According
to: Cat
21–
Zeroville (Honorable Mention)
Tag Line: A Film By James Franco.
Production Company: RabbitBandini
Productions
Director: James Franco
Writers: Steve Erickson
(novel), Paul Felten, Ian Olds
Actors: Megan Fox, Dave
Franco, James Franco, Seth Rogan, Will Ferrell, Danny McBride, Craig Robinson,
Joey King, Jacki Weaver, Mia Serafino, Sandra Rosko, Horatio Sanz
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Rated: Unrated
Sometimes
we feel the need to randomly step out of the box. This was one such occasion.
This movie is rumored to be released in October 2016, however it is largely an
enigma. It is a real movie, and there was even a trailer released at one point
which has since been removed from the web. With the star power in this cast, it
is odd that the film hasn’t gotten more buzz. The mystery is one of the
attractions, at least for me, at the moment. If it isn’t released this month,
keep a look out for it to appear on a future top 20.
The movie
is set in 1969 during a time that the industry landscape in Hollywood was in
transition from “Old Hollywood” to “New Hollywood.” James Franco’s (Spring Breakers, The Sound and the Fury,
King Cobra) bald and tattooed character is an actor new to Los Angeles and
it follows his tale. Franco is reported to have actually shaved his head for
the part in this book adaptation piece.
20 – American Romance (10/23)
Tag Line: A love story by Zackary Adler
Production Companies: Hub Media, Traverse
Media
Director: Zackary Adler
Writers: Wes Laurie, Mei
Melançon, Gary Sugarman
Actors: Nolan Gerard Funk,
John Savage, Daveigh Chase, James Duval, Mark Boone Junior, Barlow Jacobs, Mei
Melançon, Sofia Mali
Genre: Horror, Thriller
Rated: Unrated
I am a huge fan of Halloween. Huge.
I love the costuming and all the spooky decorations. I enjoy the enthusiasm and
joy of children trick-or-treating. It’s the season for ghost stories and scary
movies. This year, my daughter turned 13. Rather than having her party in the
middle of hot summer, we’re doing a “spooky 13” birthday party for her right
before the holiday. I am already in high gear for the execution of the event!
All the planning. All the lists! Pinterest is my friend.
I digress.
It shouldn’t be a surprise that in
this month of shivers and scares that my Top 20 is heavily laden with horror
and thrillers, such as this one.
This movie appears to be a mix of
crime procedural and torture porn. Be prepared for blood and uncomfortable
situations, if the trailer is any indication. It looks like there might be
psychological thrills along with the scare factor.
I also want to see what Mark Boone
Junior (Halloween II, Life of Crime, The
Birth of a Nation) is up to in this film. He has two movies coming out this
month, but this is the only one that made my list. I haven’t really watched his
work since Sons of Anarchy
(2008-2014) ended, and I miss him on the screen.
19 – Ouija: Origin of Evil (10/21)
Tag Line: When you talk to the other side, you never know who will
be listening.
Production Company: Allspark Pictures, Blumhouse Productions, Hasbro, Platinum
Dunes
Director: Mike Flanagan
Writers: Mike Flanagan, Jeff Howard
Actors: Elizabeth Reaser, Doug Jones, Henry Thomas, Lin Shaye,
Kate Siegel, Annalise Basso, Lulu Wilson, Sam Anderson, Alexis G. Zall, Lincoln
Melher, Parker Mack, Ele Keats
Genre: Horror, Thriller
Rated: PG-13
Lin Shaye (Snakes on a Plane, Big Ass Spider!, Tales of Halloween) is reprising
her role from Ouija (2014); though
the film is a prequel rather than a sequel. This movie is taking place 50 years prior in
same house.
Horror is definitely Shaye’s
wheelhouse, and she’s another whom has two movies releasing this month. Both
are actually on my list.
I’ve had my rant about Ouija boards
before, so I’ll spare you. This movie looks sufficiently creepy, and actually a
bit intense. While this film has been rated PG-13, I wouldn’t recommend it for
anyone easily disturbed. Some of what was in the trailer was just freaky.
18
– In A Valley of Violence (10/21)
Tag Line: A man can only take so much!
