411 Movies Roundtable: September 2008

Posted by Owain J. Brimfield on 09.02.2008

The 411 staff takes a look back at the month that was, and discusses the upcoming big releases in September!

Welcome to the monthly 411 Movies Roundtable. So it seems we've had a pretty damn good summer, all things told. The only major disappointment was the major suckitude of Star Wars (and yes, it does pain me greatly to utter that phrase), completing the transformation of George Lucas from King Midas to King Tight-ass as he whores out his franchise like some horrible bearded pimp. Ah well, at least we had The Dark Knight, the resurrection of Robert Downey Jr. as an A-list star, some good indie flicks, some even better blockbusters, the final nail in Eddie Murphy's coffin, and a whole heap more. Moving into September, things aren't looking quite as exciting, but we're still keeping our hopes up for 2008 as one of the best years for cinema in a good while with a bevy of potential under-the-radar hits. This month, Nic Cage features on one of the worst movie posters in recent memory, the Coens attempt to follow-up their darkest and possibly greatest movie, and two young upstarts by the names of Pacino and De Niro go head to head.

This month's picture theme, perhaps childishly, takes its cue from Ricky Gervais' new one out later this month. 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:

"Furious on Film" 's Arnold Furious!

Movie reviewer extraordinaire Jeremy Thomas!

Master of the Alternate Take, Shawn Lealos!

From "Casting Call", Jason Chamberlain!

What?!! This guy!?? Bryan Kristopowitz!

King of the Top 5 Trevor Snyder!

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

The Month That Was

Arnold Furious

Biggest Winner of the Month: Robert Downey Jr. Odd choice perhaps but Bob opened the summer with Iron Man and its somewhat apropos that he's ended it with Tropic Thunder. The film managed to unseat Dark Knight from the top of the box office charts and Downey himself stood up and had the guts to say something negative about Dark Knight and DC Comics in the process. While I didn't agree with what he said I like that he's individual enough to say what's on his mind.

Biggest Loser of the Month: There are a few choices based on poor box office. The one I'm going for is Rainn Wilson for his comedy flop The Rocker. Labeled "predictable" and "bland" by the critics it tanked at the box office and failed to connect with an audience.

Biggest Movie News of the Month: For me at least it was Matthieu Kassovitz sticking his oar into Babylon AD, his OWN movie mind you, before it had even opening. That's an interesting strategy, we'll have to see how that one plays out. My favorite quote of the month is Kassovitz's when he told press that he though Fox were gutless and "didn't give a shit" about him or his movie. Hey, I like the guy! I think film has become less interesting in recent times and it's nice to actually hear about these guys (Kassovitz & Downey) actually making the world a bit more interesting by slating companies in public. I hope it's an ongoing trend.

Your Most Anticipated Movie of the Month: Well, you can tell the summer is over by looking at this month's releases. September is a barren land. I'm personally plumping for Burn After Reading because the Coen Brothers last film was the best of their career. And I also just saw their contribution to Paris, Je'Taime. A quirky five minute piece where star Steve Buscemi has no lines at all and gets called a cunt by a Frenchman.

Recommended DVD Release of the Month: Technically its already out but if you never picked up a copy of Anchorman there's a new version with a bonus movie called Wake Up Ron Burgundy as part of the release. They shot so much footage they had enough to make another film. It's available for a tenner on Play, UK readers.

Classic Movie of the Month: Last Picture Show. There are some films that have little moments of inspirational dialogue. Last Picture Show is one of the best of these. The scene where Sam the Lion (Ben Johnson) takes Sonny (Timothy Bottoms) out fishing and tells him about his lost love is nothing short of brilliant. He took home an Academy Award for the performance. If you're looking for a more manly reason to check the film out; Cybil Shepherd is really young, pretty and naked in it.

Movie Quote of the Month: "Now I want you to take a step back... and literally fuck your own face!" – Tom Cruise + profanity = gold in Tropic Thunder.

Jeremy Thomas

Biggest Winner of the Month: The Apatow Gang. While Tropic Thunder is turning out to be the bigger hit, Pineapple Express is turning out to be the more profitable one, being made for less than a third of what it cost to make the Stiller/Black/Downey action-comedy. It's also a return to success after Forgetting Sarah Marshall, the best Apatow movie to date, sadly underperformed somewhat. It's a really close run for this award between the two movies, and either is a perfectly viable choice.

Biggest Loser of the Month: So many options here. I'm giving it to Star Wars fans around the world, as the final nail of truth was driven into the coffin of "Lucas doesn't give a rat's ass what you want." The Clone Wars was a terrible, TERRIBLE movie that featured a barely-dressed girl with a kitty ear-like haircut that's actually supposed to be a role model for little girls and a Huttlet known as "Stinky" throughout the film. Lucas really is pretty much just defecating on a digital camera and calling it a movie anymore.

Biggest Movie News of the Month: The one that has people clamoring is Warner Bros.'s decision to movie Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince from its original November 21st release date until July of '09, and moving Twilight into its place. Potterites around the world are bitching up a storm about it, and you gotta believe that someone at Warner is feeling the heat, even if it is a good decision.

Your Most Anticipated Movie of the Month: In a fairly weak month, I'm going to go with Righteous Kill. Robert De Niro and Al Pacino sharing the bulk of the movie in the same scenes? I'm there.

Recommended DVD Release of the Month: It's at the uber-end of the month, but on September 30th, Iron Man is released on DVD. You damn well know I'll have my copy.

Classic Movie of the Month: In honor of DeNiro and Pacino appearing in Righteous Kill, I'm going to go back to their first movie together, albeit one they never appeared together in. The Godfather: Part II is one of the all-time great movies, and one of the few sequels to be better than its original. If you've never seen this movie before, you need to, end of story.

Movie Quote of the Month: "I saw a strange thing today. Some rebels were being arrested. One of them pulled the pin on a grenade. He took himself and the captain of the command with him. Now, soldiers are paid to fight; the rebels aren't."

