What summer films can’t you wait to see?

After looking over the summer releases, this is looking to be an interesting one with a lot of smaller films making the list. There are also some interesting films on the outside looking in. Big releases like Tom Cruise’s KNIGHT & DAY and Angelina Jolie’s SALT just aren’t making me want to run to the theaters. While I liked the first films in these series, SEX AND THE CITY 2 and SHREK FOREVER AFTER look kind of desperate. I don’t know if I’m supposed to take Sylvester Stallone’s THE EXPENDABLES seriously or not. And while I’m a huge fan of his work, GEORGE A. ROMERO’S SURVIVAL OF THE DEAD just looks DOA. So lets look at what is making me excited for the summer to start.
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Check Out a Clip

Andy Kaufman never liked to be called a comedian. He described himself as a song and dance man. One could say a vaudevillian. With that in mind, it’s not-so-bizarre his decision to transform himself into a pro-wrestler for a time. And Kaufman never did anything half hearted.

This documentary uses rare archival footage to highlight Kaufman’s career as a wrestler. The production was edited by Kaufman’s girlfriend Lynne Margulies using home video and vintage interviews. In one interview, Kaufman says that if he’s going to take on a character he’s going to go commit himself his entire life to it. That explains why so many people didn’t know if it was a joke or for real. As a wrestler, he crafted himself as a chauvinistic Hollywood elite who challenged any woman in America to wrestle him. As the film shows (over and over again), Kaufman’s shtick was that women don’t have the mental capacity for wrestling, only housework. His favorite dig was that women are better than men at scrubbing potatoes.
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Ledger’s good-bye

The last performance of a great performer is among the highlighted films this week. There’s some great older titles coming to Blu-ray and a funny flick for adults is here as well.
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Avatar celebrates Earth Day

This is a big week for Blu-ray and new releases. James Cameron’s epic is arriving just in time for Earth Day. There are some other Oscar leftovers that come highly recommended as well. So let’s get started.
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Apollo 13 Lands on Blu-ray

Like last week, this week isn’t a big week for new releases. However, there are some great films coming for Blu-ray for the first time. And there is a couple of films I’d love to har from readers on whether they’re worth checking out or not.
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Check Out the Trailer

Between the worst of modern times at Walt Disney Animation and the best was a transitional period between the failure of THE BLACK CAULDRON and the success of THE LITTLE MERMAID. The period consisted of two films — THE GREAT MOUSE DETECTIVE, followed by OLIVER AND COMPANY. These anthropomorphic versions of SHERLOCK HOLMES and OLIVER TWIST paved the way for the masterpieces to come. THE GREAT MOUSE DETECTIVE isn’t a great film, but it’s a good one. The key to its success is its hero and villain — two egotists.

Hiram Flaversham (Alan Young, voice of Scrooge McDuck) is a master toymaker. One night he is snatched by Fidget (Candy Candido, THE RESCUERS), the peg-legged bay henchman of the villainous rat Professor Ratigan (Vincent Price, THE HOUSE OF WAX), who wants to replace the Queen of Mice (Eve Brenner) with a toy replica. But never call him a rat. Flaversham’s little daughter Olivia (Susanne Pollatschek) is left all alone and falls into the care of Dr. David Q. Dawson (Val Bettin, THE RETURN OF JAFAR). After hearing her plight, he takes her to Basil (Barrie Ingham, THE DAY OF THE JACKAL), a detective who has no time for a missing toymaker until he learns that Ratigan is involved.

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Lord of the Rings comes to Blu-ray!

There isn’t a great deal of new releases this week. Most films I suppose were scared off by the release of a certain trilogy on Blu-ray. But there is a pair of other Blu-rays worth checking out and a pair of films that are on my queue to see as well.
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Buy An Education

Better late than never I always say. The birth of my daughter, Maya Elise, pushed the publication of this week’s column. But I think it’s a good excuse. It’s a pretty little week for recommendations, but a heavy week for films I want to see.
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