Coming Attractions Thread 2014

[Mitch Henessey]

The Green Inferno

Release Date: September 5, 2014

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THE GREEN INFERNO follows a group of student activists who travel from New York City to the Amazon to save a tribe from extinction. In an unfortunate twist of fate, when the group arrives, they are taken hostage by the very tribe they sought to protect.

Well, it's Eli Roth, so you can expect a lot of revolting gore and disgusting, cringeworthy deaths. If I'm not mistaken, this is Roth's first film as a director (he was a producer for Aftershock) since Hostel II. I can't say I'm all that excited about this one. I'm guessing they'll release a hardcore red band trailer in the coming months, and there's a chance I'll change my tune after that. But right now, I'm not foaming at the mouth for The Green Inferno.

The Homesman

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A claim jumper and a pioneer woman team up to escort three insane women from Nebraska to Iowa.

No official release dates yet.

The cast is loaded, but The Homesman looks like a forgettable drama. It's something I'll watch home, and I don't see anything that's worth a trip to the theater.

God's Pocket

Release Date: May 5, 2014 (limited)

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Actor John Slattery makes his feature directorial debut with an adaptation of the Pete Dexter novel God's Pocket. The story centers on a small-town man who tries to hide the fact he's responsible for the death of his stepson at a construction site. As the lies mount, he finds himself in much deeper trouble than he ever imagined. The movie stars Philip Seymour Hoffman, Christina Hendricks, John Turturro, and Richard Jenkins.

Turturro and Hoffman in the same film? That's more than enough to draw me in, but the premise doesn't do anything for me.

The Immigrant

Release Date: May 16, 2014 (limited)

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In James Gray's THE IMMIGRANT, Ewa Cybulski (Marion Cotillard) and her sister sail to New York from their native Poland in search of a new start and the American dream. When they reach Ellis Island, doctors discover that Magda (Angela Sarafyan) is ill, and the two women are separated. Ewa is released onto the mean streets of Manhattan while her sister is quarantined. Alone, with nowhere to turn and desperate to reunite with Magda, Ewa quickly falls prey to Bruno (Joaquin Phoenix), a charming but wicked man who takes her in and forces her into prostitution. The arrival of Orlando (Jeremy Renner) - a dashing stage magician who is also Bruno's cousin - restores her self-belief and hopes for a brighter future, becoming her only chance to escape the nightmare in which she finds herself.

Can't think of a reason to pass on a film with Joaquin Phoenix and Marion Cotillard in the same cast.

Full trailer for The Rover:

[YOUTUBE]OZep1gMi8oE[/YOUTUBE]​

 

[Mitch Henessey]

[REC 4] Apocalypse

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In [REC]4 Apocalypse the action begins at the time that Angela Vidal, the only survivor of the terrible infection is evacuated the building. When finally the situation appears to be controlled chaos unleashed again and reborn Unborn adopting new and terrible forms.

I found one theatrical release date for Apocalypse on Halloween, but it's for Spain only.

Angela's return is a positive sign, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a satisfying finale (Apocalypse is supposed to be the final film in the franchise) after [REC] 3 Genesis, easily the worst film in the franchise so far.

As Above, So Below

Release Date: August 15, 2014

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Miles of twisting catacombs lie beneath the streets of Paris, the eternal home to countless souls. When a team of explorers ventures into the uncharted maze of bones, they uncover the secret of what this city of the dead was meant to contain. A journey into madness and terror, As Above, So Below reaches deep into the human psyche to reveal the personal demons that come back to haunt us all.

Love the movie poster:

Spoiler

As Above, So Below looks like The Descent with a paranormal twist, and the trailer is genuinely creepy and intense.

Chef

Release Date: May 9, 2014

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Chef Carl Casper (Jon Favreau) suddenly quits his job at a prominent Los Angeles restaurant after refusing to compromise his creative integrity for its controlling owner (Dustin Hoffman), he is left to figure out what's next. Finding himself in Miami, he teams up with his ex-wife (Sofia Vergara), his friend (John Leguizamo) and his son to launch a food truck. Taking to the road, Chef Carl goes back to his roots to reignite his passion for the kitchen -- and zest for life and love.

Boring trailer, but I'll give it a try for RDJ.

The Angriest Man In Brooklyn

Release Date: May 23, 2014

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Some people have bad days. Henry Altmann (Williams) has one every day. Always unhappy and angry at the world including everyone in it, Henry sits impatiently at the doctor's office when he is finally seen by Dr. Sharon Gill (Kunis). Sharon, who is enduring her own bad day, reveals that Henry has a brain aneurysm. This news makes Henry even angrier, yelling at Sharon he demands to know how much time he has left. Faced with Henry's anger and insults, Sharon abruptly tells him he has only 90 minutes. Shocked and reeling by this news, Henry storms out of the office leaving Sharon stunned by what she has just done in a lapse of judgment. As Sharon goes on a city-wide search, Henry struggles with his diagnosis, determined to make amends with everyone he has hurt in his life.

It's hard to trust anything with Robin Williams now a days, and I cringe at the thought of Williams in another shitty Night At The Museum film.

If I Stay

Release Date: August 22, 2014

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Mia Hall (Chloë Grace Moretz) thought the hardest decision she would ever face would be whether to pursue her musical dreams at Juilliard or follow a different path to be with the love of her life, Adam (Jamie Blackley). But what should have been a carefree family drive changes everything in an instant, and now her own life hangs in the balance. Caught between life and death for one revealing day, Mia has only one decision left, which will not only decide her future but her ultimate fate. "If I Stay" is based on the best-selling novel of the same name.

Moretz needs to be careful with her roles. Too many mixed and negative reactions for Kick-Ass 2 and the Carrie remake, and from what I remember, both films had a lackluster run at the box office.

I don't know what to think about this right now. If I'm using an off the top of my head example, If I Stay reminds me of Awake with Hayden Christensen, Jessica Alba, and Terrence Howard. Christensen's body is on the operating table, but he's running around the hospital during this supernatural experience. Towards the end, Christensen's character is stuck in a dilemma. He can't decide if he wants to return to his body to continue his life, because his "friends" betrayed him, and he's seriously contemplating a decision to let go, so he can move on to the afterlife.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

V/H/S: Viral

(footage for the new film starts at 0:45)

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Fame-obsessed teens hell-bent on capturing the next viral video discover they are the stars of the latest internet sensation. V/H/S VIRAL is the third and most intense installment in the groundbreaking horror franchise from the world’s top genre filmmakers. V/H/S: VIRAL’s segments include the story of a deranged illusionist who obtains a magical object of great power, a homemade machine that opens a door to a parallel world, teenage skaters that unwillingly become targets of a Mexican death cult ritual, and a sinister, shadowy organization that is tracking a serial killer. The segments are tied together by the story of a group of fame-obsessed teens following a violent car chase in LA that unwittingly become stars of the next internet sensation.

I'm posting it now, but they're going for a 2015 release date. Who knows, things could change.

Mixed feelings about this. I don't have a big problem with the premise, but I don't see anything special in the trailer. It's the same old routine, and I don't see any clues or hints for, who's collecting the tapes, and the reasons/motivations for the tapes. Instead, they're sticking to the random collection of spooky found-footage tapes for bizarre paranormal incidents formula. And they could use a different design for the poster. Basically, it's the same style all over again with a few tweaks:

Spoiler

Hopefully, they'll maintain a more consistent tone for quality this time around. More recently, the Safe Haven short in V/H/S 2 was phenomenal, but the shitty Slumber Party Alien Abduction short ruins the movie.

International trailer for Lucy and a full trailer for Tammy:

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[Mitch Henessey]

Monsters: Dark Continent

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Ten years on from the events of Monsters, and the ‘Infected Zones’ have spread worldwide.

Two soldiers embark on a life-altering mission through the dark heart of monster territory in the deserts of the Middle East. By the time they reach their goal, they will have been forced to confront the fear that the true monsters on the planet may not be alien after all.

No official release dates yet.

If you're wondering, the answer is no. Gareth Edwards is not the director for this one, but he's an executive producer. I'm indifferent to Monsters, but Dark Continent looks like another forgettable and mediocre sequel, and the trailer is too dull.

SX_Tape

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Adam and Jill attempt to spice up their relationship by recording a sex tape in an abandoned mansion. Realizing they're not alone in their ominous surroundings, the couple discover some sex tapes shouldn't be made as their kinky adventure turns into a desperate fight for survival.

No official release dates.

I've seen this story more times than I can count. A group of paranormal investigators, friends, or a couple wander into some spooky abandoned building with a dark past.....and SURPRISE! It's haunted.

You'll see this tired and cliched formula in a number of low budget and independent horror films. Sure, every now and then a passable or decent film will emerge from the pack (Grave Encounters), but more often than not, it's the same old boring and crappy film with predictable jump scares and stupid characters.

