Ondine Opening: June 4
Starring: Colin Farrell, Alicja Bachleda, Stephen Rea
What It’s About: When Irish fisherman Syracuse (Farrell) finds a mysterious woman named Ondine (Bachleda) in his fishing net, he assumes she is dead before finding out she may in fact be a mermaid. With the help of his disabled daughter, Syracuse falls in love with the possible mythical creature before a series of dark events threaten to overshadow the relationship.

Splice Opening: June 4
Starring: Adrien Brody, Sarah Polley, Delphine Cheneac
What It’s About: In Vincenzo Natali’s sci-fi thriller, Clive (Brody) and Elsa (Polley) are two scientists who mix human DNA with genetically engineered animal experiments to create Dren, a deformed female infant. Surprisingly, absolutely nothing goes wrong after that. Or Dren becomes a winged half-human monster hellbent on destroying all in her path.

The A-Team Opening: June 11
Starring: Liam Neeson, Bradley Cooper, Quinton Jackson, Sharlto Copley, Jessica Biel
What It’s About: In the big-screen version of TV’s ‘The A-Team’ — the TV show about three wrongly accused escaped military fugitives (and one crazy pilot) — Bradley Cooper plays Face; Liam Neeson is Hannibal, the man who loves it when a plan comes together; and Sharlto Copley brings the crazy as Capt. “Howling Mad” Murdock. Apparently Dirk Benedict, the original Face, approves: He filmed a cameo for the film. Looks like a lot of fun.

Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work Opening: June 11
Starring: Joan Rivers, Don Rickles, Kathy Griffin
What It’s About: This documentary takes a look at the life and work of Joan Rivers, one of the most popular comediennes and television personalities in history. Starting her career in the early ’60s as a stand-up comic — no small feat for a female at the time — Rivers became a ‘Tonight Show’ staple and has hosted several talk shows. Filmmakers Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg followed Rivers for a year as the comedian prepared for an one-woman show in the UK and became a participant on a reality TV show.

The Killer Inside Me Opening: June 18
Starring: Casey Affleck, Jessica Alba, Kate Hudson, Simon Baker, Bill Pullman
What It’s About: Michael Winterbottom (‘24 Hour Party People,’ ‘9 Songs’) directs this neo-noir about small-town Sheriff Lou Ford (Affleck), who leads a double life as a serial killer. When his area becomes inundated with unsolved murders, Ford must deflect any suspicions about him toward other suspects. The film is based on author Jim Thompson’s acclaimed 1952 novel.

Knight and Day Opening: June 25
Starring: Tom Cruise, Cameron Diaz, Peter Sarsgaard, Paul Dano
What It’s About: Diaz plays June, an unsuspecting lonely girl who literally runs into a dangerous secret agent named Milner (Cruise) inside an airport, an encounter that starts the two on a whirlwind chase to avoid capture by a federal agent (Peter Sarsgaard).

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse Opening: June 30
Starring: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner, Bryce Dallas Howard
What It’s About: In the third ‘Twilight’ film, Bella’s targeted by a vengeful vamp. And who — or what — is responsible for a string of mysterious slayings in Seattle? Bella’s still torn between Edward and Jacob, and her choice may be the spark that ignites an epic werewolf vs. vampire war. Plus, she’s got to study for finals: It’s her senior year! You know this will be huge!

The Last Airbender Opening: July 2
Starring: Jackson Rathbone, Dev Patel, Cliff Curtis, Nicola Peltz
What It’s About: M. Night Shyamalan tries his hand at a children’s fantasy flick in this hero’s adventure following young Aang (Noah Ringer), the last in a long line of Avatars, or masters of all four elements. To restore peace to the four nations (Fire, Earth, Water and Air), Aang must fulfill his destiny of defeating the evil Fire Lord (Curtis) and freeing the other elements’ people from his tyrannical rule. Sounds horrid, but let’s hope M. has another The Sixth Sense in him.

