The "Unofficial" Best Films of 2011

2011 is at an end as everyone is posting their year-end list of the best films of 2011. Well, these lists for me are never-ending as there's a lot of films that haven't been seen and all of that. There's still a bunch of films I'm trying to see as some haven't arrived in Atlanta just yet. Here are the films I'm trying to see that are playing in theaters right now or are set to arrive in theaters in the coming weeks: Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, The Artist, A Dangerous Method, Carnage, and A Separation.

Then there's foreign film titles like The Kid with a Bike, Once Upon a Time in Antola, and Turn Me On, Dammit! plus whatever possible foreign film Oscar nominees that I want to see. There's also Le Havre that I want to see and some other 2011 films that I've missed out.

Among the films of 2011 that I'm eager to see are: Win, Win, The Future, Senna, Attack the Block, Bellflower, Into the Abyss, Martha Marcy May Marlene, The Interrupters, Rampart, Beats, Rhymes, and Life, Rango, Terri, Project Nim, and Rise of the Planet of the Apes.

I've thought about putting Like Crazy, Another Earth, and Restless in there but considering the lukewarm reviews it has received. I'd rather wait till they arrive on TV. Beginners and Meek's Cutoff I know have been in some 2011 lists but since they've played festivals in 2010, I consider them to be 2010 films. There's a downside for me when it comes to these lists as I consider myself to be a perfectionist when I do these things. So the list you're going to see is an unofficial list. Until I catch up with all of the good films of 2011, I will create an official and "final" list. Here is the Unofficial 25 Films of 2011... so far:

1. The Tree of Life

2. Drive

3. We Need to Talk About Kevin

4. Shame

5. Melancholia

6. Midnight in Paris

7. The Descendants

8. Hugo

9. Take Shelter

10. The Skin I Live In

11. 50/50

12. Young Adult

13. Moneyball

14. George Harrison: Living in the Material World

15. Pearl Jam Twenty

16. The Ides of March

17. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

18. The Muppets

19. My Week with Marilyn

20. Contagion

21. Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2

22. Memphis Heat: The True Story of Memphis Wrasslin'

23. Hanna

24. Source Code

25. From the Sky Down

Honorable Mentions: Circumstance, X-Men: First Class, The Green Hornet, & Sleeping Beauty.

There isn't going to be a worst films list as I don't consider Sucker Punch nor Cars 2 to be among the worst films of that year. I will say that of the 2011 films that I was able to see on TV. Films like The Roommate, Just Go with It, Hall Pass, and Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son are pretty much far worse than the mediocre films I went to see in 2011. Yet, I don't think any of those films will be as a bad as something like Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star, Transformers 3, Green Lantern, or anything else that is from Adam Sandler or Michael Bay. Next time, if a film I want to see is playing nearby that is getting pretty lukewarm reviews. I better make sure I see something else with it that is very good.

Well, that's pretty much all I have to say for now. I'll have another 2011 list once I am able to catch up on everything else that was out worldwide and make a definitive list as well as do one for 2010 that I didn't get a chance to do.

The Year-End Reflections of 2011

Well, it's pretty much been a thrilling year for me considering that I spent 2010 going through personal issues, leaving Epinions.com, and try to get myself back into writing. After all, 2011 had me do more essays and bigger projects that gave me more to do while I also got to finish a screenplay and I've got a few other script projects in the works as outlines. Overall, I would say I had a pretty incredible year.

I think the big thing for me this year was the fact that I was able to expand my horizons as far as the world of film is concerned. I knew there were filmmakers that either I haven't been familiar with or filmmakers I've heard of but don't know enough of their work. There were also films that I discovered and became big fans of. In the world of music, not much happened other than a few re-discoveries and some discoveries I've made during that whole period when I did my 1991-20 project for at my music blog. Here is a list of the 10 Best Things that Happened for Me This Year.

1. The Tree of Life

If anyone missed this film on the big screen, it's a big loss as I would probably rank it as one of the best cinematic experiences I've ever had. Largely because it's unlike anything I had seen in film that was on a big screen. It just took me on a journey and I didn't want to end although I left the Tara Theater confused and bewildered over what I saw. More importantly as a critic, I would say of all the reviews I wrote that year. That was the hardest because it defied everything I knew about plot conventions and storytelling. Even when I was finished, I still felt having to tinker with it as it's a film I hope to see again while I'm also excited that Terrence Malick will have a few more films coming out in the coming years.

2. Lynne Ramsay/Morvern Callar

Before May of 2011, I only heard of Lynne Ramsay by name and the fact that she was considered one of the best filmmakers working today by the Guardian. After doing the Cannes marathon that May, everything changed as I became a fan of her work where I recently did an Auteurs piece on her. It was Morvern Callar that really became the film that introduced me to her as I was entranced by what she does as a filmmaker and let things fold without dialogue. It certainly gave me ideas on what I would do if I ever become a filmmaker.

3. The New Discoveries

There's always something about doing marathons or take part in a LAMB Movie of the Month which is to make some discoveries. Along with Lynne Ramsay, there's filmmakers that I'm glad to discover like Nicolas Winding Refn, Steve McQueen, Andrea Arnold, Jacques Audiard, and Jeff Nichols. Even veterans like Abbas Kiarostami, Robert Bresson, Andrei Tarkovsky, Powell & Pressburger, Alain Resnais, Carlos Saura, Chantal Akerman, and many others allowed me to realize a whole new world is out there away from the confines of Hollywood.

4. Re-Discovering the Cure

The Cure was a band I've always enjoyed but never delve back into their catalog as I was disappointed by their last studio album. Then I heard about these Reflection shows where the band played their first three albums with returning keyboardist Roger O'Donnell and original drummer/keyboardist Lol Tolhurst rejoining the group for these shows. It gave me the chance to re-discover the band throughout the entire catalog where I found some new favorites and realized there was a whole lot more to the band than just Pornography, Disintegration, and all of the Goth-pop stuff as I hope whatever new album they make would be a return to those early recordings.

5. Essays, Screenplays, & All Sorts of Crazy Shit.

While last year had me do a couple of director-based essays that I called the Auteurs, it gave me the chance to expand my range as a writer while writing about films also did things. The 1991-20 project really gave me the chance to stretch myself more as I originally went for something simpler but it ended up becoming much bigger than that. Writing these essays and doing all of these things definitely gave me a break from writing reviews while doing the screenplay stuff also gave me an outlet to try and make something of my own as I did finally finish a script called Ugly last month as I'm now in the process of working on two outlines for the moment.

6. New Musical Discoveries.

With a lot that is going on in the world of music, I will confess that I found the music year of 2011 to be uninspiring. There's some pretty good albums here and there that came out this year but nothing that really grabbed me. Particularly with rock as I've become very disenchanted with that genre as the big discovery I've made this year was in the band Talk Talk and their 1991 album Laughing Stock which was different from everything that I was hearing on top 40 radio or in mainstream rock. I also made discoveries in bands like Spacemen 3, Kraftwerk, and Slint. I like to find something new that excites me whether it's an old band or something just so I can feel good.

7. CM Punk & Zack Ryder

I'm a longtime pro wrestling fan for about 20 years going back to the days of WCW and WWE in the early 90s and watching the Monday Night Wars unfold. Though I think the current product of WWE isn't as exciting as it once was during the Attitude Era of the late 1990s and early 2000s when there were the likes of Stone Cold Steve Austin, Mick Foley, HHH, Chris Jericho, and THE MOST ELECTRIFYING MAN IN ALL OF ENTERTAINMENT in the Rock. There has been a few guys that has kept me excited. One is CM Punk who definitely has an attitude that isn't seen much in pro wrestling as he's a guy that has built his career up for many years and is now the WWE champ. Then there's Zack Ryder, a young wrestler who was definitely lost in the shuffle by a lot of superstars as he used the Internet by having his own Internet show and is now the United States Champion. With another Internet sensation in Bryan Danielson the World Champion WWE's Smackdown, it's a good year for the Internet marks.

