Dvd & Streaming
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Water Lilies
September 2, 2008
It's summer, and the girls' winning synchronized swimming team is in full swing at the vast municipal swimming pool and social hub in the Paris suburb of Cergy. It's here that Floriane, a shapely blonde with come-hither looks, is a valued performer and star of the social set. Although Marie isn't on the team, is small for her age, and is flat-chested, she becomes Floriane's confidante and cover for the budding siren's assignations, often at the expense of Marie's best friend, Anne. The aching doubts and offhanded cruelty of 15- and 16-year-old girls is on full display in this rich coming-of-age tale. [Koch Lorber Films]
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The Nightmare Before Christmas
August 26, 2008
Can Christmas be saved? Bored with the same old scare-and-scream routine, Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King of Halloween Town, longs to spread the joy of Christmas. But his merry mission puts Santa in jeopardy and creates a nightmare for good little boys and girls everywhere. [Walt Disney]
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Postal
August 26, 2008
A cult leader, his nephew and a gang of sexy commandos face off against the Taliban in an epic battle that will determine the fate of the world in this outrageously funny over-the-top spoof on the American way of life. (Vivendi Visual Entertainment)
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The Rape of Europa
August 26, 2008
The Rape of Europa is an epic journey through seven countries that follows the violent whirlwind of fanaticism, greed, and warfare, which threatened to wipe out the artistic heritage of Europe. For 12 long years, the Nazis looted and destroyed art on an unprecedented scale in history. But heroic young art historians and curators from America, as well as across Europe, fought back. They did so in a miraculous campaign to rescue then return the millions of lost, hidden, and stolen treasures. (Menemsha)
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Redbelt
August 26, 2008
Set on the west side of the Los Angeles fight world, a world inhabited by bouncers, cage fighters, cops, and special forces types, Redbelt is the story of Mike Terry, a jujitsu teacher who has avoided the prize-fighting circuit, choosing instead to pursue an honorable life by operating a self-defense studio with a samurai's code. Terry and his wife, Sondra, struggle to keep the business running to make ends meet. On a dark, rainy night, an accident at the academy between an off-duty officer and a distraught lawyer puts in motion a series of events that will change Terry's life dramatically and introduce him to a world of promoters and to movie star Chet Frank. Faced with this, in order to pay off his debts and regain his honor, Terry must step into the ring for the first time in his life. (Sony Classics)
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Son of Rambow
August 26, 2008
Son of Rambow is a hilariously fresh and visually inventive take on friendship, family, film heroes, and the death-defying adventures of growing up in the video age. The story takes place in 1980s Britain, where young Will Proudfoot is raised in isolation among The Brethren, a puritanical religious sect in which music and TV are strictly forbidden. When Will encounters his first movie, a pirated copy of Rambo: First Blood, his imagination is blown wide open. Now, Will sets out to join forces with the seemingly diabolical school bully, Lee Carter, to make their own action epic, devising wildly creative, on-the-fly stunts, not to mention equally elaborate schemes for creating a movie of total commitment and nonstop thrills while hiding out from The Brethren. When school popularity finally descends on Will and Lee in the form of, oui, the supercool French exchange student, Didier Revol, their remarkable new friendship and precious film are pushed, quite literally, to the breaking point. (Paramount Classics/Vantage)
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What Happens in Vegas
August 26, 2008
For charismatic party guy Jack Fuller and buttoned-up commodities trader Joy McNally, a rowdy weekend coincidentally shared in Las Vegas should have, by all rights, ended up being little more than a random blur. That is, if these two vacationing New Yorkers didn't have a signed marriage license staring them in the face to shockingly remind them of the giant misstep they took while feeling no pain, Vegas style. Stacking the deck, not only did Jack and Joy tie the knot after tying one on, but later scored a mind-blowing 3 million bucks in a slot machine bonanza. Well, Jack won it, with Joy's quarter. At the machine she'd already been playing. Or was it the other way around? And whose loot is it, anyway? Therein lies the weird hand dealt this bickering duo, who take their predicament back to Manhattan only to be sentenced by the intractable Judge Whopper to "six months hard marriage." Despite the hapless protests of Jack's best friend and legal counsel Steve "Hater" Hader, Whopper refuses to grant Jack and Joy an annulment, freezes the prize booty, and forces the irresponsible couple to prove they have done everything humanly possible to make their impromptu marriage work. This includes cohabitation, weekly counseling sessions, and doing something the old-school Whopper believes Jack and Joy's "generation" hates to do: try. Otherwise, the judge guarantees, the 3 million bucks will stay caught up in a legal battle so long and expensive that no one but the lawyers will ever see a penny of it. Jack and Joy take the bait, only to find themselves locked in a hilarious, patience-testing, panty-twisting game of wild one-upmanship--may the best "pretend spouse" win. Can Jack and Joy survive their six months of "wedded bliss" without killing each other, and ultimately cash in for the big payoff? Or will the fiery sparks that ricochet between them actually ignite, turning a fake relationship into something real? In the end, What Happens in Vegas may prove the biggest surprise of all. (20th Century Fox)
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Where in the World Is Osama Bin Laden?
August 26, 2008
If Morgan Spurlock has learned anything from more than 30 years of movie-watching, it's that if the world needs saving, it's best done by one lonely guy willing to face danger head-on and take it down, action hero style. In Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden?, the Oscar-nominated filmmaker takes on a franchise even more lethal than McDonald's--Al Qaeda. And after this real-life action thriller is over, the world may never be the same. So, with no military experience, knowledge, or expertise, he sets off to do what the CIA, FBI, and US military have all failed to do: find the world's most wanted man. Why take on such a seemingly impossible mission? Simple--he wants to make the world safe for his soon-to-be-born child. But before he finds bin Laden, he first needs to learn where he came from and the environment and influences that shaped him. Following bin Laden's trail through some of the most dangerous places in the world, Spurlock encounters both the rational and the radical faces of the Middle East. He interviews many people who embrace him on the streets and welcome him into their homes, often experiencing their cultures in ways that sharply contrast with the conventional media images of the region. Spurlock finds they're not that different from American families, sharing the same hopes and fears for their children that he has for his own. Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden? goes beyond shedding light on the one man that has shaped the world's perception of a region and its people. Spurlock risks life and limb to uncover the truth about bin Laden, and in doing so explores the lines that divide, those that unite, and the countless shades of grey between. (Weinstein Company)
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Deal
August 19, 2008
Set against the world of high stakes poker, DEAL follows the story of Alex Stillman, a cocky, hotshot, card-playing senior at Yale University. Alex dreams of becoming a professional Texas Hold'em poker player but does not yet have the skill to master the table. Fortunately for him, a chance encounter introduces Alex to retired poker legend, Tommy Vinson. Tommy was at the top of his game twenty years ago but gave it all up in order to save his family. Upon meeting Alex, Tommy realizes he can regain his own self-confidence, pride and a poker championship title by turning Alex into his protege. The two pair up and master every tournament they enter. The winning streak and friendship between the two is eventually thwarted by the interference of a Las Vegas call girl, Michelle. The pair eventually part ways and separately prepare for the World Poker Tour. Only one will take home the championship title. (MGM)
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Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert
August 19, 2008
Hannah Montana fans everywhere will have a chance to see their favorite singer, songwriter and actress, Miley Cyrus, perform her sold-out concert tour on the big screen in Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert. Shot during Cyrus's 54-city tour and exhibited in state-of-the-art Disney Digital 3D™, the film will be coming to theaters for a special one week engagement. (Walt Disney)
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The Life Before Her Eyes
August 19, 2008
The Life Before Her Eyes is an intense and visually evocative drama about the loss of youth, investigating how a single moment in time can define an entire life. Based on Laura Kasischke's visionary novel, the story hinges on a pivotal confrontation: two high school girls held captive by a gunman and forced to make the terrifying choice as to who will live and who will die. The Life Before Her Eyes explores the reverberations stemming from the collision of past and future, reality and dream. Life can end in an instant--yet the echoes of possible futures remain inescapable. Moving backward and forward in time, it combines the dramatic intensity of Sophie's Choice with the eerie mystery of a ghost story like The Others. (Magnolia)
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Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day
August 19, 2008
In 1939 London, Miss Guinevere Pettigrew is a middle-aged governess who finds herself once again unfairly dismissed from her job. Without so much as severance pay, Miss Pettigrew realizes that she must--for the first time in two decades--seize the day. This she does, by intercepting an employment assignment outside of her comfort level--as "social secretary." Arriving at a penthouse apartment for the interview, Miss Pettigrew is catapulted into the glamorous world and dizzying social whirl of an American actress and singer, Delysia Lafosse. Within minutes, Miss Pettigrew finds herself swept into a heady high-society milieu--and, within hours, living it up. Taking the "social secretary" designation to heart, she tries to help her new friend Delysia navigate a love life and career, both of which are complicated by the three men in Delysia's orbit: devoted pianist Michael, intimidating nightclub owner Nick, and impressionable junior impresario Phil. Miss Pettigrew herself is blushingly drawn to the gallant Joe, a successful designer who is tenuously engaged to haughty fashion maven Edythe, the one person who senses that the new "social secretary" may be out of her element and schemes to undermine her. During the next 24 hours, Guinevere and Delysia will empower one another to discover their romantic destinies. [Focus Features]
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Primo Levi's Journey
August 19, 2008
Primo Levi’s Journey is a picaresque road trip through history. In 1945, famous writer Primo Levi, was released from Auschwitz and took a thousand-mile walk through war torn Europe to return to his home in Turin, Italy. This documentary pieces together that journey.
