'05 Holiday Movie Season-- Huzzah!

Whew! I thought the holiday movie season would never get here this year. After a dismal start to the year (Elektra, anyone?) and the usual few summer gems (Batman Begins, anyone?), the major studios are primed to release their Christmas blockbusters and Oscar hopefuls. The season is nearly upon us, and I couldn't be happier. If anyone out there wants to send me early X-mas presents, just get me gift certificates to the theater.

Here are my top ten picks for this holiday season:

10. Brokeback Mountain (Dec. 9)-- When I first heard of this movie, I thought it must be a joke. There was even a joke on South Park a few years ago that relates to this movie's plot (when Cartman says that all independent films are just gay cowboys eating pudding). While there's no pudding (that I know of) the film does center around two Wyoming cowboys in 1963 who fall in love, played by Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger. There's been a lot of buzz surrounding the film. Its director, Ang Lee (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon), even took home the top prize at this year's Venice Film Festival.

9. Walk the Line (Nov. 18)-- One of this generation's best actors, Jaoquin Phoenix, stars as the Man in Black himself (Johnny Cash, of course) in this bio-pic about the legendary singer's life. This could turn out to be this year's Ray if the director treats Cash's life with the same openness, honesty, and "warts-and-all" attitude that Taylor Hackford did with Ray Charles. Reese Witherspoon also stars as June Carter Cash.

8. The Producers (Dec. 23)-- How do you make a movie/musical from a Broadway musical that was made from a movie? Like this, I guess. Here's hoping that the laughs can translate from screen to stage and back to screen. This shouldn't be difficult with the two stars that have been packing the Broadway seats, as well as taking home Tony after Tony-- Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick.

7. Memoirs of a Geisha (Dec. 9)-- Rob Marshall (Chicago) directs this adaptation of Arthur Golden's best-selling novel. Ziyi Zhang (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) stars as a young girl in pre-World War II Japan who rises through the ranks of the geisha profession.

6. Fun with Dick and Jane (Dec. 21)-- Jim Carrey and Tea Leoni star in this remake of a married couple that has a secret life-- they rob banks to pay the bills. I'm usually not to keen on remakes (but Hollywood doesn't release much else these days), but with Carrey (genius) and Leoni (underrated), this movie should be, as the title suggests, fun.

5. Chicken Little (Nov. 4)-- This movie has a lot riding on its shoulders: Can Disney make a quality CGI film post-Pixar? The adaptation of the classic tale does invovle a unique twist (aliens? crop circles?), which will make or break the movie. Zach Braff (Scrubs) provides the voice for the title character.

4. Jarhead (Nov. 4)-- It's been three years since we've seen a film from director Sam Mendes, and it (Road to Perdition) was received with mixed reviews (not nearly the amount of praise as 1999's American Beauty). This film, starring Jake Gyllenhaal, is based on Anthony Swofford's best-selling book about his experiences in Saudi Arabia and in Kuwait before and during Desert Storm. Also starring: Jamie Foxx and Peter Sarsgaard.

3. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Nov. 18)-- What can you expect from the fourth Potter film? More of the same? Hardly. Alfonso Cuaron reinvigorated the franchise by amping up the "darkness" of the film. Mike Newell (Four Weddings and a Funeral) follows in his footsteps and, judging by the trailer, appears to have one-upped Cuaron in the darkness department. This instalment follows Harry and company as the Tri-Wizard Tournament comes to Hogwarts, and those of you who've read the book (there are few who haven't) know that there is plenty of darkness to go 'round.

2. King Kong (Dec. 14)-- Peter Jackson follows his uber-successful Lord of the Rings trilogy with this remake of the 1933 original. Unless you've been under a rock for the past few months, you've seen the trailer for this movie. Kong looks great-- the WETA team once again uses Andy Serkis for the motion-capture movements-- as do the dinosaurs. And Jackson claims that the special effects aren't even completely finished yet, so they can only get better. Starring Jack Black, Adrien Brody, and Naomi Watts, this movie is poised to trample the box office this Christmas.

1. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (Dec. 9)-- Deciding on my number one pick was difficult-- it came down to King Kong and this movie... and, as you can see, Narnia won out. These top two also share something else between them (besides my anticipation): WETA is working on this film, too, and they appear to have outdone themselves in the art direction and special effects department. After both cartoon and live-action (ick!) versions, Andrew Adamson's (Shrek, Shrek 2) version looks to be the definitive film adaptation of the first of C.S. Lewis's beloved Chronicles of Narnia. Hopefully, this film will do well so that the other books will be made into films as well. I can't wait until The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.

Okay, there's my list. What would make your list? Would it look similar to mine, or completely different? Let me know!