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Title:
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
Stars:
Ben Barnes, Skandar Keynes, Georgie Henley
Studio:
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Plot:
The Pevensie children return to Narnia one year after their first adventure in the magical land. Soon after entering the kingdom, however, they learn that 1,000 years has passed here, and all is not well since an evil king ascended to the throne. The children and allies both old and new band together to help restore the kingdom to its rightful heir, Prince Caspian (Barnes).
Buzz:
Remember how popular The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was -- how it literally was twice as successful as the Golden Compass worldwide and, of course, how the "Lazy Sunday" video reignited "Saturday Night Live"'s creative streak? How exactly Prince Caspian has failed to generate much advance hype is a question for marketing types to research and blogger types to get snarky about, but I will assert that Wardrobe was a slow, unmemorable movie, and that might be part of the reason there's a general lack of excitement for Caspian. That said, the second chapter's ratcheted-up action might help reignite the franchise, even if Disney's thinking of ending the story after The Voyage of the Dawn Treader ... I have to imagine there'll be lots of talk about future Narnia adventures soon after Caspian's opening-weekend numbers are announced.
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Title:
Reprise
Stars:
Anders Danielsen Lie, Espen Klouman-Høiner, Viktoria Winge
Studio:
Red Envelope Entertainment
Plot:
A look at what happens -- and also what could have happened -- after best friends Phillip (Lie) and Erik (Klouman-Høiner) drop their respective manuscripts into the same mailbox, both of them hoping their first novels will be picked up for publication.
Buzz:
Norwegian Joachim Trier's first film has impressed the harshest critics and has been called one of the best movies about making art in some time. Twitch Film says: "... Trier proves himself remarkably adept at moving between moods, flitting easily between comedy, romance and tragedy - simply refusing to delineate these different elements into neat little compartments because this is simply not how life happens." Read the rest of their review here and watch the trailer over here
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Title:
How the Garcia Girls Spent Their Summer
Stars:
Elizabeth Peña, America Ferrera, Lucy Gallardo
Studio:
Maya Entertainment
Plot:
Residents of a sleepy Arizona town find plenty to gossip about when three generations of women from a local family experience sexual awakenings over the course of a summer.
Buzz:
Short-film director Georgina Riedel finds her 2005 debut feature picked up by fledgling distributor Maya Releasing (who has the Independent Spirit Award-winning August Evening on deck for later this summer). Why? America Ferrara's one of the leads, and Garcia Girls has been compared to the young star's first film, Real Women Have Curves in terms of its themes and overall good cheer.
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Title:
Sangre de mi sangre
Stars:
Jesús Ochoa, Armando Hernández
Studio:
IFC Films
Plot:
Juan (Hernandez), while on the run from Mexican mobsters, encounters Pedro (Ochoa), a young boy who is heading to New York City in a van full of other illegal aliens. Pedro's hope to reunite with his long-lost father is derailed when Juan, looking to distance himself from his pursuers, makes off with Pedro's ID and belongings.
Buzz:
Earlier this year, Christopher Zalla's first film was awarded Sundance's Grand Jury Prize for best dramatic feature. IFC picked it up in one of the festival's lower-profile buys, but something tells me this immigrant drama, with its raft of good reviews, could distance itself from the crowded slate of indie summer films. I just wish the person narrating the trailer didn't sound like a Will Arnett imitation.
