The story of this post begins with a podcast. At school, my friend (who I wrote this birthday card to) asked if I had listened to The Popcast’s most recent episode, Episode 297: Summer Movie Review. I said no, because while I think I’ve listened to every episode of the sibling podcast, The Bible Binge, I wasn’t subscribed to The Popcast.
They’re both hosted by Knox and Jamie (who are so awesome and hilarious), but The Popcast is about pop culture, a realm I am pretty clueless about. But I’m considering changing my mind and subscribing though. Listening to the summer movie episode was like listening to your friends talk and make you laugh for an hour.
From the episode, I found out about a bunch of new movies that I haven’t heard anything about. This list includes twelve of the movies they talked about. They all caught my attention in some way, but I am not that interested in watching all of them. There are two I for sure want to see, seven that caught my attention but it’s questionable, and three that I have to mention because they’re Disney/Pixar.
May
Aladdin (May 24)
Rating: PG-13
Length: 2h8m
Thoughts:
I watched the Cinderella live action and though it was okay, and I haven’t watched the Beauty and the Beast live action but heard it was just okay, so I’m not sure how this one is going to go. A friend at school told me that this Aladdin movie changes the plot-I hope that’s not true.
June
The Dead Don’t Die (June 14)
Rating: R
Length: 1h43m
Thoughts:
Okay okay okay, this movie is a zombie horror movie, which is so extremely out of my element. I have never watched a horror movie because I can’t watch them. I can’t even make it through the trailers of horror movies that sometimes play before your Youtube videos. But The Dead Don’t Die looks like a unique kind of horror movie, especially because of the trailer’s music and font. Also, is that an Avengers reference I see at the beginning of the trailer???
The Last Black Man in San Francisco (June 14)
Rating: R
Length: 2h
Thoughts:
I don’t have that clear of a picture of what this movie is about besides that there’s two men trying to buy a house that significant to them in some way but it’s a struggle. Well I guess that’s not that blurry of a picture. But I agree with what Knox and Jamie said-it just looks like a really beautiful movie. And like a story that doesn’t usually get told to lots of people.
Them That Follow (June 21)
Rating: R
Length: 1h38m
Thoughts:
I don’t know why this movie still doesn’t have a trailer, but it doesn’t. From what they said, it’s about a girl who’s in a church that handles snakes and does things of that sort as a way to prove God’s power. It follows her complicated relationship with the church and deciding whether or not to leave.
Toy Story 4 (June 21)
Rating: G
Length: 1h21m
Thoughts:
Um. So I don’t have that fond of memories of the first three Toy Story’s. You know the evil purple bear in Toy Story 3? What other animated movie has that scary of a villan? Maybe if I rewatched them now, I would change my mind like how I did about Monsters Inc., but as of right now, I’m not that interested in watching Toy Story 4.
Yesterday (June 28)
Rating: PG-13
Length: 1h56m
Thoughts:
This movie is about a guy who hits his head and wakes up in an alternative world where the Beatles never existed so he writes all the Beatles’ songs as if they’re his and he gets really famous. What a plot, am I right? Whenever movies like this come out, I’m always curious what it was like in the brainstorming room and how everybody reacted when the person first pitched it.
July
Spider-Man: Far From Home (July 2)
Rating: PG-13 (actually, the rating is officially on the internet yet, but that was the rating for Spider-man: Homecoming, so I’m assuming it’s going to be the same)
Length: 2h15m
Thoughts:
Yepppp, this is one of the two movies I am definitely watching.
Stuber (July 12)
Length: 1h45m
Thoughts:
Knox and Jamie had high compliments for this movie, which surprised me. I really hope they’re right though. It’s about this guy called Stu who’s an Uber driver who picks up another guy (played by the actor Dave Batista AKA Drax from Guardians of the Galaxy!) who’s on “official police business.” And then craziness happens as the Uber driver is pulled along into very abnormal circumstances. This feels like a movie that could be bad and dumb and actually not that funny and meaningless, but I really really hope Knox and Jamie are right.
