POPAZINE POPCORN PICKS for 2008
Spiderwick Chronicles – February
From the beloved best-selling series of children’s fantasy-adventure books about the peculiar things that start happening when the Grace family leave New York and move into the secluded old house owned by their great, great uncle Arthur Spiderwick.
Horton Hears a Who – March
A new CG animated film from the makers of the Ice Age films based on the much-loved Dr. Seuss classic, about Horton, an imaginative elephant who hears a cry for help from a tiny speck of dust flying through the air, and, despite a community which thinks he’s lost his mind, is determined to help.
Iron Man – May
Based on the Marvel Comics character, billionaire playboy industrialist Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) makes weapons for the U.S. government. While on a field test, he is wounded, captured, and forced to make weapons for the enemy. He fashions himself a power armor suit to save his life and make his escape and finds purpose as the crime-fighting Armored Avenger Iron Man.
Speed Racer – May
We can’t wait to see to see the Wachowski Brothers’ live-action film based on Tatsuo Yoshida’s classic 1960’s Japanese animated series about the young race car driver Speed Racer and his quest for glory. Go Speed Racer!
Chronicles of Narnia II: Prince Caspian – May
One year after the incredible events of the first Narnia film (and book) The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the Pevensie children are summoned back to Narnia by Prince Caspian, the rightful king to the throne, only to discover that more than 1,000 years have passed in Narnian time.
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull – May
He’s Back! Set at the height of the Cold War in 1957, so the character has aged in real time — 19 years. The Nazis are no longer Indy’s chief foe — he’s racing for the Crystal Skull against operatives from the Soviet Union, including Oscar winner Cate Blanchett as the seductive Agent Spalko.
Sex and the City – May
Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) and the rest of the gang from the wildly popular TV series based on writer Candace Bushnell’s novel bring it to the big screen. All we can say is: Fans (you know who you are, whether you’ll admit it or not) – see you on opening weekend!
Coraline – Summer 2008
Based on Neil Gaiman’s children’s novel of the same name, Coraline is a young bored girl who discovers that a bricked-up wall behind a door in her flat leads to another world, starring Dakota Fanning as the voice of Coraline.
Wanted – June
Based on Mark Millar’s explosive graphic novel series – Wanted tells the tale of 25-year-old Wesley Gibson (James McAvoy), a disaffected, cube-dwelling nobody who is transformed into an unparalleled enforcer of justice after he meets a mysterious woman named Fox (Angelina Jolie).
Hulk II – June
One of the most popular superheroes of all time, scientist Bruce Banner (Edward Norton) is at it again, desperately hunting for a cure to the gamma radiation that poisoned his cells and unleashes the unbridled force of rage within him—The Hulk.
Get Smart – June
Steve Carell as agent Maxwell Smart? Check. Anne Hathaway as the lovely-but-lethal Agent 99. Check. Be still our goofy-fun-loving hearts! In the all-new action comedy inspired by the classic TV series, Maxwell Smart is on a mission to thwart the latest plot for world domination by the evil crime syndicate known as KAOS.
Wall-E – June
The eagerly-awaited new computer-animated sci-fi film from Pixar. The year is 2700. What if mankind had to leave Earth, and somebody forgot to turn the last robot off? After hundreds of lonely years doing what he was built for, WALL*E (short for Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth-Class) discovers a new purpose in life.
Hellboy II: The Golden Army – July
Oh, man! Do we really have to wait until July for this one? The saga of the world’s toughest, kitten-loving hero from Hell continues to unfold. After an ancient truce between humankind and the invisible realm of the fantastic is broken, hell on Earth is ready to erupt.
The Dark Knight – July
Batman (Christian Bale) raises the stakes in his war on crime as he sets out to dismantle the remaining criminal organizations that plague the city streets with the help of Lieutenant Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman) and District Attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart). They soon find themselves prey to a reign of chaos unleashed by the rising criminal mastermind The Joker (Heath Ledger).
Babylon A.D. – August
In this sci-fi action thriller based on the novel Babylon Babies by Maurice Georges Dantec, veteran-turned-mercenary Toorop (Vin Diesel) takes the high-risk job of escorting a young woman from Russia to China.
Inkheart – September
Based on the delightful & wildly popular fantasy novel by Cornelia Funke. Twelve-year-old Meggie’s father Mo has the bizarre and powerful ability to bring characters from books to life by reading them out loud.
Where the Wild Things Are – October
The live-action/CGI film adaptation of Maurice Sendak’s classic children’s book by director Spike Jonze and writer Dave Eggers where Max, a mischievous little boy, creates his own world – a forest inhabited by fabulous wild creatures who crown Max as their ruler.
