Best of 2008: Part 2

Read Best of 2008: Part 1
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The Best Scenes of 2008:

...they made the movie, and then some...

1. Philippe Petit defies gravity, Man on Wire - Almost certainly the most breathtaking scene of the year, a video clip here would just be wrong. It can only experienced once for the first time - and that deserves to be in a theater.

2. Andrew Garfield trips on E, Boy A - In one scene, two incredible things simultaneously occur: Andrew Garfield's career jumps another level, and the emotional blood of an entire movie pours out on screen.

3. Underwater tracking shot, Encounters at the End of the World - Uncut and unbelievable, this was more out of this world than "at the end of the world". I can't speak for what the experience would be like on a computer screen or TV, but in a silent theater and with those haunting Gregorian chants setting the pace, this was a trip.


4. Young Jamal goes all the way, Slumdog Millionaire - In a movie where bursts of emotion and adrenaline came every 2-3 minutes, this was the one that set the tone for the duration. You could smell the pure...exhilaration emanating from the screen.


5. Suspicious spies exchange cryptic proverbs, OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies - If you speak French you'll find this a lot funnier than the rest of us. If you don't, just know this was one of the high comedic moments of 2008, in a movie that went surprisingly unnoticed. Heads up for the sequel on the way!

6. Sabotage at the swimming pool, Let the Right One In - Unfortunately I can't find a visual for this one, but that might be for the best anyway, and those who have seen the movie surely have it stuck in their head already. One of the best final scenes in years.

7. WALL*E's outer space journey, WALL*E - I found a clip of this scene but it was in such bad quality that I didn't want to taint it in anyone's mind. WALL*E's curious and carefree trip made space look like a playground where you can glide through the stars and fly by the sun without a worry in the world - literally.


8. Kimberly Roberts rapping "Amazing", Trouble the Water - Spontaneously, from the heart, a woman who's been through unimaginable distress shows us the meaning of true strength. If Hurricane Katrina could have been talked down into submission, Roberts would have been the person to call.

9. Time-lapse shot of Yangtze river rising, Up the Yangtze - In less than a minute, a history is lost and a culture forever changed. Equal parts hypnotizing and horrifying, this was the scene you hoped you'd never have to see.


10. Fred Knittle sings "Fix You", Young @ Heart - After losing his singing partner on a major duet, Knittle went solo to deliver a heartfelt, rueful rendition of Coldplay's hit song. The bittersweet irony of the lyrics stung the soul. Knittle passed away this New Year's Day, but not before leaving an unforgettable legacy.

(watch a higher-quality, unembeddable version here)

Honorable Mentions:

Chad confronts Osborne in the car, Burn After Reading
Juan Antonio makes The Pitch, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
War strategy session, W.
David Paskowicz sings through the camera at his father, Surfwise
Philip rides his bicycle blind, Reprise

Motorcycle chase, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Ray confronts tourists on the park bench, In Bruges
Walt shares a meal next door, Gran Torino
Visit to Henry Waxman's office, Bigger, Stronger, Faster*
Benjamin learns to walk, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

The Most Forgettable Movies of 2008:
...I know I saw these, but that certainty is fading - fast...

The Bank Job
Bottle Shock
Brick Lane
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
Elegy
Flash of Genius
Hamlet 2
Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay
How to Lose Friends and Alienate People
The Incredible Hulk
Jar City
Roman de Gare
Run Fatboy Run
Semi-Pro
Smart People
Son of Rambow
A Thousand Years of Good Prayers
Traitor

The Best Endings/Final Frames of 2008:
...now that's how you end a movie...

Silent Light
Chop Shop
Ballast
The Wrestler
Let the Right One In
The Dark Knight
Slumdog Millionaire (and end credits)
Quid Pro Quo
Bigger, Stronger, Faster*
Tropic Thunder (best end credits)

The Worst Movies I Saw In 2008:
...it's better not to ask "why?", but to just move on and try to forget...

Jumper
Changeling
Step Brothers
Redbelt
21
Nobel Son
Blindness
Bottle Shock
Where In the World Is Osama Bin Laden?


And THE worst - everybody's #1 with a bullet:

The Happening


...to be continued...

Best of 2008: Part 1

It's time. I still haven't seen all the 2008 movies I've been waiting for, but soon enough I'm going to be too far into the new year to look back on the last. I saw more than 130 new releases in the theater this year, which could be considered incredibly high or incredibly low, depending on who you ask. So I guess it's a meaningless number, though if I had to guess I'd say it was just a handful above average for me.

