Battle of the Year (3D)

Drama about a group of  American dancers who try to wrest back the title of best international dance act as the states haven’t won in 15 years. Starring Josh Holloway and Laz Alonso, this will be showing at key cities only and the official website is here.

The Butler

Highly regarded stateside, Forrest Whittaker stars in what looks like a romanticised view of the Oval office and race relations. He is the butler (to seven US Presidents over three decades) of the title and whose own tenure sees in and out the Civil Rights Movement, the Vietnam war and more. Amongst those in the top job, Robin Williams as Dwight Eisenhower, James Marsden as John F Kennedy and Alan Rickman as Ronald Regan. Lee Daniels (Precious) directs and the film will be playing just about everywhere. See the official site here.

The Counsellor

Michael Fassbender stars in this Ridley Scott directed version of the Cormac McCarthy thriller about a lawyer (Fassbender) whose deal with drug lord Brad Pitt spirals out of control. The official website is here and the film will be playing all over.

Dom Hemingway

Jude Law’s sweary ex-con sets out to collect what he is owed after keeping quiet and taking the rap for his boss (Demian Bechir). Accompanying him is his best pal Dicky (Richard E. Grant). Stylish looking crime thriller and Law has had great reviews for this role. The official Fox Searchlight film is here; the film will show across most UK cinemas.

Don John

That talented young actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt-Gordon-Levitt-Levitt has only gone and directed his first film! As one would expect, he has also written the script about a young porn-obsessed lothario loved by many a girl but falling in love with Scarlett Johansson. So who better to cast in that role, than the man himself! Good reception and box office so far in what looks like a charming relationship fable. The official Facebook UK page is here; the film will touch most UK screens.

Future My Love

A wide, WIDE (!) ranging documentary from the Swedish director Maja Borg who meets the American futurist Jacque Fresco and looks at his ideas on his social designs, creating a fairer world less reliant on money and debt. Well regarded by esteemed critic Mark Cousins, the official Independent Cinema Office website is here; Borg’s more detailed site contains screenings (internationally!) here.

In Fear

British horror starring Iain de Caestecker and Alice Englert. Scant details online, but the official Studio Canal page is here and the film will be showing across most of the UK.

Pandora’s Promise

Here’s an enviro-doc with a difference, as director Andrew Stone looks at various people who have gone form being anti to very much pro-nuclear power for a variety of reasons. The official website is here and the film will be showing at key cities only (see listings here).

Utopia

John Pilger, one of the world’s most respected journalist, directs this journey into the titular region of Australia, home to the oldest presence of humans on Earth and looks at the history of Aboriginal oppression. The film will be shown at the Ritzy in Brixton and screened across other cinema following a Q&A with Pilger. Information on Pilger’s official site is here.

And on Thursday 21 November…

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) are on a tour after winning the ‘Hunger Games’, a Krypton Factor to the death for teenagers in a future world where they fight to appease the totalitarian regime that lords it over their poorer home communities. Katniss senses a rebellion is simmering, not a good idea when the President (Donald Sutherland) is in full control and that the last time this happened, the rebelling community was wiped out. The Lionsgate Films site is here, there is also a massive fan community network called The Hunger Games Explorer here and the film will, naturally saturate UK cinema screens.

The Broken Circle Breakdown – Belgian family drama about the romance between a tattooist and a musician and how their love is tested when their daughter becomes seriously ill. The official site is here; the film will show at key cities.

Captain Phillips – director Paul Greengrass looks at the 2009 hijacking of the U.S. container ship Maersk Alabama by a crew of Somali pirates.  Tom Hanks takes the lead role as the captain who tries to save his crew during this desperate time. The film will be showing across the UK and the official Sony Pictures site can be found here.

Enough Said – the late James Gandolfini stars in this, his penultimate film as the potential romantic partner of Julia Louise Dreyfuss. He is also the ex-husband of her best friend. The film will show across most UK cinema screens and the official Fox Searchlight site is here.

The Epic of Everest – the BFI dust down and add a new score to this original chronicle of the 1924 Everest expedition by George Mallory and Andrew Irvine. The official web page can be found here and it contains screening locations.

Escape Plan – Arnold Schwarzenegger has been ambling back to leading man status since hanging up his ‘Governator’ gloves back in 2011. Here, he teams up with his former screen rival Sylvester Stallone as two men in an ultra high tech prison who work together to break out. The official website is here and, as befitting two titans of cinema, it will be showing just about every place.

Last Passenger – much mentioned recently in The Metro (see interview with star Dougray Scott here, for instance), this economically made thriller follows a group of passengers on a runaway  London commuter train as it hurtles towards a deathly terminus. Kara Tointon and Lindsay Duncan co-star. The official Facebook page is here and the film will show at key cities only.

The Lebanese Rocket Society – this drama, from the Lebanon obviously, looks at a sixties group of scientists who joined the space race. The official Soda Pictures site is here; the film will be showing at key cities only.

