CANDY CANE LANE is a light, pleasant little holiday treat, much like the candy its name suggests. The family comedy takes place on one of those streets nearly every town has, the one where neighbors out-do each other with the decorations, competing for the neighborhood honor of being named the annual winner. This story centers on one of those suburban families, headed by dad Chris Carver (Eddie Murphy). Chris Carver does indeed carve, in this case, handmade holiday decorations, which are overlooked for the prize every year. He is married to Carol (Tracee Ellis Ross), and they have three kids, Nicholas (Thaddeus J. Mixson), Joy (Genneya Walton), and Holly (Madison Thomas). Seeing a pattern here?
In case you missed, the film thoughtfully points that Christmas naming theme out for you in one scene.
For CANDY CANE LANE, director Reginald Hudlin pretty much throws in anything that would fit for a Christmas movie, and then goes for some other genres too, like family comedy and even horror. Hudlin’s “everything and the kitchen sink” approach doesn’t really add to “more is better” but there is some fun in this very busy film. And the director also adds subversive little tidbits too, turning holiday movie stereotyping on its head – like making the Black suburban family the film’s main characters instead of supporting ones.
Eddie Murphy’s Chris Carver really wants to win the neighborhood Christmas decorating contest, in part because he just lost his job and the contest has a cash prize this year. Looking for a way to up his decorating game, he stumbles across a holiday shop he never saw before, run by an impish woman named Pepper (Jillian Bell), who has a whiff of something scary about her. She sells Chris an impressively large yard-decor Christmas tree, festooned with the characters from the song “12 Days of Christmas,” and requires him to sign a receipt that as a lot of fine-print. “Just standard,” she says, hurrying him along. Pressed for time, Chris does sign without reading it. You know that can’t be good.
Some very crazy things start happening once Eddie Murphy’s Chris gets the huge decoration home, and there is more magical stuff involving those little Christmas village models, with Nick Offerman as one of the figurines. David Alan Grier shows up later too – as Santa.
Eddie Murphy plays his role straight and leaves the comedy heavy-lifting mostly to Jillian Bell, who chews up some scenery in a most entertaining way. While Murphy plays it straight, Jillian Bell gets the comedy spotlight, as a mischievous elf you don’t want on your shelf. (See, this stuff it contagious.) Still, its fun to see Eddie Murphy on screen again, playing a dad determined to give his kids the best Christmas ever – no matter what gets in his way.
The comedy has a bit of fun with breaking some Christmas movie rules too. For one, this suburban “candy cane lane” is in Southern California, so there is no chance of snow. When Santa rolls his sleigh down the lane, one of the homes is decked out for Hanukkah. As Santa passes, he points at houses to signal the homeowners to switch on the lights – or in case, inflate the army of inflatable figures clogging the yard. And there is a running joke about the clueless neighbors who serve box wine – in wine-growing California, gasp!
If you absolutely love Christmas movies, you should put this on your holiday list. If you are cooler to the genre, know that this isn’t the worst holiday movie – plenty ahead of it there – but it isn’t a must-see holiday future-classic either. Just a bunch of familiar holiday and family film tropes along with a few more surprising ones – a 12 Days of Christmas display come to life – but ideas well within the lane (ahem) of holiday fun.
Every character gets their moment, and the humor is broad and over-the-top. Nothing subtle here. But if Christmas excess is your holiday treat, CANDY CANE LANE might be the stocking-stuffer for you.
CANDY CANE LANE debuts streaming Friday, Dec. 1, on Amazon Prime.
Time for yet another merry “movie mash-up”, with a big accent on the first “m”, The studios love mixing genres and “concepts’ almost as much as character “meetings” (as we saw a few months ago when the big ape met the big scaly lizard, though it’s really a “versus”). Here’s a “holiday film” that’s also a reboot (or “re-imagining”). Or is it? Sure, there have been many variations of “A Christmas Carol’, swapping time periods and even genders. And while that one is perhaps the most famous yuletide tale of the 19th century, for the last decade of the 20th, it’s that heart-tugging, gut-busting romp about a lad left by himself for the big “25th”. It generated two sequels that involved the “Kevin” character and a couple of “follow-ups” (in title only) with other youngsters in a similar predicament. Now, the 2021 “model’ is a perplexing “hybrid’ as it’s got another lad, but the producers go out of their way to let us know that it is set in the “world” of that 1990 original. But that’s one of several twists on the “formula’ in store for families that gather around the big screen, next to the glowing tree, of course, to watch HOME SWEET HOME ALONE.
Actually, there’s a big “twist’ right from the start, as we meet the “intruders’ in the first few minutes. Due to the loss of his computer storage job, Jeff (Rob Delaney), along with devoted wife Pam (Ellie Kemper) are on-site as eager reality agent Gavin (Kevan Thompson) hosts an open house for their Winnetka, IL home. But somehow the couple isn’t quite 100% helpful (they haven’t even told their two kids about the upcoming sale and move). Meanwhile, pre-teen Max (Archie Yates) is running errands with “mum” Carol (Aisling Bea) when “nature calls”. Aha! They’ll “crash” the open house and make quick use of the facilities. Outside the bathroom, Rob is doing some closet reorganizing and taking out an open box full of odd antique dolls. Carol mentions that one of them, a lil’ lad with an _upside-down” head (a makers’ error) is rare and perhaps valuable. Jeff laughs it off, however. When Max’s “business” is done, he asks Jeff for a big can of orange soda. When Jeff denies his request (“too sugary”). Max gives him an angry scowl. Soon he’s back at his chaotic home which is full of relatives (uncles, aunts, cousins), who’ll be joining him on a Christmas trip to Tokyo early the next morning. To get away from the ruckus, and the irritating Uncle Blake (Pete Holmes), Max drifts off to sleep in the garage, behind the wheel of the family SUV. That same night Jeff’s awakened by the early arrival of “flush with cash” pushy brother Hunter (Timothy Simons), wife Mei (Ally Maki), and their little boy. Since he can’t sleep, Jeff goes online to find the value of that “ugly boy” doll, An eBay auction is at 200 G’s! He rushes to the closet to find the toy is gone! Max must’ve swiped it in spite. Hours later he’s left behind in the garage as the frantic trek to the airport (the big family has been split onto separate flights). While Max delights at his solo holiday, Jeff and Pam decide their only option is to break into Max’s home and retrieve the doll. But it certainly won’t be that easy, as we’ve seen in five other flicks…
So, they’ve pulled a real switcheroo by sharing the film’s focus with the “burglars’, who are a far cry from the original’s “wet bandits”. Jeff and Pam are a nice, though goofy, suburban couple plucked from any family sitcom (they’d be right at home on ABC’s classic 90’s Friday line-up). And it helps that both actors have had lots of TV experience. Delaney’s perhaps best known for the somewhat edgy Amazon Prime show “Catastrophe”, which he also co-created. He makes Jeff a lovable doofus, but imbues him with a touch of pathos, especially in one scene as his home’s impending sale sends him into a hazy nostalgic dream of warm memories. Plus he’s got a great knack for the usual slapstick elements of the series, as does Kemper, who captivated TV audiences in NBC’s “The Office” before her signature role as “The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” on Netflix. As Pam, she’s the real brains of the duo, whether she’s barking orders (but in a loving way) to her dazed spouse, or playing dumb and innocent to the simple constables. Oh, Ms. Kemper can really sell the “pain” (I’ll think of her whenever I see a “free-range” Lego). These two “pros” use their skills in order to “hold their ground” against (really working alongside) the “scene-stealing” Yates, so endearing as the BFF of JO JO RABBIT. Like his predecessors in the series, he aptly balances the highs (plotting out and executing his “defense plan”) and lows (he really doesn’t wish to be alone on the ‘big day”). Yes, he gives “mum” a hard time, but we can’t get too miffed at his “onslaught of charm”. As his “mum”, Bea expertly balances frustration, not only at Max but also the dimwitted adults, and pure parental panic as she shifts very quickly into “mama Grizzly” mode. Simons is the anti-“Cousin Eddie” (from that other 1990’s yuletide iconic classic NATIONAL LAMPOON’S CHRISTMAS VACATION) as the obnoxious Hunter who pummels his brother’s kids with too-pricey presents, aided by his vapid wife Mei played by the funny Maki. Other great comic talents are Holmes as the clueless clod Blake and Thompson as the commission-crazed realtor who will not be “ghosted”. Oh, and there’s a familiar face from the series, but I won’t spoil it (hear that, Santa).
Veteran comedy director Dan Mazer keeps the pace rolling on, while slowing things down just enough for the story’s more sentimental moments to pluck at the heartstrings. Kudos to screenwriters Mikey Day (yes, the SNL cast member since 2014) and Streeter Seidell (working from the John Hughes blueprint) for mixing up the format and giving us a more sympathetic adversary for the young domicile defender. But this often backfires, as this down on his luck dad seems unworthy of the relentless pummeling in the third act (ditto for mom Pam). Yes, this is supposed to emulate “cartoon violence” (Max may be inspired by a classic Roadrunner cartoon on his SUV’s monitor…but Fox is now part of the “Mouse House”), but some of the traps make us cringe in pain rather than guffaw. And with the enhancement of CGI, we’re stunned that the duo doesn’t pass out, let alone that they can trudge forward through Max’s mini-mansion (and that property damage and insurance forms). Sure, the tykes will be tickled by the slapstick, but they may recall that the pair being punished have their own kids at home, sleeping while the mayhem ensues. But I guess this is similar to slamming a musical for big song-and-dance numbers or horses in a Western. It’s been part of this series for over 30 years now., along with the John Willimas theme that wafts through several scenes. Luckily the talented new cast overcomes the familiar tropes to give an interesting spin on the series for the sixth outing in HOME SWEET HOME ALONE. It’ll go well with the egg nog and cookies, just keep the mints away from the soda pop.
2.5 out of 4
HOME SWEET HOME ALONE streams exclusively on Disney+ beginning on Friday, November 12, 2021
We all may know someone who’s more than a little “Noel-nutty” (hey, it might be that person with the holly in their hair staring back at you from the mirror). They’re the folks in a frenzy as retailors pack up the pumpkins and bring out the wreaths. And they probably overload on nogg as they “zone out” on all those winter holiday flicks that clog a couple of the basic cable TV channels. Ah, but what’s this at the multiplex, barely a week into November? Did one of those offerings slither out of its cage over at Hallmark? Perhaps, except this has a rather interesting list of talents. It’s got a story and script co-written by Oscar-winner Emma Thompson (who acts in it, too), and it’s directed by one of the current kings of raunchy comedies (this time minus his muse Melissa McCarthy), Paul Feig. What kind of tinsel and fluff stocking stuffer have these two diverse talents created? Well, it’s one that takes its title (and much of its score) from the late George Michaels’ yule pop anthem, LAST CHRISTMAS.
As the story starts, ’tis the season alright, but in 1998 Yugoslavia. In a church service, an adorable young girl sings like an angel while her older sister and parents, father Ivan (Boris Isakovis) and mother Petra (Thompson) adoringly gaze from the pews. Nearly 20 years later that “angel” is now an elf. Well, that’s how she dresses at her job as a clerk at a year-round Christmas decoration shop in bustling London called “Yuletide”. When not evading her often surly boss “Santa” (Michelle Yeoh), who behaves more like “Scrooge”, Kate (Emilia Clarke) is rushing to theatre auditions and testing the generosity of her pals by asking to crash on their couches. Yes, she’s homeless but by choice, as she doesn’t want to return to the family home and endure the “finger-pointing” of her Mum (her ringtone on Kate’s phone is the 80’s pop tune “Drives Me Crazy”). But often she takes a break from “sofa surfing” to share the beds of guys she meets in bars (this elf is a drinker and a “player”). One day, as the holidays draw nearer, a stranger to the store brings some calm to the chaotic Kate. Lanky, handsome Tom (Henry Golding) is a nighttime delivery bicyclist, who wants nothing more from her than some company during his long walks through the largely unexplored areas of the city. Imploring her to always “Look up”, Tom takes Kate to a quaint hidden park before parting ways at the church where he volunteers to help the “real” homeless. She’s charmed, but perplexed when he doesn’t give her his number saying his phone stays in the cupboard. When Tom seems to disappear for days, Kate becomes obsessed with tracking down this “man of mystery”. Along the way she gets involved with the church and allows her own family back into her life (they drifted after her illness ended a year ago). Kate feels a special connection to Tom, so it becomes her goal to spend this Christmas with this man who’s unlike any other one-night-stand or suitor.
This modern fable is carried by a terrific cast that expertly balances its comedic and dramatic elements (with a splash of romance on top). Clarke’s bright smile lights up the screen along with the most expressive eyebrows since a certain Mr. Marx. Her Kate starts off as cynical and a tad grouchy, but we see her tough exterior begin to erode as the light returns to her often bloodshot eyes. Plus she’s got a very pleasant singing voice (um, musical, hint, hint). And it helps that she’s has a comfortable, playful chemistry with Golding as the enigmatic Tom. He’s more relaxed on screen than in his two break-out flicks last year, CRAZY RICH ASIANS and A SIMPLE FAVOR, even engaging in a sprightly dance around Clarke reminding us of a young Tommy Tune or the master, Dick Van Dyke. Their supporting team is led by the zany Thompson, playing against her usual sophisticated roles as the sometimes overbearing Eastern European mama (with that thick accent I kept wondering when she’d join Lon Chaney, Jr. in the gypsy caravan). She’s a true delight, but the biggest comic surprise is the glamorous Ms. Yeoh as the tough shop owner, using the phrase “Get to work!” like a sharp sword. But then she gets to lighten up thanks to an obviously smitten uptight Nordic silver fox she dubs “Boy” played with endearing reserve by Peter Mygind. The rest of the cast is filled with wonderful British comic actors including a great pair of policewomen played by Laura Evelyn and Ingrid Oliver, not “good cop/bad cop”, but rather “friendly cop/brusque cop”.
Once again Feig demonstrates his talent for making engaging farces, but this time he tackles tougher topics like death and bigotry along with a budding romance and how people can change their ways. Much of the credit has to go to the writing talents of Thompson collaborating here with Bryony Kimmings (on the screenplay) and her hubby Greg Wise (on the story). The duo (Feig and Thompson) succeed in making a most unique holiday flick, one that’s not hinted at in the film’s marketing (the TV spots and posters). It’s not a “marshmallow world”, but a gritty tough place (some Brexit digs pack a punch). Yes, London looks charming in December, but the sparkling streets don’t hide the hungry and homeless (my biggest complaint is the often whimsical street folk, who are much too cute and eccentric). This plot’s eggnog is spiked with some strong medicine, with so many twists on the road to the 25th. Really, it’s a “spoiler” M. Night minefield. But the ending’s full of heart (in many ways), pushed along by the iconic George Michael medleys, making Clarke and company’s gift under the tree a most engaging LAST CHRISTMAS.
