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Buzzman’s Most Anticipated Movies of Q1-2012
After being spoiled the last three months with a ton of good to great movies that seemed to only be separated by days instead of weeks, we move onto what is almost always the worst stretch of every year. Rarely do you ever watch a movie this early in the year and have it hold up well enough to make it into your top twenty let alone your top ten. Some might make up the excuse that these movies rank so low because they become forgotten, but for the most part, they do usually end up throwing out some of the worst films of the year in January and February, and then crowd March with all the movies that aren’t big enough to compete in the summer season in hopes one can hit it big. That’s not to say you can’t find enjoyment of out of this period of time. Just last year, March brought us some decent to good films such as The Lincoln Lawyer, Paul, Take Me Home Tonight, The Adjustment Bureau, and Limitless. Nothing worth getting your panties in a bunch, but solid none the else. March ended up coming through a bit despite how painful the first two months were.
Moving onto this year though, things look a bit better than normal. January at least looks filled with watchable material that could be good popcorn fare, which is a giant leap ahead of last year’s shitty films. Then moving onto February, something strange appears to have happened; there seems to be a well-balanced number of films for the male crowd (the good films) and the female crowd (the bad ones). It’s a nice trend change for those of us who actually enjoy movies. Just because it’s the month of love doesn’t mean we want to see shitty movies. But once again, March looks to be the eventual determining factor on just how good this quarter can be./ It has a few indie hits that can wind up being awesome along with a few bigger budgeted films that have potential, but can’t be sure whether they will turn out good or not. The only thing is to wait and see what becomes of them, so without holding up any longer, here are the films I can’t wait to see.
#9 | Goon (March 30th)
The talented Even Goldberg and Jay Burchal are die hard hockey fans who have a knack for comedy wrote the script for this mockery of the sport. This is what the Tooth Fairy should have been like had The Rock not gotten all family friendly on us. It looks stupidly awesome and the reviews out of festivals and Europe where its already released have been sayings its actually a funny, heart-warming film that is carried but a surprisingly vulnerable performance by Sean William Scott. Fuck all them though, I'm here for the fights.
#8 | Safe House (February 10th)
I’ll be the first to sy that I don’t actually think this movie is going to be good. Outside of Denzel Washington playing the villain (or is he?) I didn’t see much in the trailer that made me really want to see it. Ryan Reynolds has been in a terrible stretch when he’s the leading man, but the hopefully Denzel gets the bulk of screen time because Reynolds has actually made some decent movies when he’s not shouldering the load all by himself. Apart from that, it’s really the only good looking action film of the quarter and even if all the film ends up being is what we get in the trailer, then it’ll be a win in my book because I won’t walk in expecting all that much. Anything more than that will just be gravy. A lot of other people may have it higher, but I generally have a different appetite for films. I love action movies as much as anybody, but that doesn’t mean I think they are all that good.
#7 | Silent House (March 9th)
Last Sundance, one of the breakout stars was Elizabeth Olsen and the raving performance she gave in Martha Marcy May Marlene. It’s all you really heard about, but if you got past that first wave of standout films, this supposed gem was left waiting. It’s the other film she brought to the festival and a lot of people thought it was a solid, scary, psychological thriller that was appealing because of its shot in one take selling point. While I don’t really care about that aspect, I do care about the style of horror it is. Slasher horrors with a human killer will always my favorite, home invasions are my second. They tend to place you into terrifying scenarios asking what exactly you would do, and as long as the victims off the invasion are smart; the film has a chance to be good. That’s all I want out of Silent House and would be thrilled if that’s what it accomplished.
#6 | Chronicle (February 3rd)
This could be the first found footage film in a long while they could feel fresh. The catch is that it isn’t some fucking retarded exorcism ghost story bullshit we have seen pumped into our faces for the past few years, but instead a superhero movie. One where the heroes are everyday people and what could happen if one of those heroes decided he didn’t want to be on that side of the story. It’s a pretty awesome concept that came with a pretty awesome trailer that gave us enough to know the very basic concept of the story, but still a lot left unseen. It actually seemed to come out on nowhere and I think this film has the most potential of all on this list. Let’s only hope it doesn’t leave us wanting more that we have come to expect out of this found footage filmmaking.
#5 | The Hunger Games (March 23rd)
This is solely on the list for the amount of hype it is getting and continuing to get. There doesn’t seem to be a day that goes by and there isn’t some kind of news on The Hunger Games. It almost feels like it belongs even higher on the list, but I just can’t because that trailer they put out isn’t very good. It doesn’t look like anything special that millions of people are drooling over, but it had to have done something write to get those fans in the first place. I also have had a bunch of friends’ fairly recently wrap up the books and just go on and on about how well they were, blah blah blah. I hope the movie turns out to be as good as the hype, but I can’t ever see this being the best from this list, but I can see it being the worst.
