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My movie-going prospects for the next three months.
Well, my movie-choosing process, when I'm paying full theater prices, breaks down roughly like this:
Interested in premise only: Will likely go see it.
Interested in cast only: Chances pretty low, but will serve as a tie-breaker between movies of comparable interest. Exceptions rare, but made when necessary.
Interested in premise and cast: Score!
Detested member of cast: Jim Carrey, Adam Sandler, Ben Affleck, and Josh Hartnett, I'm lookin' at you. Will likely cancel out all other considerations.
That said, here's my quick chronological once-over of the movies that caught my eye in EW's "The Calendar" holiday movie preview, and the probability that I'll actually pay $9 for them (movie not mentioned? probability = 0):
I ::Heart:: Huckabees (hon. mention)
Premise: Could be clever, could be pretentious. I honestly don't know enough about the movie to know.
Cast: Jude Law. Because, well, I have eyes.
Probability: 80%. Jude in "only" a supporting role is balanced out by my curiosity about the plot.
Alfie
Premise: Movies based solely on romances...zzzz. Especially ones featuring playboys.
Cast: Jude Law. See above.
Probability: 80%, because 1.5 hours of spotlight on Jude may be too good a deal to resist.
The Incredibles
Premise: Trailers were way cool. And it's Pixar. (Small confession: I don't think Finding Nemo is all that. The art is beautiful; I'm meh on the rest.)
Cast: Dunno. Samuel L. Jackson probably can't go wrong though.
Probability: 95%
The Life Aquatic
Premise: No idea. But the shot of the set looks intriguingly absurd.
Cast: Can't go too wrong with Bill Murray probably.
Probability: 10%, smidgen of interest, not enough info.
The Aviator
Premise: Ehh, my interest in WWII-era warplanes notwithstanding. Bio pics never grab me, because 1) I can never properly sink into the drama, knowing that people lived this and 2) I can never properly sink into the bio, knowing that it's all been tweaked for purposes of drama. If I really wanted to see something about So-and-So's life, I'd go see a documentary. But the period setting promises fancy sets and costumes, at least.
Cast: Jude Law. Yes, I know it's a cameo. No, I can't see him as Errol Flynn, but still...Jude Law.
Probability: 40%
National Treasure
Premise: Treasure-hunting adventure, hidden maps, etc. Decent enough.
Cast: Nic Cage a minus, Sean Bean a plus.
Probability: 50%
Alexander
Premise: Period action. Looks pretty cool, but there's something strangely off-putting about the trailer. I suspect it's earlier big-name-cast period-actioner Troy leaving me with uneasy impressions, Eric Bana and Sean Bean excepted.
Cast: No one I'm a huge fan of, but no one I hate either. Some new interest in Angelina Jolie after her eye-opening (ha!) turn in Sky Captain.
Probability: 45%
Closer
Premise: Zzzzz.
Cast: Law, Portman, Owen. And Roberts. Well, three out of four ain't bad.
Probability: 35%
House of Flying Daggers
Premise: Traditional Chinese dance, plus martial arts. Looks really cool.
Cast: I quite like Ziyi Zhang so far.
Probability: 80%
Bandido
Premise: Carlos Gallardo's turn to take on a Mexican crime lord. It has my attention, though I'd like more details.
Cast: Good job in El Mariachi.
Probability: 40%
Lemony Snicket
Premise: Never read the books, not particularly interested in a children's story. But the desaturated gothic look of the movie caught my eye.
Cast: Jude Law, narrating. Because, well, I have ears. But the movie also has Jim Carrey, who is an automatic death knell. Will Jude's dulcet tones cancel him out?
Probability: 20%. Maybe I'll watch it with my eyes closed.
Flight of the Phoenix
Premise: Low interest. Plane crashes don't spell entertainment for me.
Cast: A one-two-three punch. Giovanni Ribisi, Hugh Laurie, Miranda Otto. EW describes Ribisi's character as a "smarmy gizmo geek." Folks, those are magic words.
Probability: 75%. Not a Dennis Quaid fan, but the supporting cast makes a pretty strong argument.
The Phantom of the Opera
Premise: I'm a Les Miz fan first and foremost, but I've got the entire POTO OLC on CD. Much of the power comes from seeing the show live, but that holds true for live shows in general, of course. Can it make the transition to the big screen?
Cast: Antonio Banderas was once in the running. Don't know this cast, though.
Probability: 90%, unless I hear screams of rage coming from the POTO crowd when it comes out.
Finding Neverland
Premise: Another bio pic. See above re: The Aviator.
Cast: Johnny Depp looks smashing, but I'm having a tough time with the trailer. It's giving me the impression that his character is a self-consciously quirky one, which sets off my "pretentiousness" alarms. (Then again, I'm the stone-hearted killjoy who couldn't stand Benny & Joon because it was all so darling and precious.) But the trailers are no place to get hard facts about a movie, so I may be totally wrong.
Probability: 25%, much as it pains me to say.
Bride and Prejudice
Premise: Did someone say "musical"?
Cast: Unknown to me.
Probability: 60%, because...musical. I'd like to hear more about it, though.
The Merchant of Venice
Premise: Period piece...Shakespeare...good start. I've read the play, although cannot remember much of it now.
Cast: I see Jeremy Iron's in there. Definite plus.
Probability: 60%
Beyond the Sea
Premise: What's with all the bio pics?
Cast: I've seen Kevin Spacey dance; now I'd love to hear him sing.