I’m not sure what your holiday traditions are, but in my family, it’s not Christmas until you’ve watched at least one movie that makes you realize your family is not that bad, because it could always be worse. I joking, of course, but let’s say “hypothetically” that I’m not.
For me, ever since I first saw National Lampoon’s CHRISTMAS VACATION at an age probably too early to be watching the film, I’ve had a special place in my heart for Clark Griswold. A man with a good heart and no sense to navigate in the world. Year after year, I watch that film like a big eyed, innocent child all over again, and when Clark finally loses his shit in front of everyone, chugging back the adult egg nog, inside I’m saying “Amen, brother!”
What the Hell am I babbling on about, anyway? In the past, holiday movie traditions have consisted of goodie-two-shoes, proper family friendly classics in black and white and stop-motion animated TV shorts. That’s all well and good, and I even partake in these still, but in today’s jacked up world, we need a little reality in our fiction to keep our heads sane. Give it to us straight.
UNCLE NICK is not a perfect film, by any means, but screw perfection. Who needs that kind of pressure? Written by Mike Demski and directed by Chris Kasick, this is the average Joe’s Christmas movie. For those of us who can do without the do-gooders blowing smoke out their butts in an effort to be politically correct and all-inclusive, and prefer a little punch in our Christmas punch, UNCLE NICK offers a welcome reprieve from the G-rated holiday favorites.
Brian Posehn plays Nick, a middle-aged fat, balding drunk with scarce manners and a dead-end career keeping his late father’s fledgling landscape business afloat. When he’s invited to spend Christmas with his younger brother’s family, he goes instead as an opportunity to hopefully score with his step-niece, if I’m interpreting that complicated in-law familial jigsaw puzzle correctly.
Beau Ballinger plays Cody, Nick’s 31-year old younger brother, who is a failure in life, but gets by on his good looks. Cody married Sophie, played by Paget Brewster, and therefor married her money and big house as well. It’s a packaged deal, so Cody also acquired two step-children. Marcus, played wittily by Jacob Houston, and his older sister Valerie, played by Melia Renee. Valerie would be the 20-year old step-niece who holds Nick’s perverts creepy uncle affection.
Enough of the dilapidated family tree. UNCLE NICK is perhaps the most enjoyable anti-Christmas holiday movie since Billy Bob Thornton dawned the red suit in 2003 for BAD SANTA. It’s not necessarily the utmost best made film, but it’s certainly enjoyable, in it’s own humorously depraved ways. On some levels, the film is like a watered down live-action episode of Comedy Central’s South Park doing an homage to shows like All in the Family and Married With Children. Posehn’s dry, deadpan style plays in contrast to the rest of the cast and in turn works to set him apart as the odd uncle, which in turn plays into the ironic turn of events that occur in the film’s conclusion.
Melia Renee is effective at playing the seductive, rebellious harlot who plays into Nick’s inappropriate delusions, acting as a sort of succubus leading him into temptation. UNCLE NICK is a family-themed movie that is not family-friendly, complete with lewd humor, profanity, some nudity, sex, excessive consumption of alcohol, some expected and arguably warranted fisticuffs and ultimately, a nice little moral twist to the ending, just for the grown-ups who stuck it out to the end of the film, because chances are, we’re the ones who have lived, or perhaps still live, some facet of this holiday family life.
The chemistry and pacing of the performances in UNCLE NICK aren’t always spot-on, but the humor is well-written, snarky but realistic and just plain fun. Marcus doesn’t get much of the spotlight but makes us proud in his role and Cody is far from likable in any way, which is by design. Sophie, surprisingly enough, is the most sane of the family, thanks to Brewster’s level-headed performance, allowing her final revelation in the end of the film to carry more weight.
Documentary filmmaker Errol Morris executive produced the film, which may not mean much to most, but helped draw me into seeing the film. As it turns out, UNCLE NICK showcased an unexpected influence from and/or homage to the modern legend of non-fiction filmmaking, as it begins and ends in a minor portion as an interview with Nick, Errol Morris First Person-style. In addition, the creative placeholder sequences between the segments of the story are filled with baseball scenes depicting the infamous 10-cent beer game between the Cleveland Indians and the Texas Rangers.
Baseball, and more specifically the Cleveland Indians, serve as a running metaphor in the film and a connecting plot mechanism. There are nine segments in the film, as there are nine innings in a game of baseball. Each segment is chaptered as an inning and each of them carries a baseball-themed title that serves as a double entendre for the family’s hijinks. Nick’s sister Michelle, played by Missi Pyle, is equally ill-mannered as Nick but easier to look at and she’s married to Kevin, played by Scott Adsit, who runs and obsesses over his podcast that’s all about the Cleveland Indians.
Once you’ve had your fill of Rudolph and Frosty, but aren’t quite ready for A CHRISTMAS STORY, and you want a reality check instead of A MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET, allow UNCLE NICK into your home and prepare for inappropriate white elephant gifts and off-key Christmas karaoke.
UNCLE NICK opens in theaters on Friday, December 4th, 2015.
As we look in the rearview mirror of the summer blockbusters, September heralds the start of the fall movie season. Filled with Hollywood heavyweights and A-listers, here’s our BIG list of the most anticipated movies coming to cinemas this autumn and during the holidays.
Our exhaustive list includes films that are playing at the upcoming Toronto Film Festival as well the ones that already have a theatrical release date. With the awards season on the horizon, we also added a few bonus films at the end to keep your eye out for in the months ahead.
Pull up a chair, grab a pen and paper and get ready for WAMG’s Guide to the 100+ Films This Fall And Holiday Season.
We kick it off with what’s showing in Toronto at the film festival that runs September 4 – 14.
MAPS TO THE STARS – September 2014 – Toronto International Film Festival; UK & Ireland September 26 (trailer)
Entertainment One Films/ Prospero Pictures
Director David Cronenberg
Cast: Julianne Moore, Mia Wasikowska, Olivia Williams, Sarah Gadon, Evan Bird, John Cusack, Robert Pattinson, Sarah Gadon and Carrie Fisher Synopsis: The Weiss family are an archetypical Hollywood dynasty – Dr Stafford Weiss (John Cusack) is a psychotherapist whose self-help books have made him a fortune. His wife Cristina (Olivia Williams) is the overbearing mom-ager of their thirteen-year old son, Benjie (Evan Bird), a prodigious child star fresh out of drug rehab and their estranged daughter Agatha (Mia Wasikowska) has recently been released from a psychiatric hospital. Agatha is now back in Hollywood making friends with a wannabe actor/writer limo driver named Jerome (Robert Pattinson) and with a new job as PA to one of Stafford’s clients – the neurotic and tempestuous actress Havana Segrand (Julianne Moore), whose dream of reprising her dead mother’s starring role from the 1960s is beginning to haunt her.
THE SOUND AND THE FURY – Toronto 2014, USA North American Premiere
Director: James Franco
Cast: James Franco, Tim Blake Nelson and Joey King
Synopsis: The Sound and the Fury captures the lives and passions of the Compsons, a once proud Southern family caught in a tragic spiral of loss and misfortune. Based on the novel by Nobel Prize-winner author William Faulkner and considered among the 20th century’s greatest works, The Sound and the Fury encapsulates the universal theme of the death of honour, social injustice and forbidden love.
THE SEARCH (France) – September 2014 – Toronto International Film Festival – North American Premiere
Creative Artists Agency (CAA)
Director: Michel Hazanavicius
Cast: Berenice Bejo, Annette Bening, Maxim Emelianov, Abdul-Khalim Mamatsuiev Synopsis: A nine-year-old Chechen orphan and a teenaged Russian soldier encounter the many terrible faces of war during the 1999 Russian invasion of the breakaway republic, in this searing drama from Academy Award-winning director Michel Hazanavicius (The Artist).
AMERICAN HEIST – September 2014 – Toronto International Film Festival
Glacier Films / Paradigm
Director: Sarik Andreasyan
Cast: Adrien Brody, Hayden Christensen, JoJo Ryder, Aliaune “AKON” Thiam, George Castrounis, Michael Wexler, Arcadiy Golubovich, Jack Nasser, Joseph Nasser Synopsis: Two brothers (Adrien Brody and Hayden Christensen) with troubled pasts become embroiled in a high-stakes bank robbery, in this indie action thriller also starring Jordana Brewster and Akon.
MADAME BOVARY – September 2014 – Toronto International Film Festival
Occupant Entertainment
Director: Sophie Barthes
Cast: Mia Wasikowska, Laura Carmichael, Ezra Miller, Paul Giamatti, Rhys Ifans, Logan Marshall-Green Synopsis: Mia Wasikowska stars as the disgruntled provincial wife yearning to breathe free in this gorgeously shot adaptation of Gustave Flaubert’s classic novel
X + Y –September 2014 – Toronto International Film Festival (trailer)
Origin Pictures
Director: Morgan Matthews
Cast: Asa Butterfield, Rafe Spall, Sally Hawkins, Eddie Marsan and Jo Yang Synopsis: A socially awkward teenage math prodigy (Asa Butterfield, The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, Hugo) finds new confidence and new friendships when he lands a spot on the British squad at the International Mathematics Olympiad, in this warm and inspirational drama.
BEFORE WE GO – September 2014 – Toronto International Film Festival
Wonderland Sound and Vision, RSVP Entertainment
Director: Chris Evans
Cast: Chris Evans, Alice Eve Synopsis: Chris Evans makes his directorial debut with this winning romance about two strangers (Evans and Alice Eve, Star Trek: Into Darkness) who spend a long, magical night in NYC after missing the last train at Grand Central Terminal.
CAKE – September 2014 – Toronto International Film Festival
Cinelou Films
Director: Daniel Barnz
Cast: Jennifer Aniston, Anna Kendrick, William H. Macy, Adriana Barraza, Felicity Huffman, Sam Worthington, Chris Messina, Mamie Gummer Synopsis: While struggling with her own trauma, a woman in a chronic-pain support group (Jennifer Aniston) begins to investigate the suicide of a fellow group member (Anna Kendrick) and develops an unexpected relationship with the woman’s husband (Sam Worthington), in this highly anticipated drama also starring William H. Macy and Felicity Huffman.
CLOUDS OF SILS MARIA – September 2014 – North American Premiere– Toronto International Film Festival
IFC Films
Director: Olivier Assayas
Cast: Chloë Grace Moretz, Juliette Binoche, Kristen Stewart, Lars Eidinger Synopsis: A veteran stage star (Juliette Binoche) turns to her assistant (Kristen Stewart) for solace as she jousts with an arrogant younger actress (Chloë Grace Moretz), in the brilliant new film from French auteur Olivier Assayas (Summer Hours, Something in the Air).
THE COBBLER – September 2014 – Toronto International Film Festival
Voltage Pictures
Director: Thomas McCarthy
Cast: Adam Sandler, Cliff ‘Method Man’ Smith, Ellen Barkin, Melonie Diaz, Dan Stevens, Fritz Weaver, Yul Vazquez, Steve Buscemi, Dustin Hoffman Synopsis: A lonely NYC shoe repairman (Adam Sandler) discovers a magical heirloom that allows him to “walk in another man’s shoes,” in this charming fantasy co-starring Dustin Hoffman, Steve Buscemi and Ellen Barkin.
MAGGIE –September 2014 – Toronto International Film Festival
Lotus Entertainment, Silverlining Media Group / Gold Star Films, Silver Reel Partners, Stone Angels
Director: Henry Hobson
Cast: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Abigail Breslin, Joely Richardson Synopsis: A Midwestern farmer (Arnold Schwarzenegger) stays by the side of his beloved teenage daughter (Abigail Breslin) even as she slowly turns into a cannibalistic zombie, in this audacious, genre-bending debut feature from director Henry Hobson.
FAR FROM MEN – September 2014 – North American Premiere – Toronto International Film Festival
One World Films
Director: David Oelhoffen
Cast: Viggo Mortensen, Reda Kateb
Synopsis: In this gritty tale of survival adapted from a short story by Albert Camus, a reclusive teacher (Viggo Mortensen) helps a villager accused of murder (Reda Kateb, Un prophète) escape into the mountains during the Algerian War.
GEMMA BOVERY – September 2014 – Toronto International Film Festival
Gaumont
Director: Anne Fontaine
Cast: Gemma Arterton, Fabrice Luchini, Jason Flemyng, Niels Schneider Synopsis: Gemma Arterton glows as the title character — a passionate young Englishwoman whose dull married life in a provincial Norman town steers her towards adultery — in this updating of Flaubert’s masterpiece Madame Bovary from French director Anne Fontaine (Coco Before Chanel).
GOOD KILL – September 2014 – North American Premiere – Toronto International Film Festival
Voltage Pictures
Director: Andrew Niccol
Cast: Ethan Hawke, January Jones, Zoe Kravitz, Bruce Greenwood, Jake Abel Synopsis: A troubled Air Force officer (Ethan Hawke) charged with directing drone strikes enters a moral minefield as the rationale for targeting purported terrorists becomes ever more murky, in this bold, challenging and timely drama from writer-director Andrew Niccol (Gattaca, Lord of War).
THE KEEPING ROOM – September 2014 – Toronto International Film Festival
Wind Dancer / William Morris Endeavor Entertainment (WME)
Director: Daniel Barber
Cast: Brit Marling, Hailee Steinfeld, Sam Worthington, Muna Otaru, Kyle Soller Synopsis: In this stunning suspense drama, three women (Brit Marling, Hailee Steinfeld and Muna Otaru) left alone on an isolated farm during the last days of the American Civil War are besieged by a pair of murderous Yankee scouts.
COMING HOME (China) –September 2014 – Toronto International Film Festival
Sony Pictures Classics
Director: Zhang Yimou
Cast: Gong Li, Chen Daoming, Zhang Huiwen Synopsis: In the aftermath of the Cultural Revolution, an amnesiac woman (superstar Gong Li) struggles to regain her memory and reconnect with her long-imprisoned husband, in this enthralling and emotional drama from Chinese master Zhang Yimou (Raise the Red Lantern, Hero).
THE LAST FIVE YEARS – September 2014 – Toronto International Film Festival
Lucky Monkey Pictures, Sh-K-Boom Entertainment, The Exchange
Director: Richard LaGravenese
Cast: Anna Kendrick, Jeremy Jordan Synopsis: A struggling actress (Anna Kendrick) and her novelist lover (Jeremy Jordan) look back on the last half-decade of their relationship from very different viewpoints, in this adaptation of the hit Broadway musical from writer-director Richard LaGravenese.
