2008 So Far: The Rest of the Year

“I know who I am! I'm the dude playing the dude disguised as another dude!” – Robert Downey, Jr., “Tropic Thunder”

“Go around the corner, we'll do it in the back.” – George Clooney, “Burn After Reading”

“You've changed things... forever. There's no going back. See, to them, you're just a freak... like me!” – Heath Ledger, “The Dark Knight”


2008 is only half over. I think that the half we already saw was “the bad half.” Now that it is leading to the fall, more and more great films will be released now that more films want to be considered for Oscars. This second half blows the first half up like THAT. We have almost every great director releasing a great film – Christopher Nolan, Kevin Smith, Edward Zwick, Clint Eastwood, Oliver Stone, the Coen Brothers, Spike Lee, David Fincher, Gil Kenan, and many, many more. There are also a few films that come out that look terrible. Below, I will list the ten films that I’m looking forward to the rest of 2008 and the ten films that I’m not looking forward to. This may be a good Oscar Season. Hopefully it is done right.


The 10 Films I’m Really Looking Forward To:


10. Tropic Thunder

I’m telling you that this comedy will be remembered far after 2008. It will be remembered in 2009, 2010, 2018, 2028, and if we’re still alive, even longer. I know that many people are really expecting this film to be hilarious for the comeback of Ben Stiller and the black Robert Downey, Jr., and of course, I’m looking forward to all of that. But while that is gonna be awesome, this will be super awesome. There will be a hit cameo by Tom Cruise in this film, where he goes absolutely APE-SHIT! Not only that, I’m really interested into hearing more about the “Rains of Madness” mockumentary. I know it might just be a promotional technique, but I loved that little short trailer that everyone was shown. Hopefully, there is more than just that.




9. The Dark Knight

I’m sure that this film is on everyone’s list. I was actually thinking about excluding this because it is only coming out in three days, but I couldn’t help myself. The only real negative review I read was Edelstein and that guy is a fuckup of a critic anyway. It’s amazing that the guy who coined the “torture-porn” phrase can hate “The Dark Knight.” But anyway, I’m just looking forward to Heath Ledger’s excellent performance as the Joker, Harvey Dent’s transformation to Two Face, and some kickass action sequences. “The Dark Knight” will be some of the most fun that anyone will be able to get this year.




8. Blindness

This will probably end up as being the scariest film on my list, but I dare you to watch the trailer and say that you don’t get tense while watching it. The film made its debut as the opening night film at the Cannes Film Festival, and it was received so greatly that the film was in the running for the Palme d’Or. I have a feeling that not only this film is going to be known for its horror, but for the true emotion that is shown. I’m sure we all know the combination of director Fernando Meirelles and emotion, but I have a true feeling that “Blindness” will be up on my list of favorites by the end of 2008.




7. Burn After Reading

While watching the red band trailer for this Coen Brothers flick, I couldn’t stop laughing. It’s a great thing that the Brothers are going back to their dark comedy roots because I was starting to miss them. Their last two dark comedies, “The Ladykillers” and “Intolerable Cruelty,” haven’t been so well received by critics and audiences. I don’t think “Burn After Reading” will top the almighty “Fargo” or the almightier “The Big Lebowski,” but if it is half of what those films were, “Burn After Reading” will still be a fantastic flick. Mark my words.




6. Miracle at St. Anna

This won’t be the only World War II film on my list of films that I’m really looking forward to see, but I can guarantee you that this will be better than all of the war films that I came out last year put together. Spike Lee returns with his follow-up to “Inside Man” in “Miracle at St. Anna.” Four black soldiers are trapped in a village during WWII. Joseph Gordon Levitt also stars. Now you tell me… what else could you want from such a flick?




5. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

I must admit that this film looks so much better than the film it premiered in front of. “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” tells the tale of a man who lives his life backwards. Being born an old man, as Brad Pitt ages, he gets younger. The almost dialogue-less trailer is probably one of the most beautiful things that I’ve seen in my lifetime. It looks like such a feel-good flick. I have to admit – I cannot wait to see this movie opening day.




4. American Teen

Now that I think about it, when a movie like “American Teen” is only number 4 on my list and not anything higher, this year has to be pretty damn good. Set in a high-school in Indiana, five seniors learn life’s lessons of love and making choices. As much as I hate high school, I can look at a few of these characters and relate myself to them. I have no idea whether or not this Sundance hit will knock off “The King of Kong” as my favorite documentary of all-time, but I just can’t wait to see this one. Oh, and I’m From Barcelona’s “The Painter” works so well at the end of the trailer, and from what I hear, the Black Kids are in this movie also. Now does that make you want to see it?




