2012 Movies - February

*** Edit to add in opening weekend numbers for the wide release films that opened in February 2012 ***


Feb. 3

Big Miracle
Drama/Romance
What: In small town Alaska, a news reporter recruits his ex-girlfriend - a Greenpeace volunteer - on a campaign to save a family of gray whales trapped by rapidly forming ice in the Arctic Circle.
Who: director – Ken Kwapis, stars – Drew Barrymore, John Krasinski, Kristen Bell, Dermot Mulroney & Ted Danson
Lowdown: I know one brand-new eight year old who will be there opening weekend with bells on. The similar-in-theme Dolphin Tale (family film, based on a true story & marine life subject mater) opened to a hefty 19M last September. I don’t think this flick will come close to those numbers, but should be a nice solid opener for Universal.
Opening Weekend: 7.76 million 73% score on Rotten Tomatoes





Chronicle
Sci-fi
What: Three high school friends gain superpowers after making an incredible discovery. Soon, though, they find their lives spinning out of control and their bond tested as they embrace their darker sides.
Who: director – Josh Trank, stars – Michael B. Jordan, Michael Kelly & Alex Russell
Lowdown: A mash of two proven hit makers - “found footage” and “superhero adventure”. But, I don’t know, this trailer looks pretty badass. The idea that teenagers would tape themselves doing stupid shit comes about naturally – in the sense that “found footage” this time around doesn’t seem so out of the question. Could be a nice surprise hit for Fox.
Opening Weekend: Surprise hit it was. Chronicle was the #1 movie in America it's opening weekend, beating out the much more promoted Woman in Black. With only a 12 million dollar budget, this pic is already in the green with it's huge 22.0 million opening. The critics loved it - it got an impressive 90% at Rotten Tomatoes.






The Woman in Black
Horror/Thriller
What: A young lawyer travels to a remote village where he discovers the vengeful ghost of a scorned woman is terrorizing the locals.
Who: director – James Watkins, stars – Daniel Radcliffe, Janet McTeer & Ciarán Hinds
Lowdown: Based off the popular novel of the same name by Susan Hill. I saw this trailer a few months back while at the cinema and it scared the shit of the entire audience and me. At the end when a face appears in the window? The entire audience let out a shriek. And those ghostly children with their crazy eyes are freaky as fuck. So I guess mission (so far) accomplished. Now, the big test here really is for Daniel Radclife, as he leaves the wizard world behind in his first post Harry Potter role. I’m sure his legions of fans will turn up to see how he fares, so I’m expecting a nice opening weekend somewhere around 18-20 million.
Opening Weekend: Not too shabby for the boy wizard, a nice 20.87 million opening weekend and a 64% score on Rotten Tomatoes

Feb. 10

Journey 2: The Mysterious Island 3D
Adventure/Family
What: Teenager Sean Anderson partners with his mom's boyfriend on a mission to find his grandfather, who is thought to be missing on a mythical island.
Who: director – Brad Peyton, stars - Josh Hutcherson, Dwayne Johnson, Michael Caine, Vanessa Hudgens, Kristin Davis
Lowdown: This trailer looks like absolute garbage, so I have to think that the movie is too. I wonder how embarrassed will Josh Hutcherson be after his star blows up thanks to a little movie call the Hunger Games. This is the sequel to Journey to the Center of the Earth, which in 2008 made a cool 100M in theaters (it opened with 21M). It will be interesting to see if this follow-up can open and/or make a similar amount. My prediction is that it won’t, with an opening of somewhere close to 15-16M.







Safe House
Action/Crime/Mystery
What: A young CIA agent is tasked with looking after a fugitive in a safe house. But when the safe house is attacked, he finds himself on the run with his charge.
Who: director – Daniel Espinosa, stars - Denzel Washington, Ryan Reynolds, Vera Farmiga, Sam Shepard, Brendan Gleeson & Robert Patrick
Lowdown: Going rouge is the new black. I’m not sure the trailer they cut for this is going to help sell this movie. Hopefully a second one is on its way. It’s just seems like cliché after cliché – after only watching the trailer I can guess what will happen: 1) There will be a scene where Denzel will reveal that he has in fact not gone rogue but this is all part of a bigger plan 2) There will be a double-cross scene where Ryan and Denzel pretend to be enemies to force the real enemy to reveal themselves 3) The real enemy will turn out to be someone at the CIA 4) Denzel will give that trademark smile (you know the on I mean) at least 50 times during the movie 5) Ryan will act confused at least 100 times during the movie 6) There will be some jokes thrown by Denzel at Ryan about him being new/white/out of the loop – they won’t be funny 7) Denzel will teach Ryan some skill early on that will be used later with much success. For Ryan’s sake I hope this is a better movie than this trailer depicts – he desperately needs a box office win.







Star Wars: Episode 1 The Phantom Menace 3D
Action/Adventure/Fantasy
What: Two Jedi Knights uncover a wider conflict when they are sent as emissaries to the blockaded planet Naboo.
Who: director – George Lucas, stars - Ewan McGregor, Liam Neeson and Natalie Portman
Lowdown: George Lucas does not have enough money, so he has decided to take a page out of Disney’s playbook and convert his 'Star Wars' movies into 3D and then re-release them in order (prequels first), beginning with this one. His plan will work and he will make a ton of green.






