Summer Movie Guide: July

Hey guys, it's a brand new month and I thought I would share a little rundown of some of the big summer movies coming out this month!

JULY 1ST

THE LAST AIRBENDER

Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Starring: Jackson Rathbone, Dev Patel, Cliff Curtis
Synopsis: Aang (Ringer), a young successor to a long line of Avatars, learns that he possesses the power to engage the Fire Nation and hopefully end their century-long war against the Water, Earth, and Air nations (IMDB.com)
Trailer:

Hermit says: While some marvel at the flashy special effects and fight scenes in the trailer and fans of the popular Nickelodeon TV show may be giddy with excitement, I take a more cynical approach and wonder, "Why did the studio waste so much money to produce this film?" and "Why did they put M. Night Shyamalan (who hasn't made a good movie since Signs in 2002) in charge??"

JULY 9TH

DESPICABLE ME

Directors: Pierre Coffin, Chris Renaud, Sergio Pablos
Starring: Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig, Jason Segal
Synopsis: A trio of orphan girls cause the normally deplorable Gru to rethink his plan to steal the moon (IMDB.com)
Trailer:

Hermit says: Backed by a voice cast of comedy all-stars (i.e. Steve Carell, Will Arnet, Russell Brand, etc.) and a rather unique plot, this film seems very promising. However without a previous franchise or the brand of Dreamworks or Pixar to back it up, there is a large chance that a film like this will be overlooked by all the big summer blockbusters.

PREDATORS

Director: Nimrod Antal
Starring: Adrien Brody, Alice Braga, Laurence Fishburne
Synopsis: A group of elite warriors are hunted by members of a merciless alien race known as Predators (IMDB.com)
Trailer:

Hermit says: While I am not really convinced that it was a good idea to try to revive the Predator franchise, having Robert Rodriguez on board as a producer gives me a bit of hope that it can be pulled off.

JULY 14TH

THE SORCERER'S APPRENTICE

Director: Jon Turteltaub
Starring: Jay Baruchel, Nicolas Cage, Monica Bellucci
Synopsis: A sorcerer leaves his workshop in the hands of his apprentice, who gets into trouble when the broomstick he's tasked to do his chores for him somehow develops a mind of its own (IMDB.com)
Trailer:

Hermit says: I still can't decide which summer movie is going to be a bigger flop, this or The Last Airbender. Or how about a better debate: When was the last time Nicholas Cage was a relevant actor / starred in a good movie?

JULY 16TH

INCEPTION

Director: Christopher Nolan
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Ellen Page, Ken Watanabe
Synopsis: A sci-fi/thriller set within the "architecture of the mind," and centered on a group of business people who can construct a dream world for an individual and then infiltrate that world to steal their subconscious (IMDB.com)
Trailer:

Hermit says: I can't even begin to stress how excited I am for this film. Let's just hope it lives up to the hype and that Nolan can temporarily satisfy the millions of people who are jonesing for the next Batman film.

JULY 23RD

SALT

Director: Phillip Noyce
Starring: Angelina Jolie, Liev Schreiber, Chiwetel Ejiofor
Synopsis: As a CIA officer, Evelyn Salt swore an oath to duty, honor and country. Her loyalty will be tested when a defector accuses her of being a Russian spy (IMDB.com)
Trailer:

Hermit says: Though the screenplay originally featured a male protagonist, I think the gender change was a great decision and Angelina is the perfect leading lady to pull it off. I mean, what can possibly be more entertaining than an action/thriller with a hot chick kicking ass and taking names?

JULY 30TH

DINNER FOR SCHMUCKS

Director: Jay Roach
Starring: Steve Carell, Paul Rudd, Zach Galifianakis, Jemaine Clement
Synopsis: A rising executive "succeeds" in finding the perfect guest for his boss's monthly event, a so-called "dinner for idiots," which offers certain advantages to the exec who shows up with the biggest buffoon (IMDB.com)
Trailer:

Hermit says: With Carell & Rudd teaming up again and a hilarious supporting cast that includes Zach Galifianakis and Jemaine from Flight of the Conchords, this movie sounded great to me on paper. But after viewing the trailer featuring an array of unfunny physical gags and unoriginal humor, I am beginning to have some serious doubts. Let's hope this movie has more than meets the eye!

