List: The Best Movies of Hollywood's Dead Season

A DEAD SEASON?  I THINK NOT by Bennett Campbell Ferguson

Above: Tom Hiddleston and Rachel Weisz in "The Deep Blue Sea," from March 2012

 

Ah, January, February, March, and April—the months when studios take out their trash.  Or at least that’s what most people believe.  As usual, the truth is more complex.  While distributors do tend to release their highest profile blockbusters and awards contenders in Summer, Fall, and early Winter, the late Winter/early Spring dead zone has hosted some cinematic masterpieces of its own.  And while it may not be prime a movie-going season, that’s why it’s so special—because there’s room for small (and big) risky films to slip into theaters.

            And so, here (in alphabetical order) are some of my favorite films that were released in Hollywood’s so-called dead season:

 

“The Adjustment Bureau” (George Nolfi, 2011)

“American Dreamz” (Paul Weitz, 2006)

“Be Kind Rewind” (Michel Gondry, 2008)          

“Blades of Glory” (Will Speck and Josh Gordon, 2007)

“Breach” (Billy Ray, 2007)

“The Deep Blue Sea” (Terence Davies, 2012)

“The Dreamers” (Bernardo Bertolucci, 2004)

“The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” (Garth Jennings, 2005)

“Jeff, Who Lives At Home” (Jay Duplass and Mark Duplass, 2012)

“John Carter” (Andrew Stanton, 2012)

“To the Wonder” (Terrence Malick, 2013)

“Two Lovers” (James Gray, 2009)