Summer 2008 - my picks of what I'll see (or avoid) in the next couple months

Good day fellow movie lovers...

How ya doin'?

Good, good.

It's June now, can you believe it? I should be cleaning my apartment or packing, but instead, I dug out my Summer 2008 Movie Preview issue of EW and I'm flipping through its glorious pages, reminding myself what I'm going to see (or avoid) this summer at the cinema.

Hmmm... let's see:

JUNE

I'll see:

- The Incredible Hulk (June 13th) - If Edward Norton is in a movie, chances are, I'll see it. In fact, I have seen every single one of his films he's ever been in, so I'm not going to stop now. I saw the Ang Lee/Eric Bana version a few years back and that was just not good. This Hulk looks to be more action packed and less like a lame comic book (sorry Ang, stick to romantic epics like Brokeback). While I have a great dislike of William Hurt, I will overlook that and gladly sit and watch Ed Norton kick some ass.

- Wanted (June 27th) - I like that someone had the brilliant idea to cast little James McAvoy as an assassin. While I'm not fans of Jolie or Freeman, I'm looking forward to some sweet shoot 'em up sequences and some great effects. I haven't read the graphic novel, but I hear this movie is pretty much frame for frame (with a little extra added in here and there).

- Finding Amanda (June 27th) - It'll be good to see Matthew Broderick do some real acting and I like Brittany Snow... she's talented and seeing her in a different kind of role than her norm will be refreshing.

I will NOT see even if you paid me:

- You Don't Mee With the Zohan (June 6th) - Adam Sandler needs to just stop making these stupid movies. This isn't the mid/late 90s... he should be moving past his "Happy Gilmore" shtick and be making more films along the lines of "Punch Drunk Love". The trailer for this film makes me shake my head in anger because I know an obscene amount of people are going to spend their hard earned money on this piece of crap movie.

- The Love Guru (June 20th) - Please, boycott this movie with me, folks. Mike Myers is another talented comedian who is cranking out bad movies again and again and again. I loved him on SNL, but can't stand watching just about all of his films because they are the same movie, just with a different title. I'm tired of seeing commercials for this movie. I don't care that Justin Timberlake is in a Speedo in this movie - he's better than that (have you seen him host SNL? It's friggin' hilarious). DON'T SEE THIS MOVIE

- Wall*E (June 27) - First of all, this little robot looks like ET. That alone is enough to turn me away from the theater. Then, I see a new trailer for the movie, and oh look, the little ET robot has fallen in love with another little robot, this one who looks like one of those drug balloons Maria swallows in "Maria Full of Grace". After getting dragged against my will to Ratatouille last summer, I am putting my foot down about this one.

I'm up in the air about:

- The Happening (June 13th) - I love Mark Walhberg and Zooey Deschanel, but M. Night Shymalan has let me down more times than not.

- Get Smart (June 20) - Steve Carell makes me laugh, but the more I see the trailer and commercials, the lamer this looks (which is too bad).

JULY

I'll see:

- The Dark Knight (July 18th) - This is my most anticipated movie of the entire summer. I loved "Batman Begins" (except for Katie Holmes, as she is one of my least favorite actresses of all time), but now that Holmes is replaced by the awesome Maggie Gyllenhaal and we add on the equally awesome Heath Ledger and Aaron Eckhart as The Joker and Harvey Dent... words cannot describe my excitement. I see the commercials/trailers, I hear The Joker's evil cackle and I get goosebumps. I cannot help but feel sad at the same time, for I know that this upcoming performance by Ledger is one of his last and even though I haven't seen the film yet, I know his Joker will go down in cinema history as iconic.

- Mamma Mia! (July 18th) - This is one musical I haven't seen on stage, but I will gladly sit through the movie. I like ABBA music (my dad got me their Greatest Hits album for Christmas a few years back... we watch Adventures of Priscilla a lot... inside joke, you'd have to be there) and it's going to be fun seeing Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth and that girl from "Mean Girls" singing and dancing. I try and support all movie musicals in hopes that they will keep making more... I'm predicting that "Wicked", "Legally Blonde", "The Color Purple" and maybe even "Spring Awakening" will probably hit movie theaters near us in the next decade.

