The days of over-inflated, purely popcorn flicks that plague summer are over. Yes, I enjoy the big-budget superhero movies and action films as much as the next person, but fall movies are my absolute bread and butter. Festival season has kicked in, and more of the year's best movies are head-scratchingly crammed into about 3 months. There are many movies to see, so let me break down the movies I'm most excited for this fall and winter. This article would be too long if I did it all at once, so here are the releases for September/October alone.
The Predator (September 14th)
I love the original Predator movie the series has been seriously lacking since the depths it fell to in the Alien vs, Predator movies. Even though early reviews have it pegged as lackluster, and most focus has been on the child molestation scandal with Olivia Munn, I still have a desire to see this. After all, a bad Shane Black movie (Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Iron Man 3, The Other Guys) is better than most movies. Look for lots of good action and incredibly well-written dialogue in this last blockbuster of the summer.
Mandy (September 14th)
As much of a living meme as he his Nicolas Cage is still a talented, Oscar-winning actor with probably the worst agent of all time. Being cursed to straight-to DVD releases and forgettable B-movies for the last decade, Cage's career seemed to be in the toilet. Apparently, in Mandy, Cage embraces his absolute campiness to the extreme, making a future cult classic according to early reviews. Even if this film looks super bizarre, at least it will be entertaining. After all, how could it be worst than this?
The Sisters Brothers (September 21st)
Westerns are sometimes my least favorite genre when done in the classical sense. When the films talk about happiness and the finding the American Dream in the frontier, I almost get sick to my stomach. The western has gotten more reinvented as of late, and early reviews from Venice have said that The Sisters Brothers has reinvented this. Starring Joaquin Phoenix, John C. Reilly, Riz Ahmed, and Jake Gyllenhaal, the cast alone draws me to an apparent hilarious and razor-sharp Western.
The Old Man and the Gun (September 28th)
Robert Redford has had an amazing career in Hollywood. From starring in movies such as Butch Cassidy in the Sundance Kid, The Sting, The Way We Were, and winning an Oscar for Ordinary People, it's hard to argue that his film repertoire is nothing short of legendary. The Old Man and the Gun is Redford's final acting job in his 60-year run. Critics have raved about the film directed by David Lowery and co-starring Sissy Spacek, as the perfect bow-out film for Redford. I'll be there toasting your accomplishments with your final film, Robert.
Venom (October 5th)
Helping me get my mid-year comic book flick fix is Venom. We've already had the abysmal portrayal of Eddie Brock/Venom at the hands of Eric Forman err Topher Grace in Spider-Man 3. The good news is this movie can literally be no worse than that. Tom Hardy is one of the best current actors working in film, even if he is hidden behind a mask or CGI very frequently. His portrayal of Brock and his symbiotic counterpart should make for at least entertaining cinema. I am very disappointed that Sony did not pursue a hard-R rated version of Venom, but maybe it is the rating they need to eventually link him to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
A Star is Born (October 5th)
Even though this is the fourth version of A Star is Born, I continually find the story captivating. An older, alcoholic star takes on a younger performer whose own fame eventually eclipses his fading one. The story remains the same, but I always find fascinating the generational twist each retelling of A Star is Born has in store for its viewers. Bradley Cooper makes his directorial debut here, directing himself and Lady Gaga. Even though she is no Judy Garland, we all knew that Gaga has a certain pizzazz and glamour that makes her a perfect choice for this musical. Early reviews from Venice, Telluride, and Toronto have this film as an early front-runner for Best Picture and various other Oscars. This is probably the film I am most excited about this awards season as well.
The Hate U Give (October 5th Limited/October 19th Wide Release)
I know little to nothing about this movie, besides the fact it is adapted from Angie Thoma's young adult bestseller. The trailer honestly looked sub-par to me, but early reviews have it pegged as a real force in awards season. this is probably due to its timeliness and topic, which is police brutality in the African American community. I will continue to read very little into this movie and hope it surprises me as much as it has wowed critics.
