Summer Films to Watch For
Five Buzzworthy Films That'll be Overshadowed by Summer Blockbusters
This summer is chock full of sure fire blockbusters – ‘Iron Man’, ‘Sex and the City’, ‘The Dark Knight’, ‘Hellboy II: the Golden Army’ and ‘Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull’ just to name a few. And even though a thrilling big budget movie on the big screen is a satisfying mainstay of summer nights, it’s still nice to enjoy something off the beaten path every once in awhile. Here are some buzzworthy films opening in limited release this summer to give you a break from all the dazzling special effects.
Savage Grace – now in limited release
‘Savage Grace’ based on a novel by the same name is the true life story of Barbara Daly Baekeland and her incestuous relationship with her son. It’s a tumultuous film populated by complicated relationships, murder and suicide. It’s certainly not lighthearted summer fare and is one of those films that are almost work to watch. But with Julianne Moore as your female lead in a strong, deep drama, you can’t go wrong.
Religulous – July 11
Bill Maher is rarely, if ever, pulls punches. ‘Religulous’, his documentary about organized religion around the world, directed by Larry Charles the man at the helm of ‘Borat’ is sure to spark controversy, criticism and praise. Despite the seemingly heavy, serious content, this doc is billed as a comedy. No doubt both negative and positive press about Bill Maher’s latest endeavor will spur many to head to the theater to see what all the fuss is about.
Lou Reed’s Berlin – July 17
2008 has already seen the release of ‘U2:3D’ and the wildly successful Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus film. But this summer, one of the few living rock n’ roll icons, Lou Reed, is on the big screen with his own concert film. Directed by the insanely talented Julian Schnabel who created a masterpiece last year with ‘the Diving Bell and the Butterfly’, ‘Berlin’ captures Lou Reed’s performance of his rock opus over thirty years after its original release.
Bottleshock – August 8
A movie about fate and wine, ‘Bottleshock’ will most likely draw comparisons to ‘Sideways’ though their stories are totally different. The film, set in 1976, tells the story of Jim Barrett (Bill Pullman) who is struggling to perfect his chardonnay recipe. He owns a vineyard in Napa Valley before everyone in the country knew Napa Valley was the place to be for wine. Alan Rickman costars as the owner of wine academy in France who decides to educate his students on California wine. ‘Bottleshock’ appears to have a promising, original story held together by strong, underappreciated actors. And being a comedy, who knows, it could be a sleeper hit late this summer.
Hamlet 2 – August 22
‘Hamlet 2’ probably has better odds of being the big sleeper hit of the summer. Steve Coogan plays a high school drama teacher who decides to pen a musical sequel to the Shakespearean drama. The Redband trailer is insanely funny as it includes a clip of the musical number, ‘Rock Me Sexy Jesus’. The concept itself is funny enough to give this film a try but with supporting actresses like Catherine Keener, Amy Poehler, and Elisabeth Shue, what’s not to love?
