Yahoo! Movies: New Action/Adventure DVD Releases

The Wiz

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:29:41 -0000

In this Sidney Lumet-directed Motown rendition of THE WIZARD OF OZ, Diana Ross plays a soulful Dorothy, accompanied by a cast peppered with R&B stars such as Roberta Flack and Luther Vandross. (2 hrs. 13 min.) Release date: Nov 1, 2009

Madagascar

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:29:40 -0000

This movie focuses on four residents and "stars" of the Central Park Zoo in New York City who are also best friends: a lion (Stiller), a zebra (Rock), a giraffe (Schwimmer) and a pregnant hippo (Smith). When one of them goes missing, the other three break out of the zoo looking for him, and eventually all four are captured and put in boxes to ship them back to the continent their species are originally from: Africa. An accident at sea, however, strands them on the shore of Madagascar. Having had humans take care of them their entire life, the four know nothing of surviving in the wild, or that one of them, the lion, is genetically predisposed to eat his three best friends. Exploring their surroundings, the four friends soon meet the Malagasy locals (a type of lemur given to having loud "rave-like" dance parties) and their carnivorous enemies, the fousas. As the two sides try to use these four new, strange (and large) friends to their benefit, our heroes are also confronted with the reality of their predestined roles in nature. (1 hr. 26 min.) Release date: Sep 29, 2009

Superman

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:29:39 -0000

The Superman myth is well told, from his birth on the doomed planet Krypton to his childhood in a small Kansas town and beyond, in Richard Donner's blockbuster. After he comes of age, young Clark Kent, as his Earth parents have named him, learns the truth of his alien birth on a voyage of discovery to the Arctic where he builds his "Fortress of Solitude". It is there that he learns--through a link to his long-dead birth father--of his superhuman abilities and his responsibility to preserve and protect "truth, justice and the American Way." Once he adjusts to life in the big city, Metropolis, he discovers that hiding his superpowers as mild-mannered reporter Clark Kent (Christopher Reeve) isn't easy as he flirts with hard-nosed Lois Lane (Margot Kidder) and battles supervillain Lex Luthor (Gene Hackman). The film's all-star cast includes Jackie Cooper, Marlon Brando, Ned Beatty, Glenn Ford, Terence Stamp, and Valerie Perrine, among others, all camping it up wonderfully.

Academy Award Nominations: 4, including Best Music, Best Sound and Best Editing.
Academy Awards: 1, Special Achievement Award for the groundbreaking special effects. (2 hrs. 23 min.) Release date: Nov 3, 2009

Van Helsing

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:29:38 -0000

Set in the late 19th century, monster hunter Dr. Gabriel Van Helsing (Jackman) is summoned to a mysterious land in East Europe to vanquish evil forces... evil forces with names like Count Dracula (Roxburgh), the Wolf Man (Kemp), and Frankenstein's Monster (Hensley). Assisting him once he gets there is Anna (Beckinsale), the heir of a long-running family committed to hunting down and destroying Dracula. (2 hrs. 12 min.) Release date: Sep 13, 2009

Scarface

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:29:37 -0000

Brian De Palma's blood-and-sun-drenched saga of a Cuban deportee�s rise to the top of Miami's cocaine business has become something of a popular classic since its release; it's been referenced in rap songs and subsequent gangster movies and quoted the world over. Despite this lovefest with the dialogue, the film�s brutal violence and lack of positive characters still make it controversial and disliked by certain critics. Al Pacino stars as Tony Montana, whose intelligence, guts, and ambition help him skyrocket from dishwasher to the top of a criminal empire but whose eventual paranoia and incestuous desire for his kid sister (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio) prove his undoing. Michelle Pfeiffer plays Tony�s neglected coke-addicted trophy wife, and Steven Bauer is his concerned friend. F. Murray Abraham, Robert Loggia, and Paul Shenar are some of Tony�s sleazy business partners and potential killers. Oliver Stone wrote the expletive-packed screenplay, based on Howard Hawks�s 1932 version--which was ostensibly about Al Capone and starred Paul Muni and George Raft. The synth-heavy Giorgio Moroder score expertly evokes the drug-fueled decadence of 1980s Miami, and De Palma provides several of his elaborate set pieces, including a horrific showstopper in a motel room with a chain saw.

RERELEASE: September 19th, 2003 (New York, Los Angeles, Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., Detroit, Dallas, Miami and San Francisco) (2 hrs. 50 min.) Release date: Nov 1, 2009

Shrek

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:29:36 -0000

Set in a strange, colorful land populated by fairy tale characters, SHREK is a hilarious comedy that will win over audiences of children and adults alike. Shrek (voiced by Mike Myers) is a fearsome green ogre living in isolation in his own cozy little swamp. He is not receptive to visitors, and fends off the occasional party of torch-wielding villagers with ease. But when the power-hungry Lord Farquaad (John Lithgow) turns Shrek's swamp into a relocation camp for dozens of banished fairy-tale characters (including some pesky dwarves, wolves, and fairies) Shrek's quiet, introverted life is ruined. Joined by the talkative Donkey (Eddie Murphy), Shrek makes his way to Farquaad's realm of Duloc, where the Lord makes Shrek an offer: He will rid Shrek's land of the unwanted visitors if Shrek will go on a simple quest to free Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz) from her remote, dragon-guarded castle and convince her to marry Farquaad. On their quest, Shrek and Donkey run into a number of bizarre situations, and Shrek finds himself realizing that he isn't quite the fearsome monster he has always made himself out to be. Reinventing the traditional fairy tale adventure, SHREK features gorgeous computer animation, a unique sense of humor, and compelling characters--especially Eddie Murphy's lovable Donkey. (1 hr. 29 min.) Release date: Sep 29, 2009

Twister

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:29:35 -0000

The largest storm to hit Oklahoma in more than half a century is brewing, and it promises to drop multiple twisters into Tornado Alley. It's the storm that two rival groups of scientists--Jo Harding and her band of brash university students, and corporate-sponsored Dr. Jonas Miller and his sleek, crack cadre with their state-of-the-art research vans--have been waiting for to earn their place in meteorological history. Each team wants to be the first to launch their own equipment pack inside a twister to transmit valuable scientific data about tornado behavior. But to do so, they must put themselves directly in the path of the marauding monster--and stay always just ahead of the swirling twister, anticipating its every move. Adding to the charged atmosphere, Jo's soon-to-be-ex-husband, meteorologist Bill Harding, reluctantly joins Jo and his old crew for this last, epic chase. (1 hr. 54 min.) Release date: Nov 3, 2009

Shrek 2

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:29:34 -0000

Picking up exactly where the first movie left off, this movie takes us to the kingdom of Far, Far Away as Shrek and Fiona return to her homeland to tell her parents (Cleese, Andrews) the good news. Not everyone is happy to find her married to an ogre, with the most irate in this group being Prince Charming (Everett), who was supposed to be the one who lifted Fiona's curse. We're also introduced to the mysterious Fairy Godmother (Saunders), and a bar called the Poison Apple, where the villains of the fairy tale world hang out, including the great ogre-slayer, Puss-in-Boots (Banderas). (1 hr. 32 min.) Release date: Sep 29, 2009

Troy

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:29:33 -0000

In 1193 B.C., Prince Paris (Bloom) of Troy stole the beautiful Greek woman, Helen (Kruger), away from her husband, Menelaus, the king of Sparta, setting the two nations at war with each other, as the Greeks began a bloody siege of Troy using their entire armada, led by Achilles (Pitt), that lasted over a decade. (2 hrs. 42 min.) Release date: Nov 3, 2009

The Wizard of Oz

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:29:32 -0000

Follow the yellow brick road again! Young Dorothy lives on a farm in Kansas where a large tornado picks her house, and her dog up and deposits them in the land of Oz. Things in Oz are strange and beautiful, but Dorothy just wants to get back home. She's helped by the Good Fairy of the North, but she's also in trouble with the Wicked Witch of the West, who seeks revenge for the death of the Wicked Witch of the East, for which she blames Dorothy. While searching her way home she meets a Scarecrow who needs a brain, a Tin Man who needs a heart, and a cowardly lion who needs courage. (1 hr. 41 min.) Release date: Sep 29, 2009

Shrek the Third

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:29:31 -0000

Shrek tackles the legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. (1 hr. 33 min.) Release date: Sep 29, 2009

Army of Darkness

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:29:30 -0000

"Army of Darkness" is a story about a man who goes through a time warp and finds himself in England in the 1300s. With fighting going on all around him, he must locate the Book of the Dead in order to return to the present day. (1 hr. 21 min.) Release date: Sep 15, 2009

Any Given Sunday

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:29:29 -0000

Although professional football provides the action-packed backdrop of Any Given Sunday, the film takes a simultaneously epic and intimate look at the men and women who comprise the milieu of the film, from the modern-day gladiators of the gridiron, their coaches and often beleaguered families, to the moneyed team owners and business concerns who attempt to control the game as big business, to the hungry sports media, and hangers-on trying to get a taste of the glamour. (2 hrs. 42 min.) Release date: Nov 3, 2009

The Last Samurai

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:29:28 -0000

Set in the late 1870s, this epic film depicts the beginnings of the modernization of Japan, as the island nation evolved past a feudal society, as symbolized by the eradication of the samurai way of life. We see all this happen from the point of view of an alcoholic Civil War veteran turned Winchester guns spokesman, Captain Woodrow Algren (Cruise), who arrives in Japan to train the troops of the emperor, Meiji, as part of a break away from the long-held tradition of relying on employed samurai warriors to protect territories, as the emperor's new army prepares to wipe out the remaining samurai warriors. When Algren is injured in combat and captured by the samurai, he learns about their warrior honor code from their leader, Katsumoto, which forces him to decide which side of the conflict he actually wants to be on. (2 hrs. 34 min.) Release date: Nov 3, 2009

Hero

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:29:27 -0000

In a distant war torn land, a ruthless emperor is rising to power with an iron fist and his massive armies. To control everything, he will stop at nothing. International action star Jet Li is a fearless warrior with no name on a mission of revenge for the massacre of his people. (1 hr. 33 min.) Release date: Sep 15, 2009

