Two for Big Money and Drawing Men Into the Theaters with 'Southpaw' and 'Spectre'

     Now that the cold bitterness of Winter has passed, preparations are being made for the Spring, Summer, and even the Fall/next Winter. Two film previews have been released recently that could be box-office champions; one could possibly be an early contender for a Best Actor nomination for next year's Oscars.

     As a love of movies, there have been a lack of films that completely target the male demographic. In comparison to the action and drama films of the 1970's and '80s starring the action stars of that time such as Eastwood, Stallone, and Willis, movies that bring in males to the theaters for a film that's just for them feel rare to me. It doesn't have to be a explosion-filled, fist-fighting flick all the time (we do like a good story or drama behind the action).

     Two films that I think will have men flocking to the theaters this year are the hard-hitting Southpaw and the suave but dangerous 007's newest adventure, Spectre.

     Southpaw tells the story of boxer Billy Hope (Jake Gyllenhaal), a fighter on top of the world but his personal life crumbling around him. After one mistake in judgment, Hope's life spirals out of control, costing him more than he could ever believe. Going to a gym run by Titus "Tick" Willis (Forest Whitaker), Hope begins his comeback road to redemption.

     I know we have all seen this story before with sports dramas, mainly with boxing. Why it keeps being used is because everyone loves a comeback story; to see a man rise from defeat and capture victory. Gyllenhaal's performance has already received early praise for his performance, even early Oscar buzz. We'll see if this momentum can carry on to the next Oscars award night. The story is written by Kurt Sutter (Creator, Sons of Anarchy). I'm already sold.

     Southpaw is expected to enter the box-office ring on July 31.

     Now we move onto a veteran character, ready to thrill us with another adventure. For the twenty-fourth time, James Bond returns in Spectre.

     Spectre seems to pick up not long after the events of Skyfall (see the remains of the MI6 bombing in the opening). Bond (Daniel Craig in his fourth outing) receives a cryptic message that sets events into motion that lead Bond face-to-face with the sinister organization known as Spectre. While M (Ralph Fiennes) is battling political forces to keep MI6 alive, Bond is drawn into a confrontation with an enemy (Christoph Waltz) who holds a dangerous secret that can challenge Bond to question everything he believes in and fought to protect.

     This cast is star-studded with Christoph Waltz (Django Unchained) casted as Franz Oberhauser, the film's villain. Monica Bellucci (The Matrix Reloaded, Shoot Em Up), Dave Bautista (Guardians of the Galaxy), and Lea Seydoux (Mission: Impossible: Ghost Protocol), Daniel Craig is leading them to execute Bond's latest adventure. With this being Craig's fourth outing, the question rises on how much longer he will done Bond's tuxedo. Before Skyfall was released, Craig announced that he signed on for two more Bond films, bringing his total to five films.

     He has brought new life into the Bond franchise, adding steelness and an anti-hero feel to the spy. We have dove deeper into Bond's psyche, questioning who to trust during the films, and who he is as a man. While looking forward to Spectre, the future of the Bond franchise and the actor who could take over next should be in the back of fans' minds.

     Spectre is expected on November 6.