The Invention Of Lying Preview/Synopsis & Trailer

The Invention Of Lying Sept. 25

Directorial debut by Ricky Gervais starring Gervais, Jennifer Garner, Rob Lowe, Jonah Hill, Patrick Stewart, Jeffrey Tambor, Tina Fey, Christopher Guest, Louis CK. Written by Gervais and Matthew Robinson, Cinematography by Tim Suhrstedt ( 17 Again ) Edited by Chris Gill ( Millions, Brideshead Revisited ) Original music by Tim Atack.

Film is set in an alternate earth where nobody has ever lied before, and Gervais plays a character named Mark Bellison, who commits the first lie and finding out the power of a lie of what it can create for his own personal gain.

Rated PG-13 for language, some sexual material and a drug reference. 99 min.

Oscar chances ? Possible for Golden Globe in Musical/Comedy category. Maybe a chance at screenwriting.

The Boys Are Back Preview/Synopsis & Trailer

Sept 25

Directed bt Oscar nominee Scott Hicks ( Shine, Hearts In Atlantis ) Starring Clive Owen, Duncan McNulty, George McKay. adaptation by Scott Gray ( St. Ives ) Cinematography by Greig Fraser ( Spider, The Water Diary ) Original music by ex Dire Straits guitar player Hal Lindes ( Quicksand )

True story about a sports writer ( Owen ) who must raise his two sons alone after the untimely passing of his wife and the effects that it has on his personal and career life as well the care for the two boys and making sure they will be OK as well.

Rated PG-13 for sexual language and thematic material.

Oscar chances ? Realistically Owen may have a shot. I have read where some have said this is the deepest he as gone as a character, so if he does that, it's possible for him to get an Oscar nomination. Screenplay could have a chance as well.

Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps

Due out next April 23, with the return of Gordon Gekko and his new protege. So far the supposed casting is pretty impressive. Michael Douglas in the Gekko role, rounding out casting is Shia LaBeouf, Josh Brolin, Susan Sarandon, Frank Langella and Carey Mulligan. Also Oliver Stone is back directing as well.

The Informant ! Preview/Synopsis

The Informant ! Sept. 19

Directed by Oscar winner Steven Soderbergh ( Traffic, Che ) Starring Matt Damon, Scott Bakula, Joel McHale, Frank Welker, Candy Clark, Melanie Lynsky, Rusty Schwimmer, Thomas F. Wilson, Clancy Brown. Written by Scott Z Burns ( The Bourne Ultimatum ) Cinematography by Soderbergh, Edited by Oscar winner Stephen Mirrone ( Traffic, Babel ) Original music by three time Oscar winner Marvin Hamlisch ( The Way We Were, The Sting )

Another whistle blower film much like The Insider, but this time it's a about true life high executive Marc Whitacre, who works for a large agricultural giant, Archer Daniels Midland in the early 1990's, that has been invloved in price fixing. Whiteacre agrees to go undercover for the government and wear a wire for three years. Even though Whitecre uncovers the companies wrong doings, the tide turns a negative wave on him as his bi-polar disorder and recklessness dovetails into major infranctions on his part that do not bode well for him.

Rated R for language. 108 min.

Oscar chances ? Report is that Damon went method for the role and gained 30 lbs to portray the bloated Whitacre, and that it's his career best yet. The film has a possibility now with the category at 10 nominations and Soderbergh could also earn a screenwriting nomination.

Bright Star Preview/Synopsis

Bright Star Sept 18


Directed by Oscar nominated Jane Campion ( The Piano, In The Cut ) Starring Ben Winshaw, Abbie Cornish, Paul Schneider, Kerry Fox, Thomas Sangster, Samuel Barnett, Richard Ashton-Griffiths. Written by Campion. Cinematography by Greig Fraser ( Spider ) Edited by Alexandre Franceschi ( The Painted Vail ) Original music by Mark Bradshaw ( The Mirage )

Bright Star is a romantic drama based on the 19th century poet John Keats ( Winshaw ) and his 3 year romance with his muse Fanny Brawne ( Cornish ) before he succumbed to tuberculosis at the young age of 25.

