411 Movies Roundtable: December 2008

Posted by Owain J. Brimfield on 12.04.2008

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


Welcome to the monthly 411 Movies Roundtable. We're piling into the final month of '08, and it surely won't be long before 411 starts our usual myriad of recaps and reviews of the year. So let's see whether there's anything coming out in December that's likely to challenge Batman for our number one slot for the year. This month, Mickey Rourke strikes out on comeback road, Keanu makes the earth stand still, and Sam Jackson takes on the role of an undersea creature.

This month's picture theme, somewhat predictably given the site on which you're reading this, takes its cue from The Wrestler. 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:

The king of furiosity, Arnold Furious!

My fellow middle-initialler Shawn S. Lealos!

B-movie mastermind Bryan Kristopowitz!

The guy who does the reviewing thing, Jeremy Thomas!

Sending out a Casting Call, Jason Chamberlain!

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

The Month That Was

Arnold Furious

Biggest Winner of the Month: Bond, James Bond. Another positive response for Daniel Craig as 007. His second outing smashes the Bond records making it the highest grossing Bond movie, ever. Although that is pretty much down to inflation. Nevertheless Craig has been a hit as Bond and Quantum of Solace has come out on top. Twilight also made stupid money but got terrible reviews. Special mention as well for Slumdog Millionaire that nearly cracked the top ten US box office despite only playing in THIRTY TWO theatres. It's per theatre average is higher than any film in the country including Twilight.

Biggest Loser of the Month: Charlie Kaufman. I feel bad for him but Charlie's directorial debut Synecdoche, New York didn't do particularly well. It cost a whopping $20M and has thus far returned $1.5M on its cinematic run.

Biggest Movie News of the Month: I've been so busy I've not really heard much but I did notice that Terry Gilliam is back working on his Don Quixote movie. I can only wish him the best of luck with that one!

Your Most Anticipated Movie of the Month: I do want to see Valkyrie but I'm going to surprise myself by going with The Wrestler. Darren Aronofsky's last film was terrible and Mickey Rourke hasn't had a solo home run in forever (Sin City doesn't count… Angel Heart?) Also the subject matter, wrestling, has produced very few worthwhile movies and lots of crap ones. But I'm cautiously optimistic that The Wrestler will work out and early reviews are really positive.

Recommended DVD Release of the Month: Dark Knight. That is all.

Classic Movie of the Month: City on Fire. The 1987 Ringo Lam movie that was the basis for Reservoir Dogs. I was always interested in seeing just how much of the film had been lifted by Tarantino and although he's taken a few sizeable chunks and a lot of plot from it (including the best bits of Dogs) the two movies are very different. It helps City on Fire that they have a huge star in Chow Yun-Fat in the movie's lead. He's terrific and it's one of his best acting performances. Stick it on your Netflix, or whatever, list and you won't be disappointed.

Movie Quote of the Month: "You're guarding space? That's stupid, isn't it? Because someone could break in there and steal all the fuckin' space and you wouldn't know it's gone, would you?" – Johnny (David Thewlis) in 1993's Naked

Shawn S. Lealos

Biggest Winner of the Month: James Bond. $417 million in its first three weekends (2 weekends in the U.S.) Add to that great take, the movie is great and continues the Daniel Craig era of 007, and we have an easy winner this month.

Biggest Loser of the Month: Fans of the original Oldboy? But then again who cares? Let me rant. Steven Spielberg and Will Smith are making a movie based on the Oldboy Manga comic. They are not remaking the Oldboy movie. Now fans of the Oldboy movie are up in arms because Smith admitted the adaptation is of the original work and they are crying because they don't get their excessive gore and incest plots? Where were the cries when Chan-wook Park changed the original? I thought we got mad when the original material gets switched around not when someone wants to remain faithful to the original. Let's put it this way, the people who see this movie are not the people who are fans of Oldboy. Take a poll of moviegoers and I would predict 90% have never even heard of the movie. Spielberg and Smith are making their own movie, and are looking to the source material to do it. Get over yourself.

Biggest Movie News of the Month: My favorite news is that The Broken Lizard guys are coming back. I love Super Troopers, Club Dread and Beerfest. I absolutely love these guys sense of humor, but I am worried because Jay Chandrasekhar is not directing. Now, I can't find any information in IMDB about it, but Chad said Variety reported it so that's good enough for me. Now if they will just push through Super Troopers 2!

Your Most Anticipated Movie of the Month: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - Yes, I want to see The Wrestler a lot, but since I don't think it will be showing here, I am going with a movie I know I will be able to see. The greatest director in the world and the greatest actor in the world [Controversial! - Ed] team up for the first time since Fight Club. This is going to be a great movie.

Recommended DVD Release of the Month: The Dark Knight. What else is there? Oh yeah, that sweet WWE Edge release is coming out right around Christmas too.

Classic Movie of the Month: The Third Man - This month, Criterion goes Blu-Ray. One of the first three releases is Carol Reed's The Third Man, starring Joseph Cotton and Orson Welles. I know Citizen Kane is recognized as one of the greatest movies of all time, but I would put Welles' performance in The Third Man up against it any day of the week. It is brilliantly shot and staged and is one of the best Film Noirs ever made. It's a caper movie that does not fail to deliver. I cannot wait to see it in high definition. Criterion Blu-Rays have me more excited than almost anything else lately.

