Now that 2015 has finally ended. It's time to list the best of the best of that year though is an unofficial list as there's been plenty of films that I didn't see as I didn't get a chance to see them or they haven't been given a wider release at the moment. First, here is the number of films that I didn't see or hope to see from 2015: The Walk, The Revenant, Carol, Anamolisa, Regression, Dheepan, The Assassin, Amy, Son of Saul, Youth, The Lobster, Knight of Cups, Arabian Nights Trilogy, The Big Short, Taxi, 45 Years, and Love and Mercy. Here are the Best Films of 2015, so far:
1. The Hateful Eight
2. Mad Max: Fury Road
3. Inside Out
4. Room
5. Love
6. The Force Awakens
7. Spotlight
8. Steve Jobs
9. Mistress America
10. Crimson Peak
11. Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck
12. Ex Machina
13. Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief
14. SPECTRE
15. Spy
16. Kingsman: The Secret Service
17. Sinatra: All or Nothing at All
18. The Death of "Superman Lives": What Happened?
19. Daft Punk: Unchained
Honorable Mentions: A Very Murray Christmas, Blackhat, 7 Days in Hell, and Wrestling Isn't Wrestling.
Dishonorable Mention: The Gunman.
The Worst of 2015:
1. Aloha
2. Fifty Shades of Grey
3. Insurgent
4. Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2
© thevoid99 2016
2015 is coming to an ending and honestly, thank goodness it was over. It was an alright year that had a lot of things happening but it was also a tough one where I didn’t get to see as many films as I wanted to as I was also dealing with personal things. Notably the passing of my dog Prissy on October 9 as it’s something I’m still not over as the recent passing of Lemmy Kilmister and Scott Weiland has hit me quite hard as well. It was a tough year as the only thing to do left is to see what I saw in the entire year and reflect on it.
In the year of 2015, I saw a total of 420 films in 258 first-timers and 162 re-watches. Not bad though it was very short of a personal goal that I was aiming for in 2015 which was to see 500 films for the year. Maybe I’ll try that again for another time. Among these highlights are the films that I saw for the 2015 Blind Spot Series as here is how I rank them:
1. Suspiria
2. The Long Goodbye
3. Singin' in the Rain
4. Man with a Movie Camera
5. Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans
6. The Human Condition Trilogy
7. Scarface
8. My Darling Clementine
9. Charulata
10. The General
11. Sullivan's Travels
12. Alphaville
2015 was a damn good year in not just the Blind Spots that I saw but also in the numerous amount of first-timers that I saw. Some of which were old films and some were new or recent films. This list of the 50 best First-Timers that I saw for 2015 as there were some that were better than my Blind Spot choices. I should note that the list will feature films that came out before the year 2010 as the films from 2010 to 2015 will be part of a future list of the best films of the 2010s coming in 2020. Maybe. Here are the 50 Best First-Timers that I saw for 2015:
1. House
2. Hiroshima Mon Amour
3. Patton
4. Cleo from 5 to 7
5. The Straight Story
6. Children of Paradise
7. Red Desert
8. Dressed to Kill
9. Sherlock Jr.
10. Mother
11. My Life as a Dog
12. Escape from New York
13. El Sur
14. La Cienaga
15. The Freshman
16. Au Revoir Les Enfants
17. Il Sorpasso
18. Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia
19. Cria Cuervos
20. I Stand Alone
21. Trafic
22. The Ascent
23. Bay of Angels
24. The Great Train Robbery
25. Elevator to the Gallows
26. A Night at the Opera
27. Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore
28. The Headless Woman
29. The Cameraman
30. Tess
31. Du cote de la cote
32. The Fire Within
33. Ride the High Country
34. Zazie Dans Le Metro
35. Beauty and the Beast
36. In the Mouth of Madness
37. Pierrot Le Fou
38. The Crowd
39. To Catch a Thief
40. Intolerance
41. Horse Feathers
42. The Magician
43. Donkey Skin
44. Reds
45. Stromboli
46. Europa '51
47. Journey to Italy
48. Dial M for Murder
49. Sweet Smell of Success
50. The Earrings of Madame de...
2015 was a big year in terms of the film I saw but it was also a year of some major discoveries and events that came throughout the year. Here are things that were important to me in 2015:
1. Xavier Dolan
No filmmaker this year made an impact for me than Xavier Dolan. Before 2015, I had heard of him but hadn’t seen anything about him. There was no way to ignore him as I decided to see his films for an Auteurs piece on him and it is clear that man is for real. What is more surprising that he is in his 20s and is already making films that wannabe filmmakers or established filmmakers wish they could do. For me, he’s made three films that will be among the some of the best films ever along with music videos that are phenomenal and two more films that add to his status as the best filmmaker working today.
