It’s June 30th. The year is half over and, as Sting’s singers shout in “The Last Ship”: “Whadda we got?” Not much, but that’s always the case.

This is totally subjective. I’m going by what I’ve seen so far, not what’s been released. The two may not overlap.

So far there is a smattering of Best Picture candidates. Wes Anderson’s “Grand Budapest Hotel” leads that pack, followed by Richard Linklater’s “Boyhood,” John Carney’s “Begin Again,”  and Amma Asante’s “Belle.”

Two films played in Cannes that seem like cinches down the road this fall: Bennett Miller’s “Foxcatcher” and Damien Chazelle’s “Whiplash.” They are each brilliant. So is the original two-movies-in-one version of “The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby” from Ned Benson. These three films are going to require smart audiences, like from the 1970s. Are they out there? I hope so.

Woody Allen’s “Magic in the Moonlight” is next around the bend in a summer of action fare, super heroes, sequels, and movies about wind up toys.

In documentaries, we’ve had Joe Berlinger’s “Whitey Bulger,” Steve James’ take on Roger Ebert in “Life Itself,” and Mike Myers’ “Supermensch” about Shep Gordon as standouts.

Anyone in the lead for acting kudos? Mark Ruffalo in “Begin Again,”  and “Foxcatcher”; Patricia Arquette in “Boyhood,” Steve Carell in “Foxcatcher,” Gugu Mbatha-Raw in “Belle,” Jessica Chastain and James McAvoy in “Eleanor Rigby,” J.K. Simmons in “Whiplash.”

A special nod to Catherine Keener, just for being herself. She’s a gem as usual in “Begin Again.”

More to come, certainly…

The economy is supposed to be bad, right? You hear that a few times a day. But some group of people spent $100 million this weekend on tickets for “Transformers: Age of Extinction.” One hundred million dollars in three days! It’s a record, and the highest opening this year.

Consider that recent Best Picture winners “The Hurt Locker” and “The Artist” earned $17 million and $44 million total, respectively. “Transformers: Act of Sedition” also has made $201 million internationally. Stanley Tucci co-stars in “Transformers: Art of Seduction.” His beloved indie film “Big Night” made $12 million in 1996 (around $17 mil adjusted for inflation).

Maybe this is why Shia LaBeouf had a meltdown on Friday night that ended in his arrest. After appearing in three “Transformer” movies, he wasn’t invited back for number 4.

“Transformers: Ate My Homework” was sorely needed for the Summer 2014 box office. This year is running slightly behind last year. “T4” will catch us up. The next blockbuster doesn’t come until July 11th with “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.”

Michael Bay, a sort of scourge on cinema, is back. His latest “Transformers” movie made a shocking $41.6 million on Friday night. It’s not a movie but a product with an 18% on Rotten Tomatoes. It also runs a whopping 165 minutes. I cannot imagine what this experience would like– two hours and 45 minutes of being force fed fast food, I suppose, with similar results.

Anyway, this newest “Age of Extinction” has already earned $80 million abroad, so do the math. The movie’s budget is $210 million, which means $250 million in Hollywood where no one tells the truth about these things. So “Age of Extinction”–(in Hollywood, age of extinction is 40, but that’s another story) is a monster hit. Paramount can breathe a sigh of relief. This pays for small films they can take a chance on later in the year.

Also, a tip of the hat to Mark Wahlberg. He is the hardest working guy and incredibly consistent. Putting him into this “Transformers” movie was great idea.

On the other end of the spectrum, I’m so happy to see  John Carney’s “Begin Again” scored $43,600 in five theaters last night. That’s HUGE. Wider release comes on July 2nd. Go see this movie and tell me how much you liked it. This is just “begin”ning!

PS Warner Bros should be pleased. Both “Jersey Boys” and “Edge of Tomorrow” are hanging in there. They are solid Hollywood entertainments, perfect escapism on a muggy night!