August 2012 Movie Guide

These are my picks (complete with the reason for my choice) for the movies coming to theaters in August, but feel free to check out all of August's releases by visiting the Internet Movie Database's Coming Soon page.

Friday, August 3rd

• Total Recall
  Director: Len Wiseman
  Stars: Colin Farrell, Bokeem Woodbine, Bryan Cranston, Kate Beckinsale
  
  Why? Imagine the original but with better special effects. Colin Farrell + Kate Beckinsale + Jessica Biel makes for a pretty amazing 3-some. Throw in a little John Cho for good measure.

Friday, August 10th

• The Bourne Legacy
  Director: Tony Gilroy
  Stars: Jeremy Renner, Rachel Weisz, Edward Norton, Donna Murphy
  
  Why? Don't mistake this for a reboot. Jeremy Renner is not replacing Matt Damon. He's a new character within the same universe. With supporting cast like Rachel Weisz and Edward Norton, this could be the best Bourne movie yet.

Wednesday, August 15th

• The Odd Life of Timothy Green
  Director: Peter Hedges
  Stars: Jennifer Garner, Joel Edgerton, CJ Adams, Rosemarie DeWitt
  
  Why? I've only seen the trailer for this once, but it looks intriguing. If you're looking for a PG movie that you can take the kids to, this might be right up your alley.

Friday, August 17th

• ParaNorman
  Directors: Chris Butler | Sam Fell
  Stars: Kodi Smit-McPhee, Anna Kendrick, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Leslie Mann
  
  Why? This just looks terrific. I love the style of animation used for films like Coraline and 9 only second to claymation itself.
• The Expendables 2 Director: Simon West
  Stars: Sylvester Stallone, Liam Hemsworth, Randy Couture, Jean-Claude Van Damme
  
  Why? I don't think anyone really expects this to be a great movie, but it's worth seeing for the sheer spectacle. Somehow they actually managed to cram in more veteran action movie stars than the first one, and even include Liam Hemsworth, brother to Thor. Furthermore, Statham is back!
• Compliance
  Director: Craig Zobel
  Stars: Ann Dowd, Dreama Walker, Pat Healy, Bill Camp
Why? If you've watched any of ABC's Don't Trust the B**** in Apartment 23, then you probably already have a crush on Dream Walker's character June. This movie provides a different role for her.

Friday, August 24th

• The Apparition
  Director: Todd Lincoln
  Stars: Ashley Greene, Sebastian Stan, Tom Felton, Julianna Guill
  
  Why? "The experiment was a success." I recommend checking out the trailer.

Friday, August 31st

• The Possession
  Director: Ole Bornedal
  Stars: Natasha Calis, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Kyra Sedgwick, Madison Davenport
  

  Why? Produced by Sam Raimi. Enuff said.