10. TUSK
Release Date: TBA 2014
Starring: Justin Long, Haley Joel Osment, Michael Parks, Genesis Rodriguez
Director & Writer: Kevin Smith
Trailer: –
Genre: Horror
Plot Crunch: Tusk tells the story of a podcaster (Long) who sets out to interview an eccentric, reclusive old seafarer, only to find himself a plaything in the gruesome plot of a deranged killer (Parks).
*Kevin Smith’s other horror film, Red State, managed to completely divert expectations around every bend, so I expect no different from Tusk. Justin Long does horror better than any other genre (see: Jeepers Creepers) but on the other hand Haley Joel Osment hasn’t had any major film roles recently as of late. This could easily be terrible, but using Human Centipede as an inspiration can’t be a bad thing, right?
9. NYMPHOMANIAC
Release Date: TBA 2014
Starring: Shia LaBeouf, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Stellan Skarsgard
Director & Writer: Lars von Trier
Trailer: –
Genre: Drama
Plot Crunch: A self-diagnosed nymphomaniac recounts her erotic experiences to the man who saved her after a beating.
*Lars von Trier is a special kind of crazy director that does things his way, no matter what. Nymphomaniac looks to be no different – it’s a film completely centered around one woman’s sexual experiences throughout her life. Also the movie has been described as a “sex epic.” If that’s not intriguing, then I don’t know what is.
8. X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST
Release Date: May 23, 2014
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Evan Peters, Michael Fassbender, Ellen Page, Hugh Jackman, Anna Paquin, Nicholas Hoult, James McAvoy, Peter Dinklage, Halle Berry, Ian McKellen, Patrick Stewart, Shawn Ashmore, Lucas Till, Booboo Stewart
Director: Bryan Singer /Writer: Simon Kinberg
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pK2zYHWDZKo
Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Plot Crunch: The X-Men send Wolverine to the past in a desperate effort to change history and prevent an event that results in doom for both humans and mutants.
*The best cast of any X-Men movie means it will be pretty much impossible to mess this one up. The trailer is one of the best I’ve seen anytime, ever, so as long as this follows First Class in terms of quality, then I’ll be content.
7. THE GREEN INFERNO
Release Date: TBA 2014
Starring: Lorenza Izzo, Ariel Levy, Daryl Sabara, Kirby Bliss Blanton
Director: Eli Roth / Writers: Eli Roth & Guillermo Amoedo
Trailer: –
Genre: Horror, Thriller
Plot Crunch: A group of student activists travel from New York City to the Amazon to save a dying tribe but crash in the jungle and are taken hostage by the very natives they protected.
*A new Eli Roth movie is reason enough to get excited. Hostel, Cabin Fever, and Hostel Part 2 are instant classics as far as I’m concerned. I’m also kind of loving the fact that Green Inferno draws major inspiration from Cannibal Holocaust.
6. 22 JUMP STREET
Release Date: June 13, 2014
Starring: Channing Tatum, Jonah Hill, Ice Cube
Directors: Phil Lord & Chris Miller /Writers: Michael Bacall, Rodney Rothman, & Oren Uziel
Trailer: –
Genre: Comedy
Plot Crunch: After making their way through high school (twice), big changes are in store for officers Schmidt and Jenko when they go deep undercover at a local college.
*21 Jump Street is probably Channing Tatum’s best film, and this sequel will settle the score once and for all in determining whether the concept works as a franchise. The original team is all back in place, and while I doubt there will be anything as epic as the Johnny Depp cameo in the first flick, I’m holding out hope for something memorable.
5. THE FAULT IN OUR STARS
Release Date: June 6, 2014
Starring: Shailene Woodley, Ansel Elgort, Willem Dafoe, Natt Wolff, Laura Dern
Director: Josh Boone /Writers: Scott Neustadter & Michael H. Weber
Trailer: –
Genre: Drama
Plot Crunch: Hazel and Gus are two teenagers who share an acerbic wit, a disdain for the conventional, and a love that sweeps them on a journey. Their relationship is all the more miraculous given that Hazel’s other constant companion is an oxygen tank, Gus jokes about his prosthetic leg, and they met and fell in love at a cancer support group.
*Here’s another YA book I’ve never touched, but the presence of Ansel Elgort and Shailene Woodley makes it a must-see. From what I’ve heard, the book is exceptionally well-written, so hopefully it works as a film. Director Josh Boone’s only other credit is the 2012 film Stuck In Love, but he might just be an up-and-comer to keep on your radar.
4. NEIGHBORS
Release Date: May 9, 2014
Starring: Seth Rogen, Zac Efron, Rose Byrne, Dave Franco, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Lisa Kudrow, Jake Johnson
Director: Nicholas Stoller /Writer: Andrew J. Cohen, Brendan O’Brien
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmH4IE3Iysg
Genre: Comedy
Plot Crunch: A couple with a newborn baby face unexpected difficulties after they are forced to live next to a fraternity house.
*Seth Rogen + Zac Efron = an equation I never would have thought of but somehow is totally brilliant. The red band trailer teases just enough to be memorable around every bend. I can’t wait to see what else is in store for my most anticipated comedy of 2014.
3. THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2
Release Date: May 2, 2014
Starring: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Jamie Foxx, Dane DeHaan, Martin Sheen, Sally Field, Chris Zylka, Paul Giamatti
Director: Marc Webb /Writers: Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci, Jeff Pinker
Trailer: –
Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Plot Crunch: Spider-Man squares off against the Rhino and the powerful Electro while struggling to keep his promise to leave Gwen Stacey out of his dangerous life.
*This reboot series of Spider-Man originally seemed like an odd idea, especially when not much time had passed between Spider-Man 3 and The Amazing Spider-Man. The first movie proved to be a huge success and was one of my favorite action films to come out of the Marvel brand. Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone are a dream team. The new additions to the cast will hopefully add to the story, although it’s kind of unfortunate that Shailene Woodley’s Mary Jane Watson was completely excised.
2. THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY – PART 1
Release Date: November 21, 2014
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Julianne Moore, Philip Seymour Hoffman,
Director: Francis Lawrence /Writer: Danny Strong
Trailer: –
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama
Plot Crunch: Katniss Everdeen reluctantly becomes the symbol of a mass rebellion against the autocratic Capitol.
*The Hunger Games series is probably my favorite book series right next to Harry Potter, so the first part of the final installment is definitely going to be good. I’m not sure at what point they will split the two films, but if anything required two parts to tell, it’s Mockingjay.
1. MUPPETS MOST WANTED
Release Date: March 21, 2014
Starring: Ricky Gervais, Tom Hiddleston, Danny Trejo, Christoph Waltz, Lady Gaga, Ty Burrell, Tina Fey, Ross Lynch
Director: James Bobin /Writer: James Bobin & Nicholas Stoller
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vcw2Aje5KU0
Genre: Adventure, Comedy
Plot Crunch: While on a grand world tour, the Muppets find themselves wrapped into an European jewel-heist caper headed by a Kermit lookalike and his dastardly sidekick.
*The 2011 Muppets reignited my interest in the brand as a whole, proving that there was plenty of life left in the long-running series. While it’s rather unfortunate that part 2 won’t see the return of Jason Segel or Amy Adams, the same creative team is still in place and so is my confidence that there are plenty of great Muppets stories left to tell.
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