2. Ring of Honor
Having now becoming disconnected with the WWE and its awful product, there was a need for me to find an alternative. While there is New Japan and Lucha Underground, I couldn’t find the time to watch and record the former while I don’t have access to watch the latter. I have heard of Ring of Honor for years but never found the chance to watch them on TV as they have been a source of comfort for me. It took me a while to get used to their production values as well as the fact that they’re all wrestling and nothing else but it was exactly what I needed. Just good in-ring action with amazing talent and champions that are credible.
3. The Rise of Strong Female Protagonists
For me, this was a great year for great women characters in films. Whether it’s Melissa McCarthy being funny and kicking ass in Spy, Brie Larson trying to be strong and deal with reality for her son in Room, or Mia Wasikowska being in a haunted house with ghosts in Crimson Peak. It was a year where some of the world’s best filmmakers and some of Hollywood’s key players decide to let the ladies rule. Yet, the best example come in not one but two of some of the best features of the year in the world of blockbuster cinema. Charlize Theron’s performance as Imperator Furiosa in Mad Max: Fury Road and Daisy Ridley’s breakthrough performance as Rey in The Force Awakens are a key example of women being the ones kicking ass and taking names.
4. Finally Attending a 70mm Screening.
Having been immersed in the world of films, there were a lot of things that I want to do and there’s still some things I would love to do as someone that loves films. This past Monday, I finally crossed something off the bucket list where I finally attended my first 70mm screening for The Hateful Eight. This is second time I attended a roadshow screening (the first was Che in early 2009) as I knew this was going to be an event. Especially for a film like this as I felt I was experience something that rarely happens in film as it still feels fresh. At the same time, you get a sense of what it was like back then and what it could be in an age where movies are being treated as commodities rather than something else.
5. David Lynch
Knowing that Twin Peaks is going to return in 2017, I knew it was time to do an Auteurs piece on him as it would also allow me to revisit some of his work as well as see the short films that he did. It also gave me the chance to see the show that made him an icon in Twin Peaks though I’m about half-way finished with the second and final season which I hope to complete in early 2016. It is no question that he is one of the finest figures in popular culture and in cinema as maybe the return of Twin Peaks will give him the chance to make possibly one more film.
Well, that is all for 2015. It was a rough year but one that was also kind of fun. Now it’s time to move on and get ready for the New Year. Until then, this is thevoid99 saying Happy New Year and goodbye to 2015.
© thevoid99 2015
For every year in film, there are always films that people want to see. Yet, there are those who would fall for some kind of trap where they not only realize they just wasted their money but also their time. It’s something that needs to stop as 2015 is already a big year for the kind of movies that are coming out. Unfortunately, not all of them are going to be winners as there’s going to be some that will just plainly fucking suck. So here it is….
The 25 Films of 2015 You Would Rather Jump Off a Cliff to the Death Than Destroy Yourself with Cinematic Trash
1. The Visit
Written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan. Starring Kathryn Hahn, Ed Oxenbould, Peter McRobbie, Olivia De Jonge, and Benjamin Kanes.
There has been no name in the past decade that has garnered more groans and face palms than M. Night Shyamalan. Once called the next Steven Spielberg, the man has managed to create one shit film after another as people question if his successes were really good to begin with. 2013’s After Earth was not surprisingly another bad film though Shyamalan wouldn’t get the full blame as much of it went to Will Smith and his son Jaden. In the first of two projects, Shyamalan will return to his roots of horror in a comedy of sorts as Shyamalan wants to get people scared once again and have some laughs. Oh boy…
2. Labor of Love
Written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan. Starring Bruce Willis, Ana Villafane, and Ben Winchell.
The second of new films by Shyamalan will have him reunite with Bruce Willis who was instrumental in Shyamalan’s success with such films as The Sixth Sense and Unbreakable. It’s clear that Shyamalan is desperate to capture the magic of those success while Bruce Willis is in need to stretch his acting chops again after a series of uninspired action films. Yet, their project which will be a mystery-romance film doesn’t seen promising though it is rumored to be a much smaller film than anything Shyamalan has done in the past. Unfortunately, there’s also questions into what tricks he might pull.
3. Fifty Shades of Grey
Directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson. Screenplay by Kelly Marcel. Based on the novel by E.L. James. Starring Dakota Johnson, Jamie Dornan, Eloise Mumford, Luke Grimes, Rita Ora, Victor Rasuk, Max Martini, Jennifer Ehle, and Marcia Gay Harden.
The book for Fifty Shades of Grey was a best-seller since its 2011 release as it explored the world sadomasochism and eroticism to a new generation yet not everyone in the world was up in arms about it. It’s clear that the film version based on its trailer wants to do the same thing but it’s the kind of material that has been told in better stories that were dangerous and far more compelling. It’s a shame that some of the talent that is involved with this project is going to be in something that is surely going to suck ass.