"What does that tell you?"

"It means they could win."

--Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) and Hyman Roth (Lee Strasberg), The Godfather: Part II

Shawn Lealos

Biggest Winner of the Month: The Dark Knight. It just kept going and going and going. It should break the $500 million domestic mark this weekend and is closing in on $900 million worldwide. I figure backlash should be starting anytime now and this movie doesn't deserve it. It is the true winner of the summer smackdown, beating out Indiana Jones by almost $100 million worldwide. I'd also like to point out Iron Man is still in the top 25 after 17 weeks, and The Dark Knight has been there for six. It needs $112 million more to beat Titanic (it is already in second place) for the top US movie. Can it make that in eleven more weeks? I doubt it. I do think it has a chance to jump into the top 10 worldwide (it is currently #17) by the time it bows out.

Biggest Loser of the Month: Star Wars. Yeah, the trailers looked horrid, the reviews came back even worse and any hopes George Lucas had for this animated movie were dashed when it made under $25 million in two weeks. I hate to say it, but this should sound the death knell for the once proud franchise.

Biggest Movie News of the Month: Watchmen is on dangerous ground. FOX is suing to stop the release of Watchmen and have recently said they would rather block the movie than get money from its release. If that happens, I will be pissed. Stop posturing FOX. Take the money and let the fans have their Watchmen movie.

Your Most Anticipated Movie of the Month: Burn After Reading. The Coen brothers hit a grand slam with No Country for Old Men, last year's best movie. I would argue it was the best movie this decade. That means they have a lot to live up to. Watching the trailers, I think they have found the best way to do it. Brad Pitt is brilliant in the trailers and I can't wait for this movie. I love quirky Coen movies and this looks right up there with Barton Fink and The Big Lebowski.

Recommended DVD Release of the Month: There is some good stuff coming out this month. Transformers is finally coming to Blu-ray. The wonderful Pushing Daisies, Season One is hitting DVD. Kill Bill on Blu-ray. The Mist on Blu-ray. L.A. Confidential is getting a special edition. Friday the 13th the Series is finally making it to DVD. I would say, my most anticipated release is the Godfather trilogy arriving on Blu-ray. Each has been remastered for high definition and I cannot wait.

Classic Movie of the Month: The Empire Strikes Back. George Lucas did not rape my childhood. But the continued bastardization of Star Wars may make people forget what they loved most about the series. I give you the best Star Wars movie of them all. How many movies are there where all the good guys get their asses kicked and get no retribution? Han Solo is frozen in carbonite. Princess Leia finds out he loves her and then loses him. C3P0 is disassembled. Luke Skywalker finds out Darth Vader is his father and gets his hand cut off. The movie is spectacular and sets up the third movie perfectly. It is brilliant.

Movie Quote of the Month: "If my dad finds out what I've been up to, he'll crucify me!" - Sexy Jesus in Hamlet 2

Jason Chamberlain

Biggest Winner of the Month: The Dark Knight. This train keeps rolling, and I think we all want it to roll just far enough to pass Titanic, but that is starting to seem unlikely. Still, it's an amazing movie that completely deserves its success. My only worry is when Warner Brothers comes out and says all future comic movies must be dark to succeed, ‘cause that's how Dark Knight did it'. Dark Knight succeeded cause it's a masterpiece, end of story.

Biggest Loser of the Month: People who keep hating on Star Wars! I respect the opinions of others, but few things seem to incite as much bile as the galaxy far, far away, and more often than not, those of us who actually enjoy these movies have our intelligence and sanity questioned! Was Clone Wars a work of genius? No, but it was a fun time at the theater (weird gay Hutt not withstanding). That's all I'm ever looking for when I go to the theater and Star Wars has never failed to give it to me. With the CGI series coming, a live action one in the pipeline and Force Unleashed set to kick ass on the home consoles, it's a good time to be a Star Wars fan.

Biggest Movie News of the Month: Fox is trying to shut down Watchmen? What a bunch of tools. This is nothing more than a studio realizing they shit the bed when they had the rights, and now that they see how cool the end product is going to be, they want to screw it up for everybody. Suck it Fox, you had your chance.

Your Most Anticipated Movie of the Month: It's got to be Righteous Kill. Pacino is God. De Niro is God. Gugino is a goddess. Oh, and it's got that rapper as well.

Recommended DVD Release of the Month: The Forbidden Kingdom. This movie was great. Jet Li. Jackie Chan. Hot Asian chicks. What more do you need?

Classic Movie of the Month: Scent of a Woman – With Al Pacino returning to the big screen this month, let's look back at one of his finest performances as a blind man determined to end his life with a bang before befriending a young university student (Chris O'Donnell) whose troubles draw Pacino back into the world.

Movie Quote of the Month: "Let me write this down... one hundred million dollars. Oh wait, I have a better idea. How about I send you a hobo's dick cheese, and then you kill him. Skin the motherfucker. Go to town man! Go to town!"- Tom Cruise couldn't care less about the captive Ben Stiller in Tropic Thunder

Bryan Kristopowitz

Biggest Winner of the Month: Warner Bros and The Dark Knight, as it still continues to break box office records around the world. The movie has the kind of staying power I certainly didn't think it would. The box office has slowed a bit, but it's still raking in the cash. That's got to make Warners happy.

Biggest Loser of the Month: Ben Stiller and everyone involved in Tropic Thunder over the whole use of the word "retard" thing. The pop culture world has had to endure endless op/ed articles about how insensitive Hollywood is to people with mental disabilities and how Tropic Thunder is going to set the mentally disabled rights movement back years, etc. Stiller and company probably thought that they'd be battling people over the whole Robert Downey, Jr. in black face thing. Maybe that'll be saved for the eventual DVD release.

Biggest Movie News of the Month: William Lustig and Larry Cohen now have the sequel rights to Maniac Cop and are apparently working on a fourth Matt Cordell adventure. If and when it happens, I hope it's as good as Maniac Cop 2, which is one of the best B-movies ever made. They need to make more movies like that.

