Derrick's Insanely Comprehensive Summer 2010 Guide to Pop Culture

From a pop culture standpoint, I get pretty giddy this time of year.  After a meddling and uneven batch of spring flicks, the major studios start unleashing their A-list big-budget summer blockbusters.  Sure, I don't mind prestige films... but when summer comes, I just want to be entertained.  I just want to see stuff get blown up real good.  I want to see superheroes whiz across the screen.  I want to see funny slapstick comedies, the annual Pixar summer film, the highly anticipated sequels, and everything in between.  And if the studios have done their jobs right, you want to see all that stuff, too.

Which brings us to this little bit of blog-based fun you see here.  As an entertaining gesture, I've decided to kick off this summer's season of pop culture goodies by putting this informative post together.  This overview will split up into my two areas of pop culture expertise: movies and TV.  For the movies, I've put together a week-by-week rundown of what's coming out this summer, complete with hand-picked embedded trailers (courtesy of the folks at TrailerAddict.com).  Keep in mind that I am not endorsing every single movie that's hitting theaters this summer; that would be insane and downright stupid. I simply want to provide some information about the flicks that you'll be hearing about sooner or later (for better or worse).  For TV, I'm just going to focus on what I consider are some of the major boob-tube highlights of the summer - that is, the stuff I'm actually going to be watching.  (Trailers, TV spots, and other videos will be provided if available.)  So, let's get started!

In Theaters:
April 30:
A Nightmare on Elm Street (New Line, director: Samuel Bayer)



Technically, this isn't the first official summer movie release; that honor belongs to Iron Man 2.  However, since this is a pretty big horror tentpole, I've included this weekend in my movie listings.  This remake comes to us from horror-remake producer/Transformers guru Michael Bay, who's previously rehashed The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Friday the 13th.  For horror geeks, all eyes will be on Jackie Earle Haley (Rorschach in Watchmen), who takes on Robert Englund's iconic role of Freddy Kreuger.  Hopefully this turns out as good as the Friday the 13th remake... although those video-blogging scenes in the trailer scare me more than any of Freddy's appearances. ;-)

Furry Vengeance (Summit; director: Roger Kumble)



To be honest, how many family movies do you know of that have the word "Vengeance" in the title? Don't get too excited, though: this just looks like 90 minutes of Brendan Fraser getting tortured by ticked-off forest creatures (in the name of hilarity, of course).  Why? Because Fraser's company is going to destroy their forest! But hey, it's got Dr. Ken Jeong as the bad guy... and is that Brooke Shields as Fraser's wife?!?  And did they really hand this movie to the guy who directed Cruel Intentions?

May 7:
Iron Man 2 (Paramount; director: Jon Favreau)



Now this is officially when the summer movies start... and my oh my, what a way to kick things off.  In the two years since Iron Man's release, Robert Downey Jr.'s star power has skyrocketed... and the supporting cast they've assembled is impressive: Mickey Rourke (in his first post-Wrestler role) and Sam Rockwell as the bad guys, Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow, the returning Gwenyth Paltrow, Don Cheadle (substituting for a greedy Terrence Howard), a larger role for Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury, and (as Tony Stark's dad) John Slatter of Mad Men fame.  Plus, it's got the suitcase suit! (And yes, there's another big post-credits scene this time around...)

Babies (Focus; director: Thomas Balmes)



Yes, this is a real movie; the poster's been hanging at the Century here in town for months.  It apparently follows four babies from various parts of the globe.  At the very least, it has the wackiest MPAA ratings explanation since Alice in Wonderland: "Rated PG for cultural and maternal nudity throughout."

May 14:
Robin Hood (Universal; director: Ridley Scott)



This is the fourth consecutive time that Ridley Scott has used Russell Crowe in his movies (following A Good Year, American Gangster, and Body of Lies)... and that's in addition to 2000's Gladiator.  A part of me wonders if it's too soon for another Robin Hood movie; to an extent, we're still reeling from Prince of Thieves and Men in Tights.  But, I trust Ridley Scott, so I'm game for this revival.  Also with Cate Blanchett as Maid Marian, Matthew Macfayden as the Sheriff of Nottingham, William Hurt, and Mark Strong.

Letters to Juliet (Summit; director: Gary Winick)



Seriously, is Amanda Seyfried in absolutely everything these days? Think about it: Jennifer's Body, Dear John, Chloe, Big Love, and now this.  The concept seems a bit hokey (the titular "Juliet" refers to Shakespeare's famous character), but seems like serviceable summer counterprogramming.  With Vanessa Redgrave and Christopher Egan (whom you might remember from last year's NBC series Kings).

