March 2017 Watchlist

Article by Gabe Zia
Okay so February is halfway done but I'm bored so I'm posting this early. We're moving into what's looking to be an extremely movie-heavy month this year. Summer movie month is looking to start just a little early, we've got films ranging from indie to major blockbuster to even some cool foreign releases this month. These are the ones I'm looking forward to.

March 3rd

Logan - March 2017 Highlight

Logan seems to me like one of the more interesting comic book movies coming out this year, from the looks of things so-far it looks like a major step for the genre. With a more grounded tone and scale, more human characters, even the kind of minimalist style it seems to be going for, this film looks very outside the norm. Logan looks like it'll probably be my favorite X-Men movie since First Class, and I'm very much looking forward to seeing how it turns out.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHilK6b0Trs

Headshot (Limited Release)

There are some actors you can have in a movie that will automatically guarantee I go see it, and after the two Raid films, Iko Uwais is one of them. All you have to do is tell me "hey, there's a new Iko Uwais martial arts-based action movie coming out" and I'm there, there is absolutely nothing else to it. 

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oe0nQ0TeZjU

March 10th

Kong: Skull Island

If you ask me, there's a lot to be intrigued about with this upcoming giant monster flick. Even from the trailers alone you can tell this film has some pretty outstanding direction and cinematography, so it'll certainly be a good film from a technical point of view. And with a cast like this? I'm all in.
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9y6oPka3us&feature=youtu.be

The Wall (Limited Release)

Anybody who knows how much I loved last years The Shallows knows that one thing I love seeing in any movie is when it can set itself in a small environment with a small cast and have at it from there. Seeing tension and character dynamics in that context is always something I love to see, and Doug Limans The Wall looks no different. It's in a small location, it's basically this cat and mouse game between two marines and an enemy sniper, and it looks goddamn outstanding.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSjQr8Bc-QY

March 17th

Beauty and the Beast

Beauty and the Beast is one of the movies coming out this month I'm trying to keep reasonable expectations with, it could really go both ways. From what I've seen so-far, it looks good, even with my concerns.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3Nl_TCQXuw

T2 Trainspotting (Limited Release) - March 2017 Highlight

March is an interesting month, as it's holding 2 films that are follow-ups (in some way or another) to a mid-90s film that I consider some of my favorites of all-time, meaning they have a lot to live up to. And the long-awaited sequel to the 90's cult classic Trainspotting is pretty high up there. My hope with Trainspotting 2 is that it won't lose the unique dark sense of humor that made the first film great, and with Danny Boyle and the original cast all returning I strongly doubt this film will disappoint.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsozpEE543w

Raw (Limited Release)

As a horror fan, nothing gets me more interesting in an upcoming horror film than buzz about just how freaky it is. And nothing in terms of buzz gets better than Raw, a horror film about a vegan who becomes a cannibal is apparently so gut-wrenching that people passed out in the theatre at film festivals. Call it morbid curiosity, but when a movie has buzz like that circling it, it's something I feel like I have to see for myself.
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lihbzSyYe4c

Iron Fist - Netflix Series

If there's any one part of the MCU that has truly stood out as something special (if you ask me there's a few but if I had to narrow it down) it'd be the Netflix content. Ever since the first season of Daredevil, they've produced a lot of consistently entertaining and well made series, and the last one before The Defenders starts is Iron Fist. Count me in.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9OKL5no-S0

March 31st

The Zookeeper's Wife

Holocaust movies are pretty high up on the list of tear-jerker movies, and Zookeeper's Wife looks like no exception. This is one of those movies that always comes out in March that you feel like was supposed to be a December released but got pushed to March, bumping it out of Oscar buzz regardless of its quality.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eiEfrA6MWs4

Ghost in the Shell - March 2017 Highlight

Yeah, remember when I said there were two 90s cult classic revitalizations this month? Well Ghost in the Shell is the other one, and it's the one I'm far more skeptical about. The whitewashing controversy aside, this movie has a lot both going for it but also making me hesitant to get excited. I guess only time will tell if a talented lead and fantastic source material will pay off for this one, or if it'll ultimatley sink under the pressure of its source material.
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4VmJcZR0Yg&t

The Discovery - March 2017 Highlight

I'm just going to throw this out there. Charlie Mcdowells Netflix Original movie "The Discover" looks goddamn outstanding. This film has one of the most utterly unique premises I've heard of in a very long time. Essentially, it follows a couple in a world where scientists have definitely discovered hard evidence that there is an afterlife. Needless to say this movie is asking a question I've never seen a filmmaker ask before - not whether or not there is an afterlife, but what people would do if they knew for a fact that there was one. I was extremely excited for this movie the minute I heard of it, long before I even watched the trailer.
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVJ_F9WMjzA