Summer 2014 movie preview: August full of action
Hollywood finishes off its summer with gusto — in the form of sci-fi action (Guardians of the Galaxy), lots and lots of explosions (The Expendables 3) and bullets on the noir-esque mean streets (Sin City: A Dame to Kill For) with August's slate.
The week-by-week highlights:
AUG. 1
Calvary
Stars: Brendan Gleeson, Chris O'Dowd, Kelly Reilly
Director: John Michael McDonagh
Plot: A good-natured priest has to battle dark forces surrounding him after he is threatened during a confession.
Get on Up
Stars: Chadwick Boseman, David Andrew Nash, Nelsan Ellis
Director: Tate Taylor
Plot: James Brown's ascent from poverty to fame is chronicled in this biopic.
Guardians of the Galaxy
Stars: Chris Pratt, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper
Director: James Gunn
Plot: An American pilot finds himself the target of a manhunt after stealing an orb coveted by a villain in the far reaches of space.
What If
Stars: Daniel Radcliffe, Adam Driver, Zoe Kazan
Director: Michael Dowse
Plot: A pair of good friends realize they may be the love of each other's lives — despite that boyfriend.
AUG. 8
Into the Storm
Stars: Sarah Wayne Callies, Richard Armitage, Jeremy Sumpter
Director: Steven Quale
Plot: The devastating effects and aftermath of a tornado are documented by a group of high school students.
Lucy
Stars: Scarlett Johansson, Morgan Freeman, Analeigh Tipton
Director: Luc Besson
Plot: A woman turns into a merciless warrior when she is taken by captors.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Stars: Megan Fox, Will Arnett, William Fichtner
Director: Jonathan Liebesman
Plot: Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo and Donatello emerge from their home in the storm sewers of Manhattan to battle evil.
The Hundred-Foot Journey
Stars: Rohan Chand, Helen Mirren, Charlotte Le Bon
Director: Lasse Hallstrom
Plot: An Indian family moves to France and opens a restaurant across the street from a French restaurant in Paris.
AUG. 13
Let's Be Cops
Stars: Nina Dobrev, King, Jake Johnson
Director: Luke Greenfield
Plot: A couple pals who dress as cops for a costume party find themselves in a real-life web of mobsters and dirty detectives.
AUG. 15
The Expendables 3
Stars: Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li
Director: Patrick Hughes
Plot: The old team — with some new additions — unites when it comes face-to-face with The Expendables co-founder, whose moral compass has gone astray.
The Giver
Stars: Alexander Skarsgard, Brenton Thwaites, Meryl Streep
Director: Phillip Noyce
Plot: A young boy must learn the true nature of pain and pleasure in a world seemingly free of war, pain and suffering.
The One I Love
Stars: Mark Duplass, Elisabeth Moss, Ted Danson
Director: Charlie McDowell
Plot: A couple struggling with a marriage on the rocks find more than they bargained for during a weekend getaway.
AUG. 22
If I Stay
Stars: Chloë Grace Moretz, Mireille Enos, Liana Liberato
Director: R.J. Cutler
Plot: A 17-year-old girl is left in a coma after a car accident claims her family.
Sin City: A Dame to Kill For
Stars: Jessica Alba, Mickey Rourke, Rosario Dawson
Directors: Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez
Plot: A city's most reviled inhabitants come to cross paths with its most hard-boiled citizens.
When the Game Stands Tall
Stars: Jim Caviezel, Alexander Ludwig, Michael Chiklis
Director: Thomas Carter
Plot: The story of football coach Bob Loudouceur, who led a high school team on a 151-game winning streak.
AUG. 27
Underdogs
Stars: Rupert Grint, Anthony Head, Peter Serafinowicz
Director: Juan Jose Campanella
Plot: With the help of the players from his beloved Foosball game, a young man sets off on an unexpected adventure.
AUG. 29
Jessabelle
Stars: Sarah Snook, Mark Webber, Joelle Carter
Director: Kevin Greutert
Plot: A woman recovering from an accident discovers a terrifying presence in her father's rundown home.
Life of Crime
Stars: Jennifer Aniston, Isla Fisher, Mos Def
Director: Daniel Schechter
Plot: Two criminals help a kidnapped woman take revenge on her wealthy husband, who refuses to pay her ransom. Adapted from Elmore Leonard's novel The Switch.
The Loft
Stars: Rachael Taylor, Karl Urban, James Marsden
Director: Erik Van Looy
Plot: After a body is discovered in a loft they share for trysts, friends begin to question one another.