With many major TV franchises coming to an end, streaming services featuring mostly the latest seasons of reality TV shows and the new school year still a month away, entertainment's dog days of summer are here.
With some slim pickings for TV, here are some of the new movies coming to streaming services in July:
1. Back to the Future, the full series
Netflix
Hot off the heels of the 30th anniversary of its initial release, "Back to the Future" and its two sequels are streaming on Netflix for the first time all month long. Set in the 1980s, the trilogy follows the time-hopping adventures of Marty McFly and Dr. Emmett Scott as they try to correct wrongs committed in the past that involve Marty's family, while dealing with unintended consequences. Parents should be especially aware of the third installment, as it is set in the Wild West and the gun play makes it inherently more violent than the previous two.
2. The Neverending Story
HBO Now
Based on the 1979 German children's book, this 1984 cult film favorite follows Bastian, a boy floundering in the wake of his mother's death and struggling to fit in at school. Desperate for an escape, Bastian steals "The Neverending Story" from a bookstore and loses himself in the world of Fantasia, a land being slowly destroyed by an evil force known simply as "The Nothing." In helping the storybook's hero, Atreyu, Bastion comes to terms with his own life's struggles.
3. Mr. Holmes
Hulu
In a new twist on an old favorite, this film revisits the world's greatest detective in his twilight years. An elderly Sherlock Holmes has retired after the death of his lifelong friend John Watson and is under the care of a maid and her precocious son. As dementia begins to claim Holmes' mind, he and the boy team up to revisit and solve a case that has vexed Holmes his entire career.
4. Star Trek, various films
Amazon Prime
Six classic "Star Trek" films come to Amazon Prime in July Star Trek: The Motion Picture," Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, and Star Trek IX: Insurrection" all detailing the adventures of the captains James T. Kirk and Jean-Luc Picard and the crew of the starship Enterprise.
5. Hello, Dolly!
Netflix
This 1969 movie adaptation of the acclaimed Broadway musical follows the story of scheming professional matchmaker Dolly Levi (played here by Barbara Streisand) and her quest to marry off bachelor businessman and curmudgeon Horace Vandergelder (Walter Matthau).
6. Yours, Mine and Ours
Netflix
This is a 2005 update to the 1968 family film of the same name about a blended family whose total 18 children don't get along and try to break up their parents' marriage. Starring Dennis Quaid and Rene Russo as the long-suffering parents, this film follows the original closely with some minor updates.
7. Finding Neverland
Hulu
This quasi-biopic of "Peter Pan" author J.M. Barrie follows Barrie through the period of his life that inspired him to write what would become one of the most beloved children's stories of all time. Johnny Depp plays Barrie and Kate Winslet plays Sylvia Davies, the mother to the five boys Barrie was close to throughout his life.
8. The Big Short
Netflix
This 2015 movie adaptation of Michael Lewis' 2010 nonfiction book boasts an all-star cast dramatizing (including Christian Bale and Steve Carell in Oscar and Golden Globe-nominated roles) and dissecting the circumstances that led to the U.S. housing bubble of the early 2000s. Definitely too adult and boring to hold kids' attention, this one is great for older teens and parents to watch together.
9. The Hunt for Red October
Hulu, Amazon Prime
Set in the final years of the Cold War, a disillusioned Soviet submarine captain (played by Sean Connery) stages his defection in the Red October, a jewel of the Soviet Navy boasting cutting-edge technology that makes it virtually undetectable to sonar. Seizing his opportunity, the captain surprises his crew and the U.S. government as he tries to go rogue in the hope of a new life in the free world, if he's not caught first. The film is based on the 1984 Tom Clancy novel of the same title.
10. The Secret Garden
HBO Now
For parents looking for a break from the typical "princess" narrative present in so many kids' movies today, look no further than young Mary Lennox, the main character in this 1993 adaptation of the children's book. Angry, ignored and orphaned Mary is carted off to live with her mysterious uncle in England after her parents are killed in an earthquake in India. There, she slowly unlocks the secrets behind her uncle's past and finds a place in a part of her family she's never known.
