Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues

Directed by Adam McKay and written by McKay and Will Ferrell, Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues is the sequel to 2004’s Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy that explores Burgundy and his cohorts in the world of 24-hour news. Set in the 1980s, the film has Burgundy not only deal with changing times but also the conflict he faces as not just an anchorman but also a father to a young boy with his wife Veronica Corningstone. Will Ferrell reprises his role as Ron Burgundy as he’s joined by Paul Rudd, Christina Applegate, Steve Carell, David Koechner, and Fred Willard who all reprise their roles from the first film. Also starring James Marsden, Meagan Good, Greg Kinnear, and Kristen Wiig. Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues is a very funny and exciting film from Adam McKay.

The film is about Ron Burgundy taking on the world of 24-hours news as he is asked to be part of the new medium after he had lost his job that his wife Veronica Corningstone (Christina Applegate) had gotten. With the help of his old news team in field reporter Brian Fantana (Paul Rudd), sports reporter Champ Kind (David Koechner), and the dim-witted weatherman Brick Tamland (Steve Carell), Burgundy does something outrageous to get ratings for the channel where he would eventually lose sight of what he was meant to do as he neglects his son Walter (Judah Nelson) and alienate his friends only to find redemption later on. It’s a film that sort of satirizes the idea of 24-hour news but also about what news channels had become where they give news on what people should see rather than tell more important stories.

The film’s screenplay by Will Ferrell and Adam McKay does have some elements of satire as well as jokes that play into Burgundy’s clueless nature as he has no idea about how much times have changed since the 1970s. Even as it relates to what Veronica wants as well as his relationship with his new boss in Linda Jackson (Meagan Good) who is African-American. Though some of the jokes about Jackson’s race as well as a few others go on for too long where there’s parts of the stories that makes the film uneven at times. Still, there’s some nice subplots that involve Burgundy trying to be a parent to his son Walter as well as a story where Brick falls for an equally dim-witted typist named Chani (Kristen Wiig) that manages to bring in some laughs.

McKay’s direction is a bit more extravagant this time around in not just the way the 80s sort of look but also how out of step Burgundy and his gang are in this new world. Even as McKay would create scenes early in the film about where the rest of the news team had been since the first film as much of the humor is still loose and vibrant. Many of the compositions are straightforward with some exception that includes a scene of the news team crashing inside a RV with all sorts of objects. There’s also another news team battle where it’s much bigger than the first film with more outrageous cameos. Though there’s some flaws in the film due to overlong jokes and some moments that aren’t well-executed. McKay does manage to craft a pretty solid and entertaining film about an anchorman dealing with his ego and role as a news reporter.

Cinematographer Oliver Wood does excellent work with the cinematography where much of it is straightforward in the film‘s locations is shot in Atlanta,New York City, and San Diego . Editors Brent White and Melissa Bretherton do terrific work with the editing where it does play into many of the film‘s humor as well as its structure. Production designer Clayton Hartley, with set decorator Jan Pascale and art director Elliott Glick, does fantastic work with the set pieces from the look of the GNN news office as well as the apartment loft that Burgundy and his team live in.

Costume designer Susan Matheson does amazing work with the costumes from the suits to the clothes the women wear. Hair stylist Monty Schuth does fabulous work with the hairstyles of the men including the perms that Burgundy and his team briefly wear. Visual effects supervisor Eric J. Robertson does nice work with some of the film‘s minimal visual effects such the RV crash scene and the moments in the all-out news team battle at Central Park. Sound editor George H. Anderson does superb work with the sound in some of the film‘s sound effects as well as the chaos in the news battle.

The film’s music by Andrew Feltenstein is pretty good for some of the themes as it‘s low-key in its orchestral setting while music supervisor Erica Weis creates a fun soundtrack that is filled with a mix of 70s/80s soft-rock music of Captain & Tenille, Christopher Cross, Kenny Loggins, England Dan & John Ford Coley, and John Waite as well as music from Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five, Van Halen, and Hot Chocolate.

The film’s brilliant cast includes some notable small appearances from Josh Lawson as GNN creator Kench Allenby, Greg Kinnear as Veronica’s new boyfriend Gary, Fred Willard and Chris Parnell reprising their roles as Ed Harken and Garth Holliday, and Dylan Baker as the very fun GNN producer Freddie Sharp. James Marsden is terrific as the very good-looking news anchor Jack Lime who becomes Burgundy’s new rival while Meagan Good is wonderful as Burgundy’s boss/new lover Linda Jackson. Judah Nelson is excellent as Ron and Veronica’s son Walter who just wants his dad around while Kristen Wiig is very funny as the dim-witted typist Chani whom Brick falls for.

Christina Applegate is amazing as Veronica Corningstone as Burgundy’s wife who has the same ambitions as her husband but is dismayed by his decision as well as the state of news. David Koechner is superb as Champ Kind who is still this closeted homosexual with feelings for Ron as he brings in some good laughs. Paul Rudd is fantastic as Brian Fantana as the ladies man who is also sort of the group’s conscience as he is alienated by Ron’s growing ego. Steve Carell is great as Brick in the way he falls for Chani as well as respond to certain situations in the most hilarious ways. Finally, there’s Will Ferrell delivering another marvelous performance as Ron Burgundy as this man still out of step with the times while losing himself in his own ego where Ferrell brings a lot of humor and charm that makes Burgundy one of the great characters in comedy.

Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues is an excellent film from Adam McKay with Will Ferrell delivering another superb performance as Ron Burgundy. Along with a great supporting cast, some funny cameos, and lots of moments that will keep people laughing. It’s a film that proves to be a worthy sequel to the 2004 film despite its unevenness and a few lackluster jokes. In the end, Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues is stellar film from Adam McKay.

Adam McKay Films: Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy - Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby - Step Brothers - The Other Guys - The Big Short - (Backseat) - The Auteurs #63: Adam McKay

© thevoid99 2013

American Hustle

Directed by David O. Russell and written by David O. Russell and Eric Warren Singer, American Hustle is about the ABSCAM operation of the late 70s where a FBI agent teams with a couple of con artists to nab corrupt politicians so that they wouldn’t go to jail. The film explores the world of corruption and scams where con artists do whatever it takes to make money with a FBI agent while dealing with other problems that would do undo them. Starring Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, and Jeremy Renner. American Hustle is a witty and engaging film from David O. Russell.

Though the film is based on a true story, the first thing presented in the film is stated that some of the events in this film is true which reveals that not everything in this story about ABSCAM is true. Still, it is an intriguing story in which two con-artist lovers who have been successful in embezzling money from other people until they’re caught by an ambitious FBI agent who asks them to take part in a con game to nab a New Jersey city mayor who wants to rebuild Atlantic City. The three go along with the scam to nab the mayor but things become complicated when relationships start to occur in a strange love-triangle while adding to the chaos is a con artist’s emotionally-unstable wife. It’s a film that is about the con game where two hustlers just try to do things carefully only to be involved with this FBI agent where the dealings involve the mob.

The film’s screenplay by David O. Russell and Eric Warren Singer explores not just the idea of scams and con games but also the individuals involved in the ABSCAM operation. Irving Rosenfeld (Christian Bale) is just a guy who lives his life as a con-artist as he just wants to live a good life despite being married to Rosalyn (Jennifer Lawrence) who is pretty crazy as the only reason Irving doesn’t leave her is because he cares for her son Danny (Sonny and Danny Corbo) whom he has adopted. Rosalyn is a unique character just like Irving as she may be this woman who likes to drink a lot and is quite crazy where she is a liability to everything Irving tries to do in secret. There is a lot more to her that even Irving would eventually realizes as she’s also a threat to Irving’s relationship with his con artist partner/lover Sydney Prosser (Amy Adams) who often goes into the guise as a British woman named Lady Edith Greensly.

