2008 Preview: Top 20 Movies to See This Spring
Filed under: Movie Author:You’d never know it from most of the entertainment press, but there are actually other movies coming out between Cloverfield and Iron Man’s premiere this May. All of the blogosphere is abuzz with spoilers and previews for 2008’s summer movies like The Dark Knight, Hellboy II: The Golden Army, and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, and it’s hard to blame them. We’re damn excited about those three and many more in what’s looking like the best summer season in years. But, as your thermometer will probably tell you, it’s a long, long time until summer. Believe it or not, there are dozens of interesting movies coming out in February, March, and April that aren’t getting nearly the press of the summer 2008 flicks and, if you’re like us, you’re not just going to sit and wait for the big budget extravaganzas coming later this year. So, what should you see this Spring? (I know that referring to February-April as “Spring” is a little weird, but the movie world regards May-August as “Summer,” so just roll with it.) Get out your calendars and mark the premiere dates for these 20 movies that we’re most excited for over the next few months.
FEBRUARY
The Eye
Release Date: February 1st
Studio: Lionsgate
Starring: Jessica Alba, Parker Posey, Alessandro Nivola, Rachel Ticotin, Rade Serbedzjia, and Chloe Moretz
Written by: Sebastian Gutierrez (Snakes on a Plane)
Directed by: David Moreau & Xavier Palud (Them)
Official Site: www.lionsgate.com/theeye/
Plot: Sydney (Alba), a blind violinist, gets a cornea transplant and starts to see things that she really shouldn’t. Let’s just say she could have an interesting conversation with the kid from The Sixth Sense. A modern ghost story, The Eye is based on the 2002 Korean flick Jian Gui, which not only made us wary of ever going in an elevator again, but also featured one of the best last-minute twists in recent memory.
Why We’re Excited: Remakes of Asian horror films have been about as consistently awful as any genre out there and the early season release date combined with Jessica Alba’s nauseating 2007 hat trick of Fantastic Four 2, Good Luck Chuck, and Awake makes us incredibly cautious about this one, but anyone who has seen the brilliant original holds out hope that some of that great film might still exist in the American version. Also, David Moreau and Xavier Palud made one of the coolest indie horror films of the last couple years, the great Them. If Jessica’s take on The Eye is awful, at least it will introduce fans to the original movie and the director’s previous work. That’s more than we got out of The Grudge 2.
Jumper
Release Date: February 15th
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Starring: Hayden Christensen, Samuel L. Jackson, Diane Lane, Jamie Bell, and Rachel Bilson
Written by: David S. Goyer (Blade) and Jim Uhls (Fight Club) and Simon Kinberg (Mr. and Mrs. Smith)
Directed by: Doug Liman (Mr. and Mrs. Smith)
Official Site: www.jumperthemovie.com/
Plot: Have you ever just wanted to get away? Hate waiting in line at the airport? Wondering when the teleportation that Gene Roddenberry promised us is finally going to come to life? In the world of Jumper, it’s not technology, but a genetic anomaly that allows a young man (Hayden Christensen) to teleport anywhere he wants. From small jumps to trips around the world, our hero soon discovers that he’s not alone and that he’s stuck in the middle of a war between “Jumpers” and Muggles that’s been raging for centuries.
Why We’re Excited: We’re half-and-half on this one. The concept is cool, but the previews make us very nervous. As a friend of mine said after seeing the full-length trailer, “This is what Heroes has wrought.” The success of that NBC show means we’re likely to see dozens of movies about “normal people” with “extraordinary powers,” but the first season of Heroes had some brilliant storytelling that might be hard to translate to the big screen. Even so, a big-budget special effects extravaganza in February is rare, so we’re excited. We just hope it’s not 2008’s Ghost Rider.
