The Film Buzz » Coming Soon

The Best of 2012

Gannesh — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 11:42:44 +0000

Now that 2011 has come to an end it’s time for us to look ahead at the films that are set to light up the silver screen in 2012. Below, in no particular order, is a list of the Top 10 films that I’m most looking forward to watching this year, as well as a few noteworthy additions…

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Director: Peter Jackson; Cast: Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, Richard Armitage, Andy Serkis

The Hobbit is one of my favourite books of all time, and The Lord of the Rings is without a doubt my favourite movie trilogy. Though I would have loved to have seen Guillermo Del Torro’s vision of Middle Earth, I’m tremendously happy that Peter Jackson is back in the directors seat. Adapting arguably Tolkien’s best book, with a phenomenal cast comprised of LOTR veterans and some talented new blood, I can’t wait to see what Peter Jackson and company have in store! It simply isn’t Christmas without hobbits, dwarves, wizards and one bloody epic-battle…

Release Date: December 2012

Skyfall

Director: Sam Mendes; Cast: Daniel Craig, Judi Dench, Naomie Harris, Javier Bardem, Ralph Fiennes, Ben Whishaw

It’s felt like an eternity since we last saw Bond on the silver screen in Quantum of Solace (2008). Now that the MGM’s financial troubles are finally behind them, the world’s favourite secret agent is set to return with a vengeance in Skyfall – a brand new adventure, not directly tied to the events of Casino or Quantum. With Javier Bardem as the main villain, Ben Whishaw as the new Q, and Oscar winner Sam Mendes (American Beauty, Road to Perdition) taking over directing duties, Skyfall promises to be a whole new class of Bond film – with a capital B. Which begs the question, greatest Bond movie ever?

Release Date: October 2012

Much Ado About Nothing

Director: Joss Whedon; Cast: Alexis Denisof, Amy Acker, Nathan Fillion, Clark Gregg, Reed Diamond, Fran Kranz

Okay, the first curveball on the list. An adaption of Shakespeare’s immortal play, Much Ado About Nothing is a film written and directed by Joss Whedon – yes, the Joss Whedon: the creative mind behind Buffy, Angel, Firefly & Serenity, Dollhouse and Dr Horrible’s Sing-a-long Blog, and director of this summers tent-pole blockbuster The Avengers. With a cast made up almost exclusively of alumnus from Whedon’s past shows, the film was shot in just 12 days on location in Whedon’s Santa Monica home during a break from filming The Avengers. Once completed the film is headed for the festival circuit “because”, and I quote, “it is fancy.” Hopefully, it will be picked-up by a distributor and we’ll get the opportunity to watch it later in the year.

Men In Black 3

Director: Barry Sonnenfield; Cast: Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones, Josh Brolin

With a great story and a strong chemistry between its two leads, the original Men In Black was one of the most enjoyable films of the late 90s. The third instalment in the series see’s Agent J (Smith) travelling back in time to the 1960’s to stop the assassination of his partner Agent K (Lee Jones) – which he must do with the help of a younger Agent K (Brolin). The film also stars Emma Thompson, as the new head of the MIB, Alice Eve as her younger 1960s counterpart, and the hilarious Bill Hader as Andy Warhol. The new trailer looks like a promising return to form for the series. At the very least, MIB 3 will give us the opportunity to watch Josh Brolin’s do an eerily spot on Tommy Lee Jones impression! Seriously, it’s really quite good…

Release Date: May 2012

The Dark Knight Rises

Director: Christopher Nolan; Cast: Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Anne Hathaway

After the phenomenal critical and commercial success of The Dark Knight, writer and director Christopher Nolan returns to Gotham to give the Dark Knight his final swansong. Set eight years after the last film, Gotham has been experiencing a new golden age of tranquillity whilst Batman (Bale) has gone into hiding, having taken down the Joker and taken the fall for Harvey Dents murderous rampage. However, the arrival of the mysterious Selina Kyle (Hathaway) and the villainous masked man Bane (Hardy) force the Dark Knight to rise up, one last time…

Arguably the most eagerly anticipated film of 2012, I’m pretty sure I don’t need to convince anyone to get excited about this film. I urge those of you who haven’t seen it yet to watch the six-minute prologue attached to IMAX screenings of Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, hopefully, this will tide you over until July…or make you even more excited and make the wait all the more unbearable!

