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Volume
V No. 12
A
publication of the National Association of Theatre Owners
Advertise
in In Focus
©
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| April's
Shower
Comedy about a chef trying to host the perfect bridal
shower – despite the secret feelings she harbors
for the bride. Written and directed by Trish Doolan
in her feature directorial debut. With Doolan, Maria
Cina (“The Amanti Girls”), Randall Batinkoff
(“As Good As It Gets”), Zach Ward (“Resident
Evil: Apocalypse”), Molly Cheek (“A Lot
Like Love”), Samantha Lemole (“Legally
Blonde”), Lara Harris (“Demolition Man”)
and Delaina Mitchell (“Vanilla Sky”).
Flat. Jan. 13. Regent.

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Fateless
Hungarian- and German-language drama about a 14-year-old
Jew who suffers through the Buchenwald concentration
camp, then struggles to adapt following its liberation.
Based on the novel by Nobel laureate Imre Kertész.
Veteran cinematographer Lajos Koltai (“Max,” “Being
Julia”) makes his feature directorial debut
from a screenplay by Kertész. With Marcell
Nagy, Zsolt Dér, András M. Kecskés,
Tibor Mertz and Dani Szabo. 136 min. Jan. 6. Thinkfilm.
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Grandma's
Boy
Comedy about a 35-year-old video-game tester forced
to move in with his grandmother and her friends.
Nick Goossen makes his feature directorial debut
from a screenplay by Allen Covert (“Eight
Crazy Nights”), Nick Swardson (“Malibu’s
Most Wanted”) and longtime TV writer Barry
Wernick (“Two Girls and a Guy”).
With Covert (“The Longest Yard”),
Doris Roberts (“Dickie Roberts: Former
Child Star”), Shirley Jones (“Tank”),
Shirley Knight (“Divine Secrets of the
Ya-Ya Sisterhood”), Linda Cardellini (“Scooby
Doo 2,” “Brokeback Mountain”),
David Spade (“Dickie Roberts: Former Child
Star”), Rob Schneider (“Deuce Bigalow:
European Gigolo”), Kevin Nealon (“Good
Boy!”), Peter Dante (“50 First Dates”),
Frank Coraci (“Around the World in 80 Days”),
Jonah Hill (“The 40-Year-Old Virgin”),
Jonathan Loughran (“50 First Dates”),
Joel Moore (“Dodgeball”) and Kelvin
Yu (“Elizabethtown”). Scope R: Drug
use; strong language; strong crude and sexual
humor; nudity. Jan. 6. Fox.

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Idlewild
Musical, set in the American South during prohibition,
about a pair of speakeasy performers who fend off
the gangsters who are eying their club for a takeover.
Music video director Bryan Barber makes his feature
directorial debut from his own screenplay. Andre “André 3000” Benjamin
(“Four Brothers”) and Big Boi, better
known as the R&B duo OutKast, star. Also with
Ving Rhames (“Dawn of the Dead”), Terrence
Dashon Howard (“Hustle & Flow,” “Get
Rich or Die Tryin’”), Macy Gray (“Domino”),
Faizon Love (“Torque”), Paula Patton
(“Hitch”) and singing legend Patti
LaBelle. Jan. 6. Universal.

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Last
Holiday
Remake of the 1950 Alec Guinness comedy-drama about
a shy clerk who is diagnosed with a terminal
illness and takes off for Europe and has one
last fling. Directed by Wayne Wang (“Maid
in Manhattan,” “Because of Winn-Dixie”)
from a screenplay by Jeffrey Price & Peter
S. Seaman (“Wild Wild West,” “How
the Grinch Stole Christmas”). Queen Latifah
(“Beauty Shop”) takes on the Guinness
role and stars opposite Gérard Depardieu
(“Bon Voyage”), Giancarlo Esposito
(“Ali”), LL Cool J (“Mindhunters”)
and Alicia Witt (“The Upside of Anger”).
PG-13: Some sexual references. Jan. 13. Paramount.

