Yahoo! Movies: New Comedy DVD Releases

Cheaper by the Dozen 2

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:23:59 -0000

The Baker family goes on vacation, which turns into a head-to-head competition with a rival neighborhood family of eight children. (1 hr. 40 min.) Release date: May 12, 2009

Ever After

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:23:58 -0000

In a re-telling of one of our most beloved tales, a resourceful young woman must overcome the schemes of her evil stepmother to be with the one she loves -- the Prince of France -- who has fallen for her beauty and intelligence. With the ingenuity of Leonardo Di Vinci and the strength of love, the young woman realizes that the Cinderella stories can come true. (2 hrs. 2 min.) Release date: May 26, 2009

Napoleon Dynamite

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:23:57 -0000

Napoleon Dynamite (Heder) is a quirky teenager growing up in the remotes of Idaho with a love for dancing and the way of the ninja who's really just trying to understand his life while living with his Uncle Rico (Gries), whose shady business deals are just some of the things that make Napoleon's social life in small-town Idaho all the more difficult. (1 hr. 26 min.) Release date: May 12, 2009

Never Been Kissed

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:23:56 -0000

Josie Geller is a talented copy editor at the Chicago Sun-Times who yearns to become a reporter. But when she finally gets her wish, it turns out to be the assignment from hell: Josie, a self-described 'geek to the core,' must go undercover at a local high school to report on today's teenagers. Now, at age 25, Josie must figure out her story ' and a potential new love ' while reliving her horrific adolescence. (1 hr. 47 min.) Release date: May 26, 2009

The Princess Bride

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:23:55 -0000

Robin Wright and Cary Elwes star in this fairytale adventure about a beautiful princess and the gallant hero who rescues her from an evil villain. Directed by Rob Reiner, it's an enchanting classic the whole family will love! (1 hr. 40 min.) Release date: May 12, 2009

The Cutting Edge

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:23:54 -0000

Set against the backdrop of the 1992 Olympic Figure Skating Competition, the film centers on the life of Doug Dorsey, a brash, blue collar hockey player who is destined for stardom in the NHL until an overzealous opponent leaves him blindsided. In a last ditch effort to capture the Gold, he teams up with Kate Moseley, a prima donna pairs figure skater whose domineering talent and razor-sharp wit puts Doug on very thin ice. (1 hr. 41 min.) Release date: May 26, 2009

Cheaper by the Dozen

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:23:53 -0000

When Tom Baker (Martin) gets a job offer to coach football at Northwestern University in Chicago, he and his wife, Mary (Hunt), move to the big city, which is a big change for them and their 12 children, who range from preschool-age twins Kyle and Nigel all the way up to 22-year-old Anne (Perabo) who has already left home. With the recent publication of her long-in-the-works book, Mary feels demands outside the home taking away as much time as Tom's new job does, so the two are forced to try to find new ways of parenting their massive tribe, but they find their parenting styles aren't always completely compatible. (1 hr. 38 min.) Release date: May 12, 2009

Ice Age

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:23:52 -0000

Twenty thousand years ago, the Earth was being overrun by glaciers, and creatures everywhere were fleeing the onslaught of the new Ice Age. In this time of peril, we meet the weirdest herd of any Age: a fast talking but dim sloth named Sid (voiced by John Leguizamo); a moody woolly mammoth named Manny (voiced by Ray Romano); a devilish saber-toothed tiger named Diego (Denis Leary); and an acorn-crazy saber-toothed squirrel known as Scrat. This quartet of misfits unexpectedly, and reluctantly, comes together in a quest to return a human infant to his father. Braving boiling lava pits, treacherous ice caves, freezing temperatures and a secret, evil plot, these "sub-zeros" become the world's first heroes! (1 hr. 21 min.) Release date: Jun 16, 2009

Brown Sugar

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:23:51 -0000

Sidney and Dre can attribute their friendship and the launch of their careers to one single childhood instant - witnessing the birth of hip-hop on a New York street corner. Now, some fifteen years later, she is a revered music critic and he is a successful, though unfulfilled, music executive. Both come to realize that their true-life passions will only be fulfilled by remembering what they learned on that street corner. (1 hr. 49 min.) Release date: May 26, 2009

Night at the Museum

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:23:50 -0000

Ben Stiller plays Larry Daley, a down-on-his-luck divorced father in this family-friendly tale directed by Shawn Levy (JUST MARRIED, CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN). Larry has lots of ideas and dreams, but none of them come to fruition. In an attempt to prove his stability to his ex-wife (Kim Raver) and his son, Nicky (Jake Cherry), Larry accepts a job as a night guard at the Museum of Natural History. But the elderly night guards who hire him (played by entertainment legends Mickey Rooney, Dick Van Dyke, and Bill Cobbs) fail to mention one crucial detail: when the museum is closed, everything inside comes to life. From Attila the Hun to miniature Roman soldiers, African mammals to Neanderthal men, and Egyptian mummies to dinosaur skeletons, the museum teems with lively activity. Now it's Larry's job to control the mayhem and show his son that he is, indeed, a great man after all.

There might be a moral to this story, which is based on the book of the same name by Milan Trenc, but the screenplay and action remain light and breezy. Stiller is perfect as Larry, particularly in scenes with a sneaky monkey who repeatedly gets the better of him. Brief appearances by Anne Meara (Stiller's real-life mother) and Paul Rudd add to the fun. Carla Gugino plays a museum docent, Ricky Gervais portrays the incomprehensible museum director, and Robin Williams moonlights as a wax figure of Teddy Roosevelt that comes to life. Owen Wilson and Steve Coogan are particularly amusing as a bickering miniature cowboy and a Roman soldier. (1 hr. 48 min.) Release date: May 12, 2009

The Simpsons Movie

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:23:49 -0000

After 18 years on the air, Springfield's favorite family finally makes it to the big screen. Homer (Dan Castellaneta), Marge (Julie Kavner), Bart (Nancy Cartwright), Lisa (Yeardley Smith) and Maggie Simpson will be there, along with regulars like Moe the bartender (Hank Azaria) and Mr. Burns (Harry Shearer). (1 hr. 26 min.) Release date: May 12, 2009

Alvin and the Chipmunks

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:23:48 -0000

This live-action/computer-animated update of Ross Bagdasarian's squeaky-voiced cartoon characters finds the chipmunks (in CGI form) transported from their woodland habitat to the city, where they wind up in the home of Dave Seville (Jason Lee). Dave, a down-on-his-luck songwriter, realizes the potential of a singing chipmunk pop act, and becomes an unlikely mentor/father figure to feisty Alvin, brainy Simon, and dopey Theodore. Meanwhile, the threesome causes chaos in his life, leading to plenty of fun, frenetic scenarios. When a devious record executive (David Cross) enters the picture, however, Alvin and the Chipmunks must deal with both the trappings of fame and their loyalty to the amiable, hapless Dave.

Directed by Tim Hill (GARFIELD: A TALE OF TWO KITTIES), ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS simultaneously modernizes and pays tribute to the classic title characters, who first appeared in the late 1950s and became wildly popular in the '60s. While Lee (MY NAME IS EARL) is well cast as the perpetually exasperated Dave, Long (LIVE FREE OR DIE HARD) steals the show as the voice of Alvin, who provides the group's lively spirit. Though some older viewers may wince at the prospect of their beloved Chipmunks rapping, the movie is generally respectful of the franchise's long legacy, and will easily win over a younger generation. (1 hr. 31 min.) Release date: Jun 16, 2009

Just Married

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:23:47 -0000

This is the story of two young newlyweds, a traffic reporter (Kutcher) and a writer (Murphy) from a wealthy family, finding that the perfect honeymoon in Venice is turning out to be the worst one imaginable... can the marriage, which many of their friends and family said was a bad idea because they are so young... survive the celebration? (1 hr. 34 min.) Release date: May 26, 2009

Fat Albert

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:23:46 -0000

Bill Cosby's character, "Fat Albert," comes to the big screen as a live action/animated feature film. The movie is based on Cosby's stand-up comedy monologues about his childhood, centered around a group of urban adolescents growing up in a Philadelphia neighborhood. (1 hr. 33 min.) Release date: May 12, 2009

Mrs. Doubtfire

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:23:45 -0000

When an irresponsible and child-like dad is barred from seeing his kids he disguises himself as a woman and applies for the job of housekeeper for his ex-wife. The disguise of a sturdy matron works a beneficial change on him as well -- but how long can he keep this up? Academy Awards: Best Makeup. (2 hrs.) Release date: May 12, 2009

Thank You for Smoking

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:23:44 -0000

Satirical comedy follows the machinations of Big Tobacco's chief spokesman, Nick Naylor, who spins on behalf of cigarettes while trying to remain a role model for his twelve-year-old son. (1 hr. 32 min.) Release date: Jun 16, 2009

When Harry Met Sally...

