Summer brings exciting movies


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Our daily paper may be ending as the school year comes to a close (don’t worry, we’ll still have weekly issues this summer), but that doesn’t mean you’ll be out of the loop. We’ve compiled the best summer films to watch out for in the coming months, blockbuster or otherwise.

Maggie, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Abigail Breslin, is about one father’s struggle to save his daughter as she falls victim to the zombie apocalypse. This film proves to be a change in tone for Schwarzenegger. It’s darker, grittier and just a bit more rooted in reality (we’re talking about the father-daughter aspect here, not the savage zombie plague). It’s also a nice change for Breslin, whose last zombie flick was Zombieland — not the most dramatic of releases. The film will be in theaters May 8.

Slow West, starring Michael Fassbender and Kodi Smit-McPhee, comes recommended from lifestyle editor Daniel Gryzwacz. If you’re in the mood for a western — and even if you’re not, because hey, westerns don’t come around that often anymore — Slow West is the flick to choose. Already coming in with a “Certified Fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes, Slow West comes out May 15.

Tomorrowland, written by Prometheus and World War Z scribe Damon Lindelof and directed by Brad Bird (The Incredibles, Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol), stars none other than George Clooney and Britt Robertson (that one girl from Under the Dome and Dan in Real Life). Tomorrowland’s inspiration came simply from the oddly named themed area included in Disney parks around the globe. Hopefully more than just a marketing gimmick, albeit a $190 million one, we’re expecting Tomorrowland to excite and explore new mythology that hopefully adds a bit more to the themed area than simply being inspired by the future. The film opens May 22.

San Andreas is your pick if you didn’t get quite enough of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in Furious 7 and you’re looking for some more fast action and cheap (yet expensive) thrills. It’s also perfect if you, like so many other SoCal residents, can’t stop obsessing about when The Big One will hit Los Angeles. San Andreas has taken Angelenos’ fears to the extreme and already shown the absolute devastation that could possibly hit when the trailer debuted last month. The movie hits theaters May 29.

Love & Mercy, in theaters June 5, stars John Cusack and Paul Dano in a dual role as the Beach Boys’s famed Bryan Wilson. The film is billed as more than just a biopic and features a strong supporting cast including Paul Giamatti and Elizabeth Banks. The dual casting provides a fresh change from normal biopic fare and creates a non-linear flashback storyline that promises to be interesting. Dano has already proved he has the chops for a dramatic and believable role, but it’s been a while since Cusack has gotten back on the horse of a successful film. Recommended for music and Beach Boys fans.

Me & Earl & the Dying Girl almost completely stars unknown actors, but that didn’t stop it from winning both the Jury Prize and Audience Award at Sundance this year. It centers on a group of high schoolers who embark on a filmmaking exercise as one of them battles leukemia — it’s already clear this film will be the tearjerker of the summer. Hopefully less campy than The Fault in Our Stars, Me & Earl & the Dying Girl opens June 12.

Dope was an indie festival darling this past season at Cannes and the subject of an intense bidding war from six production companies before finally being sold to Open Road Films. The story is billed as a “coming-of-age story for the post hip-hop generation” and features a mostly unknown cast, except for a few heavy hitters like A$AP Rocky and Tyga. Also in the cast are supermodel Chanel Iman and the kid from Grand Budapest Hotel, Tony Revolori. The film’s release date is June 19.

The Diary of a Teenage Girl, another indie festival star, features Kristin Wiig as a mother in 1970s San Francisco. But the movie isn’t about her — it’s about her daughter Minnie (Bel Powley), who embarks on a coming-of-age experience when she starts to date her mother’s boyfriend. The film is already getting acclaim for its frank discussions and depictions of underage sex, as well as its cartoon-like aspects (the film was based on a graphic novel). The film is also billed as a breakout for first-time director Marielle Heller, and will be in theaters Aug. 7.