August Movie Preview: The Summer Heat Wave Cools Off

If you have read our recent movie previews, you know I am a big fan of the summer blockbuster movies. Well August usually rounds out that time with some franchise titles. But this list of August movies is all over the place. So let’s bust out the metal detector, hit the beach and look for some good movies. Here’s our August movie preview.

August 4th– The Dark Tower, Kidnap, Detroit

It’s the Gunslinger vs. the Man in Black or Idris Elba vs. Matthew McConaughey. Either way that’s an intriguing matchup. Stephen King’s fantasy epic, The Dark Tower has the two pitted against each other for the fate of both their world and our own. The Gunslinger must stop the Man in Black from destroying the Dark Tower, a structure that holds the universe together. Scattered throughout the original series of books there are hints that tie many of King’s iconic horror characters and stories into one shared universe with The Dark Tower. I expect some of those may pop up here. The King-iverse? The Stephen King-ematic Universe? I don’t think the name has been decided yet.

Halle Berry is on a mission to save her son in Kidnap. Even the trailer is tough to watch. After her son is abducted from a playground, she pursues the kidnapper on a dangerous high-speed chase and race against time.

Detroit, a film about the difficult events of the Detroit riots of 1967 and specifically a murder at a motel, addresses race relations and the intense times people had to navigate. John Boyega and Anthony Mackie star with Kathryn Bigelow directing. It looks to be a difficult movie to watch, but definitely an important one to consider.

August 11th– Annabelle: Creation, The Glass Castle, The Nut Job 2: Nutty by Nature

It’s a creepy origin story! Annabelle: Creation is a prequel to The Conjuring and focuses on the creation of the creepy doll, Annabelle. A doll maker and his wife, who lost a daughter years ago, welcome a nun and a group of orphan girls into their home. Unfortunately, the possessed doll causes some issues.

Brie Larson stars in The Glass Castle as a young adult who comes to terms with the odd, nonconformist methods her parents raised her with. Woody Harrelson and Naomi Watts play those parents, who constantly used the terms imagination and adventure as a distraction for their deep seeded problems.

For the kids, and fans of animation, The Nut Job 2: Nutty By Nature has Will Arnett back as the voice of Surly the squirrel. This time he must team up with the other animals to save their park from being turned into an amusement park.

 

August 18th– The Hitman’s Bodyguard, Logan Lucky

In terms of people who need a bodyguard, I never really considered a hit man to be one of those professions. But that’s the premise of The Hitman’s Bodyguard. A top hit man (Samuel L. Jackson) must testify at the International Court of Justice. So a top bodyguard (Ryan Reynolds) is brought in to make sure he gets there. The trailers show a funny, odd couple dynamic. Plus who doesn’t love Samuel L. Jackson and Ryan Reynolds?

Every month there’s at least one movie that has a premise that seems ridiculous when you write it down. Well here’s the story of brothers who attempt a heist during a NASCAR race. Logan Lucky stars Daniel Craig, Channing Tatum, Katherine Waterson and Sebastian Stan. So if the premise wasn’t a selling point, this cast surely is. From director, Steven Soderbergh, who did Ocean’s Eleven, this looks over the top and fun.

August 25th– Birth of the Dragon, Crown Heights, Polaroid, Tulip Fever

Birth of the Dragon looks at the early career of martial arts and film legend, Bruce Lee. After making a splash in the US, Lee must fight Kung Fu master Wong Jack Man to prove his worth. Philip Ng and Yu Xia play those two men. For fans of martial arts films, this looks like an instant classic. Hopefully it delivers.

A man in New York City is wrongfully accused of murder in Crown Heights. But after years in jail, as hope seems lost, the man’s friend commits to proving his innocence. Like Detroit, this film is not only about the events of this particular incident but addresses the larger issues of crime, the legal system and race relations.

Horror movies have made so many innocent things seem creepy. Well you’re next, Polaroid cameras. Polaroid has a group of teenagers terrorized by a demon camera. Once a photo has been taken of you, a ghost/demon/creepy thing will come after you. This movie is brought to you by Instagram. Don’t use vintage film cameras. They’ll kill you. (Instagram is not actually involved, but they should be.)

It didn’t take long for Valyrian co-stars Cara Delevingne and Dane DeHaan to team back up. But Tulip Fever is very different and the cast has a number of other familiar faces. In the 17th century, an artist (DeHaan) falls for a married woman (Alicia Vikander) while hired to paint her portrait. The trailer doesn’t show any aliens like Valyrian, but that doesn’t mean they don’t pop up at some point. That would be quite a twist. Judi Dench, Christoph Waltz and Zach Galifianakis also star.

I’m not usually a Stephen King fan due to my fear of horror movies. But my August movie pick has to be The Dark Tower. A franchise starter, intense action, fantasy elements, it checks all the boxes for me. Beyond that, The Hitman’s Bodyguard looks like a funny one. So choose wisely. Or you could always go see Spider-Man: Homecoming for the fourth time.