So, even though Terminator: Salvation was a total bust, blockbuster season is far from being over. Here are a few films Ana and I cannot wait to check out:
Up
Release Date: May 29, 2009
I don’t care what Pixar does, I will watch any of their films. The trailer for Up doesn’t look particularly awesome – but it’s freaking PIXAR. I thought Wall-E would just be so-so, and I’m happy to eat crow on that count. Early reviews indicate that Up is another winner, and I cannot wait.
Drag Me To Hell
Release Date: May 29, 2009
Ok. I’ve lost hope in Raimi. I am convinced that an evil Raimi android has taken his place after Spidey 2, and has put out a ton of crap films in his name. That said, no matter how awful a horror movie might look, no matter how much I bitch and moan, at the end of the day, I’m not kidding anyone. I watch all of these movies in the theater. Usually by myself because the dear boyfriend refuses on seeing “[my] stupid horror crap again.” I don’t care. I’m AM cinema-ing this one on Friday or Saturday. Plus, the one review I’ve seen for this film is favorable! Fingers are crossed for Good Raimi to return from the shadow of his evil android usurper.
The Hangover
Release Date: June 5, 2009
Three dudes, a tiger, Mike Tyson, and a baby. Um…of course I’m gonna watch this! I cracked up when I saw the first trailer months ago. (Although is it wrong that it really bothers me that the douchebag from Wedding Crashers is fucking Green Lantern!??!?! That’s the best they could do? I’ll believe it when I see it. I much prefer this version.)
The Taking of Pelham 123
Release Date: June 12, 2009
A remake of the 1974 film (which I’ve never seen), this looks pretty good. I mean, it’s Denzel. And Travolta. In The Negotiator meets the end of Speed. Did I mention Denzel? And who doesn’t love it when Travolta plays a bad guy (hello Broken Arrow and Face/Off)?!? Easy sell.
Moon
Release Date: June 12, 2009
Sam Rockwell stars in this new Sundance-y science fiction film, and it looks pretty sweet. In a kind of 2001: Space Odyssey looking way. Plus, the director Duncan Jones is David Bowie’s son.
Dead Snow
Release Date: June 12, 2009
YES. YES. FINALLY! I have been jonesing on Dead Snow since I heard about it from Meljean Brook a year back. Finally, the Norwegian nazi zombie movie is making it to the US this summer (with subtitles of course). Nazi Zombies always equal win.
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Release Date: June 24, 2009
Yeah, it’s Transformers. Yeah, it’s Michael Bay (It cracks me up that at 1:26 Megatron knocks over the flag – right after Michael Bay’s name comes up – OH NOES! I’m gonna get in my Chevy and stick it to those damned evil freedom-hating Decepticons!). Yeah, it’s Megan Fox (sexy but completely devoid of talent) and Shia LaBeoff (D-bag). But…it’s Transformers. You gotta expect all that, and go for the mindless – yeah, guilty – entertainment.
Public Enemies
Release Date: July 1, 2009
Though Christian Bale has done me wrong once this year, I’m thinking that’s a total fluke. Especially with Johnny Depp and Marion Cotillard in the film, and with Michael Mann at the helm. Plus, it’s been a while since we’ve had a good gangster film. I’m excited.
Bruno
Release Date: July 10, 2009
Trailer HERE
Sasha Baron Cohen made his mark official with Borat, and he’s back this summer with another Ali G Show character, Bruno. I loved some of his shows with this character before (check out the the Spring Break clip), thought Borat was freaking hilarious, so I’m hoping Bruno can deliver. I love awkward humor.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Release Date: July 15, 2009
Ohmyfuckingod it’s almost here!!!!!!!!!!! Doesn’t the trailer give you the goosebumps? Both Ana and I are huge Potter fanatics (waiting in line at midnight for the books), and Half-Blood Prince is quite possibly my favorite book of them all (it’s a toss-up between this one and Prisoner of Azkaban). This is one of my most highly anticipated movies of the year, and I cannot wait.
