tMF | The Movie-Fanatic

There are probably more than 100 historical movies in various stages of production, and we're only talking about movies to be released this year and the next. The exact figure is probably much higher. Anyway, why do we love watching period movies? Aside from seeing famous figures come to life, we also learn important lessons from the past. Of course, some historical dramas attempt to portray events and people as accurately as possible, while others are very much fictionalized.

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Some highly anticipated period flicks such as Bright Star, Coco Before Chanel and Inglourious Basterds have been shown already, so what other movies will be shown next?

Here's our first batch of 10 most-anticipated historical flicks, right after the jump!
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# 10 - Pirate Radio - (Release date: November 13, 2009)

Timeline: The 1960s in England
Director: Richard Curtis
Stars: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Bill Nighy, Nick Frost, Tom Sturridge
The Plot: A 1960's comedy about an illegal radio station run by a band of rogue DJs on a ship in the middle of Britain's North Sea. By defying the tastes and laws of the ruling government, the disc jockeys hooked their listeners on pop music and its attendant ideas of love and free will.

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Although the film's producers said the movie is pure fantasy and not a depiction of true events or of any actual radio station, many believed that it is loosely based on Radio Caroline. Radio Caroline is the name of several broadcasting ventures situated in several countries and from ships in territorial or international waters. Its name originated with fashion and society magazine editor Beatrix Miller as early as December 1961, but the first attempt to use the name for radio broadcasting began in 1964. While some of the people involved with this first usage have associated themselves with other ventures of the same name, the original commercial era is financially and legally unrelated to events that followed 1967.

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# 9  - Me and Orson Welles - (Release date: November 27, 2009)

Timeline: The 1930s in New York city
Director: Richard Linklater
Stars: Zac Efron, Claire Danes, Christian McKay
The Plot: NYC, 1937: A week in the life of aspiring actor Richard Samuels (Efron), where he finds himself cast in Orson Welles' staging of Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar" and falling for an older woman (Danes).

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Orson Welles was voted as the greatest film director of all time in the British Film Institute's poll of Top Ten Directors held in 2002. Noted for his innovative dramatic productions as well as his distinctive voice and personality, Welles is widely acknowledged as one of the most accomplished dramatic artists of the 20th century. His first two films with RKO: Citizen Kane and The Magnificent Ambersons, are widely considered two of the greatest ever made. His other films, including Touch of Evil and Chimes at Midnight, are also considered masterpieces. He was also well-known for a radio adaptation of H. G. Wells' novel The War of the Worlds which, performed in the style of a news broadcast, reportedly caused widespread panic when listeners thought that an actual extraterrestrial invasion was in progress.

You may also read tMF's update on the Top 50 Hitlist - spotlight on Zac Efron, where we discussed Zac's role in Me and Orson Welles and what maybe his career-defining role.

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# 8 - Season of the Witch - (Release date: March 19, 2010)

Timeline: The 14th century
Director: Dominic Sena
Stars: Nicolas Cage, Ron Perlman, Claire Foy
The Plot: 14th-century knights transport a suspected witch to a monastery, where monks deduce her powers could be the source of the Black Plague.

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At first, the speculation of witchcraft being the cause of the Black Death was minimal and contained to a few scattered cases. But as the death tolls rose and the hysteria grew, more and more people believed beyond a doubt that only black magic and sinister witches could be at fault. Of the almost 300 witch trials that took place, almost all involved women. Most of the women were poor common folk whose only fault was being at the wrong place at the wrong time. A neighbor dying unexpectedly, a crop turning out a bad harvest, or a house or barn catching fire could all result in an innocent person being accused of witchcraft. Even having birth defects and other physical abnormalities could lead to accusations of being a witch.

To see movie stills from Season of the Witch, you can visit this Blogspot site.

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# 7 - The Young Victoria - (Release date: December 18, 2009)

Timeline: 18th century England
Director: Jean-Marc Vallée
Stars: Emily Blunt, Rupert Friend, Paul Bettany
The Plot: A dramatization of the turbulent first years of Queen Victoria's rule, and her enduring romance with Prince Albert.

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The Telegraph's Chris Hastings wrote this article discussing the movie:

The film is already generating a real buzz as it promises a new, more sexed-up portrayal of Britain's longest-reigning monarch. Fellowes is thrilled to be telling the tale of a young girl who was barely 18 when she was crowned. His researches have found her vivacious, fond of parties, and prone to flirting with the gentlemen of the court, including even her ministers. "People admire Queen Victoria as this very strait-laced figure, but they don't love her," says Fellowes. The film focuses on the romance of her marriage to Prince Albert. Fellowes reflects: "All people see now is her grief, but they know nothing about the love. She and Albert knew a shared purpose and mutual affection. [ read more ]

You can also refer to tMF film focus on The Young Victoria.

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# 6 - Amelia - (Release date: October 23, 2009)

Timeline: The 1930s USA
Director: Mira Nair.
Stars: Hilary Swank, Richard Gere, Ewan McGregor
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.

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Amelia Mary Earhart (July 24, 1897 - missing July 2, 1937) was a noted American aviation pioneer and author. Earhart was the first woman to receive the Distinguished Flying Cross, awarded for becoming the first aviatrix to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. She set many other records, wrote best-selling books about her flying experiences and was instrumental in the formation of The Ninety-Nines, an organization for female pilots. Earhart joined the faculty of the world famous Purdue University aviation department in 1935 as a visiting faculty member to counsel women on careers and help inspire others with her love for aviation.

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