Some big names are coming to theaters this month! No name is bigger than Bond, James Bond, and Daniel Craig’s last Bond film opens this week, with Christoph Waltz, Monica Bellucci, and “Sherlock” star Andrew Scott. And, the new Peanuts movie, from the people who made “Rio.”
Also coming this month– Copyright 2015 Warner Brothers
November 13
“The 33,” the true story of the rescue of the trapped Chilean miners, starring Antonio Banderas and Juliette Binoche.
“Spotlight,” the true story of the Boston Globe reporters whose story about the cover-up of pedophile priests won a Pulitzer.
“By the Sea,” with Angelina Jolie (who directed) and Brad Pitt as a couple on a trip who confront some of the fissures in their relationship.
“Man Up,” a romantic comedy about a blind date with Simon Pegg and Lake Bell.
“Love the Coopers,” a dysfunctional family holiday story with an all-star cast including Diane Keaton and Olivia Wilde.
November 20
“The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2,” the final chapter in the dystopian saga.
“Secret in Their Eyes,” a crime thriller with Julia Roberts, Nicole Kidman, and Chiwetel Ejiofor.
November 24
“The Night Before,” a raunchy comedy starring Seth Rogen, Anthony Mackie, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt as three friends on a wild Christmas spree.
“The Good Dinosaur,” Pixar’s fantasy about humans and dinosaurs living together in prehistoric times.
“Creed,” takes the “Rocky” story to the next generation as Rocky trains the son of his former rival.
“Victor Frankenstein,” the old story with a new twist, starring Daniel Radcliffe and James McAvoy.
Happy October! This is going to be a great month for movies, with some scary Halloween stories and some big, awards-worthy dramas, mostly based on true stories, and featuring some of Hollywood’s biggest stars. Here’s what’s coming this month:
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2 The Martian Matt Damon heads an all-star cast (Jessica Chastain, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Kate Mara, Jeff Daniels, Michael Peña) directed by Ridley Scott and based on the best-selling book about an astronaut abandoned on Mars and how he stays alive while NASA figures out how to get him home.
99 Homes Andrew Garfield, Michael Shannon, and Laura Dern star in this stark drama set in Florida as the subprime meltdown leads to foreclosures and homelessness.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9 Steve Jobs Michael Fassbender plays the founder of Apple in this biopic directed by Danny Boyle (“Slumdog Millionaire”), with a script by “The Social Network’s” Aaron Sorkin.
He Named Me Malala A documentary about the youngest-ever Nobel Peace Prize winner, still in her teens, who has been a powerful voice for educational opportunities for girls.
Freeheld Julianne Moore and Ellen Page star as the real-life couple who fought for pension benefits for domestic partners, co-starring Michael Shannon and Steve Carell
Labyrinth Of Lies This powerful German film tells the story of the courageous prosecutors in post WWII Germany who insisted that the true story about the Holocaust be investigated so the perpetrators could be found and prosecuted.Copyright 2015 Picturehouse
Pan Ever wondered where Peter Pan came from? This is his story, from director Joe Wright (“Atonement,” “Pride and Prejudice”), starring Garrett Hedlund and Hugh Jackman.
The Walk “Man on Wire” was the Oscar-winning documentary about the Frenchman who strung a wire between the towers of the World Trade Center and walked across it. This version stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt and is reported to have the best 3D effects ever.
Big Stone Gap Ashley Judd plays a 40-year-old single woman in a small Virginia coal-mining town who wonders if she will ever find love in this charming romantic comedy co-starring Patrick Wilson, Whoopi Goldberg, and Jenna Elfman.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16
Crimson Peak A young bride arrives at a house filled with secrets in this spooky story from Guillermo del Toro.
Goosebumps R.L. Stine’s spooky stories inspired this movie with Jack Black as the haunted author.
Bridge of Spies Tom Hanks stars in Steven Spielberg’s real-life story of a tense negotiation for the release of an American captured by the Soviets in the midst of the Cold War.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23
Jem and the Holograms The classic Saturday morning cartoon comes to life.
Burnt Bradley Cooper stars as a brilliant chef trying to make a comeback after a meltdown.
Truth Robert Redford and Cate Blanchett play Dan Rather and his producer in this story about putting a false story about the President on the news.
Rock the Kasbah Who better to play a shambling music manager than Bill Murray?
Room Brie Larson’s performance as a woman held captive for years by a sexual predator may be the breakthrough for this talented actor in this film based on the best-selling book.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 30 Our Brand Is Crisis American campaign consultants go to South America to see if US-style politicking can be transplanted to Bolivia. What can go wrong? Sandra Bullock takes the role originally planned for George Clooney. Oh, and it all really happened. You can check out the documentary before the movie opens.
I Smile Back Sarah Silverman has been getting rave reviews for her performance in a serious role as a woman struggling with mental illness.
Suffragette The story of the women who fought for the right to vote in the UK stars Carey Mulligan and Meryl Streep.
Happy September! Fall is when we see fewer sequels, superheroes and shootouts, more dramas based on real stories or best-selling books. Here’s what we have to look forward to this month:
September 2
A Walk in the Woods Bill Bryson’s book about his trek through the Appalachian Trail is now a film starring Robert Redford, Nick Nolte, and Emma Thompson.
September 4
Learning to Drive Katha Pollitt’s essay about getting her first driver’s license after a breakup has been softened a bit for this movie with Patricia Clarkson and Sir Ben Kingsley.
