The Obvious:
Changeling Christine Collins (Angelina Jolie, in an Oscar-nominated role) is overjoyed when her young kidnapped son Walter is brought back home. But when Christine suspects that the Walter who was returned to her isn’t her actual child, the police captain (Jeffrey Donovan) has her committed to an asylum. John Malkovich co-stars as the crusading reverend who comes to Christine’s rescue in this gripping, 1920s-set drama helmed by ace director Clint Eastwood.
Body of Lies Newly stationed in Jordan, idealistic CIA agent Roger Ferris (Leonardo DiCaprio) teams up with veteran operative Ed Hoffman (Russell Crowe) and the head of Jordanian intelligence (Mark Strong) to infiltrate an underground network of terrorists and locate a criminal mastermind. Based on the best-selling novel by David Ignatius and directed by Ridley Scott, this suspenseful spy thriller features top-rate performances and explosive action sequences.
Religulous Politically provocative talk show host Bill Maher skewers the current state of organized religion in this documentary that derives its title from a blend of the words “religion” and “ridiculous.” Making stops in Jerusalem, the Vatican and other holy destinations, Maher travels the world to talk to believers from a variety of faiths to find out why they’re so sure their religion is right — and why they’re so certain others are wrong.
Have Seen and Recommend:
The Outrage When outlaw Juan Carrasco (Paul Newman) stands trial for the rape of a settler woman (Claire Bloom) and the murder of her husband (Laurence Harvey), three conflicting accounts of the crime emerge. A conversation between a con man (Edward G. Robinson), a preacher (William Shatner) and a prospector (Howard Da Silva) further muddies the truth. Martin Ritt directs this dramatic Western based on Akira Kurosawa’s film Rashomon.
The Silver Chalice After he’s sold into slavery by his villainous uncle, Greek sculptor Basil (Paul Newman, in his big-screen debut) is forced to fashion a silver chalice intended to hold the cup Christ used during the Last Supper. Loosely based on Thomas B. Costain’s novel of the same name, this costume epic also stars Jack Palance as Simon the Magician, Lorne Greene as Saint Peter and Virginia Mayo as the seductive Helena.
The Librarian: Curse of the Judas Chalice Librarian Flynn Carsen (Noah Wyle) must rescue a kidnapped scholar and track down the legendary Judas Chalice to save the world from a dangerous vampire, in the third installment of this popular adventure film series. Carsen teams up with a mysterious woman (Stana Katic) and sets out for New Orleans, hoping to find the powerful chalice before it falls into the hands of a cult that believes it can revive the infamous Vlad Dracul.
Ironweed Jack Nicholson and Meryl Streep star in this moody Depression-era drama about Francis Phelan, a former pro baseball player haunted by his past and now living the squalid life of a nomadic drunk. Crippled by guilt and sorrow, Phelan reunites with his erstwhile lover and drinking pal (Streep) on the bleak streets of 1938 Albany, N.Y. Hector Babenco directs this Oscar-nominated adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by William Kennedy.
Cat Dancers After inheriting a black leopard from actor William Holden, acclaimed adagio dancers Ron and Joy Holiday began working big cats into their routine. The story of the famously known Cat Dancers turns tragic after a younger trainer joins the team. Masterfully composed from archival footage of the duo’s four-decade career, this documentary juxtaposes the allure and glamour of the Las Vegas show scene with the raw brutality of the ferocious felines.
Breaking Bad: Season 1 Diagnosed with cancer and given only two years left to live, high school chemistry teacher Walter (Bryan Cranston) attempts to secure his family’s financial future by teaming up with his former student, Jesse (Aaron Paul), to produce and distribute the illegal drug meth. As Walter slowly builds his empire, his wife, Skyler (Anna Gunn), grows suspicious of his erratic behavior, and the DEA starts searching for the area’s new drug kingpin.
Oh No!
Extreme Movie Amiable geek Mike (Ryan Pinkston) chases down the girl of his dreams, while Fred (Michael Cera) looks for love in a chat room and Chuck (Frankie Muniz) and his experienced girlfriend take their sex life to the next (very weird) level. Co-written by comic heavyweights Andy Samberg and Will Forte, this outrageous raunch-fest chronicles the highs and lows of teen lovemaking in all its embarrassing glory. Jamie Kennedy and Andy Milonakis co-star.
99 A college playboy needs just one more conquest to win a bet that he could sleep with 100 women before he graduates — but sealing the deal could be difficult with only hours to go and 99 babes roaming campus looking for revenge. Meanwhile, a classmate and recreational drug enthusiast risks forfeiting his inheritance unless he can steal back his tainted urine sample. Jereme Badger and Bobby Campo star in this comic romp from director Pete Guzzo.
