november movie

November is usually a month for Oscar hopefuls to start popping up, but this month seems to be populated with films that look to be a bit better than your average summer fare but didn’t quite make the Christmas cut.

Normally when a film comes out based on a popular property I have at least a passing knowledge of the material, but I know nothing of the story of The Nutcracker and the Four Realms. When a young girl finds she has a gift from her late mother, she needs to find a key to open it. Her journey to find the key takes her on a Looking Glass/Wardrobe adventure where she finds a magical world in the midst of a struggle and she is the literal key to bringing peace to this world. Sounds more complicated than lifting a couch cushion, which is where my keys usually wind up.

The story of Freddy Mercury and Queen’s rise to fame has been in the works for quite some time. Initially Bohemian Rhapsody was going to be a Sacha Baren Cohen vehicle, but his popular onscreen antics brought anxiety to the Mercury Estate as they were unsure what he would do with such a beloved icon. Eventually Rami Malek was brought on board as Mercury, along with Bryan Singer as director. Singer was then fired from the project and Dexter Fletcher, who will be directing the upcoming Elton John biopic, was brought on to finish the film. It’s taken a lot of time and no shortage of drama to bring this story to the big screen, but Malek looks the part and his voice is amazing. This might not be the deepest story into the artist’s life but I think it will make a fine film.

Last year I attended a festival and got to see a film I thought would never see the light of day. Bodied is the story of a young, affluent white college student who manages to break into the world of underground freestyle battle rap, where your rhymes need to be as sharp as your insults. This film was made to offend but it does so in an intelligent way and the pace, humor and music is all incredible. The director told the audience that he had received offers to buy the film, but his refusal to to cut any of the questionable material (and there would be A LOT to cut) made things difficult. It’s been over a year since I saw it and I’m hopeful that this gets a decent theatrical release before going to YouTube Red, the streaming service that bought the rights.

The story of The Grinch is so popular that it is an adjective to describe anyone not in the holiday spirit. For example, if Christmas music playing at a supermarket on NOVEMBER FIRST irks you, then you may be called a ‘grinch.’ But the real Grinch is much worse than that! He’s just a jerk, once played by Jim Carrey and now voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch, who hates the friendly, loving inhabitants of nearby Whoville and wants to destroy their happiness by ruining Christmas. By now you probably know the story, but every classic gets redone so why not this one?

Years ago there was so much talk of The Girl In The Spider’s Web, it was a big European hit and became quite popular over here. Then the remake hit the states and suddenly no one cared anymore. The original was a moody thriller with a great performance from Noomi Rapace and the remake was a big, bloated movie that used the same story but wasn’t nearly as thrilling, it just looked expensive. Claire Foy takes over the role of Lisbeth Salander after playing Queen Elizabeth II in The Crown for the past few years, so this is a change of pace. This one also looks a bit more action packed, so it has my attention. In this chapter Lisbteth, the vigilante hacker, finds herself up against a corrupt government and someone from her past who is targeting her.

There’s an old school video game called Wolfenstein, where you play a soldier walking around a castle battling Nazis and the evil creatures they have created, it’s a very simple game. They updated the game recently and I’m actually playing it now. Currently, my character is on the moon, so they’ve expanded on the initial idea. Overlord looks to borrow from the originals simple idea of Nazis being evil and doing evil things and creating evil creatures. On D-Day, American soldiers lead by Wyatt Russell (little Kurt!!!) get lost behind enemy lines and come across a compound where strange experiments are occurring. This was supposed to be a prequel to Cloverfield, but I believe it’s been altered to be its own thing. Either way, it looks awesome. 

When there’s literally a billion dollars on the line, you better believe a series will continue indefinitely and that’s why we have Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. Now the first was a fun continuation/prequel to the Harry Potter series, but it had a few good actors in roles that really didn’t fit them and I found it forgettable. The sequel continues the adventures of creature researcher and writer Newt as he teams up with his old teacher Dumbledore, who needs his help stopping the evil Grindelwald, played by Johnny Depp, who has been pretty much completely cut out of marketing for this film. This also looks fun and casting Jude Law as young Dumbledore is pretty great.