So after all the time and money spent watching these movies, and all the time spent writing and reading about them...I might as well spend a little more time and look at them as a whole. I'm not going to link to all of my reviews because it would be an entire page of hyperlinks, and that's just unnecessary with my review index in working order.
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The Most Overlooked Performances of 2008:

...why these received so little attention is a mystery...

Andrew Garfield, Boy A
Charlie McDermott, Frozen River
Kevin Bacon, Frost/Nixon
Entire cast, Ballast
Gad Elmelah, Priceless
Michael Ealy, Miracle at St. Anna
David Strathairn, My Blueberry Nights
Vera Farmiga, Quid Pro Quo
Franka Potente, Che
Danny McBride, The Foot Fist Way
Sarah Adler, Jellyfish
Patrick Wilson, Lakeview Terrace
Jeff Daniels, Traitor
Nurgül Yesilçay, The Edge of Heaven
Colin Farrell, Cassandra's Dream
Anders Danielsen Lie, Reprise
Eddie Marsan, Happy-Go-Lucky
Samantha Morton, Synecdoche, New York
Dennis Hopper, Elegy
Thandie Newton, W.
Woody Harrelson, Transsiberian
Kristin Scott Thomas, Tell No One
Jean Dujardin, OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies

The Worst Movie Titles of 2008:
Bangkok Dangerous
Changeling
Definitely, Maybe
Filth and Wisdom
Glass: A Portrait of Philip in Twelve Parts
Happy-Go-Lucky (why the hyphens?)
The Hottie and the Nottie
How She Move
I've Loved You So Long
Made of Honor
Meet the Spartans
Quantum of Solace
Rachel Getting Married
Run Fatboy Run
Step Up 2: The Streets
Synecdoche, New York
Vicky Cristina Barcelona
The Wackness
Zack and Miri Make a Porno

The Best Movie Titles of 2008:
The Betrayal
Blindsight
In Bruges
In Search of a Midnight Kiss
I.O.U.S.A.
Man on Wire
My Brother Is An Only Child
Pray the Devil Back to Hell
Son of Rambow
Standard Operating Procedure
Synecdoche, New York
Taxi to the Dark Side
The Year My Parents Went on Vacation

The Most Annoying Movie Characters of 2008:
...you just couldn't wait for them to get off the screen...

Carlos, Transsiberian
Nullah, Australia
Bo Barrett, Bottle Shock
Entire cast, Smart People
Professor Micky Rosa, 21
Abbie Hoffman, Chicago 10
Fiona, Quid Pro Quo
Megan, American Teen
Entire cast, Nobel Son
Kym, Rachel Getting Married
Saul Silver, Pineapple Express
Jack Lira, Milk
King of Ward Three (Gael Garcia Bernal), Blindness
Werner Herzog, Encounters at the End of the World

The Most Pleasant Surprises of 2008:
...what I thought on the way out was a lot better than on the way in...

Bigger, Stronger, Faster*
The Grocer's Son
Hellboy II: The Golden Army
Kung Fu Panda
Let the Right One In
My Blueberry Nights
Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist
OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies
The Pool
Slumdog Millionaire
Stop-Loss
Surfwise
Tropic Thunder


The Most Disappointing Movies of 2008:
...what I thought on the way in was a lot better than on the way out...

Appaloosa
Australia
Be Kind Rewind
Body of Lies
Defiance
Gonzo: The Life and Times of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Pineapple Express
Quantum of Solace
The Reader
Rocknrolla
Seven Pounds
Stranded: I've Come From a Plane that Crashed on the Mountains
Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden?


Favorite Places Traveled in 2008:
...few people appreciate their cinematic journeys like I do, and my passport got stamped this year...

Mumbai, Slumdog Millionaire
Romania, 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days
São Paulo, Blindness and The Year My Parents Went on Vacation
Greece, Mamma Mia!
Lower Manhattan, Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist
Barcelona, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Outer space, WALL*E
Yangtze River banks, Up the Yangtze
Monaco, Priceless

Northern Mexico, Silent Light
Oslo, Reprise

Cuba, Che
Iceland, Jar City
Hawaii, Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Provence, France, The Grocer's Son
Bruges, Belgium, In Bruges
Rio de Janeiro, City of Men
Antarctica, Encounters at the End of the World
Nepal, Blindsight
Mississippi Delta, Ballast

...to be continued...

