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Director: Mark Neveldine Brian Taylor Stars: Gerard Butler, Michael C. Hall, Ludacris (Full Cast) Studio: Lionsgate The Plot: Set in a future-world where humans can control other humans in mass-scale, multi-player online gaming environments, a star player (Butler) from a game called "Slayers" looks to regain his independence while taking down the game's mastermind (Hall).
THE BUZZ: As of this writing, all things buzzy regarding Neveldine/Taylor are focused on Crank: High Voltage, which will be released in just over a month. (Here's a brief, revealing insight from Mark Neveldine, however.) I am thinking we might see a Game trailer in front of that movie, since the N/T cult has grown exponentially in 2009. Lionsgate, which saw its bleak economic picture brighten with the recent Tyler Perry, should have another hit on its hands, so look for them to reward this crowd accordingly. How odd: This is only the second film role for Michael C. Hall, though he will make a formidable opponent of Gerard Butler -- who might be heading up his first franchise with this one? Message Boards: Did anyone think Castle deserves an acting award? | how did they screw up teabagging Showtimes | Trailers | Photos | Message Boards | User Comments | Reviews | |||||
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Director: Mike Judge Stars: Jason Bateman, Kristen Wiig, Ben Affleck (Full Cast) Studio: Miramax Films The Plot: The owner of a flower-extract plant (Bateman), tries to contend with myriad personal and professional problems, such as his potentially unfaithful wife (Wiig), a hot new temp (Kunis), and employees who want to take advantage of him.
THE BUZZ: Bloggers think Mike Judge's latest is getting shafted, Idiocracy style, given its Labor Day placement, but I feel like Judge is back in his element: championing the failures of the blue-collar world. That said, I'm curious to see to what degree Miramax pushes the comedy -- a genre the studio isn't particularly known for in the post-Weinstein era, though they are behind another upcoming Jason Bateman project, The Baster. It this helps predict the push the movie will receive, it got buried at Comic-Con. And here's more scoop from a late-August screening. Message Boards: Went over my expectations | Question (Spoilers) Showtimes | Trailers | Photos | Message Boards | User Comments | Reviews | |||||
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Director: Àlex Pastor David Pastor Stars: Chris Pine, Piper Perabo, Lou Taylor Pucci (Full Cast) Studio: Paramount Vantage The Plot: Four young people speed across the Southwestern U.S. in a desperate attempt to outrun a viral pandemic. Over the course of a few days, tough moral decisions will have to be made if they have any chance at survival.
THE BUZZ: Chris Pine's post-Star Trek popularity is the reason this topical thriller finally has received a release date (it's been quietly in the news since 2006). Paramount might have a breakout hit here, because the online buzz is strong. Message Boards: How many bullets did they have?! (SPOILERS) | Most remembereble/hartbrea king shot? cointains spoilers Showtimes | Trailers | Photos | Message Boards | User Comments | Reviews | |||||
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Director: Phil Traill Stars: Sandra Bullock, Bradley Cooper, Thomas Haden Church (Full Cast) Studio: Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation The Plot: After Mary Horowitz (Bullock) has one date with a CNN cameraman (Cooper), the brilliant crossword-puzzle constructor decides the hunk is her true love. While she alienates him by trailing him all over the country, she falls in with a crew of misfits who appreciate her eccentric nature.
THE BUZZ: There's so much to the story here -- blind love, cable news, codependency, crosswords puzzles? -- I almost crave something a bit more formulaic. Do you like convoluted romcoms? More puzzling is exactly how Phil Traill, a celebrated short filmmaker in the UK, got wrangled into making this his Stateside debut. Maybe Sandra Bullock. chased him all over the island. Speaking of Sandra B., she's coming off one of her biggest movies to date (The Proposal); you'd think the studio would be all about promotion with this one. Message Boards: Producer | Question about the ending... Showtimes | Trailers | Photos | Message Boards | User Comments | Reviews | |||||
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Director: Shane Acker Stars: Elijah Wood, Jennifer Connelly, Crispin Glover (Full Cast) Studio: Focus Features The Plot: When 9 (voice of Elijah Wood) first comes to life, he finds himself in a post-apocalyptic world where all humans are gone. Upon discovering a community of other beings like him, 9 takes the lead in an effort to strike back at the machines that control the world and are bent on exterminating most signs of life.