Production Companies: Blumhouse Productions, Reel Chefs Catering
Director: Ti West
Writer: Ti West
Actors: Karen Gillian, John Travolta, Ethan Hawke, Taissa Farmiga,
Burn Gorman, James Ransome, Toby Huss, Larry Fessenden, K. Harrison Sweeney,
Tommy Nohilly
Genre: Western
Rated: R
This is the second non-horror film
for writer/director Ti West (Trigger Man,
The Innkeepers, The Sacrament). I enjoyed the trailer, but got a sense of ‘ugh’
when I saw that he was the mind behind this movie. He had directed the “M”
segment of The ABCs of Death (2012),
which I absolutely hated; and the “Second Honeymoon” segment of V/H/S (2012), which was highly creepy
and less loathsome. I’m hoping that the fact that this is a different genre
will have helped steer him in a better direction.
From what I gather between the
trailer and the IMDb blurb, this seems to also be a bit of a dark comedy. That
was something that immediately caught my attention and contributed heavily to
placing this film on my list.
This is the first western movie for
some of the big names of this cast. Taissa Farmiga (The Bling Ring, American Horror Story, The Final Girls) is new to
the genre, and so is John Travolta (Hairspray,
Savages, The Forger). I think they’ll do well here.
This isn’t the first rodeo for
others, such as Karen Gillan (Oculus,
Guardians of the Galaxy, Selfie) and Ethan Hawke (Boyhood, Maggie's Plan, Regression). This is, in fact, Hawke’s
second western of this year. Though, as this movie follows close on the heels
of last month's release of The
Magnificent Seven (2016), the expectations are high. Both films are remakes
of earlier works. This movie is said to be a loose remake of High Plains Drifter (1973), or at the
least heavily influenced by it.
17 – Godzilla Resurgence (10/11)
Tag Line: A god incarnate. A city doomed.
Production Companies: Cine Bazar, Toho Company, Toho Pictures
Director: Hideaki Anno, Shinji Higuchi
Writers: Hideaki Anno
Actors: Hiroki Hasegawa, Yutaka Takenouchi, Satomi Ishihara, Ren
Ohsugi, Akira Emoto, Kengo Kôra, Mikako Ichikawa, Jun Kunimura, Pierre Taki,
Kyûsaku Shimada, Ken Mitshishi, Shingo Tsurumi, Kimiko Yo, Takumi Saitô
Genre: Action/Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi/ Fantasy
Rated: Unrated
I love a good creature feature.
You’ve likely heard me say that before. What better creature in time for
Halloween than the king of all movie critters – Godzilla?! This is the 30th
film with the character Godzilla since the original in 1954 (if you don’t count
that nonsense in 1998).
While this movie appears to be a
reboot showing what would happen if the Terror of Tokyo were to attack for the
very first time in present day, it has a lot of nods in it to vintage Godzilla. From the distinct roar heard
in the trailer to even the appearance, this film will be full of nostalgia for
fans of the kaiju genre. I like the fact that they’ve gone back to the monster’s
roots rather than giving it yet another redesign.
It should also be noted that this is
not connected in any way with the Legendary Pictures series. The sequel to that
particular reboot is slated for 2019.
Another thing I love about this
movie already is that one of the co-directors was heavily involved in the
special effects for quite a few of the older movies from the mid-80s through
the 90s. This movie is said to employ a hybrid of CGI and traditional practical
effects in bringing the colossal creature to life – and taller than ever!
It’s only hitting theaters with a
limited release (and with record speed following the Japan premiere), but it’ll
be worth searching out On Demand, via streaming services, or on DVD/blu-ray as
soon as it’s available.
16 – Patient Seven (10/11)
Tag Line: Try to remain calm.
Production Company: Terror Films
Directors: Danny Draven, Paul Davis, Ómar Örn Hauksson, Dean Hewison,
Joel Morgan, Johannes Persson, Nicholas Peterson, Erlingur Thoroddsen, Rasmus
Wassberg
Writers: Paul Davis, Sam Dickson, Richard Falkner, Paul Fischer,
Omar Orn Hauksson, Jacey Heldrich, Dean Hewison, Barry Jay, Brian McAuley, Joel
Morgan, Johannes Persson, Nicholas Peterson, David Steenhoek, Aidee Walker,
Rasmus Wassberg
Actors: Amy Smart, Doug Jones, Alfie Allen, Michael Ironside, Jack
Plotnick, Grace Van Dien, William Mark McCullough, Daniel Lench, Anna Rose
Moore, Amanda Graeff, Sirry Jons
Genre: Horror, Drama
Rated: Unrated
There always seems to be one or more
horror anthologies released at this time of year. With collaborations of this
nature, you never know what you’re going to get. What I saw on the trailer
looks really good. This seems to be a blend of some sort of supernatural with
psychological thriller and Michael Ironside’s (Extraterrestrial, Turbo Kid, Children of the Fall) character
is the glue that holds the different segments together.