New trailer for Transformers: Age Of Extinction:

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[Mitch Henessey]

Lost After Dark

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Lost After Dark follows a group of teenagers who sneak out of a high school dance, and head out to party at a friend's cabin. Along the way their ride breaks down, stranding them near an abandoned farmhouse. After the brutal murder of one of their friends, their quest for help becomes one of survival. Lost After Dark pays tribute to iconic horror classics like Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Halloween and Friday the 13th. Its unique selling point is that the story is a homage told in a retro style that takes audiences back to 1984, when the slasher film ruled the box office.

No release dates yet.

I'm hesitant to take a chance (Robert Patrick is a good start, but that's not enough) on low budget "we're paying homage to the 80's!" slashers. Of course, you'll find a few gems in the pack, but more often than not, the attempt to create a throwback 80's slasher fails miserably, and you're stuck with a cliched mess full of bad acting, cheap special effects, and a barrage of nudity to compensate for a shallow screenplay.

The full trailer for Interstellar:

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[Mitch Henessey]

Kingsman: The Secret Service

Release Date: October 24, 2014

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Based upon the acclaimed comic book and directed by Matthew Vaughn (Kick-Ass, X-Men: First Class), Kingsman: The Secret Service tells the story of a super-secret spy organization that recruits an unrefined but promising street kid into the agency's ultra-competitive training program just as a global threat emerges from a twisted tech genius.

Strange. You get the feeling they randomly forced Samuel L. Jackson in towards the end.

Still, the trailer is slick and inventive, and the cast is promising.

Life Itself

Release Date: July 18, 2014 (limited)

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Acclaimed director Steve James (Hoop Dreams) and executive producers Martin Scorsese (The Departed) and Steven Zaillian (Moneyball) present LIFE ITSELF, a documentary film that recounts the inspiring and entertaining life of world-renowned film critic and social commentator Roger Ebert - a story that is by turns personal, funny, painful, and transcendent. Based on his bestselling memoir of the same name, LIFE ITSELF, explores the legacy of Roger Ebert's life, from his Pulitzer Prize-winning film criticism at the Chicago Sun-Times to becoming one of the most influential cultural voices in America.

Two thumbs up.

Lost River

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Ryan Gosling tries his hand at writing and directing with this fantasy thriller starring Christina Hendricks as a mother struggling to protect her kids in a dreamlike city.

No official release dates yet.

It's Ryan Gosling's directional debut, but the majority of the reviews for Lost River are negative. Deadline reports Lost River received a pretty strong reaction of boos and cheers at Cannes the other day, and this trailer doesn't do anything me. I know it's a little teaser, but I don't see anything to sell me on the movie.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

Willow Creek

Release Date: June 6, 2014 (limited theatrical release & VOD releases)

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Described by Jimmy Kimmel as "Scary and the Hendersons" and by writer-director Bobcat Goldthwait himself as "The Blair-Squatch Project," found footage movie Willow Creek is a radical departure in Goldthwait's career after directing a string of black comedies (World's Greatest Dad, God Bless America). In the great American tradition of people venturing into the woods and encountering absolutely pants-wetting terror, what starts as two dorks with a video camera having a lark in a national park metastasizes into something much deeper, darker, and queasier. Set in Humboldt County, California, Willow Creek centers on Jim (Bryce Johnson, Pretty Little Liars) a Bigfoot believer whose idea of a romantic getaway is to head deep into Six Rivers National Forest in Northern California, video camera in tow, trying to shoot his own Bigfoot footage at the site of the Patterson-Gimlin film. That 1967 fragment of footage purporting to show Sasquatch striding along a dry riverbed became a key artifact in the cryptozoology community, and Jim dreams of nothing more than setting foot on the actual location where it was shot. His long-suffering girlfriend, Kelly (Alexie Gilmore, World's Greatest Dad), agrees to tag along for the ride, despite the fact that she thinks Bigfoot has about as much chance of being real as leprechauns.

Bobcat Goldthwait is taking his first shot at horror here, and so far, the feedback for Willow Creek is positive. I know it's only Wednesday, so there's a lot of time for things to change, but as of right now, the damn thing is holding a 95% on Rotten Tomatoes with one rotten review.

Although, the trailer doesn't impress me, because I just see the same old couple, group, or friends investigating an urban legend found-footage formula. Willow Creek could be a sleeper surprise for horror films in 2014, but I'm not sold right now.

Kill The Messenger

Release Date: October 10, 2014

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Story: Two-time Academy Award nominee Jeremy Renner ("The Bourne Legacy") leads an all-star cast in a dramatic thriller based on the remarkable true story of Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Gary Webb. Webb stumbles onto a story which leads to the shady origins of the men who started the crack epidemic on the nation's streets...and further alleges that the CIA was aware of major dealers who were smuggling cocaine into the U.S., and using the profits to arm rebels fighting in Nicaragua. Despite warnings from drug kingpins and CIA operatives to stop his investigation, Webb keeps digging to uncover a conspiracy with explosive implications. His journey takes him from the prisons of California to the villages of Nicaragua to the highest corridors of power in Washington, D.C. - and draws the kind of attention that threatens not just his career, but his family and his life.

It's the most overrated film in 2013, but Jeremy Renner proved he can still deliver the goods in American Hustle. Definitely looking forward to this.

Left Behind

Release Date: October 3, 2014

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Nicolas Cage stars in this reboot of the Christian-faithed franchise based on Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins novel.

Nicolas Cage is too hit and miss, so you never know what you're going to get with him, and this teaser is underwhelming.

The Equalizer

Release Date: September 26, 2014

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Denzel Washington plays a former black ops commando who faked his death for a quiet life in Boston. He comes out of his retirement to rescue a young girl, Teri, and finds himself face to face with Russian gangsters.

Chloe Grace Moretz needs a home run here. The Carrie remake was mediocre at best and the critics panned Kick-Ass 2. It's a promising trailer, Denzel's name and his consistency for quality performances should help, and Martin Csokas is a reliable antagonist.

Full trailer for The Green Inferno:

[YOUTUBE]B6fyb8vW6Y8[/YOUTUBE]​

 

[Wolf Pac]

Dumb and Dumber To

Release Date: November 14, 2014

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Twenty years after their last adventure, good-hearted yet dimwitted best friends Harry and Lloyd head out in search for one of their long lost children in the hope of gaining a new kidney.

I had my doubts about this when I first heard about it but after watching the trailer, it looks pretty funny and just as crude and disgusting as the original. I still don't think it will better than the first film but it sure as shit will be better than Dumb and Dumberer. And hopefully they use some of the songs from the original's soundtrack (Apache Indian's "Boom Shaka Lak", The Primitives' "Crash" etc) in this cause it's hard imagining the movie without them.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

Pleasantly surprised by the Dumb and Dumber To trailer. It's hard to get your hopes up for anything with Jim Carrey now a days, but it's impossible for anything to be as bad or worse than Dumb & Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd, possibly the worst prequel ever made.

Final Girl

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Loner Veronica is new to school, shy and vulnerable the perfect target for a group of teenage boys who lure girls into the woods to hunt and kill them for sport. It’s only after they get her alone that she turns the tables on them, escaping and revealing she’s armed and knows how to defend herself. Little do they know, Veronica is an assassin-in-training, and she’s chosen killing these boys as her final test. When the dust clears, Veronica will find out if she can be the final girl these boys ever have a chance to hurt.

No official release dates yet.

A while ago, the director (Tyler Shields) released a debut trailer for Final Girl, where he showed the entire movie in sixty seconds (ballpark figure, not sure about the actual length). A unique concept, but the end result was a massive clusterfuck.

The second trailer is MUCH better. Abigail Breslin is a promising young actress, but I've never seen a dark and violent persona (looks like Shields is going for a mix of Hit Girl and The Bride from Kill Bill) from her. It'll be interesting to see if Breslin has what it takes to pull it off, and I'm looking forward to this.

The Expendables 3

Release Date: August 15, 2014

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In THE EXPENDABLES 3, Barney (Stallone), Christmas (Statham) and the rest of the team come face-to-face with Conrad Stonebanks (Gibson), who years ago co-founded The Expendables with Barney. Stonebanks subsequently became a ruthless arms trader and someone who Barney was forced to kill... or so he thought. Stonebanks, who eluded death once before, now is making it his mission to end The Expendables -- but Barney has other plans. Barney decides that he has to fight old blood with new blood, and brings in a new era of Expendables team members, recruiting individuals who are younger, faster and more tech-savvy. The latest mission becomes a clash of classic old-school style versus high-tech expertise in the Expendables' most personal battle yet.

A Walk Among The Tombstones

Release Date: September 19, 2014

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A heroin trafficker whose wife was abducted and murder hires a haunted private investigator to track down the men who killed her in this brooding crime drama starring Liam Neeson. Matt Scudder (Neeson) was an NYPD cop having a quiet drink in a Washington Heights bar when a pair of armed robbers came in guns blazing. Giving chase, Scudder guns down the robbers in the street, though a stray bullet turns a heroic moment tragic. Devastated, Scudder subsequently goes to work as an unlicensed private detective, working just outside of the law and surviving on generous gifts offered in exchange for his services. Now, tasked with rooting out the sadistic thugs who brutally murdered the wife of a wealthy drug dealer (Dan Stevens), Scudder scours the bars and back alleys of New York City in search of his elusive targets - and the closer he gets, the more apparent it becomes that they are something much more sinister than your typical kidnappers.

