Yahoo! Movies: New Science Fiction/Fantasy DVD Releases

Doctor Who - The Five Doctors

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 22:03:26 -0000

A fan's fantasy come true. This legendary special is a grand one-time-only reunion of the first five Doctors, as well as a reunion of all their most famous friends, foes and monsters. Peter Davidson's more humanistic doctor is the lead in this incredible assembly of characters from the classic science fiction series. Release date: Aug 5, 2008

Journey to the Center of the Earth

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 22:03:25 -0000

In this classic tale of spelunking and derring-do, dashing anthropologist Jonathan Brock (Rick Schroder) must head up a search team to retrieve famous-but-missing explorer Edward Dennison, who is in the last place the team's going to look--the center of the earth. Following the good explorer's footsteps through a secret passage in Alaska without realizing just how deep it goes, Brock and his brave clan will encounter all manner of prehistoric perils that have been waiting below the surface. Peter Fonda co-stars in this rip-roaring adventure. (2 hrs. 12 min.) Release date: Jul 8, 2008

Transformers

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 22:03:24 -0000

The Earth is caught in the middle of an intergalactic war between two races of robots, the heroic Autobots and the evil Decepticons, which are able to change into a variety of objects, including cars, trucks, planes and other technological creations. (2 hrs. 20 min.) Release date: Sep 2, 2008

Shrek 2

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 22:03:23 -0000

Picking up exactly where the first movie left off, this movie takes us to the kingdom of Far, Far Away as Shrek and Fiona return to her homeland to tell her parents (Cleese, Andrews) the good news. Not everyone is happy to find her married to an ogre, with the most irate in this group being Prince Charming (Everett), who was supposed to be the one who lifted Fiona's curse. We're also introduced to the mysterious Fairy Godmother (Saunders), and a bar called the Poison Apple, where the villains of the fairy tale world hang out, including the great ogre-slayer, Puss-in-Boots (Banderas). (1 hr. 32 min.) Release date: Aug 5, 2008

Night of the Living Dead

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 22:03:22 -0000

The dead come back to life and eat the living. Several people barricade themselves inside a rural house in an attempt to survive the night. Outside are hordes of relentless, shambling zombies who can only be killed by a blow to the head. (1 hr. 36 min.) Release date: Jul 29, 2008

Shrek the Third

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 22:03:21 -0000

Shrek tackles the legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. (1 hr. 33 min.) Release date: Aug 5, 2008

Labyrinth

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 22:03:20 -0000

Fifteen-year-old Sarah (Jennifer Connelly) is so resentful of her baby brother Toby that she hopes he will just disappear. Her dream becomes reality when goblins kidnap the boy--but Sarah unexpectedly finds herself horrified by the loss. So she sets forth to retrieve him, and finds herself on the adventure of a lifetime. To accomplish her task, she will somehow have to reach the center of the fantastical labyrinth where the wicked Goblin King (David Bowie, who performs two songs) has imprisoned the lad. But the task is easier said than done, for the maze is filled with strange creatures and mind-bending puzzles that confuse the girl. Directed by Jim Henson and penned by Monty Python's Terry Jones, LABYRINTH is a distinctive, beautifully designed dark fantasy for all ages. (1 hr. 41 min.) Release date: Jul 29, 2008

The Messengers

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 22:03:19 -0000

Twin filmmakers Danny and Oxide Pang's creepy 2003 feature THE EYE earned them enough kudos to make the leap to Hollywood, and their first effort is the creepy chiller THE MESSENGERS. A Chicago-based family comprised of Roy (Dylan McDermott), his wife, Denise (Penelope Ann Miller), their teenage daughter, Jess (Kristen Stewart), and young son, Ben (played by twins Evan and Theodore Turner) try to put the hard times behind them with a move to a picturesque farmhouse in North Dakota. Jess quickly becomes convinced that the house is haunted after some peculiar occurrences while she's alone there with young Ben. But Ben can't articulate what he's seen, and Jess's story is met with skepticism by her parents. It soon becomes apparent that past family tensions are slowly boiling to the surface. Meanwhile, the ghosts keep coming, and the Pang brothers never keep their audience waiting for long before another nerve-jangling scene shudders into view. But as the ghosts torment their new residents, Jess does a little research on the old farmhouse and discovers a few secrets that may just hold the key to why this is all happening. Packed full of CGI effects and a few moments that may cause a jump or two, THE MESSENGERS is a horror movie aimed at a young audience and not horror aficionados, as indicated by its PG-13 rating. (1 hr. 24 min.) Release date: Jul 29, 2008

