Looking Forward To... SUMMER

I'm slowly, but surely trying to get back to blogging after a much needed break. There was just too many things going on from moving to a new place to all of the series/season finales on TV I had to devour. During my break though I also took a bit of a movie-watching hiatus seeing only one film in theaters (twice) during that span. You know which one it is since you probably saw it too (and more than once also)... Joss Whedon's The Avengers. One of these days I'll put into words the ecstasy I felt seeing Joss Whedon's name on the big screen with a theater full of satisfied moviegoers applauding. For now onwards to what else I'm looking forward to this summer...

Perhaps fate dealt The Avengers a better hand than expected, because the rest of what May had very little to offer to anyone. The two films that looked remotely interesting was Fox Searchlight's The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and Focus Features' Moonrise Kingdom by Wes Anderson. Both have stupendous cast with the first a who's who of British acting royalty such as Maggie Smith, Bill Nighy, and Judi Dench while Anderson's film contained Bill Murray, Ed Norton, Tilda Swinton, and Frances McDormand. Other offerings such as the billionth Tim Burton-Johnny Depp collaboration in Dark Shadows, the Rihanna-starrer Battleship, and Sacha Baron Cohen's tired schtick in The Dictator left much to be desired. There's also MIB 3 which I admit I'm intrigued by. I was a big fan of the first film and liked the second film okay enough. The time traveling story is right in my wheelhouse and Josh Brolin channeling Tommy Lee Jones can potentially be brilliant. Finally, small films Where Do We Go Now? and Hysteria also make their debut.

June thankfully gives me a bit more options at least after I see The Avengers for a third time. There's the wonderfully marketed Snow White and the Huntsman starring Charlize Theron, Kristen Stewart, and Chris Hemsworth (Thor!). I'm so excited for this mostly to root for Theron who looks amazing in the trailers. She also stars in another June release Prometheus which is directed by none other than Ridley Scott and written by Lost helmer Damon Lindelof. This much-anticipated prequel to the Alien series also stars Michael Fassbender, Idris Elba, and Guy Pearce. The weekend of the 22nd has no less than four films I want to see. There's Pixar's latest Brave, Woody Allen's most recent film To Rome with Love (with Penelope Cruz), Focus Features' Seeking a Friend for the End of the World (with Keira Knightley and Steve Carrell), and the instant-cult-film Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. For those into music, dance, and shirtless men the month also has Rock of Ages starring Tom Cruise and Magic Mike starring Matt Bomer, Channing Tatum, Matthew McConaughey, and Alex Pettyfer. Seriously, based on the trailers, shirts and one's dignity are optional. Finally, can't not mention Michelle Williams' latest in Take This Waltz and Sundance favorite Beasts of the Southern Wild.

July actually seems to offer less choices even though we're smack dab in the middle of summer movie season. Of course two mega-blockbuster hopefuls are hoping to capture Avengers-sized successes with The Amazing Spider-Man opening during the Fourth of July holiday and The Dark Knight Rises closing out the super popular Batman trilogy helmed by Christopher Nolan. The latter will see some familiar faces of the series as well as some new faces such as Anne Hathaway, Marion Cotillard, Joseph Gordon Levitt, and Tom Hardy (basically half of Inception's cast). Spider-Man will team up the adorkable Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone hoping we all forget about those other Spider-Man films released less than a decade ago. Taylor Kitsch will hope the third time is the charm with Oliver Stones' Savages after a forgettable year with a couple of bombs while Family Guy's Seth MacFarlane branches out to film with Ted starring Mark Wahlberg and Mila Kunis. Finally, I'll probably catch this on Netflix, but the trailer for Step Up Revolution caught my eye. What can I say? I do like dancing in films.

Finally, August rounds out the summer movie season with some not too shabby films. Jeremy Renner, fresh from his stint on The Avengers, looks to fill Matt Damon's shoes in The Bourne Legacy. Colin Farrell looks to do something similar starring in the remake of Total Recall which I will definitely be seeing. The Weinstein Company has Lawless with Tom Hardy, Jessica Chastain, and Gary Oldman while Joseph Gordon Levitt stars in Premium Rush. Don't know much about that film except Levitt is wearing shorts and is sweaty a lot (he's a bike messenger). Fernando Meirelles has a new film called 360 with Jude Law and Rachel Weisz while Whitney Houston's film Sparkle comes out months after the singer's tragic death. But last and certainly not least... recent Oscar winner Meryl Streep graces us all with her presence in Hope Springs along with Steve Carrell and Tommy Lee Jones. Will it be good? Who cares? It's Meryl Streep. Hmm... do you think there's a part for her in The Avengers sequel?