Wow! That was fast! It seems like only yesterday that Term 1 was finishing up and we had two full weeks of late nights, breakfast at midday and (in my case) a whole lot of movies. And yet on Tuesday the horror begins all over again. High schoolers all around the country are at this very moment staring forlornly at that pile of holiday homework they totally meant to do. Myself, I got a little maths done, but come on; I’ve got a movie blog to maintain! Surely my teachers will understand that?
I saw a total of six films theatrically these holidays; nowhere near my personal best, but still not a bad effort. I also made it through the first two seasons of The Wire on DVD (and people, believe the hype; it really is one of the best TV shows around.) I should really knuckle down over the next ten weeks, study hard and ace my mid year Chemistry exam. But the more likely scenario is that I will spend most of my weekends chomping on popcorn and staring at the big screen. Movies are escapism, and as a student in my final year of high school, I feel as though I have a lot to escape from! And so I have put together this list of my ten most anticipated films of the next ten weeks, in order to relieve some of the stress, frustration and murderous rage that inevitably comes with beginning of the school term.
Three disclaimers:1. This is not a definitive list of the biggest or the best movies. There are several major studio blockbusters missing from the list, most notably X-Men Origins: Wolverine and Angels and Demons. While I will almost certainly see and review both those films, I’m not all that excited for them. A more comprehensive list of upcoming movies and their Australian release date can be found here.
2. This list is ordered by release date, not by level of anticipation
3. This list is of films being released in Australia over the next ten weeks. Some of the movies featured on this list have already been released internationally.
With that out of the way, let’s begin.
I Love You, Man – April 23rd
As well as The Wire, another recent addition to my DVD collection has been the first two seasons of How I Met Your Mother. While he may not be as whacky or outrageous as Barney (Neil Patrick Harris), my favourite character on the show is the lovable and goofy Marshall, played by the lovable and goofy Jason Segel. I also recently watched and loved Forgetting Sarah Marshall, a film Segel wrote and starred in. Therefore, anything involving that gentle giant (short of the new Twilight Movie) has my seal of approval. As an added bonus, I Love You Man co-stars Paul Rudd.
Star Trek – May 7th
Everything I have written so far about this movie has been prefaced with me stating that I have never seen any Star Trek episodes or films, as if I could somehow disguise my dorkiness. But let’s face it; I run a film blog. No one is mistaking me for cool. And so while I have no familiarity with the franchise, I am really excited for this film. J J Abrams did a great job directing Mission Impossible 3 and it looks as though he’s done the same thing with this. Given its almost unmarketable associations with fanboys and cosplayers I still don’t think it’ll be a box office success. But J J, you can count me in.
Synecdoche, New York – May 7th
I have seen three films written by Charlie Kaufman, and loved them all. Being John Malkovich is about a destitute puppeteer who discovers a portal into the mind of actor John Malkovich. Adaptation is about himself, writing a screenplay about himself, writing a screenplay. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind was about a man’s experiences inside his own brain as his memories of his former girlfriend are being erased by irresponsible scientists. When I heard from a friend in America that Synecdoche, New York – Kaufman’s newest screenplay, as well as his directorial debut – was more bizarre and confusing then all of his previous films put together...I got very, very excited.
The Baader Meinhof Complex – May 7th
Aside from it featuring Bruno Ganz and that guy from Run Lola Run, I only things I know about this are that it was Germany’s nomination for Best Foreign Film at this years Academy Awards, and it’s about terrorists. To be honest, a major reason it’s on this list is because I would have felt kind of shallow if I didn’t include at least one foreign movie. I'll go see it just to feel smug and superior.
Observe and Report – May 14th
Early reports of Observe and Report from America been mixed in terms of acclaim, but the general consensus is that this movie is fucked up. Many people have described it as being like Paul Blart Mall Cop crossed with Taxi Driver. A mix of Seth Rogen comedy with random, brutal violence, explicit drug use and a date rape scene that is already causing enormous controversy…at worst it’ll be interesting, and at best it could be one of the funniest (if darkest) comedies of the year.
State of Play – May 28th
I just love a good political thriller. Adapted by several prominent screenwriters including Tony Gilroy (Michael Clayton) from a critically acclaimed British miniseries, this film stars Ben Affleck as a congressman whose mistress dies under mysterious circumstance. Enter Russell Crowe as a dogged newspaper reporter determined to uncover the truth. Perhaps it’s not the most original premise, but it’s got a good cast (supporting roles to Robin Wright Penn, Helen Mirren, Jason Bateman and Rachael McAdams) and hopefully will prove to be a very tense and exciting trip to the cinema.
Terminator Salvation – June 4th
Rather than following the ‘lone protector sent back in time’ format of the first three movies, Terminator Salvation is set in a post apocalyptic future where the human resistance wage an all out war on Skynet and it’s robotic minions. Despite my apprehensions towards another Terminator film, the trailers look phenomenal, Christian Bale is a great choice for the role of John Connor, and McG is a terrific action director. Let’s just hope he can continue this franchises trend of smart story telling.
…alright, so Rise of the Machines didn’t have a great story, but still.
Up – June 4th
After WALL-E, Pixar can basically do no wrong. Up is about a crotchety old man who escapes his life by attaching thousands of balloons to his house and literally floating away. Unfortunately for him, there is a stowaway on board: a cheerful eight year old boy scout. I am never really that impressed by the plot synopsises or the trailers for any of Pixars films, and yet they always produce something original, clever and sweet.
UPDATE: Sadly, this film has been pushed back to September 3rd.
Year One – June 18th
Jack Black and Michael Cera star as two cavemen who go on an adventure. Sounds hilarious? Maybe, maybe not. The trailer looks alright…I’m basing my hopes on the quality of the lead actors, as well as director Harold Ramis (Ghostbusters). At the very least it should be stupid fun…and nine weeks into Term 2, that’s all I’ll be looking for anyway.
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen – June 25th
Giant robots beating the crap out of each other. If you didn't think it was possible that Michael Bay could fit more action into a film than he did in the first movie, just take a look at the following trailer and have your mind well and truly blown
I hope this list gives people facing the same challenges I am some hope. My friends, all is not lost. With the help of John Conner, Captain Kirk and good ol’ Optimus Prime these next ten weeks don’t have to be fiery hellscape they appear to be. What’s more, in only ten weeks it’ll be the holidays again, and we can look forward to Brüno, Public Enemies and Harry Potter. And thus the cycle begins again.
What movies are you excited for? Comment now!
I'll see many of you on Tuesday, bright and early.