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Prom Night
August 19, 2008
Donna's senior prom is supposed to be the best night of her life. After surviving a horrible tragedy, she has finally moved on and is enjoying her last year of high school. Surrounded by her best friends, she should be safe from the horrors of her past. But when the night turns deadly, there is only one person who could be responsible...a man she thought was gone forever. Now, Donna and her friends must find a way to escape the sadistic rampage of an obsessed killer, and survive a night "to die for." (Sony Pictures)
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Street Kings
August 19, 2008
In Street Kings, a police thriller directed by David Ayer, Keanu Reeves plays Tom Ludlow, a veteran LAPD Vice detective. Ludlow sets out on a quest to discover the killers of his former partner, Detective Terrance Washington. Academy Award winner Forest Whitaker plays Captain Wander, Ludlow's supervisor, whose duties include keeping him within the confines of the law and out of the clutches of Internal Affairs Captain Biggs (Hugh Laurie). Ludlow teams up with a young Robbery-Homicide detective (Chris Evans) to track Washington's killers through the diverse communities of Los Angeles. Their determination pays off when the two detectives track down Washington's murderers and confront them in an attempt to bring them to justice. (Fox Searchlight)
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Calamity Jane
August 18, 2008
Doris Day and Howard Keel star as "Calamity" Jane and "Wild Bill" Hickock in this lighthearted musical based on the lives of two real celebrities of the American West. Calamity Jane is a the roughest, toughest gal in the town of Deadwood. And only Wild Bill Hickock is man enough to discover the lady underneath the tough talk and gun belts.
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Mr. & Mrs. Smith
August 15, 2008
A couple who have been married for three years are shocked to learn that their marriage is not legally valid.
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Stage Fright
August 15, 2008
A struggling actress tries to help a friend prove his innocence after he's accused of murdering the husband of a high-society entertainer.
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CJ7
August 12, 2008
Ti is a poor father who works all day, every day at a construction site to make sure his son Dicky Chow can attend an elite private school. Despite his father's good intentions to give his son the opportunities he never had, Dicky, with his dirty and tattered clothes and none of the "cool" toys, stands out from his schoolmates like a sore thumb. Ti can't afford to buy Dicky any expensive toys and goes to the best place he knows to get new stuff for Dicky: the junkyard! While out "shopping" for a new toy for his son, Ti finds a mysterious orb and brings it home for Dicky to play with. To his surprise and disbelief, the orb reveals itself to Dicky as a bizarre "pet" with extraordinary powers. Armed with his "CJ7," Dicky seizes this chance to overcome his poor background and shabby clothes and impress his fellow schoolmates for the first time in his life. But CJ7 has other ideas, and when Dicky brings it to class, chaos ensues. [Sony Pictures]
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Felon
August 12, 2008
A loving family man with a promising future, Wade Porter suddenly loses everything when he accidentally kills the burglar who broke into his home. Convicted of involuntary manslaughter, Wade is sentenced to spend the next three years inside a maximum security facility where the rules of society no longer apply. Forced to share a cell with a notorious mass murderer and subjected to brutal beatings orchestrated by the sadistic head prison guard, Wade soon realizes he’s in for the fight of his life and must become the toughest Felon of them all if he’s to survive the block. For what doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger. And in state prison, only the strongest will survive. (Sony Pictures)
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Irina Palm
August 12, 2008
Middle-aged Maggie must find a way to get enough money for her grandson’s lifesaving medical treatment. With all financial resources exhausted, Maggie tries her best to lift the dwindling hopes of her only son Tom and his wife Sarah. When a “Hostess Wanted” sign catches her eye, Maggie naively stumbles into a city sex club. The true job description is quite a surprise for the respectable, middle-class widow, even if she isn’t a prude. But unskilled Maggie accepts this as her fastest way to urgently needed cash and her very last option, having already sold her own home to pay for little Olly’s hospital bills.
