Yahoo! Movies: New Adaptation DVD Releases

The Jazz Singer

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:27:43 -0000

In New York City, Yussel Rabinowitz (Neil Diamond) trains to be a cantor. Although his father (Laurence Olivier) and wife, Rivka (Catlin Adams), don't approve, he also sings and writes songs for a black soul group under the name Jess Robin. When the group gets an opportunity in California, their leader, Bubba (Franklyn Ajaye), asks Jess to join them. Reluctantly, Rivka and his father let him go. In Los Angeles, Jess meets record company executive Molly Bell (Lucie Arnaz). Impressed by his music, she tries to promote him. However, Jess still struggles and is about to give up when Molly gets him a solo TV spot. Just as Jess seems set for stardom, Rivka and his father arrive to plead for his return.

Samson Raphaelson's play about a talented singer's attempts to break away from a restrictive religious family was first filmed in 1927--when it became the first talkie. This--the third version--was made in 1980. Directed by Richard Fleischer after another director was dismissed, the film focuses on Molly's struggles to find opportunities for Jess, then on Jess's subsequent concert performances. Neil Diamond carries the film, singing his own songs with verve. (1 hr. 56 min.) Release date: Dec 1, 2009

The Wiz

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:27:42 -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

Superman

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:27:41 -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

Shrek

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:27:40 -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

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:27:39 -0000

HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE is an adaptation of the first of J.K. Rowling�s popular children�s novels about Harry Potter, a boy who learns on his eleventh birthday that he is the orphaned son of two powerful wizards and possesses unique magical powers of his own. He is summoned from his life as an unwanted child to become a student at Hogwarts, an English boarding school for wizards. There, he meets several friends who become his closest allies and help him discover the truth about his parents� mysterious deaths at the hands of a powerful adversary. (2 hrs. 32 min.) Release date: Dec 8, 2009

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:27:38 -0000

The fairy tale of Snow White, a beautiful young maiden cast into a deep sleep by her evil step-mother, but rescued from the dark magic spell through the love of handsome Prince Charming. (1 hr. 20 min.) Release date: Oct 6, 2009

The Wizard of Oz

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:27:37 -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

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:27:36 -0000

Harry Potter has not had a good summer. Not only has he had to put up with his overbearing Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon Dursley and their dread of his magical abilities, but it seems as if Harry's best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger have forgotten him as they haven't replied to a single one of his letters. Then, suddenly and mysteriously, house-elf Dobby appears in Harry's bedroom and warns him of great danger if he should attempt to return to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. But despite the elf's mischievous efforts to thwart Harry's return to school, the ever determined Harry is rescued from the Dursley's dreary clutches by Ron and his brothers and whisked into the warmth of the Weasley household. Upon arriving at Hogwarts, Harry finds that his first year heroics have caused him to become the center of much unwanted attention. His new fans include Ron's little sister Ginny; first year would-be photographer Colin Creevey; and most irritatingly, the New Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor, Gilderoy Lockhart. Outshone only by his own vanity, Lockhart craves the attention that Harry shuns. But not even Lockhart can offer an explanation for the sinister new terror that is gripping the school. (2 hrs. 41 min.) Release date: Dec 8, 2009

Pay It Forward

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:27:35 -0000

Based on a best-selling novel by Catherine Ryan Hyde, and boasting the star-power of three prior Oscar winners--Kevin Spacey, Helen Hunt, and Haley Joel Osmont--PAY IT FORWARD spins a heartwarming yarn about an eleven-year-old boy who comes up with an utopian idea as a project for school. History teacher Eugene Simenot (Spacey) offers the same ongoing extra-credit assignment he has proffered every year: Come up with an idea that will change the world. However, he expects nothing more from his students than half-hearted efforts that fall far shy of their mark. Simenot is therefore unprepared for precocious, irrepressible Trevor McKinney (played with wide-eyed wonder by Osmont), who conjures up a stunning scheme. Trevor suggests the concept that every person who benefits from someone else's good deed should "pay it forward," instead of paying it back, and in turn offer favors to three other people. The first guinea pig for Trevor's experiment is his overworked, imperfect mom (Helen Hunt) for whom he tries to find a boyfriend.

Director Mimi Leder, best known for powerful thrillers like DEEP IMPACT, imbues the solid script of PAY IT FORWARD with a more grandiose aura. However, it is the movie's triumvirate of heralded stars--Spacey, Hunt and Osmont--who propel this compelling yarn. (2 hrs. 2 min.) Release date: Nov 3, 2009

