As my air-conditioner engages in futile combat with the ridiculously high temperatures outside, I dream of sitting in the chilled atmosphere of a cinema clutching a large cup of my favourite soft drink and a bag of popcorn.
If anyone can challenge The Avengers, Batman can- Paula Fleri-Soler
And summer being the most popular season for major movie releases, KRS Film Distributors has an exciting line-up for the few weeks ahead.
At a recent press event Charles Pace from KRS whet our appetites with an introduction to an exciting promo reel of some of the most eagerly-anticipated forthcoming attractions, together with the comprehensive list of no fewer than 40 films to be released over the summer.
It is certainly an impressive line-up, running the gamut from action blockbusters to intimate dramas; restrictions of space preclude me from listing each and every one.
The question on everybody’s lips is no doubt whether the next instalment in the Batman series, The Dark Knight Rises, opening later on this month or (less likely) this week’s release The Amazing Spider-Man will knock Marvel’s Avengers Assemble off its perch as the highest-grossing film of the summer.
As I write, Avengers has already amassed a cool $1.45 billion at the international box office and currently stands top of the 2012 local box office charts after 11 weeks on release – beating it would seem an impossible task.
However, if anyone can challenge The Avengers, Batman can, and if the performance of the previous entry in the canon, The Dark Knight starring Christian Bale and the late lamented Heath Ledger is anything to go by, it’ll be a hard-fought battle.
Also scheduled for release this month are the eagerly anticipated Ice Age: Continental Drift in which Scrat the sabre-toothed Squirrel’s obsession with collecting acorns continues to land him in trouble, and Snow White and the Huntsman, which sees Kristen Stewart take some time off her Twilight duties to portray the classic fairytale character.
As we head into Santa Marija season, two animated films will slug it out for supremacy. Dr Seuss’s The Lorax and Pixar’s Brave arrive on a wave of critical acclaim and will indubitably attract audiences of all ages. The blockbusters will continue to muscle their way onto the screens, with Jeremy Renner picking up where Matt Damon left off in The Bourne Legacy; we will be treated to a remake of the Schwarzenegger classic sci-fi flick Total Recall, while Sylvester Stallone and pals – Schwarzenegger included – reunite for The Expendables 2.
September will herald the comedies The Watch, starring Ben Stiller, and That’s My Boy with Adam Sandler; another sci-fi remake, Judge Dredd, and Brad Pitt in the thriller Killing Them Softly.
Other titles throughout the summer worth looking out for are the stop-motion animated film ParaNorman about a misunderstood boy who can speak with the dead; The Sweeney, an updated remake of the popular 1970sBritish cop drama, starring Ray Winstone and Ben Drew; and comedy/romance The Five-Year Engagement, starring Emily Blunt and Jason Segel.
Further laughs are guaranteed with the movies Magic Mike, a comedy about male strippers, and Ted, a story about a man and his teddy-bear that comes to life after a childhood wish. In the horror category, The Pact and Possession should easily scare audiences.
Those cinemagoers inclined to more serious stuff will be relieved to know that it is not just action-packed blockbusters, wild and wacky comedies and animated children’s movies that make up the summer season. Forthcoming attractions include some lesser-hyped, yet award-winning and critically-acclaimed dramas.
In cinemas at the moment is Oscar-winner In a Better World, a Danish drama in which two young boys form an extraordinary but risky friendship. Another interesting drama to look forward to is director Wes Anderson’s quirky Moonrise Kingdom about a pair of 12-year-old sweethearts who run away from home with a search party in hot pursuit, a film that is earning worldwide critical acclaim.
I confess to being intrigued by Shadow Dancer, starring Clive Owen, Andrea Riseborough and Gillian Anderson in a story set in the 1990s about an active vemember of the IRA who becomes an MI5 informant in order to protect her young son.
Fans of Ken Loach, the English director celebrated for his hard-hitting, naturalistic style of directing, will also get to experience his latest opus, The Angel’s Share.
Spoilt for choice? Most certainly, and my advice would be to check out weekly listings, and make it a regular appointment to seek refuge from the heat and take the opportunity to enjoy one of these and many more titles where they’re supposed to be enjoyed in all their glory – on the big screen.