8. Minimalist Filmmaking

For me, films with lots of plot, dialogue, exposition, and such tend to bore these days. There's too much to grasp into and at times, it lags the pace for me. Films like Morvern Callar, Somewhere, Last Year at Marienbad, and Jeanne Dielman 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles have really shown the idea where it's all about images telling the story rather than some form of dialogue, exposition, and action. These films definitely gave me ideas for the script I had been working on for months as well as the other ideas I've been having.

9. Expanding the DVD library

Thank goodness for Barnes & Nobles Criterion DVD sales. It gives me the chance to gather whatever money I've saved and blow it on DVDs where I can assemble an awesome collection. Definitely to the people who often come to my parents house where they would be in my room and see the films I have where it's likely that they have never seen these films. For me, my DVD collection represents exactly who I am as I hope to expand more for 2012 and actually be a show off for once. That's the only thing I'll flaunt, my DVD collection.

10. The Bloggers

I have to give love the bloggers that I constantly read every day and to those that comment on my blog. So, I just want to thank James @ Cinemas Sights, Ed @ Between the Seats, Bill of Bill's Movie Emporium, The guys @ Big Thoughts from a Small Mind, Bryce @ Things Don't Suck, The Final Girl Project, The Gang @ Anomalous Material, Andrew of gmanReviews, Ryan of the Matinee, Dan of Dan the Man's Movie Reviews, Film Intel, Alex of the Film Forager, Norma of The Flick Chick, Jake of Not Just Movies, Bonjour Tristesse, Andy of Andy Buckle's Film Emporium, http://filmjunkie25.blogspot.com/">Steeve of Cinematic Paradox, Cinema Du Meep, Laura of City Lights, Phil of Phil on Film, John of John Likes Movies, Leysa of Eternity of Dream, Jessica of the Velvet Cafe, Sam of Duke & the Movies, Alex of And So it Begins..., and Joel of Deny Everything. Thank you all for giving me something to read other than a bunch of dumb posts from the IMDB and the idiotic Epinions.com.

Well, that is it for 2011 as I will post one more review before the end of the New Year. Until then, I will close with what is undoubtedly one of the best wrestling promos eh-eh-eh-eh-eh-ever!!!!

Take care, spike your hair, woo-woo-woo, you know it!

(C) thevoid99 2011

The Most Anticipated Films of 2011 (Pt. 2)

50 More 2011 Releases

Action/Blockbusters

Cowboys vs. Aliens

Directed by Jon Favreau. Screenplay by Damon Lindelof, Alex Kurtzman, and Roberto Orci. Based on the graphic novel by Scott Mitchell Rosenberg. Starring Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford, Olivia Wilde, Sam Rockwell, Paul Dano, Adam Beach, Ana de la Reguera, and Clancy Brown.

Green Lantern

Directed by Martin Campbell. Screenplay by Greg Berlanti, Michael Green, Marc Guggenheim, and Michael Goldenberg. Based on the comic book by Bill Finger, Martin Nodell, John Broome, and Gil Kane. Starring Ryan Reynolds, Mark Strong, Blake Lively, Peter Sarsgaard, Angela Basset, and Tim Robbins.

Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol

Directed by Brad Bird. Screenplay by Andre Nemic, Josh Applebaum, and J.J. Abrams. Based on the TV show by Bruce Gellar. Starring Tom Cruise, Ving Rhames, Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg, Josh Holloway, Paula Patton, Mikael Nyqvist, Lea Seydoux, and Anil Kapoor.

Drive Angry

Directed by Patrick Lussier. Written by Todd Farmer and Patrick Lussier. Starring Nicolas Cage, Amber Heard, Katy Mixon, David Morse, Christa Campbell, and William Fichtner.

Battle: Los Angeles

Directed by Jonathan Liebesman. Written by Christopher Bertolini. Starring Aaron Eckhart, Michelle Rodriguez, Michael Pena, and Bridget Moynahan.

Spy Kids 4: All the Time in the World

Written and Directed by Robert Rodriguez. Starring Jessica Alba, Joel McHale, Danny Trejo, Alexa Vega, Daryl Sabara, Jeremy Piven, and Antonio Banderas.

I Am Number Four

Directed by D.J. Caruso. Screenplay by Alfred Gough, Miles Millar, and Marti Nixon. Based on the novel by Jobie Hughes & James Frey. Starring Alex Pettyfer, Timothy Olyphant, Dianna Agron, Teresa Palmer, and Kevin Durand.

The Eagle

Directed by Kevin McDonald. Screenplay by Jeremy Brock. Based on the book The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff. Starring Channing Tatum, Jamie Bell, Mark Strong, and Donald Sutherland.

In the world of action films and blockbusters, there’s stuff to offer that can satisfy fans of big time blockbusters. One of those films will be Jon Favreau’s Cowboys & Aliens where Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford play cowboys who fight off against aliens. Ryan Reynolds becomes Green Lantern for another superhero from a comic book. Tom Cruise goes for another Mission: Impossible film but it looks more promising with Brad Bird helming his first live-action feature film plus Jeremy Renner sharing the screen.

Nicolas Cage comes back from hell to seek revenge in Drive Angry. Aaron Eckhart and Michelle Rodriguez are in a huge war against aliens in Battle: Los Angeles. Robert Rodriguez returns for another Spy Kids as Jessica Alba becomes the new Cortez to help train her kids. Alex Pettyfer plays a young alien who fights to protect Earth from a dark nemesis in I Am Number Four. Kevin McDonald goes back to the age of the Romans in The Eagle

Comedies

2010 was a very dismal year for comedies as they weren’t anything that to really laugh at. 2011 looks more promising with the return of two masters of comedies in Judd Apatow and the Farrelly Brothers. Even as they’re more projects that will give filmgoers something to laugh at.

Take Me Home Tonight

Directed by Michael Dowse. Screenplay by Jackie & Jeff Filgo. Story by Topher Grace and Gordon Kaywin. Starring Topher Grace, Anna Faris, Teresa Palmer, Dan Fogler, Demetri Martin, Robert Hoffman, Emma Stone, and Michelle Trachtenberg.

Bridesmaids

Directed by Paul Feig. Written by Annie Mumolo and Kristen Wiig. Starring Kristen Wiig, Rose Byrne, Maya Rudolph, Jon Hamm, Melissa McCarthy, Kali Hawk, and Jill Clayburgh.

Zookeeper

Directed by Frank Coraci. Screenplay by Kevin James, Nick Backay, Rock Reuben, and Scott Armstrong. Story by Jay Scherick and David Ronn. Starring Kevin James, Rosario Dawson, Leslie Bibb, Ken Jeong, Donnie Wahlberg, and Jim Breuer plus the voices of Adam Sandler, Sylvester Stallone, Cher, Judd Apatow, Jon Favreau, Faizon Love, Maya Rudolph, and Billy Crystal.

Wanderlust

Directed by David Wain. Screenplay by David Wain and Ken Marino. Story by David Wain. Starring Paul Rudd, Jennifer Aniston, Malin Akerman, Justin Theroux, Lauren Ambrose, Joe Lo Truglio, Kathryn Hahn, and Alan Alda.

Bad Teacher

Directed by Jake Kasdan. Written by Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky. Starring Cameron Diaz, Justin Timberlake, Amy Punch, John Michael Higgins, and Thomas Lennon.

Friends with Benefits

Directed by Will Gluck. Written by Will Gluck and Keith Merryman. Starring Justin Timberlake, Mila Kunis, Woody Harrelson, Emma Stone, Patricia Clarkson, and Richard Jenkins.

The Hangover Pt. II

Directed by Todd Phillips. Screenplay by Todd Phillips and Scot Armstrong. Starring Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifianakis, Justin Bartha, Ed Helms, Ken Jeong, and Jamie Chung.

Cedar Rapids

Directed by Miguel Arteta. Written by Phil Johnson. Starring Ed Helms, John C. Reilly, Anne Heche, Alia Shawkat, Stephen Root, Isaiah Whitlock Jr., Kurtwood Smith, and Sigourney Weaver.

