In case you didn’t know, the Oscars were on last night. As an Annoying Film Person, you’d think I would be glued to the TV for this austere, once-a-year event. I was not. In fact, I didn’t even watch the whole show.
2011 cinema left me lackluster. Sure, there were a few films I loved – The Tree of Life, Drive, Hugo – but I mostly feel underwhelmed. Where the films at?! The awards show itself held no surprises for me – The Artist and Hugo racked up. There weren’t even any really spectacular dresses to look at, and sometimes that’s half the fun for me (I’m a girl, y’all). The best moments were any time anyone cried (I’m a sucker for tears) and Christopher Plummer. He is like, the best looking 82-year-old man I know. And I don’t even actually know him. And he was once-upon-a-time Captain Von Trapp. Check yes.
However, all my wah-wah-wahing about 2011 movies hasn’t diminished my hope for 2012. Oh no. I am starved for some of these upcoming movies, just absolutely salivating for them. Below are my top 9.
Reasons-for-Excitement Key:
Hot* Director – HD
Hot* Cast – HC
Insane Storyline – IS
Mind-Blowing Visuals – MBV
Artistically Crush-worthy – ACW
Actually Enjoyable Sequel/Prequel – AESP
Surely Spectacular Soundtrack – SSS
*Hot meaning awesome, not attractive. Although sometimes…it’s both.
1. The Dark Knight Rises
Release date: July 20
HD (Chris Nolan)
HC (Christian Bale, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Tom Hardy)
IS (It’s Batman, y’all!)
MBV (Der.)
AESP (As opposed to, say, Batman & Robin?)
2. Moonrise Kingdom
Release date: May
HD (Wes Anderson)
HC (Bill Murray, Edward Norton, Tilda Swinton, fresh up-and-comers)
ACW (I feel this way about all Wes Anderson films.)
SSS (Ditto.)
3. Untitled Terrence Malick Project
Release date: ?
HD (Terrence Malick. This movie doesn’t even have a name, and I can’t wait.)
HC (Rachel McAdams, Jessica Chastain, Rachel Weisz – a trio of superb ladies)
MBV (see: any movie of his, ever)
ACW
SSS (ambient, serene and soul-soaring are all possible)
4. Lincoln
Release date: Dec.
HD (Spielberg)
HC (DDL, JGL, TLJ – That’s Daniel Day-Lewis, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Tommy Lee Jones for all you film plebeians.)
IS (You know, if you find history insanely cool.)
5. The Great Gatsby
Release date: Dec. 25
HD (Baz Luhrmann. This may be up for debate, but I love the style of Romeo + Juliet and Moulin Rouge!.)
HC (Leo. Leo. Leo. And Carey Mulligan, Joel Edgerton, etc. I love the ’74 version w/the perfect Robert Redford, but I can’t imagine a better follow-up Gatsby than Leo.)
IS (If you read the book, you know what’s up.)
MBV (The super-saturated colors and extravagance particular to all Luhrmann’s films will be interesting to see here. And the costumes!)
SSS (I blasted and sang and made videos of the tunes from Moulin Rouge! all throughout high school. Maybe a big band/swing version here?)
6. Prometheus
Release date: June 8
HD (Ridley Scott – Alien, Gladiator, and one of my all-times, Blade Runner.)
HC (Michael Fassbender, Noomi Rapace of the original, Swedish Dragon Tattoo, Charlize Theron)
MBV
AESP (Ok, I know RS is claiming this isn’t an Alien prequel, but “it’s set in the same universe”? Well close enough.)
7. The Hobbit
Release date: Dec. 14
HD (Peter Jackson, whose attention to detail in these LOTR movies astounds me.)
IS (It’s a hobbit. And dawrves. And treasure. And dragons.)
MBV (I really, really hope. The scenery of New Zealand alone in the LOTR trilogy was probably enough to boost that country’s tourism by 1000%.)
AESP
8. Django Unchained
Release date: Dec. 25
HD (Tarantino)
HC (Leo again! But also JGL – is this the 17th time he’s shown up in my list?? – Christoph Waltz, and Sacha Baron Cohen, whom I never cared about before but now find intriguing after Hugo.)
IS (Like, top notch insane. Google it. Not like I expect anything less from Tarantino.)
