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Harry's Top 20 Films To Watch For In 2005!!!
Hey folks, Harry here... This isn't a complete list by any means - simply - these are the 20 projects that I'm either DYING to see, or that I'm dying for you to see. In fact there's only two films on this list that I have seen - and I'm dying to see them again. But enough - let's get to it...
20. IN THE REALMS OF THE UNREAL: THE MYSTERY OF HENRY DARGER
A documentary about the life of an unknown man. But one that created an entire universe in his home... Enchanted lands and fictional worlds... A 15,000 page document that was fully illustrated and told. Director and Oscar-Winning Documentarian Jessica Yu takes his paintings, collages and illustrations and brings them to life in this apparently amazing film. It opens in Los Angeles on January 21st, and I'm hoping to god it finds its way to Austin. I must see this!
19. THE ISLAND
That's right - I'm putting a Michael Bay film on this list and you can eat it. I enjoy the hell out of Michael's movies, except for PEARL HARBOR, but I have to get excited about THE ISLAND. I'm excited for a few reasons. First there's the writing team behind the film. Alex Kurtzman & Roberto Orci... they were responsible for the amazing GOONIES 2 video game... actually they were, but more than that, they've written some of the outstanding episodes of ALIAS - as well as the stupidly canceled show JACK OF ALL TRADES. This year though is the year they broke out. They wrote not only this, but LEGEND OF ZORRO and next year's MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 3. But this was their script that got folks excited about these guys. Plus it has Ewan MacGregor, Scarlett Johansson, Sean Bean, Steve Buscemi, Michael Clarke Duncan and Djimon Hounsou. AND - Michael "Blow It Up Real Good" Bay is the man in charge of the madness. (July 22nd)
18. PARIS, JE T'AIME
Ok - this isn't a thrill ride event film in the typical way, but when you put actors like Ben Gazzara & Gena Rowlands and Steve Buscemi & Natalie Portman - into the hands of 20 directors including: The Coen Brothers, Mike Figgis, Jean-Luc Godard, Michel Gondry, Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Wen Jiang, Yegor Konchalovsky, Stanley Kwan, Richard LaGravenese, Anne-Marie Mieville, Vincenzo Natali, Mamoru Oshii, Sally Potter, Walter Salles, Tom Tykwer, etc... And you tell those directors to work with total freedom on the subject of Paris and Love... MY GOD! It is being strung into a single narrative somehow and in the end, it may be an incomprehensible mess of a film... but what a glorious fucking mess it can be. Finger Paints of the Gods man, that's all I'm saying! (No Release Date Set)
17. OLIVER TWIST
After THE PIANIST blew me the hell away, I was dying of curiousity regarding what Polanski would do next. That he would choose Dickens' classic tale of grooming youth for devious selfish means... well, let's just say it was the furthest possible subject matter I was thinking of. HOWEVER, this won't be the light-hearted singing tale of OLIVER! This, I imagine, is going to be brutally honest. Next to Peter Jackson doing KING KONG, this is probably the hardest possible film being made this year for the filmmaker. David Lean's Brilliant OLIVER TWIST exists... Alec Guinness' Fagin is as wonderful a performance as exists. For Roman to be taking this subject on... it takes balls, for many reasons, not discounting his personal history. Then he cast Ben Kingsley as Fagin and suddenly confidence fills me to the brim. This could be fantastic. (September 30th)
16. EVERY WORD IS TRUE
When Douglas McGrath adapts George Plimpton's oral biography of Truman Capote's history in researching IN COLD BLOOD... and you put together the cast he's got Toby Jones as Truman Capote... then there's Anjelica Huston, Sigourney Weaver, Mark Ruffalo, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kevin Kline, Ashley Judd, Sandra Bullock and Alan Cumming... Well, it's time to sit up and pay attention. The source material was utterly fantastic. By all means seek it out. I liked McGrath's under-promoted Nicholas Nickleby, and this film is definitely worth looking forward to. (November 18th)
15. JARHEAD
Sam Mendes' third film is reason enough. That he's tackling Anthony Swofford's book regarding events in and around Desert Storm as adapted by Bill Broyles Jr... Well that's exciting as all hell. A third film, a third genre. I like this Sam Mendes chap. Good show. Now, who is on display here? Jake Gyllenhaal is starring in the lead role. He's joined by Jamie Foxx, Sam Rockwell, Peter Sarsgaard, Chris Cooper, James Morrison and a bunch of young actors that after this film, I'm sure we'll know a name or two. Most likely this'll be one of the best films of the year.