Hall Pass

Directed by Bobby & Peter Farrelly. Written by Bobby Farrelly, Peter Farrelly, and Kevin Barnett. Starring Owen Wilson, Jason Sudeikis, Jenna Fischer, Christina Applegate, Alyssa Milano, Vanessa Angel, Stephen Merchant, Joy Behar, and Richard Jenkins.

Arthur

Directed by Jason Winer. Screenplay by Jared Stern and Peter Baynham. Characters based on the 1981 film by Steve Gordon. Starring Russell Brand, Greta Gerwig, Jennifer Garner, Nick Nolte, and Helen Mirren.

Crazy, Stupid, Love

Directed by Glen Ficarra and John Requa. Written by Dan Fogelman. Starring Steve Carell, Julianne Moore, Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, Marisa Tomei, and Kevin Bacon.

In Take Me Home Tonight, Topher Grace and Anna Faris play twins going to a party in the 1980s for their final night of their youth. In Bridesmaids, Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolph help try to plan the ultimate wedding in a comedy produced by Judd Apatow. Kevin James is The Zookeeper as he is confronted by talking animals as they help win the heart of Rosario Dawson. Jennifer Aniston and Paul Rudd leave yuppie-dom and discover the world nudist colonies in Wanderlust. In Bad Teacher, Cameron Diaz battles Amy Punch for the affections of a new substitute teacher in Justin Timberlake while he also gets very friendly with best friend Mila Kunis in Friends with Benefits.

Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifianakis, Ed Helms, and Justin Bartha return for the sequel to The Hangover as they go for more mayhem but in Bangkok. In Miguel Arteta’s Cedar Rapids, Ed Helms tries to save his company after his boss died of auto-erotic asphyxiation. Owen Wilson and Jason Sudeikis decide to switch wives for the Farrelly Brothers comedy Hall Pass. Russell Brand plays the legendary role that made Dudley Moore a superstar in a remake of Arthur with Helen Mirren playing Sir John Gielgud’s role. In Crazy, Stupid, Love, Steve Carell turns to Ryan Gosling to make him a ladies man all over again.

Dramas

The Adjustment Bureau

Written for the Screen and Directed by George Nolfi. Based on the short story Adjustment Team by Phillip K. Dick. Starring Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Anthony Mackie, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Michael Kelly, and John Slattery.

Larry Crowne

Directed by Tom Hanks. Written by Tom Hanks and Nia Vardalos. Starring Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Bryan Cranston, Taraji P. Henson, Nia Vardalos, Jon Seda, Pam Grier, and Cedric the Entertainer.

Unknown

Directed by Juame Collet-Serra. Screenplay by Oliver Butcher and Stephen Cromwell. Based on the novel Out of My Head by Didier van Cauwelaert. Starring Liam Neeson, January Jones, Diane Krueger, Aidan Quinn, Bruno Ganz, and Frank Langella.

Jane Eyre

Directed by Cary Fukanuga. Screenplay by Moira Buffini. Based on the novel by Charlotte Bronte. Starring Mia Wasikowska, Michael Fassbender, Sally Hawkins, Jamie Bell, Imogen Poots, and Judi Dench.

The Lincoln Lawyer

Directed by Brad Furman. Written by Michael Connelly. Starring Matthew McConaughey, Marisa Tomei, Ryan Phillippe, William H. Macy, Bryan Cranston, John Leguizamo, Josh Lucas, and Frances Fisher.

There isn’t a lot of films that are more geared towards adults for 2011 though the films they offer this year does have some promise. Matt Damon plays an aspiring politician who falls for Emily Blunt as they evade some forces in The Adjustment Bureau. Tom Hanks returns to the director’s chair since 1996’s That Thing You Do! for a comedy-drama about a middle-aged man who goes back to college as he falls for a professor played by Jullia Roberts in Larry Crowne. Liam Neeson tries to find his identity in Unknown while Mia Wasikowska is Jane Eyre in a new adaptation by Cary Fukunaga. In The Lincoln Lawyer, Matthew McConaughey is a slick lawyer who realizes that is client is in fact guilty as he faces his own dilemma.

Family Films

The Muppets

Directed by James Bobin & Jason Segal. Screenplay by Nicholas Stoller and Jason Segal. Based on characters created by Jim Henson. Starring The Muppets, Jason Segal, Amy Adams, Chris Cooper, and Rashida Jones.

Cars 2

Directed by John Lasseter and Brad Lewis. Featuring the voices of Owen Wilson, Larry the Cable Guy, Emily Mortimer, Jason Issacs, Joe Mantegna, Thomas Krestchmann, Peter Jacobson, and Sir Michael Caine.

Kung Fu Panda 2

Directed by Jennifer Yuh Nelson. Screenplay by Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger. Featuring the voices of Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Dustin Hoffman, Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu, Jackie Chan, David Cross, James Hong, James Wood, Michelle Yeoh, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Victor Garber, and Gary Oldman.

Mars Needs Moms

Directed by Simon Wells. Screenplay by Simon Wells and Wendy Wells. Based on the novel by Berkley Breathed. Featuring the voices of Seth Rogen, Joan Cusack, Elisabeth Harnois, Dan Fogler, Mindy Sterling, Breckin Meyer, and Billy Dee Williams.

Winnie the Pooh

Directed by Stephen Anderson and Don Hall. Screenplay by Burny Mattinson. Based on characters by A.A. Milne. Narration by John Cleese. Featuring the voices of Jim Cummings, Tom Kenny, Craig Ferguson, Travis Oates, and Bud Luckey.

Rio

Directed by Carlos Saldanha. Screenplay by Don Rhymer. Featuring the voices of Jesse Eisenberg, Anne Hathaway, Jane Lynch, George Lopez, Jake T. Austin, Tracy Morgan, Leslie Mann, will.i.am., Jermaine Clement, and Jamie Foxx.

Rango

Directed by Gore Verbinski. Screenplay by John Logan. Story by John Logan, Gore Verbinski, and James Bykrit. Featuring the voices of Johnny Depp, Isla Fisher, Abigail Breslin, Alfred Molina, Bill Nighy, Timothy Olyphant, Alanna Ulbach, Ray Winstone, and Harry Dean Stanton.

Gnomeo & Juliet

Directed by Kelly Asbury. Screenplay by Kelly Asbury, Andy Riley, Mark Burton, Emily Cook, Kathy Greenburg, Kevin Cecil, and Steve Hamilton Shaw. Based on Romeo & Juliet by William Shakespeare. Featuring the voices of James McAvoy, Emily Blunt, Jason Statham, Ashley Jensen, Maggie Smith, Patrick Stewart, Michael Caine, Matt Lucas, Ozzy Osbourne, Julie Walters, Richard Wilson, Dolly Parton, and Hulk Hogan.

There’s something for everyone in the world of family films as there’s a slew that will be entertaining for kids but also might give adults something more fulfilling as well. The Muppets will return to the big screen following a long-decade hiatus with help from Jason Segal. Pixar returns with a sequel to 2006’s Cars as Lightning McQueen and Mater go international while dealing with spies who mistake Mater as a super-spy. Dreamworks Animation also make a sequel to 2008’s Kung Fu Panda as Po and the Furious Five team up with new creatures to fight a fearsome enemy. Disney Animations has two features lined up in different styles. The first is the 3D computer-animated film about a boy who tries to save his kidnapped mom from Martians in Mars Needs Moms. The second is a traditional 2D hand-drawn animation tale of Winnie the Pooh who makes his big screen return.

20th Century Fox animations go to Brazil for the adventure comedy Rio. Gore Verbinski of Pirates of the Caribbean fame reunites with Johnny Depp for a computer-animated western involving lizards and other creatures in Rango. Finally, a new re-telling of William Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet is told in the form of a new computer-animated with gnomes called Gnomeo & Juliet.

Sci-Fi/Horror/Thrillers

Hanna

Directed by Joe Wright. Screenplay by Joe Wright, David Farr, Seth Lochhead, and Joe Penhall. Story by Seth Lochhead. Starring Saoirse Ronan, Cate Blanchett, Eric Bana, Olivia Williams, Jason Flemyng, and Tom Hollander.