When a crew of thieves played by famous actors get killed, their Widows come together for a heist in an attempt to get back at the criminals and corrupt politicians responsible for their husbands’ deaths. This movie looks incredibly intense and with Viola Davis heading the crew, you know there will some great acting in this update of an old British series. The supporting cast is pretty big too, I expect to see some of these folks at the Oscars.

The first Wreck It Ralph was a fun adventure about a video game villain wanting to be more than just the bad guy. Along the way be befriends Vanellope, who is a glitchy character in her own video game and no one likes her. The two wind up saving the day and become heroes. Yay! Now the first took place in one arcade, populated by popular video game characters and others made just for the movie. Ralph Breaks the Internet has the leads discover a wi-fi router so they get to venture into the internet. Coupled with the fact that this is a Disney produced movie, there’s pretty much a guarantee that this will just be overflowing with beloved characters. I’m not sure kids will get all the jokes, but this could be fun for everyone.

I haven’t seen a full Rocky movie and I haven’t seen Creed, but I have seen the end of Rocky IV when Rocky went up against Drago for killing his friend, Apollo Creed, in the ring. Now 33 years later, the son of Apollo and the son of Drago will face off in Creed II. The first was a huge hit and proved Michael B. Jordan was a born star (anyone who watched The Wire already knew this), so hopefully this is another positive step forward in his career. It’s also nice to see Dolph Lundgren and Sylvester Stallone on the big screen.

During the Game of Thrones drought we are currently experiencing, and will be in for the next few months, perhaps a new Robin Hood will supply what people are looking for. It’s got intrigue, arrows, swords and a big budget. Starring Taron Egerton as Mr. Hood and Jamie Foxx as Little John, this looks like every other iteration of the character, maybe a little more flashy.

I got to see another film at the festival last year that was the super fun, delightful and very bloody, Anna and the Apocalypse. It’s a Christmas zombie musical! When Anna wakes up one day to go to school she finds that the zombies are starting to take over the world. She and her friends must fight and sing their way to safety. Without the music, this might just be another in a long line of zombie films, but it’s a great time.

october

It's the most wonderful time of the year! OCTOBER IS HERE! It's getting a little chilly out, candy intake is at an all-time high and WE HAVE A NEW HALLOWEEN FILM WITH JAMIE LEE CURTIS AND JOHN CARPENTER INVOLVED!

With a cast like Tom Hardy, Riz Ahmed, Jenny Slate and Michelle Williams I have faith that Venom will be better than it looks. The trailers have not been great and in this post Deadpool world we live in the PG-13 rating is more of a deterrent than ever, but it's attracted a decent cast so there's got to be something good, right? Originally introduced as a Spider-Man villain (and previously played by Topher Grace in Spider-Man 3) Venom is the alter-ego of investigative journalist Eddie Brock, whose body becomes fused with a mysterious substance, turning him into a murderous creature. This take on Venom seems to be more anti-hero/vigilante than straight up bad guy, but I think the effects look cool and Tom Hardy usually delivers, especially when his face is covered - see Dark Knight Rises, Mad Max: Fury Road and Dunkirk, so I remain excited about this.

I had no idea how many iterations there were of A Star is Born or how good they all supposedly are. The first one in 1937 won 1 Oscar, the 2nd version in 1954 was nominated for 6 Oscars and the 1976 version won 1 Oscar. I have to imagine this 2018 version has a shot for a nod, at least, if the same story has been wowing the academy for 80 years. Starring in his directorial debut is Bradley Cooper, a country star on his way out who gives a young singer a shot at fame. This will be Lady Gaga's first leading role but she's actually been acting for quite some time, cameoing as herself or showing up in American Horror Story (and an uncredited role in a 2001 episode of The Sopranos). Being a talented musician, she will be performing her own music in this musical drama that is already getting solid reviews.

The first Goosebumps movie was a hit (and pretty fun too) so a sequel was greenlit pretty quickly. Unfortunately, other movies got in the way, like last month’s House with the Clock in its Walls, and Jack Black couldn't take part in Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween. Realizing that kids might still show up for funny gags and scary monsters, they went ahead and made a sequel sans Black. Taking place after the events of the first, where author R.L. Stine captures all of his evil creations that leapt from the page and placed them into a book, a group of young kids find the book and unleash Slappy the evil doll. Slappy is a sort of leader of the other creatures and commands them to terrorize the town. PG hi-jinks ensues in what looks like a thin plot that will entertain kids and probably be the first horror film some see, so I'm all for it.

