Yahoo! Movies: New Adaptation 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

Superman

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:29:40 -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

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:29:39 -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

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:29:38 -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

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:29:37 -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

Hairspray

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

Originally written and directed by filmmaker John Waters in 1988, and then put on Broadway, the camp musical HAIRSPRAY could easily have run its course with viewers. But thanks to playful direction, flashy costumes, over-the-top performances, and a positive message of peace, this newest spin proves to be yet another enjoyable incarnation. Set in 1960s Baltimore, the story follows a plump young girl named Tracy Turnblad (played by impressive newcomer Nikki Blonski) on an amazing journey as her dream of dancing on the popular Corny Collins Show becomes a reality. The local television program is a shiny spectacle spear-headed by Corny Collins (James Marsden), a gang of young dancers, and producer Velma Von Tussle (Michelle Pfeiffer), a seductress ice queen whose manipulative ways ensure her daughter Amber (Brittany Snow) gets more than her fair share of screen time as one of the show's stars. When Tracy shows up at an open call, Velma can barely contain her rage, and sets out to rid the show of Tracy and the talented black dancers who make up the show's popular "Negro Day." Thus begins a war of talent and a battle for justice, with those in favor of integration meeting many obstacles along the way.

While less out-there than Waters's original, the film still contains some very quirky humor. John Travolta playing Tracy's overweight mother may seem an odd concept at first, but in this context it works. Scenes that would ordinarily be cheesy are made more interesting due to the odd dynamic between Christopher Walken and John Travolta playing man and wife. As the two dance and woo one another, the strange smile on Travolta's lipsticked lips and the grace of Walken's dancing will be sure to fascinate viewers. Viewers should also watch for cameos by Ricki Lake, and by John Waters as a Baltimore streaker. With all the wacky comedy, it's often easy to forget that the meat of HAIRSPRAY is a battle over racial integration. The film manages to create some touching moments in the midst of sparkling musical numbers. (1 hr. 55 min.) Release date: Sep 15, 2009

Scooby-Doo

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

Scooby Doo and the Mystery Inc. gang take their animated antics to the big screen as a live-action movie. In this story, Fred, Daphne, Velma and Shaggy have a bit of a falling out and go their separate ways, but they're drawn back together again by fate, in this case taking the form of the mysterious Spooky Island amusement park and the strange behavior being exhibited by the young visitors to the attraction. This is a case that only the Mystery Machine gang can tackle - if only they can get over their differences. (1 hr. 45 min.) Release date: Sep 8, 2009

Pay It Forward

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:29:34 -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

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:29:33 -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

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:29:32 -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

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:29:31 -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

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:29:30 -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

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:29:29 -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

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:29:28 -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

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:29:27 -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

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:29:26 -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

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:29:25 -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

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:29:24 -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

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:29:23 -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

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:29:22 -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

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:29:21 -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

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:29:20 -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

The Secret Garden

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

Agnieszka Holland's adaptation of Frances Hodgson Burnett's classic fairy tale, THE SECRET GARDEN is a highly entertaining family picture that is overflowing with gorgeous imagery. Ten-year-old Mary Lennox (Kate Maberly) is a spoiled rich girl living in colonial India with her aloof parents who frequent elegant parties and leave her with servants who attend to her every whim. When her parents are killed, however, Mary's life changes drastically. She's shipped off to England to live in the enormous manor of her father's friend, Lord Archibald Craven (John Lynch), and his invalid son, Colin (Heydon Prowse). Lord Craven, a miserable recluse since his wife's death, ignores his son and leaves the household management to Mrs. Medlock (Maggie Smith), an ironhanded authoritarian. In this cold environment, the children, with help from spirited maid Martha Sowerby and her younger brother, Dickon, manage to find happiness in a special garden hidden away for years. Beautifully shot by Roger Deakins, Holland�s film is a visual feast that captures the fantasy like tone of the book without sacrificing any of Burnett's original vision. Zbigniew Preisner's magical score adds another lovely dimension, making this a film that individuals of every age can enjoy. (1 hr. 41 min.) Release date: Sep 8, 2009

Babe

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:29:18 -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

