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By Susan Dunne, The Hartford Courant, Conn.
Apr. 26--American pop culture decided a long time ago what a stereotypical "Star Trek" fan was: a socially maladjusted 30- or 40-something male who haunted conventions wearing pointy ears, spoke fluent Vulcan, collected action figures and went to parties attended by dozens of guys just like himself, but no women. William Shatner poked fun at his fans on a hilarious skit on "Saturday Night Live." A movie, "Galaxy Quest," parodied the fanboy culture, and a documentary, "Trekkies," poked loving but nonetheless sharp fun at them.
J.J. Abrams is upsetting the paradigm this summer. The overlords of the timeworn "Star Trek" franchise hired the "Mission Impossible III" director to go after a hipper, millennial audience with the new "Star Trek." Abrams chose a hot young cast to portray the fledgling versions of the crew of the Starship Enterprise, and to tell the background story of how our beloved space pilots came to be.
Handsome Shatner look-alike Chris Pine, 28, is Kirk. Exotic-looking Zachary Quinto is Spock. Karl Urban is Dr. McCoy. Goofy Simon Pegg is Scotty. "Harold and Kumar" pothead star John Cho is Sulu. Anton Yelchin is Chekov. Zoe Saldana is Uhura. The first trailer, released online months ago, is full of action, 'tude, jokes, majestic music and a disrobing young hottie.
"Star Trek" is bound to be the monster hit of the summer. No other film has its instant brand recognition and, more important, its youth appeal, unless you count the über-youth appeal of " Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince." " Angels & Demons," the sequel to "The Da Vinci Code," probably will do well, too, but Tom Hanks is 52. The traditional key to success in the summer is youth, youth, youth.
(Paramount Pictures is so sure of the success of "Star Trek" that the studio green lit a sequel last month.)
Quentin Tarantino has a new movie coming out, too, "Inglourious Basterds." That'll score high on the hipster scale, as will Sacha Baron Cohen's "Brüno."
The following is a partial list of upcoming films and their release dates in May through August. Each weekend's big-budget "tent pole" film will stay where it is. Other, smaller films may be rescheduled, and some will be deleted. Ratings are listed for films that already have one.
May 1
--Battle for Terra -- In this animated story, citizens of a distant planet rebel when they find out that Earthlings plan to take over, because Earth is no longer habitable. Aristomenis Tsirbas directs a voice cast that includes Evan Rachel Wood, Brian Cox and Dennis Quaid. PG.
--Ghosts of Girlfriends Past -- Matthew McConaughey is haunted by all the women he has dated while he attends his brother's wedding. The ladies include Jennifer Garner, Lacey Chabert, Emma Stone, Christina Milian and Amanda Walsh. Mark Waters directs. PG-13.
--X-Men Origins: Wolverine -- Gavin Hood, who won an Oscar adapting an Athol Fugard novel ("Tsotsi"), now is adapting Marvel Comics' spinoffs into films that probably won't win anything. From a Hollywood (translated: purely commercial) standpoint, this is a smart move. Hugh Jackman stars in this back story of the X-Man. PG-13.
May 7 --Star Trek -- In addition to those stars mentioned above, the ever-popular Tyler Perry gets to play the president of the Starfleet Academy, and the older generation is represented by Ben Cross, Winona Ryder, Bruce Greenwood and (live long and prosper!) Leonard Nimoy. Conventional theaters and IMAX. PG-13.
May 8 --Next Day Air -- UPS delivers a package of illicit drugs to the wrong address. This really happened in Texas in January, and the recipient called the cops right away. In the movie world, nobody is ever that smart, so all sorts of comic mayhem ensues. Benny Boom's movie stars Donald Faison, Mos Def and Mike Epps. R.
May 15 --Angels & Demons -- Ron Howard's sequel to "The Da Vinci Code" has Tom Hanks trying to protect the Vatican against a terrorist act. The international cast includes Israeli Ayelet Zurer, Scotsman Ewan McGregor, Swede Stellan Skarsgård, German Armin Mueller Stahl, Russian Elya Baskin, Dane Nikolaj Lie Kaas and Italian Cosimo Fusco. PG-13.
May 21 --Terminator Salvation -- Christian Bale stars in this latest installment in the "Terminator" franchise, as he does battle with a homicidal army. McG's film also stars Anton Yelchin of "Star Trek," Bryce Dallas Howard and Helena Bonham Carter.
May 22 --Dance Flick -- Pushed back from winter release, this "Save the Last Dance" knockoff is directed by Damien Wayans and stars a lot of Wayanses. PG-13.
--Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian -- The Smithsonian wants to glom onto some of that sleepover party money that the Museum of Natural History has raked in since "Night at the Museum" came out. Ben Stiller is back as the security guard, Robin Williams is back as Teddy Roosevelt, Owen Wilson returns as Jedediah. Amy Adams is Amelia Earhart, Eugene Levy is Albert Einstein and Jonah Hill is a fellow security guard. Conventional theaters and IMAX. PG.
