Four months and a handful of screenings later, my initial opinion hasn't changed much. Granted, Mad Max: Fury Road was amazing and both Jurassic World and Mission: Impossible - Rouge Nation were far better than I thought they'd be, but films like Avengers: Age of Ultron and Ant-Man seemed overly repetitive and unoriginal. And then there was Tomorrowland. What the heck happened there?
All told, I caught eight films this summer, the fewest in recent memory, perhaps ever, and with the exception of Mad Max, I'd give none of them a grade higher than a B. Too harsh? Maybe. All I know is that I love cinema and when I drop my $15 to see a movie on the big screen, I want to see something special, something with a little thought behind it. I bet most of you feel the same way.
Luckily for us, things look pretty optimistic from now through Christmas. Below are my five films worth falling for this autumn, especially on the big screen (in order of release).
The Walk: Oscar-winning visual maestro Robert Zemeckis takes us back to 1974 when French high-wire artist Philippe Petit (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) took a covert, commando-like 1,300-foot-high stroll between the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center. This one definitely needs to be seen on the largest screen possible. Just don't look down. (Sept. 30)
The Martian: Ridley Scott adapts Andy Weir's 2014 bestseller in which an astronaut (Matt Damon) is left for dead on Mars and must find a way to survive until NASA and his Earth-bound crewmates can figure out a way to retrieve him. The book was a little too technical for my liking, but the story is undeniably cinematic and with sci-fi master Scott calling the shots, this one should prove to be a very worthwhile ride. (Oct. 2)
Bridge of Spies: Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks reteam for the first time in 11 years. I'm in! (Oct. 16)
Star Wars: The Force Awakens: As a first-generation Star Wars fan, I have my reservations on a J.J. Abrams-helmed SW tale filled with Rebels-like misfits only a seven-year-old could love. But here's what I keep telling myself: it's a sequel to Return of the Jedi and features Luke, Leia, Han and Chewie. How can you not go? (I'm actually writing this while waiting in line.) (Dec. 18)
The Hateful Eight : Quentin Tarantino's follow-up to Django Unchained is another "wild" Western in which a group of unsavory strangers get stranded together in close quarters and must "work out" their differences as only Tarantino characters can do. Kurt Russell, Samuel L. Jackson and Jennifer Jason Leigh headline the eclectic cast, and as an added bonus, select theaters will screen the film in glorious 70mm. I guess I know what I'm doing the day after Christmas. (Dec. 25, limited)
Five More That Should Be On Your Radar: Black Mass (Today); Everest (Today); Steve Jobs (Oct. 9); Spectre (Nov 6); In The Heart of the Sea (Dec. 11)
