Brooklyn
Director: John Crowley
Release date: Currently in theaters
"Brooklyn" is the touching story of Ellis Lacey, an Irish immigrant to New York in the 1950s, and how she misses home, falls for a tough Italian plumber, and must choose between two countries and lifestyles. "Brooklyn" tugs at the heart strings and will probably force a few tears, so be prepared.
Creed
Director: Ryan Coogler
Release date: Currently in theaters
If you liked any of the other "Rocky" movies, you’re absolutely going to love "Creed." The story of Apollo Creed’s illegitimate son Adonis “Donnie” Johnson, played by Michael B. Jordan, and how he pursues his dream of becoming a professional boxer. The film has also been generating a surprising amount of Oscar buzz, just like the original "Rocky" that won Best Picture in 1976.
The Night Before
Director: Jonathan Levine
Release date: Currently in theaters
"The Night Before" focuses on the yearly reunion of three childhood best friends on Christmas Eve. Sure it’s another Evan Goldberg/Seth Rogen production, so there are obviously lots of genital jokes and drug-related foils, but the movie has a few poignant, touching parts. Overall, it’s a very solid holiday movie and is a good time for anybody with a healthy sense of humor.
The Big Short
Director: Adam McKay
Release Date: December 11, 2015
"The Big Short" is based on the 2010 book of the same name by Michael Lewis, about the credit and housing bubbles that led to the financial crises from 2007-2010. Starring Christian Bale, Steve Carrell, Ryan Gosling, Brad Pitt, and Marissa Tomei, "The Big Short" sports a 78 percent fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes and is bound to be informative and also entertaining.
Son of Saul
Director: Laszlo Nemes
Release date: December 18, 2015
In "Son of Saul," an inmate in a concentration camp tasked with burning human remains discovers the body of his young son, and immediately must decide between participating in the secret inmate uprising and securing a proper burial for his son.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Director: JJ Abrams
Release date: December 18, 2015
Harrison Ford is back as Han Solo. Mark Hamill is back as Luke Skywalker. Carrie Fisher is back as Princess Leia (or, in the context of the new movie, “General Organa”). There’s a whole new generation of characters to bring "Star Wars" back in a big way. JJ Abrams also did the "Star Trek" reboot, which he did incredibly well, so there’s no reason to think that "The Force Awakens" will be anything less than spectacular.
Daddy’s Home
Director: Sean Anders
Release date: December 25, 2015
Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg are back at it with "Daddy’s Home," their second collaboration together. Their first, "The Other Guys," was an incredibly funny and well-made movie, and if "Daddy’s Home" can recapture any of that magic, this movie will be hilarious. Add in Linda Cardellini and Hannibal Burress, and you have the makings of a wicked funny movie.
The Hateful Eight
Directed by: Quentin Tarantino
Release Date: December 25, 2015
I'm just going to leave this here.
The Revenant
Director: Alejandro G. Iñárritu
Release date: December 25, 2015
Leonardo DiCaprio stars as Hugh Glass, a fur trapper and explorer, who gets mauled by a bear and left for dead on an 1823 expedition of the uncharted American wilderness. Iñárritu is looking to follow up the success he had with "Birdman," and Leo is hungry for an Oscar. I suspect this movie will be not only thrilling, but complex and very well-shot.
Ip Man 3
Director: Wilson Yip
Release date: January 22, 2016
If you saw the first two movies in the "Ip Man" series, you know why this movie is here. The cinematograhy is awesome, the action is exhilirating and Mike Tyson is going to star alongside a CGI-version of Bruce Lee. If that doesn’t sound awesome, then frankly, I don’t know what does.
