Every month I’m going to look at every movie on the release schedule and try to assign them a numerical value corresponding to how anxious I am to see it. The lower the number, the more I want to see it. A one means I would walk through hell and high water to see it; a four means there’s no interest whatsoever. The numbers are not arrived at scientifically but they aren’t arbitrary either.
The numbers aren’t a reflection of the artistic merit of any of these films, but merely a reflection of my willingness to go to a movie theater and see it. The top four scores will be gathered as a means of reflecting the movies I’m anticipating the most; you may use that as a guide or not.
Most of the movies will never play theatrically where you live (unless you live in either New York or Los Angeles) but many of those that won’t will be available through Video-on-Demand; check with your local cable or satellite providers to find out if any specific movie is available through that medium.
Each entry is broken down as follows:
NAME OF FILM (Studio) Genre A brief description of the plot. Release plans: Wide = Everywhere, Limited = In selected markets. RATING A brief comment
Keep in mind that release dates are extremely subject to change, even at this late date.
FOUR TO SEE
1. EDGE OF TOMORROW (1.4)
2. TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION (1.6)
3. THE FAULT IN OUR STARS (1.9)
4. BEGIN AGAIN (2.0)
FOUR TO SEEK OUT (FILMS NOT IN WIDE RELEASE)
1. SNOWPIERCER (1.0)
TIE. CITIZEN KOCH (1.0)
3. IVORY TOWER (1.1)
4. LULLABY (1.2)
RATING SYSTEM: 1) Must-see, 2) Should-see, 3) Perhaps-see, 4) Don’t-see
JUNE 6, 2014
ANNA (Vertical) Genre: Thriller. A detective able to enter people’s minds and access their memories tries his skills on a teenager accused of a triple homicide. Release Strategy: Limited. RATING: 2.9 I do like Mark Strong but looks a bit short on thrills.
BORGMAN (Drafthouse) Genre: Thriller. An enigmatic stranger enters the life of a normal suburban family but will they will need to find out his sinister agenda before it’s too late. Release Strategy: Limited. RATING: 2.0 This Dutch film has taken the film festival circuit and genre community by storm.
BURNING BLUE (Lionsgate) Genre: Romance. When a criminal investigation within a Navy air squadron brings to light a forbidden affair within their ranks, the pilots begin to question their definitions of honor, friendship and brotherhood. Release Strategy: Limited. RATING: 2.9 A product of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” era.
BURT’S BUZZ (Area23a) Genre: Documentary. The story of cantankerous Burt’s Bee’s founder Burt Shavitz and what he’s up to these days. Release Strategy: Limited. RATING: 2.3 Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be the face and name of a billion dollar company?
THE CASE AGAINST 8 (HBO Films) Genre: Documentary. The inside story of the fight to overturn California’s controversial Proposition 8 which was recently struck down, restoring marriage equality to same sex couples in California and paving the way for the rest of the nation. Release Strategy: Limited. RATING: 1.6 An emotional look at one of the most divisive subjects of the 21st century to date.
CITIZEN KOCH (Variance) Genre: Documentary. A look at the conservative billionaires who have become the poster boys for the abuses of Citizens United and have dominated Republican politics for the past decade. Release Strategy: New York City (expands June 13, June 20 and June 27). RATING: 1.0 An important film about how our democracy has been bought and sold under our noses; everyone should see this.
EDGE OF TOMORROW (Warner Brothers) Genre: Science Fiction. During an alien invasion of Earth, a soldier who dies is continually reincarnated at the same point in time and becomes the key to winning a war that the human race has already lost. Release Strategy: Wide (Standard, 3D, IMAX 3D). RATING: 1.4 Starring Tom Cruise and based on a Japanese manga, the movie puts Groundhog Day in a sci-fi setting.
THE FAULT IN OUR STARS (20th Century Fox) Genre: Drama. Two cancer-stricken teenagers try to make the most of love in what time that they have. Release Strategy: Limited. RATING: 1.9 Based on a bestselling novel and starring Shailene Woodley, this could either be an unforgettable experience or treacly garbage if not handled right.
