The summer blockbuster season has unfortunately stumbled at the starting line after disappointments each weekend. Will we get our first great time at the theater this month? Find out what I think will be worth checking out below and see the trailers by clicking on the synopsis.
See:
10. The Karate Kid (Zwart, June 11th)
Synopsis: Work pressures cause a single mother to move to China with her young son; in his new home, the boy embraces karate, taught to him by a master of the self-defense form.
Why You Should See It: This would have been at the top of my avoid list last year, but the trailers didn’t look too bad and then reviews out of ShoWest said it’s a serious Oscar contender. Count me intrigued.
9. The A-Team (Carnahan, June 11th)
Synopsis: A group of Iraq War veterans looks to clear their name with the U.S. military, who suspect the four men of committing a crime for which they were framed.
Why You Should See It: Joe Carnahan definitely has the style to take on The A-Team as shown in Narc and Smokin’ Aces. With an entertaining cast of Cooper, Neeson and Copley it looks to at least deliver on blockbuster potential.
8. Knight and Day (Mangold, June 25th)
Synopsis: An action-comedy centered on a fugitive couple (Cruise and Diaz) on a globe-spanning adventure where, amid shifting alliances and unexpected betrayals, nothing and no one are what they seem.
Why You Should See It: James Mangold (Walk The Line, 3:10 To Yuma) is heading into action/comedy territory with Tom Cruise at the forefront. Let’s hope this will change people’s mind about the actor, as he does have excellent blockbuster-carrying skills. It looks like a wildly fun romp that doesn’t take itself too seriously; something that most films tend to shy away from nowadays.
7. Get Him To The Greek (Stoller, June 4th)
Synopsis: A record company intern (Hill) is hired to accompany out-of-control British rock star Aldous Snow (Brand) to a concert at L.A.’s Greek Theater.
Why You Should See It: Nicholas Stoller is back after surprising audiences with Forgetting Sarah Marshall. From early buzz, this spin-off seems to also follow the same fate; a decent trailer that doesn’t live up to the hilarious and emotionally engaging film. It also features one of the best comedy characters of the last decade, Russell Brand’s Aldous Snow.
6. The Killer Inside Me (Michael Winterbottom; June 18th)
Synopsis: A West Texas deputy sheriff is slowly unmasked as a psychotic killer.
Why You Should See It: Part crime story, part psychological exercise in identification, Michael Winterbottom’s adaptation of Jim Thomson’s novel is done in an intriguing noir style. Though, audiences attending should be aware there is a far amount of violence, as it provides an intimate glimpse into the criminal mind of a savage sociopath. It also showcases an impressive cast including Jessica Alba, Kate Hudson, Casey Affleck, ad Bill Pullman. – Kristen C.
5. Splice (Natali, June 4th)
Synopsis: Two scientists fuse DNA samples to create a new organism: a human-chimera they name Dren. As the creature rapidly develops from a deformed female infant into winged creature, her initial bond with her creators turns deadly.
Why You Should See It: Vincenzo Natali’s latest horror thriller premiered to great reviews at Sundance and looks to deliver a unique experience that doesn’t rely on the slasher mindset this genre is accustomed to.
4. Valhalla Rising (Winding Refn; June 4th)
Synopsis: 1000 AD, for years, One Eye, a mute warrior of supernatural strength, has been held prisoner by the Norse chieftain Barde.
Why You Should See It: Nicolas Winding Refn is one of the most exciting filmmakers working today. Each of his projects are wildly different and this is no exception. Although I was exhausted by the time I saw this at TIFF, I knew it was something I couldn’t wait to appreciate later on a separate viewing. The lush cinematography, pounding score and powerful performance by Mads Mikkelson are just a few great reasons to check this out.
3. Winter’s Bone (Debra Granik; June 11th)
Synopsis: An unflinching Ozark Mountain girl hacks through dangerous social terrain as she hunts down her drug-dealing father while trying to keep her family intact.
Why You Should See It: Bringing home the top prize at Sundance this year, Winter’s Bone is a beautiful, bleak look at hillbilly life with incredibly fleshed out characters and tense drama.
2. Cyrus (Duplass; June 18th)
Synopsis: A recently divorced guy meets the woman of his dreams. Then he meets her son.
Why You Should See It: The Duplass brothers make their first studio feature. It’s all the charm and spontaneous humor of their low-budget mumblecore films (The Puffy Chair, Baghead), but with an amazingly strong cast. It’s the story of John, a depressed, recently divorced guy, who meets the girl of his dreams (Marisa Tomei), and then discovers she lives with her eccentric adult son (Jonah Hill). Much of the dialogue was improvised, which make for some unexpectedly hilarious moments. Definitely a film worth checking out. – Kristen C.
1. Toy Story 3 (Unkrich, June 18th)
Synopsis: Woody (Hanks), Buzz (Allen), and the rest of their toy-box friends are dumped in a day-care center after their owner, Andy, departs for college.
