Yahoo! Movies: New Art/Foreign DVD Releases

Tristan & Isolde

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 08:23:08 -0000

In the medieval legend of Tristan and Isolde, young lovers become doomed against the forces of royal politics. English knight Tristan wins the hand of the daughter of the Irish King, but the love threatens the truce between their two countries. (2 hrs. 5 min.) Release date: May 26, 2009

My Blueberry Nights

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 08:23:07 -0000

With his first English-language film, beloved Hong Kong director Wong Kar-wai's touch loses none of the seductive luster and magic that made his Chinese films so popular. MY BLUEBERRY NIGHTS follows the fortunes of Elizabeth (Norah Jones), who after having been left by her boyfriend, sets out across America to find herself and recover. She makes a stop in Memphis, where she pulls double-duty at a diner by day and a bar at night, and watches the disintegration of another pair of troubled lovers (David Strathairn and Rachel Weisz). She moves on to Nevada where she befriends a vivacious card player and smalltime hustler (a delightfully saucy Natalie Portman) who challenges her notions of contentment. However, it is New York City and the arms of an English caf� owner (Jude Law) for which Elizabeth's heart truly longs and ultimately returns.

While MY BLUEBERRY NIGHTS isn't Wong's best film--as it suffers from some clunky, heavy-handed dialogue and some frustratingly broad performances--it still contains all of the hallmarks of his aesthetic, and is therefore hard not to fall for. The film is undeniably beautiful, and features the director's trademark visual sense: shimmering neons, lush chiaroscuro, and swirling slow-motion images. It makes for a seductive view of America, one populated by swaggering, yet deeply melancholic drifters that listen to Otis Redding and Ruth Brown, drink too much, and love even more. The sadness and tears that emerge from America's taverns in the wee hours are as breathtakingly alluring as its natural landscapes. In Wong's hands, everything is cast in the light of joy-life and death, suffering and happiness-and the same goes for his understanding of America. Whether this America ever existed is wholly irrelevant; for when you watch a Wong movie, you happily enter his country, wherever that may be. (1 hr. 30 min.) Release date: May 12, 2009

Once

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 08:23:06 -0000

The Irish romance ONCE may be a musical, but it is miles away from the traditional Hollywood idea of people bursting into song. Glen Hansard (frontman for indie rock band The Frames) plays the guy, a street musician who is playing for change when he meets the girl (Marketa Irglova), an immigrant from the Czech Republic. The pair immediately bond over their shared love of music (he is a guitarist, and she plays the piano), and the film chronicles their tentative relationship. Both are weighed down by plenty of baggage: his songs are fueled by a painful breakup, and she is a young mother who left her husband behind in her native country.

Like the independent favorite BEFORE SUNRISE, ONCE is a simple, sweet drama that doesn't rely on an elaborate plot. With its use of digital video and handheld cameras, ONCE matches its spare visual style to its intimate mood. Each moment feels stolen from real life, and the story is at once familiar and fresh. Driven more by music than by dialogue, ONCE features a stirring soundtrack of heartfelt indie rock sung by Hansard and Irglova. Before his foray into film, director John Carney (ON THE EDGE) played bass in The Frames, and his passion for music is clear in this modern musical that hits every note perfectly. (1 hr. 28 min.) Release date: Jun 16, 2009

