An anomaly occurred in Hollywood this summer when its anticipated blockbusters failed to draw much of a crowd. Sure, there were surprise hits involving amazing marching waterfowl and extremely old virgins, but for every \March of the Penguins"" there lurked a ""Honeymooners"" or ""High Tension."" Overall, summer box office receipts dipped 9 percent from 2004's summer.
The slump stretched throughout the summer into this fall, bringing with it lower dividends. Last weekend brought Hollywood hope with the dual successes of ""Flightplan"" and ""Corpse Bride,"" but the overall box office take still trails previous years.
The next couple of months bring several promising entries which just might lift Hollywood out of its current funk.
""Doom"" / ""Saw II""
These two movies get grouped together because they can both be described in the same fashion. They are both pseudo-horror movies based on an established teenage franchise seeking out the lucrative October horror movie box office bonanza.
Granted, these are extremely different films. ""Doom"" has been in and out of development, pretty much ever since the original ""Doom"" hit the PC in '93. When rumors that The Rock was starring in a ""Doom"" movie started leaking out, many speculated it was just that-a rumor. Warner Brothers made this rumor a reality when it green-lighted a big screen adaption of the game.
Despite its R-rating, ""Doom"" could still pull in the teenage audience it is targeting, as well as just about anyone who played the trilogy within the past decade. Then again, it is a video game film, and those are never good-but quality never determined box office take.
While ""Doom"" kicked around in development hell for several years, ""Saw II"" strikes while the iron is still hot. It is scheduled for release on Oct. 28, one day shy of the original ""Saw's"" release date last year.
Apparently, ""Saw's"" tremendous success-grossing $55 million on a $1 million budget-led to the quick green-lighting and release of the sequel.
Little is actually known about the sequel except for a few background items. The only returning actress is Shawnee Smith, whose run-in with a bit of headgear made the first movie quite memorable. Gone are director James Wan and stars Cary Elwes and Leigh Whannel, although Whannel did return to co-write the screenplay. Furthermore, the cast is infused with former New Kid on the Block Donnie Wahlberg, along with a cast of relative unknowns.
Based on the previous film, and the presence of Wahlberg (who can actually act-see ""The Sixth Sense""), ""Saw II"" might frighten the box office out of its slump.
""The Fountain""
The latest project from techno-auteur Darren Aronofsky, ""The Fountain"" is possibly the most enigmatic film coming out this winter. The director of ""Pi"" and ""Requiem for a Dream"" has kept the new film's details under wrap, but reports say it takes place in the past, present and future and will involve Mayan mysticism, cancer research and outer space.
Many have guessed from the title that it might have something to do with the ""fountain of youth,"" which seems right since stars Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz apparently are present throughout the 1,000 year span depicted in the film.
There is no set release date and the film's website displays only an undulating reddish blob. This leaves Aronofsky fans wondering what it is-a cell under a microscope? The inside of the womb?-and how it could possibly relate to the film.
Although this does not seem like a typical blockbuster, the combination of Aronofsky and a relatively large budget might allow ""The Fountain"" to spew forth loads of money.
""The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe""
Like the other pillar of fantasy literature ""Lord of the Rings,"" this film adaptation of the first part of C.S. Lewis' ""Chronicles of Narnia"" saga was filmed in New Zealand and had the help of wunderkind Kiwi effects company WETA.
Unlike LOTR, which was produced by the mostly hands-off New Line, Disney, whose saccharine touch rarely misses everything it touches, is bankrolling this film.
Also, Disney has reportedly tried to drum up support among the ""Passion"" crowd, hoping to capitalize on the story's heavy Christian themes.
Narnia is known for being one of the most popular fantasy series of all time, but it is also more fairytale-esque and childlike than the LOTR trilogy (less orcs and pipe-weed, more talking animals and Turkish delight).
It will be interesting to see if the story has been tweaked to appeal more to the LOTR crowd or if it will be going for a decidedly younger audience.
""Brokeback Mountain""
Ang Lee's new film seems designed specifically to push buttons and win Oscars with its love story about gay cowboys, but it also looks like it could actually be pretty amazing.
Based on a short story by Annie Proulx, the film concerns the relationship between a ranch hand (Heath Ledger) and a rodeo cowboy (Jake Gyllenhaal) that meet while sheepherding together in Wyoming.
Summaries of the movie downplay the taboo subject by describing their love affair as ""an unorthodox yet life-long bond,"" but the trailer does not shy away from the homosexuality, revealing that Ledger and Gyllenhaal end up having suspicious wives (Michelle Williams and Anne Hathaway) and children but keep on seeing each other for ""fishing trips.""
Based on extremely positive early reviews and the slightly melodramatic but intriguing trailer, ""Brokeback Mountain"" could potentially be a smashing comeback for Lee after ""Hulk"" as well as a daring showcase for Ledger and Gyllenhaal-just as long as they don't ever eat pudding and prove ""South Park's"" Sundance parody episode eerily correct.
""Jarhead""
""American Beauty"" and ""Road to Perdition"" director Sam Mendes returns later this year with ""Jarhead,"" a Gulf War drama based on a memoir by Marine Anthony Swofford. Jake Gyllenhaal plays Swofford, who the film follows from boot camp to active duty as a sniper in the Middle East.
Jamie Foxx, in his first non-embarrassing role after winning his Oscar for ""Ray,"" stars as the head of Swofford's platoon, while Peter Sarsgaard and Chris Cooper round out the rest of the big names in the cast.
The striking, hip-hop-infused trailer for ""Jarhead"" indicates an emphasis on updated ""Catch-22""-type absurdity and the gritty, grimy violence of ""Saving Private Ryan,"" as well as some not-so-subtle jabs and parallels to the current Iraq situation.
If anyone could top David O. Russell's fantastic, hilarious Gulf War dramedy ""Three Kings,"" it is Mendes, who already has two genuinely great films under his belt.
Mendes and Foxx will lure in audiences, and their mere presence automatically justifies ""Jarhead"" as a solid, promising Oscar contender.
-Kevin Nelson, Joe Pudas,
Dan Wohl
