In this volume I cover an "Anchorman" sequel, a film adaptation of an acclaimed Tony-winning play, a Robin Williams comedy, several potential breakout Sundance hits, a Tina Fey and Paul Rudd-led dramedy, an anthology film consisting of horror shorts, a remake of an 80's classic, a horror film set in Chile, and an American heartland film starring Zac Efron.
The ABC's of Death
Opens: March 8th 2013
Cast: Too Many To Count
Director: Too Many To Count
Analysis: Anthology films, by their own nature, are deeply flawed because the whole is never greater than the sum of its parts. This problem increases exponentially the more short films are squeezed into each feature and the more disconnected each short is. From "Paris je'taime" to "V/H/S", the problem is that these mini-films are often of such differing style and quality that only the odd one or two are worth bothering with and make for a far more entertaining time than the other 90-95% of them.
This ultra-gory anthology film sports twenty-seven different directors, each given five minutes and $5000 to tell a story related to a letter of the alphabet. Screening in Toronto a few months ago, it's unsurprising that only four or five of the shorts have generally scored good notices. Even the often overly generous horror film sites have been awarding this scores of 5's and 6's out of 10. That hardly sounds like high praise. Certainly there's enough awful sounding entries on offer from Ti West's take on miscarriage, to one involving vaginal vegetable cannons.
The better notices went to Ben Wheatley's tale shot from a monster's P.O.V., Marcel Sarmiento's story of a hobo and a dog fight, Adam Wingard's meta short on filmmakers shooting a film for an omnibus, Jason Eisner's pedophile story done in a music video format, a stop motion entry by Lee Hardcastle about a killer toilet, and Xavier Gens' gory tale of an overweight woman with body dysmorphic disorder. It's interesting, but frankly it's the kind of film which seems best suited for VOD. Unsurprisingly, that is where it will premiere in late January.
About Time
Opens: May 10th 2013
Cast: Rachel McAdams, Domhnall Gleeson, Bill Nighy, Tom Hollander, Lindsay Duncan
Director: Richard Curtis
Analysis: After the success of "Love Actually" and failure of "The Boat That Rocked," long-admired British writer/producer/director Richard Curtis gives directing a third go and this time it's in a genre he hasn't really tackled on the big screen - science fiction. Curtis is certainly familiar with time travel, thanks to penning episodes of "Doctor Who" and "Blackadder," and here he tries his hand at a low-budget sci-fi dramedy feature which follows a man (Domnhall Gleeson) who comes from a family of time-travelers.
The catch? He can't change history, but he can change what happens and has happened in his own life. He meets the girl of his dreams (Rachel McAdams) and along the way uses his powers to save her and his friends from various awkward fates. He also learns that even with these gifts, he can't spare himself the emotional ups and downs that affect all families. Shot in the UK over the summer, and set for release in March in many international territories, it is kind of surprising we haven't seen a trailer at this point.
A.C.O.D.
Opens: 2013
Cast: Adam Scott, Richard Jenkins, Catherine O’Hara, Jane Lynch, Amy Poehler
Director: Stu Zicherman
Analysis: Set to debut at Sundance this year, this comedy sports an unusual pedigree including "The Daily Show" & "The Colbert Report" executive producer Ben Karlin as co-scribe, while "Elektra" scribe Stu Zicherman also co-wrote the script and is directing.
The always fun Adam Scott plays a thirty-something man who was forced at an early age to be the adult of his family when his parents split bitterly. Now, he discovers that he was unknowingly a former participant in a study about children of divorce.
Sought for a follow-up study several years later, the tension boils over with comedic results when his younger brother's unexpected marriage vows force him to bring his divorced parents back together - and so years of pent-up resentment boil over.
Scott is backed by an impressive raft of solid comedy talent including those listed above, along with the likes of Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jessica Alba, Clark Duke and Ken Howard. Shot earlier this year in Atlanta, this is one of the more commercially appealing and higher profile entries to unspool at Park City this year. Reviews from the festival will tell the tale of how big a release this will get in cinemas later in 2013.
