Looking Forward to in 2013...

Director: Robert Rodriguez
Cast: Danny Trejo, Mel Gibson, Charlie Sheen, Amber Heard, Tom Savini, Michelle Rodriguez

Plot: The U.S. government recruits Machete to battle his way through Mexico in order to take down an arms dealer who looks to launch a weapon into space.

Australian Release Date: TBA

Cal's Thoughts:

The first Machete was fucking AWESOME; an old-fashioned, shlocky, grindhouse-style masterpiece filled with R-rated goodness. It did everything that it needed to do in an effective manner, and it satisfied me. This sequel is destined to be just as good, if not better. C'mon, Danny Trejo is back kicking ass, and in the cast this time we have CHARLIE SHEEN and LORD MEL GIBSON! It's so awesome that I'm amazed the universe is letting us have it.

Excitement Rating: 10/10

Director: Peter Jackson
Cast: Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, Andy Serkis, Billy Connolly, James Nesbitt, Benedict Cumberbatch, Hugo Weaving, Ian Holm

Plot: Thorin and Company have reached Lake-town and it is time for the hobbit Bilbo Baggins to fulfill his contract with the dwarves...

Australian Release Date: December 26th

Cal's Thoughts:

As an avid Lord of the Rings fan, this is a wet dream come true. Peter Jackson returning to Middle Earth is something to be celebrated, and the story of The Hobbit is ripe with potential to be amazing. Should be epic!

Excitement Rating: 10/10

Good food. Fine ales. Total Annihilation


Director: Edgar Wright
Cast: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Martin Freeman, Rosamund Pike, Paddy Considine, Eddie Marsan

Plot: Five friends who reunite in an attempt to top their epic pub crawl from 20 years earlier unwittingly become humankind's only hope for survival.

Australian Release Date: October 3rd

Cal's Thoughts:

At last, after years of waiting, we get the conclusion to the Blood and Ice Cream trilogy. Simon Pegg, Edgar Wright and Nick Frost have re-teamed for another spoof guaranteed to be hilarious and awesome. I loved Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead. I know this will rule.

Excitement Rating: 10/10

Director: Robert Rodriguez, Frank Miller
Cast: Mickey Rourke, Jessica Alba, Josh Brolin, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis, Eva Green, Juno Temple, Rosario Dawson, Jaime King, Ray Liotta, Dennis Haysbert, Powers Boothe

Plot: In the dark bowels of Sin City, Dwight plans to have his vengeance against the woman who betrayed him, Ava Lord, while Nancy is trying to cope with Hartigan's death.

Australian Release Date: October 3rd

Cal's Thoughts:

Holy shit, we're finally getting Sin City 2?! The first film is a flawless masterpiece, and I cannot wait to see more stories unfold in this cinematic city. Rodriguez has spent enough time playing in the sandpit. Now we can look forward to him making a bunch of epic manly movies and fulfilling the wet dreams of fanboys everywhere. I'll be seeing this on opening day, for sure! Plus, the cast is completely epic. A few characters were re-cast, but I can live with that. Here's hoping this film absolutely rock.

Excitement Rating: 10/10

Director: Ji-woon Kim
Cast: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Genesis Rodriguez, Jaimie Alexander, Rodrigo Santoro, Harry Dean Stanton, Forest Whitaker, Peter Stormare, Johnny Knoxville

Plot: A drug cartel leader busts out of a courthouse and speeds to the Mexico border, where the only thing in his path is a sheriff and his inexperienced staff.

Australian Release Date: February 21st

Cal's Thoughts:

Have you seen any movies directed by Ji-woon Kim? A Bittersweet Life is an action masterpiece, and I Saw the Devil is a violent revenge fantasy masterpiece. Have you seen any of Arnie's action films? Commando, Predator, True Lies... They are all masterpieces. Now can you imagine a reconciliation of the two? I'm thinking about it, and I can only imagine it being an epic fucking masterpiece.

