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Volume
III No. 4
A
publication of the National Association of Theatre Owners
Advertise
in In Focus
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A
Woman Is A Woman
Re-release of the 1961 French-language comedy
about a stripper who -- after trying to convince
her commitment-phobic boyfriend to have a
baby -- approaches his best friend with the
same proposition. Written and directed by
Jean-Luc Godard (“In Praise of Love,” “Aria”).
With Jean-Claude Brialy (“Shadow Play”),
Anna Karina (“The Truth About Charlie”),
Jean-Paul Belmondo (“Les Miserables”),
Marie Dubois (“The Swindle”),
Ernest Menzer and Marion Sarraut. Also known
as “Une Femme est une Femme.” Scope.
84 min. May 15 in New York. Rialto.

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X2
Sci-fi action drama about an amnesic mutant
named Logan who is drawn closer to his
past when the escaped mutant supervillain-leader
Erik “Magneto” Lensherr helps
mutant superhero-leader Charles Xavier
halt a plot to wipe out every mutant on
the planet. Based on the Marvel comic book
characters created by Stan Lee (“Spider-Man,” “Daredevil”).
Returnees from part one include director
Bryan Singer (“The Usual Suspects,” “Apt
Pupil”), as well as actors Hugh Jackman
(“Kate & Leopold”) as Logan,
Patrick Stewart (“Star Trek: Nemesis”)
as Xavier, Ian McKellen (the “Lord
of the Rings” series) as Magneto,
Famke Janssen (“I Spy”) as
Dr. Jean “Marvel Girl” Grey,
James Marsden (“Sugar & Spice”)
as Scott “Cyclops” Summers,
Halle Berry (“Die Another Day”)
as Ororo “Storm” Munroe, Rebecca
Romijn-Stamos (“Femme Fatale”)
as Raven “Mystique” Darkholme,
Bruce Davison (“Dahmer”) as
Sen. Kelly, Shawn Ashmore (“Strike”)
as Bobby “Iceman” Drake and
Anna Paquin (“25th Hour,” “Buffalo
Soldiers”) as Marie “Rogue” D’Ancanto.
Newcomers include screenwriters Michael
Dougherty and Daniel Harris, as well as
actors Alan Cumming (“Nicholas Nickleby”)
as Kurt “Nightcrawler” Wagner,
Katie Stuart (“Summer of the Monkeys”)
as Katherine “Shadowcat” Pryde,
Brian Cox (“25th Hour”) as
Gen. William Stryker, Aaron Stanford (“Tadpole,” “25th
Hour”) as St. John “Pyro” Allerdyce,
and Kelly Hu (“Cradle 2 the Grave”)
as Yuriko “Lady Deathstrike” Oyama.
Scope. May 2. Fox.

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Better
Luck Tomorrow
Drama, set in Southern California, about
a group of high school juniors who become
bored with their banal suburban lives and
use their perfect reputations to get away
with risky extracurricular activites. Directed
by Justin Lin from a screenplay by Lin,
Ernesto M. Foronda and Julie Asato. With
Parry Shen (“The New Guy”),
Jason Tobin (“Beverly Hill Ninja”),
Sung Kang (“Antwone Fisher”),
Roger Fan (“Corky Romano”),
John Cho (“Solaris”), Karin
Anna Cheung and Jerry Mathers (“Back
to the Beach”). 101 min. R: Violence;
drug use; language; sexuality. April 25.
MTV Films..
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Friday
Night
French-language drama, set in Paris, about
a fiancée whose Friday-night encounter
with an intriguing stranger changes her life.
Based on the novel by Emmanuelle Bernheim
(“Sa Femme”). Directed by Claire
Denis (“Beau Travail,” “Trouble
Every Day”) from a screenplay by Bernheim
(“Under the Sand”). With Valérie
Lemercier (“Sabrina”), Vincent
Lindon (“Chaos”), Hélène
de Saint-Père, Hélène
Fillières (“Ouch”) and
Florence Loiret (“Trouble Every Day”).
Also known as “Vendredi Soir.” 90
min. April 18. Wellspring.