Sydney is a woman who wasn’t initially involved in Irving’s schemes but realizes how fun it could be where they have an excellent life though she understands why he couldn’t leave Rosalyn which makes her uneasy. When Richie DiMasio (Bradley Cooper) nabs them and is attracted to Sydney in her Edith persona, he would have Irving to teach him the ropes in the art of scamming which Irving reluctantly does as he isn’t sure what Richie wants to do. Even Richie’s own superiors in the FBI are unsure of his plans to nab this New Jersey mayor in Carmine Polito (Jeremy Renner) who has been known as a man of the people. When Irving gets to know Carmine, a conflict begins to emerge in Irving over Richie’s operation where it would go too far as it involved politicians and the Mob that frightens Irving. Eventually, things do go out of control in the third act where much of the first half of the film is comical though things get a bit darker in the second act. Especially as Irving and Sydney realize the danger of what they’re doing and how far Richie is going as even Rosalyn becomes involved.

Russell’s direction is pretty lively in the way he plays into the world of the con game where he does infuse the film with a lot of humor but also a shadiness where the film might be a con itself. Still, Russell ensures that there is a story to tell where he spends much of the film’s first 20 minutes to reveal a lot about Irving and Sydney’s relationship and how the former got introduced to the con game. Much of it is sort of told in a montage where Russell does include a lot of voiceover narration as it’s told by Irving, Sydney, and Richie. With Russell using a lot of hidden cameras to play into some of the secrecy of Richie’s operations and the way these secret meetings are set-up. Russell also ensures that there’s some great attention to the way Sydney and Irving play their role in the background with Richie being the center of these schemes.

It’s not just the intimacy in Russell’s direction that is interesting in the way some of the drama occurs that includes a very chilling confrontation involving Rosalyn and Sydney. There’s also moments where Russell would infuse a lot of humor into the film that would includes Rosalyn’s antics as she is this unpredictable wildcard. There’s also humor in the way the men look as Richie has this perm, Carmine’s hair is also weird, and Irving is bald with this bad comb over that just adds to the ridiculousness of the film. Russell does get more dramatic in not just his framing but also in the way he plays into a lot of the emotions as well as a sense of disillusionment that starts to occur in the film. Even as it becomes clear that the actions of Irving and Sydney in their game is much smaller in what Richie wants who becomes far more corruptible in his ambitions. Overall, Russell crafts a very masterful yet entertaining film about scams and the ugliness of ambition.

Cinematographer Linus Sandgren does amazing work with the film‘s cinematography from the use of its lighting in much of the film‘s interior scenes such as the disco and clubs as well as going for a more naturalistic look for the daytime exterior scenes. Editors Jay Cassidy, Alan Baumgarten, and Crispin Struthers do fantastic work with the editing with its emphasis on style with its use of jump-cuts and montages to help play into the intensity of the story. Production designer Judy Becker, with set decorator Heather Loeffler and art director Jesse Rosenthal, does amazing work with the set pieces from the apartment that Sydney lives in to the house that Irving and Rosalyn live in as well as the look of the cars and such to play into that period of the late 1970s.

Costume designer Michael Wilkinson does fabulous work with the costumes from the leisure suits the men wear as well as the lavish dresses of the women including many of the stuff that Sydney wears which are very revealing. Makeup supervisor Trish Seeney does nice work with some of the makeup work for the look of the men as well as the many kind of hairstyles for those characters. Visual effects supervisor Sean Devereaux does terrific work with some of the minimal effects in some of the background scenes in New York City to play up to that period. Sound designer Jay Nierenberg and sound editor John Ross do superb work with the film‘s sound from the way the tapes are being recorded in the schemes as well as some of sounds of the parties the characters go to.

The film’s music by Danny Elfman is pretty good as it‘s mostly low-key with its emphasis on rock and jazz while music supervisor Susan Jacobs create a very wild soundtrack that includes music ranging from jazz, rock, disco, soul, and pop from artists like Duke Ellington, Jeff Lynne, America, Chicago, Steely Dan, Donna Summer, Tom Jones, Frank Sinatra, Todd Rundgren, Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, the Temptations, Paul McCartney & Wings, David Bowie, Elton John, and the Bee Gees.

The casting by Lindsay Graham and Mary Vernieu is incredible for the ensemble that is created as it features some small yet noteworthy performances from Colleen Camp as the FBI wire transferee Brenda, Paul Herman as a mob attorney, Shea Whigham as an associate of Irving’s who tries to help make the deal between Irving and Carmine, Michael Pena as an agent who pretends to be Sheik Abdullah, Danny and Sonny Corbo as Irving and Rosalyn’s son Danny, Elisabeth Rohm as Carmine’s wife Dolly, Jack Huston as a mob enforcer Rosalyn falls for in Pete Musane, and Robert de Niro in a great cameo appearance as the mob leader Victor Tellegio.

Alessandro Nivola is excellent as FBI superior Anthony Amado who is intrigued by Richie’s ideas while becoming excited by what Richie is offering. Louis C.K. is superb as Richie’s boss Stoddard Thorsen who is unsure of Richie’s plans as he tries to tell Richie a moralistic story while dealing with the craziness that Richie is creating. Jeremy Renner is amazing as Carmine Polito as the mayor of Camden, New Jersey whose hopes to do good for the people of New Jersey has him lost in the scam he’s being targeted for as Renner displays a humility and heartbreak that he would deal with. Jennifer Lawrence is fantastic as Irving’s wife Rosalyn as this very unstable woman who is just wild and unpredictable yet proves to be almost as smart as Irving and Sydney as Lawrence is just a real scene-stealer.

Bradley Cooper is brilliant as Richie DiMaso as this ambitious FBI agent who hopes to nab the mob and corrupt politicians with this scam only to lose control of his operation as he falls for Sydney, in her Edith persona, as he also becomes a man lost in his ambitions. Amy Adams is phenomenal as Sydney Prosser as this very vivacious woman who wears scantily-clad clothing and sports a British accent as a British woman named Edith as she is someone who enjoys her lifestyle until she becomes aware of the danger of the scheme she’s in. Finally, there’s Christian Bale in a remarkable performance as Irving Rosenfeld as this very smart con artist who has no problem conning people as he finds himself taking a back seat to Richie’s plans while befriending Carmine as he starts to realize the severity of his actions and how troubling Richie’s scheme has become as it’s performance that has Bale put on extra weight but also a humility into a man who has conned himself into a corner.

American Hustle is a marvelous film from David O. Russell. Armed with an amazing ensemble cast and an intriguing look into the ABSCAM operation of the late 1970s. It’s a film that is fun but also compelling to explore the world of scams and how it can corrupt many while hurting those who tried to do good. Even as it explores some of the ugliness of ambition and the loss of identity in a con game. In the end, American Hustle is a sensational film from David O. Russell.

David O. Russell Films: Spanking the Monkey - Flirting with Disaster - Three Kings - I Heart Huckabees - The Fighter - Silver Linings Playbook - Accidental Love - Joy (2015 film) - The Auteurs #70: David O. Russell

© thevoid99 2013

The Most Anticipated Films of 2014 Pt. 3

30 More Films for the Serious-Minded Films Buffs

The Auteurs Club

My New Girlfriend

Written and directed by Francois Ozon. Starring Romain Duris, Anais Demoustier, and Raphael Personnaz.

The Lobster

Written and directed by Yorgos Lanthimos.

