Friday, November 17, 2006
Movie Friday
Casino Royale (PG-13); Wide release
James Bond's first 007 mission takes him to Madagascar, where he is to spy on a terrorist Mollaka. Not everything goes as planned and Bond decides to investigate, independently of the MI6 agency, in order to track down the rest of the terrorist cell. Following a lead to the Bahamas, he encounters Dimitrios and his girlfriend, Solange. He learns that Dimitrios is involved with Le Chiffre, banker to the world's terrorist organizations. Secret Service intelligence reveals that Le Chiffre is planning to raise money in a high-stakes poker game in Montenegro at Le Casino Royale. MI6 assigns 007 to play against him, knowing that if Le Chiffre loses, it will destroy his organization. 'M' places Bond under the watchful eye of the beguiling Vesper Lynd. At first skeptical of what value Vesper can provide, Bond's interest in her deepens as they brave danger together--and even torture at the hands of Le Chiffre. In Montenegro, Bond allies himself with Matthis, MI6's local field agent, and Felix Leiter, who is representing the interests of the CIA. The marathon game proceeds with dirty tricks and violence, raising the stakes beyond blood money and reaching a terrifying climax.
Starring: Daniel Craig, Judi Dench, Mads Mikkelsen, Eva Green, Jeffrey Wright
Happy Feet (PG); Wide release
In the great nation of Emperor Penguins, deep in Antarctica, you're nobody unless you can sing--which is unfortunate for Mumble, who is the worst singer in the world. He is born dancing to his own tune--tap dancing. Though Mumble's mom, Norma Jean, thinks this little habit is cute, his dad, Memphis, says it "just ain't penguin." Besides, they both know that, without a Heartsong, Mumble may never find true love. As fate would have it, his one friend, Gloria, happens to be the best singer around. Mumble and Gloria have a connection from the moment they hatch, but she struggles with his strange "hippity- hoppity" ways. Mumble is just too different--especially for Noah the Elder, the stern leader of Emperor Land, who ultimately casts him out of the community. Away from home for the first time, Mumble meets a posse of decidedly un-Emperor-like penguins--the Adelie Amigos. Led by Ramon, the Adelies instantly embrace Mumble's cool dance moves and invite him to party with them. In Adelie Land, Mumble seeks the counsel of Lovelace the Guru, a crazy-feathered Rockhopper penguin who will answer any of life's questions for the price of a pebble. Together with Lovelace and the Amigos, Mumble sets out across vast landscapes and, after some epic encounters, proves that by being true to yourself, you can make all the difference in the world.
Starring: Elijah Wood, Robin Williams, Hugh Jackman, Nicole Kidman, Brittany Murphy
Let's Go to Prison (R); Wide release
Felon John Lyshitski has figured out the best way to get revenge on the now-dead judge who sent him to jail: watch the official's obnoxious son, Nelson Biederman IV, survive the clink. John strikes gold when Nelson is wrongly convicted of a crime and sent to the pen he used to call home. He gleefully gets sent back to become Nelson's cellmate and to ensure that his new buddy gets the full treatment. Let the games begin. Lesson #1: the joint's a scary place, so you better make friends fast. Right away, Nelson offends the wrong cons and is sold--by John--to Barry for prison snuggling. But just as revenge starts tasting sweet, Nelson becomes Big Man in the Big House and turns the tables on John--changing the rules of his insane game.
Starring: Will Arnett, Dax Shepard, Chi McBride
Fast Food Nation (R); Limited release
A fictionalized thriller inspired by Eric Schlosser's bestselling nonfiction expose of junk food companies. The story of fast food is the story of postwar America. Though created by a handful of mavericks, the fast food industry has triggered the homogenization of our society. Fast food has hastened the malling of our landscape, widened the chasm between rich and poor, fueled an epidemic of obesity, and propelled the juggernaut of American cultural imperialism abroad. Schlosser's myth-shattering survey stretches from the California subdivisions where the business was born to the industrial corridor along the New Jersey Turnpike where many of fast food's flavors are concocted. Along the way, he unearths a trove of fascinating, unsettling truths--from the unholy alliance between fast food and Hollywood to the seismic changes the industry has wrought in food production, popular culture, and even real estate.