Orphan
Release Date: July 24, 2009
I’ve already explained that no matter how trite or rehashed a horror movie looks, I will watch it. I enjoy them, even the ones that are horrible, even the ones I have seen a million times before. So, even though Orphan is so very The Bad Seed/The Good Son/Joshua, I’m still gonna watch it. Plus, I like Peter Sarsgaard. And the chick from The Departed.
Funny People
Release Date: July 31, 2009
Ana would kill me if I left this off. So, it’s the third ‘official’ movie from Judd Apatow, starring the usual Seth Rogan and Leslie Mann, but this time taking on Adam Sandler. I loved 40 Year Old Virgin, thought Knocked Up had its moments, so I’ll probably watch Funny People. But I’m picking up some of the same un-funny weirdo vibe I got from Knocked Up. Furthermore, I gotta admit that while I loved old Adam Sandler (Happy Gilmore, Billy Madison, Little Nicky, even Big Daddy), this new, serious, kinda douchey version (I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry) isn’t really my cup of tea.
G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra
Release Date: August 7, 2009
Another sort of Transformers dilemma for me. I fondly remember watching the cartoons when I was younger, and I like Stephen Sommers (writer/director of Deep Rising, The Mummy, Van Helsing) for all the glorious cheese he injects in his films. On the other hand, this looks like another Transformers knockoff (not too surprising considering it’s another Hasbro/Paramount effort), the casting bugs me (Sienna Miller is so NOT my Baroness), and at the end of the trailer the dudes – wearing only the delta six body armor – are out-dodging heat-seeking missiles. On foot.
District 9
Release Date: August 14, 2009
Peter Jackson’s newest film, directed by Niell Blomkamp looks freaking AWESOME. Set in a world not too different from our own, extraterrestrials are being held prisoners in South Afrika. Word on the street is, District 9 is a full length version of newbie director Blomkamp’s short film “Alive in Jorburg”. This year’s Cloverfield (sans shitty camera techniques, naturally)? I have high hopes for District 9.
Inglorious Basterds
Release Date: August 21, 2009
I love Tarantino. This movie looks exploitative, satirical, gloriously violent, and comes out the day after my birthday. Oh, I’ll be there.
H2: Halloween 2
Release Date: August 28, 2009
Again, horror. And I think Rob Zombie has a great eye as a director. House of 1000 Corpses was confusing but inexplicably captivating; The Devil’s Rejects was fucking awesome. I have to admit, I found his remake of Halloween, however, to be a bit of a disappointment. Whereas the blood and the terror were well timed in the first two of his films, Halloween was strong for the first half, then lost its edge. It was too much – too much of the same thrills, too much of the same sex/lumbering Michael/blood that I was completely desensitized to it and frankly just wished he’d off Laurie to get her to shut up already. Still, I have high hopes for H2, even if the trailer isn’t sending me any promising signals (Sheri Moon Zombie as Michael’s crazy ghost mommy looks kinda funny, actually). Still, I’ll watch it.
And that’s about it folks! Which summer flicks are you looking forward to?
10 Comments
Ana
May 27, 2009 at 2:21 pmHow wrong am I? I want to see most of these movies (minus the horror ones, obviously) , especially Inglorious Basterds and Harry Potter (GAAH almost there dude!!!) but I am DYING dying to see The Hangover. I saw the trailler when I see Star Trek and I laughed so hard I cried. š
Oh and thanks for adding Funny People. There is something about Seth Rogen……
Gerd Duerner
May 27, 2009 at 2:40 pmI was disappointed with Wall-E (Eve was adorable no less), but Up looks to be really funny.
Distric 9, hell yes, eventhough it has Jackson attached to it.
And that Moon thing looks great, it was about time we got some good Sci-Fi again for change.
Public Enemies should be grand, Dillinger is portrayed as a kind of honourable Gangster Popstar when you read about him and I think that is the perfect topic for a Mann movie.
Lusty Reader
May 27, 2009 at 7:17 pmNone of my 26 yr old friends will see Up with me, and I have no 6 yr old friends. Harumph
The part in the Up trailer where the dog has the collar that allows us to “hear” him is full of WIN! I want to see the movie just bc of the dog. And I don’t see anything wrong with that.
