Oct 3 “Appaloosa” by New Line Cinema
“Appaloosa” is about two cowboys, Virgil Cole and Everett hitch, who arrive in small town Appalloosa and discover a rancher named Randall Bragg is making the town’s people suffer. Bragg’s desire to own the town leaves the sheriff and lone deputy dead, with only Virgil and Everett left to set things right. Will a recently widowed woman complicate the situation (Internet Movie Database)?
Starring: Viggo Mortensen (Everett), Ed Harris (Virgil), Renee Zellweger (Allison), Jeremy Irons (Randall)
Rating: R for violence and language.
Runtime: 114 minutes.
Early Reviews: “A fully textured, riveting Western that marks a welcome return to a classics American genre.” And, “Harris’s old fashioned Western, a mediation on honour, courage and camaraderie, is well helmed and acted…(Rottentomatoes)”
Trailer: http://www.weekinrewind.com/2008/08/trailer-appaloosa.html
“Blindness” by Miramax Films
An epidemic of blindness spreads through a city leading to a massive quarantine. The newly blinded are left to fend for themselves in an abandoned mental hospital. One woman remains immune to the plague and looks to find her husband in the quarantined hospital. Meanwhile, civilization crumbles as the population continues to go blind (Internet Movie Database).
Starring: Julianne Moore (Doctor’s Wife), Alica Braga (Girl with glasses), Danny Glover (Old man with glasses) Gael Garcia Bernal (King of Ward 3)
Rating: R for violence including sexual assaults, language and sexuality.
Runtime: 120 minutes.
Early Reviews: “A mess,” and, “Ignore that wretched Riviera buzz, because Blindness is a haunting work and a wonderful distillation of Jose Saramago’s novel (Rottentomatoes).”
Trailer: http://www.traileraddict.com/trailer/blindness/trailer
Oct 10
“City of Ember” by Fox Walden
The City of Ember has flourished in a world of glittering lights but with the generator failing the light will surely fade. It is now up to two teenagers to find the secret that will return the city to its previous magnificence (Rottentomatoes).
Starring: Bill Murray (Mayor of Ember), Tim Robbins, Martin Landau
Rating: Unreleased.
Runtime: Unreleased.
Early Reviews: “City of Ember looks promising though seeing as it is directed by the talented, young Gil Kenan, whose Monster House directorial debut we rather liked. Very little buzz thus far…”
Trailer: http://www.slashfilm.com/2008/05/15/city-of-ember-movie-trailer/
“Quarantine” Screen Gems
Angela Vidal and her cameraman tag along with the night shift of a local Los Angeles Fire Station. After a 911 call comes in, they respond to an apartment unit that echoes with screaming on the inside. With more investigation it becomes clear that a woman has been infected with a virus and the virus is spreading. Will the Quarantine contain it (Internet Movie Database)?
Starring: Jennifer Carpenter (Angela), Johnathon Schaech (Fletcher)
Rating: R for bloody violent and disturbing content, terror and language
Runtime: 89 minutes.
Early Reviews: None. It is hush, hush.
Trailer: http://www.weekinrewind.com/2008/07/red-band-trailer-quarantine.html
Oct 17
“Max Payne” by 20th Century Fox
Based on a video game; Rockstar’s action franchise makes the cross over to the big screen. A widowed cop uses violence against the criminals of his city without remorse. A serial killer appears to be on the loose as a series of strange killings rocks the city.
Starring: Mark Wahlberg (Max Payne), Beau Bridges (BB Hensley), Chris O’Donnell (Jason Colvin), Nelly Furtado (Christa Balder)
Rating: R for violence.
Runtime: 125 minutes.
Early Reviews: “Wahlberg promises complex, edgy Max Payne (Rottentomatoes).”
Trailer: http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1810007086/trailer
“Sex Drive” by Summit Entertainment
Three friends on a road trip to find love, instead find hilarious misadventures, and titillating sexcapades. With the goal of meeting a luscious vixen he met over the internet, Ian Lafferty hopes to shortly lose his virginity.
Starring: Josh Zuckerman (Ian), Susie Abromeit (Tiffany)
Rating: R for strong crude and sexual content, nudity, language, some drug and alcohol use.
Runtime: Unknown.
Early Reviews: None.
Trailer:http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/sex_drive/news/1749205/exclusive_sex_drive_red_band_trailer_and_images
Oct 24
“Pride and Glory” by Warner Bros
A cop drama centered on a family of New York City Police officers. The family is divided when Ray Tierney reveals corruption involving his own brother-in-law. With the truth revealed and who will take the fall?
