Here is the monthly rundown of what I’m looking forward to in July. Leave a comment and let me know what you are looking forward to!
10. Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (Saldanha, July 1st)
Synopsis: When Sid gets into some trouble, it’s up to Manny, Ellie, Diego, and Scrat to save their friend. Their mission leads them to an underground world where encounter dinosaurs, flora, and fauna — as well as a one-eyed, dino-hunting weasel named Buck.
Why You Should See It: Looks to be more of the same, but the 3-D component should be worth a view. The first two films were fun, and this one doesn’t look wildly different.
9. The Cove (Psihoyos, July 31st)
Synopsis: Using state-of-the-art equipment, a group of activists, led by renown dolphin trainer Ric O’Barry, infiltrate a cove near Taijii, Japan to expose both a shocking instance of animal abuse and a serious threat to human health.
Why You Should See It: Won the audience award at Sundance this year. Looks like a intense drama about the slaughter of dolphins in Japan.
Check out the rest of the list below
8. Adam (Mayer, July 29th)
Synopsis: Soon after Beth (Byrne) moves into her new apartment, the beautiful, emotionally fragile writer is drawn to her downstairs neighbor, Adam, a handsome young guy who has Asperger’s Syndrome. but odd fellow with whom a relationship seems impossible …
Why You Should See It: Rose Byrne is always great. This looks to be a worthwhile romantic film with convincing leads and a believable plot, unlike most of the redundant crap we see every week.
7. Thirst (Chan-wook, July 31st)
Synopsis: A failed medical experiment turns a man of faith into a vampire.
Why You Should See It: Chan-wook Park is back. Oldboy is a classic and I’m eager to see his take on the vampire genre. Can he reach the heights of Let The Right One In?
6. In The Loop (Iannucci, July 24th)
Synopsis: The US President and UK Prime Minister fancy a war. But not everyone agrees that war is a good thing.
Why You Should See It: After getting glorious reviews at the festival circuit and in the UK this political satire is finally hitting the US. The comparisons to Dr. Strangelove and Spinal Tap seem to be worthy enough for a view.
5. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Yates, July 15th)
Synopsis: In his sixth year at Hogwarts, Harry Potter discovers even more about the evil Lord Voldemort’s past, thanks to his mentor Dumbledore and mysterious textbook marked “This book is the property of the Half-Blood Prince.” By the end of the year, nothing will ever be the same.
Why You Should See It: I didn’t enjoy David Yate’s last HP film (Order of the Phoenix) but since everyone else is going to be talking about this movie you might want to see it.
4. 500 Days of Summer (Webb, July 15th)
Synopsis: Greeting-card writer Tom (Gordon-Levitt), falls for his new colleague, Summer (Deschanel), on her first day of work. What comes next is a look at the subsequent year-and-a-half period the two lovers spend together.
Why You Should See It: This is now the definitive break-up film. I had the pleasure of seeing this and it was charming, heartbreaking and hilarious.
3. Brüno (Charles, July 10th)
Synopsis: Flamboyant Austrian fashion reporter Bruno (Cohen) travels the world in search of the latest style trends.
Why You Should See It: Cohen blew audiences away with 2006’s Borat and early reviews indicate things won’t change with this new character.
2. Funny People (Apatow, July 31st)
Synopsis: When seasoned comedian George Simmons (Sandler) learns of his terminal, inoperable health condition, his desire to form a genuine friendship inspires him to take a relatively green performer (Rogen) under his wing as his opening act.
Why You Should See It: His previous films are slowly becoming comedy classics and this third film even has some Oscar buzz. Hoping we see some Punch Drunk Sandler mixed with the comedy he is known for alongside a stellar cast.
1. Public Enemies (Mann, July 1st)
Synopsis: FBI agent Melvin Purvis (Bale) sets his sights on American gangster John Dillinger (Depp) and others in an attempt to curb a rampant Chicago crime spree during the 1930s.
Why You Should See It: Michael Mann returns with Christian Bale, Johnny Depp, Marion Cotillard, and Billy Crudup. The digital look could turn some people off but Mann has proven he is a master of action and this is looking to be one of his best yet.
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Avoid:
If you haven’t seen Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen yet. Please don’t.
G-Force (Yeatman, July 24th)
Synopsis: A specially trained squad of guinea pigs is dispatched to stop a diabolical billionaire from taking over the world.
Why You Should Avoid It: F’in guinea pigs? The kids will eat it up but it looks like, as a society, we will never get away from wonder of talking animals.
Orphan (Collet-Serra, July 24th)
Synopsis: After their unborn baby dies, Kate and John Coleman (Farmiga and Sarsgaard) decide to adopt a child as a hopeful way to bring some joy and normalcy into their lives. Esther (Fuhrman), a 9-year-old orphan, captivates the couple, and comes home to live with them, though a strange sequence of events follows Esther’s arrival, who’s angelic façade might mask sinister intentions.
Why You Should Avoid It: I love Farmiga and Sarsgaard but this looks like a retread of every horror film ever made. If being scared by little orphan children tickles your fancy, check out 2007’s The Orphanage.
The Ugly Truth (Luketic, July 24th)
Synopsis: A macho morning TV show correspondent (Butler) makes a bet with his love-challenged producer (Heigl): If his tips on how to land and keep a guy don’t work, he’ll quit the business. But while he coaches her through a fledgling romance, can he avoid falling for her, and vice versa?
Why You Should Avoid It: I’m all for R-rated romantic comedies but it’s sad to see Gerard Butler go back to the genre after the horrendous P.S. I Love You. Also, Rob Luketic‘s last effort, 21, didn’t go over so well.
I Love You, Beth Cooper (Columbus, July 10th)
Synopsis: The last night of high school takes an unexpected turn after geeky grad Denis Cooverman declares his love for hottie cheerleader Beth Cooper in his valedictorian speech.
Why You Should Avoid It: This looks like the second worst movie of all time. It’s no surprise 20th Century Fox is behind this one. I also got a press e-mail saying there is no critic screenings for this one. I was beyond shocked.
Aliens in the Attic (Schultz, July 24th)
Synopsis: In Maine, a group of teenagers must protect their vacation home from the aliens who have taken over the top floor of the dwelling.
Why You Should Avoid It: This looks like the worst movie of all time. Take a wild guess who is behind it.
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Do you agree with the list? What are you looking forward to this month? What are you avoiding?