2014
2013
3/3
Wolverine has to look out for a little girl mutant who is super powerful. He's also hanging out with Professor Xavier for some reason.
Working For It: Like The Wolverine, this looks pretty standalone, which is the best way to handle an X-Men movie in this convoluted cinematic universe these days. The plot seems pretty straightforward, even if I don't know the exact details of it. The R-rating could be liberating for a franchise that has so far put most of its effort into being as broadly appealing as possible.
Working Against It: I also worry about the R-rating. The news about that came out pretty quickly after Deadpool blew up last year. I'm hoping they are telling the story they want to tell and not just trying to put together what they think has the most box office potential. At this point, Hugh Jackman is only doing these movies if he wants to, so I'm convincing myself that he's creating some quality control. Then again, he also seemed to think Chappie was a good idea.
Verdict: I haven't missed an X-Men movie in theaters, so it's predetermined that I'll see this. The R-rating has me very intrigued as a potential way to differentiate itself from the Disney MCU for the better.
A high school girl is trapped reliving the same day over and over.
Working For It: The lead role is played by Zoey Deutch, who is either everywhere these days or just everywhere I look. The premise sure is familiar, but I tend to like that conceit (Groundhog Day, Edge of Tomorrow). Also, Deutch and Chloe Moretz are good friends, so I like to think of this as a companion piece with If I Stay.
Working Against It: I don't know much about the writer or director. The film is going to depend so much on the execution of it and you can't tell much of that from the trailer. Also, I know Deutch can do quippy and funny. I haven't seen dramatic chops yet. Perhaps this is her chance.
Verdict: March is going to be crazy as it is. There's too much of a high/low for this to take a chance on it in theaters.
After the tragic loss of his daughter, a man stumbles onto a shack in the woods where the three form of God - uh - teach him things, I guess.
Working For It: The book was a hit, so it comes with fans already. Lionsgate is giving the film a decent push, which religious or religious-adjacent films don't normally get. One of the forms of God is Octavia Spencer, who, when she's on, can be great. And, don't forget about the original song by Tim McGraw and Faith Hill. I know the trailers haven't.
Working Against It: If the "big three" of your movie are Sam Worthington, Octavia Spencer, and Tim McGraw, then you are probably talking about a boutique release. Studios keep trying to "crack" the religious film code. The Shack appears to be isolating both religious and non-religious people though.
Verdict: Unless it becomes some kind of unexpected hit, in which case it would be worth seeing to stay in the conversation, I don't see what good could come out of seeing this.
Anna Kendrick is at the reject table at the wedding reception that she used to be the maid-of-honor for. She bonds with the others at the table.
Working For It: I will watch anything with Anna Kendrick. She immediately makes this required viewing. The others at the table are Stephen Merchant, Lisa Kudrow, Tony Revolori (the bellboy from The Grand Budapest Hotel), June Squibb, and Craig Robinson. That's an intriguing mix of people. It's written by the Duplass brothers, who, no kidding, have their hand on just about every micro-indie movie you've seen since 2010. It's a Rocket Science reunion for Kendrick, rejoining with director Jeffrey Blitz, who also co-created and directed the phenomenal Comedy Central show Review.
Working Against It: This can easily become overly saccharine and predictable.
Verdict: I will be seeing this, probably in theaters if I can find it. If you aren't an Anna Kendrick obsessive like myself, it's probably much easier to wait for it to be more easily available.
A man returns to his hometown and is forced to hang out with his annoying, obnoxious childhood friend.
Working For It: It's produced by Danny McBride, Jody Hill, and their crew and looks like it's relying on a similar brand of comedy of the discomfort.
Working Against It: First of all, McBride and Co. helped produce this but aren't in the movie. In fact, I don't recognize anyone in the film. I do not like this type of humor. I respect it. I recognize the skill involved. I just don't enjoy watching it.
Verdict: If you aren't physically repelled by the humor, by all means, seek it out. I will be avoiding it.
A documentary telling the story of the gay marriage movement.
Working For It: I like the topic and I don't know many of the specifics of it. I tend to prefer informational documentaries more than thesis documentaries that are trying to prove a point. This appears to be more informational.
Working Against It: Documentaries can be tough to predict. The same footage can be used well or poorly depending on how it's edited and, in some cases, written. The focus of this appears to be on two of the lawyers who were instrumental in the movement. That could either give it needed focus or make it look like a two-person movement. Again, I won't know unless I see it.
Verdict: Documentaries come down to topic and urgency. The urgency is lower now but the topic is still interesting. Like most documentaries, I can see waiting for this to show up on Netflix.
