August Movie Preview Part 2

John’s August Preview

 By John Leavengood

 

 

Conan the Barbarian

Release Date:  August 19^th

Cast:  Jason Momoa, Ron Perlman, Rose McGowan

            I have been waiting so very long for this movie—perhaps a decade.  I always wondered who they’d find to replace Schwarzenegger and whether there would be a strong comic book fantasy element or not.  Judging by the trailer, they went with the Boris Vallejo fantasy with serpents and sorcery (i.e., a creepy sorceress).  I’m thrilled.  I also like the guy they found to play Conan.  He played Khal Drogo, a nomadic barbarian clan leader, in HBO’s Game of Thrones.

            My biggest fear is that this movie seems conceptually no different from Kull the Conquerer, and while I loved the delicious Tia Carrera and Kevin Sorbo back in his Hercules days, Kull cut me pretty deep.  Please don’t let this feel like tongue-in-cheek humored Kull.  Please, barbarian God, Krom, let this movie rock!  Luckily, director Marcus Nispel has a few credits that I enjoyed including remakes of Friday the 13^th and Texas Chainsaw Massacre.  Their brutality coupled with his work on Pathfinder could yield an interesting result for Conan.

 

 

 

The Change-Up

Release Date:  August 5^th

Cast:  Ryan Reynolds, Jason Bateman, Olivia Wilde, Leslie Mann

            If a movie has Jason Bateman in it, I see it.  If a movie has Ryan Reynolds in it, I see it (even if that movie is Green Lantern).  So this movie is an instant must see.  Both of these actors ooze humor and situationally awkward charm.  And situationally awkward is exactly what this movie is.  A la Vice Versa and Like Father Like Son, two people switch bodies.  Only instead of a father and son (as was the case for the other two movies), this movie swaps an over-sexed bachelor who never grew up with a responsible family man.  It looks great!

 

 

 

 

Fright Night

Release Date:  August 19^th

Cast:  Anton Yechlin, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Colin Farrell, Toni Collette

            This remake has been in the online movie rumor mill for over five years now.  Finally, it has come.  But should I be worried that director Craig Gillespie (Lars and the Real Girl, The United States of Tara, Mr. Woodcock) has never done horror—rather only comedy and drama?  We have a lot of decent actors, but the trailer boasts none of the fun horror feel of the original.  This barely looks like a horror movie but rather a Lifetime “Stepfather” style movie where there happens to be a vampire.  I’ll give it a shot, but I’m very pessimistic straight out of the gate.

 

 

 

Final Destination 5

Release Date:  August 12^th

Cast:  David Koechner, Tony Todd, and a bunch of kids.

            I really loved the first three movies in this franchise.  Even though they recycled the same plot with different actors and kills scenarios, I always found them to be very fun.  The fourth, however, really dropped the ball.  I may have enjoyed a few scenes, but there was a noticeable drop in quality.  That said, I have high hopes that we get some quality horror fun this August with the fifth installment which is directed by new blood director Steven Quale, who has never been at the helm of a movie, but assisted Cameron on Avatar.

 

 

 

One Day

Release Date:  August 19^th

Cast:  Anne Hathaway, Jim Sturgess, and Patricia Clarkson (who was wonderful in Easy A)

             Ok, folks.  This was evidently based on some best seller about which I know nothing.  However, I absolutely adore Anne Hathaway—for her work not her looks and body, you perverts!  She was stellar in Love and Other Drugs and charming in the otherwise mundane Valentine’s Day.  That said, movies like this see no justice or warning from trailers.  What do I mean?  Well, no one who didn’t know about the novel would have thought that Pride and Prejudice’s trailer would merit a great tale of longing, nor did the trailer of Valentine’s Day warn us of the slap-dash script that was in store.  Sure it was funny and sweet at times, but it just didn’t make par.  I’m hopeful on this one.  Check out the trailer and you be the judge.

 

 

 

Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark

Release Date:  August 26^th

Cast:  Katie Holmes, Guy Pearce

                  Guillermo del Toro has truly proven himself when it comes to fantasy creature-driven movies.  Hellboy 2’s tooth fairies and angel of death, the faun and eye-handed monster from Pan’s Labyrinth, and Hellboy’s Samaal; I’m looking forward to what creature he dreams up next (with the help of some ace make-up and CGI technicians).  We just get a hint of the diminutive horrors of the movie in this early trailer…

 

 

 

 

Glee 3D

Release Date:  August 12^th

Cast: Cory Monteith, Lea Michele, Dianna Agron

 

                Okay, I just watched the trailer…what am I watching?

                I adored Glee in season one, like it in season 2, and fell off the wagon for season 3.  I feel like this is just pushing the envelope.  However, if you loved Glee throughout all seasons, then this is probably your bag.  The trailer is not terribly informative, but it gives us the gist that the same ilk is being presented with a hint of reality behind-the-scenes action.