May 29 --Drag Me to Hell -- The coolest title of the summer is on a movie made by a maestro of cool, Sam Raimi. It is one of the first recession-themed movies of 2009. Alison Lohman stars as a bank officer going to evict an old woman who has defaulted on her mortgage. En route, Lohman becomes possessed by an evil spirit. It also stars Justin Long and David Paymer. PG-13.
--Up -- Any Pixar movie is a cause for celebration, but this one is in 3-D, a first for the studio. It's about a man who ties a bunch of balloons to his house, and floats off to see the world. He doesn't realize he has taken on a stowaway. Peter Docter and Bob Peterson direct.
June 5 --Away We Go -- Sam Mendes directed this movie in New Haven, Thomaston, Wilton and Woodbury. It's about a couple expecting a baby who travel around looking for the perfect place to settle down. Written by Dave Eggers and Vendela Vida. It stars John Krasinski and Maggie Gyllenhaal. R.
--The Hangover -- Justin Bartha, Bradley Cooper, Jeffrey Tambor and Heather Graham star in this story about some groomsmen who lose the groom on a boozy trip to Las Vegas. Todd Phillips directs. R.
--Land of the Lost -- Will Ferrell stars in this film version of the old TV show, in which people stumble upon a land filled with dinosaurs, and also with people called Sleestaks, who are dangerous. Brad Silberling directs.
--My Life in Ruins -- Call it "My Big Fat Greek Vacation." Nia Vardalos plays a guide leading tours in Greece, who finds romance. Donald Petrie's comedy also stars Richard Dreyfuss and Rachel Dratch. The screenplay is by Bristol native Mike Reiss. PG-13.
June 11 Tetro -- Francis Ford Coppola directs a story about artistic ambitions among an Italian immigrant family in Argentina. It stars Carmen Maura, Maribel Verdu, Vincent Gallo and Klaus Maria Brandauer.
June 12 --Imagine That -- Eddie Murphy stars in another recession-themed movie. He plays a financial-world big shot whose career is going down the tubes, so he retreats into a fictional world in his daughter's imagination. Karey Kirkpatrick directs.
--The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 -- Tony Scott directs this remake of the 1974 thriller about a hijacked New York subway train, which will take on a new interesting dimension in a post- 9/11 world. Denzel Washington, John Travolta, John Turturro, James Gandolfini and Luis Guzman star.
June 19 --The Proposal -- A woman with a good job in the United States doesn't want to be deported back to Canada, so she looks for an American man to marry her. Who'd a thunk it: people wanting to stay in America for economic reasons. Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds star, along with Mary Steenburgen, Craig T. Nelson and the eternal Betty White. Anne Fletcher directs.
--Year One -- Harold Ramis directs a comedy about two cavemen ostracized by their tribe, who set out and have adventures of their own. Jack Black is perfectly cast as Zed, along with his cave-chum Michael Cera's Oh.
June 24 --Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen -- Michael Bay directs a sequel to the 2007 toy-based thriller, whose plot is incomprehensible to non-fans, and needs no explaining to fans. Megan Fox, Shia LaBeouf and Josh Duhamel star. Conventional theaters and IMAX.
June 26 --My Sister's Keeper -- Nick Cassavetes directs an adaptation of a novel by Jodi Picoult, about a teenage girl who was conceived solely to provide bone marrow for her leukemia-plagued sister, and who starts to rebel against her limited life. Cameron Diaz, Alec Baldwin and Abigail Breslin star.
July 1 --Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs -- Carlos Saldanha directs another installment in the animated prehistoric-animal comedy franchise, with Manny, Diego, Sid and that scrappy little Scrat.
--Public Enemies -- Johnny Depp is John Dillinger, Channing Tatum is "Pretty Boy" Floyd, Giovanni Ribisi is Alvin "Creepy" Karpis and Stephen Graham is "Baby Face" Nelson in Michael Mann's story about feds in the '30s going gunning for the big criminals.
July 10 --Brüno -- Sacha Baron Cohen plays an Australian fashionista traveling in America, in his latest movie that catches innocent people unaware. Former reality show regular Trishelle Cannatella also stars.
--I Love You Beth Cooper -- Chris Columbus directs Hayden Panetierre as the prettiest girl in a high school. After the dorky valedictorian declares his love in his speech, she decides to reward him with a wild night.
July 17 --(500) Days of Summer -- Now there's a title to strike terror into the hearts of parents everywhere. But it's not about kids. Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt star in a story about a woman who doesn't believe in love, until it happens to her. Marc Webb directs.
--Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince -- The sixth installment in the boy wizard saga inspired by the novels of J.K. Rowling. Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson learn more than they ever thought they wanted to know about Lord Voldemort. David Yates directs. Conventional theaters and IMAX.
July 24 --All Good Things -- A great cast -- Frank Langella, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Ryan Gosling, Kirsten Dunst and East Hartford native Diane Venora -- star in this story about a detective looking for a missing person. It was filmed in Bridgeport, Waterbury, Stratford and Shelton. Andrew Jarecki directs.