4. Focus
Written and directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa. Starring Will Smith, Margot Robbie, BD Wong, Gerald McRaney, and Rodrigo Santoro.
Glenn Ficarra and John Requa shouldn’t be in this list since they’re actually good filmmakers who have made some offbeat films. Yet, this is their most mainstream work to date as it revolves around the world of con artists. Yet, it doesn’t seem promising at all as its star Will Smith has definitely been in a decline and this looks like another atypical performance of his. Plus, it looks like the kind of film that wants to be so many things as it’s likely to be a real mess.
5. Pixels
Directed by Chris Columbus. Screenplay by Tim Herlihy and Timothy Dowling. Screen story by Tim Herlihy. Based on the short film by Patrick Jean. Starring Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Michelle Monaghan, Josh Gad, Peter Dinklage, Ashley Benson, Jane Krakowski, and Brian Cox.
A film about the world of video games is something that should work but in the hands of Chris Columbus. It’s likely it won’t be good as Columbus hasn’t made a good film in years. Adding to the trouble is Adam Sandler whose name is pretty much something most people refuse to see. It’s a film that shouldn’t be in the list because the presence of Sandler and whatever he is going to do is likely to make this a really bad film.
6. The Age of Adaline
Directed by Lee Toland Krieger. Written by J. Mills Goodloe and Salvador Paskowitz. Starring Blake Lively, Michael Huisman, Harrison Ford, Kathy Baker, and Ellen Burstyn.
The idea of a woman who doesn’t age through a freak accident is an interesting concept but in the forms of a melodrama. It’s fucking terrible. Based on the film’s awful trailer, it is clear that they’re trying to go for something that is dramatic as it’s clear that Blake Lively isn’t a very good actress. It’s bad enough that Harrison Ford is in this as one of her former lovers but Ellen Burstyn as Lively’s daughter? That is a fucking insult.
7. Entourage
Written for the screen and directed by Doug Ellin. Story by Doug Ellin and Rob Weiss. Based on the TV series by Doug Ellin. Starring Adrian Grenier, Kevin Connolly, Kevin Dillon, Jerry Ferrera, Perrey Reeves, Emmanuelle Chirqui, Debi Mazar, Rex Lee, Scott Caan, Rhys Coiro, Billy Bob Thorntonand Jeremy Piven.
Entourage was once a great TV show for HBO that explored the world of the Hollywood yet its last season was considered to be a very poor one after a period of inconsistency in its last few seasons. Though its ending did set up ideas for a film, it looks like it will be the same old bullshit that plays into egos and excess. Especially as the Vincent Chase character tries to become his own filmmaker as everything is going wrong. Well, we know what’s going to happen so what’s the fucking point of seeing this?
8. Get Hard
Directed by Etan Cohen. Written by Jay Martel and Ian Roberts. Starring Will Ferrell, Kevin Hart, Alison Brie, Edwina Finley, and Craig T. Nelson.
Will Ferrell is a funny guy though his recent output has been uneven as he’s teaming with the new star of comedy in Kevin Hart for a film about a guy who asks his friend to prepare him for prison after being charged with tax evasion. Anyone who knows these two men know what to expect as it’s likely to be very unfunny as Hart is a polarizing individual and Ferrell is often forced to succumb to schticks that has stopped working.
9. The Longest Ride
Directed by George Tilman Jr. Screenplay by Craig Bolotin. Based on the novel by Nicholas Sparks. Starring Britt Robertson, Scott Eastwood, Jack Huston, Oona Chaplin, Melissa Benoist, Lolita Davidovich, and Alan Alda.
Blah-blah meets blah-blah. Blah-blah-blah and blah-blah-blah-blah. It’s a fucking Nicholas Sparks adaptation with the same, lame bullshit. What the fuck do you expect?
10. Point Break
Directed by Ericson Core. Screenplay by Kurt Wimmer. Based on the 1991 film by Kathryn Bigelow. Starring Edgar Ramirez, Luke Bracey, Teresa Palmer, Delroy Lindo, and Ray Winstone.
Of all the films that is being remade, they need to do Point Break? It’s one of these films that should never be remade as it’s just Hollywood being lazy and cash in on something in the hopes that it will be good. Besides, will it be more gay than the original or more braah!
11. Mortdecai
Directed by David Koepp. Screenplay by Eric Aronson. Based on the book by Kyril Bonfiglioli. Starring Johnny Depp, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ewan McGregor, Olivia Munn, Jonny Pasvolsky, Paul Bettany, and Jeff Goldblum.
