The PopMatters Fall Movie Preview – September 2013

The preamble to Awards Season proper starts off with a collection of leftovers, a few failed tentpoles, some festival favorites, and at least two films centering on sex addiction and cannibalism. Now what does that say about September in general and specifically what Hollywood thinks you’ll tolerate before the Oscar bait is unleashed?

 

Director: David Twohy

Film: Riddick

Cast: Vin Diesel, Jordi Mollà, Matt Nable, Katee Sackhoff, Dave Bautista, Bokeem Woodbine, Raoul Trujillo, Karl Urban

MPAA rating: PG-13

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6 September
Riddick

Apparently, a billion and a half dollars for your last two starring roles is enough commercial clout to enable anyone to resurrect a beloved old character, even one no one was really interested in revisiting in the first place. Still, Vin Diesel has always had a soft spot for alien anti-hero Richard B. Riddick, and so he’s used the fruits from his Fast and Furious fortunes to get writer/director David Twohy to go back to the failed franchise one more time. Oh sure, this brutal otherworldly warrior has been part of two previous feature films, an animated offering, and a pair of video games. Early reviews suggest the duo shouldn’t have bothered.

 

Director: Shane Salerno

Film: Salinger

Cast: J. D. Salinger, Martin Sheen, Ed Norton, John Cusack, Judd Apatow

MPAA rating: R

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6 September
Salinger

He was one of the most popular and enigmatic authors of the 20th century. He was also one of the most reclusive. Few had seen pictures of him post the success of his seminal novel A Cather in the Rye, but that doesn’t mean J.D. Salinger stopped living or writing. This documentary purports to follow the famed hermit as he lives out his last days in seclusion, scribbling away at several unpublished manuscripts and angrily protecting his privacy. Screenwriter turned documentarian Shane Salerno did exhaustive research on his subject and interviewed hundreds of people for the film. The result is supposedly overlong but intriguing.

 

Director: Thomas Lennon, Robert Ben Garant

Film: Hell Baby

Cast: Rob Corddry, Leslie Bibb, Keegan Michael Key, Riki Lindhome, Paul Scheer, Rob Huebel, Robert Ben Garant, Thomas Lennon, Michael Ian Black, Kumail Nanjiani

MPAA rating: R

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6 September
Hell Baby

Thomas Lennon and Robert Ben Garant have enough box office clout (thanks to their scripts for the otherwise ordinary Night at the Museum movies) that they can go off an make an intriguing indie horror spoof like this. Riffing on The Exorcist and Rosemary’s Baby, we meet a couple (Rob Cordrry and Leslie Bibb) who buy a dilapidated old manor in New Orleans, only to discover the place’s paranormal past. Then our heroine goes from expecting one child to being pregnant with twins… and one of the fetuses is apparently possessed by demons. Uneven and odd, it’s a million miles away from those sour Shawn Levy kiddie flicks.

 

Director: Darrell Roodt

Film: Winnie Mandela

Cast: Jennifer Hudson, Terrence Howard, Wendy Crewson, Elias Koteas

MPAA rating: R

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6 September
Winnie Mandela

Quick, when you think of someone to play the iconic and controversial wife of South African savior Nelson Mandela, who comes to mind? Angela Bassett? Viola Davis? Alfre Woodard? Apparently, those sensational actresses and their amazing body of work didn’t have the necessary clout — read: Oscar in hand — to take the part. So who did producers pick? Why, none other than Jennifer Hudson. It’s one thing to glom onto the success of Jennifer Holiday in a role you more or less mimicked, but do you really have to sully the legacy of this woman and her role in eliminating Apartheid? No? Then why has this film sat on the shelf for the last three years?

