SacTown Summer Movie Nights 2009!

It's the moooost...won-der-ful tiiiiime...of the yeeeeeaaarr...

At least for us SacTown movie fans! Yes, our season is back! The summer movies start dropping this weekend, and we've got a whole summer of Hollywood block(or crap)busters and indie gems ahead of us. So it's time to lock and load and get the band back together, 'cause it is ON.

For those of you new to the experience, I started this event last year, during what some were calling the biggest summer movie season ever. I did a list of all the big summer movies to come, and then used this blog to announce gang movie nights - the when and where info on whatever film we'd be gathering for on any particular weekend. And it was a smashing success! Obviously, with so many movies to see, and with people having tight schedules and limited entertainment funds, not everyone made every single film, but that was the nice part of this. You could pick and choose which ones you felt like seeing (and which ones you felt warranted theater viewing and wouldn't be best left for DVD later), and be able to know you'd at least have a couple other people to go see them with. We had great time, not just catching the flicks, but having an opportunity to get together and hang out, always a rare thing with everyone's hectic lives.

So it begins anew, and here's how it goes. I'm going to list a bunch of the upcoming season's flicks, with their release dates. Note that some may have the same date, of course, but we're not necessarily going to see each film on its opening night, either. As this is my blog, I'll naturally be listing a lot of the films that I'm interested in, so since I don't have kids, chances are you won't see any of the big animated or otherwise kid-centered ones here (for that, you must arrange your own playdates). After that, keep watching for announcements on this blog (assuming you're in the Sacramento area) for which shows an event is being put together for. You'll see the theater and time. And you can then, if you please, choose to join us. And note: I will continue to suggest people make use of Fandango to buy their tickets in advance. There's nothing more depressing than showing up to get a ticket and finding out you can't get inside to join your pals. Plan ahead!

So let's see what the summer of 2009 has to offer us! Links on the titles will take you to trailers for each film.

05/01/09 - X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

Hey, what to do you know? Another super-hero movie! After the performance of last summer's "Dark Knight" and "Iron Man" films, Hollywood is going to keep cranking these out for a while. Hugh Jackman reprises his role as Wolverine from the "X-Men" films in the first (and maybe last, depending on how it performs) spin-off from that franchise. This one's already got controversy surrounding it, as a work print of the film got swiped and made its way onto the internet a month before the premiere - a BIG deal that's got the FBI involved and everything. Let's see if Jackman can bring the claw-popping magic back, with the help of co-stars Liev Schreiber and Ryan Reynolds. Hot mutant big-budget action, baby!

05/08/09 - Star Trek

This is THE big one of the summer. With a trailer that's blown people away for months, this J.J. Abrams-directed prequel/reboot/re-imagining has fans and critics psyched. Looking in on the first adventure of the young original Trek crew, the film has relative unknown Chris Pine playing Kirk, but it's the rest of the cast playing the familiar sci-fi icons that has most of us drooling - people like John Cho ("Harold and Kumar"), Simon Pegg ("Shaun of the Dead"), Zachary Quinto ("Heroes"), Karl Urban ("Lord of the Rings"), and some big-name stars in other roles (Winona Ryder, Ben Cross, Bruce Greenwood and Eric Bana). It looks like a sure-win, with mind-blowing effects, riveting action and plenty of laughs. Old-school Trek-heads may gripe about this film messing with the sacred franchise, but you can bet that they'll be right there with us to see if it pulls off its promise. NOTE: If you're as anti-spoiler about this movie as I am, I'd just skip viewing the trailer and save some surprises for the film.

05/15/09 - Angels & Demons

This is an interesting concept - a sequel to the big-box-office "The Da Vinci Code", the questionably-reviewed film adaptation of one of the best-selling novels of all time, but one that's based on a book that was actually a prequel to Da Vinci. Ah, that wacky Hollywood. Tom Hanks and Ron Howard return to give the paranoid theological world of Dan Brown another try, so we'll see if they have better luck this time around.