Bringing Out the Dead

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

Martin Scorsese exhilaratingly adapts Joe Connelly's novel about Frank (Nicolas Cage), a paramedic working among the filth and mental desolation of New York City's Hell's Kitchen in the early 1990s. Lately he has been haunted by the visions of a beautiful 18 year-old girl whom he was unable to resuscitate. Soon after, another image begins to torment him, that of Mary (Patricia Arquette), a recovering drug addict who enters Frank's life when he attempts to save her father. His spiral into even further confusion is paralleled with his three driving partners: Larry (a boisterous John Goodman), whose advice to Frank is not to think about all the death and violence; Marcus (a scene-stealing Ving Rhames), a religious fanatic who uses his medical skills as propaganda for the Lord; and Walls (a maniacal Tom Sizemore), a loose cannon who has no sensible grounding whatsoever. In order to escape the madness that is consuming him, Frank asks, unsuccessfully, to be fired. He must ride out the nightmare, trying to redeem the lives of Rose, Mary, and himself in the process. Scorsese uses his camera to capture Frank's wavering mental state with tilted angles and fast-speed photography. In portraying the tormented Frank, Cage dives wholeheartedly into character, delivering another fiery performance. (2 hrs.) Release date: Sep 15, 2009

Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:29:16 -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

Barbarella

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

In this notorious film version of the popular French comic strip by Jean-Claude Forest, Jane Fonda plays a sexy yet innocent space-age heroine in the year 40,000 A.D. who never gets herself into a situation that requires too much clothing. BARBARELLA opens with the titular heroine stripping down to nothing in zero gravity among strategically placed credits. From there Barbarella embarks on a mission to find a peace-threatening young scientist named Duran Duran (Milo O'Shea) by order of the president of Earth. En route, she's attacked by killer dolls, is strapped into a contraption known as the Excessive Machine, and falls in love with a blind angel.

Remaining true to its comic book origins, Barbarella's adventure unfolds in a series of dramatic difficulties and unlikely solutions, making for a galloping pace and never-ending opportunities for Mario Garbuglia's hallucinatory set design to dazzle. With guest appearances by 1960s icons Anita Pallenberg, Marcel Marceau, and David Hemmings, and featuring dialogue by novelist Terry Southern, among others, BARBARELLA is not only a comic sci-fi sex romp but also a sly, tongue-in-cheek portrait of the legendary debauchery of that era. (1 hr. 38 min.) Release date: Sep 15, 2009

Frankenstein

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

FRANKENSTEIN is James Whale's first stylish, expressionist film (INVISIBLE MAN, BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN) to grace the Universal horror cycle of the 1930s and 1940s (DRACULA, THE MUMMY). Scientist Henry Frankenstein (Colin Clive) and his hunchbacked assistant, Fritz (Dwight Frye), embark on an unholy mission by stealing a body from a graveyard and a human brain from a medical college. Unbeknownst to Frankenstein, however, Fritz takes a violent and murderous abnormal brain. Henry's strange letters about his experiments worry his fianc�e, Elizabeth (Mae Clark), and friends Victor (John Boles) and Dr. Waldman (Edward Van Sloan). They arrive at Frankenstein's laboratory to find the spectacular scene of creation under way--and Frankenstein intoxicated with his own godlike power.

FRANKENSTEIN is in many ways the original horror classic, virtually creating the genre itself, leading to numerous sequels and myriad imitators. Whale's ability to give humanity to the Monster is one of the film's most stunning successes. (1 hr. 11 min.) Release date: Sep 13, 2009

The Witches

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

A nine-year-old boy and his grandmother discover adventure when they encounter the Grand High Witch and her diabolical plot to turn all of England's children into mice. Based on the story by Roald Dahl. This was the great Jim Henson's last producer credit. (1 hr. 32 min.) Release date: Sep 8, 2009

Dracula

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

This is the first screen version of Bram Stoker's famous tale based on the smash hit stage production. It launched Lugosi's career in horror movies and invited vampires across Hollywood's threshold forever. (1 hr. 25 min.) Release date: Sep 13, 2009

Wild Wild West

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:29:11 -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 09:29:10 -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 09:29:09 -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

