Previews and Buzz About Hollywood's Coming Attractions

Many movies slip through the Hollywood production process virtually unnoticed. The new movie Babel is an example of this. Although it stars several big name actors, it did not start generating a buzz until very recently, and now many are saying that it could win an Oscar. Other movies generate a huge amount of publicity before they ever open, but for all the wrong reasons. An example of this is the movie Georgia Rule with Lindsey Lohan. This movie captured people's attention because the CEO of Morgan Creek Productions, the studio producing the film, wrote a letter in the press discussing Lindsey Lohan's "unprofessional" behavior on the set of the movie. But occasionally, a movie gains attention for all the right reasons. People want to see more of the movie, and they eagerly await its release. Here are a few of those type movies.

(Because of the nature of this article, there will be spoilers. Do not proceed if you do not wish to know some plot details.)

Pirates of the Caribbean- This movie is the third movie in the heavyweight Pirates series, and it is so eagerly anticipated because of the way the second one ended. Many people felt cheated by the ending of the second one, and they want to know how the story ends. Well, surprise. There have been rumors of a fourth Pirates movie, so the story will not necessarily wrap up here. However, viewers should expect a complete ending to the third one. According to IMDB, the plot of the third involves Captain Barbossa, Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann sailing off the edge of the map of the world. Presumably, their quest is to find Captain Jack Sparrow, who was lost at the end of the second movie in the series. This movie opens in the US on 5/25/07.

Hot Fuzz- This movie is the next pairing of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, who came to the attention of US audiences with the movie, Shaun of the Dead. Hot Fuzz introduces us to a hot-shot cop (Pegg) that is transferred to a small town, and paired with an inept partner (Frost). The preview for this movie shows them using a lot of the same gags as they used in Shaun of the Dead. However there are some new surprises. There is a rather funny scene where Pegg's character is trying to teach children in school about the seriousness of being an officer. But Frost's character can only talk about the gory aspects of being a cop. Naturally, the kids are more interested in Frost's question than anything Pegg's character said. This movie brings back many of the Shaun of the Dead cast, but I expect that once it hits theaters, it will be a good stand-alone movie, instead of rehashing every single gag in Shaun of the Dead. Hot Fuzz opens on 3/9/07.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix- can Harry Potter do any wrong? Frankly, yes. Just view the first two movies for proof. Some of the casting choices for the fifth movie are a little odd. Helena Bonham Carter is too perky for Bellatrix Lestrange, Imelda Staunton seems a little too prim and proper for the sneaky Dolores Umbridge, and Evanna Lynch, a newcomer, does not seem to have the flightiness that the role of Luna Lovegood requires, from the photos available. However all of these choices may prove to be good casting. The thing that can truly save this movie is the director, David Yates. He directed The Girl in the Café, which was an exceptionally good film. He can certainly handle emotion and characters going through a difficult time in their lives, but time will tell whether he can direct teenagers through such emotions. This movie opens on 7/13/07.

Kung Fu Hustle 2- This movie receives little more than an honorable mention, because it has been postponed. Stephen Chow, the director/star/writer/producer/composer/fight sequence director behind the first Kung Fu Hustle, is filming another movie. He has always stated that he is coming back to this film as soon as that movie is completed, but so far, there have been no more details. When this is released, it is a must-watch movie. The original Kung Fu Hustle was the most brilliant movie in a long time. Chow's Shaolin Soccer was an excellent movie too. Without knowing any plot details, release date, or other actors involved, I am still 100% confident that this movie will be just as exceptionally good as the first one was.