THE RIOT CLUB – September 2014 – Toronto International Film Festival (trailer)
Film4, Blueprint Pictures
Director: Lone Scherfig
Cast: Sam Claflin, Natalie Dormer, Max Irons, Jessica Brown Findlay, Douglas Booth Synopsis: Two privileged young men are inducted into the exclusive, debaucherous company of Oxford’s elite “Riot Club,” in this scathing dissection of the British class system from Danish director Lone Scherfig “An Education”. Based on the hit play Posh.
INFINITELY POLAR BEAR – September 2014 – Toronto International Film Festival
Sony Pictures Classics
Director: Maya Forbes
Cast: Mark Ruffalo, Zoe Saldana, Imogene Wolodarsky, Ashley Aufderheide, Beth Dixon, Keir Dullea Synopsis: A loving husband and father struggling with manic depression (Mark Ruffalo) is forced to raise his two young daughters on his own, in this moving and inspirational drama based on writer-director Maya Forbes’ own childhood experiences.
LEARNING TO DRIVE – September 2014 – Toronto International Film Festival
Broad Green Pictures
Director: Isabel Coixet
Cast: Patricia Clarkson, Ben Kingsley Synopsis: After her husband leaves her, a Manhattan writer (Patricia Clarkson) finds solace in her biweekly lessons with a Sikh driving instructor (Ben Kingsley), in this adaptation of Katha Pollitt’s 2002 essay for The New Yorker.
MANGLEHORN – September 2014 – Toronto International Film Festival
Worldview Entertainment, Dreambridge Films, Muskat Filmed Productions, Rough House Pictures
Director: David Gordon Green
Cast: Al Pacino, Holly Hunter, Harmony Korine, Chris Messina
Synopsis: Left heartbroken by the woman he loved and lost forty years ago, an eccentric small-town locksmith (Al Pacino) tries to start his life over again with the help of a new friend (Holly Hunter), in the new film from David Gordon Green (George Washington, All the Real Girls).
LOVE & MERCY – September 2014 – Toronto International Film Festival
River Road Entertainment, Battle Mountain Films
Director: Bill Pohlad
Cast: John Cusack, Paul Dano, Elizabeth Banks, Paul Giamatti Synopsis: Paul Dano and John Cusack play younger and older iterations of Brian Wilson in this chronicle of the Beach Boys founder’s decades-long struggles with mental health and substance abuse.
TIME OUT OF MIND – September 2014 – Toronto International Film Festival
Paradigm
Director: Oren Moverman
Cast: Richard Gere, Ben Vereen, Jena Malone, Kyra Sedgwick, Jeremy Strong, Michael Kenneth Williams, Yul Vazquez, Coleman Domingo, Geraldine Hughes, Steve Buscemi Synopsis: A New York man forced into a homeless shelter (Richard Gere) tries to reconnect with his estranged daughter (Jena Malone), in this emotional drama from director Oren Moverman (The Messenger).
MEN, WOMEN & CHILDREN – September 2014 – Toronto International Film Festival
Paramount Pictures
Director: Jason Reitman
Cast: Kaitlyn Dever, Rosemarie DeWitt, Ansel Elgort, Jennifer Garner, Judy Greer, Elena Kampouris, Dean Norris, Adam Sandler Synopsis: Featuring a sterling ensemble cast — including Emma Thompson, Judy Greer, Adam Sandler, and Rosemarie DeWitt — the new film from Jason Reitman (Up in the Air, Labor Day) offers a poignant look at the many ways that the internet has changed the relationships between teenagers and their parents.
TOP FIVE – September 2014 – Toronto International Film Festival
IACF / United Talent Agency (UTA)
Director: Chris Rock
Cast: Chris Rock, Rosario Dawson, JB Smoove, Gabrielle Union, Tracy Morgan, Cedric the Entertainer, Kevin Hart, Jerry Seinfeld, Adam Sandler, Whoopi Goldberg, Sherri Shepherd, Jay Pharaoh, Anders Holm, Michael Che Synopsis: Written, directed by, and starring Chris Rock, Top Five tells the story of New York City comedian-turned-film star Andre Allen, whose unexpected encounter with a journalist forces him to confront both the career that made him famous and the life he left behind.
MISS JULIE – September 2014 – Toronto International Film Festival
Maipo Film AS, Maipo Film AS, The Apocalypse Films Company
Director: Liv Ullmann
Cast: Jessica Chastain, Colin Farrell, Samantha Morton Synopsis: Jessica Chastain, Colin Farrell and Samantha Morton star in this stunning adaptation of the classic August Strindberg play directed by legendary actress and filmmaker Liv Ullmann.
TWO DAYS, ONE NIGHT (Belgium/France) – September 2014 – Toronto International Film Festival, Canadian Premiere
Les Films du Fleuve / IFC Films /
Director: Luc Dardenne, Jean-Pierre Dardenne
Cast: Marion Cotillard, Fabrizio Rongione, Pili Groyne, Simon Caudry Synopsis: A working-class mother (Marion Cotillard) fights to hold onto her job
BLACK AND WHITE – September 2014 – Toronto International Film Festival
Treehouse Films and Black & White LLC
Director: Mike Binder
Cast: Kevin Costner, Octavia Spencer, Anthony Mackie, Andre Holland, Bill Burr, Mpho Koaho, Gillian Jacobs, Jennifer Ehle Synopsis: An attorney (Kevin Costner) struggling to raise his biracial granddaughter after the deaths of his wife and daughter becomes embroiled in a custody battle with the child’s paternal grandmother (Academy Award winner Octavia Spencer).
BOYCHOIR – September 2014 – Toronto International Film Festival
Informant Media
Director: François Girard
Cast: Dustin Hoffman, Kathy Bates, Josh Lucas, Kevin McHale, Eddie Izzard, Debra Winger, Garrett Wareing Synopsis: A troubled eleven-year-old boy at a prestigious East Coast music school clashes with the school’s demanding choir master (Dustin Hoffman), in this inspiring drama co-starring Kathy Bates, Josh Lucas, Debra Winger and Glee’s Kevin McHale.
NED RIFLE – September 2014 – Toronto International Film Festival (trailer)
Possible Films, LLC
Director: Hal Hartley
Cast: Liam Aiken, Aubrey Plaza, Martin Donovan, Parker Posey, Thomas Jay Ryan, James Urbaniak Synopsis: American indie icon Hal Hartley completes the trilogy he began with Henry Fool and Fay Grim with this delightfully offbeat tale about Henry and Fay’s teenage son Ned, who emerges from a witness protection program with a single, fixed purpose: to kill his father for ruining his mother’s life.
OCTOBER GALE – September 2014 – Toronto International Film Festival
Blue Ice Pictures
Director: Ruba Nadda
Cast: Patricia Clarkson, Scott Speedman, Tim Roth, Callum Keith Rennie Synopsis: In this taut psychological thriller from director Ruba Nadda (Cairo Time), a doctor (Patricia Clarkson) takes in a mysterious man (Scott Speedman) when he washes ashore at her remote cottage with a gunshot wound — and soon discovers that his would-be killer (Tim Roth) is on his way to finish the job.
THE CONNECTION (La French) – September 2014 – Toronto International Film Festival (trailer)
Gaumont, Légende Cinéma, Scope Pictures
Director: Cedric Jimenez
Cast: Jean Dujardin, Gilles Lellouche, Céline Sallette, Benoît Magimel Synopsis: Academy Award winner Jean Dujardin (The Artist) stars as French police magistrate Pierre Michel, who waged an obsessive six-year battle to bring down Marseilles’ infamous “French Connection” drug ring.
WELCOME TO ME – September 2014 – Toronto International Film Festival
Bron Studios Inc, Gary Sanchez Productions
Director(s): Shira Piven
Cast: Kristen Wiig, James Marsden, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Wes Bentley, Tim Robbins, Joan Cusack, Linda Cardellini Synopsis: A woman suffering from Borderline Personality Disorder (Kristen Wiig) becomes an overnight celebrity after a huge lottery jackpot allows her to launch her own off-the-wall talk show.
PASOLINI – September 2014 – Toronto International Film Festival
Capricci Production, Urania Pictures
Director: Abel Ferrara
Cast: Willem Dafoe, Ninetto Davoli, Riccardo Scarmacio, Valerio Mastandrea Synopsis: Willem Dafoe uncannily embodies the legendary Italian filmmaker, poet and novelist Pier Paolo Pasolini in this biopic from controversial director Abel Ferrara (Bad Lieutenant, Go Go Tales).
WHILE WE’RE YOUNG – September 2014 – Toronto International Film Festival
IACF
Director: Noah Baumbach
Cast: Ben Stiller, Naomi Watts, Adam Driver, Amanda Seyfried, Charles Grodin Synopsis: Noah Baumbach’s exploration of aging, ambition and success stars Ben Stiller and Naomi Watts as a middle-aged couple whose career and marriage are overturned when a disarming young couple enters their lives.
ESCOBAR – September 2014 – Toronto International Film Festival
Chapter 2, Pathé Production, Orange Studio
Director: Andrea Di Stefano
Cast: Benicio del Toro, Josh Hutcherson, Claudia Traisac Synopsis: An American surfer (Josh Hutcherson, The Hunger Games) meets the girl of his dreams — but gets a brutal (sur)reality check when he meets her uncle, Colombian drug kingpin Pablo Escobar (Benicio del Toro).
THE FORGER – September 2014 – Toronto International Film Festival
Code Entertainment
Director: Philip Martin
Cast: John Travolta, Christopher Plummer, Tye Sheridan, Jennifer Ehle, Marcus Thomas, Anson Mount, Abigail Spencer Synopsis: Released from prison so that he can spend time with his dying son (Tye Sheridan, Mud), an expert art forger (John Travolta) is coerced into participating in a major museum heist, in this dramatic thriller co-starring Christopher Plummer, Abigail Spencer and Jennifer Ehle.
PAWN SACRIFICE – September 2014 – Toronto International Film Festival
Director: Ed Zwick
Cast: Tobey Maguire, Peter Sarsgaard, Liev Schreiber, Michael Stuhlbarg Synopsis: American chess phenomenon Bobby Fischer (Tobey Maguire) squares off against his Russian rival Boris Spassky (Liev Schreiber) in the 1972 “Match of the Century” in Reykjavik, in this gripping docudrama from director Edward Zwick (Glory) and screenwriter Steven Knight (Eastern Promises).
A LITTLE CHAOS – September 2014 – Toronto International Film Festival
Potboiler Productions, The Bureau / Lionsgate
Director:Alan Rickman
Cast: Kate Winslet, Matthias Schoenaerts, Alan Rickman, Stanley Tucci Synopsis: Commissioned to construct King Louis XIV’s garden at Versailles, a landscape designer (Academy Award winner Kate Winslet) battles professionally and romantically with the king’s chief architect (Matthias Schoenaerts, Rust and Bone), in this sumptuous historical drama from actor-director Alan Rickman.
A SECOND CHANCE (Denmark) – September 2014 – Toronto International Film Festival (trailer)
Zentropa, Zentropa International Sweden
Director: Susanne Bier
Cast: Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Ulrich Thomsen, Maria Bonnevie Synopsis: A veteran police officer (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Game of Thrones) with a wife and new baby makes a fateful decision when he is brought back into contact with a pair of junkie parents, in this powerful, morally complex drama from Academy Award-winning director Susanne Bier (Brothers, In a Better World).
RUTH & ALEX – September 2014 – Toronto International Film Festival
Myriad Pictures
Director: Richard Loncraine
Cast: Michael Cristofer, Cynthia Nixon, Diane Keaton, Morgan Freeman, Claire Vanderboom, Korey Jackson, Carrie Preston, Sterling Jerins, Josh Pais, Miriam Shor Synopsis: The story of one long weekend in the life of an elderly New York couple hoping to sell their East Village apartment of 40 years. Ruth is a retired teacher and Alex is an artist. As they prepare for an open house, New York City is on alert because a gasoline truck is “stuck” in the Midtown tunnel and the driver has fled. The real estate market responds to the chaos resulting in a huge bidding war on their apartment. Ruth and Alex make an offer on a new apartment and look back on years of memories in their home.
STILL ALICE – September 2014 – Toronto International Film Festival
Killer Films
Director: Richard Glatzer, Wash Westmoreland
Cast: Julianne Moore, Kristen Stewart, Alec Baldwin, Kate Bosworth, Hunter Parrish Synopsis: A successful Columbia University professor (Julianne Moore) struggles to maintain her mind and self after being diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s, in this adaptation of the Lisa Genova novel.
THE REACH – September 2014 – Toronto International Film Festival
William Morris Endeavor Entertainment (WME)
Director: Jean-Baptiste Leonetti
Cast: Michael Douglas, Jeremy Irvine, Hanna Mangan Lawrence, Ronny Cox Synopsis: A high-rolling corporate shark (Michael Douglas) and his impoverished young guide (Jeremy Irvine, War Horse) play the most dangerous game during a hunting trip in the Mojave desert, in this lean, mean cat-and-mouse thriller.
SAMBA – September 2014 – Toronto International Film Festival
Quad Films, Ten Films, Gaumont / Entertainment One Films
Directors: Olivier Nakache, Eric Toledano
Cast: Charlotte Gainsbourg, Omar Sy, Tahar Rahim, Izia Higelin Synopsis: A recent migrant to France (Omar Sy) fights to stay in his adopted country with the help of a rookie immigration worker (Charlotte Gainsbourg), in this winning drama from the directors of the breakout hit Les Intouchables.
SHELTER – September 2014 – Toronto International Film Festival
Repeat Offender Productions, Inc, Bifrost Pictures
Director: Paul Bettany
Cast: Jennifer Connelly, Anthony Mackie Synopsis: Homeless on the streets of New York, two people from very different worlds (Jennifer Connelly and Anthony Mackie) find strength and solace in each other, in the moving directorial debut by actor Paul Bettany.
FRONTERA – September 5 (trailer)
Magnolia Pictures
Director: Michael Berry
Cast: Ed Harris, Michael Pena, Eva Longoria, Amy Madigan, Aden Young Synopsis: Set along the tumultuous Arizona-Mexico border, FRONTERA, starring Ed Harris, Eva Longoria, and Michael Pena, follows Miguel (Peña), a hardworking father and devoted husband who crosses the border illegally and is wrongfully accused of murdering the wife of a former sheriff (Harris). Miguel’s pregnant wife (Longoria) lands in the hands of corrupt Mexican “Coyote” smugglers as she tries to help her husband, while the ex-lawman investigates his wife’s death and unearths evidence that could destroy one family’s future.
