It seems to get earlier every year, doesn’t it? Here we are, in the midst of celebrating Halloween, and Hollywood’s telling us that the festive year-end holiday season is already upon us — that it’s time to start thinking not only about Thanksgiving but all the way to Christmas. And, more importantly to them, we should be prepared to start shelling out big bucks to catch the seasonal fare.
Don’t believe me? Then check out one of the titles opening this Friday, November 1:
The Santa Clause 2. That’s right: A movie about Santa Claus, a movie about elves and reindeer and all that ho-ho-hoing, a movie that, let’s face it, should be opening smack in the middle of December — yes, that’s the movie that somebody at the studio decided just had to be released on the very first day of November.
But who am I to hold back the advent of holiday cheer? Here, then, is a look at the titles scheduled for release between now and the end of the year, as well as some limited titles we shouldn’t expect until early 2003. Add to this list some films that have already opened elsewhere (e.g., Bowling for Columbine, Auto Focus and Comedian, all bowing here this Friday), as well as assorted offerings from local film organizers (such as the Charlotte Film Society), and there should be enough cinematic goodwill to last until next year’s holiday season — which, at this accelerated rate, will probably kick off circa mid-August.
NOVEMBER 1
I SPY
PLOT: A suave CIA agent (Owen Wilson) is forced to team up with a boisterous boxing champ (Eddie Murphy) to locate a missing stealth bomber.
THE LOWDOWN: This action adventure is directed by Betty Thomas, who gave us insufferable big-screen updates of Dr. Dolittle and The Brady Bunch Movie… Malcolm McDowell is typecast as the sneering villain.
THE SANTA CLAUSE 2
PLOT: Scott Calvin (Tim Allen), still fulfilling his duties as Santa Claus, learns that a provision of his Yuletide contract states that he must get married or lose his status as The Big Red One.
THE LOWDOWN: The 1994 original grossed $145 million, but the fact that it took this long to cobble together a sequel signals that it wasn’t creative inspiration that struck but rather the realization that Allen’s screen career has gone absolutely nowhere (Buzz Lightyear voice-overs aside) during the past eight years.
NOVEMBER 6
FEMME FATALEPLOT: After betraying her collaborators following a jewel heist, a comely criminal (Rebecca Romijn-Stamos) assumes the identity of another woman, though that doesn’t keep her safe for long.
THE LOWDOWN: After the costly sci-fi flop Mission To Mars, director Brian De Palma returns to the thriller genre with a film that’s reported to be full of twists and turns… Antonio Banderas co-stars as a photographer who gets tangled up in Romijn-Stamos’ schemes.
NOVEMBER 8
8 MILE
PLOT: A young man (rapper Eminem) tries to break out of the slums by using his singing skills to his advantage.
THE LOWDOWN: This could theoretically be an unofficial remake of Purple Rain if it turns out to contain that film’s uneasy mix of sizzling music sequences and flat dramatic moments, but with director Curtis Hanson (L.A. Confidential, Wonder Boys) behind the camera, it’s being promoted not as fodder for the MTV crowd but as an award contender.
NOVEMBER 15
FRIDA
PLOT: The life of Frida Kahlo (Salma Hayek) is explored, from her accomplishments in the art world to her relationships with fellow artist and husband Diego Rivera (Alfred Molina) and Leon Trotsky (Geoffrey Rush).
THE LOWDOWN: As a longtime Salma Hayek fan, I’m glad to finally see her in a meaty, high-profile role… A competing Kahlo film was simultaneously in the works (with Jennifer Lopez as Frida!), but this one won out… The impressive cast includes Edward Norton (who also co-wrote the script), Antonio Banderas and Ashley Judd.
HALF PAST DEAD
PLOT: After Alcatraz is reopened, an FBI agent (Steven Seagal) must go undercover to infiltrate the joint and prevent an assassination from taking place.
THE LOWDOWN:Ya gotta admit, that goofy title is at least easier to remember than the previous generic one they had attached to this project, Lockdown… The cast also includes Morris Chestnut, Ja Rule, Kurupt and Nia Peeples… Presumably, the studio is operating under the assumption that not everybody out there wants to see young Mr. Potter waving his wand (and they may be right).
HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS
PLOT: A mysterious evil presence invades the Hogwarts school, and it’s up to boy wizard Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) and his friends to unlock the mystery.
THE LOWDOWN: Practically the entire original cast returns, with Kenneth Branagh a new addition in the role of vain Professor Gilderoy Lockhart… The third installment, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, will be released during the summer of 2004.
NOVEMBER 22
ALL OR NOTHING
PLOT: It takes an unexpected tragedy to rekindle the spark between a middle-aged, working class couple (Timothy Spall and Lesley Manville).
THE LOWDOWN: Writer-director Mike Leigh’s past triumphs (Topsy-Turvy, Secrets & Lies) have strictly been for the art-house crowd, and this doesn’t seem likely to change that pattern.
DIE ANOTHER DAY
PLOT: Secret agent James Bond (Pierce Brosnan) saves the world from the machinations of a megalomaniac. Again.
THE LOWDOWN:This year marks the 40th anniversary of the first 007 adventure, Dr. No… Die Another Day will feature the first Oscar-winning “Bond girl”: Monster’s Ball star Halle Berry as Jinx.
THE EMPEROR’S CLUB
PLOT: A college professor (Kevin Kline) makes a difference in the lives of all his students.
THE LOWDOWN: If this doesn’t provide Kline with a showcase role or draw people to theaters, expect less charitable scribes to tag it Dead Careers Society.
FRIDAY AFTER NEXT
PLOT: The third installment in the popular Friday series finds Craig (Ice Cube) and his cousin Day Day (Mike Epps) landing jobs as security guards.
THE LOWDOWN: Combined, the first two films cost $13 million and grossed $85 million, meaning a third entry was a no-brainer… Chris Tucker may have bailed after the first Friday, but character actor John Witherspoon returns as Craig’s flatulent father.
ROGER DODGER
PLOT: A Manhattan bachelor (Campbell Scott) schools his teenage nephew (Jesse Eisenberg) in the art of seducing women, only to discover he still has a few things to learn himself.
THE LOWDOWN:Isabella Rossellini, Jennifer Beals and Showgirls‘ Elizabeth Berkley co-star as the objects of their affection.
NOVEMBER 27
ADAM SANDLER’S 8 CRAZY NIGHTS
PLOT: In this animated feature, a perpetual screw-up (voiced by Sandler) avoids jailtime by serving as the assistant referee in a basketball league.
THE LOWDOWN: Sandler’s been earning good notices for his work in the current Punch-Drunk Love, and he may earn more kudos for doing something different here as well… Then again, even in toon form, he’s playing a dweeb who pals around with Rob Schneider, Jon Lovitz and Kevin Nealon, so how different can it really be?
EXTREME OPS
PLOT: The members of a film crew shooting a commercial in the Alps place themselves in danger after they accidentally shoot footage of a Serbian war criminal and his secret hideout.
THE LOWDOWN: Filming for this thriller in the Cliffhanger mode took place in Austria, Germany and Canada.
SOLARIS
PLOT: A scientist (George Clooney) is sent to investigate mysterious occurrences taking place aboard a space station.
THE LOWDOWN: Stanislaw Lem’s acclaimed sci-fi novel was made into a much-debated 1972 Russian film by writer-director Andrei Tarkovsky; now, Traffic coordinator Steven Soderbergh gives it a shot, with the help of his favorite leading man… James Cameron serves as a co-producer.
TREASURE PLANET
PLOT: Fifteen-year-old Jim Hawkins lands a job aboard a “space ship” (as in, a boat with the power to cruise the stars), makes the acquaintance of cyborg John Silver, and grapples with a mutiny aboard the vessel.
THE LOWDOWN: Under the supposition that Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island needed more pizzazz, this Disney animated effort sets the tale in outer space… Among those contributing vocals are Emma Thompson, Martin Short and David Hyde Pierce.
WES CRAVEN PRESENTS: THEY
PLOT: A graduate student (Laura Regan) discovers that the reccurring nightmares she had as a child are coming back to haunt her again.