Just Wright (Fox, director: Sanaa Hamri)



Again, this seems like summertime counterprogramming on the studios' part. This has Queen Latifah as a physical therapist looking for love... and finds it in the b-ball player she's rehabilitating (Common).

May 21:
Shrek Forever After (DreamWorks; director: Mike Mitchell)



So, apparently, this is the final installment in Dreamworks' biggest animation franchise ...and based on the tired "deal with the devil" plot, I think the series should wrap up.  A part of me wants to doubt this will be the end, but I guess we'll see, depending on the box office intake (which will get a boost from this movie's 3D showings).  Besides, fat Puss in Boots really cracks me up in the trailers... seriously!

MacGruber (Rogue; director: Jorma Taccome)



We haven't been privy to a Saturday Night Live-based movie since that run in the late 1990s (A Night at the Roxbury; Superstar; The Ladies Man)... and let's face it, none of the SNL movies since Wayne's World have been memorable.  I'm going to be optimistic this time around: director/co-writer Jorma Taccome is one of the members of The Lonely Island, who's responsible for SNL's digital shorts, and the casting is pretty solid, anchored by Val Kilmer (!!!) as the villian.

May 27 (Special Thursday Opening!):
Sex and the City 2 (New Line; director: Michael Patrick King)



2008's Sex and the City movie was a smash success at the box office, far exceeding Hollywood's expectations.  So, just two years later, the sequel is here... and while I've never watched the show (and therefore won't be hitting this movie up), the whole "Let's go to Abu Dhabi!" theme caught me as a big surprise. So, if you want to see Sarah Jessica Parker riding a camel in the desert, here you go!

May 28:
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (Disney; director: Mike Newell)



One of Disney and Jerry Bruckheimer's big goals this summer is to try and start up another live-action movie franchise that's as successful as their Pirates of the Caribbean series (speaking of which: Pirates 4 is due next summer).  So, here's their first attempt: an adaptation of the classic video game, starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Ben Kingsley, Gemma Arterton, and Jake Gyllenhaal's hair.  In the director's chair: Mike Newell, of Donnie Brasco and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire fame.

June 4:
Get Him to the Greek (Universal; director: Nicholas Stoller)



One of this summer's most out-of-left-field movies is this: a spin-off of 2008's Forgetting Sarah Marshall, which was only mildly successful at the box office (but is a movie that I, and many others, still cherish).  This flick revolves around Russell Brand's rock-star character Aldous Snow, as he and a record company intern (Jonah Hill, who is not reprising his Sarah Marshall character) trek from London to L.A. for an anniversary concert.  The supporting cast looks good, too: Elisabeth Moss (Peggy from Mad Men), Aziz Ansari, and Puff Daddy himself, Sean Combs.


Killers (Lionsgate; director: Robert Luketic)



Well, now that Katherine Heigl has left Grey's Anatomy for good, she and her mother/manager really, really need her movie career to take off.  This particular movie doesn't seem to get things off to a good start: it's a watered-down action/comedy/romance with Ashton Kutcher playing Heigl's husband-who's-really-an-assassin... and Heigl doesn't know it! Hi-larious! (The comparisons to Knight & Day certainly won't help out here.)  And hey, look, it's Tom Selleck!

Marmaduke (Fox; director: Tom Dey)



When I first saw this trailer about a month ago, I said to myself, "This looks like the crappiest movie of the summer."  Look at the signs: Owen Wilson as the voice of the talking dog Marmaduke; an assist from George Lopez; Lee Pace of Pushing Daisies fame looking embarrassed; and William H. Macy getting pummeled in the nuts... TWICE.  And then there's that horrible CGI animal dancing sequence at the very end... yeeeesh.  Don't say I didn't warn you!

Splice (Warner; director: Vincenzo Natali)
 

A creepy-looking little summer horror movie, courtesy of Joel Silver and his Dark Castle team (who gave us last summer's awesome horror flick Orphan).  A team of scientists, including Adrien Brody and Sarah Polley, genetically engineer themselves a part-human, part-animal creature... and stuff soon starts to hit the fan!