Fire and Ice

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 22:03:18 -0000

Celebrated sword-and-sorcery artist Frank Frazetta teams up with animation director Ralph Bakshi for this high-energy animated fantasy. It's a prehistoric battle of the elements as the dissolute ruler of the Ice World, Nekron (Sean Hannon), starts a war against the fire people using a massive, advancing glacier and armies of subhuman monsters as his weapons. When he arranges to have the fire king's shapely daughter, Teegra (Cynthia Lenke), kidnapped, the adventure begins as she escapes her captors and hooks up with Lorn (Randy Norton), lone survivor of an earlier skirmish. With the aid of a mysterious dark warrior (based on Frazetta's famous painting "The Death Dealer"), Lorn and Teegra fight the armies of Nekron as well as giant monsters, lesbian sorcerers, and other comic book delights. A thunderous classical score by William Kraft adds excitement to this violent, sexy, fast-moving film. It also benefits from unusual animation techniques that nicely complement the far-out imaginations of Frazetta, Bakshi, and screenwriters Roy Thomas and Gerry Conway. (1 hr. 22 min.) Release date: Jul 29, 2008

Popeye

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 22:03:17 -0000

The classic comic strip and cartoon hero comes to life in Robert Altman's film adaptation of the adventures of the spinach-munching sailor. After he's thrown from his ship during a storm, Popeye (Robin Williams) finds refuge in a quaint seaside town. There he rents a room from the Oyls and meets their daughter Olive (the perfectly cast Shelley Duvall). Olive is engaged to Captain Bluto (Paul Smith), a bully and ruffian who is in charge of collecting taxes for the mysterious Commandant. Popeye, who was orphaned at an early age, is in the midst of a desperate search for his missing father, but what he doesn't realize is that the shipwreck has brought him unexpectedly close to his final destination. In bringing his own distinct vision to E. C. Segar's legendary hero, Altman creates an atmosphere that is breezy, loose, and filled with slapstick shenanigans. Williams portrays Popeye with a physically comic flair that is both honest and energetic--as do the rest of the cast members, including frequent Altman contributors Duvall, Paul Dooley, and David Arkin. Harry Nilsson's songs add to the lighthearted affair, making POPEYE an enjoyable family viewing experience all around. (1 hr. 54 min.) Release date: Aug 5, 2008

Heavy Metal

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 22:03:16 -0000

Based on the popular magazine of the same name, this animated cult film interweaves six visionary stories of science fiction and fantasy. The soundtrack includes such rock superstars as Black Sabbath, Blue Oyster Cult, Cheap Trick, Devo, Donald Fagen, Grand Funk Railroad, Sammy Hagar, Journey, Nazareth and Stevie Nicks. (1 hr. 30 min.) Release date: Aug 5, 2008

Jules Verne's The Fabulous Journey To The Center of The Earth

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 22:03:15 -0000

An intrepid explorer discovers a manuscript of a scientist's journey to the center of the Earth, and he then decides to recreate the dangerous mission. Based on Jules Verne's novel, "Journey to the Center of the Earth." Release date: Jul 15, 2008

Starship Troopers

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 22:03:14 -0000

Paul Verhoeven has fashioned a visually spectacular, morbidly funny comic book adventure that seems to merge the fresh-faced youths of the Archie Comics with the save-the-planet mandate of "Buck Rogers.' (2 hrs. 9 min.) Release date: Aug 5, 2008

Penelope

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 22:03:13 -0000

Like Tim Burton's EDWARD SCISSORHANDS and the TV show PUSHING DAISIES, PENELOPE is a modern fairy tale, complete with candy colors and whimsical cinematography. PENELOPE begins with a generations-old curse by a jilted lover: the next girl in the aristocratic Wilhern family will be born with a pig's snout and ears. Though ages pass, the bad luck finally manifests itself in young Penelope (Christina Ricci) much to the shame of her mother (Christopher Guest favorite Catherine O'Hara). In an effort to break the curse, her mother and father (Richard E. Grant, WITHNAIL AND I) try to bring in a series of blue-blooded suitors. But when they see her face, the men all run screaming. Enter Max (James McAvoy), a down-on-his-luck gambler who connects with Penelope. But when he is exposed as a fraud, the heartbroken girl escapes into the surrounding city. Though she hides her face with a scarf, Penelope gets to experience life outside her family's mansion for the first time.

