Opening this Month: August 2015

Posted on August 1, 2015 at 3:15 pm

August is usually one of the slowest months of the year for major movie releases, but this year we have some prospects that could include both blockbusters and indie critical darlings. I’m especially looking forward to:

August 5

Shaun the Sheep — The latest from the Wallace and GromitChicken Run guys, which means it will have wonderfully tactile stop-motion animation and hilarious, impeccably timed stunts and sight gags.

August 7

Rikki and the Flash Meryl Streep and her real-life daughter Mamie Gummer co-star in this story of a singer in a bar band to returns to her estranged family when her daughter’s husband leaves her. It’s also a re-teaming with Streep’s “Sophie’s Choice” co-star, Kevin Kline, and Streep’s bandmate and love interest is played by 80’s soap star/pop star Rick Springfield.

Dark Places Members of a group who study grisly murders contact a woman who, as a young girl, survived an attack that killed her parents and testified that it was her brother who did it. Charlize Theron stars, and it is based on the book by Gone Girl author Gillian Flynn.

August 14

The Man from UNCLE The 60’s television series about two handsome spies stars Armie Hammer, Henry Cavill, and this year’s breakthrough actress Alicia Vikander. It’s directed by “Sherlock Holmes'” Guy Ritchie.

Straight Outta Compton Ice Cube’s son stars in the story of N.W.A., their rise to fame and their influence on music and culture.

Mistress America Noah Baumbach’s second comedy of manners this year stars co-screenwriter Greta Gerwig and “Mozart in the Jungle’s” Lola Kirke as prospective step-sisters trying to be cool in New York.

August 21

American Ultra He’s the next Lex Luthor and appears in next week’s “End of the Tour,” but Jesse Eisenberg also found time to star in this slacker action comedy about an unexpected undercover agent — even to himself. Kristen Stewart plays his girlfriend.

Learning to Drive Katha Pollitt’s bittersweet essay about getting her first driver’s license in her 50’s after a miserable break-up has been adapted for a film with Sir Ben Kingsley and Patricia Clarkson.

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Coming in July 2015: Magic Mike XXL, Terminator: Genisys, Minions, and Amy Schumer’s Trainwreck

Posted on July 1, 2015 at 8:00 am

Happy July! As usual, this July is going to be filled with blockbusters, sequels, remakes, raunchy comedies, and superheroes, but there are some worthwhile smaller films as well.

Opening today, for the holiday weekend, we have two sequels.

Magic Mike XXL: The dancers go on the road — can they win the big competition?

Terminator Genisys: Somehow they are going to explain how the Arnold Schwarzenegger android is aging.

July 10

Minions: Where did those little yellow guys come from? Why do they love to work for evil geniuses? This prequel to the “Despicable Me” movies stars Sandra Bullock as Scarlett Overkill.

Self/Less: A rich old guy (Sir Ben Kingsley) who does not want to die takes on the body of a young, healthy guy (Ryan Reynolds).

Batkid Begins: A five year old cancer survivor told Make-a-Wish he wanted to be Batman, and the entire city of San Francisco made his wish come true. Julia Roberts will star in the feature film adaptation of this heartwarming documentary.

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July 17

Trainwreck: Amy Schumer wrote and stars in this raunchy comedy about a young woman with commitment issues who falls for a doctor (Bill Hader). LeBron James co-stars as himself.

Ant-Man: Yes, he is a tiny superhero. But he is played by Paul Rudd, so I am on board.

July 24

Pixels: We are attacked by aliens — in the firm of old-school arcade games!

Paper Towns: Nat Wolff and John Green — two of my favorites. Green’s book is about a high school kid whose life is turned upside down when the girl he has loved from afar invites him on an adventure and then disappears.

Irrational Man: Woody Allen’s latest seems to be another movie about a middle-aged man (Joaquin Phoenix) whose life is saved by a beautiful young woman (Emma Stone). I hope not.

July 29

Vacation: Do we need a remake of the Chevy Chase classic? We’re going to find out!

July 31

Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation: Tom Cruise is back and the action looks sensational.

Stanford Prison Experiment: Psychology researchers assign students the roles of prisoners and guards. What could go wrong? Based on a true story.

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Opening This Month: June 2015

Posted on June 1, 2015 at 3:59 pm

Summer movies are here! Raunchy comedies, blockbuster sequels, and even some documentaries and indie gems.

Here’s what’s ahead this month.