High Fidelity

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

In a biting romantic comedy, Rob Gordon is the owner of a semi-failing record store in Chicago, where he sells music the old-fashioned way -- on vinyl. He's a self-professed music junkie who spends his days at Championship Vinyl with his two employees, Dick and Barry. Although they have an encyclopedic knowledge of pop music and are consumed with the music scene, it's of no help to Rob, whose needle skips the love groove when his long-time girlfriend, Laura, walks out on him. As he examines his failed attempts at romance and happiness, the process finds him being dragged, kicking and screaming, into adulthood. (1 hr. 47 min.) Release date: Sep 15, 2009

Rosemary s Baby

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

A young married couple, trying unsuccessfully to conceive, finally have it happen when the husband strikes a deal with the devil worshippers next door. All of this is unbeknownst to the poor wife/mother who soon realizes she could be having Satan's child. (2 hrs. 17 min.) Release date: Sep 15, 2009

Disclosure

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:29:06 -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

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:29:05 -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

Dracula

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

This stylish production of the classic gothic horror tale has Frank Langella repeating his electrifying, award-winning stage performance as the blood-thirsty count, and Laurence Olivier as his arch-nemesis, the devout vampire hunter, Van Helsing. High atop a foggy seaside cliff lies a foreboding asylum, home to the doctor (Donald Pleasence) who runs it, and his beautiful and free-spirited daughter, Lucy (Kate Nelligan). The doctor and Lucy have taken in Mina (Jay Francis), a weak and sickly young friend of Lucy's, whom they are attempting to nurse back to health. On a dark and gloomy night, a torrential storm ravages their coastal home and a ship crashes to its doom on a nearby craggy shore. The only survivor of the shipwreck, is a seductive and mysterious young man named Dracula (Frank Langella). The debonaire count charms the willing and nubile Mina, who is soon discovered dead from mysterious causes. In horror, her father is contacted and Van Helsing arrives in haste, only to discover the real identity of the suave and beguiling count, just as he has picked his new bride, the lovely Lucy. This fabulous John Badham-directed adaptation of the classic tale combines camp, a superbly atmospheric score by John Williams, and a remarkable ensemble cast for a wildly seductive horror spectacle. (1 hr. 49 min.) Release date: Sep 13, 2009

Maverick

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

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

The Last King of Scotland

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:29:02 -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

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:29:01 -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 09:29:00 -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

Practical Magic

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:59 -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

Contact

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:58 -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

Z

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:57 -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

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:56 -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

The 13th Warrior

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:55 -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

Matchstick Men

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

Phobia-addled con artist Roy (Cage) and his prot�g� Frank (Rockwell) are on the verge of pulling off a lucrative swindle when the unexpected arrival of Roy�s teenage daughter Angela (Lohman) disrupts his carefully-ordered life and jeopardizes his high-risk scam. (1 hr. 56 min.) Release date: Sep 8, 2009

Sleepers

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:53 -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

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:52 -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

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:51 -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

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:50 -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: First Contact

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:49 -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 09:28:48 -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

Star Trek

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:47 -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

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:46 -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

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:45 -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

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:44 -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

Memphis Belle

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:43 -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 09:28:42 -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

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:41 -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

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:40 -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

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:39 -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

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:38 -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

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:37 -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

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:36 -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

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:35 -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

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:34 -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

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

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

Adam Resurrected

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

A Jewish circus entertainer is kept alive by the Nazis to entertain Jews as they march to their deaths. He ends up in an asylum for Holocaust survivors, fighting to survive the madness around him. (1 hr. 46 min.) Release date: Sep 22, 2009

Journey to the Center of the Earth

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:31 -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

The 39 Steps

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

Richard Hanney has a rude awakening when a glamorous female spy falls into his bed -- with a knife in her back. Having a bit of trouble explaining it all to Scotland Yard, he heads for the hills of Scotland to try to clear his name by locating the spy ring known as The 39 Steps. (1 hr. 27 min.) Release date: Sep 15, 2009

