Continued below, from my FNP Pop Goes the Culture blog, is the list of movies that didn’t quite make my must-see list, but are still definite contenders.
September 5: Hallam Foe (originally titled “Mr. Foe”) – starring Jamie Bell, who I have had a crush on ever since “Billy Elliott.” He has grown into himself as an actor with incredible ease, working on indie movies (“The Chumscrubber”) and big-bucks almost hits (Peter Jackson’s “King Kong”).
September 12: Towelhead – I know nothing about this film aside from the title and the fact that Alan Ball penned and directed it. And that’s really all I need to know. Ball, writer of “American Beauty” (my no. 1) and HBO’s “Six Feet Under,” can do no wrong, in my eyes, and those very eyes will definitely be seeing his latest work.
September 17: Appaloosa – Ed Harris. Ed Harris. My man Ed Harris. With more than 70 movies and TV series under his acting belt, Ed Harris always wins my movie-going vote. (Crazy-good Viggo Mortensen doesn’t hurt, either.)
September 26: Blindness – Mark Ruffalo. That’s all I need to hear about a movie before I am throwing my car into gear. I’m a huge fan of his acting, in both dramas and romcoms, not to mention his Buddy-Holly-spectacled turn in “Eternal Sunshine.” Julianne Moore, on the other hand … She’s a great actress, but I just too often feel like I can’t (or don’t want to) sit through another dramatic performance of hers.
Humbolt County – “… About a med student living among pot farmers” (EW). Any film that has been compared to Zach Braff’s masterpiece, “Garden State,” is something I am excited to see. No matter how little I know about it.
October 3: An American Carol – When was the last time you heard someone say they were going to the theater to see a movie because of its plot? That’s exactly why I am itching for this movie.
October 10: Body of Lies – I read a review pointing to the ’90s and Kim Basinger in reference to this movie’s title. I can’t argue with that. But pairing DiCaprio and Crowe, two of drama’s biggest hits, with director Ridley Scott, feels almost like something I’ve seen before. Oh, that’s right: every movie Leo and Russell have made in the past decade. It feels overwrought and overdone, but it seems necessary to see, if I want to stay up on the potential Oscar race.
Breakfast with Scot – Another plot-driven pick for me: “A flamboyant 11-year-old orphan lands in the home of a straight-acting gay couple” (EW). I have a feeling this won’t be hitting theaters en masse.
October 17: Sex Drive – Tale as old as time, song as old as rhyme … A teenage boy wants to lose his virginity. Sound redundant? Be that as it may, combine a poster with a boy in a donut suit and a bit part by James Marsden (complete with ’80s dress code) and I say, you’ve got a winner.
October 24: Changeling – This is where I become a little antsy about going to the movies. No doubt I am a Clint Eastwood fan. It seems sacrilegious not to be. But then Angelina Jolie walks in, and I’m just not sure anymore. No doubt she’s a fine actor. I just find it difficult sometimes to separate her way-too-public private life and her film roles.
November 14: Role Models – In Elizabeth Banks‘ third film of the fall, Paul Rudd teams up once more with his “Wet Hot American Summer” director. It is common knowledge that no matter how hard they try, they will never surpass “Wet Hot,” but I’ll support their efforts.
The Road – The only reason I want to see this is because I have Cormac McCarthy’s novel sitting on my bookshelf, waiting to be read. Though Viggo, once more, looks like he’ll put on an amazing performance.
November 11: The Soloist – Why, oh why, I have a thing for Robert Downey Jr. I couldn’t tell you, but I love the fact that the once-star-turned-druggie-cum-superhero is making his comeback. Jamie Foxx is also a draw, though the fact that Downey Jr. plays a journalist I think is what hooked me.
Four Christmases – Christmas movies already? You bet. But where would our holiday spirit be without them? According to tabloids, Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon got along famously poorly on the set, but it’s all the same to me, as long as they make me laugh. I’m looking forward to director Seth Gordon’s first non-documentary feature (after his critically acclaimed “The King of Kong”).
December 12: Doubt – “The guy who wrote ‘Moonstruck‘” is back. The always underrated Philip Seymour Hoffman and the always unbelievable Meryl Streep are joined by everyone’s newest favorite Disney princess, Amy Adams. The plot doesn’t sound like the most moving story, but with a couple of leads like those, it’s almost a can’t-miss.
I’ll see you at the theater. And don’t forget the Twizzlers.