Shy Maggie has a rough start at “Sexy World,” more than just a train ride from her conservative suburb. Wisecracking colleague Luisa shows her the ropes and the two women strike a touching friendship. Tough guy owner Miki, a real ladies’ man, reveals a soft spot for dutiful Maggie, and transforms her into the much-in-demand and lucrative “Irina Palm.” Maggie courageously proves to herself that she’s not so old and useless after all. (Strand Releasing)
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Smart People
August 12, 2008
Professor Lawrence Wetherhold might be imperiously brilliant, but when it comes to solving the conundrums of love and family, he's as downright flummoxed as the next guy. His teenage daughter is an acid-tongued overachiever who follows all too closely in dad's misery-loving footsteps, and his adopted, preposterously ne'er-do-well brother has perfected the art of freeloading. A widower who can't seem to find passion in anything anymore, not even the Victorian literature in which he's an expert, Lawrence seems to be sleepwalking through a very stunted middle age. When his brother shows up unexpectedly for an extended stay just as he accidentally encounters a former student, Janet, the circumstances stir him from his deep freeze, with often comical, sometimes heartbreaking consequences for himself and everyone around him. [Miramax]
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The Counterfeiters
August 5, 2008
The true story of Salomon Sorowitsch, counterfeiter extraordinaire and bohemian who was in captured by the Nazis in 1944. He agrees to help the Nazis in an organized counterfeiting operation set up to finance the war effort. It was the biggest counterfeit-money scam of all time. Over 130 million pounds sterling were printed under conditions that couldn't have been more tragic or spectacular. During the last years of the war, as the German Reich saw that the end was near, the authorities decided to produce their own banknotes in the currencies of their major war enemies. They hoped to use the duds to flood the enemy economy and fill the empty war coffers. At the Sachsenhausen concentration camp, two barracks were separated from the rest of the camp and the outside world, and transformed into a fully equipped counterfeiters workshop. "Operation Bernhard" was born. Prisoners were brought to Sachsenhausen from other camps to implement the plan, and professional printers, fastidious bank officials, and simple craftsmen all became members of the top-secret counterfeiter crew. They had a choice: If they cooperated with the enemy, they had a chance to survive as first-class prisoners in a "golden cage" with enough to eat and a bed to sleep in. If they sabotaged the operation, a sure death awaited them. For the counterfeiters, it was not only a question of saving their own lives, but also about saving their conscience as well... [Sony Classics]
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Miss Conception
August 5, 2008
Georgina Scott is a broody 33 year-old who sends her partner packing when it becomes obvious that he doesn’t share her desire for a bundle of joy. Zak was going away on a documentary shoot anyway and he hopes that she’ll cool off in his absence. But Georgina discovers that early menopause runs in her family and heads for a specialist with her reluctant best friend Clem in tow. Learning that her baby making days are numbered and her next cycle will be her last, Georgina enlists the help of Clem and their camp pal, Justin, to make the most of it. A battle plan is drawn up but their escapades become increasingly frantic and elaborate as Georgina explores internet sperm donors, night clubbers, builders and funeral-goers in her desperate and hilarious attempts to beat the biological clock. (First Look Studios)
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My Brother Is an Only Child
August 5, 2008
Already a smash in its native Italy, My Brother is an Only Child, which was presented at this year's Cannes and Toronto film festivals, reunites director Daniele Luchetti with longtime collaborators Sandro Petraglia and Stefano Rulli, best known as screenwriters of the highly acclaimed The Best of Youth. Set in a small Italian town in the '60s and '70s, the film tells the story of two brothers who want to change the world--but in completely different ways. The elder, Manrico, is a handsome, charismatic firebrand who becomes the prime mover in the local Communist party. Accio, the younger, more rebellious brother, finds his own contrarian voice by joining the reactionary Fascists. What starts as a typical tale of sibling rivalry becomes a story of the polarizing and paralyzing politics of those turbulent times. The rift between the brothers is further intensified when Accio realizes that he loves his brother's girlfriend, Francesca, who like everyone else is blind to Manrico's increasingly dangerous ideas. (THINKFilm)
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Nim's Island
August 5, 2008
Anything can happen on Nim's Island, a magical place ruled by a young girl's imagination. It is an existence that mirrors that of Nim's favorite literary character, Alex Rover, the world's greatest adventurer. But Alexandra, the author of the Rover books, leads a reclusive life in the big city. When Nim's father goes missing from their island, a twist of fate brings her together with Alexandra. Now, they must draw courage from their fictional hero, Alex Rover, and find strength in each other to conquer Nim's Island. (Fox Walden)
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Anchors Aweigh
August 4, 2008
Two sailors, one naive, the other experienced in the ways of the world, a musical set in Los Angeles.
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Another Thin Man
August 4, 2008
An explosives manufacturer suspects a young man is out to kill him. He calls in new parents Nick and Nora to sort things out.
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The Asphalt Jungle
August 4, 2008
A major heist goes off as planned, but then double crosses, bad luck and solid police work cause everything to unravel.
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The Band's Visit
July 29, 2008
The Alexandria Ceremonial Police Orchestra arrives in Israel to play at the opening of an Arab Cultural
Center. Dressed in full regalia and observing all military police protocol, the members of the orchestra are at a pivotal time in their careers. It’s not just the political nature of an Arab military police band playing
traditional Arab music in Israel that makes this event so important; budget cuts and many reorganizations
have threatened the continued existence of the Orchestra. Faced with the heavy burden of this assignment, the stoic conductor Tewfiq is determined not to foul their excursion. Despite all Tewfiqs efforts, it’s not long before problems arise. The band arrives at the airport with no one there to greet them. Stranded and unable able to contact their Israeli hosts or the Egyptian consulate for help, Tewfiq decides that the Orchestra will persevere with its assignment and orders, and designates Khaled, a sauve young ladies man, to ask for directions. Khaled and the station agent struggle in English, Arabic and Hebrew to communicate, but despite their best efforts, the Orchestra is sent to the outskirts of a small forgotten Israeli town in the desert. (Sony Classics)
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The Cool School
July 29, 2008
The Cool School is the story of American art in the 1950s and '60s, LA's coming of age, and a distinctive, fraternal group of headstrong talents. The renowned Ferus Art Gallery groomed certain members of the LA art scene from a loose band of idealistic beatniks into a coterie of competitive, often-brilliant artists. What was lost and gained is tied up in complex web of egos, passions, money, and art. The Cool School is about San Francisco versus LA, New York versus LA, commercialism, and bohemianism. Ferus managed to do for art in LA what the museums would not; the gallery gave birth to a vibrant, coalescing scene. Assemblage art, abstract expressionism, or Pop--the men of Ferus shared ideas, goals, studios, women, and a vision. The Cool School is an extraordinary lesson in how a city can build an art scene from scratch without losing its soul. (Tremolo Productions)
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Doomsday
July 29, 2008
Authorities brutally quarantine a country as it succumbs to fear and chaos when a virus strikes. The literal walling-off works for three decades--until the dreaded Reaper virus violently resurfaces in a major city. An elite group of specialists, captained by Eden Sinclair (Rhona Mitra), is urgently dispatched into the still-quarantined country to retrieve a cure by any means necessary. Shut off from the rest of the world, the unit must battle through a landscape that has become a waking nightmare. (Universal Pictures)
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Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay
July 29, 2008
Harold and Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay marks the triumphant return of these two hilarious, slacker anti-heroes. Their last adventure found them traveling across country to find a White Castle hamburger in order to satisfy a weed-induced case of "the munchies." This time, the boys get themselves in trouble trying to sneak a bong on board a flight to Amsterdam. Now, being suspected of terrorism, they are forced to run from the law and try to find a way to prove their innocence. What follows is an irreverent and epic journey of deep thoughts, deeper inhaling and a wild trip around the world that is as "un-PC" as it gets. (New Line Cinema)
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Kirikou and the Wild Beasts
July 29, 2008
Kirikou's Grandfather says that the story of Kirikou and The Witch was too short, so he proceeds to explain more about Kirikou's accomplishments. We find out how little boy became a gardener, a detective, a maker of pottery, a merchant, a traveler and a doctor.
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Never Back Down
July 29, 2008
Jake Tyler never goes looking for trouble, but it always seems to find him. Since the breakup of his parents' marriage, it's everywhere he turns. Freshly transplanted from a sleepy Iowa town to the heat and flash of new-money Orlando, Florida, Jake seems headed for even more rocky terrain as he is pulled into an underground fighting league--a kind of fight club for teens. With the help of his new group of friends--a fight and life-savvy coach, a free-thinking and adventurous girlfriend, and a scrawny but charming best friend--Jake manages to rise above the chaos around him. But just as he's beginning to feel like he's in control, his world is turned upside down once again by an unrelenting campaign to get him back in the ring. (Summit Entertainment)
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Shine a Light
July 29, 2008
Martin Scorsese's concert documentary Shine a Light will show the world the Rolling Stones as they've never been seen before. Filming at the famed Beacon Theatre in New York City in fall 2006, Scorsese assembled a legendary team of cinematographers to capture the raw energy of the legendary band. (Paramount)
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Surfwise
July 29, 2008
Like many American outsider adventurers, Dorian "Doc" Paskowitz set out to realize a utopian dream. Abandoning a successful medical practice, he sought self-fulfillment by taking up the nomadic life of a surfer. But unlike other American searchers like Thoreau or Kerouac, Paskowitz took his wife and nine children along for the ride, all 11 of them living in a 24-foot camper. Together, they lived a life that would be unfathomable to most, but enviable to anyone who ever relinquished their dreams to a straight job. The Paskowitz Family proved that, though America may be running out of frontiers, it hasn't run out of frontiersman. (Magnolia Pictures)
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21
July 22, 2008
Ben Campbell is a shy, brilliant MIT student who, needing to pay school tuition, finds the answers in the cards. He is recruited to join a group of the school's most gifted students that heads to Vegas every weekend armed with fake identities and the know-how to turn the odds at blackjack in their favor. With unorthodox math professor and stats genius Micky Rosa leading the way, they crack the code. By counting cards and employing an intricate system of signals, the team can beat the casinos big-time. Seduced by the money, the Vegas lifestyle, and his smart and sexy teammate, Jill Taylor (Kate Bosworth), Ben begins to push the limits. Though counting cards isn't illegal, the stakes are high, and the challenge becomes not only keeping the numbers straight, but staying one step ahead of the casinos' menacing enforcer, Cole Williams. (Columbia Pictures)
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High and Low
July 22, 2008
An executive of a Yokohama shoe company becomes a victim of extortion when his chauffeur's son is kidnapped by mistake and held for ransom.
