According to: Selina
20 – Exposed (1/22)
Tag Line: Some
things are better left buried.
Production Company:
Company Films, Emmett/Furla Films, Fortitude International, PalmStar Media,
Remark Films
Director: Declan
Dale
Writer: Gee Malik
Linton, Declan Dale
Actors: Keanu
Reeves, Ana de Armas, Mira Sorvino, Christopher McDonald, Big Daddy Kane, Laura
Gomez
Genre: Thriller,
Drama
Rated: R
To be honest, I found the pickings for January to be very
slim so some duds crept in.
For example, Exposed
is on this list only because of Keanu Reeves (John Wick, 47 Ronin, Constantine). It doesn’t look like anything
special otherwise. It could easily just be a drawn out episode of Criminal Minds (2005-) or NCIS (2003-), from what the trailers
suggests. Granted, I enjoy both those shows…. but I don’t expect everyone else
to.
I expect Exposed
will very strictly stick to a recipe, but Keanu Reeves is in it, so I still
kind of want to see it. Once I can see it for free, anyway.
19 – The Boy (1/22)
Tag Line: Every
child needs to feel loved.
Production Company:
Huayi Brothers Media, Lakeshore Entertainment, STX Entertainment, Vertigo
Entertainment
Director: William
Brent Bell
Writer: Stacey
Menear
Actors: Lauren
Cohan, Rupert Evans, Ben Robson, Diana Hardcastle, Jim Norton, Jett Klyne,
James Russell
Genre: Supernatural,
Thriller
Rated: PG-13
Alright, this film doesn’t look very original. Typical
dummy-comes-to-life recipe. However, the trailer makes it look sufficiently
creepy and Lauren Cohan (The Walking
Dead, Reach Me, The Vampire Diaries) is someone I could watch in pretty
much anything and be happy. In fact, even her episode of Whose Line Is It Anyway? (2013-) is my favorite.
I’m not sure whether or not I expect this film to be good,
but I expect Cohan will be good in it and I still want to see it.
18 – Visions (1/19)
Tag Line: Blood
will stain the land.
Production Company:
Blumhouse Productions, Chapter One Films
Director: Kevin
Greutert
Writer: Lucas
Sussman, L.D. Goffigan
Actors: Isla
Fisher, Anson Mount, Eva Longoria, Jim Parsons, Gillian Jacobs, Joanna Cassidy
Genre: Thriller
Rated: R
This is another movie that looks like it’ll be following a
relatively easy recipe. Much like the last one I wrote about, it also looks
creepy enough to make up for the lack of originality.
You should know by now that I don’t condemn movies just
because they follow a recipe. All chocolate chip cookies follow one, but they
don’t all taste the same. I view recipe movies the same way. Some are better
than others and certain recipes simply speak to me more than others.
Isla Fisher (The Great
Gatsby, Now You See Me, Burke and Hare) and Eva Longoria (Mother Up, A Dark Truth, Desperate
Housewives) are actresses that naturally catch my eye and I look forward to
seeing Jim Parsons (Home, Sunset Stories,
Wish I Was Here) in something that is not the Big Bang Theory (2006-), even though it looks like he’s not a main
character.
At the very least, I expect a decent amount of jump scares.
17 – Monster Hunt
(1/22)
Tag Line: Unknown
Production Company:
Edko Films
Director: Raman
Hui
Writer: Alan Yuen
Actors: Bai
Baihe, Wu Jiang, Boran Jing, Eric Tsang, Wei Tang, Wallace Chung, Chen Yao
Genre: Action,
Comedy, Fantasy
Rated: NR
Movies that aren’t in English don’t normally make the Top
20. It’s not because we here at Trust the Dice don’t like foreign movies, it’s
that we’re on a deadline and we often can’t find subtitled trailers to help us
figure out what the movie is about in time. How can we decide if we want to see
a film without knowing the premise?
The trailer for Monster
Hunt had some English captions, but even without them the plot would have
been clear enough, and adorable enough, for me to put it on my list.
I grew up watching Who
Framed Roger Rabbit (1988). I must have watched that film a hundred times.
