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Fall Movie Preview: Kid Stuff

BuzzSugar — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 09:30:00 -0700

For the last post in my Fall Movie Preview series, let's take a look at some of the fun kid stuff that'll be hitting the theaters in the coming months. Some of these movies look like they will be lots of fun for grown-ups, too.

Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium
Natalie Portman, Jason Bateman and Dustin Hoffman all star in this whimsical tale of a magical toy shop. The brightly colored trailer makes the movie look quirky and cute - definitely a winner for both young and old. Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium hits theaters November 16.

Fall Movie Preview: Just Drama

BuzzSugar — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 09:30:00 -0700

Well it's September, folks, and the summertime movie season is officially over. Now we have a whole new crop of films to check out in the coming chillier months, so in preparation for that, I'm giving you little glimpses of this fall and winter's must-see movies with my Fall Movie Preview series. Today's roundup is full of drama, drama, drama.

December Boys
I am very excited to watch Daniel Radcliffe in his first major non-Harry Potter movie role. Hopefully I can get through the film without seeing him solely as everyone's beloved boy wizard. In December Boys Radcliffe plays one of several orphans vacationing with a couple who will ultimately choose one of them to adopt. The movie opens in select theaters today, September 14, so go here to watch the trailer.

Several more oh-so-dramatic movies if you read more

Lions for Lambs
From the trailer for Lions for Lambs, it looks like Meryl Streep and Robert Redford are compelling in their roles while Tom Cruise is sniveling and obnoxious. Still, Cruise's presence won't stop me from seeing this tense political drama, directed by Redford himself, in which "injuries sustained by two Army ranger behind enemy lines in Afghanistan set off a sequence of events involving a congressman (Cruise), a journalist (Streep) and a professor (Redford)." Lions for Lambs opens November 2, so check out the trailer on the film's website.

Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married?
Tyler Perry stars in his own latest film project which may not be a severely dramatic film but, basically, I didn't know which other Fall Movie Preview category to place it in. Janet Jackson joins Perry in this story that examines marriage in all its glory and complications. As Lionsgate describes the plot, "During a trip to the picturesque snowcapped mountains of Colorado, eight married college friends have gathered for their annual seven-day reunion. But the cozy mood is shattered when the group comes face-to-face with one pair’s infidelity. As secrets are revealed, each couple begins questioning the validity of their own marriage." Start wrestling the hard issues on October 12 when Why Did I Get Married? opens.

Into the Wild
Sean Penn directed this project, and adapted the Jon Krakauer book on which this film is based. Into the Wild tells the true story of Christopher McCandless who graduates college, gives away his savings and ventures on his own in pursuit of ultimate truth and freedom. He tells no one where he's going, and his family never hears from him again. The movie tells of the people he meets and the adventures he has before reaching the desolate Alaskan wilderness he so wanted to find. The film opens everywhere September 21, so check out the trailer here.

Feel the Noise
Jennifer Lopez produces this drama all about rap and dance in Puerto Rico. As IMDB describes it, "After a run-in with local thugs, aspiring Harlem rapper Rob (Omarion Grandberry) flees to a place and father (Giancarlo Esposito) he never knew, and finds his salvation in Reggaeton, a spicy blend of hip-hop, reggae and Latin beats." Check out the trailer before Feel the Noise hits theaters October 5.

Why Did I Get Married? photo courtesy of Lionsgate
Into the Wild photo courtesy of Paramount Vantage
December Boys photo source
Other photos source

Fall Movie Preview: Oh, the Horror

BuzzSugar — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 07:30:00 -0700

Well it's September, folks, and the summertime movie season is officially over. Now we have a whole new crop of films to check out in the coming chillier months, so in preparation for that, I'm giving you little glimpses of this fall and winter's must-see movies with my Fall Movie Preview series. Today I'm bringing you three titles from the bloody, fright-filled horror genre.

