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Films that are coming soon...
archive reviews With random comments and links to both trailers and earlier reviews from festivals or foreign releases. ALL COMMENTS BY RICH CLINE

C O M I N G   S O O N
to the UK...
O N   T H E   H O R I Z O N
can’t hardly wait...
12 Feb
* VALENTINE'S DAY
A SINGLE MAN
PONYO (Jpn) trailer
PERCY JACKSON & THE LIGHTNING THIEF trailer
* BATTLE FOR TERRA
* BEYOND THE POLE
FOOD INC.
* BUTCH JAMIE (dvd)
* LONG WEEKEND (dvd)
19 Feb
* SHUTTER ISLAND
THE LOVELY BONES trailer
* CRAZY HEART
* EVERYBODY'S FINE trailer
* THE LAST STATION
* THE UNLOVED
* THE HEADLESS WOMAN
26 Feb
* CAPITALISM: A LOVE STORY trailer
* FREESTYLE
* FROM PARIS WITH LOVE
* EXTRAORDINARY MEASURES
LEAP YEAR
HEARTLESS
MICMACS

5 Mar
CASE 39
CHLOE
* LEGION trailer
12 Mar
THE SCOUTING BOOK FOR BOYS
* I LOVE YOU PHILLIP MORRIS
* MY LAST FIVE GIRLFRIENDS
19 Mar
THE BLIND SIDE
THE DISAPPEARANCE OF ALICE CREED
THE KREUTZER SONATA
26 Mar
LIFE DURING WARTIME
LION'S DEN (Arg)
* LOURDES

Apr and later
* AMERICAN: THE BILL HICKS STORY
BAD LIEUTENANT: PORT OF CALL NEW ORLEANS
* BLACK DEATH
* CHERRYBOMB
* DOGTOOTH
* FAREWELL
* I AM LOVE
* THE INFIDEL
KICKS
LEBANON (Isr)
LONDON RIVER
* SAMSON & DELILAH
* VINCERE

C O M I N G   U P . . .

coming soon! • THE WOLFMAN. HAPPY EVER AFTERS. THE CRAZIES. THE GHOST. THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO. RELEASE. LA DANSE.
• CLANDESTINOS. EDDIE IZZARD STRIPPED. EDWARD II. FLEXING WITH MONTY. FOR ALL MANKIND. THE GREAT BUCK HOWARD. HORSEMEN. I SELL THE DEAD. LUCKY BASTARD. MOTHERHOOD. MOTHERS AND DAUGHTERS. NEWCASTLE. REVANCHE. THE SPELL. THAT EVENING SUN. WHIP IT. WRECKED. THE YES MEN RULE THE WORLD.
* ADRIFT. AFGHAN STAR. ALEXANDER THE LAST. AROUND A SMALL MOUNTAIN. THE COUNTESS. FEAR ME NOT. EL GENERAL. THE GOOD AMERICAN. HOLLYWOOD JE T'AIME. JAPAN JAPAN. THE KING OF KONG. LIGHT GRADIENT. LITTLE JOE. THE MYSTERIES OF PITTSBURGH. OMG/HAHAHA. PARDON MY FRENCH. SHIFTY. SHIVER. SHORT CUT TO HOLLYWOOD. STRELLA. TRU LOVED. UNRELATED. VAN DIEMEN'S LAND. VILLA AMALIA.
• CHRIS & DON. CRONICAS. DARLING! DECK DOGZ. END OF THE SPEAR. FOSTER CHILD. HEART OF THE BEHOLDER. PLAGUES & PLEASURES. THE TRAP. THE UNKNOWN.
• A BOY CALLED DAD. CEMETARY JUNCTION. GREEN ZONE. SHANK. THE SHOUTING MEN.


N O   U K   R E L E A S E   D A T E . . .

in limbo! * BELIEVE: THE EDDIE IZZARD STORY
* BIG FAN
* BIGGER STRONGER FASTER
* THE CREW
EDEN IS WEST
ENTER THE VOID
FROM TIME TO TIME
HADEWIJCH (Fr)
I HOPE THEY SERVE BEER IN HELL
* I KNOW YOU KNOW
MARY AND MAX
THE MESSENGER trailer
MY ONE AND ONLY
POLICE, ADJECTIVE (Rom)
THE STONING OF SORAYA M.
* TO TREASURE FOREVER
TRUCKER
VALENTINO: THE LAST EMPEROR
WHATEVER WORKS

* films I've seen, reviews en route


See also:
SHADOWS FILM FEST

THE WOLFMAN

dir Joe Johnston; scr Andrew Kevin Walker, David Self; with Benicio Del Toro, Emily Blunt, Anthony Hopkins, Hugo Weaving, Geraldine Chaplin, Art Malik; Universal 10/UK
release UK/US 12.Feb.10
In theory, this looks like it can't help but be thoroughly entertaining - the screenwriters and cast are reliably strong, while director Johnston is at least competent and workmanlike. On the other hand, this film's release date has been pushed back and back - and any time a movie's release is pushed just past awards season, you know the studio has lost faith in it (See The Soloist last year, or Shutter Island the week after this one opens). trailer

ALICE IN WONDERLAND

dir Tim Burton; scr Linda Woolverton; with Mia Wasikowska, Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Crispin Glover, Anne Hathaway, Stephen Fry, Christopher Lee, Michael Sheen, Alan Rickman, Matt Lucas, Timothy Spall; Disney 10/UK
release US/UK 5.Mar.10
Easily one of the most expected movies of the year, this trailer hints at how Burton's distinctive imagination is so perfectly suited to Lewis Carroll's classic tale - hopefully the Burton factor will overcome the Disney factor. Some of the costumes and effects look a little excessive, but if anyone can make this work, Burton's the one. And the terrific British cast promises some good surprises as well. trailer