Pan's Labyrinth

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 08:23:05 -0000

Written and directed by Guillermo del Toro, PAN'S LABYRINTH is a thrilling, violent fairy tale set in post-Civil War Spain. Ivana Baquero stars as Ofelia, a young girl who moves with her mother, Carmen (Ariadna Gil), into the home of Captain Vidal (Sergi L�pez), in an abandoned mill in the middle of dark, dangerous woods. Vidal is leading his team of soldiers against resistance fighters--and he will do whatever is necessary to kill every last one of them. As Vidal bosses around the pregnant Carmen, a flying creature leads Ofelia through a garden labyrinth and into an underground cave ruled by Pan (HELLBOY's Doug Jones), who believes that Ofelia might be the lost princess of this strange yet magical place. To prove she is royalty, Ofelia must complete three tasks, each more difficult and terrifying than the previous one. Meanwhile, Vidal is becoming more and more paranoid, torturing and murdering seemingly at will. Del Toro (THE DEVIL'S BACKBONE, HELLBOY, CRONOS) creates a marvelous battle between good and evil, between heroes and villains, in both the real world aboveground and the mystical land below. Baquero gives a compelling performance as the terrorized Ofelia, who is befriended by Mercedes (Maribel Verd�), a woman who harbors some secrets of her own. Stellar production design, superb special effects, and a stirring score by Javier Navarrete add to the scary fun. Selected as the closing-night entry in the 2006 New York Film Festival, PAN'S LABYRINTH is a captivating story that is not for the squeamish. (2 hrs.) Release date: May 19, 2009

The Legend of Fong Sai-Yuk

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 08:23:04 -0000

A blockbuster biopic immortalizing 18th century Chinese folk hero Fong Sai Yuk, a Han loyalist whose love for the Manchu governor's daughter gets him into plenty of hot water. Fortunately, he's a master of the Invincible Magic Fist, and his nimble kung-fu fighting mom is along to help out. (1 hr. 52 min.) Release date: May 26, 2009

Day Watch

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 08:23:03 -0000

This sequel to the Russian film NIGHT WATCH centers on an epic battle between forces of good and evil. An uneasy truce has kept the armies at bay for centuries, but that peace is about to end, and it will pit vampires, psychics, and witches against one another. Both factions, the Day Watch and the Night Watch, have beings of extraordinary power called "Great Others," and if these two people meet, a supernatural war will begin. Anton Gorodetsky (Konstantin Khabensky) finds himself torn between his son, the dark side's Great Other, and the woman he loves, the champion for the Light Others.

DAY WATCH (DNEVNOI DOZOR) explodes in the mind-bending space between THE MATRIX and UNDERWORLD. The Russian film boasts the same visual verve as THE MATRIX, and it's just as revolutionary. Director Timur Bekmambetov is operating on a completely different level of creativity than most of his peers, fashioning a unique world and jaw-dropping set pieces. The fate of the universe hangs in the balance, but DAY WATCH doesn't take itself too seriously. From humor in the subtitles themselves to jokes at the expense of the Russian bureaucracy, there's a lot of fun to be had at the dawn of the apocalypse. Though NIGHT WATCH was an enjoyable experience, Bekmambetov ups the ante with this sequel, improving on the original in every way. DAY WATCH may clock in at an epic 140 minutes, but it's a tight film filled with action and style. (2 hrs. 19 min.) Release date: Jun 16, 2009

Quo Vadis

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 08:23:02 -0000

No description available (2 hrs. 45 min.) Release date: May 26, 2009

The History Boys

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 08:23:01 -0000

THE HISTORY BOYS, a clever look at a British school system's attempts to produce Oxford and Cambridge-worthy graduates, is based on the play of the same title by Alan Bennett. Bennett's play provides an interesting springboard for a film about youth, growing up, education, identity, and the complexities of the student-teacher relationship. Set in Sheffield, England, in the early 1980s, the story follows a class of college-bound high-school boys as they prepare for the rigorous entrance exams. Feeling the boys need grooming beyond what the absurd Mr. Hector (Richard Griffiths) and sarcastic Mrs. Lintott (Frances De La Tour) can offer, the headmaster (Clive Merrison) brings in Mr. Irwin (Stephen Campbell Moore) to fill in the gaps. As a finishing school teacher of sorts, it becomes Irwin's job, through innovative history lessons and bold techniques, to turn children into men. But like his colleagues, Mr. Irwin is not without doubts and of his own, and his inevitable attraction to one of his students is something that he continually struggles with.

