With the semester rapidly coming to an end, it is hard to find times to go out to the movies, so for this week’s “Movies with Jeff” here are three films that I’m looking forward to watching during the summer break.
I am cautiously optimistic about “Alien: Covenant.” This is Ridley Scott’s sixth installment of the “Alien” film series “Alien: Covenant,” the sequel of the 2012 film “Prometheus.” I am most excited for this film because I really want another strong “Alien” movie.
After the first two films “Alien” (1979) and “Aliens” (1986), the series seemed to flounder. The first two films are incredibly well done, both on a cultural level and for entertainment, but the later films never seemed to hit the bar.
I had hopes for “Prometheus,” which was initially presented to me as an “Alien” sequel; however, it felt more like a stand alone movie with few references to the original film. Honestly, if I did not have the expectations of “Alien” in my head, I would have liked “Prometheus” a lot more.
Put together a war movie and director Christopher Nolan and it would seem that you have the recipe for a summer blockbuster hit. This looks to be the situation for “Dunkirk” (2017). “Dunkirk” is about the evacuation of allied soldiers from Dunkirk, France, during late May of 1940. The film has a few Nolan staples like Hans Zimmer composing the musical score, and big names in the cast like Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy, and Kenneth Branagh.
I have a slight problem with Christopher Nolan’s lack of character development in his past films, but the war genre and actual historical event of the evacuation of Dunkirk should help mediate these concerns. If I was a betting man, I would say “Dunkirk” will be worth the 10 dollar ticket.
Although just a few lines earlier I talked about the problems I have with the spectacle-laden “Alien” franchise, I am looking forward to what I can only assume is a mass spectacle, “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales.” I’m a huge “Pirates of the Caribbean” fan. The film series may not be as highly touted for cultural significance as other films, but sometimes watching a pure spectacle movie is a nice change of pace.
“Dead Men Tell No Tales” will not be without its flaws. The film, along with “Alien: Covenant” does present a problem with postmodern cinema: a lack of new ideas. The plot of this new “Pirates of the Caribbean” film will most likely be very similar to the plots of the earlier installments, but I’m a sucker for Captain Jack Sparrow.
Dear readers, this is the last installment of Movies with Jeff for me. For the past year you have welcomed me into your home on a bi-monthly basis. Hopefully, during this time you have found what I have had to say interesting, engaging, or at the very least, funny.
Although I may be going, Movies with Jeff is here to stay. Junior Lindsey Jones will take over as the new “Movies with Jeff . . . with Lindsey.” I have the utmost confidence that she will do a much better job than me, and cannot wait to read the work that she does.
So, for one final time, take care of yourself and each other. I’m Jeff at the movies.