George A. Romero’s Diary of the Dead
Release Date: February 15th
Studio: The Weinstein Company
Starring: Nick Alachiotis, Matt Birman, Georga Buza, and Joshua Close
Written and Directed by: George A. Romero
Official Site: www.myspace.com/diaryofthedead
Plot: George A. Romero’s Land of the Dead didn’t exactly set the world on fire, doing well on DVD but pretty much bombing in theaters. That hasn’t stopped the King of Zombies, who has made a fifth film in his landmark saga and reportedly has plans for another zombie movie in the works. The latest sequel to Night of the Living Dead finds Romero working with handheld video cameras to tell the story of a group of young film students who get the brain-eating bug while making their own horror movie. It played at last year’s Toronto Film Festival to wildly mixed reviews.
Why We’re Excited: Um, it’s a Romero Dead movie and there hasn’t been a bad one yet. The “Blair Zombie Project” concept makes us a little nervous (worked for Cloverfield, though) and it’s an idea that seems to have come a little too late, but a few early reviews from the festival circuit have been positive and we’re real forgiving of Romero Dead movies. Even if it only introduces new fans to Night, Dawn, Day, and Land, it will be a notable release for the season. But, to be fair, we were excited for this one after only two words—Romero and zombie. It’s like “Scorsese and gangster” or "Spielberg and aliens“—we’re there without question.
My Blueberry Nights
Release Date: February 15th
Studio: The Weinstein Company
Starring: Norah Jones, Jude Law, David Strathairn, Natalie Portman, and Rachel Weisz
Written by: Wong Kar Wai & Lawrence Block
Directed by: Wong Kar Wai (In the Mood For Love)
Plot: Norah Jones makes her theatrical debut in the long-delayed next project from Wong Kar Wai. The Grammy winner stars in what has been described as an unusual road movie, traveling the country in pursuit of true love. From New York to Route 66, Jones crosses paths with a strange cast of characters and, knowing Wong Kar Wai, gorgeous landscapes. The film marks the celebrated director’s first English-language film and received mixed reviews when it debuted at Cannes last year.
Why We’re Excited: Wong Kar Wai has made some of the most visually sumptuous films of the last decade, including In the Mood for Love and 2046, and it won’t hurt having actresses like Natalie Portman and Rachel Weisz for this master’s camera to adore. The festival response has been disappointing, but it’s still the kind of project that makes us curious, if just to see if Norah Jones can make that very difficult jump from singer to actress.
Be Kind Rewind
Release Date: February 22nd
Studio: New Line
Starring: Jack Black, Mos Def, Mia Farrow, Marcus Carl Franklin, and Danny Glover
Written and Directed by: Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind)
Official Site: www.bekindmovie.com
Plot: Jack Black stars in this extremely unique comedy from the one-of-a-kind mind of Michel Gondry, who directed the brilliant Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and wrote and directed the underrated The Science of Sleep. Black plays a loveable loser (doesn’t he always?) who unintentionally erases all of the VHS tapes (what are those?) at the video store (they still exist?) where his friend (Mos Def) works. Rather than just upgrade to Blu-Ray, the two work
Why We’re Excited: Yes, the plot sounds like total nonsense, but Eternal Sunshine and Science of Sleep weren’t exactly what you could call “sensical” films. But that’s not what draws us to Gondry. It’s his unique left-of-center way of making films that makes him “one to watch” every single time. Jack Black’s recent career choices (he still owes us for the emotional distress of Nacho Libre) actually drag our excitement for this one down a notch, but the way-cool Mos Def balances it back out. We wouldn’t be surprised if the unusual concept completely sinks Be Kind Rewind, but that’s the risk you take with unique projects like this one.
Vantage Point
Release Date: February 22nd
Studio: Columbia
Starring: Matthew Fox, Forest Whitaker, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana, Dennis Quaid, and William Hurt
Written by: Barry Levy
Directed by: Pete Travis
Official Site: sonypictures.com/movies/vantagepoint
Plot: Eight well-cast strangers with eight different points of view witness an assassination attempt on the President of the United States (William Hurt). The two secret service agents (Matthew Fox and Dennis Quaid) have very different perspectives on the event than the everyman Howard Lewis (Forest Whitaker) or the American TV news producer Rex Brooks (Sigourney Weaver). The previews promise puzzle pieces falling into place, hidden motivations, and a car chase or two, which—in the post 24-world we live in—is the least they can do.
