‘Poltergeist,’ ‘Spy’, ‘Entourage’ top summer movie blockbusters

Ah, summer, when we thank our lucky stars that the cold has disappeared by running back indoors to an air-conditioned movie theater.

In the four decades since “Jaws” and “Star Wars” launched the era of the summer blockbuster, Hollywood has chosen the warm months to unveil its high-octane, big-budget tent poles — perhaps to cleanse the movie-going palate from the cooler months’ trove of art house flicks or merely to get in on the unbridled, adrenaline-happy season that stretches from May to August.

Here’s just a smattering of flicks to feast your eyeballs on while gorging on popcorn and soda with your date.

“Poltergeist” (Fox)

Director: Gil Kenan

Release date: May 22

They’re heeeeeere. Or rather, they’re baaaaaack. Wait, since this is a remake of the 1982 Tobe Hooper horror classic, perhaps they’re remaaaaaade. But after “Nightmare on Elm Street,” “Friday the 13th” and “Halloween” all got 21st century makeovers, we suppose this wasn’t far behind. But topping that evil ghost hand reaching out from the TV at the late Heather O’Rourke will be difficult to top — and we doubt it will be.

“Spy” (Fox)

Director: Paul Feig

Release date: June 5

Paul Feig reteams with “Bridesmaids” co-star Melissa McCarthy for this comedy about CIA desk jockey Susan Cooper (Miss McCarthy) who is the mastermind behind some of The Company’s most successful missions. When her partner (Jude Law) and an ace agent (Jason Statham) go off the grid, it’s up to Susan to save the day — never mind that she has no business being in the field. Ms. McCarthy will no doubt deliver the laughs as usual.

“Entourage” (Warner Bros.)

Director: Doug Ellin

Release date: June 5

HBO’s Hollywood dark comedy, which ran from 2004 to 2011, follows sister show “Sex and the City” in getting the big-screen treatment. Movie star Vincent Chase (Adrian Grenier) returns with his titular cronies Eric (Kevin Connolly), Turtle (Jerry Ferrara) and Johnny (Kevin Dillon) and Tinseltown bigwig Ari Gold (Jeremy Piven). If it does as well as “Sex,” plans for a sequel are assured.

“Me and Earl and the Dying Girl” (Fox Searchlight)

Director: Alfonso Gomez-Rejon

Release date: June 12

Our bet for the summer’s biggest tearjerker is this dramedy based on the book of the same name about a young man (Thomas Mann) who unwittingly befriends a fellow high school student (Olivia Cooke) who has contracted leukemia. Teenagers seldom, if ever, ponder their mortality, so a film that does so in a humorous and poignant way will be a welcome alternative from all the explosions and car crashes the rest of the summer.

“Heaven Knows What” (Radius/The Weinstein Co.)

Directors: Ben and Joshua Safdie

Release date: June 12

For something a little offbeat, check out this offering from brothers Ben and Joshua Safdie, who tell the tale of a homeless New York couple battling their addictions as they try to love another. Perfect for when you’re tired of big explosions — if that’s possible.

“Jurassic World” (Universal)

Director: Colin Trevorrow

Release date: June 12

A mad billionaire genetically engineers dinosaurs for his own island amusement park, but then something goes wrong. Wait, that was the plot of 1993’s “Jurassic Park.” Wait, this is basically the same movie but with newer special effects? Wait, dinosaurs eat people for two hours? Sold!

“Ted 2” (Universal)

Director: Seth MacFarlane

Release date: June 26

The foul-mouthed, pot-smoking teddy bear — voiced by Seth MacFarlane — is back to wreak more havoc upon Boston in this sequel to the highest-grossing R-rated comedy in history. Mark Wahlberg returns as Ted’s human companion, John.

As he does in all his other work, expect Mr. MacFarlane to slaughter all sacred cows, step over every imaginable line and go way, way too far to wring as many crass laughs from the audience as possible.