Transporter Refueled Newcomer Ed Skrein takes over the role of the implacable driver for hire, this time driving three gorgeous female bank robbers in Sia wigs.
September 11
The Visit M. Night Shyamalan returned to spookiness with this story of children who find there is some very, very creepy stuff going on in their grandparents’ house.
The Perfect Guy A lobbyist played by Sanaa Lathan gets into an intense and steamy rebound relationship after a painful breakup. She is flattered by his attention, but then….
September 18
Black Mass Johnny Depp plays one of the most notorious gangsters of the century, Boston’s Whitey Bulger, at times an FBI informant, and now in prison for 19 murders.
Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials They escaped the maze in the first film. Now what’s beyond the maze is even more dangerous.
September 25
Hotel Transylvania 2 All the spooks and monsters are back, as Mavis (Selena Gomez) and Jonathan (Andy Samberg) have a baby and grandpa Dracula (Adam Sandler) wants to make sure his grandchild continues his vampire heritage.
The Intern Writer-director Nancy Meyers (“It’s Complicated”) has two Oscar winners in this film: Anne Hathaway as a harried mom with a quickly expanding business and Robert De Niro as a retired executive who becomes her intern.
99 Homes Andrew Garfield, Laura Dern, and Michael Shannon star in this searing drama about desperate people trying to make the best of a collapsing economy, surrounded by foreclosed homes.
Copyright 2015 Walden MediaAugust is usually one of the slowest months of the year for major movie releases, but this year we have some prospects that could include both blockbusters and indie critical darlings. I’m especially looking forward to:
August 5
Shaun the Sheep — The latest from the Wallace and GromitChicken Run guys, which means it will have wonderfully tactile stop-motion animation and hilarious, impeccably timed stunts and sight gags.
August 7
Rikki and the Flash Meryl Streep and her real-life daughter Mamie Gummer co-star in this story of a singer in a bar band to returns to her estranged family when her daughter’s husband leaves her. It’s also a re-teaming with Streep’s “Sophie’s Choice” co-star, Kevin Kline, and Streep’s bandmate and love interest is played by 80’s soap star/pop star Rick Springfield.
Dark Places Members of a group who study grisly murders contact a woman who, as a young girl, survived an attack that killed her parents and testified that it was her brother who did it. Charlize Theron stars, and it is based on the book by Gone Girl author Gillian Flynn.
August 14
The Man from UNCLE The 60’s television series about two handsome spies stars Armie Hammer, Henry Cavill, and this year’s breakthrough actress Alicia Vikander. It’s directed by “Sherlock Holmes'” Guy Ritchie.
Straight Outta Compton Ice Cube’s son stars in the story of N.W.A., their rise to fame and their influence on music and culture.
Mistress America Noah Baumbach’s second comedy of manners this year stars co-screenwriter Greta Gerwig and “Mozart in the Jungle’s” Lola Kirke as prospective step-sisters trying to be cool in New York.
August 21
American Ultra He’s the next Lex Luthor and appears in next week’s “End of the Tour,” but Jesse Eisenberg also found time to star in this slacker action comedy about an unexpected undercover agent — even to himself. Kristen Stewart plays his girlfriend.
Learning to Drive Katha Pollitt’s bittersweet essay about getting her first driver’s license in her 50’s after a miserable break-up has been adapted for a film with Sir Ben Kingsley and Patricia Clarkson.
Coming in July 2015: Magic Mike XXL, Terminator: Genisys, Minions, and Amy Schumer’s Trainwreck
Posted on July 1, 2015 at 8:00 am
Happy July! As usual, this July is going to be filled with blockbusters, sequels, remakes, raunchy comedies, and superheroes, but there are some worthwhile smaller films as well.
Opening today, for the holiday weekend, we have two sequels.
Magic Mike XXL: The dancers go on the road — can they win the big competition?
Terminator Genisys: Somehow they are going to explain how the Arnold Schwarzenegger android is aging.
July 10
Minions: Where did those little yellow guys come from? Why do they love to work for evil geniuses? This prequel to the “Despicable Me” movies stars Sandra Bullock as Scarlett Overkill.
Self/Less: A rich old guy (Sir Ben Kingsley) who does not want to die takes on the body of a young, healthy guy (Ryan Reynolds).
Batkid Begins: A five year old cancer survivor told Make-a-Wish he wanted to be Batman, and the entire city of San Francisco made his wish come true. Julia Roberts will star in the feature film adaptation of this heartwarming documentary.
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July 17
Trainwreck: Amy Schumer wrote and stars in this raunchy comedy about a young woman with commitment issues who falls for a doctor (Bill Hader). LeBron James co-stars as himself.
Ant-Man: Yes, he is a tiny superhero. But he is played by Paul Rudd, so I am on board.
July 24
Pixels: We are attacked by aliens — in the firm of old-school arcade games!
Paper Towns: Nat Wolff and John Green — two of my favorites. Green’s book is about a high school kid whose life is turned upside down when the girl he has loved from afar invites him on an adventure and then disappears.
Irrational Man: Woody Allen’s latest seems to be another movie about a middle-aged man (Joaquin Phoenix) whose life is saved by a beautiful young woman (Emma Stone). I hope not.
July 29
Vacation: Do we need a remake of the Chevy Chase classic? We’re going to find out!
July 31
Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation: Tom Cruise is back and the action looks sensational.
Stanford Prison Experiment: Psychology researchers assign students the roles of prisoners and guards. What could go wrong? Based on a true story.
