Fanboys Anonymous

Welcome to the first of a possibly ongoing feature here on Fanboys Anonymous called "Six Flicks Picks" wherein I will list all of the upcoming films that are scheduled to be released in the United States for the month and break down which ones I'll watch in theaters, which ones I'll wait to rent at home, and which ones I'll be skipping out on entirely. After going through the list, I'll choose which six films stand out to me as the ones I want to see the most, even if there are more or less than six that interest me.

Take note that the list below is based primarily off the expanded nationwide USA release dates on IMDB and as such, some information may be different. I may be missing some limited releases or the dates may conflict with other release dates, so if there are any corrections that need to be made, please let me know in the comments below!

Without further ado, let's start things off with what's coming soon to theaters in October 2015!



He Named Me Malala

Synopsis: A look at the events leading up to the Talibans' attack on the young Pakistani school girl, Malala Yousafzai, for speaking out on girls' education and the aftermath, including her speech to the United Nations.

Will I watch? = No

Freeheld

Synopsis: New Jersey police lieutenant Laurel Hester and her registered domestic partner Stacie Andree both battle to secure Hester's pension benefits when she is diagnosed with terminal cancer.

Will I watch? = No

The Martian

Synopsis: During a manned mission to Mars, Astronaut Mark Watney is presumed dead after a fierce storm and left behind by his crew. But Watney has survived and finds himself stranded and alone on the hostile planet. With only meager supplies, he must draw upon his ingenuity, wit, and spirit to subsist and find a way to signal to Earth that he is alive.

Will I watch? = Yes

Partisan

Synopsis: Alexander, a boy who has been raised in a sequestered commune, finds that his increasing unwillingness to fall in line puts him on a collision course with Gregori, the society's charismatic and domineering leader.

Will I watch? = No

Shanghai

Synopsis: A '40s period piece that revolves around an American expat who returns to Shanghai in the months before Pearl Harbor due to the death of his friend.

Will I watch? = No

Sicario

Synopsis: An idealistic FBI agent is enlisted by an elected government task force to aid in the escalating war against drugs at the border area between the U.S. and Mexico.

Will I watch? = Maybe

The Walk

Synopsis: In 1974, high-wire artist Philippe Petit recruits a team of people to help him realize his dream: to walk the the immense void between the World Trade Center towers.

Will I watch? = Maybe


Big Stone Gap

Synopsis: In a small town nestled in the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia, self-proclaimed spinster Ave Maria Mulligan finds her life shaken up and forever changed after learning a long-buried family secret.

Will I watch? = No

The Final Girls

Synopsis: A young woman grieving the loss of her mother, a famous scream queen from the 1980s, finds herself pulled into the world of her mom's most famous movie. Reunited, the women must fight off the film's maniacal killer.

Will I watch? = No

Hell and Back

Synopsis: Two best friends set out to rescue their pal after he's accidentally dragged to hell.

Will I watch? = No

Knock Knock

Synopsis: When a devoted husband and father is left home alone for the weekend, two stranded young women unexpectedly knock on his door for help. What starts out as a kind gesture results in a dangerous seduction and a deadly game of cat and mouse

Will I watch? = Maybe

Pan

Synopsis: Twelve-year-old orphan Peter is spirited away to the magical world of Neverland, where he finds both fun and dangers and ultimately discovers his destiny—to become the hero who will be forever known as Peter Pan.

Will I watch? = Maybe

Steve Jobs

Synopsis: Set backstage at three iconic product launches and ending in 1998 with the unveiling of the iMac, Steve Jobs takes us behind the scenes of the digital revolution to paint a portrait of the man at its epicenter.

Will I watch? = Maybe

Victoria

Synopsis: A movie shot in a single take about Victoria, a runaway party girl who's asked by three friendly men to join them as they hit the town. Their wild night of partying turns into a bank robbery.

Will I watch? = No


All Things Must Pass: The Rise and Fall of Tower Records

Synopsis: All Things Must Pass is a documentary that explores the rise and fall of Tower Records and the legacy forged by its rebellious founder, Russ Solomon.

Will I watch? = No

Beasts of No Nation

Synopsis: A drama based on the experiences of Agu, a child soldier fighting in the civil war of an unnamed African country.

Will I watch? = No

Bridge of Spies

Synopsis: An American lawyer is recruited by the CIA during the Cold War to help rescue a pilot detained in the Soviet Union.

Will I watch? = Maybe

Crimson Peak

Synopsis: In the aftermath of a family tragedy, an aspiring author is torn between love for her childhood friend and the temptation of a mysterious outsider. Trying to escape the ghosts of her past, she is swept away to a house that breathes, bleeds...and remembers.

Will I watch? = No

Experimenter

Synopsis: Famed social psychologist Stanley Milgram conducted a series of radical behavior experiments in 1961 that tested ordinary humans' willingness to obey authority.

Will I watch? = Maybe

Goosebumps

Synopsis: A teenager teams up with the daughter of young adult horror author R.L. Stine after the writer's imaginary demons are set free on the town of Greendale, Maryland.

