This isn't looking like a typical August. The most likely blockbusters are pretty tame or silly. A lot of my favorite Sundance movies are finally showing up. Most of all, it's a packed month. I should have no trouble finding things to watch.Even the throwaway movies have high potential.
2018
2017
Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | June | July | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec
2016
Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | June | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec
2015
Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | June | July | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec
2016
Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | June | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec
2015
2014
2013
A grown up Christopher Robin reunites with Pooh and
his friends who help him rediscover his childhood joy.
Working for It: I'm a fan of how Disney has capitalized on nostalgia for
its own properties. While the Spring adaptations have been the biggest hits
(The Jungle Book,
Beauty and the Beast,
Cinderella),
I'm more curious about these late summer offerings like Pete's Dragon
and Christopher Robin. I'm not sure how much of my love for Ewan
McGregor is Obi-wan-based vs. the rest of his work. Regardless, I'm always
happy to see him. Hayley Atwell is always delightful as well. Between Finding
Neverland and Stranger Than Fiction,
director Marc Forster has the right history for me to believe he can pull
something like this off.
Working Against It: Having seen Goodbye Christopher Robin
last year, it's going to be hard for me to separate the truth vs. the fiction
in this. Knowing that Winnie the Pooh ruined the real Christopher
Robin's life (slight exaggeration) makes this sillier fictionalization a little
harder to swallow. I'm sure I'll get over it quickly.
Interest Level: Intrigued
A woman and her friend get tied up in an
international conspiracy after discovering that her ex-boyfriend is a spy.
Working for It: Mila Kunis and Kate McKinnon look like a great comedy
duo. I can see their strengths meshing well. As the titular spy, I'm going to
enjoy pretending that Justin Theroux is living out a Leftovers
alt-narrative the entire time. I liked director/co-writer Susanna Fogel's movie
Life Partners a
lot more than I expected. I can see her bringing a lot of what worked in that
to this movie.
Working Against It: Life Partners is a very different type of comedy.
I can also see how the transition could go poorly. I'm unfamiliar with a lot of
the supporting cast, which worries me some. That means either a lot is riding
on Kunis and McKinnon to deliver and they have to nail the casting of under-seen
talent. This is all very possible. The margin of error is smaller though.
Interest Level: Curious
Teens get powers and the adults become afraid of
them.
Working for It: It doesn't matter how low the hit rate is. Studios will
keep making these YA novel adaptations, because when they hit, they hit huge.
The idea for this one appears to be a love story about two teens in a world
where children are put into concentration camps because the adults are afraid
of the mysterious new powers they are getting (Subtle metaphor, I know). I
don't know the lead kids well (Amandla Stenberg, Harris Dickinson). I do know
Bradley Whitford, Mandy Moore, and Gwendoline Christie though (one Emmy winner
and two Emmy snubs).
Working Against It: I get nervous any time an animation director moves to
live action. Sometimes it can turn out great, like Brad Bird with Ghost
Protocol. I wish Kung Fu Panda 2 &
3 director
Jennifer Yuh Nelson luck, but I have my doubts due to the nature of this film.
Most of my hesitation comes down to when was the last time someone came out of
one of these YA dystopia adaptations saying "that was actually pretty
good"? It doesn't help that the trailer barely tells me anything about it.
Interest Level: Uninterested
That is an awful poster. Why are they so proud of that half & half graphic? It looks horrible
A documentary about how liberals are actually the
Nazis.
Working for It: For the number of things I've seen and heard about how
Trump is the devil and the worst thing ever, I suppose seeing an organized
contrarian take could be interesting.
Working Against It: Based on the trailer, there are two big comparisons being
made: 1) Looking at the Democratic opposition that Lincoln faced as compared to
Trump. 2) The actions of the Nazis with censorship resemble the "liberal
agenda". I guess the Nazi things is a decent attempt to reverse the
popularized Trump narrative. The Lincoln comparison confuses me because neither
party resembles what they looked like in 1860. This just doesn't look like a
well-made documentary. I can't stand docs with such a blatant agenda.
Interest Level: Repelled
A girl is sent to a gay conversion camp by her
conservative family.