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The Last Winter
July 22, 2008
In one of the most pristine landscapes in the world, a team working to exploit Alaska's oil resources is tormented by an unseen evil. After one crew member is found dead, disorientation slowly claims the sanity of the other members of the team as each of them succumbs to an unknown fear. This creeping dread bursts open when a malevolent wind brings down a plane that approaches the station. Explosions and carnage wreak havoc on the team, and all functions fail in the camp, forcing two of the members out into the cold on a desperate bid for survival. As these two journey to find help, they find themselves utterly alone in a world that is unraveling--either they are being stalked by an invisible herd of menacing phantoms, or they are going mad. (IFC Films)
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Turn the River
July 22, 2008
A poker-playing pool hustler takes her last shot at redemption by trying to score enough money to run away with the son she was forced to abandon at birth. [Screen Media Films]
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Without the King
July 22, 2008
Winner of the Special Jury Prize at the Hot Docs International Documentary Festival, this acclaimed film tells an astonishing story of Africa’s last absolute monarchy, the Kingdom of Swaziland. King Mswati III, a distant figure out of touch with his home and country, rules by decree and lives a life of luxury together with his 12 wives, while his subjects suffer from crushing poverty and the world’s highest HIV infection rate. With unprecedented access, we meet headstrong first wife Queen LaMbikiza, eldest child and teen rapper, Princess Sikhanyiso, King Mswati himself, as well as many Swazi citizens who are plotting his downfall. Filmmaker Michael Skolnik captures the birth of a nation's revolution, and the dawning awareness of a young Swazi princess as she realizes the contrast between her impoverished country and her lavish lifestyle. (First Run Features)
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The Bank Job
July 15, 2008
A car dealer with a dodgy past and new family, Terry has always avoided major-league scams. But when Martine, a beautiful model from his old neighborhood, offers him a lead on a foolproof bank hit on London's Baker Street, Terry recognizes the opportunity of a lifetime. Martine targets a roomful of safe-deposit boxes worth millions in cash and jewelry. But Terry and his crew don't realize the boxes also contain a treasure trove of dirty secrets--secrets that will thrust them into a deadly web of corruption and illicit scandal that spans London's criminal underworld, the highest echelons of the British government, and the Royal Family itself. This is the true story of a heist gone wrong in all the right ways.
(Lionsgate)
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College Road Trip
July 15, 2008
Choosing which college to attend can be the most exciting and thrilling time of a young woman's life... unless your overprotective father isn't quite ready to let you go. In the Disney family comedy College Road Trip, Melanie is eagerly looking forward to her first big step toward independence when she plans a "girls only" road trip to check out prospective universities. But when her overbearing police-chief father insists on escorting her instead, she soon finds her dream trip has turned into a hilarious nightmare adventure full of comical misfortune and turmoil. (Walt Disney Pictures)
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Meet Bill
July 15, 2008
Bill's a doormat if ever there was one, a man reduced to being a mere accessory to his family by working a dead-end job at his father-in-law's bank and arguing about his overindulgent love for chocolate with his wife, Jess, who is loathe to explain her "friendship" with the local news anchorman. But Bill's fate begins to change when he becomes a mentor to a self-assured boy who engineers Bill's recovery with the help of a cute lingerie salesgirl named Lucy (Jessica Alba). Together, the trio confronts Bill's hapless life with humor and energy while forcing him to capture his dream of being financially independent and self-confident. Meet Bill is a film about what it means to let go of your inhibitions and find the path you're destined for. (First Look Pictures)
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Penelope
July 15, 2008
Penelope is a magical modern-day fairytale about love and self-acceptance. Penelope Wilhern, born to wealthy socialites, is afflicted by a secret family curse that can only be broken when she is "loved by one of her own kind." Hidden away in her family's estate, the lonely girl is subjected to meeting a string of blue bloods through her parent's futile attempts to break the curse. Each suitor is enamored with Penelope (and her sizable dowry)...until the curse is revealed. Lemon, a mischievous tabloid reporter, wants a photograph of the mysterious Penelope and hires Max to pose as a prospective suitor to get the shot. The handsome down-on-his-luck gambler finds himself falling for Penelope, but not wanting to disappoint her, he disappears. Fed up with this latest betrayal and determined to live life on her own terms, Penelope breaks free from her family, venturing into the world alone. She finds friendship, adventure, and becomes the person she was meant to be out on her own. And, as in all good fairytales, she manages to find her Prince Charming to live happily ever after. (Summit Entertainment)
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Shutter
July 15, 2008
For photographer Ben and his new wife Jane, his new assignment--a lucrative fashion shoot in Tokyo--was supposed to be a kind of working honeymoon. With this exotic professional opportunity and the limitless possibilities of a new marriage, Ben and Jane arrive in Japan. But as they make their way on a mountain road leading to Mt. Fuji, their new life together comes to, literally, a crashing halt. Their car smashes into a woman standing in the middle of the road who has materialized out of nowhere. Upon regaining consciousness after the accident, Ben and Jane cannot find any trace of the girl Jane believes she hit. Shaken by the accident and by the girl's disappearance, Ben and Jane arrive in Tokyo, where Ben begins his glamorous assignment. Having worked in Japan before and fluent in the language, Ben is comfortable there, and he eagerly reunites with old friends and colleagues. Jane, a newcomer to the city, feels very much like a stranger in a strange land as she makes tentative, unsettling forays through the city. Meanwhile, Ben has discovered mysterious white blurs--eerily evocative of a human form--that have materialized on an entire day's work from the expensive photo shoot. Jane's concerns escalate as she believes the blurs in Ben's photos are the dead girl from the road, who is now seeking vengeance for them leaving her to die... (20th Century Fox)
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Step Up 2: The Streets
July 15, 2008
Step Up 2 the Streets is the follow-up to the smash hit Step Up, which ignited theaters in August 2006. When rebellious street dancer Andie lands at the elite Maryland School of the Arts, she finds herself fighting to fit in while trying to hold onto her old life. When she joins forces with the school's hottest dancer, Chase, to form a crew of classmate outcasts to compete in Baltimore's underground dance battle "The Streets," she ultimately finds a way to live her dream while building a bridge between her two separate worlds. (Touchstone Pictures)
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The Year My Parents Went on Vacation
July 15, 2008
Set in the turbulent year of 1970, The Year My Parents Went on Vacation is a poignant and humorous coming-of-age story. Mauro is a 12-year-old boy thrust into a maelstrom of political and personal upheaval. When his left-wing militant parents are forced to go underground, Mauro is left in the care of his Jewish grandfather's neighbor in Sao Paulo. Suddenly finding himself an exile in his own country, Mauro is forced to create an ersatz family from the religiously diverse and colorful population of his new neighborhood. Mauro befriends Hanna, a street-smart tomboy, and develops a crush on Irene, a pretty waitress in a local bar. It is at this local bar that everyone, including Mauro (an ardent soccer fan), gathers to watch iconic star Pelé in the 1970 World Cup championship, which Mauro hopes to watch with his parents if they return to Brazil in time. (City Lights Pictures)
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Chop Shop
July 8, 2008
Alejandro spends his days in an adult world, running errands and convincing customers to come to his boss's garage instead of a competitor's garage. He's also learning how to paint and repair cars. Although conditions are harsh, his life is sprinkled with moments of happiness as he carves out a life for himself in the wasteland of the Iron Triangle. The brightest of these moments is the arrival of his sister Isamar, who moves in with him in the tiny room that he has found for them perched in the back of the shop where he works. Knowing that creating a better life for the two of them is their best bet at staying together, Alejandro finds her a job in a food van cooking and selling meals to the workers in the Iron Triangle. With a mixture of childlike naiveté and adult ambition, Alejandro begins obsessively saving his money to buy a mobile food van. The two dream about owning and running a small business of their own. But when their dream--as well as their loving relationship--is threatened by the hard truths of life, work, and one another, the children find themselves forced to make the kinds of difficult decisions that most adults never have to face. (Koch Lorber)
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Joe Strummer: The Future Is Unwritten
July 8, 2008