Cyclops When a cyclops (Dimitar Maslarski) terrorizes the ancient Roman countryside, treacherous emperor Tiberius (Eric Roberts) sends his best general, Marcus (Kevin Stapleton), to capture the creature and bring it back to Rome to appear in the gladiatorial games. But when Tiberius also banishes Marcus to the games, the soldier teams up with the cylcops to overthrow the wretched ruler. Declan O’Brien directs this historical fantasy.
Possibilities:
The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest: Season 1: Vol. 1 Jump into action with Jonny Quest, his father, and his pals Hadji, Jessie and Race in this animated series that brings the classic 1960s cartoon into the 1990s, where the heroes use the virtual reality QuestWorld in their adventures. Jonny and friends look for sea monsters in the Indian Ocean, stumble upon the lost city of El Dorado, take on ghostly pirates in Bermuda and investigate aliens in Washington, D.C.
Islander Returning home after a stint in prison for causing a tragic accident at sea, island lobster fisherman Eben Cole (Tom Hildreth) finds he’s become a pariah. Determined to win back his wife, Cheryl (Amy Jo Johnson), and daughter Sara (Emma Ford), Eben struggles to make a new life for himself, with the help of veteran fisherman Popper (Philip Baker Hall). Filmed on location in Maine, this poignant drama features stunning cinematography.
Choke With his mother (Anjelica Huston) suffering from Alzheimer’s, medical school dropout Victor Mancini (Sam Rockwell) devises a plan to pay her hospital bills. At high-class restaurants, he pretends to choke, waits to be rescued and then later asks his saviors for money. In addition to being a con man, Victor is a sex addict who works at a colonial theme park. This film is based on the novel by cult literary phenom Chuck Palahniuk ( Fight Club).
Dead Like Me: Life After Death A new assignment hits home for grim reaper Georgia (Ellen Muth) when her latest reaping, Hudson Hart (Jordan Hudyma), turns out to be the secret love of her sister, Reggie (Britt McKillip). Meanwhile, Calvin Kane (Henry Ian Cusick) takes over as Head Reaper, but he’s not highly regarded by his undead underlings Daisy (Sarah Wynter), Roxy (Jasmine Guy) and Mason (Callum Blue) in this feature follow-up to the short-lived Showtime cult hit.
How to Lose Friends & Alienate People Life changes drastically for alternative rag writer Sidney Young (Simon Pegg) when he takes a job at Clayton Harding’s (Jeff Bridges) glossy magazine. There, he’s drawn into a risky affair with a co-worker (Kirsten Dunst), and his contempt for celebrity is tested by starlet Sophie Maes (Megan Fox). Based on Toby Young’s memoir, the indie comedy co-stars Gillian Anderson as the dragon-lady publicist whose power plays turn Young’s life upside down.
Wycliffe: Series 1 Based on the popular crime novels by W.J. Burley, this cop drama centers on Charles Wycliffe (Jack Shepherd), a serious-minded detective superintendent tasked with solving Cornwall county’s most befuddling murders. Also starring in this absorbing whodunit series are Jimmy Yuill as skirt-chasing Inspector Doug Kersey, Helen Masters as career-driven Detective Inspector Lucy Lane and Tim Wylton as the pathologist Franks.
I Served the King of England Writer-director Jirí Menzel helms this bittersweet fable of Jan Dite (Ivan Barnev), an opportunistic young waiter in pre-World War II Czechoslovakia. Shrewdly attaching himself to the rich and famous, Dite dreams of one day owning his own hotel. When a tragedy unexpectedly delivers his wish, Dite discovers that hanging on to his dream is even harder than achieving it. Julia Jentsch and Martin Huba co-star.
The Kaiser’s Lackey After learning the fine art of kissing up to his superiors while kissing off his subordinates, the spineless but ambitious Diedrich (Werner Peters) climbs his way through his fraternity, his paper factory, his town council and more. Working his way to his biggest job — that of an underling for the kaiser himself — Diedrich makes for a keenly entertaining protagonist in this biting German satire, an overlooked gem by director Wolfgang Staudte.
What Just Happened? Harried film producer Ben (Robert De Niro) juggles a lunatic director, a temperamental actor (Bruce Willis) and an out-of-control production while courting a studio head (Catherine Keener) and dealing with his ex-wife (Robin Wright Penn) in Barry Levinson’s funny and poignant exploration of the movie business. The all-star comedy is based on the sharply observed novel by veteran Hollywood producer Art Linson.
Oliver Twist William Miller stars in this BBC production of Oliver Twist, Charles Dickens’s tale of a poor orphan who is drawn into the sordid London underworld and its petty crime by the Artful Dodger (Adam Arnold) and his gang. The wretched Fagin (Timothy Spall) pressures Oliver into more serious misdeeds, while the kindly Mr. Brownlow (Edward Fox) tries to give Oliver a brighter future. Coky Giedroyc directs.
