Friday, September 15, 2017

Upcoming 2017 Movies on My Radar

Just a little side note before I disappoint you: Thor Ragnarok isn't mentioned on here (sorry). 

2017 has proven to be a great year so far for movies. We've had Christopher Nolan's Dunkirk (a 2-hour non-stop panic attack, but that is equally as good to watch), a new and light-hearted Peter Parker with Spider-Man Homecoming, the amazing female-led Wonder Woman, and the lovely and nostalgic live-action remake of Disney's Beauty and the Beast. That alone makes 2017 a successful year, but it's bound to get even better.

So without further ado, here's my list of upcoming 2017 movies that I'm interested in seeing in theaters.

Note: Not all of my choices are necessarily "nerdy", but they have me hyped enough that I believe they are worth mentioning. They are listed in chronological order based on when they'll be released in theaters.


IT (September 8)

Pennywise, the clown.
IT is already out in theaters as I'm writing this, but I have yet to see it (thanks to hurricane Irma), so for that reason I'm compelled to include it on my list. I'm one of the rare peculiar people who don't mind clowns all too much, but Pennywise is the one exception (as well as the creepy clowns stalking the streets all over the United States last year, seriously, fuck off). Based on Stephen King's well-renowned horror novel, IT has generated a lot of public interest including my own. This movie looks like a promising fresh breath of air compared to all the other horror movies that are senselessly polluted with jumpscares and rely less on an actual compelling story with well-written characters. And compared to the 90's movie version of IT, this new movie sets a tone that's much darker and sinister than its predecessor:


Plus, it takes a special kind of movie to make someone with a harmless name like "Pennywise" be a terrifying monster.

Mother! (September 15, out today as I'm writing this)


I'm the first person ready to admit that Jennifer Lawrence is a shitty person despite being a talented actress, but I'm willing to overlook that just this once for Javier Bardem (the man is gorgeous and a fantastic actor). And my god, LOOK AT THESE POSTERS! Holy hell, I can't wait for the movie extras because I'm really interested in learning more about Darren Aronofsky's creative process with this movie.



Hell, I'm not even entirely sure what this movie about, and while normally I would mind not having a clue, I just don't care this time. In fact, it's probably best to go into this movie without knowing a thing, that way the film can invade and fuck you over sideways when seen for the first time. And similarly to IT, the horror film doesn't seem to rely on over-the-top jumpscares to terrify its audience. It delves into psychological horror seamlessly, which I'm always a fan of since it generates deep conversations, and I have a feeling we'll all be talking about this movie in the years to come.

P.S. Michelle Pfeiffer is a goddess and I'm excited that she'll also be appearing in another film I'll mention later on.



Blade Runner 2049 (October 6)


I gotta be honest here, I'm absolutely ashamed to admit that I haven't watched the original Blade Runner yet (*covers face in hands and cries*), but seeing how fantastic Blade Runner 2049 looks, of course I have to add it here. FOR SURE I'm going to force myself to watch the original Blade Runner once I get the chance because I feel like I'm missing out on something incredibly epic. And it's Harrison fucking Ford, what's not to like about him?

Cyberpunk isn't usually my thing, however, lately I've found myself drawn to the science fiction sub-genre, especially since I just finished playing the video game, Observer, which is heavily inspired by Blade Runner in its design. I don't even mind that Jared Leto's weird ass is in this movie because the film looks visually stunning, and for a film utilizing cyberpunk aspects, it immerses you into the world so much that you're left believing that the future could very much look like this.

Murder on the Orient Express (November 10)

Everyone is a suspect...
I can't recall the last murder-mystery film I've seen (besides The Pink Panther lol), but Murder on the Orient Express freshens up the 2017 movies palette. Based on the Queen of Mystery's (Agatha Christie) novel, the film follows the story of a renowned French detective, Hercule Poirot, as he travels back to England via the Orient Express. What's meant to be a normal, uneventful trip ends in blood when one of the passengers is discovered dead on the train. It's up to Hercule to find and discover who the murderer is among the passengers.

Interestingly enough, I've actually started reading Christie's novel a while back, but I've only managed to finish Part 1. I'm sort of reluctant to read more since I don't want to have any preconceptions going into the film, but that's a moral dilemma I'll deal with on my own. Regardless, what I've read so far is pretty good, so I'm sure the film will be a success.

Besides, the movie has a large spectacular array of actors, including Michelle Pfeiffer, Daisy Ridley, Judi Dench, and Kenneth Branagh. For that alone, it's worth seeing the film just to see this spectacle of wonderful actors working together.

Justice League (November 17)


As a kid, I grew up watching DC cartoons, including versions of Justice League, so it goes without saying that I'm curious about this movie. While DC has been notorious for their failures with their Expanded Universe films (Batman v. Superman and Suicide Squad) compared to the extremely successful Marvel series, they did have recent and TREMENDOUS success with Wonder Woman. So perhaps this is DC's comeback? The problem is, Patty Jenkins isn't directing Justice League, and the film has already had some trouble with the directors. 

