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ARTS & CULTURE | KANSAN.COM
PHOTO FROM TRISTAR PICTURES
Joseph Gordon-Levitt portrays the famous highwire artist Philippe Petit in "The Walk," a biographical film directed by Robert Zemeckis and due to be released on Sept. 30.
7 movies worth watching in Sept. and Oct.
ALEX LAMB @Lambcannon
Franchise malaise has set in after a summer blockbuster season overstuffed with sequels. So the upcoming originals of the fall are welcomed with open arms, especially the new offerings from some powerhouse directors. Just be cause summer is over doesn't mean you should be going to the movies less.
BLACK MASS SEPT.18
Johnny Depp has been more obnoxious than impressive recently, so his meaty role as the real-life Boston gangster Whitey Bulger, who worked with the FBI and then reigned over the city with violent impunity, gives reason to take him seriously again. He successfully played John Dillinger in the flawed but enjoyable "Public Enemies" and "Black Mass" surrounds him with a fantastic cast in blistering criminal conflict.
EVEREST SEPT. 25
Now this is a real disaster movie, not one of those ridiculous computer-generated-imagery-fests such as "San Andreas." This true story of the worst expedition to Mt. Everest in history features a terrific cast climbing the monstrous mountain only to be hit by a calamitous snow storm that turns their great journey into a brutally intense fight for survival.
The scale of danger in this gripping thriller will make for one hell of an edge-of-yourseat experience.
THE WALK
SEPT. 30
Joseph Gordon-Levitt does a literal high-wire act in this true story of the Frenchman who came to New York to cross between the Twin Towers in 1974.
Using no safety measures, the illegal stunt has been called the "artistic crime of the century" Shown from above, "The Walk" guarantees a suspenseful time. Now that "Forrest Gump" director Robert Zemeckis is over his strange motion capture CGI phase and the moralizing of "Flight," this looks like his return to form.
THE MARTIAN
OCT.2
Ridley Scott returned to his
sci-fi roots with the spectacular "Prometheus," and this more grounded story looks like a keen combination of his visual splendor within the genre and a satisfying narrative of the human spirit's strength for survival. On a mission to Mars, one of the astronauts (Matt Damon) gets left behind on the red planet, presumed dead, and must figure out how to keep himself alive and signal Earth, prompting his crew to plan a daring return for his rescue.
STEVE JOBS
OCT.9
Sure, there was that mediocre Steve Jobs biopic with Ashton Kutcher that only covered until the new millennium, but that's like an old PC compared to this Mac version
of his life. Michael Fassbender embodies the cutthroat brilliance of the man behind Apple while Seth Rogen leans more dramatic than usual as his partner, Steve Wozniak.
Written by the politically punchy and quick-witted Aaron Sorkin, and directed by the electrifyingly creative Danny Boyle, this fierce film gives the technology visionary his cinematic due.
CRIMSON PEAK OCT.16
Guillermo del Toro's best work lies within the realm of fantasy horror, like his early films and "Pan's Labyrinth", so this original Victorian ghost story looks particularly promising for wildly creative creepiness.
Mia Wasikowska joins Tom Hiddleston and Jessica
Chastain in a mansion filled with dark secrets and restless spirits, many of which are sure to leave a haunting impression with their weirdly scary design.
BRIDGE OF SPIES OCT.16
Steven Spielberg directed Tom Hanks through the frontline in World War II, and now takes him to the frontline of the Cold War in this true story of a lawyer the CIA sent to Berlin to negotiate the return swap of an American spy pilot for a Soviet Union spv.
Add to that a script co-written by the Coen brothers and you've got another tense, impressive Spielberg Oscar-contender about an important piece of history that should hit with audiences, too.
JAAP BUITENDUK/AP PHOTO
Tom Hanks, right, and Mark Rylance in a scene from "Bridge of Spies." Steven Spielberg's Cold War thriller will premiere at the 53rd New York Film Festival. The 17-day festival, which kicks off Sept. 25, will also include the debut of Laura Israel's documentary of photographer Robert Frank," Don't Blink: Robert Frank."
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