James Bond – November
Yes! Bond is back in the TWENTY SECOND installment of the franchise, directed by Marc Forster and starring Daniel Craig (as Bond), Judi Dench, and Giancarlo Giannini. I’d like mine shaken, not stirred.
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince – November
Directed by David Yates. What more could we say except – we are perennially helpless to resist this series, and can’t wait to see the next installment.
Star Trek XI – December
The eleventh entry in the Star Trek film series will chronicle the early days of James T. Kirk and his fellow USS Enterprise crew members during their time at Starfleet Academy. Directed by Lost creator J. J. Adams, and starring a stellar cast including Zachary Quinto, Winona Ryder, and Leonard Nimoy.
Whiteout – TBD
Director Dominic Sena’s film adaptation of Greg Rucka & Steve Lieber’s graphic novel Whiteout. U.S. Marshall Carrie Stetko (Kate Beckinsale) tracks a killer in the desolate vastness of Antarctica as the sun is about to set for six months.
Popazine's Popcorn Picks- Some 2007 Movies You Should See
Ghost Rider (February) We can’t wait for the big screen debut of Marvel comics character Johnny Blaze, the motorcycle stunt man who sells his soul to Mephistopheles and becomes the fabled Ghost Rider (complete with flaming skull and fiery bike). The trailer is popping up all over online, but this ad (link via The Beat) for Jackson Hewitt tax services starring the Ghost Rider is just priceless.
Bridge to Terabithia (February) Based on the popular Newbery Medal-winning fantasy novel about two school friends, Jess and Leslie, and the fantastical secret kingdom of Terabithia they create in the woods. From the producers of “The Chronicles of Narnia” film. More info
300 (March) For a certain stripe of comics fan, this might just be the most eagerly-anticipated film of the year. Based on Frank Miller’s acclaimed graphic novel about the Battle of Thermopylae of 480 B.C., in which Leonidas, king of Sparta, leads a determined group of 300 men in defending against the invading Persian army. Like Miller’s “Sin City,” part of the buzz building around this movie is for the radically innovative filmmaking techniques used to recreate the look & feel of the comic. Look for us among the giddy fans lining up on opening day. Check out the official site!
TMNT (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) (March) Dude!!! Classic cartoon super-ninjas Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello, Raphael, and their rat sensei Master Splinter are headed back to the CGI-animated big screen. Check out the official site!
Pathfinder (April ) With a tie-in Dark Horse graphic novel, this is the story of a Viking boy left behind after his clan battles a Native American tribe. Raised within the tribe, he ultimately wages a violent personal war to stop the Viking’s trail of death & destruction. Advance buzz on this long-delayed movie has been decidedly mixed, but check out the trailer and judge for yourself.
Spider-Man 3 (May) Just about as close to a sure-thing smash hit as you can get, Spidey 3 looks pretty freakin’ great. Check out the trailers for a teaser glimpse of Peter Parker’s dark side.
Shrek the Third (May) Ok, call us easily amused, but we just love Shrek. And this third new installment is looking like big fun, as our big green ogre pal faces enforced coronation as the next king of Far Far Away unless his friends can find a suitable replacement. Check the official site for much Shrek-infused merriment.
Fantastic Four 2: Rise of the Silver Surfer (June) We’re frankly pretty jazzed about this big Marvel blockbuster (which looks way cooler than the first 2005 FF movie). The trailer <> looks pretty awesome. You had us at ‘Silver Surfer,’ guys.
Transformers (July) The classic 1980’s transforming-robots action cartoon series returns in this big-budget, live-action film (directed by Michael Bay!) in which an interstellar war between the Autobots and the Decepticons rains destruction down on Earth. Optimus Prime vs. Megatron, oh boy! Check out the official site and this priceless bit of goofiness (linked via The Beat), the Weird Transformers power ballad.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (July) That this fifth movie in the march-to-world-domination of Harry Potterdom will be a big hit seems pretty obvious, we’re sure you’re going to enjoy it, as each new film seems to be darker than the last. Check out the trailer.
The Simpsons Movie (July) This one cannot possibly open soon enough for us. Nothing we can add, except to wonder out loud – can we smuggle donuts and Duff into the theater? Enjoy the trailers here: and the official site.
Stardust (July) This eagerly-awaited movie based on Neil Gaiman’s enchanting fairy tale, in which a star-crossed boy from the English village of Wall travels to a magical, mythical world in search of the falling star that will help him win the heart of his true love. With Charlie Cox, Robert DeNiro, Michelle Pfeiffer, Claire Danes, and Sienna Miller. This one’s got us thoroughly intrigued. Stay tuned to the official site for updates.
top
|
Previous Posts
Yowza
Finalists announced for the Cybils Awards
|