The Farewell (July 12)
Rating: PG
Length: 1h38m
Thoughts:
Okay, this is the other movie I am definitely watching. Awkwafina (who was also in Crazy Rich Asians) is the star in this movie. Her grandmother has cancer but the family has decided the best idea is to not tell her. Instead, they create a fake wedding and get everybody to go back for a reunion in order to be around the grandmother. Agh, I think it’s going to be so good.
Lion King (July 19)
Thoughts:
Yea, my thoughts on this one are similar to my thoughts for Aladdin and Toy Story 4. In my opinion, the quality of this movie is questionable.
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (July 26)
Length: 2h45m
Thoughts:
I was talking to my birthday card+Popcast friend about how this movie looks interesting but I don’t really know what’s going on, and she said you have to watch it because it’s directed by Quentin Tarantion, and he’s only making ten movies. As an artist choice I think? I’m a little confused by it because on Google it attributes so many movies to him in one of those horizontal bar thingys, but the somehwere else it said Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is his ninth-so second to last?-one. Also, he’s only 56 years old. If he stops at ten movies, what is he going to do afterwards? Anywhere, here’s what I think the plot is about. This guy and his stunt double are actors who have been doing westerns for their entire acting careers, but now the movie industry is changing, and they have to figure out what to do.
August
Where’d You Go, Bernadette? (August 16)
Rating: PG-13
Length: 2h10m
Thoughts:
This is the movie adaptation of the book Where’d You Go, Bernadette that came out a few years ago and was really popular. I read it last year in prepartion for this movie, and it was on my good books I read list for 2018. But as you know, adaptations are finicky. (Cough, Percy Jackson, cough cough.) The trailer looks pretty tight to the book though, so that is a good sign.
Have you ever been to a drive-in movie before?
What types of movies do you like?
Do any of the movies look interesting to you?
P.P.S. Drive-in movie photo from Teenagershine tumblr.
Zoelogist 
SO MANY MOVIES. SO LITTLE TIME. Or should I say money, because going to the theatre is always an expensive ride for me and I have a lot of things I want to watch.
I recently watched Aladdin and I loved it! I thought it was a pretty remarkable live action, even if I’m not the biggest fan of those. I still think they did a great job and despise all the controversy as far as casting goes, I think people will be surprised once they watch it, because all the performances were amazing (though Will Smith’s was my favorite). I know a lot of people will compare it to Robin Williams, but since I’ve only watched the animation for Aladdin with Portuguese audio, I can’t tell you which one is better.
This past month, two biopics were released and I’m super excited about both of them. My friend already watched Tolkien and he’s been talking about it nonstop, so I feel like it’s my duty to watch it. Rocketman, which is inspired by Elton John’s life story is also out and even though I’m not a huge Elton John fan, I think it has a lot of potential.
Yesterday also sounds amazing, though I’m biased because I love Lily James with all of my heart, lol. And even if Spiderman: Far From Home gave me more Lizzie McGuire vibes than I’d like to, I’m sure my friends will force me to watch this one as well, hahah.
I didn’t know about this whole thing of Tarantino only directing 10 movies. I really don’t understand these artistic movie directors. I think it will be a big one, though, since it’s starring Leo diCaprio AND Brad Pitt. Despise the great cast, I don’t think I’ll be watching this one.
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AHHH I COMPLETELY AGREE. Haha, I’ve actually slightly considered getting one of those movie passes for this summer because of all the movies.
Ohh, I was literally just hoping for a personal review of Aladdin! Have you watched the Beauty and the Beast and the Cinderella live actions, and if so, how does Aladdin compare? Oh, I haven’t heard about the casting controversy. What was it about? I didn’t know Robin Williams was the voice of the Genie! I only recognize him because I watched Good Will Hunting earlier this year.
I’ve actually heard not great reviews of Tolkien, but I’m guessing your friend has read and loves all his books? Oh, my friend is excited for Rocketman! She absolutely loved Bohemian Rhapsody. I have a feeling these musician biopics is going to become a trend like all these Disney live actions.