I will NOT see:

- Meet Dave (July 11th) - Like Sandler and Myers, I'm tired of seeing Eddie Murphy in ridiculous comedies. We loved you in "Dreamgirls", Eddie... drama suits you.

- Hellboy II: The Golden Army (July 11th) - Didn't see the first one, don't plan on seeing this one. EVER.

I'm up in the air about:

- Hancock (July 2) - I don't really like Will Smith much, but usually his movies are watchable. And it's got Jason Bateman in it... and I fully support Jason Bateman and his cinematic endeavors.

- Step Brothers (July 25th) - Like Sandler, Myers, and Murphy, I am soooooooooo over Will Ferrell and his comedies. Old School and Anchorman were good, but then his cameo in Wedding Crashers and then Semi Pro were same old, same old. You're better than that, Ferrell! I saw "Stranger Than Fiction" - you can do it! I laughed at the Red Band trailer, though, and I adore John C. Reilly... so I might have to see this.

AUGUST

I'll see:

- Pineapple Express (August 8th) - I have been waiting since Freaks and Geeks to see James Franco in a GOOD movie comedy... and I think this is the vehicle for him. Paired with Seth Rogen, these two are going to literally light up on screen and I will be there opening weekend to laugh so hard I'll want to cry. Yeah, I know I'm hyping this up a lot, but I have faith in Rogen, Franco and Judd Apatow. The Red Band Trailer is so funny... I don't know if this will make me laugh more than "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" or "Superbad", but I am ready for whatever is coming my way. Hopefully this will bring Franco out of his crappy movie slump... he's more talented than his last few movies have shown him to be (yes, I'm talking about YOU, Spider-Man franchise).

- Tropic Thunder (August 15th) - I am willing to lift my "I'm never paying money to see a Tom Cruise movie EVER AGAIN" boycott for this movie and this movie alone. Another one where the Red Band Trailer has made me laugh harder than I thought I would... thanks to one Robert Downey Jr. That man is FUNNY. I'm not a fan of Stiller...like Ferrell et al., he plays the same character in most of his films... I've seen you in better stuff, Stiller, go back to "Your Friends & Neighbors" skills... that was good. "The Heartbreak Kid" was not.

I will NOT see:

- The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (August 1) - Really, another Mummy movie? I didn't like the 2nd one much and didn't even bother with "The Scorpion King". And no Rachel Weisz? She took her Oscar and ran... good for her. But why, Maria Bello, why? You are soooo much better than playing second fiddle to "George of the Jungle" (Yeah, I'm talkin' 'bout you, Fraser).

I'm still up in the air about:

- The Rocker (August 1st) - Rainn Wilson and Will Arnett in one movie should be a good time. But can Dwight Schrute carry a movie? We shall see... maybe.

- Swing Vote (August 1st) - Ah, a political comedy. Too bad Fraiser is one of the nominees (though I feel bad he just recently had a heart attack). I loves me some Stanley Tucci and Kevin Costner (oh Costner, I might just have to have a Bull Durham/Tin Cup/Untouchables a-thon in the coming weeks)... so I might check it out.

- The House Bunny (August 22nd) - The premise is kind of dumb, and I don't really like some of the actresses in it... but the trailer made me chuckle. Audibly. Multiple times. Which is still an enigma to me, but I feel like I should support this film, if only because it's a comedy starring women in my age bracket... and they don't make any of those kinds of films.

- Vicky Cristina Barcelona (August 29th) - I will freely admit that I am a movie lover who can't stand Woody Allen. I like a couple of his films, but on a whole, I don't like them/I don't see what's so great about them. I'm not going to follow the herd and bow down to this man... I don't care what you say about Woody Allen, "Scoop" sucked. Like, a lot. But I'm willing to put our differences aside and give him another chance... mostly because I want to see what Javier Bardem is going to bring to this film. I've been a fan of his since "Before Night Falls", so I'm willing to try this out. Burn me again, Allen, and we are done for good.

And there are a whole slew of great looking Independent films that are coming out this summer, but there's no way to tell if they'll open wide enough for all of us who still live in the Midwest!

If you haven't already, go check out "Iron Man" and "Sex and the City".... those were the best movies released in May (yep, notice Indy 4 was not a part of that shortlist...)

Have a good one, and Happy Movie Watching!!