This week’s column talks about several movie genres including musical dramedy, comedy with a thriller mixed in. Rudderless is about a grieving father, who deals with his loss through his deceased son’s music. Mortdecai is an action comedy chronicling an art dealer in search of a stolen painting and The Calling is a thriller about a detective tracking a serial killer, who’s driven by a higher calling. All three motion pictures have unique plots, A-list cast members and are sure to bring moviegoers in droves to their premieres. Some of the celebrities in these flicks are going outside their comfort zones, in movie genres they don’t often star in. This could be an even bigger draw for audiences to go see these movies.
Rudderless is a musical dramedy about a grieving father, who finds his deceased son’s demo tapes and lyrics and learns of his previously unknown musical talent. He uses this knowledge to form a band in order to get over the loss. Directed by and starring William H. Macy, his wife Felicity Huffman, Selena Gomez, Once Upon A Time’s Jamie Chung, Billy Crudup, Star Trek Into Darkness’ Anton Yelchin and Laurence Fishburne, the trailer show the devastation Sam Banning (Crudup) feels when his son is gunned down in a school shooting. He discovers his son’s musical talent and forms a band to both deal with his loss and to remember his son. It’s a movie of self-discovery and family. It opens in theaters on Friday, October 17.
Mortdecai is an action comedy that follows an art dealer as a tracks down a stolen work of art that is reportedly linked to a lost bank account filled with Nazi gold. It’s adapted from the book anthology “The Mortdecai Trilogy” written by Kyril Bonfiglioli. It stars Johnny Depp in the lead role along with Gwyneth Paltrow, Ewan McGregor, Olivia Munn, Paul Bettany, Jeff Goldblum and Oliver Platt. The trailer shows Depp’s comedic talents along with engaging wit from the other cast members. It opens in theaters on Friday, February 6, 2015.
The Calling is a thriller starring Susan Sarandon as a detective in a small town trying to stop a serial killer, who’s motivated by a higher calling. Also starring Ally McBeal’s Gil Bellows, Ellen Burstyn, Topher Grace and Donald Sutherland, the trailer details a series of gruesome murders that have Detective Hazel Micallef (Sarandon) going down a dark path of religion and ancient myths. It opens in theaters on Friday, August 29.