Your Most Anticipated Movie of the Month: Tyler Perry's new movie The Family that Preys looks interesting (why exactly is Kathy Bates in this movie?), as does Bangkok Dangerous (is it as stupid as it looks?) and Righteous Kill appears to be a must see, just because of De Niro and Pacino.

Recommended DVD Release of the Month: The Big Lebowski has a 10th Anniversary edition coming out, and Child's Play has a 20th Anniversary edition coming out (that's supposed to be a good DVD), and the much maligned Speed Racer movie directed by the Wachowskis comes out. Perhaps the flick will find its audience on DVD. It is quite good. At least I think it is.

Classic Movie of the Month: Kinjite: Forbidden Subjects (1989): This was the last movie Chuck Bronson made for the people at Cannon Films, and I believe it's the last movie he made with director J. Lee Thompson. It's a movie about Japanese businessmen, underage prostitution, and how Chuck's character is a racist. It all makes sense in the end, trust me. It's not as exciting as Bronson's other Cannon movies, but it's still worth a look.

Movie Quote of the Month: Lt. Frank Drebin: Hector Savage. From Detroit. Ex-boxer. His real name was Joey Chicago.
Ed Hocken: Oh, yeah. He fought under the name of Kid Minneapolis.
Nordberg: I saw Kid Minneapolis fight once. In Cincinnati.
Lt. Frank Drebin: No you're thinking of Kid New York. He fought out of Philly.
Ed Hocken: He was killed in the ring in Houston. By Tex Colorado. You know, the Arizona Assassin.
Nordberg: Yeah, from Dakota. I don't remember it was North or South.
Lt. Frank Drebin: North. South Dakota was his brother. From West Virginia.
Ed Hocken: You sure know your boxing.
Lt. Frank Drebin: All I know is never bet on the white guy."
Lt. Frank Drebin (Leslie Nielsen), Ed Hocken (George Kennedy) and Nordberg (O.J. Simpson) - Naked Gun 2 1/2: The Smell of Fear (1991)

Trevor Snyder

Biggest Winner of the Month: Robert Downey Jr. Who could have predicted a couple years ago that Downey would have not one, but two big summer hits in one year? Dark Knight might have been the movie of the summer, but Downey was arguably the star of the summer, as he kicked off and finished the season with two excellent performances, and officially sealed the deal on his legitimate comeback as not only a big star, but also a massive talent.

Biggest Loser of the Month: Did you guys even realize Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 came out last month? I mean, granted, it was a chick flick, and therefore was not going to receive much attention on this site or others like it. But, man, this thing kinda tanked, didn't it? I remember the first film being a fairly big deal when it came out, whereas this one was just sort of dumped out there and left to die. Oh well.

Biggest Movie News of the Month: The Fox/Warner Bros. lawsuit that is currently threatening the release of Watchmen seems like a pretty big deal, but I fully expect it to be quickly resolved and not really end up impacting that film's debut. So I guess the biggest news would be the release-date change of the next Harry Potter film, from November to next summer. If you ask me, it's a pretty good move on WB's part. All the Potter fans who are complaining are of course going to still turn out next year. The real winner is probably Twilight, which wasted no time swooping in and claiming Potter's original date as its own.

Your Most Anticipated Movie of the Month: A pretty blah month overall, but then it's hard to keep the excitement level up after one of the best summer movie seasons in years. Still, I'm pretty excited for both Burn After Reading and Choke.

Recommended DVD Release of the Month: Hmm, could it be… Iron Man?! Kind of a "no duh" choice here, but there are actually quite a few other notable releases this month. The first season of the excellent Pushing Daisies hits, and I'm also looking forward to new anniversary editions of both Child's Play and Pumpkinhead. And, since I'm one of the few who enjoyed Speed Racer, I'll probably be picking that up as well – if nothing else it should make for one hell of a visual showcase for Blu-ray.

Classic Movie of the Month: I was just recently re-watching Tony Scott's The Fan on cable, and I forgot how much I enjoy that flick. It was pretty critically derided upon its original release, and even I can admittedly see some of its more glaring problems. But there's still an undeniable pleasure in watching De Niro in full psycho mode.

Movie Quote of the Month: Gil Renard (Robert DeNiro) talks to his son, in The Fan:
Richie Renard – "Jason Pelligrino's dad says Mick Jagger's gay."
Gil Renard – "Well, Jason Pelligrino's dad takes it up the ass!"

Owain J. Brimfield

Biggest Winner of the Month: Tom Cruise, who has somehow managed to negate several years' bad will with a single cameo performance in Tropic Thunder. I haven't seen it yet, but I hope it's worth the wait, as the Cruiser deserves better than his current reputation allows. Yes, that's right, I said it. For those of you who can only remember the bloated, egotistical Scientologist of recent years, go back over the past twenty years and remind yourselves of just how many classic films the man has been in.

Biggest Loser of the Month: Fox, who apparently not content with the tongue lashing bestowed on them by Matthieu Kassovitz over the Babylon A.D. fiasco, have bizarrely decided to try and prevent Zach Snyder's Watchmen from being released. Full kudos to Kassovitz for having the guts to speak out against the studio and for standing up for his creative vision in the face of bureaucratic tyranny - it's something more Hollywood-ers should do - but let's face it, you can't win against the studio in most of these situations. I just hope Watchmen draws on the mass of fanboy ire this decision is likely to generate in order to overcome the evil studio execs.

Biggest Movie News of the Month: Apparently some spastics are protesting the use of a particular word in Tropic Thunder, that they believe is demeaning and offensive to the "mentally back-assward", or whatever the current PC phrase du jour happens to be. If there's one thing that gets on my nerves... well, actually no, there are a lot of things that get on my nerves, but this is one of the big ones - it's people getting offended by proxy. If an actual mongoloid happens to get offended by some particular use of language in a movie and wants to tell the world, well fair play, and good for him/her for managing to string together a coherent sentence. However, when perfectly able-minded (at least in theory) individuals start banding together to fight for the right to spaz out without being insulted, there's nothing sadder. Take your placards and stick them in your "mentally challenged" assholes, you bunch of retards. You're only embarrassing yourselves.

