Most anticipated 2010...

I thought I'd start iMusings by doing a quick rundown of my most anticipated movies, books and film scores for 2010.

I'll start with books first, as it's a short list. First up there's the latest instalment in the Artemis Fowl series by Eoin Colfer, Artemis Fowl and the Atlantis Complex. Artemis has been on hiatus for a couple of years, so I'm eager to see where Colfer has taken the character (after initially saying he was done with the character after Book 5: The Time Paradox). No word on a release date yet, but Colfer is confident that it will be release this year. Likewise, the latest Michael Robotham crime thriller is purported to have a release date early next year; however the book has been completed for some time now, so a release date may be pushed forward - not much is known about this one yet.

When it comes to anticipated movies, kids movies tend to figure high on my radar. Coming very soon (March 4) is Tim Burton's take on Alice in Wonderland for Disney. There hasn't been a Tim Burton film I haven't liked (even Planet of the Apes), so I look forward to the visionary spectacle he can bring to Lewis Carroll's timeless novels - plus it's another Johnny Depp collaboration for the director, which is bound to be interesting in the very least. I will post the trailer for the film at the end of this post. My most anticipated film of the year is Disney/Pixar's Toy Story 3. I grew up on the original films and Pixar have gone from strength to strength every year (WALL-E and Up both being superb films). If the trailer is any indication, then the film is sure to be lots of fun and with clever, cute and crafty new characters to play with, I'm betting it will be a hoot.

It is these two films I'm looking forward to most, with nothing else really standing out as must-see entertainment. It doesn't bother me that both are kids movies; as I said Pixar has been steadily rising to greater heights with each new film - so kids movies is where a lot of talent now lies.

When it comes to film music, it's more the specialty labels and re-releases of classic scores that get my attention. My two most anticipated contemporary scores are not surprisingly Alice in Wonderland by Danny Elfman and Toy Story 3 by Randy Newman, based solely on the strength of their previous works for similar productions. The samples I've already heard of Elfman's Wonderland ear-mark it as a front-runner for the best score in his career, whereas Toy Story 3 once again promises to be a lot of orchestral fun, much like TS1, TS2 and Monsters, Inc. before it.

The limited edition market has already taken off this year, with the monumental releases of Jerry Goldsmith's Islands in the Stream from Film Score Monthly (FSM), The Blue Max (Complete) and Players from Intrada and John Williams' Black Sunday from FSM. The release of Alan Silvestri's Back To The Future has paved the way for a number of Universal/Amblin Entertainment releases that I wonder what treasures will be unearthed this year. Upcoming releases from Varese Sarabande (including the oft-requested Spartacus by Alex North), LaLaLand Records, Intrada, FSM and Tadlow Music ensure that over the next few years there'll be no holy grails left. As I've always said, there's nothing I feel like I have to own anymore (not since BTTF finally getting a release), so I approach release dates with interest and if something strikes me as interesting I'll pick it up. Below are some upcoming major release dates and the labels' respective websites:
Varese Sarabande - Latest Club Batch released March 1 www.varesesarabande.com
LaLaLand - Major Release touted for March 23 www.lalalandrecords.com
Intrada - Limited Edition releases every second Monday www.intrada.com
FSM - Monthly Limited Edition releases www.filmscoremonthly.com, with retail dealt with through Screen Archives Entertainment - www.screenarchives.com

Alright, that's enough blather from me. I hope everyone has a great week and I hope to post some reviews of limited edition score releases over the coming months, so pop in from time to time if you're interested. In the mean-time, check out the trailers below:

Alice In Wonderland: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9POCgSRVvf0

Toy Story 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNMpa5yBf5o

Keep smiling!