Far from the Madding Crowd

Directed by Thomas Vinterberg. Screenplay by David Nicholls. Based on the novel by Thomas Hardy. Starring Carey Mulligan, Juno Temple, Matthias Schoenaerts, Tom Sturridge, and Michael Sheen.

White Bird in a Blizzard



Written for the screen and directed by Gregg Araki. Based on the novel by Laura Kasischke. Starring Eva Green, Shailene Woodley, Christopher Meloni, Gabourey Sidibe, Sheryl Lee, Shiloh Fernandez, and Angela Bassett.

The Cobbler

Directed by Thomas McCarthy. Written by Thomas McCarthy and Paul Sado. Starring Adam Sandler, Dan Stevens, Method Man, Melonie Diaz, Steve Buscemi, and Dustin Hoffman.

Learning to Drive

Directed by Isabel Coixet. Written by Sarah Kernochan. Starring Ben Kingsley, Sarita Choudhury, Grace Gummer, Jake Weber, and Patricia Clarkson.

Da Sweet Blood of Jesus

Written and directed by Spike Lee. Starring Michael K. Williams, Felicia Pearson, Elvis Nolasco, Zaraah Abrahams, Steven Hauck, and Stephen Tyrone Williams.

Every Thing Will Be Fine

Directed by Wim Wenders. Written by Bjorn Olaf Johannessen. Starring James Franco, Rachel McAdams, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Sarah Polley, Marie-Josee Croze, Robert Naylor, and Patrick Bauchau.

The Trip to Italy

Directed by Michael Winterbottom. Starring Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon.

The Face of an Angel

Directed by Michael Winterbottom. Screenplay by Paul Viragh. Based on the book Angel Face by Barbie Latza Nadeau. Starring Kate Beckinsale, Daniel Bruhl, and Cara Delevingne.

Aimer, boire et changer

Directed by Alain Resnais. Screenplay by Alain Resnais, Jean-Marie Besset, Laurent Herbert, and Caroline Silhol. Based on the play by Alan Ayckbourn. Starring Sandrine Kilberlain, Andre Dussollier, Sabine Azema, and Hippolyte Girardot.

Sils Maria

Written and directed by Olivier Assayas. Starring Juliette Binoche, Kristen Stewart, Chloe Grace Mortez, Johnny Flynn, Brady Corbet, and Angela Winkler.

Midnight Special

Written and directed by Jeff Nichols. Starring Kristen Dunst, Michael Shannon, Joel Edgerton, and Adam Driver.

Welcome to New York

Directed by Abel Ferrara. Written by Abel Ferrara and Christ Zois. Starring Jacqueline Bissett, Gerard Depardieu. Maria di Angelis, Paul Calderon, and Amy Ferguson.

Winter Sleep

Directed by Nuri Bilge Ceylan. Written by Nuri Bilge and Ebru Ceylan. Starring Haluk Bilginer, Melisa Sozen, and Demet Akbag.

The Voices

Directed by Marjane Satrapi. Written by Michael R. Perry. Starring Ryan Reynolds, Anna Kendrick, Gemma Arterton, Jacki Weaver, Adi Shankar, and Gulliver McGrath.

Some of the world’s best filmmakers will make their return to the cinema to unleash new films that their longtime fans will be eager to see. Francois Ozon will return to the world of comedy with My New Girlfriend while Yorgos Lanthimos is set to bring something weird with The Lobster. Thomas Vinterberg and Gregg Araki will both tackle different film adaptations with Vinterberg in the period drama Far from the Madding Crowd and Araki in the mysterious White Bird in a Blizzard. Thomas McCarthy hopes to succeed in proving that Adam Sandler can act in The Cobbler while Isabel Coixet reunites with Ben Kingsley and Patricia Clarkson in Learning to Drive. Spike Lee will return to his low-budget roots with Da Sweet Blood of Jesus while Wim Wenders experiments with the world of 3D in Every Thing Will Be Fine.

Michael Winterbottom will have two films emerging in 2014 with the first being a sequel to 2010’s The Trip where Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon go to Italy while Winterbottom’s other film The Face of an Angel will revolve around the Amanda Knox case. Two of France’s great directors in Olivier Assayas and Alain Resnais will emerge with new films with Assayas in a drama starring Juliette Binoche and Kristen Stewart while Resnais decides not to retire to make another film based on the play Aimer, boire et changer. Jeff Nichols goes into a genre-exploration with sci-fi horror in Midnight Special. Abel Ferrera explores the rise and fall of French economist Dominique Strauss-Kahn in Welcome to New York. Nuri Bilge Ceylan will unleash another drama set in Turkey while Iran’s Marjane Satrapi will delve into her first solo effort as a director in a horror crime drama starring Ryan Reynolds and Anna Kendrick.

The Indies & Art-House Films

Cymbeline

Directed by Michael Almereyda. Based on the play by William Shakespeare. Starring Ethan Hawke, Milla Jovovich, Dakota Johnson, Penn Badgley, Anton Yelchin, Spencer Treat Clark, and Ed Harris.

Angelica

Written for the screen and directed by Mitchell Lichtenstein. Based on the novel by Arthur Phillips. Starring Jena Malone, Ed Stoppard, and Janet McTeer.

5 to 7

Written and directed by Victor Levin. Starring Olivia Thirlby, Anton Yelchin, Berenice Marlohe, Glenn Close, Eric Stoltz, and Frank Langella.

Rudderless

Directed by William H. Macy. Written by Jeff Robison and Casey Twenter. Starring William H. Macy, Felicity Huffman, Billy Crudup, Laurence Fishburne, Anton Yelchin, Selena Gomez, Jamie Chung, and Ben Kweller.

Into the Forest

Directed by Patricia Rozema. Based on the novel by Jean Hegland. Starring Ellen Page and Evan Rachel Wood.

Cavalry



Written and directed by John Michael McDonagh. Starring Brendan Gleeson, Chris O’Dowd, Kelly Reilly, Isaach de Bankole, and Aidan Gillen.

Brooklyn

Directed by John Crowley. Screenplay by Nick Hornsby. Based on the novel by Colm Toibin. Starring Saoirse Ronan, Domhnall Gleeson, Sarah Gadon, Julie Walters, and Jim Broadbent.

Beauty and the Beast



Directed by Christophe Gans. Screenplay by Christophe Gans and Sandra Vo-Anh. Based on the book by Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve. Starring Vincent Cassel, Lea Seydoux, Eduardo Noriega, Yvonne Catterfield, and Andre Dussollier.

Song One

Directed by Kate Barker-Froyland. Starring Anne Hathaway, Mary Steenburgen, Johnny Flynn, Al Thompson, and Ben Rosenfield.

Happy Christmas

Written and directed by Joe Swanberg. Starring Anna Kendrick, Melanie Lynskey, Lena Dunham, Mark Webber, and Joe Swanberg.

Laggies

Directed by Lynn Shelton. Written by Andrea Seigel. Starring Chloe Grace Moretz, Keira Knightley, Sam Rockwell, Tiya Sircar, Kaitlyn Dever, and Mark Webber.

God Help the Girl

Written and directed by Stuart Murdoch. Starring Emily Browning, Olly Alexander, and Hannah Murray.

Frank

Directed by Lenny Abrahamson. Starring Michael Fassbender, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Domhnall Gleeson.

Love is Strange

Directed by Ira Sachs. Written by Ira Sachs and Mauricio Zacharias. Starring Marisa Tomei, John Lithgow, Alfred Molina, Charlie Tahan, and Cheyenne Jackson.

