The Space Between Us - The last great performance I saw from Asa Butterfield was in A Brilliant Young Mind.  From the early trailers for this film, I was hoping for a similar performance.  Yet, early buzz makes it sound a bit too cheesy for my taste.  I am intrigued by what I am hearing about the soundtrack, so I might still have to check it out.

Rings - This is one of those horror franchises that will probably never die.  In other news this week, Robert Englund has announced that he will return as Freddy Krueger for a documentary about makeup.  Considering I have not seen any of the films in the Ring franchise, I am more excited for the documentary at this point than I am for Rings.

I Am Not Your Negro - I have a feeling that this film will give me a new perspective on race relations.  We need more films like this one.  Films that are relevant to modern times and modern issues.  As much as I love to watch fictional blockbusters, it's nice to have writers who are bringing important topics to the big screen.

xXx: Return of Xander Cage - Honestly, I know almost nothing about this film aside from the fact that Vin Diesel and Samuel L. Jackson are in it.  Yet, that is all I need to know.  Any action film with Vin Diesel and SLJ are bound to be an enjoyable watch even if the plotline is subpar.

Image credit: ​By Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America - Vin DieselUploaded by Dudek1337, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=27402445

Split - M. Night Shyamalan returns with another intriguing horror story, that surely has a big twist at the end.  Actually, the whole film sounds twisted with James McAvoy filling multiple roles and identities throughout the film.  As of now the film is certified fresh, showing that Shyamalan is still capable of producing popular cinema.

Image credit: ​By Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America - James McAvoy, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=49461548

Trespass Against Us - I'm sad I missed this film at the Tacoma Film Festival last year because of it's amazing cast.  Michael Fassbender stars with Brendan Gleeson in a film that has flown under the radar of most moviegoers.  Early buzz may not be great, but Fassbender and Gleeson is an interesting combination for a festival-circuit film.

Image credit: By Gordon Correll - Michael Fassbender, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=41406393
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The Birth of a Nation - This Sundance winner originally came out with a lot of great buzz, but recently controversy has surrounded the filmmaker.  Nate Parker's past has returned to haunt him just before his film hits it's wide release.  At some point, the viewer must decide whether to separate the artist from his artwork, or whether there is too much controversy surrounding the creator.  Personally, I really want to see this film because of it's high regard at Sundance.

Image credit: ​By PunkToad from oakland, us (Nate Parker) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons


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The Girl on the Train - I wrote a review of this film yesterday, making my opinion quite clear to readers.  I have not read the book, but I am sure that it is better than the film.  Emily Blunt does a fine job in her role, but that doesn't really matter considering the role has no emotional weight.  The writing struggles to bring the novel to the big screen for audience's enjoyment.  The result is a dumbed down mystery that ends up being nonsensical.
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The Greasy Strangler - Unfortunately I missed this film at SIFF last year because of graduation activities.  I have heard some crazy things about how disturbing the film is, so ideally I will get a chance to watch it myself soon.  The Greasy Strangler appears to be the perfect fit for a midnight screening, so keep in mind that if you watch this film it might be hard to fall asleep afterwards.  

Image credit: ​By Jimhosking - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=49380750

Goat - I got the chance to check this film out at SIFF last year, and it is quite a stark image of fraternity hazing.  In the review, I gave the film a 7.8/10 because of its realistic approach to college life.  The film is brutal and I do not recommend it for anyone with a weak stomach, but it is a valuable insight into something that is still somewhat prevalent at colleges.  If you are into frat-style brotherhood, you might get a bit defensive about the subject.  Yet, it is important to realize that hazing can go too far.

Image credit: ​By Angela Zhao from New York, NY, USAUploaded by MyCanon - Nick Jonas, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=22882208

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Storks - It's funny that there are two completely different films coming out tomorrow with animal names as their titles.  This animated film about baby delivery looks a bit too cheesy for my tastes.  Still, it is hilarious to me that the director of Storks also directed Neighbors.  He went from a raunchy young adult movie to an animated kids movie.  I respect that!