Eye for An Eye

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

Karen McCann's (Sally Field) world is torn apart while driving home one day when she receives a call on her cell phone from her daughter--who is being raped and murdered as she speaks. The murderer--smirking, animalistic Robert Doob (Kiefer Sutherland)--is arrested, but is then released on a technicality. Seeking an outlet for her anger and despair, Karen joins a support group--and then a vigilante organization--becoming increasingly obsessed with bringing her daughter's killer to justice and gaining vengeance at whatever cost. Directed by John Schlesinger (MIDNIGHT COWBOY) and based on the novel by Erika Holzer. (1 hr. 41 min.) Release date: Sep 15, 2009

Stephen King's Graveyard Shift

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

When an abandoned textile mill, now home to a horde of rats, is reopened, it also unleashes a rash of mysterious deaths. The only link between the killings: they all take place between 11 pm and 7 am, otherwise known as the Graveyard Shift. Based on a short story by Stephen King. (1 hr. 26 min.) Release date: Sep 15, 2009

Domestic Disturbance

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

A divorced father (John Travolta) finds out his son's new step father (Vince Vaughn) is not what he claims to be, and soon embarks on a mission to save his son as his life may be in danger. (1 hr. 30 min.) Release date: Sep 15, 2009

Throne of Blood

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

Akira Kurosawa's stunning reconception of Shakespeare's MACBETH is a dark samurai drama, set in feudal Japan. As the film begins, two soldiers--Washizu (Toshir� Mifune) and Miki (Minoru Chiaki)--find themselves lost in a dense forest during a powerful thunderstorm. Seemingly unable to leave the woods, they encounter a ghostly old woman who predicts that Washizu will soon rise to power. At the goading of his ruthless wife, Asaji (Isuzu Yamada), Washizu embarks on a murderously ambitious path and quickly fulfills the prophecy. However, his ascension is cursed by his brutal actions and soon opposition arises to challenge his blood-stained rule.

One of the finest Shakespeare adaptations to appear in any medium, Kurosawa's THRONE OF BLOOD is covered in an entrancingly macabre web. The always-amazing Mifune gives one of his greatest performances as the haunted yet unrelenting Lord Washizu, while Yamada portrays the eeriest version of Lady Macbeth to ever grace the screen or stage. A master of reinterpretation, Kurosawa incorporates strong elements of Japanese Noh drama into the film, and the result adds to the somber and chilling mood. The film's highlight, however, is the tense and skillfully paced finale, which features Washizu literally up against the wall as he faces an army of vengeful archers. (1 hr. 50 min.) Release date: Sep 15, 2009

Hellboy II: The Golden Army

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:25 -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

Far Cry

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:24 -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

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:23 -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

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:22 -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

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:21 -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

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

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:19 -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

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:18 -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

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:17 -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

Just Cause

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:16 -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

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:15 -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 09:28:14 -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

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:13 -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

Twilight

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:12 -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

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:11 -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

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:10 -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

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:09 -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

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:08 -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

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:07 -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

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:06 -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

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:05 -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

Autumn Ball

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

A group of desperate oddballs from the former U.S.S.R. find their lives intersecting in illuminating and surprising ways as they strive for elusive happiness in AUTUMN BALL, Estonian director Veiko �unpuu's poetic and slightly absurdist tragicomedy. The time and place: far Eastern Europe, just after the fall of the Iron Curtain but before the resurgence in economic growth among the Baltic states. In these environs, we visit one of the bleak government-financed housing estates that scattered the Soviet landscape just prior to Communism's demise. Residents include Theo (Taavi Eelmaa), a cloakroom attendant in a restaurant who "collects" lonely women and enjoys affairs with them; Kaski (Sulevi Peltola), a hairdresser whom many suspect of pedophilia given his unhealthy interest in the schoolgirl Lotta (Iris Persson); Mati (Rain Tolk), a writer sent into a devastating personal crisis (and severe alcoholism) when his wife, Jaana (Mirtel Pohla), leaves him; Maurer (Juhan Ulfsak), an architect slightly more well-to-do than the others, who embodies the bright economic future of Estonia; and Lotta's mother, Laura (Maarja Jakobson), a single parent struggling to make ends meet via hardscrabble labor in a garment factory. Like �unpuu's premiere effort, the 43-minute film EMPTY, this material was adapted from the writings of Mati Unt. (2 hrs. 3 min.) Release date: Sep 22, 2009

