairnsketball-ridden Catherine Cookson heroine whose stories have yet to be documented in The Catherine Cookson Experience, which I intend to finish soon. I won’t cover them all (some of them are just not worth the time it takes to cap them), but I’ll try, and the best is yet to come.

4. The Borgias! Fancy costumes, Ham-Off scenery chewing, and bizarre sibling relationships. It’s like they made it just for me. Enthusiasm subject to change if this turns out to be as underwhelming as The Tudors, which also had every ingredient to make me love it, and somehow cooked up into a lump of No Thanks Casserole.

5. Books! Specifically, all the books I will be reading / that will be coming out this year written by friends of mine (you all know who you are). My wallet does not thank you, but gosh, it makes me smile.

6. Red Riding Hood. Either it will be glorious or it will be shitmazing. Either way, I’m there at midnight. (Let’s also pretend this thematically stands for Winter’s Bone, for whom I will be rooting loudly come Oscar time.)

7. Mechanique. My first novel comes out this year! You will be hearing more about it later. (Boy, will you EVER.)

8. Priest. SURPRISE PAUL BETTANY. When I reviewed Legion, I realized with horror that Paul Bettany had signed up for another movie with the same director that might be EVEN WORSE. This year, I find out if that was true. YOUR MOVE, TERRIBLE DIRECTOR. (Though Paul staring soulfully at Nikita’s Maggie Q would still probably have gotten my butt in the seat, and the director probably knew that.)

Obviously, this also represents all the other movies I will see this year knowing full well they are absolutely terrible. (I tried to make a mosaic of just those, but it blanketed the earth, so.)

9. Technically this is relevant to this year’s writing interests, but I think we all know that I’ve made one promise again and again and never delivered, and it’s time to get serious about my goals: 2011 is the year I go back in time and hang out with foxes in a turn-of-the-century photo studio.

Obviously these are not the only things I am looking forward to this year, but they are some of the most fun, and should put a pretty nice dent in my sleep cycle throughout 2011!

http://cinetarium.blogspot.com/2011/01/fifteen-good-lookin-2011-movies-without.html?zx=f45e5d8b432fb385

Monday, January 3, 2011
Fifteen Good-Lookin' 2011 Movies Without Release Dates
You have have seen several blogs and sites out there in the past few weeks run down their list of movies they look forward to and anticipate for the next year. I, too, have a list, but I thought I might mix it up with some movies that while you may or may not have heard are coming out this year, have no idea when they'll be released. This may be in part due to the movies still being edited, or possibly shot, or that they played festivals last year and got distribution but have not been given definitive release dates or plans due to studio politics (and this is with the indies mind you), or that the movies have yet to come to respective festivals one may expect them to arrive at.

So it's a mixed list, and it's possible even one or two may not see the light of day until 2012. But until then, here is a tentative list (and, again, for movies that to my knowledge don't have planned release dates, so no Thor or Green Lantern, no Cowboys & Aliens, Tin-Tin, Hugo Cabret, Dragon Tattoo remake or Paul or Rango or Tree of Life).

2) A Dangerous Method - DAVID CRONENBERG

Freud. Jung. A girl between them. And it's Cronenberg, one of the masters of the psychological horror film (and, you know, he usually likes to deal with the duality-of-man thing... a lot). So there's lots of good ground to cover, and maybe there will be some blood drawn between friend-rival psycho-pioneers? One can only hope, especially with Viggo Mortensen as Freud and Michael Fassbender as Jung, two of the best Actors-My-Mom-Would-Do working today, and Kiera Knightly as the girl... perhaps I've said too much...

http://corndogchatscinema.blogspot.com/2011/01/2011-preview.html

Tuesday, January 4, 2011
2011 Preview
As the year 2010 has closed and we are nearing the awards season for what was another good year in film, I take a moment to look forward to 2011, and countdown the ten most anticipated films by me. Obviously nothing is certain, and for the most part I have not even seen the trailers for the following films, gaining interest only through those involved and the short plot synopses available online, but 2011 looks like it could be a huge year for film, with many great releases on the horizon. So without further ado, I will start with my number 10.

