Big and Small Screen Reasons to Be Excited It’s 2014

2013 as we know it has come to a close and with it has gone all the excitement of the holiday season. Realizing the impending doom of 8 am classes and sub-zero temperatures awaiting us in the coming weeks, you may be feeling that all meaning has been stripped entirely from your existence.

Fortunately, there is more to life than overpriced seasonal drinks at Starbucks – impossible, I know – because with its upcoming movie and television releases, 2014 is about to give you a reason to celebrate.

Coming to a theater near you

That Awkward Moment (January 31^st): Following a cast of three friends (including Zac Efron – sigh) who make a vow to stay single after their buddy goes through a breakup, this bro-tastic “chick-flick” captures the struggles of treading the truly awkward waters of the dating world, leaving you cheering for each dude’s oh-so-romantic – not to mention amusing – triumph.

22 Jump Street (March 16^th): The dynamic duo is back, with Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum taking their crime-fighting hilarity in 21 Jump Street to new heights, this time pimping out dorm rooms and enjoying some “drinking games and bonding” – that’s right, our two favorite drug-busters are headed to college and something tells me the film’s portrayal of college life might take some creative liberties…

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part I (November 21^st): The odds ever in our favor, it appears the final book is being broken up into two films guaranteeing twice the awesomeness. So start sharpening your arrows and baking your bread (sorry, Peeta jokes aren’t my strong suit), because the next installment of The Hunger Games movies is coming your way, marking the rise of the rebellion in opposition to the Capitol.

Can’t wait until November? Go see Divergent (March 21^st), another guaranteed box-office hit starring Shailene Woodley as a futuristic heroine taking a stand against her seemingly utopian society.

Hitting the small screen

In addition to the return of some of your favorites – The Bachelor (January 6^th) and Walking Dead (February 9^th), to name a few – check out some of our brand-spanking-new TV picks.

Halt and Catch Fire (AMC, Date TBA): Hoping to buffer the loss of Breaking Bad and add to its award-winning lineup of Mad Men and Walking Dead, AMC introduces its newest rising star, a series about the 1980s tech boom (think Bill Gates-and-Steve Jobs-level drama). If the idea of a retro nerd war doesn’t sound immediately enticing to you, watch it if only to rate the characters’ beards.

Fleming: The Man Who Would Be Bond (BBC America, January 29^th): The writer behind the James Bond books, Ian Fleming, lived a life fit for fiction – and now for TV. Capitalizing on the story of one of their own, the Brits bring us the extravagant and scandalous tale of a playboy writer turned spy – bring on the accents and men in suits!

Flowers in the Attic (Lifetime, January 18^th):  Based on the book by V.C. Andrews, this thrilling made-for-TV movie tells the twisted story of the Dollanganger kids who find themselves locked in their grandmother’s attic. It  promises to leave your eyes glued to the screen long after your head tells you to look away. Blood, incest, and not-so-cute old women, oh my!

XXII Winter Olympic Games (February 7^th-23^rd): Sochi, Russia – here comes ‘Murica. USA! USA! USA!

Pre-order your movie tickets and program your DVRs – these next couple months are starting to look pretty interesting.

Photo credit: designcollector.net/files/sochi2012.jpg