Sherlock Holmes 2

Directed by Guy Ritchie. Screenplay by Kiernan Mulroney & Michele Mulroney. Based on the Sherlock Holmes stories by Arthur Conan Doyle. Starring Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Rachel McAdams, Nooni Rapace, Kelly Reilly, Eddie Marsan, Stephen Fry, and Jared Harris.

The Cabin in the Woods

Directed by Drew Goddard. Written by Drew Goddard & Joss Whedon. Starring Richard Jenkins, Bradley Whitford, Jesse Williams, Chris Hemsworth, Anna Hutchinson, Jodelle Ferland, and Amy Acker.

Rise of the Apes

Directed by Rupert Wyatt. Written by Amanda Silver, Rick Jaffa, and Jamie Moss. Starring James Franco, Frieda Pinto, John Lithgow, Andy Serkis, Tom Felton, David Hewlett, and Brian Cox.

The Darkest Hour

Directed by Chris Gorak. Written by Leslie Bohem, M.T. Ahern, and Jon Spaihts. Starring Olivia Thirlby, Emile Hirsch, Joel Kinnaman, Rachael Taylor, and Max Minghella.

The Rite

Directed by Mikael Hafstrom. Written by Matt Baglio and Michael Petroni. Starring Anthony Hopkins, Colin O’Donoghue, Alice Braga, Maria Grazia Cucinotta, Ciaran Hinds, Toby Jones, Franco Nero, and Rutger Hauer.

Super 8

Written & Directed by J.J. Abrams. Starring Elle Fanning, Kyle Chandler, Ally Michalka, Ron Eldard, Noah Emmerich, and Zach Mills.

Scream 4

Directed by Wes Craven. Written by Kevin Williamson. Starring Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox, David Arquette, Emma Roberts, Rory Culkin, Hayden Panettiere, Alison Brie, and Adam Brody.

Source Code

Directed by Duncan Jones. Written by Ben Ripley. Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Vera Farmiga, Michelle Monaghan, Michael Arden, Russell Peters, and Jeffrey Wright.

Straw Dogs

Written for the Screen and Directed by Rod Lurie. Based on story by David Zelag Goodman and Sam Peckinpah. Based on the novel The Siege of Trencher’s Farm by Gordon Williams. Starring James Marsden, Kate Bosworth, Alexander Skarsgard, Dominic Purcell, and James Woods.

Red Riding Hood

Directed by Catherine Hardwicke. Written by David Leslie Johnson. Starring Amanda Seyfried, Virginia Madsen, Julie Christie, Billy Burke, Lukas Haas, and Gary Oldman.

Red State

Written and Directed by Kevin Smith. Starring Michael Parks, John Goodman, Melissa Leo, Michael Angarano, Kyle Gallner, Stephen Root, and Kevin Pollak.

There’s lots of chills and thrills for 2011 and in good supply. Joe Wright reteams with Atonement’s Saoirse Ronan for her role as a young killer named Hanna. Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law return for Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes sequel where they battle Jared Harris as Professor Moriarty. Joss Whedon co-writes The Cabin in the Woods that gives the idea in a horror film with a twist. James Franco stars in Rise of the Apes which is a prequel to the Planet of the Apes series. Olivia Thirlby and Emile Hirsch play two young people fighting to survive an alien invasion in Russia for The Darkest Hour. Anthony Hopkins helps a young American priest fight exorcism in The Rite.

J.J. Abrams returns with another alien invasion film with Super 8 that is set in the 1970s. Wes Craven returns with another Scream as Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox, and David Arquette reunite for a new set of horror rules. Jake Gyllenhaal is part of an experiment in Duncan Jone’s sci-fi film Source Code. James Marsters and Kate Bosworth star in a new remake of the controversial Sam Peckinpah classic Straw Dogs with Alexander Skarsgard as a crazed local. Catherine Hardwicke creates a stylish take on Little Red Riding Hood with Amanda Seyfried as the title character. Kevin Smith meanwhile, takes on the fundamentalism in Middle America for the horror film Red State.

Arthouse/Indie

On the Road

Directed by Walter Salles. Screenplay by Jose Rivera. Based on the novel by Jack Kerouac. Starring Sam Riley, Garrett Hedlund, Kristen Stewart, Kirsten Dunst, Viggo Mortensen, Amy Adams, Elisabeth Moss, Terrence Howard, Alice Braga, and Steve Buscemi.

Rum Diary

Written for the Screen and Directed by Bruce Robinson. Based on the novel by Hunter S. Thompson. Starring Johnny Depp, Amber Heard, Aaron Eckhart, Giovanni Ribisi, Michael Rispoli, and Richard Jenkins.

The Future

Written and Directed by Miranda July. Starring Miranda July, Hamish Linklater, and David Warshofsky.

Win Win

Directed by Thomas McCarthy. Screenplay by Thomas McCarthy. Story by Thomas McCarthy & Joe Tiboni. Starring Paul Giamatti, Amy Ryan, Bobby Cannavale, Burt Young, Melanie Lynskey, Jeffrey Tambor, and Alex Shafer.

Drive

Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn. Written by Hossein Amini & Nicolas Winding Refn. Starring Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Christina Hendricks, Ron Pearlman, Albert Brooks, and Bryan Cranston.

Immortals

Directed by Tarsem Singh. Starring Henry Cavill, Stephen Dorff, Luke Evans, Kellan Lutz, Joseph Morgan, Frieda Pinto, John Hurt, Isabel Lucas, and Mickey Rourke.

For the world of indie/art house films, there’s something for those with something different. Walter Salles brings a large ensemble for an adaptation of the famed Jack Kerouac novel On the Road while Johnny Depp stars in a long-awaited adaptation of Hunter S. Thompson’s Rum Diary. Miranda July will return with her sophomore feature film The Future about a couple’s adoption towards a stray cat leads to some strange consequences with time and space. Thomas McCarthy’s Win Win has disheartened attorney Paul Giamatti moonlighting as a high school wrestling coach in hopes to make some money with a star athlete. Ryan Gosling stars as stunt driver who is on the run following a heist gone wrong while Tarsem Singh takes on a large fantasy film with an all-star cast for Immortals.

The Filthy 15 Films of 2011

For every year in film, there is always something that is going to bring in a lot of money and ends up conning the filmgoers. Yes, there is always a bad movie to come around. Whether its from hacks like Paul W.S. Anderson and Uwe Boll or the parody-creators of such crap like Disaster Movie and 2010’s Vampire Sucks. There is always something bad to come out.

Transformers 3: The Dark of the Moon

Directed by Michael Bay. Written by Ehren Kruger. Starring Shia LaBeouf, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, John Turturro, Ramon Rodriguez, Patrick Dempsey, John Malkovich, and Frances McDormand.

Well after the first film did quite well in 2007, Michael Bay got a chance to make a sequel. While it netted more than $400 million, the film drew massive negative reviews with fans and critics. Some of which named it the worst film of the year as it walked away with three Razzie awards for worst film, worst screenplay, and worst director to Michael Bay. With Megan Fox out of the franchise following some unkind words to Bay. She is replaced by Victoria’s Secret model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley which everyone knows won’t be an improvement. The story is about some old Transformers found in the moon as the Autobots and the Decepticons battle it one more time in a dumb, bloated battle that only Michael Bay can bring.

No Strings Attached

Directed by Ivan Reitman. Screenplay by Elizabeth Merriweather. Story by Elizabeth Merriweather and Mike Samonek. Starring Natalie Portman, Ashton Kutcher, Olivia Thirlby, Greta Gerwig, Lake Bell, Cary Elwes, and Kevin Kline.

Ivan Reitman hasn’t made a great film since 1993’s Dave and it looks like he’s not going to get a chance to return to form. While he’s got a great cast to work with, there is one big problem. Ashton Kutcher. A kettle head who can’t act in the story about a guy who has sex with his best friend (Natalie Portman) as he wants to have a relationship with her. Well, it’s unfortunate for Portman who is forced to act with someone who can’t even draw a dime these days.

Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Pt. 1

Directed by Bill Condon. Screenplay by Melissa Rosenberg. Based on the Twilight series by Stephanie Meyers. Starring Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner, Billy Burke, Elizabeth Reaser, Peter Facinelli, Ashley Greene, Kellan Lutz, Jackson Rathbone, Maggie Grace, and Mackenzie Foy.

Probably one of the dumbest franchises that made vampires into whiny pussies and werewolve into gay poster-boys. The Twilight film series has garnered loads of fans as well as detractors. Now for the fourth and final book, the studios decide to do what the Harry Potter franchise did with its last film by splitting into two parts. A two-part story of Bella pregnant with some ugly kid while Edward mopes around with his messy hair and deal with the often topless Jacob. And it’s in two parts? Who the fuck wants to see this shit? Oh, right. Fucking teenagers.

Justin Bieber: Never Say Never

Directed by Justin Chu. Starring Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, Usher, and Jaden Smith.

The awful phenomenon of Canadian teen-pop singer Justin Bieber is going to have his 3D concert film with all of crap music and stories about how he finally made it with help from Usher. That’s right parents, waste your money on a crappy 3D concert film with girls screaming all over the place for a kid who think he is cool. For detractors, let’s hope it flops like the Jonas Brothers’ concert film did back in 2009.

Pirates of the Caribbean 4: On Stranger Tides

Directed by Rob Marshall. Screenplay by Ted Elliot and Terry Rossio. Based on the novel On Stranger Tides by Tim Powers. Starring Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush, Kevin McNally, Ian McShane, Richard Griffiths, and Penelope Cruz.

While the first Pirates film was fun to watch as was Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow. The subsequent films got bloated and sillier as a fourth film is finally coming. Not returning to the franchise are Keira Knightley and Orlando Bloom along with the series’ original director Gore Verbinski. This time around, Rob Marshall will director as Sparrow and company find the Fountain of Youth. Well, it’s likely that it’s going to be very dumb while Rob Marshall doesn’t have the right tools to make a fun, compelling blockbuster.

From Prada to Nada

Directed by Angel Garcia. Screenplay by Luis Alfaro, Craig Fernandez, and Fina Torres. Based on the novel Sense & Sensibility by Jane Austen. Starring Camilla Belle, Alexa Vega, April Bowlby, Wilmer Valderrama, Nicholas D’Agosto, and Adriana Barraza.

One for the Money

Directed by Julie Ann Robinson. Screenplay by Liz Brixus, Karen McCullah Lutz, and Kirsten Smith. Based on the novel by Janet Evanovich. Starring Katherine Heigl, John Leguizamo, Sherri Shepherd, Leonardo Nam, Jason O’Mara, and Debbie Reynolds.

Just Go With It

Directed by Dennis Dugan. Written by Timothy Dowling, Allan Loeb, Tim Herlihy, and Adam Sandler. Starring Adam Sandler, Jennifer Aniston, Brooklyn Decker, Nicole Kidman, Dave Matthews, Heidi Montag, Nick Swardson, and Kevin Nealon.

Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son

Directed by John Whitesell. Written by Matthew Fogel and Don Rhymer. Starring Martin Lawrence, Brandon T. Jackson, Sherri Shepherd, Portia Doubleday, Jessica Lucas, and Faizon Love.

New Year’s Eve

Directed by Garry Marshall. Written by Katherine Fugate. Starring Ashton Kutcher, Jessica Biel, Sarah Jessica Parker, Hilary Swank, Abigail Breslin, Halle Berry, Sofia Vegara, Reese Witherspoon, Michelle Pfeiffer, Zac Efron, and Robert De Niro.

The Smurfs

Directed by Raja Gosnell. Screenplay by J. David Sterm and David N. Weiss. Based on the characters by Peyo. Starring Neil Patrick Harris, Jayma Mays, Sofia Vegara, Tim Gunn, and Hank Azaria. Featuring the voices of Jonathan Winters, Katy Perry, Paul Reubens, Fred Armisen, George Lopez, Anton Yelchin, and Alan Cummings.

Alvin & the Chipmunks 3: Chipwrecked

Directed by Mike Mitchell. Featuring the voices of Justin Long, Jesse McCartney, Amy Poehler, Anna Faris, Christina Applegate, and Ben Burtt.

Monte Carlo

Directed by Tom Bezucha. Written by Tom Bezucha & April Blair. Starring Selena Gomez, Katie Cassidy, Leighton Meester, Cory Monteith, Brett Cullen, Pierre Boulanger, and Andie MacDowell.

Real Steel

Directed by Shawn Levy. Screenplay by Leslie Bohem & John Gatins. Story by Richard Matheson. Starring Hugh Jackman, Anthony Mackie, Evangeline Lilly, Dakota Goyo, and Kevin Durand.

Fast Five

Directed by Justin Lin. Written by Chris Morgan. Starring Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Jordana Brewster, Dwayne Johnson, Tyrese Gibson, Ludacris, Sung Kang, Elsa Pataky, Don Omar, and Joaquin de Almeida.

With a slew of crap coming out, there’s always some kind of shit for everyone to see. Like a Latino version of Sense & Sensibility called From Prada to Nada or another bad Katherine Heigl comedy with the same writers who wrote The Ugly Truth for an adaptation of One for the Money. Adam Sandler teams up with Jennifer Aniston for another dumb comedy in Just Go With It while Martin Lawrence is Big Momma once again with help from Brandon T. Jackson in another Big Momma movie. Why? Oh, and there’s another sequel coming but for 2010’s Valentine’s Day for another celebration with overpaid stars called New Year’s Eve.

There’s a couple of bad movies for families to avoid. The Smurfs in a hybrid of live action and 3D computer animation as it’s all presented in the 3D gimmick. Oh, and there’s another Alvin & the Chipmunks movie coming and it’s in 3D. A lame romantic comedy with young, awful actresses as they go to vacation in Monte Carlo where they find love. Awww… blech!!!! Shawn Levy tries to go for an action blockbuster by having robots fight other robots in Real Steel and finally, Vin Diesel and Paul Walker team up for another The Fast & the Furious movie called Fast Five. Wow…

Well, that is all for what is ahead of 2011. Of course, there’s some more movies that are out there like Jodie Foster’s The Beaver with Mel Gibson which could be good or bad. Until then, let’s try and be careful for what to see in 2011 and not make it a bad year again that was 2010.

Part 1

© thevoid99 2010

The Most Anticipated Films of 2011 (Pt. 1)

With every upcoming year in films. There is always something for film buffs and audiences to figure out what they want to see. Yet, it is now becoming harder as more trends such as 3D and mindless blockbusters continue to give filmgoers a hard time to actually put something that is worth the money they’re paying. Even such art house luminaries are either unable to get funding for a new project or are still working on their next big project. It’s often a gamble of what is coming for the year 2011. Even as some 2010 festival film releases like Kelly Reichardt’s Meek’s Cutoff and Gregg Araki’s Kaboom are going to be seen to American audiences but only to a small amount of people. Yet, there is another film that is finally going to be released in 2011 and it could be said that it’s the most anticipated film of 2011 but really, it’s the most anticipated film of the decade.

That is Terrence Malick’s The Tree of Life which was finally screened (as an early cut) at the 2010 Telluride Film Festival for a private screening with a very small audiences. What took so long to get it to come out was largely due to distribution troubles when its original studio Apparitions started to fall apart. At Telluride, Fox Searchlight won the rights to distribute the film which would finally be released on May 27, 2011.

Special Notice

Mildred Pierce

Directed by Todd Haynes. Based on the novel by James M. Cain. Teleplay by Todd Haynes, James M. Cain, and Jonathan Raymond. Starring Kate Winslet, Evan Rachel Wood, Guy Pearce, Mare Winningham, Bryan F. O’Byrne, Halley Feiffer, James LeGros, Melissa Leo, and Hope Davis.

A five-part TV mini-series for HBO, Todd Haynes’ adaptation for James M. Cain’s Depression-era novel will be a deconstruct of sorts of the period film. Though it will recall some of the melodramatic elements of Haynes’ 2002 film Far from Heaven. The story of a mother’s attempt to maintain her family’s social status in the Great Depression as her work would eventually leave to tension between her eldest and ambitious daughter. With Kate Winslet in the title role along with Evan Rachel Wood as her eldest daughter Veda. It’s definitely going to reveal what the controversial and subversive Haynes would do with a period film like Mildred Pierce.