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Annapolis
Drama about an aspiring boxer from a rough neighborhood
who follows his dream into the U.S. Naval Academy,
where he falls for his beautiful trainer. Directed
by Justin Lin (“Better Luck Tomorrow”)
from a screenplay by David Collard (“Out
of Time”). With James Franco (“The
Great Raid”), Jordana Brewster (“D.E.B.S”),
Tyrese Gibson (“Four Brothers”), Wil
Calderon (“Cursed”), Roger Fan (“D.E.B.S.”),
Donnie Wahlberg (“Saw II”), Charles
Napier (“Lords of Dogtown”), Brian
Goodman (“Catch Me if You Can”) and
Kenan Thompson (“Fat Albert”). Flat.
PG-13: Some violence; sexual content; language.
Jan. 27. Buena Vista.

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Big
Momma's House 2
Comedy sequel to the 2000 hit about FBI agent
Malcolm Turner, who once again goes undercover
as an old woman who’s not afraid to throw
her weight around. Returnees from part one include
actors Martin Lawrence (“Bad Boys II,” “Rebound”)
and Nia Long (“Are We There Yet?”)
and screenwriter Don Rhymer (“Agent Cody
Banks 2,” “The Honeymooners”).
Newcomers to the franchise include director John
Whitesell (“See Spot Run,” “Malibu’s
Most Wanted”) and actors Emily Procter
(“The Big Tease”), Mark Moses (“Monster-in-Law”),
William Ragsdale (“Mannequin on the Move”),
Marisol Nichols (“Resident Evil”),
Chloe Moretz (“The Amityville Horror”),
Kat Dennings (“The 40-Year-Old Virgin”),
Deena Dill (“Coach Carter”), Kevin
Durand (“Walking Tall”), Josh Flitter
(“The Greatest Game Ever Played”)
and Zachary Levi (TV’s “Less Than
Perfect”). Flat. Jan. 27. Fox.

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Glory
Road
Drama, based on a true story, about basketball coach
Don Haskins, who in 1966 led the first-ever all-black
starting line-up Texas Western team to defeat
an all-white team from Kentucky. James Gartner
makes his feature directorial debut from a screenplay
by Gregory Allen Howard (“Remember the
Titans”) and Chris Cleveland. With Josh
Lucas (“An Unfinished Life”), Derek
Luke (“Friday Night Lights”), Emily
Deschanel (“Boogeyman”), Sam Jones
III (TV’s “Smallville”) and
Jon Voight (“National Treasure”).
Scope. PG: Racial issues including violence and
epithets; mild language. Jan. 13. Buena Vista.

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Guys
and Balls
German-language comedy about a young soccer player
who – banned from his team because of his
sexual preference – forms a new, all-homosexual
team to take on his old team in a grudge match.
Directed by Sherry Horman from a script by Benedikt
Gollhardt. Starring Maximilian Brückner,
Lisa Maria Potthoff and Rolf Zacher. Flat. 106
min. Jan. 13. Regent.
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Imagine
Me & You
Romantic comedy about a bride who finds herself
irresistibly attracted to a beautiful young woman
she first glimpses at her wedding ceremony. Written
and directed by Ol Parker. With Piper Perabo (“The
Cave,” “Cheaper by the Dozen 2”),
Lena Headey (“The Brothers Grimm”),
Celia Imrie (“Bridget Jones: Edge of Reason,” “Nanny
McPhee”), Eva Birthistle (“Breakfast
on Pluto”), Rick Morgan (“Dominion:
Prequel to the Exorcist”), Matthew Goode
(“Chasing Liberty,” “Match Point”)
and Anthony Stewart Head (TV’s “Buffy
the Vampire Slayer”). Jan. 27. Fox Searchlight.

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Looking
For Comedy In The Muslim World
Comedy
about the disastrous consequences that ensue when
retired senator Fred Dalton Thompson asks filmmaker-comedian
Albert Brooks to visit India and Pakistan to find
out what makes people of the Muslim faith laugh.
Written and directed by Brooks (“Defending
Your Life,” “Mother,” “The
Muse”). With Brooks (“The In-Laws”),
Thompson (“Baby’s Day Out”), John
Carroll Lynch (“Catch that Kid”), Amy
Ryan (“Capote”), Tony Montero (“8
Heads in a Duffel Bag”) and Jon Tenney (“You
Can Count on Me”). PG-13: Drug content; brief
strong language. Jan. 20. Warner Independent Pictures.

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