Playing This Week
11-7-06 Releases

CARS (G)
LITTLE MAN (PG-13)
SHADOWBOXER (R)
WORDPLAY (PG)
JEKYLL + HYDE (R)
TOTALLY AWESOME (NR)
BATTLE OF THE BRAVE (PG)

• CARS (G) - Owen Wilson, Paul Newman, Michael Keaton, George Carlin, Larry the Cable Guy, Bob Costas, Cheech Marin, Bonnie Hunt... Talking cars rediscover the quirky originality of middle America in this inventive animated film from the folks at Pixar (TOY STORY, FINDING NEMO). Owen Wilson does the voice of arrogant rookie racecar Lightning McQueen, who winds up stranded in the small desert town of Radiator Springs on his way west to a big showdown. Sentenced to community service after literally tearing up the road in a high-speed chase, at first all Lightning can think of is getting back to the world of corporate sponsorship and merchandising tie-ins he loves so well. Eventually, however, the eccentric residents of Radiator Springs begin to grow on him, especially the attractive lady Porsche lawyer (Bonnie Hunt) and a rusty old tow-truck (Larry the Cable Guy). There's also a hippie Volkswagen (George Carlin), a low-riding T-bird (Cheech Marin) and Paul Newman as the gruff, curmudgeonly Doc Hudson, the town judge who harbors his own checkered-flag past. The story may not be new, but Pixar's precision-engineered animation brilliantly illuminates the town and its surrounding cactus-studded vistas down to the minutest detail, and director/writer John Lasseter keeps the film's satiric wit and generous heart in perfect alignment. Adults in the audience should appreciate the film's celebration of old-school American eccentricity, and the kids will dig all the thunderous grit and high-octane wheel burning. Randy Newman composed the score; James Taylor sings one of the songs.

• LITTLE MAN (PG-13) - Marlon Wayans, Shawn Wayans, Kerry Washington, Tracy Morgan, Chazz Palminteri... Despite small budgets and a lack of bona fide star power, the Wayans Brothers have proven to be one of the most commercially successful comedy teams in the Hollywood of the early 2000s. The brothers rose to fame in the 1990s via the IN LIVING COLOR sketch television show and later the gross-out satire-lite of the SCARY MOVIE series. Similar to their 2004 movie WHITE CHICKS -- about two undercover black police officers posing as rich white girls -- 2006's LITTLE MAN is a raunchy crime caper that likewise uses a grotesque fish-out-of-water scenario as its comedic focal point. Marlon Wayans plays the diminutive and unquestionably weird-looking jewel thief who poses as a toddler in order to retrieve a diamond he hid with the childless-but-trying couple Daryl and Vanessa (played by Shawn Wayans and Kerry Washington). Hilarity ensues as the movie runs wild with a slew of breastfeeding jokes, crotch shots, and scatological humor that recognizes no boundaries. When Calvin's boss, Walken (Chazz Palminteri), tracks down the little man and his new family to snatch the diamond that is rightfully his, the movie turns into a familiar riff on HOME ALONE: when a criminal is after you, hit him in the crotch. Calvin and Daryl join together to defeat the evil Walken and his henchmen, and in the process learn a little something about what it means to love and be loved.

• SHADOWBOXER (R) - Cuba Gooding Jr., Helen Mirren, Vanessa Ferlito, Macy Gray, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Mo'Nique, Stephen Dorff, Ryan Sands, Damon Dash... Hardboiled and at times incongruous, Lee Daniels’s (MONSTER’S BALL) directorial debut sets out to smash stereotypes with a noirish crime thriller about loyalty, loss, love, and guilt. Cuba Gooding Jr. (MEN OF HONOR) and Helen Mirren (CALENDAR GIRLS) star as Mikey and Rose, a pair of contract killers. Once stepmother and son, they are now lovers as well as partners, and have decided to do one last job together before Rose leaves the business due to her terminal cancer. Brutal criminal Clayton (Stephen Dorff) has hired them to take care of members of his inner circle -- including his pregnant wife, Vickie (Vanessa Ferlito, SPIDER MAN 2) -- but when the pair goes to carry out the job, Vickie goes into labor and Rose suffers a crisis of conscience. Rose helps Vickie through the birth and adopts both mother and son, going into hiding and telling Clayton the job was done. The four briefly form a strange kind of family before illness, tragedy, and the past inevitably disturb their tenuous peace.