Not sold on this now, but nine times out of ten, Liam Neeson delivers a satisfying film, as the bad ass/tortured soul with a troubled past.

New trailer for Sin City: A Dame To Kill For:

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[Mitch Henessey]

Life After Beth

Release Date: August 15, 2014 (limited)

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After his girlfriend unexpectedly dies, Zach is devastated. However, he gets a second chance at love after she rises from the dead.

Beyond burnt out on anything with zombies at this point, but Plaza proved she has what it takes to be more than a bit player in small roles in The To Do List. Anna Kendrick is a welcome addition, and I'm interested to see Dane DeHaan outside of his angry, troubled, and neglected teenager comfort zone.

Dracula Untold

Release Date: October 17, 2014

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Luke Evans (Fast & Furious 6, Immortals) stars in Dracula Untold, the origin story of the man who became Dracula. Gary Shore directs and Michael De Luca produces the epic action-adventure.

I'm not 100% sure about Luke Evans in the leading role, but I'm definitely looking forward to this.

Fury

Release Date: November 14, 2014

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April, 1945. As the Allies make their final push in the European Theatre, a battle-hardened army sergeant named Wardaddy (Brad Pitt) commands a Sherman tank and her five-man crew on a deadly mission behind enemy lines. Outnumbered and outgunned, and with a rookie soldier thrust into their platoon, Wardaddy and his men face overwhelming odds in their heroic attempts to strike at the heart of Nazi Germany.

Fury could be a strong force in Oscar season, and there's a lot of promise with Brad in the leading role.

The Prince

Release Date(s): August 22, 2014 (limited theatrical & VOD releases)

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A reformed mob enforcer (Jason Patrick) journeys across the country in search of his missing, college-aged daughter, and comes up against a ruthless corporate criminal (Bruce Willis) with ties to his shady past. John Cusack, Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson, Johnathan Schaech, Gia Mantegna, and Rain co-star in this action thriller written by Jeremy Passmore and Andre Fabrizio, and directed by Brian A. Miller (House of the Rising Sun).

After watching the trailer, you get the feeling they're just using Willis to sell a very mediocre and underwhelming "you kidnapped my daughter!" action/thriller.

New trailers for Into The Storm and The Purge: Anarchy:

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[Mitch Henessey]

A few updates on postponed 2014 releases......

Jupiter Ascending's new release date (originally scheduled for a July 18 release) is February 6, 2015, and Paranormal Activity 5 (originally scheduled for a release in October) has an unknown release date for 2016.

As far as Jupiter Ascending goes, the change doesn't shock me. Channing Tatum looks like something out of a goofy cartoon show for kids in the trailers, and to make matters worse, Mila Kunis is a shaky pick to cast in a leading role as a heroine. I don't have any problems with Kunis, but she's not the type of actress, who can carry a film in the leading role, and you can say the say thing about Tatum.

Plus, look at the July 18th releases: The Purge: Anarchy and Sex Tape. There's no clear cut favorite for #1, and that's including Jupiter Ascending. Transformers is still dominating the box office standings, the new Planet Of The Apes film hits on Friday, you have Hercules and Lucy in a few weeks, and Guardians Of The Galaxy on August 1st. Jupiter Ascending would've been lucky to open at #3. After that, you're looking at a massive flop that's buried underneath a heap of big name summer films.

On the other hand, Paranormal Activity 5's lengthy delay is a bad sign. After five films, the PA franchise is running out of steam now. I'm not a fan of the series, but The Marked Ones was almost as good as PA 3 (the best PA film). Still, The Marked Ones was a failed experiment as a spin-off with an underwhelming run at the box office.

On top of that, PA (with The Marked Ones being the lone exception) sticks to a tedious, boring, and predictable formula:

-Security camera footage of the house (we don't need to know what's going on in your empty pool and kitchen at 3 o'clock in the morning), and when something moves by itself, we're supposed to be scared! Just......no.

-Toby, the invisible demon, randomly attacks someone

-And the movie ends with an ambiguous cliffhanger, so we don't get any real answers to the questions in the current or previous film(s).

At this point, it's safe to say the fans (a lot of PA loyalists and fans shit all over PA 4) are burnt out on Paranormal Activity. It wouldn't surprise me if PA 5 never happens, with the PA franchise taking a hiatus for another ten years until the inevitable reboot happens.

This is what happens after one too many mediocre and awful sequels (look at the Saw franchise), and I don't have high hopes for other mainstream horror franchises. Insidious 2 was garbage, and The Conjuring sequel can't live up to the expectations and the hype set by the first film. Also, I don't like the sound of the Annabelle spin-offs.

Gone Girl

Release Date: October 3, 2014

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GONE GIRL - directed by David Fincher and based upon the global bestseller by Gillian Flynn - unearths the secrets at the heart of a modern marriage. On the occasion of his fifth wedding anniversary, Nick Dunne (Ben Affleck) reports that his beautiful wife, Amy (Rosamund Pike), has gone missing. Under pressure from the police and a growing media frenzy, Nick's portrait of a blissful union begins to crumble. Soon his lies, deceits and strange behavior have everyone asking the same dark question: Did Nick Dunne kill his wife?

With Batman VS Superman on the horizon, Ben Affleck's performances and films are under a microscope, but I have faith in Gone Girl with Fincher behind the camera.

The Judge

Release Date: October 10, 2014

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Robert Downey Jr. plays a lawyer who heads home when his father, a judge, is implicated as a murder suspect in this comedy drama from Warner Bros. Vera Farmiga, Robert Duvall, Vincent D'Onofrio and Billy Bob Thornton head up the rest of the starring cast.

Feels strange, when RDJ takes a more serious turn, but you're guaranteed an entertaining show with Downey, Jr. sticking to his wisecracking and charismatic smart ass routine. Cast looks good, and there's a lot of promise with the broken father/son relationship between Duvall and RDJ.

Are You Here?

Release Date(s): August 20, 2014 (limited theatrical)/ September 29, 2014 (DVD release)

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When his off-the-grid best buddy Ben Baker (Zach Galifianakis) inherits his estranged father's fortune, womanizing local weatherman Steve Dallas (Owen Wilson) joins forces with him to battle the legal challenge brought by Ben's formidable sister (Amy Poehler), in the hilarious big-screen directorial debut from "Mad Men" creator Matthew Weiner.

5/10

Reach Me

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A comedy/drama centered on a group of people who all have a connection to a self-help book authored by a reclusive former football coach.

No official release dates yet.

Fast forward to 1:18 for Stallone's part. You can skip everything else.

Before I Go To Sleep

Release Date: September 12, 2014

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A woman wakes up every day, remembering nothing as a result of a traumatic accident in her past. One day, new terrifying truths emerge that force her to question everyone around her.

A psychological thriller with Nicole Kidman in the leading role has some promise, but I need to read the novel before I see this.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

Add V/H/S Viral to the list of new release dates. Bloody Disgusting.com confirmed V/H/S Viral will receive a limited theatrical run on November 21, 2014 with a VOD release for October 23.

Sharknado 2: The Second One

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A freak weather system turns its deadly fury on New York City, unleashing a Sharknado on the population and its most cherished, iconic sites - and only Fin and April can save the Big Apple.

I'm still having a lot of trouble understanding the fuss and fanfare behind the first Sharknado film. I get the point of the stupid fun B-movie approach, but that's not an excuse for terrible writing, choppy editing, and an awful overall cast.

The Possession Of Michael King

Release Date: August 22, 2014 (limited)

[YOUTUBE]dbUMYgKIvik[/YOUTUBE]​

Michael King (Shane Johnson), who doesn't believe in God or the Devil. Following the sudden death of his wife, Michael decides to make his next film about the search for the existence of the supernatural, making himself the center of the experiment - allowing demonologists, necromancers, and various practitioners of the occult to try the deepest and darkest spells and rituals they can find on him - in the hopes that when they fail, he'll once and for all have proof that religion, spiritualism, and the paranormal are nothing more than myth. But something does happen. An evil and horrifying force has taken over Michael King. And it will not let him go.

Every year we get more than one run of the mill possession/found-footage horror film. And it's hard to have an open mind about this one, because I see one too many unintentionally funny moments in the trailer.

The Damned

[YOUTUBE]nUMYbMTkWjg[/YOUTUBE]​

THE DAMNED tells the story of American David Reynolds (Peter Facinelli), widowed from his Colombian-born wife, who flies to Bogota with his new fiancée (Sophia Myles) to retrieve his rebellious teenage daughter Jill (Nathalia Ramos). En route to the city of Medellin, a car accident leaves them stranded in a run-down isolated inn. When they discover the old innkeeper has locked a young girl in the basement, they are determined to set her free. In saving the young girl, they ultimately unleash an ancient evil that's been waiting to wreak havoc on all that cross its path.

No official release dates yet.

