Barbie, Oppenheimer and Mission: Impossible 7 are all being released this month! Here are the anticipated films.

7/7: Insidious: The Red Door is a direct sequel to the foundations of this film series – Insidious and Insidious: Chapter 2. The original cast will be returning “to end the haunting and to put the demons to rest once and for all.” Josh (Patrick Wilson) and Dalton (Ty Simpkins), now a college student, will be venturing deep into The Further to face their dark past and unravel the secrets of The Red Door.

7/7: Joy Ride is the directorial debut of Adele Lim, who wrote Crazy Rich Asians and Raya and the Last Dragon. The film follows a group of four friends Audrey (Ashley Park), Lolo (Sherry Cola), Kat (Stephanie Hsu), and Deadeye (Sabrina Wu) who go on an international adventure across China to find Audrey’s birth mother.

7/7: Biosphere is a comedy film set in a dystopian future where only two male best friends – Billy (Mark Duplass) and Ray (Sterling K. Brown) – have survived, thanks to a domed scientific structure capable of supporting life.

7/7: The Out-Laws is produced by Adam Sandler and directed by Tyler Spindel, to berelease on Netflix. The film follows Owen Browning (Adam DeVine), a prim and proper bank manager, as he is about to get engaged to Parker McDermott (Nina Dobrev). But, Browning’s bank is held up by a group of criminals called “Ghost Bandits,” and he suspects that his future in-laws are behind the robbery.

7/12: Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One with Tom Cruise Joining Ethan Hunt (Cruise), Grace (Hayley Atwell), and the rest of the team go on a mission to track down a highly dangerous weapon before it falls into the hands of Ethan’s old enemies. Christopher McQuarrie is at the helm of the film.

7/14: Theater Camp revolves around a group of theater students and teachers in upstate New York. The founder of the theater, Joan (Amy Sedaris), falls into a coma, due to which her son, Troy (Jimmy Tatro), must band together with Amos (Ben Platt) and Rebecca-Diane (Molly Gordon) to keep the theater running during the summers. Based on a 2020 short film of the same name.

7/14: Set in 1967, The Miracle Club is a heartwarming film that follows the story of three generations of close friends, Lily (Maggie Smith), Eileen (Kathy Bates), and Dolly (Agnes O’Casey) of Ballygar, a hard-knocks community in Dublin, who have one tantalizing dream: to win a pilgrimage to the sacred French town of Lourdes, that place of miracles that draws millions of visitors each year. When the chance to win presents itself, the women seize it.

However, just before their trip, their old friend Chrissie (Laura Linney) arrives in Ballygar for her Mother’s funeral, dampening their good mood and well-laid plans. The women secure tickets and set out on the journey that they hope will change their lives, with Chrissie joining in place of her mother. The glamor and sophistication of Chrissie, who has just returned from a nearly 40-year exile in the United States, are not her only difficult traits. Old wounds are reopened along the way, forcing the women to confront their pasts even as they travel in search of a miracle. Deep wounds from the past can only be healed by the curative power of love and friendship.

7/21: Oppenheimer is a biographical thriller that explores the controversial life of J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy). With an ensemble cast of A-listers like Florence Pugh, Emily Blunt, Rami Malek, Matt Damon, and Robert Downey Jr, Director Christopher Nolan received an Oscar nomination for  his historical drama, Dunkirk.

7/21: Barbie (Margot Robbie) and Ken (Ryan Gosling) with Kate McKinnon, Dua Lipa, Nicola Coughlan, Emma Mackey, Alexandra Shipp, Hari Nef, Simu Liu, Scot Evans and Ncuti Gatwa. Barbie enters the real world after getting expelled from Barbieland for being an imperfect doll.

7/21: They Cloned Tyrone is a science fiction mystery comedy film helmed by Juel Taylor in his directorial debut. The cast includes; John Boyega as Fontaine, Teyonah Parris as Yo-Yo, and Jamie Foxx as Slick Charles. The plot revolves around the trio trying to unravel a government cloning conspiracy.

7/28: Haunted Mansion is the reboot of the 2003 film of the same name.  Justin Simien, directs his cast which stars LaKeith Stanfield, Tiffany Haddish, Jamie Lee Curtis, Chase W. Dillon, Rosario Dawson, and many others. Gabbie (Dawson) and Travis (W. Dillon) are the residents of the haunted mansion, and they hire a team to exorcise the mansion and eradicate the ghosts. Dan Levy and Winona Ryder also have undisclosed roles in the film.

7/28: Sympathy for the Devil is a psychological horror film written by Luke Paradise, directed by Yuval Adler. The film follows The Driver (Joel Kinnaman), who is forced to drive The Passenger (Nicolas Cage) at gunpoint.

7/28: The Beanie Bubble Beanie. The film explores how Ty Warner (played by Zach Galifianakis) was helped by three women – Robbie (Elizabeth Banks), Sheila Warner (Sarah Snook), and Maya (Geraldine Viswanathan) – to turn his stuffed animals into a popular ’90s trend and become the successful businessman that he is today.

Ethan Goldman, Joe Plummer, Jennifer Dugan, Michael Koshkin, Jeff Hasler (Madison Voelkel/BFA.com)

Dan Rather is more than just a name. He is more than just a man. He is the radical changemaker that for us in media is the person we admire most in this industry.

For decades, he delivered the news with authenticity, integrity and courage. The new documentary “Rather” pays tribute to the legend.  The Tribeca Festival selection chronicles the legendary journalist’s rise to prominence, his sudden and dramatic public downfall, and his redemption and re-emergence as a voice of reason to a new generation.

During the premiere in New York City filmmakers and the icon himself gathered for the grand celebration. It was discussed on the red carpet by the crew how one of the most iconic figures in news has shown how the story has never been more important for a generation thirsting for legitimate journalism in the era of “fake news.”