Remember when Johnny Depp used to be interesting and cared about the films he’s making? Well, he’s becoming a parody at this point as he decides to play weird characters with all sorts of makeup in an attempt to be relevant. Yet, it looks stupid as adding to that is Gwyneth Paltrow as his wife as she just adds to the sense of stupidity of this film.
12. The Boy Next Door
Directed by Rob Cohen. Written by Barbara Curry. Starring Jennifer Lopez, Ryan Guzman, Kristin Chenoweth, and John Corbett.
J-Lo in a film where she sleeps with a young guy and he later stalks her. Wow…. That is definitely going to be terrible as it’s in the hands of someone as incompetent as Rob Cohen who hasn’t made a lot of good movies. Plus, J-Lo maybe back in the spotlight but it still doesn’t change the fact that she’s a fucking ice queen who has been coasting on her past glories which don’t amount to shit these days.
13. Jem & the Holograms
Directed by Jon M. Chu. Screenplay by Ryan Landels. Based on the cartoon series by Christy Max. Starring Aubrey Peebles, Stefanie Scott, Hayley Kiyoko, Aurora Perrineau, Ryan Guzman, and Molly Ringwald.
The 1980s animated series was very popular due to the fact that it was based on a woman trying to make it on her own terms with her band. Considering how awful today’s pop music scene, it’s likely that this film will feature a lot of dumb pop music or whatever it’s called as it’s the hands of the guy who directed Justin Bieber documentaries. Molly Ringwald’s appearance in the film is likely used for nostalgic reasons as the 80s film icon deserves better.
14. Superfast
Written and directed by Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer.
Two of the most reviled men in the film industry, there’s no duo that caters to the lowest common denominator than Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer as they’re known for making lazy parody films that are never funny. Hell, they’re not even movies since there’s no effort into anything they do. Their next project will have them spoof all movies revolving cars and racing as the most notable franchise their spoofing is The Fast and the Furious franchise. It’s a shame that they’re still allowed to be involved in the film industry as some ask if there’s a special place in hell for these shitheads.
15. Masterminds
Directed by Jared Hess. Written by Chris Bowman, Jody Hill, Danny McBride, Hubbel Palmer, and Emily Spivey. Starring Owen Wilson, Kristen Wiig, Zach Galifianakis, and Jason Sudeikis.
Jared Hess maybe a darling of Sundance for his 2004 film Napoleon Dynamite but not everyone liked that film. 2009’s Gentleman Broncos was without question one of the worst films ever made as he’s now tackling a heist movie based on the 1997 Loomis Fargo Robbery in North Carolina. With five writers credited for the script, it seems like it’s going to be a heist comedy that is all over the place.
16. Amityville: The Awakening
Directed by Franck Khalfoun. Written by Franck Khalfoun, Daniel Farrands, and Casey La Scala. Starring Bella Thorne, Cameron Monaghan, Thomas Mann, Kurtwood Smith, and Jennifer Jason Leigh.
17. The Duff
Directed by Ari Sandel. Screenplay by Josh A. Cagan. Based on the novel by Kody Keplinger. Starring Mae Whitman, Robbie Amell, Bella Thorne, Bianca A. Santos, Ken Jeong, and Allison Janney.
18. Hot Tub Time Machine 2
Directed by Steve Pink. Written by Josh Heald. Starring Rob Corddry, Clark Duke, Craig Robinson, Adam Scott, and Chevy Chase.
19. Skiptrace
Directed by Renny Harlin. Screenplay by Jay Longino, Brian Gatewood, and Alessandro Tanaka. Story by Jackie Chan. Starring Jackie Chan, Fan Bingbing, and Johnny Knoxville.
20. Tracers
Directed by Daniel Benmayer. Written by Kevin Lund, Leslie Bohem, Matt Johnson, Matthew Johnson, and T.J. Scott. Starring Taylor Lautner, Marie Avgeropoulos, and Adam Rayner.
21. The Moon and the Sun
Directed by Sean McNamara. Screenplay by Ronald Bass, Barry Berman, Laura Harrington, Bill Mechanic, and James Schamus. Based on the novel by Vonda N. McIntyre. Starring Pierce Brosnan, Kaya Scoldelario, Benjamin Walker, Fan Bingbing, and William Hurt.
22. Unfinished Business
Directed by Ken Scott. Written by Steve Conrad. Starring Vince Vaughn, Dave Franco, Tom Wilkinson, Sienna Miller, June Diane Raphael, and James Marsden.
23. 12 Hours
Written and directed by Uwe Boll.
24. Jenny’s Wedding
Written and directed Mary Agnes Donoghue. Starring Katherine Heigl, Alexis Bledel, Grace Gummer, Linda Edmond, and Tom Wilkinson.
25. Madea’s Tough Love
Written and directed by Tyler Perry. Starring Tyler Perry.
