Back in action for SUMMER 2011!!!

After a wrap on the award season, it's time to get caught up on a few things...

CANNES 2011-
The Golden Palm winner The Tree of Life, the 5th film by Oscar nominated director Terrence Mallick, was released a couple of weeks ago in theaters to rave reviews by critics, less than rave reviews by the blogging public.
You can watch the trailer at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlYYreuK8vo

Also, not much box office competition this summer, which makes for huge incomes for the blockbusters, including Fast Five and Hangover Part 2 (or Very Bad Trip 2 for all the fans in France).
Of course, due to the past couple of years, critics and audiences have both dumbed down their expectations of what the $12 movie ticket should get them (but they still go out to the movies anyway, isn't film the best).  Some of the blockbusters so far are getting VERY good press;
Thor, the Marvel comic adaptation directed by Kenneth Branagh, was surprisingly well received for another unwarranted comic adaptation, and has nabbed a B+ average from Yahoo users and a 79% tomato-meter rating (I will just mention it has a 7.4 on imdb, but that's the last time I respond to the pretentious and prejudice voters on imdb).
Fast Five nabbed a 78% off the tomato-meter, and has already made $202 million in the US ALONE!!!
and X-Men: First Class tops the two with an 89% tomatoread, as the surprising reboot to the dull franchise has made this the summer of Marvel, betwixt Thor's temporary reign at the box office, and the upcoming release of Captain America, so don't be surprised if not as many people see the endlessly advertised Green Lanturn.
Especially because yesterday, Super 8 opened, J.J. Abrams dramatic, exciting, creepy, funny, Steven Spielberg-powered film.  It may be a spectacle in a field of spectacles, but this film is certainly the most cinematic of the Summer so far, but I may be a bit biased.

So, if you are planning on seeing a film this summer, chances are, many of your friends have seen it. Unfortunately, the films to pick from are another flock of sequels and comic book adaptations.
Having that become the standard for Hollywood films creates good business for the studios, but it begs for Hollywood to have more original stories, if nothing else, to bring out the most talented directors, actors and crew.  I myself have enjoyed the more original films that have come out this year, Super 8 and Insidious.  

The only thing we can hope to count on is, by award season, the critics will be able to pick from more than just Comic movies and sequels to give major awards to.