Wow, it's as if all the studios suddenly realized that February will be over soon and they have to start caring about making money again. There isn't much else to say, other than these movies look pretty good, although I may throw one terrible one in there just to balance things out. Now if only Disney would get up off its butt and put out a "Pirates of the Caribbean" trailer, I would be truly happy.
"Dead Silence"
(Universal Studios)
March 16
There needs to be a little bit of explanation before I launch into this one. I used to read "Goosebumps" by R.L. Stein as a kid (don't even try to lie-you read them too, and you liked them) and one of my favorites was "Night of the Living Dummy." So when I saw a trailer that involved those creepy little bastards coming out and killing people, I had to give it a shot, no matter what the consequences. There is also an interesting little twist, in which the ghost of the ventriloquist and her dolls can only kill or cut out one's tongue (which I'm pretty sure might kill you anyway) if the victim screams. It's a gimmick, but what the hell-it should add something to the movie. Also, it's from the director of "Saw," so as far as new horror movies go, it's a good thing. Here's hoping for a movie that's so bad it's good.
"Disturbia"
(DreamWorks)
April 13
I'll watch pretty much anything with David Morse in it and you should too. He's a respected character actor with a long history of choosing roles that let him show off his acting chops. With "Disturbia," he gets to play up his quiet menace. Morse is a potential serial killer caught in the act by Shia LaBeouf, a guy under house arrest. If you've seen the trailer and you're a fan of Hitchcock, you'll definitely see the similarities between this and "Rear Window"-there's no getting around that comparison-and also "The Burbs," which, if you know what I'm talking about, means you may be as sick as me. I think it has potential as a modern-day take on one of Hitchcock's best, but only time and the critics will tell.
"Fracture"
(New Line Cinema)
April 27
I like when Anthony Hopkins plays crazy/smart. In "Fracture," he plays a man who kills his wife and gets away with it, ratchetting up the smart and letting the crazy simmer just beneath the surface. I won't put this character in the same league as Hannibal Lecter, but it's along those lines. The plot of the film is described as a "cat-and-mouse" game between him and Ryan Gosling's DA character, but it really looks like an "Oh, crap, I lost my case and now I'm going to obsess over it to the detriment of everything around me because dammit I want to catch this guy" game. Score one for Anthony Hopkins there. "Fracture" looks to have a lot of twists and turns-which they sort of give away in the trailer-but it could be a fun little mental exercise for the filmgoer and, as I said before, Anthony Hopkins is a lot of fun to watch.
"Knocked Up"
(Universal Studios)
June 1
I'm a huge fan of Judd Apatow's "The 40-Year Old Virgin." So when I saw that not only one, but two trailers had dropped for his follow-up, I could hardly contain my excitement. After watching the trailers, I feel fully justified in that statement. The international trailer shows less of the movie, but the extended sequence is laugh-out-loud funny and features probably the best response to someone saying, "I'm pregnant!" I've ever heard. The film stars Katherine Heigl ("Grey's Anatomy") and Seth Rogen who, along with Paul Rudd, helped make "Virgin" a great experience. I can't wait for June to arrive.
"The Kingdom"
(Universal Studios)
Sept. 28
I'm really looking forward to this movie. It centers on the bombing of an American compound in Saudi Arabia and the subsequent investigation into the incident-slash-hunt for the man responsible. It stars an odd mix of people, including Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Garner (nice to see her in spy-mode again) and Jason Bateman. What I really like is that laconic character actor Chris Cooper is now required for any movie involving the United States government. Sure, it's typecasting, but he does such a fantastic job in everything he touches that it really doesn't matter. This film is a long way away, but it will be worth it once September rolls around.