With some slim pickings for TV, here are some of the new movies coming to streaming services in July:
1. Back to the Future, the full series
Netflix
Hot off the heels of the 30th anniversary of its initial release, "Back to the Future" and its two sequels are streaming on Netflix for the first time all month long. Set in the 1980s, the trilogy follows the time-hopping adventures of Marty McFly and Dr. Emmett Scott as they try to correct wrongs committed in the past that involve Marty's family, while dealing with unintended consequences. Parents should be especially aware of the third installment, as it is set in the Wild West and the gun play makes it inherently more violent than the previous two.
2. The Neverending Story
HBO Now
Based on the 1979 German children's book, this 1984 cult film favorite follows Bastian, a boy floundering in the wake of his mother's death and struggling to fit in at school. Desperate for an escape, Bastian steals "The Neverending Story" from a bookstore and loses himself in the world of Fantasia, a land being slowly destroyed by an evil force known simply as "The Nothing." In helping the storybook's hero, Atreyu, Bastion comes to terms with his own life's struggles.
3. Mr. Holmes
Hulu
In a new twist on an old favorite, this film revisits the world's greatest detective in his twilight years. An elderly Sherlock Holmes has retired after the death of his lifelong friend John Watson and is under the care of a maid and her precocious son. As dementia begins to claim Holmes' mind, he and the boy team up to revisit and solve a case that has vexed Holmes his entire career.
4. Star Trek, various films
Amazon Prime
Six classic "Star Trek" films come to Amazon Prime in July Star Trek: The Motion Picture," Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, and Star Trek IX: Insurrection" all detailing the adventures of the captains James T. Kirk and Jean-Luc Picard and the crew of the starship Enterprise.
5. Hello, Dolly!
Netflix
This 1969 movie adaptation of the acclaimed Broadway musical follows the story of scheming professional matchmaker Dolly Levi (played here by Barbara Streisand) and her quest to marry off bachelor businessman and curmudgeon Horace Vandergelder (Walter Matthau).
6. Yours, Mine and Ours
Netflix
This is a 2005 update to the 1968 family film of the same name about a blended family whose total 18 children don't get along and try to break up their parents' marriage. Starring Dennis Quaid and Rene Russo as the long-suffering parents, this film follows the original closely with some minor updates.
7. Finding Neverland
Hulu
This quasi-biopic of "Peter Pan" author J.M. Barrie follows Barrie through the period of his life that inspired him to write what would become one of the most beloved children's stories of all time. Johnny Depp plays Barrie and Kate Winslet plays Sylvia Davies, the mother to the five boys Barrie was close to throughout his life.
8. The Big Short
Netflix
This 2015 movie adaptation of Michael Lewis' 2010 nonfiction book boasts an all-star cast dramatizing (including Christian Bale and Steve Carell in Oscar and Golden Globe-nominated roles) and dissecting the circumstances that led to the U.S. housing bubble of the early 2000s. Definitely too adult and boring to hold kids' attention, this one is great for older teens and parents to watch together.
9. The Hunt for Red October
Hulu, Amazon Prime
Set in the final years of the Cold War, a disillusioned Soviet submarine captain (played by Sean Connery) stages his defection in the Red October, a jewel of the Soviet Navy boasting cutting-edge technology that makes it virtually undetectable to sonar. Seizing his opportunity, the captain surprises his crew and the U.S. government as he tries to go rogue in the hope of a new life in the free world, if he's not caught first. The film is based on the 1984 Tom Clancy novel of the same title.
10. The Secret Garden
HBO Now
For parents looking for a break from the typical "princess" narrative present in so many kids' movies today, look no further than young Mary Lennox, the main character in this 1993 adaptation of the children's book. Angry, ignored and orphaned Mary is carted off to live with her mysterious uncle in England after her parents are killed in an earthquake in India. There, she slowly unlocks the secrets behind her uncle's past and finds a place in a part of her family she's never known.