A slew of major indies will be emerging into film festivals and such for 2014 as among them is Michael Almereyda takes on William Shakespeare once again in Cymbeline while William H. Macy steps behind the director’s chair for the musical Rudderless. Jena Malone stars in a period-horror drama as a mother protecting her child in Angelica while Anton Yelchin and Olivia Thirlby deal with love in 5 to 7. Ellen Page and Evan Rachel Wood play sisters living through an apocalypse in Into the Forest. John Michael McDonagh and Brendan Gleeson reunite for a comedy about a priest dealing with the state of the world in Cavalry. Saoirse Ronan plays an Irish teenager arriving into 1950s America in Brooklyn.

Lea Seydoux and Vincent Cassel team up for a new re-telling of Beauty and the Beast while Anne Hathaway goes into the world of music in Song One. Two of American independent cinema’s talented figures in Lynn Shelton and Joe Swanberg will unleash new films where the former will explore a woman dealing with her engagement while there’s no information on Swanberg’s new film. Belle & Sebastian’s Stuart Murdoch will finally release his long-awaited musical based on his 2011 project God Help the Girl. Lenny Abrahamson will also explore the world of music in a film about the eccentric musician Frank Sidebottom. Finally, Ira Sachs explores the life of a gay couple living apart in Love is Strange.

25 Shit Films to Avoid for 2014:

1. Transformers: Age of Extinction

Directed by Michael Bay. Written by Ehren Krueger. Starring Mark Wahlberg, Nicola Peltz, Jack Reynor, Sophia Myles, T.J. Miller, Stanley Tucci, and Kelsey Grammer.

Despite the commercial success of the Transformers franchise, there is no question that the films themselves haven’t been well-received by critics and some audiences as Michael Bay took a detour of sorts with 2013’s Pain & Gain which divided audiences and critics. Now with an entirely new cast, Michael Bay will continue to create mindless spectacles that is essentially devoid of heart and purpose as it will continue to sucker the idiots left and right.

2. Blended



Directed by Frank Coraci. Written by Clare Sera and Ivan Menchell. Starring Adam Sandler, Drew Barrymore, Bella Thorne, Kevin Nealon, Emma Fuhrmann, Terry Crews, Joel McHale, and Dan Patrick.

It’s essentially like this. Adam Sander derp-de-derp does derpy-derpy-derp and then derpy-derp-derp-derp. Then, derpity-derpy-derp and derpa-derpa-derp does derp-de-derp and derpity-derpity-derp. Oh, and it’s brought to you by more lame product placements.

3. The Other Woman



Directed by Nick Cassavetes. Written by Melissa Stack. Starring Cameron Diaz, Leslie Mann, Kate Upton, Nicki Minaj, Taylor Kinney, and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau.

Nick Cassavetes is a pretty decent director but his next effort looks absolutely horrible. Cameron Diaz and Leslie Mann play two women who learn that Mann’s husband has another mistress in Kate Upton who teams up with them to take him down. It’s a premise that could’ve been interesting but its trailer reveals that it’s going to be absolutely stupid.

4. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Directed by Jonathan Liebesman. Screenplay by Josh Appelbaum, Andre Nemec, Art Marcum, Matt Holloway, Josh Fusco, and Evan Daugherty. Based on the cartoon series by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. Starring Megan Fox, Peter Ploszek, Noel Fisher, Jeremy Howard, Alan Ritchson, Danny Woodburn, Will Arnett, William Fichtner, Abby Elliot, and Whoopi Goldberg.

There’s no question that the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are quite beloved as the film series in the early 90s were pretty good despite how cheesy they were. The idea of a reboot is exciting but with Michael Bay producing and Jonathan Liebesman helming the film. It’s not going to be good at all.

5. 3 Days to Kill



Directed by McG. Written by Luc Besson and Adi Hassak. Starring Kevin Costner, Connie Nielsen, Amber Heard, Hailee Steinfeld, Eriq Ebouaney, and Richard Sammel.

McG is without question one of the worst filmmakers working today as his recent film in 2012’s This Means War was one of the dumbest films ever made. His newest film will have Kevin Costner attempting to do the kind of films that was making Liam Neeson relevant again but the premise and execution will have McG emphasize on style over substance.

6. Single Moms Club

Written and directed by Tyler Perry. Starring Tyler Perry, Nia Long, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Zulay Henao, William Levy, Eddie Cibrian, Amy Smart, and Terry Crews.

Tyler Perry is a name that doesn’t sit well with a lot of people as he’s made a lot of bad movies in recent years ranging from his very sentimental melodramas to his unfunny Medea comedies. Once again, he will tackle another comedy-drama that explore the lives of single mothers with more of the heavy-handed messages that he will expound upon.

7. Superfast

Written and directed by Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer. Starring Joseph Julian Soria, Daniel Booko, and Amin Joseph.

There is a big question into why Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer are still working? Where do they get their funding for their crap parodies? They’re not even films let alone bad movies but rather trash that is devoid of any use. In their next project, the duo will spoof racing movies including the Fast & Furious film franchise.

8. This is Where I Leave You

Directed by Shawn Levy. Written by Jonathan Tropper that is based on his novel. Starring Jason Bateman, Tina Fey, Adam Driver, Rose Byrne, Corey Stoll, Connie Britton, Kathryn Hahn, Dax Shepherd, Abigail Spencer, and Jane Fonda.

Shawn Levy is a name that not liked by film buffs as his 2013 film The Internship was one of the worst comedies of that year where it felt more like a commercial for Google than an actual film. The first of two films that Levy will do for 2014, this film will explore the world of siblings in all of its silliness as it’s likely to sappy and just plain fucking dumb.

9. Sabotage



Directed by David Ayer. Screenplay by David Ayer and Skip Woods. Based on the novel And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie. Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sam Worthington, Olivia Williams, Mireille Enos, Terrence Howard, Joe Manganiello, Harold Perrineau, and Martin Donovan.

This doesn’t deserve to be on the list based on the cast and its director but there is a major reason why it’s not going to be a good film. Skip Woods. This man is truly one of the worst screenwriters working today and has no clue how to write an action sequence or anything as there are those that will never forgive him for the last Die Hard movie. Plus, this is based on an Agatha Christie novel so it’s likely that Woods will screw this up even worse as he’s going to get a lot of hate mail from Christie fans.

10. Pompeii



Directed by Paul W.S. Anderson. Screenplay by Janet Scott Batchler, Lee Batchler, and Michael Robert Johnson. Starring Kit Harrington, Emily Browning, Carrie-Anne Moss, Kiefer Sutherland, Paz Vega, Adewale Akkinuoye-Agbaje, Jessica Lucas, and Jared Harris.

Paul W.S. Anderson does have his moments as a filmmaker where it’s obvious that he’s best when he’s working with something that is completely ridiculous. Unfortunately, this is not going to be one of these films where it aims for something serious about the story of Pompeii. Yet, it’s bad visual effects and having Kit Harrington to carry the film is certainly not going to be a good idea.

11. Hercules: The Thracian Wars

Directed by Brett Ratner. Screenplay by Ryan Condal and Evan Spiliotopoulos. Based on the comic by Steve Moore and Admira Wijaya. Starring Dwayne Johnson, Askel Hennie, Rufus Sewell, Ian McShane, Reece Richie, Ingrid Bolso Berdal, Joseph Fiennes, Rebecca Ferguson, Irina Shayk, and John Hurt.

12. Hercules: The Legend Begins



Directed by Renny Harlan. Written by Renny Harlin, Sean Hood, Giulio Steve, and Daniel Giat. Starring Kellan Lutz, Gaia Weiss, Scott Adkins, Roxanne McKee, Liam Garrigan, Liam McIntyre, and Jonathon Schaech.