Working for It: I think any movie that wins an award at Sundance I'm
required to see. I don't know the exact definition of my taste in movies, but
that's part of it. This stars Chloe Grace Moretz. who is my main draw. I
haven't seen one of her movies since Neighbors 2, which feels
like a lifetime ago.
Working Against It: I suppose the argument against this is that I can
probably guess all the beats of the story already. It would be nice for an
unexpected slant or two. Granted, they'd be unexpected, so I can't expect them
going in. What I'm trying to say is, I'll be seeing this movie. Something
unexpected would be nice.
Interest Level: Intrigued
The misadventures of two female slacker friends.
Working for It: I love a good raunchy slacker comedy as much as the next
guy. It's an A24 movie, and I trust that branding a lot. I don't know the stars
(Maia Mitchell, Camila Monroe) from anything, but they seem plenty capable in
the roles.
Working Against It: I can see this having a lot of issues. The trailer could
be cut to make it look funnier than it is. It might meander too much. Maybe the
leads end up being too unlikable. This kind of movie has a large variance.
Interest Level: Curious
8/10
An ensemble film with interconnected stories about
people and their dogs.
Working for It: I love dogs. I love movies with interconnected stories.
I love a lot of the actors in this movie. It's fair to suggest that this is a
disposable movie. I'm fine with that. I'm more than happy to track down a movie
with Nina Dobrev, Vanessa Hudgens, Eva Longoria, Lauren Lapkus, Adam Pally,
Ryan Hensen, Finn Wolfhard, and a bunch of dogs.
Working Against It: I think the only thing working against this is that I
don't see a situation where it would
ever be the top of my list. It'll be on the list, but there will always
be 2 or 3 movies ahead of it.
Interest Level: Curious
A giant shark attack movie.
Working for It: To clarify: This is a shark attack movie with a giant
shark. I wish I knew what the tone of this movie is. With a cast including
Jason Statham, Ruby Rose, and Rainn Wilson, my guess is that it knows at some
level that it's ridiculous. The trailer implies as much too. What's the proper
balance between serious and silly though? I don't want Sharknado but San
Andreas is too far in the other direction. I don't need this to be too
serious. The director, Jon Turteltaub, doesn't give much indication. This is a
man who made 3 Ninjas, Cool Runnings, While You Were Sleeping,
and Phenomenon in a five year period. Perhaps the National Treasure
movies are our best indicator. If done correctly, I could see how The Meg
could be a sleeper highlight of the summer.
Working Against It: So much depends on hitting the right tone. My gut tells
me this won't work. There's too much winking in the marketing already. And, if
I'm being honest, I much prefer Jason Statham in supporting roles*.
*Before you bring it up, I do realize that the giant
shark is the star of the movie. Statham is the lead human role from the look of
it.
Interest Level: Intrigued
The "real" story of Slender Man.
Working for It: As far as creepypasta goes, Slender Man is a good one. I
think the story of those girls who nearly killed their friend because of him
helps it's urban folklore status. Based on the trailer, I don't think a single
60W bulb is used in the entire movie. There's a lot of black and fog. As far as
"setting a tone" goes, they are on the right track.
Working Against It: A PG-13 rating immediately worries me. It's being
handled by Sony's ScreenGems moniker, which isn't know for it's subtlety. The
trailer is a collection of spooky images without a real hook. This has all the
hipness of a grandma break dancing in a Burger King commercial in 1989. I
appreciate the attempt to put a budget behind a Slender Man story, but that's
the kind of story that once it goes mainstream, it loses a lot of its appeal.
Interest Level: Apathetic
A black police officer infiltrates the KKK.
Working for It: I want to like Spike Lee's movies more than I have thus
far. This one has a lot of potential. I'm curious about Denzel Washington's
son, John David Washington, in his first big movie role (I hear that he's good
in the show Ballers for what it's worth). This appears to be hitting the
comedy hard. I like a supporting cast including Laura Harrier, Adam Driver,
Alec Baldwin, and Topher Grace. Grace sounds like especially inspired casting
because his innate likability is incongruous to playing the head of a chapter
of the KKK. I'm quite excited for this.
Working Against It: As I mentioned, I haven't been a huge fan of Spike Lee's
films so far. Inside Man is pretty good. He Got Game has
its moments. It's been too long since I've seen Malcolm X to make any
claims about that. Do The Right Thing
and Jungle Fever
didn't work for me though. Chi-Raq
exhausted me. This movie could turn things.