05/15/09 - The Brothers Bloom

Already a critical darling, this off-beat action-comedy about two brother con men pulling one last big score stars Adrien Brody, Mark Ruffalo, Rachel Weisz, Rinko Kikuchi and Robbie Coltrane. The world-hopping swindling fantasy looks like one of the most original films to come out in some time and might be a nice break from all the gunfire and explosions. Except, of course, that it appears to be filled with gunfire and explosions...

05/21/09 - Terminator: Salvation

Like the Terminator himself, this franchise refuses to die. The end of the world is back, with this installment taking us into the future to see the exploits of the heroic John Connor, and finally showing us the war between man and machine that we've heard so much about. With the interesting director choice of McG (of "Charlie's Angels" fame), the film stars box-office-platinum Christian "Done with you professionally" Bale, Bryce Dallas Howard, Helena Bonham Carter and Michael Ironside, and promises a special effects bonanza of futuristic action. Guaranteed to be one if the loudest films of the summer (the actual winner of that crown is still to come on this list), it will be a hell of a sight to see, whether or not McG can pull it off.

05/29/09 - Drag Me To Hell

Let's see...so far we have action, sci-fi, comedy...what's missing? Why, a hell of a lot of horror, of course! And horror fans have reason to cheer, because the amazing Sam Raimi ("Evil Dead 1 & 2", "Army of Darkness") has left his kid-friendly "Spider-Man" films behind for a moment and gone back to his horrific roots. Starring Allison Lohman and Justin Long (in a rare non-comedic role, so good for him), along with a supporting role by the great David Paymer, this seems to revolve around a bank employee denying a home loan extension to the WRONG crazy-ass old lady, and a curse - and lots of horrific consequences - follow. Looks scary, and who doesn't like a little scare in their summer? Ones that don't involve aging fat men in tiny speedos at the beach, that is...

06/05/09 - The Hangover

Three groomsmen-to-be wake up in their suite in Vegas the night after the bachelor party - with no memory of what happened the night before, no idea why their suite is trashed, and no idea where the groom is. Or why there's a baby in the closet. The only reasons why this one is a "maybe" for me is 1) it stars Bradley Cooper, who you might remember as the jerk fiance from "Wedding Crashers" but whom I'm a fan of from the TV shows "Alias" and "Kitchen Confidential", 2) it's from the director of "Old School", 3) Heather Graham's in it and 4) Mike Tyson's in it (as himself) and is seen rocking out to the drum solo from Phil Collins' "In The Air Tonight". Will wait for reviews, but it's a "maybe"...

06/05/09 - Land of the Lost

Yes, yes, you groan, and probably with cause, at the thought of another Will Ferrell comedy. You may be right. Or, like those of us who grew up watching the thrilling (to us...because we were, like, six years old) "Land of the Lost" TV show from Sid & Marty Krofft, you might be thinking about it. A bonus is that it has Danny McBride in it, who stole the film "Pineapple Express" (not as easy thing to do in a Seth Rogen film). Filled with prehistoric special effects and commendable dialogue like "Matt Lauer can suck it!!", it could be just the light-hearted summer escapism you're looking for. Or...it could really blow. Check that Tomatometer as the date approaches, kids!

06/12/09 - The Taking of Pelham 123

For those of who haven't seen a John Travolta character take hostages in a couple weeks or so, your wait is over. Every summer needs a Tony Scott film, and Mr. Scott is dealing us a fresh helping of action-suspense, pulling in his usual helping of big-name Hollywood talent (Travolta, Denzel Washington, John Turturo, James (needs this to help get "Tony Soprano" behind him) Gandofini...and my biggest draw, the incomparable Luiz Gusman (look him up...you'll recognize him from many films you've seen)). Written by Brian Helgeland ("L.A. Confidential, "Mystic River", "Man on Fire"), this edge-of-yer-seater deals with a group taking hostages aboard a New York subway train, with subway controller Denzel trying to save the day. Let's just hope it doesn't give us the Tony Scott Ending (tm). (That joke was for a handful of people I know who'll get it...).