Three words to describe The Damned after watching the trailer: cheap, cliched, and generic. Also, it's hard to ignore the similarities to Evil Dead. The Damned looks like the type of film you watch to kill time, when you're really bored and you don't feel like doing anything else, and I can't imagine The Damned appealing to anyone outside of die hard horror fans.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

The Zero Theorem

Release Date(s): August 19, 2014 (VOD release)/September 19, 2014 (limited theatrical)

[YOUTUBE]0PuSJX5Lo-o[/YOUTUBE]​

A computer hacker's goal to discover the reason for human existence continually finds his work interrupted thanks to the Management; this time, they send a teenager and lusty love interest to distract him.

Some will say Terry Gilliam's style is outdated, but I'm looking forward to this. Although, I'm not sure about Waltz carrying the film in the leading role, because he's better as a supporting player.

Horns

Release Date: October 31, 2014 (UK)​

[YOUTUBE]BZ3NBFwzel0[/YOUTUBE]​

Daniel Radcliffe stars in this adaptation of Joe Hill's novel surrounding a young man who grows horns overnight and aides in helping him discover the killer of his girlfriend, played by Juno Temple. Alexandre Aja directs from a script by Keith Bunin.

Kind of surprised Radcliffe is sticking with horror. From what I remember, The Woman In Black was Radcliffe's first high profiled post Harry Potter film. Feels strange, because Radcliffe doesn't strike me as a horror guy.

Anyway, the teaser is decent enough, but Radcliffe will have a tough time trying to escape Harry Potter's shadow throughout his career. Also, I know it's just a teaser, but you get the feeling they're downplaying Radcliffe's presence here.

Wild

Release Date: December 5, 2014 (limited)

[YOUTUBE]tn2-GSqPyl0[/YOUTUBE]​

With the dissolution of her marriage and the death of her mother, Cheryl Strayed has lost all hope. After years of reckless, destructive behavior, she makes a rash decision. With absolutely no experience, driven only by sheer determination, Cheryl hikes more than a thousand miles of the Pacific Crest Trail, alone. WILD powerfully captures the terrors and pleasures of one young woman forging ahead against all odds on a journey that maddens, strengthens, and ultimately heals her.

Happy to see Reese Witherspoon taking a break from romantic comedies for a while. She's an incredible actress, but a reoccurring problem in Witherspoon's career is she takes parts in one too many awful romantic comedies (This Means War is the most recent pick).

Open Windows

[YOUTUBE]XPRHtEFeU1s[/YOUTUBE]​

An actress named Jill refuses to have dinner with Nick, a fan who won a date with her in an Internet contest. In return, a guy named Chord, posing as Jill's campaign manager, helps Nick to follow in the footsteps of the actress from his own computer. Nick starts a game in which he realizes that is only a puppet into the manic plans devised by Chord, to hunt down the star.

No official release dates yet.

I'm a big fan of Elijah Wood, and the creepy voyeuristic premise is full of potential.

St. Vincent

Release Date: October 24, 2014 (limited)

[YOUTUBE]KjOrtlt6cCo[/YOUTUBE]​

Maggie (McCarthy), a single mother, moves into a new home in Brooklyn with her 12-year old son, Oliver (Lieberher). Forced to work long hours, she has no choice but to leave Oliver in the care of their new neighbor, Vincent (Murray), a retired curmudgeon with a penchant for alcohol and gambling. An odd friendship soon blossoms between the improbable pair. Together with a pregnant stripper named Daka (Watts), Vincent brings Oliver along on all the stops that make up his daily routine - the race track, a strip club, and the local dive bar. Vincent helps Oliver grow to become a man, while Oliver begins to see in Vincent something that no one else is able to: a misunderstood man with a good heart.

Vincent is tailor-made for Bill Murray. McCarthy stepping outside of rambunctious loudmouth comfort zone with the hard working single mother routine feels weird. But if I'm using the trailer as a sign of things to come, it's a refreshing change, because the thought of McCarthy and Murray shouting at and arguing with each other during a feud for over an hour is enough to give me a headache.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

Annabelle

Release Date: October 3, 2014

[YOUTUBE]HrWyewvuJFo[/YOUTUBE]​

Before The Conjuring, there was ANNABELLE.

I'll admit, I was pessimistic about the Annabelle spinoff at first, but the debut trailer is genuinely creepy and eerie, and I like the subtle approach here. They don't give away too much, and you don't see any over the top hysterics here. And the first movie poster looks good:

Spoiler

Ouija

Release Date: October 24, 2014

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In Ouija, a group of friends must confront their most terrifying fears when they awaken the dark powers of an ancient spirit board. Stiles White directs the supernatural thriller that is produced by Platinum Dunes partners Michael Bay, Andrew Form and Brad Fuller (The Purge, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Friday the 13th) alongside Blumhouse Productions' Jason Blum (Paranormal Activity and Insidious series, The Purge), Bennett Schneir (Battleship) and Hasbro. Juliet Snowden and Stiles White wrote the script for Ouija, and Universal will distribute the film worldwide.

Trying to hold out hope for Olivia Cooke as an actress, and she's still young, but this trailer for Ouija reeks of another generic and formulaic PG-13 horror film. And the story for a group of friends accidentally unleashing evil forces is too cliched and repetitive. I'm happy Olivia Cooke is sticking with horror (she's the lone highlight in The Quiet Ones), and she's fantastic on Bates Motel, but there's a good chance we're looking at another disastrous flop and panned turkey with Ouija.

Laggies

Release Date: October 24, 2014 (limited)

[YOUTUBE]J75EN8kVaUs[/YOUTUBE]​

Having spent her twenties comfortably inert, 28 year old Megan (Keira Knightley) reaches a crisis when she finds herself squarely in adulthood with no career prospects, no particular motivation to pursue any and no one to relate to, including her high school boyfriend (Mark Webber). When he proposes, Megan panics and given an opportunity to escape - at least temporarily - she hides out in the home of her new friend, 16-year-old Annika (Chloë Grace Moretz) and Annika's world-weary single dad (Sam Rockwell).

A. Laggies could be a satisfying and fun comedy/drama about a woman, who's terrified, because she feels her youth slipping away, so she bonds with Moretz to relive her teenage glory days, or b. the Laggies is a pretentious film with one too many cliches.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

A few tidbits for new release dates.

I'm late on this, but the Michael Bay produced found footage time travel flick Project Almanac (Welcome To Yesterday was the original title) was pushed back to January 30, 2015, and Kingsman: The Secret Service's (originally set for a release date in October) received a new release date for February 13, 2015.

Eli Roth's The Green Inferno was supposed to hit theaters next month, but Open World removed The Green Inferno from the new releases schedule. At this time, The Green Inferno is stuck in limbo with no release dates for the future, and the future for Roth's new film is unclear.

Space Station 76

Release Date: September 29, 2014 (DVD)

[YOUTUBE]18SJMvNrgDM[/YOUTUBE]​

A character-driven, domestic dramedy, which takes place in a 1970's version of the future, where personalities and asteroids collide.

Space Station 76 could be a unique black comedy, and going by the trailer, the really nailed the authenticity for a 70's sci-fi setting.

Nightcrawler

Release Date: October 17, 2014

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NIGHTCRAWLER is a pulse-pounding thriller set in the nocturnal underbelly of contemporary Los Angeles. Jake Gyllenhaal stars as Lou Bloom, a driven young man desperate for work who discovers the high-speed world of L.A. crime journalism. Finding a group of freelance camera crews who film crashes, fires, murder and other mayhem, Lou muscles into the cut-throat, dangerous realm of nightcrawling -- where each police siren wail equals a possible windfall and victims are converted into dollars and cents. Aided by Rene Russo as Nina, a veteran of the blood-sport that is local TV news, Lou thrives. In the breakneck, ceaseless search for footage, he becomes the star of his own story.

There's some promise with Jake Gyllenhaal as a creepy and unhinged lunatic in a suspense/thriller, but the trailer feels underwhelming.

Leprechaun: Origins

Release Date(s): August 22, 2014 (limited theatrical)/August 26 (VOD)/September 30 (DVD & Blu-Ray)

[YOUTUBE]zYg51_PFeHA[/YOUTUBE]​

Backpacking through the lush Irish countryside, two unsuspecting young couples discover a town’s chilling secret. Ben (Dunbar), Sophie (Bennet), David (Fletcher) and Jeni (Roxburgh) quickly discover the idyllic land is not what it appears to be when the town’s residents offer the hikers an old cabin at the edge of the woods. Soon, the friends will find that one of Ireland’s most famous legends is a terrifying reality.

Eh, I don't see a reason to get my hopes up or show any excitement for a Leprechaun reboot, and I don't see anything special with Honrnswoggle as the title character during the brief Leprechaun moments in this trailer. On top of that, this trailer reeks of a generic and cliched straight-to-video horror film.

