Monthly Amusements: January 2016

I've decided to add a new element to my blog where I review entertainment-related things that I have been enjoying within the past month. This may not be a regular thing as I might not do these reviews for every single month of the year, but I figured I would try my idea out for January and see how I enjoy writing one. Feel free to give feedback in the comments, and also tell me your favorite January things.

Movie: What Maisie Knew

I didn't watch a lot of movies in January, but one of the few that I did choose to view surprised me. What Maisie Knew was honestly just one of those Netflix movies that I selected on a whim, simply because it had a pretty high rating. I didn't know who was in it or what it was about, but I found myself really enjoying the movie as it progressed. I found it to have most of the elements needed to create a touching story about a young girl trapped between her battling parents.
My Rating: ★★★☆☆

TV Show: Broadchurch

I'll be honest and say that I don't watch many TV shows, but occasionally I'll give one a watch. I had heard good things about Broadchurch, and upon watching the first episode I was hooked. It's an extremely well-executed TV show that gets just about everything right. The plot does fall a little short for me and is somewhat typical of most murder mysteries, but the acting, cinematography, music, and setting of the show more than make up for this.
My Rating: ★★★★☆

Book: The Delirium Trilogy

Lauren Oliver's science fiction romance trilogy, consisting of the books Delirium, Pandemonium, and Requiem consumed most of my reading time in the month of January. Overall I enjoyed this series of books more than I thought I would, but it still fell a bit short of the bar that Oliver set with her books Panic and Vanishing Girls. Still a good read for the month though, as the Delirium trilogy offers a unique look at a loveless world.
My Rating: ★★★☆☆

Music: Hurry Up, We're Dreaming

January has been pretty lackluster for music, and I haven't been very lucky this month with finding new additions for my soundtrack. However, I have listened to the album Hurry Up, We're Dreaming by electronic band M83 several times. This album provides some really unique-sounding songs that blur seamlessly together when the whole album played, and it is definitely worth a listen.
My Rating: ★★★★☆

My Most Anticipated Movies Of 2016

I was recently looking at a list of movies that are set to be released this year, and realized that there are some pretty awesome looking ones in the making. So I thought I would share my most anticipated movies for this year with all of you. I don't necessarily think that all of these films will be good, but I'm very intrigued by them nonetheless. This list is simply the movies that I look forward to watching, and isn't necessarily a list of what I think the best movies of 2016 will be. Enjoy the list, and feel free to share your most anticipated movies for this year in the comments.

Knight Of Cups

This experimental film, starring Christian Bale, doesn't really give much of its plot away in its trailer. However, this movie certainly masks itself in intrigue and therefore is one I will be giving a watch in 2016. If nothing else, I want to see what exactly Knight Of Cups is about.

Release Date: March 4, 2016
[Watch The Trailer]

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

Not one for superhero movies, I surprised myself by putting this film on my list. However, I actually loved the Batman trilogy with Christian Bale in the title role and am curious to see Ben Affleck's interpretation of the character.

Release Date: March 25, 2016
[Watch The Trailer]

Snowden

This biographical thriller has the potential to be amazing or tremendously cringe-worthy. But regardless, I want to see Snowden when it's released. Joseph Gordon-Levitt has not disappointed in previous roles, so hopefully this movie will not take its dramatizations of Edward Snowden's life overboard.

Release Date: May 13, 2016
[Watch The Trailer]

X-Men: Apocalypse

I stated before that superhero movies usually aren't my thing, but the X-Men franchise is certainly an exception. I am really looking forward to seeing the familiar characters in the X-Men world reemerge in this 2016 action flick.

Release Date: May 27, 2016
[Watch The Trailer]

Now You See Me 2

I really enjoyed the 2013 caper thriller Now You See Me, so when I realized a sequel was being made I was pretty excited. I have fears that the second movie will fall short of the first, but I'm still willing to give it a watch. I do hate the name though. How much more unoriginal can you get than simply putting a number after the name of the first movie?

Release Date: June 10, 2016
[Watch The Trailer]

The BFG

One of my favorite childhood books was The BFG by Roald Dahl, and I recently learned that it was being made into a movie set to be released in 2016. To be honest I think that this movie will probably be a flop, but I hope that Steven Spielberg proves me wrong!

Release Date: July 1, 2016
[Watch The Trailer]

Bourne 5

Although its official name hasn't been announced yet, I am very excited for the fifth installment in the Bourne movie franchise. In fact, it's probably the number one movie set to be released in 2016 that I am looking forward to watching. I only hope that it will live up to my expectations, but with a cast including Matt Damon, Julia Stiles, and Alicia Vikander it very well could.

Release Date: July 29, 2016

Suicide Squad

This movie has been so hyped that it very well could be a major disappointment, so I'm trying to not expect a lot from it. With that being said, I am very curious to see Jared Leto's interpretation of the joker and also how the entire cast portrays their characters. I'm trying to set the bar low in my head, and hopefully Suicide Squad will pleasantly surprise me.

Release Date: August 5, 2016
[Watch The Trailer]

The Girl On The Train

This movie is based on the 2015 novel by Paula Hawkins, which was one of my favorite books of the year. I am looking forward to seeing how the book is crafted into an interesting movie, and I hope that Emily Blunt can portray the lead character well. I'm not sold on the idea of this book as a film, but I certainly hope a good movie will result.

Release Date: October 7, 2016

Jack Reacher: Never Go Back

Not knowing what to expect, I watched the action film Jack Reacher back in 2012 and actually really loved it. I look forward to seeing how Tom Cruise will continue his portrayal of the title character in the sequel movie.

Release Date: October 21, 2016