 

Director: Ryan White

Film: Good Ol’ Freda

Cast: George Harrison, Freda Kelly, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr,

MPAA rating:

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6 September
Good Ol’ Freda

She was the secretary in charge of the Beatles fan club. She was also a close personal friend of the Fab Four as well as their families. She was there are the beginning and helped wrapped things up in the end. Then, for the next 40 years, she never spoke of her involvement with the musical legends. Until now. Ryan White’s documentary is a fascinating look at the life of one of the last Beatles insider, but don’t except dirt to be dished here. This is really the story of how a young, naive 17-year-old became part of the group’s inner circle, and how why she kept quiet about it for so long.

13 September

Director: James Wan

Film: Insidious: Chapter 2

Cast: Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Lin Shaye, Ty Simpkins, Barbara Hershey

MPAA rating: PG-13

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13 September
Insidious: Chapter 2

James Wan walked away from Summer 2013 with a massive box office smash (The Conjuring) and the job leading another major popcorn season tentpole (the Fast and Furious franchise) through its sixth sequel paces. But it was the first film in this burgeoning scare series which sold many on his talent as a true horror maestro. Long dismissed as being the man who (wrongly) begat the entire “torture porn” approach to horror via Saw (that would be Hostel and Eli Roth’s fault completely), the original Insidious was his considered commercial breakthrough. Now he’s back for more and we can hardly wait.

 

Director: Luc Besson

Film: The Family

Cast: Robert De Niro, Michelle Pfeiffer, Tommy Lee Jones, Dianna Agron, John D’Leo, Domenick Lombardozzi

MPAA rating: R

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13 September
The Family

Luc Besson is a lot of things, but an expert in big screen comedy is not one of them. He is perhaps best known for his action films and his occasional flights of cinematic sci-fi. This time around, he tackles the lives of ex-mafia don Giovanni Manzoni (now known as “Fred Blake”) as he and his family (including wife Michelle Pfeiffer, son John D’Leo, and daughter Dianna Argon) move to a tiny French town as part of the Witness Protection Program. Tommy Lee Jones is along as the agent trying to help them acclimate. Old habits die hard, however, and once they blow their cover, Besson is back to doing what he does best, explosions and chase scenes.

 

Director: Alexandre Moors

Film: Blue Caprice

Cast: Joey Lauren Adams, Tim Blake Nelson, Isaiah Washington, Leo Fitzpatrick.

MPAA rating: R

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13 September
Blue Caprice

The Beltway Sniper killings that threw Washington D.C. and the surrounding suburbs into hysterics during October 2002 are fictionalized in a film by first time feature director Alexandre Moors. Taking us behind the scenes and focusing on the relationship between mastermind John Allen Muhammad (Isaiah Washington) and his protégé, Lee Boyd Malvo (Tequan Richmond), there is a lot of mood and atmosphere present in the trailer. Of course, with a tragedy such as this, Moors has to be careful not to glamorize the pair. Instead, this film apparently tries to get inside Muhammad’s motives, and how he influenced Malvo to follow his lead.

 

Director: Billy Bob Thornton

Film: Jayne Mansfield’s Car

Cast: Robert Duvall, John Hurt, Kevin Bacon, Billy Bob Thornton, Katherine LaNasa, Ray Stevenson, Robert Patrick, Frances O’Connor

MPAA rating: PG

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13 September
Jayne Mansfield’s Car

It’s been over 11 years since Billy Bob Thornton directed a movie, and even longer since he was considered capable of an awards season winner (his Oscar, for Sling Blade, is now 17 years old!). Still, this unusual story of differing families — one solidly Southern, the other from across the pond (read: England) — has all the makings of a celebrated return to form. These people come together after the death of the latter’s matriarch, who actually left the former several years before after taking up with a British man. It’s a clash of cultures on top of a tale of familial forgiveness, and both are right up Thornton’s alley.

20 September

Director: Denis Villeneuve

Film: Prisoners

Cast: Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Viola Davis, Maria Bello, Terrence Howard, Melissa Leo, Paul Dano

MPAA rating: R

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20 September
Prisoners

At first glance, this film looks like a standard thriller. Hugh Jackman and Maria Bello are the parents of a young girl, who along with the child of Terrence Howard and Viola Davis, goes missing over Thanksgiving. All leads point to Paul Dano as a suspect, but police detective Jake Gyllenhaal can’t hold him. So, naturally, Jackman takes justice into his own hands. Early reports from the Festival circuit have the two and a half hour film as both intense and extremely moral, the characters debating the right and wrong of their vigilante actions. With a cast like this, excellence should be the final result.

