According to: Selina
20 – Crossbreed
(2/5)
Tag Line: This is
war.
Production Company:
Jaguar Cinema, Jaguar Motion Pictures
Director: Brandon
Slagle
Writer: Brandon
Slagle, Robert Thompson
Actors: Vivica A.
Fox, Daniel Baldwin, Stink Fisher, Devanny Pinn, Vernon Wells, Antoine Lanier,
John T. Woods, Jason McNeil, Mu-Shaka Benson, Brandyn T. Williams, Jason John
Beebe, Olivia Baseman, Tom DiNardo, Serena Lorien, Amanda Mikhail, Greg
Robbins, Ryan Kiser, G. Paul Salvetti
Genre: Action,
Sci-Fi, Thriller
Rated: Unknown
Length: 86
minutes
IMDb Blurb: In the near future, the President of the New United
States of America hires a team of military veterans to retrieve an alien
bio-weapon from a top secret research facility orbiting the Earth.
Kind of slim pickings this month. Crossbreed looks fine, but there’s not much that really sets it
apart. Never-the-less, it seems to be a solid B-movie alien film. I wouldn’t
hate watching it.
19 – Run the Race
(2/22)
Tag Line: The
weight of the world. The love of a brother.
Production Company:
Reserve Entertainment
Director: Chris
Dowling
Writer: Jake
McEntire, Jason Baumgardner, Chris Dowling
Actors: Mykelti
Williamson, Frances Fisher, Kristoffer Polaha, Tanner Stine, Evan Hofer, Kelsey
Reinhardt, Mario Van Peebles, Caleb Catille, Eddie George, Tim Tebow, Jake
McEntire, Gianna Simone, Rob Moran, Rebecca Lines, Darrell Foster, Jaci
Velasquez, Caleb Emery, Neva Howell, Kevin Wayne, Brandi Lewis, Ken Carpenter,
Harrison Stone, London Curtis
Genre: Drama,
Sport
Rated: PG
Length: Unknown
IMDb Blurb: Against the backdrop of high school football and
track, two brothers in a small Southern town face escalating problems with two
different world views, straining - but ultimately strengthening - the bonds of
brotherhood.
American Football is not my thing. That said, I do still
enjoy a film based around it now and then… especially when someone who
understands the true ins and outs of the game is involved. In this case, Tim
Tebow is a producer.
Now, I don’t know a lot about football, but I know that name
well. If he’s involved in any kind of expert capacity, then we’re bound to get
something a little more honest than we would have otherwise. Yes, the story
does seem to move out of football and into track territory, but I think it’s still
a good sign that there’s such a well-known expert behind the scenes.
Run the Race does
seem like it’s going to dip into faith and spirituality – but that was likely
to be expected and it doesn’t seem like it’s going to get preachy.
I believe it’s going to wind up being an emotion-filled,
eventually-uplifting sports film. It might be worth a watch.
18 – The Prodigy
(2/8)
Tag Line: There’s
something wrong with Miles.
Production Company:
Orion Pictures, Vinson Films
Director: Nicholas
McCarthy
Writer: Jeff
Buhler
Actors: Taylor
Schilling, Brittany Allen, Colm Feore, Peter Mooney, Jackson Robert Scott,
Olunike Adeliyi, Elisa Moolecherry, Paul Fauteux, David Kohlsmith, Paula
Boudreau, Ashley Black
Genre: Horror, Thriller
Rated: R
Length: Unknown
IMDb Blurb: A mother concerned about her young son's disturbing
behavior thinks something supernatural may be affecting him.
Although The Prodigy
looks pretty good, it also looks very typical. It has all the pieces of a
trope-y film. A smart, but emotionless, child. A frightened mother. I suspect
the father will either become absent or die – as well.
Now, we all know I can get behind a trope-filled film if it
shows promise, and this trailer does show a little of that. Still, it shows
some evidence that it may actually have nothing to set it apart. That may just
be the trailer’s fault – though. It could be cut badly.
I’m willing to give this movie a chance, but I am not going
into it with any expectations.
17 – Isn’t it
Romantic (2/13)
Tag Line: None of
the feels.
