January is typically considered the graveyard of the cinematic calendar. Any film that wants to be eligible for an Academy Award has to be released in theaters before the start of nomination voting (December 27th this year). So Oscar season is officially over, and we're still months away from the start of blockbuster season. So what's left? Well, you could go see the fifth entry in the now-tired "Paranormal Activity" franchise (subtitled "The Marked Ones") or an animated movie about squirrels ("The Nut Job"). OR you could check out these five releases that have us hopeful that January won't be a complete waste after all.
The Best OfferFrom director Giuseppe Tornatore ("Cinema Paradiso") comes this romantic crime drama about an auctioneer who falls in love with an extremely reclusive art collector. The spooky trailer features a foreboding atmosphere, people hiding in shadows, creepy paintings and bizarre automatons. Starring Geoffrey Rush ("Pirates Of The Caribbean"), Jim Sturgess ("Across The Universe") and Donald Sutherland ("The Hunger Games"), this mysterious-looking film is certain to be more memorable than the month's usual forgettable fluff.
Interior. Leather Bar.James Franco continues his increasingly-bizarre career path with this documentary in which he strives to recreate the 40 minutes of screen time lost from the 1980 film "Cruising". Directed by William Friedkin and starring Al Pacino as a cop who goes undercover in NYC's gay scene to catch an S&M murderer, "Cruising" is notorious for the sheer amount of footage that ended up on the cutting room floor, deemed too controversial and explicit. "Interior. Leather Bar." is an experiment in pushing boundaries and an exploration in sexual and artistic freedom that is sure to have people talking when it opens this weekend.
Jack Ryan: Shadow RecruitWhen Martin Scorsese's "The Wolf Of Wall Street" had to be pushed back to allow the director to trim the 3+ hour running time, "Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit" sadly lost its coveted Christmas release date. It belatedly hits theaters this month, starring Chris Pine ("Star Trek Into Darkness") as the CIA analyst/spy, the fourth actor to play the role (after Alec Baldwin in "The Hunt For Red October", Harrison Ford in "Patriot Games" and "Clear And Present Danger", and Ben Affleck in "The Sum Of All Fears"). Director Kenneth Branagh is sure to bring the same Shakespearean finesse he brought to the first "Thor" movie to this tale of Russian terrorists attempting to crash the U.S. economy. "Shadow Recruit" is the last film author Tom Clancy worked on before his death in October, and is the only film in the Jack Ryan franchise that isn't based on a specific book by the beloved author.
Labor DayJason Reitman is known for his funny dramas centered around quirky, flawed characters: "Up In The Air", "Juno", "Young Adult". So "Labor Day" is something of a departure for the director, starring Kate Winslet and Josh Brolin in easily Reitman's most sentimental work to date. Brolin is an escaped convict who takes Winslet and her young son hostage in their home in order to hide from the police. Over one hot Labor Day weekend, the imprisonment evolves into romance. Oh, and it features a scene with peach cobbler that rivals the infamous pottery scene from "Ghost" for most messily romantic cinematic interlude. Read our review.
That Awkward MomentOkay, so this one's a bit of a stretch. Yes, it stars tween-crush Zac Efron. And yes, it's about a group of emotionally immature young men. But two things have us hopeful about this one's chances: costars Miles Teller and Michael B. Jordan. Teller headlined this summer's critically-adored coming-of-age film "The Spectacular Now", and Jordan is widely considered 2013's biggest breakout star with his emotionally devastating turn in "Fruitvale Station". Hopefully together these two promising young talents can elevate the cliché "dude bro" genre to a higher art form. Fingers crossed. Tweet us @Stagebuddy to let us know what January releases you're looking forward to the most!