THE LOWDOWN: Despite the title, Craven is listed as neither director, writer, producer or even executive producer on this project, presumably meaning he merely lent his name in exchange for a hefty paycheck.
DECEMBER 6
ADAPTATION
PLOT: While attempting to adapt a book by a respected author (Meryl Streep), an insecure screenwriter (Nicolas Cage) must cope with the presence of his obnoxious twin brother (also Cage).
THE LOWDOWN: When Cage is in “hammy” mode, he can be almost unbearable, so watching him play twins will either be twice the fun or twice the torture… On the promising side, this arrives courtesy of director Spike Jonze and co-scripter Charlie Kaufman, who previously gave us the splendid Being John Malkovich. Kaufman co-wrote the script with his brother Donald, and just to show he’s still in a playful Malkovich mood, the names of Cage’s characters are also Charlie and Donald Kaufman.
ANALYZE THAT
PLOT:Upon his release from the slammer, mob boss Paul Vitti (Robert De Niro) heads straight for the couch of Dr. Sobol (Billy Crystal) for another series of counseling sessions.
THE LOWDOWN: Lisa Kudrow returns as Crystal’s straight-shooting spouse… Is it just me, or is that teaser-trailer (with a blubbering De Niro) spectacularly unfunny?
EMPIRE
PLOT: The attempt of a South Bronx gangster (John Leguizamo) to go straight by forming an alliance with a Wall Street banker (Peter Sarsgaard) encounters some unexpected difficulties.
THE LOWDOWN:This is the first release of Arenas Entertainment, a new Latino film label aligned with Universal Pictures… The cast also includes former Bond girl Denise Richards, Isabella Rossellini and Sonia Braga.
EQUILIBRIUM
PLOT: In the near future, expression of all human emotions (and their triggers, such as art and literature) has been strictly forbidden, which spells trouble for a law enforcement officer (Christian Bale) who suddenly begins to develop feelings for a woman (Emily Watson).
THE LOWDOWN: Kurt Wimmer, whose only previous directorial credit is for the Brian Bosworth video title One Tough Bastard, wrote and directed what sounds like a cross between such sci-fi staples as Logan’s Run, THX-1138 and Fahrenheit 451.
DECEMBER 13
THE HOT CHICK
PLOT: A high school cheerleader (Rachel McAdams) wakes up one day to find that she’s been transformed into a 30-year-old man (Rob Schneider), definitely a problem with both the prom and a cheerleading competition coming up.
THE LOWDOWN: There are Oscar contenders, there are big-budget extravaganzas, and then there are tossaway movies designed to placate folks who still consider their first viewing of Dumb and Dumber to be akin to a religious experience. This arrives courtesy of the same joes who made Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo, so take a guess which camp this falls into.
MAID IN MANHATTAN
PLOT: A chambermaid (Jennifer Lopez) at a ritzy Manhattan hotel finds her life turning into a fairy tale after a charming politician (Ralph Fiennes) mistakes her for a fellow guest and begins to woo her.
THE LOWDOWN: This sounds woefully pedestrian, though the presence of Fiennes, Bob Hoskins (as a hotel manager) and director Wayne Wang (The Joy Luck Club, Smoke) might elevate it.
STAR TREK: NEMESIS
PLOT: The Enterprise crew, led by Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart), must determine whether the Romulans truly want peace or are planning a sneak attack on Earth.
THE LOWDOWN: There are rumors that this will be the last Star Trek film to feature the Next Generation gang… Look for appearances by Kate Mulgrew and other members of Next Generation‘s sister shows such as Star Trek: Voyager.
DECEMBER 18
THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS
PLOT:In the second installment of J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic trilogy, Frodo (Elijah Wood) and Sam (Sean Astin) encounter the wretched Gollum, Strider (Viggo Mortensen) continues to rally the troops against the dark forces of Saruman (Christopher Lee), and Gandalf (Ian McKellen) makes a surprising reappearance.