Not what you'd expect from a film about teenagers, the story veers away from traditional notions of youthful rebellion, instead focusing on more mature issues of sexual orientation, life philosophies, and mortality. The film's cast of truly talented actors is headed by Richard Griffiths, whose performance as the tragically flawed yet loveable Mr. Hector forms much of the story's heart. Each student is played to perfection by young actors who include Samuel Barnett, Dominic Cooper, James Corden, and Russell Tovey. Filled with intellectual horsing around, rampant homosexual tension, and particularly lenient faculty, this day school appears to have little in common with the typical American high school. THE HISTORY BOYS should be especially refreshing to American audiences used to seeing adolescence exploited as it so often is in today's gross-out comedies. (1 hr. 44 min.) Release date: Jun 16, 2009

The Promised Land

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 08:23:00 -0000

Three industrialists of different ethnic backgrounds join forces to build a textile factory in Lodz at the turn of the century. Based on a novel by Wladyslaw Reymont, this widely acclaimed film by Poland's premier director garnered an Academy Award Nomination for Best Foreign Film. Release date: May 12, 2009

The Tourist

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 08:22:59 -0000

Marcel Langenegger makes his feature-film directorial debut with the aptly titled DECEPTION, a film about secrets and lies. Jonathan McQuarry (Ewan McGregor) feels that life is passing him by. He completes short-term audits for a large firm, but doesn't really feel any connection to his employer and finds it difficult to make friends at his assignments since he's never there for long. Jonathan's circumstances change overnight when charming lawyer Wyatt Bose (Hugh Jackman) befriends him. In an instant, the shy accountant is playing doubles tennis with his new friend and beautiful women and visiting upscale clubs. Just as mild-mannered Jonathan is getting used to his new lifestyle, Wyatt leaves town on business. When Jonathan finds himself mistakenly in possession of Wyatt's cell phone, he also discovers a whole new world of anonymous sex in elite Manhattan hotels with powerful women known simply as "The List." But soon Jonathan is in over his head: he's the prime suspect when a woman goes missing, and the threat of extortion looms.

This tale weaves an intricate web of lies and treachery. Jackman is both charming and chilling as Wyatt, a man utterly without conscience, while McGregor falls easily into character as the bespectacled Everyman, Jonathan. Nerdy but likable, Jonathan really just wants to connect with someone. Along the way, he learns that he is capable of more than he ever expected. Michelle Williams stars as Jonathan's love interest, looking far more glamorous than she did in BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN. Lisa Gay Hamilton, Maggie Q, Natasha Henstridge, and Charlotte Rampling also make brief appearances in the film, which is set primarily in New York City with a side trip to Madrid. (108 hr.) Release date: Jun 16, 2009

The Seventh Seal

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 08:22:58 -0000

Antonius Block (Max Von Sydow), a knight, returns from a 10-year crusade with his squire, J�ns (Gunnar Bj�rnstrand), to find his homeland ravaged by the plague. When the black-cloaked figure of Death (Bengt Ekerot) appears to claim them, Block, whose war experiences have left him cynical about the existence of God and the afterlife, challenges Death to a game of chess to stall for time and gain some insight into the meaning of life before passing on. The game is intermittently paused and resumed during the journey home while Block and J�ns meet several traveling companions, including a girl (Gunnel Lindblom) whom they save from a bandit, and a family of poor traveling players--Jof, a gentle visionary (Nils Poppe); his wife, Mia (Bibi Andersson); and their infant child. Block witnesses much suffering and anguish along the way (an encounter with a girl accused of witchcraft who is about to be burned at the stake is especially jarring) but also finds evidence of human kindness and love, prompting him to realize that even a single gesture of goodwill might make the long struggle of his existence worthwhile. The title of Ingmar Bergman's highly acclaimed allegorical film stems from the Book of Revelation. (1 hr. 30 min.) Release date: Jun 16, 2009

The Hidden Fortress

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 08:22:57 -0000

During a civil war in 16th-century feudal Japan, two cowardly farmers (Minoru Chiaki and Kamatari Fujiwara) stumble upon Makabe (Toshir� Mifune), a fierce army general. Escaping from hostile territory, General Makabe embarks on a mission to rescue both Yukihime (Misa Uehara), the willfull princess of his ruling house, and the royal fortune. In the selfish hopes of finding the gold, the two misfits accompany the hardened soldier through dangerous mountain passes.

