Monthly Movie Preview – August 2010 Well, those lazy hazy days of summer are coming to an end. After a lackluster blockbuster season (with a few hits, like Inception, of course) it's time for studios to make a last ditch effort to earn some serious bank. Sadly, even though it's clearly yet another ploy for more money, August is filled with some sincere efforts such as Ryan Murphy's much-anticipated adaptation of Eat Pray Love, even if it will be overshadowed by the indie/geek-fest that is Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World. Still, let's be real about this. August is the month where all the crap that was overshadowed by bigger budgets or holiday weekends gets dumped. Think of it as the island for misfit toys of the movie world. But that doesn't mean there's no fun to be had with the month. Take a look at some of the more outlandish efforts of Hollywood that have all found their way to August.
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August 6
Movie of the Week
The Other Guys
The Stars: Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg, Samuel L. Jackson, Dwayne Johnson, Eva Mendes The Plot: Two misfit cops (Ferrell and Wahlberg) set out to prove themselves after they git tired of looking bad next to the precinct's action duo (Jackson and Johnson). The Buzz: I'm not a huge Ferrell fan, but I always enjoy a buddy-cop movie. Sure, this movie has a helluva lot to live up to after 2007's Hot Fuzz but there's hope for this one. The trailers haven't done much for me so far, but McKay's track record deserves at least the benefit of the doubt. Truth be told, I'm more excited about the pairing of Samuel L. Jackson and Dwayne "I refuse to call him anything but The Rock" Johnson, but most of the folks in here can hold their own in comedy.
The Others:
Step Up 3D - Rick Malambri, Sharni Vinson, Adam G. Sevani
August 13
Movie of the Week
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
The Stars: Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Anna Kendrick, Chris Evans, Mae Whitman The Plot: A smitten geek (Cera) meets the girl of his dreams (Winstead). The only thing standing between his and her matching towels? He must first defeat her seven evil exes before they can be together. The Buzz: This was the indie darling of Comic-Con this past year. The indie credibility of Cera alone is enough to make hipsters wet themselves, but paired with Shaun of the Dead director, Edgar Wright and it's a dream come true. The underground graphic novel has a lot of people hopeful and from the looks of the trailers, all their waiting will soon pay off.
The Others:
Eat Pray Love - Julia Roberts, Javier Bardem, James Franco The Expendables - Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham Jet Li
August 20
Movie of the Week
Piranha 3D
The Stars: Elisabeth Shue, Richard Dreyfuss, Ving Rhames, Adam Scott, Jerry O'Connell The Plot: An underwater tremor sets free a band of flesh-eating fish. A group of people must band together if they're to survive what would easily be the worst spring break ever. The Buzz: I can't believe that a 3D movie would ever end up as my movie of the week, but this one has schlock written all over it. Director Alexandre Aja has brought plenty of gore to the screen before with his American remake of yet another Asian horror film, Mirrors. Mirrors was too preposterous and took itself too seriously to be truly enjoyable, but there's no chance of it happening with this one. Plus, after I'm all excited to see Elisabeth Shue in movies again.
The Others:
Lottery Ticket - Bow Wow, Ice Cube Loretta Devine Nanny McPhee Returns - Emma Thompson, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Ewan McGregor The Switch - Jennifer Aniston, Jason Bateman, Patrick Wilson Vampires Suck - Jenn Proske, Ken Jeong, Arielle Kebbel
August 27
Movie of the Week
Going the Distance
The Stars: Drew Barrymore, Justing Long, Christina Applegate, Charlie Day, Jason Sudeikis The Plot: A couple (Barrymore and Long) fall in love, but their relationship is complicated when one is forced to move away. Now the two are forced to see if they can make a long distance relationship work. The Buzz: I'm not a rom com fan. Usually, there isn't too much to warrant the "com" of the genre. They're typically over bloated and sappy. There's nothing to say that this movie will do anything differently, but taking a look at the cast, there are some legitimately funny folks involved. I'm holding out more for the supporting cast than Barrymore and Long, but it could surprise me.
The Others:
Takers - Paul Walker, Chris Brown, T.I. The Last Exorcism - Patrick Fabian, Ashley Bell, Louis Herthum