The Kids Are All Right Opening: July 7
Starring: Annette Bening, Mark Ruffalo, Julianne Moore, Mia Wasikowska, Josh Hutcherson
What It’s About: Committed couple Nic (Annette Bening) and Jules (Julianne Moore) have raised two teenagers together, but are thrown for a loop when their children want to track down their biological father (Mark Ruffalo) — and they all learn what it really means to be a family.

Cyrus Opening: July 9
Starring: John C. Reilly, Jonah Hill, Marisa Tomei, Catherine Keener
What It’s About: John (Reilly) has been divorced for seven years and has given up on meeting the perfect woman. When his ex-wife (Keener) invites him to a party, he meets Molly (Tomei), a beautiful, fun woman with only one downside: her weird son Cyrus (Hill). A 21-year-old New Age musician, Cyrus enjoys a bond with his mother that’s a bit closer than most, which means his displeasure with mom’s new boyfriend runs fast and deep, and Cyrus and John repeatedly — and comedically — lock horns.

The Sorcerer’s Apprentice Opening: July 16
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Jay Baruchel, Monica Bellucci, Alfred Molina
What It’s About: Jerry Bruckheimer’s latest summer action epic is a live-action adaptation of an animated segment in Disney’s ‘Fantasia’ and Goethe’s 18th-century ballad. Baruchel plays the Mickey Mouse character — a college student who winds up the chosen apprentice of a sorcerer (Cage) preparing for a supernatural war. Expect huge explosions, eye-popping special effects and as always, Cage in a crazy hairstyle. Bring the kids!

Inception Opening: July 16
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Ken Watanabe, Marion Cotillard
What It’s About: Does anyone really know? Christopher Nolan, the director of ‘The Dark Knight,’ returns with ‘Inception,’ a film everyone wants to see — though, really, no one has any clue what it’s about. Nolan explains the film as “exploring the idea of people entering a dream space and sharing a dream.” Awesome. Thanks for clearing that up.

Salt Opening: July 23
Starring: Angelina Jolie, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Liev Schreiber
What It’s About: Jolie takes over for Tom Cruise — who declined the role for other commitments — as the title character, Evelyn Salt (we assume the character’s name was not “Evelyn” when Crusie was attached). Salt is a CIA agent who is accused of working for the KGB and has to clear her name. Come to think of it: Cruise already made this film — it was called ‘Mission: Impossible.’

Dinner For Schmucks Opening: July 23
Starring: Steve Carell, Paul Rudd, Stephanie Szostak, Zach Galifianakis, Ron Livingston
What It’s About: Director Jay Roach has stolen Chris Rock’s idea of stealing European comedies and remaking them for American audiences. This adaptation of the French film ‘The Dinner Game’ follows rising executive Tim (Rudd), who must decide whether or not to bring Barry (Carell) as the perfect guest to his boss’s competition of finding the dumbest dinner guest. Carell and Galifianakis have landed the roles they were meant to play — geeks trying out-dweeb each other. The French version was great, but most of these French/American adaptations have been really bad, so I don’t expect much. Surprise me, please.

Beastly Opening: July 30
Starring: Alex Pettyfer, Vanessa Hudgens, Mary-Kate Olsen, Peter Krause, Neil Patrick Harris
What It’s About: Kyle (Alex Pettyfer) has it all — wealth, looks, privilege — until he cruelly picks on the wrong girl, a Goth who casts a spell that transforms him into an unrecognizable freak. The only cure: He must find someone who will love him as he is. Will he find his true love in Lindy (Vanessa Hudgens), an addict’s daughter whose life he saves, or is he doomed to stay a monster forever?

Get Low Opening: July 30
Starring: Robert Duvall, Sissy Spacek, Bill Murray
What It’s About: It’s the true story of Felix “Bush” Breazeale (Duvall) who, in the 1930s, came out of 40 years of seclusion to plan his own funeral party while still alive. “I want everybody to come who’s got a story to tell about me,” says Bush. The event became a national spectacle, with Bush selling lottery tickets to the funeral with his valuable plot of land as the prize. Twelve-thousand mourners reputedly arrived. Murray plays the funeral home owner in charge of arranging the event. Great cast, quirky story. Could be the sleeper hit.

