The summer movie season of 2019 has come to a close and if you own any Disney stock, you might want to check it’s current trading value because the House of the Mouse had itself a summer at the box office (with a couple more blockbusters to come).
So now let’s take a look at 2019’s Fall and Christmas season (already underway). The following are the ten movies I’m most hyped for and why. As always, some of these will be flops and some will be among my most disappointing movies of the year next February (affectionately known as The Shamies).
But for now I’m hoping to kick back with a bag of popcorn and a box of junior mints and escape reality for a few hours with these ten flicks. Enjoy.
10. Terminator: Dark Fate (Nov. 1st): I don’t really care about the Terminator franchise and am of the opinion (shared by LOTS of others) that there hasn’t been a good Terminator movie since T2. And I sincerely loathe time travel as a storytelling device. But while I was completely prepared to ignore Dark Fate, I have to admit that it has peaked my curiosity. I like the idea that they will reportedly be ignoring the last three movies and picking up where Terminator 2 left off, explaining how Skynet still came about even though Judgement Day was averted. While I’m curious how James Cameron and company will square that little bit of storytelling Tetris, I’m equally interested in seeing Linda Hamilton back as chief ass-kicker Sarah Connor. I won’t be surprised if this movie falls flat on its face, but my curiosity is peaked just enough to look forward to it.
9. Doctor Sleep (Nov. 8th): One of the few Stephen King books I haven’t read, I’m hoping that Doctor Sleep is a decent sequel to the Stanley Kubrick directed classic The Shining. While that may be a tall order (a very, VERY tall order), casting Ewan MacGregor as a grown up Danny Torrance is a good first step. It’s the story that really has me interested though. I like the idea of seeing Danny come full circle (mentoring and guiding a young “Shiner,” the way he was mentored and guided years ago) while a group of Shining vampires hunt and feed on people like Danny and his new protege. But perhaps most importantly, I’ve been a fan of Rebecca Ferguson ever since she broke both limbs and hearts in Mission Impossible 5. But I have yet to see her in a role since that she can really sink her teeth into. But judging by the trailer it looks like she had genuine fun bringing the movie’s chief villain to life. And I’m dying (pardon the pun) to see Danny return to the Overlook Hotel and dance with those demons one more time . . .
8. Zombieland Double Tap (Oct. 18th): The original Zombieland is one of my favourite Halloween movies of all time. It’s tough to believe its been ten years since the gang double-tapped their away across screens. It will be interesting to see what they’ve been up to in the decade since we first met and what they get up to this time around (did Tallahassee ever find that Twinkie?). What I genuinely loved about the first Zombieland was the eventual formation of a family from broken survivors who didn’t even trust each other enough to reveal their real names. How has that family gown over time? What sort of undead bumps did they hit on the road along the way? And what sort of zombie pot holes lie ahead of them this time?
7.Maleficent 2: Mistress of Evil (Oct. 18th): To be honest, I wasn’t expecting much from the original Maleficent back in 2014. But in the end I was genuinely blown away. If the goal was to get the audience on the side of the traditional big bad, well mission accomplished. It was a brilliant twist on the Sleeping Beauty myth and I was rooting for Maleficent the entire time, cheering as she used dark sorcery to put dick-ish mortals in their place. It was also a welcome deviation from Disney’s usual everyone-lived-happily-ever-after approach. As icing on the cinematic cake, Maleficent’s success launched the wave of live action adaptations that has given us Beauty and the Beast, The Jungle Book, Aladdin and The Lion King. Angelina Jolie was definitely the secret to the film’s success, selling the deliciously evil yet somehow charming demoness, and it looks like she’s stretching those same muscles this time around. But with Michelle Pfiefer as a capable rival, it looks like the villain dial will get cranked up more than a few awesome notches.