In addition to its status as one of Akira Kurosawa's finest films, THE HIDDEN FORTRESS is especially notable for its influence on director George Lucas's STAR WARS. Lucas admittedly borrowed much from Kurosawa's lighthearted epic; the two bickering misfits were the inspiration for R2-D2 and C-3PO, while Princess Leia was largely patterned after the feisty Lady Yukihime. Both Luke Skywalker and Han Solo contain elements of General Makabe, but neither character matches Mifune's disciplined ferocity. (139 hr.) Release date: Jun 16, 2009

99 Francs

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 08:22:56 -0000

No description available Release date: May 12, 2009

No Man's Land

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 08:22:55 -0000

Ciki and Nino, a Bosnian and a Serb, are soldiers stranded in a trench between enemy lines during the Bosnian war. They have no one to trust, no way to escape without getting shot and a fellow soldier is lying on the trench floor with a spring-loaded bomb set to explode beneath him if he moves. With the two men stuck in a bizarre predicament, a frustrated UN sergeant tries to help, despite orders to remain at his post. When a journalist waylays the sergeant while pushing for an exclusive scoop, she affects the unfolding of events and turns a news story into an international circus. With the world's press waiting for an outcome, no one willing to take action (lest they accept responsibility) and a soldier still stuck with a bomb beneath him, Ciki and Nino try to keep their humanity amidst the insanity of war. (1 hr. 37 min.) Release date: May 12, 2009

Man of Marble

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 08:22:54 -0000

Andrzej Wajda's controversial attack on the brutality of the Stalinism that held Poland in its thrall during the 1950s stars Krystyna Janda as Agnieszka, whose final project for film school is a documentary investigation into the fate of 1950s worker-hero Mateusz Birkut (Jerzy Radziwilowicz). Birkut seems to have disappeared without a trace, but Agnieszka, probing the past, discovers the Herculean bricklayer to have been an honest yet painfully naive figure who unblinkingly swallowed Soviet propaganda. Indeed, Agnieszka unearths censored agitprop footage featuring Birkut as a willing promotional tool of party bosses. Interviewing the propagandists, she learns of the actual misery of the bricklayer's life during the period of his fame and of the manner in which his existence was erased from party records once he had the audacity to try to use his renown to greater political effect. As her research brings her increasingly closer to the ugly truths of the Stalinist era, Agnieszka's anxious superior tries to shut down her film, using the excuse that she's gone over budget. The inexorable power of Wajda's indictment of the rigidity of Stalinism--and the vigor of his celebration of naturalness and authenticity--makes this arguably his best film since his classic World War II trilogy (A GENERATION, KANAL, ASHES AND DIAMONDS). (2 hrs. 40 min.) Release date: May 12, 2009

Incendiary

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 08:22:53 -0000

BRIDGET JONES�S DIARY director Sharon Maguire tackles more serious fare with this drama featuring Michelle Williams, Ewan McGregor, and Matthew McFadyen. Williams (BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN) stars as a young woman living in a fictional, near-future London that is dominated by terrorist attacks. When her husband and son are killed by a bomb exploding in a football stadium, she was with her lover, causing her to pile guilt on top of her grief. However, she gets a chance at redemption when she uncovers a sinister plot to cover up the nature of the attack. INCENDIARY is adapted from the novel by Chris Cleave. (1 hr. 36 min.) Release date: May 5, 2009

Mancora

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 08:22:52 -0000

Ricardo de Montreuil (MY BROTHER�S WIFE) directs this steamy drama set in his native Peru. For 21-year-old Santiago, wintry Lima is filled with memories of his father, who just killed himself, so Santiago wants to escape. Joined by his sultry stepsister and her husband, he leaves for Mancora, a warm Eden where he won�t be haunted. But sin mars the beauty of Mancora, and Santiago�s attempts at peace may be futile. Written by INNOCENT VOICES� Oscar Torres, MANCORA played to acclaim at Sundance in 2008. (1 hr. 41 min.) Release date: Jun 23, 2009

