Mark Vader Posted July 1, 2010 Share Posted July 1, 2010 With June giving this summer a much needed boost at the box office, the month of July comes in with a whole batch of original titles as all of the major sequels of this summer have now been released. Many movie patrons have complained that Hollywood is incapable of coming up with fresh ideas for the cinemas. So now here is a chance for Hollywood to show everyone that summer is not all about franchises & sequels. The man behind reigniting the Batman franchise, director Christopher Nolan, is back with his latest offering, "Inception". Dom Cobb is a thief who specializes in the art of extraction, the stealing of secrets from a target's subconscious. Though his profession cost him everything he has ever loved and has turned him into a fugitive, an offer for a final job -- one that requires him to plant an idea instead of pilfering it -- could be his chance at redemption. Nolan has an excellent track record and has quickly become one of the premiere directors in today's business. Aside from the current Batman series, he's also been responsible for Memento, Insomnia & The Prestige. He along with Warner Bros. have done an excellent job at keeping the story of this movie under wraps, as trailers have had many people excited and curious about this film. Add in an impressive cast, and Nolan is looking at his first non-Batman blockbuster. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Ellen Page, Ken Watanabe, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard, Cillian Murphy & Michael Caine. Paramount Pictures offers up "The Last Airbender". Aang, 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. A campaign which started last year with the first teaser of this film now comes to a head. M.Night Shyamalan, a director that people either love or hate, directs a movie from previously written material for a change. The popular series on Nikelodeon should have many families in line for this, but will it be enough to make a new franchise? Starring Noah Ringer, Dev Patel, Nicola Peltz, Jackson Rathbone & Cliff Curtis. Disney & producer Jerry Bruckheimer bring us "The Sorcerer's Apprentice". Master sorcerer Balthazar Blake recruits a seemingly everyday guy in his mission to defend New York City from his arch-nemesis, Maxim Horvath. After the disastrous reception that Prince of Persia received, Bruckheimer and Disney are hoping that this little talked about fantasy film will become a surprise hit. Starring Nicolas Cage, Jay Baruchel, Alfred Molina, Monica Bellucci & Teresa Palmer. Looking to flex her box office muscle this month is Angelina Jolie as she headlines the spy thriller "Salt". When CIA officer Evelyn Salt is called a spy by a Russian defector, she goes on the run, putting all of her experience and skills to use to elude capture, learn the truth of her identity, and hopefully clear her name. It's always difficult to project how good at the box office a Jolie flick will do, but this looks to be the right vehicle for her. Also starring Liev Schreiber, Chiwetel Ejiofor & Andre Braugher. Universal gets back into computer animation with "Despicable Me". A trio of orphan girls cause the normally deplorable Gru to rethink his plan to steal the moon. Starring Steve Carell, Russel Brand, Jason Segal & Julie Andrews. The one true franchise film this month is "Predators". A group of elite warriors are hunted by members of a merciless alien race. Starring Adrien Brody, Laurence Fishburne, Topher Grace, Danny Trejo & Alice Braga. Steve Carell teams up with Paul Rudd in "Dinner For Schmucks". Tim is a rising executive who "succeeds" in finding the perfect guest, IRS employee Barry, 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. Taking nearly a decade to get it's own sequel comes "Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore". The ongoing war between the canine and feline species is put on hold when they join forces to thwart a rogue cat spy with her own sinister plans for conquest. Starring Christina Applegate, Michael Clarke Duncan, Neil Patrick Harris, Sean Hayes, James Marsden, Bette Midler, Roger Moore, Nick Nolte, Chris O'Donnell & Joe Pantoliano. In "Charlie St. Cloud", After his younger brother Sam passes away, Charlie St. Cloud finds a way to deal with his grief by working as caretaker at the cemetery where Sam is buried. Charlie and Sam keep their bond with nightly conversations and playing catch, however, when a girl enters Charlie's life, he struggles between remaining with Sam or pursuing real-world love. Starring Zac Efron, Kim Basinger, Ray Liotta, Charlie Tahan & Amanda Crew. In "Ramona & Beezus", When grade-schooler Ramona Quimby senses that her family's home is danger, she uses her boundless energy and enthusiasm to save the day. Starring Joey King, Selena Gomez, Bridget Moynahan, Ginnifer Goodwin, Josh Duhamel & Sandra Oh. Finally "Grease: Sing Along", is exactly what it sounds like. Calendar with Trailers. 