New Theater Releases for September 14, 2007:

I'm not feeling to froofy with words here this morning, so lets not waste anytime here, mmk?




Across the Universe (limited; 700+ theaters: Sept. 21):
Key Players: Jim Sturgess, Evan Rachel Wood (Miss Manson), Joe Anderson, Dana Fuchs
Tag Line: All you need is Love
The Jist: A dock worker Jude (Sturgess) travels to American in the 1960s to find his estranged father. There, he falls in love with sheltered American Teenager Lucy (Wood). When her brother Max (Anderson) is drafted to fight in the Vietnam War, they become involved in peace activism [imdb].
Yay, Nay or Rental Play?: I first saw this preview on one of the DVDs I rented - and at first I thought - Oh - Moulan Rouge... I want to see this. Then... compelling, love story! The trailor is amazing - and I think if this was done right - it could possibly have such an impact as Forest Gump. I"m hoping - because I could use some inspirational movie about life, love and friendship in difficult times.



The Brave One:
Key Players: Jodie Foster, Terrence Howard
Tag Line: How many wrongs to make it right?
The Jist: A woman struggles to recover from a brutal attack by setting out on a mission for revenge [imdb].
Yay, Nay or Rental Play?: Wow - Jodie Foster has really sealed herself into the roll of Agressor Victom in all of these movies. Someone does her family wrong - she comes back full-throttle -- so much different than her Freaky Friday Days for Disney. I'm guessing if I want to watch a good kick-his-ass film - this is what I'll be watching...



Darkon (limited):
Key Players: Regular people, like you and me... except they're really into roleplaying... and not in the bedroom.
Tag Line: There is none. Tho, I'd have to imagine if there were, it'd be "Tho Shalt Ruleth The Earth By Reinactingeth the 18th Century... ith!"
The Jist: A documentary on those that are into role playing of the dark arts --- and by role playing - I mean dressing up in steel chest plates and making a show of it.
Yay, Nay or Rental Play?: I'd like to categorize this under humor and hope that MTV follows up with a True Life: I'm into Roleplaying. I don't mean to poke fun - The Rennaissance festival is awesome... I just... I just think I'd be laughing on my couch at this...




December Boys (NY, LA; wider release: Sept. 28):
Key Players: Daniel Radcliff, Lee Cornie, Christian Byers
Tag Line: After that summer, nothing would ever be the same again.
The Jist: Set in the 1960s, four orphans leave their orphanage for a holiday by the sea on the South Australian coast. When rumor gets out that two of the seaside residents are looking to adopt one of the orphans, friendships are tested and new alliances are made [imdb].
Yay, Nay or Rental Play?:Aww! I definately will go see this one. My heart of hopes wishes for this to be somewhat like Dead Poet's Society - I guess - without the stellar, inspirational English Teacher. Daniel Radcliff has made some pretty smart moves in his career to date - so I can't imagine he's going to steer us wrong with this film




Dragon Wars (D-War) (limited):
Key Players: Jason Behr, Amanda Brooks, Robert Forster
Tag Line: They've made our world their battleground.
The Jist: Based on the Korean legend, unkown creatures will return and devastate the planet. Reporter Ethan Kendrick is called in to investigate the matter, and he arrives at the conclusion that a girl stricken with a mysterious illness named Sarah is supposed to help him. The Imoogi makes its way to Los Angeles, wreaking havoc and destruction. With the entire city under arms, will Ethan and Sarah make it in time to save Los Angeles? [imdb].
Yay, Nay or Rental Play?: Oh... this just looks ... bad. Those Japanese movie-maker folk got there hands on special effects and put their love for dinosaurs into play. I'm not sure if they were trying to be the new-age starwars --- but it looks a little hoaky. I think I'll pass and let your geeky 13-year-old brother go with his Dungeon and Dragon friends and tell me how "rad" it is.




