Coming soon...

Apologies for the lack of posts in recent months. I have been somewhat busy, especially in terms of employment. Plus, I have been wanting to vary things up a bit but without wanting to stray too far away from what I am comfortable and familiar with. Anyway, to keep the blog active, here are a list of upcoming releases that I hope to try and see before the end of the year (N.B. the main reason I have not included Mockingjay Part 2 is because I have only seen the first of The Hunger Games films, so I need to see the others beforehand):

• Macbeth - released October 2nd
• Let's be honest, the first trailer looks epic; plus ideal casting of Michael Fassbender in leading role; finally a film based on Shakespeare that interests me.

•  Crimson Peak - released October 16th
• A gothic horror film from director Guillermo del Toro (Pan's Labyrinth) starring Tom Hiddleston (that just seems right!); also starring Charlie Hunnam (who worked with del Toro on Pacific Rim), Jessica Chastain and Mia Wasikowska; looks like del Toro is going back to his early works.

• Spectre - released November 6th
• The follow-up to Skyfall, once again with Sam Mendes directing; interesting to see what they will do to follow it up and how they will use Christoph Waltz, who we have been assured isn't playing Blofeld.

• Bridge of Spies - released November 6th
• Simple formula:
• Steven Spielberg + Tom Hanks + True story = Good times

• Steve Jobs - released November 13th
• Yes, I know there has already been a biopic film about Steve Jobs starring Ashton Kuchar that wasn't much good, but this one stars Michael Fassbender, is directed by Danny Boyle (Trainspotting and 127 Hours) and written by Aaron Sorkin (the Oscar-winning writer of The Social Network).

•  The Martian - released November 27th
• Is there life on Mars (well, in this there is Matt Damon)?; hopefully a return to form for Ridley Scott.

• High-Rise - UK release date TBC
• Based on the book by J. G. Ballard; lots of talk about adapting this in the past; so grim it seems ideal to be directed by Ben Wheatley (Kill List, Sightseers and A Field in England); also stars Tom Hiddleston. 

• The Program - UK release date TBC
• Directed by Stephen Frears (The Queen and Philomena) based on the book Seven Deadly Sins: My Pursuit of Lance Armstrong by David Walsh, the journalist who spent years convinced that Lance Armstrong was using performance enhancing drugs to win the Tour de France; could be good, but could also be this year's Fifth Estate (hopefully that isn't the case).

• Rock the Kasbah - UK release date TBC
• A comedy about a music manager played by Bill Murray (seems like ideal casting) who discovers a talented girl while touring Afghanistan and enters her in a reality TV show; directed by Barry Levinson, so that's probably why I am wanting it to be like Good Morning Vietnam.

And, of course...

•  Star Wars Epsiode VII: The Force Awakens - released December 18th
• To sum up my excitement, in the immortal words of Chewbacca, "RRRAARRWHHGWWR!!!"

If there are any I have missed out on that you believe I should try to see, let me know. There probably will be, because sometimes even the films you know very little or nothing about could be the ones that surprise you and be amongst the best of the year.