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Director: John Erick Dowdle Stars: Jennifer Carpenter, Steve Harris, Columbus Short (Full Cast) Studio: Screen Gems The Plot: What happened to the people who were locked inside an apartment building by a CDC-issued quarantine? The only evidence left after the quarantine has been lifted is a videotape shot by a TV reporter (Carpenter) and her cameraman (Harris) who were investigating the initial 911 call ...
THE BUZZ: Is this the next attempt to create a Cloverfield-like hit? Insiders are beginning to think so, since this latest viral outbreak looks like a few clips from Quarantine, the remake of [Rec], Spanish filmmaker Jaume Balagueró's international horror hit that wasn't even given a proper U.S. release in favor of a rushed-into-production remake by director John Erick Dowdle (whose other recent film, The Poughkeepsie Tapes, is being held captive by MGM). You'll recognize star Jennifer Carpenter as the titular Emily Rose or as Dexter's sister. We have the first trailer online, while Yahoo! has the second ... Message Boards: this is a direct copy of R.E.C | Just how difficult is it to watch a subtitled original film? -_- Showtimes | Trailers | Photos | Message Boards | User Comments | Reviews | |||||
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Director: Ridley Scott Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Russell Crowe, Mark Strong (Full Cast) Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures The Plot: In Jordan, an ex-journalist (DiCaprio) working to locate an Al Qaeda leader for the CIA faces pressure from an agent (Crowe) for whom failure is not an option.
THE BUZZ: Ridley Scott gets his war on again, with a screenplay by William Monahan (his first credit since The Departed, and perhaps an effort to erase the memory of his previous collaboration with Scott). I wonder if this one is being positioned as Oscar bait, because it looks more like Hollywood's savvy attempt to finally profit from this gosh darn war. Do you think Crowe and Monahan teased Scott and DiCaprio on the set for not having any Oscars? Another question: Did the first trailer engage you, or leave you feeling like you don't have any idea what the movie's about? If you feel confused by it all, good luck with the second trailer. Message Boards: New Guns N' Roses song in this movie? | Saw it today Showtimes | Trailers | Photos | Message Boards | User Comments | Reviews | |||||
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Director: Guy Ritchie Stars: Gerard Butler, Tom Wilkinson, Idris Elba (Full Cast) Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures The Plot: In London, a real-estate scam puts millions of pounds up for grabs, naturally attraction the attention of some of the city's scrappiest tough guys (Butler, Elba) its more established underworld players (Wilkinson), and others -- all of whom are looking to get rich quick.
THE BUZZ: Is Guy Richie back? Will he still be married by the time his fifth movie is released this fall? Will Warner Bros. handle it, or will it ultimately be distributed by someone else? These are the questions overlapping one another while Richie tries to keep his cool as the pressure builds around his career and his family life. Back in his criminal element, with a formidable cast that includes Thandie Newton, Jeremy Piven, and Ludacris, I'm thinking Richie could be in for his biggest international success to date. ("International" being the keyword, since there's a severe chance this scam could be bungled by Hollywood types.) Message Boards: Lack Of Storyline? | Pulp Fiction Wanna-be Showtimes | Trailers | Photos | Message Boards | User Comments | Reviews | |||||
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Director: Gil Kenan Stars: Saoirse Ronan, Toby Jones, Bill Murray (Full Cast) Studio: Fox-Walden The Plot: For generations, the underground City of Ember has been the only light in an otherwise dark world. But when the city's generator begins to fail, teenagers Lina (Ronan) and Doon (Treadaway) desperately race to help their fellow citizens escape before the lights go out permanently. To do so, they will have to search Ember high and low for clues that will unlock the ancient mystery of their city's origins.