#4 Jane Eyre (Cary Fukunaga) - Though I have never read the book, though I may want to now, and though this is only Fukunaga's second feature film as a director, Jane Eyre has me thoroughly excited. First of all I like costume dramas, second of all I loved Fukunaga's debut effort, Sin Nombre, and third of all, it has a great cast. Mia Wasikowka, Michael Fassbender, Judi Dench and Sally Hawkins. Those first two names may be unfamiliar to some, but let me tell you, in time everyone will know them. In addition, the trailer shows that March 11th may turn into a much darker day for Jane Eyre. Count me in.

http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/article/previewing-the-films-of-2011-25-most-anticipated

Previewing the Films of 2011: 25 Most Anticipated

Breaking up the lists to make it more manageable
By: Brad Brevet
Published: Tuesday, January 4th 2011 at 11:39 AM

What's the best way to go about previewing 2011? A most anticipated list? An Oscar hopeful list? A prediction of what films will most likely be atop the yearly box-office? What?

I created a massive list of films coming in 2011 with the intention of doing what I did last year when I previewed 50 films in two parts. Only this year I was wrestling with over 100 movies and then I was bumping up against the problem of whether I should work with just the films I am personally anticipating or preview the films most people will be talking about?

Personally I'm not anticipating films such as Thor, Captain America: The First Avenger or Transformers: Dark of the Moon, but can you really write an article about the films of 2011 and not mention these movies? Therefore, I figured I'd just make a few categories and then open the doors for comments and your lists of most anticipated films. After all, my job is to simply start the conversation and it's yours to determine where it goes from there.

With that said, I'll begin with my most anticipated films of 2011 and we'll move on from there as I will offer up a new installment over the next three days. Here's the schedule:

This is an attempt to make sure I cover the largest spectrum and each preview will come with my thoughts on each and links to each film here on the site where you can get further information, cast listings and trailers and pictures where available.

I did my absolute best to make these quick reads rather than long, multi-page slogs with more movies than you could ever care to read about all at once. So if you don't see your most anticipated film(s) on this list, rest assured it is likely to wind up in one of my following previews.

A Dangerous Method [TBA 2011]: David Cronenberg directs Viggo Mortensen, Michael Fassbender, Keira Knightley and Vincent Cassel in a film centered on the conflict between Freud (Mortensen) and his pupil Jung (Fassbender). It's almost impossible to not be excited for this one.

Jane Eyre [March 11]: Cary Fukunaga's Sin Nombre was a devastating feature and all eyes will be his next film, a new telling of Charlotte Bronte's classic novel with a cast that includes Mia Wasikowska, Michael Fassbender, Jamie Bell, Judi Dench, Sally Hawkins and Imogen Poots.

http://www.tvandmovienews.com/2011/01/the-notable-films-of-2011-part-six/

The Notable Films of 2011: Part Six

Haywire
Opens: 2011
Cast: Gina Carano, Ewan McGregor, Antonio Banderas, Michael Douglas
Director: Steven Soderbergh

Summary: When an operation goes awry in Dublin, freelance covert operative Mallory Kane finds she has been double crossed. She needs to use all of her skills, tricks and abilities to escape an international manhunt, make it back to the United States, protect her family, and exact revenge on those that have betrayed her.

Analysis: Originally titled "Knockout", this marks a change of pace for Soderbergh with a throwback to two of best sub-genres in 70's cinema - exploitation and espionage films. One early review complimented David Holmes' score and called it a strong gritty spy thriller that probably isn't going to win any awards but is "pretty fine" nonetheless, another described it as "if Alfred Hitchock made a Pam Grier movie".

Working from a script by Lem Dobbs ("Dark City," "The Score," "The Limey"), Soderbergh has landed a bunch of major stars in supporting roles here including Antonio Banderas, Michael Douglas, Bill Paxton, Ewan McGregor, Michael Fassbender, Channing Tatum and Mathieu Kassovitz. The lead though isn't a big name in movies, but a famed athlete in her own right - Italian-American mixed martial arts fighter Gina Carano who certainly looks the part of an action heroine.

Shot in Ireland earlier this year, a release date has yet to be locked in as there is question over whether Relativity Media will buy back distribution rights from Lionsgate so it can release the film through its new distribution arm. As of last month, Lionsgate says it still plans to release the film.

http://imthecautionarywhale.blogspot.com/2011/01/most-anticipated-films-for-2011.html

Monday, January 3, 2011
Most Anticipated Films for 2011

As you'll see in the following list, I'm pretty much a sucker for a blockbuster. But that's also due to the fact that smaller films' release dates are harder to pin down, especially if they get any kind of awards buzz, which usually means getting a December 31 release in one theater in Los Angeles because, I mean, why would you want a movie to be seen by people?
I digress.