Starring: Patricia Arquette, Bobby Cannavale, Luis Guzman, Ethan Hawke, Greg Kinnear
For Your Consideration (PG-13); Limited release
Debut feature director Jay Berman steers cast and crew through a typically tumultuous independent film Home for Purim, an intimate period drama about a Jewish family's turbulent reunion on the occasion of the dying matriarch's favorite holiday. When Internet-generated rumors begin circulating that three of the film's stars--faded luminary Marilyn Hack, journeyman actor and former hot dog pitchman Victor Allan Miller, and ingénue Callie Webb--may be perpetrating Award-worthy performances, a rumble of excitement rattles the cast. Once Hollywood Now anchors Chuck Porter and Cindy Martin pick up the buzz, Award fever infects the entire production. Unit publicist Corey Taft, talent agent Morley Orfkin, and producer Whitney Taylor Brown all smell the sudden potential for a sleeper hit. As does Sunfish Classics President Martin Gibb, who suggests some last-minute changes that he feels will broaden the film's appeal. Meanwhile, Purim's screenwriters, Lane Iverson and Philip Koontz, grow steadily more horrified as they watch the first film adaptation of their work diverge from their original story. As the hopeful Purim team careens toward the end of production and the upcoming Award season, tenuous relationships and brittle dreams play out in unexpected ways.
Starring: Bob Balaban, Jennifer Coolidge, Christopher Guest, Eugene Levy, Michael McKean
HorrorFest - 8 Films To Die For - Dark Ride (R); Limited release
Ten years after he brutally murdered two girls, a killer escapes from a mental institution and returns to his turf--a theme park attraction called "Dark Ride." About to collide on this killer's path are a group of college kids on a road trip who stumble across the park, unaware that this thrill ride is the last one they're ever going to take.
Starring: Jamie-Lynn DiScala, Patrick Renna, David Rogers, Alex Solowitz, Andrea Bogart
HorrorFest - 8 Films To Die For - Penny Dreadful (R); Limited release
Penny, a young woman traumatized by a childhood auto accident that killed her parents, accompanies her therapist on a road trip back to the scene of the accident as part of her therapy to overcome her fear of cars. But, when the two women accidentally cross paths with a dark and mysterious Hitch Hiker on a lonely stretch of mountain highway an attempt at healing suddenly takes a terrifying detour into a horrorific life-and-death struggle with a ruthless, deranged killer bent on preying upon Penny's worst fears.
Starring: Rachel Miner, Mimi Rogers, Michael Berryman, Mickey Jones, Liz Davies
HorrorFest - 8 Films To Die For - Reincarnation (Rinne) (R); Limited release
This suspenseful, psychological horror film deals with the topic of reincarnation.
Starring: Yuka, Karina, Keppei Shiina, Tetta Sugimoto, Shun Oguri
HorrorFest - 8 Films To Die For - Snoop Dogg's Hood of Horror (R); Limited release
"Snoop Dogg's Hood of Horror" is a hip-hop horror anthology featuring a trio of stories involving the residents of a nefarious neighborhood and how their actions in this life determine their fate in the next. "Hood of Horror" features an exciting blend of live action horror and gore-filled anime sequences created by Japan's Madhouse under the supervision of Academy Award® winner John Gaeta.
Starring: Snoop Dogg, Ernie Hudson, Danny Trejo, Pooch Hall, Anson Mount
HorrorFest - 8 Films To Die For - Unrest (R); Limited release
Alison Blanchard begins her journey to become a physician in her Gross Anatomy class, where she must confront rows of cadavers and her own fear of mortality. When the sheets are drawn back revealing her cadaver, Alison senses a presence in the lab. Her jaded professor chalks it up to first year "jitters" but her worries increase when a friend is found dead in the basement. Alison must find out the truth behind her cadaver before its angered spirit can wreak further vengeance on those who dared to disturb the body.