Danielle
May 27, 2009 at 7:40 pmJOHNNYDEPPPUBLICENEMIESFANGIRLSQUEALZOMG!!!
Eh…yo can figure that out for yourself…
orannia
May 27, 2009 at 8:41 pmHow can Christian Bale plus Johnny Depp plus gangsters go wrong? OK, probably many ways but….WOW!
Sorry, completely stuck on Christian Bale (with that voice – hey, even since I saw Howl’s Moving Castle I’ve been hooked š ) plus Johnny Depp plus gangsters *fans self*
Jeff
May 28, 2009 at 7:40 amDrag Me To Hell is very, very good. As is Up.
Like you, I’m torn on H2, but know I’ll end up seeing it. The first Hallowremake had some glimmers of awesome in it, even if most of the film was a redux of Gus Van Sant’s Psycho.
Jellybean
May 28, 2009 at 9:09 amINGLOURIOUS BASTERDS ALL THE WAY, BABY!
Sorry…Tarantino brings on caps fever. He could crap on a waffle, film it, and I’d probably be there on opening night, front row. I love that man.
Funny People looks awesome too, better than I expected from anything with Adam Sandler in it. Is it wrong that I have a crush on Seth Rogen AND Jonah Hill? I love that last line, though: “You don’t pass through fire to get to heaven. I think he went to hell.” LMAO!
Thea
May 28, 2009 at 10:02 amAna – We should start a countdown to HP!!
Gerd – Oh, I loved every second of Wall-E! Wasn’t expecting to (being that he looked like Johnny 5 and all), but that’s the magic of Pixar
I do agree that Up looks awesome though š
I am enamored with District 9 already too – how cool that the aliens are bugs, and I will watch anything with Peter Jackson’s name on it. Very, very excited. It’s a pretty solid summer for sci-fi; already Moon has received a ton of great reviews. Plus, Sam Rockwell is a fantastic actor.
Lusty Reader – Bah, I’m 24 and I’m going all out for Up š Last year when I saw Kung Fu Panda, the theater was sold out for a 10:30pm showing on a Friday night. TONS of giddy adults were there feeding the inner-child! You’re never too old. And lol, the dog gets me in the trailers too, with the “SQUIRREL!” š
Danielle – Hehehe. YES. Johnny looks fantastic in the trailers š I feel like Public Enemies will slip under a lot of peoples’ radars (what with all the other huge movies coming out), but I’m really excited. Period pieces, especially period gangster/cop-robber pieces, are bomb.
Orannia – YES! Howl’s Moving Castle is made of awesome! Guh. Is it wrong that I have a huge crush on an animated character? š Depp and Bale together are movie gold. (Not to mention Cotillard and Mann)
Jeff – *banana dance* Drag Me to Hell is good?!?!?! HUZZAH! That settles it. I’m going tomorrow afternoon. (Up was never in question. Pixar = Magic)
H2…yeah, I’m with you. Of course I’ll go see it, but I have mixed emotions. The preview isn’t doing much to help. Although, I will say I like Michael’s new decaying mask. (ETA: Ok, just rewatched the preview. Laurie REALLY bugs me. Is it her voice? Gaah. I don’t know.)
Jellybean – [i]He could crap on a waffle, film it, and Iād probably be there on opening night, front row. I love that man.[/i]
Bwahahahahaha! YES. YES. Exactly. I love the gratuitous violence. I love the rambling diatribes. I don’t care that he inserts himself into his movies because his movies are that wonderful.
jennygirl
May 28, 2009 at 1:07 pmDefinitely going to the Hangover, Potter, and Johnny Depp. I love that there are a ton of scary movies coming out. I’m just waiting for the one that is going to scare the piss out of me. Or freak me out like Saw I
Rick M.
May 28, 2009 at 9:56 pmHey Thea, cool geeked out review!!! Do you have a boyfriend or would you be interested in going to see a few of these movies with me, then maybe we can spend the rest of our lives together, let me know, I’ll be watching you!!!