I honestly don’t get the hype behind fall. I mean, I like wearing hoodies and drinking apple cider just as much as anyone else, but would I give up the warmth of the summer sun for the bleak and blustery autumn air? No way, no how. But alas, like a meteorologist, I don’t control the weather. I’m just at the will of the Doppler radar.
However, the weather won’t stop me from enjoying the movies popping up in the theaters before winter. After all, the highest quality movies come out between September and November, so what’s not to love? Here’s some of the flicks that are making me all warm and fuzzy inside by just thinking about them:
“The Maze Runner: Scorch Trials” (Sept. 18) – Granted, I didn’t know what to expect when I saw the first “Maze Runner” last year. I assumed it would be another wannabe “Hunger Games,” but I can admit I was thoroughly surprised at how well-acted, engaging and engrossing it was.
Does that mean my expectations are higher for the sequel? Not necessarily, but I do think it should be equally as entertaining as the original if they stick to the winning formula. And as we all know, deviating from the formula usually doesn’t go well (cough, cough, New Coke).
“The Martian” (Oct. 2) – SPOILER ALERT: The last time we saw Matt Damon in outer space was during his cameo in “Interstellar,” when he got into a fight with Matthew McConaughey on some random planet in another dimension.
I like to imagine “The Martian” as a prequel to “Interstellar,” as it also features Damon stranded on another planet (Jessica Chastain appears in both movies as well), but from the looks of it, the two space flicks are nothing alike.
This one appears to be more about characters than special effects, and since it boasts one of the most stacked casts we’ll see in the coming months, I’d say that was the right decision.
“Steve Jobs” (Oct. 9) – Steve Jobs was a fascinating dude. His intelligence, his innovative spirit, his passion and his charisma were all things people revered and hated him for.
But none of that is the reason I’m excited for this one. It’s all about the director (Danny Boyle, “Slumdog Millionaire”), the writer (Aaron Sorkin, “The Social Network”) and the cast, which features Michael Fassbender, Seth Rogen and Kate Winslet.
Ever since Jordan, Bird and Magic teamed up to dominate the Olympics back in the day, I’ve become a huge proponent of “dream teams,” and let me tell you, this is without a doubt a cinematic dream team.
“The Peanuts Movie” (Nov. 6) – Charlie. Freaking. Brown. In 3-D. Enough said.