Dardo'ed

Back when I foolishly thought I would have enough free time during these months to do a comprehensive retrospective of the best of everything in 2008, I planned on recognizing a few blogs that I appreciated for their ability to peel back the layers on movies and make me think about them in a more meaningful way, often bypassing traditional reviews for posts about the deeper themes and issues in all of these movies that we see.

But before I could get around to compiling this list, I found myself on the receiving end of such recognition. Apparently, somebody came up with an award for just this purpose, titled a "Dardos Award" for reasons that I'm sure are beyond my cultural and literary knowledge. Anyway, here's the summary:

"The Dardos Award is given for recognition of cultural, ethical, literary, and personal values transmitted in the form of creative and original writing. These stamps were created with the intention of promoting fraternization between bloggers, a way of showing affection and gratitude for work that adds value to the Web."

Recipients are supposed to do the following:

1) Accept the award by posting it on your blog along with the name of the person who has granted the award and a link to his/her blog.

2) Pass the award to another five blogs that are worthy of this acknowledgment, remembering to contact each of them to let them know they have been selected for this award.

So while this appears to be a back-patting meme disguised as a legitimate award, I'm nonetheless honored to have crossed anyone's mind in relation to it. Plus, it's the perfect way for me to recognize others as I had hoped to.

Here goes:

1.) Thank you, Marilyn Ferdinand at Ferdy on Films and Rick Olson at Coosa Creek Cinema for recently granting me with a Dardo. You're both deserving in your own right, of course, which is why you received one in the first place.

2.) And here, in alphabetical order, are five of the many bloggers who I consider deserving of a Dardo:

• Alexander Coleman at Coleman's Corner in Cinema - Grab a dictionary, because Alexander's handle on the English language is unmatched. So is his voracity for watching classic film and writing enlightening essays on the hidden themes in the movies we see.
• DC Movie Girl at DC Girl @ The Movies - Through the lens of film, DC Girl broadens horizons by offering sharp criticisms of Hollywood stereotypes and keeping all movie fans accountable for what they watch and support.
• Jason Bellamy at The Cooler - Never one to shy away from a lengthy, probing discussion, Jason's ease at weaving incisive analysis and social commentary through his reviews is admirable. Have a look at a typical conversation.
• MovieMan0283 at The Dancing Image - Too many writers fail to step back and consider all perspectives when writing about complex issues. MovieMan is not one of them, which makes his reviews and other commentaries lucid, well-reasoned, and most importantly, thought-provoking.
• RC at Strange Culture - Part movie blog, part Oscar blog, part pop culture blog, all original. RC's musings are essential reading for anyone who wants to know what's going on in the movie world - and why it matters.

Taking It Home: Trouble the Water

Kimberly and Scott Roberts, the face of a newly inspired America...

I had planned on writing a more traditional review of one of the year's best documentaries, Trouble the Water, but my experience last weekend in the nation's capital underscored the film's final judgment in a more meaningful way than I expected.

As I originally viewed it for the first time several weeks ago, Trouble the Water was a searing indictment of not only the Bush Administration's mishandling (see: comprehensive negligence) of the Hurricane Katrina victims, but of the United States' long-standing indifference to the suffering of its most downtrodden citizens, a group comprised of but not limited to African-Americans in the Deep South. This weighty charge was made obvious by both the surreal footage of New Orleanians wallowing in the aftermath of Katrina, and also the matter-of-fact conversations had by the victims in Trouble the Water as they eventually accepted their tragic fate: “It's proven to me that, hey, if you don't have money, and you don't have status – you don't have a government.”

It was an ironic sight in Washington, D.C., then, to observe so many hundreds of thousands of African-Americans bedecked from head to toe in American flags and ear-to-ear grins, truly beacons of a new American patriotism. Nobody attempted to downplay their own enthusiastic pride; the city was possibly the happiest place on earth for five days straight (and the unabashed delight clearly bled through to the media, apparent by the breathlessly worshipful CNN coverage I observed on and off throughout the weekend). It didn't seem to matter who had "money" or "status" - this was suddenly everyone's government, and they were proud of it.

So there I was near the foot of the capitol, looking down the National Mall at almost two million people come out in the cold and celebrate what in reality is still only the idea of a better tomorrow. I stood there, scratching my head and attempting to reconcile the United States of Trouble the Water with the United States of Barack Obama. How did we get here, and what did it mean?

