Fall is here ladies and gents, and you know what that means: The return of pumpkin spiced lattes! … and Oscar season is upon us. It’s the time of year when movies stop all the water gun fighting, video game playing, and frivolous fun and get down to the semi-serious business of vying for awards — Hollywood is going back to school. In fact, it’s already started, with a few late September releases, Black Mass and Everest, which we mention in the video above.
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October 2015 releases
Undoubtedly, the big man on campus is Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens, which has a tractor beam strong enough to swallow up nearly every film in its path, the latest installment of the sci-fi franchise won’t blast off until the very end of the Fall, giving some of these other movies a chance to make their mark before the nation turns its eyes to the most anticipated cinematic event of this millennium.
As we began looking through this Fall’s lineup, it was hard not to be excited — giddy, even. A Star Wars sequel, a Quentin Tarantino original, a Shakespeare adaptation, a DiCaprio/Iñárritu collaboration and The Hunger Games finale — throw in a partridge and a pear tree and we’re all set for Christmas. Kidding aside, this feels like a truly special lineup of films. So without further ado, let’s dig in:
October 2015 releases
10/2: The Martian
Sci-fi Messiah Ridley Scott and Matt Damon team up for a big-screen adaptation of Andy Weir’s novel of the same name. The film’s marketing team has taken a very cool, non-traditional approach to hyping this film and has put several different viral-style shorts up on YouTube in addition to several different trailers. The steady drip of promotional materials has movie fans everywhere salivating and this is probably one of the five most anticipated films of the Fall.
10/2: The Walk
“The story of French high-wire artist Philippe Petit’s attempt to cross the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in 1974,” says IMDB’s official synopsis, but that leaves out one very important detail: The walk was attempted without the use of any sort of safety harness or netting. We’ll have to see if Director Robert Zemeckis (Cast Away, Forest Gump) can sustain audiences’ attention for the portions of the film that takes place off the wire, but if this is done well, it could be the season’s sleeper hit. For his part, it looks like Joseph Gordon-Levitt has committed to the role, linguistically (that accent), sartorially (that turtleneck), and follicularly (that haircut). If a bout of vertigo sounds like a good time to you, you can also catch this one in IMAX 3D.
10/9: Pan
M. Barrie’s iconic ageless sprite has had his story told and retold in almost every conceivable medium. This iteration boasts a star-studded cast, and looks to distinguish itself from its predecessors by making some notable changes to the tried & true formula. Blackbeard (Hugh Jackman) and not Hook (Garrett Hedlund) seems to be the central villain this time around and the latter is even seen palling around with Peter Pan in parts of the trailer. That being said, the film has also generated a lot of bad press, including multiple delays of its theatrical release (originally scheduled for June 26, 2015) and controversy over its casting of Rooney Mara as Tiger Lily, a character who is commonly portrayed as Native American. Hopefully Joe Wright (Atonement, Pride & Prejudice) can keep this flying pirate ship on course.
10/9: Steve Jobs
The last time we saw Steve Jobs’ story on screen was in Jobs (2013), a biopic starring Ashton Kutcher as the tech mogul, that was generally panned by critics. Luckily, Hollywood dusted itself off and tried again, and early returns on Steve Jobs have been excellent. With just 10 reviews counted thus far, the film has a 90 percent on the Tomatometer, and it seems that Michael Fassbender was a much better fit as the visionary Apple CEO.
10/16: Bridge of Spies
With all the new-age actors and directors making waves this Fall, Bridge of Spies wants to remind you that classics never go out of style. Tom Hanks and Alan Alda in a Steven Spielberg-directed espionage thriller? Is it 1998? Is Backstreet back? Either way, we’ll happily shell out a few shekels to see these veterans suit up again.
10/23: Rock the Kasbah
“A down-on-his-luck music manager discovers a teenage girl with an extraordinary voice while on a music tour in Afghanistan and takes her to Kabul to compete on the popular television show, Afghan Star,” says IMDB. And this is exactly the sort of off-the-wall comedy that Bill Murray was born to star in. Throw in the Zooey Deschanel as a temperamental diva and Bruce Willis as a smoldering security officer and you’ve got what looks like one of the most entertaining movies of the Fall season.
10/23: Suffragette
Carey Mulligan, Helena Bonham Carter, and Academy darling Meryl Streep starring in a movie about the struggle for women’s right to vote certainly sounds like a recipe for Oscar success. This film centers around members of the British women’s suffrage movement and is the first film in history to shoot inside the Houses of Parliament. If you like politically charged drama, this should be right up your alley.
Next page: November 2015 releases
November 2015 releases
11/6: Spectre
Bond. James Bond. Need we say more? OK, we’ll say a little more. While Daniel Craig’s return is exciting, it’s Waltz, Christoph Waltz, that we can’t wait to watch. Whenever the Austrian-born actor is on-screen, you can’t help but feel both on edge and riveted; he’s the sort of magnetic-yet-volatile presence that just screams Bond villain. Javier Bardem was a tough act to follow but we’re psyched to see what Waltz has up his sleeve.
11/6: The Peanuts Movie
While we’ve previewed plenty of intense, high-stakes dramas thus far, you’ll need something to take the kids to this Fall as well. The Peanuts Movie will hope to stir up nostalgia in parents and hook a new generation of kids on a world where adults are just white noise. Some diehard fans may think that the look and feel of the original cartoon should be sacrosanct, but Hollywood has proven that nothing is safe in this brave new world of remakes. We’ll just have to hope they get it right.
11/6: Spotlight
Rachel McAdams, Michael Keaton, and Mark Ruffalo star in a film that will undoubtedly be a tough watch. Spotlight tells the shocking true story of the Boston Globe’s uncovering of a sprawling child molestation scandal and subsequent cover-up within the local Catholic Archdiocese. Of the 27 critics who have weighed in on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, 26 have reviewed the film positively, good enough for a 96 percent on the Tomatometer. This film could be a serious awards contender.
