After a few weeks of some heavy dumping in terms of new movies, this is thankfully a much lighter week. So what’s the new movies that are coming out this week, October 24 2014.
A lot of really good looking films in my opinion (with one potential stinker) Lets’ start with a little movie from Sweden…….
What’s it about? A family on a ski holiday in the French Alps find themselves staring down an avalanche during lunch one day; in the aftermath, their dynamic has been shaken to its core, with a question mark hanging over their patriarch in particular.
My thoughts? Not the usual simple kind of comedy fair, but it’s got a particularly different and specific visual way of approaching this kind of material. It looks like it’s going to be brutal in it’s humor, but that doesn’t make it look any less enticing.
What’s it about? A group of friends must confront their most terrifying fears when they awaken the dark powers of an ancient spirit board.
My thoughts? After Battleship, I think audiences are going to be apprehensive about another movie based on a board game. They will certainly find this one silly. But why does this seem silly compare to any other horror film? Well, since we DO know it’s a board game, it’s really hard to forget that. It’s especially harder when the film even quotes the lines from the commercial of said board game….
Maybe this movie does appeal to you, but I can’t help but think that the film looks like a parody on crass Hollywood movies based on toys.
What’s it about? Two best friends rise through the ranks of New York’s Chinese underworld in the 1980s.
My thoughts? I’m pulling for this film to work. The all Asian cast means a great deal to me, especially in a movie that aims to takes it’s place in the world of classic crime dramas. Andrew Lau (aka Wai-Keun Lau) is the co-director of this film, and he’s had a very interesting career as a director in Hong Kong cinema. Starting his career making big budgeted SFX Martial Arts extravaganzas, he transitioned to action films and crime dramas. His best work is Infernal Affairs. I love that film. It’s a masterpiece of tension and pulpy crime stories. The film was remade in America to be the equally great The Departed, directed by Martin Scorsese. I see that Scorsese is a producer on this film, which makes me happy. The trailer is filled with Lau’s signature visual style. Truthfully, the scripts to his films isn’t always the best, but knowing how much I love Infernal Affairs, I saw that he can make great pieces of work. I don’t know if this film will rise to that level, but at the least I’m hoping that it will be a solid crime film.
What’s it about? In 1988, a teenage girl’s life is thrown into chaos when her mother disappears.
My thoughts? Filmmaker Gregg Araki makes films that leave a massive impact on me, whether I like them or not. The first film of his that I saw was the movie Nowhere. Fifteen years ago I caught it on HBO late at night, and the movie just weirded me out with the intense editing style, wild story, and out there visual gags. It was a hard film to shake off, but it’s the reason why I know Gregg Araki was someone I needed to pay attention too. This film looks like a great mix of that wild style of filmmaking, but with a dark and human dramatic story. He’s got a great cast to tell this story too, so I can’t wait to check this one out.
What’s it about? In the throes of a quarter-life crisis, Megan panics when her boyfriend proposes, then, taking an opportunity to escape for a week, hides out in the home of her new friend, 16-year-old Annika, who lives with her world-weary single dad.
My thoughts? I love that the current trend of indie films right now is seeing women as the leads of stories that normally used to go to male characters. I honestly really want to see this one. Judging from the trailer, I’ve never seen Keira Knightly so alive in a role. She’s got this fantastic charm yet vulnerable presence in this, and it truly showcases some talents that she rarely gets to use. Having same Sam Rockwell in your movie is only going to help me wanna see your picture more. Director Lynn Shelton has made a couple of films I really like (Humpday and Your Sister’s Sister) She has a real knack for creating likable but broken characters, and Laggies seems like another great piece of work from her.
What’s it about? An ex-hitman comes out of retirement to track down the gangsters that took everything from him.
My thoughts? I need me some good clean badassery, and the early word on this flick is that it’s delivers on giving me said badassery. It’s funny to hear people still make Keanu Reeves jokes, and to hear the SAME Keanu Reeves jokes for nearly 20 years. But the reality is….I really like the guy. Keanu may not be an actor with the biggest range, but when he’s IN his range, he’s quiet enjoyable to watch. The film is the directorial debut from David Leitch and Chad Stahelski. Chad was actually Keanu’s stunt double for Point Break and The Matrix trilogy. He also was the Martial Arts choreographer for Keanu’s directoral debut, Man of Tai Chi (which is a fun as hell martial arts movie in it’s own right.) This at least implies that these guys know the importance of how to shoot an action scene, and the main praise I keep hearing for the film is how great the action is. Man, I could use that right now. Can’t wait to see this movie.
So what about you folks? You excited to see Keanu shoot a crap load of bad guys in the face? You interested in seeing who actually moved the game piece in the Ouijai movie? Let us know in the comments below.