Interest Level: Curious
A performance movie that blurs the line between
narrative and filmmaking.
Working for It: The trailer is intriguing as hell. Some effort went into
making that. It has indie bonafides - premiered at Sundance, a cast full of
familiar faces not familiar names. It appears to be as much of an experience as
it is a film.
Working Against It: Sometimes trailers are too good. I don't want a trailer
that functions as a short film. Tease me. Give me a reason to see a movie.
That's it. I don't need quotes about how this will change how I view movies or
a bunch of nifty edits that don't make it clear what the movie is even about.
Save it for the movie, please. I'm intrigued by what the hell this movie is,
but I have no idea what it's even about. This could be a 90 minute surrealist
music video for all I know. There could be a narrative to it. I don't know. The
trailer is selling too hard.
Interest Level: Uninterested
The story of a group of female skateboarders in New
York City.
Working for It: Director Crystal Mosselle brings documentary
sensibilities to a fictional narrative. Mosselle made the documentary The Wolf Pack
a couple years ago, which was a case of the subjects being more interesting
than the documentary about them. Still, it's a movie I liked. Skate Kitchen
uses real NY skateboarders to play the characters. I'm not exactly sure what
the story is, but I'm fine if it's just an excuse for these people to show me
what being a skateboarder in NYC looks like these days.
Working Against It: When filmmakers turn to non-professional actors, you
normally hit a point where you can tell. The authenticity they bring really has
to outweigh the lack of craft in their performance.
Interest Level: Apathetic
8/17
An Asian American woman discovers that her
boyfriend's family is crazy rich when they visit Singapore.
Working for It: Constance Wu is terrific on Fresh Off the Boat. I
recommend that show to anyone and she's the main reason why. She's also the
driving force for my curiosity about this movie. It helps that familiar actors
like Ken Jeong, Awkwafina, and Michelle Yeoh are in it too. This looks like a
pretty typical RomCom and I'm a sucker for a good RomCom. I am rooting for it
in a more general sense though because this is the first American film with a
cast that's mostly of Asian decent since The Joy Luck Club - 25
years ago. That's dumb.
Working Against It: The RomCom has gone through an evolution over the last
10-20 years. The trailer for Crazy Rich Asians looks like the movie
would fit better in 1998 than 2018. That hasn't stopped my from liking
throwbacks like Set It Up
earlier this year, but it does feel antiquated nonetheless. That said, it's
progressive simply by its casting. If this only bridges the gap and leads to
more of these actors getting roles is more modern-style movies, then it's all
worth it.
Interest Level: Intrigued
After being left for dead, a boy and a wolf he bonds
with journey to reunite with his tribe during the last Ice Age.
Working for It: I appreciate the risks the movie is taking. Based on the
trailer, most of it is wordless and limited to just the boy and the wolf. I
praise a movie like The Bear
for doing the same thing.
Working Against It: The marketing for this movie has been a mess. It was
supposed to be released earlier this year. The trailer was awful. They delayed
it and retooled the trailer, which now has a voice over announcer like it's
1996. The movie is going to flop. There are no bankable stars in it. The story
is like White Fang meets The Good Dinosaur.
Good luck getting people to see a mostly silent movie with no other gimmick to
replace it with.
Interest Level: Repelled
An elite special ops force has to move an asset 22
miles in hostile territory to get him on a plane back to the USA.
Working for It: I've seen all but one of Peter Berg's feature films.
There's no reason to think I'll miss this one. He's like a blue collar Michael
Bay. I dig it, even when it's a dud like
Battleship.
This Mark Wahlberg collaboration has a familiar plot. It's hard to tell this
apart from Safe House, S.W.A.T.,
or 16 Blocks, but I don't particularly care. I like the idea of Lauren
Cohan in an action movie. Ronda Roussey makes sense too. Berg is bringing some
martial arts into it by casting Iko Uwais (star of the
Raid movies). I
assume that John Malkovich will play a mustache-twirling villain. This looks
like popcorn fun.
