Summer 2008 Movies
March 15, 2008 | 2 Comments
There is no doubt I am going to spend way too much money this summer if I see half the movies I’m excited about.
Here’s a chronological list of the goodness I’m paying attention to, it’s nearly every week:
Leatherheads - April 4th - So April isn’t summer… but the trio of Clooney, Krasinski and Zellweger looks spectacularly funny.
Forgetting Sarah Marshall - April 18th - One name, Kristen Bell. If you still have doubts, check the trailer.
Iron Man - May 2nd - Can’t miss this.
Speed Racer - May 9th - Visually exciting, mixed opinions on the Wachowski brothers after two crappy Matrix sequels…
Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian - May 16th - I didn’t love the first, but this looks a bit darker and more interesting to me.
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull - May 22nd - Another can’t miss. I hope this hold up to the originals.
Sex in the City - May 30th - I don’t care, but my wife could make this unavoidable…
You Don’t Mess With The Zohan - June 6th - Probably wait until this hits DVD, but I generally enjoy Adam Sandler. He hasn’t had a big hit lately, he’s do.
Kung Fu Panda - June 6th - Jack Black as a Dreamworks digitally animated panda? W00t.
The Incredible Hulk - June 13th - The first Hulk movie looked good, but lacked substance. Can Ed Norton put this franchise back on track? Loved the trailer, I’ll be there for this in the theater.
The Happening - June 13th - M. Night Shyamalan had 2 great movies, followed by three increasingly forgettable ones. Zooey Deschanel always intrigues me, but this will get a pass until it hits DVD.
Get Smart - June 20th - The classic TV series was great fun. Steve Carell is perfect for the part, let’s hope he does better with this than Will Farrell did with Bewitched…
Wanted - June 27th - Holy crap. I can’t begin to explain my excitement about Mark Millar’s creator owned book being made into an adrenaline pumping, full blown, summer popcorn flick. (plus Angelina Jolie) This year’s V for Vendetta or 300.
Wall-E - June 27th - If you want more family fare this weekend, Pixar rarely disappoints. (yeah… I hate Cars)
Hancock - July 2nd - Will Smith plays a not-so-super hero. Trailer was enough to get me excited.
Hell Boy II: The Golden Army - July 11th - I’ve been patiently waiting for this since credits rolled on the first film. Must see.
The Dark Knight - July 18th - If you have a pulse, you’ll be in line for this.
The X-Files 2 - July 25th - I’m happily shocked that this movie exists. I miss the X-Files so much…
Star Wars: Clone Wars - August 15th - This new animated adventure existing between Episodes 2 and 3 is flying shockingly far below the radar. I have a feeling this will be the greatest Star Wars movie since Return of the Jedi, but no one seems to be talking much about it…
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - November 21st - Not summer, but another blockbuster to look forward to in 2008.
If 1/3 of these are good, this could be a movie summer to remember. See you at the movies!
Tags: 2008, 300, adam sandler, Angelina Jolie, animated, batman, cars, chris carter, chronicles of narnia, clone wars, dark knight, david duchovny, dreamworks, forgetting sarah marshall, george clooney, george lucas, golden army, half blood prince, hancock, happening, harrison ford, harry potter, hellboy, hellboy 2, hulk, incredible hulk, indiana jones, iron man, jack black, John Krasinski, kingdom of the crystal skull, kristn bell, kung fu panda, leatherheads, m night shyamalan, mark millar, marvel, matric, movie, movies, pixar, prince caspian, renee zellweger, return of the jedi, robert downey junior, sex in the city, speed racer, star wars, summer, summer 2008, summer movies, trailer, trailers, v for vendetta, wachowski, wachowski brothers, wall-e, wanted, Will smith, x-files, xfiles, you don't mess with the zohan, zohan
Beowulf Movie (2007)
June 4, 2006 | 2 Comments
The epic Old English poem Beowulf has been adapted to film by Roger Avary and Neil Gaiman. The film will be directed by Robert Zemeckis and will use updated Polar Express technology to deliver what I hope will be an amazing computer animated experience. The film is written as a purely adult targeted endeavor. Rumored plans are to shoot for a PG-13 rating, but to also create an NC-17 film to be distributed to IMAX theaters.
The cast is serious Hollywood big time, Crispin Glover is the evil Grendel, and surely Glover plays evil better than most. Angelina Jolie will play Grendel’s Mother and according to reports the character is crazy kinky hot beyond anything we’ve ever seen Jolie play in real life. On the good side, Ray Winstone plays the main character Beowulf. Anthony Hopkins supports him as King Hrothgar and Robin Wright Penn plays the good queen Wealtheow. Undeniably, this is a cast worth lining up for, especially if Jolie lives up to the early hype…
My initial fear about the film was about the “dead eye syndrome” which was the biggest problem with Polar Express. However, their updated technology includes a technique called electrooculography or EOG. Basically they record fine and detailed movements of the actors eye’s which is then reproduced in the animation.
The mix of action movie, sweet technology, and Neil Gaiman has me plenty excited. As soon as a there is any footage or trailers to be shown, trust me, I’ll blog them. If you want to hear more about this, Ain’t It Cool News got a sneak peek of the budding film recently, an interesting read.
Tags: Angelina Jolie, Anthony Hopkins, beowulf, Brendan Gleeson, Crispin Glover, electrooculography, EOG, grendel, John Malkovich, King Hrothgar, movie, Neil Gaiman, Ray Winstone, Robert Zemeckis, Roger Avary, Wealtheow