THE GHOST [aka The Ghost Writer]

dir-scr Roman Polanski; with Ewan McGregor, Pierce Brosnan, Kim Cattrall, Olivia Williams, Tom Wilkinson, Timothy Hutton, Eli Wallach; 10/UK
release US 19.Feb.10, UK 19.Mar.10
Word of mouth is very strong on this brainy political thriller, which has a terrific (and very topical) plot and an intriguing cast of actors who can be very, very good with the right material and director. And Polanski is usually the right director for this kind of movie. trailer

GREEN ZONE

dir Paul Greengrass; scr Brian Helgeland; with Matt Damon, Jason Isaacs, Greg Kinnear, Brendan Gleeson, Amy Ryan; Universal 10/UK
release US/UK 12.Mar.10

Sure, there have been stories of trouble on the set of this Iraq action-drama, but the presence of Bourne duo Greengrass and Damon, plus intriguing supporting cast members like Isaacs, Kinnear and Gleeson, make this well worth looking forward to. Whatever it is, it's likely to be a look at the situation in Baghdad like nothing we've seen before. trailer

CLASH OF THE TITANS

dir Louis Leterrier; scr Travis Beacham, Phil Hay; with Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Nicholas Hoult, Gemma Arterton, Danny Huston, Mads Mikkelsen, Jason Flemyng, Pete Postlethwaite, Polly Walker, Tamer Hassan, Liam Cunningham, Hans Matheson, Luke Treadaway, Jamie Sives; Warner 10/UK
release UK/US 26.Mar.10
Remakes don't get much more unnecessary than this revamp of the 1981 Ray Harryhausen classic. On the other hand, it will be pretty cool to see all of these creatures come to life digitally, so let's hope the effects gods are up to the task. The film also has a fairly terrific cast led by newly crowned cinema star Worthington, who hopefully will be able to finally put the awful Terminator Salvation behind him after this. Although it would be nice to see him plan a character in the present day again, he's clearly having too much fun in fantasyland. trailer

KICK-ASS

dir Matthew Vaughn; scr Jane Goldman; with Aaron Johnson, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Nicolas Cage, Mark Strong, Chloe Moretz, Xander Berkeley, Lyndsy Fonseca, Tamer Hassan, Clark Duke; 10/US
release UK 2.Apr.10, US 16.Apr.10
At August's Movie-con, the showing of three extended scenes from this scene got the biggest response of everything we saw. It looks like a seriously outrageous action superhero movie, with a sharply edgy sense of humour about it and an intriguing plot. It also looks like another step to stardom for the talented Aaron Johnson. trailer

IRON MAN 2

dir Jon Favreau; scr Justin Theroux; with Robert Downey Jr, Don Cheadle, Gwyneth Paltrow, Scarlett Johansson, Mickey Rourke, Sam Rockwell, Samuel L Jackson, Kate Mara, Leslie Bibb, John Slattery, Garry Shandling; Paramount 10/US
release UK 30.Apr.10, US 7.May.10
Even if it was one of the best superhero movies in recent memory, the first film was seriously overrated, boosted hugely by Robert Downey Jr before it descended into a robot-vs-robot cartoon. This one has an even more impressive cast, and the trailer hints that it might be both bigger and darker. We know Downey will keep us entertained from start to finish, but the quesiton is whether Favreau can actually make this a better film than the original. trailer

ROBIN HOOD

dir Ridley Scott; scr Brian Helgeland; with Russell Crowe, Cate Blanchett, Mark Strong, Matthew Macfadyen, Kevin Durand, Danny Huston, William Hurt, Max von Sydow, Scott Grimes, Oscar Isaac, Eileen Atkins; Universal 10/UK
release UK/US 14.May.10
Ridley Scott's usual over-the-top but essentially superficial approach is the only worry about this one. We know it will be skilfully made with impressive action and spectacle, an attention to detail and lots of emoting. Fortunately, the cast will be able to give it some serious oomph, and the approach to the story and chaarcters looks fresh and relatively historical. Although after Sherlock Holmes and now this, it's anyone's guess which British icon will fall next. trailer
Also on my want-to-see list...

Winter: TAKESHIS. THE CRAZIES trailer COP OUT trailer
Spring: PRINCE OF PERSIA. REPO MEN trailer REVANCHE. SEX AND THE CITY 2 trailer THE TOOTH FAIRY trailer WALL STREET: MONEY NEVER SLEEPS trailer WHIP IT trailer
Summer: THE A TEAM. ECLIPSE. THE EXPENDABLES. GET HIM TO THE GREEK. INCEPTION trailer KNIGHT AND DAY trailer SALT trailer SHREK FOREVER AFTER trailer TOY STORY 3 trailer
Autumn: LITTLE FOCKERS.
No UK release date: ENDGAME trailer FIVE MINUTES OF HEAVEN trailer THE GREAT BUCK HOWARD trailer UNCERTAINTY trailer

Release dates: British film release schedules are much more fluid than American ones, so please be patient as I try to keep up with UK distributors. I'm working to keep this list up-to-date as they keep trying to outfox me. I'm sure it's personal.
Embargoes: Britain's Film Distributors Association asks us to hold reviews until the week of release, and some distributors are even more restrictive. Once the film is shown to a paying audience, either on release or at a festival, the full review can appear on the site.

© 2010 by Rich Cline, Shadows on the Wall

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