Production Company:
BRON Studios, Camp Sugar, Creative Wealth Media Finance, Netflix, New Line
Cinema
Director: Todd
Strauss-Schulson
Writer: Erin
Cardillo, Dana Fox, Katie Silberman
Actors: Tom
Ellis, Priyanka Chopra, Rebel Wilson, Liam Hemsworth, Betty Gilpin, Adam
Devine, Jennifer Saunders, Faith Logan, Brandon Scott Jones, Shyrley Rodriguez,
Sawandi Wilson, Michelle Buteau, Thomas Canestraro, Joe Towne
Genre: Comedy,
Fantasy, Romance
Rated: PG-13
Length: Unknown
IMDb Blurb: A young woman disenchanted with love mysteriously
finds herself trapped inside a romantic comedy.
I’m back and forth on this film.
On one hand, it’s an interesting concept. If it’s done
right, it could be to the rom-com genre what Scream was to horror. Of course, that would be an incredibly
difficult goal to reach. The self-aware camp needs to really be on point; and
there’s a very precarious balance between taking it too seriously and not
taking it seriously enough.
On the other hand? I’m so SICK of this kind of story. I had the
same issue with Dumplin’ (2018). By
continuing on with these stories about how overweight women can’t be involved
in this or that, or can’t be loved, except under certain circumstances… it
keeps the issue running. Yes, the stories usually work out with the main character
getting what they want – but it shouldn’t be an issue in the first place.
Slowly, the world is changing. As my daughter grows up, she’s
going to see less and less around her that tells her she needs to be a certain body
type. But stories like this? They bring the issue around again. Yes, they send
messages to the older generations that your body type is yours and that’s fine –
but to younger generations who aren’t growing up with the same issues we had?
It’s telling them there are issues they should have.
I guess, what it comes down to, is how the movie handles the
subject – but I can’t be ok with putting it any higher on my list until I know.
16 – Then Came
You (2/1)
Tag Line: Living
in the moment is hard to do alone.
Production Company:
BCDF Pictures
Director: Peter
Hutchings
Writer: Fergal
Rock
Actors: Asa
Butterfield, Nina Dobrev, Maisie Williams, Peyton List, Ken Jeong, Tyler
Hoechlin, Sonya Walger, David Koechner, Tituss Burgess, Briana Venskus,
Francesca Noel, Colin Moss, Ann Osmond, Ron Simons
Genre: Adventure,
Comedy, Drama
Rated: Unknown
Length: 97
minutes
IMDb Blurb: A hypochondriac working as an airport baggage
handler is forced to confront his fears when a British teenager with a terminal
illness enlists him to help her carry out her eccentric bucket list.
I like the general concept of this film. It’s somewhat
different than the majority of films in its category. Of course, I still feel
like I know exactly what direction it’ll take.
That’s the problem with a film like this. It’s very rare for
it to turn out to be more than a basic emotionally manipulative story that
takes the exact same road as all the others. Yes, there’s a small difference in
motivation and how the main characters meet… but not enough of one.
It may wind up being a decent trope film, but I have some
skepticism over whether or not it will do enough to stand out.
Can’t hate on the cast, though. The three main actors are
enough to draw my attention: Asa Butterfield (Slaughterhouse Rulez, The Space Between Us, Hugo), Nina Dobrev (The Vampire Diaries, The Final Girls, The
Perks of Being a Wallflower), and Maisie Williams (Game of Thrones, iBoy, Doctor Who). That said, they’re not the only
eye-catching names in the cast. You also have people like Tituss Burgess (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, I Hate Kids, Set
it Up), Ken Jeong (Bob’s Burgers,
Crazy Rich Asians, The Hangover), and David Koechner (American Dad!, Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse, Anchorman).
They’re the biggest reason I opted to add this film to the top 20 list.
It goes without saying that the top three billed are great
actors that can handle drama without issue, but then you have supporting actors
with names that are synonymous with comedy above all else – and that leads me
to believe that there might be an underlying vein of something more than I
expect.
15 – Kim Possible
(2/15)
Tag Line: None
Production Company:
Omnifilm Entertainment
Director: Zach
Lipovsky, Adam B. Stein
Writer: Josh A.