(November 11th)
14. ZATHURA
I love the artwork and behind the scenes stuff that Quint has been showing on the site. I enjoy the hell out of Favreau's released work thus far, and I love that they built the robots! Other than Tim Robbins, I don't know much about the cast, but this is more about going with my gut here. Jon hasn't let me down yet with a film, and I am hoping that this ends up being one of those family films that everyone loves. Ya know... like ELF? (November 23rd)
13. KUNG FU HUSTLE
Ok - this is the one I've seen - and folks... It's like Chuck Jones directing a Shaw Brothers' Masterpiece. There's scenes that I'm thinking I dreamt, but when I talk to other BNATers, they claim they were truly real. Like... there's this chase scene between Stephen Chow and a super-powered LandLady that... had no right working at all, but somehow - it sent me and the audience into hysterics. There's this sequence with musicians and shadows that was just fucking genius. Damn... it's just guaranteed to be some of the most fun you'll have in a theater this year. (March 18th)
12. THE HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY
Please God - Make this movie genius! At BNAT we got a really cool look behind the scenes of this movie - with the producer there spilling all the details he had in his mind that we could pry out... and the most amazing thing was the sheer love and passion he had for the material. It was like... he was one of us. If that spirit is infused into this movie, it could, hopefully... be magical. (May 6th)
11. ONG BAK
This isn't the version you have on DVD from Thailand. This is the cut that played at BNAT. One that had been re-edited by Luc Besson with a fucking amazing score and sound mix. I've seen the Thai-version of the film many times - and other than the astonishing action of Tony Jaa - I felt the movie's pacing lagged, that even the action - though physically impossible and breathtaking - oh and 100% real... I felt the score and sound were lacking. Especially the score. Well, this is what happens when an Action master finds a diamond in the rough. This film is now, without a doubt, an awesome fucking cinematic experience on par with the best martial arts ever unleashed on the screen. Just awe-inspiring. The news that Tony Jaa and Jackie Chan are teaming up for a DRUNKEN MASTER 3, where Jackie takes Tony as a student. OHMYGOD! Bliss! (February 4th)
10. SIN CITY
After that trailer - who isn't dying to see what Robert Rodriguez has cooked up with Frank Miller and Quentin Tarantino? It has hands down one of the best casts I've ever seen. Cinematically - it is daring and feels right. That I know there's prime nudity contained... that I know the violence is brutal beyond belief... and that I know the source material and the passion that all involved poured into this... yeah, I'm ready for multiple trips to SIN CITY. I also love that this trailer gets cheers in Austin. Heh. (April 1st)
9. ELIZABETHTOWN
Cameron Crowe's latest. I absolutely love his script for this. Crowe is one of those filmmaker's whose heart beats so loud in his films that yours just can't help but beat as one. He has my number, and this story is very powerful, at least on paper. What I'm dying to see... I'm dying to see what Crowe does with Orlando Bloom. This is the most different thing he's ever done. This isn't the noble strong silent type... this is a true romantic comic leading man with a very real soul typed into every word and can Orlando do it? For that matter, can Kirsten Dunst play this amazing stewardess... and how the hell is Cameron going to shoot the 15 page phone conversation in the middle of the script that just fucking was the most amazingly true conversation since Lester Bangs told William Miller, "The only true currency in this bankrupt world... is what you share with someone else when you're uncool." That scene alone... if that scene works - it'll be glorious. (July 29th)
8. WAR OF THE WORLDS
That teaser trailer did it for me. That they're being so faithful as to use the red martian weeds, gives me hope that the black smokey gas stuff gets unleashed. I have the highest confidence in Spielberg to make this movie just kick ass. This, to me, is old school seventies and early eighties Spielberg quality material. George Pal's original is one of the top ten greatest science fiction films of all time in my mind - but I've always dreamt of another adaptation that brought more of the martian terrors that Wells told us about. And Tom Cruise could totally be a good surrogate Gene Barry. He has that range, I think. Heh. I'm just so giddy that this isn't desaturated. (June 29th)
7. Tim Burton's CORPSE BRIDE
I will say, sight unseen... I want all the toys, a regular edition dvd and a deluxe dvd and I want it now! NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS might very well be my favorite "comfort movie" of all time. Though FOOTLIGHT PARADE may bump it from time to time. "Comfort Movie"? That's the film that you watch to center yourself. That movie that makes the world make sense to you again. My expectations for CORPSE BRIDE couldn't be higher. It's got an amazing voice cast: Emily Watson, Helena Bonham Carter, Johnny Depp, Albert Finney, Christopher Lee, Richard Grant and Joanna Lumley. Yes, please... I need this movie! Heaven, I say! (September 23rd)
6. A SCANNER DARKLY
I haven't seen a frame of work from this. Not a frame. However, I know several of the artists that are busy at work making this film animated. The script is the best adaptation work of Phillip K Dick yet penned. This is true Dick, not a Hollywood-ized food-substitute version. It doesn't skirt the surreal issues or the drugs of the tale. This will truly be unlike anything we've seen before. VERY DIFFERENT from WAKING LIFE. The cast? Woody Harrelson, Robert Downey Jr, Keanu Reeves, Winona Ryder, Rory Cochrane and many others. I'm really quite excited about this one. Probably my most anticipated trailer of the year behind KING KONG's. (September 16th)
5. THE WALLACE & GROMIT MOVIE
YES! Another Stop Motion animated feature film for the year! Not only that, but a feature adventure for Wallace & Gromit! This is another film that I am dying for all the toys from sight unseen. It has been so long since the last Aardman movie, that I can't wait to see a new one. After all, I've seen CHICKEN RUN way too many times to mention on here and be subjected to idiotic ridicule for my poultry fixation. What a tough year this will be for the Animated Academy award next year! (October 7th)
4. LAND OF THE DEAD
George Romero returns to the genre he invented and reigns. A new George Romero zombie movie is one of those things that just makes me a very very happy man. I hated missing my opportunity to go do a cameo in it, but I didn't want to jinx the film. The rumors that Tom Savini plays a "biker zombie" thrills me to no end. I can't wait for the release version, the unrated edition and hopefully the 40 dvd permutations that will follow! Ya know... there's a new George Romero ZOMBIE movie this year? Holy shit that's fucking cool! (October 21st)
3. THE NEW WORLD
A new Terrence Malick film... and it isn't 2022? WOW! That trailer that New Line put out at the end of last year has me dying to see what the best cinematic eye in the world has for me next November. The sheer beauty of seeing that trailer on a big screen has me in an absolute physical withdrawl anticipating this movie. To see the Pocahontas and John Smith story done... for real. With all that changed after. This will be a masterpiece. (November 9th)
2. SYMPATHY FOR LADY VENGEANCE
As is typical - Chan-Wook Park's latest film doesn't even have an IMDB page yet. He's one of the greatest living working directors on a rampage of a career so far, and he doesn't have his next film listed yet on IMDB when it has been announced for a year. Shooting for 3 months. And even has a released still. ARGH! He'll be completing his Revenge Trilogy with this movie, and I can not wait. Then in 2006 we'll have his first horror film which will tear the heart out of our planet so we can bathe in its blood! (No Release Date or Distributor in U.S. Yet)
1. KING KONG
Of course KING KONG is my #1 most dying to see film of 2005. Was there ever a doubt? KongIsKing.Net's Production Diaries are like an I.V. of pure cool running into my veins. Every glimpse of art work is heaven to me. For the entire 9 years this site has been around, I've been writing about Peter Jackson's KING KONG. The original is my favorite film of all time, and this release will signal a deluxe multi-disk DVD set off of the amazing film print that Warner Brothers is sitting on that we saw at BNAT 3 years ago. Literally the best film print I've ever seen. Various Kong books will come out.. and maybe, just maybe... all the Kong publicity might cause someone somewhere to perhaps find the missing spider canyon footage from the original! OH - and then there's Peter's movie. I can't say Peter loves King Kong more than me... Just as he couldn't claim to love it more than Rick Baker, Ray Harryhausen, John Landis and many many others. Am I nervous? Absolutely, the film could end with me raging furious about how he fucked it all up. But I seriously doubt it. This will be the eighth wonder of the world this year, but it is my number 1. (December 14th)
Ok - you may have noticed there's a couple of major films off this list. There's a reason. I've been dying to see Obi-Wan fight Anakin on a Lava Planet forever it seems... or at least since that Rolling Stones interview with Lucas where he mentioned it. I love the trailer. I like all the stills that have come out. And admittedly - it's the only film I'll be camping out for this year, and yes... I'll fucking be doing that again this year. Though I'm not out to set records like Jeff Tweiten in Seattle who already is in line. So why then is it not on my list? Because, I'm terrified of the film. I so desperately want to love it so completely - that I don't assign it a number. It simply is what it is. STAR WARS. The ephemera surrounds me in this room and with every item there is a bit of a dream attached. Most of those lead to Obi-Wan vs Anakin around geysers of lava. I'm rooting for Lucas like you wouldn't believe. I think every real movie fan is too, no matter how eaten up with cynicism they may be. This is the one we've been waiting for. It's above numbers.
