Autumn 2007 Preview – Part Two featuring semi-nude actresses, deadly mist and 1970s Pimps.

Trick R Treat

                                                          

Starring: Anna Paquin, Dylan Baker, Brian Cox. Directed by: Michael Dougherty

The Plot: Kind of a horror Pulp Fiction, this follows four interweaving stories on Halloween. A high school principal is secretly a serial killer, a group of teenagers pull a prank on someone they shouldn't, a woman has to contend with her husband who is obsessed with Halloween and so on. Written and Directed by Michael Dougherty who also wrote Superman Returns.

Why so excited: The trailer I saw at the front of the 300 DVD looked really good. A lot better than I thought this sounded on paper. It has also gotten some great early reviews online. However for a good long time now this has had its worldwide release down as October 19th 2007 and now suddenly all the release dates have been dropped and the IMDB has it coming out in 2008. Could this be a big indication that the film is in trouble?? Or could this just be the studio getting cold feet with the amount of horror product that is out this October?

Released: October 2007?/2008

30 Days of Night

                                                           

Starring: Josh Hartnett, Melissa George, Danny Huston. Directed by: David Slade.

The Plot: In the small Alaskan town of Barrow for one month a year the sun sets and doesn't come up. A gang of Vampires see a unique opportunity and descend upon the town to feast. A small band of survivors lead by a husband and wife Sheriff department must make it through the month alive.

Why So Excited: The original graphic novel by Steve Niles is a short and sweet read but you can tell its cinematic as hell. Director David Slade made the awesome Hard Candy from last year and should turn in a stylish piece of horror with a unique take on the vampire myth. Early reports compared this to John Carpenter's classic The Thing and mention that it didn't shy away from the throat ripping and dismemberment. More recent reviews have been less kind and not happy with the way its been shot. Could be the beginning of a franchise if its successful. Niles has written some equally entertaining sequels to the original which remain popular with the comic book crowd.

Released: US – 19th October, UK – 1st November

American Gangster

                                                             

Starring: Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe, Carla Gugino. Directed by: Ridley Scott

The Plot: The true story of 1970s Harlem Gangster Frank Lucas (Denzel Washington) who was the biggest supplier of Heroin in New York during the period. Detective Richie Roberts (Russell Crowe) strives to bring him down in a corrupt police department.

Why So Excited: If ever there was a 'Sure Thing' this Autumn then this is it. Already tipped for Oscar glory this is Ridley Scott's first gangster film believe it or not. The trailer promises stand out turns from Crowe and Washington as well as Goodfellas style black humor and violence. If nothing else worth going to see just because Denzel wears a big pimp outfit in one scene. This is one of those fantastic real life stories that you couldn't write. After all the real Frank Lucas smuggled heroin into the US in the coffins of dead G.Is from Vietnam.

Released: US – 2nd November, UK - 16th November.

Southland Tales

                                                 

Starring: Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, Sara Michelle Gellar, Sean William Scott. Directed by: Richard Kelly

The Plot: In an alternate 2008 Texas has been nuked which leads homeland security into overdrive. US citizens are closely watched by USIdent: A government surveillance program. There is also a new form of energy solving the world oil shortage: Fluid Karma,which also happens to be a drug. In the middle of this chaos an amnesiac action movie star, a cop with a twin brother and a porn star find their destinies intertwined by a prophetic screenplay.

Why So Excited: I've gone from being excited to curious then back to excited on this one. This debuted to massive derision at Cannes in 2006 even though it was unfinished. It has now been edited losing twenty minutes and several key special effects scenes have been added. The new cut has been getting positive word of mouth online proving that you can't trust the French film critic. The recently released trailer is certainly intriguing and makes you want to see the film even if you have not read the preceding graphic novels. This will be a love it or hate it affair with a definite future as a cult film of not quite Donnie Darko proportions. If you can keep up with the plot!