Joss Whedon and J.J. Abrams are pretty popular names in the movie world and one student of their craft, who worked with both of them in movies and television, is Drew Goddard. Goddard got his start in TV working on Buffy, Angel, Alias and Lost and then started working in film. His directorial debut was the fan favorite The Cabin in the Woods and he got an Oscar nomination for writing on The Martian. Now he's back behind the camera with Bad Times at the El Royale. The films looks to be a confined who-done-it, Agatha Christie type thriller where a group of people come together at a hotel and on a rainy night, all of their secrets and intentions are revealed. It, much like The Cabin in the Woods, is a set-up we have seen before but hopefully, also like TCinW, it has a wild third act that's as surprising as it is entertaining. Goddard, to me, has yet to disappoint and also the cast is awesome.

When the Russian President is kidnapped, a submarine crew lead by Gerard Butler is tasked with going to rescue him. Hunter Killer looks like my kind of movie but it seems like more of a September or January release. A silly action movie released at this point in the year seems like an odd choice, but it sure does look like a very busy action film. Which is a good thing because that means the producers have seen other submarine thrillers and realized that they are light on action and heavy on tension. Butler is fine in an action role but when he's having a conversation, one usually tunes out  so it's best to toss in subplots and other action sequences outside of the submarine. From the trailer it looks like Linda Cardellini has a decent sized role and it's always nice to see her in things. Also, while not a horror film this does feature Butler and Gary Oldman, both of whom played Dracula once in their career, so that's something.

In 1978, Michael Myers terrorized a small town while hunting for his sister Laurie, played by Jamie Lee Curtis. 40 years later he's back in a film utilizing the same title as the first. This will mark the 10th Halloween film, including the remake and its sequel. However, director David Gordon Green and writer Danny McBride (yup, that Danny McBride) have opted to ignore all sequels, since Curtis' character died in 2002’s Hallween: Resurrection, and create a direct sequel to the first film. This is also the first time since Halloween III that John Carpenter has been involved in the production of a Halloween movie as he, his son and godson wrote the music for the film, which is pretty cool. Taking place 40 years after the event in the original, we find Laurie preparing for the day her brother returns. When someone interested in the story tracks down Michael he sets into motion his escape and return to track down his sister and anyone who gets in his way. This looks like a very intense movie and I can't wait to see Curtis back in action .

september

September is still viewed as a movie dumping ground between Summer and Oscar season but some of these look pretty solid. Or maybe I'm just really, really excited about the new Predator movie and it being released this months elevates the quality of everything else.

Back in 1987, a young Shane Black was an up and coming writer in Hollywood and after making Lethal Weapon he was given a small role in Predator. He dies pretty quickly but plays a memorable character who tells dirty jokes. 30+ years later he's back, but this time as director and writer of The Predator. When a group of soldiers and research scientists come across advanced alien technology they find themselves targeted by its owner - an alien who hunts for sport and has an appreciation for explosions and sharp objects. Predator hunting soldiers, tough guys, cops and killers is nothing new but this time around there is a new, tougher monster and it is a threat to human and Predator alike. I have been a fan of everything Shane Black has worked on and I enjoy everything involving Predator, even the really bad ones where he fights Alien, so I am very excited for this.

With last year’s release of The Mummy, the Universal production company was hoping to create a whole Universal Monster universe. It did not work. Audiences and critics hated it and the plan was put on hold and potentially scrapped.  While that universe failed, The Conjuring universe is doing quite well. Originally a film about paranormal investigators, it has spawned a sequel, 2 films about the creepy doll Annabelle and now The Nun, based on a demon character previously seen in The Conjuring 2. When the Vatican tasks a priest and a nun to investigate the mystery surrounding the death of a nun in Romania, they come across an evil force that will more than likely lead to several jump scares.

