SUMMER MOVIES ARE UNDERWAY

The 2012 summer movie season officially kicked off on May 4th with the release of the The Avengers. You may recall our Top Ten Summer Movies prediction list published this Spring. Now that the season is underway, here is our complete list of what to watch (including release dates!). We wouldn’t want our fans to miss a thing!

Movies that will attract quite a bit of interest this summer include Rock of Ages, Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter, Prometheus Supposed and Oliver Stone’s Savages. There are also a number of popular sequels that will be released in the coming months incuding The Dark Knight Rises, Men in Black 3, The Bourne Legacy, G.I. Joe Retaliation and the Amazing Spider-Man. Animated sequels include Ice Age – The Continental Drift and Madagascar 3 – Europe’s Most Wanted.

A brief description of the movie and their anticipated release date is included below:

May 4th

The Avengers Nick Fury of S.H.I.E.L.D, brings together a Supergroup of dysfunctional Marvel superheroes who join forces to save the Earth from Loki and his Army. The movie was directed by Josh Whedon and stars Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson and Mark Ruffalo.

LOL Is a romance comedy based on the 2008 French smash-hit, LOL (Laughing Out Loud). It is the story of a young girl named Lola (her friends call her Lol) dealing with high school, peer pressure, romance, friendship and an over protective mother. The movie was directed by Lisa Azuelos and stars Miley Cyrus, Douglas Booth, Demi Moore and Ashley Greene.

May 11th

Dark Shadows reunites actor Johnny Depp with director Tim Burton. Depp plays an imprisoned vampire who wakes up in 1972. Set free, he returns home to help his dysfunctional descendants who are in need of his protection. The movie is directed by Tim Burton and stars Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer and Eva Green.

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel British seniors travel to a decrepit hotel in India, run by a fast-talking hustler. Despite failing to live up to its advertisements, the hotel slowly begins to charm in unexpected ways and love blossoms. The movie was directed by John Madden and stars Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Tom Wilkinson, Dev Patel and Bill Nighy.

May 16th

The Dictator Sacha Baron Cohen plays the part of a Middle East dictator in this politically incorrect comedy. The movie was directed by Larry Charles and stars Sacha Baron Cohen Anna Faris and John C. Reilly.

Battleship is a science fiction naval war film with aliens based loosely on the Hasbro Board game of the same name. Despite mixed reviews, the picture has generated over $170 million dollars in overseas ticket sales. The film was directed by Peter Berg and stars Liam Neeson, Alexander Skarsgard, Taylor Kitsch, Brooklyn Decker and Rihanna.

What to Expect When You’re Expecting Based on the best selling pregnancy guide this comedy highlights the thrills and unexpected events that occur to five couples that are going through pregnancy. The movie was directed by Kirk Jones and stars Chris Rock, Cameron Diaz, Dennis Quaid, Matthew Morrison, Jennifer Lopez, Elizabeth Banks, and Brooklyn Decker.

May 25th

Chernobyl Diaries Six young American tourists hire a tour guide to take them to the abandoned city of Pripyat, Russia. Trapped at the site of the famous nuclear accident they soon discover that they are not alone. Directed by Bradley Parker the movie stars Jesse McCartney, Jonathan Sadowski and Olivia Dudley.

Men in Black 3 is the third installment of the hugely successful Men in Black franchise. This chapter finds alien-hunting special agent Will Smith, travelling to the past to prevent the death of his partner, Tom Lee Jones. The movie was directed by Barry Sonnenfeld and stars Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones, Josh Brolin and Emma Thompson.

June 1st

Snow White and the Huntsman is a gritty version of the popular fairy tale with a twist. In this version the huntsman sent to kill Snow White becomes her protector and works to destroy the evil queen. The movie is directed by Rupert Sanders and stars Kristen Stewart, Charlize Theron and Chris Hemsworth.

June 8th

Bel Ami is based on the novel by Guy de Maupassant. Set in Paris, Bel Ami is a period piece about a social climber who manipulates and uses wealthy women to attain power and position. The movie was directed by Declan Donnellan and Nick Ormerod and stars Robert Pattinson, Uma Thurman and Kristin Scott Thomas.

Hysteria is a romantic comedy detailing the invention of the first medical vibrator by Mortimer Granville. The movie was directed by Tanya Wexler and stars Hugh Dancy, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Jonathan Pryce.

Madagascar 3, Europe’s Most Wanted in the third installment of the popular animated series. Alex, Marty, Gloria and Melman are still trying to return home to the ‘Big Apple’. Only this time their journey takes them through Europe where they join a travelling circus. The movie was directed by Eric Darnell and Tom McGrath and features the voices of Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, Jada Pinkett Smith.

Prometheus Supposed is the prequel to the successful 1979 Alien movie. In this movie the crew of the spaceship Prometheus, discover clues to the origins of mankind and encounter an alien life form that threatens the future of the human race. The movie was directed by Ridley Scott and stars Noomi Rapace, Charlize Theron, Michael Fassbender and Guy Pearce.

June 15th

Moonrise Kingdom this comedy is a story about a boy and a girl from different summer camps who secretly rendezvous and the local search party organized to find them. The movie was directed by Wes Anderson and stars Jared Gilman, Kara Hayward, Edward Norton, Bill Murray and Bruce Willis.

