The Daily OrangeHeavy weights
Check out these Thanksgiving Weekend movies as the race for the Oscars begins
By Sam Littman
Posted: 11/19/09, 2:18 AM EST Section: Splice
Due to the recession, studios are now more conservative than ever when it comes to picking and choosing projects. As a result, there will be about 40 percent fewer films released this fall compared to the same season last year, according to Entertainment Weekly. Luckily, this Thanksgiving weekend's selection of movies is as fruitful as ever, with a litany of high-profile releases that give audiences a jump on this year's upcoming Oscar campaign. Headlined by the likes of George Clooney, Nicolas Cage and Viggo Mortensen, here are four solid bets to catch over the break.
"Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans"
When Abel Ferrara heard that his controversial masterpiece, "Bad Lieutenant" (1992) - the first film ever to be rated NC-17 mainly for drug content - was being remade, he famously remarked, "As far as remakes go … I wish these people die in Hell. I hope they're all in the same streetcar, and it blows up." Legendary filmmaker Werner Herzog's most mainstream American film to date, "Bad Lieutenant: Port Call of New Orleans," finds Nicolas Cage inheriting Harvey Keitel's role as a policeman undone by the allure of hard drugs and even harder living. Reviews have been terrific, and the film should further the theory that Cage is truly a great actor (see "Raising Arizona," "Leaving Las Vegas," "Adaptation"), though he certainly is not the best at choosing projects. Herzog claims that the film is not a remake, that he didn't like the title from the onset, and that he had never even heard of Ferrara before comparisons inevitably arose. The resemblance between the two films is undeniable, however, and should "Port Call of New Orleans" rival Ferrara's 1992 cult classic in quality and visceral punch, one would be ill-served to miss it.
"Fantastic Mr. Fox"
This stop-motion animated adaptation of Roald Dahl's classic children's book features Academy Award winners George Clooney and Meryl Streep as Mr. and Mrs. Fox, with Anderson regulars Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray and Owen Wilson lending their voices as well. "Fantastic Mr. Fox" is the year's second best-reviewed animated feature, trailing only Disney-Pixar's "Up," and is set to expand nationwide on Nov. 25, just in time for some quality family viewing over the Thanksgiving holiday. This was a tremendously risky move for a filmmaker whose last few pictures were lukewarmly received, but it looks to pay off in spades.
"Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans"
When Abel Ferrara heard that his controversial masterpiece, "Bad Lieutenant" (1992) - the first film ever to be rated NC-17 mainly for drug content - was being remade, he famously remarked, "As far as remakes go … I wish these people die in Hell. I hope they're all in the same streetcar, and it blows up." Legendary filmmaker Werner Herzog's most mainstream American film to date, "Bad Lieutenant: Port Call of New Orleans," finds Nicolas Cage inheriting Harvey Keitel's role as a policeman undone by the allure of hard drugs and even harder living. Reviews have been terrific, and the film should further the theory that Cage is truly a great actor (see "Raising Arizona," "Leaving Las Vegas," "Adaptation"), though he certainly is not the best at choosing projects. Herzog claims that the film is not a remake, that he didn't like the title from the onset, and that he had never even heard of Ferrara before comparisons inevitably arose. The resemblance between the two films is undeniable, however, and should "Port Call of New Orleans" rival Ferrara's 1992 cult classic in quality and visceral punch, one would be ill-served to miss it.
"Fantastic Mr. Fox"
This stop-motion animated adaptation of Roald Dahl's classic children's book features Academy Award winners George Clooney and Meryl Streep as Mr. and Mrs. Fox, with Anderson regulars Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray and Owen Wilson lending their voices as well. "Fantastic Mr. Fox" is the year's second best-reviewed animated feature, trailing only Disney-Pixar's "Up," and is set to expand nationwide on Nov. 25, just in time for some quality family viewing over the Thanksgiving holiday. This was a tremendously risky move for a filmmaker whose last few pictures were lukewarmly received, but it looks to pay off in spades.
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posted 11/26/09 @ 6:33 AM EST
It may be good that due to the recession, studios are now more conservative than ever when it comes to picking and choosing projects. Then we will see projects of higher quality. (Continued…)
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