14 Most Anticipated Movies of 2014

Okay, so I realize that 2014 is two months old already, but, I'm currently in-between ideas for posts. Also, each of the movies I have listed here isn't even out yet, so that's another reason to make this list. Plus, I'm fairly certain I have a bad obsession with list-making.

Anyway, remember when I said I didn't think the quality of movies was that great in 2013 (if you don't, you can totally read that statement here)? Well, I think 2014 has the potential to be one of the best years for movies in a long, long time. I'm not just talking about blockbuster movies either. There's a lot of potential in Oscar bait movies, book adaptations, comedies, everything. Remember when I said it took me all of 20 minutes to list my favorite movies of 2013 (seriously? Did you not read my last post? What do you do with your day? *sigh*),  I think I'm still not satisfied with the movies I've left off this list. So, besides the 14 movies that I painstakingly narrowed this list down to, I'm going to list probably another 10-15 movies that have caught my attention.

The whole point of me making this post is to not only highlight some movies that you may not know about, but to also get you even more excited about the movies you do know about, and, hopefully,I'll revisit this list at the end of the year to see if they lived up to the hype I have for them.

So, to get started, here's a list of movies I'm excited for in 2014 that aren't on the main list: Birdman, Serena, Cyber, A Most Wanted Man, Men Women & Children, Neighbors, Muppets Most Wanted, The Giver, Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, 22 Jump Street, Life Itself, Into the Woods. 

You should look up each of those movies if you have a chance. Some of them sound like great blockbusters, others could be Oscar bait, others just sound fun. The movies I've included below are a mix of summer fair, Oscar worthy, and some just for fun. For all the movies I list below, I'm including trailers where I can.

14. Guardians of the Galaxy - August 1

Synopsis: In the far reaches of space, an American pilot named Peter Quill finds himself the object of a manhunt after stealing an orb coveted by the villainous Ronan.

Why I'm Excited: This is easily the biggest risk Marvel has taken with their Cinematic Universe. It definitely looks fun, and Chris Pratt seems destined for super-stardom, but does the odd cast of characters make this a difficult sell to mainstream audiences? How vital will it be for the entire Marvel Universe as a whole? There are lots of question marks around it, but this trailer sure is well done.

13. Godzilla - May 16

Synopsis: A giant radioactive monster called Godzilla appears to wreak destruction on mankind.

Why I'm Excited: I will admit, I wasn't exactly thrilled for this reboot when I first heard about it being made. However, the director, Gareth Edwards, had a heck of a good monster movie with 2010's Monsters, so that definitely got me excited. Plus, the fact that the movie landed Ken Watanabe tells me the script has to be at least halfway decent, as Watanabe really doesn't do that many movies (he was last seen stateside in 2010's Inception). The new trailer just released is all kinds of awesome, which bumped it onto my list.

12. Transcendence - April 17

Synopsis: A terminally ill scientist downloads his mind into a computer. This grants him power beyond his wildest dreams, and soon he becomes unstoppable.

Why I'm Excited: Wally Pfister is best known as the cinematographer on movies like Moneyball, Inception, The Dark Knight trilogy, and The Prestige. It's quite an impressive list, and the one thing those movies (minus Moneyball) have in common? They're all directed by Christopher Nolan. Working with Nolan for that many movies had to rub off on Pfister in a good way, and Transcendence looks just as mind-bendy as some of Nolan's works. Here's hoping it's just as well done.

11. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 - May 2

Synopsis: Peter Parker runs the gauntlet as the mysterious company Oscorp sends up a slew of supervillains against him, impacting on his life.

Why I'm Excited: I wasn't exactly a huge fan of the first Amazing Spider-Man movie two years ago (check out my review), so why is the sequel on my list? Honestly, because of Spider-Man 2. I recently re-watched the first movie, and while I still have some problems with it, it's not as bad as I originally thought. However, it still mirrors the first Spider-Man movie far too much. In that instance, this one must be better because Spider-Man 2 is, I think, one of the best superhero movies ever. Probably a lame reason, but I don't care!

10. How to Train Your Dragon 2 - June 13

Synopsis: Five years after Hiccup and Toothless successfully united dragons and vikings on the island of Berk, the now inseparable pair journey through the skies, charting unmapped territories and exploring new worlds.

Why I'm Excited: First off, did you watch that trailer? Seriously, THAT folks, is how you make a teaser trailer for a sequel. I thought the first Dragon movie was really fun, and had that perfect, delicate balance of kids fare and adult humor to keep everyone happy. So, how do you do a sequel? You age the main character, just like the kids who fell in love with the first movie are now older. It's a great idea, in line with Toy Story 3. Let's hope it's just as good.