Excitement Rating: 10/10

Director: Jeff Wadlow
Cast: Aaron Johnson, Chloë Grace Moretz, Jim Carrey, Nicolas Cage, Lyndsy Fonseca, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, John Leguizamo, Donald Faison, Clark Duke

Plot: The costumed high-school hero Kick-Ass joins with a group of normal citizens who have been inspired to fight crime in costume. Meanwhile, the Red Mist plots an act of revenge that will affect everyone Kick-Ass knows.

Australian Release Date: August

Cal's Thoughts:

Who didn't love 2010's Kick-Ass? The movie freaking rocked, with a top-notch cast, a refreshing R-rated sensibility and a terrific sense of humour. While this sequel does not have Matthew Vaughn at the helm, I'm still confident that this will be awesome. It will be R-rated, the original cast is back, and the script is apparently pretty good. I guess I'm more optimistic than confident, but I'll definitely be catching this on opening day.

Excitement Rating: 10/10

Director: Shane Black
Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Guy Pearce, Gwyneth Paltrow, Paul Bettany, Don Cheadle, Rebecca Hall, Ben Kingsley, Jon Favreau, James Badge Dale, William Sadler

Plot: Tony Stark uses his ingenuity to fight those who destroyed his private world and soon goes up against his most powerful enemy yet: the Mandarin.

Australian Release Date: April 18th

Cal's Thoughts:

I've been following & loving Marvel's interconnected cinematic universe for years. People were indifferent towards Iron Man 2, but I enjoyed it immensely. Plus I loved The Avengers. This should be epic, especially with Shane Black on-board as director and co-writer. His talent for witty dialogue is unparalleled, making him well-suited for the character of Tony Stark. Gah, I can't wait!

Excitement Rating: 10/10

Director: Mikael Håfström
Cast: Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jim Caviezel, Vincent D'Onofrio, Sam Neill, Vinnie Jones, 50 Cent, Amy Ryan

Plot: Ray Breslin is the world's foremost authority on structural security. After analyzing every high security prison and learning a vast array of survival skills so he can design escape-proof prisons, his skills are put to the test. He's framed and incarcerated in a master prison he designed himself. He needs to escape and find the person who put him behind bars.

Australian Release Date: TBA

Cal's Thoughts:

I hope this will be awesome. I'm looking forward to it mainly because of the notion of Sly and Arnie being the primary players, though 50 Cent is also present here and there is the strong chance it'll be PG-13. Ah well, I'm hoping it'll be awesome and R-rated (the script reviews were positive), and that 50 Cent will have a very small part. If this is the case, the product will be a masterpiece!

Excitement Rating: 9/10

Director: Guillermo del Toro
Cast: Idris Elba, Charlie Hunnam, Ron Perlman, Charlie Day, Clifton Collins Jr., Robert Maillet

Plot: When an alien attack threatens the Earth's existence, giant robots piloted by humans are deployed to fight off the menace.

Australian Release Date: July 11th

Cal's Thoughts:

How can you not be psyched for this? Del Toro is pulling together an awesome, large-scale monster movie destined to be amazing. I cannot imagine any reality in which this movie can be anything less than an action masterpiece. Especially with the infinitely charismatic Idris Elba in the cast.

Excitement Rating: 9/10

Director: Alan Taylor
Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Idris Elba, Stellan Skarsgård, Anthony Hopkins

Plot: Thor battles an ancient race of Dark Elves led by the vengeful Malekith who threatens to plunge the universe back into darkness after the events of The Avengers

Australian Release Date: TBA

Cal's Thoughts:

Thor exceeded my expectations, coming out of nowhere to become one of my absolute favourite Marvel movies to date. Everything worked, from the characters to the special effects to the story. I don't care what anyone else says; I loved it. And Thor 2 should be equally amazing. The director cut his teeth on the acclaimed Game of Thrones and most of the original cast is back. I can't wait to see where the story heads from here.

Excitement Rating: 9/10

Director: Adam McKay
Cast: Will Ferrell, Steve Carell, Paul Rudd, Christina Applegate, David Koechner

Plot: The continuing on-set adventures of San Diego's top rated newsman.