11/13: By The Sea
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie on the same screen for the first time since Mr. and Mrs. Smith (2005) should be enough to get movie fans off their butts and into the theaters. Jolie also directed the film and fans of Brangelina will have to hope that a couple working together on a film about a couple growing apart isn’t a recipe for a real-life relationship disaster. We kid. Something tells us Hollywood’s favorite power couple will be just fine.
11/20: The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 2
While the franchise undoubtedly vaulted her into superstardom, it’s getting a bit strange to see Jennifer Lawrence playing young Katniss Everdeen. We’re excited to see the conclusion of this epic, not only to watch a thrilling story get the ending it deserves, but also to watch Lawrence move on to a new phase in her career. If only there were a way to convey those iconic, whistled notes via text …
11/25: Legend
Who doesn’t want to see Tom Hardy play two of the most notorious gangsters in British history in the same movie? Legend casts the actor as identical twins Reggie and Ronnie Kray, who built an organized crime empire in 1960s London only to watch it crumble. The film is based on a book by John Pearson (The Profession of Violence) an author that the Kray twins actually recruited to be their biographer.
11/27: Victor Frankenstein
This film tries to inject new life (pun very much intended) into an old story by telling the tale from Igor’s (Daniel Radcliffe) point of view. Judging by the trailer, the movie toes the line between asininely over-the-top and awesomely over-the-top. Then again, that’s Director Paul McGuigan’s (Sherlock, Lucky Number Slevin) style in a nutshell and he’s delivered before. Plus, James McAvoy is talented enough to earn this one the benefit of the doubt.
11/27: Creed
While you might be tempted to dismiss this as Rocky 7, Creed offers a fresh angle on the series by having Rocky Balboa remain at ringside. This time — instead of donning his dusty ol’ Everlasts — the Italian Stallion will train Apollo Creed’s son, played by Michael B. Jordan (Fruitvale Station, Chronicle). If only Ivan Drago had a son that he could go toe to toe with. If he dies, he dies!
11/27: The Danish Girl
In The Danish Girl, 2015 Best Actor recipient Eddie Redmayne (The Theory of Everything) plays Lili Elbe, a famous artist who is best-known as one of the first confirmed recipients of sexual reassignment surgery. With LBGT issues on the national consciousness, Hollywood is already buzzing about the possibility of back-to-back Oscars for the young thespian and after watching the trailer, we certainly wouldn’t bet against him.
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Next page: December 2015 releases
December 2015 releases
12/4: Macbeth
If it weren’t for what happened a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, Macbeth might just be the most anticipated movie of the Fall. Ever since the teaser for the film dropped at the Cannes Film Festival back in May, movie fans have been waiting for Justin Kurzel’s Shakespearean adaptation with bated breath. The film stars Michael Fassbender as Lord and Marion Cotillard as Lady and seems to strike the perfect balance between paying homage to the source material and bringing it into the 21st century.
12/11: In the Heart of the Sea
Director Ron Howard captains this whale tale, which is based on Nathaniel Philbrick’s book of the same name. The film follows the story of the Essex, a ship that was preyed upon by an enormous sperm whale circa 1820. The story is thought to be one of the inspirations for Herman Melville’s iconic novel Moby Dick and the film stars Chris Hemsworth, Frank Dillane (Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince), and Tom Holland (The Impossible). What do you get when you cross a monster movie with classic literature? We’ll have to wait and sea …
12/18: Star Wars: Episode VII, The Force Awakens
Let’s not beat around the bush, this is the most anticipated movie of Fall 2015. It’s also probably the most anticipated movie of any Fall ever … and if it hit theaters in Winter, Spring, or Summer, it would be the most anticipated film in the history of those seasons as well. The hype hit a fever pitch when the first full-length trailer dropped and put Kim Kardashian’s internet breaking skills to shame, and since then, things haven’t cooled a single degree. So grab your toy lightsabers, geek out with the rest of the country and brace yourself: Star Wars is coming.
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Next page: Christmas Day 2015 releases
Christmas Day 2015 releases
We’re aware Christmas takes place in Winter, but we couldn’t leave these off the list:
12/25: Joy
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Director David O. Russell has twice teamed with Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper, and Robert De Niro. First, for Silver Linings Playbook, which won the Academy Award for Best Motion Picture, and then for American Hustle, which won the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy category. On the heels of all that success, comes Joy, the third Russell-helmed film in three years to feature this trio of stars. The movie tells the multi-generational story of a powerful family and the woman who becomes its matriarch. If this film doesn’t take home a few statues, it will be a letdown.
12/25: The Revenant (limited release)
Betrayed and left for dead, The Revenant follows a majestically-bearded, blunderbuss-packing Leonardo DiCaprio as he marches across the American frontier in a quest to find the Oscar that has eluded him for his entire career survive and get back to his family. With Birdman Director Alejandro González Iñárritu at the helm, and Tom Hardy co-starring, this is an early favorite for the 2015 Best Picture crown.
12/25: The Hateful Eight (limited release)
You have to love how Quentin Tarantino casts aside conventional wisdom. The director doesn’t much care about how things are done in the movie business, who the “it” actors/actresses are, or even whether critics like his films or not. Love him or hate him, Quentin Tarantino is going to be Quentin Tarantino. His latest follows a group of dangerous miscreants as they navigate a blizzard in the 19th Century American West, looking to escape the wrath of nature and of each other. Tarantino likes to cast actors/actresses he is familiar with and old favorites like Samuel L. Jackson, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen are back in the mix for this one. Saddle up, you can be sure that this will be a wild ride.
Jump to:Christmas Day 2015 releases |
