10 – The Human
Race (June 13)
Director: Paul
Hough
Writer: Paul
Hough
Actors: Paul
McCarthy-Boyington, Eddie McGee, Trista Robinson, T. Arthur Cottam, Fred Coury,
Richard Gale
Genre: Sci-Fi,
Thriller
Rated: PG-13
This movie pits 80 strangers, from all walks of life,
against each other in a race. There is supposed to be only a single survivor, a
“winner.”
I was honestly surprised to see that this movie was given a
PG-13. The violence factor, from the preview, seems too high for that rating. The
trailer makes me feel like The Human Race
is going to have a very Battle Royale
feeling.
I expect a bloody, gore-filled, psychologically violent
story. Just up my alley!
It’s Paul Hough’s first attempt at a full-length fiction
movie. I’m looking forward to seeing how he does.
9 – Begin Again (June
27)
Director: John
Carney
Writer: John
Carney
Actors: Keira Knightley,
Mark Ruffalo, Hailee Steinfeld, Adam Levine, Catherine Keener, Cee Lo Green
Genre: Romance
Rated: R
This movie follows Gretta, a woman who follows her boyfriend
to NY as he launches his music career and Dan, a disgraced record-label
executive. They find each other after their personal down-falls and help pick
each other up.
I know. It’s not my usual kind of movie. I lean more towards
the thrillers, horrors, sci-fi’s and family films. This won’t be the last “out
of character” movie you see on this list, but this one is easiest to explain.
Look at that cast! Keira Knightley (Anna Karenina, Neverland), Mark Ruffalo (The Avengers, Now You See Me),
Hailee Steinfeld (Ender’s Game, Hateship
Loveship), and Adam Levine (Maroon 5, American
Horror Story). Seriously, I think this is one of the best casts I’ve seen,
outside of a Marvel movie, in a long time.
If I were to forget the actors altogether, there would still
be the fact that this movie had a huge amount of success at the film festivals.
Unfortunately, the release on June 27 is only for NY. It
will open for the rest of the US on July 4.
8 – Transformers:
Age of Extinction (June 27)
Director: Michael
Bay
Writer: Ehren
Kruger
Actors: Mark
Wahlberg, Jack Reynor, Nicola Peltz, Stanley Tucci, Kelsey Grammer, Sophia
Myles, Li Bingbing, T.J. Miller, Han Geng, Titus Welliver, Peter Cullen, Frank
Welker, John Goodman, Ken Watanabe, John DiMaggio, Mark Ryan, Robert Foxworth,
Reno Wilson
Genre: Action,
Adventure, Sci-Fi
Rated: Unrated
This movie features the Transformers, with Dinobots.
The last couple of Transformer movies were bashed by critics
and audience alike. None-the-less, the franchise remains a cash-cow. Why?
Because it doesn’t matter what you thought of the last movie in the series. It’s
visually attractive and either nostalgic for the older crowd or simply awesome
for the younger crowd.
Personally, I didn’t hate any of the movies that have so far
been in the series. Michael Bay isn’t my favorite director in the whole world,
but I don’t think he’s done any fatal damage. I’m actually really looking
forward to seeing how Mark Wahlberg does.
Something is odd, though. Transformers: Age of Extinction is a mainstream movie. It’s
incredibly weird for it to not yet be rated, considering it comes out in as
little as a month from now. I didn’t actually believe it at first and did extra
research on it.
All my sources seem to be split. Some sites say that it’s
going to be PG-13, like the others, which is what I expected. Other sites,
however, say that it’s going to be rated R.
I’m not sure how I feel about a Transformers movie that’s
rated R. Half the target audience are from the younger generations. If that’s
the direction the movie took, however, I think it’s brilliant. Minors are still
going to want to see the movie, but they’ll have to bring their parents. More
ticket sales.
I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again. At its core, movie
making is a business.
7 – All
Cheerleaders Die (June 13)
Director: Lucky
McKee, Chris Sivertson
Writer: Lucky
McKee, Chris Sivertson
Actors: Caitlin
Stasey, Sianoa Smit-McPhee, Brooke Butler, Amanda Grace Cooper, Reanin
Johannink, Tom Williamson
Genre: Comedy,
Horror, Thriller
Rated: R
In All Cheerleaders
Die, Maddy is shown as an outcast with dark secrets and some severe issues
with the football quarterback. She enlists the aid of the cheerleaders until an
accident forces circumstances to change.
When I first saw the title I thought it was going to be one
of those horrible B-movies that sitcoms always mention but that don’t really
exist. Like Bikini Cheerleader Death Camp
or Cheerleader Murder Night 3 or
something. The trailer fixed my perception really quickly.
This movie looks like The
Craft in some ways. It seems to have that same high-school, supernatural,
witchy feel. Since I really enjoyed The Craft,
I think this is a movie that’s going to be right up my alley.
I don’t expect it to be the best movie I’ve ever seen, but I
think it’ll be interesting at least.
6 – Anna (June 6)
Director: Jorge
Dorado
Writer: Guy
Holmes, Martha Holmes
Actors: Mark
Strong, Taissa Farminga, Brian Cox
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Rated: R
John Washington is shown as someone who can go into other
people’s memories in order to find the truth about their crimes. Anna has been
accused of a triple murder and it becomes John’s job to dig into the truth of
the mysteries surrounding that case.
On the surface, Anna
doesn’t seem to be all that spectacular. It looks like your normal everyday random
horror movie; interchangeable with every other movie coming out in its genre.
Why then is it so high on my list?
The first reason is Taissa Farminga (American Horror Story, The Bling Ring). In the past years I’ve come
to truly appreciate her acting abilities. I’m a big fan of American Horror Story and she has yet to disappoint in it.
