Happy Fourth of July Point of Geekers! If you are trying to beat the summer heat, we bring you the July offerings. While the crown jewel is Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (make sure you check out all the videos. They are short, but show the amazing work that went into the sequel), there seems to be an interest variety. Well lets dig in…

 

Tammy – July 2nd

Int’l Trailer

Braxter’s P.o.G.: Well Melissa McCarthy is on a role and rarely fails to deliver with her balls-to-the-walls style of comedy. Continuing on a streak she began with her scene-stealing performance in Bridesmaids and The Heat, this should be exactly what it should be… funny. Including Susan Sarandon only adds to the mix, making this a sort of twisted, comedic Thelma & Louise.

Kurt’s P.o.G.: Melissa McCarthy being Melissa McCarthy with Kathy Bates and, weirdly, Susan Sarandon. I’m hoping that this one brings something more surprising than just Melissa McCarthy yelling, but if the trailer is any indication, I shouldn’t get my hopes up. But there must be something special about this story that both Kathy Bates AND Susan Sarandon signed on…right? We’ll see come July 2nd.

 

Deliver Us From Evil – July 2nd

Trailer

Braxter’s P.o.G.: Whoa! Super creepy! It looks horrific and intelligent, while horror isn’t my genre of choice, I’m eager to check out the latest offering from Scott Derrickson. As he is moving from this film to Dr Strange for Marvel. Hopefully some of the suspense and his eye for truly creepy creature design will carry over. As a matter of fact…. Eric Bana for Stephen Strange? Imma have to think about this one a little more…

Kurt’s P.o.G.: Jump scares, jump scares, who wants the jump scares? Watching that trailer made me look over my shoulder which, in my experience, means the movie’s going to disturb the crap out of me. I’m a fan of the horror genre and am always game for a scare, and this romp with the unholy looks like it’ll deliver. Plus, I haven’t seen Eric Bana in forever, and he’s due for some action.

 

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes – July 11th

“Caesar’s Story” Featurette

Featurette on the use of motion capture:

WETA Special Effects Featurette 

Director explains the usage of 3D in the film:

Braxter’s P.o.G: It seems the same level of detail and care is being put into this second installment as the Rise of the Planet of the Apes. I hope that they will be able to retain the humanity of the first film as well. One of my most memorable movie-going experiences of the past 3 years is hearing an audible groan  and gasp collectively, from the packed theater when Caesar screamed, “No!” It is a credit to Fox for allowing an Apes movie where I’m not going for the battles, but am going to see an ape act and emote in ways never possible before. I’m more than excited for this one.

Kurt’s P.o.G.: What I enjoyed most about the first film was the slow build-up, the gentle, expert placement of character elements and plot details that coalesced into a film that is more than the sum of its parts. Oh lord, and when Caesar SPOKE! Hook, line, and sinker, I was sold. And now we’re faced with a follow-up that, as long as it doesn’t rush Caesar’s relationships with any of the humans, looks to be a worthy successor. I’ll be in line opening night!

 

Sex Tape – July 18th

Trailer

Braxter’s P.o.G.: Well the last time Cameron Diaz and Jason Segal teamed up it resulted in Bad Teacher, which was pretty funny. Will this be a R-rated, all-out sex romp as the title suggests? Probably not. Will it be an insightful look into the ease of sharing information and the implications of endangering one’s privacy? Naw, might scratch the surface. Looks to be a fun date movie, but I will catch it on cable.

Kurt’s P.o.G.: Yeah. Is it just me, or do Jason Segal and Cameron Diaz both look very tired in this trailer? Whether or not THEY are, I already am, and I’ve only seen the trailer once. Seeing this trailer makes me wonder about filming comedies. After doing take after take of the same stupid, deflated joke, do the actors still think the movie’s funny? Do they feel an acute sense of regret for having agreed to make this pile? I’m not sure, but I’d love to find out. Anyway, I predict this movie makes no splash whatsoever. If it does shock me with box office success, I’ll happily eat my words.

 

Hercules – July 25th

Braxter’s P.o.G: Yea, it’s hard to get too excited for this one. Typically The Rock brings the entertainment factor and there is nothing that I want to see more than him kill a prehistoric lion with his bare hands. However, Brett Ratner is at the helm and when that happens, the ship tends to capsize. So I will probably be waiting this one out.

Kurt’s P.o.G.: The Rock apparently brought the People’s Lion Hat into the ring for this one. While I’m a fan of Greek mythology, I can smell the Hollywood nip/tuck of the original story from a month away. Will Herc shovel 10-feet-tall mounds of cattle poop? I think not. Will I pay $12 to watch The Rock hit things with a club? I think not. Additionally, as Brax mentioned, Brett Ratner’s name sits a tad too proudly in the credits for this movie to turn out well at all.

 

Lucy – July 25th

 

Braxter’s P.o.G.: Scarlett Johansson is having a great year. If she were playing NBA Jam she would be “heating up.” After playing the disembodied voice and computer program, Samantha, in the Oscar winning Her. Then a smash box-office hit in Captain America: The Winter Solider. She is on a hot streak and is looking to make it three hits in a row. It will be fun to see if she can carry her own action film. Marvel fans should be paying close attention because if this film is a hit, the chances of an eventual Black Widow movie grow exponentially.

Kurt’s P.o.G.: I’m skeptical of the premise because this whole we-only-use-10%-of-our-brains myth is just patently false. Still, I’m always willing to give a new sci-fi/action property a go. I don’t have my expectations set very high for this one, but I am excited to speculate about a possible Black Widow movie on the tail of Lucy! My speculation: Marvel’s list of interesting characters means there isn’t time to pop a Black Widow solo picture into the mix. We already have our relatively-unsuper government agent in Captain America, and I don’t think Marvel will put more money down on espionage when they have characters like Captain Marvel to give screen-time. Back to the point, I’ll see this movie and probably say “meh” afterwards. As usual, I’m hoping for a surprise, though!

 

Sources: Total Film, Sony Pictures, CBM Trailers, Universal Studios, Paramount Pictures, Columbia Pictures, Twentieth Century Fox,