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Volume
V No. 1
A
publication of the National Association of Theatre Owners
Advertise
in In Focus
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Pooh’s
Heffalump Movie
Animated comedy about what happens when Rabbit
tells the rest of the Pooh Crew that only
one thing could be responsible for the loudness
and shaking that has been visiting the Hundred
Acre Wood: the mysterious Heffalump. Longtime
animator Frank Nissen makes his feature directorial
debut from a screenplay by Brian Hohlfeld
(“He Said, She Said,” “Piglet’s
Big Movie”) and Evan Spiliotopoulos
(“The Jungle Book 2”). Featuring
the voices of Jim Cummings, Ken Samson, Brenda
Blethyn and David Ogden Stiers. Flat. Rated
G. Feb. 11. Buena Vista.

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Schizo
Russian-language drama, set in rural Kazakhstan,
about a 15-year-old pugilist who finds himself
pursuing the girlfriend of a fellow fighter
accidentally killed in the ring. Written
and directed by Sergei Bodrov Jr. With Oldzhas
Nusupbayev, Olga Landina, Eduard Tabishev,
Viktor Sukhorukov and Gulnara Yeraliyeva.
Flat. 86 min. Feb. 4 Picture This.
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Son
of the Mask
Comedy-fantasy about a man whose infant son
gains superpowers when the tot dons the mask
of Loki. Returnees from “The Mask” include
actor Ben Stein (“Osmosis Jones”).
Newcomers to the series include director
Lawrence Guterman (“Cats & Dogs”),
screenwriter Lance Khazei and actors Jamie
Kennedy (“Harold & Kumar Go to
White Castle”), Traylor Howard (“Me,
Myself and Irene”), Alan Cumming (“Spy
Kids 3-D: Game Over”), Bob Hoskins
(“Vanity Fair,” “Beyond
the Sea”), Jerry Minor (“Anchorman”),
Jeanette Cronin (“Danny Deckchair”),
Kal Penn (“Harold & Kumar Go to
White Castle”), Magda Szubanski (the “Babe” series)
and Steven Wright (“Coffee and Cigarettes”).
PG: Action; crude and suggestive humor; language.
Feb. 18. New Line.

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Rory
O’Shea Was Here
Drama about a young man with cerebral palsy
whose life changes after he becomes fast
friends with the enigmatic, slightly rebellious
newcomer to his longtime residential facility.
Directed by Damien O’Donnell (“East
Is East”) from a screenplay by Jeffery
Caine. With James McAvoy (“Wimbledon”),
Steven Robertson, Romola Garai (“Vanity
Fair”), Brenda Fricker (“Veronica
Guerin”), Gerard McSorley (“Veronica
Guerin”), Ruth McCabe (“Intermission”)
and Stanley Townsend (“What a Girl
Wants”). Scope. 110 min. Feb. 4 in
New York and Los Angeles; wider Feb. 11;
wider Feb. 18; wider Feb. 25. Focus.

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Schultze
Gets The Blues
German- and English-language drama about
a middle-aged bachelor who, laid off after
years of working the local mines, copes with
the boredom of unemployment by embracing
the Zydeco music of Louisiana. Michael Schorr
makes his directorial debut from his own
screenplay. With Horst Krause, Harald Warmbrunn,
Karl Fred Müller, Hannelore Schubert
(“Legend of Rita”) and Ursula
Schucht. Flat. 114 min. Feb. 11 limited.
Paramount Classics.
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The
Wedding Date
Comedy, set in London, about a woman who – in
an effort to impress her ex-fiancé – hires
a male escort to accompany her to her sister’s
wedding. Directed by Clare Kilner (“How
to Deal”) from a screenplay by Dana
Fox. With Debra Messing (“Along Came
Polly”), Dermot Mulroney (“Undertow”),
Holland Taylor (“Spy Kids 3D: Game
Over,” “D.E.B.S.”), Jeremy
Sheffield (“Anna Karenina”),
Amy Adams (“Catch Me If You Can”)
and Jack Davenport (“Pirates of the
Caribbean”). Also known as “Something
Borrowed.” Flat. PG-13: Sexual content
including dialogue. Feb. 4. Universal.

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Alone
in the Dark
Action thriller about investigators of the supernatural who, while
trapped on a mysterious island, learn that evil demons are planning
to take over the world. Loosely based on the horror video game
series of the same name. Directed by Uwe Boll (“House of
the Dead”) from a screenplay by Elan Mastai, Michael Roesch
and Peter Scheerer. With Christian Slater (“Masked & Anonymous”),
Tara Reid (“My Boss’s Daughter”), Stephen Dorff
(“Cold Creek Manor”), Will Sanderson (“House
of the Dead”), Mark Acheson (“The Chronicles of Riddick”),
Daniel Cudmore (“X2,” “Are We There Yet?”),
Mike Dopud (“I Spy,” “White Noise”) and
Catherine Lough Haggquist (“Scooby Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed”).
Jan. 28. Lions Gate.
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Gory
Gory Hallelujah
Comedy about four
actors who, while motoring to New York, stumble
upon a small town in which an Apocalyptic conspiracy
has pitted zombies against Jesus Christ. Sue
Corcoran makes her directorial debut from a
screenplay by Angie Louise. With Laura Kenny
(“10 Things I Hate About You”),
Todd Licea, Tim Gouran, Greg Allen, Paige Green
and Keith Winsted. Flat. 89 min. Jan. 21. Indican. |
Solitude
Drama
about the dysfunctional relationship shared
by two middle-class
siblings – a brilliant but suicidal brother
and an alluring but disturbed sister – who
are constantly terrorizing each other in a
destructive, co-dependent power struggle. Susan
Kraker and Pi Ware make their feature directorial
debuts from a screenplay by both Kraker and
Ware. With Patrick Belton, Mary Thornton and
Roanne Orenna. Flat. 99 min. Jan. 7 in New
York and Los Angeles. Indican. |
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Beautiful
Boxer
Thai-language action drama about a determined transvestite who
masters kickboxing to earn the money he needs for a sex change
operation. Based on the real-life story of Parinya Charoenphol.
Directed by Ekachai Uekrongtham. Parinya Charoenphol stars as herself.
Also with Sorapong Chatree (“The Legend of Suriyothai”),
Kyoko Inoue and Nukkid Boonthong. 108 min. Jan. 21 limited. Regent.
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Hostage
Drama
about a troubled ex-LAPD hostage negotiator
who retreats to
a small town and its two-man police department,
only to learn that he must fight to keep his
family safe there. Based on the novel by Robert
Crais (“El Secuesto”). Directed
by Florent Emilio Siri (“Nid de guepes”)
from a screenplay by Doug Richardson (“Die
Hard 2,” “Bad Boys,” “Money
Train”). With Bruce Willis (“The
Whole Ten Yards,” “Ocean’s
Twelve”), Kevin Pollak (“The Whole
Ten Yards”), Ben Foster (“The Punisher”),
Serena Scott Thomas (“The World is Not
Enough”), Rumer Willis (“The Whole
Nine Yards”), Kim Coates (“Assault
on Precinct 13”), Marshall Allman (“Little
Black Book”), Michelle Horn (“Stuart
Saves His Family”), Jonathan Tucker (“The
Texas Chainsaw Massacre,” “Stateside,” “Criminal”)
and Johnny Messner (“Anacondas: The Hunt
For The Blood Orchid”). R: Strong graphic
violence; language; some drug use. Jan. 21.
Miramax.

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