MOVIES
We speak here of UK release dates...
MAD MAX: FURY ROAD - what's not to like? The sexiest actor out there today, Tom Hardy, filling in for Gibson, in George Miller's near-silent master-class in silent dusty roads to death.
SPECTRE - Well, it's the next James Bond, and it may have Blofeld in it, and some Alp skiing action. Skyfall was over-rated, and had some odd problems in continuity, but it had intelligent design and acting.
STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS - I would be lying if I didn't say this better be good, and just may be amazing. The last three films were rubbish, but we have a new start here. Exciting, frankly.
BIRDMAN - Apparently the movie of the year, we enjoy great come-backs, and this one has one of the most startling in Michael Keaton's resurgence.
WHIPLASH - JK Simmons (a major character actor) has apparently turned in a career-defining performance as an insane Jazz teacher/ mentor. Anything that can make teaching life-and-death thrilling (as it truly can be) is welcome.
2015 looks to be one of the great years for film, with, as well, new films by Spielberg, Roy Andersson, Scorsese, Paul Thomas Anderson and Ron Howard. We also look forward to 50 Shades of Grey, The Martian, MI: 5, and the Avengers sequel.
MUSIC (New LPs)
MARK RONSON - UPTOWN FUNK - the title track was a late-blooming mega-hot end of 2014 for Ronson, and if the other songs are anywhere near to that one's upbeat zany 80s vibe (think Michael Jackson meets Frankie Goes to Hollywood) then this will be very fun.
BOB DYLAN - SHADOWS IN THE NIGHT - one of the more eccentric albums from the genius - a reversioning of standards from the American songbook, a sort of deconstruction of Nat King Cole and Sinatra.
SLEATER-KINNEY - NO CITIES TO LOVE - the greatest girl group of all time returns.
MADONNA - she'll be back in 2015 with a new album, and judging from throw-away single, 'Illuminati', this could be great, and out-Gaga Gaga.
THE WATERBOYS - MODERN BLUES - a once-great band, a new album after some Yeatsian dalliances... this will be a flop or simply majestic.
TV SERIES (returning)
TRUE DETECTIVE Season 2 - A hard act to follow, series 1 (stand alone) was a masterwork of weirdness.
HOMELAND Season 5 - Well, Brody really is dead, sort of. Quinn is the new love interest, lost on a mission; Lockhart (the best creep in TV) is going; Saul is back in charge; and Carrie is either going to take on Mum duty again, or be an agent again, or what? Hard to tell where to go from here, but some parts of Season 4 were as exciting as anything else on TV.
THE AMERICANS Season 3 - The smartest, sexiest show ever made about marriage and ideology, with lots of room for more wigs and erotic Russian accents.
HOUSE OF CARDS Season 3 - We will be able to gorge again on the most dastardly Congressman ever to become President, and his ultra-cunning and charming wife. Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright are electric.
MAD MEN - the end of the series. Well, this long ago became somewhat dispiriting - but we all want to see if the most handsome ad-man of all time, is going to find some sort of integrity, peace or just die on the instalment plan.
Of course, there are also Game of Thrones, Manhattan, the Hilary Mantel adaptation, Wolf Hall, the last season of Glee, Fortitude (mystery set in Arctic), Sherlock, Better Call Saul, but that's much more more than 5...
POETRY BOOKS
FRANCES LEVISTON - DISINFORMATION - Leviston's essay on the autumn British Poetry issue was a reminder she is one of the smartest of the young British poets.
JACK UNDERWOOD - HAPPINESS - Underwood is the last of the generation of Riviere, Kennard, Berry, Leviston and Mort to get his debut collection, and it promises to be brilliant.
PAUL MULDOON - ONE THOUSAND THINGS WORTH KNOWING - Ireland's greatest living poet, and one of New York's wittiest, has a new book? Heart-stoppingly exciting. Few poets command such expectation.
RF LANGLEY - COLLECTED POEMS - A chance to finally read the hopefully not as slim as apparent output of one of the slyest and most compelling of the innovative Cambridge poets (sadly deceased) that have inspired the work of, among others, Denise Riley (and myself).
SANDEEP PARMAR - EIDOLON - Parmar, an American-British poet and academic and editor and critic, is one of the finest poets writing in English these days, and backs up her intellect and knowledge of hidden aspects of modernism with a passionate appreciation of the Plath tradition. This book could be one of the contenders for collection of 2015.
There's also a new Don Paterson out this year; the Collected Poems of TS Eliot in two volumes, edited by Christopher Ricks; and collections of great interest by PJ Harvey, Christian Wiman, Donald Hall, James Byrne and Tony Hoagland, among others.
Note, some information here from:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-30554336
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