Eenie Meenie Miney Movies: June 2011

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Judy Moody

As far as the movies are concerned, Summer is officially here and there are a ton of opportunities to get your kids – and yourself - out of the house and in front of a big screen near you.

Notable Theatrical Releases in Austin (June)

Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer (in theaters June 10, PG) -- Live-action kid flicks don't normally inspire a lot of confidence for me, but this one (pictured at top) has an infectious glee I find intriguing. No, wait, that's just Heather Graham. Still, there are worse reasons for a dad to take his daughter to see a summer popcorn flick, right?

Green Lantern (in theaters June 17, PG-13) -- I'm including this superhero franchise flick on the list (over other similar pictures like X-Men: First Class or Transformers Part Whatever) because this character has been completely overlooked in the past. There are some iconic Green Lantern moments brought to screen here (like the giant fist knocking out bad guys), and it's good to see that. Other snippets depicting GL creating a magic green Gatling gun imply a more adult level of violence, though, so this movie is unfortunately probably only for older kids.

Mr Popper's Penguins (in theaters June 17, PG) -- Jim Carrey doing the ol' rubber-face shenanigans with a passel of penguins? What's not to like?

Buck (in theaters June 17, PG) -- If you have a horse-crazy kid, this is the movie they'll want to see this summer. It can meander at times beyond the patience of a young child, but any kid over six with a love for horses will be riveted.

Cars 2 (in theaters June 24, rated G) -- The original Cars was regarded by many Pixar fans as the weakest entry in their library, but its persistent popularity with young boys justified years' worth of toy merchandising and an eventual sequel. I'm on the fence as to whether this looks brilliant or just dumb but Pixar has more than earned the benefit of the doubt. The plot seems to involve Mater and McQueen in a spy thriller (co-starring Michael Caine as a British spy). Written in part by Dan Fogelman, who was also a writer on the original Cars as well as Bolt and Tangled.

Family-Friendly Special Screenings

The Alamo Summer Kids Camp series continues this month with three movies of varying quality:  Hayao Miyazaki's latest release Ponyo, Iron Giant, and the live-action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The films rotate between the Village, Lake Creek, and South Lamar locations so check the schedule.

The Blue Starlite Drive-In's website is frustratingly difficult to navigate but I managed to locate the schedule for June and there are a couple of gems you might want to get to with your kids. The Explorers is an underrated kids' adventure film with Ethan Hawke and River Phoenix and directed by Joe Dante, playing this Friday, June 10. Some fun Godzilla movies play on June 13, as well as some other monster movies playing throughout the month. Late in June you'll find The Secret of NIMH. By the nature of the drive-in and Daylight Savings Time all of these movies start late (after the 9 pm sunset) but if your kids can stay awake, there's some great drive-in memories to be made here. The easiest version of their schedule to digest is their tickets page, which lists the films in chronological order.

Cinemark is running its Summer Movie Clubhouse -- movies during the week (Tuesdays and Wednesdays) at 10 am for just $1 per ticket. This week it's Charlotte's Web (probably the live-action version), followed by Despicable Me, Megamind and Muppets from Space. You can see the full schedule and get a coupon for snacks here.

The 2011 Splash Party movie nights at Deep Eddy pool begin at the end of the month with Grease. It's up to you whether Grease is appropriate for your kids but the rest of the lineup is fairly innocuous. But hey, we'll save those for July's update or you can check out the schedule yourself.

I'd love to recommend some movies for you to see with your kids at the Paramount, but June's offerings are better suited for teens and older. There might be some films in the Charlie Chaplin series (City Lights, The Gold Rush, Modern Times, some shorts) that would appeal, but even then I think we're talking about 10 and older. There are some better options for kids later in the summer but check out the Paramount's summer film schedule to see for yourself.

Regal's Summer Movie Express series has begun at its various theaters around town. Sample titles include Shrek Ever After, Yogi Bear and Marmaduke. See the page for Texas theaters in the Regal chain here.

Live in Round Rock? You can see Shrek Ever After at the Lakeview Pavilion on June 24.

For more information on family-friendly movies this month, check our Guide to Free (and Cheap) Summer Movies in Austin.

Notable Home Video Releases

Opposite the theatrical cornucopia of events in June, it's kind of a dead month for DVD releases - unless you count Mister T: The Complete First Season. I don't.

If your kid is into the Nickolodeon channel series of shows, the Nickelodeon Favorites: Big Box of Play Dates 2 might be a winner.

There's an interesting Hanna-Barbera release of Frankenstein, Jr. and the Impossibles, which I (along with many others of my generation) was convinced I had hallucinated, but there's the proof on DVD.

Netflix Instant Picks

A ton of vintage '80s cartoons became available this week on Netflix Instant. It's up to your own parental conscience whether you want to expose your kid to this stuff, but at least you have the opportunity.