Volume V No. 8/9

A publication of the National Association of Theatre Owners

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The Reaper
Horror thriller, set in the voodoo country of the Louisiana bayou, about a group of teens who must fight for their lives when they’re threatened by a mysterious force. Directed by Jim Gillespie (“I Know What You Did Last Summer”) from a screenplay by Brandon Boyce (“Apt Pupil,” “Wicker Park”). With Agnes Bruckner (“Blue Car,” “The Woods”), Jonathan Jackson (“Riding the Bullet”), Rick Cramer (“The Battle of Shaker Heights”), D.J. Cotrona (TV’s “Skin”), Meagan Good (“The Cookout,” “Roll Bounce”), Method Man (“Soul Plane”), Bijou Phillips (“The Door in the Floor”) and James Pickins, Jr. (“Traffic”). R: Strong horror violence/gore; language. Sept. 16. Miramax.

 

 

Screen Door Jesus
Comedy-drama about what happens when a small town’s citizenry discovers the image of Jesus on a local’s screen door. Kirk Davis makes his feature directorial debut from his own script. With Richard Dillard (“Friday Night Lights”), Scarlett McAlister (“The Missing”), Alaina Kalanj (“Serving Sara”), Buck Taylor (“The Alamo”), Myk Watford (“Marci X”), Cynthia Dorn (“The Rookie”) and Julius Tennon (“Friday Night Lights”). Flat. 115 min. R: Language; some sexual content. Sept. 9. Indican.

 

 

Shopgirl
Romantic comedy, set in Los Angeles, about a struggling artist and department store salesgirl who finds herself torn between the middle-aged millionaire she sleeps with and the young loser who loves her. Based on the novella by Steve Martin (“The Pleasure of My Company”). Directed by Anand Tucker (“Hilary and Jackie”) from a screenplay by Martin (“Roxanne,” “L.A. Story,” “A Simple Twist of Fate”). With Martin (“Cheaper By the Dozen”), Claire Danes (“Stage Beauty”), Jason Schwartzman (“Bewitched”), Frances Conroy (“The Aviator,” “Broken Flowers”), Rebecca Pidgeon (“Heist”), Sam Bottoms (“Seabiscuit”), Bridgette Wilson-Sampras (“Extreme Ops”), Shane Edelman (“Catch Me If You Can”), Anne Marie Howard (“Blue Streak,” “The Weather Man”), Shawn Christian (TV’s “Summerland”), Yorgo Constantine (“The Last Shot”), Kris Deskins (“Half Past Dead”) and Gina Doctor (“Laurel Canyon”). Scope. R: Some sexual content; brief language. Oct. 21. Buena Vista.

 

 

Stay
Supernatural thriller about a therapist at an Ivy League university who attempts to prevent one of his students from commiting suicide. Directed by Marc Forster (“Finding Neverland”) from a screenplay by David Benioff (“25th Hour,” “Troy”). With Ewan McGregor (“The Island”), Naomi Watts (“The Ring 2”), Ryan Gosling (“The Notebook”), Elizabeth Reaser (“13 Conversations About One Thing”), Janeane Garofalo (“Wonderland”), Kate Burton (“Unfaithful”), B.D. Wong (“The Salton Sea”) and Mark Margolis (“Daredevil”). Scope. R: Language; some disturbing images. Oct. 14. Fox.

 

 

Three Extremes
Horror anthology comprised of three short films from three Far East nations. 1) “Box,” directed by Takashi Miike (“Audition,” “Gozu”) from a screenplay by Haruko Fukushima and starring Kyoko Hasegawa and Atsuro Watabe, is a surreal Japanese-language thriller about a woman who believes her horrific nightmares may be coming true. 2) “Dumplings,” directed by Fruit Chan from a screenplay by Lilian Lee and starring Bai Ling (“The Beautiful Country”) and Tony Leung (“Zhou Yu’s Train”), is a darkly comic Chinese-language tale about a woman who goes to grisly lengths in the service of her vanity. 3) “Cut,” written and directed by Chan-wook Park (“Oldboy”) and starring Byung-hun Lee (“3-Iron”), Jung-ah Yum, Won-hie Lim and Hye-jeong Kim (“Oldboy”), is a Korean-language thriller about a young movie extra who kidnaps and gruesomely tortures a film director and his wife in their home. Flat. 126 min. Oct. 28. Lions Gate.