There are many other titles that I'm dying to see. Things like FANTASTIC FOUR, BATMAN BEGINS and KINGDOM OF HEAVEN... I'm just not excited by their productions thus far. Not at the level of these 20. There's Mike Judge's untitled science fiction comedy, which no doubt will fucking rule, but I haven't a real clue about it yet. Then there's all those independent films out there that are below radar, but begin popping up at Sundance at the end of the month. Then there's Darren Aronofsky's THE FOUNTAIN - which doesn't have a release date, but may play in 2005 if it gets done in time. Then there is CHARLIE & THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY - The trailer is like some bizzare sugar rush that I'm just mad about... but... BUT, I just don't know. I know I'll love Elfman's Musical Elements - Johnny's gonna be a trip - but - I'm just not certain. I've got this permanent love for Wilder Wonka that just won't go away. And the some of the sets look so close to it, that I'm not getting that reimagined feeling of an adaptation like Kong, but a bizarre on crack Van Sant memory... that I know is wrong, but is there all the same. Ya know? But I'm still looking forward to it, wildly, just not in my top 20. Yup - with that list folks, I'm hoping for a helluva year. But you know how it is, sometimes reality is a cruel bitch. But like cruel bitches, we're just going to ignore them and hope for good times... after all, isn't that the very spirit of HAPPY NEW YEAR!?!
If you've got information, images yet unseen or any cool info about the above films or any that you're dying to see as much as I am - that perhaps I don't know about. Well then, drop me an email at Harry@AintItCool.Com
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I think.
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i, along with many, many others, really enjoyed house of 1000 corpses and are looking forward to what looks like a great sequel from rob zombie
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Jan 03, 2005 1:51:57 PM CST
Admitedly my eyes bugged out when Harry left Ep. 3 off that list
by tall_boy
"Above numbers", I kinda like that. That and its The End, final, finito, done, zip, zero. Well, until 20 years down the road and Lucas makes 7-9.
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Star Wars has to be tops on mine. And isn't Batman Begins coming out this year, too?
Also, is "The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe" still scheduled for Christmas? That's pretty darn high on my list, too.
And did I read that Jackie Chan is going to be in DM3 with Tony Jaa? That's gotta be the single best thing I've ever heard. -
Batman Begins is one of the movies I'm most looking forward to, although I can't wait to see some previews for Land of the Dead.
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...to mention Serenity. Get on it, pal.
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Wallace and Gromit are going to kick Sith butt, you know it!
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I'll pick this one as my most anticipated. Since Spielberg is apparently working on a short schedule, I'm hoping it means we won't get another overworked ending. Sin City looks pretty good, too, in spite of my growing weariness of comic book movies.
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Great list Harry. Bravo. Thanks also for keeping us up to speed with Chan Wook Park. Also, ditto for enlightening many of us on all the other cool movies coming out "we don't hear about." Yet, another reason why I love AICN. Thanks. With respects to the list, I am surprised you left off Batman Begins. Also, I think your words about Star Wars express the sentiment of so many of us. We hope for the best, need the best, long for the best... but past experience has warned us to prepare for the worse. I can't stand Phantom Menace. Attack was OK. But I am giddy as all heck for ROTS. That's just the power of Star Wars. It's funny.
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Yep, someone had to say it.
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Hasn't anyone figured out yet that Colin Ferrel is not Mel Gibson. They keep sticking him in every movie that Mel could have done or had done something similiar to.
Mel, maniac killer in Payback is Colin in DareDevil. Colin in Alexander is Mel in Brave Heart. Colin in New world is Mel in the Mutiny on the Bounty. Colin as renegade cop in Swat is Mel in Lethal Weapon. Pretty soon you'll be seeing Colin in some sort of Mad Max rehash or re-imaging. -
I had hoped The Fountain would be released this year. If it is, and they just don't have a date for it yet, then it has to be in the top 5.
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The fact that an Ultimate Star Wars Geek like Harry doesn't list Revenge of the Sith, the movie where Anakin Skywalker BECOMES Dart Vader, in his Top 20 most anticipated movies of 2005 speaks volumes about the utter havoc George Lucas as wreaked with this once beloved franchise. I'm a little surprised not to see Batman Begins on the list. And I, for one, am anticipating Serenity and it KILLS be that it's been pushed back from April to September. -- Sean
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charlie and the chocolate factory..... seriously..... how is that NOT in your top 20???? BIG miss on that one. good list overall though..... i think there are a few missing gems, especially since i know harry is REALLY waiting to watch miss congeniality 2!