Working Against It: As I said, the story is a bit familiar. This perhaps
veers too much into Battleship or Hancock territory rather than
Lone Survivor
or Deepwater Horizon. Of
course, that kind of describes The Rundown too, and that might be my
favorite of all of Berg's movies.
Interest Level: Curious
A woman meets and falls for the singer who her
longtime boyfriend is obsessed with.
Working for It: It's a love triangle with Rose Byne, Chris O'Dowd, and
Ethan Hawke, which, frankly, is enough for me. It's based on a Nick Hornsby
book, which is always a good sign too.
Working Against It: The screenplay credits are interesting. A few people are
attached to it. It looks like it's someone who has written several Alexander
Payne films, the writer/director of The Savages, and the director's
sister (who's only other credit is Our Idiot Brother). The director
appears to be known for directing episodes of every comedy series over the last
2 decades and some forgettable Paul Rudd movies. All that really means though
is that I'm seeing this for who is on the screen, not who is behind the camera.
Often with writers/directors, I don't care about them for a long time, then
they make a movie I like and all the sudden, I'm a fan.
Interest Level: Excited
A documentary about the Japanese whaling town known
for killing dolphins.
Working for It: You've probably heard stories about celebrities and
activists going to Japan to stop people from killing dolphins. Well, this is
the town they were protesting. The skeptic sonuvabitch in me loves a
documentary that takes an unpopular opinion. A Whale of a Tale attempts
to get that town's side of the story and reveal that it may not be such a
one-sided issue. I will say, it doesn't appear to be a pro-Dolphin-killing
movie. It's more about looking at both sides without judgment.
Working Against It: Do I really want to invest 90 minutes into something that
might convince me that maybe dolphin-killing isn't so bad? I love a good
contrarian take, but my investment is pretty low for this debate.
Interest Level: Apathetic
The wife of a famous writer comes to terms with the
compromises she's made in her life after her husband wins the Nobel prize.
Working for It: Glen Close is the wife. Jonathan Pryce is the husband.
Elizabeth McGovern and Christian Slater are there too. It looks like everyone
is acting the hell out of their roles. I'm a fan of stories of "the woman
behind the man" finally demanding her due.
Working Against It: This has a stuff Sony Pictures Classic feel. I assume if
it doesn't randomly pick up awards attention for Close in the winter then I'll
never hear about it again.
Interest Level: Curious
8/24
A young man finds and bonds with a hi-tech robotic
dog.
Working for It: For what looks like a modest production, the effects for
the robotic dog look pretty good. And they got a Power Ranger (Becky G) for the
cast.
Working Against It: Remember the 2016 movie Monster Trucks? No. Of
course you don't. That was a massive flop for Paramount not that long ago.
Well, this movie is cheaper and comes from a less powerful studio, not to
mention a cast that only diehard film goers could name any of. A.X.L. is
a little different than Monster Trucks - it has a dog...ish - but it's
likely to disappear with the same speed. Also, the trailer gives away too much
of the movie, which makes it come off like its own Funny or Die parody.
Interest Level: Uninterested
The cast of a beloved 80s children's show starts
getting murdered in a world where puppets and people live side by side.
Working for It: Melissa McCarthy signed on as the human half of the lead
detective duo. I'm intrigued to see her leading a movie where there no chance
that she could be the craziest part of it. As seen by my love of Sausage Party
and Team America: World Police, I do love when a comedy uses the
contrast of styles associated with children doing the nastiest things
imaginable. It's not something I'm particularly proud of, but I won't deny it.
Working Against It: Here's how it works. The whole time leading up to this
movie, I tell myself this looks stupid and that I have no interest in seeing
something this sophomoric. I mean it too. Then I come across a review or two
that says the movie is smarter than it appears at first glance: the puppet sex
is a smokescreen for some smart commentary that would be hard to sell at face
value. I end up with some free time and decide to give the movie a try. Then I
really enjoy the movie. It happened with Team America. It happened with Sausage
Party. So, I'm not looking forward to The Happytime Murders at all,
but so far I'm always wrong about this kind of movie. More than the previous
examples however, this doesn't appear to have anything deeper on its mind than
director Brian Henson flipping his father's legacy on its head.
Interest Level: Curious
A father tries to find his missing daughter in a
film told through a computer screen.
