411 Movies Roundtable: November 2009

Posted by Owain J. Brimfield on 11.04.2009

Was Paranormal Activity October's biggest winner? Was Saw VI the biggest loser? What about Avatar? Plus we preview November's releases including 2012, New Moon, The Fourth Kind, and more!

Welcome to the monthly 411 Movies Roundtable. With Christmas looming ever closer we have the first big seasonal movie of the year coming out shortly, and it's joined by a surprisingly solid bevy of films to round out the remainder of the month, so let's get cracking. This month, Cameron Diaz ponders a hefty moral dilemma, Viggo Mortensen copes with the end of the world, and John Cusack copes with the end of the world with much more stuff blowing up.

This month's picture theme is decidedly pre-seasonal, tying in with Robert Zemeckis' latest take on the Dickens classic. As always, bragging rights to whoever can name the character and movie for every pic.

Let's get down to business...

Introducing this month's participants:

From 'Alternate Takes' and the 3R's, Shawn S. Lealos!

Resident arthouse mastermind Len Archibald!

The ranting and raving Bryan Kristopowitz!

The most furious man of all, Arnold Furious!

MJ's greatest fan Jason Chambelain!!

On the direct line from Hollywood, Steve Gustafson!

...and I'm your host, Owain J. Brimfield!

The Month That Was

Shawn S. Lealos

Biggest Winner of the Month: Paranormal Activity - The movie cost under $15,000 to make. In comparison, Saw VI cost about $11 million and Stepfather had a budget of $20 million. As of this writing (Oct 26), the movie has passed the $60 million mark. The only movie that comes close to that kind of success is The Blair Witch Project, and even that movie cost $60,000, four times as much as Paranormal Activity. I have heard mixed reviews, some people saying it is scary as hell and others bored to death by it. Sounds just like Blair Witch to me and it might be a matter of time before it passes Blair as the most profitable movie of all time.

Biggest Loser of the Month: Fans of Texas Chainsaw Massacre - It all started with the news that Twisted Pictures had bought the rights to the TCM franchise. While that is not a reason to be worried, the words of the producers have all the warning signs for disaster. First, there was news they are going to contemporize the storyline for a 3D film that is going to be scripted by Stephen Susco (The Grudge). The bad news continued the next week when producer Mark Burg said they were going to bring the movie to 2010. It is going to be current day with a new story following basic plot points. Then Burg proved to be as confused as the rest of us. He said it is a "new story" and then mentioned it is 35 years later and a relative is going back. What is the relative going back to if they are retconning the original story? Then he said it will be no longer set in a dusty town but be moved to a rural setting, although there will be some new relatives and new people. Yet, it is a new story of a relative going back home to a "not dusty town" but an urban community. All I know is Burg doesn't know what he is talking about, but everything he says makes me not care about the franchise anymore.

Biggest Movie News of the Month: This was the month that Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis all filmed a scene together for the first time ever. How freaking cool it that?

Your Most Anticipated Movie of the Month: The Box - This month isn't really that interesting to me. The only movie that really has me pumped is the third effort from Donnie Darko director Richard Kelly. I love Donnie Darko and can't wait to see The Box.

Recommended DVD Release of the Month: Unlike the disappointing theatrical releases this month, I have quite a few DVDs pre-ordered. Up, a movie I rated a perfect 10 this year, hits Blu-Ray in a 4-Disc combo pack. Star Trek, another great 2009 release gets a 3-Disc Blu-Ray release. North by Northwest gets a 50th Anniversary Edition. Monsters Inc gets a 4-Disc Blu-Ray release. Fight Club, Frailty and Near Dark all get Blu-Ray releases. The Buster Keaton classic The General gets a new prestige Blu-Ray release as well. Criterion has a trifecta coming to Blu-Ray as well, including Howards End, Wings of Desire and Gomorrah.

Classic Movie of the Month: Lets go with North by Northwest. Alfred Hitchcock is considered by many to be the greatest filmmaker to ever live and North by Northwest is arguably his masterpiece. It takes the story Hitch loved to tell most, a normal man put into an overwhelming situation. It also features Hitch's blonde femme fatale, the iconic Mt. Rushmore scene and the famous crop duster chase. This movie has it all and I can't wait to see it on Blu-Ray later this month.

Movie Quote of the Month: "Now you listen to me, I'm an advertising man, not a red herring. I've got a job, a secretary, a mother, two ex-wives and several bartenders that depend upon me, and I don't intend to disappoint them all by getting myself "slightly" killed." - Roger Thornhill, North by Northwest

Len Archibald

Biggest Winner of the Month: Paranormal Activity. $15,000 turns into $60+ million. Yeah. I don't think anyone's competing with that.

Biggest Loser of the Month: Anything that went up against the juggernaut that was Paranormal Activity, including (and it pains me to say this) Spike Jonze's Where the Wild Things Are. Even Saw VI: The Undiscovered Plot couldn't take down the little horror film that could, and did.

Biggest Movie News of the Month: It has to be the success of Paranormal Activity (THE RECORD IS SKIPPING!) I understand that as the years go by this will be slapped with the "overrated" label, but those involved in the independent film industry (i.e. me) have to find some hope in this. Here was a small film that was made for the limit of a medium-sized credit card – got good buzz and word of mouth, so much so that the STUDIOS LISTENED TO THE AUDIENCE (how often does that happen?) and released it nationwide. The "quality" of the film is actually not the story here – it's just the icing on the cake. If you got some support, a great story, a decent eye behind the camera and some competent actors, you CAN break the glass ceiling in Hollywood – and you too can make a FOUR THOUSAND PERCENT PROFIT off your movie.

