We’re entering the dog days of summer, Books on Screen readers. What does that mean for us? I’m not sure! And judging from August’s batch of releases, I’d bet the studios aren’t either. Let’s talk about it!

The big disappointment this month is the un-fantastic Fantastic Four. And I don’t just mean star Miles Teller and his…um…unflattering profile in Esquire; the resounding consensus is that FF is kind of a mess, and not the hot kind (sorry, Human Torch). The good news is that if you’re looking for a bit of action, Insurgent is now available on DVD --- if you’re on the fence (or, er, wall) about it, check out this clip featuring author Veronica Roth and the cast discussing adapting the book into a movie. Plus, Ansel Elgort is basically Miles Teller-lite, so you won’t be missing out on any summer fun.

One movie that’s getting rave reviews (which we featured in our Books on Screen bookshelf) is The Diary of a Teenage Girl. Based on Phoebe Gloeckner’s frank, heavily autobiographical novel, it’s the story of a precocious 15-year-old girl’s sexual awakening, set in 1970s San Francisco. The film got great early buzz when it debuted at Sundance, and it’s a must-see for anyone interested in honest, avant-garde storytelling. And if you’re interested in the visually stunning, check out the gorgeously animated The Prophet, which intersperses Khalil Gibran's elegant poetry within breathtaking animated sequences, and tells the story of an exiled poet who must find his way home. I was sold on the trailer alone.

The big TV news this month is that David Simon, creator of the universally acclaimed “The Wire,” is returning to HBO with “Show Me a Hero,” a nine-part miniseries based on the true story of young mayor Nick Wasicsko’s fight for the desegregation of Yonkers’ public housing --- and the bitter battle fueled by fear, racism, murder and politics it incited. And if all you’re looking for from your summer watching is some entertaining escapism, be sure to catch “The Astronaut Wives Club” on ABC and “Pretty Little Liars” on ABC Family.

All in all, it’s been a pretty mediocre summer for Books on Screen! We may not have hit any high highs or low lows, but we did see thoughtful teen movies (and some less thoughtful), a small-scale yet surprisingly affable Marvel movie, dinosaurs! (and I don’t just mean Michael Douglas) and some uncharacteristically literary summer fare.
 

---Written and compiled by Emily Hoenig

In Theaters:

Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection ‘F’
Cast: Masako Nozawa, Ryô Horikawa, Hiromi Tsuru
Director: Tadayoshi Yamamuro
Distributor: 20^th Century Fox
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Release Date: August 4th
Based on: DRAGON BALL Z manga by Akira Toriyama

One peaceful day on Earth, two remnants of Frieza's army named Sorbet and Tagoma arrive searching for the Dragon Balls with the aim of reviving Frieza. They succeed, and Frieza subsequently seeks revenge on the Saiyans.

Dark Places
Cast: Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult, Christina Hendricks, Corey Stoll, Chloë Grace Moretz
Director: Gilles Paquet-Brenner
Distributor: A24 Films
MPAA Rating: R
Release Date: August 7th
Based on: DARK PLACES by Gillian Flynn

Set in a farming town in Kansas, Dark Places follows Libby Day, the only surviving witness of a horrific massacre that took her mother and sisters. Believing the slaughter to be the work of a Satanic cult, Libby testifies in court against her own brother. Twenty-five years after the murder, she remains haunted by the gruesome violence of her past when she meets a group of amateur investigators who call themselves "The Kill Club." Looking to satisfy their morbid curiosity, the group begins their own inquiry about the case, believing Libby's brother is innocent. In order to help them, Libby must unearth painful memories of the event and learn that her past may not be what it seems.

The Diary of a Teenage Girl
Cast: Bel Powley, Alexander Skarsgård, Kristen Wiig
Director: Marielle Heller
Distributor: Sony Pictures Classics
MPAA Rating: R
Release Date: August 7th
Based on: THE DIARY OF A TEENAGE GIRL: An Account in Words and Pictures by Phoebe Gloeckner

Like most teenage girls, Minnie Goetze is longing for love, acceptance and a sense of purpose in the world. Minnie begins a complex love affair with her mother's boyfriend, "the handsomest man in the world," Monroe Rutherford. What follows is a sharp, funny and provocative account of one girl's sexual and artistic awakening, without judgment.

The Fantastic Four
Cast: Kate Mara, Toby Kebbell, Miles Teller, Michael B. Jordan, Jamie Bell
Director: Josh Trank
Distributor: 20^th Century Fox, Marvel Entertainment
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Release Date: August 7th
Based on: ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR by Brian Michael Bendis, Mark Millar and Adam Kubert

Fantastic Four, a contemporary re-imagining of Marvel's original and longest-running superhero team, centers on four young outsiders who teleport to an alternate and dangerous universe, which alters their physical form in shocking ways. Their lives irrevocably upended, the team must learn to harness their daunting new abilities and work together to save Earth from a former friend turned enemy.

