Summer Movie Preview, Pt. 1

May is coming, and with it comes the traditional four months of summer blockbusters. Since "Captain America" came out in April, and "The Hunger Games" comes out in November, we'll take that with a grain of salt.

Still, it's worth considering what the air-cooled, darkened theaters will offer as bait to pull us away from long summer days and nights. In this blog I will highlight five movies in May and June that I'm excited to see. In part two we'll tackle five from July and August.

May:
Neighbors (May 9) — Every summer there is one wild, over-the-top comedy that really works. Sometimes there's more than one. Sure, there will be plenty of summer action movies, but I like to find the comedies, indie dramas, etc. that round out the summer. The trailer for this movie — about a couple (Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne) — see their life turned upside down when a frat house — led by Zac Efron. The trailer looks hilarious, and this could be a good alternative to Superheroes.

X-Men: Days of Future Past (May 23) — This is one of the movies I'm most excited about this summer. I thought "X-Men: First Class" was the best in the franchise, and this film brings together the best elements of the first X-Men trilogy and the "First Class" storyline. The film has an incredible cast and a fascinating story. This could be one of the best of the big blockbuster action films.

A Million Ways to Die in the West (May 30) — I was one of the people that loved "Ted." I thought it was hilarious. I think Seth MacFarlane's comedy either works for you or it doesn't. It works for me. I laughed throughout this trailer, and even though I've seen it about 30 times, I still laugh. It has a great cast and looks like a great send up of westerns, the era, and other cultural things he wants to lampoon. In other words, this is the opposite of "Dads."

Other May Releases: The Amazing Spiderman 2 (May 2), Walk of Shame (May 2), Belle (May 2), Chef (May 9), Mom's Night Out (May 9), Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return (May 9), Godzilla (May 16), Million Dollar Arm (May 16), Blended (May 23), Malificent (May 30)

June:
The Fault in Our Stars (June 6) — This is the latest young adult fiction hit to make it to the big screen. But unlike the dystopian futures or vampire sagas that seem to come from that demographic, this is a real story built on real human emotions. It centers on teens that meet and fall in love in a cancer ward. You know it can't have a fairytale ending, but neither does life. This looks like the kind of quality indie that we crave during the summer.

22 Jump Street (June 13) — Much to my surprise, I really liked "21 Jump Street." It was a re-make that worked, thanks in large part to the chemistry between Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum. I am legitimately excited for this sequel — which will not doubt be every bit as over-the-top as the first film. This feels like a great mix of comedy and action for the middle of summer.

Other June Releases: Edge of Tomorrow (June 6), How to Train Your Dragon 2 (June 13), Think Like A Man Too (June 20), Jersey Boys (June 20), The Rover (June 20), Transformers: Age of Extinction (June 27)