Looking through the directors, I
didn’t see anyone that’s directed any of the stinkers I’m familiar with. A lot
are rather new or have done the bulk of their work in foreign markets. There’s
even one that has directed a couple of the metal band Five Finger Death Punch’s
videos. This gives me hope, and I am intrigued as to what is going on with this
doctor interviewing psychotic and dangerous patients.
15
– Boo! A Madea Halloween (10/21)
Tag Line: Witch, please.
Production Company: The Tyler Perry Company
Director: Tyler Perry
Writers: Tyler Perry
Actors: Bella Thorne, Brock O'Hurn, Tyler Perry, Jimmy Tatro,
Diamond White, Yousef Erakat, Kian Lawley, Lexy Panterra, Cassi Davis, Jc
Caylen, John West Jr., Patrice Lovely
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Horror
Rated: PG-13
Madea’s back after a three year
hiatus from the big screen! This movie just looks hilarious. There doesn’t need
to be more explanation than that. I’m curious to see how Tyler Perry (Star Trek, Good Deeds, Brain on Fire)
blended the actual horror movie elements with the comedy. Rumor has it that
this film was also shot in a total of six days.
Another reason I am excited to see
this movie hit the theaters is because of the big-screen debut of Brock O'Hurn
(Too Close to Home). He’s only had
one other cited project, which was a TLC original content television series
also by Perry. I’m hoping that this personal trainer’s acting chops are really
there and he’s not just scenery. His fabulous hair and propensity for taking
shirtless pictures have made him a bit of a social media sensation in recent
years. But hey, if it doesn’t work out, he’ll still have “man-bun Monday.”
14
– The Accountant (10/14)
Tag Line: Calculate your choices.
Production Companies: Warner Bros., Electric City Entertainment, Zero Gravity
Management
Director: Gavin O'Connor
Writers: Bill Dubuque
Actors: Anna Kendrick, Ben Affleck, Jon Bernthal, Jeffrey Tambor,
John Lithgow, Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Alison Wright, Seth Lee, Gregory Alan
Williams
Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Rated: R
This cast
certainly has a lot of combined comic book character experience. Of course,
that’s a bit of fun ‘six degrees’ trivia since this story isn’t based on any
comic that I’m aware of.
When I
first saw a trailer for this movie on TV, I thought that Ben Affleck’s (The Company Men, To the Wonder, Runner
Runner) character was one of those emotionless sociopaths – I was wrong.
In looking
up the first released official trailer for this film, it became clear that his
character is supposed to be somewhere on the autism spectrum and quite the
savant. I am very interested in how the character transitions into the grown
man that apparently does interesting and illicit things with his accounting
skills.
13
– Keeping Up with the Joneses (10/21)
Tag Line: Takes spying on your neighbors to another level.
Production Companies: Fox 2000 Pictures, Parkes+MacDonald Image Nation
Director: Greg Mottola
Writer: Michael LeSieur
Actors: Gal Gadot, Isla Fisher, Patton Oswalt, Zach Galifianakis,
Jon Hamm, Matt Walsh
Genre: Action, Comedy
Rated: PG-13
I’m happy to see that there are so
many PG-13 movies this month. There’s a decent selection out there for most age
groups. From what I saw in the trailer, this looks like something I’d be ok
with taking my daughter to see.
The premise is rather interesting.
It feels like someone was sitting around and spit-balled the idea of ‘what if Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005) had really
nosy busybody neighbors?” The answer seems to be this movie. But hey, with this
cast, this is going to be seriously entertaining.