After Earth
Opens: June 7th 2013
Cast: Will Smith, Jaden Smith, Isabelle Fuhrman, David Denman, Sophie Okonedo
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Analysis: If 2012 was the year of the duelling "Snow White" movies, 2013 is the year of the warring scorched Earth films and this time the differentiation isn't so clear cut. In March there's "Tron: Legacy" director Joseph Kosinski's mystery-laden and mythology-heavy "Oblivion" starring Tom Cruise. In August comes "District 9" director Neill Blomkamp's political and ambitious class warfare tale "Elysium" with Matt Damon.
Sandwiched between those is this survival-oriented tale featuring Will Smith and his son Jaden. Set a millennium after humanity abandoned Earth, a legendary General is returning home from an extended tour of duty to his estranged family. His 13-year-old son is onboard as well when an asteroid storm damages his craft, forcing them down on a now unfamiliar and dangerous Earth. With the dad incapacitated and slowly dying in the cockpit, the young teen must trek across the hostile terrain to recover their rescue beacon.
Shot primarily in Costa Rica earlier this year, Will Smith's name will certainly sell the film in international markets. However, Sony has two issues to deal with. On the one hand the story essentially puts Will in a supporting role with his son Jaden the main star. That's hardly a deal breaker though considering how well "The Karate Kid" remake performed around the world.
The real concern is that it's M. Night Shyamalan at the helm. Following a string of critical and commercial flops, Shyamalan's name is no longer a selling point - if anything it's a potential hindrance. Unlike most of his earlier films, Shyamalan isn't the sole writer on this project with both Stephen Gaghan and Gary Whitta performing re-writes. A just released trailer showcases some effective sci-fi touches and picturesque jungle vistas, but also some overly CG swarming packs of fossil record aberrations. Could go either way.
Aftershock
Opens: 2013
Cast: Eli Roth, Andrea Osvart, Ariel Levy, Nicolas Martinez
Director: Nicolas Lopez
Analysis: Premiering at the Toronto Film Festival a few months ago to so-so reviews, the $10 million-budget "Aftershock" attempts to merge two different genres - disaster movie and horror. Filmed on-location in Chile, the project marks new territory for Lopez who had directed mostly cheaply shot, locally filmed romantic comedies before this.
"Hostel" director Eli Roth steps in front of the camera to play an American in Santiago. Having fun at an underground nightclub when an earthquake hits, he and his new friends have to find a way out of the collapsed building. Getting to the surface is only the start of the ensuing chaos and terror that they become engulfed in. Before the night is over, there will be horrific encounters with escaped convicts, looters, and the dreaded tween sensation Selena Gomez.
Roth says much of the film was inspired by real events that took place in February 2010 after an 8.8 earthquake shook the country for several minutes during party season. Almost everything in the film is done practically, including many of the dangerous stunts which couldn't be achieved filming in America due to strict union rules and occupational safety standards.
All Is Lost
Opens: 2013
Cast: Robert Redford
Director: J.C. Chandor
Analysis: Nominated for multiple awards including an Oscar, and one of the most profitable VOD films to ever get a simultaneous theatrical release, J.C. Chandor impressed many with 2011's GFC-themed "Margin Call." He returns with this open water thriller which swaps Margin's large ensemble for a completely different approach - a one man show.
75 year-old Robert Redford spent an intense two months shooting this project, often soaked to the bone in the story of a man lost at sea who must battle against the elements to stay alive. Much like Alfonso Cuaron's upcoming "Gravity," the lead star spends practically the entire film alone in a highly volatile and dangerous environment. Should it all come together, it could also sport potential awards-worthy work from Redford.
Chandor claims he wrote the film specifically with the actor in mind after he met him at Sundance. Filmed at that giant water tank in Mexico which has been employed on the likes of "Titanic" and "Pearl Harbor," Universal will likely release 'Lost' sometime in the Fall.
Anchorman: The Legend Continues
Opens: October 19th 2013
Cast: Will Ferrell, Paul Rudd, Steve Carell, Christina Applegate, Luke Wilson
Director: Adam McKay
Analysis: Despite a teaser trailer being released a few months ago and an October release date set, actual filming on an "Anchorman" sequel doesn't begin until February. Nevertheless, everything is in place for production to begin on this much anticipated comedy follow-up starring everyone's favorite San Diego news team.
It has actually taken a good few years to get the movie going. Will Ferrell and director Adam McKay developed the sequel initially as a stage musical which would then segue into a film at Paramount. The studio balked at the idea and opted out of the project in 2010. After campaigning and months of back-and-forth negotiations, the studio finally signed off on going forward with this follow-up in March this year.