Fallen

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:29:26 -0000

A cop hunts a demonic serial killer who is eventually caught, tried and executed. The murders continue, however, until the cop himself becomes the prime suspect of the investigation. Making the case even more complex is a similar series of murders that occured some thirty years earlier which ended in the suicide of the detective investigating the case. (2 hrs. 4 min.) Release date: Sep 8, 2009

Eight Legged Freaks

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:29:25 -0000

What do you get when you cross toxic waste with a bunch of exotic spiders? Eaten. As every fan of classic spine-tinglers knows, given the opportunity and the right chemical enhancement, arachnids will grow to humongous size and wreak havoc upon humanity. In EIGHT LEGGED FREAKS, the residents of a rural mining town discover that an unfortunate chemical spill has caused hundreds of little spiders to mutate overnight to the size of SUVs. And they're hungry. (1 hr. 39 min.) Release date: Nov 3, 2009

Jurassic Park

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:29:24 -0000

The contemporary story of a remarkable theme park built around actual dinosaurs, created from DNA deposits. (2 hrs. 7 min.) Release date: Nov 1, 2009

Over the Top

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:29:23 -0000

Big-rig trucker Lincoln Hawk's (Sylvester Stallone) only chance for a better existence, which includes starting his own business and earning the love of his son, lies in his considerable talent for armwrestling. (1 hr. 33 min.) Release date: Sep 8, 2009

The Neverending Story

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:29:22 -0000

In director Wolfgang Petersen's charming fantasy, Bastian (Barrett Oliver), a lonely schoolboy alienated from his father and bullied by his classmates, retreats to an attic where he becomes engrossed in a book entitled THE NEVERENDING STORY. It is the tale of a magical kingdom appropriately named Fantasia, since it is a world born of human fantasies. However, as humanity loses faith in the power of imagination, the once-thriving Fantasia is being destroyed by great storms of Nothingness. Dangerously ill herself, Fantasia's youthful empress (Tami Stronach) sends the young warrior Atreju (Noah Hathaway) on a quest to find a cure for the kingdom. After encountering flying dragons, swamp monsters and a vast assortment of other strange creatures, the young hero discovers that only a human boy can save Fantasia, at which point Bastian is drawn, literally, into the pages of the story. (1 hr. 34 min.) Release date: Nov 3, 2009

The Bourne Identity

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:29:21 -0000

Set against dramatic European backdrops, THE BOURNE IDENTITY is the story of a man (Matt Damon), salvaged, near death, from the ocean by the crew of an Italian fishing boat. When he recuperates, the man suffers from total amnesisa. He is completely without identity or background, but possesses a range of extraordinary talents in fighting, linguistic skills and self-defense that speak of a dangerous past. He sets out on a desperate search�assisted by the initially rebellious Marie (Franka Potente) to discover who he really is, and why he is being pursued by assassins. (1 hr. 36 min.) Release date: Nov 1, 2009

Con Air

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:29:20 -0000

Nothing makes good-guy non-recidivist offender Cameron Poe happier than the thought of returning to society, where his angelic wife and the equally angelic little girl he's never known are waiting. And nothing makes him angrier than the passel of psychopathic murderers and rapists aboard his prison transport plane--especially when, under the direction of ringleader Cyrus "The Virus" Grissom, they revolt and hijack their own plane. Fortunately, our hero's been trained by the Army as an elite one-man-fighting-machine, and a dogged Justice Department agent waits on the ground to help him bring the fanatical fly-boys in for a bloody crash landing--in Vegas! A hyperactive Molotov cocktail blended from the frenetic efforts of high-octane action producer Jerry Bruckheimer ("The Rock"), hipster-schtick screenwriting specialist Scott Rosenberg, and music video director West. Academy Award Nominations: 2, including Best Original Song ("How Do I Live"), and Best Sound. (1 hr. 50 min.) Release date: Sep 15, 2009

Varsity Blues

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:29:19 -0000

In his 35th year as head coach, Bud Kilmer is trying to lead his West Canaan Coyotes to their 23rd division title. Uncompromising and omnipotent, Kilmer is deified in the small Texas town, as long as the team is winning. But when star quarterback Lance Harbor suffers a season-ending injury, the Coyotes are forced to regroup under the questionable leadership of second-string quarterback Jonathan Moxon. His irreverent attitude and approach to football come into direct conflict with the coach's inflexible game plan. (1 hr. 44 min.) Release date: Sep 15, 2009

Set It Off

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:29:18 -0000

After a lifetime of being exploited by unscrupulous employers, pushed around by sleazy boyfriends, persecuted by the police, and unable to escape from the undertow of ghetto life by socially approved means, a quartet of Angelina women arm themselves to the teeth and bust up banks in this provocative and intriguing social drama. (1 hr. 40 min.) Release date: Sep 8, 2009

Three Kings

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:29:17 -0000

The Gulf War is over, and three soldiers want to go home rich. Major Archie Gates retires in two weeks. Sergeant Troy Barlow is a new father. Chief Elgin is on a four-month paid vacation from Detroit. Saddam Hussein stole a great deal of gold from Kuwait, and these soldiers have no problem with stealing it from him. But on their way to collect their booty, they bear witness to the the disturbing results of the war effort. President Bush has encouraged Iraqi citizens to fight back against Saddam and pledged to support them, but when they rise up, they get NO American support, and they're getting slaughtered. As the soldiers realize the true situation in Iraq, they're confronted with their own humanity, and they're forced to rethink who they are and what they're doing. (1 hr. 55 min.) Release date: Nov 3, 2009

Air America

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:29:16 -0000

Based on actual events, this satiric drama--based on true events--tells the story of an airline allegedly purchased by the CIA solely for the purpose of opium and heroin smuggling out of Laos to help finance the Vietman War. One pilot (Mel Gibson) believes in his mission. The other (Robert Downey, Jr.) would like to do the whole program in. The retired General who heads the operation will do anything to protect it. (1 hr. 53 min.) Release date: Nov 24, 2009

Kangaroo Jack

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:29:15 -0000

Two friends from Brooklyn (Jerry O�Connell, Anthony Anderson) are forced to deliver mob money to Australia. Their misadventures begin when one of them places his red jacket on a kangaroo while attempting to snap a picture. When the kangaroo bounces off, they realize the mob money is in the jacket and are forced to give chase through the Outback. (1 hr. 29 min.) Release date: Sep 8, 2009

A Walk in the Sun

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:29:14 -0000

The setting is WWII Italy, with Dana Andrews starring as Sgt. Tyne, one of the officers leading a platoon in an attempt to take a farmhouse in the Italian countryside, which is now a German stronghold. As the troops prepare to attack, they contemplate the lives that have led them to this place and think about how to most effectively do their jobs. The men repeat their mantra, hoping it will be a talisman: "Nobody dies." Release date: Nov 24, 2009

Young Guns II

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:29:13 -0000

Billy, Doc and Chavez find themselves jailed in the same place and plan an escape. Together with new recruits, they head for the Mexican border not knowing that Billy's one-time friend Pat Garrett now wears a badge and is leading a posse with one mission - get Billy the Kid. Academy Award nominations: Best Song ("Blaze of Glory", by Jon Bon Jovi). (1 hr. 45 min.) Release date: Nov 3, 2009

Free Willy

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:29:12 -0000

Jesse, a homeless orphan who spends his days evading the police, finally gets caught spray painting a whale tank at a local park. Because he distrusts adults intensely, Jesse's not too happy when authorities place him in a foster home and sentence him to clean up the tank he vandalized. Unexpectedly, Willy, the whale who inhabits the tank, takes a liking to Jesse, and the animal and child develop a bond -- a bond that also helps Jesse open up to the adults in his life, including his new parents and the whale's caretakers. But then Jesse learns that Dial, who owns the park, only wants to keep Willy if he can be trained to perform for an audience. Can the boy find a way to save his beloved whale before Dial plays some dirty tricks of his own? (1 hr. 52 min.) Release date: Sep 8, 2009

Superman II

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:29:11 -0000

Once again mild-mannered reporter Clark Kent (Christopher Reeve), hiding his identity as Superman, must fight for law and order. This time around, a triumvirate of nasty villains from the planet Krypton break free of their dimensional prison and hightail it to Earth, where they enjoy the same superpowers as Superman. Meanwhile, Lois Lane (Margot Kidder) has discovered that Superman and Clark are the same person, so Superman debates whether to give up his abilities to become a normal man and share his life with Lois. Richard Lester (A HARD DAY'S NIGHT) takes the helm for this sequel, which is arguably the equal of the original hit film. (2 hrs. 7 min.) Release date: Nov 3, 2009

3,000 Miles to Graceland

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:29:10 -0000

A skilled band of criminals gang together with a goal to get rich at the 2001 International Elvis Convention in Las Vegas. Dressed to the nines as flawless Elvis impersonators and armed with enough ammo and electronic gadgets to easily knock off any establishment, it's no surprise when, at the last minute, the deal goes bad. A wild action-adventure film with twisting plot and a kicking soundtrack by George Clinton, 3,000 MILES TO GRACELAND is a non-stop rollicking ride. (2 hrs. 5 min.) Release date: Nov 3, 2009

Shaun of the Dead

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:29:09 -0000

Shaun's life is stuck in a rut. He's a twenty nine year old who lives with his two best friends Ed and Pete. Shaun's girlfriend Liz is sick of the same old, boring nights down their local pub. So when Shaun (Simon Pegg) breaks his promise to organize a special anniversary meal for them both, Liz (Kate Ashfield) decides to break it off with him. Drowning his sorrows the following day, Shaun devises a plan to win Liz back, but today, all is not as it seems... Unfortunately for Shaun 'the dead' have risen in London and soon a full Zombie apocalypse has exploded onto the streets. Determined to save his girlfriend and salvage their relationship, Shaun and his pals let nothing stand in their way as they go forth on a zombie killing spree to save the day! (1 hr. 37 min.) Release date: Sep 13, 2009

The Fugitive

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:29:08 -0000

A man is forced to go on the run after being falsely accused of killing his wife. (2 hrs. 7 min.) Release date: Sep 8, 2009

Stargate

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:29:07 -0000

In this visually creative space adventure from the team that would go on to give the world INDEPENDENCE DAY and GODZILLA, a timid, glasses-wearing Egyptologist (James Spader) uncovers an ancient portal to another planet and is dispatched there forthwith--along with blundering, clodfooted government troops (led by Kurt Russell). The downtrodden populace they encounter, ruled by godlike, androgynous King Ra (Jaye Davidson, in his first role after becoming a star in THE CRYING GAME), must be led to literacy and freedom; Ra must be defeated; the intellectual must find his machismo; and our boys must return to Earth. (1 hr. 59 min.) Release date: Sep 15, 2009

Dead Calm

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:29:06 -0000

Returning from duty with the Australian navy, John Ingram (Sam Neill) is surprised to be met by two policemen, who inform him of a car accident that has left his son dead and his wife, Rae (Nicole Kidman), injured. The grieving couple seeks refuge on their yacht, the Saracen. Out on the boat, the skies are sunny, the sea calm--but on the horizon is another vessel, the Orpheus. As John and Rae approach the ship, they find a lone survivor, Hughie Warriner (Billy Zane), who tells them that the other crew members have died of food poisoning. Leaving Rae behind with the sleeping Hughie, the suspicious John boards the Orpheus--only to be confronted with a horrifying situation.