Release Date: 20 July 2012

Looper

Director: Rian Johnson; Cast: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis, Emily Blunt

In this intriguing time-travel thriller, Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays a Looper, a killer who works for a crime syndicate based in the future. All is well until he realises that one of his next targets is his future self (Willis). With Rian Johnson, the writer-director behind Brothers Bloom and phenomenal Brick, at the helm, count on things getting mighty complicated before the end credits role. Definitely, one to watch out for…

Release Date: 28 September 2012

The Avengers

Director: Joss Whedon; Cast: Samuel L Jackson, Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Scarlet Johansson, Jeremy Renner

Having spent years and multiple films laying the groundwork, the stage is finally set for Marvel’s Avengers to finally hit the big screen. When a new threat emerges that jeopardises the fate of the entire world, Nic Fury (Jackson), director on the international peace keeping organisation SHIELD, brings together the earth’s mightiest heroes to combat it. Marvel Studios has a phenomenal track record with comic book movies, and I think they’ve made an excellent decision giving directorial duties to Joss Whedon. I’m confident that he will be able to tell a great story and juggle this impressive, dysfunctional ensemble of super-heroes.

Release Date: 27 April 2012

Prometheus

Director: Ridley Scott; Cast: Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron, Idris Elba, Guy Pearce, Patrick Wilson

A team of explorers travel to the darkest corners of the universe to search for the origins of humanity. There, they must face a terrifying battle to save the human race. Whether this much-hyped film takes place in the same universe as the Aliens films or just a universe that’s Aliens-adjacent, isn’t clear yet – but who cares, it’s Ridley Scott back in space with an all-star cast. Be happy!

Release Date: 1 June 2012

The Bourne Legacy

Director: Tony Gilroy; Cast: Jeremy Renner, Rachel Wiez, Edward Norton, Joan Allen

Set within the same Bourne universe, Legacy is a brand new spin-off featuring a whole new cast of players. Jeremy Renner stars as Alex Cross, a CIA-trained spy, dealing with the ramifications of the previous films and a whole new conspiracy. Though I was initially apprehensive about a new Bourne films without either Matt Damon in the lead role or Paul Greengrass behind the lens, I’m getting more and more excited about the prospect of Legacy. I couldn’t think of a better choice to take on this lead than Jeremy Renner; he’s a fantastic actor and that has proven that he can do action well in Ghost Protocol. With an amazing supporting cast – including Rachel Wiez, Edward Norton and Joan Allen, returning to play Pamela Landy – and long-time series scribe Tony Gilroy taking on writing and directing duties, Bourne Legacy looks set to become a worthy addition to this spy brilliant series.

Release Date: 17 August 2012

The Amazing Spider-Man

Director: Marc Webb; Cast: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Martin Sheen, Sally Fields

Full confession, I’m a huge Spider-man fan. I have been ever since I was a kid, when I would engorge myself on the comics and cartoons. So the prospect of a brand new Spider-man film puts a smile on my face (seriously, there is an earnest/disturbing grin plastered on my face right now, whilst I write this). Though I doubt the debate over whether it was necessary to re-boot the franchise will ever cease, these is no reason not be excited about The Amazing Spider-man. Andrew Garfield is an incredibly talented actor, and his heart-felt speech at comic-con, dressed in a cheap Halloween Spider-man costume, has endeared him to the comic book community. The uber-taleneted Emma Stone will play Peter Parker’s first love, Gwen Stacey, Welshmen Rhys Evans gets double duty as Dr Connors and The Lizard, whilst Martin Sheen will get to say that immortal line – “with great power comes great responsibility” – as Uncle Ben. Check out the official website, where you’ll get a better look at the cast and the costume.

