Hello 2014!

With a new year, we have a whole set of new films to look forward to. Of course, if you are like me, you still have a huge number of 2013 to get over with. But as it is becoming a tradition on this blog, I give you my most anticipated films of the coming year on 1st January (even though I'm failing my exams for writing this).

Honorable Mentions- Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit, Sils Maria, The Monuments Men, Beauty and the Beast, The Boxtrolls, Cuban Fury, Fury, Chef, 22 Jump Street, Tammy, The Interview, Dark Places, Madame Bovary,  The Imitation Game, Tom at the Farm, Maps to the Stars, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1, Unbroken, The Cobbler, Noah (still not sure on this one, but then, Aronofsky), Life Itself, Jupiter Ascending (again, for the directors), Jane Got a Gun, untitled Cameron Crowe, Neighbours, The Hobbit: There and Back Again, Stretch, The Maze Runner, Under the Skin, Annie, Get On It, The Search, Dumb and Dumber To, Horrible Bosses 2, Veronica Mars, Exodus, Cymbeline, Every Thing Will Be Fine, Happy Christmas, Frank, Brooklyn, Midnight Special, Need for Speed and any Terrence Malick film if he decides to release one this year.

The 25:

25) X-Men: Days of Future Past
This would have been higher on my list were it not for that gargantuan cast. Seriously, too many characters. There is big chance of this film not working, but I'm still quite excited. Also, that picture is hilarious.

24) Far From the Madding Crowd
Thomas Vinterberg made one of the most acclaimed movies of last year, The Hunt. This will be his English language debut. The material is great and so is the cast. I'm happy to see Tom Sturridge bagging such roles.

23) The Lobster
The concept is kind of genius- people forced to find their soulmates or else they turn into animals. The cast is exciting and I have become quite a fan of Yorgos Lanthimos over last year.

22) Muppets Most Wanted
The Muppets was one of the biggest surprises of 2011 for me. It was the happiest movie of the year and so I have high hopes for its sequel.

21) Nymphomaniac
I don't think any film has me equally intrigued and scared like this one. It is going to be something.

20) The Trip to Italy
I thought the first one was totally brilliant and super hilarious and I have a feeling this one will be too. And I love Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon!

19) Maleficient
Though the teaser did little for me, I have been excited for this film since day 1. Angelina Jolie is PERFECT for a role like this. And gotta love Elle Fanning.

18) Godzilla
Talking of teasers/trailers, Godzilla's absolutely rocked! Plus the cast and the visuals have my attention completely.

17) Transcendence
The trailer was absorbing enough and that cast is quite amazing. Curious to see how Wally Pfister fares as a director. Also, so nice to see Johnny Depp looking normal in a film... sorta...

16) Into the Woods

I love Chicago. That alone guarantees my interest in this film. But then we have fantastic actors like Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, Johnny Depp, James Corden (!), Chris Pine, Anna Kendrick in big and small roles playing fairy tale characters- oooooooooooo!!

15) Gone Girl
I'm sorry, David Fincher. I just hate Ben Affleck's chin so much! Otherwise your film would have been higher on the list, I swear on Jack's everything! I do love Rosamund Pike though.

14) How to Train Your Dragon 2
I regret not having watched How to Train Your Dragon in the theatres in 3D. Not making that mistake with its sequel, which looks quite breathtaking too.

13) Foxcatcher
Love it when an actor tries something different. Steve Carell looks set to wow us in this and, having read up on the whole incident, I think this might be a helluva movie.

12) The Fault in Our Stars
I absolutely loved the novel and Shailene Woodley has been fantastic in everything I've seen her in. I seriously hope and pray the film does John Green's beautiful, hilarious and heartbreaking book justice.

11) Guardians of the Galaxy
I think this is going to be a very atypical superhero movie, and we need some of those now. And wowsers Lee Pace, Chris Pratt and Karen Gillan in a movie together!

10) Magic in the Moonlight
Statistically, observing the trend in Woody Allen's recent films, this *should* be a dud. But I absolutely adore the idea of Emma Stone being in one of his films and this looks and sounds quite lovely.

