November Movies: J.Edgar, The Muppets, Breaking Dawn & Happy Feet

[Mark Vader]

What was a highly anticipated and highly lucrative Summer Season, we now come to a more subdued Holiday Season. Generally there are lots of big name tent pole titles with plenty of family friendly and holiday themed films, with a little bit of everything for all tastes at the movie theaters. However, this Holiday Season does have variety, but overall the mainstream titles just do not seem to have as much anticipation as in years past. Despite that, there is plenty of positive buzz for a bunch of Oscar contending films which will leave their mark throughout the months of November & December.

 

One of those early Oscar favorites teams up director Clint Eastwood & actor Leonardo DiCaprio in the biopic "J.Edgar". As the face of law enforcement in America for almost 50 years, J. Edgar Hoover was feared and admired, reviled and revered. But behind closed doors, he held secrets that would have destroyed his image, his career and his life. When Eastwood goes behind the camera, critics & awards voters take notice. Can DiCaprio finally get that gold statue that has eluded him in years past? Also starring Armie Hammer, Naomi Watts & Judi Dench.

 

Walt Disney Pictures has their traditional family film coming out this month, but this time it's not an animated film, as the studio brings back, "The Muppets". With the help of three fans, The Muppets must reunite to save their old theater from a greedy oil tycoon. The last time the Muppets were in a theatrically released was 1999, which is the same year that the Bills last made the playoffs. Early previews have been funny and the marketing push has been big. The challenge for this movie is will this be mostly a nostalgic visit for adults who grew up with the Muppets, or can it transcend a newer generation into enjoying these characters too? Starring Jason Segal, Amy Adams & Chris Cooper, and a horde of cameos that I do not have enough room to list.

 

After over a year, the sparkling vampires return, in "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part I". Yes this movie is being broken into two parts. The Quileute and the Volturi close in on expecting parents Edward and Bella, whose unborn child poses different threats to the wolf pack and vampire coven. Make all the jokes you want and you can look at these movies in disgust, but this franchise makes money. Starring Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson & Taylor Lautner.

 

Five years later, Warner Bros. "Happy Feet" gets a sequel, with "Happy Feet Two". Mumble's son, Erik, is struggling to realize his talents in the Emperor Penguin world. Meanwhile, Mumble and his family and friends discover a new threat their home -- one that will take everyone working together to save them. Starring the voice talents of Elijah Wood, Robin Williams, Hank Azaria, Pink, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Hugo Weaving & Sofia Vergara.

 

There is more animated family fare as Sony teams up with Aardman Animation to bring us, "Arthur Christmas". On Christmas night at the North Pole, Santa's youngest son looks to use his father's high-tech operation for an urgent mission. Starring the voice talents of James McAvoy, Jim Broadbent, Hugh Laurie, Bill Nighy & Imelda Staunton.

 

When you hear the name of director Martin Scorsese, do the words "family movie" pop into your head? Well then, get ready for "Hugo". Set in 1930s Paris, an orphan who lives in the walls of a train station is wrapped up in a mystery involving his late father and an automaton. Starring Asa Butterfield, Chloe Grace Moretz, Ben Kingsley, Sacha Baron Cohen, Ray Winstone, Emily Mortimer & Christopher Lee.

 

For those of you who crave action, look no further than "Immortals". Theseus is a mortal man chosen by Zeus to lead the fight against the ruthless King Hyperion, who is on a rampage across Greece to obtain a weapon that can destroy humanity. Starring Henry Cavill, Mickey Rourke, Luke Evans, Kellan Lutz, Isabel Lucas, Freida Pinto & John Hurt.

 

For those of you wanting comedy, you have a trio to choose from:

 

Eddie Murphy & Ben Stiller lead the ensemble "Tower Heist". When a group of hard working guys find out they've fallen victim to a wealthy business man's Ponzi scheme, they conspire to rob his high-rise residence. Also starring Casey Affleck, Matthew Broderick, Judd Hirsch, Tea Leoni, Gabourey Sidibe, Michael Pena & Alan Alda.

