Monthly Movie Preview: July 2014

July is the third of the four months of the summer movie season, and the point where the pickings tend to dry up some before descending into the dumping grounds of August  July is the month most subject to what we call "blockbuster fatigue", after two months of big-budget, typical summer action fare has left audiences feeling weary of all the CGI destruction and longing for something smaller to shake it up.  Hollywood doesn't tend to take advantage of this though, instead throwing a last few blockbuster epics at the screens in hopes that one of them becomes a sweeping sensation across the nation, a la THE DARK KNIGHT or PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN'S CHEST, which both opened in July and grossed a billion dollars worldwide.  But even while this summer so far hasn't had any big sensations or a presence of the action genre on the level of recent years, this July is pretty slight and eclectic.  Perhaps owing to the surprise success of last year's very scary THE CONJURING, released in July, this month has two horror offerings (one of them a sequel), plus a few comedies and a couple of low-rent sequels.  The only summer blockbuster-style films this month are DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES, which looks amazing, and HERCULES, which looks less so.

July 2nd
DELIVER US FROM EVIL  (HORROR/CRIME-THRILLER) 
Directed by Scott Derrickson; Starring Eric Bana, Edgar Ramirez, Olivia Munn
Rated R for bloody violence, grisly images, terror throughout, and language.
This allegedly truth-based supernatural horror follows a New York cop played by Eric Bana who teams up with a priest, played by Edgar Ramirez, when a case he's working on takes on a demonic nature.  Director Scott Derrickson's last film, SINISTER, certainly had its fans, but the combination of Derrickson's unreliable batting average, the source material and Jerry Bruckheimer as a producer, it doesn't sound promising to me.

July 2nd
EARTH TO ECHO  (SCI-FI/ADVENTURE)
Directed by Dave Green; Starring Teo Halm, Astro, Reese Hartwig, Ella Wahlestedt
Rated PG for some action and peril, and mild language.
An unlikely family film addition to the tired "found-footage" sub-genre, EARTH TO ECHO is by all appearances an E.T. rip-off about a group of kids who discover a friendly alien who they then help to get back home.  The film was made by Walt Disney Studios, but then sold to Relativity Media, which seems to have taken a Disney poster concept and just replaced the studio logos.  I'm not sure that there's much interest in this film, which uses the "shaky cam" handheld technique mostly used for cheap horror films and applies it to a brazenly unoriginal story aimed at preteen boys.  In all likelihood, the film will flop at the box office.

July 2nd
TAMMY  (COMEDY)
Directed by Ben Falcone; Starring Melissa McCarthy, Susan Sarandon, Dan Aykroyd
Rated R for language including sexual references.
Comedienne Melissa McCarthy stars as the title character in her husband Ben Falcone's directorial debut, about Tammy, a luckless woman having a very bad day with the loss of her job, her husband and her car.  Without money or transportation, she reluctantly teams up with alcoholic grandmother, Pearl (Susan Sarandon), for a slapdash road trip to see Niagara Falls.  If you're a fan of McCarthy's big-mouthed, brash persona, this will undoubtedly deliver, and depending on how Sarandon interprets her potentially contrived role, it could be a lot of fun.

July 11th
AND SO IT GOES  (ROMANTIC-COMEDY/DRAMA) 
Directed by Rob Reiner; Starring Michael Douglas, Diane Keaton, Yaya Alafia
Rated PG-13 for some sexual references and drug elements.
Rob Reiner's newest romantic comedy reunites him with both Michael Douglas and Diane Keaton for a "feel-good" story of a crotchety old realtor (Douglas) who finds himself saddled with a nine-year old granddaughter, leading him to turn to his neighbor (Keaton) for help, and everything we already know will happen, probably happens.  It sounds foul, but you know, if it's your thing, that's fine I guess.

July 11th  
DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES  (SCI-FI/ACTION-THRILLER)
Directed by Matt Reeves; Starring Andy Serkis, Jason Clarke, Gary Oldman, Keri Russell
Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action,
This follow-up to the surprisingly good 2011 film RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES is one of the most exciting releases this summer, even, and perhaps because of, a change in director, with accomplished horror director Matt Reeves (of CLOVERFIELD and LET ME IN fame) taking the reins with only the motion-capture ape performers returning.  Mo-cap pioneering actor Andy Serkis returns as Caesar, chimpanzee leader to a rising nation of genetically evolved apes in a dystopian future where most of humanity has been wiped out by virus ten years earlier.  Some of the surviving humans have befriended the apes and formed a fragile peace, but others blame the apes for the virus, threatening to explode into all-out war for domination of the planet.  With an excellent cast including Jason Clarke and Gary Oldman, and the promise of speaking apes wielding firearms atop horses, it looks even better than its predecessor.  Plus, 20th Century Fox has had such positive reactions to early cuts, that they've already signed Reeves on for another installment.

July 18th
PLANES: FIRE AND RESCUE  (ANIMATED/CHILDREN)
Directed by Roberts Gannaway; Featuring the Voices of Dane Cook, Julie Bowen, Ed Harris
Rated PG for action and some peril.
Were there people over the age of five who liked the first PLANES?  Not that it matters, because the tykes dragged their reluctant parents into theaters and made the movie a success, but that doesn't even account for the millions of dollars made from toys that snot-nosed kids begged the parents for.  This sequel (to the original which had originally been intended as a straight-to-DVD release) brings back Dusty Crophopper, the cropduster racing plane voiced by every junior high boy's second-favorite favorite comedian, Dane Cook, who now ventures into the world of wildfire air attack.  Hopefully, there will be a veteran firefighting plane who goes down in flames for a poignant second act slow point.

July 18th
THE PURGE: ANARCHY  (THRILLER/HORROR)
Directed by James DeMonaco; Starring Frank Grillo, Zach Gilford, Kiele Sanchez, Michael K. Williams, Carmen Ejogo, Billy Parker
Rated R for strong disturbing violence, and for language.
Because last year's THE PURGE made back it's tiny production cost more than ten times over in just its opening weekend, a sequel was inevitable.  In the future United States, the annual "Purge" is a 12-hour period in which all crime is legal, including and especially murder, as a form of population control and an allegedly cathartic release of criminal urges.  This sequel follows five people who come together on the night of the Purge, stranded outside in the hellish landscape.  Despite its success, the first film has a generally negative reputation with audiences due to its slow and confined low-budget approach.  The sequel is attempting to address that concern, and the advertising emphasizes that THE PURGE: ANARCHY takes its characters out into the world of the Purge, but the fact that the budget is staying the same negates that potential.