There’s a lot of bad films coming as hack-extraordinaires in Tyler Perry, Renny Harlin, Sean McNamara, and Uwe Boll will return with new films for those that want to get their brains bashed in. Fading stars in Katherine Heigl and Vince Vaughn will appear in some bad films that will continue to drive people away while Taylor Lautner will try to prove to everyone that he can be an action star no matter what action film fans will think (and they know that he will never be a badass). Teen comedies will return in The Duff while cyber-bullying will enter the realm of horror in Unfriended. Finally, there’s the sequel to Hot Tub Time Machine but without John Cusack who wisely decided not to show up.
Well, that is all for what is ahead in 2015. Let’s just make sure we don’t see these awful crap.
Pt. 1 - Pt. 2 - Pt. 3
© thevoid99 2015
60 More Films for Those w/ Brains and Taste
5 Last-Minute Films to Definitely See (If They Will Come Out in 2015 or Beyond)
That’s What I’m Talking About
Written and directed by Richard Linklater. Starring Blake Jenner, Ryan Guzman, Tyler Hoechlin, Wyatt Russell, and Zoey Deutch.
The past two years has been great for Richard Linklater in not just closing the Before trilogy in 2013 but also release the long-awaited Boyhood a year later as the film was released to great acclaim. In continuing this hot streak he’s in, Linklater will release what he describes as a spiritual sequel 1993’s 70s film Dazed and Confused as it will revolve around college freshmen baseball players coping with their new surroundings as the film is set in the 1980s. Though shooting has finished and is currently in post-production, it’s likely that it will arrive in the festival circuit.
Silencio
Written and directed by Pedro Almodovar.
2013’s I’m So Excited! was a break for the famed Spanish auteur who had been making more dramatic-based features for more than a decade as his last film was a return to comedies of the past. His twentieth film will be a return to the female-led dramas of the past though there hasn’t been any details nor cast information available as shooting plans to take place during the summer. Yet, Almodovar is a name that often brings in audiences as he is one of cinema’s great filmmakers.
Sunset Song
Written for the screen and directed by Terence Davies. Based on the novel by Lewis Grassic Gibson.
Terence Davies is one of British cinema’s finest filmmakers though he doesn’t work very frequently due to financial difficulties as his last film The Deep Blue Sea in 2011 garnered rave reviews. His seventh feature film is an adaptation of Lewis Grassic Gibson’s novel though cast information hasn’t been revealed while it’s unclear whether the film will ever come out as it has been mired in financial difficulties and various delays. Still, Davies is a name that gets audiences excited for as he often makes the kind of films that plays into dramas that are geared towards adults with stories that are compelling.
The Lost City of Z
Written for the screen and directed by James Gray. Based on the novel by David Grann. Starring Robert Pattinson and Sienna Miller.
2013’s The Immigrant is considered one of James Gray’s best works despite the poor distribution it would get from Harvey Weinstein over its release. Yet, the film did give Grey some of his best reviews as he is once again making another period film in an adaptation of David Grann’s novel about an explorer and his son searching for a legendary ancient city. The concept definitely seems like the kind of project that will be big for Gray as it’s an indication that he is willing to take some risks.
Blackbird
Written and directed by David Mamet.
David Mamet is a name that is often synonymous with great writing as he is also known for making small films that manage to defy expectations and bend all sorts of genres no matter what they may seem. While there hasn’t been any detail into what his next feature is about nor who will be in it. Mamet definitely is someone that will get some people to watch no matter what kind of film it is.
Indies & Newbies Coming to a Theater or Festival Near or Not-Near You
The Stanford Prison Experiment
Directed by Kyle Patrick Alvarez. Written by P.W. Hopsidor, Christopher McQuarrie, and Tim Talbott. Starring Billy Crudup, Ezra Miller, Olivia Thirlby, Logan Miller, Nelsan Ellis, Michael Angarano, Tye Sheridan, Jack Kilmer, Nicholas Braun, and Ki Hong Lee.
Stockholm, Pennsylvania
Written and directed by Nikole Beckwith. Starring Saoirse Ronan, Cynthia Nixon, Jason Isaacs, and David Warshofsky.
Z for Zachariah
Directed by Craig Zobel. Written by Nissar Modi. Starring Chiwetel Ejiofor, Chris Pine, and Margot Robbie.
Unexpected
Directed by Kris Swanberg. Written by Kris Swanberg and Megan Mercier. Starring Cobie Smulders, Anders Holm, Gail Bean, and Elizabeth McGovern.
Wait
Written and directed by Alex Withrow. Starring Micah Parker, Nathan Stayton, Catherine Warner, Murelle Zuker, and Andrew Bongorno.