When Space Jam (1996) came out, I did
the same thing with that one. Movies that mix the real world with cartoons
touch a nostalgic part of my soul that I can’t ignore.
Besides, a man giving birth to a monster baby seems like
it’d be amusing to watch. Very Men in
Black (1997).
16 – The
Benefactor (1/15)
Tag Line: His
help comes at a price.
Production Company:
Big Shoes Media, Audax Films, End Cue, Magnolia Entertainment, Soaring Flight
Productions, TideRock Media, Treehouse Pictures
Director: Andrew
Renzi
Writer: Andrew
Renzi
Actors: Richard
Gere, Dakota Fanning, Theo James, Clarke Peters, Lyssa Roberts, Brian Anthony
Wilson, Rory Ogden
Genre: Drama
Rated: NR
I have trouble seeing this film as a drama. The score of the
trailer, and some of the scenes, leads me to believe The Benefactor will be more of a thriller. We all know that
trailers can lie better than serial killers, but my mind won’t let me believe
it’s a drama anyway.
As a result, I’m picturing this movie taking a dark turn
where Richard Gere’s (Shall We Dance,
Chicago, Pretty Woman) character is concerned. A direction I’ve never seen
the veteran actor portray. That is what makes me want to see it.
The problem is, there’s every possibility that I’m wrong
about the direction of the film’s plot. I guess we’ll find out.
15 – Dirty
Grandpa (1/22)
Tag Line: Lose
your way. Find your manhood.
Production Company:
Lionsgate, QED International, Josephson Entertainment, Ninjas Runnin’ Wild
Productions
Director: Dan
Mazer
Writer: John
Phillips
Actors: Robert De
Niro, Zac Efron, Aubrey Plaza, Zoey Deutch, Dermot Mulroney, Julianne Hough,
Catherine Dyer, Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman, Adam Polly
Genre: Comedy,
Drama
Rated: R
Let me first say that this film looks nothing like Bad Grandpa (2013), so get that out of
your head.
Moving on.
There was a point in time when Robert De Niro (The Godfather Part II, Taxi Driver, A Bronx
Tale) was super gangster. I’m not talking about today’s “gangsters,” with
their pants so far down that they’re no longer frightening. I’m talking about
the gangsters from when I was a kid. Suits and ties and calm voices letting you
know you were about to spray blood out the back of your head.
…..I sound like a curmudgeonly old woman. I should get a cane
so I can shake it at people and tell them to get off my lawn.
…..I should get a lawn.
Anyway…
De Niro used to be that kind of gangster in films and that’s
the De Niro I still think of when I hear his name. So when he’s in a movie like
Dirty Grandpa…. I just have to see
it. It’s so contrary to the image of him I have in my mind that I can’t pass up
the opportunity to watch it.
Zac Efron (We Are Your
Friends, Neighbors, The Lucky One) is a bonus.
14 – JeruZalem (1/22)
Tag Line: On
Judgement Day, hell shall inherit the Earth.
Production Company:
Epic Pictures Group
Director: Doron
Paz, Yoav Paz
Writer: Doron Paz,
Yoav Paz
Actors: Yael
Grobglas, Yon Tumarkin, Danielle Jadelyn, Tom Graziani
Genre: Horror
Rated: NR
It’s an apocalypse film, let’s all faint from shock at the
knowledge that Selina wants to see it!
What… no takers?
Fine. I admit it. I’m an apocalypse-holic. As long as
there’s some kind of apocalypse or dystopian thing going on in a film, I’ll
watch it. Regardless of who makes it or who stars in it. Even if it’s got the
worst title of a film I’ve ever seen; such as JeruZalem.
I could deal without the shaky cam, but the movie still
looks interesting. It’s not following a completely original plot, but I feel
like I’ll wind up being able to connect JeruZalem
and World War Z (2013) with some
ridiculous headcanon.
I enjoy headcanon connections almost as much as I enjoy
zombies.
13 – The Great
Gilly Hopkins (1/29)
Tag Line: Finding
where you belong isn’t always easy.