As the lead singer of The Clash from 1977 onward, Joe Strummer changed people's lives forever. Four years after his death, his influence reaches out around the world, more strongly now than ever before. In The Future Is Unwritten, from British film director Julien Temple, Joe Strummer is revealed not just as a legend or musician, but as a true communicator of our times. Drawing on both a shared punk history and the close personal friendship that developed over the last years of Joe's life, Julien Temple's film is a celebration of Joe Strummer--before, during, and after The Clash. (IFC Films)
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The Ruins
July 8, 2008
Based on the terrifying best-seller by Scott Smith, The Ruins follows a group of friends who become entangled in a brutal struggle for survival after visiting a remote archaeological dig in the Mexican jungle, where they discover something deadly living among the ruins. (DreamWorks)
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Sleepwalking
July 8, 2008
Forced out of her home after her boyfriend is arrested, Joleen Reedy needs a place to stay with her 11-year-old daughter, Tara. She turns for help to her younger brother, James--a simple and overly trusting man who doesn't hesitate to welcome them into his modest rental apartment. Almost as soon as she moves in, however, Joleen hits the road with another man. Utterly ill-equipped to be the sole guardian of an adolescent girl, James does his best to make his distraught niece happy. But before long, things spin out of control: He loses his job, and Tara is put into foster care. That's when James makes a fateful decision that will bring his life full circle and force him to face his demons. He takes off with Tara, and the two assume new identities as father and daughter. What starts out as a ploy to evade authorities takes on a deeper significance as James strives to become the dad Tara never had and for the first time finds a true purpose in life. But when their road trip takes them to the Utah farm where James grew up, old wounds reopen between James and his father, whose emotionally abusive and sometimes violent ways have changed little since James was a boy. (Overture Films)
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Stop-Loss
July 8, 2008
Sgt. Brandon King fought for America. He fought for freedom. He fought for his family. He gave everything, and then he came home to begin his life anew. But now his superiors want more: They want him back. (Paramount Pictures)
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Superhero Movie
July 8, 2008
How many superheroes does it take to save the world? The creators of The Naked Gun and Scary Movie answer this question in hysterical David Zucker fashion with the uproarious comedy Superhero Movie. Meet Rick Riker. He's young, he's cool, and he's got superpowers. Now, if he only knew how to use them... But the world is in danger, and no one is safe when Zucker and the gang--headed by the hilarious cast of Drake Bell, Leslie Nielsen, Tracy Morgan, Pamela Anderson, Regina Hall, and many others--take aim at some of the biggest blockbusters of our time, including Spider-Man, Batman, X-Men, and Fantastic Four, to name a few. On March 28, learning to fly, spinning a web, and busting a gut has never been this much fun. (The Weinstein Company)
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The Tracey Fragments
July 8, 2008
Based on screenwriter Maureen Medved's novel of the same name, The Tracey Fragments uses highly inventive and dynamic Mondrian-like split screens to tell the story of why 15-year-old Tracey Berkowitz is riding out a blizzard in the back of a city bus, naked except for the tattered curtain she's wrapped in, and looking for her missing brother (whom she fears she has hypnotized).
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City of Men
July 1, 2008
Growing up in a culture dictated by violence, as well as street gangs, teenagers Acerola and Laranjinha have become close as brothers. With their 18th birthdays fast approaching, Laranjinha sets out to find the father he never met, while Acerola struggles to raise his own young son. But when they suddenly find themselves on opposite sides of a gang war, the lifelong friends are forced to confront a shocking secret from their shared past. (Miramax)
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Drillbit Taylor
July 1, 2008
Ryan, Wade, and Emmit attend their first day at high school and they're pumped...until they meet up with Filkins, a school bully who comes off like a little Hannibal Lecter. Before they become completely engulfed in Filkins' reign of terror, they seek out some protection by placing an ad in Soldier of Fortune magazine. Their best response (and the cheapest) comes from Drillbit Taylor, a down-on-his luck soldier of fortune who lives a homeless--he likes to say "home-free"--existence on the beach. He enrolls them in some physical and mental training. (Paramount Pictures)
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The Hidden
July 1, 2008
A cop and an FBI agent race for answers after law abiding people suddenly become violent criminals.
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Meet the Browns
July 1, 2008
A single mother living in inner-city Chicago, Brenda has been struggling for years to make ends meet and keep her three kids off the street. But when she's laid off with no warning, she starts losing hope for the first time--until a letter arrives announcing the death of a father she's never met. Desperate for any kind of help, Brenda takes her family to Georgia for the funeral. But nothing could have prepared her for the Browns, her father's fun-loving, crass Southern clan. In a small-town world full of long afternoons and country fairs, Brenda struggles to get to know the family she never knew existed...and finds a brand-new romance that just might change her life. (Lionsgate)
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My Blueberry Nights
July 1, 2008
After a rough breakup, Elizabeth (Norah Jones) sets out on a trip across America, leaving behind a life of memories, a dream, and a soulful new friend, a cafe owner, all to search for something to mend her broken heart. Waitressing her way through the country, Elizabeth befriends others whose yearnings are greater than hers, including a troubled cop, his estranged wife, and a down-on-her luck gambler with a score to settle. Through these individuals, Elizabeth witnesses the true depths of loneliness and emptiness, and begins to understand that her own journey is part of a greater exploration within herself. [The Weinstein Company]
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Sex and Death 101
July 1, 2008
Roderick Blank is a successful executive and ladies' man whose life is turned around by an e-mail that includes the names of everyone he's had and ever will have sex with. (Anchor Bay Entertainment)
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Shotgun Stories
July 1, 2008
Son Hayes never speaks of the scars on his back. The shotgun pellets left under his skin make for a sporadic pattern of blue-black dots. The men he works with take bets on how he got them. His brothers, Boy and Kid Hayes, don't discuss it. His past, just like the scars, is never far behind him. This stands true for the memory of his father, a man who never bothered to give his children proper names. He left the three brothers, Son, Boy, and Kid, when they were young. Their last impressions of him were of a violent drunk who never hesitated to put his own needs ahead of his family's. The brothers were left to be raised by their mother, a hateful woman who to this day blames her children for the life she's been left with and the loss of the man she couldn't keep. Their father, having left the memory of his children as completely as he left their home, managed to move on and put his life back together. He sobered up, became a devout Christian, married a wonderful woman, and fathered four new sons--all of whom received proper names. His life became a model that most would aspire to--a man successful in business, community, and family--with his only true failing being the sons he turned his back on. (Liberation Entertainment)
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Vantage Point
July 1, 2008
In Columbia Pictures' action-packed thriller Vantage Point, eight strangers with eight different points of view try to unlock the truth behind an assassination attempt on the president of the United States. Thomas Barnes and Kent Taylor are two Secret Service agents assigned to protect President Ashton at a landmark summit on the global war on terror. When President Ashton is shot moments after his arrival in Spain, chaos ensues and disparate lives collide in the hunt for the assassin. In the crowd is Howard Lewis, an American tourist who thinks he's captured the shooter on his camcorder while videotaping the event for his kids back home. Also there, relaying the historic event to millions of TV viewers across the globe, is American TV news producer Rex Brooks. As they and others reveal their stories, the pieces of the puzzle will fall into place...and it will become apparent that shocking motivations lurk just beneath the surface. (Columbia Pictures)
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10,000 BC
June 24, 2008
In a remote mountain tribe, the young hunter D'Leh has found his heart's passion: the beautiful Evolet. But when a band of mysterious warlords raid his village and kidnap Evolet, D'Leh leads a small group of hunters to pursue the warlords to the end of the world to save her. As they venture into unknown lands for the first time, the group discovers there are civilizations beyond their own and that humankind's reach is far greater than they ever knew. At each encounter, the group is joined by other tribes who have been attacked by the slave raiders, which turns D'Leh's once-small band into an army. Driven by destiny, the unlikely warriors must battle prehistoric predators while braving the harshest elements. At their heroic journey's end, they uncover a lost civilization and learn their ultimate fate lies in an empire beyond imagination, where great pyramids reach into the skies. Here they will take their stand against a tyrannical god who has brutally enslaved their own. And it is here that D'Leh finally comes to understand that he has been called to save not only Evolet but all of civilization. (Warner Bros.)