Rated PG-13 for thematic elements, some sensuality, brief language and incidental smoking.

Oscar chances ? Good to very good. Early screenings have been well recieved especially for Cornish. Possibles are also possible for Film, Director, Actor, Supporting Actor and Screenplay.

All About Steve Preview/Synopsis

All About Steve Sept. 4

Directed by Phil Traill, a relative newcomer to motion picture films, starring Sandra Bullock, Bradley Cooper, Thomas Haden Church, D.J. Qualls, Keith David, Ken Jeong, Beth Grant, Howard Hessman, Kerri Kenney, M.C. Gainey. Written by Kim Barker ( Licence To Wed ) Cinematography by Tim Suhrstedt ( 17 Again, Office Space ) Editing by Virginia Katz ( Dream Girls, Kinsey ) Original music by Christophe Beck ( The Hangover, We Are Marshall )

In AAS, Bullock plays an eccentric cross word puzzle conducter, who when set up on a blind date with a CNN camera man ( Cooper )thinks that the planets aligned and is convinced she has found her soulmate, while Steve on the other hand feels the opposite. Mary then decides to be everywhere Steve will be, as she thinks they have perfect chemistry and it's indeniable. To make matters worse for Steve, a reporter ( THC ) clings onto the story to torture Steve. But things for the reporter and Steve reveal themselves as this may not be a joke after all...anything more would be spoilers.

Rated PG-13 for sexual content, including innuendo's. 89 min.

Oscar chances ? Are you kidding ? Same as with Extract, might end up on someone's top 5 comedies of 2009.

Scorsese's all star cast Shutter Island pushed back to February

Shutter Island, originally set to open in October, a thriller noir film adapted by the novel Dennis Lehane, directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Leonardo DiCaprio with a impressive supporting cast, has been pushed back to next February.

What was one of the most talked about films released in 2009, and highly anticipated, has now been pushed back. Lack of funds behind an Oscar campaign has been the reason for a 2010 date.

To me, that reason just seems a little fishy. Especially with the 20 million dollar price tag DiCaprio commands per movie + a percentage he gets on receipts. Could it have been a confidance issue from the studio ? Great films with great confidance backing them are never pushed back.

Extract Preview/Synopsis

Extract Sept. 4

Directed by Mike Judge ( Office Space ) starring Jason Bateman, Ben Affleck, Mila Kunis, Clifton Collins Jr. Kristen Wiig, J.K. Simmons, David Koechner, Beth Grant. Written by Judge. Cinematopgraphy by Tim Suhrstedt ( Little Miss Sunshime, Office Space ) Editing by Julia Wong ( X-Men: Last Stand, Good Luck Chuck ) Original music by George S. Clinton ( Deck The Halls, The Big Bounce )

Mike Judge returns behind the camera to direct this comedy about an exract factory owner ( Bateman ) dealing with the usual work dealings of a place in a warehouse type atmosphere of employees and the problems he faces at the company and in his personal life; the employees think he has no spine and his wife may or may not be having an affair with the pool boy.

Rated R for language, sexual references and some drug use. 91 min.

Oscar nods ? Most definitely not. But it may end up on a person's top 5 comedies of 2009.