13. About Last Night…



Directed by Steve Pink. Screenplay by Leslye Headland. Based on the play Sexual Perversity in Chicago by David Mamet. Starring Kevin Hart, Michael Ealy, Regina Hall, Joy Bryant, Paula Patton, Adam Rodriguez, and Christopher McDonald.

14. Endless Love



Directed by Shana Feste. Written by Shana Feste and Joshua Safran. Starring Alex Pettyfer, Gabriella Wilde, Robert Patrick, Joely Richardson, Emma Rigby, and Bruce Greenwood.

15. A Haunted House 2



Directed by Michael Tiddes. Written by Marlon Wayans and Rick Alvarez. Starring Marlon Wayans, Essence Atkins, Dave Sheridan, Jaime Pressly, Gabriel Iglesias, and Ashley Rickards.

16. Night at the Museum 3

Directed by Shawn Levy. Screenplay by Robert Ben Garant and Thomas Lennon. Starring Ben Stiller, Robin Williams, Dan Stevens, Steve Coogan, Owen Wilson, and Ricky Gervais.

17. Think Like a Man Too

Directed by Tim Story. Screenplay by David A. Newman and Keith Merryman. Based on the self-help book by Steve Harvey. Starring Kevin Hart, Regina Hall, Terrence J., Jerry Ferrera, Gabrielle Union, Michael Ealy, Taraji P. Henson, Romany Malco, and Meagan Good.

18. Step Up All In

Directed by Trish Sie. Screenplay by Josh Swetnam. Based on the characters by Duane Adler. Starring Ryan Guzman, Alyson Stoner, Adam Sevani, Mari Koda, Christopher Scott, and Luis Rosado.

19. The Nut Job



Directed by Peter Leponiotis. Screenplay by Peter Leponiotis, Lorne Cameron, and Daniel Woo. Based on the 2005 animated short Surly Squirrel by Peter Leponiotis. Featuring the voices of Will Arnett, Brendan Fraser, Katherine Heigl, Gabriel Iglesias, Sarah Gadon, Maya Rudolph, and Liam Neeson.

20. Home

Directed by Tim Johnson. Screenplay by Tom J. Astle and Matt Ember. Based on the children’s book The True Meaning of Smekday by Adam Rex. Featuring the voices of Jim Parsons, Jennifer Lopez, Rhianna, and Steve Martin.

21. Back in the Day



Written and directed by Michael Rosenbaum. Starring Michael Rosenbaum, Nick Swardson, Morena Baccarin, Harland Williams, and Jay R. Ferguson.

22. Ride Along



Directed by Tim Story. Written by Greg Coolidge, Jason Mantzoukas, Phil Hay, and Matt Manfredi. Starring Ice Cube, Kevin Hart, John Leguizamo, Tika Sumpter, Bryan Callen, and Bruce McGill.

23. Heaven is For Real



Directed by Randall Wallace. Screenplay by Chris Parker. Based on the book by Todd Burpo and Lynn Vincent. Starring Greg Kinnear, Kelly Reilly, Connor Corum, Jacob Vargas, Nancy Sorel, and Thomas Haden Church.

24. Business Trip

Directed by Ken Scott. Written by Steve Conrad. Starring Vince Vaughn, Dave Franco, Sienna Miller, June Diane Raphael, Nick Frost, and Tom Wilkinson.

25. The Boy Next Door

Directed by Rob Cohen. Written by Barbara Curry. Starring Jennifer Lopez, Ryan Guzman, John Corbett, Kristin Chenoweth, and Hill Harper.

There’s a lot more crap that’s coming to the big screens that is best to avoid. There’s two films based on Hercules from two filmmakers who aren’t well-liked in Brett Ratner and Renny Harlin where Ratner’s version has Dwayne Johnson while Harlin has Lutz playing the role where it’s going to be a contest on which one is going to be worse. Two 80s remakes will emerge in an African-American version of About Last Night… and a very creepy take on Endless Love. Yikes. Sequels are coming back to the big screen where Ben Stiller endures more mayhem at Night at the Museum 3, Marlon Wayans creates another lifeless parody in A Haunted House 2, women going to Steve Harvey once again in Think Like a Man Too, and more lame street dancing in Step Up All In.

Parents have something they not take their children two in two very crappy animated films in The Nut Job and Home. Michael Rosenbaum tries to create another high school reunion movie with lots of lame humor in Back in the Day while Kevin Hart annoys the hell out of Ice Cube in Ride Along. Randall Wallace brings a lame Christian movie about a boy who survives death in Heaven is For Real. Finally, we have two films starring two fading stars who are definitely on the verge of irrelevance where Vince Vaughn goes on a business trip while J-Lo deals with a stalker in Rob Cohen’s new hack-thriller.

Well, that’s all for what is ahead in 2014. I hope you all watch some good movies and stay away from the bad ones.

Part 1 - Part 2

© thevoid99 2013

The Most Anticipated Films of 2014 Pt. 2

75 Other 2014 Genre Films to Look Forward To:

The Blockbusters

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes



Directed by Matt Reeves. Screenplay by Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver, Scott Z. Burns, and Matt Bomback. Story by Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver. Based on the stories by Pierre Boulle. Starring Andy Serkis, Judy Greer, Jason Clarke, Keri Russell, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Toby Kebbell, and Gary Oldman.

Divergent



Directed by Neil Burger. Screenplay by Evan Daugherty and Vanessa Taylor. Based on the book by Veronica Roth. Starring Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Zoe Kravitz, Maggie Q, Jai Courtney, Ansel Elgort, Miles Teller, Tony Goldwyn, Ashley Judd, and Kate Winslet.

Maleficent



Directed by Robert Stromberg. Screenplay by Paul Dini and Linda Woolverton. Based on the various versions of Sleeping Beauty by the Brothers Grimm, Charles Perrault, and the 1959 animated film. Starring Angelina Jolie, Elle Fanning, Sharlto Copley, Brenton Thwaites, Juno Temple, Sam Riley, Imelda Staunton, Lesley Manville, Peter Capaldi, and Miranda Richardson.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2



Directed by Mark Webb. Screenplay Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci, and Jeff Pinkner. Story by James Vanderbilt. Based on the comic by Stan Lee and Steve Dikto. Starring Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Jamie Foxx, Paul Giamatti, Dane DeHaan, Felicity Jones, Campbell Scott, Embeth Davidtz, Chris Cooper, and Sally Field.

Godzilla



Directed by Gareth Edwards. Screenplay by Max Borenstein. Story by Max Borenstein and David Callaham. Starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Bryan Cranston, Elizabeth Olsen, Juliette Binoche, David Straithairn, Sally Hawkins, and Ken Watanabe.

The Hobbit: There and Back Again

Directed by Peter Jackson. Screenplay by Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, and Guillermo del Toro. Based on The Hobbit J.R.R. Tolkien. Starring Martin Freeman, Ian McKellan, Richard Armitage, Benedict Cumberbatch, James Nesbitt, Ken Stott, Hugo Weaving, Christopher Lee, Lee Pace, Evangeline Lilly, Orlando Bloom, and Cate Blanchett.

300: Rise of an Empire



Directed by Noam Munro. Screenplay by Zack Snyder and Kurt Johnstad. Based on the unpublished Xerxes novel by Frank Miller. Starring Sullivan Stapleton, Eva Green, Rodrigo Santoro, Lena Headey, Hans Matheson, and David Wenham.

