+
PAGE 14B
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
WEDNESDAY AUGUST 20, 2014
+
20TH CENTURY FOX
Fall box office releases stretch across genres
'The Trip to Italy' - August 29 -
Liberty Hall
"The Trip" didn't need a ridiculous premise or bawdy gags to become one of the funniest films of recent years, just Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon poking fun at each other with largely improvised banter and dueling impressions of famous actors. Now they're back for another road trip of fine dining, this time through the idyllic Italian countryside. They've matured since the last outing and ponder growing older, death, friendship and the little stuff in between. But their witty dialogue about life comes second to the impersonations of Michael Caine, Al Pacino, Sean Connery and many more that will have you laughing out loud throughout.
'A Walk Among the Tombstones'
- Sent. 19
Sure, we've seen Liam Neeson as a grizzled ass-kicker hunting down the bad guys over and over since "Taken," but he's so intense it doesn't get old (despite his age), and "A Walk Among the Tombstones" has a high pedigree behind it that should actually make it a worthwhile surprise. Writer/director Scott Frank also made the unique heist gem "The Lookout," so he can pack an exciting punch into a seemingly standard crime thriller. Neeson plays a P.I. searching for the criminal group who kidnapped and killed a drug kingpin's wife in this bestselling novel adaptation that looks dark, gritty and stylish.
By Alex Lamb
@lambcannon
narrators and an angle that makes this murder mystery highly relevant and engrossing, this will be better than any real-life story on Dateline.
'Birdman' - Oct.17
Alejandro González Iñárritu's dramedy "Birdman," about a troubled actor (Michael Keaton), once famous for his superhero movie role now trying to reclaim his former greatness by staging a Broadway play, will be one of this year's craziest films. Drawing on Keaton's real role as Tim Burton's Batman, the story shows the surreal state of mind of the actor as his Birdman persona collides with reality for what seems like a hilarious, sad and technically astounding journey. "Gravity" cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki purportedly shot the film to look like one long,
continuous shot, meaning a guaranteed, dazzling cinematic marvel.
'Interstellar' - Nov.7
Christopher Nolan has kept details pretty secretive for his new sci-fi blockbuster "Interstellar," which means the film has some phenomenal surprises in store for viewers. The story stars Matthew McConaughey and Anne Hathaway as scientists going on a space mission through a wormhole to discover a more hospitable planet than climate-embattled Earth. Nolan seems to be going for scope comparable to "2001: A Space Odyssey" with this film, saying it's his biggest yet. Considering his last original sci-fi movie was "Inception," prepare yourself to be blown away when this opens. If you see one film in IMAX all year, this should be it.
Edited by Casey Hutchins
Debut, returning series sure to thrill this season
TELEVISION
By Alex Lamb
@lambcannon
'Gotham' - Sept. 22 at 7 p.m.
on EDX
WARNER BROTHERS
Of all the upcoming superhero and comic-based TV shows, this prequel to the Batman universe looks to deliver the best content. FOX knows how to do police and crime thrillers pretty well, and despite its bit of cartooniness, it will no doubt prove entertaining. "Gotham" focuses on future Commissioner Jim Gordon (Ben McKenzie) working to fight the crime and villains of Gotham City's streets when Bruce Wayne is still a boy. There's lots to mine from the comics, and witnessing the origin and evolution of iconic characters always makes for interesting narratives.
'The Walking Dead' - Oct. 12 at 8 p.m. on AMC
'How to Get Away with Murder'
- Sept. 25 at 9 p.m. on ABC
One of TVs queen creators,
After the climactic ending to season 4 found the group of survivors as prisoners to the dangerous crew of Terminus, this new season promises heavy strife as they must work together to get the only person who can stop the zombie plague to D.C. "The Walking Dead" isn't just the most popular show on cable because of its killer carnage; it has steadily improved the past couple seasons with intense conflict, characters we love in such an awful world and bad guys we love to hate.
'Homeland' - Oct. 5 at 8 p.m.
on Showtime
national security risk to worry about, so if you've wanted to give "Homeland" another (or first) shot, you could jump into this tense espionage thriller with this season.
Shonda Rhimes, has a whole block of three shows in a row this fall. After "Grey's Anatomy" and "Scandal," her new show, "How to Get Away with Murder" will follow suit. If you like the sex, lies, deceit and students learning a new profession in those, then ABC is already hedging its bets you'll become obsessed with this. Viola Davis from "The Help" stars as a criminal defense professor teaching her students the nitty-gritty of how to get your client off innocent, even if it requires illegal methods.
"Homeland" lost some of its followers with the different directions it took in seasons 2 and 3, while others thought it became even more suspenseful and emotional. The Brody storyline has officially ended and now Agent Carrie Mathison (Claire Danes) will have a new
American Horror Story: Freak Show' - Oct. 8 at 9 p.m. on FX More series are starting to pick up the anthology style of seasons, and "American Horror Story" keeps getting ballsier with each one. While the last season, "Coven," had some missteps brought about by a lack of consistent rules governing its world, each episode was still wonderfully violent, brutally creative and thrilling, with great characters to invest in. This new season will be lead actress Jessica Lange's last, and as it centers around the last traveling freak show in the '50s, the potential for cult horror should delight any horror enthusiast.
'American Horror Story: Freak
- Edited by Casey Hutchins
GOOD THRU 8-31-14