Worst2First: My Most Anticipated Films of Winter 2024-2025

-

 Worst2First:
My Most Anticipated Films of Winter 2024-2025

With winter approaching it's time to talk about the ten films I'm most excited to see during these cold, dark months of December, January and February.













**THERE WILL BE NO SPOILERS**










**DATES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE**










#10

Y2K
December 6
I remember living through the Y2K fiasco, where people thought when the clock struck January 1, 2000 that all technology would cease to work or, more fearfully, turn on their creators. Of course nothing happened, but A24 is taking that fear to comedic and gory levels with "Y2K," where two losers attend a high school party on December 31, 1999, and once 2000 hits, all technology turns on humanity. This looks to be gory, hilarious, and a real coming-of-age film all wrapped into one with a stellar cast of young actors including Jaeden Martell ("It"), Rachel Zegler ("West Side Story"), and Julian Dennison ("Deadpool 2").














#9
Captain America: Brave New World

February 14
The MCU has obviously been on an up and down trajectory since "Avengers: Endgame" with more duds than hits, and sadly it looks like "Captain America: Brave New World" will be another dud in the bunch. Anthony Mackie doesn't have the charisma to lead a film, especially taking on Chris Evans' mantle, and "Brave New World" looks like a weaker "The Winter Soldier." Harrison Ford plays Thaddeus Ross who becomes President, and Mackie's Captain America investigates some shady dealings concerning terrorist attacks, leading Ross to become Red Hulk. It looks totally bland and generic, and I only hope Ruffalo's Hulk arrives because a Red Hulk without Hulk is like Christmas without presents.














#8
September 5
January 17
I'm a sucker for true stories, and "September 5" follows the true story of how the ABC Sports crew covered the 1972 Munich Olympics hostage crisis that occurred on September 5. It looks like a thrilling story that touches on sensitive issues such as whether or not newscasters should cover events like this when terrorists could also see what's going on. Led by Peter Sarsgaard, this looks to have some real promise.














#7
Paddington in Peru
February 14
"Paddington" is one of those rare film franchises that've garnered critical and audience acclaim, while many profess "Paddington 2" is one of the best films ever made. The story follows the lovable bear in his exploits, and the third film finds Paddington traveling to Peru to find his missing aunt. Hijinks and hilarity will ensue, but this film has a lot to live up to, and with a new director it looks like it might miss the mark - but then again, maybe magic will strike three times.














#6
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim
December 13
It's no secret I love "The Lord of the Rings," as the trilogy is still my favorite movies of all time, so when I heard of a film centering around the Rohirrim, I was really excited. Then I found out it was animated, and I was a bit less excited. Then I learned it was drawn as a Japanese anime, and I got more excited again. Then I saw the trailer, and I was hooked. Set 183 years before "The Lord of the Rings," "The War of the Rohirrim" tells the story of Helm Hammerhand and his family as they defend their kingdom against the Dunlendings, and looks to be action packed and a visual spectacle.














#5
Presence
January 17
Haunted house movies are a dime a dozen, but director Steven Soderbergh turns it on its head with "Presence," a haunted house movie through the perspective of the ghost haunting it. It's a first-person tale through the eyes of the spirit as it haunts a family going through turmoil, shot in numerous one-shot takes. I'm really excited to see how this plays out on the big screen.














#4
Companion
January 31
I love it when a trailer doesn't tell a lot about a movie, leaving me to be surprised. "Companion" is one such movie, where the trailer leaves more questions than answers, and even the poster doesn't offer any insight. All I know is that it stars Jack Quaid ("Scream") and Sophie Thatcher ("Heretic") and is some sort of twisted love story produced by the director of "Barbarian," which was also a movie that didn't offer a lot of knowledge going into it, leaving me pleasantly surprised. I only hope we don't get a more detailed trailer before its release.















#3
The Monkey
February 21
Any movie based on Stephen King comes with a sense of anticipation, either for good or bad. "The Monkey" looks like it's got promise, centering on a cursed toy monkey that'll give Annabelle a run for her money as it haunts twin brothers throughout their lives. The film is directed by Osgood Perkins who gave the polarizing "Longlegs" this year, and looks to deliver the scares once again with Theo James pulling double duty as twins, along with Elijah Wood, Tatiana Maslany and Sarah Levy in supporting roles.