The 25 Most Anticipated Films of 2011

1. Melancholia

Written and Directed by Lars Von Trier. Starring Charlotte Gainsbourg, Kirsten Dunst, Alexander Skarsgard, Stellan Skarsgard, Charlotte Rampling, Kiefer Sutherland, Brady Corbet, Jesper Christensen, Udo Kier, and John Hurt.

No director in cinema today provides more debate on whether he’s a genius or a psychotic madman better than Danish bad boy Lars von Trier. Since his first feature film with 1984’s The Element of Crime, von Trier remains the enfant terrible of European Cinema. In 2009 after a period of films that received lackluster attention, von Trier returned with a bang with a film entitled Antichrist. The film polarized audiences on whether it was a sick joke or a confrontational masterpiece with some in the middle. Thanks to the film’s reception, von Trier will return once again with what is possibly his most ambitious project to date entitled Melancholia.

With a huge budget of $52 million in Danish currency, Melancholia will be a sci-fi film about the upcoming destruction of Earth from the perspective of two sisters as they become more distant in the days ahead. Playing the two sisters will be Kirsten Dunst and von Trier’s Antichrist maiden Charlotte Gainsbourg. Along with appearances from von Trier regulars Udo Kier and Stellan Skarsgard. The film will also feature Skarsgard’s son Alexander, who is already gaining fame for his work on the hit HBO TV show True Blood. Whatever the outcome of von Trier’s film, there is no doubt it will be an interesting one though the famed prankster will claim that the film will have no happy endings.

2. Your Highness

Directed by David Gordon Green. Written by Danny McBride & Ben Best. Starring James Franco, Danny McBride, Natalie Portman, Zooey Deschanel, Justin Theroux, Rasmus Hardiker, Michael Clarke Duncan, Toby Jones, Damian Lewis, & Charles Dance.

Originally slated for a 2010 release, the fantasy-epic comedy is Green’s return to filmmaking following the success of 2008’s Pineapple Express. Green delayed the film due to more time to edit the film while working on the HBO TV comedy Eastbound & Down with longtime cohorts Danny McBride, Ben Best, and Jody Hill. A homage to the early 80s fantasy films like Krull, the film will also include some raunchy humor courtesy of McBride and Best. With McBride and James Franco playing the heroes trying to find Zooey Deschanel’s princess character, the film will also feature Natalie Portman as female warrior who helps McBride and Franco. The film will be the first of two possible releases from Green. The other being a comedy called The Sitter starring Jonah Hill, Ari Graynor, and Sam Rockwell.

3. Restless

Directed by Gus Van Sant. Written by Jason Lew, based on his play. Starring Mia Wasikowska, Henry Hopper, Schuyler Fisk, Ryo Kase, and Jane Adams.

No director in the past decade had a great run of films such as Gus Van Sant did. Since his return to experimental filmmaking with 2002’s Gerry, Van Sant had been on a roll. 2008’s Milk about gay rights legend Harvey Milk gave Van Sant his second Oscar nomination for Best Director. Now going for a mixture of both his experimental and mainstream filmmaking style. Van Sant goes for a coming-of-age love story about two death-obsessed teens. While the trailer has left some fans with mixed reviews, anyone who knows Van Sant’s work will know that it’s not going to be a typical teenage love story.

4. Hugo Cabret

Directed by Martin Scorsese. Screenplay by John Logan. Based on the novel The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick. Starring Chloe Moretz, Ben Kingsley, Sacha Baron Cohen, Asa Butterfield, Jude Law, Ray Winstone, Helen McCroy, Frances de la Tour, Richard Griffiths, Marco Aponte, and Christopher Lee.

Though 2010’s Shutter Island wasn’t well-received with some audiences, Martin Scorsese was still able to gain interest with filmgoers for his thriller. While Scorese is planning to release a documentary about that late George Harrison of the Beatles entitled Living in the Material World: George Harrison for 2011. Hugo Cabret will be Scorese’s first foray into the world of 3D filmmaking. While some skeptics are wondering if the 3D technology will be necessary for this tale of an orphan boy going into a magical world. It’s clear that Scorsese isn’t going to make some typical 3D film just because it’s a gimmick.

5. La Piel que Habito (The Skin I Live In)

Written for the Screen & Directed by Pedro Almodovar. Based on the novel Mygale by Thierry Jonquet. Starring Antonio Banderas, Elena Ayana, Marisa Paredes, Roberto Alamo, & Blanca Suarez.

Spain’s premier auteur has remained one of the key figures in international cinema as his 2009 film Los Abrazos Rotos with Penelope Cruz became another art house hit. For his eighteenth feature film, Almodovar reunites with his longtime leading man from the mid-80s in Antonio Banderas. More than 20 years since their last collaboration 1990’s Atame!, the film is also Almodovar’s first adaptation since 1997’s Carne Tremula. The story of a plastic surgeon’s obsession to create a new type of skin that could’ve saved his wife’s death following a tragic car accident. While it will a very dark Almodovar film, it’s definitely going to a captivating film from the great Spaniard.

6. The Grandmasters

Directed by Wong Kar Wai. Written by Wong Kar Wai, Xu Haofeng, and Jingzhi Zou. Starring Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Zhang Ziyi, and Chen Cheng.

A film that was originally set for a 2010 release, Wong Kar Wai’s story about Bruce Lee’s trainer Ip Man had been delayed for years due to casting and other things. While the film is slated to premiere at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival, everyone will know that Kar Wai will always cut his films to the last minute. Many even hope the film will restore some of the acclaim Kar Wai had lost with 2007’s My Blueberry Nights. While not much else has been known about who else will appear in the film.   It will also be the second feature film to not feature longtime Kar Wai collaborator Christopher Doyle shooting the film. Whatever will happen, a Wong Kar Wai film will always be exciting to wait for.

7. Sucker Punch

Directed by Zack Snyder. Screenplay by Zack Snyder & Steve Shibuya. Story by Zack Snyder. Starring Emily Browning, Abbie Cornish, Jena Malone, Vanessa Hudgens, Jamie Chung, Jon Hamm, Carla Gugino, Oscar Issac, & Scott Glenn.

While 2009’s adaptation of the Alan Moore graphic novel Watchmen wasn’t the big blockbuster many had anticipated. Snyder still remained a hot director with a stylish look. His 2010 animated film Legends of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga-Hoole wasn’t a big hit either. It did however confirm that Snyder had more to offer than just stylish action films. For his fifth feature film, Snyder goes into the world of more stylish violence as it is set in 1950s insane asylum where a young girl attempts to escape the asylum with her fellow inmates. A mixture of fantasy and action, the film will be a rare action film as all the leads are young female actresses.

8. A Dangerous Method

Directed by David Cronenberg. Screenplay by Christopher Hampton based on his play The Talking Cure. Based on the non-fiction novel A Most Dangerous Method by John Kerr. Starring Viggo Mortensen, Keira Knightley, Michael Fassbender, Sarah Gadon, and Vincent Cassel.

Since 2005’s A History of Violence, David Cronenberg had suddenly captured the attention of the mainstream despite his dark take on violence. The film starred Viggo Mortensen as they teamed up again for 2007’s Russian-mob crime drama Eastern Promises. The duo will team up once again as Mortensen will play Sigmund Freud in the story of Freud’s turbulent relationship with Carl Jung that is shattered by the appearance of Sabrina Spielrein. While it will be a more dramatic film from Cronenberg, if anyone will make a film about Freud, Jung, and Spielrein interesting. It’s David Cronenberg.

9. The Descendants

Directed by Alexander Payne. Screenplay by Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, and Jim Rash. Based on the novel by Kaui Hart Hemmings. Starring George Clooney, Judy Greer, Matthew Lillard, Shailene Woodley, Beau Bridges, Michael Ontkean, and Robert Forster.

