6 November
A Christmas Carol
Let’s hope they finally get this right. Dickens’ deliberate attack on class structures in Victorian England is often lost in the feel good sentiments of the holiday season, as if Christmas was the main reason for the story, and not Scrooge’s inherent evil and skinflint ill will toward all mankind. About the closest anyone ever came to bringing the complicated tale to life successfully was the 1970 musical starring Albert Finney. It at least got the dark tone and cryptic commentary right. Now comes Jim Carrey doing his second-tier Peter Sellers routine, playing several characters in Robert Zemeckis’ latest motion capture CG stunt. Granted, Beowulf was beefy fun and The Polar Express highlighted what the format could do visually, if not realistically. Still, the jury remains out on how successful this will be. The closer they stay to Dickens, the better. That may not make for a successful yuletide treat, however.

6 November
The Men Who Stare at Goats

Someone once said that a crappy title makes a good movie have to work twice as hard. No matter how successful you are at selling an audience on your story, they will always come back and wonder why the Hell you named your movie so. Luckily, director Grant Heslov has Jon Ronson’s nonfiction book to blame for the clunky moniker. And with a cast that includes George Clooney, Kevin Spacey, Ewan McGregor, and Jeff Bridges, he’s got more than enough acting ammunition to cause selective name amnesia. Besides, the label tells the entire story - McGregor is a journalist who stumbles upon Clooney, who turns out to be a long running member of a government program to develop the “psychic powers” in our spies. This includes staring at goats to kill them. Now it makes perfect sense, right?

6 November
Pirate Radio

Talk about getting bounced around and retrofitted. This film started out as a genial UK comedy entitled The Boat that Rocked. It was completed in the Summer of 2008 and set for release around Christmas time. Then the date got pushed back. Then the film was retitled. Then another release was scheduled. Now, the Richard Curtis ensemble piece about the ship known as Radio Rock and its crew of ramshackle disc jockeys (played by Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Nick Frost, and Chris O’Dowd, among others) battling the English government finally hits these shores—albeit in a short, leaner version. Apparently, mixed reviews from overseas have cause American distributors to balk, demanding Curtis trim even more footage from his already hampered film. With inconsistent support like this, one can only imagine the uneven, unexceptional results to come. Here’s hoping we’re wrong.

6 November
The Box

Comic-Con attendees were livid when star Cameron Diaz inadvertently gave away some major spoilers about Richard Kelly’s update of the classic Richard Matheson short story. The set-up finds our female lead and her husband receiving a special box with a large button on the top. When they push it, they earn $1 million. However, along with the money, somewhere in the world, someone dies. Thus sets up an intriguing moral dilemma that the mind behind Donnie Darko must now somehow expand into a 90 minute movie. After the horrible letdown that was his post-apocalyptic mindbender, Southland Tales, he really needs a hit. And those in attendance indicate that the studio wasn’t too upset over the actress’s reveal. Perhaps this means the film works outside of the secret. If so, it bodes well for Kelly’s future as an A-list filmmaker in an industry that’s about ready to write him off.

6 November
The Fourth Kind

The trailer keeps playing up the “based on a true story and confirmed evidence” angle of this alien abduction story, actual videotape footage of the psychological sessions highlighting the harrowing nature of the tale. Seems that the citizens of Nome, Alaska report more interaction with extraterrestrials (and missing persons) than any other part of the world. Their stories of contact have been researched by Dr. Abigail Tyler (played by Milla Jovovich) who starts to see patterns in their accounts. As the preview seems to suggest, she too becomes a victim of these unwelcome visitors. Writer/director Olatunde Osunsanmi may have a difficult time making this all work. Even with an early ‘70s set-up for the story, many will look at this glorified SyFy Channel hokum and cry foul. As subjects for modern day thrillers go, it’s very Me Decade.

6 November
Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire

Advance word is that this is very, very strong stuff indeed. The story of an overweight, illiterate, African American teenager traumatized by sexual abuse (from dad) and physical/mental abuse (from mom) sounds like the stuff of intense, off-putting drama. But said reviews have also indicated a real sense of hope and dignity throughout this stunning urban exercise. Even better, critics have complimented comic turned serious actress Mo’Nique, musicians Mariah Carey and Lenny Kravitz, as well as newcomer Gabourey Sidibe as the title character.  With the power of Tyler Perry and Oprah behind this release, as well as the underserved demographic that typically clamors for something real and relevant, this has all the makings of a strong Fall sleeper. No wonder both Lionsgate and The Weinstein Company claimed the rights to release this film. You always want to be on the correct side of a potential winner.