Part of the issue was bringing the cast back together considering that pretty much all of them have achieved big success in the eight years since the initial film's release. They are more expensive and difficult to book, while one fact many forget is that the first film was far from a box-office smash. Though it earned a decent $85 million domestically, the overseas take was a woeful $5 million.
Nevertheless there's plenty of material for McKay, Ferrell and the rest to work with - including at least one major musical number. While the script is currently undergoing re-writes, McKay confirmed last month that the big issue dealt with in the sequel is the rise of new media and the 24 hour news cycle. McKay also aims to fill even the smallest bit parts with familiar and widely liked comic talent.
The Angriest Man In Brooklyn
Opens: 2013
Cast: Robin Williams, Mila Kunis, Peter Dinklage, Melissa Leo and James Earl Jones
Director: Phil Alden Robinson
Analysis: "Sneakers" and "Field Of Dreams" director Phil Alden Robinson helms this simple premise comedy about an obnoxious ageing lawyer (Robin Williams) who is wrongly diagnosed by a stand-in doctor (Mila Kunis) as having 90 minutes left to live due to an aggressive form of cancer. When she realises her error, she has to find him. Trouble is he's out to fix all the wrongs in his life in what little time he thinks he has left.
It's the kind of premise that seems designed to unfold in real-time, and one that will heavily depend upon how off the wall Robin Williams is truly allowed to be. Certainly William's onscreen comedies are more miss than hit, but here the film boasts a screenplay based on Assi Dayan's decently-regarded 1997 Israeli film "Mar Baum." A strong supporting cast like Peter Dinklage, Melissa Leo and James Earl Jones also bodes well for its chances.
As I Lay Dying
Opens: 2013
Cast: James Franco, Logan Marshall-Green, Tim Blake Nelson, Danny McBride
Director: James Franco
Analysis: Having indulged in mostly experimental indies so far, James Franco's desire to direct gets ambitious with this adaptation of William Faulkner’s beloved 1930 novel. An extremely difficult book to translate due to Faulkner's prose, and the action being told from fifteen different perspectives, Franco has long been determined to make this. Several years ago he reportedly shot a rough version of what he had in mind to prove he could do it.
Filmed in Mississippi over the past few months with faithful recreations of the 1920s, the story showcases how various different characters cope with loss. The main thrust follows a family's attempts to fulfil the dying wishes of their mother who wants to be buried in the nearby town of Jefferson. The last time someone tried to adapt Faulkner was Martin Ritt's 1959 film "The Sound and the Fury," and so many people are wondering how this will turn out.
At Any Price
Opens: 2013
Cast: Zac Efron, Dennis Quaid, Heather Graham, Clancy Brown, Kim Dickens
Director: Ramin Bahrani
Analysis: Iranian-American filmmaker Ramin Bahrani is considered one of the real rising stars of the indie filmmaking scene with his first three films - 2005's "Man Push Cart," 2007's "Chop Shop" and 2008's "Goodbye Solo" - widely regarded as a hat trick of impressive and affecting features. So when this project was announced, it's not unfair to say it generated a bit of a shock amongst some film news writers out there.
On a much bigger scale than those previous films, this swaps out a focus on the experience of immigrants coming to the United States for the complete opposite - a look at multiple-generation farming business families in heartland Iowa. Dennis Quaid plays an ambitious farmer who wants to expand his empire, but becomes caught up in the genetically modified foods debate with a rival company. Zac Efron stars as his rebellious son who is much more keen on becoming a race car driver and escaping this small town life.
Playing the Fall film festival run of Venice, Telluride and Toronto a few months back, reviews were quite strong with Quaid and Efron's performances, the layered characters, and the various moral complexities explored within the script scoring a lot of praise. The melancholic undertone and slightly heavy-handed old-fashioned approach met a more mixed response. More than a few have compared it to a 1950s melodrama which some will appreciate and others won't.
While not jingoistic, the film is certainly one big patriotic slice of pure farmland Americana which could very much limit its appeal internationally. The Venice screening of the film became somewhat infamous as a small, but vocal group of detractors booed the movie. Subsequent reviews from international critics also haven't gushed over the film the way U.S. critics have, mostly because the film points out rather than criticises the ultimately destructive nature of the "expand or die" mentality of pure capitalism.
