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
Edward R Murrow
November 6, 2005 | 3 Comments
I finally got out to see Good Night, and Good Luck in Concord. It was just as great as I had hoped. George Clooney co-wrote and directed this film which truly transported me to the 1950’s. The mix of new black and white film with the old news footage was spectacular. This was especially effective since anyone playing McCarthy would have come off over the top, insane, and poorly done. The senator was not believable in real life, how could any actor accomplish such a feat?
Anyway, the movie left me with great respect for Murrows, Friendly, and the early days of true television journalism.
Here are a few Murrow quotes from Wikiquote I think are particularly appropriate today:
“The speed of communications is wondrous to behold. It is also true that speed can multiply the distribution of information that we know to be untrue.”
- On receiving the “Family of Man” Award (1964)
“We hardly need to be reminded that we are living in an age of confusion—a lot of us have traded in our beliefs for bitterness and cynicism or for a heavy package of despair, or even a quivering portion of hysteria. Opinions can be picked up cheap in the market place while such commodities as courage and fortitude and faith are in alarmingly short supply.”
- This I Believe (1951)
“No one man can terrorize a whole nation unless we are all his accomplices.”
- Speech to his staff (1954)
“We are currently wealthy, fat, comfortable and complacent. We have currently a built-in allergy to unpleasant or disturbing information. Our mass media reflect this. But unless we get up off our fat surpluses and recognize that television in the main is being used to distract, delude, amuse and insulate us, then television and those who finance it, those who look at it and those who work at it, may see a totally different picture too late.”
- RTNDA Convention Speech (1958)
“Anyone who isn’t confused really doesn’t understand the situation.”
- Attributed
Tags: cbs, clooney, communism, edward r murrow, fred friendly, george clooney, joseph mccarthy, journalism, mccarthy, murrow, politics, quote, quotes, red scare
Good Night, and Good Luck
October 23, 2005 | 7 Comments
George Clooney was on The Daily Show promoting his new movie, Good Night, and Good Luck. After hearing him talk about it along with the short clip shown, I was hooked.
This is a Warner Independent Pictures film done in black and white with a bunch of real footage mixed in. The cinematography alone interests me, but more importantly, the story revolves around the real life conflict between Edward R. Murrow and Senator Joseph McCarthy in the 1950’s. McCarthy was on a witch hunt for communists and Murrow plus his newsroom staff at CBS stood up to him in an extremely public feud.
Unfortunately, as an independent film it isn’t getting shown on as many screens as I would hope. Right now the closest place to see it is in Boston. Now I’m trying to find an excuse to be in Boston so I can see this. Probably won’t happen and I’ll have to wait for the DVD.
Tags: 1950s, black and white, cbs, clooney, Daily Show, edward r murrow, george clooney, good night and good luck, independent film, joseph mccarthy, mccarthy, murrow, newsroom, press, the daily show, warner independent pictures