Amadeus

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:27:34 -0000

In a lavish 18th Century parlor in Austria, an elderly man is found, by his servant, with his throat slashed. The wound is self-inflicted, and the man is the little-known composer Salieri (F. Murray Abraham), contemporary and adversary of the now-famed, but once reviled, composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Tom Hulce). Later. from his cell in an insane asylum, Salieri tells a priest (Herman Meckler) the story of his association with Mozart, confessing that he actually killed the brilliantly gifted but troubled young man. Based on the award-winning play by Peter Shaffer, Milos Forman's riveting, brilliant, Oscar-winning AMADEUS is a fictionalized account of the real-life mysterious death of Mozart. Abraham, in the role that won him the Best Actor Oscar, is the celebrated court composer to Joseph II (Jeffrey Jones)--his confidence and religious dedication shaken when he meets the boorish 26-year-old Mozart as he chases his future wife (Elizabeth Berridge) around a party while making obscene remarks. Furious that this clownish boy can produce such beautiful music, Salieri determines to keep Mozart's talent from lasting recognition and sets himself on a course for Mozart�s destruction that leads to his own as well. Mozart continues to mount beautiful, moving operas (incredibly staged in the film), but becomes obsessed with writing a Requiem as his friends, family, health, and resources waste away, Salieri�s manipulating presence always there. It is hard to imagine anyone--whether they are knowledgeable about classical music or not--who would not be held captive by this superb feast for the eyes and ears, a film whose excellence can be felt in every detail.

The director's cut includes new footage that was not used in the 1984 original, as well as improved sound. (2 hrs. 38 min.) Release date: Nov 3, 2009

Message in A Bottle

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:27:33 -0000

The story of a long distance love connection that is made when Penn, a Chicago journalist, discovers a love letter that Costner, a widowed sailboat repairer, let drift into the ocean. She quickly tracks him down and an honest bond forms between the two. When he discovers that she hasn't been entirely honest with him, the betrayal threatens to ruin what has been, so obviously up to this point, a wonderful, romantic thing. (2 hrs. 12 min.) Release date: Nov 3, 2009

Jurassic Park

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:27:32 -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

The Bourne Identity

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:27:31 -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

Dr. Seuss How the Grinch Stole Christmas

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:27:30 -0000

In this live-action adaptation of the famous Christmas tale by Dr. Seuss, director Ron Howard (APOLLO 13, SPLASH), casts comedian Jim Carrey in the title role, giving this rendition of HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS a perverse, manic spin. Add great special effects and a fast-moving script and this well-loved story of a freakish green monster living in a mountainside cave who disguises himself as Santa Claus, and steals the Christmas goodies from every single home in Whoville, becomes a hilarious holiday comedy. (1 hr. 45 min.) Release date: Oct 13, 2009

My Fair Lady

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:27:29 -0000

A distinguished London linguist makes a wager with a colleague that he can transform a working-class girl into an elegant, mannered lady, free of all bad accents. When he finds his subject, he turns her into the belle of high-society, but can't admit to himself that he's fallen in love with her. (2 hrs. 50 min.) Release date: Oct 6, 2009

Interview With the Vampire

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:27:28 -0000

Horror author Anne Rice penned the screenplay for this full-blooded adaptation of her novel, which chronicles the life of 18th-century nobleman Louis (Brad Pitt) after he is bitten by powerful, charismatic vampire Lestat (Tom Cruise). Though enthralled with the undead lifestyle at first, Louis is unable to warm up to killing humans and grows despondent. To comfort Louis, Lestat creates another vampire (Kirsten Dunst in a star-making peformance), a young girl who from then on cannot age. Antonio Banderas appears as Armand, a 400-year-old vampire, and Christian Slater plays the radio producer who interviews the remorseful Louis.

Director Neil Jordan captures the lush decadence and erotic fervor of the novel, infusing the film with rich, dusky tones. The big budget is well used to bring each period and place to sharply detailed life, and there is no skimping on the blood or immortal angst. Thandie Newton has a small role as Louis's Creole servant near the beginning of the film, and Jordan regular Stephen Rea appears as a Parisian vampire theater star. INTERVIEW broke weekend box-office records when it premiered and has since earned a spot in the pantheon of great vampire films. (2 hrs. 2 min.) Release date: Nov 3, 2009

Sex and Zen

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:27:27 -0000

A man marries a beautiful wife, but decides to go out and experience as many sexual conquests as possible, with unusual and often hilarious results. Meanwhile, his wife is forced to enter a brothel and work as a prostitute. After a series of adventures, the couple is reunited. An international hit featuring a funny plot and lots of eroticism. (1 hr. 39 min.) Release date: Oct 13, 2009

Halloween

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:27:26 -0000

The early 2000s have seen a string of big-budget remakes of classic horror films. In addition to THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE and THE HILLS HAVE EYES, John Carpenter's benchmark slasher flick HALLOWEEN has been given a new-millennial overhaul. At the helm of the project sits rocker Rob Zombie, whose previous films, HOUSE OF 1,000 CORPSES and THE DEVIL'S REJECTS, brought a fan's touch and an auteur's vision to the director's chair. While Zombie's HALLOWEEN is faithful to Carpenter's vision, there are some obvious changes, the most pronounced of these being the substantial focus on Michael Myers's childhood. The film posits Michael (played by a creepily vacant Daeg Faerch) as a troubled child made all the worse by a horrible home life--wonderfully illustrated via William Forsythe's performance as Deborah Myers's boyfriend--and constant abuse at school. Zombie paints Michael's pain with palpable grit and sleaze, but he isn't out to put our culture on the couch--he simply wants to show Michael killing his family. With the exception of Michael's therapy sessions while incarcerated, the film, post-massacre, stays loyal to the original.

