New Releases For November 4th, 2008
| 1. Get Smart - PG-13 (1:40), Comedy/Action, Steve Carell, Anne Hathaway, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Alan Arkin. Though it features nostalgic nods to its classic TV inspiration, GET SMART is fun for both devoted fans and those who might mistake the cone of silence for a less-crunchy dessert dish. Steve Carell (THE OFFICE) takes over the role Don Adams originated as Maxwell Smart, a desk-bound analyst at spy agency CONTROL. When the evildoers at KAOS discover the identities of all of CONTROL's agents, it's finally time for Max to shine in the field. Paired with the sexy Agent 99 (Anne Hathaway, THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA), the bumbling Max leads a crusade against KAOS with a variety of high-tech gadgets. Naysayers might have suggested that a movie based on the show GET SMART might have become another Cold War casualty, but the strong cast makes this action-comedy a success. Though the ‘60s series' Adams can't be replaced, Carell ably steps into his predecessor's phone-bearing shoes. As KAOS kingpin Siegfried, Terence Stamp is just as deliciously evil as he was as SUPERMAN II's General Zod. But Dwayne Johnson (THE GAME PLAN) especially deserves kudos for his comic chops in a supporting turn as Agent 23. The part may be smaller than the lead roles audiences are used to seeing him play, but it's a perfect opportunity for him to display his action and comedic muscles. Behind the scenes, series creators Mel Brooks and Buck Henry serve as creative consultants on the film, and this version of GET SMART shows a loving devotion to its source material. |
| 2. Return To Sleepaway Camp - R (1:26), Horror, Vincent Pastore, Jackie Thon, Jonathan Tiersten, Paul Deangelo. In this sequel to the 1983 cult slasher, the kids at a bucolic summer camp are having a great time in the woods--that is until camp counselors and youngsters start disappearing. To whom will the trail of blood lead? And will Ronnie be able to find out before Camp Manabe becomes a graveyard? Vincent Pastore and Isaac Hayes star in this gruesome horror flick that should appeal to genre fans. |
| 3. Confessions Of A Pit Fighter - R (1:39), Action, Armand Assante, James Russo, Flavor Flav, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson. Eddie Castillo is a ex-con whose dream of a quiet life is shattered when his brother is killed in an illegal underground fight. Desperate to find his brother's killer, Castillo returns to the violent criminal underworld and begins an unforgettably powerful journey of revenge and redemption. |
| 4. Moscow Zero - R (1:22), Action, Horror, Suspense, Vincent Gallo, Val Kilmer, Rade Serbedzija, Sage Stallone. The walking dead venture through eternity in the horrifying caverns and catacombs below the thriving Russian capitol of Moscow. Owen (Vincent Gallo), an American researcher, enters this asylum looking for his lost archaeologist friend only to discover that venturing into the darkness means that he will have to get past the gatekeeper of Hell, Andrey (Val Kilmer). Seduced by the terrifying secrets and desperate to continue on, Owen strikes a deal with Andrey - but is it a gentlemen's agreement or a pact with the Devil himself? |
| 5. Chill - R (1:26), Horror, Thomas Calabro, Ashley Laurence, Shaun Kurtz, James Russo. In this chilling tale based on H.P. Lovecraft's "Cool Air", Sam Jackson, an aspiring writer, gets a job as a clerk in an inner-city grocery owned by a mysterious Dr. Munoz, a former scientist who claims to have a rare skin condition that forces him to live in sub-freezing temperatures. However, as Sam is later horrified to learn, Munoz died some time ago, but has kept himself alive through occult measures and the flesh harvested from his vivtims. Now facing death at Munoz's hands, Sam must decide whether he will join Munoz's unholy ranks to save his own hide.....literally...... |