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I hope all of you Whedon suckers out there realize the stakes that come with Serenity's release. It has the potential, my fingers crossed, the ruin Whedon. He's going to pull a Babe: Pig In The City, just you wait, and we'll never hear from him again. He'll be another Kevin Williamson. Nobody'll want to give him any development money or responsibility. Firefly was fucking awful, hackneyed, boring and unfunny. If it was so fucking great, why hasn't it been syndicated? That said, there is only one movie coming out this year, and it is Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith.
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Take your lips off of Whedon's asshole, and let Harry be Harry.
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A good list by Harry, and I don't doubt that these are the films he is most anticipating, but mine are a bit different, and I don't as of yet have 20. Here they are. Star Wars - ROTS, King Kong, Sin City, Batman Begins, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Fantastic Four (although I'm scared of this one, it could be a nice surprise), Serenity, and I know it doesn't really count, but the ENTIRE Kill Bill DVD that's rumored to hit in August.
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those sites that had mad ROTS spoilers and pics posted over the weekend? Not only have the pics/articles been removed, both idontfear.com and millenniumfalcon.com are GONE. As in "no longer exist." Harsh!
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And anyone who thinks this will end Whedon's career is dead wrong. SERENITY will springboard him into other franchise pics like X-KIDS, SPIDER-BABY, and WHEN HARRY SHAVED SALLY . . .
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Jan 03, 2005 3:01:19 PM CST
Pretty good list, except it's missing the film with this years m
by oceansized
William Shat--, I mean Denny Crane.
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10)Corpse Bride 9)Producers 8)War of the Worlds 7)Charlie and the Chocolate Factory 6)Sin City 5)Fantastic Four 4)Batman Begins 3)Revenge of the Sith 2)Harry Potter Goblet of Fire 1)Rent
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My list of flicks to see in 2005 (I know some of them are from 2004 but I plan on seeing them in 2005) : The Aviator, Batman Begins, Be Cool, The Brothers Grimm, Doom, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, House of Flying Daggers, The Machinist, The New World, Ocean's 12, Sin City, SW Ep 3, Brotherhood of War, Der Untergang, and The War of the Worlds.
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Jan 03, 2005 3:24:08 PM CST
It speak volumes about how much of a God damn idiot Harry is
by alwaysthere
Jesus H. Christ this guy put together one of the worst lists for upcoming 2005 movie that I've seen in the early going. This fat fuck barely has a pulse on what to anticipate.
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There only being 13 episodes might have something to do with it...
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The trailer for Kingdom of Heaven actually looks as good as that of Malick's the New World, both films will look spectacular come their release dates. Also War of the Worlds should be good (it is Spielberg after all), but the trailer left me very cold, as did that if Sin City and I can not wait for another Nick Park feature and a new Crowe film.
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then what's your position on Philip K's dick? Good list, Harry! Although just reading these partial cast lists makes me think we need some new movie stars. All these folks are starting to sound like canned ham.
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...do you people realize -- without hyperbole -- just how damn psychotic you have to be to pick fights with Harry about what movies he's most looking forward to? ("No Anakin and Obi-Wan fighting on top of a volcano? You heard me --- FUCK YOU.") Seriously, can you explain that logic to me? Do you mean to "school" Harry by insulting him? And why do you even care enough to get angry about it? Just the fact that you think "fuck you" communicates anything intelligible should prove that you've got rage issues. Anyway, I like his enthusiasm for more obscure projects. What would be the point of telling you to look out for 20 movies you're already planning on seeing?
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Is Tarantino still doing 1/3 of this?? I thought that was off? I would be happy if he did it, but knowing how flaky he is about projects I'm not holding my breath.
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...is overall more interesting that what did. I understand your logic about ROTS Harry, but if certain films are above numbers, perhaps you should be above the concept of a 'top 20' list. It's a silly way to quantify things as it is--How much more do you want to see, say, #20 over #21, and what piece of information was the deciding factor in choosing one over the other?--but if you can't even stick to it, it invalidates your ranking. Ditch the numbers and speak from the heart, Harry; that's what you do best anyway.
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Am I the only one who thinks Sin City looks crap?
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What's with the bitching? Why can't you just say "here's what i'm looking forward to"? Personally I couldn't rank things by number if I had a gun to my head. I do know this, as much as I wanted to see what Kong is going to look like, I want ten times more to see what the Scarecrow is going to look like. "Batman Begins" is where all my hopes and dreams hang this year. I've watched and read and loved the character since I was little. I really enjoy Burton's takes. But, now I get my serious treatment. I get to see origins and growth and i'll watch Bruce Wayne go through everything he has to go through without looking at my watch. My faith in the Chris Nolan is complete and I eagerly await the glorious day when I finally get to see the end result.
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Just curious, what did Ol' Mick and Keef have to say about Luca$$? I think you mean, the "Rolling Stone" interview, Harry, haha. I love ya, ya big lug!
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I'm not going to blather on, giving you a chance to look away *** here it is, then*** in the final fight sequence between Obi-Wan and Anakin (not the end of the movie, mind you) Obi-Wan is killed. That's right. But before he dies Anakin spills the beans on Luke and lots of other stuff. So, why didn't AlecG's Obi-Wan know about Luke? Because the Obi-Wan we all grew up with is a clone of the original.***end spoiler
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Love that trailer. The end of AOTC looked so promising, with OT imagery recreated via modern FX technology. Let's hope it lives up to expectations...
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If that is true I can hear the sound of a million fanboys shitting the bed. Including me. That is horseshit.
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Jan 03, 2005 5:28:26 PM CST
People, people, Harry didn't insult Star Wars by leaving it off
by tall_boy
I thought it was pretty cool, personally. Its not a movie, its a neciscity to see. Its like air to the geek nation. We. Must. See. It.
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Ridley Scott will own all your fucking asses this day. BEST DIRECTOR AND BEST PICTURE!