06/19/09 - Year One

Do I really have to say more than "Jack Black" and "Michael Cera"? Seriously, you put these two in a film about a couple of prehistoric slackers who get banned from their questing-for-fire tribe and get into all manner of wackiness in the ancient world...what else do you need to know? How 'bout that it's directed by Harold Ramis, produced by Judd Apatow, and features David Cross as Cain, Paul Rudd as Abel, and Hank Azaria as Abraham? The trailer looks like lots of win to me. I'd down for some over-the-top Old Testament humor. You?

6/24/09 - Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Yeah, I feel kind of bad for this film. You know it's just not going to make ANY money this summer... (WARNING: Sarcasm levels rising!) Director Michael Bay returns with the sequel to the mega-blockbuster hit, and with a budget even CLOSER to matching the President's stimulus package. The whole gang appears to be back, including stars Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox's navel. Even with all the sci-fi actioners we've seen listed already, I guarantee you this will be the LOUDEST film of the summer. Spectacles like this were what summer movies were invented for. If you miss this in the theater, you'll be mocked later, will be sad and cry. And with Michael Bay as the director, I can also guarantee you this (putting on my best trailer-announcer voice): Stuff...will...fly...at...the...camera!

7/1/09 - Public Enemies

I wonder what happens when you put, arguably, the two biggest box office draws on EARTH in the same movie and release it in the middle of summer? Guess we'll find out this July, when Johnny Depp and Christian Bale pair up for the based-on-a-true-story tale of John Dillinger, directed by none other than Michael "Heat" Mann. With a very impressive supporting cast that includes Billy Crudup, Leelee Sobieski, Giovanni Ribisi, Stephen Dorff, Rory Cochrane and Lili Taylor, this period shoot-em-up promises to sparkle with the patented Michael Mann style. Kind of a Miami Vice for the prohibition era, if you will... If I were you, I'd "Mann" up and be there.

7/15/09 - Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

For those of you who generally suspect me as a giant nerd, allow me this defense - I have never read a "Harry Potter" book, nor have I seen a "Harry Potter" movie. This, of course, makes up for the seven seasons of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and eight seasons of "Star Trek: TNG" on my DVD shelf, and the "Serenity" poster framed on my living room wall... I have totally missed the boat on this franchise, but it would, of course, be completely disingenuous to leave the latest (is this the last? I don't even know) "Harry Potter" extravaganza off this summer's list...as I knew too many fanatics, from children to their parents, who've been waiting for a very long time for it to arrive. You'll probably have to see this one without me (unless by some strange turn of events I watch all the other Potter films in the next couple of months), but if the trailer's any indication, you will walk out of it with your jaw stuck in "dropped" position for at least a fortnight.

7/31/09 - Funny People

Did somebody say Judd Apatow? My film hero has produced and co-written too many films to mention in the past several years, but this one is only his third written-and-directed one (the others being "40-Year-Old Virgin" and "Knocked Up"), and, no surprise, it stars Seth Rogen again. However, its other star is Adam Sandler, who plays a famous comedian who finds out he's not long for this world, thanks to an unexpected cancer diagnosis. Rogen plays an up-and-coming comedian who ends up befriending him. Despite its title and its stars, this is meant to be a more serious film. Apatow says, "I'm trying to make a very serious movie that is twice as funny as my other movies. Wish me luck!". The film also stars Apatow's brilliantly funny wife, Leslie Mann, along with his two young daughters, who proved ridiculously hilarious in their performances in "Knocked Up". I've put the link to the trailer up there, but you know what? I'm going to advise you not to watch it. It's one of those trailers, in my opinion, that tells you way too much about the film (it seems to kind of summarize the whole story from start to finish). I say trust the Apatow and just go with me and check it out. You can blame me if it sucks.

