DON'T MISS THESE HOT SUMMER FLICKS

After the hugely successful debut last week of Avengers: Endgame, the last in the popular Marvel film series, you might expect a review of the movie from me in today’s post. But, although I thoroughly enjoyed the three-hour wrap-up of all things Avengers and the emotional return of our favorite heroes and heroines, it would be nearly impossible to do the film justice without serious spoiler-ation. If you’re a fan of the series, I suspect you’ve already been to your local cineplex and have drawn your own conclusions. If you’re not a fan, well . . .

Instead, how about we look ahead to what Hollywood has to offer this summer, both in the theaters and on your streaming screens at home? Here are a few of the films I’m really looking forward to (plus a couple of things to be on the watch for, courtesy of the website of all geek knowledge io9.gizmodo.com)

--TOLKIEN. Just when we thought the cinematic gold mine of the British fantasy genius was played out, along comes this biopic of the man himself, starring Nicholas Hoult (in quite a different role from his turn as Nux in MAD MAX: FURY ROAD). Film biographies can be deadly, but the previews suggest this one uses the more innovative approach of interweaving Tolkien’s own story with the fantasies of Middle Earth he created out of the chaos of two world wars. (May 10)

--SEE YOU YESTERDAY. No need to deal with the crowds and expense of the cineplex for this multicultural SF action flick. Spike Lee produced this little gem for Netflix, about a young African American woman who uses time travel to combat police brutality and murder. Once again, Netflix proves an open-minded venue for both SF and diversity. (May 17)

Love the T-shirt:Netflix does diversity AND SF.

 --RIM OF THE WORLD. Netflix piles on a week later with another SF film, this one from the kids-save-the-world-from-aliens category. The kids in this instance happen to be at summer camp when the aliens invade. McG (of TERMINATOR fame) directs. (May 24)

--BRIGHTBURN. So, what if Batman was right about Superman after all? Or, to put it another way, what if Superbaby landed in that cornfield and turned out to be an uncontrollable brat with evil intentions? The anti-superhero arrives with this film by James Gunn (GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY). (May 24)

--AD ASTRA. Granted, the thought of Brad Pitt in a near-space quest movie is enough to get just about any SF fan’s heart racing. But this film from director James Gray (LOST CITY OF Z) has suffered from production delays and probably won’t make its projected late-May release date. Okay, as long as the wait is worth it. (May 24?)

--GODZILLA: KING OF THE MONSTERS. Y’all know I love me some Godzilla! He’s back this time to battle all the bad kaiju and save the world, as he is meant to. That means some serious ass-whupping! But if I were a human in any city on the planet, I’d head to the hills for the duration. Godzilla tends not to watch where he’s stepping when battling other monsters. (May 31)

--MEN IN BLACK INTERNATIONAL. Chris Hemsworth as a slightly dim-witted veteran alien fighter. Tessa Thompson as the newbie. Emma Thompson as a high-ranking agent and Liam Neeson as the boss named High T. It just doesn’t get any better than this! I’ve only seen the previews and I already want to give the casting director an award!  (June 14)

--YESTERDAY. This film belongs on my list not only because I’m a Beatles fan of 50+ years, but also because it posits an alternate universe in which the Fab Four never became famous. I know! Impossible, right? The premise here is that a struggling musician wakes up one day and is somehow the only one who remembers John, Paul, George, Ringo or any of the tunes they ever wrote. He inadvertently rides to glory on borrowed wings. From Danny Boyle, the director of SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE. (June 28)

--LION KING. If you were fortunate enough to catch the live action/CGI remake of THE JUNGLE BOOK on Netflix a few months back, you will understand the excitement in advance of this new version of the Disney classic. The previews of this film are spectacular, and, like JUNGLE BOOK, you can really believe the animals are real and performing in their natural habitat. Computer graphics have moved so far beyond what we could even imagine a few years ago, anything the mind can conceive, CGI can put it on the screen. This is Broadway meets Blue Planet, and not to be missed. (July 19)

These films comprise only a fraction of what will be showing at your local multiplex or on your TV screen at home this summer, of course (and I haven’t even mentioned August). Then, too, there are books to be read, hikes to be taken, picnics to be eaten and all those other summer-y delights to enjoy. So much to do, in fact, time travel may be the only way to do it all. Better get started now!

Cheers, Donna

*Information for this post selected from, “Summer Movie Preview: 37 Movies to Watch Out for,” by io9 staff, io9.gizmodo.com https://io9.gizmodo.com/summer-movie-preview-37-movies-to-watch-out-for-1834119942

 

And from https://www.imdb.com/