According to: Cat
20 - Little Italy (9/21)
Tag Line:
Three generations. Two families. One forbidden love.
Production Company: Firsttake Entertainment
Director:
Donald Petrie
Writers:
Steve Galluccio, Vinay Virmani
Actors: Emma Roberts, Hayden
Christensen, Alyssa Milano, Adam Ferrara, Gary Basaraba, Linda Kash, Andrew
Phung, Cristina Rosato
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Rated: R
Length: 102 Min
IMDb Blurb: A young couple must
navigate a blossoming romance, amidst a war between their families' competing
pizza restaurants.
I have to say, this movie looks
absolutely adorable. It seems like it’s going along the lines of a modern-day
Romeo and Juliet. I sincerely hope that this love story has a happier ending.
It might very well be a typical ‘love finding you when you least expect it’ and
‘the person that’s been right under your nose since forever’ type story; but I
liked the element that the choice between passions of career and romance adds.
Now don’t get me wrong, I’m all for the female lead finding a way to keep both
in her life. I think I’ll be really disappointed if the story takes the dated
cop-out option to have her give up her dreams for love.
Needless to say, while I enjoyed the
trailer and the prospect of a fresh spin on a classic trope, I’m still on the
fence enough that the film didn’t make it higher on the list. Even so, I will
stick to my optimistic guns and hold out hope for the best. Hey, if nothing
else, this looks to be a pretty good date movie.
19 – The King of Thieves (9/14)
Tag Line:
One high security vault. Millions up for grabs. One hell of a retirement fund.
Production Company: Working Title Films
Director:
James Marsh
Writers:
Joe Penhall, Mark Seal
Actors: Michael Caine,
Michael Gambon, Tom Courtenay, Charlie Cox, Jim Broadbent, Ray Winstone,
Francesca Annis, Paul Whitehouse
Genre: Crime, Drama
Rated: NR
Length: 108 Min
IMDb Blurb: A crew of retired
crooks pull off a major heist in London's jewelry district.
What’s not to like when it comes to a combination of Academy
Award winners and British comedy? It sounds like a one-two knockout to me! What
makes this even more interesting is the fact that this movie is based on a true
story. Now, I can’t tell you how much creative license has been taken for the
sake of the film; but I can assure you that the Hatton Garden Safe Deposit
Company in London was burgled in 2015 by at least 4 elderly men. There was
worldwide media coverage, and the heist has been hailed as the biggest in
British ‘legal history.’
In its essence, the movie is a crime drama; but if the trailer
is any indication, the story isn’t told with any sort of stodgy perspective.
Humor seems to be laced throughout. I would imagine that if you liked films such
as Snatch (2000) or Going in Style (2017), you’ll probably
really get a kick out of this one.
18 - Assassination Nation (9/21)
Tag Line:
You asked for it, America.
Production Companies: BRON Studios, Foxtail Entertainment,
Phantom Four, Creative Wealth Media Finance
Director:
Sam Levinson
Writer: Sam Levinson
Actors: Odessa Young, Suki
Waterhouse, Hari Nef, Abra , Bill Skarsgård, Bella Thorne, Joel McHale, Danny
Ramirez
Genre: Action, Thriller
Rated: R
Length: 110 Min
IMDb Blurb: This is a thousand
percent a true story about how the quiet, all-American town of Salem absolutely
lost its mind.
This movie looks like it’s a bit bonkers. It seems to be
something along the lines of mass hysteria madness in a social media age –
resulting in something along the lines of The
Purge (2013)…but perhaps less legal. It certainly seems to be a bit of
satire along the same vein, at least. From what I gleaned from the trailer,
it’s giving an interesting perspective about the illusion of privacy when it
comes to the internet and social media. Though, rather than an internet
vigilante such as the WikiLeaks guy or Snowden, we have something more
small-scale and focused on town-level scandal. The name of the town is also
interesting. Could this be some modern exploration of what a modern-day Salem
Witch Trials would be like?
I’m intrigued as to how it all plays out.