That’s My Boy is a comedy about a father trying to reconnect with his son and deal with the repercussions of his bad parenting skills. The movie was directed by Sean Anders and stars Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg, James Caan and Leighton Meester.

Rock of Ages is based on the hit Broadway musical about 80’s era heavy-metal rockers. The movie was directed by Adam Shankman and stars Tom Cruise, Alec Baldwin, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Russell Brand, Paul Giamatti and Julianne Hough.

June 22nd

Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter when the President of the United States discovers that vampires are planning to take over the country he spends the rest of his life trying to kill them. The movie is directed by Russian director Timur Bekmambetov and stars Benjamin Walker, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Rufus Sewell and Dominic Cooper.

Seeking a Friend for the End of the World Two strangers are thrown together weeks before an asteroid is set to destroy earth. This romantic comedy is directed by Loraine Scafaria and stars Keira Knightley, Steve Carell and Melinda Dillon.

June 29th

G.I. Joe Retaliation in this sequel, the G.I. Joe’s are again fighting their mortal enemy Cobra and at the same time are forced to contend with threats from within the government that threaten their very existence. The movie was directed by John Chu and stars Dwayne Johnson, Bruce Willis, Jonathan Pryce and Channing Tatum.

Magic Mike is the story of an experienced male stripper who takes on a younger performer and teaches him the tricks of the trade. This one sounds like its target audience is young ladies ages eighteen to thirty. The movie is directed by Steven Soderbergh and stars Channing Tatum, Matthew McConaughey, Olivia Munn and Alex Pettyfer.

Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Witness Protection You know him and you love her. This time, they go into the witness protection program. This comedy was directed by and stars Tyler Perry. Other cast members include Eugene Levy and Denise Richards.

July 3rd

The Amazing Spider-Man is a reboot of the famous Marvel Comics character with new villains. Peter Parker discovers a mysterious briefcase belonging to his father. This clue puts him on a collision course with Dr. Connors, his father’s former partner. The movie was directed by Marc Webb and stars Andrew Garfield as Spiderman. Other cast members include Emma Stone and Rhys Ifans.

July 6th

Savages Oliver Stone takes on the drug cartels in his new crime thriller movie. Based on the novel of the same name by Don Winslow, Savages is a story about a pair of peaceful marijuana growers who are targeted for extortion by a ruthless Mexican drug cartel. The movie is directed by Oliver Stone and Stars, John Travolta, Uma Thurman, Taylor Kitsch, Selma Hayek, Aaron Johnson and Blake Lively.

July 13th

Ice Age: Continental Drift is the fourth installment of the popular animated series about prehistoric animals. In this version Manny, Diego and Sid embark on a new journey and along the way encounter sea creatures and battle pirates. The kids will love it!!! The movie was directed by Steve Martino, and Mike Thurmeier and features the voices of Ray Romano, Queen Latifah, Dennis Leary and John Leguizamo.

To Rome with Love the film is a comedy comprised of four separate vignettes and highlights the romances and predicaments of people living in and visiting the “Eternal City of Rome.” The movie was directed by Woody Allen and as an extra added bonus Woody Allen makes his first appearance in a movie since 2006. Additional cast members include Jesse Eisenberg, Penélope Cruz, Roberto Benigni, Alec Baldwin and Ellen Page.

The Dark Knight Rises a new terrorist leader overwhelms Gotham’s finest and the Dark Knight resurfaces after an eight year absence to protect the city that has turned against him. The movie is directed by Christopher Nolan and stars Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, Anne Hathaway, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Gary Oldman, Liam Neeson, Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine.

July 27th

Neighborhood Watch After withdrawing all previews for Neighborhood Watch after the Trayvon Martin incident, Fox announced that they are changing the name of the movie to The Watch. This science fiction comedy details the story of a volunteer suburban neighborhood watch that uncovers an extraterrestrial plot. The film was directed by Akiva Schaffer and stars Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn and Jonah Hill.

Aug. 3rd

The Bourne Legacy The fourth film in the successful Bourne series only this time it is without Matt Damon. In this version Jeremy Renner plays the Jason Bourne character. The movie is directed by Tony Gilroy and stars Jeremy Renner, Ed Norton, Rachel Weisz, Albert Finney and Joan Allen.

Total Recall is a remake of the Arnold Schwarzenegger film. In this version a factory worker begins to suspect that he might be a spy, but he is not sure which side he is on. The movie is directed by Len Wiseman and stars Colin Farrell, Bokeem Woodbine and Bryan Cranston.

Aug. 10th

Hope Springs When a middle age woman’s marriage goes stale she drags her husband to counseling and he encourages them to be intimate once again. The movie was directed by David Frankel and stars Meryl Streep, Tommy Lee Jones and Steve Carell.

The Campaign Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis star as rival presidential candidates in this comedy directed by Jay Roach. Other cast members include John Lithgow, Brian Cox, Sarah Baker and Katherine LaNasa.

Aug. 17th

The Expendables 2  The Expendables reunite for what they think is an easy paycheck, but after one of their own is killed they seek revenge and along the way encounter an unexpected threat. The movie was directed by Simon West and stars Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis, Liam Hemsworth and Randy Couture.

Aug. 24th

Celeste and Jesse Forever is the story of a couple who try to remain friends while going through a divorce. The movie was directed by Lee Toland Krieger and stars Rashida Jones, Elijah Wood and Emma Roberts.

See you at the movies!!!