Thoughts on Upcoming Releases: Week of Oct. 5

I decided to try something a bit different with the upcoming releases post. Since I want to try and get more stuff out I'm going to try and do it by week instead of a huge monthly one.

I'm also including plot summaries from Letterboxd.com.

Let's go ahead and get started with the first week of October.

A Star Is Born - Dir. Bradley Cooper

"Seasoned musician Jackson Maine discovers—and falls in love with—struggling artist Ally. She has just about given up on her dream to make it big as a singer—until Jack coaxes her into the spotlight. But even as Ally’s career takes off, the personal side of their relationship is breaking down, as Jack fights an ongoing battle with his own internal demons."

I remember when I first heard of this I was skeptical. I don't know what it is, maybe it was the cynical part of my mind going, "ugh! A remake and with Lady Gaga, and Bradley Cooper is going to sing? Ugh!" But even then, I can't image that being the big reason. 

I've grown to like Lady Gaga, Bradley Cooper is one of my favorite actors working today. Also, I've grown less cynical about remakes. And this isn't the first time the story has been retold. This is the third version A Star Is Born with previous versions being made in 1937, 1954 and 1976. 

Sadly, I have not seen any of those but I plan to fix that. 

But back to this film, watching the trailer and listening to the song "Shallow" from the soundtrack, I'm excited about the film.

Venom - dir. Ruben Fleischer

"When Eddie Brock acquires the powers of a symbiote, he will have to release his alter-ego 'Venom' to save his life."

Oooooohhhhh.... boy. 

Now, a part of me is hopeful about this film, but I'm still very "meh" about this film. Mainly, because this comes off Sony Pictures trying to be like, "See! Our Spider-Man movies are better than Marvel's!" 

It comes off as a case of them trying too hard to look "edgy" and "cool." But it's hard to look like that when you have the line, "like a turd in the wind."

I like Tom Hardy, I like Michelle Williams, and I like Fleischer - and I like apparently this was one of Williams' best experiences on a set. But it's still a "meh" looking film, at best. 

The Hate U Give - Dir. George Tillman Jr. 

"Raised in a poverty-stricken slum, a 16-year-old girl named Starr now attends a suburban prep school. After she witnesses a police officer shoot her unarmed best friend, she’s torn between her two very different worlds as she tries to speak her truth." 

I sadly haven't read the book by Angie Thomas - which I've heard is amazing - so I can't say to how if this book is loyal or not. But I can say this film looks powerful. 

This looks like one of the most relevant films for today. And if you don't see how, then... man, how on Earth have you been able to avoid the news?

So, yeah, this looks like a pretty impactful film and worth a watch.