9. Captain America: The Winter Soldier - April 4

Synopsis: Steve Rogers struggles to embrace his role in the modern world and battles a new threat from old history: the Soviet agent known as the Winter Soldier.

Why I'm Excited: I realize I'm in the minority on this, but I think Captain America is the best of the Marvel movies not named The Avengers. The first movie was so much fun, and I think the idea of the sequel not only building on the success the character has had so far, but dive more into his struggles fitting into today's society, makes me think The Winter Soldier has a real solid chance of being the best Marvel movie to date.

8. Inherent Vice - December 12

Synopsis: In Los Angeles in 1970, drug-fueled detective Larry "Doc" Sportello investigates the disappearance of a former girlfriend.

Why I'm Excited: This movie makes this list by default simply because it's directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, the man who brought us the likes of Boogie Nights, There Will Be Blood, and The Master. Plus, I'm a sucker for a good crime story, and the novel, by Thomas Pynchon, is, from all accounts, just that. The December release has me thinking Oscar.

7. Foxcatcher - Late 2014

Synopsis: The story of Olympic Wrestling Champion Mark Schultz and how paranoid schizophrenic John duPont killed his brother, Olympic Champion Dave Schultz.

Why I'm Excited: The movie took sometime to make, and without a trailer I hesitated even putting it on the list, but it just sounds so good. Bennett Miller, director of Moneyball and Capote, is behind the camera here. Plus, the man in that photo with Channing Tatum? Steve Carrell, who plays the schizophrenic John duPont. This could really be something great.

6. Gone Girl - October 3

Synopsis: A woman mysteriously disappears on the day of her wedding anniversary. Based on the novel, "Gone Girl."

Why I'm Excited: Although I haven't finished the book yet (I personally think it's a slog to get through and I don't understand the hype), a movie that trims the novel's fat could be a great thing. David Fincher's last adaptation, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, as a big success despite the R rating. It'll be interesting to see how the movie handles the two narrative perspective, but I trust in Fincher. 

5. Noah - March 28

Synopsis: The Biblical Noah suffers visions of an apocalyptic deluge and takes measures to protect his family from the coming flood.

Why I'm Excited: Darren Aronofsky, the man who made the likes of Black Swan and The Wrestler, gets his biggest budget yet with Noah. Aronofsky has said in interviews he has always been fascinated by Noah, which would make this a dream project of sorts. The early release date has me somewhat worried about the movie's quality, but a new Aronofsky movie is a must-see. 

4. This is Where I Leave You - September 12

Synopsis: A Jewish family that isn't used to observing their faith's traditions is forced to fulfill their father's final wish and sit Shivah together for an entire week and confront their problems.

Why I'm Excited: The novel is one of my favorite books, and I always thought it would make a great movie. The cast is fantastic, with Jason Bateman and Tina Fey in the leads. There's also Connie Britton, Timothy Olyphant, Jane Fonda, and Rose Byrne. Another reason I'm excited is the novel's author, Jonathan Tropper, wrote the screenplay. I think the novel as it is would translate well to a movie, but having the author write the screenplay gives me hope it could be great.

3. X-Men: Days of Future Past - May 23

Synopsis: 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.

Why I'm Excited: It's being billed as the ultimate X-Men movie, and with good reason. From the looks of the trailer, it's basically a bridge between the worlds established in the first three X-Men movies and First Class. Plus, it's apparently going to make it so X-Men: The Last Stand essentially never happened. If only we could do that in real life.

2. The Grand Budapest Hotel - March 7

Synopsis: The adventures of Gustave H, a legendary concierge at a famous European hotel between the wars, and Zero Moustafa, the lobby boy who becomes his most trusted friend.

Why I'm Excited: I became a Wes Anderson fan after 2012's Moonrise Kingdom, and Hotel looks ten times funnier. I really hope this isn't one of those cases where the trailer contains all the jokes, but I don't think that would be the case with a director as revered as Wes Anderson. The cast is full of stars, and I can't wait to see them all in the same movie.

1. Interstellar - November 7

Synopsis: A group of explorers make use of a newly discovered wormhole to surpass the limitations on human space travel and conquer the vast distances involved in an interstellar voyage.

Why I'm Excited: Two words: Christopher Nolan. He had a misstep with The Dark Knight Rises, but Nolan's best works have been the movies that challenge us on an intellectual level. Memento, The Prestige, and Inception were all mind benders in one way or another. Even though little to nothing is known about what the movie is actually going to be about, something tells me this could very well be Nolan's best movie yet. The November release places it as prime Oscar bait, and it doesn't hurt to have arguably the hottest actor in Hollywood (soon-to-be Oscar winner Matthew McConaughey) in the starring role.


Disclaimer: All of the synopses came from IMDb. I don't have that much free time!

