Volume IV No. 11

A publication of the National Association of Theatre Owners

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Lemony Snicket’s
A Series of
Unfortunate Events

Adventure about three orphans taken in by Count Olaf, a relative anxious to separate the children from an undisclosed fortune. Based on the book series by Daniel Handler (“Watch Your Mouth”). Directed by Brad Silberling (“City of Angels,” “Moonlight Mile”) from a screenplay by Robert Gordon (“Galaxy Quest,” “Men in Black II”). With Jim Carrey (“Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”), Meryl Streep (“The Manchurian Candidate”), Emily Browning (“Ned Kelly”), Liam Aiken (“Good Boy!”), Cedric the Entertainer (“Johnson Family Vacation”), Billy Connolly (“The Last Samurai”), Jennifer Coolidge (“A Cinderella Story”), Jane Adams (“Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”), Deborah Theaker (“A Mighty Wind”), Luis Guzmán (“Dumb and Dumberer”), Craig Ferguson (“Born Romantic”), Timothy Spall (the “Harry Potter” series) and Jamie Harris (“Made”). Featuring the voice of Jude Law as Lemony Snicket. Flat. Dec. 17. Paramount.

 

 

Meet The Fockers
Gaylord Focker arouses all manner of new suspicions when he introduces his fiancee’s family to his own parents. A sequel to the 2000 comedy blockbuster “Meet the Parents.” Returnees from part one include director Jay Roach (the “Austin Powers” series), screenwriter Jim Herzfeld (“Meet the Deedles”), and actors Ben Stiller (“Anchorman”), Robert De Niro (“Godsend”), Teri Polo (“Beyond Borders”) and Blythe Danner (“Sylvia”). Newcomers to the series include screenwriters John Hamburg (“Zoolander,” “Along Came Polly”), Vince DiMeglio & Tim Rasmussen, as well as actors Dustin Hoffman (“I Heart Huckabees,” “Finding Neverland”), Barbra Streisand (“The Mirror Has Two Faces”), Alanna Ubach (“Legally Blonde 2”), Jack Plotnick (“Down With Love”), J.P. Manoux (“The Day After Tomorrow”), Karen Gordon (“Legally Blonde 2”), Allan Kolman (“Holes”) and Tim Blake Nelson (“The Last Shot”). Flat. Dec. 22. Universal.

 

Proof
Drama about a young woman who cares for her dying father, a brilliant but unbalanced math professor. Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning play by David Auburn. Directed by John Madden (“Shakespeare in Love,” “Captain Corelli’s Mandolin”) from a screenplay by Auburn and Rebecca Miller (“Personal Velocity”). With Gwyneth Paltrow (“Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow”), Anthony Hopkins (“Alexander”), Jake Gyllenhaal (“The Day After Tomorrow”), Hope Davis (“American Splendor”), Leigh Zimmerman (“Mr. Jealousy”), Colin Stinton (“The Hours”), Daniel Hatkoff and Gary Houston (“Fargo”). Dec. 24 in New York and Los Angeles. Miramax.

 

 

The Sea Inside
Spanish-language drama, set in Northern Spain and based on a true story, about a quadriplegic determined to end his life over the objections of friends and family. Directed by Alejandro Amenábar (“Open Your Eyes,” “The Others”) from a screenplay by Amenábar and Mateo Gil (“Open Your Eyes”). With Javier Bardem (“Collateral”), Lola Dueñas (“Talk to Her”), Tamar Novas (“Butterfly’s Tongue”), Mabel Rivera and Belén Rueda. Also known as “Mar Adentro” and “Out to Sea.” Scope. 125 min. Dec. 17 limited; wider Jan. 7. Fine Line.

 

Synergy
Comedy about a 50-year-old advertising executive whose daughter begins sleeping with his new 26-year-old boss. Written and directed by Paul Weitz (“Down to Earth,” “About A Boy”). With Dennis Quaid (“The Day After Tomorrow, “The Flight of the Phoenix”), Topher Grace (“Win a Date With Tad Hamilton,” “P.S.”), Scarlett Johansson (“The Perfect Score”), Marg Helgenberger (“Erin Brockovich”), Selma Blair (“A Dirty Shame”), Philip Baker Hall (“A House on a Hill,” “Dogville”), David Paymer (“Alex & Emma”), Ty Burrell (“Dawn of the Dead”), Clark Gregg (“Spartan”) and Kevin Chapman (“Ladder 49”). Flat. 131 min. Dec. 29 in New York and Los Angeles; wider Jan. 14. Universal.

