With this weekend’s release of “The Expendables 2” and “ParaNorman”, the summer movie season is pretty much over. One weekend remains in August, and those movies wont have much room to run before school is back in session.
Nope, the season of the big blockbuster is behind us. It’s time to look ahead to the fall.
Not to despair, though, the fall brings sharp movies for the thinking movie fan. Movies which may have more selective box office appeal, but which may be some of the best movies all year.
So click through to take a look at the first part of this year’s fall preview. Today we’ll look at the last week of August, plus September, and then we’ll come back tomorrow with October and the first week of November. Together they’ll take us right up to the start of the Holiday movie season, and the November 9th release of Skyfall!
August 22nd
“Hit and Run”
Directed by: Dax Shepard and David Palmer
Starring: Dax Shepard, Kristen Bell, Bradley Cooper, Tom Arnold, Beau Bridges, Kristin Chenoweth, David Koechner, Michael Rosenbaum, Joy Bryant, Ryan Hansen
I’m getting a very “Dumb criminal” comedy vibe off of this, maybe akin to say, “Snatch” or “Smoking Aces” or something. I could be wrong. Trailer looks amusing enough, let’s see if this can be a surprise or not.
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August 24th
“The Apparition”
Directed by: Todd Lincoln
Starring: Ashley Greene, Sebastian Stan, Tom Felton, Julianna Guill, Luke Pasqualino, Suzanne Ford
A college paranormal experiment unleashes a malevolent spirit. The catch is, it only becomes real if you believe in it.
So don’t get scared or a ghost will come and kill you. Easy, right?
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“Premium Rush”
Directed by: David Koepp
Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Michael Shannon, Dania Ramirez, Jamie Chung
Ok, here we go. 1) It has Joseph Gordon-Levitt, 2) It has Michael Shannon 3) It’s an action movie centering on a bicyclist, so it has a refreshing touch of originality to it. Tell me again how I’m not supposed to have high hopes? The late August release date isn’t exactly a sign of studio confidence, but it still seems extremely promising.
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August 29th
“Lawless”
Directed by: John Hillcoat
Starring: Shia LaBeouf, Tom Hardy, Jason Clarke, Guy Pearce, Gary Oldman, Mia Wasikowska, Jessica Chastain, Dane DeHaan
Forgetting for a moment that this is a movie that gives top billing to Shia LaBeouf over Tom Hardy and Jessica Chastain, it IS a prohibition bootlegger story and it does have a great cast. Plus, getting nominated for the Palme d’Or is a good sign!
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August 31st
“The Possession”
Directed by: Ole Bornedal
Starring: Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Kyra Sedgwick
I’m all for horror movies based on possession, and I’m looking forward to Jeffrey Dean Morgan in this role, but…
Are they saying a demon is actually growing inside her in this movie? Uhnn…
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“For A Good Time, Call…”
Directed by: Jamie Travis
Starring: Ari Graynor, Seth Rogen, Lauren Anne Miller, Justin Long, Mark Webber, James Wolk
“For a Good Time” is a comedy about two young women who start a phone sex line. The trailer doesn’t really look that funny, the first time I saw it I was decidedly unimpressed… Right up until that hysterical Seth Rogen line at the end, LOL!
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September 7th
“The Words”
Directed by: Brian Klugman and Lee Sternthal
Starring: Bradley Cooper, Jeremy Irons, Zoe Saldana, Dennis Quaid, Olivia Wilde, Ben Barnes
So, Bradley Cooper horks some dude’s old timey war/romantic manuscript and then draMA ensues. LOL. Did I miss anything? 😀 I may not be the target audience for this romantic “Lives Crossing Paths” movie.
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“The Cold Light of Day”
Directed by: Mabrouk El Mechri
Starring: Henry Cavill, Bruce Willis, Sigourney Weaver, Veronica Echegui, Roschoy Zem, Oscar Jaenada, Joseph Mawle
I’m not impressed by this one. Our next Superman to be stars as the son of a secret agent who stole something, and now he goes all Bourne to save the day. I smell a shitty movie. Sorry, just sayin’.
