June’s been pretty quiet on the movie front. Since we last talked movies, I’ve seen Kung Fu Panda 2 (fun, not as good as the first one, but sweet), Queen of the Sun (a documentary on bees, very enlightening and well done), Super 8 (excellent, less about aliens and more about family, friends and loss), and rented Babylon 5: The Lost Tales (yuck, loved the series but this extra …. not so much), Ten-Inch Hero (excellent, an indie rom-com from 2007 with Jensen Ackles in the cast. Enough said.), No Strings Attached (funny, well done, a bit on the raunchy side and more depth than I thought it would have), Tangled (cute and fun) and Tron: Legacy (definitely not worth it).

The Tourist and Hereafter (new additions to my collection) are waiting in my DVD player.

I also watched from my collection The Last Starfighter (cheesy fun from the 1980s), Speed and The Replacements (what can I say? I’m a fan of Keanu Reeves, and I watch The Replacements when I need to laugh) and The Italian Job (love the Mini Coopers racing against the train).

Here we go for July.

Transformers: Dark of the Moon : Starring Shia LaBeouf, Tyrese Gibson and Josh Duhamel, with newcomer Rosie Huntington-Whitely, this third in the franchise focuses on a hidden spacecraft on the moon. Looks like some crazy special effects. Transformers: Dark of the Moon opens June 29, is rated PG-13 (but lots of violence, parents) and is being released in 3D and IMAX formats. 
 

Larry Crowne : Tom Hanks portrays a man who, after being fired for not having gone to college, decides to get his college degree, and Julia Roberts stars as a college professor who’s lost her desire to teach. You can see how this one starts out, but I’m curious as to how it ends. Larry Crowne opens July 1 and is rated PG-13.
 

Monte Carlo : Three friends (Selena Gomez, Leighton Meester and Katie Cassidy) experience a disappointing visit to Paris (really?!) until one of them is mistaken for a British heiress, and the three are whisked off to Monte Carlo. Rated PG, Monte Carlo opens July 1.
 

Also opening July 1, in limited release: Terri, the story of a plus-sized teen (Jacob Wysocki) and how his life is impacted by his rather obnoxious vice-principal (John C. Reilly), is rated R; and The Perfect Host, which stars David Hyde Pierce as a man whose dinner party is interrupted by a would-be criminal (Clayne Crawford), focuses on the dark sides of both men and is rated R. 
 

Zookeeper : In this tale, the animals do actually run the zoo, as zookeeper Kevin James discovers when he contemplates leaving his post. Voices for the animals are provided by Cher, Sylvester Stallone, Nick Nolte, Adam Sandler, Judd Apatow, Jim Breuer, Jon Favreau, Faison Love, Maya Rudolph and Bas Rutten. Might be fun, but it’ll be a rental for me. Rated PG, Zookeeper opens July 8.
 

Horrible Bosses : Jason Bateman, Charlie Day and Jason Sudeikis are caught in work hell as they each face the Worst Boss Ever (portrayed by Kevin Spacey, Jennifer Aniston and Colin Farrell). And what do they decide to do? Kill the bosses, with the help of Jamie Foxx. Yep, I’ll skip this one. Rated R, Horrible Bosses opens July 8.

Also opening July 8, The Ward is from director John Carpenter, stars Amber Heard and Mamie Gummer and is rated R (of course); andIronclad, starring Paul Giamatti as King John, Jason Flemyng, James Purefoy and Brian Cox, is rated R.
 

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 : The last of the franchise, Part 2 wraps up the Harry Potter legend with the final battle between Harry and Voldemort. It’s been 10 years in the making, folks, and here’s where it ends. Sadly. This is a must-see-in-the-theater for me. Opening July 15, Harry Potter is in 3D and is rated PG-13.
 

Captain America:The First Avenger : Another offering from Marvel, Captain America stars Chris Evans as the titular character, going from a CGI’d little guy to a ripped hero. The film also stars Hugo Weaving, Stanley Tucci, Tommy Lee Jones, Neal McDonough and Derek Luke. And don’t forget to stay through the credits, as you know from watching Marvel’s Iron Man and Thor. I also hear they’re already filming the Avenger movie, which will bring these three superheroes and more together on the big screen. In 3D, Captain America is not yet rated and will open July 22. 
 

Friends With Benefits : Starring Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis, FWB shows best friends Dylan and Jamie complicating things when they add another layer to their friendship. Supposedly a comedy, this film is low on my to-rent list. Not yet rated, Friends With Benefits opens July 22. 
 

Cowboys and Aliens : Very high on my must-see list, Cowboys and Aliens stars Daniel Craig as the mystery man wearing a strange bracelet, and Harrison Ford as the man who owns Absolution, a town in the desert Arizona territory. As an alien ship starts abducting people, the town folks must band together to stop the invasion. Rated PG-13, Cowboys and Aliens opens July 29.

Also opening July 29, Crazy, Stupid, Love, which stars Steve Carell as a family man propelled into single life, also stars Julianne Moore and Ryan Gosling and is rated PG-13; and The Smurfs, which stars Neil Patrick Harris and Jayma Mays as the humans helping out the Smurfs (voiced by Jonathan Winters, Katy Perry, Alan Cumming, George Lopez, Paul Reubens, Kenan Thompson, Jeff Foxworthy and Fried Armisen) against the evil Gargamel (Hank Azaria), is in 3D and has yet to be rated.