Image credit: ​By Alois Staudacher - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1037444



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The Magnificent Seven - I feel like I haven't seen Denzel Washington on the big screen in quite a while.  Originally, I was really excited for this film with it's star-studded cast.  Unfortunately, the reviews have not been too kind to this western genre-film.  Antoine Fuqua directs this new film, which makes me want to watch it even more.  However, I am getting a bit tired of western revival movies.  Depending on what other films I can get into the theaters to see this week, this one might have to wait for on-demand viewing.  

Image credit: ​By GabboT - Mag7 04, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=51556001

The Beatles: Eight Days a Week - I'm a pretty big Beatles fan (as is just about everyone else I've met), so I look forward to this one.  The Beatles and their debauchery have been analyzed for the past half-century, revealing a lot of funny and interesting stories about their tours.  Surely, this new documentary will share even more information on the band that was vital to the British Invasion.  Also, Ron Howard is a great director who should be able to keep the audience's attention throughout the doc!

Snowden - The early buzz is bad and I can honestly say I am tired of Joseph Gordon-Levitt's biopics now.  Maybe he is being miscast lately, but The Walk was enough for me of Gordon-Levitt's use of accents.  In Snowden trailers, it appears that Gordon-Levitt is once again trying to use a poor accent to stay true to his character.  Unfortunately, the actor seems to be overacting once again which might be the problem with this new biopic.  Oliver Stone's direction might not be good enough to save this film from its own cast.

Image credit: ​By Freedom of the Press Foundation - Freedom of the Press Foundation, CC BY 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=35240261

Bridget Jones's Baby - Honestly, I have never seen a Bridget Jones movie and I doubt that I will start with this one.  Still, the cast looks fun and features Renee Zellweger, Colin Firth, and Patrick Dempsey.  The problem is really the factor of cheesiness that will undoubtedly accompany this film.  I'm never really a fan of romantic comedies unless they are really clever and stand out from the crowd.  The Bridget Jones franchise seems to try to appeal to middle-aged audiences, so maybe someday I will understand the attraction.  For now, I will wait for Colin Firth's reappearance in Kingsman 2.

Image credit: ​By Georges Biard, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=51216418

Sully - This one looks pretty good, with the direction of Clint Eastwood and a lead acting role by Tom Hanks.  Hanks has been amazing in just about every movie he has starred in, and Eastwood has a natural touch for directing.  The film should also offer some interesting effects for the incredibly true story about the plane that landed in the Hudson.  I expect that it will be pretty similar to Flight, but the acting and story should have some varying twists.

Image credit: ​By Frederick J. Phillips - Own work, CC BY 2.0 de, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=49965915
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Other People - This film has a good cast, but honestly I do not know much about it.  Apparently it was well-received at Sundance, so that's a fortunate sign.  Jesse Plemons, Zach Woods, and Molly Shannon are all underrated actors so I'm glad to see that they are falling into more indie roles.  If you are as much of an indie film lover as I am, you probably want to check out this film over the weekend.  No movie aside from Sully looks like it is worth spending money on anyways!

Image credit: ​By Omar G. from New Braunfels, USA - Everybody loves Landry II, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5218755

The Light Between Oceans - Today I learned that Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander are dating.  Also, they supposedly fell in love on the set of this film.  Those facts should make for an interesting romantic drama between the two great actors.  The early buzz is decent, but not great.  Still, it's been a while since I saw either Fassbender or Vikander on the big screen.  Hopefully, the acting will be on par with their past performances.  That's all I'm asking for!

Image credit: By Andrewrutherford - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=37089554

Yoga Hosers - At this point, Kevin Smith can direct whatever he wants and still make money off it.  I'm pretty sure that Yoga Hosers will prove that point.  Those Nazi sausages look insane, but they will still get the cult following that they deserve.  Honestly, I don't know what the heck is going on in this film.  What I do know is that it features Johnny Depp's daughter, along with Kevin Smith's daughter.  That should make for some interesting performances, but I'm not sure whether or not they will be good or bad.  We'll just have to wait until tomorrow to find out!