Your Most Anticipated Movie of the Month: I'm actually quite looking forward to one of this month's more low key releases, Blindness, if only because the Jose Saramago novel on which it's based is quite tasty. It's one of those books that's been labeled as "unfilmable", but given that term has inspired classics like American Psycho and Fear and Loathing in the past, I'm sure City of God auteur Fernando Meirelles is up to the challenge. Eagle Eye looks pretty fun too.

Recommended DVD Release of the Month: There's a director's cut of Dark City that has crept out very recently without my knowledge, so I'm going to have to recommend that, especially as it's available on Blu-ray too. Alex Proyas' cult masterpiece is one of the most visually arresting sci-fi films ever made and I may well bite the bullet and buy a second copy to see what Proyas' new cut looks like in high-def.

Classic Movie of the Month: I saw the Tim Burton original Batman on TV last night, and was shocked at how poorly it stands up to the new Nolan franchise. I was never a big fan, but the movie just hasn't aged well, although it does have two things going for it, namely the soundtrack, and the fact that the original Batmobile beats the Tumbler hands down for iconic cool value.

Movie Quote of the Month: "You went full retard?" - Robert Downey Jr. offends the brain-aly dysfunctional while also wearing blackface, in a double whammy of political correctness in Tropic Thunder.

Coming Attractions

SEPTEMBER 5TH

Bangkok Dangerous
Studio: Lionsgate
Directed by: Danny Pang
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Charlie Yeung, Shahkrit Yamnarm
The plot: A hitman (Cage) in Bangkok to pull off a series of jobs falls for a local woman and bonds with his errand boy.

Furious: This film is going to suck HARD. The original wasn't very good and the Pang Brothers aren't really going to set the world on fire with their mediocre attempts to ape John Woo. Nic Cage is badly miscast and the film won't be screened for critics. Turkey ahoy! See this at your peril and don't say you haven't been warned.

Thomas: Nic, Nic, Nic. What the hell are you doing? I'm sorry, I saw the trailer for this a while ago, and it didn't do anything to excite me. I had initially had hopes, not being familiar with the original, that it might be more like a Lord of War-style movie. Instead, it just looks bad and dumb, and I don't see anything good coming out of it whatsoever. Pass.

Lealos: I wasn't really excited about this movie until last week. That is when I watched the Pang brothers very interesting The Eye 3 (Eye 10, as it was originally called). These guys remind me of Quentin Tarantino, which is ironic because Tarantino got his start with a love of Asian cinema. This is a remake of their original 1999 Taiwan film of the same name. Bringing in the original filmmakers to remake their own film is not unique and does not always work (see the horrible Grudge movie), but I think the Pang brothers have a lot to offer visually. Now, if they could have gotten rid of Cage's horrible hairdo. Did Cage watch The Da Vinci Code and think Tom Hanks looked sexy?

Chamberlain: Crappy title, right off the top. And I'd rather Nic Cage be working on Ghost Rider 2 (that's right I liked the first one, big whoop, wanna fight about it?). I don't know if Cage just doesn't convince me as a bad ass assassin, or if it's just the ‘summer movie pushed to September so it's gotta suck' stigma, but I'm not sold.

Kristopowitz: While I'm a fan of these kinds of "generic" action movies, I don't know what to make of this Nic Cage vehicle. I just get the feeling from the trailer that it's just another self important "assassin" movie, where people use the word "killer" every five seconds and Cage, walking in slow motion, takes off his sunglasses and then pulls out two handguns to kill fifty people. I hope I'm wrong, because I don't want to sit through another War.

Snyder: The original was a fairly standard, unmemorable Asian action flick. Having the original filmmakers re-make their own work is interesting, but the casting of Cage is gonna make this one pretty hard to take seriously. Especially with that haircut.

Brimfield: However mediocre this turns out to be - and it will, believe me - it can't as bad as the execrable poster, an object of such horrendousness that 'Empire' magazine ran an entire half-page feature on its ineptitude.

SEPTEMBER 12TH

Burn After Reading
Studio: Focus
Directed by: Joel & Ethan Coen
Starring: Brad Pitt, Frances McDormand, George Clooney, John Malkovich
The plot: A disk containing the memoirs of a CIA agent ends up in the hands of two unscrupulous gym employees who attempt to benefit from the discovery.

Furious: I've always liked the Coens' stuff. They're quirky but deliver tension in spades (see No Country for Old Men, Fargo or Miller's Crossing for evidence) and quality abounds from their work. BUT they've not had a lot of joy with comedies. Yes, O Brother Where Art Thou and Big Lebowski both worked and the latter is a modern classic. However you only need to look at the poor re-make of The Ladykillers to see that comedy isn't always the best approach for the Coens. The trailer sells the film well though and I'm quietly confident, especially on viewing Brad Pitt's performance. He's not played this far against type in a long time.

Thomas: This really looks like a fun movie, and right up the Coens' alley. It's got a great cast, even outside of the heavy-hitter trio of Clooney, Pitt and Malkovich and an interesting plot. Joel and Ethan do really well with these quirky kinds of movies, and while they don't always score on their comedies, I don't see anything yet that suggests this will be a misfire.

Lealos: After watching the latest trailer for the Coen brothers' new flick, I believe the brothers have nothing to worry about when trying to follow up their Oscar winning masterpiece No Country for Old Men. No, this movie won't be an Oscar winning production, but I think it will please their core audience. This looks to be more Big Lebowski than Intolerable Cruelty. People who only recently discovered the brothers may find this movie disarming (if it works), but who cares about them. This looks like a present for the fans of Fargo and I can't wait.

Chamberlain: I don't know. I usually avoid George Clooney's stuff. It's a policy that has served me well so far.

