The Most Anticipated Films of 2013 Pt. 2

80 Other Films to Look Forward to for 2013

The Blockbusters

World War Z

Directed by Marc Forster. Screenplay by Matthew Michael Carnahan and Damon Lindelof. Based on the novel by Max Brooks. Starring Brad Pitt, Mirelle Enos, James Badge Dale, and Matthew Fox.

Man of Steel

Directed by Zack Snyder. Screenplay David S. Goyer. Story by David S. Goyer and Christopher Nolan. Starring Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Kevin Costner, Diane Lane, Michael Shannon, Laurence Fishburne, and Russell Crowe.

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Directed by Francis Lawrence. Screenplay by Michael Arndt and Simon Beaufoy. Based on the novel by Suzanne Collins. Starring Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Lenny Kravitz, Elizabeth Banks, Donald Sutherland, Willow Shields, Stanley Tucci, Jena Malone, Melissa Leo, Jeffrey Wright, Toby Jones, Amanda Plummer, and Philip Seymour Hoffman.

The Lone Ranger

Directed by Gore Verbinski. Screenplay and screen story by Ted Elliot, Terry Rossio, and Justin Haythe. Starring Johnny Depp, Armie Hammer, Helena Bohnam Carter, William Fichter, and Tom Wilkinson.

The Wolverine

Directed by James Mangold. Screenplay by Christopher McQuarrie and Mark Bomback. Based on the 1982 limited comic series by Chris Claremont and Frank Miller. Starring Hugh Jackman, Hiroyuki Sanada, and Will Yun Lee.

Thor: The Dark World

Directed by Alan Taylor. Screenplay by Christopher Yost, Christopher Markus, and Stephen McFeely. Story by Don Payne. Based on the comic by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and Larry Lieber. Starring Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Stellan Skarsgard, Idris Elba, Jaimie Alexander, Kat Dennings, Ray Stevenson, Zachary Levi, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Rene Russo, and Anthony Hopkins.

Iron Man 3

Directed by Shane Black. Screenplay by Shane Black and Drew Pearce. Based on the comic by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Larry Leiber, and Don Heck. Starring Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, James Badge Dale, Don Cheadle, Rebecca Hall, Jon Favreau, and Ben Kingsley.

The Hobbit 2: The Desolation of Smaug

Directed by Peter Jackson. Screenplay by Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, and Guillermo del Toro. Based on the novel by J.R.R. Tolkien. Starring Martin Freeman, Ian McKellan, Richard Armitage, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Andy Serkis.

Star Trek Into Darkness

Directed by J.J. Abrams. Screenplay by Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman, and Damon Lindelof. Based on the TV series by Gene Roddenberry. Starring Chris Pine, Zachary Pinto, Karl Urban, Zoe Saldana, John Cho, Anton Yelchin, Simon Pegg, Alice Eve, and Benedict Cumberbatch.

300: Rise of an Empire

Directed by Noam Murro. Screenplay by Zack Snyder, Kurt Johnstad, and Michael B. Gordon. Based on the novel by Frank Miller. Starring Eva Green, Sullivan Stapleton, Rodrigo Santoro, Callan Mulvey, and Jack O’Connell.

Kick-Ass 2

Written for the screen and directed by Jeff Wadlow. Based on the comic by Mark Millar and John S. Romita Jr. Starring Aaron Johnson, Chloe Grace Moretz, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Donald Faison, Lindy Booth, John Leguizamo, Morris Chestnutt, and Jim Carrey.

2013 will have a big slate of action and blockbusters that will get people into the theaters and something exciting. Superheroes will return as there’s going to be new films for heroes like Iron Man and Thor who have just triumphed in their appearances in 2012’s The Avengers while Superman will finally make his long-awaited return in Man of Steel. Wolverine will also return as many hope James Mangold will give fans something that can wash the taste of the very disappointing 2009 film X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Aaron Johnson makes his return to play Kick-Ass in the upcoming sequel while Gore Verbinski and Johnny Depp team up once again for a big-budget adventure on The Lone Ranger with Depp playing Tonto.

Brad Pitt fights zombies in a zombie apocalypse in the much-delayed World War Z while Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson returns to another game of death in the second Hunger Games film that features an expansive cast that will include Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jeffrey Wright, Melissa Leo, Amanda Plummer, and Jena Malone. The Hobbit is expanded into a trilogy as the second film will have Bilbo and the dwarves fight off the dragon Smaug. J.J Abrams returns with a new Star Trek film that has Captain Kirk, Spock, and the rest of the team fight a new enemy. Finally, a sequel to 2006’s 300 is to emerge that will reveal more about Xerxes and the new force he fights.

The Action Movies

G.I. Joe: Retaliation

Directed by Jon M. Chu. Written by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick. Starring Dwayne Johnson, Adrianne Palicki, D.J. Cotrona, Lee Byung-hun, Ray Park, Channing Tatum, Ray Stevenson, Jonathan Pryce, and Bruce Willis.

Fast and Furious 6

Directed by Justin Lin. Written by Chris Morgan. Based on the characters by Gary Scott Thompson. Starring Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Jordana Brewster, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Sung Kang, Gal Gadot, Gina Carano, Luke Evans, and Dwayne Johnson.