My Favorite Movies of 2013

2013 was definitely one of my worst years for seeing new movies in a long time. Just look at how much I updated the blog and you'll have a good idea. It was a pretty busy year for me, but, luckily with some procrastination, I was able to see just about every movie I wanted to in time to make a top 10 list before the Oscars next Sunday.

Looking over my list of favorites, something occurred to me: this is a list my arrogant college self would have probably hated. There's definitely not as many art house type movies here, but I'm okay with that. While I love movies, and I'll never stop watching them or appreciating great ones, I've realized that movies I love don't have to be the indie darling. It can be that stupid comedy that gives you enough laughs that it starts to hurt after awhile. So, much like I said with last year's list, these are my favorite movies of the year, and no one else.

Although everyone is praising 2013 as an overall great year for movies, part of me disagrees with that. Many of the movies near the top of my list are great, great  movies, but there weren't all that many "pretty good" movies. I thought this summer was pretty disappointing for blockbusters. I loved Man of Steel, but was very meh on the likes of Iron Man 3 and Pacific Rim, both of which I was really looking forward to really enjoying. The Great Gatsby was also fairly disappointing, considering it was originally slated for December, 2012 as an Oscar hopeful. While Thor: The Dark World made up for Iron Man 3's disappointment, it still didn't do much to get me excited for Phase 2 of Marvel's Cinematic Universe.

Besides the comedies I have on my list, none of them really stood out this year. In short, I was pretty indifferent about most movies this year. I had a real easy time making my list this year, which told me even more about the quality of movies in 2013. In past years I had a hard time on which movies to place on my top 10, and even more so where they should be slotted. I'm almost certain it took me all of 20 minutes to complete my list. There were two movies I went back and forth on for number 10, but I finally decided on the movie that I kept coming back to.

I'll start my list just like every other year, with the seven that missed the cut. It's been seven movies since I started my "Best Of" lists, but this year, it could have been three movies and been just as fine. But, I'm OCD about this kind of stuff.

42

Written and Directed by Brian Helgeland
Produced by Thomas Tull

Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues

Directed by Adam McKay
Written by Will Ferrell and Adam McKay
Produced by Judd Apatow, Will Ferrell, and Adam McKay

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Directed by Francis Lawrence
Written by Michael Arndt and Simon Beaufoy
Produced by Nina Jacobson and Jon Kilik

Man of Steel

Directed by Zack Snyder
Written by David S. Goyer
Produced by Christopher Nolan, Charles Roven, Deborah Snyder, and Emma Thomas

Nebraska

Directed by Alexander Payne
Written by Bob Nelson
Produced by Albert Berger and Ron Yerxa

Philomena

Directed by Stephen Frears
Written by Steve Coogan and Jeff Pope
Produced by Steve Coogan, Tracey Seaward, and Gabrielle Tana

Prisoners

Directed by Denis Villeneuve
Written by Aaron Guzikowski
Produced by Kira Davis, Broderick Johnson, Adam Kolbrenner, and Andrew A. Kosove

Those are seven very good movies that you should definitely watch when you can. However, they are inferior to the 10 listed below. So, let's get down to it.

10) Her

Written and Directed by Spike Jonze
Produced by Megan Ellison, Spike Jonze, and Vincent Landay

Her is definitely the most unique movie experience of 2013, and that is thanks in large part to writer/director Spike Jonze. It's a frightening look at a future that is all too close to becoming true. Much of the movie is Phoenix acting alone, and it reminds us just how great of an actor he can be. Chris Pratt has a great small role, and Amy Adams is as great as ever. The real high point of the movie, though is Scarlett Johansson. She's never on screen, yet her performance as the voice of the Operating System Samantha was the make or break role Obviously, she nails it, and I almost wish she would have had more support for an Oscar nomination.

9) This Is the End

Written and Directed by Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen
Produced by Evan Goldberg, Seth Rogen, and James Weaver

It's offensive, rude, crude, weird, dumb, random, yet gut-busting hilarious. This Is The End is definitely NOT for the easily offended or very religious, but damn is this a funny movie. Each actor plays a hybrid version of themselves and what the public imagines them to be, and each of them nail it. No one has an issue making fun of themselves. The apocalyptic setting makes for some funny moments, but it's really the scenes of the actors just doing things that are the highlight.

8) Inside Llewyn Davis

Written and Directed by Ethan Coen and Joel Coen
Produced by Ethan Coen, Joel Coen, and Scott Rudin

The Coen Brothers are seemingly at their most comfortable with music movies. First it was O Brother, and now Llewyn Davis. I wouldn't say this movie surpasses O Brother in terms of quality, but it's obvious that the Coen Brothers just love to make these kind of movies. The "Please Mr. Kennedy" sequence has the perfect balance of being funny and fascinating that it couldn't have been filmed by anyone else. Justin Timberlake is quite terrific, and it's nice to see Oscar Isaac finally get a great starring role after so many secondary characters.