#2
Sonic the Hedgehog 3
December 20
If there ever was a case to support bullying, it's the Internet who bullied the production company to change the appearance of Sonic in the original "Sonic the Hedgehog" movie. The first iteration looked like nightmare fuel, and if it was allowed to remain it would've resulted in a huge box office bomb, but since the company took initiative and gave Sonic a more accurate look, it's now spawned its own successful franchise. "Sonic the Hedgehog 3" amps up the excitement with the addition of Shadow, voiced by Keanu Reeves, who serves as Sonic, Knuckles and Tales' newest foe. Shadow is so fierce Sonic turns to his old nemesis Dr. Robotnik for help, and the film brings Jim Carrey back to the role as well. This looks to be an action spectacle with the humor the franchise is best known for, and will easily exceed expectations.

















#1
Nosferatu
December 25
Tis the season to be frightened. Robert Eggers has proven himself time and again as one of this generation's most prolific directors, giving us the likes of "The Witch," "The Lighthouse" and "The Northman," and returns again for his imagining of the classic 1920s film "Nosferatu." In this gothic tale, a young woman is haunted by a vampire that's infatuated with her, and horror ensues. Bill Skarsgaard stars as the titular Nosferatu, and Lily-Rose Depp stars as Ellen, with a strong supporting cast including Nicholas Hoult, Eggers mainstays Willem Dafoe and Ralph Ineson, along with Emma Corrin, and the visuals look absolutely haunting.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Major Theatrical Releases May 2019

-
Image
Major Theatrical Releases May 2019 After the hype that is "Avengers: Endgame," May offers a massive collection of differing types of movies, enough to entertain everyone. Here are the major theatrical releases for May 2019. **THERE WILL BE NO SPOILERS** **DATES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE**  The Intruder May 3 Dennis Quaid goes from starring the family-friendly "A Dog's Journey" to playing a total psycho in "The Intruder."  When a young couple purchases a home from Quaid's character Charlie, they didn't realize it came with an addition - Charlie himself, who can't seem to let his old home go.  I don't expect any twists or turns in this tale, and this looks like a film better fit for Lifetime than the big screen.  Long Shot May 3 Charlize Theron stars as Charlotte Field, the current Secretary of State and who's running for President.  Seth Rogen stars as Fred Flarsky, a...
Read more

Witch

-
Image
Witch Starring Russell Shaw, Ryan Spong, Sarah Alexandra Marks, Fabrizio Santino Directed by Craig Hinde & Marc Zammit Movies about witches are about a dime a dozen, and follow the same formula: typically set in a time period long ago (since now, fortunately, the stigma of witches has been lessened and the religious fervor has diminished), in a small Puritanical town, a girl is accused of witchcraft which spirals the town into a frenzy filled with suspicion, doubt, and murder until the witch is put to religious justice. While that's not necessarily a bad formula (Robert Eggers' "The VVitch" and Mario Bava's "Black Sunday" immediately come to mind), most films fall by the wayside. "Witch" is a small film that, at first glance, seems to follow the mold before completely shattering it in a second act twist that's daring, provocative, and works in a lot of levels, but could've been more pronounced if given a bigger budget. In the small ...
Read more

Special Review: "Midwest Sessions"

-
Image
Special Review: "Midwest Sessions" Directed by Mario Ricciardi Independent filmmaking is a fascinating concept, wherein the director and everyone involved sets out to make something unique, different, and go against the traditional status quo of what's defined as a "blockbuster." These films aren't usually seen by the masses and won't be included in the top ten highest grossing movies of all time, but they offer something those films don't: a heart and commitment by the people involved to craft something wholly distinctive that tell a story in their own way. Such is "Midwest Sessions," a local film directed by Mario Ricciardi that centers on the city of Youngstown, Ohio, and the captivating people who live there. Told in different vignettes that seem distinct and different from one another but coming together as a whole in the end, it's an engrossing film that utilizes its shoestring budget and gives great performances, decent effects a...
Read more