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
In this film version of the stage musical, Johnny Depp plays Sweeney Todd, a barber who is wrongfully imprisoned and seeks revenge on the judge (played by Alan Rickman) who sentenced him. Tim Burton directs (naturally) while Sacha Baron Cohen and the ever-commanding Helena Bonham Carter also star. Sweeney Todd's story begins with these ominous words: "Attend the tale of Sweeney Todd./His skin was pale and his eye was odd./He shaved the faces of gentlemen/Who never thereafter were heard of again." The movie, of which some parts were rumored to be cut because they were too gruesome, opens this Christmas.

For two more horrifying titles, read more

30 Days of Night
Josh Hartnett stars as the Sheriff of a small Alaskan town that naturally spends 30 days a year in darkness. As the last bit of sunlight fades, the town is overtaken by a gang of bloodthirsty vampires (I wonder if vampires are ever not bloodthirsty?). Hartnett and his Deputy wife are the town's last hope. Ben Foster stars as well, doing that creepy thing he does so well. 30 Days of Night opens October 19, just in time for Halloween, so in the meantime check out the scary-looking trailer.

Saw IV
And the Saw movies keep on coming. In this fourth installment, the plot description is this: "Jigsaw and his apprentice Amanda are dead. Now, upon the news of Detective Kerry's murder, two seasoned FBI profilers, Agent Strahm and Agent Perez, arrive in the terrified community to assist the veteran Detective Hoffman in sifting through Jigsaw's latest grizzly remains and piecing together the puzzle. However, when SWAT Commander Rigg is abducted and thrust into a game, the last officer untouched by Jigsaw has but ninety minutes to overcome a series of demented traps and save an old friend or face the deadly consequences. " If you're into these movies, check out Saw IV when it opens October 26.

Source

Fall Movie Preview: Girl Talk

BuzzSugar — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 07:15:00 -0700

Elizabeth: The Golden Age
This absolutely luscious-looking film brings together two gorgeous actors, Cate Blanchett and Clive Owen, for the follow-up to the 1998 period piece Elizabeth. This story follows the Queen Elizabeth's (Blanchett) relationship with Sir Walter Raleigh (Owen). Check out the beautiful trailer before The Golden Age hits theaters October 12.

Fall Movie Preview: Thrills and Action

BuzzSugar — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 09:30:00 -0700

More thrilling and action-packed titles to check out, so read more

Rendition
The trailer for Rendition already gives me goosebumps: A woman (Reese Witherspoon) tries to find out what's happened to her missing husband, who is being tortured on suspicion of being a terrorist. The fantastic cast (Jake Gyllenhaal, Meryl Streep, Alan Arkin, Peter Sarsgaard) only adds to my anticipation for this movie, which opens October 19.

Reservation Road
Joaquin Phoenix. Mark Ruffalo. Jennifer Connolly. A dark and twisty thriller that combines murder, suspicion and family drama... Need I say more? Based on the novel by John Burnham Schwartz, Reservation Road has all the fixin's for a thoroughly satisfying thriller. We'll find out if it is for sure when it opens October 19. Check out the trailer and see what you think.

Hitman
IMDB describes the plot for Hitman thusly: "A gun-for-hire known only as Agent 47 (Olyphant) is ensnared in a political conspiracy, which finds him pursued by both Interpol and the Russian military as he treks across Eastern Europe." Yikes. Watch the trailer - eerily set to "Ave Maria" - before Hitman hits theaters November 21.

The Orphanage
I have heard only phenomenally positive things about this Spanish-language thriller about creepy little ghost children. However, it looks so scary I'm not sure I can handle watching it! The story follows Laura (Belén Rueda) and her young son Simón who transform Laura's childhood home into an orphanage. Soon, however, Simón makes an invisible friend. Aaaah! Creepy McCreepfest. The film opens in Spain in late October, but not until December 28 for us Americans.