A Serious Man Preview/Synopsis

Oct. 2

Directed By Ethan and Joel Coen ( Raising Arizona, Fargo ) Starring Michael Stuhlberg, Richard Kind, Sari Wagner Lennick, Adam Arkin, Aaron Wolf, Jessica McManus, Fred Meleved. Written by the Coen's, Cinematography by Oscar nominee Roger Deakins ( A Beautiful Mind, Dead Man Walking ) Edited by the Coen's, Original music by Carter Burrell ( The General's Daughter, Before Night Falls )

The Coen brothers return for their third movie in three years, this one also a black comedy, set in a middle class Minnesota suberb in the mid 60's. The story revolves around Larry Gopnik,a Jewish professor who's sprituality and his existence is challenged and his life seems to be unraveling, when his wife is contemplating leaving for one of his collegues, adding to his misery is his brother Arthur ( Kind ) who lacks any resourses or ability to care for himself, thus living on Larry's couch. Combine this with issues with his kids and even students and Larry really begins to contemplate his life.

Rated R for language, some sexuality and brief nudity.

Oscar chances ? I have read some who have screened the film and say Richard Kind steals many scenes. Also writng and cinematography could be possibilities.

Gentleman's Bronco's trailer

Another comedy coming from the writer/director ( Jared Hess ) that brought you Napolean Dynamite and Nacho Libre. Pretty good year for comedies. This one looks pretty funny. Movie comes out at the end of October. Preview soon.

Happy 40th to Woodstock

40 years ago this weekend, more than half a million young people arrived in upstate New York for 3 days of music. Many great and memorable performances that weekend, including a 2nd time ever playing in front of a live audience by Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, an incendiary, explosive set but the young Carlos Santana Band, a radical set by The Who, where an angered Pete Townsend whacked Abbie Hoffman with his guitar and who can forget Jimi Hendrix performance of The Star Spangled Banner.
Legandary and memorable indeed.

Ronan and her buzz in The Lovely Bones

Word has been spread and is out, that the 15 year old Irish lass actress, Saorise ( pronounced sur-shuh ) Ronan of Atonement and City Of Ember fame, is outstanding in Peter Jackson's upcoming adaptation of the 2002 Alice Sebold novel The Lovely Bones.

Anyone with knowledge of the book, know that it is of disturbing content, as it's the story set in the early 1970's, about the rape, murder and dismemberment of 14 year old Susie Salmon who then watches over her family from heaven where she must weigh her options on revenge of her killer, or her desire for her family to recover and heal from her passing. Stanley Tucci that plays George Harvey, the man responsible, and he is getting supporting actor accolades as well. Mark Wahlberg and Rachel Weisz play Susie's grieving parents, Michael Imperioli ( The Sopranos ) plays the lead detective in charge of the case, and Susan Sarandon plays the grandmother. Look for the film this winter.

Bridges Crazy Heart/ Johhny Depp news

Many movie pundits and critics had predicted that Jeff Bridges latest film, Crazy Heart, could possibly give the actor an Oscar nomination, as rumors from the set were said to be this is his finest performance in well over a decade. But that won't be happening this year, as the film has been pushed back to the spring of 2010.

The movie is about a down and out alcholic country singer ( Bridges ) that gets a second chance at redeeming his career one last time with the help of a reporter played by Maggie Gyllenhaal. The film also co-stars Colin Farrell as an up and coming singer, Scott Cooper, who also directs the film ( his first ) and Robert Duvall as a mentor type character.

On another acting front, there is word that Johnny Depp is considering a 4th Pirates installment. I enjoyed the first two, but a 4th ? It's reported that Nine and Chicago director Rob Marshall will take over the direction from Gore Verbinski who helmed the first 3 POTC. A 4th Pirates does nothing for me. Like I said, the first two were good, the 3rd I felt fell short. You will next see Depp in The Rum Diary ( which I am looking forward to and has a good supporting cast ) and also his portrayal in yet another collaboration with Tim Burton as The Mad Hatter in Alice In Wonderland.

Kristen Stewart as Joan Jett...

Dakota Fanning as Cherie Currie, Scout Taylor-Compton as Lita Ford, with Michael Shannon as manager Kim Fowley in a biopic of the all female 70's rock group The Runaways. I wasn't a huge fan of the band ( I liked some of Jett and Ford as solo acts ) but I can't lie and say the film hasn't piqued my interest.

