January Movies: Edge of Darkness, Book of Eli, Daybreakers, and Extrao

[Mark Vader]

A new year and new decade arrive with this month's Garbage Season of movies. However, with so many big name actors in this month's titles, you'd think we were in the heart of the Summer Season. Also, after the surprise success of last year's movies like "Taken" & "Paul Blart: Mall Cop", is the month of January being looked at to be a more lucrative month in the year, instead of year's past when studios would dump their worst products they had to offer? With the Golden Globes a little over a week away, the remaining holdovers from last year normally keep these months going, with impending Oscar nominations soon to be announced. However, in a month when you see big names like Mel Gibson, Denzel Washington & Harrison Ford, it certainly looks like times could be changing.

 

For the first time since 2002's "Signs", Mel Gibson headlines a movie as an actor, in "Edge of Darkness". As homicide detective Thomas Craven investigates the death of his activist daughter, he uncovers not only her secret life, but a corporate cover-up and government collusion that attracts an agent tasked with cleaning up the evidence. Danny Huston & Ray Winstone co-star. Gibson's career has been a turbulent one as of late. He went behind the camera for "The Passion of the Christ", where he drew criticism from movie critics and anti-christian zealouts, yet moviegoers mostly responded with their dollars; then a couple years later brought "Apocalypto" to the screen, generating little fanfare. Later Gibson would hit rock-bottom with his drunken tirade and spewing anti semitic remarks, then to top it off he was caught cheating on his wife with another woman, whom he got pregnant. So now Gibson is trying to get his movie career back together, and he's done so by choosing a movie with a subject that most people will want to see him in. How big a success this move will be is anyone's guess.

 

While not as big a name(s) as Mel Gibson, this month also marks the return of director brothers Albert & Allen Hughes. The last movie from the Hughes brothers was 2001's "From Hell", now they bring in Denzel Washington to lead "Book of Eli". In a post-apocalyptic United States, a lone man fights his way across the country in order to protect a sacred book that holds the secrets to saving humankind. While some people might think this is a movie better suited for Will Smith, many fans will give Washington a chance with anything. Also starring Gary Oldman, Mila Kunis & Ray Stevenson.

 

There is not just one, but two movies about the future gone bad in the world. The horror film "Daybreakers" takes place in the year 2017, a plague has transformed most every human into vampires. Faced with a dwindling blood supply, the fractured dominant race plots their survival; meanwhile, a researcher works with a covert band of vamps on a way to save humankind. Starring Ethan Hawke, Willem Dafoe & Sam Neill.

 

Harrison Ford returns, but in a secondary role in "Extraordinary Measures". A drama centered on the efforts of John and Aileen Crowley to find a researcher who might have a cure for their two children's rare genetic disorder. Starring Brendan Fraser & Keri Russell. A non-action, "PG" rated drama is probably not where you expected to see Ford popping up in, but it could turn out to be a profitable one.

 

Make that 3 movies that do'nt make the future look bright. In "Legion", God has lost his faith in humankind, causing him to send his legion of angels to bring on the Apocalypse. A remote diner becomes the battleground, where the Archangel Michael bands together with a group of strangers, though Michael's true focus is to protect a pregnant waitress whose unborn child is humankind's hope for survival. Starring Paul Bettany, Dennis Quaid & Charles S. Dutton.

 

Not all is gloom and doom, as a pair of romantic comedies look to lighten things up:

 

In "Leap Year", Anna has spent four years with her boyfriend, Jeremy, without a wedding proposal. During his business trip to Dublin, Anna opts to act on Leap Day, an Irish tradition that encourages women to propose to men on the date February 29th. A re-routed plane trip, however, lands her at the door of a Welsh innkeeper, who might offer a diversion of his own. Starring Amy Adams, Matthew Goode & Adam Scott.

 

And in "When in Rome", Beth is a young, ambitious New Yorker who is completely unlucky in love. However, when she impulsively steals some coins from a reputed fountain of love during a whirlwind trip to Rome, she finds herself aggressively pursued by a band of suitors. Starring Kristen Bell and Josh Duhamel.

 

In "The Spy Next Door", Former CIA spy Bob Ho takes on his toughest assignment to date: looking after his girlfriend's three kids, who haven't exactly warmed to their mom's beau. And when one of the youngsters accidentally downloads a top-secret formula, Bob's longtime nemesis, a Russian terrorist, pays a visit to the family. Starring Jackie Chan, George Lopez & Amber Valletta.

 

In "Youth in Revolt", Like most teens, young Nick Twisp is ruled by his libido. And from the recesses of a trailer park in Northern California, Twisp concocts a plan, make that multiple schemes, to lose his virginity to a local girl, the precocious Sheeni Saunders. Starring Michael Cera, Portia Doubleday & Ray Liotta.

