August is definitely the most depressing month of the summer movie season, and this is for a good few reasons, not least of which is that it's the last month of the summer movie season. It's also the most eclectic month, because it is generally used as a "dumping ground" of sorts, for would-be summer movies that lack the brand-name clout to trade blows with the heavy-hitters, and even more often, these same movies tested poorly with audiences and are not expected to do well. It's basically a period of the year that the studio system has largely agreed to use as a minimized competition ground. And yet, while August movies are generally the sort which the studios acknowledge as their weakest offerings outside of the truly abysmal January/February season, August also regularly includes a few of the year's most pleasant surprises, but picking these out is a bit of a treasure hunt.
August 2
2 GUNS (ACTION/COMEDY) Rated R for violence throughout, language and brief nudity.
Starring: Denzel Washington, Mark Wahlberg, Paula Patton, James Marsden, Bill Paxton
Synopsis: A DEA agent (Washington) and a Naval Intelligence officer (Wahlberg) realize that they've both been investigating one another as part of a setup by a crime organization, which each had believed they were individually conning, but is actually all an elaborate sting by the CIA.
Speculation: In spite of what seems to be a dangerously convoluted plot (based on a graphic novel of the same name), the advertising does look kind of fun, if not remarkable. The director is Icelandic filmmaker Baltasar Kormakur, who directed the reportedly better-than-average January thriller CONTRABAND (I didn't see it myself), which may be a point of mild recommendation, but it's probably just as well worth waiting for a home-format rental.
August 7
PERCY JACKSON: SEA OF MONSTERS (FANTASY/ADVENTURE) PG for fantasy action violence, some scary images and mild language.
Starring: Logan Lerman, Alexandra Daddario, Jake Abel, Brandon T. Jackson, Nathan Fillion, Sean Bean, Leven Rambin, Grey Damon, Stanley Tucci
Synopsis: In this follow-up to the 2010 family adventure, Percy Jackson, half-mortal son of Poseidon, and his fellow demigod youths set forth on a quest for the mythical Golden Fleece.
Speculation: This is one of those movies that prompts the question, "Wait, why did they make another?" not because its unnecessary (an argument that makes no sense anyway), but because you didn't really think that anyone cared. On the other hand, while still not that impressive, the original did well enough in the worldwide market to permit a sequel. I actually haven't seen the first one, but it doesn't have an especially positive reputation, or especially negative for that matter, probably because audiences just didn't care enough. Obviously, it's another copycat of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series (as established with the first film), but the previews do have a cheesy sort of fun, so while I might not go out of my way to see, it might not be so bad if it were for a group thing anyway.
WE'RE THE MILLERS (COMEDY) R for crude sexual content, pervasive language, drug material and brief graphic nudity.
Starring: Jason Sudeikis, Jennifer Aniston, Emma Roberts, Will Poulter, Thomas Lennon
Synopsis: When a small-time marijuana dealer (Sudeikis) aims to bring two tons of marijuana in from Mexico, he hires fake family in an effort to camouflage his activities, with a cynical stripper (Aniston) as his wife, and a runaway teen (Roberts) and a geeky neighbor kid (Poulter) as their offspring.
Speculation: It's from the director of DODGEBALL: A TRUE UNDERDOG STORY, one of those hopelessly idiotic but nonetheless funny late night comedies, but that was in 2004 and he's only done one television episode and an independent drama since then, so it isn't very promising. Also, Sudeikis has yet to make a likable, let alone non-hateable, lead, so this one isn't looking too good.
August 9
ELYSIUM (SCI-FI/ACTION)
Starring: Matt Damon, Jodie Foster, Sharlto Copley, William Fichtner
Synopsis: In the year 2154, humanity has become more class divided than ever before, with the wealthy living on Elysium, a space station in orbit above Earth, while the impoverished industrial class live a wretched existence on Earth. When a factory worker (Damon) becomes terminally ill as the result of a work accident, he takes on a mission to reach Elysium, where the technology exists to cure him.
Speculation: Okay, first off, it's not "Asylum", which I've heard too many times. It's El-eez-ee-um. Elysium, the afterlife paradise of Greek mythology. Anyway, it's written and directed by Neill Blomkamp, the South African director who made DISTRICT 9, a sci-fi commentary on Apartheid and immigration. I thought that was interesting, but not quite as great as its Academy Award-nominated reputation. ELYSIUM definitely looks interesting, and it will definitely piss off conservatives, especially if it does well. It's a very blatant, and timely, piece of sci-fi politicking for immigration reform, health care and social welfare. So definitely interesting, and the advertising is engaging enough, but if you lean conservative, or even for some moderates, it might simply infuriate you. But hey, that has its values, too.
PLANES (KIDS/ANIMATED) PG for some mild action and rude humor.