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September 14th
“Resident Evil: Retribution”
Directed by: W. S. Anderson
Starring: Milla Jovovich, Sienna Guillory, Colin Salmon, Boris Kodjoe, Michelle Rodriguez, Shawn Roberts, Johann Urb, Kevin Durand, Li Bingbing
Would you believe I’ve never seen a “Resident Evil” movie? I hope you would, I think it’s a sign of discerning tastes! LOL. Anyways, blogging will probably drive me to this series for the first time, just like it did with “Underworld: Awakening”.
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“The Master”
Directed by: Paul Thomas Anderson
Starring: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Joaquin Phoenix, Jesse Plemons, David Warshofsky, Amy Adams, Rami Malek, Ambyr Childers
The Weinsteins are going to get an angry letter if this doesn’t open near me. Paul Thomas Anderson returns, and his distinctive genius is all over the trailers I’ve seen. Add in a remarkable cast, and I couldn’t be more excited (unless it’s “Skyfall”) LOL
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September 21st
“Dredd”
Directed by: Pete Travis
Starring: Karl Urban, Olivia Thirlby, Lena Headey
“Dread” is right. LOL
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“End of Watch”
Directed by: David Ayer
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Pena, Anna Kendrick, Frank Grillo, America Ferrera, Cody Horn
There’s some potential here, I think. Gyllenhaal and Pena could elevate this movie into a solid cop/drug war thriller. Not so high on the found footage/shaky cam combo styling I’m picking up from the trailer, but if the movie is good, I can get past it.
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“House at the End of the Street”
Directed by: Mark Tonderai
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Elizabeth Shue, Max Thieriot, Gil Bellows
I can’t shake the “Silent House” vibe I’m getting from this movie. I think it’s the tank top. Anyways, there’s a house where something bad happened and then there’s lots of screaming and hiding and running and stuff. Oh, and a backwards gimmick. Hmmm…
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“Trouble with the Curve”
Directed by: Robert Lorenz
Starring: Clint Eastwood, Amy Adams, Matthew Lillard, Justin Timberlake, John Goodman, Robert Patrick, Scott Eastwood, Matt Bush
Clint. Why was “Gran Torino” not your final film as an actor? I know you love acting, but did you not see the perfection of it? *sigh* Anyways, he’s a baseball scout with a plucky daughter who flirts with Justin Timberlake!
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“The Perks of Being a Wallflower”
Directed by: Stephen Chbosky
Starring: Emma Watson, Logan Lerman, Mae Whitman, Nina Dobrev, Johnny Simmons, Dylan McDermott, Paul Rudd
“Indy Fare”, but it looks cool enough to me. Usually not my cup of tea, but it’ll be interesting to see if Emma Watson can spread her wings post-Potter. The odds of the Potter kids having a “D’ffrent Strokes”-esque cast meltdown seem slimmer each day.
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September 28th
“Hotel Transylvania”
Directed by: Genndy Tartakovsky
Starring: Adam Sandler, Selena Gomez, Andy Samberg, Kevin James, Fran Drescher, David Spade, Steve Buscemi, Molly Shannon, Jon Lovitz, Cee Lo Green
Ok, until a couple of weeks ago, I was completely out on this. Looks dumb, plus it’s saddled with Sandler. Then Tanski point out to me that Tartakovsky directed “Samurai Jack”. So I think this stands half a chance now, cause “Samurai Jack” was AWESOME.
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“Looper”
Directed by: Rian Johnson
Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis, Emily Blunt, Paul Dano, Noah Segan, Jeff Daniels, Piper Perabo
Ok.
JGL + Bruce Willis + Rian Johnson + Time Travel + Assassins = Awesome * ∞
That’s math, right there, people.
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“Won’t Back Down”
Directed by: Daniel Barnz
Starring: Viola Davis, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Holly Hunter, Ving Rhames, Rosie Perez
This year’s entrant into the “Stand and Deliver” memorial “We CAN change this SCHOOL!” genre. It has potential, I wont deny it. Both of these ladies can act, so as long as the script doesn’t get too preachy or anything, it can wind up a winner.
