Magazines
| << Back |  |
In Review: Sneak Peek – The 2010 Late Summer Movie Preview
By Heather Turk
Aside from being the day our nation celebrates its independence, July 4 is considered by most to be the unofficial halfway point of summer, sandwiched between Memorial Day and Labor Day. At the movie theater, however, Fourth of July weekend generally marks the end of the summer movie season.
Not this year, though. While it’s true that two of the season’s most highly anticipated films will be released over the holiday weekend (The Twilight Saga: Eclipse on June 30 and The Last Airbender on July 2), and the majority of this summer’s surefire blockbusters will have hit theaters long before that, some of Hollywood’s biggest stars, including America’s sweetheart, Julia Roberts, are hoping to keep things hot at the box office through August with buzz-worthy releases of their own.
After a brief but memorable part in Garry Marshall’s Valentine’s Day this past February, Roberts returns to the big screen in a leading role August 13 as Elizabeth Gilbert in Eat Pray Love. Based on the best-selling memoir about the American author’s spiritual trip across the globe to discover what’s missing in her life, expectations are high that Eat Pray Love will become this year’s Julie & Julia or, better yet, Marley & Me. Gilbert has already written a follow-up memoir, Committed, and it’s been reported that the cast of Eat Pray Love (which also includes Oscar winner Javier Bardem) would love to reprise their roles for a sequel. Expect fans of the beloved book to pack theaters for the chance to vicariously go on Gilbert’s life-changing journey.
More Coming Attractions
Julia Roberts isn’t the only big name coming to cineplexes late this summer. From action stars to classic literary characters, here’s a look at some of the other notable names appearing on the big screen this July and August.
Ramona and Beezus (July 23) – Considering every other classic childhood novel is on its umpteenth remake, it’s a wonder that Beverly Cleary’s beloved 1955 novel has never been adapted for the big screen. The book launched seven sequels, including 1999’s Ramona’s World, which begs the question, just who is this movie for, anyway? Most readers who grew up on Ramona are now parents or grandparents themselves. Does today’s youth even know who Ramona Quimby is? Not that 20th Century Fox is worried. The geniuses in the film’s casting department wisely cast Disney star Selena Gomez as Ramona’s older sister Beezus, almost guaranteeing that the tween market will flock to theaters for the Ramona renaissance. And considering teens and their parents will be curious to see Joey King (in her first leading role) bring their beloved Ramona to life, Ramona and Beezus might just be that rare live-action kids’ flick that appeals to family members of all ages.
Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore (July 30) – It’s been almost a decade since audiences were witness to the top secret, high-tech espionage war going on between cats and dogs in Warner Bros.’ hilarious family flick Cats & Dogs. In this long overdue sequel, the two sworn enemies are forced to put aside their differences and team up to defeat a rogue cat spy (voiced by Bette Midler) with sinister plans for conquest. While some of Cats & Dogs’ original cast of vocal talents are M.I.A., Alec Baldwin (Butch), Joe Pantoliano (Peek) and Michael Clarke Duncan (Sam) have returned for the sequel. The movie is also being released in 3-D; here’s hoping that the cheesy special effects don’t result in having to put down this cute and cuddly franchise.
The Expendables (Aug. 13) – The tagline for this movie should read like your favorite radio station: the best of the ’80s, ’90s and today. Of course, the “best” in this scenario isn’t music but action stars…and lots of them! Everyone from Jason Statham and Jet Li to Randy Couture and Steve Austin star in this action flick about a team of mercenaries who head to South America to overthrow a dictator. The plot seems almost secondary, though, to The Expendables’ explosive cast, which also includes Dolph Lundgren and Mickey Rourke. There’s even a much talked about scene involving Bruce Willis, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone (who also co-wrote and directed the movie). With a cast like this, you know action fans of all ages will be lining up opening weekend!
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (Aug. 13) – The movie may be named after the popular Bryan Lee O’Malley comic book series about a guy who tries to defeat his love interest’s seven evil exes in order to date her, but a more appropriate title for Hollywood’s latest graphic-novel-turned-feature-film might just be Michael Cera vs. the World. After the “Arrested Development” star’s slam dunk performances in Superbad and Juno, 2007’s “It” boy began to falter at the box office, starring in flops like Year One and Youth in Revolt. While there’s no question devotees will turn out for Scott Pilgrim’s release, the question Cera needs to concern himself with is whether or not their ticket sales will be enough to keep his career afloat. With a ticket-friendly PG-13 rating, the film definitely has potential to speak to a broader audience, especially teens…maybe Cera won’t need superhuman powers to save his career after all.
