Indie Film Release Guide: January 24th [An ONTD Original]

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This week's sole big studio release is The Turning, a horror film from Universal based on the Henry James novella The Turn of the Screw. If that doesn't appeal, you can look to some of the films released earlier this month, as well as the Oscar nominated films that are back in theaters for a limited time,
The films listed are from studios other than the “Big Six” - Paramount, Warner Brothers, 20th Century Fox, Universal, Columbia/Sony and Disney. Note that some of the movies listed are in their first week or two of limited release in the USA, so it may take them a few more weeks (or months) to show up in your local arthouse theater or on VOD. Check out the posts from the past few weeks for more movies that may have just opened near you: January 17th, January 10th, and January 3rd.

The Gentlemen

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Stars: Matthew McConaughey, Charlie Hunnam, Michelle Dockery, Colin Farrell
Writer: Guy Ritchie, Ivan Atkinson, Marn Davies
Director: Guy Ritchie
Genre: Action, Crime
Plot: A British drug lord tries to sell off his highly profitable empire to a dynasty of Oklahoma billionaires.
What you should know: Michelle Dockery was cast after Kate Beckinsale dropped out of the project two days into production.
Opens in: Wide release



The Last Full Measure

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Stars: Samuel L. Jackson, Sebastian Stan, Jeremy Irvine, Christopher Plummer
Writer/Director: Todd Robinson
Genre: Drama, War
Plot: The true story of Vietnam War hero William H. Pitsenbarger, a USAF Pararescue medic who saved over sixty men in the U.S. Army's 1st Infantry Division before making the ultimate sacrifice in one of the bloodiest battles of the war. Thirty-two years later, Pentagon staffer Scott Huffman investigates a decades-long Congressional Medal of Honor request for Pitsenbarger and uncovers a high-level conspiracy prompting him to put his career on the line to seek justice for the fallen airman.
What you should know: Grant Gustin was originally attached to the lead role.
Opens in: Wide

Color Out of Space

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Stars: Nicolas Cage, Joely Richardson, Madeleine Arthur, Brendan Meyer
Writer: Scarlett Amaris, Richard Stanley
Director: Richard Stanley
Genre: Horror, Sci-Fi
Plot: A town is struck by a meteorite and the fallout is catastrophic.
What you should know: Based on the book by H.P. Lovecraft
Opens in: Select cities

I Wish I Knew (Hai shang chuan qi)

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Director: Jia Zhangke
Genre: Documentary
Storyline: Focuses on the people, their stories and architecture spanning from the mid-1800s, when Shanghai was opened as a trading port, to the present day.
What you should know: This film was initially released ten years ago, but did not secure a U.S. release until now.
Opens in: Select cities

My Name is Myeisha

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Stars: Rhaechyl Walker, John Merchant, Domenique Toney, Dee Dee Stephens
Writer: Rickerby Hinds, Gus Krieger
Director: Gus Krieger
Genre: Drama
Plot: A hip-hop musical fantasia, the film chronicles the life of a young black woman in California's Inland Empire. Set in 1998, Myeisha Jackson vividly recounts the events of her life leading to a fateful encounter with local police.
What you should know: Based on the award-winning play Dreamscape by Rickerby Hinds.
Opens in: Select cities

Zombi Child

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Stars: Louise Labeque, Wislanda Louimat, Katiana Milfort, Mackenson Bijou
Writer/Director: Bertrand Bonello
Genre: Fantasy
Plot: Haiti, 1962. A man is brought back from the dead only to be sent to the living hell of the sugarcane fields. In Paris, 55 years later, at a prestigious all-girls boarding school, Melissa, a young Haitian teenager, confesses an old family secret to a group of new friends - never imagining that this strange tale will convince a heartbroken classmate to do the unthinkable.
What you should know: It’s in French, Haitian and English.
Opens in: NYC; will expand to more cities over the next month

John Henry

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Stars: Terry Crews, Ken Foree, Chris ‘Ludacris’ Bridges, Jamila Velazquez
Writer: Will Forbes, Doug Skinner
Director: Will Forbes
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Plot: Ex-gang member John Henry traded violence for a quieter life taking care of his aging father in South Los Angeles. Henry meets two immigrant children running from his former gang leader, and has to decide whether to revisit his troubled past to help give the two children a better future.
What you should know: This is director Will Forbes directorial debut.
Opens in: Select cities

Elsewhere

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Stars: Aden Young, Beau Bridges, Parker Posey, Ken Jeong
Writer/Director: Hernán Jiménez
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Plot: Still mourning the death of his wife, Bruno is hopelessly attached to the seaside cottage they built together. When he’s evicted by his soulless in-laws, Bruno vows to get it back at any price. Desperate to escape the gracious but neurotic hosting of his parents, he sets a risky plan in motion to recover his home. Posing as a handyman for the cottage’s intriguing new tenant turns his life - and his intentions - upside down.
What you should know: This is the first film of Costa Rican director Hernán Jiménez to get an international release.
Opens in: Select cities and available VOD

Street Dancer 3D

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Stars: Varun Dhawan, Shraddha Kapoor, Prabhu Deva, Nora Fatehi
Writer/Director: Remo D’Souza
Genre: Drama
Plot: A coming-of-age story based on the lives of street dancers.
What you should know: It’s in Hindi.
Opens in: Select cities

Get Gone

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Stars: Lin Shaye, Robert Miano, Rico E. Anderson, Weston Cage Coppola
Writer/Director: Michael Thomas Daniel
Genre: Horror, Thriller
Plot: A hoax busting group goes on a team-building retreat to Whiskey Flats, OR and runs into trouble as they cross paths with an invasive drilling company that is warring with a very private family.
What you should know: Star Weston Cage Coppola is actor Nicholas Cage’s son.
Opens in: Select cities

Assassin 33 AD

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Stars: Danny Boaz, Heidi Montag (?!?), Susan Gallagher, Anthony Crivello
Writer/Director: Jim Carroll
Genre: Sci-Fi
Plot: What if the greatest event in human history was erased? When extremists get their hands on time travel, they conspire to go back in time and eliminate Christianity. How? By proving that Christ never resurrected.
What you should know: If you look at the comments on the trailer, the director is legit arguing with people questioning the premise of his film.
Opens in: Hopefully nowhere?

Also opening: Quezon’s Game (Trailer), The Rescue (Trailer), Panga (Trailer), Jinde Meriye (Trailer)

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What have you been watching lately, ONTD? Seeing anything this weekend?