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No other trailer has impressed me as much as SIN CITY. Every shot could be blown up and made into a poster, and it looks to be extremely faithful to its source material (unlike FANTASTIC FLOP). WAR OF THE WORLDS, KING KONG and CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY are unnecessary remakes (although I will admit that they do have the potential to be entertaining films in there own right just because of the directors involved with them). Everything I have seen (trailers, stills) and read (script) about BATMAN BEGINS doesn't look very promising, but I am willing to give the talented Mr. Nolan the benefit of the doubt. As for STAR WARS?... Honestly, I just want Lucas to end the damm thing once and for all. I don't think I will even be able to drag my two nephews (ages 4 and 6) to this one.
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Jan 03, 2005 6:12:28 PM CST
Though I'm not out to set records like Jeff Tweiten in Seattle
by lou c.
for fuck's sake, who are these losers that have nothing else going on their life. Seriously.
And i'll be counting down the days until Serenity is released, so I no longer have to read any fucking posts about it.
And fuck everybody who gives Harry shit for what HE wants to see. Fuck them up their stupid, whiny, geek asses. -
I agree with Harry on most of his picks, although I'm not a martial arts movie fan, so I won't care much about "Ong Bak." In all honesty, the movies I'm most excited to see are "Jarhead," "The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe," "Serenity," and "A Scanner Darkly." But I'm glad all those other films are coming out, too.
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Oh, and another film I'm dying to see in 2005 is "Ultraviolet," with Milla Jovovich, by Kurt Wimmer, who directed "Equilibrium." This could be the most brutal science fiction violence ever put on film. Can't wait.
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does Luca$ have some sort of snakes incubating in his throat sack or something? jeez... looking creepier every day now.
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BLAH! Jar Head was a good book, but the ending was shat. Not that a true story can have a "great" ending if its a TRUE story. Yes it did show the life of a Jar Head, but how would this translate into a movie? I can see it now, the producers will hypw it up as a gulf war movie. So a lot of people will go to the movie expecting action, but (unless they change the story) there will be NO ACTION.
***SPOILER***
The story teller in the book just talking about an attack he missed out on and the chance to snipe an Iraqi, but doesnt cuz he was ordered not to. They call in a strike and all he sww was a cloud of sand. Thats it. That was his moment in Iraq. The rest of the time he just tells the story of playing grab ass in the desert and fucking around and seeing dead bodies. Not much of a movie.
Sure there is a sotry about how he is home and a bunch of vets he ran into have lost it and have gulf war syndrom. But that was such a SMALL part in the book.
SO I dont think they will make it into a good movie unless they CHANGE the whole thing.
Oh and,
Jar Jar Is Vader! -
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe is my #1.The behind the sceens footage on Apple.com looks amzing!!!!!
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What about David Cronenberg's "A History of Violence" and the dark Jet Li actioner "Unleashed"???
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House of flying daggers, Sin City, Charlie and the Chocolate factory, War of the Worlds, Elizabethtown, Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, Batman Begins, Goblet of Fire, King Kong, and EPISODE 3 BABY!! I am not ashamed of my love for Star Wars, but my most anticipated film of the Year is the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe.. only because of my love of the books, I remember when I was 4 reading the first 4 Narnia books.. it was like a 10 year old these days reading Harry Potter, it captivated me, I couldn't put them down.. I used to sneak a torch in to read them at night.. and wake up tired in the morning for School.. I think that Star Wars Ep3 is the most anticipated movie in over 20 years... but the lion the Witch and the Wardrobe is my most anticipated film of this year for me.. Work that out.. Yeah I know, doesn't make sense does it, It's like saying "If this movie is half as good as the last one, it will be the best movie ever made".. I know what I mean though... Oh yeah and as an honourable mention, "Ray"(for us in Australia who don't get it for a month or so, Jamie Foxx's performance is worth the price of admission.... trust me) *BAMF*
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No Elektra!?!? No Fantastic Four?!?! Surely this is an error. These droplets of cinematic joy are sure to astound and amaze us all. I demand these Marvels of Media be placed on your list...immediately!
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BB could be great because Nolan is the man. I just don't see how they are going to fit in that much story and characters and not have the movie be rushed or stupid, but it does have ninja's in it so that might save it. King Kong remake I think is seriously pointless, remaking bad movies is great but I really don't get remakung good movies. Like The Manchurian Candidate, sorry if you like Denzel but the original was better, and I mean look at the Psycho remake. I can slightly understand Charlie and the Chocolate Factory especially with Depp and War of the Worlds might work but Kong? Is it going to be set in the forties or something? I hope so because if it is set in modern times it is going to be horrible, especially when it has Jack Black in it, I mean my God what is he going to do bad act the big monkey to death?
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That's why it will suck, despite Depp (who is always interesting, if not mesmirizing) and Burton (who is WAY overrated, but sometimes very interesting)
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Great point...he wanted to have two #1s, so he made King Kong the official one and put Star Wars as the unofficial one....just lame.
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If it's done well who gives a damn? I've yet to hear people bitch about "Cape Fear".
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from the department of redundancy department - "The trailer is like some bizzare sugar rush that I'm just mad about". harry, you make it too easy sometimes.
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Is nothing without the great Conrad Hall. You'll see. He was the best thing about Road to Perdition...
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Jan 04, 2005 2:30:45 AM CST
"How the fuck do you syndicate a show with 15 episodes, you fuck
by kintar0
Like the Sci Fi channel wouldn't syndicate it? They'll show anything. And NBC is syndicating the Battlestar Galactica miniseries, and that was what, four episodes? How many episodes did Fastlane last? That was syndicated. I think that if you're going to talk about syndication, you oughta do a quick Google search before you post. Fuckwit.