THE LOWDOWN: It’s a virtual repeat of Winter 2001, when The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring and Harry Potter and the Sorceror’s Stone dominated the season (Potter barely won at the box office, $317 million versus $313 million, but Fellowship compensated with all those Oscar nominations); expect this season to be no different… The third chapter, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, will be released December 17, 2003.
DECEMBER 20
ANTWONE FISHER
PLOT: A naval psychiatrist (Denzel Washington) tries to help a violent sailor (Derek Luke as the title character) confront the demons from his past.
THE LOWDOWN: Fisher wrote the script based on his own life, while Washington makes his directorial debut… Sounds somewhat similar to Good Will Hunting, but it will be interesting to see what Washington brings to the other side of the camera.
GANGS OF NEW YORK
PLOT: In 1860s Manhattan, an Irish-American immigrant (Leonardo DiCaprio) seeks revenge on the influential bigwig (Daniel Day-Lewis) who murdered his father years earlier.
THE LOWDOWN: Martin Scorsese’s long-delayed production was finally set to open on Christmas Day but was moved because another DiCaprio title, Spielberg’s Catch Me If You Can, has already claimed that spot… The supporting cast includes Cameron Diaz, Liam Neeson and Iris Oscar winner Jim Broadbent.
RABBIT-PROOF FENCE
PLOT: Three Aboriginal girls who have been separated by the Australian government from their families to be trained to work as maids for wealthy white families trek over a thousand miles in the Outback in an effort to get back home.
THE LOWDOWN: Kenneth Branagh is one of the few “name” players attached to this based-on-fact drama… Director Phillip Noyce (Clear and Present Danger) has two films coming out during this period, the other being The Quiet American.
STANDING IN THE SHADOWS OF MOTOWN
PLOT: This documentary centers on the Funk Brothers, a group of musicians assembled by Berry Gordy to back up the Motown stars through the 60s and early 70s.
THE LOWDOWN: As the press notes state, “By the end of their phenomenal run, this unheralded group of musicians had played on more number ones hits than the Beach Boys, the Rolling Stones, Elvis and the Beatles combined — which makes them the greatest hit machine in the history of popular music”… The film includes several new live performances with the Funk Brothers backing up Ben Harper, Chaka Khan, Joan Osborne and others.
TWO WEEKS NOTICE
PLOT: A hard-working attorney (Sandra Bullock) endures a stormy relationship with her boss (Hugh Grant), a real estate magnate who treats her poorly until he learns that she’s planning to resign.
THE LOWDOWN: Screenwriter Marc Lawrence, whose past credits include such dismal comedies as Miss Congeniality and the Out-of-Towners remake, makes his directorial debut as well as penning the script… Grant’s been on a hot streak lately, thanks to his comic work in About a Boy and Bridget Jones’ Diary.
THE WILD THORNBERRYS MOVIE
PLOT: In this big-screen adaptation of the popular Nickelodeon series, young Eliza Thornberry and her chimp friend Darwin take on poachers.
THE LOWDOWN: After the success of the Rugrats films (and notwithstanding the failure of Hey Arnold! The Movie), expect to see every Nickelodeon and/or Cartoon Network show transferred to the big screen. Ed, Edd & Eddie, anyone?… Where else can you find a film that brings together Rupert Everett, LL Cool J, Flea and Lynn Redgrave (all lending their vocal chords to the cause)?
DECEMBER 25
CATCH ME IF YOU CAN
PLOT: A teenage con artist (Leonardo DiCaprio) assumes various disguises (pilot, doctor, lawyer) all the while being pursued by a crafty FBI agent (Tom Hanks).
THE LOWDOWN: Steven Spielberg follows Minority Report with a film that’s based on a true story… The cast includes Christopher Walken, Martin Sheen and Alias star Jennifer Garner.
PINOCCHIO
PLOT: A wooden puppet (Roberto Benigni) comes to life in this live-action adaptation of the Carlo Collodi fairy tale.
THE LOWDOWN: As far as American audiences are concerned, Benigni (Life Is Beautiful) might end up being a one-hit wonder, a passing fad akin to a-ha or William “The Refrigerator” Perry; how this movie fares should give us a hint.