Eastern Promises
Naomi Watts and Viggo Mortensen star in this mystery-thriller which was directed by David Cronenberg (A History of Violence). Mortensen plays Nikolai, a member of a notorious London crime family. Watts is Anna, a midwife who accidentally uncovers potential evidence against the family. As the plot description puts it, "Now Nikolai must put into motion a harrowing chain of murder, deceit, and retribution." The trailer is so spooky, I can't wait to see this when Eastern Promises opens September 21.

The Kingdom
Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman and Chris Cooper star in this war drama/action flick which opens September 28. "When a terrorist bomb detonates inside a Western housing compound in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, an international incident is ignited. While diplomats slowly debate equations of territorialism, FBI Special Agent Ronald Fleury (Jamie Foxx) quickly assembles an elite team (Chris Cooper, Jennifer Garner, and Jason Bateman) and negotiates a secret five-day trip into Saudi Arabia to locate the madman behind the bombing." I'm sure everything goes as planned. Or maybe not.

Rendition photo courtesy of New Line Cinema
Reservation Road, Hitman and The Kingdom photos source
All other images source

Fall Movie Preview: Funny Ha-Ha

BuzzSugar — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 06:30:00 -0700

Well it's post-Labor Day September, folks, so the summertime movie season is officially over. Now we have a whole new crop of films to check out in the coming chillier months, so in preparation for that, I'm giving you little glimpses of this fall and winter's must-see movies with my Fall Movie Preview series. Today's roundup includes the season's comedies that will hopefully be less funny-awkward and more funny-ha-ha.

Be Kind Rewind
While I think Jack Black's movies can be pretty hit-or-miss, the trailer for Be Kind Rewind made me laugh out loud. This was also due to Mos Def's natural comedic charm, however, so if this film is successful when it opens December 21, it will definitely be a team win. The story follows video store employees Jerry (Black) and Mike (Mos Def) whose videos all become erased. To appease the customers, the duo shoot brief, low-budget versions of the original movies which go on to become hugely popular in the town.

Fall Movie Preview: Sci-Fi Throwdown

BuzzSugar — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 09:30:00 -0700

We may not be getting the crisp fall weather just yet, but we are getting previews for tons of movies opening in the fall. In preparation for this autumn and winter at the theaters, I've broken up the lengthy list of upcoming movies into many small themes for my Fall Movie Preview series. This way, you'll be in the know when the chillier months roll around, bringing a whole new crop of new films. Today's roundup features three of the sci-fi flicks we can expect to see in the coming months.

I Am Legend
In I Am Legend, Will Smith plays Robert Neville, who is "the last man alive. He busies himself with preparing for a nightly attack from the rest of the world - all of which have transformed into blood-thirsty vampires." Well, at least he has his dog. Check out the trailer for the movie before I Am Legend hits theaters December 14.

Two more other-worldly films if you read more

Resident Evil 3: Extinction
This third film in the Resident Evil trilogy picks up five years after the second one ended, when about 98% of the world's population was infected with the T-Virus. According to the plot description: "The movie setting takes place primarily in a now barren, deserted Las Vegas wasteland and Alice (Milla Jovovich), the movie’s main protagonist, leads the caravan of human survivors through the Nevada desert on a long trek to Alaska, where it was discovered that there are no infections. Along the way, it is determined that the heinous Umbrella Corporation is continuing its evil work and must be destroyed once and for all. Sought after by the evil underlings of the diabolical Dr. Isaacs, Alice has Undeads hungry for her flesh, and lab rats hungry for her blood - whilst Alice hungers for only one thing: revenge!" Check out Jovovich and Ali Larter in this third Resident Evil film when it opens September 21.

Alien vs. Predator Requiem (AVP2)
Okay, this image just makes me laugh (is that the laser equivalent of spitting in someone's eye?), but I know that this film is a big deal for some sci-fi fans who are really into the Alien and Predator movies and video games. This movie finds, well, Alien and Predator pitted against one another, waging "their most brutal battle yet in an unsuspecting Colorado town." The fight begins December 25.