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:23:43 -0000

WHEN HARRY MET SALLY... tracks a star-crossed pair as they repeatedly drift apart and meet again over a span of 13 years and gradually fall madly, deeply, passionately into friendship, a friendship ever teetering on the edge of love. Harry meets Sally when they share a car ride to New York City upon graduation from the University of Chicago. A few minutes into the trip, the conversation between womanizing, neurotic Harry (Billy Crystal) and driven, equally neurotic Sally (Meg Ryan) becomes heatedly contentious. The question arises: Can a man and a woman be just friends? Harry contends this proposition is impossible, that sex will always come along to screw up the friendship. Sally is aghast and disagrees, proclaiming the idea a distinct possibility. The two part ways rather acrimoniously in New York but before long meet again and eventually decide to indeed be friends. As life's mysterious coincidences pull Harry and Sally closer together, they share mystical, tender moments, confess secrets to each other, console each other, attend major holidays together, and do all the other things couples traditionally do. The question then reemerges: Can Harry and Sally remain mere friends, or will they--must they--fall in love? And can anyone forget Ryan's classic faking-it scene in Katz's Deli? (1 hr. 35 min.) Release date: May 26, 2009

Galaxy Quest

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:23:42 -0000

For four years, the courageous crew of the NSEA Protector donned their uniforms and set out on thrilling and often dangerous missions in space - then their series was cancelled. Twenty years later, the five stars of the classic '70s series "Galaxy Quest" are still in costume, making appearances at sci-fi conventions for legions of die-hard fans - but some of those fans are a little more far out than the actors could have ever imagined. A group of aliens who have mistaken intercepted television transmissions for "historical documents" arrive at a convention and whisk "Commander Peter Quincy Taggart" and his crew into space to help them in their all-too-real war against a deadly adversary. With no script, no director and no clue about real space travel, the actors have to turn in the performances of their lives to become the heroes the aliens believe them to be. (1 hr. 42 min.) Release date: May 12, 2009

Robots

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:23:41 -0000

Set on a world populated entirely by robots, this is the story of a young genius, Rodney (Ewan McGregor), who wants to make robots capable of making the world a better place, but he finds his dream challenged by a corporate tyrant and a master inventor, Big Weld (Mel Brooks), while also being seduced by a sexy corporate robot, Cappy (Halle Berry). (1 hr. 29 min.) Release date: Jun 16, 2009

Benny & Joon

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:23:40 -0000

A quirky young man moves in with an overprotective mechanic and his spirited younger sister, and changes their lives. (1 hr. 49 min.) Release date: May 26, 2009

Bend It Like Beckham

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:23:39 -0000

An Indian family in London tries to raise their soccer-playing daughter in a traditional way. Unlike tarty elder sister, Pinky, who is preparing for an Indian wedding and a lifetime of cooking the perfect chapatti, Jess' dream is to play soccer professionally like her hero David Beckham. Wholeheartedly against Jess' unorthodox ambition, her parents eventually reveal that their reservations have more to do with protecting her than with holding her back. When Jess is forced to make a choice between tradition and her beloved sport, her family must decide whether to let her chase her dream...and a soccer ball. (1 hr. 52 min.) Release date: Jun 16, 2009

Fever Pitch

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:23:38 -0000

A contemporary romantic comedy about a high school teacher who meets and falls in love with a successful businesswoman. Although their lives are vastly different, the relationship seems perfect until the baseball season begins and she has to compete with his first true love: the Boston Red Sox. (1 hr. 38 min.) Release date: May 26, 2009

The Secret of Santa Vittoria

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:23:37 -0000

A small Italian village, led by an oft-drunk mayor, tries to hide a million bottles of wine from the Nazis in this picturesque adaptation of Robert Crichton's comic novel. Stanley Kramer (IT'S A MAD MAD MAD MAD WORLD) directs an impressive cast led by screen legend Anthony Quinn (LA STRADA) and Italian beauty Anna Magnani (OPEN CITY). (2 hrs. 20 min.) Release date: May 12, 2009

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:23:36 -0000

Two 19th-century train robbers keep one step ahead of the law until finally tracked down in Bolivia. (1 hr. 50 min.) Release date: May 12, 2009

French Kiss

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:23:35 -0000

A woman with a phobia about flying gets caught up with a shady French smuggler while flying to Paris to retrieve her wayward fiance. Director Lawrence Kasdan's first stab at romantic comedy. (1 hr. 51 min.) Release date: Jun 16, 2009

Wedding Daze

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:23:34 -0000

AMERICAN PIE's Jason Biggs stars as a man recovering form the death of his girlfriend in this wild comedy feature. Biggs's character asks a beautiful woman to marry him in an act of spontaneity and, much to his surprise, she agrees. (1 hr. 30 min.) Release date: May 26, 2009

Big

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:23:33 -0000

A boy asks a mechanical swami at a fair to grant his wish to be grown up -- oops! Luckily his best friend recognizes him and helps him get a job at a toy factory where his fresh, uncomplicated innocence wins the president's respect, his colleagues' envy -- and a beautiful woman's love. Academy Award Nominations: Best Actor--Tom Hanks, Best (Original) Screenplay. (1 hr. 42 min.) Release date: May 12, 2009

My Blueberry Nights

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:23:32 -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

Aquamarine

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:23:31 -0000

Following a violent storm, a beautiful and sassy mermaid named Aquamarine washes ashore and into the lives of two teenage girls. After Aquamarine falls for a local, hunky lifeguard, she enlists the girls' help to win his heart. (1 hr. 49 min.) Release date: Jun 16, 2009

In Her Shoes

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:23:30 -0000

Maggie is fun-loving and irresponsible. Her older sister Rose is a high-powered lawyer who watches Maggie's wild life with distain. When an attempt to live together fails miserably, they go off in different directions to find the missing pieces in their lives. Based on the book by Jennifer Weiner. (2 hrs. 9 min.) Release date: May 26, 2009

Garfield

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:23:29 -0000

Life couldn't be sweeter for Garfield, everyone's favorite feline. Parked on a comfortable chair in front of the television, feasting on his favorite dish, lasagna, and hurling insults at his beleaguered owner Jon, Garfield is the master of his universe. When Jon takes Garfield to visit beautiful veterinarian Liz Wilson, she gives Jon a pepped-up, tail-wagging, panting creature that represents everything that Garfield loathes. Garfield, meet Odie, a lovable, dim-witted dog. The wise-cracking cat is, for the first time in his nine lives, left speechless. The clueless Odie chases his tail till he's dizzy, crashes into walls, and barks without cause, all to the unbridled delight of Jon who eagerly welcomes Odie into his home. Odie turns Garfield's perfect world upside down. Garfield's solution: OUT, DARN DOG. When the hapless hound disappears into the evil clutches of local celebrity Happy Chapman, you would think Garfield would rejoice. But he feels responsible for t! he fate of another. With uncharacteristic energy, courage and selflessness, Garfield manages to pull himself away from his lazy life and spring into action. He's on the unlikeliest of impossible missions: to save Odie. (1 hr. 25 min.) Release date: Jun 16, 2009

