Top 25 films to see this Fall/December

Fall is here. In other words, Oscar season is here. Oscar season tends to consist of 2 kinds of movies. Really really amazing movies and bad movies that try too hard to be amazing. A few others get thrown in the mix but I have a feeling that a lot of great movies are going to be coming out this fall. It's amazing that it's nearly been a year since I posted my fall movies for last year

25. Hotel Transylvania

Right now, I don't know what to think of this except that it might be funny. Adam Sandler is hit and miss for me but Steve Buscemi voices a wolf so it's gotta be at least decent. It currently has 4 reviews on rotten tomatoes. 3 negative, 1 positive.

24. Won't Back Down

Uncertain but hopeful with this one. This could either be really cheesy or really powerful. The PG rating makes me fear that it'll be the former but I'm going to give it a chance because the cast is very strong. There are no reviews yet.

23. Silver Linings Playbook

This is David O. Russell's first film since his Oscar nomination for The Fighter in 2010. It stars Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro and Jackie Weaver about a former teacher who moves in with his parents after getting out of a mental institution and his new relationship with a woman played by Jennifer Lawrence. It's based off of a novel and apparently 22 year old Jennifer Lawrence's character is supposed to be in her late 30s so that's kinda weird but the film looks like it could be good.

22. Anna Karenina

Another day, another Keira Knightley period drama. We've already had  Pride and Prejudice, Atonement, The Duchess, and A Dangerous Method. Only Pride and Prejudice has gotten her an Oscar nomination though it's clear that they were all aiming for Oscars. Anna Karenina reunites Knightly with Joe Wright who had directed Atonement and Pride and Prejudice. This is also Joe Wright's return to period films after taking a break with The Soloist and Hanna. Knightley plays a Russian woman having an affair with a Cavalry officer in 19th century Russia based off of the famous book of the same name. Only 1 thing worries me. Keira Knightley is playing a Russian. When she did that in A Dangerous Method, she went REALLY over the top. Hopefully this will be an improvement. It currently has a 64% on rotten tomatoes with 25 reviews and an average rating of 6.2/10.

21. Frankenweenie

Frankenweenie really interests me because it seems like Tim Burton is going back to his roots. It's a remake of a 1984 short film of the same name directed by Burton himself prior to directing any full length features. His last films haven't been as good as his classics but I think this will be a redemption film for him. He's FINALLY not working with Johnny Depp which is refreshing.. (8 of his 15 films have Johnny Depp. His last 5 all starred Johnny Depp). However, I have a feeling that the film will be a bit too dark for most young kids who also may be turned off by the black and white visuals. I'm excited though. It has no reviews yet.
 
20. Les Miserables

I haven't seen the play but apparently it's amazing. What I do know is this: Tom Hooper of The King's Speech directed it so it'll be getting tons of Oscars and Hugh Jackman has gotten early Oscar Buzz. I love Hugh Jackman and would be delighted to see him be nominated. What I know of the story is this: Hugh Jackman steals bread, Russell Crowe is a dick, Anne Hathaway is probably naked in it because she's always naked in films, and everybody is French. It has no reviews yet but sign me up.

19. Skyfall 

After 4 long years, James Bond is finally back. I'm excited for this film for many reasons, most notably because Academy Award Winner Sam Mendes (American Beauty, Road to Perdition, Jarhead) is directing and Academy Award Winner Javier Bardem is playing the main villain. What could go wrong with that combination?

18. This is 40 

Following the success of Knocked Up, Judd Apatow is releasing a "sort-of sequel" following the characters of Pete (Paul Rudd) and Debbie (Leslie Mann) as they turn 40. It looks like Classic Apatow: A mix of raunchyness and sweetness and the formula has worked great so far. Plus it has Albert Brooks in it (STILL PISSED ABOUT OSCAR SNUB LAST YEAR!!!!)