 

In "A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas", six years after their Guantanamo Bay adventure, stoner buds Harold Lee and Kumar Patel cause a holiday fracas by inadvertently burning down Harold's father-in-law's prize Christmas tree. Starring Kal Penn, John Cho & Neil Patrick Harris.

 

Adam Sandler stars in "Jack and Jill". Family guy Jack Sadelstein prepares for the annual event he dreads: the Thanksgiving visit of his identical twin sister, the needy and passive-aggressive Jill, who then refuses to leave. Also starring Katie Holmes & Al Pacino.

 

 

Calendar with Trailers.

 

11/4

"A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas": http://haroldandkumar.warnerbros.com/site.html

 

"Tower Heist": http://www.towerheist.net/

 

11/9

"J.Edgar": http://jedgarmovie.warnerbros.com/index.html

 

11/11

"Immortals": http://www.immortalsmovie.com/splash/

 

"Jack and Jill": http://www.jackandjill-movie.com/

 

11/18

"The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part I": http://www.breakingdawn-themovie.com/

 

"Happy Feet Two": http://happyfeettwo.warnerbros.com/index.html

 

11/23

"Hugo": http://www.hugomovie.com/

 

"The Muppets": http://disney.go.com/muppets/

 

"Arthur Christmas": http://www.arthurchristmas.com/

 

That's all for now. Independent Films will be posted later. Enjoy!

[EasternOHBillsFan]

What was a highly anticipated and highly lucrative Summer Season, we now come to a more subdued Holiday Season.

 

I'm not buying that... this summer's movies were not highly anticipated as compared with years past; in fact, they were brutal. I still can't believe that it took until November to get a good movie out there in J. Edgar (Harry Potter nonwithstanding).

 

Who could possibly name all of the Top Ten movies of 2011 from this list, and have seen them?

 

http://www.the-numbers.com/market/movies2011.php

 

This year has sucked, a new low for mainstream Hollywood filmmaking. What once was an annual treat to enjoy movies has now become a yawn-fest. Only Martin Scorcese and Clint Eastwood can save us from CGI/bad plot/stupid comedy hell.

 

Meanwhile, I'll just sit back and watch Rear Window, The Godfather, or Terminator and remember how well it used to be done.

 

Watch Boardwalk Empire... there is where the essence of quality Hollywood filmmaking lives and breathes.

Edited November 4, 2011 by BmoreBills

[erynthered]

Thanks Mark!!!!!!!

[BuffaloBill]

Excellent post Mark ... I plan to see both The Muppets and J Edgar. Can't wait for the December release of the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

[Cugalabanza]

Here's the November release I'm looking forward to: The Descendants

 

I'm guessing this will show up in Mark's independent movie post.

[shrader]

I'm curious about Tower Heist for no reason other than seeing Eddie Murphy go back to his roots. And then there's the Muppets. I'll have to check that out at some point. Thanks to that one, I'll probably be bombarding my brother with youtube links to Kermit's Rainbow Connection.

[Realist]

Haven't seen any of the twilight movies, but how does an undead vampire impregnate someone?

[Mark Vader]

I'm not buying that... this summer's movies were not highly anticipated as compared with years past; in fact, they were brutal. I still can't believe that it took until November to get a good movie out there in J. Edgar (Harry Potter nonwithstanding).

 

Who could possibly name all of the Top Ten movies of 2011 from this list, and have seen them?

 

http://www.the-numbers.com/market/movies2011.php

 

This year has sucked, a new low for mainstream Hollywood filmmaking. What once was an annual treat to enjoy movies has now become a yawn-fest. Only Martin Scorcese and Clint Eastwood can save us from CGI/bad plot/stupid comedy hell.

 

Meanwhile, I'll just sit back and watch Rear Window, The Godfather, or Terminator and remember how well it used to be done.

 

Watch Boardwalk Empire... there is where the essence of quality Hollywood filmmaking lives and breathes.

Compared to the atrocious 2010 Summer Season, it was a huge difference. Although two of the best films(Toy Story 3 & Inception) were from the 2010 Summer Season, the rest was a major disappointment.

 

This year's Summer Season was far more entertaining. "X-Men:First Class", "Super 8", and "Rise of the Apes" were outstanding. "Harry Potter", "Captain America" & "Thor" provided some good entertainment as well.

