…And The Deathly Hallows: The Fall Movie Preview

bill bodkin gives his fall movie preview

1. The American

Release Date: Currently in Theaters
Starring: George Clooney, Irina Bjorklund, Thekla Reuten
Director: Anton Corbijn
This has Hitchock noir written all over it — lush locations, thick layers of deception and intrigue and the potential for an explosively violent ending, sounds good to me! Conversely, The American hasn’t received the best reviews and little to no press from GC himself, so that makes me a bit concernicus. But if you’ve been following this blog for any amount of time, our love for George is well documented.

2. The Town

Release Date: September 17
Starring:Ben Affleck, Jeremy Renner, Rebecca Hall, Jon Hamm, Chris Cooper, Pete Posthelwaite
Director: Ben Affleck
I think Ben Affleck has found his calling — directing. The Town looks like a high-minded, well produced crime thriller like Heat with all the gritty South Boston intensity of Gone Baby Gone. Combine that with a super-solid supporting cast and we’ve got ourselves a film that could be a huge autumn blockbuster.

3. The Social Network

Release Date: October 1
Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Justin Timberlake, Andrew Garfield, Rashida Jones
Director: David Fincher
There’s no way in my mind The Social Network is not nominated for Best Picture AND is a favorite to take the whole thing. Written by acclaimed scribe Aaron Sorkin, directed by the incomparable David Fincher and featuring a cast of young talent all on the verge of something big (including my darkhorse for Best Supporting Actor Justin Timberlake), The Social Network is has all the pedigree for best picture. Click the “Like” button for sure.

4. Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows: Part 1

Release Date: November 19
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Ralph Fiennes, Alan Rickman, Helena Bonham Carter, Billy Nighy, Miranda Richardson
Director: David Yates
The HP series has been going strong and there’s no way the train slows down in the first part of the final film. This has “cliffhanger ending” written all over it and I can’t wait to see what they’ll pull out. For me, the addition of my favorite British character actor Bill Nighy, to this movie is just the extra frosting on an already delicious cake.

5. TRON: Legacy

Release Date: December 17
Starring: Jeff Bridges, Garrett Hedlund, Michael Sheen, Olivia Wilde
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Call me a TRON newbie as I just saw the groundbreaking original this summer. The new trailer gave me goosebumps as the effects work is just mind-blowing…and that was just in the trailer. Big props to the writers for bringing original TRON star Bruce Boxleitner back for the sequel.

6. The Tourist

Release Date: December 3
Starring: Angelina Jolie, Johnny Depp, Paul Bettany, Timothy Dalton, Rufus Sewell
Director: Florian Henckel Von Donnersmarck
Another Hitchcock-styled international noir/thriller that I’m getting excited about. Depp is one of the best actors going right now and to see him teaming with Jolie should be very interesting. This film also has Best Picture buzz all around it.

7. True Grit

Release Date: December 25
Starring: Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, Hailee Steinfeld, Josh Brolin, Barry Pepper
Director: The Coen Brothers
I love cowboy movies, The Coen Brothers and Jeff Bridges. See you at the movies.

8. Red

Release Date:October 15
Starring: Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, Helen Mirren, John Malkovich, Mary-Louise Parker, Karl Urban, Ernest Borgine, Brian Cox, James Remar
Director: Robert Schwentke
The sole buzz about RED (Retired Extremely Dangerous) is that there’s a scene where Helen Mirren fires an Uzi. That sold me.

9. Buried

Release Date: October 8
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Samantha Mathis
Director: Rodrigo Cortes
Ryan Reynolds is buried alive in the Middle East with just a cell phone, a lighter and 90 minutes of oxygen. I’m already on the edge of my seat.

10. Monsters

Release Date: October 29
Starring: Whitney Able, Scoot McNairy
Director: Gareth Edwards
District 9 meets Cloverfield by way of The Road. A journalist and tourist both stuck behind the Mexican border, which is now inhabited by mysterious giant aliens, try to return home. Paranoid docu-style thriller…we’ll sign on for that.

Also…We’re looking forward to more press on the Robert Downey Jr/Zach Galifianakis comedy Due Date as well as The Figther with Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale and the WWII/Present Day thriller The Debt with Helen Mirren and Sam Worthington.