Summer is a great time of year for movies. Not just because the majority of yearly blockbusters are released, but there’s something about the months of May, June, July and August that feel very relaxed. For me summer means double-feature nights at the drive-in (I praise God your local area still has one, my dear reader). It’s a quaint, sunny and hot couple months where movies serve as a form of escape. Once embraced by the cool A/C of the marquee be sure to check these out:

10.) MACGRUBER – OUT MAY 21st

Sure, it’s not a textbook miracle. But with Saturday Night Live alum Will Forte helming the script with John Solomon and Jorma Taccone (of The Lonely Island fame, serving here as co-writer and director) this is starting to shape up as something more than just another generic sketch-to-screen SNL adaptation. Forte reprises his role as MacGruber, an ex-special operative and spoof of TV secret agent MacGyver, to fight baddie Dieter Von Cunthe before he discovers a nuclear firearm and destroys Washington D.C. entirely. Reviews for this have gotten my motivation running once again; as of this writing it has a 100% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Todd Gilchrist of Hollywood News calls it “one of not only the best spinoffs, but the best all-around comedies in recent memory.” By God, let’s hope he’s right.

9.) PIRANHA 3D – OUT AUGUST 27th

This is one that’s been long-gestating in the stomach of Hollywood for a while. Known for its cheesy F/X and plot, the Piranha series hasn’t exactly been a string of back-to-back hits. Though Piranha 2 was where James Cameron first started directing. The spectacle starring Richard Dreyfuss is basically about exactly what you’d expect: giant snapping piranhas terrorize a local town (think Jaws, if the sharks were smaller). With filmmaker Alexandre Aja (The Hills Have Eyes) at the wheel this could be the surprise hit and guilty pleasure of the summer.

8.) SPLICE – OUT JUNE 4th

It really sucks this will probably never get a wide release. Splice killed at Sundance, earning critical acclaim and a best picture nod at the famed festival. The drama follows two scientists who splice both human and animal DNA to create a superb organism. Starring Adrien Brody and Sarah Polley, it’ll be fun to see where this sci-fi love story goes. The first trailer released this week has generated so much excitement I began to wonder what word-of-mouth will do after people start seeing it.

7.) PREDATORS – OUT JULY 9th

The second awaited flick this summer starring Adrien Brody, though this time the story isn’t so original. However producer Robert Rodriguez promises not another reboot, but a reimagining. It follows a ferry of advocates in a South American jungle when mysterious creatures begin to target their very lives. Director Nimród Antal’s name doesn’t promise too much—his filmography consists of only Vacancy and Armored. Call me wrong but those titles don’t quite scream “franchise.” The footage shown at the South by Southwest festival a few weeks ago in Austin, Texas looked very cool, offering refreshing visuals and an interesting plot. Maybe Predators will be the first decent rehashing of a groundbreaking cult fave in recent memory.

6.) CYRUS – OUT JULY 9th

Another festival favorite, this one comes from the Duplass brothers, Jay and Mark. Their dramedy is the unbalanced bond formed between John (John C. Reilly), a divorcé who has perhaps met his one true love (Marisa Tomei), and her son Cyrus (Jonah Hill). Just the star power made me want to see this, but considering the Duplass’s previous scores The Puffy Chair and Baghead, Cyrus looks to be the one that brings the indie brothers into the mainstream.

5.) GET HIM TO THE GREEK – OUT JUNE 4th

Am I the only one who found Forgetting Sarah Marshall to be an absolute riot? Of course I’m not, and that’s why director Nicholas Stoller returns here with Get Him to the Greek. It’s a spin-off of sorts: rockstar Aldous Snow, who romanced Kristen Bell’s character in Marshall, is to be brought to the Greek Theater in Los Angeles by record company intern Aaron Green (Jonah Hill, not to be confused with his role as a struggling musician in Forgetting). Produced by my personal Messiah Judd Apatow, Get Him to the Greek could be what Hot Tub Time Machine failed to accomplish: the Hangover of 2010.