Your Most Anticipated Movie of the Month: The Men Who Stare at Goats - George Clooney can do no wrong. I've been waiting for this movie since… damn, February.

Recommended DVD Release of the Month: Wings of Desire - This is a little Wim Wenders gem that eventually became City of Angels starring Nicolas Cage and Meg Ryan and introduced mainstream America to the Goo Goo Dolls. Obviously, this is the superior film.

Classic Movie of the Month: In honor of North by Northwest's 50th Anniversary, I present… North by Northwest! One of my favorite Cary Grant movies and one that you could literally feel Alfred Hitchcock having the time of his life behind the camera. This movie taught me to NEVER roam alone on a desolate road surrounded by cornfields. Just… don't do it, man!

Movie Quote of the Month: "WELCOME TO PRIME TIME, BITCH!" - Freddy Krueger's (Robert Englund) most iconic line of dialogue. Sorry, we were doing 411's Top 5 Horror Icons at the time of this writing, and I just thought of this.

Bryan Kristopowitz

Biggest Winner of the Month: The people behind Paranormal Activity. The movie may suck big time, but it's made a bunch of money ($60 million after an initial investment of like $15,000) and become a major pop culture phenomena. It's hard to argue against that when picking out a winner.

Biggest Loser of the Month: Twisted Pictures and Lionsgate, as their fifth Saw sequel didn't rule the box office its opening weekend and made only about half what the last one made. I'm sure no one involved lost any real money, but I'm sure this will make a sixth sequel less of a sure thing. That's not a good thing for fans.

Biggest Movie News of the Month: It looks like George Miller's proposed Mad Max IV may actually happen, with Charlize Theron apparently signing on to play someone, not to mention Miller showing off a bunch of cool looking stunt cars he plans on using in the movie to the press. Why build those cars if the movie isn't going to happen?

Your Most Anticipated Movie of the Month: The Box, just to see if it's as bad as assumed, 2012 for the carnage, and The Men Who Stare at Goats because it looks hilarious. Old Dogs looks pretty dang funny, too.

Recommended DVD Release of the Month: G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra comes out, as does Up, there's something called National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation Ultimate Collectors Edition, another Three Stooges collection comes out, the Star Trek reboot, Bruno, Black Dynamite and the mob flick Gomorrah.

Classic Movie of the Month: Body Slam (1986) - This, of course, is the great pro wrestling movie directed by Hal Needham and starring Dirk "Faceman" Benedict as M. Harry Smilac, a deadbeat music manager that ends up becoming a pro wrestling manager by mistake. Roddy Piper and the late, great Captain Lou Albano basically play versions of themselves. The late, great Billy Barty also shows up as a homophobic midget wrestler manager, Charles Nelson Reilly as essentially himself, and Tanya Roberts as a hot babe. The wrestling scenes are cheesy as hell, but the movie is fun and deserves to be seen at least once by everyone on the planet.

Movie Quote of the Month: Smilac: "Look, Kim, you're getting to be a real pain in the ass, so here's how it's going to be. You're going to get off my back and you're going to stay away from my cars. Now this beauty here cost me eighty-five thousand. Now, one little nick on that baby and you'll be back in Japan before you can say egg foo yung.
Kim: "Egg foo yung is Chinese, Mr. Smilac! Korean different!"
- M. Harry Smilac (Dirk Benedict) and Mr. Kim (John Fujioka), Body Slam (1986)

Arnold Furious

Biggest Winner of the Month: Hands down Paranormal Activity. It blew a Saw movie out of the water on Halloween! And it cost virtually nothing to make while taking $68M (at time of writing). This is the kind of movie that film studios just don't understand. Comes out of nowhere, costs nothing and you know they'll be trying to figure out how to make another one. Unlucky fellas, lightning doesn't strike twice.

Biggest Loser of the Month: Take your pick of the Halloween weekend releases people. Four movies came out and with the exception of Saw VI all of them bombed. And that movie did way under what it was supposed to. I'll let Amelia off because it didn't have the same wide opening as the others. So that leaves The Vampire's Assistant and Astro Boy, both of which tanked horribly taking just a fraction of their budgets in the opening weekend.

Biggest Movie News of the Month: Being the mark that I am for the first film I'm going with Robert Zemeckis' announcement that he'll be doing a sequel to Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Hopefully it will retain the charm of the original but there is plenty of hope as the director, star and screenwriters are all back. But then we were optimistic about Kingdom of the Crystal Skull too.

Your Most Anticipated Movie of the Month: If I were a teenage girl I'd undoubtedly go with New Moon but seeing as I'm neither female nor in my teens I'll probably go for Roland Emmerich's 2012. Yeah, he makes retarded films but they're much more entertaining than Michael Bay's movies and 2012 does promise the usual destruction and world-ending chaos. Will they pussy out on actually destroying the planet though? Time will tell.

Recommended DVD Release of the Month: As it's coming up to Christmas a lot of DVD's are hitting the stores. Star Trek is so good that even if you hate the Trek universe (TV shows, movies, nerdishness) you should still see it. Public Enemies is out in November too and seeing as not many people saw it at the cinema this is your chance. Also Family Guy brings us the 8th season of antics. Not bad for a show that was cancelled after three years.

Classic Movie of the Month: I've been filling in the holes in my Jackie Chan knowledge for the past 6 weeks or so checking out some classics and some things I'd missed out on and the best of the lesser known Chan movies is Dragons Forever. Chan, Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao together for the last time. Yuen Biao steals the show with a forgetful, spiritualistic bugging expert. Loads of action and excitement. Highly recommended.