July 25th

HERCULES  (ACTION/FANTASY)

Directed by Brett Ratner; Starring Dwayne Johnson, Irina Shayk, John Hurt, Ian McShane

Rated PG-13 for epic battle sequences, violence, suggestive comments, brief strong language and partial nudity.

Brett Ratner, or The Rock?  Brett Ratner..., or The Rock?  Much-loathed filmmaker Brett Ratner (the RUSH HOUR trilogy, X-MEN: THE LAST STAND) teams up with irresistibly charming muscle-head Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson for the second, and more prolific, film this year inspired by the legendary Greek hero, following January's THE LEGEND OF HERCULES.  Based on the graphic novel Hercules: The Thracian Wars, the story finds the legendary Greek hero/demigod, as played by Johnson, at the completion of his famous twelve labors, living as a sword-for-hire, who finds purpose again in fighting for the King of Thrace against an evil warlord.  Initially, it was marketed as being "grounded in realism", without mythological elements, however, the trailers seem to refute that entirely, with hydras and gargantuan lions.  In any case, it's a big b-movie, but the question is, is this more Johnson's movie (good) or more Ratner's movie (bad)?

July 25th
SEX TAPE  (COMEDY)
Directed by Jake Kasdan; Starring Jason Segel, Cameron Diaz, Rob Corddry
Rated R for strong sexual content, nudity, language and some drug use.
Director Jake Kasdan re-teams with his BAD TEACHER stars Cameron Diaz and Jason Segel, with a script from the writer of THE BACK-UP PLAN, for this raunchy comedy about a couple who attempt to reintroduce some spice to their love life by filming themselves, but when the video is accidentally let loose on the internet, they rush into damage control mode.  The premise is predictable, but the previews have had a few laughs, and Kasdan's films come in varying degrees of success.

Monthly Movie Preview: June 2014

Although June is the center of the summer movie season (starting in May and practically burnt-out by August), it's also typically a lighter month, following the massive onslaught of action spectacle from May, which often continues to gross higher and higher numbers below the radar through the month.  June is often a time that family-centric entertainment finds a time to shine, such as Pixar films, half of their fourteen feature films to date having been released in June, but this year, there is no Pixar release.  HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2 is undoubtedly the move to watch not only for this month, but for the entire summer, as many have it pegged as the likely contender for biggest movie of the season, having built plenty of goodwill from the 2010 original.  Also on the horizon is the big date movie of the summer, THE FAULT IN OUR STARS, based on the book that every woman has read, and the newest Mark Wahlberg-starring Transformers movie that every Mountain Dew-guzzling young man is kidding themselves that their not sure about, as if they cared about anything beyond the (not-so-special) special effects.

June 6th
EDGE OF TOMORROW  (SCI-FI/ACTION)

Directed by Doug Liman; Starring Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt, Jeremy Piven
Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi action and violence, language and brief suggestive material.
Doug Liman of THE BOURNE IDENTITY and MR. & MRS. SMITH directs this science fiction action film starring Tom Cruise as a futuristic soldier caught in a "time loop" in which he is repeatedly caught in brutal combat against alien invaders, dying within minutes and waking again in the same place that he started, but each time he remembers what he learned before, better equipping him to complete his mission.  It's based on a Japanese novel titled All You Need Is Kill, and like everyone else, I agree that the movie sounded way better with that title.  At $175 million, it's definitely a "tent-pole" event film, but it's not a very recognizable property for U.S. audiences, which is interesting.  They're mostly banking on the talent involved.  I'm not sure what to think about it though, so I'll be interested to see what the early reactions are like.

June 6th
THE FAULT IN OUR STARS  (ROMANTIC DRAMA)

Directed by Josh Boone; Starring Shailene Woodley, Ansel Elgort, Laura Dern, Nat Wolff, Willem Dafoe
Rated PG-13 for thematic elements, some sexuality and brief strong language.
THE FAULT IN OUR STARS is the big date movie of the summer, and it looks a lot better than the Nicholas Sparks and Nicholas Sparks-inspired schlock that Hollywood typically aims at that young adult dating audience.  Based on the best-selling young adult novel of the same name, it's a coming-of-age love story about a teenage girl with terminal cancer who meets a handsome fellow cancer patient at her support group and experiences first love.  Almost every woman from ages nine to ninety-nine will want to see this (likely with their significant others), especially if they've read the book, but the big selling point for myself is that the screenplay is by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber, who wrote the spectacular THE SPECTACULAR NOW, an under-seen independent teen romance from last summer, also starring Shailene Woodley.  I haven't read the book, but I'm on board for this.

June 13th
22 JUMP STREET  (ACTION COMEDY)

Directed by Phil Lord & Chris Miller; Starring Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum, Ice Cube, Nick Offerman, Rob Riggle, Dave Franco
R for language throughout, sexual content, drug material, brief nudity and some violence.
21 JUMP STREET should not have been good, but it was and then some.  Were it not for the directing team of Phil Lord and Chris Miller, it would be safe to assume that was a fluke, but the pair has also turned similarly stale concepts into excellent movies like CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS and THE LEGO MOVIE, so I have high hopes for 22 JUMP STREET, which is a wonderful title by the way.  Their directed features to date have had relatively low expectations so far though, and even though its essentially a slap-dash sequel to a surprise hit, 22 JUMP STREET is the closest thing to high expectations they've had, not having directed sequels to one of their films before, so it will be interesting to see how they handle that.  Still, if there's anyone who has proven they can turn bad ideas, even bad idea sequels to surprisingly good bad ideas, it's Lord and Miller, plus 21 JUMP STREET is what converted hard-hearted movie fans like myself to Channing Tatum as a leading man (having previously been a staple of lame-brain teen girl romances like DEAR JOHN and STEP UP).

June 13th
HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2  (ANIMATED/ACTION-ADVENTURE)
Directed by Dean DeBlois; Featuring the Voices of Jay Baruchel, America Ferrara, Gerard Butler, Cate Blanchett, Craig Ferguson, Kit Harrington, Djimon Hounsou, Jonah Hill, Kristen Wiig, Christopher Mintz-Plasse
Rated PG for adventure action and some mild rude humor.
This is my bet for the highest-grossing movie of the summer, although I don't think I'm quite as excited as everyone else seems to be.  I wasn't crazy about the original HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON; it was good, but I didn't think it was anything special.  On the other hand, the advertising's increased action element (within a family animated movie) intrigues me, and I don't doubt that it will at least be a good movie, if not great (if you think the original was great though, I don't see any reason why would won't think the same of the sequel).  Hiccup and his viking community return, now living in harmony with the dragons which their way of living now revolves around.  Naturally, new revelations come to light (most of which appear to be spoiled in the trailers) and new enemies appear, setting the stage for further adventure and brand-new dragons.  

