FILMS:
“Chasing Papi,” “Daredevil,” “Down With Love,” “From Justin to
Kelly,” “The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen,” “Master and
Commander: The Far Side of the World,” “The Order,” “Phone
Booth,” “The Runaway Jury,” “X2,” “28 Days Later,” “L’Auberge
Espagnole,” “Bend it Like Beckham,” “Broken Lizard’s Club
Dread,” “The Clearing,” “Le Divorce,” “The Dancer Upstairs,”
“The Dreamers,” “Garage Days,” “The Good Thief” and “In America”
MUST SEE:
“Master and Commander,” “The Clearing,” “Garage Days” and “X2”
This is an
eclectic slate of films with promising titles littered all
through Fox’s release slate. Of them all, these are the four I
would get in line and pay to see opening night. What holds them
all together? Great, individualistic directors working with
exceptionally talented actors, it is quite possible four of
2003’s best films could be these right here.
COULD BE
GOOD: “Daredevil,” “28 Days Later” and “the Good Thief”
I’ll give
“Daredevil” the benefit of the doubt until I see it later this
week, while “28 Days Later” and “The Good Thief” have been
generating good buzz every where they’ve traveled. All of these
could really stand out – here’s hoping they do.
CURIOUS:
“Down With Love”
An homage
to the Rock Hudson/Doris Day movies of the 1960’s directed by
“Bring It On’s” Peyton Reed and starring Renée Zellweger and
Ewan McGregor? This I just have to see.
UH-OH:
“Phone Booth”
Delayed
because of the DC sniper attacks, can this Colin Farrel film
find an audience?
YIKES!:
“From Justin to Kelly”
Ok, I’m
addicted to “American Idol” like the next person, but putting
Kelly Clarkson and Justin Guarini on their own motion picture
sounds like a journey to blandsville. I keep hoping I’ll wake up
and its place on the schedule is just a bad dream. No luck, yet,
but I keep hoping.
POTENTIAL
SURPRISE: “The League of Extraordinary Gentleman”
Squabbles
between director Steven Norrington and Sean Connery aside, this
adaptation of the popular graphic novel has been courting more
bad news than President Bush’s economic plan. Wouldn’t it just
be a kick if it turned out to be good?
Universal
Studios
FILMS:
“American Wedding: American Pie 3,” “Bruce Almighty,” “Dr.
Seuss’ the Cat in the Hat,” “2 Fast 2 Furious,” “Heldorado,”
“Honey,” “The Hulk,” “Intolerable Cruelty,” “Johnny English,”
“The Life of David Gale,” “Love Actually,” “Peter Pan” and
“Seabiscuit”
MUST SEE:
“The Hulk” and “Intolerable Cruelty”
Who
doesn’t want to see if acclaimed director Ang Lee can pull off
this Marvel comic? The first glimpses during the Super Bowl were
impressive, but my bet that the results in the actual film are
far better. “Intolerable Cruelty” is a Coen Bros. movie. That’s
enough said right there by itself.
COULD BE
GOOD: “Bruce Almighty,” “Love Actually,” “Seabiscuit” and “Peter
Pan”
Ok. The
teaser trailer for “Bruce Almighty” has me intrigued. Will the
movie live up to its one joke premise? Maybe not, but I’ll still
give it the benefit of the doubt. As for the others, these three
all look good on paper, even the “Peter Pan” remake directed by
P.J. Hogan. I’ll just have to keep an open mind.
UH-OH:
“The Life of David Gale”
For a move
receiving so much hype and marketing, it is worth pointing out
the was going to be Universal’s big prestige film for 2002 but
mysteriously got pulled from the schedule and slated for
February. No matter what any one tells you, that is never
a good sign.
YIKES!:
“American Wedding” and “2 Fast 2 Furious”
I don’t
care that most of the original cast is returning for the third
“Pie” film or that the talented John Singleton has taken over in
the director’s chair for the “Furious” sequel. These are
pointless, I say. Pointless!
Warner Bros.
FILMS:
“The Big Bounce,” “Cradle 2 the Grave,” “Dreamcatcher,”
“Exorcist: The Beginning,” “Gods and Generals,” “Grind,” “The
Hairy Tale,” “If You Were My Girl,” “I’ll Be There,” “The Last
Samurai,” “Looney Tunes: Back in Action,” “Loosely Based On a
True Love Story,” “Malibu’s Most Wanted,” “Matchstick Men,” “The
Matrix Reloaded,” “The Matrix Revolutions,” “A Mighty Wind,”
“Mystic River,” “Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines,” “Torque,”
“The Wedding Party,” “What a Girl Wants” and “The Whole Ten
Yards”
MUST SEE:
“The Matrix Reloaded” and “The Matrix Revolutions”
Are you
kidding? With “LOTR” these are the most intensely anticipated
films of the year. And after that supremely cool Super Bowl
trailer, the hype is starting to build in earnest.
COULD BE
GOOD: “The Big Bounce,” “Dreamcatcher,” “The Last Samurai,”
“Matchstick Men,” “A Mighty Wind” and “Mystic River”
All of
these have breakout potential, with Tom Cruise’s “The Last
Samurai” being probably the one highest on my list to see.
Although Christopher Guest’s follow up to “Best in Show,” “A
Mighty Wind,” would give it a run for its money in that
department. The rest look fairly interesting on varying levels,
hopefully they’ll all pan out.
CURIOUS:
“Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines”
It has
been 12 years since the last “Terminator” film; is Arnold still
an imposing presence in those black leathers? And, without James
Cameron at the helm, can director Jonathan Mostow (“Breakdown”)
capture any of the action maestro’s magic?
UH-OH:
“Exorcist: The Beginning”
Late
director John Frankenheimer was originally slated to direct this
fourth “Exorcist” tale and the great actor Liam Neeson was going
to join him as a young Father Merrin. But with his death, Neeson
left and iconoclastic director Paul Schrader has taken over.
Will this prequel be a curse or a blessing?
YIKES!:
“I’ll Be There”
There are
plenty of films on Warner’s docket that get me scared, but none
more than this one. “I’ll Be There” features the acting debut of
junior opera sensation Charlotte Church. As if she wasn’t
annoying enough giggling through interviews, we now get 90
minutes of her on a giant movie screen.
