The Next Month Rises

By Thomas Willett

Sorry, kids. Summer is officially over. That’s right. When Blake walked into that cave at the end of the Dark Knight Rises, it basically ushered in the end of years of anticipation so perfectly that any movie to come out the rest of this summer is screwed. You might as well just buy books and head back now, as your adrenaline will never be topped. However, for those that have the strength to give the next month more credit, I have some selections for you. They may not be as great, but they are some of the reasons that I am looking forward to August.

I would just like to admit before I continue that maybe I was a little thick headed with that opening paragraph. The reality is we have Ruby Sparks coming out Friday along with the Olympics, an event that is being directed by my personal favorite Danny Boyle. So please, if you want to see something different this upcoming weekend, check out either one.

I know that I have previously discussed indie movies that I wanted to see this summer. With exception to Kumare and Cosmopolis (out August 17), I have achieved that goal successfully. I am left with a bigger question now. What am I going to watch in August? I decided to take a look at what is coming out and share a few thoughts on what I think is worth your time in the upcoming month.

1. Premium Rush (8/24)

A running joke I have on the podcast is “This movie cannot come out soon enough.” It is quickly approaching a year since I first made this comment about Premium Rush, and I am excited to finally see it arrive. Joseph Gordon-Levitt on a bike manages to make a suspenseful action movie? That sounds amazing to me and is one of many reasons that I have been dying to see this movie. Besides Levitt, it also has a solid supporting cast that includes Michael Shannon and Aasif Mandvi. With Looper shortly following, this may be Levitt’s year to shine.

2. Lawless (8/31)

I originally trashed this trailer when it came out, but I am a Tom Hardy fan at heart. Coming off of the Dark Knight Rises, I would love to imagine that this movie is going to be big. While I am not all that keen on Depression-era bootlegging, tagging along with Hardy may make the journey that more enjoyable. I’m also excited because director John Hillcoat’s previous effort the Road was a competent and loyal adaptation of the Cormac McCarthy novel. If that doesn’t whet your appetite enough, check out the supporting cast: Gary Oldman (who has now worked with Hardy in 3 films in the past year), Guy Pearce, Jessica Chastain, Mia Wasikowska, and Shia LeBouf. That roster sounds like they mean business.

3. Sleepwalk with Me (8/24)

Somehow this missed my limited release blog a few months back. I don’t know why, as the very concept looks intriguing. Director and writer Mike Birbiglia stars in a movie about a stand-up comedian going through crises that includes bad relationship and sleepwalking. This may sound like a rip-off of Louie, but I see it more in the vein of the Mark Duplass style of understated comedy. If anything, I would dig a quirky, indie analysis on stand-up that we haven’t seen before. I think the supporting cast also gives me great hope, as it looks like one of the tightest ensembles that I’ve seen in a while: Wyatt Cenac, Ira Glass, Alex Karpovsky, Kristen Schaal, David Wain, Loudon Wainwright III and my favorite podcaster Marc Maron (who doesn’t appear in a lot of movies, so this is exciting).

4. ParaNorman (8/17)

This looks like the perfect mix of scariness and fun. I don’t care for a lot of stop motion, but when it is coming from directors Chris Butler and Sam Fell, whose previous effort Coraline was really good, it kind of makes me intrigued to see what they can do next. It has been awhile since I found a children’s movie that felt like it would take me on a fun journey with a few shrieks here and there. Here’s hoping a story involving ghosts, zombies, and grown-ups will do the trick.

5. Celeste and Jesse Forever (8/3)

Tonally, this movie feels reminiscent of Our Idiot Brother: a movie with numerous great characters, but overall a disappointing plot. Also, I am not the biggest Andy Samberg fan and after That’s My Boy, I find his choices to be questionable. However, this looks like a nice little romantic comedy that will hopefully not fall into the boring “smart adult comedy” category that Friends with Kids did. This looks pretty funny, and Rashida Jones (who also co-wrote the script) is slowly proving herself to be a credible lead actress. The supporting cast includes quite a few solid names as well: Elijah Wood, Emma Roberts, and Ari Graynor. I’m not expecting this to be amazing, but a light hearted comedy that is well worth my time.