13 November

13 November
2012
Oh yeah! Oh HELL yeah! This is the one we’ve been waiting for since the trailer promised infinite end of the world destruction back in June. Roland Emmerich is a lot of things—hack, copycat, incapable of an original idea—but he sure can level a combination CG/miniature landscape. Just watching LA sink into the Pacific, the White House wiped out by a huge aircraft carrier carrying tsunami, or space arks flooded as humans struggle to escape Earth is just too (guilty) pleasurable. Granted, the recent EPK’s attached to AMC’s First Look promos (featuring Woody Harrelson and John Cusak) are laugh out loud awful, and one expects a lot more meandering dialogue than F/X money shots in a film such as this. But Emmerich may be onto something here, fulfilling the fantasies of millions of doomsayers who actually believe that everything will end on 12/20/2012. As long as we get to see this amazing looking movie before then, who cares what happens two years from now.

13 November
The Fantastic Mr. Fox

Wes Anderson loves to keep ‘em guessing. After his brilliant brotherly love travelogue The Darjeeling Limited wrapped, many wondered what his next film would be. Few could have figured it was a stop motion animation take on Roald Dahl’s darkly comic tale of a fox, his family and friends, and the farmers intent on killing him. Pretty intense for a kid’s film, right? Only Anderson is apparently aiming higher up the audience food chain. He had wanted to collaborate with A Nightmare Before Christmas’ Henry Selick (who worked with the filmmaker on his The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou), but Coraline called, leaving Anderson to fend for himself. The results look a little less polished than other similarly styled films, but we’re betting the sense of humor and artistic flourishes offered by this unique auteur will make up for any production limitations.

13 November
Women in Trouble

When it premiered back in March at the South by Southwest Film Festival, critics praised this outrageous comedy as a true female-oriented tour de force—and looking at the talent involved, they had a lot to champion. Writer/director Sebastian Gutierrez has taken a cast including Carla Gugino, Marley Shelton, Elizabeth Berkeley, Josh Brolin, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Simon Baker and tossed them into a series of interlocking stories that center on…you guessed it, girls in trouble. We get porn stars, stewardesses, and random housewives and career gals, each character given ample room to grow and explore their own particular problems thanks to Gutierrez’s ensemble approach. While some may see a bit of Altman in the style, this is really more of a high camp soap opera with oddball touches and tendencies.

13 November
The Young Victoria

Boy, do the British love their costume dramas. Every year they can be guaranteed to deliver yet another adaptation of a classic novel, a famous play, or more often than not, a factual/fictional look at one of their many royals. This time around, it’s Queen Victoria (yes, AGAIN! ) and her young life and romance with Prince Albert. Emily Blunt plays Her Majesty, while Rupert Friend is her soulmate paramour, with Canadian filmmaker Jean-Marc Vallée behind the camera. Some have criticized the film for being less than honest with the actual events in the famed queen’s life, including Albert’s part in thwarting an assassination attempt. Still, with plenty of pomp and compelling circumstance, this should be a well intentioned and well received drama, providing insight into a world seldom have ever seen, or will see for that matter. 

20 November

20 November
The Blind Side
It’s been a rollercoaster ride for Sandra Bullock in 2009. First, she revived her box office clout with the surprise summer hit The Proposal. Then, a mere two months later, she pissed it all away with the ill-advised stalker satire All About Steve. As part of this uneven trifecta, she’s now turning to drama, and the real life story of an African American boy adopted by an influential Tennessee family who ends up being one of college football’s most heavily sought after recruits. Currently playing for the Baltimore Ravens, Michael Oher’s story remains startling in both its scope and dramatic potential. Bullock, who can handle heavier material (she was very good as Harper Lee in that other Truman Capote movie, Infamous) does a bang up job in the trailer of selling the situation and newcomer Quinton Aaron seems perfect for the part of Oher. Let’s just hope it doesn’t fall into the standard sport film traps.

20 November
The Twilight Saga: New Moon

Great—just in time to get the spinsters and lonely adolescent girls all worked up. Stephanie Meyer’s mangled vampire romances go lupine this time around as werewolves enter the mix. Gone, however, is original director Catherine Hardwicke. In her place? American Pie and The Golden Compass‘s Chris Weitz. As much about the beefcake as the bloodletting, the web has been buzzing about chief lycanthrope Taylor Lautner, his buff body and his still slightly jailbait availability (he won’t turn 18 until February of 2010—sorry folks…). The storyline this time around has Bela floored by her breakup with Edward while simultaneously getting gooey with the vampire’s mortal enemy, the werewolf (oh brother—that again???). While Weitz doesn’t have far to go to surpass the first film’s overall awfulness, he still has to contend with Meyer’s mediocre source material—and it’s a killer. A career killer, that is.

