Now that
January is over, a huge sense of relief has washed over me.
Granted, this year’s month one offerings aren’t quite as bad as
those of the past (well, there wasKangaroo Jack,
but I’m trying my best to forget that one), and some of them
even boasted potential. In reality, though, seeing films like
The Recruit and A Guy Thing fail in spite of their
promise is almost even more depressing in a way. They aren’t any
illusions of grandeur when you sit down to Darkness Falls
or Final Destination 2, but put Colin Farrell and Al
Pacino in the same film and you’re heart can’t help but race
just a bit.
Whatever.
Enough about January – I’m here to look at the rest of 2003,
February to December. Once more the major studios have littered
the landscape with the usual sequels, remakes, romantic comedies
and event spectaculars – more than likely leaving the
imagination needed to make these fly littered somewhere along
the production highway.
But who
knows? Last year started out with a whimper but then slowly
turned into something wondrous, making 2002 one of the best in
years for the major studios in quite some time. Maybe this year
will be the same. All I can do is look in my crystal ball and
guess as to the quality of each studio's upcoming slate.
Hopefully, I’ll be pleasantly surprised. Only time – and large
quantities of popcorn and Diet Coke – will tell.
Sorted by
studio, all of this is – as always – subject to change, and just
because it is mentioned here doesn’t mean it will still find its
way to release in 2003.
Buena Vista
Pictures
FILMS:
“Shanghai Knights,” “The Jungle Book 2,” “Bringing Down the
House,” “Piglet’s Big Movie,” “Ghosts of the Abyss,” “Holes,”
“The Lizzie McGuire Movie,” “Finding Nemo,” “Pirates of the
Caribbean,” “Freaky Friday,” “Open Range,” “The Young Black
Stallion,” “Under the Tuscan Sun,” “Cold Creek Manor,”
“Hidalgo,” “Brother Bear,” “The Haunted Mansion,” “The Alamo,”
“Calendar Girls,” “Hope Springs” and “Veronica Guerin”
MUST SEE:
“Ghosts of the Abyss,” “Finding Nemo” and “The Alamo”
“Titanic”
director James Cameron finally returns with “Ghosts of the
Abyss,” and while this isn’t a new dramatic film, this IMAX
documentary about the Titanic is generating real buzz. As for
“Finding Nemo,” the Pixar gang just can’t do no wrong, so this
film rates high on my 2003 list of things to see. And after the
success of “The Rookie,” I’m curious to see what director John
Lee Hancock can do with “The Alamo.” If it’s handled with half
the care, thought and intelligence of the Dennis Quaid baseball
drama than Hancock could score a timeless winner.
COULD BE
GOOD: “Shanghai Nights” and “Under the Tuscan Sun”
The first
“Shanghai” was much more fun than it had any right to be and the
buzz on the second film is very high, while “Under the Tuscan
Sun” features the first performance by Diane Lane since her
career-best turn in “Unfaithful,” putting this normal sounding
romantic comedy squarely on the radar.
CURIOUS:
“Cold Creek Manor” and “Pirates of the Caribbean”
“Manor”
marks the return of Sharon Stone to the big leagues, and
director Mike Figgis can always be counted to do something a tad
different, even if the film sounds like a standard
couple-in-peril thriller. As for “Pirates?” Well, even though
it’s based on the popular theme park ride something about it
just has my interest piqued. Granted, it’s probably the presence
of dual hotties Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom. I am human, after
all.
UH-OH: “Veronica Guerin”
I seem to
remember that this based on a true story Joel Schumacher film
was on last year’s release slate and now the Cate
Blanchett action drama has been pushed all the way back to Fall
2003. Not a good sign, if you ask me.
YIKES!:
“The Jungle Book 2,” “Piglet’s Big Movie,” “Freaky Friday” and
“The Haunted Mansion”
Why, why,
why, why, why? These might end up being watchable – who
knows? – but sequels and remakes of some of Disney’s most
popular creations – and another filmed adaptation of a
theme park ride – do nothing more than raise extreme feelings of
dread deep down in the nether regions of my soul.
POTENTIAL
SURPISE: “Open Range”
Kevin
Costner hasn’t directed a movie since his debacle with “The
Postman,” and while “Thirteen Days” but him back on track as an
actor, that momentum was squarely lost with the preposterous and
insulting “Dragonfly.” Yet, I have a slight inkling that this
new western could be just what Costner needs to get things going
again, and the prime summer release date leads me to believe
Disney feels much the same way.
DreamWorks SKG
FILMS:
“Old School,” “Head of State,” “Sinbad,” “Anything Else,” “The
House of Sand and Fog” and “Envy”
MUST SEE:
Um – is there anything on DreamWorks production slate for
2003 that screams to be looked at?
COULD BE
GOOD: “The House of Sand and Fog”
Based on
the novel by Andre Dubus and starring Jennifer Connelly and Ben
Kingsley, this certainly looks nice on paper. If it is handled
with the style, nuance and care it deservers this could turn out
to be one of 2003’s best.
CURIOUS:
“Anything Else” and “Envy”
“Anything”
is the latest confection from writer/director Woody Allen and as
such definitely earns attention, but his last few have been so
hit and miss that the film’s quality level is decidedly suspect.
As for “Envy,” a film that teams up Ben Stiller, Jack Black and
Christopher Walken merits consideration in my book, even if the
premise sounds highly dubious at best.
YIKES!:
“Old School”
This movie
is being touted as being from the director of “Road Trip.”
That’s supposed to be a recommendation?
Lions Gate
Films
FILMS:
“Cabin Fever,” “Confidence,” “Godsend,” “House of 1000 Corpses,”
“Irreversible,” “May,” “Mondays in the Sun,” “Shattered Glass,”
“Stevie,” “Sweet 16,” “The Hard Word” and “Wonderland”
MUST SEE:
“Godsend” and “Wonderland”
There is
something about the Robert DeNiro cloning thriller “Godsend” and
I’m not quite sure exactly what it is. At the very least it’s
going to be topical – a medical thriller about human cloning –
and that alone puts it near the top of any “must see” list. As
for Val Kilmer and “Wonderland?” This drama about porn star John
Holmes just sounds too delectably dirty to miss out on and with
an all-star cast I’m curious to see just how much skin really
gets exposed.
CURIOUS:
“The House of 1000 Corpses”
This film
will probably stink, but with so much controversy swirling
around it, two major studios running for cover and the MPAA now
re-looking at its decision to give the film an R-rating, Rob
Zombie’s creep fest has all the makings for an underground hit.
Besides, I just have to know what all the fuss is about.