17 - Hold the Dark (9/28)
Tag Line:
None
Production Companies: Addictive Pictures, Film Science,
VisionChaos Productions, Netflix
Director:
Jeremy Saulnier
Writers:
Macon Blair, William Giraldi
Actors: Jeffrey Wright,
Alexander Skarsgård, James Badge Dale, Riley Keough, Julian Black Antelope,
James Bloor, Jonathan Whitesell, Macon Blair
Genre: Thriller
Rated: TV-MA
Length: 125 Min
IMDb Blurb: After the deaths of
three children suspected to be by wolves, writer Russell Core is hired by the
parents of a missing six-year-old boy to track down and locate their son in the
Alaskan wilderness.
I’m going to be real with you. Part of why I want to watch this
movie is that it’s the beginning of September, and freaking hot outside here in
Louisiana. I want to dive into a snowbank and just hollow out a little place
for me to live until Fall decides to figure out how to turn down the
thermostat. I can live vicariously
through the frozen landscapes on the screen and hope that the power of my
imagination can help me forget for a while that you could probably fry an egg
on the sidewalk outside. I digress…
The trailer sucked me in to the mystery of the situation. A
story about a child going missing is always fraught with The Feels, as all my
mom-senses start flailing – but this went beyond that. I want to know what this
sinister thing is that everything seems to be alluding to. I want to know what
the connection is to the wolves. I want to know whether or not the father has
something to do with what’s going on – because I was picking up some really
creepy intense vibes from Alexander Skarsgård’s (Melancholia, The East, The Giver) character. He has the whole
mysterious broody thing down to an art. It’s part of what he’s well known for,
after all.
I’m excited that this one is a Netflix Original so I don’t have
to wait to see it when it’s released.
16 - The Nun (9/7)
Tag Line:
Pray For Forgiveness
Production Companies: Atomic Monster, New Line Cinema, The
Safran Company
Director:
Corin Hardy
Writers:
Gary Dauberman, James Wan
Actors: Demián Bichir,
Taissa Farmiga, Jonas Bloquet, Charlotte Hope, Ingrid Bisu, Bonnie Aarons
Genre: Horror, Mystery,
Thriller
Rated: R
Length: 96 Min
IMDb Blurb: A priest with a
haunted past and a novice on the threshold of her final vows are sent by the
Vatican to investigate the death of a young nun in Romania and confront a
malevolent force in the form of a demonic nun.
I spent quite a lot of time, growing up, in the presence of
nuns. When you’re raised in a Catholic household and attend parochial school
from kindergarten through eighth grade, that sort of thing tends to happen. For
me, nuns were only scary in the days when corporal punishment was still the
norm. I have to say, I didn’t experience anything other than dour looks and
disappointment when I strayed from proper behavior (I tend to talk a lot, ok?)
– but I’ve heard plenty of ‘war stories’ from others not so lucky. There was an
infamous paddle in my first principal’s office. We only ever had nice chats.
I’m digressing again.
Even so, when you see a nun, even putting aside the religious
aspect of their existence, they tend to evoke warmth, kindness, and similar
feelings. The Nun from this movie? Is
Holy Hell too on-the-nose? The character that The Conjuring’s (2013) universe has created is absolutely
terrifying. I am not sure if I will be able to watch this one in the theaters,
to be honest. I’ll likely need to wait for it to hit a streaming service so I
can pause and get up if I need to. Just the image alone is haunting. The
photographic glimpse of the character in Annabelle:
Creation (2017) was enough to give me the heebie-jeebies about the dark for
a bit. Seriously. Yikes. Imagine what a whole movie devoted to this character
would be like.
I think the studios were smart to push this one back from a
mid-summer release to sometime closer to Halloween. We’re at a time of year
that we want to start getting in that spooky mood.
15 - Black 47 (9/28)
Tag Line:
In Ireland's Darkest Hour Vengeance Shines a Light
Production Companies: Fastnet Films, Irish Film Board,
Primeridian Entertainment, Samsa Film, Umedia
Director:
Lance Daly
Writer: Lance Daly, P.J.