Australian filmmaker Phillip Noyce directs the film, based on a novel by Charles Williams, with great inventiveness--whether focusing on the tranquil water, the violent Hughie, the resourceful Sam, or the determined Rae with her luminous, translucent blue eyes. A suspenseful thriller reminiscent of Roman Polanski's KNIFE IN THE WATER, DEAD CALM is a chilling tale of trouble on the high seas. (1 hr. 36 min.) Release date: Sep 8, 2009

Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:29:05 -0000

The secret weapon is a new bombsight which could hasten the outcome of World War II, and both the Allies and the Nazis are in a desperate race to secure it for themselves. Super sleuth Sherlock Holmes (Basil Rathbone) and his trusty assistant Dr. Watson (Nigel Bruce) are assigned to find the kidnapped scientist who developed the secret weapon, only to be foiled by Holmes' nemesis, the evil Professor Moriarty (Lionel Atwill). Based on the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle story THE ADVENTURE OF THE DANCING MEN, this Holmes case transplants the Victorian sleuth into the realm of WWII espionage and is also the first of the films to introduce Dennis Hoey as Scotland Yard detective Inspector Lestrade. Release date: Nov 17, 2009

Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:29:04 -0000

The crews of the Enterprise and the Excelsior must stop a plot to prevent a peace treaty between the Klingon Empire and the Federation. (1 hr. 50 min.) Release date: Sep 22, 2009

Enemy of the State

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:29:03 -0000

Robert Dean (Will Smith) is a labor lawyer who is unknowingly in possession of evidence related to a serious politically motivated crime. Government agents eager to hide their guilt believe that Dean is on to them, and proceed to turn his life upside-down, ruin his reputation, and frame him for various incidents, thanks to the latest in high-tech government surveillance techniques. In an attempt to clear his name and reclaim his life, Dean teams up with the reclusive Brill (Gene Hackman), a former federal employee who has as much high-tech equipment and expertise as the government itself. Hackman's role is an extension of Harry Caul, the character he portrayed in Francis Ford Coppola's brilliant 1974 film, THE CONVERSATION. Smith scores as a man who is desperate to reclaim his identity and prove his innocence. This intense technological thrill-ride from director Tony Scott questions how much access the government should have to the communications of private citizens, and leaves the viewer with the unsettling feeling that Big Brother is definitely watching. Watch for the uncredited appearances of Jason Robards, Seth Green, Tom Sizemore, and Philip Baker Hall. (2 hrs. 7 min.) Release date: Sep 15, 2009

Natural Born Killers

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:29:02 -0000

Oliver Stone's over-the-top satire on America's worshipful fascination with tabloid criminals stars Woody Harrelson as Mickey Knox and Juliette Lewis as girlfriend-wife Mallory Wilson. Commencing with the dual murder of Mallory's sexually abusive father (Rodney Dangerfield) and grossly negligent mother (Edie McClurg), the anomic couple take off on a three-week killing spree across the country, telling everyone who they are so that they get the credit for their crimes. The media are immediately enthralled with the couple, especially Wayne Gale (Robert Downey Jr.), the bloodthirsty host of a tabloid TV show who follows their every move. By the time they're finally arrested, they've become such huge media stars that the cops treat them more like celebrities than criminals. Even the maniacal limelight-hogging warden of the Batongaville State Prison, Dwight McClusky (Tommy Lee Jones), is in awe. Stone pulls out all the stops in the prison riot, as the unwitting Gale becomes an unwilling participant in his own broadcast of the event. Again the director switches from film to video, from color to black and white, from sitcom parody to newsreel parody, and from one film stock to another, hoping to jar the audience out of its complacency with visual hyperbole. (2 hrs.) Release date: Oct 13, 2009

Wild Wild West

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:29:01 -0000

Barry Sonnenfeld is reunited with his MEN IN BLACK star Will Smith in this gadget-soaked romp based (loosely) on the 1960s television show. WILD WILD WEST supplies many impressive visuals (thanks to brilliant production designer Bo Welch) and some hearty laughs. Will Smith is James West, a Civil War hero and U.S. marshal inclined to shoot first and ask questions later. His partner is the wacky inventor and pseudointellectual Artemus Gordon (Kevin Kline). The team is created when the world's leading scientists are kidnapped by a diabolical madman named Dr. Arliss Loveless (Kenneth Branagh), and President Ulysses S. Grant (also played by Kevin Kline) wants his two best men on the job. Loveless's machines have the creepy fun feeling of EDWARD SCISSORHANDS (Welch again)--many of them have a spider motif--and Artemus Gordon rivals him with his own fun inventions. An odd but enjoyable blend of science fiction and old-school Western, WILD WILD WEST is packed with cool images and slick action sequences. (1 hr. 50 min.) Release date: Sep 8, 2009

The Postman

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:29:00 -0000

Set some 20 years in the future after the devastating Second Civil War, the story revolves around a drifter who unwittingly becomes a national hero. On the run from an evil and oppressive sect known as the Holns, the drifter retreats to the woods of the Northwestern U.S. and assumes the identity of a postal employee when he inadvertantly stumbles upon a wrecked postal vehicle. Although the United States government has long been disbanded, The Postman begins to deliver the mail - providing a sense of hope to the frightened locals who have for too long lived under the Holn's oppressive ways. (2 hrs. 57 min.) Release date: Sep 8, 2009

The Lost World: Jurassic Park

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:59 -0000

THE LOST WORLD: JURASSIC PARK is director Steven Spielberg's sequel to his original dinosaur thriller. Dr. Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) returns for more dino-horror when, four years after the disaster at the would-be amusement park, another expedition is mounted by millionaire John Hammond (Richard Attenborough). To document the natural behavior of the beasts at a mysterious Site B, Hammond sends a team comprising Malcolm; Malcolm's girlfriend, paleontologist Dr. Sarah Harding (Julianne Moore); and a wildlife videographer (Vince Vaughn). They face adversity in the form of a less-than-scrupulous big-game hunter (Pete Postlethwaite) and, of course, the terrible lizards themselves. The film is loosely based on Michael Crichton's novel THE LOST WORLD, which was named after the 1912 Sir Arthur Conan Doyle novel of the same name. Spielberg proved his determination to alternate making socially conscious films with directing movies of sheer entertainment value; his prior film to THE LOST WORLD was SCHINDLER'S LIST, and he followed the dinosaur adventure with AMISTAD. (2 hrs. 14 min.) Release date: Nov 1, 2009

Orca

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:58 -0000

Like a reverse MOBY DICK, ORCA: THE KILLER WHALE stars Richard Harris as a fisherman who kills a male orca's pregnant mate, bringing the whale's vengeance upon a small coastal village and setting the stage for a final nautical showdown between man and beast. This suspenseful thriller co-stars Charlotte Rampling, Will Sampson, and Bo Derek in her feature film debut. (1 hr. 32 min.) Release date: Sep 15, 2009

Forever Young

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:57 -0000

A test pilot loses his true love so he volunteers to become cryogenically frozen for an experiment. Many years later a group of young boys stumble across his frozen capsule and revive him. He befriends the boy's mother and learns that his old sweetheart is still alive. Can they be reunited after so much time has gone by? (1 hr. 42 min.) Release date: Sep 8, 2009

Antwone Fisher

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:56 -0000

Based on a true story, a biographical drama centering upon Antwone "Fish" Fisher who--once a Sony Pictures security guard--eventually gained fame as an acclaimed writer and a Hollywood producer. In the earlier part of his life, he was a sailor prone to violent outbursts. On the verge of being kicked out of the Navy for repeated fighting, he is sent to a naval psychiatrist for help. Refusing at first to open up, the young man eventually breaks down and reveals a horrific childhood rife with abuse. With the help of a Navy psychiatrist, he turns his life around and decides to embark on a search to find the family that abandoned him as a baby. Through the guidance of his doctor, he confronts his painful past and begins a quest to find the family he never knew. In the course of that search, his life changes dramatically. (1 hr. 57 min.) Release date: Oct 13, 2009

Kung Fu Panda

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:55 -0000

With 2008's KUNG FU PANDA, the talking-animal CGI film enters a new era, one that makes room for both painterly artwork and fierce martial-arts action. Po (voiced by Jack Black), a clumsy and ever-hungry panda, is a huge kung fu fan, but seems destined to sell noodles like his father, Mr. Ping (James Hong), who inexplicably happens to be a goose. When Po literally crashes a ceremony involving martial-arts masters Shifu (Dustin Hoffman) and Oogway (Randall Duk Kim) and their pupils, the Furious Five--which includes Tigress (Angelina Jolie, in a surprisingly small part) and Crane (David Cross)--he ends up being selected by the latter elder as the revered Dragon Warrior. As the skeptical Shifu reluctantly trains the hapless Po, his former star pupil, Tai Lung (Ian McShane), escapes from a high-security prison, setting up a collision course between the bumbling bear and the powerful villain.

