Film Trends of 2013

1. 3D MASTERPIECES: With the technology available today it was only a matter of time before Hollywood produced some stunning 3D tours de force.
See: “Upside Down” and “The Great Gatsby”

2. TWEEN PARANORMAL ROMANCE: Now that “Twilight” is kaput (R.I.P.), a whole slew of newcomers are jumping in to capture our hearts with the next epic otherworldly love affair. Zombies and aliens and magicians, oh my!
See: “The Host,” “Warm Bodies” and “Beautiful Creatures and The Mortal Instruments: City of Bone”

3. MENTAL ILLNESS: Psychological behavior has been a hot topic in the news and Hollywood is following suit, presenting films with all-star casts that tackle this complicated subject.
See: “Stoker” and “Side Effects”

4. EXTREME FAIRYTALES: Leave children at home for these creative reimaginings of classic folklore. Epic rescue missions and bounty hunting await with very grown–up casts in these children’s stories.
See: “Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters” and “Jack the Giant Slayer”

5. POST-APOCALYPTIC WORLDS: The apocalypse was so 2012. We may have survived the rapture/end of the Mayan calendar/what have you, but Hollywood wants to tell you what would have happened if the world had ended. Spoiler: the aftermath isn’t pretty.
See: “After Earth” and “Elysium”

6. SEQUELS: The roster of upcoming films proves that when Hollywood comes up with a money-making formula, they milk it for all it’s worth. Sometimes we’re pleasantly surprised by one that doesn’t suck. You be the judge.
See: “Scary Movie 5,” “Hangover Part III,” “The Fast and the Furious 6″

WHAT WE WANT TO LEAVE BEHIND IN 2012:

1. NICHOLAS SPARKS:  Yawn. “Safe Haven” looks like every other tear-jerking love story by Sparks that we’ve seen already.

2. TOM CRUISE: Yep, he’s back, playing the same character as always. In the upcoming “Oblivion”, like “Jack Reacher,” he is also named Jack, in a different but identical film.

3. MOVIES BASED ON BOARD GAMES: Hollywood should have learned its lesson from the flop that was “Battleship,” yet movies based on Ouija boards and Candy Land are coming out soon. Pass.