Though summer is traditionally the season of the big budget studio blockbuster a la Spiderman 3. Pirates of the Caribbean 3 Shrek the Third - I hope that you see the pattern here - , there are, of course, some fantastic indie and foreign films coming to a theater near you in the next few months. So when you are sick of seeing Spiderman 3 for the third time, take a chance on some of the following titles that will scare you, make you think, make you laugh and make you much more wary of sheep.

A MIGHTY HEART- Based on the book A Mighty Heart: The Brave Life And Death Of My Husband Danny Pearl. The film is written by John Orloff, directed by Michael Winterbottom, and stars Academy Award Winner Angelina Jolie. Just coming off its successful world premiere at Cannes, this film is a must see this summer. JUNE

CRAZY LOVE - Dan Klores' CRAZY LOVE tells the astonishing story of the obsessive roller-coaster relationship of Burt and Linda Pugach, which shocked the nation during the summer of 1959. The film examines the human psyche and the concepts of love, obsession, insanity, hope and forgiveness. JUNE

ANGEL -A - Directed by Luc Besson (LA FEMME NIKITA) - his first film as director since 1999's THE MESSENGER: THE STORY OF JOAN OF ARC - ANGEL A is an arty black-and-white film about two suicidal Parisians who pull themselves out of the Seine and set out to oppose a gangster. JUNE

BLACK SHEEP - The debut feature from New Zealander Jonathan King. The film describes itself as "Baa baa, black sheep, have you any…fangs?!!! The sylvan pastures of New Zealand, home to forty million sheep, are the setting for gory mayhem when a mutant strain of the normally placid fleecy ones runs amok in this endearingly funny horror romp" and I can't do better than that. JUNE

JOSHUA - directed by George Ratliff and starring Sam Rockwell and Vera Farmiga was one of my favorite films from Sundance this year. The film is the story of how a 10 year old boy reacts to the newest addition to the family. Taking sibling rivalry to a whole other level, JOSHUA takes us into the psychosis of a little boy and his need to truly be the first born son. Gripping, funny, and terrifying, the film is a must see - especially for all of you new parents of a second child out there. JULY

SUNSHINE - Director Danny Boyle's homage to 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY, this sci-fi fantasy film starring an international cast headed by Cillian Murphy takes place in the future when the sun is about to die. A crew is sent into to space with the mission of launching a nuclear warhead into the sun to give it a much needed kickstart. Fantastic effects and great morality play. JULY

THIS IS ENGLAND - Shane Meadows - one of my all time faves - is back with an incredibly poignant film about a boy who finds "family" with a group of local skinheads after his father dies in the Falklands War. JULY

PARIS J'TAIME - Twenty-one directors are credited for this omnibus of short film whose remit was to show the true Paris, the one that is off the tourist beaten track. Each short focuses on an "unusual encounter" in one of the city's neighborhoods. Directors include the Coen brothers, Olivier Assayas, Gurinder Chadha and Wes Craven and the films star such actors as Juliette Binoche, Willem Dafoe, Gerard Depardieu, Nick Nolte, Natalie Portman and Elijah Wood. SUMMER TBA

SMILEY FACE - Indie bad boy director Greg Araki (MYSTERIOUS SKIN) is back with a comedy about a young actress (Anna Faris) who accidentally eats her roommate's pot brownies and has a tripped-out day. SUMMER TBA

Remember to check your local listings as some release dates vary by city.

Keeping it indie,
Julie