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Summer Movie Preview by Joshua Maloni Like peanut butter and jelly, Tom and Jerry, and Paula Abdul and crazy behavior, “summer” and “movies” go together like birds of a feather. And why not? School is out, TV shows are in re-runs and theaters have air-conditioning and fake butter topping. This year, “Superman Returns” (if you don’t count “Smallville,” where he’s seen every week), Tom Cruise gets loud in “Mission: Impossible 3” (while fiancé Katie Holmes gets quiet in childbirth), and Jennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughn make out on screen (while denying it in real life) in “The Break-Up.” The list: Friday, May 5 Starring: “Mission: Impossible III” – Tom Cruise, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Kari Russell, Ving Rhames, Michelle Monaghan The story: Cruise and co. battle baddie Hoffman, fresh from an Oscar nom and Buffalo film shoot. The reel deal: Despite Cruise’s newfound reputation, and concerns that the TomKat spawn could be extra-terrestrial (it’s not), the “Mission: Impossible” franchise is solid as ever with “Lost” and “Alias” creator J.J. Abrams at the helm. That said, if TomKat winds up on an island wearing a red wig, all bets are off. “Art School Confidential” – John Malkovich, Max Minghella The story: Art school turns deadly in this dark comedy. The reel deal: Malkovich makes Tom Cruise look normal, which makes him the perfect candidate for dark comedy. Co-starring: “An American Haunting” “Hoot” “The Promise” “Down in the Valley” “Crazy Like a Fox” “One Last Thing ...” Wednesday, May 10 Featuring: “The Russian Dolls” Friday, May 12 Starring: “Just My Luck” – Lindsay Lohan, Chris Pine The story: A girl has all the luck in the world until a chance encounter with an unlucky fella reverses her fortune. “Poseidon” – Kurt Russell, Josh Lucas, Emmy Rossum, Andre Braugher The story: A wave of disastrous proportions capsizes an ocean liner, leaving survivors upside down, clinging to life and searching for a way out. “Alpha Dog” – Justin Timberlake, Emile Hirsh, Bruce Willis The story: Kidnapping, parental angst and Bruce Willis. The reel deal: JT’s first film. Incidentally, the other members of N’SYNC can be seen in the movie theater lobby. Selling popcorn. Co-starring: “Keeping Up With the Steins” “Goal! The Dream Begins” “Giuliani Time” “Dead Man’s Shoes” “Sketches of Frank Gehry” “Wah-Wah” Thursday, May 18 Featuring: “Forgiving Dr. Mengele” Friday, May 19 Starring: “The Da Vinci Code” – Tom Hanks, Audrey Tautou, Ian McKellen, Paul Bettany The story: An ancient order of religious zealots protects a secret that threatens to shatter long-standing perceptions. Co-starring: “The King” “Over the Hedge” “See No Evil” “Twelve and Holding” “Moonlight” Wednesday, May 24 Featuring: “An Inconvenient Truth” Friday, May 26 Starring: “X-Men: The Last Stand” – Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Halle Berry, Famke Janssen, Kelsey Grammer The story: The Marvel Comics mutants are back, and facing a “cure” that could remove their abilities. Plus, Jean Grey returns – but to what end?
Co-starring: “My First Wedding” TBA May Featuring: “The Motel” Wednesday, May 31 Featuring: “Coastlines” Friday, June 2 Starring: “The Break-Up” – Vince Vaughn, Jennifer Aniston, Joey Lauren Adams The story: A divorced couple remains friends. Kind of. The reel deal: Real life sweethearts Vaughn and Aniston have painstakingly avoided discussing their relationship with the media. Unless they hire sock puppets to field questions, they’ll finally have to fess up with this pic. Co-starring: “Loverboy” “Peaceful Warrior” Tuesday, June 6 Starring: “The Omen” – Julia Stiles, Liev Schreiber The story: The child of a 30-something couple could be demon spawn. The reel deal: Yeah, because the devil has nothing better to do than mess around with C-list stars in a remake of a film nobody cares about. Friday, June 9 Starring: “Cars” – featuring the voices of Paul Newman, Bonnie Hunt, Tony Shalhoub, Owen Wilson The story: Life is a road trip. So says CGI-animated racecars. Co-starring: “A Prairie Home Companion” “Shadowboxer” “Only Human” “Agnes and His Brothers” Wednesday, June 14 Featuring: “The Heart of the Game” Friday, June 16 Starring: “Nacho Libre” – Jack Black, Peter Stormare The story: A man takes up wrestling to raise funds for charity. The reel deal: What is there to be said? Black is a freaking, high-flying, cape-wearing Mexican wrestler, for Pete’s