The Counselor (NEW) and That Awkward Moment (Red Band) Trailers

Ridley Scott looks to bring the intensity with his 2013 crime-thriller The Counselor. Michael Fassbender stars as a lawyer who gets involved in a "one-time only" multi-million dollar drug deal that ends up going terribly wrong. With the always impressive Javier Bardem, Brad Pitt, Penelope Cruz and Cameron Diaz co-starring alongside Fassbender, you won't want to miss the newest trailer for The Counselor.





After gaining a ton of notoriety with their 2013 Sundance Film Festival hits, Miles Teller (The Spectacular Now) and Michael B. Jordan (Fruitvale Station) have officially joined Zac Efron's rank of elite-status. The trio star together in the 2014 comedy, That Awkward Moment. Three best friends decide to make a pact to live the single life together, but struggle to hold up their end of the bargain when they meet some interesting women and sparks begin to fly. The R-rated romantic comedy has officially released a RED BAND trailer, so enjoy it with a "cock-tail".

Philadelphia Film Festival Preview

There's plenty of reasons why I always argue that October is my favorite month of the year. First, there's the weather. The beautiful sunny days followed by chilly nights, I spend the Summer months just craving Fall's immaculate forecast. Next, October boasts my favorite holiday, Halloween. With all the horror movies and delicious candy floating around to keep us occupied, there's plenty to love about the tenth month of the year. But none of these irrefutable arguments can compare to my biggest reason why October is the best. It's the host month of the annual Philadelphia Film Festival. In its 22nd year, I decided to devote October's Movie-List of the Month to this year's 5 most anticipated film festival screenings. The Philadelphia Film Festival, which runs from October 17th to 27th, is the best way to get an early look at many of the biggest Oscar-contenders.

*** Click here for September's Movie-List of the Month


Honorable Mention: Cannes Film Festival Palme d'Or winner Blue is the Warmest Color, Judi Dench and Steve Coogan in Philomena, then there's Marion Cotillard, Joaquin Phoenix and Jeremy Renner who star in The Immigrant, Le Week-End featuring Jeff Goldblum, Jim Broadbent and Lindsay Duncan and finally the thriller Grand Piano starring Elijah Wood and John Cusack.

#5. Labor Day 

Director Jason Reitman developed quite the fan base among voting members of the Academy with earlier works Juno and Up in the Air. While his previous release, Young Adult, failed to garner a nomination, the jury is still out on Reitman's latest effort, Labor Day. Kate Winslet stars as a depressed single mother who won't even venture outside of the house. But when she gathers up the courage to take a routine trip to the grocery store, she and her son end up helping out a fugitive on the run (Josh Brolin). 

#4. August: Osage County

Whenever you mention Meryl Streep's name, you have to assume that the Academy is listening. This year Streep stars as a recently widowed matriarch who takes center stage after a crisis brings her entire dysfunctional family back together. Co-starring Julia Roberts, Ewan McGregor, Chris Cooper, Benedict Cumberbatch and many more, August: Osage County undeniably has dreams of awards season glory.

#3. All Is Lost

Opening Night of the Philadelphia Film Festival marks the triumphant and talked about return of Robert Redford in the survival tale All Is Lost. In the twilight of his career, Redford is in the early Best Actor conversation with his turn as a sailor who faces mortality after his boat collides into a shipping container floating aimlessly in the sea. 

#2. Nebraska

Believe it, anything director Alexander Payne touches turn to gold. He's a modern-day "King Midas". Payne returns in 2013 with his black & white comedy-drama Nebraska. Bruce Dern gives a highly buzzed-about performance as a befuddled old man who journeys with his estranged son (Will Forte) to Nebraska in order to claim his million-dollar sweepstakes prize. And not only does the Philadelphia Film Festival always offer a first look at Oscar-caliber features, they provide excellent insight with Hollywood insiders. Alexander Payne and Will Forte will be doing a brief Question & Answer session following the Monday screening of their film.