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Well. There you have it folks! Part I of the 2012 Fall Movie Preview! Part II will post up tomorrow, and take us right through to the beginning of November.
In the meantime, let’s hear it, you know how this works!! Which movies here interest you? Think any of them look stupid? Let ’em have it! Are there any of them that really look awesome ? I don’t know… maybe… Looper? LOL 😀 Let’s hear it, what do you think of this crop of flicks?!
Fogs' Movie Reviews 
I love these preview posts you do….all in one place!
The Words, may not be your cup of tea….but I am thinking it may be up my alley! haha **I admit, I had to look up the word “hork”……warning, it has two very different meanings….. unfortunately for me the urban dictionary one popped up first. ewww!
The Master intrigues me, even though I am not exactly sure what it is about. Love all the stars, so definitely giving it a look.
Anything Clint is a must see in my book. Grand Turino was awesome, (he has to know that)….he wouldn’t knowingly follow it up with a lousy movie…would he? I thought it looked good.
End of Watch looked interesting to me…I also love JG and MP, I think they’ll make a good combo in this. We tend to see all cop-centered movies, just so my husband can compare ……although this looks a “little” more intense than what he deals with in the middle of our cornfields. 🙂
Thanks Deb! Glad you enjoy them.
LOL – I dont think either of them means what I mean either. I usually use it as slang for “steal”, but I think that’s something that just developed amongst my circle of miscreant friends when I was a teen. I debated not using it, but I thought it added some flavor.
Meanwhile… no, it does NOT look like my cup of tea. LOL
The Master is intentionally mysterious I believe. Its supposed to be some kind of fictional biopic of L Ron Hubbard, I believe… the founder of scientology. We’ll see if they actually stick with his story at all or if they use it as a jumping off point.
Mngn. Not feeling “Trouble with the curve” right now. Looks… extremely light weight and “Feel goody” LOL. You know? Eh. I’ll see.
So, hubby’s not busting up the cartels, then youre saying? 😀 Probably better, anyways. Even money says one of those two die in the movie. Smart money’s on Pena, because Hollywood is racist, but if the filmmakers were clever they’d flip the scipt and kill Jake G, since he’s the bigger star and no one would expect it! That’s just my take…
Oh….I didn’t even take away that The master was about L. Ron Hubbard (somehow I missed that) Hmmm….I am even more intrigued now.
TWtC…..might be a tad to “chick” for you…..most likely why I honed in on it….although, anything baseball in my house!
I will pass along to my daughter’s bf (remember aspiring future director) the words of wisdom you scribed above….(paraphrased of course)……Don’t be a Hollywood racist, kill off the most popular actor. LMAO
I’m told that The Possession is actually pretty good, and besides, I’m seeing it tonight anyhow. Kinda locked into that one.
After that, it’s really all about The Master and Looper. Dredd comes in right after those two, but I could give a good long crap about the rest of these, barring incidentally “interesting” ones (e.g. Lawless, End of Watch, and House). Most of these look like boilerplate studio garbage– The Words is already being called the worst studio picture of the year– and the indie fare, well, I don’t know. I can’t muster a ton of desire to see Wallflower, even if it does have a good cast. There are only so many twee, quirky, empty coming-of-age dramadies about outcast teens that I can stomach.
But who cares? The three I’m looking forward to look like they’re going to make up for all the chaff.
Yup. The Master and Looper seem to be the cream of the crop from this batch. Obviously I’m looking forward to those, too.
Can’t agree on Dredd, though, I’m getting a “This is gonna be awful” vibe from it man… OOsh!
LOL. Really on “The Words”? We’ll have to see, huh? I kind of hope it is. If it’s not going to be good, at least it can have the courtesy of being comically bad!! 😀
Looper! Loving your math!
Haha!! That is proven science, right there!
That equation is 100% accurate! 😀 LOL