“Jurassic World”: Ten Movies to see in June

Ahoy! As always, I like to take a look at the month in advance to see what cinematic offerings are coming our way. This time out, it’s the June releases that I’m going to be prepping you for, and as an added bonus, I’ve seen a fair number of them already. In fact, if you include one that I’m seeing this coming Monday, there are only two or three that I’ve yet to lay eyes on at this point. That hopefully lends a little bit of extra credence to my picks, though clearly your mileage may ultimately vary. Regardless, June is shaping up to be a very solid month for film, so you’ll undoubtedly have multiple things to see starting next week. Take a look below and obviously stay tuned fore more on many of them…

Here now are the ten best bets for movies in June:

10. Entourage – The HBO show gets a big screen version for all of us who enjoyed the look at Hollywood while it was on the air. I don’t think anyone is expecting this to win over those who didn’t like it while it was running, but fans of the show should enjoy this one for what it is. Doug Ellin is still at the helm and the entire cast is back, so even if this is just a thinly veiled tribute to Mark Wahlberg, it should still be fun.

9. Infinitely Polar Bear – Mark Ruffalo plays a man with bipolar disorder in this Sundance Film Festival alum. I missed my initial screening, but I’ve heard very good things about his performance. For those of you who want some effective blockbuster season counter-programming, this could definitely be an option to consider. Ruffalo alone should sell some of you.

8. Spy – I just saw this action comedy and found it to be really enjoyable. It’s not filmmaker Paul Feig’s best (that would be Bridesmaids), but it’s a surprisingly effective mix of action and comedy. In fact, there might even be more of the former than needed, but Melissa McCarthy, Rose Byrne, and Jason Statham are having a blast. I have a hunch that you will too, if you wind up checking it out.

7. Ted 2 – One of the most anticipated sequels if the year is the follow up to a surprising comedy smash. Co-writer/director/star Seth MacFarlane (along with another Wahlberg entry on this list) is one of the titans of comedy these days, so another outing with the raunchy talking teddy bear should be a lot of fun. I’m hoping for lightning to strike twice, but I have no doubt that it’s going to be a really big hit. This could be one of the summer’s top moneymakers.

6. Gabriel – This small character study impressed me, particularly when it comes to Rory Culkin’s stunning lead performance in the title role. It’s the sort of acting showcase that should really make him a go to actor in the next few years. The movie is probably too small for any real awards notice, but Culkin deserves to be remembered for this one in some way.

5. Manglehorn – Filmmaker David Gordon Green and Al Pacino make for a great team here, as the former continues to experiment/go back to his roots, while the latter turns in his best work in literally a decade at least. Green is a personal favorite of mine, so watching the filmmaker play around with this small scale drama is a pleasure, though Pacino finally getting a role worth his salt again is what will probably be of most note to audiences.

4. Love & Mercy – Both John Cusack and Paul Dano blew me away in this unconventional biopic of Beach Boys frontman Brian Wilson. Dano plays Wilson as a younger man when he first begins to succumb to mental illness at the height of the band’s success, but Cusack portrays him as an older man, struggling to get his life back on track. Hopefully this one gets the attention of the Academy, since both are absolutely worthy of Oscar nominations.

3. Inside Out – A reported return to form for Pixar after a few only modest successful outings, this is a look at emotions through the spectrum of a girl growing up. It really impressed a lot of people at the Cannes Film Festival, even sparking some Best Picture chatter. That remains to be seen, but Pete Doctor’s latest animated success story should be the odds on favorite for Best Animated Feature come Oscar time.

2. Me and Earl and the Dying Girl – One of this year’s biggest hits from Sundance and Park City, some have tipped this one for awards. Essentially a more indie version of The Fault in Our Stars, this is a well regarded YA tearjerker that seems to have a quirky film-centric side to it as well. I see it in just a few days, so sit tight until then, as I suspect I might be raving about it then.

1. Jurassic World – For my money, this is one of the biggest releases to look forward to all year, not just in June. A modern update of Jurassic Park, one that cements Chris Pratt as a movie star? Count me in. Unlike some, I’ve really liked the Trailers and promotional material so far, which makes me think that I’m going to be blown away by the final product. I’m sure I won’t be alone, either…