Film News & Trailers

So what’s out there this week?  Well today we’ll take a look at the films scheduled to be released on Friday.  They include Mark Wahlberg as a dumb jock and Greg Kinnear as Dick Vermeil, the latest from the Broken Lizard gang, kids eating worms, a musical about Prohibition, Camille Belle and Eliza Cuthbert in The Quiet and more; read on…

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Here’s what’s scheduled to hit theaters this week.  Want to know more?  Just click on the title for film info including a full cast list.  Want a closer look?  Just click on the poster to watch the trailer.

Opening Friday:

Invincible

From producers Mark Ciradi and Gordon Gray (The Rookie, Miracle) comes the true story of Dick Vermeil’s (Greg Kinnear, in as close to perfect casting as you will find) first season as head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles.  The story follows a 30 year-old part-time bartender, Vince Papale (Mark Wahlberg), who goes to an open tryout and ends up making the team, and how it effects both his life and the lives of his friends and family.  A little schmaltzy?  Yeah, it is Disney after all, but definitely worth a look.  Elizabeth Banks, Kevin Conway, Michael Kelly, Michael Rispoli also star.  Check back Friday for our review.

Beerfest

The latest from the guys of Broken Lizard follows American brothers (Erick Stohlanske, Paul Soter) who, by accident, discover the secret underground drinking competition in Germany.  They return with three friends and the “Magnificent Five” enter to win the secret Olympics of beer drinking for the good ol’ USA.  Once again Jay Chandrasekhar directs.  Can the Broken Lizard gang find the funny (Super Troopers), or are we in for another disappointment (Club Dread), or utter catastrophe (The Dukes of Hazard – one of my worst of 2005)?  Check back Friday for the review to find out.

Idlewild

A musical about Prohibition?  HBO films gives us Big Boi and Andre Benjamin, as the manager and speakeasy performer and his piano player, who must contend with gangsters interested in their club.  Talented supporting cast includes Terrence Howard, Ben Vereen, Ving Rhames, Faizon Love, Cicely Tyson, Paula Patton, Bill Nunn, Jennifer Johnson, Stephanie Moseley, Patti LaBelle, and Macy Gray.  The cast alone should be worth the price of admission, but will audiences take a chance on this one?  The musical was written and directed by music video director Bryan Barber.  Check back on Friday for our review.

How to Eat Fried Worms

Guess what?  Gross out movies aren’t just for teenagers anymore!  The disgusting, but popular, kids book by Thomas Rockwell becomes a film.  The story involves a young fifth-grader (Luke Benward) who takes on a bully by accepting a dare to, well, eat worms (in every disgusting style imaginable).  Hallie Kate Eisenberg, Adam Hicks, Austin Rogers, Alexander Gould, Ryan Malgarini, and Thomas Cavanaugh (Ed, Love Monkey) also star.  Hopefully better than the 1985 animated made for television version.  At least it couldn’t be worse, right?  Popularity of the book should sell tickets, but it’s interesting director Bob Doman chose to go with an unknown cast.

Opening Friday in Limited Release:

The Quiet

After the death of her father, an unpopular deaf high school student (Camilla Belle) moves in with a cheerleader (Elisha Cuthbert) and her parents (Edie Falco, Martin Donovan).  Her arrival leads to a series of discoveries as secrets and lies are exposed.  The latest from Jamie Babbit (But I’m a Cheerleader) also stars Shawn Ashmore, Katy Mixon, and Shannon Woodward.  The film opens Friday in New York and Los Angeles.  An interesting but flawed film much in the same vein as the recently released The Night Listener (seriously, what’s up with Hollywood and incest films lately?).  Make sure you check back Friday for our review.

Queens (Reinas)

Spanish film about five mothers who prepare to marry off their sons at the same ceremony.  The catch?  It’s a mass gay ceremony.  Presented in Spanish with English subtitles.  Directed by Manuel Gomez Pereira (Between Your Legs, Off Key), the film stars Veronica Forque, Carmen Maura, Marisa Paredes, Betiana Blum, Mercedes Sampietro, Unax Ugalde, Hugo Silva, and Gusto Salmeron. The film opens this week in Los Angeles and New York on Friday; look for a slow wider release over the next few months.