2004’s Sideways was a huge triumph for Alexander Payne as he won the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay with longtime writing partner Jim Taylor. Following a split with wife and Sideways co-star Sandra Oh, Payne took a low profile as he shot a short segment for the 2006 anthology film Paris Je T’aime. In 2007 Payne and Taylor wrote an early draft for the 2007 Adam Sandler comedy I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry that they later disowned as Payne focused on producing. For his fifth feature film, Payne tells the story about a land baron trying to reconnect with his daughters following the death of his wife while trying to save the land he had inherited for many years. Though it will be in the style of Payne’s quirky comedy-drama style, Payne’s track records already shows that he can deliver.

10. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Directed by David Fincher. Screenplay by Steve Zaillian. Based on the novel by Stieg Larsson. Starring Rooney Mara, Daniel Craig, Robin Wright Penn, Stellan Skarsgard, Steven Berkoff, Joely Richardson, and Christopher Plummer.

Stieg Larsson’s Millennium Trilogy of three books entitled The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played with Fire, and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest was a massive worldwide bestseller for the late Swedish author. The novels’ popularity led to a trilogy of film adaptations that were released in 2009 with the first film directed by Niels Arden Oplev and the last two directed by Daniel Alfredson. For the English-language adaptation, David Fincher will helm the project as the casting search for Lisbeth Salander went to many actresses such as Natalie Portman and Carey Mulligan. Instead, Fincher went with the lesser-known Rooney Mara who had appeared in Fincher’s The Social Network in 2010.

11. The Green Hornet

Directed by Michel Gondry. Screenplay by Seth Rogen & Evan Goldberg. Based on the TV show by George W. Trendle and Fran Striker. Starring Seth Rogen, Jay Chou, Cameron Diaz, Christoph Waltz, Edward James Olmos, Angela Bassett, and Tom Wilkinson.

Another film that was originally set for a 2010 release, Michel Gondry’s adaptation of the famed TV series had been in development for many years until Gondry officially came on board in early 2009. While the film will feature some of the juvenile comedy of Seth Rogen, Rogen and co-writer Evan Goldberg wanted to update the story by setting into present time while mixing it with elements of humor. Even as the film will give Taiwanese actor-singer Jay Chou a chance to break through into the American market as he plays the famed role of Kato that was made famous by Bruce Lee in the TV series.

12. The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn

Directed by Steven Spielberg. Screenplay by Steven Moffat, Edgar Wright, and Joe Cornish. Based on The Adventures of Tintin by Herge`. Starring Jamie Bell, Simon Pegg, Andy Serkis, Nick Frost, and Daniel Craig.

The 2000s was a very tough decade for Steven Spielberg. Though he has been able to churn out hit films like Minority Report and Catch Me If You Can. He also received some mass criticism for the he handled other films such as A.I.: Artificial Intelligence, a remake of War of the Worlds, Munich, and 2008’s Indiana Jones & the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Now hoping to restore some of reputation as a top director, Spielberg teams up with Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson for a 3D motion-capture film version of The Adventures of Tintin. With a planned trilogy of films to be made with Jackson optioning to direct the second one and while both Spielberg and Jackson will direct the third. It’s the kind of high-profile blockbuster project Spielberg needed. Even as he will have another film be released around the same time called War Horse based on Michael Morpurgo’s novel of the same name that will star Peter Irvine, Emily Watson, Peter Mullan, David Thewlis, and Benedict Cumberbatch.

13. Paul

Directed by Greg Mottola. Written by Simon Pegg & Nick Frost. Starring Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Jason Bateman, Kristen Wiig, Bill Hader, Jane Lynch, Sigourney Weaver, and the voice of Seth Rogen.

Another 2010 film that got delayed, Greg Mottola’s comedy about two British friends going on a road trip all over America where they encounter an alien named Paul. While the film will have the comedic antics Pegg and Frost have brought with their films with Edgar Wright. It’s likely to be a mixture of the juvenile comedy that Mottola has worked on with Seth Rogen and Judd Apatow. The film will also be a stop-gap release for the upcoming Pegg-Frost-Wright collaboration for The World’s End which was delayed due to the production of Paul and Wright’s 2010 film Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.

14. Contagion

Directed by Steven Soderbergh. Written by Scott Z. Burns. Starring Matt Damon, Kate Winslet, Jude Law, Marion Cotilliard, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Laurence Fishburne.

Steven Soderbergh had an amazing decade in the 2000s releasing all sorts of films. The prolific director continues to go into different styles of films as he will have two possible releases for 2011. Contagion is an action-thriller that stars longtime Soderbergh cohort Matt Damon as a doctor who tries to stop an outbreak of a deadly disease with the help of other doctors. Soderbergh’s other 2011 project Haywire will be an action film written by Lem Dobbs that will star Ewan McGregor, Channing Tatum, Michael Fassbender, Antonio Banderas, Michael Douglas, and MMA fighter Gina Carano making her film debut as a soldier seeking revenge against her betrayers. Whether either project will be successful or not, at least Soderbergh will keep filmgoers intrigued.

15. Captain America: The First Avenger

Directed by Joe Johnston. Screenplay by David Self, Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely, and Joss Whedon. Based on the Marvel comic by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby. Starring Chris Evans, Hugo Weaving, Sebastian Stan, Hayley Atwell, Toby Jones, Stanley Tucci, Tommy Lee Jones, and Samuel L. Jackson.

With the comic book heroes franchise still bringing in money, there is a much bigger project with two Marvel related films that are linked to an upcoming franchise for The Avengers that will be helmed. The first is for Captain America with Chris Evans in the title role as the film will be set in 1942 during World War II. While it’s going to be an origin story, some are hoping that it will just be a straightforward film that won’t have too many references to The Avengers that was a distraction for Jon Faverau’s Iron Man 2.

16. Thor

Directed by Kenneth Branagh. Screenplay by Mark Protosevich, Ashley Miller, Zack Stentz, and Don Payne. Screen Story by J. Michael Straczynski. Based on the comic book by Stan Lee, Larry Leiber, and Jack Kirby. Starring Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Natalie Portman, Anthony Hopkins, Jaimie Alexander, Kat Dennings, Idris Elba, Rene Russo, and Ray Stevenson.

The second film that will be linked to The Avengers film franchise, Thor is about a mighty warrior who is outcast to Earth where he would face a great enemy trying to destroy his new home. While it will be another origin story, it will Kenneth Branagh’s first foray into the action blockbuster film while he will also add some elements of 3D to some of the visual effects despite his feelings towards 3D.

17. Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2

Directed by David Yates. Screenplay by Steve Kloves. Based on the novel by J.K. Rowling. Starring Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Alan Rickman, Helena Bohnam Carter, Jason Issacs, Tom Felton, Maggie Smith, Robbie Coltrane, David Thewlis, Gary Oldman, Michael Gambon, Bonnie Wright, Matthew Lewis, Evanna Lynch, Ciaran Hinds, and Ralph Fiennes.

While the first part of Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows was released in November to great box office success. Some fans are still unhappy with Warner Brothers’ decision to split the film into two parts. With the second part set to be released in July, it will be the last Harry Potter film to come out. The second film will have Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger continue their journey to find the remaining Horcruxes to destroy Voldemort as it will lead to the climatic Battle of Hogwarts.

18. Bernie

Directed by Richard Linklater. Screenplay by Richard Linklater and Skip Hollandsworth. Based on the 1998 Texas Monthly article Midnight in the Garden of East Texas by Skip Hollandsworth. Starring Matthew McConaughey, Jack Black, Shirley MacLaine, and Rip Torn.

While 2008’s Me and Orson Welles was not seen by a lot of people due to poor distribution, it did help expand the filmography of Richard Linklater showing he can do more than just experimental films and straight comedies. For Bernie, Linklater goes into a black comedy about a mortician’s relationship with a widow whom he later murders. Months later, a district attorney begins the investigation. The film will mark a reunion between Linklater and Matthew McConaughey since their last collaboration with the 1998 flop The Newton Boys while Jack Black had previously collaborated with Linklater with the 2003 hit film School of Rock.