7/1 "The Last Airbender": http://www.thelastairbendermovie.com/ 7/8 "Grease:Sing Along": http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi1347749657/ 7/9 "Despicable Me": http://www.despicable.me/ "Predators": http://www.predators-movie.com/ 7/14 "The Sorcerer's Apprentice": http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/sorcerersapprentice/ 7/16 "Inception": http://inceptionmovie.warnerbros.com/ 7/23 "Salt": http://www.whoissalt.com/ "Ramona & Beezus": http://www.ramonaandbeezus.com/ 7/30 "Dinner For Schmucks": http://www.dinnerforschmucks.com/ "Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore": http://catsanddogsmovie.warnerbros.com/ "Charlie St. Cloud": http://www.charliestcloud.com/ That's all for now. Independent Films will be posted later. Enjoy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Astrojanitor Posted July 1, 2010 Share Posted July 1, 2010 Inception...finally a movie this summer for people with opposable thumbs. It's been a lean lean lean last few months Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Vader Posted July 1, 2010 Author Share Posted July 1, 2010 Inception...finally a movie this summer for people with opposable thumbs. It's been a lean lean lean last few months It certainly has been that way. Toy Story 3 was a saving grace for me, but I am thrilled to see Inception soon, even though I am not a fan of DiCaprio. Christopher Nolan has made some damn fine movies, and he is the bigger draw to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wooderson Posted July 1, 2010 Share Posted July 1, 2010 It certainly has been that way. Toy Story 3 was a saving grace for me, but I am thrilled to see Inception soon, even though I am not a fan of DiCaprio. Christopher Nolan has made some damn fine movies, and he is the bigger draw to me. Everything I've seen from Nolan, I've loved. So needless to say I'm very much looking forward to Inception. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuckincincy Posted July 1, 2010 Share Posted July 1, 2010 With June giving this summer a much needed boost at the box office, The movie buzz here in Cincy is this: http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=67420 Local actor auditioned for Spider Man 4, replacing McGuire. My wife knows his Dad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Vader Posted July 2, 2010 Author Share Posted July 2, 2010 The movie buzz here in Cincy is this: http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=67420 Local actor auditioned for Spider Man 4, replacing McGuire. My wife knows his Dad. What I want to know is are they starting all over with this franchise or are they continuing on with it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Astrojanitor Posted July 2, 2010 Share Posted July 2, 2010 What I want to know is are they starting all over with this franchise or are they continuing on with it? they are starting over. No Sam Raimi and back to high school. AND and british peter parker. Some kid named Andrew Garfield http://www.avclub.com/articles/and-the-new...arker-is,42739/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shrader Posted July 2, 2010 Share Posted July 2, 2010 Christopher Nolan's association with Michael Caine is pretty obvious, but it's interesting to see how he uses a lot of actors in many of his movies. First it was Christian Bale and now Ken Watanabe and Cillian Murphy. If I was an actor, I would want to be cast in one of his movies because I would be set for life. This month looks pretty solid. I'm not sure I'll see any in theaters (I still haven't made it to Toy Story 3), but I'm very curious about a couple of these. Inception obviously tops the list. For some reason, Despicable Me looks like one that could be some fun. Then there are a few that I'm sure I'll catch on basic cable down the line. I'm kind of curious to see just how bad Predators will be. The Rudd-Carrell combo should be enough for me to watch Dinner for Schmucks when TBS starts airing it constantly in about 3 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuffaloBud Posted July 2, 2010 Share Posted July 2, 2010 Is it just me or are these "franchise movies" taking over the world? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Vader Posted July 3, 2010 Author Share Posted July 3, 2010 Is it just me or are these "franchise movies" taking over the world? Prince of Persia sure is'nt. I know they want to make a franchise out of The Last Airbender, but I personally think that will be tough. I saw the movie on Thursday and I was underwhelmed. Airbender has a neat concept and there are good effects, but the dialogue is amateurish, some of the characters are not fully developed, and the movie feels rushed at times. I feel that this is the same problem with The Golden Compass, another intriguing fantasy film that did not find success. On the plus side, Dev Patel is a highlight of the movie, as his character feels to be the more rounded in the film. If only they had taken time to give us more insight to the characters of this story then it would be much better. Otherwise they are going to have to hope that word-of-mouth is extremely positive in order for them to make a franchise of this movie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Vader Posted July 11, 2010 Author Share Posted July 11, 2010 Saw "Despicable Me" this weekend. Funny movie, although Toy Story 3 & How to Train Your Dragon are superior animated movies from this year. Still it was a fun flick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shrader Posted July 12, 2010 Share Posted July 12, 2010 Saw "Despicable Me" this weekend. Funny movie, although Toy Story 3 & How to Train Your Dragon are superior animated movies from this year. Still it was a fun flick. Good enough for me. I've been curious about that movie and it seems like I end up liking most of what you mention in these threads. Oh, and I finally saw Toy Story 3 last week. I'm 28, but I was completely creeped out by big baby. Man, that thing was disturbing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wooderson Posted July 15, 2010 Share Posted July 15, 2010 I'm off to see Inception at midnight tonight, Imax style. I'll report back in tomorrow with my take on the film. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Vader Posted August 3, 2010 Author Share Posted August 3, 2010 Here are the Independent Movies: "The Kids Are All Right" is an alternative-family drama centered on lesbian parents Nic and Jules, who each conceived a child through artificial insemination. The family's dynamics are tested when their youngest child, 15-year-old Laser, convinces college-bound Joni, to look up their donor. Starring Annette Benning, Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo, Mia Wasikowska & Josh Hutcherson. "Get Low" takes place in 1930s Tennessee, where backwoods hermit Felix Bush decides to throw a party for his own funeral -- while he's still alive. Starring Robert Duvall, Bill Murray, & Sissy Spacek. In "The Extra Man", Henry Harrison is an eccentric literature professor, and failed playwright, who also devotes time to escorting Upper East Side widows to various events. Into his life, and the spare room in his Spartan apartment, comes Louis Ives, an aspiring playwright, and nascent crossdresser, looking to explore new horizons. Starring Kevin Kline, Paul Dano, Katie Holmes & John C. Reilly. In "The Dry Land", A U.S. soldier returning home from war struggles to reconcile his experiences abroad with the life and family he left in Texas. Starring Ryan O'Nan, America Ferrera, Wilmer Valderrama, Jason Ritter & Melissa Leo. In "Life During Wartime", Ten years have passed since the Jordan family was rocked by a series of shocking events and revelations, though now the family work to find love, forgiveness, and meaning in their volatile lives. Starring Shirley Henderson, Allison Janney, Ally Sheedy & Charlotte Rampling. A few documentaries make there way to the big screen: In "Winnebago Man", a documentarian sets out to find Jack Rebney, a former Winnebago salesman who became a recluse in the wake of the viral video that turned him into an underground celebrity. Starring Jack Rebney & Ben Steinbauer. In "Great Directors", Documentarian Angela Ismailos discusses cinema and the creative process with ten of her favorite directors. Starring David Lynch, Bernardo Bertolucci, Stephan Frears & John Sayles. "Countdown