So what’s out there this week?  Well today we’ll take a look at the films scheduled to be released on Friday.  They include Justin Long creating his own college, the Duff girls playing a pair of spoiled sisters (hard acting there!), and Samuel L. Jackson taking on Snakes on a Plane.  All that and a batch of films in limited release including Edward Norton as a magician, Rachel Leigh Cook’s unquenchable sexual desires on the eve of her wedding, Billy Crudup and David Duchovny screwing up their relationships, and new films starring Matt Dillon and James Marsden as well; read on…

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Here’s what’s scheduled to hit theaters this week.  Want to know more?  Just click on the title for film info including a full cast list.  Want a closer look?  Just click on the poster to watch the trailer.

Opening Friday:

Accepted

I’ve been a fan of Justin Long since his days on Ed.  Much like last year’s Waiting… this film puts Long into the role of a slacker who discovers deeper meaning to life by the end of the film.  Bartleby (Long) creates a fictional university, South Harmon Institute of Technology (notice the acronym?), when he’s rejected from every college around.  When other slackers enroll, his friends (Jonah Hill, Maria Thayer, Columbus Short, and comedian Lewis Black) help him to turn the farce into a real college, and win his true love (Blake Lively).  Check back on Friday for our review.

Snakes on a Plane

Samuel L. Jackson plays an FBI agent on a plane who battles hundreds of snakes, released by an assassin to kill an informant being transferred to testify.  Either you’ve been waiting impatiently for this one or you’ve been scratching your head all year about the Internet build-up.  Byron Lawson, Nathan Phillips, Julianna Marguiles, Rachel Blanchard, and Bobby Cannavale also star.  The film is directed by David R. Ellis (Cellular, Final Destination 2) which, surprisingly, hasn’t seemed to hurt the hype – seriously, Final Destination 2?  C’mon!  Check back Friday for our review.

Material Girls

Real life sisters Hilary and Haylie Duff play carefree, party all night heiresses (is one of them named Paris?) who lose all their fortune and fame in a scandal, forcing them to go out into the world and live a more simple life (sorry, I couldn’t resist).  Angelica Huston, Brent Spiner, and Maria Conchita Alonso also star.  Hey, should be better than Hilary’s next project.  TV director Martha Coolridge is behind the camera for the script penned by John Quaintance (Joey, Aquamarine) and first-timer Jessica O’Toole.  With this much “talent,” what could possibly go wrong?

Currently in Limited Release, Opening Wide on Friday:

Little Miss Sunshine

Boy, oh, boy.  When the youngest member of a dysfunctional family wins a spot in a beauty pagent the whole crew stumbles on board a VW bus and makes the trek to California.  Directed by the team of Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris (Mr. Show), the off-beat script (by first-timer Michael Arndt) stars Steve Carrell as a suicidal gay man, Paul Dano as a Nietche lovin’ mute, Greg Kinnear as the emotionally inaccessible father, Alan Arkin as the smack addicted patriarch, and Abagail Breslin as the adorable Olive.  The film finally gets a wide release this Friday; You can check out my review here.

Leonard Cohen: I’m Your Man

A new documentary by director Lian Lunson (Willie Nelson: Down Home) focuses on the life and music of singer/songwriter Leonard Cohen.  The film is compiled from interviews and performances, mostly from the tribute to Cohen in 2005 at the Sydney Opera House, by Cohen, Bono and the Edge from U2, Anthony Hegarty, Rufus and Martha Wainwright, Linda Thompson, Anthony Hagerty, Anna and Kate McGarrigle, Hal Wilner, Nick Cave, Julie Christensen, and more.  The film has received mixed reviews as many feel the actual man is barely profiled in what appears to be more a celebration of his work than a true documentary.

Opening Friday in Limited Release:

The Illusionist

Edward Norton as a magician?  Hmmm…  A magician (Norton) uses his abilities to win the love of a noble woman (Jessica Beil) from the Crown Prince of Vienna (Rufus Sewell), who is determined to prove the magician a fraud with the help of his chief inspector (Paul Giamatti).  The big question here is can the film overcome the curse of Jessica Beil – who somehow always chooses the worst films to star in (Blade Trinity, Summer Catch, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Stealth, Elizabethtown).  Is there enough magic in the world to kill this curse?  Check back Friday for our review to find out.