 

Director: Benson Lee

Film: Battle of the Year

Cast: Josh Holloway, Chris Brown, Laz Alonso, Josh Peck

MPAA rating: PG-13

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20 September
Battle of the Year (3D)

Originally entitled Planet B-Boy this based on a true “competition” film follows a group of wannabe contestants as they prepare for the annual break dancing face off. Oddly enough, it doesn’t feature a group of former participants turned actors. Instead, Drake and Josh‘s Josh Peck and Rihanna’s nightmare Chris Brown lead the cast, which includes Laz Alonso and Josh Holloway as their grizzled coach. Toss in that unnecessary gimmick known as 3D and director Benson Lee (responsible for the original Planet B-Boy documentarian) and you’ve got something aimed directly at the I Heart Radio crowd.

 

Director: Stuart Blumberg

Film: Thanks for Sharing

Cast: Mark Ruffalo, Tim Robbins, Gwyneth Paltrow, Josh Gad, Joely Richardson, Alecia Moore

MPAA rating: R

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20 September
Thanks for Sharing

As one of two films this September to focus on sex addiction, Sharing shoves the concept into RomCom territory, and it doesn’t look like a legitimate fit. Tim Robbins is a sponsor for Mark Ruffalo’s recovering junk in the trunk junkie, while he mentors Josh Gad. Are you laughing yet? Toss in supporting work from Gwyneth Paltrow, Joely Richardson, Carol Kane, and Alecia “Pink!” Moore, and you’ve got a recipe for either another slice of indie quirk, or a horrible miscalculation of the material. Early buzz suggests that carnality and comedy don’t mix.

 

Director: Jeff Renfroe

Film: The Colony

Cast: Laurence Fishburne, Bill Paxton, Kevin Zegers

MPAA rating: R

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20 September
The Colony

After a Summer filled with end of the world, post-apocalyptic rigmarole, it would appear that any film mining the same material would have a hard time spiking any horror fan’s interest. In this case, the Canadian effort centers on a machine managed ice age which drives survivors underground. Once the food stocks start to run out, guess what takes the place of such mandatory vittles? If you guessed Soylent Green, you get partial credit. If you also said this was a film made up of multiple cliches and the same old tired sci-fi tropes, you graduate – to a better piece of speculative entertainment.

 

Director: Herman Yau

Film: Ip Man: The Final Fight

Cast: Anthony Wong, Anita Yuen, Jordan Chan, Eric Tsang, Gillian Chung

MPAA rating: R

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20 September
Ip Man: The Final Fight

How many Ip Man movies are too many. One franchise has already focused on the iconic martial artist during the first (Ip Man) and second (Ip Man 2) halves of his legacy. This latest look also follows his move to Hong Kong, his attempts to set up a school there, and the struggles between himself and his long suffering wife, Cheung Wing-sing. It’s a follow-up to the film The Legend Is Born – Ip Man. Add in Wong Kar-wai’s The Grandmaster and you have at least five recent titles centering on the mythic man. Here’s hoping they are all different enough to warrant such a glut.

27 September

Director: Cody Cameron, Kris Pearn

Film: Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2

Cast: Bill Hader, Anna Faris, James Caan, Andy Samberg, Neil Patrick Harris, Benjamin Bratt, Terry Crews, Will Forte, Kristen Schaal

MPAA rating: PG

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27 September
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2

The original Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs was a wonderful family film surprise. Not only did it feature material to keep the wee ones happy, but there was more than enough sophistication and wit to keep their parents/adults/guardians satisfied as well. This time around, original writers/directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller are out, replaced by Cody Cameron and Kris Pearn and the story sees madcap inventor Flint Lockwood and his friends battling against food based creatures such as living pickles, hungry tacodile supremes, shrimpanzees, and apple pie-thons. As long as it maintains the balance of the first film, keeping wee ones and the older set happy, we’ll gladly sign up for seconds.