Step Up 3D Opening: August 6
Starring: Rick Malambri, Sharni Vinson, Adam Sevani, Alyson Stoner
What It’s About: The third installment of the ‘Step Up’ series goes international — and 3-D. A tight-knit group of New York street dancers, including Luke (Rick Malambri) and Natalie (Sharni Vinson), team up with an NYU student (Adam Sevani) against the world’s best hip-hop dancers in a high-stakes showdown. Romance and eye-popping dance moves ensue.

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World Opening: August 13
Starring: Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Kieran Culkin
What It’s About: ‘Scott Pilgrim’ is a comic-book series about a bass-playing Canadian slacker; and of course, Michael Cera is playing the title role. Scott wants to date Ramona Flowers, but to do this, he must fight and defeat her seven evil exes, who now want to kill him. Think ‘Juno,’ only instead of a pregnancy and a hamburger phone, there are seven super-powered evil villains standing in the way of these two star-crossed lovers.

Mao’s Last Dancer Opening: August 6
Starring: Joan Chen, Kyle Maclachlan, Chi Cao, Chengwu Gao
What It’s About: Based on a true story, ‘Mao’s Last Dancer’ looks at the life of Li Cunxin (Cao), a boy who worked his way up from an apprenticeship as a classical dancer in communist China to a heralded star in America. Bruce Beresford’s film explores the cultural and political differences and uncertainties between the two countries and looks into the effects, both positive and negative, of fame and celebrity. ‘Dancer’ was filmed in China, the U.S. and Australia.

The Other Guys Opening: August 6
Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Will Ferrell, Samuel L. Jackson, Eva Mendes
What’s it about: Ferrell plays Allen Gamble, a pencil-pushing NYPD detective whose partner, Terry Hoitz (Mark Wahlberg), has been confined to desk work as punishment for being a little too quick on the trigger in the field. When an opportunity arrives that will call for the two of them to step up, hijinks and hilarity appropriately ensue. Sounds typically Ferrell.

Eat, Pray, Love Opening: August 6
Starring: Julia Roberts, Javier Bardem, Richard Jenkins, Billy Crudup, James Franco
What It’s About: After a painful divorce, Liz Gilbert (Julia Roberts) finds her priorities shifting in this adaptation of the best-selling memoir. She sets out to explore the world and find her true destiny. Her travels take her from Italy to India to Bali, and she meets some unforgettable people — including herself — along the way. Lovely travelogue if nothing else.

The Switch Opening: August 20
Starring: Jennifer Aniston, Jason Bateman, Jeff Goldbum, Patrick Wilson
What It’s About: Single Kassie (Jennifer Aniston) decides to use the turkey baster method to get pregnant, but doesn’t realize her friend Wally (Jason Bateman) has substituted his own sperm instead of her chosen donor. Seven years later, her son is the spitting image of Wally, and realizes he’s got to admit the truth — and how he really feels about Kassie.

The Tillman Story Opening: August 20
What It’s About: Pat Tillman was a former football player for the Arizona Cardinals before turning down a multi-million dollar contract to enlist in the U.S. Army. While serving in Afghanistan, Tillman was killed by friendly fire and became the center point of an alleged cover-up by the U.S. military and government to conceal the details of his death. Amir Bar-Lev (‘My Kid Could Paint That’) delves into Tillman’s life and investigates the circumstances behind his tragic and controversial death.

Going the Distance Opening: August 27
Starring: Drew Barrymore, Justin Long, Christina Applegate, Ron Livingston
What It’s About: On-again, off-again real-life couple Drew Barrymore and Justin Long star as lovers who find their long-distance relationship wearing thin. Temptation comes for Long in the form of Christina Applegate, who told the Belfast Telegraph, “It’s very dirty,” adding, “I saw a lot of Justin Long over the summer. See the movie and you’ll know why I said that.”