Nevertheless, I'm willing to give this film a chance because I really love Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman and want nothing but the best for her. Also, anything with a hot Jason Mamoa automatically grabs my interest (only Jason Mamoa can make AQUAMAN sexy lmao). But hey, if Justice League disappoints, I still have Wonder Woman 2 to look forward to, and Patty Jenkins has already been slated to direct it.

Pixar's Coco (November 22)


It's been weird watching the internet react to this film, mind you, that's not even out yet. Many are getting angry over the fact that Coco revolves around the Mexican holiday, Día de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead), which coincidentally enough is also what another (less popular) animated film, The Book of Life, has done. Because of this, people are pissed at Disney for "stealing this idea" and whatnot, and despite what the drama is behind those two movies, I cannot find myself giving a single flying fuck. Speaking as someone born into a Mexican family, I don't see the problem with having 2 movies dedicated to Day of the Dead. In fact, the more the merrier (so long as they are done well).

Plus people seem to ignore the fact that Pixar isn't appropriating Mexican culture like most other American industries do (RIP any decent Cinco de Mayo celebration), and instead they are celebrating it and giving the holiday a spotlight. And it's Pixar we're talking about here, they almost always make good films (except whenever they milk Cars; nobody even cares about Cars that much).


The Shape of Water (December 8)

Never in my life have I been more in love with a fish until The Shape of Water.

OMG, where do I even start?

Ok for starters, look at this face, and look at it well:


This is the face of the man who makes dreams come true. Bless him. Now, after this movie comes out, you will think of this face and say, "Thank you, Guillermo del Toro."

As you can see, I LOVE GUILLERMO! His creations make him a LEGEND in the film industry, and rightfully so since he's directed movies such as Pan's Labyrinth, Pacific Rim, and Crimson Peak. Guillermo doesn't just make movies, he makes art. His creative process astounds me, and we can easily tell that he spared no effort with The Shape of Water. The films is already critically-acclaimed and has earned a 98% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, and this fucking movie is still 3 months away. I'M HYPED!

I live for romantic stories, and Guillermo delivered last time in Crimson Peak, a gothic romance, so it goes without saying that he'll do the same with a woman's relationship with a manfish. AND IT'S RATED R! WE'LL GET TO SEE SOME FISH-STICKS IF YA KNOW WHAT I MEAN (honestly, this is getting into some strange kinks I have, such as my Mass Effect alien boyfriend Garrus Vakarian).

The film looks absolutely gorgeous with its blue-green analogous palette, the songs are great, and I'm honestly prepared to turn into an emotional wreck after I see this movie. The title in itself is beautiful, meaning that love has no definite shape like water, which reflects the kind of love the heroine will have with the creature. Jfc, I'm gonna have to bring a pack of tissues when I go see this movie. 


Star Wars: The Last Jedi (December 15)


Last, but certainly not least, clearly (I mean, Kylo Ren is in the Caffeine for Nerds header, if that says anything about how much I love the sequel trilogy so far).

How do I even write about this without looking like a total raving lunatic?

Whatever, need I write more? It's Star Wars; the one good thing that happens at the end of every year now ever since The Force Awakens.

We're all dying to finally get some answers after TFA left us with so many questions. TFA was criticized for being a copy&paste of A New Hope, but I couldn't care less because I'm so invested in the new AND HELLA COMPELLING characters, and based on the vibes that Episode 8 is giving, we're finally going to see the story dive into new territory. TFA has reinvigorated my lifelong love of Star Wars, and I'm desperate to see Mark Hamill's return as Luke Skywalker, and we're all going to be emotional when see Carrie Fisher on screen after nearly a year of her unfortunate passing. Not only that, but it looks like we'll see a heavy dynamic play out among Luke, Rey, and Kylo Ren, which I'm personally excited about (especially because reylo is my ship hehe).

My baby boy is looking gooooooood! Bless Rain for changing that scar! Good riddance.
Rian Johnson and Carrie Fisher on set of The Last Jedi.

The director, Rian Johnson, has been praised highly by Lucasfilm for his work with this film, so much so that Lucasfilm president, Kathleen Kennedy, even asked him to direct Episode 9 after Colin Trevorrow left. Even though he refused (poor man is probably pooped despite how fun the job is), I think we can easily take this as a sign that we can expect greatness from The Last Jedi. It's also reassuring to know that J.J. Abrams will be returning to direct Episode 9. JESUS Lucasfilm is trying to kill me with overexcitement!


And that's the end of this list! 

Feel free to leave a comment if you agree with this list, or you can tell me what other movies you're excited about this year!

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