June 20th
JERSEY BOYS  (MUSICAL/DRAMA)
Directed by Clint Eastwood; Starring John Lloyd Young, Erich Bergen, Vincent Piazza, Michael Lomenda, Christopher Walken
Rated R for language throughout.
Clint Eastwood directs this jukebox musical about the rise and dissolution of The Four Seasons, the iconic falsetto singing group headlined by Frankie Valli known for songs like "Big Girls Don't Cry", "December 1963 (Oh, What a Night)" and "Walk Like a Man", all of which are among the songs featured in the soundtrack.  I'm intrigued by the idea of an R-rated musical with a primarily male cast directed by Eastwood, best known for grim, melancholy dramas, but there's little to go on as to whether it will be good or even successful.  John Lloyd Young from the original Broadway run of the Tony-winning stage musical reprises his role for the film, and the only recognizable name in the cast is Christopher Walken in a supporting role.  It's not a typical sort of film at least.

June 20th
THINK LIKE A MAN TOO  (ROMANTIC COMEDY)
Directed by Tim Story; Starring Michael Ealy, Taraji P. Henson, Terrence Jenkins, Regina Hall, Jerry Ferrara, Kevin Hart
Rated PG-13 for crude sexual content including references, partial nudity, language and drug material.
THINK LIKE A MAN was a surprise hit in 2012, despite its atypical source material, Steve Harvey's non-fiction book, Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man: What Men Really Think About Love, Relationships, Intimacy, and Commitment.  I didn't see that movie, but evidently, people who did seem to have liked it, and Kevin Hart, who has a part in the ensemble cast, has a much stronger street cred now.  In this sequel, the couples in the first film are now in Vegas (a pretty standard location for slap-dash sequels), where each encounters a new set of relationship troubles.  Assuming this follows the trend of similar sequels, it's not likely to be as good as the original, however, the cast and director of the original are returning.

June 27th
TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION  (ACTION/SCI-FI)
Directed by Michael Bay; Starring Mark Wahlberg, Nicola Peltz, Jack Reynor, Kelsey Grammer, Stanley Tucci, Sofia Myles, T.J. Miller, Li Bingbing
Not Yet Rated (PG-13 expected)
The most financially successful "bad franchise" gets a fourth installment, with Michael Bay returning as director, but with all new characters (outside of a few returning Autobots).  Taking place after the events of the last three films, Mark Wahlberg stars as a down-on-his-luck mechanic/inventor who lives with his attractive young daughter in the rural Midwest (how's that for a couple of stock characters?) when they accidentally discover a Transformer hiding out in their shed, catalyzing a series of events with global significance involving Autobots, Decepticons and the typical paranoid government officials.  I didn't think any of the previous Transformers movies were good (the first was most watchable, but almost unreasonably stupid; the second is entirely, unreasonably, offensively stupid and incoherent; the third was far too long, monotonous and also stupid), but I can't imagine anyone who enjoyed the previous films won't enjoy this one.  The whole point is the giant CGI robot battles anyway, right?

Movie Preview: May 2014

May is the flagship month of the summer season, the biggest time of year for Hollywood movies. 

May 2nd
THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2  (ACTION/SCI-FI)
Directed by Marc Webb; Starring Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Jamie Foxx, Dane DeHaan, Sally Field, Paul Giamatti
Rated PG-13 for sequences of sci-fi action/violence.
As far as mega-budget summer blockbusters go, this one is very much a wild card.  The fifth installment in Sony Pictures' Spider-Man franchise, and the second part of their first reboot, THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 (not to be confused with SPIDER-MAN 2) finds Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) balancing his dual lives as Spider-Man and a high school student as he discovers that the ominous OsCorp is behind a whole new set of super-powered criminals, headed up by Electro (Jamie Foxx), with definite intentions toward Spider-Man himself.  The film has three known super-villians so far (Electro, the Rhino and the Green Goblin), although director Marc Webb maintains that only Electro plays a major part in the film (probably misleading), and the last time Spidey went up against more than one in SPIDER-MAN 3, the results were overcrowded and unfavorable.  The screenplay is also written by Alex Kurtzman and Robert Orci who, outside of STAR TREK (2009), have a pretty abysmal screen record with multiple Michael Bay films and crappy sequels.  Furthermore, some of the advertising looks like little else than a (partially) live-action cartoon.  Those are the strikes against it, but on the more optimistic side, more recent advertising has highlighted awesome action and sharp humor, plus, hopefully Webb has more clout this time around to get his way, considering how Sony came in at the last minute with disastrous edits on the last film.  I really want this to be good, but it's high-risk.
Update: Early reviews so far have been primarily positive!

Spider-Man (Andrew Garfield) vs. Electro (Jamie Foxx) in THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2, opening May 2.

May 9th
CHEF  (COMEDY)
Directed by Jon Favreau; Starring Jon Favreau, Robert Downey Jr., Sofia Vergara, Dustin Hoffman, Emjay Anthony, Gary Shandling, Oliver Platt
Rated R for language, including some suggestive references.
In this independent comedy, writer-actor-director Jon Favreau stars as a four-star chef whose prestigious Los Angeles restaurant goes under, so he opens a food truck along with son and ex-wife in hopes of reclaiming his creative spark.  From the director of great movies like ELF and IRON MAN, as well as the more recent and disappointing COWBOYS & ALIENS, this could be considered something of a meta career move.  Either way, both as food porn and feel-good entertainment, this looks promising- one of the most exciting-looking independent films of the summer.

May 9th
LEGENDS OF OZ: DOROTHY'S RETURN  (ANIMATED/CHILDREN'S)
Directed by Will Finn & Dan St. Pierre; Featuring the Voices of Lea Michele, Martin Short, James Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Kelsey Grammer, Megan Hilty, Hugh Dancy, Oliver Platt, Bernadette Peters, Patrick Stewart
Rated PG for some scary images and mild peril.
Although it premiered in France a whole year ago, this low-profile animated film has wisely waited until May 2014 to be released in a landscape absent of any family films newer than a month prior.  It's the kind the film that families go to on a whim, just because it's the only one that won't make little kids soil their pants.  Unfortunately it won't be as deliriously, hilariously dark as the 1985 Disney cult classic.  This is cheaply rendered, little kid friendly entertainment where the cinema serves a babysitter, and the only escape for adults is picking out the various celebrity names in the voice cast.