 

An Unfinished Life
Drama about a young, destitute mother who, as a last resort, uproots herself and her pre-teen daughter to live at her estranged father-in-law’s Wyoming ranch. Directed by Lasse Hallström (“Chocolat,” “The Shipping News”) from a screenplay by Mark Spragg (“Gross Anatomy”) and Virginia Korus Spragg. With Jennifer Lopez (“Jersey Girl,” “Shall We Dance”), Robert Redford (“The Clearing”), Morgan Freeman (“The Big Bounce”), Josh Lucas (“Wonderland,” “Around the Bend,” “Undertow”), Damian Lewis (“Dreamcatcher”), Camryn Manheim (“Twisted”) and P. Lynn Johnson (“Final Destination”). PG-13: Some violence including domestic abuse; language. Dec. 24 in New York and Los Angeles. Miramax.

The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou
Comedy about Steve Zissou, a vain, disreputable deep-sea oceanographer and filmmaker who takes his crew (and the pretty journalist he covets) on a hunt for the shark that lunched on Zissou’s longtime partner. Directed by Wes Anderson (“Rushmore,” “The Royal Tenenbaums”) from a screenplay by Anderson and Noah Baumbach (“Kicking and Screaming,” “Mr. Jealousy”). With Bill Murray ( “Coffee and Cigarettes”), Owen Wilson (“Around the World in 80 Days”), Cate Blanchett (the “Lord of the Rings” series, “The Aviator”), Jeff Goldblum (“Igby Goes Down”), Bud Cort (“Pollock”), Noah Taylor (“Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life”), Willem Dafoe (“Spider-Man 2,” “The Aviator”), Michael Gambon (“Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow”), Pawel Wdowczak (“The Royal Tenenbaums”), Anjelica Huston (“Daddy Day Care”) and Seu Jorge (“City of God”). 118 min. R: Language; some drug use; violence; partial nudity. Dec. 25. Buena Vista.

 

 

Ocean's Twelve
As casino owner Terry Benedict contemplates vengeance, Danny Ocean masterminds new heists in Amsterdam, Paris and Rome. Returnees from part one include director Steven Soderbergh (“Full Frontal,” “Solaris”) and actors George Clooney (“Intolerable Cruelty”), Brad Pitt (“Troy”), Julia Roberts (“Mona Lisa Smile,” “Closer”), Matt Damon (“The Bourne Supremacy”), Andy Garcia (“Twisted”), Bernie Mac (“Mr. 3000”), Casey Affleck (“Gerry”), Scott Caan (“Sonny”), Don Cheadle (“The United States of Leland,” “After the Sunset,” “Hotel Rwanda,” “The Assassination of Richard Nixon”), Elliott Gould (“Boys Life 3”), Carl Reiner (“The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle”), Eddie Jemison (“The Punisher”) and Shaobo Qin. Newcomers to the franchise include screenwriter George Nolfi (“Timeline”) and actors Bruce Willis (“The Whole Ten Yards”), Catherine Zeta-Jones (“The Terminal”), Eddie Izzard (“All the Queen’s Men”), Jeroen Krabbe (“An Ideal Husband”) and Vincent Cassel (“The Reckoning”). Scope. Dec. 10. Warner Bros.

 

 

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. Dec. 3. Picture This.

 

 

 

Spanglish
Comedy-drama about a celebrity chef, his insecure, newly unemployed wife, and the pretty young Latina housekeeper they hire. Written and directed by James L. Brooks (“I’ll Do Anything,” “As Good As It Gets”). With Adam Sandler (“50 First Dates”), Téa Leoni (“People I Know”), Paz Vega (“Talk To Her”), Allen Covert (“50 First Dates”), Cloris Leachman (“Alex & Emma”), Matt Battaglia (“Half Past Dead”), Wendy Braun (“Paparazzi”) and Sean Smith (“Cellular”). Flat. 128 min. Dec. 17. Sony.

 

 

Travelers
and Magicians

Dzongkha-language drama, set in the Eastern Himalayans, about a young Bhutanese government officer who is torn between the enticing dream of journeying to America for more opportunity, and the strict customary laws and practices of his home village. Written and directed by Khyentse Norbu (“The Cup”). With Tsewang Dandup (“The Cup”), Sonam Lhamo, Lhakpa Dorji, Deki Yangzom, Sonam Kinga. Flat. 108 min. Dec. 21 limited. Zeitgeist.

