12.23.2007

2008

I know, I know, I promised a year-end list..there's just a few films I still want to watch before that. In the meantime, I found this great list (via), and so here goes: films that make me look forward to 2008.

First, a few movies that have been released in the US, but not here yet

1. Sweeney Todd (January 24th)
2. There Will Be Blood (Febuary 28th)
3. Paranoid Park: I was supposed to see it at a press screening January 1st...then they canceled that. grrr. Will probably see it in February now.

Then, the truly new releases.

  1. Australia: this could be a total disaster. But it's Baz Luhrman, and sometimes I just really feel like high melodrama. The impossibly beautiful Aussies Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman star. The story is something of Gone with the Wind-ish proportions, apparently.
  2. Babylon A.D.:just because it sounds so....awesomely weird. I mean, get this: Vin Diesel escorts a women who turns out to have an organism inside her that "a cult wants to harvest in order to produce a genetically modified Messiah." It'll probably suck though
  3. Be Kind Rewind: without a doubt among the most anticipated titles for me. I love me some Michel Gondry. Mos Def and Jack Black accidentally erase all the tapes in the videostore where they work...and they star reproducing them. Gondry's DIY imagination should make this one a treat.
  4. Burn After Reading: after a film at least as good as Fargo, one worthy to be the new Big Lebowski?
  5. Choke: I like the book, and it has Sam Rockwell AND Kelly McDonald. I'm curious, at the very least.
  6. Cloverfield: yup, the hype worked on me, too. Next!
  7. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: it's Fincher reteaming with Brad Pitt. So, between Choke and this one, at least one has to be as good or at least exciting as Fight Club, right?
  8. The Dark Knight: I thought Batman begins was good, but I've never really felt like watching it again. But it looks like Heath Ledger's Joker might rival Nicholson's, and be a lot more scary to boot.
  9. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull: ok, it has a lame title and a protagonist who's probably too old. But c'mon, it's Indiana Jones!
  10. James Bond 22: is it bad that this is here mostly because Craig might get nekkid again?
  11. Jumper: I hesitated over this one, but Doug Liman has yet to make a film I didn't like (yes, I enjoyed the heck out of Mr. & Mrs. Smith, sue me), and the premise sounds very cool: something about a guy jumping back and forth in time. The catch? Hayden Christensen, and hasn't Samuel L. Jackson played enough mentors by now?
  12. Son of Rambow: I didn't think the Hitch-hiker film was all that amazing, but I've heard nothing but good about Garth Jennings' follow-up, about a little boy who re-enacts with his friend their favorite film: Rambo! Might make a good double-feature with be kind rewind, come to think of it.
  13. Where the Wild Things Are: Ok, it's Spike Jonze, and it's a children's book I LOVED as a kid. Just look at these pictures: are you drooling yet? Oh, and Dave Eggers co-wrote.
  14. Zach and Miri make a porno: Kevin Smith and Seth Rogen team up!
Looks like 2008 might be a pretty good year for film. For me, the top 3 most anticipated of the truly new releases are those in boldface, but if I missed some obvious ones, let me know!

4 comments:

Craig Kennedy said...

Thanks for posting this.

I've been meaning to do my own look at 2008, but I see I've procrastinated too long once again.

Hard to believe 2008 will be better than 2007, but there is always hope.

Hedwig said...

I'm looking forward to your highlights!

Bob Turnbull said...

Thanks for the link back...

I had the same reservations about both "Australia" and "Jumper". I didn't list them, but have to admit I'm curious about both. I'm thinking I should have added "Choke" (Sam and Kelly - good combo).

"Son Of Rambow" is terrific! I saw it at the Toronto International Filmfest and it was one of my favourite filmgoing experiences of the year. The audience ate it up and there's a very fun Q&A with Jennings afterwards. I'm hoping another viewing doesn't lose much.

I'm liking your Top 10 by the way...Gondry, Coens, Darko, Third Man.

Hedwig said...

Thanks for visiting, Bob! And thanks for thinking of the future list, I think it's making its way across the movieblog community as we speak ;-)

Another thumbs up for Son of Ranbow, huh? Unfortunately there's no Dutch release date for it yet, but I'll keep my eye out.