to Zero" is a documentary on the escalating nuclear arms race, from the Cold War to current-day crises. Finally we have a good amount foreign films: Sweden, Denmark & Germany bring us "The Girl Who Played With Fire", As computer hacker Lisbeth (Rapace) and journalist Mikael (Nyqvist) investigate a sex-trafficking ring, Lisbeth is accused of three murders, causing her to go on the run while Mikael works to clear her name. Starring Noomi Rypace & Michael Nyqvist. From Spain comes the horror sequel "[Rec] 2", Picking up 15 minutes after the conclusion of [Rec], a medical officer and a SWAT team outfitted with video cameras head into the quarantined apartment building, looking to contain the virus that has turned residents into violent creatures. From Denmark & United Kingdom comes "Valhalla Rising", One Eye is a mute warrior traded as a slave by clan chieftains in the Scottish highlands. Freed from his bondage with a brutal escape plan, he and Are, a boy slave, join forces with Viking crusaders making their way to the Holy Lands. Starring Mads Mikkelsen. Finally from France, Italy, Romania, Belgium & Russia comes "The Concert", During the communist era, Andreï Filipov was fired as the conductor of Moscow's Bolshoi Orchestra for refusing to fire all Jewish performers. Now a janitor at the Bolshoi, Andreï intercepts a fax that inspires him to reform his orchestra for a surprise appearance at the Pleyel in Paris. Starring Aleksei Guskov. Calendar with Trailers. Note: Dates are for exclusive or limited release, movies may arrive in your area at a later date. 7/9 "The Kids Are All Right": http://www.focusfeatures.com/film/the_kids_are_all_right "The Girl Who Played With Fire": http://www.playedwithfirefilm.com/ "[Rec] 2": http://www.rec2themovie.com/ "Great Directors": http://www.greatdirectorsfilm.com/ "Winnebago Man": http://winnebagoman.com/index.php 7/23 "Valhalla Rising": http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi78317081/ "Life During Wartime": http://www.ifcfilms.com/films/life-during-wartime-2 "Countdown To Zero": http://www.takepart.com/countdowntozero 7/30 "Get Low": http://www.sonyclassics.com/getlow/ "The Extra Man": http://theextramanmovie.com/ "The Concert": http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi2727544345/ "The Dry Land": http://www.thedrylandmovie.com/ That's all for now. I will have the movies for August up very soon. Enjoy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SageAgainstTheMachine Posted August 3, 2010 Share Posted August 3, 2010 I'm off to see Inception at midnight tonight, Imax style. I'll report back in tomorrow with my take on the film. LIAR! I saw Inception the other day. Impressive film, especially aesthetically. Very good acting too. But the praise, in my opinion, has been a bit overblown. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shrader Posted August 4, 2010 Share Posted August 4, 2010 Wrong thread Mark? I saw Dinner for Schmucks today and thought it was absolutely awful. I've never wanted to walk out of a theater before. I guess I'm glad I didn't because the dinner portion of the movie was decent. The rest was pure crap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Vader Posted August 4, 2010 Author Share Posted August 4, 2010 Wrong thread Mark? I saw Dinner for Schmucks today and thought it was absolutely awful. I've never wanted to walk out of a theater before. I guess I'm glad I didn't because the dinner portion of the movie was decent. The rest was pure crap. Wow, so all the funny stuff was in the trailers? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shrader Posted August 5, 2010 Share Posted August 5, 2010 Wow, so all the funny stuff was in the trailers? Pretty much. I couldn't believe how weak it was while I was watching. I haven't read any of them, but I've heard it got good reviews, but I just don't get it. Maybe the dinner scenes had it ending on a high note and that's what the reviewers walked away remembering. I think I'd actually classify that portion of the movie as very good, but unfortunately it took well over an hour to get there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DC Tom Posted August 6, 2010 Share Posted August 6, 2010 Just saw Salt. My review is simply: For the love of God, why????? What an utterly vapid, unmemorable film. I'd found myself wishing I had a book to read. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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