Movie Quote of the Month: "Don't be so gloomy. After all it's not that awful. Like the fella says, in Italy for 30 years under the Borgias they had warfare, terror, murder, and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and the Renaissance. In Switzerland they had brotherly love - they had 500 years of democracy and peace, and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock. So long Holly." - Harry Lime (Orson Welles), The Third Man

Bryan Kristopowitz

Biggest Winner of the Month: Disney and its in house computer animated division, as their latest flick, Bolt, actually made decent money its first weekend and got some decent reviews, which is pretty weird since most critics prefer the Pixar movies Disney releases as opposed to the Disney movies Disney releases. I think it's a good sign, in general, because the world doesn't need big, costly, bad cartoon movies.

Biggest Loser of the Month: Rosie O'Donnell, as her much ballyhooed variety show on NBC, Rosie Live, got yanked after only one episode. It's a pity because, while the first show was pretty bad, there was potential for a decent, "modern" variety show somewhere in there. Rosie should go back to daytime TV.

Biggest Movie News of the Month: Steven Seagal is getting his own reality show on A&E. Supposedly it's Seagal working as a cop in Louisiana (he's a deputy sheriff or something somewhere), which should be a hoot. Armed and Famous may quickly lose its spot as the greatest reality show of all time if this Seagal thing actually happens.

Your Most Anticipated Movie of the Month: Punisher: War Zone, just to see if it stinks. The Day the Earth Stood Still looks interesting. The Wrestler looks outstanding. And Valkyrie looks like a good action movie.

Recommended DVD Release of the Month: Step Brothers comes out at the beginning of the month (I didn't catch it at the theater so I'll finally get a chance to see it), The X-Files: I Want to Believe has a 3-disc edition coming out that should be cool, Swingtown season 1 comes out (if enough people buy the DVD maybe CBS will bring the show back for a second season), Resident Evil: Degeneration, the animated Resident Evil movie comes out, and Anchor Bay releases a 20th Anniversary edition of Hellbound: Hellraiser II. And, yeah, The Dark Knight comes out, too.

Classic Movie of the Month: Think Big (1990): Remember David and Peter Paul, the bodybuilding twins who briefly had a movie career back in the 1990s? Of course you do. This comedy, which features the Paul brothers as truckers hauling toxic waste across the country for some reason, is a goofy little time waster with great cameo bits by Martin Mull, Claudia "hot" Christian, and David Carradine as a repo man hot on the trail of the Paul brothers (Carradine wants to repo their truck). It used to be on The Movie Channel all of the time, but it hasn't been on in a long time. If you do see it floating around, check it out. It's worth your time.

Movie Quote of the Month: "I used to work in the Académie Française but it didn't do me any good at all. And I once worked in the library in the Prado in Madrid. But it didn't teach me nothing I recall. And the Library of Congress you would have thought would hold some key but it didn't and neither did the Bodlean Library. In The British Museum I hoped to find some clue I worked there from nine till six. Read every volume through. But it didn't teach me nothing about life's mystery. I just kept getting older, it got more difficult to see. Till eventually me eyes went and me arthritis got bad. So now I'm cleaning up in here but I can't be really sad. Cause you see I feel that life's a game. You sometimes win or lose. And though I may be down right now at least I don't work for Jews."

Maria the cleaning woman (Terry Jones), as told to Gaston (Eric Idle), Monty Python's The Meaning of Life (1983)

Jeremy Thomas

Biggest Winner of the Month: DreamWorks. Madagascar 2 was going to be successful, sure. We all knew that. But did anyone actually think it would top Quantum of Solace to win the month? Well it did, beating the Bond blockbuster by almost twenty million bucks to become the biggest grossing hit of the month and a winner for the folks at DW. Not bad for a sequel that didn't have a lot of expectations to it.

Biggest Loser of the Month: Soul Men, which followed in the tradition of comedy post-mortem films tanking. Look at John Candy's Wagon's East for another example. The Bernie Mac/Sam Jackson flick, also starring the late Isaac Hayes, has barely scraped together eleven and a half million in three weeks, making it a bonafide flop. It's too bad too, because Mac and Hayes deserved better.

Biggest Movie News of the Month: Following the success of Twilight, Summit Entertainment has greenlit New Moon and fast-tracked it to begin shooting in March. Clearly, the fledgling studio knows what kind of a hit it has and wants to strike while the iron's hot; smart move by the studio, and we should probably see the sequel hit by this time next year. A third movie is in the works too, based on the third book; if I understand my friends who are fans of the books, the fourth one most certainly shouldn't be made, but we'll see how the grosses on the next couple do.

Your Most Anticipated Movie of the Month: As much as I really, REALLY want to see The Wrestler and Valkyrie, Frost /Nixon is the one I'm dying to catch. The trailers have been absolutely stunning, I love the play, and there's not a damn thing remotely bad coming out about it. As soon as it's showing here in Portland, I'm going to be right in line to see it.

Recommended DVD Release of the Month: Yes, yes, The Dark Knight is coming out. Everyone else is recommending that one, so I'm gonna go somewhere differently and give you Wanted. I really enjoyed this film when it hit theaters and thought it was one of the best action films of the year, and it's getting a two-disc set. If you haven't checked it out yet, you really should.

Classic Movie of the Month: Set on Christmas Eve, 1999's Go was one of the most surprisingly good movies of that year. It wove several stories together around one particular drug deal gone wrong. The cast is full of recognizable people, including Sarah Polley, Taye Diggs, William Fichtner, Party of Five's Scott Wolf, Jay Mohr, Breckin Meyer, and a pre-Tom Cruise Katie Holmes. The best performance comes from Tim Olyphant as the drug dealer, though. Check it out for a very different kind of holiday film.