Tony Rosenthal, Curtis McConnell, Joe Fenstermaker, Dan Crane, Jeff Beal, Taylor Wildenhaus, Hai-Li Kong, Jennifer Dugan, Michael Koshkin (Madison Voelkel/BFA.com)

The film is a candid, personal and urgent look at the world of journalism and the essential role it plays in preserving democracy. From the front lines of the Civil Rights movement to JFK’s assassination, from Watergate to Abu Ghraib, Dan Rather is who America turned to for the truth. For decades, his voice provided the steady drumbeat of reason for an entire nation. Rather remains the resounding voice of resistance, with millions reading and sharing his posts on social media.

The feature-length documentary event weaves the past, present and future of journalism as it delves into the hidden history of the man behind the news. Revisiting Rather’s 60 pus years as a journalist with full unrestricted access, and offer an unfiltered look at both his esteemed career and his present renaissance.

Photos Courtesy “Rather” Madison Voelkel/BFA.com

The labor battle against artificial intelligence (AI) has begun with the Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike, spearheaded by Hollywood writers concerned about the potential replacement of human workers by AI tools like ChatGPT. However, this strike is just the tip of the iceberg in a broader labor war that will have far-reaching consequences.

While the WGA strike primarily focuses on streaming residuals and fair compensation for TV shows and movies on streaming platforms, it also includes a section on “Artificial Intelligence.” The WGA aims to pressure the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) to regulate and potentially ban the use of AI as a substitute for human workers. As AI technology becomes more prevalent and advanced, this move by the WGA is likely to be replicated by unions across different industries.

The WGA’s proposal requests the ban of AI usage for writing and rewriting source material, as well as prohibiting AI from being trained on the work of WGA writers. However, the AMPTP has rejected this proposal, offering only annual meetings to discuss technological advancements. In response, the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) has voted unanimously to join the strike if negotiations fail.

The concerns of these unions about the potential replacement of human writers and actors by AI are not unfounded. Recent developments, such as Netflix reserving rights to simulations of actors’ voices, demonstrate that what was once considered science fiction is becoming a reality. This not only poses a threat to the entertainment industry but also to other sectors, potentially leading to widespread unemployment and the substitution of vital services with automated systems. It is crucial for workers to draw the line now while the technology is still in its early stages, as there might not be another opportunity to reclaim what has been lost. Hollywood serves as the frontline in this battle.

The impact of AI tools on TV shows and movies may raise the question of whether audiences would even notice the use of AI. According to technologist and activist Cory Doctorow, the consequences would become apparent rather quickly. He emphasizes the uncertainty of studios’ ability to create AI-generated content due to copyright regulations, highlighting the risk of unauthorized copying if AI-produced works are not protected.

To understand the potential of AI tools and their legal implications, it is necessary to grasp their underlying mechanisms. The current popular large language model, ChatGPT, operates based on generative AI, specifically a generative pretrained transformer (GPT). It utilizes extensive text data from the internet to respond in a manner that resembles human interaction. However, these AI models have limitations, including a knowledge cutoff and a tendency to generate nonsensical responses when faced with unfamiliar topics. Users often find ways to circumvent these limitations.

While GPT-4, the latest language model by OpenAI, excels at summarizing vast amounts of data, it struggles to create original content. Although it can generate ideas by reorganizing existing information, it cannot produce entirely new concepts. Thus, allowing chatbots in writers’ rooms or replacing human writers entirely would signify an industry that has exhausted its creative ideas.

The impact of generative AI extends beyond Hollywood. Other sectors, including technology companies like IBM and retail businesses like Wendy’s, are exploring AI’s potential to replace human employees. The growing influence of AI is predicted to affect at least a quarter of the American workforce within the next five years, leading to widespread job transformations.

Furthermore, non-unionized creative industries are already experimenting with AI in their writing processes. Some video game studios have expressed interest in utilizing AI to generate dialogue, raising concerns about the accessibility of opportunities for young creatives.

In conclusion, the WGA strike against AI tools represents the beginning of a broader labor conflict. If left unaddressed, the rise of AI could have significant ramifications for the workforce across various industries. As AI technology continues to advance, it is crucial for workers and unions to assert their rights and protect their jobs before it is too late.

The Intrepid Summer Movie Series is back! Watch a movie on the dramatic flight deck of the historic aircraft carrier located at Pier 86 (46th Street and 12th Avenue). Members of the public are invited to bring lawn chairs, picnic baskets and blankets to the Museum to view classic films, free of charge, on a huge inflatable screen.

Celebrate the 80th anniversary of the ship’s commissioning, classic “ship” themed films are onboard, kicking off with Top Gun on Friday, May 26, Memorial Day weekend. Doors open at 7:00pm. The movie will begin at sunset.

The Museum’s also offers Free Fridays also take place on June 30, July 28 and August 25. Visitors can explore the Museum free of charge and enjoy after-hours programming. Doors open at 5:00pm and close at 8:30pm.

Lineup for the 2023 Intrepid Summer Movie Series:

Friday, May 26: Top Gun

Friday, June 30: Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

Friday, July 28: Crimson Tide

Friday, August 25: Top Gun: Maverick

Seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis and space is limited. Light concessions will be sold onsite, and visitors are encouraged to bring their own food and beverages. Alcohol is not permitted. All exits are final; there is no reentry allowed. The Space Shuttle Pavilion will close at 8:00pm and the bridge will be closed during Free Fridays.

Intrepid Museum members will receive priority access to the screenings. The Museum strives to make all public programs accessible for people with disabilities. All films will be captioned for the hearing impaired.

For more information about the Museum or for up-to-date information on weather conditions, visit intrepidmuseum.org.