'Mad Men' Returns in One Week

Only one week left until the new season of Mad Men. AMC's ad campaign reveals almost nothing about the new season (see it here; it's rather awesome) -- but in an interview with the New York Times, show creator Matthew Weiner gave us some clues:

In the new season we see this ultimate self-made man of midcentury America — outwardly confident but hollow at the core — smacked, like the culture he embodies, by the earthquake of the ’60s. “I started off writing the show as a scathing analysis of what happened to the United States,” Mr. Weiner said. “But the more I got into Don, the more I realized this is an amazing place. Something really did change in those years” — the late ’50s and early ’60s. “What would it be like to go to that place?”

He continued: “I’m interested in how people respond to change. Are they excited by the change, or are they terrified that they’ll lose everything that they know? Do people recognize that change is going on? That’s what the show’s about.”

Here's More on Season Three:

Marked for November: Precious - Based on the Novel PUSH by Sapphire

I encountered Precious: Based on the Novel PUSH by Sapphire earlier in the year when it screened at Miami International Film Festival. I was proofreading a program schedule and only gave a passing glance to the blurb about the hard-luck life of an overweight girl from the city. The blurb was accompanied by the photo above.

Then there were articles in the New York Times and LA Times. A glowing review in the Hollywood Reporter. And Sundance. The movie, then only called Push: Based on the Novel by Sapphire, walked away with the Grand Jury Prize for U.S. Dramatic Film, the Audience Award, and A Special Jury Prize for Acting (awarded to Mo'Nique).

Below is the synopsis in full, pulled directly from the folks at Sundance. But I warn you in advance, it does no justice. Instead, I suggest you simply watch the TRAILER by clicking here or by going to YouTube. And unless you are completely vapid and without soul or intellect, you'll be floored.

With sheer audacity and utter authenticity, director Lee Daniels tackles Push: Based on the Novel by Sapphire and creates an unforgettable film that sets a new standard for cinema of its kind. Precious Jones (Gabourey Sidibe) is a high-school girl with nothing working in her favor. She is pregnant with her father’s child—for the second time. She can’t read or write, and her schoolmates tease her for being fat. Her home life is a horror, ruled by a mother (Mo’Nique) who keeps her imprisoned both emotionally and physically. Precious’s instincts tell her one thing: if she’s ever going to break from the chains of ignorance, she will have to dig deeply into her own resources. Don’t be misled—Push is not a film wallowing in the stillness of depression; instead, it vibrates with the kind of energy derived only from anger and hope. The entire cast are amazing; they carry out a firestorm of raw emotion. Daniels has drawn from them inimitable performances that will rivet you to your seat and leave you too shocked to breathe. If you passed Precious on the street, you probably wouldn’t notice her. But when her story is revealed, as Daniels does in this courageous film, you are left with an indelible image of a young woman who—with creativity, humor, and ferocity—finds the strength to turn her life around.

That Glorious Season!

(Photo: Mo'Nique in Precious)

So, it’s that time of year again. Here's my late summer/early fall list of must-see films.

Julie & Julia: August 7
Synopsis: Meryl Streep is Julia Child and Amy Adams is Julie Powell in writer-director Nora Ephron’s adaptation of two bestselling memoirs: Powell’s Julie & Julia and My Life in France, by Julia Child with Alex Prud’homme.
(Is there any doubt Meryl Streep and Amy Adams will be nominated… and didn’t you like my play on the word “doubt”?)