Production Company:
Arcady Bay Entertainment
Director: Stephen
Herek
Writer: David
Paterson, Katherine Paterson
Actors: Sophie
Nelisse, Julia Stiles, Glenn Close, Kathy Bates, Octavia Spencer, Bill Cobbs
Genre: Drama,
Family, Comedy
Rated: NR
When I was young, I knew a boy who was very much like Gilly
is in the trailer. He was abandoned, angry and difficult to deal with until a
stubborn girl forced him to open up and refused to believe they couldn’t be
friends.
The Great Gilly
Hopkins speaks to me on a deeper level because of my own experiences. It
looks both heart-breaking and heart-warming.
It also has an amazing cast that’s hard to ignore. Kathy
Bates (American Horror Story, Failure to
Launch, Misery), Glenn Close (Fatal
Attraction, Mars Attacks!, The Stepford Wives), Julia Stiles (Blue, Silver Linings Playbook, It’s a
Disaster) and Octavia Spencer (Insurgent,
Red Band Society, Snowpiercer) are all significantly recognizable and
masters of their craft.
I have no doubt this film will be great.
12 – Martyrs (1/22)
Tag Line: Unknown
Production Company:
Blumhouse Productions, The Safran Company, Temple Hill Entertainment
Director: Kevin
Goetz, Michael Goetz
Writer: Mark L.
Smith, Pascal Laugier
Actors: Troian
Bellisario, Caitlin Carmichael, Kate Burton, Baily Nobel, Taylor John Smith,
Blake Robbins
Genre: Thriller
Rated: NR
Although Martyrs
looks like it’s going to be very torture-porny, the plot still seems decent
enough to give the movie a deeper quality.
I’m not familiar with the actors in the film, but the Goetz
brothers made their full-length directorial debut with Scenic Route, and I was super impressed with that film. I am greatly
looking forward to their second movie and I hope it’s at least half as good as
the first.
11 – Lazer Team (1/27)
Tag Line: Four
unlikely heroes have to save the planet. Whether we like it or not.
Production Company:
Rooster Teeth Productions
Director: Matt
Hullum
Writer: Chris
Demarais, Joshua Flanagan, Matt Hullum, Burnie Burns
Actors: Burnie
Burns, Alan Ritchson, Colton Dunn, Irina Voronina, Alexandria DeBerry, Arryn
Zech, Gavin Free, Joel Heyman, Michael Jones
Genre: Action,
Comedy
Rated: PG-13
It’s like Iron Man’s suit was split into various parts and
locked onto a bunch of spazzes. In my mind, that makes for one hell of a movie.
I’m looking forward to it.
10 – Ride Along 2
(1/15)
Tag Line: The
brothers-in-law are back.
Production Company:
Cube Vision, Universal Pictures, Will Packer Productions
Director: Tim
Story
Writer: Phil Hay,
Matt Manfredi, Greg Coolidge
Actors: Kevin
Hart, Ice Cube, Tika Sumpter, Olivia Munn, Benjamin Bratt, Ken Jeong, Sherri
Shepherd, Glen Powell, Nadine Velazquez, Tyrese Gibson, T.I.
Genre: Comedy,
Action
Rated: NR
There’s only one reason this movie made the list and that’s
because the first Ride Along was
hilarious.
I saw the film at my in-law’s house and all I remember is a
ton laughing. Kevin Hart (Get Hard, Top
Five, About Last Night) is a funny guy and putting him in a film with
someone as serious as Ice Cube (22 Jump
Street, The Longshots, Torque) is a recipe for funny.
Of course, the first film wasn’t super amazing, but
hilarious is still good.
9 – The Finest
Hours (1/29)
Tag Line: 32
survivors, room for 12.
Production Company:
Walt Disney Pictures, Whitaker Entertainment
Director: Craig
Gillespie
Writer: Scott
Silver, Paul Tamasy, Eric Johnson, Casey Sherman, Michael J. Touglas
Actors: Chris Pine,
Casey Affleck, Eric Bana, Holliday Grainger, Ben Foster, Kyle Gallner, Graham
McTavish, Beau Knapp, John Magaro, Keiynan Lonsdale, John Ortiz, Michael
Raymond-James, Rachel Brosnahan
Genre: Drama
Rated: PG-13
The fact that this film is based off a true story makes it
even more harrowing. Judging from the trailer, it seems like Craig Gillespie (Lars and the Real Girl, Fright Night, United
States of Tara) was trying to make the Titanic
(1997) for the new generation.