Dillon, Eugene O'Brien, Pierce Ryan
Actors: Hugo Weaving, James
Frecheville, Stephen Rea, Freddie Fox, Barry Keoghan, Moe Dunford, Sarah
Greene, Jim Broadbent
Genre: Action, Drama
Rated: R
Length: 100 Min
IMDb Blurb: Set in Ireland
during the Great Famine, the drama follows an Irish Ranger who has been
fighting for the British Army abroad, as he abandons his post to reunite with
his family. Despite experiencing the horrors of war, he is shocked by the
famine's destruction of his homeland and the brutalization of his people and
his family.
Was it any surprise that this movie made my list this month?
It’s an Irish story, after all. Even so, it looks to be a good one.
If you haven’t heard of the Irish Potato Famine, the nutshell
explanation is that it was a very dark and deadly time for Ireland. Many people
died of starvation due to a blight that took out the majority of the country’s
staple crops. It was a time period that sparked a good bit of Irish immigration
to the United States with the promise of the bounty of the land, even if a good
bit of it was still a bit untamed.
This movie’s title refers to 1847 during that black and bleak
time period in Irish history, when the famine was at its peak.
I’ve seen this movie described as an Irish Braveheart (1995). I am not entirely sure that the two are
comparable on the level of apples and oranges, but the prospect of a film even
coming close to being as significant for Ireland just makes me a little
giddy.
14 - The Children Act
(9/14)
Tag Line:
We all make choices. Hers make history.
Production Companies: Toledo Pictures, FilmNation
Entertainment, BBC Films
Director:
Richard Eyre
Writer: Ian McEwan
Actors: Emma Thompson, Fionn
Whitehead, Stanley Tucci, Ben Chaplin, Anthony Calf, Jason Watkins, Dominic
Carter, Eileen Walsh
Genre: Drama
Rated: R
Length: 105 Min
IMDb Blurb: As her marriage
crumbles, a judge must decide a case involving a teenage boy who is refusing a
blood transfusion on religious principle.
Here we have another movie that’s going to stomp all over our
feelings. This is also one of several films on this list that is based on a
novel. I’d say that this one has an excellent chance of standing up to its
source material, however, as the original author is also the writer for the
screen adaptation.
That aside, the story promises to hurtle through an emotional
gauntlet while treading through some difficult and profound situations.
We recently reviewed a movie which involved a similar
circumstance – the beliefs of a family and the medical impact upon a child.
Where Mute (2018) focused on the
aftermath of a parent’s faith-based decision to deny a voice-saving operation
in the wake of a neck injury; this movie treads into faith-based decisions
preventing potentially lifesaving treatments to a child’s illness.
I am already feeling squirmy from the internal debate where parents’
rights, children’s rights, faith-based health practices, and a child’s
well-being in life or death situations converge. If the trailer is a good
indication, you might make sure you have some tissues handy when watching this
one. It promises to be rather intense.
13 - All About Nina (9/28)
Tag Line:
Get your act together.
Production Companies: Animal Kingdom, The Orchard, Diablo
Entertainment
Director:
Eva Vives
Writer: Eva Vives
Actors: Mary Elizabeth Winstead,
Common , Grace Shen, Beau Bridges, Kate del Castillo, Chace Crawford, Clea
Duvall, Camryn Manheim
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Rated: R
Length: 97 Min
Moviefone Blurb: Nina Geld's passion and talent have
made her a rising star in the comedy scene, but she's an emotional mess
offstage. When a new professional opportunity coincides with a romantic one,
she is forced to confront her own deeply troubled past.
I adored the trailer for this movie. It reminded me a bit of the
style found in the Amazon Prime original series The Marvelous Mrs. Maizel (2017-). Of course, the stories are
vastly different – but it’s still, at its heart about a female stand-up
comedienne.
We get glimpses into the story of what is going on in the titular
character’s life, as well as segments of stand-up comedy. I enjoyed how life
wove its way into the comedic art-form in the aforementioned series, and hope
that this movie can deliver a similar bit of magic. The way the trailer was
constructed seems to allude to a similar framework.
Everyone needs a good laugh now and again – so if you’ve been
stressed lately (or have just watched another of the more intense movies coming
out this month), give this one a go; and hopefully you’ll leave the theater
with less of the weight of the world on your shoulders.
12 - Next Gen (9/7)
Tag Line:
Friendship is the ultimate upgrade.