The Vow
Drama/Romance
What: A car accident puts Paige in a coma, and when she wakes up with severe memory loss, her husband Leo works to win her heart again.
Who: director – Michael Sucsy, stars - Rachel McAdams, Channing Tatum, Jessica Lange, Scott Speedman & Sam Neill
Lowdown: Playing right into the Valentine’s Day hype – it’s the only “date movie” opening the weekend before the big day – was super smart for this studio. Both Rachel & Channing are likeable enough stars – it should play well with the younger audience.

Feb. 17

Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance 3D
Action/Fantasy/Thriller
What: As Johnny Blaze hides out in Eastern Europe, he is called upon to stop the devil, who is trying to take human form.
Who: directors – Mark Neveldine & Brian Taylor, stars – Nicolas Cage, Ciarán Hinds & Idris Elba
Lowdown: You didn’t love the first Ghost Rider but would you be interested in the sequel? No? What if you heard that Nicolas Cage peed fire in this one? Still no? Ok. God, I hope not at least. Please let this movie bomb. Studios put out shit and audiences eat it up. This is why we can’t have nice things.






The Secret World of Arrietty
Animation/Family
What: The Clock family are four-inch-tall people who live anonymously in another family's residence, borrowing simple items to make their home. Life changes for the Clocks when their daughter, Arrietty, is discovered.
Who: directors – Hiromasa Yonebayashi & Gary Rydstrom, stars (voice) – Bridgit Mendler, Amy Poehler, Will Arnett & Carol Burnett
Lowdown: I can't lie, this looks super cute. I’m into it. Already an international box office smash (it won Japan’s Academy Award for Animation of the year), Disney is bring this version of the beloved fantasy series The Borrowers to an American audience. This will be the first animated movie of the year – should do well.







This Means War
Action/Comedy
What: Two top CIA operatives wage an epic battle against one another after they discover they are dating the same woman.
Who: director – McG, stars – Reese Witherspoon, Chris Pine & Tom Hardy
Lowdown: Mr. and Mrs. Smith sent a very clear message to film execs: shoot-em-up stories + beautiful people = solid gold. But this is McG we are talking about, and he is no Doug Liman. The entire premise of this movie seems hilarious and completely implausible to me. And that bums me out, as I really like all three leads here too. Maybe it will be so bad it’s good?

Feb. 24

Act of Valor
Action/Adventure
What: An elite team of Navy SEALs embark on a covert mission to recover a kidnapped CIA agent.
Who: director – Mike McCoy & Scott Waugh, stars – Alex Veadov, Roselyn Sanchez & Nestor Serrano
Lowdown: Relativity is not kidding around about this one, they have purchased FOUR Super Bowl spots. Do you know how expensive those things are?! They’ve got a lot banking on this being a hit for them. This movie has no star power going for it and that’s because the majority of the actors in this are all active duty US Navy SEALs and everything is based on actual missions. Watch this trailer. If you don’t get a little emotional, something might be wrong with you.

Feb. 30

Gone
Thriller
What: When her sister disappears, Jill is convinced the serial killer who kidnapped her two years ago has returned, and she sets out to once again face her abductor.
Who: director – Heitor Dhalia, stars – Amanda Seyfried, Jennifer Carpenter, Wes Bentley & Sebastian Stan
Lowdown: This movie look's very paint-by-numbers. That is to say like every other PG-13 thriller movie that’s been made in the last five years or so that is courting a female audience. Which this on is so clearly trying to do. My money is on the actual killer being Amanda Seyfried's character and Wes Bentley as the fall.

Tyler Perry’s Good Deeds
Comedy
What: Right before his wedding, an affluent man develops complicating feelings for a single mom.
Who: director – Tyler Perry, stars – Tyler Perry, Gabrielle Union, Thandie Newton, Rebecca Romijn, Eddie Cibrian & Phylicia Rashad
Lowdown: “We live in the real world.” “And I don’t?” “Tell me how much a gallon of milk costs.” “….” “You don’t even know.” I can’t. This is just another in a long line of obvious, manipulative, pandering bullshit. But that’s okay because he learns to give and that makes him and everyone happy. Let’s not offer any challenges whatsoever to the audience. Lets just feed them crap and they’ll eat it up. At least Perry isn’t in drag this time around. Small miracles I guess.






Wanderlust
Comedy
What: Rattled by sudden unemployment, a Manhattan couple surveys alternative living options, ultimately deciding to experiment with living on a rural commune where free love rules.
Who: director – David Wain, stars – Paul Rudd, Jennifer Aniston, Malin Akerman, Alan Alda, Ray Liotta & Justin Theroux
Lowdown: David Wain knows how to do comedy (If you missed 2008's Role Models you are missing out) Paul Rudd always brings it, and once upon a time (before she decided a paycheck was more important than her dignity) Jennifer Aniston was a pretty great actress. If she’s given the right material Aniston can be wildly funny – and Wain just might be the guy to do that. This one has a good amount of buzz around it and is making a lot of the “must-see” lists.






Notable limited engagements opening in February:
Perfect Sense - Feb 10 (drama/romance) A chef and a scientist fall in love as an epidemic begins to rob people of their sensory perceptions. Ewan McGregor, Eva Green and Connie Nielsen star in this film that played at Sundance in 2011.

2012 Movies - January

*** Edit to add in opening weekend numbers for the wide release films that opened in January 2012 ***


2012 is shapping up to be the year of the superheros/franchises/remakes, but thrown in the mix is some new fare with plenty of esteemed directors showing off their newest work. Sundance Film Festival is right around the corner (Jan. 19-29) and, as in years past, some movers and shakers are sure to come from there that as of this writing are unknown. But for now here are all the films set to be released through out the upcoming year.