THE LONGEST WEEK – September 5
Armian Pictures / Gravitas Ventures
Director: Peter Glanz
Cast: Jenny Slate, Olivia Wilde, Billy Crudup, and Jason Bateman Synopsis: As he eases into adulthood at the age of forty, Conrad Valmont (Jason Bateman), the over-educated, under-employed heir to the Valmont Hotel fortune, is cut off from his allowance following his parents abrupt divorce and tossed out into the unforgiving streets of the Upper West Side. Luckily, he is taken in by his old friend Dylan (Billy Crudup), and returns the favor by immediately falling for Dylan’s girlfriend Beatrice (Olivia Wilde). As Conrad attempts to woo Beatrice while keeping both their relationship and his bank balance secret, Dylan tries to set him up with Jocelyn (Jenny Slate). Ever committed to the charade that he eventually finds difficult to maintain, Conrad quickly realizes his charm can only extend so far into debt. Now deep into an extensional reflection, will it take losing everything to make Conrad realize what he can truly become?
MY OLD LADY – September 10 (trailer)
Deux Chevaux Inc. / Cohen Media Group
Director: Israel Horovitz
Cast: Kevin Kline, Kristin Scott Thomas, Maggie Smith Synopsis: A down-and-out New Yorker inherits an apartment in Paris from his estranged father and is stunned to find a refined old lady living there with her protective daughter.
REVENGE OF THE GREEN DRAGONS – DirecTV September 11, in theaters October 24 (trailer)
A24
Directors: Andrew Lau and Andrew Loo
Cast: Ray Liotta, Justin Chon, Kevin Wu, Harry Shum Jr, Shuya Chang, Geoff Pierson Synopsis: In the vein of crime classics like MEAN STREETS and INFERNAL AFFAIRS, REVENGE OF THE GREEN DRAGONS follows two immigrant brothers Sonny (Justin Chon) and Steven (Kevin Wu) who survive the impoverished despair of New York in the 1980s by joining Chinatown gang “The Green Dragons”. The brothers quickly rise up the ranks, drawing the unwanted attention of hard-boiled city cops. After an ill- fated love affair pits Sonny against his own brother, he sets out for revenge on the very gang who made him who he is. From acclaimed Director Andrew Lau and Andrew Loo, and legendary Executive Producer Martin Scorsese comes a brilliant mix between a Hong Kong action film and a New York City crime thriller, portraying the never-before-told true story of “The Green Dragons”.
THE SKELETON TWINS – September 12 (trailer)
Roadside Attractions
Director: Craig Johnson
Cast: Bill Hader, Kristen Wiig, Luke Wilson, Ty Burrell, Boyd Holbrook Synopsis: When estranged twins Maggie and Milo feel they’re at the end of their ropes, an unexpected reunion forces them to confront why their lives went so wrong. As the twins reconnect, they realize the key to fixing their lives may just lie in repairing their relationship. Winner of the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival.
THE DROP – September 12 (trailer)
Fox Searchlight
Director: Michaël R. Roskam
Cast: Tom Hardy, Noomi Rapace, James Gandolfini, Matthias Schoenaerts, John Ortiz, Ann Dowd Synopsis: THE DROP is a new crime drama from Michaël R. Roskam, the Academy Award nominated director of BULLHEAD. Based on a screenplay from Dennis Lehane (MYSTIC RIVER, GONE BABY GONE), THE DROP follows lonely bartender Bob Saginowski (Tom Hardy) through a covert scheme of funneling cash to local gangsters – “money drops” – in the underworld of Brooklyn bars. Under the heavy hand of his employer and cousin Marv (James Gandolfini), Bob finds himself at the center of a robbery gone awry and entwined in an investigation that digs deep into the neighborhood’s past where friends, families, and foes all work together to make a living – no matter the cost.
NO GOOD DEED – September 12 (trailer)
Screen Gems
Director: Sam Miller
Cast: Idris Elba, Taraji P. Henson, Leslie Bibb, Kate del Castillo and Henry Simmons Synopsis: Terri (Taraji P. Henson) is a devoted wife and mother of two, living an ideal suburban life in Atlanta when Colin (Idris Elba), a charming but dangerous escaped convict, shows up at her door claiming car trouble. Terri offers her phone to help him but soon learns that no good deed goes unpunished as she finds herself fighting for survival when he invades her home and terrorizes her family.
THE DISAPPEARANCE OF ELEANOR RIGBY – September 12 (trailer)
Weinstein Films
Director: Ned Benson
Cast: Jessica Chastain, James McAvoy Synopsis: With his unique vision, writer/director Ned Benson ambitiously captures a complete picture of a relationship in the beautifully relatable portrait of love, empathy and truth that is THE DISAPPEARANCE OF ELEANOR RIGBY. Once happily married, Conor (McAvoy) and Eleanor (Chastain) suddenly find themselves as strangers longing to understand each other in the wake of tragedy. The film explores the couple’s story as they try to reclaim the life and love they once knew and pick up the pieces of a past that may be too far gone. Screened for the first time at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival, Benson’s latest version of their story combines his previous two films – titled HIM and HER – uniting their perspectives and taking a further look into the subjectivity of relationships
DOLPHIN TALE 2- September 12 (trailer)
Alcon Entertainment / Warner Bros. Pictures
Director: Charles Martin Smith
Cast: Harry Connick, Jr., Ashley Judd, Nathan Gamble,Kris Kristofferson, Cozi Zuehlsdorff, Bethany Hamilton and Morgan Freeman Synopsis: Several years have passed since young Sawyer Nelson (Gamble) and the dedicated team at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium (CMA), headed by Dr. Clay Haskett (Connick, Jr.), rescued Winter, a young dolphin who lost her tail after being entangled in a crab trap. With the help of Dr. Cameron McCarthy (Freeman), who developed a unique prosthetic tail for Winter, they saved her life against all odds. In turn, she helped save the Aquarium—as people came from far and wide to see the courageous dolphin firsthand, enabling CMA to greatly expand their mission to “rescue, rehabilitate and, when possible, release” injured animals. Yet their fight is not over. Winter’s surrogate mother, the elderly dolphin Panama, passes away, leaving Winter alone and grieving, unwilling to engage with anyone, even her best friend, Sawyer. However, the loss of Panama may have even greater repercussions for CMA. The USDA warns Clay they will have to move Winter from the Aquarium because regulations require these social creatures to be paired. If they don’t find a female companion for her—one that she accepts—CMA will lose their beloved Winter. But as time runs out, there may still be Hope…
THE GUEST – September 17 (trailer)
Picture House
Director: Adam Wingard
Cast: Dan Stevens, Maika Monroe, Leland Orser, Sheila Kelley, Brendan Meyer, Lance Reddick Synopsis: A soldier (Dan Stevens) introduces himself to the Peterson family, claiming to be a friend of their son who died in action. After the young man is welcomed into their home, a series of accidental deaths seem to be connected to his presence.
THIS IS WHERE I LEAVE YOU – September 19 (trailer)
Warner Bros. Pictures
Director: Shawn Levy
Cast: Jason Bateman, Tina Fey, Adam Driver, Rose Byrne, Corey Stoll, Kathryn Hahn, Connie Britton, Timothy Olyphant, Dax Shepard, Debra Monk, Abigail Spencer, Ben Schwartz and Jane Fonda Synopsis: When their father passes away, four grown siblings, bruised and banged up by their respective adult lives, are forced to return to their childhood home and live under the same roof together for a week, along with their over-sharing mother and an assortment of spouses, exes and might-have-beens. Confronting their history and the frayed states of their relationships among the people who know and love them best, they ultimately reconnect in hysterical and emotionally affecting ways amid the chaos, humor, heartache and redemption that only families can provide— driving us insane even as they remind us of our truest, and often best, selves.
THE MAZE RUNNER – September 19 (trailer)
20th Century Fox
Director: Wes Ball
Cast: Dylan O’Brien, Kaya Scodelario, Aml Ameen, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Will Poulter Synopsis: When Thomas wakes up trapped in a massive maze with a group of other boys, he has no memory of the outside world other than strange dreams about a mysterious organization known as W.C.K.D. Only by piecing together fragments of his past with clues he discovers in the maze can Thomas hope to uncover his true purpose and a way to escape. Based upon the best-selling novel by James Dashner.
THE ZERO THEOREM – September 19 (trailer)
Amplify
Director: Terry Gilliam
Cast: Christoph Waltz, Mélanie Thierry, Lucas Hedges, Tilda Swinton, David Thewlis and Matt Damon Synopsis: Terry Gilliam’s (Brazil, 12 Monkeys, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas)’s madcap science fiction epic The Zero Theorem stars two-time Academy Award-winner Christoph Waltz as Qohen Leth, an eccentric and reclusive computer genius plagued with existential angst. Living in isolation in a burnt-out church, Qohen is obsessively working on a mysterious project personally delegated to him by Management (Matt Damon) aimed at discovering the meaning of life – or the complete lack of one – once and for all. Increasingly disturbed by unwanted visits from people he doesn’t fully trust, including flirtatious Bainsley (Mélanie Thierry), Management’s wunderkind son Bob (Lucas Hedges), his unpredictable colleague Job (David Thewlis), and would-be digital therapist Dr. Shrink-Rom (Tilda Swinton), it’s only when he experiences the power of love and desire that he’s able to understand his own reason for being.
A WALK AMONG THE TOMBSTONES – September 19 (trailer)
Universal Pictures
Director: Scott Frank
Cast: Liam Neeson, Dan Stevens, David Harbour, Boyd Holbrook Synopsis: Based on Lawrence Block’s bestselling series of mystery novels, A Walk among the Tombstones stars Liam Neeson as Matt Scudder, an ex-NYPD cop who now works as an unlicensed private investigator operating just outside the law. When Scudder reluctantly agrees to help a heroin trafficker (Dan Stevens) hunt down the men who kidnapped and then brutally murdered his wife, the PI learns that this is not the first time these men have committed this sort of twisted crime…nor will it be the last. Blurring the lines between right and wrong, Scudder races to track the deviants through the backstreets of New York City before they kill again.
PRIDE – September 19 (trailer)
CBS Films
Director: Matthew Warchus
Cast: Bill Nighy, Imelda Staunton, Dominic West, Paddy Considine, Andrew Scott, Joseph Gilgun, George MacKay, Ben Schnetzer Synopsis: PRIDE is inspired by an extraordinary true story. It’s the summer of 1984, Margaret Thatcher is in power and the National Union of Mineworkers is on strike, prompting a London-based group of gay and lesbian activists to raise money to support the strikers’ families. Initially rebuffed by the Union, the group identifies a tiny mining village in Wales and sets off to make their donation in person. As the strike drags on, the two groups discover that standing together makes for the strongest union of all.
TUSK – September 19 (trailer)
A24 Films
Director: Kevin Smith
Cast: Justin Long, Haley Joel Osment, Genesis Rodriguez, Michael Parks Synopsis: From the singular mind of writer/director and podcaster Kevin Smith, and conceived from one of Smith’s own Smodcast’s, TUSK is a story unlike anything that has ever been committed to screen before. A tale that is equal parts hilarious and horrifying, TUSK will stay with you long after the credits roll.
TRACKS – September 19 (trailer)
Weinstein Company
Director: John Curran
Cast: Mia Wasikowska, Adam Driver Synopsis: Director John Curran (THE PAINTED VEIL, WE DON’T LIVE HERE ANYMORE) and the producers of THE KINGS SPEECH bring you the film TRACKS, which tells the remarkable true story of Robyn Davidson (Wasikowska), a young woman who leaves her life in the city to make a solo trek through almost 2,000 miles of sprawling Australian desert. Accompanied by only her dog and four unpredictable camels, she sets off on a life-changing journey of self-discovery. Along the way, she meets National Geographic photographer Rick Smolan (Driver) who begins to photograph her voyage.
KEEP ON KEEPIN’ ON – September 19 (trailer)
Radius TWC
Director: Alan Hicks
Cast: Clark Terry, Justin Kauflin, Quincy Jones Synopsis: KEEP ON KEEPIN’ ON is the remarkable story of celebrated 93-year-old trumpet-player Clark Terry, who is not only a living legend of the Golden Age of jazz, but was also both a mentor to Miles Davis and a teacher to Quincy Jones. Shot over a period of five years, the film highlights Terry’s friendship with the preternaturally gifted Justin Kauflin, a blind, 23-year-old piano prodigy who suffers from debilitating stage fright. Not long after Kauflin is invited to compete in an elite jazz competition, Terry’s health takes a turn for the worse. Together, the two friends confront the toughest challenges of their lives.
LOVE IS STRANGE – September 19 (St. Louis release) (trailer)
Sony Pictures Classics
Director: Ira Sachs
Cast: John Lithgow, Alfred Molina, Marisa Tomei, Darren Burrows, Charlie Tahan, Cheyenne Jackson Synopsis: After nearly four decades together, Ben (John Lithgow) and George (Alfred Molina) finally tie the knot in an idyllic wedding ceremony in lower Manhattan. But when George loses his job soon after, the couple must sell their apartment and – victims of the relentless New York City real estate market – temporarily live apart until they can find an affordable new home. While George moves in with two cops (Cheyenne Jackson and Manny Perez) who live down stairs, Ben lands in Brooklyn with his nephew (Darren Burrows), his wife (Marisa Tomei), and their temperamental teenage son (Charlie Tahan), with whom Ben shares a bedroom. While struggling with the pain of separation, Ben and George are further challenged by the intergenerational tensions and capricious family dynamics of their new living arrangements. LOVE IS STRANGE blends the romance of New York City’s streets and skyline with a delicate Chopin piano score to poignantly capture both the lightness and sorrows of this modern day love story.
THE BOXTROLLS – September 26 (trailer)
Focus Features
Directors: Anthony Staachi and Graham Annable
Voice Cast: Ben Kingsley, Isaac Hempstead Wright, Elle Fanning, Jared Harris, Toni Collette, Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Richard Ayoade, Tracy Morgan
Synopsis: A family event movie from the creators of “Coraline” and “ParaNorman” that introduces audiences to a new breed of family – The Boxtrolls, a community of quirky, mischievous creatures who have lovingly raised an orphaned human boy named Eggs (voiced by Isaac Hempstead-Wright) in the amazing cavernous home they’ve built beneath the streets of Cheesebridge. When the town’s villain, Archibald Snatcher (Academy Award winner Ben Kingsley), comes up with a plot to get rid of the Boxtrolls, Eggs decides to venture above ground, “into the light,” where he meets and teams up with fabulously feisty Winnifred (Elle Fanning). Together, they devise a daring plan to save Eggs’ family.