Zombie's film is clearly the work of a filmmaker who knows and loves the genre. The director's signature is stamped all over HALLOWEEN (most notably in the use of grainy home movie footage and a smokin' classic rock soundtrack), although remnants of Carpenter's brilliant original still remain. When it comes to remakes, it's hard to ask for much more. (1 hr. 49 min.) Release date: Oct 6, 2009

Dreamcatcher

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:27:25 -0000

Dreamcatcher, the film based on Stephen King�s best-selling novel, tells of four young friends who perform a heroic act � and are changed forever by the uncanny powers they gain in return. Years later the friends, now men, are on a hunting trip in the Maine woods when they are overtaken by a blizzard, a vicious storm in which something much more ominous moves� Challenged to stop an alien force, the friends must first prevent the slaughter of innocent civilians by a military vigilante, then overcome a threat to the bond between them. In the end, the friends confront an unparalleled horror, with the fate of the world in the balance. (2 hrs. 14 min.) Release date: Nov 3, 2009

A Time to Kill

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:27:24 -0000

In a small southern town in the 1960s, a black man awaits trial for murdering the two rednecks who viciously raped his 10-year-old daughter. A young, idealistic white lawyer takes up the father's defense, and the incendiary case becomes a firestorm of racism and controversy, ripping the town apart. Based on John Grisham's bestselling first novel. (2 hrs. 8 min.) Release date: Nov 3, 2009

Little Shop of Horrors

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:27:23 -0000

In this dark but goofy and thoroughly fun musical, shy Seymour and bubbly Audrey don't recognize the romance blooming between them, but they do recognize the money-making potential of Seymour's weird plant, discovered after a total eclipse of the sun. Soon money pours in and Seymour becomes a minor celebrity, but behind the glamour and fame lies a secret Seymour can't reveal: this strange and unusual plant's favorite food is blood. As the plant grows taller and taller, its demands for food grow as well, and Seymour starts to suspect that the plant might have an agenda for world domination. (1 hr. 28 min.) Release date: Nov 3, 2009

Nanny McPhee

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:27:22 -0000

Recently widowed Mr. Brown seeks assistance from a mysterious and rather strange looking nanny when his seven very ill-behaved children get too much for him to handle. The children, led by the eldest boy Simon, have managed to drive away 17 previous nannies and are adamant that they'll have no trouble with this new one. However Nanny McPhee appears to be no ordinary nanny, and things soon start to take a turn for the magical. (1 hr. 38 min.) Release date: Nov 1, 2009

Meet the Parents

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:27:21 -0000

In Meet the Parents, everything that could possibly go wrong for groom-to-be Greg Focker does. The problems begin with Greg's disastrous first meeting with his girlfriend's family-most notably her intimidating father Jack Byrnes-and it's all downhill from there. (1 hr. 48 min.) Release date: Nov 1, 2009

Babe

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:27:20 -0000

A piglet won by Farmer Hoggett as a raffle prize is raised by Fly, the matriarch sheepdog, as one of her own. His owner senses something special in Babe and makes sure he learns sheep herding along with his new brothers. Babe proves so adept, in fact, that Farmer Hoggett enters him in the world sheepdog championship. (1 hr. 31 min.) Release date: Nov 1, 2009

The Lost World: Jurassic Park

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:27:19 -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

Disclosure

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:27:18 -0000

Based on Michael Crichton's controversial bestseller, a powerful woman at a computer software company jeapordizes a man's career when he spurns her sexual advances. (2 hrs. 9 min.) Release date: Nov 3, 2009

Audition

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:27:17 -0000

AUDITION is an art-house cult horror film that will be talked about for a long time to come. Ryo Ishibashi stars as Aoyama, a single father who has not dated since his wife died seven years earlier. To help find another woman to bring joy into Aoyama's charmless life, his best friend, television producer Yoshikawa, convinces Aoyama that they should add a fake part to a show they are auditioning actresses for--a role that will become Aoyama's real-life companion. After a series of comical auditions, in walks a woman whom Aoyama thinks is perfect--Asami, played by former model Eihi Shiina. But when Aoyama proves too tentative in his courting--and starts learning odd things about Asami's past--she decides to exact a revenge that filmgoers will never forget.

Director Takashi Miike's film, based on the novel by Ryu Murakami, begins like a slow-moving romance, carefully developing the characters and their maturing relationships. But suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, the mood and pace change, smashing viewers over the head with fast cuts between the past and the present, with dreamlike images that turn into torrid nightmares, with screams and shouts where there had been soft-spoken whispers, with blood and violence that replaces love and longing. The last section of the film is one of the most brutal torture scenes ever put on celluloid, and it is definitely not for the faint of heart. But even in its gore-filled shockingness, the film is beautiful to look at, a monumental achievement by a director willing to take chances and challenge his audience. (1 hr. 55 min.) Release date: Oct 6, 2009

The Last King of Scotland

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:27:16 -0000

Forest Whitaker delivers a ferociously commanding performance as bloodthirsty Ugandan president Idi Amin in Kevin MacDonald's THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND. Adapted from the novel by Giles Foden, the film recounts Amin's horrific reign through the eyes of a fictional character, Nick Garrigan (James McAvoy), a young doctor from Scotland who travels to Uganda hoping to do some good. Nick is more sanguine about new president Amin than is his counterpart Sarah Merrit (Gillian Armstrong), whose experience causes her to be skeptical of Amin's bombastic declarations. After an automobile accident, Nick is called in to treat the president's wounds. His authoritative behavior impresses Amin, who charms Nick into becoming his personal physician. Nick embraces his newfound life of luxury, but he is unable to grasp the reality of the situation. When he does finally realize the atrocities Amin is inflicting upon his people (and is also capable of inflicting on Nick), the terrified doctor tries to make a frantic escape before it's too late.