Release Date: 4 July 2012

Special mentions

The Raven

In The Raven, Edgar Allan Poe spends the last days of his life working with the police to track down a serial killer whose crime scenes mimic those found in the writers stories. Staring John Cusack as Poe with James McTeigue, the director V For Vendetta, at the helm The Raven could be one of 2012 dark horses.

Release Date: 9 March 2012

The Cabin in the Woods

Joss Whedon has teamed up Drew Goddard, the writer of Cloverfield, to create Cabin in the Woods – a film that takes the old clichéd horror story of a mysterious cabin in the woods and flips it on its head. Starring Chris Hemsworth (Thor) and some Whedon alumnus, Cabin in the Woods is finally going to be released in 2012. Expect an intelligent plot and big scares from this.

Release Date: 13 April 2012

Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter:

The title says it all…

11:11:11 (2011)

Alice — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 13:45:17 +0000

A horror-thriller set on 11:11 on the 11th day of the 11th month and concerning a entity from another world that enters the earthly realm through Heaven’s 11th gate.

Starring Timothy Gibbs, Michael Landes and Wendy Glenn.

Don’t get me wrong, I love myself a good paranormal horror (I’m a massive fan of Ringu, Paranormal Activity and everything in between) but this film is a little chilling for me… because I think I’m cursed. The thing is, I see 11:11 more often than I should…on my phone, on my laptop and every other digital clock device that I’ve had the cursed luck to come across. So help me God. I’ve pretty much convinced myself that come this year’s 11/11/11 at 11:11am I will probably be engulfed by raging demons from hell… or was it heaven. I can’t keep up. From the directors of the Saw movies, I think it’s safe to say we can expect this to be a gimmicky gore-fest.

UK Release Date: 11th November 2011

Director: Darren Lynn Bousman

Writer: Darren Lynn Bousman

The Film Buzz Anticipation Rating: *****½~~~~ (5.5/10)

Contagion (2011)

Alice — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 16:37:15 +0000

Contagion follows the rapid progress of a lethal airborne virus that kills within days. As the fast-moving epidemic grows, the worldwide medical community races to find a cure and control the panic that spreads faster than the virus itself. At the same time, ordinary people struggle to survive in a society coming apart.

With a heavily studded cast of Marion Cotillard, Matt Damon, Laurence Fishburne, Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow and Kate Winslet - they really went all out on this one!

Director: Steven Soderbergh

Release Date: 9 September 2011

The Film Buzz Anticipation Rating: *******~~~ (7/10)

The Help (2011)

Maz — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 09:13:50 +0000

Based on one of the most talked about books in years and a #1 New York Times best-selling phenomenon, The Help is a provocative and inspiring look at what happens when a southern town’s unspoken code of rules and behaviour is shattered by three courageous women who strike up an unlikely friendship.

The Film Buzz Anticipation Rating: *******½~~ (7.5/10)

UK Release Date: 28th October 2011

Director: Tate Taylor

Writer’s: Tate Taylor, Kathryn Stockett (Book)

War Horse (2012)

Maz — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 08:57:50 +0000

From director Steven Spielberg comes War Horse, an epic adventure for audiences of all ages. Set against a sweeping canvas of rural England and Europe during the First World War, War Horse begins with the remarkable friendship between a horse named Joey and a young man called Albert, who tames and trains him. When they are forcefully parted, the film follows the extraordinary journey of the horse as he moves through the war, changing and inspiring the lives of all those he meets – British cavalry, German soldiers, and a French farmer and his granddaughter – before the story reaches its emotional climax in the heart of No Man’s Land.