Eastern Promises (limited; wide release: September 21):
Key Players: Viggo Mortenson, Naomi Watts, Mina E. Mina (Coolest name ever, Sarah-Jeanne Labrosse)
Tag Line: Every sin leaves a mark...
The Jist: The film follows the mysterious and ruthless Nikolai (Viggo Mortensen), who is tied to one of London's most notorious organized crime families. His carefully maintained existence is jarred when he crosses paths with Anna (Naomi Watts), an innocent midwife trying to right a wrong, who accidently uncovers potential evidence against the family. Now, Nikolai must put into motion a harrowing chain of murder, deceit, and retribution [imdb].
Yay, Nay or Rental Play?:Viggo is bad ass. He's a babe. He's the Van Dam of our Era, but with Brittish Charm... and no speech impediment. I can imagine the novel for this is probably really awesome... so I hope the movie does it justice. Looks like a good date movie for a couple that's ok thinking about the movie.




Great World of Sound (NY):
Key Players: John Baker, Frances Green, James Green
Tag Line: They're coming to make you a star!
The Jist: When a man answers an ad to train as a record producer, he's excited by the prospect of signing undiscovered artists only to discover his new job isn't all it's cracked up to be [imdb].
Yay, Nay or Rental Play?: The Sundance Film Festival Loved it. This usually rings true on most endeavors. You really think something sounds like a cool job until you get involved and then some important organ is bleeding and you're wishing you were sitting at your old desk, stapling reports and answering phones from 9-5. If this shows at the Mayan or Esquire - I'll most likely go... on a week night -- and bring coffee. And probably laugh a lot.




In the Valley of Elah (limited; wider release: Sept. 21):
Key Players: Tommy Lee Jones, Charliez Theron, Susan Sarandon, James Franco
Tag Line: Sometimes finding the truth is easier than facing it.
The Jist: A career officer (Jones) and his wife (Sarandon) work with a police detective (Theron) to uncover the truth behind their son's disappearance following his return from a tour of duty in Iraq [imdb].
Yay, Nay or Rental Play?: Susan Sarandon is working it this month. One movie last week - two this week. Oh, no wait... this is political and she and her real-life husband, Tim Robbins, are just about the loudest celebrities in Hollywood when it comes to their Democratic Point of View... So am I suprised she took this role? no. It looks very emotional... and will probably be a big box office hit. I can't imagine any mothers who recently had sons go off to the war will want to go see this...




Ira & Abby (limited):
Key Players: Jason Alexander, Mary Louise Burke, Darrell Hammond, Judith Light
Tag Line: A hastily married couple quickly devolve into a life of affairs, meddling parents, and therapy
The Jist: Ira Black is brilliant, neurotic, Jewish and has so many issues he can’t fit them into 12 years of analysis. Abby Willoughby is a free spirit who works in a gym and is better at solving her friends’ problems than selling memberships. When the two meet, the impossible happens: they fall in love, meet each other’s parents and decide to get married, all in a few breathless hours. All is good... until comic travesties ensue, and henceforth - you have the jist of the film[iraandabby.com].
Yay, Nay or Rental Play?:Sounds very Woody Allen. I dont like Woody Allen. No further comment.





King of California(limited):
Key Players: Michael Douglas, Evan Rachel Wood (This weeks Movie Whore!), Allisyn Ashley Arm
Tag Line:none
The Jist: An unstable dad, who after getting out of a mental institution tries to convince his daughter that there's spanish gold buried somewhere under suburbia.[imdb].
Yay, Nay or Rental Play?: Haha. I LOVE Michael Douglas as a Senile old man. -- Produced by the same guy taht did Sideways - so if you liked that - i bet you'll love this, too. Just go.




