HOLLYWOOD—Goodbye summer blockbusters, hello Oscar contenders! The summer movie season is known for those epic movies that leave audiences talking and enjoying a day in the cool theater. The fall movie season is all about the major studios releasing the best of the year vying for some love come awards season. From September to December, audiences can expect to see a bevy of dramas that will all be vying for the biggest prize of all: Oscar. September is a tricky month that makes that transition from summer flops to mediocre flicks.
A thriller that is on many people’s radar is “No Good Deed” starring Idris Elba and Taraji P. Henson. The movie revolves around an escaped criminal that terrorizes a woman and her daughter on a fateful night. The film hits theaters on September 12. A week later sees the release of the sci-fi thriller “The Maze Runner” starring Dylan O’Brien and Will Poulter as males who find themselves trapped inside an elusive maze. Seems more like a “Gladiator” type flick where only the strong survive, but I must admit it has peaked my interest.
Wrapping out the month is Oscar-winner Denzel Washington who makes his return to the big screen after being gone for nearly a year with “The Equalizer.” Washington reteams with director Antoine Fuqua as a man who is forced to return to a past life that he vowed never to go back to. This reminds me a bit of “Man on Fire,” but we’ll see how this plays out.
The movie arrives on September 26. That same day also sees the release of the biopic “Jimi: All is by My Side” which chronicles the life of musician Jimi Hendrix. Playing the title role is Outkast member Andre 3000, who is a dead ringer for the musician if you ask me. Interesting note, the filmmakers weren’t given the complete authority to use all of the musician’s songs for the movie.
The Oscar season kicks off with a bang on October 3 with Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike starring in the dramatic thriller “Gone Girl.” The film is directed by David Fincher and stars Affleck as the man who could be responsible for the disappearance and murder of his wife. The film is highly anticipated and has been compared to the crazy twists of the ABC Family series “Pretty Little Liars.” This is one definitely on my radar. That same day sees the release of “Annabelle,” a horror thriller attempting to capitalize on the success of 2013’s “The Conjuring.” It looks spooky, but I’m not completely sold on the movie yet.
On October 10, Robert Downey Jr. showcases his dramatic roots in “The Judge” alongside Robert Duvall. The duo play father and son who are forced to reconcile after the death of a family member and a crime that isn’t as it appears. Horror returns on October 17 with “Dracula: Untold” which plans to deliver a tale to audiences that hasn’t been seen before. That movie will compete with Brad Pitt’s war thriller “Fury” which is generating quite a bit of buzz for the actor, as well as his costar Logan Lerman.
On October 24, the popular board game “Ouija” finally makes it way to the big screen courtesy of producer Michael Bay. I’ve seen the trailer and the flick looks quite spooky, let’s just say those people who have ever thought about playing with an Ouija board will think twice. Wrapping out the month is Jake Gyllenhaal and Rene Russo in the thriller “Nightcrawler” that examines the high-risk world of LA journalism. The buzz around Gyllenhaal’s performance in the movie is continuing to be the talk of the town.
There are quite a few movies arriving in November, but nothing can be more Oscar-worthy than “Foxcatcher.” The movie is based on the true story of Olympic Gold Medal wrestler Mark Schultz (Channing Tatum) and his trainer John du Pont (Steve Carell). This movie has be heralded as a front-runner in the Best Picture and Best Actor race where many have stated Carrell is almost unrecognizable in the role. The drama arrives on November 14.
Christopher Nolan returns to the multiplex with his science fiction flick “Interstellar.” Detail about the project is top secret, but it involves an all-star cast including Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain and Michael Caine. The movie arrives in theaters on November 7. If comedy is your cup of tea, the highly anticipated sequel to “Dumb and Dumber,” “Dumb and Dumber Too” starring Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels arrives on November 14.
The end is upon us for you “Hunger Games” fans, as the first installment of “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part I” arrives on November 21. It looks like Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) is in for a fight where many lives will be lost. The film also stars Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Julianne Moore. Just in time for Thanksgiving we see a few more sequels arrive as “Horrible Bosses 2” and “The Penguins of Madagascar” arrive in theaters on November 26.
Of course, we’ve saved the best for December. Christian Bale takes on the role of Moses in Ridley Scott’s biblical epic “Exodus: Gods and Kings” arriving in multiplexes on December 12. Buzz is starting to build around Bale’s performance in the movie. Another picture generating a bit of Oscar buzz is “Inherent Vice” starring Reese Witherspoon, Joaquin Phoenix and Josh Brolin above a private eye examining the ins and outs of Los Angeles in 1969. The movie opens on December 12 also.
A week later we see the third installment in the “The Hobbit” franchise, “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies.” This is the final installment in the series chronicling the journey of Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman). Expect fanboys to come out in waves.
Christmas Day has always been a popular time at the theater and 2014 will be no different as the third installment in the “Night at the Museum” franchise arrives, as well as the musical remake of “Annie” starring Jamie Foxx and Quvenzhane Wallis. Those light hearted movies will do battle with esteemed dramas “Unbroken,” directed by Angelina Jolie and “American Sniper” starring Bradley Cooper and directed by Clint Eastwood.
Those films will compete against Oscar titan Meryl Streep for the fantasy flick “Into the Woods.” After years of waiting, audiences will finally be treated to the biopic of Civil Rights legend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in “Selma.” David Oyelowo will portray King, with Tom Wilkinson portraying the role of President Lyndon B. Johnson. The movie will be released in specific markets on December 25, but will open nationwide in January 2015.
So there is quite a bit of drama to go around for movie lovers this fall, rather its family drama, comedic drama, real-life drama or dark drama, get ready for the best of 2014 to hit the big screen.
By LaDale Anderson