Cagan, Mark McCorkle, Robert Schooley
Actors: Alyson
Hannigan, Sean Giambrone, Patton Oswalt, Christy Carlson Romano, Sadie Stanley,
Nancy Cartwright, Todd Stashwick, Patrick Sabongui, Isaac Ryan Brown, Taylor
Ortega, Ciara Riley Wilson, Connie Ray, Erika Tham, Aliza Vellani, Connor
Fielding, Owen Fielding, Michael P. Northey, Christopher Logan, Nakai Takawira,
Karissa Ketter, Serena Crouse, Kennith Overbey, Julian Lokash
Genre: Action,
Adventure, Comedy
Rated: Unknown
Length: Unknown
IMDb Blurb: Everyday teen hero Kim Possible (Sadie Stanley) and
her best friend Ron Stoppable (Sean Giambrone) embark on their freshman year of
high school, all while saving the world from evil villains. While Kim and Ron
have always been one step ahead of their opponents, navigating the social
hierarchy of high school is more challenging than the action-heroes ever
imagined. With Drakken (Todd Stashwick) and Shego (Taylor Ortega) lurking in
the wings, Kim must rely on her family and friends on Team Possible -- Ron,
tech-genius Wade (Issac Ryan Brown), new friend Athena (Ciara Wilson), and
Rufus, a naked mole-rat -- to stop these super villains.
I don’t care how old I get, I will always be down for a Kim Possible (2002-2007) marathon. She
was so badass. I was in college when the show started, and I still loved it –
even though I was nowhere near Disney’s target demographic for it. I have seen
pretty much every episodes and animated movie that’s come out featuring the title
heroine and her sidekick Ron Stoppable.
I always knew the cartoon would translate well to
live-action, and now we’re here. I really hope it lives up to the original
cartoon.
For the most part, the casting looks on point – though I
have some issues, they’re minor. The biggest one – just to show you how minor
my issues are – would be Isaac Ryan Brown (Black-ish,
Miles from Tomorrowland, Puppy Dog Pals) as Wade. I know nothing about the
actor in general, I can’t speak to his talent, but he’s just not as stocky as I
remember Wade being. I know it’s silly, but I was looking forward to seeing
someone a little closer to what I remember the character looking like.
The only reason Kim
Possible is so low on my list is because I have some issues with Disney
remakes of beloved stories.
Boy Meets World (1993-2000)
was my favorite show back in the day. I am a trivia god about that show. I’ve
seen it – all the way through – about 100 times… and whenever I get too
depressed, I watch it all over again. Needless to say, I was excited to see Girl Meets World (2014-2017). It wound
up having some episodes that felt so true to the feel of the original… but it
also had others that were Disney-fied to be more cringe than decent content. It
was upsetting for a long-term fan of the characters.
I’m hoping Disney won’t try to change the feeling of the
show too much. The original writers are on board, so I’m hopeful.
14 – Arctic (2/1)
Tag Line: Survival
is its own Journey
Production Company:
Armory Films, Pegasus Pictures, Union Entertainment Group (II)
Director: Joe
Penna
Writer: Joe
Penna, Ryan Morrison
Actors: Mads
Mikkelsen, Maria Thelma Smáradóttir
Genre: Drama
Rated: PG-13
Length: 97
minutes
IMDb Blurb: A man stranded in the Arctic after an airplane
crash must decide whether to remain in the relative safety of his makeshift
camp or to embark on a deadly trek through the unknown in hopes of making it
out alive.
I enjoy survival movies like this one.
Granted, this could easily be one of the dime a dozen There’s
not much to suggest anything else. It would normally rest on the
writer/director for me, but they’re wild cards here.
For Joe Penna (Turning
Point, Meridian, Sand Box) and Ryan Morrison (Turning Point, Beyond, Instant Gateway), this will be their first
full-length feature film. I’m not familiar with any of their shorts or TV episodes.
They could be amazing, or they could be trope manipulators. Couldn’t tell you.
The only thing I can say for sure is that the trailer looks
great. There’s an immediate sense of dread and intrigue. On top of that, Mads
Mikkelsen (Hannibal, Charlie Countryman,
Casino Royale) can pull off thrilling drama pretty damn well.
The whole thing will rest on the script and direction. Provided
he has something decent to work with, Mikkelsen will bring it up a level. I’m
willing to give it a chance. New creators always get the benefit of the doubt
from me.