8/7/09 - G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra

Wow. Could this EVER go either way... You might have seen the teaser for this one during the Super Bowl, and noticed that every woman in the room went "Huh?" while every guy threw his arms up and screamed "Yeeahhhh!!". If you're from my generation, and you're a dude, you just HAVE to know. And knowing is, after all, half the battle... Directed Stephen Sommers of "The Mummy" fame, this film stars...well, a bunch of people we don't really know, but some notables (for me, at least) like Dennis Quaid, Rachel Nichols (mmmm...Alias season fiiiiive....), Jonathan Pryce, Ray "Darth Maul" Park and (shudder) Marlon Wayans. After the ridiculous success of the Transformers movie, Hasbro and Paramount team up again to bring another animated-show-designed-just-to-sell-action-figures to the big screen twenty years after it was popular. Seems to have worked so far. Prepare for the "Transformers" formula, and expect lots of guns, completely overdone CGI, national monuments around the world crumbling, and stuff...flying...at...the...camera!

8/21/09 - Inglorious Basterds

First off, no, you don't get any Typo Contest points here for that title above. That's the official way it's spelled in this film's name. Us big-time fans of Quinten Tarantino have waited juuuust about a decade for this...Q's much-rumored but not-much-made World War II film. Having gotten his Bill-Killing and House-Grinding out of his system, he's finally gotten around to this tale of a group of Jewish U.S. soldiers put together to engage in open acts of retribution against the Nazis. Beyond Brad Pitt - who plays the lieutenant who puts the team together - you probably won't recognize many (if any) of the names in this cast (but "Freaks and Geeks" fans will Freak over seeing Samm "Neal Schweiber" Levine as one of the soldiers), but maybe that's a good thing. While I'm all over this movie, I'm also more than a little nervous. Tarantino is a very different filmmaker than he was ten years ago. His work has fallen into (unapologetic) campsploitation of late. Will this taint what could be his comeback film as a "real" filmmaker again...or will it be another drive-in level indulgence that cements that as his final place in film history? I'll be there to find out.

8/28/09 - The Boat That Rocked

This, to me, is the perfect way to end the summer season. After months of robots and cyborgs and mutants and Nazis and dinosaurs and angels and demons, I'd like to decompress with a film that makes me laugh, makes me cheer, and makes me think. And I think this will be the one. Set in 1966, the British comedy - written and directed by "Four Weddings and Funeral" scribe Richard Curtis - tells the story of an illegal pirate radio station that broadcast rock-n-roll music into Britain from a boat out in the North Sea (this is not a directly "true" story, but based on an amalgam of pirate radio stations of the era, specifically on the pirate radio ship Radio Caroline). The biggest draw to me is that it stars my favorite modern actor, Philip Seymour Hoffman, as the American DJ amongst the Brits, but the fact that it's also got Bill Nighy, Nick Frost and Kenneth Branagh. Sure, it looks like your typical "screw the man, rock-n-roll will save the world" standard, but it looks like it's done with a lot of style, a lot of fun, and a hell of a lot of great music. I'm on it. You?

And THAT, ladies and gents, ends my summer movie list. Did you see some missing? Perhaps a romantic comedy or powerful-looking drama? Apologies. The SacTown Movie Gang is largely made up of DUDES, so the interests are going to run that way. And while many of these same dudes are fans of more cerebral cinema and enjoy the occasional foreign existential piece, that's not what they're looking for 1) in the theaters 2) during the summer. Summer movies are about EVENT - about movie hype, big budgets, cheering crowds and shameless sequels! So while there are a couple of variations there, this summer, like last summer, will be largely about us feeding the studio monster. And having a great time doing it.

So if you want to share in that good time with us, stay tuned here for all the details! Let the summer fun begin!

And let stuff...

Fly...

At...

The...

CAMERA!