Movie Quote of the Month: "Let's do some gratuitous violence." – Norman Reedus explains the plot to Boondock II: All Saints Day.

Jason Chamberlain

Biggest Winner of the Month: Michael Jackson's memory and reputation. This Is It is an amazing piece of work. It showcases the energy, verve and raw talent that MJ still had despite years away from the stage and the public eye, and though I won't spoil anything, the amazing special effects, pyrotechnics and general spectacle he was preparing would have been absolutely mind blowing to see fully formed. As it is, it's a great send off to an amazing artist.

Biggest Loser of the Month: Well, Cirque Du Freak didn't seem to bust into that crazy vampire bank that's running around right now. See, it's not so much the vampires, it's the ‘dreamy guys' playing them. I don't think John C. Reilly is hung up in too many high school lockers.

Biggest Movie News of the Month: Paranormal Activity kicked some ass at the box office, like, really. Didn't see that one coming.

Your Most Anticipated Movie of the Month: A Christmas Carol, though it's releasing a solid month too early. I love Christmas, but I don't start celebrating until December. Seeing a full blown holiday movie a month out just seems like weird timing, and we won't be getting the full effect.

Recommended DVD Release of the Month: Some good picks out this month. Watchmen gets combined with the Black Freighter animated flick so create one gigantic Alan Moore-gasm. The Lord of the Rings trilogy finally hits Blu, and the first season of the very cool Star Wars: Clone Wars series hits. Take your pick!

Classic Movie of the Month: Since you can get the LOTR trilogy on Blu this month, I suggest you check those out one more time. Three of the greatest movies of all time!

Movie Quote of the Month: "It's all for love. L-O-V-E." – Michael Jackson in his swan song, the film This Is It.

Steve Gustafson

Biggest Winner of the Month: Let's get it out of the way. Paranormal Activity is the big winner. No doubt about it. BUT in a way so is Marty Krofft. WhatchutalkinboutSteve? Krofft is inspired by the look and success of Where the Wild Things Are and is pushing for similar man-in-suit technology to bring his Pufnstuf characters to life. Awesome! Krofft told the New York Daily News, "We always wanted to do low-tech costumes and high-tech heads. But it'll be a big difference in tone, of course, we'll be bright, not dark." Classics on the big screen with great effects and healthy budgets? Works for me!

Biggest Loser of the Month: This one all depends on how you look at it. Is it James Cameron or Poul Anderson? While the anticipation (and expectations) grows for Avatar, it might be a little tainted. Fans of obscure science fiction novellas from 1957 are crying foul on the eagerly awaited epic. A loyal reader tipped off genre professionals io9 to the story Call Me Joe by Poul Anderson, a story that sounds familiar. Cameron's (supposedly) original script revolves around humans that use the bodies of an alien species via mental connection as physical avatars, and proceed to use them to exploit the resources of the alien's home world. From the io9 post, "Like Avatar, Call Me Joe centers on a paraplegic, Ed Anglesey, who telepathically connects with an artificially created life form in order to explore a harsh planet (in this case, Jupiter). Anglesey, like Avatar's Jake Sully, revels in the freedom and strength of his artificial created body, battles predators on the surface of Jupiter, and gradually goes native as he spends more time connected to his artificial body." The big question is, will fans even care if it has been ripped off?

Biggest Movie News of the Month: Biggest news for me and anyone else that likes FREE STUFF! On Oct. 21, a high-ranking exec. at News Corp., which owns Hulu along with NBC Universal and Disney, told a trade conference that "a free model is a very difficult way to capture the value of [Hulu's] content," positing that the site could start charging as early as 2010. NO! PLEASE NO! The internet was sent into a frenzy at the prospect. Then a source close to Hulu told EW that the site remains steadfastly committed to free content, explaining that any possible subscription or pay-per-view service has no set timeline and would only build upon what Hulu offers, not replace it. OK. That's a little better. I, and many others, will be watching with great interest.

Your Most Anticipated Movie of the Month: Ninja Assassin. I've been talking about this movie since LAST YEAR! I remember mentioning it when I filled in for Rick Tym doing his much missed A Little Push. While it won't break any new ground, I've been in need of some ninja action! I'm already making old school paper throwing stars in anticipation.

Recommended DVD Release of the Month: Hmm, Star Trek, Up, or Humpday? I'm giving the nod to Up.

Classic Movie of the Month: White Heat. Hey kids! Did you know they made great movies in the 1940s? No? Well they did! Like this one for example. Considered a gangster classic, I think you'd enjoy this tale about a criminal mastermind who dreams of being on "top of the world," until he unwittingly befriends an undercover federal agent who poses as a hero-worshipping hood. Don't think something is wrong with your TV, it's supposed to be in black and white.

Movie Quote of the Month: Socrates: [In Greek] "Like sands of the hourglass, so are the days of our lives." - Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure

Owain J. Brimfield

Biggest Winner of the Month: Looks like we have a pretty unanimous choice here; I can't disagree with any of my fellow writers on this one, so there's no need for me to give another spiel about Paranormal Activity.

Biggest Loser of the Month: I'm tempted to go with Saw VI for proving that eventually audiences will get wise to trotting out the same old shit year after year, but even more surprising was the flopping of Amelia, which looked pretty credible but turned out to be a bit of a failure both commercially and critically, despite the seemingly prestigious subject matter.

Biggest Movie News of the Month: More and more, The Expendables looks like the sort of action movie that has anyone with a fondness for the genre's halcyon days of the 80s weak at the knees. Sly, Arnie and Bruce all filming the same scene in the same movie? I don't care how aged they may be, this is still a genuinely awesome concept for fans of action cinema.