13 – Braid (2/1)
Tag Line: When
you wake up do your dreams go to sleep?
Production Company:
Wandering Bard, Somnia Productions
Director: Mitzi
Peirone
Writer: Mitzi
Peirone
Actors: Madeline
Brewer, Scott Cohen, Sarah Hay, Imogen Waterhouse, Mauricio Ovalle, Mary
Looram, Brad Calcaterra, Dhoni Middleton, Jill Dalton, Ethel Fisher, Lenore Wolf,
Nancy Ozelli, Tai Lyn Sandhu, Zoe Feigelson, Zack Calhoon
Genre: Horror,
Mystery, Thriller
Rated: R
Length: 82
minutes
IMDb Blurb: Two wanted women decide to rob their wealthy
psychotic friend who lives in the fantasy world they created as children; to
take the money they have to take part in a deadly perverse game of make
believe.
In concept, this film seems a little basic. I feel like we
watch one or two movies that follow the same base trope per year.
It’s that Truth or
Dare (2017) or Saw (2004) kind of
story. Choose between two horrific things to get something. In some stories the
prize is not dying, in others it’s about cash… the point is that there’s a
reward/punishment theme.
Personally, I like that type of story. I do wind up drawn to
movies that explore the idea. In this case, it seems that there’s nothing
mystical involved. It’s a single, present, person enforcing the choices – which
goes against the usual mystical force. I feel like that’s not explored enough.
That means there’s a lot of direction this movie can go that we may have never
seen before.
The tagline, however, makes me wonder if the trailer is
being honest.
It’s possible it’ll just be another recipe film – but I’m
hoping not.
12 – Cold Pursuit
(2/8)
Tag Line: The
perfect revenge is all in the execution.
Production Company:
Paradox Films, StudioCanal
Director: Hans
Petter Moland
Writer: Frank
Baldwin, Kim Fupz Aakeson
Actors: Emmy
Rossum, Liam Neeson, Julia Jones, Laura Dern, Tom Bateman, David O’Hara,
William Forsythe, Domenick Lombardozzi, Elysia Rotaru, Emily Maddison, Raoul
Max Trujillo, Victor Zink Jr., Tom Jackson, John Doman, Benjamin Hollingsworth,
Nathaniel Arcand, Michael Richardson, Arnold Pinnock, Elizabeth Thai, Bradley
Stryker,
Genre: Action,
Drama, Thriller
Rated: R
Length: 118
minutes
IMDb Blurb: A snowplow driver seeks revenge against the drug
dealers he thinks killed his son. Based on the 2014 Norwegian film 'In Order of
Disappearance'.
Cold Pursuit looks
like a good, solid, action flick.
Plus, it’s got Liam Neeson (The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, Silence, Taken) in it, and Liam
Neeson is always a good reason to see a film.
I’m just a little concerned that the trailer indicates there
might be some comedy involved, but IMDb doesn’t list comedy as a genre. Sometimes
that’s a sign that the film is not being marketed correctly. We’ll see how that
factors in.
11 – The Lego
Movie 2: The Second Part (2/8)
Tag Line: The
universe is expanding.
Production Company:
Warner Bros., Warner Animation Group, LEGO System A/S, Rideback, Lord Miller, Vertigo
Entertainment, Animal Logic, NPV Entertainment, StarReel Entertainment, Warner
Bros. Animation
Director: Mike
Mitchell
Writer: Phil
Lord, Christopher Miller, Matthew Fogel
Actors: Chris
Pratt, Elizabeth Banks, Will Arnett, Tiffany Haddish, Stephanie Beatriz, Alison
Brie, Nick Offerman, Charlie Day, Maya Rudolph, Will Ferrell, Jadon Sand,
Brooklynn Prince, Channing Tatum, Jonah Hill, Richard Ayoade, Ben Schwartz,
Noel Fielding, Jason Momoa, Cobie Smulders, Ike Barinholtz, Ralph Fiennes, Will
Forte, Jimmy O. Yang, Jorma Taccone, Bruce Willis, Gary Payton, Sheryl Swoopes,
Todd Hansen, Doug Nicholas, Liam Knight, Emmett Mitchel, Sawyer Jones, Graham
Miller, Cora Miller, Ollie Mitchell, Mike Mitchell, Christopher Miller, Margot
Rubin, Emily Nordwind, Chris McKay, Trisha Gum, Ryan Halprin, Lauren White
Genre: Animation,
Action, Adventure
Rated: PG
Length: 106
minutes
IMDb Blurb: It's been five years since everything was awesome
and the citizens are facing a huge new threat: LEGO DUPLO® invaders from outer
space, wrecking everything faster than they can rebuild.