MacDonald, director of the acclaimed documentaries ONE DAY IN SEPTEMBER and TOUCHING THE VOID, makes a startlingly assured transition into fictional filmmaking with THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND. Working with cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle (THE CELEBRATION) and editor Justine Wright, MacDonald brings 1970s Uganda to pulsating life, perfectly recreating that tumultuous era. But ultimately the film belongs to Whitaker: as he shifts from charming to maniacal in the space of a short, unexpected breath, he infuses Amin with startling humanity. (2 hrs. 1 min.) Release date: Oct 13, 2009

Practical Magic

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:27:15 -0000

The two Owen sisters from a small Massachusetts are normal siblings- except they are actual witches. They use their magical powers to grant spells for love. (1 hr. 45 min.) Release date: Nov 3, 2009

Z

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:27:14 -0000

Based on a true incident, the Deputy Z is struck down by a speeding truck while hundreds watch. Despite the report of accidental death, a journalist's questioning of the facts leads to an investigation. (2 hrs. 5 min.) Release date: Oct 27, 2009

Over the Hedge

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:27:13 -0000

Spring has sprung, and Verne and his woodland friends awaken from their long winter's nap to discover that a tall, green "thing" has mysteriously cropped up right through the middle of their home. Enter RJ, an opportunistic raccoon, who explains that the world beyond the hedge is the "gateway to the good life" where peculiar creatures called humans live to eat, rather than eat to live. Suspicious and even a little jealous of RJ, the ever-cautious Verne wants to keep his blended family safely on their side of the hedge. But, proving the adage that one man's garbage is another man's--or rather animal's--treasure, the manipulative RJ tries to convince the woodland band that there is little to fear and everything to gain from their over-indulgent new neighbors. Eventually, RJ and Verne form an unlikely friendship as they learn to co-exist with--and even exploit--this strange new world called suburbia. (1 hr. 30 min.) Release date: Sep 29, 2009

Sleepers

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:27:12 -0000

Tommy, John, Michael, and Shakes are four young teenage punks growing up in the streets of Manhattan's Hell's Kitchen in the mid-1960s. When these four friends pull a prank that that goes awry, they find themselves serving time at the Wilkinson School for Boys, where they are repeatedly and sadistically violated and tortured by four guards--the most menacing being Noles, portrayed by Kevin Bacon. Fifteen years later, the foursome is still dealing with the emotional repercussions of their abuse. Tommy (Billy Crudup) and John (Ron Eldard) have become common criminals, and when they spot Noles in a local watering hole they can't pass up the chance for revenge. It's up to Shakes (Jason Patric), a low-profile newspaper employee, and Michael (Brad Pitt), a lawyer with the district attorney's office, to save their friends while keeping the details of their tortured childhoods secret. Dustin Hoffman appears as Danny Snyder, and Robert De Niro stars as Father Bobby, the local neighborhood priest who is as comfortable on the streets or in a bar as he is behind the pulpit. Based on the allegedly true story by Lorenzo Carcaterra, the film is directed by Barry Levinson (DINER, RAIN MAN). (2 hrs. 20 min.) Release date: Nov 3, 2009

Proof of Life

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:27:11 -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

Othello

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:27:10 -0000

With Walter Felsenstein at the helm, this filmed 1969 performance of Verdi�s OTHELLO is cinematic in scope. Hanns Nocker, Christa Noack, Vladimir Baur, and Hanna Schmook star in this release that marks the first color filming of an opera. (2 hrs. 46 min.) Release date: Oct 27, 2009

Sordid Lives

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:27:09 -0000

The bizarre death of Peggy Ingraham, the matriarch of a working-class Texas family, sets off fireworks within her dysfunctional family. Her determinedly proper daughter Latrelle is in denial over the fact that her son Ty, an actor trying to make it in Hollywood, is gay, and is relieved that her only brother, a gay drag queen and dedicated Tammy Wynette impersonator, has been confined to a mental institution for 23 years simply because he is gay. Latrelle's brassy sister LaVonda, however, thinks her brother should be released from the institution and has a perfect right to attend their mother's funeral. Meanwhile, Ty, who has strived hard to accept his homosexuality, realizes that there is no way he can return home for his grandmother's funeral without coming out to his mother. (1 hr. 51 min.) Release date: Oct 13, 2009

Star Trek

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:27:08 -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

Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:27:07 -0000

A Southern comedy drama about life, love and family which follows a group of lifelong friends as they stage a rather unorthodox intervention to help a young playwright unravel the truth about her eccentric mother, find forgiveness and come to terms with her difficult past. (1 hr. 56 min.) Release date: Nov 3, 2009

Don t Die Without Telling Me Where You re Going

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:27:06 -0000

From Argentine director Eliseo Subiela comes this sparkling gem of magical realism along the lines of Wim Wenders' WINGS OF DESIRE. Leopoldo is a lonely film projectionist in a struggling theater is trying to bring his dreams to life with an invention that captures his somnambulant imaginings and makes them visible. His wife dismisses him as a hack and the only person who believes in him is his friend Oscar, who is working on an invention of his own. The only person, that is, until Leopoldo meets Rachel, who appears to him in his dreams to reveal that he was one of cinema's early inventors in a past life, and she has been his companion throughout centuries of reincarnation. (2 hrs.) Release date: Oct 27, 2009

The Storm Riders

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:27:05 -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

The Pelican Brief

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:27:04 -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

Pudor

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:27:03 -0000

Director-screenwriter Tristan Ulloa teams with co-director David Ulloa to adapt author Santiago Roncaglielo Alfaguare's novel about the tenderness of family relationships. Stuck in the throes of a mid-life crisis, middle-aged wife and mother Julia suddenly finds her woes compounded when her own mother dies and her marriage begins to fall apart. It seems that the troubles between Julia and her husband, Juan, are having a detrimental effect on the rest of the family as well. Their youngest child Sergio may have been adopted, yet the further that Julia and Juan drift apart, the further Sergio drifts into a fantasy world of make-believe. Sergio's older sister, Marisa, detests her younger brother almost as much as she detests her own body, and as puberty finally kicks in the young girl does her best to adapt to her sexual orientation. Of course no adult wants to depend on their children for support, but this is exactly what has happened in the case of Grandpa Salvador. In the evenings, when the family gathers around the dinner table, the atmosphere in the house grows increasingly dense with each passing day. Perhaps sometime soon one member of the family will summon the courage to address the issue. (1 hr. 53 min.) Release date: Nov 10, 2009

Abismos de Pasion

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:27:02 -0000

Of the many British TV adaptations of Emily Bronte's gothic romance WUTHERING HEIGHTS, only a handful were able to cover the entire novel by virtue of the miniseries format. The first of these was telecast in four 50-minute segments from October 28 to November 18, 1967. Angela Scoular and Ian McShane starred as the foolishly headstrong aristocrat Cathy and her rough-hewn gypsy sweetheart, Heathcliff. The next full-scale TV version of WUTHERING HEIGHTS would not appear until 1978. (1 hr. 31 min.) Release date: Oct 13, 2009

The Incredible Mr. Limpet

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:27:01 -0000

Based on the novel by Theodore Pratt, this quaint little fantasy leads the viewer on a deep sea adventure. A bespectacled bookkeeper loves his pet fish so much that he longs to be one. The simple life of Henry the fish however, proves more exciting than mundane as he helps the US Navy defeat the Nazis during World War II. (1 hr. 42 min.) Release date: Nov 3, 2009

Downhill Racer

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:27:00 -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

The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:26:59 -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

X-Cross

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:26:58 -0000

BATTLE ROYALE II and YO-YO GIRL COP director Kenta Fukusaku returns to the helm with this gruesome, over-the-top shocker concerning a picturesque resort overrun by a village of murderous marauders, and a mysterious killer whose weapon of choice is a particularly large--and sharp--pair of scissors. Shiyori (Nao Matsushita) is enjoying a particularly refreshing getaway when she discovers a cell phone warning her to get out of paradise as quickly as possible. Now, as the bloodthirsty locals set out to take her apart piece by piece, the terrified vacationer begins to recall just how it was that she and best friend Aiko (Ami Suzuki) ended up in this dire predicament in the first place. Time for reflection begins to run short, however, when a formidable villain appears sporting a pair of shears that would make even Edward Scissorhands cower in fear. (1 hr. 30 min.) Release date: Oct 27, 2009

A Christmas Carol

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:26:57 -0000

Ebeneezer Scrooge (Alastair Sim) contentedly meanders through his life as a cruel miser until one fateful Christmas Eve when he is visited by three ghosts. The spirits show him how his behavior has degenerated over the years as his heart has become colder. Using events from Scrooge's idealistic past, dreary present, and dismal future, the apparitions try their best to melt his steely soul. Will Scrooge see the error of his ways and learn the true meaning of Christmas? Check out this hailed classic and find out! Many critics widely consider this the definitive film version of Charles Dickens' cherished novel. (1 hr. 26 min.) Release date: Oct 27, 2009

The Namesake

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:26:56 -0000

IN THEATERS MARCH 9, 2007 (Limited)