One of the finest animated films released under the Dreamworks banner, KUNG FU PANDA deftly avoids many of the pitfalls of the genre (i.e. cheesy musical sequences), juggling action, heart, and humor in a highly entertaining way. While Black (in endearingly restrained mode), Hoffman, Kim, and McShane voice their characters with verve, the real stars of PANDA are directors Mark Osborne and John Stevenson and their animators, who lovingly depict ornate Chinese chambers and vast mountainous vistas, as well as blazing kung fu battles. A movie with remarkably wide appeal, KUNG FU PANDA delivers on its quirky, high-concept title with gleeful aplomb. (1 hr. 35 min.) Release date: Sep 29, 2009

Maverick

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:54 -0000

Based on 1950s television series Maverick, the story of a gambling cowboy. (2 hrs. 9 min.) Release date: Sep 8, 2009

Crimson Tide

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:53 -0000

When Russian rebels gain control of nuclear weapons in the USSR, the United States retaliates by deploying the USS Alabama, a nuclear submarine commanded by Captain Frank Ramsey (Gene Hackman). Veteran soldier and Naval legend Ramsey selects Lt. Commander Ron Hunter (Denzel Washington)--a Harvard graduate who prefers using brains over weapons--as his Executive Officer. While submerged, the Alabama is attacked by a Russian sub and loses radio contact just as an order is being transmitted from headquarters. Old Navy dog Ramsey firmly believes that the interrupted transmission ends with an order to fire their nuclear missiles at the Russian rebels. Hunter, desperate to avoid starting World War III, is determined to re-establish radio contact and act only after complete orders are received. Without the second-in-command's agreement, the missiles cannot be launched, and soon Ramsey and Hunter are engaged in a tense battle of wills, forcing the crew to choose sides. In the tradition of TOP GUN and TRUE ROMANCE, director Tony Scott keeps the tension running high in this fast-paced military thriller. Hackman scores as the tradition-bound Ramsey, and Washington is superb as the thoughtful young officer who feels compelled to take a stand against his superior. (1 hr. 52 min.) Release date: Sep 15, 2009

Deep Blue Sea

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:52 -0000

Dr. Susan McAlester's experiments are on the verge of creating medical history. But to reach her goal, she has violated ethical codes, genetically re-engineering the DNA of mako sharks. One of nature's most lethal killing machines has become more useful to her research, but also more intelligent and powerful in the process. But McAlester has more to worry about than the deadly specimens at the center of her studies. Her questionable methods put a strain on the relationships with her fellow team members, chiefly shark expert Carter Blake. Compounding the tense atmosphere, Aquatica's financiers are skeptical and nervous and have threatened to shut down the off-shore facility on the eve of a round of Dr. McAlester's key tests. Russell Franklin, the leading backer, has been dispatched to Aquatica to deliver an ultimatum - the research must prove conclusive, or funding is revoked. Susan and her team successfully extract brain tissue from the largest of the mako sharks! . But a tragic accident during the procedure sets off a chain of events that results in irreparable damage to the research facility. With a tropical storm swirling around the now sinking Aquatica, the scientists and workers find themselves stalked by the new generation sharksfighting against the deadly man-made forces of nature they helped to create. (1 hr. 45 min.) Release date: Sep 8, 2009

Point of No Return

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:51 -0000

In a grim future America, Maggie (Bridget Fonda), a beautiful young street punk, is about to be executed for killing a cop during a robbery, and is given the choice between death or becoming a government assassin. She accepts the latter and is trained in all manner of martial (and feminine) arts. She ably carries out her deadly assignments, and is groomed to become a powerful killer. Maggie is given a new identity, becomes the seductive Claudia, and is sent to Venice, California, where she begins her new life. But the training takes only too well: the formerly amoral murderess proceeds to fall in love with a photographer (Dermot Mulroney) and develop a conscience. Now she wants out, but the government isn't about to let her go without a fight. Director John Badham's remake of French director Luc Besson's LA FEMME NIKITA is a stylish and thrilling adaptation, featuring a solid performance from Bridget Fonda. (1 hr. 49 min.) Release date: Sep 8, 2009

Enter the Dragon

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:50 -0000

Bruce Lee was immortalized in his films as a martial arts master and first-class entertainer. ENTER THE DRAGON was the first martial arts film that American audiences had witnessed, and was actually produced in both Hong Kong and Hollywood. Interestingly, ENTER THE DRAGON also set the stage for non-traditional, culturally specific narratives to make their way into Hollywood.

Bruce Lee plays a kung fu master recruited by a foreign government to infiltrate the island of a megalomaniac martial artist named Han. Han's bodyguard is also found to have killed Lee's sister, giving Lee a personal vendetta to fight for. The Hall of Mirrors sequence towards the end of the film is now famous, as are Lee's incredibly gymnastic martial arts abilities. This trend-setting film holds up as an entertaining, engaging action movie, more than 30 years later. (1 hr. 38 min.) Release date: Sep 8, 2009

Dragon Ball Z: The Movie - The World's Strongest

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:49 -0000

When the disembodied brain of Dr. Wheelo needs a body, only the best will do. So what's a brain to do but kidnap Piccolo and Master Roshi--knowing Goku and the gang will follow? Release date: Nov 10, 2009

The Replacements

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:48 -0000

Inspired by the too-ludicrous-to-be-believed National Football League strike of 1987, Howard Deutch's THE REPLACEMENTS follows a team of scab players as they fill in for the real pros. Jimmy McGinty (Gene Hackman), a compassionate and dedicated coach, is rehired by the owner of the Washington Sentinels to pull together a new crew in order to finish off the season and keep the stadium filled. This includes a safety who is on work release, a lightning-quick wide receiver with bricks for hands, a deranged linebacker-SWAT team member, a chain-smoking Welsh kicker, and Shane Falco (Keanu Reeves), a former college quarterback who lost his chance at the big time after a disastrous Sugar Bowl appearance. The newly formed squad must learn to set aside its differences if it is to win three out of four games and make it to the playoffs. Along the way, Falco finds himself harassed by the Sentinels' star quarterback, Eddie Martel, as well as falling in love with the team's head cheerleader, Annabelle (Brooke Langton). A final showdown against the strike-breaking reigning champions gives McGinty and Falco one last chance at redemption. Deutch's lighthearted comedy is greatly aided by Hackman and Reeves's surprisingly sincere performances. (1 hr. 58 min.) Release date: Nov 3, 2009

North By Northwest

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:47 -0000

NORTH BY NORTHWEST is a suspense thriller that finds Cary Grant in the role of Roger Thornhill, a Manhattan advertising executive mistaken for a spy. Considered by many to be the prototypical pure action movie (creating the template for later James Bond and Indiana Jones films), the film is a cross-country roller-coaster ride with Alfred Hitchcock at the helm. The film is duly famous for several classic and indelible scenes, including the desert biplane encounter and the Mt. Rushmore climax. The original title was THE MAN IN LINCOLN'S NOSE, which was replaced by a reference to a line from William Shakespeare�s HAMLET (in which Hamlet says, "I am but mad north-north-west."). The magical combination of Hitchcock and the debonair Grant--who made four wonderful films together--makes NORTH BY NORTHWEST a suspense-filled standout.

When Thornhill finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time, the world as he knows it comes to an end. Suddenly danger threatens as the hapless businessman is targeted as an American intelligence agent and set up as a killer. All of Thornhill's attempts to straighten things out only make matters worse--and soon the desperate man is on the run from murderous foreign operatives, the CIA, and the police. The supporting cast, including Eva Marie Saint, James Mason, and Martin Landau, is uniformly excellent. (2 hrs. 16 min.) Release date: Nov 3, 2009

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:46 -0000

It's the 23rd century, and a mysterious alien power is threatening Earth by evaporating the oceans and destroying the atmosphere. In a frantic attempt to save mankind, Kirk and his crew must travel back in time to save the Earth and its people from total destruction. (1 hr. 59 min.) Release date: Sep 22, 2009

Beowulf

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:45 -0000

In a legendary time of heroes, the mighty warrior Beowulf battles the demon Grendel and incurs the hellish wrath of the beast's ruthlessly seductive mother. (1 hr. 53 min.) Release date: Sep 15, 2009

Outbreak

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:44 -0000

In director Wolfgang Petersen's fast-paced, intelligently written thriller, Dustin Hoffman plays Col. Sam Daniels, an expert on infectious diseases who is called in to study the outbreak of a deadly illness in Zaire. He finds a virus that spreads so quickly it could wipe out an entire nation in just a few weeks, and he believes that it might have spread to the United States. With the help of his ex-wife (Rene Russo), who works at the Centers for Disease Control, Daniels tracks the virus to the quiet seaside town of Cedar Creek, California. His superiors' reticence to help begins to raise questions in Daniels's mind, and he must find a cure before a panicky U.S. army general decides to kill the town's populace in order to save the world. The all-star cast includes Hoffman, Russo, Kevin Spacey, Donald Sutherland, Morgan Freeman, and Cuba Gooding, Jr. (2 hrs. 7 min.) Release date: Sep 8, 2009

National Lampoon s Loaded Weapon 1

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:43 -0000

In LOADED WEAPON 1, National Lampoon spoofs box office hits such as SILENCE OF THE LAMBS, BASIC INSTINCT, and, most obviously, the LETHAL WEAPON series. Emilio Estevez and Samuel L. Jackson head up a comic cast that also includes Jon Lovitz, William Shatner, Tim Curry, Denis Leary, and F. Murray Abraham. And watch for the Bruce Willis cameo. (1 hr. 23 min.) Release date: Sep 8, 2009

Contact

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:42 -0000

She's known it since she was a young girl, when she would magically connect with distant voices on her father's shortwave radio. She's known it since college, when she chose the search for intelligent extraterrestrial messages as her discipline. She's known it since she bargained for just hours a week of satellite time to sweep the heavens for evidence. And she knows it every time she stares at the countless stars dappling the infinite night sky... Something is out there. (2 hrs. 22 min.) Release date: Sep 8, 2009

Zebraman

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:41 -0000

Prolific Japanese director Takashi Miike (AUDITION) helms this frenetic action-comedy hybrid about a grown man who dresses up as a beloved superhero named "Zebraman." The fun and excitement begin when he runs across another masked man, but this character has villainy on the brain. (1 hr. 51 min.) Release date: Nov 10, 2009

U.S. Marshals

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:40 -0000

Tommy Lee Jones reprises his Oscar-nominated role as lawman Sam Gerard in THE FUGITIVE. This time, his lamster is a former Secret Service agent accused--perhaps wrongfully--of the cold-blooded murder of two of his unit members. As the chase unfolds, Gerard becomes more and more fascinated by his highly trained and intelligent quarry--and more convinced of his innocence. (1 hr. 45 min.) Release date: Nov 3, 2009

