May/June Movie Preview

Well the summer blockbusters look pretty weak this year, although it could improve if a couple of them which are iffy actually pan out. Also included are some counter-programming movies. This is everything I've found that looks vaguely interesting.

May 5th:
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Mission Impossible 3

Action Movie. Part Three. Starring Mr. Psycho. I will not be seeing it as I have a boycott on him.

Art School Confidential

New Terry Zwigoff (Ghost World) movie. I will probably see it, hopefully the movie is better than what is shown the trailer though.

Lady Vengeance

Directed by Chan-wook Park (Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance). Looks to be some kind of follow-up to the previous movie, which was excellent. I'm not sure when this is going to be released in San Francisco, later than the 5th I believe, but I will probably see it when it comes out.

May 12th:
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Poseidon

Remake of 1972's The Poseidon Adventure. Going to be a load of garbage I suspect, the blockbuster failure of the summer. I highly doubt I will see it.

May 19th:
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The Da Vinci Code

Adaptation of the famous novel. Tom Hanks is such a miscast for the part but I'll probably see it anyway because Audrey Tautou is in it. I'm not sure if it will actually be any good. I've heard that the producers hired consultants to dumb down the plot so that it is more accessible to the general viewing audience. This is kind of scary because I didn't think the book was very complicated in the first place.

May 26th:
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X-Men: The Last Stand

Third movie in the series. I hated the first one and liked the second so I'm not sure if I will see it. The fact that they got a different director is a little worrisome. I'll probably see how the reviews look.

June 9th:
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A Prairie Home Companion

Robert Altman! I'm so there. Cast includes Woody Harrelson, Tommy Lee Jones, Kevin Kline, Lindsay Lohan (eek?), Virginia Madsen, John C. Reilly, Maya Rudolph, Meryl Streep, Lily Tomlin

Plot Outline: A look at what goes on backstage during the last broadcast of America's most celebrated radio show, where singing cowboys Dusty and Lefty, a country music siren (Streep), and a host of others hold court.

June 23rd:
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Volver

The latest movie directed by Pedro Almodóvar (All About My Mother, Talk to Her). With Penelope Cruz, who is actually good when she's not in American movies.

Plot Outline: After her death, a mother returns to her home town in order to fix the situations should couldn't resolve during her life. Of her family left in the town, her ghost slowly becomes a comfort to her daughters, as well as her grandchild.

June 30th:
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The Devil Wears Prada

Comedy/Drama with Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, and Stanley Tucci. Looks potentially interesting.

Plot Outline: A young woman scores a job working for one of New York City's biggest magazine editors, Miranda Priestly (Streep).

Superman Returns

A new movie version of the comic book. Will it be more like Batman Begins or Fantastic Four? I'll wait and see what people say... but if its more like the former and less like the latter I will see it.

Strangers With Candy

Movie version of the comedy central tv series. With Amy Sedaris, Stephen Colbert, and cameos by many famous people. May be good.