sake! “The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift” – Bow Wow. The story: Fast cars. Fast women. Lots of danger. Minus Vin Diesel and Paul Walker. The reel deal: You know it’s bad when even Ol’ “Snow Dog” himself, Paul Walker, takes a pass. The only drift here is audiences drifting to sleep. Co-starring: “The Mostly Unfabulous Social Life of Ethan Green” “The Lake House” “Wordplay” Wednesday, June 21 Featuring: “Leonard Cohen: I’m Your Man “ Friday, June 23 Starring: “Click” – Adam Sandler, Kate Beckinsale The story: A man finds a remote control that has the power to change everything around him. “Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties” – Jennifer Love Hewitt, Breckin Meyer, voice of Bill Murray The story: The fat cat travels to England. God only knows why. The reel deal: Smells a lot like the litter box. Co-starring: “Waist Deep” Wednesday, June 28 Featuring: “Strangers With Candy” Friday, June 30 Starring: “Superman Returns” – Brandon Routh, Kate Bosworth, Kevin Spacey The story: Superman does just that, in former “X-Men” helmer Bryan Singer’s sorta-sequel to “Superman II.” The reel deal: Even though the original film is a classic, and “Smallville” is a hit, you can never have too much Superman. Co-starring: “Queens” “The Devil Wears Prada” “Lower City” Wednesday, July 5 Featuring: “Little Man” Friday, July 7 Starring: “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest” – Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, Bill Nighy The story: Davey Jones is back. And he wants his locker back. The reel deal: Depp and company play pirates – this time with Keith Richards cameoing as Captain Jack’s poppy.
“A Scanner Darkly” – Keanu Reeves, Winona Ryder, Robert Downey Jr. The story: A drug-induced society, as seen through live-action-looking animation. Based on the book by Philip K. Dick. The reel deal: More like, society watched “The Matrix” sequels one too many times and lapsed into a drug-induced stupor. Co-starring: “Once in a Lifetime” Friday, July 14 Starring: “You, Me and Dupree” – Owen Wilson, Kate Hudson, Matt Dillon The story: The best man (Wilson) moves in with a newly wed couple. “My Super Ex-Girlfriend” – Uma Thurman, Luke Wilson, Anna Faris, Rainn Wilson The story: A dumped woman is actually superhero. She uses her powers to foil her ex. The reel deal: “Kill Bill’s” heroine chasing around Luke Wilson and “The Office’s” Dwight – now that’s funny. Co-starring: “Pathfinder” “Pulse” Friday, July 21 Starring: “Lady in the Water” – Bryce Dallas Howard, Paul Giamatti The story: M. Night Shyamalan (‘The Sixth Sense,” Signs”) presents a bedtime story come to life. Co-starring: “Monster House” “The U.S. vs. John Lennon” “Poster Boy” Friday, July 28 Starring: “Miami Vice” – Colin Farrell, Jamie Foxx The story: Crockett and Tubbs are back as vice cops targeting drug lords. The reel deal: Director Michael Mann was quick to separate himself from the ‘80s television series of the same name – a series he helped create – and its white suit coat-pastel shirt wearing cops. Yup, no better way to say “respectable film” than by casting that guy from the sex tape and the star of “Stealth.” Co-starring: “Romeo & Juliet: Sealed With a Kiss” “Barnyard” “John Tucker Must Die” “I Could Never Be Your Woman” “The House of Sand” “Little Miss Sunshine” “The Bridesmaid” Wednesday, Aug. 2 Featuring: “Quinceanera” Friday, Aug. 4 Starring: “Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby” – Will Ferrell, Gary Cole The story: Will Ferrell meets NASCAR. The reel deal: Need we say more? Co-starring: “The Ant Bully” “The Night Listener” “Fearless” “The Science of Sleep” Wednesday, Aug. 9 Featuring: “World Trade Center” “Lunacy” Friday, Aug. 11 Featuring: “Step Up” “Zoom” “Accepted” “The Reaping” Friday, Aug. 18 Starring: “Snakes on a Plane” – Samuel L. Jackson, Justin Timberlake The story: What better way to kill a witness than by snaking a plane? The reel deal: Even the snakes have had enough of Samuel L. Jackson’s appearances in each and every film ever made. Still, this movie has the making of a cult classic. Co-starring: “Clerks II” “Factotum” “Trust the Man” Friday, Aug. 25 Starring: “Invincible” – Mark Wahlberg The story: A football fan gets a crack at the pros. The reel deal: So long as “Marky” Mark doesn’t rap, he’ll be fine. Co-starring: “Fakers” “Idlewild” “DOA: Dead or Alive” “Material Girls” “Beerfest” “Unconscious” Friday, Sept. 1 Featuring: “Stormbreaker" All release dates subject to change. |
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