GOOD PEOPLE – September 26 (trailer)
Millennium Entertainment
Director: Henrik Ruben Genz
Cast: James Franco, Kate Hudson, Omar Sy, Tom Wilkinson Synopsis: Young American couple Tom and Anna Reed (James Franco and Kate Hudson) fall into severe debt while renovating Anna’s family home in London. As the couple faces the loss of their dream to have a house and start a family, they discover that the tenant in the apartment below them has been murdered and he left behind a stash of cash—$400,000 worth. Though initially hesitant, Tom and Anna decide that the plan is simple: all they have to do is quietly take the money and use only what’s necessary to get them out of debt. But when they start spending the money and can’t seem to stop, they find themselves the target of a deadly adversary—the thief who stole it—and that’s when very bad things start happening to good people.
THE TWO FACES OF JANUARY – September 26 (trailer)
Magnolia Pictures
Director: Hossein Amini
Cast: Viggo Mortensen, Kirsten Dunst, Oscar Isaac Synopsis: Based on a novel by Patricia Highsmith (The Talented Mr. Ripley), THE TWO FACES OF JANUARY centers on a wealthy American couple (Viggo Mortensen) and (Kristen Dunst) on a tour of Greece in the 1960’s. There they meet a con-artist (Oscar Isaac) who becomes entranced with the couple’s wealth and beauty. A sudden accident puts all three in danger as they set off through Greece as the trio’s allegiance is put to the test.
THE EQUALIZER – September 26 (trailer)
Columbia Pictures
Director: Antoine Fuqua
Cast: Denzel Washington, Marton Csokas, Chloë Grace Moretz, David Harbour, with Bill Pullman and Melissa Leo Synopsis: In The Equalizer, Denzel Washington plays McCall, a man who believes he has put his mysterious past behind him and dedicated himself to beginning a new, quiet life. But when McCall meets Teri (Chloë Grace Moretz), a young girl under the control of ultra-violent Russian gangsters, he can’t stand idly by – he has to help her. Armed with hidden skills that allow him to serve vengeance against anyone who would brutalize the helpless, McCall comes out of his self-imposed retirement and finds his desire for justice reawakened. If someone has a problem, if the odds are stacked against them, if they have nowhere else to turn, McCall will help. He is The Equalizer.
JIMI: ALL IS BY MY SIDE – September 26 (trailer)
XLrator Media
Director: John Ridley
Cast: André Benjamin, Hayley Atwell, Imogen Poots, Andrew Buckley, Ruth Negga Synopsis: OutKast’s André Benjamin stars as Jimi Hendrix in this revealing biopic from Academy Award-winning writer-director John Ridley (12 Years A Slave). Covering a year in Hendrix’s life from 1966-67 as an unknown backup guitarist playing New York’s Cheetah Club to making his mark in London’s music scene up until his Monterey Pop triumph, the film presents an intimate portrait of the sensitive young musician on the verge of becoming a rock legend.
HECTOR AND THE SEARCH FOR HAPPINESS– October 3 (September 19, 2014, NY/LA, September 26, 2014/ Limited) (trailer)
Director: Peter Chelsom
Cast: Simon Pegg, Toni Collette, Rosamund Pike, Stellan Skarsgård, Jean Reno and Christopher Plummer
Producers: Judy Tossell, Klaus Dohle, Christine Haebler and Trish Dolman, with Phil Hunt, Compton Ross and Christian Angermayer Synopsis: Hector (Simon Pegg) is a quirky psychiatrist who has become increasingly tired of his humdrum life. As he tells his girlfriend, Clara (Rosamund Pike), he feels like a fraud: he hasn’t really tasted life, and yet he’s offering advice to patients who are just not getting any happier. So Hector decides to break out of his deluded and routine driven life. Armed with buckets of courage and child-like curiosity, he embarks on a global quest in hopes of uncovering the elusive secret formula for true happiness. And so begins a larger than life adventure with riotously funny results. Based on the world-wide best-selling novel of the same name, Hector and the Search for Happiness is a rich, exhilarating, and hilarious tale from director Peter Chelsom, starring Simon Pegg, Toni Collette, Rosamund Pike, Stellan Skarsgård, Jean Reno and Christopher Plummer.
THE GOOD LIE – October 3 (trailer)
Alcon Entertainment/Imagine Entertainment/Black Label Media
Director: Philippe Falardeau
Cast: Reese Witherspoon, Arnold Oceng, Ger Duany, Emmanuel Jal, Kuoth Weil, Corey Stoll, Sarah Baker Synopsis: They were known simply as “The Lost Boys.”Orphaned by the brutal Civil war in Sudan that began in 1983, these young victims traveled as many as a thousand miles on foot in search of safety. Fifteen years later, a humanitarian effort would bring 3600 lost boys and girls to America. In “The Good Lie,” Philippe Falardeau, writer and director of the Oscar–nominated Foreign Language film “Monsieur Lazhar,” brings the story of their survival and triumph to life. Sudanese actors Arnold Oceng, Ger Duany, Emmanuel Jal, and newcomer Kuoth Weil, many of whom were also children of war, star alongside Academy Award winner Reese Witherspoon in a film written by Margaret Nagle, writer of the award-winning HBO projects “Boardwalk Empire” and “Warm Springs.”
THE HERO OF COLOR CITY – October 3 (trailer)
Magnolia Pictures
Director: Frank Gladstone
Cast: Owen Wilson, Christina Ricci, Rosie Perez, Wayne Brady, Jessica Capshaw and Craig Ferguson Synopsis: An imaginative animated tale for the pre-school/kindergarten set, THE HERO OF COLOR CITY chronicles the adventures of a diverse band of crayons that come alive in a little boy’s room when he drifts off to sleep. Yellow (Christina Ricci), a timid and fearful crayon, inadvertently awakens two unfinished drawings that threaten to take over Color City. Owen Wilson plays the role of Ricky the Dragon, who Yellow encounters on an adventure that leads her to discover inner strength and courage she never knew she had.
GONE GIRL – October 3 (trailer)
20th Century Fox
Director: David Fincher
Cast: Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Neil Patrick Harris, Tyler Perry, Kim Dickens, Patrick Fugit, Carrie Coon, David Clennon, Emily Ratajkowski Synopsis: Directed by David Fincher and based upon the global bestseller by Gillian Flynn – unearths the secrets at the heart of a modern marriage. On the occasion of his fifth wedding anniversary, Nick Dunne (Ben Affleck) reports that his beautiful wife, Amy (Rosamund Pike), has gone missing. Under pressure from the police and a growing media frenzy, Nick’s portrait of a blissful union begins to crumble. Soon his lies, deceits and strange behavior have everyone asking the same dark question: Did Nick Dunne kill his wife?
ANNABELLE – October 3 (trailer)
New Line Cinema
Director: John Leonetti
Cast: Annabelle Wallis, Ward Horton, Alfre Woodard Synopsis: She terrified you in “The Conjuring,” but this is where it all began for Annabelle. Capable of unspeakable evil, the actual doll exists locked up in an occult museum in Connecticut—visited only by a priest who blesses her twice a month. New Line Cinema’s supernatural thriller “Annabelle” begins before the evil was unleashed. John Form has found the perfect gift for his expectant wife, Mia—a beautiful, rare vintage doll in a pure white wedding dress. But Mia’s delight with Annabelle doesn’t last long. On one horrific night, their home is invaded by members of a satanic cult, who violently attack the couple. Spilled blood and terror are not all they leave behind. The cultists have conjured an entity so malevolent that nothing they did will compare to the sinister conduit to the damned that is now…Annabelle.
KILL THE MESSENGER – October 10 (trailer)
Focus Features
Director: Michael Cuesta
Cast: Jeremy Renner, Rosemarie DeWitt, Ray Liotta, Tim Blake Nelson, Barry Pepper, Oliver Platt, Michael Sheen, Paz Vega, Michael Kenneth Williams, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, and Andy Garcia Synopsis: Two-time Academy Award nominee Jeremy Renner (“The Bourne Legacy”) leads an all-star cast in a dramatic thriller based on the remarkable true story of Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Gary Webb. Webb stumbles onto a story which leads to the shady origins of the men who started the crack epidemic on the nation’s streets…and further alleges that the CIA was aware of major dealers who were smuggling cocaine into the U.S., and using the profits to arm rebels fighting in Nicaragua. Despite warnings from drug kingpins and CIA operatives to stop his investigation, Webb keeps digging to uncover a conspiracy with explosive implications. His journey takes him from the prisons of California to the villages of Nicaragua to the highest corridors of power in Washington, D.C. – and draws the kind of attention that threatens not just his career, but his family and his life.
WHIPLASH – October 10 (trailer)
Sony Pictures Classics
Directed by: Damien Chazelle
Cast: Miles Teller, J.K. Simmons, Melissa Benoist, Paul Reiser, Austin Stowell, Nate Lang, Max Kasch, Damon Gupton Synopsis: Andrew Neyman is an ambitious young jazz drummer, single-minded in his pursuit to rise to the top of his elite east coast music conservatory. Plagued by the failed writing career of his father, Andrew hungers day and night to become one of the greats. Terence Fletcher, an instructor equally known for his teaching talents as for his terrifying methods, leads the top jazz ensemble in the school. Fletcher discovers Andrew and transfers the aspiring drummer into his band, forever changing the young man’s life. Andrew’s passion to achieve perfection quickly spirals into obsession, as his ruthless teacher continues to push him to the brink of both his ability—and his sanity.
THE JUDGE – October 10 (trailer)
Warner Bros. Pictures/Village Roadshow Pictures
Director: David Dobkin
Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Robert Duvall, Vera Farmiga, Vincent D’Onofrio, Jeremy Strong, Dax Shepard, Billy Bob Thornton, Leighton Meester, Ken Howard, Emma Tremblay, Balthazar Getty, David Krumholtz, Sarah Lancaster, Grace Zabriskie, Denis O’Hare Synopsis: Oscar nominee Robert Downey Jr. and Oscar winner Robert Duvall are teamed for the first time in the drama “The Judge.” Big city lawyer Hank Palmer (Downey) returns to his childhood home where his estranged father, the town’s judge (Duvall), is suspected of murder. He sets out to discover the truth and along the way reconnects with the family he walked away from years before.
ONE CHANCE – October 10 (trailer)
Weinstein Company
Director: David Frankel
Cast: James Corden, Julie Walters, Mackenzie Crook, Colm Meaney, Jemima Rooper, Valeria Bilello and Alexandra Roach Synopsis: From the director of The Devil Wears Prada, ONE CHANCE is the remarkable and inspirational true story of Paul Potts, a shy, bullied shop assistant by day and an amateur opera singer by night. Paul became an instant YouTube phenomenon after being chosen by Simon Cowell for ‘Britain’s Got Talent.’ Wowing audiences worldwide with his phenomenal voice, Paul went on to win ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ and the hearts of millions.
ADDICTED – October 10 (trailer)
Lionsgate
Director: Bille Woodruff
Cast: Sharon Leal, Boris Kodjoe, Tasha Smith, Tyson Beckford, Emayatzy Corinealdi, Kat Graham, and William Levy Synopsis: Based on the best-selling novel by Zane, ADDICTED is a sexy and provocative thriller about desire and the dangers of indiscretion. Successful businesswoman Zoe Reynard (Sharon Leal) appears to have attained it all – the dream husband she loves (Boris Kodjoe), two wonderful children and a flourishing career. As perfect as everything appears from the outside, Zoe is still drawn to temptations she cannot escape or resist. As she pursues a secretive life, Zoe finds herself risking it all when she heads down aperilous path she may not survive.
AUTOMATA – October 10 (trailer)
Millennium Entertainment
Director: Gabe Ibáñez
Cast: Antonio Banderas, Melanie Griffith, Dylan McDermott Synopsis: An insurance agent of ROC robotics corporation routinely investigates the case of manipulating a robot. What he discovers will have profound consequences for the future of humanity.
RUDDERLESS – October 17 (trailer)
Samuel Goldwyn Films
Director: William H. Macy
Cast: Billy Crudup, Anton Yelchin, Felicity Huffman, Jamie Chung with Selena Gomez and Laurence Fishburne Synopsis: In William H. Macy’s moving directorial debut RUDDERLESS, Billy Crudup plays Sam, a former high-profile advertising executive whose life is torn apart by the sudden death of his son. Living off the grid on a docked sailboat, he wastes away his days while drowning his pain in alcohol. When Sam discovers a box filled with his son’s demo tapes and lyrics, his own child’s musical talent is a revelation for him, a grieving father who felt he’d been absent from his son’s life. Communing with his deceased son’s dashed dreams, Sam learns each song and eventually musters the will to perform one at a local bar. When Quentin, a young musician in the audience, is captivated by the song, the unlikely duo forms a rock band that becomes surprisingly popular and revitalizes both of their lives.
BIRDMAN – October 17 (trailer)
Fox Searchlight
Director: Alejandro G. Iñárritu
Cast: Michael Keaton, Edward Norton Synopsis: BIRDMAN or The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance is a black comedy that tells the story of an actor (Michael Keaton) – famous for portraying an iconic superhero – as he struggles to mount a Broadway play. In the days leading up to opening night, he battles his ego and attempts to recover his family, his career, and himself.
FELONY – October 17 (Limited) and VOD (trailer)
Directed By: Matthew Saville
Cast: Jai Courtney, Melissa George, Joel Edgerton, and Tom Wilkinson Synopsis: Malcolm Toohey (Joel Edgerton of Zero Dark Thirty) is a committed husband, father and a dedicated detective who’s not afraid to put his body on the line. After surviving a shot through his bullet proof vest during a major drug bust, he and his squad rowdily celebrate their success and Malcolm’s courage at the local pub. That night, his Drugs Squad rowdily celebrates their success and Malcolm’s courage at the local pub. Although Malcolm has been drinking, he gets in his car to drive home – and a tragic accident occurs. Shortly after, Jim Melic (Jai Courtney of Divergent) and his veteran partner Carl Summer (two-time Academy Award nominee Tom Wilkinson) are assigned to the case. Jim narrows his focus onto Malcolm as Carl does everything he can to cover up the truth for a fellow cop, putting his own distinguished career on the line. As these three detectives become embroiled in a tense psychological struggle, every idea they’ve ever had about the meaning of justice, guilt, and innocence will be questioned. How far will each man go?