17. Flight

 I'm excited for this film for several reasons. The Cast is amazing. Denzel Washington, John Goodman, Don Cheadle. All great actors. Great director. Interesting premise. It's about an alcoholic pilot (Denzel Washington) who lands a plane that nearly crashes and is thrown into complex legal troubles and media spotlight because of it. It's also Robert Zemeckis' first live action film since Cast Away way back in 2000. Cast Away got Tom Hanks an Oscar nomination. Maybe Flight will do the same for Denzel Washington. It has no reviews yet.

16. Life of Pi

I think Ang Lee (Brokeback Mountain) is a really great director and this film sounds great. Based on a novel, Life of Pi is about the son of a zookeeper who is set adrift in the middle of the ocean with a group of animals after a shipwreck. Visually, it looks great and it will likely be a great emotional treat as well since Ang Lee directs it.

15. Wreck-It Ralph 

 After years of supporting roles, John C. Reilly finally gets to shine as the title character of Wreck-It Ralph. The film follows the villain of an arcade game who hopes to find a new game where he can be the hero. With a strong voice cast, original premise and shout outs to classic video games, this film looks like a great time.

14. End of Watch

End Of Watch is a gritty cop drama directed by David Ayer, best known as the screenwriter for the Oscar winning film Training Day which is one of my favorite cop movies of all time. It stars Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Pena as two police officers targeted by a Mexican drug cartel.
The film currently has an 80% rating on rotten Tomatoes from 5 reviews with an average rating of 7/10.

13. Killing Them Softly 

Originally titled Cogan's Trade based off of the book of the same name, the film controversially changed it's title to Killing Them Softly for unknown reasons. It stars Brad Pitt, Richard Jenkins, James Gandolfini, and Ray Liotta. Brad Pitt plays a criminal investigating a heist that went down at a Mob protected poker game. It reunites Brad Pitt with director Andrew Dominik (The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford). I haven't read the book but the movie looks very interesting. I also love the fact that half of the trailer is guys beating up Ray Liotta. It premiered at Cannes Film Festival to positive reviews. It currently holds an 89% on rotten tomatoes from 18 reviews with an average rating of 7.5/10
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12. Hyde Park On Hudson 

Does Hyde Park on Hudson look like Oscar bait? Absolutely, but it also looks like good Oscar bait. Academy Award nominee Bill Murray plays President Franklin D. Roosevelt and the film centers on his relationship with his distant cousin (Laura Linney) while the King and Queen of England visit. It currently has 2 reviews on rotten tomatoes, both positive.


11. Trouble With the Curve

Even if you saw his "speech" at the Republican National Convention and have come to the conclusion that Eastwood has lost his shit, you still can't deny that he's a talented director and actor. Clint Eastwood stars in Trouble With The Curve as an aging baseball scout who goes on one last scouting trip with his daughter (Amy Adams). Notably, this is the first film since In The Line of Fire that Eastwood stars in that he hasn't also directed. It is directed by Robert Lorenz in his directorial debut. Lorenz had previously worked as an assistant director and a producer for several Eastwood films.

10. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

The first in Peter Jackson's prequel trilogy to his critically acclaimed, Oscar winning, Lord of The Rings trilogy. If the Hobbit is half as good as the Lord of The Rings, it'll be a masterpiece. I've waited years for this movie. The teaser trailer came out LAST DECEMBER!

9. The Sessions

A unique premise for a film that most people haven't heard of. The Sessions stars Academy Award Nominee John Hawkes, Academy Award Winner Helen Hunt, and Academy Award Nominee William H. Macy. John Hawkes plays a man with an iron lung who contacts a professional sex surrogate.
It currently has 100% on Rotten Tomatoes from 12 reviews with an average rating of 8.6/10

8. Zero Dark Thirty

Avoid the discussion boards and youtube comments unless you wanna read a bunch of idiots arguing politics over a film that probably WON'T be political. Zero Dark Thirty is Kathryn Bigelow's first film since winning an Oscar for the non-political Iraq war drama The Hurt Locker. Many things are still unclear with the film. The cast has been announced but it's stll unknown as to who they are playing. The film is a chronicle of the hunt for terrorist Osama Bin Laden. It was already in the works prior to his death but the ending was rewritten following the Navy Seal mission. The film stars Chris Pratt, Joel Edgerton, Mark Strong, Jessica Chastain, Edgar Rameriez, Harold Perrineau, and Kyle Chandler among others. I love The Hurt Locker and the teaser trailer is quite chilling.