Starring: Colin Farrell (Jimmy Egan), Edward Norton (Ray Tierney), Jon Voight (Francis Tierney, Sr.)
Rating: R for strong violence, pervasive language and brief drug content.
Runtime: 125 minutes.
Early Reviews: “It's the kind of American movie you don't see anymore, a throwback to the big themes and dramatic tone of the 1950s (Internet Movie Database).”
Trailer: http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1808405493/trailer
“Saw V” by Lions Gate
Few characters have survived the previous movies but Detective Hoffman remains. With his disappearance a whole new game begins and this time the mystery that is Jigsaw will reach newer, more gruesome heights.
Starring: Shawnee Smith (Amanda Young), Scott Patterson (Agent Strahm)
Rating: R for sequences of grisly bloody violence and torture, language and brief nudity.
Runtime: Unknown.
Early Reviews: None.
Trailer: http://www.slashfilm.com/2008/07/24/saw-v-teaser-trailer/
Oct 31
“Changeling” by Universal Pictures
Based on a true story; Changeling centers around the kidnapping of a young boy. As the mother realizes the son is not her own, a corrupt police force is revealed. In the 1920’s prohibition era women don’t challenge or change the system and live to tell their story (Internet Movie Database).
Director: Clint Eastwood
Starring: Angelina Jolie (Christine Collins), John Malkovich (Rev. Gustave Briegleb)
Rating: R for some violent and disturbing content, and language.
Runtime: 140 minutes.
Early Reviews: “…Changeling, is sort of awesome, sort of annoying…has a promising script and cast, but fails to accomplish any major feats on screen (Internet Movie Database).”
Trailer: http://www.worstpreviews.com/trailer.php?id=946&item=0
“RocknRolla” by Warner Bros
London’s criminal world pursues a Russian mobster who has set up a real estate scam that generates millions of pounds. Dozens of criminals come out of hiding to get their piece of the pie including: Mr. One-Two, Stella the accountant, and Johnny Quid a drug addict (Internet Movie Database).
Director: Guy Ritchie
Starring: Gerard Butler (One-Two), Thandie Newton (Stella), Toby Kebbell (Johnny Quid)
Rating: R for pervasive language, violence, drug use and brief sexuality.
Runtime: 114 minutes.
Early Reviews: “Ritchie crafts yet another convoluted myriad of intersecting story lines focusing on greed, deception, double-crossing and plenty of stupidity in the seedy underbelly of England (Internet Movie Database).”
Trailer: http://www.traileraddict.com/trailer/rocknrolla/trailer
“What Just Happened” by Magnolia Pictures
Every profession has its share of outlandish behaviour, and filmmaking is fabled as an industry where behind-the-scenes stories are often more fascinating than the productions. Filmmaking is the setting for this tale about power, decision making, and life at the top. An adaptation of Art Linson's account of his day-to-day existence as a studio producer resonates with truth, insight, and the absurdity that often fills our lives.
Starring: Robert De Niro (Ben), Bruce Willis (Himself), John Turturro (Dick Bell)
Rating: R for language, some violent images, sexual content and some drug material.
Runtime: 107 minutes.
Early Reviews: “A kind, gentle satire about Hollywood, Levinson new insider's film about the biz adds a decent panel to a growing body of films…” and, “Filled with inside humour about things like the importance of premiering certain kinds of films at Cannes…(Rottentomatoes)”
Trailers: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/what-just-happened/26995/trailer?trailerId=2182442
There you have some of the pictures slated for wide release, in October, 2008. It would appear, with the summer season over, that Film Studios want to get the audience back in the theatres, now that the weather is cooling off. Although, a wide gamut of pictures here, it seems like the children’s genre has been forgotten, as nine out of nine rated films have received an R rating. Guess, the kiddies will have to wait til the Christmas season for more child’
There it is, eleven reasons to spend some time at the local cinema or to stay at home. Hope you enjoyed it.
Sources:
Blindness. 10 Sep. 2008 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0861689/
City of Ember - Preview. 10 Sep. 2008 http://www.scifimoviepage.com/upcoming/previews/cityofember.html
Ford, Allan. Sep. 2008. 10 Sep. 2008 http://www.filmofilia.com/2008/09/08/max-payne-receives-r-rating-director-john-moore-pi...
Max Payne (2008). 10 Sep. 2008 http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/max_payne/