May 9th
MOMS' NIGHT OUT  (FAMILY/COMEDY)
Directed by Andrew Erwin & Jon Erwin; Starring Sarah Drew, Trace Adkins, Sean Astin, Patricia Heaton
Rated PG for mild thematic elements and some action.
A Christian independent feature from the Bible Belt region, this film nonetheless is hiding all of that behind its advertising, which highlights an extensive collection of family-friendly misadventures as a group of friends, married mothers all, attempt to have a rare night out on the town while the husbands watch the kids.  As the official website's synopsis queries: "What could go wrong?"  Ha.  Well, I bet their intentions are good.

May 9th
NEIGHBORS  (COMEDY)
Directed by Nicholas Stoller; Starring Seth Rogen, Zach Efron, Rose Byrne, Dave Franco, Christopher Mintz-Plasse
Rated R for pervasive language, strong crude and sexual content, graphic nudity, and drug use throughout.
The summer season is typically the season of big-budget special effects action gluttony, but since the success of Judd Apatow and THE HANGOVER (NEIGHBORS comes from alumni of the former camp), the summer has had an injection of hard-R frat comedies.  From the director of FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL and starring Seth Rogen and Zac Efron as a couple of neighbors who wage a war of exaggerated and often crude pranks on one another, NEIGHBORS looks like one of the funniest comedies of this summer.  Rogen stars as a new dad who moves with his family into a seemingly peaceful suburban neighborhood, until a raucous fraternity helmed by Efron moves in next door.

Zac Efron and Dave Franco having a Robert De Niro party (because shut up) in NEIGHBORS, opening May 9.

May 16th
GODZILLA  (SCI-FI/ACTION-THRILLER)
Directed by Gareth Edwards; Starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, Bryan Cranston, Juliette Binoche, Ken Watanabe, David Strathairn, Sally Hawkins, CJ Adams
Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of destruction, mayhem and creature violence.
Hollywood is taking another crack at the most iconic kaiju of cinema, following the much-maligned last attempt by Roland Emmerich in 1998.  This time around, as per usual in our post-9/11 world, the tone is darker, grittier and ominous.  This appears to have more of the chilling "thriller" to it, than the destructive science fiction action.  Plot details have been kept pretty thin by Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures, with the advertising focused primarily on the devastation, the threat of mankind's belligerence toward nature and haunting but obscure shots of the titular beast; it has been suggested in Legendary's press releases though that Godzilla will ultimately factor into the humans' salvation against more malevolent monsters.  Director Gareth Edwards is best known previously for the independent sci-fi thriller MONSTERS, which bears some similar themes, but a low-profile director suggests that Legendary and Warner are exercising some stronger studio privilege.  The cast they've lined up is great though, as is the crew of Oscar-nominated production members, and the previews are great.

May 16th
MILLION DOLLAR ARM  (SPORTS DRAMA)
Directed by Craig Gillespie; Starring Jon Hamm, Lake Bell, Aasif Mandvi, Suraj Sharma, Bill Paxton, Alan Arkin
Rated PG for mild language and some suggestive content.
It's been a while since Disney has turned out one of their signature family-friendly, star-driven, inspirational, fact-based sports drama (the last was SECRETARIAT in 2010).  Directed by Craig Gillespie, who directed the less family-friendly but warm and low-key 2007 dramedy LARS AND THE REAL GIRL, MILLION DOLLAR ARM tells the story of Pittsburgh Pirates' pitchers Rinku Singh (played by LIFE OF PI star Suraj Sharma) and Dinesh Patel who were recruited for the MLB by sports agent J.B. Bernstein (Mad Men star, Jon Hamm) after appearing on the Indian reality television show Million Dollar Arm.  Think of it like a cross between SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE and THE ROOKIE.

May 23rd
BLENDED  (ROMANTIC COMEDY)
Directed by Frank Coraci; Starring Adam Sandler, Drew Barrymore, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Terry Crews, Bella Thorne, Joel McHale
Rated PG-13 for crude and sexual content, and language.
Adam Sandler, the king of lazy and lame "comedy", reunites with his THE WEDDING SINGER/50 FIRST DATES leading lady, Drew Barrymore, for another film directed by his frequent collaborator Frank Coraci, whose helped Sandler's Happy Madison Productions churn out travesties like HERE COMES THE BOOM and THE ZOOKEEPER.  Sandler and Barrymore star as a couple of single parents who find themselves stuck at the same African family resort after previously meeting on a disastrous blind date.  Those who enjoy the self-abuse sensations of Sandler's contemptible schtick will be pleasantly unsurprised while the rest of us lament their ill-spent dollars sure to bring about yet another Happy Madison atrocity.

May 23rd
X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST  (ACTION/SCI-FI)
Directed by Bryan Singer; Starring Hugh Jackman, James McAvoy, Patrick Stewart, Michael Fassbender, Ian McKellen, Jennifer Lawrence, Ellen Page, Peter Dinklage, Halle Berry, Nicholas Hoult, Evan Peters, Lucas Till, Shawn Ashmore
Rated PG-13 for sequences of intense sci-fi violence and action, some suggestive material, nudity and language.
With the unqualified success of MARVEL'S THE AVENGERS in 2012, every film studio wants to have a comprehensive superhero film universe, which is why 20th Century Fox is breaking the bank to help their mostly moderately successful X-Men franchise make the leap into the billion dollar club.  Bringing back Bryan Singer, the man who started the series with X-MEN and X2: X-MEN UNITED over a decade ago, and reuniting those earlier films' illustrious cast of veterans along with the young and sexy cast of the excellent prequel X-MEN: FIRST CLASS, the X-Men send their headliner, Wolverine (Hugh Jackman), back in time to the 1970s to team up with young Charles Xavier (James McAvoy), young Magneto (Michael Fassbender) and Mystique (Academy Award-winning superstar Jennifer Lawrence), along with a colossal cast of household names, to prevent an alternate timeline where drones known as "Sentinels" systematically eliminate all mutants and eventually mankind.  RottenTomatoes.com's user polls have deemed this the most-anticipated movie of the summer, and I don't think they'd be far off for me personally.  It looks incredible, and I'm very excited.

