I‘m no psychic, but occasionally I crank up my WWTW crystal ball and like to share what it says:
- No one involved with “The Day the Earth Stood Still,” the global warming remake of the 1951 sci-fi classic, will be asked anything but softball questions about the film’s environmental subject.
- Clint Eastwood’s “Changeling” will be nominated in at least two major Oscar categories — two more than it deserves.
- Meryl Streep will be nominated for something come January. My only mortal lock here.
- Jim Carrey’s “Yes Man” won’t make nearly the scratch of his previous straight-on comedies.
- Whoever hosts the upcoming Oscar ceremony won’t lay a glove on President Obama, but will find some way to blast former President Bush.
- Will Smith’s latest film, “Seven Pounds,” doesn’t involve car chases, space aliens or superheroes. It’s not even a sequel or remake. But it’s still gonna make some serious coin. (The trailer is below).
Related posts:
on 
on 
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
I have never seen a cast that screams ‘TV movie’ more than this one. Is this a glimpse into the future of Jim Carrey’s career?
Is it that good, or is it because Will Smith is the last true movie star?
Oops!
JIC — One thing that struck me from the Carrey trailer … he looks old next to the young, adorable Miss Deschanel. Audiences, myself included, are used to seeing older actors wooing younger actresses, but this one stood out to me.
Yeah, Smith movies simply sell. The public loves him. They made “The Pursuit of Happyness” a big hit — and it had very little in the way of box office pizzazz. All it had was Smith … and that was enough.
That Will Smith trailer is something special!
Usually you have trailers that give everything away. This one keeps everything in check. You don’t even know the plot.
Unfortunately, I checked IMDB for some hints.
I”m not sure if you can call them spoilers since it is really just a short synopsis. Saying that Benjamin Button is about a man who ages in reverse is not all that much of a spoiler, really.
A spoiler would be Homer Simpson exiting a theater showing “The Empire Strikes Back” and announcing that Darth Vader was Luke’s father.
Still, though, I wish I hadn’t checked the site.
It’s going to be a big hit.
I just wonder what the ending is going to be, assuming the hints I read were correct.
when i heard about all the problems that Bryan Singer’s new film ‘Valkyrie’ was having with all the release date shifts i thought it was doomed. but i heard after the brass at the studio saw it that it will be coming out at christmas now. i saw the full trailer and it looks really good it may get some nominations but we’ll have to wait and see
Let’s see, a man who ages in reverse … didn’t we see that in Mork and Minday, when Jonathan Winters ages in reverse?
… Changeling … did you mean two noms will be two FEWER than it deserves or two MORE … ? Axin’ since your review was less than stellar.
and as for criticizing Bush v. Obama … uh, Bush has had 8 years to screw some stuff up, so he’s kind of fair game (at least judging by my 401(k) … where as the new guy, well, he hasn’t screwed stuff up, yet …
Ronn — yeah, the latest Valkyrie trailer isn’t bad at all … could be an example of a great Hollywood save.
Chase … I stand corrected on the more/less part of it. But trust me … Obama in year four won’t be hassled, either. Not by Sean Penn and co.
Chase,
Obama’s been running for president for 3 years and I’ve yet to see anyone tell a joke about him. The only jokes have been about his supporters, his opponents or the media slobbering all over him, but none about him. In all that time no one can find a joke to tell at his expense? As for the economy, talk to Chris Dodd, Barney Frank and Bill Clinton.
I don’t understand the appeal of Will Smith, he plays the same bland character over and over and over and over. He’s a personality not an actor. Smith is Keanu Reeves with a little more personality.
To Opus regarding Smith being Reeves:
I never thought of it like that before, although I did think that Smith was never a great actor. But, then again, there are very few great actors. Smith is quite competent, though, and I don’t mean that as any sort of negative criticism.
As for Reeves, if there is a similarity as you state it–a personality not an actor–than the major difference would be the personality. Smith is usually something of an everyman, though in different ways. Reeves is something of a superman.
Smith may be the swaggering agent in “Men in Black” or swaggering cop in “Bad Boys” but it is not too far removed from the average to think that this guy couldn’t exist.
And so, when Smith plays the family man soldier in “I am Legend” it doesn’t take us to far afield.
Reeves, who I think gets a bum rap, is different. He cannot really play the every man. His most noted movies are usually ones in which he is something very much removed from the ordinary (Neo in “The Matrix,” Constantine, even the Buddha!). If he stars in a “Hardball” or “The Replacments,” it just doesn’t work .
So, even if your assertion is true, than the difference in personalities conveyed matters.
In general, we can relate to a Smith while we cannot relate to a Reeves.
Thanks for the interesting comment.