2015 was the year that I learned two core things about my movie going preferences. The first one is that while I am slowly growing out of them (really slowly, like snail slow yo) I still love blockbuster spectacle. The second thing is that I have a habit (whether it is bad or good I'll let you decide) of getting ultra hyped for movies. So in the spirit of getting hyped up mostly for blockbusters - here are my most anticipated movies of 2016.

1. Passengers (December 21st) - There was a period of my life where I was reading lots of screenplays and in that period - this one stands out as the most memorable. A funny, honest, and heart warming story about a guy (played by everyone's favorite Chris Pratt) who wakes up 60 years too early on a long space voyage and decides to wake up his dream girl (played by everyone's favorite Jennifer Lawrence) so he doesn't have to spend his time (aka die) alone. That is a kind of a morbid sounding description, but trust me, if it is anything like the screenplay - this could be an amazing movie.

2. Star Wars: Rogue One - Surprise, I'm pumped about a Star Wars movie! Although this is probably not the Star Wars movie your are looking for, Disney is alternating the episodic Star Wars movies each year so in 2016 we won't get a continuation of Luke's story but rather a prequel to A New Hope. Focusing on the humans (aka non-jedis) who stole the plans for the original death star - this movie will hopefully be a new kind of Star Wars movie. At it's best it could be a kind of Fast & Furious style heist movie and at it's worst it may just make you yearn for light sabers.

3. Midnight Special - I mean just watch that trailer and tell me you aren't immensely intrigued.

4. Captain America: Civil War - The previous Captain America movie was easily my favorite of all the Marvel movies and this one looks to build on it in every way and then some. I would be stoked even if this movie didn't have him fighting Iron Man, but uh, it has him and seemingly every Avenger except Thor & Hulk battling each other. Most of all I'm just excited to see his story with his childhood friend Bucky continue as I find it to be the most emotionally rewarding of all the super-hero plots. Yeah, I said it's emotional rewarding and it is a super hero movie.

5. Bourne 5 - Peep that clip from The Bourne Ultimatum. Now realize that Damon and his mastermind director Paul Greengrass are returning to the franchise with a story that is apparently Snowden inspired and will have Bourne fight/elude/destroy in Vegas and other locations around the world. Yes, please!

6. Knight of Cups - Here's a fun fact you may not know about me based off of this list: I love Terrence Malick movies. You know the ones that are more tone poems than movies, the ones that people either say are mystifying/spiritual or baloney/nonsense. I just love how he combines the moving image with symbolism, meaning, and thematic weight. Enough flowery hyperbole - his new movie Knight Of Cups comes out this year and stars Christian Bale, Natalie Portman, and a whole host of other people. It's about a screenwriter who's looking for his soul in a sea of Hollywood depravity. Sounds amazing.

7. Sausage Party - An R-Rated animated story about one sausage's quest to find out where he came from. Fully jammed with a hilarious voice cast including Danny McBride, Jonah Hill, Edward Norton, Seth Rogen, James Franco and Paul Rudd. This is like the pseudo spiritual sequel to "This Is The End" which is a masterpiece.

8.10 Cloverfield Lane - I was so insanely roped into the hype around Cloverfield when it first came out 8 years ago. I wrote multiple articles about it all of which are like time capsules of my previous movie going self (just kidding the read the same, nothing has changed!) that when I saw this "blood relative" sequel to it I lost my shit. Don't care if only it's a passing mention to the events of that movie - the plot alone here about some people trapped in a survivalist bunker with John Goodman sounds amazing enough.

9. Doctor Strange - Another year another Marvel movie that sounds bizarre on paper but will surely turn out to be amazing. Yeah call me a fanboy, but it is hard not to get stoked about a cast that includes: Benedict Cumberbatch, Tilda Swinton, Rachel McAdams, and Chiwetel Ejiofor.

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10. The Witch - Here's one you may not have heard of but is getting a TON of hype, all of it rooted in the fact that it is immensely creepy. Remember those scenes from The Crucible where the kids are out in the woods with "the witch?" This looks like that times a million. Buckle up.

Wild-Card Contenders: These are films which could either be amazing, average, or trash - but either way I'm intrigued

The Founder - About how Ray Crocc (Michael Keaton) stole McDonalds from the the McDonald's family
The Girl On The Train - The book was pretty solid so this could be good as well. A new "Gone Girl"
The BFG - Spielberg in full Blockbuster mode, I can get pumped I guess
The Magnificent Seven - A mega star studded remake of the western classic. With a cast including Denzel Washington & Chris Pratt you would think we'd already be getting press about it.
Batman Vs Superman: Dawn Of Justice - Only really curious cause I think it's going to be a train-wreck
Suicide Squad - Only curious cause FURY and END OF WATCH were amazing.
Independence Day 2: Nostalgia carried Jurassic World, maybe it can do the same here?