9) Inherent Vice
It's probably a lazy reason but it's a Paul Thomas Anderson film. It's bound to be good if not great. Joaquin Phoenix is also in top-form right now and the story is very interesting.

8) The Raid 2: Berandal
Because The Raid is a perfect film. 'Nuff said.

7) The Double
Submarine is one of my most favourite films ever. This looks v.v.v.v.v. different, but that's not a bad thing, especially with some people talking about its similarities with Fight Club. Also, bless Richard Ayoade for bringing Jesse Eisenberg and Mia Wasikowska together in this film!

6) Captain America: The Winter Soldier
I am a huge fan of the first one and I like the fact that it seems to be merging superheroes with spies. Chris Evans is so great in this role too.

5) Only Lovers Left Alive
I like vampires. I like vampire romances. I like off-beat romances. I like John Hurt. I like Anton Yelchin. I like rockstars. I love Mia Wasikowska. I looove Tilda Swinton. I looooove vampire Tilda Swinton. I looooooove Tom Hiddleston. I looooooooove vampire Tom Hiddleston. I looooooooooove vampire rockstar Tom Hiddleston.
I think I will like this film.

4) Interstellar
I love a smart blockbuster and Christopher Nolan is just about the king of those. Excited to see what he does now, with the Dark Knight trilogy behind him. And then there is that cast which includes Matthew McConaughey, Jessica Chastain, Anne Hathaway and like a million other amazing people and basically, this might be brilliant.

3) Carol
Todd Haynes directing Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara in a film based on a Patricia Highsmith novel about two women in a relationship in the 50s on the run- YES PLEASE!

2) How to Catch A Monster
I *did* call this my most anticipated film of all time, but I am a bit scared about the surreal aspects of the film and obviously, how good the Gos will be as a director. Still, that's a picture of Ryan Gosling directing a shirtless Matt Smith. I'm ready to sell my soul to be able to attend the premiere.

1) The Grand Budapest Hotel

Look at that poster! This film is going to be gold. Don't you just wish that Wes Anderson was God so that the whole world would be as pretty as his films and everyone would be as fun as Ralph Fiennes's Gustav H. seems to be? Jokes (existential jokes? Idk) aside, my favourite thing about Wes Anderson's films are the darker layers hidden beneath their gorgeous exteriors and as delightfully screwball-like as The Grand Budapest Hotel's trailer seems to be, I think the film will have much more to offer. Cannot wait!


And there you have it. I hope all of us have a fantabulous 2014 :D

Thoughts

Hi peeps! Question- if you were a celebrity, what would you name your baby? I once joked about naming all my future adopted children after various alcoholic drinks. Clearly, I am destined for fame.

1. This week brought with it the very sad and shocking death of actor James Gandolfini, who was just 51. Though I have never watched The Sopranos properly, I really loved his work in True Romance and Where the Wild Things Are. Alex wrote one of his excellent In Character posts on Gandolfini's best performances.

2. So The Amazing Shit-Man 2's production is as all over the place as the first movie was. They cast the lovely Shailene Woodley as the awful Mary Jane Watson and then kicked her out after filming her scenes. Now apparently Sarah Gadon is going to play her instead, but in The Amazing Shit-Man 3. I don't understand why they have announced release dates for parts 3 and 4. What if the world ends by then? And gosh, as adorable as Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone and Dane DeHaan are, they are going to be really old to play teenagers!

3) Well, to be fair, Robert Downey Jr. has signed on to play Iron Man in The Avengers 2 and 3, which will release in 2015 and probably 2017 respectively. But then, he is awesome and I really cannot picture the Avengers without him, even though it's already like a huge spoiler for his character since he possibly cannot die in the first sequel. If you remember, Joss Whedon (Happy Birthday to him!) had promised more death in The Avengers 2. Ah well. Empire has an infographic on the various cinematic phases of the Marvel universe.