HOLIDAY (Reliance) Genre: Action. A captain in the Indian army on vacation is forced to rely on his training and skills while romancing a feisty young woman and taking on an implacable terrorist organization. Release Strategy: Limited. RATING: 2.6 Seems to be an action thriller with some moments of Bollywood silliness – surprised that Hollywood hasn’t made an American version of the plot.
I’LL FOLLOW YOU DOWN (Well Go USA) Genre: Science Fiction. When a young scientist disappears on a routine business trip, his family struggles to cope with his loss until years later, a bizarre discovery leads them to believe they can bring him home. Release Strategy: Limited. RATING: 2.1 An interesting Canadian take on a popular science fiction subject with a solid cast including Haley Joel Osment, Gillian Anderson, Victor Garber and Rufus Sewell.
LITTLE BOY (Metanoia) Genre: War Drama. During the Second World War, a young boy struggles to bring his father back from the front. Release Strategy: Limited. RATING: 2.5 Promising with a cast that includes Emily Watson and Kevin James but with no trailer available on the net I can’t really say for sure.
THE MOMENT (Screen Media) Genre: Thriller. Following the disappearance of her lover and her subsequent breakdown and commitment to a mental hospital, a photojournalist is befriended by a man who bears an uncanny resemblance to her missing boyfriend. Release Strategy: New York City only. RATING: 2.7 It’s nice to see Jennifer Jason Leigh onscreen again.
OBVIOUS CHILD (A24) Genre: Comedy. In 1962 An aspiring stand-up comic copes with losing her job, getting dumped and discovering that she’s pregnant, forcing a reinvention of her act – and herself. Release Strategy: Limited. RATING: 2.2 Jenny Slate has always been an excellent comic but shows herself to have possibilities as an actress here.
THE SACRAMENT (Magnet) Genre: Horror. Reporters for a TMZ-like show investigate a remote Central American cult who hide a dark secret. Release Strategy: Limited. RATING: 1.8 Ti West is fast becoming one of my favorite new horror directors.
SUPERMENSCH: THE LEGEND OF SHEP GORDON (Radius) Genre: Documentary. Some say he’s the most influential manager ever; some say he’s just a nice guy who negotiates like a hard ass; everyone says that they broke the mold when they made him. Release Strategy: Limited. RATING: 2.4 The list of people who count Shep Gordon as a friend is astounding.
THIS IS NOT A BALL (Videocine) Genre: Documentary. Vik Muniz, a Brazilian artist, prepares to create an art installation in his native Brazil for the 2014 World Cup utilizing more than 10,000 soccer balls. Release Strategy: New York City only. RATING: 2.5 No trailer available at present.
TRUST ME (Starz Digital Media) Genre: Comedy. An agent of child actors has to fight to protect his latest find – and possible ticket into the big time – from an overprotective stage father, an overzealous agent and an overactive nemesis. Release Strategy: Limited. RATING: 2.2 Glad to see Clark Gregg breaking out of the Agent Coulson mold and moving into projects that showcase his talent.
WILLOW CREEK (IFC) Genre: Thriller. A pair of Bigfoot hunters find a lot more than they bargained for in the Northern California woods. Release Strategy: New York City only. RATING: 2.0 Director Bobcat Goldthwaite comes up with his first horror film.
JUNE 11, 2014
BURNING BUSH (HBO Europe) Genre: True Life Drama. The legacy of a Czech student who burned himself alive in protest of the Soviet occupation is defended by an idealistic lawyer against a communist regime seeking to discredit his sacrifice. Release Strategy: New York City only. RATING: 2.2 Initially made as a miniseries and condensed down into feature film form.
JUNE 13, 2014
22 JUMP STREET (Columbia/MGM) Genre: Comedy. The two misfit cops from the first film take on a college drug ring. Release Strategy: Wide. RATING: 2.8 For whatever reason I’m just not so enthusiastic about this movie; maybe later.
ALL CHEERLEADERS DIE (Image) Genre: Horror. A group of elite cheerleaders who died during a party mishap show up at school the next day with some mysterious new appetites. Release Strategy: Limited. RATING: 2.4 Nobody does horror with quite as much style as Lucky McKee does.
HELLION (IFC) Genre: Drama. When his brother is taken from their home, an increasingly delinquent teen sets about getting him back. Release Strategy: Limited. RATING: 1.8 May well be Aaron Paul’s best performance yet.
HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2 (DreamWorks) Genre: Animated Feature. Hiccup and his dragon Toothless must take on a fearsome new foe. Release Strategy: Wide (Standard, 3D, IMAX 3D). RATING: 2.2 Likely to be the summer’s biggest animated feature.
THE HUMAN RACE (XLRator) Genre: Science Fiction. Eighty strangers are forced to take part in a brutal race to the death where there is only one survivor. Release Strategy: Limited. RATING: 2.0 Dark, brutal with a twisted sense of humor – which makes it a must-see for me.
I AM I (Gravitas) Genre: Drama. After meeting her estranged father at her mother’s funeral, a woman realizes that he believes that she is her mother and decides to let him believe that. Release Strategy: Limited. RATING: 2.5 Not sure what to make of this.
IVORY TOWER (Goldwyn) Genre: Documentary. As student debt rises and available jobs shrink, high school graduates begin to wonder seriously if college is actually worth it anymore. Release Strategy: Limited. RATING: 1.1 A sobering look at higher education, it’s cost to society and whether or not the system is actually serving America or geared towards making profits.
LIFE’S A BREEZE (Magnolia) Genre: Comedy. A struggling Irish family races against time to find a lost fortune. Release Strategy: Limited. RATING: 2.8 Another charming Irish movie; you gotta love it.
LULLABY (ARC Entertainment) Genre: Drama. When his father determines to take himself off of life support in two days, his estranged son attempts to reconnect with his family one last time. Release Strategy: Limited. RATING: 1.2 A fantastic cast and a subject that we tend to shy away from could well be a terrific film if they don’t make it too treacly.
THE ROVER (A24) Genre: Science Fiction. In a world made chaotic by the collapse of civilization, a man uses a gang member left behind to take back the car they stole from him. Release Strategy: New York City/Los Angeles (expands June 20). RATING: 2.0 Guy Pearce movies always seem to be worthwhile viewing.
THE SIGNAL (Focus) Genre: Science Fiction. Students tracking a hack job on MIT mainframes wake up from a cross country road trip into a living nightmare. Release Strategy: Limited (expands June 20 and 27). RATING: 2.1 Looks pretty creepy; sort of a more horrific Close Encounters.
WITCHING & BITCHING (IFC Midnight) Genre: Horror Comedy. A group of Spanish bank robbers on the run in the Basque mountainsides come up against a coven of witches preparing an ancient ritual. Release Strategy: New York City only. RATING: 1.8 Think of Pedro Almodovar directing The Witches of Eastwick.
JUNE 20, 2014
CODE BLACK (Long Shot Factory) Genre: Documentary. Viewers are given a glimpse at one of the busiest trauma centers in the country, a place where modern emergency medicine was invented and uses it as a means of discussing the health care crisis this country now faces. Release Strategy: Limited. RATING: 2.4 Could very well be a film that leads to real change.
COHERENCE (Oscilloscope Laboratories) Genre: Science Fiction. On the night of an astronomical anomaly, eight friends at a dinner party experience disturbing phenomena. Release Strategy: Limited. RATING: 2.6 Could be a real mind-bender.
JERSEY BOYS (Warner Brothers) Genre: Musical. Direct from its hit run on Broadway, this musical is a fanciful look at the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. Release Strategy: Wide. RATING: 2.3 Clint Eastwood? Directing a musical?!?
THE LAST SENTENCE (Music Box) Genre: Biographical Drama. Swedish journalist Torgny Segerstedt crusades against Nazi Germany and Stalinist Russia as Sweden struggles to maintain its neutrality during the Second World War. Release Strategy: New York City only. RATING: 1.5 Meant to take this franchise in a completely different direction might be just what the mad scientist ordered.
LE CHEF (Cohen Media Group) Genre: Comedy. A 3-star Michelin chef is about to lose his namesake restaurant along with his inspiration but finds hope in a talented but stubborn young chef. Release Strategy: Limited. RATING: 1.7 This French comedy was one of the favorites at this year’s Florida Film Festival; read my review here.