| 6. Termination Point - PG-13 (1:30), Action, Suspense, Jason Priestley, Lou Diamond Phillips. Special Agent Caleb Smith (Jason Priestley) is a man on a mission. When military time-travel technology is stolen by rogue scientist Dr. Daniel Winter (Lou Diamond Phillips), Agent Smith leads an all-out government manhunt to get it back. Winter is determined not to let this all-powerful weapon fall back into the hands of the military. When Smith finally tracks down his target, he must risk everything - including his family - in order to stop the weapon from being unleashed on the world. Planes vanish, time distorts, and the very existence of mankind hangs in the balance in this action-packed adventure! |
| 7. The Good Life - R (1:29), Drama, Zooey Deschanel, Patrick Fugit, Chris Klein, Donal Logue. A coming-of-age drama about youthful alienation, THE GOOD LIFE stars Mark Webber (BROKEN FLOWERS) as Jason Prayer, an introspective teen marooned in the football-obsessed Midwest. Jason dodges the local players (a popular, hateful bunch) and their God-like coach by staying in with stacks of old movies; the only thing that draws him out is Frances (Zooey Deschanel, THE HAPPENING), a local girl who also marches to her own beat. Following her lead, Jason learns to 'be himself,' even in hostile circumstances. When it turns out Frances may not be everything she seems, however, Jason begins a frantic scramble to find a place where he can truly belong. |
| 8. Transsiberian - R (1:51), Suspense, Mystery, Woody Harrelson, Emily Mortimer, Kate Mara, Ben Kingsley. With TRANSSIBERIAN, Brad Anderson proves once again that he has an exceptional ability to craft a suspenseful thriller. Leaving behind the overtly Hitchockian style that made THE MACHINIST such an interesting formal exercise, Anderson this time shoots his film in color and roots it firmly in the present. Roy (Woody Harrelson) and Jessie (Emily Mortimer) have just finished working with children overseas as part of a church project. Before flying back to the States, they decide to travel from Beijing to Moscow on the Trans-Siberian Express train, where they meet two fellow travelers, the handsome Carlos (Eduardo Noriega) and young Abby (Kate Mara). The couples bond, but gradually Jessie becomes worried that her new friends are involved in drug trafficking. At that point, the web has been spun, and when the intimidating Russian detective, Grinko (Ben Kingsley), arrives, Roy and Jessie become innocent targets in a dangerous chase. Anderson's script, co-written with Will Conroy, helps to elevate TRANSSIBERIAN beyond mere thriller status. Without the suspense, it remains a well-executed portrait of a complicated relationship between two real people. Mortimer is her usual fantastic self, and it's fun to watch Harrelson play an average, upbeat American guy. Throw the always riveting Kingsley into the mix and you have a motion picture that is above average in every way. By the time the film reaches its payoff, viewers will have felt as if they, too, took a ride on the Trans-Siberian Express. |
| 9. Barbie: A Christmas Carol - NR (1:16), Family, Holiday. Charles Dickens gets a Barbie makeover in this fashion-forward adaptation of A CHRISTMAS CAROL. The glamorous Barbie steps into Scrooge's shoes as Eden Starling, a snobby, demanding theater star bent on forcing her staff to rehearse on Christmas. Luckily, three helpful spirits visit the diva to show her the true meaning of the season, and just in time! This fun update of a Christmas classic includes a soundtrack of favorite carols. |
| 10. Christmas Is Here Again - G (1:15), Family, Holiday, Narrated by Jay Leno. Voices of: Ed Asner, Kathy Bates, Andy Griffith, Shirley Jones, Brad Garrett, Norm McDonald. Christmas Is Here Again has a decidedly retro feel to it, and is likely to be a trip down memory lane for those of us who cherish cold holiday nights in front of a television screen watching Rudolph, Frosty, Charlie Brown and so many more. Whereas so many of today's Christmas specials focus on razzle dazzle, Christmas Is Here Again is content presenting a timeless story combined with enchanting characters, wonderful music and a straightforward, feel-good production. It's a wonderful film with lessons about compassion, giving, loyalty and never giving up hope. For those of you looking to add a new film to your Holiday movie tradition, Christmas Is Here Again is an ideal choice for families, children and for Scrooges like myself who, somewhere deep inside, still want to believe. |