The Last Stand

Directed by Kim Ji-Woon. Written by Andrew Knauer. Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Forest Whitaker, Johnny Knoxville, Genesis Rodriguez, Eduardo Noriega, Jaimie Alexander, Peter Stormare, and Luis Guzman.

A Good Day to Die Hard

Directed by John Moore. Screenplay by Skip Woods. Based on the characters by Roderick Thorp. Starring Bruce Willis, Jai Courtney, Cole Hauser, Sebastian Koch, Yuliya Snigir, and Mary Elizabeth Winstead.

Machete Kills

Written and directed by Robert Rodriguez. Starring Danny Trejo, Jessica Alba, Michelle Rodriguez, Charlie Sheen, Alexa Vega, Sofia Vegara, Demian Bichir, Antonio Banderas, Amber Heard, Lady Gaga, Zoe Saldana, Tom Savini, Cuba Gooding Jr., and Mel Gibson.

Lone Survivor

Written and directed by Peter Berg. Starring Mark Wahlberg, Taylor Kitsch, Emile Hirsch, Ben Foster, and Eric Bana.

The Tomb

Directed by Mikael Hafstrom. Written by Miles Chapman and Jason Keller. Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, Jim Caviezel, Vinnie Jones, Amy Ryan, Vincent D’Onofrio, and Sam Neill.

The Necessary Death of Charlie Countryman

Directed by Frederic Bond. Written by Matt Drake. Starring Shia LaBeouf, Evan Rachel Wood, Rupert Grint, Aubrey Plaza, Melissa Leo, Til Schweiger, and Mads Mikkelsen.

Action films are the movies the guys love as all it’s needed is a decent story, lots of fighting, excitement, and all sorts of explosions. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson will return in a couple of sequels such as the sixth Fast and Furious film and the much-delayed G.I. Joe: Retaliation which was supposed to come out in 2012. Those are among the sequels that is coming out as well as sequels for Machete and Die Hard. Peter Berg hopes to redeem himself after the major flop that was Battleship with a true story about a failed mission to kill a Taliban leader. The two heavyweights of action films in Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger as they both have some action films to appear. The two will appear in the action thriller The Tomb while Arnold has a film where he plays a sheriff in The Last Stand. Finally, Shia LaBeouf falls for Evan Rachel Wood and battles Mad Mikkelsen in The Necessary Death of Charlie Countryman.

The Funny Stuff

Identity Thief

Directed by Seth Gordon. Written by Craig Mazin. Starring Jason Bateman, Melissa McCarthy, Genesis Rodriguez, Amanda Peet, John Cho, Clark Duke, Morris Chestnut, and Jon Favreau.

Movie 43

Directed by Peter Farrelly, Elizabeth Banks, Steven Brill, Steven Carr, James Duffy, Bob Odenkirk, Griffin Dunne, James Gunn, Patrik Forsberg, Rusty Cundieff, and Brett Ratner. Written by James Gunn, Jeremy Sosenko, Rocky Russo, Will Carlough, and Patrik Forsberg. Starring Halle Berry, Kate Winslet, Naomi Watts, Liev Schreiber, Hugh Jackman, Kristen Bell, Gerard Butler, Johnny Knoxville, Anna Faris, Chloe Grace Moretz, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Seann William Scott, Bobby Cannavale, Richard Gere, Kate Bosworth, Emma Stone, Kieran Culkin, Stephen Merchant, Terrence Howard, and Uma Thurman.

Warm Bodies

Written for the screen and directed by Jonathan Levine. Based on novel by Isaac Marion. Starring Teresa Palmer, Nicholas Hoult, Dave Franco, Analeigh Tipton, Rob Corddry, and John Malkovich.

Fading Gigolo

Written and directed by John Turturro. Starring Woody Allen, Sofia Vergara, Sharon Stone, Vanessa Paradis, Liev Schreiber, and John Turturro.

The To Do List

Written and directed by Maggie Carey. Starring Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Rachel Bilson, Aubrey Plaza, Clark Gregg, Alia Shawkat, Bill Hader, and Connie Britton.

This is The End

Written and directed by Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen. Story by Evan Goldberg and Jason Stone. Starring Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel, Emma Watson, Craig Robinson, James Franco, Rihanna, and Jonah Hill.

Admission

Directed by Paul Weitz. Screenplay by Paul Weitz and Karen Croner. Based on the novel by Jean Hanff Korelitz. Starring Tina Fey, Paul Rudd, Michael Sheen, Lily Tomlin, Wallace Shawn, Nat Wolff, and Gloria Reuben.

The Incredible Burt Wonderstone

Directed by Don Scardino. Screenplay by John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein. Story by Chad Kultgen. Starring Steve Carell, Jim Carrey, Steve Buscemi, Olivia Wilde, Brad Garrett, Gillian Jacobs, Jay Mohr, James Gandolfini, and Alan Arkin.

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

Directed by Ben Stiller. Screenplay by Steve Conrad. Based on the short story by James Thurber. Starring Ben Stiller, Kristen Wiig, Adam Scott, Kathryn Hahn, Patton Oswalt, and Shirley MacLaine.

