Discover Smith Mountain Lake
FALL 2016
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NICFLIX
With the summer winding down, it’s time to relax a little bit from the spectacle and explosions of the
Blockbuster season, and focus on the more dramatic and serious movies of the fall season. This time
of yearmHollywood likes to pull at our heartstrings, or chill our bones with fear, and this season will
be no different. With Dramas, Biographies, and a little bit of Horror for Halloween, the fall is ready to
bring the emotions, thrills, and scares for audiences to enjoy.
Overall, the 2016 summer movie season has plenty of variety when it comes to its films. There will be a
lot of choices this year and a good amount of competition at the box office to be #1 each weekend. It’s
shaping up to be an exciting summer so when you’re finished being baked in the sun, grab your popcorn
and soda and head to an air-conditioned theater for some fun at the movies!
On September 23rd, we
head out to the old West
with
The Magnificent Seven
.
This remake of the classic 1960
film starring Steve McQueen is
backed up by a great cast that
includes Denzel Washington,
Chris Pratt, Ethan Hawke,
and Vincent D’Onofrio. While this film has a lot of
excellent talent and potential, it will be hard not to
compare this interpretation to the original. Only a
handful of remakes have been able to be successful
both financially and critically, and
The Magnificent
Seven
will have to face this challenge. In addition, it
will need to establish its own style to set it apart from
other Westerns, as well as pay respect to the original
to please the older generation of moviegoers.
Hopefully, seven will be this movie’s lucky number.
On November 4th, we return to
the Marvel Cinematic Universe
with
Doctor Strange
. This film
tells the story of Dr. Stephen
Strange, a brilliant surgeon
who learns how to use the
mystic arts to fight evil after a
car accident ruins his career.
Marvel’s track record of films
thus far has been nearly perfect.
Doctor Strange
boasts an all-star
cast of Benedict Cumberbatch,
Rachel McAdams, Chiwetel
Ejiofor, and Tilda Swinton.
With mind-bending special
effects and action,
Doctor
Strange
hopes to continue the
successful run of Marvel movies
and warp our sense of reality in
the theaters.
On September 16th, horror fans get their first taste of terror
this season, with
Blair Witch
. This is the sequel to the original
Blair Witch Project
film. In this latest installment a group of
young adults seek to uncover the legend of the
Blair Witch
,
and subsequently become the victims of an ominous presence
stalking them. The
Blair Witch Project
was a trendsetter in
terms of its style, so it’ll be tricky for
Blair Witch
to recapture
the mystery and fear of the first film. This version aims to go
all out on the scares and gruesome imagery, so
Blair Witch
will
definitely not be for the faint of heart, but brave horror fans
may get a kick out of it.
On October 28th,
Inferno
makes its way to theaters.
Inferno
is the third
installment of the Robert Langdon series, based on the books by Dan
Brown. Tom Hanks returns once again as Professor Robert Langdon who
must use clues based on
Dante’s Inferno
in order to stop a deadly virus
from spreading across the world. The Robert Langdon series is quite a
popular series, and the tale of
Dante’s Divine Comedy
is always interesting.
Two compelling series coming together in one film sounds like a recipe for
success, and Tom Hanks looks to be in top acting form once again. With
Felicity Jones and Irrfan Khan included in the cast,
Inferno
appears to have
the tools to be a powerhouse mystery tale.
Moving on to October 7th,
The Girl
on the Train
arrives in theaters.
This thriller is based on the novel
by Paula Hawkins, and stars
Emily Blunt, who plays a woman
suspected of a murder that she
does not recall committing. The
book this movie is based on has
been hailed as the next Gone
Girl, and the film aims to be as
mysterious and heart-pounding
as its source material. It looks like
mystery and psychological thriller
fans will get their money’s worth
with
The Girl on the Train
, in terms
of suspense as well as twists and
turns throughout. Grab your train
ticket, and get ready for a wild ride.
On November 18th,
the magic of J.K.
Rowling brings us
Fantastic
Beasts and Where to Find
Them
. This is a prequel to
the original
Harry Potter
series, and follows Newt
Scamander as he tries to
round up several magical
creatures that have been
set loose in New York City.
Needless to say,
Harry
Potter
is hugely popular,
and
Fantastic Beasts
will take
us to never-before-seen places in the Wizarding
World. With stars such as Eddie Redmayne and
Colin Firth leading the charge, expect fans around
the world to don their robes, grab their wands, and
pack theaters to experience J.K. Rowling’s magical
world once again.
On September 9th,
Sully
lands in theaters. This is a biographical film about Captain
Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger, who saved the lives of all 155 of his passengers and
crew by landing his disabled plane in the Hudson River. Most of us have all heard
of, read about, or seen the incredible landing by Captain Sully in the news, but
this film seeks to delve deeper not only into the landing, but into the aftermath of
his heroics. Tom Hanks stars in the lead role as Captain Sully, and from the trailer
it already looks like another powerful performance from the acclaimed actor.
With Clint Eastwood in the director’s chair,
Sully
is shaping up to be a moving and
emotional film, with some performances that may be Oscar-worthy.
October 21st sees the return of
Jack Reacher
with
Jack Reacher: Never Go
Back
. The first
Jack Reacher
film was a fairly straightforward but fun action
movie, with Tom Cruise being praised for his charismatic performance.
With new characters joining in, including Cobie Smulders in the leading
lady role,
Jack Reacher: Never Go Back
aims continue the trend of mindless
entertainment, and take the action and one-liners to the next level.
by Nic Barta