3. Defiance

Edward Zwick’s last few films did absolutely nothing for me. I didn’t like “Blood Diamond,” found “The Last Samurai” overrated, and think that “Courage Under Fire” is just good acting at its best. But I’m extremely excited to see Edward Zwick return back to his war roots. Have you seen “Glory?” That movie was off the chain. If this movie is anything like “Glory,” it should be an excellent flick. Plus, the film gets brownie points for Daniel Craig.




2. Zach and Miri Make a Porno

Clocking in at number two on my list is the new Kevin Smith film “Zach and Miri Make a Porno.” What can I say about this one? I love Kevin Smith’s films to death. To see Kevin and Seth Rogan pair up with each other, that doesn’t get you anything short of a good romp. I’m glad to see Smith not spoiling any of the good parts in the trailer, but rather filmed footage exclusively for this trailer. I’m looking forward to this film so much that even a week after it comes out, I’ll more than likely be buying a ticket to Kevin Smith’s Q&A.




1. The Spirit

Finally we have the new Frank Miller film, which looks nothing short of excellent. I’ve been staying with this one since I’ve heard of it. The new trailer looks like a mix of “Sin City” and those old grindhouse flicks. This movie looks to be so much fun. I know what I’m doing Halloween night, and now, I know what I’m doing Christmas Day.




Honorable Mentions: “Changeling,” “Choke,” “Pride and Glory,” “The Brothers Bloom,” “The Punisher: War Zone,” “Revolutionary War,” “Pineapple Express,” “Max Payne,” “Synecdoche, New York,” “Che,” “Repo: The Genetic Opera”


The Ten Films I’m Not Looking Forward To:


10. Disaster Movie

Why is it so low on the list? For two reasons – one, I already know it’s going to suck, so placing it anywhere from nine to one would be just as useless as it sounds; and two, because I think I would rather watch this than a few others on the list.




9. Twilight

Umm… didn’t we learn years ago that teenaged vampires don’t make a good movie? Sure, it might happen every now and then (“The Lost Boys”) but what about the last time? “The Covenant” and “Blood and Chocolate” were two of the worst films I’ve ever seen, and this film based on some stupid book series looks terrible, sounds terrible, and every time I hear about it, I think about how terrible it sounds.




8. Lakeview Terrace

Why? Just watch the fucking trailer. It’s “Crash” and “Witless Protection” put into the same movie!




7. Eagle Eye

I’m sure that I and no one else thinks that “Eagle Eye” will be one of the worst films of the year, not because it looks boring, but because it looks faker than “Transformers” did last year and just nearly as bad. Anything with Shia LaBeouf and his Uncle Steven are a few films that you have to stay away from Didn’t you guys learn that with “Transformers” and “The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull?”



6. High School Musical 3: Senior Year

Even though it looks like it will be nothing good, I do have to admit that Disney is smart for releasing this in theaters. If they want to make some more money off of this franchise, they can get it. (Though I think they should have done this back when “High School Musical” was released in 2006.) Also – could there be a chance that Disney wants this to have a couple of nominations in the Best Original Song category?




5. Righteous Kill

I know – it is Al Pacino and Robert De Niro teaming up together for the first time since “Heat,” but if I want to see them together, I’ll watch “The Godfather Part II” or “Heat” again. “Righteous Kill” could be decent, but two things are turning me away from the project – De Niro’s and Al Pacino’s incapability of choosing decent projects and Jon Avnet’s direction. Avnet is the same guy that directed “88 Minutes,” and we know how that turned out.




4. Madagascar: Escape To Africa

Well, isn’t it quite obvious how bad this one’s going to be? Cash cows at Dreamworks…




3. Tyler Perry’s The Family That Preys

If there is one guy that I want to absolutely stay away from movies, it is Tyler Perry. He can’t make a decent flick to save his life, and when he almost gets there, he fucks it up by adding some kind of fable to the end of the tale (like the final moments of “Daddy’s Little Girls” for example; fucking perfect drama fucked up by stupid ass twist that had nothing to do with the movie). “The Family That Preys” looks like this year’s “Why Did I Get Married,” and it begs the question why doesn’t Tyler Perry just go back to the stage where he belongs?




2. My Best Friend’s Girl

I thought some people learned a lesson after watching that fucking shitty ass “Good Luck Chuck,” but I guess not. “My Best Friend’s Girl” is Dane Cook at what Dane Cook does best – making faces and talking about raunchy sex. It’s a damn shame that he gets Jason Biggs involved, but this guy has gone fucking clueless since “Over Her Dead Body.”




1. W

I’m sure that it might be a decent movie, but I’m turned away by it for the sole reason I don’t want to see a film of George W. Bush. And after that bar brawl a couple of nights ago involving the cast, I really don’t think that they put any effort into making this movie, and rather put in effort to punching some guy in the face.

No trailer available.


Dishonorable Mentions: “Space Chimps,” “Ace Ventura 3,” “Bangkok Dangerous,” “Beverly Hills Chihuahua,” “Yes Man”