I won't count movies released last year and expanding in the new year, like ZERO DARK THIRTY. But the same weekend ZD30 does that, GANGSTER SQUAD also comes out. The shakey reviews are making me wonder whether I should wait for the dollar theatre on that or not. But I do have a free ticket, so we'll see. Maybe.
January 18 - THE LAST STAND (d. Kim Jee-Woon)
From the South Korean director of THE GOOD, THE BAD, & THE WEIRD and A BITTERSWEET LIFE comes this actioneer/pseudo-western. I'm rooting for this to be a nice genre surprise (even though I suspect just a programmer), perhaps because I'm sorta rooting for an Arnold Schwarzenegger comeback. After his governating and groping and housemaid banging, he's back at the movies fulltime and I just remember as a kid that (accurately or not) he was the biggest moviestar in the world. In his prime he was like Clint Eastwood, he was a Republican action star who had a good sense of giving what he thought his audience wanted (one liners, ridiculous action) and a knack for picking good properties. He had charm, he had charisma. I like to believe he's still got the goods in the popcorn department.
February 8 - BULLET TO THE HEAD (d. Walter Hill)
From the director of 48 HRS. and THE WARRIORS, and producer Joel Silver, they team up Sylvester Stallone and try to bring back the 1980s action movie. Some plot about two hitmen teaming up to avenge themselves...or something, the plot isn't the appeal here for me. Also Christian Slater is in this movie too. Good to know he's still alive. Oddly enough, my free ticket is also eligible for this too. This or GANGSTER SQUAD? Umm. Umm. Decisions decisions decisions...
SIDE EFFECTS (d. Steven Soderbergh)
You know I can't call myself a Soderbergh fan, but I find him an interesting prolific, experimental director who can never be accused of being dull and unwilling to challenge himself. I don't know the plot summary, but I'll get around to seeing this eventually.
February 15 - A GOOD DAY TO DIE HARD (d. John Moore)
The third and last of the EXPENDABLES stars putting out product early in our new year, this is one I really want to go see. The 5th entry in 4 decades, I'm a big fan of this series. DIE HARD is one of the great movies from the 1980s, probably greatest American action film ever produced. The sequels are pretty good too. I'm sure Bruce Willis will once again be the right guy at the wrong place at the wrong time, and Russia will have a new reason to hate America after he blows it up.
March 1 - JACK THE GIANT-SLAYER (d. Bryan Singer)
I don't know about this one. I like Singer, but another of these Hollywood reinterpretations of very familiar fairy tales just isn't firing my engine just yet. Singer is the one reason I might go see this regardless.
March 8 - OZ THE GREAT & POWERFUL (d. Sam Raimi)
Ditty what I wrote above, but this intrigues me more because conceptually I think I could see how this could work. Not saying it will, but there is potential. Or we could get another ALICE IN WONDERFUL. Bleh. The risk is heavy.
March 22 - OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN (d. Antoine Fuqua)
Don't care much for Fuqua (boring filmmaker honestly), but hey this is Gerald Butler fighting Korean terrorists (fresh off invading America in RED DAWN) who pull a DIE HARD on the White House. So this is AIR FORCE ONE, except at the White House. Harvey Dent is the President of the United States, Ashley Judd is the First Lady, and Lucius Fox is the Speaker of the House. Cast also includes Angela Bassett, Dylan McDermott, Melissa Leo, Robert Forster. God I just know the movie won't be good as that cast. But hey you never know, this could be good.
March 29 - G.I. JOE: RETALIATION (d. Jon Chu)
This was supposed to come out last summer but Paramount yanked it after it (allegedly) tanked in test screenings and people wanted Channing Tatum to not die but stay alive, and also release it in post-convert 3-D. This last minute move caused Hasbro to ship all those tie-in toys to store shelves (thus defeating the point of tie-in merchandising) and a tie-in song for the movie was still released on schedule. The Rock playing The Rock lead the Joes to fight Cobra, who've taken over the U.S. government. (Seriously didn't anybody else love that imagery of the Cobra flag waving proudly over the White House?)
The word is this is shit, like the first G.I. JOE movie. But dammit, my inner 8 year old and his closet army of Joe action figures and vehicles still have hope for this still, and on the adventurism level of a saturday morning cartoon, it could work. Also, ninjas fighting on a mountain.
THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES (d. Derek Cianfrance)
Ryan Gosling. Sold.
April 5 - JURASSIC PARK 3-D (d. Steven Spielberg)
Hold on to your butts!
April 12 - 42 (d. Brian Helgeland)
I think I pretty can predict this movie beat by beat in my head, but you know when this sort of movie I'm predicting it'll be is nicely done, I have no qualms with that. I remember Spike Lee for decades tried to get his Jackie Robinson movie made, and I would've liked to seen that. Hopefully Harrison Ford will be in a good movie again and not a warning sign like he's been lately.
EVIL DEAD (d. Fede Alvarez)
For curiosity's sake honestly. How do you shoot tree rape in 2012? I won't expect much, but I'll admit I was impressively grossed out at that shot in the trailer when deadite woman cuts her tongue, splitting it likea hotdog into 2.
OBLIVION (d. Joseph Kosinksi)
I'm 50/50 on seeing this.
Next post: Summer 2013!
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