Kristopowitz: This Coen brothers flick doesn't look as grim and nasty as their Oscar winning No Country for Old Men, but it does star George Clooney, who didn't exactly set the world on fire in Intolerable Cruelty, so it has that going against it. And, based on the trailer, it looks like Brad Pitt is trying too hard to be funny. I have no doubt that the movie will be incredibly interesting, I just don't know if it will be, well, good.

Snyder: How can you not be excited to see the next Coen Brothers' movie after their Academy Award winning No Country For Old Men? After all, the last time they followed up a violent Oscar winner (Fargo), they gave us The Big Lebowski. From what I've seen in the trailers, this one has potential to deliver more of that same great, quirky humor. I'm there.

Brimfield: Clooney and Pitt usually have great chemistry, and I've never seen a Coens film I didn't enjoy (yes, including The Ladykillers), so this one is an easy "yes" from me.

Righteous Kill
Studio: Overture
Directed by: Jon Avnet
Starring: Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Carla Gugino, 50 Cent
The plot: Two veteran New York City detectives work to identify the possible connection between a recent murder and a case they believe they solved years ago; is there a serial killer on the loose, and did they perhaps put the wrong person behind bars?

Furious: I saw the trailer for this ahead of Dark Knight and I must admit I got a little bit of a cheap thrill from seeing De Niro & Pacino acting together again. When that's your hook you don't even need much else going on. It's weird they're teaming up for Jon Avnet, who has a pretty weak career behind him including Pacino's only flop 88 Minutes, but I'll take it anyway. Should be good just because of the lead duo. Anything else is a bonus.

Thomas: Avnet may not have done very good with his last Pacino offering, 88 Minutes, but this looks to be a much stronger script with a better cast around Pacino. I've been waiting for a movie where De Niro and Pacino can act together for a long, long time, and their brief scene in Heat gave a hint of what it could be like. This is an interesting concept for a movie that can tackle some strong ground, and hopefully it'll connect well with audiences. I'm certainly intrigued.

Lealos: Once upon a time people dreamed of seeing Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro sharing the screen together. They saw Godfather 2 and dreamed of the day these two powerhouses could co-exist in a major motion picture. Heat is a lot of things. It is a spectacular movie with great performances all around. It is a minor masterpiece that showcases one of the best gun fights ever put to celluloid. It is the first time De Niro and Pacino shared a scene together. That last item is the most disappointing thing about the movie. Those scenes did not give fans of the actors a proper showcase to let their chemistry explode. It was a whimper in an otherwise great movie. Now, we get round 2. Will it be any better? Well, the guys get what looks like a whole lot more time to let their characters interact. But will we get the guys who set the world on fire in Godfather 2 or will we get the guy who played the grumpy old man in Meet the Parents and the guy who has been cashing paychecks for the last six years? I hope for the best, but expect the worst.

Chamberlain: Oh yeah. Pacino and De Niro together again. These two guys could take turns reading the NRA handbook and I'd go see it. And Carla Gugino is hot. Who the hell is 50 Cent?

Kristopowitz: On one hand, it's kind of hard not to want to see a movie featuring two of the best actors ever. But then again, Jon Avnet is the director, and his last movie, 88 Minutes, didn't impress all that many people. My only hope is that the movie gets beyond the whole "Pacino-DeNiro" thing and actually tells a worthwhile story.

Snyder: There's an obvious "gotta see this" mentality built in here, given the tram-up of De Niro and Pacino. But so far the trailers and lack of buzz have left me feeling pretty underwhelmed about the whole thing. It doesn't help that, unlike their last time together onscreen (Michael Mann's Heat), this one is being helmed by a workmanlike director who has never really showed any overly impressive skills behind the camera. I'm sure I'll check it out eventually, but I'm in no rush to see it.

Brimfield: Isn't this kind of like a Steve Austin / Hulk Hogan match? Both guys would've been absolutely gold headlining in their prime, but 10/15 years on, the buzz isn't really there and I'm worried it's only going to be a disappointment. Here's hoping for a resurgence of both actors' careers.

SEPTEMBER 19TH

Lakeview Terrace
Studio: Screen Gems
Directed by: Neil LaBute
Starring: Samuel L. Jackson, Patrick Wilson, Kerry Washington
The plot: An LAPD officer (Jackson) will stop at nothing to force out the interracial couple (Washington and Wilson) who just moved in next door.

Furious: If Sam Jackson brings the energy and passion he had in Black Snake Moan this could be a great movie. Neil LaBute has kinda lost his way in recent years after his initial splash in Hollywood and certainly his version of The Wicker Man stunk to high heaven. But talent never disappears completely and has potential.

Thomas: Eh. Sam Jackson is great and all, but something about this movie just doesn't appeal to me. Arnold was being generous in my estimation about Wicker Man; stunk to high heaven is an understatement. The best thing LaBute's ever done was Nurse Betty, which really wasn't all that great, and as good as Jackson is, he's been in some bad, BAD movies before. It could be really good, but at this point, I'm lukewarm at best.

Lealos: Don't care. The trailers look generic and boring.

Chamberlain: Sam Jackson can do no wrong, but that doesn't mean I'm going to watch all his movies. Hate on Star Wars all you want, I'd rather watch Mace Windu hack through battle droids for a couple hours.

Kristopowitz: Samuel L. Jackson has never looked creepier than in the trailers for this flick. I don't know, though, if Patrick Wilson is a formidable protagonist for Jackson's apparent antagonist. It's always cool to see Kerry Washington in something... or nothing, whichever (ha).

Snyder: Wow, what a crap name, first of all. Director Neil LaBute has a lot to answer for following his incredibly misguided Wicker Man remake, but I don't expect him to start the forgiveness here. Samuel L. Jackson as an evil cop sounds promising, but nothing about this really seems all that remarkable, and the PG-13 rating kills a lot of the potential it might otherwise have. Pass.