Your Most Anticipated Movie of the Month: I'm torn between 2012 and The Box, which both have similar pedigrees - coming from directors who are capable of making very good films but are coming off the back of a mediocre last picture, and have provided two of the most intriguing teaser trailers of recent times. I'm not fully optimistic either of these will be great but will be very interested to give them a chance.

Recommended DVD Release of the Month: Both season eight of Family Guy and season two of The Sarah Connor Chronicles come out in the UK this month, and will be wending their way to my mailbox rather shortly, assuming the damn postmen don't strike again like the idiots they are.

Classic Movie of the Month: Recently revisited during the course of compiling my top fifty sci-fi movies for 'Ten Deep', The Iron Giant, the low-key loose adaptation of Ted Hughes' The Iron Man that sees a young child befriend a giant metal man and try and prevent the army from uncovering his whereabouts. It's touching and well conceived, and deserved it's number 37 placing in my list.

Movie Quote of the Month: "I am NOT a gun" - Vin Diesel convinces us of the metal man's good intentions in The Iron Giant.

Coming Attractions

NOVEMBER 6TH

A Christmas Carol
Studio: Walt Disney
Directed by: Robert Zemeckis
Starring: Jim Carrey, Gary Oldman, Colin Firth
The plot: An animated retelling of the Charles Dickens novel about Ebenezer Scrooge (Carrey), a Victorian-era miser who is taken on a journey of self-redemption, courtesy of several mysterious Christmas apparitions.

Lealos: I am not a fan of Robert Zemeckis' last Christmas mo-cap movie, The Polar Express. He accomplished a lot more impressive work with Beowulf but there is something about the format that makes me a bit nauseous. I have heard good things about this movie but I don't know if I will be giving it a chance.

Archibald: I'm sorry, I'm a sucker for Christmas movies and Dickens. Even the bad ones. This doesn't look like it will be bad. It may not be the genius that is A Christmas Story… but what is?

Kristopowitz: Robert Zemeckis is a great director and he's had some major success with this motion capture animation thing (The Polar Express, Beowulf), but this movie just doesn't appeal to me at all. The story has been done a million times, and the presence of Jim Carrey just doesn't excite me here.

Furious: I'd question the need for another adaptation of A Christmas Carol. It has, after all, been shot many times. There are 26 title matches on IMDB alone and that doesn't even include Muppet Christmas Carol or Scrooged. Jim Carrey is a good choice to play the lead although I suspect he'll spend the entire movie overacting and gurning. Should be interesting to see how Zemeckis handles the project. His ideas are setting him apart among Hollywood filmmakers at the moment. At least until James Cameron blows him out of the water next month.

Chamberlain: The story of Scrooge is a timeless classic and one that I enjoy in all its iterations, from the classic version featuring Alastair Sim to Michael Caine sharing the stage with the Muppets, to Bill Murray's hilarious take in Scrooged. It's a must see/read every holiday season, and I'm anxious to see this new CGI version. Jim Carrey seems like the right kind of performer to disappear into the roles of Scrooge and the ghosts. I'm probably going to hold off until December to see it though. It's a bit early to start with the Christmas movies!

Gustafson: I heard a little kid ask his mom if this was a sequel to The Polar Express. Gotta love them. I think we might have a new holiday "classic" on our hands but I might be biased because I dig almost ANY holiday movie.

Brimfield: It's no Muppets, but it'll be interesting to see how Zemeckis' motion capture technology has advanced since its last, slightly disappointing, outing in The Polar Express.

The Fourth Kind
Studio: Universal
Directed by: Olatunde Osunsanmi
Starring: Milla Jovovich, Elias Koteas, Will Patton
The plot: An investigator (Jovovich) is dispatched to Nome, Alaska to puzzle out a 40-year-long mystery involving an extraordinary number of unexplained disappearances in the town. Her videotaped evidence looks to present the most convincing evidence of alien abduction ever documented.

Lealos: I'm having trouble trying to figure out what this movie is all about. I guess it is a documentary reenactment of cases of alien abduction. Milla Jovovich portrays the doctor who finds a large number of patients in Nome, Alaska have possibly been abducted. The trailers make it look like it will switch back and forth from documentary look to live action footage. I think many people will skip this thanks to the success of Paranormal Activity since they appear eerily similar to one another.

Archibald: Oh, Paranormal Activity basically killed all the buzz for this one, huh? It still looks intriguing, with moments that are part The Exorcist and part John Carpenter's The Thing.

Kristopowitz: The previews I've seen for this have been kind of creepy and all, and Milla Jovovich is always a blast to watch, but I have a feeling that this movie is just going to suck. I really don't know why I feel that way, I just do. I'm hope I'm wrong.

Furious: I like sci-fi movies although I do prefer a more exotic setting to Nome, Alaska usually. Milla gets a bad rap because she's not a great actress and I'd rather see her in quirky roles rather than a straight lead but I hope she does well here. After all, this movie has been quite heavily marketed already.

Chamberlain: I prefer my Milla in more action packed roles, and my aliens in more fantastical movies thank you!

Gustafson: I have a feeling audiences won't be... "kind"... to this movie. While it looks interesting, I think people have gotten their fill of these "documentary", something weird is going on. Still, I'll give this a look when it hits DVD.

Brimfield: The trailer for this is all over my TV right now and it doesn't look particularly enthralling. I might catch it on DVD if the reviews are any good.

