Summer Movies: Things are heating up at the multiplex

Explosions, matchmaking, laughs and lots of popcorn are on the way as the summer of 2009 at the movies makes an all-out effort to help us forget our troubles and, c'mon, get happy.

Times are tense, but the movie studios are entering the prime season with a head start that has been amazing to watch. So far, 2009 has set attendance records in theaters - and many of those tickets were for unheralded movies that were expected to be ignored ("Taken," "Paul Blart: Mall Cop," anything with Nicolas Cage). Attendance and ticket sales are up anywhere from 17 percent to 20 percent over last year, depending on who does the counting, suggesting that movies are recession-proof - even if a popcorn and soda did cost me $12 the last time out.

(Can't you get a rib-eye steak for that price somewhere?).

By early April, there already had been five $100 million movies at the box office. (By that time in 2008, there was only one.) And that was before new installments of "Star Trek," "Wolverine," "Terminator" and "Night at the Museum" opened. And the sixth Harry Potter film is on the way. (The last one did $938 million worldwide.)

Waiting in the wings are stars such as Brad Pitt and Johnny Depp, but humans are dispensable. Movies seem to be built around, and by, computers now. Some predict that "Transformers," starring mean machines, will be the biggest hit of all.

It's not all escapism. For smart folks, there will be movie biographies of everyone from Dylan Thomas to Salvador Dali and fashion designer Valentino.

New stars to emerge from the summer are Sam Worthington ("Terminator Salvation") and Ryan Reynolds ("The Proposal" and "X-Men Origins: Wolverine"). For the ladies, maybe the breakthrough could be Alexis Bledel.

It seems there is a new box office record broken every week. Look carefully and you'll find something, besides air conditioning, to pull you in.

Dates are subject to change.

Today

"Up" Ed Asner is the voice of a 78-year-old balloon salesman who ties a few thousand balloons to his house in a plan to float up and see the mountains of South America. Look for a bonding of the cool old guy and the callow boy who gets taken along for the ride.

"Drag Me to Hell" If it sounds like a battle cry for the foreclosed, that's not far from what is intended. Between "Spider-Man" movies, Sam Raimi directs a horror flick about the old woman who puts a supernatural curse on the young upstart who tries to evict her from her home.

"The Golden Boys" Three old sailors living near Cape Cod find that they do not adapt well to housecleaning among landlubbers. They toss a coin to see which one will advertise for a wife.

"Paris 36" A musical romance set in a working-class section of Paris, this concerns the performers and crew who attempt to save a beloved theater from extinction. In French with English subtitles.

"Tokyo!" Three films in one as three directors, including Michel Gondry ("Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind"), take a "Twilight Zone" kind of look at modern Tokyo.

June 5

"The Hangover" Four guys on a bachelor spree to Las Vegas check in at Caesar's Palace and... something happens. They don't remember, but it must have been a wild party. There's a baby in the closet. A chicken and a tiger wander around the suite, and the place has been wrecked. Most notably, the potential groom is missing. This is likely to be the surprise comedy hit of the summer. Zach Galifianakis, Bradley Cooper and Ed Helms star.

"My Life in Ruins" Nia Vardalos, the star of "My Big Fat Greek Wedding," returns to the Greek islands as a tour guide trying to discover romance again. Richard Dreyfuss, winner of this year's ODU film festival lifetime achievement award, co-stars.

"Land of the Lost" Based on that campy '70s kid TV series that used to air on Saturday mornings. Will Ferrell plays the doctor who goes on a time warp visit that nets dinosaurs and other critters. Could we have a few laughs, too, Will?

"Lymelife" An American family faces drastic economic and cultural change. No, it's not set in 2009. It's in the 1970s. Alec Baldwin and Jill Hennessy are the parents on the verge of divorce. The awkward teenager is Rory Culkin, whose life is upset after the outbreak of Lyme disease in the community.

"The Edge of Love" Dylan Thomas is the legendary poet known for deep feelings and hard drinking. Here, we learn more about him through the two women he loved, played by Keira Knightley and Sienna Miller. The writer is played by Matthew Rhys. The cast includes Cillian Murphy.

