2014
2013
8/5
A bunch of DC villains team up to kind of be good guys.
Working For It: It's safe to call this my most anticipated movie if the summer. Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn is becoming iconic leading up to this in a way that's reminiscent to Heath Leger's Joker before The Dark Knight came out (you know, except for the whole death thing). The rest of the cast - Will Smith, Viola Davis, Jared Leto, Cara Delevingne to name a few - is strong. It looks like a fun entry in a DC Cinematic Universe that is still figuring things out. This seems like a natural fit for director David Ayer (Fury, End of Watch).
Working Against It: While I don't expect it to happen, this could easily be a complete mess. There's a lot of characters to service and potential landmines at every step.
Verdict: Absolutely seeing it
Kevin Spacey is an absent father/husband who is turned into a cat.
Working For It: On paper, I like Kevin Spacey and Jennifer Garner.
Working Against It: In execution, I didn't like The Shaggy Dog or even The Garfield Movie.
Verdict: Hard pass
A gay, Chinese American stylist works with a famous Chinese actor and their lives become intertwined.
Working For It: I don't know the actors or director, so it's kind of a blank slate. The trailer looks like it could be a fun watch. It covers a lot of topics that I don't know much about regarding Chinese popular culture's view on homosexuality and the experience of second generation Chinese-Americans.
Working Against It: The trailer has a bad case of "Giving too much away". Without any familiar names in front of or behind the camera, there's no reason for me to trust that this is anything more than an interesting trailer.
Verdict: Maybe on Netflix one day.
Two friends get caught in the middle of a financial dispute between their families.
Working For It: This checks all my boxes. Sundance. Coming of age. Dramedy. Alfred Molina and Greg Kinnear look to be in top Indie form and the two eponymous "Little Men" could be discoveries. I've been meaning to see a number of director Ira Sachs' movies (Love is Strange, Keep the Lights On) and this looks like an easy in.
Working Against It: While I end up seeing a bunch of Sundance movies, only a few ever really connect with me. There's a good chance this may be a little too indie for my taste.
Verdict: It'll find its way into my Netflix queue.
8/12
Animated movie about grocery food finding out that they exist to be eaten.
Working For It: This is from the Seth Rogen/Evan Goldberg camp. It has all (and I mean all) the actors you'd expect voicing the characters. This is so weird, and apparently raunchy, that it just might work. One thing I love is that one of the directors went from working exclusively on Thomas the Tank Engine movies to this.
Working Against It: For as big a devotee to Rogen/Goldberg as I am, the fact that even I'm having trouble buying into this explains the American Ultra-esque release date. This could be hilarious. Or, it could be shock value for shock value's sake.
Verdict: I'd be lying if I said anything less than "I'm likely to see it in theaters."
A remake of the 1977, uh, classic (?).
Working For It: David Lowery also directed an episode of the show Rectify. That might be enough to tip the scale. With the year Disney is having (Zootopia, The Jungle Book, Finding Dory, Civil War), it's probably worth seeing this just on speculation.
Working Against It: The star power of the movie is limited to Bryce Dallas Howard, Robert Redford, and Karl Urban. I like all of them well enough. They are all actors who I like when they show up in a movie, not actors who I seek out their movies.
Verdict: Wavering. Maybe if I'm invited to see it.
A woman who can't sing very well works toward getting to put on a concert at Carnegie Hall.
Working For It: Meryl Streep looks to make another one of these fluffy-looking roles into something that earns her an Oscar nomination. Hugh Grant plays her husband. It also features The Big Bang Theory's Simon Helberg and M.I. 5's Rebecca Feguson. Director Stephen Frears has a long history of enjoyable, lighter films (Philomena, High Fidelity) that score well with audiences and critics alike.
Working Against It: I think to myself, "If Meryl Streep wasn't the lead, would I be giving this a second though?" Probably not.
Verdict: Gentle pass.
A MMA fighter uses the power of faith to win in the octagon.
Working For It: Nothing, other than being a reminder of the ways that Warrior could've gone wrong.
Working Against It: I'll admit, I just wanted to mention it because the trailer made me laugh. I try not to pick on the religious movies because they appeal to their audience. Sometimes, it's like they aren't even trying though. This would look cheap as a straight-to-DVD release.
Verdict: Nope.
A bunch of loser 30-something friends decide to be ghost hunters.
Working For It: I like basically everyone in this. Jon Heder, David Krumholtz, and Justin Long look like they are ready to try out for Without a Paddle 2. You can't hate Amy Seraris (especially now that I'm caught up on BoJack Horseman). This looks very watchable.
Working Against It: More specifically, this looks like a comedy of good feelings, not a comedy of laughter. If I see this, it will be like Knights of Badassdom or A Good Old Fashioned Orgy - I just want to see those actors work together.