There’s a wide mix of comedies that are set to come out that many will hope that will bring people lots of laugh. Jason Bateman tries to go after Melissa McCarthy for stealing his identity in Identity Thief while loads of famous actors and celebrities try to do obscene things in the anthology film Movie 43. Teresa Palmer falls in love with a zombie in Warm Bodies while Woody Allen tries to become a pimp for man to get some money in Fading Gigolo. Aubrey Plaza is a high school graduate who tries to lose her virginity in The To Do List while celebrities deal with the end of the world in End of the World. Tina Fey discovers she has a long-lost son in Admission while Steve Carell battles it out with Jim Carrey in the art of magic in The Incredible Burt Wonderstone. Finally, Ben Stiller returns to the director’s chair to star in a remake of The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.

The Animated Films

The Wind Rises

Directed by Hayao Miyazaki

The Tale of Princess Kaguya

Directed by Isao Takahata.

Monsters University

Directed by Dan Scanlon. Screenplay by Andrew Stanton and Pete Docter. Featuring the voices of John Goodman, Billy Crystal, Steve Buscemi, Kelsey Grammer, John Ratzenberger, Frank Oz, Julia Sweeney, and Dave Foley.

Despicable Me 2

Directed by Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud. Screenplay by Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio. Featuring the voices of Steve Carell, Russell Brand, Miranda Cosgrove, Kristen Wiig, Steve Coogan, and Al Pacino.

The Croods

Written and directed by Chris Sanders and Kirk DeMicco. Featuring the voices of Nicolas Cage, Ryan Reynolds, Emma Stone, Catherine Keener, Clark Duke, and Cloris Leachman.

Turbo

Directed by David Soren. Written by David Soren, Robert Siegel, and Darren Lemke. Featuring the voices of Ryan Reynolds, Paul Giamatti, Michael Pena, Luis Guzman, Bill Hader, Michelle Rodriguez, Ken Jeong, Maya Rudolph, Snoop Dogg, and Samuel L. Jackson.

Mr. Peabody and Sherman

Directed by Rob Minkoff. Screenplay by Craig Wright. Based on Peabody’s Improbable History by Ted Key. Featuring the voices of Ty Burrell, Max Charles, Stephen Tobolowsky, Stephen Colbert, Ellie Kemper, Allison Janney, and Ariel Winter.

Epic

Directed by Chris Wedge. Screenplay by Tom J. Astle and Matt Ember. Based on the children’s book The Leaf Men and the Brave Good Bugs. Featuring the voices of Amanda Seyfried, Josh Hutcherson, Colin Farrell, Beyonce Knowles, Christoph Waltz, Judah Friedlander, Jason Sudeikis, and Chris O’Dowd.

Planes

Directed by Klay Hall. Featuring the voices of Jon Cryer, Stacy Keach, Brad Garrett, and Carlos Alazraqui.

There’s a slew of animated films set to come out for 2013 as it will offer something more in family entertainment as well as something film buffs might enjoy. Studio Ghibli will have two features from two of its co-founders in Hayao Miyazaki with The Wind Rises and Isao Takahata with The Tale of Princess Kaguya as it will be the latter’s first feature-length film in nearly 15 years. Pixar will release its first prequel in the form of Monsters University that explores how Sulley and Mike became friends while Disney creates a spin-off of Cars in Planes. Gru and his minions return to battle a new villain in Despicable Me 2 while Nicolas Cages voices the head of a family of cavemen in The Croods from DreamWorks Animation. The studio will have two other films for release the race-car sports comedy Turbo and a new take on the Mr. Peabody character in Mr. Peabody and Sherman. Finally, 20th Century Fox Animation releases their own animation future in a fantasy film simply called Epic.

Thrillers/Suspense

Jack Ryan

Directed by Kenneth Branagh. Screenplay by Adam Cozad, David Koepp, Anthony Peckham, and Steve Zaillian. Starring Chris Pine, Keira Knightley, Kenneth Branagh, David Paymer, and Kevin Costner.

White House Down

Directed by Roland Emmerich. Screenplay by James Vanderbilt. Starring Channing Tatum, Jamie Foxx, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Garcelle Beauvais, Richard Jenkins, Jason Clarke, and James Woods.

Oldboy

Directed by Spike Lee. Screenplay by Mark Protosevich. Based on the manga comic by Garon Tsuchiya and Nobuaki Minegishi. Starring Josh Brolin, Elizabeth Olsen, Sharlto Copley, and Samuel L. Jackson.

Blood Ties

Directed by Guillaume Canet. Screenplay by Guillaume Canet and James Gray. Based on the novel Les liens du sang by Bruno and Michel Papet. Starring Clive Owen, Marion Cotillard, Billy Crudup, Mila Kunis, Zoe Saldana, Mathias Schoenaerts, Noah Emmerich, Lily Taylor, and James Caan.

The Canyons

Directed by Paul Schraeder. Written by Bret Easton Ellis. Starring Lindsay Lohan, James Deen, Nolan Gerard Funk, Amanda Brooks, and Gus Van Sant.

