Welcome to my first ever blog post! I'm a huge film dork (obviously), and I spend way too much time obsessing over movies to not make it a productive hobby. So my boyfriend finally convinced me to start a blog and share my thoughts. (His name's Adam and I told him I would give him props... there you go, Adam!) So here I am.
When I saw the Summer Movie Preview issue of Entertainment Weekly, I realized there were approximately 10 gazillion movies coming out in the next three months that I'm super excited about, and I decided that would be the perfect subject for my first entry. Who cares if 98% of them are action movies/superhero movies/sequels. Isn't that what summer is all about? The great American tradition of mindless special effects bonanzas? But there seems to be an unprecedented amount of them this summer. I will see as many of the films listed below as humanly possible and post reviews throughout the coming months.
Let's get this party started!
Here, in chronological order, are the movies I'm most excited about this summer:
Think I missed something? Tell me what movies you're looking forward to the most and which you think are gonna tank. Hit me up in the comments!
Thor (May 6)
The first movie of the summer to introduce a new superhero, setting up next summer's The Avengers. Plus Natalie Portman straight off her Oscar...and then three bombs in a row (The Other Woman, No Strings Attached, Your Highness). Hopefully this will put her back on track, if not to Oscar-worthy material, then to at least something palatable.
Bridesmaids (May 13)
The Hangover with chicks. Kristen Wiig looks hysterical, as always. Plus I love Rose Byrne (from FX's Damages, which if you don't watch, you absolutely should).
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (May 20)
Okay so admittedly neither of the sequels were as good as the original, but with the subtraction of Keira I-act-with-my-jawline Knightley and Orlando I-don't-act-at-all Bloom, and the addition of Penelope Cruz and Ian McShane, hopefully this one will regain some of the magic. I remain cautiously optimistic.
The Hangover Part II (May 26)
The Wolfpack is back. This time in Thailand. Enough said.
The Tree Of Life (May 27)
Director Terrence Malick hasn't released a movie in six years. Hopefully that means he's had time to make a movie better than The New World. Don't really have any idea what this movie's about, but it looks promising.
X-Men: First Class (June 3)
One of my biggest celebrity crushes playing Professor X? Yes, please. Plus Rose Byrne again and Winter Bone's Jennifer Lawrence. Hopefully this will be more X2 than Last Stand or Wolverine.
Super 8 (June 10)
JJ Abrams AND Steven Spielberg? I'm gonna die. I would watch anything JJ Abrams comes up with (except for Undercovers...let's face it, that was pretty bad). And pairing him with Spielberg is genius. This is the collaboration of the summer I'm most looking forward to.
Green Lantern (June 17)
2010's Sexiest Man Alive as a superhero? Yes please. Don't know much about Green Lantern mythology, but I'll be in line.
Cars 2 (June 24)
I would still prefer an Incredibles sequel and Cars is my least favorite Pixar movie, but that's like saying the Almond & Sea Salt is my least favorite candy in my box of Easter chocolates: it's still delicious. Pixar has yet to disappoint and I doubt they'll start soon.
Transformers: Dark Of The Moon (July 1)
Giant robots fighting and blowing things up. What's not to love? Okay so the second one was basically a mess. But Michael Bay himself has even admitted that it sucked. He claims this one will be better. I want to believe him. But let's face it, I'd still go even if he was lying through his teeth. What's summer good for if not shiny cars transforming into havoc-wreaking metal aliens?
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 (July 15)
Self explanatory.
Captain America: The First Avenger (July 22)
Okay, so I'd just like to point out that Thor is technically the "First Avenger" of the summer. But I guess they're talking historical timeline. Whatever. Chris Evans is hot and Hugo Weaving is always an awesome villain. And again, must see this one to prepare for the Joss Whedon superhero orgy next year.
Cowboys & Aliens (July 29)
Steven Spielberg + Daniel Craig + Harrison Ford = campy-genre-mashup goodness. Can't wait to see how they explain how a bunch of hicks with shotguns on horses can compete with a species so technologically advanced they've figured out how to cross interstellar distances.
Rise of the Planet of the Apes (August 5)
First piece of good news: this film is in no way related to Tim Burton's disastrous remake. Second piece of good news: this film stars James Franco. Third piece of good news: motion capture Andy Serkis, who's already brought his genius movements to Gollum and King Kong. Fourth piece of good news: Draco Malfoy in his first post-Harry Potter role. Fifth piece of good news: apes going ape-shit (pun intended) on humans.
Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (August 12)
Guillermo Del Toro + horror = me cowering like a little girl. At least that's what I hope. I'll be disappointed if I'm not peeing my pants.
The Help (August 12)
Awesome book. Seriously, everyone should read it. Plus I love Emma Stone and Allison Janney and Viola Davis and pretty much everyone else on the cast list. This should be the feel-good ending to an action-packed summer.
MOVIES I WILL PROBABLY NETFLIX AT A LATER DATE:
- Kung Fu Panda 2: Still have yet to finish the first one in spite of trying twice
- Mr. Popper's Penguins: One of my favorite books as a kid
- Bad Teacher: Cameron Diaz as the world's worst teacher? Could be funny, could be tragic
- The Perfect Host: David Hyde Pierce as the world's most killer host? Could be horrifying, could be campy
- Horrible Bosses: Kevin Spacey, Colin Farrell and Jennifer Aniston as the world's worst bosses? I'm sensing a theme of extremes here...
- One Day: I hear the book is great, but I haven't read it yet, which obviously must be done first
- Friends With Benefits: AKA No Strings Attached's sexier, funnier cousin
- Crazy, Stupid Love: Emma Stone + Ryan Gosling as a playboy...yum
- The Change-Up: The crasser, bro-ier version of Freaky Friday starring Ryan Reynolds and Jason Bateman
- Final Destination 5: I know, I know...but I love watching Death off pretty teens in ways that would make Rube Goldberg proud
- Our Idiot Brother: Paul Rudd, Zooey Deschanel, Elizabeth Banks, Emily Mortimer, Adam Scott: comedy dream team? We'll see
Hey Jefferson, Cool blog idea. I always thought of doing a movie review blog, but I never got around to it. Look forward to hearing what you think of these. I'm most excited about Cowboys vs Aliens - :P -
ReplyDeleteSigned,
Hugo, a friend of Adams
You know I'm excited about this, who better to hear all this stuff from?
ReplyDeleteCan we make HP 7.2 in NYC together a priority? lol
<3 Tuck
Oh my god yes please. Are you gonna be in NYC on July 15??
ReplyDeleteHa! I had the exact same reaction when I looked at this summer's film release calendar. I actually sat down and put all the movies I want to see in my calendar so that I would be able to keep track of them all. The result: at least one new release every weekend of the summer from May through August, except for 2 weekends and a list that looks remarkably similar to yours. I think your list actually includes every single one of my highlights.
ReplyDeleteI'd have to say I'm most excited for Cars 2 and Captain America. Despite Cars arguably being Pixar's weakest film, it's still a gem in its own right. It has the same Pixar charm, despite the fact that the plot is lacking relative to its brethren. But it does have a special place in my heart. Least favorite Pixar film? Maybe. But I love it nonetheless, and I can't help but be giddy whenever Pixar releases its next, sure-to-be-an-exquisite-piece-of-storytelling offering each year (though Toy Story 3 set an INCREDIBLY high bar for future acts to follow). I do agree, though, that the Pixar film for which I'd most like to see a sequel/prequel is The Incredibles. I think it most warrants it, story-wise, but I'm optimistic for Cars 2 and Monsters University. Captain America just looks amazingly fun, though. I can't wait to see what will ostensibly be a super-hero period piece, especially given the fact that First Class was already an exceptional super-hero flick set in the Sixties this year.
Beyond those, I can't help but be pumped for Cowboys and Aliens and Deahtly Hallows, Part II. Despite my angst about how much David Yates has butchered the series since he took the helm in Order of the Phoenix, I think that this will be a worthy conclusion to the film series (which I consider qualitatively different from the books, anyway). I have no doubt that they will provide us with plenty of fodder for criticism, but I also think that the spectacle of the final Battle of Hogwarts and the confrontations between Harry and Voldy and a certain red-haired momma witch and a certain sociopathic "bitch" witch will be well worth the price of the ticket and the wait. Oh yeah, and Transformers 3 = giant robots + shiny special effects + Leonard Nemoy voicing a new transformer - Megan Fox's lack of acting ability? Yeah, count me in. I'm sure it will be every bit the sci-fi popcorn spectacle that a film based on a series of toys should be. And I'm okay with that fact.
Yeah, it's gonna be a fun summer at the movies, to be sure.
-Ben, a friend of your sister to whom she recommended your blog :)
err, *Nimoy. Leonard Nimoy, not Nemoy...
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