January

Jan. 6

The Devil Inside
Horror
What: In Italy, a woman becomes involved in a series of unauthorized exorcisms during her mission to discover what happened to her mother, who allegedly murdered three people during her own exorcism.
Who: director – William Brent Bell, stars – Fernanda Andrade, Simon Quarterman & Evan Helmuth
Lowdown: There are no other wide releases compeating against it, and as of this writing Fandango is reporting that it is accounting for 31% of ticket sales. Could be a surprise hit? Lord knows they’ve spent a good amount of moolah on tv adds – I don’t even watch tv and I have somehow seen this trailer about eleventy billion times. I’m thinking around 18-20M opening weekend is a good guess.
Opening Weekend: Thoroughly trashed by critics and audiences a like (5% on the Rotten Tomatoes scale), this pic was still able to open with a HUGE weekend - 33.73 Million. That's the third best opening weekend in January box office history. (It fell nearly 77% the following weekend - the worst drop in almost three years.)  

Jan. 13

Contraband
Action/Thriller
What: To protect his brother-in-law from a drug lord, a former smuggler heads to Panama to score millions of dollars in counterfeit bills.
Who: director – Baltasar Kormakur, stars – Mark Wahlberg, Giovanni Ribisi, Ben Foster & Kate Beckinsale
Lowdown: A remake of the Icelandic thriller Reykjavik-Rotterdam. Despite what the trailer wants you to think, there is a reason this movie is being released in the dead month of January. Still, there will be an audience that turns out to see it - 20M+ opening weekend is my guess.
Opening Weekend: Marky Mark's starpower was able to overcome some very mixed reviews (48% on RT) for an opening of 23.34. 

Beauty and the Beast 3D

Animation/Family

What: The beloved story we all know from our childhood is getting a fresh 3D conversion re-release.

Lowdown: Disney spent the cash to convert one of its most beloved animated fairytales into 3D. And if the box office take of the 3D Lion King is any indication, it will turn out to be money well spent. I expect this thing to make buckets of cash – an opening weekend somewhere around 20-25M.

Opening Weekend: Not nearly as big of an opening weekend as I thought, or as others predicted. Despite it's super fresh ranking at Rotten Tomatoes (92%) The Beast came in second for the weekend with 17.75 Million. 

Joyful Noise

Comedy/Music

What: Two choir members have differing opinions on how to win the national choir competition.

Who: director – Todd Graff, stars – Queen Latifah, Dolly Parton & Keke Palmer

Lowdown: Oh. My. God. Have you seen the trailer for this yet? If not you are missing out. Do yourself a favor and hit up this link to see the best trailer commentary http://www.ultraculture.co.uk/10116-joyful-noise-trailer-amazing.htm It should do okay with the church crowd – I’m thinking an opening weekend of 15-16M

Opening Weekend: Rounding out the lackluster 4-day MLK holiday weekend, Joyful Noise came in third with 11.22 Million. (34% RT score)

January 20

Haywire

Action/Thriller

What: A black ops super soldier seeks payback after she is betrayed and set up during a mission.

Who: director – Steven Soderbergh, stars – Michael Fassbender, Ewan McGregor, Gina Carano, Channing Tatum, Michael Douglass & Antonio Banderas

Lowdown: The only movie I am excited for in January. Gina Carano is a MMA fighter turned actress using her fighting skills to take down the bad guys. It played at AFI Fest last November to pretty good reviews. Plus it’s got Oscar-winning Soderbergh. Sign me up. I have no idea what the opening weekend is going to look like for this movie. It's got the man of the moment Fassbender, but an unknown female lead in Carano and an R rating. I'll say 13-15M, but that is super wild guess.

Opening Weekend: Despite awesome reviews, Soderbergh's latest was a bit of a disappointment, and only brought in 8.42 Million opening weekend. (80% RT score) 

Red Tails

Action/Adventure

What: A crew of African American pilots in the Tuskegee training program, having faced segregation while kept mostly on the ground during World War II, are called into duty under the guidance of Col. A.J. Bullard.

Who: director – Anthony Hemingway, stars – Bryan Cranston, Cuba Gooding Jr., Terrence Howard

Lowdown: George Lucas produced this bio-drama, so that will be a draw for some. The flight sequences look pretty good at least. Surprised this isn’t a February opener – seems like they could capitalize on Black History Month. But what do I know. Around 15M opening weekend is my prediction.

Opening Weekend: Performing better than expected by industry folk, opened to 18.78 Million even with it's horrible reviews - 36% RT score.

Underworld Awakening 3D

Action/Horror

What: When human forces discover the existence of the Vampire and Lycan clans, a war to eradicate both species commences. The vampire warrioress, Selene leads the battle against humankind.

Who: director - Måns Mårlind & Björn Stein, stars – Kate Beckinsale, Michael Ealy & India Eisley

Lowdown: This franchise keeps (inexplicably) making money, so they keep on making them. This time a couple of Swedes are directing. 20-23M opening weekend sounds about right.

Opening Weekend: I will never understand why this franchise is a continuing money maker, but there is no denying it - there is an audience that will turn up every single time a new one comes out. That audience make this movie #1 for the weekend with 25.3 Million. (29% RT score)

Jan. 27

The Grey

Action/Thriller

What: In Alaska, an oil drilling team struggle to survive after a plane crash strands them in the wild. Hunting the humans are a pack of wolves who see them as intruders.

