“Trainwreck”

Who: Amy Schumer, Bill Hader, Brie Larson, Colin Quinn and LeBron James
What: Having thought that monogamy was never possible, a commitment-phobic career woman must face her fears when she meets a good guy.
When: July 17th
Why: Amy Schumer has been making people laugh for years, both on stage and on her Comedy Central TV sketch show, so it was only a matter of time before she made the jump to the big screen. What’s really impressive about “Trainwreck,” though, isn’t the fact that Schumer wrote the screenplay in addition to starring in the film (fans already knew she was a double threat), but that it’s the first movie Judd Apatow has directed that he didn’t have a hand in writing. It’s also great to see a nontraditional choice like Bill Hader cast as the love interest, while early reviews suggest that NBA superstar LeBron James is the film’s secret weapon. If that’s not enough to convince you to buy a ticket, nothing will.

“Irrational Man”

Who: Joaquin Phoenix, Emma Stone, Parker Posey and Jamie Blackley
What: A tormented philosophy professor finds a will to live when he commits an existential act.
When: July 17th
Why: Emma Strong is one of the most charming and entertaining actresses working today, but after the disaster of “Magic in the Moonlight,” does anyone really want to watch another Woody Allen film where she plays the beautiful young woman who helps an older, slightly neurotic man snap out of his midlife funk? Exactly. Allen’s clearly running out of ideas at this point in his career, and with the exception of its cast, there’s nothing even remotely exciting about “Irrational Man.” Fans of the writer/director will probably eat it up, but any movie that seemingly relies so heavily on a lazy storytelling device like voiceover narration is setting itself up for failure.

“Pixels”

Who: Adam Sandler, Josh Gad, Peter Dinklage, Michelle Monaghan and Kevin James
What: When aliens misinterpret video feeds of classic arcade games as a declaration of war, they attack the Earth in the form of the video games.
When: July 24th
Why: While the idea of an Adam Sandler movie where Kevin James plays the President of the United States sounds about as dumb as the actor’s typical fare, Chris Columbus’ action-comedy actually has the potential to be really fun. Granted, it doesn’t make sense why aliens would attack Earth with the very creatures that they’re supposedly threatened by, but “Pixels” doesn’t seem like the kind of film that’s too bothered by logic, and that’s perfectly fine. Though “Wreck-It Ralph” beat “Pixels” to the punch with its reverence-heavy ode to classic arcade games, it’s still amazing that Sony was able to secure all those licenses, because it shows that the studio means business about doing it right, and that can only be good news for video game fans.