THE BOOK OF LIFE – October 17 (trailer)
20th Century Fox
Director: Jorge R. Gutierrez
Voice cast: Channing Tatum, Zoe Saldana, Diego Luna, Ron Perlman, Ice Cube, Danny Trejo Synopsis: From producer Guillermo del Toro and director Jorge Gutierrez comes an animated comedy with a unique visual style. THE BOOK OF LIFE is the journey of Manolo, a young man who is torn between fulfilling the expectations of his family and following his heart. Before choosing which path to follow, he embarks on an incredible adventure that spans three fantastical worlds where he must face his greatest fears. Rich with a fresh take on pop music favorites, THE BOOK OF LIFE encourages us to celebrate the past while looking forward to the future.
FURY – October 17 (trailer)
Columbia Pictures
Director: David Ayer
Cast: Brad Pitt, Shia LaBeouf, Logan Lerman, Michael Peña, Jon Bernthal, Jason Isaacs, Scott Eastwood Synopsis: April, 1945. As the Allies make their final push in the European Theatre, a battle-hardened army sergeant named Wardaddy (Brad Pitt) commands a Sherman tank and her five-man crew on a deadly mission behind enemy lines. Outnumbered and outgunned, and with a rookie soldier thrust into their platoon, Wardaddy and his men face overwhelming odds in their heroic attempts to strike at the heart of Nazi Germany.
DEAR WHITE PEOPLE – October 17 (trailer)
Roadside Attractions
Director: Justin Simien
Cast: Tyler James Williams, Tessa Thompson, Teyonah Parris, Brandon P. Bell and Dennis Haysbert Synopsis: Winner of the 2014 Sundance Film Festival’s Special Jury Award for Breakthrough Talent, Dear White People is a sly, provocative satire of race relations in the age of Obama. Writer/director Justin Simien follows a group of African American students as they navigate campus life and racial politics at a predominantly white college in a sharp and funny feature film debut that earned him a spot on Variety’s annual “10 Directors to Watch.”
DRACULA UNTOLD – October 17 (trailer)
Universal Pictures
Director: Gary Shore
Cast: Luke Evans, Sarah Gadon, Diarmaid Murtagh, Dominic Cooper, Samantha Barks Synopsis: Luke Evans (Fast & Furious 6, Immortals) stars in Dracula Untold, the origin story of the man who became Dracula. Gary Shore directs and Michael De Luca produces the epic action-adventure that co-stars Sarah Gadon, Dominic Cooper, Diarmaid Murtagh and Samantha Barks.
LISTEN UP PHILIP – October 17
Tribeca Film
Director: Alex Ross Perry
Cast: Jason Schwartzman, Elisabeth Moss, Krysten Ritter, Josephine De La Baume, Jonathan Pryce Synopsis: A complex, intimate, and highly idiosyncratic comedy, Listen Up Philip is a literary look at the triumph of reality over the human spirit. Anger rages in Philip (Jason Schwartzman) as he awaits the publication of his sure-to-succeed second novel. He feels pushed out of his adopted home city by the constant crowds and noise, a deteriorating relationship with his photographer girlfriend Ashley (Elisabeth Moss), and his indifference to promoting his own work. When Philip’s idol Ike Zimmerman (Jonathan Pryce) offers his isolated summer home as a refuge, he finally gets the peace and quiet to focus on his favorite subject — himself.
NIGHTCRAWLER – October 17 (trailer)
Open Road Films
Director: Dan Gilroy
Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Rene Russo, Bill Paxton and Riz Ahmed Synopsis: NIGHTCRAWLER is a pulse-pounding thriller set in the nocturnal underbelly of contemporary Los Angeles. Jake Gyllenhaal stars as Lou Bloom, a driven young man desperate for work who discovers the high-speed world of L.A. crime journalism. Finding a group of freelance camera crews who film crashes, fires, murder and other mayhem, Lou muscles into the cut-throat, dangerous realm of nightcrawling — where each police siren wail equals a possible windfall and victims are converted into dollars and cents. Aided by Rene Russo as Nina, a veteran of the blood-sport that is local TV news, Lou thrives. In the breakneck, ceaseless search for footage, he becomes the star of his own story.
YOUNG ONES – October 17 (trailer)
Screen Media
Director: Jake Paltrow
Cast: Michael Shannon, Elle Fanning, Nicholas Hoult, Kodi Smit-McPhee Synopsis: When Ernest (Michael Shannon) and his son Jerome (Kodi Smit McPhee) use the last of their family’s savings to purchase a robotic mule to deliver food rations to a work crew drilling water wells in the mountains above their home, they never thought it would alter the course of their futures so completely. Enter Flem (Nicholas Hoult) with his designs on Ernest’s daughter Mary (Elle Fanning) and his hope to take back their land, which his father had once owned in the heyday of early 21st Century industrial farming. When Flem’s desires are actualized through his brilliantly managed lies and careful manipulations, a series of events are set into action that will alter their young lives forever and Jerome will be forced to make choices that no child should ever have to make.
GLEN CAMPBELL I’LL BE ME – October 24 (trailer)
PCH Films
Director: James Keach
Cast: Glen Campbell, Bruce Springsteen, Bill Clinton, The Edge, Paul McCartney, Jay Leno, Vince Gill, Jimmy Webb, Blake Shelton, Sheryl Crow, Keith Urban, Brad Paisley, Steve Martin, Chad Smith and Taylor Swift Synopsis: GLEN CAMPBELL I’ll BE ME tells the story of music legend Glen Campbell and his unforgettable Goodbye Tour. This powerful portrait of the life and career of great American music icon Glen Campbell opens us to the world of the singular talent who created hits like Rhinestone Cowboy, Wichita Lineman and Gentle on My Mind. Winner of the Grammy for Lifetime Achievement and member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, Glen was the first country music star to cross over to the pop charts, opening a new realm of opportunity for generations of country musicians.
SERENA – UK release:October 24
StudioCanal / 2929 Entertainment
Director: Susanne Bier
Cast: Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Rhys Ifans, Toby Jones Synopsis: Based on the novel by Ron Rash, the period film follows newlyweds George Pemberton and his new bride, Serena, as they maintain a close watch over a burgeoning logging empire in Depression-era North Carolina, ruthlessly ruling the woodlands while fighting off the efforts of environmental activists to turn their land into a national park.
STONEHEARST ASYLUM – October 24 (trailer)
Millennium Entertainment
Director: Brad Anderson
Cast: Kate Beckinsale, Jim Sturgess, Michael Caine Synopsis: A recent medical school grad who takes a position at a mental institution soon finds himself taken with one of his colleagues, though he has no initial idea of a recent, horrifying staffing change.
WHITE BIRD IN A BLIZZARD – October 24 (trailer)
Magnolia Pictures
Director: Gregg Araki
Cast: Shailene Woodley, Eva Green, Christopher Meloni, Shiloh Fernandez, Gabourey Sidibe, Thomas Jane, Angela Bassett Synopsis: Kat Connors (Shailene Woodley) is 17 years old when her perfect homemaker mother, Eve (Eva Green), a beautiful, enigmatic, and haunted woman, disappears – just as Kat is discovering and relishing her newfound sexuality. Having lived for so long in a stifled, emotionally repressed household, she barely registers her mother’s absence and certainly doesn’t blame her doormat of a father, Brock, (Christopher Meloni) for the loss. In fact, it’s almost a relief. But as time passes, Kat begins to come to grips with how deeply Eve’s disappearance has affected her. Returning home on a break from college, she finds herself confronted with the truth about her mother’s departure, and her own denial about the events surrounding it.
ST. VINCENT – October 24 (trailer)
Weinstein Company
Director: Theodore Melfi
Cast: Bill Murray, Melissa McCarthy, Naomi Watts Synopsis: In ST. VINCENT, Maggie (McCarthy), a single mother, moves into a new home in Brooklyn with her 12-year old son, Oliver (Lieberher). Forced to work long hours, she has no choice but to leave Oliver in the care of their new neighbor, Vincent (Murray), a retired curmudgeon with a penchant for alcohol and gambling. An odd friendship soon blossoms between the improbable pair. Together with a pregnant stripper named Daka (Watts), Vincent brings Oliver along on all the stops that make up his daily routine – the race track, a strip club, and the local dive bar. Vincent helps Oliver grow to become a man, while Oliver begins to see in Vincent something that no one else is able to: a misunderstood man with a good heart.
OUIJA – October 24 (trailer)
Universal Pictures
Director: Stiles White
Cast: Olivia Cooke, Daren Kagasoff, Douglas Smith, Bianca Santos, Ana Coto Synopsis: In Ouija, a group of friends must confront their most terrifying fears when they awaken the dark powers of an ancient spirit board. The supernatural thriller is based on the Hasbro Game: “Ouija.”
LAGGIES – October 24 (trailer)
A24
Director: Lynn Shelton
Cast: Keira Knightley, Chloë Grace Moretz, Sam Rockwell, Mark Webber, Ellie Kemper, Jeff Garlin, Gretchen Mol, and Kaitlyn Dever Synopsis: Having spent her twenties comfortably inert, 28 year old Megan (Keira Knightley) reaches a crisis when she finds herself squarely in adulthood with no career prospects, no particular motivation to pursue any and no one to relate to, including her high school boyfriend (Mark Webber). When he proposes, Megan panics and given an opportunity to escape – at least temporarily – she hides out in the home of her new friend, 16-year-old Annika (Chloë Grace Moretz) and Annika’s world-weary single dad (Sam Rockwell).
JOHN WICK – October 24
Lionsgate
Directors: David Leitch and Chad Stahelski
Cast: Keanu Reeves, Willem Dafoe, Adrianne Palicki, Michael Nyqvist, Alfie Allen, Bridget Moynahan
Synopsis: A retired hitman’s murderous instincts are reawakened when a thug steals his 1969 Ford Mustang and in the process kills the dog given to him by his late wife.
HORNS – October 31 (trailer)
RADiUS-TWC
Director: Alexandre Aja
Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, Juno Temple, Max Minghella, Joe Anderson, Kelli Garner, Heather Graham, David Morse, Kathleen Quinlan, and James Remar Synopsis: Blamed for the murder of his girlfriend and ostracized by everyone he knows, a small-town guy Ig Perrish (Radcliffe) awakens one morning to find he’s grown a pair of horns. Armed with the supernatural powers they possess, he sets out to find the true killer.
BEFORE I GO TO SLEEP – October 31 (trailer)
Director: Rowan Joffe
Cast: Nicole Kidman, Colin Firth, Mark Strong Synopsis: A taut thriller based on the worldwide best-selling novel by S.J. Watson, BEFORE I GO TO SLEEP is the story of a woman (Nicole Kidman) who wakes up every day with no memory as the result of a traumatic accident in her past. One day, terrifying new truths begin to emerge that make her question everything she thinks she knows about her life – as well as everyone in it, including her doctor (Mark Strong) and even her husband (Colin Firth).
THE ABC’S OF DEATH 2 – In Theaters October 31, On Demand October 2
Magnolia Pictures / Magnet Releasing
Directors: Aharon Keshales, Navot Papushado, Alejandro Brugues, Bill Plympton, Chris Nash, Dennison Ramalho, Erik Matti, Evan Katz, Hajime Ohata, Jen Soska, Sylvia Soska, Jerome Sable, Jim Hosking, Juan Martinez Moreno, Julian Barratt, Julian Gilbey, Julian Maury, Alexandre Bustillo, Kristina Buozyte, Bruno Samper, Lancelot Imasuen, Larry Fessenden, Marvin Kren, Robert Boocheck, Robert Morgan, Rodney Ascher, Soichi Umezawa, Steven Kostanski, Todd Rohal, Vincenzo Natali. Synopsis: ABC’s OF DEATH 2 is the follow-up to the most ambitious anthology film ever conceived with productions spanning from Nigeria to UK to Brazil and everywhere in between. It features segments directed by over two dozen of the world’s leading talents in contemporary genre film. The film is comprised of twenty-six individual chapters, each helmed by a different director assigned a letter of the alphabet. The directors were then given free rein in choosing a word to create a story involving death. Provocative, shocking, funny and at times confrontational, ABC’s OF DEATH 2 is another global celebration of next generation genre filmmaking.
THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING – November 7 (trailer)
Focus Features
Director: James Marsh
Cast: Eddie Redmayne, Felicity Jones, Charlie Cox, Emily Watson, Simon McBurney, David Thewlis Synopsis: Starring Eddie Redmayne (“Les Misérables”) and Felicity Jones (“The Amazing Spider-Man 2”), this is the extraordinary story of one of the world’s greatest living minds, the renowned astrophysicist Stephen Hawking, who falls deeply in love with fellow Cambridge student Jane Wilde. Once a healthy, active young man, Hawking received an earth-shattering diagnosis at 21 years of age.
With Jane fighting tirelessly by his side, Stephen embarks on his most ambitious scientific work, studying the very thing he now has precious little of – time.
Together, they defy impossible odds, breaking new ground in medicine and science, and achieving more than they could ever have dreamed. The film is based on the memoir Travelling to Infinity: My Life with Stephen, by Jane Hawking.
THE HOMESMAN – November 7 (trailer)
Roadside Attractions
Director: Tommy Lee Jones
Cast: Tommy Lee Jones, Hilary Swank, Grace Gummer, Miranda Otto, Sonja Richter, Hailee Steinfeld, John Lithgow, James Spader and Meryl Streep Synopsis: When three women living on the edge of the American frontier are driven to the brink, the task of saving them from their surroundings falls to the pious, independent-minded Mary Bee Cuddy (Hilary Swank). Transporting the women by covered wagon to Iowa, she soon realizes just how daunting the journey will be, and employs a feisty low-life drifter, George Biggs (Tommy Lee Jones), to join her. The unlikely pair and the three women (Grace Gummer, Miranda Otto, Sonja Richter) head east, where a waiting minister and his wife (Meryl Streep) have offered to take the women in. But the group first must traverse the harsh Nebraska Territories marked by stark beauty, psychological peril and constant threat.
INTERSTELLAR – November 7
Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros. Pictures Present / In Association with Legendary Pictures
Director: Christopher Nolan
Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, Bill Irwin, Ellen Burstyn and Michael Caine
Synopsis: Interstellar chronicles the adventures of a group of explorers who make use of a newly discovered wormhole to surpass the limitations on human space travel and conquer the vast distances involved in an interstellar voyage.
BIG HERO 6 – November 7 (trailer)
Disney
Directors: Don Hall, Chris Williams
Voice Cast: Maya Rudolph, James Cromwell, Damon Wayans Jr., T.J. Miller, Alan Tudyk, Jamie Chung, Genesis Rodriguez, Daniel Henney, with Ryan Potter as Hiro Hamada and Scott Adsit as Baymax. Synopsis: With all the heart and humor audiences expect from Walt Disney Animation Studios, “Big Hero 6” is an action-packed comedy-adventure about robotics prodigy Hiro Hamada, who learns to harness his genius—thanks to his brilliant brother Tadashi and their like-minded friends: adrenaline junkie Go Go Tamago, neatnik Wasabi, chemistry whiz Honey Lemon and fanboy Fred. When a devastating turn of events catapults them into the midst of a dangerous plot unfolding in the streets of San Fransokyo, Hiro turns to his closest companion—a robot named Baymax—and transforms the group into a band of high-tech heroes determined to solve the mystery.