Who: director – Joe Carnahan, stars – Liam Neeson, Dermot Mulroney & Frank Grillo

Lowdown: From the director of The A Team, this movie probably deals with the triumph of the human spirit and against-the-odds survival but what I got out of the trailer? Liam Neeson affixing broken mini bottles to his fists to ostensibly box the wolves. Like, Ali-style. (Check out the last twenty seconds or so of the trailer to see the amazingness.) I mean, who wouldn’t pay $12 to go see that? Around 12M opening weekend is my prediction.

Opening Weekend: Good reviews (80% RT score) and excellent word of mouth helped make it #1 for the weekend with 19.66 million. (Over-performed by quite a bit - 2 days before opening the industry was expecting 9-10 million for the weekend.)

Man on a Ledge

Crime/thriller        

What: As a police psychologist works to talk down an ex-con who is threatening to jump from a Manhattan hotel rooftop, the biggest diamond heist ever committed is in motion.

Who: director – Asger Leth, stars – Sam Worthington, Elizabeth Banks, Jamie Bell, Edward Burns, Ed Harris, Kyra Sedwick & Anthony Mackie

Lowdown: The most literal movie title award goes to Summit. This is a movie about a man literally on the ledge…of a building. Other things going for it: that token “hot girl in her underwear” shot in the trailer. Because if you are in the middle of a diamond heist wouldn’t you strip down too? I have seen this trailer every single time I’ve been to the cinema lately (it may have had something to do with that other Summit movie I was watching), and it never seemed to play well with the crowd (again, that might have soothing to do with the crowd being too excited to see some sparkling vampires that they weren’t paying attention). I’ll guess around 10M opening weekend.

Opening Weekend: Maybe the first real bomb of the year? With a 32% RT score, this pic only brought in 8 million for it's opening weekend.

One for the Money

Action/comedy

What: Unemployed and newly-divorced Stephanie Plum lands a job at her cousin's bail-bond business, where her first assignment puts her on the trail of a wanted local cop from her romantic past.

Who: director – Julie Anne Robinson, stars – Katherine Heigl, Jason O’Mara, Daniel Sunjata, John Leguizamo & Sherri Shepherd

Lowdown: One for the money – isn’t that what all of Katherine Heigl’s movies have been? Based on the Janet Evanovich “Stephanie Plum” novels, there were quite a few people upset when Heigl was named as the lead character, and I have pretty much zero hopes that she is going to be able to make those people happy, I mean watch the trailer. This thing looks hor.ri.ble. 10-12M opening weekend sounds about right.

Opening Weekend: To say that critics hated this movie would be an understatement - it got a 2% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. TWO. PERCENT. Audiences didn't seem too into it either, it made only 11.5 million it's opening weekend.

Some notable limited releases being released in January:

Norwegian Wood – Jan. 6 (drama/foreign) Super sad, super beautiful film about a guy who grows close to his best friends girlfriend after the friend kills himself. Nominated for the Golden Lion in Venice.

Loosies - Jan. 11 (comedy/drama) A young pickpocket in the New York subways, living a fast, free lifestyle is confronted by a woman with whom he has a one night stand. Written by and staring Peter Facinelli of Twilight fame. 

Albatross - Jan. 13 (drama) Beth, a bookish teenager, befriends Emilia, an aspiring novelist who has just arrived in town. Emilia soon begins an affair with Beth's father that threatens to have devastating consequences. Stars "It Girl of 2011" Felicity Jones.

Coriolanus – Jan. 20 (drama/thriller) Ralph Fiennes makes his directing debut in this film based off Shakespeare’s play. Staring Ralph Fiennes, Vanessa Redgrace, Gerard Butler & Jessica Chastain.

Declaration of War – Jan 27 (drama/foreign) This film made it’s debut at Cannes last year and finally gets its US release. A beautiful film about a young couple that wrestle with their child's cancer diagnosis.

Rampart – Jan. 27 (action/crime) Set in 1999 Los Angeles, veteran police officer Dave Brown, the last of the renegade cops, works to take care of his family, and struggles for his own survival. Stars Robin Wright, Woody Harrelson, Steve Buscemi, Sigourney Weaver & Ben Foster.

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bonaroo 2011

* Eminem * Arcade Fire * Widespread Panic * The Black Keys * Buffalo Springfield feat Richie Furay, Stephen Stills, Neil Young, Rick Rosas, Joe Vitale * My Morning Jacket * Lil Wayne * String Cheese Incident * Robert Plant & Band of Joy * Mumford & Sons * The Strokes * The Decemberists * Ray Lamontagne * Bassnectar * Iron & Wine * Girl Talk * Primus * Dr. John and The Original Meters performing Desitively Bonnaroo * Alison Krauss & Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas * Pretty Lights * Florence & the Machine * Superjam ft. Dan Auerbach and Dr. John * Explosions in the Sky * STS9 * Gogol Bordello * Beirut * Big Boi * Scissor Sisters * Gregg Allman * Ratatat * Global Gypsy Punk Revue curated by Eugene Hütz * Robyn * Warren Haynes Band * Deerhunter * Opeth * Atmosphere * Old Crow Medicine Show * Bootsy Collins & the Funk University * Wiz Khalifa * Matt & Kim * Grace Potter & the Nocturnals * The Del McCoury Band and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band * Mavis Staples * Béla Fleck & the Flecktones * Chiddy Bang * Jovanotti * Bruce Hornsby & the Noisemakers * Loretta Lynn * Cold War Kids * The Walkmen * Devotchka * Wanda Jackson * Neon Trees * Portugal. The Man * Sleigh Bells * Amos Lee * Best Coast * Dãm-Funk * The Sword * The Drums * The Black Angels * School of Seven Bells * J. Cole * Nicole Atkins & the Black Sea * Wavves * !!! * Junip * Freelance Whales * Justin Townes Earle * Ryan Bingham * Deer Tick * Band of Skulls * Sharon Van Etten * Abigail Washburn * Omar Souleyman * Twin Shadow * Kylesa * Man Man * The Low Anthem * Alberta Cross * Railroad Earth * Jessica Lea Mayfield * Smith Westerns * The Head and the Heart * Karen Elson * Beats Antique * 22-20s * Phosphorescent * Clare MaGuire * Hayes Carll