Kimberly and Scott Roberts, the subjects and heroes of Trouble the Water, don't necessarily provide easy answers to those questions, but their story does exist as a link between the two Americas. In the days before Hurricane Katrine ravaged the Gulf Coast, and not knowing how bad the damage would be, Kimberly began filming the reactions of her friends and neighbors in New Orleans' Ninth Ward. Unable to afford a way out of the city, Kimberly and her husband eventually found themselves in their attic as the floodwaters rose. It is where they would remain stranded, along with others on their block, for days after the storm was over.

Aside from the harrowing footage Kimberly captured during that time, Trouble the Water features some of the most honest and moving interviews found on screen this year. Surprisingly, however, it isn't what's said so much as what's not said that sticks with you: though it could be expected from anyone in their position, Kimberly and Scott don't spend all of their hours lamenting the Bush administration and racism and mistreatment and bad jobs and bad luck. They're hopeful, encouraged, almost repentant as they seek a new beginning. Katrina swept away their fortune, but not their fortitude, illustrated perhaps most memorably by a spontaneous rap Kimberly delivers of one of the songs she hopes will earn her a career in the music business.

This was the same pride that I saw on so many faces in Washington last week, and the same attitude that marks a sea change in the United States. Many people feel a sense of ownership in our government for the first time, a development that can only be considered positive for the future of the country. The tagline for Trouble the Water will be lost on those who overlook its themes: "It's not about a hurricane. It's about America." You could say the same thing about the inauguration: "It's not about a president. It's about the people."

Inauguration and Nominations

(Click to enlarge)

(L): Stuck in foot traffic on 3rd St., I raised my camera as high as I could reach. This guy pulled out a periscope. I don't think he fared any better than we did, moving about a block an hour. (R) Sitting on someone's shoulders, this woman couldn't have done much better to ruin a perfect shot in the moments before the inauguration.

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As my mind clears and my battered body recovers, I'm slowly realizing the magnitude of what I witnessed this weekend in Washington, D.C. Based only the sights I saw and the indelible images now stuck in my mind, yesterday in particular was unquestionably one of the most exhilarating days of my life.

To take nothing away from the hundreds of millions who watched it online or on TV, I'd be lying if I said the live experience was anything but unforgettable, unbelievable and, well, indescribable. From where I stood in the silver ticketed area behind the Capitol reflecting pool, I saw a million humans standing behind me - and yet I didn't see one of them, so distorted was the picture. It didn't look like a sea of people, but some kind of holographic image, as if out a "Magic Eye" book. The Washington Monument was clearly visible a mile further down the mall, but everything between me and it was this glittering...stuff.

(not my shot, click to enlarge)

It was the thrill of a lifetime, to say the least - maybe like...winning an Oscar? In the whirlwind of the last week I almost forgot the Best Excuse to Wake Up Early All Year (alright, maybe it's not that early here in Central Time): the announcement of the Oscar nominees tomorrow morning. As I have a habit of doing every year, here follows my predictions for what the Academy has decided, whether I like it or, inevitably, whether I don't.

THE BIG ONES:

Best Picture:

Slumdog Millionaire

Frost/Nixon
Gran Torino

The Wrestler
Milk

Sneaking in through the side door (possible upset)...: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

(Alright, I admit I prefer guessing the right upsets to the more obvious selections, but that I don't have The Dark Knight and Benjamin Button in there is ridiculous.)

Best Actor:

Mickey Rourke - The Wrestler
Sean Penn - Milk
Clint Eastwood - Gran Torino
Frank Langella - Frost/Nixon
Richard Jenkins, The Visitor
Sneaking in through the side door...: Brad Pitt - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Best Actress:

Kate Winslet - Revolutionary Road
Meryl Streep - Doubt
Anne Hathaway - Rachel Getting Married
Melissa Leo - Frozen River
Sally Hawkins - Happy-Go-Lucky
Sneaking in through the side door...: Kristin Scott Thomas - I've Loved You So Long

Best Supporting Actor:

Josh Brolin - Milk
Philip Seymour Hoffman - Doubt
Robert Downey, Jr. - Tropic Thunder
Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight
James Franco - Milk
Sneaking in through the side door...: Michael Shannon - Revolutionary Road

Best Supporting Actress:

