2008 Woodie Awards
Fall Movie Preview
Movie-goers have more to look forward to beyond "The Dark Knight"
Seth Boyer
Issue date: 7/29/08 Section: Movie Reviews
What? A fall movie preview? But "The Dark Knight" is already out and I've seen it seven times. I can die happy now!
Stay your utility belts, readers. Sure, Christopher Nolan's masterpiece resulted in both critical acclaim and record-breaking box office numbers - not to mention the collective nerdgasm of every fanboy worldwide - but there are a few more films of note releasing this fall.
Fresh off their "Superbad" success, Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg have penned another comedy, only this time with an action twist. "Pineapple Express" follows a stoner (Rogen) and his dealer (James Franco) as they are chased by criminals for witnessing a brutal murder - great family fun. "Express" hopes to capitalize on the hole the mediocre "Harold and Kumar 2" left in the stoner comedy market. Franco's appearance is his first Judd Apatow role since "Freaks and Geeks" and he seems fit for the strung-out tweaker character. "Pineapple Express" releases August 8.
For the first time since "Zoolander," Ben Stiller steps behind the camera to direct August's "Tropic Thunder," a "¡Three Amigos!"/"Seven Samurai" homage starring Jack Black, Robert Downey Jr. and Stiller as actors thrown into a real-life war zone thinking they're filming a war epic. Robert Downey Jr. plays a pretentious Oscar monger who undergoes skin pigment surgery to play the platoon's black soldier, with Jack Black's comic character and Stiller's action star in tow. Downey Jr. has been on fire since "Iron Man" and the "Three Amigos" fish-out-of-water paradigm is tried and true gold. Trailers and preview buzz have made it clear that Stiller has a rare gem on his hands with this one - or at least it's no "Meet the Fockers."
September, an otherwise anemic month concerning promising cinema, will see a limited release of the screen adaptation of "Fight Club" author Chuck Palahniuk's "Choke," starring Sam Rockwell (Guy from "Galaxy Quest") and Anjelica Huston. "Choke" is about a sex addict who cons strangers into giving him pity money when he pretends to choke on food in restaurants, all to pay for his deranged mother's hospital bills. Chuck Palahniuk is a genius and if you need proof, read that last sentence. His directorial debut, Clark Gregg has worked with Palahniuk to adapt the book and plans to keep all the vulgarity intact, much to the delight of twisted moviegoers everywhere.
Stay your utility belts, readers. Sure, Christopher Nolan's masterpiece resulted in both critical acclaim and record-breaking box office numbers - not to mention the collective nerdgasm of every fanboy worldwide - but there are a few more films of note releasing this fall.
Fresh off their "Superbad" success, Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg have penned another comedy, only this time with an action twist. "Pineapple Express" follows a stoner (Rogen) and his dealer (James Franco) as they are chased by criminals for witnessing a brutal murder - great family fun. "Express" hopes to capitalize on the hole the mediocre "Harold and Kumar 2" left in the stoner comedy market. Franco's appearance is his first Judd Apatow role since "Freaks and Geeks" and he seems fit for the strung-out tweaker character. "Pineapple Express" releases August 8.
For the first time since "Zoolander," Ben Stiller steps behind the camera to direct August's "Tropic Thunder," a "¡Three Amigos!"/"Seven Samurai" homage starring Jack Black, Robert Downey Jr. and Stiller as actors thrown into a real-life war zone thinking they're filming a war epic. Robert Downey Jr. plays a pretentious Oscar monger who undergoes skin pigment surgery to play the platoon's black soldier, with Jack Black's comic character and Stiller's action star in tow. Downey Jr. has been on fire since "Iron Man" and the "Three Amigos" fish-out-of-water paradigm is tried and true gold. Trailers and preview buzz have made it clear that Stiller has a rare gem on his hands with this one - or at least it's no "Meet the Fockers."
September, an otherwise anemic month concerning promising cinema, will see a limited release of the screen adaptation of "Fight Club" author Chuck Palahniuk's "Choke," starring Sam Rockwell (Guy from "Galaxy Quest") and Anjelica Huston. "Choke" is about a sex addict who cons strangers into giving him pity money when he pretends to choke on food in restaurants, all to pay for his deranged mother's hospital bills. Chuck Palahniuk is a genius and if you need proof, read that last sentence. His directorial debut, Clark Gregg has worked with Palahniuk to adapt the book and plans to keep all the vulgarity intact, much to the delight of twisted moviegoers everywhere.
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