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Bonneville
June 24, 2008
Three friends "come of age" for a second time on a trip across the great American West. Faced with the decision of a lifetime, Arvilla Holden loads up her 1966 Bonneville convertible and, with her friends in tow, sets out from Pocatello, Idaho, en route to Santa Barbara, California. As they make detours to such spots as Bryce Canyon and Las Vegas, it doesn't take long for the women to realize Arvilla has something unexpected in store. But no one realizes that what began as a simple trip will end up becoming a chance to rediscover themselves, their friendships, the importance of promises--and of letting go. (SenArt Films)
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Charlie Bartlett
June 24, 2008
Charlie Bartlett, a wealthy, intelligent 17-year-old, has been kicked out of nearly every boarding school in town and is now enrolled in the local public high school, headed by the reluctant Principal Gardner. Initially struggling to find a place in the new school, Charlie eventually establishes himself as the supportive listener who dispenses well-needed advice, and the occasional prescription, to mixed-up teens. As intuitive Charlie befriends and emotionally influences nearly every student at Western Summit High, the entire school begins to transform into a very different place. (Kimmel International)
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Crimewave
June 24, 2008
A pair of crazy exterminator/hitmen kill the owner of a alarm security company, and stalk the partner who hired them, his wife, and a nerd framed for the murder.
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Definitely, Maybe
June 24, 2008
Will is a 30-something Manhattan dad in the midst of a divorce whose 10-year-old daughter, Maya, starts to question him about his life before marriage. Maya wants to know absolutely everything about how her parents met and fell in love. Will's story begins in 1992 as a young, starry-eyed aspiring politician who moves to New York from Wisconsin to work on the Clinton campaign. For Maya, Will relives his past as an idealistic young man learning the ins and outs of big-city politics. He also recounts the history of his romantic relationships with three very different women. Will hopelessly attempts a "PG" version of his story for his daughter and changes the names so Maya has to guess which woman her father finally married. Is her mother Will's college sweetheart, the dependable girl-next-door Emily (Elizabeth Banks)? Is she his longtime best friend and confidante, the apolitical April (Isla Fisher)? Or is she the free-spirited but ambitious journalist Summer? As Maya puts together the pieces of her dad's romantic puzzle, she begins to understand that love is not so simple or easy. And as Will tells her his tale, Maya helps him to understand that it's definitely never too late to go back...maybe even to find a happy ending. (Universal Studios)
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The Hammer
June 24, 2008
Jerry Ferro's 40th birthday has brought his life into sharp relief, and it's not a pretty picture. A once-promising amateur boxer who quit so he wouldn't risk his perfect record of underachievement, Jerry has been knocking around from one construction job to another and spinning his wheels in an unsatisfying relationship, all the while with an eye toward eventually getting his shit together. His last connection to the fight game is the evening boxing class he teaches to middle-aged, middle-class, middle-management types at a gym in Pasadena, where he also works as a handyman. When venerable boxing coach Eddie Bell asks Jerry if he'd like to spar a couple of rounds with Malice Blake, an up-and-coming pro, Jerry reluctantly steps into the ring. Despite the butt-kicking Jerry otherwise receives, a one-punch knockdown of Blake convinces Jerry that it's time to make his return to competitive boxing. Thus ends a 20-year layoff and begins a hilarious fish-out-of-water quest for Olympic gold. (Independent Film Circuit)
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Heroes
June 24, 2008
A Vietnam veteran suffering from post traumatic stress disorder breaks out of a VA hospital and goes on a road trip with a sympathetic traveler to find out what became of the other men in his unit.