Kate Winslet - The Reader
Viola Davis - Doubt
Penelope Cruz - Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Taraji P. Henson - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Marisa Tomei - The Wrestler
Sneaking in through the side door...: Rosemary Dewitt - Rachel Getting Married

Best British or American White Male Director (again):

Christopher Nolan - The Dark Knight
Ron Howard - Frost/Nixon
Gus Van Sant - Milk
David Fincher - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Danny Boyle - Slumdog Millionaire
Sneaking in through the side door...: Mike Leigh - Happy-Go-Lucky

Best Original Screenplay:

Dustin Lance Black - Milk
Nick Schenk - Gran Torino
Jenny Lumet - Rachel Getting Married
Woody Allen - Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Mike Leigh - Happy-Go-Lucky
Sneaking in through the side door...: Charlie Kaufman - Synecdoche, New York

Best Adapted Screenplay:

Eric Roth - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Jonathan Nolan - The Dark Knight
Peter Morgan - Frost/Nixon
Simon Beaufoy - Slumdog Millionaire
David Hare - The Reader
Sneaking in through the side door...: Justin Haythe - Revolutionary Road

Best Cinematography:

Claudio Miranda - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Roger Deakins - Revolutionary Road
Roger Deakins and Chris Menges - The Reader
Anthony Dod Mantle - Slumdog Millionaire
Wally Pfister - The Dark Knight
Sneaking in through the side door...: Colin Watkinson - The Fall

THE OTHER NOTABLES:

Best Editing:

Slumdog Millionaire
WALL*E
The Dark Knight
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon

Best Art Direction:

Changeling
Revolutionary Road
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Australia
The Dark Knight

Best Costume Design:

Revolutionary Road
Australia
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Duchess
Changeling

Best Sound:

The Dark Knight
Cloverfield
WALL*E
Iron Man
Slumdog Millionaire

Best Sound Mixing:

WALL*E
The Dark Knight
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Defiance
Slumdog Millionaire

Best Original Score:

Revolutionary Road
Slumdog Millionaire
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
WALL*E
The Dark Knight

Best Original Song:

"Jaiho", Slumdog Millionaire
"I Thought I Lost You", Bolt
"Down to Earth", WALL*E
"The Wrestler", The Wrestler
"Gran Torino", Gran Torino

Best Foreign Language Film:

Waltz With Bashir
The Class
Everlasting Moments
The Baader Meinhof Complex
3 Monkeys

Best Documentary Feature:

Man On Wire
Nerakhoon (The Betrayal)
Standard Operating Procedure
Trouble the Water
Encounters at the End of the World

Best Visual Effects:

Hellboy II: The Golden Army
Iron Man
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Best Makeup:

The Dark Knight
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Hellboy II: The Golden Army

Best Animated Feature:

WALL*E
Bolt
Kung Fu Panda

Most nominated films: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (11), The Dark Knight (9), Slumdog Millionaire (8)

There's really no reason for me to do this other than to fake gamble with myself and a few others, but it's as fun a movie game as anything else, and if I've seen all of the nominees (with the exception of four movie listed above, I have), why not do it?

I'll update this space with my final tally tomorrow after the nominees are announced. Doesn't seem worth another post...unless I'm 99 for 99 with these picks...


UPDATED:
Well that was messy. Because Best Original Song is for some reason down to three songs this year instead of five, I ended up being 72 for 97 with these picks, which means...absolutely nothing!

On the Horizon: Movies in 2009

Lots of movies out there on the horizon...

When I first started these "On the Horizon" posts last year, they were almost exclusively movies that I had seen at MSPIFF (the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film Festival), months before their actual release (American Teen, Encounters at the End of the World, etc.). After that was over, I had to play the waiting game with everyone else, maybe seeing movies a week or two before their release, when it would have been worthless to take time for an "On the Horizon" post. So it was kind of a poorly planned idea to begin with.

In any case, the one holdover that has not yet been widely released, Nerakhoon (The Betrayal), is actually still on the horizon. It's on the Oscar shortlist and we'll find out next week if voters will make the right decision and award it a nomination for Best Documentary Feature (especially since they botched the short list selections in the first place). It arrives in Minneapolis in March and I highly recommend it.

In the meantime, here are the major studio releases for 2009 that for some reason grabbed my attention, even though I likely won't see all of them. Because this list is already too long to read, I'm not including documentaries and I'm not including many of the indies that will play at Sundance.


