BIG Fall Movie Previews: The Black Dahlia and Other New Films
There is no better time for taking in a good movie than fall. Some may say that summer blockbusters are the cream of the Hollywood crop, but not I. I am a fall guy (no pun intended). The big studios hold back their Oscar candidates, and a ton of indie flicks schedule their release for October and November specifically to make a run at the Academy Awards.
Basically, if you’re a film buff and not just a thrill seeking, entertainment whore, the fall season is for you. (NOTE: It was hard to write that paragraph without sounding like a pretentious jerkoff, and I don’t think I succeeded. Look, I have nothing against “Superman” or “The Pirates Movie” or “Insert Your Favorite Summer Movie Here,” it’s just that there are better movies in autumn and I am definitely right about this. So, you know, deal with it.)
There were so many films worth mentioning that I actually had to break this up into four parts, be sure to read them all. Anyway, without any further adieu, here is part one of my BIG fall movie preview, enjoy�.
Sept. 15
The Black Dahlia
This is a film by Brian DePalma (Scarface, The Untouchables) and, though his career has had a bunch of ups and downs, this one stars Scarlett Johansen and therefore I will go see it. DePalma’s last movie, Femme Fatale, was far more notorious for its gratuitous Rebecca Romijn lesbian scene than it was for being a good movie (though, it should be noted that said film is worth seeing for said scene alone).
The Last Kiss
Zack Braff takes off the “Scrubs” and returns to the big screen in this hilarious new romantic comedy (wasn’t that a good “token movie advertisement” line). Look, Garden State was okay and this one (on paper and on commercial) seems worse than Garden State. You be the judge.
SEPTEMBER 22nd
The Science of Sleep
I was a huge fan of Michel Gondry’s first film, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. The Science of Sleep, his follow-up, is a weird looking, semi-autobiographical movie about his days as a struggling, narcoleptic filmmaker in France. It stars Gael Garcia Bernal (you know, that dude from Y tu mamÃ?¡ tambiÃ?©n) and it looks surreal and, umm, very Gondry- if it’s appropriate to say that (I don’t know, this being only his second feature length and all). Find it, see it.
All the King’s Men
A political movie with Sean Penn, An-ton-ie Hopkins and Mark Ruffalo that has “I might see it on video” written all over it.
Jackass: Number Two
This is my no credibility selection, because who wants to seem credible? I will be perfectly honest, Jackass is nice, mindless fun and I thoroughly enjoyed the first film. Not sure if I’ll get out to the theatres for this but I’ll check it out eventually.
Jesus Camp
There’s a lot of “buzz” surrounding this documentary, though I’m not sure what kind of release it’s going to get. It’s about an Evangelical kid’s camp and it sounds awesome. I really hope that Montgomery Cinemas picks this one up.
OCTOBER 6th
The Departed
The studios have already started to bombard television with ads for this one, the first “true” gangster film from Martin Scorsese since 1995’s Casino. The Departed also will mark the first time that Scorsese has worked with Jack Nicholas. Do I need to keep writing? I will see this movie when it comes out, perhaps even on opening night. Nobody makes a better gangster flick than Scorsese, nobody. Leo, Matt Damon and Marky Mark also star.
Little Children
I actually read this Tom Perrotta (Election) novel on a complete whim. I found it in the bargain section at Border’s. It was an immensely entertaining read, albeit slightly forced, a little trashy and totally contrived (in an American Beauty rip off/midlife crisis kind of way). With that said, I caught the trailer recently and it looked really good. The guy who directed In the Bedroom (Todd Field) made this movie and, at first glance anyway, he seems to have lent a subtle darkness to it that might make up for some of the problems I had with the book.
Employee of the Month
Is it just me, or what the hell is Dane Cook doing in this movie? A (seemingly) cheesy comedy that co-stars Jessica Simpson, Andy Dick and that guy from the first season of Punk’d? I’m a huge Dane Cook fan but I saw the trailer for this one and it looks like shoddy drivel and retarded slapstick. Maybe Cook is just trying to cash in, which is fine, but this is the kind of movie that could potentially ruin his career.