I expected this to be higher on my list when it came out,
because I loved the first one, but I have some issues with the trailer.
The first film was framed to be part of the real world. Due
to that framing device, I find it difficult to believe that that the Lego world
shown in the film could exist on its own. That said, there’s no hint of a
continuation of that framing device shown in the trailer for the sequel. Sure,
it may just not be shown… but it’s nagging at the back of my mind.
It still looks like it’ll be a fun movie, but I’m having
some trouble believing it’s not going to suffer from sequelitis.
I think it might just be fear, though. Maybe everything will
still be awesome. Let’s hope.
10 – To Dust (2/8)
Tag Line: None
Production Company:
King Bee Productions, Salem Street Entertainment, UnLTD Productions, BRON
Studios, Storyland Pictures, Wing and a Prayer Pictures
Director: Shawn
Snyder
Writer: Jason
Begue, Shawn Snyder
Actors: Géza
Röhrig, Sammy Volt, Sarah Jes Austell, Matthew Broderick, Natalie Carter, Bern
Cohen, Ben Hammer, Leo Heller, Marceline Hugot
Genre: Drama
Rated: R
Length: 105
minutes
IMDb Blurb: Shmuel, a Hasidic cantor in Upstate New York,
distraught by the untimely death of his wife, struggles to find religious
solace, while secretly obsessing over how her body will decay. As a clandestine
partnership develops with Albert, a local community college biology professor,
the two embark on a darkly comic and increasingly literal undertaking into the
underworld.
I find the concept of this film to be outstanding.
Anyone who’s lost someone they love knows just how hard it
is to live inside your own head for a while after. To Dust not only explores that, but it also explores religion and humanity.
I think there’s a lot of substance to what I saw in the trailer.
I know this is the dark horse on my top 10, but I have faith
in it.
9 – The Isle (2/8)
Tag Line: Their
song will haunt you.
Production Company:
Cleves Media, Fizz and Ginger Films
Director: Matthew
Butler-Hart
Writer: Matthew
Butler-Hart, Tori Butler-Hart
Actors: Conleth
Hill, Alex Hassell, Tori Butler-Hart, Fisayo Akinade, Alix Wilton Regan, Graham
Butler, Emma King, Dickon Tyrrell, Joe Bannister, Ben Lee
Genre: Fantasy,
History, Horror
Rated: Unknown
Length: 96 minutes
IMDb Blurb: On a remote island off the west coast of Scotland
in 1846 a heavy storm hits, causing a ship to sink. Three survivors row through
a thick early morning mist, lost and disorientated. The mist begins to clear
and The Isle appears before them. They soon discover that it is almost
abandoned except for four sole residents: an old harbour man, a farmer, his
niece and a young mad woman. Once rested and recovered the sailors are
desperate to leave and return to the mainland, but the promised boat never
appears. One of them starts to investigate and learns of a tragedy at sea that
occurred five years previously causing several young men from the island to
perish. When his two shipmates meet with accidents, the myth of a ghostly siren
haunting the island leads him to uncover the truth whilst he battles to save
his own life.
I have no idea what’s happening on the island in the trailer
– but that’s the whole point.
The way the trailer is set up, you learn that there’s some
weird – maybe supernatural – going on, but you’re not sure what it is. You know
the main characters are needed by the people living there for something, but
you don’t know what.
A good trailer shows you stuff about the film, but also
makes you ask questions. It builds intrigue.
Now, the movie may or may not be a typical trope-fest of a
horror – but the trailer is so expertly done that I don’t care. I want to see
it any find out for myself.
8 – What Men Want
(2/8)
Tag Line: She can
hear men’s thoughts. Let the games begin.