#1. 12 Years a Slave

Despite being a late addition (not even mentioned in the festival's program), the film to be most-excited about is Steve McQueen's festival darling that's swept every competition it's been nominated for, 12 Years a Slave. The reviews have been astounding and the cast is star-studded. Chiwetel Ejiofor plays Solomon Northup a free black man living in New York prior to the Civil War. However, Solomon is captured and transported to the south and sold into slavery where he suffers to stay alive and regain his freedom over the course of the next 12 years. Co-starring Michael Fassbender, Brad Pitt, Paul Giamatti and Paul Dano, 12 Years a Slave could be this year's Best Picture Winner!

The Monuments Men (New) and American Hustle (New) Trailers

The late-year releases keep on pushing out new, more informative, trailers. George Clooney looks to take a page out of Ben Affleck's book as he stars in and directs the World War II drama The Monuments Men. The film follows a group of art enthusiasts, painters and sculptors who leave the safety of the United States and travel into the heart of Europe to help recover stolen art from the Nazi's before the end of the war. With Matt Damon, Cate Blanchett, John Goodman, Bill Murray and Jean Dujardin on board, The Monuments Men appears to have all the makings of a Best Picture contender.





Silver Linings Playbook took last year's awards season by storm, and director David O. Russell returns quickly with his newest project, American Hustle. Boasting an all-star cast including Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper, Jeremy Renner, Amy Adams and Jennifer Lawrence, American Hustle centers around a pair of con artists who are forced to work for the FBI to help bring down the mafia. The feature's newest trailer is nothing short of excellent, and O. Russell's latest offering looks to give hope to 2013's end-of-year releases.

DVD Outlook: October 2013

Now, that's more like it! October offers a wide variety of strong DVD and Video-On-Demand selections (click here to view my September picks). And just in case you happened to miss any of these movies during their theatrical runs, now's your chance to make amends. So do the right thing!




The Conjuring - 3 stars out of 4 (Read my review here)

Just in time for the holiday season (I'm talking about Halloween, not Christmas), James Wan's horror throwback, The Conjuring, receives its DVD release. Real life paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren (played by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga) attempt to help a desperate family being terrorized by a demonic presence in their new home. The story is strong, the scares are plentiful and the terror is authentic. James Wan delivers one of the finest gore-free horror films in recent memory. Turn the lights off and sit back and enjoy The Conjuring the way it's meant to be seen. (October 22nd)




The Way, Way Back - 3 stars out of 4 (Read my review here)

So you loved Little Miss Sunshine and you're dying to see Steve Carell in more of a "bad guy" role? Whether you answered "yes" or not, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash's The Way, Way, Back should be on your October "To-Do List". The heartfelt and forthright coming-of-age tale delivers on both laughs and sincerity. Sam Rockwell shines brightest as Owen, an immature water-park owner who takes a teenage boy under his wing. The Way, Way Back is a suitable movie for just about any situation and it's certainly one you won't want to miss. (October 22nd)




This Is the End - 3 stars out of 4 (Read my review here)

What could be better than an apocalyptic comedy starring most of the funniest actors, comedians and entertainers floating around Hollywood? Almost nothing! My third recommendation of the month is the hysterical and crowd-pleasing raunchy comedy This Is the End. Follow along as childhood friends Jay Baruchel and Seth Rogen attempt to rekindle a seemingly lost relationship all while trying to withstand the end of the world at James Franco's house. It's a no-brainer that This Is the End brings a healthy dose of laughs and outlandishness, but the icing on the cake is a stellar finale. (October 1st)


Honorable Mention: Since I wasn't blown away by many of the other October DVD releases that I've seen, my secondary selections are filled with features I'm interested in checking out myself. One of the biggest Summer blockbusters makes its way to DVD. Pacific Rim (10/15) was an out-of-nowhere critical success and a film I plan on renting ASAP. For fans of romantic comedies, the third installment of Richard Linklater's acclaimed indie trilogy, Before Midnight (10/22), is one I look forward to seeing. Finally, Joss Whedon enamored audiences with his superhero spectacle The Avengers. Now, he dabbles in Shakespeare. One indie release I wasn't able to catch in theatres but intend to watch immediately is Whedon's Much Ado About Nothing (10/8).