THE BUZZ: After Monster House, I am totally on board with anything Gil Kenan brings to the big screen. I have to think Kenan and Fox-Walden are hoping to turn Jeanne DuPrau's novels into a franchise (the fourth book, The Diamond of Darkhold will be released this August), but we all know how spotty the adaptations of young-adult fantasy books have been post-Harry Potter. If Ember can meet or surpass the successes won by Bridge to Terabithia and The Spiderwick Chronicles, perhaps we will see The People of Sparks in 2010 or a year later. While we ponder that, check out the first trailer on Yahoo! Message Boards: Sounds like Dinotopia | This movie looks like a metaphor for America Showtimes | Trailers | Photos | Message Boards | User Comments | Reviews | |||||
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Director: Mike Leigh Stars: Sally Hawkins, Alexis Zegerman, Samuel Roukin (Full Cast) Studio: Miramax Films The Plot: A look at a few chapters in the life of Poppy (Hawkins), a cheery, colorful, North London schoolteacher whose optimism tends to exasperate those around her. THE BUZZ: Though it feels like a perfect summer movie, undoubtedly there's a motive behind Miramax's decision to release Mike Leigh's latest during the quote-unquote serious-movie season -- even though Poppy has already enchanted her native UK and come out there on DVD. Last time through, Leigh scored 3 Oscar nominations for Vera Drake, and though I don't think H-G-L was conceived as awards bait, it's made the European Film Academy's shortlist this year, and something tells me it's going to get a royal push from M's Hollywood offices. Funny, considering the dramatic crux here arrives when Poppy has an encounter with a male driving-school instructor, that causes a gentle rift between her and her housemate. Message Boards: Sally Hawkins MUST get an Oscar Nomination fo Happ-Go-Lucky! | Most Annoying Film Character Ever..... Showtimes | Trailers | Photos | Message Boards | User Comments | Reviews | |||||
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Director: Greta Gerwig Joe Swanberg Stars: Greta Gerwig, Joe Swanberg (Full Cast) Studio: IFC Films The Plot: A young couple (Gerwig and Swanberg) face the tension that begins to appear in their long-distance relationship as they shuttle back and forth between New York City and Chicago. THE BUZZ: The mumblecore movement categorized by recent movies such as Old Joy and The Puffy Chair sees its volume dial turned up a few notches with the latest no-budget film from Joe Swanberg and Greta Gerwig (LOL, Hannah Takes the Stairs). The narrative begins with the dissolution of their relationship, then picks up a year later. Interspliced is plenty of nudity to keep you engaged if your own personal long-distance partner makes you attend a showing of this film; it'll provide a kind of distraction when and if you catch yourself wondering what exactly you are doing at this particular point in your life, with the particular person next to you. Message Boards: Showtimes | Trailers | Photos | Message Boards | User Comments | Reviews | |||||
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Director: Raja Gosnell Stars: Drew Barrymore, George Lopez (Full Cast) Studio: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures The Plot: While on vacation in Mexico, Chloe (Barrymore), a pampered Beverly Hills chihuahua, finds herself lost and in need of assistance in order to get back home. Coming to Chloe's aid is a a macho Chihuahua named Papi (Lopez), a spirit guide (Hayek) who endeavors to help Chloe discover her true heritage. User Rating:
THE BUZZ: I'm wondering if Disney employees think BHC looks kind of kinda juvenile after the refreshing Enchanted became a worldwide hit and was nominated for 3 Oscars. Chihuahua! Or why the trailer, which reveals nothing about the movie, also doesn't indicate that Drew Barrymore's voice is the star of the show. Chihuahua! Or if Raja Gosnell will ever make a non-syrupy movie. Chihuahua! Message Boards: Kill me now. | Felt Cheated! (spoilers) Showtimes | Trailers | Photos | Message Boards | User Comments | Reviews | |||||
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Director: D.J. Caruso Stars: Shia LaBeouf, Michelle Monaghan, Rosario Dawson (Full Cast) Studio: DreamWorks SKG The Plot: Two strangers (LaBeouf and Monaghan) become the pawns of a mysterious woman they have never met, but who seems to know their every move. Realizing they are being used to further her plot for a political assassination, they must work together to outwit the woman before she has them killed. User Rating:
THE BUZZ: How awesome is this teaser trailer? Message Boards: Airplane Box Scene | would've been great if.. Showtimes | Trailers | Photos | Message Boards | User Comments | Reviews | |||||
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Director: Peter Sollett Stars: Michael Cera, Kat Dennings (Full Cast) Studio: Columbia Pictures The Plot: Nick (Cera) asks Nora (Dennings) to pretend to be his girlfriend for 5 minutes so he won't have to feel as awkward around his ex-g.f., who just walked into the club where Nick's band is playing ... with a new guy. But when the fake couple decides to kiss, sparkage occurs, leading to a first date which seems to span all of New York City. User Rating:
THE BUZZ: Wow, a mainstream movie set in NYC's queercore punk scene? Those Weitz brothers (producers Chris and Paul) sure know how to work the studio system, even if their last teen-skewing comedy, Bickford Shmeckler's Cool Ideas, didn't get much attention. Bickford couldn't boast Michael Cera in a starring role, however, or a long-awaited second film from a promising indie director (Peter Sollett turned heads back in '02 with Raising Victor Vargas). Assuming Sollett knows how to handle an awkward boy, a hot girl, and lots of swearing and cool music, we can see the iPod generation embracing this as their own sort of High Fildelity. (Look at that, not one mention of Juno.) Message Boards: Reaction from Female Audience (in theatres) | The Longest Night Ever? Showtimes | Trailers | Photos | Message Boards | User Comments | Reviews | |||||