Spaceballs

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:23:28 -0000

In this spoof of STAR WARS and a handful of other sci-fi flicks from the 1970s and '80s, space-bum-for-hire Lone Starr (Bill Pullman) and his half-dog/half-man sidekick, Barf (John Candy), must rescue a spoiled Druish princess (Daphne Zuniga) from the evil Lord Dark Helmet (Rick Moranis) in time to pay off Pizza the Hut. With SPACEBALLS, director Mel Brooks is at it again, this time with a science-fiction parody with all the blue-screen special effects and weird makeup (though in this film, things are always slightly off-kilter and unpolished). Here, maverick space travelers set out to save the planet Druidia, which is being harassed by the Spaceballs, a sinister group attempting to pilfer Druidia's air resources. Among the many gags and jokes is a hilarious parody of a classic scene from ALIEN. Mel Brooks himself makes one of his funniest acting appearances as Yogurt, a send-up of THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK's Yoda. (1 hr. 36 min.) Release date: Jun 16, 2009

Meet the Spartans

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:23:27 -0000

The warriors of 300 might have been able to hold their own--at least for awhile--against an army of thousands, but can they defend themselves against this satire? From the minds behind EPIC MOVIE, MEET THE SPARTANS tackles everything from the action movie to YOU GOT SERVED to Britney Spears. (1 hr. 23 min.) Release date: Jun 16, 2009

Dr. Dolittle

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:23:26 -0000

Eddie Murphy is the physician who talks to animals in this= unamusing update of the 1967 musical, based on the stories by Hugh= Lofting. (1 hr. 25 min.) Release date: May 12, 2009

How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:23:25 -0000

A regular ladies man (McConaughey) bets his friends (Goldberg, Lennon) that he can stay in a relationship for more than 10 days. Unluckily for him, however, the girl (Hudson) that he picks just happens to try to get rid of him almost immediately. (1 hr. 56 min.) Release date: May 5, 2009

Big Momma s House 2

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:23:24 -0000

The adventures of master-of-disguise, FBI special agent Malcolm Turner continue. This time he must go undercover as Big Momma to nail his ex-partner's murderer. While undercover in the house of the suspected criminal, Malcom grows attached to the suspect's three childen. (1 hr. 38 min.) Release date: May 12, 2009

Rebound

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:23:23 -0000

Following a public meltdown, a high-strung college basketball coach must redeem himself by leading a junior high school team consisting of athletically challenged youngsters. (1 hr. 27 min.) Release date: Jun 16, 2009

Strange Wilderness

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:23:22 -0000

From the production team that brought you HAPPY GILMORE and BILLY MADISON comes this amiable, foul-mouthed "nature" comedy. Steve Zahn--sporting his best burned-out surfer dude drawl--leads a ragtag crew of wasted nature documentarians deep into the Ecuadorian forest on a quest for the legendary Bigfoot. Constantly being rousted for their drunken ineptitude and ill-informed voiceover narrations, the boys need a break to boost their ratings and Bigfoot might be it; all they have to do is remember to load the camera and not get eaten (especially by a certain turkey). Allen Covert, SUPERBAD's Jonah Hill, Justin Long, and Kevin Heffernan are the crew. Harry Hamlin is a rival bigfoot tracker. Ashley Scott (INTO THE BLUE) provides the ubiquitous foxy babe interest. Ernest Borgnine, Robert Patrick, and Joe Don Baker show up in bit parts. A sort of low-rent LIFE AQUATIC, WILDERNESS is such a fall-down farce that viewers might forget they're not cracking jokes while watching ANIMAL PLANET with their cronies instead of seeing a real movie, but maybe that's a good thing. Former SNL scribe Fred Wolf (JOE DIRT) directs, keeping it as ramshackle and rough around the edges as the law will allow. STRANGE WILDERNESS may not be pretty, but it earns a load of laughs through its sheer mullet-headed recklessness. (1 hr. 25 min.) Release date: May 5, 2009

Overboard

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:23:21 -0000

Hawn is a super-rich spoiled brat, over-bored you might say. Russell is a struggling carpenter who should know how to handle brats since he raised four of them. One night Goldie goes overboard on her yacht, loses her memory, and winds up in Kurt's world. Then the sparks begin to fly. (1 hr. 55 min.) Release date: May 26, 2009

Casino Royale

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:23:20 -0000

This swinging spoof of Ian Fleming's spy hero features an aging James Bond (David Niven), reluctantly dragged out of retirement to chase down the evil crime clique called SMERSH. In order to confound the forces led by the villainous Le Chiffre (Orson Welles), the Secret Service enlists five other agents, also under the name "Bond," and all six converge on the titular casino. Meanwhile, Woody Allen, as the retiring secret agent's nephew, causes havoc at every turn.

The gleefully chaotic product of five directors, numerous screenwriters, and the late 1960s in general, CASINO ROYALE revels in its psychedelic spy satire premise. The comedy features a legion of stars in roles both large and small: Niven, Welles, Allen, Peter Sellers, Ursula Andress, William Holden, Jean-Paul Belmondo, Jacqueline Bisset, Deborah Kerr, and many more. (Apparently, Sellers and Welles despised each other, and Sellers would frequently not show up for his scenes.) Amid the wackiness, there are genuine moments of hilarity, making the film a surreal romp through Bond lore and the more eccentric aspects of 1960s pop culture. (2 hrs. 11 min.) Release date: May 12, 2009

Robin Hood: Men in Tights

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:23:19 -0000

A parody of the much-done medieval English tale of Robin Hood and his Merry Men, ROBIN HOOD: MEN IN TIGHTS also directly lampoons the politically correct ROBIN HOOD: PRINCE OF THIEVES, which starred the hearthrob of the time, the very un-British Kevin Costner. English hearthrob Cary Elwes gets a turn in the role of the hero of Sherwood Forest who robs from the rich to give to the poor when he returns from the Crusades to find his beloved King Richard (Patrick Stewart in an amazing Sean Connery imitation) usurped by the evil Prince John (Richard Lewis) and his henchman, the Sheriff of Rottingham (Roger Rees). In typical Brooks fashion there is much satire, some gross jokes, a dash of screwball farce, and a Jewish spin put on gentile characters: Hence, Friar Tuck is transformed into Rabbi Tuckman (Mel Brooks), who is eager to perform circumcisions on the dim-witted Robin Hood and his Merry Men. Tracey Ullmann further livens up the ensemble as the witchlike cook Latrine. Those familiar with other Brooks films will also note moments parodying some of the director's own past spoofs, including HIGH ANXIETY and BLAZING SADDLES. (1 hr. 54 min.) Release date: Jul 14, 2009

Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:23:18 -0000

Garfield follows his owner, Jon, to England, where Garfield is mistaken for a look-alike, regal cat who has inherited a castle. Garfield savors the royal treatment afforded by his loyal "subjects," but his reign is in jeopardy. The nefarious Lord Dargis is determined to do away with Garfield, so he can turn the castle into a resort. (1 hr. 20 min.) Release date: Jun 16, 2009

Moonstruck

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:23:17 -0000

In this glowingly atmospheric comedy, a Italian-American woman, bitter after having been widowed by a speeding bus, makes a practical decision to marry a longtime friend for stability and security, even though her feelings for him are tepid at best. But when she falls in love with her fiance's estranged one-handed younger brother, screwball sparks fly. Great, subtle performances and a warm regard for the film's Bronx milieu highlight the film. Academy Award Nominations: 6, including Best Picture, Best Director. Academy Awards: 3, including Best Actress--Cher, Best Supporting Actress--Olympia Dukakis, and Best Original Screenplay. (1 hr. 42 min.) Release date: May 26, 2009

Four Weddings and A Funeral

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:23:16 -0000

Romantic comedy about Charles, a noncommittal Englishman who meets Carrie--the American girl of his dreams--at a mutual friend's wedding and proceeds to awkwardly woo her through one funeral and three more weddings--one of which happens to be her own. Finally Charles discovers himself standing at the altar on his own wedding day, betrothed to a woman he has no desire to spend the rest of his life with. (1 hr. 56 min.) Release date: May 26, 2009