Kahlil Gibran's The Prophet
Cast: Liam Neeson, Salma Hayek, Quvenzhané Wallis, John Krasinski, Frank Langella, Alfred Molina
Director: Roger Allers
Distributor: GKIDS
MPAA Rating: PG
Release Date: August 7th
Based on: THE PROPHET by Gibran Kahlil

This breathtaking animated feature was an official selection at Cannes and made its North American premiere at Toronto International Film Festival. The film intersperses Gibran's elegant poetry within stunning animated sequences. Set in a Mediterranean sea-side village, Kamila cleans house for exiled artist and poet Mustafa, but the more difficult job is keeping her free-spirited young daughter, Almitra, out of trouble. The three embark on a journey meant to end with Mustafa's return home --- but first they must evade the authorities who fear that the truth in his words will incite rebellion.

Ten Thousand Saints
Cast: Ethan Hawke, Asa Butterfield, Emily Mortimer, Julianne Nicholson, Hailee Steinfeld, Emile Hirsch
Director: Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini
Distributor: Screen Media Ventures
MPAA Rating: R
Release Date: August 14th
Based on: TEN THOUSAND SAINTS by Eleanor Henderson

Jude is a teenage boy who is trying to reconnect with his father Les in 1987 Manhattan. When Jude's friend, Teddy, dies of a drug overdose, Jude finds himself befriending a group of friends who are against drugs, alcohol, profanity and sex and live for punk-style rock music. When he meets Eliza, who is 16 years old and is pregnant with Teddy's child, he and Les are forced to be her rock as she struggles through her pregnancy and early motherhood, while Jude struggles with his feelings for her and his relationship with his father.

Z for Zachariah
Cast: Margot Robbie, Chris Pine, Chiwetel Ejiofor
Director: Craig Zobel
Distributor: Roadside Attractions and Lionsgate
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Release Date: August 28th
Based On: Z FOR ZACHARIAH by Robert C. O’Brien

In the wake of a nuclear war, a young woman survives on her own, fearing she may actually be the proverbial last woman on earth, until she discovers the most astonishing sight of her life: another human being. A distraught scientist, he's nearly been driven mad by radiation exposure and his desperate search for others. A fragile, imperative strand of trust connects them. But when a stranger enters the valley, their precarious bond begins to unravel.
 

On TV:

“Show Me a Hero”
Cast: Catherine Keener, James Belushi, Terry Kinney, Michael Stahl-David, Winona Ryder, Alfred Molina, Jon Bernthal
Network: HBO
Air Dates: Premieres Sunday, August 16th at 9pm ET
Based on: SHOW ME A HERO: A Tale of Murder, Suicide, Race, and Redemption by Lisa Belkin

Mayor Nick Wasicsko took office in 1987, during Yonkers' worst crisis, when federal courts ordered public housing built in the white, middle class side of town, dividing the city in a bitter battle fueled by fear, racism, murder and politics.

“Pretty Little Liars”
Cast: Troian Bellisario, Ashley Benson, Lucy Hale, Shay Mitchell
Network: ABC Family
Air Dates: Tuesdays 8pm ET
Based On: The Pretty Little Liars series by Sara Shepard

After years of tormenting and numerous shocking revelations, the Liars are united and ready to kick some “A” and uncover the truth! No longer just wanting to sit by and wait for "A’s" latest cruel attack, Aria, Emily, Hanna and Spencer take matters into their own hands and try to finally put a stop to their tormentor. As relationships are put to the test, new and old secrets are revealed and the stakes are raised higher than ever before as the Liars come closer to the truth. Will all of their sacrifices be worth it in the end?

“The Astronaut Wives Club”
Cast: JoAnna Garcia Swisher, Yvonne Strahovski, Dominique McElligott, Odette Annable
Network: ABC
Air Dates: Thursdays at 8pm ET
Based On: THE ASTRONAUT WIVES CLUB by Lily Koppel

A new television drama series based on the book by Lily Koppel, “The Astronaut Wives Club” focuses on seven women who were key players behind some of the biggest events in American history. As America’s astronauts were launched on death-defying missions, the lives of their young wives were transformed, seemingly overnight, from military spouses to American royalty. As their celebrity rose, and tragedy began to touch their lives, they rallied together.

“Rizzoli & Isles”
Cast: Angie Harmon, Sasha Alexander, Lorraine Bracco, Bruce McGill
Network: TNT
Air Dates: Tuesdays at 9pm ET
Based On: The Rizzoli & Isles series by Tess Gerritsen

"Rizzoli & Isles" follows Boston detective Jane Rizzoli and medical examiner Maura Isles, complete opposites and good friends who solve crimes and bust some of Boston's most notorious criminals.