The Film Buzz Anticipation Rating: ******~~~~ (6/10)

UK Release Date: 13th January 2012

Director: Steven Spielberg

Writer’s: Lee Hall, Richard Curtis, , Michael Morpungo (Book)

The Tree of Life (2011)

Alice — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 17:00:24 +0000

From Terrence Malick, the acclaimed director of such classic films as Badlands, Days of Heaven and The Thin Red Line, The Tree of Life is the impressionistic story of a Midwestern family in the 1950′s. The film follows the life journey of the eldest son, Jack, through the innocence of childhood to his disillusioned adult years as he tries to reconcile a complicated relationship with his father (Brad Pitt). Jack (played as an adult by Sean Penn) finds himself a lost soul in the modern world, seeking answers to the origins and meaning of life while questioning the existence of faith. Through Malick’s signature imagery, we see how both brute nature and spiritual grace shape not only our lives as individuals and families, but all life.

Also starring Jessica Chastain as Mrs O’Brien and Hunter McCracken as young Jack.

Director: Terrence Malick

Writer: Terrence Malick

Release Date: 8 July 2011

The Film Buzz Anticipation Rating: ********½~ (8.5/10)

The Conspirator (2011)

Alice — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 15:16:35 +0000

In the wake of Abraham Lincoln’s assassination, seven men and one woman are arrested and charged with conspiring to kill the President, Vice President, and Secretary of State. The lone woman charged, Mary Surratt (Robin Wright) owns a boarding house where John Wilkes Booth (Toby Kebbell) and others met and planned the simultaneous attacks. Against the ominous back-drop of post-Civil War Washington, newly-minted lawyer, Frederick Aiken (James McAvoy), a 28-year-old Union war-hero, reluctantly agrees to defend Surratt before a military tribunal. Aiken realizes his client may be innocent and that she is being used as bait and hostage in order to capture the only conspirator to have escaped a massive manhunt, her own son, John (Johnny Simmons). As the nation turns against her, Surratt is forced to rely on Aiken to uncover the truth and save her life.

Director: Robert Redford

Writer: James D. Solomon (screenplay)

Release Date: 1 July 2011

The Film Buzz Anticipation Rating: *******~~~ (7/10)

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1 (2011)

Maz — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 14:54:12 +0000

Part 1 of the final installment of Stephenie Meyers Twilight Saga, Breaking Dawn.

Synopsis: The Quileute and the Volturi close in on expecting parents Edward and Bella, whose unborn child poses different threats to the wolf pack and vampire coven.

The Film Buzz Anticipation Rating: *******~~~ (7/10)

UK Release Date: 18th November 2011

Director: Bill Condon

Writer’s: Melissa Rosenberg, Stephenie Meyer

Stars: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner

The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn (2011)

Maz — Tue, 17 May 2011 20:32:42 +0000

The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn comes to theatres this Autumn. Tintin characters are voiced by some of the finest British talent of today, including Daniel Craig (Quantum of Solace), Jamie Bell (Billy Eliot), Simon Pegg (Star Trek), Nick Frost (Attack the Block) and Andy Serkis (Lord of the Rings). Tintin is directed by Spielberg with writing credits going to one of my favourite writers of all time Steven Moffat (Doctor Who) as well as Edgar Wright (Scott Pilgrim), and Joe Cornish (Attack the Block).

Synopsis: Tintin and his friends discover directions to a sunken ship commanded by Capt. Haddock’s ancestor and go off on a treasure hunt.
The Film Buzz Anticipation Rating: *********~ (9/10)

UK Release Date: 26th October 2011

Director: Steven Spielberg

Writer’s: Steven Moffat, Joe Cornish, Edgar Wright (screenplay), Hergé

Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011)

Alice — Tue, 17 May 2011 16:12:07 +0000

In Kung Fu Panda 2, Po is now living his dream as The Dragon Warrior, protecting the Valley of Peace alongside his friends and fellow kung fu masters, The Furious Five. But Po’s new life of awesomeness is threatened by the emergence of a formidable villain, who plans to use a secret, unstoppable weapon to conquer China and destroy kung fu. Po must look to his past and uncover the secrets of his mysterious origins; only then will he be able to unlock the strength he needs to succeed.

With a star-studded voiceover cast of Angelina Jolie, Gary Oldman, Seth Rogen, Jack Black and Jackie Chan.

Director: Jennifer Yuh

Writer: Jonathan Aibel

UK Release Date: 10 June 2011