My First Wedding

Rachael Leigh Cook plays Vanessa, a young woman struggling with sexual fantasies and desires just days before she is to be married.  She seeks solace in a confessional, only to bare her soul to carpenter (Kenny Doughtey) doing renovation at the church, who is so taken with her (a randy sex-crazed Rachel Leigh Cook, who wouldn’t be?!) that he can’t tell her he’s not a priest.  Caroline Carver, Paul Hopkins, Claire Brosseau, Elizabeth Whitmere, and Stefanie Buxton also star.  The film opens today in limited release, look for it at an art house near you in the coming weeks.

Trust the Man

Writer/director Bart Freundlich’s (World Traveler, The Myth of Fingerprints) latest is about a couple of friends (David Duchovny, Billy Crudup) and their screwed-up relationships with the women they love (Julianne Moore, Maggie Gyllenhaal).  The supporting cast includes Justin Bartha, James LeGros, Eva Mendes, Ellen Barkin, Dagmara Dominczyk, and Garry Shandling.  Despite a near year long run at various film festivals the film has brought neither high praise, nor marketable anger.  Looks like what you see is what you get.  The film is opening in limited release on Friday.

10th and Wolf

Returning home from the military, Tommy (James Marsden) finds himself back in the old neighborhood, his brother in prison, and entagled once again with his mobster buddies.  Marsden finally gets a starring role with a fine supporting cast including Giovanni Ribisi, Brad Renfro, Dennis Hopper, Piper Perabo, Lesly Ann Warren, Val Kilmer, Brian Dennehy, and rocker Tommy Lee.  I just wish the plot sounded as good as that list of actors.  Directed and co-written by Robert Moresco (who co-wrote last year’s Crash).  The film opens in limited release on Friday.

Factorum

Henry Chinaski (Matt Dillon), the fictional alter-ego of writer Charles Bukowski, wanders around Los Angeles barely making a living while indulging in his favorite pastimes – gambling, drinking, women, and writing.  Directed and adapted from the Bukowski novel by Norwegian director Brent Hamer.  The supporting cast includes Lili Taylor, Marisa Tomei, Adrienne Shelly, Karen Young, and Fisher Stevens. The film opens exclusively in New York and Los Angeles on Friday.  Look for a wider release in art houses in the coming months.

So what’s out there this week?  Well today we’ll take a look at the films scheduled to be released this week.  On Wednesday Oliver Stone’s 9/11 film World Trade Center will be released (check back for our review!).  Friday’s releases include Tim Allen and a bunch of kids trying to save the world, Kristen Bell hearing voices from the other side, and yet another film about dancing.  All that and a boatload of indie films out this week in limited release as well; read on…

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Here’s what’s scheduled to hit theaters this week.  Want to know more?  Just click on the title for film info including a full cast list.  Want a closer look?  Just click on the poster to watch the trailer.

Opening Wednesday:

World Trade Center

Oliver Stone has never been more subtle.  This is the film United 93 wanted to be.  Stone tells the story of a pair of Port Authority cops (Nicholas Cage and Michael Pena) who are buried alive after entering the towers trying to save others on 9/11.  The film moves between their circumstances and those of their families (Maria Bello and Maggie Gyllenhaal as the wives) who watch in horror and desperation, not knowing if they are alive or dead.  Stone tells a basic story relying on human emotion and strong performances from a terrific cast.  The film opens on Wednesday and we’ll have the review.

Opening Friday:

Zoom

Tim Allen plays the superhero Captain Zoom who sends off his daughter (Kate Mara) to a special academy called Sky High where the youngsters with super powers are taught how to develop them by Professor X.  (Sony was actually sued over the “similarities”).  At the academy the kids learn about the plot of a new super-villain and band together to stop the new menace.  If the trailers are true, and they never lie, looks like it could be fun.  Anyone else think director Peter Hewitt might have made more out of Fantastic Four franchise?  (‘Course so would a coma patient, or a rock).

