The fall movie line-up looks bright, and here are our picks for the best of the upcoming releases. Of the films that don't yet have U.S. distribution, we want to highlight The Illusionist by Sylvain Chomet (of The Triplets of Belleville), The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus (by Terry Gilliam), and the documentary Beetle Queen Conquers Tokyo by newcomer Jessica Oreck as those we're particularly hoping get deals.
1. Inglourious Basterds. August 21. Directed by Quentin Tarantino (Resevoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction). We don't care that the reviews from Cannes were mixed. Tarantino has a great way with revenge fantasies and this one is juicy: Jewish-American soldiers are chosen to spread fear among the Third Reich by scalping and brutally killing Nazis. Here's the trailer.
2. The September Issue. August 28. Directed by R.J. Cutler (American High). "Hoopla attendant" upon the arrival of this brisk, glittering documentary, the result of Cutler following around American Vogue Editor Anna Wintour (the inspiration for the despotic Miranda Priestly character in The Devil Wears Prada) for most of 2007 while she and her staff created the largest edition ever of the influential fashion magazine. We predict healthy box office for this one. Watch the trailer.
3. Bright Star. September 18. Directed by Jane Campion (The Piano, The Portrait of a Lady). There's major buzz attached to this film about the three-year romance between the 19th century poet John Keats and Fanny Brawne, and it looks absolutely gorgeous. Campion has proved that she can put her own stamp on period pieces, including a uniquely intimate sense of sweep. Watch the trailer.
4. Jennifer's Body. September 18. Directed by Karyn Kusama (Girlfight). Say what you will about Diablo Cody's kitschy dialogue, but we're totally on board for a film about a murderous, demonically possessed man-hating cheerleader...no matter what. We might even brave the sketchy drive-in theater in Concord for this one. Watch the trailer.
5. A Serious Man. October 2. Directed by Joel & Ethan Coen (Fargo, The Big Lebowski). If the Coens can do any wrong, we have yet to see it. This one is a black comedy set in the late 1960's about a Midwestern professor whose wife is leaving him because his brother won't move out of the house. The Coens selected a cast comprised entirely of unknowns for this film. Kudos them. No trailer yet.
6. An Education. October 9. Directed by Lone Scherfig (Italian for Beginners) and written by Nick Hornby (High Fidelity). This coming-of-age story set in 1960's London did well at Sundance and seems like the perfect cardigan-clad fare for early fall. It has great cast including Peter Sarsgaard, Alfred Molina, Emma Thompson, and Sally Hawkins. It'll be interesting to see how Scherfig and Music Supervisor Kle Savidge approach the soundtrack. Watch the trailer.
7. The Informant! October 9. Directed by Steven Soderbergh (Ocean's Eleven, Sex, Lies, and Videotape). Really nice to see a comedy coming down the pike that doesn't revolve around weddings or getting stoned. Instead this one hinges on a corporate VP turned informant (played by Matt Damon) for a federal price-fixing case against an agri-business giant. Yes, it's really a comedy and a hilariously funny looking one at that. Watch the trailer.
8. Where The Wild Things Are. October 16. Directed by Spike Jonze (Being John Malkovich, Adaptation). We've been foaming at the mouth for this one along with everyone else, and the fact that Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs is collaborating on music hasn't done much to make things less foamy around here. Watch the trailer.
9. Antichrist. October 23. Directed by Lars von Trier (Dancer in the Dark, Breaking the Waves). Yes, we are so very up for this totally crazypants art-horror flick. Bring it Lars! Watch the trailer.
10. Gentlemen Broncos. October 30. Directed by Jared Hess (Napoleon Dynamite, Nacho Libre). Our highly trained surveillance does have spotted some extreme goodness on the horizon, and it goes by the name of Gentlemen Broncos. Watch the trailer.
11. Precious. November 6. Directed by Lee Daniels (Shadowboxer). Christ on a bike, what an emotional wallop! We can't remember the last time a trailer made us curl up into the fetal position and sob. This film is an unflinching look at what happens when an overweight, pregnant, illiterate teen with an abusive mom is given the chance to enroll in an alternative school. Promises strong performances and a 100 percent chance of you crying. Watch the trailer.
12. Nine. November 25. Directed by Rob Marshall (Chicago). The trailer makes it very clear that this film is going to deliver some straight up, old fashioned entertainment in a big way—complete with big, glitzy musical numbers performed by A-listers in sexy get-ups. Lush, lusty, decadent. If this film were a dinner course, it'd be dessert. Watch the trailer.
13. The Lovely Bones. December 11. Directed by Peter Jackson (Heavenly Creatures, the Lord of the Rings trilogy). If anyone can translate the story about a murdered girl who watches over her family and her killer from heaven, Peter Jackson can. No trailer yet.
14. The Illusionist. No U.S. release date yet. Directed by Sylvain Chomet (Triplets of Belleville). Triplets of Belleville was an unforgettable masterpiece, so it's with a sense of childlike glee that we're looking forward to The Illusionist. It's about a stage performer "of a dying breed" who meets a young fan and is forever changed by the experience. No trailer yet.
Films We'd Really Like to See That Don't Yet Have Distribution:
--The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus. Dir. Terry Gilliam. Trailer.
--Beetle Queen Conquers Tokyo. Dir: Jessica Oreck. Trailer.
--Le Donk. Dir: Shane Meadows. Trailer.
--Mary and Max. Dir: Adam Elliot. Trailer.
--Guy & Madeline on a Park Bench. Dir: D. Chazelle Trailer.
--The Immaculate Conception of Little Dizzle. Dir: David Russo. Trailer.
More Upcoming 2009 goodness...?
--Paper Heart. Director: Nicholas Jasenovec (Aug 7)
Trailer.
--Julie & Julia. Director: Nora Ephron (Aug 7) Trailer.
--Beeswax. Director: Andrew Bujalski (Aug 7) Trailer.
--Extract. Director: Mike Judge (Sept 4). Trailer.
--9. Director: Shane Acker. (Sept 9) Trailer.
--Coco Avant Chanel. Director: Anne Fontain (Sept. 25) Trailer.
--Capitalism: A Love Story. Dir: Michael Moore (Oct 2) Trailer.
--Whip It. Director: Drew Barrymore (Oct 9). Trailer.
--Cold Souls. Director: Sophie Barthes (Nov 6). Trailer.
--The Fantastic Mister Fox. Director: Wes Anderson (Nov. 13)
--Invictus. Director: Clint Eastwood (Dec 11)
--Avatar. Director: James Cameron (Dec 18) Trailer.
Which films are you looking forward to this fall? Let us know!
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