August: Osage County
Opens: 2013
Cast: Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Ewan McGregor, Chris Cooper, Benedict Cumberbatch
Director: John Wells
Analysis: This and "The Butler" are already being lined up to be Harvey Weinstein's big contenders for the awards circuit in early 2014. An adaptation of Tracy Letts' Pulitzer Prize-winning play, this surprisingly dark comedy focuses on an extended Oklahoma family that comes together when the patriarch goes missing and is found a few days later having committed suicide.
The cast couldn't be more impressive, and also includes Sam Shepard, Dermot Mulroney, Abigail Breslin, Juliette Lewis, Margo Martindale, Misty Upham and Julianne Nicholson. One of TV's most acclaimed producers, John Wells, has directed the film - his second after 2010's well-received "The Company Men." George Clooney is also involved as producer.
Having literally just wrapped filming this weekend in Oklahoma and Los Angeles, a couple of key questions are now being asked. The original play ran three-and-a-half hours and Letts reportedly struggled to cut it down, despite Weinstein's insistence. This means we're looking at a likely 2.5-3 hour run time. With the cast and quality material at hand though, I don't think many will mind.
ALSO OPENING:
About Last Night
The original "About Last Night" was one of those forgettable 1980s romantic drama that nobody really discusses anymore, despite being Ed Zwick's first feature and based on a David Mamet play. Now, Screen Gems is attempting a contemporary remake of the film and substituting the blander-than-white Rob Lowe and Demi Moore with a mostly African-American cast led by Michael Ealy and Joy Bryant. Stepping in for Zwick is "Hot Tub Time Machine" director Steve Pink.
Admission
Opening in March, this college-set tale stars Tina Fey as a college admissions officer, Paul Rudd as an alternative school principal, and Nat Wolff as the possible son Fey's character gave up years before. A recent trailer proved oddly flat, showcasing something trying to hit that pathos-laden drama with odd dashes of comedy territory that James L. Brooks mastered so well. Weisz scored a hit in that genre with "About a Boy," but even with this strong cast it doesn't look like this is quite up to the job.
Adult World
Actor turned filmmaker Scott Coffey follows up his directorial debut "Ellie Parker" with this more promising and commercially appealing post-college comedy. Emma Roberts plays a young woman who has just completed a poetry degree. She is hit with reality hard when her quest to find a job ends up with her working at an adult bookstore. John Cusack and Evan Peters ("American Horror Story") also star in the film which will debut at this year's Sundance.
Afternoon Delight
Frequent TV producer and Emmy winner Jill Soloway ("Six Feet Under," "United States of Tara") makes her directorial debut on this self-described "sexy, dark comedy" which will premiere in the Sundance Dramatic Competition category. Kathryn Hahn plays an L.A. housewife who finds her idyllic hipster life in jeopardy when she tries to rescue a stripper (Juno Temple) by taking her in as a live-in nanny. Josh Radnor and Jane Lynch co-star in what sounds like one of those Park City films that could break out if reviews are strong enough.
Ain't Them Bodies Saints
One of the highest profile and most buzzed about entries at Sundance this year, David Lowery’s second feature is a drama-thriller starring Casey Affleck, Rooney Mara, Ben Foster, Nate Parker and Keith Carradine. Described as a modern day Bonnie and Clyde, Affleck plays an outlaw who escapes from prison and sets out across the Texas hills to reunite with his wife and the daughter he has never met. Developed at the Sundance Labs and shot in Louisiana, thus is another film awaiting the reaction at the festival next month to determine its fate.
Angry Little God
"The Last Exorcism" director Daniel Stamm is presently at work filming this remake of the 2006 Thai horror feature "13: Game of Death," a film with a solid premise let down by a highly divisive ending. Ron Perlman leads a cast of mostly TV actors in this English-language version that follows a young man desperate for money. He receives a mysterious phone call from a man promising increasingly large cash prizes in exchange for performing tasks for what is supposedly a hidden-camera game show. Each task becomes more and more extreme and ultimately life and death.
Are We Officially Dating?
Currently filming in New York City, there's very little at the moment to distinguish this rom-com beyond a decent cast, and a script that apparently made the 2010 Black List. The story follows three friends (Zac Efron, Miles Teller, Michael B. Jordan) who make a pact to remain single just as they each start to fall in love. Tom Gormican, whose sole credit so far is as a co-producer on "Movie 43," helms and directs the film. There are two solid young actresses also onboard - "True Blood" scene-stealer Deborah Ann Woll, and "Fright Night" star Imogen Poots.