Pulse

Kristen Bell (the delectably cute Veronica Mars) stars in this English remake of Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s 2001 Kairo.  The plot involves the discovery of an evil signal that is hacked into and can’t be shut off.  The film also stars Christina Milan (why does there always have to be a “musician” in the group?), Ian Omerhalder, Riki Lindhome, Jonathan Tucker, and Julie Newcaster.  The track record of Japanese horror flicks remade by Hollywood doesn’t exactly inspire (remember last year’s Dark Water?), but the trailer comes off as both creepy and intriguing.  We’ll have to see for ourselves.

Step Up

Yet another film where the main plot focuses around dancing.  Oh boy.  In this one Tyler (Channing Tatum) is sentenced to community service at a super elite dance school (yeah, riiiight…).  There he meets a young sexy ballet dancer (Jenna Dewan) who pulls him out of his shell and helps him discover his hidden talent, a new respect for life, and a love of dancing.  Rachel Griffiths (Six Feet Under), Diedre Lovejoy, Ryan Sands, Alyson Stoner, Schuster Vance, and Courtney Irons also star.  Also with Anne Fletcher, choreographer turned first time director.  Check back Friday for the review.

Currently in Limited Release, Opening Wide on Friday:

Peaceful Warrior

The latest from writer/director Victor Salva (Jeepers Creepers, Clownhouse, Powder) is an inspirational and emotional tale of a young collegiate gymnast (Scott Mechlowicz) who strikes up a student/mentor relationship with a gas station sage (Nick Nolte) who teaches him the “way of the peaceful warrior.”  The film is based on Dan Millman’s semi-autobiographical book of the same name.  The supporting cast for the film includes Amy Smart and Ashton Holmes.  It’s been playing in limited release for about two months and will open wide on more screens this Friday.  Check back for our review.

Opening Friday in Limited Release:

Conversations with Other Women

At a wedding reception sparks fly between a man (Aaron Eckhart) and woman (Helena Bonham Carter) who continue to flirt.  The pair steal away together to a hotel room where more about their past and future is to be discovered and revealed.  For fans of dialogue, instead of action, you may have found something here in director Hans Canosa and writer Gabrielle Zevin’s latest collaboration (they gave us 2002’s Alma Mater).  The film also stars Olivia Wile, Brian Geraghty, Brianna Brown, and Thomas Lennon.  It opens on Friday in limited release in New York, Los Angeles, and San Fransisco.

The House of Sand (Casa de Areia)

A pregnant woman (Fernada Torres) and her new husband take her mother (Fernada Montenegro) and move to a remote region of northern Brazil in 1910.  Despite her husband’s love for the land, Aureilla will spend her life, with her mother and daughter, in the arid desert hoping only to escape.  Directed by Andrucha Waddington, the film is banking heavily on Montenego’s presence (one of the most respected actors in Brazil) and the chemisty in casting her real life daughter to play the same role in the film.  The Brazilian film is presented in Portuguese with English subtitles; it opens in New York and Los Angeles on Friday.

Waltzing Anna

Robert Capelli Jr. (who also co-wrote the script) stars as an unscrupuous New York doctor who thrives on the bureauracracy of the insurance system.  When found guilty he is sentenced to work six months at a nursing home where relationships with his patients and his romantic interest in a nurse (Emmanuelle Chriqui) begin to thaw the doctor’s cold heart.  The film also stas Marilyn Chris, Pat Hingle, Jeff Kovatch, Grant Shaud (of TV’s Murphy Brown), Casey Simasko, and Shelby Young.  The film was co-written and directed by Doug Bollinger; it opens in limited release on Friday.

Poster Boy

Matt Newton plays the title role of Henry, a closeted gay son of a conservative United States Senator (Michael Lerner).  When an openly gay friend (Jack Noseworthy) learns of Henry’s secret he decides to take advantage of the situation and get some revenge on the conservative right during the Senator’s re-election campaign.  Karen Allen, Valerie Geffner, Ian Reed Kesler, and Amanda Kaplan also star.  Co-written by Lecia Rosenthal and Ryan Shiraki, the film is directed by first timer Zak Tucker.  The only question is will anyone in the midwest get to, or want to, see it?  The film opens Friday in limited release.