 

 

Thumbsucker
Comedy-drama about a thumbsucking 17-year-old who, in a desperate attempt to kick the childish habit, turns to his orthodontist and high school debate coach for help. Based on the novel by Walter Kim. Music-video director Mike Mills (Air’s “All I Need” and “Sexy Boy”) makes his feature directorial debut from his own screenplay. With Lou Taylor Pucci (“Personal Velocity”), Tilda Swinton (“Constantine,” “Broken Flowers”), Keanu Reeves (“Constantine”), Vince Vaughn (“The Wedding Crashers”), Kelli Garner (“Man of the House”), Benjamin Bratt (“Catwoman,” “The Great Raid”), and Vincent D’Onofrio (“The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys”). 95 min. R: Drug/alcohol use and sexuality involving teens; language; a disturbing image. Sept. 16 in New York and Los Angeles. Sony Pictures Classics.

 

 

The Transporter 2
Ex-Special Forces operative Frank Martin, now working as a driver-bodyguard for a wealthy Miami family, springs into action when the family’s two small boys are kidnapped and injected with a potentially lethal virus. Returnees include director Corey Yuen (“So Close”) and screenwriters Robert Mark Kamen & Luc Besson (“Kiss of the Dragon,” “Unleashed”), as well as actor Jason Statham (“Cellular”). Newcomers to the series include Matthew Modine (“Le Divorce”), Amber Valletta (“Hitch”), Francois Berleand (“Le Grand Role”), Tim Ware (“Bobby Jones, Stroke of Genius”), Jeff Chase (“The Punisher”), Tim Powell (“Bad Boys II”), Alessandro Gassman (“A Month By The Lake”) and Keith David (“Mr. & Mrs. Smith”). Scope. PG-13: Intense sequences of violent action; sexual content; partial nudity; brief language. Sept. 2. Fox.

 

 

An Unfinished Life
Drama about a young, destitute mother who, as a last resort, uproots herself and her pre-teen daughter to live at her estranged father-in-law’s ranch in Wyoming. Directed by Lasse Hallström (“Chocolat,” “The Shipping News”) from a screenplay by Virginia and Mark Spragg (“Gross Anatomy”). With Jennifer Lopez (“Monster-in-Law”), Robert Redford (“The Clearing”), Morgan Freeman (“Batman Begins”), Josh Lucas (“Around the Bend,” “Stealth”), Damian Lewis (“Dreamcatcher,” “Keane”), Camryn Manheim (“Dark Water”) and P. Lynn Johnson (“Final Destination”). Sept. 9. Miramax.

 

 

Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit
Stop-motion animated comedy about a man and his dog, who are called upon to stop whoever or whatever is sabotaging their village’s vegetable gardens, so vital to the looming giant-vegetable competition. Directed by Steve Box and Nick Park (“Chicken Run”) from a screenplay by Park. Featuring the voices of Peter Sallis as Wallace, Helena Bonham Carter as Lady Tottington and Ralph Fiennes as Lord Victor Quatermaine. Oct. 7. DreamWorks.

 

 

The Woods
Thriller about a young woman who, after her classmates begin to disappear, discovers a mysterious inhabitant in the woods surrounding her remote boarding school. Directed by Lucky McKee (“May”) from a screenplay by David Ross. With Agnes Bruckner (“Stateside,” “The Reaper”), Patricia Clarkson (“Miracle”), Rachel Nichols (“The Amityville Horror”), Bruce Campbell (“Sky High”), Emma Campbell (“The Aviator”), Lauren Birkell (“Paparazzi”), Kathleen Mackey (“Gothika”), Gordon Currie (“Highwaymen”) and Marcia Bennett (“The Tuxedo,” “Noel”). R: Horror violence and language, including sexual references. Sept. 2. Sony.

 

Roll Bounce
Comedy, set in the 1970s, about roller-skating showoffs who find themselves humbled when their local rink goes out of business and they’re seriously outclassed by the skaters at the rink across town. Directed by Malcolm Lee (“Undercover Brother”) from a screenplay by Norman Vance Jr. (“Beauty Shop”). With Mike Epps (“The Honeymooners”), Nick Cannon (“Shall We Dance?”), Rick Gonzalez (“Coach Carter”), Meagan Good (“The Cookout,” “The Reaper”), Lil’ Bow Wow (“Johnson Family Vacation”) and Chi McBride (“I, Robot”). Scope. PG-13: Language; some crude humor. Sept. 23. Fox Searchlight.