Featuring the Voices of: Dane Cook, Stacy Keach, Teri Hatcher, Val Kilmer, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, John Cleese, Brad Garrett
Synopsis: "Dusty is a cropdusting plane who dreams of competing in a famous aerial
race. The problem? He is hopelessly afraid of heights. With the support
of his mentor Skipper and a host of new friends, Dusty sets off to make
his dreams come true."-Official Synopsis
Speculation: This spin-off of Pixar's CARS films began production as a direct-to-DVD feature at DisneyToon Studios, the division of Disney that makes inexpensive, second-rate animated features for such direct-to-DVD releases. Considering the added cost of theatrical distribution and marketing, it's a strange move that Disney made to put it in theaters, but even moreso than CARS 2, PLANES is a shamelessly-glorified toy commercial. Although featuring a large assortment of B-list stars (including much-maligned comedian Dane Cook as Dusty), supposedly to interest older audiences, this is one to just drop the kids off at, but only in the most desperate of circumstances. It would be preferable to not throw any money this one's way at all.
August 16
THE BUTLER (DRAMA/BIOPIC)
Starring: Forest Whitaker, John Cusack, Liev Schreiber, James Marsden, Robin Williams, Alan Rickman, Mariah Carey, Alex Pettyfer, Terrence Howard
Synopsis: Based on the life of Eugene Allen, THE BUTLER tells the story of Cecil Gaines (Whitaker), an African-American butler in the White House under eight presidential terms between five presidents from 1952 through 1986.
Speculation: Independent film mogul Harvey Weinstein has found a fair bit of publicity for this film (which his company produced) thanks to a title copyright conflict with Warner Bros., but this is looking like an early potential Oscar-contender and a very interesting piece otherwise. Directed by Lee Daniels (PRECIOUS, THE PAPERBOY), the film boasts an impressive cast for its historical figures, including Williams as Pres. Eisenhower (go figure) and Alan Rickman as Ronald Reagan. This kind of intimate story wrapped in long-term history is particularly susceptible to unwanted sentimentality, but Daniels' work has a hard edge, and this definitely looks worth a look.
JOBS (DRAMA/BIOPIC) PG-13 for some drug content and brief strong language.
Starring: Ashton Kutcher, Josh Gad, Lesley Ann Warren, Lukas Haas, J.K. Simmons
Synopsis: The story of the legendary entrepreneur Steve Jobs, founder of Apple Computer, from his early years as a college dropout to the founding of Apple, where he was infamously ousted, but made a triumphant return.
Speculation: The first of a couple films to begin development after the 2011 death of Steve Jobs, this independent drama that premiered at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival with Kutcher in the title role and Joshua Michael Stern (SWING VOTE) directing has wannabe written all over it. It received a mixed response at Sundance and may be perfectly fine for some tastes, but I'll be waiting for Aaron Sorkin's take.
KICK-ASS 2 (ACTION/COMEDY) R for strong violence, pervasive language, crude and sexual content and brief nudity.
Starring: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Chloe Grace Moretz, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Jim Carrey, Lyndsy Fonseca
Synopsis: The sequel to the 2010 cult-favorite finds Kick-Ass (Taylor-Johnson) teaming up with a squad of other would-be costumed crime fighters who he's inspired, led by Colonel Stars and Stripes (Carrey), after Hit-Girl (Moretz) has "retired" to try being an ordinary schoolgirl. Meanwhile, Red Mist has reinvented himself as The Mother F***er (Mintz-Plasse) with plans to avenge his crime boss father's death at the hands of Kick-Ass and Hit-Girl.
Speculation: While admittedly, I found the original KICK-ASS to be overly long and overly brutal, KICK-ASS 2, with a change of director (from the talented Matthew Vaughn to Jeff Wadlow, director of CRY_WOLF and NEVER BACK DOWN) and a seemingly-unhinged Carrey (who disowned the film for its violence), looks like a definite step down. On the other hand, there's great value in having a main villain called, "The Mother F***er". Still, I wouldn't expect great, or even good for that matter, things from this one.
PARANOIA (THRILLER/DRAMA) PG-13 for some sexuality, violence and language.
Starring: Liam Hemsworth, Harrison Ford, Gary Oldman, Amber Heard, Josh Holloway
Synopsis: Based on a 2004 novel of the same name, Adam Cassidy, a low-level employee (Hemsworth) at a technology corporation finds his job in jeopardy, but his superiors, including the CEO (Oldman) give him the opportunity to save his employment by engaging in corporate espionage at a rival company headed by the former mentor (Ford) of Adam's boss.
Speculation: Although probably little more than an average August thriller, the opportunity to see Oldman and Ford at each others' throats as rival business tycoons has definite potential. The director though, Robert Luketic, is most identified with rom-coms, and his last film was Ashton Kutcher-Katherine Heigl stinker, KILLERS in 2010. Watch for the reviews, but it probably won't be very positive.
August 21
THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS: CITY OF BONES (FANTASY/ADVENTURE) PG-13 for intense sequences of fantasy violence and action, and some suggestive content.