 

I know there is a lot of garbage coming out of Hollywood, but there are good movies that are still made. You just have to go and find them.

 

If you want to stay home and watch the classics, that's fine, I do that myself. But I still find good entertainment from today's films as well.

 

Excellent post Mark ... I plan to see both The Muppets and J Edgar. Can't wait for the December release of the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

That has spiked a lot of curiosity, but I think "Dragon" is going to be a tough sell for mainstream audiences. We shall see.

 

Thanks Mark!!!!!!!

Your welcome.

 

Here's the November release I'm looking forward to: The Descendants

 

I'm guessing this will show up in Mark's independent movie post.

You got that right gringo.

 

There are a bunch of independent films I am looking forward to from now to the end of the year: "My Week With Marilyn", "The Artist", "A Dangerous Method", & "Young Adult".

 

In December I eagerly await the arrival of "The Adventures of Tintin" & "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy".

[shrader]

If you want to stay home and watch the classics, that's fine, I do that myself. But I still find good entertainment from today's films as well.

 

And if you want to stay home and watch the classics, perhaps you shouldn't click on a thread titled "November Movies".

[Just Jack]

Saw the new Harold and Kumar movie in 3D. If you are thinking about seeing it, it's probably not worth the extra $$$ for the 3D version. There were some moments that were nice to see in 3D, but those moments really didn't add anything to the story. Overall, if you liked the first two H&K movies, you'll like this one. There was even a hint of a 4th movie in it.

[ajzepp]

Saw the new Harold and Kumar movie in 3D. If you are thinking about seeing it, it's probably not worth the extra $$$ for the 3D version. There were some moments that were nice to see in 3D, but those moments really didn't add anything to the story. Overall, if you liked the first two H&K movies, you'll like this one. There was even a hint of a 4th movie in it.

 

That reminds me...I'm looking forward to seeing Jackass3-D again

[KD in CA]

One of those early Oscar favorites teams up director Clint Eastwood & actor Leonardo DiCaprio in the biopic "J.Edgar". As the face of law enforcement in America for almost 50 years, J. Edgar Hoover was feared and admired, reviled and revered. But behind closed doors, he held secrets that would have destroyed his image, his career and his life. When Eastwood goes behind the camera, critics & awards voters take notice. Can DiCaprio finally get that gold statue that has eluded him in years past? Also starring Armie Hammer, Naomi Watts & Judi Dench.

We saw this last night. Good, not great movie. Good, not great performance by DiCaprio (he'll probably get an Oscar nomination but won't win). The guy who played his sidekick (one of the twins from The Social Network) was very good. He'll probably get nominated too, as will Dench of course.

 

 

And if you want to stay home and watch the classics, perhaps you shouldn't click on a thread titled "November Movies".

That wasn't quite his point. I agree with him that summer movies are usually nothing more than big-budget trash (at least since they stopped making Indiana Jones and Star Wars movies), so you usually need to wait till about November before anyone gets around to releasing a good movie.

[billsfanmiami(oh)]

Saw J Edgar last night and was not impressed. Part was my fauIt, as I should have read some reviews beforehand. It was nothing at all like what I had pictured and I'm sure that affected how I feel about it.

 

*SPOILER*

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The movie focused on his homosexual relationship, and semi Oedipus complex and turned into a long drawn out story about them. For whatever reason the whole thing never really pulled me in and I found myself pretty much bored the whole time. I am far from a "movie guy" and I rarely see movies but this sure wasn't my kind of flick.

[Mark Vader]

We saw this last night. Good, not great movie. Good, not great performance by DiCaprio (he'll probably get an Oscar nomination but won't win). The guy who played his sidekick (one of the twins from The Social Network) was very good. He'll probably get nominated too, as will Dench of course.

 

 

 

That wasn't quite his point. I agree with him that summer movies are usually nothing more than big-budget trash (at least since they stopped making Indiana Jones and Star Wars movies), so you usually need to wait till about November before anyone gets around to releasing a good movie.

I pretty much agree with you. I thought "J.Edgar" was good not great, Armie Hammer and Judi Dench were standouts and DiCaprio was very good as well. It is not an exciting film, but done very well. I've seen Eastwood do better, but still impressive.

