01 January 2018

2018 Hype Hype Hype

Hello, 2018. Nice to meet you. Hot off the heels of a flurry of End of Year 2017 posts, it's time to look ahead. What will the future hold? Probably more crap, but it's fun to dream, and DREAM WE SHALL! In no particular order here are a bunch of stuff I'm looking forward to this year. Will they turn out to be great? Pushed back to 2019? Only time will tell!

Slice - TBA 2018



You had me at "Chance the Rapper Pizza Werewolf Movie." The astounding teaser dropped two months ago, and there's little to know about any kind of plot or anything, but supposedly it's a low budget flick secretly shot in Chicago and distributed by A24. The cast also includes Zazie Beetz and Paul Scheer. Obviously this is my #1.

Hotel Artemis - TBA 2018

We've got some real solid releases here. First time feature director Drew Pearce, who has cut his teeth on some recent Iron Man, Mission: Impossible, and Godzilla movies helms this sci-fi flick with Jeff Goldblum, Jodie Foster, Sofia Boutella, Dave Bautista, and a slew of other damn watchable names. The plot is under wraps right now as is any marketing material of any kind, but the talent alone is a good sign.

Bad Times at the El Royale - 10/05/18

Drew Goddard takes the reigns here, which features Jeff Bridges and Chris Hemsworth shooting each other in a dilapidated hotel in 1960s Lake Tahoe. I'm on board with all of that. There also hasn't been a lot of stills or trailers or anything, and this one's a long way off. I'm expecting a Smoking Aces (2006)-kind of deal with a retro spin, which I hope is better than Free Fire (2017).

Infinity War - 05/04/18



This is how my anticipation works - three films you haven't heard of, with barely any release date, then what should be by and large the biggest film of 2018. I'm so on board with Infinity War, as any good Marvel nerd should be. I mean, this is Thanos finally unleashed, not only the build up of the entire MCU but it looks like a desperate mash-up of every character ever in some dire circumstances. The Brothers Russo have yet to disappoint and will hopefully deliver on one of the most hyped films of all time.

Deadpool 2 - 06/01/18



Deadpool is the hero we need. If this trolling trailer is any indication, round two will double down on all the meta insanity that made the first one great. There's some concern with the changing of the directors, with Tim Miller gone and David Leitch in. That's really not a bad thing, although he had a tough time handling the story on his own in Atomic Blonde (2017). I'm not sure anyone even cares about the story here, though. The trailer clearly doesn't. Can Josh Brolin be in two great superhero movies within a month of each other playing different characters? Is that allowed? It's all about action and dick jokes. America!

Hold the Dark - TBA 2018

Jeremy Saulnier's follow-up to Green Room (2016), a movie I still love from last year two years ago is hopefully dropping sometime this year. It's based on a novel by William Giraldi about some wolves attacking folks in Alaska. Green Room by way of The Grey (2012) is my bag.

Annihilation - 02/23/18



I'm kind of curious about the February release date, but then again, I don't think this is meant to be a big studio release. It looks intense and bonkers and has a dynamite cast led by Portman, who hasn't really been in anything worthwhile in a while. There's a lot of mystery here, though, and to be honest, it'll hinge on that mystery paying off. It reminds me of A Cure for Wellness (2017), which dropped around that time last year. That movie also hinged on conspiracy and mystery, and when that didn't pay off the movie faltered. Hopefully Annihilation is skin-crawling.

The Beach Bum - TBA 2018

Harmony Korine is back to the beach, and it's been a long time since Spring Breakers (2013) blew my mind a few years ago. Korine tends to make really insane, gross, subaltern films and I for one am proud to feast my eyes. Not only that, but he somehow roped in McConaughey, Snoop Dogg, Zac Efron, Isla Fisher, and Jimmy Buffett. Is this real? McConaughey plays Moondog. It's the role he was born to play, baby!

Widows - 11/16/18

Ocean's 8 (2018) will get a lot of hype, but to be real honest, I'm flat out uninterested in distaff counterparts. That cast is dreamy, but I don't think it's progressive to just copy what dudes have done. I'd rather see a female heist flick that stands on its own. Hey, look - Widows! Steve McQueen directs, which gives me the sense that it will be more intense than it needs to be, but fuck...that cast. It's as if they looked at everyone who had a great 2017 and said, "Put them in this movie." Daniel Kaluuya, Carrie Coon, Viola Davis, Andre Holland, Jon Bernthal, Elizabeth Debicki...not to mention somehow Liam Neeson, Michelle Rodriguez, Colin Farrell, Jacki Weaver and...Robert Duvall?! This is McQueen's first film since his Oscar and from a script by Gillian Flynn, who has written other books, but this is her first screenplay since adapting her own Gone Girl. There's a lot that looks good on paper.

Isle of Dogs - 03/23/18



Each subsequent Wes Anderson film seems to become the most Wes Anderson film ever. This is a wonderful establishing trailer, and the high concept is a little weird, but it looks like a lot of real subtle, hipster animated fun. It's cute, although to be fair, I don't know what kid would get jacked up about this. Aren't there more Minions movies to fart over?! This is a weird ass movie. I'm into it.

Aquaman - 12/21/18

Normally I wouldn't be pumped about this at all. But Mamoa's Arthur Curry was one of the better parts of Justice League, and I'm curious to see what James Wan can do here. He's got big blockbuster experience now from Furious 7 (2015) ended up being one of the better entries in the long-going saga of Vin Diesel's cars, but we really need to look at his long, storied, and creative horror background to see what Wan can do. I'm curious if we get brooding Aquaman or bro Aquaman, though, because to be honest, if it's the former I have no interest.

The New Mutants - 04/13/18



Fox totally doesn't get enough credit for making things like Deadpool (2016), Logan (2017), and this. Sure, we go gaga over Disney pushing The Winter Soldier (2014) into thriller territory and Ant-Man (2015) into heist territory, but ultimately these are still just superhero films. Deadpool is a straight comedy, Logan is a straight western, and yes, New Mutants is straight horror. This is truly creative and original. They haven't really been rewarded for their efforts, but I'm pretty pumped about this. Of course, in a few years we'll get some Cannonball spin-offs as he fights alongside Vision and Black Panther against Annihilus or something, but dammit, let me enjoy this for now.

There are two more films that I hesitate previewing because I just don't believe that they will in fact come out this year. That is Marty Scorsese's The Irishman and Terry Gilliam's The Man Who Killed Don Quixote. Listen, the latter already had a fucking documentary out about not making it. That was like sixteen years ago! I'm not sure the long gestation period will help either film once they actually make it to the theater, but if they're great, I'm pumped.

What are you hyped about this year?!

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