Hollywood studios, breathing a sigh of relief after settling the writer's strike and with fingers crossed with hopes for a quick new contract with the actor and director unions, are gearing up for the main reason they are still so profitable: the summer blockbuster movie season. Though there are still sequels aplenty, this is a summer season that has plenty of new potential franchises in the blockbuster department along with a batch of indies that have raised the curiosity factor. As usual, specific LGBT-themed movies get short shrift ( Sex and the City doesn't really count ) , but there's still plenty here for queer audiences to savor from this random assortment. Once again, we've created a LGBT Alert level chart ( guess what inspired that ) to help in the decision-making process.
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Among the films/DVDs LGBT audiences can look forward to are ( clockwise from top left in first photo ) : Speed Racer; Wanted; Sex and the City; The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian; Savage Grace; The Dark Knight; Lars and the Real Girl; and Shelter. Additional photos: The Chronicles of Narnia—Prince Caspian, Wanted, and Savage Grace.
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LGBT Content Movie Alert Level Chart:
—Severe: Don't think twice; order tickets online and head to the nearest theater
—High: LGBT activities and characters prominent or film hotly anticipated by queer audiences
—Elevated: Queer-friendly, LGBT plot points or characters or mucho opportunities to ogle male or female eye candy
—Guarded: Minimal LGBT material or characters, although actors or filmmakers are gay or gay-friendly
—Low: No apparent LGBT content or characters and no straight performers or situations worth fantasizing about—in other words, no queer content to speak of
With those rating guidelines in mind, here's a week by week list of just some of the tantalizing entrees from this summer's movie offerings.
May
—Iron Man: Ready or not, summer movies leap out of the gate with yet another comic-book-to-potential-action-blockbuster franchise. This one stars Robert Downey, Jr., the one-time tabloid prince who has played a bevy of queer roles in the past and always brings a level of sexual ambiguity to his characters' stars. And don't you love an action hero played by a 43-year-old? Queer Alert Level: Elevated ( May 2 )
—Speed Racer: Emile Hirsch, who broke through with Into the Wild and adds support to Gus Van Sant's forthcoming Harvey Milk bio, co-stars with gay audience favorite Christina Ricci in this big-screen adaptation of the Japanese cartoon classic from the Matrix trilogy's Wachowski brothers. Queer Level Alert: Guarded ( May 9 )
—The Witnesses: Another of those French bisexual triangles in which husband and wife meet gay hunk, who finds his way into husband's heart ( and bed ) . Queer Level Alert: High ( May 16 at the Music Box )
—The Chronicles of Narnia—Prince Caspian: The second installment of Disney's adaptation of the C.S. Lewis books is set 1,300 years after the first. Newcomer and cutie pie Ben Barnes plays the title role but, alas, James McAvoy's Mr. Tumnus the faun and the hunky centaur will not be back. Queer Level Alert: Guarded ( May 16 )
—Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull: Perhaps the summer's most anticipated sequel finds Harrison Ford returning to his iconic role for a fourth go-round. Shia LeBeouf and Cate Blanchett ( in a Louise Brooks wig ) co-star. Queer Level Alert: Guarded ( May 23 )
—Sex and the City—The Movie: They're baaaaack and, even though details of the big-screen reunion of the quartet that launched a thousand imitators have been sketchy, just the promise of seeing our gals slurping those cosmos and kvetching with their gay best buds has whetted our appetite. Queer Level Alert: High ( May 30 )
June
—The Incredible Hulk: Edward Norton takes on the title role of the green giant, Liv Tyler plays his love interest and, yes, Iron Man's Robert Downey, Jr. plays a supporting role in this new version of the comic book classic. Queer Alert Level: Guarded ( June 13 )
—Savage Grace: Julianne Moore and Eddie Redmayne play mother and ( gay ) son in this true story of wealth, power and murder. Queer Alert Level: High ( June 13 at the Landmark Century )