12
– Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life (10/7)
Tag Line: Rules aren't for everyone
Production Companies: CBS Films, James Patterson Entertainment, Participant
Media, Rovio Entertainment
Director: Steve Carr
Writers: Chris Bowman, Hubbel Palmer, Kara Holden, James Patterson
(novel), Chris Tebbetts (novel)
Actors: Lauren Graham, Griffin Gluck, Rob Riggle, Thomas Barbusca,
Isabela Moner, Adam Pally, Efren Ramirez, Retta, Andrew Daly, Jacob Hopkins,
Alexa Nisenson, Isabella Amara, Angela Oh, Gemma Forbes, Jessi Goei
Genre: Comedy
Rated: PG
I remember my middle school
experience well. It was rough. Thankfully, I didn’t have a principal with the
same drive for sucking the fun out of school.
This movie looks like it’s going to
be a lot of family fun. I mean, seriously – who didn’t dream of pulling
wickedly awesome pranks at school? I’m just hoping that the trailer didn’t give
away all the best of them.
11 – Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders (10/11)
Tag Lines: The crusade continues...
Production Companies: Warner Bros. Animation, DC Entertainment
Director: Rick Morales
Writers: William Dozier, Bill Finger, Michael Jelenic, James Tucker
Actors: Adam West, Burt Ward, Julie Newmar, Wally Wingert
Genre: Animation, Action/Adventure
Rated: PG
Do I really need to explain why this
one is on my list? It’s the freaking Batman! Not only that, but it’s a retro
feel and voiced by the very same actors that portrayed Batman, Robin, and
Catwoman in the live action TV show in the 60s. The awesomesauce speaks for
itself.
10 – The Thinning (10/12)
Tag Line: Not Available.
Production Companies: Legendary Digital Media, Kids At Play, Cinemand
Director: Michael J. Gallagher
Writer: Michael J. Gallagher, Steve Greene
Actors: Peyton List, Logan Paul, Lia Marie Johnson, Calum Worthy,
Matthew Glave, Michael Traynor, Ryan Newman, Patrick O'Sullivan, Jana
Winternitz, Kiersten Warren
Genre: Thriller
Rated: Unrated
Dystopian movies are so interesting.
While they are generally addressing what might happen in a messed up future of
our world, and there are some similarities that run through a lot of them, each
twisted picture is different. One setting has children fighting a televised
deadly survival game, another deals with children facing mazes and tests, and
yet another where the young fight back against a caste system based on
personality traits. Of course, those describe the most wildly popular stories
to come out of the last decade or so.
This movie has the potential, I
think, of leaving its own mark in the genre with the concept of testing in
schools utilized as a method for population control. (And we thought that the
schools were putting an inordinate amount of importance on those standardized
tests NOW, right?)
Aside from the interesting story
concept, I’m also curious to see both the Disney starlet and the Vine sensation
in this film. Of course, you won’t see this one on the big screen just yet.
This movie can be found exclusively on YouTubeRed, which is YouTube’s ad-free
subscription streaming service. (Free trials are available, just like Netflix
and other streaming providers.)
9 –
The Girl on the Train (10/7)
Tag Line: What you can see can hurt you
Production Companies: Amblin Entertainment, DreamWorks SKG, Marc Platt
Productions, Reliance Entertainment, Storyteller Distribution
Director: Tate Taylor
Writers: Paula Hawkins (novel), Erin Cressida Wilson
Actors: Haley Bennett, Emily Blunt, Justin Theroux, Rebecca
Ferguson, Luke Evans, Laura Prepon, Allison Janney, Edgar Ramirez, Lisa Kudrow,
Darren Goldstein
Genre: Mystery, Thriller
Rated: R
This movie is an adaptation of a
novel that spent 15 weeks as a #1 bestseller with sales in the millions of
copies. That alone is a good indication that the story must be compelling.
The trailer does an excellent job in
setting up both the mystery and the tangled web of connections between the
characters. It feels like I see this film’s teaser every time I turn on the TV,
lately. I’ll be very surprised if this doesn’t do well at the box office.
8
– Desierto (10/14)
Tag Line: From the visionary filmmakers that brought you Gravity
Production Companies: Esperanto Kino, Itaca Films, CG Cinéma
Director: Jonás Cuarón
Writers: Jonás Cuarón, Mateo Garcia
Actors: Gael García Bernal, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Alondra Hidalgo,
Diego Cataño, Marco Pérez, Oscar Flores, David Lorenzo
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Rated: R
Illegal immigration has been a
hot-button topic for quite some time. For the purposes of this movie, let’s
push the political agendas aside.