Pig nose and all, Ricci is adorable as the title character, excellent in alternating between na�vet� and independence. Oscar winner Reese Witherspoon succeeds in double duty as both a producer and in a small acting role as Penelope's first friend in the big city. But it's McAvoy, a standout in ATONEMENT and THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND, who threatens to steal hearts. The pair's romance is believable, and it makes the film good viewing for fairy tale fans of all ages. The PG rating should appeal to families, as should the film's message about the importance of inner beauty and self confidence. (1 hr. 30 min.) Release date: Jul 15, 2008

The Fall

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 22:03:12 -0000

In Los Angeles, circa 1920's, a little immigrant girl finds herself in a hospital recovering from a fall. She strikes up a friendship with a bedridden man who captivates her with a whimsical story that removes her far from the hospital doldrums into the exotic landscapes of her imagination. Making sure he keeps the girl interested in the story he interweaves her family and people she likes from the hospital into his tale. (1 hr. 56 min.) Release date: Sep 9, 2008

Gattaca

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 22:03:11 -0000

In the near future, where corporations screen their employees based on their genetic makeup, a man with a congenital heart condition tries to assume the identity of a former athlete with perfect genes in order to fulfill his dream of traveling in space. (1 hr. 52 min.) Release date: Aug 5, 2008

Sleepy Hollow

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 22:03:10 -0000

A retelling of Washington Irving's 18th Century classic "Legend of Sleepy Hollow," with a few Tim Burton twists. Ichabod Crane is an investigator assigned to the case of the series of beheadings in the New York City area, which the locals claim are the work of the spectral Headless Horseman.... which Crane doesn't believe for a moment. But it seems he'll soon discover the truth... and heads will roll. (1 hr. 45 min.) Release date: Sep 9, 2008

Explorers

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 22:03:09 -0000

This adventurous space tale stars Ethan Hawke (in his film debut at the age of 14) and young star River Phoenix as misfit best friends whose dreams of space travel become a reality when they create an interplanetary spacecraft in their homemade laboratory. Ben Crandall (Hawke) is a young visionary who dreams of space travel while watching late-night B monster movies, pouring over comic books, and playing Galaga in the confines of his bedroom. But one night he has a vivid dream of flying over a space-like circuit board and shares his visions with his best friend Wolfgang (Phoenix), a young scientific genius who is able to translate his dreams into a complex computer program that actually works. With the help of their new friend (Jason Presson), they create a homemade spacecraft and embark on a secret adventure to another galaxy where they find that things are not always as different as they seem. EXPLORERS features highly imaginative special effects and entertaining space creations from George Lucas' Industrial Light and Magic. (1 hr. 49 min.) Release date: Aug 5, 2008

Ultraviolet

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 22:03:08 -0000

Set in the late 21st century, a subculture of humans has emerged with a genetic mutation causing enhanced speed, incredible stamina and acute intelligence. As more people are infected and the government becomes increasingly terrified of their growing power, those with the mutation are treated as outcasts, subjected to terrifying tests and put into quarantine. The government sets out to destroy them, but one woman is determined that that doesn't happen: ultra-beautiful, ultra-lethal Violet. With eye-popping martial arts skills and chameleon-like abilities, Violet becomes a rogue warrior bent on protecting her new race -- and seeking revenge on those who created it. (1 hr. 28 min.) Release date: Aug 5, 2008

Species

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 22:03:07 -0000

A genetically engineered, shape-shifting creature with extraterrestrial intelligence adopts the form of a beautiful woman to mate with humans and unleash a brood of offspring that will destroy mankind. A team of experts must band together to stop her--it--from accomplishing its diabolical mission. Special editions contain behind-the-scenes footage with creature creator H.R. Giger. (1 hr. 51 min.) Release date: Sep 9, 2008

Rise: Blood Hunter

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 22:03:06 -0000

When a young reporter wakes up in a morgue and discovers she is no longer among the living, she vows revenge against the vampires who put her there and hunts them down. (1 hr. 37 min.) Release date: Jul 29, 2008

