Will the OSCARS celebrate sci-fi, comic book or horror ever again? Avatar was the most recent sci-fi film to be nominated for an Academy Award. Looper should have a contender at least for screenplay. Oscar buzz inspired this list of my most anticipated genre movies in 2013. These flicks have not receive Oscars but could be next year’s Geek Oscar contenders:
#10 Sin City: A Dame To Kill For Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller take us back to the notorious haven of crime, corruption and women with dangerous curves! Eva Green as Ava, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Josh Brolin join the hard-core citzens of Basin City! October 29.
#9 Oblivion Tom Cruise is a repairman of the future who finds a clan of humans (led by Morgan Freeman) on what’s supposed to be a scorched Earth! This new film from director Joseph Kosinski looks action packed and thought-provoking. April 19.
#8 Kick-Ass 2 Sadistic, satirical and twisted! More “real” superheroics from the mind of Mark Millar. Jim Carrey as Colonel Stars and Stripes is among the new citizen heroes that follows Kick-Ass’s crusade but the Red Mist is plotting vengeance against the vigilantes! June 28.
#7 World War Z I absolutely love the book by Max Brooks. I already know the film is very different from the novel. It really should have been a cable series like the Band of Brothers of zombies. I choose to believe in the Pitt…Brad Pitt! June 21.
#6 Pacific Rim Guillerno del Toro. Giant Robots. Giant Monsters. They had me with del Toro and giant anything! July 12.
#5 Thor: The Dark World Chris Hemsworth portrays the Odinson again as Thor returns to Asgard! Malekitch (Christopher Eccleston of Doctor Who fame) leads the Dark Elves and the powerhouse Kurse! Will Loki be forgiven of his crimes in The Avengers? This cosmic clash is sure to be action packed and could include more of the Shakespearean family drama as Loki could find a shot at redemption. November 8.
#4 Iron Man 3 Even after The Avengers I still believe fans want to see Robert Downey, Jr solo. Tony Stark’s world is obliterated by his arch-enemy. This third film unleashes the Mandarin (Oscar winner Ben Kingsley) and introduces the threat of Extremis and the Iron Patriot armor. The trailer is dark but I’m excited to see Shane Black direct a great performance out of Downey as a dethroned Tony fights his way back. May 3.
#3 The Wolverine I believe this is the movie that will be the definitive Wolverine story! The X-Man will faces an army of ninjas, the Silver Samurai and the woman who will change his life. Based on the classic series by Chris Claremont and Frank Miller and directed by James Mangold – this could be the superhero movie that lets Hugh Jackman deliver his best performance yet as the X-Man. July 26.
#2 Star Trek: Into Darkness Khan or no Khan – Benedict Cumberbatch could be playing Cyrano Jones from The Trouble With Tribbles and he could make him pure evil! Spock in a volcano! The Enterprise rising from under the ocean! Captain Kirk matching wits with an enemy from within Starfleet! J.J. Abrams injected new excitement while honoring the Starfleet tradition to create a new future where anything is possible again. May 17.
#1 Man of Steel Superman may be the most inspiring comic book hero. I’m not fanatically dedicated to the comics but seeing Superman on the big screen you makes you believe in goodness. There’s just something about Superman that gets me in the heart. Kal-El is the alien outsider, the powerhouse who must always stay in control and the man not from this world but the world looks to for help and hope. The elements are there: Zach Snyder. Christopher Nolan. David Goyer. Henry Cavill. Russell Crowe. Kevin Costner. Diane Lane. Amy Adams. Michael Shannon. I want to believe. June 14.
And the Oscar could go to…Elysium! Oscar Winners Jodie Foster and Matt Damon star in the new film by Neill Blomkamp (District 9.) The writer/director who explored Apartheid with alien refugees return with a new epic set in the future where the rich live on space station and the poor struggle on a ruined Earth.
By Editor