Released: US – 9th November, UK – 7th December

Beowulf

                                                          

Starring: Ray Winstone, Angelina Jolie, Antony Hopkins. Directed by: Robert Zemeckis

The Plot: Based on the centuries old poem, the warrior Beowulf must defeat the monster Grendel who is terrorising the villagers and then deal with his vengeful mother.

Why So Excited: How could you not be excited?? An old old classic tale adapted by Neil Gaiman and Roger Avary and then filmed motion capture stylee by Robert Zemeckis. The most recent trailer apart from being visually stunning hints that this will not shy away from the blood or adult content. A semi nude Angelina Jolie is just what everyone has been waiting for our visual effects geniuses to come up with. The film will be released in 3D Imax as well as on standard screens. For fans of nude screen goddesses everywhere, Imax is going to be where its at. In all seriousness though this should be a decent film if not quite a classic like Lord of The Rings. Shame that they can successfully animate humans now but still cant quite seem to get the eyes right.

Released: US and UK – 16th November.

The Mist

                                                              

Starring: Thomas Jane, Marcia Gay Harden, William Sadler. Directed by: Frank Darabont

The Plot: Based on the short story by Stephen King. A strange mist envelopes a small town and the terrified citizens barricade themselves into a supermarket. There are deadly creatures within the mist and it is not long before an over-zealous Christian labels it gods wrath and the citizens start to turn on each other.

Why So Excited: Possibly the film I am most looking forward to this Autumn. We seem to be entering a new dawn for King adaptations after the decent 1408 and the forthcoming adaptations of Cell and The Dark Tower books. Frank Darabont has directed two of the best King films so far with one:The Shawshank Redemption, being one of the best films of all time. The Mist is pure horror though and has plenty of nastiness and a bleak tone that is too rare in big budget studio horror. Early word has been ecstatic on this one.

Released: US- 21st November, UK – TBC

The Golden Compass

                                                           

Starring: Daniel Craig, Nicole Kidman, Eva Green. Directed by: Chris Weitz

The Plot: Based on Northern Lights by Phillip Pullman, the first book in the His Dark Materials trilogy. In a parallel universe Lyra Belaqua must travel to the far north to rescue the children who have been mysteriously kidnapped. Armed only with a mysterious device she must avoid the evil Marisa Coulter with the help of a gypsy race.

Why So Excited: Its hard to know how to feel about this. The books are very hard to visualize with their armored polar bears and spiritual animals. It takes place in an alternate world with a very steampunk feel to it. It would take a unique visual stylist of Peter Jackson proportions to bring it to the screen properly with its religious overtones intact. Which is why its a surprise to see American Pie director Chris Weitz behind the camera. Maybe New Line Cinema know something we don't. The trailer certainly looks promising. Could be the next Harry Potter/Lord of the Rings or could be the next Eragon.

Released: US – 7th December, UK – 5th December.

Also looking promising:

The Darjeeling Limited: The new film by Wes Anderson features Owen Wilson, Adren Brody and Jason Schwartzman as brothers who go on a train trip across India. (US-26th October, UK- 23rd November)

The Nines: John August who wrote Big Fish and Go makes his directorial debut here with Ryan Reynolds playing several characters who all lose it in this metaphysical tale (US-31st August, UK – 30th November)

We Own the Night: James Gray's new film about brothers on opposite sides of the law in New York in 1980 (US- 12th October, UK – 14th December)

SAW 4: Jigsaw is back despite clearly being dead at the end of part 3. Cue sick traps and screaming. (US and UK- 26th October)

The Signal: Awesome low budget horror flick that deserves to be as big as Blair Witch or 28 Days Later about a signal that sends people on a murderous rampage. (US – 26th October, UK – TBC)

I'm Not There: Todd Haynes directs this tale of the life of Bob Dylan with Dylan being played by different actors at different stages of his life including Cate Blanchett and Christian Bale. (US- 21st November, UK – TBC)