I'm not exactly breathless anticipating these films, but they're the ones who have piqued my interest the most. So, here they are (release dates in parentheses; all release dates as of January 4):

6. A Dangerous Method
Viggo Mortensen is Sigmund Freud. Michael Fassbender is Carl Jung. The two of them create modern psychoanalysis while battling for Keira Knightley's Sabina Spielrein's feelings. David Cronenberg directs from a script based on Christopher Hampton's play. In a year with plenty of CGI whiz-bang, this is the film that should features some of the most special effects of all: fantastic, scrumptiously dramatic acting. Though a release date has not officially been set yet, this could be the acting showcase of the year. (Unknown)

X-Men: First Class
Back in 2006, Matthew Vaughn flirted with the idea of directing the third and "final" X-Men movie once Brian Singer turned it down to do Superman Returns, and was even hired before he left the production because of creative differences. Instead, we got Brett Ratner. Now, it seems that cinematic crime that was X-Men: The Last Stand will be avenged with this film, a trip back to the origins of the X-Men before Xavier became Professor X, delving into his relationship with the man who would become Magneto. Its got an interesting hook, and Vaughn actually directed this time, which should be interesting given how he handled Kick-Ass (that's a good thing). And with James McAvoy as Xavier, Michael Fassbender as Magneto, Jennifer Lawrence as Mystique and Kevin Bacon as Sebastian Shaw, this could be an unexpectedly profound superhero film. Or it could be all shallow action. (6/3)

Posted by Jason H. at 5:40 PM

http://schofizzymoviereview.blogspot.com/2011/01/25-anticipated-films-in-2011.html

Tuesday, January 4, 2011
25 Anticipated Films in 2011

Another year is upon us and seems how I'm in the list making mood I decided to rattle off a number of 2011 movies That I am excited about seeing. This list isn't critical per say, just stuff that I have interest in based off cast, writer/director, concept/synopsis, trailer or a combination of all those factors. Expectations can sometimes be a bitch and there is no guarantee any of these titles will be good, but regardless I'm interested in them. Take a look at what I'm pumped for in 2011 below...

23. Jane Eyre (March 11th)
I never finished this book. Bored me to tears, but director Cary Fukunaga's spin on this classic tale has me interested. Not to mention Fukunaga blew me away with Sin Nombre, and this drastic turn in tone has me boggled. Truthfully, you give me a period piece with a touch of horror and yes, I'm intrigued. Plus you have Michael Fassbender who is electric on screen in every role he plays. I'm not sure exactly how dark this film will end up being, but for now I'm anxious to see what the dark secret is.

Posted by Schofizzy at 9:39 PM

http://funwithinsomnia.com/blog/2011/01/04/11-sci-fifantasy-movies-were-looking-forward-to-most-in-2011/

11 sci-fi/fantasy movies we’re looking forward to most in 2011

by admin on Jan.04, 2011, under Area 51

‘Tis the season to look ahead and see what’s in store for movie lovers in the coming year. And it’s a good one, filled with superheroes, aliens, wizards, J.J. Abrams, Steven Spielberg and, yes, Muppets.

X-MEN: FIRST CLASS

Release date: June 3

Starring: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Kevin Bacon

Of all the Marvel movies coming out this summer—which include Thor (May 6) and Captain America: The First Avenger (July 22)—this reboot is the most curious, and feels the most intriguing. Directed by Kick-Ass‘ Matthew Vaughn, starring two incredibly fine young actors, this film attempts to reclaim Marvel’s merry mutants from the gaping maw of Brett Ratner’s X-Men: The Last Stand while telling us where things went wrong between Charles Xavier and Erik Lensherr and how the X-Men got their start.

http://movieslifeandotherquestions.blogspot.com/2011/01/ten-films-im-most-excited-about-in-2011.html

Wednesday, January 5, 2011
The Ten Films I'm Most Excited About In 2011
Posted by Frederick Frog
Predictions are a difficult thing in the film world. The big releases are mostly mapped out, but you never know what's going to be pushed back until next year (How many years has The Tree Of Life been on similar lists to this?). The smaller films can come seemingly out of nowhere. Who knows what little films premiering at Sundance are going to rocket their way into our hearts?