Why We’re Excited: Thanks to a pretty gripping trailer, Vantage Point could be one of the few interesting action suspense movies of the season and great counter-programming to the romantic comedies and indie hits in February. In other words, we expect it to be a guilty pleasure. If it’s better than that, we’ll be pleasantly surprised.
The Signal
Release Date: February 22nd
Studio: Magnolia
Starring: Anessa Ramsey, Scott Poythress, and AJ Bowen
Written and Directed by: David Bruckner, Dan Bush, and Jacob Gentry
Official Site: doyouhavethecrazy.com
Plot: Another horror movie that plays off our modern obsession with technology, The Signal sounds a little like the abysmal Pulse, but its buzz is significantly better. (Not that that’s hard.) In this indie horror flick, a signal is broadcast across the world that inspires people to commit murder, causing the planet to descend into anarchy and leaving only one man to figure out how to stop the signal. (But, as any Serenity fan can tell you, you can’t stop the signal.) Adding even more intrigue is that the film is told in three parts from three different perspectives by three different directors.
Why We’re Excited: We’ve been excited about The Signal for months as it made the festival circuit and is now finally coming out nationwide (we hope) after a series of delays. The project started with an experiment, as one writer/director started a story and then handed it off to another and so on. It’s a fascinating way to make a movie, and the concept is strong enough to make this our most anticipated horror flick of 2008’s first quarter.
Semi-Pro
Release Date: February 29th
Studio: New Line
Starring: Will Ferrell, Woody Harrelson, Andre Benjamin, and Maura Tierney
Written by: Scot Armstrong (The Heartbreak Kid)
Directed by: Kent Alterman
Official Site: www.semipromovie.com
Plot: Working his way through every sport on ESPN, Ferrell moves on from NASCAR and figure skating to basketball, playing the owner (and star center) of a 1976 ABA team that’s trying to merge with the NBA. Jackie Moon (Ferrell) doesn’t take the sport too seriously, preferring to stage wacky promotional events rather than focusing on the sport, but when it becomes clear that only a few teams will make the merge, Jackie and the Flint Tropics (a hilarious team name for anyone who knows the very
Why We’re Excited: Blades of Glory was funnier than expected and the red-band trailer for Ferrell’s latest sports comedy makes it clear that this one might have more edge than some of his recent adventures. We have to admit, however, that part of us is almost rooting for the failure of Semi-Pro just so Ferrell moves out of the sports comedy genre. We really don’t want to see a remake of Major League any time soon, and you know that’s the inevitable end of this line.
MARCH
10,000 BC
Release Date: March 7th
Studio: Warner Brothers
Starring: Camilla Bella, Steven Strait, Cliff Curtis, and Omar Sharif
Written by: Roland Emmerich & Harold Kloser
Directed by: Roland Emmerich (Independence Day)
Official Site: www.10000bcmovie.com
Plot: A clear offspring of the success of 300 last season, 10,000 B.C. goes after the same movie audience that likes watching visually stunning shots of bare-chested men fighting both majestic creatures and each other. (Insert your own homoeroticism joke here.) The arena changes to the mythical age when men fought next to mammoths to tell the story of D’Leh (Steven Strait), a young hunter in a remote mountain tribe. When our hero’s true love Evolet (Camilla Belle) gets kidnapped by mysterious warlords, D’Leh rallies the troops and heads out to kick some
Why We’re Excited: To be honest, we’re still burning over Emmerich’s Godzilla, so reteaming him with larger-than-life creatures has us a little wary. But this Apocalypto/Ice Age hybrid is likely to be the biggest movie of the season, if you can use the incredible gross for 300 as a gauge.