The cast is phenomenal and the story looks in depth and
engrossing. Just because it was a true story once upon a time does not always
mean that it’s an interesting story. Those things do not always go hand in
hand.
In this case, I believe it will be an interesting movie and
I can’t wait to see how Chris Pine (Into
the Woods, Star Trek, Unstoppable) handles that accent.
8 – The Forest (1/8)
Tag Line: Everyone
comes here looking for a way out.
Production Company:
AI-Film, Lava Bear Films
Director: Jason
Zada
Writer: Sarah
Cornwell, Nick Antosca, Ben Ketai
Actors: Natalie
Dormer, Taylor Kinney, Yukiyoshi Ozawa, Stephanie Vogt, Eoin Macken, Rina
Takasaki, Noriko Sakura, Yuho Yamashita, Masashi Fujimoto
Genre: Horror,
Thriller
Rated: PG-13
Natalie Dormer (Elementary,
The Riot Club, The Scandalous Lady W) is an amazing actress. I loved her in
Game of Thrones (2012-) and in the The Hunger Games: Mockingjay (2014-2015)
movies. When I found out she was going to be in a film this January, I jumped
on it.
I can’t wait to see this movie. The suicide forest is a well
know place of urban legend and adding that setting to an already great cast is
a recipe for success. I may even try to see this film in theaters. I’m not
always willing to spend that much money on a single film.
7 – Jane Got a
Gun (1/29)
Tag Line: Strength,
justice, power, vengeance.
Production Company:
1821 Pictures, Boies / Schiller Film Group, Handsomecharlie Films, Scott
Pictures, Straight Up Films, Unanimous Pictures, WeatherVane Productions
Director: Gavin O’Connor
Writer: Brian
Duffield, Anthony Tambakis, Joel Edgerton
Actors: Natalie
Portman, Joel Edgerton, Ewan McGregor, Rodrigo Santoro, River Shields, Jacob
Browne, Asher Corbin, Noah Emmerich, Boyd Holbrook
Genre: Drama
Rated: R
I’m not normally into westerns, but I’ll make an exception
for this one.
Natalie Portman (Thor,
Black Swan, Where the Heart Is) in an action flick sounds like a whole lot
of goodness. The story seems strong and there was a quip or two in the International
trailer (easily found on YouTube) that makes me believe there’s a touch of
comic relief in it. Not enough to ruin the film, but enough to make the drama
easier to swallow.
Even the movie poster is epic.
6 – 13 Hours: The
Secret Soldiers of Benghazi (1/15)
Tag Line: When
everything went wrong, six men had the courage to do what was right.
Production Company:
3 Arts Entertainment, Dune Films, Latina Pictures, Paramount Pictures
Director: Michael
Bay
Writer: Chuck Hogan,
Mitchell Zuckoff
Actors: John
Krasinski, James Badge Dale, Toby Stephens, Pablo Schreiber, Max Martini, David
Denman, Dominic Fumusa, Freddie Stroma
Genre: Drama
Rated: R
Everyone has heard of Benghazi. It was all over the news.
That makes it obvious that this film is based on a true story.
However, it IS being directed by Michael Bay (Pearl Harbor, Transformers, Pain & Gain)….
So I have to assume it is LOOSELY based on a true story.
Still, I’m looking forward to this film. John Krasinski (The Office, Monsters University, Aloha) has
been great in everything I’ve seen him in and I tend to find myself enthralled
by war films. My one issue is the director.
I really hope that Bay doesn’t turn the movie into explosion
porn.
5 – The Revenant
(1/8)
Tag Line: Blood
lost. Life Found.
Production Company:
New Regency Pictures, Anonymous Content, Appian Way, RatPac Entertainment, Soho
VFX
Director: Alejandro
Gonzalez Inarritu
Writer: Alejandro
Gonzalez Inarritu, Mark L. Smith, Michael Punke
Actors: Leonardo
DiCaprio, Tom Hardy, Will Poulter, Lukas Haas, Domhnall Gleeson, Brad Carter
Genre: Thriller,
Drama
Rated: R
Someone give this poor guy a fucking Oscar already. If he’s
even half as good as he seems to be in the trailer, this might actually be
Leonardo DiCaprio’s (The Wolf of Wall
Street, The Great Gatsby, Django Unchained) year.
