Published: August 28, 2008 10:08 am            

MOVIES: Fall film preview

Isn’t summer supposed to be the season of blockbusters?

You would think films would slow down and scale back a bit in the fall. But this autumn’s releases don’t follow that pattern.

We’ve got big-budget action-thrillers, returning popular franchises and epics coming our way. It appears the summer has runneth over.

Sept. 5

* “Bangkok Dangerous” — Nicolas Cage stars as a hitman in this remake of a Thai film. In the original film, Cage’s character was deaf-mute. He won’t be in this movie. Because Nic Cage needs to speak.

Sept. 12

* “Burn After Reading” — The Coen brothers follow up “No Country for Old Men” with a dark caper comedy starring Brad Pitt, George Clooney, John Malkovich and Frances McDormand. In other words, it sounds like a traditional Coen brothers movie.

* “Righteous Kill” — DeNiro! Pacino! Together again! Reuniting for the first time since 1995’s “Heat,” Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino are New York City detectives. That just seems right, doesn’t it? And for the kids, 50 Cent has a major role in the film, as well.

Sept. 19

* “The Duchess” — Another Victorian film, and another English period piece starring Keira Knightley. How many of these is she in?

* “Ghost Town” — Ricky Gervais could finally find a bigger American audience in this film about a man who sees ghosts. The ghosts, including Greg Kinnear, seek favors. Could be a solid comedy, but one that has DVD success written all over it.

* “Lakeview Terrace” — Samuel L. Jackson stars as a cop who disapproves of a young interracial couple in his neighborhood, so he harasses the couple. Could be scary, unintentionally funny or both.

Sept. 26

* “Eagle Eye” — Shia LeBeouf continues his string of big-budget blockbusters as he is framed and forced to commit terrorist acts with Michelle Monaghan.

* “Miracle at St. Anna” — A Spike Lee joint about four African-American soldiers who get trapped in an Italian village during World War II. Lee’s first foray into war films.

Oct. 3

* “Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist” — Michael Cera and Kat Dennings team up for a teen romance. Knowing Cera, though, this has the ability to be, at least, above-average.

* “Appaloosa” — What looks to be a good old-fashioned Western starring Ed Harris and Viggo Mortensen as two friends defending a town from a dreaded killer played by Jeremy Irons. Renee Zellweger enters the mix as a wooing widow.

Oct. 8

* “RocknRolla” — It’s a Guy Ritchie movie and it’s not “Swept Away,” which means your expectations should include English gangsters, guns and a twisting plot.

Oct. 10

* “Body of Lies” — Ridley Scott, Leonardo DiCaprio, Russell Crowe. The names will draw you into this film, starring DiCaprio as a CIA operative. The title, however, leaves much to be desired.

Oct. 17

* “W.” — Oh boy. Oliver Stone has called his upcoming G.W. Bush biopic a “fair and true portrait,” but you can bet both sides of the political aisle will have a field day talking about this one.

Oct. 24

* “High School Musical 3: Senior Year” — The Disney megahit series makes the leap to the big screen. Why the switch? Here’s guessing The Mouse smelled some cheese.

* “Changeling” — Directed by Clint Eastwood, so you know it will get some critical acclaim. Based on the Wineville Chicken Murders of the late 1920s and starring Angelina Jolie.

* “Saw V” — Another one? Really? There’s a chance that people will be murdered in various ways during this film.

Oct. 31

* “Zack and Miri Make a Porno” — Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks star as two friends who decide to make a porno for money. Kevin Smith directs, so the language and content should be as crude as the premise, but there’s probably some heart hidden underneath it all.

Nov. 7

* “Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa” — A sequel to the 2005 animated film, with pretty much the same cast. It’s likely that very few people anticipated this release, but it should do just fine at the box office.

* “Quantum of Solace” — More than a handful of folks thought “Casino Royale” was the best James Bond movie ever. Even taking “Goldfinger” into account, they just might be right. Expectations will be high for Daniel Craig’s return as 007.

Nov. 14

* “The Road” — Cormac McCarthy’s much-heralded post-apocalyptic yarn gets spun onscreen, starring Viggo Mortensen. Here’s hoping it even comes close to “No Country for Old Men,” the last film based on a McCarthy book.

* “Australia” — Where has Baz Luhrmann been? Seven years after “Moulin Rouge!” Luhrmann returns with a World War II epic about his native land, starring fellow Australians Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman.

Nov. 21

* “Twilight” — Based on Stephenie Meyer’s best-selling novel, in which a 17-year-old girl falls in love with a vampire who is much older than he looks. If the films follow the books, this will likely be the first movie in a series.

* “The Soloist” — Based on the true story of Nathaniel Ayers, a talented musician who develops schizophrenia and becomes homeless. Ayers is played by Jamie Fox, while Robert Downey Jr. plays Steve Lopez, the newspaper columnist who develops a friendship with Ayers. The awards could come rolling in.

        

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