Ass Backwards
Set to debut at the Park City at Midnight line-up at Sundance, "Gay Dude" director Chris Nelson's new feature follows two best friends - played by the film's writer Casey Wilson and June Diane Raphael - who embark on a cross country trip back to their hometown to attempt to win a pageant that eluded them as children. They've scored some pretty decent names for supporting roles including Vincent D'Onofrio, Jon Cryer, Alicia Silverstone, Bob Odenkirk and Brian Geraghty.
Austenland
There's been numerous takes on crazed Jane Austen fans finding their own romance over the years, most memorably the 2008 mini-series "Lost in Austen." Now comes this less fantastical, but similar spin based on the book by Shannon Hale. The story follows a young New York woman (Keri Russell) obsessed with the 90's BBC mini-series adaptation of "Pride and Prejudice." She ends up on a trip to an English resort catering to Austen-obsessed women. The main draw here is the fun supporting cast including Bret McKenzie, Jennifer Coolidge, James Callis and Jane Seymour.
The Complete Notable Films of 2013 Guide
Volume 0-9: 2 Guns, 21 and Over, 33 dias, 42, 47 Ronin, 300: Rise of An Empire, 7500
Volume A: The ABC's of Death, About Last Night, About Time, Admission, A.C.O.D., Adult World, After Earth, Afternoon Delight, Aftershock, Ain't Them Bodies Saints, All Is Lost, Anchorman: The Legend Continues, The Angriest Man In Brooklyn, Angry Little God, Are We Officially Dating?, As I Lay Dying, Ass Backwards, At Any Price, August: Osage County, Austenland
Volume B: Backmask, Baggage Claim, Bailout: The Age of Greed, Battle of the Year, Beautiful Creatures, Before Midnight, Belle, The Best Offer, Better Living Through Chemistry, Beyond The Hills, Big Sur, The Big Wedding, Black Dog Red Dog, The Black Marks, Bling Ring, Blood Ties, The Brass Teapot, Breathe In, Broken City, Bullet to the Head, The Butler, Byzantium
Volume C: Can a Song Save Your Life?, The Canyons, Captain Phillips, Carol, Carrie, A Case of You, Cavalry, CBGB, Chavez, Child of God, Chinese Zodiac, Closed Circuit, Closer to the Moon, Cloudy 2: Revenge of the Leftovers, C.O.G., The Colony, Come Out and Play, The Company You Keep, The Congress, Concussion, The Counselor, The Coup, The Croods, Crystal Fairy
Volume D: Dallas Buyers Club, Dark Blood, Dark Skies, Dead Man Down, Decoding Annie Parker, The Deep, Delivery Man, Despicable Me 2, Devil’s Knot, The Devil's Rapture, Diana, The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: His & Hers, Disconnect, Dom Hemingway, Don Jon's Addiction, Dorothy of Oz, The Double, Drift, Drinking Buddies, Driven
Volume E: The East, Eden, Elsa and Fred, Elysium, Emanuel and the Truth About Fishes, Emperor, Empire State, Empires of the Deep, Ender's Game, The English Teacher, Epic, Errors of the Human Body, Escape From Planet Earth, The Europa Report, Evangelion 3.0: You Can (Not) Redo, Everything Will Be Fine, Evil Dead
Volume F: Fading Gigolo, Fast Six, Fellini Black and White, Felony, A Field in England, Fill the Void, Filth, Foxcatcher, Foxfire, Frozen, Fruitvale, The Frozen Ground
Volume G: Part 1: Gambit, Gangster Squad, The Gatekeepers, Get a Job, Getaway, G.I. Joe: Retaliation, Ginger and Rosa, Girls Against Boys, Girl Most Likely, A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III, Gods Behaving Badly, A Good Day to Die Hard
Volume G: Part 2: Graceland, The Grand Masters, Grand Piano, The Grand Seduction, Grave of the Fireflies, Gravity, The Great Gatsby, Great Expectations, The Green Blade Rises, A Green Story, Greetings from Tim Buckley, Growing Up (and Other Lies), Grown Ups 2, Gus