June 11:
The A-Team (Fox, director: Joe Carnahan)



This looks like some good old summer popcorn fare: an updating of the 1980s action series, starring Liam Neeson, Bradley Cooper, Sharlto Copley (the star of District 9) and Quinton "Rampage" Jackson (as B.A. Barracus) as the titular team, and with Jessica Biel in a supporting role.  From director Joe Carnahan (of Smokin' Aces fame).


The Karate Kid (Sony; director: Harald Zwart)
 

When your dad is Will Smith, you can get your own star-making vehicle pretty easily... or so I guess. So it is for Jaden Smith, who steps into Ralph Macchio's rather large shoes in this remake of the 1980s franchise.  Stepping into the Mr. Miyagi role: Jackie Chan, in his second American family flick of the year.  (Trivia note: There's no karate in this movie, just kung fu.  However, while this flick will be titled The Kung Fu Kid in the rest of the world, the good old U.S.A. still needs some name recognition, so that's why the title is a bit weird.)  And, hey, is that a snippet of "You're the Best" that I heard at the end of the trailer?

June 18:
Toy Story 3 (Disney; director: Lee Unkrich)




For me, this is THE movie of the summer, bar none.  The Toy Story franchise is very dear to my heart, and early reviews have indicated that it's just as good as the first two films.  Among the new toys: the Lots-o-Huggin' Bear (voiced by Ned Beatty) and Ken (voiced by Michael Keaton).  This will be shown in Disney Digital 3D in select theaters.

Jonah Hex (Warner; director: Jimmy Hayward)

Unfortunately, I don't have a trailer for this movie yet... which is very scary, because the movie is due in theaters in eight weeks (although a trailer is supposed to go out with A Nightmare on Elm Street).  By all indications, this comic book adaptation starring Josh Brolin is supposed to be a major trainwreck, with I Am Legend/Constantine director Francis Lawrence stepping in to help with reshoots.  (Director Jimmy Hayward had previously worked only in animation, having directed Horton Hears a Who! following a long stint as a Pixar animator.  Ironically, his live-action debut will be crushed by Toy Story 3 that same weekend.)  Joining Brolin are John Malkovich and Megan Fox.

June 25:
Grown-Ups (Sony; director: Dennis Dugan)




This summer's Adam Sandler movie has quite a gimmick: it reunites him with many of his old Saturday Night Live buddies, including Chris Rock, David Spade, and Rob Schneider, in this story of old childhood buddies who meet up for a 4th of July vacation.  Plus, there's Kevin James, who seems to be playing a very Chris Farley-esque role, and Salma Hayek as (not making this up) Sandler's wife.  From frequent Adam Sandler director Dennis Dugan (Happy Gilmore, Big Daddy).


Knight & Day (Fox; director: James Mangold)



If there's one thing that makes this movie look awesome, it's watching Tom Cruise channel his real-life craziness directly to the movie screen.  This flick from director James Mangold (3:10 to Yuma, Walk the Line) features Cruise as a superspy who's snapped, and Cameron Diaz as the random stranger who gets mixed up in his messes.  Some fun action (like Cruise flying off his motorcycle onto Diaz's car) and comedy all in one.

June 30 (Special Wednesday Opening!)
Eclipse (Summit; director: David Slade)


Round three of the Twilight franchise.  This time around, Summit is really trying to get the male audience to show up, by ramping up the action.  (Personally, I would just settle for a movie that isn't as unintentionally funny as the first two installments.)  Plus, the hiring of David Slade is a bold and wise choice, as his previous movies, 30 Days of Night and Hard Candy, demonstrate his expertise in vampire scares and wildly age-inappropriate relationships, respectively.  However, it's rumored that the cut he originally turned in was too dark for the studio... I guess we'll find out come release time.

July 2:
The Last Airbender (Paramount; director: M. Night Shyamalan)


Call this "the other Avatar movie", as the Nickelodeon animated series gets a live-action upgrade.  In my mind, though, this is a big test for M. Night Shyamalan, who's become a director-for-hire after The Happening bombed hard with critics and audiences in the summer of 2008.  Paramount has just announced a last-minute 3D conversion, akin to Clash of the Titans; let's see how well that turns out.  Visual effects don't look bad, though...

July 9:
Predators (Fox; director: Nimrod Antal)


The Predator is back to kill and kill again, thanks to producer Robert Rodriguez and director Nimrod Antal (Armored, Vacancy).  With Rodriguez in charge, this movie had better be bad-ass; hopefully this will harken back to the 1987 original with Ah-nuld.  Who's stepping into his shoes, by the way?  Adrien Brody and Topher Grace! (Yes, that's absolutely correct.)

