There has been a lot of discussion surrounding the next year’s theatrical releases. Entertainment Weekly did an article back in July about how 2012 will be the summer of the nerd. This nerd agrees. But which to choose? Which to go see? Which film to wait in line for two days just so I can get a good seat? Which to dress up as a random female character that no one remembers…
Below is a list of the 5 movies that I am the most excited for over the next 12 months.
5. The Three Stooges
April 4th, 2012
While it tends to be true that Hollywood has no new ideas (see A Thousand Words), and this seems to be another example of just rebooting something to make some more cash, The Three Stooges may surprise. Before you say something about how crazy you think I am, know this:
1) I have at any given moment owned several of the boxed sets,
2) My DVR always has at least 3 episodes saved on it,
3) My favorite TV episode of anything ever, was The New Scooby Doo Movies with the Stooges. Yes, Curly Joe is in it (see 5 below…) but it was totally worth it.
4) I appreciate Mel Gibson because of his love for The Stooges,
5) I hate Shemp and Curly Joe.
Laces out, Larry.
That in itself should be enough for you to appreciate my disdain when I heard about this movie. But as the cast and crew names began to be released, I started to believe. Why?
- Will Sasso should be pretty good as Curly. I’ve never been a huge fan, but the guy can play a humorous, slapstick buffoon (see: Best in Show).
- Also, the Farrelly brothers have made a couple of my favorite comedies (Dumb & Dumber, Kingpin) and tend to do good slapstick. That’s what it needs. At the base, they are slapstick, so don’t give me a great plot. Give me some good performances that include someone getting fingers in the eyes.
4. Prometheus
June 8th, 2012
Yes, Bill Paxton will probably be remembered for his work in films such as Vertical Limit and Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over, but I believe that his most important role was that as Private Hudson in Aliens. A role that allowed him to utter the greatest line of his career: “That’s it man. Game over, man, game over!”
Sure, Ridley Scott had nothing to do with Aliens, but without his work on the original film, we would not have had such an iconic series, nor an iconic character such as Ellen Ripley. But Scott is back in the “sci-fi saddle” with Prometheus a film originally meant to be the prequel to what many consider his master work (okay, what I feel is his master work). While it has later become apparent that is in fact not a prequel, we still get the chance to see Scott play in a world that he left all too soon.
Plus, you add X-Men: First Class star Micahel Fassbender, The Wire’s Idris Elba and one of my new crushes, Noomi Rapace, and you have a cast that could absolutely kill people through the screen. Oh, and I forgot Charlize Theron, Guy Pearce and Patrick Wilson.
This movie should be pretty fantastic.
3. The Bourne Legacy
August 3rd, 2012
To be honest, this makes me nervous. Really nervous. One of the best parts about the Bourne trilogy was the storyline. Matt Damon was a guy that was deadlier than a drunk, knife carrying co-ed on a unicycle, trying to put together the pieces of a life that for whatever reason had been wiped from his memory. The audience knew what happened, but part of the appeal was watching him figure it out.
Now they have decided to continue the series without Director Paul Greengrass, instead bringing in Tony Gilroy – a man that before directing Michael Clayton was known for writing screenplays like the other movies in the series, Armageddon and The Cutting Edge. “Toe Pick!”
I will see this movie for the following reasons:
1) The universe will be the same, the assassin will be different. This might be kind of interesting, like when Marvel does a movie and part of the way through it you get a nerd-gasm over random guy that only you know to be another hero. I wouldn’t be surprised to see several references to Bourne.
2) Joan Allen will reprise her role as Pam Landy tying the world together.
3) Edward Norton, Jeremy Renner and Rachel Weisz will be joining the cast. I don’t think I need to explain why that is good.
Bring it, Damon
To say that I am excited to see it is a little misleading, I am more “anxious” to see it, to see what happens to one of my favorite action series.
2. The Avengers
May 4th, 2012
First. Watch this.
Right!? I mean, right!?! In writing this article I have watched that preview at least five times. I don’t even want to break it down because there is nothing I could say that would explain better than that video did. I trust you Joss, but please don’t let it suck.
“A genius, billionaire, playboy philanthropist.”
1. The Dark Knight Rises
July 20th, 2012
Again. Watch this first.
When Heath Ledger was found dead in his apartment I was mad. I liked the guy, and appreciated some of the work he had done in The Patriot and A Knight’s Tale, and was really excited about the upcoming The Dark Knight. When I walked out of my first viewing of The Dark Knight I was pissed. He was absolutely brilliant. He brought the homicidal, schizophrenic, enigmatic Joker back to the screen in a way that even the biggest Jack Nicholson fan would have to admit was genius. He had melded into a world that was perfect for him and the writing/directing of Christopher Nolan had set up future clashes between the Batman and his greatest villain.
Why is everything a joke to you!?
When The Dark Knight Rises was announced, I was ecstatic. I have loved Nolan’s take on the tale, his research into the history of the story. I also like that we know that this is the “end” of his trilogy. As much as that sucks for a bat-fan, it gives you a little insight into the potential for the end of the film. Then you find out that Thomas Hardy will be playing Bane and Marion Cotillard is rumored to be Talia Al Ghul, and you know that Nolan is taking you out with a bang.
Nolan made my birthday pretty awesome in 2008, and I feel like he is going to pretty much knock it out of the park for me this year.
Honorable Mentions
The Expendables 2 August, 2012
They add Arnold, JCVD and Chuck Norris…enough said.
Total Recall August, 2012
I am intrigued by this. I like Bryan Cranston as Cohaagen, and am interested to see Kate Beckinsale take over for Sharon Stone. But this is another example of Hollywood’s well going dry.
The Great Gatsby December, 2012
There is no reason to explain. Leo making a film based on an awesome book? Sold.
Skyfall (James Bond 23) November, 2012
What do you get when you add Javier Bardem and Ralph Fiennes to a film that already has Daniel Craig and Judi Dench? Freaking gold.
