With all due deference to my colleague, Jon Adler, I remain a little disappointed at the list of upcoming summer movies. My tastes are pretty eclectic, but I haven't seen any trailers for anything I'm absolutely desperate to see over the summer. I'm willing to give the new X-Men prequel a go. And I still haven't seen Source Code or The Adjustment Bureau – so they'll probably be on my list for the summer. But does anyone have their own thoughts? In recent years, I have come to rely on this blog for good summer book and movie recommendations. (And speaking of books, I'm half way through the audio CD of Fluke by Christopher Moore. Very funny so far.)
Summer Movie (and Book) Recommendations
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My wife and I both gave "Source Code" a B+ and "The Adjustment Bureau" an A-. They are both really good sci-fi romance movies. Starting with this weekend, the following movies look interesting:
"Bridesmaids": Judd Apatow (as producer) and Paul Feig (as director) from "Freaks and Geeks" collaborate again, and it has gotten great reviews so far.
"Midnight in Paris": According to critics, it is one of Woody Allen's best in years. It is supposed to be a bit "Purple Rose of Cairo"-ish with some fantasy elements.
"The Tree of Life" Terrence Malick and dinosaurs? I'm there.
"X-Men: First Class": Matt Vaughn is an interesting director.
"Super 8": Always interesting to see an original science fiction film. J.J. Abrams channeling Spielberg could work out nicely.
"Captain America": I'm expecting director Joe Johnston to bring a "Rocketeer" vibe to the proceedings.
"Project Nim: Doc about a chimp raised like a human on the Upper West Side, from James Marsh, the director of the great "Man on Wire."
"Cowboys & Aliens": For the title alone.
"Rise of the Planet of the Apes": The director, Rupert Wyatt's last movie, "The Escapist," was really good.
"30 Minutes or Less": A twisted comedy from Ruben Fleisher, the director of the terrific "Zombieland."
"Fright Night": Could it be as good as the original?
"Apollo 18": Could be a sleeper hit.
"Our Idiot Brother": See "Cowboys and Aliens" above.
If you are in a city in which "Bill Cunningham New York" is playing, it's worth a go (documentary).
Thanks, Colin and Amy!
BTW, is it terrible for me to admit that I actually enjoyed Zombieland? I'm worried about losing any small amount of credibility I might have gained over the years…
There is a relatively new publisher (Europa Editions) that puts out paperbacks, many translated that represent some of the best books published in Europe that have not been published by other American publishing houses. I think it is a good place to look for books.
If you are looking for two with a legal angle, I recommend Jane Gardam's Old FILTH (short for failed in London, tried Hong Kong) and The Man in the Wooden Hat. Read them in that order. They tell the tale of a couple, the first from his side and the second from hers. Filth was a barrister who after stumbling in the UK made it big in Hong Kong where he meets his wife of 50 years. Seeing a romance from the side of the male and female is interesting.
Another author I would recommend from Europa is Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt. The Most Beautiful Book in the World is a great collection of short stories. I just bought The Woman with the Bouquet and have on order Concerto to the Memory of an Angel. He is that good that I bought one and ordered another for summer reading.
I am currently reading (ok, listening to on iTunes) Rob Lowe's new book "Stories I Only Tell My Friends" – given that he's good looking and his looks have held up over time, & thus I hate him, I didn't want to like this book. But it is really amazing – he is a master story teller. Perhaps he has a ghost writer, but in any event the final product is very entertaining. Particularly interesting so far are a very moving account of JFK Jr.s passing, stories of growing up in Malibu, and his insider account of "The Outsiders".
The Bridesmaids was hilarious; I really enjoyed it.