Dragon Hunters

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 08:22:51 -0000

No description available (1 hr. 23 min.) Release date: Jun 23, 2009

Bergman Island

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 08:22:50 -0000

IN THEATERS: DECEMBER 6, 2006

This documentary visits Ingmar Bergman, one of the 20th century's greatest film directors, in his home on Sweden's F�r� Island, where he ruminates on his own masterpieces, PERSONA and CRIES AND WHISPERS, as well as the influences that have had such lasting importance for him. (1 hr. 25 min.) Release date: Jun 16, 2009

Cherry Blossoms: Hanami

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 08:22:49 -0000

Doris D�rrie (HOW TO COOK YOUR LIFE) directs this drama about an older married couple in love. Wife Trudi is the only one who knows that her husband, Rudi, has a disease that will kill him. In fact, even Rudi doesn't know about his sickness, and the pair plans to see their family in Berlin. But Trudi's surprising death changes all their plans, and Rudi decides to go to Tokyo to see the cherry blossom festival. (2 hrs. 4 min.) Release date: Jun 16, 2009

Elephant Tales

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 08:22:48 -0000

Zef and Tutu are two young elephant brothers without a care in the world. They are only just learning to enjoy the sprawling wild plains of Africa that are at their disposal when their entire family and herd are suddenly snatched out of sight by some kind of strange, malevolent force. Can Zef and Tutu muster the stoutheartedness to rescue their clan? This live-action French-Australian adventure will inspire every member of the family. Release date: Jun 16, 2009

Scott Walker: 30 Century Man

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 08:22:47 -0000

A percussionist slams his fists into a slab of raw meat; Scott Walker records the sounds from the control booth. The thumps will overlay his strangled vocals and menacing strings on his long awaited 2006 album, THE DRIFT. This scene from the documentary 30 CENTURY MAN highlights both the grimly primordial thrust of Walker's music and also how far he's strayed from his days as a 1960s heartthrob. As the frontman of the English sensation the Walker Brothers, the American-born singer swaggered before screaming teens belting such classic pop melancholia as "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore." But when he embarked on a solo career and incorporated the bleak librettos of Jacques Brel, Walker's music took a far more experimental turn: magnifying the psychic unease only suggested in the echo-laden backdrops of Phil Spector. Walker's old fans abandoned him and the singer went into seclusion, but a whole new generation of musicians eventually discovered his enigmatic, boundary-pushing songs--among them David Bowie, Brian Eno, Jarvis Cocker, and Radiohead (all of whom appear in the documentary).

Known for masking himself in sunglasses and a ballcap, Walker comes across in the film's rare interviews as thoughtful and frank--if less than effusive. Rapid editing and performance footage propel viewers through Walker's life, but the film's greatest value is its portrait of an artist's evolution--resculpting his own sensibilities and discovering new pathways for expression without deference to the culture at large. (1 hr. 36 min.) Release date: Jun 16, 2009

Nicotina

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 08:22:46 -0000

Greed transforms into twisted desperation when a simple exchange goes awry, and the lives of amateur thieves, an obsessed hacker and ordinary people explode in a tumultuous night over a fortune in diamonds. When the haze finally clears, computers have been hacked, people have been whacked and lives have gone up in a cloud of smoke. Diego Luna (Y T� Mam� Tambien, The Terminal) and Rafael Incl�n star in this highly stylized caper about the addictive, intoxicating possibility of an easy life. Winner of six 2004 Mexican Ariel Awards and five MTV Mexico Movie Awards including "Favorite Movie and Actor - Diego Luna." (1 hr. 33 min.) Release date: Jun 9, 2009

Gozu

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 08:22:45 -0000

This wildly bizarre Japanese horror movie from master Takashi Miike (AUDITION) follows the mysterious disappearance of a gangster who was accidentally killed by one of his Mafia cohorts, Minami. Searching for the body - which vanished minutes after he was shot - Minami stumbles into a strange secluded inn and gets a room. He is instantly aware that something fishy is going on, and as he gets to know the innkeepers more intimately that feeling is backed up by evidence. Loud, rambunctious sessions of breast milk pumping, the violent sadomasochistic relationship (read: whipping) shared between the innkeepers, for example. Nothing, however, can top Miike's grand finale for GOZU which combines some very important Givenchy crotchless panties, an old man who has a unique solution for his anal fixation, and an extremely gelatinous odds-defying birth. (2 hrs. 9 min.) Release date: Jun 2, 2009