Bad Times at the El Royale (October 5th)
I have absolutely no idea what this movie is about I've watched the trailer several times, and have little to no clue still. that being said, I still find this movie fascinating, even if it is on the most packed weekend of the fall. Though I can get no feel for the tone or genre of the film, Drew Goddard is one of those directors and screenwriters who is incredibly talented but doesn't get enough opporutinities in the industry. Since directing the brilliant Cabin in the Woods, Goddard only has a screen-writing credit to his name, and he was nominated for an Oscar for it. Instead, Goddard turned his talents to television where he was the showrunner for Daredevil. The cast for this movie is second to none, starring Jeff Bridges, Chris Hemsworth, Jon Hamm, Dakota Johnston, and Nick Offerman. The mystique and intrigue has me curious to see this enigma of a film.
First Man (October 12th)
Damien Chazelle is no-doubtedly one of the best young directors currently working in Hollywood. If two of your first three movies are Whiplash and La La Land, you are doing something right. The youngest ever winner for Best Director takes on his next story, the Neil Armstrong biopic First Man. Starring Ryan Gosling as Armstrong, First Man follows the eventual trip to the moon and the struggles it took to get there. The biggest thing about the film has been the flag planting on the moon not being shown. Many conservatives critics, including Buzz Aldrin himself, have questioned why this was not part of the film. Honestly, I don't really think it's that big of a deal. I assume Chazelle didn't believe the event matched what he was thematically trying to say as a filmmaker. Look out for this film not only for Gosling and the incredible technical effects but for the performance of Claire Foy as Janet Armstrong and the score of Oscar winner Justin Hurwitz. I have seen about five minutes of Imax footage of this film, and I have to say it was some of the greatest screened footage this critic has ever seen.
Beautiful Boy (October 12th)
Beautiful Boy has hopped around Hollywood for years with various writers, directors, and stars attached. Finally, the David and Nic Scheff story has finally found its stars in Steve Carell and Timothee Chalamet. Chalamet, in my mind, is the most talented young actor in several decades in Hollywood. How he looks to play the meth-addicted Scheff is very exciting to me. Also, the fact that Felix von Groenigen is directing makes me more curious about the film. von Groenigen has proved he can master a gut-wrenching tragedy with his Foreign Language Nominee with The Broken Circle Breakdown. Hopefully, he can prove again his mastery in this film as well.
Halloween (October 19th)
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C'mon Greg! You must be tired of classic horror movie reboots by now1 You would think, but Halloween has my attention. John Carpenter's original Halloween is one of my seminal favorite horror movies, and Michael Myers is one of the most interesting slasher villains ever. Carpenter has given his blessing on this direct sequel as he is executive producer and score writer. David Gordon Green takes over directorial duties as he and Danny McBride (Yes THAT Danny McBride) take over writing the screenplay. Jordan Peele has shown that the lines between writing comedy and horror are thinner than most people imagine due to the sharp reaction you hope to draw out of your audience in either genre. Also, this sequel to Halloween ignores every other horrible sequel and convoluted storyline that has followed the original film. Jamie Lee Curtis also returns to the franchise 40 years after her original role as Laurie Strode. Early reviews have been very positive, so let's hope that translates well to audiences.
Mid90s (October 19th)
A24, though a new studio, has cemented itself as one of the best studios in contemporary filmmaking. They are traditionally known for snatching up movies at festivals that deal with a coming of age story. Enter Mid90s, Jonah Hill's directorial debut about skate culture in the, you guessed it, mid-1990s. The film has gotten surprisingly good reviews out of Toronto, as the trailer looked somewhat iffy to me. Watch for young talents Sunny Suljic and Lucas Hedges to prove their talent as some of the best young performers in the business.
Can You Ever Forgive Me? (October 19th)
Oscar-winner Melissa McCarthy still sounds very odd in any sentence you could possibly put it into. Can You Ever Forgive Me?, the biopic of defamed biographer Lee J. Israel looks to prove that the Academy makes no errors. McCarthy plays Israel, who is down on her luck. To get by, she forges signatures and letters of famous people and sells them for a higher price. A true alcoholic as well, this a delicious role for McCarthy to take on. Early reviews have praised McCarthy, as well as Richard E. Grant as her counterpart. Director Marielle Heller needs to prove her worth as director, as her next project is tackling the Fred Rogers biopic You Are My Friend with Tom Hanks in the lead role. If Heller shows she is a real auteur, this is a big step forward for feminism in Hollywood.
These are all of my picks for September and October! Be sure to be on the lookout for my November and December picks for Part II of this article. Thanks for reading!
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