2011 filmspopcornpart 5

The last and final installment of 2011 movies:

1. Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chip-Wrecked
Who: (voiced by) Amy Poehler, Jesse McCartney, Andy Buckley and Tucker Albrizzi (all voices); directed by Mike Mitchell
What: Part three of chipmunks singing.
Why: The last two Alvin films made over 800 million worldwide, combined; plus it’s in 3D this time around, so it’s guaranteed to rake in the cash again no matter what. (You love the title. Admit it.)
When: December 16

2. Captain America: The First Avenger
Who: Chris Evans, Hugo Weaving, Tommy Lee Jones, Stanley Tucci, Sebastian Stan, Hayley Atwell, Samuel L. Jackson, Toby Jones, Dominic Cooper, Neal McDonough and Richard Armitage; directed by Joe Johnson
What: A frail boy enlists in World War II, but isn’t strong enough for the army. Aided by a special serum, he becomes a true hero, and battles Nazi villain, The Red Skull.
Why: This is the fourth and final pre-Advengers Marvel movie. Everything so far has seemed a little off about this project, and this new images and teaser trailer just released this past weekend are not doing much to allay those fears. There will be a big publicity push for this one, so I expect it to still rake in the cash. How it does in comparison to those other superhero films (Thor and Green Lantern) hitting screens this year will be its true test.
When: July 22


3. Cars 2
Who: (voiced by) Owen Wilson, Emily Mortimer, Michael Caine and Michael Keaton; directed by Brad Lewis
What: Lightening McQueen and Mater team up for a global adventure when they are mistaken for spy cars.
Why: The original Cars is considered to be the weakest Pixar offering by many people, and while it’s more than obvious that Cars 2 is vastly different from recent offerings - most notably Up and Toy Story 3 (meaning, it’s no Best Picture future nominee) – the fact remains that kids love them some Cars. In the first year following its release Cars was responsible for billions of dollars in merchandise sales. Not millions. Billions. There is no way that the newest version is going to be one of the biggest money makers of the summer.
When: June 24


4. Cowboys & Aliens
Who: Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford, Olivia Wilde, Sam Rockwell, Noah Ringer, Paul Dano, Ana de la Reguera, Clancy Brown and Keith Carradine; directed by Jon Favreau
What: A spaceship arrives in Arizona, 1873, to take over the Earth, starting with the Wild West region. A posse of cowboys are all the stand in their way.
Why: This marks Jon Favreau’s return to the big screen after Iron Man 2, and many months before its release has plenty of buzz and good will going for it.
When: July 29


5. The Greatest Muppet Movie Ever Made
Who: Amy Adams, Jason Segel, Chris Cooper, Ricky Gervais, Emily Blunt, Dave Grohl, Rashida Jones and Zach Galifanakis; directed by James Bobin
What: Kermit the Frog and his muppet pals put on a show to save their old theater.
Why: If the though of seeing Kermit and the gang back to the big screen isn’t enough to entice you, then maybe the prospect of seeing one of your favorite actors will do it? Writers Jason Segel and Nicholas Stoller (the team behind Forgetting Sarah Marshall) have gathered up an insane amount of friends to join them.
When: November 23

6. Green Lantern
Who: Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Peter Sarsgaard, and Mark Strong; directed by Martin Campbell
What: A test pilot (Reynolds) is granted a mystical green ring that bestows him with other worldly powers, as well as membership into an intergalactic squadron tasked with keeping peace within the universe.
Why: Warner Bros. has anointed Green Lantern as their next big hero. There is a massive budget (rumored to be in the $200 million range), a big enough star as its lead (Reynolds), and a major franchise director in Martin Campbell. Is that enough to make up for a movie that is going to rely on an awful lot of hazy special effects and Blake Lively? I guess we’ll find out in a few months. In the mean time get ready to see a green suited guy that looks a lot like People’s Sexiest Man alive everywhere.
When: June 17


7. Happy Feet 2
Who: (voiced by) Elijah Wood, Robin Williams, Pink, Elizabeth Daily, Sofia Vergara, Matt Damon, Brad Pitt and Hank Azaria; directed by George Miller
What: The son of original lovebirds Mumble and Gloria struggles to find his personal talents amidst the new dangers in the Emperor Penguin world.
Why: The first one made over $384 million worldwide and went on to win the Oscar for Best Animated Feature over, yep, Pixar’s Cars. Will 2011 be a repeat performance?
When: November 18

8. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
Who: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint; directed by David Yates
What: The conclusion to The Deathly Hallows Part 1 and more significantly, the conclusion to the Potter franchise.
Why: This movie is going to do gang busters at the box office this summer. For the last decade there has always been a new Potter to look forward to. After this summer it’s all over.
When: July 15

9. I Am Number Four
Who: Alex Pettyfer, Timothy Olyphant, Dianna Agron and Teressa Palmer; directed by D.J. Caruso
What: John (Pettyfer) is an extraordinary teen, masking his true identity and passing as a typical high school student to elude a deadly enemy seeking to destroy him. Three like him have already been killed – he is number four.
Why: This movie has a change to be a blockbuster, but it’s also very possible for it to miss the mark completely. DreamWorks is praying for a crossover from the Twilight audience.
When: February 18


10. Kung Fu Panda: The Kaboom of Doom
Who: (voiced by) Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Jackie Chan, Jean-Blaude van Damme,Lucy Liu, David Cross, Dustin Hoffman, Gary Oldman and Seth Rogen; directed by Jennifer Yuh
What: Having attained his dream of becoming the dragon Warrior, panda Po and legendary buds The Furious Five now must journey across China to defeat an enemy harnessing a new weapon that may make Kung Fu obsolete.
Why: The original was an unexpected hit for DreamWorks plus made some serious cash in associated toys and straight-to-video offshoots. The studio is hoping lightening strikes twice.
When: May 26


11. Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol
Who: Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg, Paula Patton, Josh Holloway,Anil Kapoor, Léa Seydoux and Michael Nygvist; directed by Brad Bird
What: Ethan Hunt (Cruise) is back with some new recruits, in this, the fourth installment.
Why: J.J. Abrams is back, but this time, in addition to writing, is producing, and leaving the directing to animation guru Brad Bird (The Incredibles) who makes his live-action debut in this.
When: December 16

12. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
Who: Johnny Depp, Penélope Cruz, Ian McShane, Geoffrey Rush, Judi Dench, Gemma Ward, Stephen Graham, Richard Griffiths, Keith Richards and Sam Flafin; directed by Rob Marshall
What: Jack Sparrow (Depp) and Barbossa (Rush) embark on a quest to find the elusive fountain of youth, only to discover that Blackbeard (McShane) and his daughter are after it too.
Why: There is no question about it, this, this fourth entry in the franchise, will be successful. The latest installment comes in 3D (of course) with a lot of the big names returning and a few new ones.
When: May 20


13. Rango
Who: (voiced by) Johnny Depp, Isla Fisher, Timothy Olyphant, Abigail Breslin, Bill Nighy, Alfred Molina, Ned Beatty, Harry Dean Stanton, Ray Winstone and Stephen Root; directed by Gore Verbinski
What: A ped chameleon is stranded in the desert, and end up as the sheriff in a western town.
Why: I have no idea what to think about this one. It looks visually stunning and the behind the scenes feature is great, but every trailer I’ve seen so far shows a wildly different film – all of them pretty weird. This will either be a total clusterfuck, or the most interesting, crazy mainstream animation to come out in some time. Take your pick.
When: March 4


14. Scream 4
Who: Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox, David Arquette, Emma Roberts, Hayden Panettiere and Adam Brody; directed by Wes Craven
What: Ten years have passed, and Sidney Prescott (Campbell) is visited by the Ghostface Killer.
Why: For no other reason than that press tour should be amazing now that the Cox-Arquette’s have separated and the latter part has done a stent in rehab. The Weinstein Company needs cash, and so they will be systematically resurrecting every sequel franchise they own or find (hence the return of the Spy Kids).
When: April 15


15. Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows
Who: Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Noomi Rapace, Stephen Fry and Jared Harris; directed by Guy Ritchie
What: Holmes (Downey Jr.) and Watson (Law) travel to Europe to take on the man who will become Holmes’ greatest adversary – Professor Moriarty.
Why: Downey Jr. and Law proved they have great chemistry together in the first installment, and thus many movie goers are looking forward to what they can bring to the screen again. This time they will be joined with break-out star Noomi Rapace taking over from Rachel McAdams in the love interest role.
When: December 16

16. Sucker Punch
Who: Emily Browning, Vanessa Hudgens, Abbie Cornish, Jena Malone, Scott Glen and Jon Hamm; directed by Zack Snyder
What: A teenage girl is committed to an insance asylum by her vicious stepfather, and, along with those institutionalized with her, flees into a fantasy world to plan an escape before she’s lobotomized.
Why: Directed Zack Snyder has described his film as “an Alice in Wonderland with machine guns.”
When: March 25


17. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1
Who: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner
What: Rob and Kristen Edward and Bella are totally going to do it!
Why: I’m going to out myself – I am a Twilight fangirl. I’m aware that the books are so poorly written it’s embarrassing and the movies are cheesier than the block of cheddar in my fridge. I’m still a fan. It’s a good time at the cinema. I’m stoked for this, the beginning of the end. It’s going to make an obscene amount of money.
When: November 18

18. Thor
Who: Chris Hemsworth, Anthony Hopkins, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddlestan, Stellan Skarsgard, Kat Dennings; directed by Kenneth Branagh
What: The powerful but arrogant warrior Thor is cast out of the fantastic realm of Asgard and sent to live amongst humans on Earth, where he soon becomes one of their finest defenders.
Why: I have no idea. No really, a guy wielding a hammer? Whatever Marvel. Basically, just another set-up for 2012’s The Avengers. The dudes will line-up to see it though – super heroes AND Natalie Portman. They are already sold.
When: May 6