Half Nelson

An inner-city junior high school techer (Ryan Gosling) is a favorite among students for his edgier approach and focus on teaching them to think for themselves.  When one of his students (Shareeka Epps) discovers his dark secret (drug addiction) an unlikely friendship forms as the two try to help each other.  Karen Chilton, Anthony Mackie, Tina Holmes, Monique Curnen, Stephanie Bast, and Bryce Silver also star.  The film is a longer version of writer/director Ryan Fleck’s 2004 short film Gowanus, Brooklyn (which also starred Epps and Chilton).  The film will be released in New York on Friday.

Viva Pedo!

Sony Pictures Classics is re-releasing eight of Pedro Almodovar’s films: Woman on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, All About My Mother, Talk to Her, Flower of my Secret, Live Flesh, Law of Desire, Matador, and Bad Education.  Each film has been restored and new prints have been made for each film.  In November Almodovar’s latest film Volver will also be released.  The films will open in New York and Los Angeles on Friday and gradually expand to other cities this fall.  For more information check out the official site.

So what’s out there this week?  Well today we’ll take a look at the films scheduled to be released this Friday which include some animated animal mischief on the farm, Will Ferrell as a NASCAR driver “who can only count to #1,” Robin Williams caught up in a “real life” Twilight Zone-type adventure, and a British horror flick about the dark things found at the bottom of a cave.  All that and more; read on…

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Here’s what’s scheduled to hit theaters this week.  Want to know more?  Just click on the title for film info including a full cast list.  Want a closer look?  Just click on the poster to watch the trailer.

Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby

Will Ferrell and NASCAR, need to know more?  Ferrell goes behind the wheel in the starring role as a great, but dimwitted (what else?), NASCAR driver who gets a run for his money when a French Formula One driver (Sasha Baron Coen) shows up to challenge him.  John C. Reilly stars as the teammate and best friend.  Written by Ferrell and Adam McKay (the pair gave us Anchorman).  This movie’s been promoted non-stop over the past few weeks, but can Ferrell and McKay get the same laughs without the likes of Steve Carrell, Paul Rudd, and Christina Applegate?  Check back Friday for the review.

Barnyard: The Original Party Animals

Ever wonder what farm animals do when no one’s looking?  Well here ya’ go.  Animated misadventures of a cow named Otis (Kevin James) and his wacky pals who party and enjoy playing tricks on humans.  That is until the coyotes show giving them much bigger concerns.  The likeable, fun comedy also stars the voices of Danny Glover, Courteney Cox, David Koechner, Andie MacDowell, Wanda Sykes, Dom Irrera, Jeffrey Garcia, Madeline Lovejoy as the adorable Tweety-like chick, and Sam Elliot as the serious leader (and darn good singer) of the Barnard.  Check back on Friday for the review.

The Night Listener

Popular radio host Gabriel Noone (Robin Williams) deals with a recent break-up (Bobby Cannavale) and begins reading a new book about the wild “true” experiences of a dying boy (Rory Culkin).  Gabriel begins a phone relationship with the boy and the woman who takes care of him (Toni Collette), but begins to have doubts about his story and suspicions on the boy’s identity which leads him on a dark journey to find the truth.  Interesting idea even if it doesn’t quite pan out.  The film is directed by Patrick Stettner (The Business of Strangers).  Check back Friday for the review.

The Descent

British horror flick from last year (already available on DVD in the UK) follows a group of young women on a cave expedition that goes horribly wrong when they discover strange people-eatin’ monsters.  Sounds kinda’ like last year’s hysterically bad The Cave, but it did turn out to be a hit at Comic-Con and has some nice press behind it.  Also this new print has a different ending for American audiences.  Shauna Macdonald, Natalie jackson Mendoza, Alex Reid, Nora-Jane Noone, and Saskia Mulder star as sexy monster food.  The film was written and directed by Neil Marshall (Dog Soldiers, Combat).

Quinceanera (limited)

A big hit at this year’s Sundance (it won the Audience Award and the Grand Jury Prize) tells the tale of Magdalena (Emily Rios) who is thrown out of her home on her 15th birthday when her parents discover she is pregnant.  With nowhere else to go she moves in with her uncle (Cahlo Gonzalez) and an estranged gay cousin (Jesse Garcia).  Written and directed by Richard Glatzer (The Fluffer, Grief) and Wash Westmoreland (The Hole, Animus).  The film gets a limited release today with wider distribution in the coming weeks; check you local listings to see when it’s playing near you.