Hugh Jackman returning as his signature character, Logan/The Wolverine, in X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST, opening May 23.

May 30th
MALEFICENT  (FANTASY/ACTION-ADVENTURE)
Directed by Robert Stromberg; Starring Angelina Jolie, Elle Fanning, Sharlto Copely, Brentan Thwaites, Miranda Richardson, Juno Temple, Imelda Staunton, Lesley Manville
Rated PG for sequences of fantasy action and violence, including frightening images.
For in-house live-action tent-pole productions (not counting subsidiary Marvel Studios), Disney has an unfortunate habit of churning out hugely expensive, style-driven fantasy epics that have enormous potential but regularly ring hollow, i.e. ALICE IN WONDERLAND, JOHN CARTER, TRON: LEGACY and THE GREAT AND POWERFUL OZ, none of them especially bad, but they fall apart after the initial viewing.  MALEFICENT was fast-tracked for production soon after 2010's ALICE IN WONDERLAND became a surprise mega-hit, but the original director Tim Burton abandoned the project (not necessarily a bad thing considering his more recent work) and ALICE's production designer, Robert Stromberg was put in his place, which guarantees the strong visuals but enhances the possibility of a hollow final product.  SAVING MR. BANKS director, John Lee Hancock, was brought in to assist on re-shoots of the more story-centered scenes.  Despite the evident visual panache and suggestion of production troubles, the budget reports are considerably restrained for a Disney tent-pole, which certainly makes things interesting, and ALICE and THE LION KING screenwriter Linda Woolverton seems to have combined The Mists of Avalon with the story of Sleeping Beauty to make Maleficent sympathetic.  Angelina Jolie, who's been attached to the project invariably from the start, is obviously invested as well, so however it turns out, it seems worth a watch at least.

Angelina Jolie as the title character in MALEFICENT, opening May 30.

May 30th
A MILLION WAYS TO DIE IN THE WEST  (COMEDY/WESTERN)
Directed by Seth MacFarlane; Starring Seth MacFarlane, Charlize Theron, Liam Neeson, Amanda Seyfried, Giovanni Ribisi, Neil Patrick Harris, Sarah Silverman
Rated R for crude and sexual content, language throughout, some violence and drug material.
Family Guy-creator Seth MacFarlane's 2012 film TED was a huge success, so with even more financing, he's back to blend his brand of frenetic and hopelessly raunchy comedy with a western genre and an all-star cast, led by none other than himself in his live-action acting debut (he played the CGI character Ted in TED).  Set in 1882 Arizona territory, he plays a sheepish sheep farmer who loses his girlfriend (Amanda Seyfried) after backing out of a duel.  He then meets a gunslinging woman (Charlize Theron) who helps him discover his confidence, which he'll need when his new girlfriend's husband, a notorious outlaw (Liam Neeson), shows up for payback.  As in TED, MacFarlane seems to display a messy lack of discipline and an abundance of subplots, but also lots of riotously depraved R-rated humor and maybe even some cool western action.

Charlize Theron and Seth MacFarlane (holding the duck) in A MILLION WAYS TO DIE IN THE WEST, opening May 30.

Preview: April 2014

April is typically an uneventful month for movies, as the box office makes way for the impending box office juggernauts due out in May.  While for the most part, April 2014 is more of the same, there is at least one huge shakeup out the gates by the first weekend with Marvel's latest, CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER, my personal pick for most anticipated movie of the season, let alone the month.  With 2012's THE HUNGER GAMES proving the gargantuan potential for brand-name blockbusters outside of the highly-competitive summer and holiday seasons, Disney's Marvel is taking advantage of these lesser months for some very high profile pictures, and CAPTAIN AMERICA is likely to be one of the biggest of the year.  Otherwise, there's potential for minor hits with families and niche audiences, including an animated family musical-comedy (RIO 2), a couple of horror movies (THE QUIET ONES, OCULUS), yet another faith-based drama in a year full of them (HEAVEN IS FOR REAL), and a pair of original stories with movie star leading men (TRANSCENDENCE, DRAFT DAY).

April 4th
CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER  (ACTION/SCI-FI)
Directed by Anthony Russo & Joe Russo; Starring Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Robert Redford, Samuel L. Jackson, Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie, Cobie Smulders, Hayley Atwell
Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence, gunplay and action throughout.
Oh boy, I'm excited for this one.  For this ninth film in the "Marvel Cinematic Universe", and the last "Avenger" film before THE AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON comes out next year (GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY comes out in March, but doesn't appear to have major characters directly related to the Avengers), Marvel Studios unconventionally picked a pair of sitcom directors known for cult classics Community and Arrested Development, Joe and Anthony Russo.  Although their background is primarily in comedy, the advertising has highlighted some spectacular-looking action and some  interestingly dark character developments.  Plus, the early buzz has been comparable to THE AVENGERS, and the recommendations don't get much higher than that.

April 11th
DRAFT DAY  (SPORTS DRAMA)
Directed by Ivan Reitman; Starring Kevin Costner, Jennifer Garner, Tom Welling, Terry Crews, Chadwick Boseman, Ellen Burstyn, Frank Langella, Denis Leary
Rated PG-13 for brief strong language and sexual references.
Evidently an attempt to score a MONEYBALL-esque appeal, this comedy-drama goes behind the scenes of NFL football as Cleveland Browns general manager played by Kevin Costner fights for the number one draft pick in a desperate attempt to turn his long-time losing club around.  With a cast that includes Jennifer Garner, Denis Leary and Frank Langella, the onscreen talent is adequate enough, but director Ivan Reitman is a long time running without a real hit himself, which could either lend an emotional authenticity to Costner's character's similar plight, or prove unsuitable to sustain a sports business dramedy.

April 11th
OCULUS  (HORROR)
Directed by Mike Flanagan; Starring Katie Sackhoff, Karen Gillan, Brenton Thwaites, James Lafferty, Rory Cochrane
Rated R for terror, violence, some disturbing images and brief language.
When a young woman's (Doctor Who hottie Karen Gillan) brother is released from a mental hospital ten years after shooting their father after witnessing him kill their mother, she's determined to prove that the true culprit of the crimes attributed to her brother and father is a possessed mirror with previous owner who like wise met bloody ends.  It's so difficult to make a clear judgement of most upcoming horror movies, because the genre is one of the most subjective and potentially unpredictable.  On the one hand, WWE Studios is behind the film, which is typically a deterrent, but it is an interesting concept and a likable lead.