The Box
Studio: Warner Bros.
Directed by: Richard Kelly
Starring: Cameron Diaz, James Marsden, Frank Langella
The plot: A young couple is gifted with a mysterious box that promises them a handsome windfall with deadly consequences.

Lealos: I absolutely loved Donnie Darko and want to see Richard Kelly entertain me like that again. The Box looks like a Twilight Zone special and, although I know the twist ending (damn my job, forcing me to look at all the movie news!!!), I still can't wait to see it. Frank Langella looks awesome in the trailer and the premise is solid. I have pretty high expectations for this and, in a month of "eh" movies, this is my pick of the month.

Archibald: I liked Donnie Darko. I didn't LOVE it like some, but I appreciated the "out of the box" (LOLZ!) thinking Kelly was going with it. You know there is a twist with this one, but I think the ride may be worth it.

Kristopowitz: This flick has been on the shelf for, what, like two years now? Why? Is it incredibly bad? It looks like a nifty little thriller with a cool idea (adapted from an episode of The Twilight Zone from the 1980s), and Langella is pretty dang weird looking with that chunk out of his face. What's the deal with that?

Furious: Richard Kelly has produced two of the strangest movies of the last 10 years in Donnie Darko and Southland Tales. It's testament to the latter that I still talk about it with my friends because we can't believe the movie exists. "Pimps don't commit suicide". So, even though Chad Webb hates him, I'm always up for checking out a Richard Kelly movie. Essentially he's basing his latest on the legend of Pandora's Box, which should be an interesting concept. I'll check it out even if the movie gets panned because there aren't too many filmmakers like Kelly who produce something off the wall. Not in America anyway.

Chamberlain: Haven't read the book so my first question is, what is up with that dude's face? Seems like a pretty unique concept for a thriller, and it's good to see James Marsden getting some mainstream play.

Gustafson: Shockingly I want to see this. It should inspire some interesting conversations. A small wooden box arrives on the doorstep of a married couple, who know that opening it will grant them a million dollars and kill someone they don't know. What would YOU do?

Brimfield: I'm one of the very small minority who thought Southland Tales was a worthwhile motion picture, but there's no denying Richard Kelly has a lot of rep to win back with this one, and the premise at least seems strong enough to give him a chance at that.

The Men Who Stare at Goats
Studio: Overture
Directed by: Grant Heslov
Starring: Ewan McGregor, George Clooney, Kevin Spacey, Jeff Bridges
The plot: In Iraq, reporter Bob Wilton (McGregor) meets Lyn Cassady (Clooney), whose seemingly wild claim - that he's a member of the U.S. Army's First Earth Battalion, a unit that employs paranormal powers in their missions - causes Wilton to join Cassady's hunt for the battalion's founder, whose gone missing.

Lealos: This movie looks hilarious. George Clooney is awesome when he plays in a quirky movie (see Burn After Reading) and I expect this to be really funny. There are some great actors involved and Jeff Bridges looks hilarious in what might be his best role since he was The Dude. If I don't see another movie in November, this is the week I will see two of them.

Archibald: This. Is. My. Movie. Right here. Look at the cast. I don't think Clooney can do any wrong. Even in the bad movies (Ocean's 12 and 13) he just has "IT". Team him up with Obi Wan, The Dude and Keyzer Soze and you've got the potential for a monster hit.

Kristopowitz: This looks hilarious. George Clooney looks like he's having the time of his life in the preview, and Jeff Bridges looks like he's playing The Dude in an Army uniform. Who wouldn't want to watch that?

Furious: This has a killer cast and already is coming back fresh over on Rotten Tomatoes. However the genre "war comedy" is likely to deter viewers, especially with people still dying in Iraq, and I imagine it'll do poorly at the box office. But hey, people have got to watch something right?

Chamberlain: Not much of a Clooney fan but he's looking pretty funny here, as is Bridges. Add in Kevin Spacey and Ewan and that's one hell of a cast.

Gustafson: Everything about this movies looks good. Script, cast, the look. How can it lose? Oh, people are afraid to see movies that are set in Iraq. Hopefully, they'll look past that so this movie gets the love it deserves.

Brimfield: I'm not really a fan of this sort of overly quirky type of comedy, but the cast seems strong enough to overcome that, and it's certainly an original premise.

NOVEMBER 13TH

2012
Studio: Sony
Directed by: Roland Emmerich
Starring: John Cusack, Thandie Newton, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Danny Glover
The plot: An academic researcher leads a group of people in a fight to counteract the apocalyptic events that were predicted by the ancient Mayan calendar.

Lealos: I know, it looks stupid and probably will be. But, Emmerich knows how to shoot disaster movies and John Cusack is good in just about everything. So, good or bad (more likely), we will have devastation and one good performance. Actually, I don't care how dumb it is, it should be brain dead fun at the movies.

Archibald: I'm sure the question on everyone's mind is: Will this be the cheesy-but-fun disaster flick that was Independence Day or will this be the DISASTER that was Godzilla? Having John Cusack is a good start. I will check it out, albeit under HUGE caution. Funny story: my father-in-law, saw the trailer, thought it was a good movie and then saw more previews and now doesn't want to see it because "It's not how I see the world ending, boy. There's no Jesus!" I love Bible-thumping Rural Conservative America!

Kristopowitz: Roland Emmerich sure does know how to destroy the world, doesn't he? You should go see this movie just to annoy Mark Harris from "Entertainment Weekly," who recently said he was appalled by the trailer's carnage and its "9/11" imagery and that he wouldn't be seeing it. Geez, Mark, could you be any bigger of a pretentious douchebag?