Robocop



Directed by Jose Padilha. Screenplay by Joshua Zetumer. Based on the 1987 screenplay by Edward Neumeier and Michael Miner. Starring Joel Kinnaman, Gary Oldman, Michael Keaton, Abbie Cornish, Jennifer Ehle, Jay Baruchel, Jackie Earle Haley, and Samuel L. Jackson.

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit



Directed by Kenneth Branagh. Screenplay by Adam Cozad and David Koepp. Based on the novel Jack Ryan by Tom Clancy. Starring Chris Pine, Kevin Costner, Keira Knightley, David Paymer, Colm Feore, and Kenneth Branagh.

There’s nine films that are definitely going to bring in the big stuff in the hopes they give more bang for the buck to audiences who wanted to see big spectacles and more. 2011’s The Rise of the Planet of the Apes gets a big sequel where Caesar and his apes fight against humans for world domination. In the next big young adults film franchise in Divergent, Shailene Woodley plays a young woman with powers that are beyond her control as she is targeted by Kate Winslet. Angelina Jolie plays the title role in Maleficent in this very unique take on Sleeping Beauty while Andrew Garfield faces new foes in The Amazing Spider-Man 2. Godzilla will finally make his return to the big screen in the hopes that audiences will forget the godawful 1998 film version.

Peter Jackson will unleash the final part of his Hobbit trilogy as Frodo, Gandalf, and the dwarves fight off against the orcs. Two films that were supposed to be released in 2013 in a sequel to 300 and Chris Pine taking on the role of Jack Ryan will finally come out. Finally, there’s a new Robocop that is emerging in this reboot with Joel Kinnaman playing the titular role.

Toons & Family Fare

How to Train Your Dragon 2



Written for the screen and directed by Dean DeBlois. Based on the book series by Cressida Cowell. Featuring the voices of Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, America Ferrera, Jonah Hill, Kristen Wiig, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, T.J. Miller, Craig Ferguson, Kit Harington, Djimon Hounsou, and Cate Blanchett.

The Lego Movie



Written for the screen and directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller. Story by Phil Lord, Chris Miller, Dan Hageman, and Kevin Hageman. Featuring the voices of Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Banks, Will Arnett, Nick Offerman, Alison Brie, Cobie Smulders, Jonah Hill, Charlie Day, Liam Neeson, and Morgan Freeman.

Muppets Most Wanted



Directed by James Bobin. Screenplay by Nicholas Stoller and James Bobin. Starring Ricky Gervais, Tina Fey, and Ty Burrell.

Mr. Peabody & Sherman



Directed by Rob Minkoff. Screenplay by Craig Wright. Based on the cartoon series Peabody’s Improbable History by Ted Key. Featuring the voices of Ty Burrell, Max Charles, Ariel Winter, Stephen Colbert, Leslie Mann, Alison Janney, Stephen Tobolowsky, Stanley Tucci, Lake Bell, and Mel Brooks.

Rio 2



Directed by Carlos Saldanha. Written by Carlos Saldanha and Don Rhymer. Featuring the voices of Jesse Eisenberg, Anne Hathaway, Jamie Foxx, will.i.am., Leslie Mann, Rodrigo Santoro, Jermaine Clement, George Lopez, Andy Garcia, Bruno Mars, and Tracy Morgan.

Paddington

Written for the screen and directed by Paul King. Based on the book series by Michael Bond. Starring Colin Firth, Nicole Kidman, Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins, Peter Capaldi, Julie Walters, and Jim Broadbent.

Dolphin Tale 2

Directed by Charles Martin Smith. Starring Harry Connick Jr., Ashley Judd, Nathan Gamble, Cozi Zuehlsdorff, Kris Kristofferson, and Morgan Freeman.

Big Hero 6

Directed by Don Hall. Screenplay by Jordan Roberts. Based on Marvel Comics by Steven T. Seagle and Duncan Rouleau. Featuring the voices of Hugh Jackman, Jay Baruchel, America Ferrera, Isla Fisher, Chris Pine, Samuel L. Jackson, Ashley Jensen, and Emma Thompson.

There’s some stuff for parents to watch where they can bring their children along though there is a big void that is lurking as Pixar will not be releasing any films this year. Dreamworks Animation will however be releasing some films such as a sequel to 2010’s How to Train Your Dragon as well as the much-delayed Mr. Peabody and Sherman. Other animated stuff to come out will be a sequel to Rio while the Muppets will also return in a sequel to their widely-revered 2011 film The Muppets. Dolphins will return in Dolphin Tale 2 yet there’s some big films that are coming for the families such as Paddington based on Paddington Bear while The Lego Movie is definitely going to be something that will appeal to more than just families. Finally, there’s Big Hero 6 about a prodigy and his robot who join an inexperienced crime-fighting team to uncover a criminal plot.

The Sci-Fi & Action-Adventure Stuff

Transcendence



Directed by Wally Pfister. Written by Jack Paglen. Starring Johnny Depp, Rebecca Hall, Paul Bettany, Cillian Murphy, Kate Mara, and Morgan Freeman.

The Giver

Directed by Phillip Noyce. Screenplay by Michael Mitnick. Based on the novel by Lois Lowry. Starring Jeff Bridges, Meryl Streep, Brenton Thwaites, Katie Holmes, Alexander Skarsgard, Taylor Swift, and Cameron Monaghan.

The Expendables 3



Directed by Patrick Hughes. Screenplay by Sylvester Stallone, Creighton Rothenberger, and Katrin Benedikt. Story by Sylvester Stallone. Starring Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Randy Couture, Terry Crews, Wesley Snipes, Ronda Rousey, Harrison Ford, Kellan Lutz, Antonio Banderas, Victor Ortiz, and Mel Gibson.

Edge of Tomorrow



Directed by Doug Liman. Screenplay by Dante Harper, Joby Harold, Steve Kloves, Christopher McQuarrie, Tim Kring, Jez Butterworth, Roberto Orci, and Alex Kurtzman. Based on the light novel All You Need is Kill by Hiroshi Sakurazaka. Starring Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt, Kick Gurry, Charlotte Riley, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Jeremy Piven, and Bill Paxton.

Stretch

Directed by Joe Carnahan. Starring Chris Pine, Patrick Wilson, Jessica Alba, Brooklyn Decker, Ed Helms, James Badge Dale, and Ray Liotta.

The Maze Runner

Directed by Wes Ball. Screenplay by Noah Oppenheim. Based on the novel by James Dashner. Starring Dylan O’Brien, Kaya Scodelario, Will Poulter, Aml Ameen, Jacob Latimore, Thomas Sangster, and Patricia Clarkson.

Lucy

Written and directed by Luc Besson. Starring Scarlett Johansson, Choi Min-Sik, and Morgan Freeman.

The Equalizer

Directed by Antoine Fuqua. Screenplay by Richard Wenk. Based on the TV series by Michael Sloan and Richard Lindheim. Starring Denzel Washington, Chloe Grace Mortez, Marton Csokas, Haley Bennett, and Melissa Leo.

Fury

Written and directed by David Ayer. Starring Brad Pitt, Logan Lerman, Jon Bernthal, Shia LaBeouf, Jason Isaacs, Scott Eastwood, and Michael Pena.

There’s a lot of stuff that will excite audiences in terms of action and adventure along with some sci-fi stuff in the mix. Christopher Nolan’s longtime cinematography Wally Pfister will make his directorial debut in a strange sci-fi drama in Transcendence as he is armed with a big cast. Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt explore time loops in the sci-fi action-adventure film Edge of Tomorrow while Jeff Bridges and Meryl Streep take part in the children’s sci-fi novel The Giver. Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and the rest of the gang battle Mel Gibson in The Expendables 3 while Joe Carnahan returns with his own crazy action film in Stretch.