The 13th Warrior

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:39 -0000

Based on Michael Crichton's best-selling novel "Eaters of the Dead," "The 13th Warrior" is an exciting and unforgettable adventure thriller. When an important emissary is abducted by a band of warriors, he is forced to join their quest to battle mysterious creatures legendary for consuming every living thing in their path. Eventually surrounded by the frightening and ferocious foe, Ahmed must conquer his personal fears and help battle the illusive invadors- who emerge out of the shroud of fog in the black night. (1 hr. 43 min.) Release date: Sep 15, 2009

George A. Romero s Land of the Dead

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:38 -0000

In a modern-day world where the walking dead roam an uninhabited wasteland, the living try to lead "normal" lives behind the walls of a fortified city. A new society has been built by a handful of enterprising, ruthless opportunists, who live in the towers of a skyscraper, high above the hard-scrabble existence on the streets below. But outside the city walls, an army of the dead is evolving. Inside, anarchy is on the rise. With the very survival of the city at stake, a group of hardened mercenaries is called into action to protect the living from an army of the dead. (1 hr. 34 min.) Release date: Sep 13, 2009

Proof of Life

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:37 -0000

An American engineer in a Latin American country is captured by anti-government forces. When the rebels learn his identity they demand $3 million for his safe return. However, his U.S. employer is on the verge of insolvency and will not provide the ransom. Peter's wife Alice is forced to deal with the matter on her own. She retains the services of freelance professional hostage negotiator Terry Thorne. With the help of a fellow negotiator, Dino, and a trio of highly trained mercenaries, Terry mounts a bold operation to rescue Peter that could as easily result in disaster as in triumph. (2 hrs. 15 min.) Release date: Nov 3, 2009

Murder At 1600

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:36 -0000

A mysterious murder report summons a hardened Washington D.C. homicide detective to the shadowy halls of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue--and draws him into a web of conspiracy, cover-ups, and corruption. (1 hr. 47 min.) Release date: Nov 3, 2009

Star Trek: First Contact

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:35 -0000

Capt. Picard and his crew pursue the Borg back in time to stop them from preventing Earth from initiating first contact with alien life. (1 hr. 50 min.) Release date: Sep 22, 2009

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:34 -0000

Admiral Kirk's midlife crisis is interrupted by the return of an old enemy looking for revenge and a potentially destructive device. (1 hr. 54 min.) Release date: Sep 22, 2009

Flashback

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:33 -0000

When straitlaced, yuppified G-man John Buckner (Kiefer Sutherland) is assigned to escort ex-60's hippie radical Huey Walker (Dennis Hopper) to the federal pen for past crimes, the agent finds that the old burnout is a little more cagey than he counted on. Walker gets Buckner intoxicated and steals his identification, landing the FBI agent in jail instead of Walker. Hopper and Sutherland lampoon the differences between the idealistic 60s and the money-grubbing 80s in this 1990 action comedy. (1 hr. 48 min.) Release date: Sep 15, 2009

Murder on the Orient Express

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:32 -0000

Directed by Sidney Lumet, MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS is the definitive adaptation of Agatha Christie's classic mystery, which finds fastidious detective Hercule Poirot (Albert Finney) investigating the murder of an unsavory millionaire among the passengers of a luxury train. This stylish thriller crackles with witty dialogue, moody period-piece atmosphere, and superb performances from an all-star ensemble cast that includes Lauren Bacall, Martin Balsam, Jacqueline Bisset, Sean Connery, John Gielgud, Anthony Perkins, Vanessa Redgrave, and Ingrid Bergman (who won an Academy Award for her role). (2 hrs. 7 min.) Release date: Sep 15, 2009

Tango & Cash

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:31 -0000

Tango and Cash are two L.A. narcotics cops that go together like caviar and French fries. Dressed in three-piece suits and glasses, Tango (Sylvester Stallone) is the suave policeman; in his nine-dollar shirts and jeans, Cash (Kurt Russell) is Tango's salt-of-the-earth rival on the force. Each has spent his days and nights cracking down on drug dealers, to the fury of crime boss Yves Perret (Jack Palance). When Perret and his gang frame the two cops and have them sent to prison, it turns out that Tango and Cash don't get along any better behind bars than they did in the station house (they trade insults, and protest having to shower together). But when the ruling underground goons of the penitentiary torture them, Tango and Cash join forces to overthrow the prison menace, and, in the process, escape. Once free, they pursue Perret and attempt to destroy his cartel for good--that is, when Cash isn't busy romancing Tango's sister, Kiki (Teri Hatcher), further straining the pair's already tense working partnership. Atypically directed by Russian filmmaker Andrei Konchalovsky (collaborator with arthouse cinema legend Andrei Tarkovsky and older brother of director Nikita Mikhalkov), TANGO & CASH remains one of the unsung action-comedy buddy films of the 1980s. (1 hr. 38 min.) Release date: Sep 8, 2009

Star Trek

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:30 -0000

The fate of the galaxy rests in the hands of bitter rivals. One, James Kirk, is a delinquent, thrill-seeking Iowa farm boy. The other, Spock, was raised in a logic-based society that rejects all emotion. As fiery instinct clashes with calm reason, their unlikely but powerful partnership is the only thing capable of leading their crew through unimaginable danger, boldly going where no one has gone before. (2 hr. 7 min.) Release date: Nov 17, 2009

Under Siege 2: Dark Territory

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:29 -0000

Ex-Navy SEAL Casey Ryback returns, this time aboard a train which is hijacked by a psycho genius out to steal a satellite weapons system he invented for the government. Only the inscrutable, martial arts and weapons master Ryback can save the day in this all-out actioner. (1 hr. 40 min.) Release date: Nov 3, 2009

The Storm Riders

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:28 -0000

This martial arts film--starring Ekin Cheng, Aaron Kwok, and Sonny Chiba (KILL BILL)--is based on the best-selling, long-running comic book series FUNG WAN--WIND AND CLOUD by artist Ma Wing-Shing. Dazzling special effects combine with high-flying kung fu action to create one of Hong Kong's biggest hit movies. (2 hrs. 8 min.) Release date: Sep 29, 2009

Breakdown

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:27 -0000

After their new Jeep conks out on a desolate stretch of Arizona highway, a well-heeled Massachusetts couple accepts the help of a polite and seemingly honest trucker (J.T. Walsh), who drives the wife (Kathleen Quinlan) to a diner while the husband (Kurt Russell) stays behind to "protect" the vehicle. After saying goodbye, the husband gets two surprises--the Jeep starts, and his wife never actually arrived at the diner. What's more, the trucker doesn't recollect having picked her up at all. This taut suspense film, directed by Jonathan Mostow, is light on special-effects bombasticism and heavy on the old-fashioned Hitchcockian chills. (1 hr. 33 min.) Release date: Sep 15, 2009

The Happening

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:26 -0000

In THE HAPPENING, M. Night Shyamalan serves up over-the-top, apocalyptic strangeness. The film opens onto New York City's Central Park with a crowd of people enjoying an idyllic summer day. The carefree scene soon takes a terrifying turn, when out of nowhere, hordes of people begin to commit suicide en masse. People scramble to make sense of the pandemonium, and many believe it is a terrorist attack. It appears that some sort of deadly toxin is being released into the air. Cut to Elliot (Mark Wahlberg) a science teacher in Philadelphia. When he learns of the attack on New York, he meets up with his wife Alma (Zooey Deschanel), his friend Julian (John Leguizamo), and Julians's daughter, Jess (Ashlyn Sanchez). They make plans to get out of the city via train, but the train is evacuated in the middle of a small Pennsylvania town. When they learn that the mysterious toxin is spreading its way across the Northeast, they break up into groups, with Elliot, Alma, and Jess running through open farmland in search of safety. They are unsure of where to hide, or what exactly they are hiding from, until Elliot slowly forms a theory about the threat. He fights to keep Alma and Jess free from harm, and the film builds to a bizarre, unsettling climax, with Shyamalan's usual surprise ending.

Shyamalan's premise of escaping an unknown, unexplainable attack is a timely one, and is quite chilling in concept. However, while he at times appears to be groping for the frenzied scariness of THE BIRDS, THE HAPPENING's outlandish death scenes and implausible plot line often veer closer to B-movie classics. The film doesn't match the clever creepiness of THE SIXTH SENSE, but for fans of campy horror � la THE EVIL DEAD, it is truly something to behold. (1 hr. 29 min.) Release date: Sep 15, 2009

Suspect Zero

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:25 -0000

FBI Agent Thomas Mackelway (Aaron Eckhart) gets called in to investigate a strange murder. When the trail leads him to the suspect (Ben Kingsley), he realizes that he has been drawn into a psychological labyrinth that turns what is expected upside down. (1 hr. 39 min.) Release date: Sep 15, 2009

Grosse Pointe Blank

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:24 -0000

John Cusack (and his sister Joan and other members of the Cusack clan) star in this offbeat romantic comedy about a hit man who decides to attend his 10-year high school reunion and see if he can rekindle the love of his life. With Minnie Driver, Dan Aykroyd. Directed by George Armitage. (1 hr. 47 min.) Release date: Sep 15, 2009

Dead Again

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:23 -0000

In Kenneth Branagh's stylish suspense film, Branagh stars as Mike Church, a Los Angeles detective who is drawn into the life of Grace (Emma Thompson), a woman with amnesia who is plagued by disturbing nightmares. Attempts to help her regain her memory bring them to Franklyn Madson (Derek Jacobi), a mysterious hypnotist who runs an antique shop. Under hypnosis, Grace claims that in a previous life she was Margaret Strauss, a concert pianist who was murdered by her jealous husband, Roman. Further sessions lead her to believe that Mike is actually Roman reincarnated and that the two are destined to re-create the murder. Mike must then attempt to solve two mysteries--the real identity of Grace and the true story behind a 40-year-old crime. Branagh's taut thriller also features Robin Williams, Andy Garcia, and Campbell Scott. (1 hr. 47 min.) Release date: Sep 15, 2009