Walking in the shoes of those
desperate enough to cross the border, one realizes that it’s hard enough to
navigate fences, desert, or rivers. These poor people in this movie also have
to contend with a gun-toting vigilante with an attack dog patrolling the
border.
I think that this is going to be the
year that everyone is going to love to hate Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Red Dawn, Solace, The Good Wife) because
of his villainous roles. The countdown has begun to see which beloved character
that Negan kills in the Season Six premiere of The Walking Dead (2010-)! (It had better not be Daryl. Just
saying.)
This movie is going to be intense.
7 –
Fear, Inc. (10/21)
Tag Line: Making a killing one client at a time.
Production Companies: Lone Suspect, Amasia Entertainment, Title Media
Director: Vincent Masciale
Writers: Luke Barnett
Actors: Lucas Neff, Caitlin Stasey, Chris Marquette, Stephanie
Drake, Mark Moses, Abigail Breslin, Richard Riehle, Patrick Renna, Naomi
Grossman, Eric Lange
Genre: Comedy, Horror, Thriller
Rated: Unrated
For some horror junkies, it’s just
hard to get scared by movies and haunted houses anymore. Then there’s me – I
startle so easily that I’ll still jump even if I can see the source of the loud
noise as it happens. My brother loves telling the story of the time he hid
around a corner from me to scare me and I jumped and ran in place mid-air like
a cartoon character.
This movie looks like it’s a dark
comedy blended with a horror/thriller of the ‘be careful what you wish for’
variety. It somewhat reminds me of the premise of The Houses October Built (2014) and, yet, just by watching the
trailer, I believe this movie will be funny and entertaining rather than the
head-scratcher that Houses was.
6 –
Jack Goes Home (10/14)
Tag Line: Let The Condolences
Begin
Production Companies: Yale Productions, SSS Entertainment, BondIt, Isle Empire
Pictures
Director: Thomas Dekker
Writer: Thomas Dekker
Actors: Rory Culkin, Britt Robertson, Natasha Lyonne, Nikki Reed,
Daveigh Chase, Lin Shaye, Louis Hunter,. Hutchi Hancock, Serge Levin, Michael
Sirow
Genre: Drama, Horror, Thriller
Rated: R
Here we have the second movie
featuring Lin Shaye (Noobz, The Signal,
Get the Money) I mentioned earlier. There promises to be something rather
disturbing about her character in this film – and she’s not the lead!
I am absolutely intrigued by this
movie. The trailer left me with a feeling of ‘what in the world???’ – but in
the best way, rather than the WTF way. I was actually a bit giddy to note that
this film was both written and directed by Thomas Dekker (Heroes, Foreverland, Plush). I have liked his performances in the few
things I’ve seen. I want to get a peek into his head as to the dark creativity
he can bring to the screen.
Of course, Dekker isn’t a stranger
to the dark and supernatural. He was even on a TV series with some of the cast
from this movie. Louis Hunter (The 7th
Hunt, The Woodlies, The Fosters) and Britt Robertson (Ask Me Anything, Under the Dome, The Longest Ride) were both among
the cast of The Secret Circle
(2011-2012).
Rory Culkin (The Chumscrubber, Scream 4, Intruders) looks like he really shines
in this film. I did spend a bit of the beginning of the trailer trying to place
what I’d seen him in recently – aside from his very recognizable resemblance to
his brothers. Then it hit me – he was the asthmatic kid in the movie Signs (2002). It has been circulating
through cable movie channels lately; and I watched it with my daughter just last
week. (For the record, now I feel old.)
5
– Rings (10/28)
Tag Line: Evil is reborn
Production Companies: BenderSpink, Macari/Edelstein, Parkes+MacDonald Image
Nation, Vertigo Entertainment, Waddieish Claretrap
Director: F. Javier Gutiérrez
Writers: Jacob Estes, Akiva Goldsman, David Loucka, Kôji Suzuki
(novel)
Actors: Vincent D'Onofrio, Aimee Teegarden, Lizzie Brocheré, Laura
Wiggins, Johnny Galecki, Alex Roe, Zach Roerig, Bonnie Morgan, Matilda Anna
Ingrid Lutz, Brandon Larracuente, Jill Jane Clements
Genre: Drama, Horror
Rated: Unrated
The Ring (2002) is
considered a modern horror classic. You wouldn’t think that your life would be
in danger from simply watching a video, right? Well, in this world, think
again.
