The holiday season is here, but more importantly, many great films are on their way. December fourth delivers some scares, meaningful messages, and even some glorious medieval battles. In this brief preview, I’m going to let you know a little bit about some of the films headed to theaters this upcoming weekend.
“Krampus”
First off is for all horror and Christmas fans. Yes I just combined those. The film “Krampus” hits theaters this weekend, and depicts the story of a family whose loss of the holiday spirit summons not Santa, but an evil Christmas spirit known as Krampus. In typical slasher fashion, he proceeds to terrorize a family throughout Christmas night. Not being a huge horror fan, I wasn’t too excited when I heard about this movie. But the trailers intrigued me and it actually looks to be more of a dark comedy than horror. Adam Scott, (“Parks and Recreation”) David Koechner, (“Anchorman”) and Alison Tolman (“Fargo”) all star in director Michael Dougherty’s (“Trick ‘r Treat”) wacky and gruesome take on the Christmas lore.
“Chi-Raq”
Spike Lee’s newest film will grace screens this Friday as well, and his newest film looks to capture many of the defining aspects of his past works. He often caters toward a black audience, and while this film seems to follow along with that idea, it appears to be a great movie for al races to enjoy and learn from. The film tells the story of how a group of women use abstinence to rid violence in a bad neighborhood within Chicago.
Lee and company have based this tale off of the ancient Greek play “Lysistrata” and hope to convey the message of peace to a new generation. After just viewing the trailer, I could tell this had the possibility to be Lee at his finest. Samuel Jackson’s (Pulp Fiction) sassy narration, flashy imagery, and the clear depiction of a greater message all come together here in this drama. Alongside Jackson, stars such as Nick Cannon, (“Brooklyn Nine-Nine”) Wesley Snipes, (“Blade”) and Jennifer Hudson (“Dreamgirls”) all appear in this look at violence, sex, and race.
"Youth"
From Paolo Sorrentino, the acclaimed Italian filmmaker whose 2013 film (“The Great Beauty” saw immense success, comes a story about a retired composer played by Michael Caine (“The Dark Knight Rises” as he comes to terms with his aging. Like “The Great Beauty”, Sorrentino’s direction seems to focus on human emotion, and the everyday affects of life on people and their relationships. While this may not be an action packed thrill ride, it’s sure to entertain those who want a well-directed and expressive tale of sentiment. Along with Caine, stars like Harvey Keitel (“Reservoir Dogs”) and Paul Dano (“There Will Be Blood”) also look to add solid performances to the film. With star power such as this, a great up and coming director, and a story filled with self understanding and growth, “Youth” could possibly be in line for a few nominations this coming awards season.
Other films coming out on this date are “Life,” “MI-5,” and “Every Thing Will Be Fine."
