So what’s out there this week.  Well today we’ll take a look at the films scheduled to be released this Friday including the first 9/11 feature film, gymnasts getting the Bring it On treatment, a “killer” blues band, Robin Williams, and the national spelling bee.  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.

Akeelah and the Bee

Warm-hearted tale of a young girl (Keke Palmer) from Crenshaw who begins to train for the National Spelling Bee.  Great acting by the child actors (J.R. Villarreal, Sean Michael, Sahara Garey) and some not too shabby adults as well (Laurence Fishburne, Angela Basset, and Curtis Armstrong).  The family friendly plot shoud make Akeelah score with large enough audiences to become a modest hit.  The film was written and directed by Doug Atchison (The Pornographer).  Check back on Friday for our full review.

United 93

The first feature film to deal with the events of 9/11 (the film was rushed through production to beat out Oliver Stone’s World Trade Center).  The film deals with the many issues of the morning but focuses mainly on the United Airlines flight 93 which crashed in Pennsylvania.  Based on cell phone and airplane recordings of the passengers attempt to retake the plane and the miscommunication of the agencies learning of the hijackings.  Directed by Paul Greengrass (The Bourne Supremacy).  The trailers were pulled from NY City after complaints prompting the question, it too soon?  Check back on Friday for our full review.

Stick It

The latest from Jessica Bendinger (she wrote Bring it On) who does double duty as writer and director in this comedy about the wold of big competition gymnastics.  The film focuses on wild child Haley (Missy Peregrym) who despite unlimited talent left the sport costing her team a chance at a gold medal, but due to her legal troubles is forced to return to a world she no longer wants to be a part of.  Jeff Bridges signs on as the coach.  The film takes a look at the hard training involved and takes a shot or two at the judging system currently used.  Check back on Friday for our full review.

RV

Robin Williams takes his wife (Cheryl Hines) and kids (Joanna “JoJo” Leversque and Jash Hutcherson) on a roadtrip in an RV to the Colorado Rockies.  According to the trailers hilarity ensues.  Directed by Barry Sonnenfeld (Men in Black and Get Shorty but sadly he’s also responsible for White Noise and Wild Wild West).  Can Robin Williams provoke enough wackiness to make such a lame premise interesting or at least watchable?  Arrested Development fans can look for Will Arnett and Tony Hale amongst the…fun?  Check back on Friday for our full review.

Water

With such an awesome title do I really need to give your more?  Jeez!  The third film in Deepa Mehta’s trilogy (Fire, Earth but oddly no Wind) tells the tale of an eight year-old Indian girl sent to the temple to live in penitence with widows in the holy city of Varansi when her father dies.  Her sudden appearance affects the social outcast women living in forced seclusion including a young widow who falls for a follower of Mahatma Ghandi.  The strong attacks from Hindu fundamentalists (who tried to shut down production with, um, unethical means) have given the film some free, though not great, press.

Killer Diller (limited release)

Based off the novel by Clive Edgerton comes this film by writer/director Tricia Brock about a group of convicts in a halfway house of the Lord playing hymns (rather badly) until the addition of a car thief (William Lee Scott) and an autistic piano savant (Lucas Black) bring the group together in becoming The Killer Diller Blues Band.  The film also co-stars the wonderfully funny Fred Willard and John Michael Higgins.  It’s getting a limited Midwest release with (hopefully) a wider release to come.  We were lucky enough to get an interview with Ms. Brock and we’ll have that for you later this week plus our full review for the film on Friday.

The Lost City (limited release)

Andy Garcia, Dustin Hoffman, Bill Murray – why haven’t I heard of this film before now!  A project Andy Garcia has been trying to get made since he hit Hollywood is a loving look at his native Cuba for his directorial debut.  The story involves a nightclub owner (Garcia) in 1958 Cuba caught between the transition from the oppressive Fulgencio Batista (Juan Fernandez) regime to Fidel Castro’s Marxist government.  Also starring in the film are Ines Sastre, Tomas Milian, Steven Baurer and Jsu Garcia as Che Guevara.  The film is filled with lavish photography and Cuban musical numbers showcasing Garcia’s home country.

Wassup Rockers (limited release)

Hispanic teens blow-off the hip-hop craze in South Central L.A. and grab their skateboards and rock out to pun rock.  Escaping to Beverly Hills they run into trouble with cops and the eccentric elite as they become lost in la-la land and learn important lessons about themselves and the world.  The latest from writer/director Larry Clark (Kids, Bully) was picked as the opening night film for the Slamdance Film Festival.  Like Clark’s other works this stars a collection of unknowns – Jonathan Valasquez, Fransico Pedrasa, Milton Velasquez, Yunior Usualdo Panameno, Luis Rojas-Salagado, Iris Zelaya, ad Ashlye Maldonado.

Guys and Balls (limited release)

Okay, with a title that gay…  The German film (Manner wie wir) from 2004 about a gay teen (Maximilian Bruckner) kicked off his soccer team and with the help of his sister (Lisa Potthoff) and a cranky former star (Dietmar Bar) tries to form his own all gay team to take them on.  Not exactly Bend it Like Becham.  Can the films light-hearted comedy and serious gay themes, in German with English subtitles, with an all German cast and no Hollywood stars play well in the US?