Production Company:
BET Films, Paramount Players, Will Packer Productions
Director: Adam
Shankman
Writer: Tina Gordon,
Peter Huyck, Alex Gregory, Jas Waters, Josh Goldsmith, Cathy Yuspa, Diane Drake
Actors: Taraji P.
Henson, Tracy Jordan, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Max Greenfield, Kellan Lutz, Pete
Davidson, Aldis Hodge, Shaquille O’Neal, Tamala Jones, Erykah Badu, Josh Brener,
Richard Roundtree, Brian Bosworth, Jason Jones, Mark Cuban, Ashani Roberts Chris
Witaske, Phoebe Robinson, Kausar Mohammed
Genre: Comedy,
Fantasy, Romance
Rated: R
Length: 117
minutes
IMDb Blurb: A woman is boxed out by the male sports agents in
her profession, but gains an unexpected edge over them when she develops the
ability to hear men's thoughts.
This film is a gender-swapped version of What Women Want (2000). I’m not gonna
lie, as corny as that film was, I truly enjoyed it. I even remember it fondly
all these years later (I don’t think I’ve seen it since I was in my early
twenties).
With Taraji P. Henson (Empire,
Proud Mary, Hidden Figures) taking the main character in What Men Want, I have even higher hopes
for this one. I remember Mel Gibson’s (Machete
Kills, Signs, Ransom) performance being more ‘cringe’ than ‘good’. Of
course, that’s fine in a comedy film like this, but I’m almost positive that
Henson will give it a little more authenticity.
I’m also excited to see Adam Shankman (Hairspray, A Walk to Remember, The Pacifier) directing his first
R-rated film. I enjoy his body of work immensely. Both the stuff he’s directed
and the stuff he’s choreographed – though I doubt there’ll be much choreography
in this one.
Finally, there’s the inclusion of Tracy Morgan (30 Rock, The Clapper, Top Five) being...
well… Tracy Morgan. He’s just hilarious.
7 – St. Agatha (2/8)
Tag Line: None
Production Company:
Dragon Blood Holdings, St. Agatha, The Outside Writers
Director: Darren
Lynn Bousman
Writer: Andy Demetrio,
Shaun Fletcher, Sara Sometti Michael, Clint Sears
Actors: Sabrina
Kern, Carolyn Hennesy, Courtney Halverson, Seth Michaels, Trin Miller, Lindsay
Seim, Shaun Fletcher, Jayson Warner Smith, Maximus Murrah
Genre: Horror
Rated: Unknown
Length: 90
minutes
IMDb Blurb: Set in the 1950s in small-town Georgia, a pregnant
young woman named Agatha seeks refuge in a convent. What first starts out as
the perfect place to have a child turns into a dark layer where silence is
forced, ghastly secrets are masked, and every bit of will power Agatha has is
tested as she learns the sick and twisted truth of the convent and the odd
people that lurk inside its halls.
St. Agatha looks
pretty basic – solid, but basic. So, why is it so high on my list?
Darren Lynn Bousman (Tales
of Halloween, Saw III, The Barrens).
Now, Bousman may not be considered the top of the top – but he’s
a camp superstar. With cult favorites like The
Devil’s Carnival (2012) and Repo! The
Genetic Opera (2008) to boast about, as well as more mainstream favorites like
Saw II (2005)… he can offer this film
a lot.
What looks like it might be somewhat basic, I think will
wind up having a lot more to it with Bousman behind the wheel. I think it needs
to be strongly considered as something to keep an eye on.
6 – Happy Death
Day 2U (2/14)
Tag Line: Death
makes a killer comeback.
Production Company:
Blumhouse Productions, Digital Riot Media
Director: Christopher
Landon
Writer: Christopher
Landon, Scott Lobdell
Actors: Jessica
Rothe, Israel Broussard, Ruby Modine, Suraj Sharma, Rachel Matthews, Steve
Zissis, Sarah Bennani, Charles Aitken, Wendy Miklovic, Phi Vu, Caleb Pillyards,
Tenea Intriago, Sarah Yarkin, Laura Clifton, GiGi Erneta, Blaine Kern III, Tran
Tran, Cariella Smith, Brenda Currin, Lindsey G. Smith
Genre: Horror,
Mystery, Thriller
Rated: PG-13
Length: 100
minutes
IMDb Blurb: Tree Gelbman discovers that dying over and over was
surprisingly easier than the dangers that lie ahead.