 

 

Serenity
Factions of an all-powerful interplanetary government grow keener than ever to recover River Tam, the beautiful but unbalanced young fugitive rescued by a small-time space-criminal named Mal Reynolds. A big-screen sequel to the short-lived 2002 sci-fi TV series “Firefly.” Screenwriter Joss Whedon (“Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “Toy Story,” “Alien: Resurrection,” “Titan A.E.”), who created “Firefly,” makes his feature directorial debut from his own script. Actors returning from the TV series include Nathan Fillion (“Dracula 2000”), Morena Baccarin (“Roger Dodger”), Adam Baldwin (“Jackpot”), Jewel Staite (“Carpool”), Gina Torres (“The Matrix Revolutions”), Alan Tudyk (“I, Robot”), Sean Maher (the 2001 TV movie “Brian’s Song”), Summer Glau (“Sleepover”) and Ron Glass (“Houseguest”). Newcomers to the franchise include Chiwetel Ejiofor (“Melinda and Melinda”), David Krumholtz (“Ray”), Michael Hitchcock (“A Mighty Wind,” “Pretty Persuasion”), Glenn Howerton (TV’s “ER”), Becky Stockton (“Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous”) and Scott Kinworth (“House of Sand and Fog”). PG-13: Sequences of intense violence and action; some sexual references. Sept 30. Universal.

 

 

A Sound of Thunder
Fantasy actioner about a game hunter who, while on a time-traveling dinosaur safari, accidentally erases humanity from the face of the planet. Directed by Peter Hyams (“The Musketeer”) from a screenplay by Thomas Dean Donnelly, Joshua Oppenheimer, Clement Enlatarne and Gregory Poirier (“See Spot Run,””Tomcats”). With Ben Kingsley (“Thunderbirds,” “Oliver Twist”), Edward Burns (“Confidence”), Catherine McCormack (“Spy Games”), Jemima Rooper (TV’s “As If”), Corey Johnson (“Hellboy”), Heike Makatsch (“Love Actually”), Scott Bellefeville (“A Knight’s Tale”) and August Zirner (“Bella Martha”). PG-13: Sci-fi violence; partial nudity; language. Sept. 2. Warner Bros.

 

 

Syriana
Thriller about a career CIA agent tracking terrorists, an oil exec reeling from a family tragedy and a U.S. president who elects to declare war. Based on Robert Baer’s memoir “See No Evil: The True Story of a Foot Soldier in the CIA’s War on Terrorism.” Written and directed by Stephen Gaghan (“Abandon”). With George Clooney (“Ocean’s Twelve”), Matt Damon (“Ocean’s Twelve,” “The Brothers Grimm”), Amanda Peet (“A Lot Like Love”), Greta Scacchi (“Beyond the Sea”), Christopher McDonald (“Grind”), David Clennon (“Silver City”) and Michelle Monaghan (“Mr. & Mrs. Smith,” “North Country”). Sept. 16. Warner Bros.

 

 

3 Walls
Hindi-language drama, set in a South India prison, about three convicts on death row who find their bond tested when a female filmmaker arrives to make a documentary about them. Written and directed by Nagesh Kukunoor. With Kukunoor, Jackie Shroff, Naseeruddin Shah (“Leage of Extraordinary Gentlemen”), Gulshan Grover and Juhi Chawla. Scope. 116 min. Sept. 23. Indican.

 

 

 

Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride
Stop-motion animated comedy, set in 19th-century Europe, about a young groom-to-be who accidentally weds (and, in doing so, re-animates), a murdered girl. Directed by Tim Burton (“Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”) and veteran animator Mike Johnson (“The Nightmare Before Christmas,” “James and the Giant Peach”) from a screenplay by Pamela Pettler (TV’s”Clueless”) and Caroline Thompson (“The Nightmare Before Christmas,” “Black Beauty,” “Buddy”). Featuring the voices of Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Emily Watson, Danny Elfman, Albert Finney, Richard E. Grant, Christopher Lee and Joanna Lumley. Sept. 23. Warner Bros.

 

 

2 for the Money
Drama about a star football player who enters the world of sports gambling after a career-halting knee injury. Directed by D.J. Caruso (“The Salton Sea,” “Taking Lives”) from a screenplay by Dan Gilroy (“Chasers”). With Matthew McConaughey (“Sahara”), Al Pacino (“Gigli,” “The Merchant of Venice”), Jeremy Piven (“Chasing Liberty”), April Telek (“White Noise”) and Rene Russo (“Big Trouble”). R: Pervasive language; a scene of sexuality; a violent act. Oct. 7. Universal.

Waiting
Comedy about a group of twentysomethings who deal with their drama-filled lives while working in a busy chain restaurant. Written and directed by Rob McKittrick. With Ryan Reynolds (“The Amityville Horror”), Anna Faris (“Lost in Translation”), Justin Long (“Herbie: Fully Loaded”), Luis Guzmán (“Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events,” “Dreamer”), John Francis Daley (“View From The Top”), Kaitlin Doubleday (“Catch Me If You Can”), David Koechner (“The Dukes of Hazzard,” “The 40-Year-Old Virgin”), Alanna Ubach (“Meet the Fockers”), Emmanuelle Chriqui (“Wrong Turn”), Vanessa Lengies (“The Perfect Man”), Jordan Ladd (“Club Dread”), Dane Cook (“Torque”), Wayne Ferrara (“Runaway Jury”), Robert Patrick Benedict (“Kicking and Screaming”), Andy Milonakis (MTV’s “Andy Milonakis Show”) and Chi McBride (“I, Robot,” “Roll Bounce”). Flat. 93 min. R: Strong crude and sexual humor; pervasive language; some drug use. Sept. 23. Lions Gate.