Moondance Alexander (limited):
Key Players:Kay Panabaker, Don Johnson (REALLY!?!?!?), Lori Loughlin, James Best, Sasha Cohen
Tag Line: none
The Jist:: Moondance Alexander is a spirited teen living with her eccentric mother. She is faced with another uneventful summer until she discovers a lost pinto pony named Checkers who has jumped out of his paddock. Although Moondance returns the horse to his rightful owner, the gruff and mysterious Dante Longpre, she is convinced that Checkers is a champion jumper in disguise and is determined to help him realize his full potential [imdb].
Yay, Nay or Rental Play?:Man this plotline sounds gay. But holy batman, could Kay Panabaker be any more Judy Garland? She's gorgeous. Seems like a good movie you'd watch with all of your 15-year-old bffs! OMG, like totally! Let's face it tho. Although we best know her from Full House about 20 years ago, Lori Loughlin is still uber-hot.




Moving McAllister (limited):
Key Players: MIla Kunis, Jon Heder
Tag Line:The road less traveled is about to get some company.
The Jist: Rick Robinson is a ladder-climbing law intern from Miami with four days until the Bar Exam. Desperate to score points with his boss, he commits to a favor he can't afford. He ends up in a rundown truck headed to L.A. with his boss's possessions, his Hollywood-bound niece, and her pet pig. Amidst hitch-hikers, breakdowns and assorted local yokels, Rick finds love, life and maybe himself in this Trans-America Road trip from hell [imdb].
Yay, Nay or Rental Play?:Hello, Overnight Delivery meets Road Trip meets... Paris and Nicole: The Simple Life 3! A girl... and her PET PIG?! Sounds like trouble!!!!!!!! Another brainless film I may rent for $1 at the Grocery Store Kiosk if I need some filler noise.




Mr. Woodcock:
Key Players: Billy Bob Thornton, Sean William Scott, Susan Sarandon (Ok, She's more a movie whore this week than Wood), Amy Pohler
Tag Line: Letting go of your past is hard... especially when it's dating your mom.
The Jist: Taken aback by his mother's wedding announcement, a young man returns home in an effort to stop her from marrying his old high school gym teacher, a man who made high school hell for generations of students [imdb].
Yay, Nay or Rental Play?:: For some reason, I hate Billy BoB thornton - Which makes no sense because he does great movies. I loved Sling Blade. Bad Santa was freaking hilarious... that movie where he does Halle Berry? Good. But he seems like such a dick... So he's probably found his perfect role - getting to annoy Stiffler - by banging his mom. Har har har





Pete Seeger: The Power of Song (limited):
Key Players: Bob Dylan, Pete Seeger, Bruce Springsteen
Tag Line: none - Documentary
The Jist: Interviews, archival footage and home movies are used to illustrate a social history of folk artists Pete Seeger
Yay, Nay or Rental Play?:Sweet Ass. I know my guitar-obsessed uncle will go to this -- most men in their 30s-50s who grew up idolizing this crew should all get together and go for a long drink - and include me. I just want to watch and listen - Double Feature! I bet this is awesome.



The Rape of Europa (NY):
Key Players: This is a documentary
Tag Line:Imagine the world without our masterpieces.
The Jist: A feature documentary that takes the audience on an epic journey through seven countries and into a violent whirlwind of fanaticism, greed, and warfare that threatened to wip out the artistic heritage of Europe. For twelve long years, the Nazis looted and destroyed art on a scale unprecedented in history. But heroic young art historians and curators from America and across Europe fought back, mounting a miraculous campaign that would rescue and return the millions of art works displaced by the war [imdb].
Yay, Nay or Rental Play?:Traveling without traveling. Cool. Probably awesome - but I still haven't been in the mood for a documentary. Someone go and tell me how it was.




Silk (limited):
Key Players: Kiera Knightley, Michael Pitt, Leslie Csuth
Tag Line: Love knows no borders.
The Jist: The story of a married silkworm merchant-turned smuggler in 19th Century France traveling to Japan for his town's supply of silkworms after a disease wipes out their African supply. During his stay in Japan, he becomes obsessed with the concubine of a local baron [imdb].
Yay, Nay or Rental Play?: Oh, Kiera sure does like those thieving men. Seems to wrap up culture, along with an interesting storyline of love and loss and betrayal -- all the keys to a good film... Not my first choice - but I'd imagine it to be a great popcorn on the couch film.