Monthly Movie Madness: October

As you may have noticed Box Office preview hasn't been done for a while. That's mostly because due to time constraints something had to go, not only was that one of the more time consuming endeavours but it was also the thing getting the least amount of views so insted of letting you know what's happening at the movies weekly I've decided to do a preview for the month, on the first friday of every new month I'll be looking at what are my most anticipated movies for that month, ignoring the fact that this is the 2nd friday in October let's delve right into this month.

Before we start I must admit Because this was done late I've already seen Gravity, had I of not it would've been in the top 3 likely but because it has been seen I am leaving it off. Now here's my Top 5 for October:

5. CBGB: Okay so the early reviews aren't great, but being a punk kid, it'd be a travesty to not have this one on my list. It's only hitting limited theatres so if you're one of the lucky ones check it out and if it helps Ron Weasley and Snape of Harry Potter are headlining the cast, that's Rupert Grint and Alan Rickman for all you non-nerds out there. If by chance it isn't playing near you, don't fret it'll be on DVD by the new year.

Synopsis: CBGB looks at New York's dynamic punk rock scene through the lens of the ground-breaking Lower East Side club started by eccentric Hilly Kristal in 1973 originally as a home for "country, bluegrass and blues" (thus the club's name) and which showcased cutting-edge bands through its closing in 2006. The Talking Heads, Patti Smith, The Ramones, Blondie, The Dead Boys, Bad Brains, Green Day, Soul Asylum, The Police, Bruce Springsteen, Everclear, George Thorogood, The Velvet Underground, Sonic Youth, The Black Crowes, The Flaming Lips, The Goo Goo Dolls, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, The B-52s, The Runaways, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Tool and The Wallflowers are just some of the thousands of bands that played the club over the years.

4. Captain Phillips: So Tom Hanks hasn't had a hit in a while, but this is right in his wheelhouse. The early reviews are great and I can see it having Zero Dark Thirty lasting power, though I don't see it quite matching up with the incredible holds put up by Argo last fall. This is the 2nd, after Gravity, big Best Picture contender to open this year and I tihkn it'll do just fine come award season.

Synopsis: Captain Phillips is a multi-layered examination of the 2009 hijacking of the U.S. container ship Maersk Alabama by a crew of Somali pirates. It is - through director Paul Greengrass's distinctive lens - simultaneously a pulse-pounding thriller, and a complex portrait of the myriad effects of globalization. The film focuses on the relationship between the Alabama's commanding officer, Captain Richard Phillips (two time Academy Award (R)-winner Tom Hanks), and the Somali pirate captain, Muse (Barkhad Abdi), who takes him hostage. Phillips and Muse are set on an unstoppable collision course when Muse and his crew target Phillips' unarmed ship; in the ensuing standoff, 145 miles off the Somali coast, both men will find themselves at the mercy of forces beyond their control. The film is directed by Academy Award (R) nominee Paul Greengrass, from a screenplay by Billy Ray based upon the book, A Captain's Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALs, and Dangerous Days at Sea, by Richard Phillips with Stephan Talty. The film is produced by Scott Rudin, Dana Brunetti, and Michael De Luca.

3. Runner Runner: Bad reviews be damned, I still want to see this movie, sure it opened last week to bad reviews and low box office figures but it's still Ben Affleck and Justin Timberlake, yes that Justin Timberlake, I'm actually of the opinion he can act, have you seen Alpha Dog? I'm not sure I'll get the chance to see this in theatres as there are things ahead of it as well as the low figures likely means a quick exit from theatres.

Synopsis: Richie, a Princeton college student who pays for school with on-line gambling, bottoms out and travels to Costa Rica to confront the on-line mastermind, Ivan, whom he believes has swindled him. Ivan sees a kindred spirit in Richie and brings the younger man into his operation. When the stakes get incredibly high and dangerous, and Richie comes to fully understand the deviousness of his new boss, he tries to turn the tables on him.

2. The Counselor: I love me some Ridley Scott films and that cast... Oh my god... That cast. The early results seem preferable as it currently sports an incredible 97% want to see rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Opening at the end of the month, The Counselor should turn heads and be front and center come award season.

Synopsis: Legendary filmmaker Ridley Scott and Pulitzer Prize winning author Cormac McCarthy (No Country for Old Men) have joined forces in the motion picture thriller THE COUNSELOR, starring Michael Fassbender, Penélope Cruz, Cameron Diaz, Javier Bardem, and Brad Pitt. McCarthy, making his screenwriting debut and Scott interweave the author's characteristic wit and dark humor with a nightmarish scenario, in which a respected lawyer's one-time dalliance with an illegal business deal spirals out of control.




1. Carrie: Okay so had this film of come out in any other month it likely wouldn't of cracked #1 but let's be fair here. It's October, Halloween month, of course I'm going to want to go to the theatre and check out a sweet horror movie, and even though it's slim-pickings this month, Carrie still looks really good. Chloe Grace Moretz is the leading lady in the re-imagining of the classic horror hit.

Synopsis: A reimagining of the classic horror tale about Carrie White (Chloë Grace Moretz), a shy girl outcast by her peers and sheltered by her deeply religious mother (Julianne Moore), who unleashes telekinetic terror on her small town after being pushed too far at her senior prom. Based on the best-selling novel by Stephen King, Carrie is directed by Kimberly Peirce with a screenplay by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa.

Honourable mentions: The aforementioned Gravity, 12 Years a Slave, Escape Plan, and Kill Your Darlings