19. Transformers: Dark of the Moon
Who: Shia LeBeouf, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Hugo Weaving, Josh Duhamel, Patrick Dempsey, Frances McDormand and John Malkovich; directed by Michael Bay
What: The Autobots learn of a Cybertronian spacecraft hidden on the Moon, and race against the Decepticons to reach it and learn its secrets, which could turn the tide in the Transformers' final battle.
Why: I feel like this is one of those movies that you lower your expectations for to such a degree that it can’t help but seem better than you expected. There has been a good amount of controversy so far, as Bay originally came on strong against 3D (then caved) and then there was that whole brouhaha over the firing of Megan Fox and the subsequent hiring of Huntington-Whiteley (a rewrite that probably took two minutes). Bay claims this will be the last in the series, so hopefully everyone gets the memo and moves on. In the mean time, this thing will blow into cinemas across the country this summer and rake in the cash. I’ve got two guys in my household that are counting down the days.
When: July 1

20. X-Men First Class
Who: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Kevin Bacon, January Jones, Nicholas Hoult, Lucas Till and Zoe Kravitz; directed by Matthew Vaughn
What: A prequel to the Marvel superhero franchise, this sees the first meeting of the mutants who would become know as Professor X and Magneto, as they team up in 1960s America to battle a dangerous foe.
Why: I’ve thought for a while that this would be the best of the superhero films from the bunch that are being released this year. But it seems like there might be some trouble brewing. First, an image (that shined a less than favorable light on the movie) was released showing all of the characters in full costume and makeup, which the studio later recalled when they released another image of the cast in normal dress. Then word came out that X-Men was going to do pickup shots. Okay, nothing unusual about that. Many, many films undergo pickups at some point because it isn’t until the director is in the editing suite that he realizes he has unusable footage, the movie needs a longer transition, dialog needs to be fixed and ADR won’t cut it etc. Usually that takes anywhere from 3-6 days. That’s the normal time frame. X-Men is doing “pickups” for 6 weeks. One can shoot an entire feature length film in that amount of time. In good news, the first trailer was just released this week and it actually looks good. Really good. So maybe there is hope?
When: June 3

2011 films just for fun part 4

The Just For Fun picks - my top 15 movies that should be a good time at the cinema this year. Be from edge-of-your-seat suspense or stomach grabbing laughter.

1. 30 Minutes or Less
Who: Jesse Eisenberg, Aziz Ansari, Danny McBride, Nick Swardson, Michael Peña and Fred Ward; directed by Ruben Fleischer
What: Two fledgling criminals kidnap a pizza delivery driver and force him to rob a bank within 30 minutes, or the homemade bomb strapped to his chest goes off.
Why: Directed by the guy behind the breakout hit Zombieland and a Black List script by Michael Diliberti and Matthew Sullivan. The screenplay is a sharp and very hilarious read, if all goes well this could be one of the major breakout hits of the summer.
When: August 12

2. The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn
Who: Jamie Bell, Daniel Craig, Andy Serkis, Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Toby Jones and Cary Elwes; directed by Steven Spieldberg
What: Ace boy reporter Tintin (Bell) and his friends discover directions to a sunken ship commanded by Catain Haddock (Serkis) and go off on an adventure involving pirates, treasure and Haddock’s ancestry.
Why: Based on the Hergé comic books and with Steven Spielberg directing, Peter Jackson producing and a script from a team of promising writers inducing Edgar Wright (Scott Pilgrim vs. The World) there are a lot of excited fans excited and waiting for this one.
When: December 23

3. Bridesmaids
Who: Kristen Wigg, Rose Byrne, Maya Rudolph, John Hamm, Diane Wiest, Michael Hitchcock, Matthew Lucas, Chris O’Dowd, Ellie Kemper, Melissa McCarthy and Wendy McLendon-Covery; directed by Paul Feig
What: A lonely, unlucky-in-love thirty-something (Wiig) has to do battle with the bridesmaid from hell (Byrne) to gain control of her best friend’s wedding (Rudolph).
Why: A stellar supporting cast, Judd Apatow producing, Kristen Wigg on the writing team and comparison to Knocked Up - this should be a fun spring comedy.
When: May 15


4. Crazy Stupid Love
Who: Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Julianne Moore, Emma Stone, Marisa Tomei and Kevin Bacon; directed by Glen Ficarra & John Requa
What: When a middle-aged married man’s (Carell) wife leaves him for another man, he teams up with a younger playboy type (Gosling), who teaches him how to re-enter the dating scene.
Why: This script garnered a huge spec sale and looks to have the potential to be a sleeper hit. Recent test screenings went so well that Warner Bros. moved if from an April date to the heart of summer.
When: July 29

5. The Hangover Part II
Who: Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Justin Bartha, Liam Neeson, Mike Tyson and Bill Clinton; directed by Todd Phillips
What: The gang travels to Bangkok for Stu’s wedding.
Why: All eyes are going to be on Phillips come opening weekend to see if he can pull off another gargantuan hit. It’s going to be hard to top the original and after the disappointing Due Date this past summer, the pressure is higher than ever. The original cast is back together and if anyone can pull off another $400 million dollars on an R-rated comedy it would be them.
When: May 26