Movie Quote of the Month: "Ronna, I just gave you a favor."
"And here I thought you just gave me head."

Todd (Tim Olyphant) and Ronna (Sarah Polley), Go

Jason Chamberlain

Biggest Winner of the Month: EON Productions. Quantum of Solace is a hit and Daniel Craig is continuing to kick ass as 007. Bring on more Bond!

Biggest Loser of the Month: Rosie O'Donnell. Rosie Live got yanked eh? I feel terrible about that. Looked real promising...

Biggest Movie News of the Month: Well the rest of those Twilight books got greenlit. I guess that's big.

Your Most Anticipated Movie of the Month: Nothing really jumps out at me this month.

Recommended DVD Release of the Month: The Dark Knight! Man, I'm going to watch that again and again and again. Only thing that sucks is the seeming lack of a Heath Ledger/Joker doc amongst the special features.

Classic Movie of the Month:

Movie Quote of the Month:


[Really Jason? Not even time to fill those ones in? Despite scraping the article deadline by about three minutes? You, sir, shall henceforth be known as "Jive Turkey". - Ed]

Owain J. Brimfield

Biggest Winner of the Month: A little-known actor by the name of Dev Patel, who in one step has gone from a supporting role in too-cool-for-school British drama Skins to the critically acclaimed lead in the equally acclaimed Slumdog Millionaire. Despite the film receiving a royal shafting in its US cinematic release, it's thankfully doing surprisingly well considering the decidedly non-mainstream subject matter, and Hollywood surely beckons for Patel, whose confident performance should justifiably see him launched on to bigger and better things. Danny Boyle's done pretty well out of the film, too.

Biggest Loser of the Month: Vince Vaughn and Four Christmases. What happened, Vince? You used to be cool, man. Now you're nothing but a gossip column after thought when someone desperate for a dozen extra words remembers you used to go out with that one from Friends who's dating that singer and hates that one from Tomb Raider. Poor Vince Vaughn. Won't someone spare a thought for his dignity?

Biggest Movie News of the Month: The continued success of the New Bond, as Quantum of Solace delivers a huge opening and shows that all the fanboy posturing about Daniel Craig has been completely forgotten. Although Quantum wasn't quite as satisfying as the previous movie, it's still amazing that cinema's oldest franchise has managed to reinvent itself quite so superbly for the new millennium, and that Bond continues to score big numbers at the box office. Here's hoping the third part of 007's resurrection is equally pleasing.

Your Most Anticipated Movie of the Month: Benjamin Button looks like a unique cinematic proposition and I'm hugely intrigued to see how it turns out, so it's a 50/50 toss-up between that and The Wrestler - those two films have the best trailers I've seen all year. Of course, if a certain sci-fi remake turns out to be as good as the original, it'll have everything else beaten up good and proper.

Recommended DVD Release of the Month: It's annoyingly hard to choose anything other than The Dark Knight. As good as the movie is, its hype is becoming horribly ubiquitous and is in danger of making me resent the film irrationally. Still, buy it, I'm sure you won't be disappointed, much to the disquiet of my inner cynic.

Classic Movie of the Month: You know it, the obvious choice - The Day the Earth.... Caught Fire? That's right, far from bowing to predictability and choosing Robert Wise's seminal effort that Scott Derrickson is desperately hoping he hasn't pissed all over, I'm going with a similar - and often overlooked - sci-fi classic from the height of the Cold War. The Day the Earth Caught Fire is essential science fiction, and although (like the original ...Stood Still, in fact) it suffers from a horribly annoying child performance, its apocalyptic scenario and orange-hued picture are timeless, and it's high on film academics' lists for good reason. The ending is painfully ambiguous (in a good way), and for an old-school movie it flouts convention with a surprising regularity. Certainly a must-see.

Movie Quote of the Month: "They've shifted the tilt of the earth. The stupid, crazy, irresponsible bastards! They've finally done it!" - Leo McKern is slightly less cheesy on film than in print, in The Day the Earth Caught Fire.

Coming Attractions

DECEMBER 5TH

Punisher: War Zone
Studio: Lionsgate
Directed by: Lexi Alexander
Starring: Ray Stevenson, Dominic West, Julie Benz
The plot: Continuing his crusade to punish violent criminals, former FBI agent Frank Castle (Stevenson) arrives in New York to take on the city's underworld bosses.

Furious: I really haven't enjoyed any of the attempts at making The Punisher into a movie so far. For me it needs a huge, huge star actor playing Frank Castle. Someone who can get into the grit of the performance. That wasn't Dolph Lundgren, who treated it as an action vehicle, and it wasn't Thomas Jane, who didn't convince me he was *that* guy. Although the weak script didn't help him. And it probably isn't Ray Stevenson either. I doubt we'll ever see a good version of the Punisher on the big screen and that's quite sad.

Lealos: This would be the third adaptation of The Punisher to the big screen. The first remains a cult favorite starring B-movie legend Dolph Lundgren. That's about the only good thing I can say about it. I really liked the more recent adaptation of the comic and feel Thomas Jane is a good Frank Castle. However, he was asked to carry a weak script and the movie never delivered what it was on the verge of promising. I don't like Ray Stevenson's take based on the trailer but if the movie is as bloody and violent as director Lexi Alexander (Green Street Hooligans) has claimed, I will at least be entertained. However, the rumor about Lionsgate trying to force director Alexander to reign in the violence has me slightly worried.