• WORDPLAY (PG) - Mike Mussina, Will Shortz, Jon Stewart, Pres. Bill Clinton, Ken Burns, Bob Dole... Inky-fingered NEW YORK TIMES readers often love to attempt the mind-bending crossword puzzles lovingly curated for the paper by longstanding contributor Will Shortz. There are few things more satisfying than completing one of Shortz's puzzles, and a cult has sprung up around the enigmatic crossword compiler as TIMES readers put pen to paper and attempt to pick his brains. Director Patrick Creadon has capitalized on this phenomenon with the film WORDPLAY, a genial documentary based around Shortz and his devoted followers. Creadon begins by tracing Shortz's unusual ascent to his tenure at the TIMES, creating a picture of an easygoing, well-liked and respected man. Creadon also takes viewers on a trip to the 28th annual American Crossword Puzzle Tournament, a geek haven where someone like Shortz assumes Godlike status. Indeed, it was Shortz himself who created the contest, and he still presides over it, demonstrating a great deal of affection for the tournament and its participants. As we witness the various eccentrics battling it out in an attempt to be the 28th winner of the contest, some of Shortz's celebrity fans get plenty of camera time, with THE DAILY SHOW's Jon Stewart and former president Bill Clinton among them. Clinton even recalls an amusing occasion when a particularly tricky puzzle left readers wondering whether "Clinton" or "Bob Dole" was the seven-letter solution to one of Shortz's clues -- in fact some clever juggling of letters meant that both answers could have been correct. An enjoyable movie that even manages to make the crossword tournament a gripping affair, WORDPLAY suceeds largely thanks to its immensely likeable central figure and the behavior of the kooky contestents at Shortz's annual tournament.

• JEKYLL + HYDE (R) - Bree Turner, Jeff Roop, Zachary Bennett, Maria Del Mar... This contemporized update of Robert Louis Stevenson's classic tale of duality stars Bryan Fisher (SURVIVING CHRISTMAS) as a geeky med student who experiments with chemistry in an attempt to find a serum to improve his self-esteem. He is more successful than he ever thought possible, but the side effects are increasingly disturbing.

• TOTALLY AWESOME (NR) - Dominique Swain, Chris Kattan, Tracy Morgan, Ben Stein, Brittany Daniel... A spoof of typical 1980's teen movies. The idea is that VH1 found a "long-lost" never-released teen film made in the 1980's and decided to air it now in 2006; thus it is loaded with the typical formula, cliches, bad fashions and stereotypical characters found in those movies and makes fun of them.

• BATTLE OF THE BRAVE (PG) - Gerard Depardieu, David La Haye, Noemie Godin-Vigneau, Irene Jacob, Vincent Perez, Jason Isaacs, Tim Roth, Colm Meaney... A historical drama that boasts an excellent cast in a film about war and romance. Centered on the feud between England and France over Canada, the plot involves an ill-fated love that develops between a fur-trapper (David La Haye) and a young widow (Noemie Godin-Vigneau), making for a tale that is tense, absorbing, and heartbreaking.

10-31-06 Releases

MISSION IMPOSSIBLE 3 (PG-13)
KEEPING UP WITH THE STEINS (PG-13)
THREE WISE GUYS (NR)
DOWN TO THE BONE (R)
HEARTSTOPPER (NR)
RAMPO NOIR (NR)
PUNTO Y RAYA (NR)

• MISSION IMPOSSIBLE 3 (PG-13) - Tom Cruise, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ving Rhames, Billy Crudup, Michelle Monaghan, Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, Laurence Fishburne... Ethan Hunt has retired from active duty and is, instead, training new IMF agents to battle the villians of the world. But when the deadly villian of them all, Owen Davian, returns to the fray, Ethan must come out of retirement to save one of his own. With the help of his old friends, the slick superspy must extend his journey into the field, hunting for an opponent that is well-protected, well-connected and deadly beyond Ethan's wildest dreams!