Why so few theatre's for The Hurt Locker ?

It's arguably the most talked about movie of the year besides The Hangover and Star Trek and yet it' still in very limited release. I don't get it. Some are predicting it will be one of the 10 Best Picture nominations, yet it's only in 6 locations the the whole Puget Sound area. Puzzling.

The Cove is riveting

The dolphin is my favorite mammal ( or any animal for that matter ) and has been since I was a kid. I have always been fascinated by them. I have seen them very upclose and I have even swam with them in a paid for organized setting in the Carribean. They are such lively, highly intelligent beings.

I knew I would have a problem with sitting through this documentarty though. Some of the images are harsh to anyone who loves dolphins or even animal's for that matter.
But I was so taken by the filmmaker's premise for the movie. Some of it almost plays out like a dramatic thriller behind ex dolphin trainer Richard O' Barry, who is now a huge dolphin advocate and his team as they try to stop the Japanese fisherman from slaughtering the dolphins for meat they say is most healthy, which in that case has also been heavily debated.

This may be the only documentary I see this year, but I'm predicting it a Oscar nomination in the Doc category. Sometimes harsh to watch but at the same time, I couldn't look away either. Well done and intriguing film.

Could Hugh Dancy be an Oscar candidate ?

The Brit ( also in King Arthur, Blachawk Down ) turns on his thespian skills to go deep inside his character in his new indie film Adam, about a young man with Asberger's Syndrome, a sort of affliction somehwat like austism, that leaves the person without any social interaction skills and occasional clumsiness.

Adam is attracted and falls for a teacher ( Rose Byrne ) who lives in his building and also shares the same attraction for astronomy as well.

I don't know about an Oscar nomination but I wouldn't bet against some critics awards at the end of the year.

Another great year for Meryl ?

Saying that she nabs the Julia Child persona is a understatement. Some are already claiming the Oscar is her's to lose. What category though ? Lead or Support ? She certainly got the voice down ( the hardest part ) but she also has another movie that is a romantic comedy that is directed by Nancy Meyers ( Something's Gotta Give )co-starring Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin coming out on 12-25, that also looks like a nomination possibility ( maybe Comedy or Musical lead Actress Golden Globe )

Many thought in the mid 90's she was in her peak, yet she keeps delivering the goods with every subsequent film.

Within The Whirlwind ( and Emily Watson )

I must admit that I do not get swayed or have my anticipation for a movie jilted by seeing the trailer for a flick. With that thinking, I must say I was highly impressed with what I saw from the trailer for Within The Whirlwind. Emily Watson looks like a force to be reckoned with and performance seems to be on the level of tour-de-force standards.

Movie is a true story of a woman ( Eugenia Guinzburg ) who was wrongly sent to the Gulag under Stalin's regime for nearly 20 years fighting off depression and suicidal thoughts, seeing friends tortured and killed. Herself, fighting off rape attempts and months of being locked in isolated confinement. It's a story of overcoming. Where she took her depression and thoughts of killing herself and transferred those feelings into writing. She lived throughout her lock up and when she was released, she wrote about that experience.

As of now, and I am very surprised, as many have spread the word on her impressive showing in the bootlegged trailer that was leaked over the internet, that the movie has not picked up a distibutor as of yet. It would be a shame and a sham if this performance by Watson ( her first leading role in over a decade ) to either be sent straight to DVD or go to cable. That would be an insult. I was nothing less than rivited by the performance in that trailer, and as I said earlier that hardly happens.

Crossing my fingers for a distributor to come in and save the film, because this is a career best for her, and if the film does get a release in theatre's in 09, I would be very surprised if she doesn't earn her third Oscar nomination.

Coming soon...

Preview's of Steven Soderbergh's and Matt Damon's The Informant ! and Lars Von Trier's twisted tale Antichrist, which caused much stir at the Cannes Film Festival. Some loved it and some loathed it. One of those movies that will garner much discussion and debate for those that see it.