Review by Spencer Gordon
Photos provided by respective film

Back in 1975, Jaws started the trend of the summer blockbuster, a heavily marketed film full of thrills and excitement, laughs and gags that makes a lot of money. Now fast-forward three decades. By the early 2000s it seemed that summer films had replaced a good story for quick, easy laughs. This made the latest Hollywood of a great story on top of the flash of the “summer blockbuster” all the more refreshing. Because of The Dark Knight, Hollywood has turned the superhero genre into something worth respecting again. The Hangover redefined summer comedies into raunchy and laugh-out-loud, hilarious R-rated gems, and Star Trek transformed sci-fi into a genre not just geeks. And so without further ado, here are ten movies that have me excited to spend the summer at the movie theater:
10. Captain America (in theaters July 22)
Chris Evans landed this role two years ago and almost turned it down. Recently after seeing the film, Evans told reporters that he couldn’t believe that he almost gave it up. As everyone is on pins and needles waiting for The Avengers film to come out in 2012, let’s see the origins of what seems to be our last Avenger!
9. Bad Teacher (in theaters June 24)
The trailer for this film is a nice breath of fresh air as Cameron Diaz plays the title role of a teacher who just doesn’t give a shit about anyone but herself. She shows up to work drunk, cusses out students, and saves up for a boob job so she can woo her colleague (played by Justin Timberlake). And then there’s Jason Segal, one of those actors whom I will watch in anything. His yelling about how Michael Jordan will always be better than LeBron James always gets a chuckle out of me.
8. Green Lantern (in theaters June 17)
This superhero film is the one that I’m most looking forward to because I like its sci-fi aspect. The trailer treats us to aliens and other planets that look like a cool mix between sci-fi and comic. Those are two of my guilty pleasures as a summer movie fan so  I hope that this film will live up to my nerdy expectations.
7. Cars 2 (in theaters June 24)
For the first time in probably seven or eight years, Pixar’s film is neither the number one or number two film on my summer must-see list. Don’t get me wrong—Cars was a great film, but also the worst Pixar’s put out. The trailer for Cars 2 doesn’t give me any laughs, and the story line looks very juvenile. I’m hoping that Pixar didn’t make this film just to cash in on Cars merchandise; it almost feels as if the world would split if Pixar made a sub-par film. Let’s hope that this isn’t the case.
6. Horrible Bosses (in theaters July 8)
This is the first time since Bruce Almighty that I am excited to see a Jennifer Aniston film. Not only does Aniston look amusing and sexy, but everyone else in this film has proven entertaining before. Jason Bateman has been a favorite of mine ever since he was Michael Bluth on Arrested Development; Charlie Day is great on It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia; and Jason Sudeikis is hilarious on Saturday Night Live.
5. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (in theaters July 15)
The end to a saga that has seriously been going on for ten years! Can you believe it? After thoroughly enjoying the first part of the film, the second part should be just as good, if not better. Although I read the book a couple years ago and already know the ending, I cannot wait to watch these characters that I’ve seen grow up before my eyes complete their journey in one of the greatest film sagas of all time.
4. Cowboys and Aliens (in theaters July 29)
If there were one phrase to describe this film, it would be this: Geek Heaven. Just the thought of having cowboys fighting aliens seems absolutely ridiculous, but when you see the trailer and look at all of the talent attached to it (Steven Spielberg producing and Jon Favreau directing), you have to admit that it could be a pretty good film if done right. Let’s see this film open up a brand new franchise of dual movies because I want to see Indians and Dinosaurs in three years. 
3. 30 Minutes or Less (in theaters August 12)
The number one comedy I am looking forward to this summer has to be 30 Minutes or Less. If it isn’t for the funny story of putting two smart-ass guys in a situation where they have to rob a bank because one of them has a bomb strapped to their chest, then it’s just for the fact that the two funniest actors I have seen in a long time are paired together as the antagonists. Danny McBride and Nick Swardson will be spouting out one-liners left and right so well that they will be a perfect contrasting humor to the dry humor of leads Jesse Eisenberg and Aziz Ansari. This movie could be very, very funny and, yes, I’m going to say it, maybe even funnier than The Hangover.
2. Apollo 18 (in theaters August 26)
If you have never heard of this film, it could be because the film was actually made a few years ago and has tried to get released into theaters a few times as a small independent picture. Similar to Moon, the film is about a small team of astronauts who go to the moon only to be attacked by what seems to be an alien virus. If it captures any of the magic that Moon made, I’ll on the edge of my seat for an exciting thriller.
1. Super 8 (in theaters)
After directing Star Trek and bringing us the most influential TV show of the decade in Lost, J.J. Abrams brings us a mysterious sci-fi film in Super 8. Why is that the title? What is this small town scared of? Is it a monster, an alien, Bigfoot? So many questions will be answered, which already makes the film look intriguing; however, the reason I am most excited is because I love films involving kids that aren’t for kids. Mean Creek, Where The Wild Things Are, and one of my all-time favorite films, Stand By Me, are all in this genre, and now this film brings sci-fi into the mix! I am stoked, to say the least. 

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