True Lies

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:23:15 -0000

Secret agent Harry Tasker (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is a busy man; when he's not saving the world from terrorists, he's under cover as a boring computer salesman, juggling the everyday needs of his wife, Helen (Jamie Lee Curtis), and his daughter. While Harry and his partner, Gib (Tom Arnold), work to stop a gang of international terrorists from getting their hands on missing nuclear weapons, Helen, feeling neglected, begins a covert affair with a sleazy used car salesman pretending to be a spy. When Harry finds out, he decides to give Helen a lesson in spy games, which backfires when the couple is kidnapped and stuck in the middle of an international terrorist crisis. Director James Cameron topped his previous spectaculars with this action-comedy extravaganza (the most expensive film ever made before TITANIC), featuring amazing stunts and special effects. TRUE LIES is based on a 1991 French spy comedy entitled LA TOTALE! (Translation: THE JACKPOT). (2 hrs. 21 min.) Release date: May 12, 2009

Raising Arizona

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:23:14 -0000

A petty crook falls in love with the woman cop who always arrests him, but when they find out she can't bear children, they steal one, hit the road, and lots of mayhem ensues. (1 hr. 32 min.) Release date: May 12, 2009

Honeymoon in Vegas

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:23:13 -0000

Before Jack and Betsy take the plunge to become man and wife, Jack loses her in a poker game. In a wild, love-crazed pursuit to win her back, Jack flies from Vegas to Hawaii and then back to Vegas again hitching a return flight with the "Flying Elvises" (a group of sky-diving Elvis impersonators). (1 hr. 35 min.) Release date: May 26, 2009

Jack and Jill vs. the World

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:23:12 -0000

Freddie Prinze Jr. returns to the romantic comedy genre that made him famous with this sweet film about love between opposites. Jack (Prinze) is a New York businessman who finds his dull life upended by the appearance of Jill (Taryn Manning). Though they're separated by years in age and miles in personality, the pair quickly falls in love and moves in together, but nothing is as easy as it seems. JACK AND JILL VS. THE WORLD also stars Kelly Rowan and Robert Forster, as well as director and co-writer Vanessa Parise. (1 hr. 29 min.) Release date: May 12, 2009

Bill and Ted s Excellent Adventure

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:23:11 -0000

The excitement and fun begin when a trio of interplanetary rulers dispatch a cool hipster from the 27th century to send two teenage boys - who should have been studying history instead of playing rock music - on a trip through time and history. (1 hr. 30 min.) Release date: May 12, 2009

We re No Angels

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:23:10 -0000

Two escaped convicts on the run (Robert De Niro and Sean Penn) try to outsmart the law by masquerading as priests. Their goal is to find a way into Canada before they are discovered. The plan is complicated, however, when one of them falls in love with a hot-tempered woman (Demi Moore) with some unanswered prayers of her own. This updating of the 1955 Humphrey Bogart film of the same name was scripted by playwright David Mamet.
(1 hr. 35 min.) Release date: May 12, 2009

Johnson Family Vacation

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:23:09 -0000

Even the onboard navigation system has a meltdown on Nate Johnson (Cedric The Entertainer) and his family's cross-country trek to their annual family reunion/grudge match. Reluctantly along for the ride are Nate's wife (Vanessa Williams), who's only in it for the kids; their rapper-wannabe son (Bow Wow); their teenage daughter (Solange Knowles) who's fashioned herself as the next Lolita; and their youngest (Gabby Soleil), whose imaginary dog Nate just can't seem to keep track of. Can the Johnsons survive each other and all the obstacles the road throws at them to make it to Caruthersville, Missouri? Can they find Missouri? (1 hr. 37 min.) Release date: May 12, 2009

Cupid's Mistake

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:23:08 -0000

Working without a script or a budget, director Young Man Kang presents CUPID'S MISTAKE, a film that follows the lives of four L.A. residents--Toya, a model; Susan, an actress; Gil, a filmmaker; and Ken, a personal trainer--and ends up uncovering a love quadrangle between them. (1 hr. 10 min.) Release date: Jul 21, 2009

Do the Right Thing

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:23:07 -0000

Spike Lee's racial and political filmmaking bent is given the full treatment with this simmering expos� of racial tensions in a New York City neighborhood one scorching summer day. The film, written by Lee (and nominated for an Oscar), follows a group of racially diverse inhabitants from Brooklyn's Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood as they spend their day trying to avoid the oppressive heat. These include African American pizza deliveryman Mookie (Lee), the racially sensitive Buggin' Out (Giancarlo Esposito), and the silent, boom-box-blasting Radio Raheem (Bill Nunn). Also thrown into the mix are Sal (an Oscar-nominated Danny Aiello), the Italian-American proprietor of Sal's Pizzeria, as well as his two sons, Pino (John Turturro) and Vito (Richard Edson), who hold completely opposing attitudes when it comes to race. After Buggin' Out tries to organize a boycott of Sal's because of the lack of racial diversity on his shop's Wall of Fame, the tensions explode in an act of senseless violence. Lee's film is an electric work of political entertainment that confronts sensitive racial issues head-on. He deftly blends humor and drama as well as using specific music to further amplify his theme (Public Enemy's song "Fight the Power" actually becomes the film's main catalyst for action). Boldly closing the film with opposing quotes from Malcolm X and Martin Luther King on the nature of race relations, Lee leaves it up to the viewer to decide if Mookie's actions were the correct ones. Aiello and Esposito are standouts in an all-star cast that includes Lee himself, his sister Joie, "discovery" Rosie Perez, and the married team of Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee. Always one to spark controversy, Lee's summer drama finds the filmmaker at the peak of his craft. (2 hrs.) Release date: Jun 30, 2009

Nim's Island

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:23:06 -0000

Based on the popular children's novel of the same name by Wendy Orr, NIM'S ISLAND follows the adventures of Nim Rusoe (LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE's Abigail Breslin), a spirited young girl who lives on a remote island with her scientist dad, Jack (300's Gerard Butler), and a host of animal companions, including an iguana, a sea lion, and a sea turtle. Nim's idyllic life gets shaken up, however, when her father goes missing while on an ocean outing. Seeking help to find Jack, Nim contacts her favorite literary hero, explorer Alex Rover (also played by Butler), who, in reality, is uptight--and distinctly unadventurous--author Alexa Rover (Jodie Foster). Against her better judgment, Alexa journeys to Nim's faraway home, setting a series of thrilling and funny moments in motion.

Directed and written (in part) by the husband/wife team of Mark Levin and Jennifer Flackett, NIM'S ISLAND revels in its fanciful premise, never getting hung up on its unrealistic plot points. (E-mail on an extremely secluded island?) While Breslin and Butler are charming, the real revelation is witnessing the oft-serious Foster ham it up in a role requires plenty of slapstick, fish-out-of-water moments. Although teens might roll their eyes at NIM'S unapologetically sugary scenes, younger children will enjoy the giddy mood present of the ISLAND. (1 hr. 35 min.) Release date: Jun 16, 2009

Death at a Funeral

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:23:05 -0000

Written by Dean Craig and directed by comedic veteran Frank Oz, DEATH AT A FUNERAL finds a well-to-do British family attempting to bury their patriarch amidst a backdrop of secrets, revelations, rivalries, and illicit pharmaceuticals. While the dutiful Daniel (Matthew MacFadyen) stoically contends with major roadblocks in planning his father's funeral, including being presented with the wrong body, others connected with the family have catastrophes of their own, including the anxious Simon (Alan Tudyk), who is engaged to Martha (Daisy Donovan), and mistakenly takes a hallucinogen to calm his nerves. Lurking in the background is a mysterious stranger (Peter Dinklage) who threatens to send the chaotic proceedings over the brink.