 

 

 

The Weather Man
Drama about a middle-aged TV meteorologist who attempts to bandage a tattered relationship with his estranged wife and children before he moves from Chicago to New York. Directed by Gore Verbinski (“The Ring,” “The Pirates of the Caribbean”) from a screenplay by Steve Conrad (“Wrestling Ernest Hemingway”). With Nicolas Cage (“National Treasure”), Michael Caine (“Bewitched”), Hope Davis (“American Splendor”), Gemmenne de la Pena (“Erin Brockovich”), Nicholas Hoult (“About A Boy”), Michael Rispoli (“Mr. 3000”), David Darlow (“Road to Perdition”) and Judith McConnell (“The Thirsty Dead”). Flat. R: Strong language; sexual content. Oct. 28. Paramount.

The Constant Gardener
Drama, set in Africa, about an English diplomat who, while investigating his wife’s brutal murder, discovers that helpless Africans are being exploited and abused by a major Western pharmaceutical company. Based on the novel by John Le Carré (“The Tailor of Panama”). Directed by Fernando Meirelles (“City of God”) from a screenplay by Jeffrey Caine (“GoldenEye”). With Ralph Fiennes (“Maid in Manhattan,” “The Chumscrubber”), Anthony LaPaglia (“Winter Solstice”), Rachel Weisz (“Constantine”), Pete Postlethwaite (“Dark Water”), Bill Nighy (“The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”), Sidede Onyulo (“Nowhere in Africa”), Richard McCabe (“Vanity Fair”), Gerald McSorley (“Veronica Guerin”), Donald Sumpter (“K-19: The Widowmaker”) and Danny Huston (“The Aviator”). Flat. R: Language; some violent images; sexual content/nudity. Aug. 26. Focus.

 

The Great Raid
Action-drama, set in the Philippines during World War II, about Gen. Douglas MacArthur’s daring 1945 raid, engineered to free 500 American POWs facing certain death. Directed by John Dahl (“Joy Ride”) from a screenplay by Hossein Amini (“The Wings of the Dove,” “The Four Feathers”). With James Franco (the “Spider-Man” series), Joseph Fiennes (“The Merchant of Venice”), Connie Nielsen (“The Hunted”), Marton Csokas (“Asylum”), Benjamin Bratt (“Catwoman,” “Thumbsucker”), Freddie Joe Farnsworth (“Spy Game”), Robert Mammone (“Vertical Limit”) and Natalie Mendoza (“Moulin Rouge!”). R: Strong war violence; brief language. Aug. 12. Miramax.

 

 

The Memory of a Killer
Dutch- and French-language crime drama about two detectives on the trail of an assassin who is nearing retirement – and showing symptoms of Alzheimer’s. Directed by Erik Van Looy from a screenplay by Van Looy and Carl Joos. With Koen De Bouw, Werner De Smedt, Jan Decleir (“Rosenstrasse”), Jo De Meyere and Patrick Descamps (“Trilogy: After the Life”). Also known as “The Alzheimer Case.” Aug. 19. Sony Pictures Classics.

Formula 17
Chinese-language comedy about a young country boy who moves to Taipei and falls under the spell of a homosexual lothario with commitment issues. Directed by D.J. Chen from a screenplay by Rady Fu. With Tony Yang, Duncan, Dada Ji, Jimmy Yang, Ladder Yu, Chin King and Jason Chang. 93 min. Aug. 19. Strand.

 

Hellbent
Horror thriller about a serial killer who stalks homosexuals during a Halloween carnival in West Hollywood, Calif. Written and directed by Paul Etheridge-Ouzts. With Dylan Fergus (TV’s “Passions”), Hank Harris (“Pumpkin”), Matt Phillips, Andrew Levitas (“Beauty Shop”) and Bryan Kirkwood. Flat. 85 min. Aug. 12. Regent.

 

Secuestro Express
Spanish-language actioner, set in Venezuela, about a young couple who are kidnapped and spend a terrifying night in the underbelly of Caracas waiting for the delivery of a ransom. Written and directed by Jonathan Jakubowicz. With Mia Maestro (“The Motorcycle Diaries”), Jean Paul Leroux, Pedro Perez, Carlos Madera and Rubén Blades (“Once Upon a Time in Mexico”). R: Strong violence; drug use; sexuality; language. Aug. 5 in New York and Los Angeles. Miramax.

 

 

 

 

 

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