Humidity levels have started to rise and heads of hair have begun to frizz. Needless to say, we’ve once again entered the dog days of summer. The best way to escape Jersey’s soupy summer conditions is to duck into an insanely air-conditioned movie theater for two hours of over-priced eats and entertainment.
From blockbusters to indies to sensitive foreign flicks, here are seven ways to escape the heat.
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider
Directed by Simon West: starring Angelina Jolie, John Voight, Daniel Craig, Iain Glen and Leslie Phillips.
Don’t expect to find Will Smith battling aliens in this summer’s Hollywood blockbuster. The Fresh Prince has been replaced by The Inflated Princess. Tinsel Town’s big budget summer extravaganza stars the second generation actress with the inflated lips, the inflated breasts, and, since she won the Academy Award for best supporting actress in Girl Interrupted, the inflated ego.
Angelina Jolie stars as Lara Croft, a tough and sexy adventurer in search of an ancient artifact buried in space and time. Directed by Simon West, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider is based on the video game of the same name and is this summer’s must-see special effects spectacle.
The Anniversary Party
Written and directed by Jennifer Jason Leigh and Alan Cumming; starring Jennifer Jason Leigh, Alan Cumming, Jane Adams, Mina Badie, Kevin Cline, Phoebe Cates, John C. Reilly and Gwyneth Paltrow.
As the title may tell you, The Anniversary Party chronicles an anniversary party. More specifically, it’s the story of an anniversary party for a famous Hollywood actress (Jennifer Jason Leigh) and her novelist husband (Alan Cumming). Unfortunately, the couple’s relationship is tenuous at best. They have only recently reunited after a separation.
The real life duo (who are not actually a couple) co-wrote and co-directed this ensemble indie tale. Using digital video and casting many of their celebrity friends in lead roles, The Anniversary Party has been touted as an honest and hilarious look at love and life. Needless to say, it’s the antithesis of Lara Croft: Tomb Raider.
crazy/beautiful
Directed by John Stockwell; starring Kirsten Dunst, Jay Hernandez, Lucinda Jenney, Taryn Manning and Bruce Davison.
The American Pie sequel will surely capture the attention of pubescent audiences (both chronological and emotional) when it comes out later this summer, but for now the Kirsten Dunst vehicle crazy/beautiful is the prominent teen machine.
It’s the same old story: Dunst stars as Nicole Oalkey, a rebellious rich teenager who falls in love with Carlos Nunez (Jay Hernandez), a hardworking football player from East L.A. Take away the gritty cinematography and the hip hop soundtrack, and it’s Pretty in Pink set in the West.
American Pie 2
Directed by J.B. Rogers; starring Jason Biggs, Lisa Arturo, Chris Klein, Seann William Scott, Mena Suvari and Eugene Levy
Speaking of American Pie, yes, you read correct. The 1999 sleeper hit will be back on August 10. According to Universal Picture’s PR department, the plot of the sequel is something like this: “After a year apart – attending different schools, meeting different people – the guys rent a beach house and vow to make this the best summer ever. As it turns out, whether this happens or not has a lot to do with the girls.
Between the wild parties, outrageous revelations and yes, a trip to band camp, they discover that times change and people change, but in the end, it’s all about sticking together.”
Needless to say, the Current can’t wait.
The Closet
Written and directed by Francis Veber; starring Daniel Auteuil, Gerard Depardieu, Thierry Lhermitte, Michele Laroque, Michel Aumont, Jean Rochefort, Stanislas Crevillen and Alexandra Vandernoot.
In order to save his job at a condom factory, a divorced accountant named Francois Pignon (Daniel Auteuil) must masquerade as a gay man in France’s latest comedy The Closet. Gerard Depardieu plays Felix Santini, a homophobic gay-bashing bully who has always hated Francois. According to a new corporate policy, homophobia of any kind won’t be tolerated. So, in an attempt to portray himself as tolerant (and secure his job) Felix befriends Francois.
The scene when Francois appears on a float in the Gay Pride Parade is not to be missed.
America’s Sweethearts
Directed by Joe Roth; starring Julia Roberts, John Cusack, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Billy Crystal, Seth Green, Alan Arkin and Hank Azaria.
John Cusack and Catherine Zeta Jones star as a Tom and Nicole-like Hollywood couple in America’s Sweethearts, the requisite romantic comedy for summer 2001. (The movie is slated to be released on July 20.) Like Tom and Nicole, the couple is having problems – they hate each other. Unfortunately, in order to promote a movie they made together, the film’s publicist (Billy Crystal) insists that they publicly feign their love for each other.
Meanwhile, Cusack has fallen for his wife’s once-fat assistant (Julia Roberts) and Zeta Jones hooks up with Hector (Hank Azaria).
It looks like a winner.
A.I.: Artificial Intelligence
Directed by Steven Spielberg; starring Haley Joel Osment, Jude Law, Frances O’Connor, Sam Robards and William Hurt.
Finally, there’s Steven Speilberg’s latest extravaganza A.I.:Artificial Intelligence, the story of an 11-year-old robo-boy living in the future. While Haley Joel Osment may not be seeing dead people, he does take in a pretty grim picture of post-apocalyptic society. Two of our staffers saw the film last weekend and warned the others that it’s too depressing for kids. One of the two also found it too depressing for himself.