4) Sam Taylor-Johnson, director of Nowhere Boy and wife of Aaron Johnson, is going to direct the very very very very very very very very very very unnecessary adaptation of Fifty Shades of Grey. I have read the book due to well, Ryan Gosling, and I just don't see it happening unless they go like, full porno. There are just too many sex scenes. I don't know what they're going to do with this. Felicity Jones's name has been mentioned for the role of Anastasia Steele. I will admit, I am curious as to who finally gets cast as Christian Grey, since every tall, attractive actor in his 20s or 30s has been linked to this role. Hmmmm.

5) Other casting news- Anna Kendrick has been cast as Cinderella in Rob Marshall's musical Into the Woods along with Daniel Huttlestone, who was brilliant as Gavroche in Les Miserables, and will play Jack from Jack and the Beanstalk. This film is getting quite the cast. Speaking of Cinderella, Helena Bonham Carter is going to play the fairy godmother in the new live action movie with Cate Blanchett playing the Evil Queen and Richard Madden as the Prince. Though this is kind of a lazy casting choice, I hope the film is good. Next, Jason Schwartzman is joining the Amy Adams and Christoph Waltz in Big Eyes, which is being directed by Carter's baby-daddy, Tim Burton. Awesomesauce! Finally, Casey Affleck will be seen in Christopher Nolan's Interstellar along with Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain and Michael Caine. I really cannot wait for this film.

6) Matt Smith is a bastard. His Doctor Who goodbye video-

ALL THE FEELS! 

How does he manage to look adorable in that get-up?

7) Steve McQueen's next, Twelve Years A Slave, has a number of promotional pictures out which shows stars Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender, Benedict Cumberbatch, Dwight Henry, Sarah Paulson and newcomer Lupita Nyongo in full costume and action. Early word has it that the villain Fassy is playing is going to take evil to a new level *happy shudders*.

8) Trailers- Sundance-winner The Spectacular Now looks really good, but I don't know how much longer I can take the "being young is awesome" thing. The Perks of Being a Wallflower sort of broke me. The LEGO Movie has a trailer out. Yaay? I don't really care. One of my most anticipated movies of the year, Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues has a trailer now and it looks pretty funny, especially that little scene with Steve Carell's Brick and an equally weird Kristen Wiig. The teaser to Disney's Frozen is actually awesome. I am going to look forward to this one. Jobs, which has Ashton Kutcher playing Apple creator Steve Jobs, looks okay. I am not holding my breath though I want to give Kutcher a chance. Finally, I kind of hated The Wolf of Wall Street trailer when it came out but it's like one of those awful catchy songs you can't quite stop listening to, or in this case watching, till it becomes a part of your being. I mean, I can watch an entire film with Leo just bustin' out them moves.

9) Finally, these need to be on my blog because of reasons-

What Graham Norton said.

No, seriously-

*insert the sound of angels singing because this is what Heaven looks like*

And with that, I say toodles.

Thoughts

I don't know how but I have gotten into this terrible habit of posting my weekly thoughts every two weeks. I am late today as well and will probably be next week too as I am going to UAE for my summer hols. I promise to work on being better though.

1) First of all, Something Is Afoot.

2) Old, old news to get off my chest- Lee Pace will be the villain in Guardians of the Galaxy. Even though this means that all of his beauty will probably be burried under tons and tons of make-up, I am really happy that Pace is getting the big break he deserves. He is also in talks to star in the second season of Hannibal, along with fellow-Pushing Daisies stars Kristin Chenowyth and Anna Friel. Him, Mikkelsen and Dancy- yummy! (See what I did there?) Next, people are trying to remake The Crow, which I feel is an excellent idea because the story and the character are very interesting and the 1994 original is almost too cult to do them justice. Among the people whose names have been thrown around for playing the titular character are James McAvoy, Tom Hiddleston (who would have been perfect, imo), and now Alexander Skarsgard is in talks. Speaking of Hiddles, he will be starring in a Robert Capa biopic along with fellow Marvel-actor, Hayley Atwell. Me likey. His Marvel brother Chris Hemsworth is going to star in a new Michael Mann cyberthriller along with Viola Davis. I think this is a very interesting pairing and am excited to see what comes out of it.