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Jan 04, 2005 3:28:53 AM CST
Was Sideways on anyone's radar in January of 2004 - I mean, outs
by trader groucho 2
And here we are in January 2005 contemplating five Oscar noms for this delightful flick - Church for damn sure, Madsen quite likely, Giamatti in the running, Payne for direction and Payne & Taylor for script. So it's nice to have stuff like Kong and ROTS and Malick and SpielCruise coming up, but I'm also looking forward to some pleasant surprises as well, smaller films from daring filmmakers who don't have the wallet to push their product in front of our eyeballs a year or more in advance.
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Are these films re-dubbed for American audiences by any chance? Is Peter Sallis's mild northern English accent deemed "too difficult to understand" by US studio execs? Does he end up sounding like a rapper in the US version? Yo, Gromit!
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Now we're getting into the department of twisting truths. Yes, NBC's put "Battlestar Galactica" on its network (and its subsidiaries), but is it really the same thing as syndication? It's not like the four episodes that you're talking about will be played ad nauseum 'til the end of time, just as long as it takes for NBCUniversal to get the word out about "Battlestar Galactica" and its DVD. As for "Fastlane," well, that might be a worthy exception, but I'd have to hear what channel aired it in syndication in the first place. If it's something like Spike or MTV, that doesn't count, because first of all, they exist to serve the demographics that a show like "Fastlane" caters to, and second of all, those aren't the types of channels that will play host to the "Firefly"s of the world anytime soon.
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all of you people who were compelled to insult Harry and swear at him because his list is different than yours.. what is the matter with you? are you a total sociopath or just an unbelievable asshole?? Remember those evil children who Jay and Silent Bob beat up at the end of their movie??
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Jan 04, 2005 7:39:01 AM CST
Land of the Dead, Kong, HHGTTG, and Star Wars: EPISODE 3 will ru
by fugazi32
Oh, and CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY too!
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Why drive ourselves mad waiting for Kong? Kong comes out Dec. 14! It might as well be 2006; it is like items priced at a variable of .99 instead of taking it to the next equal doller. Sure Harry will probably see it in November, but I'm telling myself it comes out January 2006 and then it will be like an early Christmas Present to see it "early" on the 14th.
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Why has Harry never supported this film, aside from showing a demo reel at his birthday party? This is just as big as Lord of the Rings. Sometimes I seriously wonder why Harry's tastes take such wild left-hand turns at random...
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when Episode III wasn't mentioned, but then I read further. How can anyone with any common sense have hope for Episode III?
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Is Frank Darabont's Fahrenheit 451 due out in 2005 or is the project still on the shelf???
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Amazing that Harry gave both Star Wars Prequels glowing reviews when they came out...but you wouldn't know that to listen to him now. Yo Harry, how about you form a coherent and consistent opinion?
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Jan 04, 2005 9:37:57 AM CST
Only Oliver, Jarhead and Scanner seem worth any anticipation.
by salvatoregravano
No beat'em ups and certainly no remakes.
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I want to flame it when it comes out and sucks. You know, I guess you could say, "It says a lot about you, Fluffy, that you are actually looking forward to insulting a bad film," and I guess I'd have to admit that it does. Luckily that doesn't bother me. Fun is fun. Come on, everyone knows it's going to suck. There's more chance of "Fever Pitch" being a good film than Episode 3. And that's not saying much.
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Hey people,
Just so you know Firefly is synicated here up north on Space, which is basically the sci fi channel on canadian tv. -
....is that no film fan could possibly be untouched by the original Star Wars trilogy, therefore neither could any film fan possibly be actually hoping that Ep III will suck. Even though we all know that Eps I and II had major, major problems with script - we cling to the hope that Lucas will somehow be right on the money with this one, and will make us all feel like we are watching something which is part of those magnificent movies we saw in the 70s/80s, instead of some disfigured cousin of the OT. Anyhoo, after belatedly discovering OldBoy a couple of months ago, and catching up with the first Sympathy film, I have to say it's really all about "Sympathy for Ms Vengeance" for me at the moment. Out of Kong and Ep III, yes, Kong will almost certainly be better. But I'll see Ep II on opening night - I doubt I could say the same about Kong.
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2 movies due for release in the UK here in Jan, no idea about USA release dates. (Although as they're both subtitled maybe they'll have to wait for the naff Hollywood remake before getting shown over the pond ;)
Anyway, movies of the year 2005 are...
2046 and
A Very Long Engagement
Surely, the new movie from Jeunet the creator of Amelie is goilikely to be the most beautiful movie of the year, and any year with a Wong Kar wai release is a special one.
Or maybe there just aren't enough explosions in either to satisify your average prepubescent talkbacker... -
I want Sin City much the same way I wanted Pulp Fiction after worshipping at the R. Dogs altar for years, the logic being that Miller's 'Sin City' graphic novels parallels R. Dogs in it's sublime coolness.I know a number of females who are quite literally awash with desire for R-Rod's spin on the source material. Marv will not be denied. Yep, that good. Now, any Hollywood suit looking to advance their career, trolling this site, should carefully read what I'm about to say; put Miller's "300" into production now. Use the instance of Paul Greengrass being picked to direct The Bourne Supremacy as template for picking the director for 300. Note: this story has been reference in everything from Mamet's "Spartan" to the Stylianos Kyriakides biography. There's a reason for this. And yes, I know about the 1962 film. Don't use this film a vehicle for some Hollywood pretty boy, either (or, if you do, at least have the balls to go the Peter Jackson route with it).
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And there are some who would call you of all people a cynic! Seriously, though, where's the love? You're more than probably right about the final tally on the film's qualities (or rather lack thereof) but this is our last chance to be excited about an upcoming Star Wars film. I could very well be deluding myself with this blind spot of mine, but I'd rather end up with a bad movie capping off months of happy expectations than a bad movie capping off months of tooth-gnashing and indigestion. That having been said, I'm aware that this is a courtesy I don't normally extend to other films. Difficult to master, is my common sense. The Dark Side clouds everything.