Further out, I’d keep an eye on a few August releases: Riseof the Planet of the Apes, The Change-Up, 30 Minutes or Less, The Help (most definitely!), One Day, Fright Nightand Conan the Barbarian.

Any recommendations for your fellow moviegoers?

See ya at the theater!

While I’m still pondering what happened to the fall season on my television, let’s talk movies again. I also have a few books I’ll bring to the table sometime in the near future. Stay tuned. 

October was a fairly quiet movie month for me – although that might not be saying much, as most of my months are quiet on the movie front. I rented The Blind Side and enjoyed it immensely, and I also rented a 1979 film, Time After Time, which I enjoyed (H.G. Wells, Jack the Ripper and a time machine, plus special effects that show their age). In the theater, I did see RED – lots of explosions and gunfire, with more than a few good one-liners to keep my interest. It’s based on a graphic novel, so very little in the way of plot or character development.

With the price of movies these days, even the matinees, I’m waiting on several of those that appeared in October to appear on DVD.

So on to November.

127 Hours : Loosely based, I’m sure, on a true story, 127 Hours features James Franco as Aron Ralston, a mountain climber who finds himself alone and in dire straits while climbing in Utah. I’m not sure I’ll be able to watch this one, although the real story is as inspiring as it is heartbreaking. Rated R, 127 Hours opens November 5.  

Fair Game : Another true story, Fair Game stars Naomi Watts as Valerie Plame, a CIA operative whose identity is revealed supposedly in retaliation for her husband’s writing against the Bush administration. Sean Penn stars as her husband, Joseph Wilson. Rated PG-13, Fair Game opens in limited release November 5.    

Morning Glory : One of the movies on my must-see list, Morning Glory stars Rachel McAdams as an inexperienced television producer who finds herself pitting wits against veteran anchors Diane Keaton and Harrison Ford while romancing Patrick Wilson. The trailers look hilarious, though I’m quite sure there will be more than one poignant moment in the film. Rated PG-13, Morning Glory opens November 10.   

Unstoppable : Starring Denzel Washington and Chris Pine, Unstoppable promises to be a non-stop thrill ride. A rail company loses control of an unmanned train carrying all sorts of nasty stuff; an engineer and a conductor try to catch up and stop the rocketing train. Rated PG-13, Unstoppable opens November 12.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 : The first half of the last Harry Potter book comes to the big screen with all the usual names attached, plus Rhys Ifans and Bill Nighy. I’ll be a little sad when this series ends. The second half comes to a theater near you next July. Rated PG-13, Part 1 opens November 19.  

The Next Three Days : Looks to be another thriller from Russell Crowe and director Paul Haggis. The Next Three Days focuses on the lives of John and Lara Brennan three years after Lara is convicted of murder when John decides the only course of action is to break his wife out of prison. Also starring Elizabeth Banks as Lara, Liam Neeson, Brian Dennehy, Lennie James and Olivia Wilde, the movie is a remake of a French film. Rated PG-13, The Next Three Days opens November 19.   

Burlesque : Featuring the spectacular voices of Cher and Christina Aguilera, Burlesque follows a smalltown girl’s journey to Los Angeles and a club run by a former dancer. Burlesque also stars Stanley Tucci, Alan Cummings and Kristen Bell. Not yet rated, Burlesque opens November 24.    

Love and Other Drugs : Another one that I hope to see in the theater, Love and Other Drugs stars Jake Gyllenhaal as a pharmaceutical representative on the ground floor of the introduction of Viagra. Anne Hathaway also stars. The trailers actually look better than the description sounds, honest. Rated R (of course), Love and Other Drugs opens November 24.   

Tangled : The animated retelling of Rapunzel’s story, Tangled features the voices of Mandy Moore, Zachary Levi, M.C. Gainey, Brad Garret, Ron Perlman, Jeffrey Tambor and Donna Murphy. Rated PG, Tangled opens November 26.  

The King’s Speech: Another true story, The King’s Speech focuses on the ascension to the throne of King George VI and the speech therapist who helps him overcome a lifelong speech impediment. Starring Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush and Helena Bonham Carter, The King’s Speech is rated R and opens in limited released November 26.

I’m sure some of you will like other offerings this month, among them Megamind, an animated superhero funfest starring the voice of Will Ferrell; Due Date, a mismatched buddy travelogue starring Robert Downey Jr. and Zach Galifianakis; For Colored Girls, Tyler Perry’s latest starring Janet Jackson; Skyline, a sci fi thriller filled with special effects; and Faster, Dwayne Johnson’s return to action films.

Two I’d like us all to keep our eyes on: The Legend of Pale Male is a documentary about a red-tail hawk nesting atop a New York apartment building (the trailer had me in tears), which opens in limited release November 24; and Black Swan, a psychological thriller starring Natalie Portman, which opens December 3 and is gaining a lot of Oscar buzz lately, particularly for Portman’s role as a veteran ballerina.

Hope you have fun this month! See ya at the movies!