Now You See Me

Directed by Louis Leterrier. Screenplay by Ed Solomon, Boaz Yakin, and Edward Ricourt. Story by Boaz Yakin and Edward Ricourt. Starring Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo, Woody Harrelson, Melanie Laurent, Isla Fisher, Dave Franco, Morgan Freeman, and Michael Caine.

The Counselor

Directed by Ridley Scott. Written by Cormac McCarthy. Starring Michael Fassbender, Brad Pitt, Cameron Diaz, Javier Bardem, Penelope Cruz, Natalie Dormer, John Leguizamo, and Rosie Perez.

Gangster Squad

Directed by Ruben Fleischer. Screenplay by Will Beall. Based on the novel by Tales from the Gangster Squad by Paul Lieberman. Starring Ryan Gosling, Josh Brolin, Emma Stone, Anthony Mackie, Giovanni Ribisi, Michael Pena, Josh Pence, Robert Patrick, and Sean Penn.

There’s a lot of thrills that is coming for 2013 and many of them will be diverse in its setting and subject matter. The Jack Ryan character will finally return in a reboot as Chris Pine will play the role while Channing Tatum tries to protect president Jamie Foxx from terrorists in White House Down. Some big-named filmmakers will have thrillers of their own such as Ridley Scott’s The Counselor where Michael Fassbender plays a lawyer who goes way over his head battling drug trafficking.

Spike Lee will unveil his own take on Oldboy that will be different from Chan-wook Park’s 2003 landmark film while Guillaume Canet ventures into his first English-language production with Blood Ties. Paul Schraeder will venture into the world of old-school pulp filmmaking with The Canyons while Jesse Eisenberg is part of a team of magicians who use magic to pull off a heist in Now You See Me. Finally, there’s the much-delayed Gangster Squad that will pit Ryan Gosling and Josh Brolin against Sean Penn.

Fantasy, Sci-Fi & Horror Films

Elysium

Written and directed by Neill Blomkamp. Starring Matt Damon, Jodie Foster, Sharlto Copley, Carly Pope, Alice Braga, and William Fichtner.

Under the Skin

Directed by Jonathan Glazer. Screenplay by Walter Campbell. Based on the novel by Michael Faber. Starring Scarlett Johansson, Paul Brannigan, and Krystof Hadek.

Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters

Directed by Thor Freudenthal. Screenplay by Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski. Based on The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan. Starring Logan Lerman, Alexandra Daddario, Brandon T. Jackson, Leven Rambin, Jake Abel, Mark Hamill, Anthony Head, Nathan Fillion, and Stanley Tucci.

Oz: The Great and Powerful

Directed by Sam Raimi. Screenplay by Mitchell Kapner and David Lindsay-Abaire. Based on the novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum. Starring James Franco, Mila Kunis, Michelle Williams, Zach Braff, Bruce Campbell, Joey King, Tony Cox, and Rachel Weisz.

Jack the Giant Slayer

Directed by Bryan Singer. Screenplay by Darren Lemke, Christopher McQuarrie, and Dan Studney. Story by Darren Lemke and David Dobkin. Based on the Cornish fairy tale Jack the Giant Killer. Starring Nicholas Hoult, Eleanor Tomlinson, Stanley Tucci, Ian MacShane, Bill Nighy, Eddie Marsan, and Ewan McGregor.

Ender’s Game

Written for the screen and directed by Gavin Hood. Based on the novel and Ender’s Shadow by Orson Scott Card. Starring Harrison Ford, Asa Butterfield, Hailee Steinfeld, Abigail Breslin, Brandon Soo Hoo, Viola Davis, and Ben Kingsley.

Beautiful Creatures

Written for the screen and directed by Richard LaGravenese. Based on the novel by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl. Starring Alden Ehrenreich, Alice Englert, Jeremy Irons, Emma Thompson, Emmy Rossum, Margo Martindale, and Viola Davis.

Mama

Directed by Andres Muschietti. Screenplay by Andres Muschietti, Barbara Muschietti, and Neil Cross. Based on the book by Andres Muschietti. Starring Jessica Chastain, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Megan Charpentier, Isabelle Nelisse, and Daniel Kash.

Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters

Directed by Tommy Wirkola. Written by Tommy Wirkola and D.W. Harper. Starring Jeremy Renner, Gemma Arterton, Famke Janssen, and Peter Stormare.

Oblivion

Directed by Joseph Kosinski. Screenplay by Joseph Kosinski, William Monahan, Michael Arndt, and Karl Gajdusek. Based on the graphic novel by Joseph Kosinski and Arvid Nelson. Starring Tom Cruise, Olga Kurylenko, Andrea Riseborough, Melissa Leo, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Zoe Bell, and Morgan Freeman.

There’s a slew of different kind of films that offer something for those wanting something that is a bit removed from reality and more into fantasy and other genres. In the world of sci-fi, Matt Damon tries to bring balance to a ravaged Earth in Elysium while Scarlett Johansson is an alien disguised in human form in Under the Skin. Percy Jackson returns for another adventure with his friends in The Sea of Monsters while Nicholas Hoult plays Jack the Giant Slayer in Bryan Singer’s take on the fairy tale. James Franco reunites with Sam Raimi for a prequel to The Wizard of Oz that reveals how Oz became the man who would become the ruler of a mysterious land.