A man comes back from a coma after being shot in the head. As he slowly gets back his memory, he remembers that he needs to get bloody revenge on those who wronged him.
Working For It: I know it's not The Raid, but it feels like The Raid, and that's a good thing. It's a little weird to see the actors speaking in English, but if that's the first step to getting that style of action movie over to the studios, I'll adapt.
Working Against It: There is the fear that the magic of The Raid movies came from writer/director Gareth Evans. He isn't at all involved with this.
Verdict: This looks like a great rental, partly because there is a certain level of violence, no matter how well staged, that I need to be able to look away from. This sure looks fun.
A generally disliked older woman hires the local writer to write her obituary while she's still alive.
Working For It: It's a two-hander with Shirley MacLaine as the retired woman and Amanda Seyfried as the young writer. I can get behind that pairing and the presence of character actors like Philip Baker Hall and Joel Murray. It looks like a movie full of good vibes.
Working Against It: It's all pretty familiar: the grouchy old person who finds a way to be loved by the community. It's from journeyman director Mark Pellington (The Mothman Prophecies, Henry Poole was Here) and a first time writer. There's nothing to get excited about based on what I've seen in the trailer.
Verdict: No urgency. Most likely, I'll forget about it until it shows up online somewhere. It'll go into my list for a while. I'll either get in an Amanda Seyfried moon and watch it or forget that it exists.
3/10
A group of explorers find themselves on an island with King Kong. Bad stuff happens.
Working For It: I'm probably seeing this just for the Kong name, even if I was unaware of the cast. However, I do know the cast and it is loaded. Brie Larson, Tim Hiddleston, Samuel L. "Mother fuckin'" Jackson, John Goodman, John C. Reilly, Corey Hawkins, Tony Kebbell, Thomas Mann. I'm in! The director also made The Kings of Summer, which is admittedly a big step up. It has a Frankenstein screenplay credit split between the writers behind Godzilla, Nightcrawler, and Flight. Did you not hear me? I'm already on board for this. In 2007, I'd worry about what the March release date means, but it's been proven as fertile ground for blockbusters by now.
Working Against It: This could certainly use a few more female characters. Who knows? Maybe Tian Jing is wonderful and she and Larson are super important to the story. (I doubt it) Gender politics aside, there are troubling comparisons behind the scenes. Director Jordan Vogt-Robert's jump from indie movie to blockbuster is reminiscent to Colin Trevorrow for Jurassic World: a movie that had some issues. Also, Godzilla had some problems too, so the inclusion of a screenwriter for that isn't immediately thrilling. As much as I love Dan Gilroy's Nightcrawler script, he's also responsible for Real Steel and The Bourne Legacy. There's some warning signs.
Verdict: It's a third weekend in May blockbuster showing up in March. I'm seeing it.
A love story set in Turkey during WWI about and officer and a doctor.
Working For It: It's strange. These movies keep coming out that look like historical epics from 1996, coming from upstart foreign production companies. This looks fine. Enough money went into it to look like a sincere effort.
Working Against It: A movie headlined by Josh Hartnett, Ben Kingley, Michiel Huisman (Game of Thrones, Orphan Black), and someone named Hera Hilmar is far from A-list but familiar enough that you know they weren't just looking for new talent.
Verdict: I'm going to leave it up to someone else to insist that this movie is "actually, really good".
Kristen Stewart is a personal shopper who might be haunted by her dead brother because of a promise they made before he died.
Working For It: Remember when Kristen Stewart hosted SNL to annoy Donald Trump, and she off-handedly mentioned a movie she was in? That's this movie. She is reteaming with her Clouds of Sils Maria director for this French horror movie that was selected for Cannes.
Working Against It: I can't tell if this is an actual scary movie or one that's being advertised like one but is actually a simmering mystery. Neither are bad, but I question the marketing. Stewart is the only actor I recognize by name. That isn't a negative, but it leaves me little to build off.
Verdict: I don't have enough of an appetite for European cinema at this juncture to say that I'll seek this out.
A veterinarian develops a carnivorous hunger.
Working For It: It's not a Blumhouse Productions, which surprises me. It's a foreign film, so I don't recognize the cast. The visuals are interesting in a way that makes me want to look away.
Working Against It: After seeing Goodnight, Mommy recently, I'm not sure how ready I am for Europeans to scare the shit out of me again.
Verdict: I think you know within a few seconds of the trailer if you will ever see it. I leaned toward 'no'.
3/17
The animated classic (26 years is enough to be a classic, right?) in live action.