Brimfield: This looks pretty generic, but Sam Jackson is always great value and will probably redeem it even if it does turn out to be as average as it looks.

Blindness
Studio: Miramax
Directed by: Fernando Meirelles
Starring: Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo, Gael Garcia Bernal
The plot: A thriller set in a city that is suffering from an epidemic of sudden blindness, where only one woman (Moore) remains able to see as the rest of her society is pushed to its limits.

Furious: Fernando Meirelles is one of the ‘new' world directors to move into Hollywood. His hit film City of God was the best film of the last decade. Blindness was supposed to be unfilmable but if he's pulled it off on the back of The Constant Gardener then Meirelles' name is made. This is one where you should wait for the reviews before deciding and early reviews haven't been favorable.

Thomas: Well, I've got free tickets to this, so I'll be seeing it one way or another. It's certainly an interesting concept, and it could be quite good, especially if he does half as well as he did with City of God. Of course, it could also be pretty bad. I'm interested but not super-hyped.

Lealos: This is a horror/thriller from the genius who brought us City of God. While The Constant Gardner may not have stuck in people's memories, it did garner a few Oscar nominations and one gold statue for Rachel Weisz. I'm interested to see Meirelles' take on this interesting premise. I would assume the visual director should use some interesting techniques to demonstrate the plight of a community swept into blindness, but what matters here is the story. The writer penned the SPECTACULAR Red Violin, so this is something I think has a fair chance of being a really good movie. The reviews have not been great, but I have more hope for this than Lakeview Terrace.

Chamberlain: They really didn't put too much thought into this title.

Kristopowitz: We haven't had a good "sudden epidemic" movie in quite a while, and this one looks like it might break that streak. It has a solid cast and director and a fairly creepy premise (I know I was creeped out by the trailer). I just wonder if the flick's going to be advertised as a pseudo art house seriously important movie that will change the world. That advertising campaign never works.

Snyder: A great book as source material? Check. A great director? Check. A great cast? Check? Negative early buzz and poor reviews? Check. Wait a minute…huh? I'm reserving my judgment till I see it for myself, but it will be a shame if it really is the disappointing mess that some are suggesting, since this should have been a can't-miss effort.

Brimfield: I said the same about Babylon A.D. and look how wrong I was, but I'm going to ignore the rumors and hope that this one turns out to be great - with the talent and material involved, it really shouldn't be anything less.

Appaloosa
Studio: New Line
Directed by: Ed Harris
Starring: Ed Harris, Viggo Mortensen, Renee Zellweger, Jeremy Irons
The plot: A pair of lawmen (Harris and Mortensen) out to save a Western town from a rancher's tyrannical reign find their bond, and their mission, tested by the arrival of a double-dealing widow (Zellweger).

Furious: That's a hell of a cast they've got there and if you enjoy Westerns this could end up being a classic. Viggo is working at getting out of the shadow of Aragorn and with Eastern Promises in the books he's closer than ever. He and Ed Harris both have a grizzled look that fits well with the Western. I'm looking forward to this one.

Thomas: Westerns aren't normally my thing, but getting Ed Harris, Viggo Mortensen and Jeremy Irons together in one movie has me interested no matter what the genre. I'm still not sold on the idea of Zellweger doing drama well, but the rest of the cast should balance her out, and the performances should be solid enough to carry the somewhat generic-sounding plot. Harris did a great job with his first directorial effort Pollock, so he should be able to deliver the good there.

Lealos: I saw Pollock at a special screening with Ed Harris in attendance. It was a nice event and the movie showed the actor had a good eye for direction. Eight years later he is behind the camera again. It's a western and I am not a fan of the genre, but we'll see.

Chamberlain: No, see, you lost me with Zellweger. Short of Empire Records, I don't think I've ever paid to see or own a movie in which she appears. She's a deal breaker.

Kristopowitz: Harris hasn't directed a movie in eight years, but he's got a great cast (Viggo Mortensen, Jeremy Irons, Renee Zellweger, and Lance freaking Henriksen), and they all look to be game for a western. I just wonder, though, and this seems to be a running theme this month, if this is going to be another overtly self important Western movie parable, or if it's just going to be a Western. You know, good guys and bad guys and shoot outs. The good stuff.

Snyder: I've been pretty impressed with recent westerns (The Proposition and 3:10 to Yuma, in particular), and this one has an excellent cast and a nice old-school western plot. I don't expect it to find a large audience, but I think it has a very good chance of being a high-quality flick.

Brimfield: The post-modern western is a genre of occasional brilliance and usually turns out a decent film at the very least, so this should be rather good, especially considering the caliber of the last Harris/Mortensen collaboration.

My Best Friend's Girl
Studio: Lionsgate
Directed by: Howard Deutch
Starring: Kate Hudson, Dane Cook, Jason Biggs, Alec Baldwin
The plot: Tank (Cook) makes a living as an uncouth womanizer hired by guys who want their girlfriends or wives to reconsider leaving them. But what happens when his behavior has the opposite effect on Alexis (Hudson), the love of his best friend's (Biggs) life?

Furious: This movie can only be saved by The Baldwin. Hopefully he gets to kick seven shades of shit out of Dane Cook and stamp on his face. Terrible title by the way.

Thomas: Is it time for another Kate Hudson romantic comedy? And this one co-stars Dane Cook and Jason Biggs? *Shoots self*

Lealos: I love Alec Baldwin. Um, that's about it.

Chamberlain: I like Dane Cook. He's had really had bad luck with movies so far. This doesn't look much better. Kate Hudson doesn't do much for me, Biggs made me laugh when he fucked the pie and that's it. However, Baldwin is the greatest actor in the world, so maybe he can save this.

Kristopowitz: I don't like Dane Cook, and since he seems to be the real star behind this movie, I have no real interest in seeing it. And what the heck happened to Jason Biggs? Where has he been?

Snyder: My hope was that the recent ascension of the Judd Apatow style comedies would have killed off any further garbage like this, but I guess that's not the case. Not even the mighty Alec Baldwin is gonna able to wash the stink of Dane Cook off of this one.