See No Evil 2

Release Date: October 21, 2014 (straight-to-video)

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Jacob Goodnight (WWE superstar “Kane&#8221 fell to his apparent demise from high atop the Blackwell Hotel in See No Evil, and this terrifying sequel picks up where the last one left off. With Jacob's body lying on a cold sub-basement slab in the city morgue, Amy (Danielle Harris), a mortician, is surprised when a group of friends pay her a late-night visit for her birthday. But the surprise soon turns deadly when the psychopath everyone believed to be dead sets-out on a horrific killing spree, and Amy and her friends must do whatever it takes to survive.

The box cover for See No Evil 2:

Spoiler

I' m sure you won't find too many supporters for the first See No Evil film. It's a lousy horror flick without any guilty pleasure fun, but there's some hope with The Soska Twins directing. American Mary continues to build a reputation as a cult horror classic, and Danielle Harris has a solid fan following from her work as Jaime in Halloween 4 and 5, her return to the franchise for Rob Zombie's films, and her work in other horror films.

And the original See No Evil film set the bar pretty low, so they don't have to worry about surpassing any high standards for the original. Although, I don't get the point of a see-through mask for Kane. We know what Jacob Goodnight looks like, so there's mystique for knowing what's behind the mask. A very strange choice.

Also, here's an interview with Kane from Dreadcentral.com. In the interview, Kane talks about WWE, his role in the movie, and horror films. It's lengthy, but the interview is worth the time, if you're a fan of Kane, or if you're interested in See No Evil 2:

Spoiler

When he walked into the room, he nearly blotted out the sun that was peering through the hotel window while shining brightly on the 2014 San Diego Comic-Con. There I was, ready to go one-on-one with the demon Kane, and I managed to come out without a scratch.

Before I begin, at this time I'd like to thank Kane for not chokeslamming me when I tried putting him in a sleeper. Of course I kid, but he was eyeballing some chairs and tables ominously during our interview about the resurrection of Jacob Goodnight for the Lionsgate / WWE Studios film See No Evil 2.

"I was sort of shocked to get the call really because the first movie had been a commercial success with WWE Studios’ debut film, and I thought, 'Okay, we’re going to do a sequel pretty quickly,' and it didn’t happen for, like, several years," Glenn Jacobs, better known as Kane, tells us. "So, my phone rang one day and I was like, ‘Really? Okay. Isn’t it six years late?’ I was really surprised to get the call after having all that time pass. I didn’t think we’d do another one."

When last we saw Goodnight, a dog was unceremoniously peeing into his shattered eye cavity after a night of violent killing. I immediately wondered if his first order of business would be to track down that piss-happy pooch.

"I’m an animal lover; I wouldn’t let that happen! But okay, the plot point of how are you going to bring him back? He was killed pretty definitively at the end of the first movie. But you’re dealing with fantasy horror so I guess he wasn’t killed as badly as we thought he was. I think he’s more angry this time around and I think what you saw in the first movie... well, there’s a lot more of that. There is a lot of action in this movie, there’s more fight sequences. The victims actually fight back, which is a little different, especially [Kaj-Erik's] character who I had a couple of pretty long and complex fight sequences with. So, yeah, there’s even more of that in this one. Also the [Soska] twins know how to take advantage of people’s strengths, and of course, my strength is my size. I am a very big guy and I think that they, when they were putting things together, I think they made a concerted effort to accentuate that as much as possible."

Jacobs' co-star in the film, Danielle Harris, is just about two feet shorter than he is. Given this fact I inquired as to their on-screen dynamic. "It’s funny because Danielle was saying how people are surprised. She’s a very diminutive girl despite the fact that she generally plays a really tough girl. Danielle’s role is a little different in this movie. She’s not the one out there trying to kick butt; she’s more the voice of reason trying to hold everything together. Frankly, everyone in the movie was great to work with; the entire cast was really great."

Kane also has a soft spot for his directors, Jen and Sylvia Soska. "They were awesome. They bring so much excitement and so much enthusiasm to the set. We had fifteen shooting days, which is pressure packed. No matter how hard you try, there’s going to be points you feel you’ve fallen behind schedule. Everybody was freaking out except the twins. I was just so impressed by them. Their knowledge and their skill is amazing; they helped me a lot as far as my role. I can’t speak highly enough of their talent."

In terms of being able to act on screen, Kane points to his WWE roots as his training. "To a certain extent I think acting is an extension of what we do at WWE. At the company, we do a lot of theatrics, especially my character is a lot of acting. In the WWE, you have two different kinds of performers: You have the guy whose character is just an extension of who he is in real life, and then you have the ones that are completely different who are acting. I’m nothing like Kane. I’m one of the guys who has a character. So, acting really is an extension of what I do on WWE but it’s a lot different when you’re on a soundstage. Everything is very antiseptic and very sterile. I’ve worked so many years with the WWE. The approach is you have one take on live TV, so you get it right. It’s funny because when I do do movies, they go to rehearsals and after a couple of rehearsals they go, ‘You don’t actually do this until the light comes on, do you?’ I have to go all out on that one take so rehearsals are actually sort of hard for me because I’m like, ‘This is boring; let’s just cut to the chase!’ That’s a little different than what directors and other members of the crew are used to."

Would Jacobs be willing to step back into Jacob's blood-drenched shoes? "I think so. If I had another opportunity to work with the twins again. Talking about acting, I would like to do some other things as well. I would branch out. WWE has been awesome for me. Sometimes you hear bad things about Vince McMahon, and for me, you never hear the other side of the story. Certainly, I wouldn’t be where I am, my family wouldn’t be in the position they’re in, if it hadn’t been for him. But I’ve been doing this incarnation of Kane for a long time and, as a performer, you do want to stretch and you do want to do different things. The most fun I’ve had at WWE was doing Team Hell No with Daniel Bryan because I went from being the most stark guy on the show to being the comic relief. As a performer, that’s really rewarding that you can do both. So, I would like to do some different things. I do like the horror genre, I’m a fan myself. My favorite movie of all time is Silence of the Lambs. I love the 'Hannibal' series because here you have a guy who’s very smart. The monstrous part of him is his intelligence and not his physical size. That’s what scares me. Moving forward, I would like to do some other things."

Jacobs continues. "I think people are going to be very surprised in this movie as far as what Jacob does with some of the scenes. You actually have your psychopathic killer acting, which is something you don’t see that often. I wore a mask for years and the disadvantage of that is, as human beings, we portray most emotions with our face and I had to do it with body language. Really, the essence of the WWE is we’re trying to elicit an emotional reaction from the crowd just like you are in a movie. It’s the same deal. I understood how you get those emotions out of people. If you can’t have your number one asset, and you can do it with your number two asset, once you get your number one asset, you’re going to be pretty good at it."

In closing I asked Kane what his take on Goodnight is being that he's played a villain, and at times a hero, for so long. "Jacob was just a normal little boy like all of us. If there is any sort of social commentary, which I hesitate to say that there is, but if there is, it’s the fact that… well... Danielle Harris put it best. She just got married and they’re working on a family and she’s like, ‘I have to be really careful how I raise my kids and raise them correctly, or THIS comes out!’ and she points straight at me! *laughs* Jacob wasn’t born the way that he is; he was made to be that way."

Greyston Holt ("Bitten," Lost Boys: The Tribe), Chelan Simmons (Tucker & Dale vs. Evil), Kaj-Erik Eriksen (Ice Twisters), and Lee Majdoub (Soldiers of the Apocalypse) star alongside Danielle Harris (the Halloween franchise), Katharine Isabelle (American Mary, Ginger Snaps, Freddy vs. Jason), and Michael Eklund (The Call, The Marine 3: Homefront, The Day) in the Soska Sisters-helmed See No Evil 2 starring WWE Superstar KANE®.

Lionsgate will handle worldwide distribution of See No Evil 2, while WWE Studios will utilize its extensive global reach through television, digital, and social media and print assets to market the film.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

Wer

[YOUTUBE]YC1DQsaKdgw[/YOUTUBE]​

A defense attorney begins to suspect that her client, who is charged with the murders of a vacationing family, might be more than meets the eye.

No official release dates yet.

Trailer looks good. Wer should be a graphic, bloody, and violent, and you get the feeling they're trying to put a twist on werewolf films, but I don't have any faith in the director. For those, who don't know, William Brent Bell directed Stay Alive and The Devil Inside.

Stay Alive is one of the worst horror movies I've ever seen. The cast is terrible, but it's still a boring, dull, and unintentionally hilarious horror film, with a stupid premise. And The Devil Inside is a boring and generic found-footage film, and the ending is one giant middle finger to the audience ("you just payed for the ticket, but you have to finish the movie on our website!").

Maps To The Stars

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With this tale of a secret-filled Hollywood family on the verge of implosion, director David Cronenberg (EASTERN PROMISES, A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE) forges both a wicked social satire and a very human ghost story from our celebrity-obsessed culture. Meet the Weiss family, who are making their way in a sun-soaked Southern California rife with money, dreams, fame, envy, angst, yearning - and relentless hauntings. Stafford Weiss (John Cusack) is a famed TV self-help therapist, whose "Hour of Personal Power" has brought him an A-list celebrity clientele. Meanwhile, Cristina Weiss (Olivia Williams) has her work cut out managing the career of their disaffected child-star son, Benjie (Evan Bird), a fresh graduate of rehab at age 13.