Source

Fall Movie Preview: Family Matters

BuzzSugar — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 07:15:00 -0700

We may not be getting the crisp fall weather just yet, but we are getting previews for tons of movies opening in the fall. In preparation for this autumn and winter at the theaters, I've broken up the lengthy list of upcoming movies into many small themes for my Fall Movie Preview series. This way, you'll be in the know when the chillier months roll around, bringing a whole new crop of new films. Today's roundup features the movies that explore those fickle family dynamics.

Martian Child
Yes, that's John Cusack in what looks like it will be one of the fall's most endearing movies. Cusack plays "a recently widowed science fiction writer who adopts a young boy that claims to be from Mars. But the new father ignores some sage advice about the perils of parenthood from his sister and gets more than he bargained for when a series of strange occurrences lead him to believe the child's claim may be true." The trailer on the movie's website is adorable and heart-squeezy, so check it out before Martians land in theaters October 26.

Much more family love if you read more

Juno
I really can't wait for this movie to open December 14, but at this point I'd settle for any kind of promotional material - photos, trailers, anything! The cast is basically a roundup of some of my favorite actors ever: Michael Cera, Ellen Page, Jason Bateman, Jennifer Garner, Allison Janney and Rainn Wilson. Page plays a bright teenager whose life is compromised when she's faced with an unplanned pregnancy by - wait for it - Michael Cera's character. Luckily, a wealthy suburban couple (Bateman and Garner) agree to adopt Juno's baby. According to this plot description, "Juno has the total support of her parents (J.K. Simmons and Allison Janney) as she faces some tough decisions, flirts with adulthood and ultimately figures out where she belongs." I seriously can't wait.

The Savages
This is one of the many movies that I wish I'd been able to see at Sundance this year, as it stars some highly capable actors: Laura Linney and Philip Seymour Hoffman. In this "serious comedy," the two play middle-aged siblings struggling to come to terms with their father's deteriorating health. The trailer looks poignant and funny at the same time. The Savages opens December 26.

Grace Is Gone
I think someone recently decided that John Cusack plays a damn good widower, since this fall finds him in not one, but two roles that require him to put on the sad-puppy face. Grace Is Gone also screened at Sundance and was quickly snatched up by The Weinstein Company. Cusack plays Stanley Phillips, a father of two who learns that his wife has died in the Iraq war. He knows he must tell his daughters about their mother's death, but first decides to bring them on a road trip to their favorite amusement park. On the journey, the daughters try to understand their father's strange behavior, and Stanley realizes that he needs to know who his children are before he can help them with this sorrowful turn of events.

Darjeeling Limited
Wes Anderson's latest project looks extremely promising: Josh Schwartzman, Adrien Brody and Owen Wilson play brothers on a journey together in India. The trailer is all sorts of bizarre mixed and sweet with a dash of funny.

Rails and Ties
The plot description for this movie makes it seem achingly sad, so hopefully there are traces of redemption in there somewhere: "Tom (Kevin Bacon) and Megan Stark (Marcia Gay Harden) always thought there would be time - time to have children, time to take that trip to San Francisco, time to fix the problems in their marriage. But Megan's illness and Tom's inability to face the possibility of losing her are stealing all the time they have left. All Tom can do is bury himself in his job as a train conductor... Tom's train has hit a car on the tracks in a tragic turn of events that, while not his fault, may still cost him his job. Worse, a young woman is dead and her son, Davey, has been left to cope with the loss of his mother. The accident puts the Starks and Davey on their own collision course. But instead of leading to tragedy, this crossing could mean new hope for a woman who has only one chance left to fulfill her dreams, for a man who must learn to open his heart before it's too late, and for a young boy who has never known the true meaning of family." I'll be checking out Rails and Ties - tissues in hand - when it opens October 26.

