We were in the weeds for most of the summer, and browsing the wide release schedule for the next couple months makes it clear that things are only going to get worse before they get any better. But this too shall pass, and before we know it we’ll all be basking in the sweet, comforting glow of the fall movie season, in the company of Steven Spielberg, P.T. Anderson, Ang Lee and James Bond. But rewards must be earned, and for the time being we’ve just gotta grind it out.

I’m not even sure what to say at this point, besides thank God summer’s over. It has been quite an ordeal, and I suppose it’s only fitting that that the season goes out on a grossly disappointing note involving a sub-par sequel. Now we’ve just got to contend with that uneasy transitional period between the summer and fall movie seasons, and we may actually have some good movies to talk about. I’m waiting with breath that is bated.

As “The Expendables 2” rolls into theaters across the globe (look for the review next week), the 2012 summer movie comes to a close — and I honestly can’t remember ever being more depressed as a moviegoer.

Last week I offered a few brief thoughts on some cultural issues surrounding the movie theater shootings in Aurora, Colo., and events that have taken place since then suggest that I failed to address one of the key questions surrounding this tragedy: Is it safe to go to the movies anymore?

You may have noted that last week’s review of “The Dark Knight Rises” lacked any mention of the tragedy in Aurora, Colo. This was not meant as a show of disrespect to the victims, but as recognition that regardless of its now-infamous status, Christopher Nolan’s concluding Batman film deserved to be discussed on its own merits, as a movie — not as the alleged trigger that set off a madman’s rampage.

This week’s review of “The Dark Knight Rises” comes a little later than I had initially hoped, but oh well — it’s never too late to spread good news. And I advise you to enjoy the good times while they last, because the rest of the summer looks pretty dicey.

I fancy myself a halfway intelligent person, but I always seem to make the most head-smackingly stupid mistakes. A “for instance” would be the fact that I didn’t realize the News-Sentinel had an early deadline for the Fourth of July holiday, and found myself prepping for a late screening of “Magic Mike” as I discovered that the Lodi Living section was getting ready to go to press. It seems my stupidity knows no bounds.

It’s that time of year again — a time for victors to be showered in glory, for losers to be mocked and ostracized, and for creative artists to cheapen their craft by taking part in the ridiculous circus that we call the Academy Awards. 

I’ll continue to do my best catching up with some late 2010 releases while we wait for the new year to really get going. So in that vein we’ve got a brief look at the awards-season favorite “The Fighter,” along with my predictions for this year’s Oscar nominations. Completely meaningless, but kinda fun.

1) Opening Sequence ("Gangs of New York," Dir. Martin Scorsese)

Looking over a few of my columns from the beginning of the summer movie season, I began to get quite depressed. Here were the words of a naïve and hopeful young man, so full of wide-eyed anticipation for “what was sure to be one hell of a summer,” now confronted by the harsh realities of one of the most disappointing periods for movies in recent memory.

The end of the decade coincides with the 10-year anniversary of this column, and what better way to mark the occasion than with an obsessive ranking of the decade's best films?

At this point, it's getting almost surreal: Week after week, we're seeing once-promising films that end up falling completely flat due to very fundamental and blindingly obvious problems with the screenplay, cast or direction (sometimes all three).

Not much new in theaters this week, as the box office gears up for the onslaught of Michael Bay's "Transformers 2."

"Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs"

I don't know about you, but I'm ready to relish in the transcendent joys of "Up," which I'm willing to bet won't somehow become the first film to taint Pixar's extraordinary, unblemished record. But, in light of this week's movie, that's really all the optimism I can convey at this point. I am otherwise deflated, and feel sullied and used. Thanks a lot, "Terminator Salvation."

As we leave behind the studio dumping ground that is the month of February and move away from the Oscars, we're starting to see the first promising titles of the new year. Granted, if you're not into cheesy horror flicks, then my working definition of "promising" may differ from yours. But no matter what your tastes are, the fact remains that movies should start getting better now, or at least more interesting. And yes, I'm finally psyched for the opening of "Watchmen" next week. Took me a while, but I got there.

Actor Christian Bale's recent tirade on the set of one of his movies is yet another indication of a society that is quickly losing its way.

Hamlet 2

I'm a week behind in my writing, so as an early Christmas gift to you, here are reports on just the four-star films I've seen lately. We'll catch up with the rest later - for now, let's just focus on four films that have helped make my holiday season a little brighter. All of them are "bummers," technically, but whatever; how can a truly great movie ever leave one completely depressed? There's nothing like a good, old-fashioned, nightmarish Lynch/Kubrick Christmas, am I right?

Everyone knew "The Dark Knight" would be a major success. Between the brilliant marketing, glowing reviews and incredible hype surrounding the late Heath Ledger's performance as the Joker, there was no way this wouldn't be one of the biggest hits of the summer movie season.

1. "Iron Man," May 2; stars Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow and Terrence Howard

In these modern times, technological advancements and sophisticated storytelling techniques have allowed filmmakers to take over the role once occupied by stage magicians. Now, instead of gazing with wonder as the illusionist produces a rabbit out of his hat, audiences instead fix their eyes on movie screens, where filmmakers make the impossible seem possible. After all, a good movie can inspire you to abandon reality and believe the unbelievable - if only for a couple hours.

Last week, I took a look back on the great, good and not-so-good summer releases.