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For moviegoers, May is the beginning of the four month long summer movie season. Looking at the list of twenty films slated for release this month, five of these offer something for everyone; horror, mystery, and action adventure.
An American Haunting: Cast & Credits: Donald Sutherland (John Bell), Sissy Spacek (Lucy Bell), Rachel Hurd-Wood (Betsy Bell), James D’Arcy (Richard Powell). Freestyle Releasing presents a film directed by Courtney Solomon. Screenplay by Courtney Solomon and Brent Monahan. Rated PG-13. Opening in theaters May 5.
The premise sounds like “The Blair Witch Project,” where three amateur filmmakers lost their lives chasing a mysterious legend that was nothing more than fiction. The difference though between “Blair Witch” and “An American Haunting” is the story. It takes place in Tennessee in 1817 and is reportedly based on fact and is to date the only documented case where a spirit or witch may have caused a man’s death.
According to legend, an evil spirit known as “the Bell Witch” wreaked havoc on the family of John Bell. According to the film’s website, www.anamericanhauntingonline.com, first came the scratching and knocking noises at the windows. Then the floorboards creaked with invisible footsteps. The story almost sounds like something out of “The Exorcist” or “ Poltergeist” as the spirit haunts the Bell’s daughter Betsy, dragging her by the hair across her room and suspending her in mid-air as she is beaten and slapped by the invisible entity.
The most interesting aspect of the story is how then General Andrew Jackson and a small group of his servicemen attempted to investigate the occurrences and were assaulted by the entity.
The Da Vinci Code: Cast & Credits: Tom Hanks (Robert Langdon), Audrey Tautou (Sophie Neveu), Ian McKellen (Sir Leigh Teabing), Alfred Molina (Bishop Aringarosa), Jurgen Prochnow (Andre Vernet), Paul Bettany (Silas), Jean Reno (Bezu Fache). Columbia Pictures presents a film directed by Ron Howard. Screenplay by Akiva Goldsman based on the novel by Dan Brown. Opens in theaters May 19.
For me to say Sony’s studio, Columbia Pictures, is NOT going to score a gold mine with this thriller is like saying any Star Wars movie George Lucas makes is going to flop at the box office.
Mission Impossible III: Cast & Credits: Tom Cruise (Ethan Hunt), Ving Rhames (Luther Stickell), Philip Seymour Hoffman (Owen Davian), Michelle Monaghan (Julia). Paramount Pictures presents a film directed by J.J. Abrams. Screenplay by J.J. Abrams, Bruce Geller, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci. Rated PG-13. Opens in theaters May 5.
The Mission Impossible franchise is the equivalent of what the James Bond franchise has become in recent years. They are not much on plot but they do have a hero and a villain and feature a number of outlandish stunts. I am certain “Mission Impossible III” is not going to be any different. Tom Cruise and Ving Rhames return this time to battle Philip Seymour Hoffman, fresh from his Oscar win in March for his performance in Capote. Hoffman’s threatening line to Cruise in the trailer alone is enough to make me want to see it.
“Who are you? Do you have a wife? A girlfriend? Whoever she is, I’m gonna find her. I’m gonna hurt her. And then I’m going to kill you right in front of her. “
Poseidon: Cast & Credits: Josh Lucas (John Dylan), Kurt Russell (Robert Ramsey), Jacinda Barrett (Maggie James), Richard Dreyfuss (Richard Nelson), Jimmy Bennett (Conor James), Emmy Rossum (Jennifer Ramsey), Mike Vogel (Christian), Mia Maestro (Elena Gonzalez), Andre Braugher (Captain Michael Bradford), Kevin Dillon (Lucky Larry), Stacy Ferguson (Gloria). Warner Brothers presents a film directed by Wolfgang Petersen. Screenplay by Mark Protosevich based on the novel by Paul Gallico. Rated PG-13.
I don’t see how Hollywood thinks they can possibly improve on what already a great movie to begin with. All right, the 1972 disaster epic, “The Poseidon Adventure,” on which this remake is based about an oceanliner being overturned by an immense tidal wave on New Year’s Eve, was not loved by everyone. Still, the original not only featured a cast of academy award winning stars (Gene Hackman, Earnest Borgnine, Shelley Winters and Jack Albertson) but also earned eight Oscar nominations winning one for best original song (The Morning After) and a Special Achievement Award for visual effects.
If there is ever a reason to remake a 34-year-old classic now it is to improve the special effects and the sets. Instead of what resembled to be a toy boat floating in a bath tub, we’ll see a state of the art carnival cruise ship get overturned by a massive tidal wave and once again it will be up to a handful of survivors led by Josh Lucas and Kurt Russell to make it to safety. I can’t help but wonder what song The Black Eyed Peas’ Fergie in her first major role (Stacey Ferguson) will perform in this new one.
X-Men 3: The Last Stand: Cast & Credits: Patrick Stewart (Professor Charles Xavier), Hugh Jackman (Logan/Wolverine), Ian McKellen (Eric Lensherr/Magneto), Halle Berry (Ororo Munroe/Storm), Famke Janssen (Dr. Jean Grey/Phoenix), Anna Paquin (Marie D’Ancanto/Rogue), Kelsey Grammer (Dr. Hank McCoy/Beast), Rebecca Romijn (Raven Darkholme/Mystique). 20th Century Fox presents a film directed by Brett Ratner. Screenplay by Zak Penn and Simon Kinberg.Rated PG-13. Opens in theaters May 29.
Would I be wrong if I said the subtitle of X-Men 3: The Last Stand indicates this may the final installment in the X-Men franchise? I confess that thanks to the movies, I vaguely know a little bit about these heroes and villains with super human powers as I have never once picked up an X-Men comic book in my whole life. Judging from the trailer, it looks as though this will be a final battle between Professor Xavier’s (Patrick Stewart) band of good mutants and Magneto’s (Ian McKellen) band of super human baddies.
Perhaps the sequel’s best selling point will be the first appearance of Beast played by Frazier’s Kelsey Grammer, who fans of the comic book have told me, is considered to be a psychologist, much like Dr. Frazier Crane, the character Grammer played for years in two successful sitcoms. | 
