Time to once again plan ahead for the movies I’m looking at seeing in the next couple of months. If you’re wondering, no, I don’t necessarily think that anyone else could give a damn what my movie plans are. But if one can’t use their own blog for their own purposes, then what’s the point? Plus, I’m interested in what you all are looking forward to seeing, so feel free to drop a comment.
Looking back at my fall movie list, I listed 14 movies I had my eye on to see. I ended up seeing only half of them, with 6 out of 7 of them coming at TIFF. So, since coming back from Toronto, I’ve only gone to one movie. Part of this was the lack of desire after the 28 film binge, the other part was that there hasn’t been any stellar movies to make me want to get back on the saddle. From that list, I’m still waiting for Rachel Getting Married to come to Calgary, and will go see it when it does, and will probably make time for Changeling, and maybe The Duchess and Body of Lies, although not necessarily in theatres. It’ll all depend on how much I want to see this next batch of movies.
November 14
Quantum of Solace – This is the big one, the movie I’m probably looking forward to the most for the rest of the year. I really enjoyed Casino Royale, so here’s hoping this one can pick up where that one left off, and maybe trim some of the fat in the process.
Slumdog Millionaire – This was my favourite film at TIFF so I’m using this space here to tell anyone reading to make sure they go so it. I may even take some people to go see it myself.
November 21
Bolt – I don’t usually care about non-Pixar Disney animated films, but this one looks fun. Plus, it’s about a dog. And I’m a big sucker for dogs.
November 28
Australia – I’m not sure if I’m actually interested in Baz Luhrman’s lastest, but it looks like sure-fire Oscar bait, so it stays on my radar. I’m not sure it will actually receive a wide release until the new year though, so I should have plenty of time to make up my mind.
Milk – More surefire Oscar bait. I generally can’t stand Sean Penn, so I’ll probably wait until it actually gets nominations, as right now it looks pretty insipid.
December 5
Punisher: War Zone – I didn’t like the last Punisher movie, and never really cared for the character, so I never thought I’d have an interest in a sequel. But then they cast Titus Pullo (Ray Stevenson) as Frank Castle and Jimmy McNulty (Dominic West) as Jigsaw and suddenly I’m interested, even though the production sounds like a disaster.
December 12
Doubt – More Oscar bait, starring Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Amy Adams. I don’t have the best feeling though, since it’s a stage adaptation, and those often come off as dry and uncinematic.
Wendy and Lucy – This seems to be the season for dog movies, and while Bolt looks cute, and the other one (I’ll be getting to) has disaster written all over it, this one looks like it has a shot at greatness. I might even cry.
December 19
The Wrestler – Saw this at TIFF and it was phenomenal. Go see it even if you’re not into wrestling
The Brothers Bloom – Another TIFF viewing, and another one I’d be willing to see again. Tonnes of fun.
December 25
Frost/Nixon – Finally, an Oscar contender I’m legitimately excited to see. From what I hear, Frank Langella is a lock for a best actor nomination and Michael Sheen is a strong contender for best supporting. More importantly, it looks really good.
Valkyrie – I saw a trailer for this yesterday, and it didn’t look good. So I’m reserving judgement for now.
Marley & Me – This is the other dog movie. I’ll admit flat out: I loved the book. A little weepy, but sweet. So I’m more than a little nervous about the movie, which doesn’t inspire confidence. Heartfelt memoirs probably work better on the page than on the screen, especially without Jennifer Aniston.
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button – After Bond, this is the one I’m looking forward to most, so I’m hoping it opens wide on Christmas rather than being delayed until the new year. Both Brad Pitt and David Fincher have been getting better each year, so I expect big things from this one.
Revolutionary Road – I can’t imagine this opens wide until the new year, but I’ll see it when it does.
That’s fifteen movies, three of which I’ve already seen. Now I’ll see if I manage to get out of the house again to see any of these.
Critically Speaking 
Jennifer Aniston? My opinnion of you is lessened, and then Valkyrie? ewww!
You misread: “Heartfelt memoirs probably work better on the page than on the screen, especially without Jennifer Aniston” as in another reason the book will be better is because Jennifer Aniston isn’t in it (I may have wrote that awkwardly).
And if you read what I wrote about Valkyrie, you’ll notice that I don’t seem to jazzed about it. Most likely, I won’t be seeing it, but for now, I’m keeping it on my radar.