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| photo courtesy of esquire.com |
It’s the most wonderful time of the
year.
THE SHAPE OF WATER
(Dec 8th)
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| photo courtesy of comingsoon.net |
The Shape of Water is the
latest from master filmmaker Guillermo del Toro. Del Toro’s fascination with
Universal’s classic monster movies has been well documented, and The Shape of Water styles itself as his
love letter to those foundational cinematic works. The movie follows Elisa, who
works at a secret government facility in 1962, and who, contrary to her orders,
begins to communicate with the sea creature housed there. Like many of del
Toro’s films, it looks both gorgeous and strange, and with early reactions
hailing it as a one of del Toro’s best, count on The Shape of Water being a must-see.
I, TONYA
(Dec 8th)
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| photo courtesy of teaser-trailer.com |
Margot Robbie stars as Tonya Harding in
I, Tonya. For those who don’t know,
Tonya is a real-life American figure skater who, in 1994, allegedly conspired
to break the legs of one of her competitors. That’s a story just waiting for
the big-screen treatment. Trailers showcase a bizarre black comedy vibe,
powerhouse performances from Robbie, Sebastian Stan (Marvel’s Winter
Soldier/Bucky Barnes) and Allison Janney, and, of course, plenty of figure
skating. What more could you ask for?
THE DISASTER ARTIST
(Dec 8th)
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| photo courtesy of vulture.com |
From the weird brain of James Franco
comes The Disaster Artist, a comedy about
the making of what is generally considered to be the worst film ever made: The Room (2003). Franco plays The Room’s producer, director, and star Tommy
Wiseau, who appears to be oblivious of the fact that his film is a spectacular
failure. Franco’s transformation for the part looks ridiculous and amazing, and
with Seth Rogen and Dave Franco along for the ride, The Disaster Artist is shaping up to be comedy gold… but also,
like, pretty awkward, right?
STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI
(Dec 15th)
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| photo courtesy of starwars.com |
If you exist on planet earth, you’re
probably already hyped about The Last
Jedi, which is the sequel to one of the most successful movies of all time
and the latest installment in the single biggest franchise of all time. Looper director Johnson has taken over
the reins from J.J. Abrams, and it looks (fingers crossed) like he’s cooked up
a movie that will rectify some of The
Force Awakens’ mistakes, taking the Skywalker clan into new, exciting
directions. The Last Jedi’s
promotional materials, in any case, boast some unexpected dynamics for some of
the world’s favorite and most iconic characters. Plus, you know, there will be
lightsabers and spaceships and stuff.
JUMANJI: WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE
(Dec 20th)
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| photo courtesy of nytimes.com |
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is one of the
most bankable stars in Hollywood right now, and in December he’s set to bring
his magic touch to a reboot of the beloved Jumanji
movie. The reboot reimagines the classic film; instead of a treacherous board
game seeping over into the real world, Welcome
to the Jungle uses a Jumanji video
game to drop four youngsters into a danger-filled jungle. Is this sort of a
betrayal of the source material, both book and movie, that the film’s based on?
Maybe. But with Johnson, Guardians of the
Galaxy’s Karen Gillian, Jack Black, and Kevin Hart playing the main roles, Welcome to the Jungle clearly hopes
people will be laughing too much to care.
PHANTOM THREAD
(Dec 25th)
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| photo courtesy of comingsoon.net |
Phantom Thread reunites acclaimed director
Paul Thomas Anderson and acclaimed actor Daniel Day-Lewis for what will
ostensibly be Day-Lewis’ final performance. The pair previously collaborated on
There Will Be Blood, a modern
masterpiece of cinema, so hopes are understandably high for Phantom Thread. The movie, set in 1950’s
London, tells the story of celebrated dressmaker Reynolds Woodcock (Day-Lewis),
whose life and work is thrown off balance by the appearance of a lover (Vicky
Krieps). Perhaps in keeping with expectations, Phantom Thread appears to be both highly thought-provoking and
vaguely unsettling… a mysterious mix that will hopefully impress come Christmas
day.
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
THE GREATEST SHOWMAN
(Dec 20th)
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| photo courtesy of trailers.apple.com |
Hugh Jackman stars as P.T. Barnum in The Greatest Showman, which depicts the
creation of the famous Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. Showman styles itself as a feel-good
Christmas movie, complete with music from La
La Land collaborators and performances by Michelle Williams, Rebecca
Ferguson, Zac Efron, and Zendaya. But I’ll be honest; I could see this one
going either way pretty easily. For one thing, it looks more than a little
cheesy. And while the trailers try to cast Barnum’s search for odd-balls and
outcasts to star in his show as a self-acceptance situation, it’s hard to
overlook the fact that he’s essentially creating a freak show. That’s one thing
that even Hugh Jackman may not be able to smile his way out of.
DOWNSIZING
(Dec 22nd)
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| photo courtesy of theverge.com |
In Downsizing,
the world’s solution to overpopulation and other global challenges is a groundbreaking,
irreversible shrinking procedure. Matt Damon and Kristen Wiig star as a couple
who, upon encouragement from a friend, decide to undergo the process and
become, well, small. It’s a fascinating and inventive premise with a lot of
potential, but the footage released so far doesn’t quite convince me that the
film can capitalize on it. We’ll find out when Downsizing hits theaters December 22nd.
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