My Most Anticipated Movies for 2012 (Part 1)

I'm going to this this three months at a time because my list always gets too long and I end up forgetting some. So... here are the movies I plan to see in January, February, and March of 2012.

JANUARY

The Devil Inside

Its been a while since I've seen a movie in theaters that actually scared me, and I'm hoping that The Devil Inside will do just that. Although I'm getting sick of all these exorcism movies, this movie does look pretty freaky. The first time I saw the trailer it did give me a bit of a fright. Of course, so did the trailer for Don't Be Afraid of the Dark and that movie was kind of shitty.



Underworld: Awakening

I still haven't seen Underworld: Evolution all the way through, but I have until January to watch it. This movie actually looks pretty cool. I'm loving the little werewolf/ vampire hybrid girl, and Kate Beckinsale looks awesome as always in her black leather suit.



Haywire

This really isn't my type of movie at all. I think that the plot of this movie is something that has been done a million times before and it doesn't really look all that interesting to me. Why do I want to see it then? Well for starters it has Ewan McGregor and Channing Tatum...definitely some eye candy. And oh yeah...MICHAEL FASSBENDER. If that handsome Irish actor is in a movie, you know my ass is going to be in those theater seats.



We Need to Talk About Kevin

This is a book that I was planning to read because I heard that it was both really good and really disturbing. Now I guess I don't have to because I can go see this movie.(And all the literary snobs cry...) From what I have read about the plo,t the trailers that I have seen haven't really given too much away about what this movie is really about. I guess it is about parents dealing with the fact that their teenage son shot up his high school.



Albert Nobbs

I saw the trailer for this movie when I went to see Like Crazy and thought that it looked really interesting. Glenn Close plays a woman who pretends to be a man called Albert Nobbs.



FEBRUARY

The Woman in Black

I love me a good ghost story! This movie looks really cool and the fact that it is produced by Hammer makes it that much better.



W.E.

What make this movie neat is that it is directed by Madonna. This story is about Edward VIII and how he gives up the throne for the woman he loves. We got a hint of this story in The King's Speech, though that movie focuses on his brother. I am curious to learn more about Edwards story with this movie, because in The King's Speech I really didn't care so much for his character. Plus, maybe seeing Abbie Cornish and Oscar Isaac in this will make me forgive them for Sucker Punch.



This Means War

Totally going to see this just because it has Tom Hardy. He always plays such super serious characters, so it'll be nice to see him to a comedy. Also, I love Chelsea Handler, so it'll be cool to see her in this as well.



MARCH

Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters

There is not a poster or a trailer for this movie yet, but with a title like that, how could you not want to see it?

The Raven

I have never read anything by Edgar Allen Poe, with the exception of a few poems (including The Raven) but that is something that I plan to fix in the future. This movie stars John Cusack as the famous writer, and is about a series of murders that are inspired by his novels.



Mirror Mirror

I'm actually still debating whether or not I really want to see this movie because it looks corny as hell! I might still see it so that I can compare it to Snow White and the Huntsman which comes out later in the year.



21 Jump Street

This movie actually looks pretty funny. I think that Channing Tatum is much better in his comedic roles than his dramatic ones. Plus...I read somewhere that Johnny Depp is going to have a cameo!!



The Hunger Games

I'm really not a fan of YA novels, but from what I've read about this movie it seems like an interesting story. A part of me is curious and wants to read the books, but another part of me just wants to wait to see the movie so that I can be surprised.



Wrath of the Titans

While I am still irked that they replaced Alexa Davalos as Andromeda, I am curious to see this movie. It actually looks pretty cool, and I'm always up for seeing Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes!

My Review: The Rum Diary

I have never read this book, but I'm certain that it must be better than the movie. This movie has a great cast, and has its interesting moments, but a lot of the time I was just bored and wasn't really caring about the story. Johnny Depp (who looks all kinds of good in this movie) plays a journalist who goes to Cuba to work for this newspaper that does a bunch of stories on bowling alleys. While there, he gets recruited by this guy played by Aaron Eckhart to write about an island that he plans to put a bunch of hotels on. He ends up getting drunk a lot, has run-ins with the law, and falls for Eckhart's hot girlfriend, played by Amber Heard (who is much too young for both of them). I don't know what it is about Aaron Eckhart, but whenever he gets mad in a movie it is just scary! Like there was apart where he got pissed off at Depp's character because he brought his photographer friend on his island and his boat. Yeesh...he was frightening... Anyways, I really didn't think that this movie had much of a plot, and I thought that Heard's character was kind of pointless. My rating: 4/10

Spotlight On: Christina Ricci

This spotlight is on Christina Ricci, who is an actress that I have loved since I was a little kid. I grew up watching her movies and basically loved everything that she was in, especially the Addam's family movies. I remember this one Halloween I was really excited about my Wednesday Addam's costume and I was PISSED because noone knew who I was supposed to be! Stupid people... Anyways, here are the roles that I loved her in as a kid (and still love), as well as my favorites of her more recent roles.