Kristopowitz: Am I excited about this movie? Yes. The Punisher is my favorite comic book character and it's always cool knowing that someone out there wants to make a movie based on vigilante Frank Castle's one man war on crime. I'm also incredibly worried that this movie, much like the last Punisher movie, is going to suck. Because, really, why wouldn't it? No one seems to know how to crack this character and make a good movie. I have a feeling that Dolph Lundgren is still going to be the real movie Punisher after War Zone, though. I just hope it doesn't suck.

Thomas: I loathed the last Punisher. Nothing against Thomas Jane, but for a guy as badass as Frank Castle, there was far too much time spent with his neighbors and not nearly enough on his getting revenge. I think that Ray Stevenson is a great choice to play Castle, and this will be as good as a Punisher film could be… which is, frankly, not very. Will it succeed? Probably not. But we can hope, and if not it won't do Marvel any damage to its cred, so oh well.

Jive Turkey: No Thomas Jane? No sale.

Brimfield: I can't help but think of this as a direct-to-DVD movie that had a little too much money thrown at it in the hope of resurrecting a stale cinematic franchise. There's very little that doesn't scream B-movie here, and while that can certainly be a good thing, I doubt that'll be the case here.

DECEMBER 12TH

The Day the Earth Stood Still
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Directed by: Scott Derrickson
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Jennifer Connelly, Kathy Bates, John Cleese
The plot: Aliens land on Earth with an important message for its citizens. A remake of the classic 1951 sci-fi film directed by Robert Wise.

Furious: This so didn't need re-making at all. The trailer makes it look like an effects movie and I guess that's ok if you're 14 years old and haven't seen the original. Pass.

Lealos: The original film was made in a time where World War was an eminent danger and the destruction caused by the Atomic Bomb on Hiroshima showed how dangerous a world at war could be. I don't really know the relevance in today's society, although the world being constantly at war might make this as relevant today as it was over fifty years ago. The story is simple, Klaatu is an alien sent to Earth to examine the life we live and determine if we deserve to continue. When an alien from a peaceful world sees the violence and the countless deaths that our wars cause, it is an easy choice to make. I think it will be a fun movie and there is no one better to play the role of Klaatu than Keanu Reeves. It is what it is, holiday fun.

Kristopowitz: I've enjoyed the previews for this flick, as they're fairly eerie and Keanu Reeves, especially in this role as an alien of some kind, creeps me out. However, this movie looks like it's going to be overlong and way too self important to be any good. I don't know why but I have that feeling.

Thomas: Okay, really. Can Keanu Reeves STOP playing Jesus, please? I mean, first it was the Lord Buddha. Then there was his role as the almost-Antichrist in The Devil's Advocate. Next there was Neo, "The One." And now, he's Klaatu, who is a pretty direct representation of Christ on the screen. We get the point, Keanu, you're God, now move on. Anyway, I will normally watch anything Jennifer Connelly or John Cleese are in, but I have no faith that they'll do the original even the slightest shred of justice. I'm tired of the environmental messages that sci-fi and horror are getting into… and I'm a tree-hugging liberal hippy. Sorry, I'm just not interested here.

Jive Turkey: Keanu Reeves as an alien. I can dig that! Should be pretty cool.

Brimfield: Okay, leaving the elitist snob side of me at home for a moment, while there's certainly absolutely no reason for the original classic to be remade, the trailers actually look relatively promising in terms of this being something more than a special-effects redux of the original. Keanu gets a lot of stick he doesn't deserve and should do well in this role, and I'll likely make the trip to the cinema for this one.

Delgo
Studio: Freestyle
Directed by: Marc F. Adler; Jason Maurer
Starring: Freddie Prinze Jr., Val Kilmer, Anne Bancroft, Jennifer Love Hewitt
The plot: When Delgo (voice of Prinze, Jr.), a troubled teenager, is framed for a crime he didn't commit, his subsequent prison escape leads him and a group of unlikely friends on adventure to save two sparring races from a common enemy.

Furious: I have to tell you I completely tuned out after Freddie Prinze Jr in the description.

Lealos: This is an animated film that looks absolutely beautiful. Based on the trailer, this might be one of the best looking animated flicks I have seen in a long time. Also it features Val Kilmer and Burt Reynolds and that is very cool. BUT, this is not my kind of movie. I am sure there are lots of World of Warcraft people out there that will flip out for a movie like this, but not me. It looks great, though.

Kristopowitz: I don't know anything about this movie. It's some kind of "independent" animated thing, right? It's got an interesting voice cast, so at least there's that to look forward to.

Thomas: For the record, I'm a World of Warcraft player, and I don't know anyone who is remotely interested in this movie. Yes, it looks pretty, but the plot just doesn't work for me and the trailer left me underwhelmed. The cast is interesting but I don't see them doing much to lift the material, and I suspect this will flop badly.

Jive Turkey: Another one of those CGI movies that I'm probably not going to bother checking out.

Brimfield: Meh? Well, it gets a pass out of total mediocrity thanks to the presence of Kilmer, who can frankly drop as many turkeys as he likes with Willow and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang in his back catalogue. I'd watch this if it was on TV on a lazy Sunday, but nothing more, and I doubt it'll be better than average.

DECEMBER 19TH

Seven Pounds
Studio: Columbia
Directed by: Gabriele Muccino
Starring: Will Smith, Rosario Dawson, Woody Harrelson
The plot: A professional man (Smith) who is close to suicide for his role in an auto accident that claimed the lives of seven people finds a reason to live, and to atone, when he falls for a woman (Dawson) who wants to help him deal with his grief.