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I hate to pop the bubble on the top of your Princess Flea-ah blow-up dolly but not every swinging dick on this planet is looking forward to the last (thank the Lord!) Star Wars movie. In fact, the other two were so shitty I
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Star wars, with the exception of the 2nd one-I cant even remember their names as they are all so damn infintile-is C.R.A.P. Lucas's best movie was 'American Graffetti'. All you little boys on this site should stop with the potty mouth and grow up. Now, feel free to call me nasty names for posting something negative about your favorite bathtub toys from Wal-Mart and then go back to agonizing over that little pube mustache thing you got happening under your nose.
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An adaptation for "300" is already in the works. Zack Snyder, the director of last year's 'Dawn of the Dead' remake, is attached to direct. This may or may not make you happy, but I think he did a good job with 'Dawn of the Dead' and look forward to seeing how he fares with Ancient Greece.
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Remember, you heard it here first. The son of Anakin Skywalker is...WEDGE! What, you ask. How can that be? Think about it, and it all makes sense. Who destroyed the Death Star in Episode 4? Not Luke. First Wedge cleared himself for a clean shot by using his uber-high midichlorian count to allow Vader to clip his X-wing enough to give him a reason to get out of the way. He even used a Jedi-mind trick on Vader so Vader would instruct his wingmen to "Stay on the leader", setting Luke up as a decoy. Wedge popped up, got a clean shot into the exhaust port, Death Star gone. Then, while Luke was getting shot down by ATATs, Wedge was harpooning them and knocking 'em out. Think Vader's real son would have gotten his ass kicked in Cloud City? "All too easy" Vader says - he suspected the ruse, but didn't put all the pieces together. Finally, who is it that clears the path into the second Death Star and fires the critical shot into the North Tower, thus putting the nail in the Empire's coffin? Wedge, after allowing his ever-trusty decoy Luke to distract the Emperor and Vader just long enough to allow the ground troops to get the shield down. And the final, incontrovertible piece of evidence (as if you needed any more)... In the original Star Wars, C3PO, who was, as we all know, build by little Ani (because what every desert planet slave needs is a protocol droid), states his former owner was Captain Antilles. When Anakin goes Vader, C3PO and R2D2 stay with Obi-Wan Kenobi. Kenobi keeps them with baby Wedge to protect him as he grows up, becomes a great starfighter, the legendary Captain Antilles. He then flies his ship by Tatooine, makes sure the droids get onto the escape pod so they get to Luke, thus priming Vader to think that Luke, who has his droid, is his son. Wedge then escapes capture (only a true Jedi could have done that - ever wonder how Captain Antilles got away?), heads to Yavin, and from there it's history. It's all SOOOO clear. Wedge - warrior, genius, Jedi. "There is another" says Yoda. And you thought he was talking about Leia. Puh-leeze.
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Ummm, Wong Kar Wai's new film 2046 didn't make the cut? If anything, it will be the most gorgeous film of the year.
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Serenity and A History of Violence. Both these movies should be excellent. And also, Harry devoting a massive paragraph about how he didn't include ROTS in the 20 is kind of ironic, seeing as how Harry must be thinking about it a lot more than most of the films on the list. You don't have to have a positive feeling about something to make it "newsworthy" or anticipated, you know? I had a horrible feeling about the 2004 election, but that didn't stop it from being one of my own "most anticipated" events. Anyways, I am glad that Sin City and A Scanner Darkly are high on the list. Both these movies have amazing stories, amazing talent behind them, and are being filmed in an amazing, artistic fashion. If these movies work, they are going to spawn a whole new style and genre of filmaking. Nice job on that list overall. Yay!!
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Jan 04, 2005 2:15:05 PM CST
Jimbobnz - across the pond here, A Very Long Engagement has been
by trader groucho 2
it is hands down one of the best anti-war films ever made. Audrey is amazing, the cinematography is gorgeous (or is that the other way around???), the supporting cast all rocks, the script is deftly-constructed and finely-tuned, and the climax is a sweet heartbreaker. All of that having been said, I saw a SAG screening where Tautou appeared, and she is so scary-thin that I just wanted to spend three weeks with her in a bed in a hotel room in Amsterdam with a gaggle of reporters recording our every move and sound feeding her cheeseburgers and chocolate cake and waxing rapsodic about the evils of anorexia.
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Since it seems to be an ongoing topic within the talkback, thought I'd throw in my two cents (which is in all likelyhood worth something less than that). The general rule for syndication deals is a show needs to run about 100 episodes to get a deal (assuming a five nights a week schedule, that gives programmers 20 weeks of shows before they need to start repeating them). There will always be certain exceptions though--"Bosom Buddies" apparently had a syndication run, although there were less than 40 episodes, no doubt to capitalize on the big screen success of Tom Hanks, for example. Also with the continued success of TV reruns on DVD, I would expect more short run series to show up on cable channels (which I don't think is quite what they mean by 'syndication' as one cable channel is not a *syndicate* of network affiliates of independent channels).
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http://www.comingsoon.net/images/swvanityfair.jpg
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Mickey Rourke. Nuff said. Oh yeah did anyone hear that Denzel is doing Julius Caesar on Broadway in February. William Sadler is going to be Caesar. Now that is going to be fucking dope.
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Do I know how to call em or what!
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Jan 04, 2005 6:38:09 PM CST
I've tried to watch American Graffiti, and discovered I had no i
by fluffyunbound
It's like a less interesting version of "Diner", which was itself only passably diverting. And THX-1138 would have been a great film if Robert Duvall had NOT escaped in the end. Even as it is, if you watch it as a comedy it's better than 3 of the Star Wars films.
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Zack Snyder to direct 300? Zack Snyder? 300 is sacred text. I can't get over this. Know what sacred text requires? Gravitas. Its got the kind of screaming bloodlust and shit-you-not honor seen in the very best parts of Braveheart. It's twisted and inspiring and it happened. I want Malik or Kelley or Milius or Mendes or Greengrass. I want someone who has earned the right to direct material of this caliber. This is the stuff of LIFE and it goes to someone who tried to duplicate George Romero? Look, I don't mean to get down on Snyder, he might be great, but this is a film that has the potential to really, really mean something. Everyone needs to get Miller's '300' from their library network, or suck it up and buy this gem to A) learn something & B) chime in here. It ain't preachin' if you're teachin'.
