Must-See of the Month:
Summary:
Part one of three sees Bilbo Baggins set off on his journey to the Lonely
Mountain with a bunch of Dwarves to take back a stolen treasure from the dragon
Smaug. Filmmakers: Much to everyone’s
delight, Peter Jackson is back at the helm for another adventure to Middle
Earth. While Guillermo del Toro
probably would have done a good job (as he was initially set to direct), having
Jackson back instead is fantastic. He is again working with his The
Lord of the Rings collaborators writers Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, composer Howard Shore and cinematographer
Andrew Lesnie, while
production designer Dan Hennah
is (sort of) new to the team (he was the art director for the LOTR Trilogy). Cast: Returning cast members include Hugo Weaving, Ian McKellen, Elijah Wood, Cate Blanchett, Christopher Lee, Andy Serkis, and Ian Holm. New to the cast are Lee Pace, Martin Freeman (in the lead), Benedict Cumberbatch, Billy Connolly, Richard Armitage, Aidan Turner, and James Nesbitt. Expectations: Does The Hobbit need to be a three
part film? We will find out. Fans of the LOTR Trilogy are very excited for this,
and are probably happy that Jackson will extract as much detail and story out
of the source material as possible. From a cinematic aspect, this will be the
first major release (that I can remember) to be exhibited at 48 frames per second
(as opposed to the usual 24fps), which should give the film the highest picture
quality and image smoothness. Though, it is rumored that the 48fps version will
be limited in its release. 48fps should also benefit the film as Jackson also
shot it in 3D. The 48fps will smooth out the picture helping the optical
experience of 3D (hopefully lessening the issues people have with it). 48fps
has tried before (multiple times since the 1970s) but has always failed, but
Jackson and James Cameron are
fully behind it as being superior. We shall see. Back to the film, The Hobbit
is the biggest film of December and probably the film (with The
Dark Knight Rises) most people have been looking forward to going into
2012. If it is great, then parts two
and three will become the
biggest films of 2013 and 2014. Trailer: Here. Review: Here.
Worth Checking Out:
Summary:
We catch up with Pete and Debbie a few years after the events of Knocked
Up. Filmmakers: Writer-director-producer
Judd Apatow is known for being at the top of the comedy game right now (though
some have said his latest work has fallen off, but I did like Funny People). The films Apatow
writes and directs himself are generally funny, but also have a deeper
emotional resonance (which is why This Is 40 has awards season buzz, even
though it is an R-rated comedy). He is working with composer Jon Brion (Step Brothers), cinematographer
Phedon Papamichael (The
Descendants) and production designer Jefferson Sage (a frequent
collaborator). Cast: Apatow often works with the same
actors over and over again (though, surprisingly Seth Rogen is not in this). Paul
Rudd and Leslie Mann
star, with Jason
Segel, Megan Fox, Melissa McCarthy, Albert Brooks, Chris O’Dowd, John Lithgow, Lena Dunham, Maude Apatow, Iris Apatow, Ryan Lee, Charlyne Yi, Robert Smigel, and Annie Mumolo in support. Expectations: This Is 40 is Apatow’s fourth film,
and possibly his best. It has a brilliant cast of very funny people, and
tackles a topic that should be very relatable for his target audience (getting
older and being in a long-term relationship – dealing with the issues that
arise from both). This is a must-see for fans of comedy, and particularly
comedies that not afraid to be great dramatic films (along with a lot of witty
and vulgar jokes). I am very much looking forward to it. Trailer: Here. Review: Here.
Summary:
The details of the decade long hunt for Osama bin Laden that ended May, 2011. Filmmakers: Director Kathryn Bigelow reteams with
writer Mark Boal for Zero
Dark Thirty, hoping to rekindle the magic of their Best Picture Oscar-winning The Hurt Locker. Bigelow is also
working with composer (and hardest working man in Hollywood) Alexandre
Desplat (Argo),
cinematographer Greig Fraser
(Killing Them Softly) and
production designer Jeremy Hindle
(his first feature job as a production designer). Cast:
The ensemble cast features Jessica
Chastain, Joel Edgerton, Taylor Kinney, Mark Strong, Scott Adkins, Chris Pratt, Jason Clarke, Mark Duplass, Harold Perrineau, James Gandolfini, Jennifer Ehle, Kyle Chandler, Frank Grillo, Stephen Dillane, Edgar Ramirez, and Mark Valley. Expectations: I think Zero Dark Thirty will be
Kathryn Bigelow’s best film yet (yes, better than The Hurt Locker). It has a
fantastic cast, and looks like an involving narrative about the buildup and
ultimate capture (and death) of Osama bin Laden, with great performances and
thrilling and powerful dramatic moments. The film should also factor heavily into
awards season, with a likely Best Picture Oscars nomination (and people are
talking a lot about Jessica Chastain’s performance). Trailer:
Here. Review: Here.
Summary:
Django is a slave. But, a bounty hunter needs his help, promising to
free him once they catch the men he is looking for. Once free, Django plans to
rescue his wife from a brutal Mississippi plantation owner. Filmmakers: Writer-director Quentin Tarantino is
maybe the most celebrated auteur of his generation. His films have redefined
modern cinema (things like Reservoir
Dogs and Pulp Fiction).
He has said that Django Unchained is part of a trilogy including Inglourios Basterds (which
means that it is stylistically similar, as the plots have nothing in common).
Tarantino is working with frequent collaborator and brilliant cinematographer Robert Richardson, as well as
production designer J. Michael
Riva (The
Amazing Spider-Man; Django Unchained is his last film as he passed away
this year). Cast: Jamie Foxx and Christoph Waltz star, with a
fantastic ensemble in support headlined by Leonardo
DiCaprio (and also including: Jonah
Hill, Samuel L. Jackson, Kerry Washington, James Remar, Amber Tamblyn, Walton Goggins, Don Johnson, Robert Carradine, Bruce Dern, Michael Parks, and M.C. Gainey). Expectations: After how enjoyable Inglourious
Basterds was, I cannot wait to see what Quentin Tarantino does with Django
Unchained – a western. I love westerns, and Tarantino is the perfect person to
make a modern (yet heavily classically influenced) take on the genre. Leonardo
DiCaprio is among the frontrunners for Best Supporting Actor, and the film
could very well rack up a few other nominations (like Best Picture, Screenplay
and Cinematography). In December, it is a tough decision to pick which film is
going to be the best, but Django Unchained very likely will be that film. Trailer: Here. Review: Here.
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