May 2015 watchlist

Article by Gabe Zia
So with April reaching its end, it's finally time to get into 2015 Summer movie season. Now, if you're a movie geek like me, you know that 2015 is one of the biggest years for movies since 1982 (look up how many awesome movies came out in 1982, it's insane). So, I'm not going to waste any more time, let's just get right into the films to look forward to this summer.

May 1st

Avengers: Age of Ultron

So, kicking off Summer movie season is the sequel to The Avengers, the film that kind of made May a summer movie season in general (outside of movies, it's still essentially Spring). I've been waiting for Age of Ultron for such a long time now, and based on what I've seen and what I've heard, this film will absolutely pay off. I loved the Avengers, and I honestly can't wait to see this movie.

May 8th

Maggie

In a weird turn of events, Maggie is two important parts of Arnold Schwarzneggers career. It is both his first real dramatic, oscar bait type role, and his first role in a zombie movie. Granted, this isn't your typical zombie movie. No, this film follows a man whose daughter becomes infected with a zombie virus, and finds himself in one of the most distressing moral dilemmas I've ever heard of, which is essentially being put in the position of having to "quarantine" your daughter. I'm expecting to walk out of this film at least a little teary-eyed.

May 15th

Mad Max: Fury Road

Despite my geeking out over Age of Ultron a bit there, it isn't my most anticipated film of the month. Save for Star Wars, Mad Max has been my most anticipated film of 2015 since the first trailer dropped, and since then I've just been getting more and more excited for this movie. I'm  a huge fan of the Mad Max films, especially Road Warrior. So to see that one of my favorite movie series is getting a sequel/prequel (nobody seems to know for sure) has got me essentially acting like I've just won the lottery or something.

Good Kill

I like movies that promote discussion, but what I like even more are films that will promote a heated debate. With the topic of drone warfare, Good Kill hits a nerve centre for any and all politically driven social media users, including me. Ethan Hawke stars in this drama following a pilot who is now a drone operator. From the trailers, this movie looks like it has an insane amount of focus on the kind of emotional detachment that would come with clicking a button and blowing up someone on the other side of the planet, this is a daunting and grim subject when you stop to think about it.

May 22nd

Tomorrowland

I'm going to be completely honest, I'm not entirely sold on this movie, yet. Sold enough to put it on my watchlist, but not to the extent that it's a guaranteed watch. Brad Birds films are usually really good, and I like George Clooney as an actor. What I like about the tone of Tomorrowland I've seen from the trailers is that it looks fun, it doesn't look like they wanted to make it dark or gritty at any point. With dark & gritty being in absolutely everything nowadays, it's neat to see a film without brooding protagonists.

Spy

Melissa McCarthy has become a really type cast actress, usually taking on roles in which she's mouthy, and has a lot of attitude and sarcasm. So, right off the bat, I like the fact that Spy has her playing this kind of nerdy socially awkward character it's a nice move in her career. She was really good in St. Vincent, so I'm glad she's getting roles that don't consist of yelling and being kind of annoyed at someone.

May 29th

Aloha

Gonna be honest, I wouldn't see this movie if Cameron Crowes name wasn't on the director slot. I'm not the biggest fan of romantic comedies. If I hear one is good, I'll watch it, I'm not some jaded anti rom-com type. However, for the most part it's just not my thing. However, you put Cameron Crowes name on there, and I'm already game to see this movie.

San Andreas

Once again, I probably wouldn't see this movie if The Rocks name wasn't on there. The Rock is just one of the most fun to watch and charismatic action stars on the planet, so I'll at least consider seeing San Andreas. My take on the film itself? It kinda looks like a run of the mill disaster film, so it probably won't be the kind of movie that'll make my Top 15, but it should deliver on the entertainment factor.

Best of April 2015: Ex Machina

After Kingsman and '71 practically demolished their respective months, I was surprised to find that picking the best film of April is one of the toughest choices I've had to make in a while. However, all in all, Ex Machina is one of the most intelligent and thought provoking films I've seen in a while. Oscar Isaac and Domnhall Gleeson have amazing chemistry, they play off each other really well, and watching these two talk to each other is really engaging. Alicia Vikander plays one of the most realistic android I've seen since Michael Fassbender in Prometheus. This movie is chalk full of interesting questions that will without a doubt promote discussion amongst people, be it what the overall film is suggesting, or these little moments scattered throughout that bring up really interesting questions and discussions worth talking about. While it's certainly not for everyone, if you want a really cool and smart movie, look no further than Ex Machina.