Best guesses being what they are, here's what's on the horizon that I'm salivating for.


6. X-MEN: FIRST CLASS

Director: Matthew Vaughn
Stars: Jame McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, January Jones, Kevin Bacon
Plot: Prequel to the X-Men franchise explores the origins of the team, and the relationship between a young Xavier and Magneto.

Vaughn's follow-up to one of my favorite films of 2010, Kick-Ass, and in the same genre. Fox Studios shoddy track record aside, I'm stoked for this.

5. A DANGEROUS METHOD

Director: David Cronenberg
Stars: Viggo Mortensen, Michael Fassbender, Keira Knightly
Plot: A love triangle between Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, and Sabina Spielrein.

Cronenberg is nothing if not compelling and engaging, so it'll be interesting to see his continued progression away from body-horror into the world of the psychological.

http://ricksflickspicks.animationblogspot.com/2011/01/04/most-anticipated-winter-spring-2011/

Getting Buzzed - RFP’s 15 Most Anticipated Winter/Spring Films
4 01 2011
Hoping Sucker Punch is a knock out and not a wild swing.

Well the new year is here and it’s time to start getting excited for what 2011 will have in store for us movie-wise. As always, we have to endure the winter dumping ground and the summer sequel parade for the serious fall films. This spring already has some intriguing films for us. Here’s hoping that this is better than the last.

Honorable Mentions (Some are just curiosities at best)
THE GREEN HORNET (Jan. 14), BARNEY’S VERSION (Jan. 14), THE COMPANY MEN (Jan. 21), THE RITE (Jan. 28), THE MECHANIC (Jan. 28), SANCTUM (Feb. 4), FRANKIE & ALICE (Feb. 4), THE EAGLE (Feb. 11), GNOMEO AND JULIET (Feb. 11), I AM NUMBER FOUR (Feb. 18), OF GODS AND MEN (Feb. 25), APOLLO 18 (March 4), BATTLE: LOS ANGELES (March 11), MARS NEEDS MOMS (March 11), RED RIDING HOOD (March 11), LIMITLESS (March 18), THE LINCOLN LAWYER (March 18), HOP (Apr. 1), INSIDIOUS (Apr. 1) and ARTHUR (Apr. .

Most Anticipated Winter/Spring Films

7) JANE EYRE (March 11)
Trailer
Yep, it’s another version of the Charlotte Bronte classic. But this one is directed by Cary Fukunaga, who made the amazing immigrant tale SIN NOMBRE. It also has an impressive cast, which includes Mia Wasikowska, Michael Fassbender, Jamie Bell, Imogen Poots, Judi Dench, Sally Hawkins and Simon McBurney. Past adaptations have always played up the romance; this one seems more focused on the psychological drama of the tale. Watch the trailer; there is nothing Masterpiece Theater stuffy about this one.

http://girls-are-weird.livejournal.com/117628.html

04 January 2011 @ 11:59 pm
EXTRA!!-- upcoming movies!

SO! last year i made a post like this, and i did watch all the movies in it, except one-- that was robin hood, but i didn't not watch it because i forgot about it, it's just that my dislike of russell crowe won me over and i lost interest. but still, that means i didn't forget about any of my must-watch movies last year. and that means making a list of must-see movies every year is a totally valuable enterprise! so, here's my list for 2011. click on the movie's title to see the trailer! (if available).

WARNING: LONG and RANTY.

jane eyre:

i admit, i'm going to see this one mainly because i like these types of period pieces. i've never read the novel and have only heard bits and pieces about it through popcultural osmosis, but what's more, i'm not entirely sure the trailer grabbed me. i feel like mia wasikowska is very wooden in her performances-- it worked for alice, because she was supposed to be clueless and confused, but i'm not sure it works on this one. and i don't really feel any chemistry between her and michael fassbender, although i certainly like him as a byronic hero. =3 but who knows, it might turn out to be the next pride and prejudice for me.

x-men first class:

okay, i am so RIDICULOUSLY excited about the casting for this movie that if it turns out to be horrible, i'm going to have to kill someone. painfully. but seriously, it would have to be really, really bad for me not to like an x-men movie. i'm like physically incapable of not liking something x-men. so i'm much more likely to love it, and considering brian singer is back on board, i figure we have nowhere to go but up. i do wonder what the plot is going to be about, though, as it seems they're not following the actual first class comic series but this is some other "first class"...