Snakes, pirates and sea nymphs ... oh my

July and August have very different personalities when it comes to movie releases. July holds a few summer blockbusters, such as “Pirates of the Caribbean” and “Miami Vice,” that the studios are counting on for big audiences and even bigger bucks.

August really doesn’t carry those expectations. It’s full of teen flicks, broad comedies, horror films and anything else studio executives hope can draw those randy teens in from a day at the beach. There’s one August film that’s created its own mystifying set of expectations: “Snakes on a Plane.” With its “the title says it all” concept and Samuel L. Jackson’s “hell yeah” attitude, fans have made this film an Internet phenomenon.

Other potential summer breakout hits include M. Night Shymalan’s latest (if you can forgive him for “The Village”) “Lady in the Water”; Will Farrell in racetrack leathers for “Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby”; Uma Thurman punishing all those bad boyfriends in “Super Ex-Girlfriend”; and even a potentially exciting serious turn from Robin “RV” Williams in “The Night Listener.”

So get your popcorn ready, lean back and enjoy the air conditioning (in some cases it will probably be better than the movie).

“Little Man”

Columbia

Starring: Keenen Ivory Wayans, Marlon Wayans, Shawn Wayans, Kerry Washington
Director: Keenen Ivory Wayans
Story: Marlon Wayans plays an extremely short criminal on the run who needs a place to hideout and a way to recover the diamond from his latest heist. He devises a plan to masquerade as a baby who’s been left on the doorstep of Washington and Shawn Wayans’ house. Impersonating an infant has its drawbacks, such as having his diapers changed, but it also has its pleasures, such as snuggling up with the comely Washington.
Buzz: Marlon Wayans told Premiere magazine, “After ‘White Chicks,’ we said, ‘Well, if we can play white women, then why can’t I play a little person.’” Obviously, political correctness of any sort is out the window with this film, but that’s a given when it comes to the Wayans brothers (“Scary Movie,” “In Living Color”). Expect stupid humor to dominate — let’s just hope it’s funny enough to provide actual laughs.
Web site: http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/littleman/

“Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest”

Walt Disney

Starring: Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, Stellan Skarsgård, Bill Nighy, Jack Davenport, Kevin R. McNally, Jonathan Pryce
Director: Gore Verbinski
Story: In this installment, Captain Jack Sparrow (Depp) learns he owes a debt to the legendary Davey Jones (Nighy), captain of the spooky Flying Dutchman. Sparrow must find a way out of debt or find himself in eternal servitude in the afterlife. But will Will Turner (Bloom) and Elizabeth Swann’s (Knightley) wedding plans be foiled when they too get drawn into the adventure.
Buzz: According to boxofficemojo.com, the first film made more than $653 hundred million worldwide. Certainly a tough act to follow, but considering all the original players are back (including director Verbinksi) this film is a sure-fire hit. Producer Jerry Bruckheimer is so confident in his pirates that he’s shot the third film, “World’s End” concurrently with “Dead Man’s Chest.” You can also bank on the fact that he didn’t want Bloom and Knightley’s asking price to skyrocket even more than they already have. Nighy (“Love Actually,” “The Girl in the Café”) is a tremendous character actor who can go toe-to-toe with Depp.
Web site: http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/pirates/

“A Scanner Darkly”

Warner Bros.

Starring: Keanu Reeves, Winona Ryder, Robert Downey Jr., Woody Harrelson, Rory Cochran
Director: Richard Linklater
Story: Based on the novel by Philip K. Dick, the film is set in a futuristic Orange County, Calif., where the war on drugs has been lost and two of every 10 Americans have been hired by the government to spy on the other eight. An undercover cop (Reeves) gets addicted to a drug called Substance B, which turns his world inside out. Downey co-stars as another addict. Ryder co-stars as Reeves’ girlfriend, who may or may not be trustworthy.
Buzz: The film is shot similar to director Linklater’s “Waking Life” and starts with normal live-action footage, which is hand painted by the animators. This gives Linklater the ability to add the trippy drug-induced effects that even CGI can’t duplicate. The film screened at Cannes to mixed reviews. Justin Chang of Variety wrote, “audiences may find there's less than meets the eye.” While Duane Byrne of the Hollywood Reporter wrote, “movement-wise, there is nothing animated about this animated feature.” Still, fans of Linklater and Dick may find pleasures the critics have missed.
Web site: http://wip.warnerbros.com/ascannerdarkly/

“Edmond”

First Independent Pictures

Starring: William H. Macy, Julia Stiles, Denise Richards, Mena Suvari, Dylan Walsh, Joe Mantegna, Rebecca Pidgeon, Dule Hill, Bai Ling
Director: Stuart Gordon
Story: After a visit to a fortune teller, a businessman (Macy) decides to leave his wife (Pidgeon) and embark on a journey of self-discovery in the underbelly of New York City. There he meets a racist (Montegna), a waitress (Stiles) and assorted other pimps and ne’re-do-wells. Based on the play and adapted for the screen by David Mamet. 
Buzz: With Mamet stalwarts Macy, Mantegna and Pidgeon (Mamet’s wife) on board, it seems like director Gordon (“Re-Animator” — a camp horror classic) would have a sure art-house hit, but unfortunately, when the film was shown at this year’s Silver Lake Film Festival, critics complained about the movie’s staginess. Kurt Honeycutt of the Hollywood Reporter described the film as, “…something a sheltered college sophomore might pen rather than a major American playwright.” Even for Mamet fans, the film sounds like something to save for your Netflix queue rather than see at the theater.
Web site: http://www.firstindependentpictures.com/edmond/edmond.html

“Once in a Lifetime”

Miramax

Starring: Carlos Alberto, Franz Beckenbauer, Giorgio Chinaglia, Johan Cruyff, Rodney Marsh, Shep Messing, Pelé, Steve Ross, Werner Roth, Clive Toye, Matt Dillon
Director: Paul Crowder, John Dower
Story: Documentary traces the rise and fall of the premier American soccer team, the 1977 New York Cosmos. Media mogul Steve Ross used his fortune to recruit major players like superstar Pele. Money, fame and power (aka, the usual suspects) cause the team to implode.
Buzz: The film incorporates much of what was happening at the time: the blackout, Son of Sam, Studio 54, which should make for nostalgic fun. Co-director Crowder was an editor on “Riding Giants” and “Dogtown and Z-Boys,” which means he knows how to use old footage to create a compelling story. Matt Dillon narrates the film.
Web site: NA

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