Furious: The biggest problem this film will suffer from is that people simply don't believe that Will Smith could be suicidal. Yeah, the guy can act but he's a pimp. And pimps don't commit suicide.

Lealos: I prefer Will Smith action/fun movies to his inspirational ones. When I hear about a movie like Hancock I get excited. When I hear about a movie like Pursuit of Happyness, I yawn. We know Will Smith will be great in this. I dig the hell out of Woody Harrelson and Barack Pepper is cool too. I just won't rush out to see it. Give me the Spielberg/Smith team up for the Oldboy remake.

Kristopowitz: It looks like Will Smith is Oscar hunting once again. I'm sure the movie will be fine and emotional and all that, but I just can't get excited about it. This, too, looks like it's going to wallow in its own self importance, and I can't stand that stuff.

Thomas: This looks to be an interesting film from the guy who can do no wrong when it comes to the box office. I don't think it will be nearly as successful as The Pursuit of Happyness was, as it doesn't seem nearly as relatable, but it should do fairly solid business. The trailers are really good about building the mystery without giving too much away, and the cast is very intriguing between Dawson, Harrelson, and the underrated Barack Pepper. I'm cautiously optimistic to see how this will work out.

Jive Turkey: What the heck is this movie about anyway? From the previews, I have no idea.

Brimfield: Smith rules all, but this doesn't do it for me. Still, I suppose he needs another "real" film after Hancock and I am Legend. It'll probably be good, but there's very little appealing as far as I'm concerned.

The Tale of Despereaux
Studio: Universal
Directed by: Sam Fell; Robert Stevenhagen
Starring: Matthew Broderick, Emma Watson, Dustin Hoffman, Sigourney Weaver
The plot: Banished from his home for being more man than mouse, Despereaux (Broderick) is befriended by Princess Pea (Watson) who teaches him the value of reading books (instead of eating them) as well as a fellow outcast, Roscuro the Rat (Hoffman), who is interested in hearing the stories Despereaux has learned. When Roscuro is shunned by the princess, however, he plots her kidnapping, putting Desperaux's human-sized bravery to the test.

Furious: Say, another talking rodent movie. That's not trying to capitalise on the success of Ratatouille at all. The best way of dealing with new animated movies is to ignore them until the reviewers start raving about one, or Pixar makes something. That way you save yourself a lot of time. Although those of you with children will no doubt see them all. Something for us non-child bearing adults to look forward to… or not.

Lealos: The movie looks so cute, and to me that is not a bad thing. I don't compare it to Ratatouille because it looks like a different kind of movie. This is a kids movie straight down the line and the idea of the little mouse with no fear really seems to reach out to me. I think this will blow Delgo away and be the number one animated hit this Christmas.

Kristopowitz: Yet another animated movie I don't know anything about featuring a solid voice cast. Since this one is being released by Universal, the animation will probably look better than Delgo, and will then probably be a better movie going experience. Probably. Although I do wonder if people will go. It's not Shrek, and it's not a Disney movie, so will the target audience show up? Will they even know about it?

Thomas: This seems like it will be the better of the two animated films to come out this month. It's a more accessible story then Delgo and it's nice to see Emma Watson doing a bigger movie that isn't Harry Potter; she seems to have the most potential for breaking out from that particular franchise. It certainly won't hit Pixar or DreamWorks levels of success, but it should be able to do some good business and may give Universal some animated film cred.

Jive Turkey: This looks kinda cute. More of a rental though.

Brimfield: Oh, you know what, it looks fine. Just fine, and nothing more. Leave it alone.

The Wrestler
Studio: Fox Searchlight
Directed by: Darren Aronofsky
Starring: Mickey Rourke, Marisa Tomei, Evan Rachel Wood
The plot: With his battle scars and failing heart, retired professional wrestler Randy "The Ram" Robinson (Rourke) jumps back into the squared cirle, climbing his way up the independent-circuit ladder, with his eyes on a showdown with his longtime rival.

Furious: As I said at the top Aronofsky didn't do too well last time out. Anyone who saw The Fountain kind of walked away from thinking; "what the fuck was that?" Hugh Jackman as the time travelling, spaceman/conquistador/scientist trying to cure cancer… or something. Pretty much the definition of a big confused mess. Aronofsky would be best off focusing on the harsh realities of the real world where he's scored his most success (Requiem for a Dream) and this seems to be more in line with that. Mickey Rourke has always been capable and stole the show during Sin City so I have high hopes for this. Groovy seeing the ROH ring in the trailer too.

Lealos: have been excited about this movie since I heard it announced. I never dreamed it would occur - a genius filmmaker making a movie based on professional wrestling. I am not a fan of the actual stories for The Fountain or Pi and feel Requiem for a Dream is the most depressing movie of all time. Despite my personal feelings on these movies I will always admit they are brilliantly constructed and The Fountain is one of the most beautiful looking films in recent memory. A filmmaker like this taking on my favorite form of entertainment is like a dream come true. I have heard Mickey Rourke might be nominated for an Oscar for his role in this film and that would be phenomenal. I don't think I will get to see it here in Oklahoma, but I want to very badly.

Kristopowitz: I just saw the trailer for this on YouTube. This looks amazing. Both Rourke and Tomei look to be at the top of their respective games, and it also looks like the world will finally get a movie that doesn't make professional wrestling look like, well, "professional wrestling." If this hits big and gets all kinds of critical and audience acclaim, maybe we'll finally get a chance to see my Mickey Rourke dream project: a sequel to Harley Davidson and the Malboro Man. I'm sure Don Johnson would be up for it.

