Not Another Most Anticipated Films Of 2009 List

Two is always better than one, so we're giving you another perspective on what we'll all be watching and, in some cases, lining up for at midnight for throughout the year. Some of you may think there are some glaring omissions on my list, such as Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen, Terminator: Salvation, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, but recent images and trailers from those films have deflated my expectations. And while it's unlikely that 2009 will be able to top the massive box office that hits like The Dark Knight and Iron Man helped bring in, names like Tarantino, Cameron, Apatow, and Snyder are set to make sure you don't decide to start using that library card this year.


10. Public Enemies
I can't pretend for a second that I enjoyed 2006's boring and overly-moody Miami Vice, a film that sucked all the fun out of the '80s hit TV series. But I am a Michael Mann's man, and the with Johnny Depp as legendary bank robber John Dillinger and the always reliable Christian Bale as Melvin Purvis, the G-man out to stop him, this has little chance of disappointing.

Countdown to: July 1st 2009

9. Whatever Works
While I don't remember ever highly anticipating a Woody Allen film, I have counted the days before every season of Larry David's hilarious HBO series Curb Your Enthusiasm. David seems to be stepping in as Woody's alter ego, a crumudggeon who somehow attracts a beautiful young woman, Evan Rachel Wood this time around. Woody's track record has improved greatly since a pretty rocky patch of late '90s/early 2000 films, and with these two comedy greats collaborating, we'll either see a comedy classic or heads exploding in theaters due to neurotic overload.

Countdown to: TBA

8. Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince
Oringinally scheduled for release this past November, Warner Bros. pushed the release of the sixth potter film to July 2009 to bulk up their less than impressive summer slate. Since Azkaban, the Potter films have entered a darker realm, increasing their appeal to a mass audience with each film. Plus, you can finally check out Emma Watson without feeling like a total perv...although you should still feel like a bit of a perv.

Countdown to: July 17th 2009

7. Up
I know very little about this film other than a trailer that features balloons, a flying house, and a grumpy old man. And it's Pixar. I'd watch Pixar animating the phone book, so I'm sold.

Countdown to: May 29th 2009

6. Bruno
Thankfully I greatly overrestimated the size of Borat-fever in 2006, and didn't have to put up with nearly as many morons saying "Very nice" over and over again (although somehow I still hear the occasional "Yeah baby!" from Austin Powers). Sacha Baron Cohen's undercover antics as Bruno have gained much more coverage in the press than he did while making Borat, possibly ruining the surprise for both the patsies and the audience. And although Bruno may be Cohen's least popular creation, I still have a feeling he'll have us all saying "Vassup" by summer's end.

Countdown to: May 15th 2009

5. Funny People
After once reading an interview where Judd Apatow described The 40-Year-Old Virgin as a James L. Brooks movie on anphetamines, I assumed it was only a matter of time before he tried his hand at an actual James L. Brooks movie. He's even bringing along Spanglish star Adam Sandler, not to mention tons of other funny people like Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill, Aziz Ansari, and the previously only funny in Australia, Eric Bana. Let's just hope this turns out as a Judd Apatow movie with Adam Sandler in it instead of a Adam Sanlder movie that happens to be directed by Judd Apatow.

Countdown to: July 31st 2009

4. Star Trek
Although it's being written off by some Trekkies as Star Trek: 90210, the action-packed (and yes, sexy) trailer gives us a glimpse at a Trek that might go where no Trek film has gone before: mass appeal. And while I completely understand the anger die-hard Trek fans may have over the selling out of the franchise (not to mention questionable choices that contradict the established cannon), I implore the frustrated to take a wait and see approach. At least Scott Bakula's nowhere in sight.

Countdown to: May 8th 2009

3. Inglorious Basterds
I've read about it since not long after the release of 1997's Jackie Brown, but it looks like 2009 is going to be the year that we finally get to see Quentin Tarantino's WWII film. The cast list has been a revolving door almost since the beginning, with names as diverse as Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, Tim Roth, and Adam Sandler all being tossed around at various stages. Tarantino's settled on a Nazi-killing platoon that includes Hostel director Eli Roth, The Office's BJ Novak, and Freaks & Geeks Samm Levine, all headed up by Brad Pitt as Lt. Aldo Raine.