Verdict: This looks exactly like something I will eventually see even if I don't know why.
8/19
A remake of the 1959 classic about chariot racing. Also, it was a book well before that.
Working For It: I'm a little surprised this didn't happen sooner. I like Jack Huston and Tony Kebbell the little I've seen of them. And, uh...
Working Against It: The 1959 Ben-Hur was a huge production with A-list talent that is still impressive six decades later. What isn't a good idea is to remake it as a mid-tier production with moderately recognizable actors. This is indistinguishable from Pompeii or Gods of Egypt.
Verdict: I'll probably just watch the original*.
*Ok, technically there was a silent movie version as well, but who can remember that far back?
Some sort of Japanese, magical, chosen one story with a kid and a magic guitar.
Working For It: I like Laika Entertainment in theory (I loved ParaNorman). It looks visually interesting and different from a lot of the animated movies out there.
Working Against It: Nothing about the story pops for me. I get irritated quickly by chosen-one narratives and the voices of Charlize Theron and Rooney Mara aren't enough to draw me in.
Verdict: Pass
Jonah Hill and Miles Teller are over-matched arms dealers for the American military. Based on a true story.
Working For It: Teller and Hill are two of my favorites. I've seen plenty of movies I wouldn't've otherwise just because they were in them (Fantastic Four, True Story for example). It's clearly trying to be a sort of comedy Scarface. There's potential in that. Todd Phillips isn't my favorite director, but he's well equipped to make this kind of movie (Old School, The Hangover, Road Trip).
Working Against It: Comedies based on real events are tricky. This could be Pain & Gain (yay!) or The Big Short (boo.). I'm not sure which. What I do know is that the Hangover movies got cocky by the end in an unappealing way. I worry if that's carried over at all.
Verdict: Almost definitely going to give it a try.
A young boy who dreams of being a rapper adapts to his new life in Germany after his father moves them there.
Working For It: I don't know who plays the son, but the father is Craig Robinson who I always like to see in things. I believe this is another Sundance coming of age story, so I'm immediately drawn to it.
Working Against It: I don't know the writer/director at all. I could easily never hear about this movie again, and I don't know if that's a bad thing.
Verdict: I'll look for it eventually.
8/26
Jane Levy and Dylan Minnette are trapped in the house of a blind man after their home invasion goes very wrong.
Working For It: This is one of those horror movies that no doubt started with a "nifty idea"/gimmick that a whole movie was built around. The idea is being hunted by a blind man. There's potential in that. I've missed seeing Jane Levy since Suburgatory was cancelled.
Working Against It: When I saw Fede Alvarez's last movie, it didn't go so well. This looks much tamer though. My big concern is that this sounds like a really tough premise to pull off.
Verdict: Probable pass.
The story of Roberto Durant and his trainer.
Working For It: I'm a sucker for a good boxing movie. Robert De Niro is trainer this time, which will probably go better than Grudge Match. It has Usher as Sugar Ray Leonard and Reg E. Cathey as Don King. I'd like to see that.
Working Against It: There's only so many ways to tell an engaging boxing story, right?
Verdict: I don't intend to see it.
Jason Statham kills a bunch of people because who wouldn't kill for Jessica Alba.
Working For It: If you squint a little, all of Jason Statham's movies have just been sequels of the one before it. From The Transporter to Crank to The Mechanic, is there really a difference? In other words, if I was a bigger Jason Statham fan, I'd be pumped for this.
Working Against It: I like Jason Statham more as a flavor than a meal. He's great in something like Spy, but too much of him is less appetizing.
Verdict: Just as soon as I see The Mechanic, Homefront, The Expendables 3, Parker, Killer Elite, Crank 2: High Voltage, and The Transporter 3.
A man returns home in the suburbs after finding out that his mother is dying.
Working For It: I'll save you the suspense. I want to see this a lot. John Krasinski directs this ensemble dramedy. It has all the people I like, from Anna Kendrick to Charlie Day to Mary Elizabeth Winstead to character actress Margo Martindale. Even Josh Groban.
Working Against It: This is exactly the kind of movie I love to watch then be frustrated by. It's giving off major This is Where I Leave You vibes.
Verdict: Probably not in theaters, but I won't swear by that.
Barrack and Michelle's first date, in the form of the Before series.
Working For It: This looks completely charming. Parker Sawyer and Tika Sumpter resemble the president and first lady well enough. In general, I 'm a sucker for this kind of movie.
Working Against It: It's the same feeling I had about making the Harry Potter movies before the books were done. There's something that always weirds me out about making movies about presidents while in the office. It's why I didn't see Oliver Stone's W., either. It's too fresh and feels oddly like propaganda.
Verdict: I'm sure the movie is fine, but it just crosses a personal line in the sand.
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