Wild Cards

I am not going to make this a staple feature, but I do realize that some of these movies may not be appealing to general audiences. In case there are reasons that these movies should turn against me, here are a few wild cars that I feel might also be worth your time.

The Campaign (8/10)

I know what you’re thinking. Welcome to Mooseport did it better. You are also wondering why I, a guy who hasn’t liked a Will Ferrell movie since Blades of Glory would even suggest this. To be honest, I probably won’t see it in theaters, though it looks to be an intriguingly broad comedy. While the trailer convinces me that this will be nothing but cheap laughs, the idea that Ferrell is competing against Zach Galifianakis (polar opposites on the absurd spectrum) makes me think that there could be something here. Director Jay Roach’s recent output may not be that impressive, but he has done Meet the Parents and the first two Austin Powers movies are pretty good. This may not be the political satire that changes the world, but I am hoping that there are at least some laughs to retract from it.

Total Recall (8/3)

I am not big on science fiction, but I really enjoyed the original Total Recall starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. It featured the right balance of comedy, action, and sci-fi to make for a great movie. However, I have grown leery with each passing discovery of this new one. It looks sleek, but at the same time, it feels like it took out everything I loved. What is odd is that my biggest draw isn’t Colin Farrell, but my hope that Bryan Cranston can bring some joyful menace to the film. Also, at PG-13, it took out the casual swearing and sexuality that made the first one so good. I just hope it doesn’t feel watered down in the other places (though they messed with the Johnny Cabs). I doubt that this will be as great as the original, but maybe I am just missing a bigger picture.

Craigslist Joe (8/2)

A man named 357 Magnumm decides to rid of his possessions and live off of Craigslist. In truth, I didn’t know about this movie until casual conversation with Andrew. The title alone made me interested to see what it was about (and if it had any relation to the Ben Hoffman’s Craigslist venture). When I watched the trailer, I came away with similar feelings that I had to Kumare. Here is a guy doing an interesting premise that may say more about the human condition than any psychological study could. I am hoping that this manages to show the influence that the internet (notably Craigslist) can have. I am also a sucker for the bogus producer credits, which makes me curious to watch it just to see why Zach Galifianakis attached his name to this.

The Bourne Legacy (8/10)

Thanks to Matt, I have slowly worked my way through the Bourne series. This one doesn’t have Matt Damon running around, but Jeremy Renner. Since I think he’s a solid actor, I am not opposed to this decision. However, the trailer doesn’t quite sell me on the movie, though adding Ed Norton is always a nice touch. We will most likely be reviewing this for the show, so I’m seeing it anyways, though personally, the trailers don’t grab me enough to personally recommend it.

Robot and Frank (8/24)

Okay, Thom. You just said on the show that you didn’t care for robots. What’s the big deal? There’s a reason this is the last one on the list. It stars Frank Langella as an old man who befriends a robot. This doesn’t sound interesting until the second half of the trailer where he begins to feel alive by participating in heists with the robot. This movie sounds insane, though it will most likely be a simple tale of accepting old age in the vein of the Bucket List. However, if this movie is as intriguing as the second half of the trailer, this may be worth looking into.

There you have it. These are a few movies that I recommend you check out. What are your thoughts? Am I missing anything? Am I fooling myself by not putting the Expendables 2 on the list? I hope not. However, if you have any opinions on what movies I should check out, or if I am wrong about anything, feel free to write me and let’s get a dialogue going.

You can read Thom’s blog every Wednesday and hear him on Nerd’s Eye View every Tuesday and Thursday at nevpodcast.com. Send your thoughts to nevpodcast@gmail.com. You can also read Thom’s movie reviews for Cinema Beach at cinemabeach.com.