• KEEPING UP WITH THE STEINS (PG-13) - Jeremy Piven, Jami Gertz, Daryl Hannah, Garry Marshall, Doris Roberts, Daryl Sabara, Cheryl Hines... Like the young Indian braves of long ago, Benjamin Fiedler is about to undergo an initiation rite that will take him from boy to man. But rather than face the perils of the hunt, he must endure something far worse -- a Bar Mitzvah in Brentwood, California. It's not enough that Benjamin must stand in front of a Temple full of strangers chanting Hebrew, a language he doesn't understand. He must also cope with the efforts of his parents, Adam and Joanne, to splurge on a party-to-end-all-parties, a mega-bash where the Bar is more important than the Mitzvah and a Jewish Star means Neil Diamond. Above all, the Fiedlers must surpass the "Titanic"-themed Bar Mitzvah given by Adam's rival agent, Arnie Stein. With his circus-sized celebration, Arnie has thrown down the gauntlet. For the highly competitive Adam, the war is on! But when Adam's father Irwin, now a gray-haired hippie, and his spacey younger girlfriend arrive in their broken down camper, the Fiedler's plans are thrown into disarray.

• THREE WISE GUYS (NR) - Tom Arnold, Katey Sagal, Judd Nelson, Jodi Lyn O'Keefe... A lighthearted crime caper set in Sin City, THREE WISE GUYS follows three hit men on what they think will be a simple job. Casino owner Murray Crown (Tom Arnold) has hired them to keep his accountant from reaching the feds with incriminating information, and to locate his missing partner. The job deteriorates into a madcap road trip, where the wise guys meet the pregnant Mary (Jodi Lynn O'Keefe), who teaches them a thing or two about the true meaning of Christmas.

• DOWN TO THE BONE (R) - Vera Farmiga, Hugh Dillon, Clint Jordan, Caridad De La Luz... Irene is a working class mother living in upstate New York. With a bad marriage and kids to care for, a woman takes extra precautions to keep her drug use secret. But with the cold weather on its way, hidden truths risk being revealed. After a series of near fatal mishaps, she checks herself into a rehab center, where she meets and falls in love with a fellow reformed addict. This beautifully wrought film accurately and authentically explores the wrenching road to recovery.

• HEARTSTOPPER (NR) - Meredith Henderson, Robert Englund, Nathan Stephenson, James Binkley... When serial killer Chambers (James Binkley) is put to death for his crimes, Sheriff Berger (Robert Englund) thinks the world is finally safe from the killer's wrath. But even death cannot stop this one, as Chambers escapes from the morgue with bloody revenge in mind.

• RAMPO NOIR (NR) - ASANO Tadanobu, MATSUDA Ryuhei, OMORI Nao, NARIMIYA Hiroki... This is an eclectic compilation of four stylistically different films, based on the masterpieces of great Japanese mystery writer, Edogawa Rampo (a pseudonym based on Edgar Allan Poe). These dark narratives, entitled Mars’ Canal, Mirror Hell, Caterpillar and Crawling Bug, are mysterious forays into grotesque and erotic fantasy worlds.

• PUNTO Y RAYA (NR) - Pedro Lander... This Venezuelan production follows two soldiers on opposing sides of the war between Columbia and Venezuela. Forming an unlikely friendship, the two make it through numerous close calls that bring them ever closer to each other.

10-24-06 Releases

AN AMERICAN HAUNTING (NR)
MONSTER HOUSE (PG)
NACHO LIBRE (PG)
THE ARISTOCRATS (NR)
PIZZA (NR)
MINI'S FIRST TIME (R)
BORDER WAR (NR)
JAILBAIT (NR)
SLITHER (R)
THE ROAD TO GUANTANAMO (R)

• AN AMERICAN HAUNTING (NR) - Donald Sutherland, Sissy Spacek, James D'Arcy, Rachel Hurd-Wood, Matthew Marsh... Based on true events validated by the State of Tennessee of the only case in US History where a spirit or entity caused the death of a man. With over 20 books written on the subject, and a town that still lives in fear of the return of the unseen spirit, the story of "An American Haunting" is terrifying. Between the years 1818-1820, the Bell Family of Red River, Tennessee, was visited by an unknown presence that haunted the family and eventually ended up causing the death of one its members. Starting with small sounds around the farm, and the sighting of a a strange black wolf with piercing yellow eyes, the sounds escalated into full brutal contact with certain family members, causing psychological and physical torment. The attacks grew in strength, with the spirit slapping, pulling, dragging, and beating the Bell's youngest daughter. The Bells searched for rational explanations and ways to rid their house of this entity to no avail as the spirit began to communicate with them through sounds, and eventually multiple voices that sounded like the wind. The cause of its actions could always be felt, but no being could be seen, and no explanation found -- only the promise that one day it would kill one of the family members. Fearing that the haunting was caused by a local woman (branded a witch) who had put a curse upon the family as a result of a land dispute, the Bells tried desperately to find ways to get rid of the woman's curse, yet the attacks and disturbances only escalated. It was not until a manuscript of the local schoolteacher, who lived on the property during the disturbance, was found in 1998 that the horrifying and shocking answer to what caused this haunting would finally be unveiled.