THE 25TH HOUR
PLOT: A criminal (Edward Norton) on the verge of being locked up for a long time tries to set things straight with his girlfriend (Rosario Dawson), his friends (Barry Pepper and Philip Seymour Hoffman) and his father (Brian Cox).
THE LOWDOWN: Spike Lee serves as director on a project that might prove to be a little too grim for wide acceptance on Christmas Day… Spider-Man‘s Tobey Maguire is listed as one of the producers… The impressive cast also includes Anna Paquin, but what, no John Turturro?
LIMITED RELEASEThe following films will either trickle down to Charlotte over the next two months or open here in early 2003.
ABOUT SCHMIDT
The team behind the wickedly funny Election, writer-director Alexander Payne and writer Jim Taylor, return for what sounds like a seriocomic take on Ingmar Bergman’s Wild Strawberries, with Jack Nicholson as a recent retiree and recent widower who reflects on his life and all the choices he made along the way.
CHICAGO
The Broadway triumph gets brought to the big screen in a splashy production that casts Renee Zellweger and Catherine Zeta Jones as competitive murderesses and Richard Gere as the high-powered lawyer who defends them both.
CONFESSIONS OF A DANGEROUS MIND
George Clooney makes his directorial debut with this adaptation (by Being John Malkovich writer Charlie Kaufman) of Chuck Barris’ novel about how he was a TV personality by day and a CIA-trained assassin by night. Sam Rockwell plays Barris, with Clooney, Julia Roberts and Drew Barrymore in support.
FAR FROM HEAVEN
Writer-director Todd Haynes and Julianne Moore, who had a cult art-house hit with 1995’s Safe, re-team for this drama about a 1950s suburban housewife who develops feelings for her black gardener (24’s Dennis Haysbert) about the same time she discovers that her husband (Dennis Quaid) is a closeted homosexual.
THE HOURS
The stories of three women — a modern-day literary agent (Meryl Streep), a late-1940s housewife (Julianne Moore), and author Virginia Woolf (Nicole Kidman in a prosthetic nose that renders her unrecognizable) — are intertwined in this adaptation of Michael Cunningham’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. The supporting cast includes Ed Harris, Claire Danes and Miranda Richardson.
THE LIFE OF DAVID GALE
An ambitious reporter (Kate Winslet) tries to unearth the facts surrounding the murder of a political activist (Laura Linney), presumably at the hands of a respected professor (Kevin Spacey) who’s now on Death Row for the crime. Alan Parker (Mississippi Burning) directs.
MAX
Already building a cloud of controversy, this drama, set right after World War I, tells the story of a Jewish gallery owner (John Cusack) who befriends a struggling young artist named Adolf Hitler (Noah Taylor).
NARC
Two cops (Ray Liotta and Jason Patric) must solve the murder of a fellow officer in this drama that credits Tom Cruise as one of its executive producers.
NICHOLAS NICKLEBY
Writer-director Douglas McGrath (Emma) helms this adaptation of the Charles Dickens chestnut about an impoverished young man (Charlie Hunnam) hellbent on providing for his family. Jim Broadbent co-stars, along with Nathan Lane and Christopher Plummer.
THE PIANIST
Cannes must like its pianos: After The Piano Teacher swept three major awards in 2001, this year’s contest saw Roman Polanski’s The Pianist take the top prize, the Palme d’Or. Based on a true story, this centers on a Polish Jew (Adrien Brody) and his efforts to survive during World War II.
THE QUIET AMERICAN
Based on the Graham Greene novel, this Saigon-set murder-mystery centers on the tricky relationship between a young American idealist (Brendan Fraser), a cynical British journalist (Michael Caine), and the Vietnamese woman (Do Thi Hai Yen) who comes between them.
TALK TO HER
In the latest from Spain’s Pedro Almodovar (All About My Mother), two men (Javier Camara and Dario Grandinetti) become close friends as they wait for their loved ones (Rosario Flores and Leonor Watling) to emerge from comas.
This article appears in Oct 30 – Nov 5, 2002.