Snow Angels
Release Date: March 7th
Studio: Warner Independent Pictures
Starring: Kate Beckinsale, Griffin Dunne, Nicky Katt, Sam Rockwell, Amy Sedaris, and Olivia Thirlby
Written and Directed by: David Gordon Green (All the Real Girls)
Official Site: www.snow-angels.com
Plot: Working from a novel by Stewart O’Nan, Snow Angels presents two intertwining stories of the dark edges of love and loss. The first concerns a recently separated couple that has to cope with a horrible tragedy, and the second is about a young man who has to deal with the separation of his parents just as he’s finding true love himself. We’re pretty sure there’s no shirtless mammoth-wrestling in this one.
Why We’re Excited: David Gordon Green has yet to make a movie that wasn’t great or near-great. His use of light and tension turned George Washington, All the Real Girls, and Undertow into completely riveting cinema, and the preview for Snow Angels looks to us like he’s hit a home run for an amazing fourth time. Good reviews from the festival circuit and our love for the underrated Sam Rockwell only adds to the excitement.
Doomsday
Release Date: March 14th
Studio: Universal
Starring: Rhona Mitra, Malcolm McDowell, Bob Hoskins, Alexander Siddig, and David O’Hara
Written and Directed by: Neil Marshall (The Descent)
Official Site: www.doomsdayiscoming.com
Plot: The Descent director Neil Marshall moves from underground horror to futuristic action with Doomsday, the story of a country in chaos when a vicious virus puts the entire nation under quarantine. After the country is literally walled-off for thirty years, the Reaper virus resurfaces in a major city, and the brilliantly named Eden Sinclair (Rhona Mitra) has to head into the hot zone in search of a cure. With her paramilitary unit, Eden travels Marshall’s land of the dead in a plot that sounds part-Romero, part-Carpenter, and part-something completely new. It could be the most exciting movie of its kind in years.
Why We’re Excited: The Descent was one of the most promising horror films of the last decade, and we’re all hoping that Doomsday is where that promise pays off. Based on the early word of mouth, there’s no reason to think it won’t be. With just Diary of the Dead, The Signal, The Ruins, and Doomsday alone, this “Spring” could be an epic season for genre fans. It almost makes up for the fact that there’s another Kate Hudson-Matthew McConaughey movie. Almost.
Funny Games
Release Date: March 14th
Studio: Warner Independent Pictures
Starring: Naomi Watts, Brady Corbet, Siobhan Fallon, Michael Pitt, and Tim Roth
Written and Directed by: Michael Haneke (Cache)
Official Site: www.funnygames-themovie.com
Plot: Michael Haneke makes the unusual move of remaking his own film a decade later and, if you’ve seen the original Funny Games, you know there’s not a lot to improve on. Starring Naomi Watts and Tim Roth, Funny Games follows the sad story of a family held hostage by a very demented pair of young men who play horrible and vicious games with their captives. If Funny Games is as brutal as the original—and, with Haneke behind the helm, there’s no reason to think it won’t be—this could be one of the most shocking American movies of the year.
Why We’re Excited: We’ve seen the original. The possibility that the always-great Naomi Watts could help introduce the world to the insanity of Michael Haneke is a highlight of the season. Haneke’s been one of the most interesting filmmakers of the last decade (if you haven’t seen Cache, go rent it now) and, while not a lot of directors have made the jump across the pond successfully, we have faith that Michael has the skill to make it work without losing his edge.
Drillbit Taylor
Studio: Paramount
Release Date: March 21st
Starring: Owen Wilson, Alex Frost, Josh Peck, and Leslie Mann
Written by: Kristofer Brown & Seth Rogen
Directed by: Steven Brill (Mr. Deeds)
Official Site: www.drillbittaylor.com
Plot: A kid gets tired of being bullied by the nasty kid at school, so he hires himself a soldier of fortune (Owen Wilson) to protect him. Of course, the bodyguard has a plan of his own that only a Wilson brother could pull off.