This isn’t a direct sequel to that
first movie. There’s been at least one other that I’m aware of. I haven’t
looked it up (shame on me). I haven’t watched it, and that’s ok. Either prior
sequel(s) didn’t hit my radar or trailers didn’t get enough of my attention.
This one, however, with its October
timing, seems right in my zone.
It also helps that there are some
relatively well known members of the cast; such as Zach Roerig (Dear Me, Field of Lost Shoes, The Vampire
Diaries), Johnny Galecki (Hancock, In
Time, CBGB), Aimee Teegarden (Prom,
Beneath the Darkness, Star-Crossed), and Vincent D'Onofrio (The Narrows, Kill the Irishman, Daredevil).
While the trailer shows the roles
for a couple of them, I am curious how Zach and Johnny’s characters fit into
this story. Aside from all that, this movie
seems to take the original story to a whole new level. The trailer, by itself,
was really trippy. I can’t wait!!
4
– Inferno (10/28)
Tag Line: His greatest challenge. Humanity's last hope
Production Companies: Columbia Pictures, Imagine Entertainment
Director: Ron Howard
Writers: Dan Brown (novel), David Koepp
Actors: Tom Hanks, Felicity Jones, Ben Foster, Omar Sy, Irrfan
Khan, Sidse Babett Knudsen, Ana Ularu, Ida Darvish
Genre: Mystery, Thriller
Rated: PG-13
I’d have to say that Ron Howard (Frost/Nixon, Rush, In the Heart of the Sea)
is high in the list of my top five favorite directors. It’s more than just
nostalgia for the television shows I enjoyed his youthful exuberance and apple
pie performances in ages ago. He really brings some intensity and depth to his
movies. He’s also helmed some of my favorite movies of all time. Willow (1988), Far and Away (1992), and Apollo
13 (1995) are among those.
He also has a long history of
working with Tom Hanks (Charlie Wilson's
War, Saving Mr. Banks, Ithaca). Their pairings date back to at least Splash (1984); which is also one of my
favorites. Hanks can always be counted on for a stellar performance. Add Felicity
Jones (Flashbacks of a Fool, Cemetery Junction,
Collide) into the mix and you have the potential for something very
awesome.
Inferno is the fourth book in Dan
Brown’s (Be Cool, The Da Vinci Code,
Angels & Demons) Robert Langdon series. It’s the third one to make it
to the big screen. According to IMDb, the third book, The Lost Symbol, has been announced but details are sketchy right
now.
While these movies tend to give the
Catholic Church migraines, I find them fascinating. The blend of religion with
mystery is hard to resist. I enjoy watching how Langdon’s brain ticks in
putting pieces of the puzzles together and how he deals with his often
harrowing circumstances.
If you liked the first two movies,
this is definitely a must see!
3
– Jack Reacher: Never Go Back (10/21)
Tag Line: Never give in, never give up, never go back.
Production Companies: Paramount Pictures, Skydance Productions, TC Productions
Director: Edward Zwick
Writers: Richard Wenk, Edward Zwick, Marshall Herskovitz, Lee Child
(book)
Actors: Tom Cruise, Cobie Smulders, Robert Knepper, Aldis Hodge,
Sue-Lynn Ansari, Danika Yarosh, Holt McCallany, Julia Holt, Teri Wyble, Jason
Douglas, Patrick Heusinger
Genre: Action/Adventure, Crime, Thriller
Rated: Unrated
Tom Cruise (Knight and Day, Rock of Ages, Oblivion) in an action movie? Sign me
up! No seriously. He’s been an integral part of quite a few of my favorite
movies ever. I’ve seen all but maybe 2 or 3 of his entire filmography. He might
be crazypants in his personal life, but that’s his personal life. I love
watching him on the screen.
If scary movies aren’t your speed,
then a crime thriller might be the very thing to get your pulse racing during
this spooky season. Of course, there’s nothing supernatural (that I’m aware of)
about this movie. It is actually based on the 18th book of the Jack
Reacher series by Lee Child (Murder by
the Book, The Crime Thriller Club, Jack Reacher). The first Reacher film
was based on the 9th book, so it’s unlikely that this movie will
have the ‘picking up where the first left off’ vibe of most sequels.
