Staff Picks: Most Anticipated 2014 Movies
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Ruby Le Rouge: There are a lot of movies that look promising, but I think the one I am looking forward to the most is Wes Anderson’s new film The Grand Budapest Hotel, as is usual with his movies, it has an amazing cast. I also can’t wait to see A Fantastic Fear of Everything with Simon Pegg, I have a soft spot for stop motion animation, everything about this movie looks right up my alley.
Tusk / Dumb & Dumber To
Eric Norcross: Tusk & Dumb & Dumber To is really all I’m interested in. They’re curiosities more than anything. As far as big budget movie watching goes, Mark Wahlberg’s Transformers is of interest as is the reboot of Ninja Turtles – once again out of curiosity only.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Jesse Blume: It shouldn’t surprise many of our readers that a huge super hero nerd like me is most eagerly anticipating Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Guardians of the Galaxy. Captain America is one of my favorite Marvel heroes, and I think that Marvel Studios can do a great job with this sequel. Then there’s Guardians of the Galaxy. I really enjoyed reading DnA (Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning) run with the 2008 reboot, and the leaked trailer we saw a few months ago sezied my attention. I haven’t found one aspect of either movie that doesn’t interest me somehow.
Ant-Man
Brandon Groppi: I can’t pin it down to any one film or two films so I’ll just name a bunch: DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES, Anything Marvel-y, THE LEGO MOVIE, TRANSCENDENCE, THE EXPENDABLES 3, INTERSTELLAR, and The Nut Job. . . That last one was a joke. Who wants to see that? Poor Will Arnett – Hollywood doesn’t know what to do with your brilliance.
I can’t wait for Ant-Man. I love how Edgar Wright (director of the Cornetto Trilogy and Scott Pilgrim) described it as not a super-hero film but a heist film. I have nothing but faith in what Edgar Wright will do. He’s 4 for 4 on amazing films. So I think Ant-Man will be amazing.
The Expendables 3
Caliber Winfield – Other films can try to come out, but you know what’ll happen? The Expendables 3 will punch them so hard in the face that it’ll break their legs.
The Expendables films have come every 2 years like clockwork since the original release, and it’s been a religious experience for me. I love nothing more than over-the-top, ridiculous action movies, and I swear, I SWEAR that these films are made specifically for me. I’m half expecting in the third one that at one point Stallone will look at the camera and say “This one’s for you, Caliber!”. Indeed it is, Sly. Indeed it is.
Aidan Myles Green: Caliber and I are actually twins separated at birth when it comes to our shared predilection for hardcore action movies.
THE EXPENDABLES 3, kiddos. That is all.
The first was good. The second was great. Semantics of quality filmmaking aside, I’m giddy and warm inside at the sheer idea that these films are being made – and with the biggest cast in action movie history, yeah, you can bet Brandon and I will be there at midnight.
Interstellar
D-Rock: INTERSTELLAR hands down. I know the trailer was vague and revealed very little, but that’s how Chris Nolan works. The minute the 2nd trailer drops this Summer, I’m betting we’re in for something truly special. I love his take on Batman, but I’m the most excited about Nolan’s return to fresh material. November 7th, 2014 cannot arrive fast enough.
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Tony Beaulieu: DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES, the first one is easily one of the best reboots ever. And I was already a big APES fan before that.
Transcendence
Patricia Marquez: I must go with Transcendence. Nolan cinematographer Wally Pfister has established himself as one of the most coveted visual masters working in film today. Inception (for which is own best Oscar for cinematography) will go down in history as having one of the most ingeniously original settings, from a completely imagined world. In Transcendence, Johnny Depp plays a dying scientist who downloads his mind into a computer, with grave and eerie consequences. Just watch the trailer and tell me you don’t get chills when his confused and disembodied voice echoes from the monitor. Such a metaphysical plot will be amplified by Pfister’s talent for creating realms extending beyond our own concept of earth, realms that only exist within the often-troubled human psyche. Also, check out its great cast.
X-Men: Days of Future Past
Shawn S. Lealos: While it only took place over a short period of time, the Days of Future Past storyline remains one of the best in X-Men comic books. It created the alternate universe that brought characters like Cable to the Marvel Universe and just remains a perfect story. Now, Bryan Singer is bringing that story to the big screen as he tries to fix the damage done by Brett Ratner to the universe he created. This might be the swan song for Singer’s X-Men as he branches off into the new world that Matthew Vaughn kicked off so well two years ago. I have very high hopes for this movie. I am really excited about the new Captain America movie, P.T. Anderson’s Inherent Vice and a few others, but I am really excited about Singer’s return to the X-Men.
Derek Johns: When X-Men: First Class came out in 2011 it restored my faith in the X-Men franchise and now that Bryan Singer is back in the director’s chair since X2, I am already hopeful that this will be the best X-Men movie yet. With a massive cast of both old and new favorites of the franchise, I cannot wait for this release date.
N. Retah: There are a few movies to get excited about but the one that keeps coming to my mind is “X-Men: Days of Future Past“. I’m a big fan of the franchise and this movie will include some of my favorite things in movies….time travel and Hugh Jackman. I am also excited to see the cast members from multiple X-Men movies all inside this one.
Caleb Masters: This is a really close toss up between Chris Nolan’s next original sci-fi film Interstellar and X-Men Days of Future Past. I’m a massive fan of Nolan and despite it’s shortcomings, I’m a huge fan of the X franchise.
The victor has to go to Days of Future Past because of that absolutely excellent and fanboy pleasing trailer we received earlier this year. This has all the makings of an X-men movie that seems crafted specifically to my love of time-travel and desire to see Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine interact with the First Class cast. Those two points alone would make for a movie that would have me salivating all over the poster, but the fact that Ian McKellan, Patrick Stewart, and the rest of the original cast only make this an exceptionally tasty cake with Peter Dinklage as Bolivar Trask as the sweet cherry on top. This should be the X-Men movie to top all X-Men movies with the one true franchise helmer Bryan Singer return to the fold once again. This movie may have a lot to live up to, but the potential for this film is some of the greatest we’ve seen of any superhero movie this side of The Dark Knight and Avengers.
Bethany Lewis: There’s a lot I’m looking forward to, but after having the incredible good fortune to see Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen together onstage in both No Man’s Land and Waiting For Godot, X-Men: Days of Future Past just shot to the top of my list. I will see anything as long as they are in it together. I also thought First Class was an excellent return to form for the X-men franchise and I’m excited to see where they will take things next.