Why We’re Excited: Owen Wilson used to be funny. We weren’t big fans of The Darjeeling Limited or The Wendell Baker Story and don’t get us started on the nightmares we still have about You, Me, and Dupree, but Wilson has given some great comedic performances in his career (Bottle Rocket, Wedding Crashers), so we always hold out hope that he can do it again. The involvement of Steven Brill, who directed the horrible Little Nicky and Without a Paddle, makes our skin crawl, but Seth Rogen getting
Run, Fatboy, Run
Studio: Picturehouse
Release Date: March 28th
Starring: Simon Pegg, Thandie Newton, Hank Azaria, and Dylan Moran
Written by: Michael Ian Black & Simon Pegg
Directed by: David Schwimmer
Plot: Dennis (Simon Pegg) was at the altar, ready to marry his pregnant fiancee Libby (Thandie Newton), but he got cold feet and headed for the hills. After five years of regret, Dennis returns to find Libby with a new man (Hank Azaria) and decides to enter a marathon to prove that he’s not really a quitter. Can Dennis run 26 miles and win back his love?
Why We’re Excited: We love Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz. Fatboy only features one third of the great team that made those movies, but it’s the lead actor Simon Pegg, who we have faith in when it comes to script-selection. And, even though the last time Thandie Newton dealt with the world of overweight comedy, it produced Norbit, we blame Eddie Murphy for that one.
APRIL
Shine a Light
Studio: Paramount Vantage
Release Date: April 4th
Starring: The Rolling Stones
Directed by: Martin Scorsese
Official Site: www.shinealightmovie.com
Plot: Martin Scorsese turns his camera from Bob Dylan—who he chronicled in, arguably, the best music documentary ever made, No Direction Home—to the Rolling Stones. The doc focuses on two concerts on the most recent “A Bigger Bang” tour but also tells the story of the band from its inception to today, including interviews and history behind-the-scenes footage.
Why We’re Excited: If Scorsese made Wild Hogs 2, we’d still put it on a “most anticipated” list. He’s an automatic pick for everything he makes for the rest of his career. The fact that he’s making another music documentary, after producing the amazing The Last Waltz and No Direction Home, only makes us more excited. If you’re a fan of music at all, especially The Rolling Stones, Shine a Light is a must-see this season.
Leatherheads
Studio: Universal
Release Date: April 4th
Starring: George Clooney, Renee Zellweger, John Krasinski, and Stephen Root
Written by: Duncan Brantley & Rick Reilly
Directed by: George Clooney
Official Site: www.leatherheadsmovie.com
Plot: In 1925, Dodge Connolly (George Clooney) leads the charge in the early days of professional football. Long before Brett Favre and Eli Manning were twinkles in their daddy’s eyes, Connolly watches his sport struggle to gain widespread acceptance and hires a college football star named Carter Rutherford (John Krasinski) to save the day. Carter and Dodge not only have to compete on the field, but also for the heart of reporter Lexie Littleton (Renee Zellweger). Who will win the game and get the girl? And will football finally catch on in middle-America?
Why We’re Excited: George Clooney continues to craft himself into the Cary Grant of his era, going back to another period piece and making what looks like a very fun, old-fashioned comedy, the kind that the stars of yesteryear would have looked perfectly at home in. Leatherheads clearly isn’t going to change the world, but it should be a great adult alternative in a season that’s usually filled with movies aimed at teenagers. Don’t be surprised if this one plays well into summer. Clooney’s unstoppable lately.