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Honeydripper
June 24, 2008
It's 1950, and it's a make-or-break weekend for Tyrone Purvis (Danny Glover), the proprietor of the Honeydripper Lounge. Deep in debt, Tyrone is desperate to bring back the crowds that used to come to his place. He decides to lay off his longtime blues singer Bertha Mae and announces that he has hired a famous guitar player, Guitar Sam, for a one-night-only gig in order to save the club. Into town drifts Sonny Blake, a young man with nothing to his name but big dreams and the guitar case in his hand. Rejected by Tyrone when he applies to play at the Honeydripper, he is intercepted by the corrupt local sheriff, arrested for vagrancy, and rented out as an unpaid cotton picker to the highest bidder. But when Tyrone's ace-in-the-hole fails to materialize at the train station, his desperation leads him back to Sonny and the strange, wire-dangling object in his guitar case. The Honeydripper Lounge is all set to play its part in rock and roll history. (Emerging Pictures)
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In Bruges
June 24, 2008
Very much out of place amidst the gothic architecture, canals, and cobbled streets, the two hit men fill their days living the lives of tourists. Ray, still haunted by the bloodshed in London, hates the place, while Ken, even as he keeps a fatherly eye on Ray's often profanely funny exploits, finds his mind and soul being expanded by the beauty and serenity of the city. But the longer they stay waiting for Harry's call, the more surreal their experience becomes, as they find themselves in weird encounters with locals, tourists, violent medieval art, a dwarf American actor shooting a European art film, Dutch prostitutes, and a potential romance for Ray in the form of Chloe, who may have some dark secrets of her own. And when the call from Harry does finally come, Ken and Ray's vacation becomes a life-and-death struggle of darkly comic proportions and surprisingly emotional consequences. [Focus Features]
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Persepolis
June 24, 2008
Persepolis is the poignant story of a young girl in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. It is through the eyes of the precocious and outspoken 9-year-old Marjane that we see a people's hopes dashed as fundamentalists take power--forcing the veil on women and imprisoning thousands. Clever and fearless, Marjane outsmarts the "social guardians" and discovers punk, ABBA, and Iron Maiden. Yet when her uncle is senselessly executed and as bombs fall around Tehran in the Iran/Iraq war, the daily fear that permeates life in Iran is palpable. [Sony Classics]
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The Spiderwick Chronicles
June 24, 2008
From the beloved best-selling series of books comes The Spiderwick Chronicles, a fantasy adventure for the child in all of us. Peculiar things start to happen the moment the Grace family (Jared, his twin brother Simon, his sister Mallory, and their mom) leaves New York and moves into the secluded old house owned by their great, great uncle Arthur Spiderwick. Unable to explain the strange disappearances and accidents that seem to be happening on a daily basis, the family blames Jared. When he, Simon, and Mallory investigate what's really going on, they uncover the fantastic truth of the Spiderwick estate, as well as the creatures that inhabit it. (Paramount Picture)
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Be Kind Rewind
June 17, 2008
A lovable loser is stuck in a life that's too small for his big dreams. But when he unintentionally erases all the tapes in a video store where his best friend works, he devises a plan to satisfy the store's few loyal customers by re-creating and refilming every movie they decide to rent. (New Line Cinema)
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Caramel
June 17, 2008
In Beirut, five women meet regularly in a beauty salon, a colorful and sensual microcosm of the city where several generations come into contact, talk and confide in each other. In the salon, their intimate and liberated conversations revolve around men, sex and motherhood, between haircuts and sugar waxing with caramel. (Roadside Attractions)
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Fool's Gold
June 17, 2008
Ben "Finn" Finnegan is an affable, modern-day treasure hunter who is obsessed with finding the legendary 18th century Queen's Dowry--40 chests of priceless treasure that was lost at sea in 1715. In his quest, Finn has sunk everything he has, including his marriage to Tess. Just as Tess has begun to rebuild her life, working aboard a mega-yacht owned by billionaire Nigel Honeycutt, Finn discovers a vital clue to the treasure's whereabouts. Much to Tess' consternation, Finn maneuvers himself aboard Nigel's yacht and, using his roguish charm, convinces the tycoon and his celebutante daughter, Gemma, to join him in the pursuit of the Spanish riches. Even Tess can't resist the lure of finally uncovering the treasure that had eluded them for so long. But they are not the only ones after the prize. Finn's one-time mentor, Moe Fitch, and a ruthless local gangster named Bigg Bunny are intent on beating Finn to the trove. Let the treasure hunt begin. (Warner Bros.)
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Rails & Ties
June 17, 2008
Tom and Megan Stark always thought there would be time--—time to have children, time to take that trip to San Francisco, time to fix the problems in their marriage. But Megan's illness and Tom's inability to face the possibility of losing her are stealing all the time they have left. All Tom can do is bury himself in his job as a train conductor, where at least he feels in control and everything runs on a predetermined track--until now. Tom's train hits a car on the tracks in a tragic turn of events that, while not his fault, may still cost him his job. Worse, a young woman is dead and her son, Davey, has been left to cope with the loss of his mother, the guilt that he could not save her not only from the train but from herself...and the anger at the man he holds responsible: Tom Stark. The accident puts the Starks and Davey on their own collision course. But instead of leading to tragedy, this crossing could mean new hope for a woman who has only one chance left to fulfill her dreams, for a man who must learn to open his heart before it's too late, and for a young boy who has never known the true meaning of family. (Warner Bros.)
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Under the Same Moon (La misma luna)
June 17, 2008
When the death of his grandmother leaves young Carlitos alone, he takes his fate into his own hands and heads north across the border to find his mother. As he journeys from his rural Mexican village to the L.A. barrio, Carlitos faces seemingly insurmountable obstacles with a steely determination and unfettered optimism that earn him the grudging respect and affection of a reluctant protector, a middle-aged migrant worker named Enrique. The unlikely pair finds their way from Tucson to East L.A., but the only clue Carlitos has to his mother's whereabouts is her description of the street corner from which she has called him each Sunday for the last four years. Unaware that Rosario is just hours away from returning to Mexico to be with her son, Carlitos and Enrique desperately comb the vast, unfamiliar city for a place he has seen only in his imagination. (Fox Searchlight)
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Welcome Home, Roscoe Jenkins
June 17, 2008
Talk-show sensation RJ Stevens left behind his modest Southern upbringing and family name to transform into a self-help guru dispensing his "Team of Me" philosophy to millions of adoring fans. With a reality-TV-star fiancée and money to burn, there's no piece of the Hollywood dream RJ hasn't achieved. After his parents request that he come home for their 50th wedding anniversary, the TV host packs up his 10-year-old son and diva bride-to-be and heads back to Georgia. It's a chance to prove to his family that he's no longer the awkward kid they relentlessly picked on. At least, that's the plan...But when his crazy, lovable family calls him on his big-city attitude and challenges him at every turn, RJ is forced to take a hard look at the man he's become. He may be a superstar in L.A., but he's just one of the guys in Dry Springs as folks say "Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins." (Universal Pictures)
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The Bucket List
June 10, 2008
Carter Chambers, an auto mechanic, and corporate billionaire Edward Cole find themselves sharing a hospital room with plenty of time to think about what might happen next--and about how much of that is in their hands. For all their apparent differences, they soon discover they have two very important things in common: an unrealized need to come to terms with who they are and the choices they've made, and a pressing desire to spend the time they have left doing everything they ever wanted to do. So, against doctor's orders and all good sense, these two virtual strangers check themselves out of the hospital and hit the road together for the adventure of a lifetime--from the Taj Mahal to the Serengeti, from the finest restaurants to the seediest tattoo parlors, and from the cockpit of vintage racecars to the open door of a prop plane--with just a list and their passion for life to guide them. Adding and crossing items off their list while taking in the grandeur and beauty of the world, they will grapple with the difficult questions and the even more difficult answers that plague all of us. And, without even realizing it, they'll become true friends. Sometimes you just need a deadline to get your life in gear. (Warner Bros.)
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Chaos Theory
June 10, 2008
Frank Allen, celebrated author of the bestseller The Five Minute Efficiency Trainer, has perfected the art of living via a foolproof system of timetables and index cards. In fact, his daily “to do” lists are legendary. A man known for playing it safe, Frank doesn’t believe in spontaneity. Every choice he makes is deliberate––designed to contribute to a well-ordered, predictable life. But life, as he soon learns, never adheres to a strict schedule. Frank is about to discover that not even an efficiency expert armed with timetables and index cards can change the serendipitous nature of family and friendship, love and forgiveness. (Warner Bros.)
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The Fly
June 10, 2008
A scientist has a horrific accident when he tries to use his newly invented teleportation device.