No official release dates yet.

Cronenberg, Mia Wasikowska, and Cusack are more than enough to pique my interest for Maps To The Stars.

No Good Deed

Release Date: September 12, 2014

[YOUTUBE]VjLVZ4BxOSI[/YOUTUBE]​

Terri (Taraji P. Henson), a devoted wife and mother of two, lives an ideal life that takes a dramatic turn when her home and children are threatened by Colin (Idris Elba), a charming stranger who smooth-talks his way into her house, claiming car trouble. The unexpected invitation leaves her and her family terrorized and fighting for survival.

There's a lot of promise with Taraji P. Henson and Idris Elba, but I have a bad feeling No Good Deed will turn into a forgettable and formulaic home invasion thriller.

Tusk

Release Date: September 19, 2014

[YOUTUBE]trTTjvPCLJQ[/YOUTUBE]​

Red State director Kevin Smith takes the helm for this horror film starring Justin Long as a podcaster who is targeted by a sadistic killer while attempting to land an interview with a misanthropic adventurer (Michael Parks). Genesis Rodriguez and Haley Joel Osment co-star.

Kevin Smith takes a lot of heat for Red State, but I give the guy credit for taking a chance and stepping out of his comfort zone.

Hopefully, Smith follows in the footsteps of The Human Centipede (First Sequence), while ignoring the sequel (Second Sequence). The first Human Centipede film is much better, but the sequel is garbage, with Tom Six (the director/writer) taking a gross for the sake of being gross approach.

New trailer for Left Behind:

[YOUTUBE]GrXe8YDbzYs[/YOUTUBE]​

 

[Mitch Henessey]

Miss Meadows

Release Date: November 14, 2014 (limited)

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A story centered on a proper elementary school teacher who moonlights as a vigilante.

I have my doubts about Katie Holmes in the leading role. She's not a terrible actress, and I'm a fan, but I'm not sure Holmes has the range to pull off this character. Maybe someone like Eva Green, Kate Mara, or Mia Wasikowska, but Holmes? I have a hard time buying into her portraying a vigilante/psychopath, who lives a double life.

Young Ones

Release Date: October 17, 2014 (limited)

[YOUTUBE]mH9_tU5PbGs[/YOUTUBE]​

YOUNG ONES is set in a near future when water has become the most precious and dwindling resource on the planet, one that dictates everything from the macro of political policy to the detailed micro of interpersonal family and romantic relationships. The land has withered into something wretched. The dust has settled on a lonely, barren planet. The hardened survivors of the loss of Earth's precious resources scrape and struggle. Ernest Holm (Michael Shannon) lives on this harsh frontier with his children, Jerome (Kodi Smit McPhee)and Mary (Elle Fanning). He defends his farm from bandits, works the supply routes, and hopes to rejuvenate the soil. But Mary's boyfriend, Flem Lever (Nicholas Hoult), has grander designs. He wants Ernest's land for himself, and will go to any length to get it. From writer/director Jake Paltrow comes a futuristic western, told in three chapters, which inventively layers Greek tragedy over an ethereal narrative that's steeped deeply in the values of the American West.

Michael Shannon is enough to hook me in.

A Good Marriage

Release Date: October 3, 2014 (limited)

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A happy and enduring marriage is shattered when a husband departs for a business trip, and his faithful wife unearths evidence that exposes his monstrous true nature in this thriller starring Joan Allen and Anthony LaPaglia, and adapted from a short story by Stephen King, who also penned the screenplay for director Peter Askin (Trumbo, Certainty).

Not sure about this. Stephen King adaptations are really hit and miss, and it's hard to shake the feeling of watching a trailer for a TV movie.

Men, Women, & Children

Release Date: October 3, 2014 (limited)

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MEN, WOMEN & CHILDREN follows the story of a group of high school teenagers and their parents as they attempt to navigate the many ways the internet has changed their relationships, their communication, their self-image, and their love lives. The film attempts to stare down social issues such as video game culture, anorexia, infidelity, fame hunting, and the proliferation of illicit material on the internet. As each character and each relationship is tested, we are shown the variety of roads people choose - some tragic, some hopeful - as it becomes clear that no one is immune to this enormous social change that has come through our phones, our tablets, and our computers.

The trailer and the premise reminds me of Disconnect. Eerily similar style, with the main characters struggling to find a middle ground and change their lifestyles, because they're consumed by technology, the internet, social media, etc. On a positive note, going by the trailer, Adam Sandler has a part in a watchable film for the first time in years.

Full trailer for Annabelle:

[YOUTUBE]paFgQNPGlsg[/YOUTUBE]​

 

[Mitch Henessey]

The Pyramid

Release Date: December 5, 2014

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The ancient wonders of the world have long cursed explorers who've dared to uncover their secrets. But a team of U.S. archaeologists gets more than they bargained for when they discover a lost pyramid unlike any other in the Egyptian desert. As they unlock the horrific secrets buried within, they realize they aren't just trapped, they are being hunted.

The poster:

Spoiler

They're trying to use Alexandre Aja's name to push this one. Haute Tension is a popular pick for Aja's best film as a director, but it's The Hills Have Eyes for me, I loved Piranha 3D, and I guess I'm one of the few people, who actually enjoys Mirrors. But Aja is not directing this one.

Mixed feelings on this, because everything goes downhill after the documentary style intro. The trailer devolves into a preview for a generic found-footage horror film, and I rolled my eyes at the "you're crazy, if you think I'm not going in there" line.

Exists

Release Date: October 24, 2014 (limited)

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For five friends, it was a chance for a summer getaway- a weekend of camping in the Texas Big Thicket. But visions of a carefree vacation are shattered with an accident on a dark and desolate country road. In the wake of the accident, a bloodcurdling force of nature is unleashed-something not exactly human, but not completely animal- an urban legend come to terrifying life...and seeking murderous revenge.

Meh. After Willow Creek, one Bigfoot/Sasquatch found-footage horror film per year is more than enough for me.

Full trailer for [REC] 4, and another trailer for Horns:

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[YOUTUBE]JwHRGr-Dde0[/YOUTUBE]​

 

[Mitch Henessey]

The ABCs Of Death 2

Release Date(s): October 2, 2014 (VOD release)/October 31, (limited theatrical release)

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ABC’s of Death 2 is the follow-up to the most ambitious anthology film ever conceived with productions spanning from Nigeria to UK to Brazil and everywhere in between. It features segments directed by over two dozen of the world’s leading talents in contemporary genre film. The film is comprised of twenty-six individual chapters, each helmed by a different director assigned a letter of the alphabet. The directors were then given free rein in choosing a word to create a story involving death. Provocative, shocking, funny and at times confrontational, ABC’s of Death 2 is another global celebration of next generation genre filmmaking.

The full list of directors for each short:

Spoiler

Julian Barratt (THE MIGHTY BOOSH)
Todd Rohal (THE CATECHISM CATALYSM)
Steven Kostanski (MANBORG)
Alejandro Brugués (JUAN OF THE DEAD)
Jim Hosking (commercial director)
Hajime Ohata (HENGE)
Chris Nash (SKINFECTIONS)
Álex de la Iglesia (THE LAST CIRCUS, DAY OF THE BEAST)
Rodney Ascher (ROOM 237)
Bill Plympton (Animator)
Erik Matti (ON THE JOB, MAGIC TEMPLE)
Kristina Buozyte and Bruno Samper (VANISHING WAVES)
Sion Sono (COLD FISH, SUICIDE CLUB)
Vincenzo Natali (SPLICE, CUBE)
Larry Fessenden (THE LAST WINTER, HABIT)
Marcus Dunstan (THE COLLECTION)
Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo (INSIDE, LIVID)
E.L. Katz (CHEAP THRILLS)
Jen and Sylvia Soska (AMERICAN MARY, DEAD HOOKER IN A TRUNK)
Aharon Keshales and Navot Papushado (RABIES, BIG BAD WOLVES)
Julian Gilbey (A LONELY PLACE TO DIE)
Dennison Ramalho (NINJAS and LOVE FOR MOTHER ONLY)
Lancelot Imasuen (Nollywood director)
Jerome Sable (THE LEGEND OF BEAVER DAM, STAGEFRIGHT)
Robert Morgan (BOBBY YEAH)

Hopefully, it's better than the first film. S is for Speed and T is for Toilet are the standout shorts in the first film. Everything else ranges from so-so to mediocre to unbearably awful (i.e. F is for Farting). The first film was too uneven, so hopefully the new set of directors will create a more balanced film with a collective effort.

Whiplash

Release Date: October 10, 2014 (limited)

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Andrew Neyman is an ambitious young jazz drummer, single-minded in his pursuit to rise to the top of his elite east coast music conservatory. Plagued by the failed writing career of his father, Andrew hungers day and night to become one of the greats. Terence Fletcher, an instructor equally known for his teaching talents as for his terrifying methods, leads the top jazz ensemble in the school. Fletcher discovers Andrew and transfers the aspiring drummer into his band, forever changing the young man's life. Andrew's passion to achieve perfection quickly spirals into obsession, as his ruthless teacher continues to push him to the brink of both his ability-and his sanity.