Harrison Ford recruits a group of young teens to help him fight aliens in Ender’s Game while Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterton fight off witches in another much-delayed film in Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters. Jessica Chastain deals with evil forces who are going after children in Mama while there’s something for young teens in the fantasy story Beautiful Creatures that features Jeremy Irons and Emma Thompson as Southerners. Finally, there’s Tom Cruise is one of the few survivors trying to find life on Earth in Oblivion.

The Dramas

Lovelace

Directed by Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman. Written by Andy Bellin. Starring Amanda Seyfried, Peter Sarsgaard, Adam Brody, James Franco, Chloe Sevigny, and Sharon Stone.

Diana

Directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel. Written by Stephen Jeffreys. Starring Naomi Watts, Naveen Andrews, and Cas Anvar.

The Railway Man

Directed by Jonathan Teplitzky. Screenplay by Frank Cottrell Boyce and Andy Paterson. Based on the novel by Eric Lomax. Starring Colin Firth, Nicole Kidman, Jeremy Irvine, Hiroyuki Sanada, and Stellan Skarsgard.

Nightingale

Directed by James Gray. Written by James Gray and Ric Menello. Starring Jeremy Renner, Marion Cotillard, and Joaquin Phoenix.

Foxcatcher

Directed by Bennett Miller. Written by E. Max Frye and Dan Futterman. Starring Steve Carell, Mark Ruffalo, Channing Tatum, Sienna Miller, Vanessa Redgrave, and Anthony Michael Hall.

The Dallas Buyer’s Club

Directed by Jean-Marc Vallee. Written by Craig Borten and Melisa Wallack. Starring Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Garner, Jared Leto, Dallas Roberts, Steve Zahn, Denis O’Hare, Bradford Cox, and Griffin Dunne.

Saving Mr. Banks

Directed by John Lee Hancock. Screenplay by Kelly Marcel. Story by Kelly Marcel and Sue Smith. Starring Tom Hanks, Emma Thompson, Colin Farrell, Paul Giamatti, Jason Schwartzman, Ruth Wilson, B.J. Novak, Rachel Griffiths, Bradley Whitford, and Kathy Baker.

42

Written and directed by Brian Helgeland. Starring Chadwick Boseman, Christopher Meloni, Nicole Behaire, Lucas Black, T.R. Knight, and Harrison Ford.

The Butler

Directed by Lee Daniels. Starring Forest Whitaker, John Cusack, Jane Fonda, Mariah Carey, Alan Rickman, Terrence Howard, and Oprah Winfrey.

There’s a lot of dramas that audiences want to go for more serious fare. A lot of which will be bio-pics as Naomi Watts plays Princess Diana in Diana, Tom Hanks as Walt Disney in Saving Mr. Banks about the creator of Mary Poppins, Amanda Seyfried as notorious porn star Linda Lovelace in Lovelace, Chadwick Boseman as Jackie Robinson in 42, Forrest Whitaker as a butler who has served as a butler for many U.S. Presidents in The Butler, Steve Carell as John du Pont in Foxcatcher, Colin Firth and Jeremy Irvin as Eric Lomax in The Railway Man, and Matthew McConaughey as Ron Woodruff in the AIDS drama The Dallas Buyer’s Club. Finally, there’s Marion Cotillard in a different drama as she plays an immigrant traveling to America to find her sister in Nightingale.

The Arthouse & the Indies

White Bird in a Blizzard

Written and directed by Gregg Araki. Starring Eva Green, Shailene Woodley, Gabourey Sidibe, Angela Bassett, Shiloh Fernandez, Christopher Meloni, Jacob Artist, and Dale Dickey.

The Assassin

Directed by Hou Hsiao-Hsien.

10 Cent Pistol

Written and directed by Michael C. Martin. Starring Jena Malone, JT Alexander, Damon Alexander, Brendan Sexton III, Thomas Ian Nicholas, Jessica Szohr, and Joe Mantegna.

Only Lovers Left Alive

Written and directed by Jim Jarmusch. Starring Mia Wasikowska, John Hurt, Tom Hiddleston, Tilda Swinton, and Anton Yelchin.

Kisses

Directed by Yukihiko Tsutsumi. Written by Takayuki Takuma that is based on his play. Starring Shihori Kanjiya, Naoto Takenaka, and Takayuki Takuma.

Untitled Nicole Holofcener Project

Written and directed by Nicole Holofcener. Starring Catherine Keener, James Gandolfini, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Toni Collette, and Ben Falcone.

Upstream Color

Written and directed by Shane Carruth. Starring Shane Carruth, Amy Seimetz, Andrew Sensenig, and Thiago Martins.

The East

Directed by Zal Batmanglij. Written Zal Batmanglij and Brit Marling. Starring Ellen Page, Alexander Skarsgard, Brit Marling, Julia Ormond, and Patricia Clarkson.