Australian Release Date: TBA

Cal's Thoughts:

How can anyone not be excited by this? Sure, there's the remote possibility that the creative team will fail to recreate the spark of brilliance which made us love the first one... But if they pull it off, we're in for one hell of a funny ride. All signs point to this being awesometacular. I cannot wait.

Excitement Rating: 9/10

Director: David Twohy
Cast: Vin Diesel, Karl Urban, Katee Sackhoff, Dave Bautista, Nolan Gerard Funk, Bokeem Woodbine, Jordi Mollà

Plot: Left for dead on a sun-scorched planet, Riddick finds himself up against an alien race of predators. Activating an emergency beacon alerts two ships: one carrying a new breed of mercenary, the other captained by a man from Riddick's past.

Australian Release Date: September 12th

Cal's Thoughts:

I have high hopes for this one. Pitch Black was a solid flick, but the sequel was crud. This third instalment has been R-rated since its inception, and a passion project for everyone involved.

Excitement Rating: 9/10

Director: Kenneth Branagh
Cast: Chris Pine, Keira Knightley, Kevin Costner, Kenneth Branagh

Plot: Jack Ryan segues from the Marine Corps to a position as a financial consultant for a Russian billionaire, where he's framed in a terrorist plot and forced to go on the run.

Australian Release Date: TBA

Cal's Thoughts:

Honestly can't wait for this. The Sum of all Fears notwithstanding, I'm a huge fan of the Jack Ryan pictures, and this reboot is a great chance to give the brand some fresh new life. I like Chris Pine and believe he could be a great Jack Ryan, and I like Kevin Costner and Kenneth Branagh. I'll be seeing this as soon as I can!

Excitement Rating: 8/10

Director: Pierre Coffin, Chris Renaud
Cast: Steve Carell, Russell Brand, Al Pacino, Kristen Wiig, Miranda Cosgrove, Steve Coogan, Moises Arias, Elsie Kate Fisher, Dana Gaier

Plot: TBA

Australian Release Date: June 20th

Cal's Thoughts:

The teaser trailer for this makes me deliriously happy inside. Despicable Me is a lovely movie for kids and adults alike, and I'm a proud owner of the Blu-ray. I can't wait to see these characters again, and I can't wait to see where they're being taken next. Plus if it manages to deliver the same amount of laughs and pure joy as the first film, we're in for a hell of a treat. Count me in.

Excitement Rating: 8/10

Director: Walter Hill
Cast: Sylvester Stallone, Sung Kang, Sarah Shahi, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Jason Momoa, Christian Slater

Plot: After watching their respective partners die, a New Orleans hitman and a Washington D.C. detective form an alliance in order to bring down their common enemy.

Australian Release Date: April 18th

Cal's Thoughts:

Walter Hill is a director that this world needs to see more of. He's a completely badass, old-fashioned action director who makes unapologetically R-rated movies. The notion of Stallone in a Walter Hill pic is sensational. Plus, the trailers look great, the violence is apparently brutal as fuark, and I cannot imagine a world where this isn't awesome

Excitement Rating: 8/10

Director: Baz Luhrmann
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Isla Fisher, Carey Mulligan, Tobey Maguire, Jason Clarke, Joel Edgerton, Adelaide Clemens

Plot: Nick Carraway, a Midwesterner now living on Long Island, finds himself fascinated by the mysterious past and lavish lifestyle of his neighbor, Jay Gatsby. He is drawn into Gatsby's circle, becoming a witness to obsession and tragedy.

Australian Release Date: May 30th

Cal's Thoughts:

I'm not familiar with the story, but I have high hopes for this film based on Baz's involvement and the stylish trailers. I'll definitely check this one out.

Excitement Rating: 8/10

Director: Jon Watts
Cast: Peter Stormare, Laura Allen, Elizabeth Whitmere, Christian Distefano, Andy Powers, Robert Reynolds

Plot: A loving father rents a clown's outfit for his son's birthday party, only to realize the suit is part of an evil curse that turns its wearer into a killer.

Australian Release Date: TBA

Cal's Thoughts:

I'm frankly psyched for this. The faux trailer which spawned the movie is creepy as hell, and clowns are just innately creepy. If the guys behind the movie manage to pull this off successfully, this will be a mega effective horror movie and one of the highest points of 2013.