A charming mix of high- and lowbrow humor, DEATH AT A FUNERAL is a lively farce that makes the most of its hijinks-filled script and topnotch cast. In addition to excellent performances by MacFadyen (PRIDE & PREJUDICE) and Tudyk (SERENITY), the film features fine turns by Donovan, Andy Nyman, and former Swinging London sweetheart Jane Asher. Easily Oz's best movie since the giddily silly BOWFINGER, DEATH showcases the director's knack for working with large ensembles, and will appeal to fans of his earlier romp IN & OUT, as well as to aficionados of biting British comedy. (1 hr. 30 min.) Release date: Jun 16, 2009

Everyone s Hero

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:23:04 -0000

A young boy finds himself at an extraordinary crossroads: He has a chance to be a hero - and make a difference against incredible odds - or he can play it safe. With faith in himself instilled by his family, he teams up with a sassy young girl and some off-the-wall sidekicks and embarks on a sometimes perilous, often funny, cross-country quest. In the process, he restores his family's honor, befriends the world's biggest sports superstar, and reveals the hero within. (1 hr. 26 min.) Release date: Jun 16, 2009

Ice Age: The Meltdown

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:23:03 -0000

The Ice Age is coming to an end, and the animals are delighting in the melting paradise that is their new world. Manny, Sid, and Diego quickly learn that the warming climate has one major drawback: a huge glacial dam is about to break, threatening the entire valley. The only chance of survival lies at the other end of the valley. So the three heroes, along with a mammoth named Ellie and her two "brothers" -- possums Crash and Eddie -- embark on a mission across an increasingly dangerous landscape towards their salvation. (90 min.) Release date: Jun 16, 2009

The Legend of Fong Sai-Yuk

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:23:02 -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

Def By Temptation

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:23:01 -0000

A young theology student (Kadeem Hardison) comes to Manhattan to visit his pal. Upon his arrival, the scholar encounters a sexy seductress who wants to bed him in order to gain possession of his soul. Will the religious lad resist temptation -- and keep his soul and virtue intact? This Troma film is a witty all-African-American production with an early appearance by Samuel L. Jackson and cinematography by Ernest Dickerson. (1 hr. 35 min.) Release date: May 19, 2009

The Out-Of-Towners

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:23:00 -0000

A remake of Simon's 1970 comedy, in which a couple visit New York City for a job interview and find themselves in a spiralling series of disastrous situations. (1 hr. 32 min.) Release date: May 12, 2009

The Blues Brothers

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:22:59 -0000

In roles made famous by their famed SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE skit, Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi star as Ellwood and Jake Blues in this extremely entertaining and successful comedy. Upon Jake's release from prison, the brothers are reunited and visit the orphanage they grew up in--only to discover that it is in danger of being shut down by the county for failure to pay taxes. With a little help from James Brown as a revival preacher, the Blues Brothers are divinely inspired to raise the $5,000 that the orphanage needs to stay open. On their mission from God, they must reunite their old band and raise the money by playing various gigs around town. The wild adventures of the band include dodging evil neo-Nazis, playing in a rowdy redneck bar, and narrowly escaping the crazed Carrie Fisher as Jake's ex-fianc�e, who is out to see him dead. Finally, the boys have to get to a gig at the Palace Hotel Ballroom and deliver the $5,000 to the county assessor's office--leading to one of the most wild and hysterical car-chase smash-ups in film history. John Landis has spiced this wonderful romp with fabulous rhythm-and-blues numbers from such greats as Aretha Franklin, James Brown, Cab Calloway, and Ray Charles. (2 hrs. 13 min.) Release date: May 26, 2009

Fanboys

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:22:58 -0000

STAR WARS zealots, rejoice, for thy movie is at hand: an odyssey across America with a van full of hardcore science-fiction-loving geeks that drop STAR WARS quotes at the drop of a vintage collector's-item Darth Vader helmet. Their mission: to infiltrate Skywalker ranch--or die trying--and heist a pre-release print of THE PHANTOM MENACE. With stops along the way for bad internet dates and general misbehavior (as well as some drama concerning one of the fanboys dying of cancer), their mission becomes a whole STAR WARS-style adventure in itself, their van doubling for the Millennium Falcon plunging through the outer space of the Midwest. There's sci-fi-convention-collectible eye candy, surreal car chases, and moments from the STAR WARS films (such as the trash compactor scene) recreated with loving detail. Dan Fogler (BALLS OF FURY) supplies the hairy guy momentum and Kristen Bell (FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL) is surprisingly funny as the requisite way-out-of-their-league hot chick, who just happens to love STAR WARS too (those lucky nerds). The hilarious Seth Rogen shows up in several mangy roles, and there are cameos by Billy Dee Williams (as Judge Reinhold), Carrie Fisher, Kevin Smith, Jason Mewes, Boba Fett, Darth Maul, an actor playing a kung fu version of Aint it Cool's Harry Knowles, and even William Shatner. Kevin Spacey was one of the film's producers. (1 hr. 30 min.) Release date: May 19, 2009

Charlie Bartlett

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:22:57 -0000

At the start of CHARLIE BARTLETT, the title character (Anton Yelchin) is expelled from yet another elite boarding school. This incident is just one in a long chain of expulsions resulting from Charlie's eccentric behavior. Despite his charming looks and wealthy upbringing, Charlie is just as insecure and unconfident as many teens. In fact, it's his intense desire to be popular that gets him into trouble. His high-strung, heavily medicated mother (Hope Davis) persuades him to enroll in public school, where he wears a prep school blazer and an all-too-eager look on his face. When he meets school bully Murphey (Tyler Hilton), who shoves his head down a toilet bowl, his dreams of acceptance are quickly crushed. But the young entrepreneur soon finds another use for the same bathroom stall, setting up shop as the school's unlikely shrink to his troubled fellow students, who line up for unorthodox counseling and medication that Charlie gets from his family's on-call psychiatrist. Charlie's the talk of the school until he catches the eye of the depressed Principal Gardner (Robert Downey Jr.). If Charlie is forced to shut down his little enterprise, will his popularity also disappear?

CHARLIE BARTLETT is another addition the offbeat teen dramedy genre, with elements strikingly similar to THUMBSUCKER, RUSHMORE, and ROCKET SCIENCE. With the help of strong performances by Yelchin, Davis, and Downey Jr., CHARLIE BARTLETT attempts to appeal to a more mature audience. Despite being precocious, Charlie is innocent at the core, exploring the inner goodness of even the school's meanest bully. As a result, the film shifts back and forth between adult cynicism and childlike wonder as Charlie learns that it's okay to be just a kid. (1 hr. 37 min.) Release date: May 12, 2009

Mr. Magorium s Wonder Emporium

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:22:56 -0000

Set in a magical toy shop which affords adults the opportunity to retain a child's sense of magic and wonder in their lives, a clerk must decide whether she wants to run the store after its current owner Mr. Magorium passes away. (1 hr. 34 min.) Release date: May 12, 2009

A Life Less Ordinary

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:22:55 -0000

Petulant, rich honeypie Celine and scruffily adorable janitor Robert find themselves on the road to romance after he kidnaps her to avenge his firing by her callous father. But what they don't realize is that their love is celestially predetermined, as a pair of gun-toting angels gives chase to force the issue. A quixotic and inconsistent Hollywood debut from the production team of director Boyle, writer John Hodge, and producer Andrew MacDonald (SHALLOW GRAVE and TRAINSPOTTING). (1 hr. 44 min.) Release date: Jun 16, 2009

Lookin' to Get Out

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:22:54 -0000

In LOOKIN' TO GET OUT, Hal Ashby, who had directed Jon Voight in COMING HOME, gives him free reign in a script Voight cowrote, although much of it has the feel of spontaneous improvisation on the set, with Voight cracking up and doing odd bits of physical comedy. He stars as Alex Kovac, a charming, happy-go-lucky gambler who's ten thousand dollars in debt to the mob in New York, leading him to flee to Las Vegas with his adoring but none-too-bright bosom buddy, Jerry (Burt Young). He hopes to win money at blackjack but doesn't have the stakes. Fate (or movie plotting) lends a hand when they are mistaken for high-roller friends of the hotel manager, Bernie Gold (Richard Bradford), and they are given a free suite and advanced gambling money by the casino. Alex's ex-girlfriend, Patti (Ann-Margret), who's now, unknown to him, living in the hotel with Bernie Gold and their daughter, Tosh (Angelina Jolie), spots him in the lobby. But Alex is more interested in a waiter, Smitty (Bert Remsen), whom he remembers as a famous gambler from years ago. He hatches a plot with Smitty to win back the money, ending with an incredibly wild, although realistically staged, blackjack game. (1 hr. 44 min.) Release date: May 26, 2009

