Features > Top Lists > LOVEFiLM Picks: Top 20 August Films

LOVEFiLM Picks: Top 20 August Films

From Cruise, Cage and DiCaprio; to Angelina, Salma, Cameron and, er, Kelly, there's something for everyone in our Top 20 August films - the pick of the month at the cinema, on DVD, and to Watch Online.

The Top 20

Goodfellas

Released: To Watch Online until August 19

A bona-fide, 5 star classic, and you can stream it direct to your PC (or an internet-enabled telly) for no extra cost – all as part of your subscription. Martin Scorsese’s epic mafia saga is somehow 20 years old, but still electric viewing, and stars Robert De Niro, Ray Liotta and Joe “funny how?” Pesci. But don’t miss out – it’s only available until August 19.

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Shutter Island

Released: On DVD August 2

A double-whammy of Scorsese to kick-off August, with Marty’s muse for the new millennium, Leonardo DiCaprio, leading this one. Set in 1954, and rich with period detail and old-gold Hollywood style, US Marshal Leo and partner Mark Ruffalo visit Ben Kingsley’s remote, island hospital for the criminally insane. And the fog thickens.

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Knight & Day

Released: In cinemas August 6

A gleeful slab of unreconstituted late-80s excess. The plot, in which rival LA cops Sly Stallone (smart and bespectacled) and Kurt Russell (hunky and mulletted) are framed and banged up in high-risk, maximum-security lock-up, is ludicrous; the script is ripe cheddar; but the whole shooting match is huge, bombastic fun – stream it for 28 days as part of your subscription.

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Tango & Cash

Released: To Watch Online from August 6

Overblown and frequently ridiculous, this action thriller has late-80s excess stamped right across both peachy ass-cheeks, but offers massive entertainment because of Sylvester Stallone and Kurt Russell's gleeful, practically panto turns as rival LA cops Tango & Cash - framed, imprisoned and busting to bust out.

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The Wedding Singer

Released: To Watch Online from August 6

Adam Sandler has successfully parlayed his distinctive Saturday Night Live persona into low-brow, slapstick cinema, but swerves every so often into either drama or rom-com. Here’s a shining light of the latter category – a warm, heartfelt story; strong, funny characters; Drew Barrymore, and a cracking (mostly) 80s soundtrack.

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The Sorcerer's Apprentice

Released: In cinemas August 11

Mega-producer Jerry Bruckheimer’s latest attempt to unleash another barnstorming Disney franchise onto the world finds Nicolas Cage playing crazy and hairy (no!), as an apprentice of King Arthur’s long-dead right-hand-wizard Merlin, still searching in the present day for Merlin’s successor (and probably at least a sequel or two

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The Last Airbender

Released: In cinemas August 13

Tricksy Sixth Sense director M Night Shyamalan doesn’t want an easy life. His recent movies haven’t been received that kindly, but he’s nevertheless adapting a fervently-loved cartoon series about a boy who might unite the four kingdoms of Air, Water, Fire and Earth. Some impressive visual stuff and martial arts abound in the first of a planned trilogy.

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Perriers Bounty

Released: On DVD August 16

Cork-born Cillian Murphy is as comfy in big-bucks movies like Inception or Red Eye, as he is in more modest efforts filmed closer to home, like The Wind That Shakes The Barley, or this Dublin-set crime-caper. He and dad Jim Broadbent finds themselves in hot water with local gangster Brendan Gleeson, who has a habit of dismembering his victims.

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Whip It

Released: On DVD August 16

Actress, celebrity, producer and – now – director, Drew Barrymore put a new spin on the sports comedy. With roller-skates. Fed up with small-town Texas, Juno’s Ellen Page discovers roller-derby – where hooning round in circles has been turned into a contact sport – and her no-nonsense alter-ego, Babe Ruthless, is born.

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The Expendables

Released: In cinemas August 19

Details the story of a dying breed of stage entertainer whose thunder is being stolen by emerging rock stars. Forced to accept increasingly obscure assignments in fringe theaters, garden parties and bars, he meets a young fan who changes his life forever.

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The Illusionist

Released: In cinemas August 20

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Piranha 3D

Released: In cinemas August 20

OK, so we know high art this ain’t, but there’s something delicious and salacious about the idea of peckish piscine peril chowing down on a beach of boozy American Spring Breakers – surf, screaming and slasher fish, plus Elisabeth Shue, Richard Dreyfuss, Christopher Lloyd and our own Kelly Brook in a tiny bikini – what’s not to like?!

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Salt

Released: In cinemas August 20

There’s a lot of ballistic bluster in the summer cinema schedule, but this action thriller could easily hold its own – director Phillip Noyce knows what he’s doing (Patriot Games, The Bone Collector), and Angelina Jolie is one of the very few actresses who could convince as a CIA agent on the run from accusations of being a Russian spy.

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Batman Begins

Released: To Watch Online from August 20

Blighty’s own Christopher Nolan just keeps coming up with high-quality goods. Memento was a head-messing debut, Inception is currently boggling the cinema masses and, in between, The Prestige was magical. Also in between, Nolan’s brilliant Bat re-boot – the spectacular Dark Knight dependent on this epic, brooding origin adventure.

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Charlie & the Chocolate Factory

Released: To Watch Online from August 20

And here’s Nolan’s pre-predecessor from the Caped Crusader franchise, Tim Burton, also reimagining a classic and much-loved tale. Johnny Depp’s Wonka is wonky in the extreme (and a far cry from Gene Wilder’s 1971 version), but there’s an agreeable whiff of authentic Roald Dahl weirdness permeating this technicolour freak-show.

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The Girl Who Played With Fire

Released: In cinemas August 27

A US remake of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo is in the works with David Fincher at the helm and Daniel Craig starring, but this is the second of the original Swedish mystery thriller trilogy written by the late Stieg Larsson – the unlikely duo of computer hacker Lisbeth and journo Mikael reunite to investigate a sex-trafficking ring.

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Grown Ups

Released: In cinemas August 27

Adam Sandler reunites with his Happy Gilmore/Big Daddy director Dennis Dugan for this ensemble comedy, in which five mates get together for a weekend bender when their high school basketball coach dies. Kevin James, Chris Rock, David Spade and Rob Schneider co-star, with Salma Hayek spicing up the mix for good measure.

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Cemetery Junction

Released: On DVD August 30

Ricky Gervais continues to branch out creatively, here re-teaming with his Office co-creator Stephen Merchant to write and direct a 70s-set comedy. Freddie, Bruce and Snork spend their lives working, drinking, scrapping and chasing skirt together, but only Freddie dreams of escape. Ralph Fiennes and Emily Watson co-star.

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Four Lions

Released: On DVD August 30

Writer/director Chris Morris is no stranger to controversy, having created spoof news shows Brass Eye and The Day Today (which satirised media hysteria and duped celebrities into commenting on made-up stories). And here’s his black comedy of four British jihadists, and the ideology and idiocy that powers their planned terrorism.

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Hot Tub Time Machine

Released: On DVD August 30

John Cusack is losing touch with his former best-mates, but one whirl in the HTTM of the title (dubiously engineered by the great Chevy Chase), and they’re partying like it’s 1986. Part Grosse Point Blank, part gross-out comedy, it’s a great ride; packed with Cusack charm, a fab soundtrack, and maybe more laughs than you’d think.

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Jennifer Trevorrow