A Married Woman

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 08:22:44 -0000

Famed auteur Jean-Luc Godard's fascination with the female race continues with A MARRIED WOMAN, an unconventional cinematic portrait of a woman who is at a crossroads in her life. Charlotte (Macha Meril) is a beautiful young wife and stepmother, who also happens to have fallen in love with Robert (Bernard Noel), a charming actor. While her husband, Pierre (Philippe Leroy), is away on business, she and Robert continue to spend time together in a hotel. When Pierre returns, Charlotte must lie in order to cover up her infidelities. She eventually learns that she is pregnant, forcing her to choose between a life with her husband, or a fresh new start with Robert. Shot in a series of extreme close-ups that mostly focus on Charlotte's flesh, Godard shows his obvious reverence for the female body. He also allows his actors the time to express their own confusion and philosophies--most notably in an extended dinner sequence. Godard's intellectual approach to male-female relationships, and especially the institution of marriage, is on full display with this influential drama, in a similar manner to the director's MY LIFE TO LIVE, TWO OR THREE THINGS I KNOW ABOUT HER, and CONTEMPT. (1 hr. 38 min.) Release date: Jun 2, 2009

Ernesto Che Guevara, The Bolivian Diary

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 08:22:43 -0000

A documentary account of exiled Cuban guerilla Che Guevara's attempt at an insurrection in Bolivia, culled from Guevara's personal journals and eyewitness accounts of the events therein. Compiled with objective detachment by Swiss documentarian Dindo. Release date: Jun 2, 2009

The Sky Crawlers

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 08:22:42 -0000

No description available (121 hr.) Release date: May 26, 2009

Nenette and Boni

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 08:22:41 -0000

A surly, bored French youth whiling away his time in a pizzeria fantasizes about the sultry wife of the local baker while waiting for his life to really begin. But the wake-up call comes from an unlikely source--his heavily pregnant 15-year-old sister, who takes refuge with him after escaping from her boarding school. The unlikely brother-sister pair forms a disjointed and street-smart family of lost children. Harsh urban realities mix with youthful fantasies and sly humor in this tense but luminously executed evocation of youth and identity. Release date: May 26, 2009

Eden Log

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 08:22:40 -0000

A man wakes up deep inside a cave. Suffering amnesia, he has no recollection of how he came to be here or of what happened to the man whose body he finds beside him. Tailed by a mysterious creature, he must continue through this strange and fantastic world. Enclosed, Tolbiac has no other option to reach the surface than to use REZO ZERO, secret observing cells in this cemetery-like abandoned mine. He embarks upon this journey guided by the roots of a plant, leading the way and the main subject of attention of the REZO. (1 hr. 41 min.) Release date: May 19, 2009

We Feed the World

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 08:22:39 -0000

No description available (1 hr. 36 min.) Release date: May 19, 2009

Bunny Chow: Know Thyself

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 08:22:38 -0000

No description available (1 hr. 35 min.) Release date: May 19, 2009

Maids of Wilko

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 08:22:37 -0000

A man returns to the place where he spent happy holidays in his youth only to find that the past is gone. Five women who once loved him still remain, but the man's one true love has passed. Set in the 1920s, this Polish drama is one of many collaborations between director Andrzej Wajda and actor Daniel Olbrychski. Nominated for the Best Foreign Film Oscar, 1980. Release date: May 12, 2009

Death Defying Acts

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 08:22:36 -0000

Celebrated director Gillian Armstrong (MY BRILLIANT CAREER, LITTLE WOMEN) helms this film about Harry Houdini's romance with a con woman. In his attempts to contact his dead mother, the magician (Guy Pearce) meets a beautiful psychic named Mary (Catherine Zeta-Jones) who isn't all she appears. Joined by her daughter (ATONEMENT's Saoirse Ronan), Mary tries to con Harry out of his $10,000 reward, an effort which is complicated by the love that grows between them. Set in 1926, this lush period drama also stars Timothy Spall (ENCHANTED). (1 hr. 36 min.) Release date: May 12, 2009