Bean

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:22:53 -0000

In his big-screen debut, the BBC's beloved, bumbling, barely verbal Mr. Bean lands in the plastic wasteland of Los Angeles, where he has been sent to "guard" Whistler's Mother as it changes hands between the London National Art Gallery and a chichi private gallery. Absurd laughs from the hilarious Atkinson. (1 hr. 30 min.) Release date: May 24, 2009

Balls of Fury

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:22:52 -0000

In the unsanctioned, underground, and unhinged world of extreme Ping-Pong, the competition is brutal and the stakes are deadly. Now, this outrageous new comedy serves up this secret world for the first time on-screen. Down-and-out former professional Ping-Pong phenom Randy Daytona is sucked into this maelstrom when FBI Agent Rodriguez recruits him for a secret mission. Randy is determined to bounce back and recapture his former glory, and to smoke out his father's killer � one of the FBI's Most Wanted, arch-fiend Feng (Academy Award winner Christopher Walken). But, after two decades out of the game, Randy can't turn his life around and avenge his father's murder without a team of his own. He calls upon the spiritual guidance of blind Ping-Pong sage and restaurateur Wong, and the training expertise of Master Wong's wildly sexy niece Maggie, both of whom also have a dark history with Feng. All roads lead to Feng's mysterious jungle compound and the most unique Ping-Pong tournaments ever staged. There, Randy faces such formidable players as his long-ago Olympics opponent, the still-vicious Karl Wolfschtagg. Can Randy keep his eye on the ball? Will he achieve the redemption he craves while wielding a paddle? Is his backhand strong enough to triumph over rampant wickedness? (1 hr. 30 min.) Release date: May 24, 2009

Skid Marks

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:22:51 -0000

Lowbrow hijinks ensue when two battling ambulance companies fight to survive in this raunchy comedy. The Bayside Ambulatory Life Services takes on Downtown Intensive Care as they try to rescue as many people as possible to save their companies from being closed down. (1 hr. 33 min.) Release date: Jun 16, 2009

Space Chimps

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:22:50 -0000

Circus monkey Ham III (voiced by Andy Samberg) works in a circus where he's regularly shot from a canon but he still lives in the shadow of his father's legacy (Ham I was the first chimp shot into space in 1961). A natural born rebel against authority, Ham the third is initially reluctant to go on a dangerous space mission to rescue a lost space probe, but away he goes, for lots of RIGHT STUFF-style astro-training alongside two highly prepared chimps, Luna and Titan (Cheryl Hines and Patrick Warburton). NASA's by-the-book methods jar with Ham's mischief-making of course, but once the space training ends, the mission begins, with myriad dangers along the way, including: a big-toothed monster and a run amok alien named Zartog (Jeff Daniels) whose harnessed the previous space probe for world-domination purposes, all good opportunities for Ham III to redeem himself. Despite all the fangs, parents shouldn't worry too much; not a hair on any chimp is seriously singed, and along the pratfall strewn way there's time for lessons about responsibility and realization of one's full potential. While the animation here is not quite up to Pixar level, it's still pretty and colorful, with a pleasing Candyland quality to the alien planet surface. Samberg brings a savvy zest to his vocal duties as the Ham, Stanley Tucci is a nefarious senator and--getting big laughs with flawlessly deadpan elan--Patrick Breen as one of the trio of egghead scientists. Kird De Micco directed; based on the computer video game. (1 hr. 21 min.) Release date: Jun 16, 2009

The Revenge

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:22:49 -0000

Andrej Wajda once again recruits his Oscar winning protege for his latest comic romp. Roman Polanski is just one member of two bickering 17th century aristocratic families who are forced to share the same castle when their family names no longer hold the weight of yesteryear. As individual greed triggers a slew of new battles, romance rears its mischievous head as well, keeping the atmosphere boiling at every second of the day. (1 hr. 45 min.) Release date: May 12, 2009

Support Your Local Gunfighter

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:22:48 -0000

Although SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL GUNFIGHTER features the same director and many of the same cast members as SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL SHERIFF, the film isn't a sequel to the latter movie. Instead, it's another delightful collaboration between director Burt Kennedy and leading man James Garner. This time around Garner plays Latigo Smith, a wandering con man who arrives in the town of Purgatory. When two competing mine owners mistake him for a hired gunman, Latigo sees a chance to get his hands on some of their ill-gotten gains. Trouble arises, however, when the real gunslinger comes to town. (1 hr. 32 min.) Release date: May 12, 2009

The Scalphunters

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:22:47 -0000

Sydney Pollack directs this comic Western in which fur trapper Joe Bass (Burt Lancaster), following a successful expedition, is ambushed by a small group of Indians. The Indians force Joe to trade his pelts for an educated, runaway slave, played brilliantly by Ossie Davis. Things get flipped again when the Indians themselves are ambushed by a gang of scalphunters. This band of outlaws, led by Jim Howie, once again take Bass's pelts, after murdering the tribe. (1 hr. 42 min.) Release date: May 12, 2009

Enchanted April

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:22:46 -0000

A charming tale of four women who find Romance, hope and, ultimately, liberation during a month's holiday in an Italian villa overlooking the sea. Academy Award Nominations: 3, including Best (Adapted) Screenplay, Best Supporting Actress--Joan Plowright. (1 hr. 41 min.) Release date: May 5, 2009

The History Boys

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:22:45 -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

Smother

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:22:44 -0000

Since getting his start on PUNK'D, Dax Shepard has had the privilege of starring opposite Hollywood's loveliest ladies, from Jessica Simpson in EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH to Amy Poehler in BABY MAMA. SMOTHER continues that tradition, pairing the comic actor with Liv Tyler and Diane Keaton. In this comedy, Shepard stars as a down-on-his-luck therapist whose mother (Keaton) moves into his house with her five dogs and without any desire to leave. (1 hr. 32 min.) Release date: May 5, 2009

Wise Blood

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:22:43 -0000

A scathing satire of crooked ministers. While attempting to live a life filled with sin, a man is mistaken for a preacher, and, true to form, he founds a new religious order. Based on a novel by Flannery O'Connor. (1 hr. 48 min.) Release date: May 12, 2009

The Bad News Bears Go to Japan

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:22:42 -0000

In the final film in the BAD NEWS BEARS trilogy, the lovably delinquent Little League team is hot off of a victory at the Houston Astrodome. Their next mission is to travel to Japan for the Little League World Series in Tokyo. Enter Hollywood huckster Marvin Lazar (Tony Curtis), who sees a goldmine in the "little team that could." Off the field, the team learns about Sumo wrestling, and star player Kelly Leak finds teen romance with a Japanese girl. Bill Lancaster, writer of the original film, returned for this installment of the saga. (1 hr. 42 min.) Release date: May 12, 2009

Bottle Shock

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:22:41 -0000

Looking for a way to boost his failing Parisian wine shop, a snobbish Brit named Steven Spurrier (Alan Rickman) heads to California's Napa Valley, preparing for a tasting contest he has set up, pitting his favorite French wines against up-and-coming vintages from California. He assumes that a victory by the French wines will spur people to flock to his store, but he is surprised to find that the California wines are not quite as awful as he had imagined. He is especially intrigued by a Chardonnay made by Jim Barrett (Bill Pullman) and his son, Bo (Chris Pine), at Chateau Montelena, but Jim is a perfectionist who never thinks his wine is ready and does not want to be involved in the contest, believing it will be a circus and an excuse to embarrass the California wineries. He has a tense relationship with his son, an easygoing surfer dude who seems more interested in the summer intern, Sam (Rachael Taylor), than working in the family business. Meanwhile, the rest of the Napa Valley vintners are excited about participating in the contest, including Gustavo (Freddy Rodriguez), one of Jim's best employees, who is making his own wine on the side with Garcia (Miguel Sandoval). As Spurrier gets closer to deciding which California wines will be selected for the contest, friendships and families threaten to tear apart and love blossoms. Based on a true story--Jim and Bo Barrett served as consultants on the film--BOTTLE SHOCK is a tasty treat, cowritten by husband-and-wife team Randall Miller and Jody Savin (with Ross Schwartz); Miller also serves as one of the editors and producers. Pullman is outstanding as the former corporate suit trying to live out his dream; the cast also includes Bradley Whitford and Eliza Dushku in small but important roles. The period soundtrack features several Doobie Brothers songs as well as 1970s tunes by America, Bad Company, and Foghat. (1 hr. 48 min.) Release date: Jun 16, 2009