Back when she was the lead in Alias, Jennifer Garner had a few action movies, but it's been 11 years since her last and now she's back in the genre with Peppermint. After witnessing her family’s murder at the hands of gang members, a grieving mother hopes that the legal system will do what they are supposed to do. When the gang members go free she disappears and five years later, she resurfaces as a self-trained assassin out eliminate any criminal or corrupt official connected to her family’s murder. This story has been told a million times but the female lead action film is something we don't see enough of.

Paul Fieg has been in the comedy business for years as an actor, writer and director but he has now joined forces with Jessica Sharzer, producer and writer of American Horror Story, to create a film darker than his usual fare. A Simple Favor Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick who hit it off pretty quickly when their children become friends. [SR1] Lively has a mysterious way about her but Kendrick enjoys being around her. One day Lively calls and asks for a favor and then disappears. This puts Kendrick on a path where she has to dig into the life of her new friend, who she realizes she knows nothing about. The plot sounds like a familiar small town mystery but the actors, writer and director have my attention.

When a young kid in Detroit gets tired seeing his dad, Matthew McConaughey, barely scraping by, he starts selling drugs and that comes with it a life style he so desired. Known as White Boy Rick he, predictably, gets in too deep and winds up nearly dying after getting shot. Armed with the knowledge and the reputation, he then continues his criminal lifestyle, but starts to inform on his cohorts to the FBI, making him the youngest informant. These crime dramas have a habit of glamorizing the lifestyle rather than showing its downfall. I feel like glamorizing it may be difficult to do with a kid at the center.

Taking a break from his usual aggressively violent horror movies, Eli Roth has directed a PG fantasy-mystery starring Jack Black and Cate Blanchett called The House with a Clock in Its Walls. Based on a book of the same name, the story is about a young boy who moves in with his quirky uncle who turns out to be a wizard with fun powers. It turns out another wizard planted a clock in the halls of his uncle’s mansion and it has the power to destroy the world. With the help of a witch, Blanchett, they must find the clock, defeat all of the creatures trying to stop them and save the world. This looks like another version of the Goosebumps movie Jack Black was in a few years ago, I'm guessing this is why he won't be appearing in the sequel to that movie.

A western with John C. Reilly and Joaquin Phoenix playing brothers is certainly going to get some awards attention. This is only getting a small release in September so I imagine we'll see a wider release between October and November. Portraying The Sister's Brothers, Reilly and Phoenix are assassins in 1850's Utah on the hunt for a man, Riz Ahmed, who has discovered a new and easy way to find gold. Jake Gyllenhaal seems to tow a line and helps out the hunters as well as the hunted, but uncertain alliances are nothing new in the Western genre. While the trailer has a few laughs, it also hints at a darkly violent movie, so film goers expecting a John C. Reilly western comedy might be surprised.

The end of September seems like a strange time for a comedy to be released, but I imagine it's because producers had to space out the Tiffany Haddish movies this year so they're not competing with one another. Recently there was Uncle Drew and in a couple months there will be The Oath and Nobody's Fool and this month it's Night School. Haddish is teaching a GED class so a group of adults can become high school graduates. She singles out one student, played by Kevin Hart, and takes a different approach to teaching where she beats him up until he decides to start learning. There's a couple other funny people in this but pairing Haddish and Hart is pretty much comedy gold.

When a yeti spots what he believes to be the legendary Smallfoot, a.k.a. a human being, he leaves his mountaintop yeti society and goes down to investigate a world he was told didn't exist. Now this is one silly looking cartoon that just flips the bigfoot legend on its head but this stars Lebron James, so I'm hoping that it's tied into some complicated Warner deal where if he made this movie, then they'll finally green light the long rumored Space Jam 2. Lebron has a pretty small acting resume (and stole the show in Trainwreck) so this makes sense to me.

Robert Redford has announced his retirement from acting so The Old Man and the Gun may be his last film. Based on a true story, Redford plays a 70 year old resident of San Quentin prison who manages to escape prison and goes on a somewhat charming robbery spree. The cop hunting him is Casey Affleck and the woman who loves him is Sissy Spacek. I'm not sure on the authenticity of the story but for Redford, this seems like a good way to finish his acting career.