Green Room
Written and directed by Jeremy Slaunier. Starring Anton Yelchin, Imogen Poots, Alia Shawkat, Callum Turner, Joe Cole, and Patrick Stewart.
Get a Job
Directed by Dylan Kidd. Written by Kyle Pennekamp and Scott Turpel. Starring Anna Kendrick, Alison Brie, Miles Teller, John Cho, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Marcia Gaye Harden, and Bryan Cranston.
Desierto
Directed by Jonas Cuaron. Written by Jonas Cuaron and Mateo Garcia. Starring Gael Garcia Bernal, Diego Cantano, Marco Perez, and Jeffrey Dean Morgan.
Digging for Fire
Directed by Joe Swanberg. Written by Jake Johnson and Joe Swanberg. Starring Jake Johnson, Rosemarie DeWitt, Orlando Bloom, Brie Larson, Sam Rockwell, and Anna Kendrick.
Into the Forest
Written for the screen and directed by Patricia Rozema. Based on the book by Jean Hegland. Starring Evan Rachel Wood, Ellen Page, Max Minghella, Michael Eklund, Sandy Sidhu, and Callum Keith Rennie.
The End of the Tour
Directed by James Ponsoldt. Written by Donald Marguiles. Starring Jesse Eisenberg, Jason Segel, Anna Chlumsky, Mamie Gummer, Mickey Sumner, and Joan Cusack.
A Tale of Love and Darkness
Directed by Natalie Portman. Based on the autobiography by Amos Oz. Starring Natalie Portman and Makram Khoury.
Brooklyn
Directed by John Crowley. Screenplay by Nick Hornby. Based on the novel by Colm Toibin. Starring Saoirse Ronan, Domhnall Gleeson, Emory Cohen, Julie Walters, and Jim Broadbent.
Queen of Earth
Written and directed by Alex Ross Perry. Starring Elisabeth Moss, Katherine Waterson, and Patrick Fugit.
Ten Thousand Saints
Written and directed by Robert Pulcini and Shari Springer Berman. Starring Ethan Hawke, Asa Butterfield, Emily Mortimer, Julianne Nicholson, Hailee Steinfeld, and Emile Hirsch.
Mississippi Grind
Written and directed by Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden. Starring Ryan Reynolds, Ben Mendelsohn, Sienna Miller, Analeigh Tipton, Robin Weigert, and Alfre Woodard.
Captain Fantastic
Written and directed by Matt Ross. Starring Viggo Mortensen, Frank Langella, Missi Pyle, Steve Zahn, and Kathryn Hahn.
Last Days in the Desert
Written and directed by Rodrigo Garcia. Starring Ewan McGregor, Tye Sheridan, Ayelet Zurer, and Ciaran Hinds.
Room
Directed by Lenny Abrahamson. Written by Emma Donoghue from her novel. Starring Brie Larson, Joan Allen, Jacob Tremblay, and William H. Macy.
45 Years
Directed by Andrew Haigh. Written by Andrew Haigh and David Constantine. Starring Charlotte Rampling, Dolly Wells, Tom Courtenay, and Geraldine James.
Day Out of Days
Written and directed by Zoe Cassavetes. Starring Alexia Landeau, Melanie Griffith, Bellamy Young, Vincent Kartheiser, Cheyenne Jackson, Alessandro Nivola, and Eddie Izzard.
Freeheld
Directed by Peter Sollett. Written by Ron Nyswaner. Starring Julianne Moore, Ellen Page, Steve Carrel, and Luke Grimes.
Experimenter
Written and directed by Michael Almereyda. Starring Peter Sarsgaard, Winona Ryder, Jim Gaffigan, Kellan Lutz, Taryn Manning, and John Leguizamo.
Lovesong
Written and directed by So-Yong Kim. Starring Jena Malone and Riley Keough.
True Story
Directed by Rupert Goold. Written by Rupert Goold and David Kajganich. Starring Jonah Hill, James Franco, Gretchen Mol, and Felicity Jones.
There’s a lot of films by newcomers and other filmmakers that are definitely coming into the film festival circuit with films that definitely aim for something simpler or to create something new. Among these newcomers include the very talented Alex Withrow of And So It Begins... who will unleash his debut film in Wait. Others who are making their debut will be Nicole Beckwith with Stockholm, Pennsylvania, Jonas Cuaron with his feature-film debut in Dieserto, and Natalie Portman in her own feature-film directorial debut in an adaptation of Amos Oz’s A Tale of Love and Darkness. Other noted indie filmmakers such as the Swanberg brothers, Kyle Patrick Alvarez, Jeremy Slaunier, Craig Zobel, Matt Ross, Alex Ross Perry, James Ponsoldt, Patricia Rozema, Peter Sollett, So-Yong Kim, Michael Almereyeda, and Zoe Cassavetes will bring in new films that definitely will be completely different from the mainstream.
