By PATRICK DOHERTY
STAFF WRITER
Films:
Hollywood and the independent market are looking forward to a promising year, with many well-regarded directors returning with bright expectation of future prospects
After trying their hands at creating a Western, the Coen brothers now turn their eyes to Greenwich Village with Inside Llewyn Davis. Loosely based on the memoir of musician Dave Van Rock, the movie follows Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan and Justin Timberlake as they navigate the hectic NYC music scene of the 1960s. The US release date is unknown.
Lars von Trier returns after 2011’s haunting sci-fi piece Melancholia to direct Nymphomaniac, a risqué drama about a self-diagnosed nymphomaniac (Charlotte Gainsbourg) being beaten in an alley and left for dead. She is found by a charming bachelor (Stellan Skarsgard) who nurses her back to health. All the while, she recounts the story of her life from birth to the age of 50. The film also stars Jamie Bell, Christian Slater and Connie Nielsen. The release date is unknown.
The Counselor is the first original screenplay from acclaimed author Cormac McCarthy. The film stars Micheal Fassbender as a lawyer who gets into an ever escalating amount of trouble after trying his hand at drug trafficking. The film is directed by Ridley Scott and also stars Brad Pitt, Cameron Diaz, Penélope Cruz and Javier Bardem. The slated release date is Nov. 15.
Lowlife marks James Grey’s first period piece, following the critically divisive We Own the Night. The story focuses on an immigrant from Poland (Marion Cotillard) as she is drawn into the filthy underground of turning tricks by city sleaze-bags (Joaquin Phoenix, Jeremy Renner). The US release date is unknown.
Reconnecting the two Drive cohorts, director Nicolas Winding Refn takes us on a journey down to Bangkok, Thailand in Only God Forgives. Ryan Gosling leads as the manager of a Thai boxing club. The club is actually a front for his family’s drug smuggling organization, and Gosling is forced to take action when his brother is killed. The US release date is unknown.
To the Wonder is a surprisingly early return for elusive director Terrance Malick. To the Wonder is a romantic drama that centers around a man who reconnects with a woman from his hometown after his previous marriage fell apart. The film stars Ben Affleck, Olga Kurylenko, Rachel McAdams and Javier Bardem. While the movie did premiere in competition at the Venice Film Festival, there is no US release date at this time.
The Place Beyond the Pines marks another turn for Gosling and another reconnection with a past colleague, this time director Derek Cianfrance. The movie is a multi-generational story that follows Gosling as a motorcycle stunt driver who thinks about committing a crime to support his young family. The movie also stars Bradley Cooper, Eva Mendes and Ray Liotta. The US release date is March 29.
After his fascinating look into the sexual psyche with Shame, Steve McQueen goes into the past for a completely different narrative in Twelve Years a Slave. The story focuses on a New York citizen who is kidnapped and sold into inhumane slavery. The film stars Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender, Brad Pitt, Paul Dano, Benedict Cumberbatch and Paul Giamatti. Release date unknown.
After being delayed for multiple years, it looks like Gravity, Alfonso Cuaron’s follow-up to Children of Men, is finally being released. Starring George Clooney and Sandra Bullock, the screenplay follows the lives of two astronauts stranded in a damaged space station. It will be released on Oct. 4, 2013.
Neill Blomkamp, the stand-out director behind the surprise hit District 9, returns to the field of sci-fi with Elysium, a tale of inequality, reckless con-men and space espionage. The movie stars Matt Damon, Jodie Foster, Sharlto Copley, Wagner Moura, Carly Pope and Alice Braga. The release date is on Aug. 9, 2013.
Music:
The musical offerings this year are diverse, with albums including hip hop, garage rock, experimental noise and plunder-phonics. Hopefully they are as accomplished as they are different.
The Thom Yorke-led collective has finally announced an album release date, titled AMOK. Atoms for Peace, comprised of Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich, Joey Waronker of R.E.M and multi-percussionist Mauro Refosco have released two singles, eclectic electronic mixes reminiscent of Yorke’s solo work. AMOK is due out Feb 25.
Now recognized primarily for his acting career, Justin Timberlake is trying to get back into the music game. He recently released the R&B throwback “Suit & Tie” to mixed reviews. While not as immediately catchy as the singles of FutureSex/LoveSounds, the irresistible hook is hard to ignore. The 20/20 Experience is due out Mar. 19.
Dodging simple genre convictions, Autre Ve Naut, the bedroom producer out of Brooklyn, has shed his anonymous shielding to emerge as a fresh, promising voice on the scene. His first single off the album, “Counting,” is a lush, desperate plea, with the artist begging, “I’m counting on the idea that you’ll stay alive.” Anxiety is due out Feb. 26th.