20 November
Planet 51

More CGI cartooning to keep the wee ones good and babysat for an early winter’s afternoon. From the looks of it, Sony should have known better. The elementary shapes and lack of detailed character design do not bode well for a film that will have to battle a bevy of other kid vid fare this end of the year season. Even worse, we are stuck in Real 3D town again, the gimmick supposedly making up for what this spotty space comedy lacks in creativity or invention. The only remaining hope, outside a couple of clever voice acting choices (John Cleese and Gary Oldman are among the cast), are the trio of first time directors: Jorge Blanco, Javier Abad, and Marcos Martinez. As true unknown quantities, their talents are untested, and therefore, open to any and all creative possibilities. On the down side, this is their first animated feature, so…

20 November
Broken Embraces

Here’s a question—what happened to the sublime Spanish maverick that many were calling the Latin John Waters way back in the late ‘80s. Has becoming the darling of the arthouse crowd deprived this pop art auteur of his crazed comedic muse? If you listen to the reviews out of Cannes this past May, the answer is apparently “yes”. One thing is clear—Almodovar is doing noir here—and few, apparently, are sold on the cinematic trick. This complicated plot involving a four way love story and a blatantly artificial film within a film promises to leave fans satisfied—and perhaps, little else. Some have suggested that, for once, Almodovar has gone overboard, bloating the screen with over two tedious hours of his varied visual panache. Others wouldn’t have it any other way. Clearly a love/hate kind of thing, we will have to wait until it hits theaters to make a final entertainment determination.

27 November

27 November
Nine
Leave it to Daniel Day-Lewis to flummox fans. After winning the Oscar for his bravura performance as a wily turn of the century oil baron in There Will Be Blood, the unconventional actor has now jumped headlong into Rob Marshall’s big screen adaptation of the Broadway musical take on Fellini’s 8 1/2. That’s right, it’s a singing and dancing Day-Lewis who’ll be helping the Chicago helmer bring this baffling tuner into obvious Academy attention. And as the ladies in the fictional filmmaker Guido Contini’s life? Well, we have none other than Marion Cotillard, Nicole Kidman, Penelope Cruz, Judi Dench, Kate Hudson, Stacy Ferguson, and Sophia Loren. There’s over seven little gold statues among the cast alone. While some fear that Marshall is a one hit wonder (the Chicago follow-up, Memoirs of a Geisha, was less than successful at the box office), the talent involved should pull him through. Should.

27 November
Ninja Assassin

When last we saw the Wachowski Brothers, they were licking their wounds over the unfairly dismissed candy colored adaptation of the well known Japanese anime, Speed Racer. Protégé James McTeigue hasn’t been seen in theaters since he brought Alan Moore’s V for Vendetta to audiences everywhere. The threesome has teamed up once again, this time taking on the story of a stealthy hired killer who seeks revenge for a friend’s death. Over amplified with CG-aided action scenes, and way too much rainfall, the trailer suggests something so stylish and mannered that it may be more animated anarchy than over the top thriller. While the famous Matrix duo are doing nothing more than producing, their imprint still sits on every sequence in this film. In fact, just like Vendetta, it’s hard to see where McTeigue’s vision begins and the sibling’s sense of optical overdrive ends.

27 November
Old Dogs

Say it isn’t so! John Travolta and Robin Williams…together? In a family comedy about two grown men becoming accidental dads? Directed by Wild Hogs Walt Becker? And produced by Disney? As a certain famed mechanical Sith would say…NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! This movie has ‘stupid’ written all over it, and it’s not just the plot contrivance that saddles Williams clueless company man with a pair of pre-adolescent twins. Travolta is apparently the cool dude who’s above procreation (at least the planned kind) but chips in anyway. Toss in the sad fact that this is Bernie Mac’s last film (he plays a “flamboyant children’s entertainer” named Jimmy Lunchbox) and the added artistic insult that audiences seem to adore the trailer, and it’s enough to make you give up movies all together. Film just doesn’t get as meaningless and manufactured as this - that is, until Becker’s sequel to the stunted Hogs hits theaters in 2011. Sigh.