5 Off My Head - What's Left In '09

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Whilst just now reading through this article on Peter Jackson and The Lovely Bones it struck me that there's not a whole lot left to the year, is there? I mean that both in terms of days - 57 to go til 2010! - and in terms of films being released in those 57 days. Still, all the heavy-hitting award-magnets have plunked themselves down in the span per usual, so surely there's gotta be something worth seeing, right?

So I decided to look through what's to come and pick the five films I'm most looking forward to seeing between now and then. I'm not counting this weekend coming up since it's practically here, so that's leaves out not only The Box - which I'm actually seeing tonight, with Richard Kelly and James Marsden there in person, oh my god pinch me I am kvetching - but also Precious, (Mo'Nique 4-eva!), both of which would've easily made my list. And you might recall that I've already seen Michael Haneke's The White Ribbon, which would've easily topped the list ten times over if I hadn't.

Anyway, here are the 5 other 2009 flicks I'm most anticipating.

Fantastic Mr. Fox - out on November 13th - Even though it hit that speed-bump with the disgruntled crew-members moaning about director Wes Anderson's long-distance approach to directing, word seems to be pretty strong on the film, and I've been waiting for Anderson to shake up his style a little bit. Judging from the trailer, he didn't do that very much. But I still really dig the look of it and will probably forever be psyched for a new movie of Anderson's thanks to Rushmore and The Royal Tenebaums. It's out of my hands!


The Road - out on November 25th - Even though I am very afraid that this film will ruin me like the book did, I am excited. Well perhaps excited isn't the right word. But whatever the right word is, that is what I am.


The Lovely Bones - out on December 11th (limited) - I haven't read the book but it's Peter Jackson and a trailer that recalls the lovely horribleness of Heavenly Creatures so I couldn't be looking forward to this one more.


Avatar - out on December 18th - The second trailer's got me more enthusiastic than the first did, but I sorta feel this now more out of a devotion to Jim Cameron than I am feeling it wholly on the basis of what we've seen so far. But ya know what, fuck it, Cameron has never let me down. Never. So I won't buy what you're selling, Joe! I mean, there's a character named "Dragon navigator" for god's sake. Yes, I'll have one of those, thank you.


The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus - out on Christmas Day (limited) - I love Terry Gilliam. I love all of the actors he's got gathered here. Done. And I love that we get at least a whisper of remaining Heath one final time.

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There are a few runners-up I need to mention because they just barely missed the cut: Almodovar's Broken Embraces; Tom Ford's A Single Man (I'm loving the book right now and think if there's any movie coming up that's gonna surprise shock-n-awe me this one might be it); Jim Sheridan's Brothers (it makes me a bad Jake lover that this missed my top five, doesn't it? I just need to see something, anything, a trailer, please, before I'm totally there); Werner Herzog's Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans (I am crazy excited about this movie and y'all know how much I bow down before Herzog but try though I may I cannot put a movie starring Nicolas Cage in this list! I can't do it!).

And you know what? I'm sure I'll regret admitting this but I got a little jazzed when I finally saw the trailer for Rob Marshall's Nine the other day. Daniel Day Lewis dancing around did it. Hrm.

So what are y'all looking forward to?
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