Brimfield: Where has all the latent Baldwin love come from? Ten bucks says no one cared about him before Glengarry Glen Ross. Anyone else remember The Shadow? Awesome film. Dane Cook, on the other hand, well I have no idea who he is, and his film looks boring.

Igor
Studio: MGM
Directed by: Anthony Leondis
Starring: John Cusack, Molly Shannon, Steve Buscemi, Christian Slater
The plot: Tired of playing second fiddle to his "Master," a talented laboratory assistant (Cusack) looks to win the annual Evil Science Fair with his own creation.

Furious: I like the concept but any animated movie that isn't Pixar just doesn't seem to capture the imagination these days. Maybe it'll be alright but you have to think MGM isn't overly thrilled with it or it would have gotten a holiday opening to draw in the kids.

Thomas: This seems good, and I'm a sucker for anything with John Cusack's name on the billing. Sure, it's not Pixar, but so what? I'm really hopeful that this one doesn't suck, because someone needs to step up and give DreamWorks and Pixar a run for their money in the animated film department. Walt Disney Feature Animation Studios, sit your ass down and shut up. I still haven't forgiven you for Meet the Robinsons.

Lealos: Holy crap! John Cusack, Christian Slater and Steve Buschemi? How have I not heard of this???

Chamberlain: This looks cute! And sometimes, cute is all you need in a movie. Plus, John Cusack rules.

Kristopowitz: I like the idea of having an "Evil Science Fair" as a major plot point in a cartoon. I laughed quite a bit at the trailer, and since I haven't seen a good animated movie this year (I didn't see WALL-E so I have no idea if it's any good), I'll check this out to see if it lives up to its promise.

Snyder: The trailer I saw for this actually looked pretty decent. Maybe that's just my love of the whole "mad scientist and hunchback assistant" cliché, though.

Brimfield: Cute, but I have a nasty feeling this is going to be this year's Shark Tale (high quality cast, but few redeeming features).

Ghost Town
Studio: Paramount
Directed by: David Koepp
Starring: Ricky Gervais, Greg Kinnear, Tea Leoni
The plot: Bertram Pincus (Gervais) dies for a seven-minute period during his routine colonoscopy, then awakens to realize he has gained the ability to see and communicate with ghosts.

Furious: I liked Stir of Echoes but David Koepp has been mostly writing of late. However Gervais is an instant skip. I don't get his appeal and I don't like his performances. Pass.

Thomas: I can't get into this. I enjoyed it the first time when it was Heart and Souls, but this just doesn't click for me for whatever reason. I hope I'm wrong, because Kinnear, Leoni, and Gervais can all be quite good when they have the right movies; I just don't know if this is it.

Lealos: I was excited about this movie but the trailers look boring and predictable. I will hold out hope because Ricky Gervais is a funny guy (I loved Extras). The movie has a fun plot - it has ghosts but isn't a horror movie! It could be funny, but that trailer was just blah. It makes it look like a boring message movie. Don't be a dick. Whatever.

Chamberlain: I also puzzle at times to the popularity of Gervais. He hasn't taken away from anything I've seen him in but I don't see him as a leading man either. The trailer for this almost put me to sleep.

Kristopowitz: This looks funny. Although I'm not sold on Greg Kinnear. He's not a very good actor.

Snyder: With Gervais and Kinnear involved, I want to like this. But it looks like a fairly tame, generic comedy, with a plot that's already been done to death (so to speak). I can wait to check it out on cable.

Brimfield: This looks like it should be made for TV rather than an actual movie, but I guess Gervais' stock is high enough now that he has some clout. It looks rather insipid though.

SEPTEMBER 26TH

Miracle at St. Anna
Studio: Touchstone
Directed by: Spike Lee
Starring: Derek Luke, Michael Ealy, Laz Alonso, Joseph Gordon-Levitt
The plot: A murder committed by post-office worker Hector Negron in 1984 sets in motion an investigation that ties back to the experiences of a battalion of black American soldiers who became trapped in a Tuscan village during WWII.

Furious: Nice to see Spike making a small film after the mainstream experience of Inside Man. Generally speaking Spike Lee doesn't make bad movies and sometimes he makes great ones so this might be well worth keeping an eye on. I'd like a star name to make me feel more comfortable about it but Spike knows what he's doing.

Thomas: Spike Lee is a great director and a spotty writer. I loved Inside Man and 25th Hour, neither of which he wrote, and this is another one he's hands-off on the scripting process for. It seems like an interesting war film, and I like Derek Luke and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. If this follows Lee's film making approach that he took with those, it should be good.

Lealos: Spike Lee is boring me right now. Where is the guy who made Do the Right Thing? I'm more interested in his bitch slapping with Clint Eastwood than this movie.

Chamberlain: I'm not really a Spike Lee guy, but that said, I have to give him credit for making an intriguing trailer. I don't know if the movie will be any good, but the set up of why this dude randomly shot a guy, and hints that the answers lie decades into his past, that's an interesting one.

Kristopowitz: I've never been a big fan of Spike Lee (although I love "Malcolm X"), but this looks decent. Although I have a feeling all we're going to be hearing about is Lee's ongoing issues with Clint Eastwood over a lack of black soldier characters in his recent World War II movies.

Snyder: I for one will be thrilled when this thing finally comes out, as I am sick of seeing the trailer for it. Seriously, I feel like it was attached to every single summer movie I saw. As for the movie itself, it looks decent enough.

Brimfield: This really does nothing for me I'm afraid.

Choke
Studio: Fox Searchlight
Directed by: Clark Gregg
Starring: Sam Rockwell, Anjelica Huston, Kelly Macdonald
The plot: An adaptation of the Chuck Palahniuk novel, in which sex-addicted con-man Victor Mancini (Rockwell) pays for his mother's (Huston) hospital bills by playing on the sympathies of those who rescue him from choking to death.