An overwhelming amount of positive reviews for Whiplash so far, and it's worth a shot for J.K. Simmons.

New trailer and a release date (October 10, originally scheduled for October 17):

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[Mitch Henessey]

Horrible Bosses 2

Release Date: November 26, 2014

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The follow-up to the 2011 hit comedy "Horrible Bosses" reunites Jason Bateman, Charlie Day and Jason Sudeikis as everyone's favorite working stiffs: Nick, Dale and Kurt. Jennifer Aniston ("We're the Millers"), and Oscar (R) winners Jamie Foxx ("Ray") and Kevin Spacey ("American Beauty," "The Usual Suspects") also reprise their "Horrible Bosses" starring roles, while Chris Pine ("Star Trek: Into Darkness") and Oscar (R) winner Christoph Waltz ("Django Unchained," "Inglourious Basterds") star as new adversaries standing between the guys and their dreams of success.

I can't say I'm too excited about this.

The first Horrible Bosses film had its moments, and Jennifer Aniston taking a big step outside of her comfort zone to do something different was a nice surprise, but I don't see the need for a sequel. Adding Christoph Waltz as the new bad guy (I'm guessing they'll limit Spacey's appearance to a cameo) could help, and the trailer is okay, but there's a good chance we're looking at another lazy cash grab sequel with this one.

The Guest

Release Date: September 17, 2014 (limited)

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Still struggling over the loss of their oldest son, Caleb, to the war in Afghanistan, the Peterson family finds some solace when an unexpected visitor knocks on their door. David, a steely eyed and charismatic soldier who was recently discharged, is welcomed into their home when he comes to fulfill a promise he made to his fallen comrade. Siblings Anna and Luke are at first reluctant to accept David’s presence, but he soon wins them over by scoring kegs for Anna’s friends and roughing up some bullies from Luke’s school. Though he appears to be the perfect houseguest, a mysterious and sinister chain of events causes Anna to question whether David is actually who he claims to be.

Adam Wingard did a good job with You're Next, and he's also the same man, who directed Tape 56 in V/H//S and Phase I Clinical Trails in V/H/S 2. Although, I have some doubts about The Guest devolving into a generic and forgettable suspense/thriller, and I have a hard time believing in The Guest maintaining the 90% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Automata

Release Date(s): October 10, 2014 (limited theatrical/November 17, 2014 (DVD release)

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In a future where Earth's ecosystem verges on collapse, man-made robots roam the city to protect dwindling human life. When a robot overrides a key protocol put in place to protect human life, ROC Robotics insurance agent Jacq Vaucan (Antonio Banderas) is assigned to locate the source of the manipulation and eliminate the threat. What he discovers leads Vaucan, ROC Robotics and the police into a battle with profound consequences for the future of humanity.

I could be wrong, but going by the trailer, you get the sense they're headed for a robots rising up and eliminating all humans on Earth twist with the "profound consequences for the future of humanity" line in the synopsis. They're trying to build up this "what's going on with the robots?" mystery in the trailer, and if we're headed for another robot revolution with the main twist, it'll be a big disappointment.

New trailer for Monsters: Dark Continent:

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[Mitch Henessey]

The Town That Dreaded Sundown

Release Date: October 16, 2014 (limited theatrical/VOD platforms)

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65 years after a masked serial killer terrorized the small town of Texarkana, the so-called ‘moonlight murders’ begin again. Is it a copycat or something even more sinister? A lonely high school girl, with dark secrets of her own, may be the key to catching him.

It's a remake of the 1976 original directed by Charles B. Pierce. Usually, I have my doubts about remakes (especially horror remakes), but the trailer is promising. It's chilling, creepy, and the nighttime shots of the empty streets are a nice touch for a sense of eeriness.

At The Devil's Door

Release Date(s): September 12, 2014 (limited theatrical)/December 15, 2014 (DVD)

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From The Producer of THE STRANGERS and the writer/director of THE PACT comes AT THE DEVIL'S DOOR starring Naya Rivera, Ashley Rickards and Catalina Sandino Moreno. When ambitious young real estate agent Leigh is asked to sell a house with a checkered past, she crosses paths with a disturbed girl whom she learns is the runaway daughter of the couple selling the property. When Leigh tries to intervene and help her, she becomes entangled with a supernatural force that soon pulls Leigh's artist sister Vera into its web - and has sinister plans for both of them.

The trailer takes a dive after the intro, and you get the feeling At The Devil's Door will be another generic and forgettable possession horror film, with a predictable (and over the top) exorcism finale to save the possessed victim.

7500

Release Date: October 3, 2014

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Flight 7500 departs Los Angeles International Airport bound for Tokyo. As the overnight flight makes its way over the Pacific Ocean during its ten-hour course, the passengers encounter what appears to be a supernatural force in the cabin.

Strange story with this one. 7500 was on the shelf for two years (I remember posting the trailer in one of the old threads) with no official release dates, but 7500 quietly hit theaters in Thailand on May 16th as Chuyen Bay. The poster:

Spoiler

I checked IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes, and other places. I haven't seen anything else to signal a change for the current October 3rd release date, and I hope it stays that way. The trailer is mysterious, and with a short time frame, they do a good job of using a slow burn approach to build up the chaos and terror at the end. Feels like a mix of The Langoliers and Devil 2010 (an off the top of my head pick for claustrophobic horror films with a supernatural twist), and I'm looking froward to it.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay- Part 1

Release Date: November 21, 2014

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The worldwide phenomenon of The Hunger Games continues to set the world on fire with The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1, which finds Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) in District 13 after she literally shatters the games forever. Under the leadership of President Coin (Julianne Moore) and the advice of her trusted friends, Katniss spreads her wings as she fights to save Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) and a nation moved by her courage. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 is directed by Francis Lawrence from a screenplay by Danny Strong and Peter Craig and produced by Nina Jacobson's Color Force in tandem with producer Jon Kilik. The novel on which the film is based is the third in a trilogy written by Suzanne Collins that has over 65 million copies in print in the U.S. alone.

8/10

John Wick

Release Date: October 24, 2014

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An ex-hitman comes out of retirement to track down the gangsters that took everything from him. With New York City as his bullet-riddled playground, JOHN WICK (Keanu Reeves) is a fresh and stylized take on the "assassin genre".

I'm indifferent to Keanu Reeves as an actor, but the trailer is solid. John Wick could be a decent enough action/thriller, but I'm not setting the bar too high for this one.

A Most Violent Year

Release Date: December 31, 2014 (limited)

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Set during the winter of 1981 -- statistically one of the most crime-ridden of New York City's history -- A MOST VIOLENT YEAR is a drama following the lives of an immigrant and his family as they attempt to capitalize on the American Dream, while the rampant violence, decay, and corruption of the day drag them in and threaten to destroy all they have built.

She's cooled off a little bit, but Jessica Chastain was on a consistent hot streak with Take Shelter, her performance in The Help, The Debt, and Zero Dark Thirty over the past couple of years. It's worth a shot for Chastain, but this teaser is kind of dull.

Big Eyes

Release Date: December 25, 2014

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The true story of painter Margaret Keane's life in obscurity while her husband gleaned the notoriety for being the face of her work is brought to the screen by Tim Burton and his Ed Wood screenwriters, Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski. Amy Adams and Christoph Waltz star.

Feels strange to watch a trailer for a Tim Burton film with no Johnny Depp or Helena Bonham Carter, but I'll admit it's a refreshing change to see Burton take a little break from Gothic style horror films.

With Christoph Waltz and Amy Adams in the leading roles and a Christmas Day release date, you have to expect some Oscar buzz for this one.

Another note on the Town That Dreaded Sundown 2014. Apparently, it's a remake/sequel, with the new film picking up 65 years after the the '76 original. I didn't pay too much attention to the Old Lady telling the story about The Phantom and the murders to her granddaughter (?) in the trailer. In the 76' film (and you should stop reading now, if you want to avoid spoilers), they never caught The Phantom. Remember, he escaped with some help from the cover of a train after taking a gunshot to the leg.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

The Interview

Release Date: December 25, 2014

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In the action-comedy The Interview, Dave Skylark (James Franco) and his producer Aaron Rapoport (Seth Rogen) run the popular celebrity tabloid TV show "Skylark Tonight." When they discover that North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un is a fan of the show, they land an interview with him in an attempt to legitimize themselves as journalists. As Dave and Aaron prepare to travel to Pyongyang, their plans change when the CIA recruits them, perhaps the two least-qualified men imaginable, to assassinate Kim Jong-un.

I can't say I'm all that excited about this. James Franco has taken three or four steps backwards since his performance and Oscar nomination for 127 Hours. He might deliver one or two good films/performances every now and then, but that's about it. I'm still a fan of Seth Rogen, but he's way too streaky now a days.