7. Cloud Atlas 

Ok, so I'm not totally sure as to what this film is actually about, but it looks unique and ambitious. It is directed by Andy and Lana Wachowski (formerly known as Larry Wachowski) of the Matrix trilogy  and German film director Tom Twyker. It's a science fiction film spanning centuries, focusing on life and the impact human choices have on each other. That's all that's really known about it. The film will most likely polarize audiences similar to last year's Tree of Life. It is also the most expensive independent film of all time with a 100 million dollar budget.
The film currently has a 50% rating on Rotten tomatoes based off of 8 reviews with an average rating of 6.8/10

6. Seven Psychopaths 

Directed by Martin McDonagh of In Bruges, one of my favorite movies of All Time, Seven Psychopaths is a black comedy starring Colin Farrell, Sam Rockwell, Christopher Walken, and Woody Harrelson. Colin Farrell plays a writer who's  criminal friend (Sam Rockwell) and partner in crime (Christopher Walken) steal the dog of a dangerous mobster (Woody Harrelson) which puts all of them in danger. The trailer isn't special but the trailer for In Bruges was mediocre and misleading so I have high hopes for this one. It currently has two reviews on Rotten Tomatoes and both are positive.

5. Lincoln 

Lincoln stars several great actors include Daniel Day-Lewis, Tommy Lee Jones, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Lewis plays Abrah Lincoln during his final months in office. Daniel Day Lewis is famous for being insane with his method acting. There is no trailer yet but it's directed by Steven Spielberg


4. Argo

Argo is Ben Affleck's 3rd film as a director after Gone Baby Gone and The Town, both Boston crime dramas. This time, Ben goes from Boston to Iraq in a dramatization of the Canadian Caper operation employed by the Canadian government and CIA to rescue 6 U.S. diplomats from being taken hostage during the Iranian Hostage crisis in 1979. It also stars Bryan Cranston, Alan Arkin, Kyle Chandler and John Goodman. It also stars several of my favorite character actors. Tate Donavon,Titus Welliver, Victor Garber, Zeljiko Ivanek, and Bob Gunton. I can't wait for this. Great cast. Great premise. It looks amazing. It currently holds a 100% on Rotten Tomatoes from 10 reviews with an average rating of 8/10

3. Looper

Looper looks like quite a film with it's great cast and original story. Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays a hitman in a world where criminals send their victims back in time to be shot by assassins called Loopers, so the bodies can't be traced back to them. Levitt's character enjoys his job greatly until he learns that himself in 30 years (Bruce Willis) has been sent back in time to be shot. He now must find a way to kill this older version of himself or face consequences from his employers. Subtle makeup was used to make Levitt resemble Willis more. Also starring Emily blunt, Jeff Bridges, and Paul Dano. Levitt is on a role.

Looper currently holds a 100% on Rotten Tomatoes from 23 reviews with an average rating of 8.6/10.

2. Django Unchained

Django Unchained is the latest film from Quentin Tarantino starring Jamie Foxx, Leonardo Dicaprio, Christoph Waltz, and Samuel L. Jackson. Jamie Foxx plays a slave in the 1800s who is rescued by Christoph Waltz and goes to look for Foxx's wife who is being held by a plantation owner (Leonardo Dicaprio).  This looks like classic Tarantino. Lots of dark humor, violence, and terrific acting.

1. The Master
The Master is the lastest film from Paul Thomas Anderson and it's premise is quite fascinating. A WWII veteran (Phillip Seymour Hoffman) becomes the leader of a religious cult and his right hand man (Joaquin Phoenix) begins to become disillusioned with it. Also starring Amy Adams. The film looks outstanding and the reviews suggest that it's as good as it looks. I can't wait

Note: I would include the films Inside Llewlyn Davis and Mud but a release date is not set for either.

What are you excited for?