Production Companies: Baozou Manhua, Netflix, Tangent
Animation
Directors:
Kevin R. Adams, Joe Ksander
Writers:
Kevin R. Adams, Joe Ksander, Wang Nima, Ryan W. Smith
Actors: John Krasinski,
David Cross, Michael Peña, Charlyne Yi, Jason Sudeikis, Constance Wu
Genre: Adventure, Sci-fi,
Animated
Rated: NR
Length: 104 Min
IMDb Blurb: A friendship with a
top-secret robot turns a lonely girl's life into a thrilling adventure as they
take on bullies, evil bots, and a scheming madman.
Here, we have another movie that I am super excited is releasing
on Netflix.
My first thought here was – so we have another Baymax just
without the other heroes that go along with him? I tried my best to stave off
my own eye-roll and kept watching with hope I was wrong. I wasn’t entirely –
but the films look to be enough different that it caught my attention. (I’ve
found myself being slightly more critical than usual when I’m super tired, and
lately I’ve been flat out exhausted; so I tried to take that into consideration
as well.)
I found myself identifying with the young main character. The futuristic landscape began to draw me in.
As a species, humans have been lightning-quick to scoop up
technology that performs more and more tasks for us. This can be for the good
or ill, really. In WALL-E (2008), we
see a world where humans have let technology do almost EVERYTHING for us – and,
thus, have evolved into larger shadows of our former selves. In Aasimov’s I, Robot (2004), and in the Terminator (1984) saga; we see how
humanity’s quest for the elusive true A.I. can backfire. The aforementioned Big Hero 6 (2014), of course, explores
humanity misusing robots… the list goes on. This film seems to be more like
putting the big lovable robot movie in a blender with the gadgets from G-Force (2009) -- but with enough extra
spin that it feels less recycled than other movies have.
The story of friendship and the need for engaging interaction in
a world of the electronic screen’s siren song is important enough, honestly,
that I think I could likely support it in any format.
Bonus? It looks fun. There are an awful lot of mature-rated
movies coming out this month. This one is a score for the kids.
11 - Night School (9/28)
Tag Line:
None
Production Company: Universal Pictures, HartBeat
Productions, Will Packer Productions, Perfect World Pictures
Director:
Malcolm D. Lee
Writer: Kevin Hart, Harry
Ratchford, Joey Wells, Matthew Kellard, Nicholas Stoller, John Hamburg
Actors: Kevin Hart, Tiffany
Haddish, Rob Riggle, Taran Killam, Romany Malco, Ben Schwartz, Mary Lynn
Rajskub, Yvonne Orji
Genre: Comedy
Rated: PG-13
Length: 111 Min
IMDb Blurb: A group of
troublemakers are forced to attend night school in hope that they'll pass the
GED exam to finish high school.
Landing squarely in the center of the pack, is the new Kevin
Hart (About Last Night, The Secret Life of Pets, The Upside) movie. I’ve
been waffling on this one’s placement, to be honest. I’ve been tempted to bump
it down a little and, in equal measure, raise it a few notches.
Don’t get me wrong – I love Kevin Hart. He’s one of the bonuses
that this film has going in its favor. One of the first trailers I watched for
the movie didn’t exactly do it justice. I started out with so many questions
along the lines of why someone thought Hart was a good candidate to play a high
school student. The same question could be applied to everyone that was in his
GED class, really. I was so confused.
Since then, I found the trailer you see here; and it cleared
everything right up for me. I was so relieved.
This movie looks hilarious, as most Hart films do. A little bit
of it seems slightly far-fetched over-the-top, but it’s a good one to go see if
you just want to unwind and have a lot of good laughs.
10 - Bel Canto (9/14)
Tag Line:
Based on the International Best Seller
Production Companies: Depth of Field, Priority Pictures,
A-Line Pictures
Director:
Paul Weitz
Writers:
Paul Weitz, Anthony Weintraub, Ann Patchett
Actors: Julianne Moore, Ken
Watanabe, Tenoch Huerta, Sebastian Koch, Christopher Lambert, Elsa Zylberstein,
Thorbjørn Harr, Olek Krupa, Eddie Martinez, Melissa Navia, Nico Bustamante
Genre: Thriller, Drama
Rated: NR
Length: 102 Min
IMDb Blurb: A world-renown
opera singer becomes trapped in a hostage situation when she's invited to
perform for a wealthy industrialist in South America.
