So you’ve seen The Dark Knight Rises and don’t have another “Event” movie to check out until James Bond returns in November’s Skyfall. What’s a moviegoer to do? Well, thankfully there are almost a dozen films due for release between those two tent-poles that are definitely worth checking out. Many you’ve probably heard of – and some you probably haven’t – but make sure they’re on your radar.
NOTE: Why stop at 11? Well, this list was originally an even dozen with Gangster Squad rounding out the list, but that’s since been pushed to January.
Killer Joe (July 27)
Go ahead, let your wife or girlfriend check out Matthew McConaughey as Magic Mike — you can get your McConaughey fix with Killer Joe, one of the few NC-17 films to see a general theatrical release. McConaughey plays a killer who is contracted by a man to kill his very own mother. After premiering at last year’s Venice International Film Festival, it has made the festival rounds and has picked up some extremely positive buzz on its way to a limited release. As twisted as it is, it’s still one of my top films of the year so far (you can check out my review here!)
Total Recall (August 3)
Like how many others probably feel, it will be hard to accept anyone besides Arnold Schwarzenegger as Quaid, but the much-smaller (and easier to understand) Colin Farrell will obviously bring something different to this second adaption of Philip K. Dick‘s “We Can Remember It for You Wholesale.” Any remake that takes a different approach to the original source material (as opposed to trying to recreating the wheel) is usually worth a look (unless it involves casting Cedric the Entertainer in a remake of The Honeymooners).
The Bourne Legacy (August 10)
At the very least, it will be interesting to see how the series soldiers on without franchise player Matt Damon, but The Bourne Legacy boasts an impressive cast, including star Jeremy Renner, who is joined by Rachel Weisz, Albert Finney, Joan Allen, and Ed Norton as the villain. Since Tony Gilroy, who co-wrote the previous Bourne films, is writing and directing this one it’s expected that it will mesh with the style of the previous films. But will audiences accept a Damon-less Bourne? The future of the entire franchise – and whether Damon might one day return – rests on that question.
The Expendables 2 (August 17)
While the original Expendables wasn’t the end-all, be-all of 80s action films it should have been, the sequel adds Chuck Norris, Jean-Claude Van Damme, and expanded roles for Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis. I’d say that’s a major step in the right direction for this sequel, which will likely be the last time we’ll see so much action hero muscle on screen. Enjoy it while you can, because most of these guys are already past retirement age.
Hit & Run (August 24)
Dax Shepard hasn’t always made me laugh (is there anything less interesting that watching Punk’d?), but I’m intrigued by this comedic throwback that seems like a funny version of Drive. It also boasts perhaps the most random cast I’ve ever seen, including Tom Arnold, Beau Bridges, Kristin Chenoweth, Bradley Cooper, David Koechner, and Shepard himself. Hollywood agents must have gone crazy with this one.
Lawless (August 29)
The Road was one of the best films of 2009, and 2005’s The Proposition was one of the best westerns of the twenty-first century — both were directed by John Hillcoat, who directed Lawless, a Prohibition crime drama about a family of bootleggers. The film also stars an impressive cast of three Christopher Nolan favorites: Tom Hardy, Guy Pearce, and Gary Oldman, and that’s certainly a plus.
The Master (September 14) Also known as the movie Tom Cruise doesn’t want you to see, The Master is Paul Thomas Anderson‘s long-awaited follow-up to the brilliant There Will Be Blood. Based on Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard, expect this one to be extremely controversial. Seeing the interplay between Philip Seymour Hoffman and Joaquin Phoenix will be worth the price of admission.
Dredd (September 21)
I love Stallone, but 1995’s Judge Dredd was not Judge Dredd. Karl Urban seems to make a much better bad-ass Judge Dredd in this new adaptation of the material. Unfortunately, there has apparently been some arguing over the final cut of the film between director Pete Travis and writer/co-producer Alex Garland, but if nothing else that proves that the filmmakers are passionate about the characters and project. However, Graham caught it at Comic-Con, and he really enjoyed it (check out his review here!)
Looper (September 28)
Very few films have as much positive buzz as Looper, which stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Bruce Willis as younger and older versions of the main character, Joseph Simmons. It’s been far too long since a great original sci-fi film, so let’s hope Looper delivers on its expectations.
Trouble with the Curve (September 28)
Clint Eastwood remains one of my favorite actors and directors, and this time Eastwood is appearing in a film he hasn’t directed for the first time since the early 1990s (the film is directed by Eastwood’s long-time producer and assistant director, Robert Lorenz). It’s also the first time he’s acted since his masterful performance in Gran Torino. Add that to the fact that he’ll be playing a baseball scout alongside John Goodman and the beautiful Amy Adams and I think we have a winner.
The Man with the Iron Fists (November 2)
A kung-fu movie co-written, directed, and starring by Wu-Tang Clan rap icon RZA (with co-writer Eli Roth) and co-starring Russell Crowe, Lucy Liu, MMA fighter Cung Le and pro wrestler David Bautista? If the trailer is any indication, this will probably be the most fun movie of 2012, a far-less serious Tarantino-inspired kung-fu fest.
So there you have it, a list of eleven films worth your while that should get you through the next several weeks. Of course, once November hits you’ll have to sort through the Christmas blockbusters and award contenders on your own, but you can’t say 2012 doesn’t have a lot of great films in the late summer/early fall pipeline.
Recent Comments