Like Father Like Son – highly regarded Japanese film in which a father learns his biological son is actually a child swapped with another at birth. He must make a decision about whether to choose his real son or stay with the boy he has raised. No official website, but the IMDb page is here. Showing at key cities only.

Love, Marilyn – intriguing drama in which actresses such as Uma Thurman and Ellen Burstyn help bring to life aspects of screen goddess Marilyn Monroe’s persona. The official Studio Canal page is here; the film will be on a limited release only.

Prince Avalanche – Paul Rudd and Emile Hirsch star in this odd-bods bonding comedy as two men who vacate the city to help repaint lines down a highway in countryside ravaged by a forest fire. The official Magnolia Pictures site is here; the film will show at key cities only.

Turbo – DreamWorks animation about a snail that attains the power of super speed and uses it to help his friends. The official website is here; the film will show all over the UK.

Very Extremely Dangerous – the story of Curtis Buck, a rock and roll legend who tried to return to recording aged 70 and as he is dying of cancer. The official Facebook page is here; the film will be playing on London and Dublin screens only.

Walesa: Man of Hope – Polish cinema giant Andrzej Wajda directs this dramamentary about Lech Walesa, the charismatic leader and unofficial leader of Polish dockworkers. The Wikipedia page is here; the film will play at key cities only.

And on Wednesday 23 October…

Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa – Jackass supremo Johnny Knoxville plays 86 year old Irving Zisman who travels across the states with his eight year old nephew encountering, as you would expect a host of crazy characters along the way. The official site is here; the film will be all over the show.

Baggage Claim – Paula Patton leads an all-star cast in this sky-high romantic comedy as a cabin crew member who flies around the world in pursuit of  the perfect suitor. Taye Diggs, Djimon Honsou and Jill Scott co-star. The official Facebook page is here and the film will show at most UK cinema screens.

The Fifth Estate – Julian Assange/Wikileaks drama that has had a mixed reception so far. Benedict Cumberbatch plays Assange, Daniel Bruhl is his colleague and Wikileaks co-founder as we follow them as they team up to take on the secrets of the world’s power elite. The official site is here and the film will show at most UK cinemas.

Haewon (Nobody’s Daughter) – this drama tells the story of a University student and her romantic relationship with her lecturer. The Facebook page is here; the film will be showing on a limited release only, so check out your local art house cinemas (the Institute of Contemporary Arts and BFI will have screenings).

Le Week-end – apparently French for ‘The Weekend’! Lindsay Duncan and Jim Broadbent star in director Hanif Kureshi’s (My Beautiful Launderette) bittersweet romance about a middle-aged couple returning to Paris to reignite the passion in their marriage. Bumping into old friend Jeff Goldblum unfortunately does not help. Sounds like a classy affair; the official Embankment Films website is here; the film will be showing across the UK.

Machete Kills – I usually hate Tumblr sites, so confusing and messy and difficult to locate information, like a student’s scrapbook. The Tumblr site for this Robert Rodriguez violence/actioneer (and what other type of film would he make?) is, on the other hand, perfectly set out, with just the right soupcon of flash. Danny Trejo nabs the lead. The film will show across most of the UK.

Not Another Happy Ending – Karen Gillan of Dr Who fame stars as an author who, bouyed up by the success of her last novel, has writer’s block. Her publisher tries to make her miserable to get the creative juices flowing again. Trouble is, the more he tries, the more he falls in love with her. The official website is here; scroll down in the News section here for screening locations.

Romeo & Juliet – a star studded Brit cast, headlined by Douglas Booth, pepper this adaptation of Shakespeare’s classic romantic tragedy. It looks as beautiful as Mr Booth himself. The film will be showing right across the UK, so time to brush up your Shakespeare at any multiplex. Official Facebook page is here.

Which Way is the Front Line From Here? The Life and Time of Tim Hetherington – HBO documentary about the titular photographer’s work across the world’s war fields. The official website is here; the film will show at key cities only.

And on Monday 14 October…

V/H/S/2  – Follow-up to last years V/H/S this brings a further anthology of horror films as two private investigators searching for a missing student uncover a collection of mysterious VHS cassettes. The official website is here; the film will play at key cities only.

Austenland – Jane Austen fan Keri Russell travels to England to visit an Austen Theme Park and finds herself falling for a Regency era gent in this frothy and pinky looking comedy co-starring American Pie‘s Jennifer Coolidge. The official (and cutsey) site is here; the film will show at key cities only, so google your local art-house screens and larger multiplex venues for screening details.

Blue Jasmine – the critics are hailing this as Woody Allen’s return to his old 80’s/early 90’s form, with Cate Blanchett as the wealthy New York socialite whose life goes into free fall when her husband (Alec Baldwin) is arrested for fraud. In a film that clearly echoes A Streetcar Named Desire (1951) she moves in with her more modest living sister Sally Hawkins and her husband Andrew Dice Clay. The official website is here and the film will be showing all over.