Excitement Rating: 8/10

Director: Justin Lin
Cast: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Michelle Rodriguez, Dwayne Johnson, Jordana Brewster, Gina Carano, Tyrese Gibson

Plot: TBA

Australian Release Date: May 30th

Cal's Thoughts:

The fifth Fast and the Furious movie came out of nowhere and surprised a lot of people. It was a solid flick with great action and a lot to enjoy. The series has finally drawn me in, so I'm now greatly anticipating this next entry.

Excitement Rating: 8/10

Director: Dan Scanlon
Cast: John Goodman, Billy Crystal, Steve Buscemi, Ken Jeong, John Ratzenberger, Joel Murray, Kelsey Grammer, Rob Riggle, Frank Oz

Plot: A look at the relationship between Mike and Sulley during their days at the University of Fear -- when they weren't necessarily the best of friends

Australian Release Date: July 11th

Cal's Thoughts:

The original Monsters Inc. is among Pixar's strongest movies, though that's no surprise considering the studio's unprecedented quality reputation. While most would roll their eyes at the prospect of a sequel/prequel, this is Pixar we're dealing with - they know their craft, and rarely deliver a faulty product. In addition to this, the premise behind a Monsters Inc. prequel is rife with potential, and the teaser trailer does instill promise. I cannot wait to see how this turns out. Though in the back of my mind I am worried due to Pixar's current rough patch...

Excitement Rating: 8/10

Director: Neill Blomkamp
Cast: Matt Damon, Jodie Foster, Jodie Foster, William Fichtner, Sharlto Copley, Alice Braga, Diego Luna

Plot: Set in the year 2159, where the very wealthy lives on a man-made space station while the rest of population reside on a ruined Earth, a man takes on a mission that could bring equality to the polarized worlds.

Australian Release Date: March 7th

Cal's Thoughts:

I'm interested in this mainly because it's the second feature film of director Neill Blomkamp, whose debut, District 9, I absolutely loved. The cast is also pretty solid and I like the sound of the plot. Bring it on!

Excitement Rating: 8/10

Director: Zack Snyder
Cast: Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Diane Lane, Kevin Costner, Michael Shannon, Russell Crowe

Plot: A child sent to Earth from a dying planet is adopted by a couple in rural Kansas. Posing as a journalist, he uses his extraordinary powers to protect the his new home from an insidious evil.

Australian Release Date: June 13th

Cal's Thoughts:

Superman Returns was a film I certainly enjoyed, and I don't believe it deserved the reputation that it received. Thus, I'm anticipating this new Superman reboot mainly on the basis that it's a Superman movie...and I like the character. Added to this, Zack Snyder is at the helm, and Christopher Nolan is involved in the development process. This should be good... I hope so.

Excitement Rating: 7/10

Director: J.J. Abrams
Cast: Chris Pine, Benedict Cumberbatch, John Cho, Zoe Saldana, Alice Eve, Karl Urban, Simon Pegg, Anton Yelchin, Zachary Quinto, Peter Weller, Bruce Greenwood

Plot: TBA

Australian Release Date: May 16th

Cal's Thoughts:

Having liked but not loved the Star Trek reboot, I'm looking forward to this because I can't wait to see where the series is going to be taken next. It will no doubt be a large and lavish blockbuster, and I just hope that J.J. Abrams has learned about how to stage more effective action sequences. Reviews will probably determine when I see this one.

Excitement Rating: 7/10

Director: Todd Phillips
Cast: Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifianakis, Ed Helms, Mike Tyson

Plot: The continuing misadventures of friends, Phil, Stu and Alan.

Australian Release Date: May 23rd

Cal's Thoughts:

Okay, so I kinda liked The Hangover Part II, but I was still somewhat disappointed by it. Part III promises to be better, because apparently it won't be another remake of the first film. If the premise is fresh and the gags are funny, we should be in for a real treat. But that's a huge if.