Working For It: Emma Watson as Belle. That's all they needed to sell me on it. Add in Emma Thompson, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Ewan McGreggor, and many, many others and that only compounds the excitement. Disney has had a marvelous run so far with these live-action remakes. I don't see that ending here.
Working Against It: Bill Condon is a fine director, but I wouldn't say I'm in love with his other movies. Perhaps this could be a little too generic. I don't know. Nothing is really working against it getting me into a theater.
Verdict: The biggest lock of the month? That seems fair.
A company traps 80 employees in an office building telling them they they must kill 30 people in the next hour or the company with kill 60.
Working For It: Super high concept. I respect a movie that says up front "Ok, accept this conceit. Now let's play". With people like Tony Goldwyn, John C. McGinley, and Melonie Diaz instead of an obvious A-list lead, this has the legitimate feeling that no one is safe.
Working Against It: As the title suggests, this does seem more like an experiment than a movie. I could see how the concept could get played out quickly if they don't keep raising the stakes.
Verdict: It takes a back seat to Beauty and the Beast that weekend. This would be a nice one to find some extra time for.
Trainspotting again, 20 years later, with the same guys as before.
Working For It: People LOVE Trainspotting, and Danny Boyle, Ewan McGregor, Johnny Lee Miller, Kelly MacDonald and the gang are all back for the sequel. I have no idea what it's about and I don't think it matters.
Working Against It: I missed the boat for Trainspotting. I saw it years ago and it left minimal impression on me. Perhaps I'd appreciate it more now, but until I confirm that, I can't say I'm pumped for the sequel. I also question the need for this sequel, however, I got out of the "questioning sequels" game years ago.
Verdict: For many, this will be priority viewing, and that's understandable. I can probably wait.
3/24
A comedy adaptation of the super popular 70's show about two L.A. motorcycle cops.
Working For It: Dax Shepard and Michael Pena are the leads. Pena is always great. The more lead roles her can get of any sort, the better. Shepard also wrote and directed this. This seems fitting with the last film he directed/wrote/starred in (Hit and Run). Shepard manages to get his wife, Kristen Bell, for the film as well. A big plus. There's a meta 21 Jump Street vibe to this that could work out nicely.
Working Against It: I know people make the joke that young people have no idea what show X or movie Y from before they were born even is. Normally, that's not true. Plenty of young people had at least heard of Get Smart or Starsky and Hutch. I honestly don't think many know CHIPS. I'm a TV junkie and even I only remember it for Eric Estrada references in shows like Scrubs. And, I think people forget how much of a fluke 21 Jump Street was. Normally these movies are lackluster.
Verdict: There's not enough to love about it going in to make it a priority.
Astronauts in a space station fight a malignant organism retrieved from a Mars probe.
Working For It: It's led by Rebecca Ferguson, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Ryan Reynolds. What more do you need?
Working Against It: At least in the previews, this looks exactly like Alien, which is a tough thing to be compared to. The director hasn't made any movies that stand out. The writers' credits include Deadpool, Zombieland, and creating The Joe Schmo Show. Now, for a comedy, that would be great. For what looks like a thriller, that's a little confusing.
Verdict: It might be worth seeing if early reviews are rapturous. Otherwise, it's worth waiting for.
Five teens gain special powers. Based on the popular 90's children's TV show.
Working For It: Dammit, nostalgia. You win again. The cast for the five rangers are mostly new to me (I assume they all have CW credits). Then there's Elizabeth Banks as Rita Repulsa, Bryan Cranston as Zordon, and Bill Hader as Alpha 5. So, some effort has been put in to make this not a B-movie.
Working Against It: It's from some journeymen screenwriters and the director of Project Almanac [which seems entirely appropriate]. I have some massive concerns about the tone which I'm sure I will get into when I do my Reaction for this, because I'm seeing regardless of any and all bad press.
Verdict: I'm too curious not to see it.
Woody Harrelson is an annoying loaner who ropes in his ex-wife (Laura Dern) to reunite with their teenage daughter, who she put up for adoption without ever telling him about.
Working For It: When Woody Harrelson is this engaged in a role, it cant be all bad. It's from the indie director of The Skeleton Twins and a screenplay by the man who wrote the graphic novel this was based on as well as Art School Confidential and Ghost World. All of this should give you a clear understanding of the tone of the film.
Working Against It: Ghost World and Art School Confidential have a quirkiness that doesn't work for me.
Verdict: Harrelson is too much for me just in the trailer. A whole film of it doesn't sound enticing.
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