Windcroft In the wake of his father’s death, John (Joe Ryan) returns to rural Pennsylvania with his wife, Diane (Vanessa Daniels), to move into his childhood home in this suspenseful indie thriller. But along with the house comes a history of violence and deception. Things only get more confusing when an old flame (Monica Knight) shows up and makes fast friends with Diane, putting John in a dizzying hold between sanity and madness.
Canterbury’s Law: The Complete Series Julianna Margulies stars in this prime-time Fox drama as spirited attorney Elizabeth Canterbury, a woman who balances her desire to help others seek justice with her own ongoing struggle to deal with her son’s unsolved disappearance. Though Elizabeth’s professional life is decidedly driven, her personal life with her law professor husband, Matt (Aidan Quinn), is haunted by their shared grief over losing their only child.
Enemy at the Door: Series 1 Featuring superb cinematography and compelling performances, this acclaimed drama series depicts the dual perspectives of English civilians and their World War II Nazi occupiers during a painful era in British history. While stern German Maj. Richter (Alfred Burke) is put in charge of the Channel Islands occupation, physician Philip Martel (Bernard Horsfall) is tapped to represent the islanders. Emily Richard plays Martel’s iron-willed daughter.
Futurama: Into the Wild Green Yonder While humanity awaits the magnificent new Green Age, ancient forces return to screw up everything, leaving Fry (voiced by Billy West) as the best hope for the universe — yikes! — in this feature-length “Futurama” installment. Meanwhile, Fry also falls for a married fembot, and Leela (Katey Sagal) goes on the run from Zapp Brannigan (West). Bonus features include “How to Draw Futurama in 10 Very Difficult Steps.”
Defying Gravity Following the untimely death of her mother, troubled teenager Cassandra (Alexandra Mathews) secretly takes refuge on the grounds of a cemetery, where she’s befriended by Jorge (Mario Martinez), an eccentric caretaker, and Shore (Macauley Gray), a schizophrenic, van-dwelling college dropout. Directed by Michael Keller, this quirky indie dramedy also stars William Belli as unforgettable transvestite waitress Lola.
Documentaries and Musicals:
Blood, Boobs & Beast Sci-fi and horror auteur Don Dohler (The Alien Factor) is the subject of this documentary that reveals how the video market’s insatiable appetite for “blood, boobs and beasts” ultimately turned off the director to the business. Chronicling Dohler’s on-again, off-again relationship with Hollywood, the film provides both an adventure in genre filmmaking and an affectionate portrait of a man who inspired Robert Crumb, Art Spiegelman and others.
The Brain Drawing on cutting-edge computer graphic imaging, scientific case studies and expert analysis, this History Channel documentary offers a fascinating exploration into the inner workings of the human brain. From the processes of making decisions to theories on the brain’s role in the battle between good and evil, this one-of-a-kind experience unravels the mysteries behind many of man’s deepest questions.
The Weird:
Alice in Wondertown Drama teacher Alicia (Thais Valdés) visits the town of Maravillas on a cultural mission and encounters an endless string of bizarre situations: circus animals in the streets, mirrors acting like doors, swarms of cockroaches and more. She soon discovers that the town’s inhabitants are actually fired bureaucrats who can’t escape from the strange place. The surreal satire of Cuban society was a prizewinner at the Berlin International Film Festival.
Toto in the Moon When scientists realize that Pasquale’s (Totò) blood is similar to that of a monkey’s, they decide to send him on a mission into space. But Pasquale’s exploration of the cosmos experiences setbacks when German spies and aliens harass him and his partner. A legendary Italian comedian, Totò provides many laughs in this science fiction comedy, which also stars Sylva Koscina, Ugo Tognazzi and Sandra Milo.
Boogie Vision A hapless filmmaker may have finally struck gold when he begins romancing a woman with a wealthy father. Now, if he can just get her dad to finance his latest project, he’ll finally be able to create the schlocky movie he’s been wanting to make. Frank Millen, Bert Belant, Marlene Selsman and Michael Blakney star in this zany 1970s comedy that combines satire, campy sex and period animation. James Bryan wrote and directed the film.
Batbabe: The Dark Nightie When heartless supercriminal the Jerker steals Bacchum City’s entire supply of adult movies, lusty crime-fighter Batbabe (Darian Caine) strips down and steps up to vanquish the villain and get Bacchum’s lifeblood flowing once again. But just how far will Batbabe go to restore passion to the streets? And what’s the connection between Batbabe and mysterious strip club owner Wendy Wane? John Bacchus directs this titillating romp.
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