• MONSTER HOUSE (PG) - Mitchel Musso, Sam Lerner, Spencer Locke, Steve Buscemi, Maggie Gyllenhaal... Three kids, DJ (Mitchel Musso), Chowder (Sam Lerner) and Jenny (Spencer Locke), discover that the house across the street from DJ's is alive. It eats anything that goes on its property. They try to convince the babysitter (Maggie Gyllenhaal), the police, and some weirdo named Skull (Jon Heder). They try to unravel the mystery of the house and they have to go inside to find that the house is voiced by Kathleen Turner. Oh my god, it's Kathleen Turner! Run for the hills! Anyway, this movie is PG-rated, great for kids, and got two-thumbs up from Ebert & Roeper.

• NACHO LIBRE (PG) - Jack Black, Ana de la Reguera, Héctor Jiménez, Darius Rose, Moises Arias... Based on a true story. Nacho (Jack Black) is a young man who was raised in a monastery in Mexico and now works there as the cook. Fueled by his passion for wrestling, he dons a mask and cape and picks up a partner to compete in a local Lucha Libre tournament to try for the $200 prize so he can buy better food for the kids and achieve respect. When a new nun, Sister Encarnacion (Ana de la Reguera), arrives at the monastery, he tries to win her adoration as well while attempting to prove that being a Luchador isn't a sin and win the grand prize at a battle royal tournament so he can buy a bus for the kids.

• THE ARISTOCRATS (NR) - Chris Albrecht, Jason Alexander, Hank Azaria, Shelley Berman, Steven Banks... Comedy veterans and co-creators Penn Jillette and Paul Provenza capitalize on their insider status and invite over 100 of their closest friends -- who happen to be some of the biggest names in entertainment, from George Carlin, Whoopi Goldberg and Drew Carey to Gilbert Gottfried, Bob Saget, Paul Reiser and Sarah Silverman -- to reminisce, analyze, deconstruct and deliver their own versions of the world's dirtiest joke, an old burlesque too extreme to be performed in public, called "The Aristocrats."

• PIZZA (NR) - Ethan Embry, Kylie Sparks, Julie Hagerty, Judah Friedlander, Marylouise Burke... A pizza deliveryman develops a bond with a girl nearly half his age.

• MINI'S FIRST TIME (R) - Alec Baldwin, Nikki Reed, Carrie-Anne Moss, Jeff Goldblum, Luke Wilson... Desperate to be free from her drunken, unloving mother Diane, the beautiful, scheming young Mini (Reed) seduces her stepfather Martin (Baldwin) and soon convinces him to join her in a sadisctic scheme to have Diane declared insane. But their conspiracy soon escalates to murder and when John Garson, a young detective, starts investigating, Martin and Mini begin to turn on each other.

• BORDER WAR (NR) - Documentary about the battle over illegal immigration.

• JAILBAIT (NR) - Stephen Adly Guirgis, Michael Pitt, Laila Robins, David Zayas, Eric Trosman... Randy commits a victimless crime that would normally get him probation and a hefty fine, but in the "three-strikes" world of justice, he finds himself locked up for 25 years. His cellmate, Jake, is a congenial yet remorseless lifer who casually informs Randy that he slit his wife's throat because she slept with another man just three months after they exchanged vows. Jake recognizes Randy's fear and offers him advice on how to make it in prison. But it soon becomes clear that Jake has much more than mentoring in mind as he takes Randy under his wing. "Jailbait" sets a darkly cerebral tone, juxtaposing brutality with the unattainable ideal of intimacy in the harshest of psychological environments. For these two men, so yearning to be anything but who they are and where they are, power is the goal, and it's never clear who truly holds it right up to the last unsettling moment.