6. Hanna
Who: Saoirse Ronan, Cate Blanchett, Eric Bana, Olivia Williams and Tom Hollander; directed by Joe Wright
What: A 14-year-girl (Ronan) who was raised by her father to be a cold-hearted killing machine in a CIA prison camp must fight her way to a free life.
Why: Touted as a mix between La Femme Nikita and The Bourne Identity, only with a teenage girl, there is a lot of interest in this project.
When: April 8


7. Haywire
Who: Gina Carano, Channing Tatum, Michael Fassbender, Ewan McGregor, Michael Douglas, Antonio Banderas, Bill Paxton, Mathieu Kassovitz; directed by Steven Soderbergh
What: A black ops super soldier seeks payback after she is betrayed and set up during a mission.
Why: A good spy revenge thriller to kick off the big-budget movie season plus real-life mixed martial arts champion (and first-time actress) Fina Carano stars, so at least the stunts should look good.
When: April 22

8. Horrible Bosses
Who: Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis, Charlie Day, Kevin Spacey, Jennifer Aniston, Colin Farrell, Jamie Foxx, Julie Bowen, and P.J. Byrne; directed by Seth Gordon
What: Three friends conspire to murder their awful bosses when they realize they are standing in the way of their happiness.
Why: It’s got a solid cast for a comedy smartly following The Hangover’s model for success – three-well liked comic actors in a leading role (Batemna, Day, Sudeikis) and then giving them big names to play off of (Spacey, Aniston, Farrell). Plus a script, co-written by Freaks and Geeks lead John Francis Daley that has great buzz.
When: TBA (Summer 2011)

9. Larry Crowne
Who: Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Bryan Cranston, Nia Vardalos, Rita Wilson, Taraji P. Henson, George Takei, Peter Scolari, Wilmer Valderrama and Pam Grier; directed by Tom Hanks
What: After losing his job, a middle-aged man reinvents himself by going back to college.
Why: Hanks co-wrote Larry Crowne with Nia Vardalos, plus he's directing and starring as the title character. With the combined star power of Hanks & Roberts it could be a blockbuster comedy this summer.
When: July 1

10. Paul
Who: Seth Rogan, Jane Lynch, Kristin Wiig, Simon Pegg, Jason Bateman, Sigourney Weaver, Bill Hader, Blythe Danner and Nick Frost; directed by Greg Mattola
What: Two British comic-book geeks (Pegg & Frost) traveling across the U.S. encounter an alien outside Area 51.
Why: Greg Mattola is back in the directors chair with a sci-fi comedy with what some are calling traces of E.T. and Back to the Future (!!!).
When: March 18


11. Source Code
Who: Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Monaghan, Vera Farmiga and Jeffrey Wright; directed by Duncan Jones
What: A soldier (Gyllenhaal) wakes up in the body of an unknown man to discover that he is part of a mission to find the bomber of a Chicago commuter train.
Why: With a great script that reads somewhat like a mash-up of The Matrix, The Bourne films and Groundhog Day, a great cast and a director who proved his mettle with 2009s Moon, this has all the parts needed to be a hit.
When: April 1 (Opening the 2011 SXSW Film Festival March 11)


12. Super 8
Who: Elle Fanning, Noah Emmerich, Amanda Michalka, Kyle Chandler, Ron Eldard and Zach Mills; directed by J.J. Abrams
What: A sci-fi tale rumored to follow three siblings who catch a glimpse of a creature in some film footage.
Why: Not much is known exactly about this movie, which is part of what makes it so intriguing. But it’s J.J. Abrams, I will pretty much follow him anywhere. Last May the buzz began with a mysterious teaser trailer which features some sort of creature breaking out from the wreck of a train crash. With Steven Spielberg as producer in collaboration with Bad Robot Productions and Paramount this movie is going to be huge this summer.
When: June 10


13. The Sitter
Who: Jonah Hill, Sam Rockwell, Max Records, Ari Graynor, Miriam McDonald, Erin Daniels and Method Man; directed by David Gordon Green
What: A college student (Hill) on suspension is coaxed into babysitting the kids next door, though he is fully unprepared for the wild night ahead of him.
Why: The Sitter promises to be a filthy, entertaining and rather hilarious R-rated comedy based on the 2009 Black List script. From the director behind the hilarious Pineapple Express and Eastbound & Down, if executed well, it could be the breakout comedy of the summer.
When: August 5

14. Tower Heist
Who: Ben Stiller, Eddie Murphy, Casey Affleck, Matthew Broderick, Judd Hirsch, Tèa Leoni, Gabourey Sidibe, Alan Alda and Michael Peña; directed by Bretty Ratner
What: When a group of hard working guys find out they've fallen victim to a wealthy business man's Ponzi scheme, they conspire to rob his high-rise residence.
Why: If everyone in the cast brings their A-game this should be a nice fall comedy hit. It has all the makings of a new heist classic.
When: November 4

15. Your Highness
Who: Natalie Portman, James Franco, Danny McBride, Zooey Deschanel and Justin Theoroux; directed by David Gordon Green
What: A slovenly knight (McBride) must try to save his father’s kingdom and his princess bride (Deschanel) while also kicking a pot smoking habit. Luckily he has a brother (Franco) and a warrior princess (Portman) to help him in his quest.
Why: The trailer looks awesomely funny. If the extremely talented cast can stretch that into a 1.5 hour long comedy they will have a massive hit on their hands.
When: April 8
the hilarious red band trailer - NSFW

work friendly trailer