“Eden” (Broad Green)

Director: Mia Hansen-Love

Release date: June 26

French director Mia Hansen-Love (“Father of My Children”) takes viewers on a twisted journey through the 1990s underground Parisian dance scene, as seen through the eyes of young denizens of Paris on the prowl for music, booze, drugs and sex. Expect a killer soundtrack.

“Terminator: Genisys” (Paramount)

Director: Alan Taylor

Release date: July 1

He said he’d be back (again). In his first outing as The Terminator since 2003 — the same year he was elected governor of “Kaul-ee-fore-knee-a” — Arnold Schwarzenegger returns as the futuristic cyborg in this new entry in the sci-fi franchise that toys with alternate time lines in its latest iteration. Of note is that 67-year-old “Ahnold” didn’t dye his hair for the role, which thus shows that even Terminators’ living flesh over their metallic endoskeletons can age just like a human’s. Call us old-fashioned, but we still prefer to think of “the Governator” as timeless.

“Self/Less”

Director: Tarsem Singh

Release date: July 10

The visionary Indian-American director Tarsem Singh (“The Cell,” “The Fall”) provides another psychological sci-fi thriller centering on a dying millionaire (Ben Kingsley) who transfers his consciousness into the body of a healthy young man (Ryan Reynolds). However, mysterious forces are afoot, and the two men in one body begin to discover a conspiracy. Mr. Singh is one of our unique visual directors, and doubtless “Self/Less” will offer some grand images that advance the plot.

“Minions” (Universal)

Directors: Kyle Balda and Pierre Coffin

Release date: July 10

The squeaky-voiced toadies for Gru (Steve Carrel) from the “Despicable Me” films strike out on their own in an adventure that pits several of the animated, pint-size heroes against Scarlet Overkill (Sandra Bullock), “the world’s first female supervillain.” Sure to be quality entertainment for the whole family.

“Trainwreck” (Universal)

Director: Judd Apatow

Release date: July 17

The man who more or less single-handedly reinvented comedy in the 21st century returns with a film about a magazine writer (Comedy Central’s resident foul-mouth Amy Schumer) who lives a hedonistic life until she meets sports doctor Aaron Conners (Bill Hader), which pushes her to re-evalatuate her ways. Miss Schumer also wrote the script, which guarantees all manner of jaw-dropping jokes. Hopefully it’s a step up from Mr. Apatow’s somewhat-disappointing “This Is 40.”

“Ant-Man” (Walt Disney/Marvel)

Director: Peyton Reed

Release date: July 17

Can the Marvel Cinematic Universe do any wrong? The billions and billions of dollars Marvel films have raked in say absolutely not. In this latest entry, Paul Rudd stars as the superhero who can shrink himself to fight the forces of evil at the molecular level.

“Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation” (Paramount)

Director: Chris McQuarrie

Release date: July 31

Tom Cruise returns as supersecret agent Ethan Hunt in the fifth film in the franchise borne of the old TV series. This time, Hunt and his team of supersecret spies must take on the Syndicate, a supersecret espionage organization out to destroy the supersecret Impossible Mission Force — all of it, naturally, done in broad daylight for the world to witness.

“Straight Outta Compton” (Universal)

Director: F. Gary Gray

Release date: Aug. 14

In 1988, NWA released one of the seminal rap records of all time, “Straight Outta Compton.” The story behind the album gets the movie treatment, showing the complicated South Central Los Angeles street life of Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, Easy-E, MC Ren et al., who are chronicled in this film by director F. Gary Gray (“Friday,” “The Italian Job”). In the film’s most interesting bit of casting, Ice Cube will be portrayed by his son, O’Shea Jackson Jr. Hopefully, Pop will be proud.

“The Man From U.N.C.L.E.” (Warner Bros.)

Director: Guy Ritchie

Release date: Aug. 14

Is every campy ’60s TV show destined to become a big-budget film? (While “Danger Man” has yet to be reimagined for the big screen, the answer is yes.) Henry Cavill (“Man of Steel,” “The Tudors”) leads an all-star cast of British actors for director Guy Ritchie (“Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels,” “Sherlock Holmes”) in an action-packed spy adventure.