Starring: Lily Collins, Jamie Campbell Bower, Robert Sheehan, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Lena Headey
Synopsis: A seemingly-ordinary teen (Lily Collins) learns that she's the descendant of a long line of demon slayers, aka Shadowhunters, when a whirlwind of supernatural intrigue results in the kidnapping of her mother.
Specualation: This looks like the latest in the very lengthy fart-trail left by J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series and subsequent film adaptations, and like all of those before, and perhaps even more so, it just doesn't look good. A youth, and in the worst cases (as appears to be here), a teenager, learns that their seemingly mundane life is actually a facade, and they're descended from a supernatural heritage, and in the most blatant knock-offs (like this), the teen is actually some sort of "chosen one" prophecy. The worst of these Harry Potter coat tail parasites include I AM NUMBER FOUR and THE TWILIGHT SAGA; the PERCY JACKSON franchise is also notable, but can be forgiven by being less angsty. In short, no, this doesn't look very good.
August 23
THE WORLD'S END (COMEDY/SCI-FI) R for pervasive language including sexual references.
Starring: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Martin Freeman, Rosamund Pike, Eddie Marsan
Synopsis: In the third and final installment of the "Three Flavors Cornetto Trilogy" aka "The Blood and Ice Cream Trilogy", five friends attempt to best an epic bar hop they made twenty years before, but wind up as humanity's best chance for survival against an otherworldly threat.
Speculation: The "Three Flavors" films up until now (SHAUN OF THE DEAD and HOT FUZZ) have been truly excellent, but also more clearly defined in the marketing, while THE WORLD'S END is clearly paying homage to a genre in the way its predecessors did, so that's a bit confusing, but with Edgar Wright directing, and Pegg and Frost back together,
YOU'RE NEXT (HORROR) R for strong bloody violence, language and some sexuality/nudity.
Starring: Sharni Vinson, Nicholas Tucci, Wendy Glenn, AJ Bowen
Synopsis: A band of ax-wielding maniacs invade the Davison family reunion, but it turns out that one of the family is, to the surprise of everyone, the most skilled killer of all.
Speculation: Normally, I would write this off as another icky down-season bit of trash out of the relentless Lionsgate gates, and it is strange that the film premiered way back in 2011 at the Toronto Film Festival and is only now making its way into a wide release, but in strong contrast to the presented image, the early buzz is overwhelmingly positive. It's being touted as a reinvention of the home-invasion horror trope, with a fun sensibility and dark humor. I'm not a horror buff, but assuming this perception holds steady, it might be worth a look.
August 28
CLOSED CIRCUIT (THRILLER/MYSTERY) R for language and brief violence.
Starring: Eric Bana, Rebecca Hall, Julia Stiles, Ciaran Hinds, Jim Broadbent
Synopsis: When ex-lovers in the legal profession (Bana and Hall) are reunited as the defense team for a high profile terrorism case, their lives are put in danger through the ever-deepening mystery.
Speculation: This British thriller looks fairly unremarkable, but its distributor, Focus Features, is clearly having a good deal of trouble marketing it, because the concept is so extremely convoluted. So on the one hand, it might be an intelligent thriller, but it could very well be bogged down in its own overly complicated mechanisms.
August 30
GETAWAY (ACTION/THRILLER) PG-13 for intense action, violence and mayhem throughout, some rude gestures, and language.
Starring: Ethan Hawke, Selena Gomez, Jon Voight, Paul Freeman
Synopsis: A former race car driver (Hawke) is forced into a do-or-die situation behind the wheel to save his kidnapped wife. The voice of a man observing via car-mounted cameras move, while the driver gets assistance from a young computer whiz known as "The Kid" (Gomez).
Speculation: It's a mildly interesting premise, but the director, Courtney Solomon, is the man behind movies like DUNGEONS & DRAGONS (2000) and AN AMERICAN HAUNTING (2005), and it has a look of overt frenzy to it. On a less certain note, it just seems a bit tough to believe Gomez as any sort of whiz kid.
ONE DIRECTION: THIS IS US (CONCERT/DOCUMENTARY)
Featuring: Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne
Synopsis: An "insider's view" of the much-maligned but nevertheless popular boy band sensation that sprung from a UK reality show, this documentary/concert performance film examines the public and personal personae of One Direction.
Speculation: For all the internet hate they get, I don't have a problem with One Direction. I don't care much for their music, but neither do I particularly dislike it either. I think their manufactured image is silly, but that's all part of the business, and I love it when they forget that their fanbase is comprised of preteen girls and make ribald, out of character statements. On the other hand, the fact that their fanbase is comprised of preteen girls means that this film will probably be manufactured for the same, which isn't necessarily bad, but won't interest audiences outside of preteen girls. What's really weird about this particular concert film for that audience is directed by the king of the documentary scene, SUPER SIZE ME-director Morgan Spurlock.
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