So you’re telling me that the voice of a red-headed opera singer
quite possibly could end a hostage crisis and save lives?
Sold. Sign me up for this movie.
I don’t think Julianne Moore (Seventh Son, Freeheld, Wonderstruck) gets as much credit as she
deserves, sometimes, due to her more quirky film choices. I say to the ‘haters’
that everyone needs some quirk in their life. In any case, I think the
Oscar-winner was a good choice for this role. My burning question was whether
or not she can really sing. I have the answer! While she has been required to
lend her singing voice for roles in the past, she found it embarrassing and
decidedly hasn’t had the kind of training required for the operatic performances
in this film. Alas.
The singer dubbed over Moore’s screen presence is the renowned
soprano, Renée Fleming (Rise of the
Guardians, Now You See Me 2, The Shape of Water). She’s a regular performer
at New York's Metropolitan Opera; and her voice has graced numerous well known
Hollywood films. I digress…
Another huge draw to this movie for me is Ken Watanabe (The Last Samurai, Letters from Iwo Jima, The
Sea of Trees) as the male lead, opposite Moore. I love his voice and the
way his accent colors it – I could listen to him talk forever. However, it’s
not his vocals but his skill in his craft that draws me in to each performance.
I think this is an outstanding pairing of protagonists to helm this project.
As a side note, it’s eerie and had to be a little unsettling at
some point for Watanabe to play in this role. He had been in Peru close to the
time of the real incident that inspired the book which this movie is based on.
He left just before the events in 1996 Lima took place at the Japanese embassy.
9 - Sierra Burgess is a Loser (9/7)
Tag Line:
Just be you.
Production Companies: Black Label Media, Netflix
Director:
Ian Samuels
Writer: Lindsey Beer
Actors: Shannon Purser,
Kristine Froseth, RJ Cyler, Noah Centineo, Chrissy Metz, Lea Thompson, Alan
Ruck
Genre: Comedy, Romance,
Drama
Rated: PG-13
Length: 90 Min
IMDb Blurb: A case of mistaken
identity results in unexpected romance when the most popular girl in high
school and the biggest loser must come together to win over their crushes.
Netflix is firing on all cylinders this month. You guessed it –
this list entry is another original by the streaming giant. I’m fairly giddy
about this one – not simply because there are so many valuable lessons that can
be learned from the story, or who is in it, but rather what the story is.
What do I mean? This is a gender-reversed retelling of Edmond
Rostand’s 1897 play, ‘Cyrano de Bergerac’.
What is that? Well, it’s none other than one of the earliest
tales of catfishing within a pop culture media piece. Not going to say anymore
so you can discover it for yourself.
The ‘who is in it’ is also a big seller for me, though. I just
adore Shannon Purser (Wish Upon, Final
Space, Rise), and am glad that her star is continuing its rise. This tale
seems in line with parts I’ve seen her previously in such as Barb in Stranger Things (2016-) and Ethel in Riverdale (2017-); so I know she’ll
knock this out of the park.
8 - Hell Fest (9/28)
Tag Line:
Fun going in, Hell getting out.
Production Companies: Lionsgate, CBS Films, Les Films Séville,
Entertainment One, Valhalla Entertainment, Tucker Tooley Entertainment
Director:
Gregory Plotkin
Writers:
Seth M. Sherwood, Blair Butler, William Penick, Christopher Sey, Akela Cooper
Actors: Amy Forsyth, Reign
Edwards, Bex Taylor-Klaus, Christian James, Roby Attal, Matthew Mercurio, Tony Todd
Genre: Horror, Thriller
Rated: NR
Length: 89 Min
IMDb Blurb: A masked serial
killer turns a horror themed amusement park into his own personal playground,
terrorizing a group of friends while the rest of the patrons believe that it is
all part of the show.