Eraser

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:22 -0000

Muscle-bound, heavily-accented John Kruger is employed by the Witness Protection Program as an "eraser." In other words, he wipes out a witness's identity in order to save him or her from potential harm. One such person is beautiful Lee Cullen, who possesses vital information regarding super high-tech weapons -- and a government conspiracy connected to them. Krueger's job protecting Cullen will lead to some action-packed, death-defying adventures for the pair, as gunmen and goons and even alligators seem to be waiting for them around every corner. Furthermore, a traitor within the Witness Protection Program is hell-bent on violently erasing Krueger himself. (1 hr. 55 min.) Release date: Sep 8, 2009

Memphis Belle

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:21 -0000

The brave young men of the B-17 flying fortress named Memphis Belle have just one more mission to fly over Nazi-occupied Europe and they will be on their way home to a hero's welcome. But this 25th mission will also be their most dangerous. Bombing target: Bremen. Fact-based drama. (1 hr. 46 min.) Release date: Sep 8, 2009

The Pelican Brief

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:20 -0000

Julia Roberts (ERIN BROCKOVICH) stars in THE PELICAN BRIEF as sharp law student Darby Shaw whose querying mind gets her into trouble. A faithful adaptation of John Grisham's (THE FIRM) best-selling novel, this taut thriller follows the travails that beset Shaw when her theory on the cause of the deaths of two Supreme Court Justices lands her name on the conspirators' hit list. When Shaw teams up with reporter Gray Grantham (Denzel Washington--THE HURRICANE) they find themselves dodging deadly assassins in a suspenseful story that weaves complex narrative strands. The well-cast film also features a cameo by playwright-actor Sam Shepard (TRUE WEST). (2 hrs. 20 min.) Release date: Nov 3, 2009

Copycat

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:19 -0000

A psychopath is copying the crimes of renowned serial killers such as Son of Sam and the Boston Strangler, and the detective on the case turns to a forensic psychologist who specializes in the field. Unfortunately, the doctor has become a paranoid agoraphobic as the result of an earlier assault at the hands of the killer. A violent, bloody thriller. (2 hrs. 3 min.) Release date: Nov 3, 2009

Mad Dog

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:18 -0000

Dennis Hopper plays Morgan - an 1800s Australian outlaw who is wanted at any price, dead or alive. This movie has such maniacal intensity that it will keep you on the edge of your seat during this action-packed thriller. (1 hr. 35 min.) Release date: Nov 24, 2009

Downhill Racer

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:17 -0000

An ambitious young skier, determined to break all existing records, is contemptuous of the teamwork advocated by the US coach when they go to Europe for the Olympics. (1 hr. 42 min.) Release date: Nov 17, 2009

Shout at the Devil

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:16 -0000

Two self-styled African empire builders set out to annex a large part of the German territory in WWI Africa. After one of them falls in love with the other's daughter, all three set out on a dangerous quest for glory and revenge. (2 hrs. 27 min.) Release date: Nov 17, 2009

Spies Like Us

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:15 -0000

Saturday Night Live alumni Dan Aykroyd and Chevy Chase appear on film together for the first time as Austin Milbarge and Emmett Fitz-Hume, respectively, in this hilarious spy/adventure spoof. Austin and Emmett are two dopey businessmen who decide they want to be spies, even though they have no experience in that area. The dumb duo take the CIA's admissions test...and are busted for cheating. Nevertheless, the pair are employed as spies anyway--unaware that the true reason they've been hired is to serve as a smokescreen for a band of real spies who are on an important mission. Soon the Russians are after the nitwits, and a potential world war hangs in the balance. (1 hr. 49 min.) Release date: Nov 3, 2009

The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:14 -0000

New York City subway dispatcher Walter Garber's ordinary day is thrown into chaos by an audacious crime: the hijacking of a subway train. Ryder, a criminal mastermind, leads a highly-armed gang of four, threatening to execute the train's passengers unless a large ransom is paid within one hour. As the tension mounts beneath his feet, Garber employs his vast knowledge of the subway system in a battle to outwit Ryder and save the hostages. But there's one riddle Garber can't solve: even if the thieves get the money, how can they possibly escape? (1 hr 35 min.) Release date: Nov 3, 2009

Jack Brown, Genius

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:13 -0000

In this New Zealand fantasy-comedy, the spirit of an inventive monk who died 1000 years ago while trying out his newest invention--a pair of wings--enters the mind of a young contemporary inventor, Jack Brown, and tries to force him to learn to fly. But Jack is already busy avoiding the Boss, who is trying to get his formula for a new source of power. Jack is assisted by his best pal, Dennis, and his female friend, Eileen, who is secretly in love with Jack. (1 hr. 31 min.) Release date: Oct 13, 2009

The Brothers Bloom

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:12 -0000

The Brothers Bloom are the best con men in the world, swindling millionaires with complex scenarios of lust, intrigue and the most complex literary-inspired setups imaginable. Now they've decided to take on one last job -- showing a beautiful and eccentric heiress named Penelope the time of her life with a romantic adventure that takes them around the world -- from New Jersey to Greece to Russia and Prague -- in pursuit of priceless artifacts wanted by some of their most unsavory competitors. (1 hr. 53 min.) Release date: Sep 29, 2009

Journey to the Center of the Earth

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:11 -0000

This 2008 movie update of Jules Verne's classic sci-fi/fantasy novel uses the 1864 tale as a template, with its hero, scientist Trevor Anderson (Brendan Fraser), referring to his missing brother's notes on the novel. His nephew Sean (Josh Hutcherson) in tow, Anderson travels to Iceland to investigate his sibling's theories, enlisting a fellow scientist's daughter, Hannah (Anita Briem), as a guide. Soon the trio's Icelandic mountain trek descends into a cave and, then deeper still to, naturally, the center of the earth, where dinosaurs and other strange prehistoric creatures still dwell. After many dangerous encounters with the native flora and fauna, Trevor, Sean, and Hannah must find a way back to the surface or face being stranded miles below the earth's crust.

Directed by Eric Brevig, a veteran Hollywood visual effects supervisor (MEN IN BLACK, THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW), JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH clearly delights in unveiling eye-catching CGI creatures and landscapes. Presented in some theaters in 3D format, the film features lunging beasts and vertigo-inducing visions, which are effective even in 2D, while Fraser, working in the same amiable vein as the MUMMY movies, provides a human focus amidst the special effects. For fans of the ever-likable Fraser and/or the JOURNEY story, there is plenty to enjoy in this effects-heavy adventure film. (1 hr. 32 min.) Release date: Sep 22, 2009

Blood and Bone

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:10 -0000

Director Ben Ramsey and writer Michael Andrews team for this martial-arts action thriller concerning a mysterious drifter (Michael Jai White) who becomes ensnared in the seedy world of underground street-fighting. In the back alleys of Los Angeles, life is cheap, and to go against the grain is to take on the most powerful criminal organization on the West Coast. (93 hr.) Release date: Sep 15, 2009

Hellboy II: The Golden Army

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:09 -0000

After an ancient truce existing between humankind and the invisible realm of the fantastic is broken, hell on Earth is ready to erupt. A ruthless leader who treads the world above and the one below defies his bloodline and awakens an unstoppable army of creatures. Now, it's up to the planet's toughest, roughest superhero to battle the merciless dictator and his marauders. He may be red. He may be horned. He may be misunderstood. But when you need the job done right, it's time to call in Hellboy. (1 hr. 50 min.) Release date: Sep 13, 2009

Alien Nation

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:08 -0000

In the Los Angeles of the near future, aliens have come to live among us. They've learned the language and tried to fit in. But there's something about them we don't know. Two detectives - one human, one alien - put aside their mutual distrust and uncover a trail of murder and something more terrifying. (1 hr. 29 min.) Release date: Sep 8, 2009

Soldier of Fortune

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:07 -0000

In SOLDIER OF FORTUNE, Susan Hayward is Jane Hoyt, an American visiting the crown colony of Hong Kong on a frantic search for her husband Lewis, a photojournalist being held prisoner in communist China. Eventually she turns to savvy American smuggler Hank Lee (Clark Gable) for help, and it's practically love at first sight for these two mature, classy people. Unfortunately Mrs. Hoyt is determined to stay loyal to her husband, so the gallant Mr. Lee undertakes a dangerous boat voyage in order to bust him out of China, even though it may mean losing his new love forever.

Director Edward Dmytryk shot the film in Deluxe Cinemascope, allowing plenty of screen time for the Hong Kong scenery. Alexander D'Arcy is delightful in a supporting role as a drunken Frenchman, and Michael Rennie is laconic and charming as a wry British police inspector. However, the film belongs to Susan Hayward; mature and decisive while still vulnerable and sexy, her scenes with Gable pack an electric and unusual chemistry that proves love can get better with age. (1 hr. 36 min.) Release date: Sep 8, 2009

Shorts

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:06 -0000

In the suburb of Black Falls, all the houses look the same and everyone works for BLACK BOX Unlimited Worldwide Industries Incorporated, whose Mr. Black's BLACK BOX is the ultimate communication and do-it-all gadget that's sweeping the nation. Other than keeping his parents employed, however, Mr. Black's BLACK BOX has done nothing for 11-year-old Toe Thompson, who just wants to make a few friends... until a mysterious rainbow-colored rock falls from the sky, hits him in the head and changes everything. The Rainbow Rock does Mr. Black's BLACK BOX one better: it grants wishes to anyone who holds it. Before long, wishes-gone-wrong have left the neighborhood swarming with tiny spaceships, crocodile armies, giant boogers... and outrageous magical mayhem around every corner. But it's not until the grown-ups get their hands on the Rock that the trouble really starts. Now Toe and his newfound friends must join forces to save their town from itself, discovering along the way that what you wish for is not always what you want. (1 hr. 29 min.) Release date: Nov 24, 2009