If Rogen and Franco (especially Franco) had more quality films under their belt leading up to The Interview, I'd have higher expectations for another Rogen/Franco collaboration. But that's not the case, and this trailer is pretty dull.

Birdman (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

Release Date: October 17, 2014 (limited)

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BIRDMAN or The Unexpected Virtue Of Ignorance is a black comedy that tells the story of an actor (Michael Keaton) - famous for portraying an iconic superhero - as he struggles to mount a Broadway play. In the days leading up to opening night, he battles his ego and attempts to recover his family, his career, and himself.

Micahel Keaton portraying a washed up star, who's spiraling out of control and trying to pick up the pieces? As a black comedy, it's loaded with potential, and the trailer looks good, so I'll keep an eye out for this one.

The House October Built

Release Date: October 10, 2014 (limited)​

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From Steven Schneider, the producer of Insidious and Paranormal Activity, The Houses October Built tells the story of a group of friends that decide to visit haunted houses all across the country leading up to Halloween. Throughout the documentation of their trip, they realize that something evil has followed them home.

Eh, I've seen this story more times (especially in a low budget found-footage horror film) than I can count. A small group of friends, reporters, paranormal experts, etc. go on a mission to find the truth behind a REAL haunted house, mansion, an abandoned building, or some ancient burial ground. During the expedition, things spiral out of control, and the group is stuck in a life-or-death fight to survive.

It's been done to death before, but every now and then, you'll find one in the pack that's decent enough or solid film. I'm sure it'll be a forgettable horror film with a few predictable jump scares, but there's a small chance for a surprise.

Más Negro Qué La Noche (Darker than Night)

Release Date: September 26, 2014 (limited)

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An update of the legendary 1975 Mexican classic horror film, Más Negro Qué La Noche tells the story of Greta (Zuria Vega), a beautiful young woman whose eccentric aunt passes away leaving her a large, once opulent mansion. When Greta moves in with her friends (Josemaria Torre, Miguel Rodarte, Adriana Louvier) she discovers that she must take care of her aunt's prized cat, Beker. The new residents take charge of the mansion, throwing wild parties and enjoying a fun filled summer until they lose track of Beker - who drowns in the mansion's pool. What was about to be the best summer of their lives quickly turns into a spine-chilling fight for their lives.

Art House style horror is an acquired taste, with more focus on spooky atmospherics as one of the more obvious differences. I haven't seen the original yet, but I'll give it a try before I watch the remake.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

Inherent Vice

Release Date: December 12, 2014

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"Inherent Vice," is the seventh feature from Paul Thomas Anderson and the first ever film adaption of a Thomas Pynchon novel. When private eye Doc Sportello's ex-old lady suddenly out of nowhere shows up with a story about her current billionaire land developer boyfriend whom she just happens to be in love with, and a plot by his wife and her boyfriend to kidnap that billionaire and throw him in a looney bin...well, easy for her to say. It's the tail end of the psychedelic `60s and paranoia is running the day and Doc knows that "love" is another of those words going around at the moment, like "trip" or "groovy," that's being way too overused - except this one usually leads to trouble. With a cast of characters that includes surfers, hustlers, dopers and rockers, a murderous loan shark, LAPD Detectives, a tenor sax player working undercover, and a mysterious entity known as the Golden Fang, which may only be a tax dodge set up by some dentists... Part surf noir, part psychedelic romp - all Thomas Pynchon.

On a second watch, I had hard time getting into The Master, but with Pt Anderson behind the camera and Joaquin Phoenix in the starring role, you have to consider Inherent Vice as another top Oscar contender for multiple awards.

Saw (Re-Release)​

Release Date: October 31, 2014​

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I honestly don't know why so many Saw fans pick the 2004 original as the best film in the franchise. The elephant in the room twist with Amanda in II is a letdown (no one suspects this disturbed woman, who clearly knows everything there is to know about Jigsaw? Come on now), but it's a better film. Saw III is the best in the series, Saw 4 and 5 are god-awful, six is okay (the social commentary for the problems with health insurance in America helps), and Saw 7/3D is an underwhelming finale.

Halloween '78 is another film (every year, or every other year) that receives a special re-release on Halloween, and maybe the one week special will spark something, but I'm not excited about Saw's return to theaters, because (it's the same problem with the vast majority of horror franchises) the Saw franchise took a big dive in quality after the first couple of films.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

Serena

Release Date: October 24, 2014

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In Depression-era North Carolina, the future of George Pemberton's timber empire becomes complicated when it is learned that his wife, Serena, cannot bear children.

As far as the release date goes, I'm guessing it's a limited release, because I accidentally stumbled across this trailer on YouTube, and unless I'm missing something, I haven't seen any heavy promotional material for this one. That's odd, because a movie with Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence as the main stars should receive a hard push for a theatrical release.

Although, if I'm using the trailer as a sign of things to come, I don't have high hopes for this. The trailer is bland, dull, and boring, and I know it's just a trailer, but the moments with Lawrence and Cooper together feel contrived. Obviously, they're hoping to recapture the same spark from Silver Linings Playbook, but I don't see it here.

Chances are they're planning to quietly dump this one in theaters for a short run, so they can capitalize on Lawrence and Cooper working together again, and it wouldn't surprise me if we see a home video release before the end of 2014.

American Sniper

Release Date: December 25, 2014

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From director Clint Eastwood comes "American Sniper," starring Bradley Cooper as Chris Kyle, the most lethal sniper in U.S. military history. But there was much more to this true American hero than his skill with a rifle. U.S. Navy SEAL sniper Chris Kyle is sent to Iraq with only one mission: to protect his brothers-in-arms. His pinpoint accuracy saves countless lives on the battlefield and, as stories of his courageous exploits spread, he earns the nickname "Legend." However, his reputation is also growing behind enemy lines, putting a price on his head and making him a prime target of insurgents. Despite the danger, as well as the toll on his family at home, Chris serves through four harrowing tours of duty in Iraq, becoming emblematic of the SEAL creed to "leave no man behind." But upon returning home, Chris finds that it is the war he can't leave behind.

With Clint Eastwood behind the camera , it's definitely worth a shot, but I'm reaching a point, where I'm just burnt out on Bradley Cooper now.

Dying Of The Light

Release Date: December 5, 2014 (limited)

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Evan Lake, a desk-bound Langley CIA agent, is forced into retirement by signs of early onset dementia. At the same time he discovers his former tormentor, Jihadist Muhhamed Banir, is not dead as assumed for two decades but is alive and receiving experimental medical treatment. Banir's exact location is unknown. With the help of a disgraced young agent Evan sets out to track down Banir. He must confront him before it is too late--for both of them. Evan's search leads him from Bucharest to Mombasa where, in the guise of a doctor, he confront his nemesis.

Nicolas Cage in another forgettable action/thriller?

A few cringeworthy moments ("who's got their hand your pocket now!") in this trailer, but Dying Of The Light could be a decent enough film, if you're trying to kill some time.

Unbroken

Release Date: December 25, 2014

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Academy Award (R) winner Angelina Jolie directs and produces Unbroken, an epic drama that follows the incredible life of Olympian and war hero Louis "Louie" Zamperini (Jack O'Connell) who, along with two other crewmen, survived in a raft for 47 days after a near-fatal plane crash in WWII-only to be caught by the Japanese Navy and sent to a prisoner-of-war camp. Director Jolie began shooting some of the most dramatic and challenging scenes on Wednesday, October 16, on location far out at sea in Moreton Bay, Australia, with Zamperini (O'Connell) and his fellow airmen-Phil (Domhnall Gleeson) and Mac (Finn Wittrock)-having impossibly survived being adrift in the open Pacific for several weeks. Working with cameras on a floating rig in choppy waters and braving the elements, with actors dieting for months to appear as depleted as their characters, Jolie completed a successful first day of a location shoot that promises to be rigorous and uniquely challenging. Adapted from Laura Hillenbrand's ("Seabiscuit: An American Legend") enormously popular book, Unbroken brings to the big screen Zamperini's unbelievable and inspiring true story about the resilient power of the human spirit. Starring alongside O'Connell, Gleeson and Wittrock are Garrett Hedlund and John Magaro as fellow POWs who find an unexpected camaraderie during their internment, Alex Russell as Zamperini's brother, Pete, and in his English-language feature debut, Japanese actor Miyavi as the brutal camp guard known only to the men as "The Bird." The film is produced by Jolie, as well as Matthew Baer (City by the Sea), Erwin Stoff (The Day the Earth Stood Still) and Clayton Townsend (This Is 40). Leading the accomplished behind-the-scenes crew is 10-time Oscar (R)-nominated cinematographer Roger Deakins (Skyfall). Academy Award (R) winners Joel and Ethan Coen (No Country for Old Men) rewrote the screenplay from earlier drafts by William Nicholson (Les Misérables) and Richard LaGravenese (HBO's Behind the Candelabra).

Unbroken has a good amount of buzz, and with strong reviews, you have to believe in Unbroken's chances as a top contender for major awards at the Oscars next year.