Okay so this year’s movie guide is a bit late, but we're only two months into the year so it'll be fine. Besides with cinema ticket prices through the roof I won't catch much til the DVD release anyway.
So here, better late than never are my anticipated and considered movies for January and February. I will be quickly following up with my guide for the rest of the year.
Anticipated movie in January
Denial
UK release date: 27 January 2017
I've already seen this one and really enjoyed it. Some great performances from Rachel Weisz and Timothy Spall as you'd expect, but the main draw was the timely premise focussed on free speech and intellectual honesty. A real must-see. More negative reviews accuse it of being a glorified tv movie and I suppose I can see where they are coming from, but I'm glad I made this my most anticipated release this January.
Also considered January release:
Hacksaw Ridge
UK release date: 26 January 2017
A starring role for Andrew Garfield who I loved in The Amazing Spider-Man movies as well as his more recent performance in 99 Homes. Could be a bit schmaltzy but I'm intrigued about a story of a pacifist signing up as a stretcher bearer in WWII.
Anticipated movies in February
Resident Evil: The Final Chapter
UK release date: 3 February 2017
I am a big fan of Milla Jovovich as an action star (Resident Evil: Extinction, Ultraviolet, Joan of Arc: The Messenger, The Fifth Element). Sure this might not be great but I've seen all the other Resident Evil movies and I do not want to miss out on the final instalment.
The Lego Batman Movie
UK release date: 10 February 2017
The LEGO movie's Batman character was so much fun. So naturally I'm very excited to see more, so I'm keen to see what Chris McKay (Robot Chicken) does with this.
Moonlight
UK release date: 17 February 2017
Even before the Oscars ('cause seriously, who cares about the Oscars) there were multiple positive reviews for this film. A drama surrounding a gay young black man coming dealing with their place in society, cultural norms, all with fantastic performances, sounds like well worth checking out.
The Mind's Eye (UK title: Supernatural Forces)
UK DVD release: February 13 2017
I loved Joe Begos' John Carpenter-esque low budget horror movie "Almost Human" so I'm keen to see what he does with a psychic horror film in the mould of Cronenberg's "Scanners" (which I presume this is going to be).
Also considered February releases
Rings
UK release date: 3 February 2017
I've seen pretty much all the other movies in the Ring franchise so I guess I ought to check this out for completion's sake. (Though I'm infinitely more excited about Sadako Vs Kakayo which pits the evil psychic girl from Ring against the Ju-On ghosts.) Rings looks dumb as hell, which is a pity, but after finding The Ring Two was so horribly underrated I'm not inclined to trust the reviews. (Especially considering how overrated I found Verbinski's convoluted remake of Ring.) It's got to be better than Spiral (Rasen) right?
The Great Wall
UK release date: 17 February 2017
Yimou Zhang's "Hero" was an awesome film and frankly the idea that the wall of a China was used to keep out um... lizard men? Well, that sounds like a lot of fun.
Hidden Figures
UK release date: 17 February 2017
Black women working as mathematicians for NASA while the civil rights movement is ongoing. It's a very interesting premise. Unfortunately it apparently doesn't sound like it's as convincingly dramatised as it could be. One clip I recently heard seemed to feature an overly dramatic scene where a speech about the lack of access to blacks-only toilets is meant to be mind-blowing but comes across as inauthentic. Still, intriguing...
Anticipated movies in March
Get Out
UK release date: 17 March 2017 (UK)
An incredible trailer for this film exploring a fear of white people and mind control has me very excited.
The Void
UK release date: 31 March 2017
Steven Kostanski made the "W is for Wish" segment from ABCs of Death 2 which was particularly appealing for me because it was like a horror interpretation of the science-fantasy world of Masters of the Universe. (Kostanski also created Manborg which I am now keener to check out than ever. A John Carpenter-style Lovecraftian horror will always appeal to me, but this looks awesome. Also Ellen Wong (Knives Chau from Scott Pilgrim Vs The World) is in this too!
Also considered March releases
Logan
UK release date: 1 March 2017
While I didn't like the last Wolverine solo movie at all an interesting trailer for Logan has me intrigued. Besides, by this stage you can probably expect me to check out any X Men movie universe film at some point.
Kong: Skull Island
UK release date: 10 March 2017
Another King Kong movie potentially leading on to a showdown with Godzilla. It looks like a lot of fun.
Power Rangers
UK release date: 23 March 2017
Dean Israelite's debut "Project Alamanac" was a bit awkward and was understandably criticised as a Chronicle rip-off, but it showed enough promise for me to be excited by his (also Chronicle-esque) Power Rangers reboot.
Ghost in the Shell
UK release date: 31 March 2017
The more I see of this film the more excited I get. Scarlett Johansson in those action scenes looks awesome and the visuals are amazing. I'm just not certain that Rupert Sanders (Snow White And The Huntsman) can pull this off.
Anticipated movie in April
The Handmaiden
UK release date: 14 April 2017
It's the latest from Chan-Wook Park and while I found his films after Oldboy were a bit hit and miss, I was absolutely blown away by his last film: Stoker. I've no idea what to expect from The Handmaiden, but I'm hearing good things.
Also considered April release
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
UK release date: 28 April 2017
By now, like most people, I've become an avid follower of the Marvel Studios films. Guardians of the Galaxy actually wasn't a favourite for me, but I'm still keen to keep up.
Anticipated movies in May
King Arthur: Legend of the Sword
UK release date: 12 May 2017
Some have been understandably perturbed at seeing a Guy Ritchie adaptation of the Arthur legend where Arthur Pendragon comes across as "a geezer". Still, after The Man From UNCLE, which I loved so much, I'm prepared to give this project the benefit of the doubt. This looks like a more fun version of John Boorman's “Excalibur” and I'm looking forward to a unique take on the material.
Alien: Covenant
UK release date: 19 May 2017
Ridley Scott's The Martian was awesome and I was actually a fan of Prometheus. (The concept of a terrifying cultish alien race responsible for our existence really captured my imagination.) I love the alien movies (at least the second and third anyway) and I'm so glad we are getting this expansion of that universe rather than the semi-reboot that Neil Blomkamp was promising.
Also considered June release
Gifted 2017
UK release date: 16 June 2017
I loved Marc Webb's Amazing Spider-Man movies, particularly for how moving the central relationship was in the movie. (I've been meaning to check out 500 Days Of Summer.) His work particularly impressed me considering how much he seemed to be succeeding in spite of dodgy script decisions and studio interference. There's nothing particularly impressive about the premise but I may need to check this out.