THE BUZZ: In case you haven't watched the Oscar-nominated short on which this feature animated film is based, YouTube offers a high-quality version of it. Read our Comic-Con coverage if you'd like. Message Boards: Iron Giant anyone? | Second grade quality Showtimes | Trailers | Photos | Message Boards | User Comments | Reviews | |||||
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Director: Tyler Perry Stars: Tyler Perry, Taraji P. Henson, Adam Rodriguez (Full Cast) Studio: Lionsgate The Plot: Madea (Perry) delivers three young adults who tried to rob her home to their aunt (Henson), a hard-living nightclub singer who doesn't want the responsibility of parenting the trio. Can Madea's influence, coupled with the arrival a handsome, industrious new tenant (Rodriguez), help April turn a corner in her life?
THE BUZZ: TP's last Madea outing was his/her biggest success yet, and his pact with Lionsgate is strengthening to take his overseas, which has yet to feel the effects of the pistol-packing grandmother. And let's take a moment to celebrate the union of divas here, with Mary J. Blige returning for her second TP appearance and Gladys Knight added to the mix. Let the hysterics begin. P.S. TP just signed on to adapt/produce/direct his first non-TP project, Ntozake Shange's play Message Boards: How is this rated FRESH (62%) on RT but in the Bottom 100 here? | Inspiration for the Title Showtimes | Trailers | Photos | Message Boards | User Comments | Reviews | |||||
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Director: Dominic Sena Stars: Kate Beckinsale, Gabriel Macht, Tom Skerritt (Full Cast) Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures The Plot: At the McMurdo Station in Antarctica, U.S. Marshal Carrie Stetko (Beckinsale) looks to identify and capture a killer before the sun sets for six months.
THE BUZZ: I still don't know why director Dominic Sena (Swordfish, Gone in Sixty Seconds) doesn't crank out more films, but this once-buzzy comic adaptation should perform well enough to keep him in demand after his next project, the Nic Cage starrer Season of the Witch, potentially derails his career (or maybe he will direct Ghost Rider 2?). It sure has taken a while for this thriller with the awesome-sounding premise to get a firm release date, and I feel like Warner Bros. doesn't have much faith in the project, but I'm sure there are enough people out there who want to see Kate Beckinsale in action-thriller mode -- even if she's swaddled in sweaters and parkas instead of encased in black leather. Just no Uggs please! Message Boards: trailer misled me to believe this involved aliens, or the supernatural | Good movie????? 'you wish!!!!' ***spoilers*** Showtimes | Trailers | Photos | Message Boards | User Comments | Reviews | |||||
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Director: Stewart Hendler Stars: Briana Evigan, Rumer Willis, Carrie Fisher (Full Cast) Studio: Summit Distribution The Plot: A group of sorority girls pledge to keep mum on the accidental death of one of their sisters; after graduation, however, they find themselves stalked by a serial killer who seems bent on eliminating anyone who knows their secret.
THE BUZZ: The studio which brought us Twilight is getting into the horror-remake business, and I can admit I'm interested in any gory thing that describes itself as "a good cross between Scream and Mean Girls." (Here's the the source.) Two rumors we're trying to confirm: (1) This sorority will be rated R; (2) Brianna Evigan's claim that a sequel is already in the works?! Message Boards: Carrie Fisher... And that sound... (tiny spoiler) | Worst parts of the movie.... Showtimes | Trailers | Photos | Message Boards | User Comments | Reviews | |||||
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Director: R.J. Cutler Stars: Anna Wintour (Full Cast) Studio: Roadside Attractions The Plot: A documentary chronicling Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour's preparations for the 2008 fall-fashion issue.