 

So what movie could bring together the likes of Dwayne Johnson, Ashley Judd, Julie Andrews & Billy Crystal? That would be, "Tooth Fairy". A bad deed on the part of a tough minor-league hockey player results in an unusual sentence: He must serve one week as a real-life tooth fairy.

 

Calendar with trailers.

 

1/8

"Daybreakers": http://www.daybreakersmovie.com/

 

"Youth in Revolt": http://youthinrevolt-themovie.com/

 

"Leap Year": http://www.universalpictures.com/leapyear/

 

1/15

"The Spy Next Door": http://www.thespynextdoorfilm.com/

 

"The Book of Eli": http://thebookofeli.warnerbros.com/

 

1/22

"Legion": http://www.legionmovie.com/

 

"Tooth Fairy": http://www.toothfairy-movie.com/

 

"Extraordinary Measures": http://extraordinarymeasuresthemovie.com/

 

1/29

"When in Rome": http://touchstone.movies.go.com/wheninrome/

 

"Edge of Darkness": http://edge-of-darkness.warnerbros.com/

 

That's it for now, Independent films will be posted later. Enjoy!

[Dante]

Your movie posts are great Mark. Nice job. Not terribly excited about any of these movies but we'll see. Maybe Daybreakers or Youth In Revolt might be ok?

[Fezmid]

now they bring in Denzel Washington to lead "Book of Eli". In a post-apocalyptic United States, a lone man fights his way across the country in order to protect a sacred book that holds the secrets to saving humankind. While some people might think this is a movie better suited for Will Smith, many fans will give Washington a chance with anything. Also starring Gary Oldman, Mila Kunis & Ray Stevenson.

Also known as "Fallout 3 - the Movie!"

 

(or at least that's how it LOOKS.... Even the font is similar!)

[Mark Vader]

Your movie posts are great Mark. Nice job. Not terribly excited about any of these movies but we'll see. Maybe Daybreakers or Youth In Revolt might be ok?

Thanks Dante. What surprises me is the big names attatched to these movies this month. Daybreakers looks alright. I'm not interested in Youth in Revolt, I just do'nt see what the big deal is about Michael Cera.

[Dante]

Thanks Dante. What surprises me is the big names attatched to these movies this month. Daybreakers looks alright. I'm not interested in Youth in Revolt, I just do'nt see what the big deal is about Michael Cera.

His shelf life has to be near expiration no? How many times can he play the same part? One trick pony I'm afraid. I can't believe he had the nerve to hold out on the "Arrested Development" movie. That may or may not be true but I did read that a year or so ago.

Also Mark, just out of curiosity, do you blog on movies somewhere? You probably should if you don't. If so do you make any cash at all? None of my business really but you seem dedicated enough to it where you could get something.

[shrader]

Why is it that this time of the year became the garbage season? Is it tied completely into the award shows? I would think that this would be the perfect time of year for the movie industry because the winter limits outdoor activities. No one wants to travel outside thanks to colder weather?

 

Anyway, I've got a free pass burning a hole in my pocket, but nothing really stands out to me this time around. That star power you mentioned might be the only thing that could sway me this month.

 

edit: As for Michael Cera, does he now hold the record for most projects worked on with someone named Portia?

[Mark Vader]

His shelf life has to be near expiration no? How many times can he play the same part? One trick pony I'm afraid. I can't believe he had the nerve to hold out on the "Arrested Development" movie. That may or may not be true but I did read that a year or so ago.

Also Mark, just out of curiosity, do you blog on movies somewhere? You probably should if you don't. If so do you make any cash at all? None of my business really but you seem dedicated enough to it where you could get something.

I have been asked that before, and no I do not blog on movies. I have thought about it, but I'm so busy doing other things that I just do not have time for it.

 

I like to do it here since I only do this once a month. It's something fun and I know there are other movie lovers here who like to here and talk about the upcoming films.

[Mark Vader]

Why is it that this time of the year became the garbage season? Is it tied completely into the award shows? I would think that this would be the perfect time of year for the movie industry because the winter limits outdoor activities. No one wants to travel outside thanks to colder weather?

 

Anyway, I've got a free pass burning a hole in my pocket, but nothing really stands out to me this time around. That star power you mentioned might be the only thing that could sway me this month.

 

edit: As for Michael Cera, does he now hold the record for most projects worked on with someone named Portia?

I still do'nt know why the studios choose this time of year to be their dumping grounds. Maybe it's because the holidays are over and everyone is back at work or school. Add in that people become more curious about the films nominated for awards, and that takes away from newer releases.

[jcbuck3]

Also known as "Fallout 3 - the Movie!"

 

(or at least that's how it LOOKS.... Even the font is similar!)

 

 

That's exactly what I thought. I'm sure the Book of Eli is really just "The Wastelander's Survival Guide".

[Fezmid]

That's exactly what I thought. I'm sure the Book of Eli is really just "The Wastelander's Survival Guide".

 

That'd be AWESOME!