BOLDED are the movies that really I'm hoping won't disappoint. This is going to take a while to read - but it will be worth it if I can help you plan out your schedule in some way, and I'm going to link to it on my sidebar for the next month or so.

_______________________________

JANUARY:

Notorious (opening today): Starring Jamal Woolard, Derek Luke, and Angela Bassett, this biopic of Christopher Wallace better show off a bangin' soundtrack. And it better be good. Tupac's version, Tupac: Resurrection, was a documentary - deservedly nominated for Best Documentary Feature, don't forget. Early word is that Woolard is eerily believable as Biggie.

New in Town: (shudder) Yet another movie set in Minnesota but filmed elsewhere, this time in Winnipeg. Renee Zellweger plays a ditzy blonde who relocates from Miami to Minnesota; ridiculousness ensues. Considering my girlfriend recently moved here from Las Vegas and some of our friends are also transplants from livable locales, there's no way I'm not going to end up seeing this. Somebody help me find the silver lining...

FEBRUARY:

Fanboys: If I can be considered a fanboy of any franchise (and I really hope I can't), it would be Star Wars. It would be biting irony if Fanboys shot to the top of IMDb list due to rabid fanboy voting, as happened with The Dark Knight. Kristen Bell is slated to be in about a movie per month in 2009; this is the first.

The International: I've expressed my love for Tom Tykwer's early films on these pages. No idea what this one is really about but it deserves a spot if only because of Tykwer and Clive Owen. And the poster is intriguing.

New York, I Love You: I don't know if this should be called a spin-off or a sequel or something else in relation to Paris je t'aime, but I've always had a thing for New York. This has the potential to be enchanting or completely forgettable.

Crossing Over: I had this on my sidebar release schedule back in October. After the tenth time its release was delayed I removed it altogether. Let's see what happens. Maybe this should but thrown down with the TBA's. Anyway, I'm pretty clueless about the details but Harrison Ford + Sean Penn + immigration + Los Angeles = me go.

MARCH:

Watchmen: Never read the series and not a huge fan of the superhero trend, but this easily one of the most hyped movies of 2009. I'm not dying to see it, but I'll see it.

Sunshine Cleaning: Had some positive buzz coming out of Sundance last year but it's kind of faded since then. That it was dropped in the usually dead zone that is March might not be a good sign, but Amy Adams, Emily Blunt and Steve Zahn probably work well together.

Adventureland: From the director, but not writer, of Superbad, comes another predictably crass comedy about friends working at an amusement park in 1987. Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig should make this at least worth a few laughs. I also expect a nice soundtrack featuring hair bands.

Monsters vs. Aliens: Only showing up here because Dreamworks Animation really wowed me with Kung Fu Panda last year. This is the kind of movie that gets a huge push because it stars every popular actor and actress in the world right now. And you won't see any of them on screen for one second. Go figure.

APRIL:

Sugar: Next to Ballast this was by far my most anticipated movie out of Sundance last year. From the writing and directing pair of Half Nelson, I'm desperate to see this story about an aspiring baseball player from the Dominican Republic. Just in time for the start of the baseball season, to boot.

Observe and Report: I wasn't too hot about The Foot Fist Way last year, but I'll consider this a second shot for writer/director Jody Hill because it stars Seth Rogen. If people haven't seen Foot Fist, and the tone is anything like that one, I think they're going to be in for a surprise.

O'Horten: Highly regarded Norwegian dramedy about a fateful moment for a retiring train engineer. Sounds riveting I know, but this is one of those you just see on a lark.

The Soloist: True story about a homeless guy and a journalist in L.A., played by Jamie Foxx and Robert Downey, Jr., respectively. Although this was delayed from last November to this April, there is still some buzz about Oscar nominations next year. I'm going to keep my expectations moderate.

MAY:

Star Trek: I'm no Trekkie and I'm not a fan of J.J. Abrams. This marks the official opening of summer movie season, though, so I'll be there. Simon Pegg might ease the pain, but Eric Bana is sure to ruin a few scenes.

Bruno: Sacha Baron Cohen returns with another sure-to-offend movie about the fashion industry, which sure deserves to be offended.

Terminator Salvation: It's almost impossible to expect that director "McG" won't take James Cameron's brilliant, seminal franchise ten steps back, but I officially see anything starring Christian Bale. I just can't believe this guy calls himself "McG".

Up: Pixar. If you're wondering if there's anything else you need to know other than that, there's not.