April 11th
RIO 2  (ANIMATED COMEDY/CHILDREN'S)
Directed by Carlos Saldanha; Featuring the Voices of Jesse Eisenberg, Anne Hathaway, Leslie Mann, Rodrigo Santoro, Bruno Mars, George Lopez, Jemaine Clement, Jamie Foxx
Rated G
Of the highest-grossing, most notable animation studios (particularly headlined by the likes of Pixar, Disney and DreamWorks), Blue Sky Studios, noted for the hit ICE AGE franchise, is definitely the most mediocre, but they churn the movies out and the dollars roll in from non-discriminating families with young children.  RIO 2 is the sequel to the 2011 surprise hit about Blu (voiced by Jesse Eisenberg), a rare blue macaw who learns to fly; now he's with fellow blue macaw Jewel (voiced by Anne Hathaway) and their three kids, and when they hear about the world's last flock of blue macaws living in the Amazon rainforest, they leave their domesticated lifestyle for a wild one.  Once there, they run into Jewel's cantankerous dad, resulting in MEET THE PARENTS-style hijinks, while Nigel, the evil cockatoo from the first film, returns to get revenge.  It's looks very much like Blue Sky's usual low form of children's entertainment rooted in formulaic storytelling, cliches and shameless stunt casting.  Kids aren't likely to mind much.

April 16th
HEAVEN IS FOR REAL  (DRAMA)
Directed by Randall Wallace; Starring Greg Kinnear, Kelly Reilly, Connor Corum, Margo Martindale, Thomas Haden Church
Rated PG for thematic material including some medical situations.
Whether or not the film is any good, it's the kind that really upsets me because its audience is so willing to overlook the aspects of quality or lack thereof, and so militant in their defense of it, because its Christian propaganda, but not for the sake of promoting the faith for the unconverted.  Based on a book written by an evangelical preacher (played in the film by Greg Kinnear) about his little boy's claims that during emergency surgery he went to Heaven where he saw deceased family members and Jesus riding a "rainbow horse".  The trailers are nauseating and embarrassing for the discriminating viewer, with weepy-eyed people listening to the four-year old tell them about their dead relatives, but I suppose if it makes you feel good, then just as well, I guess. 

April 18th
TRANSCENDENCE  (SCI-FI/THRILLER)
Directed by Wally Pfister; Starring Johnny Depp, Kate Mara, Morgan Freeman, Paul Bettany, Rebecca Hall, Cillian Murphy
Rated PG-13 for sci-fi action and violence, some bloody images, brief strong language and sensuality.    
This much-anticipated directorial debut of Academy Award-winning cinematographer Wally Pfister, known for his work on the Dark Knight trilogy and INCEPTION, is from an original and acclaimed debut script by Jack Paglen, but the concept as shown in the advertising feels overly familiar.  Johnny Depp stars as Will Caster, a brilliant scientist who's developing the most advanced artificial intelligence system of all time, but when extremists attempt to stop his work in an assassination attempt, they give him the final ingredient he needs to create a sentient artificial intelligence as he makes himself very much a literal part of the technology.  As we very well know by now, from HAL 9000 (2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY), Skynet (the Terminator films) and Auto (WALL-E), just to name a few, the technology proves to be too advanced for human safety.  Visually, it's bound to succeed, but without providing a sufficiently human story in its familiar territory, it's bound to fail.  This is one to watch the reviews for.

April 18th
BEARS  (NATURE DOCUMENTARY)
Directed by Alastair Fothergill & Keith Scholey; Narrated by John C. Reilly
Rated G
Disneynature's fifth annual Earth Day theatrically-released nature documentary is about grizzly bears filmed in Alaska's Katmai National Park, focusing on a pair of mother bears as they raise their cubs.  It's from the directors of Disneynature's 2011 offering, AFRICAN CATS, so hopefully, like that film, there'll be some corny characterizations of the wildlife subjects in the tradition of the classic Disney True-Life Adventures that the studio made from 1948 to 1960. 

April 18th
A HAUNTED HOUSE 2  (COMEDY)
Directed by Michael Tiddes; Starring Marlon Wayans, Jaime Pressly, Cedric the Entertainer
Rated R for crude and sexual content, nudity, pervasive language, drug use and some violent images.
If you're actually interested in this, well, you deserve it.

April 25th
BRICK MANSIONS  (ACTION/CRIME)
Directed by Camille Delamarre; Starring Paul Walker, David Belle, RZA
Rated PG-13 for frenetic gunplay, violence and action throughout, language, sexual menace and drug material.
In this remake of the 2004 French cult hit DISTRICT 13, which was essentially a parkour showcase that became hugely popular through the internet, Paul Walker, in one of his last completed roles, stars as an undercover cop, yet again, who infiltrates a violent gang with terrorist potential in an attempt to take down their boss.  Co-written by Luc Besson, an auteur of idiotic and lurid plotlines overloaded with ludicrous action set pieces, and directed by Camille Delamarre, editor on some of Besson's more recent stinkers, there's undoubtedly an audience for this.  That audience, though, likes their movies late at night with as little thought as possible and possibly with a little bit of affecting substance.

April 25th
THE OTHER WOMAN  (COMEDY)
Directed by Nick Cassavetes; Starring Cameron Diaz, Leslie Mann, Kate Upton, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Nicki Minaj, Taylor Kinney
Rated R for some sexual references.  (Note: Rating pending an appeal; expect either a changed rating to PG-13 or edits to attain a PG-13)
Not unlike a couple of Cassavetes better-known previous films, THE NOTEBOOK and MY SISTER'S KEEPER, THE OTHER WOMAN looks like a film far better for a girls' night out than for a date, and God help the man who gets dragged along.  Cameron Diaz plays a businesswoman who finds out that her boyfriend is married, but unexpectedly bonds with the wife (Leslie Mann), with whom she has much in common.  Together, they discover yet another affair being carried on by their assumed lover, this with a gorgeous but ditzy young woman (Kate Upton), and the trio bond while planning their revenge on the three-timing man who inadvertently brought to together.

