2012 SUMMER PREVIEW

2012 SUMMER PREVIEW

The Summer Blockbuster season is here with a potential bang. But "The Hunger Games" will be a tough act to follow, even for long anticipated release of "The Avengers". Look for Will Smith, Johnny Depp, Charlize Theron, Sylvester Stallone, Dwyane "The Rock" Johnson and even Woody Allen flex their box office muscles.

The Avengers are finally assembled for what should be the beginning of a big blockbuster summer

MAY 4:"THE AVENGERS" - The moment that Marvel Comics has been building toward - the culmination of all those origins flicks has Nick Fury (Sam Jackson) gathering all his favorite super heroes (Thor, Iron Man, Captain America, Hulk, Hawkeye, Black Widow) and going after Loki (the mischievous guy from "Thor") and his band of baddies. The beginning of the Blockbuster season.

"THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL" - Director John Madden ("The Debt", "Shakespeare in Love", "Proof") casts all his friends ( Judi Dench, Bill Nighy, Maggie Smith, Tom Wilkinson) in a film economically film in India about a hotel that isn't what it advertises itself to be. Fox Searchlight might be looking to get back into the mix having lost thunder to Weinstein the last couple of years.

"FIRST POSITION" - A documentary about child ballet dancers by first time director Bess Kargman. It was well received at the Toronto Film Fest.

MAY 11:"DARK SHADOWS" - Johnny Depp takes on the role of cursed vampire Barnabas Collins in the movie version of the popular soap opera directed by Tim Burton. Can the Burton/Depp combo go wrong? Not likely. Add Michelle Pfeiffer, Eva Green, Helena Bonham Carter (Tim's wife), Chloe Grace Moretz, and Jackie Earle Haley and you have a perfectly cast flick that should be worth the wait.

"GOD BLESS AMERICA" - Bobcat Goldthwait ("World's Greatest Dad") tries is hand again with a film about a guy on a mission to rid society of its most repellent citizens. Terminally ill Frank makes an unlikely accomplice in 16-year-old Roxy.

"HICK" - Chloe Grace Moretz ("Hugo" and ""Kickass") gets even more work as she stars in this Derick Martini film about a girl who tries to give it a go in Las Vegas and learns there's more to it that lights and glitter.

"GIRL IN PROGRESS" - Patricia Riggen directs Eva Mendes in a movie about a working mom raising a subversive daughter who plots her own coming of age story. With Cierra Ramirez, Patricia Arquette, and Matthew Modine

MAY 16:"THE DICTATOR" - Larry Charles directs his buddy Sacha Baron Cohen once again in a flick about a dictator who suppresses democracy. Take straight from the headlines, no doubt, with Anna Faris, John C. Reilly, and Ben Kingsley along for the ride. A nice lead in pic before Quentin Tarantino "Django Unchained" due out in December.

MAY 18:"BATTLESHIP" - Somehow director Peter Berg ("Hancock") has adapted the venerable game to a movie with Alexander Skarsgard, Brooklyn Decker, Liam Neeson, and Rihanna. Does Rihanna get to shoot at Chris Brown, we don't know. But Hasbro is really into this toy to movie promotional concept big time since "Transformers" has been a big hit. Who will sink the Battleship?

"HYSTERIA" - Maggie Gyllenhaal playing with a vibrator? [Gasp] Hardly used director Tanya Wexler helms this period romantic comedy (no pun intended) about he invention of the vibrator. Maggie should be right at home and sexy as ever.

"BERNIE" - Jack Black plays it straight in this dark comedy about a funeral directors affair with the towns wealthiest woman (Shirley McClain) who he ultimately kills. With Matthew McConaughey as the sheriff looking to bring Bernie down.

"WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU'RE EXPECTING" - Kirk Jones ("Everybody's Fine", "Nanny McPhee" and "Waking Ned Devine") never really found his way back to the excellence of "Waking Ned Devine", so he taking a shot with J-Lo, Elizabeth Banks, Cameron Diaz, and Chris Rock in one of those composition films with couples everywhere expecting a baby.