My Dinner With Andre

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:22:40 -0000

A conversation between a globe-trotting theater director and a playwright playfully explores ideas about art, theater, and daily life. (1 hr. 51 min.) Release date: Jun 23, 2009

Nobel Son

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:22:39 -0000

Barkley Michaelson is in a deep life rut. He's struggling to finish his PhD thesis when his father, the learned Eli Michaelson, wins the Nobel Prize for Chemistry. Barkley and his mother, Sarah, a renowned forensic psychiatrist, now have the ill-fortune of living with a man-eating monster whose philandering ways have gotten less and less discrete. As if Barkley's world is not bad enough, on the eve of his father receiving the Nobel, Barkley is kidnapped and the requested ransom is the $2,000,000 in Nobel prize money. Needless to say, Eli refuses to pay it and so starts a venomous tale of familial dysfunction, lust, betrayal and ultimately revenge. (1 hr. 50 min.) Release date: Jun 9, 2009

He's Just Not That Into You

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:22:38 -0000

Boasting enough marquee names for three films, HE�S JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU is a star-studded comedy about love and relationships. Director Ken Kwapis (LICENSE TO WED) reigns over an impressive cast: Jennifer Aniston, Ben Affleck, Justin Long, Bradley Cooper, Ginnifer Goodwin, Jennifer Connelly, producer Drew Barrymore, Kevin Connolly, and Scarlett Johansson. Each of the nine major characters has his or her own plot--a woman desperate to get married after seven years of dating, a man tempted to cheat on his wife, a young woman who just wants her date to call her, etc.--but everyone is connected through work, marriage, or friendship, drawing the characters and their stories together.

Goodwin might be flanked by much larger stars--especially Aniston, Affleck, Barrymore, Connelly, and Johansson--but the adorable actress is the highlight of this film. Though her character�s borderline obsessive efforts at love invite squirms and cringes from the audience, Goodwin�s fine portrayal also earns the viewers� sympathy, especially since many people can identify with her struggles. In fact, HE�S JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU is based on a popular self-help book that many women bought--and bought into--and the book itself grew out of an episode of SEX AND THE CITY. With its portrayals of numerous relationship issues, this romantic comedy is sure to appeal to the fans of Carrie & Co. (2 hrs. 9 min.) Release date: Jun 2, 2009

Garden State

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:22:37 -0000

When Andrew Largeman (Braff) returns to his hometown in New Jersey for the first time in 10 years to attend his mother's funeral, he is reconnected with the world he left behind, and meets a girl, Samantha (Portman), who may change his life forever. Having recently stopped taking the powerful antidepressants he had been prescribed for years, Largeman's journey of self-discovery prompted by his return causes him to have a more healthy rediscovery of himself, which includes confronting his psychologist father (Holm) and helping Samantha through her own psychological issues. (1 hr. 52 min.) Release date: May 26, 2009

Paul Blart: Mall Cop

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:22:36 -0000

IN THEATRES JANUARY 16, 2009: Coming off the finale of television's popular sitcom THE KING OF QUEENS and 2007's I NOW PRONOUNCE YOU CHUCK AND LARRY, funnyman Kevin James takes the role of a single dad in this largely physical comedy, which the actor also co-wrote. Paul Blart (James) is a hard worker, but has never landed his dream job of being New Jersey state trooper due to his excess weight. Determined to support his mother and his daughter, Blart takes the slightly less glamorous post as the security guard at his local shopping mall. He never complains, approaching the job with impressive diligence and pride, but doesn't get much respect for it. It's only when a group of misfits in Santa's Helper disguises take hold of the mall and several hostages that Blart's would-be cop smarts come in handy and he gets a chance to shine. With a deadly situation on hand, Blart may finally be able to show the world (and his romantic interest, who just happens to be one of the hostages) what he's made of. Though the villains have several advantages over him, Blart has a Segway scooter and a big heart on his side.

While many of its jokes come at the expense of James's extra pounds, the film ultimately makes its star out to be a hero. With his everyman appeal, James is well-suited to play Blart, showing that even average Joes can make a difference with the right attitude. PAUL BLART: MALL COP takes the banal out of the shopping mall, infusing a familiar setting with energy, laughs, and high-stakes drama. (1 hr. 31 min.) Release date: May 19, 2009

No Man's Land

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:22:35 -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

The Rocker

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:22:34 -0000

Slovenly drummer Robert "Fish" Fishman (THE OFFICE's Rainn Wilson) is booted out of his 1980s hair metal band, Vesuvius, right as they're signed to a big label, crushing his dreams and leading to a 20-year stretch of office park employment. A second chance comes in the form of his overweight teenage keyboardist nephew (Josh Gad) who needs an emergency drummer for his band's gig at the prom. It's an odd match--an '80s metal guy in a teen emo-lite band (their name is A.D.D.)--but he's soon offering fatherly counsel to fatherless boy singer Curtis (Teddy Geiger), giving hair gel tips to the foxy bassist (Emma Stone), and working to get the band a club gig. Soon A.D.D. is signed to the same label as Vesuvius, poised for major MTV-stardom, all leading to a big arena spot as the opening band for the dreaded Vesuvius. Fish needs to overcome his tantrum-throwing ways and step up to the kit, if he wants to impress Curtis's hot mom (Christina Applegate) and outrock his former colleagues. A cross between rock star fantasia � la SCHOOL OF ROCK and the Will Ferrell School of man-child comedy, THE ROCKER benefits from tight editing and pretty decent songs. Real-life musician Geiger saves some rough stretches with his easygoing charisma, while Peter Best (the drummer dropped from the Beatles and hence the quintessential "dumped drummer") makes a cameo. It's directed by Peter Cattaneo of THE FULL MONTY (1 hr. 42 min.) Release date: Jun 16, 2009

College

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:22:33 -0000

First-time director Deb Hagan teams up with first-time screenwriters Dan Callahan and Adam Ellison in the gross-out comedy COLLEGE. Kevin (Drake Bell), Carter (Andrew Caldwell), and Morris (Kevin Covais) are three nerdy high school seniors who need some adventure in their life. After Gina (Alona Tal) breaks up with Kevin, the trio decides to have a wild weekend at Fieldmont University, where Kevin and Morris are planning on going to college in the fall--Morris on an academic scholarship. When their preassigned dorm room is not ready for them for reasons best left unsaid, they turn instead to one of the fraternities, where a cousin of Carter's was a member, hoping to be treated as legacies. But the frat, which is on probation and cannot have a new pledge class, takes advantage of the situation by turning Kevin, Carter, and Morris into pre-frosh pledges for the weekend, torturing them in numerous and disgusting ways, some involving pigs, nitrous oxide, bathrooms, and lots of alcohol. The three nerds try to find solace--and possible sex--with Heather (Camille Mana), Kendall (Haley Bennett), and Amy (Nathalie Walker), but the frat brothers have other plans. COLLEGE follows in the footsteps of such higher-learning comedies as HAROLD AND KUMAR GO TO WHITE CASTLE, REVENGE OF THE NERDS, and AMERICAN PIE, where no joke is too lewd, crude, or rude. And then there's Bearcat (Gary Owen), who just about steals the show as the craziest of all the fraternity brothers. The soundtrack features songs by Ben Kweller, Oklahomos, the Transcenders, and Supagroup, who also appear in the movie, playing a wild fraternity party. (1 hr. 34 min.) Release date: Jun 16, 2009

What Happens in Vegas

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:22:32 -0000

Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher star as strangers who wake up a married couple after a crazy night in Las Vegas in director Tom Vaughn's (STARTER FOR 10) feature film. Joy (Diaz) is the type of woman who makes plans to make plans. She's expecting a marriage proposal, but her live-in boyfriend, Mason (Jason Sudeikis), has other ideas. When he dumps her, Joy heads to Vegas to forget her troubles with her friend Tipper (Lake Bell) and discovers her fun, spontaneous side. Unfortunately, she also wakes up with recently unemployed Jack (Kutcher) as her husband. The two quickly decide to divorce, but the plot thickens when Jack wins a $3 million slot jackpot using Joy's quarter. Since neither one of them wants to give up the cash, they each try to drive the other to file for divorce and give up the bounty. But love has a funny way of appearing when you least expect it, and in acting their worst, Joy and Jack actually bring out the best in each other.