The collaborative The Flaming Lips and Heady Fwends non-withstanding, Wayne Coynes and company has not released a proper studio album since 2009. They intend to change that with this year’s The Terror, which, according to the band, promises to promote a darker, more sinister sound. The Terror is due out April 2nd.
As an experimental artist, The Haxen Cloak wowed critics with his surprise 2011 debut. The artist guaranteed more minimalist details amid the droning elements that dominated his previous work. “The Mirror Reflecting (Part 2)” is a perfect example of what Bobby Krlic has promised. Excavation is due out April 30.
A release by The Avalanches is more of a hopeful wish than a guarantee. In the works for at least a decade, the album has recently been given a title, alongside a list of collaborators. These collaborations include pop-arist Ariel Pink and rapper Danny Brown. When I Met You has no confirmed release date at this time.
Trent Reznor is back but not under the moniker of Nine Inch Nails. Instead, Reznor formed the band How to Destroy Angels with his wife, Mariqueen Maandig, and long time collaborators Atticus Ross and Rob Sheridan. Rather than the industrial-inspired rock NIN is known for, HTDA mixes trip-hop influences with Trent’s recent ambient soundtrack work. welcome oblivion is due out March 5.
Besides the 2010 Tron: Legacy soundtrack, Daft Punk, the robotic French house producers, have kept fans waiting for new material since 2005. Now, after recently signing with Colombia Records, the pair announced that a new album is in the works. While the album does not have a title yet, a release date of spring, possibly May, has been announced.
Danny Brown, the odd-voiced rapper, has promised a more straightforward approach to this follow-up of his 2011 mixtape. While the inappropriate one-liners and rude jokes are always appreciated, considering he has already ruined Cool Ranch Doritos forever, it may be interesting to hear him take a more serious approach. Old does not have a release date at time of publication.
After a seven-year hiatus, The Knife is back. Promising over 100 minutes of music on their new LP, the knife puts forth their first single, “Full of Fire” 10-minutes of expanded electronic goodness. Shaking the Habitual is due out April 9th.
Television:
This looks to be a promising year for the small screen, with many lauded series returning, some for the last time.
The final episodes of Breaking Bad mark the end of what some consider the best television show currently airing. Starring Bryan Cranston as a chemistry teacher turned meth maker and Aaron Paul as his younger cohort, the final eight episodes are set to air in July.
AMC’s other hit show, Mad Men, is also opening up a new season. Set in New York City during the 1960s, the show explores the personal and professional lives of those who work at an advertising agency. The show also explores the changing times and social expectations of women in the workplace. The show is set to air in April.
Completing the AMC trifecta is The Walking Dead. Based on the Image comic series by Robert Kirkman, the show focuses on a group of survivors of the zombie apocalypse as they try and find a safe haven against the “walkers”. The Walking Dead is set to return Feb. 10th.
The first season of Touch marked Kiefer Sutherland’s return to the small screen. The story follows Sutherland and his mute, emotionally disturbed child who can only communicate using technology and strings of numbers. Touch is set to return Feb. 1st.
Created by Dan Harmon, Community centers around a study-group at a local community college, and how they handle class, extracurricular activities, and each other. Community is set to return Feb. 7th
Golden Boy will take a different route than most police procedurals. It will follow the fast rise of a cop from the role of police officer to detective and finally taking his place as police commissioner. Golden Boy is set to premiere Feb. 26th.
Black Mirror, the British mini-series, has been renewed for three more episodes. Each episode will be self-contained and focus on the overpowering of media and technology in our interconnected society. The first episode will focus on a distraught woman who uses an online service to “communicate” with an avatar of her recently deceased husband by the use of his old social media posts and contributions. The series is set to return Feb. 11th.
Stephen Poliakoff returns to the BBC with another ambitious drama project Dancing on the Edge. The series follows a young music journalist in the year 1932 who promotes an African-American jazz band in London. The show is set to delve into the world of high-stakes allegiances and betrayals, all set in a society forever changing. The show is set to premiere Feb. 4th.
Rumors abound about the fate of Sherlock, but it has been confirmed that it will be back for a third season. The show is a look at the eponymous detective and his companion Watson in a modern-day London. The series will be back in late 2013 but with no confirmed release date. Game of Thrones, the HBO fantasy series, returns for its third season. Based on the widely-popular book series by George RR Martin, the series follows several different rival families as they battle for power in the land of Westeros. The series is set to return Mar. 31st.