• SLITHER (R) - Nathan Fillion, Elizabeth Banks, Gregg Henry, Michael Rooker, Tania Saulnier... In this blend of the B movie classic The Blob (1958) and some Romero's zombies film, a meteorite collides in a small town. Grant finds it, and is infected by a parasite worm, which installs in his brain and causes a creepy transformation into a monster. Starla, his wife, and Bill, a policeman, will try to stop him and the plague of worms generated by the creature.

• THE ROAD TO GUANTANAMO (R) - Riz Ahmed, Farhad Harun, Waqar Siddiqui, Afran Usman, Shahid Iqbal... Based on a true story. In 2001, four Pakistani Britons, Ruhal Ahmed, Asif Iqbal and Shafiq Rasul and another friend, Monir, travel to Pakistan for a wedding, and in an urge of idealism, decide to see the situation of war torn Afganistan which is being bombed by the American forces in retaliation for the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Once there, with the loss of Monir in the wartime chaos, they are captured by Northern Alliance fighters. They are then handed over to the American forces who transport them to the prison camps at the Guantanamo Bay base in Cuba. What follows is three years of relentless imprisonment, interrogations and torture to make them submit to blatantly wrong confessions to being terrorists. In the midst of this abuse, the three struggle to keep their spirits up in that face of this grave injustice.

10-17-06 Releases

THE OMEN 666 (R)
OVER THE HEDGE (PG)
AMERICAN DREAMZ (PG-13)
HARD LUCK (R)
REST STOP (NR)
THE BREAK-UP (PG-13)
BEHIND ENEMY LINES II (R)
THE VIRGIN OF JUAREZ (PG-13)
CHAMPION (NR)
BLACKWATER VALLEY EXORCISM (R)
FEAST (NR)
CLOSE CALL (NR)

• THE OMEN 666 (R) - Liev Schreiber, Julia Stiles, Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick, David Thewlis, Pete Postlethwaite, Mia Farrow, Michael Gambon... In a terrifying remake of 1976 hit of the same name, The Omen is the story of man's darkest fears manifested in a truly unspeakable terror. When U.S. diplomat Robert Thorn substitutes an orphan for his own stillborn baby in an effort to spare his wife, he unknowingly brings evil into his home. A series of horrifying murders and dire warnings lead the Thorns to believe that they may in fact be raising the son of Satan!

• OVER THE HEDGE (PG) - Bruce Willis, Garry Shandling, Steve Carell, Wanda Sykes, William Shatner, Nick Nolte, Thomas Haden Church... Raccoons are very good at finding food and none is better than RJ, but when he arrives outside a large Midwest city, he encounters a group of animals that is deathly afraid of their human counterparts. With RJ's help, the hungry group venture over the hedge to find out that humans leave food in big cans and tins, ripe for the taking. But, in the process, they realize that the very woods that they call home are dangerously close to being taking away and RJ might just lose what he's always wanted -- a family to call his own.

• AMERICAN DREAMZ (PG-13) - Hugh Grant, Dennis Quaid, Mandy Moore, Willem Dafoe, Jennifer Coolidge, Marcia Gay Harden, Chris Klein... The new season of "American Dreamz" is shaping to be a battle between a cute, sweet, young Midwestern girl and a show-tunes loving young man from Orange County, California. Even the President of the United States, who hasn't been seen in public for weeks, wants in on the action and agrees to make a presentation on the season finale, crowning the winner of the most popular show on TV!

• HARD LUCK (R) - Wesley Snipes, Cybill Shepherd, Mario Van Peebles... A hard-boiled crime thriller written and directed by Mario Van Peebles (BAADASSSSS!), HARD LUCK stars Wesley Snipes (BLADE) as Lucky, an ex-dealer trying to go straight. His intentions are thwarted when he stumbles upon a large stash of stolen drugs, and his path converges with that of Cass (Cybill Shepherd), a housewife with a dark side.

