Popcorn Pick- December 2012

The end of the year always brings a mixed bag of movies: big epic action films, glittery Oscar-friendly fare, the occasional last-minute comedy or Tom Cruise action vehicle. It's one of the biggest times of the year at the multiplex, and that's not only because there's something for everyone, it's also because it often features the best films of the year.
This month has a slow start (I refused to make a Pick for the first weekend as there was nothing good coming out), but it picks up momentum so quickly that it's impossible to make just one Pick per week. Hence my multiple Bonus Picks this month.

Friday, December 7th
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If you go see Gerard Butler's romantic comedy Playing For Keeps, I will find you and beat you.

Friday, December 14th
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

So the biggest topic surrounding this film is the fact that they decided to turn a 150-page children's novel into a trilogy of epic movies, and that many people- even die-hard fans- are accusing the studio of abusing the story and stretching what they've got for the sake of a few more bucks. I kind of agree with those people, but let's put that aside for now.
Let's instead focus on the fact that we are very soon going to be able to see a live-action movie of one of the most beloved novels ever written, a full 75 years after it was originally published. Let's focus on the fact that the greatest fantasy films ever made are now continuing their story, under their original director. In short, let's talk about how Peter Jackson is returning to Middle-Earth.
A prequel to the Oscar-winning Lord of the Rings films, and yeah, the first of a trilogy, this tale follows naive hobbit Bilbo Baggins as he is sucked into an adventure involving thirteen dwarves (and the wizard Gandalf the Grey) to trek across mountains, forests, and underground caverns to reach the Lonely Mountain and battle the dragon Smaug to reclaim the dwarves' ancient homeland...along with their substantial treasure. The highlight, of course, is the finding of the One Ring in Gollum's cave, and the reappearance of that slimy schizophrenic creature, one of the greatest villains ever written or seen on screen.
I can honestly say I've been waiting for this film since the third grade.
The cast includes Martin Freeman (TV's Sherlock) as Bilbo, and returning cast members Ian McKellen, Cate Blanchett, Hugo Weaving, Andy Serkis as Gollum, and apparently even Ian Holm and Elijah Wood!

Friday, December 21st
This Is 40

Judd Apatow is a hit-or-miss comedy director. His first two films (The 40 Year Old Virgin and Knocked Up) were spectacular hits; his next (Funny People) was a spectacular miss. For his next endeavor he returns to the world of Knocked Up for a spin-off involving that pretty coupling of Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann, preparing to turn 40 together, and facing the next phase of their lives.
Knocked Up is one of my favorite comedies, so I am hoping for the best from This Is 40.










Friday, December 28th
Django Unchained

What can you expect from a Quentin Tarantino movie? You can expect long scenes of nothing but dialogue. You can expect lots of blood. And you can expect that it will be weird. Beyond that, expect the unexpected.
The master of the mash-up now brings you the (not historically accurate) story of a freed slave who becomes a bounty hunter and goes on a killing spree to search for his kidnapped wife in America during the 1800s. That's about all I know about the movie, and I'm still excited.
Tarantino is a master at odd casting, and he continues that tradition in this film. Jamie Foxx plays the titular character (the D is silent), Christoph Waltz (who won an Oscar for Tarantino's last film, Inglourious Basterds) as his ally, Leonardo DiCaprio as the flamboyant villain, Kerry Washington (TV's Scandal) as Django's wife, and Samuel L. Jackson as some old dude.





Bonus Picks
This month featured more than just three good movies. A sampling of some more films worth seeing:

Jack Reacher (12/21)- Tom Cruise returns in this adaptation of the book series as a vicious vigilante searching for justice on the streets. Not as profound as the latest Batman movies, but still significant in this post-9/11 world.

The Guilt Trip (12/21)- A traveling salesman reluctantly invites his lonely mother to go on a cross-country road trip with him. Bonding ultimately ensues. Seth Rogen and Barbra Streisand play the mother-son duo, which begs the question: is there anyone in the world who is both a Seth Rogen fan and a Barbra Streisand fan?

Monsters, Inc. 3D (12/21)- The Oscar-winning 2001 Pixar animated film returns to theaters (following the success of The Lion King 3D, Beauty and the Beast 3D, and Pixar's own Finding Nemo 3D). Monsters live in an alternate world where they sneak into human children's closets to scare them and collect their screams for power- but their world gets turned upside down when a young girl sneaks over through one of their doorways. John Goodman and Billy Crystal voice the main duo, a fantastic pairing if ever there was one.
Released in anticipation of next year's prequel Monsters University. (Yep, that's real.)

Parental Guidance (12/28)- Billy Crystal again! In this movie he plays a grandpa who visits his grown daughter and grandchildren, and attempts to decipher the differences between his own parental style and his daughter's. Good old-fashioned family fun.

Well, that's it for this month! My next post will be the Best and Worst Films of the Year, always a favorite.