A new sci-fi drama will emerge in The Maze Runner which will consist of a cast that not many people know with the exception of Patricia Clarkson. Luc Besson hopes to regain whatever luster he’s lost over the years in the action film Lucy with Scarlett Johansson in the title role. Denzel Washington protects Chloe Grace Moretz in The Equalizer while Brad Pitt commands a Sherman tank crew in Fury.

The Musicals

Annie

Directed by Will Gluck. Screenplay by Will Gluck, Aline Brosh McKenna, and Emma Thompson. Based on the story Little Orphan Annie by Harold Gray and the musical Annie by Martin Charnin and Charles Strouse. Starring Quvenzhane Wallis, Jamie Foxx, Cameron Diaz, Rose Byrne, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, and Bobby Cannavale.

Into the Woods

Directed by Rob Marshall. Screenplay by James Lapine. Based on the musical by James Lapine and Stephen Sondheim. Starring Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, James Corden, Anna Kendrick, Chris Pine, Johnny Depp, and Tracey Ullman.

Get on Up

Directed by Tate Taylor. Written by Steve Baigelman, Jez Butterworth, and John-Henry Butteworth. Starring Chadwick Boseman, Nelsan Ellis, Jill Scott, Tika Sumpter, Keith Robinson, Lennie James, Dan Aykroyd, and Viola Davis.

Jersey Boys

Directed by Clint Eastwood. Written by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice from the play of the same name. John Lloyd Young, Erich Bergen, Vincent Piazza, Michael Lamenda, Katherine Narducci, and Christopher Walken.

The musicals are back whether anyone likes it or not as there’s stuff for people who want to hear good tunes to hear. Annie is back on the big screen in an updated version with original songs by Jay-Z where Quvenzhane Wallis plays the titular role and Jamie Foxx as Daddy Warbucks. Rob Marshall goes back to the musical in a big fantasy drama that will involve all sorts of characters like Little Red Riding Hood and Cinderella in Into the Woods. James Brown and the Four Seasons will get their own stories told as Chadwick Boseman plays Brown in Get On Up while Clint Eastwood will helm the musical based on the Four Seasons in Jersey Boys.

The Funny Stuff

That Awkward Moment



Written and directed by Tom Gormican. Starring Zac Efron, Miles Teller, Michael B. Jordan, Imogen Poots, Jessica Lucas, Emily Meade, and Josh Pais.

Cuban Fury



Directed by James Griffith. Written by Jon Brown. Starring Nick Frost, Rashida Jones, Olivia Colman, Chris O’Dowd, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Alexandra Roach, and Ian McShane.

Walk of Shame

Written and directed by Steven Brill. Starring Elizabeth Banks, James Marsden, Gillian Jacobs, Ethan Suplee, Sarah Mason, Oliver Hudson, and Willie Garson.

St. Vincent de Van Nuys

Written and directed by Theodore Melfi. Starring Melissa McCarthy, Naomi Watts, Chris O’Dowd, Kimberly Quinn, and Bill Murray.

Chef

Written and directed by Jon Favreau. Starring Jon Favreau, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Sofia Vergara, John Leguizamo, Bobby Cannavale, Garry Shandling, and Dustin Hoffman.

Neighbors



Directed by Nicholas Stoller. Written by Andrew J. Cohen and Brendan O’Brien. Starring Seth Rogen, Rose Byrne, Zac Efron, Dave Franco, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Craig Roberts, and Lisa Kudrow.

A Million Ways to Die in the West

Directed by Seth MacFarlane. Written by Seth MacFarlane, Alec Sulkin, and Wellesley Wild. Starring Seth MacFarlane, Charlize Theron, Amanda Seyfried, Giovanni Ribisi, Sarah Silverman, Neil Patrick Harris, and Liam Neeson.

22 Jump Street



Directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller. Screenplay by Michael Bacall, Oren Uziel, and Rodney Rothman. Story by Michael Bacall and Jonah Hill. Based on the TV series 21 Jump Street by Patrick Hasburgh and Stephen J. Cannell. Starring Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum, Ice Cube, Dave Franco, Nick Offerman, Amber Stevens, and Rob Riggle.

Tammy

Directed by Ben Falcone. Written by Ben Falcone and Melissa McCarthy. Starring Melissa McCarthy, Susan Sarandon, Dan Aykroyd, Kathy Bates, Toni Collette, and Mark Duplass.

The Judge

Directed by David Dobkin. Written by Nick Schenk, David Seidler, and Bill Dubuque. Starring Robert Downey Jr., Robert Duvall, Vera Farmiga, Vincent D’Onofrio, Jeremy Strong, Dax Shepherd, Leighton Meester, and Billy Bob Thornton.

Dumb and Dumber To

Directed by Peter and Bobby Farrelly. Written by Peter Farrelly, Bobby Farrelly, Sean Anders, John Morris, Bennett Yellin, and Mike Cerrone. Starring Jim Carrey, Jeff Daniels, Laurie Holden, Kathleen Turner, Jennifer Lawrence, Rob Riggle, and Cam Neely.

Focus

Written and directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa. Starring Will Smith, Margot Robbie, Rodrigo Santoro, BD Wong, and Gerald McRaney.

Sex Tape

Directed by Jake Kasdan. Written by Kate Angelo. Starring Cameron Diaz, Jason Segel, Rob Corddry, Ellie Kemper, Rob Lowe, and Jack Black.

Search Party

Directed by Scot Armstrong. Written by Scot Armstrong, Mike Gagerman, and Andrew Waller. Starring T.J. Miller, Adam Pally, Lance Reddick, Alison Brie, and Krysten Ritter.

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

Directed by Miguel Arteta. Screenplay by Lisa Cholodenko and Rob Lieber. Based on the novel by Judith Viorst. Starring Steve Carell, Jennifer Garner, Bella Thorne, Ed Oxenbould, Dylan Minnette, Megan Mullally, and Jennifer Coolidge.

The Interview

Directed by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg. Written by Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, and Dan Sterling. Starring Seth Rogen, James Franco, Lizzy Caplan, and Randall Park.

Horrible Bosses 2

Directed by Sean Anders. Screenplay by Sean Anders, John Francis Daley, Jonathan Goldstein, and John Morris. Starring Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis, Charlie Day, Christoph Waltz, Jennifer Aniston, Kevin Spacey, Chris Pine, and Jamie Foxx.

There’s a lot of comedies that will emerge for people that just want to laugh. Three of which are sequels where Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis, and Charlie Day battle their bosses in Horrible Bosses 2 while Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill go to college to fight bad guys in 22 Jump Street. After a series of high-profile flops and poorly-received, the Farrelly Brothers hope to reclaim their thrones as the kings of comedy with the long-awaited sequel to Dumb & Dumber. Zac Efron destroys his teen-idol image in a couple of comedies where he plays a jerk in That Awkward Moment while he and Dave Franco battle Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne in Neighbors. Melissa McCarthy is definitely on a winning streak as she will be headlining two comedies in St. Vincent de Van Nuys and Tammy where the latter is a collaboration with her husband Ben Falcone.

Robert Downey Jr. returns to comedy with two features as he stars in Jon Favreau’s Chef and David Dobkin’s The Judge. Nick Frost proves to the world that he can dance in Cuban Fury while Elizabeth Banks does the Walk of Shame. Seth MacFarlane makes a weird western with Charlize Theron, Amanda Seyfried, and Liam Neeson while Seth Rogen returns to the director’s chair with Evan Goldberg in The Interview. Miguel Arteta will tackle the terrible day of a young boy in Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day while Will Smith and Margot Robbie play con-artists in love in Focus. T.J. Miller and Alison Brie are part of a Search Party while Cameron Diaz and Jason Segel discover they’ve made a Sex Tape.