Even without Farminga, the story actually appeals to me. I’ve
seen other movies with the same general plot and it always intrigues me, but
the movies themselves are usually too slow for me to really get into it. Like I
do with all the rest, I’m hoping this will be the film that finally gives this
idea the respect it deserves.
5 – The Rover (June
13)
Director: David
Michod
Writer: David
Michod, Joel Edgerton
Actors: Guy
Pearce, Robert Pattinson, Scoot McNairy, Susan Prior, Gillian Jones, Anthony
Hayes, David Field
Genre: Thriller
Rated: R
This film is meant to follow up Animal Kingdom, by the same director. It follows Eric as he travels
through a post-apocalyptic world. When he finds Rey, they track down the
thieves that stole Eric’s car.
Personally, my favorite apocalyptic theme involves zombies,
but I’m pretty much a fan of all of them. The post-apocalyptic world in The Rover is set in a place that’s had
to deal with a complete collapse of society due to economic failure. Many would
argue that it’s a much more believable brand of apocalypse than the living
dead.
I’ve decided not to hold Robert Pattinson (The Twilight Saga, Cosmopolis) against
this film. I hate him as an actor, and yes, I’ve seen him in stuff other than Twilight. In the end, the story is just
too good for one actor to make me second guess the movie.
4 – Lullaby (June
13)
Director: Andrew
Levitas
Writer: Andrew
Levitas
Actors: Garrett
Hedlund, Richard Jenkins, Amy Adams, Jessica Brown Findlay, Anne Archer, Terrence
Howard, Jennifer Hudson, Jessica Barden
Genre: Drama
Rated: R
Lullaby follows
Jonathan as he learns about his father’s sickness. After he becomes estranged
from his family, he learns that his father intends to take himself off life
support leading to family drama and arguments based on patient rights.
Drama isn’t my go-to, but this plot seems extra interesting.
I’ve always been fascinated by the debate on how far patient rights go. My own
opinion on the subject rests on the fence, but I love to consider both sides of
the issue.
Moral interest is only part of it. I also enjoy Garrett
Hedlund (Inside Llewyn Davis, TRON:
Legacy) and Amy Adams (American
Hustle, Man of Steel) and look forward to seeing them on screen together.
3 – Snowpiercer (June
27)
Director: Bong
Joon-ho
Writer: Bong
Joon-ho, Kelly Masterson, Jacques Lob, Benjamin Legrand, Jean-Marc Rochette
Actors: Chris
Evans, Song Kangho, Tilda Swinton, Jamie Bell, Octavia Spencer, Ewen Brewmner,
Alison Pill, John Hurt, Ed Harris
Genre: Sci-Fi,
Thriller
Rated: R
The world has entered a new ice age. Humanity only survives
because they inhabit a supertrain. The caste system is extreme and the low and
high classes are at constant odds.
This film did ridiculously well in the festivals. I’m not
surprised. Bong Joon-ho (Mother, The Host)
is an insanely talented director and pairing him up with actors like Chris
Evans (Captain America: The Winter
Soldier, The Avengers) and John Hurt (Doctor
Who, Merlin) is almost unfair to
the other movies coming out in June.
The story line is incredible, too. It’s like The 100 meets The Hunger Games, both works that I enjoy. I’ve been looking
forward to this movie for months and I’ll be seeing it the moment it hits
theaters.
2 – The Fault in
Our Stars (June 6)
Director: Josh
Boone
Writer: Scott
Neustadter, Michael H. Weber, John Green
Actors: Shailene
Woodley, Ansel Elgort, Willem Dafoe, Nat Wolff, Laura Dern, Sam Trammell, Mike
Birbiglia, Emily Peachey
Genre: Drama
Rated: PG-13
Hazel and Gus meet and fall in love over the backdrop of a
story line that revolves around cancer, coping and survival.
This movie is based on a book. Not just any book, but one with
very high reviews and an extremely loyal following. I admit, I haven’t yet read
it, but the trailer was so well done that it made me want to not only watch the
movie, but pick up the book as well.
If the movie does the written story any honor, I have no
doubt that The Fault in Our Stars
will have a huge amount of viewer support.
1 – How to Train
Your Dragon 2 (June 13)
Director: Dean
DeBlois
Writer: Dean
DeBlois, Cressida Cowell
Actors: Jay
Baruchel, Gerard Butler, Kit Harington, Cate Blanchett, Djimon Honsou, Craig
Ferguson, America Ferrera, Jonah Hill, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, T.J. Miller,
Kristen Wiig
Genre: Action,
Adventure, Animation, Fantasy
Rated: PG
Hiccup is back in this sequel with his dragon, Toothless. The
trailers shows us that he gets to meet his mother and that a new enemy awaits.
I LOVED the first one. I could seriously just watch that
movie over and over again until my eyes dry up. It’s one of the cutest movies
that have ever been made. It’s geared toward kids, but I don’t know a single
adult that was bored watching it.
If I hadn’t seen the first one, though, I’d still be excited
to watch the sequel.
I’ve seen something with this movie that I’ve never seen
before. It did so well in the festivals that it has an actual 100% score from
the critics on rottentomatoes.com. What movie gets a 100% score like that? Do
you know what that means? That means that not a single one of those critics who
have a stick up their ass about every little thing had any issue at all with How to Train Your Dragon 2.
We all know that I put as much faith into negative critic
feedback as I do into the belief that the world is flat, but positive feedback
is different. People want to read negative stories. Now that I’m in journalism,
I can speak from experience. My positive stories don’t make nearly as much
money as the disaster stuff. Even on this blog, I get more views for the movies
I hate than the ones I love.
That means that every single critic that saw this film,
decided a positive review was more important than money. Maybe I’m cynical, but
I don’t think that happens very often at all. As far as I’m concerned, How to Train Your Dragon 2 might well be
a miracle.