Of Time and the City

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 08:22:35 -0000

Acclaimed British filmmaker Terence Davies revisits the city of his youth in the elegiac documentary OF TIME AND THE CITY. A deeply personal evocation of post-World War II Liverpool, the film is a patchwork visual poem woven from archival footage, a mash-up of classical and pop music standards, and Davies�s own incantations--delivered in his lugubrious, at times overwrought, elocution. Revealing a caustic wit and a biting contempt for institutions such as the Catholic Church and British royalty, the director underscores his hatred of such symbols by depicting images of the environs of Liverpool�s working class, an environment that Davies sneers at as demonstrating "the British genius for the dismal." From the decay of government-built council houses to the crumbling edifices of shipyards, Davies chooses to stare down an urban landscape that echoes his own troubled past. Davies speaks candidly of his own childhood experiences, from the specter of Catholic guilt and the "dark desires" of homosexuality awakened at professional wrestling matches, to the rapture of seeing Hollywood films and musicals--pain and pleasure the filmmaker has sought to come to terms with his whole adult life. Connecting a deeply personal biographical lens to the universal notion of time, place, and home, OF TIME AND THE CITY depicts the psychic dissonance of arriving 35 years later in a city where the ravages of urban blight and rapid gentrification have rendered it completely and utterly transformed. (1 hr. 14 min.) Release date: May 12, 2009

UV

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 08:22:34 -0000

No description available (1 hr. 42 min.) Release date: May 5, 2009

Dorothy Mills

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 08:22:33 -0000

In a small town in Ireland, a teenage girl attempts to strangle a baby. Shortly after being called in to meet and analyze the girl, psychiatrist Jane Morton (Clarice Van Houten of BLACK BOOK and VALKYRIE) is convinced the young woman suffers from some sort of personality disorder. But when the troubled girl starts speaking to Jane in the voice of her recently deceased son, she may have to reconsider. Just when viewers think they have it pegged, this twist-filled thriller eludes predictability. (1 hr. 42 min.) Release date: May 5, 2009

Fly Me to the Moon 3-D

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 08:22:32 -0000

This animated film--the first to be produced solely in 3-D format--answers the question: What if a trio of juvenile insects had stowed away on the 1969 Apollo 11 rocket launch to the moon? The answer is, they would save the day, and learn valuable lessons, and spill space food into viewers' laps (virtually speaking). The trio of go-getter (sort of) young bugs are Nat (voiced by Trevor Gagnon), his brainiac friend I.Q. (Phillip Bolden), and their obsessive and obese ant buddy, Scooter (David Gore). They're motivated by the stories of Nat's eccentric grandfather (Christopher Lloyd), who once flew with Amelia Earhart. He encourages the boys to follow their yen for adventure and soon they're stowing aboard the ship, complete with their own homemade space suits. The moon launch and other space treats are covered with a--pardon the expression--fly-on-the-wall attention to detail (NASA supplied actual blueprints and recordings from the event), which the state-of-the-art 3-D captures with breathtaking clarity. Kids will dig the standard fly pratfalls and detours into bathroom humor while adults can dig the 1960s trappings and the outrageous retro-Russian accents of the Cold War fly spies (Nicollette Sheridan and Tim Curry), who come out of the woodwork to sabotage the mission (and liven up the plot with some fights and chases). Real-life astronaut Buzz Aldrin appears as himself, lending the film authenticity and gravitas, and there's some great period rock music on the soundtrack. (1 hr. 29 min.) Release date: May 5, 2009

Just Another Love Story

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 08:22:31 -0000

A man accidentally causes a car crash that leaves another driver, Julia, in the hospital. When she awakens with amnesia, he assumes the identity of her boyfriend--resulting in plenty of chilling plot twists in this Danish thriller. Ole Bornedal (NIGHTWATCH) directs. (1 hr. 44 min.) Release date: May 5, 2009

Mum & Dad

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 08:22:30 -0000

No description available (1 hr. 25 min.) Release date: May 5, 2009