SOUND OFF!

What movies have you guys seen this summer so far? What movies are you most looking forward to? Feel free to share your thoughts!

Return of the Blog! - Summer Movie Thoughts (JUNE)

Hello everyone, sorry it's been so long since I've updated this thing. But now that summer is well underway, I thought I would get back to blogging and share some thoughts on some of the big summer movies coming out this year. Since we are already halfway through June, let's take a look at the big titles coming out the rest of this month:

JUNE 18

CYRUS
Starring: John C. Reilly, Marisa Tomei, and Jonah Hill
Directed by: Jay & Mark Duplass
Synopsis: A divorced guy John (Reilly) sparks with Molly (Tomei) and takes the initial steps toward a new romance; however, he soon finds himself engaged in a war for Molly's attention with her over-protective son (Hill) [IMDB.com]
Trailer:

Hermit Says: Looks like a decent indie comedy. Probably not the next 'Juno' or 'Little Miss Sunshine', but it will be interesting to see the dynamic / chemistry between its three stars.

TOY STORY 3
Starring: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Don Rickles, and more
Directed by: Lee Unkrich
Synopsis: Woody, Buzz, and the rest of their toy-box friends are dumped in a day-care center after their owner, Andy, departs for college. [IMDB.com]
Trailer:

Hermit Says: I'm usually quick to write-off sequels, prequels, and remakes...but this is a HUGE exception. I couldn't be more excited to see this!

JONAH HEX
Starring: Josh Brolin, Megan Fox, and John Malkovich
Directed by: Jimmy Hayward
Synopsis: In the Wild West, a scarred bounty hunter tracks a voodoo practitioner bent on liberating the South by raising an army of the undead. [IMDB.com]
Trailer:

Hermit says: Doesn't look too appealing to me. Seems kind of like 'Hellboy' meets 'Wild Wild West'...and that's NOT a good thing! However, there's one reason I would actually consider going to see this film...[see below]

JUNE 25

GROWN UPS
Starring: Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, David Spade, Kevin James, and Rob Schneider
Directed by: Dennis Dugan
Synopsis: Thirty years after their high school graduation, five good friends reunite for a Fourth of July holiday weekend. [IMDB.com]
Trailer:

Hermit says: Pretty much an SNL cast reunion + Kevin James (It's like they replaced Chris Farley with a new, fat, funny white guy). Initially I thought this would be a poor excuse at reviving the careers of a couple irrelevant actors (*cough* David Spade *cough* Rob Schneider), but it turns out this actually looks like a fun and promising comedy and I will definitely be checking it out.

KNIGHT AND DAY
Starring: Tom Cruise, Cameron Diaz
Directed by: James Mangold
Synopsis: A fugitive couple (Cruise and Diaz) set of on a glamorous and sometimes deadly adventure where nothing and no one - even themselves - are what they seem. Amid shifting alliances and unexpected betrayals, they race across the globe, with their survival ultimately hinging on the battle of truth vs. trust. [IMDB.com]
Trailer:

Hermit Says: While both actors seem very well suited for the characters they are playing, there doesn't seem to anything particularly interesting or original about this film. I'm likely going to skip it.

JUNE 30

THE TWILIGHT SAGA: ECLIPSE

Starring: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, and Taylor Lautner

Directed by: David Slade

Synopsis: As a string of mysterious killings grips Seattle, Bella, whose high school graduation is fast approaching, is forced to choose between her love for vampire Edward and her friendship with werewolf Jacob. [IMDB.com]

Trailer:

Hermit Says: Though this Twilight film seems much darker and more action-oriented, I still have absolutely no interest in anything Twilight. SORRY!

SOUND OFF!

What movies have you guys seen this summer so far? What movies are you most looking forward to? Feel free to share your thoughts!

Summer Movie Guide (AUGUST)

Wow, this summer has gone by way too fast...I can't believe it's already August. Anyway, a new month means a new batch of movies to check out before you go back to school. Here is my guide to some of the big titles coming out this month:

SUMMER MOVIE GUIDE - AUGUST

AUGUST 7TH

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra
Starring: Dennis Quaid, Channing Tatum, Marlon Wayans, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Rachel Nichols
Director: Stephen Sommers
Trailer: View Here

'The Matrix' meets 'Transformers'...This movie is bound to be a big, action-packed summer popcorn flick, but will it be able to hold it's own against the Transformers franchise?