April 25th
THE QUIET ONES  (HORROR)
Directed by John Pogue; Starring Jared Harris, Sam Claflin, Olivia Cooke, Erin Richards
Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and terror, sexual content, thematic material, language and smoking throughout.
The latest from the legendary horror company Hammer Film Productions, who've made a couple of pretty good horror films in the past few years with LET ME IN and THE WOMAN IN BLACK, is THE QUIET ONES, in which an unconventional university professor (Jared Harris) leads his best students into a dark experiment in an attempt to create a poltergeist, which is obviously a bad idea.  John Pogue's only other directorial credit to date is a straight-to-DVD sequel to QUARANTINE, so there isn't a lot to go on there, but in all likelihood, it will satisfy most horror fans at the very least.

March Movies

March, if not necessarily one of the best months for movies, is usually one of the most interesting.  It is essentially the standard testing ground for unproven potential franchise films and reboots that take risks with blockbuster budgets, but the far less competitive time slots in March give them more room to prove their strength with decreased risk.  Some are failures, like March releases JOHN CARTER in 2012 and JACK THE GIANT SLAYER last year, while others, like THE HUNGER GAMES in 2012 and ALICE IN WONDERLAND in 2010, become colossal mega-hits with bigger sequels released in more competitive seasons.  The most obvious big franchise hopeful for March 2014 is Lionsgate's DIVERGENT, released on a similar date to Lionsgate's first HUNGER GAMES with a reminiscent marketing campaign.  Other noteworthy franchise pictures this March are sequels, with 300: RISE OF AN EMPIRE, following up the March 2007 blockbuster 300, and Disney's March release is THE MUPPETS MOST WANTED, the sequel to their moderately successful Muppets reboot.  It's notably smaller than Disney's usual March release, but perhaps is a way to see how the brand manages in a more sparse landscape, as opposed to the first film's more competitive holiday release in 2011.  Most exciting, in my estimation, is Hollywood's first biblical epic of the major blockbuster era in the 21st Century, Darren Aronofsky's NOAH, a $130 million gamble on ancient religious texts as a cinematic source material for today.

March 7th
300: RISE OF AN EMPIRE    (ACTION/WAR)
Directed Noam Murro; Starring Sullivan Stapleton, Rodrigo Santoro, Eva Green, Lena Headey, Hans Matheson
Rated R for strong sustained sequences of stylized bloody violence throughout, a sex scene, nudity and some language.
300, the brainless and unfortunately influential fanboy action epic from 2007 gets this follow-up finally seven years later, after a lengthy gestation deciding whether it was a prequel focusing on the the first film's villain, Xerxes (initially, this film was to be named for him), or a sequel taking place after the first film's events.  After all, of those 300 in the title, 299 die, so a traditional sequel wasn't really in the cards.  So is this a sequel?  Well, kind of.  It takes place before, during and after the first film's events.  Again, the plot involves a highly-stylized, pulpy take on historic events in the Greco-Persian Wars, particularly involving the Athenian politician Themistocles (Sullivan Stapleton) and Queen Artemisia I of Caria (sexed-up Eva Green), and the Battle of Artemisium.  If you liked the original for reasons beyond Gerard Butler, then I'm sure this will be your thing.  Zack Snyder, who co-wrote the screenplay but has not returned to direct, has a video game-inspired visual style not too hard to replicate, and there will be no skimping on the blood.

March 7th
MR. PEABODY & SHERMAN    (ANIMATED/ADVENTURE)
Directed by Rob Minkoff; Featuring the Voices of Ty Burrell, Max Charles, Stephen Colbert, Leslie Mann, Allison Janney, Ariel Winter, Stanley Tucci, Mel Brooks, Patrick Warburton
Rated PG for some mild action and brief rude humor.
DreamWorks Animation has found themselves in a bit of a rut lately, with the best of their past three films being the unremarkable THE CROODS, and this upcoming animated adventure/comedy-fantasy doesn't look like it'll be bucking the trend.  Based on the creepy Peabody's Improbable History segments from the creepy 1960s television cartoon, The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show, Mr. Peabody is a hyper-intelligent talking dog (voiced by Modern Family's Ty Burrell) who lives with his adopted boy, Sherman (voiced by Max Charles).  When Sherman and one of his peers use Mr. Peabody's time travel machine without permission, they may have irreparably damaged the space-time continuum (isn't that typical), and Peabody and Sherman have to race to fix everything before it goes too far, all the while interacting with an assortment of comical historical figures voiced by a line-up of celebrities.  Rob Minkoff, who co-directed THE LION KING, one of my all-time favorites, actually has a pretty lackluster repertoire otherwise, having directed disappointments like THE HAUNTED MANSION and THE FORBIDDEN KINGDOM, but I don't expect this film to be terrible.  I just don't think it looks particularly good.

March 7th
THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL    (COMEDY/DRAMA)
Directed by Wes Anderson; Starring Ralph Fiennes, F. Murray Abraham, Edward Norton, Adrien Brody, Willem Dafoe, Jeff Goldblum, Harvey Keitel, Jude Law, Bill Murray, Saoirse Ronan, Jason Schwartzman, Tilda Swinton, Tom Wilkinson, Owen Wilson, Bob Balaban
Rated R for language, some sexual content and violence.
Filmmaker Wes Anderson's style is very unique, arguably too unique, and this may just be his most Wes Anderson-y yet.  M. Gustave H. is the legendary concierge of the famous Grand Budapest Hotel in Europe between the wars, who, with his best friend and confidante, bellhop Mr. Moustafa (F. Murray Abraham), are caught up in the intrigues of their clientele, including a stolen painting and a family fortune.  Anderson, a critical darling, sometimes more deserving than at others, will most definitely be praised heavily for this film, plus it looks like one of his better ones, but for some it may be a matter of taste.

March 14th
NEED FOR SPEED    (ACTION/CRIME)
Directed by Scott Waugh; Starring Aaron Paul, Dominic Cooper, Scott Mescudi, Imogen Poots, Dakota Johnson, Micheal Keaton
Rated PG-13 for sequences of reckless street racing, disturbing crash sequences, nudity and crude language.
Tobey Marshall (Aaron Paul) is a blue-collar mechanic recently released from prison for a crime he didn't commit, who becomes part of a ridiculous cross-country race for vengeance and redemption.  As much as I love Aaron Paul as Jesse "Yo Bitch" Pinkman from TV's Breaking Bad, this is an adaptation of an Electronic Arts video game racing series, and it seems hard enough for Hollywood to adapt films from video games that have plot elements and characters, so that isn't promising.  Furthermore, they hardly seem to be avoiding the inevitable Fast & Furious franchise comparisons, and worse, it's been written/produced/directed by Scott Waugh, the hack behind the unintentionally comedic Navy SEALs porn stunt, ACT OF VALOR (2012).  Not interested.