Thomas: No big surprise here, but I'm excited to see this. While Aronofsky floundered with The Fountain he's still a great director, and Mickey Rourke is (if word of mouth is any indication) giving the performance of his career as Randy Robinson. He's also surrounded with a great supporting cast. I'm excited about this film, which could go a long way toward erasing the stench that Ready to Rumble put on the concept of professional wrestling as cinema.

Jive Turkey: And now for one of those movies that Vince McMahon doesn't want you to see! Oscar buzz is surrounding this flick. Why do I doubt that's going to help make pro wrestling any more acceptable to the masses?

Brimfield: Now this I'm excited about. Aronofsky is one of the most polarising directors working today (for the record, I thought The Fountain was close to a masterpiece) and this is one of the last subjects I thought I'd see him tackle. But here we have it, a movie about professional wrestling that's garnering Oscar buzz. Phenomenal. The trailer looks promising, and Rourke couldn't have picked a more appropriate role in which to shine. Hopes are high for this one.

Yes Man
Studio: Warner Bros.
Directed by: Peyton Reed
Starring: Jim Carrey, Zooey Deschanel, Terence Stamp
The plot: What happens when you agree with everyone and say "yes" to everything? Carl (Carrey) is about to find out when he chooses to become overly agreeable for an entire year.

Furious: The plot: Jim Carrey can't think of anything new to do so just makes a movie about the first thing that comes into his head. Audiences respond by asking him when he's going to make another funny movie instead of this crap.

Lealos: Jim Carrey has really fallen. I used to get excited when a new Carrey movie was announced. Now, I just see it and think, whatever. Bradley Cooper impressed me a lot in Midnight Meat Train, but this is not the same thing. I just don't care.

Kristopowitz: I'm glad that Carrey is back making goofy comedies like this. I'm not a big fan of his, though. Liar Liar was pretty good, though, and this kind of looks like it goes down that road, has that vibe to it. I'd see it.

Thomas: When I first heard about this film, I rolled my eyes. Gee, Jim Carrey in a gimmick comedy? Who'd have thunk it? The trailer was a lot funnier than it had any right to be though, and this could bring him back to box office success after the abysmal failure of the horrendous Number 23.

Jive Turkey: This one really isn't doing much for me.

Brimfield: Shit over this all you like, folks, but I bet none of you have read the book on which Yes Man is based, which is wonderful - funny, engaging and inspirational in a completely non-sappy way. I'd have just cast author Danny Wallace in the lead, but I suppose he doesn't have quite the box-office clout of Carrey.

DECEMBER 25TH

Frost / Nixon
Studio: Universal
Directed by: Ron Howard
Starring: Frank Langella, Michael Sheen, Kevin Bacon, Sam Rockwell
The plot: BBC host David Frost interviews Richard Nixon in 1977, where the scandal-plagued President opens up about his role in the Watergate scandal.

Furious: I quite like watching the history channel and biography but often Hollywood's version of events is a little too cut and dry. However I do have a degree of trust in Ron Howard (despite that religious movie he made) and the casting is strong. I like Michael Sheen and Frank Langella looks to have Nixon's mannerisms down in the trailer. I'll probably check it out; I like historical stuff.

Lealos: I am pretty interested in this movie. I don't know how it will turn out, but I have grown to love political movies. I loved JFK and really enjoyed W. The actors from the original stage show (Langella and Sheen) reprise their roles for this film. When turning a stage play into a theatrical film, it is difficult to make it feel like anything more than staged actors. Sidney Lumet did it great in 12 Angry Men and James Foley pulled it off in Glengarry Glen Ross. I think Ron Howard has the skills to pull it off here. Playing off the interview will be scenes with Sam Rockwell, Kevin Bacon and Oliver Platt. I don't see how this can't be at least interesting.

Kristopowitz: This flick has Oscar contender written all over it. Top drawer cast, director, based on an award winning stage play, what's not to like? But I've heard conflicting things about whether or not it actually lives up to the hype. Some people are foaming their pants over it, that it's Ron Howard's best effort as a director, and then there are people who are saying that it's a good movie, sure, but it's not an award worthy movie (I guess they'd call it "mediocre"). So I don't know who to believe. I bet it gets a Golden Globe nomination, though.

Thomas: The trailer for this is absolutely tremendous. Michael Sheen is a great actor, and Frank Langella appears to be giving a performance that may somehow top Anthony Hopkins's turn as Tricky Dick. The stage show was great, and Sheen and Langella are reprising the roles they created on Broadway which is always a good sign. There's no question that this will be remembered when Oscar comes around, and hopefully it can live up to the hype; I have little doubt that it will and will be one of the best movies of the year.

Jive Turkey: Political thrillers aren't my thing.

Brimfield: Not the subject matter I usually find myself getting excited about, but Sheen is quietly establishing himself as a masterful character actor, and with Langella, Bacon and Rockwell in the mix too, this is likely to be an interesting film. To use a horribly common Americanism I seem to see a lot around here, colour me intrigued.

Bedtime Stories
Studio: Walt Disney
Directed by: Adam Shankman
Starring: Adam Sandler, Keri Russell, Courteney Cox, Guy Pearce
The plot: Somehow, someway, the lavish bedtime stories that a hotel handyman (Sandler) tells his niece and nephew start to magically come true.

Furious: Are Sandler and Carrey having a competition for the lamest sounding movie this month or something? The trailer for this looks marginally better but it's also Disney. Play it safe and avoid both!

