Late Winter and early Spring are not reknown for the quality cinema they produce. Usually, after the flash and pizazz of Oscar has worn off, Hollywood merely eeks along, praying for the start of the Summer Movie Season. That said, there are still plenty of films that will bring both entertainment and quality through the thawing months of March and April. Among them, here are the nine movies I'm most looking forward to.
1. The Place Beyond the Pines
Easily my most anticipated film of the Spring season. Directed by Derek Cianfrance (Blue Valentine), starring Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper, Eva Mendes. The film has 10 overwhelmingly positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes so far. And check out the trailer down below. How could you not want to see this movie?
2. Jurassic Park
IMAX 3D - April 5, 2013
Yeah, this one is kind of cheating, but so what? On the very short list of movies I actually want to see post-coverted into 3D and thrown up on an IMAX screen, this is near the top (Next to Star Wars: A New Hope, which is no longer happening)
3. Dead Man Down
Mar 8, 2013 Wide
For some reason I feel like I'm setting myself up for disappointment on this one. The trailer looks phenomenal. It seems to have the grace, style, and panache that most action flicks lack. So I'm really hoping this one's good.
Niels Arden Oplev, the acclaimed director of the original The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, makes his American theatrical debut with the new action thriller, DEAD MAN DOWN. Colin Farrell and Noomi Rapace star as two strangers who are irresistibly drawn to one another by their mutual desire for revenge. The film co-stars Academy Award (R) nominee Terrence Howard and Dominic Cooper, from a screenplay by J.H.Wyman (Fringe).
4. Spring Breakers
Being described as Michael Mann on acid directing a Girls Gone Wild video.
Brit (Ashley Benson), Candy (Vanessa Hudgens), Cotty (Rachel Korine) and Faith (Selena Gomez) have been best friends since grade school. They live together in a boring college dorm and are hungry for adventure. All they have to do is save enough money for spring break to get their shot at having some real fun. A serendipitous encounter with rapper "Alien" (James Franco) promises to provide the girls with all the thrill and excitement they could hope for. With the encouragement of their new friend, it soon becomes unclear how far the girls are willing to go to experience a spring break they will never forget. (RT)
5. Evil Dead
April 5, 2013
Well, they're billing this as the most terrifying movie ever. The 1981 original is a classic, but Director Sam Raimi gave this one his blessing, so it's worth a watch. Unless of course you want to sleep that night.
6. Admission
Paul Rudd? Check. Tina Fey? Check.
A college counselor (Tina Fey) looks for love with an old classmate (Paul Rudd) in this romantic comedy from director Paul Weitz. (RT)
7. Room 237
Yes, it's a documentary. But as a huge Stanley Kubrick fan, and as one of the millions who are absolutely mesmerized by The Shining, how could you not want to delve deeper searching for true meaning of the film?
Many movies lend themselves to dramatic interpretations, but none as rich and far ranging as Stanley Kubrick's The Shining. In LA filmmaker Rodney Ascher's ROOM 237, we hear from people who have developed far-reaching theories and believe they have decoded the hidden symbols and messages buried in the late director's film. Carefully examining The Shining inside out, and forwards and backwards, ROOM 237 is equal parts captivating, provocative and pure pleasure. It gives voice to the fans and scholars who espouse these theories, reworking the film to match their ideas and intercutting it with layers of dreamlike imagery to illustrate their streams of consciousness. Sometimes outrageous, always engaging, the words of the interviewees are given full force by Ascher's compelling vision. (RT)
8. To The Wonder
Opening Apr 12, 2013 in Limited Release
It's a Terrance Malick movie. Nothing else needs to be said. Even a bad Malick flick (Since early reviews are resoundingly negative for Malick standards), is worth watching and dissecting.
"TO THE WONDER tells the story of Marina (Olga Kurylenko) and Neil (Ben Affleck), who meet in France and move to Oklahoma to start a life together, where problems soon arise. While Marina makes the acquaintance of a priest and fellow exile (Javier Bardem), who is struggling with his vocation, Neil renews a relationship with a childhood sweetheart, Jane (Rachel McAdams). Bold and lyrical, the film is a moving, gorgeously shot exploration of love in its many forms." Official Site
9. Oblivion
Apr 19, 2013 Wide
I'm a sucker for futuristic science fiction. And I'm guessing about $40-$50 million worth of others are going to be there opening weekend for this Tom Cruise & Morgan Freeman thriller.
A court martial sends a veteran soldier to a distant planet, where he is to destroy the remains of an alien race. The arrival of an unexpected traveler causes him to question what he knows about the planet, his mission, and himself. (RT)
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