ACW (I flip-flop with ole Q on this one – Pulp Fiction yes, Death Proof no – so here’s hoping.)
9. The Master
Release date: ?
HD (Paul Thomas Anderson)
HC (Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams, and the rise of the [Joaquin] Phoenix!)
IS (I’m not even entirely sure of what the storyline is, but if Scientology-esque rumors are true, then yuh.)
ACW (solely on There Will Be Blood)
What movie releases are you weak with anticipation for?
annoyingfilmperson 
Am I the only person who was really underwhelmed by “The Artist”? Yes, it was silent. Yes, it was in black and white. Yes, there was a nice questioning of the separation between film and reality for the Clark Gable look-alike main character. Yes, that shot with the pouring drink was great. Beyond that–blah.
Wasn’t really paying attention to what’s coming out next, but I’m thrilled to hear about anything with Phillip Seymour Hoffman. Please tell me Leo is playing Nick in “The Great Gatsby”! A more perfect casting I cannot imagine.
He’s actually Gatsby. Tobey Maguire’s playing Nick. Whatcha think?
Even better. Now that I think about it, Leo’s gotten too old for Nick. (Though in my heart he will always be Romeo + Juliet era Leo.) And Tobey Maguire has that wonderful boy-ingenue thing down pat.
I can’t wait for the Hobbit!
If P.T. Anderson is potentially “artistically crush-worthy” for There Will Be Blood alone, I suggest checking out his other films! There Will Be Blood is probably his best but Hard Eight and Punch-Drunk Love are also most certainly “artistically crush-worthy” and Boogie Nights and Magnolia are pretty great too!
I never saw all of Magnolia, but I have Punch-Drunk Love waiting for me at my local library right now! I’ve been wanting to check it out for awhile.
go in search of Hard Eight, it’s a treasure 🙂
Punch-Drunk is perhaps my all time favorite film, so I would definitely recommend that you give it a watch.
I actually did not see any of these films from 2011. Tree of Life looks really interesting and I intend to see it, but the others just don’t seem so hot (but I’ll reserve final judgement for when I’ve seen them of course). But I do hope 2012 brings better selections…
Excited for the Great Gatsby! and The Perks of Being A Wallflower ( not on your list) 😉
Holy. crap. I didn’t even know about The Master!! As I’m fascinated with both Philip Seymour Hoffman and Scientology. I will now obsessively Google this project. Thank you!
Also, if Xenu has anything to say about this we may never get to see it so we best soak up all we can!
I am excited for the majority of the films you listed here as well 🙂 I am however also excited for the movie adaptation of “The Hunger Games,” though am surely convinced it won’t live up to the book/series. 🙂
I am reviewing Hunger Games for RELEVANT Mag, so I am excited about that one also. I read the series as well. It always bothers me if I don’t read it first, ha ha. English major problems?
I know what you mean. 🙂 Being an English major (with emphasis in Creative Writing), I totally understand what you are saying about wanting to read the book(s) first. I would love to read your review of it when it’s finished. I too wrote a review of it back in October, and would love for you to check it of, if interested. http://writewronginbetween.wordpress.com/2011/10/21/review-of-the-hunger-games-by-suzanne-collins/
Reblogged this on Sms|DesiRe.
Looks like we have an exciting movie year coming up, thanks for the posts 🙂
Great pick of films. Couldn’t agree more with 1 and 2. Dark Knight Rises will have an insane story-line because it’s NOLAN. He’s an amazing writer.
I’ve been waiting awhile for another Wes Anderson movie, he’s great!
I’d put Django Unchained higher. I mean Tarantino is coming off Inglourious Basterds!
The Hobbit should be higher as well… Peter Jackson’s coming back.
Great list, and (hopefully) great movies.
I am eager for hunger games – jennifer lawerence intrigues me…the hobbit as well peter jackson attention to detail is so fantastic that regardless of the film the set design and costuming will be incredible. I have to admit I am feeling a little anti patriotic given that it’s being filmed in Australia but I am not excited about The Great Gatsby….I love the book so much and worry that it may ruin it and after Australia I remain a little underwhelmed when it comes to Baz (look how prententious I am calling him by just his first name like I know him lol)
I can’t wait for a new post!
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