15 Things to Look For in 2007: 10-6

10. There Will Be Blood (December)
It’s rare that I’ll write about my excitement over a period piece but then again it’s rare that Paul Thomas Anderson makes a film. Yes one of America ’s great filmmakers finally returns to the screen this year with a tale of the early American oil industry. Based on a popular book, PTA supposedly has taken some serious liberties in adapting the story to fit his vision and as such not much is known about the final product. What I do know is that Magnolia is one of my top 10 films of all time and Punch Drunk Love is one of the most underrated. PTA has tapped Daniel Day Lewis to star so this flick has the stench of 2007 Oscar buzz all over it.



9. Sopranos (April)
This is the end my friends. Say goodbye to Tony, Dr. Melfi, Carmella and the kids. I probably will have to wait for the DVDs next winter but those of you with HBO can buckle up for the show’s final run this spring. Nothing has leaked about the final plotlines but I’m guessing we’ll see AJ attempt to become part of his father’s business and see some kind of resolution to the ongoing problems between Tony and his New York equivalents. Plus, we can watch Christopher either fade away into addiction or become a big Hollywood producer. All speculation aside I think one thing we can expect is no giant finish. This has always been a show about family and they have done a great job of making a show that doesn’t rely on cliffhangers or huge twists. In the end I’ll expect we leave them much the same way we found them; dysfunctional, emotional and violent.


8. Drive (March)
Tim Minear has made a career out of making great TV that doesn’t last long. First he worked with Joss Whedon on Angel which was cut short a year or two before it’s time. Then came Firefly which Fox cut down half way through its first season. Last summer it was The Insider, a dark, twisted, character driven, crime show that was actually different from the procedurals that dominate our airwaves. This spring Minear picks himself up and works with Fox again (uh…glutton for punishment anyone) to bring us Drive. Described as a fictional Amazing Race meets Lost, the show follows a group of people involved in a cross country race that has some kind of prize that will help each of them solve their mysterious problems. Sounds promising but really if they said it was four guys sitting in a room it would probably make my list. Bonus geek points get added due to the last minute recast of the lead role and filling it with Nathan Fillion of Buffy, Firefly fame.

7. Runaways #25 and onward (Spring)
Maybe this should be re-titled top things Joss Whedon related for 2007. Last year Whedon proved that his talent transfers from live action to 2D comic books when he wrote two great arcs in the Astonishing X-Men. Sadly after 20-some issues, Whedon is walking away from our favorite mutants. Fear not though for he is just walking across the Marvel Comic hallways and picking up the pen on the best comic of the last 2 years: Runaways. Following the lives of a group of kids who runaway after discovering that their loving parents were actually super villains, Runaways is the first truly original idea I’ve read in a comic book in a very long time. According to Whedon this has been his favorite book as well and when creator Brian K Vaughn said he was walking away after issue 24, Whedon went right to the powers that be and begged for the chance to write the next run. Runaways already has a very Whedon feel to both it’s dialogue and plotting so it will be very interesting to see where he takes the kids.

6. Grindhouse (April)
What do you get when you mix Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino? You get classic pulp art. When they first collaborated they produced the guilty pleasure that is From Dusk ‘Til Dawn. Now the two friends are out to reintroduce America to the 70’s B movie and the double feature. Comprised of two films, Grindhouse features a zombie flick by Rodriguez and a chase flick by Tarantino. In between the two films are trailers for other films that don’t exist. It’s hard not to get excited by two guys that love cinema so much and want to share it with you. This might not be their Oscar reel stuff, but I’m sure we can expect a blood filled, funny, scary ride that will leave us smiling in the end. Check out the trailer for a glimpse of Rose McGowan with a machine gun leg and Kurt Russell resuscitating his career.