Julie & Julia
Starring: Meryl Streep, Amy Adams, Stanley Tucci
Director: Nora Ephron
Trailer: View Here

Meryl Streep teams up again with 'Doubt' co-star, the young and talented Amy Adams in a film written and directed by Nora Ephron (the mastermind behind romantic comedies classic like 'When Harry Met Sally..' and ' Sleepless in Seattle')

AUGUST 14TH

District 9
Starring: Sharlto Copley, David James
Director: Neil Blomkamp
Trailer: View Here

Produced by 'Lord of the Rings' director Peter Jackson, this high concept sci-fi film has been receiving quite a lot of buzz recently. Will it share the success of last year's 'Cloverfield' or just fizzle out and be forgotten??


Paper Heart
Starring: Charlyne Yi, Michael Cera
Director: Nichalos Jasenovec
Trailer: View Here

Another indie romantic comedy that I'm excited to check out. The film is presented in a documentary type style that follows Charlyne Yi (the hilariously random Asian girl from 'Knocked Up') and the always funny, always awkward Michael Cera.

AUGUST 21ST

Inglourious Basterds
Starring: Brad Pitt, Diane Kruger, Melanie Laurent, Christoph Waltz
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Trailer: View Here

Cinematic genius, Quentin Tarantino teams up with superstar Brad Pitt for a movie that follows a group of Jewish soldiers assigned to kill Nazis...What more can I say??

AUGUST 28TH

The Final Destination
Starring: Bobby Campo, Shantel VanSanten, Krista Allen
Director: David R. Ellis
Trailer: View Here

Oh boy! A fourth movie that features all the messed up ways to get killed. But wait, there's more...this time it's in 3-D!



Taking Woodstock
Starring: Demetri Martin, Emile Hirsch, Liev Schreiber
Director: Ang Lee
Trailer: View Here

Ang Lee. Demetri Martin. Woodstock...I'm sold.

RELEASE DATES
August 7th - G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, Julie & Julia
August 14th - District 9, Paper Heart (limited)
August 21st - Inglourious Basterds
August 28th - The Final Destination, Taking Woodstock (limited)

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In case you still need to catch up with some of the new movies from this summer, here is a list of some of the titles that are currently out in theaters:

Brüno
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
(500) Days of Summer
The Ugly Truth
Funny People

I don't care about Harry Potter...

Sorry guys...but I just never got into this whole "Harry Potter craze." I never read a book and never saw a movie, so I'm not going to sit here and bash the franchise and all it's fan because I literally know nothing about Harry Potter to make fun of it about. While I am fully aware of all the buzz surrounding tonight's release of the highly anticipated sixth film of the series: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (and I'll admit that the previews actually made the film look pretty cool)...the chances are that this is one big summer flick I will most likely pass on seeing.

BUT...here are two non-Harry Potter movies coming out soon that I am actually super excited for:

(500) Days of Summer (July 17)



Funny People (July 31)

Summer Movie Guide (JULY)

Hey guys, it's the last day of June so I thought I would give you a nice little update on some of the big title movies coming out in the month of July that you might want to check out:

SUMMER MOVIE GUIDE - JULY

JULY 1ST

Public Enemies
Starring: Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, Marion Cotillard
Director: Michael Mann
Trailer: View Here

Holy crap...A summer action film that's based on real-life gangsters and not some big comic book franchise! Throw in two of the biggest stars in Hollywood, an Academy Award-winning actress, and the director of 'Heat' and 'Collateral' and you've got a film that's destined to be great.

JULY 10TH

Brüno
Starring: Sacha Baron Cohen
Director: Larry Charles
Trailer: View Here

Sacha Baron Cohen proves yet again that he is absolutely fearless. Just from the 2 minute trailer we can tell this movie will be bigger, more offensive, and more controversial than 2006's 'Borat.'

JULY 15TH

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Michael Gambon
Director: David Yates
Trailer: View Here

Perhaps the last film of the summer that actually has a chance at giving 'Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen' a run for it's money.

JULY 17TH (Limited release)

(500) Days of Summer
Starring: Zooey Deschanel, Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Director: Marc Webb
Trailer: View Here

A nice little romantic indie-comedy starring the absolutely adorable Zooey Deschanel and the super underrated Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Although it will probably be limited to very few theaters, this one is definitely a must-see.

