The Great Movie Drought of 2015 & Josh’s Want-to-See List
I watch a lot of movies. Not an absurd amount, but certainly more than the average bear. I usually get to a movie theatre at least twice a month, and watch lots of flicks at home on DVD, blu-ray or streaming. Unfortunately, I have been so busy for the past few months that I haven’t gotten out to see any new movies in the theatre. The only new movie I have seen in a theatre since mid-January is Kingsman: The Secret Service.
I feel very weird not having been to a movie theatre lately! But here’s what’s weirder. Last week I went on-line to Fandango. I knew I wasn’t going to have time to go to see a movie but I was just curious what was out there that I was missing. (I keep a ridiculously lengthy list of all the movies I want to see, and I wanted to see what needed to be added.) And for the first time in years, for the first time in as long as I can remember, there was not a single movie playing in any of the movie theaters around me that I had any interest in seeing. I mean, not a single movie! I seriously cannot remember a time when there was not a single new movie playing that I wanted to see. Usually there are more movies that interest me than I know I will ever get to see! (God bless DVDs, blu-rays, and streaming video!) But, blech, there is just nothing at the multiplex now that I am interested in. I know that February through April are usually a slow time for new movies, but this is quite a drought.
What’s particularly weird is that, as 2015 approached, everyone was writing about how crazily stuffed-to-the-gills with big, highly-anticipated movies 2015 was going to be!! I read so many articles about that. So where are all these good movies? I don’t see anything interesting on the horizon until next month’s Avengers: Age of Ultron.
After that, thankfully, things look like they will be turning up. Here’s a by-no-means-complete list of movies scheduled to come out later in 2015 that I am interested in seeing:
Ant-Man — The first trailer was lame, but I have high hopes for this movie. It’s got a great cast. Marvel hasn’t disappointed me yet.
Bridge of Spies — Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks have made some pretty good movies together! Their latest collaboration is a cold war spy story, and the Coen Brothers were involved in writing the script! I have high hopes for this one.
Crimson Peak — I know almost nothing about this, but it’s a horror film directed by Guillermo del Toro. I’ll be there.
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: The Green Legend — This is certainly not a film that I ever felt needed a sequel, but I am interested in seeing what they have made.
The End of the Tour — James Ponsoldt (The Spectacular Now) directs this film about a magazine reporter (Jesse Eisenberg)’s relationship by David Foster Wallace (Jason Segal). I am really curious about this one. It sounds like an interesting story, and seeing Jesse Eisenberg and Jason Segal play off of one another sounds like a lot of fun.
The Good Dinosaur — A new Pixar film, and it’s an original story. I am in.
The Hateful Eight — A new film by Quentin Tarantino!! I can’t wait!!!
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 — I’ve enjoyed this film series a lot more than I ever thought I would. Of course I’ll go see the concluding chapter. I hope they stick the landing.
Inside Out — Pixar actually has TWO original new films coming out in 2015. I plan on seeing both of them, of course!
Joy — I don’t know much about this one, but it’s David O. Russell’s new film and it re-teams him with Jennifer Lawrence so I am interested.
Jurassic World — I loved the first Jurassic Park and was disappointed by the two sequels. I am a little dubious this latest attempt to revitalize the franchise will be any good, but Chris Pratt’s involvement has my attention.
Macbeth — It might be my favorite Shakespeare play, and this new adaptation stars Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard.
Mad Max: Fury Road — I never thought George Miller would actually make another Mad Max film and yet, here we are. The trailers have been amazing. If the film delivers on 50% of the promise of those trailers it will be spectacular.
Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation — I sort of love Tom Cruise’s weird, every-film-is-totally-different series. The fourth one might have been my favorite, so I hope they can build on that! I like Christopher McQuarrie, so I have hope. (Even though Mr. McQuarrie’s last collaboration with Tom Cruise, Jack Reacher, disappointed.)
Mr. Holmes — Ian McKellan as an elderly Sherlock Holmes is such a perfect idea that my mind boggles. Even better, Mr. McKellan is re-teaming with Bill Condon, who directed him in Gods and Monsters.
The Revenant — Alejandro Gonzalez Innaritu’s new film stars Leonardo DiCaprio and is a 19th century drama/adventure. After Birdman I am definitely in for Mr. Innaritu’s next project.
She’s Funny That Way — A new Peter Bogdanovich film? And it’s a screwball comedy with Owen Wilson, Imogen Poots, Kathryn Hahn, Jennifer Aniston & Rhys Ifan? I am interested.
Silence — Martin Scorsese has been on a great run recently. I loved The Wolf of Wall Street and so a new film by the master would always be on my to-watch list. I don’t know much about this film yet, just that it has something to do with 17th century Jesuit priests in feudal Japan. I am intrigued.
Spectre — The latest James Bond film will for sure be one I will see on opening weekend. I have been dying for Blofeld and Spectre to be brought back into the modern day Bond films, and that moment has finally arrived. I really want this one to be good.
Spy — Paul Feig’s latest collaboration with Melissa McCarthy in which she plays a CIA agent who has, for years, been the office-bound voice in the earpiece of field agents but who now finds herself on an adventure. I love that idea and I always trust Paul Feig to deliver.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens — Will it be good? I am daring to hope.
Terminator: Genisys — You know it’s going to disappoint, and I know it’s going to disappoint. But damn it, it’s a new Terminator movie, and I’ll be seeing it on a big screen.
The Martian — Ridley Scott’s new sci-fi film.
Tomorrowland — Brad Bird is batting 1,000 for me so far (The Iron Giant, The Incredibles, Mission:Impossible Ghost Protocol), so a new film from him always has me excited.
Trainwreck — Judd Apatow’s new film, co-written by and starring Amy Schumer, looks great.
I’m also interested in Fox’s Fantastic Four reboot, Diablo Cody’s new movie Ricki and the Flash, The Walk (Robert Zemeckis’ new film which is a live-action version of Man on Wire), Pixels (with Adam Sandler, Peter Dinklage, and Josh Gad), Digging for Fire (the new Joe Swanberg film that stars the great Sam Rockwell), In the Heart of the Sea (Ron Howard’s new film which tells the story of Moby Dick), La La Land (Whiplash’s Damien Chazelle and Miles Teller reunite to tell another story about music), The D Train (which pairs Jack Black and James Marsden), Aloha (Cameron Crowe’s new movie starring Bradley Cooper, Emma Stone, Rachel McAdams and Bill Murray), Love and Mercy (in which Paul Dano and John Cusack each play Brian Wilson at different stages of his life), Live From New York! (a new documentary about SNL), Masterminds (which pairs Zach Galifianakis and Kristen Wiig), Jonathan Levine’s Untitled Christmas Eve Project, Irrational Man (Woody Allen’s new movie starring Joaquin Phoenix), Trumbo (a bio of the blacklisted screenwriter directed by Jay Roach and starring Bryan Cranston), A Hologram for a King (a nutty-sounding story adapted by a Dave Eggers book, and starring Tom Hanks), an untitled movie in which Warren Beatty plays Howard Hughes late in his life, Beasts of No Nation (directed by True Detective’s Cary Fukunaga and starring Idris Elba), Slow West (a Western starring Michael Fassbender), and the newly-completed version of Orson Welles’ unfinished film The Other Side of the Wind.
Holy hell, that is a lot of interesting movies still coming in 2015. Bring ’em on!