7) Captain Phillips

Directed by Paul Greengrass
Written by Billy Ray
Produced by Dana Brunetti, Michael De Luca, and Scott Rudin

Captain Phillips is the type of true story that was an almost no brainer to be made into a big budget Hollywood movie. The fact that it didn't get rushed to get made and has behind it one of the best actors of his time (Hanks) and a great director (Greengrass) says something immediately about the production value. The movie is not only nail bitingly intense, but also very much a character driven. The final moments, especially Hanks' acting, is arguably the best crowd pleasing moment of the year.

6)  Dallas Buyers Club

Directed by Jean-Marc Vallée
Written by Craig Borten and Melisa Wallack
Produced by Robbie Brenner and Rachel Winter

This is the type of movie where the acting performances take it from being a decent movie to one of the year's best. Although the story line gets a little too overcrowded by trying to say too much and tackle too many different issues, Dallas Buyers Club is one of the more enjoyable movies to watch, despite the grim story. Jared Leto is an absolute lock for Best Supporting Actor. McConaughey's physical transformation makes him very much the front runner for Best Actor. He has been on one hell of a run lately, and Buyers Club shows just how great of an actor he can be when given the proper role. 

5) Frozen

Directed by Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee
Written by Jennifer Lee
Produced by Peter Del Vecho

There was a time during the early 2000's that Disney was going through an identity crisis. If it wasn't for Pixar Studios creating amazing movies, Disney could have easily lost all of their movie credibility. Lately, the tide has changed. With movies like Wreck-It-Ralph and Tangled, Disney is starting to find the creative juice again. Frozen is the movie where Disney finally grows up, and realizes not every movie has to be about a knight in shining armor to be a good story. The animation is beautiful, and the music! Frozen is easily Disney's best animated feature since, probably, The Lion King (not counting Pixar movies). It also makes me excited about the future of Disney movies, which hasn't been the case since I really started getting into movies. 

4) 12 Years a Slave

Directed by Steve McQueen
Written by John Ridley
Produced by Dede Gardner,  Anthony Katagas, Jeremy Kleiner, Steve McQueen, and Brad Pitt

12 Years a Slave is without a doubt the most intense and difficult movie to watch of any on this list. Although I prefer Shame, Steve McQueen's third feature is easily his most emotionally moving and best crafted movie. He creates scenes that are filmed not in new ways, but different and more risk taking than perhaps other filmmakers would have done. There are a few scenes that I couldn't look away from despite how difficult the material is to watch, because of how amazingly well done they were filmed. It's the type of film that I will be thinking about for years, but I'm not sure if I'll ever be able to watch it again.  

3) American Hustle

Directed by David O. Russell
Written by Eric Warren Singer and David O. Russell
Produced by Megan Ellison, Jonathan Gordon, Charles Roven, and Richard Suckle

Despite the over two hour run time, American Hustle goes by in a flash. It's the type of movie that is simply great actors acting great together. The audience is the one that benefits the most. Despite the great performances from the entire cast, Jennifer Lawrence steals all her scenes with another amazing role. She should continue to stick with David O. Russell for future movies, as they could make some amazing work together.

2) The Wolf of Wall Street

Directed by Martin Scorsese
Written by Terence Winter
Produced by Riza Aziz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Joey McFarland, Martin Scorsese, and  Emma Tillinger Koskoff

Many people hate The Wolf of Wall Street because they think it glorifies the scumbags on screen. In fact, it does the complete opposite. DiCaprio's Jordan Belfort is not a character we root for, yet we are so completely fascinated with his lifestyle that we can't help but hope that we could at least have a little taste at it one day. In that sense, the people that loathe this movie are the ones afraid to admit they would trade places, if only for a day. The final scene so perfectly encapsulates that idea, and society's thoughts on this lifestyle in general.

1) Gravity

Directed by Alfonso Cuarón
Written by Alfonso Cuarón and Jonás Cuarón
Produced by Alfonso Cuarón and David Heyman

Similarly to when I first saw Argo in 2012, I knew almost instantly Gravity was my favorite movie of 2013. I haven't seen anything quite like Gravity in a long time, in terms of story, acting, cinematography, and overall direction. It is a unique experience, and nothing even comes close to how great it is. The story sometimes muddles for too long, but the amount of amazing moments (that opening long take!) more than make up for any issues I have with the story. I constantly found myself comparing everything I saw to Gravity after the first viewing. It's a great action movie, a terrific character study, and one of the most well made movies I've seen in a long time. It's going to be hard to top this in the next few years.