Furious: The last book adapted to film that was written by Chuck Palahniuk was Fight Club. Nuff said. Generally Fox Searchlight films are good.

Thomas: I love this book, and Sam Rockwell is the perfect guy to play Vincent. It's one of Palahniuk's most fun books, and with the cast they have assembled, it should be an enjoyable, twisted little romp.

Lealos: I love Fight Club. I also like Sam Rockwell. It's gotten good reviews, so it might be a surprise hit for me.

Chamberlain: Wow. That's an intense premise.

Kristopowitz: I don't know what to think of this movie. It sounds interesting. Beyond that I have no opinion.

Snyder: It's somewhat surprising that it's taken this long since Fight Club to get another Chuck Palahniuk book onto the big-screen. Choke is a great choice, though, and I'm all for any film that moves Sam Rockwell just a little bit closer to the star status I think he deserves.

Brimfield: I'll admit to not having read the book, so the plot sounds a bit silly to me. But then, I probably would have said that about Fight Club, so I'll get ready to eat my words. Sam Rockwell needs to redeem himself after being unsufferable in Hitchhiker's Guide.

Eagle Eye
Studio: Dreamworks
Directed by: D.J. Caruso
Starring: Shia LaBeouf, Michelle Monaghan, Rosario Dawson, Billy Bob Thornton
The plot: A young man (LaBeouf) and a single mother (Monaghan) become unwitting members of a terrorist cell plotting a political assassination.

(editor's note: the plot outlines floating round the web seem unsure as to whether Monaghan is playing LaBeouf's mother or just "a" mother. Jeremy kindly informs me it's the latter, which does make a lot more sense.)

Furious: This looks like a pretty solid action flick. Shia LaBeouf's reputation is improving and this looks to be a tester of his bankability. Could be a breakthrough flick for him and director D.J. Caruso who both did good things with Disturbia. I'd watch this film.

Thomas: I was skeptical when I first heard about this one, but D.J. Caruso and LaBeouf hit gold with Disturbia last year, and Michelle Monaghan is a pretty solid actress. The trailer had me interested enough to throw my doubts aside, and it should throw up pretty solid numbers with nothing strong coming out for a couple weeks after it. It'll be a modest hit, and should be an enjoyable film.

Lealos: My second most anticipated movie this year. I love Shia LaBeouf. There is a lot of backlash against him right now, but those people are wrong. This is his reuniting with director D.J. Caruso after their great work on last year's Disturbia. While Disturbia was the duo's answer to the Hitchcock thriller Rear Window, Eagle Eye is their answer to the Hitchcock classic North by Northwest. Producer Steven Spielberg is grooming LaBeouf to be the next Cary Grant and the kid has the talent to reach that level. So, to keep track, it is Burn After Reading number one, Eagle Eye number two and everything else after that.

Chamberlain: This movie reminds me of The Net. Remember that one? Sandra Bullock's life gets fucked right up cause of the internet. This seems to have the same kind of "unknown forces manipulating you" set up. Monaghan is a gajillion times hotter than Bullock, though. Have you seen Kiss Kiss Bang Bang?

Kristopowitz: For some reason, I'm not as interested in this movie as I perhaps should be. The plot sounds interesting and LaBeouf seems to be on a roll as of late, but the trailer for this movie bored the heck out of me. I hope it turns out better than expected.

Snyder: Disturbia, the first Caruso-LeBeouf collaboration, was a lot better than I think anyone expected, which raises the expectations for this one. It's got an intriguing premise, and a great trailer. Plus, it has the amazingly easy-on-the-eyes Michelle Monaghan. Should be good.

Brimfield: This reminds me of Enemy of the State, in a good way, and I'm always a sucker for the paranoia thing. Also, Monaghan is an easy contender for my List, so it's got that going for it. Which is nice.

Nights in Rodanthe
Studio: Warner Bros.
Directed by: George C. Wolfe
Starring: Diane Lane, Richard Gere, James Franco
The plot: A doctor (Gere) who is traveling to see his estranged son sparks with an unhappily married woman (Lane) at a North Carolina inn.

Furious: Hey, Richard Gere is still getting work. Let me tell you the last time I enjoyed a Richard Gere performance – never. I don't think he's ever made a film I enjoyed and done nothing of interest in the last decade. I don't get Richard Gere. What is it he does well?

Thomas: Richard Gere has been on a roll in his last few films (The Hunting Party, I'm Not There and The Hoax), but I've been seeing trailers for this for a while, and it doesn't appeal. It'll do well enough with the crowd it's destined for, as Lane and Franco should provide some good acting opposite Gere, and I don't imagine it'll be terrible, but I'll probably wait for DVD.

Lealos: I couldn't give a crap about this movie, but my wife loves the book, so I'll her talk about it. "It is a sad love story. Go see this movie if you are a girl." Ok, then. That's that. She does say the book is better than The Notebook, although after describing the movie to me it sounds like another Nicholas Sparks book: Message in a Bottle, and I liked that one. But it had Paul Newman and this one doesn't. But hey, James Franco is in it. I'll skip it. My wife will see it. That is probably going to be the norm this weekend.

Chamberlain: No.

Kristopowitz: Much like my ongoing dislike for Dane Cook, I am not a fan in any way of Richard Gere. He is one of the most boring big name actors going, and this movie looks like two hours of excruciating movie watching pain. However, I did like Gere's last movie, The Hunting Party, so who knows, maybe it won't suck that much.

Snyder: So, this is based on a Nicholas Sparks book, huh? Alright, then, enjoy it, ladies. Me and the guys are gonna go out for a few beers, instead.

Brimfield: Gere was good in Primal Fear, right? Oh wait, that was Ed Norton. Never mind then.



The votes are in... Burn After Reading is the 411 staff's hit of the month, while Nights in Rodanthe is our shit of the month!


That's all for now, folks. Stay tuned next month for a look at Saw V, City of Ember and a whole lot more!

All poster images courtesy of IMDB.