Dark City

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 22:03:05 -0000

From the director of "The Crow," an atmospheric melange of styles and substance about aliens, night and unspeakable acts. Interesting, but more than a bit addled. (1 hr. 35 min.) Release date: Jul 29, 2008

Starship Troopers 3: Marauder

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 22:03:04 -0000

Colonel Johnny Rico, hero of Planet P, finds himself battling bugs, new and old, on the federation frontier planet known as Roku San. When Roku San falls to the arachnid scourge in a high pitched, action packed battle Colonel Rico finds himself sentenced to death for acts of insubordination. But with the future of the federation and the life of his good friend lying in the balance Col. Rico is freed from jail and charged with taking the fight to the bugs using the highly advanced weapons system known as Marauder. Using the new technology Rico and his crack squad defeat the arachnids on the distant planet know only as OM-1 and, in turn, help save his fellow soldiers from death at the hands a treasonous element operating within Federation itself. Release date: Aug 5, 2008

The Forbidden Kingdom

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 22:03:03 -0000

While hunting down bootleg kung-fu DVDs in a Chinatown pawnshop, Jason makes an extraordinary discovery that sends him hurtling back in time to ancient China. There, Jason is charged with a monumental task: he must free the fabled warrior the Monkey King, who has been imprisoned by the evil Jade Warlord. Jason is joined in his quest by wise kung fu master Lu Yan and a band of misfit warriors including Silent Monk. But only by learning the true precepts of kung fu can Jason hope to succeed - and find a way to get back home. (1 hr. 45 min.) Release date: Sep 2, 2008

Night Watch (Nochnoi Dozor)

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 22:03:02 -0000

Set in contemporary Moscow, NIGHT WATCH revolves around the conflict and balance maintained between the forces of light and darkness -- the result of a medieval truce between the opposing sides. As night falls, the dark forces battle the super-human "Others" of the Night Watch, whose mission is to patrol and protect. But there is constant fear that an ancient prophecy will come true: that a powerful "Other" will rise up, be tempted by one of the sides, and tip the balance plunging the world into a renewed war between the dark and light, the results of which would be catastrophic. (115 min.) Release date: Sep 9, 2008

Invasion of the Body Snatchers

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 22:03:01 -0000

In this remake of the 1956 cult classic, terror slowly and silently strikes San Francisco as the city is mysteriously covered by alien spores that produce strangely beautiful flowers. Unbeknownst to the people, the flowers are the bearers of alien pods that make a spiderlike webbing that captures their victims as they sleep and replicates their human form. Although they still look human, the victims are transformed into emotionless creatures by a strange race of aliens out to consume and control humanity--and only four people are left to stop them. Donald Sutherland stars as Matthew Bennel, a Department of Health inspector whose close friend and coworker Elizabeth Driscoll (Brooke Adams) is overwhelmed by fear and paranoia when she begins to suspect her boyfriend, Geoffrey (Art Hindle), of no longer being human. Together, with their friends Jack (Jeff Goldblum) and Nancy (Veronica Cartwright), they are out to stop the bizarre alien invasion before they fall victim to the alien pods. Leonard Nimoy costars as Dr. David Kibner, a guru psychiatrist who might not be whom he seems. This haunting parable of human paranoia is a creepy glimpse of a city overrun with robotlike yuppies threatening to wipe out all of humankind. Sutherland gives a knockout performance as the leader of the last four humans left in San Francisco in this terrific blend of B-movie science fiction and modern terror. (1 hr. 55 min.) Release date: Sep 9, 2008

Airplane II: the Sequel

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 22:03:00 -0000

The wild and crazy crew is in the sky again, and this time there's a mad bomber on board, the engines aren't working, and the angel of death keeps popping up in the cockpit. But worst of all, the flight attendants suddenly discover that they're completely out of coffee! (1 hr. 25 min.) Release date: Aug 5, 2008

Nim s Island

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 22:02:59 -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: Aug 5, 2008

Plan 9 From Outer Space

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 22:02:58 -0000

PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE is Ed Wood's unintentionally hilarious film in which aliens plan to take over the world by resurrecting only three corpses. Horror icon Bela Lugosi died during production and was replaced by a chiropractor who hid his face behind a cape. The film also features Vampira and wrestler Tor Johnson. Quite possibly the best bad movie ever made, PLAN 9, with its hubcap flying saucers on strings, is sure to entertain. (1 hr. 19 min.) Release date: Jul 29, 2008

