Attend the tale of Sweeney Todd. His skin was pale and his eye was odd! |
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So, how excited are you for the upcoming film season?! There's quite a few good ones coming out, isn't there? Which ones are you most looking forward to?
Is it SWEENEY TODD, the musical about a man who becomes crazy and murders his clients in his barber's chair? I know I am!!! I was lucky enough to see John Doyle's minimalist revival on Broadway, starring my old 1993 crush (Michael Cerveris) and the magnificent Patti Lupone. It was a fantastic show, but for the movie...yeah, I'm going to need the gruesome, neurotic scenes that Tim Burton can do so well! This stars Johnny Depp in the title role--I'm really looking forward to his descent into madness. Helena Bonham Carter is Mrs. Lovett, she who makes "special" meat pies. I'm a little worried about her vocal performance, but I understand Stephen Sondheim hand-picked her. A brilliant choice in casting, in my opinion, is Sacha Baron Cohen (BORAT) as Signor Pirelli...and the West End's perennial favourite, Laura Michelle Kelly, as the Beggar Woman ought to be a treat, as well.
For those of you who aren't musical fans, are you looking forward to BEOWULF at all? I'm kind of looking forward to seeing this classic brought to life, but I'm not too keen on it being completely CG--how about you? This will be released in both 2D and 3D, which ought to be interesting...but Crispin Glover and Anthony Hopkins are in it! Can't be all bad...can it?
And here's a little something for the under-12 and/or romantic comedy crowd: ENCHANTED. When I first heard of this several months ago, I was a bit disgusted with Disney creating a character specifically created to be their next Princess Superstar. She will appear on everything from cups to shirts to dolls--and of course, you can meet her live at all the Disney parks. Do we really need another Disney princess? But this tale is a little 
"I'm writing with a pencil stub. Darling, try to steal a pencil for me..." |
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different--it's animated and live action, starring adorable Amy Adams as Princess Giselle and Patrick Dempsey as the real-world man she falls in love with. After reading a little bit more about the movie, I thought I might as well give it a try. And I'll admit, I laughed out loud during a scene in one of the previews!
Here's one I've heard nothing about: STEAL A PENCIL FOR ME. Am I alone in this...? I've really had to do my research on this one! I've only seen a print ad for it, and that intrigued me enough to find out all I can. This is a documentary feature about a man in a bad marriage who fell in love with another woman. All three of them ended up getting deported to the same concentration camp, and the only way the lovers could communicate was through secret letters. These letters helped them survive the Holocaust. As Jack (the man) said, "I'm a very special Holocaust survivor. I was in the camps with my wife and my girlfriend; and believe me, it wasn't easy." This may sound a little humourous or depraved, but I assure you it's neither. It's being hailed as "a work of art."
If, after watching that, you still need a good cry, try ATONEMENT. This movie with Keira Knightley and James McAvoy is based on the Ian McEwan novel that Time magazine named Best Fiction of the Year for 2001. Will this win Best Picture of the Year, too? Well, it's a period piece with potentially doomed lovers. The Academy just laps that up! (Wait--so do I!)
There's been a lot of buzz surrounding NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN, starring Tommy Lee Jones and Javier Bardem. It's been on the festival circuit for some time now, so let's see if this Coen Brothers movie lives up to its reputation as a masterpiece and a "mesmerizing new thriller." I'm guessing it probably will.
PERSEPOLIS looks fascinating! It's the film adaptation of Marjane Satrapi's graphic novel and Satrapi 
"Veil" your love of ABBA, please! |
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herself has co-directed this animated autobiographical movie. It's about a goofy, plucky Iranian girl during the Islamic revolution. Through all the mayhem and heartache, it sounds like our heroine seeks laughter and absurdity as an escape. The movie is in French, and features the lovely Catherine Deneuve as Marjane's mother.
I've saved the most controversial for last: THE GOLDEN COMPASS. A lot of people have been looking forward to this movie...everyone except the Catholic League, that is. They're planning a boycott, saying the movie and books that it's based on "bash Christianity and promote atheism. To kids."
Missy Schwartz with Entertainment Weekly has written, "An avowed atheist, Philip Pullman (author of the books) has never denied that his series uses biblical allegory to question the absolute authority of organized religion. But here's the irony: Weitz's version has stripped away all direct reference to religion--a decision he has admitted was motivated partly by concerns about alienating the Christian market. Some fans claimed the director has now whitewashed the story, but Pullman says, 'I didn't set out to preach. If the film tells the events of the story and depicts the characters in a true light, the themes are inherent.' And to Weitz, those themes represent the core of Christianity. 'Loyalty, kindness, courage, independent thought--all good things, last time I checked,' he says. Even the Archbishop of Canterbury shares Weitz's opinion."
I think you can make up your own mind about this movie, and I suspect the Catholic League (and others like them) will be in the minority. If nothing else, it will certainly be a visual treat to feast upon!
There's something for everyone on this list, so even if you don't share my taste in movies, you're bound to find something you'll like!
But never mind me--what have you been looking forward to seeing?
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| Cannon Fodder |
Every other Thursday
Stream-of-conscious ruminations on whatever pops into Christa's head.
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| Christa Cannon |
Christa would prefer to live in a world where everyone breaks out into song and dance. Um, and also one in which she is rich and very famous.
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