Are you ready to go back to the Overlook Hotel? Or are you too scared and would rather see something else? Keep reading to know more.
Doctor Sleep
Directed by: Mike Flanagan
With: Ewan McGregor, Rebecca Ferguson, and Jacob Tremblay
What is it about: Years following the events of The Shining, a now-adult Dan Torrance meets a young girl with similar powers as his and tries to protect her from a cult known as The True Knot who prey on children with powers to remain immortal.
Heads Up: Stephen King‘s dissatisfaction with Stanley Kubrick‘s The Shining is well-documented, even though the whole world thinks of it as a horror master-piece. So when it came to adapting the sequel novel Doctor Sleep, director Mike Flanagan had to strike a delicate balance between keeping Stephen King satisfied and living up to the legacy of the first film. Adapting a Stephen King work is often a hit or miss, but Mike Flanagan has proven that if anyone can do it, he can, especially after adapting Gerald’s Game, a King book that was once believed to be impossible to make into a film. So I am really excited and looking forward to seeing this one.
Midway
Directed by: Roland Emmerich
With: Ed Skrein, Patrick Wilson, Woody Harrelson, and Dennis Quaid
What is it about: The story of the Battle of Midway, told by the leaders and the sailors who fought it.
Heads Up: Roland Emmerich (Independence Day, The Patriot, The Day After Tomorrow, 2012) is back with yet another big extravaganza. Despite the stellar cast, there is virtually no buzz or reviews about this one, so I would say wait for the word of mouth and decide later.
Playing with Fire
Directed by: Andy Fickman
With: John Cena, Keegan-Michael Key, John Leguizamo, and Judy Greer
What is it about: A crew of rugged firefighters meet their match when attempting to rescue three rambunctious kids.
Heads Up: With this family film, John Cena is cementing himself as heir for Dwayne-The Rock-Johnson in this genre. This is the kind of inoffensive family comedies that you feel safe taking the whole family to see, even if the film is not necessarily good.
Apollo 11
Directed by: Todd Douglas Miller
With: Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins
What is it about: A look at the Apollo 11 mission to land on the moon led by commander Neil Armstrong and pilots Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins.
Heads Up: On the 50th anniversary of the moon landing comes this highly acclaimed documentary with never seen before photos from the time leading to the famous mission to the Moon in 1969. This is a must-see on the biggest screen possible.
Bala
Directed by: Amar Kaushik
With: Ayushmann Khurrana, Bhumi Pednekar, Yami Gautam, and Javed Jaffrey
What is it about: It tells the story of a man who is balding prematurely and how he copes up with the situation.
Heads Up: Last weekend the film Ujda Chamman had to come out a week earlier to avoid clashing with Bala which has the exact same premise. Bala has been marred in controversy accused of stealing the idea from the Kannada film Ondu Motteya Kathe (which Udja Chamman is an official remake of), to plagiarizing the song Don’t Be Shy by Rouge ft. Dr. Zeus (a charge the filmmakers deny, claiming they paid royalties to the label). The whole fiasco seems icky and it’s taking away from what looks like a perfectly enjoyable comedy with a very compelling lead. Nevertheless, if the controversy does not bother you then this should be a fun ride at the cinema.