Out of the Furnace (NEW) and The Secret Life of Walter Mitty Trailers

Two late year releases have offered a second glance into their stories. First there's Scott Cooper's Out of the Furnace starring Christian Bale, Woody Harrelson and Casey Affleck. A story centering around one man's relentless journey to find his missing brother, Out of the Furnace appears to have all the makings of a compelling drama.





Ben Stiller directs and stars in another Oscar-potential feature, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. An office worker who frequently zones out and experiences an imaginative and adventurous fantasy world inside of his head is forced to make things right after he puts a co-worker's job and his own at risk.

Captain Phillips

Film: Captain Phillips

Starring: Tom Hanks (Cloud Atlas) and Barkhad Abdi

Director: Paul Greengrass (The Bourne Ultimatum)

U.S. Release: October 11th, 2013 (Rated PG-13)

Genre: Action

Runtime: 134 minutes


It's been more than a decade since Tom Hanks has landed a swoon-worthy kind of role for the Academy to recognize. With back-to-back Oscar wins in the Best Actor category for marvelous performances in Philadelphia and Forrest Gump, Hanks spent much of the 90s and early 2000s nestled comfortably at the peak of the awards season mountain. The brilliant artist returns in 2013 with a pair of highly anticipated true-story roles as Walt Disney in Saving Mr. Banks and Paul Greengrass' self-titled Captain Phillips. As it appears, the stars have aligned once again and Tom Hanks is finally back atop the proverbial mountain.

Richard Phillips (played by Hanks) is a hard-nosed and dedicated Captain of the cargo vessel Maersk Alabama. On a typical voyage to deliver food and supplies around eastern Africa and the middle east, a band of Somali pirates hijack Phillips' ship and unarmed crew. Desperate to keep himself and his team out of harm's way, Captain Phillips demonstrates remarkable heroics throughout this trying ordeal.

Relentlessly tense and nerve-racking beyond belief, action guru Paul Greengrass summons one the most suspenseful movies of the year. Captain Phillips is a lengthy journey filled with highs, lows and just about everything in between. But rather than catering to an all-too-easy "good vs evil" approach implemented by many run-of-the-mill directors floating around Hollywood these days, Greengrass and writer Billy Ray mold together an honest and multi-layered film. Not only does Captain Phillips venture through the minute-after-minute terror experienced by the hijacked crew, the feature also dives deep into the desperate mindset of the vessel's captors. The ambitious attempt to witness the entire story surrounding this historic event allows Captain Phillips to develop into a more authentic and believable thrill ride.

Despite crafting a captivating and gut-wrenching encounter, Greengrass misses the mark on a few key areas. For starters, the well-rounded director over-extends every single aspect of the film. He could have easily attained his goal by cutting many of the feature's scenes in half. Whether it's the intense bickering and power struggle between the pirates or the Red Light/Green Light back-and-forth by the Navy Seals team near the film's conclusion, Captain Phillips is filled with anxiety-overkill and its clearly a deterrent. Furthermore, the movie's third act rings all too familiar to last year's Best Picture Nominee, Zero Dark Thirty. Therefore, being so fresh in our minds and far superior to this rehashed effort, Captain Phillips becomes a poor man's version of Kathryn Bigelow's hit ... but still worth the price of admission.

Tom Hanks has always been a magnificent performer, and his role in the action/drama Captain Phillips reiterates that notion. It doesn't matter if he's winning Golden Statues or not, Hanks is one of the greatest actors of all-time. And once again, you won't be disappointed with this one. If you can handle the anxiety and withstand the suspense, then you can't go wrong with Captain Phillips.


Stars: 3 stars out of 4

Grade: B

Philomena and Dom Hemingway Trailers

Academy Award Winner Judi Dench and comedian Steve Coogan star in the upcoming feel-good comedy Philomena. Centering around a journalist who tackles the story of a woman forced to give up her son at birth decades ago, Philomena has received a ton of attention following its first world screenings at the Venice and Toronto Film Festivals. As a dark horse for Oscar contention, check out the trailer for Philomena below.

After spending twelve years in prison for simply keeping his mouth shut, Dom Hemingway (played by Jude Law) reemerges in London to collect the money that he's owed. From the producers of Sexy Beast and the director of The Matador, Dom Hemingway has all the makings of a fun-filled crime comedy. Check out the film's firth theatrical trailer below.