Furious: The plot of this will be as follows; the Earth is in danger and large chunks of it get destroyed as the camera gleefully captures the carnage. Roland Emmerich then counts his salary and prepares to make the same movie again in 5 years. Hey, if it ain't broke! Look at what happened when he tried something different; 10,000 BC. No one wants that.

Chamberlain: And they rag on Kevin Smith for never leaving his comfort zone. Has Emmerich ever made a movie that doesn't involve the Earth getting fucked up? It was crazy and unique when Independence Day hit, but it's kind of stale now.

Gustafson: Pass. Sorry, I know this movie is made for the big screen but after the summer we just had, I've had my fill of special effects attacking my senses. I've seen the trailer and that pretty much means I've seen the movie. I have a feeling it will end with some Mayan ghosts appearing to the few survivors and making them promise to "be nicer to each other" and treat the planet better. Or maybe they all escape in that space ship from Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. One ending I'm thankful to know that WON'T be happening is the Autobots appearing to save the day. No one wants to see that.

Brimfield: I read somewhere that this is going to be Emmerich's last disaster movie, so he might as well go out on a high. I'm a sucker for this kind of carnage and will be waiting in line with a giant box of popcorn.

Pirate Radio
Studio: Focus
Directed by: Richard Curtis
Starring: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Bill Nighy, Nick Frost, Kenneth Branagh
The plot: A 1960s comedy about an illegal radio station run by a band of rogue DJs on a ship in the middle of Britain's North Sea. By defying the tastes and laws of the ruling government, the disc jockeys hooked their listeners on pop music and its attendant ideas of love and free will.

Lealos: It's Nick Freaking Frost in a movie!!!!!! Actually, the trailer looks rather fun and Working Title rarely disappoints. Philip Seymour Hoffman stars as the man who helps start a pirate radio station based on a boat in Britain's North Sea after the British government bans rock n roll on the radio. The cast is awesome with Hoffman, Bill Nighy, Nick Freaking Frost, Kenneth Branagh, Rhys Ifans, January Jones and Emma Thompson. I like movies like this, but I might wait for DVD.

Archibald: I've heard some good stuff about this and anything with Phillip Seymor Hoffman brings it up a notch. The man made Mission Impossible III tolerable, for crying out loud! Support the "new HOFF"!

Kristopowitz: Thank God this doesn't look like the artist fest I thought it was going to be. I'm sure Hoffman will go on TV and whatnot and talk about making serious movies with messages he cares about, etc, and wear a black knit cap the whole time, but it doesn't look like he went that route here. Good for you, Phil.

Furious: Or The Boat That Rocked as it was called in the UK. I'm traditionally not a fan of Richard Curtis movies but this is thematically different to the usual drek. Plus everyone I know that's already seen it says it's good. But then one of them also said that Love Actually was good so take that as a warning.

Chamberlain: Looks like a solid cast. Not really getting into the premise though.

Gustafson: I'm down with this. The trailer had its moments and almost has the Almost Famous/Empire Records vibe going for it. It's a toss-up if I'll see it in the theater (maybe a matinee?) but a definite on the DVD circuit.

Brimfield: Because apparently The Boat That Rocked isn't sufficiently self-explanatory for an American audience. Do the powers that be really think you guys are that stupid you need to have the premise spelled out in the title? Anyway, this is a bit of a mutual lovefest from the guys involved, but worth a watch.

NOVEMBER 20TH

Fantastic Mr. Fox
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Directed by: Wes Anderson
Starring: George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Bill Murray, Jason Schwartzman
The plot: Angry farmers, tired of sharing their chickens with a sly fox, look to get rid of their opponent and his family. Based on the book by Roald Dahl.

Lealos: I like Wes Anderson and feel Bottle Rocket and Rushmore are great while The Royal Tenenbaums is a masterpiece. But I have not been as enthused about his new projects over the last few years. This movie has great voice talent (George Clooney, Bill Murray, Willem Dafoe) and I love stop motion animation but this movie looks a little too quirky and creepy and I am not sold on it yet.

Archibald: I'm a fan of the Wes-man. I will see this. Stop-motion animation is a dying art and I'm happy to see someone – anyone bring it back to the forefront of cinema.

Kristopowitz: Wes Anderson directing an animated movie? Will it be as weird as his live action movies? I can't wait to find out.

Furious: I enjoyed reading Roald Dahl when I was growing up and I distinctly remember reading Fantastic Mr Fox in an afternoon once. That said I never wanted to see it as a movie. And from the trailer this just looks dreadful. A total mess.

Chamberlain: I love the works of Roald Dahl, and then you add in the King himself, Bill Murray? Ticket sold!

Gustafson: I'm hearing all sorts of things about this one. Looks like I'll just have to wait and see it for myself. The biggest selling point to me is Wes Anderson. Yes, the cast is great, but this guy did Bottle Rocket, Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums, The Life Aquatic... You know where I'm going. What's with these quirky directors lately? First Spike Jonze now Wes? Is there some sort of bet going on?

Brimfield: I'm no fan of Anderson's and won't be seeing this as a result, but I'm mildly intrigued to see what stop-motion can do in this day and age.

Planet 51
Studio: TriStar
Directed by: Jorge Blanco, Javier Abad
Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Seann William Scott, Jessica Biel, Justin Long
The plot: The inhabitants of Planet 51 live in fear of alien invasion. Their paranoia is realized when astronaut Chuck Baker (Johnson) arrives from Earth. Befriended by a young resident, he has to avoid capture in order to recover his spaceship and try to return home.

Lealos: I know I'm not the only one to feel strange watching The Rock playing a white astronaut. I do like the human as an alien aspect of the movie, though. It looks "cute."

