5 Must-See Movies That Are Releasing In 2015

Predicting which films will be hits and which ones won't isn't always easy. After all, this is a strange medium, and sometimes, even when everything is lined up perfectly, the pieces don't all fall together as well as they should. Going into this list, I knew that. So all I can really do here is mention the films that we are kind of excited about, and then sit back for a year and hope that they don't suck. Of course, I could list all the Oscar bait movies coming out in 2015 and then wait a year and tell you how genius I am for predicting that they would be hits, but that's too easy. How about we take some chances? Maybe throw an Adam Sandler movie on the list and really fuck people up? That is what's so great about film. You sometimes go into a movie thinking you will love it, and you end up hating it. And sometimes the opposite occurs. Honestly, movies are a lot like first dates. They tend to either go really well, or they make you want to run for the door. There rarely is an in-between. While you may not all agree on my choices, there is something here for everybody. And as to why there is no Pixar movie on the list, it's because it's a given that anything Pixar does will be gold, so there is no need to state the obvious. So, with that in mind, here are the five movies that we are most excited for in 2015. And when I say we, I mean me and the voices in my head. Chappie Neill Blomkamp is one of my favorite science fiction directors, so you can only imagine my elation when I saw the trailer for Chappie. Though the set-up may seem cliche (robot becomes self-aware, which causes problems), it is how the film looks and sounds that makes it seem so refreshing. First of all, the character design for Chappie is fucking awesome. He doesn't look like the typical movie robot, you see, as there's no sleek and futuristic design. Instead, Chappie looks like something scrapped together from pieces found in a junkyard, which only adds to the authenticity of how believable and likeable the robot is (which looks like a huge selling point of the film). Next up, the band Die Antwoord is in the movie (they're from South Africa, as is Blomkamp) and as odd as they are, the fact that it is THOSE two guys teaching this robot how to be human is just awesome. We may have all seen the Pinocchio story before, but something tells me that Chappie will be special. Like, E.T. levels of special. I just really hope that I am not off about this one. Get Hard Get Hard, of all the movies coming out next year, seems to have the most potential as far as comedy goes. Right now, Kevin Hart is hitting peak popularity, and we ALL love a good "Will Ferrell acting dumb" flick, so this could really work. Or, it could really fail. I made this list knowing there may be some crashes and burns, and I'm totally okay with that. The basic premise here for those who don't know is that Will Ferrel plays a shady businessman who ends up having to do some jail time, and decides to ask a black man to help teach him how to survive life on the inside. The problem is, the black man he hires has never actually been to jail. Let the political incorrectness begin.... If the above photo is any hint, things should get pretty batshit insane here, and if the film give us the Ferrell and Hart we all know and love, the whole thing could be an absolute blast. Stars Wars: The Force Awakens I know, I know. This one is kinda low hanging fruit, but you have to understand, I never got a chance while growing up to write about any of this shit. I was too busy loving it and being engrossed by it and not being a writer at the time, so this will be my first chance as a writer to talk about the Star Wars movies AS THEY HAPPEN. Also, I'm a fan of J.J. Abrams and will openly admit it. From his knowledge of how to make viral campaigns work and get people buzzing to the way he treated Star Trek, this guy gets it. I also believe that Abrams knew that this would be a huge undertaking and that he would be under everyone's microscope, so for that reason, I don't believe that he will deliver a Star Wars movie that is anything less than awesome. Though the teaser for the film may have been short, and the saber may have been weird, Abrams just wanted to get us a little moist and create a buzz, and that is EXACTLY what he did. Plus, he knows that the next director who fucks up Star Wars will literally get crucified by the fans. Seriously, nails through palms and shit. Abrams is too smart a man to let that happen to himself. No offense, Jesus. Crimson Peak You guys know I am a nerd by now, and you know I am a horror fan by now, so it would make sense that a movie by Guillermo del Toro that stars Loki would be something I would be somewhat enticed by, and I am sure I am not the only one. The problem is, much like many things del Toro gets his hands on, it is shrouded in mystery right now (which actually makes me want it more). All we really know so far is that the film is a period piece focused on a woman and her new husband, and in typical del Toro fashion, he is not quite who he appears to be. It looks like it hearkens back to the director's Cronos days, as it seems to be steeped in mood, atmosphere and tension. And I bet there'll be fog. Lots and lots of ominous fog. Fog and period horror with Loki? Yup, this is a must-see, even knowing so little about it. Pixels Let it be known that I have NEVER been an Adam Sandler fan. Not even in those early movies where he could still kinda pull off the man-boy thing, but ESPECIALLY lately when he casts himself opposite these beautiful actresses in awful f*cking movies. Yet, when I heard that Sandler's production company bought the rights to the short film Pixels, I became very excited and very scared. I was excited because this stellar short film was going to be made into a full-length feature, and I was scared because it was Happy Madison making it. Regardless, since then, I have come to find out Peter Dinklage is also featured predominantly in this movie, which brings me from scared back to excited. Long story short, is, as seen in the shot above, video games invade real life and it is up to a "team of rag tag misfits" to band together and stop them. I'm sorry, but the nerd in me sees a LOT of potential in that idea, cliches and all. And the realist and film advocate in me sees that Adam Sandler is in this movie and realizes that I am setting myself up to be laughed at. Either way, it stays on this list.