Another thing I love about this
movie (aside from the talented Cobie Smulders (Safe Haven, The Lego Movie, The Intervention) as the female lead)
is that it was filmed in New Orleans. I like to support projects that come out
of my home state. In spite of our former governor dropping the ball on tax
incentives for the film industry, Louisiana loves hosting all manner of
productions.
2 –
Max Steel (10/14)
Tag Line: Unleash your power.
Production Companies: Dolphin Entertainment, Ingenious Media, Mattel
Entertainment, Open Road Films, Playground Productions
Director: Stewart Hendler
Writer: Christopher Yost
Actors: Ben Winchell, Josh Brener, Maria Bello, Andy Garcia, Ana
Villafañe, Mike Doyle, Phillip DeVona, Billy Slaughter, Al Mitchell, Lawrence
Kao
Genre: Action/Adventure, Sci-Fi
Rated: PG-13
This movie just looks really cool. I
love the humor in the trailer. I predict that my favorite character in the film
is going to be Steel, based on the communication misunderstandings that have ‘him’
taking things too literally and things of that nature.
Aside from the comedy aspect, this
movie looks like it’s going to be a really good and intense coming of age
superhero sci-fi movie. What do I have to say to that? Hell. Yes. Just go see
it. Take the kiddos (that are old enough, since it’s PG-13). Take your friends.
1
– The Rocky Horror Picture Show: Let’s Do the Time Warp Again (10/20)
Tag Line: This Halloween, a cult classic is reborn.
Production Companies: Fox 21 Television Studios, Jackal Group
Director: Kenny Ortega
Writers: Richard O'Brien (screenplay), Jim Sharman (original
screenplay)
Actors: Laverne Cox, Reeve Carney, Tim Curry, Victoria Justice,
Ryan McCartan, Annaleigh Ashford, Christina Milian, Staz Nair, Adam Lambert,
Ben Vereen, Jayne Eastwood.
Genre: Comedy, Horror, Musical
Rated: TV-14
When I first heard about this
remake, I was a bit irked and didn’t like the idea at all. I am a huge fan of
the original. It’s a cult classic that has lasted in theaters for roughly 40
years now. That has to be a record. My favorite part of the movie isn’t even
technically in the film – it’s the audience participation and ‘live cast’
performances that go with the (sometimes weekly) showings. There are just some
things that you shouldn’t touch!
However, I changed my tune as more
information came out about the creative minds behind the project and the cast.
When I learned that the new screenplay was the brainchild of the brilliant and
twisted mind of Richard O'Brien (Ever
After: A Cinderella Story, Night Train, Phineas and Ferb) – the original
Riff Raff – I felt like this was going to be enjoyable and handled with
respect.
The minute I found out that Tim
Curry (The Wild Thornberrys, Garfield 2,
Star Wars: The Clone Wars) was on board to play the criminologist narrator,
I was sold. There’s no way he would sign on to this if it weren’t worthy.
Since then, I’ve been waiting with
great antici…..
(you know I had to)
…pation!
I absolutely adore some of the other
cast members, as well. Though, I haven’t read a lot about what they’re doing
with this new twist on the story because I want to be surprised. This is going
to be a TV special on the Fox network. I find that fitting, personally, because
that’s how I first saw the original 1975 movie – late night Fox TV.
People are likely to either love it
or hate it, but I’m going to give it a chance! Hey, it's free. Tune in and give it a shot - if you don't like it, you can always change the channel.
Movies
to Look out For
According
to: Selina
Zeroville
(Honorable Mention) - 21
Keeping Up with the Joneses - 20
Inferno
- 19
Rings
- 18
Jack
Goes Home - 17
Middle
School: The Worst Years of My Life - 16
The
Siege of Jadotville - 15
London
Town - 14
Desierto
- 13
Jack
Reacher: Never Go Back - 12
Ouija:
Origin of Evil - 11
The
Thinning - 10
The
Late Bloomer - 9
Fear,
Inc. - 8
Kevin
Hart: What Now? - 7
The
Accountant - 6
King
Cobra - 5
The
Rocky Horror Picture Show: Let’s Do the Time Warp Again - 4
Batman:
Return of the Caped Crusaders - 3
Max
Steel - 2
The
Girl on the Train - 1