Fall 2009 movie preview for North Texas

by John P. Meyer

As the dog days of this year's movie-going summer draw to a close, it's time to look forward to the cooler fall film season to see what Hollywood -- and the indies -- have in store for us as we approach Oscar-conscious prime-time.

BUT FIRST: Here's what's opening locally next week (Aug. 7):

GI Joe: Rise of Cobra Will this movie based on an action figure have what it takes to unseat Transformers 2 as box office king of the dead-headed, explosion-fueled, action movie heap? (There'll be millions lining up to find out, we're sure.) Stephen Sommers (The Mummy) directs.

Julie & Julia Meryl Streep stars as Julia Child while Amy Adams portrays the young woman (Julie Powell) who decides to cook every recipe in Julia's weighty tome of a French cuisine cookbook -- on a one-year deadline. And blogs about it. Nora Ephron wrote the screenplay and directs the film. (We'll have an interview with Julie Powell to go along with our review next Friday.)

Paper Heart This is a light-hearted, genre-bending romantic comedy offered up in mock-doc format, starring young comedian Charlyne Yi as a person who doesn't know what love is. Nicholas Jasenovec directs; he co-wrote the screenplay with Charlyne. (We'll have an interview with Charlyne and co-star Jake Johnson accompanying our review.)

The Cove The guy who trained the dolphins for the Flipper TV series finds out about an operation in Japan in which dolphins are being captured and killed. This documentary follows him on his mission to expose the shadowy practice.

Tetro Coppola employs elegant black & white to tell this tale of family intrigue in Argentina. (It's his first original screenplay since The Conversation. Too busy with his winery, perhaps.)

Beaches of Agnes A documentary about the life of French film director Agnes Varda. Ms. Varda herself directs.

A Perfect Getaway Milla Jovovich ambles across Hawaii in the company of a pair of killers. (At least, that's what the trailer leads us to believe. Twisty ending, perhaps?) Steve Zahn, Timothy Olyphant and Kiele Sanchez co-star; David Twohy (Pitch Black, The Chronicles of Riddick) directs.

Forging ahead into "coming not quite so soon" territory, North Texas movie mavens have the following films (both mainstream and obscure) to look forward to:

8/14: Spread finds Ashton Kutcher portraying a sly and pleasingly amorous Los Angeles gigolo named Nikki who finds himself in danger of being out-maneuvered on the field of bedroom battle by his female counterpart: a social climbing sexual manipulator named Heather (Margarita Levieva). The R-rated sex comedy co-stars Anne Heche and is directed by David Mackenzie.

8/21: Even though I've plugged it before, no way I'm omitting mention of Quentin Tarantino's Nazi-baiting war epic, Inglourious Basterds. As Lt. Aldo Raine says, "I want my scalps!"

8/28 In Thirst, from Chan-wook Park (South Korea's answer to Sam Peckinpah -- witness Lady Vengeance), a man of the cloth gets a tainted blood transfusion and develops a taste for blood-suckin' sin. Type O (for Oldboy)

Taking Woodstock Topically peripatetic (and Oscar-winning) director Ang Lee pitches his filmmaking tent at Max Yasgur's farm for this behind-the-scenes fictional retelling of characters and events surrounding the most (in)famous rock concert in history. Demetri Martin stars.

The original score was done by Danny Elfman; here's the soundtrack list, the "album" for which (as we used to call 'em back in the '60's) will be available from Rhino Records on Aug. 25:

1. “Freedom (2009)” – Richie Havens

2. *Taking Woodstock Titles (original music by Danny Elfman)

3. “Wooden Ships” – Crosby, Stills & Nash

4. “China Cat Sunflower” (Live) – Grateful Dead

5. “Maggie M’Gill” – The Doors

6. *Elliot’s Place (Danny Elfman)

7. “Coming Into Los Angeles” (Live) – Arlo Guthrie

8. “I-Feel-Like-I’m-Fixin’-To-Die Rag” (Live) – Country Joe McDonald

9. “Going Up The Country” (Live) – Canned Heat

10. “Try (Just A Little Bit Harder)” (Live) – Janis Joplin

11. *A Happening (Office #2) (Danny Elfman)

12. “The Red Telephone” - Love

13. “Beautiful People” (Live) – Melanie

14. “I Shall Be Released” (Live) – The Band

15. *Perspective Extended (Danny Elfman)

16. “One More Mile” – The Paul Butterfield Blues Band

17. “Volunteers” – Jefferson Airplane

9/4: Speaking of great music, It Might Get Loud, a documentary by Davis Guggenheim, brings together The Edge, Jimmy Page, and Jack White for equal parts music, biography, and deep, deep thoughts. Those with a love for virtuoso rock guitar have to see (and hear) this one.

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9/11: Whiteout Dominic Sena directs Kate Beckinsale in this white-knuckles (get it?) thriller set in the frozen wastes of Antarctica. (They ARE still frozen ... right?) Based on the graphic novel by Greg Rucka.

The Horse Boy, by director Michel O. Scott, chronicles the ends-of-the-earth journey undertaken by the Isaacsons (of Elgin, Texas) in the hope of alleviating their son Rowan's autism through shamanistic medicine. It's a true-life documentary.

The September Issue In this "style-ish" documentary, filmmaker R.J. Cutler shadows Anna Wintour (editor of Vogue) as she lords it over everybody in the world of fashion. (Which accounts for everyone who's anyone -- right?) Should be interesting to see how her monumental ego stacks up against that of Valentino.

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9/18: Bright Star (dir. Jane Campion) tells the PG-rated romantic tale of the first true love of poet John Keats (portrayed by Ben Whishaw). Fanny Brawne (Abbie Cornish) is a "stylish minx," according to these press notes -- an "outspoken student of fashion," with whom the bookish Keats is initially unimpressed. But -- in the manner of such romances -- they are swept up as if in a ... um ... upward-sweeping thingamajig, until their friends and relations (who know better) attempt to rip them apart. (Figuratively, natch.)

Sept. -- actual release date pending: Séraphine director Martin Provost dramatizes the story of Séraphine de Senlis, a humble housekeeper who took up painting at the age of 41 and whose work ends up on display at the MOMA. (After 125 minutes of French/German with English subtitles screentime, that is.)

11/6: It may be the ump-diddly-umpteenth cinematic reincarnation of Dickens' A Christmas Carol, but it's the first one ever produced in Disney Digital 3D. This Robert Zemeckis-directed animation-fest features the vocal stylings of Jim Carrey as Scrooge and Gary Oldman as Bob Cratchit. And Marley. And Tiny Tim. (Here's hoping they paid Oldman times three.) Furthermore, there's a big whoop-tee-do a'comin' to Dallas' Union Station in the form of a promotional choo choo tour, featuring a blow-up screening room where clips from the film are to be shown. This happens on Aug. 18-19. (Christmas in August? Talk about your make-believe.)

11/13: I just loved Women In Trouble when Sebastian Gutierrez's crazed, deliciously naughty offbeat comedy played at SXSW. It's finally been picked up for theatrical distribution by Screen Media, so more than just film festival attendees will get to appreciate it. In the meantime (if you dare), mosey over to Elektra Luxx's blog for the latest from Carla Gugino's salacious alter ego. Need I caution that it's NSFW?

And even though it releases well beyond the calendar close of Fall, I'm compelled to point out that the Christmas Day opening of Sherlock Holmes -- starring Robert Downey Jr. as the prototypical private investigator and Jude Law as his loyal sidekick Dr. Watson (with direction by Guy Ritchie) -- looks to be well worth the wait, and stands tall and proud as my most highly anticipated movie of the year.

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