Horror & Suspense

Veronica Mars

Directed by Rob Thomas. Written by Rob Thomas and Diane Ruggiero. Based on the TV series by Rob Thomas. Starring Kristen Bell, Percy Daggs III, Jason Dohring, Francis Capra, Tina Majorino, Ryan Hansen, Krysten Ritter, Chris Lowe, and Enrico Colantoni.

I, Frankenstein



Written for the screen and directed by Stuart Beattie. Screen story by Stuart Beattie and Kevin Grevioux. Based on the graphic novel by Kevin Grevioux. Starring Aaron Eckhart, Bill Nighy, Yvonne Strahovski, Miranda Otto, and Jai Courtney.

The Purge 2

Written and directed by James DeMonaco. Starring Frank Grillo, Michael K. Williams, Zach Gilford, Kiele Sanchez, and Carmen Ejogo.

Deliver Us from Evil

Directed by Scott Derrickson. Screenplay by Scott Derrickson and Paul Harris Boardman. Based on the book Beware the Night by Lisa Collier Cool and Ralph Sarchie. Starring Eric Bana, Olivia Munn, Joel McHale, Sean Harris, and Edgar Ramirez.

Jessabelle

Directed by Kevin Greutert. Written by Ben Garant. Starring Mark Webber, Sarah Snook, Joelle Carter, Ana de la Reguera, Amber Stevens, and David Andrews.

The Loft

Directed by Erik von Loy. Screenplay by Bart De Pauw. Based on the 2008 film directed by Erik von Loy and written by Wesley Strick. Starring Mathias Schoenarts, Karl Urban, James Marsden, Wentworth Miller, Eric Stonestreet, Rachael Taylor, Isabel Lucas, Rhona Mitra, Elaine Cassidy, Valerie Cruz, and Margarita Levieva.

Blackbird

Directed by David Mamet. Starring Cate Blanchett.

Dracula Untold

Directed by Gary Shore. Screenplay by Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless. Based on Dracula by Bram Stoker. Starring Luke Evans, Sarah Gadon, Dominic Cooper, Samantha Barks, and Charlie Cox.

Dark Places

Written for the screen and directed by Gilles Paquet-Brenner. Based on the novel by Gillian Flynn. Starring Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult, Chloe Grace Moretz, Christina Hendricks, Tye Sheridan, Corey Stoll, Andrea Roth, Sean Bridgers, and Drea de Matteo.

No Good Deed

Directed by Sam Miller. Written by Aimee Lagos. Starring Idris Elba, Taraji P. Henson, Kate del Castillo, Mark Smith, and Henry Simmons.

Horror and suspense will be lurking as the former will feature Cate Blanchett teaming with David Mamet for Blackbird while Kristen Bell will return in the role that made her famous in the long-awaited film version of Veronica Mars. Horror is still going to dominate in a remake of the 2008 Belgium film The Loft while Aaron Eckhart will play Frankenstein. The sequel to 2013’s The Purge will emerge while Sarah Snook deals with the spirit of her late fiancee in Jessabelle. Eric Bana deals with his beliefs in Deliver Us from Evil while the origins of Dracula will be told as Luke Evans plays the man who would become that famous vampire. Charlize Theron deals with her past as she tries to find the truth in Dark Places while Idris Elba is a mysterious stranger who terrorizes Taraji P. Henson in No Good Deed.

The Dramas

Exodus

Directed by Ridley Scott. Written by Bill Collage, Adam Cooper, and Steve Zaillian. Starring Christian Bale, Joel Edgerton, Aaron Paul, Ben Kingsley, John Turturro, Golshifteh Farahani, and Sigourney Weaver.

Madame Bovary

Directed by Sophie Barthes. Screenplay by Sophie Barthes and Rose Barreneche. Based on the novel by Gustave Flaubert. Starring Mia Wasikowska, Paul Giamatti, Ezra Miller, Logan Marshall-Green, Olivier Gourmet, and Rhys Ifans.

Winter's Tale



Written for the screen and directed by Akiva Goldsman. Based on the novel by Mark Helprin. Starring Colin Farrell, Russell Crowe, Jessica Brown Findlay, Jennifer Connelly, Will Smith, Matt Bomer, Lucy Griffiths, Finn Wittrock, Eva Marie Saint, and William Hurt.

Grace of Monaco



Directed by Olivier Dahan. Written by Arash Amel. Starring Nicole Kidman, Tim Roth, Parker Posey, Milo Ventimiglia, Paz Vega, Derek Jacobi, and Frank Langella.

Unbroken

Directed by Angelina Jolie. Screenplay by Joel & Ethan Coen, William Nicholson, and Richard LaGravenese. Based on the novel Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand. Starring Jack O’Connell, Garrett Hedlund, Domhnall Gleeson, Jai Courtney, and Luke Treadaway.

The Fault in Our Stars

Directed by Josh Boone. Screenplay by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber. Based on the novel by John Green. Starring Shailene Woodley, Ansel Elgort, Nat Wolff, Sam Trammell, Laura Dern, and Willem Dafoe.

Chavez



Directed by Diego Luna. Written by Keir Pearson. Starring Michael Pena, America Ferrera, Rosario Dawson, Wes Bentley, Jacob Vargas, Gabriel Mann, and John Malkovich.

Draft Day



Directed by Ivan Reitman. Written by Rajiv Joseph and Scott Rothman. Starring Kevin Costner, Jennifer Garner, Denis Leary, Tom Welling, Rosanna Arquette, Chadwick Boseman, Joe Manganiello, Sam Elliot, Ellen Burstyn, and Frank Langella.

Million Dollar Arm



Directed by Craig Gillespie. Written by Thomas McCarthy. Starring Jon Hamm, Lake Bell, Aasif Mandvi, Suraj Sharma, Bill Paxton, and Alan Arkin.

The Hundred-Foot Journey

Directed by Lasse Hallstrom. Screenplay by Steven Knight. Based on the novel by Richard C. Morais. Starring Helen Mirren, Manish Dayal, and Om Puri.

When the Game Stands Tall

Directed by Thomas Carter. Written by Scott Marshall Smith. Starring Jim Caviezel, Laura Dern, Alexander Ludwig, and Michael Chiklis.

McFarland

Directed by Niki Caro. Written by William Broyles Jr. and Grant Thompson. Starring Kevin Costner, Maria Bello, and Morgan Saylor.

There’s a lot of dramas that are coming out where it will delve into a variety of stories. Ridley Scott tackles the story of Moses in Exodus while Mia Wasikowska takes on another daring literary heroine in Madame Bovary. Akiva Goldsman makes his directorial debut in the love story Winter’s Tale as another love story happens between Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort in The Fault in Our Stars. Nicole Kidman will emerge as Grace Kelly in the much-delayed Grace of Monaco while another bio-pic will happen when Michael Pena play Cesar Chavez. Angelina Jolie will make her second effort in the director’s chair in another war film called Unbroken with contributions from the Coen Brothers on the film’s script.

Kevin Costner returns to the world of sports in two features in the Draft Day and McFarland which shows him in the world not playing sports. The sports theme continues with two features in Million Dollar Arm and the football drama When the Game Stands Tall. Finally, there’s Helen Mirren who does the impossible in The Hundred-Foot Journey.

Part 1 - Part 3

© thevoid99 2013