The
10 Most Anticipated Movies of the Summer
By Disco
Stu - Editor in Chief : 04.24.02
I
go to the movies for the air conditioning
Every
year, the summer inevitably brings about a few things:
hot weather, fine women in skimpy clothing, and highly
anticipated summer films. The summer season usually
makes up a huge portion of the movie industry's
revenue, because most of the blockbuster films open
during this time. Unfortunately, some movies are meant
to fail because there is little to no buzz preceding
the film's opening. Those films don't make the list
here.
I
have researched many sources (the internet, magazines,
newspapers, television) in order to list the 10 most
anticipated movies of the summer. To find out which
films do make our list, make sure to come back
everyday since this article will be updated everyday.
We'll give a non-spoiler gist of the plot, info on the
films' source materials, info on the buzz about the
film, and predictions on how it'll do in the box
office. AND, there'll be a "Gene Shalit-'like"
review. Today, we bring you the fifth to
the fourth most anticipated movies of the summer.
| 5.
Minority Report |
 |
|
RELEASE
DATE: June 28
DIRECTOR:
Steven Spielberg
STARRING:
Tom Cruise, Colin Farrell, Samantha
Morton, Peter Stormare, Max Von Sydow |
THE
SCOOP:
Minority
Report is set in a 2054 Washington D.C. judicial
system in which killers are arrested and convicted
before they commit murder using a psychic technology.
Tom Cruise's character is the head of this pre-crime
unit and is himself accused of the future murder of a
man he hasn't even met.
SOURCE
MATERIAL:
The
idea came from
short story by the late Phillip K. Dick about a
futuristic society where a group of clairvoyant
''seers'' help stop murderers before they commit
crimes. This isn't this year's only adaptation of
Dick's writing (which previously inspired ''Blade
Runner'' and ''Total Recall''). January's ''Impostor''
is also based on one of his short stories.
THE
BUZZ:
How
can you quantify the buzz of this film? Well, let's
put it this way... Anytime Tom Cruise makes a movie,
there's a lot of buzz. Anytime Steven Spielberg makes
a movie, there's even more buzz. If you put that
anticipation together... well, that's a whole big
chunk of buzz! Also, critics are already saying that
Spielberg ditches a lot of the misguided cues he
showed in his last film, A.I.: Artificial
Intelligence; Minority Report, then, becomes more of a
exciting, summer movie pop-corn flick. No doubt, this
will be good.
THE
FINAL WORD:
Minority
Report will be one of the most successful movies of
the summer. It should open at number one and keep up
good numbers at the box office. Even though
Spielberg's last film didn't even crack the $100
million dollar mark (that number is the movie
industry's standard dollar figure to be called a
'hit'), his team-up with Cruise should add up to huge
numbers. Huge.
GENE
SHALIT'S EFFUSIVELY POSITIVE REVIEW:
Tom
Cruise stars in an exciting, non-stop adventure ride.
My Report? The majority of people should see
this movie!
| 4.
Scooby Doo |
 |
|
RELEASE
DATE: Raja Gosnell
DIRECTOR:
June 14
STARRING:
Freddie Prinze Jr., Sarah Michelle Gellar,
Matthew Lillard, Linda Cardellini, Isla Fisher |
THE
SCOOP:
This
first-ever live-action adaptation of the beloved and
long-running animated series catches up with Scooby-Doo
and the Mystery Inc. gang as they meddle their way
into a bona fide mystery that leads them into murky
and possibly supernatural waters.
SOURCE
MATERIAL:
Mostly
the original 1969 ''Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!'',
''The Scooby-Doo Show,'' and other spin-offs since
then. But the movie's greatest inspiration may have
been the public's curiosity and presumptions about the
leading foursome.
THE
BUZZ:
The
interesting casting of Scooby Doo got a lot of people
talking. Freddie Prinze and Matt Lillard appear in
their millionth film together. Prinze's girlfriend,
Sarah Michelle Gellar, also tags along. An interesting
cast, but, in my opinion, it sucks. Anyway, this movie
addresses a lot of fans' assumptions about the Scooby
gang. First, why does Fred where that ascot? Is Velma
a lesbian? How come Daphne and Fred always run off
somewhere together when the group splits up? And
why does everyone always have the munchies? Well, the
buzz about those questions arises because fans want to
know how the film-makers will explain it.
THE
FINAL WORD:
Remember
all the buzz for Josie and the Pussy Cats? If
that's any indication of how well the film will
do (and there's no reason to believe that it will be
different), then the producers will be overheard
saying two words: "Ruh-roh!"
GENE
SHALIT'S EFFUSIVELY POSITIVE REVIEW:
The
cast is wonderfully hilarious! I say, Doo see
this movie!
|
