Summer Movie Madness...

Theatrical
It's summer! It's time for big flashy things to go crash and bang! Bright shiny things in all directions. Here's a few that are on their way:

Fantastic Four - This has been in production for over a decade, and finally technology and just the right screenplay came together. I've been in full-scale geeky wibble mode for over two years on this one, and so far things look pretty good. The Thing isn't CG, but a blending of CG and actor that wasn't possible even a year ago. Story-wise, this isn't going strictly to canon so the predictible fanboy flailing about has already started. Considering the past record of the production crew I'm confident that they'll be able to setup something that will fly. If nothing else, Ioan Gruffudd in spandex with those sexy silver streaks in his hair should make for good landscape appreciation. This first pass kicks things off and gives us a world to build on, and then we'll see where they take it. Hits theaters on July 8, and is rated PG-13 for sequences of intense action, and some suggestive content.

Murderball - A documentary that's running the circuit about wheelchair rugby, and the guys who play it on the Olympic level. If you're thinking this some touchy-feely Chariots of Fire thing, you're dead wrong. It seems to play more along the lines of a skateboarding video, and it's inspiration seems to be more in spite of itself. If you are completely annoyed by Peralta's flogging of the Dogtown dead horse, this might be just what you're looking for. It's on limited release starting July 8th.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Tim Burton and Johnny Depp team up to give us another romp through this beloved story. Johnny Depp had this to say, "If Tim wanted to shoot 18 million feet of film of me staring into a light bulb and I couldn't blink for 3 months, I'd do it." Lord willing it isn't that. The jury's still out for me on this one; I think Gene Wilder truly left his mark on this character and I just have no idea how this is going pan out. We'll all be able to see for ourselves on July 15th. Rated PG.

The Brothers Grimm - "The Sting" meets Terry Gilliam. Two brothers go from village to village, conning them by pretending to help them get rid of various supernatural monsters. Unfortunately, they run into a village with a real problem with a evil sorceress, and they're called in to investigate. Matt Damon and Heath Ledger star, and I assume Monica Belluci is the sorceress. Terry's son Harry also joins the cast in his first film role. Hopefully we've finally got a fractured fairy-tale for grown ups. Hits wide release on July 29th, and is going to be very very PG-13.

Sky High - Come to a school where the children really are out of this world! It's a shoe-in at my house. One of the favorite comics in my house is Aaron Williams "PS238" which has the same basic premise but in an elementary school, and I play the pen-and-paper roleplaying game "Champions" with my kids. With Kurt Russell as the Dad, Lynda Carter as the principal and Bruce Cambell on staff, if nothing else it should be a good time. Blasts off July 29th, with a PG rating.

Zu Warriors - I saw the preview for this two years ago, and was very upset to hear that the US release had been pushed out indefinately. Tzui Hark of "One Upon a Time in China" fame had taken the wire-fu bull by the horns to put together a beautiful fantasy on the scale of Crouching Tiger and we wouldn't be able to see it. Well, they've tried again, but they've cut over 25 minutes out of the film and over-dubbed it in English and both of those things are just guaranteed to torque me off. Considering the hack job Miramax did on "Shaolin Soccer" and "Hero" I just don't know. We'll see. If nothing else it should hit DVD relatively quickly and then I can get the real thing. we have a theatrical wide release on August 19th and it comes in as a PG-13.


DVD
Seems like it's time for the mid-eighties to hit the fan - we've got "Cry-Baby", "Love at First Bite", and "Max Dugan Returns" hitting video store shelves. I've got a few others I'm looking for, too:

Steamboy - This only came out on limited release in the US, and it didn't even hit SEATTLE. I was TORQUED OFF. We've been waiting eight years for Kazuhiro Otomo's effort. If Miyazaki is Japan's Spielberg, Otomo is it's George Lucas with his concentration on every aspect of the creation of his films and the way he likes to push the envelope. Ever since Akira we've been waiting for his next stint as a director (he also writes and serves as animation staff), with only his short section of "Memories" to hold us. The buzz out of Japan was amazing on this, and so far the US reaction has been pretty good, considering it's not a Miyazaki film and most reviewers only grudgingly put up with anime as of yet. The DVD hits the stands on July 26, and my copy is already paid for.

Constantine - A surprisingly bad adaptation of an interesting comic (Hellblazer) that somehow seems to have hit a nerve. If nothing else, hang on for the ending and the closing credits. I won't spoil it for you. If you avoided it in theaters, you might want to give it a rental. Hits shelves July 19th, and is very very R rated.

Sin City - Frank Miller's graphic novels of the same name have been a staple in many a bookshelf for years. When it came time to make the film someone got a brilliant idea and brought him in to help direct it. What they got was one of the most faithful adaptations ever made. You can literally compare frames of the film with the pages of the book. This is a very good thing from a fan standpoint, but a bad thing from many other people's. The source material they're rendering so fully may be some of the most violent twisted stuff you've ever seen. Makes Kill Bill's red splatters look pink. I read the books several years ago and knew what I was in for so I waited for DVD just so I could take some of the teeth out of the visuals by viewing them smaller. This thing is rated R for just about everything you can imagine. Hits DVD August 16th.

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - DON'T PANIC. A "mostly harmless" adaptatation of a classic of science fiction and humor. Mos Def gives a surprisingly excellent performance as an out-of-work actor who is actually an alien tourism writer and Sam Rockwell gives an interesting take on our two-headed, three armed galactic president. Arrives September 13th.