The Scorpion King 2: Rise of a Warrior

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 22:02:57 -0000

THE SCORPION KING 2 uncovers the origins of the 2002 summer blockbuster which starred Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson as Mathayus, the most fearsome desert warrior of the ancient world. Reaching deep into the past, this prequel begins with the king as a 13-year-old peasant boy (Michael Copon) who witnesses the kidnapping and death of his father at the hands of the terrifying Sargon (played by towering UFC Heavyweight Randy Couture). Thirsty for vengeance, young Mathayus trains at the Order of the Black Scorpion to sharpen his skills as a killing machine, then journeys to the underworld to retrieve the one sword that can help him defeat Sargon. When the burgeoning Scorpion King finally comes to blows with his murderous rival, the fate of the entire human race hangs in the balance. (1 hr. 49 min.) Release date: Aug 19, 2008

CJ7

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 22:02:56 -0000

Chinese writer-director-comedian Stephen Chow (SHAOLIN SOCCER, KUNG FU HUSTLE) takes a break from his usual action-comedy adventures for an E.T.: THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL-inspired tale of family bonds and personal integrity. Chow stars as Ti, a down-on-his luck widower who must funnel all of his wages into the private school education of his nine-year-old son, Dicky (Xu Jiao). The two are reduced to living in an abandoned building and scrounging for necessities, as well as playing nightly games of "clobber the cockroaches." Ti tries to appease Dicky's desire for a trendy new toy by bringing home a mysterious green orb found at a garbage dump. Dicky is soon shocked when the orb transforms into a perky doglike alien being, dubbed "CJ7." When Dicky witnesses CJ7's otherworldly powers he imagines CJ7 to be the answer to all of his school troubles: passing tests, excelling in gym class, and overcoming the school bully. But CJ7 is not as all-powerful as Dicky believes, and when tragedy strikes the family both Dicky and CJ7 must overcome doubt to reveal their true inner strength. Both CJ7's creature animation and a side order of Chow's kung fu kinetics provide plenty of laughs for kids. At the same the film's adult themes of social inequality, honesty, and self-sacrifice will give kids and parents plenty to discuss once the film is over. Frequently silly but genuinely heartfelt, CJ7 features enough of Chow's trademark twists to make for a unique family entertainment experience. (1 hr. 28 min.) Release date: Aug 12, 2008

The 6th Day

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 22:02:55 -0000

In "The 6th Day", a futuristic action thriller that treats the topic of genetic cloning, Arnold Schwarzenegger stars as Adam Gibson, a helicopter pilot who returns home from a trip to his wife and family to find his double--a human clone--already there living his life in his place. Because cloning is illegal, a team of assassins attempts to eliminate the real Gibson. Challenged by moral and scientific arguments, Gibson unites with his clone to battle together against the assassins for their lives, their humanity, and their freedom. (2 hrs. 4 min.) Release date: Aug 5, 2008

The Last Man on Earth

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 22:02:54 -0000

Based on Richard Matheson's SF thriller I AM LEGEND, THE LAST MAN ON EARTH is about a man who survives a global plague only to be stalked nightly by zombielike victims who call out his name. Vincent Price stars as Robert Morgan, a scientist who tried desperately to come up with a cure for an airborne virus that was killing people around the globe. Although he could not develop a serum in time to save his family, he himself seems to be immune from the disease. Thus, he is left to wander the streets by day, staking zombies, then barricading himself in his house each night as the zombies try to break in and kill him. Price is excellent in the role, going about his horrible business as if it were just another day: waking up and eating breakfast, putting on a suit, calmly staking the zombies, making dinner, listening to records at night. But when he suddenly sees what looks like another living soul out in the daylight, his world is suddenly turned inside out. Release date: Jul 29, 2008

Delicatessen

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 22:02:53 -0000

After years of working successfully in commercials and music videos, French directors Marc Caro and Jean-Pierre Jeunet make a splashing feature-film debut, DELICATESSEN, a hysterical exercise in style. Scripted by comic book writer and frequent Caro and Jeunet collaborator Gilles Adrien, the story follows a sweet-natured clown, Louison (Dominique Pinon), who moves into a run down apartment building with a delicatessen on the ground floor and falls in love with the butcher's daughter, Julie Clapet (Marie-Laure Dougnac). When it turns out that Julie's father (Jean-Claude Dreyfus) is actually butchering human beings and selling the meat to the carnivorous tenants of the building, Julie must decide if she will remain loyal to her father's business or expose the truth in order to save Louison from being the next victim. Taking place entirely inside, underneath, and on the roof of the delicatessen, the film uses an old pipe that runs throughout the building as a channel of communication for its characters.