#4 | This Means War (February 17th)
Yes this is a romantic comedy. Yes I enjoy them a lot more than others, but that’s usually only the good ones. A lot of people don’t give those good ones a chance because of the dozen other shitty ones that come with it, but not me; whenever they look remotely good, I can’t wait. Good rom-coms are almost always rewatchable and with this one, it has Tom fucking Hardy. Who the hell wouldn’t want to see that guy in anything. Despite the year he had in 2011, 2012 is going to be even bigger for him and this is the starting point with what looks to be a fun, surprisingly action paced rom-com that also features two other likeable leads with Chris Pine and Reese Witherspoon. I expect this to be fun with the occasional badass moment mixed in with clichéd, but tolerable moments. The only thing that scares me away a bit if its director McG. Yikes.
#3 | 21 Jump Street (March 16th)
This was supposed to be a piece of shit. This had Channing fucking Tatum in a role. The TV show it’s based off of is shit. Nothing about it really seemed like it was a good idea. Then that red-band trailer dropped and changed everything. It looked fucking hilarious. Channing Tatum looked fucking funny, and skinny Jonah Hill makes his first appearance. It looks like it can be an awesome crude comedy that already looks better than just about all the ones that were supposed to be good last summer outside of Horrible Bosses. Hopefully it wasn’t like those movies and had all the best parts in the trailers.
#2 | Haywire (January 20th)
Steven Soderbergh. He’s clearly the best reason to go see this. He’s creating a badass action flick starring a female Jason Bourne that looks like she will be the shit out of anybody in her way. I actually ask you not to watch the trailer I provided just in case the people who look like they die actually end up dying in those scenes. Only Soderbergh can get Fassbender in a supporting role with the spike his career has taken. If this even comes close to the second Bourne movie it will be a winner, but if it ends up being more towards the first or third, it’ll be a clear cut keeper. I have high hopes for this one. Special press screeners have said this is a special kind of action flick and it’s got me excited.
#1 | Jeff Who Lives At Home (March 2nd)
Not much has been shown with this film, and it’s starting to worry me that it will go completely unnoticed when it comes about, but I still have faith it will be awesome and well known among the indie community by the end of the year. Jason Segal plays a loser who still lives at home (obviously) but when he is finally forced to leave and go outside, things go a bit crazy. He is forced to do a list of missions that are a bit absurd but at the same time, help him figure out his destiny and finally grow up. They key here is the cast; Segal sounds just about perfect for the role and his brother that comes along through the shenanigans is played by Ed Helms. The two should combine to make a great pair and create an awesome journey. Explaining it in my words truly undervalues what I’ve heard, this is the one film on this list I feel 100% confident in that it will be a solid eight out of ten.
Honorable Mentions: Act of Valor | John Carter | Project X | The Woman in Black
After being spoiled the last three months with a ton of good to great movies that seemed to only be separated by days instead of weeks, we move onto what is almost always the worst stretch of every year. Rarely do you ever watch a movie this early in the year and have it hold up well enough to make it into your top twenty let alone your top ten. Some might make up the excuse that these movies rank so low because they become forgotten, but for the most part, they do usually end up throwing out some of the worst films of the year in January and February, and then crowd March with all the movies that aren’t big enough to compete in the summer season in hopes one can hit it big. That’s not to say you can’t find enjoyment of out of this period of time. Just last year, March brought us some decent to good films such as The Lincoln Lawyer, Paul, Take Me Home Tonight, The Adjustment Bureau, and Limitless. Nothing worth getting your panties in a bunch, but solid none the else. March ended up coming through a bit despite how painful the first two months were.
Moving onto this year though, things look a bit better than normal. January at least looks filled with watchable material that could be good popcorn fare, which is a giant leap ahead of last year’s shitty films. Then moving onto February, something strange appears to have happened; there seems to be a well-balanced number of films for the male crowd (the good films) and the female crowd (the bad ones). It’s a nice trend change for those of us who actually enjoy movies. Just because it’s the month of love doesn’t mean we want to see shitty movies. But once again, March looks to be the eventual determining factor on just how good this quarter can be./ It has a few indie hits that can wind up being awesome along with a few bigger budgeted films that have potential, but can’t be sure whether they will turn out good or not. The only thing is to wait and see what becomes of them, so without holding up any longer, here are the films I can’t wait to see.
#9 | Goon (March 30th)
The talented Even Goldberg and Jay Burchal are die hard hockey fans who have a knack for comedy wrote the script for this mockery of the sport. This is what the Tooth Fairy should have been like had The Rock not gotten all family friendly on us. It looks stupidly awesome and the reviews out of festivals and Europe where its already released have been sayings its actually a funny, heart-warming film that is carried but a surprisingly vulnerable performance by Sean William Scott. Fuck all them though, I'm here for the fights.
#8 | Safe House (February 10th)
I’ll be the first to sy that I don’t actually think this movie is going to be good. Outside of Denzel Washington playing the villain (or is he?) I didn’t see much in the trailer that made me really want to see it. Ryan Reynolds has been in a terrible stretch when he’s the leading man, but the hopefully Denzel gets the bulk of screen time because Reynolds has actually made some decent movies when he’s not shouldering the load all by himself. Apart from that, it’s really the only good looking action film of the quarter and even if all the film ends up being is what we get in the trailer, then it’ll be a win in my book because I won’t walk in expecting all that much. Anything more than that will just be gravy. A lot of other people may have it higher, but I generally have a different appetite for films. I love action movies as much as anybody, but that doesn’t mean I think they are all that good.