3) Jessica Chastain is in talks to star in Christopher Nolan's next big space adventure movie, Interstellar. She will join Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway and Nolan-regular, Michael Caine. Give me this movie NOW!

4) Daniel Radcliffe continues to make bold, cool choices with his post-Potter career. He is going to star in the adaptation of Tokyo Vice which is based on a true story about a reporter whose crime stories and a final scandal get him into trouble with a Yakuza boss. It is going to be directed by music director Anthony Madler, who is making his feature film debut with this. I really like how this sounds. Let's hope it's awesome and DanRad with it.

5) Paul Thomas Anderson is set to start shooting his next film Inherent Vice this month. It will star his The Master-collaborator, the great-faced Joaquin Phoenix (what a face, man!). I am still a bit sad that Robert Downey Jr. won't be in it instead. I think he and PTA would have made quite a pair. Still, cinephiles everywhere are rejoicing of course.

6) Michael Fassbender and Natalie Portman are going to "Bard" it up in Justin Kurzel's adaptation of Macbeth. I wasn't the biggest fan of the Scottish play when we studied it in school, but if anyone can make me change my mind, it is Fassy. I think he will be perfect. And Portman, who so cleverly joined this project after being denied the chance to work with Fassy in the now-annoying-with-its-casting-problems Jane Got A Gun, is a very intriguing choice to play Lady Macbeth, who was probably the only character I liked in the play. Kurzel, whose debut film Snowtown is apparently very violent, is again a most interesting choice as the director. I can see this working v. well.

7) Other casting news- Bradley Cooper is going to star in Steven Spielberg's next American Sniper, which is based on the autobiography of Navy SEAL Chris Kyle. I have become quite the Cooper fan since Silver Linings Playbook and am thus looking forward to this film. My husband, Logan Lerman, has joined Brad Pitt and Shia LaBeouf in David Ayer's World War 2 tank drama Fury. The film is about a five-man American tank squadron who go to Germany to fight off Nazi forces. Lerman, according to the site, will play, "Norman Ellison, an Army typist and the youngest and most inexperienced member of the crew who is thrust into being a tank gunner." Sounds pretty good to me.

8) Only one poster worth talking about really, and that is of Lars Von Trier's potentially v.v.v.v.v.v.v.v.v.v. controversial new film, Nymphomaniac. I think it is brilliant. People have been calling it a Tumblr fan poster, but that's exactly what I love about it. Fan posters often highlight the most important features of the respective film and just drown out all the noise and that is what this poster is doing. This two-part film is about the sexual journey of a woman, played by the underrated Charlotte Gainsbourg, and the poster is implying this in the most simplest of ways. Genius!

9) Trailers- The Bling Ring's official trailer is making me want this film even more than I do, which is A LOT. Also, I am so going to be talking like (well, trying to) Emma Watson for a week after I watch this. Thor: The Dark World looks cool, especially with Game of Thrones director Alan Taylor at its helm. I expect loads of fight scenes. My favourite part of the trailer is Loki, obviously. Violet and Daisy looks very interesting and lovely. Love the duo of Alexis Bledel (Rory Gilmore!) and Saoirse Ronan. Kristen Wiig's follow-up to Bridesmaids, Girl Most Likely looks like a whole lot of fun. I think she and Annette Benning, who plays her mum, are a charismatic and awesome match, and Matt Dillon and even Darren Criss are great. Joss Whedon's Much Ado About Nothing looks so so so so good and I really hope it releases here. I am certain that I will love it. Finally, for trailer of the week, Pacific Rim looks unfuckingbelievably out-of-this-world fantastic! 2500 tons of awesome to be exact. I can't wait to watch this now.

10) Finally, my most anticipated film of all time has started filming-

Hottest director ever, anyone?

Also, I am guessing (and hoping and praying) that the picture below is for How to Catch a Monster and not Doctor Who-

It *is* a bit of a shock, but I think it is fine, all in all. Hair generally grows back. 

However, when this picture got released, this is what happened to Tumblr-

This is coincidentally what is going to happen to my ovaries once the Gos and Matt Smith start filming together. Can't wait.

Byee!!