"Under the Dome"
Cast: Mike Vogel, Rachelle Lefevre, Dean Norris, Natalie Martinez, Britt Robertson, Alexander Koch, Colin Ford, Nicholas Strong, Jolene Purdy, Aisha Hinds
Network: CBS
Air Dates: Thursdays at 9pm ET
Based On: UNDER THE DOME by Stephen King

“Under The Dome,” based on Stephen King’s best-selling novel, tells the story of a small town that is suddenly and inexplicably sealed off from the rest of the world by an enormous transparent dome. It’s been two weeks since the dome descended upon the sleepy town of Chester’s Mill, whose inhabitants are still struggling to survive with resources running low as their search for answers to what the barrier is and where it came from continues. The post-apocalyptic conditions intensify while the residents must decide who to rally behind as new faces emerge and Big Jim continues to battle for the town’s trust and allegiance. With survival hanging in the balance, can the residents of Chester’s Mill work together to protect their uncertain future?

“Zoo”
Cast: James Wolk, Kristen Connolly, Billy Burke, Nora Arnezeder and Nonso Anozie
Network: CBS
Air Dates: Tuesdays at 9pm ET
Based On: ZOO by James Patterson

“Zoo” is a global thriller about a wave of violent animal attacks against humans sweeping the planet. James Wolk will play Jackson Oz, a young, renegade American zoologist who spends his days running safaris in the wilds of Africa when he begins noticing the strange behavior of the animals. As the assaults become more cunning, coordinated and ferocious, he is thrust into the race to unlock the mystery of the pandemic before there’s no place left for people to hide.
 

On DVD:

The Divergent Series: Insurgent
Cast: Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Miles Teller, Jai Courtney, Ansel Elgort
Director: Robert Schwentke
Distributor: Lionsgate
MPAA Rating: PG-13
DVD Release Date: August 4th
Based On: INSURGENT by Veronica Roth

The Divergent Series: Insurgent raises the stakes for Tris as she searches for allies and answers in the ruins of a futuristic Chicago. Tris and Four are now fugitives on the run, hunted by Jeanine, the leader of the power-hungry Erudite elite. Racing against time, they must find out what Tris's family sacrificed their lives to protect, and why the Erudite leaders will do anything to stop them. Haunted by her past choices but desperate to protect the ones she loves, Tris, with Four at her side, faces one impossible challenge after another as they unlock the truth about the past and ultimately the future of their world.

Child 44
Cast: Tom Hardy, Gary Oldman, Noomi Rapace
Director: Daniel Espinosa
Distributor: Summit Entertainment
MPAA Rating: R
DVD Release Date: August 4th
Based On: CHILD 44 by Tom Rob Smith

A politically-charged serial killer thriller set in 1953 Soviet Russia, Child 44 chronicles the crisis of conscience for secret police agent Leo Demidov, who loses status, power and home when he refuses to denounce his own wife, Raisa, as a traitor. Exiled from Moscow to a grim provincial outpost, Leo and Raisa join forces with General Mikhail Nesterov to track down a serial killer who preys on young boys. Their quest for justice threatens a system-wide cover-up enforced by Leo's psychopathic rival Vasili, who insists "There is no crime in Paradise."

True Story
Cast: Jonah Hill, James Franco, Felicity Jones
Director: Rupert Goold
Distributor: 20^th Century Fox
MPAA Rating: R
DVD Release Date: August 4th
Based On: TRUE STORY by Michael Finkel

When disgraced New York Times reporter Michael Finkel meets accused killer Christian Longo --- who has taken on Finkel's identity --- his investigation morphs into an unforgettable game of cat-and-mouse. Based on actual events, Finkel's relentless pursuit of Longo's true story encompasses murder, love, deceit and redemption.

Far From the Madding Crowd
Cast: Carey Mulligan, Matthias Schoenaerts, Michael Sheen, Tom Sturridge
Director: Thomas Vinterberg
Distributor: Fox Searchlight Pictures
MPAA Rating: PG-13
DVD Release Date: August 4th
Based On: FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD by Thomas Hardy

Based on the literary classic by Thomas Hardy, Far From the Madding Crowd is the story of independent, beautiful and headstrong Bathsheba Everdene, who attracts three very different suitors: Gabriel Oak, a sheep farmer, captivated by her fetching willfulness; Frank Troy, a handsome and reckless Sergeant; and William Boldwood, a prosperous and mature bachelor. This timeless story of Bathsheba’s choices and passions explores the nature of relationships and love --- as well as the human ability to overcome hardships through resilience and perseverance.