Working for It: So, it's the same gimmick that got me to see
Unfriended,
except it's a mystery thriller instead of a horror movie. Instead of a group of
friends, this focuses on John Cho entirely. I heard good things about this from
Sundance and I'm drawn enough to this style that's I'd still want to see this
even if I only heard bad things.
Working Against It: It's fair to say that no one has mastered this form of
storytelling yet. It gets dated quickly and often takes shortcuts out of
necessity. That's yet to be a deterrent for me.
Interest Level: Excited
A woman opens a bookshop in a small English town in
the 1950s and gets opposed by many in the town.
Working for It: This looks like a polite little British period piece.
Emily Mortimer is the plucky bookshop owner. Bill Nighy is the town curmudgeon
who becomes her biggest ally. Patricia Clarkson is the conservative local woman
who doesn't like the change in the town. Mortimer even employs the help of an
equally plucky child. I'm pretty sure the idea for the movie began with the
word "charming" and was built out from there.
Working Against It: Often, not far from the word "charming" are
words like "disposable" or "forgettable". I'm sure I'd
enjoy this if I watched it, but I feel no urgency.
Interest Level: Curious
A prisoner sent to a remote island plots an escape.
Working for It: I guess this is a remake of a Steve McQueen movie from
the '70s that I don't know much about. Charlie Hunnam and Rami Malek are the
main actors of note. The tone of the trailer reminds me a lot of The Lost City of Z.
Working Against It: Like The Lost City of Z, I have no desire to see
this and I'm not sure why. The unfamiliar filmmaker doesn't help. I'm not all
that intrigued by the setting either. Perhaps I'm bothered by how distinctive
the visuals are trying to be. I don't know. It's one I look forward to people
telling me it's good in December when I'm looking for movies I've missed before
putting together my top 10.
Interest Level: Curious
Follow the manager of a Hooters-like bar over one
hectic day.
Working for It: I actually really want to see this after watching the
trailer. It looks a bit like a toned down Waiting... It has Regina Hall
is a lead role, which I don't often see. Haley Lu Richardson and Dylan Gelula
have supporting roles. I'm a fan of the "a day in the life"
structure, similar to Waiting... or Hail, Caesar!
It helps that Magnolia is the distributor. They don't have the hit rate of A24,
but I'd say just as many of my favorite movies have come from them over the
years.
Working Against It: This could be bad and forgettable. The director's last
movie,
Results,
I was massively indifferent about.
Interest Level: Intrigued
8/31
A special task force tracks Adolf Eichmann down to Argentina
and hopes to bring him back to Israel to be put on trial.
Working for It: I'll see anything with Oscar Isaac. Ben Kingsley plays
the other side of the Holocaust this time. There's also people like Haley Lu
Richardson and Nick Kroll who I'm curious to see how they fit in this kind of
movie. I'm also just curious to see more about post-WWII Argentina, where a lot
of Nazis fled to. That's such an odd bit of history.
Working Against It: Remember The Promise? Don't worry. No one else
does either. That's another historical movie with Oscar Isaac that I just sort
of forgot to see. Operation Finale sure looks like one of those too.
There are a lot of movies. I can't see them all (I'm told).
Interest Level: Curious
A horror movie festival turns into an actual
slaughter of the attendees.
Working for It: There's a lot of Knights of Badassdom
to this. I get the appeal of fans of the thing becoming part of the thing.
There's high potential for informed genre-specific jokes.
Working Against It: It's understandably low budget and very specific in its
focus. Horror comedies are tough, because they try to have their cake and eat
it too. The problem is, making jokes about the horror tropes calls attention to
them, and makes them less effective when trying to scare later. Hopefully this
sticks to just being a comedy.
Interest Level: Apathetic
A country doctor responds to a call at a declining
family estate and stumbles into a possible haunting situation.
Working for It: I'm pretty sure I've covered this before, but I'm too
lazy to check. It stars Domhnall Gleeson and is from the director of
Room.
Those are two of my very favorite things from 2015. I'm always looking for a
good scary movie too.
Working Against It: This wouldn't be the first horror mystery movie with a
star who I like that underwhelmed me. Perhaps it's great, but history has led
me to expect something fair to good.
Interest Level: Intrigued
No comments:
Post a Comment