Diaz and Kutcher have nice onscreen chemistry and make a very photogenic couple. Treat Williams stars as Jack's difficult-to-please father, while Rob Corddry is Jack's best friend, Hater. Queen Latifah and Dennis Miller appear briefly as a marriage counselor and divorce court judge, respectively. The Vegas scenes are flashy and fun--just like Sin City--and the settings for the New York City scenes differentiate nicely between Joy's organized, structured life and Jack's less serious, happy-go-lucky attitude. (1 hr. 38 min.) Release date: Jun 16, 2009

What Goes Up

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:22:31 -0000

No description available (1 hr. 47 min.) Release date: Jun 16, 2009

Nicotina

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:22:30 -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

Baby on Board

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:22:29 -0000

No description available (1 hr. 35 min.) Release date: Jun 9, 2009

Spring Breakdown

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:22:28 -0000

No description available (1 hr. 24 min.) Release date: Jun 2, 2009

Thank You, Good Night

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

No description available Release date: Jun 2, 2009

Sex Drive

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:22:26 -0000

In the hallowed tradition of such coming-of-age comedies as PORKY'S and AMERICAN PIE, Sean Anders's SEX DRIVE is a genial and hilariously juvenile adventure about misguided intentions and true love. As the film opens, we meet the sensitive and lovelorn Ian Lafferty (Josh Zuckerman). Taunted by his testosterone-addled older brother, Rex (an excellent James Marsden), and shunned by his co-worker/dream girl, Ian takes solace in a raunchy Internet romance with a blonde beauty known as Ms. Tasty. With college approaching and his virginity still intact, Ian allows his friend--and least likely Lothario--Lance (Clarke Duke) to talk him into driving from Chicago to Knoxville. There, Ms. Tasty has promised Ian a wild ride of a more intimate nature. Complicating this lusty road trip is the boys' pilfering of Rex's beloved muscle car, as well as the presence of Ian's other best friend, Felicia (Amanda Crew). On the road to Knoxville the trio will encounter engine breakdowns, jilted backwater boyfriends, abstinent temptresses, and an Amish farmer (Seth Green) as handy with autos as he is quick with sarcasm. But as the action comes to a head in Knoxville, Ian and Felicia must confront the greatest hurdle yet: their feelings for each other. Will sex ruin the bonds of friendship? Will Lance change his carefree ways after an Amish assignation? And will Rex beat Ian to a bloody pulp once he catches up with Ian? Director Sean Anders fills SEX DRIVE with just the right mix of bawdy gags, sharp laughs and emotional honesty. The result is a randy romp that remains true to the lessons of its forefathers: love is never the trip you expect it to be. (1 hr. 49 min.) Release date: May 26, 2009

New In Town

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:22:25 -0000

Renee Zellweger stars opposite Harry Connick Jr. in this snow-packed romantic comedy. NEW IN TOWN begins in Miami, home to Lucy Hill (Zellweger), a single, high-powered executive on the fast track to being a CEO. With her spiked heels, plush bachelorette pad, and fierce collection of power suits, Lucy is unprepared when her boss sends her to snowy Minnesota to work on-site at one of the company's factories. Reluctantly leaving her sunny home, Lucy lands in New Ulm, a small town distinguished by a thick Midwestern accent, a strong work ethic, and an appropriately skeptical attitude toward big-city newcomers like Lucy, who finds herself in a brutal battle against several factory workers, a nosy assistant (Siobhan Fallon), and a stubborn union rep (Connick) who, as fate would have it, just happens to be a love interest as well.

Zellweger appears a bit wooden at the start of the film but eases into her role as the film progresses. As her character grows more comfortable in her own skin and develops some empathy towards her new neighbors, we see Zellweger's familiar charm emerge. Much of the film's humor comes at the expense of Minnesotans, but the cast delivers the jokes in good fun. Director Jonas Elmer captures some chemistry between his two leads, though the film doesn't rely too heavily on this romance. Instead, it explores the differences in small- versus big-town life, exposing the unique, homey appeal of the former. By focusing on the people working behind the scenes, NEW IN TOWN celebrates a way of American life that is rarely the focus of Hollywood romantic comedies. (1 hr. 36 min.) Release date: May 26, 2009

The King and Four Queens

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:22:24 -0000

While staying in a desert ghost town whose only inhabitants are four young widows and their mother-in-law, a man who shoots fast and thinks quick sets his sights on this harem and $100,000 in gold. (1 hr. 26 min.) Release date: May 12, 2009

Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull's History Lesson

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:22:23 -0000

Robert Altman revisits American history--following the critical smash NASHVILLE--with this scathing indictment of celebrity and politics in the Wild West. Paul Newman (BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID) stars as Buffalo Bill Cody, a man who has parlayed his legend into a grand moneymaking scheme. Employing a group of talented gunslingers and horseback riders, Bill's carnival show promotes an exaggerated view of American history. However, when the company recruits equally legendary Native American Chief Sitting Bull (Frank Kaquitts) and his interpreter, William Halsey (Will Sampson) to appear as defeated victims in the show, the lies begin to catch up with Buffalo Bill. While the appearance of President Grover Cleveland (Pat McCormick) further helps carve Bill's name in history, it is revealed that Sitting Bull is not completely done with Bill. Altman's adaptation of Arthur Kopit's play contains his signature roaming camera and sprawling cast, as well as conveys a sarcastic, cynical tone that aims to debunk myths created by the real-life legends on which the film is based. As the manipulative Buffalo Bill, a man whose conscience finally catches up with him, Newman delivers a comical and impassioned performance, adding yet another memorable character to his, and director Altman's, oeuvre. (2 hrs. 3 min.) Release date: May 12, 2009

Look

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:22:22 -0000

With LOOK, accomplished screenwriter and director Adam Rifkin (THE DARK BACKWARD, DETROIT ROCK CITY) takes the modern world's infatuation with surveillance technology to a disarming new level. After opening the film with a jarring title card that explains just how many surveillance cameras exist in our society, Rifkin then goes on to prove it by using surveillance camera footage exclusively to tell his multifaceted story (artificially constructed, of course, but convincing nonetheless). What follows is an acerbic commentary on America in which a wide spectrum of citizens are captured in a series of unsettling, uncomfortable, sometimes hilarious, and ultimately dramatic situations. They include two cop killers on the lam, two bored convenience store clerks, a philandering husband, a sex-addicted clothing store manager, a high school teacher and the student who is out to seduce him, a nerdy office worker who is constantly harassed by his coworkers, a devastated mother whose daughter is abducted, and the mysterious abductor himself. Rifkin ingeniously uses his conceit as a way to comment on how depraved our society has become, yet he also uses humor to keep things from becoming too bleak and dour. As hidden camera after hidden camera captures the glaring foibles of these intersecting lives, we become further embroiled in the dramas at hand. The result is an unsettling portrait of a world at its nastiest, where good intentions become bad ones, and in which happy endings occur, albeit with crushingly ironic twists. (1 hr. 42 min.) Release date: May 5, 2009

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:22:21 -0000

"I was born under unusual circumstances." And so begins "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," adapted from the 1920s story by F. Scott Fitzgerald about a man who is born in his eighties and ages backwards: a man, like any of us, who is unable to stop time. We follow his story, set in New Orleans from the end of World War I in 1918, into the 21st century, following his journey that is as unusual as any man's life can be. (2 hrs. 47 min.) Release date: May 5, 2009

Fly Me to the Moon 3-D

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:22:20 -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

Baja Beach Bums

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:22:19 -0000

No description available (1 hr. 29 min.) Release date: May 5, 2009

End of the Line

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:22:18 -0000

No description available (95 hr.) Release date: May 5, 2009