The Ruins
Studio: DreamWorks Pictures
Release Date: April 4th
Starring: Jonathan Tucker, Shawn Ashmore, Laura Ramsey, Joe Anderson, and Jena Malone
Written by: Scott B. Smith (A Simple Plan)
Directed by: Carter Smith
Official Site: www.ruinsmovie.com
Plot: Scott Smith wrote this terrifying novel about a group of travelers in Mexico who go off the beaten path and find certain death waiting in the reeds. It’s a man vs. nature tale where the odds are seriously stacked against the poor mortals. Smith authored A Simple Plan, another tale that had an inevitably tragic end, and wrote the adaptation of his own horrific book, which, if it was faithfully adapted, could be one of the most brutal and riveting films of the season.
Why We’re Excited: We read the book. It’s hard to believe that anyone who read Smith’s nail-biting tale wouldn’t be excited for the film adaptation, especially considering that the original author has handled the script. Going with a cast of relative unknowns and an unproven director makes us even more curious about The Ruins, as there probably won’t be the egos to ruin the project that there might have been with a bigger profile and budget. The Ruins could catch everyone by surprise. Except those that have read the book.
Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Studio: Universal Pictures
Release Date: April 18th
Starring: Jason Segel, Bill Hader, Jonah Hill, Kristen Bell, Mila Kunis, Paul Rudd, and Kristen Wiig
Written by: Jason Segel
Directed by: Nicholas Stoller
Official Site: www.forgettingsarahmarshall.com
Plot: The latest Apatow-verse flick tries to do for How I Met Your Mother star Jason Segel what
Why We’re Excited: The one-two punch of Knocked Up and Superbad made the summer of 2007 the funniest in years. We’re not convinced that Segel can hold a movie like Carell, Rogen, or Jonah Hill, but we’re willing to give him a shot. With the great Paul Rudd and Kristen Wiig in supporting roles, Forgetting Sarah Marshall could easily be the first great comedy of the year.
88 Minutes
Release Date: April 18th
Studio: Sony
Starring: Al Pacino, Alicia Witt, Leelee Sobieski, Amy Brenneman, William Forsythe, Deborah Kara Unger, Benjamin McKenzie, and Neal McDonough
Written by: Gary Scott Thompson (The Fast and the Furious)
Directed by: Jon Avnet (Up Close & Personal)
Plot: Pacino’s latest gritty film character is Dr. Jack Gramm, a college professor who also works as a forensic psychiatrist for the FBI. Gramm receives a note that tells him he only has 88 minutes to live, and the clock starts ticking for Jack to figure out who’s going to kill him before time runs out.
Why We’re Excited: Pacino gave his recently drowsy style a shot in the arm with a fun turn in Ocean’s 13, and we’re hoping that it carries to another film. Director Jon Avnet hasn’t done the best work behind the camera and the writer of Fast and the Furious owes us a favor or two, but 88 Minutes has an interesting concept, even if it’s one that sounds a little familiar. This one’s all going to come down to execution, and we’re praying that Pacino and the rest of his strong ensemble can knock it out of the park. Even if they don’t, at least the movie can’t be that long.
Harold and Kumar Escape From Guantanamo
Studio: New Line
Release Date: April 25th
Starring: John Cho, Kal Penn, Roger Bart, Richard Christy, Rob Corddry, Paula Garces, Ed Helms, and Neil Patrick Harris
Written and Directed by: Jon Hurwitz & Hayden Schlossberg
Official Site: whatwouldnphdo.com
Plot: Four years after Harold and Kumar went to White Castle, the duo find themselves finally trying to get to Amsterdam, but getting pretty seriously detained along the way. After the pair is picked up as suspected terrorists, Harold and Kumar are forced to flee, kicking off another road trip full of weed, bare breasts, and Neil Patrick Harris.
Why We’re Excited: What took so damn long? It seems ironic that a franchise about two stoners having trouble reaching their destination took so long to make a sequel. We were excited for Harold and Kumar Go to Amsterdam within days of seeing Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle, but four years later, the project has been reworked to even more directly tackle the racial issues in the current state of the world. What? You don’t want to hear about racial issues? How about copious nudity, lots of pot smoking, Doogie Howser riding a unicorn, and a George Bush impersonator? Yeah, we’ll see you there.
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