What are your favorite movies that you’ve seen Lily James in? I still haven’t watched Mama Mia yet. I actually never watched Lizzie McGuire-do you mean the students traveling and hijinks part? I’m not completely sure about the ten movies thing. Hahaha, I’m curious what he’s going to do afterward is it’s true. I know! I’m not sure either, but it does sound cool. I was confused by the trailer but after reading what it’s actually about, it sounds very interesting. Oh, Margot Robbie is also in it!
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SO MANY MOVIES. Ahh, how are they going to do a live action Lion King?? I’m on the fence about that one too. The Lion King is just so iconic I don’t know if it should be touched…too late now, haha. I do want to see the live action Aladdin. I loved the live action Beauty and the Beast and Cinderella, maybe because I’m a sucker for a fairytale and I love Emma Watson so I had to see her in Beauty and the Beast. :))
I saw the trailer for the Spiderman one when I was watching Five Feet Apart in theaters, and I was so intrigued by it! So maybe after I finish all the other movies I’ll watch it.
I am definitely watching Toy Story 4. XD As a child I got scared by movies easily so I missed out on so many childhood movies but Toy Story was one that I actually watched. I remember crying in the theater during Toy Story 3 when Andy went to college, lol.
I haven’t been to a drive in movie, but that’s a summer goal for me because I know there’s one nearby. (Hey, that’s something for me to put on our collab post!)
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AHHH RIGHT? Hahaha, I feel like it doesn’t exactly deserve to be called a live action. If Lion King was actually made into a live action, I think it would be kind of scary. Okay, I love Emma Watson too. I’m still not completely sure whether I am going to go see Aladdin. It has a good audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, so I think if I get a positive review from someone personally, that will convince me.
Oh yea, how was Five Feet Apart?? Did it induce major tears? I think you will really like Spiderman.
Whaaat, I feel Toy Story is one of the scariest animated movies. I think I just never got into the Toy Story movies for some reason. Ahh, yes! I need to look up a drive in movie near me.
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Exactly! HAHA, I’m imagining animal pandemonium and it’s pretty frightening in my imagination right now. I heard from one of my friends that Aladdin was great, but then her sister who I’m also friends with thought it was terrible…so I’m going to need a more convincing review to make my decision.
Five Feet Apart was really, really good! I recommend seeing it. I did cry a couple times and I will say that the ending satisfied me and felt really real. Also, the actors were so good!
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Hahaha, I know! Okay, I’ve heard good reviews on Aladdin but also bad ones too. But they’ve all been secondhand, so I’m with you-I’m going to need some more thoughts. If I only I had a clone that watched all the movies (and read all the books!) I was interested in so I could know exactly if I was going to like it or not.
Ahh, okay! Ohh, that’s interesting because the premise isn’t real for most of the people watching it. Who were the actors?
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Yeah! By ‘real,’ I mean that the ending felt realistic and it didn’t seem to sugarcoat the possible results of living with cystic fibrosis, if that makes sense. The main actors were Cole Sprouse and Haley Lu Richardson! There were a lot of other amazing ones, they are just the two MAIN main characters.
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Oh I did not know Cole Sprouse was in it! Wow, I watched a bunch of Suite Life On Deck, so it really felt like he hibernated for a good many years, and is now popping up again. Specifically with-ugh I can’t remember the name, but you probably know what I’m talking about. With Archie and Veronica. I love when there’s it’s an entire cast of amazing characters, not just two.
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Yes! Ahh, Riverdale is the name you were thinking of. I think. I’ve watched three episodes of it so I don’t consider myself a Riverdale expert. XD
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Ohh, there we go, thank you. I have not watched any episodes, but I have definitely heard a bunch about it. Did you like the episodes you watched? I’ve heard it’s extremely unrealistic but kind of addicting?
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I did like it! I’m planning to keep watching it with my friend because there’s no way in heck I can watch it alone. (It was a little scary. Well, more creepy than scary.) It is addicting, especially because there are so many cliffhangers!
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Oh sorry, I completely did not respond to the beginning of your comment. Yes, that makes sense, I know what you mean.
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