THINK LIKE A MAN TOO (Screen Gems) Genre: Comedy. The couples from the surprise hit first film head out to Vegas for a wedding. Release Strategy: Wide. RATING: 2.8 Kevin Hart is beginning to develop into one of my favorite comic actors.
THIRD PERSON (Sony Classics) Genre: Drama. Three couples in three cities all hide secrets as their stories entwine in unexpected ways. Release Strategy: Limited. RATING: 2.7 Another strong ensemble piece for writer-director Paul Haggis.
VENUS IN FUR (Cohen Media Group) Genre: Romance. A theatrical impresario becomes obsessed with an actress auditioning for his latest play. Release Strategy: Limited. RATING: 2.3 The latest from iconic director Roman Polanski.
JUNE 25, 2014
YVES ST. LAURENT (Weinstein) Genre: Biographical Drama. The story of one of the 20th century’s most iconic clothing designers whose innovations continue to influence fashion today. Release Strategy: Limited. RATING: 3.4 Not really a big lover of fashion but the trailer looked intriguing.
JUNE 27, 2014
BEGIN AGAIN (Weinstein) Genre: Romance. A former record company executive and the dumped ex-girlfriend of a rising rock star find each other and make beautiful music together. Release Strategy: New York City/Los Angeles (opens limited release July 2; expands wide July 11). RATING: 2.0 Mark Ruffalo is becoming one of my go-to actors and Keira Knightley is always easy on the eyes.
THE INTERNET’S OWN BOY: THE STORY OF AARON SWARTZ (FilmBuff) Genre: Documentary. The story of Swartz, founder of Reddit and creator of the RSS protocol whose life ended tragically at 26. Release Strategy: New York City only. RATING: 1.5 Those who know the story know that Swartz is a modern hero.
JACKPOT (Doppelganger) Genre: Crime Comedy. The sole survivor of an adult book store shootout in Sweden relates to police how it all started with a winning soccer pool ticket. Release Strategy: Limited. RATING: 2.6 From acclaimed author Jo Nesbo with a kind of Coen Brothers sheen.
LA BARE (Main Street) Genre: Documentary. After performing in Magic Mike, actor Joe Manganiello was moved to explore the world of male stripping further and set his sights on one of the more well-known establishments of the art in Dallas. Release Strategy: Limited. RATING: 2.3 A compelling story of the real guys who take off their clothes and the sometimes tragic consequences.
SNOWPIERCER (Radius) Genre: Sci-Fi Thriller. Revolution is in the air on a train which contains the last vestiges of humanity during an Ice Age created by a failed experiment to halt climate change. Release Strategy: Limited. RATING: 1.0 Based on a French graphic novel and directed by the Korean master Bong Joon-ho, the trailer looks incredible.
THEY CAME TOGETHER (Lionsgate) Genre: Romantic Comedy Parody. A corporate piranha falls for the small business owner his company is threatening to shut down. Release Strategy: Limited. RATING: 2.9 While the cast looks incredible, the trailer kind of left me flat.
TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION (Paramount) Genre: Science Fiction. Following the events of Transformers: Dark of the Moon the world is picking up the pieces in a post-Transformers era but a greater threat lies ahead. Release Strategy: Wide (Standard, IMAX). RATING: 1.6 The franchise resumes with Mark Wahlberg in the lead and Dinobots!
VIOLETTE (Adopt) Genre: Biographical Drama. The complicated relationship between writer Violette Leduc and Simone de Beauvoir. Release Strategy: Limited. RATING: 2.3 I’m not familiar with Leduc’s work but I do know it is some of the earliest feminist writing in the world.
WHITEY: THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA VS. JAMES J. BULGER (Magnolia) Genre: Documentary. The tale of gangster Whitey Bulger and his fight against the United States that has called into question our entire system of law enforcement. Release Strategy: Limited. RATING: 2.0 Provocative look at a saga that has sent shock waves throughout the entire law enforcement community.
SCHEDULED TO BE REVIEWED HERE AS NEW RELEASES
Edge of Tomorrow, The Fault in Our Stars, Obvious Child, 22 Jump Street, How to Train Your Dragon 2, Jersey Boys, Think Like a Man Too, Begin Again, Transformers: Age of Extinction
Cinema365 