40 Must See Films of 2013

34. A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III (2/8)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWijct7LzAE Despite all the publicized mania and tabloid irreverence, Charlie Sheen still has a strangely captivating likability that makes me want to see more of him. A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III not only looks to fulfill that desire, but also seems to be a surreal bit of humorous catharsis for the actor. Under the direction of Roman Coppola (no stranger to being part of a Hollywood family dynasty), Sheen plays a graphic designer in the 1970's who gets dumped by the love of his life. This throws him into a manic depression that looks to involve fighting Indians and X-ray goggles, not to mention appearances by Bill Murray and Jason Schwartzman. With a whole lot of bizarre laughs and maybe even a little heart, A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III is going to be a good substitute for those looking for a Wes Anderson fix in 2013. And really, shouldn't all Bill Murray films be mandatory viewing?

33. Stoker (3/1)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNpDG4WR_74 Director Park Chan-wook gave the world one of the most twisted revenge films of all time when he made Oldboy, and now he's making his English-speaking debut with the hauntingly unnerving Stoker. When her father mysteriously dies, young India Stoker (Alice in Wonderland's Mia Wasikowska) must welcome her uncle Charlie (Watchmen's Matthew Goode) into her home. When India's mother (the always gorgeous Nicole Kidman) and Charlie start showing affection towards each other, India starts to suspect that her father may have been taken out of the picture deliberately. However, things start to get doubly strange when Charlie takes a liking to India and starts helping her explore her darker nature. With obvious nods to Hitchcock and a plot that seems unflinchingly creepy, Stoker is one of my most highly anticipated films of 2013. The world can always use more "murderous family member" movies.

32. Oz: the Great and Powerful (3/8)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qy2fJsCkUn4 Poor Sam Raimi. He gets pigeon-holed into becoming "the guy who made the Spider-Man movies" and Drag Me to Hell (his return to the genre that made him famous) seems to have quietly been forgotten by most people. It's because of Sam Raimi that Oz: the Great and Powerful is something to watch for in 2013. Going the prequel route, this film tells the story of Oscar Diggs (James Franco), a circus magician who dreams of a greater life and is soon whisked away to the magical land of Oz. Finding himself in the company of witches Theodora (Mila Kunis) and Evanora (Rachel Weisz), Oscar must figure out who is good and who is evil, and eventually claim the well-known title of the Wizard of Oz. Given a huge landscape to play with, this movie could be an important stepping stone for Sam Raimi. Showcasing his ability to build a large fantasy world could lead to other grandiose projects. At the very least, I hope it'll be better than Disney's own Alice in Wonderland prequel, which this film looks to be a spiritual sequel to.

31. Carrie (3/15)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RaHzUMq8iaM Okay, let's get something straight: Brian De Palma's 1976 version of Carrie is a masterpiece. It's not only one of the best horror movies ever made, but it's also one of the best films of the 1970's. There's no way any retelling will ever come close to it. That being said, I am extremely interested to see what director Kimberly Peirce (Boys Don't Cry) does with Stephen King's source material. The story of an outcast girl with psychic powers has an intrinsically captivating aura about it, and though it won't reach the level of mastery De Palma's version did, it could still be a unique version of the tale. It doesn't hurt that the movie has Chloe Grace Moretz and Julianne Moore portraying Carrie and her mother, respectively. With two powerhouse actresses like that headlining, at least the performances will be something to look forward to. Though it has the biggest chance of failing, 2013's Carrie looks like it has the capacity to be a welcome surprise in the field of popular remakes.

30. G.I. Joe: Retaliation (3/29)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2YMu52MfqA Don't let the date on the above trailer fool you. Due to reshoots and post-conversion 3D, G.I. Joe: Retaliation was pushed back from summer 2012 to the end of March 2013. Whether this is a reflection of the film's quality remains to be seen, but I count myself among the few people who thoroughly enjoyed the first film in all its stupid glory and look forward to the next installment. This movie has the Joes being framed and blacklisted, forcing them to go into hiding and stop a world takeover by the villainous Cobra Commander. A simple enough plot for a simple enough movie, this sequel will be adding Dwayne Johnson and Bruce Willis to the roster, and that's almost never a bad thing. If just for the scene where ninjas are fighting on the side of a cliff, this movie is going to be necessary viewing for lovers of ridiculous blockbusters. Hopefully, it'll fix some of the pacing problems of the first one and go even more bonkers. Fingers crossed for an even better Snake Eyes/Storm Shadow showdown.