Caro and Jeunet have a flair for visual communication and comedy that overflows in DELICATESSEN, keeping viewers engaged in the film even when the style seems to swallow the plot. In one of the most mimicked scenes of the 1990s (most notably in commercials), the directors brilliantly choreograph a bizarre event in which the separate activities of each of the hotel's tenants--a couple making love in a squeaky bed, a man painting his ceiling, a woman playing the cello--become hilariously rhythmic and synchronized. This scene spawned an entirely new cinematic language, making DELICATESSEN one of the most auspicious directorial debuts of the '90s. (1 hr. 37 min.) Release date: Aug 26, 2008

Fortress

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 22:02:52 -0000

Director Stuart Gordon's contribution to the I've-seen-the-future-and-it-sucks genre, FORTRESS is a creative and rousing sci-fi adventure. It's 2018, and America is facing a terrible overpopulation crisis. To solve the problem, a strict limit has been set on the number of children a family can have: one. When John Brennick (Christopher Lambert) and his wife, Karen (Loryn Locklin), lose their infant son, they try to have another illegally. However, they're caught and sent off to the Fortress, a supermaximum security prison from which escape is impossible. Despite the robot guards, the laser beams, the mindscanners, and the death devices planted in all inmates' stomachs, Brennick plans an escape with his wife anyway. Lambert is excellent as Brennick, the only reasonable man in an unreasonable world. Locklin is good as Karen, his wife and equal in strength of mind and will. Kurtwood Smith is gleefully evil as the sadistic prison director who is as emotionless as the machines that control him. Gordon imparts his graphic and detailed visual style to the film, as well as his usual strengths of strong character development and solid storytelling. FORTRESS is a great sci-fi escape movie that recalls THE RUNNING MAN and other prison-break films. (1 hr. 29 min.) Release date: Aug 5, 2008

D.A.R.Y.L.

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 22:02:51 -0000

A family takes in a young orphaned boy, only to later discover that he is actually a sophisticated mechanical device for whom the U.S. Military has wicked plans. They must fool the government in order to save his life. (1 hr. 40 min.) Release date: Aug 5, 2008

The Last Winter

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 22:02:50 -0000

In a cinematic world where most horror films are loud and flashy, it might be easy to overlook Larry Fessenden's quietly creepy THE LAST WINTER. But if they do, genre fans would be missing out on a truly unsettling film that centers on the real-life chills of the changing environment. Ron Perlman (HELLBOY) stars as Ed Pollack, an oil company employee who arrives in Alaska. He's eager to take some of the tundra's oil bounty, but the rising temperatures have an environmental scientist (James LeGros, ZODIAC) worried about the irreparable damage they could do to the Alaskan wilderness. Soon things start to go wrong at their camp, and one of their one dies mysteriously. Whether it's cabin fever, poisonous gas, or supernatural forces, something is threatening the camp and the people who live there.

Fessenden imbues the well-paced film with a frightening sense of menace, but he's not without help. Director of photography G. Magni �gustsson perfectly captures the isolation of the Alaskan landscape with his framing of the camp, and Jeff Grace's score adds to the sense of dread without ever descending into clich�. THE LAST WINTER also features a strong cast who ably communicate the growing confusion and terror. As in his work for directors such as Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Guillermo del Toro, Perlman is a highlight here as the gruff Pollack. As Pollack's former love, Abby, Connie Britton shows the talent that fans of her role on FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS have come to expect. Though this is his first film, Zach Gilford--also of FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS--is excellent as the first of the team to feel the eerie effects of the environment. (1 hr. 40 min.) Release date: Jul 22, 2008

Krull

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 22:02:49 -0000

A young prince must capture a five-bladed sword in order to save his princess and their planets from a terrible monster and his troops. (2 hrs. 1 min.) Release date: Aug 5, 2008

