Evan Fox
Managing Editor 
This year in film has been a relatively quiet one compared to the past few years. Now that the few big budget blockbusters have been released already, this fall allows more story driven films to shine. Here are a few films that may not have as much marketing exposure but are worth keeping an eye on.
September 26 sees the release of “The Equalizer” starring Denzel Washington and Chloë Grace Moretz (“Kick-Ass”, “Carrie”). Washington plays an ex-special forces soldier devoted to helping victims of criminals. One night he befriends a girl who has been targeted by the Russian mob and he decides to wage war on them. The film reunites Washington with director Antoine Fuqua (“Training Day”), and it looks very good. It is drawing similarities to “Man on Fire.”
The World War II film “Fury” comes out on October 17. It stars Brad Pitt, Shia LeBeouf and Logan Lerman (“Noah”). It follows a Sherman tank crew who wage a desperate battle to strike a blow against Nazi Germany as they find themselves increasingly isolated and outnumbered. The film is using mostly practical effects as opposed to CGI, and the trailer looks very promising.
Two big films are scheduled for release on November 7. First up is the Christopher Nolan directed sci-fi adventure “Interstellar.” It has an ensemble cast including Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain and Michael Caine. It is about astronauts from a dying earth travelling through a wormhole to find a world for humanity to inhabit. The film covers themes of love, discovery and humanity’s place in the universe. It already looks gorgeous and profound. It is definitely a must-see this fall.
“Big Hero 6” is the second film released on November 7. It is an animated film taking advantage of the merging of Disney and Marvel Studios. It follows a boy who enhances his personal, overweight robot to form a crime fighting team. The animation looks solid, especially in regards to the robot, and the trailers are hilarious. This could become a solid animated franchise for Disney in the years to come.
December 12 is a sword and sandals weekend with the release of “Exodus: Gods and Kings.” It is about the story of Moses during the time of the Egyptian plagues and the beginning of the Exodus of the Hebrews. It stars Christian Bale as Moses and Joel Edgerton (“Warrior”, “The Great Gatsby”) as Ramses. It is directed by Ridley Scott (“Gladiator”, “Black Hawk Down”) and already looks epic from the first trailer. It will probably be closer to the source material than “Noah,” but it also looks more focused on action. It may be forgotten by moviegoers with the release of “The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies” on the same day, but the pedigree involved should not be ignored.
There are many other films worth watching this fall along with big budget films like “The Hunger Games” and “Dumb and Dumber To.” Keep an eye on what is coming out each weekend so you don’t miss out on some great, lesser-known films.