The 2006 Movie Preview - Part I
Having settled into the year 2006 I have taken my time and assimilated a lot of information about a lot of the movies on their way to America and the UK in the next year. This post will provide some information on those I most want to watch. Of course no list like this can ever be considered comprehensive as there will be many I don't know about as they haven't been announced, reported on or quite simply exist currently only in some Mandarin dialect. I will limit my list to ten films, but also mention a few more in a brief way at the end as quite frankly, I don't give a damn if you all are bored by that point :)
Each film is due for release in 2006 in the USA or UK. The titles are named in no particular order other than the top ten (of which any film could be number one or ten).
The world's best selling novel, the world's biggest actor and a twisty plot to confuse even the calmest of logisticians? Absolutely. The second of Dan Brown's Robert Langdon stories takes place primarily in London and Paris with our Harvard symbologist hero's search for the Holy Grail taking him from clue to clue, art work to art work and place to place, with a little bit of action, comedy and romance thrown in.
Whilst the novel is a personal favourite it is hardly worth describing in detail here as most will know of it. As such the film is a home-run for Sony and fully deserving of a place as one of my most anticipated movies. However, a few reservations remain. Firstly I tend to find Ron Howard's output rather dry and unengaging, as well as not thinking Tom Hanks is all that. Still, the story is a kicker, Audrey tautou I feel fits the role of Sophie better than anyone else could and we also have Jean Reno in the film. Excellent.
It opens in the US on May 19, two weeks after the hot M:I:3 but before X3 which opens on the Memorial weekend. I put it as film most likely to win the box office wars this year - it really can't fail. I also imagine it will be one of the most enjoyablke and thrilling films this year and I'll be right there, hopefully!The second film from Eli Roth, the horror-nerd who gave us an excitingly hyped old-school type scary movie in Cabin fever, which ultiamtely left me feeling a little disappointed. This time I doubt I'll feel the same.
This is the story of some american backpackers who find Eastern Europe, some Eastern European ladies and some fun. For a while, for after the fun is offered the torture, severing of limbs and killing begins. What do they do?
I really belive this can be the kick-start to a cycle of true 70's horror type films - balls achingly raw, scary and brutal. Combine this opener (April 21st in the UK - its already opened to commercial and critical success in the US) with The Hills have Eyes (remake of the Craven film of the same name, by the guy who did Haute Tension which is having trouble getting past the MPAA uncut) and we could be in for a glorious year, and beyond.Written and directed by the guy who made Donnie Darko, centering around the end of the world, it involves Sarah Michelle Gellar as a porn star who gets it on with The Rock's forgetful action hero (best action star since Arnie - discuss).
Exactly in what way could you not anticipate this movie? DD is a masterpiece of the confusion cinema genre (cf. Mulholland drive, Lost highway), SMG is an attractive actress who could finally break out from her small screen (Buffy) persona and become a movie star at last and The Rock, is well, The Rock.
Due out sometime this year, it is a small part of a much larger story Richard Kelly has to tell (he's producing various graphic novella to add to the film) and although very little is yet known, if the excitement I have for it already is any measure, it could well become the film of the year. Also, did I mention its part comedy/thriller/science fiction and apparently, musical? No? I should have done.
The best director currently making films, David Fincher makes his first film since 2001's claustro-thriller, Panic Room. In a change from the camera trickery of that movie's action by numbers, we have the Finch back doing what he does best - serial killer thrillers. This one though, unlike Seven, is based on a true story - that of the Zodiac killer (the baddy in Dirty Harry) - a man who terrorised San Francisco with apparently randomised murdering during the 60's and 70's and is in this film the backstory which allows us to follow the lives of the detectives on his trail.
This currently has no actual release date other than 2006 and having not read the source material I can't tell you much more about the plot, but with such a director and cast (Jake Gyllenhall, Mark Ruffalo and Robert Downey Jr.) it must be good!
Director: Christopher Nolan of Batman Begins and Memento fame
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Sir Michael Caine, Christian Bale and Scarlett Johansson
Plot: Two magicians (Bale and Jackman), rivals in the late 19th century, become so involved in their magic and one-upping the other that they turn to murder to succeed.
That should be enough to pique interest in this one....if not, check out the novel on which this film is based, watch Nolan's work and imagine what he could do with turn of the century magicians, magic and murder. Sounds better now, doesn't it?
I'll be back later with the next five of my top ten films to come...
Cheers,
Godfather
Exactly in what way could you not anticipate this movie? DD is a masterpiece of the confusion cinema genre (cf. Mulholland drive, Lost highway), SMG is an attractive actress who could finally break out from her small screen (Buffy) persona and become a movie star at last and The Rock, is well, The Rock.
Due out sometime this year, it is a small part of a much larger story Richard Kelly has to tell (he's producing various graphic novella to add to the film) and although very little is yet known, if the excitement I have for it already is any measure, it could well become the film of the year. Also, did I mention its part comedy/thriller/science fiction and apparently, musical? No? I should have done.The best director currently making films, David Fincher makes his first film since 2001's claustro-thriller, Panic Room. In a change from the camera trickery of that movie's action by numbers, we have the Finch back doing what he does best - serial killer thrillers. This one though, unlike Seven, is based on a true story - that of the Zodiac killer (the baddy in Dirty Harry) - a man who terrorised San Francisco with apparently randomised murdering during the 60's and 70's and is in this film the backstory which allows us to follow the lives of the detectives on his trail.
This currently has no actual release date other than 2006 and having not read the source material I can't tell you much more about the plot, but with such a director and cast (Jake Gyllenhall, Mark Ruffalo and Robert Downey Jr.) it must be good!Director: Christopher Nolan of Batman Begins and Memento fame
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Sir Michael Caine, Christian Bale and Scarlett Johansson
Plot: Two magicians (Bale and Jackman), rivals in the late 19th century, become so involved in their magic and one-upping the other that they turn to murder to succeed.
That should be enough to pique interest in this one....if not, check out the novel on which this film is based, watch Nolan's work and imagine what he could do with turn of the century magicians, magic and murder. Sounds better now, doesn't it?
I'll be back later with the next five of my top ten films to come...
Cheers,
Godfather