Far Cry

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:05 -0000

A hardened seaman and a dogged reporter become trapped on an island with a mysterious scientist, a ruthless band of mercenaries, and a vicious pack of unidentifiable creatures in BLOODRAYNE director Uwe Boll's seventh video-game-to-screen adaptation. A team of mercenaries has been attacked on a remote island in the Pacific Northwest, and as mysterious reports begin to emerge from the chaos, a veteran Seattle newspaper editor sends top reporters Tom Moore and Valerie Constantine to the scene in hopes of getting the scoop on the story. Shortly after arriving on the island under the guidance of ship captain Jack Carver (Til Schweiger), the trio is attacked by mercenary commander Maria Sanchez. Though Tom is killed, Valerie and Jack manage to stage a daring escape and quickly begin to bicker over their plan as Maria's murderous soldiers fast begin gaining ground. Despite Captain Jack's plan to locate his friend Emilio and get off of the island as quickly as possible, reporter Valerie remains determined to investigate the strange situation and get as many details as possible for her upcoming story. Later, when Jack, Valerie, and Emilio are captured and taken to the secret lab of genius scientist Dr. Krieger, Valerie is extended an invitation to join the doctor in announcing his latest findings to the world. Though it finally seems as if Valerie has gotten just the scoop needed to make her story, the situation quickly turns chaotic when one of Dr. Kreiger's creatures escapes from the lab and sets out on a murderous rampage. (1 hr. 34 min.) Release date: Nov 24, 2009

Cheerleaders Wild Weekend

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:04 -0000

A group of lovely cheerleaders are kidnapped by an ex-football star, but eventually become part of the plot to capture the large ransom that was demanded as a condition for their release. Release date: Nov 24, 2009

Trapeze

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:03 -0000

This splashy Hollywood spectacular was a radical departure for a director who had specialized in socially conscious thrillers. Set against a circus backdrop, it stars Burt Lancaster as Mike Ribble, a crippled former acrobat. Tino Orsino (Tony Curtis), a young aerialist, seeks out the older man, hoping to learn the triple somersault, an extremely dangerous routine that had maimed Ribble. When Lola (Gina Lollabrigida), an attractive tumbler, becomes involved with both men, the fireworks begin. (1 hr. 45 min.) Release date: Nov 17, 2009

Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:02 -0000

EVANGELION 1.0: YOU ARE (NOT) ALONE is the first installment in a film series known as the Rebuild of Evangelion that reinterprets the story first told in the critically acclaimed anime series NEON GENESIS EVANGELION. Covering the material from the first six episodes of the series, this film sets the stage when 14-year-old Shinji Ikari arrives in Tokyo-3. His mother dead and his father painfully distant, Shinji is lonely, quiet, and wracked with torturous self-doubt. But Shinji's arrival in the city signifies his chance to prove himself as one of three teenagers chosen to pilot a series of technologically unprecedented robots called Evas, mysterious hybrids of man, spirit, and machine created to fight the unrelenting monsters known as Angels that continue to attack Earth, one at a time. Thrown into battle before he's had so much as a day of training, Shinji's desperate need for his father's approval isn't helped by the pressure of the world's survival on his shoulders, or the difficult time he has living amongst the other pilots, who very strangely, have suffered the same losses that he has. EVANGELION 1.0: YOU ARE (NOT) ALONE directly follows the plot of the original series in some ways, but drastically diverges in others, focusing even more on the cryptic and symbolic nature of the story's religious themes. (1 hr. 35 min.) Release date: Nov 17, 2009

Black Dynamite

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:01 -0000

The reemergence of '70s-style exploitation films continues with BLACK DYNAMITE with Michael Jai White (UNDISPUTED II: LAST MAN STANDING) as the man of the title. (1 hr. 30 min.) Release date: Nov 17, 2009

Up

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:00 -0000

Carl Fredricksen spent his entire life dreaming of exploring the globe and experiencing life to its fullest. But at age 78, life seems to have passed him by, until a twist of fate (and a persistent 8-year old Wilderness Explorer named Russell) gives him a new lease on life. (1 hr. 29 min.) Release date: Nov 10, 2009

Sandbaggers: First Principles

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:27:59 -0000

The premier episode of the acclaimed British spy series finds Neil Burnside (Roy Marsden), director of the elite espionage cadre of Britain's Secret Service, struggling with internal policies and international politics when he is ordered to send his best agents on a mission behind the Iron Curtain on behalf of Norway's Secret Service. Release date: Nov 10, 2009

Watchmen

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:27:58 -0000

In an alternate 1985 America, costumed superheroes are part of the fabric of everyday society, and the "Doomsday Clock" - which charts the USA's tension with the Soviet Union - is permanently set at five minutes to midnight. When one of his former colleagues is murdered, the washed-up but no less determined masked vigilante Rorschach sets out to uncover a plot to kill and discredit all past and present superheroes. As he reconnects with his former crime-fighting legion - a ragtag group of retired superheroes, only one of whom has true powers - Rorschach glimpses a wide-ranging and disturbing conspiracy with links to their shared past and catastrophic consequences for the future. Their mission is to watch over humanity...but who is watching the watchmen? (163 min.) Release date: Nov 3, 2009

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:27:57 -0000

From the Egyptian desert to deep below the polar ice caps, the elite G.I. JOE team uses the latest in next-generation spy and military equipment to fight the corrupt arms dealer Destro and the growing threat of the mysterious Cobra organization to prevent them from plunging the world into chaos. (1 hr. 58 min.) Release date: Nov 3, 2009

Aliens in the Attic

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:27:56 -0000

Kids on a family vacation must fight off an attack by knee-high alien invaders with world-destroying ambitions -- while the youngsters' parents remain clueless about the battle. (1 hr. 26 min.) Release date: Nov 3, 2009

Jungle Siren

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:27:55 -0000

The untiring Crabbe takes on rebellious jungle savages, evil Nazis, and the foreign legion in this action-packed adventure. Release date: Oct 27, 2009

Flirting With Danger

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:27:54 -0000

Three gun powder mixers take a job in a South American dynamite plant. Release date: Oct 27, 2009

Samurai

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:27:53 -0000

Young Miyamoto (Mifune) dreams of becoming a heroic warrior in the midst of battle. When civil war grips the land, however, he finds himself becoming fighting on the wrong side and is forced to become a fugitive. Later, when he meets a caring woman and a priest who puts him on the path of the samurai, Miyamoto begins to turn his life around. Academy Award (Honorary): Best Foreign Language Film first released in the United States during 1955. (1 hr. 32 min.) Release date: Oct 20, 2009

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:27:52 -0000

With the help of the Autobots, the soldiers of NEST, and an old adversary-turned-ally, Sam and Mikaela must uncover the secret history of the Transformers presence on earth, and the sacrifices that have to be made to save it from an ancient threat sworn on returning here for revenge... an ancient Decepticon named THE FALLEN. (2 hr. 24 min.) Release date: Oct 20, 2009

Dead Snow

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:27:51 -0000

Depending on the audience, the sub-sub-genre of the Nazi zombie movie could sound like the best or worst of cinematic offerings. But DEAD SNOW received rave reviews from audiences at Sundance, promising that this Norwegian horror comedy will be a favorite for genre fans. In the film, a group of friends think they�re in for a trip filled with skiing, drinking, and hooking up, but a defrosting band of Nazi zombies have something else in store for the vacationers. (1 hr. 31 min.) Release date: Oct 20, 2009

The Killing Room

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:27:50 -0000

Four volunteers sign up for what initially appears to be a typical paid study in this tense psychological thriller from director Jonathan Liebesman (DARKNESS FALLS, TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE: THE BEGINNING). The allure of a little extra cash proving too powerful to resist, and the strangers decide to partake inthe research. As the study gets underway, the group is presented with a series of questions, and given a finite window of time in which each individual member must submit a unique numerical answer. At first, the participants all assume that the subject who gives the most obviously incorrect answer will be removed from the experiment, though it doesn't take long for the group to realize that the correct answer isn't always the answer that the researchers are looking for. Meanwhile, as the brooding Dr. Phillips (Peter Stormare) attempts to manipulate the study to get the answers he wants, the newest member of his team, military psychologist Ms. Reilly (Chlo� Sevigny), begins questioning the ethics of such a diabolical experiment. (1 hr. 30 min.) Release date: Oct 13, 2009

Disney's A Christmas Carol

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:27:49 -0000

Ebenezer Scrooge begins the Christmas holiday with his usual miserly contempt, barking at his faithful clerk and his cheery nephew. But when the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come take him on an eye-opening journey revealing truths Old Scrooge is reluctant to face, he must open his heart to undo years of ill will before it's too late. (1 hr. 36 min.) Release date: Oct 13, 2009

Land of the Lost

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:27:48 -0000

A disgraced paleontologist, his assistant and a macho tour guide find themselves in a strange world inhabited by dinosaurs, monkey people and reptilian Sleestaks. (1 hr. 41 min.) Release date: Oct 13, 2009

Dance Flick

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:27:47 -0000

The Wayans brothers set out to parody movies like "Step Up" and "Save the Last Dance." (1 hr. 23 min.) Release date: Oct 6, 2009

Princess

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:27:46 -0000

THEATRICAL RELEASE DATE TO BE DETERMINED

When the sister of a clergyman named August dies, he returns home after many years, to face what she left behind. With his sister's five-year-old daughter in his care, August embarks on a difficult mission to repair his sister's image. (1 hr. 17 min.) Release date: Sep 29, 2009

Superman/Batman: Public Enemies

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:27:45 -0000

Lex Luthor has been elected president of the United States, and he's using an earthbound kryptonite asteroid as grounds for declaring a billion-dollar bounty on the heads of Superman and Batman. Now, the two heroes must team up to save both the planet and their own necks. They can't do it on their own, but finding help won't be easy because every hero and villain on the planet is looking to collect that juicy bounty. Upon learning that Luthor's criminal ambition reaches well beyond the borders of North America, Superman and Batman realize that clearing their good names may be the least of their worries. (1 hr. 7 min.) Release date: Sep 29, 2009

Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:27:44 -0000

In 2008's MADAGASCAR: ESCAPE 2 AFRICA, the endearing New York City zoo animals of the original hit movie return for another zany round of CGI adventures abroad. Leaving the island of the title by way of a ramshackle penguin-designed aircraft, the quartet of Alex the Lion (voiced by Ben Stiller), Marty the Zebra (Chris Rock), Gloria the Hippo (Jada Pinkett Smith), and Melman the Giraffe (David Schwimmer), along with unlikely friends such as King Julien the Lemur (Sacha Baron Cohen), crash-land on the African savannah, setting in motion a whole new series of exploits, involving Alex's long-lost parents (Bernie Mac and Sherri Shepherd) and a stranded group of tenacious NYC human tourists.