Happythankyoumoreplease Opening: August 27
Starring: Josh Radnor, Malin Akerman, Kate Mara
What It’s About: The winner of the Audience Award at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, Josh Radnor’s directorial debut looks at life in New York for a group of late 20s/early 30s people struggling to keep up with the pace of the city. While riding the subway, Sam (Radnor) meets Rasheen, a young boy abandoned by his parents, and subsequently takes him in. Mississippi (Mara) is a bartender trying to make it as a musician. Annie (Akerman) is a pretty girl who suffers from alopecia, a rare condition that leaves the person with no hair. Relationships intersect and lessons, we assume, are learned.

Lebanon Opening: August 13
Starring: Yoav Donat, Itay Taran, Oshri Cohen
What It’s About: Israeli writer/director Samuel Moaz crafts this historical drama set amid the 1982 Israel/Lebanon battle that sees four Israeli soldiers assigned to take part in the first strike on Lebanon. While setting out towards the Lebanese border, the men experience many facets of the war experience before arriving at their destination, a town already bombed by the Israeli Air Force. When a group of Syrian resistance fighters overtake the group, the soldiers find themselves in very dangerous territory. ‘Lebanon’ was an Official Selection at the 2009 Venice International Film Festival.

The film is based on the inspiring and ultimately tragic true story of Kaiulani, a half-Hawaiian, half-Scottish princess whose life and royal destiny is jeopardized by civil unrest in the island nation in the late 1800s. When a rebel party with links to the American government threatens to overthrow the monarchy, the 13-year-old princess is sent to live with friends of her father in Victorian England. There, she transforms into a strong yet compassionate woman with a deep-rooted sense of pride and duty toward her homeland. She also falls in love with a spirited young Englishman who doesn’t quite grasp the enormity of Kaiulani’s devotion to Hawaii. Princess Kaiulani embarks on a personal mission to defend her people against charges of barbarism and encourage the United States to let Hawaii remain a sovereign nation. And once annexation by the U.S. becomes a foregone conclusion, she fights to secure the right to vote for Hawaii’s natives (just the men, of course, since the U.S. was still a few decades away from granting women the right to vote!).

I’m no historian (and sadly, I’ve never been to Hawaii), so I can’t attest to the historical accuracy of the film. But it doesn’t claim to be a documentary, so you’ve got to cut it some slack in the dramatic license department. Without it, the movie might have teetered on boring. Instead, it’s a bit slow in parts but generally satisfying, at least for the art-house crowd.

Princess Kaiulani was originally titled Barbarian Princess. The term apparently rubbed some folks the wrong way, even though it was surely meant to be ironic – a slam to the ignorant western media that sought to portray native Hawaiians as barbarians. The princess comes across as anything but barbaric. She’s beautiful, well educated and passionate about preserving the rights and culture of her homeland and its native peoples. The film actually reminds me a bit of Whale Rider. It’s not quite the complete package that Whale Rider was, but it’s nice to see a ‘princess’ movie that wasn’t made by Disney and is actually based on a true story. Girls rule. ☺

Princess Kaiulani opens in limited release on May 14, 2010. For a list of cast and crew credits, click here.

Forget Team Edward and Team Jacob. We’ve heard that director Tim Burton and star Johnny Depp are making a feature film version of the classic 1960s gothic TV soap opera Dark Shadows, and producer Graham King now confirms that the film will shoot in the fall, with Depp to play broody vampire Barnabas Collins.

“We’re actually going to shoot that film next September/October with Tim Burton and Johnny,” King said in a group interview Friday in Los Angeles, where he was promoting The Young Victoria.

Burton is still finishing post-production on Alice in Wonderland, which also stars Depp and opens March 5, 2010. King is already prepping production on Dark Shadows with screenwriters so that it is ready for Burton to shoot next fall.

“We’ve been working on the script a lot, even though he’s working on Alice,” King continued. “We’ve been given a script. John August wrote the first screenplay. We’re making some changes, but the film’s going to be in production, as I say, September or October of next year.”

Dark Shadows was a daytime soap opera on ABC from 1966 to 1971 featuring Jonathan Frid as Collins. NBC tried a weekly prime-time series reboot in 1991. The original was famous for its gothic tone and setting.

King said the Dark Shadows film would have something to say in the post-Twilight world of emo vampires, but wouldn’t spoil the new take. “This is going to be Tim Burton and Johnny doing a vampire movie, right?” King teased. Enough said.