Mermaids

I watched this movie a million or so times when I was little, and I always loved Ricci as Cher's youngest daughter, and younger sister to Winona Ryder. She plays Kate Flax, a little girl who wants to grow up to be an Olympic swimmer. Although I absolutely loved this movie, the one thing that I remember the most was Cher's music video to The Shoop Shoop Shoop Song that went with it that featured both Winona and a very adorable little Christina Ricci.



The Addam's Family/ The Addam's Family Values

I LOVE WEDNESDAY ADDAMS! The Addam's Family and The Addam's Family Values were two of my favorites when I was a kid, and of course Wednesday was my favorite character. She had the best lines, and the best moments of those movies were the parts where she was onscreen. Favorites: the sword fight between her and Pugsley, forcing a smile at camp, basically anything she says...



Casper

Another one of my favorites that I watched a million times as a kid. I was obsessed with Halloween when I was a kid (and still am..), so how could I have not loved this movie? Not only did I love Christina Ricci, but I also had a huge crush on Devon Sawa when I was a kid, so my favorite scene was when Casper turned human and went to the Halloween party and danced with Ricci.



Now and Then

This is a really cute movie that also featured other young actresses I liked as a kid (Thora Birch and Gaby Hoffman).



Buffalo '66

I didn't really care for this movie because I CAN'T STAND Vincent Gallo, but I did love the scene where she tap dances in the bowling alley. You can watch that scene HERE

Sleepy Hollow

This movie features Ricci at her loveliest. She plays Katrina Van Tassell, a girl who lives in a village that is tormented by the Headless Horseman. I must also say that Christina Ricci has one of the best movie screams ever. Here's a cute little video I found...



Pumpkin

This is a sort of dark comedy about a sorority girl who falls in love with a mentally challenged guy. It's kind of a weird movie, but I was watching it on IFC one day and I have to admit that it is kind of cute. It is definitely not your typical romantic comedy...

Monster

This movie is mostly remembered for Charlize Theron's Oscar winning role as a serial killer, but it also features a great performance by Christina Ricci as her lesbian lover.



Cursed

This is probably the cheesiest werewolf movie ever, but that's kind of why I like it. Ricci plays a girl who, along with her brother, is turning into a lycanthrope.



Black Snake Moan

In this movie, Ricci plays a sex addict who is chained to a radiator by Samuel L. Jackson, who plans to teach her a lesson.



Penelope

Here Ricci plays a girl who is cursed with a big pig nose. In order to break the spell she needs to find true love, and she finds it (spoiler alert...) with the adorable James McAvoy.



Upcoming: Now she has her own show called Pan Am on AMC. I haven't seen it yet, but it looks interesting. She also has some movies coming up called Bel Ami and War Flowers.

Spotlight On: Johnny Depp

He's been mentioned in a lot of my other blog posts, so now I thought that it was time to give Johnny Depp his own spotlight. He is one of my all-time favorite actors and has appeared in several of my favorite films. I just love the different types of roles that he has played. I love how he can play super serious roles, but also ones that are completely goofy. Say what you will about Johnny Depp, but one thing you could never say is that he is boring. He is an actor who, when I see his name attached to a project, makes me instantly want to go see it. He is also incredibly handsome, so that is a definite plus. Here are some of my favorite Johnny Depp films.

Nightmare on Elm Street

Depp's very first films role was in the classic Freddy Krueger film. While he is basically just playing the love interest role to the main character, he does have one of the most memorable NOES deaths...



Cry-Baby

This is a John Waters film, so naturally it is going to be over the top and cheesy as hell. But...that is why I like it I guess. Depp also looks mighty fine in that 50s bad boy look!



Edward Scissorhands

I love this movie! This was Depp's first film directed by Tim Burton, and is also one of my favorite movies. It is a sort of Beauty and the Beast type story, except here the beast has scissors for hands and is really sweet and softspoken.



Benny and Joon

This is a really cute movie where he plays a really eccentric guy who does sort of Charlie Chaplin/ Buster Keaton type routines. The scene at the park and the scene at the diner where he does the Charlie Chaplin roll dance are really cute scenes, but my favorite was always the part where he swings by Joon's window.



Ed Wood

This is another Burton/ Depp film that is also one of my personal favorites. It is about B-movie director Edward D. Wood Jr. and all of the shitty movies he made. I have never seen any of Wood's movies, but if they are anything like they are portrayed in this film, then I know that they are pretty bad.

Donnie Brasco

I don't think that I've seen this entire movie, but there is always a scene that sticks in my mind. It is the scene where Depp's character is explaining what "forget about it" means.



Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

My favorite thing about this movie is hearing Depp's inner monologue. His character is a paranoid, drugged out journalist, so everything he thinks is just twisted and funny. This is probably my favorite of Depp's not-Tim Burton films. It is just really odd and hilarious, and there aren't really any other films like Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.



Sleepy Hollow

"It was a horseman, a dead one...headless!" I love Johnny Depp's portrayal of Icabod Crane. Apparently he wanted to add prosthetics to his face because Icabod is supposed to be ugly, but I am really glad that they didn't...



Blow

This is another movie where I have only seen bits and pieces when it was on TV, but I always remember the ending. The part where he gets arrested and can't pick up his daughter always makes me sad. Another really good scene is when he is making the recording for his father.



Pirates of the Caribbean

You don't see too many people getting Oscar nominations for playing pirates. I love Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow! I remember that I was so excited to see this movie when I was 13 that I read the novilization of the movie, and showed up to the theatre while the previous showing was still playing. And I wasn't disappointed! (With the first one anyway...)



Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Although noone will ever been Gene Wilder's portrayal of Willy Wonka, I still think that this one is worth mentioning. This is my least favorite of all the Depp/ Burton films, but I do think that its still a fun movie that has its good parts here and there.



Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

I love musicals and I love gore, so when you mix them up and add Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter you know I'm gonna love it! While he didn't do his own singing in Cry-Baby, he does do his own singing here, and I must say that he's pretty good!



Public Enemies

While this film wasn't my favorite as a whole, I did love Depp's performance as John Dillinger. My favorite scenes were the ones with him and Marion Cotillard.



Alice in Wonderland

It came as no surprise to me (or to anyone else I'd imagine) when I read that Depp was cast as the Mad Hatter in Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland. He was the obvious choice really...

Upcoming:
He has two movies coming out within a year that I am really excited about. The first is The Rum Diary, which is another film version of a Hunter S. Thompson novel. The one that I am REALLY excited for, however, is Dark Shadows. It is directed by Tim Burton, and Depp plays a vampire! It also has greatest cast. Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Eva Green, Jackie Earle Haley, and more! It is going to be awesome!

Spotlight On: Winona Ryder

This week's spotlight is on an actress that I have loved since I was a kid. I grew up watching Beetlejuice, Mermaids, Dracula, and Edward Scissorhands a million or so times, and now that I am older I still love all of those movies, along with several others of hers. Here are my favorites in chronological order...

Beetlejuice

In Beetlejuice, Ryder plays goth girl Lydia Deetz, the only member of her family who can see the ghosts living in her attic. This was one of her very first movie roles, and is probably the one that helped start out her career. I have seen this movie a million or so times, so I could probably quote the whole thing. Here are some of my favorite parts...




Heathers

Ryder also starred in my all-time favorite teen movie. (You can find the whole list HERE) She plays Veronica, a girl who hangs out with a clique of bitchy girls called the Heathers. Veronica and her boyfriend start a little killing spree, and make all of the deaths look like suicides. As you can see, this movie is very dark, but also absolutely hilarious and is one of my favorite movies.




Edward Scissorhands

This was her second film that she did with Tim Burton, and is another one of my favorite movies. She plays Kim, a suburban girl who ends up falling for a guy with scissors for hands. Here is one of the best (and sweetest and saddest) moments in the film...



Mermaids

This is another movie that I watched a million times growing up. She stars along with Cher and Christina Ricci (another actress that I loved growing up.) She plays Charlotte Flax, a girl who wants to be a nun (even though she's Jewish) and ends up crushing on an older guy.



Dracula

In Dracula Winona plays Mina, a girl who Dracula falls for because she looks an awful lot like his dead wife Elizabeta (also played by Ryder.) While she doesn't have the best British accent in the world, I still really love this movie, and I think that she looks great in her period costumes.




Little Women

Louisa May Alcott's Little Women is on my list of books that I want to read, and a big majority of that reason is because of how much I like this movie. I think that Ryder is great as Jo, and my favorite scenes were all of the ones with her and Christian Bale.



Girl, Interrupted

Although this film is usually remembered for Angelina Jolie's performance as Lisa Roe, it also features a great performance by Winona Ryder as Susanna Kayson, the film's protagonist. She plays a girl who is sent to a mental institution and is diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder. She becomes friends with the other inmates, forming a close bond with a sociopath named Lisa Roe who she finds out is even more messed up than she thought...



Mr. Deeds

While I think that overall this movie is pretty stupid, it is worth watching just for one clip of Winona Ryder. Its in the video at about 2:06. It always makes me laugh...



Black Swan

In my favorite film of 2010, Ryder plays an aging ballerina who becomes jealous of Natalie Portman's character and gets really depressed.

Upcoming: She will next be lending her voice to Tim Burton's Frankenweenie, and will also star in a film called The Stare.