Reuniting directors Tom McGrath and Eric Darnell, as well as all the principal cast members of the first film, MADAGASCAR: ESCAPE 2 AFRICA takes full advantage of its sweeping setting, making room for beautifully expansive landscapes amidst the mammal mayhem. While the leads are in fine form, they are ably assisted by series newcomers, including the late Mac, Shepherd, and Alec Baldwin, who plays a scheming rival lion. Though various plotlines get increasingly ridiculous as the movie goes on (see the return of MADAGASCAR's aggressive Grand Central Station granny), the good-natured main characters and their silly support players (particularly lemurs and penguins) keep ESCAPE 2 AFRICA entertaining no matter how far the story strays off the wildlife reserve. (1 hr. 29 min.) Release date: Sep 29, 2009

Monsters vs. Aliens

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:27:43 -0000

When California girl Susan Murphy is unwittingly clobbered by a meteor full of outer space gunk on her wedding day, she mysteriously grows to 49-feet-11-inches tall. Alerted to the threat of this new monster, the military jumps into action and Susan is captured and secreted away to a covert government compound. There, she is renamed Ginormica and placed in confinement with a ragtag group of other monsters: the brilliant but insect-headed Dr. Cockroach, Ph.D.; the macho half-ape, half-fish The Missing Link; the gelatinous and indestructible B.O.B.; and the 350-foot grub called Insectosaurus. Their confinement is cut short, however, when a mysterious alien robot lands on Earth and begins storming the country. In a moment of desperation, The President is persuaded by General W.R. Monger to enlist the motley crew of Monsters to combat the Alien Robot and save the world from imminent destruction. (1 hr. 34 min.) Release date: Sep 29, 2009

Sea Racketeers

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:27:42 -0000

A gang of ocean-going fur smugglers is the target of the cops in this vintatge action feature. Release date: Sep 29, 2009

Lies & Illusions

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:27:41 -0000

Monster-movie director Tibor Takacs (MANSQUITO, MEGASNAKE) offers a different kind of thrill with his action-comedy LIES & ILLUSIONS. Christian Slater stars as successful self-help author Wes Wilson, whose happiness is shattered when his fiancee, Samantha (Sarah Ann Schultz), is killed in a seemingly random attack. Wes�s world is turned further upside down after he uncovers Samantha�s secret double life, which involved stealing a cache of diamonds from ruthless jewel smuggler Isaac (Cuba Gooding Jr.)--who now wants his loot back, and is willing to do anything to get it. (93 hr.) Release date: Sep 29, 2009

The Chosen One

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:27:40 -0000

An expectant young couple finds their dreams of starting a family shattered when they give birth to a vampire baby, and an obsessed doctor becomes infected with a bizarre sickness while raising and studying the anomalous infant. Like any parents, Samuel and Elizabeth Wolfe wanted the best for their child. Their life becomes a waking nightmare, however, following a vicious attack by a bloodthirsty corpse. When the baby is born bearing signs of vampirism, husband Samuel falls into a downward spiral and entrusts his child to the malevolent Dr. Abraham, who longs to unlock the secret to immortality. The closer Dr. Abraham studies his subject, however, the greater his infection grows. Before long, the diabolical doctor's work has whipped the entire small town into a homicidal frenzy. (82 hr.) Release date: Sep 22, 2009

Star Trek: The Next Generation Motion Picture Collection

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:27:39 -0000

Captain Picard and his crew take on the Borg, the Romulans, and various others in these big-screen incarnations of the popular sci-fi series: GENERATIONS, FIRST CONTACT, INSURRECTION, and NEMESIS. Please see individual titles for synopsis information. Release date: Sep 22, 2009

Star Trek: Original Motion Picture Collection

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:27:38 -0000

The voyages of the U.S.S. Enterprise continue in this trilogy of big-screen adaptations of the classic sci-fi series created by Gene Roddenberry. Seeking out bold new worlds often pits Capt. James T. Kirk (William Shatner), Mr. Spock (Leonard Nimoy), and the rest of the crew against extraterrestrial threats and the limits of human knowledge. Included here are all six original feature films: STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE, STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN, STAR TREK III: THE SEARCH FOR SPOCK, STAR TREK IV: THE VOYAGE HOME, STAR TREK V: THE FINAL FRONTIER, and STAR TREK VI: THE UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY. Please see individual titles for complete synopsis information. Release date: Sep 22, 2009

The Dark Knight

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:27:37 -0000

With the help of Lieutenant Jim Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent, Batman has been making headway against local crime...until a rising criminal mastermind known as The Joker unleashes a fresh reign of chaos across Gotham City. To stop this devious new menace--Batman's most personal and vicious enemy yet--he will have to use every high-tech weapon in his arsenal and confront everything he believes. (2 hrs. 32 min.) Release date: Sep 22, 2009

Camille

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:27:36 -0000

Not to be confused with the Greta Garbo melodrama of the same name, the romantic comedy CAMILLE stars Sienna Miller and James Franco as a pair of lovers on the run. But what saves this from being yet another BONNIE AND CLYDE knock-off is the simple fact that Camille (Miller, STARDUST) is dead. Franco (THE PINEAPPLE EXPRESS) plays Silas Parker, a man who reluctantly marries his parole officer's daughter, Camille, so he can take her to Niagra Falls and skip across the border into Canada. When the motorcycle-riding couple has an accident, Silas begins to notice some strange things about his blushing bride as her hair falls out and grows pale. Armed with a wig and a vat of Formaldehyde, the couple tries to prove their love can last as they evade the authorities. CAMILLE also stars David Carradine and Scott Glenn. (1 hr. 32 min.) Release date: Sep 15, 2009

X-Men Origins: Wolverine

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:27:35 -0000

"X-Men Origins: Wolverine" tells the story of Wolverine's epically violent and romantic past, his complex relationship with Victor Creed, and the ominous Weapon X program. Along the way, Wolverine encounters many mutants, both familiar and new, including surprise appearances by several legends of the X-Men universe. (1 hr. 47 min.) Release date: Sep 15, 2009

Homicide

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:27:34 -0000

In HOMICIDE, writer-director David Mamet begins with the cinematic stereotype of the tough cop--Bobby Gold (Joe Mantegna), a detective hot on the heels of a fugitive named Randolph (Ving Rhames). But Gold gets sidetracked when a Jewish family requests that he be assigned to the investigation of their matriarch's murder. It isn't long before the stereotype breaks down and Gold is revealed as a self-hating Jew who has spent his life seeking the approval of tough guys, having gone so far as to become one himself. Meanwhile, the case leads him to discover a clandestine war between an anti-Semitic group and a Zionist league--which calls on Gold to ignore his duty as a cop and remember his duty as a Jew. As in other Mamet films (especially THE SPANISH PRISONER), Gold is a hero who scratches the surface one day, only to discover that the world is far more complicated than he ever imagined and that he must make moral choices he never planned on making. Perennial Mamet actors Rebecca Pidgeon, William H. Macy, and Ricky Jay lend support in minor but pivotal roles. (1 hr. 42 min.) Release date: Sep 8, 2009

They Call Me Renegade

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:27:33 -0000

Terence Hill as "Renegade" takes on a town full of bad-guy bikers in this no-nonsense action-packed comedy. When Renegade's friend is jailed, he takes the responsibility of raising the man's young son and upkeep his property. Before long, a mutual enemy makes an attempt to steal the land, and it's up to Renegade and his zany inventions to save the day! Release date: Sep 8, 2009

Next Day Air

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:27:32 -0000

Imagine an average, 30-something man with a collection of DVDs representing his favorite films of the 1990s, the movies he watched a hundred times and endlessly entertained his friends by periodically spouting random lines from--PULP FICTION, DAZED AND CONFUSED, FRIDAY, THE USUAL SUSPECTS, BELLY, and TRAINSPOTTING. If, one enchanted night, those films got together and practiced the art of romance, their spawn would look a lot like NEXT DAY AIR. The plot revolves around a misdelivered package of drugs, and the resultant scramble by one side to retrieve the product, as the other side tries to unload it before the mistake is realized. All the stylistic flourishes of the Tarantino brood are here: the confused opening scene that will later be repeated with context; the fractured chronology of the story; the flashbacks featuring overexposed, vibrant colors; the use of subtitles to interpret drug code; the sadistic removal of an important body part with a big blade; and the apocalyptic hail of bullets as an exclamation point. There is a dazzling air of enthusiastic confusion blowing throughout the film as it tries to decide whether it is a comedy or a gangster film. But rather than simply alternating scenes of laughter with scenes of violence, director Benny Boom mixes these two volatile ingredients, so that moments of high tension are suddenly diffused as the characters themselves seem to realize the absurd gravity of the situation and begin to cower. At other times, playful exchanges inexorably elevate into heated conflicts so subtly that no one can quite remember where the shift occurred. Mos Def has a hilarious turn as a mumbling, thieving delivery man in this film where everybody has a hustle, from the drug kingpins to the chump managing the storage shed where they hide their loot. (1 hr. 30 min.) Release date: Sep 8, 2009

Crank High Voltage

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:27:31 -0000

Committed to delivering A.D.D. movies for the music-video and video-gaming generation, directors Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor turn the action and antics levels up to "11" in CRANK: HIGH VOLTAGE. The film picks up where its cult-hit predecessor left off, with hunky hit man Chev Chelios (Jason Statham) falling to his death on the streets of L.A. But fate and Chelios�s vengeful enemies have other plans, implanting him with an artificial heart while preparing him for more extensive organ harvesting. When Chelios�s escape reduces this temporary ticker to internal battery power, the quest for his own heart must be sustained by any electrical charge available. This includes everything from dog shock-collars to high-voltage transformers to a very public display of electron transferral with ex-girlfriend Eve (Amy Smart). Aided by good friend Doc Miles (Dwight Yoakam) and the Tourette's-suffering Venus (Efren Ramirez), Chelios cuts a frenzied path of destruction on his way to a final shoot-'em-up showdown with the Ferret (Clifton Collins Jr.). Will it be in time to restore the aggrieved assassin�s heart, or will Chev Chelios find that his tankful of tenacity is finally on empty? An adrenaline-fueled rush from start to finish, the film revels in its whiplash violence and vulgarity without ever taking itself too seriously. And with Statham further bolstering his dashing-while-deadly bona fides, CRANK: HIGH VOLTAGE is action-packed, Colisseum-pleasing entertainment in its purest form. (95 min.) Release date: Sep 8, 2009