Fast-Forward

2013 will be the year of … more comic book-based films, more action flicks and more zombie apocalypse movies, not to mention sequels, more sequels and reboots: Man of Steel (another Superman reboot), The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (the second film of the trilogy), Jack Ryan (a second reboot of the Tom Clancy franchise), A Good Day to Die Hard (Bruce Willis’ fifth time as Mr. McClane), World War Z (Brad Pitt fights zombies), Pacific Rim (robots vs. monsters), This is the End (Seth Rogan and James Franco play themselves facing an apocalypse), Iron Man 3 (Robert Downey Jr. faces his ultimate enemy in Ben Kingsley). These films are all well and good (and certainly have an audience) but among all the explosions, undead hijinks and cheesy one-liners that can only be delivered while packing heat, here are five films not to miss in 2013.

Oz: The Great and Powerful

Although nothing can ever replace the 1939 original (there is only one Judy Garland after all), Oz brims with a talented all-star cast with James Franco as Oz, Michelle Williams as Glinda the Good Witch, Rachel Weisz as Evanora the Wicked Witch of the East and Mila Kunis as Theodora the Wicked Witch of the West. The classic fantasy is expected to have a racy spin with director Sam Raimi at the helm — it’s the first film he directed since 2009’s Drag Me to Hell.

The Great Gatsby

Let’s hope this F. Scott Fitzgerald adaptation actually does come out in 2013 because it’s already been delayed twice (release dates were set for summer 2012 and then winter 2012). The film, however, looks like it will be worth the wait. Carey Mulligan (as Daisy Buchanan), Leonardo DiCaprio (as Jay Gatsby) and Tobey McGuire (as Nick Carraway) offer some serious acting chops while director Baz Luhrmann (Moulin Rouge) waves his magic eye-candy wand to create the glittering, flapper-happy backdrop for the 1920s tale of luxury, obsession and tragedy.

Ender’s Game

2013 will have no shortage of sci-fi action films, but Ender’s Game is likely to stand out from the crowd. Based on Orson Scott Card’s mind-bending novel about a young boy sent to a military academy in space to train for an alien invasion, the film features a strong cast with Asa Butterfield (of Hugo fame) as Ender Wiggin, and Viola Davis, Harrison Ford, Ben Kinglsey and Hailee Steinfeld rounding out the rest of the team. The film is directed by South African filmmaker Gavin Hood, who wrote and directed the award-winning 2005 film Tsotsi.

Anchorman: The Legend Continues

Considering how sequel- and franchise-happy Hollywood is these days, it’s incredible it took the industry nine years to release the second-installment of Anchorman, the instant comedy classic. Will Ferrell, Christina Applegate, Paul Rudd, Steve Carell, David Koechner and Luke Wilson reprise their roles but even more exciting is the rumor that Kristen Wiig has joined the cast. “Hey America, did you miss my hot breath in your ear?” Ron Burgundy purrs in the trailer. Yes, yes we did.

Movie 43

It’s difficult to say exactly what this Peter Farrelly (There’s Something About Mary) comedy is about — the trailer is hilarious but offers few plot hints — however we do know the details of the crackerjack ensemble cast, which includes Halle Berry, Kate Winslet, J.B. Smoove, Emma Stone, Stephen Merchant, Richard Gere, Hugh Jackman, Terrence Howard, Anna Faris, Jason Sudeikis, Naomi Watts, Justin Long, Elizabeth Banks, Uma Thurman, Liev Schreiber, Kristen Bell and many, many more. We were sold at Naomi Watts’ side ponytail complete with hot pink scrunchy.

A Note From the Publisher

Dear Readers,

The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.

That’s because of you!

Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.

Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.

We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.

And, of course, we’ve continued to bring you the stories and features many of you depend on: investigations and local government reporting, arts and culture coverage, sudoku and crossword puzzles, Savage Love, and our extensive community events calendar. We feature award-winning stories by University of Oregon student reporters getting real world journalism experience. All free. In print and online.

None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.

As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.

Thank you for standing with us!