"Outrage" Hypocritical politicians who live one way and vote another are outed in this angry documentary that points out that some of the United States' most powerful policymakers are gay, yet they vote against gay rights - and hide. The film names names and pleads for equal rights for all.

June 12

"The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3" A thriller set in the subway beneath New York City, this is a remake of a movie that starred Walter Matthau. John Travolta is the bad guy who hijacks a subway train and holds its passengers prisoner. With Denzel Washington.

"The Brothers Bloom" Virginia Beach's own Mark Ruffalo stars with Oscar-winner Adrien Brody as professional con men who take an eccentric heiress (Rachel Weisz) on a trip around the world.

"Imagine That" Eddie Murphy, who has given up being outrageous (or funny?) in favor of kiddie movies, plays a financial executive who's on a downward spiral. He gets friendlier with his young daughter when she shows up with successful stock market tips that have supposedly been given to her by an imaginary friend. We'd like a piece of that action.

"Valentino: The Last Emperor" The story of the head of his own fashion empire, Valentino, who, with his partner, Giancarlo Giammetti, plan the final stage of their 50-year reign. They were, at the time, two of Italy's richest men. A look at the high life and, maybe, its dark side.

"Anvil! The Story of Anvil" A rock group called Anvil makes a last-ditch effort for fame. The result is a misguided European tour. Mockumentary or true story?

June 19

"Year One" Jack Black and Michael Cera are lazy hunters who go on a quest through ancient times and have girl problems. It's directed by Harold Ramis ("Groundhog Day").

"The Proposal" Sandra Bullock is a box-office draw when she makes a romantic comedy, which she hasn't done lately. Here, she plays a publishing executive who forces her assistant (Ryan Reynolds) to marry her so she can stay in the United States. (She's Canadian).

"The Merry Gentleman" Michael Keaton (once "Batman") directs himself in a drama-comedy about a couple trying to adjust to their past. Kelly Macdonald is the woman.

"Little Ashes" Robert Pattinson, the young vampire of "Twilight," stars as famed surrealist Salvador Dali in a drama about the painter's relationship with poet Federico Garcia Lorca (Javier Beltran) and Spanish moviemaker Luis Bunuel. Three famous artists are portrayed in one revealing drama.

"The Limits of Control" Murky filmmaker Jim Jarmusch makes a crime drama that crosses modern Spain. The cast includes Gael Garcia Bernal, Oscar winner Tilda Swinton, John Hurt and Bill Murray.

June 24

"Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" Decepticons are bad. (Boo! Hiss!) Autobots are good. (Cheer!) They're back on Earth to threaten Shia LaBeouf, who they keep telling us is going to be a movie star in spite of a rather bland screen presence. Megan Fox plays his girlfriend. Success often leads to excess in sequels, but that didn't seem to hurt "Night at the Museum." The big attraction here is special-effects bombast, bolstered by a high budget.

June 26

"My Sister's Keeper" Cameron Diaz plays the tormented mother who is torn between saving one daughter from leukemia and using the other daughter for bone marrow transplants. Based on the book by Jodi Pic oult, this drama stars Abigail Breslin and Sofia Vassilieva as the two daughters. One demands to be medically separated from her family because she is being used to save the other. Heavy stuff. Directed by Nick Cassavetes.

"Away We Go" Sam Mendes, the Academy Award-winning director of "American Beauty," directs this comedy-drama about a couple who travel the U.S. in search of the right place to raise a family. John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph are the couple.

"Cheri" This is about an affair between a young guy and an older woman, with the older woman played by Michelle Pfeiffer. The romantic drama is set in 1920s Paris. The lucky guy, played by 19-year-old Rupert Friend, is the son of a courtesan. Directed by Stephen Frears, this could be a fantasy for mature women or young guys. In any case, Pfeiffer is there, which should be enough.

July 1

"Public Enemies" Johnny Depp plays John Dillinger in this chronicle of the bank robber, directed by Michael Mann. Christian Bale plays the FBI hunter Melvin Purvis. The story has been told before. The Academy is just itching to give an Oscar to Depp. Could this be the role?

"Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs" Continuation of those animated prehistoric things that are cute and cuddly. But aren't dinosaurs in danger of becoming old hat?

July 10

"Bruno" Can Sacha Baron Cohen be more crass and tastelessly vulgar than in "Borat," the role that made him a star? He's going to try hard as a gay Austrian fashion reporter who travels the world to study pop culture. Yet again, he will "interview" unknowing victims. Could anyone be that unknowing?

"I Love You, Beth Cooper" The last night of high school takes an unexpected turn after geeky grad proclaims his love for the most popular girl in school during his nerdy valedictorian speech. She (Hayden Panettiere) shows up that night for a date. (It only happens in the movies.) Nerd meets cheerleader.

"Whatever Works" Woody Allen returns to his familiar New York City after several well-regarded movies set in Europe. His characters include a cranky former physics professor (Larry David) and a young Southern runaway to New York City who falls for him. Woody has seldom tackled the South. Could this be yet another Oscar for one of his supporting actresses? This time, Evan Rachel Wood.

July 15

"Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" In his sixth year at Hogwarts, Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) edges nearer to learning the back story of Him-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Both the magic and muggle worlds are affected by darkness as hormones rage. Harry tries to uncover a forgotten memory from a new teacher (Jim Broadbent) - information that can help him in the final showdown against Voldemort. Can they, yet again, balance the scales between love and hate?

July 17

"(500) Days of Summer" A lovesick greeting card writer has an off-again, on-again relationship with Zooey Deschanel. She's a freethinker. He's a thinker. It's a time-bending romantic comedy.

July 24

"G-Force" A crew of guinea pigs - highly trained in espionage - aims to save the world. (What else are guinea pigs good for?) Bill Nighy and Will Arnett appear live with the voices of Sam Rockwell, Penelope Cruz and Nicolas Cage.

"The Ugly Truth" Gerard Butler ("300") plays a macho TV correspondent who is trying to boost the ratings of a show produced by Katherine Heigl.

July 31

"Funny People" Adam Sandler, having played his demented child act for all it wasn't worth, is trying to get serious. He plays a stand-up comic who has only one year to live. Seth Rogen is his personal assistant. Judd Apatow, the heralded comedy "genius," has marshaled several hits out of his formula of 90 percent gross and 10 percent pathos. Let's see if there is more to him than gross.

Aug. 7

"G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra" The action figures get their own movie as the G. I. Joe guys take on an arms dealer and a military secret organization.

"Julie & Julia" Meryl Streep as Julia Child? We see another Oscar nomination coming. Streep, not content to be the most acclaimed actress of her generation, has also become a viable box-office summer star of late, with "The Devil Wears Prada" and the unfortunate "Mamma Mia!" Here, Nora Ephron directs a mixture of two books: Child's autobiography and Julie Powell's comic memoir of tackling 524 Child recipes in her kitchen. Amy Adams plays Powell. Will it boil?

"Shorts" A wish-granting rock causes a stir when it falls into the hands of, ugh, adults.

Aug. 14

"District 9" A sci-fi action story set in a fictional world.

Aug. 21

"Inglourious Basterds" Quentin Tarantino, after an unlamented absence, is back in his own kind of frivolous bloodbath. A group of Jewish American soldiers is chosen to scalp and brutally kill Nazis. Brad Pitt heads the cast. Tarantino might be bloody, but he can't hold a butcher knife to Sam Peckinpah.

"Post Grad" Alexis Bledel from TV's "Gilmore Girls" goes adult as a graduate who moves back home while trying to find a job and a man.

Aug. 28

"H2" They've lost count of "Halloween" remakes, so, apparently, they just start over. This is Numero 2 of the retreads, directed by Rob Zombie. For those who choose to pay, again, to see the same movie, go ahead. It's all yours. Been there, done that.

"The Boat That Rocked" Rogue disc jockeys take over a radio station in the 1960s and defy the government and good taste. We've had our share of tasteless shock jocks in the past. Should we give them even a moment of time, much less a ticket? Richard Curtis ("Love Actually") directs.

Mal Vincent, (757) 446-2347, mal.vincent@pilotonline.com