IN THEATERS MARCH 9, 2007 (Limited): Like her previous films VANITY FAIR, MONSOON WEDDING, and HBO�s HYSTERICAL BLINDNESS, Mira Nair's THE NAMESAKE is a lush, beautiful film bursting with rich color and visual texture. Based on the bestselling book by Jhumpa Lahiri, the film follows two generations of the Ganguli family. After wedding via an arranged marriage, Ashima (Tabu) moves with Ashoke (Irrfan Khan) from her native Calcutta to New York. As Ashima struggles to adjust to life in her new home, a true love grows between the newlyweds. When they give birth to Gogol (who does not learn the true origin of his name until adulthood), the Gangolis decide to stay in American for their child�s sake, settling in the suburbs and eventually giving birth to a daughter, Sonia (Sahira Nair). While Ashima and Ashoke attempt to balance their new life with Indian traditions, their children have the very different experience of being raised first-generation Americans. With little interest in their ancestry, both Gogol and Sonia disappoint their parents by having little respect for the sacrifices their parents made for them. Gogol�s desire to change his name, and his relationship with a wealthy American girl (Jacinda Barrett), places a strain on the family which Gogol will later regret.

Here, Penn proves he can play a serious role while still using his comedic skills to great affect. The actor shows impressive range in growing a clueless teen to a man his father would be proud of. Nair�s skill at directing can be felt in the film�s many great performances. Both Tabu and Irrfan Khan embody their characters so fully that the viewer really feels a personal connection to the story. As the head of the household, Khan's character will subtly make viewers laugh while breaking their heart. Packed with unique characters, THE NAMESAKE offers audiences an outlet into Bengali traditions and the immigrant experience while telling a universal story of family bonds which all parents and children should connect with. Nair excels in what is her most personal work to date. (2 hrs. 2 min.) Release date: Oct 13, 2009

Don Giovanni

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:26:55 -0000

No description available (3 hrs.) Release date: Sep 29, 2009

Coraline

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:26:54 -0000

After creating a classic with THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS, director Henry Selick crafts the first stop-motion animated feature to be filmed in three dimensions. Dakota Fanning voices a girl who finds a parallel universe lurking behind a door in her home, but the new world isn't all it initially appears. Based on Nail Gaiman's novel, CORALINE promises to be a favorite for both children and adults. (1 hr. 40 min.) Release date: Dec 8, 2009

Julie & Julia

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:26:53 -0000

After DOUBT, Meryl Streep and Amy Adams take a comedic turn with this adaptation of Julie Powell's beloved bestseller. (2 hr. 3 min.) Release date: Dec 8, 2009

Public Enemies

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:26:52 -0000

Johnny Depp and Christian Bale emerge from two of the biggest blockbuster series of all time (Pirates of the Caribbean and Batman, respectively) to star in this crime drama from HEAT director Michael Mann. Depp stars as charismatic 1930s gangster John Dillinger, whose notorious bank robberies have turned him into a celebrity during the Depression era. The rise in crime has J. Edgar Hoover (Billy Crudup) desperate to have his newly created FBI take down gangsters such as Dillinger, "Pretty Boy" Floyd (Channing Tatum), and "Baby Face" Nelson (Stephen Graham). Enter Agent Melvin Purvis (Bale), an ambitious crimefighter sent to Chicago to capture Dillinger and his gang. The criminal has evaded the law before, but he is drawn to the Second City by the beautiful Billie Frechette (Marion Cotillard).

Though PUBLIC ENEMIES boasts big names, it feels more like an arthouse offering than a typical gangster picture. With its intimately shot violence and 1930s setting, the film is more BONNIE AND CLYDE than GOODFELLAS. Mann and director of photography Dante Spinotti alternate between hand-held, high-quality digital cameras and more traditional film stock, giving this crime drama a carefully composed, thoroughly modern look. But the casting of the leads is vintage Hollywood: Depp could be the modern incarnation of silent star Rudolph Valentino, and Cotillard�s wide-eyed beauty--and talent--would fit right in with the starlets of the golden age. Everyone else, including Bale, fades into the background, but it�s hard to complain when Depp and Cotillard give such magnetic performances. (2 hr. 23 min.) Release date: Dec 8, 2009

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:26:51 -0000

Voldemort is tightening his grip on both the Muggle and wizarding worlds and Hogwarts is no longer the safe haven it once was. Harry suspects that dangers may even lie within the castle, but Dumbledore is more intent upon preparing him for the final battle that he knows is fast approaching. Together they work to find the key to unlock Voldemort's defenses and, to this end, Dumbledore recruits his old friend and colleague, the well-connected and unsuspecting bon vivant Professor Horace Slughorn, whom he believes holds crucial information. Meanwhile, the students are under attack from a very different adversary as teenage hormones rage across the ramparts. Harry finds himself more and more drawn to Ginny, but so is Dean Thomas. And Lavender Brown has decided that Ron is the one for her, only she hadn't counted on Romilda Vane's chocolates! And then there's Hermione, simmering with jealousy but determined not to show her feelings. As romance blossoms, one student remains aloof. He is determined to make his mark, albeit a dark one. Love is in the air, but tragedy lies ahead and Hogwarts may never be the same again. (2 hr. 33 min.) Release date: Dec 8, 2009

Whiteout

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:26:50 -0000

No description available (1 hr. 41 min.) Release date: Dec 1, 2009

Far Cry

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:26:49 -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