19 X-Men: First Class

Directed by Matthew Vaughn. Screenplay by Jane Goldman, Ashley Miller, Zack Stentz, and Jamie Moss. Screen story by Bryan Singer. Based on the Marvel comic by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. Starring James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Kevin Bacon, January Jones, Rose Byrne, Nicholas Hoult, Jason Flemyng, Jennifer Lawrence, and Ray Wise.

When the X-Men comic finally came into the big screen by Bryan Singer in 2000, it was a surprise hit while its sequel in 2003 became a bigger hit. Then when Singer left the franchise to do 2006’s Superman Returns, Brett Ratner took over for the third film that received mixed reviews despite good box office receipts. Things got worse for the X-Men franchise when a spin-off film for Wolverine was released in 2009 to negative reviews despite being a box office hit. With Singer now returning as a producer, Matthew Vaughn will now tell the story of the X-Men as a prequel of how Charles Xavier meets Magneto that would lead to the formation of X-Men and how their rift would begin.

20. Moneyball

Directed by Bennett Miller. Screenplay by Stan Chervin, Aaron Sorkin, and Steve Zaillian. Based on the book by Michael M. Lewis. Starring Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Chris Pratt, Stephen Bishop, Kathryn Morris, and Robin Wright.

Originally a project to be helmed by Steven Soderbergh, Sony Pictures stopped the project just a few days before filming began in June of 2009. Soderbergh dropped out of the project as he was replaced by Capote director Bennett Miller with Aaron Sorkin rewriting the screenplay. The controversial story former Oakland Athletics general manager Billy Beane and his attempt to create a competitive team despite the team’s financial trouble. With Miller set to create a more straightforward approach to the film than Soderbergh’s own art-house ideas. At least it will give fans of baseball movies a chance to see a new world that they haven’t seen.

21. Dream House

Directed by Jim Sheridan. Written by David Loucka. Starring Daniel Craig, Rachel Weisz, Naomi Watts, Marton Csokas, Jane Alexander, and Elias Koteas.

While Jim Sheridan is a name that film fans love. His post-In America choices have been quite baffling for some of his fans. Among them was the 50 Cent semi-biographical film Get Rich or Die Tryin’ and his 2009 remake of Susanne Bier’s film Brothers. For his next film, Sheridan will tackle the world of horror films as it tells the story of a couple whose new dream home is inhabited by ghosts who were previously murdered. While it’s not clear what Sheridan will do but some hope he doesn’t go entirely conventional with the genre.

22. We Bought a Zoo

Directed by Cameron Crowe. Screenplay by Cameron Crowe & Aline Brosh McKenna. Based on the memoir by Benjamin Mee. Starring Matt Damon, Thomas Haden Church, Scarlett Johansson, Colin Ford, Patrick Fugit, and Elle Fanning.

After 2000’s Almost Famous, Cameron Crowe seemed to have finally achieved success as a filmmaker. Though 2001’s Vanilla Sky received mixed reviews and good box office, it would be his 2005 film Elizabethtown that would become Crowe’s biggest failure. Though it would recoup its $45 million budget through worldwide grosses of $52 million, the film drew massive negative reviews as Crowe went into hiding. After a six-year hiatus, Crowe will finally return with a new film about Benjamin Mee’s purchase of a zoo that he restored in the middle of the English countryside.

23. We Need to Talk About Kevin

Directed by Lynne Ramsay. Screenplay by Lynne Ramsay and Rory Kinnear. Based on the novel by Lionel Shriver. Starring Tilda Swinton, John C. Reilly, Siobhan Fallon, and Ezra Miller.

After two stellar films with 1999’s Ratcatcher and 2002’s Morvern Callar, Scottish filmmaker Lynne Ramsay was already becoming one of the new voices for British cinema. When Ramsay was attached to direct Alice Sebold’s adaptation for The Lovely Bones, expectations were high until Ramsay left the project altogether. After years of development, Ramsay will return with another adaptation. This time for Lionel Shriver’s novel about a mother dealing with her son’s massacre against students and teachers at a local high school. With Ramsay’s exploration about characters, it is definitely a film that art house fans will be excited for.

24. One Day

Directed by Lone Scherfig. Written by David Nicholls, based on his novel. Starring Anne Hathaway, Jim Sturgess, Romola Garai, Rafe Spall, Ken Stott, Jodie Whittaker, and Patricia Clarkson.

2009’s An Education brought Denmark’s Lone Scherfig some unexpected attention as it gave Carey Mulligan an Oscar nomination for Best Actress. For her take on David Nichollls’ One Day, Scherfig will explore the relationship between two people who would met at the University of Edinburgh only to see each other on the same day for the next 20 years. While the film is likely to be a romantic comedy, Scherfig will be able to bring something more than what is expected for the genre.

25. Midnight in Paris

Written and Directed by Woody Allen. Starring Adrien Brody, Rachel McAdams, Owen Wilson, Kathy Bates, Elsa Pataky, Michael Sheen, Marion Cotilliard, Lea Seydoux, and Carla Bruni.

While Woody Allen in recent years is a hit-and-miss, there is always something about a film from Woody Allen that keeps people intrigued when it comes out. For his next film, Woody goes to Paris as he explores a traveling family coming to Paris for business while an engaged couple rethink their own lives. While some hope Allen will do something with a cast this big and in a romantic comedy. Let’s hope it won’t be another disaster that he’s churned lately in the past 10 years.

5 Possible 2011 Releases

Untitled Dardenne Brothers Project

Written and Directed by Jean-Pierre & Luc Dardenne.

While there is no idea what the next project by the Dardenne Brothers will be nor who is in it. Any one who is a fan of European will always find something that is worth waiting from the Belgian brothers.

Looper

Written and Directed by Rian Johnson. Starring Bruce Willis, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Emily Blunt, and Paul Dano.

While 2008’s The Brothers Bloom wasn’t a major hit with audiences as well as some critics. It did prove that Rian Johnson isn’t some one-trick pony. Reuniting with his Brick star Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Johnson will tackle sci-fi as Gordon-Levitt and Bruce Willis will play the same characters in different ages as they battle the same foe in a world of time travel. While it’s likely to be Johnson’s most ambitious project to date. The interest will be big not because it will feature a major star like Bruce Willis but also for the fact that Gordon-Levitt is becoming a star on the rise.

Moonrise Kingdom

Directed by Wes Anderson. Written by Roman Coppola & Wes Anderson. Starring Bill Murray, Tilda Swinton, Edward Norton, Frances McDormand, and Bruce Willis.

Wes Anderson’s seventh feature film will be his first attempt in creating a period film that is set in the 1960s. It will revolve around the relationship of two young kids who fall in love and run away while adults try to find them. While it will be shot on location in New England, the film will mark a departure of sorts for Anderson as his protagonists will be children. Even as it features one regular in Bill Murray as the father of the girl who is dealing with his own problems. Though shooting will begin in the spring, it’s unclear whether it will come out in 2011 or 2012.

J. Edgar

Directed by Clint Eastwood. Written by Dustin Lance Black. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Charlize Theron, and Arnie Hammer.

A project set for a 2011/2012 release, anyone who understands Clint Eastwood’s directing style knows that he works quite fast and can get a project done in good time. The film will be about J. Edgar Hoover with Leonardo DiCaprio playing the famed FBI director and his possible homosexuality. While it’s likely to be a straightforward bio-pic, the film’s screenwriter Dustin Lance Black of Milk fame is not a conventional writer in some respects. Even as the more conservative Eastwood will take a chance to explore the world of repressed homosexuality.

Life of Pi

Directed by Ang Lee.

Yann Martel’s bestselling 2001 novel about a young Indian boy’s exploration of spirituality while surviving a shipwreck. The project had been in development for many years as several directors were attached to the project such as art-house auteurs like Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Alfonso Cuaron to blockbuster hack M. Night Shyamalan. With Lee attached to the project with Martel’s blessing, the film will star unknown actors as some hope it will bring Lee back some acclaim following the lukewarm reaction towards his 2009 film Taking Woodstock.

End of Part 1

Part 2

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