Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Nov. 18)
The grandaddy of holiday films for the last several years! The fourth Potter film looks great, features several new additions to the cast, and is helmed by Mike Newell, whose past credits range from Donnie Brasco and Four Weddings and a Funeral to the offbeat and fabulous film An Awfully Big Adventure. The only question with this one is... how did they ever manage to fit everything into one film? If any of the Potter adaptations will suffer major cuts, it's this one, which is the most highly detailed and action-packed of all the books so far. Regardless, it's going to be a big hit, and certainly exciting. Big things happen in this installment, and this is the turning point for the series. It's also the first of the films to be rated PG-13, and that may well have an effect on the movie's box office take.
Walk the Line (Nov. 18)
Oscar buzz is shaking the walls on this one already, but will the Academy honor a musical biopic twice in a row? It's not going to slow this movie down, whatever the answer. Walk the Line follows the early career of Johnny Cash, with Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon in the principle roles. Should be fascinating to see what molded the Man in Black, and Phoenix's turn as Cash is rumored to be tremendous.
Rent (Nov. 23)
I can't think of a film I'm less excited about. Maybe if this had been done years ago, when the show was still hot... and more timely. But the cast is aging, and the film is relying on a lot of the same cast as the show. There's no telling if it will work or not. Chris Columbus is a solid director, but not one to inject a lot of life into films, and that is even reflected in the trailers. I have a feeling this film will disappear pretty quickly. Broadway nuts will be waiting for The Producers.
The Ice Harvest (Nov. 23)
Lighter fare for the holidays, but with a few criminal thrills to keep it from being fluff, The Ice Harvest is the answer if you want something that isn't kneeling at the throne of Oscar, family-friendly, or action fluff (not that I think action is fluff, but hey... you might!) Looks to be a somewhat intelligent comedy directed by Harold Ramis, and with John Cusack and Billy Bob Thornton. Sure to have some slapstick, but probably a nice film to relax with.
Article comments
1 - Sterfish
Great preview. There are really more films I am looking forward to this holiday season then there were during the summer. The only one I am definitely seeing is Harry Potter, but I hope to catch Chicken Little, King Kong, and The Producers. Even though I saw (and for the most part enjoyed) Rent when it was touring, I don't think the film will be very good.
2 - ss
Heavenly Creatures was great, and, judging by the trailers I've seen so far, I'm going to see King Kong based on the way the guy who made Heavenly Creatures has envisioned Skull Island.
I have to say, though, my feel for the audience right now is people want 5 things:
1) Old jokes with a new spin
2) New faces
3) Action based special effects that suprise them (the way Twister and Jurassic Park did), or a story that suprises (the way Pulp Fiction and Silence of the Lambs did.)
Basicly just about any suprise EXCEPT the visual artistry of the back drop setting
4) A hot 20 yr old nibblet and the guy from American Pie and/or Jackass
5) Cheaper tickets and a ride to the theater.
I'm not sure Jack Black and the CGI I saw in the trailer can deliver in the suprises/new faces dept's, though if Jackson's got a nymph and some old jokes up his sleeve, this may still turn out to be J.B.'s big break yet.
3 - LegendaryMonkey
I hope so... I was VERY excited to see Jack Black cast in the role of the director. He's incredibly talented and I hope this helps him to branch out a little.
4 - Joanie
Will Sean Penn overact? I've been laughing for hours over that one.
And, there's absolutely no way that a new version of The Producers can be better than the original.
5 - LegendaryMonkey
Well, y'know, Joanie... he does have that habit. I was a non-fan of Mystic River for a couple of reasons (I mean, it was okay....) because, damn, Sean Penn can just really... overdo it.
I am ellipsis girl! Rawr!
About The Producers, no, of course not. But people have been pissing themselves over the new Broadway show for the last several years so you KNOW this one is going to be popular.
6 - DJRadiohead
LM, Jack Black? Incredibly Talented? wincing Wow. OK. He will be the reason my wife has to watch King Kong with her twin sister instead of me.
I liked the novel too much to spoil it watching the movie. Sean Penn. Rubbish.
Harry Potter has me pumped. I want to see Shopgirl because I love Steve Martin. I liked "The Corpse Bride." I think that's about it.
7 - LegendaryMonkey
Awwwww... the DJ is hating on Jack Black. We'll just have to agree to disagree, because I love me some Jack Black. Especially High Fidelity.
I love Harry Potter. I would also like to see Shopgirl for the same reason, but will probably wait for video. Same for Corpse Bride. It takes something pretty momentous to get me out to the theater. This is probably because my husband splurged before we were married and we have one of those ridiculous televisions. ;)
8 - DJRadiohead
Yeah, we'll leave the JackBlack talk alone.
I probably will only go to the theater twice more this year. Seeing Harry Potter twice. The theater experience has become nearly intolerable for me so I have to REALLY want to see the movie. Otherwise, I wait for DVD.
My wife hasn't consented to the ridiculous TV but we have a pretty solid sound system...
9 - LegendaryMonkey
Hubby had one... but we had to sell it when we moved in together. Large floor speakers + cats = bad.
They're on our list of things to replace. We're going to get some wall mounts.
10 - DJRadiohead
The kids (our cats) think it's great fun to knock my speakers off their stands. They don't do it real often but you can practically see the smile on their faces when their goal is achieved.
The problem is living in an apartment I can't really let my system loose (although if I get woken up one more time by Kanye West or Wu-Tang by our neighbors I might revisit this....).
11 - LegendaryMonkey
Ohhhh, I can't tell you how happy I was to move out of an apartment and into a house for just that reason.
Maybe you can have a movie vs. Kanye West speaker fight some night, though. Comedy. Gold.