Gomorrah

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:26:48 -0000

Matteo Garrone's GOMORRAH is a dense, sprawling expos� of the corruption plaguing the communities of Naples and Caserta in modern-day Italy. The all-powerful Camorra syndicate influences the lives of even the most innocent citizens. In a manner similar to THE WIRE, Garrone tells his story from many different angles, resulting in a complicated narrative that often feels novelistic. In many cases, the revolving stories never overlap or intersect. While that may be jarring to those viewers who are used to having their strings tied neatly for them by a film's conclusion, Garrone's decision results in an experience that feels much more honest and true. We witness the syndicate's impact from the top down and from the inside out, following a cavalcade of characters who are all trying in their own ways to escape the deadly world in which they live.

Based on the book by Roberto Saviano, Garrone's crime epic is a powerful indictment of the corruption that is running rampant in Italy. His decision to present such a wide spectrum of characters enables him to show just how deeply everyone is impacted by this terrifying, unchecked display of criminal power. Cinematically, he employs a dizzying array of styles in order to further establish the frighteningly ungoverned atmosphere that pervades this community. GOMORRAH succeeds as both visceral entertainment and thoughtful social commentary. (2 hrs. 17 min.) Release date: Nov 24, 2009

Angels & Demons

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:26:47 -0000

When Robert Langdon discovers evidence of the resurgence of an ancient secret brotherhood known as the Illuminati -- the most powerful underground organization in history -- he also faces a deadly threat to the existence of the secret organization's most despised enemy: the Catholic Church. When Langdon learns that the clock is ticking on an unstoppable Illuminati time bomb, he jets to Rome, where he joins forces with Vittoria Vetra, a beautiful and enigmatic Italian scientist. Embarking on a nonstop hunt through sealed crypts, dangerous catacombs, deserted cathedrals and even to the heart of the most secretive vault on earth, Langdon and Vetra will follow a 400-year-old trail of ancient symbols that mark the Vatican's only hope for survival. (2 hrs. 18 min.) Release date: Nov 24, 2009

My Sister's Keeper

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:26:46 -0000

THE NOTEBOOK's Nick Cassavetes directs another tearjerking literary adaptation with this drama based on Jodi Picoult's novel. Cameron Diaz takes a detour from comedy to play Sara, the domineering mother of Kate (Sofia Vassilieva, MEDIUM), a young girl with cancer. Sara�s other daughter, 11-year-old Anna (Abigail Breslin), was conceived just to serve as a donor for her sick sister. On the outskirts of the family are father Brian (Jason Patric), who feels unable to stand up to his wife�s strength, and son Jesse (Evan Ellingson), who craves attention in the face of Kate�s illness. But the complicated situation gets more difficult when Anna hires a lawyer (played by the always excellent Alec Baldwin), so that she can control her own body and say "no" to giving a kidney to her sister.

Cassavetes and Picoult both traffic in tears, so MY SISTER�S KEEPER is a perfect match between director and source writer. Even the most jaded viewers will find it hard to keep their eyes dry in the face of this emotional family tragedy, so audiences are warned to have tissues parked next to their popcorn. This drama�s stellar cast also includes Thomas Dekker as Kate�s cancer-stricken love and Joan Cusack as the judge who presides over Anna�s case. (1 hr. 46 min.) Release date: Nov 17, 2009

Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:26:45 -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

Mamma Mia!

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:26:44 -0000

After its run as a West End hit in London, MAMMA MIA became a Broadway smash when it opened in New York back in 2001. With a story framed around the music of the Swedish pop band Abba, crowds loved its raucous, dance party vibe. Now it comes to the silver screen, with some truly delightful performances from the likes of Meryl Streep and Pierce Brosnan. It is the story of Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) a young woman living on a picturesque Greek island with her mother, Donna (Streep.) Together, Donna and Sophie run a ramshackle island inn, and they are in the midst of preparing for Sophie's wedding. As the wedding approaches, Sophie becomes troubled by the fact that she has never known her father. She was the result of one of her mother's summer flings, and her mother has never revealed her father's identity. When Sophie stumbles upon her mother's diary, she learns that there are three possible men who could be her dad. Without telling her mother, she invites all three to her wedding. When Harry (Colin Firth), Sam (Brosnan), and Bill (Stellan Skarsgard) all arrive at the same time, Donna is of course shocked and overwhelmed by seeing her old lovers again after such a long time. She turns to her two best friends, Tanya (Christine Baranaki) and Rosie (Julia Walters), for their support, and vows to just get through the wedding and weekend. Meanwhile, Sophie spends time with each man, determined to learn the truth.

