10. The Conjuring
Release Date: 2nd August (UK) / 19th July (US)
Director: James Wan
Stars: Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Ron Livingston
What’s The Story? From James Wan, director of Insidious, comes another film guaranteed to make your pants change a shade. A couple of paranormal investigators are hired for what becomes the most terrifying case of their lives, as they help a family terrorised by a dark force hiding out in their farmhouse. Probably not just a load of erratic hens getting antagonised by foxes.
Impress Your Mates: It’s based on a true story. Yikes. Maybe Most Haunted wasn’t a load of bunkum.
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11. From Up On Poppy Hill
Release Date: 2nd August (UK) / 28th March (US)
Director: Goro Miyazaki
Stars: Anton Yelchin, Christina Hendricks (Voices)
What’s The Story? Set in 1963 Yokohama Japan, the story follows a teenage girl living in a boarding house who fights to stop her school’s clubhouse from being demolished. To make way for the Olympics.
Impress Your Mates: Director Goro Miyazaki is the son of Spirited Away‘s Hayao Miyazaki.
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12. Kick-Ass 2
Release Date: 16th August
Director: Jeff Wadlow
Stars: Chloe Grace Moretz, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Jim Carrey
What’s The Story? Kick Ass is back, and this time he ain’t going it alone. Roping in a gaggle of similarly costumed citizens, the boy wonder is on a mission to kick the booty of crime while dodging the wrath of Red Mist. No, it’s not a gas, it’s another guy in a jumpsuit.
Impress Your Mates: Star Jim Carrey has since renounced his support for the film following the Sandy Creek massacre.
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13. Elysium
Release Date: 23rd August (UK) / 9th August (US)
Director: Neill Blomkamp
Stars: Matt Damon, Jodie Foster, Sharlto Copley
What’s The Story? Set in 2154, Elysium takes place in a world where the rich live on a man-made space station hovering above Earth. The rest of us grunts who haven’t got two bus tickets to scrape together have to make do with the ruins of our planet. There’s one chap who thinks this is a trifle unfair and sets about busting onto the space station.
Impress Your Mates: Director Blomkamp and star Copley worked together on 2009’s District 9.
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14. We’re The Millers
Release Date: 23rd August (UK) / 9th August (US)
Director: Rawson Marshall Thurber
Stars: Jennifer Aniston, Jason Sudeikis, Emma Roberts, Ed Helms
What’s The Story? A pothead drug dealer ropes in a bunch of randoms in order to pull off a drug deal across the border in Mexico. Under the guise of a fake family, The Millers, the troop get up to all sorts of hijinkery that most definitely includes a stripping Jennifer Aniston.
Impress Your Mates: Steve Buscemi was at one point considered for the lead role.
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15. What Maisie Knew
Release Date: 23rd August (UK) / 3rd May (US)
Director: Scott McGehee, David Siegel
Stars: Julianne Moore, Alexander Skarsgard, Steve Coogan
What’s The Story? A modern day Kramer Vs. Kramer, What Maisie Knew is actually an adaptation of the Henry James novel. It focuses on the story of 7-year old Maisie as she is caught in a custody battle between her rock star mama and art dealer father.
Impress Your Mates: Julianne Moore took inspiration for her role from Courtney Love.
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16. The Way, Way Back
Release Date: 28th August (UK) / 5th July (UK)
Director: Nat Faxon, Jim Rash
Stars: Steve Carell, Toni Collette, Sam Rockwell, Allison Janney, Maya Rudolph, Rob Corddry
What’s The Story? During his summer break, a lonely teenager blossoms into a lovely young man after striking up a friendship with one of the managers at a local water park. Last time I tried that I was told to stop offering Bacardi Breezers to on-duty lifeguards.
Impress Your Mates: Jake Gyllenhaal was at one point signed on for the role of the manager.
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17. R.I.P.D.
Release Date: 30th August (UK) / 19th July (US)
Director: Robert Schwentke
Stars: Ryan Reynolds, Jeff Bridges, Mary Louise Parker
What’s The Story? After a beat cop is gunned down on the job, he is zapped into the sky and slammed into a new job working for the Rest In Peace Department. Along with his cranky partner, he returns to Earth to hunt down ghosts and ghoulies while tracking down the man who killed him. Sounds a little like Men In Black crossed with Ghostbusters. Brilliant.
Impress Your Mates: One of the film’s big sequences was shot close to where Bridges was nearly fatally wounded while filming Blown Away.
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18. About Time
Release Date: 6th September (UK) / 8th November (US)
Director: Richard Curtis
Stars: Rachel McAdams, Bill Nighy
What’s The Story? Rachel McAdams can’t stay away from time travel flicks, as she’s back again this time in the latest from Love Actually director Richard Curtis. The neat riff here is linked into a coming-of-age tale, as 21-year old Tim finds out on his birthday from his father that all the men in their family can travel through time. Using his gift for the greater good, he decides to bag himself a girlfriend in McAdams. Can’t blame him, really.
Impress Your Mates: McAdams fell in love with another man who traveled through time, in The Time Traveler’s Wife.
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