March 14th
TYLER PERRY'S THE SINGLE MOMS CLUB    (COMEDY-DRAMA)
Directed by Tyler Perry; Starring Nia Long, Amy Smart, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Terry Crews, Tyler Perry, Cocoa Brown
Rated PG-13 for some sexual material and thematic elements.
Tyler Perry's latest is about single mothers from different walks of life who start a support group to discuss and solve their problems.  Tyler Perry's audience is what it is, and his movies rarely venture in interest beyond that audience.  If you like his unique brand of loony cultural humor and soapy treatment of domestic tensions, you'll most likely enjoy this, but otherwise, it's doubtful to be of any interest.

March 21st
DIVERGENT    (SCI-FI/ACTION)
Directed by Neil Burger; Starring Shailene Woodley, Miles Teller, Kate Winslet, Theo James, Ansel Elgort, Jai Courtney, Ray Stevenson, Maggie Q, Zoe Kravitz, Ashley Judd
Rated PG-13 for intense violence and action, thematic elements and some sensuality.
Based on a popular young adult book series, heroine Beatrice "Tris" Prior (Shailene Woodley) lives in a dystopian Chicago where the population is divided into distinct factions based on their strengths and personalities in order to create the most efficient society.  However, when Tris is tested to determine which faction she fits best, her test is inconclusive, labeling her a "divergent"; incompatible with any faction.  Made a fugitive in her seemingly-utopian but sinister society, Tris is taken in by an underground group of rebels planning a revolution.  DIVERGENT is yet another attempt to capitalize on the success of blockbuster young adult novel adaptations like THE HUNGER GAMES and TWILIGHT, while undoubtedly more influenced by the former, but both from the same Lionsgate/Summit studios.  I'm not sure how it'll go over, having not read the books, but in spite of the potentially troublesome HUNGER GAMES comparisons, the series seems to have a larger than usual and enthusiastic fan-base.  While many similar attempts to reach that audience, such as last year's BEAUTIFUL CREATURES and THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS: CITY OF BONES, have consistently been disappointments, I think this has better odds of success and wide appeal, albeit not of THE HUNGER GAMES or TWILIGHT levels.  My main reason for interest in the film is director Neil Burger, whose last film was the very good 2011 thriller LIMITLESS, as well as up-and-comer Shailene Woodley, who was a very likable lead in last year's THE SPECTACULAR NOW.

March 21st
MUPPETS MOST WANTED    (FAMILY-COMEDY/MUSICAL)
Directed by James Bobin; Starring Tina Fey, Ty Burrell, Ricky Gervais; Featuring Muppet Performers Steve Whitmire, Eric Jacobson, David Goelz, Bill Barretta, Matt Vogel, Peter Linz
Rated PG for some mild action.
After the Jim Henson's Muppet characters' reboot in 2011's THE MUPPETS, which paid direct homage to THE MUPPET MOVIE with "The Rainbow Connection" and a 'getting the band back together road trip' storyline, Disney's newest addition to their minor franchise is a film that appears to parallel THE MUPPET MOVIE's follow-up, THE GREAT MUPPET CAPER.  With the success of their new Muppet Show revival, the Muppets are touring Europe, where they get entangled with an international crime caper after Kermit the Frog is mistaken for a notorious criminal who then takes Kermit's place along with his dastardly sidekick (Ricky Gervais).  THE MUPPETS was a relatively minor hit in terms of established property franchises, but grossed enough on a moderate budget to justify this sequel, with director James Bobin and Academy Award-winning songwriter Bret McKenzie returning.  The big change for this sequel, however, will be the absence of Jason Segel, who wrote and starred in the first film, but how big of a change that is is not yet clear.  It's tricky to anticipate what a Disney film actually has in store, given their tendency to misrepresent films in their marketing (both THE MUPPETS and THE MUPPETS MOST WANTED have had lackluster marketing campaigns interspersed with occasionally inspired moments), but expect lots of self-aware humor and Muppet eccentricity.  I'm willing to give it a shot.

March 28th
NOAH    (BIBLICAL DRAMA)
Directed by Darren Aronofsky; Starring Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly, Emma Watson, Anthony Hopkins, Ray Winstone, Logan Lerman
Rated PG-13 for violence, disturbing images and brief suggestive content.
This is the most exciting film of the month for sure.  Filmmaker Darren Aronofsky, best known for low-budget independent thrillers including BLACK SWAN, THE WRESTLER and REQUIEM FOR A DREAM, has been trying to make this passion project of his for a long-time, but with the acclaim and awards attention given his last couple of films, he finally had the clout to get backing for a $100 million+ bible epic.  Based on the Noah of the Old Testament, of "Noah's Ark", the film considers Noah (played by Russell Crowe) as a guilt-ridden man chosen by God at the coming of a literal apocalypse. With his family, including his wife Naameh (Jennifer Connelly), son Ham (Logan Lerman, of PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER) and Ila (Emma Watson, of the Harry Potter film series), Noah constructs a massive ark to hold two of every land animal on Earth and his family, whilst also fending off the wicked descendants of Cain, who defy God and attempt to destroy Noah's family.  Raised Jewish but without a prominently religious background, it's unlikely to be bogged down in proselyting and will most likely follow a mythological approach (although downplayed in the marketing, giants and "Watchers" referenced in scripture are reportedly a presence in the film).  There was some concern a few months back when test screenings with various demographics had been poorly received, but were apparently studio cuts without Aronofsky's approval or knowledge.  Since then, it has been reported that the studio (Paramount) has relinquished approval of the final cut to Aronofsky.

March 28th
SABOTAGE    (ACTION/CRIME DRAMA)
Directed by David Ayer; Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sam Worthington, Terrence Howard, Josh Holloway
Rated R for strong bloody violence, pervasive language, some sexuality/nudity and drug use.
After John "Breacher" Wharton (Arnold Schwarznegger) leads a high-stakes raid on a cartel safe house, he and his elite DEA task force think their jobs are done, but one by one, each agent is being rubbed out, and everyone is a suspect.  Schwarzenegger's still trying to reclaim his action star status from before his political career, but with generally tepid response; apparently the audience for that brand of Reagan-era, R-rated brawny action flicks is aging out.  However, he does have TRAINING DAY-writer/END OF WATCH-director David Ayers writing and directing this time around, with a script loosely inspired by an Agatha Christie story, so it may be of some interest.  I wouldn't expect much though.