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The summer means
blockbuster films, but for some reason the three biggest sequels were
released in May. A little distance might have resulted in more money for
all. Don’t worry, though — the studios have many more mindless
releases to fill out the summer months. All dates are subject to change,
and limited releases will likely reach Springfield at later dates.
JUNE 1
Gracie Elisabeth
Shue brings a fictionalized account of her youth as a girl who tries to
join a boys’ soccer team. Shue doubles as producer and as the actress
playing the soccer mom.
Knocked Up Writer/director Judd Apatow follows his hit The
40 Year Old Virgin with another sex
comedy. A dork has a one-night stand with a beautiful girl, and the title
suggests the result.
Mr. Brooks It may be
hard to imagine Kevin Costner as a serial killer, but investigator Demi
Moore is convinced that he is one. William Hurt co-stars.
Rise: Blood Hunter Lucy
Liu stars as a reporter who rises from the dead to avenge her murder in a
plot reminiscent of The Crow’s.
JUNE 8
Hostel: Part II The
torturous fun continues as three female art students on vacation in Europe
end up in the wrong place. Can it possibly be worse than the awful first
installment?
Ocean’s 13 George
Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon and company return for a third caper, this
time with former adversary Andy Garcia as an ally. The new mark is casino
owner Al Pacino.
Surf’s Up Just
when you thought it was safe to go back into the water, cartoon penguins
are back to participate in a surfing competition. Shia LaBeouf, Zooey
Deschanel, and Jon Heder provide voices.
JUNE 15
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer The four disparate comic-book superheroes band
together to thwart the Silver Surfer’s plans to destroy the Earth.
Fido Ray has an
unusual pet, but Fido is no dog — he’s a zombie who has eaten
the next-door neighbor.
I Could Never Be Your Woman Mother Nature interferes in the love relationships of a
mother (Michelle Pfeiffer) and her daughter (Saoirse Ronan). This is a
holdover from last summer.
Nancy Drew The young
female detective of kiddie-literature fame hasn’t been seen on the
big screen since the 1940s. Emma Roberts plays the teen snoop, who
investigates a movie star’s death.
JUNE 22
Captivity The ad
campaign for this torture thriller about a couple held captive by a serial
killer has already caused controversy. Can the film live up to its
notorious hype?
DOA: Dead or Alive A
video-game adaptation about three female fighters entering a martial-arts
tournament. Jaime Pressly (My Name Is Earl) stars in this holdover from last summer.
Evan Almighty Steve
Carell easily stole Bruce Almighty from Jim Carrey, so it is fitting that he stars in
the sequel. Evan is a congressman who must build an ark in advance of a
flood. Morgan Freeman reprises his role as God.
1408 A Stephen King
adaptation about a debunker of paranormal occurrences (John Cusack) who
checks into hotel room 1408 to encounter unexplained horrors.
A Mighty Heart Angelina
Jolie stars as Mariane Pearl, who searches for her kidnapped journalist
husband, Daniel (Dan Futterman), in this fact-based drama.
You Kill Me Today’s
hitmen have many personal problems, and Ben Kingsley joins Alcoholics
Anonymous to solve his. Téa Leoni co-stars as his smart-mouthed love
interest.
JUNE 27
Live Free or Die Hard Is
Die Hard cop
John McClane becoming political in his old age? Is he still fit enough to
take on a group of Internet terrorists planning to shut down the American
economy in this fourth installment?
JUNE 29
Evening (limited)
Vanessa Redgrave is a dying woman who reflects on her past in this
generational drama. Toni Collette and Claire Danes co-star.
Ratatouille A young rat
with expensive taste in food and a desire to become a chef takes up
residence in an exclusive Paris restaurant in this animated Disney feature
from the maker of The Incredibles.
Sicko Political
filmmaker Michael Moore takes on the health-care industry in his new,
already controversial documentary. Moore is under investigation by the U.S.
Treasury Department for a trip he took to Cuba while making the film.
JULY 6
Joshua Strange
things begin to happen to the Cairn family, and all evidence points to the
disturbing behavior of their weird son. Sam Rockwell and Vera Farmiga play
the troubled parents.
License to Wed Robin
Williams is the Rev. Frank, an unorthodox marriage counselor who subjects a
young couple (Mandy Moore, John Krasinski) to a brutal marriage-preparation
course.
Transformers Shape-shifting
alien robots use Earth as a battleground, threatening the future of the
planet. If an amusement-park ride can be turned into a blockbuster movie,
why not toys?
JULY 13
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix The saga of Harry Potter turns darker as the young
wizard returns to Hogwarts for a fifth year and a power struggle throws the
school into chaos.
Interview (limited)
Steve Buscemi directs and stars as a serious journalist who is forced to
follow a soap-opera actress (Sienna Miller). This is a remake of a Dutch
film by murdered filmmaker Theo van Gogh.
Rescue Dawn (limited)
Christian Bale is a downed pilot in the Vietnam War who escapes
imprisonment with the help of fellow POWs. Werner Herzog directs this
dramatic version of his documentary Little
Dieter Needs to Fly.