Will Smith reprises his role with Tommy Lee Jones in "Men In Black 3"

MAY 25:"MEN IN BLACK III" - Director Barry Sonnenfeld is back directing Will Smith - they worked together on the first two "Men in Black" and "Wild, Wild West" - with Tommy Lee Jones again. Smith wouldn't work with Roland Emmerich on "Independence Day II" unless he was paid $60 million; not true with Sonnenfeld and MIB. This one includes time travel and Josh Brolin as a younger Agent K. Everything suits Smith as he markets himself once again.

"MOONRISE KINGDOM" - This is a classic case of something has to open against the proven blockbuster. Wes Anderson, who has down delightful pieces including "Rushmore", "The Royal Tenenbaums", "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou" and "Fantastic Mr. Fox" - brings back his favorite Bill Murray with Bruce "I'll do anything for money" Willis, Tilde Swinton and Ed Norton. Can't help but think that this is a must see while everyone else is at the blockbusters!

"INTOUCHABLES" - Based on a true story an aristocrat who becomes a quadriplegic from a paragliding accident, hires a young man from the projects to be his caretaker. The true story however involves an Arab taking care of a white man.

"COWGIRLS N' ANGELS" - Yee-haw, a troupe of trick riders recruit a young girl (Bailee Madison) to ride with them. Please tell me there is more to it than that!

The second version of the Snow White tale

JUNE 1:"SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN" - This is the second take on the Grimm's tale has Chris Hemsworth as the assigned assassin to kill Snow White (Kristen Stewart) for the lovely and sexy evil Queen Ravenna (Charlize Theron). Heavily stacked cast with Toby ones, Ian McShane, Ray Winstone and Nick Frost dictates this is for adults and not kids. Charlize Theron as the vain queen... I'll watch.

"PIRANHA 3DD" - Remember Piranha a couple of years ago? Well this is the long awaited sequel with the prehistoric giant piranha's attacking the Lake Victoria water park. Elisabeth Shue bailed - but Christopher Lloyd and Ving Rhames return to join Gary Busey and David Hasselhoff and Katrina Bowden (remember her from "Tucker and Dale vs Evil"?). I watched "Sharktopus" on the Syfy channel... this couldn't possibly be worse.

"FOR GREATER GLORY" - Eva Longoria has something to do with a war being waged. Why the heck not? Historical account of the Cristeros War in Mexico. With Andy Garcia and Peter O'Toole.

"BATTLEFIELD AMERICA" - Yet another underground dance competition offering big money. Directed by Chris Stokes who also did "You Got Served".

"HIGH SCHOOL" - A high school valedictorian plans to get his entire high school stoned so every one will fail a mandatory drug test. With Adrian Brody and Tom Hanks son Colin.

"APARTMENT 143" - Weird things are happening in a newly occupied apartment and a group of parapsychologists are hell bent to find out why or die trying. Bet on the dying part.

JUNE 8:"MADAGASCAR 3: EUROPE'S MOST WANTED" - Alex, Marty, Gloria and Melman somehow get side tracked in Europe while on their way back home to New York City. The gang travels through Europe using a traveling circus as their cover. Always a fun franchise director Eric Darnell returns to maintain the continuity and to keep his job.

"PROMETHEUS" - Probably one of the most anticipated return for a director as Ridley Scott directs Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Guy Pearce, and Idris Elba to what appears to be an "Alien" prequel. After a thirty year absence the only real question is Can Scott remember why "Alien" and "Bladerunner" were so good?

"BEL AMI" - Robert Pattinson's race against time as he tries to reinvent himself by separating himself from "Twilight". This time he's in Paris manipulating wealthy women. This is the tenth version of this french classic and it will be hard to imagine the stiff Pattinson being suave enough to charm little more than a iron bar. Also with Uma Thirman Kristin Scott Thomas, and Christina Ricci.

"LOLA VERSUS" - The first of two Greta Gerwig films to be released in June. This one has her being dumped by her fianc just weeks before the wedding. She and her friends go on a sex craze binge as she comes to terms with being 30 and single. More likely merely an effort to earn some extra cash as she awaits the verdict on the Woody Allen movie in two weeks.