 

 

 

The Woodsman
Drama about a pedophile who, having finally returned to his hometown after a stay in prison, struggles to convince the townspeople and himself that he no longer craves sex with youngsters. Written and directed by Nicole Kassel. With Kevin Bacon (“Mystic River”), Kyra Sedgwick (“Secondhand Lions”), Eve (“The Cookout”), Gina Philips (“Jeepers Creepers”), Benjamin Bratt (“Catwoman”), David Alan Grier (“Baadasssss!”), Kevin Rice (“Serendipity”), Michael Shannon (“Criminal”), Carlos Leon (“She Hate Me”) and Mos Def (“The Italian Job”). Flat. 87 min. R: Sexuality; disturbing behavior; language. Dec. 14. Newmarket.

 

Bearcub
Spanish-language comedy about an aging homosexual dentist who must seek out the advice of friends when he’s suddenly left to care for his 9-year-old nephew. Directed by Luis Miguel Albaladejo from a screenplay by Albaladejo and Salvador García Ruiz. With José Luis Garcia Pérez, David Castillo, Arno Chevrier (“Agnes Browne”), Fernando Albizu (“Bulgarian Lovers”), Javier Martínez (“Lovers”), Elvira Lindo, Mario Arias and Diana Cerezo. Also known as “Cachorro.” Scope. 99 min. Nov. 5 limited; wider Nov. 19. TLA.

 

 

It’s All About Love
Romantic drama, set in 2021 New York, about a crisis that convinces a divorcing couple that they’re still in love with each other. Directed by Thomas Vinterberg from a screenplay by Vinterberg and Mogens Rukov (“The Celebration,” “Kira’s Reason: A Love Story”). With Claire Danes (“Stage Beauty”), Joaquin Phoenix (“Ladder 49,” “Hotel Rwanda”), Sean Penn (“Mystic River,” “The Assassination of Richard Nixon”), Douglas Henshall (“The Lawless Heart”), Alun Armstrong (“Van Helsing”), Margo Martindale (“The Human Stain”), Mark Strong (“Hotel”), Geoffrey Hutchings (“The Affair of the Necklace”) and Sean-Michael Smith (“Dancer in the Dark”). R: A scene of strong violence; some language; sexuality. Nov. 5 in New York and Los Angeles. Strand.

 

Who Killed Bambi?
French-language thriller about a quiet young doctor whose newest employee, a smart and beautiful nursing student, suspects him of stealing anesthesia to molest and murder female patients. Directed by Gilles Marchand from a screenplay by Marchand (“Bon Voyage,” “Red Lights”) and Vincent Dietschy. With Laurent Lucas (“In My Skin”), Catherine Jacob (“God Is Great, and I’m Not”) Yasmine Belmadi (“Criminal Lovers”), Michèle Moretti (“The Wild Reeds”) Jean-Claude Jay (“Time Regained”). Also known as “Qui a tué Bambi?.” Flat. 76 min. Nov. 12 in New York and Los Angeles. Strand.

Guerilla:
The Taking of Patty Hearst

Documentary about the 1974 kidnapping of newspaper heiress Patty Hearst and her alleged brainwashing at the hands of the Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA). Featuring surveillance footage, television and news footage, newspaper clippings, interviews and more. Directed by Robert Stone. Flat. 89 min. Nov. 18 in New York; wider Nov. 24. Magnolia.

 

 

Our Music
French-language drama, broken into three short sections entitled “Hell,” “Heaven,” and “Purgatory,” about a meeting of auteurs at a book conference in war-torn Sarajevo. Written and directed by Jean-Luc Godard (“In Praise of Love”). With Sarah Adler, Nade Dieu (“The Butterfly”), Rony Kramer, George Aguilar (“The Stepford Wives”), Simone Eine (“The Reader”) and Jean Christophe Bouvet (“Taxi 2”). Also known as “Notre Music.” Flat. 76 min. Nov. 24 in New York; Dec. 3 in Los Angeles. Wellspring.

 

You I Love
Russian-language romantic comedy about a beautiful young woman who arrives home to celebrate her 1-year anniversary with her boyfriend, only to find him in bed with another man. Olga Stolpovskaja and Dmitry Troitsky make their feature directorial debuts from their own screenplay. With Lyubov Tolkalina, Damir Badmajew, Jewgenij Korijakowskij and Alisa Tanskaya. Also known as “Ya Lyublu Tebya.” Flat. 83 min. Picture This.

 

 

 

 

"Andrew Lloyd Weber's The Phantom of the Opera" – "In the Realms of the Unreal"

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