Lealos: Remember what I said about Jim Carrey? I have never failed to stop perking my ears when I hear of a new Adam Sandler movie. I have always believed that Sandler makes two groups of movies and rotates between his guy/frat boy humor (Waterboy, Happy Gilmore) and his family based/chick humor (Big Daddy, Wedding Singer). His last movie was the very funny You Don't Mess With the Zohan, a typical guy movie, so here we get the family humor, with a story of Sandler and his niece and nephew. It's a perfect holiday film and, just as Sandler beat out Mike Myers this summer, expect him to beat Jim Carrey this Christmas.

Kristopowitz: I've seen this preview about twenty times now. It's funny, yeah, but I want the movie to come out as soon as possible so I don't have to see that freaking "raining gumballs" scene again. It'll be interesting to see just how "sweet" Sandler ends up by the end. This doesn't look like a full on "typical" Sandler movie.

Thomas: Ehh. The plot is interesting, but I prefer serious Sandler to comedic Sandler anymore. Don't Mess With the Zohan was pretty much a disaster, and while this looks to be better than that, I still would rather see more of the kind of quality he showed in Reign Over Me. This is a safe film for him, and it'll surely click at the box office, but I'm not all that thrilled.

Jive Turkey: Sounds like a fun kids movie. Probably skews a little young for me though.

Brimfield: Shawn, how then do you account for Punch Drunk Love and Reign Over Me? This will probably be balls, but it's nice to see Cox getting work I guess.

The Spirit
Studio: Lionsgate
Directed by: Frank Miller
Starring: Gabriel Macht, Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson, Eva Mendes
The plot: A rookie cop (Macht) returns from the dead to fight crime from the shadows of Central City. His main opposition is a former lab technician who has reinvented himself as The Octopus (Jackson), an elusive criminal mastermind who knows the secrets behind his nemesis.

Furious: And suddenly everyone knows who Will Eisner is! Excellent. Eisner is so important to the world of comic books that their version of the Oscars are called the Eisner Awards. He went to school with Batman creator Bob Kane. Eisner began drawing comics in 1936 and by the war he'd created this character; The Spirit. The character and the stories were the basis for the template that so many successful comic book writers have used ever since. Historically he may be as important a character as Superman or Batman. And yet the only attempt at doing The Spirit was a 1980s TV movie. The driving force behind it getting made now is Frank Miller. Having had huge success with Sin City he found his techniques could be used to make other movies that would previously have been considered unlikely to succeed. I'm concerned that Miller might be focusing a little too much on the look of the movie rather than the content but I felt the same way about Sin City before it came out. An interview I read in Empire a few months back gives me more confidence. I'll be watching this.

Lealos: I really liked Sin City and if Frank Miller learned even a little from Robert Rodriguez, I think he can put out a good movie. I am not familiar with the comic book so I can't be like all the fanboys who cry about the color of The Spirit's costume or whatever. Sam Jackson freaks me out in the trailer and it looks a little too stylized at times, but if it comes close to Sin City levels I will be happy. This is looking to be a month full of fun movies after a couple of months almost bare of any.

Kristopowitz: As a comic book nerd, I should be stoked about this movie. Frank Miller is directing for the love of Drake. But I'm not. Much like 300, I'm just not all that excited about it. It's just not in me to care. I may see it, I may not. It's not a "must see" right now. I just don't care.

Thomas: Let me start off here by saying that Sin City is one of my all-time favorite films, and Frank Miller is a genius. Can he handle a film all on his own, though? I'm not so sure. Yeah, this looks damn pretty, and the bevy of really hot women doesn't hurt. I'll probably enjoy this to a degree, but I'm not expecting great things from it. Based on reactions I've seen in theaters when the trailers have played, I don't know that it will be particularly successful either. It should be a fun little waste of time and that's pretty much it.

Jive Turkey: I dig Frank Miller, and this artistic style can work if it's done well, but I haven't been all that impressed with the previews I've seen.

Brimfield: One of the few comic book franchises I can't even pretend I know anything about. I prefer the idea that the villain in the original stories is apparently never actually glimpsed apart from his glove, but I'll happily give that a pass if it means Sam Jackson on my screen. They couldn't have chosen a more unappealing group of femme fatales, though.

Revolutionary Road
Studio: Dreamworks
Directed by: Sam Mendes
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, Kathy Bates
The plot: A young couple raising a family in a Connecticut suburb during the mid-1950s look to break free from their frustratingly mediocre lives.

Furious: Titanic II: Jack Gets Bored!

Lealos: This looks like a movie my wife will like. I don't know what to make of it. For most, it is the reuniting of Titanic costars Kate Winslet and Leo DiCaprio. For me, it is the return of director Sam Mendes. I didn't know what to think of American Beauty when I first heard about it but loved it and his follow-ups Road to Perdition and Jarhead are awesome. I have to give Mendes the benefit of the doubt, but the trailer just doesn't speak to me.

Kristopowitz: I've never been a big fan of DiCaprio, but this looks decent enough to make an effort to go see. I'm not looking forward to the "DiCaprio and Winslet reunited" stories I'm sure we'll be seeing all over television the week before it comes out. I bet the "Today" show has both of them on.

Thomas: Leo's Oscar bid is right here. This has been getting pretty good word of mouth, and Sam Mendes rarely missteps when it comes to his directorial efforts. It looks good and the cast is great; it may not be everyone's cup of tea but it should be a very good film.

Jive Turkey: The Titanic couple back together! I dig Winslet, but I'll give this a pass.

