Coming Soon

Trailer time! I've been wanting to do one of these forever, but with the writers strike making next year's release schedule a little sparse, and the Oscar season leaving only upcoming Oscar-nominated films in the previews, I didn't have many options. But I've finally compiled a list of upcoming releases that I really want to see. Check them out.

• Watchmen: So this comes out really soon (like next week), and you've probably already seen the TV spots a billion times, but the more I see and read about this story, the more it sounds freaking awesome. These superheroes are kinda evil and massively screwed up. It takes place in a 1985 where Richard Nixon is still president. The big blue guy (Dr. Manhattan) won America the Vietnam War by single-handedly wiping out the Vietcong. In real life, Nite Owl is impotent. The Comedian kills for hire. Rorschach is a vigilante (superheroes are now outlawed) who wears a creepy, ink blotted mask and runs around dispensing bloody, medieval justice. It has origin stories for most of the "superheroes." The visuals look great. I have more...

• 17 Again: When I first heard about this movie, I didn't think it sounded that good (it's Big in reverse, starring Zac Efron). But I saw the trailer recently and it really cracked me up. Efron displayed some decent comic timing and charm, his wife is played by Leslie Mann (Mrs. Judd Apatow) who is a great comedic actress, and I would really like to see a light, fluffy comedy that doesn't blow.

• 500 Days of Summer: Joseph Gordon-Levitt has the potential to become one of my favorite leading men, and Zooey Deschanel is almost always vibrant and likable. I love this trailer for not having any dialogue and for intriguing me with it's music, the juxtaposition of it's beautiful shots, and the seeming absurdity of it's story (was there a musical number outfitted with a cartoon bird?) Needless to say, I am damn anxious to see a movie that looks this offbeat, yet sincere.

• X-Men Origins: Wolverine: I thought the X-Men movies were only so-so, but this trailer made me really excited. And now that Hugh Jackman has completely won me over with his awesomeness, I'm there. It also stars Liev Schieber (with fantastic sideburns) and Taylor Kitsch ("Friday Night Lights" fans!) carrying a magical, light waving stick (or something). The trailer completely energized me.

• Adventureland: Love this cast (Kristin Stewart is always worth watching, plus that's Martin Starr, otherwise known as Bill Haverchuck, the best character on "Freaks and Geeks"), love this atmosphere (for a second, I desperately wanted to work at a theme park), and the comedic tone is right up my alley. Where do I screen?

• Star Trek: Geeky revelation time - I am a huge fan of some of the original Star Trek films, namely 2, 4, & 6, and used to watch "Star Trek: The Next Generation" rather faithfully. I'm stoked to see this reboot that boasts an interesting cast, some great visuals, and the promise of something unexpected.
  

• State of Play: Great cast (Russell Crowe, Rachel McAdams, Helen Mirren), tight suspense, and Ben Affleck in a supporting role as a possibly crooked politician. I really like that. It's good to see him back in front of the camera in something that looks reputable. It's also based on a critically praised BBC show that once starred James McAvoy (although, sadly, he's not in the movie).