It’s no secret that January is traditionally the worst month for movies. It is in the Fall that we normally see the top Oscar contenders released, and now, we find ourselves in the strange and often lackluster time in between those films and the eventual Academy Awards. With that said, however, here are the movies making their release in January.

Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones – January 3 (Trailer)

            For the past number of years, Hollywood has followed a trend by releasing a awful horror movie as the first major release of the month. In year’s past, we have had movies such as “One Missed Call” and “The Devil Inside.” This year, we are treated with the newest film in the Paranormal Activity universe. A spinoff from the other films in the series, “The Marked Ones” follows a Latino cast and attempts to deal with Catholic paranormal mythology. The reviews for the film have been lackluster at best, showing the continuing weariness by audiences and critics alike with the “Paranormal Activity” series.

The Legend of Hercules – January 10 (Trailer)

            The mythical Greek hero finds his way back onto the big screen with “The Legend of Hercules”. The film is being touted as an origin story, as the movie tells the all to familiar tale of the legendary warrior. “The Legend of Hercules” appears to be heavy on the computer generated images (CGI) and special effects, with no top tier actor in sight. As a January release, it will be no surprise if the film proves to be a box office flop.

An interesting point to bring up is the fact that this movie is actually the first of two unrelated Hercules movies set to be released just this year. In July, we’ll see “Hercules: The Thracian Wars”, a movie that has no relation to this current movie, and stars Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as Hercules. It will be interesting to see which of the two films proves to be a bigger success.

Cold Comes the Night – January 10 (Trailer)

            “Cold Comes the Night” tells the story of how a nearly blind criminal takes a motel owner and her daughter hostage to have them serve as his eyes during a attempt to retrieve a cash package from a bribed police officer. The film by Tze Chun, who has done mostly smaller films, is only worth mentioning for it’s star actor, Bryan Cranston, who is famous for his Emmy Award winning role in the critically acclaimed show “Breaking Bad.” “Cold Comes the Night” may be worth catching if only for his performance.

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit – January 17 (Trailer)

Chris Pine, Kevin Costner, and Keira Knightley team up under director Kenneth Branagh to uncover a story of young CIA recruit who discovers a Russian plan to crash the U.S. economy with a terrorist attack. The film looks to be a fun action movie, albeit with little substance. “Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit” may prove to be a fun time in the theater at a time when many unexciting movies are crowding theaters.

The Nut Job – January 17 (Trailer)

“The Nut Job” is promising to be a very fun animated adventure in a normally drab month. Actors including Will Arnet, Brendan Fraser, Liam Neeson, and Jeff Dunham lend their voices to this adorable and amusing animated movie that promises to give some laughs and leave audiences with a smile on their face. Look out for this movie in the coming weeks.

I, Frankenstein – January 24 (Trailer)

            Every now and then, there comes a movie that just has no reason to exist. Case in point: “I, Frankenstein”. This CGI-looking mess warrants no attention and I advise you to avoid this movie at all costs. Aaron Eckhart stars as Frankenstein’s monster in this far-fetched plot that just seems silly. Aaron Eckhart is rather good actor, known for his role as Harvey Dent/Two-Face in “The Dark Knight”, yet his role in this movie begs the question why is he wasting his time with this film. This is also only director Stuart Beattle’s second film. While he has a lot of experience in other films, “I, Frankenstein” just looks to be dead on arrival upon its release in theaters.

Labor Day – January 31 (Trailer)

“Labor Day” comes from director Jason Reitman, who is well known for his Golden Globe and Oscar nominated work such as “Thank You For Smoking”, “Young Adult”, “Up in the Air”, and “Juno”. In 2014, Reitman gives us “Labor Day”, starring Tobey Maguire, Kate Winslet, and Josh Brolin. Reitman tells the story of an escaped convict taken in by a family who, as they slowly learn of his story, see their options become limited. “Labor Day” could be a very pleasant surprise in a month that is usually reserved for poor films.

Also This Month

The Truth About Emanuel – January 10 (Trailer)      Jamesy Boy – January 17 (Trailer)

Devil’s Due – January 17 (Trailer)                             Run and Jump – January 24 (Trailer)

Ride Along – January 17 (Trailer)                             Gimme Shelter – January 24 (Trailer)

Reasonable Doubt – January 17 (Trailer)                 That Awkward Moment – January 31 (Trailer)

Life of a King – January 17 (Trailer)