Take a Journey Through Christmas Wonderland in Alton Grandpa Gang...
Read More
A Preview of Late Summer Films
In a summer full of sequel, prequels, and remakes, it might be helpful to plan ahead, so here is a short preview of what is coming to local theaters.
OPENING on FRIDAY, JULY 18
SEX TAPE: A married couple, played by Jason Segel and Cameron Diaz, hope that making a sex tape will reinvigorate their love and marriage; unfortunately, the sex tape gets lose in the world and on the internet. The question is whether the adventure of retrieving the tape back will be a bonding experience or not. Having helmed Bad Teacher and episodes of New Girl and Ben and Kate, director Jake Kasdan promises comic antics for adult audience in this Sony film. Rated R; 94 min.
PLANES: FIRE AND RESCUE: Disney continues the franchise started with Cars and continued with Planes. The animation is designed to look like the work of Pixar, but it is done by Prana Studio which has done primarily special effects for about ten years, and DisneyToon Studios. Dusty’s racing days are over, so he turns to aerial firefighting because that would be less strenuous for his engine. Dusty teams up with fire and rescue helicopter Blade Ranger and his all-terrain The Smokejumpers, to battle a wildfire and learn some lessons. Obviously targeted to the kiddie market. Rated PG, 83 min.
THE PURGE: ANARCHY: Universal rolls out another installment in their horror franchise which capitalizes on mankind’s cruelty. As the Purge begins, various people join forces to survive the night of cruelty and destruction. A couple with children, a father seeking revenge, and a mother and daughter fleeing home invaders are featured in this sequel. Director James DeMonaco returns. Rated R, 103 mins.
WISH I WAS HERE Focus Features and director Zach Braff, who helmed the popular Garden State, bring Braff’s second low-budget, indie-funded, tale of adults caught between being parents and children to the screen. While Sarah (Academy Award nominee Kate Hudson) supports the family, struggling actor Aidan (Zach Braff) fantasizes about his childhood the generation. When Grandpa Gabe (Mandy Patinkin) is diagnosed with a serious illness and can’t pay for the grandkids’ private school anymore, Sarah and Aidan’s life gets turned upside down and everyone has lessons to learn, including the grandkids who are being home schooled Aidan. Rated R; 106 min.
OPENING FRIDAY, JULY 25
HERCULES (Paramount): The Rock and his hammer return. LUCY (Universal): Scarlett Johansson kicks, punches, and shoots the villains who drugged her when she is transformed into a killing machine, and all while wearing sexy clothes.
A MOST WANTED MAN (Roadside Attractions): Philip Seymour Hoffman in a final role. An immigrant gets caught up in the war on terror. THE FLUFFY MOVIE (Open Road): A comedy concert film send up chronically the performance and success story of Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias. I ORIGINS (Fox Searchlight): Director Mike Cahill (Another Earth ) contemplates the evolution of the human eye. AND SO IT GOES (Clarius): A comic tale of two retirement age adults coming to terms with loss and starting over. Directed byRob Reiner and starring Michael Douglas and Diane Keaton, who sings a number of songs.
Early August brings GET ON UP (Universal), in which Chadwick Boseman, who played baseball legend Jackie Robinson in “42” (2013), now turns himself into James Brown. Also in August, GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY (Marvel/Disney), an intergalactic battle for acoveted orb with powers; TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES (Paramount), a revisiting of the famous and popular franchise; and INTO THE STORM (Warner Bros.), which stars Mother Nature in a “found footage” story. THE HUNDRED-FOOT JOURNEY (Disney) stars Helen Mirren as a restauranteur competing with the Indian restaurant that just opened across the street.
Last, but not least, MAGIC IN THE MOONLIGHT (Sony Pictures Classics), which is writer/director Woody Allen’s comedy about a magician, played by Colin Firth, trying to expose a medium, played by Emma Stone, as a fake, and which promises great acting from a talented cast.
While the remakes, sequel, and prequel deliver exactly what the audience expects and perhaps wants, there are lots of original films well worth the surprises they hold.
Happy viewing!
