ReasonForOurHope

Monday, August 17, 2015

Fall-Winter Movie Season 2015

Now that Summer Movie Season is over, its time to turn to the upcoming Fall-Winter movies.  This is the time usually when the "important" movies come out.  The reason being that studios want Academy and other awards groups to have their movies fresh in voters minds.

Lately, however, some studios realized that this is a good time to release a big blockbuster because there is less competition, even though more people are home watching television. 

Here is a list, with a few brief thoughts of my own, including on a scale of 1-5 stars my likelihood of seeing it in theaters (1 being “Not at all” 5 being “Cannot wait!”).

So here are some of the movies that are coming out along with my level of excitement.


  • Everest - Okay, this is horrible, horrible of me.  But I have trouble feeling sympathy for people who encounter danger people to climb one of the most dangerous mountains in the world.  Looks thrilling, though.  (**)

  • Captive - I am incredibly curious about this movie.  I still cannot believe that this is a mainstream movie (albeit a small one).  (****)

  • Cooties - Most horror/comedy seems played out to me. (*)
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  • Black Mass - I like the trailer and Depp can deliver like few can. (***)

  • Hotel Transylvania 2 - I wanted to like the first one more, but was lukewarm.  Not interested in the sequel (**)

  • The Intern - It looks like a reverse Devil Wears Prada.  Could be fun.  (***)
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  • The Green Inferno - Looks like more horror/torture porn.  Defenitly not interested (*)
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  • Sicario - This looks like it could be good, but I haven't found a hook yet (**)
  • The Walk - I didn't care for the documentary that this was based on, but a Robert Zemeckis movie starring Joseph Gordon-Leavitt with some truly stunning visuals in the trailer?  I'm there (*****)

Oct 2

  • The Martian - Castaway meets Interstellar, directed by Ridley Scott.  I think this could be really good. (****)
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  • Freeheld - Looks way too preachy to be enjoyable (**)

  • Pan - The trailers continue to get better, but I'm not very excited about it (***)
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  • Steve Jobs - I find Jobs a fascinating person, but I've seen so many movies about him, I'm not sure what more can be said about him.  (***)

  • Goosebumps - Looks like silly fun, but not my type (**)

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  • Crimson Peak - Looks like tired, warmed over gothic horror.  Bored.  (*)
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  • Bridge of Spies - This could be a good Spielberg film, as long as he doesn't go the Munich route and make a moral equivalency between the US and the Soviets.

  • Burnt - I like Bradley Cooper, but cooking movies aren't exciting to me.  (**)

  • Jem and the Holograms - This doesn't look like the train wreck I thought it would be, but it doesn't look like my type of movie. (**)
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  • Secret in Their Eyes - A good cast and it could be an intense thriller.  But I'm not a Julia Roberts fan and I'm worried that she will be a net drain rather than a net gain to the movie. (***)
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  • Rock The Kasbah - I love me some Bill Murray.  But his independent movies are sometimes an acquired taste.  I think I'll wait on this (**)
  • Spectre - Casino Royale is my favorite Bond.  Quantum was a misstep and Skyfall was a step in the right direction.  So Spectre could work if they make it more action-oriented like Royale. (****)
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  • The Peanuts Movie - This looks better than I expected, but I might still wait on this one (**)

  • Room - Brie Larson is an amazing young actress.  I like the fact that this movie looks like it's taking a potentially lurid concept and focusing on something life-afirming. (****)

  • Trumbo - Bryan Cranston is an amazing actor, but I have trouble rooting for someone who supported a murderous dictator bent on the destruction of America. (**)


  • The 33 - I already know the story, so I'm not very excited about the miners' story.  (**)
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  • By The Sea - The trailer gave me no information, really.  It looks like a weird relationship drama where people cry a lot.  No thank you.  (*)

  • The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part II  - I will be there opening night to see the concluding chapter of this very enjoyable franchise (*****)
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  • The Night Before - As I mentioned already, I am a fan of Joseph Gordon-Leavitt, but this very Seth Rogan-y comedy looks anything but funny.  Raunch is fine as long as there is wit, which seems lacking here (*)

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  • The Good Dinosaur - As I've said before, PIXAR has not made a bad movie that I have seen.  And that goes a long way with me.  And I read about one scene between the dinosaur and the boy that made me want to cry.  I'm there. (****)
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  • Creed - I am a big fan of the Rocky series.  I wonder how this will hold up.  I am cautiously optimistic (***)


  • In the Heart of the Sea - I don't know what it is, but I really, really don't care about this movie about a killer Moby Dick-ish whale.  (*)
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  • The Ridiculous 6 - Adam Sandler just took a beating from the critics, but I think a comedic version of the Magnificent 7 (I'm guessing that's the plot), looks like it could be a nice comedy in the vein of 3 Amigos


  • Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip - I actually like these movies.  They are silly and childish, but they work on a little kid's level.  I will see this eventually (***)

  • Point Break - The most pointless remake since Total Recall (**)

  • Daddy’s Home - I really like this cast.  I usually don't like Will Ferrel's movies, but this could work (***)
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  • Joy - Jennifer Lawrence might be the best actress working today.  And I've really liked the last two movies she's made with this director.  I'm hoping this will be good too (***)
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  • Snowden - Could be interesting, but this isn't grabbing me (**)
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  • The Hateful Eight - I don't know why I'm so excited about this movie.  I'm not the biggest Tarantino fan, but I think his skill as a director has been growing with each film. (****)

  • The Revenant - This looks like a bad foreign film that is going to make America look ugly.  No thanks (**)

1 comment:

  1. I know that I'm definitely seeing Peanuts, The Good Dinosaur, and The Force Awakens (and though I'm not as crazy about Star Wars as I used to be, that poster just hit me with a burst of nostalgia).

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