Despicable Me (Universal; directors: Chris Renaud, Pierre Coffin)


I don't think it's a good sign when a movie has had a gazillion trailers, and I still have no idea what the heck it's about.  All I know is that Steve Carell is the voice of Gru, a super-villian, and he has to content with a geeky rival villian (Jason Segel) and raising some kids.  Hopefully, they kick up the advertising campaign here pretty soon. (Again, this is another 3D extravaganza.)

July 16:
Inception (Warner; director: Christopher Nolan)
 

When your previous movie is The Dark Knight, you pretty much have free reign to do whatever you want.  So, Christopher Nolan has put together what looks like one heck of a mindf*ck, with an A-list cast including Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph-Gordon Levitt, and Ellen Page.  Definitely one of my most anticipated movies of the summer!

The Sorcerer's Apprentice (Disney; director: Jon Turtletaub)


Remember what I wrote in the Prince of Persia blurb about how Disney's looking for a new big franchise?  Well, here's their second such effort this summer, which reunites the National Treasure team of Jerry Bruckheimer, director Jon Turtletaub, and star Nicolas Cage.  Also along for the ride: Alfred Molina and, as the apprentice, Jay Baruchel.  (Odd, though; there's only a slight reference to the Fantasia short of the same name...)

July 23:
Dinner for Schmucks (DreamWorks; director: Jay Roach)


The one-two-three punch of Steve Carell, Paul Rudd, and Zach Galifianakis certainly raises the bar for this French comedy remake, directed by Jay Roach (the helmer of the Meet the Parents and Austin Powers movies).  Carell's the master of uncomfortable comedy, thanks to The Office, so I'm optimistic about this.

Salt (Sony; director: Phillip Noyce)


Two years ago, we got Angelina Jolie's last action movie, the gloriously over-the-top Wanted.  This new movie, in which Jolie plays a supposed Russian spy, will likely be a lot more grounded in reality, thanks to director Phillip Noyce (Patriot Games, Clear and Present Danger).... but hopefully not too much! :-)

Ramona and Beezus (Fox; director: Elizabeth Allen)


That's right, America: Beverly Cleary is coming to kick some big-screen ass! I'm sure some other studio will counteract next summer with a Judy Blume favorite. ;-)  In all seriousness, this flick, from Walden Media, is aiming to be a cuddly, inoffensive addition to the summer's family movie arsenal.

July 30:
Beastly (CBS Films; director: Daniel Barnz)


Okay, now this looks a little weird: a Beauty and the Beast riff for the teen set.  The casting is sure odd, though: Mary-Kate Olsen as a Goth witch, and Neil Patrick Harris as a blind tutor!

Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore (Warner; director: Brad Peyton)


Uhhhhhh.... seriously, who asked for a sequel to *this* movie?!?!? The 2001 original wasn't that huge of a hit... and certainly too much time has passed between now and then.  But, America loves its cute animals... and (yet AGAIN) this is cashing in on the 3D hype.  I kind of feel sorry for the live-action actors involved: Chris O'Donnell, Fred Armisen... and is that Kenneth himself, Jack McBrayer, in a Dracula costume?!?

August 6:
The Other Guys (Columbia; director: Adam McKay)


When Will Ferrell and Adam McKay team up to make a movie, the results are golden: Anchorman, Talladega Nights, and Step Brothers.  Their fourth film collaboration looks just awesome: Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg play NYPD desk jockeys who pale in the shadow of the department's star cops (Samuel L. Jackson and Dwayne Johnson)... until they get a chance to shine on their own! "Someone call 9-1-holy-sh..."

Step Up 3D (Disney; director: Jon Chu)


Yes, there is a third Step Up coming this summer.  And yes, America's gonna be really, really sick of 3D by the end of this summer, I swear it.  Besides, I doubt Channing Tatum will have the time to make an obligatory cameo this time around!

August 13:
The Expendables (Lionsgate; director: Sylvester Stallone)


The movie-geek nerd-gasm of the summer, as Stallone assemble the biggest bunch of bad-asses ever seen on the screen: Jason Statham, Jet Li, Mickey Rourke, Terry Crews, Steve Austin, Dolph Lundgren, and many, many more!

