The End of Thought

Here are my most anticipated movies of the Summer (in release order)…

Son of Rambow – Limited Release (St. Louis May 16)

- Released last year in the UK, Son of Rambow is a movie about a couple of kids growing up in a strict religious household in the early 80’s. It is so strict that they aren’t allowed to watch movies of any kind until they sneak a viewing of Rambo: First Blood. Their minds are blown and they become inspired to create their own film and hilarity, no doubt, ensues. The film is written and directed by Garth Jennings, the man behind the recent Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy film adaptation, and he seems to be chummy with the guys who did Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead, so I expect more of that brand of genre lampooning. Plus, I just like movies about average people having emotional responses to films (see Be Kind Rewind).

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull – May 22

- The Indy movies are the stuff of childhood fantasies. What boy doesn’t want to grow up traveling around the world, evading booby traps, and chasing fortune and glory. I personally don’t remember a time without the Indiana Jones movies existing. They have always been there and have always been familiar, like a voice you heard in the womb. I would have gone to see this movie no matter what, but seeing Harrison Ford swinging around in the trailer just like the old days brought a powerful burst of nostalgia that I can’t really explain. My most anticipated movie of the year.

The Foot Fist Way – May 30

- I didn’t know much about this movie until reading some other summer movie previews. Apparently, up until a few months ago, nobody knew anything about this low budget film about an inept Tae Kwon Do instructor. It eventually made its way to Will Ferrell and the producers of Anchorman who loved it so much, they used their clout to get it studio support. An admirable production backstory and shades of The Office style humor make this film something to watch out for.

The Happening – June 13

-OK…Lady in the Water sucked. But before it was trendy to hate on M. Night Shyamalan, he delivered some pretty tense and entertaining thrillers. The Happening could be a return to form for the director who promises that this film will be his most gripping and suspenseful yet (and the R rating suggests he didn’t pull any punches this time around). Even if it bombs, it could mean the end of the Shyamalan hype so all you haters have something to look forward to as well.

WALL-E – June 27

-Pixar can really do no wrong. Every movie they make is a hit. Every movie they make is quirky and entertaining. Every movie they make pushes the CG animation envelope. Early indications are they’ve made their masterpiece with WALL-E. Not only does the sci-fi setting intrigue, but the fact that most of the movie features no dialog (only robotic bleeps and bloops) makes it worth seeing out of curiosity alone.

The Wackness – July 3

-Another smaller film that’s grabbing attention, The Wackness is about a kid named Luke Shapiro who trades his therapist (Ben Kingsley) weed for therapy sessions. I get a real Juno meets 1994 Brooklyn vibe from the trailer.

The Dark Knight – July 18

- How many reasons do you need to go see a film? The Dark Knight has about a million. Batman Begins was awesome and this year’s sequel promises more of the dark knight and less of the campy-colorful-Joel Schumacher-knight that we had in the 90’s. Heath Ledger’s Joker looks downright disturbing (and I’ve seen two people already calling for a posthumous Oscar for the performance). They even ditched Katie Holmes and upgraded to Maggie Gyllenhaal for the love interest. This is how comic book movies should be done.

Pineapple Express – August 8

- Judd Apatow has taken over the world. I’m not positive, but I think he’s been involved with every comedy released in the last 3 years. I wasn’t immediately won over by The 40 Year Old Virgin, but as I saw Knocked Up and Forgetting Sarah Marshall (my personal favorite), I gradually found my way into the Apatow Fan Club (member # 45,694,128). Pineapple Express looks like more of the same and that’s a very good thing. Bonus points for awesome trailer music.

Towelhead – August 15

- When Fox News and other conservative media says a movie is too controversial and needs to be banned, I find myself wanting to see it more and more. Towelhead (aka Nothing Is Private) is about an Arab-American 13 year old who finds herself as the sexual obsession of a white neighbor (Aaron Eckhardt). Alan Ball, the genius behind Six Feet Under and American Beauty, seems to have brought his trademark way of looking at social problems to this film and it promises to be both disturbing and darkly comedic.