The Double

Directed by Richard Ayoade. Written by Richard Ayoade and Avi Korine. Starring Jesse Eisenberg, Mia Wasikowska, Noah Taylor, and Wallace Shawn.

Mobius

Written and directed by Eric Rochant. Starring Jean Dujardin, Cecile de France, Emilie Dequenne, and Tim Roth.

Touchy Feely

Written and directed by Lynn Shelton. Starring Rosemarie DeWitt, Ellen Page, Allison Janney, Scoot McNairy, and Josh Pais.

The Choice

Directed by Michele Placido. Starring Berenice Bejo.

The Past

Directed by Asghar Farhadi. Starring Berenice Bejo and Tahar Rahim.

Breathe In

Directed by Drake Doremus. Written by Drake Doremus and Ben York Jones. Starring Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Amy Ryan, and Kyle McLachlan.

Don Jon’s Addiction

Written and directed by Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Scarlett Johansson, Brie Larson, Tony Danza, and Julianne Moore.

The Look of Love

Directed by Michael Winterbottom. Written by Matt Greenhalgh. Starring Steve Coogan, Imogen Poots, Anna Friel, and Tasmin Egerton.

There’s a slew of different types of films for those that want something completely different. First is Gregg Araki with White Bird in a Blizzard where a young woman deals with her mother’s disappearance while there’s a very secretive project from Hou Hsiao-Hsien in The Assassin. Jena Malone gets caught up in a world of crime in 10 Cent Pistol while Jim Jarmusch creates a vampire story of his own in Only Lovers Left Alive. Yukihiko Tsutsumi tackles romance in Kisses though Nicole Holofcener explores the world of love in her unique way. Shane Carruth makes his long-awaited return with the romantic film Upstream Color while Zal Batmanglij and Brit Marling tell the story about a woman who falls for an anarchist leader she’s supposed to infiltrate in The East.

In Richard Ayoade’s take on Dostoyevsky’s The Double, Jesse Eisenberg deals with a doppelganger while Jean Dujardin gets involved in a heist in Mobius. Rosemarie DeWitt deals with anxiety in Touchy Feely while Berenice Bejo appears in two features in the rape drama The Choice as well Asghar Farhadi’s drama The Past in which Bejo falls for Tahar Rahim. Drake Doremus reunites with his Like Crazy star Felicity Jones in Breathe In where she plays a student who falls for her older music teacher. Joseph Gordon-Levitt makes his directorial debut as he plays a Don Juan who tries to change his way in Don Jon’s Addiction. Finally, there’s Michael Winterbottom’s The Look of Love where he reunites with Steve Coogan in a story about the life of British pornographer/real estate entrepreneur Paul Raymond.

The 25 Films of 2013 That Should Simply Fuck Off and Die!

1. Pain and Gain

Directed by Michael Bay. Screenplay by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeeley. Based on an article by Pete Collins. Starring Mark Wahlberg, Dwayne Johnson, Anthony Mackie, Rebel Wilson, Ken Jeong, Rob Coddroy, Michael Rispoli, Ed Harris, and Tony Shalhoub.

Michael Bay is pretty much one of the most reviled filmmakers working today as his Transformers trilogy has made lots of money but also lots of hatred by film critics and film buffs. While he is planning to do another one, Bay is taking a break from the world of action films by tackling a comedy about two dim-witted bodybuilders trying to pull an extortion scheme. The idea is interesting but based on the film’s recently-released trailer, the result is just another film where it’s just extremely dumb and the jokes just don’t work.

2. After Earth

Directed by M. Night Shyamalan. Screenplay by Stephen Gaghan and Gary Whitta. Story by Gary Whitta. Starring Will Smith, Jaden Smith, Isabelle Furhman, Zoe Kravitz, and Sophie Okonedo.

Despite making a lot of money with The Last Airbender, the film was savagely killed by critics over its casting, awful visual effects, and some of the worst 3D conversion ever presented on film as M. Night Shyamalan’s name has lost its luster as filmgoers groan at the sight of his name. While this sci-fi film starring Will and Jaden Smith might seem promising as is the involvement of screenwriter Stephen Gaghan. The trailer suggests something just as lame with its hammy visual effects and what kind of awful ideas Shyamalan might put into the film.

3. Grown Ups 2

Directed by Dennis Dugan. Written by Fred Wolf and Tim Herlihy. Starring Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock, David Spade, Salma Hayek, Maria Bello, Maya Rudolph, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, Taylor Lautner, Milo Ventimiglia, Aly Milchaka, and Michael Kay.

2010’s Grown Ups was a major hit for Adam Sandler and his buddies of Happy Madison productions but 2011’s Just Go with It and Jack and Jill as well as 2012’s That’s My Boy! were reviled by not just critics but also some of Sandler’s fans who believe that he’s no longer trying. For this film, it seems like another story in which Sandler and his buddies try to have more fun, do stupid shit, and have lame cameos by flavor-of-the-month people. Oh, and brought to you by some lame-ass product placement along the way. That’s right, it’s not going to be movie but a feature length commercial about all the bullshit products that Sandler is willing to pimp out.

