Fall Movie Preview

Currently: Eastern Promises (Cronenberg + Viggo= I very excite!)
Across the Universe (It looks to be visually amazing…and incredibly whiny. Seeing it more out of duty than anything.)

9/21: The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (One of the ones I’m most excited for.)
In the Shadow of the Moon (Doc about the Apollo program. Just hope I can get past the MPAA’s warning about “incidental smoking.”)

9/28: The Darjeeling Limited (Wes Anderson! Won’t miss it for the world.)
King of California (A comedy with Michael Douglas and Evan Rachel Wood. Should be interesting.)
The Kingdom (I’ve heard good things and it’s got Jason Bateman.)
Trade (Stars Kevin Kline, a guy we just don’t see enough of these days.)
Lust, Caution (Ang Lee’s war drama.)
December Boys (Daniel Radcliffe not playing Harry Potter. If you’ve seen his episode of “Extras” you know he’s got some range on him.)

10/5: The Good Night (Simon Pegg and Martin Freeman. It’s all I know and all I NEED to know.)
Michael Clayton (George Clooney in a thriller. Usually a good thing.)

10/10: Control (Biopic about Joy Division’s Ian Curtis. Very excited.)

10/12: Elizabeth: The Golden Age (Cate Blanchett reprises her role as the queen in an excellent looking film.)
We Own the Night (Not that excited but it should be good. Phoenix, Wahlberg, and Duvall.)
Lars and the Real Girl (Ryan Gosling is more than just an “it” boy and early buzz is that it’s far more than a seeming one joke premise.)
Sleuth (Michael Caine in another re-make of one of his own movies. Jude Law co-stars.)

10/26: Run, Fatboy, Run (Simon Pegg. I’m there.)
Dan in Real Life (Steve Carell, hooray! Dane Cook…yeah, not so much. Seeing it for Steve.)

11/2: American Gangster (As long as Denzel doesn’t give another overwrought “Training Day”-style performance this should be great. Besides, Ridley Scott, Russell Crowe, Chiwetel Ejiofor. All good things.)
Bee Movie (Jerry Seinfeld voices a bee. Yeah, I’ll watch that.)
Joe Strummer: The Future is Unwritten (Love the Clash so I’ve gotta check it out.)
The Kite Runner (Marc Forster’s becoming one of my favorite directors and he never makes the same movie twice.)

11/9: Fred Claus (It might be fun.)
No Country For Old Men (The Coen Brothers and Tommy Lee Jones. Word.)
Southland Tales (Richard Kelly’s long-awaited follow up to “Donnie Darko” has been declared a disaster or a masterpiece depending on who you ask. I’ll see for myself.)
Lions For Lambs (Could be great. Or it could bludgeon us over the head with a political message stick.)

11/16: Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium (From Zach Helm, the writer of the underrated “Stranger Than Fiction.” Dustin Hoffman, Natalie Portman, and Jason Bateman. Looks like a lot of fun.)
Margot at the Wedding (From Noah Baumbach who made “The Squid and the Whale.” Darkish comedy with Nicole Kidman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Jack Black.)

11/30: Cassandra’s Dream (British drama from Woody Allen starring Ewan McGregor and Colin Farrell. If it’s anywhere near as good as “Match Point” then it’s going to be great.)

12/7: Atonement (Joe Wright’s follow-up to “Pride and Prejudice” with Keira Knightley and James McAvoy is already being hailed as a masterpiece.)
Leatherheads (George Clooney directed comedy about old-time football with John Krasinski and Jonathan Pryce. Heck yeah!)

12/14: I am Legend (Will Smith is the last man on earth but he still has things to kill. Oh you know I’m seeing this one.)
Juno (Jason Reitman’s follow-up to “Thank You For Smoking” with “Hard Candy’s” Ellen Page and “Arrested Development” and “Superbad’s” Michael Cera.)

12/21: Sweeney Todd (The sixth pairing of Tim Burton and Johnny Depp. Haven’t gone wrong together yet.)
Walk Hard (This actually looks really awful to me but I like everyone involved with it. Here’s hoping it’s a great movie with a lousy trailer.)

12/26: There Will Be Blood (The movie I’m most excited about the rest of the year. From “Magnolia’s” Paul Thomas Anderson.)
The Savages (Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Laura Linney as a brother and sister in a family dramedy.)

To catch up with on DVD: Once
Rocket Science
Talk to Me

I’m sure there will be some other things along the way but this ought to do for now.