Wells came out with his preview of the summer blockbusters yesterday (“Not-So-Bad Summer“), which didn’t say anything I’m guessing most of us didn’t already know. Most of the great films usually come out of left-field, so I figured I’d list the small Hollywood films I’m anticipating this year, which aren’t expected to sweep the box-office, or win any awards, but could turn out to be gems none the less.
1. Borat
Man, if you don’t know Borat…
Release: November
2. Crank
Let’s see if everyone agrees on this one:
Jason Statham is the modern heir to the action-hero mantle laid off by Schwarzenegger, Willis and Stallone. He may not have Willis’ charm, Schwarzeneggers über-brawn or the sympathetic working-class quality that Stallone had, but he has something in between. The Transporter films have made at least his face known among action fans, the only thing that’s been missing is a proper hit. I’m betting that Crank might be it.
In the film Statham plays the assassin Chev, who at the start of the film is injected by a disgruntled victim in LA with a poison that will kill him unless he keeps his adrenaline flow high and going for 24 hours. So Chev goes on a total rampage throughout LA.
If done right this could be like Falling Down without all those moral issues making a mess of things towards the end.
Release: September
Along with making A Scanner Darkly Richard Linklater filmed this one, an ensemble drama on – you guessed it, you genius you – fast food. Something about the whole package here has me anticipating this one, a lot. I think it’s the thought of “Traffic – with hamburgers”. That and a cast consisting of Luis Guzman, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Kris Kristofferson, Bobby Cannavale (who was great in Station Agent), Ethan Hawke and Avril Lavigne(?).
Linklater going back to doing a film about modern day youth is reason enough, really.
Release: Summer?
I’m of the persuasion that even with science-fiction films that go really wrong, I can usually find something interesting or watchable. Even movies like The Island, Aeon Flux and Sky Captain, terrible as they were, had some cool ideas and sequences. Sue me.
And when they go right, they go really right. Films like V for Vendetta, Serenity, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Donnie Darko were all sci-fi films released this decade. None of them won any Oscars, but they were all great films.
The premise of Children of Men may sound like a potential yawner: in a near future where mankind is unable to have children, a woman has gotten pregnant. The film follows her and her bodyguard’s journey through a ravaged England to deliver her to safety.
Two things make this a must-see,
1) It’s being directed by Alfonso Cuaron.
2) The cast: Julianne Moore, Clive Owen, Michael Caine, Peter Mullan, Danny Huston and Chiwetel Eijofor (whey!).
Release: September
The talk about United 93 is mainly over whether it’s ‘too soon’ (don’t agree with this, but I’m not one of the wounded parties, so). I hope the same sentiments won’t apply to future coverage of the Katrina disaster. And is it irony or tragedy that the same sentiments probably won’t?
Spike Lee has been working on this for HBO since september last year, and will show it on the channel for the disaster’s one year anniversary.
This being Spike Lee one can guess what his focus will be, and I hope he stirs up debate, I hope he sets out to be controversial, but mainly I hope he sets out to do something more than a filmed Kanye comment. There were admirable deeds done during those days, but compared to 9-11 this was a very different aftermath, and why was that? Spike shall deliver.
When it comes to what happened in New Orleans there’s no ‘too soon.’ There hasn’t been enough.
Release: August 29th on HBO