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Director: George C. Wolfe Stars: Diane Lane, Richard Gere, Christopher Meloni (Full Cast) Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures The Plot: A doctor (Gere) who is traveling to see his estranged son sparks with an unhappily married woman (Lane) at a North Carolina inn User Rating:
THE BUZZ: After The Notebook became one the best recent examples of a sleeper hit, producers fought for the rights to the unoptioned novels of Nicholas Sparks. Superproducers Denise Di Novi and Bruce Berman secured Rodanthe and assembled an appropriate cast, as well as an interesting director pick in George C. Wolfe (Lackawanna Blues). Though we love Richard Gere, Diane Lane, and their Hollywood misses and hits, the question remains whether they can help reignite the romantic drama by pulling in a big audience on opening weekend or, a la The Notebook turning favorable word-of-mouth into staying power at the box office. If you listen closely to the trailer, after the part where Diane says, "We saved each other," Richard whispers, "from career oblivion." Meanwhile, we wish Diane's hair was just a little longer here. Message Boards: Actual House Used... | Am I going crazy?? Showtimes | Trailers | Photos | Message Boards | User Comments | Reviews | |||||
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Director: Ed Harris Stars: Ed Harris, Viggo Mortensen, Renée Zellweger (Full Cast) Studio: New Line Cinema The Plot: A pair of lawmen (Harris and Mortensen) out to save a Western town from a rancher's tyrannical reign find their bond, and their mission, tested by the arrival of a double-dealing widow (Zellweger). User Rating:
THE BUZZ: Ed Harris returns to the director's seat some 8 years after his award-winning Pollock, but I'm more excited for his reunion with his A History of Violence co-star, Viggo Mortensen. Both men are fit for the material, an adaptation of the novel by Robert B. Parker (whose Jesse Stone TV movies have been a boon for Tom Selleck's career), but I'm not so sure about the Zellweger's ability to be anything but comical as she makes her return Cold Mountain-ish territory. Does this photo earn your confidence? Message Boards: Hopes were high on this one, but in the end, a muddled mess | Can you say Oscar nods.... Showtimes | Trailers | Photos | Message Boards | User Comments | Reviews | |||||
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Director: Neil LaBute Stars: Samuel L. Jackson, Patrick Wilson, Kerry Washington (Full Cast) Studio: Screen Gems The Plot: An LAPD officer (Jackson) will stop at nothing to force out the interracial couple (Washington and Wilson) who just moved in next door ... User Rating:
THE BUZZ: It'll be fun to see Patrick Wilson in thriller mode (one of two genre flicks this season for the former phantom and soon-to-be owl -- look for him in Passengers next month), and I'm pro Kerry Washington (Ray) getting more notice, but if Neil LaBute isn't careful, he's going to find himself, like, rebooting a franchise or remaking his own early film for his next project. And if he tries to pass this off as anything but a cheap-and-easy mainstream release, we're going to laugh at him just like we laughed at Roland Joffe when he tried to promote Captivity as a film with a message. Message Boards: Did anyone else think this movie was hilarious? | Interracial Kisses Showtimes | Trailers | Photos | Message Boards | User Comments | Reviews | |||||
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Director: Ethan Coen Joel Coen Stars: Brad Pitt, Frances McDormand, George Clooney (Full Cast) Studio: Focus Features The Plot: A disk containing the memoirs of a CIA agent ends up in the hands of two unscrupulous gym employees who attempt to benefit from the discovery. User Rating:
THE BUZZ: The Coens want to make you laugh again, less than a year after bringing Anton Chigurh to life and saddling away with 4 Oscars for their efforts. While I don't think BAR will reach the same level of pop culture-saturation as NCfOM, I guess there's something to be said for a movie in which most everyone in the theater will understand the ending? Sigh ... The word from Venice is: The only problem with the film is that, at 96 minutes, it leaves you wanting so much more. Message Boards: Coen Brothers' Bread and Butter | minor item.... poss spoiler but not really Showtimes | Trailers | Photos | Message Boards | User Comments | Reviews | |||||
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Director: Alex Kendrick Stars: Kirk Cameron, Erin Bethea (Full Cast) Studio: Samuel Goldwyn Films The Plot: A firefighter (Cameron) and his wife (Bethea) begin a 40-day experiment known as "The Love Dare" in an attempt to save their marriage. User Rating:
THE BUZZ: While we all snicker at the notion that Kirk Cameron won't kiss anyone but his wife, Fireproof has quietly because one of the must-see movies of a busy fall weekend. Don't be surprised if Cameron's faith leads to a Top 10 debut come Monday morning. Message Boards: Insulting premise | Too much sexual content! Had to take my children out of the theater Showtimes | Trailers | Photos | Message Boards | User Comments | Reviews | |||||
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Director: David Zucker Stars: Kevin P. Farley, Kelsey Grammer, Leslie Nielsen (Full Cast) Studio: Vivendi Entertainment The Plot: An anti-American filmmaker who's out to abolish the July Fourth holiday is visited by three ghosts who try to change his perception of the country. User Rating:
THE BUZZ: Former liberal David Zucker believes that it's "almost illegal" to make a conservative film in Hollywood today, so he's used his decades of influence to skewer the Michael Moore set as the presidential and Oscar races shift into fifth gear. The problem here: Looks like Zucker has had to dumb down his political satire in order to entice the movie-going masses, because Carol looks tepid in comparison to his YouTube salvos that even stupefied the GOP two years ago (remember this?). Plus, those Disaster Movie wanks pretty much ruined the spoof genre for a few years. Do you want to know more about Zucker and his "Friends of Abe?" Then go here. Message Boards: So much hate |& | |||||