ROSEWATER – November 7 (trailer)
Open Road Films
Director: Jon Stewart
Cast: Gael García Bernal, Kim Bodnia, Haluk Bilginer, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Golshifteh Farahani Synopsis: The Daily Show’s Jon Stewart makes his directorial debut with the true story of Iranian-Canadian journalist Maziar Bahari (played by Gael García Bernal), whose appearance on Stewart’s show in 2009 precipitated his five-month imprisonment by the Iranian government.
A MERRY FRIGGIN’ CHRISTMAS – November 7th (Limited) and VOD
Phase 4 Films
Director: Tristram Shapeero
Cast: Robin Williams, Joel McHale, Lauren Graham, Clark Duke, Oliver Platt, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Tim Heidecker, Candice Bergen Synopsis: Boyd and his family are forced to spend a dreaded Christmas at his parent’s house with his eccentric father that he has been avoiding for years. When he realizes that he left his son’s gifts at home, Boyd and his father must hit the road in a blizzard to retrieve the gifts before sunrise to save Christmas.
FOXCATCHER – November 14 (trailer)
Sony Pictures Classics
Director: Bennett Miller
Cast: Steve Carell, Channing Tatum, Mark Ruffalo, Vanessa Redgrave, Sienna Miller, Anthony Michael Hall Synopsis: Based on true events, FOXCATCHER tells the dark and fascinating story of the unlikely and ultimately tragic relationship between an eccentric multi-millionaire and two champion wrestlers. As with Academy Award nominee Bennett Miller’s previous feature films, CAPOTE and MONEYBALL, he explores large themes in society through his complex character portraits of real people.
DUMB AND DUMBER TO – November 14 (trailer)
Universal Pictures
Director: Peter Farrelly & Bobby Farrelly
Cast: Jim Carrey, Jeff Daniels, Rob Riggle, Laurie Holden, Rachel Melvin, Kathleen Turner Synopsis: Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels reprise their signature roles as Lloyd and Harry in the sequel to the smash hit that took the physical comedy and kicked it in the nuts: Dumb and Dumber To. The original film’s directors, Peter and Bobby Farrelly, take Lloyd and Harry on a road trip to find a child Harry never knew he had and the responsibility neither should ever, ever be given.
BEYOND THE LIGHTS – November 14 (trailer)
Relativity
Director: Gina Prince-Bythewood
Cast: Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Nate Parker, Minnie Driver, Colson “MGK” Baker and Danny Glover Synopsis: BEYOND THE LIGHTS is the story of Noni, the music world’s latest superstar. But not all is what it seems, and the pressures of fame have Noni on the edge – until she meets Kaz Nicol, a young cop and aspiring politician who’s been assigned to her detail. Drawn to each other, Noni and Kaz fall fast and hard, despite the protests of those around them who urge them to put their career ambitions ahead of their romance. But it is ultimately Kaz’s love that gives Noni the courage to find her own voice and break free to become the artist she was meant to be.
A MOST VIOLENT YEAR – Canada November 18
Participant Media / A24 Films
Director: J.C. Chandor
Cast: Oscar Isaac, Jessica Chastain, Alessandro Nivola, David Oyelowo, Albert Brooks and Catalina Sandino Moreno Synopsis: A Most Violent Year is a thriller set in New York City during the winter of 1981, statistically one of the most violent years in the city’s history. The film follows the lives of an immigrant and his family trying to expand their business and capitalize on opportunities as the rampant violence, decay, and corruption of the day drag them in and threaten to destroy all they have built.
THE IMITATION GAME – November 21 (trailer)
Weinstein Company
Director: Morten Tyldum
Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Keira Knightley, Matthew Beard, Matthew Goode Synopsis: In THE IMITATION GAME, Benedict Cumberbatch stars as Alan Turing, the genius British mathematician, logician, cryptologist and computer scientist who led the charge to crack the German Enigma Code that helped the Allies win WWII. Turing went on to assist with the development of computers at the University of Manchester after the war, but was prosecuted by the UK government in 1952 for homosexual acts which the country deemed illegal.
THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY – PART 1 – November 21 (trailer)
Lionsgate
Director: Francis Lawrence
Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Julianne Moore, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jeffrey Wright, Sam Claflin, Jena Malone, with Stanley Tucci and Donald Sutherland Synopsis: The worldwide phenomenon of The Hunger Games continues to set the world on fire with The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1, which finds Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) in District 13 after she literally shatters the games forever. Under the leadership of President Coin (Julianne Moore) and the advice of her trusted friends, Katniss spreads her wings as she fights to save Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) and a nation moved by her courage. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 is directed by Francis Lawrence from a screenplay by Danny Strong and Peter Craig. The novel on which the film is based is the third in a trilogy written by Suzanne Collins that has over 65 million copies in print in the U.S. alone.
REACH ME – November 21
Millennium Entertainment
Director: John Herzfeld
Cast: Sylvester Stallone, Lauren Cohan, Kyra Sedgwick, Kelsey Grammer Synopsis: A huge ensemble drama centered on a group of people who all have a connection to a self-help book authored by a reclusive former football coach.
THE HUMBLING– November 21
Millennium Entertainment
Director: Barry Levinson
Cast: Al Pacino, Greta Gerwig, Kyra Sedgwick Synopsis: A story set on a farm in upstate New York and centered on the sexual (and otherwise) relationship between an aged, suicidal actor and a younger woman.
V/H/S: VIRAL – In Theaters November 21, On Demand October 23
Magnolia Pictures / Magnet Releasing
Directors: Justin Benson, Gregg Bishop, Todd Lincoln, Aaron Moorhead, Marcel Sarmiento, Nacho Vigalondo
Cast: Patrick Lawrie, Emmy Argo, Heather Hayes, Jessica Luza, John Curran, Justin Welborn, Mary Ralston, Michael Aaron Milligan, Gustavo Salmerón, Marian Álvarez, Xavi Daura, Esteban Navarro, Nick Blanco, Chase Newton, Shane Bradey, Jayden Robison Synopsis: A police chase after a deranged ice cream truck has captivated the attention of the greater Los Angeles area. Dozens of fame—obsessed teens flock to the streets with their video cameras and camera phones, hell—bent on capturing the next viral video. But there is something far more sinister occurring in the streets of L.A. than a simple police chase. A resounding effect is created onto all those obsessed with capturing salacious footage for no other purpose than to amuse or titillate. Soon the discovery becomes that they themselves are the stars of the next video, one where they face their own death.
THE PENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR – November 26 (trailer)
20th Century Fox and DreamWorks Animation
Directors: Eric Darnell and Simon J. Smith
Cast: Tom McGrath, Chris Miller, Chris Knights, John Malkovich, Benedict Cumberbatch, Ken Jeong, Annett Mahendru, Peter Stormare Synopsis: Discover the secrets of the most entertaining and mysterious birds in the global espionage game: Skipper, Kowalski, Rico and Private now must join forces with the chic spy organization, the North Wind, led by Agent Classified (we could tell you his name, but then Š you know), voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch to stop the villainous Dr. Octavius Brine, voiced by John Malkovich, from taking over the world.
HORRIBLE BOSSES 2 – November 26 (trailer)
New Line Cinema
Director: Sean Anders
Cast: Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, Jason Sudeikis, Jennifer Aniston, Jamie Foxx, Chris Pine, Kevin Spacey, Christoph Waltz Synopsis: Fed up with answering to higher-ups, Nick, Dale and Kurt decide to become their own bosses by launching their own business in “Horrible Bosses 2.” But a slick investor soon pulls the rug out from under them. Outplayed and desperate, and with no legal recourse, the three would-be entrepreneurs hatch a misguided plan to kidnap the investor’s adult son and ransom him to regain control of their company in this follow-up to the 2011 hit comedy “Horrible Bosses” that reunites stars Jason Bateman, Charlie Day and Jason Sudeikis as everyone’s favorite working stiffs. Jennifer Aniston, Jamie Foxx and Kevin Spacey also reprise their starring roles, while Chris Pine and Christoph Waltz star as new adversaries standing between the guys and their dreams of success
BY THE GUN – December 5
Millennium Entertainment
Director: Ben Wagner
Cast: Ben Barnes, Leighton Meester, Harvey Keitel, Toby Jones Synopsis: Nick Tortano is an ambitious criminal from the streets of Boston. After years working and idolizing Italian gangsters, he finally proves himself; but once inside the Mafia, Nick drives a wedge between him and Boss which ends in a bloody gun battle on the streets of Boston.
LIFE PARTNERS – December 5
Magnolia Pictures
Director: Susanna Fogel
Cast: Leighton Meester, Gillian Jacobs, Adam Brody, Kate McKinnon, Gabourey Sidibe Synopsis: At 29, the most long-term relationship Sasha (Leighton Meester) and Paige (Gillian Jacobs) have ever been in is with each other, using their co-dependent friendship as an excuse not to venture out into the dating world alone. But when Paige meets nerdy Tim (Adam Brody) and starts to get serious for the first time, the nature of their friendship begins to shift. Fearing she’s being cast aside, Sasha tries to keep their relationship the same, but does growing up also mean growing apart?
WILD – December 5 (trailer)
Fox Searchlight
Director: Jean-Marc Vallee
Cast: Reese Witherspoon, Laura Dern Synopsis: In Wild, director Jean-Marc Vallee (Dallas Buyers Club), Academy Award winner Reese Witherspoon (Walk the Line) and Academy Award nominated screenwriter Nick Hornby (An Education) bring bestselling author Cheryl Strayed’s extraordinary adventure to the screen. After years of reckless behavior, a heroin addiction and the destruction of her marriage, Strayed makes a rash decision. Haunted by memories of her mother Bobbi (Academy Award nominee Laura Dern) and with absolutely no experience, she sets out to hike more than a thousand miles on the Pacific Crest Trail all on her own. WILD powerfully reveals her terrors and pleasures –as she forges ahead on a journey that maddens, strengthens, and ultimately heals her.
EXODUS: GODS AND KINGS – December 12 (trailer)
20th Century Fox
Director: Ridley Scott
Cast: Christian Bale, Joel Edgerton, Aaron Paul, John Turturro, Sigourney Weaver, Ben Kingsley SYNOPSIS: From acclaimed director Ridley Scott (Gladiator, Prometheus) comes the epic adventure “Exodus: Gods and Kings,” the story of one man’s daring courage to take on the might of an empire. Using state of the art visual effects and 3D immersion, Scott brings new life to the story of the defiant leader Moses (Christian Bale) as he rises up against the Egyptian Pharaoh Ramses (Joel Edgerton), setting 600,000 slaves on a monumental journey of escape from Egypt and its terrifying cycle of deadly plagues.
INHERENT VICE – December 12
Warner Bros. Pictures/IAC Films
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Josh Brolin, Owen Wilson, Katherine Waterston, Reese Witherspoon,
Benicio Del Toro, Martin Short, Jena Malone, Joanna Newsom Synopsis: “Inherent Vice” is the seventh feature from Paul Thomas Anderson and the first ever film adaption of a Thomas Pynchon novel. When private eye Doc Sportello’s ex-old lady suddenly out of nowhere shows up with a story about her current billionaire land developer boyfriend whom she just happens to be in love with, and a plot by his wife and her boyfriend to kidnap that billionaire and throw him in a looney bin…well, easy for her to say. It’s the tail end of the psychedelic `60s and paranoia is running the day and Doc knows that “love” is another of those words going around at the moment, like “trip” or “groovy,” that’s being way too overused – except this one usually leads to trouble. With a cast of characters that includes surfers, hustlers, dopers and rockers, a murderous loan shark, LAPD Detectives, a tenor sax player working undercover, and a mysterious entity known as the Golden Fang, which may only be a tax dodge set up by some dentists… Part surf noir, part psychedelic romp – all Thomas Pynchon.
THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES – December 17 (trailer)
New Line Cinema/Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures
Director: Peter Jackson
Cast: Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, Evangeline Lilly, Luke Evans, Lee Pace,
Benedict Cumberbatch, Billy Connolly, James Nesbitt, Ken Stott, Aidan Turner, Dean O’Gorman, Graham McTavish, Stephen Fry, Ryan Gage. Also Starring Cate Blanchett, Ian Holm, Christopher Lee, Hugo Weaving, Orlando Bloom, Mikael Persbrandt, Sylvester McCoy, Peter Hambleton, John Callen, Mark Hadlow, Jed Brophy, William Kircher, Stephen Hunter, Adam Brown, John Bell, Manu Bennett, John Tui. Synopsis: “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies” brings to an epic conclusion the adventures of Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman), Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage) and the Company of Dwarves. Having reclaimed their homeland from the Dragon Smaug, the Company has unwittingly unleashed a deadly force into the world. Enraged, Smaug rains his fiery wrath down upon the defenseless men, women and children of Lake-town. Obsessed above all else with his reclaimed treasure, Thorin sacrifices friendship and honor to hoard it as Bilbo’s frantic attempts to make him see reason drive the Hobbit towards a desperate and dangerous choice. But there are even greater dangers ahead. Unseen by any but the Wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen), the great enemy Sauron has sent forth legions of Orcs in a stealth attack upon the Lonely Mountain. As darkness converges on their escalating conflict, the races of Dwarves, Elves and Men must decide – unite or be destroyed. Bilbo finds himself fighting for his life and the lives of his friends in the epic Battle of the Five Armies, as the future of Middle-earth hangs in the balance.
NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OF THE TOMB – December 19 (trailer)
20th Century Fox
Director: Shawn Levy
Cast: Ben Stiller, Robin Williams, Owen Wilson, Steve Coogan, Ricky Gervais, Dan Stevens, Rebel Wilson, and Ben Kingsley Synopsis: Get ready for the wildest and most adventure-filled NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM ever as Larry (Ben Stiller) spans the globe, uniting favorite and new characters while embarking on an epic quest to save the magic before it is gone forever.