Husband and wife teams in Ryan Boden/Anna Fleck and Robert Pulcini/Shari Springer Berman will also capitalize on their indie cred to release new feature films while Dylan Kidd makes a long-awaited return in the comedy Get a Job. British filmmakers such as Lenny Abrahamson, John Crowley, and Andrew Haigh will each display their own new features while longtime playwright Rupert Goold directs a drama starring James Franco and Jonah Hill about a man accused of murder. Finally, there’s Rodrigo Garcia who returns with a strange drama that has Ewan McrGregor lost in the middle of a desert as these are the kind of films that refuse to play by the rules as they dare to challenge anything that’s out there.
Arthouse, Auteurs, & Other Strange Films by the Elite
A Bigger Splash
Directed by Luca Guadagnino. Screenplay by David Kajganich. Story by Alain Page. Starring Ralph Fiennes, Tilda Swinton, Dakota Johnson, and Mathias Schoenaerts.
Holland, Michigan
Directed by Errol Morris. Written by Andrew Sodroski. Starring Naomi Watts, Bryan Cranston, and Edgar Ramirez.
Nobody Wants the Night
Directed by Isabel Coixet. Written by Miguel Barros. Starring Juliette Binoche, Rinko Kikuchi, and Gabriel Byrne.
The Early Years
Written and directed by Paolo Sorrentino. Starring Michael Caine, Paul Dano, Rachel Weisz, Harvey Keitel, and Jane Fonda.
Every Thing Will Be Fine
Directed by Wim Wenders. Written by Bjorn Olaf Johannessen. Starring James Franco, Rachel McAdams, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Marie-Josee Croze, and Robert Naylor.
The Lobster
Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos. Written by Yorgos Lanthimos and Efthimis Filippou. Starring Colin Farrell, Rachel Weisz, Ben Whishaw, Lea Seydoux, Ashley Jensen, Olivia Colman, and John C. Reilly.
The Last Face
Directed by Sean Penn. Written by Erin Dignam. Starring Charlize Theron, Javier Bardem, and Adele Exarchopoulos.
Sicario
Directed by Denis Villeneuve. Written by Taylor Sheridan. Starring Emily Blunt, Benicio del Toro, Jon Bernthal, and Josh Brolin.
Louder Than Bombs
Directed by Joachim Trier. Written by Joachim Trier and Eskil Vogt. Starring Jesse Eisenberg, Gabriel Byrne, Isabelle Huppert, Amy Ryan, Rachel Brosnahan, and David Strathairn.
Black Mass
Written for the screen and directed by Scott Cooper. Based on the book Black Mass: The True Story of the Unholy Alliance Between the FBI and the Irish Mob. Starring Johnny Depp, Benedict Cumberbatch, Kevin Bacon, Joel Edgerton, Sienna Miller, Juno Temple, Dakota Johnson, Corey Stoll, Julianne Nicholson, and Peter Sarsgaard.
Life
Directed by Anton Corbijn. Written by Luke Davies. Starring Robert Pattinson, Dane DeHaan, Joel Edgerton, and Ben Kingsley.
Regression
Written and directed by Alejandro Amenabar. Starring Ethan Hawke, Emma Watson, David Dencik, Devon Bostick, Dale Dickey, Aaron Ashmore, and David Thewlis.
Spotlight
Directed by Thomas McCarthy. Written by Thomas McCarthy and Josh Singer. Starring Mark Ruffalo, Rachel McAdams, Brian d’Arcy James, John Slattery, Stanley Tucci, Billy Crudup, Liev Schreiber, Jamey Sheridan, and Michael Keaton.
A Hologram for the King
Written for the screen and directed by Tom Tykwer. Based on the novel by Dave Eggers. Starring Tom Hanks, Sarita Choudhury, and Tom Skerritt.
Demolition
Directed by Jean-Marc Vallee. Written by Bryan Sipe. Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Naomi Watts, and Chris Cooper.
Untitled Lance Armstrong Film
Directed by Stephen Frears. Written by John Hodges. Starring Ben Foster, Lee Pace, Jesse Plemons, Guillaume Canet, Chris O’Dowd, and Dustin Hoffman.
The Tale of Tales
Directed by Matteo Garrone. Screenplay by Matteo Garrone, Edoardo Albinati, Ugo Chiti, and Massimo Gaudiso. Based on the novel by Giambattista Basile. Starring Salma Hayek, Vincent Cassell, John C. Riley, Shirley Henderson, Stacy Martin, and Toby Jones.
The Secret Scripture
Directed by Jim Sheridan. Based on the novel by Sebastian Barry. Starring Rooney Mara and Vanessa Redgrave.