JUNE:

Land of the Lost: Starring Will Ferrell and my up-and-coming favorite Danny McBride - "Three adults inadvertently stumble into a mysterious land populated by dinosaurs and other creatures, including the mysterious and dangerous race of Sleestak." Uh...

The Taking of Pelham 123: I really need to see the original before I see this remake starring Denzel Washington and John Travolta about a hijacked NYC subway train. Might be an early summer gem. Or a joke.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen: Though I really doubt it will tank, if if it does maybe Shia LaBeouf will get back to serious acting. Consider this also Megan Fox's official coming-out party.

JULY:

Public Enemies: Another early Oscar talk-about, this Michael Mann thriller about 1930's gangsters features a literal dream cast led by Christian Bale, Johnny Depp and Channing Tatum (who deserves a big break). I didn't like Mann's Miami Vice, but the cast alone should save this one from disaster.

2012: Roland Emmerich continues his time travel expedition, going from 10,000 B.C. (which I skipped) to three years from now, when a Mayan calendar predicts the apocalypse. I'm interested by the cast alone.

500 Days of Summer: Indie comedy starring the promising Joseph Gordon-Levitt. One of the co-writers is also the many behind this summer's Pink Panther sequel, so that's kind of a troubling sign.

Funny People: It seems like ages since a movie with Judd Apatow's name on it has come out, even though it's only been a few months. He must have caught wind about people tiring of his brand - what was that like a dozen movies in three years? This one stars Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen, Apatow's wife Leslie Mann, Jonah Hill, and oh great, Eric Bana. Front-runner for worst title of the year.

AUGUST:

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra: I spent hours on end playing with G.I. Joe action figures when I was younger, so I at least owe this one some consideration. No? Hmm, well it does star Channing Tatum and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, but I'm guessing there isn't going to be as much acting as there is action.

Taking Woodstock: Ang Lee directs an adaptation of a novel about the fateful origins of the famous music festival. Starring Emile Hirsch in what I'm assuming is a starring role, this has to feature a great soundtrack at the very least.

Inglourious Basterds: Quentin Tarantino returns with a WWII action-adventure starring a typically bizarre cast, everyone from Brad Pitt to Mike Myers. It might not be as good as the hype, but there's hardly a chance that it will be boring. Possible Oscar sleeper.

SEPTEMBER:

The Informant: Steven Soderbergh follows up Che with a thriller about Big Agriculture. I think. Starring Matt Damon and, well that's good enough. Another possible Oscar contender.

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs: Yep, they've adapted this great book into an animated movie featuring the voices of Bill Hader, Anna Faris, and James Caan. Maybe I'll just read the book again.

Jennifer's Body: Yet another movie set in Minnesota but filmed elsewhere, this time in Vancouver - just like Juno, which was also written by OSCAR WINNER "Diablo Cody". I'd have to try to be less interested in this, but I know myself well enough to know that buzz may motivate me to see it.

OCTOBER:

A Serious Man: Yet another movie set in Minnesota but filmed- hey! Wait a minute, this was actually filmed here! Only great things can be expected from the Coen brothers in their return to their home state. Tickets might as well go on sale for this next week; the lines are going to stretch for miles. I say just devote one day state-wide and show it on every available screen to prevent riots at the box office. Possible Best Picture nominee.

Where the Wild Things Are: Lots of reasons for this adaptation of the children's book to sound appealing, not the least of which are the involvement of Spike Jonze, Dave Eggers and Forest Whitaker. Plus, it's not animated. I just home Jonze keeps the CGI to a minimum.

Amelia: Hilary Swank throws down for her third Best Actress Oscar in this biopic of Amelia Earhart, also starring Ewan McGregor and directed by Mira Nair (Monsoon Wedding, The Namesake).

NOVEMBER:

The Box: Richard Kelly sure made a splash with Donnie Darko, but I was pretty harsh on his last effort, Southland Tales. This one, starring James Marsden, Cameron Diaz, and Frank Langella, sounds typically trippy. As I said in the Southland review: "I'll see his next film only because he's proven he can make a great one, but I'm going to be reeaaly wary."

The Fantastic Mr. Fox: Wes Anderson directs this animated adaptation of the Roald Dahl novel. Hmm...featuring the voice of George Clooney, Cate Blanchett, and the rest of the Wes Anderson Players (Bill Murray, Jason Schwartzman, et. al.).