6.Frozen 2 (Nov. 22nd): I really liked the first Frozen (yeah, come at me). Despite being a hard rock fan, I even liked the catchy music (though granted, I didn’t have to put up with pre-teens singing/yelling it 24/7, so props to all you parents out there). I loved everything about Frozen, from the storytelling themes to the sight gags to the strong female characters (at the time I was desperate to find something for my young niece outside of Bratz and Barbie dolls). And yeah, when all was said and done I was hoping for more Elsa, Anna, Olaf and (especially) Sven. I even liked the Frozen Christmas short that preceded Coco a few years ago (shut up). So I’m more than ready to return to Arindale and then buy a bunch more Frozen toys for my niece now that she’s-wait SHE’S HOW OLD????? If you’ll excuse me, I’m off to find some Tequila . . .
5.The Joker (Oct. 4th): This is the one movie on this list that makes me nervous. On one hand, I wonder if the Joker, arguably the most notorious comic book villain in the world this side of Thanos, needs an origin story. After all, Christopher Nolan (the architect responsible for the best trilogy of comic book movies in history) took great care to avoid telling the Clown Prince of Crime’s origin for a reason. Never having an explanation behind Batman’s opposite also seemed a poetic completion of their equation (while the Dark Knight is a paradigm of order and control, his arch nemesis is pure chaos and being shrouded in mystery added to that duality). But on the other hand, having Joaquin Phoenix tell that tale with the likes of Todd Phillips and Martin Scorsese behind the camera? How can you possibly pass on that story? Especially if this is in a self contained universe (meaning if it flops, its damage won’t taint upcoming DCEU projects). It looks like the movie has taken great pains to portray Gotham as the bleak and dirty urban wasteland that becomes the Joker’s playground (and Batman’s battleground). If the film approaches the subject matter with the same meticulous care, it could be the masterpiece that saves the DCEU.
4. IT Chapter 2 (Sept. 6th): I wasn’t huge fan of the first instalment of IT, the recent cinematic adaptation of Stephen King’s horror masterpiece. A large part of my problem was that I loved the book so much (perhaps my favourite book of all time) and movies, even big budget R-rated ones, are simply too limited a medium to capture the magic that captivated me so deeply. But Chapter Two looks like it has cranked up the chill factor and may pay Pennywise-who was criminally underwhelming in the first movie-his due. The second movie has a lot of work ahead of it to try and make up for the first one’s shortcomings, but it looks like it may be giving it its best shot. And perhaps the victory lies in the attempt.
3. Ad Astra (Sept. 20th): Once upon a time we were spoiled by smart, entertaining science fiction movies. The Martian, The Arrival and Interstellar brought a smart majesty back to the genre. But aside from last year’s surprising (and almost universally ignored) sci-fi gem Upgrade, the genre has abandoned smart and compelling stories. But it looks like Ad Astra may finally reverse that disappointing trend. Often dismissed as an aging heartthrob, Brad Pitt is one of the world’s most underrated actors and Tommy Lee Jones has been one of Hollywood’s best characters ones for decades. Watching these two sink their teeth into a smart story may finally give me the science fiction feast I’ve spent the past few years hungering for.
2. Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker (Dec. 20th): Yes, the tale from a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away slipped a spot on my top ten list (the first two episodes of the current trilogy were number one on their respective lists), but I’m still eagerly looking forward to the conclusion of the Skywalker Saga. While I wasn’t a rabid hater of The Last Jedi, it could have been better and I’m hoping that returning director J.J. Abrams took that lesson (and Solo’s box office failure) to heart when crafting the conclusion to the current trilogy. If not, irate Star Wars fans will probably storm Disney World and burn the place to the ground. But as it stands, I’ll be there opening night and my inner twelve year will begin an Olympic caliber somersault routine the second the scrawl begins it’s march up the screen.
1. Jumanji: The Next Level (Dec. 13th): Against all odds I loved Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle. It was my favourite popcorn movie of 2017 and I’m dying to see how they try to top it with the sequel. My fear that they rushed it (the first one came out only two years ago) is tempered by the fact that Sony desperately needs a winning franchise to keep it afloat in case Disney calls its Spider-bluff. And from the looks of the trailer so far, the film makers managed to capture the irreverent spirit that made the first one so much fun. Spending two hours watching Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart do their best geriatric impersonations while Jack Black chews up jungle scenery with his trademark manic energy should be worth the price of admission. And then some.
Image via Dread Central