• REST STOP (NR) - Jaimie Alexander, Joey Mendicino, Nick Orefice, Deanna Russo, Joseph Lawrence... Jess is at the wheel. Nicole rides shotgun. And at the end of the road stretching before them is glittering, glamorous Hollywood. They're on a road trip, all right...straight to hell. When the runaway lovers pause at an abandoned rest stop, Jess disappears. And someone else appears -- someone with his own demented sense of fun. With drills. Staple guns. Box cutters. All the tearing, grinding, ripping tools you need to hew wood. Or metal. Or people. Especially young, pretty people just like Nicole. Raw fear rules in Rest Stop, the first film from Raw Feed, the newest brand name in horror, sci-fi and thrillers. Director John Shiban, writer and executive producer of The X-Files and Supernatural, keeps the terrors and twists coming, each out-shocking the last. Stop. Stay awhile. But don't expect to rest.

• THE BREAK-UP (PG-13) - Vince Vaughn, Jennifer Aniston, Joey Lauren Adams, Jon Favreau, Jason Bateman, Judy Davis, Cole Hauser... With little to discuss after their latest argument, a frustrated Brooke decides to break up with Gary and neither of them handle it well. But with neither of them willing to give up their cosy condo, what ensues is a series of schemes, remedies and undermining tactics brought forward by their friends, confidantes and even complete strangers in an effort to drive each other crazy! But, somewhere between the constant all-night parties, the pool table in the living room or the hostilities that only two ex's can have, Brooke realizes that she might not only be fighting for the condo, but for the relationship itself.

• BEHIND ENEMY LINES II (R) - Nicholas Gonzalez, Keith David, Bruce McGill, Peter Coyote, Matt Buchell, Shane Edelman, Joseph Steven Yang... Prepare yourself for an action-pulsed, pulse-pounding, adrenaline-filled thrill ride as we once again go behind enemy lines to battle for the fate of the world. When the plans to destroy a North Korean nuclear site and avert a possible nuclear strike are aborted, the four soldiers left in enemy terrority must battle their way out and defeat the rebel forces that threaten their lives and the lives of the entire free world.

• THE VIRGIN OF JUAREZ (PG-13) - Minnie Driver, Ana Claudia Talancon, Esai Morales... Based on the ongoing unsolved murders in Cuidad Juarez, the film connects issues of politics, fanaticism and religion with murder and violence in Mexico and East L.A. In the border town of Ciudad Juarez, hundreds of young women have been brutally murdered with no arrests. Investigating these serial killings, reporter Karina Danes (Minnie Driver) meets Mariela (Ana Claudia Talancon), a rare survivor of one of these vicious attacks with an ethereal and charismatic personality. During her recovery, Mariela sees visions of the Virgin Mary and experiences the phenomenon of stigmata. She soon gathers a cult following of people looking for hope. When she moves to East L.A., Mariela’s transformation is complete. She becomes a Joan of Arc figure for a neo-Christian Latino gang in Los Angeles. Karina follows this incredible story and becomes involved in it as she tries to understand how this attack could have transformed this young woman. In the end she becomes too involved as the gang implodes in violence and tragedy.

• CHAMPION (NR) - The true life story of Korean boxer Kim Deuk-Gu, who died right after his fight with Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini in 1982.

• BLACKWATER VALLEY EXORCISM (R) - Cameron Daddo, James Russo... Based on actual events. An already troubled priest finds himself in mortal danger when called to an isolated ranch to help his old flame, whose younger sister is exhibiting signs of diabolic possession. Father Jacob's feelings for his ex are rekindled, but too late he realizes that his love is the one possessed -- not her sister.

• FEAST (NR) - Produced by Wes Craven, Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Chris Moore. Starring Krista Allen, Balthazar Getty, Clu Gulager, Navi Rawat, Judah Friedlander, Duane Whitaker, Josh Zuckerman... In the tradition of SHAUN OF THE DEAD, this tongue-in-cheek horror film features a cast of reluctant monster-vanquishers trapped in a bar. The making of the film was the focus of the third season of HBO's PROJECT GREENLIGHT.

• CLOSE CALL (NR) - Controversial director Jimmy Lee takes you on a compelling journey through the raw and explosive world of teenager Jenny Kim, who has fallen into a life of promiscuous sex, drugs, and crime. Trapped in a downward spiral of inevitable self-destruction, the only person who can save Jenny is the father who abandoned her, if he's not already too late. Hip, provocative, and shocking, Close Call is a riveting cinematic experience that will keep you enthralled from beginning to end. Inspired by a true story. Stars Annie Lee, Jeff Fahey, and Philip Moon.