I have some minor issues with this film. Much like the
issues I have with The Lego Movie 2.
I’m not exactly sure how to continue the story from the original film.
That said, the first Happy
Death Day (2017) was campy and awesomely hilarious. I intend to re-watch it
before seeing he sequel.
Because they were able to pull off the horror version of Groundhog Day (1993) as successfully as
they did, I’m not only willing to give the benefit of the doubt on the sequel,
but I’m out-right looking forward to it.
Bring it on.
5 – Miss Bala (2/1)
Tag Line: Who
would you become to save your family?
Production Company:
Canana Films, Misher Films, Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE)
Director: Catherine
Hardwicke
Writer: Gareth
Dunnet-Alcocer
Actors: Gina
Rodriguez, Thomas Dekker, Vivian Chan, Barbarella Pardo, Cristina Rodlo,
Sebastian Cano, Gaby Orihuela, Damian Alcazar, Ricardo Abarca, Ismael Cruz
Cordova, Erick Rene Delgadillo Urbina, Mikail Plata, Jorge Humberto Millan
Mardueno
Genre: Action,
Drama, Thriller
Rated: PG-13
Length: 104
minutes
IMDb Blurb: Gloria finds a power she never knew she had when
she is drawn into a dangerous world of cross-border crime. Surviving will
require all of her cunning, inventiveness, and strength. Based on the
Spanish-language film.
This film takes the central plot of Taken (2008), heightens the stakes and turns the protagonist
female. Then you’ve got a kick-ass up-and-coming actress, Gina Rodriguez (Carmen Sandiego, Jane the Virgin, Big Mouth),
that takes top billing.
I really can’t see anything wrong with Miss Bala. I think it’s going to be great.
4 – Velvet
Buzzsaw (2/1)
Tag Line: All art
is dangerous.
Production Company:
Netflix
Director: Dan
Gilroy
Writer: Dan
Gilroy
Actors: Jake
Gyllenhaal, Rene Russo, Zawe Ashton, Tom Sturridge, Toni Collette, Natalia
Dyer, Daveed Diggs, John Malkovich, Billy Magnussen, Alan Mandell, Mig Macario,
Nitya Vidyasagar, Sedale Threatt Jr., Mark Steger,
Genre: Horror,
Thriller
Rated: R
Length: 112
minutes
IMDb Blurb: After a series of paintings by an unknown artist
are discovered, a supernatural force enacts revenge on those who have allowed
their greed to get in the way of art.
The idea of powerful, supernatural art is not new. There are
even real-life myths of cursed paintings – such as that of the “Crying Boy”
painting that escaped numerous fires unscathed.
The reason this movie is so high on my list isn’t so much
about originality of concept as it is execution.
The trailer suggests that the concept is handled incredibly well.
It looks thrilling, and with Jake Gyllenhaal (Nightcrawler, Southpaw, End of Watch) involved, you know it’s not
going to have acting issues.
3 – Fighting With
My Family (2/14)
Tag Line: Meet an
outsider who changed the game.
Production Company:
Channel 4 Television Corporation, Film4, Misher Films, Seven Bucks Productions,
The Ink Factory, WWE Studios
Director: Stephen
Merchant
Writer: Stephen
Merchant
Actors: Dwayne
Johnson, Lena Headey, Florence Pugh, Jack Lowden, Vince Vaughn, Stephen
Merchant, Nick Frost, Kim Matula, Aqueela Zoll, Saraya-Jade Bevis, Paul Wight,
Eli Jane, Stephen Farrelly, Hannah Rae, Chloe Csengery, Jill Buchanan, Josh
Myers, Thea Trinidad, Ruth Horrocks
Genre: Biography,
Comedy, Drama
Rated: PG-13
Length: 108
minutes
IMDb Blurb: A former wrestler and his family make a living
performing at small venues around the country while his kids dream of joining
World Wrestling Entertainment.
I saw this trailer a few months ago and I was SO looking
forward to the month it came out.
I don’t watch wrestling anymore, but I used to when I was I
was younger. Now, the most I really have to do with the WWE is listening to a podcast
called the Basement Bookers (found on iTunes, Google, and Stitcher) Basement Jer and Rich the Riz have some incredibly unique personalities and it’s
just generally a good time to listen to.