June 3

Entourage: Vince and his pals are back as the hit HBO series about a Hollywood star and his friends, and of course about their volcanically profane agent, Ari, played by multiple award winner Jeremy Piven.

June 5

Spy: Melissa McCarthy teams up with action star Jason Statham in this R-rated comedy directed by “Bridesmaids'” Paul Feig.
Love & Mercy: Paul Dano and John Cusack play the brilliant but troubled Brian Wilson in this biopic about the genius behind the Beach Boys, co-starring Paul Giamatti as his controversial therapist and Elizabeth Banks as the woman who loves him.

June 12

Jurassic World: Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard star in this reboot of the series based on the book by Michael Crichton and the movie directed by Steven Spielberg.
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl: This sweet indie is funny, smart, surprising, and touching.

The Wolfpack: A group of sheltered, homeschooled boys in New York City learn about the world through the movies they watch and re-create — and this is a documentary.

The Yes Men Are Revolting: In their third film, the Yes Men continue to combine protest, theater, and comedy to bring attention to environmental dangers and corporate misdeeds.

June 19

Inside Out: Pixar’s new film is about the emotions within a middle school girl, featuring the voices of Lewis Black, Amy Poehler, and Mindy Kaling.
Infinitely Polar Bear: Mark Ruffalo and Zoë Saldana star in this fact-based story of a brilliant but bi-polar man who does the best he can to care for his two daughters.

June 26

Max: A dog that worked with US Marines in Afghanistan returns to the U.S. and is adopted by the younger brother of the Marine handler who was killed in action.

Ted 2: The talking bear with the potty mouth returns.
Batkid Begins: The Make-A-Wish story about the kid who wanted to be Batman captured the hearts of the world. This is what happened.

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May 2015 — Movies Opening This Month

Posted on May 1, 2015 at 8:00 am

Fasten your seatbelts! Summer movies are here. Tonight “Avengers: Age of Ultron” will explode into theaters. It’s already a blockbuster overseas.

And for those of you who are looking for something more literary, “Far from the Madding Crowd” opens today as well, with Carey Mulligan as Thomas Hardy’s headstrong heroine wooed by three suitors.

Blockbusters are typically followed by comedies, so next week we will get two: “Hot Pursuit” with Reese Witherspoon and Sofia Vergara and “The D Train” with Jack Black and James Marsden, along with “Bravetown.”

Then on May 15, 2015, two huge franchise films: “Pitch Perfect 2” and “Mad Max: Fury Road” Acca-thrilling!

A week later, George Clooney stars in “Tomorrowland” and Sam Rockwell and Rosemary DeWitt get terrified by the remake of “Poltergeist.”

And on May 29, the earth will shake in “San Andreas.”

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April 2015: Movies Opening This Month

Posted on April 1, 2015 at 3:37 pm

The Woman in Gold by Gustav Klimt All rights reserved Neue Galerie

Happy April! Here’s what I’m looking forward to in theaters this month. It’s very intriguing that three movies opening in April have themes about eternal youth or transplanting consciousness, while another originally scheduled for this month, Pierce Brosnan’s “The Moon and the Sun,” has now been delayed.

April 1, 2015

“The Woman in Gold” is based on the true story of one of the world’s most famous paintings, the woman who posed for it, the Nazis who stole it, and the Holocaust survivor and young lawyer who sued the Austrian government to get it back. Helen Mirren, Ryan Reynolds, Katie Holmes, and Daniel Brühl star.

April 3, 2015

“Furious 7” is the last episode of the “Fast and Furious” series, with the final performance from the late Paul Walker.

April 10, 2015

“Ex Machina” (limited release) has two of my favorite actors, Domhnall Gleeson and Oscar Isaac, in the story of a young programmer who evaluates a robot programmed to achieve consciousness.

April 17, 2015

“Self/less” has Matthew Goode, Ryan Reynolds, “Downton Abbey’s” Michelle Dockery, and Sir Ben Kingsley in the story of a wealthy older man who buys a strong, young body to carry on his consciousness. It is directed by Tarsem Singh (“The Fall,” “Mirror Mirror”), which means it may not entirely make sense but it will be a treat to look at.

“Monkey Kingdom” DisneyNature’s 2015 Earth Day release has Tina Fey narrating the story of baby toque macaque monkey learning about her community and their world.

April 24, 2015

“The Age of Adaline” Blake Lively plays the title character, who never ages and thus must watch everyone she loves grow old while she stays young. The cast includes Harrison Ford and Ellen Burstyn.

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