I’m going to admit that this is probably one of my guilty
pleasures to add to this month’s list. I’m not looking for Oscars here,
promise. I am expecting a few genre-staple recipes and probably a twist for
this horror flick. I can’t help it. Halloween is one of my favorite holidays
for both the frights and fun of the pageantry. I’ve been looking at all the
stores’ decoration displays with barely contained grabby-hands.
This should be a great film to get you in the mood for the
season to come. (Come on Fall and Fall weather – stop dragging your heels,
already!)
The premise of getting murdered at an extreme horror-theme
amusement park that’s the stuff of urban legend isn’t the most original – but
it looks like it will shape up to be entertaining.
7 - Peppermint (9/7)
Tag Line:
The system failed. She won't.
Production Companies:
Lakeshore Entertainment, STX Entertainment
Director:
Pierre Morel
Writer: Chad St. John
Actors: Jennifer Garner,
John Gallagher Jr., John Ortiz, Juan Pablo Raba, Annie Ilonzeh, Jeff Hephner,
Cailey Fleming, Eddie Shin
Genre: Action, Thriller,
Drama
Rated: R
Length: Unavailable
IMDb Blurb: Peppermint is a
revenge story centering on a young mother who finds herself with nothing to
lose, and is now going to take from her enemies the very life they stole from
her.
I’m glad to see her getting back to the genre, and hope that her
performance is significantly better received than the pair of superhero movies
she donned red leather for back in 2003 and 2005.
This looks like it will be a solid offering in the vigilante
revenge sub-genre. I am rooting for it, even though it is going up against some
tough competition at the box office for its release.
6 - I Think We're Alone Now (9/21)
Tag Line:
In The End... Chaos Will Find You
Production Company: Automatik Entertainment, Estuary
Films, Exhibit, Opposite Field Pictures, Slater Hall Pictures
Director:
Reed Morano
Writer: Mike Makowsky
Actors: Peter Dinklage, Elle
Fanning, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Paul Giamatti
Genre: Drama, Sci-Fi
Rated: R
Length: 93 Min
IMDb Blurb: The apocalypse proves a blessing in
disguise for one lucky recluse -- until a second survivor arrives with the
threat of companionship.
If I’d just survived the end of the world and found that the
only other person anywhere, that I’m aware of, was Peter Dinklage (Death at a Funeral, Pixels, Game of Thrones);
I think we might just have a damn fine time. I have so much respect for his
work – and how his roles range from super serious and thoughtful to
tongue-in-cheek playing with the perceptions the world has of him.
He really excels at the role of the curmudgeon reluctant to show
that there’s heart beneath the prickly attitude. I think this may be what we
see a bit of here. Honestly, I am not quite sure what we’re going to get here
when you pair him with Elle Fanning (Maleficent,
Trumbo, The Beguiled).
Her work also spans the range of avant-garde such as The Neon Demon (2016), and quirky like How to Talk to Girls at Parties (2017)
to the much more serious pieces. Her character is expected to disrupt the
established routine for Dinklage – but just how much chaos will she bring? I
can’t wait to find out!
5 - Patient Zero (9/14)
Tag Line:
None
Production Companies: Screen Gems, Vincent Newman
Entertainment
Director:
Stefan Ruzowitzky
Writer: Mike Le
Actors: Matt Smith, Natalie
Dormer, John Bradley, Clive Standen, Agyness Deyn, Stanley Tucci
Genre: Action, Drama,
Horror
Rated: R
Length: 86 Min
IMDb Blurb: After an
unprecedented global pandemic turns the majority of humankind into violent
"Infected," a man gifted with the ability to speak the Infected's new
language leads the last survivors on a hunt for Patient Zero and a cure.
I have to say that it’s really trippy to see Matt Smith (Doctor Who, Lost River, The Crown) on
the screen without a long coat and a sonic screwdriver. Be that as it may, I’ve
enjoyed seeing the range of his other projects. Funny enough, he’s not the only
one that has me grinning due to seeing them on the big screen (especially
together). This month’s list has been a bit of a Six Degrees of Game of Thrones (2011-). Natalie Dormer
(Rush, The Forest, In Darkness) and
John Bradley (Anna Karenina, Traders,
American Satan) never shared a scene during their time on the hit HBO
series, though they will here!