10-10-06 Releases

CLICK (PG-13)
BUTTERFLY EFFECT 2 (R)
WAIST DEEP (R)
A PRAIRIE HOME COMPANION (PG-13)
ART SCHOOL CONFIDENTIAL (R)
12 AND HOLDING (R)
LAND OF PLENTY (NR)
Ulli Lommel's BLACK DAHLIA (NR)
LIVE FEED (NR)
PLAYERS (R)
SAN FRANPSYCHO (R)
PUSH (R)

• CLICK (PG-13) - Adam Sandler, Kate Beckinsale, Christopher Walken, David Hasselhoff, Henry Winkler, Sean Astin, Julie Kavner... Michael Newman has a beautiful wife and two picture-perfect children, but the stress of work has him finding very little time to spend with them. When the frustrated husband loses control, a trip to the local store gives him the opportunity of a lifetime; a universal remote that can control the TV, appliances and life itself! But in an effort to bypass the bad things and only experience the good things, he finds out that moments he would rather forget are just as important as the one he will always remember.

• BUTTERFLY EFFECT 2 (R) - Eric Lively, Erica Durance, JR Bourne, Gina Holden, Malcolm Stewart, Lindsay Maxwell, Dustin Milligan... A sequel to the hit movie of the same name, Butterfly Effect 2 is the story of Nick, who can change the past by remembering his forgotten memories through a series of blackouts.

• WAIST DEEP (R) - Tyrese Gibson, Meagan Good, Larenz Tate, The Game, Tommy Abate, Darris Love, Henry Hunter Hall... What would you do to save your son? In this action-packed thriller, a single father must do everything he can to help his son after he is kidnapped in a failed carjacking. Helped by a street-smart hustler who witnessed the crime, the law-breaking couple go on a action-packed rampage through Los Angeles; one that will pit rival elements against each other and end in a bitter struggle against the clock.

• A PRAIRIE HOME COMPANION (PG-13) - Woody Harrelson, Tommy Lee Jones, Garrison Keillor, Kevin Kline, Lindsay Lohan, Virginia Madsen, John C. Reilly... Based on the radio show that Garrison Keillor has hosted for more than 30 years, A Prairie Home Companion looks at the backstage antics during the last broadcast of the celebrated show. With a laughable pair of singing cowboys, a country music siren and her suicide-obsessed daughter, a pregnant stage coordinator and even a angel from above, the collection of songs and stories is sure to tug at the heartstrings and warm the soul.

• ART SCHOOL CONFIDENTIAL (R) - Max Minghella, Sophia Myles, John Malkovich, Jim Broadbent, Matt Keeslar, Ethan Suplee, Anjelica Huston... Determined to be the next Picasso, Jerome Platz leaves his high school and enrolls in a tiny East Coast art school with dreams of being the world's greatest artist. But neither his harsh criticisms of his fellow students nor his attempts to create his own pseudo-art win him any fans or appreciation. When the girl of his dreams and the daughter of a celebrated artists begins to fall for the newest hot young artist, the scheming Jerome concocts a risky plan to win her back and make a name for himself in the process.

• 12 AND HOLDING (R) - Marcia DeBonis, Conor Donovan, Linus Roache, Jo Weizenbaum, Annabella Sciorra, Jeremy Renner... Director Michael Cuesta follows up his debut film L.I.E. with another harrowing coming-of-age tale in TWELVE AND HOLDING. Cuesta casts young Conor Donovan as his lead, with the impressive actor playing twins -- the sociable athlete Rudy and the distinctly introspective Jacob. Joining Donovan in the cast are Jesse Camacho as Leonard, a paunchy kid reminiscent of Jerry O'Connell's Vern in STAND BY ME, and Zoe Weizenbaum as Malee, a quietly disturbed young girl with a fractured family life. The five 12-year-olds are close friends, but their lives are thrown into turmoil when a prank by local bullies goes horribly wrong and Rudy is burned alive in a tree house. As Jacob's parents fall apart at the news, the rudderless surviving twin realizes he can't rely on them for support, so he makes the surprising decision to make regular visits to the two brothers who killed Rudy as they languish in a juvenile detention center. Meanwhile, Malee copes with the tragedy by obsessing over an attractive older guy named Gus (Jeremy Renner) and Leonard gets on a health kick despite his overweight parents' protestations.