I’m crossing my fingers for him.
4 – Intruders (1/15)
Tag Line: They
should have left her alone.
Production Company:
Black Fish Films, Campbell Grobman Films, Jeff Rice Films, Vicarious
Entertainment
Director: Adam
Schindler
Writer: T.J.
Cimfel, David White
Actors: Beth
Riesgraf, Rory Culkin, Martin Starr, Jack Kesy, Leticia Jimenez, Joshua Mikel
Genre: Thriller,
Psychological
Rated: R
This film might look like a recipe film, but it’s definitely
a recipe with a twist. Like the first time someone decided to put bacon on a
cupcake. Unexpected and awesome.
I have high hopes for Intruders.
3 – 400 Days (1/12)
Tag Line: Time to
kill.
Production Company:
New Artists Alliance
Director: Matt
Osterman
Writer: Matt
Osterman
Actors: Brandon
Routh, Dane Cook, Caity Lotz, Ben Feldman, Tom Cavanagh, Grant Bowler
Genre: Thriller,
Sci-Fi
Rated: NR
400 Days has
several things going for it.
The first thing I noticed, was that Dane Cook (Mr. Brooks, Answers to Nothing, Detention)
was in a serious part and, quite frankly, I’m not used to that. It makes me need
to know how he does. We know his sense of humor is polar – either you love or
hate it. Very few people land in the middle where he’s concerned. I want to see
how he does in a psychologically demanding film like this.
Second, the plot is amazing. Astronauts train plenty, but
none of it is like the training shown in this film. Training for deep space
travel involves an isolation factor that can produce terrifying results.
A plot like this, reminds me of the Russian sleep experiment
urban legend.
The movie has an interesting cast and plot, making it a
must-see.
2 – Kung Fu Panda
3 (1/29)
Tag Line: Grab
destiny by the rice dumplings.
Production Company:
China Film Co., DreamWorks Animation, Oriental DreamWorks
Director: Jennifer
Yuh, Alessandro Carloni
Writer: Jonathan
Aibel, Glenn Berger
Actors: Angelina
Jolie, Jack Black, David Cross, Dustin Hoffman, Bryan Cranston, Kate Hudson,
Jackie Chan, Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu, J.K. Simmons, James Hong
Genre: Animation,
Adventure, Comedy
Rated: PG
I’m not ashamed to say I’m a full grown woman that loves the
hell out of the Kung Fu Panda series. I even played the video game. Don’t care,
it’s awesome.
Don’t judge me.
1 – The 5th Wave
(1/22)
Tag Line: Wave 1:
Darkness. Wave 2: Destruction. Wave 3: Infection. Wave 4: Invasion.
Production Company:
Columbia Pictures, GK Films, LStar Capital, Living Films, Material Pictures
Director: J.
Blakeson
Writer: Susannah
Grant, Akiva Goldsman, Jeff Pinkner, Rick Yancey
Actors: Chloe
Grace Moretz, Zackary Arthur, Live Schreiber, Ron Livingston, Nick Robinson,
Maggie Siff, Tony Revolori, Alex Roe, Maika Monroe, Talitha Bateman, Maria
Bello
Genre: Sci-Fi,
Thriller
Rated: PG-13
The trailer looked so awesome for this film that I went out
and bought the book. I’m not going to watch it until I finish reading it, but
it’s definitely on my to-do list.
I feel as though this film is going to be the kind of movie
no one regrets seeing.
Movies to Look out For
According to: Cat
Exposed .20
Dirty Grandpa .19
The Great Gilly Hopkins
.18
400 Days .17
The Submarine Kid .16
Norm of the North .15
Moonwalkers .14
Intruders .13
The Finest Hours .12
The Boy .11
The 5th Wave .10
The Revenant .9
The Abandoned .8
Mojave .7
Diablo .6
The Forest .5
The Benefactor .4
Band of Robbers .3
Monster Hunt .2
Kung Fu Panda 3 .1