Personally, I can’t wait.

In the meantime, you can catch up on the old ones. And boy are they fun! They’re so horrible, they’re great!

Dark Shadows: The Haunting of Collinwood

Dark Shadows: The Vampire Curse

My choices as chickflix are marked with **. Others I would see are ***.

September 25

Fame — You know. I expect Mainstream chick to see this one. See the trailer.

**The Other Man – The story of a husband (Liam Neeson) who suspects his wife (Laura Linney) of adultery, and sets out to track down the other man (Antonio Banderas) in her life.

Pandorum -A pair of crew members (Dennis Quaid and Ben Foster) aboard a spaceship wake up with no knowledge of their mission or their identities.

***The Surrogates – A cop (Bruce Willis) through his surrogate robot, investigates the murders of others’ surrogates, and is forced to venture from his own home for the first time in years and unravels a conspiracy.

October 2

***Capitalism: a Love Story Michael Moore Documentary

The Invention of Lying – The film is set in an alternate world where there is no concept of lying or dishonesty – no one has ever said anything that wasn’t true. Mark Bellison (Rick Gervais) is a loser who can’t get a date, can’t hold a job, and is facing eviction from his apartment – until he tells the first lie. As the only person on the planet who can deceive others, he discovers that lying gives him enormous power to control people, advance himself, and shape the world to his liking. With Jennifer Garner, Rob Lowe

**Whip It - Drew Barrymore’s directorial debut – An indie-rock loving misfit (Ellen Page) finds a way of dealing with her small-town misery after she discovers a roller derby league in nearby Austin. Watch the trailer.

Zombieland – The most frightened guy (Woody Harrelson) on earth leads a crew of survivors in a world overrun by zombies.

October 9

**Couples Retreat – The comedy follows four Midwestern couples (Includes Vince Vaughn, Jason Bateman, Jon Favreau) who embark on a journey to a tropical island resort. What follows is a hilarious look at real world problems faced by all couples.

October 16

Law Abiding Citizen – Revenge thriller with Gerard Butler as a sociopath.

The Stepfather (Remake) A seemingly normal guy (Dylan Walsh) wants the perfect family, but when his new wife (Seal Ward) and stepchild don’t measure up, he makes plans to eliminate them and move on to the next.

***Where the Wild Things Are – The Maurice Sendak Fantasy directed by Spike Jonze. I am thrilled about this one since it was my favorite kids’ book ever.

October 23

**Amelia –Amelia Earhart story with Hilary Swank, Richard Gere, and Ewan McGregor – see my preview.

Astro Boy – Animation/ children’s story

Cirque Du Freak: the Vampire’s Assistant – Vampire movie.

Saw VI - Horror, cause we just need more and more of these, don’t we?

October 28

Michael Jackson This Is It

November 6

A Christmas Carol w/ Jim Carrey

**The Box –-A small wooden box arrives on the doorstep of a troubled married couple, who open it and become instantly wealthy. Little do they realize that opening the box also kills someone they do not know. Cameron Diaz

The Fourth Kind – Fact-based thriller involving an ongoing unsolved mystery in Alaska, where one town has seen an extraordinary number of unexplained disappearances during the past 40 years and there are accusations of a federal cover up. Milla Jovovich. Looks kind of Blair Witch to me. What do you think?

***Men Who Stare at Goats – A story set amongst the U.S. Army’s First Earth Battalion, a unit that employs paranormal powers in their missions. George Clooney, Ewan McGregor, Kevin Spacey, Jeff Bridges,

November 13

***2012 – A global cataclysm brings about the end of the world in 2012. John Cusack

***The Boat That Rocked – A period comedy about an illegal radio station in the North Sea in the 1960’s and a band of rogue DJs that captivated Britain, playing the music that defined a generation and standing up to a government that, incomprehensibly, preferred jazz. With fantastic ensemble cast including Bill Nighy, Kenneth Branagh, Philip Seymour Hoffman.