 

As for the summer movies, yes there is a lot of garbage being made, but there were some very entertaining films this summer. "X-Men:First Class", "Super 8", & "Rise of the Apes" were outstanding. "Captain America" and "Thor" were good. "Harry Potter" was good, and while "Transformers 3" was an overall average movie, it did have some top notch action scenes and effects. Sometimes you have to remember that movies are "fun" too. You are right about having to wait for November for the "good" movies. But remember it's mostly the independent movies, not the mainstream movies that get more of the praise at this time of year.

[KD in CA]

As for the summer movies, yes there is a lot of garbage being made, but there were some very entertaining films this summer. "X-Men:First Class", "Super 8", & "Rise of the Apes" were outstanding. "Captain America" and "Thor" were good. "Harry Potter" was good, and while "Transformers 3" was an overall average movie, it did have some top notch action scenes and effects. Sometimes you have to remember that movies are "fun" too. You are right about having to wait for November for the "good" movies. But remember it's mostly the independent movies, not the mainstream movies that get more of the praise at this time of year.

 

I'm just not into the super-hero/comic book type movies, the n^th version of Batman, Spiderman, Planet of the Apes, etc. Special effects are nice (and they make crappy movies like Titanic or Pearl Harbor worth seeing) but for the most part I need something a little more interesting story-wise.

 

There are only a handful of movies in the past few years that I would call outstanding. The older I get, the more I find myself agreeing with critics and Oscar voters.

[shrader]

I'm just not into the super-hero/comic book type movies, the n^th version of Batman, Spiderman, Planet of the Apes, etc. Special effects are nice (and they make crappy movies like Titanic or Pearl Harbor worth seeing) but for the most part I need something a little more interesting story-wise.

 

There are only a handful of movies in the past few years that I would call outstanding. The older I get, the more I find myself agreeing with critics and Oscar voters.

 

I assume you never actually saw either of the new Batman movies because your description there doesn't fit them one bit. They were completely story driven.

[Mark Vader]

I saw "Martha Marcy May Marlene" today, an independent film, and Sundance festival hit, that came out in October. It stars Elizabeth Olsen(yes she is the sister of the Olsen twins), and I have to say that it is a very eerie drama/thriller, and quite good.

 

The story involves Olsen's character attempting to get her life back on track after fleeing an abusive cult she lived in for two years. Not exactly a light-hearted movie, but a good character study, and some good cinematography for a very small budgeted movie. And Elizabeth Olsen delivers a good performance.

 

As of now this movie is only in about 100 theatres nationwide. So if or when it comes to your area, check it out.

 

Here is the trailer: http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi1493409049/

[Adam]

J Edgar was a good movie, but the segments where they jumped around to different periods of his life, drove me nuts

[Buff_bills4ever]

http://www.cracked.com/video_18347_the-inevitable-next-step-in-shark-movies.html

 

You all forgot this movie.

[CosmicBills]

Thanks again for this continually awesome thread, Mark!

 

I'm not buying that... this summer's movies were not highly anticipated as compared with years past; in fact, they were brutal. I still can't believe that it took until November to get a good movie out there in J. Edgar (Harry Potter nonwithstanding).

 

Who could possibly name all of the Top Ten movies of 2011 from this list, and have seen them?

 

http://www.the-numbers.com/market/movies2011.php

 

This year has sucked, a new low for mainstream Hollywood filmmaking. What once was an annual treat to enjoy movies has now become a yawn-fest. Only Martin Scorcese and Clint Eastwood can save us from CGI/bad plot/stupid comedy hell.

 

Meanwhile, I'll just sit back and watch Rear Window, The Godfather, or Terminator and remember how well it used to be done.

 

Watch Boardwalk Empire... there is where the essence of quality Hollywood filmmaking lives and breathes.

I understand the sentiment here -- more than you probably will ever know -- but I think you're being a bit short sighted. There have been some excellent movies this year, summer included. Crazy, Stupid Love was brilliant and not just noise. Drive was an arty action flick that Hollywood doesn't make much any more, Harry Potter was tremendous as was First Class and (surprisingly) Apes.