THE BUZZ: I cannot wait to see Vogue Origins: Wintour! The movie-going world needs more fashion documentaries, and in the wake of Valentino: The Last Emperor's success, you can bet more fashionista profiles are in the works. Maybe it's time to remake Lagerfeld Confidential already? Message Boards: saddest moment | Vogue workers dress: pretty shabby Showtimes | Trailers | Photos | Message Boards | User Comments | Reviews | |||||
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Director: Phil Lord Chris Miller Stars: Anna Faris, Bill Hader, Bruce Campbell (Full Cast) Studio: Columbia Pictures The Plot: Inspired by the children's book, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs focuses on a town where food falls from the sky like rain.
THE BUZZ: Sony's first animation project since Surf's Up is brought to you by two of the dudes behind "How I Met Your Mother" and the less successful Extreme Movie. The voice cast is admirable, but the trailer (located above) radiates the phrase "strictly for the kids." Cinematical recently score a sneak peek at the proceedings and we have some Comic-Con reactions, too. Message Boards: This movie owns all Pixar movies | The writers were out of inspiration Showtimes | Trailers | Photos | Message Boards | User Comments | Reviews | |||||
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Director: Brandon Camp Stars: Jennifer Aniston, Aaron Eckhart (Full Cast) Studio: Universal Pictures The Plot: On a business trip to Seattle, a popular self-help guru (Eckhart) sparks with a woman (Aniston) who attends one of his seminars. Their connection causes his to realize, however, that he hasn't truly confronted his wife's recent passing.
THE BUZZ: No offense to the lovely blonde leads or the Emerald City (where I used to live), but it's hard to overlook some of the thematic similarities to Sleepless in Seattle. And I am surprised this isn't a movie starring Will Smith and directed by Gabriele Muccino. Hopefully supporters Dan Fogler and Judy Greer will get ample screen time. Message Boards: WHAT IS GOING ON WITH HER? | Whats with Aaron and public speaking? Showtimes | Trailers | Photos | Message Boards | User Comments | Reviews | |||||
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Director: Karyn Kusama Stars: Megan Fox, Amanda Seyfried, Adam Brody (Full Cast) Studio: Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation The Plot: A cheerleader at a small midwestern high school becomes possessed by a demon and sets out to kill off all the guys in town.
THE BUZZ: No sooner had we hung up our hamburger phones and thought phrases like "gob" and "forshizz" were gone for good than scribe Diablo Cody's back (and for blood this time). While we don't expect any Juno-like Oscar noms her second go-'round (after all, this is a horror flick, home skillet), we can't wait to see what shenanigans her leading lady is up to this time. Oh, and if you were hoping to catch a topless Megan Fox in this movie, sorry to dissappoint you, but you may have to wait for the DVD. Message Boards: Budget | Hey I liked It, Anyone else out there? Showtimes | Trailers | Photos | Message Boards | User Comments | Reviews | |||||
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Director: Jane Campion Stars: Abbie Cornish, Ben Whishaw, Paul Schneider (Full Cast) Studio: Apparition The Plot: A drama focused on the last few years in the life of poet John Keats (Whishaw), as seen through the eyes of his lover, Fanny Brawne (Cornish).
THE BUZZ: Jane Campion might have made a film that will be as (or more) affecting as The Piano, and Abbie Cornish should be a global film star by the end of the year, thanks to her ecstatically received performance as, as Kenneth Turan (swoon) put it, "literally the girl next door." My true eyes will be on indie darling Paul Schneider's supporting performance, as well as the promotional efforts of upstart distributor Apparition, who will release two other awards-chasers this year, The Young Victoria and The Tree of Life (Tree's release date is to-be-determined). Message Boards: A fine romantic | Golden Globes snub Showtimes | Trailers | Photos | Message Boards | User Comments | Reviews | |||||
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Director: Steven Soderbergh Stars: Matt Damon, Tony Hale, Patton Oswalt (Full Cast) Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures The Plot: The U.S. government decides to go after an agri-business giant with a price-fixing accusation, based on the evidence submitted by their star witness, company-man-turned-whistleblower Mark Whitacre (Damon).