District 9: August 14
Synopsis: Genre master Peter Jackson produces this science-fiction film, the directorial debut of Neill Blomkamp. In District 9, South Africa has become a haven for refugees--from outer space. Genre master Peter Jackson produces this science-fiction film, the directorial debut of Neill Blomkamp. In District 9, South Africa has become a haven for refugees--from outer space.
(Won’t get any major acting awards, but it looks interesting. Will probably land effects or some award like that)

Inglourious Basterds: August 21
Synopsis: Inglourious Basterds begins in German-occupied France, where Shosanna Dreyfus (Mélanie Laurent) witnesses the execution of her family at the hand of Nazi Colonel Hans Landa (Christoph Waltz).
(No awards buzz… just looks like a cool movie)

I Can Be Bad All By Myself: September 11
The Plot: Madea (Perry) delivers three young adults who tried to rob her home to their aunt (Henson), a hard-living nightclub singer who doesn't want the responsibility of parenting the trio. Can Madea's influence, coupled with the arrival a handsome, industrious new tenant (Rodriguez), help April turn a corner in her life?
(It’s a Tyler Perry movie… so far, he hasn’t disappointed his audience)

The Informant: September 18
The Plot: The U.S. government decides to go after an agri-business giant with a price-fixing accusation, based on the evidence submitted by their star witness, company-man-turned-whistleblower Mark Whitacre (Damon).
(This is directed by Steven Soderbergh)

Coco Before Chanel: September 25:
The Plot: The story of Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel (Tautou) and her rise from obscure beginnings to the heights of the fashion world..
(This is classic Oscar-bait… Tautou starring in a biopic)

Shutter Island: October 2
The Plot: When a psychotic killer (Mortimer) disappears from a mental institution on Shutter Island, a pair of U.S. Marshals (Ruffalo and DiCaprio) race against the clock in order to track her down.
(More Oscar bait… just look at the cast list. And did I mention Scorcese is the director?)

Where the Wild Things Are: October 16
The Plot: Young, mischievous Max is sent to bed without his supper, but when his bedroom turns in to a magical jungle landscape filled with strange creatures, he embarks on a wild imaginary adventure.
and now here's the trailer!.

The Road: October 16
The Plot: A father (Mortensen) and son (Smit-McPhee) walk for months across a ravaged, post-apocalyptic landscape in search of civilization.

Amelia: October 23
The Plot: A look at the life of Amelia Earhart (Swank), the American pilot who disappeared while flying over the Pacific Ocean in 1937 on her history-making flight around the world.
(Hilary Swank in serious picture in which her character dies equal Oscar nod if not Oscar win)

Precious - Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire: November 6
The Plot: In Harlem, an overweight, illiterate teen (Sidibe) who is pregnant with her second child is invited to enroll in an alternative school in hopes that her life can head in a new direction.
I’ve heard talk of this since early in the year since film festivals. Mo’Nique is a sure-fire nod (if not win) for Best Supporting Actress

Nine: November 27
The Plot: Famous film director Guido Contini (Day-Lewis) struggles to find harmony in his professional and personal lives, as he engages in dramatic relationships with his wife, his mistress, his muse, his agent, and his mother.
(Dude, three recent Oscar winners - Daniel Day-Lews, Marion Cotillard and Penelope Cruz - in a single movie!)

Brothers: December 4
The Plot: Sam Cahill (Maguire) returns from being held as a prisoner-of-war in Afghanistan to find that his ex-con brother (Gyllenhaal) has become the man, of sorts, of the household where Sam's wife, Grace (Portman) had been living under the assumption that she was a widow.

The Princess and the Frog: December 11
The Plot: A fairy tale centered on a young girl named Princess Tiana who lives in New Orleans French Quarter during the Jazz Age.
(It’s Disney. Animated nod)

The Lovely Bones: December 11
The Plot: Young Susie watches over her family from heaven as they deal with the aftermath of her brutal rape and murder.
(Stars Rachel Weisz, Susan Sarandon, Mark Wahlberg, Saoirse Ronan – two Oscar winners and two past nominees. The trailer is awesome)

Sherlock Holmes: December 25
The Plot: Detective Sherlock Holmes (Downey Jr.) and his stalwart partner Watson (Law) engage in a battle of wits and brawn with a nemesis whose plot is a threat to all of England.

The Book of Eli: January 15
The Plot: In a post-apocalyptic United States, a lone man (Washington) fights his way across the country in order to protect a sacred book that holds the secrets to saving humankind.