After two terrible months, October shapes up nicely in our On the Radar Preview.
We hate being right. Last month, we predicted that the Domestic Box Office for September 2014 would be one of the worst in recent memory, and it sadly kept its promise, slogging in well under 2013 with $273.8m and nearly beating the venerable 2001 haul of $268.5m. The quarter was also the worst since 1996, taking in just $2.5b - yes, that period includes Summer 'blockbusters.' With these infamies behind us, we now move into the pre-Oscar/Holiday film season, a period that usually delivers memorable features while a few even make their case for February considerations.
This month, we find an appealing mix of WWII tank drama, spine-tingling horror, as well as a few genuine Oscar contenders. Here is our On the Radar preview for October 2014:
Annabelle (October 1st)
Director: John R. Leonetti
Starring: Ward Horton, Annabelle Wallis, Alfre Woodard
Why We're Interested: The Conjuring is easily one of our favorite horror films of all time, mixing genuine creepiness with just the right mix of scares. A side story to the 2013 release, Annabelle looks to up the creep with trailers sure to delight or terrorize, depending on your point of view. Either way, we're a little frightened at the prospect of another excellent release from the director of both The Conjuring and Insidious.
Watch the Trailer for Annabelle:
Gone Girl (October 3rd)
Director: David Fincher
Stars: Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Neil Patrick Harris
Why We're Interested: We haven't seen Affleck acting since he starred in the surprise hit/Oscar winner Argo. Based on the trailers, it looks like he and Director Fincher are in rare form again and possibly ready for an Oscar run. Pike is an SJF favorite, and the arrival of Harris in a dramatic role is his effort to distance himself from Barney on How I Met Your Mother. Our only concern here is whether audiences will accept the 149-minute runtime - let's hope the dark moods of the trailer don't give too much away.
Watch the Trailer for Gone Girl:
Dracula Untold (October 10th)
Director: Gary Shore
Stars: Luke Evans, Dominic Cooper, Sarah Gadon
Why We're Interested: On the other side of the runtime spectrum, Dracula Untold has been marketed as the true story of Vlad the Impaler, yet it 92-minute runtime seems rather...brief..to tell such a potentially interesting tale. True, it casts two SJF faves in Evans and Cooper, but the monster genre has been hit hard in 2014 with the horrible I, Frankenstein (which coincidentally also clocked in at 92 minutes). Our 'interest' here is based more on whether the genre can is due for another gut punch, or if it can at least gain back some respectability with quality acting and a more realistic story. At this point, it could go either way.
Watch the Trailer for Dracula Untold:
The Judge (October 10th)
Director: David Dobkin
Stars: Robert Downey Jr., Robert Duvall, Vera Farmiga, Vincent D'Onofrio, Billy Bob Thorton
Why We're Interested: This is another one of those trainwrecks we can't take our eyes off, a potentially engrossing film about family and duty mired in bad early press. The concerns are legitimate but they are early concerns, which means the final word could be more positive. A cast of heavy hitters usually sees the production suffer as there's not enough time to develop all of the characters, hence our 'interest.' Can The Judge tell its story and still give its very talented cast their moments in the sun, or is this further proof of the theory now decades in practice?
Watch the Trailer for The Judge:
Kill the Messenger (October 10th)
Director: Michael Cuesta
Stars: Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jeremy Renner, Michael Sheen
Why We're Interested: Based on the Gary Webb book, this one has Oscar written all over it and is one of the most anticipated films on our list. We love Renner in almost everything he's done and the inclusion of Sheen gives us hope that he'll bring his Frost/Nixon and Special Relationship sensibilities with him. This is another deep cast, with Ray Liotta, Andy Garcia, and Tim Blake Nelson among 12 other supporting actors worthy of note. The reason why we're loving this one and questioning The Judge is all about presentation, as the gritty trailers have us locked in. But again, our concern about cast size gives us momentary pause. However it turns out, we think the 'based on real events' angle gives this one an edge over other competition.
Watch the Trailer for Kill the Messenger:
Fury (October 17th)
Director: David Ayer
Stars: Brad Pitt, Shia LaBeouf, Logan Lerman
Why We're Interested: Director Ayer laid the 2014 stinkbomb that was Sabotage, but that seemed more due to the presence of has-been Arnold Schwarzenegger than anything else. In Fury, the subject is more heroic, with Pitt playing Wardaddy and Ayer favorite Pena playing backup. LaBeouf's personal problems seem both self-inflicted and mostly behind him, based on recent comments he's made about doing the film right for Pitt. Whether that or the gritty trailers will turn into box office gold and/or Oscar noms is anyone's guess. But for now, we're excited to see Fury, if for nothing else to see that LaBeuof porn mustache. And the explosions.
Watch the Trailer for Fury:
Nightcrawler (October 31st)
Plot: A young man stumbles upon the underground world of L.A. freelance crime journalism.
Director: Dan Gilroy
Stars: Jake Gyllenhaal, Rene Russo, Bill Paxton
Why We're Interested:
From the trailers, it looks like Gyllenhaal is once again pushing the boundaries of his craft. Yet, we're curious as to whether audiences are still drawn by a film starring him. The film's marketing has kept the focus on discovering this underbelly of L.A. journalism, and we're hoping for a bit of bizarre mixed with social commentary. From the trailer below, it looks like we're going to get a little of both - whether that equates to Oscar glory is another matter entirely. Watch the Trailer for Nightcrawler:
FINALLY, A Month We Can Love
October 2014 is filled with potentially quality films, but much like June and May - which featured the bulk of the biggest Summer films - our worry is whether audiences will connect with enough of them to pull Hollywood out of its worst funk in years. We think Annabelle, Gone Girl, Fury and Kill the Messenger will be solid, with The Judge and Dracula going either way. But there's also questions about whether the next wrung of movies, more independently-minded (but possibly enjoyable) than the others - such as Horns, Nightcrawler, Keanu Reeves' John Wick, and wacky comedy Birdman - which could find themselves on the outside looking in, if early returns are not good. This is the nature of Hollywood these days, a weekly toss-up of whether or not its slate of new releases will pack them in or result in largely empty seats.
And while we recognize that all months tend to look like this, we do the non-combative nature of this list, with most enjoying open releases, rather than the vulture-like nature of May (Godzilla, X-Men: DOFP, and Amazing Spider-man 2). We think that several of these titles could find their way into February, even if their grosses don't impress. That is not always an indication of quality, but with so many mental duds in Summer, we're glad to see the possibility of more intelligent fare.
For now, be sure to add these to your Movies To-Do List:
• October 1 - Anabelle
• October 3 - Gone Girl
• October 10 - Dracula Untold
• October 10 - The Judge
• October 10 - Kill the Messenger
• October 17 - Birdman
• October 17 - Fury
• October 24 - John Wick
• October 31 - Horns
• October 31 - Nightcrawler
Which films are you looking forward to this month? Comment below and join the conversation!
Discuss this story with fellow SJF fans on Facebook. On Twitter, follow us at @SandwichJohnFilms, and follow author Matt Cummings at @mfc90125.
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