THE BUZZ: Is Steven Soderbergh chasing Oscars again? Don't expect an old-fashioned corporate thriller here, since Soderbergh, Damon, and screenwriter Scott Burns (The Bourne Ultimatum) are working more of a dark comedy/Coen Bros. angle. But why is the buzz virtually non-existent ... perhaps everyone's still waiting for Che: Part Two to let out? Read a test-screening review here. Message Boards: Other movies with comedic narration? | after trophic thunder :D Showtimes | Trailers | Photos | Message Boards | User Comments | Reviews | |||||
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Director: Jonathan Mostow Stars: Bruce Willis, Radha Mitchell, Ving Rhames (Full Cast) Studio: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures The Plot: In a futuristic utopian world where humans live in isolation and interact through surrogate robots, an FBI agent (Willis) begins to investigate the first murder in years, and unravels a vast conspiracy.
THE BUZZ: Jonathan Mostow's career idled while his Terminator 3 screenwriters, Michael Ferris and John D. Brancato, became go-to guys for a few studios. But now Mostow's reunited with the duo, and together they've come up with one of more original premises of this year for a movie that will bring Bruce Willis back, yet again, after the Live Free or Die Hard buzz waned (the indie accolades for What Just Happened were few). The viral marketing was out early for this project (weird that the street marketing didn't feature Willis, though) and I'm looking forward to a first-look at this alternate reality, which wisely calls Ving Rhames its Prophet. Message Boards: Sounds like they butchered the graphic novel | Why not use a crazy surrogate? Like a WEREWOLF or stuff like that. Showtimes | Trailers | Photos | Message Boards | User Comments | Reviews | |||||
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Director: Kevin Tancharoen Stars: Kelsey Grammer, Bebe Neuwirth, Megan Mullally (Full Cast) Studio: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) The Plot: A remake of the 1980s musical centered on the teachers and students at the prestigious New York City High School of Performing Arts.
THE BUZZ: If this ain't a comedy, I ain't watching. For serious. I mean, the adult cast is made up mostly of Emmy-winning sitcom stars! It's practically a Frasier reunion! P.S. Where's Irene Cara? Message Boards: How intolerant is this movie?! | Remember my name. Showtimes | Trailers | Photos | Message Boards | User Comments | Reviews | |||||
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Director: Christian Alvart Stars: Dennis Quaid, Ben Foster, Cam Gigandet (Full Cast) Studio: Overture Films The Plot: A pair of crew members aboard a spaceship wake up with no knowledge of their mission or their identities.
THE BUZZ: Whether you love his movies or otherwise, producer Paul W.S. Anderson is a savvy moviemaker. For this outer-space nightmare, Anderson has partnered once again with Constantin Film, the German studio he's worked alongside since Resident Evil. Casting Cam Gigandet is a smart way to generate continuous press coverage since the project was announced; pairing the hardbodied actor with Ben Foster and Dennis Quaid is a reach for some form of legitimacy. Plus, what genre fan wouldn't admit to liking still-ultra-scary Event Horizon, which might be referenced heavily here? Message Boards: Why always is the same =-( . . . (SPOILERS) | Shaver of the future Showtimes | Trailers | Photos | Message Boards | User Comments | Reviews | |||||
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Director: Anne Fontaine Stars: Audrey Tautou, Benoît Poelvoorde, Alessandro Nivola (Full Cast) Studio: Sony Pictures Classics The Plot: The story of Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel (Tautou) and her rise from obscure beginnings to the heights of the fashion world.