We’re always up for watching a new zombie movie, though.
Interest piques when the story takes a new spin on the genre. I like the
concept that it starts with a mutated rabies pandemic. I mean, seriously –
rabies is the well-known virus that most animals are susceptible to and that
turns docile and sweet-hearted creatures into frothing aggressive monsters in
the worst case scenarios. Ok, this looks promising at first blush.
Now add in different wild cards between the abilities of Smith’s
character and the incomparable Stanley Tucci’s (Burlesque, Muppets Most Wanted, Feud) infected, and that seems to
be the formula for something very interesting.
I have to admit that I cheated a little and looked at a few
reviews on Amazon, since the movie is already available for rental there.
There’s a broad spectrum of reactions there so far. I’m not sure where most
everyone will fall with it once the viewing statistics start to rise; but I
hold out hope.
4 - Smallfoot (9/28)
Tag Line:
Not every legend is a tall tale.
Production Companies:
Warner Animation Group, Warner Bros. Animation, Warner Bros. Pictures,
Zaftig Films
Directors:
Karey Kirkpatrick, Jason Reisig
Writers:
Karey Kirkpatrick, Clare Sera, John Requa, Glenn Ficarra, Sergio Pablos, Eyal
Podell, Jonathon E. Stewart
Actors: Channing Tatum,
James Corden, Zendaya , Common , LeBron James, Gina Rodriguez, Danny DeVito,
Yara Shahidi
Genre: Animation,
Adventure, Comedy
Rated: PG
Length: 96 Min
IMDb Blurb: A Yeti is convinced
that the elusive creatures known as "humans" really do exist.
I have laughed at every preview I’ve seen of this movie and both
my daughter and I are awaiting its release with anticipation. One of her very
besties is having a birthday party at the movies this year, and this is going
to be the show.
The cast is phenomenal and the role-reversal premise is both
adorable and innovative.
The yetis believe we don’t exist just as much as we are firm in
our insistent that they are the stuff of tall tales, mass hysteria, and
crypto-zoologist’s fantasies. Well this
show’s them! But seriously, it looks like I might have trouble avoiding
spit-takes if I’m not careful. Can’t wait!
3 - A Simple Favor (9/13)
Tag Line:
Can you keep a secret?
Production Companies: Lionsgate, Entertainment One, Les
Films Séville, Feigco Entertainment, BRON Creative
Director:
Paul Feig
Writer: Jessica Sharzer,
Darcey Bell
Actors: Anna Kendrick, Blake
Lively, Henry Golding, Andy Rannells, Jean Smart, Rupert Friend, Joshua Satine,
Glenda Braganza, Aparna Nancherla
Genre: Thriller, Mystery
Rated: R
Length: 117 Min
Moviefone Blurb: A small-town
vlogger tries to uncover the truth behind her best friend's sudden and
mysterious disappearance.
I have been entirely sucked in by the trailers for this movie.
When you pair Anna Kendrick (Digging for Fire, The Hollars, The Accountant) and
Blake Lively (Savages, The Age of Adeline, The Shallows) with a mystery with
shades of dark comedy, it has to be a winner. There are rules. (I don’t care if
I just made that up.)
Even so, I am dying to get to the bottom of this
best-friend-gone-missing mystery. I’m practically on pins and needles in
anticipation for whether I will fall prey to a red herring, get caught up by a
twist, or successfully solve the puzzle.
It was a really tough call choosing the ordering for my top movies this
month.
2 - The Predator (9/14)
Tag Line:
The Hunt has Evolved
Production Companies: Twentieth Century Fox, 20th Century
Fox, Davis Entertainment, Silver Pictures, Lawrence Gordon Productions, TSG
Entertainment, Canada Film Capital, Dark Castle Entertainment
Director:
Shane Black
Writer: Fred Dekker, Shane
Black, Jim Thomas, John Thomas
Actors: Boyd Holbrook,
Trevante Rhodes, Jacob Tremblay, Keegan-Michael Key, Olivia Munn, Thomas Jane,
Alfie Allen, Augusto Aguilera
Genre: Action, Adventure,
Sci-Fi, Horror
Rated: R
Length: 107 Min
IMDb Blurb: When a young boy
accidentally triggers the universe's most lethal hunters' return to Earth, only
a ragtag crew of ex-soldiers and a disgruntled science teacher can prevent the
end of the human race.