Probability: 10%, likely wait for video.
Interested in premise only: Will likely go see it.
Interested in cast only: Chances pretty low, but will serve as a tie-breaker between movies of comparable interest. Exceptions rare, but made when necessary.
Interested in premise and cast: Score!
Detested member of cast: Jim Carrey, Adam Sandler, Ben Affleck, and Josh Hartnett, I'm lookin' at you. Will likely cancel out all other considerations.
That said, here's my quick chronological once-over of the movies that caught my eye in EW's "The Calendar" holiday movie preview, and the probability that I'll actually pay $9 for them (movie not mentioned? probability = 0):
I ::Heart:: Huckabees (hon. mention)
Premise: Could be clever, could be pretentious. I honestly don't know enough about the movie to know.
Cast: Jude Law. Because, well, I have eyes.
Probability: 80%. Jude in "only" a supporting role is balanced out by my curiosity about the plot.
Alfie
Premise: Movies based solely on romances...zzzz. Especially ones featuring playboys.
Cast: Jude Law. See above.
Probability: 80%, because 1.5 hours of spotlight on Jude may be too good a deal to resist.
The Incredibles
Premise: Trailers were way cool. And it's Pixar. (Small confession: I don't think Finding Nemo is all that. The art is beautiful; I'm meh on the rest.)
Cast: Dunno. Samuel L. Jackson probably can't go wrong though.
Probability: 95%
The Life Aquatic
Premise: No idea. But the shot of the set looks intriguingly absurd.
Cast: Can't go too wrong with Bill Murray probably.
Probability: 10%, smidgen of interest, not enough info.
The Aviator
Premise: Ehh, my interest in WWII-era warplanes notwithstanding. Bio pics never grab me, because 1) I can never properly sink into the drama, knowing that people lived this and 2) I can never properly sink into the bio, knowing that it's all been tweaked for purposes of drama. If I really wanted to see something about So-and-So's life, I'd go see a documentary. But the period setting promises fancy sets and costumes, at least.
Cast: Jude Law. Yes, I know it's a cameo. No, I can't see him as Errol Flynn, but still...Jude Law.
Probability: 40%
National Treasure
Premise: Treasure-hunting adventure, hidden maps, etc. Decent enough.
Cast: Nic Cage a minus, Sean Bean a plus.
Probability: 50%
Alexander
Premise: Period action. Looks pretty cool, but there's something strangely off-putting about the trailer. I suspect it's earlier big-name-cast period-actioner Troy leaving me with uneasy impressions, Eric Bana and Sean Bean excepted.
Cast: No one I'm a huge fan of, but no one I hate either. Some new interest in Angelina Jolie after her eye-opening (ha!) turn in Sky Captain.
Probability: 45%
Closer
Premise: Zzzzz.
Cast: Law, Portman, Owen. And Roberts. Well, three out of four ain't bad.
Probability: 35%
House of Flying Daggers
Premise: Traditional Chinese dance, plus martial arts. Looks really cool.
Cast: I quite like Ziyi Zhang so far.
Probability: 80%
Bandido
Premise: Carlos Gallardo's turn to take on a Mexican crime lord. It has my attention, though I'd like more details.
Cast: Good job in El Mariachi.
Probability: 40%
Lemony Snicket
Premise: Never read the books, not particularly interested in a children's story. But the desaturated gothic look of the movie caught my eye.
Cast: Jude Law, narrating. Because, well, I have ears. But the movie also has Jim Carrey, who is an automatic death knell. Will Jude's dulcet tones cancel him out?
Probability: 20%. Maybe I'll watch it with my eyes closed.
Flight of the Phoenix
Premise: Low interest. Plane crashes don't spell entertainment for me.
Cast: A one-two-three punch. Giovanni Ribisi, Hugh Laurie, Miranda Otto. EW describes Ribisi's character as a "smarmy gizmo geek." Folks, those are magic words.
Probability: 75%. Not a Dennis Quaid fan, but the supporting cast makes a pretty strong argument.
The Phantom of the Opera
Premise: I'm a Les Miz fan first and foremost, but I've got the entire POTO OLC on CD. Much of the power comes from seeing the show live, but that holds true for live shows in general, of course. Can it make the transition to the big screen?
Cast: Antonio Banderas was once in the running. Don't know this cast, though.
Probability: 90%, unless I hear screams of rage coming from the POTO crowd when it comes out.
Finding Neverland
Premise: Another bio pic. See above re: The Aviator.
Cast: Johnny Depp looks smashing, but I'm having a tough time with the trailer. It's giving me the impression that his character is a self-consciously quirky one, which sets off my "pretentiousness" alarms. (Then again, I'm the stone-hearted killjoy who couldn't stand Benny & Joon because it was all so darling and precious.) But the trailers are no place to get hard facts about a movie, so I may be totally wrong.
Probability: 25%, much as it pains me to say.
Bride and Prejudice
Premise: Did someone say "musical"?
Cast: Unknown to me.
Probability: 60%, because...musical. I'd like to hear more about it, though.
The Merchant of Venice
Premise: Period piece...Shakespeare...good start. I've read the play, although cannot remember much of it now.
Cast: I see Jeremy Iron's in there. Definite plus.
Probability: 60%
Beyond the Sea
Premise: What's with all the bio pics?
Cast: I've seen Kevin Spacey dance; now I'd love to hear him sing.
Probability: 10%, likely wait for video.