MR. TURNER – December 19 (clip)
Sony Pictures Classics
Directed by: Mike Leigh
Cast: Timothy Spall, Dorothy Atkinson, Marion Bailey, Paul Jesson, Lesley Manville, Martin Savage, Joshua McGuire, Ruth Sheen, David Horovitch, Karl Johnson Synopsis: MR. TURNER explores the last quarter century of the great if eccentric British painter J.M.W. Turner (1775-1851). Profoundly affected by the death of his father, loved by a housekeeper he takes for granted and occasionally exploits sexually, he forms a close relationship with a seaside landlady with whom he eventually lives incognito in Chelsea, where he dies. Throughout this, he travels, paints, stays with the country aristocracy, visits brothels, is a popular if anarchic member of the Royal Academy of Arts, has himself strapped to the mast of a ship so that he can paint a snowstorm, and is both celebrated and reviled by the public and by royalty.
ANNIE – December 19 (trailer)
Columbia Pictures
Director: Will Gluck
Cast: Jamie Foxx, Quvenzhané Wallis, Rose Byrne, Bobby Cannavale, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, David Zayas and Cameron Diaz Synopsis: Based on the musical stage play “Annie” and on “Little Orphan Annie.” Academy Award nominee Quvenzhané Wallis (Beasts of the Southern Wild) stars as Annie, a young, happy foster kid who’s also tough enough to make her way on the streets of New York in 2014. Originally left by her parents as a baby with the promise that they’d be back for her someday, it’s been a hard knock life ever since with her mean foster mom Miss Hannigan (Cameron Diaz). But everything’s about to change when the hard-nosed tycoon and New York mayoral candidate Will Stacks (Jamie Foxx) – advised by his brilliant VP, Grace (Rose Byrne) and his shrewd and scheming campaign advisor, Guy (Bobby Cannavale) – makes a thinly-veiled campaign move and takes her in. Stacks believes he’s her guardian angel, but Annie’s self-assured nature and bright, sun-will-come-out-tomorrow outlook on life just might mean it’s the other way around.
INTO THE WOODS – December 25 (trailer)
Disney
Director: Rob Marshall
Cast: Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, James Corden, Anna Kendrick, Chris Pine, Tracey Ullman, Christine Baranski and Johnny Depp. Synopsis: “Into the Woods” is a modern twist on several of the beloved Brothers Grimm fairy tales, intertwining the plots of a few choice stories and exploring the consequences of the characters’ wishes and quests. This humorous and heartfelt musical follows the classic tales of Cinderella (Anna Kendrick), Little Red Riding Hood (Lilla Crawford), Jack and the Beanstalk (Daniel Huttlestone), and Rapunzel (MacKenzie Mauzy)—all tied together by an original story involving a baker and his wife (James Corden & Emily Blunt), their wish to begin a family and their interaction with the witch (Meryl Streep) who has put a curse on them.
BIG EYES – December 25
Weinstein Films
Director: Tim Burton
Cast: Christoph Waltz, Amy Adams Synopsis: Directed and produced by Tim Burton, BIG EYES is based on the true story of Walter Keane (Christoph Waltz), who was one of the most successful painters 1950s and early 1960s. The artist earned staggering notoriety by revolutionizing the commercialization and accessibility of popular art with his enigmatic paintings of waifs with big eyes. The truth would eventually be discovered though: Keane’s were actually not created by him at all, but by his wife, Margaret (Amy Adams). The Keanes, it seemed, had been living a lie that had grown to gigantic proportions. BIG EYES centers on Margaret’s awakening as an artist, the phenomenal success of her paintings, and her tumultuous relationship with her husband, who was catapulted to international fame while taking credit for her work.
HOT TUB TIME MACHINE 2 – December 25 (trailer)
Paramount Pictures
Director: Steve Pink
Cast: Craig Robinson, Rob Corddry, Clarke Duke, Adam Scott Synopsis: When Lou, who has become the “father of the Internet,” is shot by an unknown assailant, Jacob and Nick fire up the time machine again to save their friend.
THE INTERVIEW – December 25 (trailer)
Sony Pictures
Directors: Evan Goldberg, Seth Rogen
Cast: Seth Rogen, James Franco, Randall Park, Lizzy Caplan Synopsis: In the action-comedy The Interview, Dave Skylark (James Franco) and his producer Aaron Rapoport (Seth Rogen) run the popular celebrity tabloid TV show “Skylark Tonight.” When they discover that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is a fan of the show, they land an interview with him in an attempt to legitimize themselves as journalists. As Dave and Aaron prepare to travel to Pyongyang, their plans change when the CIA recruits them, perhaps the two least-qualified men imaginable, to assassinate Kim Jong-un.
UNBROKEN – December 25 (trailer)
Universal Pictures
Director: Angelina Jolie
Cast: Jack O’Connell, Domhnall Gleeson, Miyavi, Garrett Hedlund, Finn Wittrock Synopsis: Epic drama that follows the incredible life of Olympian and war hero Louis “Louie” Zamperini (Jack O’Connell) who, along with two other crewmen, survived in a raft for 47 days after a near-fatal plane crash in WWII—only to be caught by the Japanese Navy and sent to a prisoner-of-war camp.
PADDINGTON – December 25
Weinstein Films
Director: Paul King
Cast: Ben Whishaw, Nicole Kidman, Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins, Jim Broadbent, Julie Walters Synopsis: From the beloved novels by Michael Bond and producer David Heyman (HARRY POTTER), PADDINGTON tells the story of the comic misadventures of a young Peruvian bear (voiced by Ben Whishaw) who travels to the city in search of a home. Finding himself lost and alone, he begins to realize that city life is not all he had imagined – until he meets the kindly Brown family who read the label around his neck that says “Please look after this bear. Thank you,” and offer him a temporary haven. It looks as though his luck has changed until this rarest of bears catches the eye of a museum taxidermist.
AMERICAN SNIPER – December 25
Warner Bros. Pictures
Director: Clint Eastwood
Cast: Bradley Cooper, Sienna Miller, Jake McDorman, Luke Grimes, Navid Negahban, Keir O’Donnell Synopsis: From director Clint Eastwood comes “American Sniper,” starring Bradley Cooper as Chris Kyle, the most lethal sniper in U.S. military history. But there was much more to this true American hero than his skill with a rifle. U.S. Navy SEAL sniper Chris Kyle is sent to Iraq with only one mission: to protect his brothers-in-arms. His pinpoint accuracy saves countless lives on the battlefield and, as stories of his courageous exploits spread, he earns the nickname “Legend.” However, his reputation is also growing behind enemy lines, putting a price on his head and making him a prime target of insurgents. Despite the danger, as well as the toll on his family at home, Chris serves through four harrowing tours of duty in Iraq, becoming emblematic of the SEAL creed to “leave no man behind.” But upon returning home, Chris finds that it is the war he can’t leave behind.
SELMA – December 25 limited; Jan 9, 2015 wide release
Paramount Pictures
Director: Ava DuVernay
Cast: Oprah Winfrey, David Oyelowo, Tom Wilkinson, Carmen Ejogo, Tim Roth, Andre Holland, Omar J. Dorsey, Alessandro Nivola, Dylan Baker, Giovanni Ribisi, Cuba Gooding Jr., Tessa Thompson, Colman Domingo, Stephen Root, Jeremy Strong, Common Synopsis: SELMA is the story of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s historic struggle to secure voting rights for all people – a dangerous and terrifying campaign that culminated with the epic march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, and led to President Johnson signing the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The film’s release will celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the landmark legislation.
TRASH – Debuts in Brazilian theaters on October 9; TBA in U.S.
Working Title Films and Universal Pictures
Director: Stephen Daldry
Cast: Martin Sheen, Rooney Mara Synopsis: A contemporary thriller that follows three boys, Raphael (Rickson Tevez), Gardo (Luis Eduardo) and Rat (Gabriel Weinstein), who live in a dump. An unexpected discovery takes them to a dizzying adventure, which will need all your skills to fight powerful enemies, with the police and the political Frederico Santos (Stephan Nercessian). They only rely on the help of the pastor Juilliard (Martin Sheen) and teacher Olivia (Rooney Mara).
MACBETH – TBA
See-Saw Films
Director: Justin Kurzel
Cast: Michael Fassbender, Jack Reynor and Marion Cotillard Synopsis: From the producers of the worldwide hit and Oscar-winning THE KING’S SPEECH, an epic and powerful cinematic adaptation of a timeless masterpiece. Macbeth is the story of a fearless warrior and inspiring leader brought low by ambition and desire. A thrilling interpretation of the dramatic realities of the times and a truthful reimagining of what wartime must have really been like for one of Shakespeare’s most famous and compelling characters, a story of all-consuming passion and ambition set in war-torn 11th Century Scotland
THE GAMBLER – TBA
Paramount Pictures
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Brie Larson, Michael K. Williams, John Goodman and Jessica Lange Synopsis: A literature professor with a gambling problem runs afoul of gangsters.
TRUE STORY – TBA
20h Century Fox
Director: Rupert Goold
Cast: James Franco, Jonah Hill Synopsis: A drama centered around the relationship between journalist Michael Finkel and Christian Longo, an FBI Most Wanted List murderer who for years lived outside the U.S. under Finkel’s name.
Recap:
MAPS TO THE STARS – September, Toronto; UK & Ireland on September 26
THE SOUND AND THE FURY – September 2014 Premiering at Toronto
AMERICAN HEIST – September 2014 Premiering at Toronto
THE SEARCH (France) – September 2014 – Toronto
MADAME BOVARY – September 2014 – Toronto
BEFORE WE GO – September 2014 Premiering at Toronto
CAKE – September 2014 Premiering at Toronto
CLOUDS OF SILS MARIA – September 2014 / Toronto
THE COBBLER – September 2014 Premiering at Toronto
MAGGIE – September 2014 Premiering at Toronto
FAR FROM MEN – September 2014 North American Premiere at Toronto
GEMMA BOVERY – September 2014 Premiering at Toronto
GOOD KILL – September 2014 North American Premiere at Toronto
THE KEEPING ROOM – September 2014 Premiering at Toronto
SHELTER –September 2014 – Toronto
FRONTERA – September 5
THE LONGEST WEEK – September 5
MY OLD LADY – September 10
REVENGE OF THE GREEN DRAGONS – DirecTV September 11, in theaters October
THE SKELETON TWINS – September 12
THE DROP – September 12
NO GOOD DEED – September 12
THE DISAPPEARANCE OF ELEANOR RIGBY – September 12
DOLPHIN TALE 2 – September 12
THE GUEST – September 17
THIS IS WHERE I LEAVE YOU – September 19
THE MAZE RUNNER – September 19
THE ZERO THEOREM – September 19
A WALK AMONG THE TOMBSTONES – September 19
PRIDE – September 19
TUSK – September 19
TRACKS – September 19
THE BOXTROLLS – September 26
GOOD PEOPLE – September 26
THE TWO FACES OF JANUARY – September 26
THE EQUALIZER – September 26
JIMI: ALL IS BY MY SIDE – September 26
HECTOR AND THE SEARCH FOR HAPPINESS– October 3
THE GOOD LIE – October 3
THE HERO OF COLOR CITY – October 3
GONE GIRL – October 3
ANNABELLE – October 3
KILL THE MESSENGER – October 10
WHIPLASH – October 10
THE JUDGE- October 10
ONE CHANCE – October 10
ADDICTED – October 10
RUDDERLESS – October 17
BIRDMAN – October 17
FELONY – October 17
THE BOOK OF LIFE – October 17
FURY – October 17
DEAR WHITE PEOPLE – October 17
DRACULA UNTOLD – October 17
LISTEN UP PHILIP – October 17
NIGHTCRAWLER – October 17
GLEN CAMPBELL I’LL BE ME – October 24
SERENA – UK release:October 24
STONEHEARST ASYLUM – October 24
WHITE BIRD IN A BLIZZARD – October 24
ST. VINCENT – October 24
OUIJA – October 24
LAGGIES – October 24
JOHN WICK – October 24
HORNS – October 31
BEFORE I GO TO SLEEP – October 31
THE ABC’S OF DEATH 2 – October 31
THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING – November 7
THE HOMESMAN – November 7
INTERSTELLAR – November 7
BIG HERO 6 – November 7
ROSEWATER – November 7
A MERRY FRIGGIN’ CHRISTMAS – November 7th
FOXCATCHER – November 14
DUMB AND DUMBER TO – November 14
A MOST VIOLENT YEAR – Canada, November 18
THE IMITATION GAME – November 21
THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY – PART 1 – November 21
REACH ME – November 21
THE HUMBLING– November 21
V/H/S: VIRAL – In Theaters November 21, On Demand October 23
THE PENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR – November 26
HORRIBLE BOSSES 2 – November 26
BY THE GUN – December 5
LIFE PARTNERS – December 5
WILD – December 5
EXODUS: GODS AND KINGS – December 12
INHERENT VICE – December 12
THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES – December 17
NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OF THE TOMB – December 19
MR. TURNER – December 19
ANNIE – December 19
INTO THE WOODS – December 25
BIG EYES – December 25
HOT TUB TIME MACHINE 2 – December 25
THE INTERVIEW – December 25
UNBROKEN – December 25
PADDINGTON – December 25
AMERICAN SNIPER – December 25
SELMA – December 25 limited, Jan 9, 2015 wide release
Bonus:
KEEP ON KEEPIN’ ON (Sept. 19), AUTOMATA, (Oct. 10), YOUNG ONES (Oct 17), BEYOND THE LIGHTS (Nov. 14)
Toronto Film Festival:
COMING HOME, THE LAST FIVE YEARS, THE RIOT CLUB, INFINITELY POLAR BEAR, LEARNING TO DRIVE, MANGLEHORN, LOVE & MERCY, TIME OUT OF MIND, MEN, WOMEN & CHILDREN, TOP FIVE, MISS JULIE, TWO DAYS, ONE NIGHT (Belgium/France), BLACK AND WHITE, BOYCHOIR , NED RIFLE, OCTOBER GALE, THE CONNECTION (La French), WELCOME TO ME, PASOLINI, WHILE WE’RE YOUNG, ESCOBAR, THE FORGER, PAWN SACRIFICE, A LITTLE CHAOS, A SECOND CHANCE, RUTH & ALEX, STILL ALICE, THE REACH
Welcome to the 2011 Holiday Movie Geek Gift Guide! What is this? No, it’s not my personal gift wish list made public in hopes that readers will bury me in their affection — although, I wouldn’t be disgusted if you did — no, this is guide to finding that perfect, special gift for the Movie Geek in your life. You know who I mean. We all have at least one friend who obsesses about movies, someone who spouts a movie quote or a director factoid every other breath. What does one buy a person so firmly entrenched in the culture of movies? I hope this guide helps you with your shopping ideas, but don’t expect to find the typical, no brainer ideas — such as gift cards — on this list. Continue reading Top Ten Tuesday: 2011 Holiday Movie Geek Gift Guide
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