Movie Minutiae - MGM Preview - Fall/Winter 2006
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Below is a list of upcoming releases through December for MGM. The synopses come straight from the
studio - you know I'd never use such flowery language to describe these films. My expectations and insights are
included. Release dates are subject to change. My opinions are subject to be highly accurate.
FLYBOYS - September 29
Synopsis: Flyboys, the first World War I aviation film in over 40 years, is
inspired by the epic, courageous tale of the American men who would become known as the legendary Lafayette
Escadrille. Never has a movie so accurately portrayed the thrill and danger of the aerial dogfights that
played such an integral role in the Allied resistance.
In 1917, prior to the official entry into the war by the United States, the Allied powers of France, England
and Italy were on the ropes against the German juggernaut. Some altruistic young Americans volunteered to fight
alongside their counterparts in France. Some joined the infantry, others chose the Ambulance Corps. But 38
young men had a different idea: they decided to learn how to fly.
Their motivations for enlisting may have been different: Blaine Rawlings (James Franco) is searching for his
purpose following the bank’s foreclosure of his family ranch, Briggs Lowry (Tyler Labine) is shamed into joining
by his disciplinarian father, while African-American expatriate boxer Eugene Skinner (Abdul Salis) vows to
repay his debt to his adopted, racially-tolerant country. But under the command of French Captain Thenault
(Jean Reno) and the leadership of American veteran Reed Cassidy (Martin Henderson), these young American men
took to the air with honor everyday as they risked their lives, not just in facing the formidable German
aggressors, but also in boarding their newly-invented, mechanically-imperfect aircraft, which were being used
in combat for the first time.
Johnny's Take: Not to be confused with the yet-to-be-released
Stephen Baldwin movie of the same name, Flyboys actually looks really good. Combine that with the
ever cool Daniel Desario (the real world knows him as James Franco) and early positive reviews, and I'm
there!
flyboysthemovie.com
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HOME OF THE BRAVE - December 15
Synopsis: From Academy Award® -winner Irwin Winkler comes Home of the Brave,
the story of three soldiers who return home to the United States after an unexpectedly gruesome tour of duty in
Iraq. Suffering from both physical and psychological injuries, each of these soldiers is faced with moving
past their memories of violent conflict and the ways in which it changed them, while at the same time
attempting to assimilate back into their former lives with family and friends.
Home of the Brave is directed by Irwin Winkler (“Goodfellas,” “Rocky”) and written by Mark Friedman.
Samuel Jackson (“Kill Bill Vol. 2”), Jessica Biel (“Elizabethtown,” TV’s “7th Heaven”), Curtis “50 Cent”
Jackson (“Get Rich or Die Tryin’”) and Christina Ricci (“Monster”) star.
Johnny's Take: As soon as I saw "starring 50 Cent" I was
ready to fold up shop and kick any hope for this one to the curb, but then I saw Jessica Biel's name. I'll
pretty much sit through anything she's in, so my interest was once again piqued. Oh, and seeing Samuel L.
Jackson's name in a movie doesn't give me hope anymore. He's proven that he'll star in just about anything,
so that's no judge.
Let's head on over to the trailer so that I can make a more accurate and complete assessment...
Um. Looks like what you'd expect from a generic war movie starring a guy who calls himself 50 Cent.
How can you take a war movie seriously when the opening credits are rolling and you all of a sudden see
"Starring 50 Cent"? You just can't.
Jessica Biel was only in the trailer for about three seconds, so it looks like her part is small. Not her
back part though, that's pretty good-sized. CHA-CHING! Thank you, thank you.
Anyway, maybe the full movie will change my mind, but the trailer leaves me shocked that this is from an
Academy Award winner. Not that it looks bad, it just looks painfully pedestrian.
Ah, wait a minute. Irwin Winkler won an Oscar because he was a producer for Rocky. That makes
sense. I knew it wasn't for his directorial stylings in The Net!
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ROCKY BALBOA - December 22
Synopsis: The Academy Award-winning Rocky franchise, the greatest underdog
story of our time, is back for one final round. In Rocky Balboa, the former heavyweight champion steps
out of retirement and back into the ring, pitting himself against a new rival in a dramatically different era.
After a virtual boxing match declares Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) the victor over current champion Mason
“The Line” Dixon (Antonio Tarver), the legendary fighter’s passion and spirit are reignited. But when his
desire to fight in small, regional competitions is trumped by promoters calling for a rematch of the
cyber-fight, Balboa must weigh the mental and physical risks of a high profile exhibition match against his
need to be in the ring.
Johnny's Take: Rocky decides to come out of retirement because
"he" won a virtual boxing match over the current badly-named champion? Yep, makes a lot of sense. Could
someone please alert Muhammad Ali that the other night I won a match using him in my Xbox boxing game. Maybe
this news will encourage him to attempt a comeback! *fingers crossed*
Oh deary dear. I'm sure we can't wait to see Stallone get punched in the chest. I'm currently taking
predictions on how long his saggy old-man boobs will jiggle after the impact. I've got 27 seconds.
Most of you don't know this, but this movie was originally entitled Sylvester Stallone's Desperate Attempt to
Get Back on the Big Screen, but producers were scared that might send the wrong message to the audience.
I'm not sure how Rocky being inspired by a fake, virtual fight sends a good message to audiences, but that's
where we stand.
www.mgm.com/rocky
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