The Strangers Liv
Tyler and Scott Speedman are a couple terrorized by three masked strangers
in a secluded vacation house.
Talk to Me (limited)
This film tells the true story of Ralph “Petey” Greene (Don
Cheadle), an ex-con who became a well-known radio personality in 1960s
Washington, D.C.
JULY 20
Goya’s Ghosts Milos
Forman’s historical drama of painter Francisco Goya’s muse, who
is imprisoned for the crime of atheism. Javier Bardem, Natalie Portman, and
Stellan Skarsgård star.
Hairspray A chunky
teenager wins a spot on her favorite TV dance show. Can this musical
version of John Waters’ comedy overcome the gimmick of casting John
Travolta as the girl’s mother?
I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry Adam Sandler and Kevin James are two New York firefighters
who pose as a gay couple to qualify for domestic-partner benefits. This is
high concept to the extreme.
JULY 27
I Know Who Killed Me Lindsay
Lohan stars as a young woman who develops a split personality after being
held captive by a serial killer.
No Reservations Catherine
Zeta-Jones is a neurotic chef whose difficult life become even more
complicated when she become the guardian of her young niece (Abigail
Breslin).
The Simpsons Movie Springfield’s
favorite cartoon family is long past its prime, so the timing may be off
for the big-screen version. Will this Springfield get the premiere?
Skinwalkers A young
boy is caught in the middle of a war between two werewolf packs. One group
wants to protect him, the other wants to kill him.
AUGUST 3
Becoming Jane After
all the adaptations of Jane Austen’s novels, a biography of the
writer was inevitable. Anne Hathaway stars as Austen in her early years.
The Bourne Ultimatum Matt
Damon reprises his role as Jason Bourne, the spy with an identity crisis.
As he closes in on his past, his search is hindered by the appearance of an
assassin (Edgar Ramirez).
Charlie Bartlett Finding
it difficult to fit in at his new high school, a wealthy teen (Anton
Yelchin) achieves popularity by giving out advice as the self-appointed
school therapist.
Hot Rod Andy Samberg of Saturday Night Live stars
in his first movie, as a klutz who plans to jump 15 buses on his moped to
raise money to help his father.
Resurrecting the Champ Josh
Hartnett plays a sports reporter who discovers that a former boxing champ
(Samuel L. Jackson) is now homeless. The relationship with the boxer forces
the journalist to reevaluate his own life.
Underdog The
superhero dog from the animated TV series is unrecognizable as he gets a
complete overhaul for the movie version. Jason Lee provides the voice.
AUGUST 8
Daddy Day Camp The Eddie
Murphy starrer Daddy Day Care gets a sequel — but the major talent from the
first one is not involved. Cuba Gooding Jr. takes over Murphy’s
role.
AUGUST 10
Rocket Science A
high-school student with a severe stuttering problem joins the debate team
to impress a girl.
Rush Hour 3 Mismatched
detectives — an obnoxious American cop (Chris Tucker) and a Hong Kong
martial-arts master (Jackie Chan) — team up again to battle Chinese
gangsters in Paris.
Stardust A young man
ventures into a fantasy world to retrieve a fallen star for his girlfriend.
Claire Danes, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Robert De Niro are among the stars.
AUGUST 17
Bratz: The Movie Pity
the poor parents of young girls who must endure this movie based on the
popular dolls. Was this a wise career move for Paula Abdul?
The Invasion Nicole
Kidman is a psychiatrist who discovers an alien epidemic and learns that
her son may be the key to stopping it. This is the fourth feature version
of Invasion of the Body Snatchers.
Penelope (limited)
Christina Ricci stars as a princess born with a pig’s snout in this
modern-day fairy tale. She must find true love with a prince to break the
curse.
Superbad Two high-school
best friends are forced to deal with separation when their beer party goes
bad. Early buzz compares it to American Pie.
AUGUST 24
Good Luck Chuck Dane
Cook is a womanizer who notices that every girl he dumps moves on to Mr.
Right. Women notice, too, and begin using him as a stepping-stone.
The Last Legion Colin
Firth is a soldier who forms a band of legionnaires to save the collapsing
Roman Empire from marauding barbarians. Maybe he can also save the
collapsing genre.
Mr. Bean’s Holiday Rowan
Atkinson takes his priceless klutzy creation to France to wreak havoc on
the Cannes Film Festival. Sadly, this may be the final appearance by Mr.
Bean.
AUGUST 31
Balls of Fury A
has-been pingpong player is recruited by the FBI to enter a secret
tournament run by an evil crime lord (Christopher Walken).
Death Sentence Kevin
Bacon becomes a vigilante to avenge an attack on his son by a gang. He vows
to kill each one involved.
Wristcutters: A Love Story (limited) A teenager commits suicide and enters an
afterlife reserved for suicide victims. He searches for his ex-girlfriend,
who also committed suicide.
Springfield’s Marc Sigoloff writes about film
for Illinois Times.
This article appears in May 24-30, 2007.