"SAFETY NOT GURANTEED" - Mark Duplass places an ad in a magazine for a time travel partner. Three of the magazines employees seek him out to figure out if he's serious or just loony tunes.

"PEACE LOVE AND MISUNDERSTANDING" - Guess what? Jane Fonda isn't married to billionaire Ted Turner any more and must now work for a living. This time she plays the hippie mother of an uptight conservative New York lawyer who brings her teenagers to visit. Directed by two-time Oscar nominated director Bruce Beresford who directed Robert Duvall to an Oscar for "Tender Mercies". Buzz abounds!

JUNE 15:"ROCK OF AGES" - Adam Shankman, director of "Hairspray" and "The Wedding Planner" takes a shot at this musical featuring 80's rock. With aging Baby Boomers Tom Cruise and Alec Baldwin teaming with Paul Giamatti and sexy Catherine Zeta-Jones. Trailers look fun and it may adapt well from the stage production.

"THAT'S MY BOY" - Adam Sandler plays another dysfunctional dad. That's pretty much it.

"THE WOMAN IN THE FIFTH" - Ethan Hawke plays professor Tom Ricks who moves to Paris after a scandal rocks his world. But while in Paris he falls for Margit (Kristin Scott Thomas) who may be a serial killer. Director Pawel Palikoski's first film in seven years looks to be a high thriller.

"YOUR SISTER'S SISTER" - The second Mark Duplass installment this month has him cast with Emily Blunt and Rosemarie DeWitt in rom-com surrounding a stay in a remote cabin with two sisters.

JUNE 22:"BRAVE" - Things are not happy in the Pixar house of animation since Disney took over. After the "Cars 2" fiasco, they come back with this from rookie director Mark Andrews and Steve Purcell. The third director - Brenda Chapman - was removed though she spent the most time on it. Now its seems to have taken a different direction with a strictly Disney look. This time a Princess brings problems to her kingdom and must undo a curse on her own. Yup... Disney.

"ABRAHAM LINCOLN: VAMPIRE HUNTER" - With the blessing of producer Tim Burton, Timur Bekmambetov (director of "Wanted") casts Benjamin Walker as Abraham Lincoln who discovers a plot that vampire are looking to take over the United States. With Mary Elizabeth Winstead as his loving wife Mary Todd and Dominic Cooper. Just the title sounds fun as Tim Burton's irreverence with history should open up a no-holds barred good time.

"SEEKING A FRIEND TO THE END OF THE WORLD" - Steve Carell has been dumped by his wife just as an asteroid is streaking to obliterate the Earth. This is the directorial debut of screenwriter Lorene Scafaria with Keira Knightley as his neighbor who accompanies him on his quest for a companion.

"TO ROME WITH LOVE" - Woody Allen's European version of "New York Stories" has him trying to follow up his most successful film ever ("Midnight in Paris") with a film featuring various people (Italian, American, tourists and locals) as they fall in and out of love and other predicaments. Greta Gerwig, Ellen Page, Jesse Eisenberg, Penelope Cruz, Alec Baldwin, and Judy Davis.

Here come the pain as Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson joins the GI Joe crew

JUNE 30:"G.I. JOE RETALIATION" - After literally everyone from the first "GI Joe: Rise of Cobra" refused to return for the sequel, new director Jon Chu and writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick kill off the entire GI Joe crew leaving a bucnh of survivors who weren't in the first one. Bring on the star power with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Bruce Willis, Channing Tatum as they battle Zartan who has world leaders under his spell.

"MADEA'S WITNESS PROTECTION" - Tyler Perry may have worn out his welcome as his last flick "Good Deeds" didn't pan out the way he planned. Back to Madea as he rushed this one to the screen ahead of two other projects. This one has something to do with a Ponzi scheme.

"MAGIC MIKE" - Steven Soderbergh, who directed both "Contagion" (which made money) and "Haywire" (which lost money), returns with Channing Tatum as a male stripper named Mike who looks to school a young newcomer in the art of picking up chicks on their own tab. With Mathew McConaughey, this is strictly a cheesecake flick for chicks!