August Rush
I'm very curious about August Rush, a story about a lonely boy who seeks out his birth parents (played by Jonathan Rhys-Meyers and Kerry Russell) through their shared gift for music. Here's what I'm not as stoked to see: Robin Williams playing (what else?) the inspirational urban cowboy. Check out the trailer before August Rush opens November 21.

Martian Child, The Savages, Darjeeling Limited and Rails and Ties photos source
Grace Is Gone, August Rush photos source

Fall Movie Preview: Bad Boys

BuzzSugar — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 08:15:00 -0700

We may not be getting the crisp fall weather just yet, but we are getting previews for tons of movies opening in the fall. In preparation for this autumn and winter at the theaters, I've broken up the lengthy list of upcoming movies into many small themes for my Fall Movie Preview series. This way, you'll be in the know when the chillier months roll around, bringing a whole new crop of new films. Today's list of upcoming titles features some men behaving badly - and some good guys - and all of them looking very nice all the while.

Shoot 'Em Up
If you've been reading Buzz in recent months you know that I've been breathlessly awaiting the release of this movie which stars Clive Owen and Paul Giamatti. Luckily, there's not much more waiting to go since Shoot 'Em Up opens September 7. My Comic-Con correspondent Phasekitty got to see some scenes from the movie while in San Diego and this is what she reported back: "t is some of the most exciting action I've seen in a long time; very similar to the Transporter series, though with a new comedic element. Clive Owen's character is protecting a woman and a child from a hit man (Paul Giamatti), and spends most of the action sequences out-shooting people with one hand and carrying the infant baby in the other." Granted, I will watch Clive Owen do just about anything, so it's all the more enticing when I get to see him kicking butt and saving babies. Check out the awesomely done trailer here.

Fall Movie Preview: Heartstrings, Yanked

BuzzSugar — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 11:30:31 -0700

We may not be getting the crisp fall weather just yet, but we are getting previews for tons of movies opening in the fall. In preparation for this autumn and winter at the theaters, I've broken up the lengthy list of upcoming movies into many small themes for my Fall Movie Preview series. This way, you'll be in the know when the chillier months roll around, bringing a whole new crop of new films. Today I'm bringing you three movies that may just jerk at the tears and yank at the heartstrings.

The Kite Runner
The trailer for this movie is already enough to start me crying, especially since I've read the moving novel on which it's based. The story follows two childhood best friends: Amir, the son of a wealthy businessman in Kabul, and Hassan, the son of Amir's father's servant. Before Amir and his father flee to America, the boys' friendship is tested by a moment when Amir falls silent as Hassan is brutally beaten. Settled in California as an adult, this moment haunts Amir until he learns of Hassan's death at the hands of the Taliban, and returns to his homeland to search for Hassan's young son. It sounds bleak (and it kind of is), but there's a lot of beauty in this story as well. The Kite Runner opens November 2.

For two more emotional rollercoasters, read more

P.S. I Love You
P.S. I Love You is also based on a novel and stars Hilary Swank as Holly, a young widow who discovers that her husband wrote out messages for her just before he died. Some of the notes include unusual requests, and before long, Holly and her girlfriends (played by Lisa Kudrow and Gina Gershon, pictured) are going on a string of adventures that Holly's late husband planned for her. I think this premise actually sounds cute, and I like Hilary Swank so I'll be interested to see how it all comes together when P.S. I Love You opens December 21. And now I have that Beatles song in my head.

Things We Lost in the Fire
The trailer for Things We Lost in the Fire, starring Halle Berry, Benicio Del Toro and a bunch of adorable children, seems to show the whole story of love, loss and redemption, but I'm still curious to see the film when it comes out October 27. Berry plays Audrey who loses her husband (Duchovny) to a senseless crime. Del Toro is her husband's best friend who is also a heroin addict. He moves in with Audrey and her kids, and then he most likely becomes an irreplaceable member of the family. Awww...

Kite Runner photo source
Other images source