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (Universal; director: Edgar Wright)


The new movie from Edgar Wright, director of Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead, is this adaptation of the graphic novel series about the titular Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera), who takes on the girl of his dreams' seven exes, including Brandon Routh and Chris Evans.  Plus, for Arrested Development fans, it's going to be amusing watching George Michael and Ann kick each other's butts! :-)

Eat, Pray, Love (Sony; director: Ryan Murphy)


Hot off the success of his hit TV show Glee and the series finale of Nip/Tuck, Ryan Murphy brings us his second flick (the first being Running with Scissors), an adaptation of the best-selling book starring Julia Roberts.

August 20:
Takers (Sony; director: John Luessenhopp)


This crime movie was supposed to come out on President's Day Weekend; a six-month delay can't be a good thing! Still, that's an odd and large cast there: Idris Elba, Chris Brown, Paul Walker, Hayden Christensen, and Matt Dillon.


Nanny McPhee Returns (Universal; director: Susanna White)


Supernanny Emma Thompson is back to do nanny-like things, and stuff and stuff.  This movie already hit British theaters in late March, and Universal is going to import it over to fill out its August schedule.



The Lottery Ticket (Warner; director: Erik White)


The dynamic duo of Bow Wow (don't you dare call him Li'l Bow Wow!) and Ice Cube hit screens, as Bow Wow's character wins $370 million in the lottery, and his entire neighborhood hunts him down.  There's a bunch of bit players in here: T-Pain, Keith David, Charlie Murphy, and more...

August 27:
Piranha 3D (Dimension; director: Alexandre Aja)


This looks like cheesy end-of-summer horror fun; hopefully it's better than The Final Destination.  Plus, it looks like a modern-day Jaws ripoff... heck, it's got Richard Dreyfuss dressed up at Matt Hooper!!! Director Alexandre Aja (High Tension, The Hills Have Eyes remake, Mirrors) is running the show.

September 3:
Machete (Fox; directors: Robert Rodriguez, Ethan Marquis)


Okay, that's not the real trailer for this flick - that's the fake Machete trailer filmed as part of 2007's Grindhouse.  But, the mere fact that a fake trailer can lead to an actual feature film is pretty darn impressive... especially since Grindhouse bombed in theaters.  Plus, look at this cast: Danny Trejo as Machete, fellow fake-trailer stars Jeff Fahey and Cheech Marin, plus Robert De Niro, Lindsey Lohan, Michelle Rodriguez, Steven Seagal, and Don Johnson! This Labor Day, don't f*ck with this Mexican!


Whew, so that's the movie portion of this summer... now, onto TV:

On Television:
Spring Leftovers:
Some of this spring's shows are going to spill into summertime, thanks to late season starts.  Glee's season finale is slated for June 9, and it's going to revolve around a bunch of Journey songs.  Plus, TV's most awesomest show, Breaking Bad, will wrap up on June 13.

The Return of Futurama!


One of the most exciting things to happen on TV this summer is the long-awaited series return of Futurama.  That's precisely right: Futurama returns this summer... Thursday, June 24th to be exact... with the first of 26 episodes ordered by Comedy Central.

HBO:


Once again, HBO is aggressively promoting the return of True Blood, whose third season is slated to start on June 13th.  Two weeks later, on the 27th, Entourage and Hung return for their seventh and second seasons, respectively.

The World of Matt Nix:


The master of the summer TV series has two shows in play this summer.  First, Burn Notice returns for Season 4 on Thursday, June 3rd.  (The series just got picked up for a 5th and 6th season, too!)  In addition, Nix has a new series starting on Fox on May 19th: The Good Guys, a buddy-cop show starring Bradley Whitford (yes, of Aaron Sorkin and Billy Madison fame) and Colin Hanks (son of Tom).

AMC:


I already mentioned the Breaking Bad finale above... but AMC has two other shows in the pipeline.  The fourth season of Mad Men returns on July 25th, with the newly formed Sterling/Cooper/Draper/Pryce ad agency sure to propel this year's stories.  A week later on August 1st, AMC premieres its third original series, Rubicon, a conspiracy thriller starring James Badge Dale, of 24 and The Pacific fame.

And Last, But Certainly Not Least:
If absolutely none of the above movies and series float your boat, there's always one option that's on almost every night, and which is perfect to watch on a lazy summer evening.  Yes, I'm talking about Twins baseball on FSN North!  As of this writing, they've got a decent 14-7 record, and the new Target Field is certainly cool to see, too.

Well, there you have it: a veritable slew of information that will keep you occupied for many hours these next few months.  Hope you had fun, and have an awesome summer!