Excitement Rating: 7/10

Sometime silence is the deadliest sound

Director: Martin Scorsese
Cast: Daniel Day-Lewis, Benicio Del Toro

Plot: In the 17th century two Jesuit priests face violence and persecution when they travel to Japan to locate their mentor and to spread the gospel of Christianity.

Australian Release Date: TBA

Cal's Thoughts:

How can one not be intrigued by the idea of a Martin Scorsese movie starring Daniel Day-Lewis? The premise sounds pretty promising, as well. I don't have the highest hopes for it, but it's on my radar due to the names attached to it.

Excitement Rating: 7/10

Director: James Mangold
Cast: Hugh Jackman, Will Yun Lee, Hiroyuki Sanada, Brian Tee, Rila Fukushima, Tao Okamoto

Plot: Wolverine travels to Japan to train with a samurai warrior.

Australian Release Date: July 25th

Cal's Thoughts:

I fucked hated the original X-Men Origins: Wolverine, to the extent that I actually went back and deleted it from my "Looking Forward to in 2009" list in utter shame of the debacle that it was. In my eyes, it's like the movie never existed, so I facepalmed tremendously when I found out that the sequel was going ahead. But then details were released. Darren Aronofsky at the helm? Christopher McQuarrie writing? Hugh Jackman returning? Basically disregarding the original movie? Covering aspects of Wolverine's background that will make it an actual origins tale? It sounded like it was going to be epic. Absolutely epic. It had the potential to erase the bad memories. But then Aronofsky dropped out, probably because of the lack of control he was being given on the project. This means Fox are probably going to fuck Wolverine up once again... I just hope it's good, but the outlook is not good right now.

Excitement Rating: 6/10

Director: Fede Alvarez
Cast: Jane Levy, Shiloh Fernandez, Jessica Lucas, Lou Taylor Pucci, Elizabeth Blackmore

Plot: Mia, a young woman struggling with sobriety, heads to a remote cabin with her brother and a group of friends, where the discovery of a Book of the Dead leads to danger and horror.

Australian Release Date: May 2nd

Cal's Thoughts:

Um, a remake of The Evil Dead? Seriously? It's a cult classic which doesn't need a remake. Plus, Evil Dead 2 pretty much WAS a remake. I really don't see the reasoning behind this project. Still, Sam Raimi is at least involved and gave the project his blessing. I'll see it because of the brand name just to see what it's like, but I have mixed expectations.

Excitement Rating: 6/10

Director: John Moore
Cast: Bruce Willis, Jai Courtney, Cole Hauser, Megalyn Echikunwoke, Amaury Nolasco

Plot: John McClane and his son take on local forces in Russia.

Australian Release Date: February 14th

Cal's Thoughts:

I love the first three Die Hard movies, though I found the fourth Die Hard disappointing due to the PG-13 rating and the inescapable "Hollywood" vibe which pervaded the material. I'm looking forward to this on the basis of it being a Die Hard movie, but it's a tad difficult to remain optimistic considering the quality of its immediate forerunner.

Added to this, the film is being written by Skip Woods. Ya know, he wrote Hitman and Wolverine...


And the director of Max Payne and other bombs is directing


And the film is taking McClane to Russia where he'll fight baddies with his son...


All this means we're looking at another PG-13 Die Hard movie.

Excitement Rating: 6/10

Director: Jon Chu
Cast: Channing Tatum, Ray Stevenson, Dwayne Johnson, Bruce Willis, Adrianne Palicki, Joseph Mazzello, Ray Park, Arnold Vosloo

Plot: The G.I. Joes are not only fighting their mortal enemy Cobra; they are forced to contend with threats from within the government that jeopardize their very existence.

Australian Release Date: March 28th

Cal's Thoughts:

I'm looking forward to this because of the cast, because of the writers (they wrote Zombieland), and because I want this to be a good fun movie. I mean, the original G.I. Joe was kinda cool. And it ended on a cliffhanger. So yeah, colour me curious. And the trailer looks surprisingly good. But apart from this, the outlook ain't good. I mean, the inexperienced director of that Justin Bieber movie is directing this? And this IS a studio-produced blockbuster... And it has been delayed for reshoots, which could make it really messy.

Excitement Rating: 5/10