--G-Force -- We promise, this is the only guinea pigs-vs.-billionaires movie you'll see this year. It's the story about an elite unit of rodents assigned to search and destroy an evil mogul. Doing the voices in Hoyt Yeatman's film are Nicolas Cage, Penelope Cruz, Steve Buscemi, Bill Nighy and Will Arnett.
--Orphan -- Vera Farmiga and Peter Sarsgaard play a couple who adopt a little girl after losing their own baby, only to discover disturbing things about their new child. Jaume Collet-Serra directs.
--The Ugly Truth -- This was shoved back from winter release. Katherine Heigl and Gerard Butler star in a romantic comedy about a cynical woman and a Lothario out to get her. Robert Luketic directs.
July 31 --Funny People -- Adam Sandler plays a comedian who is dying. He decides to take a young comic under his wing and teach him all he knows. Raunch king Judd Apatow writes and directs this surprisingly poignant premise. It also stars Seth Rogen and Eric Bana and, as themselves, Sarah Silverman, Andy Dick and Norm McDonald.
--They Came From Upstairs -- Is this a real story, or a figment of the characters' imaginations? Does it matter? Ashley Tisdale stars in a story about a bunch of kids who find aliens have invaded their vacation house, and they have to save their parents, and the world. It also stars Doris Roberts, Kevin Nealon and Andy Richter. John Schultz directs.
Aug. 7 --G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra -- This is another movie whose plot is incomprehensible to non-fans, and needs no explaining to fans. So let's not try. It's got a good cast, though: Dennis Quaid, Channing Tatum, Marlon Wayans, Sienna Miller, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Said Taghmaoui, Christopher Eccleston and, as the President of the United States, a British guy, Jonathan Pryce. Stephen Sommers directs.
--Julie & Julia -- Meryl Streep portrays Julia Child. 'Nuff said, we're there. Nora Ephron directs this adaptation of Child's memoir, "My Life in France." Stanley Tucci portrays Paul Child, and Amy Adams plays a woman who cooks every recipe in Child's cookbook. It also stars Jane Lynch, Mary Lynn Rajskub and Vanessa Ferlito. Leave it to a female director to make a film with lots of good roles for women.
--Shorts -- Robert Rodriguez directs a story about a magic rock that grants wishes, and the scheming that starts in a neighborhood when one boy finds it. It stars William H. Macy, James Spader, Kat Dennings and Jon Cryer.
When In Rome -- Kristen Bell stars in Mark Steven Johnson's romantic comedy about an American tourist in Rome who fishes some coins out of an enchanted fountain, causing a whole bunch of men to fall in love with her. It also stars Josh Duhamel, Danny De Vito, Anjelica Huston, Jon Heder, Dax Shepard and Will Arnett.
Aug. 14 --Bandslam -- West Hartford native Josh Cagan wrote the story for this film about a high school outcast, a high school dream girl and their bonding over their love of music. Vanessa Hudgens, Lisa Kudrow and Alyson Michalka star in Todd Graff's movie.
--District 9 -- Aliens land in Johannesburg and blend in with the population. Director Neill Blomkamp is from Johannesburg, and once made a short film with that premise.
--The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard -- Another one pushed back from winter release, it stars Jeremy Piven as a famous singer who is called into action-hero mode. Neal Brennan directs.
--The Perfect Getaway -- David Twohy directs this story about a couple vacationing in Hawaii when psychos are running around killing people. It stars Steve Zahn and Milla Jovovich.
--Post Grad -- Alexis Bledel stars in this story about a woman who graduates from college, moves back in with her parents and then tries to figure out what to do next. It also stars Carol Burnett, Michael Keaton and Jane Lynch. Vicky Jenson directs.
--The Time Traveler's Wife -- Robert Schwentke's adaptation of the novel by Audrey Niffenegger has Eric Bana's character traveling through time involuntarily, and having a passionate affair with Rachel McAdams's Clare. It also stars Ron Livingston, Stephen Tobolowsky and Arliss Howard. PG-13.
Aug. 21 --Inglourious Basterds -- This has the same title as a 1978 Bo Svenson movie, but it doesn't appear to be a remake, and I guess it remains to be seen what the misspellings mean. Quentin Tarantino directs a story of bravery and camaraderie among resistance fighters in Nazi-occupied France. It stars Brad Pitt, Maggie Cheung, Daniel Brühl, Diane Kruger, Cloris Leachman and, in the summer's weirdest casting, Mike Myers.
Aug. 28 --The Boat That Rocked -- Richard Curtis directs a comedy about a pirate radio station floating in the North Sea in the 60s. It stars Philip Seymour Hoffman, Bill Nighy, Emma Thompson, Rhys Ifans and Kenneth Branagh. R.
--Final Destination: Death Trip 3D -- Will we ever get to the final "Final Destination"? The producers seem determined to prevent this. David R. Ellis directs a story about Death, who gets vengeance against those who try to dodge him.
--H2 -- Rob Zombie, who remade " Halloween" in 2007, is now remaking "Halloween 2."
Watch TV on PC - 12,000 TV Channels and Movies