 

Director: Ron Howard

Film: Rush

Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Daniel Brühl, Olivia Wilde, Alexandra Maria Lara, Natalie Dormer

MPAA rating: PG-13

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27 September
Rush

In the ’60s and ’70s there was a glut of Formula One racing movies. Everyone from Steve McQueen to Paul Newman fell under the international racing format’s spell. Now Ron Howard, who earned his directing chops with Grand Theft Auto, is taking on the true story of F1 legends James Hunt and Niki Lauda and the rivalry which almost cost the latter his life. First reports have this being on the great racing films of all time, with actors Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Brühl earning raves for their work as Hunt and Lauda, respectively. Howard is a hit or miss filmmaker. Here’s hoping this is more Apollo 13 and less The Dilemma.

 

Director: David E. Talbert

Film: Baggage Claim

Cast: Paula Patton, Adam Brody, Djimon Hounsou, Taye Diggs, Christina Milian, Derek Luke

MPAA rating: PG-13

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27 September
Baggage Claim

The last time we saw Tyler Perry wannabe David E. Talbert, the accomplish faith-based playwright was walking us through the many miseries of something called First Sunday. Don’t remember this unlikeable urban comedy? Consider yourself lucky. Well, Talbert is back after a five-year exile and he’s brought a credible cast along for the joyride. This time out, an envious flight attendant (Paula Patton) uses her free miles status to scour the world looking for Mr. Right. She has only 30 days to locate him before her younger sister ties the knot. Are you laughing yet? Odds are you won’t be either after a trip to the Cineplex upon release.

 

Director: Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Film: Don Jon

Cast: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Scarlett Johansson, Julianne Moore

MPAA rating: R

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27 September
Don Jon

Joseph Gordon-Levitt has cashed in all his Inception/Dark Knight Rises credits to bring to the screen a self-penned and directed look at a modern day Don Juan. Unfortunately, while he is able to pull in “10s” with regularity, his crippling addiction to porn (our second such use of said plot point this month) makes his life overly complicated. Julianne Moore and Scarlett Johnansson teach him there is more to the world than random flings and XTube. A Sundance fave, here’s hoping Gordon-Levitt legitimizes the faith the film community has in him. Otherwise, he’ll be beating down Christopher Nolan’s door for another celebrated supporting role.

 

Director: James Franco

Film: As I Lay Dying

Cast: James Franco, Logan Marshall-Green, Danny McBride, Tim Blake Nelson, Ahna O’Reilly

MPAA rating:

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27 September
As I Lay Dying

There’s just no stopping James Franco. In 2013 alone, he’s been in two major box office smashes (Oz the Great and Powerful and The Is the End), starred in another pre-Summer season treat (Spring Breakers), got roasted on Comedy Central, and announced several outsider art projects. In between, he even had time to make an adaptation of William Faulkner’s complex novel. Featuring 39 difference characters and several POV changes, one imagines something a bit smaller from the iconic actor. Still, when you consider his output as of late, nothing about what Franco does or wants to do surprises us. Instead, we’re open to what he has in mind.

 

Director: Jim Mickle

Film: We Are What We Are

Cast: Julia Garner, Ambyr Childers, Kelly McGillis, Bill Sage

MPAA rating: R

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27 September
We Are What We Are

The original Mexican film took a fascinating premise (a family of ritualistic cannibals) and turned it into a minor macabre masterpiece. Why anyone thought we needed an English language update will remain a movie industry mystery. Still, the pedigree behind this up feature is impressive. Director Jim Mickle is responsible for the independent chillers Mulberry Street and Stake Land and it looks like he has a handle on the horrors here. On the other hand, once you know the story’s secret, will the movie still be meaningful…and will audiences still want to show up to see it?