—The Happening: M. Night Shyamalan's latest attempt to scare you involves a 'natural crisis' and stars former Calvin Klein underwear model Mark Wahlberg, Zooey Deschanel and, oddly enough, features support from two Broadway divas: Betty Buckley and Victoria Clark. Queer Alert Level: Guarded ( June 13 )
—Get Smart: Funnyman Steve Carell and Devil Wears Prada's Anne Hathaway star in the comedic big screen version of the Mel Brooks '60s spy spoof TV sitcom. Wrestling hunk Dwayne Johnson ( formerly 'The Rock' ) co-stars. Queer Alert Level: Guarded ( June 20 )
—The Love Guru: Mike Myers returns with another hoped-for comedic franchise, this time as an East Indian self-help love guru, complete with beard and mustache. Jessica Alba and Justin Timberlake co-star. Queer Alert Level: Guarded ( June 13 )
—A Four Letter Word: This follow up to Slutty Summer features 'Dante's Cove' star Charlie David and several other buff guys in various states of undress. The plot focuses on what happens when a circuit queen—horror of horrors!—falls in love. Queer Level Alert: Severe ( June 6 at the Music Box )
—Wanted: Mrs. Brad Pitt, aka Angelina Jolie, kicks butt in another action role, teaming up with Morgan Freeman and red-hot James McAvoy. Queer Alert Level: Guarded ( June 27 )
July
—Hancock: I Am Legend's Will Smith co-stars with Jason Batman and Charlize Theron as a cranky, skirt-chasing superhero in this comedy/action/drama/blockbuster thingy. Queer Alert Level: Guarded ( July 11 )
—Journey to the Center of the Earth 3-D: Male eye candy Brendan Fraser heads a big-budget remake of the beloved Jules Verne classic. Queer Alert Level: Guarded ( July 18 )
—The Dark Knight: This is the summer's other most anticipated film. This sequel to Batman Returns, shot in Chicago and starring Christian Bale, marks one of Brokeback Mountain's Heath Ledger's last roles. The Internet is already teeming with posthumous Oscar buzz for Ledger's unusual performance as The Joker. Maggie Gyllenhaal steps in for Mrs. Tom Cruise, aka Katie Holmes. Queer Alert Level: Elevated ( July 18 )
—Mamma Mia!: Meryl Streep finally stars in a musical—the summer's lightest romp—the film version of the ABBA-scored megamusical. Dreamboats Pierce Brosnan and Colin Firth as well as funny ladies Christine Baranski and Julie Walters co-star along with Amanda Seyfried. It's this summer's Hairspray. Queer Alert Level: High ( July 18 )
—Chicago Outdoor Film Festival: Once again, the line-up for this year's Grant Park movie fest seems to have been programmed for gay audiences. Bette Davis! George Sanders! Thelma Ritter! Cary Grant! Deborah Kerr! John Travolta! Olivia Newton-John! Stockard Channing! Klaatuu Barada Nikto! Queer Alert Level: High
Jul. 15: All About Eve
Jul. 22: The Odd Couple
Jul. 29: The Blues Brother
Aug. 5: The Day the Earth Stood Still
Aug. 12: Touch of Evil
Aug. 19: An Affair to Remember
Aug. 26: Grease
—The X Files: I Want to Believe: Scully and Mulder ( David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson ) are back for more alien sleuthing—10 years after their first film feature. We want to believe this was worth the wait. Queer Alert Level: Elevated ( July 25 )
August
—The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor: Brendan Fraser's second summer '08 action blockbuster finds him return to the franchise that made him a superstar. Queer Alert Level: Elevated ( Aug. 1 )
—Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2: 'Ugly Betty's' America Ferrara, 'Gilmore Girl's' Alexis Bledel and the other two ladies return for more contractual adventure and romance. Queer Alert Level: Guarded ( Aug. 8 )
—Tropic Thunder: Ben Stiller helms this already controversial black comedy about a group of actors forced to become real-life soldiers in the war movie they're making. Jack Black and, yes, Robert Downey, Jr., co-star. Look for cameos from eye candy Matthew McConaughey, Tobey Maguire, and Scientology poster boy Tom Cruise as an elderly, crotchety studio exec. Queer Alert Level: Elevated ( Aug. 15 )
—The House Bunny: Anna Faris stars in what sounds like a variation on Legally Blonde as an ex-Playboy bunny who moves into a sorority house. Queer Alert Level: Guarded ( Aug. 22 )
—Babylon A.D.: Vin Diesel comes to his senses and returns to the sci-fi action genre, flexing those famous biceps of his once more. Queer Alert Level: Elevated ( Aug. 29 )