4.) IRON MAN 2 – OUT MAY 7th

Summer unofficially starts in May, and what better to open in the month’s first weekend then an assured superhero success? Last year’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine didn’t grow into anything more than a one-hit wonder, but Iron Man 2 comes on the heels of its 2008 smash predecessor Iron Man. Reliving his role as rich arsenal developer Tony Stark, Robert Downey Jr.’s agreeing to this may be a form of thanks to director Jon Favreau for jump-starting his career after his famed ‘90s drug dilemma. This time around Scarlett Johansson is brought in as Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow, a Soviet agent, as well as Don Cheadle in the form of James Rhodes/War Machine, Iron Man’s partner in justice previously filled by the likes of Terrence Howard. Mickey Rourke is Ivan Vanko/Whiplash, an expert electrician turned dangerous malefactor craving for the luxurious routine of Stark’s everyday life. Like everyone else in these United States of America, I’m stoked to watch Favreau direct another superhero epic. With all of these new characters, one could only hope this doesn’t turn into another Spider-Man 3. However this fanboy couldn’t help but add Iron Man 2 as the fourth most-anticipated film of summer 2010.

3.) TOY STORY 3 – OUT JUNE 18th

‘90s kids, come together—Woody and the gang are back. Pixar has done an excellent job in hyping the film, releasing three wonderful dips of nostalgia in the form of trailers, as well as announcing new characters on their own individual posters seemingly every week. After their beloved owner Andy moves off to college, his belonging toys are thrown in a day-care center. Director Lee Unkrich (Pixar vet who directed the saga’s second sequel) filmed this specifically in 3D, none of that Alice in Wonderland, Clash of the Titans converted crapola, making it a must-see in the cinema-given glasses. The only voice actor sadly not returning for the threequel is Jim Varney, who played Slinky Dog, since his death sadly sprung upon us in February 2000, only about a year after he was heard in 1999’s Toy Story 2. On the roster of new celebs lending their speech boxes are Kristen Schaal (Flight of the Conchords), Whoopi Goldberg, Bonnie Hunt, Michael Douglas, and Laurie Metcalf (Roseanne) among others. As a ‘90s kid myself I am bursting with joy to see these characters again.

2.) SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD – OUT AUGUST 13th

Director Edgar Wright has made two massive cult faves in his career: Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz. Though he also worked with Simon Pegg and Nick Frost on a remarkable bit of genius U.K. television sitcom entitled Spaced. Despite a segment in the Tarantino-based Grindhouse, Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World, based off of Bryan Lee O’Malley’s graphic novel series, is his first American debut. The action-comedy tells the tale of the nerdy Scott Pilgrim who after meeting the girl of his dreams discovers he must defeat her seven evil ex-boyfriends. Michael Cera nabs the title role, with a marvelous supporting cast of fresh Oscar-nominee (and should-be winner) Anna Kendrick, Jason Schwartzman, Brandon Routh, and Captain America himself, Chris Evans. I vow to read O’Malley’s best-sellers ASAP, as well as getting my behind in a seat with a ticket on August 13^th.

1.) INCEPTION – OUT JULY 16th

The undisputed must-see of not only summer, but all of 2010 is Inception. The trailer released a few months ago is the current frontrunner for preview of the year. The background foghorns, the one-liners, an imploding city—all rhythmically synched to perfection. I don’t think I’d be as excited if Christopher Nolan wasn’t camera-bound here. His previous The Dark Knight was one of the best films, not just of men in capes, but of the past five years. Since I’m not personally sure what the hell this thing is about I’ll give you the official IMDb plot: “In a world where technology exists to enter the human mind through dream invasion, a single idea within one’s mind can be the most dangerous weapon or the most valuable asset.” Leonardo DiCaprio headlines, with Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard, Ken Watanabe, and Ellen Page filling out the latter part of casting. Seeing what Nolan did with Heath Ledger as the Joker and Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne, one can’t help but wonder what he has in store for the girl from Juno.