Back to Fighting With
My Family – this movie covers the real life story of WWE Diva: Paige. Even
not knowing that’s it’s a true story, though, it looks like a great movie.
You don’t need to be a WWE fan in order to appreciate the
humor and family drama that’s shown in the trailer… and you definitely don’t
need to be a wrestling fan to love the hell out of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson (Ballers, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle,
Moana). Sure, he got his start wrestling, but now he’s just an all-around
awesome entertainer. He’s a national treasure and no one will ever be able to
tell me different.
Whether you like wrestling or not, I recommend giving this
one a chance.
2 – How to Train
Your Dragon: The Hidden World (2/22)
Tag Line: Their
final quest.
Production Company:
DreamWorks Animation, Mad Hatter Entertainment
Director: Dean
DeBlois
Writer: Dean
DeBlois, Cressida Cowell
Actors: Cate
Blanchett, Gerard Butler, Kit Harrington, Jonah Hill, Kristen Wiig, Jay
Baruchel, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, America Ferrera, F. Murray Abraham, Ólafur
Darri Ólafsson, Craig Ferguson, Justin Rupple, AJ Kane
Genre: Animation,
Action, Adventure
Rated: PG
Length: 104
minutes
IMDb Blurb: When Hiccup discovers Toothless isn't the only
Night Fury, he must seek "The Hidden World", a secret Dragon Utopia
before a hired tyrant named Grimmel finds it first.
If you read my article on cinematic landscapes then you know
I love How to Train Your Dragon (2010).
It’s my favorite animated film ever. This sequel could have been a two-hour
long movie about Toothless and Hiccup flying around and it’d have made my top
10. No doubt.
That said, it looks a LOT better than that.
Any other month? It might have made number 1. I really thought
it would, unless a Marvel film was coming out same month. Color me shocked.
Still, it’s one of the best films coming out in February and I cannot wait.
1 – Alita: Battle
Angel (2/14)
Tag Line: An
angel falls. A warrior rises.
Production Company:
Twentieth Century Fox, Lightstorm Entertainment, Troublemaker Studios, TSG
Entertainment
Director: Robert
Rodriguez
Writer: James
Cameron, Laeta Kalogridis, Robert Rodriguez, Yukito Kishiro
Actors: Rosa
Salazar, Mahershala Ali, Eiza González, Jennifer Connelly, Lana Condor,
Michelle Rodriguez, Ed Skrein, Christoph Waltz, Jackie Earle Haley, Casper Van
Dien, Jorge Lendeborg Jr., Elle LaMont, Jeff Fahey, Keean Johnson, Derek Mears,
Sam Medina,
Genre: Action,
Adventure, Romance
Rated: PG-13
Length: 122
minutes
IMDb Blurb: An action-packed story of one young woman's journey
to discover the truth of who she is and her fight to change the world.
This came out of left field for me, but the moment I saw the
trailer I know it would be my number 1 for the month. It killed me to put
something above How to Train Your Dragon,
but I had to be honest.
I’ve never read the manga but, as an outsider, this trailer
looked insane. The visuals are incredible, the story looks engaging, the voice
acting was flawless, and the character models were entrancing.
I know they made her eyes as big as they did to keep the
manga feel and I really think they succeeded. I immediately questioned if it
was a manga and searched it out when the trailer ended. I feel that makes it well-done
call back to the original content.
I’m looking forward to seeing Alita: Battle Angel for Valentine’s Day.
Movies to Look out For
According to: Cat
Kim Possible .20
Piercing .19
Run the Race .18
Everybody Knows .17
To Dust .16
Arctic .15
The Isle .14
St. Agatha .13
The Prodigy .12
Miss Bala .11
Scooby Doo! And the
Curse of the 13th Ghost .10
Happy Death Day 2U .9
Isn’t it Romantic .8
Velvet Buzzsaw .7
Cold Pursuit .6
Fighting With My Family
.5
Then Came You .4
The Lego Movie 2: The
Second Part .3
Alita: Battle Angel .2
How to Train Your
Dragon: The Hidden World .1
No comments:
Post a Comment