Ayelet Zuhrer and Tom Hanks in "Angels & Demons"
courtesy of Columbia Pictures
“Something For Everyone”

The summer season of movies has already gotten off to a roaring start with “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” and “Star Trek.” To keep your spirits up and to make your summer choosing easier, here is a list of my recommended movie of the week for the entire summer.

May 15 – Writer Dan Brown, actor Tom Hanks, and director Ron Howard join forces again for the action adventure “Angels & Demons.” The Catholic Church may not like it but just about everyone else will.

May 22 – “Termination Salvation” has dirty-mouthed Christian Bale in the lead. He is once again in the future battling to save the world. Sadly there is no Ahnuld and no Linda Hamilton in view but the machines more than make up for their absence.

May 29 – To lighten things up here is a Pixar movie named “Up”that looks like pure fun. Ed Asner is the grumpy old man who ties balloons to his house and sails away on an adventure. It is up, up and away for people who love this type of animation and the brand of Disney humor that always accompanies it.

June 5 – Will Ferrell is pretty much hit or miss these days but it looks like he might just hit one more time with “Land of the Lost.” You know it has to be better than “Step Brother” or “Semi Pro.” It has to be!!

June 12 – John Travolta and Denzel Washington team up in the remake of the suspense thriller “The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3.” Travolta is always more interesting when he is playing the bad guy and in this movie he is bad to the bone.

June 19 – In her new movie Sandra Bullock makes a proposal of marriage to one of Hollywood’s hottest new stars Ryan Reynolds. Smart girl, Sandra. He will bring in an audience she would ordinarily not get. Advance word is this is one of the funniest movies of the summer and it is titled “The Proposal.”

June 26 – “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” is the movie I am most excited about and can’t wait to see. Shia LeBeouf and that foxy Megan Fox both are back in another battle movie that has the greatest special effects of the summer. I loved the original film and am expecting even better from this sequel.

July 3 – Johnny Depp and Christian Bale play Baby Face Nelson and his FBI pursuer in “Public Enemies.” I never underestimate anything Depp does so this period piece crime movie might just be a smash.

July 10 – Sacha Baron Cohen creates trash and audiences love it. Here he comes again as “Bruno” and this movie is sure to shock, outrage and entertain. He did it before and he will do it again.

July 17 – Is everyone out there sick to death of the Harry Potter movies? I doubt it. The “Twilight” series might have stolen some of its thunder but Daniel Radcliffe can still draw the kids into theaters, and “Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince” will be another smash.

July 24 – Guinea Pigs as special agents? Who thinks this stuff up? Well in this case Jerry Bruckheimer does and he parlays it into a movie that is stupidly entertaining. Wait till you see “G Force” and watch these hairy creatures save the world.

July 31 – Jud Apatow has only made two movies so far – “The 40 Year Old Virgin” and “Knocked Up.” I know, I know, it seems like he has made a million of them. It is time now for Apatow’s third film and it is titled “Funny People.” It stars Adam Sandler and Seth Rogen as well as Mrs. Apatow, Leslie Mann.

August 7 – Meryl Streep is a box office champion for the first time in her long career. This happened because of “The Devil Wears Prada” and especially “Mamma Mia!” Now she and Amy Adams, her “Doubt” co-star join forces again in “Julie and Julia,” a story about Julia Childs and one of her biggest admirers. This is the big “chick flick” of the summer and it should bring back the “Mamma Mia!” crowd.

August 14 – Eric Bana and Rachel McAdams co-star in the film adaptation of the best selling novel “The Time Traveler’s Wife.” Bana I can take or leave but I will watch anything Ms. McAdams appears in. She is that good.

August 21 – Quentin Tarrentino has not had a lot of hits since “Pulp Fiction.” He tries again with “Inglorious Basterds” (his spelling, not mine). It is a World War II epic that stars Brad Pitt and if Mr. Pitt could make “Benjamin Button” a success he ought to be able to do it again with this one.

August 28 – Every summer of fun has to have a horror flick and this summer it is “Final Destination: Death Trip 3D.” Expect another group of kids to cheat death and then get picked off one by one – but this time in eye poppin g 3-D.

So there you have it. Things get a little slow in September and October but quality movies arrive in November and December. In the meantime keep this list and check off the summer hits as you see them. Comments? Send them to jkershawcooper@aol.com.
 

 

 

 

 

©2009 Jackie K. Cooper

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