Starring: Corri English, Scott Davis, Joshua Alba, Jay Jablonski, Derrick O'Connor
Coming Attractions
-
Bobby (R); Wide release; opens 11/22
Deck the Halls (PG); Wide release; opens 11/22
Deja Vu (PG-13); Wide release; opens 11/22
The Fountain (PG-13); Wide release; opens 11/22
Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny (R); Wide release; opens 11/22 ¶ 11/17/2006 12:27:00 PM
James Bond's first 007 mission takes him to Madagascar, where he is to spy on a terrorist Mollaka. Not everything goes as planned and Bond decides to investigate, independently of the MI6 agency, in order to track down the rest of the terrorist cell. Following a lead to the Bahamas, he encounters Dimitrios and his girlfriend, Solange. He learns that Dimitrios is involved with Le Chiffre, banker to the world's terrorist organizations. Secret Service intelligence reveals that Le Chiffre is planning to raise money in a high-stakes poker game in Montenegro at Le Casino Royale. MI6 assigns 007 to play against him, knowing that if Le Chiffre loses, it will destroy his organization. 'M' places Bond under the watchful eye of the beguiling Vesper Lynd. At first skeptical of what value Vesper can provide, Bond's interest in her deepens as they brave danger together--and even torture at the hands of Le Chiffre. In Montenegro, Bond allies himself with Matthis, MI6's local field agent, and Felix Leiter, who is representing the interests of the CIA. The marathon game proceeds with dirty tricks and violence, raising the stakes beyond blood money and reaching a terrifying climax.
Starring: Daniel Craig, Judi Dench, Mads Mikkelsen, Eva Green, Jeffrey Wright
Happy Feet (PG); Wide release
In the great nation of Emperor Penguins, deep in Antarctica, you're nobody unless you can sing--which is unfortunate for Mumble, who is the worst singer in the world. He is born dancing to his own tune--tap dancing. Though Mumble's mom, Norma Jean, thinks this little habit is cute, his dad, Memphis, says it "just ain't penguin." Besides, they both know that, without a Heartsong, Mumble may never find true love. As fate would have it, his one friend, Gloria, happens to be the best singer around. Mumble and Gloria have a connection from the moment they hatch, but she struggles with his strange "hippity- hoppity" ways. Mumble is just too different--especially for Noah the Elder, the stern leader of Emperor Land, who ultimately casts him out of the community. Away from home for the first time, Mumble meets a posse of decidedly un-Emperor-like penguins--the Adelie Amigos. Led by Ramon, the Adelies instantly embrace Mumble's cool dance moves and invite him to party with them. In Adelie Land, Mumble seeks the counsel of Lovelace the Guru, a crazy-feathered Rockhopper penguin who will answer any of life's questions for the price of a pebble. Together with Lovelace and the Amigos, Mumble sets out across vast landscapes and, after some epic encounters, proves that by being true to yourself, you can make all the difference in the world.
Starring: Elijah Wood, Robin Williams, Hugh Jackman, Nicole Kidman, Brittany Murphy
Let's Go to Prison (R); Wide release
Felon John Lyshitski has figured out the best way to get revenge on the now-dead judge who sent him to jail: watch the official's obnoxious son, Nelson Biederman IV, survive the clink. John strikes gold when Nelson is wrongly convicted of a crime and sent to the pen he used to call home. He gleefully gets sent back to become Nelson's cellmate and to ensure that his new buddy gets the full treatment. Let the games begin. Lesson #1: the joint's a scary place, so you better make friends fast. Right away, Nelson offends the wrong cons and is sold--by John--to Barry for prison snuggling. But just as revenge starts tasting sweet, Nelson becomes Big Man in the Big House and turns the tables on John--changing the rules of his insane game.
Starring: Will Arnett, Dax Shepard, Chi McBride
Fast Food Nation (R); Limited release
A fictionalized thriller inspired by Eric Schlosser's bestselling nonfiction expose of junk food companies. The story of fast food is the story of postwar America. Though created by a handful of mavericks, the fast food industry has triggered the homogenization of our society. Fast food has hastened the malling of our landscape, widened the chasm between rich and poor, fueled an epidemic of obesity, and propelled the juggernaut of American cultural imperialism abroad. Schlosser's myth-shattering survey stretches from the California subdivisions where the business was born to the industrial corridor along the New Jersey Turnpike where many of fast food's flavors are concocted. Along the way, he unearths a trove of fascinating, unsettling truths--from the unholy alliance between fast food and Hollywood to the seismic changes the industry has wrought in food production, popular culture, and even real estate.