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Funny Games (2008)
June 10, 2008
Michael Haneke remakes his own 1997 about a vacationing family who gets an unexpected visit from two deeply disturbed young men. Their idyllic holiday turns nightmarish as they are subjected to unimaginable terrors and struggle to stay alive. [Warner Independent Pictures]
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Jumper
June 10, 2008
The science fiction thriller leaps into a new realm with Jumper, which begins the epic adventures of a man who discovers that he possesses the exhilarating ability to instantly teleport anywhere in the world he can imagine. From New York to Tokyo and from the ruins of Rome to the heart of the Saharan desert, anywhere is possible for David Rice. That is until he begins to see that his freedom is not total and that he's not alone. Instead, he is part of an ongoing, global war that threatens the very survival of his rare and extraordinary kind. (20th Century Fox)
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The Other Boleyn Girl
June 10, 2008
Based on the best-selling novel by Philippa Gregory, The Other Boleyn Girl is an engrossing and sensual tale of intrigue, romance, and betrayal set against the backdrop of a defining moment in history. Two sisters, Anne and Mary Boleyn, are driven by their ambitious father and uncle to advance the family's power and status by courting the affections of the King of England. Leaving behind the simplicity of country life, the girls are thrust into the dangerous and thrilling world of court life. What began as a bid to help their family develops into a ruthless rivalry between Anne and Mary for the love of the king. Initially, Mary wins King Henry's favor and becomes his mistress, bearing him an illegitimate child. But Anne--clever, conniving, and fearless--edges aside both her sister and Henry's wife, Queen Catherine of Aragon, in her relentless pursuit of the king. Despite Mary's genuine feelings for Henry, her sister Anne has her sights set on the ultimate prize: Anne will not stop until she is Queen of England. As the Boleyn girls battle for the love of a king--one driven by ambition, the other by true affection--England is torn apart. Despite the dramatic consequences, the Boleyn girls ultimately find strength and loyalty in each other, remaining forever connected by their bond as sisters. (Columbia)
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The Signal
June 10, 2008
It's New Year's Eve in the city of Terminus, and chaos is this year's resolution. All forms of communication have been jammed by an enigmatic signal that preys on the fears and desires of everyone in the city. Told in three parts from three unique perspectives by three visionary directors, The Signal is a horrific journey toward discovering that the most brutal monster might actually be within all of us. [Magnolia Pictures]
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Witless Protection
June 10, 2008
During a routine day spent patrolling his small town, Larry witnesses a beautiful, high-class woman, Madeleine, being held against her will by four mysterious, black-suited men. Recognizing the opportunity to save the day, Larry "kidnaps" her, only to learn that Madeleine is actually a key witness in a high-stakes Chicago crime case and her captors are FBI agents assigned to protect her. Madeleine is furious. But Larry, who rightly suspects that the agents are crooked and Madeleine is in danger, forces her on a harebrained trip to Chicago to solve the case himself. Together, the hilariously mismatched duo must grapple with angry FBI agents, quack doctors, and Chicago high society in his funniest, most unpredictable adventure yet. (Lionsgate)
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Blue City
June 3, 2008
A drifter returns to his Florida hometown only to discover that his father, the local mayor, was the victim of a mysterious murder during his absence. Vowing to find the killer and avenge his fathers death, he starts his own investigation.
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Boarding Gate
June 3, 2008
Ex-prostitute Sandra is forced to flee London after a steamy S&M encounter with a debt-ridden ex-lover ends in violence. Fleeing to Hong Kong in search of a fresh start, she becomes involved with an attractive young couple, Lester and Sue, who promise to help her obtain papers and money. But nothing turns out as expected for Sandra, and she finds herself trapped in a sordid game of manipulation. (Magnet Films)
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Control
June 3, 2008
Ian Curtis has aspirations beyond the trappings of small-town life in 1970s England. Wanting to emulate his musical heroes, such as David Bowie and Iggy Pop, he joins a band, and his musical ambition begins to thrive. Soon, though, the everyday fears and emotions that fuel his music slowly begin to eat away at him. Married young, with a daughter, he is distracted from his family commitments by a new love and the growing expectations of his band, Joy Division. The strain manifests itself in his health. With epilepsy adding to his guilt and depression, desperation takes hold. Surrendering to the weight on his shoulders, Ian's tortured soul consumes him. (The Weinstein Company)
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The Eye
June 3, 2008
Sydney Wells is an accomplished, independent, Los Angeles-based concert violinist. She is also blind, and has been so since a childhood tragedy. Sydney undergoes a double corneal transplant, a surgery she has waited her whole life to have, and her sight is restored. After the surgery, neural ophthalmologist Dr. Paul Faulkner helps Sydney with the difficult adjustment, and with the support of her older sister Helen, Sydney learns to see again. But Sydney's happiness is short-lived as unexplainable shadowy and frightening images start to haunt her. Are they a passing aftermath of her surgery, Sydney's mind adjusting to sight, a product of her imagination, or something horrifyingly real? As Sydney's family and friends begin to doubt her sanity, Sydney is soon convinced that her anonymous eye donor has somehow opened the door to a terrifying world only she can now see. (Lionsgate)
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Flawless
June 3, 2008
Flawless is a clever diamond-heist thriller set in swinging 1960s London. Demi Moore plays Laura Quinn, a bright, driven, and beautiful executive at the London Diamond Corporation who finds herself frustrated by a glass ceiling after years of faithful employment, as man after man is promoted ahead of her despite her greater experience. Michael Caine is Hobbs, the nighttime janitor at London Diamond who is virtually invisible to the executives who work there, but over the years has amassed a startling amount of knowledge about how the company runs. Hobbs has his own bone to pick with London Diamond and, observing Laura's frustration, convinces her to help him execute an ingenious plan to steal a hefty sum in diamonds. But unbeknownst to Laura, Hobbs plans go even further than he's let on, and together they set in motion a thrilling heist of dizzying proportions, the likes of which London has never seen. (Magnolia)
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King of the Gypsies
June 3, 2008
In the criminal and violent world of modern-day Gypsies based in New York City, their 'king' Zharko Stepanowicz passes his leadership to his unwilling grandson, leaving the skipped father resentful.
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Meet the Spartans
June 3, 2008
The heroic Leonidas, armed with nothing by leather underwear and a cape, leads a ragtag group of 13 - count 'em, 13! -- Spartans to defend their homeland against the invading Persians (whose ranks include Ghost Rider, Rocky Balboa, the Transformers, and a hunchbacked Paris Hilton). (20th Century Fox)
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Remember the Daze
June 3, 2008
On the last day of classes in the teenage wasteland of suburbia in 1999, a diverse group of students copes with its undetermined fate over a 24-hour period. Some are comfortably college bound, while others continue to romanticize their own nonsensical pipe dreams. All the while, they find safety in numbers as they enjoy their last night of adolescence. (Freestyle Releasing)
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Semi-Pro
June 3, 2008
Semi-Pro is an outrageous comedy set in 1976 against the backdrop of the maverick ABA--a fast-paced, wild and crazy basketball league that rivaled the NBA. It made a name for itself with such innovations as the three-point shot and slam-dunk contest. Will Ferrell plays Jackie Moon, a one-hit wonder who used the profits from the success of his chart-topping song "Love Me Sexy" to achieve his dream of owning a basketball team. But Moon's franchise, the Flint Michigan Tropics, is the worst team in the league and in danger of folding when the ABA announces its plans to merge with the NBA. If they want to survive, Jackie and the Tropics must now do the seemingly impossible--win. (New Line Cinema)
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Some Kind of Hero
June 3, 2008
A Vietnam vet (Richard Pryor) returns home from a prisoner of war camp and is greeted as a hero, but is quickly forgotten and soon discovers how tough survival is in his own country.
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Wild West Comedy Show: 30 Days & 30 Nights - Hollywood to the Heartland
June 3, 2008
Vince Vaughn’s Wild West Comedy Show chronicles the journey of Vince Vaughn and four stand-up comedians as they traverse the country performing in a live variety show. In the spirit of the Old West variety shows, Vaughn plays host to the ensemble of comedians and performs improvisational sketches with surprise celebrity and musical guests. Vaughn handpicked four national comedians from Los Angeles’ world famous Comedy Store—Ahmed Ahmed, John Caparulo, Bret Ernst and Sebastian Maniscalco—to perform on the tour. The film provides audiences a rare opportunity to experience Vaughn and his team as they travel over 6,000 miles across the heartland of America and perform 30 shows in 30 days. Traveling to cities that don’t ordinarily attract this type of entertainment, Vaughn and his team
bring their unique styles and perspectives to regional audiences throughout Western, Southern and Midwestern states. Through rousing onstage performances and behind-the-scenes interviews, this engaging film breaks down the true essence of each comedian’s life-altering experiences and the personal and professional challenges that will unite four comics, one movie star and legions of fans from Hollywood to the Heartland. (Picturehouse)
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