Image credit: ​By Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America - Kevin SmithUploaded by MaybeMaybeMaybe, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=22887559

Don't Breathe - I'll admit that this film looks really good, even if it is a jump-scare horror film.  The director has a cult following from his previous work, Evil Dead.  Also, Stephen Lang looks like a good villain/victim in the trailers.  Surely, this film will fill all of your horror cravings with jumps, screams, and all sorts of scares.

Image credit: ​By Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America - Stephen LangUploaded by maybeMaybeMaybe, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=22895999

Southside With You - It's spectacular to see a film about Obama's first date while he is still in office.  As one of the smoothest presidents of the United States, Obama's charm has captured a lot of the nation.  The film played at SIFF, but unfortunately I did not get the chance to see it.  Hopefully I can catch it this time around in theaters.  From what I've heard, Tika Sumpter and Parker Sawyers are perfect in their respective acting roles.  

Image credit: ​By White House - https://www.flickr.com/photos/whitehouse/20716602980/, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=50184697

Complete Unknown - I have not heard much about this film, but the tone seems quite odd.  This is probably a very conceptual film that some people will understand and enjoy while others will not.  The synopsis is weird and does not make a lot of sense to me, but maybe it will be surprisingly well-made.  Rachel Weisz, Michael Shannon, Kathy Bates, and Danny Glover are all a part of the cast.  That is an extremely well-rounded cast, so there might be some jaw-dropping performances in the film.

Image credit: By Gordon Correll - Michael Shannon, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=44685368

War Dogs - Todd Phillips directs this war-comedy about two guys who get involved in private arms dealing.  The concept sounds interesting, but the tone seems weird as a comedy based on a true story.  Jonah Hill and Miles Teller are also odd picks for their roles.  Although, Hill looks like he might be reprising a similar role to the one he acted in The Wolf of Wall Street.  If that is so, this film should be pretty funny since he has mastered that kind of character.

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Kubo and the Two Strings - I really really want to see this film solely because the soundtrack sounds amazing.  That trailer with the cover version of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" is glorious and awe-striking.  The animation style also looks unique and intriguing, which the studio has become well-known for.  I'm assuming this one will be a great film with intellectual concepts that will be enjoyable to adults and children alike. 

Lo and Behold, Reveries of the Connected World - This one played at SIFF and unfortunately I did not have the time to see it.  Werner Herzog is probably the most well-known documentarian so this one should be a great follow-up to his preceding works.  Also, his voice is quite possibly the greatest to listen to for narrations (if not second to Morgan Freeman's).  He will probably be able to guide us through the confusion of the internet without losing us along the way.

Little Men - This film currently sits toward the top of my list of movies in 2016.  I saw it at the Seattle International Film Festival and it ended up being my fourth favorite film of the festival.  If you like Ira Sachs, then definitely give this film a go.  It's a nice trip into childhood, parenthood, and friendship.  The realism is also superb in this film, bringing a real life problem for many to the big screen.

Suicide Squad -  Apparently there is a petition to take down Rotten Tomatoes on Change.org because of how bad the ratings for this film are.  I myself was looking forward to this one and thought it might redeem the DC universe, but it looks like we will have to keep waiting for the franchise to step up its game.  I am still excited to see Margot Robbie, Will Smith, and Jared Leto in their respective roles.  From what I hear the film is not badass enough, but Robbie and Smith are still fantastic.

Nine Lives - This one looks great... if you are under the age of ten years old.  When I saw the first trailer for this film, I thought it was a joke.  Honestly, why is Kevin Spacey in this film?  I feel like he could get any role he ever wants and this is what he accepts.  Who knows, maybe the film will be decent.  Yet, it looks like every other Disney channel movie that involves animals and trading places.  I'm probably not going to see this in theaters, if I even ever see it.