Sherlock Holmes: Can Guy Ritchie adapt his trademark style to this detective story? Starring Robert Downey, Jr. and Jude Law as Holmes and Watson, respectively, this also might be in line for some Oscar nominations for acting and design/costumes.

A Christmas Carol: I'm not sure why The Polar Express is never mentioned as one of the great modern Christmas movies, but maybe the success of this one, which was also directed by Robert Zemeckis, will get it some attention. Heck, maybe it will get Zemeckis some attention at all. For a guy who has directed some classic movies (The Back to the Future trilogy, Forrest Gump, Contact), he's devoted himself to this 3-D animation deal for the last decade, only having made Express and Beowulf. This classic story has the best potential of them all: Jim Carrey, Robin Wright Penn, Colin Firth, and Gary Oldman.

Nine: Rob Marshall, whose Chicago took home Best Picture less than a decade ago, goes for it again with this adaptation of the Broadway musical. I know none of the songs to this show, but what does this cast do for you?: Daniel Day-Lewis, Marion Cotillard, Penelope Cruz, Judi Dench, and Nicole Kidman. Other than Kidman, can the rest of them sing? We'll find out. Certain to get multiple Oscar nominations, including one for Best Picture.

DECEMBER:

The Lovely Bones: If I were to make insanely early Oscar picks, which I don't, this would be the front runner for Best Picture. I haven't read the book and I have no desire to. At this point the same goes for the movie, but with Mark Wahlberg and Rachel Weisz receiving direction from Peter Jackson (who, let's be honest, is going to be a lot more interested in how it looks), I won't be able to ignore the buzz.

Avatar: James Cameron, please blow my mind again. The brilliant visionary and the man behind Aliens, The Terminator (and T2, but not T3 or the aforementioned Salvation), The Abyss, and True Lies returns to the director's chair for his first major feature since Titanic. Visual effects have come a long way in the last decade so it will be interesting to see what he unveils this time around.

The Princess and the Frog: Disney goes retro with a hand-drawn animated film, and their first to star a black princess. How long did that take?

The Human Factor: While it's beginning to look less likely that Gran Torino will get a Best Picture nod next week, this Clint Eastwood-directed Nelson Mandela biopic starring Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon has to have a great shot at one next year. Please be good.

TBA:

There's a better than 50/50 chance that half of these won't see a theater screen in 2009, but some of them have major potential to be excellent. You have a life, so I'm going to make this quick.

Apples - Bobby Cannavale (if that doesn't mean anything to you, then forget it)

The Boat That Rocked - Richard Curtis, writer of Love Actually and Notting Hill

Brief Interviews With Hideous Men - indie adaptation of story by the late genius David Foster Wallace

Broken Embraces - new Pedro Almodovar movie, starring guess who, Penelope Cruz

Cold Souls - dramedy staring Paul Giamatti as a guy searching for his soul

Couples Retreat - comedy starring Vince Vaughn, Jon Favreau, Jason Bateman, and...Jean Reno?

Endgame - drama about the fall of the apartheid regime in South Africa, starring Chiwetel Ejiofor

The Fighter - Darren Aronofsky (Requiem for a Dream, The Wrestler), Mark Wahlberg, and maybe Brad Pitt

Green Zone - Paul Greengrass (United 93) and Matt Damon re-team for a non-Bourne movie

The Hurt Locker - Guy Pearce and Ralph Fiennes in an Iraq War movie. Early buzz is very positive

The Missing Person - Michael Shannon (Revolutionary Road) and Amy Ryan (Gone Baby Gone) in a neo-noir mystery

Mr. Nobody - Jared Leto plays a guy who mysteriously lives well into his 100's; sounds like Benjamin Button

The Mysteries of Pittsburgh - Based on a Michael Chabon novel, starring Sienna Miller, Nick Nolte, and Peter Sarsgaard

The Poughkeepsie Tapes - Long anticipated horror movie made by Minnesotan brothers (and Coens brothers look-alikes) Drew and John Erick Dowdle

The Road - Another possible Best Picture nominee, this adaptation of the popular Cormac McCarthy novel stars Viggo Mortenson and Charlize Theron and has seen its release delayed at least once already

Rudo y Cursi - Soccer comedy that marks the reunion of members of the Y Tu Mama Tambien team: Screenwriter Carlos Cuaron and actors Gael Garcia Bernal and Diego Luna

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That's enough, I think.

So are you looking forward to any of these?