 

 

Here's the November release I'm looking forward to: The Descendants

 

I'm guessing this will show up in Mark's independent movie post.

ABSOLUTELY! I'm really fired up for this one. Love Payne.

 

 

Saw the new Harold and Kumar movie in 3D. If you are thinking about seeing it, it's probably not worth the extra $$$ for the 3D version. There were some moments that were nice to see in 3D, but those moments really didn't add anything to the story. Overall, if you liked the first two H&K movies, you'll like this one. There was even a hint of a 4th movie in it.

Okay, full disclosure. I did not discover these flicks until 2 was already on DVD. But they are a huge guilty pleasure for me. Cho and Pen are hilarious -- and while the movie is inane and silly -- I find myself laughing my ass off. Of course ... it could be my state at the given time. But that's neither here nor there

 

If you dug 1 or 2, 3 is HIlarious.

 

I'm just not into the super-hero/comic book type movies, the n^th version of Batman, Spiderman, Planet of the Apes, etc. Special effects are nice (and they make crappy movies like Titanic or Pearl Harbor worth seeing) but for the most part I need something a little more interesting story-wise.

 

There are only a handful of movies in the past few years that I would call outstanding. The older I get, the more I find myself agreeing with critics and Oscar voters.

I hear ya here too.

 

I have a theory, but it's uber nerdy. So apologies up front.

 

(Big assumption here) My guess is that your tastes have not shifted as you've gotten older -- if you enjoyed a good popcorn flick when you were younger, I'm sure you would now. But because the studio fare these days have become so predictable, the newer popcorn flicks that you might have liked in your teens or 20s no longer hold your interest. You know before you go into the theater that Captain America is going to win, Batman is going to win, the guy they set up in the first 3 minutes of the movie is going to come back and save the day at the end ... all of that.

 

I don't think this happens just because you've gotten older, but because you've had more experience with visual storytelling. You can see all the strings and know when they're being pulled. It's almost like the studios aren't letting you be surprised anymore. You see the entire movie in the trailers so you know what you're getting going into a flick.

 

Remember the trailer for Raiders? The first one? (Full disclosure: I don't ... I wasn't around for it). The only trailer they released was a 2 minute thing that all took place in South America: the giant boulder, him running, him being chased by the natives, the snake in the plane (not Sam Jackson). NOTHING else was shown in that original trailer. So when you sat down in the theater and that opening sequence ended, you were like "whoooaaaa, there is 2 hours left and I have no idea what's coming!"

 

You don't get that feeling any more. Unless you go out of your way to avoid trailers, spoilers and reviews.

 

Now, studios want everyone to know everything about the movie before they go in because they think it manages audiences' expectations. They want to spoon feed the audience so they don't get lost, confused, and know what's going on every step of the way.

 

Maybe this has always been the case and I'm too young to remember. Maybe that's why parents in the 70s didn't have the reaction to Star Wars that their children did. But today the world is different. Today, the kids (and by kids I mean 10 to 16 year olds) who make up the largest market for these summer movies, have all seen SO many movies, shows and online videos they are more versed in visual storytelling than any other generation.

 

The studios aren't recognizing this.

 

Studio movies, especially tentpole/franchise flicks, are always made by committee. When a film's budget exceeds 200 million before a single set is even built, there's just too much risk for the corporations behind the studios (the Viacoms, the Sonys etc) for them not to become actively involved. They aren't really trying to hurt the project, in their mind they are trying to make it as accessible as possible for the audiences ... which means over-explaining.

 

But they're forgetting that they're not only competing against Twilight (or whichever movie is currently in first place at the box office) but they're also competing against every movie and every episode of TV ever made thanks to streaming movies. The studio response has been to play it safe -- guarantee a good return by not changing the standard formulas.

 

This = boredom for most of the audiences.

 

The rare exceptions to this are when someone like Nolan (a name they know they can sell on a poster) is attached. Someone with the power to say "no, trust me, I know what I'm doing" ... there are very few big budget filmmakers (and even less writers) that have that kind of clout when it comes to big budget movies.

 

Okay ... not sure where I was going with this rant. But I think I put everyone to sleep. So mission accomplished!