Archibald: THE ROCK! It's funny, I couldn't tell it was Mr. Johnson from the voice work in the trailers for this. My nieces and nephews will enjoy it. I will be… crap – there's absolute SHIT out this week. I will be at home. Hopefully having sex with my wife. Hopefully. I am married, you know… So the chances are slim.

Kristopowitz: I like the basic premise of this movie (sort of a reverse alien story), and the animation looks goofy enough to work. I love the look on the face of that alien barbecuing in the trailer. Doesn't it seem like the trailer for this movie has been playing for like five years?

Furious: This looks cute. In the trailer there's a dog and it's an alien. As in the movie Alien. It has acid for urine and melts a lamp post. Sold!

Chamberlain: Looks like an interesting little CGI movie with a fun premise. Kind of trippy to hear The Rock voicing a white, All American dude.

Gustafson: It looks... cute. I will give credit to this new rascal Dwayne Johnson. He seems to be making all the right moves to carve out a nice little niche for himself. Kudos to his management team! Next stop... romantic comedies!

Brimfield: This looks mildly diverting if you're in a frivolous mood, and pretty soon neither Johnson nor Scott will be able to make a movie that doesn't co-star the other.

New Moon
Studio: Summit
Directed by: Chris Weitz
Starring: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner
The plot: When Bella's blood is shed at her birthday celebration, Edward's intense reaction to the event causes his parents to pull up stakes and leave Forks, Washington for the sake of the young lovers. Heartbroken, Bella finds a form of comfort in reckless living, as well as an even-closer friendship with Jacob Black (Lautner).

Lealos: I never watched Twilight and, while my wife has read the first three books, I have not touched them. I guess there are werewolves this time around? I will never talk down something I know nothing about just because everyone else loves it. The stills I have seen are not that inspiring but I have seen at least one trailer that makes it look pretty good. I will hold back judgment.

Archibald: Didn't watch Twilight, didn't read Twilight, and I won't start here.

Kristopowitz: I have absolutely no interest in this movie. Hip and edgy emo vampires do no impress me. Where the heck is James Woods when you need him?

Furious: Pass.

Chamberlain: Still haven't seen Twilight. I should probably give it a chance, because I often dig vampire fiction if it's done well. The previews for this look pretty good I'll admit. The more I see her, the more I have the hots for Kristen Stewart. Still don't see the big deal about Cedric Diggory though.

Gustafson: Yes, I was the one who went to see Twilight and 20 minutes into it I ran to the front and tried to light the screen on fire to get them to stop playing it. Suffice to say, I won't be seeing this.

Brimfield: Interesting fact: Taylor Lautner looks like a Ken doll come to life. I have zero interest in this.

The Blind Side
Studio: Warner Bros.
Directed by: John Lee Hancock
Starring: Quinton Aaron, Sandra Bullock, Tim McGraw, Kathy Bates
The plot: A disadvantaged teenager is taken in by a conservative family who see tremendous promise in the young man. Despite certain obstacles, the attention and inspiration he receives helps him mature into an athletically and academically successful NFL prospect.

Lealos: It's the Thanksgiving tear jerker. Sandra Bullock needs a movie like this right about now and the trailers look like it will deliver what you would expect. Director John Lee Hancock has a decent track record with the great The Rookie, as well as writing the amazing A Perfect World. This is one for the grownups.

Archibald: This is the "based on a true story" tearjerker that if it was released 25 years ago, would be receiving early Oscar buzz. Now, it's just another in a line of cliché "upscale white people take pity on impoverished black youth and change them in the name of charity and goodwill" film that actually worked better when it was in reverse… Starring Sidney Poitier.

Kristopowitz: I don't know about this movie. It just looks a little too inspirational to be any good.

Furious: When did Sandra Bullock shoot all these damn movies she's in? There's a glut of them coming thick and fast! This doesn't really sound like my thing.

Chamberlain: Thanks to a potent Rob Thomas song, the preview for this is pretty darn touching. The performances look pretty good too. Looks like an effective feel good flick.

Gustafson: I was just commenting the other day that it's been a little while since we had an inspirational football movie. I won't be seeing it, but we need these every few years for high school football coaches to show their team before the big game.

Brimfield: The only interesting thing about this is that the director is actually called John Hancock. Apparently he's channeled his hatred at the world for that indignity into this movie.

NOVEMBER 25TH

Old Dogs
Studio: Walt Disney
Directed by: Walt Becker
Starring: Robin Williams, John Travolta, Justin Long, Seth Green
The plot: Ben (Williams) is a successful businessman whose professional and personal life is altered when an old flame re-enters his life - with her two children in tow. Finding himself temporarily in charge of their welfare, he enlists his best friend and colleague (Travolta) to co-parent.

Lealos: From the director of Wild Hogs? Umm, no. There is one very funny part of the trailer, where Seth Green is stuck in the gorilla enclosure and is being held by the gorilla while singing Air Supply's "I'm All Out of Love". That's it.

Archibald: I actually like the four main actors in this film… but… sigh. Robin Williams undoes everything he did in the great film he had earlier this year with Father of the Year.

Kristopowitz: Lots of critics are probably going to complain about this movie because it's a broad comedy and most serious critics don't like them on general principle, but general audiences will probably eat it up and Williams and Travolta will laugh all the way to the bank. Tell me you didn't laugh just a bit at the trailer with the whole Seth Green cuddling with a gorilla thing. Oh, come on, it was funny.