4. Temptations: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor

Written and directed by Tyler Perry. Starring Jurnee Smollett, Brandy Norwood, Lance Gross, Vanessa Williams, Jerry Stiller, Robbie Jones, and Kim Kardashian.

Tyler Perry was once considered a hero for African-American filmmakers who was able to succeed on his own. Yet, he has now become parody with his many Madea films as well as melodramas that go overboard. For his thirteenth film that is based on one of his play, Perry is set to explore the world of marriage. The biggest shock about the film is that it will star the largely-reviled Kim Kardashian in a film about marriage when people wasted their time watching her get married only to get divorced months later. The film will definitely be an example of Perry lowering the bar for his audiences.

5. Carrie

Directed by Kimberly Peirce. Screenplay by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa. Based on the novel by Stephen King. Starring Chloe Grace Moretz, Judy Greer, Portia Doubleday, Gabriella Wilde, Alex Russell, and Julianne Moore.

One of the most promising female indie filmmakers to come out of the late 1990s, Kimberly Peirce re-emerged in 2008 with Stop-Loss that didn’t go anywhere as the filmmaker is returning to direct a horror film. Yet, it will in the form of a remake in Carrie that had been directed in 1976 with much acclaim by Brian de Palma. It’s another remake that is unnecessary as its teaser suggest more lame gore and various clichés as it’s definitely something to avoid.

6. The Hangover Part III

Directed by Todd Phillips. Written by Todd Phillips and Craig Mazin. Starring Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifianakis, Ed Helms, Justin Bartha, Ken Jeong, Heather Graham, Jamie Chung, Mike Epps, Melissa McCarthy, and Jeffrey Tambor.

2011’s sequel to the 2009 film was considered a disappointment since it repeated the same plot line of sorts of the first film except it was set in Bangkok. For the third and final film of the trilogy, the Wolfpack will return to Las Vegas for more idiotic mayhem and Zach Galifianakis playing the same dumbass character he’s always played for years. It’s practically comedy at its laziest where it’s just going to be the same thing over and over again where one of them gets married and gets fucked up as usual.

7. The Smurfs 2

Directed by Raja Gosnell. Screenplay by J. David Stem, David N. Weiss, Karey Kirkpatrick, Jay Scherick, and David Ronn. Based on the comic book series by Peyo. Starring Neil Patrick Harris, Hank Azaria, Jayma Mays, Brendan Gleeson, and Sofia Vegara. Featuring the voices of Jonathan Winters, Katy Perry, George Lopez, Fred Armisen, Anton Yelchin, Alan Cumming, and Christina Ricci.

2011’s The Smurfs was a big hit in the box office but was hated by many film critics as it was another crap film from family-film hack Raja Gosnell. Since that film made a lot of money, a sequel is made where the Smurfs return to Earth to face off against evil Smurfs as they seek Neil Patrick Harris’ help once again as they all go to Paris. Wow… and I bet there’s some singing in there too! Families deserve better and they shouldn’t waste their time and money on this bullshit.

8. Safe Haven

Directed by Lasse Hallstrom. Screenplay by Gage Lansky and Dana Stevens. Based on the novel by Nicholas Spark. Starring Julianne Hough, Josh Duhamel, Cobie Smulders, David Lyons, and Scott Porter.

Film adaptations of books by Nicholas Sparks always come around for those ladies needing to something to cry about feeling that their boyfriend or husband isn’t sensitive enough. Well fuck them bitches!!! This is another sappy-ass love story about a girl who runs away, falls in love with a guy and hopes to do things until her past catches up with her. And of course, love will conquer all with some lame, overbearing Christian overtones. Remember when Lasse Hallstrom used to make good films like Chocolat? What the fuck happened?

9. The Heat

Directed by Paul Feig. Written by Katie Dippold. Starring Sandra Bullock, Melissa McCarthy, Michael Rapaport, Tony Hale, Demian Bichir, and Nathan Coddroy.

The idea of a female buddy-cop movie seems like a nice idea and Paul Feig has done a good job with the success of Bridesmaids that made Melissa McCarthy a star. Yet, the trailer suggests something that is pedestrian where McCarthy plays a slob and Sandra Bullock as the professional where they team up to fight bad guys as both of them try so hard to be funny. It feels like a film that is just forced and might end up being something that is just lazy.

10. The Host

Written for the screen and directed by Andrew Niccol. Based on the novel by Stephenie Meyer. Starring Saoirse Ronan, Max Irons, Jake Abel, Diane Kruger, Frances Fisher, and William Hurt.

While film buffs can breath a sigh of relief of no more lame Twilight films coming, unfortunately Stephenie Meyers has another film from one of her books coming out. This time, it’s about aliens possessing the mind of humans as one of them connects with the aliens to go find loved ones. It’s going to be a tale of love and adventure. Of course, it will also feature some stupid subplots and other mindless idiotic moments.

11. The Starving Games

Written and directed by Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer. Starring Maiara Walsh, Alexandria Deberry, and Brant Daugherty.

12. Scary Movie 5

Directed by Malcolm D. Lee. Written by Pat Proft and David Zucker. Starring Simon Rex, Ashley Tisdale, Erica Ash, Molly Shannon, Heather Locklear, Jerry O’Connell, Lindsay Lohan, and Charlie Sheen.

