The leaves are changing, the weather is getting colder, and the days are getting shorter. Fall is breezing in with each coming week. And with each coming weekend, the up-and-coming blockbuster hits are released.
At least 50 new movies are coming out in the months before Christmas, including over 10 nice-looking independent flicks that should get some major play time across the country. But with all these movies coming out, how are you, the valued consumer, going to know where to spend your 10 bucks? ArtsEtc. is here to help.
“Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers”
Release Date: Dec. 18
Peter Jackson and his fantastic cast return in this sequel to”The Fellowship of the Ring.” Seeing as how the prequel didn’t really end, “Towers” will be highly anticipated if for no other reason than to see how Frodo and the gang fare.
“Towers” promises to be bigger and bloodier in every way–perfect Christmas viewing for the entire family.
“Gangs of New York”
Release Date: Dec. 25
Speaking of a great way to spend Christmas, Martin Scorsese’s historical epic about warring ethnic factions in nineteenth-century New York has all the makings of a classic. The film stars Cameron Diaz, Daniel Day-Lewis and Leonardo DiCaprio as an Irish rogue seeking revenge for his murdered father.
Although “Gangs” has had its share of financial and release-date squabbles, it promises to be one of the biggest movies in recent memory. Several Christmases ago, DiCaprio starred in another movie (“Titanic”) with a control-freak for a director and several delays in its release, and it went on to become the wealthiest motion picture of all time.
“Jackass: The Movie”
Release Date: Oct. 25
Johnny Knoxville and his mix of already-brain-dead individuals take their hit MTV show to the big screen with bigger stunts, bigger bails, bigger injuries and bigger balls. As long as the two-hour movie does not dull the antics, this one will definitely be worth the price of admission. Just imagine what Johnny Knoxville and company will do with the freedom of an R rating . . .
“Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets”
Release Date: Nov. 15
This silly cultural phenomenon just does not seem to want to stop making money. After its predecessor smashed numerous box-office records, “Secrets” looks to repeat that success with audiences that just don’t care how old they are.
Director Chris Columbus proved he could hold the kiddies’ attention for nearly three hours, but can he do it again a full year after the gimmickry has run out?
“Die Another Day”
Release Date: Nov. 22
Lee Tamahori (“Along Came a Spider”) directs the 20th official installment of EON’s adaptations of Ian Fleming’s “James Bond: 007,” once again with Pierce Brosnan starring as the suave, titular British super-agent.
This adventure involves the volatile political unrest of the Koreans, engineered to erupt by an ingeniously evil villain that James will surely foil. No word yet on whether or not he will end up with the foxy damsel in distress or quasi-evil double agent with a masked sexual innuendo for a name.
“Knockaround Guys”
Release Date: Oct. 11
Brian Koppelman (“Rounders”) and Vin Diesel team up with a power-packed cast to create this dramatic thriller that moves from the gang-filled streets of Brooklyn to a rural town in Montana. The brothers unite to retrieve some stolen loot from a corrupt sheriff as the bloodshed and violence that is their birthright confronts them.
“Knockaround Guys” has high-profile star power and a compelling story, but who’s going to take any “new” variations on mob life seriously in today’s post-“Sopranos” climate?
“Phone Booth”
Release Date: Nov. 15
“Phone Booth” is probably the biggest “hit-or-miss” possibility on this list. Director Joel Schumacher (“8mm”) has a talent for either making the most suspenseful thrillers today or creating the biggest-budgeted crap.
The movie’s small budget (it was shot in seven days for $2 million) makes it seem more promising. Kiefer Sutherland and Colin Farrell, both coming off very successful years, have starring roles and should make it worth the price of admission.
“Punch-Drunk-Love”
Release Date: Oct. 11 (L.A./N.Y.)
Acclaimed independent director Paul Thomas Anderson (“Magnolia”) cast Adam Sandler to star in his latest feature. This movie’s description involves abusive sisters, a collection of pudding wrappers, phone sex, mystery girls and a trip to Hawaii.
With a headlining star like Adam Sandler, this film promises to garner Anderson the mainstream financial success that eluded him in the divisive “Boogie Nights” and “Magnolia.” Anderson has the ability to draw out the most beautiful elements of life from the quirks and small moments of no one that special; let’s just hope he’s able to put a leash on Sandler for 90 minutes.
