It’s the dawn of a new year and, for us movie buffs, that means 2 to 3 months of horrible new releases. The next 8 Fridays promise to be a mix of flicks that didn’t make the cut last year because they simply weren’t good enough, and laughably bad horror flicks (a personal sore spot for yours truly). But fear not good movie folks, the good stuff is on the way and Hollywood bigwigs, as they do every year, are already beginning to bombard us with teaser trailers, movie posters that are half in shadow, and movie websites chock full of stills, news and desktop wallpapers (oh, goodie!!)
Let’s take a peek at what’s on tap for 2009, but be sure to keep in mind that release dates can change at the drop of a hat. Okay, I know I said that January and February are pretty stale months in the movie biz, but a couple of flicks do pop out. For horror fans, “The Unborn,” and “Underworld 3” look particularly juicy in January. Steve Martin fans can look forward to “The Pink Panther 2” in February, as well as something for the ladies, with the release of, “Confessions of a Shopaholic,” adapted from the best selling novel of the same name by Sophie Kinsella.
Iron Man, Batman, and Spiderman may be sitting this year out, but fear not superhero fans, “Watchmen,” is coming to a theater near you in March, and it looks amazing. A jaw dropping, visually stunning, trailer that leaves you begging for more. Kids have their first big movie of the year in March with the release of, “Monsters vs Aliens,” the latest from Dreamworks Animation, featuring the voice talents of Reese Witherspoon and Seth Rogen.
April sees another big event for horror fans as Benicio Del Toro prowls the screen as, The Wolfman.” The stills of Del Toro as the wolf look incredibly creepy, and toss in Anthony Hopkins as his father and you have the makings of a terror classic.
The summer movie season officially begins in May with a host big budget blockbusters slated for the month. There’s a little something for everyone; kids will love, “The Hannah Montana Movie,” and, “Night at the Museum: Battle for the Smithsonian.” Comic book fan boys have, “X-Men Origins: Wolverine.” For the grown ups, not that comic book fans aren’t all grown up, Tom Hanks reprises his role as Robert Langdon in, “Angels and Demons,” and Christian Bale dumps the batsuit and dons body armor to play John Connor in, “Terminator Salvation.” These all look great, but let’s face it, they all pale in comparison to the hype and excitement surrounding the other major release in May. Trekkers worldwide have set their phasers to, “giddy,” in anticipation of JJ Abrams redux of the, “Star Trek,” franchise. A bunch of hot twenty something, Hollywood “IT” kids will play the major roles as the crew of The USS Enterprise embark on their first voyage.
June is pretty slim on big new releases, probably given that so many were crammed into the previous month, but the standout has to be, “Transformers 2 : Revenge Of The Fallen,” with the entire cast and production crew returning from the original. It’s a Michael Bay film so expect it to be loud and over the top.
Get out your broomsticks and wands in July as the latest installment of the Harry Potter series lands in July. “Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince,” is the 6th in series and has all the originals coming back. Another one for the kids in July, with the release of, “Ice Age 3.”
The remainder of the year shows very little to get excited about, but that may change as the studios adjust their calendars and release dates, and try to bring us something sweet for the holiday season. Until then, don’t eat too much and leave some space for all the popcorn you’re going to have to consume throughout the year.
