Filmsiana:MY 2008 MOVIES CHECK-LIST-Hollywood/American edition

CLOVERFIELD – It’s a clever monster movie. Well, a clever premise anyway. (And a great trailer at any rate.) Something, an unclear kind of monster, is attacking New York, and this attack only seen from the point of view of a small group of people. From JJ Abrams (producer), hit the theatre in January 2008.

THE FORBIDDEN KINGDOM – It’s Jet Li and Jacky Chan, choreographed by Yuen Ho Ping. ‘nuff said.

AUSTRALIA – The story is rather bland, but it’s directed by Bazz Luhrmann. After Moulin Roudge, I’m a sucker for this guy!

BE KIND REWIND – Damn. The wittiest tribute for the frenzy of indie movie-making (so far). Jack Black as a slack that got his brain magnetized. Now, bear with me –this is a movie by Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind, Science of Sleep) after all. What’s fun is that this movie isn’t about that. The magnetized brain erased the content of all videos in his buddy’s video rental, and so they set out to remake all of the movies by themselves, including Robocop, Back to The Future, Ghost Buster, Boyz in The Hood, and, get this, The Lion King! “Our version is better,” said Jack. “Our version is 20 minutes long,” said his buddy. Damn.

BLINDNESS – By Fernando Meirelles (City of God, The Constant Gardener), from a much admired novel by Nobel winner, Jose Saramago. I don’t know …why the sudden interest of Hollywood to magic realism novels/stories? But I’m willing to give this one a try.

THE BOX – By Richard “Donny Darko” Kelly. It seems that here, Kelly leans toward a more down-to-earth approach than his head-spinning Southland Tales. It stars the ever shiny Cameron Diaz (“There’s something about Cameron”). About a wooden box that brings wealth to whoever opened it, but always kill someone somewhere whenever it opened.

BURN AFTER READING – It’s that other type of a star-driven movie (a “leftist star” type. :P). It has George Clooney, Brad Pitt, but being not a Soderbergh’s movie, it also has John Malkovich and Frances McDormand. Oh, it’s by the Coen brothers.

THE CHANGELLING – First, I got excited because of the title. Oh, I thought, it’s a remake of a cult-fave small horror movie. I was wrong. Then, I learned that it’s by Clint Eastwood, with story by Michael J. Strazcynski (the creator of Babylon Five and one of the greatest writer of contemporary Spiderman series) and it’s about a possible alien penetration. I’m sold. Oh, and it has Angelina Jolie (There, you got it, Rini!)

CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON – By David Fincher (Se7en, Fight Club), about a guy (Brad Pitt) who starts aging backwards. Curious, isn’t it?

THE DARK KNIGHT – By Christopher Nolan, with Christian Bale returns as the Batman. Very twisted Joker. And the tagline is cut right to the heart of the matter: “Why so serious?” –it’s very “Joker-ly”.

THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL – It’s Jennifer Connelly, guys. Brian Michael Bendis said it best: “She’s got damn good genes!” Plus, I’m a sucker for a remake of sci-fi classics.

THE HAPPENING – The buzz is that this is the most intense R-rated movie by M. Night Shymalan to date.

WANTED – From an anarchist graphic novel by Mark Millar, adapted to movie by Timur Bekmambetov (Night Watch and Day Watch), and has Angelina Jolie. That’s three badass in a movie.

THE INCREDIBLE HULK – Mind you, I considered Hulk by Ang Lee is one of the best movie adaptations from comics. I hate to see this movie screws that. BUT, it’s Edward Norton as Dr. Bruce Banner/Hulk. This I got to see.

INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL – By Steven Spielberg, of course. The title alone had me grinning all day when I first read it. Why? Because when I was a kid, I read about this mystery of the crystal skull in one of HAI’s magazine special edition. The crystal skull was one of the true greatest mysteries in the world. I don’t know if it’s really the same crystal skull in this movie, but it brought out the fan boy in me.

IRON MAN – Consider this: Robert Downey Jr. as an alcoholic-flamboyant-genius. Might as well he played as himself.

JUMPER – Doug Liman made a blue print for the edgy look of The Bourne trilogy, and now he tries his hand on an interesting sci-fi. The trailer looks promising.

SPEED RACER – By the Wachowsky brothers, based on a 1960’s anime. Okaaay …it’s just got to get into the list. Damn. (The other reason: I want these guys to keep on making movie, until they make good of their promise to film Plastic Man).

STAR TREK XI – It’s by JJ. Abrams, and it has Simon Pegg, SIMON PEGG!, as Scotty. (All together now: Beam me up, Scotty!)

THE X-FILES 2 – Agent Scully, why so serious? Don’t you know that we already fell for you the minutes you entered that dark room of agent Mulder, playing with his pencils, oh so long ago? And what’s the latest news of our doomed world last seen in your last episode?