#7 | Silent House (March 9th)
Last Sundance, one of the breakout stars was Elizabeth Olsen and the raving performance she gave in Martha Marcy May Marlene. It’s all you really heard about, but if you got past that first wave of standout films, this supposed gem was left waiting. It’s the other film she brought to the festival and a lot of people thought it was a solid, scary, psychological thriller that was appealing because of its shot in one take selling point. While I don’t really care about that aspect, I do care about the style of horror it is. Slasher horrors with a human killer will always my favorite, home invasions are my second. They tend to place you into terrifying scenarios asking what exactly you would do, and as long as the victims off the invasion are smart; the film has a chance to be good. That’s all I want out of Silent House and would be thrilled if that’s what it accomplished.
#6 | Chronicle (February 3rd)
This could be the first found footage film in a long while they could feel fresh. The catch is that it isn’t some fucking retarded exorcism ghost story bullshit we have seen pumped into our faces for the past few years, but instead a superhero movie. One where the heroes are everyday people and what could happen if one of those heroes decided he didn’t want to be on that side of the story. It’s a pretty awesome concept that came with a pretty awesome trailer that gave us enough to know the very basic concept of the story, but still a lot left unseen. It actually seemed to come out on nowhere and I think this film has the most potential of all on this list. Let’s only hope it doesn’t leave us wanting more that we have come to expect out of this found footage filmmaking.
#5 | The Hunger Games (March 23rd)
This is solely on the list for the amount of hype it is getting and continuing to get. There doesn’t seem to be a day that goes by and there isn’t some kind of news on The Hunger Games. It almost feels like it belongs even higher on the list, but I just can’t because that trailer they put out isn’t very good. It doesn’t look like anything special that millions of people are drooling over, but it had to have done something write to get those fans in the first place. I also have had a bunch of friends’ fairly recently wrap up the books and just go on and on about how well they were, blah blah blah. I hope the movie turns out to be as good as the hype, but I can’t ever see this being the best from this list, but I can see it being the worst.
#4 | This Means War (February 17th)
Yes this is a romantic comedy. Yes I enjoy them a lot more than others, but that’s usually only the good ones. A lot of people don’t give those good ones a chance because of the dozen other shitty ones that come with it, but not me; whenever they look remotely good, I can’t wait. Good rom-coms are almost always rewatchable and with this one, it has Tom fucking Hardy. Who the hell wouldn’t want to see that guy in anything. Despite the year he had in 2011, 2012 is going to be even bigger for him and this is the starting point with what looks to be a fun, surprisingly action paced rom-com that also features two other likeable leads with Chris Pine and Reese Witherspoon. I expect this to be fun with the occasional badass moment mixed in with clichéd, but tolerable moments. The only thing that scares me away a bit if its director McG. Yikes.
#3 | 21 Jump Street (March 16th)
This was supposed to be a piece of shit. This had Channing fucking Tatum in a role. The TV show it’s based off of is shit. Nothing about it really seemed like it was a good idea. Then that red-band trailer dropped and changed everything. It looked fucking hilarious. Channing Tatum looked fucking funny, and skinny Jonah Hill makes his first appearance. It looks like it can be an awesome crude comedy that already looks better than just about all the ones that were supposed to be good last summer outside of Horrible Bosses. Hopefully it wasn’t like those movies and had all the best parts in the trailers.
#2 | Haywire (January 20th)
Steven Soderbergh. He’s clearly the best reason to go see this. He’s creating a badass action flick starring a female Jason Bourne that looks like she will be the shit out of anybody in her way. I actually ask you not to watch the trailer I provided just in case the people who look like they die actually end up dying in those scenes. Only Soderbergh can get Fassbender in a supporting role with the spike his career has taken. If this even comes close to the second Bourne movie it will be a winner, but if it ends up being more towards the first or third, it’ll be a clear cut keeper. I have high hopes for this one. Special press screeners have said this is a special kind of action flick and it’s got me excited.
#1 | Jeff Who Lives At Home (March 2nd)
Not much has been shown with this film, and it’s starting to worry me that it will go completely unnoticed when it comes about, but I still have faith it will be awesome and well known among the indie community by the end of the year. Jason Segal plays a loser who still lives at home (obviously) but when he is finally forced to leave and go outside, things go a bit crazy. He is forced to do a list of missions that are a bit absurd but at the same time, help him figure out his destiny and finally grow up. They key here is the cast; Segal sounds just about perfect for the role and his brother that comes along through the shenanigans is played by Ed Helms. The two should combine to make a great pair and create an awesome journey. Explaining it in my words truly undervalues what I’ve heard, this is the one film on this list I feel 100% confident in that it will be a solid eight out of ten.
Honorable Mentions: Act of Valor | John Carter | Project X | The Woman in Black
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