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The Guys
Drama, based on a true story, about a journalist who teams with a New York Fire
Department captain to record eulogies for eight firefighters killed in the
World Trade Center tragedy. Based on a play by Anne Nelson. Actor Jim Simpson
(“Pipe Dream”) makes his feature directorial debut from his own
screenplay. With Sigourney Weaver (“Tadpole,” “Holes”),
Anthony LaPaglia (“The Salton Sea”), Jim Simpson, Charlotte Simpson
and Ron Dortch (“Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood”). 100
min. PG: Thematic elements; brief language. April 4 limited. Focus.
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House
of
1000 Corpses
Thriller about two young couples who seek
refuge from a ominous storm – in
a mansion inhabited by murderous lunatics.
Musician and video director Rob Zombie
makes his feature directorial debut from
his own screenplay. With Sid Haig (“Jackie
Brown”), Karen Black (“The
Underground Comedy Movie”), Bill
Moseley (“Mr. Jones”), Michael
J. Pollard (“Tumbleweeds”),
Sheri Moon and Jeanne Carmen. R: Strong
sadistic violence/gore; sexuality; language.
April 11 limited. Lions Gate.
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Tycoon
Contemporary
Russian-language drama about a wealthy conglomerate
CEO whose downfall is tied to Uzbek mobsters,
Kremlin corruption and his own greed. Based
on the novel by Yuli Dubov. Directed by Pavel
Lungin (“Taxi Blues”) from a screenplay
by Lungin and Aleksandr Borodyansky. With Vladimir
Mashkov (“Behind Enemy Lines”),
Andrei Krasko, Mariya Mironova, Levani Outchaneichvili
(“25th Hour”) Aleksandr Baluyev
(“Deep Impact”) and Aleksandr Samojlenko.
Also known as “Oligarkh.” Flat.
128 min. April 30 in New York. New Yorker.
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The
Dancer Upstairs
Thriller, based on a true story, about the
police detective who spent 12 years trying
to track down the leader of Shining Path,
Peru’s extreme leftist guerrilla group.
Based on the book by Nicholas Shakespeare.
Actor John Malkovich (“Knockaround
Guys”) makes his feature directorial
debut from a screenplay by Shakespeare. With
Javier Bardem (“Mondays in the Sun”),
Juan Diego Botto (“1492”), Laura
Morante (“The Son’s Room”),
Alexandra Lencastre, Abel Folk, Elvira Mínguez
and Oliver Cotton (“Shanghai Knights”).
Flat. 133 min. R: Strong violence; language;
drug content. April 30 limited. Fox Searchlight.
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From Justin To Kelly
Comedy, set in Miami, about a pair of musically
inclined young adults who share romantic
misadventures during spring break. Directed
by Robert Iscove (“She’s All
That,” “Boys and Girls”)
from a screenplay by Kim Fuller (“High
Heels and Low Lifes”). With “American
Idol” winner Kelly Clarkson and “American
Idol” first runner-up Justin Guarini.
95 min. April 25. Fox.
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House
of Fools
Russian- and Chechen-language romantic comedy, set in 1996, about asylum residents
who find themselves drawn into the Chechen War when a group of soldiers arrives
to set up camp. Written and directed by Andrei Konchalovsky (“Tango & Cash,” “The
Inner Circle”). With Yuliya Vysotskaya (“Max”), Sultan Islamov,
Stanislav Varkki, Yevgeni Mironov (“Burnt By the Sun”) and musician
Bryan Adams (“Pink Cadillac”) as himself. Also known as “Dom
Durakov.” Flat. 104 min. R: Language; some violence; nudity. April 25 limited.
Paramount Classics.
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Lilya
4-Ever
Period Russian-, English- and Swedish-language
drama, set in Sweden and the former Soviet
Union, about a Russian teen who – having
been abandoned by her mother – ends
up lost in a world of prostitution, suicide
and drugs. Directed by Lukas Moodysson (“Show
Me Love,” “Together”) from
his own screenplay. With Oksana Akinshina,
Atryom Bogucharsky, Elina Benenson, Liliya
Shinkaryova, Tomas Neumann and Pavel Ponomaryov.
109 min. April 11 in New York; April 18 in
Los Angeles. Newmarket.
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