Why You Should See It: Pixar returns to the series that shaped them into the premier studio they are today. While the early trailers aren’t astounding, I have faith they will deliver one of the best films of the year like they have done comfortably for most of the past decade.
Avoid:
Marmaduke (Dey, June 4th)
Synopsis: The Winslow family moves to a new neighborhood with their large yet lovable Great Dane, who has a tendency to wreak havoc in his own oblivious way.
Why You Should Avoid It: In what looks like a quick cash grab banking on the success of Marley and Me, I hope Owen Wilson is dealing with some deep personal issues that only this film will let him resolve.
Killers (Luketic, June 4th)
Synopsis: Three years into their perfectly suburban marriage, Jen (Heigl) learns that her husband Spencer (Kutcher) is not only an undercover assassin — he’s also a target worth millions of dollars to a clutch of fellow assassins who have been trailing the couple in secret since they met.
Why You Should Avoid It: So the reason you aren’t having screenings for this is to let the fans decide? Alright Lionsgate, we will play along with you. I’m sure we are all wrong and this film will be a landmark in the romantic comedy genre.
Grown Ups (Dugan, June 25th)
Synopsis: After their high school basketball coach passes away, five good friends and former teammates reunite for a Fourth of July holiday weekend.
Why You Should Avoid It: Director Dennis Dugan was behind the comedic failures You Don’t Mess with the Zohan and I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry. Now he decided to go bigger rather than better with Grown Ups; a film starring all those guys that used to be funny.
Matinee:
Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work (Stern + Sundberg, June 11th)
Synopsis: A documentary on the life and career of Joan Rivers, made as the comedienne turns 75 years old.
Why You Should See A Matinee: Although this doc won’t appeal to everyone, festival reviews suggest that if you think you know all about Rivers’ life, you are dead wrong.
I Am Love (Guadagnino; June 18th)
Synopsis: A tragic love story set at the turn of the millennium in Milan. The film follows the fall of the haute bourgeoisie due to the forces of passion and unconditional love.
Why You Should See A Matinee: While this isn’t necessarily a great film, it stuck with me for weeks after seeing it. The cinematography is gorgeous and Swinton gives her usual great performance in a mesmerizing swirl of a (flawed) film.
Jonah Hex (Hayward, June 18th)
Synopsis: The U.S. military gives bounty hunter Jonah Hex (Brolin) and offer he cannot refuse: in exchange for his freedom from the warrants on his head, he’s to take down a terrorist (Malkovich) who is gathering an army and preparing to unleash Hell on Earth.
Why You Should See A Matinee: Plagued by production problems and horrendous early reviews, this looks to be another disappointing blockbuster. Though, there is enough talent involved with the project that I’m still holding on to the small hope that I can find something redeeming in Hex.
Cropsey (Brancacci and Zeman; June 4th)
Synopsis: Realizing the urban legend of their youth has actually come true; two filmmakers delve into the mystery surrounding five missing children and the real-life boogeyman linked to their disappearances.
Why You Should See A Matinee: This quasi-documentary should prove to be more scary than many of the horror films out there. Although it will get a very limited release, check it out if you can!
Dogtooth (Lanthimos; June 25th)
Synopsis: Three children who live in a home with their parents and who have never left the premises and are given their own unique vocabulary, whose life of isolation is interrupted by the only outsider they’ve ever met, Christina. She is there to relieve the son’s sexual urges, but soon does the same for the sister. With the spread of this comes a rebellion of the children against their parents.
Why You Should See A Matinee: Having won the Un Certain Regard award at Cannes last year, this film has, in addition to acclaim from critics, a great premise that is sure to at least get a strong reaction from those who see it. – Nick N.
Wild Grass (Alain Resnais; June 25th)
Synopsis: A wallet lost and found opens the door to romantic adventure for Georges and Marguerite.
Why You Should See A Matinee:: Alain Resnais has been making art in film since the first half of the 20th century, offering a masterpiece of romance and dialogue with Hiroshima, My Love in 1959. Wild Grass, which marked a return Cannes after a near 30-year absence, tells a simple story about a lost wallet that leads to new found love. Well-received at the 2009 festival and long-gestating in distribution, it may be one of the final great works from one of film’s most original voices. – Dan M.
Ondine (Jordan; June 4th)
Synopsis: The story of an Irish fisherman who discovers a woman in his fishing net who he believes to be a mermaid.
Why You Should See A Matinee: Neil Jordan’s most honest, personal work in years, Ondine is Ron Howards’ Splash taken seriously. And no, that is not a dig. Colin Farrell commands the screen as Syracuse, a down-on-his-luck ex-drunk fisherman who literally nets a beautiful woman one day, who may or may not be a sea creature. Whatever she is, her presence gives Syracuse, and his sick daughter, a new reason to live. Sure, it’s sentimental, but it’s sentimentality done right. – Dan M.
What are you watching this month?