Upcoming Releases — August


We've reached the end of the summer season. 2015 has been a good summer, full of some great smaller films and mammoth blockbusters. Will we get more in August? That remains to be seen.

Friday, August 7:
Fantastic Four — This is a re-boot of another Marvel franchise. But this one is owned by 20th Century FOX, and not Marvel itself. I liked the last "Fantastic Four," but didn't care for the follow up. This one has a great young cast and carries high hopes for FOX, but it remains to be seen if it can be a successful franchise in an already saturated market.

Ricki and the Flash — This film, starring Meryl Streep, comes from Oscar winning writer Diablo Cody and Oscar winning director Jonathan Demme. It's, perhaps, not the kind of movie you expect to get in summer. But it looks like something that could be a great, powerful character study.

The Gift — This is a thriller/horror film starring Jason Bateman and Joel Edgerton. Hard to tell if this will be worth watching.

Shaun the Sheep — A stop-motion animated feature for the kids! Will it be able to generate "Inside Out" or "Minions" money? I doubt it.

Friday, August 14:
The Man From U.N.C.L.E. — This is a big screen adaptation of the famous and classic TV series. This time it comes from director Guy Ritchie. Ritchie has a good cinematic style, and he's turned out some good action films, but this looks like a bit of a gamble.

Straight Outta Compton — This is a biopic of NWA. It could be one of the sneaky big hits of summer and looks like it could be a powerful biopic.

Underdogs — This is another smaller animated feature that's debuting near the tail end of summer. It provides a little family-friendly counter programming.

Return to Sender — This under-the-radar thriller is also being released on VOD the same day. It stars Oscar nominee Rosamund Pike but looks like a rote thriller.

Friday, August 21:
American Ultra — This is not your average stoner comedy. The last time Kristen Stewart and Jesse Eisenberg, it worked out pretty well. The trailer for this looks incredible, and I think it could be a sneaky gem in the dog days of summer.

Hitman: Agent 47 — This is a re-make of a movie based on a video game. I like Rupert Friend, but I don't see this as being anything more than a rote action film.

Friday, August 28:
Sinister 2 — The first "Sinister" film was a moderate hit, directed by Scott Derrickson and starring Ethan Hawke. Neither are involved in this sequel, which will test whether this can really be a horror franchise.

Regression — Ethan Hawke makes some interesting smaller films. This is a period piece — set 25 years ago in 1990 — and stars Hawke and Emma Watson. It looks somewhat promising.

We Are Your Friends — Zac Efron's latest film is about a 23-year-old DJ trying to make it. Likely it will appeal to teens and young adults.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Burial a courtroom drama with heart

Image
Willie Gary (Jamie Foxx) is a brash trial lawyer who is good at rallying a jury to his cause. Jeremiah O’Keefe (Tommy Lee Jones) is a quiet grandfather who is trying to ensure the business his family built remains viable after he’s gone. These two don’t appear to have much in common on the surface. But when they’re brought together by young lawyer Hal Dockins (Mamoudou Athie) brings them together, a connection is formed over their shared background of working hard to become self-made men. And it turned out that Willie was just who Jerry needed in his corner to win the fight of his life. The new Prime Video film The Burial, which opened in theaters October 6 and started streaming October 13, captures that trial against the Loewen Group that changed the course of their lives. The film is based on the true story and covers the trial, but more importantly captures the relationship between the men. The film plays out like a traditional courtroom drama. Foxx is solid as Willie Gary, while Ju
Read more

Broncos Draft Targets

Image
  The NFL Draft is just a few days away. On April 25, the Denver Broncos will head into the draft in the midst of something of a rebuild. In the draft, the Broncos have the No. 12 pick in Round 1, then have a Third Round Pick, Fourth Round Pick, three Fifth Round Picks, a Sixth Round Pick, and a Seventh Round Pick. So, what might they be targeting? Let's dive in and look at possible positions. Quarterback : The team clearly needs a long-term quarterback. Jarrett Stidham and Ben DiNucci are there but the team could certainly use someone else. Could they move up for Drake Maye or J.J. McCarthy? Yes, they could. Will the take Bo Nix at 12? It's possible. Or will the Broncos wait until next off-season to make a move? Anything is in play for the Broncos in 2024, but quarterback is surely a need. Tight End: The team brought back Adam Trautman and still has Greg Dulcich, but it's still a need. Dulcich hasn't been able to get on the field and Trautman hasn't been great. Co
Read more

Favorite Westerns, No. 43

Image
  Do you like a good Western? It's a classic genre in film and this year I've decided to look at some of my favorite Westerns. So, join me each Friday as I count down my favorite Westerns from No. 50 to No. 1. Rooster Cogburn : [ watching Mattie ford the river hanging on the back of her horse] By God. She reminds me of me. True Grit (1969) Starring : John Wayne, Kim Darby, Glen Campbell, Robert Duvall, and Dennis Hopper Director : Henry Hathaway About: This is the third straight week with a film from Wayne. As you might guess, we're not done. As I've mentioned, he sets a standard for the genre. Here, we seen him bring to life an iconic character. This one is based on a novel, and it has endured. He's great as Rooster Cogburn, so good that he got a sequel in the same character. But this is a later film in his career. This is a different, more grizzled Wayne. He's still quite good and this is a film that really has stood the test of time. It's not the only ve
Read more