1. Inglourious Basterds
Quentin Tarantino has been talking up his “war epic” for over a decade. The disappointment of Grindhouse aside, there’s nobody who can bring vitality to old-school exploitation fodder better than Tarantino. The cast (Brad Pitt, Maggie Cheung, Mike Myers, Samuel L. Jackson, Eli Roth) is a typically intriguing Tarantinoian grab bag.
2. Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans
Werner Herzog was the last director I expected to tackle a remake/sequel to Abel Ferrara’s insane 1992 Scorsese-on-steroids cop movie. Let’s see if he can pull it off—and if Nicolas Cage will turn in one of his increasingly rare good performances.
3. Shutter Island
Martin Scorsese is up to his usual tricks—suspense, thrills, and tons of brooding Leonardo DiCaprio closeups.
4. Whatever Works
After a lengthy stay in Europe, Woody Allen returns to New York, and even if his films’ moral conundrums are getting a little stale, Whatever Works promises the additional consolation of Larry David in a starring role. Sounds to me like the neurotic movie event of the year!
5. This Side of the Truth
Ricky “funniest man in the world” Gervais makes his directorial debut. Incidentally, am I the only one who loved Ghost Town?
6. Watchmen
I must confess I’m not a fan of the comic book (it takes an awfully long time to say very little), but I’ve been told that if I don’t include Zack Snyder’s film on this list, I will be arrested and thrown in jail.
7. The Three Stooges
The Farrelly Brothers are currently casting this new comedy, featuring contemporary actors adopting the questionable haircuts and poor conflict resolution skills of Curly, Larry, and Moe. This is such a terrible idea that I’m dying to see it.
