Matt’s Top 5 Anticipated Movies of 2009
It’s going to be quite hard to top the past year of film with the evolution of the comic book movie along with overcoming the writer’s strike to produce some of the best indie drama we’ve seen in years. Here’s a list of the 5 studio endorsed films I’ve been following closely and will be awaiting eagerly at midnight at my local cinema…
#5 – Inglorious Basterds (August)
Synopsis: When a Jewish girl’s family is exterminated by the Nazis, she flees to Paris and meets a kindly woman who takes her in. Working for this woman at her movie theater, the girl finds herself in a unique situation when an infatuated German war hero persuades his superiors to screen their latest propaganda film at her theater. Will she seek revenge?
Why watch?: We’ve all been waiting for Tarantino to get off his lazy ass and finish writing the script for his next noir comedy and in 2009 we’ll see an ensemble cast the likes of Brad Pitt, Diane Kruger, BJ Novak, Eli Roth, Mike Myers, and Til Schweiger kick some Nazi ass. Oh and did I mention that it’s narrated by Samuel Jackson? Anyways, I’ve read the script (written barely legible on a slew of stained paper and cocktail napkins by Tarantino himself) and I must say that if the words come to life as they should Tarantino will bring our spirits back to the likes of Kill Bill and separate himself from the disaster that was Grindhouse.
#4 – 9 (September)
Synopsis: 9 takes place in a world parallel to our own, in which the very legacy of humanity is threatened. A group of sapient rag dolls, living a post-apocalyptic existence find one of their own, 9 (Elijah Wood), who displays leadership qualities that may help them to survive. The conflicted, but resilient group includes 1 (Christopher Plummer), a domineering war veteran; 2 (Martin Landau), an aged inventor; 5 (John C. Reilly), a stalwart mechanic; 6 (Crispin Glover), a visionary and artist; and 7 (Jennifer Connelly), a brave warrior.
Why watch?: 9 is the debut film from Oscar nominated animated short director Shane Acker (more well known in the business for his special effects work in The Lord of the Rings series). With the likes of Tim Burton (Nightmare Before Christmas) and Timur Bekmambetov (Wanted) producing we’ll see the first true mix of live action with animated characters. What seems like a marriage of Half Life 2 and Little Big Planet will definitely shock and awe audiences and give Pixar some competition for their teenage demographic.
#3 – Terminator: Salvation (May)
Synopsis: Set in post-apocalyptic 2018, John Connor is the man fated to lead the human resistance against Skynet and its army of Terminators. But the future Connor was raised to believe in is altered in part by the appearance of Marcus Wright, a stranger whose last memory is of being on death row. Connor must decide whether Marcus has been sent from the future, or rescued from the past. As Skynet prepares its final onslaught, Connor and Marcus both embark on an odyssey that takes them into the heart of Skynet’s operations, where they uncover the terrible secret behind the possible annihilation of mankind.
Why watch?: Regardless how much I complain about remakes I’m always up for a sequel because no matter what it’s an excuse to revisit some of my favorite characters again, but when I heard that the likes of Charlies Angels director McG would be helming the project I grew quite a bit skeptical. This just goes to show that you can’t judge a book by its cover because once I saw the trailer I was completely sold and enthralled. With Bale coming off his flurry of Dark Knight success I’m confident in him carrying such a beloved character through the judgment day I’ve dreamed of since I was a kid. The technology has finally caught up to the point that a giant mechanized army can seem believable so I look forward to this re boot as the start of a new franchise of classic characters. It looks like Bale has found his niche in re imagined tales and unlike most of the population I say keep em coming.
#2 – Watchmen (March)
Synopsis: “Watchmen” is set in an alternate 1985 America in which costumed superheroes are part of the fabric of everyday society, and the “Doomsday Clock” – which charts the USA’s tension with the Soviet Union – is permanently set at five minutes to midnight. When one of his former colleagues is murdered, the washed up but no less determined masked vigilante Rorschach sets out to uncover a plot to kill and discredit all past and present superheroes. As he reconnects with his former crime-fighting legion – a ragtag group of retired superheroes, only one of whom has true powers – Rorschach glimpses a wide-ranging and disturbing conspiracy with links to their shared past and catastrophic consequences for the future. Their mission is to watch over humanity… but who is watching the Watchmen?”
Why watch?: Widely acclaimed as the most celebrated graphic novel of our time and recognized as 1 of the top 100 novels of the 20th century Watchmen is a very cherished part of all an important time in their life for both cinephiles and comic book nerds alike. Zac Snyder has delivered a representation of the novel like no other classic director could, being a part of that time and looking to the story for inspiration as a boy Snyder has taken on the rabid fans in hopes of pleasing the masses. If all the buzz surrounding this masterpiece isn’t enough to get you out of the house to see it than maybe the high praise Kevin Smith gave a rough screening will convince you.
#1 – Avatar (December)
Synopsis: In a distant future, humanity discovers the planet ‘Alpha Centauri B-4′, and for those scientists and astronauts who’ve traversed the gulf between neighboring suns and arrived on its alien soil know it as ‘Pandora’. A world filled with an incredible diversity of beautiful and deadly ammonia-breathing lifeforms. Its also a world that harbors treasures and resources almost beyond price. But just as the original Pandora’s Box wrought devastation on those who would use it for their own gain, so too this world may destroy not just the Pandorans home, but ours as well.
Why watch?: In my mind James Cameron is the last true visionary left in Hollywood who’s determined to reinvent cinema every single day he shows up for work. With an increasing number of remakes hell bent on destroying the beloved film of the 20th century Cameron has taken what used to be considered a gimic and he’s quoted as saying that “converting 2d film to 3d in post production is stunting the growth of the technology.” Cameron is again breaking new ground by shooting the entire film in IMAX 3d and has reaffirmed time and time again that the 3d will look and feel content driven and not created as an after thought to increase the ticket price. With the Cameron dream team holding down the cast and Sigourney Weaver reprising her alien ass kicker role come Summer 2009 we’re in for a big treat.
What movies are you anticipating in 2009?
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Author: Matt Peloquin (21 Articles)
Since I was a boy I've been completely obsessed with the world of film. My first viewing of Toy Story led me into the area of animation particularly, but since than I've branched out to become more of a cinephile than just an effects artist. I attended Rochester Institute of Technology for Network Security with a minor in creative writing where I elected to take mostly film related courses. I also attended Gnomon School of Visual Effects where I developed my passion for the illusion of effects in relation to films. Some of my favorite films include Children of Men, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Back to the Future, The Big Lebowski, The Fountain, Pitch Black, The Wackness, The Nightmare Before Christmas, The Wizard of Oz, Clerks, The Abyss, and Into the Wild. I am a true fanatic of film and would like to use my involvement in Iconocritic.com to be introduced to others as passionate as I am about my pursuit. To name just a few of the people I've followed throughout my life that I've extracted so much aspired value from would have to be Stan Winston, James Cameron, Darren Aronofsky, Kevin Smith, Charlie Kaufmann, John Lasseter, and Joel and Ethan Coen because each and every one of them worked their way from the bottom to the top without relying on their family inherited connections to the industry; something I greatly admire.
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