Predator (1987) was one of the stand-out crossovers of creature-feature and action movies from the late 1980’s. It was super scary at the time, considering how realistic it all was with the special effects mixing primarily practical effects with other techniques. Of course, I was far younger when I saw it (clandestinely) than its R Rating would have recommended.
I thought the sequels were okay but they just didn’t have the zing that the first movie of the series did. I think I would have been quite disappointed if they tried to reboot the franchise. I’m highly excited that this is another sequel that promises to stay true to its roots – both in rating, storytelling, and effects. Yes, there will be a tall guy in a costume rather than a CGI monster.
Shane Black (The Long Kiss Goodnight, Iron Man 3, The Nice Guys) was tapped to bring this new installment to life, and the prior-mentioned factors were stipulations before he would agree to give it the big-budget treatment. I’m pretty confident that this one shouldn’t disappoint. After all, he really knows what was at the heart of the original story – he was in it. Shane black played Hawkins in original.
I’m glad that he’s taking the no-holds-barred approach to the film because of his steadfast belief that the audience shouldn’t be forced to flinch away from what is going on due to a film’s rating.
1 - The House With a Clock in its Walls (9/21)
Tag Line:
This house knows what makes you tick.
Production Companies: Universal Pictures, Kripke
Enterprises, Mythology Entertainment, Amblin Entertainment
Director:
Eli Roth
Writers:
Eric Kripke, John Bellairs
Actors: Jack Black, Cate
Blanchett, Owen Vaccaro, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Sunny Suljic, Kyle MacLachlan,
Colleen Camp, Vanessa Anne Williams
Genre: Fantasy, Adventure,
Mystery
Rated: PG
Length: 105 Min
IMDb Blurb: A young orphan
named Lewis Barnavelt aids his magical uncle in locating a clock with the power
to bring about the end of the world.
Needless to say, with this movie landing at the #1 spot on my
countdown, you might be able to tell that I’m even more excited about this one
than the others we’ve covered so far. This is for several reasons.
Let’s just start with the obvious. I mean, seriously. Cate Blanchett (Knight of Cups, Song to Song, Ocean's Eight) and Jack Black (Kung Fu Panda, Goosebumps, The Polka King)
paired with a tale of magic and mystery. What doesn’t scream
fan-freaking-tastic about that?!
Moving a little deeper, we have director Eli Roth (Hostel, The Green Inferno, Death Wish)
doing a bit of groundbreaking within his own career with a series of firsts
tied up within the neat package of this film. Not only is this his first
adaptation of a book, it is also his first family movie, first gothic movie,
and first film not to be Rated R. That’s a lot of firsts.
If that didn’t already put the cherry on top, Steven Spielberg (Bridge of Spies, The BFG, Ready Player One)
is involved via Amblin, as well.
Now a little factoid that not many would know is that the
illustrator of the book this film is based on was renowned gothic artist,
Edward Gorey (1925-2000). I can’t help but get a little giddy where he’s
involved in any remote capacity. My college roommate had a poster of Gorey’s Ghashlycrumb Tinies
on her wall in our dorm room. Now THAT is a set of morbid ABC’s that I can get
behind. We won’t even mention the truly ghastly cinematic ‘other ones.’ It’s really neither here nor there where it
comes to this movie – but it’s my random interesting fact of the day!
I really hope this one does well.
Movies to Look out For
According to: Selina
The Children Act .20
Warning Shot .19
The Nun .18
Hold the Dark .17
Smallfoot .16
Hell Fest .15
Black 47 .14
Sierra Burgess is a Loser .13
Bel Canto .12
Mandy .11
Night School .10
The Predator .9
Love Gilda .8
Assassination Nation .7
King of Thieves .6
The House with a Clock in its Walls .5
Peppermint 4
Patient Zero .3
A Simple Favor .2
I Think We're Alone Now .1