Bring Me the Head of the Machine Gun Woman – a sexily clad machine gun wielding mercenary will stop at nothing to kill a Chilean gangster in this kinkily booted actioneer. The film will play at cities only and the official website is here.

Girl Most Likely – Bridesmaid’s Kristen Wiig is still single and still failing in her character’s on-screen career, this time as a playwright rather than a cake maker. She makes the humiliating move back home to Mom (Annette Bening) – only to find a strange man now lives in her bedroom and another man is in her mother’s bed. The official website is here and the film will show at most UK cinemas.

Greedy Lying Bastards – climate change controversy docs are not exactly unique at the moment, so that might explain the attention grabbing title of this film, that looks at the lies being told (or so the makers claim) by leaders of the fossil fuel industry in regards to global warming. The official website is here, the film will show at key cities only.

Hannah Arendt – drama about the German-Jewish journalist who wrote famously about the ‘Banality of Evil’ to describe the blandly sociopathic Nazi Adolf Eichmann, one of the chief architects of the holocaust.  Co-starring Janet McTeer this will show at key cities only and the official Soda Pictures page is here.

In the Name Of – gay Polish drama about a Priest falling in love with an eccentric young man and facing conflict with his spiritual calling. The official Peccadillo Pictures page is here including London screening details (more screening locations to follow).

Mister John – following his brother’s death Aiden Gillen travels to Singapore to help his sister-in-law sort his brother’s affairs out. Suddenly, he considers the possibility of reinventing himself. The official Artificial Eye website is here and the Find Any Film website here will show what key cities it is showing at.

Nothing But a Man – the Library of Congress in the states have given this archive African American film about a black labourer trying to settle down with a career, but finding family pressures and racist white bosses impeding his progress. The BFI has more information, including sparse UK screening locations on their website here.

Prisoners – Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhaal lead this starry and taut sounding drama about a Dad (Jackman) who is left frustrated and wound up by police (Gyllenhaal) inaction when his young daughter goes missing. Paul Dano is the young man who may or may not have taken her. The official website is here and the film will be showing at almost all UK cinemas.

Runner Runner – thriller with Justin Timberlake as a Princeton University graduate who travels to Costa Rica to confront a man (Ben Affleck) who has swindled him. When the FBI get involved, he finds himself being squeezed on all sides. The official website is here; the film will show all over UK screens.

Smash and Grab – The Story of the Pink Panthers – this documentary looks at a group of jewel thieves. The official Facebook page is here and it will show at key cities only.

The Wicker Man: 40th Anniversary – Robin Hardy’s seminal pagan horror with new-in-town copper Edward Woodward on the trail of a missing girl on Scottish Laird Christopher Lee’s island. The official Facebook page is here; the film will show at key cities only.

The Call – an extraordinarily permed Halle Berry stars as the 911 operator who takes a call from Abigail Breslin, who has been kidnapped and placed in a man’s car trunk. Given the recent revelations about women held captive by Ariel Castro in Cleveland, this thriller may have an added resonance with American audiences and might translate to the UK. Official Sony Pictures website is here; the film will play across most UK cinemas.

Cold Comes the Night – sexually exploitative sounding thriller about a blind gangster taking a mother and daughter prostitute operation hostage when his driver disappears. Showing at key cities only; the official website is here.

Diana  – surely worth seeing if only to see how terrible this “real life” account of the HRH of Wales’ affair with a heart surgeon really is. Naomi Watts doffs her head at a canted angle, a la Bashir interview, in this hagiography of the century. Wonder what Majesty magazine will make of it all? Official site is here; the film will play at most UK cinemas.

Harrigan – it’s 1974 and a local, northern man becomes committed to retaining what is left of decency in his local community. Stephen Tomkinson stars, the official site is here and the film will be showing at key cities.

Hawking – biopic that tells the story of the most famous (if not the only) astro-physicist on the planet. The official Vertigo Films website has the low-down here; it will show at key cities only.

Kelly and Victor – this is a haunting, candid depiction of a young couple embarking on a passionate and transgressive love affair. Stars Antonia Campbell-Hughes and Julian Morris. The film will play at key cities only; UK screenings can be found here.

Metro Manila – Oscar Ramirez and his family decide to move to the capital mega city of Manila. Upon arriving in the big city, it isn’t long before they fall foul to various city inhabitants whose manipulative ways are a daily part of city survival. The official site is here and the film will play at key UK cities.

R.I.P.D. – well-haired Jeff Bridges helms this 3-D sci-fi action nonsense with an equally follically blessed Ryan Reynolds as two cops dispatched by the otherworldly Rest In Peace Department to protect and serve the living from an increasingly destructive array of souls who refuse to move peacefully to the other side. Blah, blah, blah, yackety, schmackety the official site is here and this will evade no one’s notice as it will play everywhere.