November 20

The Blind Side – The true story of football player Michael Oher, who is projected to be one of the first players selected in this year’s NFL draft. Oher was a homeless black teen from a broken home who was taken in by a well-to-do white family that saw extraordinary promise in him. Sandra Bullock, Kathy Bates, Tim McGraw, Quinton Aaron

Planet 51 The inhabitants of Planet 51 live in fear of alien invasion. Their paranoia is realized when an astronaut arrives from Earth. Befriended by a young resident, he has to avoid capture in order to recover his spaceship and try to return home. Animation

**The Twilight Saga: New Moon – The sequel to Twilight centers on Edward Cullen leaving Bella Swan in order to keep her safe from other vampires.

November 25

The Fantastic Mr. Fox – Clooney, Streep Animation

**Nine – Musical adaptation of Fellini – Daniel Day-Lewis, Nicole Kidman, Penelope Cruz, Kate Hudson, Judi Dench, Sophia Loren, Marion Cotillard, Stacy Ferguson See my hopes.

Ninja Assassin – A young ninja turns his back on orphanage that raised him, leading to a confrontation with a fellow ninja from the clan.

Old Dogs - Best friends and business partners (Robin Williams, John Travolta) are seeing their lives turned upside down when they find themselves in the care of 7 years old twins. The trailer looks horribly bad.

***The Road – The post-apocalyptic nightmarish road trip of a man (Viggo Mortensen) who tries to transport his son (Kodi Smit-McPhee) to safety while fending off starving stragglers and marauding packs of cannibals. , Charlize Theron, , Guy Pearce, Robert Duvall. It is a brilliant book. I just hope they do it well.

December 4

Armored – A guard for an armored truck company is coerced by his veteran coworkers to steal a truck containing $10 million. Matt Dillon, Laurence Fishburne, Jean Reno, Skeet Ulrich,

***Brothers – The powerful story of two siblings, thirty-something Captain Sam Cahill (Tobey Maguire) and younger brother Tommy Cahill (Jake Gyllenhaal), who are polar opposites. It is their compelling tale of coming to terms with issues of love, loyalty, and manhood–and with the woman caught between them.

December 11

***Invictus – A look at life for Nelson Mandela after the fall of apartheid in South Africa during his first term as president when he campaigned to host the 1995 Rugby World Cup event as an opportunity to unite his countrymen. Morgan Freeman, Matt Damon

**The Lovely Bones – Adaptation, the story of a murder girl watching from heaven as her killer is caught and her family deals with her loss. Rachel Weisz, Mark Wahlberg, Saoirse Ronan, Stanley Tucci, Susan Sarandon, Another good book I hope they’ve adapted well. You still have time to read it first.

The Princess and the Frog – Disney Animation – A fairy tale centered on a young girl named Princess Tiana who lives in New Orleans’ French Quarter during the Jazz Age.

December 18

Avatar From James Cameron. Jake Sully, a paraplegic war veteran, is brought to another planet, Pandora, which is inhabited by the Navi, a humanoid race with their own language and culture.

**Did You Hear About the Morgans? – An estranged high-powered New York couple witness a murder and are placed in a witness-protection program in a small Wyoming town. Hugh Grant, Sarah Jessica Parker, Mary Steenburgen, Elisabeth Moss, Michael Kelly Watch this.

December 25

Alvin and the Chipmunks: the Squeakuel

***The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus – Heath Ledger’s last role. The film is about Dr. Parnassus and his extraordinary ‘Imaginarium’, a travelling show where members of the audience get an irresistible opportunity to choose between light and joy or darkness and gloom. Heath Ledger, Christopher Plummer, Tom Waits, Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell, Jude Law

**It’s Complicated – A romantic comedy in which two men (Alec Baldwin & Steve Martin) vie for the affection of a woman (Meryl Streep).

***Sherlock Holmes – In a dynamic new portrayal of Arthur Conan Doyle’s most famous characters, “Sherlock Holmes” sends Holmes (Robert Downey Jr.,) and his stalwart partner Watson (Jude Law) on their latest challenge. Revealing fighting skills as lethal as his legendary intellect, Holmes will battle as never before to bring down a new nemesis and unravel a deadly plot that could destroy the country. See my take.