i will be right here waiting. [the many lists of 2011]

That’s right, losers. Richard Marx lyrics. Now that song can be stuck in the heads of anyone old enough to remember it.

Anyway, last year’s ‘most excited’ list was remarkably hit or miss. This year’s probably will be as well. To keep that at least a bit more under control, I’m only going to do the first half of the year, with another list to come heading into July.

Also, as always, there will be great movies I just don’t know about yet, so if you see a glaring omission, holla at’cha boy.

First off, the movies I am undoubtedly excited about, to varying extremes.

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1. Chronicle – February 3rd

Seattle. Super powers. Salisbury Steaks. Okay, so that last bit was just for alliteration. However, Seattle and supes is enough to get me excited, even if the found footage thing is a little (or a lot) old by now. Movies like the original [REC] show the medium does have life in the right hands. Let’s hope that’s the case here.

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2. The Secret World of Arrietty – February 17th

Screenplay by Hayao Miyazaki. That’s all that needs to be written. Case closed.

Okay, so he didn’t direct it. Still, I’m in.

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See the rest after the jump.

3. John Carter – March 9th

Based on A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs, and originally it was going to be released as the first non-CGI Pixar film. You can read the Kindle Edition for free if you want to read the book before the film’s release. I plan to.

Andrew Stanton directed the film, and he wrote two hit movies and directed them so he’s not sweating it either (Wall*E and Finding Nemo). Okay, so he actually wrote the screenplay for a bunch of awesome Pixar movies, but I wanted to borrow the Rushmore quote and that was the only way it would work.

The original trailer is here. I’ve only posted Trailer 2 in the past.

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4. 21 Jump Street – March 21st

So I think this movie is going to be funny, and I will definitely go see it. Sue me.

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5. The Hunger Games – March 23rd

Folks, this is our first year without a Harry Potter installment since… well, in like 75 years. Still, there was a time we survived before Harry Potter movies, we will survive now, and The Hunger Games is part of what will help us carry on.

If this movie isn’t good, I might have to go on a hunger strike until they reboot it or something. Get it? Hunger strike. May the odds be ever in its favor.

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6. The Cabin in the Woods – April 13th

A movie that made it on the list two years in a row, since it never came out last year. Co-Written by Joss Whedon! Early buzz is strong, and most are recommending we learn as little about it as possible going in.

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7. Movie 43 – April 13th

Don’t know much about this one. Here’s what I do know, courtesy of Dark Horizons.

What is it?: “A feature-film comprised of short comedy segments.”

Who is in it?: Emma Stone, Gerard Butler, Kristen Bell, Chloe Moretz, Elizabeth Banks, Hugh Jackman, Josh Duhamel, Anna Faris, Kate Winslet, Naomi Watts, Kate Bosworth, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Uma Thurman, Seann William Scott, Jason Sudeikis, Leslie Bibb, Justin Long, Richard Gere, Kieran Culkin, Liev Schreiber, Patrick Warburton, Chris Pratt, Tony Shalhoub, Johnny Knoxville, Stephen Merchant, Jimmy Bennett, Bobby Cannavale, Beth Littleford, Jack McBrayer, Aasif Mandvi

Um, yes please.

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8. The Five Year Engagement – April 27th

With this cast, not to mention a connection to Bridesmaids, I’m in.

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9. The Avengers

C’mon, like you don’t know what this one is. I’m more excited for The Amazing Spider-Man and The Dark Knight Rises in the second half of the year, but I’ll damned sure be there opening weekend for this one.

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10. Prometheus

Looks a lot like Alien and Aliens. Maybe too much like Alien and Aliens, but that’s probably just because the trailer isn’t giving much away and wants to remind us of something we love.

I just shared this trailer, so you can check it out on the site a few posts down.

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11. Brave

It looks like Pixar will have return to form with this one. Thank God for that. I can survive in a world without new Harry Potter movies. I’m not sure I can survive in a world without Pixar being Pixar.