THE BUZZ: Luxembourgish director Anne Fontaine goes from mostly unknown in the U.S. to having two of her films promoted in the same year (Magnolia released sexy thriller The Girl from Monaco over the Fourth of July holiday). The focus here, of course, is an anticipated knockout performance from Audrey Tautou -- whose films have been ho-hum since 2002, in my opinion -- which should earn a mantel's worth of awards, including an Oscar nomination at the very least. We know how much Academy voters love French biopics of late. My question: What if it isn't nominated for Best Costume Design? Message Boards: should we really celebrate chanel? | Older Version Showtimes | Trailers | Photos | Message Boards | User Comments | Reviews | |||||
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Director: Oren Peli Stars: Katie Featherston, Micah Sloat, Michael Bayouth (Full Cast) Studio: Paramount Pictures The Plot: While settling into her new home, Katie (Featherston) is disturbed in her sleep by a mysterious presence. Her husband, Micah (Sloat), tries to ease her fear by installing video cameras in an attempt to capture the strange behavior on tape. Bad idea.
THE BUZZ: The found-footage story idea has served writer-director Oren Peli well, since Paranormal Activity has been buzzing for almost two years now. Paramount scooped up U.S. rights and scrapped the original idea to remake the movie for general audiences. No wonder the online scene has embraced the minimalist horror-thriller (it's a zero-budget affair shot with a barebones crew) and the studio subsequently will focus their marketing efforts to genre sites, Facebook, etc.; in fact, check out the movie's unique "Demand It" feature -- essentially a contest for screenings to occur in your area. Elsewhere, according to reviews, unlike recent horror bomb Sorority Row, this movie features a protagonist (Katie Featherston) you actually care about! Message Boards: Micah deserved to get killed. (spoilers) | Credits help please! Showtimes | Trailers | Photos | Message Boards | User Comments | Reviews | |||||
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Director: John Krasinski Stars: Julianne Nicholson (Full Cast) Studio: IFC Films The Plot: Grad student Sara Quinn (Nicholson) holds as series of conversations with an array of men, motivated by her desire to understand the male psyche and apply her new-found knowledge to a recent break-up.
THE BUZZ: The character Sara Quinn did not exist in the novel of the same name written by the recently deceased David Foster Wallace (you might have picked up and put down his Infinite Jest many times in college). John Krasinski created her while he was adapting the work, probably to make the story more "filmable," though most every review from the movie's Sundance premiere and beyond says the invention doesn't do anything to make Hideous more palpable or entertaining. However, said reviewers also indicate there's enough going on here to derive bits of pleasure. Maybe if you're alone in the theater, you can ask the projectionist to fast forward to a new scene. Attention fans of "The Wire:" I've read a few places that Frankie Faison's sequence is almost worth the price of admission on its own. Message Boards: Lucy Gordon -- hitchhiker -- dead of suicide at 28 | On DVD in February. Showtimes | Trailers | Photos | Message Boards | User Comments | Reviews | |||||
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Director: Bob Gosse Stars: Matt Czuchry, Geoff Stults, Jesse Bradford (Full Cast) Studio: Freestyle Releasing The Plot: Tucker Max (Czuchry) lures his pals Dan (Stults) and Drew (Bradford) to a notorious strip club mere days before Dan's wedding. However, when Tucker's behavior lands them in trouble with the law and Dan's fiancée, he struggles against his own hedonistic and selfish nature in order to make amends.
THE BUZZ: The real-life Tucker Max is perhaps the boy version of Diablo Cody, in that his writing attracted a huge online audience, earning the attention of book publishers, TV networks, and movie producers. His memoir enjoyed 3+ years on best-seller lists, and while the planned NBC program never materialized, an experienced crew of indie filmmakers -- Richard Kelly (Donnie Darko) produced and Bob Gosse (Niagara, Niagra) directed -- got the movie off the ground. I remember star Matt Czuchry from when "Gilmore Girls" began its slide, and he doesn't seem to possess the same level of Ryan Reynolds smarm to make this material palatable; elsewhere amongst the cast, the way likable Jesse Bradford needs to be rediscovered, though low-brow comedy doesn't match his subtle comic timing. Ultimately, in the wake of The Hangover's massive success and the recent string of sex-comedy flops, I don't see the appeal here, sorry. Message Boards: A question about Mr. X. | It disturbs me that my girlfriend is a fan of this guy. Showtimes | Trailers | Photos | Message Boards | User Comments | Reviews | |||||
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