With the release of Moonrise Kingdom this week, it made me realize exactly how long I've been anticipating a lot of the movies that are about to drop this year. I have to say, I think most of my favorite working directors are releasing movies in 2012, and I couldn't be more thrilled. These are the ten I'm kinda buggin over:
10. Argo - October 12 As far as I'm concerned, Ben Affleck as a director is 2 for 2 so far. I loved Gone Baby Gone and The Town. Basically that's enough to leave me interested in whatever else he works on until he forces me to believe otherwise. It was when the trailer dropped, however, that I really got on board. I originally had a totally different idea of what this movie was when I heard the concept, but now it kinda seems like a bizarre anti-heist movie. Does that make any sense? No. Also, Bryan Cranston.
9. Looper - September 28 Brick is one of my favorite movies definitely of the last 10 years, maybe of ever. This has a refreshingly crazy plot to get me more excited. I feel like I could do without the weird facial prosthetics they put on Joseph Gordon Levitt, but my god I'm kinda loving his Bruce Willis impression.
8. The Dark Knight Rises - July 20 Eh. Not sure this one needs that much explanation. In addition to being another (final) Chris Nolan/Christian Bale Batman movie, it adds Tom Hardy, Joseph Gordon Levitt, and Anne Hathaway into the mix. Lets do this.
7. The Amazing Spider-Man - July 3 I have to say I didn't know what to think about this one for awhile. I remained indifferent towards it for a long time, until the full trailers started getting released and it made me realize Andrew Garfield is kind of a perfect Peter Parker. Unlike Tobey Maguire, who definitely had the awkward nerd part down, he also has the charisma required of a goddamn super hero. Not to mention I'm pretty interested to see what Marc Webb is gonna do with this. I obviously loved 500 Days of Summer, but that's a slightly different movie. Lastly, always a good selling point: my girl Emma Stone.
6. Killer Joe - June 29 I'm a little embarrassed to say I really didn't know anything about this movie until I saw the trailer a couple weeks ago. It kind of gives me the same vibe as Drive (which as far as I'm concerned, was the best last year had to offer). Matthew McConaughey seems hell bent on erasing that Kate Hudson rom-com grave he's dug for himself over the last decade, and this very well may be the movie to do it. We also have a little Emile Hirsch action, which is always nice, and a little Thomas Haden Church action, which is always AMAZING. Also William Friedkin directed this - same guy who directed The Exorcist and The French Connection (my god how old is this gentleman?)... so the guy might know a thing or two about a thing or two.
5. The Master - October 12 You can really just leave it at PT Anderson. I will follow this man into the dark.
4. Cosmopolis - (playing festivals, no official release date yet) THIS. Has an amazing 80s vibe, reminds me of a weird combination between Patrick Bateman and Chuck Bass. Vintage Cronenberg. I'm on board. By the way, I absolutely love the casting of Robert Pattinson in it. It feels like a fuck you in some way, although I'm not totally sure to who.
3. Prometheus - June 8 Sometimes it can feel like if you've seen one space movie, you seen most space movies. They can be quite formulaic. This one doesn't even seem to venture that far outside that formula, and yet it somehow still seems new and interesting. It's difficult to explain. Also who edited all the trailers for this movie? They're amazing, and the music gives me chills. Fassbender (who's become a favorite of mine in the last couple years), Noomi Rapace, Stringer Bell, hell.. even Charlize Theron. Oh yeah, and Ridley Scott. Probably worth checking out.
2. Django Unchained - December 25
1. Moonrise Kingdom - May 25 You probably need a very specific personality to enjoy a Wes Anderson movie. His five non-animated movies so far are among my all-time favorites, with my favorite probably being The Royal Tenenbaums. A movie which in my opinion perfectly balances laughs, heartbreak, and an honest look at the relationships between friends and family. How they can build you up and break you down. Wes has had quite an impact on me. It's kind of like seeing an old friend. I dunno, it's good to have him back.