• LAND OF PLENTY (NR) - Michelle Williams, John Diehl, Shaun Toub, Wendell Pierce, Richard Edson, Burt Young, Jeris Poindexter, Gloria Stuart, Yuri Z. Elvin, Rhonda Stubbins White... Wim Wenders' emotional LAND OF PLENTY is a powerful exploration of post-9/11 America. John Diehl gives a strong performance as Paul, a Vietnam Vet who is haunted by the events of September 11 and drives the streets of Los Angeles searching for terrorists he is sure are going to strike again. DAWSON CREEK's Michelle Williams, in a breakout role, plays Paul's niece, Lana, who has been living in Israel and has come to California to work at a homeless mission. Each is firmly dedicated to what they see as their job of making America better -- and safer -- even though they come from two very different worlds. When a homeless Muslim is gunned down, Paul and Lana team up on a road trip; while Lana wants to deliver the body to the dead man's family, Paul wants to find the terrorist cell he believes the man was working for. Their cross-country journey reveals several sides of America and its multitude of reactions to the attacks on the Pentagon and the World Trade Center. Wenders, who has helmed such beautiful, offbeat films as WINGS OF DESIRE and PARIS, TEXAS, made LAND OF PLENTY in just sixteen days, using a digital camera to give it a realistic yet disarming feel, accompanied by yet another killer soundtrack, featuring songs by Leonard Cohen, David Bowie, Travis, and Thom & Nacht.

• Ulli Lommel's BLACK DAHLIA (NR) - Elissa Dowling, Sutton Christopher, Christian Behm, Jack Quinn, Jed RowanIvy Elfstrom, Johnny Holiday... Ulli Lommel (BOOGEYMAN) returns with his characteristic B-movie horror. This time he resurrects a notorious Hollywood scandal from 1947, known as the Black Dahlia, which involved the brutal murder of the unknown actress Elizabeth Short. Her killer, who left her body sliced in half, was never apprehended. Now, 50 years later, a trio of psychos are reenacting her murder over and over again.

• LIVE FEED (NR) - Colin Foo, Rob Scattergood, Taayla Markell, Kevan Ohtsji... Some gore-ladden scenes occur in the splatter-fest that is LIVE FEED. When a group of friends go away together for a peaceful vacation they find themselves at the mercy of a brutal killer, leading to a nail-biting race to save their lives.

• PLAYERS (R) - Freddy Rodriguez, Rena Owen, Peter Dobson, James Duval... Freddy Rodriguez of SIX FEET UNDER fame stars in this gritty drama as Mac, a wannabe gangster who, with the help of his Carson City, Nevada, friends, gets in over his head. When dabbling in the seedy world of sports betting gets a little too serious for Mac and his buddies, they've got to convince the real mob that they're not a serious threat.

• SAN FRANPSYCHO (R) - Joe Estevez, Eleni C. Krimitsos, Chris Angelo, Jose Rosete, Victor Zaragoza, Bonnie Steiger, Elias Castillo, Todd Bridges... A serial killer is stalking the city of San Francisco and sending a news reporter cryptic letters after each murder. As the body count rises, two police detectives, a reporter, and a priest pursue the madman, determined to put an end to his bloody carnage.

• PUSH (R) - Chazz Palminteri, Michael Rapaport, Charlotte Ayanna... Three friends become involved in the drug trade after coming into possession of a package of ecstasy, only to discover a bit too late just how dangerous things can get when you dabble in the dark side in this simmering crime drama featuring Michael Rapaport and Chazz Palminteri. No matter how hard they try, Joe, Kevin, and Mickey just can't seem to get ahead. Their lives in shambles and their finances crumbling, the desperate trio think they've hit a goldmine when, during a night on the town in a high-profile Miami nightclub, they are unexpectedly bestowed with a highly profitable package containing a healthy payload of ecstasy. In offering to distribute the drug to their personal, business, and party contacts, Joe, Kevin, and Mickey soon find themselves under the proverbial thumb of Miami's most feared drug lord. Subsequently spurned on by their initial success, the naive trio eventually agrees to increase their distribution as fading loyalties and emerging additions threaten to put a permanent end to much more than just their lucrative endeavor.

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