JULY 24TH

G-Force
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Tracy Morgan, Sam Rockwell, Penélope Cruz
Director: Hoyt Yeatman
Trailer: View Here

A 3-D Disney family comedy / Jerry Bruckheimer production about guinea pig spies! This movie has summer blockbuster written all over it.


The Ugly Truth
Starring: Gerard Butler, Katherine Heigl
Director: Robert Luketic
Trailer: View Here

Whoa, an R-rated romantic comedy! This one has the potential to beat out 'The Proposal' for "the romantic comedy of the summer"

JULY 31ST

Funny People
Starring: Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen, Leslie Mann
Director: Judd Apatow
Trailer: View Here

We've seen Adam Sandler do stand-up comedy. We've seen him do drama. So why not combine the two...and then add Seth Rogen and Judd Apatow (the 'King Midas' of comedy films)? This is the movie I have been anxiously waiting for since I saw the trailer back in the beginning of the year.

RELEASE DATES
July 1st - Public Enemies
July 10th - Brüno
July 15th - Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
July 17th - (500) Days of Summer
July 24th - G-Force, The Ugly Truth
July 31st - Funny People

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In case you still need to catch up with some of the big blockbusters this summer, here are some of the big movies that are currently out in theaters:

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
The Proposal
Year One
The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3
The Hangover

June Indie Movies

So last week, I posted a 'Summer Movie Guide' for the month of June...However, I realized that I left out two lesser-known indie films coming out this month that look great. Unfortunately they will both be limited releases, so you might have to search for where you can see them.

JUNE 5TH

Away We Go
Starring: John Krasinski, Maya Rudolph, Jeff Daniels, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Allison Janney
Director: Sam Mendes
Trailer: View Here

An indie comedy-drama featuring an outstanding cast and the director of American Beauty and Revolutionary Road. Looks like a good heart-felt film to escape all the big hyped up summer action movies.

JUNE 19TH

Dead Snow
Starring: Vegard Hoel, Stig Frode Henriksen, Charlotte Frogner
Director: Tommy Wirkola
Trailer: View Here

Two words: NAZI. ZOMBIES.

Source: ComingSoon.net

Summer Movie Guide (JUNE)

Although summer doesn't always guarantee beautiful weather, it does guarantee a bunch of big summer movies. With the month of May already coming to an end, I thought I would share some of the big movies coming out in June that you might want to check out!

SUMMER MOVIE GUIDE - JUNE

JUNE 5TH

Land Of The Lost
Starring: Will Ferrell, Danny McBride, Anna Friel
Director: Brad Silberling
Trailer: View Here

I had mixed feelings on this one, but Will Ferrell and Danny McBride are both hilarious and that's enough for me to check it out.


The Hangover
Starring: Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis
Director: Todd Phillips
Trailer: View Here

Hilarious cast. Director of 'Old School'. Seems like a solid summer comedy.

JUNE 12TH

The Taking Of Pelham 123
Starring: Denzel Washington, John Travolta, John Turturro
Director: Tony Scott
Trailer: View Here

Denzel and Travolta in an Action movie...I'm there.

JUNE 19TH

Year One
Starring: Jack Black, Michael Cera, Oliver Platt, David Cross
Director: Harold Ramis
Trailer: View Here

Harold Ramis teamed up with two great writers from 'The Office' for this screenplay, thus scoring some bonus points in my book.


The Proposal
Starring: Sandra Bullock, Ryan Reynolds, Betty White
Director: Anne Fletcher
Trailer: View Here

Every summer needs a silly romantic comedy. Throw in Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock and you've got a hit.

JUNE 24TH

Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen
Starring: Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson
Director: Michael Bay
Trailer: View Here

Probably one of the most anticipated films of the summer. Let's hope it repeats the success of the first one...

RELEASE DATES

June 5th - Land of the Lost, The Hangover
June 12th - The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3
June 19th - Year One, The Proposal
June 24th - Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

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In case you haven't had a chance to go to the movies yet or if you are just looking for something to do, you should check out some of the big summer movies that are already out in theaters:

X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Star Trek
Angels & Demons
Terminator: Salvation
Night at the Museum : Battle of the Smithsonian
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