Countdown to: August 21st, 2009

2. Watchmen
As long as Fox doesn't stop it's release, we only have to wait a short 3 months for what's almost guaranteed to be the first blockbuster of 2009. Zack Snyder may have polarized critics with the testosterone-filled 300, but this time around he's got Alan Moore's classic graphic novel as source material, which Time Magazine called one of the best novels of the 20th century.

Countdown to: March 6th 2009 (Fingers crossed)

1. Avatar
Sorry Nickelodeon fans, I'm not talking about The Last Airbender. I'm talking about James Cameron's long awaited follow-up to Titanic. Very little is known about the film (I'm not even sure if that alien is legit), but we do know it's about a group of humans clashing with a humanoid species on their planet, it's being shot in a revolutionary 3D mix of computer animation and live action, and Sigourney Weaver's in it. Last time Weaver and Cameron worked together, the result was Aliens, so yeah, stakes is high.

Countdown to: December 18th, 2009

Disagree with the picks on either of our lists? Submit your own in the comments section!

Top Ten Movies I Can't Wait To See In 2009

2009 is less than 10 hours away, and I am super excited because it means that the movies I'm looking forward to seeing the most are even closer to being released!

Many of these movies are sequels to films or adaptations of books (some just look like they'll be a great time) that I love and treasure, so listing these films in order from the ones I want to see a lot to the ones I want to see even more is pretty difficult. Without real organization or thought to placement, here they are:


10. Angels & Demons - Release Date: May 15, 2009


I liked the book Angels & Demons better than The Da Vinci Code, and with added star power of Ewan McGregor, this movie has potential to be better than the first one. (Which is odd, because, technically, Angels & Demons should have been the first because it was published first.)

9. The Year One - Release Date: June 19, 2009


(There aren't any real pictures for The Year One yet, so a picture of Olivia Wilde, who plays a princess in the film, is going to have to suffice.) Jack Black and Michael Cera play two men who, when exiled from their primitive tribe, travel the globe and meet famous Biblical figures in this Monty Python-esque movie.


8. Adventureland - Release Date: March 27, 2009


Adventureland, like Zach & Miri Make A Porno, was filmed in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I like seeing movies that were filmed in the area where I live because it makes the mental escape the movies provide much more realistic. In fact, I know exactly where those two actors in that scene are standing. How cool is that?!


7. Youth In Revolt - Release Date: April 3, 2009


(Also, no pictures yet for Youth In Revolt, so please accept this photo of Michael Cera, the lead in the movie, from a different movie as a substitute.) I read Youth In Revolt several years ago, and the book found a place in my heart. I'm interested in seeing Michael Cera in the role of Nick Twisp, seeing as the only parts I've seen Cera play have been sweet and somewhat socially awkward males. Either way, it'll be entertaining!


6. Brüno - Release Date: May 15, 2009


Sacha Baron Cohen is back as Bruno, the gay Austrian fashion/gossip reporter who can't help but offend just as many people as Borat did! As a fan of Da Ali G Show and its spin-offs, I can't wait to see what Bruno does in this movie!


5. Up - Release Date: May 29, 2009


Before the most recent children's movie I saw, the preview for Up played, and I was immediately hooked. Was the old, curmudgeonly man who just wanted to get away, or was it the terrified Boy Scout clinging to the house being lifted higher into the air by balloons? I can't say for sure, but I know I need to see this!


4. Star Trek - Release Date: May 8, 2009


Although I wasn't the biggest fan of the original Star Trek series or the movies (I personally love Star Trek 4...so what if there are whales in it?), but I'm still interested in seeing the story about how the original (original meaning Star Trek, not Star Trek: Enterprise) crew of the Enterprise came together.


3. Land of the Lost - Release Date: June 5, 2009


My childhood was full of great television shows, such as Land of the Lost, so when I heard they were remaking one of my most favorite childhood shows into a movie starring Will Ferrell, I knew that the powers-that-be had the right combination for a great movie!


2. Terminator: Salvation - Release Date: May 22, 2009


I have always enjoyed the Terminator franchise (in ALL of its forms!), and I can't imagine that this sequel will change that fact!



1. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - Release Date: July 17, 2009


It's weird to think that the first Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone was published when I was just 13 years old. Now I'm almost 25, and the thought that I'm too old for these movies has never crossed my mind. The Harry Potter series has never disappointed me, either in print or on film, and although I'll be one of the first in line to see this, I do recognize that I'm too old to dress up in "wizarding" costumes. (Fact: I have never dressed up in a costume to go see a movie.)

Top Ten Music Cues From Freaks And Geeks

This won't be a list where I lament the premature cancellation of one of the greatest shows ever televised. No, this is a time to rejoice thanks to the recent Shout Factory release of Freaks And Geeks: The Complete Series - Yearbook Edition, previously only available directly from the Freaks And Geeks website. With 2 extra bonus discs and an 80 page year book packed with rare photos and more, it's a must own for any Freaks And Geeks fan. But don't worry budget conscious consumer, the also excellent 6 disc Complete Series is available. So here now are my picks for the best music cues of the series, no easy task when dealing with a soundtrack this eclectic and expansive.

10. "Let The Good Times Roll" by The Cars from the episode The Garage Door
After finding a mysterious garage door opener in his father's car, Neil sets out to find the door it belongs to, with the help of the always reliable geeks Sam and Bill. As the trio rolls around aimlessly, Neil pointing the clicker at every garage they pass, it becomes clear that the good times will be less frequent for the Schweiber's.

9. "You're Nobody 'Til Somebody Loves You" by Dean Martin from the episode Noshing And Moshing
A rare, out of period music selection for the series, Dean Martin's timeless crooning plays over a montage featuring Daniel, bruised and partially pierced, returning to Kim's open arms, Neil temporarily coming to terms with his father's infidelity, a tense moment between the Schweiber's, and the hilariously drunk Weir's stumbling home.

8. "Look Sharp" by Joe Jackson from the episode Looks And Books
In a desperate attempt to impress his dream girl Cindy Sanders, super stud Sam Weir struts into school feeling confident in his brand new duds...but confidence never lasts long for the geeks.

7. "Love Reign O'er Me" by The Who from Dead Dogs And Gym Teachers
While happily enjoying a bowl of Count Chocula, Bill is confronted with the uncomfortable reality that gym teacher Mr. Fredricks has spent the night at his house. Perhaps no other band conveys the kind of teenage angst that The Who found second nature (okay, The Kinks, but that's really Wes Anderson territory), which is why this is their first of two appearances on this list.

6. "Ripple" by The Grateful Dead from the episode Discos And Dragons
The final song of the series, the bittersweet Grateful Dead tune from the Mr. Rosso approved American Beauty album plays as Lindsay waves goodbye to her family and says hello to her new Deadhead friends.

5. "Come Sail Away" by Styx from the episode Pilot
After Sam works up the nerve to ask Cindy Sanders for the dance she promised, the two slowly navigate the dance floor look for a spot, but before you know it, the song begins "to carry on..." and Sam's first slow dance with a girl becomes his first fast dance with a girl. Also going on, Lindsay making ammends with Eli and rocking out in her green army jacket.

4. "You'll Accomp'ny Me" by Bob Seger from the episode Smooching And Mooching
Bill enjoys 7 minutes in heaven with Vicki Appleby after charming the pants off of her with lines from The Jerk (what woman could resist?), while Sam finds out that Cindy Sanders is not quite as delicate as she looks.

3. "Spirit Of The Radio" by Rush from the episode I'm With The Band
Nothing conveys the awesome feeling of playing the drums (poorly) better than Nick Andopolis banging along with Neal Peart on "Spirit Of The Radio."

2. "Rosalinda's Eyes" by Billy Joel from the episode Carded And Discarded
As the geeks spend the afternoon shooting off rockets with the new girl Maureen, the mood is set by the sounds of the king of suburban romance, Billy Joel.

1. "I'm One" by The Who from the episode Dead Dogs And Gym Teachers
There has never been a more perfect depiction of the type of bliss associated with after school relaxation than Bill kicking back with a grilled cheese sandwich and chocolate cake as he toasts Garry Shandling stand-up with a glass of milk as the Quadrophenia classic plays.

Bonus:

"Lady L" by Jason Segel from the episode Dead Dogs And Gym Teachers
No words necessary. Just watch.


----------------
Now playing: The Who - I'm One
via FoxyTunes