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I wouldn't say he tried to "duplicate" Romero. First of all, he didn't suggest the remake, second of all, he didn't write it, third of all, it's quite different in terms of direction. I don't know whether or not you had preconceived notions about 'Dawn of the Dead 2004,' but if you challenge his "earning" the title of Good Director any more than, say, Paul Greengrass, you ought to take a look at some of the reviews for 'Dawn of the Dead 2004.' I also think it's an ignorant thing to say. Whether or not you think that Peter Jackson's resume looked very good before 'Lord of the Rings,' I wouldn't say that he was every fanboy's dream choice. Nevertheless, look at the end result. Snyder knows how to direct action. Not having read "300" myself, I don't necessarily know what else he'll need, but he makes good decisions, and while perhaps Greengrass would be a BETTER choice, I think he's a very good choice. That's my two bits.
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Especially seeing as this is the first major followup for WETA since LOTR. The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe should at least break your top 20. Even if it ends up being half the movie it should be, it would still trump a good amount of what's currently in your top 20. I'm also a little eager to see what comes next in the Potter series. I hated the first two films. (I thought they were lifeless flat pieces of crap.) But I absolutely loved the 3rd. I'm interested to see if Warner can pick the ball up from where Alfonso Cuar
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You seem partial to Snyder. You've deemed my position ignorant. But...you've done it nicely. Just check out Miller's '300'. It was a pleasure.
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just to let individuals know, the reason firefly isn't already syndicated is because fox won't allow it to be. fox has the tv rights to the show for the next 20 years. no joke. that's why the producers couldn't shop the show around after fox cancelled the show. another asshole move by the channel that continues to cancel quality programs that show a hint of starting to take off. you know fox will be pissed as hell if serenity does really well at the box office. its amazing they've kept 24 or arrested development on this long (and for a.d. that's probably only due to them winning an award). god how i hate fox.
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Jan 05, 2005 4:13:52 PM CST
"That they're being so faithful as to use the red Martian weeds.
by thewoodman
That's like if someone was doing a "Moby Dick" movie, set in the present on a tuna-fishing boat, with J-Lo as Capt. Ahab, Chris Tucker as Ishmael and Ashton Kutcher as Queequeg, and you said "But Queequeg has a kick-ass tattoo, so it's really faithful to the book and I can't wait to see it". I, too, was glad to see that it occurred to Spielberg to include the Red Weed, but I'm afraid it's gonna take more than that to carry this mess. Remember the poster of the Martian hand holding Earth, complete with sucker-fingertips? I know publicity art doesn't necessarily have anything to do with the finished film, but it sure implies that he's doing a re-make of the Pal movie rather than an adaptation of the book (just as Ang Lee's "Hulk" was a film version of the Bill Bixby T.V. show rather than the comic book). I can't help thinking, Harry, that in seven months you'll be wishing you'd left this nugget off your list, as you wisely did with this year's other sure-fire stinkers, "Fantastic Failure" and "Batman Begins (to Suck All Over Again)".
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I agree with Harry, Sin City will be one of the coolest movies this year. Star Wars III will be either great or will be crap but either way as a good Star Wars fan (or at least of the original ones) I will be there in line camping. But I don't get how could Harry miss the Narnia movie!!! And also Kingdom of Heaven that WILL RULE because it's a Ridley Scott film, after all he is indeed the ONLY MASTER of the modern epic. And if that wasn't enough there's Jeremy Irons, Liam Neeson and super hot Eva Green on this film.
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Jan 05, 2005 8:04:33 PM CST
And "REVENGE OF THE SITH", "BATMAN BEGINS", "THE CHRONICLES OF N
by screenplaywriter
You're a real piece of work Harry, you fucking tool, you.
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My guilty pleasure for 2005 is gonna be STEALTH with Jessica Biel, about the unmanned smart plane that goes rogue. The arthouse film I want to see is MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA with Ziyi Zhang (I'd make a "sexiest tomboy beanpole" joke here, but it's been done to death). For a documentary, ALIENS OF THE DEEP. For dumb comedy, 3001 (or whatever Mike Judge ends up calling it). And I want to hear more about THE ADVENTURES OF SHARK BOY & LAVA GIRL IN 3-D. It sounds KAVALIER & CLAY-ish.
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The movie I am looking forward to the most has to be The Chronicles of Narnia. At last a movie to replace the cheap looking BBC special effects series of 15 years ago.
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Jan 06, 2005 7:26:27 PM CST
'DEAD MAN'S SHOES' - let's hope the US finally get's this all-ti
by workshed
Paddy Considine (hands down the best actor currently working today) and Shane Meadows turned in what was without a doubt (for those who have seen it) THE film of 2004. Emule can satiate those who find it difficult to wait for the February DVD release but Mr.Meadows can gladly have as much money of mine as he likes while he keeps putting out films of this quality. He makes a f*ckin mockery of the Hollywood system. God Bless Him. SEE THIS FILM.!!!
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Harry?
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Don't get your hopes up too high for MISS CONGENIALITY 2: the last time I was all jazzed about a Sandra Bullock sequel it turned out to be some English movie about zombies.
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Jan 12, 2005 2:23:39 AM CST
You talkback tools, he has a special mention of Revenge of the S
by razorback
Did you all just skim the damn thing or read it? He said ROTS is in a place all its own.
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When I first saw the Sin City trailer I was kind of underwhelmed. I mean, Nancy looked less like a goddess and more like a Coyote Ugly regect, the picture was a little too sharp, too much CG, and it felt more like Rodreigez than Miller, but after watching it a couple of times I'm almost as excited as I was before. Still, not as noir as I would have liked.
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Mr. Bay..please take a seat.
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"Velma and Louise"--two women face off against a male-dominated society while solving mysteries with Scooby and the gang. SPOILER--they die at the end when they drive off a cliff because Velma lost her glasses. WATCH FOR THE SEQUEL: "Thelma and Wheezy" starring Isabel Sanford.
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