Starring: Patricia Arquette, Bobby Cannavale, Luis Guzman, Ethan Hawke, Greg Kinnear
For Your Consideration (PG-13); Limited release
Debut feature director Jay Berman steers cast and crew through a typically tumultuous independent film Home for Purim, an intimate period drama about a Jewish family's turbulent reunion on the occasion of the dying matriarch's favorite holiday. When Internet-generated rumors begin circulating that three of the film's stars--faded luminary Marilyn Hack, journeyman actor and former hot dog pitchman Victor Allan Miller, and ingénue Callie Webb--may be perpetrating Award-worthy performances, a rumble of excitement rattles the cast. Once Hollywood Now anchors Chuck Porter and Cindy Martin pick up the buzz, Award fever infects the entire production. Unit publicist Corey Taft, talent agent Morley Orfkin, and producer Whitney Taylor Brown all smell the sudden potential for a sleeper hit. As does Sunfish Classics President Martin Gibb, who suggests some last-minute changes that he feels will broaden the film's appeal. Meanwhile, Purim's screenwriters, Lane Iverson and Philip Koontz, grow steadily more horrified as they watch the first film adaptation of their work diverge from their original story. As the hopeful Purim team careens toward the end of production and the upcoming Award season, tenuous relationships and brittle dreams play out in unexpected ways.
Starring: Bob Balaban, Jennifer Coolidge, Christopher Guest, Eugene Levy, Michael McKean
HorrorFest - 8 Films To Die For - Dark Ride (R); Limited release
Ten years after he brutally murdered two girls, a killer escapes from a mental institution and returns to his turf--a theme park attraction called "Dark Ride." About to collide on this killer's path are a group of college kids on a road trip who stumble across the park, unaware that this thrill ride is the last one they're ever going to take.
Starring: Jamie-Lynn DiScala, Patrick Renna, David Rogers, Alex Solowitz, Andrea Bogart
HorrorFest - 8 Films To Die For - Penny Dreadful (R); Limited release
Penny, a young woman traumatized by a childhood auto accident that killed her parents, accompanies her therapist on a road trip back to the scene of the accident as part of her therapy to overcome her fear of cars. But, when the two women accidentally cross paths with a dark and mysterious Hitch Hiker on a lonely stretch of mountain highway an attempt at healing suddenly takes a terrifying detour into a horrorific life-and-death struggle with a ruthless, deranged killer bent on preying upon Penny's worst fears.
Starring: Rachel Miner, Mimi Rogers, Michael Berryman, Mickey Jones, Liz Davies
HorrorFest - 8 Films To Die For - Reincarnation (Rinne) (R); Limited release
This suspenseful, psychological horror film deals with the topic of reincarnation.
Starring: Yuka, Karina, Keppei Shiina, Tetta Sugimoto, Shun Oguri
HorrorFest - 8 Films To Die For - Snoop Dogg's Hood of Horror (R); Limited release
"Snoop Dogg's Hood of Horror" is a hip-hop horror anthology featuring a trio of stories involving the residents of a nefarious neighborhood and how their actions in this life determine their fate in the next. "Hood of Horror" features an exciting blend of live action horror and gore-filled anime sequences created by Japan's Madhouse under the supervision of Academy Award® winner John Gaeta.
Starring: Snoop Dogg, Ernie Hudson, Danny Trejo, Pooch Hall, Anson Mount
HorrorFest - 8 Films To Die For - Unrest (R); Limited release
Alison Blanchard begins her journey to become a physician in her Gross Anatomy class, where she must confront rows of cadavers and her own fear of mortality. When the sheets are drawn back revealing her cadaver, Alison senses a presence in the lab. Her jaded professor chalks it up to first year "jitters" but her worries increase when a friend is found dead in the basement. Alison must find out the truth behind her cadaver before its angered spirit can wreak further vengeance on those who dared to disturb the body.
Starring: Corri English, Scott Davis, Joshua Alba, Jay Jablonski, Derrick O'Connor
Coming Attractions
-
Bobby (R); Wide release; opens 11/22
Deck the Halls (PG); Wide release; opens 11/22
Deja Vu (PG-13); Wide release; opens 11/22
The Fountain (PG-13); Wide release; opens 11/22
Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny (R); Wide release; opens 11/22 ¶ 11/17/2006 12:27:00 PM
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