Sex and the City

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

The continuing adventures of Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda as they live their lives in Manhattan four years after the series ended. (2 hrs. 25 min.) Release date: Sep 22, 2009

The Dark Knight

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:28:02 -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

Clive Barker s Book of Blood

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

A pair of creepy Clive Barker stories--"Book of Blood" and "On Jerusalem Street"--provide the spine for this chilling horror film. In BOOK OF BLOOD, a woman studying paranormal phenomena and a college student with a gift for talking to the dead team up with unexpectedly erotic and unsurprisingly horrific results. Release date: Sep 22, 2009

Gervaise

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

This graceful, melodramatic tale of a 19th-century Parisienne's romantic abandonment, business failure, abusive marriage, and eventual destitution, based on the novel by Emile Zola, was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Film. Stylistically and narratively typical of the French weepie subgenre of the 1950s. (1 hr. 56 min.) Release date: Sep 15, 2009

X-Men Origins: Wolverine

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:27:59 -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

Easy Virtue

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

The twenties have roared... the thirties have yet to swing. John Whittaker, a young Englishman, falls madly in love with Larita, a sexy and glamorous American woman, and they marry impetuously. However when the couple returns to the family home, his mother Mrs. Whittaker has an instant allergic reaction to her new daughter-in-law. Larita tries her best to fit in but fails to tiptoe through the minefield laid by her mother-in-law. Larita quickly realizes Mrs. Whittaker's game and sees that she must fight back if she's not going to lose John. A battle of wits ensues and sparks soon fly. Mrs. Whittaker manipulates every situation to undermine her, while Larita remains frustratingly calm and engineers sassy counter attacks. Before long, Mrs. Whittaker' s manipulation starts to work on John and Larita feels their love is in danger of slipping away. (1 hr. 36 min.) Release date: Sep 15, 2009

The X-Files: I Want to Believe

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

In grand "X-Files" manner, the film's storyline is being kept under wraps. This much can be revealed: It is a stand-alone story in the tradition of some of the show's most acclaimed and beloved episodes, and takes the complicated relationship between Fox Mulder and Dana Scully in unexpected directions. Mulder continues his unshakable quest for the truth, and Scully, the passionate, ferociously intelligent physician, remains inextricably tied to Mulder's pursuits. (1 hr. 44 min.) Release date: Sep 15, 2009

The Phantom of the Opera

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

The masked phantom of the Paris Opera House schemes to make a beautiful young soprano the star of the opera company and wreak revenge on those who stole his music. Academy Award Nominations: 4, including Best (Color) Cinematography. (1 hr. 32 min.) Release date: Sep 13, 2009

Sphere

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

When psychologist Norman Goodman (Dustin Hoffman) wrote a report for the government on how to deal with extraterrestrial life forces, he didn't expect his recommendations to be used. Now that a secret government agency is investigating what may be an alien spaceship that has been discovered partially buried on the floor of the Pacific Ocean, Norman finds that the plan he outlined is being put into effect and that the team he named in his report has been assembled. In addition to Norman, there is Harry Adams (Samuel L. Jackson), a mathematician; Ted Fielding (Liev Schreiber), a physicist; and Beth Halperin (Sharon Stone), a biochemist and Norman's old flame. Led by the secretive Barnes (Peter Coyote), the foursome undergoes a crash course in diving and living under the sea in a naval habitat and begins investigating the mysterious vessel, discovering a huge glowing sphere made of an unidentifiable substance with a shimmering, almost liquidlike surface. As the investigation continues, a series of strange, horrific events leads the team of scientists to doubt each other's sanity and motives. The film is based on the best-selling novel by Michael Crichton. (2 hrs.) Release date: Sep 8, 2009

Kabei: Our Mother

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

When her husband is accused of being a Communist, it changes life forever for Kayo Nogami and her family. Taking place in 1940s Tokyo and stretching into the horrors of World War II, KABEI: OUR MOTHER is a powerful, moving film of a mother's determination. (2 hrs. 12 min.) Release date: Sep 8, 2009