Furious: Oh ho, Robin Williams and John Travolta. They're the original Odd Couple! Trailer looks funny and you know you laughed when you saw Seth Green singing Air Supply's "I'm All Outta Love" in there. Hey, it might even work. John Travolta has been more up for spoofing himself of late and Robin Williams must have a funny movie left in him somewhere. I'd give this a shot. Although, I might add, this is a Walt Disney movie.

Chamberlain: Some solid talent in this one. Williams and Travolta is a great combination on paper, and Seth Green is always money. Especially when he's a) getting a golf ball to the pills and b) singing Air Supply while being cradled by a gorilla. You could sell a movie on that alone, actually.

Gustafson: If the stars align just right, this will be big. Like Wild Hogs big. Or it could come and go with a "meh". But I'm leaning for older audiences to come out to support this one. Especially when you look and see that there's really nothing for that demographic.

Brimfield: God, this looks heinous.

The Road
Studio: Dimension
Directed by: John Hillcoat
Starring: Viggo Mortensen, Charlize Theron, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Guy Pearce
The plot: A father (Mortensen) and son (Smit-McPhee) walk for months across a ravaged, post-apocalyptic landscape in search of civilization.

Lealos: I loved No Country for Old Men so I have hope that The Road, based on another novel by Cormac McCarthy, will be good too. The book is very, very dark and very depressive. There is not a lot to the story and the beauty of the novel is in the prose and style of writing by McCarthy. As a result, there had to be things added to make it more cinematic, I just hope they don't lose what makes the novel so great. Just be prepared for a depressing movie.

Archibald: I've read the book and it quickly became one of my favorites. Some don't like Cormac McCarthy's prose, but I love it. This will be a bleak, depressing and painful film and I salivate over every second of it. I'm not a cynical man, I just remember the last film based on a McCarthy book won Best Picture at the Oscars – so in essence – I'm a very, VERY optimistic one.

Kristopowitz: I really don't know what to think about this flick. The source material is solid, the cast is fabulous, and the movie has a great look about it, but why was its release delayed a year? Is it bad, or is it one of those movies that the studio really doesn't understand but can't "fix" with massive editing and the studio just decided to finally throw it out there? I guess we'll all see soon enough.

Furious: This is a companion piece for 2012 The world gets trashed and everyone dies then Viggo Mortensen is walking around the remains of the world with his son. My only concern is that the film will be so very depressing. Good to see Viggo is still starring in stuff. I thought he'd get stuck with the Aragorn personality forever.

Chamberlain: Viggo, get back to Middle Earth already man! Just can't get into your picks post-LOTR trilogy.

Gustafson: Reviews coming in have been fairly good for this. Yes, they made some changes from the book, but nothing too crazy. Speaking of the book... have you read it? WHOA! Great read but dark and disturbing.

Brimfield: I couldn't get into the book, but even so it seems they've gone quite loose with this adaptation. I'll definitely be checking it out as I do like my post-apocalyptic films very much indeed.

Ninja Assassin
Studio: Warner Bros.
Directed by: James McTeigue
Starring: Rain, Rick Yune, Naomie Harris
The plot: Raizo (Rain) is a rogue ninja who comes to the aid of Mika Coretti (Harris), a Berlin-based Interpol agent who has linked the shadowy Ozunu Clan, a secret society of assassins who trained Raizo, to a series of murders. Most dangerous to them both is Takeshi (Yune), Raizo's former ally and the assassin leading the charge of Ozunu killers to Berlin.

Lealos: I have some faith in James McTeigue. The guy learned directing at the feet of the Wachowski brothers. If any movie is prime for this style of directing, it is one about NINJA ASSASSINS! McTeigue might be partially to blame for the abortion that is The Invasion but he was brought in at the last minute to "fix" that movie, so he can be forgiven for that slight. His only other directing work is the awesome V for Vendetta. If he can bring the talent he showed in V and add in some kick ass martial arts choreography (Rick Yune, Randall Duk Kim and Rain are the actors) I see this being a fun time. I just want a crazy kung fu movie here and I will be happy.

Archibald: Damn, I don't remember when I saw a good ninja movie. Sometime around 1987 or 88 with American Ninja (c'mon – EVERYONE loves American Ninja!) I don't have high hopes for this, but every once in a while, I just want to see someone get their ass handed to them, and since Tony Jaa and The Expendables are unavailable, this will have to do.

Kristopowitz: I really don't know about this flick, either. The previews have been insanely cool, but the early reviews I've seen have been less than enthusiastic about it. Is this just going to be an eye candy movie with great fights but no story, or is it going to be even worse than that? Just like with The Road, I guess we'll all see soon enough.

Furious: Surprised to see this released Stateside. It feels like one of those big budget Hong Kong movies that gets a following on DVD. But then everyone loves ninjas right? It might be time for some US love for the Asian styles of fighting. Now we just need Tony Jaa to get his movies wide releases and we're sweet.

Chamberlain: This movie has NINJAS. Ninjas are awesome. If you don't buy a ticket to this, Ninjas will find you, rip out your spine and beat you over the head with it. I am going to see it.

Gustafson: The day is almost upon us. Will this hearken us to a slew of Ninja movies to replace this silly vampire phase? We have the power to make it so. NINJA! NINJA! NINJA!

Brimfield: I think the title sums this one up perfectly. A rental rather than a cinema visit, but with a bit of luck it'll match Ong-Bak as far as contemporary kung fu movies go.



The votes are in... The Box is the 411 staff's hit of the month, while New Moon is our shit of the month!


That's all for now, folks. Stay tuned next month for a look at Avatar, The Lovely Bones and a whole lot more!

All poster images courtesy of IMDB.