Leviathan

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 22:02:48 -0000

An underwater mining expedition encounters a grotesque mutant creature five miles below the ocean surface. (1 hr. 43 min.) Release date: Sep 9, 2008

Event Horizon

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 22:02:47 -0000

In this eerie science-fiction ghost story, an astrophysicist (Sam Neill), haunted by the memory of his wife's suicide, joins a rescue mission to salvage his life's work: the Event Horizon, a prototype spacecraft capable of faster-than-light travel that has been missing for seven years. Their arrival triggers contact with something beyond human experience--and more dangerous than ever imaginable. Similar in plot to Andrei Tarkovsky's eponymous screen adaptation of Stanislaw Lem's science-fiction novel SOLARIS, EVENT HORIZON provides some truly disturbing moments in its often potent combination of horror and sci-fi. (1 hr. 37 min.) Release date: Sep 9, 2008

Time After Time

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 22:02:46 -0000

H. G. Wells follows Jack the Ripper in a time machine from 19th century England to San Francisco. Good performance by Mary Steenburgen as the woman who befriends Wells. (1 hr. 52 min.) Release date: Sep 2, 2008

Phantasm IV: Oblivion

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 22:02:45 -0000

Picking up precisely where the last installment left off, PHANTASM IV: Oblivion finds Mike (Baldwin) traveling through time to escape his evil nemesis, the Tall Man (Scrimm). In an attempt to unearth the origins of his enemy, Mike enters a dimensional gate leading to the 19th century, where he meets the Tall Man as an innocent (and actually friendly) scientist on the brink of unlocking the secrets of gates and spheres. Meanwhile, Reggie (Bannister) remains in the present fighting off the undead menace (and his murderous flying hardware) in an effort to save his friend's life.

PHANTASM IV: Oblivion contains a never-before-seen scene cut from the first installment during a flashback sequence, and features the same director, writer, and cast as the original 1979 cult classic. (1 hr. 30 min.) Release date: Aug 26, 2008

Phase IV

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 22:02:44 -0000

It's no picnic when super-intelligent ants attack two scientists who are attempting to interpret the ants' communications. Even the researchers' "ant-proof" dome can't keep the violent little crawlers out. (1 hr. 31 min.) Release date: Jul 6, 2008

The Pied Piper

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 22:02:43 -0000

THE UMBRELLAS OF CHERBOURG director Jacques Demy tackles the dark fairy tale with this star-filled film. Folk rocker Donovan plays the title character who agrees to help the town of Hamelin with its rat infestation, while Donald Pleasence (HALLOWEEN) is a town leader who wants more than just a clean, healthy village. THE PIED PIPER also stars Jack Wild (OLIVER!) and John Hurt (THE ELEPHANT MAN). (1 hr. 30 min.) Release date: Jul 1, 2008

Sarah Landon and the Paranormal Hour

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 22:02:42 -0000

Here comes Halloween intrigue, perfect for the whole family: a scrappy indie spookshow, akin to the old-fashioned William Castle spine-tinglers of yore. Rissa Walters stars as intrepid young Sarah Landon, who finds herself heading an occult investigation when her car breaks down during a visit to the childhood memory-infused town of Pine Valley. Reconnecting with her old playmate Matt (Dan Comrie)--now matured into hunk status--she discovers there's an ancient family curse afoot, with Matt's brother, David (Brian Comrie) sentenced to die--or at least get seriously ghosted--at a particular time, between midnight and one a.m.--on his upcoming birthday. Sarah starts having dreams straight out of NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET and is determined to get to the bottom of things. The fateful hour approaches, the tension mounts, and parents relax, knowing nothing is going to get too bloody or disturbing. What sets this apart from other family-friendly scarefests is its authentic home-cooked perspective. Director Lisa Corrie co-wrote with her uncle, co-produced with her dad, her brothers are the leads, and Walters is a family friend. If it's a little rough around the edges, that's part of the rustic charm; this is a true homespun concoction for the Halloween holidays, a healthy home-made candy apple instead of the usual slick, empty-calorie candy bars for trick-or-treat. (1 hr. 21 min.) Release date: Sep 9, 2008

Warlords

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 22:02:41 -0000

In a brutal, radioactive future, a fearless warrior is humanity's last hope against the Warlord and his mutant hordes. (1 hr. 25 min.) Release date: Aug 12, 2008