"BEAST OF THE SOUTHERN WILD" - This fared very well at Sundance took home a couple of awards. Faced with her father's fading health and environmental changes that release an army of prehistoric creatures called aurochs, six-year-old Hushpuppy leaves her Delta-community home in search of her mother.

"PEOPLE LIKE US" - Alex Kurtzman directs this yawner about a guy (Chris Pine of "Star Trek" fame) who must deliver $150 thousand to is estranged sister (Elisabeth banks) while dealing with his alcoholic mother (Michelle Pfeiffer).

"TAKE THIS WALTZ" - Michelle Williams follows up her role as Marilyn Monroe with this as a married woman who falls for Seth Rogen. Okay, he plays an artist who lives across the street from her. If he dumbs it down like he did in "50/50", this might work. The question is did director Sarah Polley hold the reins tight enough to pull it off?

Rebooted to make Spidey darker with Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker aka Spiderman

JULY 6:"THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN" - Something just wasn't right with the last "Spiderman 3" - it certainly wasn't the fact that it only made $336,530,303 and nearly $1 billion globally. Nevertheless, Sony decided to reboot with Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker and Martin Sheen as grandpa Parker. This time Spider-man faces the Lizard as performed by Rhys Ifans.

"SAVAGES" - Oliver Stone cast JOhn Travolta, Uma Thurman, Benicio Del Toro, Salma Hayek, Emile Hirsch in a tale of the California border drug wars. This has the sound of a "Natural Born Killers" type narrative which is a Stine strong suit.

"KATY PERRY: PART OF ME" - Documentary on songstress Katy Perry is no doubt filler.

"THE QUEEN OF VERSAILLES" - More interesting documentary about a billionaire couple - Jackie Siegel and David Siegel - that live in a replica of the Palace of Versailles after making a fortune off time shares.

JULY 13:"ICE AGE: CONTINENTAL DRIFT" - The last "Ice Age" made nearly a billion dollars on the global stage, ergo this new one. The irony is the big draw is the character we see the least.... Scrat - the squirrel on a constant acorn mission. Wisely, the pervasive thought is to continue leaving the audience begging for more Scrat. It works.

"TED" - Seth MacFarlane, the writer behind television's Family Guy and American Dad, wrote and directed the story of a man (Mark Wahlberg no less) who's childhood wish comes true in the form of his teddy bear coming to life. MacFarlane gets laughs with Stewy the homicidal baby, this may work.

"EASY MONEY" (SNABBA CASH) - This took a while to get to the screen (two years) but is from the same director as "Safe House". Revolves around a runner for a drug dealer, drugs and organized crime. With Joel Kinnaman from "The Darkest Hour" and "Safe House".

"TRISHNA" - Michael Winterbottom's interpretation of Thomas Hardy's classic novel Tess of the D'Urbervilles stars Freida Pinto ("Slumdog Millionaire") in the titular role of a poor woman - this time set in India - who meets and falls in love with a wealthy business man.

The finale to Christopher Nolan's "Dark Knight" trilogy has Batman fighting Bane.

JULY 20:"THE DARK KNIGHT RISES" - This is the finale of the Christopher Nola "Batman" trilogy. After eight years in exile Batman returns to face Bane, a villain who is overwhelming Gotham City. Catwoman appears, but that is the big mystery as to how she fits in. Traditionally, Batman had a thing for her - maybe they' mate and have little BatCats!

"NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH" - This would have probably flown under the radar had it not been for the Trayvon Martin shooting in Florida by a neighborhood watch volunteer. Suddenly people started looking at this comedy with Jonah Hill, Ben Stiller and Vince Vaughn. Twentieth Century Fox suddenly had to dummy down the ads.

"STEP UP REVOLUTION" - The franchise moves to Miami. Moose (Adam Sevani), Vladd (Chadd Smith) and Sean (Ryan Guzman) return with some chick named Emily (Kathryn McCormick).