13. A Haunted House

Directed by Michael Tiddes. Written by Marlon Wayans. Starring Marlon Wayans, Essence Atkins, Cedric the Entertainer, Nick Swardson, David Koechner, Alanna Ulbach, and Dave Sheridan.

14. 21 and Over

Written and directed by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore. Starring Miles Teller, Justin Chon, Skylar Astin, and Sarah Wright.

15. The Internship

Directed by Shawn Levy. Written by Vince Vaughn. Starring Vince Vaughn, Owen Wilson, Rose Byrne, Joanna Garcia, Will Ferrell, and John Goodman.

16. Paranoia

Directed by Robert Luketic. Screenplay by Jason Dean Hall. Based on the novel by Joseph Finder. Starring Liam Hemsworth, Gary Oldman, Amber Heard, Ashley Benson, Lucas Till, Paula Jai Parker, Richard Dreyfuss, and Harrison Ford.

17. Texas Chainsaw 3D

Directed by John Luessenhop. Screenplay by Kirsten Elms, Adam Marcus, and Debra Sullivan. Starring Alexandra Daddrio, Tania Raymonde, Tremaine Neverson, Shaun Sipos, Paul Rae, and Bill Mosley.

18. The Evil Dead

Directed by Fede Alvarez. Written by Sam Raimi, Diablo Cody, and Rodo Sayagues. Starring Jane Levy, Shiloh Fernandez, Lou Taylor Pucci, Jessica Lucas, and Elizabeth Blackmore.

19. The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones

Directed by Harold Zwart. Screenplay by I. Marlene King and Jessica Postigo. Based on the novel by Cassandra Clare. Starring Lily Collins, Lena Headey, Jared Harris, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Jamie Campbell Bowers, and Kevin Zegers.

20. jOBS

Directed by Joshua Michael Stern. Written by Matt Whiteley. Starring Ashton Kutcher, Josh Gad, Dermont Mulroney, Matthew Modine, J.K. Simmons, and Lukas Haas.

21. Parker

Directed by Taylor Hackford. Screenplay by John J. McLaughlin. Based on the novel Flashfire by Donald E. Westlake. Starring Jason Statham, Jennifer Lopez, Michael Chiklis, Clifton Collins Jr., and Nick Nolte.

22. The Big Wedding

Written for the screen and directed by Justin Zackham. Based on the French film Mon frere se marie by Jean-Stephane Bron and Karine Sudan. Starring Robert de Niro, Diane Keaton, Katherine Heigl, Amanda Seyfried, James Marsden, Topher Grace, Susan Sarandon, Ben Barnes, Christine Ebersole, and Robin Williams.

23. Last Vegas

Directed by Jon Turtletaub. Written by Dan Fogleman. Starring Robert de Niro, Michael Douglas, Kevin Kline, Morgan Freeman, Mary Steenburgen, Jerry Ferrera, and Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson.

24. One Direction Concert Movie 3D

Directed by Morgan Spurlock. Starring One Direction.

25. Escape from Planet Earth

Directed by Callan Brunker. Screenplay by Tony Leech and Cory Edwards. Story by Callan Brunker and Bob Barlen. Featuring the voices of Brendan Fraser, Jessica Alba, Rob Coddroy, Sarah Jessica Parker, Craig Robinson, and William Shatner.

There’s a slew of bad movies coming to a multiplex as it will include all sorts of crap films. Parody films will return in some lame horror comedies in Scary Movie 5 and A Haunted House while the duo of Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer continue to appeal to the lowest common denominator. Another lame party movie will arrive in 21 and Over that will show the recklessness of youth. Two of the big hacks of Hollywood will arrive with new features such as Shawn Levy’s The Internship where Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn lose their jobs and work for 20 year olds while Liam Hemsworth battles Gary Oldman in Robert Luketic’s Paranoia. Horror remakes will arrive in the form of a 3D version of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and a new version of The Evil Dead that are guaranteed to suck.

Another lame adaptation of another young adult book arrives in City of Bones: The Mortal Instrument that will be helmed by another hack in Harold Zwart. Ashton Kutcher tries to make an attempt at serious acting in a bio-pic on late Apples Computer founder Steve Jobs while Jason Statham teams with J.Lo to fight bad guys in another dumb action film in Parker that is helmed by Taylor Hackford who is better than this. Just as he seems to finally regain some stature with Silver Linings Playbook, Robert de Niro is going to squander all of that in a couple of bad movies such as the wedding flick The Big Wedding and in The Hangover-for-old-farts film Last Vegas. Another lame 3D concert movie by another lame act no one will remember nor care about in a decade from now will arrive in the form of One Direction. Finally, there’s the animated Escape from Planet Earth that is about aliens landing on planet Earth and all hell breaks loose. Wow…

Well, that is it for what is ahead in 2013. Just make sure there’s a lot of great movies to come around. Stay away from the bad ones and put the money towards something that is worthwhile. Until then, let’s try and make 2013 a great year for films.

Part 1

© thevoid99 2012