Will I watch? = Maybe

Room

Synopsis: Escaping from the captivity in which they have been held for half a decade, a young woman and her five-year-old son struggle to adjust to the strange, terrifying, and wondrous world outside their one-room prison.

Will I watch? = Maybe

Truth

Synopsis: Newsroom drama detailing the 2004 CBS 60 Minutes report investigating then-President George W. Bush's military service, and the subsequent firestorm of criticism that cost anchor Dan Rather and producer Mary Mapes their careers.

Will I watch? = No

Woodlawn

Synopsis: Love and unity in a school torn by racism and hate in the 1970s.

Will I watch? = No


Burnt

Synopsis: Adam Jones is a chef who destroyed his career with drugs and diva behavior. He cleans up and returns to London, determined to redeem himself by spearheading a top restaurant that can gain three Michelin stars.

Will I watch? = Maybe

Difret

Synopsis: Three hours outside of Addis Ababa, a bright 14-year-old girl is on her way home from school when men on horses swoop in and kidnap her. The brave Hirut grabs a rifle and tries to escape, but ends up shooting her would-be husband. In her village, the practice of abduction into marriage is common and one of Ethiopia's oldest traditions. Meaza Ashenafi, an empowered and tenacious young lawyer, arrives from the city to represent Hirut and argue that she acted in self-defense. Meaza boldly embarks on a collision course between enforcing civil authority and abiding by customary law, risking the continuing work of her women's legal-aid practice to save Hirut's life.

Will I watch? = No

I Smile Back

Synopsis: Laney Brooks does bad things. Married with kids, she takes the drugs she wants, sleeps with the men she wants, disappears when she wants. Now, with the destruction of her family looming and temptation everywhere, Laney makes one last desperate attempt at redemption.

Will I watch? = No

Jem and the Holograms

Synopsis: As a small-town girl catapults from underground video sensation to global superstar, she and her three sisters begin a journey of discovering that some talents are too special to keep hidden.

Will I watch? = No

The Last Witch Hunter

Synopsis: The last witch hunter is all that stands between humanity and the combined forces of the most horrifying witches in history.

Will I watch? = No

Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension

Synopsis: n/a

Will I watch? = No

Rock the Kasbah

Synopsis: A down-on-his-luck music manager discovers a teenage girl with an extraordinary voice while on a music tour in Afghanistan and takes her to Kabul to compete on the popular television show Afghan Star.

Will I watch? = No

Suffragette

Synopsis: The foot soldiers of the early feminist movement, women who were forced underground to pursue a dangerous game of cat and mouse with an increasingly brutal State.

Will I watch? = No


Carter High

Synopsis: During the 1980s, Carter High School in Dallas, Texas was a football powerhouse. This is the story of four of the student athletes whose off-the-field activities cost them their future.

Will I watch? = No

Our Band Is Crisis

Synopsis: A feature film based on the documentary Our Brand Is Crisis, which focuses on the use of American political campaign strategies in South America.

Will I watch? = No

Scout's Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse

Synopsis: Three scouts, on the eve of their last campout, discover the true meaning of friendship when they attempt to save their town from a zombie outbreak.

Will I watch? = No

The Wonders

Synopsis: Nothing will be the same at the end of this summer for Gelsomina and her three younger sisters.

Will I watch? = No


Even though this isn't a super strong month for me, I do still find it difficult to narrow down the top six choices. I actually have seven on this list that I would be interested in watching at some point, even though I don't actually plan on seeing any of these in the theater except for one. Which films make the cut?

6. Pan — This movie only very, very narrowly beat out Burnt for the final spot and was easily the toughest call I had to make. Both of them seem interesting, but what gave the edge to Pan was its source material. While Peter Pan is not my favorite character of all time, I'm familiar with the story, so I'm interested to see what this prequel has in store. Another reason is its tone. Everything else on this list is so serious, and Pan could be something I'd see if I didn't want to sit through hours of melodrama.

5. Sicario — Supposedly, Emily Blunt is awesome in this. When I first saw this trailer in front of Black Mass, I nodded to myself that there was definitely a chance I would check it out. If I miss it, it won't kill me, but if the reviews are good enough, I think I'll get around to it eventually.

4. The Walk — Part of me is really, really curious as to what this movie looks like in IMAX, but part of me also doesn't want to throw up. The story itself doesn't seem that interesting, and I couldn't care less about tightrope walkers, but enough buzz has gone into this that I'm wondering if my ignorance about the tale should just be pushed aside.

3. Bridge of Spies — Why do I get the feeling that I'm going to have to watch this in preparation for the Academy Awards anyway? This looks interesting, but the looming possibility of awards nominations seals the deal.

2. Steve Jobs — Speaking of awards, what are the chances Michael Fassbender gets some glances his way for Best Actor in this? I'm a PC, not a Mac, but I still will watch this movie unless it gets lambasted enough to change my mind.

1. The Martian — This is the only film I plan on paying to watch in theaters almost for sure. From what I've heard, it's a good film, and the trailer got me interested immediately.