"RUBY SPARKS" - After a six year absence, "Little Miss Sunshine" directors Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris return with a story about a writer with writers block who creates a new female character and makes her come to life. With Antonio Banderas and Paul Dano.

Jeremy Renner takes over the Bourne franchise under the guidance of Bourne writer Tony Gilroy

AUGUST 3:"THE BOURNE LEGACY" - Tony Gilroy, who penned the Bourne series, takes over as director after successfully directed "Michael Clayton" and "Duplicity". Jeremy Renner takes over the lead as a new CIA operative in trouble and kicking ass!

"TOTAL RECALL" - A rewrite and re-do of the Arnold Schwarzenegger/Sharon Stone vehicle has Colin Farrel in the lead and Kate Beckinsale as his babe. They apparently stay on Earth this time with the nations Euromerica and New Shanghai battling for world supremacy.

"DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: DOG DAYS" - The third installment of the book series adaptation has Greg on summer vacation with nothing to do. This sounds a lot like "Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer".

"360" - With Anthony Hopkins, Rachel Weisz and Jude Law a romance drama about lovers from two sides of the tracks and the problems they have. Brazilian director Fernando Meirelles wove wonderful tales with "The Constant Gardener" and "City of God" - this may be worth the look with the stellar cast.

AUGUST 10:"THE CAMPAIGN" - Will Ferrell, Zach Galifianakis, and Jason Sudeikis are directed by Jay Roach ("Dinner for Schmucks" "Meet the Fockers", "Meet the Parents", and "Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery") in the political comedy about two two presidential candidates from the same state.

"HOPE SPRINGS" - Now that Meryls Streep has nailed down that elusive thrid Oscar, she stars in this rom-com with Tommy Lee Jones, Elizabeth Shue and Steve Carell. A couple goes to a marriage camp to work on their relationship.

AUGUST 17:"THE EXPENDABLES" - The long awaited sequel with former action stars Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Liam Hemsworth, Randy Couture, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Dolph Lundgren, Chuck Norris, and Terry Crews. Oh, does it really matter what the story is? Everybody kicks ass and the only real question is whethre or not your body-count clicker can keep up.

Geezers on the attack! The long awaited sequel to Expendables!

"SPARKLE" - This was set to be just another remake of a overlooked oldie. Then suddenly one of the stars, Whitney Houston died, and now it's getting a long look. Three sisters form a girl group and become a hit. But fame has a price as the family falls apart.

"PARANORMAN" - Seriously sounds like an animated version of "The Frighteners" as a boy who can only speak with the dead must save his town from an old curse by fighting zombies and ghosts. Fron the same folks who developed "Coraline" and "Corpse Bride".

"THE ODD LIFE OF TIMOTHY GREEN" - "Dan in Real Life" diretor Peter Hedges brings this story of a childless couple who plant and grow a child. This may well be one of those adorable family films that grows legs - no pun intended.

AUGUST 24"PREMIUM RUSH" - Joseph Gordon-Levitt goes from dying of cancer ("50-50") to a bike messenger being chased by a dirty cop. David Koepp who helmed "Ghost Town" and wrote a ton of big films, guides this story along with Michael Shannon and Jamie Chung.

"THE APPARITION" - A college experiment unleashes a supernatural power and it's up to a bunch of B-list actors to stop it.

"HIT AND RUN" - The protagonists name is Charlie Bronson (Dax Shepard) so I'm not sure what to make of it. A guy in witness protection breaks his cover to save his former girlfriend.

AUGUST 31"LAWLESS" - John Hillcoat directed "The Road" and "The Proposition" so this looks like the type a film he can handle well. with Tom Hardy, Shia LaBeouf, Guy Pearce, and Gary Oldman - a Virginia Gang in Depression era Virginia rebuffs the authorities.

"THE POSESSION" - A child is cursed when she opens an antique box.

"7500" - A trans-Pacific flight encounters a supernatural force called stealing from Stephen King ("The Langoliers"). Leslie Bibb, Ryan Kwanten, and Amy Smart star.

Now we roll at light speed to the serious Fall season! -- GEOFFREY BURTON & RILEY MOORE

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