Brimfield: Mendes is a solid director, but this is surely just going to become known and buried as "that film where the kids from Titanic got it on again".

Valkyrie
Studio: United Artists
Directed by: Bryan Singer
Starring: Tom Cruise, Bill Nighy, Kenneth Branagh, Tom Wilkinson
The plot: Near the end of WWII, Claus von Stauffenberg (Cruise) leads a group of fellow German army colonels in an attempt to assassinate Adolf Hitler.

Furious: The Cruiser badly needs a hit and I hope he does well with this flick. There is a slight concern… everyone already knows the ending but that didn't stop Titanic being successful. The other concern that I personally would have is I've really gone off the idea of films about WW2 Germany that don't star German speaking actors. After seeing Der Untergang it's really hard to imagine anyone else playing Hitler than Bruno Ganz. Maybe they can dub it over with German for the DVD or something. Should be good; but I'd rather it was more authentic.

Lealos: There is no way this movie will survive its reputation. United Artists was supposed to be Tom Cruise's opportunity to put movies back in the hands of the artists (the same was done in the 1920's by luminaries such as Charlie Chaplin and D.W. Griffith). It was a great idea but has produced the disappointing Lions for Lambs and then we got this delayed Bryan Singer film about the historic attempted assassination of Adolf Hitler. The cast is great: Tom Cruise, Kenneth Branagh, Bill Nighy, Tom Wilkinson, Terence Stamp - an awesome group of actors. However from controversy surrounding Cruise playing a German and the shoot being shut down in Germany, the picture has been postponed and pushed back and finally comes out at Christmas. I think the actors can carry the role and have never faltered in my admiration for Singer (Superman Returns was not that bad). I have some hope for this movie.

Kristopowitz: This looks like a pretty cool action movie (well, that's what the commercials seem to suggest, that it's an action movie as opposed to a "serious" drama, which is what it probably really is). I don't know if I buy Tom Cruise as a Nazi soldier or as some kind of hard ass war hero type, but who knows? Maybe Singer figured out how to make that seem plausible. I have a feeling, though, that this is going to tank because the public still hasn't forgiven him for jumping up and down on Oprah's couch and attacking psychiatrists. And is anyone really going to see a movie about Nazis on Christmas?

Thomas: I love the story of the German Resistance and the July 20th plot, a story that's been filmed several times. The cast for this adaption looks exceptionally solid, though of course most of the focus has been on Cruise and the fact that his Scientology association caused problems for the film in Germany. This is a make-or-break deal for UA, and it should fall on the "make" side with a little luck. Some people have been bitching about the fact that most of the cast doesn't do accents; I'm fine with it as it means we don't have to be distracted away from the actual performances. This promises action, drama, and all around good times; it better damn well deliver.

Jive Turkey: I'm not 100 per cent on my World War Two history, but I'm fairly certain Hitler killed himself in the end, so I guess the plan in this movie doesn't work out. Tom Cruise plays a German who doesn't seem to have an accent, which is odd.

Brimfield: A completely unexpected cast. The true story behind this one is fantastic, but I can't really picture it making compelling movie material. It'll be interesting to see which actor essays the most convincing German accent, at least.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Studio: Paramount
Directed by: David Fincher
Starring: Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Tilda Swinton
The plot: Benjamin Button was born under unusual circumstances. As everyone around him grew older, he aged backwards, making the challenges of life such as creating friendships, finding a job and falling in love all the more difficult and heartbreaking.

Furious: For those of you crying out for something original… step forward David Fincher! He's swiftly becoming one of the best directors working today. The only black mark on his copy book is Alien3 and that's mostly Fox's fault. We know what a pussy studio they are now and every time you look back on a film made by Fox where a good director makes a mediocre film… the blame seems to shift a little. Remember this is the director who went on to make Seven, Fight Club and Zodiac. Because he seems to be improving as a director there's a feeling he's bound to make something the Oscars really like eventually. Maybe this is his year.

Lealos: David Fincher is a God. He is the greatest director living today. This is not hyperbole. This is just fact. Fincher is coming off the fantastic Zodiac and I think he is getting better and better with age. I also have a huge man crush on Brad Pitt. The last time the two of them teamed we got the spectacular Fight Club. The story sounds very interesting and I cannot wait for this movie.

Kristopowitz: I have a feeling we're all going to be very, very depressed at the end of this. Pitt looks to be in top form here, which will hopefully make this movie easier to sit through. I'm sure the movie as a whole will be fabulous as David Fincher is an excellent director but, as the preview I recently saw on television seems to suggest, this flick is going to be a sad affair.

Thomas: There's lots of good buzz around this one, and it's certainly a fascinating plot with a great cast and talented director. Fincher hasn't screwed up a film all the way back to Alien3, which was more the studio's fault then his. While there are other films I'm more excited to see then this, it should still be a very nicely done work that will receive notice come Oscar time.

Jive Turkey: It's an interesting premise, I'll give you that.

Brimfield: Alien3 gets too much shit for my liking. It was fine, it was decent, just nowhere near the expectations the previous movies demanded. Anyway, this is the most original trailer I've seen in years, and if the special effects are as good as Fincher would have us believe, this could be a late contender for film of the year. I know I'm excited; although I've yet to see Zodiac, Fincher's previous output inspires nothing but total confidence.



The votes are in... The Wrestler is the 411 staff's hit of the month, while Yes Man is our shit of the month!


That's all for now, folks. Stay tuned next month - and next year! - for a look at Inkheart, Underworld 3 and a whole lot more!

All poster images courtesy of IMDB.