High-Rise
Directed by Ben Wheatley. Screenplay by Amy Jump. Based on the novel by J.G. Ballard. Starring Tom Hiddleston, Jeremy Irons, Sienna Miller, Elisabeth Moss, James Purefoy, Stacy Martin, Sienna Guillory, and Luke Evans.
Seances
Directed by Guy Maddin. Written by Guy Maddin, Kim Morgan, and John Ashbery. Starring Mathieu Amalric, Charlotte Rampling, Udo Kier, Geraldine Chaplin, Elina Lowensohn, Kim Morgan, and Maria de Medeiros.
Zama
Directed by Lucrecia Martel. Based on a novel by Antonio di Benedetto. Starring Daniel Giminez Cacho.
Elle
Directed by Paul Verhoeven. Screenplay by David Birke. Based on the novel by Philippe Dijan. Starring Isabelle Huppert, Anne Consigny, Virginie Efira, and Charles Berling.
Umimachi Diary
Directed by Hirokazu Koreeda. Based on the magna by Akimi Yoshida. Starring Haruka Ayase.
Our Brand is Crisis
Directed by David Gordon Green. Screenplay by Peter Straughan. Based on the documentary by Rachel Boynton. Starring Sandra Bullock, Scoot McNairy, Ann Dowd, Anthony Mackie, Zoe Kazan, and Billy Bob Thornton.
Beasts of No Nation
Written for the screen and directed by Cary Fukunaga. Based on the novel Uzodinma Iweala. Starring Idris Elba, Ama K. Abebrese, Grace Nortey, David Dontoh, and Opeyemi Fagbohungbe.
Triple Nine
Directed by John Hillcoat. Written by Matt Cook. Starring Kate Winslet, Woody Harrelson, Aaron Paul, Norman Reedus, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Gal Gadot, Anthony Mackie, Casey Affleck, Teresa Palmer, and Michael Pena.
Idol’s Eye
Directed by Olivier Assayas. Starring Robert de Niro and Robert Pattinson.
Hands of Stone
Written and directed by Jonathan Jakubowicz. Starring Edgar Ramirez, Usher Raymond, Ellen Barkin, Ruben Blades, John Turturro, and Robert de Niro.
Eisenstein in Guanajuato
Written and directed by Peter Greenaway. Starring Elmer Back, Stelio Savante, Maya Zapata, and Lisa Owen.
Sing Street
Written and directed by John Carney. Starring Adrien Gillen, Jack Reynor, and Maria Doyle Kennedy.
There’s a lot of new films coming from some of the world’s best filmmakers as such top-tier women filmmakers like Isabel Coixet is set to premiere an adventure film with Juliette Binoche while Lucrecia Martel is adapting Antonio di Benedetto’s existential novel. From Italy, Matteo Garrone, Luca Guadagnino, and Paolo Sorrentino will each unveil new films while Canadians such as Jean-Marc Vallee and Denis Villeneuve are also going to come out with new films having been given recent mainstream exposure with their previous films. Then there’s Guy Maddin who might finally unleash his long-awaited Seances project that’s been in the works for year. Yorgos Lanthimos will unveil his first English-language film as does Joachim Trier as it’s hopeful that both men won’t be compromising their vision despite having it presented in other languages.
Several of Britain’s top directors like Peter Greenaway and Stephen Frears will both have new features as does Ben Wheatley who has been a major name that’s becoming prominent in British cinema. In Ireland, John Carney will return with another musical project while Jim Sheridan hopes to redeem himself after the disastrous production of 2011’s Dream House which he refused to promote. Wim Wenders continues to experiment with 3D for a new drama starring James Franco and Rachel McAdams while fellow German Tom Tykwer re-teams with his Cloud Atlas star Tom Hanks for an adaptation of Dave Eggers’ book. Paul Verhoeven will be making his return after spending most of the past decade producing and doing smaller projects while Anton Corbijn explores the friendship between James Dean and photographer James Stock in Life. Hirokazu Koreeda will make a different film based on a popular magma while Cary Fukunaga explores the horrors of war in Beasts of No Nation.
Several American filmmakers will unleash films that won’t play to conventional dramas as Sean Penn, Scott Cooper, David Gordon Green, and Thomas McCarthy are planning to release new films while famed documentary filmmaker will make a rare narrative-based feature film based on a love triangle between Bryan Cranston, Naomi Watts, and Edgar Ramirez. Jonathan Jakubowicz will create a film about the legendary Roberto Duran-Sugar Ray Leonard fight while Olivier Assayas will return with another new film that will also star Robert de Niro. Finally, there’s Alejandro Amenabar who will make his return after a six-year hiatus about detective investigating a rape case in Regression.
(End of Part 3) Pt. 1 - Pt. 2 - Pt. 4
© thevoid99 2015