Major hijinks and confusion ensues, all amidst the utterly romance scenery, and the rather irresistible, swelling love ballads. Streep has a lovely singing voice, and to watch her throw herself into this whimsical role is truly a delight. She looks like she is having a ball, and it is hard not to shimmy along with her. Baranski reliably delivers an over-the-top showstopper, and Brosnan's tender singing voice makes his character all the more touching. The film strives to be a jubilant celebration of mother/daughter relationships and the love between good friends, and no matter how cheesy some may find Abba, it is hard to resist its many charms. (1 hr. 48 min.) Release date: Nov 10, 2009

A Woman in Berlin

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:26:43 -0000

AIMEE & JAGUAR�s Max Faerberboeck directs this gripping drama set in the days after Russia�s invasion of Berlin in 1945. Anonyma (Nina Hoss, YELLA) is surrounded by women, children, and men too weak or old to fight in the war, and there is no one to defend her from the ravenous appetites of the invading army. After she and many of the women around her are raped, Anonyma picks Russian soldier Andrej (Evgeny Sidikhin) to be her protector, and they come to a compromise: if she has sex with him, he will keep her from his fellow men. Anonyma and Andrej embark on a strange relationship, and despite the appearance of affection, there is never any doubt of their positions in the world and the war. Based on an international bestseller, A WOMAN IN BERLIN also stars Irm Hermann, Rudiger Vogler, and Juliane Koehler. (2 hrs. 11 min.) Release date: Nov 10, 2009

The Dead

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:26:42 -0000

It's the turn-of-the-century in Dublin at a holiday feast vibrant with food and spirit. A young couple at the party seem to have everything until that night, the man learns of his wife's unforgotten young love. This was John Huston's final film and was scripted by his son Tony, based on James Joyce's 1914 short story. Academy Award Nominations: Best (Adapted) Screenplay, Best Costume Design. (1 hr. 23 min.) Release date: Nov 3, 2009

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:26:41 -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

I Love You, Beth Cooper

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:26:40 -0000

Larry Doyle adapts his own novel for the screen with this comedy about a nerdy high school valedictorian who uses his graduation speech to share his love with a popular cheerleader. I LOVE YOU, BETH COOPER stars Hayden Panettiere (HEROES) as the object of the boy's affection. (1 hr. 42 min.) Release date: Nov 3, 2009

Just Cause

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:26:39 -0000

A Harvard law professor takes up the case of a southern black man on death row for murdering a white woman, a crime he may not have committed. Discovering the truth proves difficult, as a Bible-spouting inmate and the brutal police officer who convicted the condemned man lead the professor down blind alleys and into treacherous waters. (1 hr. 42 min.) Release date: Nov 3, 2009

Watchmen

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:26:38 -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

Twilight

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:26:37 -0000

Bella Swan has always been a little bit different, never caring about fitting in with the trendy girls at her Phoenix high school. When her mother re-marries and sends Bella to live with her father in the rainy little town of Forks, Washington, she doesn't expect much of anything to change. Then she meets the mysterious and dazzlingly beautiful Edward Cullen, a boy unlike any she's ever met. Edward is a vampire, but he doesn't have fangs and his family is unique in that they choose not to drink human blood. Intelligent and witty, Edward sees straight into Bella's soul. Soon, they are swept up in a passionate, thrilling and unorthodox romance. To Edward, Bella is what he has waited 90 years for -- a soul mate. But the closer they get, the more Edward must struggle to resist the primal pull of her scent, which could send him into an uncontrollable frenzy. But what will Edward & Bella do when a clan of new vampires -- James, Laurent and Victoria -- come to town and threaten to disrupt their way of life? (120 min.) Release date: Oct 27, 2009

Cheri

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:26:36 -0000

Stephen Frears, director of THE QUEEN and HIGH FIDELITY, continues to demonstrate his genre-defying talent with this adaptation of a Colette novel. Set in Paris in the years before World War I, CHERI paints a picture of the romance between young Ch�ri (Rupert Friend) and retired courtesan L�a (Michelle Pfeiffer). Ch�ri's mother (Kathy Bates), a rival of L�a, plots to separate the pair by arranging a marriage between her son and Edm�e (Felicity Jones). Screenwriter Christopher Hampton previously collaborated with the director on DANGEROUS LIAISONS. (1 hr. 40 min.) Release date: Oct 20, 2009

Samurai

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:26:35 -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

Land of the Lost

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:26:34 -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

Disney's A Christmas Carol

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:26:33 -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

Crazy As Hell

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:26:32 -0000

CRAZY AS HELL tells the story of Ty Adams (Mike Beach), a maverick psychiatrist whose non-medicinal approach for treating patients has crowned him a hero in some circles, and an egoist in others. At Sedah State Mental Hospital Adams agrees to be the subject of a thirty-day documentary, examining the effects of psychiatry on mental illness and conversely the effects of metal illness on psychiatry. The study progresses as planned, until the day that a mysterious stranger admits himself to the hospital claiming to be Satan (Eriq La Salle). Through their intense therapy, the stranger works his way into Adams' world, unraveling his life, and pushing him into a battle in which only one of them will survive. (1 hr. 53 min.) Release date: Oct 6, 2009

Forbidden Games

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:26:31 -0000

A young orphaned French girl is taken in by a peasant family during WWII. Becoming fast friends with the young son, the two children begin playing games imitating the tragedies of war around them. Academy Award Nominations: Best Motion Picture Story. (1 hr. 42 min.) Release date: Sep 29, 2009

Superman/Batman: Public Enemies

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:26:30 -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